Alright, first published fan-fiction here. Note, this likely has many spoilers for anything Doctor Who related up to the 50th anniversary special, and possibly to the 2013 Christmas special in later chapters. This FanFiction's main characters are the Thirteen regeneration of the Doctor we have up to date, including the War Doctor and the new Doctor who will be played by Peter Capaldi starting this Christmas. The story line is biased around the mini online episode called The Night of the Doctor, which I highly suggest you watch along with this fanfiction. Hope you all enjoy!

The Doctor crossed to the console of the Tardis, looking up at the time vortex core, he pursed his lips in disappointment. "Alone again," the Doctor said with a sigh, flipping a lever quickly, the Tardis kicking into life. The Doctor turned his back to the console, leaning against it as he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to take him where to next. Along with the regular sounds the Tardis made when taking off, the Doctor noted a sort of whimpering sound coming from the center console.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at the console, then gave another sigh, unfolding his arms and letting his hand run along the console, as if in comfort. "I don't know, I just wish it wasn't always so hard," he explained. The Tardis made another sound, almost a squeak, and the Doctor narrowed his blue eyes. "What are you talking about, of course I'm glad you're still here. But let's be honest, the main reason I pick up companions is because... well, it's so dull to see all of time and space without someone who's never seen it before."

Another response came from the Tardis, and the Doctor suddenly spun around, the tails of his coat flying behind him. "Yes, but you've seen far more than I have!" The Tardis suddenly jerked to the Doctor's right, making him grateful he'd been holding onto the edge of the console beforehand. "What's wrong now?" he asked, rushing to check the Tardis's controls. They were quickly approaching a ship with a damaged engine, headed directly for the surface of a burnt orange planet. "Ask and ye shall receive," the Doctor muttered as the Tardis landed inside the ship. He bolted for the door, quickly making his way through the smoke and the flashing lights.

"...the medical practition appropriate to your individual needs," the voice of the ship's computer was saying as the Doctor reached the front of the ship. Pausing ever so briefly, he crossed his arms, leaning against a bulkhead, watching the pilot as she worked with a furious speed.

"I'm trying to send a distress signal. Stop talking about doctors," the woman said quickly, the stress in her voice evident.

"I'm a Doctor," the Doctor said, the pilot turning around to see him. "But probably not the one you were expecting," he continued, pulling away from the bulkhead and crossing over to her as sparks flew. A quick glance, and he knew she was alone. "Where are the rest of the crew?"

"Teleported off," she said, the Doctor quickly taking in the critical system reports coming from nearly every part of the ship.

"But you're still here?" the Doctor asked, looking back at her. She was young, too young to die in a ship crash.

"I-I teleported them," she said, her voice calming down some as the Doctor glanced over his other shoulder, the life support was crashing.

"Why you?"

"Everyone else was screaming," she explained. This made the Doctor turn to her, gaining a sense of respect for her. The ship was unsalvageable, that was evident, and the Doctor wasn't about to fight fate.

"Welcome aboard," taking her out of this mess on the Tardis was the only option now.

With an exhale, her voice rose in pitch as she asked, "Aboard what?!" in panic.

He offered her his hand, letting his heartbeats calm down, so the adrenaline running through his veins wouldn't cause her more stress than she was already in. He was about to take up his role again, the kind, wise counselor. The solid foundation in the sake of crisis.

The Doctor.

"I'll show you," he said softly. She took his hand, and they were off. Sparks flew from the pilot's console, and the flashing lights continued. Turning down a hall, he retraced his steps back to the Tardis.

"Where are we going!?" she asked, the Doctor glancing back at her, a flash of light coming from behind her as the ship literally fell apart.

"Back of the ship," he said, looking ahead again, knowing not to look back. He couldn't look back. The shadows of his past lurked there, Daleks, Cybermen, Adric, Sara, Katarina, the list could go on for years. He didn't have years. He only had a few moments. I can't look back, the Doctor told himself firmly.

"Why?"

"Because the front of the ship crashes first, think it through," as he glimpsed the blue police box through the next bulkhead and the ship exhaust, a door with an octagon shaped window suddenly clamped shut, the Doctor skidded to a stop, the girl letting go of his hand. "Awe, blimey! Why'd you do that?" he muttered, reaching for his sonic screwdriver.

"Emergency protocols," she said, her voice close to his ear as he scanned the door, the familiar buzzing sound of the sonic screwdriver calming his nerves.

"What's your name?" he asked, half focused on her, half on the door.

"Cass," she answered quickly.

