Faith was walking home from school with her best friend Kaylee Chesterton. It was weird for Faith having a friend she wasn't used to it. Everyone always thought Faith was a rather odd person and the other kids tended to avoid her. It wasn't as if they were intentionally being mean to her, but the odd bruises she had had when she was little tended to scare people off. Even after those faded away for good her shy nature and tendency to have her nose in some kind of book, either a sketch book or a novel, didn't exactly encourage people to make friends with her. She didn't really mind the lack of friends she had. She had always been more comfortable when she was alone and she had discovered when she was younger that the less people you care about the less people there are that can hurt you.
Now Kaylee, she was different. She moved in down the road from where Faith and Rose lived when Faith was eleven, which was a little over a year ago. She moved around a lot because her family liked traveling. She too was slightly strange, mostly due to the fact that she had moved around so much and had been home schooled for the majority of her life. She didn't exactly fit in with the other kids in school so naturally she and Faith banded together. There also was the fact that when the Chestertons moved in down the street Rose had jumped at the opportunity to get the girls to know each other. Rose believed that friends were a healthy part of a girl's life and disapproved of Faith's lack of them. Unfortunately, for the girls, Mrs. Chesterton completely agreed with Rose since Kaylee had never been one to have many friends herself.
They were rounding the corner out of view of the school when she heard the noise. It was hard to describe but even harder to try and replicate. Faith had heard it before but couldn't quite remember where. The sound continued and before their eyes, a blue police box seemingly appeared out of thin air.
Blinking a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining anything Faith set her bag down and sat on the waist high brick wall that lined the edge of the sidewalk.
"What are you doing" Kaylee asked eyes darting between Faith and the blue box with a hint in her eyes that almost looked excited.
"Well don't you want to know what's in it" Faith asked even though she had a very good idea of what or should she say who was in it. The 1960s police box matched Rose's description perfectly.
Kaylee stopped looking back and forth and looked straight at Faith "I think I already know"
"What do you mean you already know?" Faith asked. How could she possibly know about The Doctor?
"I mean they told me stories, the mysterious man in his blue police box, but they were just stories. I mean they can't be true they just can't." Kaylee rambled on with a frantic look in her eyes.
"Who told you stories" Faith prompted
Kaylee sat down next to Faith on the wall and sighed she opened her mouth to continue when the doors burst open. A woman with red hair walked out holding an odd contraption that looked like nothing Faith had never seen before. It looked like a box, but there was some kind of fan like object on it and a bunch of colorful lights and buttons. She scanned the area quickly but stopped suddenly when she spotted the two girls sitting on the wall.
Two men walked out after her one had a big nose and brown hair the other one was none other than The Doctor. The one with the big nose stopped just as suddenly when he saw Faith and Kaylee nonchalantly sitting there watching them. The Doctor on the other hand, being otherwise occupied with some strange device he was holding in his hand, wasn't looking and ran right into the big nosed man.
"What are you doing ror" The Doctor stops suddenly when he finally realized the presence of the two girls "oh hello again Faith it's funny how the universe keeps making me bump into you"
If The Doctor planned on continuing, Faith will never know because suddenly the red haired woman interrupted him "What on earth are you talking about Doctor"
"Oh right I forgot you two didn't know her yet. Every time I've run into her you two were somewhere else well Amy, Rory, that's Faith, Faith, Amy and Rory. Now if you don't mind I've better be off"
The Doctor started walking away when he was again interrupted by the red head who Faith now knew to be Amy "But what about the other girl"
The Doctor looked up at Amy like she was insane "What do you mean the other girl?" he looked back over to where Faith was sitting and froze when he realized that there was another girl sitting there. "Oh you mean that other girl. Well that's… umm…"
The Doctor was saved when Kaylee took pity on him and said "I'm Kaylee"
"See" The Doctor said "That's Kaylee, now we better be off. Come along Ponds"
"You can't just leave her there" Rory butted in for the first time
"Sure I can" The Doctor argued "Now come on we have Malorums to track down"
Amy and Rory reluctantly followed behind The Doctor as he ran off looking over their shoulders at the two girls sitting there watching them go. Faith just smiled at their obvious confusion and waved to them as the disappeared around the corner.
Once the three adults were completely out of sight and earshot both Faith and Kaylee turned to each other and said "How do you know The Doctor?"
Kaylee smiled slightly at their synchronized talking then continued before Faith could say anything again "Well I guess I should go first since I'm assuming your story is a lot longer than mine. After all he seemed to know you and I've only heard stories about him" Faith nodded signaling Kaylee to keep talking "Well my grandparents, my dad's parents, they used to travel with him back before they were married. My dad grew up hearing stories about the grumpy old man in the blue box which he then told to me. He didn't look very old or grumpy maybe it was a younger version of him" Kaylee said practically talking to herself "Anyway, they said he could travel anywhere through space and time in that box. I never once believed it was real even though everyone swore it was. I kept expecting them to tell me one day that they were joking the whole time, but now I see why they haven't"
Realizing that Kaylee was done Faith told her all about the few times she had met The Doctor before and about how Rose had traveled with him also.
"My Grandparents are visiting actually if you think your mum would like to meet them" Kaylee said after Faith had finished her story.
"Yeah I think she'd like that. Come on let's go see if she's home from work yet"
Rose was in the kitchen baking cookies when she heard the door open. "Faith is that you"
"Yeah mum it's me" Faith called from the entrance hall.
"Good I'm making cookies, but you aren't allowed to have any until you clean that mess you call your bedroom. Oh and when I say clean it I don't mean shove everything under your bed like you usually do it actually needs to be clean. Oh hi Kaylee I didn't realize you were here" Kaylee and Faith had walked in half way through Rose's lecture.
