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“Normally, the one who’s going away gets a gift instead of the other way around.”
Yaz had informed her two days ago that her parents wanted to take her and Sonya on a trip to Italy for two weeks to spend some time together. Yaz and the Doctor had landed in the area a day prior to examine an alien, and when that was complete, she had decided to check in.
Despite her recent and sudden reappearance, Najia and Hakim wasted no time in inviting their elder daughter to join them. When Yaz realised how long it had been since she had spent any significant time with her own family, she knew what she had to do.
However, that didn’t really explain what was catching the Doctor’s eye.
The Doctor stood curiously, staring at the gift in Yaz’s hand. Wrapped in plain TARDIS blue wrapping paper, the box sat dully in her palms. A grin appeared on Yaz’s face, though the Doctor wasn’t sure if it was at what she had said, or at the gift itself.
“Well, this is to help with that, actually. Open it.”
The Timelord wasted little time in opening the box and taking out .... a mobile phone. A rather expensive mobile phone for the early 21st century. In fact, if she had to guess, it was from around this time. Maybe even this year.
“You got me a...”
“Cell phone, yeah.” Yaz nodded, pleased.
“But I already have a phone in the TARDIS. Two, in fact”
She looked over at one of them; it being the reason why her ship could be known as a police telephone box. Yaz shook her head with a smile, which seemed to confuse the Doctor even more.
“Yeah, but this one is special. I added apps that I thought you’d be interested in, but above all, I got it for you for one reason.”
She took the phone from the Doctor and handed it back a few seconds later, the phone now in her contacts. It only contained one number, however. The only contact in it had a heart at the end of its name.
A bold move, she thought when she first added it, but one that just felt right now.
“I had to add mine first, of course.” She said, hints of a red hue in her cheeks. “I know that you may go a bit stir crazy without me here.”
The Doctor tried to protest but Yaz rose her hand in defiance.
“Don’t even bother, you know I’m right.” Yaz said, as the Doctor slowly nodded in acceptance. “So you may be needing that bit of comfort when you’re alone... I know I did during the Flux.”
Yaz could see the Doctor flinch and close her eyes as she mentioned it, knowing it was a sore point. As much as she knew it hurt, it had to be mentioned to explain how important the gift really was.
“Yaz, you know I-“
“I know. I don’t blame you at all. In fact, I wanna thank you again for the hologram. Got me through some tough times when we were apart. I wanna hope that this will do the same for you.”
“Well, I appreciate it very much.”
Awkwardly, but still full of love, the Doctor reached over to Yaz and took her in an embrace. One that both women held tightly for, a new addition to their growing relationship. Yaz then took the box from the Doctor and kissed her on the cheek, her lips lingering on it for a second or two, another addition through that growth.
The Sheffield native kept her eyes on the blonde for a few seconds longer before sighing. “Best get going then.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” Yaz said. her voice threatening to tremble.
As she turned on her heel to drag herself and her suitcase towards her family, the Doctor looked at her in confusion, noting the strangeness in her voice. Yaz, however, was glad that her face was out of her friend’s sight.
She didn’t want her to see the tears starting to fall.
She neglected to tell the Doctor about the nightmare that had plagued her the night before, the one that had led to the purchase of the phone. One in which Yaz saw a terrifying golden glow around her before the Doctor flashed brightly, turning into someone Yaz didn’t know... and someone that didn’t want to know her. She walked to the kitchen that morning and met the blonde at the table, seeing her as normal as anything. But the dream still lingered in her mind.
One day, whether she liked it or not, she would have to face it.
Yaz’s phone came to life again as she effortlessly swiped to the right and put it to her ear. After taking calls from work for most of the day, she just wanted to get this one over with. So many new recruits asking for her help and guidance. While she was happy to give it, it was getting a bit tiresome, and she was sure that when she’d asked Kate for a day off, it shouldn’t have included all this.
“Hello?”
... It’s me.
“Yes, it’s you. Who’s this?” Yaz responded. The voice didn’t sound too familiar, but she supposed someone passed around her number.
“It’s me, Yaz.... the Doctor.”
She nearly dropped the phone once she heard it.
It couldn’t be. The last time she had seen her was over a year ago. She vehemently refused it in her head. But then she felt her body burn with the heartache she had become so accustomed to in the weeks following their parting.
Curious, she pressed on.
“... What do you mean, the Doctor?”
“I’m phoning you from Manchester, I think. Gotta hurry this up, since I don’t think people in the 1890s know what a cell phone is.”
There was a playfulness to it that could only come from one person. She closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. She took the phone and held it to her chest as she took time to catch her breath. There was so much she had to adjust to. A different accent, a different pitch of voice. A whole new body and face. But there were still a few questions running through her mind.
Of all the times and places, why here? Why now?
“... Why? Why are you calling?”
“You told me a long time ago that I could call you if I needed help to get through some tough times.”
“And...?”
“One just so happened to pop up.”
Yaz heard the chuckle that came with his statement, but she could tell it was tinged with sadness. Something she was also so familiar with.
“First time since I’ve really been on my own since I met Ruby - trust me, you’ll love her - I just dropped her off back home and I needed a place to go to collect my thoughts and the TARDIS brought me and-“
“Doctor....” Yaz stopped him.
Part of her wanted to smile. An enthusiastic ramble to hide the truth. Some things really did never change.
“... It’s beginning to sink in that the change really happened... You know I thought I’d be used to this by now, but even now, I’m still....”
“... Scared?” she said, taking a shot in the dark.
“.... Yeah. Believe me, I am more scared than anything you can imagine right now...”
She was momentarily taken aback by his willingness to reveal this, and put it down to this new regeneration.
“I just need... something to hold on to. Something familiar. Something like...”
“Tea?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you want to come for tea at mine?”
Another shot in the dark. This one filled with instinct rather than thought. For so long, so much of her wanted to find out how she could help the Doctor as much as she helped her. How much she could help ease the pain and hurt. As much as it hurt her, Yaz wasted no time tending to the Doctor in the TARDIS before the moment of truth arrived for both of them. A new version wasn’t going to stop her from continuing her task. Her duty of care.
But she still waited with bated breath at what response she was going to get.
“Tea…at Yaz’s….”
“Yep…”
“…. Wouldn’t miss it for anything in the universe.”