Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. The show, characters, and other things you recognize all belong to the BBC.

Audrey Wright was certainly no stranger to the so-called 'Walk of Shame', but she had to admit that this was a different kind of low for her. After two weeks, she was returning to her apartment in the same clothes she had left in. The only noticeable difference was the smell of stale alcohol that had soaked into the fabric. Luckily for her it was five in the afternoon on a Tuesday, meaning there weren't a lot of people lingering around to judge her.

She struggled to open the door, kicking the bottom of it when it got stuck in the frame.

Stupid landlord, she thought to herself, never fixes the damn door.

It finally gave in and she was greeted by a dark and quiet apartment; it was a welcome sight given the fact that Audrey shared a roof with her older brother, Reed. If she was lucky, she would be able to get away without having t explain herself to him.

Her suitcase's wheels rattled noisily as she dragged it down the hall to her room. So far, so good.

Like she suspected, her room had been left untouched. For as nosy as he was, Reed never dared to go in her room while she was out. Audrey thought it might be because he was never quite sure what he would find if he did.

Once inside, her eyes were instantly drawn to the nightstand by her bed. An impatient urge began to rise in her chest as her mind was consumed with the thought of the contents that were lying inside. She'd gone two weeks without it, a new record. It might've been a cause for celebration or even just enough to call progress if she didn't feel the aching need to rip it open this very moment.

Audrey abandoned her suitcase by the door, crossed the room, and yanked the drawer open.

She heard Reed before she saw him. Down the hall there was the sound of a slammed door and she could only assume that once he saw her open bedroom door, he wasn't going to leave her alone. Quickly, Audrey shut the drawer. There was little satisfaction in being right when Reed stopped in her doorway.

"Where'd you go this time?" He asked bluntly. If there was one thing to be said about Audrey's brother, it was that he didn't beat around the bush. Reed didn't waste his time with friendly greetings or 'how have you been's.

"New Orleans, Mardi Gras," Audrey answered shortly as her painted lips stretched into a smirk, "Lots of alcohol, lots of attractive people."

"Who were you with?"

"What are you, my mother?" Audrey laughed harshly, "Besides, I don't remember her name. Something with an R. Or maybe an S. Names are confusing."

Audrey could feel the disappointment rolling off her brother in waves. It was enough to evoke the guilt that she had been pushing back since she left. However, it was quickly overshadowed by the memory of the sweet adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins when she said yes to New Orleans.

People from her class, friends of friends mostly, had been taking an impromptu road trip and invited her along. She hadn't even gone in to her apartment to get clothes, instead she bought everything she needed at stores on the way. The only thing she had left behind was a note on the windshield of Reed's car to tell him where she was headed.

Reed sighed, "You can't keep doing this."

"Oh, please," Audrey scoffed, "Like you didn't do anything when you were in school."

"This is a little more than just college fun, don't you think, Drey? You were gone for two weeks!"

"I left a note."

"Yeah, this one?" Reed asked, digging a piece of paper out of his pocket and shoving it at Audrey.

In red pen, the message 'I'll see you when I see you' was written, followed by a messy smiley face. The note was crinkled and the thought that Reed had been carrying it around with him for two weeks made Audrey's heart sink.

"Not even a proper goodbye or phone call. I had to lie to Mom and Dad for two weeks so they wouldn't call in a missing persons report on you," Reed exclaimed. Audrey's eyes were still on the note as the feeling of guilt resurfaced. This time, Audrey clenched her jaw and pushed it away.

"Well, look, I'm fine," Audrey told him, "Now, you better pull yourself together before Phoebe gets here. You know how anxious she gets when you're upset."

An attempt at redirection was pointless, however, because Reed was too perceptive for that. He turned his scrutinizing eyes upon her and searched for any sign of the real Audrey that was hiding behind the mask of indifference and casualty.

"Is this about what happened in Georgia?" Reed questioned suddenly, "Audrey, it's been four years. You can't-"

Audrey's steady demeanor flipped like a switch.

"Don't," She spat venomously, "Don't ever talk to be about Georgia. You weren't there."

