The Teas (12 x Reader) - noodleleg (2024)

Chapter 1: The Terrible Two

Chapter Text

About 5 years ago, when Bill was thinking about applying for some jobs in her area, her foster mum told her about some places around town. How there was some jobs going at the university and kept pushing her to get some income. Then, when Bill did go out to apply for the job as a cook at the university, she bumped into someone.

There was a person hiding behind a tree with binoculars. Now, Bill wouldn't usually pry into other people's lives but she was slightly worried at first they were some weird pervert. But then she saw them do a weird dance and make a 'Cacaw cacaw' noise at some guy in a window who looked absolutely terrified with confusion.

"Uhh... What... Is goin' on?" Bill asked the person.
"OH. Hello. Are you real? This a dream or am I just making up a language for no reason to a stranger in that window?" Answered the person.
"I'mmmm... pretty sure this is real, yeah- sorry, I'm Bill, what's your name?" Bill asked, stepping closer to extend her hand to you.
You take her hand and kneel down, "OOOO BILL.. Nice." You kiss the bridge of her knuckle and then suddenly let go to do a backwards roll into the bushes.
"W- WAIt! You didn't tell me your name!" Bill tried to get in through the bush but it was prickly and she found that the path went the same way so she just followed the path instead.
"BUSH. GO THROUGH THE BUSH!" You yell weirdly.
Bill did with a lot of ows and eeks.

Suddenly, on the other side of the bush, while Bill was pulling sticks and prickles out of her clothing and flesh somewhat, you leap at her and hug her.

"THE INITIATION IS COMPLETE! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUUUL BILLIUS BULLIUS!" You spin her round while she laughs confusedly.

Finally, Bill is put down, commenting 'Billius?' and giggling with you again.

"Y/N." You smirk and hand Bill your binoculars when the guy from the window pointed at you and some security guards come running after you. "Nice to meet you Bill, must dash! Good luck with the job interview!"

You take off, running far away through the streets of Oxford while the security guards follow yelling at you and you cackling like some mad thing.

Bill scoffed, shaking her head at how strange an encounter that had been. She then furrowed her brows and said, "Wait... how'd they know I had a job interview?!"

It's still a puzzle to her until this day.

~

And now it's the present day and Bill was out in the hallway just outside the Doctor's office. She was pacing a little, worried about what this lecturer was going to pick at her over, especially considering she's not a student.
"Hey, no need to stress, I can come with you if you want? I don't want you getting all wound up from this-" You say comfortingly.
"You- You'd come with me?" Bill asked. "Nah.. it should be fine, I mean, I dunno but it should be fine-"
"Alright, well I'll wait outside for you, tell you what... Cup-string." You hand her one end and thread it carefully up through the wedge between the hinges and the door. You give her a thumbs up with a wide, ecstatic grin on your face as the door closes and Bill looks bewilderedly back.

And so, Bill looks around the room inquisitively, holding that flipping cup-string and sits down in a seat before the desk of the Doctor. It was dotted with odd trinkets and a few framed photos of beautiful women. There was also a pot of weird looking wrenches which Bill reached for curiously but as she almost touched one a loud play of a riff on electric guitar played right behind her in a little room adjacent.

Bill mouthed 'wow' before coughing to clear her throat and catching the attention of the Doctor.

He peered trhough the door and swung his guitar round carefully propping it against a wall. He closes the door so the handle clicked up and that's when he furrowed his brows slightly at the string he found leading up to Bill who was sat there innocently in the chair. He also noticed a plump shadow beneath the doorway and a blocked draft, that all adding up in his mind which meant there was someone there, crouched considering the wideness of the trailing shadow.

He raised one brow but didn't bring it up with Bill. First, he sat down at his desk and asked, "Bill? Bill Potts?"
"Yup. That's me. You asked to see me..?" Bill answered and asked in turn.
"Yes. You attend my lectures. Why." He asked back in more of an order than a question.

First she answered with a longwinded answer she hoped would develop on its own about a girl she gave too many chips which made her fat... Like oops. But it had no real relevance, as I say. She was hoping something would develop, it did not - evidently.

"W- I.. They're good. They're SO good, like I don't even go here, I work at the chippy. But they're good so I come." Bill then answered an actual answer.
"I see." The Doctor responded.

Then, "Psst. PSSt.. CACAWWWW", through the string cup.
"Sorry, I gotta take this-" Bill said goofily as she picked up the cup and held it to her ear then put it to her mouth, turned away from the Dr who gestured 'no, go ahead, take the call', but he was rather taken aback by quite how silly this was turning out to be. "I can't talk right now, he's not telling me off or anything, don't worry-"
"Yeah? Oh okay.. If you need me, I will kick that proff ass of his! He has anything there... last I looked he wore too long a coat for me to see-" Said you just before the Doctor cut the line and opened the door.

You fell through the doorway and your head went between his ankles headbutting his shoes. What he hadn't expected was an intense sniff from your nose against his doc martins, "MMMM COOL. YOU SMELL... COOL." You cackle chaotically and scrabble to stand up in front of him.
"Wha-...T?" Asked the Doctor, absolutely baffled by how he should react.
"Cool. Y/N. Friend of Bill's nice to meet ya, Doctaaaaaa~" You then did a double take of his eyes and commented, "Funny.."
"Yes. Well, if it's humour you're after you shouldn't need to look any further than the mirror. You're quite the oddball, aren't you. But why... what is funny about me to you?" He asked with a dry laugh.
"Eyes. I've seen eyes before. In many faces... But you have the same eyes..." You state with a puzzled tilt to your head.
"Well I should hope I have the same eyes. Be a bit annoying if they didn't match. Though I s'pose you'd be made very unique from birth should they not..." He trailed off.
"Mhm." You answer then slip past him and sit on the arm of Bill's chair and hug her round the shoulders, propping your chin on her head.

"Oh, yeah, please, do come in, make yourself at home-" The Doctor rolled his eyes as you did so. He closed the door again and sat down at his desk to blankly stare at you and Bill.

"Uh, you should come to his lectures too, Y/N... If you're alright with me coming and I'm not a student you wouldn't mind them joining too, right?" Bill asked, gesturing between the Doctor and you.
You peer up from beneath your brow but with a pursed frown your suck at your teeth and answer before he can. "I despise education. I prefer only being here to torment and see you, of course!" You pinch and play with Bill's cheek rather protectively that only the Doctor had noticed from them. He squinted his eyes.

"You ...hate it? Well, I'm glad to tell you I wouldn't allow anyone with the likes as you to enter my lecture hall!" Spat the Doctor in a hiss.
Bill got angry on your behalf and stood up to yell profanities at him but you just smirked with a heated rage that became a crooked happiness instead.

"The likes of them!? What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?!" Bill raged.
"Someone unwilling to learn, AN IGNORANT. PUDDING BRAIN-" The Doctor yelled back, staying sat, eyeing you as you scoff breathlessly and then speak up.
"You misunderstand..." You slot into the seat Bill had been in before her outburst. You slyly lean closer to the desk and tap your perfect nails upon the edge of the aged wood. Having grabbed the attention of the Doctor with all his senses alert as he picked up on your manipulative behaviour. "...I value learning above all else. Ignorance I cannot stand. If anything I might be the most openminded creature you may have thepleasureof meeting."

The Doctor's brows raised again, more with a sarcastic anger now, a mean amusem*nt in his tone, "Pleasure? You think you're apleasureto meet?! You, like every other PUDDING BRAINED, USELESS HUMAN ON THIS PLANET don't have any care to broaden your minds, or maybe I'm wrong but that RARELY EVER HAPPENS SO I would have to give you a PRIZE IF YOU WERE RIGHT-"
"I said I was open-minded, not a hoe. Geez, I ain't banging you for some prize!" You laugh raucously as the Doctor screeched out a 'NOT IN THAT WAY' but Bill was infuriated, believing every word you were saying.

"Come on, Y/N, we need to report this creep- We might not be students but we ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS and should be treated-"
"How we should be treated as a race we should be wiped out. All we do is brawl wars for a different opinion, a different love, a different shade of skin. We havepoisonedthis planet. I dream of only the filth that hastornat this planet, US, how we have completely and UTTERLY INFECTED the core of nature, how she, our mother earth screams and wails. How if we are to continue everything will be tainted. And I hope with my entire heart that I am LONG SINCE dead before I get the HORROR of witnessing such a VILE FUTURE!" You breathed with heavy lungs.

The Doctor stares baffled, limp lips as he stares at your ever changing, theatrical expressions and each twitch of truth in your lips, the click of your teeth and the rampant sway of your emotional hand actions.

"So, yes. DOCTOR. I know that humanity cannot always be the smartest, kindest creatures. I too hold hatred for us and I AM human. I mean, I think you are too but there's such a detached way about you perhaps you have alienated yourself so far from us we cannot call you one of us anymore..." You ramble then go back, mostly on track, "But... at least the minority of us that are good, who try to be good... trying, always trying to better ourselves, loving the life this universe delivers to us... Marvelling at the stars, at the sky.. at the very ground beneath our feet..." You breathe and Bill touches your arm in a caring manner. "...Is that notenoughfor you, Doctor?" You asked him now looking up at him with pleading eyes, squinting slightly as you ask him that heartfelt question.

"I-" He stuttered, truly bewildered.

Bill was proud of you and your words and offered you a side hug but you were finding it hard to stand your ground as you had - some way down the line of you delivering your speech had done so - your legs were shaking tremendously but you hid it well with a false, confident persona.

"I mean to add to my first statement, which I wholeheartedly stand by, by the way. I dodespiseeducation. I hate how everything I loved creatively was squeezed out of my peers. I watched as they were drained of creativity and now they're in uni of their own. They're continuously treading these halls, crying over words they lose wasted in files their teachers will read once and not once think of the work that went into creating such a thing. I hate how I spentYEARSof my life doing that same thing. Going through the usless things. They kept trying to qhip me into shape, make me jump through the hoops but I refused and I expressed it all in my final major projects and all I ever gained in return were low grades because I refuse to bend to my knees and kiss the rings of vile men with too much money and too little care for the imagination of a changing YOUTH! If education wasn't such a f*ckEN SAUSAGE MACHINE... maybe, just maybe I'd enjoy it a little more. And maybe then the world would have had the pleasure of seeing me rear my pretty little head and not this ugly face of distant, unattainable desire and RAGE TOWARDS EVERY SINGLE PUPPET MASTER THIS WORLD OFFERS!"

You breathe heavily practically seething. "We don't need no education. HEY TEACHER, LEAVE US KIDS ALONE!" you yell, pointing your hand accusingly in his face.

But what you didn't expect was him hugging you. He suddenly just hugged you with tears in his eyes and in a shaky voice he said, "Never have I heard such more poetically, true words spoken..."

He stroked your head with his palm and your eyes were wide, stunned as he held you and you just stayed there, stumped as for how to react, what to say.

Then Bill questioned, "Sorry.. I.... I never knew you felt that way, Y/N... you always seem so curious to come here... Wait... You're not a student here? But I only ever see you at lunch.. What do you do all day?!"

You pull away from the Doctor and shrug.

The Doctor also pulls a face of confusion, urging you to answer. "What classes do you attend? I've seen you around but only in the afternoons..."

"Oh haha yeah I don't go here. I punched a kid in the face and gagged him. He's in a cupboard upstairs. No one's found him yet... It's been a while.. I should probably go check on him..." You laugh suddenly sounding like a literal crazy person.

"You... you did.. WHAT!?" Bill yelled in question.
"You.. aren't lying..." The Doctor commented after searching your eyes. He skit off towards the door and flung it open, running to the end of the hall, looking up the staircase where he assumed you had locked up this poor kid.

Bill went to your side and asked, "You're... you're kidding us, right? Y/N?" She searched your eyes but you just grinned maliciously. "Oh f*ck.. See, one of these days you actually will get caught like... today, now this professor knows-"
"Not if we hide the bodies~" You grin like a villain and run off, chasing after the Doctor.

Bill laughing thinking you were joking then realising the determination in your features made her swear 'oh sh*t-' and scarper off after you.

"HERE DOCTOR DOCTOR DOCTOOOORRR~" You grin as you call for him.

You ascend the stairs two at a time and when you get to the top you see the old man checking in every cupboard. You smirk and rub your hands together menacingly.

"You know about my evil plan to infiltrate thisfairuniversity, and you know what that means...." You start anouncing as you step towards him dangrously.

The Doctor spins on his heel and plants both hands together in an awkward way as the flatness of his fingers touch together. "Uhh... No, not really.. What does that mean? That I have something to black mail you with, I'd assume? You seem to be in trouble a lot or at least you should be but manage to escape it somehow, I assume you use your charm because of how strangely manipulative you can be. And I've only met you today, imagine how much other people have noticed. Imagine how much Bill knows-"
"No. EEE URGHH." You make a convincing buzzer sound as you make an X with your arms. "All wronngggg." You say as you roll your eyes and twirl to the wall where you roll your back, onto your front and so forth until you were behind the Doctor in the empty hallway.

The Doctor kept his eyes on you as he felt like he were prey in the path of a hungry predator.

Just as you hiss, "It means, I now have two bodies to hide~", into the shell of his ear. His eyes widen significantly wide as fear and realisation sets into his features, Bill makes it to the top of the stairs and you sigh tiredly, "Well I did want to keep it to an even number... especially since I like Billy Billius Bull... But... I guess that props the number up to.. 3~" You purr and chuckle when the Doctor suddenly grabs you by the collar of your shirt and he thrusts you into a door.

The door pushed through and inside the room is a man tied to a bed. Gagged.

You're grinning like an idiot. Knowledge and mischief written all over your features.

The Doctor stared at the man horrified as he writhed and whimpered a little.

"Hey, kitten, I'm back~ Who's been a good boy and waited for me~" You purr grossly.

"Oh.. no. This is.. Horrific-" The Doctor muttered.

"Is- is there someone else with you? You know how I only wanted this to be a me and you thing!" Pleaded the guy tied up, it was almost indecipherable his text due to the pig gobstopper in his mouth.

"Oh.. My.. GOD. THAT IS... BAD." Bill said throwing up in her mouth and blushing.

"Told you I had a guy tied and gagged upstairs~" You laughed and winked at them both.

The Doctor took Bill by the pinch of her elbow and dragged her downstairs to give her a good talking to about hanging around a bad influence like myself.

Meanwhile, you untie the bloke and he paid you some cash to fill the rest of the day. You grin villainously as you sway your hips and descend the stairs then knock on the office door before strolling into the Doctor's office saying, "You guys better not be f*cking in heeere~"

"Why... do you assume that, you know my orientation-" Bill sighed laughing through her nose. She hugged you and said, "I'm glad you were lying about knocking out that guy and taking his identity... even though I think you might have scarred us BOTh for life with that scene upstairs.."
"Oh, no I didn't lie. I did punch that guy in the face and knock him out-"
"SEE! I told you THEY ARE BAD-" The Doctor yelled, standing so quickly his desk chair fell over and clacked against the floor.

"Upbupbup! You sure like jumping to conclusions with what I say, huh..." You say, making him shut up quickly. "But no, it was all true just not in the right order. I simply let you make your own decisions on how to take what I was telling you. I like to be as vague as possible~ Makes day-to-day life so much more fun! Plus... I'm technically not lying, just obscuring the truth." You giggle mischievously and child-like as you have your ear to your shoulder with your head tilted coquettishly and twirling with your hands perplexed at the height of your cheek.

The Doctor stared long and hard at you.

"Bill.. Could you leave us a moment." The Doctor asked.

Bill furrowed her brows, "Um.. naw. I don't know what you're gonna do with my back turned, I already know you don't like them.. I don't want you hurtin' 'em!" She frowned defensively.
"Bill, I aim to harm no human. That's a promise. You have my word. I'll see you tomorrow for your first proper session, 6pm remember! I am very particular about time!"
"Yeah, yeah. I got it!" Bill rolled her eyes and looked at you to see if you were okay with this.
"Go onnnn, go say hi to Moira for me, tell her I'll be round Wednesday for tea again, yeah?" You smiled at her kindly and Bill nodded saying another goodbye to you more affectionately than the one she had given the Doctor.

As soon as Bill had left the Doctor's fake smile dropped immediately and a deep, dangerous scowl set into his brows and cheeks.

"I give people too many second chances.. Don't you dare make me worry for her life or any other human's life for your own petty scams like this EVER again!" He spat, his finger jabbing directly at you.
You just blink at him once. A strong stare still lingering on him.
"Don't you dare keep MOCKING ME with that look. That knowing, f*cking LOOK." He growled unhappily with how you reacted to his words. Or better said, how you didn't react.

"I don't mean to mock." You said calmly but with a hint of venom. "I've only ever known how to care for those closest to me. Bill has been my only close friend these past 5 years. I am so used to being alone and broken by men like you. Men who keep f*cking wriggling their way in and making my loved ones happier than I can make them! You can't be for f*cking real if you think I didn't notice-"
"You-" He scoffed and rubbed his fingers into his brows. "You are twisted! You are viscerally twisted! A deeply troubled, JEALOUS girlfriend! You think I'mcoming ontoher? I AM HER PROFESSOR-"
"I'm not her GIRLFRIEND. SHE DESERVES SOMEONE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN I COULD EVER BE. SHE DESERVES SOMEONE BRILLIANT! Someone who's not going to lie to her. Not going to play with her feelings for their own gain... For their own shred of pleasure... I hope she finds someone the opposite of me.. I hope she finds someone... someone like her.. Someone normal.. someone lovely like.. like.. same eyes... same...eyes.." You mutter, trailing off with angry teasr burning your tear ducts.

The Doctor picked up on that, he picked up on how you weren't angry at him. Only how he had indirectly insulted her. How you were in love with someone else. Someone with his eyes, he assumed.

"You love someone, don't you? Or you did.. And thet have my eyes?" He put it together, saying it out loud.

You didn't really answer. You just scoffed and pointed at the blue police box. "It's funny.. She said she'd come back for me... in a blue box. She told me she liked to travel in it and I assumed it was some weird wording for car... or van... but.. you have a blue box too... and.. her eyes."

Your eyes trail across from the box to look into his, suddenly looking cathartic and the air was cleansed of rage. Instead there fell an understanding. Maybe it was something in your eyes. Something that told the Doctor you didn't mean to be angry. You didn't mean to be so bordering on evil as you were...
...How perhaps you were just silly to the extreme... And that poetic, silver tongue of yours.

He saw something in you that reminded him of himself and he felt tears of his own well softly.

Your eyes were locked with his. "I never even got her name. We met at a park bench." You told him.

And he nodded in understanding with his lips parted kindly whispering, "Would you like to tell me about her over a cup of tea?"

You smile sweetly, sadly and nod, taking a seat with him beneath a stain glass window while he put the kettle on and you gazed up at the police box. "What an odd thing fate is.." You whisper to yourself.

A halo of sunlight encapsulated you in its glow and the Doctor swallowed dryly as he poured the tea, taking a moment to gaze upon your beauty, having not noticed before from his blind fury. Now, with eyes unclouded, he saw you as the iridescant and loving soul you truly were.

If only you would stop faking so much of yourself... perhaps then you'd see the beauty too.

Chapter 2: The Traumatised Two

Chapter Text

"So... you two come as a pair, huh?" The Doctor asked with a slow spreading grin of amusem*nt, peering up from beneath his brows in the way he does.
"Yup! There's no separating us!" Bill said with a big smile.
"Yeah, buy one get one free type deal. She's worth the money, I'm the freebie which isn't worth the cash!" You joke darkly.
Bill frowned, "Well that's not true, you're worth money!"
"DON'T YOU KNOW IT, I'M A HOEEEE!" You laugh and jump up from your seat, magically in your seat, pointing at her, "I'M THE BREADWINNER BITCCCCCCCCH-"

The Doctor was pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "I can see I'm going to have to bring out some toys to distract you while Bill and I actually have a grownup lesson about stars and space...." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Toys? Toys, did someone mention TOYS?!" You joyously squeak, searching the room like a ravenous dog, sniffing your nose over the desk insanely.

The Doctor is watching you with a look of genuine confusion crossed with concern.

"What?" You asked him with your nose squidged against a rubber on his desk.
"Well it's just-" The Doctor began all the while you are making direct eye contact with him and slowly protruding your tongue from between your lips and the Doctor couldn't look away as he attempted to say what was on his mind. Bill nodding, oblivious to what you were up to. "-Just.. you are nothing like the other humans I have encountered.. and I mean that.. and that is a VERY difficult thing to achieve indeed... I've lived for a veeeerrrryyyy long time and I've met sooo many people.. and yet.. you-" He watched with his eyes squinting a little as you began to pull the rubber off the table with your tongue and then sunk your teeth into it. "-you are completely.." You bit a chunk of the rubber and began chewing it like pebbly gum making the Doctor pull a disgusted face and finally, finish what he was saying, "...unique."

"This gum tastes terrible..." You scowl as you slow your chewing.
"That's- because it wasn't gum-" The Doctor said patiently.

You look disgusted at him and unfold your tongeu from your mouth showing Bill and the Doctor the granules of rubber all over the pad of your tongue.

The Doctor scowled again while Bill handed you a tissue, laughing at your antics. "Here, wipe your tongue with the tissue-" Bill offered kindly and you did so. Then you look around the room for a bin while Bill and the Doctor talk about science stuff. You couldn't find a bin so you balance the crunched up tissue on top of your head instead and waited until their attentions were back on you.

And soon, they were.

"What... are you doing, now?" The Doctor asked breathlessly saying 'what'.
"Nothin'. You got a bin?" You asked.
The Doctor picked one up by his foot and leant it over the desk for you. You tilt your head forwards and the tissue rolls off from your head straight into the bin with a soft crinkle noise.
"Cheers." You thank him before melting back into the chair you were sat in and look up at the ceiling, eyes tracing all the beautiful intricacies of what the old building had to offer within its bounds of brilliant architecture.

The Doctor hushedly asked, "Bill let's get on with a lesson, hmm?"
"Sure thing. We left off on Neutron Stars, right? Pulsars are the alive ones and they basically exist forever, right?" Bill asked him, engaging in the lesson correctly.
"Well, as far as humanity can tell so. Yes." The Doctor responded.
"They're infinite as we predict them to be because we don't last long ourselves. But when they die they will still have existed for thousands of years... But possibly the oldest thing humanity know of is the Methesulah... It's a bunch of letters and number by code and file but I know it as teh Methesulah, named after a biblical figure pertaining to its immense age. It took 13 billion lightyears to project to us. That's a pretttty long time if you ask me!" You suddenly input, still staring up the ceiling, deflated in your chair.

The Doctor and Bill are gobsmacked.

"Ah, the Genesis Planet... You arefullof surprises!" The Doctor coughed breathlessly.
"Thanks babes. Dunno why I have this knowledge to be honest, it never does me any good and I never really get to converse about it. So, these lessons are nice... I might come along more often.. Nah, I better not actually.. I'm tryna patch sh*t up at home with the folks and get some of my old paintings off my dad..." You said, suddenly remembering where you were supposed to eb right now. "OH titwa*nkS. THAT'S NOW. TODAY... Okay, I'll catch ya later! Bill, love ya. Proff, take it easy, don't want no broken boners- I mean, bones!" You grin playfully after a look of pure haunting fear dawned your face at the realisation.

Then, not a moment later, you were out of the room and sprinting across the fields outside.

"Wow... They sure can move fast..." The Doctor said breathlessly. "Why'd they have to leave? Some appointment?"
"Nah.. They have it tough with their parents, pretty controlling and they gave her a window of time to pick up her stuff.. Must've forgotten." Bill shrugged with a sad smile about her face.

The Doctor felt the shift in mood.

He looked at the stain glass window and seats where there was a coaster with a tea stain on it from the other night when he had sat with you and conversed about a woman you barely knew but had fallen for. And how much he was learning about you, inquisitive, beautiful mind and soul but had a rage towards a controlling society and education. It made sense now, a lot more at least.. to him as he heard of your controlling parents. He frowned, eyes glued to the stain still. He was thinking deeply. "Bill... Is Y/N a happy person to you?"

Bill turned to look at him as his eyes slowly roved up from the stain to the shred of fear in Bill's eyes. "Well yeah. Most of the time they are, for sure... Actually, all the time. I don't think I've ever seen them cry... And I've known them for-"
"Five years, yeah..." The Doctor frowned more. "Okay. Well, anyway. Neutron Stars have a mass of...?"

He changed back to being falsely happy to cheer up Bill's mood too, to keep their minds off the sad truth you were trying too well to hide from them. From the world.

Bill and the Doctor continue into the late hours of the evening to learn their lessons and to catch up over biscuits and tea in their breaks.

When Bill was walking home she heard a heavy thud from a house just across from the road from her that being your house. There was a load of swears spewed from an angry man's mouth.

About 10 canvases of various paintings are thrown onto the lawn with a guitar and violin in their cases and a ukelele was thrown without a case, it smashed on the floor and out wailed a "NO!" With tears in your eyes, it was you.

