"Sweetie," Mum said. "I'll be back in a couple of days."

"Mummy... Don't go. It gets really lonely with just Felix and Mrs. Popsin," I said sadly. Felix was my cat and Mrs. Popsin was the old, grouchy woman who was my nanny.

Mum was going away again. She was dressed all in white this time. She never told me where she went, but she always came back with the same blue diary and cuts or bruises. Sometimes she'd even say she saw Dad from long ago... I never met my dad, but I've heard the stories Mum writes about. She describes him as a mad man who would do anything for the ones he cares about. I could see a sparkle of longing in her eyes whenever she talked about him. I knew she longed for him as much as I did since it was just the three of us, Felix, Mum and I in this lonely apartment.

Mum walked up to me and kneeled down. "Sweetie, I have to go. Don't be sad. Mrs. Popsin will take great care of you while I'm gone, alright?" I looked into her eyes with my sad ones. She hugged me and stroked my straight brown hair, complete opposite of her frizzy curls. "I'll come back in a jiffy, I promise. You won't even know I left!" She tried to lighten the mood.

I wiped a tear welling up in eyes. "Be careful, Mummy..." I said. She stood up, grabbed a giant backpack, and swung it around her back.

"Mrs. Popsin should be here within a couple of minutes. Be nice and stay safe, ok?" she said.

"Yes, Mummy," I said. I gave her one last hug and said, "I love you Mummy, goodbye."

She kissed the top of my head and said, "I love you too, Sweetie. Goodbye." She walked out the front door and got into the car. I watched them all drive off.

I sighed as I walked away from the window. I sat down next to Felix and started to pet him. He slept soundly as I stroked his soft, black and white fur. All was silent. Peacefully, yet horribly silent. I looked around the room and got up from couch suddenly, scaring Felix in the process. I had a really strange feeling that Mum was going to be in serious danger this time.

"Adeline? Adeline, can you here me?" someone asked in front of me.

I had spaced out again... Mrs. Popsin was standing right in front of me, staring at me confusedly. "Oh! I'm sorry... I didn't see you there."

"I came in to see you looking completely white as a sheet! Scared the dickens out of me, that's what you did!" she said irritatedly. "I could use the years, you know. I am not getting any younger!"

"I'm sorry to have worried you..." I said.

"It's alright, dear..." I didn't think she really meant it. "Why did you look so afraid?"

I tried to think of an answer, but I couldn't quite remember myself. "I don't know, ma'am," I said.

She sighed and set her giant purse on the kitchen counter. "Would you like some tea, dear?" she asked.

"No thanks, ma'am. I'm just going to go read up in my room," I said. "I have a new book Mum got me."

"Very well, dear. I'll call you down when lunch is ready," she said. "Take that cat with you, too. He makes my nose runny!"

I nodded and picked up Felix. I walked into my small bedroom with him in tow. I closed the door and set him down. I stayed flat against the wall for sometime just thinking about things, things that mad me feel lonely. My dad, for example.

I always daydreamed about him when I was alone. I drew pictures of what I thought he looked like, but most never turned out very good. I kept the good ones under my bed in a special suitcase I kept of things that made me think of him. Inside were the drawings, a screwdriver, a small red bow, and an empty, blue envelope. Mum always talked about his special screwdriver. I don't really know why I had the red bow in there... It just comforted whenever I saw it. The blue envelope was the exact shade of blue of Mum's diary and the box that haunted my dreams. There was always a blue box that showed up whenever the dreams turned into nightmares. After it showed up, the dream would end, and I don't know why. Mum didn't know about the suitcase, yet.

I sat on my bed and picked up the book from my nightstand. It was a book about the solar system. Mum and I were both fascinated with space and anything related to it. I dreamed of going up into space one day and seeing the stars. I opened the book and started reading.

It seemed like no time at all after Mrs. Popsin banged on my door, telling me it was time for dinner. "Dinner?" I asked. "But what about lunch? You said you'd call me for lunch."

"I called, but you never answered, so don't complain," she said. "We're having meatloaf tonight."

"Thank you for making dinner," I said. She grunted back at me. We sat down at the table, opposite of each other and started eating. On my plate was a slice of meatloaf and a couple slices of apples. "Apples and meatloaf...?" I asked.

