text: ng it's hands at it's sides.
  
  "'Manda, listen. Just RUN! Run as far away as you can!" you instruct her. "Don't come back, alright? I'll be fine! It's too dangerous for you; I'm looking at a freakin' alien right that can kill me if I blink. And God, that sounds mad!"
  
  "Jess...I made it. My friends are right behind me. Can't you see us?"
  
  You look around the clearing in confusion, seeing no one but the Doctor. "N-no. Amanda, I can't see you. Are you sure that-"
  
  "Look, I know it's the right place! You're on your phone, sitting in front of a Weeping Angel. A man, the Doctor, he's standing right next to you, looking straight at me. God, Jess," she laughs. "You must be blind! I'm standing right in front of you!"
  
  The Doctor takes back the phone. "Amanda, let me understand something. You're standing right in front of us, right?"
  
  "Yes!" she laughs into the phone. "God, you two are so thick! I'm right here!"
  
  "Doctor," you say. "What does she mean?"
  
  The Doctor looks at you with regret and shock. "Jess...."
  
  "Jess, don't worry." Amanda says calmly from the phone. "It's still me. I'm just an Angel now." You wrench your gaze away from the Doctor and look at the Weeping Angel statue. It moved when the Doctor looked away. Now it's by your side, smile still on its face.
  
  "Y-You're lying! You're not Amanda! You're a...thing! A thing that took my friend and sent her back through time!
  
  "You're jut an alien that took my friend, and by God, I am going to kill you for it!" Your voice has risen as you yelled at the phone. Or, are you yelling at the Angel? God, this is confusing!
  
  "Jess, look. I am Amanda! And, the Weeping Angels did turn me into one of their own. Just now. But, I know so much now!"
  
  "Doctor," you say furiously. "You had better fix this! She's thinks she's an ALIEN now, thanks to you! For the love of God, fix it!"
  
  Amanda calls out to you, "Look, Jess. Since I'm your best friend, I'll let you decide where you want to be. I could send you back just at the right time so that you could become famous, if you want. Or maybe you want to meet someone special?"
  
  "SHUT UP!" you yell at the statue, finally letting the truth sink in. "You AREN'T my friend anymore! You DIED, Amanda! You shouldn't be here! Just let us go!"
  
  She goes silent for a long time. It actually worked, you think. But a movement in the corner of your eye tells you that it didn't.
  
  "DOCTOR!" you shout. He looks at you as the Angel touches him. He vanishes in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing behind but a key on the ground and your phone.
  
  "NO! Damn you, Amanda! What've done?!" you scream as you run over to the spot where the Doctor was just standing a moment ago. The key is lying on the ground, shining in the grass. You pick it up with shaking hands.
  
  "We need to feed, Jess. Besides, my friends had an old grudge with the Doctor. He tricked them into looking at one another at Wester Drumlins. They only escaped when someone came to investigate. They were taken away from their prison, and as soon as the man who found them looked away, they were free."
  
  "But you KILLED him! Sending him back into the past is the same thing as MURDER, Amanda!" you yell at her. "He doesn't know what to do. He's probably terrified! How could you do that to-"
  
  "We had every right to!" Amanda's voice is beginning to rise. "He'll be fine, he's a Time Lord. He's used to time travel, and he's done this before."
  
  You don't understand half the words coming out of her mouth. But you do know what you have to do. "Amanda, where's the third Angel?"
  
  Her voice is still cool, but she replies, "It got stuck. It tripped, and saw it's reflection in a broken piece of glass. But it doesn't matter. I'll be the one who get to eat tonight!"
  
  Oh, God. You think about panicking for a moment, then remember what the Doctor said. They were stone as long as they were being observed...
  
  Praying as hard as you can, you look at the two Angels that are approaching you. Wait....Wait...Wait...
  
  You duck.
  
  You squeeze your eyes shut, waiting for the Angels to kill you. Nothing happens for a long time. Very, very slowly, you open your eyes.
  
  Amanda is reaching towards where you were standing, her face blank. The second Angel has its claws and fangs out, ready to tear you to bits. Neither of them move, since they are staring at one another.
  
  You get up slowly, not believing your luck. You duck underneath Amanda's arm, and stare at the four Angels in the clearing, now just statues.
  