Reed's inquisitive eyes turned dull, revealing the exhausted look behind them. Dark bags rested under his eyes, a reminder of all the nights he might've stayed up waiting for her to come home. She turned back to her small suitcase, focusing on unpacking it so she wouldn't have to face him. Behind her back she heard Reed give a disbelieving laugh.

"Whatever, Audrey. If you want to throw your life away, I can't stop you."

Audrey stood in front of the drawer in her nightstand like she had countless times before. She looked over her shoulder before opening it slowly. There was a beat of silence where even her breath was being held as not to disturb the moment.

A small glass box was nestled safely within the drawer and her fingers itched to open it.

Just do it. Do it now. Just do it.

The chant turned itself over in her head until she mustered enough courage to raise a shaky hand and remove the lid. Letting out a breath, she reminded herself that she was doing better than she did most days.

Her eyes scanned each item in the box, never spending too much time on one thing. The ring, the invitation, the article. Same as always.

Close it. Put it away.

Audrey's hand went to the top.

Put it on. Put it on. Put it on.

Her hand stopped. Her eyes shut. She held her breath.

There was progress to prove she had moved on, but moment like these could show her how truly weak she was. In the last two weeks, she had hardly thought about any of it, which she could mostly attribute to her intoxication. Nevertheless, a part of her wanted to consider that progress. She was doing good, so why did she feel so guilty?

Put it on. Put it on, you selfish-

Audrey slammed the lid back on the box, effectively cutting off the voice in her mind. The frosted glass allowed her to just barely make out the shape of the items inside, but it was enough distance for now.

"It's all right to take it off, you know."

With her body poised to attack, Audrey whirled around. She managed to reel herself in just as the face of her teenage sister, Phoebe, came into view. The younger girl stared at Audrey with innocent eyes, trying to pretend she hadn't flinched at the near-violent outburst.

"Jesus Christ, Phoebe," Audrey exclaimed, trying to control her breathing, "Don't sneak up on me like that. I could've hurt you."

"You don't have to feel guilty," Phoebe continued, her gaze still on the open drawer behind Audrey. The drawer was then closed hard enough to splinter the wood, though neither girl acknowledged it.

"Is that what you're wearing to the recital?" Audrey deflected. Phoebe's eyes lingered on the drawer a moment longer before she sighed and shook her head.

"They don't let me take home recital costumes. I changed into them right before curtain call."

Audrey hummed thoughtfully, "Well, what do you think of my dress?"

Audrey gave a small spin, making the black dress flare at her sides. Phoebe observed the dress with a torn expression. It was a short dress that only reached Audrey's mid-thigh but, thankfully, it wasn't as tight as some of the things in her wardrobe. Instead, it was cinched at her waist by a thin, golden belt and then flowed freely the rest of the way down.

"I like the dress, but don't you think that Mom will-" Phoebe stared and Audrey cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"I'm twenty-five years old, Pheebs. I don't need my mother to dress me," Audrey pointed out, straightening the gold bracelet on her wrist. Phoebe sighed, yet didn't argue.

The younger girl moved to the mirror on Audrey's bedroom wall and started to fix her hair, carefully pinning her blonde bangs to the side. Audrey watched the movement with narrowed eyes. While she had always known Phoebe to care about appearances, this was taking it to a new level. She had seen her straighten that bit of hair three times already.

"Is Tyler going to be there tonight?" Audrey asked, suspicions rising in her mind.

"No, of course not," Phoebe replied nervously and Audrey groaned.

Her sister had always been an abysmal liar. When they were children, Phoebe was never allowed to know any of Audrey's secrets or plans because she'd rat her out to their mother as soon as she turned her back. It was never intentional, of course, but Phoebe just didn't have the stomach for lying.

When Phoebe saw her sister's reaction, she turned around and raised her arms defensively, "Ok, yes, but we're back together now! He apologized and it really wasn't what I thought it was, I was just being over dramatic."

"Phoebe, I knew from the minute I met him that I couldn't trust him. Especially not with someone as precious to me as you are," Audrey told her gently, "You know how I am with these things, love."

Phoebe looked dejected for a moment, but Audrey knew that she saw the sense in what she was saying. Then, Reed came into the room, fiddling with the tie around his neck and gave Phoebe a similar look to the one Audrey was wearing.

