Chapter 1 - Rose, pt 1

I had no idea where I was. This was confusing. Last I thought I was doing was falling asleep... oh. I fell asleep on the couch in the living room. It would make some sense if someone had carried me to my own room... but no. This bed as not mine. And so was the room.

I had somehow woken up in a pristine white room. There was nothing here but the bed. No windows and no doors, though, there was a corridor that turned down one end I couldn't see. Sighing, I looked at what I was wearing and realised that I had still been wearing the clothes I had fallen asleep in. A blue T-shirt and black trousers. At least I was wearing something decent and it didn't look very creased anyway.

So I shuffled down to the hallway and took a quick peak.

Great. So there is a door. I immediately made to turn it only to find more corridors.

Corridors.. that shouldn't exist. Because they that a warm glow and roundels and coral supports along the wall. Just like the TARDIS.

I chuckled at what must be an elaborate prank. My family had known my love for the show Doctor Who. Even my father had watched it sometimes with or without me, but he was way behind on episodes and been watching all out of order. Though, I admit, I had been too. At least for some of the classic series. But I do watch all the new episodes as they came out. My father hadn't bothered to stay up to date on recent episodes, just taking his sweet time.

"All right, dad. Did you somehow manage this? Funny. Where are you?"

I paused, looking up and down the corridor, waiting for someone to show up.

No one had and I shrugged. Then I noticed the lights dimmed one part of the corridor and brightened the other part.

"I guess that's my path huh?" I said, wondering if there was a hidden camera capturing all this. I mean, there must be if my dad, or whoever he got behind the controls saw that I was out of the room.

I shuffled down the corridor, humming the theme tune, admiring the handiwork that someone must have done to create this. I felt an odd feeling too, a gentle hum and something that seemed like this place was alive. I figured it must be some special effects. I mean I knew all about how haunted houses and stuff were faked with spooky atmospheres that gave you the feeling that someone or something was there with you. It would be quite possible to create specific effects that might make one feel you could possibly be on the living TARDIS, right?

I walked and walked. I eventually came to the top of a spiral staircase and two more hallways that split off. Those hallways weren't lit very well but I peered down the bright and illuminating staircase. I was delighted but always quite confused at all this. This was just too elaborate a set. In fact, the real filming set would never be this elaborate. Those sets were open so they can get the filming crew in. This was all enclosed. Absolutely no space for a film crew.

Nevertheless, I hurried down the steps as fast as I could. I went down a few flights noticing that all the hallways weren't lit up either. Until this one hallway.

Yeah, this was certainly no film set. I was beginning to wonder whether I was dreaming. It didn't look like dreaming. It was too lucid and I had never had such vivid and detailed dreams such as this where I thought I was actually there. I shrugged but continued down the hallway until it opened up into the console room.

Yes, the TARDIS console room. It was spectacular and elaborate. This time the lights flickered a bit, and then the entire floor shook.

"Aargh!" I screamed, scrambling to hold on to something but failed and I was sprawled on the floor, nearly banging my end against one of the coral supports I had been trying to grab on to.

What the hell? I thought. My left hand was in a bit of pain from having landed straight on it. I wiggled my fingers and clenched my fists until it kind of went away. Ow.

There could only be one reason for this. This was real and this was actually the TARDIS. But that wasn't possible was it?

I scratched my ear, trying to figure out what to do next since apparently no one was here with me. Though I slowly got up and made my way to the console. I had never ever seen one in such detail before, and it just seemed so real. I placed my hands on the panel feeling quite an intense sense of warmth and gentle hum. It was a feeling that simply moved me. I was so emotional I felt a tear in my eye. I shivered slightly from the sensation.

"Hey..." a surprisingly soft voice came from behind me.

I absolutely did not expect that, jumping up and shrieked instead of turning around. Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe I had just done that and chuckled when I heard a similar chuckle behind me, as well as an apology.

Embarrassed, I turned around to look at the speaker. I had only vaguely recognised that it was the voice of the the Ninth Doctor just before I saw him. But he wasn't wearing what I had expected. He was wearing some old tattered clothing for some reason. Nothing I had ever saw any of the Doctors wearing. Not to mention he looked a bit dishevelled. I frowned but nevertheless it was him. The Ninth Doctor. He was there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Hey." I replied. "Uhh.." I didn't know what to say any more. I was completely lost for words.

"So, first time I see?" His eyes narrowed at me.

"Are you the Doctor?" I asked. Rather lamely.

The Doctor grinned. "Yep."

"How am I here?"

"Because you are." was the curt reply.

Yeah. That was a typical non-answer. Maybe I could have expected something like that.

"So this is real?"

"Why would it not be?" Another curt reply.

Another typical answer.

"Alright, well, nice to meet you Doctor?"

