Chapter 1: Initiation

Author's Notes: See my other story Immorality for how she got here, and how she didn't get along with Ten! Some of this has been published before under another name.


"No!"

"You said anything!"

"I'm not doing it!"

"You have to!"

"Yeah, but could we change the location?"

-

It was approximately ten o'clock in the morning. There were a small number of people, quietly going about their business, in the reading rooms of the British Library.

The Doctor had decided to take the slow road, and he and Romana had parked the TARDIS and the outskirts of London and took the Tube to St. Pancras station, next door to the Library. He inclined his head and smiled to any one who was staring at him.

"Geography teacher," Romana would say, indicating the bow tie.

The Doctor shrugged, apparently in ignorance to the reference.

"The British Library. 96, Euston Road, London, England, NW1 2DB- opened on that site nineteen...seventy-three? Legal deposit of books can be traced back to what, early seventeenth century? Nearly fourteen million books. One hunderd-and-fifty million items all together. Originally dotted all around London, now all-in-one! Right next to the stations, too! Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library."

"That last bit's verbatim from Wikipedia!"

"Ha! You looked!"

"Teachers, eh?"

"I already knew, it's just sounds good."

-

There was suddenly an interruption to the silence. Apparently, there was a floppy-haired man running around, making a lot of loud factual announcements.

Completely naked.

He was later spotted standing in the central glass tower. Facing forwards.

-
"Oh take a picture, it'll last longer!"

Romana watched from a distance, as the Doctor refused to back down from he dare, once again.

"You'd think humans weren't naked much," he mused, leaving some money for the chocolate he'd just grabbed from a shelf. The other shoppers looked perplexed. Some were pointing.

"Hello! What? Is it the fez?"

He waved at the gathering crowd.

"Yeah, yeah, naked, I know, I being paid handsomely for this, I'll have you know."

Obviously the shoppers at this ASDA store in Northampton had never seen a naked man wearing a fez before.

"Oh, blimey! I'm such an idiot, you're meant to pay at the till. No wonder they were staring!"

"But you said-"

"Ha! Now who's confused?"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"I'm not wearing any clothes in public, that's all I have to say on the matter. Is it cold in here? Anyway, come on, let's see what the pet store make of it. I want to get some fishies and see what the fuss is about."

Romana was beginning to regret suggesting this particular joke.

"Fishes? Isn't it 'fish'?"

"Oh no, they're lovely, you have to say 'fish-ies'," he replied matter-of-factly.

Romana shook her head as he walked away, saying 'fishy-wishies' in a sing-song voice under his breath.

Oh, this man.

-

I go skinny dipping now. Skinny dipping is cool.

"I don't want to see you starkers any more!"

"WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SPLASHING!"

The Doctor was already in the sea. It was getting dark, so there was no one else on the beach. He was standing a few feet out, with his arms in the air.

"Get out now!"

"NO!"

"OUT!"

"Oh, come be naked!"

"I'm dreaming. This is all-"

"Look how much I care!"

"You'll get cold!" Romana blustered.

The Doctor laughed maniacally, ran towards her and attempted to drag her into the water. Instead, she pulled him towards her, kissed him, and ran away, wanting him to chase her.

I like this concept
Nakedness, in all its forms
Deal with it

"What's that?"

"Haiku."

"Oh. Can I see it?"

The Doctor smiled.

"Yeah, sure."

-

Oh yes, that nude thing
That did vex her, yes, a lot.
Don't care; think it's cool.

"Oi! Stop writing those!"

-

Stop here? I refuse
I really don't care at all.
Nude is cool, my friend.

So funny, isn't it?
She won't care really, will she?
She likes me a lot.

She can talk, that one
Cheeky thing
Seen her nude too, twice.

-

Hello world, good day.
Message for you at present.
Yes, bow ties are cool.

She looked at him, watched him babble, watched him move, watched him happily take part in the stupid dares she came up with on a whim, meant as a joke.

So old and so young simultaneously.

All the brown hair, the eyes, the smile.

They complement each other. She loves everything about him. He's learning from her.

This can only go forward.

-

"Can I tell you something?"

"What?"

"Er...I think...you have nice hair."

"Thank you. So do you."

"You're just...nice. And not in the way Amy's...nice sometimes."

"I don't blame her."

"Can I erase that conversation?"

"Not even you can, Doctor."

-

"What's that?"

"It's a new jacket."

"Let me guess, new jackets are cool?"

"You're no fun."

"You have a funny face."

"Look at us- defenders of the universe!"

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Chapter 2: Regeneration

Author's Notes: Again canon, Romana III looked like the Doctor's mother, he said so himself.


"Is this someone from your memory?"

"Er...sort of. You look a bit like Sally Sparrow, except the hair's wrong. That's good, by the way."

"I figured. I wouldn't care if it wasn't."

"Never...!"

"Should the hair be shorter?"

"No, it's just a different blonde. Lighter. It's better than you looking like my mother, I must say."

"I thought as much!"