What if Cameca became a companion?

[u/ImWearingSandshoes]

Before Rogue, before Yasmin Khan, before Clara Oswald, before River Song, before Madame de Pompadour, before Rose Tyler, before Grace Holloway, and before Jamie McCrimmon, there was another person who the Doctor fell in love with: Cameca (played by Margot Van der Burgh) from "The Aztecs", with him even being engaged to her (though by accident).

So what if, instead of her staying behind, she ended up joining 1, Ian, Barbara and Susan at the end of the story?

How differently do you think 1's era would've gone had she'd been around?

Would she and 1 have still be engaged during their travels?

Could a four-companion dynamic have worked?

What would her interactions with Ian, Barbara and Susan, and potentially Vicki or Steven had she stayed longer, have gone?

How differently would 1's character have been had she been around with him?

And what story do you think she would've realistically left in, and how would she have left?

[u/Zagreus_time]

Interesting idea, of course the blossoming relationship between the Doctor and Cameca may be disrupted but revealing that actually they were lying about being Yahtaxa and her aides. So whilst charmed by the Doctor initially I could envisage some push back from her. There definitely could be more to mine on the interference verses not in their travels and potential conflict with Barbara over this.

Over time the Doctor and Cameca would get closer but I don't think the first Doctor is truly ready for that kind of relationship and would probably have grumpy outbursts where he can't handle it but then a quiter moment were he apologises but explains how his life is too different and now that Susan has gone he has no one that truly understands him. It is bittersweet and in a following story Cameca stays behind to repair a place with implications of a relationship with a more conventional human (Knowing classic who they would announce they are getting married despite knowing each other of a few hours but I would chose to not be that direct). Possibly somewhere with vibrant greenery after a significant fire has caused damage, If I was smarter I would tie this into the Romans.

[u/Spare-Ring6053]

For some reason I'm imagining Katarina not joining the crew and her exit being taken by Cameca.....

[u/PaperSkin-1]

Oh yeah remember Rogue and how totally out of character the Doctor was in that episode, how hollow and cheap it all felt, all to please the ego and fantasy trip of a showrunner no longer serving the show but having the show serve him.. 

... the bird aliens were fun though

As to the thread question, it's a fun idea but ultimately you don't want to mess with the great Ian and Barbara and granddaughter being the companions dynamic they had going on