"Don't worry Miss. Tyler my mum gets much worse when my room is a mess" Kaylee smiled sitting down in the table.
"Actually mum we wanted you to come meet Kaylee's grandparents" Faith said cutting to the chase.
"Why, not that I wouldn't love to meet them, but why so sudden" Rose asked cookies forgotten.
"Just come on" Faith said grabbing her hand "We'll explain when we get there"
Rose followed the two girls to Kaylee's house wondering what on earth the two of them could be up to.
"Gran, gramps I'm home and I brought some visitors" Kaylee yelled as she opened the front door.
"In the kitchen sweetie" the voice of an old woman who Rose assumed was Kaylee's grandmother called back.
They followed Kaylee into the kitchen and saw an old couple sitting at the table.
"Gran, gramps this is Faith and her mum. Faith, Miss. Tyler these are my grandparents"
"Hi I'm Rose" she said reaching out to shake Kaylee's grandmas hand.
"Barbra" Kaylee's grandma said shaking Rose's hand.
"Ian" Kaylee's grandpa said and he too shook hands with Rose.
"So girls feel like telling me what's got you two worked up?" Rose asked taking a seat next to Barbra.
"So on the way home we may have ran into someone" Faith started hesitantly.
"Yeah someone you all know" Kaylee piped in.
"Yeah but you see we didn't know that each other knew until after and since we both knew we realized you all knew and thought you'd like to know that you all knew"
"Faith sweetie, not that I don't like being confused out of my mind, but would you get to the point" Rose asked trying to figure out what Faith had just said.
"Yeah umm sorry" Faith had the decency to look slightly remorseful "Well the point is we ran into The Doctor"
Faith paused letting the statement hang in the air before Kaylee picked up for her. "Well I recognized the TARDIS and then I realized Faith knew what was going on when The Doctor recognized her. After he left we talked about how we knew him and we found out that you all had traveled with him"
"So we decided that you'd probably like to meet each other" Faith finished.
After a pause during which the adults made sure the girls had finished their story Rose finally spoke up. "You traveled with him"
"Yes for nearly two years. We weren't married at the time just taught at a school his granddaughter was attending. In the end we choose to leave, all good things must come to an end eventually" Barbra said.
"Wait his granddaughter" Rose asked trying to hide the shock in her voice. I mean she always expected he had had a family before the war, but it had never been confirmed.
"Yeah Susan" Ian said smile at the memory "Lovely girl"
"So what about you Rose?" Barbra asked "What were your travels like?"
"Well I was nineteen when I met the ninth version of him. Traveled for about a year before he regenerated into his tenth self, and then I traveled for another year or so with that version. Then I got trapped in a parallel universe but I was able to get back long enough to help save the multiverse before I was sent back with a part human version of him. Due to the fact that I looked into the heart of the TARDIS I was able to transport myself back here after my Doctor died" Rose answered not letting any emotion seep into her voice.
"Well to say I have a few questions would be an understatement" Barbra smiled "I mean you seem human but you talk as if you should be as old as we are yet you look so young"
"Well that is a good question after all I believe I am actually your senior by a good amount. I did just turn 131 last May" Rose paused a second thoroughly enjoying the shocked looks and Ian, Barbra, and Kaylee's faces. "You see looking into the heart of the TARDIS is not something most people can get away with. The Doctor himself actually burned up when he took all the vortex energy out of me. Even with most of the energy gone, it had an effect. I don't age, haven't since I was twentyish. I can die either, well no that's a lie, I can, but I don't stay dead not for long I don't"
This time even Faith was shocked, Rose hadn't told her about the whole not being able to die part. The only one on this universe who had known before today was Jack and he had figured it out himself. Now that had not been a fun conversation.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was actually only a minute or so, Ian talked. "I've heard of some weird stuff being around The Doctor, but that I think makes the top of the list"
"Okay umm next question, what do you mean ninth and tenth selves, and what's regeneration"
Before Rose could answer a pale boy with long brown hair that fell in diagonals across his face came in holding what looked like a one year old baby. "Gran, Gramps what's going on, I didn't know anyone was over?"
"Rose these are my grandsons Jackson and little Teigan" Barbra said gesturing to the boys who had come in. "Jackson this is Miss. Tyler and Faith"
"Nice too meet you Miss. Tyler" Jackson said shifting Teigan into one arm so he could use the other to shake Rose's hand. "Hey Faith"
Faith nodded in reply having met Jackson multiple times before.
"Jackson Miss. Tyler traveled with The Doctor, Faith and I met him today" Kaylee said nearly bouncing in her seat.
"Wait so he's real? All those stories we thought were made up are real?" Kaylee just nodded "Wow"
"Rose, Faith how would you like to stay for diner. I still have a lot of questions left and I'm sure we would all enjoy trading tales of our adventures" Barbra asked.
"We'd love to thank you" Rose smiled she hadn't been able to talk about The Doctor to someone who knew him in a very long time. "You know The Doctor would hate this, us making friends"
"And why's that" Ian asked confusion taking place of the smile he had on few seconds earlier.
"He never liked when companions met each other and compared stories I think he was embarrassed by what he had done in the past. I met another of his companions back when I was still traveling with him and it drove him mad that we got along. Granted we did make fun of him, but still"
"Ah I suppose that would bug him" Ian laughed "Now Jackson, Kaylee why don't you set the table. Your parents will be home any minute now and I'm sure your parents will want to hear this. Your dad will probably be thankful to hear that his parents aren't lunatics who made a story about a mad man in a blue box that can travel through time and space"
"Yeah I think he will definitely like that" Jackson chuckled before leaving to grab the dishes yanking his little sister behind him.