  But....where is the Doctor?
  
  > The Blue Box
  You grip the key in your hand, tight. What it's for, you don't know. But it seems important, if the Angels decided to leave it behind.
  
  "Doctor," you say quietly as you stand in the clearing. "What am I going to do?"
  
  For a few moments, silence is the only thing that answers you. Then, something strange happens. The key in your hand begins to glow. You stare at it in shock, until it starts to burn your hand.
  
  "Ow! My God!" you curse as you drop it on the ground. It just continues to shine with a golden light. The wind starts to pick up,blowing your hair backwards and throwing up leaves from the earth. You must be going made, because, right in front of you, a blue box starts to appear out of nothing. A whining sound fills the air as it becomes more and more solid, the light at the top flashing.
  
  "Oh. My. God." you mutter. "I just found a magic blue box."
  
  That seems the only explanation for what you just saw. Now, it's completely solid, just sitting in front of you. For some reason, you get the feeling that it's looking at you.
  
  That's when the Doctor appears behind you.
  
  "D-D-Doctor?!" you stammer in complete confusion. How did he get there?! He looks at you, his face blank.
  
  "This is Protocol 11-Dash-5-Dash-Three." he says. "If you are receiving this message, then I'm either dead or trapped without the TARDIS."
  
  "TARDIS?" you say in confusion. "What's a TARDIS?" Then you remember that this is just a recording.
  
  The Doctor continues to speak. "When this message is complete, you will need to insert the TARDIS key. If you already did that..wait, hang on." The projection finally shows something of the real Doctor. He holds up a hand, and looks puzzled for a moment. "If you already did that, then this wouldn't be playing. So, you can't have. Alright, just put the key in the lock of hte blue box. It'll go back to me, and then I can escape. Got it?"
  
  God, for a recording, he's still annoying! "Yeah, but I got one question. The Angels. How can we be sure that they won't come back?"
  
  "Oh, right. We can't. We'll just have to hope for the best." You jump at his words. Did he just answer you?
  
  "And yes, before you ask, I did just answer your question." He smiles at you, and says, "All right, that's enough chit-chat! Put the key in the TARDIS and help me get back home!"
  
  He disappears, leaving you staring at the spot where he was standing. You look at the key at your feet. It isn't glowing anymore, which is a good sign. You pick it up and stare at it. Only one thing to do now.
  
  > The Doctor Returns
  Two weeks later....
  
  "Mum, I'm telling you, I'll work it out," you say into the phone. "I get compensation, so quit fussing over it!"
  
  "But almost everything was broken! And the insurance company still hasn't paid you! It's been two weeks since the break-in; they should have done it immediately!"
  
  You roll your eyes and continue walking down the street. "I know. Things just got...complicated."
  
  "And then Amanda went missing! They stopped looking for her, but I think she's still out there. God help her parents, the poor things."
  
  A familiar pain starts to form in your heart at the thought of your friend. You try to steer your mind away from that horrible night, but thoughts start to pop in your head.
  
  After the message was complete, you put the key in the box. It glowed again, brighter than before. The whole thing started to fade away, the same whining sound filling the air. In a few seconds, it was gone. You stayed at Greenwich Park all night, just waiting for the Doctor. When dawn came, however, you gave up, and headed back to the house.
  
  Once you got there, however, you knew right away that you couldn't stay there. This time, everything in every room was smashed or broken or in pieces on the floor. You called the police again, to report Amanda missing, but you knew that they would never find her. You didn't go back to her, in the clearing, and you doubt you ever will. There's nothing left of the real Amanda, anyway.
  
  "Look Mum, I've got to go. I'll call you later, alright?" You stop the call in the middle of her sentence. Sighing, you continue down the sidewalk. Even after two weeks, you haven't found another place. It's like the whole of London is trying to stop you going on with your life. Minimum wage, no place to live, and best friend gone. Not the best of circumstances to be in.
  
  But I made it out with my life, you think to yourself. Yes, there's the silver lining. Not much of a reward, but your satisfied.
  
  Your so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn't see him coming until he ran into you. "Oi," you complain. "Watch where your going, you-"
  
  The rest of the sentence suddenly vanishes from your mind. All you can do is look in disbelief at the man. "Doctor?"
  
