Chapter Text
It was a Sunday.
Not much happens on a Sunday. Schools are closed, shops don’t stay open as late, and there’s usually nothing to watch on the TV. There certainly aren’t any adventures on a Sunday.
Except now.
Amelia “Mia” Murphy was a short woman standing at around five foot tall with a pale complexion that reddened easily when embarrassed and clearly showed when she had not had enough sleep. Green eyes, that often appeared to be brown at a distance, accompanied by curly brown hair that fell to just above her chest. Hair that was currently tucked into her hood in an effort to keep it dry from the heavy rain that had begun to pour the moment she had decided she needed to make a ‘quick’ run to the shop before it closed for the day.
Head ducked down in an effort to shield her face from the incoming water, one hand red with cold as it gripped her hood holding it in place, it really was no wonder that she didn’t see the object that lay innocently in her path, that, quite predictably, she tripped over.
Luckily for her no one was around to see her fall.
Unluckily, that also meant that as she pushed herself up from the ground and reached to move the offending object out of the way so no others would trip… there was also no one to watch Mia Murphy vanish from that spot in a bright light.
Only to reappear somewhere very far away.
Ow. That was the first thought that came to my mind after waking up on what felt like a hard pavement.
Something’s wrong. Was the second.
For one the ground under me was more uneven and rougher than the smooth pavement I had previously fell on and two, it was dry. Which, considering the downpour earlier and the fact that my clothes were also still a bit damp, was definitely unusual.
Groaning as I pushed myself up to sitting, I lifted my head, pushing the hood of my coat down, as I took in my new surroundings…which looked like an entrance to a level of a semi-indoor car park. Peering up at the sky where the roof didn’t cover, seeing the sun had completely set, a clear starry sky above me. Which was also unusual as last I’d checked it was still somewhat light out despite the heavy rain and cloud cover, it only being just before four in the afternoon.
I definitely didn’t recognise where I was as being anywhere local, but then again, I didn’t tend to spend a lot of time in car parks, not even having my license yet, preferring to walk most places or use public transport anyway, as it was cheaper. Finally deciding that I should probably check to see if there was anyone around to help me, I pushed myself to standing, brushing myself down from the random debris I’d somehow attracted, just about to check my pockets to see if I was missing anything, pausing as I turned to someone calling out to me.
“Miiiaaaa!! There you are! I was wondering when you’d pop in.” Was all I heard before my face was pulled against a rather masculine chest in what I’d presume to be a hug, though was more my face getting smushed than anything else. Who’s this? I tried to angle my eyes up to take in the face of my hugger, and failed. How does he know my name? I flailed a bit in his arms, hands tapping against his back unsurely as I had no idea who was greeting me with such enthusiasm, hearing someone chuckle from somewhere behind the man whose chest I was still squished against. Well, it sounds like a woman that’s laughing.
Deciding I’d had enough, I brought my hands up to smack lightly at his chest, letting out a muffled “Can’t breathe.” The man quickly pulling back in response, almost knocking me off my feet at the sudden lack of support, his hands immediately coming back out to steady me, I only now noticing that he was carrying some kind of…toy? Lunch box-fan thing in one of them.
He looked me over, making sure I was steady on my feet this time, before pulling back again eyes beginning to roam over my face, apparently seeing something there as a look of realisation started to wash over his features. He frowned slightly, asking “Where were you last?”
I squinted at him, brows furrowing in confusion as I answered somewhat hesitantly “…On the way to the shop?”
“The shop?”
“Yeah? I wanted to have eggy bread for tea but we had no milk so my mom said-” I cut myself off upon seeing his expression.
A lot more subdued than earlier he asked another question “Have we ever met Mia?”
“…This is the first time I’ve met you.” His face dropped, which would’ve been comical if he didn’t look so upset. “Have I met you before?” I asked my tone soft, tilting my head as I peered up at him. Wait. “Wait.” He perked up a bit hopefully “You must get this a lot, but has anyone told you that you look a bit like a younger David Tennant?”
His face dropped once again, lowering his head as he answered muttering low enough that I was sure I wasn’t actually supposed to hear him as he said “Only you.” He paused for a moment looking back at me again before sighing “Mia, this might sound a bit crazy to you right now, but I’m not an actor. I’m the Doctor.” He stopped to take in my reaction, which was basically me just staring at him dumbly, mouth slightly agape, before emphasizing “The actual Doctor. Yes, as in Doctor Who. Really.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” I protested automatically as I let out a scoff on reflex “That’s impossible. You’re just cosplaying right?”
