A/N: There's a link to my pinterest on my author's page, where I have pictures of the locations that are mentioned/visited in this chapter. So please have a look at those. I haven't been to the places I do mention, so the way I describe them is based on the research I did on maps and pictures and videos.

Many thanks also go to grapejuice101 for letting me rant and ask for ideas and help. Also, apologies for any bad grammar or misspellings, etc.

I woke up to the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing. Pulling my blankets up to my chin, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and let out a long yawn. I stretched my arms above my head and arched my back, then twisted onto my side so I was facing my bedside table. Another yawn worked its way out of my mouth and I finally sat up once it had passed.

I had been so tired after my adventure with the Doctor and Sarah the day before I hadn't even bothered to shower before changing into a nightgown and falling asleep. But upon waking, I felt grimy and in need desperate need of a wash. The TARDIS, being her usual helpful self, had given me clothes and shoes for after my shower.

Once I was clean and dressed, I realized just how hungry I was. The last time I'd eaten was with Robin Hood, Clara, and Twelve, and that was at least a day ago for me. I shuffled through the corridors, noticing that I was still early on in the Doctor's timeline due to the color and shape of the roundels on the walls.

When I entered the kitchen I began preparing myself a small breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs cooked with cheese, turkey bacon, and orange juice. It was while I was pouring my glass of juice that the Doctor finally came into the kitchen, his cricket jacket and jumper missing and his shirt slightly wrinkled.

"That smells delicious, Diana," he said with a boyish grin.

I blushed and brought my plate and cup to the small kitchen table, grabbing a napkin from the counter as well. "Thanks. I can make you some if you'd like. I don't mind."

He shook his head. "Oh, no, no. You sit and eat, darling." I blushed at his use of the pet name, but didn't protest it. He pulled out a chair for me, then sat down across the table from me. "I'm not hungry."

"Suit yourself," I answered with a shrug before taking a bite of eggs.

"I see you were with my last incarnation."

"Hm?"

The Doctor gestured to my forehead. "From our mishap with Sutekh, if I remember correctly. Are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, the cut. Yeah, I surprisingly don't feel anything."

"That's because I used a special healing bandage on your wound. It helped to clean and heal the cut before infection spread." The Time Lord smiled at me and leaned back in his chair. "It's healing nicely. The cut should be completely gone in no more than twelve hours."

"Really?" He nodded. "That's great. Thank you."

"Of course."

I ate the rest of my eggs, then started munching on my bacon. "So, what about you? Who are you travelling with?"

"Peri."

"Really? I haven't met her yet. I'd love to say hi."

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "Of course. She is probably still asleep, but once she's awake I can introduce you."

"I'd like that."

I finished my food and put my dishes in the sink, then started running the water. The Doctor came over and stood behind me. I let the water get warm, then started cleaning my dirty dishes.

"Do you want me to help you with that?"

I looked over my shoulder at the Time Lord and shook my head with a smile. "No, that's okay. But thank you."

He nodded and quietly stuffed his hands into his pockets. He walked around and stood next to me instead with his hip resting against the counter. We stood in silence for the next few minutes as I finished cleaning. Once the dishes were clean, I grabbed a towel from one of the drawers and started drying my plate.

"You can help with this, if you want," I finally said.

The Doctor nodded and grabbed his own towel, then started drying the other dishes. We remained silent for another few minutes until the dishes were taken care of and we started putting them away.

"Diana, I was wondering… What you said before you went to bed, when you were with my previous self, did you mean it?"

"You mean about us dating?" I clarified.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes."

I smiled and felt my cheeks flush with warmth. "Of course I meant it."

"Good." He put away the last of the dishes, then tugged my towel out of my hands and placed on the counter. His hands came down lightly on my shoulders and I smiled up at him. "Now go find Peri and see if she's up yet. Have her meet me in the console room when she's ready."

"Okay, but what if she's still asleep?"

"Then I'll check on her later and you can meet her then."

Finding Peri's room wasn't that hard since the TARDIS easily guided me there and her name was written across the door. I knocked lightly against it twice, waited a few seconds, and then knocked again.

"Coming!"

The door opened to reveal Peri in a pair of sleep shorts and a sleep shirt. She smiled at me and leaned slightly against the door. "Hey, Diana," she said pleasantly. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Um, the Doctor wanted me to get you up. He said to have you meet him in the console room."

"Oh, okay. Did he say what for?"

I shook my head. "No. But before I forget, I wanted to ask you something. How much do you know about me?"

