I whimper shakily as light is shone in my eyes, I flinch back and try to move away only to nearly scream in pain, I open my eyes and look around frantically, my eyes widening and heart racing painfully as I realize I'm inside some sort of space ship, glancing down my heart nearly stops as I see my left hand covered in bandages up to the wrist, I whimper softly and try to move my hands only to cry out in pain, tears pricking my eyes, I stiffen as I hear a machine whirring as it turned on, I look up and around again, I'm on the floor of the main room of the old bronze looking ship.
As I pan across the room I see a man sitting in a chair looking at me, my eyes widen as the memories of being attacked by this man resurface, I stumble to my feet as the half man, half machine creature stands up and out of his chair, I back away shakily, clutching my hand to my chest in pain "w-where am I?!" I try to yell but it comes out as more of a squeak, he tilts his head a little as if processing my words before speaking.
"You are searching for The Promise Land" He says, his voice coming out flat and monotone, I frown softly "what...? That d-doesn't answer my question" I snap shakily, trying to keep a level head, he steps forward and I shrink back against the wall "you are searching for The Promise Land" he says again "I go to The Promise Land, I will take you to The Promise Land" He says, I frown more and shake my head "N-no thanks, I think ill find my own way" I say nervously, having no clue what he was on about but I didn't want him to know that,he tilts his head again.
"How? How will you get to The Promise Land?" He asks, I shake my head "I dont know...but I'll find a way, so...um...can I go?" I ask cautiously, he seems to stare for longer than I'd like before simply turning his back and returning to his seat, he says something quickly before suddenly more human looking robots come and grab me, dragging me away to a small room before locking me inside, I scream and bang on the door only to cry in pain as my hand throbbed in shocks of sickening pain, I slump to the floor, trying to not throw up from it.
Hours pass as I listen through the door, for any signs of life, but not a thing seems to stir.
After a while I glance down at my hand before deciding to unwrap it, knowing I had to see what they had done to me, so I begin to slowly unwrap the bandages, whimpering at all the movement but I push through the pain even as my stomach starts to flip, but the more bandage I pull off the bloodier they become, until I'm at the last wrapped bit, I hesitate, gulping shakily before I remove the rest, I cry out in shock and pain as I stare down at my mutilated left hand, it looked as if it had been sliced with knives over and over, my last two fingers, my pinky and ring finger have been completely hacked off, tears start to stream down my face as I desperately try not to throw up, feeling weaker and sicker as time goes on, I shakily and painfully re-wrap my hand, whimpering in pain before clutching it to my chest.
I stiffen a little as I feel something under my dress, I shakily pull out the same necklace, the beautifully crafted sunflower, but now it had a few drops of blood on it, I frown shakily and carefully wipe it clean, I lean against the wall and close my eyes, clutching the pendent to my chest with my good hand, my bad hand resting in my lap.
"Please Doctor...please save me..." I whisper shakily "if you can somehow hear this...if...in some miracle you hear me, please...I dont want to die here...let me at least return to The Tardis to die...someplace safe and warm" I whisper, my mind starting to feel dull and hazy as the nausea from seeing the wounds start to catch up with me.
Tears start to cascade down my face, my hope only starting to fade faster as I remember he didnt remember me, he wouldnt be looking for me, he wouldnt even know where I was, I tighten my grip on the small metal flower "please my love...dont let me die alone" I whisper so softly my voice breaks, leaving me alone in the small cold metal room.
Even with my eyes closed I could feel the room starting to spin, only making my nausea worse but I stiffen suddenly as from outside the room I can hear shouting and fighting, I gulp and stand shakily, pressing my ear to the door to try and listen, praying The Doctor had found me, and after what felt like hours but could only have been 10 minutes at the most the sounds die down, and I can hear individual voices now, more human voices.
My heart leaps and I start to bang on the door with my good hand, yelling and screaming for help, and thank goodness its not long after that I hear someone running down the hallway outside the room, I bang harder before I hear Jennys voice on the other side of the door, I nearly sob in relief "Jenny! Please help me! Ive been stuck in here for hours" I plead shakily "Anthea! Ill get you out, Vastra!" She calls down the hall "Ive found Anthrea! She's alive!" She yells before taking out her lock picking tool kit and starting to mess with the lock.
