I have edited this chapter and will probably do the others as well, I changed some things in this chapter so the story would make more sense as it didnt really fit the time line before which I apologize for but this is the fixed version so please let me know if it makes more sense now. Thanks! KBO!
The screaming finally ceased as the survivors of London watched as the metal men and the strange metal creatures that someone had called a Dalek, were sucked into a window at the top of the Canary Warf building. Everyone except one small child, one small child who knelt beside a dead woman, a woman who looked rather similar to the small girl, the small girls hands shook as she touched the woman's face smudging dirt over the woman's ashen cheeks, tears dripped from her small face to the unfeeling face of the woman who was no doubt the child's mother. The child sat back on her heels, the sidewalk biting into her uncovered knees, reminding her that everyone she loved and needed were dead because of a hunk of metal with a brain, the hunk of metal they called a Dalek, the hunk of metal that left her alive. She dropped her head as the tears came faster and faster completely overriding her ability to be angry with the Daleks and the Cybermen. She wiped her nose on her sleeve, before reaching out and closing her mother's eyes, considering just lying down and waiting for someone if anyone to find them. She slowly turned her head hearing the weirdest noise coming out of seemingly no where, slowly a blue box began materializing in the air, she shook her head calling herself barmy and turned back to her mother causing more tears to fall down her cheeks. The sound of a door shutting reached her ears but she didn't move "Why have you brought me back here?" a male voice questioned, causing her to turn her head slightly catching the exchange between a tall, lanky man and the box. The box made a whirring noise, which caused the man to put up his hands "Alright, alright. Don't get all haughty" he sighed turning around and putting his hands in his pants pockets and looking around catching a glimpse of the small girl "Oh hello" he started, smiling largely before recalibrating the situation and dropping it rather quickly. She turned back to her mother figuring he would just swan off, but she wasn't expecting him to squat down beside her his brown trench coat flicked out behind him. "What happened?" he asked softly, looking at her, his head cocked to the side. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks on the backs of her hands looking away from him up to the sky where millions of Daleks had once been.
"The metal things in the sky killed her," she sighed willing her tears to go away and brushing hair out of her mothers face.
"Daleks" he half growled, she nodded halfheartedly "How old are you?" he asked suddenly
"Ten" she said looking at him confused
"Ten" he said almost thoughtfully "Do you have anyway to look after you? I'm assuming this is your mum" she nodded
"This is my mum, but I don't have anyone else" she said looking down at the sidewalk
"Would you let me find you someone?" He asked picking up her chin, noticing her tears he pulled her against his chest "Hey, it'll be ok" he said quickly tucking her shoulder under his chin and squishing her in his arms. A child crying was definitely not his favorite thing; he'd had enough crying today. "I'll make you a promise. You let me find someone who can take care of you and when you're old enough I'll come back and you and I will go somewhere amazing" the child pulled away from him and resumed staring at her mothers body.
"Why are you helping me? I mean there are billions of people in the same situation" she looked up at him "Why me?"
"It's what I do. I wait in that box over there and help whoever is outside it when I come out" he smiled; it was a rather good explanation for what happened every time he went anywhere. "I know what it feels like to lose everyone you love and need" he said quietly, moving to sit Indian style beside her "I had to choose between losing everything I loved forever or watching the universe be destroyed" she cocked her head to the side as he looked away from her, trying to fight back the second round of tears that had come to his eyes recalling the Time War. He almost flinched as a small hand slid itself into his much larger hand, he half smiled "What's your name?" she asked changing the subject smiling slightly, he chuckled
"You are the most brilliant child I have ever met. I insinuate I'm not human and you ask my name" he smiled widely at the child who smirked and laughed slightly, he dropped her hand and extended his other "I am The Doctor" he said with the biggest smile
"The Doctor?" she questioned, he nodded "Well, Doctor I'm Drew, Drew MacDonald"
"Ah a Scottish surname, but you don't sound very Scottish to me" he said looking her over
"I was born in London sir" he made a disgusted face
"Don't call me sir," he pleaded
"Then what shall I call you?"