Bill rushed over, clutching her chest, afraid for you as your parents threw out your things and then your dad grabbed you by the throat and threw you out into the gravel too. She fumed as she came to your side.

"Y/N! What are you doing!? Don't hurt them like this!? What is WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?" Bill roared at your parents, holding you kindly in her arms, trying to help you as you cry silently with shredded flesh from the ground and hot stinging pain.

You caught eyes with Bill and said, "No, no you need to get out of here, please! They'll hurt you too!" You pleaded, there was a blue bruise beneath your left eye and you look so unlike how you usually do. You weren't smiling. She'd never seen you cry... But now she had.

"Don't you f*cking talk to us about that f*cking slu*t! Get off our property before we call the police!" Yelled the man as you scramble with bleeding hands, gathering up your paintings, some clothes were picked up and slung over your arm and you loop your guitar case onto your back, your violin case handle around your wrist and you cry as you stare abysmally at your broken ukelele. You go back to Bill's side just as your dad raised his hand to hit her across the face. You push Bill back and he hit you instead. You stumble but look at her and take her hand.

No words exchanged.

You stride swiftly, dragging Bill with you down the road.

The light of the moon being the only thing that drenched the roads in seeable view. It glistened on the tarmac and around the edges of the puddles from last night's rain.

After a while of you taking Bill down the road, she noticed you limping slightly and then you collapse outside the gates of her foster mum's house.

"OH My GOD! Y/N!" Bill knelt swiftly and cut up her tights in the process but she didn't think twice about that.

She thought about taking you inside to live with her and her foster mum for a bit but worried about Moira getting weird about everything and making this situation worse. And then she got a phone call from her, speak of the devil.

Bill picks up the phone and Moira is obviously ringing from out at a club or party somewhere, elsewhere from the house. Bill sighed from the relief and said she'd call her back that she was on the tube or soemthing to make an excuse.

Moira hung up and Bill took your limp, unconcious body into her room and lay you on her bed. She looked after you in your sleep. Having to look up on the internet how to treat cuts and bruises like those that you had.

She had gotten most of the cuts from the gravel clean with hot water and a few disposable antiseptic wipes and was now in the kitchen, digging around for plasters. She couldn't find any and went to the shops quickly to buy some but when she came back you weren't there. You left her a painting you'd done of her. It was beautiful.

And for weeks after that you were gone.

Seemingly nonexistent.

Gone.

Bill missed you but would still attend the Doctor's lessons. She would go on adventures with him through time and space but you were still missing every time she returned she was hopeful but hope can only last for so long.

The Doctor knew from what Bill had told him that you had had a bad night and Bill had tried to help but you were gone before she could try to ask her what had happened. But The Doctor couldn't get Bill to tell him what she experienced. He told her he only wanted to know because he cared but still, her loyalty lay to you and she wouldn't say. She felt it was secretive, especially if you weren't coming back yet.

So, the Doctor had really picked 'em this time. A girl who'd lost her mother at birth and a mental patient that's completely disappeared although definitely had at least 5 terrible things going on hence everything they did, said and well.. were like.

About a year past before the Doctor found you. He was simply out for a talk with UNIT over someone causing chaos across schools and universities in the area.

The Doctor sighed nasally, "I know exactly who that is... I'll go and get them.."
"You do?" Kate Stewart asked.
He sounded exasperated. "I'll need a toy of some kind to calm them down." He joked.
"Uhh... what.. kind of toy?" Kate asked.
"I'm kidding.. But a whale.. I feel like a fluffy whale toy would be nice.. Don't you think?"
"Suuure we can get you a whale...toy..?" Kate gets one of her people on it and they come back with a fluffy white and pale blue teddy of a whale.

And then, he was off, on the hunt for you.

The Doctor found you doing the crab at people and hissing at them. He stared at you and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"Y/N... Come on, it's time we get you home, don't you think? Bill's been worried sick-" The Doctor said with his hands behind his back as he came stepping closer to you on your back now in the grass.

Students had cleared from the area as the Doctor chuckled darkly, you paw carefully at his boots and said, "Oh, it's you proff.... Bill must be doing fine without me. Better now. All better that I'm gone, right?"

His eyes squinted. "No. Not at all. She misses you every day and has asked me to find you and here I am..."

"No... UNIT found me. You just happened to be there." You told him.

"How did you find that out?" The Doctor asked, genuinely puzzled by how you knew.

"I talked to a UNIT guard. Also gave him my sandwhich with pickle in... I hate pickle... why even is it.. like the way it is, all slimy n that...?" You comment then look up at him and grab the cuff of his trouser leg and swung round on the floor almost as if to begin breakdancing when instead you stood up behind him and found the fuzzy whale. You gasp excitedly and he holds it out of your reach. "No faiiirr!"

"You didn't lie... You do like toys... You can have it if you come back to the TARDIS with me and return to Bill and I. Deal?" Doctor asked, seriousness in his eyes.

You jump up and down giddily, "Sure, whatever! Deal! DEAL DEAL DEAAAL! fuzzzzyy whallee!" You make grabby hands and he frowns then hides it in his pockets which seem endless as the toy completely disappears from shape and view entirely.

"Wh- where'd he go!? Fuzzy man nuuu-" You pout, suddenly not caring anymore as it was out of sight and out of mind.

"He's in my pocket. You can have it when we're back with Bill. Deal?" Doctor asked you.

"Fine... Oo... music block!" You say as you loop your arm through his and you both begin walking and pass the music block where there was orchestra practice and they were playing a rendition of Howl's Moving Castle's theme by Joe Hisaishi.

You suddenly step a little faster than him and slot your feet in front of his so your feet stood the shape of a square. You slide your hands into his and he mumbles, "What- what're you doing-" And then you were off, leading this man in a waltz around the grounds of this prestigious university as the song continued to play in all its colourful ways by the orchestra just a few stories up from them.

"This is a good film you know..."
"This is real life, Y/N-"
"Noooo, I meant where the song is from, silly." You say as you bob with him in a fancy, dancing way. "Howl's Moving Castle. Absolute master piece of a book, stand alone I believe, so very different from the epic beauty of animation, hours of work and painting that went into the ferocity of such a series of events, of the portrayal of magic and the stunning beauty of each character, all developing in their own ways up until the climax of the film.... Sheer beauty." You sigh in a daze.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at you and suddenly dips you, having you lean out prettily before he asked, "Would you use such poetic wording to describe your life?"
"Not without words connoting only agony and cathartic beauty, I'd suppose." You answered him, eyes on his and breathing a little heavily.

Suddenly you were the one taking him by surprise next as you pulled his hand to your lips and you kissed the bridge of his knuckles before spinning him in a twirl so that his coat lapelles would flow out spectacularly. You smile and wink at him then pull him back to your chest and danced a little more akin to that of the foxtrot, turning into the tango and back to a waltz as you placed your hands modestly on his shoulders and swaying with him all the way off campus and towards the UNIT headquarters where they opened a garage door for him and you both waltz inside to the TARDIS.

Now, you hadn't seen inside the TARDIS, you'd only known it as the blue ornament in the Doctor's office. So, this was going to be a surprise.

"Oh, that's right... you haven't met the TARDIS yet.. Go ahead, take as much time as you need to.. wrap your head around it~" The Doctor said as he unlocked the door and went inside, leaving the door for you.

You scan the box, seeing how there's nothing around it. You open the door and stomp on the floor.

"Hey, woah.. what're you doing that for?" The Doctor asked, holding his hands up uselessly to try and stop you.
"Making sure it's not a fall through trap door or somethin'... you can never be too sure... when a man lures you inside his box!" You say comedically.
"Right... I suppose that makes sense. Well, what do you think?" The Doctor grins excited to see your reaction.

You blink with each eyelid closing one after the other like a lizard and that made the Doctor's lips and crowsfeet twitch a little from amusem*nt and confusion.

"Big place folded into a little place. Makes sense." You shrug as you walk past him up to the middle. Silently marvelling at everything.

He took a moment to then turned and look at you crookedly. "What do you mean 'makes sense'?! It never makes sense to anyone who sets foot in here! Except for Time Lords and... well.. that's about all really.."

"Do I get that whale now?" You ask him still looking up at the revloving ceiling.

"You can when we get back with Bill!" He said grumpily. He was waiting for a bigger reaction.

"Okay, fine. There was this thing my dad made in college. It was a plastic cuboid that he had folded from a larger shape into a smaller outer body which was a square based pyramid. So.. it's just like that isn't it? A bigger dimension formed inside one of smaller dimensions. That's the same as this box. Another dimension, isn't it?" You asked and informed him of the thing you knew had been made similarly before.

The Doctor's lips twitch amusedly. "I like your dad already. It takes a lot of intellect to achieve such a thing-"

"Yeah, 'course you'd say that." You laughed.

The Doctor's eyes twitched, "Why'd you respond like that? Do you have a bad relationship with your dad?"

"Who doesn't?" You scoff.

"Yeah.. I guess you're right there." The Doctor laughed.

When he pushed some buttons and set the TARDIS off to return to the university it took you there straight away and you said, "Ohh... so it travels through semi-fractional time and space? Makes sense."

"What? How do you know this!? Stop saying 'makes sense' you're not meant to say that- You're supposed to be in awe of this godly achievement of science!!" The Doctor was irritated by your intuitive understanding.

"Oh, I am impressed. Thoroughly. I just don't express things healthily!" You scoff and open the door, Bill and Nardole are outside the doors, drinking tea. The Doctor makes a knowing face of disapproval for how you had answered him.

Bill practically threw her tea on the table and scrambled out of her seat, running at you and hugging you to the floor from the force at which she came at you with. She then slapped your cheek and you say, 'YoW...'.

"Thanks, really helping with the trauma of abuse hahahha!" You laugh as she went on telling you off for disappearing and making her worry so much. But after your dark humour hiding the truly terrified feelings you protect yourself from, Bill frowns and tears up.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry.. I didn't think!" Bill cried.

"Woah, hey, don't cry, it's fine. I won't leave you again if I mean that much to you... Not sure why I would but.. I'll stay, it's okay, Bill..." You tell her, soothing as she sat knelt between your legs.

You lean up, your elbows keeping you upright as you set a kind hand to her arm.

"Bill... Really, it's okay.. You look well..." You smile at her.

"You idiot! I'm not well! I missed you SO much. I was worried your parents had done something! I was worried you were DEAD!" Bill cried, flapping her arms around scarily close to you.

The Doctor hurriedly tried to tear Bill away from you as he noticed the signs in your eyes. You had frozen stiff, a tremble, a shake about you as you held your breath and eyes and lips twitch with fear but you were so strong. He could practically taste the need to cry about you.

But you pushed it down as you touched his old, kind hands and shook your head and you shuffle forwards, pulling Bill into your chest, embracing her.

The Doctor and Nardole stand there uselessly.

Nardole asked the Doctor, "Is that one okay? They have all the symptoms of a psychotic break right now-"
"Yes. They... Are very strong. I suppose they've had to be." The Doctor frowned but smiled too.

You smiled sadly over Bill's shoulder at the Doctor before returning all your attention to Bill.

Chapter 3: The Troublesome Trio

Chapter Text

"You guys like bubbles, right?" You asked as you walked into the room with water pistols and a big pot of bubble solution and 4 type of blower wands.

Doctor and Bill look up to see you juggling those items.

"Where's eggman?" You asked.

"Making tea." The Doctor answered, standing up to see what you had in your arms. "Hmm.. Water pistols.. I've had bad encounters with these things.." He grinned and chuckled, "I once showed up on my friend.. uh.. Amy Pond's doorstep for christmas dinner and she emptied an entire water gun on me... I mean sure, I had another face then but still... it was very wet.."
"Water generally is.." Bill laughed and said how lovely it was to see him happy and reminiscing to characters he'd met in the past.

"Anyway... why the bubbles?" The Doctor asked.
"Games. I thought up a fun game. So, you gotta burst as many bubbles as ya can with the water pistols. Whoever bursts more wins. I dunno. Just thought it'd be fun." You say with a fun smile which seemed rather held back.

"Games? You want to play games? Why here? What about games on another world, we could just nip in the box before Nardole comes back-"
"No you bloody will not!" Nardole said, coming in with his set of tea. "Y/N, I think that's a lovely idea to keep this old fool distracted! Doctor, you will be going on this fun day with Y/N and Bill and I'll stay here and keep an eye on the vault. Alright?!" Nardole practically ordered.
"Right... Uhh egg man is right, thank you dude..." You eye his bald head and drool.
"Stop it! You know I hate it when you dream about eggs and look at my headddd!" Nardole pouted and rubbed his head.
"But... are you sure I can't scoop a spoon around in there? There's gotta be something like gooey yums in there toooooo~" You joke still drooling about eggs.

Nardole held his head and hid behind the Doctor. "No! Doctor! Protect me from the scary humannn!"

The Doctor rubbed his brows exasperatedly as Bill laughed at the scene and drank some tea.

"Oh, Doctor, Doctor! Protect me from the egg loverrrr~ Oh, Doctor, oh Doctor, save me from the evil creature under my skin~" You taunt.

The Doctor's mouth hangs open for a moment as he said, "You really would make aflawlessVillain!" He laughed a little and then hurried you and Bill on. "Okay, fine, let's go.. Play this stupid game you have in mind. I can already tell you I'll win but whatever!"

Bill laughed as she finished her tea, heading out the door with you and the Doctor.

Nardole stayed in the office.

"See ya breakfast, I'll eat ya later~" You joke and pretend to snarl a crunch of his flesh in your teeth.

The Doctor had to tug on you to pull you away from causing Nardole to make puddles.

"You're going to cause a lot of trouble for me, aren't you?" The Doctor chuckled as he held you in his kind aged hands and walked with you through the halls. "Huh? Where'd Bill go?"
"Oh she nipped to the loo. Tea does that." You explain with a shrug. "Surprised you didn't notice it, clever man."
"I noticed she was gone.. that's enough..." He did a double take as he looked at you with your stupid, sly, knowing smirk. "Oh shut up.." He laughed, trying not to but you had that affect on him and he couldn't help it.

While you and the Doctor waited for Bill you tap your fingers on the wall and the Doctor began tapping his foot. He clicked his tongue with his teeth and stomped his boot for a drum-like effect and then Bill came out of the bathroom. She made a look of confusion at the both of you but the door of the bathroom made a certain noise that reminded you and Doctor of that Nirvanna song everyone knows.

"She's overbored and self assured... neh nahhh nehnhehhehehhh.." The Doctor mumbled.

"WITH THE LIGHTS OUT, IT'S LESS DANGEROUS!" You suddenly shriek in the husky voiced way that Kurt Cobain sang it like.

The Doctor was grinning mischievously as Bill swung the door again in time and the group were moshing in the hallway by the loos and shrieking the lyrics strangely harmoniously.

You managed to gain an audience and lots of people joined in. It was very silly and peculiar but that's why it was the best. No one wants to be mundane, do they?

How boring if you do.

The Doctor was really enjoying it actually and after the uni kids had high fived you all and the party in the hallway was over, you, Bill and the Doctor exit into the courtyard of the university

"That was fun! We should have proper jam sessions more often!" Bill said excitedly.
"Yeah! I can't play in time for sh*t though-"
"You play? What instruments?" The Doctor asked, suddenly really intrigued and in a kind of cute way, he held your arm in barely a smooth pinch of his thumb and forefinger at the bend of your inner elbow. You eye the touch before he looked up again into his eyes.
"Uhh... Anything, really-" You shrug, a little awkward from his kind touch.
"Anything? Not a didgeridoo, surely!" He frowned as he gestured around you.
"I can hold one note. More than most can do. Making sound on those things is hard enough, but yeah I can play one thing even though I end up passing out after a while cuz I can't do the circular breathing thing-" You explain.
"Seriously?" Bill asked, "That's so cool! I mean I know you play multiple instruments, remember when Moira brought out that old piano in the attic and you just played it for like 3 hours straight? That was so cool!"
"Yeah haha I remember that!" You smile at the memory.

The Doctor then took your hands in his, stretching out your slender fingers in his own, rough fingers smoothing over your much softer hands. He pressed into the pads of your fingers to feel for roughness. "Piano makes sense... Guitar or some kind of stringed instrument too by the feel of your fingers...?"
"Correct. I can play any kind of guitar but I'm most experienced with Acoustic/Electric/Bass. And I can play Ukelele since we were taught in primary school... Violin too. I just kinda pick things up, work at it for about a week and by then I've learned the chords so a month in and I'll be playing all my favourite songs on the instrument." You shrug as if saying that wasn't amazing in itself.

The Doctor looked into your eyes and not noticing, he was still holding your hand between his and he leaned down to you with excited, awestruck eyes. He truly respected you.

"You... Yes. We should all jam at some point! Absolutely we should! I want to hear what you can do-" The Doctor said. "OO! And you can sing, especially from your show back there with us in the hallway! You shape your voice to fit the singer.. Like a little recaller bird..." He expressed slightly offensively.

You smile and blush laughing it off. "If you say so! But my ukelele uhh broke so.. if you want that you're gonna need to find me one!" You chuckle dryly.

Bill frowned at the memory of that terrifying night.

"Oh.. shame, well how'd it break?" The Doctor asked.
"Oh stop itttt, you know how, she told you, didn't she?" You asked confused and rude.
The Doctor squinted his eyes while Bill looked away ashamed. "Am I missing something? I feel like I'm missing something.. Why are you all frowny suddenly?" He asked completely out of the loop.

"I never told him.." Bill admitted.
"Ohhhh fabulous, so I get to tell you BOTH the big story. Neat. Yeah, my parents kicked me out the house and cuz I was late they gave me some 'goodbye beatings' it's all good. Basically, uke got thrown out on the ground, man got shattered, I had a cry. Scraped my hands up on the gravel, thanks for tryna clean em up for me, sweets. But really it was fine, I carry plasters-" You open up a pocket and show her and the Doctor a wad of plasters with hello kitty and my little pony printed on them also a fabric plaster.

"That's why they hurt you? Because you were... LATE!?" Bill was fuming.
"Yeah, it's fine, really!" You laughed, completely fine with it.
"Really? You're really okay with this?" Bill asked, not believing you. "That can't be right! Please, Y/N! Just show a shred of emotion for once-"

"Nope." Popping the 'P'. You spray her in the face with the water pistol and expected her to chase you when you ran off giggling but she didn't she just frowned and walked off.
"I can't do this today, Y/N... I need to head home anyway, I was meant to pick up Moira since I have a driver's liscense now and she'll have missed the bus and will text me to pick her up... like always..." She frowned and stomped off.

"I... Bill, no... we haven't played the game yet though.."You say sadly, defeatedly.
"You're rather good at ruining things for yourself, aren't you?" The Doctor asked you.
"Yeah.. but then, I learnt from the best." You peer out the corner of your eye up at him.

He paused confusedly. "What's that supposed to mean? You've only known me a few months-"
"I've known you with another face though. I'm right, aren't I? The reason I've seen your eyes before... And you said you had a different face then. That means you've had other faces but the same... kind, eyes.. Right?! So... you've been a woman, blonde, pretty smile and a beautiful mind!?" You asked him, practically pleading to make your theories a reality.

"I... haven't been a woman since I left Gallifrey- uhh.. my world..." He clarified, with furrowed brows, staring at you.
"But how can it be you have the SAME eyes then!? You even.. have... you have a blue box thingy you travel in... you... you and you're so... kind like she was-" You frantically ramble.
"Are you sure you were even awake?" Doctor asked you.
"OOO GOOD POINT. BABY CAKES, RETURN TO ME, BILLIUS! I KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG!" You yell over the campus.

Bill stopped and turned around but you ran into him and you both roll in the grass, almost landing in the bush where you'd both first met.

"It's the bush... I dreamt HER UP, she ain't even real!? BITCH IMA START DATIN' AGAIN-" You then whip your body backwards, still sat on top of Bill who had shrieked at first but was now just sort of exasperated beneath you. "DOCTOR!" You yell as you lean back until your back was arched and your head was curved to stare at the Doctor who had now come a little closer, haulling the bubbles and water guns.

"Yes?" He asked back, waiting for you to ask or say whatever you were about to.

"You wanna grab a drink~" You winked at him upside down and stuck your tongue out at him.

"Uhhh... in a nice way with Bill of course. With you as a date or some infatuative way... absolutely not- I'm old enough to be your saint! Not your boytoy-" Doctor said back defensively hiding a flattered blush.

"You said it not me... but okay, yeah... Maybe next time.." You laugh and curve back normally to face Bill and said, "Okay... you and I need to be more true with eachother, huh. Okay, so... You have to pick up Moira right? I'll come with you, we can bicker about her when you drop her home and then we can come back, have a picnic and play this stupid f*ckING GAME- sorry... not expressing nicely again... sorry... I know.. sorry.." You were struggling to keep it together for a moment and the Doctor knew how that felt. Bill sat up and hugged you.
"It's okay. We can do all that but... you don'thaveto do things for us, you don't have to perform for us.. I know you think you need to to keep us happier... But you don't need to.. You are wonderful as you are and your parents were wrong to do what they've done to you... okay?" Bill kissed your cheek and held you in her arms lovingly.

"O...kay.. but.. the thing is I don't know any other way to be... so, I'll keep doing it but... less.?" You asked truthfully.
"Yeah... that works.. Bring it in!" Bill hugged you and laughed when the Doctor just stood there confused with the bubbles. He was blowing some bubbles and one got caught in the fabric of his coat.

"Magical.. bubbles are just... magical, aren't they?" The Doctor said in awe of the shimmery spheres.
"Should we take him with us?" You asked Bill with a mischievous smirk.
"You think Moira would try to come onto him?" Bill asked with a wry chuckle.
"All the more reason why we should bring him with us~ Plus, Nardole wanted him out his office and not offworld, right~" You grin as you conclude.
"Okay, point taken. Docta, you wanna come for a ride?" Bill asked him.

"Why? What.. Where? TARDIS?" He asked excited like a puppy.
"Nooo, we've been in your ...'vehicle of choice', now come have a ride when someone else is driving, eh?" You asked with a grin.
"What? Like in a car?" The Doctor asked grumpily. You and Bill nod. "Urgggh nooo... they're so borrriing!"
"Yes you will. Because it would be fair of you to do this. Come on~ I'll find you a high chair if you need one, boo boo baby~" You tease and taunt him.

"Oh f*ck... no." The Doctor scowled as you and Bill drag him off towards the car and he practically clawed at the grass like his life depnded on it.

The theatrical old sod! hahaha

Chapter 4: The Three Trenchcoat Twinks

Chapter Text

"Wait, so how many people have you been, Doctor?" Bill asked as she stops at a stop light.
"Ohhh, many." Was all he answered with, his silly but devious smile encasing his features.
"Very accurate.." You roll your eyes as you gaze out the window as the clouds had become grey and a drizzle of rain began to patter on the window.
"Looks like it's gonna rain... Urgh, Moira is gonna be insuFFerable!" Bill groaned.

"Who is Moira exactly?" The Doctor asked blankly.
"Seriously?" Bill asked with a tut as she stared daggers at him through the back mirror.
"What? You can't expect me to remember everyone you silly people tell me about, can you?" The Doctor seemed exasperated.
"Well I do! I remember all about the Master and whatever.. Now, she's the Mistress and all that jazz.. I still remember the tale you told me about how you met and made Nardole-" Bill exclaimed.
"NAW NARDOLE'S YOUR SON!?" You suddenly shriek unbelieving him causing Bill to jerk the pedals and somehow the car swerved and she lost control of it.
"NO-" The Doctor protested confusedly.
"I CAN'T CONTROL THE CAR, IT'S DRIVING ON ITS OWN-" Bill screamed.
"How could you think that LIL EGG POPPED OUT OF MEEEE?! LOOK at me, AM I NOT PRETTIER THAN HIM!? WELL I AM-" The Doctor shouted.
"WE'VE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR HERE, HELLO!?" Bill wailed.
"PORTAL!" You joust your finger at the portal up ahead where the car was driving into it.
"PORTAL!?" Bill whined afraid, holding onto the wheel and you fling your arms up, "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"I mean come on, you must be BLIND TO BEAUTY!" The Doctor scowled.

Suddenly, you guys were in the same street but it was night and the car rolled to a halt when it hit into someone.

"WE HIT SOMEONE!" Bill was horrified as she undid her seatbelt and swung open her door.

"Ohhhh, I thought this was all part of the experience when being passenger to you guys... driving this... primitive contraption." The Doctor frowned rudely.
"You can be SO rude sometimes, DOCTOR!" Bill scowled at the Doctor while she went round to the side of the man she hit with the car.

The man quickly springs up and says, "GOODNESS... Why is it you people are so intent on accidentally killing me this week?! Oh hello, sorry, didn't mean to startle you!" He tapped Bill's shoulders.
Bill stood up with the help of the strange man.