After only a few moments the lock clicks and she opens the door quickly "we must go, the doctor went after that man with half a face and he may need our..." she pauses and her eyes widen seeing me as the door swings open, my tear stained face, red puffy eyes from crying, dirt everywhere from the tussle in the alley way and then the blood, there was so much blood on my dress and face and hands she looks horrified.
She quickly ushers me out of the room before helping me back to the large main room I first woke up in, all of those human looking robots seem to have shut down and were littering the floor now, I smile shakily as I see Vastra and Strax, they quickly come over and I nearly collapse onto the floor from relief, fresh tears wetting my eyes, Strax quickly brings out his scanner and scans me, seeing what was wrong before he carefully removes the bandages, I whimper in pain and look away so as to not get sick again.
They soon help me up and out of what seemed to be a restaurant, I frown seeing no sign of the doctor, my friends help me back to their home, once there they sit me down and Strax gives me the strongest sedative he had before grabbing one of his small gadgets, I shiver as I watch him go to my left hand, I face away shakily and close my eyes, and sadly the sedative wasn't very strong because as he starts to cauterize the wound the pain hits me hard, I scream in pain and try to jerk my hand away but he stops me, Vastra and Jenny holding my arms and shoulders so I couldn't move, I sob in pain and exhaustion before slowly passing out.
I sigh contently as I watch the galaxy below us,The Doctor and I had stopped off in the middle of space to have some food and enjoy watching the scenery.
I lean my head against his shoulder as we sit in the doors of the Tardis, legs dangling out them, he hums happily and wraps his arm around my waist as we relax, we had just finished running from Daleks not an hour before and the peace now was definitely needed.
I close my eyes and enjoy our closeness, the Tardis softly humming in the background as we relaxed our tired muscles.
After a while I open my eyes and glance up to him, smiling gently as he seems to be lost in thought, staring off, I smirk softly and take this chance, suddenly poking him in the side, he yelps in surprise and swats my hand away, playfully glaring down at me, I smile innocently "what?" I ask softly, he smirks "how many times have I said I hate being tickled?" He asks, I hide a smirk as I look back out at the beautiful sight around us "I have no idea what your talking about" I hum softly.
He suddenly tightens his arm around my waist and starts to tickle my sides, I scream and laugh, trying to squirm out of his grip but he tightens his arms around me more so I couldn't go far "OK! I give!" I laugh and he stops the attack, smirking more "I think that's a win for me" I huff but cant help the wide smile spreading across my face, I nod softly "for now" I hum happily, kissing his cheek softly before I get up to grab some more tea for us.
After waking from my uncomfortable sleep I quietly get up, feeling awful and still exhausted but I wanted to see if the doctor had returned yet, so I get changed into a clean dress provided by Jenny, being very careful to keep my bandaged hand still before I quietly check the doctors room, nothing had changed so I head downstairs, asking Strax if he had seen The Doctor but he shakes his head "I have not miss, we did locate and procure The Tardis but it seems to have gone missing" he says before returning to his chores, I quietly thank him before glancing outside sadly.
I can see where The Tardis had been parked but all that was left now was a large square patch on the ground where no hay had been, I frown sadly and realize he left without me, after some time wandering the house I realize I may be stuck here forever, I try to keep the tears at bay, breathing deeply before I go to speak with Madame Vastra, softly knocking on the door to her warm plant filled sitting room, she bids me to come in and I quietly open the door nervously.
"Madame...it seems The Doctor has left without me...and seeing as he has no memories of me, I must assume he will not be returning for some time, so...if I may, can I stay here? I have few skills with which to get a job, so I want to offer my services to you, for anything you or Jenny may need, all I ask is to be able to stay here, I know no one else in this time" I explain softly, keeping my head down afraid she'd reject my offer.
She smiles sadly as I speak "you are welcome to stay as long as you like, I'm sure Strax will like the help, but...I do believe he will return for you my dear, he isn't the type to leave girls alone for long" she says and stands, I smile sadly and shake my head "He doesn't remember me... He will have no reason to return, at least not for a long time" I say softly "but thank you, I will make sure I am not a burden" I say softly before going to find Strax to ask him how I could help.
