The New Companion

Stuck

Well now what am I supposed to do?? I can't go back in the church to get my T.A.R.D.I.S. That lady's still there! I can't. Not while she's there. I don't doubt that she'll have my head if I interrupt again. I guess I could go for some lunch while I wait for the service to be over....... I'll ask one of the locals!

The Doctor approached a tall, thin woman with her brown hair in a ponytail. "Hello! I'm just passing through town. Do you know of a good place to get lunch?"

"Oh, sure! I was just heading over to Luke's Diner! Care to join me?" She smiled..

"Ah, yes, brilliant!"

The brunette started walking. "So, you're an English dude, huh? Love the accent."

"Sort of.... It's a bit complicated."

"Complicated. Just how I like 'em!" She laughed.

The Doctor stared, confused.

"I'm just.... Joking...... Uh...... My name's Lorelai! Lorelai Gilmore," She stuck out a hand.

"John Smith!" The Doctor shook it.

A few minutes later they arrived at the diner- or at least what The Doctor assumed was the diner. It was a fairly small place, the doors opening out to a corner of two street.

"Erm..... Why does the sign above it say 'Hardware'.....? Isn't it a diner?"

"That's Luke for ya......" She strutted in and sat at a barstool in front of the counter. "LUKE!!!! I'M HERE FOR MY COFFEE!" She shouted.

The Doctor sat next to her and browsed the menu. Hamburgers, sandwiches, salads...... Which one to get? I don't eat out oft-

"Coffee?" The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted by a mug being thrust in front of him. He looked up to find that Lorelai had given up waiting for service and gone behind the counter to get coffee for herself.

"Are you sure that's allowed?' He raised an eyebrow.

"Yup! Luke doesn't care."

"Alright then!" He took a sip. "Do you happen to have a cell phone I can borrow for a moment?"

She nodded and handed it over.

"Thanks!" The Doctor punched in Donna's number and waited. Pleeeeaaaaase pick up!

"Hello? Are you a telemarketer? I'm not an idiot you know. I don't want anything! I'm hanging up now."

"DONNA WAIT!" The Doctor shouted.

"Oh. It's you. What do ya want? I'm on vacation in New York, you know. I can't just rush over to London to your aid this time."

"Well um...... I'm kind of in a dilemma...... You see, I accidentally landed in a church in this small town, and then this really scary lady kicked me out an made me leave my T.A.R.D.I.S. there....... And I'm not far from New York! So could you..... Er..... Help me? Please?" He squeaked out.

Donna groaned. "Oh, you blundering idiot, just go TALK to the lady!"

"But I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because.... She's..... Scary......." He whimpered.

"I'll be right there," she sighed. "Where did you say you were?"

"Stars Hollow, thank-"

"HEY! No cell phones!" A grumpy looking man in a baseball cap snatched the phone from The Doctor's hand and closed it. "Lorelai, WHY are you lending people your phone in here??" The man pointed to a sign on the wall stating that cell phones were prohibited.

"Because he asked so very politely, Luke! I couldn't just say no," she didn't even try to veil the sarcasm. She grabbed her phone back and smiled.

He grumbled something unintelligible before pulling out a notepad. "I see you've already helped yourself to the coffee. Can I get you something to eat?"

••••

Donna got off the bus and quickly found her way to the diner that The Doctor wanted to meet at.

"Good! You're here! It's this way!" The Doctor practically ran. Donna rolled her eyes and followed for a few steps, until someone grabbed her by the arm.

"Young lady, don't YOU think that every good business ought to have a mascot??" Snapped a short old man with white hair and a twitching eye. "THIS spoilsport here thinks my idea is ridiculous!" The man jabbed a finger at Luke.

"Taylor, give it a rest! I own this building, and I say that I do NOT want a man in an ice cream suit parading around in front of my diner! I don't CARE if it improves the business of your stupid candy shop!" Luke shouted.

"But Luke, it is MY candy shop, not YOURS!"

"Technically, it IS mine since I'm LEASING IT TO YOU!!!!!"

"I gotta say, I'm with baseball cap on this one. Stuffing some poor bloke in an ice cream suit sounds bloody insane," Donna offered.

"THANK YOU!" Luke angrily laughed. "See Taylor? The public agrees with ME!"

"Oh, nonsense, she's not even FROM here!" Taylor attempted to wave Donna away. She wasn't going to have any of that.

"Excuse you??? YOU'RE the one that dragged me into this! Obviously my opinion would have meant something if it had mirrored yours!" She faced Taylor defiantly.

"Donna, let's go," The Doctor tried to pull Donna away.

"No! I haven't finished with him yet!" Donna jerked out of his grip.

Knowing that there would be no tearing her away until this man got what was coming to him, The Doctor continued on without Donna. He walked through the town towards the church. It was a cute little town, the kind where everybody knows everybody. The Doctor came to the door of the church and put an ear to it. He heard no sounds, which he assumed indicated it would be safe to go in. He was wrong.

"Who are you?" The same lady from earlier stood authoritatively in front of his T.A.R.D.I.S. 

"I'm..... Er.... The- I mean- John Smith...." He looked down at his feet, at the pews in the church, anywhere but her piercing glare.

"You lie. You no need to think about your name. Tell me real name. Mine Mrs. Kim," she snapped.

"The..... The Doctor," he gulped.

"Real name, I said!"

"I'm telling the truth! Honest!"

"Fine. Why you need bad magic box?" She was still glaring at him. It was as if she didn't even have to blink.

"It's not magic, really..... Advanced technology, more like. I'm from the future. It's a time machine."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Just humor me for a moment please? If you give it back, I'll prove it," he pulled out the key and advanced towards the doors. She intercepted him.

"Why you need time machine?"

"To save the world."

"Only God saves."

"Not-not that kind of save. I mean, I rescue the planet. From aliens and such......" He knew she'd be able to see through any lie he fed her, so The Doctor figured he might as well give the truth a shot.

"I come with you. Make sure you're rescuing world in good way."

"Wait, what?????"