I had not even finished my sentence when he started shaking his head in the negative, stopping with a sigh as he replied “I’m afraid not. You see, the moment you touched whatever the object was that you tripped over, you were sent to this universe… and to me. I’ve met you before, Mia, many times in fact.” He sighed again, looking away as he ran his free hand through his hair, causing it to stick up even further “It’s just sometimes we don’t always meet in the right order.”
This sounds like the plot of an isekai fanfic… “…Let me guess I somehow jump around different parts of your timeline.”
He looked back down at me in part relief at not having to explain that and what was probably frustration at the situation itself “Got it in one.”
This time I was the one who sighed, moving to lean against the wall as I crossed my arms in front of me, slumping into it as I asked “How long do I stay for each jump?”
He paused, placing a hand in his pocket as he thought for a moment, the other lightly tapping the device that had apparently led them to me against his leg “Weellll, it depends really. Sometimes it’s hours, days, sometimes weeks, months…and there will come a point when you’ll be able to stay for years.”
Years? I looked down at my shoes as I processed what he said. If this is in fact real… then what he’s saying is probably true and that means that the Doctor’s known me for years…and with how he greeted me we’re probably really close… I looked back at him. But I don’t know him yet…no wonder he looked sad. I would be too.
Welp, there’s only one thing I can really do…
Nodding to myself “Looks like I’m going with you then.” I pushed myself off the wall, straightening up from my slouch. Best make the most of it.
The Doctor looked at me in surprise “You’re taking this very well.”
I’m really not. I sighed, which I seemed to be doing a lot at present, before looking him in the eye as I told him “I just know that if this real then it’s likely I’m going to be in danger a lot, and I really don’t want to die.” He winced. “So, I’m gonna treat this as real until proven otherwise. Okay?”
He nodded “Fair enough.”
“Also, I’m pretty sure I haven’t actually processed this all, like, emotionally yet? If you get me?” I rambled on before he could respond “It’s just like I sometimes find it a bit hard-”
A hand being placed gently on my shoulder cut me off “Mia.” I looked back up at him, not even realising I’d looked away as I ranted “Breathe.” He waited patiently until I took in an audible breath and only resumed speaking once I’d let it out. “I’ve known you for a long time. Trust me you don’t have to explain anything.”
“Right. Okay.” I reached up to pat his hand that was still on my shoulder, in an effort to show that I understood, him giving one last reassuring squeeze before stepping back, his arm dropping back down to fall by his side. Letting out a small cough I prodded “Soooo… Where are we exactly?” I looked around the area again, seeing if I’d missed anything obvious.
Is this an episode? I thought to myself, pausing in my perusal to shoot Martha Jones a small smile with a wave, that she returned as we made eye contact “Not that I’m hating on this car park at all, I’m sure it’s lovely, but there tend to be a lot of them in all kinds of places, though this looks like Earth, though it could not be, what with you being here and-” I looked back at the Doctor to see him smiling at me “and I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”
“Just a little bit.” Martha called out in response, having now come closer to peer around the Doctor to wink at me. “Used to it by now with the time I spend with the both of you.”
“Well then,” I cleared my throat a little embarrassed. “I’m Amelia Murphy, though you can call me Mia.” I looked between the two of them “Though you obviously already know that, I felt I needed a proper introduction.” I said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet the both of you.”
Martha smiled back at me. “Nice to meet you! Again. I’m Martha. Martha Jones.” She introduced, jokingly giving me a little curtsy.
I put on a faux haughty expression as I gave her a curtsy back, it cracking as I laughed a little coming back up to standing, turning to the Doctor I paused, before deciding to simply hold out my hand for the safe option of a handshake. He stared down at my hand for a moment with a wistful smile, moving to hand the still lightly beeping device to Martha, choosing to instead clasp my offered hand gently between both of his own as he spoke “Oh Mia. It’s nice to meet you too.” He looked back up to my face smile growing bigger as he began swaying our joined hands with enthusiasm “So very, very nice!”
He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted, his attention now being drawn to the thing he had handed off to Martha as it started beeping louder, which was then followed by a dull thud, like the sound of something heavy being dropped, coming from further into the car park.
We rushed towards the sound just in time to see a man begin to slide down a wall, that he’d presumably just fell into by the sound of it. “Welcome.” The Doctor greeted the newcomer as we made our way to stand in front of him.