"Audrey's right, Phoebe. If she says he shouldn't be trusted, you should take her word for it. She's got super senses, remember?" He commented. When Phoebe wasn't paying attention, the two older Wright siblings shared a look.

If there was one thing they could both agree on, it was that Phoebe was to be kept out of the loop as much as possible. Reed didn't tell anyone about Audrey's monthly disappearances as long as Audrey didn't drag Phoebe into her own personal drama. The two of them loved their younger sister far too much to involve her in this. So, as long as Phoebe was there, Audrey and Reed would play the 'loving siblings' act that used to be their reality.

"Reed!" Audrey complained, "Your tie is all crooked."

With a roll of her eyes, Audrey stood up and batted his hands away from the tie so she could fix it herself. Reed caught her eyes and she could practically feel the sadness in them. They were both actors playing a part that hadn't always been a façade. Sometimes Audrey wished she could return to that time, to the person she used to be.

"Why do you even own a bowtie?" Audrey asked.

"Dunno. Found it in my closet and thought 'what the hell'," He admitted, then wiggled his eyebrows, "It suits me don't you think?"

Phoebe giggled, "It's a little bit James Bond."

That made Reed grin proudly. The blonde girl shook her head and began to dig through her performance bag to double check that she had everything she needed.

"Are Mom and Dad meeting us there?"

"That what they said, yeah," Phoebe answered.

"I'm surprised she even trusts us to get you there," Audrey said, "God knows what would happen if you were late."

Phoebe laughed, "Mom'd have your head on a pike is what would happen."

That was certainly accurate, though to what extent, Audrey didn't want to find out. Mariah Wright was a strict woman; a lawyer that treated her own children like they were on the stand. She loved them, there was never a doubt about that, but her mannerisms hadn't always been the most welcoming. Phoebe was her pride and joy, her dancing prodigy, and if Audrey and Reed were the ones behind Phoebe's tardiness, she probably would have their heads.

Audrey let out a laugh before it was cut off with a groan of pain. A stab of pain shot through her head and eyes shut on their own accord. Her hands held onto the sides of her head, as if they were the only thing preventing it from splitting open. Migraines were nothing new to Audrey, they had always run in the family, but never this bad.

"What, you got a headache?" Reed questioned. Audrey could only nod weakly in response as she made her way to the bathroom. Reed made a move to help her when she pitched forward, barely managing to catch herself on the wall. Audrey waved him off.

The lights in the bathroom were so bright that Audrey had to squint her eyes. She pulled the cabinet door open roughly, knocking the other contents over in her search for the medicine bottle. The mess she was making didn't even register in her mind, the only thing that mattered was the pain in her head. It seemed like it was invading all of her senses. She could hear it, taste it, feel the way it pounded against the inside of her skull.

Both her eyes closed to find some relief. She slid to the floor, pressing her forehead to the cool tile. It only made it worse. Audrey let out a series of whimpers, trying to pry to Advil bottle open, despite the way her hands kept slipping.

Reluctantly, she sat up and ripped open the bottle, causing red pills to fly everywhere. They were swimming in and out of her view as the headache turned to dizziness and her sight began to fail her. Before she could raise a pill to her lips, a white light began to engulf her in its warmth. Audrey let a panicked scream rip from her throat and she could hear her siblings banging on the door that she didn't remember locking.

"Audrey? Audrey, what's going on?" Reed shouted. Audrey tried to reach the door handle as the light blinded her.

"I don't know what's happening!"

"Stand back!"

In her mind, Audrey tried to tell her arms and legs to move, but they didn't listen. She was still as the light continued to devour her completely. By the time Reed and Phoebe had burst in, she was already gone.

Audrey struggled to open her eyes; in fact, she struggled to do anything. Every breath had to be forced from her lungs and her limbs barely responded when she tried to move them. Her eyes felt cemented shut, even though she could feel the tears trickling down the sides of her face.

"You're all right now. I've got you," An unfamiliar voice told her. The voice was hard to understand, it's words blurring together until Audrey wasn't sure what they were saying anymore. They continued to speak in low, calming tones.