This time the Doctor grinned and said in the same surprisingly soft voice as earlier. "Nice to meet you too, Sky."

I was almost surprised that he knew my name and blurted, "You know me?"

"A very long time, yes." He continued grinning but never left his position by the wall nor had he moved his arms.

I walked closer to him, "But I haven't. Is that my future?"

"Yes. All spoilers for you."

"Ahh. I see someone taught you about 'spoilers'. That's a bit early though." I giggled.

"Yeah, you mentioned that. You should know that things aren't exactly like you saw on TV. Things are a bit different."

"Oh great, you know about that. I don't know whether to be relieved or not. Because that is so weird to have seen a show but it's actually your life. I mean, this is great, but to you, yeah, you must have been quite weirded out at first. I'm not sure if..." I started rambling on.

"I've had a lot of time to think about that. It's weird yes, but I'm happy with how things turned out to be. Well... except, well, you must have known what happened too."

He words were suddenly forceful and rather upset, but I could tell he was attempting to hide it.

I just realised just when we must be.

"Doctor, did you just regenerate?"

"Yeah... I did. And yes, I know. Even you being here, we couldn't have changed anything that happened. It's still a fixed point. And you still had to let me do it."

I swallowed, knowing the actual truth and it hurt that I couldn't tell him. "I... I know. And I'm sorry."

The Doctor looked like he had something else on his mind, I didn't know what it was but it seemed to be a bit of anger at me. For some reason. It didn't seem to be because I couldn't tell him about the fixed point, it was something else. It almost seemed liked the very look he gave Rose when she saved her father. That was a bit strange, but I suppose the talk about fixed points made me think of it.

"Alright, well. First of all, you've got to get out of those clothes, alright?"

The Doctor looked down at himself. "Yeah. I threw on the first random set I found. I didn't want to wear what reminded me of.. him. He wasn't the Doctor. I need to be the Doctor again."

"Well, let's get your new clothes then. Now, I don't know where you got what you're supposed to be wearing, you already had them on the show."

The Doctor finally moved form his spot and headed toward the console. "I know. There must be a good store somewhere." He grinned and started flipping levers and controls. "Sorry, I know you probably want an adventure."

Surprisingly, this flight was barely choppy and we landed without much trouble.

The Doctor opened the doors and and I ran out after him. We sure in an alleyway behind a building. I gasped and realised that this was Henricks. I said nothing though and followed as the Doctor sonicked open the back door. Was it in fact a fire door? I was slightly wary knowing that there were Autons around here. Good thing we hadn't seen any mannequins yet.

When we rearched the clothing floor, I trailed after the Doctor as he wandered the racks. Rack after rack. I grinned as he pulled a burgundy shirt off a rack, recognising it. He didn't see my grin but he immedlately held it up for size and tossed it over his shoulder and headed down some more aisles.

He also wasn't very neat, discarding the clothes he didn't want haphazardy around and I picked up after him. Yeah, just like he would do at the thift store as the Thirteenth Doctor. I chuckled. So, that hadn't changed.

He grabbed trousers next but then frowned while looking for jackets. "Nothing here is anything I want. Let's look downstairs."

Downstairs apparently meant the back storage area. So I followed him through the creepy corridors. There were a few mannequins about but from my knowledge, we hadn't seen the room we'd find Rose in, these mannequins were scattered around.

I was slightly confused, but figured that would definitely be later as the Doctor was still wearing his old clothes. I looked at him, his new clothes over his shoulders. Also very much unpaid for.

He then stopped in front of one mannequin. It was rather creepy looking, but it was most certainly wearing the Doctor's leather jacket. He grinned and yanked the jacket off it.

But then, to my surprise, the mannequin actually moved.

It moved. That mannequin was an Auton!

The Doctor jumped, scanned that Auton with his sonic screwdriver and yelled "Run!" and we ran off in the opposite direction, all the way back out and out the TARDIS and slammed the doors shut.

"Well, we've got trouble. That looked like an Auton to me, pretty sure." He stood by the console, tearing off his old clothes. Right in front of me.

I raised my eyes and turned around immediately waiting for him finish changing when I heard him running around the console again. It was a while before he spoke again but I watched him enthuisiastically.

"Ah, look at this. They're at it again. The Nestene Consciousness. Look at this. No longer using plastics factories. They pretty much ARE the plastic now. It all my fault. The war.. it's destroyed so much of the universe. Anyway, this time they seem to have a relay and the signal is the roof. We've got to blow it up. Hold on a tick, I need an explosive."

The Doctor grinned and headed further into the corridors.

I didn't have to wait long before he ran back, and waved... wait. That wasn't the bomb as I saw on the show. It was in fact canister of Nitro-9! "Let's go!"

"Whoa, be careful with that. Make sure to get the timer correct." I yelled, following him back out.

"I'm not Ace. Of course I would get the timer correct." he retorted.