As the days pass and slowly turn into weeks, my small sliver of hope disappears and I try to get used to life working for Madame Vastra, I continue to help Strax around the house and soon also manage to find a small job working in a pub as a server, but that job didnt last more than a few weeks as men would continuously harass me until I had punched one in the nose in anger, only to be fired and return home tired and depressed, so I get back to working for Strax full time, cleaning and helping with a few of Madame Vastra's cases.
As those weeks soon turn into months I am slowly able to use my left hand again, being careful as the scars were still very tender and soft, but this life starts to become normal for me, waking up early, helping make breakfast, dust around the house, help with Cases some days, help with dinner and do a bit more cleaning in the evenings before I'd head to bed, reading for a few hours in bed before falling asleep, but every day I'd wait to hear the familiar whirring of The Tardis, but every day I'd be disappointed to hear only the carriages and people outside.
Over time I had gotten back into sketching and drawing, practicing at least a little every day, until my room is soon full of drawings, many of The Doctor, both the old and the new, as well as The Tardis, many of the creatures and people we had met, all had been hung on the walls or covered my small desk in the corner, the small salary I got from working odd jobs in town or working for Strax would go to getting more paper and supplies for my hobby.
One morning I wander down into the dining room and sit down, starting to sketch The Doctor while my mind wandered, I try to recall his new face, smiling a little remembering his angry eyebrows, I jump when I hear someone behind me "you miss him dont you?" Asks Vastra, I sigh and nod softly "I do...it's been nearly 9 months since I last saw him..." I say softly, she sighs gently "I'm sure he will return sometime, he cant have forgotten you forever, its not like him" she says softly, I smile sadly "I do not know what he is like now...he's changed, so he may not even care that I exist any more" I murmur.
"I am sure he does, he just needs to get his memories back, then I'm sure he will be back for you, his face may have changed, but he is still the same man" she says softly before leaving, I frown sadly as I stare down at the rough sketch of him, his angry eyes seeming to glare at me through the drawing, I shake my head and close the small book its in before standing, meaning to return to my room but I stiffen.
A loud familiar whirring and thrumming coming from outside, my heart leaps and I rush to the door, leaving my book behind on the table, to my astonishment The Tardis is now sitting in the middle of their small courtyard, I grip the doorway to stay standing as I watch it with wide eyes, my heart racing as I wait to see what happens.
Not a few moments later the door opens to show Clara stepping out with the doctor not far behind he, my eyes start to water "Clara! Doctor!" I yell, running out to meet them, Clara smiles widely and catches me in a hug, I cling onto her shakily as tears stream down my face, smiling widely "I thought I'd never see either of you again" I say as I pull back, she frowns softly "why?" My heart sinks as I realize he must not remember me still, otherwise he would have told Clara.
My heart sinks more as I glance to him, he looks a bit confused and grumpy, I look back to Clara sadly "he still doesn't remember me does he..." I ask softly, she frowns more "he...he hasn't said anything about you in a while...I thought you had simply went back to your own life" she says softly, I shake my head softly, he watches me before speaking "Ive come to speak with Madame Vastra, where is she?" He asks, I look him in the eyes sadly as I answer him "she's in her sitting room, shall I fetch her?" I ask softly, he shakes his head "I will go speak with her, Clara, you stay and make sure she doesn't wander into The Tardis" he says grumpily.
I look down at that and she hits his arm "Doctor! Dont be so rude, she's a friend, a very good friend of our's, you just dont seem to remember her": she snaps angrily at him, he raises his eyebrow and looks back to me "if she's a friend then why do I not remember her?" He asks, I shake my head softly "I dont know...when you regenerated you seemed to forget me, we were just leaving the town of Christmas after the Daleks had been destroyed..." I say softly, praying this could show him I wasn't lying, he looks me over before shrugging a little "Vastra could have told you that, now I'm going inside to speak with her" he says before going inside, I watch him go sadly before quickly wiping away a single tear that had escaped.