"No... Way..." The Doctor frowns, staring at the man in the velvety coat.
"Oh hey... same coat, y'all are matching... How cute, be funny if you were the same guy-" You snort at your own joke, oblivious that you were entirely right.
"Shh shhh No, no.. shh.." The Doctor pushed his finger into your lips then basically grabbed his entire palm to your face and pulled you aside by your face.
"MMMMFF!" You tried to speak against his hand.

"Doctor... What're you doing here?" The Doctor asked the other man... also.. the Doctor.
"I'm here on a mismatch time stream as usual, saving the universe before you monkeys go destroying something else!" The other Doctor in just as fancy a coat answered.
"MMF!" You still grumpily say, swatting at your Doctor's arm as Bill was trying to phone Moira but with no such luck.

Your face is still in your Doctor's grippy fingers and so you just watch the scene, arms now forlornly dangling in front of you as you lean your body with your face being your centre of gravity.

"But you wouldn't understand the worries that come with such a burden, would you, silly humans trying to run me over with your primitive contraption... So silly! Hang on a minute... Have we met?" The other Doctor asked.
"You don't recognise me yet, do you?" Asked your Doctor.
"No.. No... Not yet and I never forget a face..." Said the other, "But you... You seem very familiar and now, would you be so kind as to let the pretty young woman free of your grabby hands, hm?"
"No, not yet.. I s'pose not and that one... They are quite a difficult one to handle. I think I should be allowed this-" Your Doctor scoffed. "Eh, Bill. What do you say, shall I let 'em go?"
"Yeah! Bloody well let 'em go right now or I swear Doctor, I will shove my foot so far up your-" Bill started.
"Doctor? Why, you're a Doctor too?" Asked the other Doctor, "Funny coincidence... Oh, wait.. You knew me as the Doctor- OH, YOU'RE-" The realisation hit him like a truck but as it had you licked your Doctor's palm and he let out a shriek and shivered.

"GOTCHA. YOU, WITH ME HAHAH!" You lean fast across and grab the hand of the other Doctor and dash off in another direction.

"HEY NO- Y/N YOU COME BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW!" Your Doctor called but you were already long gone.

You laugh and run about like a mad flea with the other Doctor running about and matching your haphazard, chaotic energy.

"My, my! You have a lot of energy, don't you?! How do I know I should trust you?" The other Doctor asked you.
"Well, I arrived here in a car out of control with another version of yourself inside it. Plus, we got similar coats. Don't you think you should trust people with as cool as fashion sense as yourself? I think one should. I SURE DO, and I turned out.. more or less...fiiiiiiine~" You laugh and smile as you scoop your arm through his arm and give it a squeeze. "Plus, I'm hot, you're hot. What you think about grabbing a drink while those fools figure something out?" You ask him with a coquettish smoothness.

"Well, how I could argue with that, I'd never know where to begin! And you do have a very fine taste in clothing, goodness, your coat is beautiful... Where'd you get it? I found mine in the locker of a hospital worker's." He let you in on where he got his fabulous fancy dress.
You laughed, "I found mine in a charity shop... Guess how much I got it for? Everyone always says a tenner..."
"Well it's definitely not a tenner then..." He thoughtfully points out.
"Haha, correct!" You laugh, swaying softly into his side. There was a playful smirk on his face as you grinned back.
"Uhhh.. pound. It was a pound. It was a shop at the end of the line in a street quite far from here but still in England and you bought it with your sibling/friend when you were looking for something for your own birthday since your parents wouldn't bother... Oh.. I do know you, Y/N... Aw, I'm sorry..." The other Doctor frowned and hugged you.

You stiffened confusedly. "Wha- what are you doing?" You asked politely but completely and confused.
"Okay... So... You're not used to affection, I know sorry... I should stop-"
"No no, please, touch me more, pretty boy~" You joked tauntingly.

"Ohohohhh... I forget how cheeky you humans can be, especially the lady folk and the like... I know you don't quite fit as a girly girl or a manly man and I completely understand~ I've been a few women and a few men in my time, you know... I think people like us are what the very definition of that saying: 'best of both worlds'~" He smiled fondly at you and hugged you under his arm.

"You know... I think you're right.. But question... Ever been a woman with blonde hair, kinda bob-like... visited the 21st century and talked to me in a park?" You asked him hopefully.
"No.. not that I remember... I have only been a woman when I was last on Gallifrey and that was a whiiiile ago, darling~" He pinched your chin between his thumb and index finger cutely.
You scoff and giggle innocently before only a moment after another TARDIS appears and lands around you both.

"OH- Your Doctor must have found us-" Said the other Doctor.
"Hmm nahh, his funky dimension is fatter than this... this is a baby TARDIS.." You say, pointing out that the interior was completely different and that, "The interior design is much different, my guy went for sci-fi with a bang... not back in the naughties with pizazz.." You thumb back at the surroundings and another Doctor peers around the side of the controls.

"OH ANOTHER ME, INDEED! Hello, Doctor! WE are the definite article, you might say, because you do... or I did... we did. You did?"
"He did?" You join in confusedly. "They d..id?"
"I think... Well we're both here... and I have another me that is your Doctor. Your him... Your me... Your him? Us you- yes what? Jellybaby?" Asked the Doctor, completely baffled by himself once again.

"Ooo... you still like jelly bongles by the way.." You say, nomming into a pink one.

"Pink? You like the pink ones, of course... They're the scarce ones, rare, unique, makes sense-" The other Doctor smiled at you.
"Pink jelley babey? I like Jelle Bebes... What are you doing? Who are you, why did my TARDIS bring you on board?" Asked the other other Doctor.
"Bring on board? Pookie, I thought we got eaten by the box!" You tease him.
"Pookie? Oooo, sweet. I feel very tingly thank you~" Purred the other Doctor with his victorian wear being straightened in his thumb and fingers.
"Yes, brought on board... Like with hands... you were hugged by my TARDIS into existence upon my TARDIS. Oh wait, a you? AM I you? Do I become you?" Asked the other other Doctor.
"A few false starts but then yes, hehe~" Responded the other Doctor.

"Heyy... that's what my Doctor said... apparently... I think.. Wait, how'd I know that? I haven't met you guys when that... was.. said?" You were confusing yourself very quickly, your mind was running 3,000 miles a minute.
"Oh my, have you been too close to the TARDIS' core?" Asked the other Doctor who was fully immersed in your personal space. He checked your eyes, flashing a light he found in one of his endless pockets. He said, "Open wide" and you open your mouth and stick out your tongue. His eyes widen a little as he accidentally mutters a 'wow' and you chuckle.
"I learnt how to dislocate my jaw for... certain.. purposes~" You purr playfully and when the other other Doctor came over, almost tripping over that massive scarf of his, he frowns at your shamelssness.
"If I hear anymore inuendo nonsense from that mouth of yours young lady you'll be off my ship faster than you can moan to your daddy about it-"
"Owuhhh~ Don't tempt me~" You moan fakely like a p*rnstar and grabbed them both in by their scarves. "Two pretty boys at my disposal? I'd have too much power~" You snarl and bite at them in such a seductive, tempting way.

Both of the Doctors breathed raggedly with you in between them both and walking away as they both just stood there and buffered for a moment.

"Well?" You asked. "No big, fancy comeback this time, hmm? Nothing, really, no quip? No silly snark?" You taunted, meandering towards them serpentinely. "So, scarfy. Where's your girl? If I know the Doctor, you always have a chick... Is it a fetish? A kink? A hyperfixation? Obsession? Are you technically a space nonce-" You kept rambling until one of them responded.

"Stop, okay... no.. First, secondly and all of them.. No." The other Doctor said, pacing a little as he kept glancing at your lips. "But.. that's a good question.. Well, that's Sarah Jane's coat... so, I assume she's out somewhere... I can't feel her here in the TARDIS.." The other Doctor deduced.
"How'd you-" Asked the other other Doctor.
"I'm you, you me, me you, remember?" Asked the other Doctor.

"Okay.. right, I'm labelling you cuz this is just getting silly... Scarf-" You pinched his scarf by both ends, spun him and whipped them like you were on horseback and he was the horse.

He walked on towards the doors and opened them, gallopping through like some fool, playing along with you.
"neigh, neighy, thrice nay! I am the Doctor-" Scarf said.
"Yes, yes. We know. But you gotta be Scarf in the story otherwise the readers won't understand~" You smirked.
"Story?" Scarf asked confusedly.
"Story." You nod.

"And me? Am I the Doctor?" Asked the other Doctor.
"Nooooo... My Doctor is the Doctor, or 'penguin with his ass on fire'. You should see him run.. then you'll understand tch" You chuckle.
"Right... What is my name then?" Asked other Doctor again as he watched your lips smirk up as a grin.
"Pretty boy~" You purr and lean away from Scarf who puzzles with his large, bright wide eyes, peering between you both as you flirt with his other incarnation.

Pretty Boy swallows thickly.

"Sorry... Question, does this happen a lot in my future? Do we... get a lot of treatment like... this from the... the fairer parts of ourselves?" Asked Scarf with a wobbling lip, eyes bulging hopeful and a little, teeeensy bit excited in a different way.
"W- Weellll... something like that... I guess.. We do kind of...-" Pretty Boy responded.
"Yeah.. Yeah there's... there's a lot more." Breathlessly answered your Doctor.

"BILLL!" You shriek excitedly, running to her and hugging her, spinning around as she hugged you back, smiling widely.
"Y/N! What happened, where'd you go with 'em? Wasn't anything... sinful, I 'ope~" She teased.
"I wish. But Pretty Boy was looking at my lips, weren't you Pretty Boy?"
"No I wasn't-"Said both Doctors while Scarf scoffed with wide grinning eyes.
"No they meant me-" Your Doctor said, thinking you meant him after Donna called him that once.
"No, I'm Pretty Boy, you're Penguin with his ass on fire~" Taunted Pretty Boy.

"When were you wearing those scarves, have you been wearing them all this time? Penguin with his- OI!" The Doctor growled.
"Nyehehehe!" You laugh. "But yes, I wore them the whole time, just under my coat, doofus!" You chortle as you hide your scarves with your fancy coat lapelles. "See, gone.. then ooo wow, open the coat back up and wow, would you look at that, they're back!" You say as if entertaining a child.
"I could hit you sometimes.. You're worse than Missy sometimes.. You know that, Y/N? Y/N, are you even listening- STOP FLIRTING WITH MY PAST SELVES! He's DEFINITELY NOT MEANT TO BE FLIRTED WITh-" Your Doctor slapped your hand when you hugged your arm loosely around Scarf's neck.

"Aw... So you're telling me.. Pretty Boy and Angel Dust here gets more excitement than you do?" You gasp dramatically for Scarf.
Scarf pouts with his brows furrowed. "Well... I never!" With his wide, freakish eyes, he stares into his other self's eyes before snapping them onto you and smirking despicably, wickedly... seductively. "Why don't you share a little of that with me~ I bet you haven't kissed such a young Time Lord such as myself, hmm~ Well, now's your chance~"

You blink seductively slowly and smirk to match him. You reach your left hand tohisleft and slip your fingers into his spindly ones, bringing his knuckles to your lips. Making a devious stare with your Doctor before your right hand trailed up from Scarf's hip, over his reddish coat and hooking into the crook where the small of his back was, tugging his body into yours. He let out a breathy grunt of excitement.

"Oh, now this is just cruel... Having us watch while you.. you flirt with... with our old self.. or younger self, I suppose... I'm not that much older than him, why're you being so cruel to me?" Asked Pretty Boy, exasperatedly making a dismissive swish of his hand.
You chuckle, "I never said this was just a one-on-one thing~" You taunt and curl your finger at him with a wink.

"No, no.. You're mine~" Purred Scarf in your ear hotly, your brow raising higher as you couldn't help but let a shiver rattle all over your skin, through your bones and the heat sank into your tissues and arteries. Your heart beating harder.
"Then you won't mind another of us joining me~" Cooed Pretty Boy as he came to stand closer behind you and placed his hands to your shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze.

"Okay, no... Bill.. Let's go... This is getting weird.. even for me." The Doctor gagged theatrically.
"You go on ahead, I'll just get one of you to drop me home with you guys at the University, later" You smile at the Doctor, your face heated and there was a visible blush to your cheeks as Bill laughs embarrassed for you and clapping cutely close to her face like she does.
"You two look after 'em! Get my Y/N back in one piece or I'll graffiti your TARDISes BRIGHT, VOMIT GREEN!" Bill shouted accusingly at the other Doctors who gave her their word before getting back to you.

"Is Y/N gonna be okay with your past selves?" Bill asked worriedly as they walked off back through the portal they appeared by and Bill sighed as she took out her phone which now pinged with lots of messages and missed calls from Moira. She sighed exasperatedly.
"They'll be fine. I can give you complete clarity of that.. I just hope they don't go on too many excursions in the TARDIS, it's pretty risky enough we all met today as it was... Just means I'll have more memories with Y/N before the day I presumably met them with you.." The Doctor shrugged.
"Wait, what if they do something that completely screws up your timeline?" Bill asked.
"They couldn't even if they tried. Time isn't linear. It's pretty much a big blob of... wibbly, wobbly oobly doobly bingy boos... Who knows.. It's just a bunch of things that happen but my timings don't always match up entirely anyway." The Doctor shrugged. "Though I'm gonna be pretty pissed if I wake up with you in the office one day with I don't know... a marriage ring or something on.."
"Oh my GOD, could they do that!? If.. if they marry your past selves... oh yeah.. that would make sense... in a ..linear? sense?" Bill asked getting more confused by Time again.
"Yeah... uhhh, it's best not to think about it... Makes your brain hurt. Makes even mine hurt and I'm a lord of the darn sh*t.." The Doctor scoffed as helped Bill haul the broken down car back and away from the portal before returning to the University with a lift from the car towe company which helped Bill out.

The Doctor called UNIT who used a kind of ray which sealed up the portal that seemed to have been left behind by some operation carried out by TORCHWOOD, by which the Doctor would later ring up Jack to shout at him for a bit in his Scottish swears before hanging up abruptly then making a cuppa with Nardole and Bill.

He ate crisps in his office later in his office alone when Bill was back home, safe, Nardole was off doing god knows what that egg does.. and then his mind wandered to you. So far, so good... No new memories made from you and his 4th or 8th regeneration... Except.. there was a deeper connection he felt with you now. Perhaps it was from seeing how you flirted and ..andtouchedhis earlier selves... He felt something deep and twisted burn in his chest and he frowned, uncrossing his feet from atop his desk and planting his heavy doc martin boots on the carpetted floor of his office.
He sat, legs splaid with a dark, deep-in-thought frown. His brows twitch and each spine of grey like the glorious whiskers of a tired, old mog. His cerulean eyes held that same scowl in them as he bit at the stunted nail of his right thumb. The crunch of each bite he made echoed in the small room alongside the ticking of one of his old clocks -- they being the only sounds in the room.
And then the next sound joined them, the sound of his leg as it bounced impatiently. The fabric of his trousers made a serenely irritating swishing sound while his shoe followed the bounce and tapped the floor too.

He let his hand go from his lips when he hissed from a sting as he'd torn the skin around his cuticle and it began to bleed. It formed rather quickly and snugly found its home in the crevices of his aged hands.

And suddenly he was up. He grabbed a random object from his desk and threw it out the window. He threw it so hard and so fast he accidentally broke the fountain in the courtyard. It chopped off the stone prick from the little cupid spouting water and he pulled an 'oh sh*t' face but then laughed it off saying, "Seems fitting, all things considered.." He still seethed with rage and would still hold such anger long into the night, it would seem.

Falling back down into the comfort of his leathery chair he sat there again, putting a piece of tissue to his thumb and frowned again as he watched the blood spool out of him like watercolour to paper... or ink. Red, deep... burgundy ink.

He was beginning to let his thoughts wander until he snapped back into reality and noticed his other hand had placed itself rather promiscuously down his thigh, riding close to what he hoped he wouldn't have to think about so much as he had done in his younger bodies. But by GOD. You were... something... somewhat of a real boundary pusher. Something of a troublemaker which reminded him most of the Master in his younger years at the Citadel... But then he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose with his bloody thumb and his index finger.

He could feel the grooves in his face's skin and he hated it. He hated how old he was.. but how young his mind felt for you... how his hearts beat so much faster, so much harder than they had just days before. It made him wonder what on earth you had ended up doing with his other incarnations... I mean, it's kind of implied but... Hey, with Eight kissing down your neck, feeling your hips, steadying you while your legs shook- The Doctor covered his eyes with his wrist, his other hand unconsciously getting closer, shaking, trembling with barely restrained lust. --With Four practically melting you with his accent and in turn, you melting him with your touch. The way your hands were gliding over him so sensually, so well. Making him feel so good. And The Doctor had noticed how Four was fully sgivering in his boots, like... Thighs, trembling on a nerve.. Like he hadn't felt this good in a very long time and you hadn't even kissed him yet.

The Doctor took a breath -- Four felt as your hand came up to his cheek, it swam over his scarf and flexed into the curls of his already toussled hair.

"Hhhhhgghhh..." Breathed the Doctor loudly.

You wham open the door in a fashionable 1920s outfit. You looked absolutely divine. A little dickie bow around your neck of bright red, a shimmery dress of golden red too which highlighted all the right colours against your skin tone and accentuated your curves exactly as he had dreamed you'd have.

"f*ck- DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK!?" Wailed the Doctor as he pounded his fist down into the face of his desk.
You raised a brow at him. Still slightly tipsy as you smirked at him, "Doctorrrr, this is a place of learning, not a place ofyearning~" You lean over his desk, having planted your hands down and smirking at him, eyes slightly drowsy from fatigue and alcohol.

He growled unhappily and spun around, "You don't get to f*cking say that! And... Anyway, it wasn't what it looked like, completely clothed, see.. Nothing happened!" He scowled, defensively being rude again. He stood up too, leaning over the table his side and furrowing his brows enraged at you in turn.

You snort. "Okay, sure. Well... Don't tell me you've lived this long and not found you can still enjoy yourself fully clothed~" You purred to him suggestively.

His face twitched in a pit of his smile lines, his cheeks and in the corners of his eyes in several different places too. Dang, this man was ANggggGGyyyyY.

You tut and roll your eyes, swaying a little. "Haha... woah... Too much partying, christ, you were FUN! What happened?" You snidely remarked after seating yourself down.

He didn't want to respond. He stayed leaning over the desk, practically fine with grabbing you by the collar and slapping you one at any point. Especially if you push any harder than you already were with him in this fragile moment.

"For God's sake just STOP it!" He grouched.

"Fine.. Fine. No more questions.. I get it." You say dismissively, boredly rolling your head on your shoulders before going into the TARDIS without his permission, the door opened for you anyway and you came back a few moments later. "Well?"
"Well WHAT?!" He seethed back.
"You coming in? I have something to share with you..." You smiled softly, innocently... invitingly.

After rolling his eyes in a manner of anger, even though your smile had actually dried all his rage from him, he followed you in and closed the door after him.

You smiled back at him when you saw he had followed you in.

You took him through the twists and turns of his own ship before he realised where you were taking him. The Library.

There stood extensive book shelves that seemed to go on forever, and by fact of the science behind the TARDIS they could indeed do such a thing. But you sat in the chairs, not even bothering with the books. In one of the plush false leather-bound chairs is where you collapsed cutely. Snugging your feet under your bum and kneeling, sat in the yellow, mustard coloured chair.
The Doctor joined you after a minute of thinking. He sat in the red faux leather-bound chair and peered over at you. "So. What did you wish to share with me, Y/N? What was so important you had to bring me into my own ship for?"

And that's when you pulled out two flutes for champagne and a whole bottle on ice from beneath the table between you both.

He blinked twice as he saw that you seemingly pulled them out of nowhere.

"I hid them under my coat in the closet before I dressed in this from your wardrobe back in your 8th regeneration. Pretty Boy really suited you... It's a shame that face couldn't stay so long as the other yous... Ah well, time is a thing isn't it, I suppose.." You shrugged.
The Doctor looked away with a frown, jealous again. "Yeah, well not all of my regenerations could be young and pretty forever!"
"Why does that matter? That's not what I find attractive about you. It's character. It's your beautiful mind and your kind eyes. You all have them, doesn't matter which eyes you have next, they'll always be kind." You smiled as you poured his flute with champagne and handed it to him.
He took it without much thought, his lips parted, too awestruck to reply. The fact you had said 'what I find attractive about YOU' and not just his younger selves made his hearts dance in a different rhythm to what he was used to. Naturally, he was too stunned to respond.
"Or at least, they will be to me.." You shrug.

You then pour yourself a glass, the light of a roaring fire behind you warming your back and illuminating your curves in an orange glow.
The Doctor gulped dryly and eyed his flute of bubbly.

"Here's to a future of kind and passionate eyes!" You prompt a toast, raising your flute daintily in your fingers to him, awaiting the needed clink before you drank any.
And then he - with wobbling hands - raised his flute too and clinked his glass with yours. A faltering but very flattered and wisdom filled smile buffered to life upon his lips and he said, "Cheers~"

You both took a swig from your glasses and laughed long into the night. But you grew tired from all your dancing at the Ritz with The Doctor's previous self, Pretty Boy and you - for the first time as of yet - fell asleep in his TARDIS. In that safety, where you have never felt safer in all the world.

Coddled in the warmth of the Doctor's life. Snuggled into the very confines of his hearts. In his library.
Where he propped open a book and read the Wind in the Willows until you woke the next day. He didn't need sleep but he knew you did and seeing you so peaceful and having a form of safety when with him made his world thrum to life again.

Goodness, I think he is in love again...

Chapter 5: The Triple's THREAT

Chapter Text

https://youtu.be/h0TC09hGqC0

(my playlist up top for master + missy)

When you woke in the next morning, you found it was actually afternoon, time was weird here in the TARDIS. You pinch your forehead and grumble, "Urgghh, don't tell me the TARDIS causes hangovers too... Cuz I don't remember ever having one before... I blame you dimension folding biatch...." You slur slightly then wince and curl up into a ball more on the seat you were in. "Oh hey, you're like.. right there... I would've thought you'd leave.." You boop the Doctor's nose who sat in the seat next to you still.
He silently smiled, almost wisely, "Yes. I am here. Well, this is my ship.. My home. You didn't expect me to leave you of all troublemakers alone in it, did you?"
"Good point.." You snicker.
"Now anyway... I think we should put last night's... antics behind us annnd... go on a sneaky adventure, don't you?" He smirked playfully, mischief written all over his face.
"Adventure? I'm hungover, hun... Give me like.. 2 days to recover.. Also.. a house would be nice... like a bungalow.. I would LOVE a bungalowwww..." You sop playfully wrenching at your chest then frowning with confusion, it became a smirk quickly. "Oh, baby, baby.. I'm still in this dress~ My tit* be POPPIN'~"

The Doctor stared with his mouth hung open and blinked trying not to be distracted by your hands on your chest. "I have a drink that cures hangovers in the control room. Come on-"
"Ohhhh nooo... No, I don't take anything like that... Not even paracetamols.. Thanks though. I'll be fine." You say and brush him off.

You stand from the seat and fold the blanket he'd tucked around you last night over your arm. Smiling a crookedly fond way as you thanked him for the kind gestures. He nodded back and stood up with you.

"What? Why're you following me? I know my way around. I explore this place a lot when you and Bill are having your lessons. Or do you not keep tabs on who's been in your TARDIS?" You taunt a little snidely.
"Ah.. Alright. Well, I should go and find Nardole anyway... You shall find Bill and we'll meet back here in twelve minutes. Okay?" He asked giddily, somewhere between sitting and standing as he hovered over his red faux-leather chair.

"See ya in twelve then, Twelve!" You reply and walk off groggily flopping the blanket over a rail and leaving out to find Bill.

"Oh, Y/N..." The Doctor called for you. "..We should have more evenings like last night."
You squint your eyes as you try to remember what happened, "I'll pick up some bubbly on my way to Bill's then." You smile at him and the Doctor returns the smile before slipping back into his TARDIS, the door mostly closed.
You bit your cheek and smiled a little more again as you scoff then stroll off through the hallways of the university.

You walked with a little more pep in your step, even with the lingering hangover in the front of your mind.

You walk out into the fresh air and the bright sun. You pass an emo guy and take his sunglasses off his face. "Thanks, sweets~" You kiss his cheek as payment and he just blushes and walks on, not even bothering to try and get it back.

The crisp air of spring bit at your bare skin and you frown. Bringing your coat onto your shoulders, clambering into the warm thing you walk with your high heels in hand as if this were a walk of shame but honestly you were confident and looked very proud of yourself as everyone knew that the building you were walking out of was teacher only... You continue your stride and leave the grounds. Barefoot as you go.

You round a corner and take a left, crossing the road to the little shop and seeing Bill at the counter paying for some rainbow drops and you smile faintly as you stroll over to her. "Hey, hun. Doctor wants us in his office in about.. 10 minutes. Said about a'sneaky adventure'"You chuckle to yourself as you elbow her playfully and she smiles excitedly.
"Aw! Neat, I'm hoping he'll take us somewhere warm, it's pretty nippy out today.." Bill commented hopefully as the cashier girl gave her her change.