"Well, I wouldn't know. And you didn't use that on the show, you had a bomb!"

The Doctor didn't pause but continued down the corridor. "Well, it's Nitro-9 now. I did say things weren't the same."

I chuckled, "Well, of course it wouldn't be if I was here. But I hadn't expected that. Whoa!"

We stopped as we came upon a body laying on the ground. He felt for a pulse and shook his head. I noticed the nametag on it. It read 'H.P. Wilson. Chief Electrician.'

Oh no. He was dead, already. I sighed, maybe I should have tried to stop that from happening, but I forgot about it. Besides, it wouldn't have been a good idea anyway to go poking around while the Doctor looked for clothes.

I followed the Doctor and while we were at the lift, we heard a scream. I grinned. That was more like it. It was Rose! It had to be.

The Doctor paused and looked around for where the noise came from and ran in that direction and pushed open a set of doors.

I didn't follow, just waited at the lift knowing the Doctor will be right back with Rose. I didn't want to intrude on that meeting. He didn't seem to notice I wasn't following.

It wasn't too long before I heard footsteps down the corridor and the Doctor and Rose banged open the doors with a bunch of Autons after them. I immediately held the lift open for them as they rushed in, barely acknowledging me.

I jammed the close door button, but one Auton still managed to stick it's arm in so he went to pull it off.

Rose was cowering in the back of the lift, scared. She didn't even look at me. I was about to greet her when the Doctor had finished pulling the arm off and had tossed it to her, which she caught.

"You pulled his arm off." She declared.

"Yep. Plastic."

I grinned, I was certainly enjoying this.

"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what? You're not a student are you?"

Rose turned around and asked me, but I didn't get a chance to reply before the Doctor jumped back in, seemingly a bit annoyed.

I chuckled, listening to the rest of the conversation. Until it got to the 'Wilson' part.

"Who's Wilson?" The Doctor asked.

"That's the guy we found on the floor, Doctor. The chief electrician." I explained.

"Ah. Yes. Wilson's dead." he said matter of factly, and quite crudely as he walked out of the lift.

Maybe I should have just told Rose myself, I thought, shaking my head. I slapped his arm while Rose scolded him about it and the Doctor disables the lift behind us.

"Who are you, then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?" Rose certainly was pretty annoyed by everything now.

I wasn't sure whether to tell her anything and just let the Doctor reply. Which he did, rudely again. I sighed.

He shut the door on her, but as he turned around, I gave him an exasperated look and nodded my head toward the door. He rolled his eyes and opened it again, asking for her name.

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!"

He returned and grinned at me. "Alright, let's get to that roof."

We were up there in no time and all and the Doctor was poking around the various stuff looking for the relay. I noticed some odd contraption that was some sort of machine and various wires on it and a small satellite dish and pointed it out. "Hey, couldn't it be that?"

"Yep. Time to blow." The Doctor grinned and slapped the Nitro-9 on it and set the timer. "Three minutes. Enough time to head out." He grabbed my hand and ran through the building and back out to the TARDIS, thankfully no Autons disturbed us and made in to the doors just in time to see the boom.

"Ah. There we go. That's more like it." He made to move toward the console again when he realised his hand was still gripped in mine and I was holding on to him, tight.

I didn't know why I held on to him like that, but he looked and me and smiled and then squeezed slightly.

"First time holding my hand, yeah?" He smiled, this time a very happy smile but I sensed something else from him. It seemed to mean a lot more to him.

"Yeah. You're... it's amazing."

He smiled again. "Well, I need my hand now."

"Oh, yeah of course."

I let go, and clenched my hand. I couldn't believe it. I had actually held the Doctor's hand. I smiled, feeling quite content at the moment. I even felt the TARDIS humming warmly again. I thought as many happy feelings as I could, knowing the TARDIS was telepathic, hoping that she'd understand me. It seemed she had, as the hums intensified and it felt as she was welcoming me here.

"It's not over." The Doctor suddenly called out.

"What?" I was shaken out my thoughts.

"The Nestene Consciousness. That was only the relay. It's using a signal booster. A transmitter. We've got to find it, but it seems elusive. I seem to be tracking down something, at least. It's moving, and really close by, but getting further away. Anyway we'll come back tomorrow. It's probably looking for me too, so we won't be there."

I nodded, knowing that is exactly what should be happening. "Of course, let's go, then."

A/N: Sorry, I'm going to stop it here, but seemed like a good point for now. I haven't fully finished writing this episode yet and am currently planning episodes and stuff. But I'm just eager to get at least the beginning out. Please read and review. Also, if you'd like to beta, please PM me. I'm fairly new at writing. I know this plot has been done so many times before, maybe you're all sick of it, but I just want a try doing it myself and would love to add in my own ideas and headcanons, everything else.