Like the summary says, this is a gender swapped story with companion!Ten and Donna!Doctor. Eventually, there will also be Billie Piper as the Tenth Doctor. Rewrite of Doctor Who (2005) starting at season 1. Because who doesn't need more wips?

5 am

The alarm clock blared to life, and Ben Tyler opened one eye to stare at it blearily for a moment before reaching out to slap it back into comfortable dormancy. He sat up slowly, yawning and scratching at his head, before pushing off the covers that had somehow wound around his legs in the night. Once freed of the bedclothes hindrance, he quickly donned his running gear, stretched for a few minutes, before heading out the door for his obligatory four-mile run.

6 am

Ben stood in the shower, chest heaving as it did sometimes when he couldn't quite outrun everything, the losses and responsibilities. After a moment, he swallowed hard and pulled himself back under control, raising his face to the steaming water again before turning it off and stepping out into the cold bathroom. He shaved and made his defiant hair somewhat presentable before returning to his bedroom to sort out his pinstriped suit for the day.

6:30 am

"Oi, Tom," Ben yelled through a closed door, kicking it as he buttoned the cuffs on his Oxford button down. "Six thirty a.m., mate. Up and at 'em!"

"Get stuffed!" a voice growled back.

"Not really my type," Ben said back easily. "But if I ever change my mind you'll be the first to know. Til then, you have work."

"Work can get stuffed too," Tom called back, his words punctuated by something hitting the door.

"Well, rent can't," Ben said practically, tying his tie. "As much as I love our morning banter, I've got my own job to get to. Please tell me you'll get up."

The door opened and Tom glared up at him. "You know, you are entirely too coherent and chipper for six thirty in the morning. In my world, six thirty in the morning wouldn't even exist. There shouldn't be more than one six thirty in the day."

"I know," Ben said, walking back to the kitchen for coffee. "You've never really been a fan of reality."

"Absolutely not," Tom said, following him and taking the mug Ben held out. "I will never give up the fight against such unnatural constraints."

"Yes, well, good luck with that," Ben said, pulling on his jacket and buttoning it before reaching for his coat and satchel. "Match at the pub?"

"I'll be there," Tom said. Ben nodded, shrugging into his coat and walking toward the door, Tom's voice calling after him, "Viva la resistance!"

Ben glanced back and held up an arm in solidarity before stepping out the door, hurrying down the stairs to catch his bus.

10 am

"You're sure everything is good?" Ben asked, glancing up briefly at the woman bringing in the inventory report, gesturing to his desk.

"I'm sure, Ben," his younger brother said on the phone as the woman dropped the report and left again.

"Passing everything?" Ben asked, picking up the report and glancing at it before throwing it back down on his desk and turning in his chair to look out the window. "Everything going well with Janet?"

"Yes, I'm passing," Dan said, sounding slightly exasperated. "And Janet is wonderful as ever, she sends her love. Honestly, Ben, I'm fine."

"I just—"

"I know," Dan said, sighing. "I know. But I'm fine. Enjoying the last term, passing my classes with flying colors and making love to my beautiful girlfriend. The apartment is still here, and I'm still eating. Everything is fine, Ben."

"Suppose I may be slightly overprotective," Ben admitted ruefully.

"Maybe just a bit," Dan said, and Ben rolled his eyes when he heard the smile in his brother's voice. "I have to let you go, though...unless, of course, you'd prefer I skip class to reassure you a bit more."

"Tosser," Ben said. "Go. Succeed." He paused, then added. "Love you, Dan."

"You too," Dan said distractedly before clicking off.

Ben sighed and returned the handset to its cradle before turning to the reports.

Noon

"And then I said, you're damn right you're going to give me a full refund," Bethany was saying, waving her fork in the air passionately. "I mean, can you even believe the bloody cheek, saying I'd been 'misusing the product'!"

"Astonishing," Ben said, quirking up an eyebrow.

"I know!"

Ben barely resisted the urge to shake his head as she continued to prattle on. He hadn't even really been listening, and couldn't have told her what the "product" had been, but he was still fairly certain that where Bethany was concerned, the customer was very rarely right, only loud. It was moments like this that he wondered why he was still seeing her, other than the fact that she was beautiful and quite charming when she wanted to be. Partly because he genuinely didn't want to hurt her, but he suspected that part of it was simply the fact that he just couldn't work up the energy required for the dramatics his leaving her would undeniably incur.

"So we'll meet tonight at eight, and then drive together to the party," Bethany was saying when he pulled himself back to attention.

