2,644Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, no matter how hard I might try at the moment.
A/N: Hey everyone! This is something that a friend and I were discussing a few weeks back. I know it probably isn't all that great, but we are having fun coming up with idea's and writing it. So, let me know what you all think.
Karianne was sitting in the garden at the back of the house, wrapped up in her coat and scarf. The candles on the table beside her, flickering as the breeze caught them slightly. She looked up from the screen of her laptop and at the stars above her. The sky was clear, and the stars were bright in the darkness overhead. She smiled to herself a little before drawing her attention back to the story she was attempting to write for her creative writing class.
She was struggling to get her head into her work, which was unusual for her. Usually the words just flowed and she couldn't stop writing, everywhere she went she had a pen and some paper in her bag in care an idea came to her. She had been sitting out there for hours, trying to get away from the noise of her father and his girlfriend arguing. She could still hear them shouting, and things breaking. Just a normal evening at the Conner household.
She must have read through what she had already written at least 12 times now, and she was still sitting there looking at the screen blankly. She finally decided to close the screen down, resting her hands on the now shut laptop. She turned her attention back to the sky and pulled her mp3 player out from her coat pocket. She put the small earphones in and hit the shuffle option. She let a grin form on her face as her favourite track came on.
Karianne had never been normal, she thought that normal was boring and tried her best to stand out. That would explain her taste in music. While most people she knew listened to all the latest chart tracks, she was into her soundtracks, mainly the one from her favourite TV programme ever, Doctor Who.
She closed her eyes and listened. 'I Am The Doctor' was filling her mind. She had her reasons for loving the show so much, it had been something her mother had first brought to her attention when she was little. It wasn't being shown at the time, but her mother told her everything about it and found old videotapes of episodes to show her. Then some channels started show the old ones, right the way back to the first Doctor in 1963. She was hooked, and it was her lifeline to escape the life she cared little for.
As the track ended she looked up at the stars again. The smile on her face fading fast. There was an extremely bright light in the sky, one that hadn't been there before, and was getting brighter. No it wasn't, it was getting closer.
"What the hell is that?" Karianne mumbled as she sat up properly and squinted, trying to look at it better. Whatever it was, it was moving pretty fast, and right in her direction. Karianne tried to get up but found that she was frozen, her body didn't want to move. She closed her eyes and told herself that it was all in her head and that she had been watching too much Doctor Who.
Then she felt a sharp pain in her head. She had suffered from migraines before but this was worse than any she had ever had before, and it had come out of nowhere. She slowly opened her eyes and looked back up at the sky. The light was gone, whatever it was it wasn't there any more and the pain in her head had lessened.
Karianne let out a sigh of relief, she must have just imagined it. She looked through her music, trying to find something that would not make her think of Doctor Who, but she couldn't resist playing the sound of the TARDIS landing. That rough grinding and wheezing noise that the magical blue box made when it arrived and left anywhere brought a smile back to her face. It made the final noise, the 'boom' that signalled its arrival and Karianne took the earphones out.
She frowned the instant she did. For some reason, she could still hear it, the sound of the TARDIS was ringing in her ears. She looked back down at her player, no she had turned it off. She quickly whipped her phone out of her pocket, it wasn't ringing, and there were no messages, so why could she hear it still.
"Oh, it's finally happened. I have finally completely lost it. Better go and tell dad to call the men with the funky jacket." Karianne said, shaking her head. Then she finally looked up. At the end of the garden there was a rather unusual breeze, stronger than it was anywhere else.
Karianne couldn't believe what she was seeing, slowly coming into focus was a police call box from the 1960's. She slapped herself a few times, just to make sure that she was actually awake. After the third slap, and a rather loud cry, the sound she had been hearing stopped.
Her heart was racing. She didn't know how any of this could be real. It was just a show that she had watched for as long as she could remember, it was not real, that's all she could tell herself.
Just to prove her wrong the door to the blue box flew open and a man came into view. He was tall, a mess of dark, floppy hair and dressed in a tweet jacket and a bow tie. He was looking around, as if he was making sure it was safe, then he spotted Karianne sitting there, gawping at him.
"Oh, hello. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that." He said as he stepped out of the box.
"You didn't scare me. If a Dalek had come out, that may have scared me slightly. What would have been more terrifying would have been if I was surrounded by Weeping Angels." Karianne said to him casually. Something told her to just play along with the little game, pretend it really was the Doctor and the TARDIS in her garden.
He stared at her, trying to work her out, before his face softened. "Okay. So, has anything weird happened here in the past, oh, say, 20 minutes?" The man asked her.