A few moments past before Audrey's senses started to return, starting with her hearing. The next thing she noticed was the feeling of arms winding around her waist. She was being pulled against something – no, someone.

The pounding in her head started to fade, allowing her to open her eyes. She blinked away the black spots and the face of a man with floppy brown hair swam into view. He was staring down at her in concern, a soft smile on his face. Audrey's first thought was that he had the greenest eyes she had ever seen, the second was that she was lying in the arms of a man she had never met.

Her getaway wasn't as graceful as she had hoped for. Limbs either didn't move at all or they moved without any guidance and waved wildly. She managed to squirm enough for him to release her, though, and she stumbled over to a railing she used to support herself.

"Who the hell are you?" Audrey's words were slurred, though clear enough for him to understand.

"It's me, Audrey, the Doctor," He stated, looking at her as if she should recognize the name and when she didn't, the smile fell off his face. He moved towards Audrey again, hands outstretched as if to hold her. When he saw the way she recoiled and eyed him with distrust, he flinched and allowed his hands to fall back to his sides. His voice took on a pleading undertone, "Audrey, please tell me you know who I am."

"Well, a kidnapper for starters," Audrey snapped, looking around, "Where am I?"

He sighed, "It's called the TARDIS."

"The what-is?"

"TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimensions in Space," The Doctor explained. Audrey's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"You're out of your damn mind," She told him as she back away slowly. Her eyes swept over the room, searching for an exit.

The room was a warm orange color and had stairs and ramps leading to different hallways. Spotting an exit, she turned away from the man and rushed towards it, ignoring the shouts of warning he gave her as she flung open the doors.

Audrey stumbled forward from the unexpected view in front of her. She would've fallen out of the doors if a hand hadn't latched onto her arm at the last minute. There was a part of her that wondered how the Doctor had gotten to her so quickly, if maybe he had expected this reaction from her, but those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind.

"Holy hell," Audrey breathed as she stared out at the view.

Millions of brightly glowing stars stretched out as far as she could see. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and for a moment, she completely forgot the fact that she was standing in the middle of space or that she had been kidnapped by a strange man. The Doctor pulled her gently back into the room, or the ship, or wherever they were. She felt his eyes on her so she turned to meet them. He was smiling at her in a knowing way that made her feel uncomfortable so she turned back to look at the stars.

"We're in space," She said, as if it might've escaped his notice. There was a small chuckle from the Doctor.

"Yes," He replied simply.

Audrey raised an eyebrow, "How?"

"The TARDIS, it's my spaceship."

"You have a spaceship," Audrey repeated, nodding slightly before looking horrified, "Dear god, I've been kidnapped by an alien." She then looked over at him with wide eyes, "A bowtie wearing alien."

"Bow ties are cool," The Doctor said defensively. He reached around Audrey to pull the TARDIS doors shut and then bounded over to what seemed to be the controls of the ship. Audrey was too stunned to move, staring at the closed doors as if she could still the stars. The Doctor leaned around the console to look at her again, "And I didn't kidnap you!"

Audrey scoffed, "Then how did I get here?"

It was then that Audrey was snapped out of her daze. The situation was starting to set in. She had been kidnapped, by an alien. Was that what the light had been? Some sort of transport of alien…something? If it was, then he knew where she lived. Did that mean her family was in danger? No, she couldn't be responsible for leading someone dangerous back to them again.

"You teleported here, it's sort of your thing. Or it will be. It's complicated!"

The Doctor was flipping levers and pushing buttons at the console while Audrey eyed him, unsure. He didn't seem threatening. The man was bouncing around like a child for God's sake! Maybe it was all just an accident. Maybe she had just teleported into his ship by a mistake.

"And you can get me home?" Audrey questioned.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, but didn't answer her question. As he tried to avoid her eyes, Audrey walked up the ramp until she was standing in front of him. She planted her hands on her hips.

"Well, Alienboy?" She prompted, "Can you get me home or am I going to have to call for an outer space taxi?"

"Yeah, course I can, yeah," The Doctor said, unconvincingly, "We just…have to take a small detour."

"A what?" Audrey asked, skeptical.