The man looked at us from his position on the ground, asking us somewhat dazed and confused “Where am I?”
“1969.”
Ah, so that’s when we are, now where are we? I squinted at the man seeing if I could recognise him, coming up blank for now.
“Not bad, as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to.” The Doctor commented.
“Oh, the moon landing's brilliant. We went four times, back when we had transport.” Martha added with a pointed look at the Doctor.
“Wait.” I blinked looking between the two of them in confusion “Where’s the TARDIS?”
Martha jabbed her thumb accusingly at the Doctor, who answered a bit defensively “I’m working on it.” As I looked at them confused with this revelation When don’t they have the TARDIS?
“How did I get here?” The man asked, still sitting on the ground.
“The same way we did.” The Doctor replied gesturing to himself and Martha. “The touch of an angel.” Oh. OH, we’re in Blink. “Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year. No, no. No, no, no, don't get up.” The Doctor gestured for him to stay seated as the man attempted to stand, instead moving to take a seat beside him as he continued “Time travel without a capsule. Nasty. Catch your breath. Don't go swimming for half an hour.”
Billy – this must be Billy then- shook his head incredulously “I don't. I can't-“
The Doctor cut him off “Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels.” And scary. “The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present, they consume the energy of all the days you might have had. All your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy.”
“What in God's name are you talking about?” Billy asked, looking at the Doctor like he was crazy, which, fair.
“Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath.” Martha answered him with a look of commiseration.
The Doctor held up the device that he had took back from Martha “Tracked you down with this. Also picked up Mia over there,” He nodded over to me “when she popped up. This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at thirty paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow.”
I couldn’t hold back a snort which earned me a grin from the Doctor as he wagged his finger at me faux scoldingly, to which I raised my hands mock defensively as I thought to myself with a smile. Sorry can’t help it with the image you just gave me. Though it does make me wonder why he was around live hens in the first place…
Billy looked at us, still understandably confused and frustrated “I don't understand. Where am I?”
“1969, like he said.” Martha answered.
“Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor.” The Doctor started, his tone turning more serious as he continued “So, I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow. And I'm sorry, Billy. I am very, very sorry. It's going to take you a while.”
This is real. It’s not just a show anymore. I closed my eyes. Poor Billy, he’s lost everything he’s ever known…. Opening them to see the Doctor helping Billy to stand I let out a sigh. Just like me.
“I’m sorry Billy.” He looked at me in confused question “You’re stuck here.”
It had been about a week since I’d arrived in 1969 and we, well mostly the Doctor, had made sure Billy got settled properly in his new life, using the psychic paper the Doctor thankfully pretty much always carried on him. We even managed to easily get him a job at the local recording studio, just like in the show, which is where we currently were to record the easter egg for Sally to watch. I looked at the prompter, reading from behind the camera with Billy and Martha as the Doctor sat in front of us, ready to be recorded.
He's the Doctor.
“Yup. That's me.”
Okay, that was scary.
No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that.
“Yes, I do.”
And that.
“Yup. And this.”
…this isn’t as fun to watch from this side of the conversation. Just watching the Doctor talk at a camera without the other parts being audible is just weird.
He can hear us. Oh, my God, you can really hear us?
Of course he can't hear us. Look, I've got a transcript. See? Everything he says. Yup, that's me. Yes, I do. Yup, and this. Next it's-
“Are you going to read out the whole thing?”
Sorry.
Who are you?
“I'm a time traveller. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969.”
Martha popped into view on the screen. “We're stuck. All of space and time, he promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop. Mia’s doing shifts at the library and we’ve got to support him!”
“Martha.” The Doctor scolded.
“Sorry.” She muttered, popping back out of view of the camera.
I've seen this bit before.
“Quite possibly.”
1969, that's where you're talking from?
“Afraid so.”
But you're replying to me. You can't know exactly what I'm going to say, forty years before I say it.
“Thirty-eight.” He corrected.
How? How is this possible? Tell me.
“People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is.”
Then what is it?
“Complicated.”
Tell me.
“Very complicated.”
I'm clever and I'm listening. And don't patronise me because people have died, and I'm not happy. Tell me.
You tell him girl. I thought sharing an impressed look with Martha.
“People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey… stuff.”
Yeah, I've seen this bit before. You said that sentence got away from you.
“It got away from me, yeah.”
