The Doctor shut the door to the TARDIS as he stepped inside The Curator he thought to himself and smiled tapping on the door once I quite like that title. he walked up to Clara who was silently looking at him in admiration and hugged her, nuzzling his nose into her shoulder. After a moment they parted and Clara's face grew concerned.
"Doctor." She asked confused. "You're crying."
The Doctor chuckled as a giddy, goofy smile spread across his face. He sniffed wiping the tears from his face.
"I'm happy!" He smiled. "Clara I am completely happy for the first time in four hundred years!" Clara gave him a breathy laugh and rubbed his shoulder.
"But that's so, so human." She told him, he had always acted completely alien to her well, he was an alien matter-of-factly.
"Humany woomany!" He almost shouted tipping up on his heals.
Clara bit her lip smiling, he looked so much younger now, so much kinder, so much happier and it warmed her heart. Now he was her doctor.
"Oh!" He shouted suddenly, running to the console like usual. "I have something to show you!" He flipped and pushed buttons all about on the console, spinning and wiring about, talking manically about the wonders of the universe. "And this.." He said going over to the door as fast as his legs could carry him. "Is The constellation of Kasterborous!" He yelled grinning from ear to ear. He yanked the doors open.
Clara gasped, it was beautiful. It was huge and colorful beyond comprehension. The Doctor glanced over at her and laughed happily.
"Oh and you know what that is?" He asked pointing over to a little red dot surrounded by a light blue bubble like structure. Is that, no!
"Gallifrey." She whispered. The Doctor nodded.
"And you know what else that is?" He asked.
"What?" She questioned confused turning to him.
He turned to her and gave her a soft smile and a spark in his eyes. "Hope."
"Hope?"
"Yes... for me. Hope for the days to come." He told her. She just looked at him for a moment before leaning on him and looking back out into space.
"I like hope." She said after a moment.
"Yeah. Me too." He smiled putting his head on hers. The two stood and watched the dazzling galaxy.
"Hey Doctor?" Clara asked putting her head up after a few minutes and looking at him with a quizzical face. "I have a question for you..."
Clara sometimes asks me if I dream.
"Of course I dream." I tell her. Everybody dreams.
"But what do you dream about?" she'll ask.
"Same thing everybody dreams about." I tell her.
"I dream about where I'm going." She always laughs at that. "
But, you're not going anywhere you're just wandering about."
But that's not true any more. I have a new destination. My journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone's. It's taken me so many years and so may lifetimes, but, at last I know where I'm going. Where I've always been going.
Home. The long way round.