"Do you have a problem? A skinny girl like you needs to eat up, but stay healthy and fit," she said. "As they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

I picked up one of the apple slices and twirled it around with my fingers. "The thing is... I don't really like apples all that much." I set it back down and ate my meatloaf trying to avoid Mrs. Popsin lecturing me on what and what not to eat, say, or do... There was always a lecture when we ate dinner together. She droned on and on about some pointless subject and I half-listened, saying 'yes, ma'am' and 'no, ma'am' when appropriate.

It was pretty late when we finished eating. She made me wash the dishes and then sent me straight to bed. I put on a night grown, kneeled down next to my bed, folded my hands and closed my eyes.. "Dear someone up there..." I began. "I know someone's there and I know you can hear me. I have a couple of requests to make, if you don't mind me asking. Could you please keep my mum safe and happy? It would mean the world to me if she came back without have a bandaid or two on. Also, would you please allow me to see my dad? I know Mum wants to see him too, so you'd be doing us both a favor! Thank you for listening to me, goodnight." I crawled under the covers and went to sleep.

Breakfast was of toast with jam and bacon. Mrs. Popsin eyes me intimidatingly as I ate, thinking I reject it. How could I reject toast and bacon?! It was the simplest, yet tastiest breakfast a kid like me could have! I ate it all up, much to the happiness of Mrs. Popsin. She did the dishes this time.

She was interrupted soon after she finished by the telephone ringing. She picked it up and said, "Hello?" A pause, "This is she." Another pause. "Yes, I know her..." Pause. Mrs. Popsin gasped and looked me. "Can you repeat that, please?" she asked shakily.

"What is it?" I asked. "What's going on?" She hung up the phone soon after and sat down, looking pale. "Are you ok, Mrs. Popsin?"

"Yes, I'm fine..." she said. "But your mother... Your mother isn't..."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

"They won't tell me..." she said. "All they said was that she... she... She died."

"She.. died..." I repeated, flabbergasted. "Mum is dead...? She isn't coming back?" Mrs. Popsin nodded silently and closed her eyes. I stood up suddenly and said, "I'm going to the park..."

"But, dear! It's so cold outside-"

"I'll wear a coat," I said. I ran into my room and grabbed my coat and put on shoes. I walked put the door without another word.

I walked to the small park that was around the block and sat down on a bench. It was pretty cold, so I zipped up my coat. I looked around and nobody was there. I began crying silently. I couldn't bare the thought of not having Mum... What would happen to me? Would people come and take me away? I don't want to go away... I wanted to stay with Felix and Mum in our apartment! I don't even know how long I cried. I figured I'd been out there for an hour or so.

"Oi," said someone. "What's a little girl like yourself doing out here in the cold crying?" I wiped my eyes quickly in embarrassment and looked up at the person. It was a man, he had brown, spiky hair, kind eyes and a trench coat on with a suit and tie underneath. He squatted down next to me and asked, "What's your name, little girl?"

"Adeline Song," I said after I sniffed.

"Adeline... Why, that's a wonderful name!" he said happily. "Adeline, what's making you sad?"

He seemed nice. "My mum..." I said as my voice trailed off, recalling the horrible event that just happened to me.

"What about your mum, Adeline?" he questioned further.

"She... She died..." I said. I started sobbing silently again.

"What about your dad?" he asked. "Surely he'd want you warm and home."

"I don't know where he is," I said, letting out another sob. "I never knew him. Mum always said he was a mad man who traveled in the stars. But now, I suppose that means he's dead, too..." Why was I telling this man whom I never met before all this?

"Adeline... Oh, Adeline..." he said sadly. He held my shoulders and said, "I just know everything will get better. I promise you, it will get better."

"It will?" I asked.

"I promise," he said.

"Hey, Doctor. We need to get going pretty soon!" someone said behind him. It was a red-haired woman.

He stood up and said, "Ok, Donna." He turned to me and said, "Allons-y, Adeline. Take care!"

And before I knew it, the man and the woman behind him left. I didn't see where they went, though.

