Well, here is Chapter 1. It is up a bit earlier than I intended, but it is a reward for myself because I just finished the final chapter. I still have the middle to write of course... Hmmm...

Disclaimer: As you will soon find out in my story, Doctor Who really doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 1

Fiction or Reality?

The Doctor swung open the TARDIS door a little too enthusiastically; he was slightly more hyperactive that day than usual. He wasn't entirely sure what had caused it. Maybe he was just glad to be reunited with his beloved TARDIS after the incident with the Weeping Angels. Or, as Martha had quite unjustly pointed out, the jar of foam bananas was empty and someone had to have eaten them for them to have vanished. Her accusing eyes had of course been directed at him. He pretended to have no idea what she was talking about and set about explaining the probability of Belgium being hit squarely in the chest by a paradox whilst the entire population ate satsumas. She wasn't fooled.

The sight that greeted him on the other side of the TARDIS door was a teenage girl with an expression on her face that conveyed nothing but pure and utter shock standing a few inches away from the TARDIS.

"Hello!" He grinned at her broadly. She didn't move. Maybe she was a statue? Best not blink… He stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Er…" was all he could say, this quite short girl with long black curls and big, nearing black eyes was intimidating him with her gaping mouth and slightly demonic expression.

"Culture shock. Must be on Earth. Blimey…say something will you? You're making me nervous, and I'm telling you, that doesn't happen often! Well, unless you count that time when I had to decide the fate of the earth back on Satellite Five, phwoar, I nearly gave up then, and I don't…don't… do… tha…that… often…" He trailed off, eyes widening as he caught sight of the contents of her room. They flitted quickly from one poster to another, drinking in the dozens of his own faces staring back at him, his own, real face depicting a look of horror.

Gulping, his eyes returned to Natalie's still shocked face and he said in a hoarse voice, "We need to talk."

"About what Doctor?" came Martha's voice from somewhere in the TARDIS. She appeared in the doorway of the TARDIS. "Hi." She smiled at the girl stood next to the Doctor. "About what Doctor?" She repeated.

"Take a look around you Martha." The Doctor whispered.

"Wha— Oh my God!" Martha's face mirrored the Doctor's exactly. Wide eyes turning to Natalie, her voice also a whisper, "Have you been stalking us?"

Natalie blinked. "What?"

Martha smiled sympathetically, realising they were in no immediate danger. "I guess not. What's your name?"

"It can't be…you are Martha aren't you?" Natalie finally found her voice.

"Yes, but how did you know? Where did all these posters come from?"

"It is not what it looks like, honest. But…but…you aren't real. You're fictional characters…"

Martha snorted. "How can we be fictional, we are right here in front of you."

Before any more could be said on the matter the Doctor cut in.

"What did you say your name was?"

"Natalie."

"Right well, Natalie. Is there something you would like to tell us?"

The Doctor, having established that he was not going to get a fully formed sentence from Natalie just yet and of course being his usual polite self, invited himself for a cup of tea in the kitchen, with a biscuit, he had insisted. The journey downstairs was slow, particularly as it was pitch black and the Doctor's sense of direction had been faulty for as long as he could remember. Several bruises and a stubbed toe later, he found himself in a small, cosy kitchen with a cup of tea in hand and Martha tending to the cut on his head. Natalie had scurried off to explain to her cross mother that she had just tripped down the stairs on the way to get a glass of water, but she was fine and was heading back to bed.

"I can't believe I fell down the stairs! I haven't done that in years!" The Doctor said indignantly, in a rather loud voice.

"Doctor, people are trying to sleep!" Whispered Martha. "There, all better."

"I could have just sonicked my cut to heal it you know."

"Well, I need my practice, even if it is just a tiny cut in need of a plaster. Otherwise I'll never pass my exams!"

"Ah, the Lady of Mystery herself! So are you going to tell us what is going on?" The Doctor jumped up as Natalie walked in. She seemed ready to talk. "Ok," she began, in a slow, shaky voice, "basically, you two feature in a television program called…" she hesitated for a moment before ploughing on, "Doctor Who."