I take a deep breath before smiling up at Clara sadly "looks like I'm not going anywhere any time soon" I say softly, she shakes her head "idiot...come on, you can see what The Doctors done to The Tardis while you've been away" she says and smiles, I smile softly and nod, we head inside and my smile widens, running my hands along the railings softly and The Tardis hums at my contact, I smile sadly and see all the new bookshelves and tables and chairs up on the second story surrounded the main console, I wander up the steps and look over the books and tables, seeing the many open books and half finished projects.
After some time I step back outside The Tardis so as to not anger The Doctor, Clara try's to protest but I just tell her I didnt want him to be any more angry with me than he seemed to already be, she sighs but follows me inside, I offer to make us some tea and she agrees, she sits in the dining room as I go into the kitchen to get the hot water ready, as shes looking around she notices my book and picks it up before flipping through it, smiling seeing the many sketches inside, some in pencil and others in ink, there were a few of her in there along with everything else.
As I'm coming back in with our tea I blush a little seeing she was looking through the book, she smiles up at me "you've done all of these?" I nod softly and set her tea cup infront of her before taking my seat next to her.
"These are amazing! How long have you been drawing?" She asks, I relax a little and reply "Ive been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, but as I grew older other things took its place sadly as I didnt have time to indulge it, but since being here I've had a lot more free time so I got back into it," I smile softly and sip my tea, she nods and takes a sip of hers for a moment before frowning seeing how far back the dates go on this book.
She looks up to me "how long have you been here...?" She asks hesitantly, I pause to think before sighing softly "8 months, two weeks and three days" I say softly, she gasps and stands suddenly "he's left you here that long?" She asks angrily, I nod softly and look down at my cup "I can't blame him...he doesn't know me anymore..." I say softly, hurt filling my chest at that sentence but I knew it was true.
She shakes her head "no way, I'm not letting him abandon you here again" she says, I frown and look up at her "dont be angry with him please, I don't want him to think I've turned you against him" I say softly, heart starting to race in worry, she shakes her head again "No, I'm making him take you back with us, this is ridiculous" she says, my heart sinks and I shake my head quickly "I don't want that...I-I mean I do want to come...but I don't want to go back to my real home...I don't to be trapped there again, I'd rather stay here, do what I can to help them here instead of being useless in the future" I explain, my heart suddenly racing, terrified I'd be dropped off and abandoned at my old home.
My family had never been a good one, nor did they really care for me or my siblings, my younger two brothers had been sent off to a private school so I was always left home to clean and do most chores for my father, my mother never really stopped him from bullying me and that had only made me sink deeply into depression before The Doctor had come along and swept me away with him.
When The Doctor first showed up, I had been out doing grocery shopping for my father when a funny tall thin man with floppy hair and a bow tie had run into the store, asking for someone to come and help him look for something, I volunteered as I didn't really want to be out anyways, I followed him out to the parking lot only to see a girl standing next to a large old blue police phone box, I raised my eyebrow but shrug it off, assuming it was a prop for something, when we got out there he asked me to start looking for what he called his sonic screwdriver, having no Idea what that meant I asked and he told me it looked like a large pen like object with a green light on the end.
I helped him and the girl, Clara look for it in the parking lot before I found it hidden under a car far from them, I grab it and bring it over to them, pressing the button for a moment curiously and I smiled as it lit up and make aloud buzzing sound, I handed it to him and made a joke that would change my life "what is it? Some kind of alien tech?" I joked softly only for them to both stiffen.
From that day on I had started to travel with them, often going with The Doctor when Clara had to work because I had no real job then besides working for my father, I sigh softly at the memories.
She sets my book down "I'm going to talk with him, I'm going to make him take you with us, maybe then his memories will start to come back" she says and smiles, I smile sadly "but what if they dont? What if he never remembers me?" I ask softly, she shrugs "then he will make new memories with you now, he owes you that much" I shake my head "he doesn't owe me anything, he's dont far to much for me to owe me anything" I say softly but she leaves, going to find and talk with him, I sigh softly and shake my head, this wouldn't be good, he will only get mad.
I quietly sip my tea for a while, starting to sketch some more in my book, just waiting to hear The Doctor come storming in to yell at me, but after some time I still hadn't heard him so I glance up toward the door only to stiffen, eyes wide as I realize he's standing right there, his hands in his pockets as he watched me, I could now clearly see his new clothing, the white button up under his black long coat, the bottom buttons unbuttoned and the flaps of the coat pushed out of the way from his hands, showing the deep crimson lining inside, and his black trousers and pointed boots.