"Doctor will do fine, deal?" she nodded, before taking hold of her mother's now cold hand and slipping her wedding ring and family ring off and tucking them into her pocket. "Now you know my name, a bit about where I am from and have my word that when you are old enough I will take you somewhere brilliant. Will you come with me now?" he asked almost pleading her to come. She nodded sullenly looking towards her mother "She'll be fine, the police will find her and one day you can visit her" he stood up extending his hand to her once again, hoisting her up to her feet and catching her as she nearly toppled back over her legs far beyond asleep, he laughed kneeling down so she could position herself on his back. He made his way towards the blue box "Doctor how is the box going to help you find someone to look after me?" she questioned
"Well my darling Drew, that blue box is a TARDIS, time and relative dimension in space"
"A time machine?" she asked, catching him off guard he nearly stopped in mid-step
"See brilliant child, yes she is a time machine" he smiled
"She?"
"Yes, see the TARDIS is alive. She's not just a machine, she has a heart, a mind" he smirked "And an attitude" he laughed, the light on the top of the TARDIS brightened as if warning him of just how much of an attitude she had. "And she's very glad you let her help you" he said stopping outside the door so Drew could touch the outside, like so many before her. Much to his surprise she didn't just touch the wood like everyone else, she stroked it "Thank you for bringing The Doctor to help me" she smiled at the wood, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, no one had ever thanked the TARDIS before, well they hadn't ever thanked her for bringing him to them. 'You picked a good one here' he thought towards the TARDIS, who whirred in his mind telling him she knew Drew was brilliant. He laughed to himself sliding the key into the lock and opening the door, he only half expected Drew to say the same words everyone before her had but once again she surprised him "She's beautiful, much more so then I thought she would be" she giggled when all the lights in the TARDIS brightened to almost blinding before she remembered the small child's sensitive eyes and toned it down.
"She likes you" the Doctor laughed making his way to the controls, Drew still clung to his back like a baby monkey. "How are the legs?"
"They tingle and I think I got some blood on your coat" she said shyly
"Ah well, it's had worse on it" he smiled setting her down on the seats "I'll go grab something to put on those knees" he kissed her forehead before bounding off down one of the corridors. Drew sat there swinging her legs as they didn't touch the floor, she was starring at a panel on the controls when she heard a voice whispering her name "Hello?" she called out loud
'Shush dear child before the Doctor comes back before I have told you what I must' a voice said in her head
"Who are you?" she whispered
'I am the TARDIS; I am speaking to you to convey the severity of your future with the Doctor. You will change him, you will be changed for him, one taught him to love without thought, another will teach him he needs someone with him, then he will come back to you and you will teach him that one love is not all there is to life, he will love you and you will save him time and time again. Please be patient with him and do not be harsh when mistakes are made. Good luck my dearest Drew' her mind was suddenly silent as the Doctor bounded back into the room with a goofy look on his face
"Haven't needed this in so long, I forgot where it was" he smiled, kneeling in front of her with the first aid kit, she stayed silent just watching him clean her knees and put a Band-Aid where needed. He suddenly looked up at her "You alright?" he asked touching her face, she nodded blinking out of her thoughts "Good. Your knees are done, now how about we find you someone to take care of you" he smiled jumping up and started pushing buttons and pulling leavers, holding something down with his foot as he reached over to push something else. "Might want to hold on" he smiled back at her, she grabbed the railing behind her "Allonsy!" he yelled happily as he threw a switch and the TARDIS lurched into movement. They landed with a jolt sending her to the floor which she never met, instead meeting the chest of the Doctor "Easy does it" he smiled hoisting her up onto his back again before stalking out of the TARDIS and out into what seemed to be someone's garden "Oops!" he said before all but hoping out of the soil, he looked up at the sky which was now dark and licked his finger before holding it out and spinning a few times. "Hmmm seems its about eleven thirty" he shrugged "Never was good at showing up at a good time" he laughed before stalking up to someone's door, he smiled inwardly as Drew's head leaned against his, he moved one of his arms to knock on the door and was almost surprised she didn't tighten her legs around his middle as anyone else would have, it was almost as if in the short time he'd known her he had gained her full, unadulterated trust, not even Rose had trusted him that fast. He mentally shook himself, now was not the time to get depressed over his loss of Rose, there would be time after Drew was safe. He waited for someone to answer and it wasn't long before he heard footsteps rush towards the door, the door was thrown open as if the person behind it had known it was him though with a TARDIS in their garden it would be hard to mistake who would be at your door. Sarah-Jane Smith stood in front of him in her dressing gown with a huge smile on her face "Doctor" she said almost lovingly
"Sarah-Jane Smith" he smiled, he pulled her into a one armed hug
"And who is this you have with you?" she asked suddenly, he turned to the side showing his old companion the small child attached to his back "Really Doctor? A child? When I said you companions were getting yonger it wasn't a challenge," she laughed
"Oi! I'll have you know the TARDIS picked her, Daleks killed her mother and she has no one to take after her. You were the first person I thought of when she said she had no one left" he huffed, causing Sarah-Jane to look at him shocked "I thought the Daleks were all dead!" she breathed
"What year is this?" he asked suddenly
"Two thousand" the Doctor's eyes widened slightly
"Bugger" he cursed under his breath
"Doctor?"
