The first time The Doctor met Mrs. Hudson was when she came to visit John one Saturday afternoon.

John had gotten a late start to the morning and he was making his second cup of tea, before he remembered that Mrs. Hudson was coming today and was due to arrive in half an hour and the flat was in a deplorable mess.

John dropped his cup of tea in the sink with a gasp and raced to the foot of the stairs, yelling, "Doctor wake up!"

He heard an unmistakable thump from upstairs that could only mean that The Doctor had fallen out of bed, and a few minutes later The Doctor half ran - half fell down the stairs and landed in a heap at John's feet.

"I forgot that a friend of mine is coming to visit today." John explained to the stunned, half asleep man who lay sprawled on the stairs. The Doctor thought about John's words for a few seconds, then he nodded solemnly. "In other words," he said, blinking up at John from his upside down position, "battle stations because a lady person you haven't seen in a long time is coming and you want to appear normal?"

John shrugged helplessly, Yes," he admitted, "that's about it."

"I understand," The Doctor shuddered with a grimace as John pulled him to his feet. "I take the living room and you take the kitchen?"

John nodded.

"Sounds good to me," The Doctor replied, and both men dashed off in opposite directions to battle the disorder that was scattered through the flat.

They made good time as they frantically washed dishes, swept dust bunnies beneath the rug and stuffed a month's worth of old newspapers behind the couch. As they sat in their chairs, trying to catch their breath, they looked around the flat, and were relieved to find it to be quite satisfactory in appearance.

It hadn't looked half as clean when John lived at 221B and John thought it looked good enough to pass Mrs. Hudson's keen eye.

"I think we made it," John said with a sigh of relief. He hoped that whatever report Mrs. Hudson made to Mycroft would be acceptable. John was upholding his part of the bargain and Mycroft should be pleased.

The only thing that was left to do was to get properly dressed. John put on a new jumper and The Doctor came out of his room wearing a new suit jacket that he had excitedly found in a second hand store. Much to John's dismay, there had been nothing John could say to talk him out of buying it.

"How do I look?" The Doctor asked, twirling gracefully. John smiled, "You look very nice. Here, bend down a little." John said, motioning with his hand as he pulled a comb out of his pocket.

The Doctor bent his head slightly as John stood on his tip toes and combed the wild patch of hair. "Do you think she'll like me?" The Doctor asked as John ran a hand over his hair, trying to tame the beast.

John laughed softly, "Everyone likes you, Doctor. I wouldn't worry."

"What if she doesn't like me? Not... not everyone likes me." The Doctor stammered, frowning worriedly as he tried to wiggle out of John's grasp. John's comb was catching too many tangles and John wasn't the gentlest of hair combers.

"Why wouldn't she like you?" John asked; one hand firmly gripping the Doctor's shoulder so he wouldn't scurry away, while with the other hand he continued to attack the atrocious patch of hair.

The Doctor only sighed in reply and John, finally satisfied that the hair would stay controlled at least for a few minutes, loosened his grasp and gently patted The Doctor's shoulder.

"Why wouldn't she like you?" John repeated, waiting patiently until The Doctor reluctantly raised his eyes to meet John's. The troubled look had returned. It had been gone since Christmas and John had thought that maybe it had left for good until today.

"Maybe she'll decide it's not safe to like me. That's what happened to the... others," The Doctor admitted softy as he looked back down at the carpet; no longer trying to escape from John's hand on his shoulder.

"Well," John comforted, "This is Mrs. Hudson and she will love you. And…," John paused, until the Doctor slowly looked up at him again. "As for those other people, they apparently never knew a good thing when they found it."

The Doctor looked up quickly and gave John a big, warm smile, as the man's reassuring words, dashed the cloud of trouble from The Doctor's eyes.

"Thank you, John Watson." The Doctor whispered.

John nodded, and smiled up at him in return. "Come on, you," he said, patting The Doctor's thin shoulder again. "Let's go make some tea."

After the two men made tea, they set the coffee table with their very best tea cups, saucers and some chocolate biscuits they were saving as a special treat. The Doctor even ran into the shop downstairs and purchased a large pink flower which he stuck energetically into a measuring cylinder, and set in the centre of it all. John was amazed and proud at how nicely it all looked. With everything now ready and presentable, there was nothing left to do but wait for Mrs. Hudson to arrive.

As they sat and waited, with John staring fixedly at the clock and The Doctor fidgeting nervously on the settee, there was a soft knock at the door and before he knew it, John had flung it open and was hugging Mrs. Hudson tightly. It had been three months since he had last seen the dear woman, and he'd forgotten how much he had missed her.

