That Time I Nearly Destroyed the World Whilst Looking for a Dress ( short story ) That Time I Nearly Destroyed the World Whilst Looking for a Dress was the seventeenth short story in the Short Trips anthology " " . It was written by Joseph Lidster . It featured Polly Wright . Summary . It is several years after Polly stopped travelling with the Doctor . She has been married and had a child . She got a job as PA for John Eliot Maurice , and took over the business when he died . She has become famous in the music industry . In April of 1999 , television presenter Jane Vapid is shot dead . Polly , as a celebrity , attends her funeral . Suddenly , white light explodes , and something in Polly ' s head snaps . She is approached by a being who claims to be God and that Polly is dead . She wants to act as Polly ' s fairy godmother , and decides to send her in search of the perfect dress . Another flash of white light , and Polly wakes in a medieval cell . In it is a girl named Marian who is identical to Polly . Two people show up to rescue Marian — a girl named Susan and a man named Mr Chesterton , who according to Marian looks just like Robin Hood . Ian and Susan are captured by guards and taken away , and Polly and Marian discuss Robin . Robin appears and breaks down the door , but is confused by ( apparently ) two Marians . He approaches Polly , who knees him in the groin . When he doubles over in pain , he just misses being decapitated by a guard ' s sword — Polly has saved his life . The Sheriff of Nottingham appears , accompanied by his apothecary , whom Polly recognises as the Doctor . The Doctor is prepared to explain everything , but suddenly the room shimmers , and another Susan appears . Polly experiences another white flash and head snap . Polly has turned up in a guest house in the 1930s . Once again she encounters the Doctor , before he met her . She thinks that two guests , Mr Prentice and Craig Atkins , are pulling a hoax on the Doctor , so she tells him that Craig is faking whooping cough . Mr Prentice becomes angry at being deceived , and uses his time reversal machine to send Susan back into the past — to the cell Polly was in earlier . Another flash and . . . Polly ends up in a few more places before she finds herself at a cricket match in the 1980s . It looks familiar , and she realises she ' s been here before . She finds her younger , pregnant , self with her husband Simon involved in an argument with three young girls — Tegan , Peri and Erimem . Polly can ' t help herself and gets involved , defending her younger self . Peri and Erimem ' s Doctor arrives and is shocked to see Polly . He looks aside for a moment and yells to a cricket player to catch the ball . The player misses , then Tegan ' s Doctor shows up . The two Doctors get too close to each other , and Polly experiences another flash . Polly has landed in a field . A young man is teaching an older man how to use a longbow . Her arrival startles them , and the older man accidentally kills the younger man . Polly flashes away . This time Polly is on a ship and has found a drinking partner named Benny . They tell stories , with Polly mentioning her son . Polly flashes away and finds herself home , where her son is . She flashes again , and sees realities merging and centuries collapsing . She then finds someone to tell her story to . He tells her she has been manipulated into interfering with nexus points in Earth history , and they only have twenty - four hours to save the Earth , so he will send their best agent . When all is saved , Polly won ' t remember any of this , except as a dream . Polly awakes at a kiss from Ben . The Doctor enters the room and smiles at her . Polly , Ben , the Doctor and Jamie drink wine and tell stories . The Doctor and Jamie are now working for the Doctor ' s people . Ben runs a pub . The Doctor and Jamie head outside to look at star s , and Polly and Ben confess their love for each other .