I look down quietly and close the sketch book quickly, not wanting him to see the sketch I had just nearly finished of him, he stays quiet for an uncomfortable length of time so I quietly stand "I apologize if Clara said anything, I shouldn't have told her anything" I say softly, setting my book in my chair before picking up our tea cups "excuse me" I say nervously before retreating to the kitchen, my heart thudding hard in my chest as I try to keep my breathing steady.
I soon hear a chair being pulled out at the table and sat in, I quietly wash the dishes we used, afraid of going back out there and seeing him again, but after I dry and put them away I stare at the door for a few moments before quietly moving back into the dining room, my heart drops seeing him looking through my sketch book.
"Your very good, where did you learn to draw like this?" He asks, I gulp nervously and look away, hiding my mangled hand behind my back reflexively "I was never formally taught, I've just practiced here and there through my life..." I say softly, he looks to me and seems to watch me for a while "how old are you?" I frown softly "25..." I say softly, he frowns at that but keeps his eyes on me.
"How long have you been here?" He asks, I pause for a moment, not wanting to tell him, but I had to "nearly nine months..." I say softly, keeping my eyes down "and you've drawn all of this in nine months? Everything on your walls?" My heart plummets at that and a deep blush covers my face, I simply nod "yes sir.." I say softly, he frowns more "dont call me sir, I am not a sir" he says gruffly before he stands, setting my book back on the table.
"Get ready to leave, we are leaving in ten minutes" he says before going towards the door, I look up to him quickly, my mouth open in shock for a moment before I step forward "are...are you talking me back to my own time...? Because if so I dont want to go" I say quickly before I could stop myself, he stops and looks at me a bit confused, I look down again "I'd rather stay here...its safer" I say softly, I could feel his eyes still on me for a while before he speaks again.
"No, Clara wishes for you to stay with her for a while" he says before leaving, I gulp and look up as his back retreats out of my view down the hall, I lean on the table for support, my emotions a mess now, I grab my book and rush up to my room, trying to keep the tears at bay, only to see Clara in my room when I enter, I quickly wipe my eyes and frown softly seeing she was packing my bag of all of my belongings I had gotten while here.
She looks up and smiles "come and help me, I dont have enough arms to pack all this in ten minutes" she says and smiles more, I smile a little "you dont have to pack anything, I...I dont know if I'm coming" I say softly, she comes over to me as I clutch my book to my chest, she grabs my shoulders and looks me in the eyes "you absolutely are coming, your going to stay with me in my apartment for a few weeks, while we try and get The Doctors memories to come back" I frown a little "but I'll just be in your way, your apartment isn't very big, and I have no way of paying for food or rent" I say worriedly, she smiles more "and that's why your going to be doing all the chores, If you really want to be useful, but I don't mind you couch surfing for a while" she says and smiles.
I smile softly and take a moment to think, was this really a good idea? It had been 9 months and the doctor still had no recollection of me, at least it had been nine months for me, it seemed to have only been a few weeks for him, I finally sigh softly and nod.
"Alright, I'll come but if nothing changes in two weeks, I want to come back here, I know how to live here without being too much of a burden, so this place would be the safest bet should he still not remember" I say softly and she smiles happily "YEs! I knew you'd come around to it, now come and help me pack, I'm not sure what you'll want to take with you" she says before we begin to pack, I pack only a few clothes, all of my drawings and drawing things as well as a small amount of money I stored up while working.
Once everything was packed I quickly change into my modern day clothes, a pair of black skinny jeans with holes in the knees, a grey t-shirt, black work boots and a warm dark blue coat, then I go and say goodbye and thank you to Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax, thanking them for keeping me safe and helping me over the last months, after saying my goodbyes I exit the house, nervousness filling me as I see Clara waiting at the open door of The Tardis, I try to smile as I come over and she ushers me inside.
I keep my eyes down as I step in, not meeting The Doctor's eyes as I knew he was watching me from the other side of the console, I thank Clara as she closes the door and I quietly move down the stairs to the left of the doors, taking my bag and setting it down at the bottom of the stairs next to the wall, wanting to keep out of the way.