  "I told you I would come back!" he says, straightening his bow-tie. "Thanks for helping out, there. I would have had to wait thirty-seven years to get back. But, by then, the Angels would have gotten the TARDIS, fed off of all of that power, and, well, destroyed the universe. So, I wouldn't have had to wait, since there wouldn't be anything left." He looks a little confused as he explains this to you.
  
  You stare at him and just shake your head. "Doctor....You do realize that you left me alone, without saying anything, for TWO WEEKS?!"
  
  His mouth opens slightly at your outburst. "Oh. Jess, I am sorry. The TARDIS must have been a little off course."
  
  "Enough about the TARDIS!" you say, exasperated. "Listen, what are we going to do about the Angels?"
  
  "Oh, I fixed that problem already! Perception filter all around the clearing. Anyone who walks toward it, bam! They turn straight around and forget anything that they saw. And, " he says as you open your mouth. "I found the other Angel, put another perception filter around it too. They can't take it off, since they're all stuck."
  
  You just shake your head. "But, Doctor. Two weeks!"
  
  "I know, and I'm sorry. Just shut up for a moment." he tells you. You look at him incredulously. "Do you want to see something amazing?"
  
  "After all of this, I need some amazing in my life." you say quickly. He gives that grin of his, takes your hand, and leads you back toward the last place you want to be.
  
  "You see, I had to park in a place that I would remember. And since you weren't using this place anymore..." the Doctor says as he sonics the front door of your flat. It opens, revealing a blue box blocking the staircase.
  
  'I got some questions, Doctor," you say as you enter the flat. "How did the Weeping Angels know who you were? And 'Manda said you were a..a Time Lord? God knows what she meant, but why'd she call you that? And, what the hell?!" you say, pointing at the blue box. "That thing just appeared! How the hell can that happen?!"
  
  "One, I battled them before. Two, she did. Three, because I am one. Four, it's a time machine."
  
  "Oh, come off it!" you say. "A time machine?!"
  
  "And a spaceship." he adds as an afterthought.
  
  "You're mad." you finish up.
  
  "Yes, I am. Don't ever think otherwise, Rowell." He walks over to the door, unlocks the door, and walks into it.
  
  "Well, come on! Get in!" he says, poking his head out.
  
  "A little cramped in there, don't you think?" you say as you walk in. But once you step inside, all thoughts of small spaces disappears.
  
  You look around the room in shock. "But...How..?"
  
  The tiny wooden walls shouldn't be able to hold such a big room, but here it is. "This," the Doctor says as lights flash behind him, "is the TARDIS. My very own spaceship and time machine. Anywhere and everywhere in the universe, at any given time or place, I can travel."
  
  "But..." you say as you turn in a slow circle. "It's...It's bigger on the inside!" You can see the Doctor smile at that.
  
  "I love it when people say that. But, the real reason I'm showing you all of this," he explains as he walks around the console, "is to ask if you want to come with me."
  
  "Come with you....where?" you ask hesitantly. You walk up to the console and stand next to him.
  
  He turns to face you. "We could see stars burning, up close. Or go back in time to see the Battle of Trafalgar. Distant galaxies, alien planets, thousands of years in the future. Oceans made of diamonds, skies that burn a thousand different colors every night, creatures that can change their appearance at will. You name it, Jessica Rowell, and we can see it!"
  
  You say nothing; just look at this man. He's offering you the chance of a lifetime. But, one question still remains.
  
  "But, who are you, Doctor? I've seen the most amazing things, but, I don't even know who you are!"
  
  His smile disappears, replaced with a serious glance. "Well, you can always find out."
  
  The choice of a lifetime. Say yes, and run away with a man who won't even tell you his name, or stay here, and stay safe.
  
  What do you choose?
  
  > say Yes
  "Anywhere, in time or space?" you ask, just to clarify. "Alright, Doctor. One more question: where do we start?"
  
  The Doctor is already bending over the controls, pressing buttons and pulling levers. "Oh, I think I know the perfect spot!"
  
  He laughs, and pulls a lever. Suddenly, the TARDIS tilts and shakes like mad.
  