"Hang on, what party?" he asked, confused.

"Analise's party," Bethany said, rolling her eyes.

"Why's Analise having a party?"

"Why do you need a reason to have a party?" Bethany asked, looking at him blankly.

"I…sorry, no," he said, shaking his head. "I'm meeting Tom at the pub to watch the match."

"Oh, the match," Bethany said disdainfully, then looked up at him with big eyes and pouting lips. "Please, Benny?" she went on, and he cringed at the nickname and the wheedling tone. "I know everyone would love to see you, and it's just so much more fun when you're there."

Fun, in the Oxford dictionary, is defined as enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.

Fun, in Bethany's personal dictionary, was defined as the ability to drink copious amounts while knowing she'd still have a lift home.

But she was doing the pouting thing, the thing he'd found so adorable when he'd met her a year ago when she'd been stranded without an umbrella. He watched her for a moment, then sighed, glancing to the side.

"I'll talk to Tom and try to meet you there, alright?" he said finally, and she giggled and clapped her hands. "But for right now, I've got to get back to work."

"Of course," she said with a mock serious frown, and he arched an eyebrow at her even as his lips twitched. He stood and dropped a few bills on the table to cover their lunch before leaning over to kiss her lightly on the lips and walking swiftly back to the department store.

Four pm

"Mister Tyler?" said a shaky voice from the door, and Ben looked up to see his closing manager leaning against the doorframe of his office.

"Kate?" he asked, pulling off his glasses and dropping the paperwork he'd been looking at as he took in her pale and slightly green features. "You alright?"

"Not really, no," she said. "I…I don't think I can…"

She stopped and ran off, and he darted out of his office in time to hear retching coming from the loo before the door closed.

"Oh…perfect," he said, turning to the office secretary. "Have we got anyone else we can call in?"

"Not really," the secretary said, wincing. "Sarah's on vacation, Marjorie RTO'd, and Elton is still on medical leave."

"Appendicitis, right," Ben said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Who's here? Erika?"

"Yeah," the secretary said. "Want me to call her up?"

"Please," Ben said, nodding as Kate staggered out of the loo. He stepped forward, grasping her upper arm gently as he looked down in her face. "You alright? Can you make it home okay?"

"Yeah, think so," she said unsteadily. "Harry sent a text that he'd pick me up."

"Good, alright," he said. "Get home, get some rest…call me tomorrow if you're still feeling poorly, alright?"

"Alright, Mister Tyler," she said weakly as the lift dinged. "I'm so sorry."

"No no no, don't be sorry," he said, walking her to the lift Erika was stepping out of. "Don't apologize for being ill. Just get better, alright?"

"You wanted to see me?" Erika asked as the lift doors closed again.

"Yeah, Erika, listen," he said. "Obviously Kate's not going to be able to close tonight. I know you opened, but is there any way you could stay?"

"I…well, I mean…I'd love to, Mister Tyler…"

"But…" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"My mum's off with some friends tonight," Erika said, looking contrite. "I've got no one else to pick up my boys. I mean, I can call the sitter and see if she could keep them a few extra hours—"

"No, no, it's alright," he said quickly, pressing the call button for the lift again. "No reason for you to stay and pay extra just because I'm in a bind…I'll stay. No, you go home to Eddie and Lucas, have some popcorn for me."

"Will do, Mister Tyler," she said, grinning brightly at him as the lift dinged open once more. "Thanks."

He gave her a lazy salute, then sighed as the doors slid closed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Do you actually have a life outside of this place?" the secretary asked, and he looked down to see her giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Not really sure," he said. "To be determined following my next phone call, I suspect," he added with a wince, anticipating the unhappy reaction he was bound to receive from Bethany.

Sure enough, as soon as he informed Bethany that he would, unfortunately, be unable to attend Analise's party, she immediately flew off the handle.

"How can you just snub our friends like that, Benjamin?" she demanded. "This is important!"

"You said yourself that the party wasn't for anything," he sputtered.

"That doesn't mean it's not important!"

"I'm sorry, clearly a party because it's Tuesday is of the utmost importance," he said, losing his patience. "Obviously more important than a sick girl getting home to bed or a single mum being able to see her kids."

"You should really take a firmer hand with your employees, Ben," Bethany said, and he rolled his eyes so hard he was almost certain he saw his own brain. "I think you just let them slide so you could skirt off to see the match after closing. Really, I can't believe how selfish you are."

"Selfish?" he sputtered, stunned.