"There's this girl and she's been waiting for me for an awfully long time. I promised her an adventure and I got distracted, so it's only fair," He reasoned, trying to avoid her eyes, "After that, I'll take you home. Promise."

As a last resort, Audrey tried to use her 'super senses' on him. They'd never failed her before when it came to judging whether or not a person was trustworthy. Except, this time, she was getting the same answer that she had felt from the beginning: she could trust him. Trusting a strange alien was quite the leap to make, regardless of how she felt. Normally she wouldn't question the senses that had never failed her in the past, but she was beginning to think they had been affected by the pain in her head. It wasn't often that she felt an overwhelming sense of trustworthiness like she was feeling with the Doctor, so could she really rely on it?

The Doctor finally brought his eyes back to her, looking nervous to see if she would accept his proposition. Audrey didn't know what to say, she didn't even know what she was thinking.

Then, she remembered the road trip to New Orleans, how she said yes to leaving everything behind with a single hesitation. The feeling of driving with the top down and knowing that not a single person knew where she was or what she was doing. She knew that she was completely free. Next, she remembered how it had felt when she threw open those doors and saw all those stars; the wonder, the amazement, the adrenaline.

So, even if Audrey didn't know exactly what an 'adventure' with an alien consisted of, she was sure it wasn't an offer she was going to hear many times in her life.

She nodded, "All right, Alienboy. After this.

"So, this friend of yours," Audrey started, "Are they an alien too?"

"Completely human," The Doctor responded.

After Audrey had agreed to the adventure, the Doctor had wasted no time getting the TARDIS into flight. He was buzzing around the console, pressing buttons and flipping levers that all looked the same to Audrey. She found it remarkable that he could even remember the functions of that many different things. It was obvious they were doing something because the whole ship was shaking with lights going off overhead of them. There was a loud wheezing sound coming from somewhere that Audrey couldn't pinpoint.

The TARDIS landed with a thump and the Doctor started towards the door. As she followed closely behind, Audrey wondered what would be waiting for them when they stepped out of those doors. Obviously if his friend was human, they would be on Earth, but where? However, before Audrey could find out, the Doctor stopped her in her tracks.

"Stay here."

"What, why?"

The Doctor had that look on his face again, the one that told her he was lying about something, "I need to talk to her alone first."

Audrey raised an eyebrow, "Oh, she's that kind of friend, is she?"

It took a moment for the meaning of her words to set in but when they did, the Doctor's reaction was priceless. His green eyes went as wide as saucers as he began spluttering, unable to find words. When Audrey laughed and he realized she must've been teasing him, he huffed.

"No. Definitely not," The Doctor said.

"I'm sure," Audrey smirked.

He didn't respond to her last comment but he did shove her shoulder lightly on his way out. Snickers spilled out of their own accord and the feeling of laughing that easily was so unfamiliar that it shocked Audrey at first. Trying to shake it off, she called out 'good luck' and shut the door.

Attempting to listen through the door was proved pointless, which Audrey soon realized. Perhaps it wouldn't be reasonable for a spaceship to have cracks big enough to hear through anyways, but it had been worth a try.

She wandered back over to the console and skimmed her hands over the top of it like she had seen the Doctor do before. It seemed so easy and effortless when he did it but as she was staring at she realized there had to be hundreds of controls, much more than she had thought upon first glance. What had started as exploring quickly took a turn when she leaned too heavily one button. All the lights in the TARDIS went off and for a moment everything was still.

"Shit," Audrey whispered to herself. It was clear that she didn't know what she was doing as she groped blindly across the console and hoped to reverse whatever she'd done.

Suddenly, lights of every color were flashing and creating a strobe effect. To accompany it, there was a high-pitched screeching noise that had her praying she could fix this before the Doctor came back. She held her hands over her ears while squinting against the strobe lights. Where was the damn off switch?

Small white lights appeared on the console, leading Audrey in the direction of a particular switch that was flashing at her. Although wary, Audrey flipped the switch. Everything in the TARDIS returned to normal one thing at a time. First the lights were cut off, letting the original orange glow back into the room. Then, the noise died down to a volume that was barely audible before disappearing completely. It was, however, replaced by an odd humming noise that sounded strangely like…

"Are you laughing at me?" Audrey asked out loud. Something about the TARDIS felt different to Audrey, it was like an invisible presence in the room that told her the ship was alive. That, and the fact that it was most definitely laughing at her.

