𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 | 𝙳𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝟸

Chapter I - Mysterious Girl

'Oh, Darling, I love you too-' An announcement goes over the speakers, 'We are sorry, everyone, but the movie has been delayed. Please exit through the main entrance. Our volunteers will collect your tickets.'

All the people in the screening room stand and form a line to the door. A small, curly haired redhead with crutches makes it into line fifth from the last. The Doctor stands by the exit, collecting tickets. He is only there because Clara forced him to volenteer so he can obtain "better social abilities." Ticket after ticket the Doctor collects, until his gaze catches those of the redhead.

She holds out her ticket and the Doctor hesitates to take it, noticing a red ring on the girl's right thumb. The Doctor reaches out to grab her ticket, but instead flips her hand palm-down. He stares at the ring as a rushed breath escapes his mouth.

Labeling the Doctor as a creep, the girl snatches her hand back and slaps her ticket to the Doctor's chest. The Doctor catches a glimpse of a shiny metal object gleaming through her slightly sheer shirt.

The girl sees the Doctor staring at her breast, and begins to hurry off. The Doctor grabs her arm, saying, 'Can I have you wait here a moment? Something about your ticket is invalid.' That is a lie.

The girl's palms begin to perspire as she twists the ring on her finger out of habit. She wants anything but to stay there with the seemingly perverted old man, but she reluctantly does anyway.

The Doctor works his way down the line until he has collected all the tickets, and the last pudding brain had walked through the main doors. He turns to where the girl should be waiting, but she isn't there. The Doctor frantically drops all the tickets on the floor. He knows she shouldn't have that necklace or that ring. He darts through the doors and into the hallway. Once in the lobby, he makes his way to the outside door. Bursting through them, he spies no trace of the girl with red hair. The Doctor trudges back into the Cinema's lobby, and remembers something.

Her ticket. It would have her fingerprints on it. He rushes back to the screening room and shifts through the mess of tickets on the floor. Finally finding hers by her photo, he speeds out of the room.

The Doctor goes into the Manager's Office, where he finds his TARDIS. The door opens with a snap from the Doctor, revealing Clara inside.

'Where is the Time Vortex?' asks the Doctor, his mind somewhere else.

'You mean Maggie and Eli? They went shopping.' Clara responds, as the Doctor starts messing with the console. 'How was the movie?'

'Romantic pudding brain mush.' he says. The Doctor sits down and pulls out the ticket, examining it. It reads,

Name: Brook

Birth: 29 February, 2091

Sex: Female

Her whole ticket is curious, the Doctor realizes, except for her gender. First of all, she doesn't have a last name. Second, she was born on a leap year, which would make her-the Doctor looks at the date on the console- four and one-half years old, but really eighteen.

Now it was time to track her down. The Doctor gets up and walks over to the console, then sticks the ticket into the telepathic interface.

'What are you doing?' Clara asks.

'Tracking someone down.' the Doctor replies.

~~~

The duo hears the roaring sound of the TARDIS dematerializing and reappearing. When the Doctor and Clara step outside, they are in a park. The Doctor scans the park for Brook. He spots her in a nearby shop, drinking coffee. Her crutches are leaning against her chair.

The Doctor casually walks toward her, leaving Clara by the TARDIS.

He is only a few feet away when Brook's head perks up like she smells something, and she turns his way. Realizing it is the same man from the Cinema, Brook wonders, Could it be him?

'Hello.' he states, holding up his psychic paper. Brook stares at it curiously, because it is blank.

It seems the man is waiting for her to say something about his ID, but Brook is not one to state the obvious.

By now, the Doctor has figured out his psychic paper is blank, and he stares at Brook, slightly dumbfounded.

'Anyway, I'm the police,' he says, 'and I am here to question you about a case. If you will come with me, please.'

'Could we stop at my house first? I need to drop something off.' she responds.

The Doctor nods in agreement. Brief silence pursues.

'Well? Don't you have a car? Aren't you going to drive us?' Brook questions.

The Doctor shakes his head no, so Brook leads him to her car, more irritated than suspicious. Brook drives them to a small, spooky house, with a large garden containing a swing set. The Doctor stares at the house in disbelief.

'Are your parents home?' he asks.

Brook snorts, 'I think one is-' she grins at the Doctor '-But the other one is probably not. She doesn't come to visit too often.' Brook gets out of the car and leads the Doctor into the house.

'Do you happen to have any relatives by the names of Amy or Rory?' the Doctor asks.

Brook's eyes light up in realization, unlocking the door. 'So it is you!'

'If by you you mean the Doctor, then yes. Who are you?'

'You must already know! My name is Brook.'

'Yes, but Brook who?'

This sends Brook into a minor laughing fit. 'I could ask the same of you.'

'What is your last name?'

'I have a last name as much as you do.' Brook replies, leading the Doctor into the house.

'Just tell me!' the Doctor demands, stepping into Brook's house.

'Amy and Rory are my grandparents, but my last name isn't Pond. My mother thought it fitting for me to not have a last name, because my father doesn't have one. But if I needed one, my last name is Song. The red hair skipped a generation, I guess.'

'Oh, Brook Song. Nice move on River's part. Who is your father?'

'Ahem, well-' the Doctor could tell Brook was uncomfortable '-it's you.'

The Doctor stares at her, mouth agape. 'So, your saying that I . . .'

Brook nods, grinning. 'If you keep up like this, Doctor, Earth will be full of timelords.'

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