"I'm so tired of coming second to your other concerns," she said, and his mouth dropped open, his brain completely freezing up. "It's all about you, isn't it? Well, when's my time, Ben? Maybe I should find someone a little more willing to invest in me than himself."

With that, he heard the telltale click of the phone disconnecting, and stared at the handset for a moment before shaking his head and tossing it back into its cradle.

9 pm

Ben took one last glance around his office before shrugging into his coat and slinging his satchel over his shoulder before walking out quickly. He rode the lift down, and reached the doors at the same time as most of the sales girls. He saw the worried look one of the girls cast outside as the security guard shook the lottery money at her, and stepped forward quickly.

"Don't worry about it, Andrea," he said. "Go catch your bus. No reason for you to have to walk on your own."

"Thanks, Mister T!" the girl said gratefully before scurrying out the door.

He grabbed the lottery money and hurried down to the basement, already making plans for where to stop for flowers before heading to Analise's house and attempting to salvage the night with Bethany, even while a voice in the back of his head was asking why he was bothering. He pushed the thought away as he knocked on the door of the chief electrician's office.

"Wilson?" he called when no one answered. "Wilson, come on, I haven't got time for this. Wilson!"

He stopped when he heard a noise down the corridor and turned, peering into the murky distance.

"Wilson?" he called again, walking slowly forward past the fire doors. "Wilson, really, it's been a long day, I'm not in the mood to—"

He stopped when he heard the doors behind him slam shut. He shoved the lottery money in his pocket as he whirled around and darted back to them, trying desperately to get them open.

"C'mon, c'mon," he muttered, but nothing happened. He stepped back and looked up at them, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to do now, then turned when he heard a gentle scraping sound behind him. Several of the dummies were moving toward him, and he edged over to the wall, intent on getting around them to another door further down the corridor.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "How did you get in here?" When they failed to answer, he got annoyed, pulling out his phone. "Listen, I dunno if this is just a prank gone wrong, but if you don't stop this and leave peacefully, I'll be forced to call the police."

Rather than heeding this threat, one of the closest ones lifted an arm, and Ben had to duck to avoid a blow to the head. Before he'd even had a chance to straighten again, the hand not holding the phone was grasped by another, and he looked down to see a redheaded woman in a deep burgundy leather coat looking at him intently.

"Run," she said simply, before taking off in front of him, leaving him little choice but to follow if he wanted to keep his arm attached.

They sprinted through the corridors, slamming through fire doors until they came to the lifts. The woman called the lift and shoved him inside before darting in after him and smashing the button for the ground floor. One of the mannequin dressed people shoved an arm between the doors as they closed in an effort to halt their progress, but the woman simply tugged on the arm hard a few times until, to Ben's shock and horror, it came off completely and the doors slid closed. The woman tossed the arm to Ben, who fumbled with it for a moment, juggling it with the phone he was still holding.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded, staring at the woman. "You took its arm off!"

"Yeah, I did," she said, glancing back at him.

"But that's…that can't…" he sputtered, staring at her, and then at the door. "Is this…some sort of…sort prank, or what?"

"Nah," she said. "Wish it were. But no. Just your average, run of the mill, murdering plastic creatures. See 'em all the time."

"Really?" he asked, not really sure how else to respond.

"No," she said, drawing out the word a little as she shook her head.

"Listen," he said, trying to come to grips with the situation and standing a little straighter. "I dunno who you or…those…people are, but I'm telling you right now, you're all to vacate this premises. I won't hesitate to call the police."

"Won't do you any good," the woman replied calmly. "But well done, most people would be done in by now. You can keep you head in a crisis, that's good."

He stared at the back of her head for a moment, then shook his own. "I need to get back down there, find Wilson before they do anything to him."

"Who's Wilson?" she asked.

"Chief Electrician."

"Oh," the woman said, glancing back at him again as the doors opened. "Wilson's dead."

"Now, listen, that's not funny," he said, following her out into the corridor.

"I didn't say it was funny," the woman said, still moving.

"Hold on, just…go back," he said, shaking his head again as he attempted once more to strike out towards sanity. "Who're you? Who're they? You said…plastic…people."

"That's right," she said.

"Care to expand on that a little?" he asked sarcastically.

"They're made of plastic," she said. "Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof. Which would be a problem if I wasn't extremely clever and came armed with this," she added, pulling a beeping device from her coat pocket. She approached the fire exit, holding the door open for him. "So! I'm going to go up there and blow them up, risking my life for you and yours."

"Why?" he asked, again thrown as he walked through the door into the cool night air.

