A Thousand Years
Avril Meringue
Song by Sting
A thousand years, a thousand more
A thousand times a million doors to eternity
I may have lived a thousand lives a thousand time
An endless turning stairway climbs to a tower of souls
The Doctor looked over his beautiful companion laying in bed next to him. Blonde messy short strands poking every which way covered her face. His hand reached out, stroking her face, feeling every skin cell beneath his fingertips. Such a beautiful and fierce creature, the Doctor thought, watching her through his brown eyes. He kissed her cheek softly, crawling his bare body out of bed and picking up the pair of boxers he tossed away earlier. He ruffled his hand through his brown hair, biting his lower lip as he looked for his sonic screwdriver. He finally found the blasted thing between the sheets close to his lovers hips. He chuckled, rolling it away from her carefully watching her sleep. He couldn't wait to see her beautiful blue eyes again….
He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and walked out of the bedroom, hearing a squeaking yawn. He turned to see Mirana sitting up in bed, looking at him in a daze. "Oi," she started, watching him. "Where are you going off to?"
"I need to make sure the TARDIS is on schedule, love." the man replied, smiling softly and going over to kiss her forehead. "Back to bed with you, my sleepy kitten. You need your rest."
"No I don't…." Mirana pouted, looking up at him. He laughed softly, nuzzling her neck.
"Bed." he whispered, nipping her ear softly. "I have more energy then you. Sex doesn't effect me like it does humans."
Mirana blushed, "I'm glad the girls didn't come with us….I would have died if they heard you talk like that."
The Time Lord laughed loudly, remembering the two small girls who would follow their aunt like lost puppies. "After the Daleks almost killing them, I couldn't let them come ever again my love."
"I know, "Mirana sighed, pulling the covers over her chest and looking up at the Doctor shyly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How many lives have you lived?"
The Doctor froze, staring at this lover. After carefully licking his lips he asked, "Do you mean what regeneration I am?"
"I do."
"I am the 10th regeneration."
"And how many can you have?" she asked, looking up at him sadly.
"13.…I'm allowed 13 currently." He replied softly, sitting on the bed with his lover. He looked softly into her eyes and sighed, "I'll never forget you though. I've never forgotten anything before, so when I do regenerate-"
"Will it still be you?" Mirana interrupted loudly, looking scared. "How will I know its you?"
The Doctor pulled his partner close to him and smiled softly, kissing her lips gently. "Remember when we went off to see the planet being born? How you were able to touch the tiny bits that were to become earth first?"
"I do…." Mirana sighed softly, resting her head on his chest.
"Keep that memory with you, forever. If I ever regenerate, I'll talk to you about it." he replied, rubbing her bare back softly. "Now to sleep my kitten. You need your rest to fight the Daleks."
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,
The towers rise to numberless floors in space
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,
A million names but only one truth to face
Mirana sighed, looking over the TARDIS controllers. She played with them a little, biting her lower lip, wondering if the Doctor would be back soon. There was a loud boom and she turned, seeing her doctor in a mess of clothes and sweat pouring down his face.
"Doctor?" she asked quietly, only to be tackled and pinned to the controllers of the magical police box that they resided in. He planted heated kisses onto her lips, tears at her clothes. She wore a skirt today, feeling the Doctor again her. He blushed, pushing him off of her. "Doctor, what-"
"Don't talk." He demanded, kissing her again. "Please, just…..please?"
"Doctor, what happened out there?" she asked quietly, trying to get a good look at his brown eyes. He stopped trying to seduce her finally, long enough to see the saddening glimpse.
"I'm…..M, I'm….." he stuttered, and finally clung onto her bawling like a hurt child.
"Doctor!" Mirana breathed, holding her lover close to her body. "Doctor, what happened?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry….M, I'm so sorry….." he cried, biting his lower lip in order to keep his mouth shut. Mirana looked him over, and started tearing up.
"Your going to regenerate, aren't you?" she asked softly, petting his face softly. The Doctor's response was a painfull howl as he clung onto her more tightly now. He buried his face in her chest and Mirana could only hear the muffled tears.
"I couldn't let the Dalek's kill Martha! But its not fair!" he cried out, "It's not fair! I had so much more I could do!"
"Ssshhhh, Doctor…." she whispered, rubbing his back softly. "Its alright Doctor….It's-"
"No!" he shouted, shoving himself off of her. "No its not! I wanted to do so much more!" He started clawing at his hair and face in anxiety. "I wanted….I wanted…."
"What, darling?" Mirana asked, holding his hands and looking him over. "What did you want to do?"
With tears in his eyes, the Doctor looked at his companion. "I wanted to ask you to be my wife and marry me. I wanted us to have children and raise them. I wanted to show them the stars and planets. I wanted to live a human life and grow old. I wanted you by my side forever, Mirana."
