It had been a long day for the Doctor and the Ponds, and the two humans were exhausted. As they made their way back to the TARDIS, the Doctor trailed behind. Rory's hand was firmly in Amy's, fingers intertwined, their wedding rings gleaming in the soft moonlight. As the Doctor watched them, watched how happy they were, he couldn't help but remember a certain other person's hand and how it felt when it was intertwined with his.
It was a particularly dark night that night; only the moon could be seen in the sky. It was the sort of night the Doctor usually loved, but he was in such a state of loneliness at that particular time, that he didn't even bother to care.
He could see the footprints. Four made by the Ponds, and the two made by him. Singular footprints, that was it. He was alone, in the sense that he had nobody to care for properly. Sure, the Ponds were fun; they love going places with him, but it's just not the same, he thought. Nothing ever can be the same after her.
Just as Amy and Rory reached the TARDIS, the doctor only a few yards behind, a voice called out from the darkness.
"You're the Doctor, aren't ya'?"
The Doctor spun around in search for the voice, but the darkness shielded the exact direction it was coming from. It was a girl's, a teenager. Couldn't be older than twenty. And a Londoner. Heavy London accent.
"I mean, you look real different to how I knew ya', but it must be you, because, let's face it, how many people do ya' see wanderin' around the streets of England about to get into a Blue Box. It's the Tardis, yeah?" the voice continued.
Amy and Rory had meanwhile reached the TARDIS and had shut the door behind them, sensing the Doctor needed a moment or two. The obviously hadn't heard the voice, the Doctor thought, or they, particularly Amy, would be here right now, just as eager to discover its source.
The Doctor kept looking around, waiting for the girl to say something else, or indicate where she might be.
Suddenly, the source of the voice appeared from the darkness. She was tall, about the same height as Amy. and slender, but looked muscular enough to be a high-level athlete. She looked about fourteen or fifteen, and her brown locks fell down her back. She had a bright smile and her eyes (which were covered in far too much makeup, in the Doctor's opinion) sparkled in a way that made the Doctor's heart yearn for someone he had lost. She was wearing a t-shirt and sweats that looked wrinkled and dishevelled, as if she had been in them for days. Altogether, she was quite the looker, or she would be if she was wearing clean clothes.
"I didn't mean to frighten ya'! I didn't come all this way for that to happen," the girl said cheerfully. The Doctor squinted at her for a few moments, before taking a step closer to her, holding out his hand.
"I'm the Doctor, but it seems like you already knew that. Who might you be?"
The girl looked at the outstretched hand for a moment questioningly before seeming to come to a conclusion and shook it firmly.
"Cassie. Cassandra Donna Tyler-Smith."
