Disclaimer: These characters belong to the BBC. But once I finally fix the chameleon circuit, they'll never able to find them.
Chapter 2
The Doctor and Susan made their way on foot to the old estate. It was funny to the Doctor to think of his actually having lived in a real house, that didn't move to different locations, that didn't have a sentient aura; but the Doctor remembered it, so it had to be true. But it had been so long since he had seen the place. When the house finally came into view, he turned to Susan. There was this gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach, and, for an instant, he wanted to ask his granddaughter if they should just turn back, that whatever they were expecting to find had long ago disappeared from this place. They had both found new homes already.
Susan looked at the Doctor and noticed an expression she recognized, but had only seen on rare occasions: it was a look of fear. She was having doubts about this journey, and if even her grandfather was having second thoughts, then what were they both doing here? But she knew that the Doctor needed her to be strong, that this was important, and they may regret it if they didn't take the opportunity to go now. "Grandfather," she said. "Do you think they'll like me? I was only a child when we left."
"Of course they'll like you," said the Doctor. "Who couldn't like you? It's their reaction to me that I'm worried about. I don't know if they'll have forgiven me for leaving. And they never had the strongest opinion of me in the first place."
They reached the house, and the Doctor was just about to knock when he stopped his hand. "Wait," he said. "Let's go around back first."
"What's around back?" asked Susan.
"The people we actually want to visit," said the Doctor, taking Susan's arm in his.
The graveyard was largely ceremonial, as when a Time Lord runs out of regenerations, his consciousness enters the Computer Matrix, while his physical form fades away. If he were unlucky enough to die before his life cycle was up, he was usually cremated. So the estate's graveyard was filled only with memorial plaques. Susan and the Doctor threaded through the names of their forebearers in silent respect. The Doctor scanned for the names that used to appear on his lips so often, but were now even forbidden from his thoughts if he could help it.
Both were too absorbed with their task; neither noticed the stone lying in their path, and so Susan accidentally landed on it with her in-step.
"Ow," Susan yelped.
The Doctor turned to her. "What happened?"
"My foot," she said, reaching down to rub it. "I took a funny step." The Doctor saw a small bench close by, so he helped Susan to sit. Both took a moment to rest. Susan leaned her head against her grandfather's shoulder, and the Doctor wrapped his arm around her for support.
"I can't find them anywhere," he said.
"We will," said Susan. "Don't worry."
"What are we even doing here?" he sighed. "What did I expect to happen once I did find them? Only their names are left."
"But we need closure, Grandfather," said Susan, sitting up straight again. "We never got to say goodbye."
"They won't hear us," said the Doctor.
"But it's not for them," said Susan. "It's for us. I miss them, Grandfather."
"So do I," he said. "I can remember every single expression, every gesture, every movement that they made. Sometimes I dream of them. They seem so real. But then I wake up, and they're gone. And then I get the urge the run; to run so far that my dreams can't follow me, so they can't hurt me again. But I can never travel far enough, it seems."
Both grandfather and granddaughter held each other close. Susan's gaze wandered, and for a moment she almost missed it. "Grandfather, look!" she said, pointing to a group of plaques. "Over there!"
The Doctor stood up and walked in the direction indicated to him, Susan following close behind. He found a memorium to those whose lives were lost on that fateful day that began the Doctor's long exile. He bent to his knees, which had begun to buckle now anyway, so it was good that the names he was looking for were close to the bottom of the list. And there they were! He instinctively shut his eyes and brushed his fingers and open palm over them, exploring the grooves that the letters created. He felt the tears pouring down his cheeks. He opened his eyes when he sensed Susan kneel down next to him.
"I love you all," she whispered, tears in her eyes as well. They both just sat their for a moment.
"Grandfather?" Susan suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes, Susan?" he said.
"I know it must have been difficult. Raising me on your own, I mean. And I just want to say thank you."
"Susan... I..." the Doctor stammered, for once unable to find the words. Instead he just hugged her tight. She buried her face in his chest, and he kissed the top of her head.
They were still sitting before the memorial plaque when they suddenly heard someone clear their throat rather loudly. They both turned to find a very stern looking woman with her arms folded over her chest peering down at them.
"Hello, Thete," she said coldly.
The Doctor groaned more audibly than he had meant. "I prefer 'the Doctor' now, actually," he responded.
"Follow me," she said, turning around briskly and starting to walkaway. The Doctor and Susan got to their feet and followed a few steps behind, towards the direction of the house.