The village was only about a half an hour's walk from the cliff, but the sun was already setting by the time they got there. Wherever they were, it definitely wasn't Earth.
The village itself was a simple affair – very rustic and pre-industrial looking. The same could be said for the people, who all wore simple garments of wool and linen. It almost looked like an Amish township, save for a few sparse trappings of technology, like electric lights. Then, of course, there was the colony seed ship parked just outside of the village.
"How long've you lot been set up here?" asked The Doctor.
Jeremiah followed his line of sight, towards the ship and laughed. "Oh, about forty Earth standard years now," he said. "I was still a wee blighter when we made planet-fall. Conceived and born on the ship, I was. Solitude's the only land I've ever known."
The Doctor stopped for a moment, taken aback, before Dolly hoisted him along again.
"I'm sorry, did you say this planet's called Solitude?" he asked.
Jeremiah gave him a confused look. "No, that's the name of our colony – it's one of forty-seven here on New Redemption. Do you mean to tell me that you came to a planet without even knowing its name?"
"I, uh," The Doctor stumbled, "didn't exactly come here by choice."
"Oh, right?" said Jeremiah, as if no further explanation were needed. "Well, if you need any help with your vessel, I'm sure our mechanic, Linfox will be able to help you out."
"Thanks, but I think I'll be alright."
As they made their way through the village, the Doctor felt like all eyes were on him. Most of the villagers waved to Jeremiah and Dolly, but then immediately started staring in disbelief when they noticed the bearded stranger accompanying them. Many of them were whispering, some even closed their doors and shutters.
"Ah, pay no attention to them," said Jeremiah cheerily, "we're not used to getting strangers around these parts, not even from the other colonies."
"Yeah, nothing exciting ever happens here," said Dolly in that way that teens and pre-teens did to make everything sound ten times more dramatic than it actually was.
Jeremiah laughed. "Well, we called this place Solitude for a reason now, didn't we Dolly?"
Night had completely fallen by the time they reached Dolly and Jeremiah's house – a large, wooden two story affair with an expansive veranda. It was easily the biggest in town and The Doctor couldn't help but notice that it sat atop a small hill, overlooking the rest of the village.
"Days are pretty short here, aren't they?" said The Doctor.
"Aye, seventeen hours, replied Jeremiah. Eight hours of day and nine hours of night. On and off like a switch, they are, not much of a dusk or dawn."
"Hmm," The Doctor mused.
They made their way up a footpath that lead them up the little hill and to the house. The Doctor couldn't help but notice the lack of a fence or gate.
"This is a nice house you have here," said The Doctor. "Would I be right to assume that you hold a position of authority in this colony?"
Jeremiah laughed. He really seemed to like doing that. "Well, I don't know about that..."
"Daddy's the mayor!" said Dolly.
"Is that so? Well, I feel privileged. What does that make you? A mayoress?"
"Nope, I'm a princess," she quipped.
"It's really not all that fancy," said Jeremiah, smiling. "My papa was the leader of the first expedition to this planet and he settled this first colony – built this here house with his bare hands. He didn't envision himself as a politician, but election after election, the townsfolk voted him back into office. Mind you, we did start out with only twelve people." He shook his head and laughed. "Would you believe, we have over one-hundred-and-twenty now?
Anyway, after he passed, the townsfolk voted me in to replace him. We still hold elections every two years though and I've always maintained that I will happily step aside, should the people wish it. I'm actually a builder by trade."
Beneath The Doctor's scruffy beard, there was a trace of a smile. It was refreshing, after all of those years spent fighting it the War, seeing the worst atrocities that the universe had to offer, to witness goodness in its most simple and sincere form.
They reached the top of the path and climbed the two steps up onto the veranda. As the wooden planks creaked beneath their weight, the front door opened and a fair and pretty woman in a plain blouse and skirt, with blonde hair tied up in a bun, ran out and scooped Dolly up in her arms.
"Oh, my little Dolly, thank God you're alright!"
"Mum, stop it, you're embarrassing me!" She squirmed her way out of her mother's grip and made a show of rubbing the kiss off of her cheek.
Jeremiah laughed with his hands on his hips and said, "I think our wee Dolly is trying to look big for our Good Samaritan here.
Jeremiah's wife suddenly saw the Doctor standing there and gasped. "Sir, am I right to assume that you're the one we have to thank for saving our little Dolly?"
The Doctor waved a dismissive hand and said, "It was nothing, I was just passing through. I'm just glad that the little one's alright."
The last words of his sentence came out rather gurgled as he was strangled in an iron-gripped bear hug.
"Oh thank you, kind Sir! If there's anything we can do to repay you, please just say the word."
"Well," he grunted, "it'd be nice to be able to breathe again."
The woman cocked her head in confusion, but then exclaimed, "Oh my Lord, sorry!"
She released the Doctor and then gave a shallow but apologetic bow. "Forgive me, Sir. My name's Vanessa, but most people just call me Nessie."