"You're young to be crewing a gun ship, Cass," he said, testing her name on his lips, not really paying attention to what he was saying, though he was paying full attention to her words. If the Tardis picked up someone like Romana's first regeneration, he'd never forgive her.

"I wanted to see the universe," the tone of her voice giving way to her hopelessness. "Is it always like this?" she asked, her voice perking up. Both reactions gained the Doctor's attention. She'd willingly travel with him, of course, and though she may have some downs, she quickly pulled herself up again, trying to see the bright spot, or to distract herself from the inevitable.

He almost allowed himself to smile, looking back at her, meeting her brown gaze. "If you're lucky," he admitted in an undertone, turning back to the door. A moment later, the door clicked open with a rush of a deadlock releasing. Putting his screwdriver back in his pocket, he stepped forward, glancing back at Cass to see she was staring open mouthed at the police box. "Don't worry," the Doctor said, turning back to the Tardis as he reached for her hand, feeling her fingers wrap around his, "It's bigger on the inside."

"What did you say?" she asked with a gasp, her steps hesitating. The Doctor turned back to her as she glanced between him and the Tardis several times. "Bigger on the inside, is that what you said?"

"Yes, come on, you'll love it," he said with a gesture of his head towards the Tardis. When this didn't seem to comfort her, the Doctor grew hesitant himself. What was wrong?

"Is this a- Tardis?" she demanded, pointing to the blue box in accusation.

The Doctor did not like that, and his "Yes," came out very brisk indeed. "But you'll be perfectly safe," he added, reprimanding his harsh response.

Suddenly, Cass ripped her hand free of his. He didn't fight her, his euphoria vanishing as if she'd torn it from him with her hand. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she spat out bitterly.

The Doctor felt as if the world was crashing in around him, which technically, he was crashing into the world, but that didn't really matter, did it? "I'm not part of the war," he said, his voice unable to manage any emotion, so his words came out as cold hard fact. "I swear to you, I never was," even as he spoke the lie, Cass began shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're a Time Lord," she spoke the word as if she were speaking of a lesser form of life, something to be looked down upon, and disgusted by.

Agitation entering his voice, the Doctor temporarily broke eye contact. He knew he was losing this- losing her, and he couldn't lose her. She was supposed to save him. He had to make her understand, "Yes, I'm a Time Lord, but I'm one of the nice ones," he insisted, forcing himself to regain eye contact with her.

Cass threw her hands up in the air, quickly taking a couple of steps back, the Doctor made to follow, but her words brought him to a halt. "Get away from me!" The hate and fear in her eyes piercing the Doctor to his core.

"On the bright side, I'm not a Dalek!" he insisted, desperate for her to come with him. The ship was sure to crash any second now.

"Who can tell the difference anymore?!" she demanded, bitterness in each word as she turned to the bulkhead, reaching for something. She slammed her hand onto a switch, and the door quickly sealed shut between them.

Rushing forward, the Doctor shouted, "CASS!" This was not the way things were supposed to go, they should have been far away from here by now.

He reached for the door when Cass quickly said, "It's deadlocked, don't even try," obviously having forgotten the door had been deadlocked before, yet he had still managed his way through. He knew there was no point, at the rate the ship had been falling to the surface of the planet, his screwdriver could never open the door in time. There was also the dilemma that even if he could get to her, she would not want to go with him in the Tardis.

"Cass, just open the door. I'm trying to help!" he said, hoping against hope this would make her change her mind.

Cass shook her head again before saying, "Go back to your battlefield," she said, the look on her face bring the Doctor to a loss of words. "You aren't finished yet," her voice cracked slightly, a tear running down her cheek. "Some of the universe is still standing!"

"I'm not leaving this ship without you," the Doctor's voice had grown hard. He knew he wouldn't win, so he held onto the only thing he could: his stubbornness.

Cass leaned against the door, putting her face closer to the glass as she said, "Then you're going to die right here," those words sinking into the Doctor's hearts as she continued, "Best news of the day."

In other lives, the Doctor knew he would have tucked tail and run, but something kept him there at that door. He lifted his hand to rest on the bulkhead, quietly repeating, "Cass, Cass." He began to bang on the door, Cass stepping away from him, a look of painful desperation on her face as she looked around her. "Cass! CASS!" the Doctor's voice rose in pitch as he continued to bang on the door, glancing at the bulkhead in desperation. Surely there's a way!

Each of his double heartbeats echoed in his ears, as he stopped banging on the door, lowering his hand and stared at her in shock. She'd done it. It was over now, all over. Cass turned as the ship collided with the ground. The Tardis! The Doctor realized, turning around, too late.

He couldn't even save her.

The world went dark.