Winter Rose, Book 1

Welcome to The TARDIS

"Hey! Ya can't just go swanning off!" Rose yelled after him as they reached the stairs. The Doctor paused only a second to look up at them and grin.

"Yes I can! This is me, swanning off, bye!" And he was heading back down the stairs. Win growled slightly. He was not leaving her behind again! With that thought she raced down after him, Rose hot on her heels. Though Win was glad she'd grabbed her navy coat as they had run out the door as the wind was a bit chilly.

"But that plastic arm thing, it was moving! It tried to strangle Win!" Rose yelled as she and Win hurried down the stairs after the Doctor. He threw her an exasperated look over his shoulder before grinning.

"Ten out of ten for observation!" Was his sarcastic comment, making Rose huff indignantly.

"You can't just go! That's not fair, you've got to tell us what's going on!" She snapped back in defence. Win rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"One, lifes not fair and two, no he doesn't." Win pointed out dryly to her friend. The Doctor threw her a grin, pausing for barely a second.

"Smart one, you are. You're right, I don't!" And off he was again, leaving the building with the two girls still hurrying after him, finally catching up and flanking him on either side.

"Alright then, I'll go to the police. You said if I tell anyone I'd get them killed, so go on, tell us!" Win snorted, trying to hide her laughter. The Doctor just gave Rose an unimpressed look.

"Is that supposed to sound tough?" Rose huffed.

"Yeah..."

"Doesn't work." The Doctor chuckled slightly.

"Just wait until you piss her off, then it will work." Win advised him from his other side, making him glance at her. She was looking up at him with a smirk and her hands shoved deep in her navy coat pockets. He just raised an eyebrow at her before looking forward again.

"Who are you?" Rose asked him again, making Win role her eyes. They'd already gone over this before.

"Told you, The Doctor" He responded, making Rose huff at him.

"Yeah, but Doctor what?"

"Have you not been paying attention Rose?" Win cut in before the Doctor could say anything. "It's just the Doctor, that's his name." The Doctor shot her a curious glance. She knew him somehow, he was sure of it. But how? He'd never met anyone like her. He'd definitely remember it if he had. Was it possible she'd met him in his future? He was a time traveler after all, so it was completely possible.

"Just that? Just, The Doctor?" Rose continued, still a bit confused. Win had always referred to him as the Raggedy Doctor, or just Doctor, never any other name in the few times she talked about him and her childhood. But did he really not have an actual name?

"Hello!" The Doctor grinned and waved at her comically.

"Besides, it's mysterious, isn't it? I happen to like mysterious." Win hummed softly. The Doctor glanced at her from the corner of his eye, was she flirting? Or was that an innocent comment? Honestly he couldn't tell, so he didn't respond.

"Okay," Rose murmured, also having glanced at her friend in confusion. She'd never seen Win flirt with anyone, and she was pretty sure this was flirting. "But why do they keep coming after me? What did I do?" The Doctor sighed in exasperation.

"Oh, so suddenly the whole world revolves around you?" He snorted. "No you were just an accident, it was after me. Last night, at the shop, you blundered in and almost ruined the whole thing. This morning I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down, the only reason it fixated on you was because you'd met me." Rose scowled at him.