The Doctor suddenly had thoughts of Loch Ness and Zygons, but thought it best not to air them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nessie." He looked out at the town, which was now in complete darkness, save for the street lamps. "But I'm afraid I'll have to renege on the dinner invite. It's pretty dark out there, so I'd really best be getting back to my ship."
"Nonsense," said Jeremiah, "even a local lad would get turned around in that darkness. I insist you stay the night."
"That's very kind, but-"
Suddenly, his arm was yanked down by Dolly, who pulled it as if she were ringing a bell. "Oh please stay!" she yelled. "Please, please, please!"
The Doctor looked hopefully at Nessie and said, "I wouldn't want to impose."
"For the man who saved our daughter?" she said. "It's the least we can do. I'll go set another place for dinner."
The Doctor watched as she walked back inside the house, then looked at Jeremiah's content smile, then finally down at Dolly's imploring eyes.
"Well, alright," he said. "But just one night."
Dolly squealed in a range that would be lethal to some species and then dragged him inside at breakneck speed.
What had he gotten himself into?
The inside of the house was very earthy and homely. It felt well lived-in and had the trappings of a family home. There was a lot of wood and stonework and there was enough space for the family to live comfortably, but not so much as to be excessive.
Dolly rather excitedly gave him a tour of the house, starting with her room, which was much what you'd expect a pre-teen girl's room to look like. She had a pair of twin brothers who were four years younger than her, named Earnest and Eugene. They shared a room, in which they were wrestling and causing quite a raucous as Dolly lead the Doctor past it. Apparently that was a pretty common sight.
The master bedroom was the grandest of the house, but that wasn't saying too much. At the back of the house was Jeremiah's "office", which was essentially just a sitting room/library. They only thing differentiating it from the main sitting room was the presence of some bookshelves and a sturdy desk by the window.
The bathroom was fairly modern, thank goodness, but the kitchen was a touch more simple, with a small dining room adjoining it. This was where they all gathered for supper after what seemed like an eternity of Dolly showing off her toys and drawings.
"You can sit next to me," said Dolly excitedly as she dragged the Doctor to the table.
"OK, well if you insist," said the Doctor uncertainly.
The table had already been covered with bread and fresh vegetables and Nessie was in the process of serving up the thistle stew. It was only now that the Doctor realised that she was sporting the early signs of pregnancy beneath her apron.
"Is there anything I can do to help, Nessie?" he offered.
"Nonsense," she replied with a smile, "you've already done quite enough. You on the other hand," she said, giving Dolly a look that only a mother could give, "you were supposed to help me cook, weren't you?"
Dolly smiled guiltily and said, "I was showing our guest around. Besides," she said, filling her voice with faux trauma, "I'm emotionally exhausted and traumatised, who knows how long it'll be before I'm able to do my chores or go to school again?" She fluttered her eyelashes with unconvincing innocence.
Her mother continued to stare her down and said, "Well, enjoy it for tonight kiddo, because that excuse won't wash come morning."
The Doctor couldn't help but smile. Everything about this scene just seemed so…wholesome.
"Boys!" she suddenly bellowed. "Boys, dinner, now!"
There were distinctive tremors in the floorboards as the twins came bounding down the hall, ramming into one another all the way.
"Settle!" she yelled, and they did. Instantly. "That's better. Now go wash up before you take your seats."
"But we - "
"Don't be giving me that, just do it."
There was a pause and then the boys both said, "Yes, Mum," before retreating quietly up the hall. But it wasn't long before more raucous could be heard coming from the bathroom.
"They seem like quite the handful," said the Doctor.
"They keep me on my toes, that's for sure," said Nessie.
"But don't let that pretty face fool you, she's a force of nature, my Nessie," said Jeremiah as he entered the kitchen, rolling his sleeves up. "She can handle anything those boys can dish up."
Nessie gave her husband a knowing smile. "Don't try that game on me, Jeremiah James Weston, don't be giving me that. I can handle your games too, remember."
Jeremiah raised his hands in a placating manner. "Can't a man give his wife a compliment?"
"Not when he's left me with a yard full of sawdust, he can't."
"Oh," said Jeremiah, "that." He leaned in and whispered to Dolly, "I'm in trouble, if I never see you again, know that I love you."
Dolly laughed and the Doctor gave a smile. This was all such a stark contrast to everything he'd been through over the last few centuries.
"Come on love, I'll make it up to with a kiss," said Jeremiah as he approached his wife, making exaggerated kissing noises.
"Ick," said Dolly, poking a finger in her mouth.
"Ick indeed," said Nessie, trying not to laugh. "We have a guest and a child present, you big lummox, now go and make sure your boys aren't destroying anything. They've been quiet for too long."
"Aye, you're right," said Jeremiah as he let his wife go and left the kitchen. "Boys, put down that chainsaw!" he yelled mockingly as he walked up the hallway.
Nessie rolled her eyes, but smiled despite herself.
The dinner was simple, but fulfilling. The Doctor couldn't remember the last time he'd had an actual meal. Not food, but a real meal, cooked and served with love and affection.
