Look at that! Two for the price of one! Review bonus is the same as last chapter!
Chapter 14 – Simple Gestures
The Doctor found Cora a few hours later, still sitting by the side of the pool. Her feet were in the water, kicking lazily as she watched the ripples they created. Cora heard the Doctor come in, noticed him sit down beside her, but did her best to avoid looking up. She didn't think she could face him without breaking down. After a long moment, the silence got to be too much to bear—Cora turned to face him. The Doctor saw she was struggling to hold back tears. Concern immediately flooded his features. "Cora? What's the matter?" He placed his hands on either side of her face, gazing intently into her eyes.
Cora swiped at the tears absentmindedly. "Nothing," she sniffed, staring at the extremely engaging floor.
"Cora," the Doctor warned. He didn't believe her, not by a long shot.
Cora sighed. "It's just…a lot to take in, ya know? It's kind of overwhelming." She took in a shaky breath and the Doctor wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. She held tightly to his tweed jacket, burying her face into his chest. How was it he managed to make things a bit better, just by one simple gesture? Unfortunately, though, he couldn't erase the facts. "You don't know what to do, do you?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.
It was the Doctor's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry."
Cora wasn't sure how long she and the Doctor sat there. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours…hell; it could have been days for all she knew. The only thing that mattered was that each was finding comfort wrapped in the other's arms. They had become such good friends in such a short time—and that was enough. But every moment ends eventually. Heaving a sigh large enough to shatter the cosmos, Cora pulled away from the Doctor. The words that came out of her mouth next broke her heart. "Doctor, I need to go home. If I'm supposed to keep you from beating those sons-of-bitches, then I need to stay away from you."
The Doctor nodded sadly. "I know." That didn't mean he was happy about it.
The two walked hand in hand back to the console room, neither of them speaking. They would enjoy their last fleeting moments together—possibly their last moments ever. When they finally landed outside Cora's house, she tried to stay strong. She needed to stay strong—if not for herself, then for the Doctor. Holding her head high, she exited the TARDIS, turning around to face the Doctor a final time.
"Don't you just disappear, though," Cora threatened the Doctor, ignoring her unintended pun. "Keep in touch. Drop in once in a while, or at least call. Don't be a stranger." With the command, the Doctor also heard her unspoken plea. "Don't just leave me behind in the dust."
The Doctor nodded. "I won't. I promise."
And with that, he was gone.
And that's the end of the story!
...
...
...
...
...OR IS IT?! Review to find out!