"Breakfast?" You asked, pointing at the rainbow drops in her hand and she smiled.
"Yeah, toast was burnt like.. we're talking ON FIRE... not crusty.." Bill laughed at her own mistake.
"Christ.. I told you not to set it so hiiigh!" You laugh with her as you twirl and start a melodic step off towards the alcohol aisle. "I'll be with you in a minute, gotta pick up some bubbly for the Doc.." You smile, having pulled up your sunglasses to wink at her. She chuckled and said she'd wait outside.

Making your way to the aisle, you found the bubbly that was cheapest but still good and then found a cute little rose wine which was as small as the length of your middle finger to the base of your palm. It was on offer so you picked that out too.
And so, turning to go to the cashier and pay, you were stopped by something suspicious. The girl at the cashier was being flirted with - unwantedly - by some gross old man. You bit your cheek with a low growl at the man's behaviour.

You walk over to him and say, "Oi, how bout you get lost. The lady don't want nothin' from you, or is 'no' not in your dictionary, asshole?"
The man turned slowly with a scowl. Not even fully facing you, eyes still cast to the cashier girl. He ignored you and grabbed the girl by the wrist making her shriek, afraid. Bill heard her cry for help and came back inside just as you grabbed a random bottle of cheap drink and smashed it on the counter and grabbed the man by the neckerchief. You held the sharp, smashed up bottle to his throat and watched as he whimpered and scrambled to get away.

"Don't get doing anything unwanted to a woman or man, or ANYONE like this ever again, understand? Cuz I'll be waiting, I'll find something even worse than this f*cking BOTTLE TO SHOVE UP YOUR ARSE WITH OR SLIT YOUR FILTHY f*ckEN NECK WITH, 'kay!?" You threatened the man and he ran out of the store screaming, he pushed past Bill who went, "Woah, you okay there buddy?-"
To which, the man screamed over his shoulder, "THAT BITCH IS CRAZZY!"

Bill peered back inside the shop to see you offering to pay for the mess and damage you'd caused but the girl at the cashier thanked you a lot and told you she would explain to the manager so there would be no need. You smiled thankfully and she even said the drinks you were buying were on her. So sweet of her.

"Say, what's your name?" You asked her.
"Sandy.. Sandy Hellans." She responded sheepishly, still rather shaken up.
"Well, Sandy.. Do you go to the uni over the road?" You asked curiously.
"Apprenticeship, in beauty therapy.. I'm.. I'm not a full-time student-" She replied.
"Peeerrrrrrfect!" You grin, not elaborating for a solid minute.

Bill walks over, fearing about the broken glass and red wine on the floor. "f*cking hell.. What happened in here?"
"I did." You smile at her.
"Makes sense.." Bill said with a roll of her eyes. "That guy was terrified of you, you know?..." Asked Bill with a little chuckle.
"Good. Shouldn't have been messing about with us guurrls~" You purr playfully.
"Ahhh, you feeling girly today?" You were asked by Bill.
"Nah. Very the opposite or both again. Just confident, wanting to manspread but very woman esque too..." You explain.
"Soooo... the usual gender fluid mindset?" Bill asked.
"Yuhuh." You laugh as you realise that.

"E-excuse me.. Sorry, uhh... why is it perfect that I- I'm a part time student?" Asked Sandy.
Bill pouted with a shrug, waiting for you to respond.
"Oh right, yes... telepathy isn't figured out yet.. Okay, so. You, me, Bill. We should all hang out some times. We're not full time students either. 'Would be fun. Whaddya say?" You asked Sandy.

Sandy looked genuinely excited and flattered. "W-well if that's okay with your friend as well-"
"She said yes in my head, same thing as reality, right?" You said - maybe spending so much time with the Doctor and his other selves was finally getting to you. Oh wait, no, you've always been this absurd too.
"No. Not the same at all." Bill rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
You slung your arm around her shoulders and blubbered, "Oh but Billll... think about it, two girly girls with a.. me.. whatever the f*ck I am, hahah. Plus, I think the Doctor would be happy for some time away from us loons!"
"Yeah alright! Hahaha, I'll let ya have this. You have good taste in people, always have. Sandy, you're more than welcome to join us in our free time. If we ever head to teh pub or anything we'll text you, yeah? Can we have your number?" Bill smiled as she rocked into your side hug.
"Yes, yes of course! Please do! I haven't really made any friends yet.." Sandy admitted sadly.
"Well now you have twwwooooo for the price of..." You began and Bill joined in, to do jazz hands with you, saying,"One!",together with big grins on your features.

"Hahaha! Here... That's an 8 not a 3... sorry, my handwriting is really messy.." Sandy pointed out.
"No worries, I don't even have a phone so I can't say much ahaha!" You laugh it off.
"You don't? Wow, that's amazing, strong of you to not obey!" Sandy chuckled.
"Yeah, I s'pose it is! Cheers!" You smiled sweetly and looped your arm through Bill's. "Well, it was great to meet you but we have somewhere to be... oops.. 5 minutes ago with the Doctor... hahah, tally ho, darlin'!" You grin chaotically, jumping onto Bill's back with the drinks in your hands.
Bill pretended she were a horse and galloped out towards the automatic doors.
"Wait.. The Doctor? You mean the guy at the university? The Professor? Everyone in my class gossips about hot he is!" Yelled Sandy after you both.
"OH HUNNY, HE'S AMAZINGGGG in BED!" You yell back.

Bill ran across the road with you on her back.

Sandy smiled to herself and called her manager up about the mess and expenses straight away, like any good worker would.

Bill gallopped playfully and asked, "So what was all that about? You aren't actually banging the Doctor are you? I mean... Not the version I know, right?"
"I might though... Not bang him.. but I think he's beautiful.. intellectually, mindfully, soully and just about every other way too." You shrug as you rest your chin on her bun and she slowed down her playful run as they enter the university campus grounds again. She walked up the main path towards the big building where the Doctor's office was but she spotted the Doctor and Nardole heading towards the underground place where Missy was being held captive for now.

"What is it?" You asked her.
"They're going to that stupid vault again.. Something must've come up.." Bill said.
"Should we follow 'em?" You asked.
"Could do... But last time I went he had a go at me.." Bill frowned.
"Yeah but last time you didn't have me... I'll hit em for you!" You said protectively but hidden with playfulness.

So, you and Bill go down to the Vault, followed the Doctor and Nardole. Bill opened the bolted doorwith ease and slipped in, telling you to duck since she told you to stay on her back since the ground was rather slimy and definitely no place for heels or bare feet.

You ducked and hid on her back while she walked around the corner and saw how Nardole was poking in some random round silver ball things in the vault door with some fancy lights pinging on and off with each calibration and calculated combination of moves.

"Let me get down.." You asked in a whisper and Bill nodded.
"Be careful-" Bill said. "He has weirdly good hearing-"
"HEY GRANDADDY!" You holler.
Bill smacked her face exasperatedly.

"We found you. Sorry for being late but there was some trouble at the store so I threatened a guy's life with a broken bottle end." You said in long story short.
"Wh- What? Wait.. what? I was going to scold you for following us here but.. Oh you're here too? I should've known... buy one get one f*cking always free.." The Doctor was being rude again, as he tiredly slapped his leg and did a grumpy pivot as he saw Bill step out beside you.

"Oi, don't go being rude. What's behind the disco bin lid?" You ask, thumbing back at the vault and stepping cautiously through the grime, getting black, dirty feet rather quickly due to the dirty puddles of watery oil and old dust.
The Doctor noticed your feet and scowled with a tut. "Why aren't you wearing any shoes?" He asked more concerned than angry, but he bit his words like he were ferocious.
"Heels are not my favourite things to wear, especially not right now. So... disco door? Yes? Money, monster? Woman?"
"Why... were those your guesses?" Bill asked. "I mean I get the first two.. but 'woman'? Why a woman?" Bill was confused.
"Man talks a lot about Missy doesn't he? That lady him from his house planet." You shrug. "Makes sense if you add the right things together.."

"Why do you have to be right about things? Can you not just be normal and not understand my logic or just... dial down the weird understandings?" The Doctor asked with a confused scowl as he shook you by the shoulders and stared deeply into your eyes.
"I 'unno" You vaguely say.

Inside the vault now, as the door had already opened by Nardole's and the Doctor's efforts prior. You and Bill marvel at the insides and you step cautiously but ever closer towards the woman sitting poised at her piano in a cube see-through cage.

"Be careful, don't get too close, Y/N!" The Doctor warned you.
"You have A WOMAN in a VAULT. Okay, I'm pretty thoughtful when it comes to things you do but WHAT THE HELL, DOCTOR?!" Bill wailed, taking his attention to her alone while you continue walking towards the woman like you were mesmerised, in some sort of trance.

The woman tilted her head in a seductive, serpentine way and just stared back at you as you came closer and closer and then even up the steps to place your hand to the glass of the cage and she stood from her perched position and placed her hand up against her side too.

You tilt your head to one side and she did the same to mirror you.

There was a silent bond being made between you two. You had very few thoughts only ones about how lovely this woman looked, how picture perfect she was but how deadly she was beneath and that reminded you of yourself. You liked her. You had an immediate connection just from looking at her.

"No... see that's why I didn't want you two meeting..." The Doctor frowned boredly, swinging his arms back and forth as he ignored Bill for a moment and walked past her to head towards you and Missy. "You two aren't allowed to do this... no getting friendly! You'll do that thing and... and then you're bestfriends-" He was exasperated.
"Nah.. stop, you're being jealous, hun. C'mere." You pinch at his fingers, grabbing him by the index finger and middle, pulling him over to the steps where you were.

He stepped up them to stand beside you and stared at Missy to see how you both had a similar look to your features. You were basically the same... he noticed it now with you both stood next to one another.

"f*ck's sake.. You better not become a threat for this little group I've managed to gather myself!" The Doctor frowned, pointing at Missy accusingly.

Chapter 6: Truest Three

Chapter Text

Bill had gone out to a party with her friends in uni and you had been invited too but you politely declined since hey, you could get HAMMERED with the Doctor instead..

So, that's what you did.

"Hey, Doc?" You knock on the office, no answer... TARDIS, no answer but the TARDIS blared a light down a hallway leading to the library and you follow it, thanking the old girl.

When you got to the library you weren't sure what you expected but it wasn't this.

"I'm telling you, it's an amazing game! It's called Twister, the humans created it and I hear it's best to play when you're drunk- AH.. GOD YOU SCARED ME, Y/N!" The Doctor was expressing his interests around human games to Missy when you raised your brow up at him and Missy who was sat in the chair you had slept in last night. You weren't jealous at all, why would you be.. should you be!? ANyway.

You weren't.

You weren't... for now.

"Ahhhh, hello there, poppet~" Cooed the Mistress, "Well come oover-" her accent came off thicker than the Doctors, christ, two scots space beings... what a day. "-stop lurking in the darknesssss~"

Her voice was just as inviting as her character was portrayed.

You swallow thickly, waggling a bottle of champagne at the Doctor as you stride over, not much caring to give Missy much attention. You plop the bottle down on the table between him and Missy and Missy smirks sing-songing, "Jeeeeaaalouuusss~"
You snap your eyes at hers quickly and you both hold strong eye contact.
The Doctor - afraid by the tension between you both - wafted his hand between your shared eye contact and said, "Seriously... Another reason why you two should never have met..." When neither of you answered he joked nervously, "And anyway, there's- uhh there's plenty of the Doctor to go arooound-"

You finally break the eye contact when you blink, eyes still slightly open as you remove the cup of tea from Missy's lap, placed it delicately on the table, all the while, saying, "Doctor... She never clarified-", you dust off the Mistress' lap with a caring but fast hand then sat down in her lap. Missy was smirking as the Doctor - baffled - you finish to clarify it for him, "-who I was jealous over~"

You sit poisedly in Missy's lap and lean comfortably into her front placing a relaxed but seductive hand to her cheek as you tangle your fingers safely in the locks of her hair. Her lips part and her eyes widen excitably as she laughed, "Goodness, Doctor~ I bet you didn't think this would be who would get such a beautiful being in their lap tonight, hmm~"

The Doctor was beyond confused and somewhat seething.

"Pass us a flute would you, Doctor?" You asked him still extremely comfortable in your own skin onherown skin.
"I will do no such thing! You.. Y/N.. You should not be entangling yourself in things you DO NOT understand! And drinking at a time like this would just be RIDICULOUS!-" The Doctor spat, then amped up the rudeness and bit, "And where's Bill? Why can't she babysit you?! Or has even your so called 'best friend' given up on you!? YOU HOPELESS GIRL I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED, I WOULD GIVE UP TOO IF I WERE YOUR FRIEND FOR AS LONG AS HER-"

You don't cry or anything as he assumed you would, as he partially hoped you would. But like the woman you were perched on, you knew all the tricks there were to attempting to break a heart, to break someone down to gettosaid heart... And you just laugh, "Fine, if you don't wanna give me a glass I'll just neck a bitch!" You laugh again, vibrations of your laughter practically contagious as Missy chuckles too.
"My, my. I do like this one... What did you say your name was again, human?" Missy asked you.
"Y/N. It's lovely to finally make your acquaintance, m'lady~" You take her hand and kiss the knuckles.
Missy smirked. "Good~ Aw you are a nice one, aren't you... Maybe you do pick them well, Doctor~" She then looked up at the Doctor after tapping your chin playfully.

"I didn't f*ckING choose them, they just ROCKED UP WITH BILL. I chose Bill NOT THAT THING.. That.. that is an issue on LEGS!" The Doctor spat, frowning.
"Awww you flatter me, thankkssss~" You answer, really unhurt by what he was saying. You continued to smile and then make a face of surprise, "OH, that's right, I got a cute lil wiiiine~" You say, reaching into your knee high black boots, pulling out an entire mini-bottle of wine.

You playfully waggle in front of Missy's face and the Doctor's before taking the cap off halfway and flicking it till it slid off somewhere, possibly under a book shelf. Bringing yet another scowl to the Doctor's face of course.
You smirk as you put the drink to your filtrum, taking a whiff of it first then neck the bottle and make direct eye contact with the Doctor who is honestly about to hit something from rage.

Suddenly, he snatches the bottle just as Missy had began to smirk at your rebellious actions. She too was in shock from the Doctor's fast, angry reaction.

He grabbed the bottle and threw it at the wall. It shattered and he saw how your eyes wouldn't blink but your chest inflated and breathing became very silent and stuttered. You couldn't respond as fluently as before because 3, 2, 1 and all systems go, thank you PTSD. The glass. The wall. The anger. The you.

And it got worse, you leapt out of Missy's lap and ran over to, by muscle memory, respond how you'd had to back then. You gather a plate as a replacement for dustpan and brush... and you used your hand to scoop up the glass.

The Doctor and Missy were watching with confusion and fear for you. Missy never really cared for anyone, as we all knew, but you were so much like her that she couldn't help but feel worried and hurt to her own core... all alike.

"Y... Y/N? Y/N... What're you doing?" The Doctor asked in the softest voice he knew how to use. He'd knelt with you and you hadn't even noticed.

Missy was stood from her seat, holding up a blanket, the same one from earlier that was on the railing in the controls room. She waited to wrap it around your shoulders.

"Y/N?" The Doctor asks again. But your eyes were so wide, stuck in fear, stuck somewhere in the past. He placed a soft hand to yours and tried to bring you out of it but it made it worse as you scrabble through the tiny shards, cutting up your legs and feet.

The Doctor had wider, fearful eyes, hands open defensive, showing his palms to try to calm you but he had seen that look before in eyes his own, in eyes of the Master.. You were looking straight through him, past him, to something you could only see. An old memory that you had buried deep.. but presumably resurfaced now... due to whatever he had done.. and then it hit him like a wave of turmoil and sorrow.
You said you were on bad terms with your parents. They threw you out and Bill said how your father raised his hand at Bill but you shielded her... You saved her and didn't even shed a tear.

God.

What sh*t you had been through. What strength you had... but now, what vulnerability you showed him... and what utter fear you must carry each and every day.

"Doctor? Are they alright?" Missy asked. "I think.. perhaps look into their mind."
"Missy.. I can't just... LOOK into their mind, it's an infringement of their privacy not to mention just STRANGE..." The Doctor answered.
"So? If it helps them in the long run there should be no quarrels as to why you performed such a thing?" She responded.
"I suppose.." He answered after a beat.

The Doctor took a deep breath and stepped slowly and carefully over the glass to crouch before you on the ground. Your hands and knees were trembling with blood seeping into your clothing and a few shards of glass still stuck in the wounds as well as to the fresh blood.
He frowned and sadly took your hands away from your face, gently placing them either side of you as you felt tears stream down your cheeks but absolutely no sounds came from you. The Doctor scowled even deeper and talked you through the process of the mind read he would do only to cut whatever was keeping you in this fearful state.

He placed his index and middle fingers together and reached them with thumbs steady to touch into the indents of your skull... your temples felt the soft roughness of his bass playing finger pads and the warmth of his caring, kind eyes peering into your mind. Bringing your cold heart and mind such a buzz of heat they hadn't felt in a terribly long time.

"What can you see?" Asked Missy, desperately, fearfully. Her hand scrunching the fabric of the blanket as she stood by the fire, awaiting yours and the Doctor's safe return.
"They're... hiding most of it from me... Goodness, that should be harder to do to hide from a Time Lord... but.. they seem skilled at it..." He said with his eyes closed as he delved into your mind and tried to get a little deeper then he hears a smash and the mumbling, low tones of a masculine voice. He follows it.

He followed it to the memory.

And there you were, just a little person, a child.

With your hands in fists at your sides, your trembling, aching limbs. Your small but wide eyes. They held fear like no other. Your plump little lips, your thin cheeks, where other children would stay pudgy and chunky, healthy as most babies growing into children would look... you didn't. You looked thin, ill. You were malnourished and you were crying and the Doctor ran to you, instinctively, wrapping you with his coat and trying to hold you but you were a memory. You were like a ghost and he phased through you.

The angry voice of the man continued on. He was swearing, calling you horrific things, in that horrific voice. "Useless f*cking c*nt!" And worse and worse and worse it got.

The Doctor's eyes were bawling, he hated it for you. He feared this man with you. He couldn't feel rage yet because too many tears of fear and pain flooded his body to the brim.

Missy could see the tears falling from the Doctor's eyes as he stayed there, linked to your mind. She bit her tongue as to not break what concentration he had right now. She assumed he'd found it. He'd found you.

And he had now.

He sees you standing there with your childhood pet in your arms and you were sobbing into it as you held it close to yourself, hiding your real self from the man, from your younger self.

The Doctor stood from his crouched form beside mini you to get to you you who was behind the man but as he did so the man threw a mug with great force at mini you. Luckily he missed, but only by a hair.

The Doctor's eyes widen significantly and his lips tremble as his fingers flex with rage. If he met this man... I don't think you would ever see that man again.

The Doctor's lips twitched as well as his nostrils flared and he knew he couldn't touch the man in this nightmare of a memory but he threw a hard punch to the ghost of the man's face and he roared, "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH THEM AGAIN!"

And the real you watched. Tears in your eyes.

"D..Doctor... Is that really you?" You asked. Tears blurring your vision.

The ghost of the man continues to play out the memory as mini you cries about the cut on your neck, "You could've blinded me!" cried mini you. "IT WAS YOUR OWN FAULT! YOU GOT IN THE f*ckING WAY! I WAS AIMING FOR THE FIREPLACE WALL!" Which your naive, 6 year old self had believed. And next he told you to sweep up the shards of pottery. And your mini self did.

The Doctor scowled at the entirety of the memory and took you under his coat pulling you out of the memory and into one of his.

He took you to a nebula. The memory of watching a galaxy be born. Watching stars in space exist, die, become something entirely new.

You were at peace here. You liked it. You liked him.

"Wow... What is this place?" You asked him.
The Doctor was still gripping onto the rage from your memory but he told you all the details he knew about this nebula, he distracted you so well that in no time were you both free from your mind link and back to reality with Missy.

Missy stood there with that blanket, still ready. Waiting, ever waiting.

"It's okay... I've got you. I've got you.." The Doctor told you, holding you into him, rocking you. His large, aged palm to the back of your head. The kindest tears falling from his kind, kind eyes.
"Thank you... thank you.. thank you.." You cry, both your tears mixing and falling in perfect synchronicity. Your hands were uselessly fumbled into his shirt and jacket and he held you safe and steady.

So kind. This man... he was too kind. Like you. Like her, deep down. -Her as in Missy who started to find the corners of the blanket and bring over a little first aid kit which likely had inhuman aid within it.

"Here... Doctooor.." Missy gave him the first aid and he - after longingly holding you to him, foreheads together, eyes closed - pulled away from you and found the right amounts of what to give you that would heal the cuts and such.
"No.. no.. It's okay, I don't want to take anything.. It's okay, I'll be fine, I'll just heal at a natural pace.." You replied, afraid of the strange serum of fluid the Doctor had in hand.
"Why? Why do you prefer to feel the pain?" The Doctor asked, sorrow in his eyes. "Come on.. It's okay, I'm here, we're here. No harm will come to you, we promise.. Okay? I'll hold your hand if your afraid, it's okay.. You never have to face anything you don't want to alone again.. I'll be here for you, always..." He was so.. SO kind.

You teared up again and nodded, trying to keep your eyes wide and not blink so the tears wouldn't fall but he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead as you muttered, "I grew up having to learn to keep pain to myself... because everything to my dad was a competition.. It wouldn't matter about my pain, there are plenty of people in the world with worse pain than I have.. I'm undeserving of the treatment-"

The Doctor suddenly grabs your collar and pulled you close to administrate the treatment on your lips. He placed it on like chapstick balm and you stare at him confused and after feeling tingly you watched your skin magically heal and you gasp.

"You are deserving of more than this universe could ever give you back. You never deserved to be hurt like you. To be afraid every single waking and sleeping moment of your life with that man. You NEVER deserved to be called such foul names and you never deserved such a retched PARENT as HIM." The Doctor told you with rage in his eyes. But it wasn't rage directed at you but for the man you called 'dad'. And yet, you still were afraid. "No, no... Y/N, I'm not angry at you, I could never TRULY be angry at you... I promise.. I may seem moody, especially in this body but I will NEVER be angry at you. I promise."
"I... I believe you but I.. I don't know the difference, all anger.. all confrontation, I guess I've been conditioned to fear a little more than most people would be." You frown ashamedly.
"Don't be ashamed to share how you feel. Ever." The Doctor told you... "It can be the bravest thing anyone might admit.."
"That and the need for help.. I know.. I give the same advice but people like us, Doctor.. Missy.. We don't take our own advice.. Do we?" You state.

"If we did... None of us would be here as we are right now, huh?" You said...

"Such wise words from such a mortal being... It's a shame, we could learn a lot from you.. It's so sad you'll only last what... 70? 80? more years..? Here.. Keep yourself warm, you'll feel cold after the treatment kicks in." Missy instructed.
You smile softly, sadly, "You do it too... Distance yourself from the similar, same pain that we all know and fear... to protect yourself... It's a good mechanism, until it's not. Wouldn't you agree, Mistress?"

Missy frowns quickly. "You do catch on fast... for a human."

"They do, don't they?" The Doctor said with a sad laugh. "I suppose we will need that bottle after all.. This might be a loooong night."

Then the Doctor furrowed his brows and asked, "Wait... Where did Bill go?"
"Party. She's out clubbing with friends from uni." You answer with a shrug as you shiver in front of the fire with Missy.
"Ah.. Good for her, I guess... Should've invited me. I am a LEGEND on the dancefloor!" The Doctor grinned playfully as he sat at your other side and draped his arm over you, enveloping part of you with his long coat too. His hand met with Missy's over your shoulders, they both shared a distantly, somewhat, loving look behind you.
"Would you two stop eye f*cking behind me? I can feel the- the eye ji*zz from herrreee!" You tease playfully even as you shiver from the cold.

The Doctor and Missy laugh embarrassed but pretending otherwise.

"Anyway, if I were clubbing I would want you two with me.. Victorian lady Pretty Boy with spiiice and Malcolm Tucker from space to my right.. Y'all would be a laugh and legitimately the best night of my life..." You said with a genuine smile and love for the two of them. "Wait, do alien planets have clubs too?" You asked, wiggling your brows.
"Yes. I know a BRILLIANT one just off the sector of Raxicoricofallapatrius! Would you guess it but Ood are amaziiiing dancers~ I mean I'm not into tentacle p*rn but their sales really pique around this time of year... Spring is their time of... newgrowth too~" Missy answered you coyly.
The Doctor cleared his throat, pulling at his collar as he blushed. "Ahem... I think.. maybe we shouldn't talk about this-"
"I think we hella f*cken should! Do go on, tell me EVERYTHING!" You say excitedly.
"Oh lord.. we'll be here longer than your race's existence then.." Missy cooed with a chuckle.
"Ah.. well just tell me some good bits!" You say smiling at her.