"Hello, dear. It's been a while hasn't it?" Mrs. Hudson whispered understandingly, as John silently clutched her, burying his face in her shoulder. Tears burned his eyes, as she gently stroked the back of his head. As they stood there, John breathed in the familiar smells of home; 221B Baker Street. Each smell brought back the comforting memories he'd frantically thought were lost. He could smell the aroma of Mrs. Hudson's kitchen, the burned draperies of the old flat and Sherlock's coat.

John tried to hold onto the smells and their beloved memories as long as he could, unwilling to lose them again. But a few minutes later as he realized where he was, the smells faded and their memories slipped through his fingers. Without their protection, he was just a broken John Watson again.

"Thanks for visiting me," John mumbled, raising his head and brushing a hand across his eyes, "I'm glad you didn't forget me."

Mrs. Hudson laughed gently and she took John's face in her hands and made him look her in the eyes; those kind blue eyes. "Nonsense, I would never forget any of my boys."

John nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He suddenly remembered The Doctor was most likely, waiting anxiously to be introduced. Taking Mrs. Hudson gently by the hand, John led her into the living room.

"Please come in," he said, "there is someone I want you to meet."

As they entered the room, John realized with a start, that The Doctor had vanished from the settee and was nowhere to be seen.

"Doctor," John called encouragingly," My friend is here, it's alright to come out, you know."

The Doctor's head slowly appeared from around the kitchen door way and cautiously, he edged into the living room, looking like a man who desperately wished to be somewhere else.

"It's alright," John coaxed. "She's nice, I promise"

Hesitantly, The Doctor approached Mrs. Hudson, looking warily from the old lady and then to John, trying to decide if John was speaking the truth. John nodded encouragingly at him. The Doctor studied Mrs. Hudson seriously for a few seconds like she was an extinct species.

Mrs. Hudson smiled kindly at him. "Hello, Doctor, I'm Mrs. Hudson. That's a lovely bow tie you are wearing."

Surprised at the compliment, The Doctor touched his bow tie with an insecure movement of his nimble fingers. "You think so? John hates them."

Mrs. Hudson giggled and looked at John who rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"Well," she replied, turning back to The Doctor was observing her cautiously again. "I think it's beautiful. Bow ties are special you know. It takes a special kind of person to wear them pro-"

Her explanation was abruptly cut off as The Doctor's face suddenly lit up with joy, and without any warning whatsoever, he stepped forward and he hugged her.

"She's perfect!" he said excitedly, his voice almost squeaking as he looked up at John from the shoulder of the startled Mrs. Hudson. "Is she our mother?"

John laughed at the surprised look on Mrs. Hudson's face, as The Doctor realized what he had just done and backed away from her apologetically. "Forgive me."

"No" John calmly replied, trying not smile at his awkward flat mate. John regretted not giving the dear lady a warning about The Doctor's impulsive behavior. "She isn't our mother."

"Oh," The Doctor said, looking at Mrs. Hudson rather disappointingly before his face lit up again. "Then can we adopt her?"

John looked over at Mrs. Hudson who just smiled and nodded her head invitingly, as her initial shock over the sudden hug attack faded. Living with Sherlock and John, had made her a veteran of meeting and taking care of the unaccepted people who the world had labeled strange, unusual, freak and not in the least, human.

"Of course you can, my dear," Mrs. Hudson replied in a firm voice, walking up to the Doctor and straightening his bow tie. "Anyone who has such good taste in bow ties and who is a friend of John's, is a friend of mine."

Speechless, The Doctor smiled, no... he beamed at John who nodded and gave him a thumbs up behind Mrs. Hudson's back.

John had never seen the Doctor be so hesitant and shy around anyone, but The Doctor never had met any of John's friends before till now. John hadn't realized before how differently The Doctor acted around him. He hadn't realized how important The Doctor viewed the things that were special to John, like Mrs. Hudson. The Doctor wasn't that way with other people at all.

Most times The Doctor would just walk through the crowds of people as if he were trying to be invisible. He wouldn't look anyone in the eyes; trying not to be noticed, shying away from people's touch as if they burned him.

But with John, it was like The Doctor let himself be visible even though it seemed to hurt him at times. He would look John in the eyes and acknowledge and listen to him. He would let John pat him on the shoulder without flinching and he would laugh as he would throw snow balls at John's head. It seemed like John was the only thing that was keeping The Doctor alive and in color.

John passed a shaking hand across his eyes. He didn't know or understand why The Doctor had chosen him and he hoped that one day he would do something to deserve the other man's kindness, trust and friendship that he offered before The Doctor gave up and disappeared completely.

In the meantime, as The Doctor started to cheerfully chatter away to Mrs. Hudson about his job interview next week and about what toys meant to humanity and the world, John leaned against the counter and sighed with relief. He knew if anyone would accept his new flat mate without question it would be Mrs. Hudson. He remembered what she had said the first time she told Sherlock to bring John over for dinner.

"We are family, dear. It's what we do."