"Could I come in?"
"Oh of course" she ushered him inside and shut the door making her way past him into the sitting room, he followed her making no noise "You don't have to be so quiet" she called back to him "There's no one here but us" he could hear the sorrow in her voice as she said it "Why is it a shock it's two thousand?" she asked leaning on the door frame of which he could only imagine lead to the kitchen
"She from two thousand seven, I must have punched the coordinates in wrong" he sighed laying Drew laying Drew on the couch, Sarah-Jane disappeared from the doorway "Will you do it?" he asked suddenly when she came back into the room
"She's special in some way isn't she?" she asked setting a cup of tea in front of him as he moved Drew so her head was in his lap, he absently played with the child's hair which was the oddest mixture of browns and a slight bit of black.
"The TARDIS didn't say, she just said that she would save me and I had to keep her safe. Where safer than in the care of Sarah-Jane Smith" he smiled down at the now sleeping child.
"I will" she smiled as she watched him, he suddenly looked up at her as if completely unsure he had heard her right "I will raise her as if she was my own, for you" even from his seat on the couch he could see the tears in her eyes. "I mean you have done countless things for me, why in the name of god would I turn you away when you finally ask for something in return" she smiled sadly, he returned the smile.
"Her name is Drew, Drew MacDonald. I know she was born in London, but her parents were Scottish. That's all she told me, after I told her about the Time War, well I didn't go into huge detail but I just told her I knew how she felt watching her mother die. It shouldn't be hard to get a birth certificate and a last name change." Sarah could hear the tell tale sadness in his voice "She's different then the others Sarah, much different. Before we got into the TARDIS, she thanked her" he looked up at her again, he hadn't noticed he'd looked back down "Thanked her for bringing me to her, then when we go inside she didn't say the usual 'It's bigger on the inside' speech everyone else had. She said she was beautiful, more beautiful than she had imagined she would be"
"The TARDIS is beautiful," Sarah added, as she watched the child stir before climbing into the Doctor's lap and go back to sleep. "You sure she'll be comfortable here? I mean she looks mighty comfortable where she is" Sarah smiled motioning to the child in his lap.
"It's not safe with me. Never is, at least not for a child" he sighed putting his arms around her, he'd met quiet a few children in his travels but none that ever reacted like this with him. Sarah smiled
"She'll be the one to change you," she said suddenly, his eyes snapped to hers
"What do you mean by that?" he asked almost angrily
"I'm not sure" Sarah said honestly "Just sort of came out"
"Happens to me all the time," he said flippantly "You need to make sure that she never crosses her own time line, she can never see the other Drew running around London at least not until two thousand seven after July" Sarah-Jane nodded
"Well, I guess we should put her in a room so she can sleep for a while. I'm sure Rose is waiting for you" she said rising from her seat, the Doctor gasped and squeezed his eyes shut putting his forehead against Drew's head, which almost instantly moved as her arms wrapped around his neck "Doctor what's wrong?" a small voice questioned as Sarah watched his arms tighten around the child
"Nothing love, let's get you to bed" he said in a struggled voice before standing up, she latched her legs around his waist never letting go of his neck
"Please tell me Doctor," she pleaded, "It might make you feel better"
"I'll be alright" he lied; he knew he was going to hurt for a long time. Sarah led them to an empty bedroom where the Doctor proceeded to lay Drew down on the bed, he kneeled down beside the bed "Drew, this is Sarah-Jane. She's my oldest friend, she'll take care of you till I come back ok?" Drew looked over towards the woman standing uncomfortably in the doorway and gave her a small smile. "When will you come back?" she questioned innocently, Sarah and the Doctor flinched, how to explain to a child that it would be years till he came back. "For you it will be a long time, at least nine years" he sighed as he watched tears build back up in the child's baby blue eyes "Sarah-Jane will make sure to keep you busy learning all sorts of fun stuff so the time flies by I promise"
"What if you forget about me?" she asked quietly, Sarah watched as both the Doctor's hearts shattered
"I will not forget about you Drew" he said almost sternly taking hold of both her arms "I have promised I will come back and I will, nine years to this day I will be outside in my little blue box waiting for you" she nodded but he knew she wasn't completely convinced, he stood and moved to walk away but she grabbed his hand
"Please don't leave yet," she pleaded, he looked between the child and Sarah-Jane before nodding, he moved over to the older woman "You cant ever tell me about her if we meet again and I don't ask, things never happen to me in the right order, one slip and this could never have happened" he whispered hugging the woman, she nodded knowing the rules
"I will see both of you in the morning" Sarah said before bidding them good night and closing the door. The Doctor shrugged out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie before stripping it completely, Drew watched him remove his high-tops and move to the side of the bed she wasn't lying on. He sat with his back against the wall, she curled up beside him which made him decide to move down so the pillow was supporting his head and shoulders, she put her small head on his chest and listened to the four beat rhythm of his hearts. "Will you tell me of your planet?" she asked out of the silence
"How did you know I wasn't from earth?" he asked looking down at her
"You said earlier you had insinuated you weren't human and now I can hear both your hearts" she stated nonchalantly, he smiled and laughed quietly
"Observant you are. My home planet is, um, was Gallifrey" he paused as if picturing himself back on said planet "The skies were burnt orange, with mountains that went on forever. The trees had leaves of silver, which made the forest seem to be on fire in the morning light. The capitol stood between two of the tallest mountains named Solace and Solitude, it stood tall in a glass dome just as it had for a billion years"
"What happened to it Doctor?"
"Everything was destroyed" he sighed "And will continue to be destroyed until the end of time. I was the only one with enough sense to stop fighting and lock the world into an infinite loop where the war would go on forever. It was the only way to stop them from ripping the universe apart" he could feel the tears building up and it almost made him angry, Drew sat up and wiped the tears from his face with her small hands
"I think what you did was brave, not many would sacrifice everything they know and love to save everyone else" she smiled reassuringly, it was at that moment the Doctor's hearts began to heal not just from the pain of the Time War but also from losing Rose. It was at that moment the Doctor started to unconsciously fall in love with her. "Come on, there will be plenty of time for stories later, you should sleep" she yawned and nodded settling back down beside him and resting her head on his chest letting his hearts beats lull her to sleep. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, he wouldn't end up sleeping, he almost never slept, but it gave him time to think of whether or not he would actually be able to wait nine years or if he would just skip forward and not have to.
~July 15, 2002 ~
Drew had made quiet a few new friends at the school Sarah-Jane had enrolled her in, it was her birthday today and all of them were running around the Smith house. Drew had never told the Doctor but the day he had left had been her eleventh birthday, and the past year she had waited up all night on her birthday in hopes he would come see her but in two years he hadn't shown up at all, she wasn't all that surprised to be honest she had never really expected to see him until her nineteenth birthday but she would hold onto a tiny wish he would come see her. They were just about to sit down to her birthday dinner that Sarah-Jane had prepared for all ten children, when there was a knock on the front door "Drew, darling could you get that my hands are full!" Sarah called from the kitchen
"Yes mum!" Drew jumped down from her seat and ran towards the door her little heart pounding in her ears, her mind screaming it was him she threw the door open with as much excitement as her small body could hold and almost burst into tears when she found a strange woman standing there. "Who are you?" she spit with more hate then she ever knew she could manage, it wasn't the woman's fault she deduced taking a deep breath "I'm sorry. How can I help you?" she asked glancing around behind the woman
"I'm not sure really, my names Martha Jones. What's your name?"
"Drew, Drew Smith," she said extending her hand politely
"Really I was told your last name was MacDonald" Martha smiled
"Who ever told you that was lying" she retorted, keeping with her mother's rule of never telling anyone her real last name
"I don't think so, it was a very credible source" Martha said crouching down to be eye level with her "You wont find it" she whispered, watching the twelve year old feverishly searching the front yard with her eyes, her blue eyes snapped to Martha's brown
"I don't know what your talking about" Drew stated defiantly "Why are you here Ms. Jones?" she asked as politely as she could without glaring at the older woman
"Distracting you for me" a familiar voice chuckled behind her, before grabbing her around the middle and twirling her around.