"Told you I should never have introduced you both..." The Doctor said, making you both raise your brows at him. "...You're both so interested in one another I don't get a shred of attention!"

You and Missy laugh at his pettiness and eventually he smiled goofily too.

Chapter 7: Trees & Tea

Chapter Text

(another of my playlists up above)

Since the Doctor was attempting to recondition Missy for the moral good, he had allowed her to join you all on adventures. It was going rather well, you also enjoyed exploring the more civil parts of the planets you would all venture to. The Doctor knew you were up to something each time you'd head off on your own with a digital camera which he had modified for you so you could take endless photos.
He hadn't asked why you might want such freedom but he just assumed it was because you hadn't a phone, unlike Bill and himself. And he had offered you one but you weren't fussed to have one and he nodded at the time - thinking it was right of you to restrain from tainting your mind with the power hunger inducing trends and just as thoughtless stereotypes. He was quite proud to know you, all things considered... He knew very few humans who refused to bend a knee to higher authority like you did.

So, on yet another planet with a brilliant view of bright blue forests that would glimmer in the light of this planet's several moons. All in seperate orbit, the Doctor had told you that sunlight was a rarity here and was considered a blessing if they could even witness half a day's worth of sun. Very unlike back on Earth where it is just simply as it is.

Natural has very different descriptions on other worlds, don't you know.

~earlier~

"Wait so... Bill won't come on these trips? Why not?" Asked Nardole as the Doctor told him about his plans to recouperate Missy into moral good, society. "Seems a bit pointless, don't it? What about me? What have I gotta do, and that one that keeps trying to eat my brains?"
The Doctor rolled his eyes, "They don't want to eat your brains! For the last time, it's ajokeyour head is very egg and they very like egg." He stated madly with his hands wide, palms facing nardole akin to someone making jazz hands. He grinned with big, wide eyes - sometimes he really reminded you of his fourth regeneration - "Anyway... You have a job to look after Bill on earth. Make sure nothing happens to her, keep her company, I don't know.. Mother hen her... And Y/N? They can.. do what they like. I'll see what they wanna do, ask 'em.." He shrugged sheepishly with his cheek to his shoulder.
"What, seriously? Well if they can come why can't me and Bill come?" Nardole asked confusedly.
"Well.. you can all come if you want but I assumed it would be best if it was as few people to not cause casualties... Just in case, we all know what Missy is like.. or rather her previous selves.." The Doctor stated firmly, caringly.
"Hmm.. That's a good point. Alright, I'll go tell Bill. You ask Y/N all you like. Who knows, maybe they'll actually show up today.... They haven't been back to the university in a while, or did you not notice? You're very good at not noticing things like that.." Nardole sighed as he pattered out of the room with his doddery little feet.

The Doctor exhaled tiredly and went to collapse into his chair in front of his desk when all of a sudden you pop your lollipop out of your mouth and turn off the invisible thingy watch, revealing that you were actually sitting there, the entire time assumably as you looked very comfy with your feet crossed and kciked up on the wood of his desk.
You had blue doc martins on with browning gold studs on the heel and black rubber bottoms. One black lace in one and the other had a dark blue with silver bits of tinsel woven through it, wool. Makeshift, he supposed. But he enjoyed it, he thought it was... different. The blue paint was tattered from where your toes bent the creases in the shoes and therefore peeled it away to the white fabric beneath the plasticky paint.

"W-what are you doing here? You've been here the entire time!?" Asked the Doctor, completely taken aback by your sudden appearance.
"Yeah. You didn't notice? The TARDIS told me you noticed when Clara's boyfriend wore the darn thing.. how'd you not figure I was using itbehindyou is a real wonder.. I mean, she - the TARDIS - said you had heightened senses or something freaky like that... If you have 'em why didn't ya bloody well use 'em?" You tease snidely.

The Doctor stared at you exasperatedly and somewhat offended but also very intrigued. "You speak to the TARDIS?" That's all he chose to pick up on. The rest would only get him grumpy again.
"Yeah... and? She's a great conversationalist." You shrug as you take out a packet of cigarettes from your pocket and stub the end on his desk. "You got a light?" You asked blankly, weirdly in this moment, with the uncaring look about your features, hotly.
"Uhh.. No but my sonic screwdriver could make a high enough frequency to make fire-" The Doctor said, trying to impress you. "But I don't want you smoking that in here, anyway... First of all, this is a university, no smoking on these grounds.. legally. And secondly, I disapprove of things that kill your human body-"
"Too late." You said, finding a box of matches beside you in a little cubby atop the fireplace.

The Doctor stared with fish lips at you.

You strike a match, holding the cigarette between your lips loosely, making strong, direct eye contact with him the entire time. You smirk and a bit of chalky white dust sizzled up in flames, replaced by a black scorch mark and that confused the Doctor greatly.

The Doctor raised a hand confusedly with furrowed features as he mumbled a 'whaiit-' somewhere between 'what' and 'wait'.

He watched you as you bit the chalky thing in half and then wrapped your tongue in the sweet stick before crunching into the kid's sweet.

You grin at him playfully as Missy stuck her head out of the TARDIS. "What's taking you so long?"

"That wasn't..." The Doctor began. "That wasn't real...?" He buffered, pointing between you and the fake cigarette sweet and then back to Missy who rolled her eyes and threw her arms about dramatically.
"Well of cooooourse they're fake, Doctor! When have you ever seen this one indulging in anything other than a bit of bubbly?" Missy asked him.
"No, Missy don't-"
"They made pot brownies with Bill and Sandy from the shop.. They called me high out of their minds and Sandy tried to make a pass on me!" The Doctor answered, dropping that bombshell out there.
You hiss, "You remember that? I tried to perform telepathy on youuuu-"
"You don't 'perform telepathy' on someone.. You make a psychic link with them to begin with and then-" The Doctor began.
"Okay, enough of that. Bored. Want one?" You had him shut up and offered him a candy cigarette.
"No.. I'm.. okay, thanks.." The Doctor answered, but he did blow the match stick out which was almost about to burn your fingers.

You drop the match stick having felt the tingle of burning just as he blew it out for you. He looked up and stared into your eyes, wisely, caringly but seriously all the same. He lingered there a moment, Missy peered between the two of you then retreated into the TARDIS with your bag. She slung it over her arm and began rummaging through it - uncaring about privacy.. of course.

The Doctor took your burnt finger and thumb to his lips and kissed them better as his eyelids fluttered down to gaze thoughtfully at such smooth hands as yours.

You didn't blush like some pansy from a film. No, you just watched him with a swell in your chest occurring unbeknownst by you.

"Ahem.." Missy cleared her throat, wanting the attention of the room. "A pear? Gosh, you'd better be careful, he'll kick you off his vessel if he knows you are harbouring his BIGGEST most mushiest ENEMY!" Missy played out dramatically as she looked over the pear.

"They aren't mushy though-" You stated.
"Oh, really?!" The Doctor suddenly seethed, ripping the pear from Missy's grasp - that made her genuinely CACKLE. "Then why do they make your chin all wet?! HUH!?" The Doctor begged for an answer.
"They don't if you like them the way I do... Unripe~" You clarify. Getting out of the chair and when the Doctor wouldn't let you take it from him, you leaned your face up to it in his hands, yours behind your back for his 'security'. You take a bite out of the hard pear and the Doctor almost freaks out over the fear he would get the juice all up his sleeve.

So, naturally, he let go. As had you when you took the bite. It was hard and crunchy. How you preferred them.

But now it was falling between you both and from instinct the Doctor shrieked wierdly and booted the fruit out his window - it smashed through a panel of the window and out in the courtyard it knocked out some random, unsuspecting student.

"sh*t f*ck!" You yelp as the Doctor froze up. You scrabble with him, pushing him towards the TARDIS doors.
"THAT WAS A MIGHTY HARD PEAR!" The Doctor screeched.
"EVEN MUSHY THINGS CAN GO THROUGH GLASS AT WITH THE RIGHT FORCE!" The Doctor then argued with himself.
"JUST GET IN THE TARDIS YOU BIG BABY!" You shove him in, pushing him with Missy and you close the door behind you.

"So... where to, then, Doctor?" Asked Missy after all the rush of y'all escaping potential abuse trheats from some student outside.
"Uhhh... I think this calls for a little job out in the pear groves of Anisthosia... Don't you think? Seems fitting.." The Doctor chortled as he got up from his slumped position - you had slumped at the door with the Doctor while Missy just twirled through the chaos into the control centre with an eerie sweet smile as usual.
"FITTING. VERY! Hahah.. ohh but it's so booooring in Anisthosia!" Missy frowned.
"Perfect for your first lesson out of office, then!" The Doctor smirked.

~present~

When the Doctor had instructed Missy from the TARDIS, he got her to stoke out what was happening around, enjoying the simplicity of the planet without any chaos - so far.. Then Missy stumbled upon some Geomorticcians trying to harvest the native people of this planet's life force from the singing caves beneath the planet's crust.

"Now Geomoriccians as you should know are drawn to stone.. crystals... the like, humans had it right when they thought crystals held power-" The Doctor explained down the line to Missy who rolled her eyes and twirled in a curtsie.
"I knowwww... Doctor, I'm not one of your usual petssss... I know who I am dealing with-" Then Missy shrieked a bit and fell down a cavern hole. "f*ck.." She swore for the first time you'd heard - you were also on the communication line.

You snort down the line, "If you know everything so well, how come you just fell down that very obvious cavern face?" You tease playfully, you stand at the edge with a little book bound by a ribbon of your favourite colour. You peer down at her in the muddy stoney place.
"Yes, thank you for that Y/N, very helpful!" Missy rolled her eyes and dusted herself off. She checked around the cave while you and the Doctor smirk at her silliness.

"All jokes aside, are you alright, Missy?" The Doctor asked, pretending to not be smiling right now.
"Yes! Yes, of course I am... Oh but I believe I have bruised a tendon... oh that's just typical.." She huffed as she hobbled and then fell to one side, "Oh, for crying out loud! Why are these bodies so useless and flimsssyy!?" He scoffed with a single tear of pain in her eyes.

When she looked up you said down the line, "I'm coming down to help you... Hang in there, m'lady~"
That was really becoming a thing now between you both.

You came skidding down strangely slowly on a makeshift board as you had found a cut off tree ring. You stood on it and it took you down to the bottom of the cavern. It hit a stone and you leapt off, oddly gracefully able to skid and jump to a prolonged halt just past Missy at the bottom. You turn to her and smile.

"Now, I have no idea how we're getting out but that's a future us's problem." You shrug with a slight laugh.

"Are you both in the pit now?" The Doctor asked.
"Yup." You answer. "Ohh you've sprained it... Take it easy m'lady... I'll go scout out up ahead... Hold my things for me... I'll be back in a tick-" You say, handing your bag of things to her.
She looked down at them then up at you with confusion in her features as well as a look of slight disdain, not used to being talked to like this.
"But.. I am perfectly fine for mobility, it's just a bit of pain! Pain is for boring people dear-" Missy frowned.
The Doctor cut in, "Everyone needs to know when to accept help as well as ask for it. Missy, this is one of those times. Do as they say.. This is really very beneficial to the programme actually, Y/N, you're doing a great part in this!" He praised you and instructed Missy carefully who rolled her eyes and pretended to sock puppet his words as he spoke.
You chuckled.
"Alright.. whatever.. Fine. You go be a hero for me. I am royalty I suppose.. I really shouldn't have to be getting my hands so dirty for any race... that's what I have you here for, pet. Isn't that right Doctor? You use your pets too, right?"

The Doctor scowled and gave her a good talking to while you went off ahead to look around.

When you returned you said, "OKAY, NOT CLEAR, WE NEED TO RUN... TURNS OUT THAT CRYSTAL CAVE WAS A LITTLE TO REACTIVE TO SOUND AND I USED A KAZOO!"
"You used aWHAT!?" The Doctor spat in sync with Missy.
"WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GET A KAZOO FROM TO DO SUCH A STUPID THING?!" The Doctor asked, genuinely intrigued as he heard you both panting and running from a rauccous explosion chasing after them through the winding caverns of the undergorund way they'd fallen into.
"YES, A KAZOO, I HAVE ONE ON ME AT ALL TIMES!" You scream over the sound of exploding crystals behind you. "I hope to f*ck none of those crystals were METH-"
"I hope to f*ck THEY WERE!" Missy screamed with a laugh enjoying the chaos.

"DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN ON YOUR ADVENTURES, DOCTOR?! Are they so CHAOTIC?!" Missy asked down the line as you, plant your knee in the mud and give Missy a leg up to get onto a fallen tree which if climbed right, would take them up to the surface. You scrabble up after her and she reaches for you, giving you a hand up.
"More or less, yes.. It's always amplified with that one thoughh." He burped down the line faintly, having been eating ice cream and crisps in his TARDIS while you two risked your lives.
"PERFECT, WHEN I START MY ADVENTURES ALL I MUST DO IS BRING YOU ALONG WITH MEEE!" Missy shrieked excitedly as she yanked you helping you steady your feet with her.

You both nod with a smile to one another and run on. She grabs your hand and you both run together up this pale blue carcass of a tree which is getting engulfed by rainbow flames, like fireworks of crystals behind you.

The explosion hit its peak and threw you both a few feet behind the trees and Missy took you behind a tree out of the line of fire, your human ears ringing from the stunning noises. She pressed your body against the bole of a tree and hid you with her body shielding yours, she squealed an excited, "WHEEEEE!"
"WHHHHEEEEHHAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" You joined in but it also became a scream of genuine fear as she limped to stay holding you, shielding you.

In this moment, you were so close to her, you could taste the scent of her clothes. You could feel her energy, never in the same place at the same time. A bit like a pendulum swinging in the belly of a grandfather clock... always swinging some new way, never hitting that same spot when a magnet demagnetises it, or better yet, f*cks with the pathway it would originally take. And perhaps you were that magnet, or the Doctor was.. that would be a good analogy for their friendship actually-

Your thoughts rambled as you tried not to think about how sweet her lips would taste... how her tongue might fight yours, how her hands in your hair would be more thandivine.More thanwelcome.

"Darling, you couldn't even if you tried~ I'm a difficult one to tame~" Missy growled lowly as she pinned her arm, elbow and forearm against the bark of the blue tree.

You were a little too interested in the bark that scagged off and onto her sleeve, no longer caring to pin Missy to it but to find all the knowledge you could about it. You carefully pick the bark from her sleeve, eyes marvelling its twinkly, stardust laced tree skin.

"Wait- Doctor, are you still listening, right now?" Missy asked and a faint, very obvious attempt at being silent as he ate a crisp, pressing his tongue to it to the roof of his mouth, in hopes his saliva would break it down without a crackle or snap but to no luck for him.

You and Missy roll your eyes and then you get an idea to spook this silly, slightly perverted Doctor. You pull out your little book, writing in pencil at the back your idea so the Doctor couldn't hear your plan.

Missy started it, she said, "Oh, okay.. I was wrong hnngg, humans... do have their uses~" trying not to laugh she egged you on next and you bit your lip and moaned fakely. Missy's eyebrows raise and she gasp to play along too.
"I can show you what a real human can do, m'ladyyy~" You ruffle the collar of her dress so it sounded like your clothes were coming off.

The Doctor still hadn't interrupted you both.

In fact, you'd not heard anything from him in a while.

"YOU BETTER NOT BE WANKING TO THIS YOU SICK OLD MANNN!" You screamed down the line after instructing Missy to take hers off.

Missy snickered and then burst out laughing, pretending to moan again with you one last time then pointing at the Doctor who was actually stood just past the trees with his phone held up, filming you both.

"f*ck.. he got us!" You snorted and Missy was practically crying with laughter. "I AM SO GONNA GET YOU, DOCTOR!" You chase off after him and Missy hobbles over to the tree at the edge of the treeline and watched with her arms around the bole to steady herself, still laughing as you chased the Doctor and the Doctor ran about in circles - truly - like a penguin with its arse on fire. Bill really knew her sh*t about birds up in flame.

You managed to catch up with the Doctor and jump onto his back like some deranged piggy backing monkey. You ruffled at his hair and he laughed at your playfulness.

When he had finally dropped you off and helped Missy back to the TARDIS you return too, Missy was in the med bay and the Doctor was tending to her. You tapped the TARDIS controls and whispered, "Psst, can you light the way to that greenhouse room again, please?" And just like magic, since the TARDIS liked you so much, she showed you the way. Little LED lights shine you the pathway through twists and turns, she made sure the Doctor wouldn't be able to find you.

You smile and kiss her door as you thank her.

You twirl around and breathe in the warm, clean air of this part of the TARDIS. You had been making this room yours and your home all the same time. The Doctor had told you you could use this void room for anything you pleased, he assumed you'd use it for storage since you were kicked out of your home so prematurely.

And yes, you had done that to begin with but now you were making a filtration room of plants and trees you found on your adventures with the Doctor. Even some from Earth, ones you thought looked spacey but were very much terrarian.
Like the Baobab trees from the plains of Africa, with its large, bulbous boles where essentially they are one massive tap root... The Jabuticaba tree native to southeastern Brazil with its fruits that dickered the branches and bark. The only known plant with edible fruit which emerge from the bark itself... Or maybe the seed pods that inspire and terrify you from the Giant Himalayan Lily... The Blue Sausage fruit or more poshly named Decaisnea which bore edible fruit somewhat related to legumes but were most often found in warm, humid places, such as the Congo rainforests or in some oriental gardens in Japan and other Asian communities.

To say you were interested was an understatement. If you were a fan of anything real it would be plants. To collect, conserve and create. That was your wise little promise.

You promised to collect seeds and bulbs from the mother plants, cuttings if you could not find such sapling starters. To conserve the naturality of their species and to create new life from them. By planting them all here in this large synthesised windowless greenhouse in the TARDIS.

And it was all riiight under the Doctor's nose.

This place you'd been putting a lot of effort and work into the past few months. You had dug and boardered out flower beds where broad beans, edemame, asparagus peas and average peas would bloom and make food for you, which you would later share as produce for Bill, Moira, the Doctor, Missy and anyone else interested... Nardole was a robot so you were afraid to give him water let alone food. Whatever happened you were sure the Doctor would be able to fix it but just in case, you stayed clear of the details.

Originally, this started with the other regenerations, Four had mentioned how he missed the botanical gardens of Galifrey and Eight had expressed how he missed them too and that you should set up a little garden somewhere in the TARDIS. So you did.

And that garden was always expanding but luckily this was the TARDIS, it could expand eternally if you needed her to. But you didn't. It was about as big as half a football pitch so far. And that was plenty enough truly.

You pluck a bright green apple from a nearby tree which you were very excited to dig your teeth into because this was that same breed you found on a hill once as a child but a year later they cut the tree down so you never could find that tree again.. or that same taste. But now you have a pal with a time machine and one time when Nardole was using the TARDIS you came along and asked that favour, he took you and you took some seeds. Ergo, now you've grown it up to be a beautiful tree bearing baskets of fruit for anyone to take.

You were excited to see the Doctor's reaction too since it tasted like a pear and an apple at the same time. But you thought that maybe the Doctor just hated the texture, not the taste. Your next investment would be to find an Asian Pear tree... You have eaten the fruit once at an chinese supermarket but don't think you'd ever seen the tree they came from. And Dragon fruit too, you knew it were a cactus tree but had never owned one.

While working away at planting a new blue tree from the planet you, Missy and the Doctor had been today, you hummed away to yourself. Taking a bite from your apple every now and again.

"Raised under rays of gold
And under sapphire skies
Out in the sandy loam
I found a way to make you cry
How can a child of the sun be so cold?"

You make a soft strum with a ukelele which the Doctor had given to you so kindly in an attempt to make up for triggering your ptsd moment the other day. You told him he was already forgiven but he still felt deep guilt for putting you through such an ordeal.

"Up past the Seven Falls
Beyond the moody peak
I dove into the lake and called
An icy command for you to join me
How can a child of the sun be so cold?"

You were singing a song that reminded you of the Doctor and of Missy. It mostly reminded you of how twisted Missy's morals could be.. her coldness to protect herself.. But more than most it reminded you of the Doctor and how he was such a ray of sunshine but also with him there always seemed to follow a trail of the dead.

"So cold
Like a planet with no sun floats in the black..."

That line was just as Bill stepped in, the TARDIS had showed her the way and she watched as you sang away, strumming and eating into an apple of your own produce. You were completely in your element.

"I'm old now
And I try to be kind but still sometimes
I'm as cold as that.."

That verse really reminded you of the Doctor.

A lot of ooh and humming came with the strums of your precise fingers came before the next lyric.

You smiled away to yourself and Bill had recorded you, unknown by you. It was only a voice recording but it was all she wanted. She knew you weren't one to perform for people unless you used your other voice which was mainly good for being confident and silly with... like when you all sang that Nirvanna song in the hallway. But this was an obscure artist which you liked alone. And this music was heartfelt and sang from your very heart.

She knew you well enough that you would never tell her or anyone about this place, about how you could play, how you sang songs for and about the Doctor... So, she'd give you a little nudge.

She turned and walked away, finding the Doctor, she soon found him and said, "Doctor, Doctor... Put these in, I have something to show youuu!"
"What? Bill can't you see I'm not at all busy but hate those- oh what are they? silly little ear beans? Do I eat them? No, okay, I know what they are... Wait, why?" He asked as he took the strange white AirPods from Bill and held them in his ears. He didn't like putting other people's ear buds in.

Other people's ear wax had a weird taste in his ears to him.

If that even made sense.. Of course.

"Okay, but don't tell them I showed you this- I think it's a song for you-" Bill told him.
"What? A song about me- Oh, it better not be terrible-" The Doctor scowled as he waited for sound to play. "Is there anything to this or is this just some prank- Oh..."

But the music began to play, of you singing away about 'a child of the sun being so cold'. And he felt tears come to his eyes as he said it again, "Oh..." And again, "Oh.." He repeated and tapped his fingers to Bill's shoulder. "I want you to send this to me... I.. I would like a copy-"
"Yeah sure. I'll send it now if you want... and anyway, it's not like anyone will ever hear them again.. They don't like singing for people.. Or performing on any instrument for that matter.." Bill exclaimed.
"Oh.." He meant to say, 'that's a shame, I love their voice and their strums, so very precise and gently out of time all at the same time'. But he didn't he just kept saying, "Oh..."

Bill didn't really know what to say other than a chuckle as she said, "They really make you stop working, huh?"

He did a double take and said, "Yeah well... anyway... do the.. ping the.. thing over.. n.. yeah..." The Doctor swished his arms around playfully but truly he was wanting to be alone. To be vulnerable with his thoughts and perhaps even to confide in Missy about you... She could see it too.

You weren't like the other human companions he had had. All of them had been in awe of the TARDIS, of course, who wouldn't be?! It folds over the euclydian geometry that humanity hung so close to but you picked that up right away.. You commented on the maths you knew, what little you knew.. You'd expressed your hate towards the subject and how technically you still hadn't passed it. But the Doctor changed that for you with a little help from UNIT, just in case you wanted to go into any job or university in the future that depended on such a stupid thing.

He was always ever so kind to you.

But then as were you to him.

You were a troublesome person, deeply troubled yourself but chaotic and bright in a lovely, enticing way. The Doctor could see it in you, when you bounced around to bring smiles to others faces, you also seemed so hollow and sad on other days. Even as you continued smiling.

But so far you wouldn't touch him... You would jokingly loop your arms through his. Today was the most touch you had given him and that was just a front again, the confident jump on his back, the silly squeals as he tried to shake you off.

You were in love with him and all that he stood for but he thought you were just in love with the care and safety he provided... But perhaps that was what love was. Or what it should be...?

He had hope. As did you and it glimmered in both your eyes like the very stardust that sing his true name in the darkest of nights for all children to hear, to remember, to hold onto when they think life might never get better... He is always there.

The Doctor~

Suddenly, you pop your head out from round the corner and you ask, "Wanna grab a cuppa tea and look at the stars? It's a nice night for it, don't you think?"

And his smile returned, so feverish, so loving... You brought that brightness back to his cold stars.

Chapter 8: U

Chapter Text

https://youtu.be/PuD6C0eV9pU

(edit of Clara and 12 above, inspired this chapter)

~

Sitting in a beanbag in the greenhouse room you hummed away to yourself with a faint sadness as you texted an old friend and they once again cancelled plans on you just hours before you were going to go out. You were getting tired of trying, of having hope that they evenwanted to see you after so many months. They said they had lots going on but when you were younger they would tell you everything that was going on... and you knew there was usually a lot... But they wouldn't say anything to you. Not anymore.

God...

You deflate back in the beanbag and let the phone slip out of your hand and fall to the floor beside you. You exhale tiredly, almost shakily. The crook of your arm hides your eyes as you tear up a little but you're so in control that none fall. You just breathe stifled air with spasming lungs and a trembling tongue as you breathe so silently that not even the small trickle of water throughout the garden you had created.

