I don't know who I am, or where I am going. I feel like I'm in a million different places at once, and it's like I'm always supposed to be there. I don't know where I am, or who I'm supposed to be, but there is one thing I know I must do.

I must save the Doctor.

He has many faces, and many friends, but no matter how hard he tries, I always know it's him. I have to find him, I have to save him, I have to bring him back from the brink of destruction time and time again.

Most of the time he looks straight through me, and I blink in and out of existence without him seeing me, never to remember me. But then, sometimes, he notices me and each time he never forgets.

I was brought into the universe by a series of chance events that everyone put into place but me. But this, this is my choice.

My name is Danielle Fielding. I'm the girl who died again and again and I live to save the Doctor.

~0~0~0~

The Doctor hadn't meant to overshoot it so much. Small jumps were so much harder in the TARDIS, that was something he both knew from experience as well as one of the few things he remembered from the few flying lessons he's actually turned up for. Still, he should have been able to make the jump from Victorian Cardiff to modern London with ease. Or, at least, he should have been able to check before he'd let her out to see her mother. A quick look at the monitor and he could have taken them back to the right time and no one would have known anything. But it was too late now, she'd gone to see her mum. They both knew he'd taken her a year out of her timeline, and therefore the moments were fixed. He couldn't take her back, because they wouldn't know to take her back. A paradox he couldn't exactly put into place despite his want to.

He knew Jackie Tyler's heartache as well, much too well. Years and years of travelling and then a war no one could ever fathom had shown him first-hand what not knowing where your children were, if they were safe or even alive, could do to a person. It could overtake your mind, be in your every thought. The Doctor had been able to distract himself, but all Jackie had been able to do was wallow in the what-ifs, and as much as he didn't do the domestic scene, he'd not wish that on anyone.

Of course none of them had been able to focus on it too long other than Jackie, and the Doctor had taken the distraction of a fake alien flying into Big Ben and flung himself fully into the situation as he always did. Mainly to mask his own pain, but also to mask his guilt. A terrified pig, a few Slitheen and a bomb later, and he was back to thinking upon his mistakes. He shouldn't have tempted her so with the prospect of time travel, but he knew just how much she would love it, and he had been right. Rose Tyler had taken to it wonderfully and she'd been an absolute joy in his life. He hadn't wanted to take any more companions after the War, he hadn't trusted himself nor did he think he deserved it, but she was a wonder he hadn't been able to walk away from. She had wormed her way into his hearts very quickly, and now she was a best friend he'd never be without.

He shook his head, hand on his key as he unlocked the blue box he'd shown her just the start of the universe in. Sentimental old fool, it must have come with old age.

He opened the door, planning on fiddling around for a bit with the console of his time machine to give Rose a chance to say goodbye to her mother. He hadn't expected the flash of red hair that caught his attention, not the woman it belonged to as she spun around, alarmed at his presence.

"Hello." He greeted, his voice neutral, but in keeping with the seriousness he held her trespass, "What are you doing in my ship?"

"I-I'm sorry," she rambled, "I just… I saw that someone had written on the outside, and I don't remember it being here, so I was just being nosy and, well…" she looked back at the time rotor, "I couldn't stop staring." She admitted before turning back, "I didn't mean to enter your ship without asking. Well, I guess I kinda did, but I didn't mean anything by it."

He stared at her for a moment. She was quite short, even by human standards, but he'd noticed he was rather tall this time around. Her grey-blue eyes were looking at him, showing all the remorse she held for upsetting him, even as she struggled to stop looking around the room. It was her red hair that had caught his attention though, much like it had when he'd first stepped in. He'd always loved red hair. He had to be ginger soon, right?

"What's your name?"

"Danielle," she replied quickly, "Danielle Song. I-I am sorry." She promised before turning back around, "What is this place?" She asked, the awe in her voice echoing what he'd seen on her face, "Is it your home?"

"It's called the TARDIS," He tried slowly, watching her closely for any sort of tell that she might have recognised the name. They'd stopped the Slitheen, that was true, but they weren't the only things out there. But she gave nothing away, she just couldn't keep her eyes off the room, "And yes."

She turned back to him, "Then you're an alien too?" She asked, sounding unsure of her question, "Well, an alien to me. I suppose I'm one to you, right?"

He smiled slightly. No one ever seemed to pick that up, and although it made him slightly more suspicious of her, at the same time it amused him greatly, "I guess I am, yeah." He replied.

She nodded slowly, "You're the one who took Rose, aren't you?" She asked after a pause and his face hardened slightly at the accusation.

