Chapter One-A friend

'Who was that?' asked Amy Pond.

The Doctor didn't reply.

'Leave him be Amy,' answered Rory.

Amy shot the Doctor a look and then returned her attention to Rory.

The Doctor gave a nod towards Rory in gratitude and began set up the TARDIS for travel.

'Doctor, at least tell us where we're going?' Rory asked.

'To visit a friend,' the Doctor replied without looking up as he flicked a switch and the TARDIS shuddered.

(above: following the story with the Doctor. Below: following the future of the story with Sarah)

Sarah sighed and opened her eyes.

A familiar sight greeted her. The plain white walls, the newly folded clothes on the chair by the desk and a dim light, almost like dawn light lit the room. There were no windows in this room, there never had been and never would be.

Lily sighed again and reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed.

A few minutes later the door was unlocked and a woman with blonde, medium length hair, dressed in a hospital outfit entered.

'Good morning, Sarah. How are you feeling this morning?' she asked.

Sarah didn't reply as usual.

'I see well if I could just take the usual medical readings.'

Sarah stood up as routine and let the woman take her temperature, heart rates and blood sample.

'Now if you could follow me please,' the woman said when she had finished.

Sarah frowned but followed. This was different. Normally the woman went away to get someone to take her to the 'day room', where she'd be taught everything she would need to know for later.

They reached another door and the woman knocked.

The door opened and stood there was Doctor Warren, a tall man dressed similarly to the woman except he had darker and shorter hair.

'Thank-you Lauren,' he said.

'Good morning Sarah. We've been expecting you,' and gestured for me to enter.

Confused I went in.

It was a conference room with a large round table in the middle, which had important looking people around it, many whom Sarah recognised.

To her left was Commander Pearce, a tall man with strict authority, her mentor for army training. Next to him was Professor Webber, a short woman with brown curly hair, Sarah's tutor, mentor and carer. There was also Doctor Chan across the room looking intently at the papers in front of him and the other people Sarah recognised from seeing round the compound.

The door shut and Doctor Warren took his place next to Commander Pearce, who coughed and nodded to the empty chair in front of Sarah. She sat down, knowing what was coming.

Commander Pearce took a deep breath.

'He's coming.'

(below: back following the story with the Doctor)

BAM, the TARDIS landed with a shudder.

'Okay Doctor, where exactly are we?' Amy asked slightly out of breath trying to stay stood up as the travelled.

Instead of replying the Doctor walked out through the TARDIS door. Amy shot Rory a look of annoyance and hurried after him.

They found him waiting in the rain in front of an old tall Elizabethan house.

'This is where we are Amy Pond and it is the year 1962,' the Doctor said quietly to Amy, looking at the house.

'This is a house full of children, by the racket that's coming from up there,' she replied pointing to the open window on the second floor.

'That's because it's an orphanage,' he replied and knocked on the door.

'Wait a second…' started Rory when the door was opened by a very tired middle aged woman.

'Hello,' said the Doctor smiling, 'We're here to see Sarah Smith?'

The woman sighed.

'The visiting hours are on Sunday, but Sarah rarely gets visitors so in you come,' she said holding the door open.

'Thank-you,' the Doctor replied as a wave of noise hit them.

'She'll be at the bottom of the garden,' the woman shouted as she pushed a boy about 4 years old towards them. 'James will show you where.'

James led them through two rooms and out into the quiet garden and the rain.

'She's down there,' the boy told them as he pointed to a small shed and hurried off to play with his friends.

'Doctor,' asked Amy as they walked to the shed, 'I'm really confused, please explain what's going on.'

'I told you we've come to visit a friend,' the Doctor replied as he opened the shed door.

There with her back to them was Sarah. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she looked about the age of an eight year old child. They found her concentrating on painting the picture before her. The Doctor looked at her and waited a smile on his face. Sarah turned round, just as the door shut.

'Who are you?' she asked a little frightened, 'Why are you here?'

'I'm the Doctor,' the Doctor replied still smiling, 'and this is Amy Pond and Rory Williams'

'Are you here to do a medical check-up? Because I had one last week….' Sarah began to say, her young voice quite high pitched.

'No, he's not that kind of Doctor,' laughed Amy.

Sarah grinned and returned to painting her picture.

The Doctor got his sonic screwdriver out and began scanning the walls.

'So how are you Sarah?'

'I'm fine, what are you doing?' she replied cautiously, watching him.

'Just ignore him. He does this all the time,' answered Amy elbowing the Doctor in the arm.

Sarah shrugged as she stood up with her painting in one hand and placed it on the string hanging between the two windows.

'Why are we here Doctor? This is not making any sense' Amy whispered, a few minutes later.

'I told you already,' he replied sniffing a piece of fabric.

'Oh visiting a friend that doesn't even know you?' Amy practically hissed.

The Doctor didn't reply but walked over to Sarah and in the process knocked over the water cup with the paint brushes in.

Several things happened at once.

The Doctor picked up the paint brushes and the cup. Amy stood there giggling with Rory glaring at her to stop, and Sarah ran out of the shed.

'Sarah, wait!' the Doctor called after her after he placed the cup and brushes on the bench. As he stood up he looked closely at the paintings.

'Rory, did Sarah tell you….?' the Doctor began when Sarah rushed back in with an envelope in her hand.

'The…other….day…..a…woman came,' she started out of breath, holding out the envelope to the Doctor, 'and she said….a man called the Doctor would come soon…..and that I had to give this to him'

'She didn't tell me what was in it, only not to open it' Sarah finished handing the envelope to him.

Puzzled the Doctor opened it and read the note inside.

'My dear Doctor,

I couldn't stay for long for obvious reasons but you should know that what's going to happen in the next few hours I'm terribly sorry for.

All my love,

River Song x'

'What does it say?' Sarah asked looking directly at the Doctor.

The Doctor looked back, but didn't reply.