Just as you were beginning to slouch back, melting into the beanbag you were in, there was a lovely tune echoing through the hallways of the TARDIS. You couldn't help but be intrigued by the playing and you got up from your seat. You languidly leant forward before sitting a moment longer, waiting for your tears to retreat back into wherever they reside before they start to accumulate in your eyelids.

And then, then you get up properly and stand there, discarding the phone that the Doctor had given you to use (since you know, you didn't have one before) and now you are walking towards the doors. You had asked the TARDIS to make the old wooden door become a pair of see-through automatic doors as you'd expressed how you liked them in shops. It just made it more fun.

And this room was meant to be your bedroom but christ... You'd made it so much more. There was a bed down a secret track. You had hidden the nightstand and the bed and the rack of clothes somewhere deep within that forest of a room and the TARDIS was more than welcoming to your dreams. The Doctor though, you hadn't told yet, let alone shown so... he's gonna get a surprise later on.

And walking through those winding hallways - with the guidance of the TARDIS - you spot the Doctor in the control room playing a beautiful song on his electric guitar. It had been two months since Bill had gone. Since the Mistress too. Since Nardole as well...

Since they had gone to that place and not come back.

At first the Doctor didn't want to find you again, to tell you the horrific news. But after he encountered glass beings who had copies of Bill's memories... of Clara... he had been determined to find you for that very reason.
He didn't think he could take another day of knowing that you could die at any moment and all he'd have of you were memories and to think how rude he had been to you to begin with... That just was not on. He had to make things right, so he went to you. He found you sleeping in a pile of pillows and beanbags in the library at the university where a group of security guards were coming with a policeman to arrest you for living under false names and credentials in the university at different points in time... Your luck had finally run out.
They were around the corner, the security guards pointed at you and you suddenly jerked upright in your cuddle pile. The familiar sounds of the TARDIS filled your ears and in your bleary state you could barely make out the lights inside the TARDIS doors when the Doctor opened one and held out his hand for you.
"Come with me if you want to keep running!" He had said and you took his hand and looped your arms around his neck and shoulders. He had twirled with you inside the TARDIS entrance and held you as he closed the door. He clicked his fingers and the TARDIS knew what to do. She began to take off, to float in deep space while you and he continued to just hug for a moment.

At some point later on he had gone back to the university to take a beanbag since you seemed to really like them.
He left it in a pile of oddity things in the corner of the control room and the day after you had been staying in the TARDIS with him it disappeared into your room with you. He had watched the feedback from the TARDIS cameras as you dragged it with your teeth then did a backwards roll with it and kicked it into the room behind you before walking out moments later like that was normal.

Your chaotic silliness was all that the Doctor needed from you in that moment.. to distract him from the pain of him having to tell you... that your best friend was dead. As was Missy - pressumably.. and Nardole.

And when he did manage to muster enough confidence to tell you, he expected you to cry, to be angry at him. But you just looked down at the floor, thinking a moment. Before then looking up at him and you said, "Come here..."

And he did... expecting you to slap his cheek... defintely not ready for the hug you gave him and the loving sentence that came from your lips, muffled in his coat - but he heard you. "You've lost enough... We both have. No use hurting eachother over this already shared pain..."

He just stood there as you two hugged. And he realised something... You didn't hug him like the others did. You hugged him like Rose. You hugged him with your head against his chest, in the crook of his neck should he lean down enough... You hugged him like a lover would.
Perhaps you were doing this on purpose, as a hint... Or maybe you were oblivious... but he was grateful because the looks he would give you were like those he would give Clara.

And the love the Doctor gave was not just emotion.. it is always a promise.

And today? Today he was playing that lovely tune on his electric guitar and you smiled softly as you brush your hand against the doorframe. Your gaze only on him as he continued to play away and you stay where you are. He doesn't notice you there until you decide to come closer and take a seat in one of the chairs on the railings.

He peers up at you and speaks, finally, "Before you and Bill... there was a woman called Clara Oswald.. I don't think I could ever forget her... but I did.. And.. Now the Testimony have shown me her again... I can't... Stop thinking about her-"
"So you're playing this song? Is the song for her? About her?... Is it how you remember her?" You asked perceptively.
"I-" His mouth opened and a croak of sound close to 'I' or 'A' with breath that only sounded like 'H's followed out in a spiel of ucertainty. He didn't know how else he could express his awe and to portray the extent to which he was taken aback by your perspicacity.

"Can I continue to watch you play?" You asked with an intrigued tilt to your head. "And... would you tell me about her? She must have been special for you to compose a song about her...?" You trail off and he feels a smile tug at the corners of his lips.

You see the smile but it's a sad smile, you can tell.

He nods continuing to play, plodding calmly with the slow song his nimble fingers pluck and strum. Everything was done with precision. You could see it, feel it in the comfortable thrum of the tune, his movements, mannerisms, expression... He was a musician of precision and care. Amanof precision and care.

This woman must have meant the world to him.

The Doctor played Clara's Theme all the way around the console in the centre of the room until he made it back to you and all the while he told you of Clara. He told you of the adventures, of the joy she brought his old face. How loving and hopeful she was and then he told you how you reminded him of her too. That made you blink in surprise but then smile sweetly until your cheeks stretched and the small creases by your eyes only accentuated your kind expression.

"She sounds lovely... she obviously mattered a lot to you... I'm sorry you lost her..." But as the Doctor inhaled a breath to speak back, you continue on, almost in a hurry to get your words out... to get your feelings out, "And I know they are just words.... And I know that you have heard this apology all your life. And I KNOW how repetition gets boring so you look for new things... Something else to distract you, something new. And that means a different person to find and bring on your journeys... Right? Well she made a deep scar in your heart and head, I can see it in your eyes- No, no.. Don't argue, I can see it in your eyes and when I say that I don't mean just a pale refelction. I mean I feel it... I shake with that same feeling. With that horror of hurt and pain and grief and love that can NEVER be and it hurts so! SO much... And you are... you are excellent at hiding it... and... all I am is a mad human rambling at a man who might as well be a God. I am an agnostic so now that I have been in the presence of you... TimeLord... You are more Godly than what hope we pray to on earth. You aren't absent or sad*stic. You arekindandpresent... Like every other companion you have brought with you on your journeys -- though I've not met them -- but I've seen how Bill looked at you and yeah... We know you are worth everything... Not in the hierarchy way... in the.. The earth you step on is blessed by your touch because you have saved more life and lost more close to you than anyone else in this universe... and... I think that gets overlooked, doesn't it? You are absolutely brilliant and I say this as the representative of the human race. We thank you, Doctor. And weloveyou."

The Doctor stood speechless as he stealthily pushed his guitar on the strap round to be safely behind him as he closed the space between you both so quickly and you were suddenly engulfed in a hug.

He held you to him and he thanked you. His lips spoke kindly but shakily into the pit of your neck where he says in his broken by oncoming sobs voice, "Thank you... Thank you.. thankyou.." He kept repeating it like a prayer into the warm, smooth skin of your neck. His eyes closed as he steadied his breathing and you - after a moment of confusion - bring your hands up to his back between his back and his guitar, he jokes, "Those hands.. where are they travelling? They better not be going too far-"
"Don't tempt me, you big goof!" You chuckle against his coat but your chuckling sounded slightly crisp with the tears you were hiding in his chest.

The both of you had tears in your eyes and the Doctor suddenly pulls back quickly, holding you by the shoulders at arm's length. "Are you alright? You're making my coat all wet.."
You chuckle to yourself and nod, assuring you were fine that whatever was on your mind wasn't important.
"No, no... nothing is 'not important'... Tell me. I should have asked before, I didn't think that you would have ..things going on as well-" The Doctor spoke so selflessly it hurt.
"Doctor, don't say that... you're sounding like me... and I know how well it went for me... Don't be like me..." You caringly say. Fingers of your right hand came up to his cheek, brushing the smooth face of this kind, old man. He tilted his head to fit into your hand and calmly led him backwards towards the room you had taken as your own.

"You might want to leave your guitar behind..." You advised. He swung it round expertly waiting for your praise but you just scoff and roll your eyes. He would take that.

Carefully he set his guitar down against the nearest railings as you led him by the hand to your room.

"Now, I don't want you to go crazy or anything... Especially no grumpy brow..ing. Okay? You said.. I could do anything I wanted with this room... to make it mine... you also said I could bring my house plants-"
"Oh no.. This is a bad thing, isn't it? In a moment of vulnerability you're going to show me something bad so it doesn't seem so bad, aren't you?" The Doctor asked sagaciously.
"No, hahah, nothing bad- unless you hate plants or something insane-"
"I hate gardening-" The Doctor said with a shrug.

A pause.

"You 'hate' gardening?... HOW CAN YOU HATE GARDENING?!" You suddenly ask him.
"That, that's why. So silly, all worked up on the dedication of cultivating an improportionately planted garden when there is natural gardens all around you. You don'tneedto plant stuff when there's already stuff planted!" He genuinely sounded angry about... well not angry, maybe more just confused to the point of aggravation.

You blink with a shake of your head, hands on your hips. "That's- you're just silly! Oh... now I'm worried you're not gonna like it-"
"What does it matter my opinion anyway?" He asked with his eyebrows all eyebrowy.
"You really don't know.. do you?" You asked him.
"Wh- she said that to me once... She did. C-Clara said that when we met Robin Hood-" The Doctor's lips wobbled at the memory.

You smiled sadly with a curt nod. "Words are to be shared. Not everyone remembers the words of one soul spoken to another but you do... and again... shows you're kind." You trail off with a perfect pivot from your position and then off towards the sliding doors you walked.

The Doctor, after a moment passed, followed after you through the halls of his TARDIS.

"You know.. What you did for Bill.. taking those pictures of her birth mum.. Was really lovely of you." You told him as you got closer to the doors.
He blinked with confusion as you casually mentioned Bill. "Well.. Haha, now I- hah... know you're up to something, you're honey and hatchet-ing me!" He laughed in a faux voice as if he were nervous to.

You just shook your head, knowing you were like him and that the both of you hid hurt with laughter.

"My best friend from my childhood." You started, piquing the Doctor's interest. "They uhh.. They don't want to see me anymore, they're making excuses every time we make plans.. hours before we go out they text me... they say they are busy with another friend or something... And that just... got to me earlier. I- I'm just so tired of being last choice." You explained.

The Doctor looked to you as you smile tight lipped at him and took the step through the sliding glass doors and into the pale lit room. The Lights had dimmed to imitate night for the plants usual growth.

"That person doesn't sound much of a friend.. or perhaps just a terrified friend." Said the Doctor.
"I love them... but no, I agree. They're afraid." You agreed but not to the part that you didn't want to face.

He knew you didn't want to face it so he just nodded.

And then he too was in the room and he marvelled at it. He was in awe of what you had created in such a short frame of time since living on the TARDIS with him. This was a whole entire life's worth of beautiful jungle and plants.

You looked at him and searched his features for a response.

"I spent 4 and a half billion years in a loop of eternity with the everything I did planned by my own actions, to do the same thing over... and over.. and over and... over again until I could punch through the most solid diamond in all the universe for a girl..." He scoffed. "..For Clara's safety and she died anyway... She is still gone."
You look into his eyes calmly and unfurl your arms from being crossed - worriedly - over your chest and he slips his hand freely down to yours.
"So.. To answer your question-" He raised a brow slightly, kind but nonchalantly comedic. "-if it means so much to you to ...garden.. then I will support you. I support this forest in my TARDIS. If I can stick that repetitive pain in my own confession dial for that second in eternity.. I can put up with you gardening. I don't hate it enough to ruin your compassions." He smiled as his long and slender fingers tenderly root into your and he holds eye contact as he kisses the bends of your fingers.

"Thank you." You gratefully say then you tug him carefully around and show him your favourute places in the greenhouse room.

"Did you create these watering stations or did you ask the TARDIS to do it for you?" The Doctor asked when you took him to a beautiful, thin ravene that was indeed watering each plant in rows, circulating then in through precious layers of other alien plants then drips of filtered water into succulents and moss which then circled round when filled enough.

"No, I did it myself. The TARDIS showed me a room where you keep junk toys and gadgets, metal and pipes and I mismatch used them to my advantage. See there-" You point at the compost for a new plant you had put in the other day where a piece of paper stuck out in ripped pieces.
The Doctor unlaced his hand from yours and picked up the paper, he looked at it and the written, mapped out circuitry. Though it didn't have symbols of maths and science as most great minds would use he understood it and it was perfectly intelligent. "W-wha- why is this in the ground, this is clever stuff, you could have a PhD or something with this sort of thing in your world-"
"Not when you're downbeat like me. And anyway... These things all get in the way... I saw you had an art gallery in one of the rooms.. I hope you don't mind.. I stuck a pile of paintings lined up in there because - well... I don't want the plants eating those ones. But some pieces of work are best to just be digested over time... and by hungry green fingers like these." You shrug.

The Doctor nods understanding. "I understand that.. But.. still.. you should never depreciate your mind... it is quite brilliant.. and beautiful... even with what hinders your full capacity... I know.. I know, it's okay." He was referring to what disorders and difficulties you face with your mind and you just nod with a smile.

A time passes until you take him to your bed in the middle of the jungle. He was told to close his eyes since you didn't like people knowing the secret route to your room inside the room. "Why the shop glass doors?" the Doctor asked while on the short trek through the forest.
"Oh haha, I just always think they're so cool! Why have wood when you can have sliding glass!" You laughed.
"Yeah... I s'pose so." He shrugged and chuckled, hitting the toe of his shoe on a root and stumbling. "Woah, woahhh- coulda told me there was a-"

He stumbled and this time genuinely lost his balance, he was falling forward, free hand out, trying to take his hand away from you so you wouldn't fall with him but you yanked him up by it and he ended up falling with you onto a beanbag.

You both chuckle when he peels open an eye, "I can open these now right?"
"haha, yes Doctor, you can!" You chuckle.
"I can see why you like these, now!" He smiled wryly as he laughs with you.

You're both on your sides, lying with an arm each under you and faces rather close as you laugh.

He was almost sad when you rolled off of it and crouched to stand up.

"Where are we now, then?" The Doctor asked.
"My room." You smiled and did a twirl with your hands out dramatically.
"Ah, I see-" He smiles again, mischievously more so.

He stands with you and looks all around himself. He finds a bunch of what seemed to be toxic alien plants, his voice hitched in his throat and he quickly grabbed you by the hand, pulling you to him and covering your mouth, trying to funnle you both out quickly from the poisonous air. His eyes look distraught.

"Woah, woah! Calm down!" You slap his hands away.
"Keep your mouth shut, hold your breath! These are some of the most poisonous plants in the universe!" The Doctor fearfully said.
"No! They might be in their natural habitats... but look.." You point at the different compost with the different designs.

The Doctor looked over the designs and could now see that it was a reversed version of the other. Where the water is filtered to crystal pure water by all those plants they now watered the toxic plants and took their toxicity away. It turned out the plants and fungi were only toxic because of what water they fed from. It was the water of the planets that were poisoned. "How did you.. figure this out?"
"Trial and error?" You shrug sheepishly.
"You... Y/N M/N(s) L/N.... You are BEAUTIFUL!" He said, taking away his hand from your mouth, taking you to him with his hands to your cheeks and he kisses your forehead.

"Haha... yeah? Aw, thanks... Well um... Thank you?" You weren't used to being praised over your intellect... that was clear to the Doctor. You also weren't used to compliments full stop.

You sit on your bed cross-legged as the Doctor came to stand at the feet of it. He leans against the foot board and looks calmly up at the plants now with a new outlook.

"So... What're you gonna do now? Now that Bill and everyone... are memories? Will you want me gone too? Because you do realise you'll have to break your hatred for gardening, I would want you to keep my babies alive. Me here or not. Your responsibility when I'm gone!" You comically point out.
"Oh.. I could never get rid of any of my companions." He smiled playfully at you.
"So.. I'm a companion too now, huh? We haven't even been on a proper adventure together yet though... We should. Like a consumation of marriage. We need to consumate this companionship-" You chuckle when he spins on his heel and fumbles embarrassed. "Not like thatttt!" You laugh again.
"Oh.. okay.. well... you did, you know.. talk abour marriage, so I- and- and you.. took me to your bed!" He said laughing.
"HAHA! Yes, I suppose I did!" You laughed.

Then after a fit of laughter he said, "I guess we'll have to go on an adventure then.. Maybe a few, in fact. And I assume that means we'll have to go onwards, hmm? Keep on running. Keep on going."
"I'm proud of you to keep going, especially after everything. I'm not sure if you've been told that before or not... but I am. I'm proud of you." You smile.
"Why? You weren't this caring with Bill... what brought this on. I know everyone processes grief diferently but-" The Doctor chuckled slightly.
"No. I don't grieve. I just don't. I know that I have memories of everyone and that means they live on. That thing you said you told Clara... about all stories are what is left and how they live on... well, me too. I sometimes wonder though if your're supposed to remember them to keep them alive or if we should forget to let them move on to whatever else there might be after death..." You went off on a tangent. "I just want to treat people how I should have been treated... maybe then I'll... die in someone's good books at least." You say sadly yet kindly.

The Doctor looked at you with a half-lidded, tight lipped smile. A beat passes.

"You." He stated. "You are the reason to keep going. You are my reason to keep going." He smiled and he perched on the edge of your bed and as soon as he parked himself down, you lunged at him and hugged him wholeheartedly.
"And you can be mine!" You smile as you squeeze him and he frowns with an eyeroll.

Chapter 9: Unbelievably Unique

Chapter Text

"Alright, we're here.. London, Tuesday..." He licks his finger, holds it into the air then puts it in his mouth again, looking at you as his brows raise and says, "Ooh there's a leapyear this month, February...Natural History Museum straight ahead!" He grinned and pointed at the tall, majestic building with large pillars lining the entrance.
"Ooo very fancy collumbs! Shall we then?" You smile as you bend your arm at the elbow and leave it out for him to loop his through.
He smiles mischievously excited and completes the action.
"How can you do that thing with telling the date and time with taste? Is it Time Lord tastebuds that figure it out or can I learn?" You asked him intrigued as you both walked towards the museum, weaving a perfect path in and amongst the sea of Londoners.

"I could teach you if you'd like to learn. I don't quite know how it works, you might be able to learn or it'll just make us both look more bonkers than usual-" The Doctor said.
"I'm okay with both, really." You shrug and chuckle. "I guess it comes with ease to you, huh? Like the powers of a God... A God wouldn't know how to express that as explanation... Like you... You sure you're not a God, Doctor? Goctor? Dodter...?" You ask almost comically but seriously too.
He smirked a wry smirk and tapped his nose as if it were a secret.

"Actually, okay, hear me out, now that we're on this subject, I've been meaning to say this... okay... so like... You... do the thing in space and time and you always go on about time ripples and like... butterfly effect, yada yada-" You ramble on as the Doctor raises a brow, picking at the knees of his trousers so he could scale the steps to the N.H.M with you. He was still very attentive to you, mind. "-Jesus right.."

"Oh, no no no noooo... not religion, I draw the line there.. You can believe what you like but I'm all science, you know that-" The Doctor frowns, rolling his head on his shoulders stiffly the way he does when he feels uncomfortable about a certain topic.
"Nooo nahhh, hear me out, okay..."
"Oh but do we have to talk about this, we're nearly in the..." he sighed when he sees your puppy dog eyes. "...Fine. Whatever... Make it quick. 3 minutes tops."
"YOU'RE SPACE AND TIME JESUS. JESUS BE STANDING ON WATER BUT YOU KEEP THE RIPPLES IN CHECK. YOU ARE SPACETIME JESUSSSSS!" You say all in one garble of words.

He stops walking, having removed his arm from yours. He's staring at you with his chin down to his chest and his eyes looking up from beneath his bushy brows.

A moment passes. "Sorry.. What?"

"Yeah, you heard me and if you wanna really I dunno.. spice up your life... Call yourself a THYME lord... hehe, get it cuz like-" You then start singing, "Are you going to scarborough fair, parsley, sage, rosemary and THYME~" You were rambling in song and the Doctor stares, horrified.

Just as someone came over to ask for your tickets to enter, the Doctor laughs a high pitched, belly laugh. He's completely and utterly laughing his ass off. This had been hilarious to him.

"Uhhh... Sorry, if you don't have a ticket you can't come in-" Said the woman at the door.
"Okay, paper thingy, do the psychic paper... Bill said you use it-" You say as you watch him literally crying with laughter.
"Here..." The Doctor gives it to you to show the lady so he can continue laughing his lungs up. He flicks a tear from his eye as he exhales a snort of a laugh close to what a lizard would sound like if it laughed.
Your eyes were rather wide as you side stare him and hold up the paper to the lady's face.

"Under...cover... people of... historical property movers..." The woman said, squinting to read it. "What?" She asked.
"Oh. Sorry-" The Doctor smacked the paper and it became 'Historical goods transport'.
"Wait, what year is this?" You suddenly asked the Doctor, remembering he hadn't actually told you that part.
"2003-" The Doctor stated quickly as he breathed deeply to replenish his laughed out self.

He leaned on you and continued to breathe, "We need to talk about your comedic timing.." He then snatched the paper back briskly and thanked the lady as you both enter without another word.
"What if we bump into mini me?" You asked him.
"Is that likely given your age...? I'm assuming you'd be born around now if you and Bill were student age-" The Doctor replied, eyeing everything you guys pass as if searching for something specific.
"Well yeah that's what I mean, what if we meet my foetus?" You asked.
"What? You can't meet a foetus, at least not for another thousand odd years and even then I don't think you want to know-" The Doctor said.
"Can we meet a foetus?" You asked. "Another adventure, we mussst!"
"You sound weirdly excited about seeing the earliest stages of your people's existence... weirdo." The Doctor scoffed.
"Weirdo? You can talk." You huff playfully.

The small talk trailed off and then you ask him, "So what are we looking for? Aliens? Alien artifacts?"
"Anything that seems out of place." The Doctor winked at you followed by a grin.
"Oh.. That, right there.. .atrocious style, green fez!? Completely abhorrent to its native red!" You point out a man in what did truly look disgusting, a vomit green fez.

The Doctor paused to see what you meant. He deflated and shook your shoulders as he spoke into your face, "I meant artifact wise... Not shrewd observations of puke-worthy fashion offences!"
"Okay, okay.. fine!" You shrug.

You take a look around as he'd told you to split from him. Cover more ground.

The Doctor returned to your side as you were looking at some monkey skeletons and the fossils of ancient Isopods and the like.

"Ahh, Bathynomus giganteus." The Doctor stated, "Beautiful creatures, very happy to snuggle up under the moonlight, you know? Social even though they prefer the dark of the sea."
"You've cuddled with woodlouse cousins?" You asked with glee filled eyes.
"Woodlous- Uhh.. yes. Yes, I have. I can take you, if you'd like?" The Doctor responded with a kind mischief to his smile.

He looked over the very details of your entire being and noticed something he didn't usually about you. "W-... You changed your hair?"
"Oh yeah, I thought I'd go through with it finally... Bill once said I would suit a yellow bob... It was also a bet thing... And I never went through with it even though I gave my word whatever the thing she bet me to do I would if I lost...and I lost and never did.. So.. Now I have a bob of yellow hair, I guess." You shrug with a tight lipped smile.
"Ah... well, I don't think it would mean much to her now... but.. it's nice of you to do..." The Doctor said, frowning because she was dead.

"Would you be offended if I told you I wasn't interested in the history and more in the architecture and the sights? Like I don't care to know the backstory of Lucy, the first human being. I don't care about the great fire of London and I especially don't care about anything to do with the royals..." You asked truthfully.
"No.. Not at all. You're entitled to your own opinion and I to most of your opinion agree. I prefer the sights to the theory behind everything but then I know the theory down to a T... through most of it I've been to... So, it's basically woven into my knowledge." the Doctor answered. "Also.. I think I found something... The only exhibition you need to pay for to enter... A perfect cube." The Doctor jabbed his finger into the brochure he'd picked up and spun you on the spot by your shoulders to point you in the direction of a large cavernous hallway that lead to the odd exhibition.

"Okay... so... let's go then-" You said.
"I don't have money, I'm the Doctor... SpaceTime Jesus, remember? You think Jesus had cash on him back in Jerusalem?" The Doctor teased comically.
"Absolutely not... He just tapped rocks and turned 'em to gold or whatever-" You said, getting one up on him.
"Oh ohh... shut up." The Doctor rolled his eyes and pinched your arm through his before slipping through the velvet rope with the psychic paper and getting you both into the exhibition with ease.

"Wait so you mean that lady asked for our tickets when this museum is free to enter?" You suddenly snapped angry at the woman at the doors.
The Doctor looked up to the corner as he realised that too. "Oh.. Good point.. Weird. Maybe she's in on this, knew who we were? Ohhhh, conspiraciessss!"
"Your turn to shut up, it's starting-" You point at a blue light that lit the room in a new, balmy glow.

The Doctor looked up at the light on the beam and then back at you and his whole face frowned dumbly. "No, you plonker, that's just a light... There's nothing to be said, it's all projected on that wall." He tutted and whacked you at the back of the head playfully.
"See? What I say? Space Jesus. You know everythin'!" You laugh and he smirks as he laughs a little too.