I poked my head into view “Basically time doesn’t always go in a straight line, and the past can actually be changed in most cases which then in turn changes the future or ‘present’.”
Thank you.
“You’re welcome.” I moved back out of view.
Next thing you're going to say is, well I can hear you.
“Well, I can hear you.”
This isn't possible.
“Well, not hear you, exactly, but I know everything you're going to say.”
How can you know what I'm going to say?
He tilted his head to his right “Look to your left.”
He means you. What are you doing?
I'm writing in your bits. That way I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums.
“I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on my autocue.”
How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It's still being written.
“I told you. I'm a time traveller. I got it in the future.”
Okay, let me get my head round this. You're reading aloud from a transcript of a conversation you're still having.
Yup. Sounds about right.
“Yeah. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey.”
Never mind that. You can do shorthand?
So?
“What matters is, we can communicate. We have got big problems now. They have taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box.”
What do you mean, angels? You mean those statue things?
“Creatures from another world.”
But they're just statues.
“Only when you see them.”
What does that mean?
“The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when they're being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Of course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can.”
Don't take your eyes off that.
“That's why they cover their eyes. They're not weeping. They can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. It's up to you now.”
What am I supposed to do?
“The blue box, it's my time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever, but the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to me.”
He paused, double checking the autocue, removing his glasses as he continued “And that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last I've got. I don't know what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck.”
I waited for Billy’s thumbs up before standing up to stretch as I spoke “And that’s a wrap.” I looked at the Doctor and Martha, Billy waving us off as he started sorting out the film “Now we’ve just got to wait for Sally and Larry to get into the TARDIS and send it to us.”
“Do you know how long it’s going to take to get here?” Martha asked, looking up at me from where she was still sat. “From the show you watched?”
I tried to think back to see if the episode mentioned it, eventually replying “I’m not sure, on Sally’s end it doesn’t take long at all, though I really don’t envy them being chased by the angels.” I gave a small shrug “For us… I’ve not a clue, could be anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.”
“Well at least we’re getting out of here.” Martha replied, sighing as she rose from her seat.
My eyes wandered over to the Doctor as he came to stand beside us, fully turning to him as I asked “What do we do now?”
“Now, Mia,” He rubbed his hands together giddily with a grin “now we wait.”
I just stared at him as I clarified “Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of lunch.”
“Ah.”
At his response Martha couldn’t hold back a snort, stepping up to me to link her arm with mine as she led me to the doors, the Doctor following our lead happily.
After a small lunch, consisting of fish and chips for the Doctor and Martha and a chip butty for me, we made our way back to the small flat we had been renting during our unexpected stay in 1969. That, in itself was still hard for me to sometimes take in, hell, my dad was born in 1969…though the Doctor had already reliably informed me that none of my family actually existed in this universe. Which was a bit unsettling to find out if I’m completely honest.
I shook my head to clear the thoughts that had snuck up on me, looking back to follow the Doctor as he entered our small kitchenette, taking a seat at the small table. Moving, not to take a seat but instead over to the sink, picking up the kettle on my way to begin filling it with water before turning it on to boil. Martha calling out as she passed through that she was going to take a nap, moving ahead of us to enter the room the two of us had been sharing these past few days, closing the door behind her with a wave.
“Do you want a drink?” I asked, opening the cupboard that held our three mismatched mugs.
“Tea, please.” He requested with a smile.
Pulling out two of the mugs, I placed a teabag in each, double-checking “Two sugars and a splash of milk, yeah?”
“Yup.” He confirmed popping the ‘P’ adding with a more teasing tone “Not all of us have as big of a sweet tooth as you, miss four sugars in all hot drinks.”
I let out a huff, acting mock offended as I placed a hand on my chest, continuing to spoon the sugar into the cups with the other “If I recall correctly, I believe at least one of your previous incarnations used to carry around a bag of jelly babies. So, check mate good sir.”
He let out a short laugh, leaning over the table as he grinned at me “Touché.”
As the kettle clicked, letting me know it had finished boiling. I quickly set about making our cups of tea, making sure they steeped long enough, before squeezing out the bags as I removed them, adding the milk after, before finally bringing them over to the table, placing them down as I took the seat across from the Doctor, settling into a comfortable silence.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket by habit as we sat, placing it on the table with a sigh at the black screen. Why I was still carrying it around with me was a mystery, the charge had long gone by this point, it already having had rubbish battery life to begin with.
“Do you mind?” I looked over at the Doctor’s question to see him gesturing at my phone.
