A hollow, metallic clang graced the resounding space of the TARDIS with every restless step The Doctor took. He had been pacing round the main console for at least an hour, beyond the reach of man, woman, or small alien offspring, muttering to himself in a low, often harsh ramble.
Charley sat to one side reading, occasionally glancing upwards to see him spin dramatically round with a glint in his eye, only to continue his pacing in the opposite direction. She would have been lying if she said she weren't at least a little amused by the way he could get so absorbed in his own world like that. But in a head that big, she sometimes thought, it must be hard not to. She let him carry on in silence, enjoying the white noise he provided, enjoying the stillness and the steadiness, the much-needed change of pace after their last adventure.
She was almost as absorbed in her own world as he was his when with a sudden motion their worlds collided. Charley jumped, nearly dropping her book, as The Doctor landed with a heavy sigh next to her on the velveteen sofa. She sent him a scathing scowl as she unfurled to listen to the result of his pacing but bit back her reproach once she saw the look on his face.
He was all thoughtful wrinkles and depressed lines, contorting his usually youthful features with age and melancholy. Although, he would often seem sombre when lost in thought; she hoped this were no different. No matter what his mood, he at least looked at intense as ever, still had the same buzzing, desperate, frantic energy all bundled up inside him.
"Well?" She gently broached, when he showed no sign of speaking. "What is it?"
The Doctor looked up questioningly. "What is what?" He asked, seeming to rise slowly from whatever pit his thoughts had been in. He stared deep into Charley's features before they seemed to register. "Oh Charley! I almost forgot- I had something I wanted to ask you." He shifted to face her fully on the little couch, placing a hand on either side of her arms. "Something terribly personal and perhaps even a little uncomfortable. Might I? Might I ask that of you?" His eyes searched hers for permission, for understanding.
Charley furrowed her brow. What could the Doctor want to know about her that he didn't already? He looked so sincere it brought a slight chill to her heart, but she didn't let it show, at least she tried not to.
"Well, I mean that depends upon the question doesn't it. But, Doctor, I like to think you can ask me anything, within reason." She smiled gently, her tone becoming playful. "And anyway, I don't have to answer if I don't like it, so out with it- what is it that you dare to ask so forebodingly?"
"Alright, if you're certain?" He warned.
"Oh, just hurry up already!"/p
"What…is your favourite letter of the alphabet?" The Doctor's face was deadly serious in that instant. He looked sternly at Charley, as if the question gave him great distress and upon her answer hung the fate of the universe.
Charley balked. "That! That is the oh-so-personal and uncomfortable question you had to ask?" She stood up and huffed towards the controls.
The Doctor looked after her, confused. "One's favourite letter of the alphabet can be something incredibly-"
She cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. I thought you were going to ask something substantial, emotional. I was ready to…to… Oh, it doesn't matter! I suppose 't's are quite useful, aren't they? One of the most common. There- 't' is my favourite letter. Are you happy? Comforted? The nerve."
"Charley." The Doctor berated her, dragging out her name and shaking his head in a patronising, amused fashion. He followed her to where she was standing by the controls, carelessly letting her fingers dance to stop herself from having to look at him. "I didn't mean to upset you. Really, I didn't. I really do think it's something very personal. You can tell a lot about a person from their favourite letter, truly." He added at her dubious look. With patient hands he took her fingers from the control and got her to face him. "I would like to know, your real answer that is, not your angry answer. You don't emhave/em to tell me, but it would help me."
"I've never really given it much thought, I suppose." Charley mellowed but turned to walk round the console, avoiding The Doctor's eyes after her outburst. "If I had to pick…You know I think I was close to the mark on my first try- it's 'u'."
"Me?" The Doctor smiled.
"Oh shush. 'U'. Uh-uh, for uhm-brella. Looks like this." She said, pointing to her cheeky grin.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, really? And what's so great about 'u'?"
"Me? Why I'm simply wonderful, Doctor dear. Haven't you noticed after all this time?" She grinned even wider. "Besides I've only just decided now. I don't quite know what makes 'u' so special, all I know is that I was drawn to it. Now, how will this information help you exactly?"
"Your letter, Charley, is where we are meant to go next."
"Where- what do you mean Doctor? We only just stopped."
"You're rested, aren't you? Aren't you ready for the next adventure Charley? Can't you feel it biting at your heels like a rabbid dog, starved and wretched at your feet?"
"I can't quite say I do." Charley responded, warily eyeing The Doctor as he began to search the controls. Any moment now he wouldn't be able to stop himself. "I thought we agreed we ought to have a little break after the last time."
"And we are, but- we can't have it in here." He began to flick switches seemingly at random.
"Why ever not? You know as well as I, Doctor, that this TARDIS will only ever land us in the middle of imminent danger. I've been around long enough to know there is no such thing as a holiday wherever she lands. Can't we stay just for one more day? Enough for me to finish my book." Charley pleaded.
"Come now, Charley. The book will be here when we get back, but the universe waits for no one!" He declared.
"We're in a time-machine!" She cried back, but it was too late, he was already beginning to wind levers and flick switches and push buttons with all the abandon of a playful pup.
"And the poor old girl is just begging to see more!" His coat-tails flapped in his dance around the console towards her, and in one smooth motion he had one hand round her waist and the other in her own.
"Doctor!" Against her will Charley started laughing as he led her in a waltz around the space. Her dress billowed outwards as they twirled, and she couldn't help but throw her head back in a fit of giggles.
"I promise I won't get into any trouble this time. We'll just be tourists. Universe tourists, navigating a new world, a new time, a new space, with no other motive than to see and learn and…not get into any shenanigans. It'll be brilliant! And that's why I needed your favourite letter Charley!" He spun her outwards and returned to the controls while she regained her footing. "Because after all that time thinking about where to go next I couldn't think of a single place I didn't know existed, and I couldn't think of a single place we hadn't ended up getting into one scrape or another, and I wanted you, Charley, to see that the universe isn't always daring do after daring do, and so I needed a place that I have never known and couldn't possibly think of, and so I had to ask you what your favourite letter is, which I maintain is a highly loaded question with very few correct answers from the paltry English selection. So now we're going to see Charley, exactly where 'u' will take us…" He turned back around, all aglow with excitement, to see Charley watching over his shoulder. "And I'm so ready to find out."
"Charley smiled as she looked up at him, feeling all the weight of all their previous adventures slipping from her skin. She wondered how he did it, how he made everything seem so bright and new and beautiful, after all his travels how he could still love it all…
The TARDIS shifted and their attention was arrested once more by the quaking pulse of her beating heart.
A/N: My first Doctor Who upload! I originally submitted this story to the BigFinish 'short trips' competition but didn't win... So after some expansion and some editing, I decided to bring it here. I have no clue if anyone even reads Doctor Who fanfic with all the audios and episodes already out there but if any of you do- hi! Hope you enjoy this Eighth Doctor story as much as I enjoyed writing it!