This adventure was proving to be just what you both needed.

After everyone had filed out of the room and the security people were waiting for you and the Doctor to leave, the Doctor used a high frequency in his Sonic Screwdriver and it shot out all the lights, except the blue one, it made the blue one go disco and he grabbed you by the arm as he rammed the glass case and it smashed, he stole the cube out of the rubble of glass. Bolting for an exit.

He seethed breath and then he - with the lights strobing like at a club all around him - makes out at least 5 human security guards coming for the two of you. One has a heavy weapon and the others have tasers and standard security guard gear.

"I SHOULD'VE CALLED KATE TO SET THIS UPPPPP-" The Doctor said out loud as he tried to justify his late thoughts.

"COME ON, KATE KAYUNT SAYUV YA NOOOOW!" You said in a weird, breathless way as you grab him by the hand and tug him in a completely opposite direction.
"WHAT'RE YOU DOING, I DO THE HAND GRABBING, THAT'S MY THINNNGG!" The Doctor squawked as that was the top of his list for a minute.

You roll your eyes and shove him forward, using him and your hips to thrust open a fire exit door. By default that sets off the alarm and tides of people come out too. You smirk, "I was hoping this would happen. Perfect sea of people to get lost in from the security guards! LET'S Go, Docker!"
You had ignored his whines and huffs of disagreement to your strangely flawless, impulsive plan. You'd even ignored the grunt of pain he'd emitted when you both smacked bodily into that fire escape door. Okay, maybe not fully ignored, you'd said it was 'kinda hot' in the spur of the moment and he had asked a simple 'wot!?' but you knew he heard you. Neither brought it up again though.

"Ahh, my TARDIS isn't too far... come on, Y/N? Y/N?!" He called, searching the seas of people for you. Finally, he finds you and as you turn on the spot, pushed and shoved by all those around you, heart beating fast and breath felt fast and difficult as you were so lost in London and afraid the security people would get you.

But then, his aged hand came reaching for you through the swimming eels of people and instantly you knew who's hand it was. You grabbed it and tugged slightly, with great force - you didn't know he possessed - the Doctor reeled you back to his side and he ran with you to the TARDIS.
He swung open the doors with his usual click of his fingers and when you both got in, you breathe heavily and you close the doors, tiredly sliding down the doors.

"You know... I've had many encounters of running from bad situations with my previous companions, just like this but... honestly.. running from humans, that's always the worst. Your race is domestically chaotic that it's rather horrifying!" The Doctor laughed as he tossed the historic object into a case in his controls to do some experiments of the thing in a minute.

You sigh shakily, "Christ... yeah, I've had my run-ins or rather runaways from people and LORD ALMIGHTY... we are the absolute WORST... seriously don't know why you put up with us... but.. I'm glad you do.. cuz you know, otherwise, wouldn't be here now ahahah!" You smile to yourself as the Doctor came to stand before you and outstretched a hand for you to take and get to steady footing.

You clap your hand into his and he helps you up. He tugs you fast and you are almost nose-to-nose for a moment.
You see him part his lips a little as he looks so wise and fondly down at your framed features. "Doctor-" You began to speak.
"Hm?" He asked back in a hum as he still stood unable to move - seemingly.
"You can let go of my hand now.. If you want." You say with a small smile coming to grace your mischievous features.
"R-ight." He let go and quickly made space between you both, skipping over to his consoles and flipping useless buttons.

You smile to yourself and then notice something on the cube.

"Hey is that..." You point to the carving of a snake thing on the side.
"Yes.. Aztec.. or perhaps fake-" The Doctor said, "Could be to throw us off-"
"Well no, because that's Quetzlcoatl, the feathered serpent and that there is Tlaloc the water deity... There's a gold seal at the edge, possibly added later... can you tell?" You ask as if everything you had said was absolutely known knowledge but the Doctor was genuinely awestruck.
"Wahey... look at you, you do know some history!" He smiled as he hit some buttons and tweaked a dial then scanned it with his sonic glasses for a little extra pizzazz.
"Yeah, not just a pretty dolly, am I?" You chuckled.
"Hah... far from it.." He said partially absentmidedly.
"Rude as hell, you think I'm not a pretty dolly?" You say faux hurtfully.
"What? Sorry, stopped listening. You're right, it's added 200 years later... ground pieces found across the equator of this planet.." He clacked his teeth together as he thinks.

"Congo basin." You said.
"What? Are you just firing places at me, now?" He asked.
"No, no think about it. Congo river, Tlaloc, the god of water, rain, river etc... Feathered serpent is windy like a river, the biggest windy river I know is the congo. The Gold is panned for in the Congo river, the congo basin is across the equator of the earth- Though.. I failed geography and history so maybe I'm not the best person to piece this together with..." You stated to explain your thought process to him.

"Phenomenal!" He grabbed your face and kissed the centre of your forehead, quickly grabbing your hands and hovering them over weird, slimy, orange slits in the TARDIS console. "Fingers, in the slits, please. This is the TARDIS's core interface. You will be completely connected to it and she will read your thoughts and feelings to travel to the exact location, understand?" The Doctor quickly explained.
"Seriously? I gotta finger your ship to get a ride out of her?..." You say it then dawning on you both just how much that implied. "Okay.. I realise how bad that sounded, I don't mean to say I'm gonna uhh... intercourse your TARDIS or anythin'-"
"Stop, stop.. please, stop talking.." The Doctor tried to hush you. "Just... stick your fingers in the folds and- AHHHHHHHH... yOU HAVE POISONED MY BRAIIIN!"

You cackle. "That was worse than me! You were worse! WAYYY worse!" You laughed and swipe a tear of laughter from your eye then spontaneously stick your fingers into it and he tells you to be careful, to clear your mind, etc.

"Don't worry, Doctor.. I've had experience with different genders... this should be a breeze-" You winked and chuckled.

Not even five minutes later and the TARDIS was spinning chaotically through time and space, the Doctor hanging on from your waits and the rails of the console. Him yelling for you to clear your mind but you going, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" you're screaming excitably but the Doctor is completely horrified.

Outside the TARDIS it hit into a prison and wobbled River's cell for a moment. She leapt out of her bed and peered out of the cell window to see the nostalgic blue box ping-pong balling its way through space haphazardly. "Looks like you're letting the a new learner try her for a spin, Doctor.. hahaha! Good luck with that one, looks wild.. I like them, whoever they are, already!" River said to herself and wrote it down in a margin of her diary.

"We just hit something!" The Doctor shrieked.

And then, finally, back to Earth and in the right place just slammed into the ground at the Congo Basin.

"f*ckING HELL... I am never letting you drive EVER again!" The Doctor barked and swept back his frizzy, silver hair. It still splaid out madly. His eyes and brows wide like a hare's and his lips wet with his saliva that had left them when he screamed for his life moments prior.
"Haha, I thought it was a lot of fun, whaddya say girl?" You stroke a fold sensually and smirked suggestively at the Doctor who pretended to puke in his mouth.
"Sorry, no.. out. Let's go! We need to solve this puzzle before you make me actually lose my morning crisps to a bush or something..." The Doctor said in a flavoursome way to say 'be sick'.

"No, noooo... We need to wear some proper clothing. That's a rainforest out there... if I got it right. Most of the bugs out there could kill us. AND the animals, so... clothes!" You say pointedly.
"Okay, fine. Clever. Meet back here in a moment... Don't go outside without me!"
"Wow, okay, DAD." You chortle as you skip down the stairs and off towards the TARDIS wardrobe.

You came back in a bee suit and see the Doctor at the top of the stairs in exactly the same outfit... "Hey, we both bee'd up! Great minds!" You chuckle as you loop your arm through his and he holds the artifact in the base of his thumb in his palm. You eye the way he held it and made a face of droopy lips akin to those in Rick and Morty.

"What?" He asked, noticing your strange look.
"Noooothinggg" You say in a sing-song voice as you both open the doors and see the muggy forest.

As you both walk out across the bank of the Congo, you and the Doctor step to the edge of the forest. Both of you marvelling up at the different trees and plants all around.

"Hey, look!" You point out a tall bird perched in a high canopy where you'd never seen one before, "A black headed heron! I've only ever seen grey ones at like... at lakes and things.." You said.
"There's plenty of time for us to explore, so go right ahead. Though, I am ANTSY to know what this artifact meansss..." The Doctor said, juggling the cube.
"Well, yeah. Over there is an old jetty, looks deserted, probably an old gold panning piece... We could go check it out if you want. If we can find where the gold is from we can find where the cube originated, if we find that we can find the whereabouts of the other one that fits into it-" You said.
"Other one.. what?" The Doctor puzzledly asked.
"Well.. yeah, of course.. If it's really Aztec it'll be an Aztec riddle. A Quetzlcoatl always comes with its other half the Xolotl so... just need to find that one. Put em together, we solve the mystery. Right?" You say perceptively.

He stares at you for a long moment. "If we weren't in bee keeper suits I think I would have kissed you for your brilliance.." He said in such a monotone, truthful way.
"Aw, darn suit getting in the way of my singlehood no more!" You curse the heavens with a fist up at it playfully.

The Doctor scoffed as he followed your idea.

"Gonna be really embarrassing when all of this was for nothing and I was completely wrong!" You laugh.
"Well, even if you are. I will have learnt a lot more about just how unbelievably unique you are, not to mention how clever your pudding brain can be!" The Doctor reassured.
"Angel Delight..." You say.
"What?"
"That's what flavour my pudding brain would be!" You laugh with him as you advance towards the jetty.

Chapter 10: Underworld pt.1

Chapter Text

"So.. Gold panning looks horrific, uhhh looks like you were right though, there's going to be another box... We'll have to find that one... Whaddya say?" The Doctor asked as he pinched at your arm and nudged you towards the exit.
"Wait so does that mean you found a clue?" You asked him making a funny squawk noise when he pinched a certain tendon.
"What was that?" He smirked as he pinched the ticklish tendon again.
"YEESH... stopppp... it's like... you're tickling the insides of my arm musclessss!"
"You call that muscle? Pfft, och nae, you're built like a wee string bean-" He said with a scottish chuckle.
"Oh shut up you... you... grey stick insect!" You point back.
A moment as he stares at you and blinks weirdly, a tear forms in his eye.
"Hey... What's wrong, I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" You asked, worriedly for a fragment of a second. "I didn't mean it, ya big goof.." You try to laugh and cover it up.
"No, you didn't.. 'hurt my... feelings'" He held your face and rubbed the pads of his thumbs over your cheeks and smiled into your features sadly, "Clara... once called me that exact thing..."
"Well... bit weird considering how there are multiple words in the English language and here is me saying something another companion you knew had said. Huh... Maybe I've been spending too much time with you and the TARDIS..." You chuckle nervously.
"Nothin' wrong with that... Is strange though." He agrees with you.

"So... Xolotl is a creature of the underworld, not like Hell but in a similar aspect, presumably... Central Mexico is where the Aztecs used to live... So... Should we head that way you think?" You asked the Doctor.
"Well... While all that is true, you are correct... Aztec culture is from central Mexico but..." He smiles with a cutesy twitch of his nose and brows. You smile more at that and wait for him to show you what he meant.

The Doctor whips out his sonic glasses and plants them to your features beneath your bee net and tapped the sides until he hit the right combination and you went 'wowww'.

You suddenly turned quickly to look at him excitably, you threw your beekeeper clothed arms around his neck and he spun you as you chant, "You found it! You found it! You found it!" And he laughs happily as he answers that he had and when he planted you down on the ground again he also told you how he found it.
"See... There are different trails beneath the gold panning jetties... Of course, they couldn't be close to the river or it would only flood the underground but there is a large stone covering a bunch of caves where the river willstream into when it's too full-" The Doctor stated.
"No.. they're there to filter pure water from beneath the rainforest. You know like how my forest back on the TARDIS has that drinkable water filtered through the crystals, pebbles, moss and trees? It's like that, just mine is manmade since... it's not in a natural habitat... I was trying to recreate the caves deep in the earth like the wells they would tap into long ago..." You said wisely.

He paused for a moment as a smile steadily grew in his features. "I'm glad you said that because I knew I was wrong but was going to ramble anyway" He smiles so sweetly at you and tells you to watch out for a deep bit of water they were heading towards.
"Honestly, we should've worn waterproof stuff... if we've gotta get down through the forest and deep into the water to find a cave mouth we're going to be soaked..." You say with a huff. "But hey, you getting me out and about and soaked on top of that sounds like a GREAT day out!" You joke grossly.
"God, please, stop.. Just get in the puddle and shut up." The Doctor scowled playfully pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No way... You get in the puddle first!" You say, patting his back for him to go first but he wouldn't.
Then, in an extra playful way, he shoves you and you fall face first in the puddle. You frown, looking up at him as a small tree frog leapt onto your beekeeper hat and nestled down there. He guffawed and smirked. But you then grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him in with you. "AH, sh*t-" The Doctor shrieked and moments later was sat with you in this deep bit of water and there are at least 6 frogs sitting on his knees.
"Hehe, they like youuuu!" You laugh adorably.
The Doctor blows at a strand of his messy grey hair up from his brows beneath the beekeeper hat. But he does peer at you from the side and smiles at your sheepish mischeivousness. "Come on, you!" He chuckles as he hands you a little mouthpiece, "Pop it in your mouth, it's got up to 3 days worth of oxygen in there-"
"In the water or in the doohickey you got there?" You asked, gesturing to the water you were in and the thing he had just seemingly magicked out of his pocket.

He blinked confusedly for a minute. "You are clever, aren't you, Y/N L/N? In the water, yes. It filters oxygen through tiny motors inside the cell and powers itself on the carbon dioxide you breathe through it."
"Well that's a clever little doohickey, too then. And you're the clever doohickey maker!" You snort with a smile and elbow his arm to further your adoration toward him.

He smiled shyly and said, "It's not that special, it's simple mechanics just.. amped up a little-"
You lean into him and kiss his cheek through your two netted faces and shut him up instantly. He really wasn't expecting that and then you said, "Come on then, let's go find this cave, clever boy~" You smile coquettishly and pop the doohickey in between you lips, diving under the puddle's surface to follow down the deeper route, the tree frogs floating up from you and finding a place on the Doctor's knees again.

The Doctor gently tells the frogs to leave and they croak that he was a nice seat and that he should 'chase the girl' as they said it and he rolled his eyes mumbling, "Great... now I'm taking love advice from earthian tree frogs... Not much worse it could get, I suppose-" He then sees the black heron from earlier giving him a knowing look, "Okay! Alright, I'm going!" the Doctor sighed exasperatedly, looking grumpily between the frogs and the heron as he put his water filter into his mouth and swam down, reluctantly after you.
When he found you, he saw you pushing at a big stone. You said something but he couldn't understand you, he prodded a button on the side and it made it capable of allowing you to speak and actually be heard. You tilt your head as you try to understand what that button being pressed could have done. Then you spoke again and you heard your own voice. "It's space Jesus and sidekick proof!"
He looked at you with a roll of his eyes, he took off the bee hat and took yours off too as he pressed his sonic into the stone and it moved aside, pulling you both in like a vacuum.

You and the Doctor spin with the currents, you get knocked into a stalectite and you lose the mouthpiece. The Doctor quickly grabs for your body and pulls you with him, he curled you into his front safely, he couldn't grab the doohickey to save you so he gave you his after he took a deep breath.

He managed to find the end of the tunnel of water. He gasps for air at the surface and helps you safely onto the cavern floor. You're both soaked through and you had been knocked unconscious. He took off the beekeeper suits from yourself and him. He scanned you with his sonic and his sonic sunglasses just in case he'd missed anything with either's results. They both came up fine. Just some bruising and light head trauma - rendering you unconscious for the time being.

When you came around the Doctor had a fire going with his sonic having lit it. He had a conicle flask which he was heating with the water from pure drops gathered in pale blue pools beneath the sun which came down on a single pillar amongst the water you had been sucked into prior. The Doctor was very precise and diligant as he kept in mind how anything could kill you like bacteria even... Unlike his Time Lordian nervous system of steel.
He watched the fire and prodded it like every movie scene ever and you caught eyes with him when you groggily moved to get up. "Careful, you took quite the blow to your lower back." He had told you calmly, eyes half-lidded peacefully.
You nod shakily. Suddenly you were searching all around and got up so quickly you felt dizzy. The Doctor feared for your health and asked, "Hey, no, what did I just say?"
"But... Your doohickey! I've lost it!" You said sadly to him.

His eyes softened as he realised how deeply you cared for the things he created... It made something in his chest stir. He was used to his companions brushing it off since he was 'a genius' in their eyes and that meant nothing new, right? But you cared. Like actually. You cared.

"I'm sorry... I-I'll find it when I feel a bit better... you don't happen to have a torch do you?" You asked sheepishly as you lay back down, tilting your head on the slab of rock you found yourselves upon.
"No, there's no need. I can always make another. Though I am grateful you care so much about how it was something I leant you.. it doesn't mean it's worth risking your life over." The Doctor smiled kindly at you with that look of love only someone such as himself could give.
"A..are you sure you don't want me to try? I really don't mind-" You asked.
And he answered, "Y/N, you're worth much more than a few proccessors in a basic battery cell."

You got up from your laying position and came to sit beside him. You sat close and rested your head on the curve of his shoulder, gazing into the fire as it crackled playfully.

"Do you want to know a random fact about stones I know?" You asked amongst the silence.
"Hmm? Go on." He replied, absolutely enamoured with this comfortable moment.
"Bauxite is the ore that Alluminium comes from. I was in DT when my teacher was throwing out a bunch of books they weren't allowed to give kids anymore because it was either outdated or it was too engaging and not systemic like every other academy had in the country... I said I would take one. And I chose one which had a word search in the back. I learnt so much more in that than what I should have learned from the system's teachings... I watched the most beautiful animated films when I was little... my dad and brother loved them and we would watch them every now and then... My favourites were Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa and Tales from Earthsea... my mum loved Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro... but as I've grown I've realised all them are so deeply troubled and excellent." You inhaled as you made your tangent work out and the Doctor watched you with admiration and waited patiently for you to finish your truths. "...Laputa: Castle in the Sky... That one.. it was about a girl who had ancestors who had created a floating city and had the key to finding and igniting its life again.. a small stone pendent with a robot insignia painted in gold upon it... Like a royal crest... The stone was Lapis Lazuli and it was such an excellent film... whenever I hear the music I instantly feel melancholic and the quotes... oh the quotes... But.. anyway, haha, point is.. the point is that I learnt through film culture and my own way thanks to the teachers who willing to let me..." You sighed.

He nodded. "Why would they be opposed to you learning, I thought schools were a place OF learning?" The Doctor looked baffled.
"They are.. but when I was doing my GCSEs I was more interested in particle physics and quantum entanglement than anything to do with the structure of an atom, learning the Periodic Table off by heart or.. reciting Pi to the 10th number or whatever... I learned about botony on my own, I learned several languages they wouldn't teach me in school.. I had deep conversations with anyone who was willing and I would create art from my soul that I could not lock away or bend to the will of society's artistic standards.. I didn't jump through the hoops and I wouldn't kiss the rings... So, I got low grades... People who hung bits of sh*t on strings got A*s and I got Cs and Bs at the highest for my 'out there' writing... and my 'unconforming art'... What I wanted to learn was only allowed if I could learn everything in order first... Particle and Quantum physics could only be learned in University and I was barely over 16 so that simply was not allowed... But when I looked after the science block snakes I would talk to the older science teachers who I believe have been fired because they spoke to children like me who wanted to learn and had an apetite for ANYTHING other than the gruel they fed the other sheep."

The Doctor looked melancholic and understanding as he stroked up and down your arm then carefully laced his fingers with yours that had been resting prior on your knee as he said, "I know that humanity has a broken system and will likely not change that because they think it is tradition and would be unfair to suddenly change what's broken because the next generation would have it better because it would be fixed. But that is how a society runs itself to its knees. It takes time but I can assure you, the future is filled with much more aware children of your race. I know 'respect your elders' is a saying but I barely respect beings willing to watch their people struggle just as an easy escape so.. if it helps, I wouldn't respect people no matter elderly or not. I agree with you and your quizzing, beautiful mind. NEVER stop being who you are. Your thirst for knowledge is a flare barely seen in the new world. Don't lose that of yourself, will you?"
"I hope not to." You smile into his features as he pulls your hand to his lips and kisses your cold fingers gently.

"You're cold.. come here.." He tugs you closer and you hide yourself warmly in his front.

He leans against a stalegmite with you between his legs and you curl up against him in front of the now boiled water and fire that was burning to a dull glow.

The Doctor began humming a song and you knew what song it was, Let her go by Passenger. You asked, "How do you know this song?"
"I'm a lord of Time, you don't think I would know a chart topper when I heard one?" He asked.
"Hmm.. How do you really know about it?" You asked sceptically.
"OKay, fine.. you see right through me, christ, I can't hide anything from you.." He huffed playfully as you nuzzle softly into his chest and his breath catches in his throat. "Clara made me come to a production he had orchestrated with the kids in her school... They sang this.. and I cried after because I knew one day.. I would indeed have to let her go.." He told you.
You nodded in understanding and said, "So.. will you sing it to me? I used to listen to it as a child... would make me cry too, when my dad was being particularly.. the way he is or anything that really got me down.. Looks like we both have strong emotional ties to that song, hmm?"
"Indeed... Of course, I will sing it if you want me to.. but- I must say, I haven't tried singing with this body, I wouldn't know if I should warn you about ear bleeding and the like-" The Doctor comically points out and you playfully hit his chest, leaning out to laugh and tell him 'oh shut up you, I would never recoil unless it was AWFUL... and who knows, I might even join in.'

He said, "I'll hold you to that.. both of those two things... Alright, ahem-"

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home...
Only know you love her when you let her go..

And you let her go."

He swallowed thickly only to begin again,

"Staring at the bottom of your glass,
Hoping one day you'll make a dream last..
but dreams come slow and they go so fast.
You see her when you clo-ose your eyes, maybe one day you'll understand why,
but everything you touch surely dies..."

You could see it in his eyes how deeply each word spoke to him and you stroked your thumb over his thumb kindly before hugging his hand into your chest and neck as he continued the song with an audible shake to his words.

"But you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

Staring at the ceiling in the dark
Same old empty feeling in your heart
Love comes slow, and it goes so fast

Well, you see her when you fall asleep
But never to touch and never to keep
'Cause you loved her too much, and you dived too deep-"

"Well, you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go
Oh, oh, mm, oh
And you let her go
Oh, oh, uh, uh
Well, you let her go

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go

You helped brush tears from his cheeks. You sat with your knees either side of his hips and you cradled his head upon your bosom as he sobbed into your chest. He told you how he missed her so deeply that it ached and no matter how many times he became someone new, how many new adventures he would juggle with his companions and friends... all he ever was the pit of loss stretching like some gaping maw within his gut and you knew that burden all too well. So you held him and listened.. that's all he needed right now was a shoulder to lean on.

And though the Doctor never told his companions his agony... to you he did because you weren't like everyone else, you noticed things others wouldn't. You cared when not many would. And he loved you for these attributes. He loved you, very much. But he was still so hooked upon the agony of losing every lover he has ever held close that pushing you away might perhaps be the only good thing for it.
He thinks this over, even as he sobbed into you and you make intricate patterns to lull him with your fingertips and nails.

He longed for you more than anything but he hated his old face, he hated this body.. so self aware and so hurt that he was useless and unattractive - or so he thought.

Chapter 11: Underworld pt.2

Chapter Text

"So... How are we planning on getting through this tunnel if there's only one mouthy... breathey aparatus?" You ask him. "Who knows, there could be more water ahead-"
"Nah.. Can't be, caves only got a bit of water in them, don't they?" The Doctor asked back.
"I... Feel like you forgot how nature works, it's unpredictable! Like.. yes, there's maths to it, science labelled on it... there's a table in unpredic and a dic in unpre and a pre in un and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" You went off on a weird tangent and then screamed into the tunnel making it echo.

The Doctor stood there and stared at you as a beat passes.

"You- are you alright, there?" He asked genuinely concerned.
"Point is... unpredicatble as well as.. golden ratio or whatever..." You say nonchalantly.
The Doctor's brows twitched up in surprise about the fact you knew what the Golden ratio even is, considering you didn't go to Uni and Bill only knew of it and would just pop it in around some places to sound clever.
"You know about the Golden Ratio, how d'you know about that?" Asked the Doctor.
"Posters of it on the walls in maths halls, I remember seeing it there then I looked it up in books, found 'em. It's funky, fibonacci sequence and all that jazz." You say as you both walk deeper into the caves, drinking occasionally from the thermos conical flask from the Doctor's pockets.
"Ah, I see.. Well, one question... Pi?"
"three point one four one five nine... What about it? My favourite is (fav fruit pie). Apple strewdle is pretty s'well too. Especially with lots of dugar on top, ya know what ones I'm on about?" You answer.
"Oh, right.." The Doctor nods quickly with confused breathy sounds.

