For all you Doctor Who fans out there, this is a little preview of a big story I’ve been working on where the Seventh Doctor and Ace meet the Twelfth Doctor and Clara! They’re my two favourite Doctor and companion duos and I think their dynamics are really similar, so the idea was irresistible!

(The reason why Ace is referred to as Dorothy is because this story takes place after a string of Big Finish adventures where by the end Ace wants to “grow up” and insists on being called Dorothy.)

Enjoy this snippet of Return to Paradise Towers!

Dorothy closed her eyes, drinking in the sun. She noticed a shadow cross her path and opened one eye out of curiosity. A woman took a seat next to her, seeming to have a similar goal in mind as she relaxed into her chair and set a colourful drink down next to her. 

I’m not going to say anything. But the waitress’ words swirled around in her mind. Surely it couldn’t hurt just to ask out of curiosity? 

“Sorry to bother you,” Dorothy began, turning to the newcomer, “but I’m new here and I was just reading something about a daily raffle. Do you know what that’s about?” 

The woman sat up and lifted her sunglasses, revealing big brown eyes. A small crease appeared right between her eyebrows as she frowned. “I remember seeing something about it, but I just arrived today too.” 

“Oh,” Dorothy sighed. “Well, thanks anyway.” 

But the woman held Dorothy’s gaze. Her frown deepened. “Do I…know you from somewhere?” 

Dorothy studied her for a moment. She was the kind of gorgeous Dorothy would expect from an actress or even a model. Not the type she’d hang around. 

But the Doctor had shown her that making quick judgments was often a mistake, so she looked deeper. She thought she noticed a strange vigour in the woman’s eyes. Intelligence. Maturity. And something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

One thing was for sure: she’d never seen this woman in her life. 

“Don’t think so.” 

The woman shrugged and put her sunglasses back in place. “What do you know about this raffle, then?” 

Despite her earlier qualms about getting involved in something, Dorothy found herself easily spilling out what she’d heard. “The prize is staying in one of these luxury suites–but nobody knows where they are. Not even the staff.” 

“Could make sense,” the woman reasoned like she was trying to convince herself more than Dorothy. “It’s such an important and high security area that they don’t want the normal staff able to interfere.” 

“Could be,” Dorothy agreed. She went back to her lounging and the woman did too. It was silent for a little while. Dorothy tried not to think about the issue–and failed. 

The woman’s voice broke the stillness. “Do you have a map?” 

Dorothy grinned. She had been thinking along the same vein. “I can find us one, er…” After the conversation they’d just had, she still didn’t know the woman’s name. 

“Clara,” the woman said with a smile. “Clara Oswald.”