I relax a little as I hear the whirring and humming as the Tardis takes off, I smile softly and sit down on the steps, leaning against the railing and wrapping one arm around it, closing my eyes and just relishing in the familiar feeling of The Tardis shifting around as it traveled with us through time and space, but all too soon she lands, I sigh softly and stand, picking my bag back up and Clara comes to the railing.
"Anthea, come on! Let's get you settled in" she says happily, I smile and nod, coming back up the stairs, and moving towards the door, The Doctor was leaning against the console as he watched me and Clara step out into her apartment.
I smile softly as I look around "it's been so long since I've been in modern times..." I say and sigh, relaxing a little again "I'll make us some tea, the guest room is just down the hall first door on the right" she says, I nod and head down the hall, looking over everything happily, smiling seeing a few pictures of her and me, or her and The Doctor on the hall walls, once in the spare room I set my bag on the bed and sit next to it, sighing softly, this was my home now, at least for a little while, I take my coat off and set it on the bed before returning to the living room.
"What kind of tea do you want?" She calls from the kitchen, I sit down on the couch and smile more, it felt so good to be back in my own time, but safe "peppermint if you've got it" I call back happily, I glance around only to realize The Tardis was still parked in the corner of the room, its doors closed.
I frown a little and look away, all of that time without The Doctor had broken my spirit, I had realized I wasn't really useful to him, nor was I a good companion and now just seeing The Tardis made those feelings hurt worse, I had given up on ever seeing him again yet here he was, suddenly returning but he seemed colder towards me then every, and it only broke my already shattered heart.
I quickly wipe my eyes of any possible tears as Clara returns with two cups of tea, I smile softly and thank her as I take mine, she sits down next to me and sits criss cross as she faces me "how have you been? It's only been a few weeks since I've seen you, but you said you'd been there nine months?" She asks and I nod softly "yes, nearly nine months, I...Ive been alright...just doing work for Vastra and helping Strax around the house mostly" I say softly, she nods toward my left hand "and what happened there?" I frown and hide it in my lap instinctively "nothing, just an accident, couldn't find the fingers so I just dont have them now:" I say softly, not wanting to talk about it, she frowns a little but nods, not pursuing the topic any farther.
For about an hour Clara and I talk about all that had happened while I was away, she spoke of her new possible love interest, Danny Pink and how she worked with some great kids at her school job, and she spoke of how her and The Doctor had had to go inside of a Daley to try and fix it as well as somehow met Robin Hood, I laugh a little with her and smile more "he called it rusty didnt he?" I ask softly about the Daley and she smirks, nodding "of course he did! That man is terrible with nicknames" I smile and nod softly "that he is...he always has been" I say softly.
Not long after that conversation we had settled down to watch some tv only for her phone to go off, I mute the tv and let her answer, she groans softly and hangs up "boss wants me to come to school..he thinks someone broke into the school so they want all teachers to come in and make sure nothing has been stolen from their classrooms" she says, I nod softly and smile gently "ok, dont stay out too late" I joke softly, she smiles and gets up "I shouldn't be gone too long, why dont you go talk with The Doctor?" She says as she goes into the kitchen, I frown and glance to The Tardis before shaking my head.
I get up and follow her into the kitchen, setting my empty cup into the sink "I dont think I'm ready to speak with him yet..." I say softly, she frowns softly "why not? You've waited so long to see him again" she says a bit confused, I shrug a little "he doesn't remember me...he doesn't really care who I am now, he's probably only stayed parked here to make sure I dont hurt you or something" I say and smile sadly, she shakes her head "I think he's waiting to talk to you" she says, gently poking my arm as I start to do the dishes.
I smile and shake my head "I'm sure he's not, he would have come out and asked to speak with me by now...at least that's what he would have done before" I say softly, she smiles gently "he isn't as different as you'd think, he's still the same man, if a bit grumpier, oh and he doesn't like hugs now, apparently not his thing any more" she says "damn, I loved his hugs" I huff softly but she smiles more.