You and he continue your walk until you get to another pool of water, it was getting darker now, the deeper you got into the tunnels. The Doctor had been using his sonic to shine light where you guys were walking.

"I'll check out how deep it is, stay here. I'll be right back.. Ping me on the glasses if you are in trouble." He told you as he pinched the breathing aparatus into his mouth and nose and dived into the water. You watched him swim under the water and down into the depths before he re-emerged not long after on the other side.
He swims up to the surface and breathes in stifled air. "Hmm... deeper we get less oxygen, less light... Gonna make her unwell if I don't make something... Or, just use this between us.. That should work. Yes, yes, very good Doctor, thanks Clara- oh... right.. not Clara, just me now-"
He hears something emerge from the water and quickly twists round to see you there. "There's me too..." You breathe heavily as you comment this.
"I told you to wait! Could've been dangerous... too deep for you to hold your breath long enough-" The Doctor stated worriedly.
"Doctor, I've sucked dick, I know how to stifle my breath." You smirked at him.

A long pause and the Doctor coughs, "I- you- would you- stop... saying things like that it is... really not appropriate. Look at me, I am a lovesick, olf man. You think I find these jokes funny?"
"No, they make you sad cuz you can't get your dick wet-" Then you look at his crotch and say, "But hey, you are prettty wet right now! Haha!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes and said, "Okay.. okay, I walked into that one... But that's definitely enough for one evening.."
"It's evening? But we just woke up.." You said confused.
"Yeah, well... Time Lord taste buds and all, I know what the time is and we're under ground. No sunlight to know, remember. Your words not mine." He shrugged playfully.

The Doctor and you keep walking, deeper and deeper into the tunnels.

"You know, we're getting so deep into the earth right now, what if we end up in the mantle?" You asked playfully.
"Oh, that wouldn't happen. It's not hot enough, you'd feel the heat." The Doctor chuckled as you made an 'oh yeah' face.
"I bet you wouldn't feel it... Probably cancel out cuz you're so hot already, how would you know?" You laughed when he exhaled with another roll of his eyes.
"Hm." He then said as if thinking in another genre or language all together.
"What is it?" You asked him.
"Funny feeling... Something about this seems... off..."
"Off how? Mouldy?" You asked.
"Hahhh... no... young mould..." He said, "Actually that's very rude... young me... feels like..-"

"Here we are, Donna! The great caves of the Congo basin!" A somewhat chipper and nostalgic tone echoes into the atmosphere.

"Urghhh... you gotta be kidding me-" The Doctor grumpily said as he rolled his soaked shoulders and nudged you. "Come on, no time to stop and chat, we need to find this other artifact..."
"Hang on a minute... Donna? Didn't you say she was a friend of yours? The mouthy one?" You asked him as you peered over a rock at the ginger woman coming out of the TARDIS-

"TARDIS! TARDIS! TARDIS!!! YOU! ANOTHER YOU, oh my, GOD! I am so lucky! I've met so many of you already-" You yell excitably.

"Doctor, someone just shouted about yoru TARDIS-" Donna pointed out.
"Yup.. Heard that, thanks Donna-" The younger Doctor got a smack round the back of the head for the cheek. "oWuh.." He pouted.
"Fat lotta good this sh*t is.. look at it.. You brought me to a smelly old mud hole!" Donna pointed at the rocks and puddles. "There's not even any f*cking sunligh'!"
"Alright, Donna, hush, I'm trying to find out who this person is.. HELLO? WHo's there, I can hear youu-" The Doctor said, trying to shush his companion.
"Oi! Don't you shush me, SPACEMAN! Useless your blue box! Utterly USELESS!" Donna smacked the side of it and got a splinter. "OW! Mother f- SHE DID THAT ON PURPOSE-"
"Haha, karma, Donna. That's what that is!" The Doctor laughed.

"Leave them, Y/N... Let them have their excursion.. then they leave cuz Donna gets bored.. come on-" Your Doctor tugs on your arm.
"No. I'll do what I like.. You comin' or not?" You asked him.
"I hate you.." The Doctor frowned.
"No you don't~" You kissed his cheek and tugged on his arm.
"Oh I reaaaaally hate you now.." He frowned but then smiled a little after.

The Doctor and Donna use torches from the TARDIS to see you both.

"Hello? Who are you two, what're you doing down here at this time of night?" The younger Doctor asked.
"It's night now? Wow, you were close, old mannn~" You playfully tease your Doctor. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, who are you and why are you both so wet?" Donna asked.
"What can I say? We got a biiit too excited." You joke dirtily.
Donna scoffed while both Doctors made a slight frown and exasperated sigh.
"Riiight. Or it could be that you've been swimming through the caves here? That's really dangerous, don't you know- hey.. wait.. your face.. you.. look just like-"
"THAT ROMAN FELLA YOU SAVED!" The Donna input.
"Yup.. yup him, I was getting to it, Donna-" The younger Doctor said childishly.

You scoff breathlessly. "So.. lemme get this straight... you saved a man with this face and then you REGENERATED INTO HIM!?" You asked your Doctor.
"W-well yeah, but I WAS TRYING NOT TO EXPOSE THAT TRUTH TO HIM- HE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW HOW OLD WE GET!" Your Doctor flapped his arms around.
"OLD IS THE NEW SEXYYY~" You laugh as he blushed and had to pace around for a minute then came back to join the conversation.

"Sorry, regenerated? You're... Me?" The young Doctor asked.
"I have already met 4 and 8... which number are you?" You asked the young Doctor.
"Uhh... number? Of regenerations, uhh 10... Wait, I don't remember you-" The young Doctor said baffled.
Donna just stood there like an emoji.
"Nah, 'course you don't! I met 4 and 8 on the same day.. Paradox. You forget. Like you'll forget this. Aww... no wonder he only remembers Donna getting bored and then y'all hopping off to your next journey..." You pull a bored face with your top lip up expressively.

The young Doctor had a certain smile to his features that seemed fond of you. "You're... my companion in the future? What's your name?"
"I'm going to talk with grey you.. You two should get a room. There's plenty in the TARDIS." Donna said boredly and went to indeed speak with your Doctor. You smile knowing he's gonna act a jerk but will enjoy it. And you think how funny it'll be to have mouthy Donna and grumpy Doctor.

"I'm Y/N M/N(s) L/N... We meet through my friend. I mean honestly, you didn't choose me as a companion.. just kinda a plus one.. I'm never really chosen by anyone.. I just become parts of people's lives and then they leave." You shrug, sitting down on the floor.
The young Doctor tilted his head to the side as he looked down at you and frowned. "That's not a good mindset to have... I would choose you. Definitely... And.. I must admit, I don't think I've met anyone like you before.. You don't act like everyone else, do you? Don't go by the usual code of humanity-"
"What, you mean about me sitting on the floor? People are always weird about that... the floor is a seat and a bed for everyone.. it's free. Don't see why more people don't sit on it. We tread on it enough to make it feel less than it is, some days it's nice to just sit and imagine the reverberations of the spin of this earth in orbit... its heartbeat through nature.. I dunno. I'm just eccentric or mad, whichever one you prefer." You shrug as you told him that.

You noticed how he looked at you so fondly and how your Doctor was peering at you at every chance he got.

"You are... mesmerising, hypnotising... His eyes, well.. my.. future eyes.. they're on you alone, you know that he likes you.. must like you a lot. I don't think you should worry about people choosing you.. because though you might have stumbled upon us on accident... accidents are usually the most beautiful madness in this universe!" The young Doctor said.

He looked at you while the words settled into your mind and engraved themselves into your heart. He sat beside you in the dirt. He drew a finger in the dirt and felt it was more rock than sand. "Huh.."
"What? Are you pondering over the dirt too?" You asked.
"Oh.. you're good." He looked up immediately into your eyes and smiling excitedly, childishly. "Observant... very good, very good indeeeed..." He was so smiley, it was a nice change of pace. But you could still see the sadness in his eyes and that made your brow stay set, not completely relaxed as you'd tried to be before.
"Haha, what can I say? I'm more than just a pretty face and groooovy tit*." You laugh when he made a smile of surprise. "I joke, this is all in jest, in the future you realise, I'm all bark and no bite.. but don't worry, I'm good guard dog cuz when I do bite... I make my enemies bleed~" You grin at him toothily and he nods, slightly afraid but grateful.

A few moments pass as you poke about in the ground too.
"So.. what're you thinking?"
"Unicorns with pickles for horns.. You?" You answered him.
"Uhhh... valid... hypothesis.. but I meant about the dirt-" He chortled.
"Ohhh... uhh well.. we're pretty deep in the caves.. feels too thin to be rock but too grainy to be sand... hang on... Hold this-" You put a pinch of dirt into his hand and he just blinks, staring at it as you then reach into your pockets and find a mush of a matchbox. "Aw... tit*." You swear. "One sec-" You splat the wet matchbox into the young Doctor's hands as well as the dirt and he forms his lips to ask 'what' but you were off already.

"Oi, hands up and out, please, grey scotsman." You tell your Doctor who - baffled - but doesn't ask questions.

The Doctor raised his arms up and out as you had instructed and you pat him down from behind, looking up into his features. "TARDIS pockets, where would I find fire?"
"Fire? What do you need that for?" The Doctor asked.
"Have you not been paying attention at all? The dirt, Doctor, there's something about the dirt." You say, slapping his hips then just leaning into his back affectionately - not meaning to be but he and you were an obvious item, the young Doctor and Donna could see it clear as day, they share a look as you and your Doctor continue to squabble a moment.

"It's alright, I have matches in my TARDIS, TARDIS, remember, right here?" The young Doctor asked, thumbing back at his TARDIS.
"Oh YEAHHH! Oh, SHOW ME YOUR INSIDES MAMA, I WANN SEE THE DIFFERENCE!" You yell and kiss the TARDIS door, it hummed pleasantly.

"Please, be careful how you talk to her, she gets... well you know when she's-"
"Horny, I know!" You giggle and skip into the TARDIS. "Okay.. now.. wow.. this is.. much better than the 4th TARDIS.. babes, I love you guys but.. hospital slash mental institute chic was NOT the vibe.. well, maybe mental hospital worked for 4... man was NUTS... very good use of tongue though.." You comment and lick your tonsils as you remembered that night of uhh passion.. or the FEW. 0__0

The two Doctors stood there and the younger Doctor asked, "Sorry.. what?"
"Don't.. just.. don't. Trust me." Your Doctor said as he walked into the TARDIS with a pinch of the dirt.

You then ran over to the young Doctor and held up his hand. You pocket your wet matchsticks, making a gross squelch. Donna and the Doctor scowl at the sound. You take the Doctor's psychic paper out and makes a line of the dirt on the young Doctor's hand and he puts two and two together, "WOah, no. Hey, this isn't the white stuff, don't shoot this up-"
"Too late. Hand out flat, it's not what you think." You say. "Promise."
The young Doctor looks to your Doctor for help but he just looks exasperated and tired. "They don't do hardcore. Pot Brownies was a TERRIBLE idea.." He said and young Doctor pulled a face of 'oh dear god, what have I gotten myself into'.

And then everyone was afraid of you or rather concerned and confused - except your Doctor, it took a lot to confuse him nowadays.

You whack your tongue down on the young Doctor's palm and trail your tongue up in a line to taste the dirt.

"AHA! GUNPOWDER!" You spit it out on your hand then shrug and eat it completely.

Everyone is staring at you, Donna takes a step back and young Doctor puts his hand in front of her to keep her safe behind himself. Your Doctor raises a brow but that's as much of a reaction as you get.
You suddenly spin on the spot and yank your Doctor in by the shirt, you take him to the console and ask over his shoulder, climbing on him a second to which he sighed tiredly. "You don't mind us using your forensics bit, do ya, brown scotsman?"
"Uhhh... go- right ahead.." Young Doctor responded, baffled by the entire situation.
"Thank you, pretty boy!" You turn back to the consoles after grinning at him.

"Doctor.. WHat THE FOCK IS GOIN' ON!?" Donna asked her Doctor.
"No idea. Honestly.. I know what they're doing, sure.. but I.. can't wrap my head around that one... proper human puzzle that one!" He laughed excitably and skipped off towards you and the other Doctor. "Come on, Donna, it's not like they're gonna bite-"
"Oh, I wouldn't put it past them-" Your Doctor snorted, you elbowed him. "Sorry.. not helpful, but true-"
"Rooigggght.." Donna said. She came to stand by her Doctor and eyed you suspiciously. "Are you like... are you alright in the head?"

The two Doctors both chastisingly say Donna's name.

You blink and play along, making your eyes somehow slowly drift at wrong angles. After a moment of silence and Donna gasped afraid of you. You answer, "They might say so, positively. I am not well!" You laugh and then continue your work.
"Been through a lot, haven't you." Your Doctor said politely.
You smile brightly, "Abuse, childhood all that shabang. Bullied, school life, attempted rape -age 15, unwanted sexual touch and advances, best friend commit suicide, learnt about it a year later, people tend not to tell me things, I've always been last choice" At that last part the younger Doctor understood then why you mentioned not being 'chosen' by his future self. "... The whole shabang. Embrace me or throw me away. It's up to you, I am at your disposal!" You still had that tight smile of no fear, no feeling, just energy. Blind energy.

The young Doctor and Donna look so hurt and sorry.

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't know.. I.. I am so sorry." Donna apologised.
"No, really, it's okay. Sucks I have to keep telling people, might just wear a badge saying 'please stop targetting me, I am a walking mental disease'! Haha, that'll get people running!" You said playfully but mumble under your breath, 'faster than they usually do anyway..', as you finish doing the diagnostics.

Your Doctor touched your elbow gently and said in a hushed voice, "Y/N... you never told me those other parts-"
"Yeah, well, you won't remember anyway.." You shrugged.
"You forgot how paradoxes work. I'm the eldest regeneration, I will remember.. it's him who won't until he's me." Your Doctor told you.
You take a minute then charge off again and say,

"BEHOLD, I was right.. Gunpowder." You strike a match from a little pot in the console pockets along the beige ridges and set fire to the gunpowder, it went up in flames then burned out as it should.

"Wow.. good work, Sherlock L/N!" Young Doctor claps and jumps over to your side to poke about at the ashes and look at the stats on the console. "Hmm.. looks like this is directly linked with human tunnels which have all been blocked in now... Wonder why that is?"
"Scan for gold ore." You ask.
He does so without asking. There is none except in a larger quantity further up ahead what seemed to be an entire mass of it the other side of the river.
"What's in that tunnel?" You asked him as you pointed at a different tunnel opposite.
"Looks.. empty.. it's only a vague scan but oh.. there's pure drinking water in it, nicely filtered through the mosses above I suppose-"
"Like in the greenhouse on board!" Donna pointed out.
"I planted it. I know." You said nonchalantly.
"You planted it!? Hahhh... good, I was confused how it got there for ageees! I thought I had done it one day and just FORGOT hahah!" The young Doctor laughed.
"Well, you'll forget again. Come on, Y/n. We need to go to that gold room, that has to be where the other artifact is-" Your Doctor stated.

"Artifact?" The young Doctor and Donna asked.
"No, shush. Mine and their thing, not yours." Your Doctor said rudely as usual.

"No, no.. Doctor. Look. If you were to hide an artifact of great significance you would hide it somewhere with a false room... What better way to deter a human than with something shiny? Gold is money, money is what people want. Water is everywhere in these tunnels, a clever person might be able to tell what clean water is but the artifact may be hidden beneath the water, too deep to dive without equiptment. If you were a clever being, human or alien who knew what people like, you would divert the thief to a golden, regal room.. would you not?" You asked him sounding extremely clever and sure of yourself.
"Oh... You are clever.. you are BRILLIANT! AREN'T THEY JUST BRILLIANT!? You may not have chosen them but THEY ARE BRILLIANT!" Young Doctor said excited.
"...Yes. Alright, yes, that's clever... Come on then... companion.. We have more water to swim through..." Your Doctor sighed tiredly but secretly impressed and excited. Slightly jealous of his younger self making you smile more.

"Okay, okay... Wait, let me say goodbye first!" You plead. How could he say no to you? How could anyone?
"Fine." He rolled his eyes.

While you talk your goodbyes with the young Doctor you see how the Doctor calmly asks Donna for a hug which she gave him, a little confused why he looked sad as they hugged. It troubled her of her future but he assured her she was going to do brilliantly and live well and on forever more. She believed him.

"Thank you for this wonderful time! I know you won't remember any of this but... You are amazing and seeing you in more incarnations all I can say is... well.." You trail off trying to find the right words.
"You love us?" The young Doctor asked and you blinked with your lips parted. He smiled at you and said, with his hands in his pockets, standing feet apart the way that he does, "I think that answers that... haha.. For the record, I would choose you. Really I would.. and.. I can see he's in love with you... I would be too if you were as lovely as you are with me all the time... He might be stubborn and grouchy but he seems much calmer and kinder when you are beside him... Don't let him be alone, will you?"

You smile at him and nod with teary eyes. Not to cry but... you were emotional.

"Thank you... Thank you!" You loop your arms around his neck and shoulders and he's a little taken aback but holds your back and smiles into your shoulder.
You inhale his scent and say, "Wow... SpaceTime Jesus, you have great B.O coverage in EVERY incarnation! How do you do it, Time Lord glands? Or is it the herbal way? THYME. T.H.Y.M.E?!" You asked your Time Lord playfully who rolled his eyes while you pulled back from the younger Doctor.

You and the younger Doctor said your goodbyes. Donna wished you the best and you wished her the same, giving her a pleasant hug and the younger Doctor told your Doctor. "You better not let that one go... they're good for you. For us."
"You're as bad as the f*cking earthian frogs!" Your Doctor said with an eyeroll.
Younger Doctor raised his brows at the fact future him swears but laughed.

You and your Doctor wave goodbye to the TARDIS as it disappears from the cavern and you look at your Doctor and you say, "Well.. what an adventure. Felt like I should see you guys in a kilt next." You chuckle as he rolled his eyes and gave you his arm as he walked towards the fork in the tunnels, he saw the glint of the golden tunnel in the light of his sonic glasses he was currently using as a torch.

"Honestly though... What is it with bagpipes... such a gay instrument.." You say, laughing you point out, "Should be called 'fa*g'pipes."
"Why.. why are you like this?" He asked you.
"Fun?" You answer.
He shrugs with you, "Sounds about right."

After a few minutes of walking in those wet beekeeper suits, finally he asked, "Okay, fine, I'll bite. Why are they so... 'gay'?"
You grinned at him, jumping in a little skip ahead of him, hands up and out to emphasise your point. "I'm glad you chose to indulge me on this... Right.. SCOTLANDDD... thanks, och nay, alright then, naow I've got ye accent doon. So, see this be me fa*g-pipes, blow me pipe, block me holes with yer finge's and while ye's at it, squeeze my sack, will ye?"

For a hot minute this man is baffled. He just stands forlornly in the darkness and he laughs a heavy, full belly laugh. "Okay, you got me there.. that was good! VERY good!" He's breathless as you both bounce off eachother in the shortening tunnel and laughing constantly. "Also, nice accent.. you did it better than the other companions I've had.. honestly, I think Rose was the worst.. my lord.."
"Rose?" You asked.
"Tale for another time." He answered touchily but much more at peace with it than he would like to admit.

"But uh uhh... what did you really think of my past... my uhh.. younger, much more naiive self?" He suddenly asked you. "You seemed to like him a lot.. Laughing a lot.."
"Doctor.. were you jeaaalous?" You coo playfully, nudging him.
"No.. no.. don't be.. daft." He cleared his throat, trying to be stern again.

You looked at him with half-lidded, loving eyes, such a fond look to your features before you wove your fingers in through his and you tug him down to you even as he kept talking about how you seemed to much prefer talking to his past self than his now self-

You kissed his lips softly. It wasn't a makeout kiss. It wasn't sexual desire, or passion to a T.. It was just love.

Plain, pure, beautiful love.

And he was taken aback for a long moment.

"Oh, I have your number now, 07700 900461, by the way.. Saw it on your old console.. now I know who to spam memes when I'm bored and you're off and about~" You chuckle as he is practically swaying with delirium. "Come on, Doctor, it wasn't even a proper kiss.. Come on, silly!"

He did follow, he briefly fell into a cavern wall and cleared his throat, dimming his sonic glasses' torch a moment to hide his blush and pure, childish glee.

"Hey wait, I know these stones... Turn off the torch all the way, would you?" You asked him.
"Wait... what did you say... 3 minutes and 27 seconds ago?" He asked.
"Number?07700 900461?" You asked him.
"How'd you remember that?" He asked.
"How'd you remember anything you retain?" You asked back.
"Touche." He nodded, sucking at the gaps between his lower teeth as he turned off the light as you asked.

"Now sit a moment.." You tell him to as you show him a rock, he can just about make you out in the darkness as you use a small chisel and a hammer from the Doctor's magical TARDIS pockets before snapping the stone you found about the size of your average potato in half.

The middle shows rings of blue continuously rippling out through the core of where you had broken it from.

The Doctor's brows raise intrigued. "Ah, beautiful... You are full of surprises, aren't you?"
"Haha, perhaps.. I wonder... Come on, let's go.. Sing as we move... let's sing something uhh..."
"What do you propose we sing?" He asked, already getting an idea of what you had in mind.
"Counting stars by OneRepublic.. Do you know that one?"
"Perhaps.. I'll join in if I do." He told you earnestly.

And so, there you were, running around through the tunnel then slowing to catch your breath and sing,
"Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep~"

"Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard
Said, "No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars"
Yeah, we'll be counting stars~"
The Doctor sang in answer to your beginning. He followed you down the tunnel, enjoying the sound of you both singing together but confused as to why you stopped singing when he did.

"I see this life, like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
And in my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye shall find" You sing and spin down the tunnel before looping your fingers through his again and galloping a dance with him through the almost endless tunnel.

"Old, but I'm not that old-"
He sang, looking down at your intertwined hands, almost so dark he was blind to it but he felt it with eyes unclouded.

"Young, but I'm not that bold!
And I don't think the world is sold
I'm just doing what we're told" You sang and danced with even more pep in your step now.

There was something happening around you, the tunnel was growing lighter and you were right to be singing, it was energising the stones. You had an inkling this might work and you were right.

The Doctor sang a deeper harmony while you sang a higher one for the 'I-eee-I-eee-I-I' part.

"I-ee-I-ee-I-Ifeel something so right
Doing the wrong hi-i-i-ing!
AndI-ee-I-ee-I-I feel something so wrong...
Doing the right thi-i-i-ing!
I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive!"

You both sang it together and then sang the chorus too and you point up at the blue lit tunnel. The Doctor followed your line of sight and realised that there might be something else worth looking at than just you here.

"The rocks... they're crystal ores, bright and resonating with the reverberations from our lungs. We sing and the sonic output makes each crystal vibrate to such a degree they shine... they glow like bioluminescents in the ocean... excellent.. you are.. excellent-" The Doctor explained the facts and you smiled up at him as he then leaned down so lovingly and encapsulated your singing lips in his own.

He kissed you with his mouth, not just his lips. He deepened your approach because he wanted to boldly show you the extent at which he loved you.
So.. so deeply.

But he was afraid too, so afraid you wouldn't like it. Being kissed by his old mouth, not the mouth of the young, attractive scotsman you'd met only an hour or so ago.

He pulled away from you and he looked shy, fearful as he searched your eyes for any sign of reciprocation.

You finally peel your eyes open and look into his kind, loving, fearful and everso heartbroken, aged orbs.

"You're still worried about your older-than-me-body, huh?" You asked him, knowing you had hit the nail on its head.
He nodded shyly and slowly.

"Come here you big goof.. Actions speak louder than words do.. I hope you can catch-" You wink at him and he looks off in an angle that could only be described as breaking the fourth wall with confusion.

But not a second later you had spoken and you jumped at him, wrapping your legs around his lean waist, arms looping his neck and fingers spreading deep into his toussled, somewhat still wet, grey hair and you tugged at his scalp making him hiss confusedly and his lips parted from the puzzled state you caught him in. And you took that opportunity.

You kiss him deeply and hotly. His hands hold your waist, worried to hold you wrong or drop you but he gets lost in it as you keep kissing him, massaging his tongue with yours and your lips, grazing your teeth across his tongue and lips, biting his bottom lip and tugging as he swallowed thickly and grunted a bit. His large hands explore your back, holding your buttocks with his wide, warm palms and he pulls you closer, even closer than you were.

Taking a moment to breathe and he is stunned.. like WOAH stunned not just woah stunned.

You had convinced him now. You really had.

You shrug breathlessly saying, "Plus.. it should be made clear that I am TOTALLY into DILFs. And in your case, TLILFs."
He scoffed but then asked, "What is a 'TLIF'?"
"Time Lord I'd like to f*ck~" You purr against his lips playfully and you kiss in another way altogether this time... making out somewhere out of view behind a pillar of stalegmites.