Peri was taken aback for a moment. "Do you mean about the time jumping?"

"Yeah, that. Do you know everything or…?"

She nodded and smiled reassuringly at me. "I take it this is the first time you've met me?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well don't worry, Diana. You and the Doctor explained everything to me after Turlough left."

"Have you been travelling with him long now?"

"About a week, I think. Not too long."

"Oh, okay."

Peri smiled and reached forward to pat her hand on my arm. "Tell the Doctor I'll be there in a few minutes, will you? I've got to take a shower before I do anything else."

"Sure thing."

"Thanks."

I nodded and turned around to give the American her privacy. She closed the door as I started to walk off down the hall and I felt a smile start to spread across my face. Peri was a sweet and pleasant young woman, like I had always thought. I had always liked her back home and was excited to meet her and hopefully become best friends with her.

When I walked into the console room, the Doctor was bent over the scanner and was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't notice me at first. I shuffled over to him and he jumped up when he heard my footsteps. He frantically pressed a series of buttons on the keyboard and then stood completely straight, his eyes wide and not blinking.

"Hey, everything okay?" I asked slowly.

"Hm? Oh, yes. Fine. Everything's just fine, darling."

"You sure? You look… I don't know, like a deer in the headlights."

The Doctor shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine, really."

"Okay. Oh, Peri said she was going to clean up and then she'd come over."

"Excellent."

I leaned against the console and looked over some of the buttons. "She said she'd been travelling with you for about a week?"

"Yes, that sounds right."

"Where have you two been?" I wondered.

"Ah, ah," the Time Lord tutted. "Spoilers."

"Really?"

"Mm hm. Sorry."

I shook my head. "It's fine. So where are we going today, then?"

"It's a surprise."

"Can I have a hint?"

The Doctor thought for a moment, making a show of trying not to reveal anything important. "Well, it's a planet."

"Is it? Ooh, sounds exciting."

"And there's no mummies."

"That's a bonus," I laughed.

"And you'll like it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Will I?"

He nodded and flashed me the same boyish grin he'd given me at breakfast. "Of course."

"You think you're so impressive, don't you?"

"I am impressive, Diana. I'm the Doctor. When am I not?"

The sound of heeled shoes clacking against the floor suddenly sounded outside the console room and a few seconds later, Peri entered dressed and with a smile on her face. "Morning, Doctor," she said cheerfully. "Diana said you wanted me."

"Ah, yes. I did. Come here, Peri, I want to show you something." I started to walk over to the scanner again, but the Doctor stopped me. "Actually, Diana, could you do a favor for me? My coat and jumper are in my room and I'm going to land the TARDIS in a few minutes. Would you mind getting them for me?"

"No problem. I'll be right back."

I hurried out of the console room and down the hallway. When I reached the Doctor's room, I pushed the doors open and rushed inside. His room was vastly different from that of his future self, the roundels on the walls a light cream color and the decorations either burgundy or a calming beige color. There were fewer pictures on the walls, but they were still of me as well as his previous companions and incarnations. His coat and jumper were draped over the back of the chair at his desk, so I grabbed them and left before I got too curious and started snooping.

When I reached the hallway outside the console room, I could make out whispering between Peri and the Doctor, although I couldn't understand what they were saying. I walked into the console room and held back a laugh when the Doctor jumped in alarm and pressed his lips firmly together.

"That was quick," Peri noted.

"I didn't want to keep you two."

Peri smiled and spared the Doctor a side-glance. "Actually, Diana, you and the Doctor might have to go alone this time."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no. But I, uh, have a few things that I need to take care of today."

I raised an eyebrow and felt just a tad suspicious of her odd behavior. "What kind of things?" I questioned.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. So I'll just leave you two. Have fun!"

And just like that, the American was out of the door and hurrying down the hall. I looked to the Doctor in confusion, expecting an explanation for her strange behavior, but he simply shrugged and turned his attention to the scanner. I handed him his clothes and turned away while he slipped them on in silence.

Since the Doctor had decided not to speak, I walked over to the console and pulled out my phone. Twelve had been kind enough to download a few popular apps to my phone that I had yet to look through during my last few adventures, so I opened the first and began exploring.

"Um, Diana?"

I looked up from my phone with a smile. "Hm?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and took a hesitant step forward, his hands clasped in front of his stomach. "I was wondering… Perhaps this is too sudden for you, but I thought… Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"Dinner? Like, as a date?" I asked slowly.