  "What's happening?!" you shout to the Doctor.
  
  "We're exploring the universe!" he shouts back. You shout as the TARDIS makes you fall to the ground.
  
  "One thing you learn from traveling with me, Jess," the Doctor shouts, "is to get a grip!"
  
  He laughs as the pair of you rocket away from the Earth.
  
  > Drawn Back
  The TARDIS is shaking so hard that you can barely hold on to the controls. The Doctor is running about, trying to fly it.
  
  "Where are we going?" you ask as you suddenly get thrown to the ground. "Doctor!"
  
  "Something's got control of the TARDIS. Hang on, if I just-" he takes out his screwdriver, and starts to try to regain control. Sparks suddenly fly from the controls, making you jump up and shout.
  
  "Doctor!"
  
  "I'm trying! Just hang on, Jess!" He works faster, running around the controls, pressing buttons at what looks like random, flashing the screwdriver, and trying to win this battle.
  
  More sparks fly from the controls, making you back away, fast. "What are you doing?!"
  
  "Saving our lives!" He looks at the scanner, and shouts at you, "I can't stop it! TARDIS crashing in three! Two! On-"
  
  Both of you are thrown to the ground as the whole spaceship lands. You shriek a little some sparks land close to your face.
  
  Then, everything is silent. The TARDIS groans, settling. You look at the Doctor, who is gazing around the room. Laughter fills the room, and you suddenly realize it's yours.
  
  "Does this happen all of the time?" you laugh.
  
  "Not all of the time."
  
  You get up, and cross your arms. "Liar."
  
  He smiles, and looks at the scanner. You don't know what it says, but it clearly interests the Doctor. "So...where are we?"
  
  "Real question is, when are we?"
  
  You walk towards the doors, calling back to the Doctor, "Just because you took me away in your magic blue box doesn't mean that you can be a show-off."
  
  "My ship, my rules!"
  
  "Yes, but, I get to tell you when and where you can be a complete show-off," you say, turning around to face the Doctor. "And, right now, you can't."
  
  He finally looks away from the monitor. His face has a look of surprise and anger on it. "I, you...shut up!"
  
  You laugh, and place your hands upon the handles. "Alright, Chin Boy! Let's see where this box crashed." The doors swing open, only to reveal-
  
  "Oh, my God," you say as you step onto the remains of a small house. "Doctor, you just destroyed someone's house!"
  
  He runs out, his sonic screwdriver flashing green. He examines the wreckage, and lets out a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, Jess. It was abandoned. No signs of life for at least ten years."
  
  "What if you actually landed on a house? With real, living people inside of it?!" You don't want to let the matter drop. "What you would do then, Mr. I'm-so-perfect-Doctor?"
  
  "The TARDIS would never land on a life form. She's specifically designed to materialize where it's completely free from any humans, animals, and so on."
  
  You stare at the Doctor. "We were crashing, Doctor."
  
  He is saved from an explanation when the soldiers show up. They ride up on horses, all armed, all glaring at the pair of you. You take a half-step back as one of the horses trots right up in your face.
  
  "What are you doing here?" one of them asks the two of you. His eyes are dark, and his face ruined by scars. He must have seen battle, and recently. "Speak quickly!"
  
  "Ah, yes, well," the Doctor says, turning around to face the soldier. He is rummaging around in his jacket, saying, "We have all the credentials. Just a mo'..."
  
  He finally brings out his hand, a black wallet in his grasp. You stare as he hands the wallet to the soldier. We're dead, you think.
  
  "I'm sorry, sir. I did not know," the soldier apologizes quickly. Your eyes widen as he gets off his horse, and kneels before the Doctor. "I beg for your pardon." The rest of the soldiers follow the example of their leader, and all bow.
  
  "What did you do?" you whisper to the Doctor. He waves the wallet, explain, "Psychic paper. Makes them see what I want them to see. Very handy if I need to get into places."
  
  "What is the meaning of this?" a sharp voice cries behind the pair of you. You turn around, only to see a man you have only seen in history books: Napoleon Bonaparte.
  
  > Napoleon, the General
  "What is the meaning of this, Monsieur?" Napoleon storms up to the Doctor. "Why is this building in ruins? And, who are you?"
  
