CHARLOTTE ::: DW¹

xvii. another ghost story

He responded with, "Well, hold them both down!"

For only a split second, the TARDIS was completely steady. Seeing this as her moment, Charlotte bolted to the console, holding down the exact lever he was pointing to. Looking to the Doctor, however, she saw no signs of recognition on his face when he looked at her.

"Who are you?" He questioned her. "How did you get in here?"

Before she could answer, the TARDIS takes a sharp turn. "I'm Charlotte!" She exclaimed, but he still looked at her suspiciously. "Charlotte Bolton?"

Rose, still holding a switch down, yells back to the Doctor, "Can we figure this out when we land?!"

The Doctor doesn't disagree, focusing on steering the TARDIS. "1860 sound good?"

"What happened in 1860?" She asks.

He shrugged. "I don't know- Hold on, here we go!" The TARDIS moves faster through the time vortex. Just a minute later, they all fell to the ground as the TARDIS stops, finally materializing in 1860 with no warning with steam coming out of the console.

Along with the Doctor and Rose, Charlotte stood up from the ground. He immediately turned to her, his eyes staring into her's coldly. "You can't be Charlotte," he said as if he was convinced she wasn't.

"Are you joking?" She replied with a nervous laugh. "'Cause I think I know my own name! Ha, ha. Gotcha." But the Doctor still stared at her with his eyebrows pushed together, as if he was calculating her.

He retorts back with, "And how am I supposed to know that?"

Charlotte was oblivious on how to answer. The only things she could say, at least in front of Rose, was common knowledge. Thankfully, Rose piped up as she looked to the Doctor. "Doctor? Remember what she told us to remember earlier?" He nods and she continued, "What if this Charlotte says what she said..."

Charlotte interrupted, "How would I know? I haven't been there yet!"

"You'll have to remember it then," the Doctor answered.

She made an 'O' shape with her mouth. Thinking hard, Charlotte knew she'd have to pick something memorable, something she won't forget- especially in the far future, when she'll look far different, apparently. Charlotte thought back to the first day she was here and remembered what the Doctor told her at Donna's reception.

"2-0-4," she finally said, but they stood still. "Yeah, 2-0-4."

The two look back to each other than back to her. "I don't get it, how can you-" the Doctor stops, remembering one passing comment Charlotte made earlier. "Oh."

Charlotte doesn't even think about that moment, not seeing as anything worthy of note. "So, where are we?" She asked, despite knowing very well where they were. "What day is it?"

He moves to the scanner, looking at it he says, "Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860," then added with extra excitement, "I did it! The TARDIS didn't break at all."

"That's so weird... it's Christmas," responded Rose.

The Doctor gestures to the door. "All yours."

She looked back to the doors. "But, it's like..." Rose said, looking back to him. "Think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you- the both of you," She corrected herself, quickly looking back to Charlotte before studying the Doctor. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago... no wonder you never stay still."

"Not a bad life," said the Doctor.

She smiled. "Better with three," she responded. For a few moments, they grinned to each other- Charlotte smiled too, but it felt as if she was the third wheel. Rose dashes to the door, standing in front of it she shouts back to them, "Come on then!"