Author's Note: Just a side note, I do tend to disregard some aspects of the show to make it work for my stories. So if anything is different, you know why!
A couple of side-notes: The ninth Doctor will be featured for the first three chapters or so. My OC's appearance is based off the actress 'Victoria Camacho'. She's actually the perfect vision for the character: Long, straight, brown hair with piercing jade-green eyes.
"We've got an order for ham and eggs but hold the hash browns!" I hollered through the diner. I picked up old dirty plates off a table and hurried off to the front.
"No need to shout, we can hear you." Dominic, the cook, said behind the open window of his station.
"Sorry," I shrugged, "That's just how we Americans do it in diners. Amp it up!"
He chuckled, shaking his head, "Joy, you're in England. That's not how we do it here."
"Then why'd I get hired?" I countered, chuckling.
"Because you're a charmer with that American accent." Our co-worker, Ami, walked over to us with a fresh, new dirty plates in her hand.
"What accent?" Dominic raised an eye brow, "She keeps switching it around from American to English so much I can't keep up."
"I do it to tease you," I mimicked his English accent, "But if you are confused, let me remind you that I am Mexican-American. I was born in America to Mexican-American parents."
"Which reminds me, have you called them?" Ami asked.
"Ami, I don't feel like having a bad night." I glanced to her, dead serious, "I'd rather pick up dirty plates and deal with rude customers."
"Well since you insist," she gestured to the tables that had been left by the customers. "How do you Americans say? Chop chop!" she clapped her hands.
I chuckled, "You got it."
"It's getting late," I heard Dominic say as I walked for the table.
"I hope the boss would let us out early." Ami sighed, "There isn't even people in here."
"Yeah, I've got my kids to look after tonight. Margaret's working the night shift this week. Terrible."
"Tell me about it, my brother is my brother but he might as well be my child. Honestly, 22 and still acting like a 10 year old." Ami shook her head.
I returned with new plates in hand, "Well maybe he doesn't like acting what you want him to be."
"Joy, he's older than me." Ami reminded me, "He should be taking care of me."
I smiled softly, "You don't want to depend on someone."
"Well we can't all be like you." Dominic said, making Ami and I look over, "My sister is 25 and she still acts like a teenager."
"Maybe because she's still living her life. What do you want to see from her?"
"I don't know," Dominic shrugged, "Getting an education or a job. Creating a family for herself."
"Don't you want her to be happy?" I questioned, raising an eye brow, "What makes you think she wants that?" Dominic remained quiet. "Honestly, that's the problem with people of today! They all want their children to grow up and get a job and get married. But what if we don't want that? What if we want to travel? What if we want to meet new people and places? Learn and do the impossible? Our life is so short and I don't think anyone wants to waste it."
"You always speak with so much passion, Joy." Ami nudged my arm, "I admire you. You're the one living proof that we can do so many things at so short of a time."
"You can do it too." I replied, "What's stopping you from leaving this job and going on a road trip?"
"My brother. My bills." She swayed her head.
"Bills," I rolled my eyes, "Horrible."
"Well that's enough for tonight." Dominic said, "Joy, it's time to clock out."
"Oh, the mall." I clapped my hands.
Ami chuckled, "You might be free but the mall still has you in its grasp."
"I'm a teenage girl," I remarked, "I can't escape that." I removed my apron and put it away. I clocked out and hurried back to hug Amy and wave at Dominic. I grabbed my coat and headed out into the cold, crispy night. It wasn't that late and so the mall should be open.
I walked onto the center of the London city where the streets were buzzing with shoppers. I was midway through an overly-populated street when the windows of shops were smashed. Out of nowhere, display dummies walked out of them. I froze as I realized they were everywhere around the streets. People began panicking and ran around, crying for help. I started running in whatever direction. The most important thing: Stay alive.
I was pushed back by a running man. "Oi!" I yelled after him. I continued to run but one of those dummies stood in front of me. It grasped one of my arms, bringing me closer to it.
"Hold on," a ginger woman cut through the arm, "Hot knife." She waved it, "Might not be as 'awesome' as a screwdriver but it sure as hell gets the job done." I blinked, wide eyed with shock. She smiled softly, "Hold on honey, he's coming." She ran off.
I stared after her, my mouth trapping all the words I wanted to say. When I felt another dummy grasp my arm, I yelled at the top of my lungs.
"Off you go!" A man kicked it away. "C'mon!" He grabbed my hand and rushed out of there.
"Who are you?" I questioned as we ran.
"I don't think it's the best time for a conversation do you?"
"What are those things?" I looked back.
"Autons." He replied fast, and with certainty, much to my shock.
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm a genius. And they're after me."
"You?" I looked him over, "Why?"
"You sure ask a lot of questions." He said, sounding annoyed.
"How else am I supposed to learn?"
He smiled but didn't say anything back. We ran all the way to the London Eye where a young blonde girl was standing. I immediately stopped when I saw the blue box behind her.
"What the..." I stumbled back.
"Who's that?" the blonde girl pointed at me.
"Human..." the man looked me over, "I suppose. Just like you," he grinned to her.
