The Fall of Arcadia (Book ONE)

Chapter 3

Alice:

They left me for a month, no idea where they were or whether or not I was OK after the Groske or whatever it was had invaded my mind. And then the Doctor tried to just swan off again!

"What's his problem with me?" I asked Donna as the Doctor went to a cash point.

"You remind him of someone. Someone he lost a long time ago. The Doctor doesn't like endings, especially sad ones" she replied, shaking her head at the tall man with spiked brown hair.

"What's his name though, really?"

"The Doctor. No really, its his name. 2 years I've known him and no one has called him anything but. Besides, it suits him" Donna smiles, waving at him.

"Stop talking about me, my ears are burning!" he yelled to us.

"So how did he know we were talking about him?"

"Dunno, he just does. So, how old are you?"

"20. Nearly 21 though, 2 and a bit months. Amy's throwing me a big party back in Leadworth. That's where I grew up" I smiled, imagining the booze her and Meals will somehow buy and bailing them out the following morning.

"Is that in Scotland then? Because you certainly aren't English!" Donna laughed.

"No, the Midlands. We moved from Glasgow when I was 10 and Amy 7. My aunt abandoned us so I raised her from the age of 11. Didn't do too badly!"

"11?! What about your mum and dad? Where were they?" she asked, a shocked expression on her face.

"I don't know. I can't remember them. Here's himself." I looked away as the Doctor came back, a wedge of cash in him hand.

"Sorry, there were more firewalls than expected. Securities been enhanced since last time" he grinned.

"So you couldn't just point the sonic at it and cash fly everywhere? Damn, a mob would be funny!" Donna giggled, linking arms with him.

"What's a sonic? That torch thing?" I asked, intrigued.

"Sonic Screwdriver" he corrected, holding it up before slipping it into his trench coat pocket.

"So, what does it do? Put up cabinets?"

"No, well yes, but also opens doors, scans things and deadlocks stuff. Very handy, unless you have a thing about wood. Then we're stuffed."

"What, so it doesn't do wood?" I scoffed.

"Hey! When I made this I didn't think it was necessary! Besides, I'm good as long as I don't go to the middle ages or something. Here we are, Cosmo's"

"Do you know the hygiene rating this place got?" I asked, wrinkling my nose. Germs...

"Don't really care. We were aiming for the Ming Dynasty but my ship had a tantrum. Table for 3 please" The Doctor told the man at the front desk.

"As in the past? You travel in time too?" My head was hurting at the thought of where they could go and what they could do. Stop world wars, save Marie Antoinette and kill Hitler!

"Yep, but she's very temperamental."

"You're telling me! I spilt crumbs on the console once and it locked me in my bathroom! I made it up to her though, I hoovered the library and dusted the pantry." Donna sighed, sitting down across from me. The Doctor took the seat next to me.

"I know this is sudden, but can I come with you?" I asked before I could chicken out.

TheDoctor: