ALONE

The Doctor sat down on a bench near the TARDIS controls. He leaned forward and sunk his head into his hands. He was alone and lonely – again. Once, shortly before, the TARDIS had been full of his companions and friends, when they'd saved Earth from the Daleks.

Now all of them were gone. Rose was gone. Donna was gone. Martha was gone. Even Jack was gone. He was all alone. Well, he still had the TARDIS, but it just wasn't the same. He sighed.

There was something underneath him on the bench. He turned his head and dug Rose's violet jacket out from under him. He grabbed it and hugged it hard. It smelled of her. One lone tear fell down on his cheek. Why did it always have to be this way? Why did he have to be the only Time Lord left? He closed his eyes and more tears fell, stinging as they left his eyes.

An alarm bell started ringing and the Doctor jumped down and started pushing the controls. He analysed the monitors and what he saw took his breath away. "A Dragon in Cardiff? WHAT? HOW? Blimey!" He needed to see this with his own eyes. Jack Harkeness surely wouldn't mind another pair of hands.

He began inputting coordinates, grinning foolishly as he hit the dematerialisation lever. The grin faded when instead of the normal noise of the engine a mournful groan rose from the depths of the ship. "Oh no no no. What is it? What's the matter?"

The Doctor frowned, pulling out his spectacles and whipping them onto his face. He flicked switches and tapped at the keyboard, calling up diagnostic readouts. "Come on, old girl, we have to leave now. The Earth is in trouble again. It needs our help," he said aloud.

Reluctantly, the engines engaged, a noise of dematerialisation surrounding him as the rotor began to rise and fall. "That's my girl" he said brilliantly, a real smile coming to his face for the first time.

The TARDIS plunged through the Vortex, heedless of the powerful energies swirling around her. Inside the control room The Doctor stumbled, grabbing for a handhold on the console. A short while later the TARDIS landed inside Torchwood's Hub with a solid thump.

The Doctor grinned so hard that his white pearly teeth shone. He walked to the door and glanced over his shoulder, smiling. "Hang on girl, I'll be back. "

He stepped out of theTARDIS and shut the door behind him.

He wasn't alone anymore.

The End

Lovely Tracyj23 beta'ed my drabble - thank you!