2 years later
Molly was trying to sleep. She had to sleep. Tomorrow was her big day. The day she had been waiting for her whole life. But she couldn't sleep. Then she heard it. Again. That improbable noise. The sound of the Doctor. She ran outside, taking just a moment to look at her wedding dress hanging up on her wardrobe. There he was. Grinning madly, leaning against his box.
"Sorry about running off earlier. Brand new Tardis. Bit exciting. Just had a quick hop to the moon and back to run her in. She's ready for the big stuff now." He was grinning like a little boy at Christmas.
"It's you. You came back" she said walking towards him.
"Course I came back. I always come back. Something wrong with that?" he asked
"And you kept the clothes."
"Well, I just saved the world. The whole planet, for about the millionth time, no charge. Yeah, shoot me. I kept the clothes."
"Including the bow tie." Molly groaned
"Yeah, it's cool. Bow ties are cool. So what do you think?"
"Of what?" Molly was suddenly scared
"Other planets. Want to check some out?"
Molly was wary "What does that mean?"
"It means. Well, it means come with me."
"Where?" Molly asked, scared.
"Wherever you like." He sounded so confident.
"All that stuff that happened. The hospital, the spaceships, Prisoner Zero." She was wistful now.
"Oh, don't worry, that's just the beginning. There's loads more." The Doctor reassured her.
"Yeah, but those things, those amazing things, all that stuff" he voice turned sharp "That was two years ago."
"Oh!" He giggled nervously "Oops."
"Yeah." Molly nodded
"So that's-"
"Fourteen years!" Molly finished.
"Fourteen years since fish custard. Molly Hooper, the girl who waited, you've waited long enough."
Molly turned to look at the blue box that had haunted her dreams "When I was a kid, you said there was a swimming pool and a library, and the swimming pool was in the library."
"Yeah. Not sure where it's got to now. It'll turn up. So, coming?"
"No! well… I don't know!" Molly threw her hands in the air.
"You wanted to come fourteen years ago."
"I grew up." Molly stated, as if it was obvious
"Don't worry. I'll soon fix that." He snapped his finger. Molly gasped as the interior of the box was revealed to her.
"Well? Anything you want to say? Any passing remarks? I've heard them all." The Doctor said confidently.
"I'm in my nightie. And if Sherlock saw this, I think he would either pass out from shock or try and hijack it."
The Doctor laughed, but thinking about Sherlock had made her feel guilty. What was she doing here?
"Oh, don't worry. Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe. And possibly a swimming pool. So, all of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will. Where do you want to start?"
"You are so sure that I'm coming."
"Yeah, I am."
"Why?" she asked.
"Cause you're always being overlooked, even when you are being magnificent. And I know how that feels." She had to admit he had a point.
"Oh, do you?"
"brushed off by everyone else, but you still persist. Yeah, you're coming."
"Can you get me back for tomorrow morning?" she asked. If he couldn't she decided, then she wouldn't go.
"It's a time machine. I can get you back five minutes ago. Why, what's tomorrow?"
"Nothing. Nothing. Just you know, stuff." She didn't know why she didn't tell him. Probably because she was running away with a strange man on the night before her wedding.
"All right, then. Back in time for stuff." He danced around the console, muttering.
"Why me?" Molly asked suddenly
"Why not?"
"No, seriously. You are asking me to run away with you in the middle of the night. It's a fair question. Why me?"
"I don't know. Fun. Do I have to have a reason?" he pouted, and suddenly looked a lot like Sherlock.
"People always have a reason." She said
"Do I look like people?" he asked.
She debated for a moment "Yes"
"Been knocking around on my own for a while. My choice, but I've started talking to myself all the time. It's giving me earache."
She frowned "You're lonely. That's it? Just that?"
"Just that. Promise. So, are you okay, then? Because this place, sometimes it can make people feel a bit, you know." He trailed off
"I'm fine." She shrugged him off "It's just, there's a whole world in here, just like you said. It's all true. I thought. Well, I started to think that maybe you were just like a madman with a box."
He took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.
"Molly Hooper, there's something you'd better understand about me, because it's important, and one day your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman with a box." he grinned at her expression.
"Ha ha! Yeah. Goodbye London, hello everything!" he shouted pulling a leaver, and putting his time machine into motion. This is where she belonged. She just wished Sherlock could be here beside her. No. she shook her head. This was for her. She would be home in time for her wedding. Even if she had doubts about whether Sherlock really wanted this… no. she was going to make the most of her long awaited trip to the stars.
