Chapter Four

"Now," said the Doctor after Callie had (slightly) gotten over the shock and excitement of being in the TARDIS. "The cracks of time in this universe... I don't really know why they appeared in the first place. They went everywhere, and anyone who touched them or got too close were sucked in. They were literally erased from existence. As in, gone. Completely. With no hope of ever coming back." River shot him a look that clearly said 'Rory', but he shushed her. "Rory got lucky."

Callie raised an eyebrow. "Who's Rory?"

"An old friend," the Doctor said sadly. "He's gone now." He was silent for a second, then continued on, walking around the main console, pushing random buttons occasionally. "But the cracks in your universe, they seem to be different. At least the one you went through was. It must have acted as a portal through this world and yours, allowing you to come here."

"Okay," Callie said. "So... how do I get back?"

The Doctor looked uncomfortable. "Uh... well..."

"No, it's okay. I'll figure that out later. Right now, I want to find my dad. I never met him. He's the reason I decided to go through the crack in the first place."

The Doctor didn't say anything. River said gently, "Callie, sweetheart, we don't even know if he's in this universe."

Callie glanced between the two of them. "But you just said yourself that the cracks in my universe were different. That they send people here instead of to oblivion," she struggled to understand.

"We don't know that," the Doctor said sadly. "You may have just gotten...lucky. And I'm sure that there are quite a few John Smiths in London. He could be anywhere."

"Isn't there anything we can do to narrow it down?" Callie asked again. "It can't be that hard to find a single man."

River coughed.

"Callie, I want to show you something," the Doctor blurted out, noticing her miserable face.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Just wait," he said, smiling. He started walking around the console again, pushing buttons and pulling on a lever. The TARDIS suddenly jerked, throwing Callie back. She laughed, despite her situation. So this was what her mum had meant when she said the Doctor was a horrible driver.

The TARDIS stopped, and the Doctor opened the door, gesturing for Callie to step outside. She did.

River couldn't help but smile when she heard Callie's excited but terrified gasp.

"H-how am I breathing..?" She asked, staring at the distant supernova. She was in space. In space! Her mother had told her stories, but... The Doctor grabbed her arm to keep her from drifting away from the TARDIS.

"The TARDIS is protecting us," he said, smiling. "This is what we would do, Callie. Me and Rose. Back when your father and I were the same person. He loved her, a lot. I know, because he and I are the same, and I loved her, too."

"I know." She turned back to him, shutting the door of the TARDIS. "Could I stay here tonight? I want to start looking for my dad, but I'm dead tired, and I don't really have a lot of alternatives..." She trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"Of course," the Doctor said. "Rose's old bedroom will find you upstairs."

Cue the awkward silence.

"Thank you," Callie whispered, and took her leave.

River looked at the Doctor, who looked very confused and distraught.

"Doctor, what..?" River asked, alarmed.

He opened his mouth and then closed it again. "Something is very, very wrong," he said. "I don't think that's actually Callie."

OoOoO

When Callie found Rose's room, it was all she could do to refrain from exclaiming, "Bloody hell!"

Clothes, clothes everywhere. Clothes on the floor and on the bed. There was a wardrobe in the back, along with a drawer case spilling out...more clothes.

It was as if the Doctor had strewn all of Rose's things on the floor in a rage, but Callie couldn't bring herself to go through them just yet. Instead, she just curled up on the bed and fell asleep, dreaming of her parents and rainbow jellyfish.