"Apart from you? Not really. Although, there was this, I don't know what to call it, light. Yeah, let's go with light. There was this light, in the sky and it seemed like it was heading straight at me. But then I closed my eyes and when I opened them, it was gone." Karianne couldn't understand why she was being so clam. Anyone else would have completely freaked out, but she wasn't, she was acting like it was just a normal day to her.
"Okay, a light, interesting." The man started mumbling to himself and then pulled out something that Karianne recognised immediately, his sonic screwdriver. He pushed it on and walked around the garden, the end lit green and buzzed away.
Karianne just sat there and watched him. "Looking for anything in particular?" She called to him as he carried on wandering.
He stopped and turned around to face her. "Oh, just had some strange readings, want to make sure it's…" He looked down at the screwdriver in his hand, it was making a very high pitched whirring noise. He frowned and looked from the sonic to Karianne.
"Well, have you found anything?" Karianne asked, not liking the look he was giving her. She had seen that look before, and it meant trouble, for her.
"What's you're name?" He asked her as he approached her.
"Karianne Conner. And before you ask, I'm human. Or at least I was the last time I checked, which wasn't that long ago. I don't have a zip on my forehead, so don't even think of poking at my head. I already have a headache." The man looked at her curiously.
"You're sure that you're human?" The man asked her. Something in his voice made Karianne have to think.
"Yes. I'm human, I thought I just told you that?" He pulled out his sonic screwdriver again and used it to scan Karianne. She didn't even bother to try and stop him, she just carried on sitting there, waiting for him to finish.
"So, you're human?" Karianne nodded at him, she was starting to get irritated now. If it was a joke, it wasn't funny. "Then why is this telling me that you're not?"
Karianne snatched the screwdriver out of his hand and looked at it. She don't know how she done it, she didn't know where she was looking, but she managed to read the scan results and confirm what he had just told her.
"But… but that's not possible. Oh, I really am losing the plot now aren't I? I mean, really? None of this is bloody real." Karianne said, moving her laptop onto the table. "You're not bloody real, the TARDIS isn't bloody real and neither are the people standing by the doors watching me shouting."
The man turned around to see a couple standing at the door's looking out. A girl with long red hair and a man with short dirty blonde hair watched her. "Why would you think none of this is real?" The man asked her. His voice was serious and his face concerned.
"Because it isn't. It can't be. It… just… oh, God my head hurts." Karianne put her head in her hands and felt everything spinning around her.
"Karianne, it's okay. When did this headache start?"
"After I saw that light thing." She mumbled through her hands.
"Right, Karianne, think you can stand up for me?" She nodded at him a little and pushed herself out of the chair. "Good, let's get you out of the cold, shall we?" She felt the man take her by the arm but she pulled back and grabbed her laptop from the table.
"You haven't even told me who you are yet." Karianne whispered as she let herself be pulled towards the blue box. "You know my name." She wondered what he was going to come out with, if he would let anything slip as to what was going on.
"Yes, sorry, how rude of me. I'm the Doctor." He told her as they approached the open doors. "And this is Amy and Rory." He gestured to the people who had moved out of the way so that the Doctor could lead her in.
"Blimey, I really don't feel too good." Karianne managed to say, before collapsing against the Doctor.
"Well, that's a new one. Passing out before even looking around." The Doctor said as he shifted Karianne in his arms so that he was carrying her.
"Who is she, Doctor?" The red haired girl, Amy, asked.
"Karianne Conner. That's all I know so far. But those strange energy signatures, they're coming from her." He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her brown hair seemed to have a golden shine to it. "I'm going to find her a room. Amy, could you pop the kettle on please?" Amy nodded at him as he made his way up the steps and out of the room.
The Doctor didn't walk very far before a door appeared in front of him and opened by itself. "Thanks dear." He whispered before stepping inside. He put Karianne down on the bed and tugged the laptop she had managed to hold onto away from her grasp. Something told him that it was important to her, she didn't want to leave it behind and was not happy to let it go. He put it on the small table by the side of the bed before unbuttoning her coat and taking off her scarf.
He pulled the covers over her and gave her one last glance before heading out of the room. There was nothing more he could do until she was awake, and that could be hours away. He was about to close the door when he noticed a golden glow starting to engulf Karianne.
"Oh, no." He rushed over to her side. "Karianne? Karianne, wake up. I need to explain something to you." He gently patted her face, trying to get her to regain consciousness. "Karianne, please, you have to wake up now."
Karianne finally opened her eyes. She looked at the Doctor and saw the concerned look on his face. "Doctor? What's…" She looked down at her hands and sat upright. "Ah, okay. This really isn't going to be much fun is it?" She was talking to herself mainly, forgetting that the Doctor was there watching her.