Blinking at him blankly until I realised he was asking if he could have a look at it, I answered handing it over as I did so “Oh, sure.”
With a smile the Doctor took it from my hand, removing the old rubber case it’d had on it for years, the cherry blossoms printed on it having long since lost their colour, faded to white, before somehow also removing the phone’s actual back after buzzing it with his sonic.
“How’d you do that?” I asked watching in curiosity “I didn’t know you could take the back off of smart phones.”
“You can do a lot with a sonic screwdriver.” He answered proudly, placing the phone down on the table as he began routing through his pockets for something.
“Except open a deadlock.” I pointed out, remembering that from the show, adding “Or do anything with wood I think.”
“Except those.” He grumbled, before letting out an “Aha!” as he found what he was searching for, which looked like a sort of sticker about the size of a 10p, that he quickly stuck on the inside of my phone, replacing the back, and eventually the case after giving it a disgruntled look, handing my phone back to me with the request “Remind me to get you a new case.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit worn, isn’t it?” I commented flipping it over “I’ve been meaning to get a new one for ages but could only get them online back home because of how outdated my phone is.” Having an idea of what the Doctor had actually done to my phone I pressed down the power button, smiling in delight as it booted up, fully charged with somehow full signal on both network and internet. “I don’t know exactly what you did but I love you for it.”
“Is that all you love me for?” He asked casually.
I looked up from where I was looking through my phone, frustrated, though not surprised the apps I used to use were no longer logged in and didn’t work. “Well, I don’t really know you all that well at the moment. I like you enough, though.”
“Makes sense.” He nodded, straightening up in his chair, grabbing a biscuit out of the packet on the table as he muttered “I suppose that’ll do for now.”
“Let’s talk about that shall we?” I stated, the Doctor looking at me in surprise as I clicked the screen off, putting it back in my pocket. “We’re no longer busy sorting out a new life for Billy, so don’t you think it’s time we had a chat?”
“About what?” He asked confused.
“About all these little hints you keep dropping, whether consciously or not.”
“I don’t-”
“Ah ah ah,” I cut off his half-hearted protest “You know exactly what I’m talking about so stop playing dumb.”
He looked at me for a moment before letting out a sigh as he slumped in his seat, staring down at his mug as he answered “It’s just that I’ve known you for a long time is all.”
“Soooo, how long have you known me exactly?” I pushed when he failed to elaborate “You mentioned before that sometimes I stayed with you for years, so I’m assuming since before you met Rose?” I prodded, continuing when he still didn’t answer “When was it? Technicolour dream coat days? Celery boy? The riddler? The scarf?” hesitating for a moment before questioning “...the war?”
He winced, lips pressing together in discomfort before he let out a sigh, the tension seeming to drain from him as he seemingly came to a decision, admitting “The first time I met you I was with my granddaughter.”
“Susan.” I commented, not really sure what else to say, a bit taken aback by his answer.
He nodded “You and her got along really well, to be honest when we first met you greeted her with more enthusiasm than you did me.”
“That’s…that’s a long time.” I muttered.
“Yeah.” He agreed softly, looking at me with a tenderness in his eyes I’d never seen directed at me by anyone before. “We’ve been together through thick and thin…suffice to say we’re quite close.”
“How close?”
He hesitated before stating “You’ve always told me that you value honesty very highly and that when this day came, I should just be straight forward with you…”
“Well get on with it then!” I snapped impatiently as the Doctor’s went silent.
“There has never been a time that I’ve met you that you haven’t known…” He took in quick breath, looking me in the eyes as he rushed out “that we’re married.”
It was like I’d blue-screened, freezing as I tried to comprehend what the Doctor had just told me, him rambling on nervously “Well on my end at least, but you always said you still considered it to be mutual, even if you hadn’t experienced an actual wedding yet.”
I held up a hand, the Doctor immediately quieting down as he waited for me to speak. “We’re married.” He nodded “and for you we’ve been married hundreds of years.” Another nod. “Okay…I think I can accept that…there’s just one thing I’ve got to ask first.”
He stared back hopefully “Ask away.”
I couldn’t have stopped my eyes tearing up even if I tried “…Will I ever see my family again?”
“Oh Mia,” The Doctor got up from his chair, walking around the table to put an arm around me as the tears began to fall, shushing me as I tried to apologise “Shh, it’s okay, you have nothing to be sorry for. Never apologise for the way you feel, you have a right to your emotions.”