After the funeral a couple days later, I held Mum's diary to my heart and let out a silent sob. My new guardian was Mrs. Popsin and she was coming to live with me. I was the last person still standing at the grave sight. "Mummy, I'll miss you forever..." I said. I sat down and saw a dandelion right next to her grave. I picked it and added it to the arrangement of flowers that laid there. I stood back up and wiped away more tears.

I heard a bang from behind me and then, "Ouch..." someone said behind me. "Oops..."

I whirled around and the same man in a trench coat was running away from a broken statue. I saw him go into a blue box that slowly faded away. The blue box... It looked the same as in my dreams, but I was probably just imagining things...

Mrs. Popsin drove us home and I still clung to Mum's diary. The ride home was silent and I felt more alone than ever before. I stayed in my room the rest of the day and Mrs. Popsin didn't bother me when it was time for dinner.

I opened the first page of the diary and saw a note. It was addressed to me. I picked it up out of confusion and read it. It said,

Dear Addy,

If you're reading this right now, it probably means that I've died. Please don't be sad that I'm gone, it was meant to be this way. I'd hoped that I'd be able to introduce you to your dad by now, but that didn't happen. If I had introduced you, that would mean that I took you on some horribly dangerous adventure and I doubt that will ever happen on my watch. You'll see him one day, I'm sure of it. I want you to keep this diary in remembrance of me. Do not show it to your dad when you meet him under any circumstances. Spoilers! Also, I know about that suitcase under your bed. The pictures you drew of him are great! My little artist... They look a lot like him, I swear they do. If you look in there, you'll find that I've left something more for you, but don't break it, it's your dad's. He'll know what it is if you show it to him. When you do see him, tell him that River sent you. Also, say that you're one of him. (Don't worry if it doesn't make sense. He'll get it.) And if he takes you with him and you run into a past version of me, don't say anything about it to me. Don't even call me Mummy, ok? It would be spoilers!

Remember these words: "Tardis" and "It's bigger on the inside."

I'll love you forever my dearest Addy,
Mummy

P.S. Try not to give Mrs. Popsin a hard time. I know how much she doesn't exactly like you. I don't really like her either, but she's a trustworthy woman. Though, I would mind if you ran away to try and find your dad. You're still a child, so don't do anything foolish that could get yourself hurt.

"Tardis," I repeated. "I wonder what that is..." I put the note back into the diary and set it on my bed. I got the suitcase out from under my bed and opened it. The pictures that were messy were now stacked in a neat pile. The blue envelope was on top of the pile. The screwdriver was missing... There was small, rectangular box inside that was sitting in the corner. "That must be the thing Mum left for me." I picked the box up and opened it.

Inside the small box was a weird-looking gadget. It was sort of cylindrical in shape and it had a green thing on the top of it. I picked it up and set the box aside. I twirled it around, inspecting it. "What is it?" I asked myself. I saw a button on one of the sides and decided to press it. The green thing at the end lit up and it made a strange noise.

The suit case had closed itself. It had completely locked itself all on its own! I re-opened the suitcase to set the diary inside of it and the gadget Mum had given me. I then closed it and slid it back under my bed, where it belonged.

I didn't come out of my room for the next two days and Mrs. Popsin didn't bother me. She was mostly getting some of her stuff into the apartment that she needed, like clothes.

When I finally emerged from my room, she had breakfast waiting for me on the table. "Nice of you to come out," she said. I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. I nodded and sat down at the table and started eating. "I'm really sorry about your mum..." I didn't respond.

That was how most of our conversations were. Small remarks or comments to one another and the other not really responding. We didn't even try to like each other. I think she knew that she could never replace my mum or fill in the empty void that was in my heart.

And that's why on my tenth birthday, almost a year later, I ran away from home. I know Mum told me not to, but this was something I had to do.

I had been planning it for a while. The suitcase under my bed became my new closet. I had packed some of my clothes in it. I kept the gadget and the diary Mum had given me, but ditched the bow and all the drawings, except one. The best one (in my opinion) of what he looked like. Mum had said that he did look similar, so it would be my reference.

I snuck out early that morning while Mrs. Popsin was out shopping for groceries. I left her a note placed strategically near the stove where I knew she'd see it. It read,

Mrs. Popsin,

I've gone to go find my dad, so don't try and find me. I have to do this. I need to know him. I don't know where I'm going to start looking, but I'll find him, I know I will. Don't expect me to come back.

