Promise
Charlie struggled to keep up with his fast pace as they headed out into the garden, still skipping along quite contently together. He didn't seem to be at all embarrassed, holding a little Girl's hand whilst they bounced off together, hand in hand.
That itself told Charlie that this Man, the Doctor as he liked to call himself was completely different to anyone else she had met. She wasn't sure that different was exactly the right word for this Man…he was completely the opposite to normal Adults.
He treated her differently to other Adults.
Finally, they got to the big, blue box stood right at the side of her garden, just besides her Mother's apple tree, and Charlie watched on as The Doctor retrieved a silver key from inside his chequered jacket and unlocked the box.
He turned and looked round at the little Girl, a smile playing loosely on his face.
"Will you do me a favour, Stewart?" He asked her, watching her with a similar curiousness that Charlie had been using earlier to look at him.
She nodded, suddenly regretting letting herself do that instantly, in-case he asked of her something that she really couldn't do. She found the urge to not let him down overwhelming for some reason, but she was also terrified in-case that meant her getting told by her Mother or something.
"Stay here and wait for me to come back out again."
"Cant I come inside?"
He smiled again, seeming to be amused by Charlie's curious question.
"No, now stay right there." He warned her, before he quickly headed into the mysterious, blue box. Charlie watched in fascination, wondering what this strange Man could have been doing in a box.
It didn't look very big in width…and as Charlie poked her head round the sides, taking in just how small the box looked from the outside-after all, Charlie wasn't allowed to go around the box as he'd told her to stay there and not move an inch-she wondered why it was such a small time machine for.
Not that she had seen anything like this before in her life…maybe all time machines were like that. It amazed Charlie when she realized that this strange Man might have even been from the future.
She'd have loved to travel with this Doctor Guy, somewhere to the future, somewhere to the past even. Even though she was the tiny age of five, she knew it was her dream to one day see the stars.
Maybe this was just fate.
No, she reminded herself scornfully. A Kid could never be trusted like that….she would only be in the way again, like how she always was with her Mother.
She sighed relentlessly, wishing she was older so that she would have been able to go with The Doctor.
Finally, his face popped round from the TARDIS door, reminding Charlie a little like the first time she had met him just thirty minutes ago, and she couldn't help but giggle as he bounced out of the time machine, his hands behind his back.
She refused to look away from the Doctor and into the half open door, because he hadn't wanted her to go in there…so she knew she wasn't allowed to peak and had to respect his wishes.
She was just five years old, but she knew better.
He kneeled in front of her; all playfulness gone now as he held his hands out in front of him, before opening them to reveal a stunning, green gemstone hanging from a long, silver chain which was much too big for Charlie to wear.
Her deep, thoughtful dark eyes widened in shock as she took in the beautiful necklace, wondering if he was actually going to be giving her this as her birthday present. If it was then…well, it was the best gift she had ever been given, and likely to ever been given by anyone.
And she was so grateful for his thoughtfulness.
"Now, you must listen to me Charlie, because this is very important." He warned her in a serious tone, not bothering to mess around and call her Stewart, or Charlie Stewart, like how he had several times throughout them talking.
This was what made Charlie look up at the Doctor's expectant eyes and listen carefully to what he had to say to her.
"This is a very important necklace, and I want you to always keep this in a safe place, okay? Because one day this little beauty…" he trailed off, kissing the green gemstone once, almost as if it was to wish me good luck or something. "Will come in handy." He added with a truthful promise ringing through the air.
She let him hand it in her tiny hands, holding the necklace carefully in her hands.
"You believe me?"
"Yes," She whispered instantly, because she trusted this Man more than she'd trusted anyone before. He wasn't like any other person, Charlie was realizing suddenly. He might have been dangerous, but he definitely wasn't bad.
No, no…he was a good Guy.
"Now, run upstairs into your room…find a safe place to put this necklace, and I'll be back in ten minutes." The Doctor promised her, making Charlie gasp aloud in fright. She was right about knowing he would leave….he was going, without her.
"You wont be back; that's always what everyone says, and they never come back again!" She exclaimed in horror. She didn't want him to leave her just yet, not if he was never going to come back again.
The Doctor just smiled in response, brushing his hand gently once on her left cheek, before pulling away quickly again.
"I'm not like everyone else, am I Stewart?" He asked her, getting up from the ground. "I keep my promises. And I promise you this….I'll be back in ten minutes." He promised the little Girl earnestly, and she knew he wasn't lying.
He was coming back to get her, coming back in ten minutes.
Charlie nodded, following the Doctor's last instructions to run upstairs and put the necklace in a safe place. She ran and hid it under her mattress, before she was out into the garden as quickly as her legs could carry her.
And there, she sat…all night, waiting patiently for The Doctor's return., like promised.
***