  "His claims that he is the Pope, My Lord!" the commander says, getting to his feet. Napoleon looks at the Doctor, his eyes flashing with distaste. The Doctor clasps his hands together, smiling.
  
  "Yes. Official Church business. This child has sought for my aid." You turn your head to stare at the Doctor, shocked. "She has had a rather nasty incident. Her sister has-"
  
  "Enough!" Napoleon shouts. He steps forward, and stands face to face with the Doctor. "I have met the Pope before. And, he is certainly not you!"
  
  "Doctor," you say quietly.
  
  "Arrest this man!" Napoleon shouts, turning away from the Doctor.
  
  "Doctor!" you cry as the soldiers grab the Doctor.
  
  "Oi! Watch it! Ow, ow! Not the bow-tie!" You stare as the Doctor gets grabbed by another pair of soldiers.
  
  "And," Napoleon says, staring at you. "The girl will come with me."
  
  A soldier suddenly yanks on your arm. "Let go of me! Let go!" you shout. "Doctor! Doctor!"
  
  > The Broken Clock.
  "What is going to happen to the Doctor?" you ask Napoleon as he leads you inside the dining room. "I swear, if any harm comes to him or to me, you are going to have to pay!"
  
  "You are certainly feisty," he comments, nonchalant. "A woman with spirit such as yourself should not fret over a man that looks like a boy."
  
  Mouth open with shock, you stare at the General in shock. "Excuse me! I just met him! I don't fret over the Doctor!"
  
  Napoleon lets out a laugh as he walks around to the other side of the table. You finally take in the grandeur of the room. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, twinkling. The table is long, and made out of mahogany, and is laden with platters of food. The large windows allow the sunlight into the room, and a beautiful view of the grounds.
  
  "You claim not to fret, yet you threaten me if he is harmed," he says, reaching for a wine bottle. He struggles momentarily with the cork, but it pops out. "If I did not know any better, I would say that he was your husband."
  
  He did not just say that.
  
  Napoleon pours the red wine into two crystal glasses. He carries them around the table, and offers one to you. Hesitantly, you take the glass. "To your health," he says, and sips the wine. You stare, but finally do the same. The wine is tart, but good.
  
  "What is going to happen to him?" you ask Napoleon as you walk around the room. The ticking of the grandfather clock gets louder as you approach it.
  
  "He will die," Napoleon says calmly. The crystal glass shatters against the floor, your grip on it gone. You stare at your reflection in the glass of the grandfather clock, your shocked face looking back at you.
  
  "Your going to kill him?"
  
  "Of course," he says, walking towards you. You are frozen to the spot, staring at the reflection. Napoleon's suddenly appears beside yours, still holding his glass. "It was folly, to claim to be the Pope in front of my men. Especially since I was with them."
  
  He suddenly grabs your hand, making you look away from the glass. "However...you could be by my side. Help shape this country for the better. Make the other lands look upon France as the country where the fair wife of Napoleon lives."
  
  "Wife?" you splutter.
  
  "Yes. If you will accept m-"
  
  You suddenly realize something. You wrench your hand from Napoleon's, and tell him, "Is there another clock in this room?"
  
  "Excuse me?"
  
  "Is there another clock?" you persist. Napoleon frowns, and shakes his head.
  
  "And...how long has that one been broken?" you ask, pointing at the unmoving hands on the grandfather clock. Napoleon looks at you as if you are going mad.
  
  "Does it matter?" he asks. "Madame, please consider my offer-"
  
  "This is really important," you interrupt again. "If this broken clock is the only one in the entire room....then..." You turn around slowly, to face the clock. "Then...why can I still hear ticking?"
  
  > The Machine behind the Mask
  The ticking doesn't stop, but you and Napoleon do. Frozen to the spot, you search the room only with your eyes, looking for the source of the noise.
  
  "What is that sound?" Napoleon asks from beside you.
  
  "Well..." you hesitate. "It sounds like a big clock, but I can't see where it's coming from."
  
  Sharp shoes clack against the marble floor, making the pair of you turn around. You expected something far worse: Weeping Angels again, or something equally horrible. But, it's just a man, dressed like his fellow soldiers. The only oddity about him is that a large mas obscures his face, and his hair falls down in ringlets past his shoulders.
  