"Karianne, do you know what's happening?" He asked her in a panic.
"Yeah. I'm regenerating. Don't know how, don't think I want to know. I'd get away if I were you, Doctor. You know how this works." Suddenly her whole body convulsed and she screamed in agony.
After a few moments the golden light started to fade and Karianne's image became clearer. She was slightly taller, by about an inch or so. Her hair was more golden than it was before and it was longer, with soft curls. What really struck the Doctor were her eyes, they were also gold where as before they had been a dull brown.
"I was right, that really wasn't much fun. First and last time I ever do that thank you very much." Karianne said as she ran a hand through her hair. The Doctor just looked at her with his mouth opening and closing. She pointed at him. "You practicing being a goldfish?"
"But… but you were…" The Doctor didn't get to say anything else as Amy and Rory came rushing into the room.
"Doctor! What happened? Everything just went sort of…" Amy stopped when she saw Karianne. "Oh my God. Kari?"
Karianne frowned at her. "No, Karianne. Didn't the Doctor tell you that while I was unconscious?"
"But you were just… how can you?" Amy turned to look at the Doctor. "Explain?"
"This is Karianne, who is actually Kari. Long story short, she just regenerated from Karianne to Kari. This is the first time she has met us." The Doctor told them, making Karianne snort a little. The Doctor frowned at her.
"Sorry, this is just a bit too…" She paused, looking for the word. "River Song, for me."
"How do you know River?" The Doctor asked her curiously.
Karianne just ignored him and studied Amy and Rory carefully. She had spotted the wedding bands, so they were married. They were travelling with the Doctor and they seemed a bit too happy and in love. Honeymoon period, she thought to herself. "Has he taken you anywhere nice for you're honeymoon yet?" She asked without thinking.
"How did you know we were…" Karianne put a hand up to stop Rory from speaking.
"Wedding bands. Plus, you both look way to happy to have been married for years. So it has to be the honeymoon period. Therefore, he should have taken you somewhere amazing. But, since it's him…" She suddenly realised she was talking too much and put her hand over her mouth.
"Yup, that's Kari." The Doctor confirmed. His eyes were glinting in the light and there was a mad grin on his face. "Talks way too much and thinks she knows everything."
Karianne couldn't help but laugh. "Me? Talk too much? Sorry, but this just isn't me at all."
"Well no, not yet maybe, but it will be." The Doctor in told her, still grinning away.
"Oh well, too bad I'm going to have to wake up soon. I hope I didn't fall asleep in the garden again. I have to say, never had a dream this real and vivid before." She said, watching as the Doctor's face slowly changed from a grin to a frown.
"Why do you keep insisting that this is a dream?" He was curious. None of the people he had travelled with before had ever been this sure that it was all a dream.
"Because every night I dream of this. Well, almost every night. I dream about the places you have been, like Starship UK and Venice. Meeting Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. I dream about you're life, so if you are here in front of me, then it has to be a dream."
"Why do you say you dreamed them? You were there for a lot of them yourself." The Doctor was starting to get worried now. "Or at least you will have, at some point."
She couldn't help but laugh, she knew exactly what to say. "Time travel, its just a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff isn't it?"
"Exactly, you know that better than anyone else, Kari. I think we need to have a proper chat. Explain a few things. What do you think?" He said, gazing at Karianne's eyes.
"Sure, why not? What else have I got to do?"
The Doctor quietly spoke to Amy and Rory and they both left. The Doctor shut the door and let out a heavy sigh before turning and sitting on the side of the bed. "Kari, your dreams are real, to a certain extent. You're seeing what's going to happen, or has already happened. You've always been able to see it, the whole time I have known you. You know more about me than anyone I have ever met, and I don't even know how."
Karianne just looked at him, not knowing what to say or do. Was it possible that what she had thought was her normal life had in fact been the dream? Was this real? Was he real?
"I know it's a lot to take in and difficult to understand but you have to trust me." Karianne looked in his eyes, they really were ancient and full of sadness.
"I do trust you. You're right, it's a lot to take in. I thought I was human, and then a headache makes me regenerate. Certainly didn't expect that to happen." She laughed nervously.
"Well, to be honest, neither did I. But at least now I know how you first met me."
"It really is going to be just like River's time line isn't it? Keep meeting in the wrong order, never knowing who's done what. Suppose I should get one of those funky diaries as well." Karianne was trying to hide that fact that inside she was scared. Her world no longer made sense, she was living in her favourite TV show where the characters all seemed to know her.
"Just want to quickly clear something up. You don't know who River is yet do you?" She knew she needed to be careful with what she said if that was the case. She knew too much about what had happened and what was going to happen.
"No. But I'm guessing you do?"
