Brig. and the Doctor.
By The8thtardis
The man looked down his glass. He saw red, and the face of a man, he no longer recognized. The man looked back at him, with his eyes that had seen many things, unnatural things, people who died, and people who left, his wrinkled face showing the markings of a hero, or a villain. The man was known as Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, or Brig, as many of his closest friends called him. He was too old, to stay in his job. It was his birthday today, November 23rd. It wasn't special, just more drinking. That was life for now.
So he moved on, with most of his friends lost contact, he stayed with his family, watching as his daughter rose to be a fine woman, and join UNIT. It was one of the many things he would cherish as he died.
"What is going to happen to me?" The Brig looked down into the reflection, for an answer that he knew will never come. But at the back of his head, he knew that anything was possible. That was one of the first thing his mysterious friend told him. Another thing he would cherish, when Death took him.
"What do you mean, what is going to happen to you?" Steward looked down at the reflection, was it possible that it could respond, but he knew that was impossible, and searched the bar, and saw a young man, with long curly hair, and binding blue eyes, but something was amiss, his eyes was displaced. It had seen many loss, many defeat, as well as , many victory.
"So you did it again Doctor? And you managed a handsome one at it!" Steward looked at the Doctor, whom was smiling proudly.
"Inevitably, I'm one the 8th one!" The Doctor folded his arms, and looked at his old friend, whom, unlike him, had been a victim of time.
"So many bloody times! My lord how long has it been since we last met?" The Brig wasn't astonished, this could be a Doctor from the far future, you could never really keep dated with him. Always running, never stopping,
"200 years or something…" the doctor smiled, as if a child would, if front of their parents, when the child did something wrong. "Never could remember." Shrugging as he said so.
"So... What has brought you down to the old man?" The brig drank from his glass, and looked up, to see that the Doctor was feeling sympathy for him. "Stop that! Goddammit! Look at you, your dashing as a horse!" coughed Steward.
"Please, Brig your body is weak…" The doctor put his arm around the Brig, like a son would do to a sickly father, "and, you have no idea how old I am, so please stop saying old man, your dashing to me!" The Doctor smiled; smiles that will make anyone feel at home.
"My body is weak! You should have seen yourself when you were attacked by the Zygons!" The Brigadier smiled back at the Doctor, his face finding it hard to do so, after he spent so long, drinking and remembering when he was young.
"Ahh… old times! What an adventurous time it was!" The Doctor`s eyes shined, with the memories of his fine days and of his past.
"You didn't answer my question, why come here Doc?" The Brig`s smile disappeared, replaced by the power it used to have.
"Why else? I want to give you a present. Anything?" The Doctor asked, willing to give anything. "Come on, man! Come up with one!" Trying to replica the Brig`s voice.
The Brig smiled, too weak to laugh. "I truly don't know. But I do want to go to one of those exotic places you took Sarah and Jo to"
The Doctor stood up. "Come on then! No time to waste!" The Doctor was already at the entrance to the Bar, as the Brig stood up. "Hurry!"
The Brig managed to catch up with the healthier Doctor, whom was walking in a hurry and briskly. "Why the rush Doc?" the Brig was already breathless.
"Places to see, things to do." The Doctor turned back to the Brig, "Look at you, you used to be able to run 8 miles and not get breathless."
"Easy for you to say." The Brig barely managed to say this, but did it.
The Doctor was stunned at this remark, but he knew this was true, and thought that his Time Lord genes were a curse, watching your loved ones die, while you live, to see new loved ones, they would die. It would carry on and on.
The TARDIS was close enough to the Brig`s house.
"Did you come to see me?" The Brig was astonished, that his old friend, came back for him.
"Of course Brig! What else do you think? That I came to stop Cybermen and that I ran into you?" The Doctor inserted the key, and opened the door to his TARDIS.
The Brig walked into the Time-Lord Tech, and like always, was bemused at the greatness and beauty of this machine. "Did you die in Victoria London? You dress like them, even designed the TARDIS like them!" The Brig was yet again smiling, which his face had become used to.
"Actually, I died in San Francisco, in 2000." The Doctor seemed proud, but not exactly sure why.
"Great!" The Brig fell back on one of the poles. "So, where we of to?" asking wearily, before taking a sip of alcohol.
"Give me that" The Doctor snatched the Bottle, and swung it out, "And never come back!" The Doctor returns to the TARDIS, and started pressing randomly (or what it looked like to the Brig). "Now Steward, prepare to be amazed!" as pulled down a lever.
The ride was a bumpy one. The Brigadier nearly fell over a couple of times, as the Doctor laughed that his legs weren't right for this!
"Open the door, Brig!" The Doctor called over the noise of the TARDIS. "Hurry, it will start in about ten second." The Brig was already walking towards the doors.
The view outside was just black, with 4 suns in alignment. "So this is your meaning of amazing!" The Brig shouted.
"Wait…" The Doctor raced towards the Door "4…3…" The doctor looked at Steward, and smiled, a smile that meant you knew something unbelievable was going to happen. "2…1.. Look Brig Look!"
As the first sun exploded endless shades of colour burst out, within seconds the next exploded, with another range of colour, then the next, and the next, all four exploding and bursting out energy, shaping and dying, the different colours illuminating the other. Then came the wave of dust, of pure colour, red over green, over blue, pushing back the two men and the TARDIS.
"Four suns exploding, turning into Nebulae It's…" The Doctor was searching for the right word, but couldn't manage.
"It's beautiful." The Brig knew that wasn't nothing to what the Doctor could come up with, but it was what he felt was right.
"Yes, exactly right!" The Doctor closed the doors and hurried back to twirling circles and pressing buttons.
"So where are we off to now?" The Brig was walking up the corridor, towards the main console.
"Where else than home!" The Doctor smiled, as he carried on pressing.
"Perfect!" The Brig was already astonished. This was the BEST birthday ever!
The TARDIS materialized where it started off, right next to the Brigs' house.
"So…" The Brig started as he got out of the TARDIS, but stopped when his friend, hugged him. A hug shared between family, parent and child. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you!"
The Doctors' eyes glimmered with tears.
"Oh, pull it together man! Look at you, you're like 1000 yrs old, you can't cry!" The Brig pulled away, and got his keys out.
"Actually I'm 800 years old, and anyone can cry…" The Doctor smiled, but still his eyes glimmered. The Brig opened the door, "And, happy birthday Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart! Happy Birthday!"
Brig tried to reply, but like always the Doctor disappeared, but, the Doctor wasn't done yet.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY! STEWARD!" His living room was busy with his friends and family, from his wife to Sarah Jane!
"Sarah, Jo! Harry!" Brig shouted back at the crowd with utter joy!
The Doctor heard this. He arranged it. The Doctor walked back to his trusty old console room, and looks at the Screen. Which Reads:
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Died: November 23. 2004
The Doctor shed a tear, before twirling the bar again.
The End