"Yes."

A mass of butterflies began to flutter in my stomach. I nodded and felt my smile widen into a full grin. "I'd love to," I breathed.

"Good." The Doctor pulled on the dematerialization lever and the ship let out a wheeze. "I want you to wait here, alright?"

"We're going now?"

"Yes. Now, close your eyes."

"What? Right now? What about Peri?"

The ship landed with a groan, making me sway slightly. "I asked her and she said she didn't mind us spending the day together."

"That's why you sent me to get your coat!"

"Yes."

"Have you been planning this?"

"Since you left to wake Peri." The Doctor grabbed my hand and held it between both of his. "Now close your eyes. It'll only be for a minute."

"Okay," I sighed as I closed my eyes.

The Doctor released my hand and I could hear him walking around the console room. There was some shuffling and the sound of the doors opening and closing multiple times. I was tempted to open my eyes and see what he was doing, but ultimately fought the urge. The doors squeaked open and there was more light scuffling and indistinct mumbling from the Doctor.

"Doctor?"

"Just a moment, just a moment!" he called as he rushed past me and through the doors.

I smiled and shook my head, but continued to wait. I felt flattered that he was so excited about a date with me and hoped he hadn't gone to too much trouble. Reaching an arm out to find my bearing again, I found the console and leaned forward so I was resting my elbows on the edge.

"Alright!" the Doctor exclaimed after closing the doors behind him. "Everything's ready."

"What were you doing?" I asked as I stood straight again.

"You'll see." His hands were suddenly on my shoulders and I jumped slightly, not expecting him to approach me. He turned me around very slowly and urged me forward. "Your eyes are still closed?"

"Yes," I laughed. I held my arms out so that I wouldn't bump into the doors. "Now where are you taking me?"

"Patience, Diana! Here, put this on."

He pushed what I guessed was my leather jacket into my hands and released my shoulders so I could put it on. Once I had zipped it up and adjusted it, he put his hands on my shoulders again and gently urged me forward. I could tell the doors were open because there was a cool breeze drifting in from outside.

"Careful, careful, there's a step." I shuffled out of the TARDIS and could instantly feel the change of ground beneath my feet. "There are a few rocks, so step carefully. And keep your eyes closed."

We walked forward a few paces and I could feel grass brushing against my ankles. The breeze was stronger outside and I was glad the Doctor had given me a jacket to wear or I would have been cold. I could feel sunlight on my face and shoulders, but it was just the right temperature.

"Alright, stop right… here."

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

The Doctor took a light breath and there was a pause. Then he whispered, "Go ahead," and let his hands slide down my arms.

I waited a second before finally opening my eyes. The sight I was greeted with was so stunning that it left me completely speechless. I gazed out at the wild lands before me and my jaw dropped in shock. My eyes fell to the area in front of us and I couldn't help but smile. A thick, blue blanket was spread out on the grass and held down by rocks along the edges. In the middle of the blanket was a wicker basket that I assumed was full of food, as well as a few pillows and another blanket neatly folded by the basket.

We were standing near the edge of a cliff that overlooked the view of the Quiraing, as the Doctor had called it. To our right was a long strip of land that jutted out from the hillside and was covered in bright green grass and a few patches of white flowers. Beyond that was a long trail of jutting mountains covered in the same shining grass and rocks. In the valley below were a few rolling hills and two brilliant blue lakes. On our left were a few outcroppings of rock that stood high above a distance of more rolling hills that seemed to go on forever. And miles and miles away was the ocean, blue and striking as the sun was rising above it.

"Theta, this… this is…"

"Do you like it?"

"Of course I do. It's breathtaking. Where… Where are we?"

"Scotland, 956. This is the Quiraing in the Isle of Skye. It's almost entirely uninhabited." He turned me so I was facing the long strip of land and pointed. "That part is the actual Quiraing and that over there," he said, pointing to our left at the mountains and rock formations, "is known as 'The Prison' in your time."

Tears came to my eyes as I took in the indescribable beauty of the land. I had no words to explain how amazed I was or how thankful I felt. My heart was racing wildly as I turned around in circles to take in the landscape. The breeze was whipping through my air and whistling in my ears. It made me feel free and alive like nothing had before.

Wordlessly, I turned back to the Doctor with the biggest grin on my face. He smiled fondly back at me and stepped forward a few paces so we were standing next to each other again. He slowly reached for my hand and let our fingers intertwine.