"No, she came willingly," he all but snapped, defensive. He never took anyone against their will. He didn't want a captive, he wanted a friend.

"Oh, that's okay then," she replied and again surprised him at her willingness to believe him, "I don't blame her." She once again turned her back on him, stroking across the console with the very tips of her fingers.

"You don't?" He asked, taking a few steps towards her. He wasn't sure what he was expecting of a random human who had stumbled upon his TARDIS, but this wasn't it. There were usually questions of disbelief, even when he gave an answer they never seemed to be able to understand it or accept it. She wasn't behaving like that at all.

"No, a spaceship that's bigger on the inside?" She replied, "I mean, I never took Rose for the travelling type, but then again who knows what goes on in someone's head?"

"She's enjoyed it," he told her, keeping it to himself that he wasn't going of the young blonde's words, rather what he'd seen from her. He took another few steps towards her, "Do you know her?"

"I live underneath and to the right of her." Danielle explained, "Me and my mum moved in when I was little. We don't really hang out or anything, but she's always friendly when I see her." She shrugged, "I like Rose, I was very upset when she went missing, but I knew it wasn't Mickey."

He didn't comment on the 'Mickey' issue, instead just watched her walking around the console. She looked amazed, taken in by all the stuff he knew she wouldn't begin to understand. Her fingertips ghosted over buttons and switches, yet danced off the metal when she was certain touching something wasn't going to end well. He loved this part, he always had. Rose showed her wonder as well, but each person was different and Danielle really wasn't holding back as she made her way around the console.

When she reached her starting point once again, she tore her eyes off the console and looked at him hopefully, "How big is it?" She asked.

He smirked, "Infinite." He replied, watching her eyes widen in happiness at the prospect, "Want to see?"

She broke out into a giant grin, "Yes, please!" She cried out giddily, "You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't have offered." He replied, unable to repress his chuckles at her little dance. Her excitement was so innocent, so unrestrained and he had to add to it, "I could do one better, though." He added temptingly.

She paused, looking at him intrigued, "How?" She asked.

"You could come with us," he offered. "You, me and Rose." He walked over, flicking a switch and turning on the monitor. On it was a projection of the Earth, nothing particularly special but she practically ran to his side, "Did I mention she travels in time?" He asked offhandedly, like he wasn't quite sure.

Danielle's head practically snapped to the side, looking up at him, "Sorry, what?" She asked and he knew he had her full attention.

"We could travel the universe together, and I'd bring you back in time for tea," he replied before a frown spread on his features, "and this time I'll actually be on time." He mused.

He could tell she wanted to say yes. Her anxious shifting from one foot to the other made that painfully obvious, as did the way she seemed to be rubbing one palm with the thumb of the other hand, like she couldn't stay still. But she glanced at the door, "What about Rose?" She asked him, "I don't want to intrude if she doesn't want me too."

"It's my TARDIS," he replied, "I can invite who I like," he offered her a smile, "but you can ask her, if you like. She's just saying goodbye to her mum again."

Another moment's pause, and he watched her turn the idea over and over again in her head. He didn't know why he'd offered it to her so readily, after all it had only been a few minutes, but she'd seen the TARDIS when most others only saw a box at best. They walked past it in their everyday lives, ignored her presence and the wonders she held. This young lass had seen it, seen the potential behind her four walls, and hadn't been able to resist. So, how could he?

"Yes, please," she replied her voice soft as if she realised the uniqueness of his offer. "Yes, if it's okay with Rose, I'd love to come for a ride." And he grinned, pulling out his contemporary phone from his pocket.

"I'll give her a call," he told her, "she's been long enough." He smiled at her, and she returned it readily, "Go pack your bags, Danielle Song." Danielle grinned and rushed to the doors, pausing with her hand ready to open it.

"You know; I don't know your name." She pointed out, "If I'm going to trust you, I should ask your name."

The Doctor nodded, he could understand that. Although he was certain that if she hadn't noticed, she would have come with them anyway regardless. She'd seen the smallest glance at what the universe had to offer and she was hooked, "The Doctor."

"Alright, Doctor," She replied, not questioning it like most would, "I won't be a moment!" And she dashed out of the TARDIS, leaving him to wonder yet again why humans drew him in so tightly. She hadn't even seemed phased by his name, which even Rose had questioned at first. She hadn't asked 'Doctor Who?', or whether he had a degree or a normal human first name. She'd just accepted it the same way she seemed to have accepted the TARDIS, and he knew he had to figure her out.