"Audrey!" The Doctor called as the doors opened, "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Waiting for her on the outside was a young woman with orange hair and a round face. Audrey managed to catch the unsure look the woman sent the Doctor as she stepped out of the TARDIS, but the woman quickly replaced it with a small smile.

"Amy Pond, meet Audrey," The Doctor introduced. Audrey gave a small wave before her attention was stolen by their surroundings.

"We really are on Earth," Audrey observed. They seemed to have landed in Amy's backyard, which prompted her to ask, "How does no one notice a spaceship landing in someone's yard?"

Instead of speaking, the Doctor's lips stretched into a smug smile and he gestured for Audrey to turn around. The sight she was greeted with was a deep blue wooden door with gray windows and a white instruction plate above the handle. Audrey's eyebrows furrowed together as she walked around the side and saw that the spaceship was in fact a box that was no bigger than a closet. Her hands felt along the edges, expecting some sort of invisible continuation, but found nothing. She rounded the entire box until she stood in front of the Doctor again.

"It's…" Audrey trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Bigger on the inside," The Doctor suggested.

"Incredible!"

A look passed across the Doctor's face. It seemed that he was expecting some other answer, although Audrey wasn't sure what else to say about the ship. It was unbelievable and amazing all at once. Along with the fact that she was pretty sure it was alive, it was the most incredible thing she'd ever seen.

"That's not even the best part," The Doctor beamed as he motioned for them to step inside, "Your adventure awaits, girls."

They all glanced between each other, a collective smile being passed around before they stepped inside together.

"Why's it a phone box?" Amy asked.

The Doctor poked his head up from where he was kneeling under the console, "Sorry, what?"

"On the outside, it said police box. Why have you labeled a time machine 'police box'? Why not 'time machine'? Is that too obvious? And what is a police box? Do police men come in boxes? How many do you get?"

Amy rattled off questions at an impressive speed and, judging by her breathless tone, her lungs were struggling to keep up with the pace of her mind.

"Are you a police man? No, look at your hair," Amy answered herself. The Doctor reached up to touch his hair, seeming as if he hadn't even noticed it was there before, "Actually, just look at your hair! Do you ever look at your hair and think 'well, it just won't stop and look at my chin and I'm wearing a bow tie. Shoot me now."

Suddenly Amy's eyes went wide and she looked guilty, "Am I gabbling?"

"A bit yeah," The Doctor said, confused.

"Question stands," Audrey, who sat in the captain's chair behind him, spoke up. With bewildered eyes, the Doctor turned to her.

"Question? Did you get a question out of all of that?"

"Why is it a police box?" Audrey repeated.

"Well, it's not really a police box. Which, by the way, is a special kind of telephone box that police men used to use."

"There's a light on the top," Amy remarked, then her eyes lit up with more curiosity, "Do you need to change the bulb?"

"And if so, how do you reach the bulb?" Audrey interjected.

Amy nodded feverously, "Yeah! And-"

"Amy, stop. Breath."

The Doctor breathed in deeply, using his hands to gesture for Amy to do the same. For a moment, the redheaded woman mimicked his motions and seemed to calm down by a fraction. Then, she pursed her lips together, let out a strangled noise, and a new wave of questions was released.

"Why doesn't the air get out? It's made of wood. You've got a wooden time machine. Do you feel stupid? Sorry. That and the bowtie."

In the face of Amy's onslaught of inquisitiveness, the Doctor looked over at Audrey for help. Audrey, who found the whole situation more amusing than he did, was confused as to why he thought she would be of any use in this situation. She knew just as much as Amy did about him and his ship, possibly less, and she too was bursting at the seams with questions. She just thought it was better to let Amy get them off her chest first.

Soon, the Doctor realized Audrey wasn't going to be of much help, so he began explaining the ship to them both, his tone becoming more and more excited as he went on.

"It's camouflaged. It's disguised as a police telephone box from 1963. Every time the TARDIS materializes in a new location, within the first nanosecond of landing, it analyzes its surroundings and calculates a twelve-dimensional data map of everything within a thousand-mile radius and determines which outer shell would blend in best with the environment."