Karianne smiled at him. "Spoilers."
The Doctor groaned. "Oh, it was you! You taught her that word didn't you?" He paused for a moment. "Wait a minute, what if you're River?"
Karianne frowned at him. "Have you ever seen River and I together for a long period of time?" The Doctor thought about it before nodding. "Well then, if River and I were the same person then that would most likely cause a massive paradox. Also, I know for a fact I am not River Song."
"Fair point. Okay, you are not River Song. Now, how are you feeling?" There was a slight hint of concern in his voice.
"I don't feel too bad. I'm not going to have a neuron implosion like you did." She saw a frown on the Doctor's face. "Come on, you know that I know everything about you, you said so yourself."
"Yes, but this is the first time you have regenerated, and you didn't even know you could do it. Something happened to you, Kari, something changed you. You were human, once, but now you're a Time Lord."
"Lady." She corrected him. "Technically, I'm a Time Lady. Do you know what it was that changed me?"
There was a sad look on his face and she instantly knew the answer. "I'm sorry, Kari. I don't know if we will ever find out."
"Do you have to call me Kari?" She asked him, wondering where he ever got that name for her.
"Yes. You told me, the first time I met you that you're name was Kari."
She shrugged. Kari, she could get used to that. She had never had a nickname before, and it was only a shortened version of her actual name. "Fair enough. I guess there's only one thing left to do now then." The Doctor raised and eyebrow at her. "Let's go travel through time and space!"
The Doctor led Kari to the TARDIS wardrobe. He thought that she was taking everything really rather well, and that just made him worry about her even more. There was still a lot that he needed to tell her, thing he had to warn her about, but he didn't want to scare her or worry her.
"You know, I think I can manage to find some clothes on my own." Kari told him as she started grabbing different items off the rails.
"I'm sure you can. But it's been a long time since I last saw you. Am I not allowed to spend some time with my… brilliant Kari?"
Kari turned and looked at him. Something was going on, she knew it, she just didn't know what. "Yeah, you're really bad a lying, Doctor. Tell me the truth, or I'm going to call River, I'm sure she'd love to come and spend some time with me as well." Kari knew what she was doing, she was pushing him. Since he didn't know who River was yet, he was still unsure of if he could trust her.
"I knew I never should have gotten you that psychic paper when you asked for it." The Doctor moaned.
"Ah, so I ask you for psychic paper and get it. Awesome." Kari giggle a little, this was perfect. "Spoilers." She grabbed a few more things and turned to the Doctor. "Are you going to watch me try on these outfits as well?" He shrugged and sat down on a beanbag chair. Kari rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I am never going to get any peace ever again am I?"
She tried on a few different outfits, the Doctor making sure to let her know what he thought of them. She eventually got his approval when she was wearing a sky blue top, which fell of her shoulders. The sleeves of it stopped a few inches before reaching her wrists. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts that stopped just below her knees. To complete her outfit she put on a pair of flat blue ballet style shoes.
"Right, let's get this party started then. Where are we off to first?" Kari asked excitedly.
"Actually, I was just about to drop the Pond's home before we took the little detour to pick you up." The Doctor seemed to be a little nervous for some reason. Kari knew that the Doctor would drop the Pond's off on Earth and they would see him around 3 months later. Except for him, it's rather different.
Then Kari remembered how old he was going to be and what was about to happen. Suddenly her face fell. "Oh." She whispered. She felt tears prickling her eyes, the next time Amy and Rory would see the Doctor… well it wasn't going to be fun or easy.
"Kari, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked, wrapping an arm around her.
"Nothing. I… I just remembered something. So, what's the plan after dropping the Pond's off?"
"Well, if you're going to stay around we can go and do a bit of travelling ourselves. I've missed it being just the two of us. I love having the Pond's around, but it's just too quiet when you're not here. I miss it." To Kari's surprise the Doctor grabbed hold of her and hugged her tightly.
"Right, what are you not telling me?" She asked him as she pushed him away a little.
The Doctor looked at her sadly. She knew he was hiding something, she knew that look. "I've just really missed you. I didn't know when I was going to see you again, and I hate that. There's so much I want to tell you, but I can't because it hasn't happened for you yet."
"How do you think I feel? I know what's going to happen before you've even done it. It's not much fun really, is it?"
"Come on, let's go and see to the Pond's." The Doctor said before dragging Kari along with him. She knew there was still more he wasn't telling her, she just hoped that she would soon find out.
A/N: There are a few more chapters written and ready to be published. They will be published depending on how much people like it. I have my main story I am still writing.
So review. Let me know what you think, just don't be too harsh, I know this isn't perfect.
Pippa
Pippa