Mirana looked at his stunned, and gripped his hands. There was a large lump in her throat, and she didn't know how to respond to the man's proposal. She wanted the same, she always had. Tipping her lover's face up, she bit her lower lip softly and replied. "Then why don't we start on that right now?"
"I've only got days left of this form love. How-"
"Well, we can start with the ring, can't we?" Mirana replied softly, smiling. "We'll start there." She kissed his softly, wiping the tears off his face. She rubbed her nose against him. "Let's make your last days in this form the best yet, alright?"
"A….alright…" the brunette replied sadly, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against her. He placed his hand over her human heart, as she did the same to him. He held back more tears as he could feel the devastation deep in her soul.
A million roads, a million fears
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty.
I could speak a million lies, million songs,
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time
The Doctor looked over the ring in his hand. A silver band with glowing blue celtic knot patterns and bits of blue gems melted into it. He took a deep breath, knowing what was about to happen tonight. The past few days since he found out he was going to die were, truly, the most perfect pays of his life. He had no regrets, no remorse, only pure happiness. He bit his lower lip, and opened the door to that lead out of the TARDIS, seeing Mirana in the middle of a rose hedge maze.
"Hello Doctor. Its about time you showed up," she teased. The Doctor looked her over, and smiled softly. She looked ravishing tonight. This was the first time he had seen her in another color other than black and white….Well, the black was still there, but she wore pink instead this time. A black and pink skirt with a unique tight tank-top with the fabric crossing over her upper chest.
"You look beautiful," He whispered, petting her face softly. He started tearing up, holding her hand gently as he kissed it. "You should wear pink more often."
Mirana laughed, "I'm only wearing this for you Doctor. Didn't you tell me once that you'd like to see me wear pink at least once?"
"That I did…" he responded. He held her hand and led her over to the fountain, keeping his eye on the angel statue that had its arms outstretched. Mirana laughed, knowing that the Doctor thought it was a Weeping Angel, an enemy of theirs. The female's laughter let him know that all was right for a moment. It had to be alright, at least for tonight.
"Doctor?" Mirana asked softly, as the man softly pushed her onto the edge of the fountain.
"Mirana, I love you. I always will. Even after I regenerate tonight, I'll have all my memories of you. I'll come find you, I promise." The Doctor stated, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "I'll always have that memory of you helping me when we first met. How your nieces thought that I was responding to that Wanted Ad." He chuckled remembering the two small girls getting into trouble with their aunt. How a strange turn of events it led to be. "I'll remember how you reacted to our first kiss, how you smelled. I'll remember you, Mirana. I will find you?"
"Doc-" Mirana started, but his finger hushed her lips.
"Please, I haven't much time left." he whispered softly, getting on his knee in front of her. "Mirana….promise me you'll wait for me?"
"I will Doctor. I know you'll find me. You always have…" she whispered back, touching his face. The man gripped it and pulled it away, pulling the silver ring out of his pocket and placing it on her wedding finger. Mirana gasped, looking at him with a wide-eyed expression. "Doctor?"
"This….this is infused with the TARDIS energy. When….when I regenerate, I'll come find you. I promise. I…." he started and gripped his chest where his heart rested and screamed in agony. Mirana dropped to her knees in an instant, holding the male in her arms.
"Doctor!" she screamed, cradling him in her arms.
"M…Beautiful M…." was all he could mutter back. "My…my time is up…."
"It can't be!" M replied, tearing up. "Doctor! Stay with me!" She sobbed loudly watching the life fade from his eyes. "Doctor….Doctor please…"
His hand touched her cheek softly, and she placed hers over his. "M…It's alright….Let me go…"
"I wont! Dammit, Doctor!" she cried, gripping onto his hand. "Doctor!"
"I love you….my beautiful M…." he whispered softly, his hand slipping from her cheek and falling onto his lifeless body. His brown eyes closed for the final time, and Mirana sat in the silence of her own tears.
"Doctor?" She whispered softly, watching him. She held him close, pressing her forehead against his, watching his body give off a golden glow and then start fading away. The TARDIS, which was nearby, had been giving off a blinking glow before it too vanished.
Mirana sat in the silence, eyes wide open, staring at the ring on her finger. "I'll wait…forever if I have to Doctor…."
But if there was a single truth, a single light
A single thought, a singular touch of grace
Then following this point, this single flame
The single haunted memory of your face
"M?"
The Doctor had his eyes shut tightly, light peeking through the curtains annoying him. "M?" he called out again, and whimpered. He could smell her. Lavender and vanilla scented clothes, lead and fresh paper, and the sweet coconut shampoo she uses. He could smell her, so why wasn't she responding?
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. New hands….
Oh yeah, he regenerated.
He remembered the tears falls from her blue eyes and he shivered. He never wanted to make her cry, ever. And he did….oh how horrible he felt.