Suddenly, the Doctor's enthusiasm came to a halt and he frowned.

"And then it disguises itself as a police telephone box from 1963."

"Oh…" Amy said dejectedly, "Why?"

"It's probably a bit of a fault actually. I've been meaning to check…"

"What, it's a police box every time?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, I suppose now that you mention."

Amy bit her lip to keep from laughing, "How long's it been doing that?"

"Oh…you know, not long," The Doctor said unconvincingly.

"Ok, okay," Amy said, as she looked around the TARDIS for more things to question. It was so big and confusing and out of this world that it seemed like the questions were endless. Surely, too many to get into right now. "But what about the windows! There are windows on the outside, where do they go? Is it a cry for help?"

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"The bowtie!"

The Doctor smiled and straightened the piece of clothing in question, "Nah, bowties are cool."

"And you're an alien," Amy noted, a disbelieving smile stretching across her features.

The Doctor smiled too, "Yeah. Well, in your terms, yeah. In my terms, you're an alien. In quite a few people's terms probably."

"What kind of alien?" Audrey questioned. The Doctor faced her with a peculiar look, as if he wasn't quite sure why she was asking at all, before his eyes widened and he nodded to himself. He maintained the smile, but his eyes seemed sadder.

"Well, a nice one. Definitely one of the nice ones," He answered.

"So, you're like a- a space squad or something?" Amy wondered.

Audrey raised an eyebrow, "A squid?"

"I don't know he could be!" Amy whispered defensively before turning back to the Doctor, "Are you like a tiny little slug in a human suit? Is that why you walk like that?"

"It's more like an uncoordinated giraffe than a slug, don't you think?" Audrey asked.

Amy agreed, "You're right."

"Amy, this is me," The Doctor told her as he grabbed her hands and placed them on either side of his face, "This is what I really look like."

Amy slapped him on the cheek. "Well, that's fine then."

"Ow!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Good."

"Okay, I think I'm done now," Amy stated as she looked over to Audrey.

Audrey shrugged, "Me too."

"Girls, you've barely started," The Doctor said smugly. Before either girl could question his cryptic message, he hurried down the stairs and called back to them, "Because! Do you know what I keep in here?"

"What?" Amy asked.

Both girls followed him to the doors. His eccentricity was enough to keep them in a trance, hanging on to his every word as he captivated them with promises of aliens and space adventures.

"Absolutely everything," He replied. He opened the door and moved out of the way so that the girls could see the view.

Audrey, who had already seen the magnificent universe that lie beyond the doors, found that it still took her breath away. They were in a new place, meaning new stars, new galaxies, new possibilities.

"Anything that you fancy?" The Doctor asked. Audrey could hear in his tone that he was reveling in the fact that they were so impressed. She wondered if this was what he did with his life. Did he pluck humans from their average lives on Earth just to show them the universe? And if so, why? Was it so he could remind them there was so much more out there or did he just like the company?

It took Amy several moments of silence before she was able to draw her gaze away from the stars and back to the Doctor. When she tried to speak, her voice was small and in awe.

"We're in space," Amy pointed out.

"Yeah," The Doctor said, "That's space."

"But it can't be."

"But it is."

"It's like – it's like – it's like… special effects!" Amy concluded at last, "It is, isn't it? It isn't real."

"Get out," The Doctor said quietly with a grin on his face. Amy and Audrey both looked at him with bewildered looks.

"What?"

"No, seriously. Get out!" The Doctor laughed. All of the sudden, he had grabbed Amy's arms and forced her out of the box, pushing her into the deep space beyond the doors. The girl let out a yelp of surprise before disappearing.

"Oh my god!" Audrey exclaimed. As the Doctor started towards her, she realized that she might have severely miscalculated how good-intentioned he was, "Don't you dare, Doctor! I'm warning-"

She didn't have the chance to finish because a moment later he had snagged her by the waist and pushed her through the doorway. She grasped at his jacket sleeves, feeling the brush of the tweed fabric before it slipped through her fingertips and she disappeared from the TARDIS too.