"See! You do want to see him, just go and knock, maybe talking with him can help him remember you, maybe those memories are locked away and only you have the key to them" she says, I smile sadly at that "maybe...but what if he doesn't want to remember?" I ask nervously, she leans against the counter next to me and watches me "why would he not?" She asks, I pause before shrugging "I dont know...he's a different person now, he may not want to relive his past lives, or remember much from them..." I say softly.
She smiles softly "your afraid..." she murmurs, I look down and nod, continuing to wash the dishes "I dont think I could handle him rejecting me..." I murmur softly, she gently lays her hand on my shoulder "he wouldnt, not when you can tell him of all of your adventures, not when he knows you know him so well" she explains, I shrug softly as she stands up straight.
"Think about it at least, you dont have to talk to him tonight, but think about it" she says before heading out, grabbing her things before heading to the school, I sigh softly and continue doing the dishes, drying them then finding where they all needed to go, but once I finish, glancing at the door out to the living room I realized I couldn't even face The Tardis yet, so I quietly continue to clean the kitchen, cleaning everything I could find for nearly an hour and a half before I'm forced to leave the kitchen when I hear my phone ringing in my bedroom.
I had kept my phone even after the battery had run out less than a week after being in the past, and once we had arrived I plugged it in and let it charge, I get to my room and pick it up shakily, my mind terrified that it may be my parents looking for me.
"H-hello...?" I say nervously as I sit on my bed, my hands shaking slightly, for a few moments there's only heavy breathing on the other side, I stiffen nervously until I voice I never thought I'd hear again speaks.
"Hello my flower girl..." he pants softly, my heart leaps and breaks at the same time, my grip tightening on my phone "wh-who is this...?" I ask shakily, I had to be sure.
"Who do you think...? It's me...its The Doctor" he says, tears spill from my eyes instantly and I try to keep my voice steady "H-how...? Your...you've regenerated...how are you calling?" I ask, my voice shaking even when I try to keep it steady.
"Im phoning you from Trenzalore...From before I changed...I mean, its all still to happen for me. Its coming. Oh, its a-coming...not long now...I can feel it" he says tiredly, I cover my mouth to hold back a sob, trying to get myself under control "why...why calll?" I ask shakily, I can practically hear the smile on his face "because I think its gonna be a whopper...and I think you might be scared"
I close my eyes, tears cascading down my cheeks as he continues "And however scared you are, Anthea, the man you are with right now, the man I hope you are with, believe me, he is more scared than anything you can imagine right now...and he...he needs you" he says, I press the phone to my chest to try and contain myself, raising the phone back to my ear before jumping as The Doctor says from the doorway "so who is it?...is that The Doctor?" He asks, only for The Doctor on the phone to say "is that The Doctor?" I nod a little "yes..." I answer, looking away from The Doctor in my doorway.
"He sounds old, please tell me I didnt get old, anything but old!" I giggle a little at that, shakily wiping my tears away "oh! Is he grey?" He asks sounding a bit worried in a funny sort of way, I relax a little at his tone, smiling sadly "yes" I answer.
"Anthea, please, hey? For me? Help him. Go on...and dont be afraid" I stare down at the ground shakily, tears pricking my eyes once again "Goodbye Anthea...Miss you" he says softly before hanging up, I drop my phone on the bed shakily, sitting criss cross as I try to keep from just breaking down completely, I cover my face with both hands, breathing deeply to try and calm myself.
The Doctor gives me a moment before stepping into my room cautiously, I breath in deeply before sitting up, wiping the last tears from my eyes before looking up to him, trying to keep my face neutral "it was no one...just an old friend saying goodbye..." I whisper, looking down at my phone, afraid of meeting his eyes, afraid to see no recognition there.
He stays silent for just a few moments before saying "your lying" I flinch at the words, they sounded more harsh than he probably meant them to, I keep my head down, now holding my phone in my lap "I'm not lying..." I retort a little angry now, gripping my phone tightly.
"Well?" He asks softly, I wished I could just melt away into the bed and disappear "well what...? I said I didnt lie" I snap a little angrier than I should have been "he asked you a question..." he suddenly says, my heart sinks and I look up at him finally, he looked...different somehow, even if just a little "what...? You...you shouldn't have been listening in, that was a private conversation" I say softly, watching him nervously now.