The girl didn't seem too happy. In fact, she seemed scared.
"Did you find her?" she asked the man, "My mother? Was she back there?"
"Uh, no," the man walked to the blue box, "Like I said, she must be home already."
The girl sighed, "I hope so."
'Who the hell are you people?" I finally croaked out.
"Oh right," the man rolled his eyes, "Introductions," I stared, utterly confused and blank, "I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose Tyler," he gestured to the blonde.
She half smiled, "Hello," she waved a hand.
Slowly, I waved a hand. I could not take my eyes off the blue box. It was the same one I had seen over a year ago…the one with the crazy bow-tie man. Could it be possible there was two boxes? And…what exactly were these boxes?
"Is she alright?" Rose asked, eyeing me cautiously, "Where did you find her?"
"Being attacked by the Autons on the street." the Doctor replied, "They've commenced and we've yet to stop them."
"So...how do we stop them?"
"Oh," the Doctor grinned as he held out a tube filled with blue liquid, "With this."
"A tube?" Rose raised an eye brow, "That's it?"
"Oi, it's anti-plastic." the Doctor clarified.
"Anti plastic?" Rose repeated, clearly confused, "Okay..."
"But first we've got to find the head of it all; the transmitter. But where can you hide something that big in a city this small?"
With my eyes still fixated on the TARDIS and having no clue what they were speaking about, I answered their problem. "London Eye of course."
They both snapped their heads to me.
"What?" Rose asked.
"How would you know that?" the Doctor looked between the London Eye and me.
"I'm not stupid?" I finally looked at them.
The Doctor looked me over, clearly impressed. "I've noticed."
Forgetting the matter, I turned to him, "The blue box. What is it?"
He smiled, "Guess you don't know everything."
"Of course not, that's why I'm asking." I snapped, "Blue box. What. Is. It?"
"TARDIS." he replied, "Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
"Pretty stupid," I muttered, "But catchy. Are there more boxes?"
"Excuse me?"
"Whatever it is," I gestured to it, "Are there more? Do more people own them?"
"…no," he answered quietly for some reason, his eyes lowering for a moment, "It's the only one."
I frowned, that was a lie! Why would he lie? I distinctly remember the last box being exactly the same as this one.
"Are you sure? Because, I think you're lying-"
"Uh, hello?" Rose called, "End of the world looming over us? Remember?"
"Yes, yes." the Doctor nodded, "Off we go then." he rushed past us.
Rose and I turned and saw him run. "Are we supposed to follow?" I asked her.
She shrugged, "That's what I've been doing."
"And how's that worked out?"
"Well, I'm alive."
"Normally I don't depend on anyone but this is a special case," I nodded, "Let's go?" She nodded and we ran after the Doctor.
And that's how I found myself under the London Eye, looking over an orange lava-looking mass in the center of a chamber.
"The Nestene Consciounessm that's it, inside the vat." the Doctor pointed, "A living, plastic creature."
"Well can you kill it?" I asked, "People are dying in the streets."
"I'm not here to kill it." I've got to give it a chance."
I stared, stupefied, "Excuse me? Didn't you hear me? People are dying out in the streets. You can't give it a chance!"
"We all deserve a chance." he said softly, making me realize that perhaps a chance wasn't that bad.
Though, maybe my rule still applied to the humans I know. Once you make a mistake, a life-long mistake, I won't give them another chance. I sighed, "Fine. Just make it stop. I've got people I care about here."
'That I can do." he raised a finger. He rushed down steps and leaned over a rail, "I see audience with the Nestene Consciousness under a peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." The mass flobbered around. "Thank you. That I might have permission to approach."
As the Doctor spoke, Rose was pacing back and forth behind me. Suddenly, she stopped and looked ahead. "Oh my god, Mickey!" she exclaimed then dashed off to a young man sitting by the corner, "It's okay! It's alright!"
"What on earth?" I looked between those two and the Doctor.
"Doctor, they kept him alive!" Rose cried happily.
"Uh, yeah, always a possibility." he shrugged, "Keep him alive to maintain the copy."
"You knew and you never said?" Rose raised an eye brow.
"Keep the domestics outside and finish this already!" I snapped, "God, can't you stay focused?"
"Am I addressing the Consciousness?" the Doctor continued, "If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?"
I snickered and caught myself. What was I doing? I was in the middle of the end of the world and I was laughing?
"Oh don't give me that, it's an invasion!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learned how to walk but they're capable of so much more."
"Stupid?" I raised an eye brow.
"I'm asking you on their behalf- please, just go." the Doctor said.
"Doctor!" Rose shouted as the Doctor was restrained by, what I assumed, were more Autons.
"That was just insurance!" the Doctor exclaimed when the autons took out the blue tube. "I wasn't going to use it!"
The mass flobbered about again.
"I was not attacking you! I'm here to help!" the Doctor insisted, "I'm not your enemy!"
Suddenly, doors above us were opened and revealed the TARDIS.
"Blue box..." I whispered, feeling that same spark of curiosity I had felt when I had seen it last year. But...where was the man I had seen? The one with the bow tie? This clearly was not the man I saw. I'd remember those ears...