Adeline

I set out onto the streets of London to find my dad. I acquired a map of London to guide my way soon after my departure from my former residence. I spent a couple hours wandering the streets and looking for anybody that looked like my picture. I didn't expect him to find him the first day, in fact I knew it wouldn't happen. As I walked down the roads and streets, strange things played on the radios that I heard coming from shop windows. It was something about a prisoner escaping and being incinerated. I ignored them.

While I was walking down a pretty desolate road, something caught my eye in someone's front yard. I just had to go see what it was. It was middle afternoon hours when I saw it. There was the exact shade of blue I had been seeing on and off in my dreams. I went into the front yard of some strangers house to investigate the blue object. I hoped nobody was watching. I walked up to it and stared at in awe. It was a police phone box from ages and ages ago, but it looked brand new! "What is this doing in someone's front yard? Maybe they collected vintage things..." I said to myself.

I walked around it, trying to see if there was a way to get in. I found the sign on the entrance to the box. I jiggled the handle, but it was locked. "Darn it..." I said. Something about this box made me wanted me to go inside, and somehow I felt like it was calling me inside.

Go on. You can open me.

I turned around to see who had said that. No one was around. "That was weird..." I said.

Open me. I'm unlocked now.

I looked to the police box. "Is that you...?" I asked skeptically.

Open me.

I took the handle to the box and pulled liked the sign said to. The door opened. I walked inside what I expected to be a small phone booth, but it wasn't that at all. It was much, much bigger on the inside than the outside. "'Bigger on the inside'..." I repeated the words of Mum's note. "This certainly is bigger on the inside, that's for sure."

I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a centerpiece with levers, buttons, cranks and any other operating mechanisms that you could think of! I so badly wanted to touch them, but my better judgement told me not to. The walls reminded me of the inside of a bee hive. "This is so cool!"

"I'm glad you like it! Now, tell me how you got inside," someone said directly behind me. I screamed in surprise and turned around. A man with a red bow tie was standing in front of me. He arms were crossed and he seemed mad. I stared at him. "Come on, I don't have all day."

"It's you..." I said. "It's you!"

"Tell me how you got inside my box," he said.

"It was open, I swear!" I said. "It said it unlocked itself so I opened the door."

"It unlocked itself? Preposterous," he said. He looked away and stroked his chin. "Then again... How else would you have entered..." He held his finger up all of sudden and looked back at me. He said, "You said, 'it's you!' like you knew me, but I have never met you before. What's your name?"

"Adeline," I said quickly. "Hold on one second." I put my suitcase on the floor and opened it. I dug around and pulled out the picture. I closed the suit case and held the picture up for him to see. "I drew it. It's you!"

He narrowed his eyes and snatched the drawing from my hands and eyed it. "I see the similarities..." he said. He handed it back to me. "What does it mean? Why did you draw a picture of a man you've never seen?"

"It's my dad. I mean, my mum said that this looked a lot like you. Which means-"

"Your dad?" he asked. "What are you trying to pull?"

"Nothing, I swear! Hold on..." I said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the gadget. "My mum said to tell you River sent me. She also gave me this and said you'd know what it is."

He took the gadget from my hands. "River and my sonic screwdriver...?" he asked. "Did your mum say anything else?"

"She told me to tell you I was one of you... I don't know what that means, though," I said.

"River... My sonic screwdriver... The Tardis opening to a random little girl named Adeline-"

"Tardis? Is that this... thing... that's bigger on the inside?" I asked.

"Yes, but please don't interrupt me when I'm thinking," he said. I shut my mouth. "One of me..." he repeated. He pondered for a minute. "It can't be..." he said. He walked over to the centerpiece and picked up a stethoscope. He put it in his ears and placed the round thing on my chest. I was extremely weirded out by this... He listened intently. "That's not possible!" he said. He threw the stethoscope off and stared at me for a while. I stood there awkwardly as he did so. He grabbed an identical sonic screwdriver, pressed the button and waved it in my direction. He looked at the sides, as if reading something. He looked up at me and said, "What did you say your full name was?"

I replied, "Adeline Song."