He looked over his new face in the mirror. Longer hair, a more defined face, and a slightly pointed jaw line. He looked himself over, and noticed no clothes. He looked himself over and noticed something. Oh dear….
He licked his lips, putting on a pair of boxers, and decided to open up his closet to find something, anything to wear. After deciding on a pair of trousers, a button-down shirt, and a tie, he noticed something on his radio in the room.
Earth. London. May 4, 2012.
Wasn't it 2010 when he left Mirana?
He blinked, before screaming, "SHIT" and running to the control panel. He had left her, alone, for more than 2 years. Had she waited? Was she even alive? Had she changed at all?
He pulled a few levers and buttons, looking into the long tube that projected an image of Mirana's face. He sighed in relief, she was alive. But something was wrong. He looked pale, darkened, and miserable. And it wasn't long until he figured out why. He saw a man next to her, looking at her like a miner who just struck the largest vein of gold ever known to man. Lust, desire, hungry. A gluttonous man…And judging from the ring on Mirana's finger, she was either engaged or married to this man.
"Are you ready, my bride?" the man asked, playing with this long blonde hair. "Tis an honor to marry the sister of my brother-in-law."
"You know I don't want to stay here! Let me go back to America!" she cried out, and was punished by a harsh slap that sent her to the floor.
"Do NOT yell at me like I have done wrong, woman!" the man yelled, his cold blue eyes stared at her. "You disobedient woman! You little whore! How dare you…." He reached for something around her neck, and Mirana bit him. The man howled, kneeing her in the stomach. Mirana fell to the floor again, holding the object in one hand, and her stomach with the other. The man left, muttering darkly as he shut the door.
The Doctor squinted and saw that the object between Mirana's fingers was in fact the ring he gave her. "Doctor…" she cried. "Doctor, where are you?"
"I'm here…and I'm coming." he growled, pressing a few more buttons and going back to the room he was in earlier trying to find a more suitable attire for the occasion. "And I'm not going to let you go this time."
I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
Mirana zipped up the back of her wedding gown, trying to not cry. She waited and waited for the Doctor to come. She waited for him to be her knight and take her away to the stars again. But, as the clock kept ticking, she felt this dream was hopeless. Maybe the Doctor was wrong, or perhaps that was the end of his life. Maybe he didn't get 13 lives….
She grabbed her bouquet of white calla lilies. She looked them over, and clutched the ring on the chain around her neck. Closing her eyes, she felt a tear slip from them as she whispered, "Doctor…"
The one name she never would let go. The name she never would forget, even on her death bed. Those beautiful brown eyes…That wonderful, mysterious glint in his eyes. Her crazy Doctor….
"Auntie M…."
Lora stood in the doorway. The 13 year old wore her hair back into a celtic ponytail. A pink ruffled dress was her attire for this day. A hideous shade of pink….
"I'm coming dear…" Mirana said softly, picking up her dress and walking out the door with the young brunette girl. She walked down the empty hall, hearing the organ play. With a straight face, Mirana held her flowers as Lora picked up the train. This was a day Mirana wanted, but not with the man she desired.
The doors opened, and Mirana walked down the red carpet aisle, keeping her eyes down. This wasn't a happy day for her at all. She wasn't the happiest girl in the world with her perfect wedding. This wedding was ugly, even though it was beautiful. The man at the alter wasn't her beloved brunette, but a strange blonde who looked at her as if she were a bird. Something to please him daily. She reached her spot across from him, feeling his cold hands pull back her veil and stroke her face.
"Dearly Beloved," the old priest began. " we are gathered her today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Vincent and Mirana in matrimony…."
How far away was the Doctor?
"…which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore - is not by any - to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly…"
Did he know she was getting married? Was he still alive?
" but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come be joined…."
She felt herself drowning in despair. The Doctor wasn't going to show up, he didn't care. Dammit he probably never remembered her! Or he knew and didn't come to stop the wedding! She was only getting married to stay with her niece! Search for her brother! Why wouldn't the Doctor come?
And at last, the very few words she so desperately never wanted to hear.
"If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
There was a loud bang and Mirana turned. At the end of the aisle stood a brunette male who wore a brown dress jacket, matching pants, a white button-down shirt, red bow tie and…converse sneakers. Could it be…?
"I object," he said, raising his hand. "Because that woman is the love of my life and I will not watch her spend an eternity with the man she doesn't want." He pointed to Mirana and smiled. There was a glare of mischievous in his eye, and Mirana knew who it was at that moment.
"And just who are you?" Vincent demanded. He glared at the man, pointing to him. "You have no right to be here!"