At first there was the usual thanks and compliments to the cook as dinner was served, then came that awkward period when everybody is too busy filling their bellies to really engage in any significant conversation. But following that there came that usual period when, having satisfied the most fervent part of their hunger, people try to work some polite dialogue into the meal.
"So, tell us a bit about yourself Stranger. For a starters, we have to call you something other than that," laughed Jeremiah.
The Doctor kept his gaze focused down towards his bowl.
"That's all I've got, I'm afraid. No name to speak of; well, none that I have any right in using anymore."
Nessie gave Jeremiah an uncertain look, but her husband just smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, friend. I have no doubt that you'll find yourself a new name in no time at all."
No time at all…
Like that he was back on Toraxus, leading a Time Lord stealth squadron through a temporal minefield, trying to infiltrate the Dalek Time Strategist's Paradox Reactor.
All around him young, fresh-faced Time Lords and Ladies, all straight from the Academy; all in their first incarnations, blinked out of existence as one by one they encountered a mine and with a sudden rend in time, were erased from existence, their residual temporal energy used to recharge the mines in an unending cycle of death and madness…
"Hey, are you OK?"
He suddenly became aware of Dolly tugging at his sleeve and looking up at him with concerned eyes.
"Oh, sorry I was miles away, don't mind me. Actually, I really should be going after all. This dinner really was fantastic though, thank you Nessie. And to all of you," he said as he rose from the table.
"Well, where is your ship parked?" asked Nessie.
"Oh, out in the woods, out by where I found Dolly. I'll be able to find it," he hoped.
"Nonsense," said Jeremiah, "you'll never find your way through those woods after dark. Like I said, It's tricky enough when you're a local."
"Ah, don't you worry about that," said the Doctor, holding up the sonic screwdriver. "This here will help me hone in on my ship."
"And will it help you hone in on all of the wild animals that come out after dark?" said Nessie.
"Yeah, and the ghosts," added Dolly.
"Yeah, the woods are haunted," added Earnest, while Eugene attempted to make a spooky ghost sound with a bread roll shoved in his mouth.
The Doctor gave a sceptical look to Jeremiah and Nessie.
"It's true," said Jeremiah, "folks have been seeing and hearing strange things in those woods for as long as we've been here, especially at night. That's why you really need to stick to the path. It's not just the trees that'll turn you round in there."
The Doctor was dubious, but thought that since this was his first dinner invite in centuries, he'd better at least try to be a good guest.
"Alright," he said, taking his seat once more, "you've convinced me. But I'll have to be leaving at first light."
"Fair enough," said Jeremiah, nodding.
As the night wore on the Doctor was regaled with stories of life in the simple colony; with stories of Jeremiah's childhood in the early days of the settlement; with anecdotes from Dolly that weren't as interesting to an adult as they were a child. But still the Doctor listened, humouring his hosts. Eventually he found himself doing something he never would have expected. He found himself smiling. Not a superficial smile. A proper, honest, heartfelt smile.
Eventually though the candles were nearly burned out and it was time for the little ones to go to bed. Dolly came back out from her room at least a dozen times, only settling down when the Doctor had given a pinky promise that he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to her in the morning. She had hoped that her new friend could sleep in her room, but thankfully for the Doctor, her parents convinced her that wouldn't be a good idea.
Once the children were settled the Doctor tried to help with the cleaning up, but Nessie wouldn't have it, so instead he found himself sitting on the veranda with Jeremiah.
His host was leaning back in an old chair, hands resting on a full belly and a contented smile on his face. The Doctor felt awkward as he took the vacant seat next to him.
"You look happy," said the Doctor.
"Do I? Well, life is good, friend," replied Jeremiah. "I've food for my belly, work for my hands and love for my heart. What else could a man want?"
The Doctor couldn't help but offer a slight smile.
"I envy you Jeremiah," he said, gazing out at the stars above. He could see Castellon VI. He'd taken Leela there once. He frowned. Now it was just a cinder – burned out as fuel for the Dalek hyperion drive. It would take another three million years for it to be noticeable from this vantage point. And as for Leela, well… she'd always been a warrior. And she was, right 'til the end.
"Envy me, lad?" asked Jeremiah, looking right at the Doctor. "Tell me, what is it you've lost? I see it in your eyes."
The Doctor scoffed. "What haven't I lost? My friends, my family, my home…myself." He shook his head. "There's nothing left for me. All I can do is keep moving forward. That's all I've ever done."
Jeremiah chewed on this for a moment, mulling it over. The Doctor wasn't exactly expecting sage council. As nice as Jeremiah was, he could never understand what the Doctor had been through; how his very soul had burned away along with Gallifrey.
"Seems to me," Jeremiah said suddenly, "that moving forward is all well and good, but that's no way to come to terms with what's been lost. Sometimes you gotta stand still for a minute."
The Doctor looked at the man from the corner of his eye, smiling sadly. "Yeah. Well, I'd better turn it, I'll be leaving first thing."
He got out of the chair and the veranda creaked as he headed back inside.
"Course," Jeremiah suddenly called out, "Solitude's as fine a place as any for standing still."
The Doctor stopped and gave another sad smile. "Goodnight Jeremiah."