"Because that's what I do," she said, giving him a tight smile. "Time you left. And don't tell anyone about this," she warned. "If you do…you'll only get them killed."

With that, she moved back inside, the door slamming behind her. Ben stared at it for a moment, genuinely wondering if the world had gone mad, or if it was just him. Then the door opened again, and the redhead poked her head out.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way," she said. "What's your name?"

"Ben."

"Nice to meet you, Ben," she said, then held up the beeping device again. "You might want to run."

This time, when the door slammed shut, he decided to take the mad woman's word and legged it. He had barely gotten across the road when an enormous explosion rocked the street, and he glanced back to see a secondary explosion go off on the top floor of the shop. He stared at it for a minute before taking off again down the street, intent now on swallowing enough alcohol to either make the whole experience make sense, or erase it from his memory. After all…he clearly had no job to get up for in the morning now. He couldn't help but wonder if the mad redhead had made it out alive.

His head full of these musings, he failed to notice the blue police box tucked away in the alley as he passed.

oOoOo

Back at his flat, Ben wasted no time in shrugging out of his coat and dropping his bag and the arm he was still carrying before he was lurching over to a cupboard for the expensive whiskey he kept squirreled away. He set a tumbler on the counter and poured a few inches into it, then took a shot from the bottle as he loosened his tie, belatedly realizing he was still wearing his suit jacket. He took another long pull from the bottle before setting it down to struggle out of his jacket, taking the opportunity to pull off his tie, unbutton the top buttons of his oxford, and roll up his sleeves. He picked up the tumbler and the bottle, taking a drink as he walked into the living room and collapsed on the sofa. He turned on the news out of habit as he finished the last of his drink in one swallow, glaring at the empty tumbler and reaching for the bottle again.

He had slowed his gulps to sips when his phone rang a few minutes later, and he stared at it blearily before answering.

"H'lo?"

"Ben!" Dan's concerned voice shouted through the mobile's speakers, and Ben pulled the phone away from his ear for a second before replacing it quickly. "Ben, I saw the news report about Heinriks, are you alright?"

"Fine," he answered. "It was after I left. Just after. Saw it from the street."

"What happened?" his brother demanded.

Ben hesitated. "Dunno," he said finally, hating to lie, but hearing the strange woman's voice ringing through his head at the same time. "Probably some…freak accident or something."

"Are you drunk?" Dan asked suspiciously after a moment.

"I'm sincerely attempting to be," Ben replied without chagrin.

"Have one on me, mate," Dan said with a laugh. "You're sure you're okay, though?"

"Reasonably sure, yeah," Ben said, drawing in a deep breath. "Seem to have all my appendages, though whether I'll feel them all in another hour is probably debatable."

"Yeah, alright," Dan said with another chuckle. "I'll talk to you later then, yeah?"

"Yep."

"Love you...ya bloody muppet," Dan said, and Ben smiled a little.

"You too, you daft git," he replied before ending the call and returning to his drink.

It was less than five minutes later that Tom came barreling into the flat, looking around wildly until he saw Ben.

"Alright?" Ben asked.

"Alright?" Tom burst out. "Jesus, Ben. News spot says the building you work at blew up, and you're sitting there, calm as you please-" He stopped, drawing a breath. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ben assured him. "It happened after I left. After everyone left, as far as I know."

Except Wilson, he remembered with a guilty wince.

"Alright," Tom said with a nod. "Okay. You sure?"

"Pretty sure," Ben hazarded, taking another drink.

"Yeah, okay," Tom said, visibly relaxing, and finally noticing the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table. "Are you gonna drink all of that?"

"Dunno yet," said Ben, peering into his glass. "Might try. Got nowhere to go tomorrow, right?"

"There is that," Tom allowed with a smile. "You gonna be alright if I head back to the pub? Only I've got this bet going-"

"Yeah, fine," Ben said, waving him off. Tom continued to look wary, and Ben rolled his eyes. "Honestly, father dear, I think I can manage to continue to not be blown up."

"Well if you're gonna have that attitude, I should think so," Tom snorted, turning to go.

"Oi, take that thing with you," Ben added, gesturing at the motionless mannequin arm. Tom picked it up with a questioning glance. "I got lonely."

"Lady Bethany mad at you again?" Tom asked with a smile, and Ben rolled his eyes in answer. "Alright, mate, I'll be back later."

Ben nodded and waved as Tom headed for the door, then finished his drink in a large swallow before pouring more, intent on drowning any thoughts of dead electricians, walking dummies, and mad redheads.