The Girl Behind The Watch (A Doctor Who Fan-Fiction)

Chapter One: Catherine and The Doctor

"Might I say Catherine, you look mighty pretty today." Frank said, leaning against a crate as I laced up my boots. He said this to me everyday. Said it to all the girls. I think he just wanted us to feel good. Even if we wee homeless, starving, unemployed, at least we had our looks to keep us through the day. It was slightly offensive, but I knew he meant well. We all did. 

"Thank you, Frank. That's really sweet of you." I adjusted my newspaer cap on my head. My hair was in a messy ponytail, and I was covered in more dirt than I would've liked.  Once again, something we all had in common. I took my Fob watch out of my coat pocket, twirling it ouround the change.

"That's a beautiful watch, in case I hadn't mentioned it."  I nodded, stopping it and holding it my hand, running my thumb over the engravings.  "Speaking of which, you got the time?"

"No...I um...I don't open it. Ever. "

"Why?" I shrugged.

"Scared of what's inside...mostly."

"You theiving low life!" 

"Oh gosh, here we go." I ran over to where the fist fight, jumping in between them and shoving them apart.

"What the heck is going on here?!" I exclaimed.

"I was thinking the same thing." Solomon said, stepping up beside me. Solomon and I are partners. Co-presidents of this Hooverville, if you will. We're in charge. 

"He stole my bread!" 

"Did you take it?" Solomon asked.

"I don't know what happened, he just went crazy!"  The other guy charged again and I put a hand on his chest, shoving him back.

"CUT IT OUT, NOW!" I screamed.

"Now think real careful before you lie to me. Think twice as hard before you lie to Cath."

"I'm starving, Solomon." I held out my hand and he handed me the bread.

"We all starving. We all got family somewhere." I tore the loaf in half, handing a half to both of them. "No stealing and no fighting. you know the rules." I reached into my pocket, feeling the watch vibrate slightly. What the heck.

Doctor... The Doctor.

My watch is whispering to me now? I looked up, looking around. Then I spotted him. He had on a long trench coat, along with a bright blue suit and sneakers. My watch just told me this man's name.

"No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got." The two men walked away from each other and I continued to stare at the man. He said something to the girl that was with him, and then met my eyes. Neither of us looked away, and all of a sudden I felt something in my chest. Something about this man was familiar to me. But that's impossible, because I've never seen him before in my life. They started walking towards Solomon and I, and then, and only then, did I look away.

"I suppose that makes you the boss around here." The Man said.

"Both of us, actually. And who might you be?" He asked.

"The Doctor." I said. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"You two know each other?" The girl asked.

"Never seen him before in my life. Who are you?"

"I'm Martha."

"Well...we got stockbrokers, we've got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day." Solomon pointed out.  

"How many peole live here?" Martha asked.

"Hundreds. There's no where else for them to go, so why not here." I replied.

"But I will say this about Hooverville, we a truly equeal society. Black white, all the same. All starving."

"You're both welcome here." I added, meeting the Doctor's eyes again.

"But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? See if you can exlain this to me. That there is going to be the tallest building in the world." I looked up at the Empire State Building over the trees, standing betwen Solomon and the Doctor. "How come they can do that, and we've got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?" Solomon walked away, and I turned to face the Doctor.

"Have we met?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Nope. Not that I know of anyways."

"How did you know his name?" Martha asked.

"Well, that's a bit complicated."

"This guy practiclly invented complicated." She pointed out.

"What is your name?" The Doctor asked.

"Catherine. Just Catherine. Welcome to Hooverville, Doctor and Martha." 

"Just Catherine? What's your last name?" Martha questioned.

"Don't have one. I mean, I'm sure I do, I just don't know what it is."

"So...men going missing. Is this true?" The Doctor held up a newspaper.

"Yup." I said, popping the 'p'.

"What does missing mean? I mean, people must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register." I looked at the newspaper.

"This is different."

"In what way?"

"At night, we hear something. Someone calls for help. By the time we got to them, they're gone. Just vanished, as if into thin air." I explained.

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Doctor, I have a feeling that you understand the concept more than anyone. When you have next to nothing, you do everything within your power to hang on to what you do have. These people left their possessions behind."

"What makes you think I'd understand that." I looked between them.

"It's complicated."

"Have you gone to the police?" Martha asked.

"It doesn't make a difference. So what if another hobo goes missing? They think of it as street cleaning."

"So the question is, who's taking them and what for?" The Doctor said.

"Catherine!" Frank ran up to us. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Diagoras is here." I sighed, following after him.

"I need men. Volunteers. I've got a little work for you, and you sure look like you could use the money."

"Yeah, what is the money?" Frank asked.

"A dollar a day."

"What's the work?" Solomon added.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed, needs cleaning and fixing. Any takers?" My instinct told me that I was gonna want to do this.

"A dollar a day. That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they?"Solomon accused.

"Accidents happen."

"What do you mean, what sort of accidents?" The Doctor asked.

"You don't need the work, that's fine." I raised my hand. "Enough with the questions."

"Wasn't a question. I was volunteering. Believe it or not, women can work too."  Everyone laughed. The Doctor raised his hand. 

"I'll kill you for this." Martha said, raising her hand too. He chuckled.

"Anybody else?" Frank raised his hand, then Solomon. I turned around, looking at the Doctor.

"You sure you're up for this?"

"Of course. Are you?" I shrugged.

"Guess we'll find out."