He suddenly has a soft sad smile on his face, shaking his head a little he says "I wasn't. I didnt need to. That was me talking..." my eyes widen a little as I watch him in shock, he turns away, smiling more sadly now, looking dejected and depressed, he takes a few steps towards the door before facing me again "you cant see me, can you? You look at me and you cant see me...you have any idea what that's like?" He asks, my heart starts to race painfully as I watch him.
"I'm not on the phone, I'm right here...standing infront of you" he says sadly, my shoulders slump a little as I watch "please, just...just see me...I may not have all my memories back...but it's still me...It was me on the phone...its still me here" he pleads, tears fill my eyes as I shakily stand, a few tears falling as my phone hits the floor "h-how...how do I know this isn't some cruel trick...?" I ask shakily, my voice breaking "h-how do I know Clara didnt set you up to this...?" I ask, hiding my hands behind my back as they shake badly.
He pauses and frowns more at that "because I remember that conversation over the phone...Clara doesn't know about that" he says softly, I hesitate nervously, my heart racing faster now as I cautiously take a few steps forward, he stiffens and leans back just slightly as I get closer, looking up into his face for the first time, really looking at him, his blue eyes shining with hope and fear and sadness, he glances down at me nervously.
I gulp softly "thank you..." I choke out, he looks more confused now "for what?" He murmurs, I smile a little, a few soft tears escaping down my cheeks "for calling" I say shakily, my voice breaking before I suddenly move closer and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down into a shaky hug, burying my face into his shoulder, trying not to let out my sobs, he hesitates for a moment and I smile shakily "Clara said you weren't a hugger now...but I'm not going to let that stop me" I whisper shakily, he soon gives in and wraps his arms around my waist awkwardly, I close my eyes, relishing the moment.
Not long after I slowly pull away, wiping my eyes and turning away "I-I'm sorry...I got your coat all wet" I say embarrassed, he shakes his head softly "it will dry soon" he says simply, I nod and move back to my bed, picking my phone up and putting it back on the charger, keeping my back to him nervously "how much do you remember?" I ask softly.
He pauses to think before softly saying "I remember our phone call, and I remember seeing you on Trenzalore before and when the Daleks were attacking..." he says softly, my heart sinking when he stops, I nod softly, taking a deep breath before turning back to him nervously "Clara...she said I may be able to help you get your memories back if we talked...do you...do you think youll get them back?" I ask softly, my hands now in my pockets to keep them hidden.
He glances around the boring room "most likely, the memories wont be gone forever..." I nod softly "and I can go back and look through the data banks on The Tardis, look through our history" he explains, I nod again "ok...do you want to remember?" I suddenly ask, I couldn't help it, I had to know if his feelings were still there even without the memories, he nods "I do, I dont like having gaps in my memories, some...some I think are memories, but I cannot tell if you are in them or not yet" he explains, nervously wringing this hands for a moment.
I nod softly and nervously sit back on the bed, rubbing my eyes a little, I hesitate before I get an idea and pull out my drawing book and hold it up to him "Ive drawn a lot of the adventures we've been on, do you think this could help you remember?" I ask hopefully, he pauses a moment before stepping closer and gently taking the book, nodding "they may, are you sure I can look through this?" He asks, I smile sadly "you didnt ask earlier in the dining room" I say softly, he flushes a little but nods and hesitantly sits down on the bed next to me.
For the next hour or so we sit there, me explaining what happened in many of the adventures I had drawn, he would flip to the next page and just stare for a while, as if searching through his memories for anything familiar, and it seemed to work a small bit, he started to remember small details in a few of the pictures, and I began to relax, he was different than I had expected but that didnt seem like a bad thing anymore, he was starting to relax as well, a few times he'd even look me in the eyes as he spoke, only making me feel better and better.
Being this close to him felt right, it had been nearly a year since I had last seen him, and in that time I thought I'd never see him again, yet here he was happily looking through my drawings, trying to remember me, I hadn't expected him to want to remember me or our adventures, but he was trying, and right now that's all I really cared about.
Chapter 2 is done! What do you all think of it?
Also Holy Cow! I didn't realize how long this chapter was until now!
Well thank you all for reading! Dont forget to drink some water!
Love you all so much!
~Rose~