He shook my hand and said, "I believe I have met you before, about a year ago. Though, I did look a bit different then... Call me the Doctor, just the Doctor." He handed me back the sonic screwdriver. "This is yours, I believe." I took it and put it back in my pocket. "You believe I am your dad, is that right?"

I nodded. "From what Mum said in the letter, it's you," I said.

"Letter? You didn't say anything about a letter. Can I see it?" he asked.

"No!" I said a little too quickly. "I mean, I burned it so you can't..." I lied.

"I can tell you're lying," he said.

"If you look away for thirty seconds or more, I'll show it to you," I said.

"Agreed." He turned around.

I dug through the suitcase and pulled out the note from the diary as quickly as I could and hid it again. "You can look," I said. I handed him the note, but I quickly withdrew it from his grasp. "Wait... I'll read it."

"As you wish," he said.

"Ok, it says, 'Dear Addy, If you're reading this right now, it probably means that I've died. Please don't be sad that I'm gone, it was meant to be this way. I'd hoped that I'd be able to introduce you to your dad by now, but that didn't happen. If I had introduced you, that would mean that I took you on some horribly dangerous adventure and I doubt that will ever happen on my watch. You'll see him one day, I'm sure of it. I know about that suitcase under your bed. The pictures you drew of him are great! My little artist... They look a lot like him, I swear they do. If you look in there, you'll find that I've left something more for you, but don't break it, it's your dad's. He'll know what it is if you show it to him. When you do see him, tell him that River sent you. Also, say that you're one of him. (Don't worry if it doesn't make sense. He'll get it.) Remember these words: 'Tardis' and 'it's bigger on the inside.' I'll love you forever my dearest Addy, Mummy'." I said. I edited the letter to not say the stuff she didn't want me to tell him.

He pondered again for a moment. "It appears that I have a daughter in the future, and, not to mention, she's a Time Lord," he said.

"A time what?" I asked.

"Time Lord," he repeated. "A race of 'aliens' that were from the planet Gallifrey that can travel through time and space... Well, that's just a very, very simple version of it..." He paused for a moment. "You have four heart beats instead of two. That's how you know if someone is a Time Lord. They have two hearts."

"I'm not human...?" I asked. "Wow..."

I heard a knock from somewhere in the Tardis. "Ah! I'll be right back, Adeline," he said. He went to the entrance to the Tardis and walked out. After a few minutes he came back in. "That's all taken care of... Now," he said, looking at the centerpiece. "Off to time and space!"

"I'm coming with you...?" I asked.

"Why not? You apparently are my daughter, DNA never lies. One trip, then we have to come back to get someone!" he said.

My eyes lit up. "I can come with you!" I said happily.

"Anywhere in particular you want to go? All of time and space is waiting," he said.

"What about Gallifrey, you said that's where the Time Lords live, right?" I asked.

"No, I said it in past tense. They're all dead, except us."

"Well, what happened to them?" I asked.

"I killed them all," he said simply. I backed away slowly. "Don't worry. They were a very corrupt race."

"You're not a psyco murderer?" I asked.

He laughed and said, "No, I'm a mad man with a box!"

What had I just gotten myself into, I had no idea. But what I did know, it was going to be the end of my loneliness.

He took us to a different planet. He switched and clicked a bunch of levers, and with a couple of weird sounds, we were traveling in outer space! He questioned me some more about my life and I asked about himself. I didn't know what he was talking about half the time. He realized this and then asked me more questions.

He taught me how to use the sonic screwdriver. It does harm or kill, it opens, locks and closes things. Very useful! He also taught me more about the Time Lords and the race, among a bunch if other things.

"She works beautifully!" he said, patting the console of the Tardis. "Now, there's someone I'd like you to meet back on earth. Her name is Amelia Pond, but she goes by Amy. She might be joining us in our travels through time and space!"

"Ok, Dad- oops... Sorry. I didn't mean to call you that-"

"It's fine. That's what I am, your dad," he said.

"Then, you can call me Addy," I said. "That's what Mum used to call me."

"Of course, Addy," he said. He pressed, clicked, and switched a bunch of things on the console and we were headed back to earth to meet Amy Pond.

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(I don't own any of Doctor Who. This was made for entertainment purposes only.)