  Napoleon steps in front of you, like you need protection. Your blood boils as you stare at him. How dare he think that you are fragile, that you need help, that-
  
  "Who are you? What do you want?"
  
  The man takes his time answering the question. He suddenly straightens with a mechanical whirring. "She is required," it says in a robotic voice. You back up against the grandfather clock as a blade jumps out from beneath its sleeve.
  
  Alright. Maybe you could use some protection right about now.
  
  The man, creature, thing comes forward, leveling the sword with your throat. With a slight jolt, you realize that the ticking sound is coming from it. This thing cannot be human, no matter how it disguises itself.
  
  "Why me?" you ask, voice slightly shaky. "W-what's so important about me?"
  
  "You are required." it says in that robotic voice again. The blade inches toward your throat.
  
  Gulping down your fear, you ask the creature, "But, why me? Answer me that. Why do you need me?"
  
  The sword is suddenly at your throat, the cold metal freezing wherever it touches your skin. You give a little gasp, and try to slip away. But, it just grabs you by the shoulder, forcing you to stay in place. Trembling slightly, you look around the soldier/monster/alien at Napoleon, your eyes pleading for help when your lips cannot.
  
  He is just standing there, staring as the events unfold. So much for the great Army Leader of France.
  
  "You are required," the ticking creature says again. It raises it's blade, ready to slit your throat. You close your eyes-
  
  The double doors burst open with a bang. Your eyes flash open, only to see a familiar man standing in the doorway, clad in a tweed jacket and a bow-tie.
  
  "Oh, hello Jess!" he says, smiling at you pinned to the clock. The creature's head turns with that same mechanical whirring to face the Doctor. "It's lovely to see you again."
  
  "Oh, for the love of God, Doctor!" you moan in annoyance. "Can you give us a little help here? This thing here seems to want me to be sliced up into confetti, but I don't really agree with it."
  
  "Smart girl!" he says, walking over to you. Instead of going around it, he hops up on the table, kicking aside plates and glasses at random.
  
  "I sentenced you to death, Monsuier!" Napoleon shouts, finally doing something. "You cannot defy my commands so-"
  
  "Oh, shut up, Napoleon," the Doctor says, jumping down beside him. "Can't you see I'm trying to save Jess here? She has a sword pointed at her throat and a crazy clockwork droid trying to kill her!"
  
  The blade of the ticking man suddenly goes deeper in your throat as the Doctor takes a step towards it. You gasp, and choke, "I don't think...it want's you closer, Doctor!"
  
  "She is required," the droid says, staring at the Doctor.
  
  "Required?" The Doctor turns to look at you. "Why do you need Jess?"
  
  "She is required," it repeats vaguely. The Doctor's concerned face suddenly changes to one of anger and protection as he whirls on the droid.
  
  "I have traveled this universe for over twelve-hundred years. I have gave mercy, and second chances to creatures like you time and time again." You can see his hand go to his jacket pocket as he says, "I will tell you once, and only once: You will not harm that girl."
  
  The droid stares at the Doctor for a moment longer, before it turns to face you, it's head whirring into place. The sword suddenly is taken away from your neck, but it is positioned to slice it open. Just as the shining metal is about to cut you open-
  
  The Doctor is suddenly grabbing your hand, and dragging you away from the malfunctioning droid. It seems to have no control over its arms or legs, since both are twitching wildly. "Run!" the Doctor shouts, pointing the sonic at the creature.
  
  > Battle-Plans
  "Doctor!" you shout as you run down the halls, hand still in his. Napoleon is trailing behind, looking at the droid. "Doctor, what is that thing?!"
  
  "Clockwork droid," he says. Realizing that you are one short, he shouts behind him, "Oi! Napoleon! Get away from there!"
  
  Napoleon quickly comes, shouting, "There's more! At least five, maybe six!"
  
  The Doctor doesn't respond, but only drags you away from the dining room, and up the winding staircase. You are constantly looking behind your shoulder, sure that the shadows contain more of those awful things. The cold of the blade still lingers on your throat.
  
  Banging open a door, the Doctor shoves you and Napoleon inside the library. You stare at him as he sonics the lock, making sure that