"I have every right to fight for the woman who makes me the man I am, and was. I have every right to stop her from marrying you, and take her away to the stars again!" the man yelled back, and looked at Mirana lovingly. "I have every right to watch her touch the glittering bits of mass that became the universe. And to make sure that my goal from this moment forward is her eternal happiness." He stepped forward slowly, keeping his eyes on her. "As for who I am…I am no one without her. But only she knows my name…only she may speak it."
Mirana stared in disbelief, her hands losing her grip on the bouquet handle as the petals kissed the floor. She walked towards the man slowly, whispering, "Doctor…..?"
I may be numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands
The Doctor smiled at Mirana softly, "I told you I'd be back, didn't I?" He opened his arms wide for her. "I'm here my darling. Let's run away one last time. It'll be the end of everything…"
"Doctor…" Mirana whispered, tearing up. She inched forward, touching his face. The features were much different. But his eyes, his beautiful brown eyes. She froze when he closed them, gripping her hand and nuzzling her face.
"Lavender and vanilla…" he whispered softly. "You haven't changed…"
"You have…" she whispered, "but…" She looked him over, watching his calmness. That warmth inside her grew and she smiled, "It is you…." She smiled, holding him close to her. "Doctor, it is you!"
"Mirana!" Vincent shouted, walking towards her. Lora bit her lower lip, and quickly gripped his pants pulling them down.
"Run auntie, run away!" Lora shouted, grabbing her sister and rushing over to their grandparents. "Run, auntie!"
"M…" Doctor urged, pulling the bride away from the fight about to happen and out the church. He held her hand tightly, pulling her towards the middle of a golden field where the TARDIS was laying about. Waiting, like a loyal dog to its master. But it was a living police box, where else would it go?
He unlocked the door quickly, dragging the girl inside with him, shutting them inside. Before Mirana could utter a word, the man had pinned himself against her. He smothered her with kisses, his hands tracing ever curve he could find. Like how the sand craved water, he craved her. "Mirana…" he whispered between kisses. "Oh god, Mirana…." He wiped the make-up off her face and arms, seeing the bruises they were meant to hide. He kissed them softly, taking off his dress coat. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long…I'm so sorry…."
"Its ok Doctor…" she whispered, looking him over. "You've changed so much…physically I mean…"
He smiled shyly, standing up straight. "But I'm still the same doctor you love…."
The blonde smiled, playing with his longer hair. "Of course you are darling…I know you are…"
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn as fortunes child to judge another's crimes
Of wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief
I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief.
Lavender and vanilla. The same scent as always….
The Doctor looked over his lover in the bed next to him. He propped himself up on a pillow, watching her sleep. He never got tired of that scent, ever. He played with her hair again. Her beautiful blonde locks, messily chopped just the way she wanted it. He inhaled, taking in more of the scent of her clothes and skin then their recent activity. He drew her closer to him, and sighed happily. This was his life. This was the way he wanted it to be….
He looked at her ring finger, smiling when he saw that she made a quick change and had it on her wedding finger. He played with it lightly, smirking, entwining his fingers with hers. After two years of her not seeing him, he was surprised she remembered his promise. That she kept this faith for this long.
She stirred in her sleep and he chuckled, pulling her close to his chest and inhaling her hair. That scent relaxed him down instantly. His own personal drug was laying next to him. This time he wouldn't ever let her go again….He relaxed his body slowly, finally drifting off into sleep. This was a peaceful sleep…Perhaps one of the most restful night the Doctor had.
I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid
'Til you love me
Mirana looked up at the stars above her head, reaching out to touch the bits of glowing lights that would one day become a planet. The Doctor was right behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist and his face burried into her neck. She felt him smiling at her actions, watching his hand reaching out to touch the glowing matter fairy that was in the palm of her hand. "Its beautiful…" she whispered, smiling at the glowing orb.
"Not as beautiful as you…" he whispered, watching the orb float off her hands and merge with another glowing thing. He chuckled, and kissed her neck softly making her laugh cutely. Spinning her around, he held her close to him, petting her hair.
"Doctor?" she whispered, looking up at him.
"M…Beautiful, fragile, strong M…" he whispered, nuzzling her. "I'm so sorry I made you wait 2 years for me love. I'm so, so sorry…."
Mirana snuggled into him, smiling. "Its ok…you came for me and that's all that matters." She closed her eyes, feeling the Doctor's arms slip into the position to pick her up. One arm around her shoulders, the other around her knees. HE kissed her forehead, watching her arms snake around his neck. "Doctor, take me to the stars forever…And never forget me.
"Never my love. Not even after a thousand years, a thousand regenerations, will I ever leave or forget you." He kissed her deeply and whispered softly. "In all of space and time, of everything to happen and could happen, where would you like to go?"
"Here…" she whispered, placing her hand over his chest. "Right here, Doctor." His hand gripped hers and he smiled.
"Then my darling, let us be married…"