Our Story

Chapter 1: Christine Madison

"Hello, I'm the Doctor! Who are you?" the brown-eyed man smiled wide as he introduced himself.

"Christine, Christine Madison. But should we really be exchanging pleasantries when the building is about to blow up?"

"Oh, that. That'll be no problem," he said with a half shrug and bounce of his head.

"Really?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Sure. See, watch." He took some sort of device that looked a little like a pen flashlight out of the inside pocket of his jacket and pointed it towards the bomb attached to the stairwell. The light on the device came on with a buzzing sound and after a few moments, the bomb seemed to shut down. He grinned. "There, see! I told you! No problem."

She looked at the bomb in disbelief. "How did you do that?"

"Sonic overload of the detonation circuit," he said as if it was as simple. "This," he said as he held up the device he had used and twirled it between his fingers. "Is my sonic screwdriver."

"So it sends out a sonic wave that disrupted the circuitry and caused it to overload. That's brilliant," the Doctor's new friend smiled back at him.

"Well now, you picked up on that quite quickly," the Doctor grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Christine Madison."

"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor. Thanks for that—saving my life I mean. And everyone else in the building."

-*-*-

"So, you're telling me you travel around in a spaceship that looks like it's an old blue Police Box from England? And that it can travel in time and space?" Christine questioned the strange man she had just met an hour ago as he walked her towards her house.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you," he nodded his head and glanced at her as they walked down the New York City street.

"That's—fantastic!" she said with a huge smile.

"You believe me?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "You haven't even seen my ship. Why would you believe me?"

"You seem believable. And you saved my life, lots of lives, today." She shrugged. "I figured you deserved at least one gimme."

"A 'gimme'?" he asked, a bit confused.

"Yes, a gimme. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I believe you," she said.

"Blimey, that usually takes a lot more convincing, and some visual proof," he said, still amazed that she was taking him for his word.

"I'd love the visual proof, Doctor, but I have a family to get home to," she smiled as she stopped and looked at the man.

"Oh?" he said as he stopped with her and glanced at the building they were in front of. "This is your home?"

"Yes, and in it are my husband and two children. They're never going to believe me when I tell them about the man who saved me from an alien bomb today." She shook her head, still not sure she believed herself.

"You could—I could take you on a little short trip. Just one. It is a time ship, I can have you back before they even noticed," he said, a hopeful look in his eyes.

She sighed and smiled gently at the man. "Oh, Doctor. I wish I could say yes."

"Why can't you?" he said sadly.

"I've known you an hour, Doctor, and I can already tell that you are one of the most amazing people I'll ever meet. If I stepped onto your ship and took a trip around time and space, I don't know if I'd ever want to leave. I have a husband I love and two children I adore that I have to take care of. I have books to write, stories to tell—"

The Doctor smiled, "You're an author!"

She nodded. "I tell myself that every day. One day I hope the rest of the world believes me."

"I could just go have a look at the future and let you know." He motioned over his shoulder back the way they came, where his ship was.

"Oh no you don't. I've seen too many movies where learning about your own future does horrible things. No, I'd like that to remain a mystery. I prefer to live every day the best I can, not constantly in worry of if I'm making the right decisions for the future."

"Don't you ever dream of the future?" he asked the mysterious, marvelous woman before him.

"I dream of the future all the time. I hope for what the future holds, but if I knew for sure what it held, I'd constantly be living in fear that I was going to mess it up. I'll keep dreaming." She glanced up at the windows of her home. "I should get going, dinner's probably ready and waiting.

"You're a remarkable woman, Christine Madison. I hope I get to meet your family one day."

"Does that mean you'll be back?" she asked.

"Would you want me to?" he asked, hopefully.

"I would. You could—would you like to come in for dinner?" she motioned up the stairs.

He looked up anxiously, considering. "No, I should get going. Worlds to save, all that nonsense."

She smirked. "Alright, Doctor." She turned and started to walk away, then turned back to find him watching. "You'll be in those dreams, Doctor Dreams of the future. I hope I do meet you again. Goodbye."

"Not goodbye, Christine. Till next time. See you later." The Doctor turned and walked away. This time it was Christine's turn to watch him walk away. She continued to watch until the door behind her opened and distracted her.

"What are you doing, mom? Dinner's ready, are you coming in?"