"Doctor!" she squealed
"Oi, watch the ears" he laughed, "You didn't think I would miss your twelfth birthday, did you!" he put her down and put his hands on his hips, she snorted indignantly
"Today is my thirteenth birthday, you Gallifreyan doofus," she said putting her hands on her hips mocking him
"Gallifreyan doofus? Ouch! That one hurt missy!" he put a look of hurt on, crossed his arms and turned away from her. She walked around him and stood in front of him looking up at him before pouncing on him, nearly knocking him over. "Happy birthday, my darling Drew" he smiled as she wrapped her legs around him. "Also I am very sorry I missed your twelfth birthday, but Ms. Jones over there went and got herself and the rest of the hospital stuck on the moon!" he laughed as Martha made a indignant noise
"Oi! That wasn't my fault it was the Plasmavour! Plus you'd be dead if it wasn't for me!"
"Yes thank you for leading the Jadoon there a few minutes too late" he laughed; he rather enjoyed working Martha up and watching her go. He put Drew back down on her feet and took her hand "Now if I am correct, and I always am, there's a party going on" he smiled widely and pulled her into the dinning room only to stop dead as ten pairs of eyes landed on him and Drew "Wow" he whispered and Drew laughed. Sarah emerged from the kitchen and nearly dropped what she was holding
"Oh John, I wasn't expecting you" she said setting the bowl on the table
"Mum, John and Martha came to wish me a happy birthday!" Drew explained excitedly causing Sarah and the Doctor to smile
"And good timing as always we were just about to eat. I'll grab two more chairs," she said before shuffling off, the Doctor sat on Drew's right side while Sarah sat on her left.
The Doctor and Martha stayed until it was time for Drew to go to sleep; the Doctor pulled a small box out of his pocket and kneeled in front of Drew extending it to her. She took it gingerly as if it would break and slowly pulled the top off it, inside was a smaller box and a key. "The key is for the TARDIS, you'll know when I'm coming cause it will get warm" he smiled, mentally noting it didn't stop him from sneaking up on her like earlier. "The box however, not telling you what's in there" he smirked as she glared slightly. She put the TARDIS key around her neck before opening the small box, in the box lay the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen, her mother had had one similar but it was nothing compared to this one. It was a Claddagh ring, two Celtic knots on either side of the traditional hands holding a heart toped with a crown but above that was a Celtic love knot. She stared at it for a minute before looking up at the Doctor who had stood up; she attached herself to his waits as he laughed, "Thank you, it's beautiful"
"On Gallifrey it's a promise ring, I didn't have it on me when I promised I'd come back, but hey better late then never" he smiled down at her "Now I do believe it's your bed time" he laughed as she glared again "Martha I'll meet you back at the TARDIS" Martha nodded before leaving
"Can I see her?" Drew asked suddenly "I never got to say bye or thank you"
"Why not, it is your birthday after all" he smiled goofily at her before hoisting her up on his back and stalking out the back door. He stopped in front of the TARDIS, who suddenly seemed to beam with joy, he laughed internally. He set Drew on her feet and she walked over to the TARDIS, putting both hands on her door as Martha stood in the other door watching the child. 'Happy day of birth dearest Drew' the TARDIS whirred happily in Drew's mind, she smiled "Thank you for bringing him back" she smiled rubbing the door. 'Soon it will be the three of us, dearest Drew. Martha Jones is considering leaving' she whirred again. "Do not wish her gone so fast, he needs her right now" she whispered almost inaudibly as Martha was standing beside her. 'You are right, dearest Drew, when she goes he will utilize the time void and seek you out. You will be older having taken the longer path but it will be soon for him' she whirred then went silent. Drew smiled and kissed the door before looking towards Martha "Keep him safe, I've heard from mum the trouble he likes to get himself into" she smiled before turning back to the Doctor. She smacked his arm "You better not take two years to show up again" she laughed before kissing his cheek and running back into the house.