The Doctor raised an incredulous eyebrow and said softly, "A television program?"

Natalie nodded, too intimidated to speak.

"Doctor Who?! Is that the best they could come up with?!" Martha scoffed.

"Now, now Martha, focus…" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her in amusement. "Natalie, what television channel is it broadcasted by? Not some alien channel from Marx in the Candid and Courtesy Nebula I hope? Miles away that is…and the locals have a habit of stuffing raisins in your ears. It's not pleasant, I can tell you that!"

"BBC 1 actually."

"Oh, well, that's alright then!"

"It is?" Martha asked, looking surprised.

"Oh yes! Because all we need to do is find out who is sending them footage of us."

"What makes you so sure they have a source? Wait a sec, footage? They're filming us?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrow, as if it was obvious. "Come on Martha, you live on Earth, have you seen some of the rubbish the BBC put on TV? Our adventures are far too good to be the BBC's doing!" And with a mischievous grin, he scrambled out of the kitchen, leaving a stunned Martha and an even more stunned Natalie in the whirlwind that was the Doctor's sudden departure.

"Actually it should be BBB." The Doctor had poked his head around the door again.

"And what would that stand for?" Martha asked sarcastically. "Brilliant Brainy…er…Brainbox?"

"I was going to say Big Blue Box, you know, the TARDIS, but I like it Martha, good thinking!" And with a wink he disappeared again.

Martha rolled her eyes and sighed before following the Doctor out of the kitchen.

Natalie was left alone on her stool, staring at the doorway, the expression on her face showing mild surprise.

The sonic screwdriver buzzed loudly in the quiet room. It was occasionally disturbed by the Doctor's incomprehensible mutterings.

"God, is my bum really that big?" came a voice from behind him. Martha had obviously just spotted herself on the television.

"Martha, there are far more serious things at hand right now." She thought she heard something that sounded like, "Apes…"

A muted repeat of "Blink" was being shown on the television in the living room and Martha had just walked in to see the Doctor squatting a metre away from the TV, sonic screwdriver in hand, a thoroughly puzzled expression on his face.

"Can I help?" Natalie, who had been pretty much silent throughout this whole peculiar ordeal, decided that she should get her act together.

"No, we are fine thanks, anyway, you're too young, you wouldn't understand." The Doctor didn't even look up. Martha kicked him.

"Sorry, was that rude? Rude and not ginger…" He grinned, "Now that brings back memories! Remember Natalie?" Her good-natured smile showed the affirmative, encouraging the Doctor, much to Martha's annoyance. "Strangest Christmas ever…Well, unless you count the last one. Aracnoss on Earth, must have been a corker of an episode! What were the ratings? Should have been sky high, higher than sky high, best thing on television since that Eastenders Christmas Special, always popular. My favourite episode had always been that one where Dirty Den dies, so dramatic!"

"Erm, yeah."

There really wasn't anything you could say to that.

"You know what Doctor," began Martha, "I take that statement I made earlier back. You were wrong, it should stay as the BBC. It stands for Brilliant Brainy Chatterbox!" The Doctor just grinned at her again, boy was he in a jolly mood, and returned to his sonicking.

It took a good twenty minutes before the Doctor showed any signs of making a discovery.

"AH HA!" He cried, making both Martha and Natalie jump out of their skin.

"Here we go, come on my beauty…Yes! " He jumped to his feet and turned to face the present company. His face glowed with unhidden enthusiasm,

"Martha, Natalie, I may have found out where this fantastic television program is really broadcasting from…I just need to wait for the sonic screwdr—" He stopped, mid sentence, as if frozen between two time continuums.

"Doctor?"

"It's coming from Satellite 5…"

Natalie gulped. This was bad. She knew what was going through the Doctor's head.

And boy, it really wasn't pretty…

A/N: Oo er! Bring on Satellite 5...