“I just miss the-them,” I got out through my cries, hands futilely trying to wipe away my tears “I do-don’t usually mi-miss people but this is the f-first time I might not see-see them again!”
He gently shushed me again, removing his arm from around me as he pulled my chair around to crouch in front of me, “Hey, hey listen to me.” He gently reached up to remove my hands from my face “I promise you’ll see your family again.”
“Bu-but the Doctor lies…” I protested, remembering that was one of the many companions rules.
“Not about this.” He said sternly, though not in offence “I promise you, you will be reunited your family again, healthy and whole.”
“Ho-how do you know?” I asked, my sobs quieting at the strength with which he made the promise.
“Because I was there.” He told me with a gentle smile “I’m afraid it won’t be…for a while. But I promise it will be worth the wait.”
“…Okay.” I told him voice hushed but now absent of sobs “I trust you.”
His smile got brighter, eyes soft as they looked at me “Thank you.”
The Doctor and I did get closer after that conversation, I feeling a lot more comfortable around him for the two days it took for the TARDIS to appear in 1969, a tension I hadn’t even noticed I’d been carrying, vanishing from my shoulders.
The Doctor obviously told us straight away once he’d detected it, and I’d like to say Martha and I were excited to leave.
If only it hadn’t appeared at just gone 3am.
Suffice to say I had a few choice words to say when he woke me up and will honestly treasure the gob smacked look on his face for some time to come. I am not a morning person and as such have no filter, especially to people I barely know waking me up without warning.
Just because we had gotten closer didn’t mean we were that close. Yet.
Now that it was the more reasonable time of 10am, Martha and I were packing up the few bits and bobs we’d collected during our somewhat short stay before heading to meet the Doctor at the TARDIS.
Said timelord was waiting giddily outside of its door, apparently having been waiting for us before he entered himself, an excitedly impatient “Come on!” escaping him upon spotting us, swinging the door open to step inside.
Martha shot me an amused look before moving to follow after him, I quickly did the same, turning as I entered to close the door behind us before finally getting my first look at the interior of the TARDIS.
“Hello,” I whispered, laying a hand against one of the pillars, ignoring the Doctor as he ran around the centre console “I really hope you like me.” To my surprise I received an answer as the TARDIS began to hum, the pillar practically vibrating underneath my hand as the lights near me brightened before dimming back to their original glow.
“What are you doing?” I snapped my head to look at the Doctor as he spoke, seeing he had stopped what he was doing to watch me with a curious expression.
I reflexively pulled my hand back, hiding it behind me as if I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t “Nothing.” Luckily Martha had already went off to her room so she hadn’t seen me stroking bits of the TARDIS, I don’t think she’d let me live it down.
He let out an amused hum “No need to be embarrassed,” He pat the console “the old girl likes the attention.”
As if in agreement the console began to hum audibly. A small laugh escaped me “Okay then.”
Any further words were cut off as a sharp pain lanced through my hand. I jerked my hand towards me, cradling it to my chest in reflex as if it would stop the pain before slowly holding it up in front of me to see what had caused it, only to stare in shock as a crack of bright light appeared to be shining through my palm, steadily growing in intensity.
“Doctor! What’s going on?!” I asked in a panic, turning to watch him as he approached slowly, holding his hands out as he answered me in a soothing tone.
“You’re alright, Mia. You’re just about to jump.” He gestured to my shining hand “The light will grow brighter until it completely envelops you, whisking you away, though the time it takes each time varies a little. We’re still not really sure why.”
I looked back at my hand seeing it get steadily brighter, now understanding, but couldn’t hold back my whine “Did it have to hurt though?”
He let out a chuckle to which I shot him an annoyed glare, him quickly holding his hands up in defence, though obviously still amused as he apologised “Sorry sorry, it’ll get better though, and you’ve told me the pain only occurs when it first lights up then just becomes a dull throb that you just find irritating.”
“You mock my pain.”
“Already quoting movies at me even this early I see.” He commented with a fond smile.
“Don’t think I’ll ever stop, pretty sure it’s a main part of my personality at this point.” I admitted.
“Oh, you never do.” He agreed “And I wouldn’t change it for the world.” He flicked his eyes back at my hand, mine following to see the light had pretty much consumed it at this point “Have a safe landing!”
“What’s that suppose-” My words were cut off as my body gave a sudden lurch, my stomach turning queasily as I was pulled away to what I presume was going to be another episode.