~September 2008~
True to his word the Doctor showed up for every birthday after her twelfth, giving her something different every time something from all the travels with Martha, up until her seventeenth birthday where he never showed up, she wasn't completely surprised she hadn't actually expected him to show up for any of them. She was nineteen now, working for Torchwood with Captain Jack Harkness, she had joined to learn more about the Doctor that her mother couldn't tell her but also to learn under Toshiko Sato when she was seventeen, she had taken over the position a few month earlier when Toshiko died. She wasn't half surprised when she found out Jack had met the Doctor and traveled with him, he also told her of Rose Tyler, she couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Rose as the Doctor had loved her, not that she expected the same to happen for her when she started traveling with him but a girl could hope. 'You will change him, you will be changed for him, one taught him to love without thought, another will teach him he needs someone with him, then he will come back to you and you will teach him that one love is not all there is to life, he will love you and you will save him time and time again.' The TARDIS' words came back to her full force as if she was still in her head. She looked around her room, it certainly had changed since she had been kidnapped by a bunch of aliens Torchwood had been following, she hadn't told anyone but Jack that they had experimented on her, tired to fuse her DNA with that of a Time Lords, which resulted in her suddenly having a second heart and a respiratory bypass system much like the Doctor. The aliens had also tested if she could die, which just proved she had sped up healing and a kind of regeneration where if hurt again during healing she would just heal faster, though upon further testing it was revealed she did not have the mind of a Time Lord and resulted in her being dumped back on Earth without anything being reversed, not that she was complaining. She sighed as she flopped back on her bed, her hair fanning out "Well, what are you going to do tonight?" Jack's voice floated into her room
"Not a clue, no aliens, no sign of the TARDIS, there's nothing" she closed her laptop and shuffled out into the sitting room of the apartment she shared with Jack. She threw her self onto the couch beside him "The key has been so cold for so long I don't think he's coming back, even if he promised twice" she sighed absently playing with the ring he'd given her. Jack but his arm around her and kissed her temple
"Don't give up on him, he'll come. Remember what the TARDIS said" he smiled reassuringly
"Well I've held up my end of the bargain. I've changed for him, I haven't aged even slightly since they experimented on me" she sighed "Now he just needs to ditch Martha and come back"
"Hey now, I met Martha she's a lovely woman, saved the earth once or twice"
"Yeah I met her too when I was twelve, after that he came alone. Though that might be because I snapped at her when she was at the door and not him" she shrugged. "I think I'll go for a walk," she said suddenly before getting up
"He's here isn't he?" he asked trailing behind her to her room, she turned around and shook her head holding out the key, he touched it and it was still cold. He sighed and kissed her forehead before she closed her door.
"If I call he suddenly showed up, if I don't show up or call I've probably been picked up off by a weevil" she laughed half heartedly before walking out of the apartment. She wandered around Cardiff; she knew people probably thought she worked for the army in her dark cargo pants, tight black shirt and belt with a bunch of things attached. She didn't really care it kept people away from her, with her real mother's looks she was an 'easy' target for muggers and the like. She sat down on a bench near the rift knowing the Doctor liked to park the TARDIS here when she needed a top up, she figured she would just sit here all night and wait, if Jack got worried he'd call.
~Meanwhile~
He picked himself up off the floor of the TARDIS it was always a rough landing when he went to visit Drew, he could never figure out why he could put the stabilizers on and everything, it was almost as if the TARDIS herself got too excided and was too distracted to land gently. She whirred at him warningly, to which he just patted the control panel and reminded her that Drew was coming this time. He stalked up to the front door and knocked, he turned from the door and looked about the front yard "Can I help you?" a young male voice questioned he spun around confusion flashed on his face
"This is Sarah-Jane Smith's house right?" he questioned
"Yes, do you want me to get her?" the younger male asked
"Please" he smiled widely, he heard the boy call for his mum, confusion etched its self deeper on the Doctor's face. Sarah-Jane suddenly appeared in front of him
"Ah Doctor! Finally" she laughed
"Yeah sorry about the delay got stuck on an air ship," he laughed, half expecting a nineteen year old Drew to come bounding at him any second
"She's not here" she said as she caught him looking behind her "She moved out when she was seventeen, determined to make her own way in the world" she smiled "I can give you her flat number and address"
"Alright, thanks" he was taken aback that she had left the house he told her he would come back to for her, but he couldn't blame her he'd missed two of her birthdays thanks to the Master, he could have easily gone and been there with the TARDIS but he didn't want to wait any longer though he had only been without her for two years one of which hasn't even happened now. It had been two years too long; her, Rose and Martha were the only thing that kept him from just giving up on the Valiant. Sarah-Jane came back and handed him a piece of paper "Bring her back before you go off, yeah?" he nodded and hugged her before walking back to the TARDIS. He bounded up to the controls "Well might as well park you on the rift while I look for her, yeah?" she whirred her approval as they materialized on the rift. The flat wasn't far from the rift surprisingly, he took the stairs two at a time his long legs allowing him to do so with ease, upon finding the right floor he walked brusquely down the hall towards the right flat. He knocked and stood waiting for her to answer to door, he rubbed his face as the door opened "Doctor?" a male voice asked
"Jack?" he asked confused, "But where's Drew?"