This was just so confusing…
"What's it doing?" Rose shouted.
"It's the TARDIS." the Doctor replied, "It's identified its superior technology and it's terrified! You three need to leave right now! Get out now!"
"It's the end of the world..." I mumbled, looking around. The ceiling started crumbling down, taking down the stairs with it.
"The stairs, they've gone!" Rose yelled.
"Get in the TARDIS!" the Doctor ordered, "All of you!" he eyed me.
I glanced to Rose and the other guy. Were we really supposed to fit in that tiny thing? No time to think about it. I rushed over to them as they struggled to get in.
"It won't open!" Rose cried, "I haven't got the key!"
"We're gonna die!" the guy beside her cried.
"Move aside!" I pushed, rather mean I should say. I'd apologize later for it.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked frantically.
"Opening it." I took a pin from my hair and stuck it into the key hole.
"A pin?" Rose raised an eye brow.
I smiled, "Gets the job done."
As I worked on the door, I noticed Rose picked up an axe lying about.
"What are you doing?" the guy asked her.
"I've got no A levels." she replied, "I've got no job, no future." she started hacking at a chain on the wall. "But I tell you what I've got: Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team." The chain she worked on became lose and so she held onto it "I got the bronze." she announced then swung over, kicking the Autons that had restrained the Doctor.
"She's brave." I said, working on the door.
"Yeah," the guy said.
"You can't get it open with a pin!" the Doctor cried as they neared.
"Hm," I finally unlocked it, "Wanna bet?" I turned back.
He stopped in front of me, again surprised. I smirked. "Suddenly, the security it provides me with doesn't seem so safe anymore…"
"A pin always get the job done!"
"Okay, in, in, in!" Rose urged.
The Doctor pushed me in first then the guy.
"I don't see how we're all going to fit in such a small..." I looked around and saw it was much bigger than it looked on the outside. "Place...box..." I froze in place.
"Bit shocking, isn't it?" Rose patted my back. I nodded, speechless. "Yup."
"It's...it's bigger on the inside." I breathed, "Much, much bigger."
"You like it?" the Doctor asked, grinning, "I noticed you have such curiosity."
"Yeah..." I whispered.
"Now, hang on." he instructed.
I looked and saw he was working on a circular control panel. "Hang on for wha-" And the box started moving! I fell to the ground with a thud. "Ow." I muttered, rubbing my back.
When it stopped, I pushed myself to my feet and rushed to the doors. When I opened it, I found myself in an alley way. I blinked, "It...it moves."
"Materializes." the Doctor corrected.
I looked back, "What is this?"
"A spaceship." he smiled.
The guy rushed past me to the outside. Rose calmly walked out and started talking on her phone to her mother. I looked in and out, speechless again. This is the box I had seen. This is why the man had walked in and out with ease. But...my question still stood, where is that man?
"Nestene Consciousness?" the Doctor walked up beside me, "Easy." he snapped his fingers.
"You were useless back there." Rose teased proudly, "If it wasn't for me, you would've been dead."
"She's right." I agreed, taking a step out. I still couldn't believe we had moved.
The box moved! Incredible! I rushed out and looked around.
"Thank you," the Doctor said to Rose, "Really." She smiled and nodded. "And you," he glanced at me, "I'm sorry I never got your name."
I smiled, feeling like I owed everything to this man for finally showing me this box of wonder. "Joy." My response came out in a whisper.
"Well, thank you." he nodded again.
"I didn't do anything." I glanced to Rose, "She did."
'Well...I'll be off then." he turned around then looked back to Rose, "Unless...I don't know...you would come with me?" Rose stuffed her hands in her pockets, "This box isn't just a London hopper you know. It goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge."
It goes anywhere. I smiled. That's like a travel packet. I looked to Rose, curious at her response.
"Is it always this dangerous?" she asked.
"Yeah." the Doctor nodded.
"Yeah...I can't." Rose answered, disappointing me. "I've um...gotta go and find my Mum and um...someone's gotta look after this stupid lump." She laughed lightly, patting the guy on the back "So..."
"Okay..." the Doctor nodded, obviously hurt a little, "I'll see you around," He was going to close the door when he looked at me. "And you, Joy," he asked, reopening the door, "What about you?"
"M-me?" I pointed.
He nodded, "There's something about you." he looked me over, "You're clever."
I smiled, "Thank you."
"What about you?"
"Would you really want me there?" I pointed, "In that box? Filled with wonders?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I would. How about it?"
I bit my lip, thinking quickly, "...Yes!"
He smiled, "Let's go."
I smiled brightly, rushing inside the box of wonders again. "Oh my god..." I said, breathless.
He walked around the panel again, working the knobs. The wheezing sound restarted again and so did the jolts. "Oh!" he exclaimed, "I forgot to mention it travels in time!"
"It travels in time?" I raised an eye brow.
"Oh yeah!" He grinned, stopping the wheezing sounds and rushing back out to tell Rose.
"Next stop everywhere." I whispered, looking at the many controls the panel had.
And that's how my story began. In the TARDIS. With the Doctor. And Rose Tyler.
Next stop...everywhere.