The song used in this story is called "Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa.
Every now and then, there comes a moment in your life where you no longer pay attention to your mind. Your thoughts think not of the future nor the past. You live solely for the present, and the present lives only for you.
This was one of those moments.
The stars twinkled brightly in the charcoal sky. Silver moonlight rained down upon where I laid with the Doctor. The blanket was soft beneath us as we stared at the beautiful formations the stars formed up above.
It had been much too long since we had gone on any calming adventures. Although running from gods and raising empires were wonderful, indescribable tasks, they didn't provide the simple comfort that came from a night spent alone, with only a friend or family member for company.
So I explained to him my plan for a moonlight picnic. It took a small amount of convincing, but he soon agreed. He could understand why I'd wish for a calmer adventure than usual.
And so there we were, laying underneath the midnight sky, not a sound to be heard besides our own breathing. The Doctor had pointed out quite a few different constellations, not to mention dozens of planets that he planned to take me to. We had laid there for hours, enjoying each other's company, him with his head upon my lap, and myself propped up against the picnic basket, when I realized how quiet he had become. I looked to him, about to question his sudden silence, when I noticed that his eyes had fallen shut.
A smile placed itself upon my lips. I had been told that Time Lords weren't required to get much sleep, but I couldn't remember the last time that he had slept. It was most likely much too long ago, even for him.
I watched his chest rise and fall; watched his hazel eyes move beneath his eyelids. My eyes roamed down his face, taking in each moonlit feature. When they fell upon his lips, my smile fell. A small frown had etched its way upon his face, and while I had been admiring him, his breathing had grown slightly heavier. My expression turned sad.
Occasionally I had noticed a flicker of emotions cross his face when he thought I wasn't looking. Sometimes it would be anger, other times guilt, and sometimes a deep, dark despair. The Doctor had told me the story of how he had to burn Gallifrey, and I could only hope that maybe I could help him heal; help him move on. I always knew that there was never going to come a time where he could move on completely, but I took it upon myself to help him reach a place that could get him closer to achieving that goal.
I could tell that, although he wasn't having a nightmare, it wasn't a happy dream either. I had never liked seeing him in pain, physical or emotional, and I had always tried to find a way to end it as soon as possible. But now he was asleep, yet still suffering. I couldn't awaken him – he needed the rest – but I couldn't let him continue to hurt.
I pondered for a moment, how I could help without waking him, when I thought of a possible solution. A comforting gesture, something that would (hopefully) bring peace to his subconscious. Slowly, I raised my right hand to his head, and drew my finger through his hair. His breathing jumped slightly, and I paused, afraid that I might have woken him with the sudden contact. After a moment, his breaths went back to the way they had been, and I let out a breath, beginning to run my hand through his hair again. His breathing had become less heavy, yet it still wasn't completely peaceful.
My fingers pulled their way through his silken hair once more, before I took a breath. I could only hope that I wasn't going to wake him with was I was about to do, but . . . he had always said how much he liked my voice.
Wandering child of the earth, do you know just how much you're worth?
You have walked this path since your birth,
You were destined for more.
I checked his breathing, making sure that he was still sleeping, before continuing.
There are those who'll tell you you're wrong,
They will try to silence your song.
But right here is where you belong so don't search anymore.
I closed my eyes, leaning back against the basket. It was taking a bit of effort to keep my voice steady, as I wasn't used to singing at such small volume.
You are the dawn of a new day that waking,
A masterpiece still in the making; the blue in an ocean of grey.
You are right where you need to be; poised to inspire and to succeed.
You'll look back and you'll realize one day.
My eyes closed, and I allowed myself to become lost in the melody of the song. His breathing was no longer heavy nor rapid, so I smiled. He wasn't hurting anymore, or at least, for that moment. And that was what mattered.
In your eyes there is doubt as you try to figure it out,
But that's not what life is about so have faith; there's a way.
Though the world may try to define you,
They can't take the light that's inside you.
So don't you dare try to hide.
Let your tears fade away.
A cloud passed over the moon, blocking its light from shining down upon the Doctor and I. Opening my eyes, I looked up, watching the cloud slowly uncover the moon. A wave of sadness passed over me, as I realized how much of a metaphor it was.
A cloud, small and fragile, passing over the moon, a much larger, more important entity. Without a doubt, I was the cloud; the Doctor the moon. I was merely a blip in the radar, a friendly face passing by. Soon enough, I would be gone, and a new chapter in the Doctor's life would begin. A chapter without me.
Maybe he'll remember me, maybe he won't. Trying to convince myself of its sincerity more than anyone else, I forced a smile. What was important was the present, not the future. In a quivering voice, I continued the song.
You are the dawn of a new day that's breaking.
A masterpiece still in the making; the blue in an ocean of grey.
You are right where you need to be; poised to inspire and to succeed.
You'll look back and you'll realize one day . . .
My eyelids were growing heavy, so I took one last look at the speckled sky before allowing my eyes to fall closed. Sleep quickly overcame my body, and I rested back upon the picnic basket, my hand laying motionless in the Doctor's hair.
The Doctor opened his eyes as he felt my hand turn still. He gradually turned his head so he could see that I was, in fact, asleep. He smiled as he watched the steady rise and fall of my breathing. It wasn't intentional that I woke him, he knew that, but he honestly couldn't find even the tiniest part of him saying that he was irritated at his awakening. There was no better possible way for him to wake up, than to wake up to my voice, he thought.
But I'll wait until the morning to tell her that.
That morning when I awoke, the Doctor was laying down next to me. I turned and smiled at him, before a yawn escaped my lips.
"Good morning." He smiled, a goofy smile that always seemed to light up his face.
"Good morning!" His smile turned more into a grin, a bit of a mischievous grin. I arched an eyebrow.
"Doctor, what is it? What did you do?" The Doctor laughed.
"I liked your singing last night. Could you do that more often?" The memories of when I sang to him the prior night came back in a wave, and my cheeks turned bright red.
"You actually heard that? Oh god no!" I buried my face in my hands. He chuckled, before gently prying my hands away from my face. My cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and I didn't want to look him in the eye. He softly grabbed my chin, turning my head to face him.
"Oi, you have a wonderful voice." The Doctor smiled at me, and my cheeks only burned brighter. "You should sing more often."
I glanced down, a smile tugging at the edges of my lips. "Th-thanks. I know you've heard me sing before, I just-just don't like singing with an audience that much." He smiled.
"No, it's okay, I understand." Then his face lit up, and he grabbed my hand. He dragged me off the ground, all of my muscles protesting against the sudden movement. However, I still complied, and he took off towards the TARDIS, with me close behind.
"Doctor, what's all this about? Are we just going to leave the picnic behind?"
"We'll come back for it!" He shouted over his shoulder. We raced away from the picnic, quickly reaching the TARDIS.
"Really though, Doctor, what's going on?" The Doctor turned and smiled at me.
"There's a planet where all of the species communicate by singing; like a never-ending opera!" He exclaimed as he flung the door open, pulling me inside. My eyes widened.
"Nope, no no no-"
"Let's get rid of that stage fright, shall we?" His grin was infectious, and even though the shy part of my mind was protesting, I couldn't help but smile too.
As he pulled down the lever to get the TARDIS to take off, my grin could only grow wider.
I just hope that this is a calmer adventure.
How wrong I was!