The whole of time and space before his eyes, staring back at him with a special kind of brightness and yet it's not doing anything for him.
The Doctor stared nonchalantly at the stars, his posture tense with his arms folded against his chest. He tilted his head to the left where he could hear the ticking of his watch. The sound soothed the Doctor's mind like a violin to a person with musical passion. Every time the hand moved and the ticking started, it sounded like a symphony that was conducted by someone with intellect.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Do you ever sleep?"
The Doctor turned his head to the face his female companion. Her envious ginger hair was tied in an intricate ponytail with a light green bow tied at the end. She was dressed in her light peach-coloured nightgown with a light pink dressing gown over it. Her ginger freckles were lit by the stars that were in front of them and they looked like almond flakes. Her stunning light green eyes were staring at the stars before her and the Doctor couldn't help but smile.
"Of course I sleep, well sometimes. The question is why are you up?"
"Rory's bloody snoring" Amy groaned in frustration. "He needs to sort it out, honestly! I can't catch a decent night's sleep with it"
The Doctor laughed and his mood seemed to lighten.
"Why are you up?" Amy asked, her eyes finally meeting the Doctors.
The Doctor sighed and looked back at the stars. He put his left leg in front of his right, like he was crossing them and leaned on the TARDIS's left door frame.
"I thought it would be nice to see the stars and" he paused for a second, his eyebrows furrowing. "To think. Looking out at the stars normally helps with the thinking."
"No matter how many times I see it, It still looks amazing" said Amy, looking back at all the different coloured stars within her peripheral.
"It is, isn't it?" said the Doctor. He unfolded his arms and pointed up at one of the stars "That big giant one that looks like jam is called Animegaon. Its planets are completely made of wool. Sheep originated from there, master of their cosmos. Though as you could guess, all that was there was wool so there was nothing to eat but each other or sometimes themselves. So their leader, Niefon asked me, well rather bleeped at me to give them a ride to earth. What?" said the Doctor as Amy punched him lightly on his arm.
"You're telling me that Sheep are actually aliens that use to live in that star there?"
"Since when have I lied to you?" When Amy stared at him blankly the Doctor poked his tongue out and sighed.
"What were you thinking about?" Amy asked, Curiosity getting the best of her.
"Things. Planets. Where we're heading later on and what we'll do. What to do so I don't get you and Rory killed. Why I haven't added the wood function to my sonic screwdriver. I should really do that, but what are the chances of coming up against wood again?"
"But there's something more, isn't there? Something that's occupying your thoughts even now?"
The Doctor blinked and shrugged, his mouth becoming a thin line.
"Doctor. You can tell me" said Amy.
The Doctor Chuckled dryly
"I have a sweet ginger girl and her husband with me and the whole of Time and Space literally in my sights. And yet …" The Doctor sighed and threw his arms up in frustration before crossing them over his chest again. "And yet I feel like I can't protect anyone. It's not just the human race that needs my help Amy, other species need my help. Most of them fear me but no matter what, I try my best to help them. I've battled countless enemies, saved countless lives and it just doesn't feel like I've done enough. There's so much wonder in the universe that we've just barely scratched the surface. Time is literally on our side, but I wonder for how long because something big is coming Amy, something that not even I can stop and it hurts to know that I can't stop it" The Doctor swallowed hard, making an audible gulp and gritted his teeth.
Amy pinched his arm and he yelped. The Doctor rubbed his arm with his other hand and stared at her.
"You big fat idiot! You're forgetting that me and Rory wouldn't let anything bad happen to you or the whole of the galaxy for that matter. We're the Time traveling trio right? The three musketeers that'll save the day!"
"I met three Musketeers once. Not friendly people" The Doctor said and he looked up at Amy with a pained expression. "But I can't put you and Rory in danger Amy. That's the last thing I want to do. Better yet that's the one thing I don't want to do"
Amy rested her hands on the Doctor's shoulders, so that he had to turn and face her, and stared at his face. His eyes had developed dark bags under them; something that Amy had never seen him have before.
"We'll be fine, we always are!"
"Rory's died on more than one occasion, to the point that he never really existed and you, Amelia, nearly died once. How does that count as fine?"
"Because we're here now and that's all that matters" said Amy and she brought him close and in to a hug.
They stayed like that for a while, just in each other's embrace while the TARDIS drifted through the desolate space where silence was all that could be heard apart from the pulsing that came from the TARDIS itself.
And as Amy said goodnight for the final time, hoping that Rory's snores wouldn't keep her up, She left the Doctor sitting on the edge of the TARDIS, his feet dangling off the edge as if he was a child on a high stool, while his eyes gazed up at the stars above.
"The Three musketeers, ey?" whispered the Doctor, speaking more to himself. "An old man with Amelia and Rory Pond" he paused and patted the TARDIS floor. "With his sexy"
The Doctor never did go to sleep that day. All he did was watch the universe with awe, like a child seeing their idol for the first time and hum something to himself, an old nursery rhyme that he'd read in an earth book.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark.
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
How I wonder what you are.
—-
A/N: Originally posted this on Tumblr but thought I'd post it here.
Yup I imagine there are times when 11 just sings/hums Twinkle Twinkle Little star to himself. It just feels like he would do this. That when he's alone with his mind and his companions are away (whether it be he let them go or they left or they're sleeping) he just retreats slightly and hums it to pass the night away and all the bad things that he thinks he has done. Sounds Sad.
Anyway, Glad you read this. You know the drill, Review or not, completely up to you though you end up making me very happy if you do=D. Bye!