~0~0~0~

It had been hard saying goodbye to her mum. Rose knew that her disappearance had hurt her, she understood the fear of not knowing if she was ever coming back again. The last thing she had ever wanted was to make her mum cry. But how could Rose turn a universe down? She'd only been travelling a short while, only seen a few sights, but knowing there was so much more to experience wasn't something she could just walk away from.

The goodbyes had been hard, but she made it through them all with just a longer-than-necessary hug for her mum and a promise that she'd back in ten seconds time. She then turned to the Doctor, waiting for his cue for her to enter the TARDIS. He held the door open for her and she stepped inside, eager to see something new.

"Where to now, then?" She asked him as she turned, walking backwards towards the console.

"Ah, well, there is just one more thing we have to do," he told her. "Nothing bad, just… just something."

"Oh?" She asked, slowly to a stop with a frown, "What kind of something?"

The Doctor walked past her, flying them away and almost instantly landing on the other side, "Where are we?" She asked.

"Underneath and to the right," was his vague explanation as the door opened. Rose frowned as her neighbour dashed in, suitcase dragging behind her on two wheels. He'd meant in the flat below her and to the right, where her old schoolmate lived. Why on Earth where they here? Why did she have a suitcase?

"You didn't have to come…" Danielle started before falling to a stop, seeing Rose staring at her with a look of pure bewilderment, "Oh, you picked her up already," she commented before stepping in front of the suitcase. "Sorry, I don't want to see presumptuous, it's just in case."

She giggled, looking to the Doctor for approval for her little pun, "Get it?" He shot her an amused look and she grinned in response before giving Rose her attention again.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, looking between the two, her alarm rising, "Are you replacing me?"

"Oh, God no," Danielle quickly replied. "No, not at all. I wouldn't…" she looked at the Doctor, "I just… he asked me if I wanted to come too, but I don't want to come if you're not happy with it."

Rose turned to the Doctor, "Did you ask her?" She asked him, her tone almost accusatory, but she was mainly just very confused as he nodded.

"I did, but she was very insistent on making sure that you were happy to have her along," the Doctor replied, emphasising the fact that Danielle had only agreed to come if it was okay with Rose.

Rose looked back at Danielle. They'd gone to school together, but whereas Rose had left and got a job the moment she could, Danielle had stayed on. They'd never really talked, she'd been one of the swots who hung out together at lunch while she and her mate Shareen had snuck off and gone to the shops. They'd never fought, but that was because they very rarely talked at all.

But she could see why she'd been drawn to it. If Rose, who had never looked out of her council estate had seen the wonders of the universe because of the man inside the blue box, then of course someone as intelligent as Danielle was going to do the same. And she'd seemed a kind enough girl as well. And, if she could invite Mickey and expect the Doctor to be fine with it, then it would be selfish to say no to her, wouldn't it? After all, it was his time machine, he could bring whatever friends he wanted to. And she did appreciate the fact that Danielle hadn't wanted to step on her toes. Plus, she could show off for once.

"Well, I guess it would be nice to have someone on my side." Rose admitted and she had to smile as Danielle all but cheered, dragging her suitcase up the ramp. It wasn't a big thing, one of those ones Rose would have used for a weekend away, but it was like it didn't weigh a thing.

"Oh, this is going to be fantastic," Danielle gushed, "Can we go to the Moon?"

"The Moon?" The Doctor scoffed, "All of time and space and you choose the Moon?"

"What? It's like, right there half of the time!" She exclaimed, jabbing her finger in the air in case he didn't know where the sky was, "It just sits there, teasing me. I want to see it!"

Rose slowly joined them, and the Doctor could tell that she still wasn't sure about the presence of the new girl. But not only had she seen the TARDIS, but the blue box had let her in without a key, something she definitely wasn't known to do. It was like she was tempting him with the red-head, and he'd always been a sucker for temptation. He could get to know her, see if she was anything more than she seemed, while Rose could have a friend to travel with and he could show off to another person. And, should something more be behind Danielle, she'd be with him for him to deal with.

But, for now, he had to ensure that Rose was happy with her. He grinned, "No, not the Moon," he dismissed, shooting Rose that smug smirk that he knew he would get in return. And he did; she knew that he was planning something amazing, and it hooked her in just like it had done the first time, "Somewhere better."

~0~0~0~

So, hi, welcome to my new story! I was feeling a bit stagnated writing Danni when my Australian Friend (that's her name, and she knows this) suggested this little gem and it really caught my attention. So, here's a brand new AU for you all.

Unlike the main Danni story it has no schedule at all. One week you may get three updates, then none for a month (unlikely to be like that, but you get the idea), but I'll still be doing the original story once a week where possible. This is just a side story :)

Until next time, my sweets :) x