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[not_on_her_own]

Maria Jackson went to bed last night feeling more content than she had in a while. Her mother's most recent visit had been free of acrimony, and her father had been spared any unnecessary stress. In fact, it had been rather pleasant, which was unexpected. And then, the dinner her father had cooked last night for Sarah Jane and Luke had been

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[beige_doc]

A blonde head poked out of one TARDIS just in time to hear (and see) a young girl flop down sighing to herself. "I suppose one could answer that question in a myriad of ways. The simplest being that you're sitting in a field." The man stepped out from his blue box, revealing a handsome young cricketer, appearing to be in his early thirties at most.

"However, I don't think that is the answer you're looking for." There was confidence in his stride as he made his way to the girl, "am I correct?"

[not_on_her_own]

Maria looked up quickly. At least the voice belonged to someone friendly, that was a relief.

"Yeah," she started quietly, studying him curiously. "Um...do you know what's going on? I was with my friends, but they disappeared. Everyone disappeared."

He seemed like he knew something, or maybe that was just her mind automatically assuming anyone who came out of one of those blue boxes had to know a bit more about the extraordinary than the average person.

[beige_doc]

A sad look crossed the Doctor's features momentarily, he didn't want to have to tell the child. Even if she'd find out for herself soon enough. "The universe ended I'm afraid. There's only a few of us who survived." Sorrow and seriousness in his eyes, "I'm sorry."

He placed his hands behind his back to stop them from fidgeting. He hated to know that they'd failed to save the universe, he'd had more than enough blood on his hands before that. This was nearly unbearable to think about.

[not_on_her_own]

Maria was silent for a few moments. It was bad enough to be separated from Sarah Jane and Luke in London, away from home, but now she worried about her dad.

She had even more questions, and she didn't know where to start. The simplest one for now seemed to be, "Who are you?"

[beige_doc]

He tentatively closed the distance between Maria and himself, offering the girl his hand. "I'm the Doctor, the definitive article one might say." He placed a smile on his face, attempting to reassure the girl. "And you might be?"

[not_on_her_own]

Maria took his proferred hand. "I've heard of you," she smiled. "Oh, and I'm Maria Jackson."

[beige_doc]

The Doctor arched an eyebrow, "it seems my reputation precedes me? It's a pleasure to meet you Maria." He paused for a moment as her last name rang a bell, "Jackson was it? I suppose it would be too much of a coincidence to ask if you're related to a Ben Jackson by any chance? Served in the Royal Navy?"

[not_on_her_own]

"No, sorry, haven't heard of him. But I am really good friends with Sarah Jane Smith. That's who I was with when...this happened," Maria avoided calling it the 'end of the universe' for now, because it was still rather a lot to take in, and quite upsetting.

For the moment, she grinned as she took the Doctor in. "So, you're him, then? Not what I was expecting, for some reason."

[beige_doc]

Once more, the cricketer's face lit up at the mention of his old friend. "How is Sarah? It's been a lifetime since I saw her last." He sat down next to his young companion. "Quite literally infact," he did enjoy the confusion those kind of statements caused.

"Ahh, yes well most people tend to say that to me these days." He chuckled deeply, showing that there were no hard feelings towards the statement, "but I was a different man when I knew Sarah so you'd be forgiven."

[not_on_her_own]

"Sarah Jane? She's still doing a lot of the stuff she used to do with you, you know, investigating and saving the world. And I help her," Maria smiled proudly. "She adopted a son, Luke. They both disappeared, though."

Maria looked at the Doctor curiously when he sat next to her. "I thought you'd be taller."

[beige_doc]

"When I first met her, she all but hid away on board my TARDIS attempting to find the story of the century," a fond smile on the man's face as he looked into the middle distance reminiscing. "Couldn't get her to leave." He turned his attention to Maria once more, "I'm glad to hear she's still the same old Sarah Jane I knew." Somehow he couldn't imagine her adopting a son though. Not when he remembered the Sarah he first met.

"I wouldn't worry too much, she's hard to keep down when there's trouble afoot. She may turn up yet." There was a twinkle in his eye that said he completely believed his own words.

A warm laugh escaped his lips, "taller? Well I suppose that's a new way this incarnation of mine has managed to let someone down." He was getting used to the 'oh. It's you.' comments from people who'd known his previous (and future) incarnations. Even from himself.

[not_on_her_own]

"Oh, trust me, Sarah Jane didn't really want to be a mum at first. She still thinks she's rubbish at it sometimes, but she's...well, she's better than my mum, sometimes. A lot of the time, actually."

Not that it was hard to be better than Chrissie Jackson. Maria felt hopeful when the Doctor mentioned she could turn up again. Sarah Jane did always manage to find a way out of trouble, it was certainly possible.

She also couldn't help but find it interesting that he could change his appearance.

"Sarah Jane told me about your, uh, well...he would've been your tenth self, I think. He was a tall bloke, a bit skinny, wore a pinstripe suit. And the one of you she traveled with..." Maria quirked her eyebrow in thought, "He was tall with a really long scarf, right?"

[beige_doc]

Once more, the Doctor laughed "actually back when we met, I had a preference for velvet jackets and ruffles. But yes, she also knew me when I was all teeth and curls and scarf. I consider it one of my greatest achievements that I destroyed that scarf this time around." Just because he was lucid and barely knew what was going on didn't mean a thing.

"The skinny fellow in pinstripes is a bit further ahead than I am but I'm in no hurry to be him, I'm rather fond of this incarnation. Even if no-one else is." He ran a hand through his fringe. "Have you anywhere to stay until someone more familiar to you turns up?" That is if they did turn up at all.

[not_on_her_own]

Of course, this was the only incarnation of the Doctor that Maria had met, thus far, but he seemed pleasant enough.

Given that, she felt it important to reassure him.

"Well, I like you well enough," she smiled, trying to be supportive in some way. At his question, she answered, "No, I'm...I guess I'm alone right now."

[beige_doc]

A fatherly smile appeared on his features at Maria's comment, What with Adric and Nyssa and Turlough, he was used to teenagers. Though it had been a while since he'd spent much time with a human teenager..."Thank you."

"If you think you can trust a stranger," and they don't come much stranger than the Doctor, "you're more than welcome to stay with me until someone more familiar comes along." After all, he wouldn't be the Doctor if he didn't pick up strays.

[not_on_her_own]

Maria nodded and grinned appreciatively. "Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better about everything, knowing I have a place to stay. And Sarah Jane trusts you, so I trust you. Besides, you're probably the best person to be around with the universe ending."