"Oh she just left, said she was going for a walk" Jack answered like it was nothing, he leaned against the door frame looking the taller man over, he seemed tired and old, like his nine hundred years were starting to show. "You alright Doctor"
"Yeah, just got back from the Valiant," he sighed rubbing his face again
"Ah yes the Valiant, worst not-year of my life" Jack laughed, "Drew doesn't remember it, like everyone else who wasn't there"
"Good, she doesn't have to have worried about me" he nearly sunk down the wall it was the first time in a few hundred years exhaustion was getting to him.
"You want to come in? You look like you're about ready to give out"
"Nah, better find her. Make up two birthdays" he smiled halfheartedly, before starting down the hall
"She doesn't blame you" Jack called after him, the Doctor turned around confused "For not showing up, she never figured you'd show up. She knew you were busy saving our asses," he laughed before saluting him and walking back into the flat, the Doctor sighed he had really tried to make it to every birthday she had but when the Master showed up it was just impossible to come to her birthday while he was a two foot tall withered old bag. He took the elevator back down before walking back out of the building, he ran his hand through his hair mussing it up more than usual; he walked back towards the rift wondering where he would find her. He decided he might as well go back to the TARDIS and scan for her key; he took his time walking back enjoying the night air and the stars. He slipped his key into the lock and pushed the door open; he shrugged his trench coat off and threw it over one of the coral pieces before hoping up to the control panel. "Alright" he sighed "Scanning for her key" he started pushing buttons and flicking switches as the computer made a whirring noise as it searched of her key, it beeped signaling it was finished its search but yielded no results. He sighed and pushed the screen out of his face "Do you want to find her or not!" he yelled at the TARDIS in frustration, she whirred dangerously before becoming completely silent. He sighed, "I'm sorry, it's just seeming like a wild goose chase. Like Sarah-Jane and Jack don't want me to find her" the TARDIS whirred quietly as if trying to comfort him. He patted the control panel "We'll find her" he whispered before throwing himself on to the seat by the controls "Looking for me?" a voice whispered in his ear, he jumped out of the seat and clear over to the railing clutching his two hearts and breathing heavily. Drew sat on the seat smiling innocently, looking devious as ever. "Drew" he breathed
"The one and only" she smiled widely her tongue poking out from between her teeth, his hearts clenched as Rose flashed in his mind. She stood up and walked towards him, but he closed the gap with one step and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Whoa, it's like you'd not seen me for years" she giggled returning the hug.
"Sorry, just got out of a sticky situation involving me aging to nine hundred for a year" he sighed into her hair. She pulled away from him enough to see his face, he looked dreadful; his exhaustion showed and his eyes looked so troubled she could almost feel it herself. She put her hand on his face, his eyes closed as he leaned into it
"You should sleep," she said quietly
"Sleep is a waste of time" he sighed, looking at her
"Come on the TARDIS say she still needs a few hours to recharge, you could sleep. I wont go anywhere, I'm never going anywhere" she smiled and she tried to convince the Time Lord to sleep. He nodded defeated, she put her arm around his waist she was a full head shorter than he was but that didn't stop her from supporting the Time Lord all the way to his very dusty a barely used room. He toed out of his high-tops and let her strip him of his suit jacket and tie "Comfortable enough?" she asked quietly, he nodded before laying back on the bed, she moved to leave when he grabbed her hand. "I stayed with you when you asked, now it's your turn" he smiled, she laughed and laid beside him resting her head on his chest, his four beat heart rhythm lulling her, he put his arms around her and let sleep take him for the first time in almost a year.