"So… you're okay with this? It's not too much?"

"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "How many girls can say they not only time travelled for their first date, but they went to Scotland and had a picnic in the middle of the highlands?"

"Not many, I should think."

"Can we sit?" I blurted, bobbing excitedly on my toes.

The Doctor chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

He released my hand and held his arm out so I could wrap my hand around it. He walked me over to the blanket that had been prepared and helped me sit comfortably. I bent my right leg at the knee and extended my left leg, then placed a pillow underneath it since it was feeling a little sore from the fight with the mummies.

"Is your knee bothering you?" the Doctor asked as he sat down.

I shrugged. "It's just a little sore. You said it wasn't that bad yourself."

"I know, but I can get you something for the pain if it starts to get worse-"

"Doctor, I'm fine. Really. Let's just enjoy ourselves, okay?"

He nodded and began pulling food out of the basket. "No mummies this time, as promised," he teased.

"I hope not." I leaned forward to see what else was in the basket. "I'm curious. What did you bring?"

"Your favorite foods."

I raised an eyebrow in questioning. "Italian food in the middle of Scotland?"

"It isn't my fault that your tastes in food and locations are so vastly different," the Doctor replied with a smirk.

"Is that lasagna?" I asked, rubbing a hand over my stomach in anticipation.

The Doctor glanced at me and continued pulling food out of the basket. "Careful, dear. You're drooling," he replied dryly.

I playfully smacked his hand. "Am not. I just appreciate food. By the way, how did you get all this ready in the short amount of time I was gone?"

"The TARDIS can cook too, you know."

After we had finished eating, I lay on my back and stared up at the sky. The Doctor pushed a pillow under my head and then placed another under his as he lay down beside me. I scooted closer to him and let my head roll slightly to the side so our temples touched.

"That cloud looks like a dragon," I said as I pointed at the cloud.

"Which one?"

"That one." I pushed my head closer to his so he could see where I was looking and pointed again. "See? This is the head, aaand that's the tail right there, and those weird triangle shaped clouds are its wings."

"Diana, that is not a dragon."

"Oh, and you've seen lots of dragons in your time I suppose?" I teased.

"No, but that's clearly not a dragon. It's a turkey."

"A turkey?" I repeated incredulously. "Where on Earth did you get that idea?"

"Those are not wings, but legs."

I turned to stare incredulously at the Time Lord and had to force myself to stop laughing. "Do you think it looks like a cooked turkey?" I asked.

"Of course. See, those clouds there look like the legs, and those right there look like-"

"Like what, the gizzard?"

The Doctor paused and fumbled over his words for a moment. "Maybe," he mumbled.

I playfully bumped his shoulder with mine and smiled reassuringly at him. "I'm just teasing," I said as I turned onto my side. I supported my head with my arm bent beneath my cheek. "It could be a turkey, I think."

He smiled and turned onto his side like I had, bending his arm at an angle so his hand was pressed against the back of his head and he could comfortably look down at me. "So this is… good?" he asked.

I nodded. "Amazing," I corrected with a grin. "I had the best time."

"It's not over yet, though."

"It's not? What else are we doing?"

The Doctor smirked, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "I can't spoil the surprise for you," he scolded, playfully tapping his forefinger against my nose.

"Alright, but can we stay here just a little while longer?" I asked as I rolled onto my back. "I really like it here."

"We can stay as long as you want."

I lay on my back in silence, listening to the wind and the Doctor's breaths and staring up at the clouds. After a few minutes I turned onto my stomach and looked out at the valley below. The Doctor, who had repositioned himself onto his back, turned his head and smiled at me.

"Can we take a picture?" I suddenly blurted.

"What?"

I glanced at the Time Lord and shrugged lightly. "With my phone? I want to have pictures of this so I can look at them later."

"Of course. Whatever you want."

I pushed myself off my stomach and into a sitting position, then pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I opened the camera, then fixed it so the lense was facing me. The Doctor sat up and scooted closer to me so he was in the frame.

"Here let me-"

"No, I got it," I answered. "I want us both in the picture."

The Doctor raised one hand and grabbed the left side of the phone, leveling it so the ocean and part of the valley was visible behind us. I leaned against his shoulder and let my head rest lightly against his. I took a few pictures in case one turned out bad, but one of my fingers slipped on the last picture and the phone almost fell out of my hand. The Doctor and I fumbled to catch it, which resulted in us accidentally taking another picture.

"Oops, sorry."

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "Let's look at them," he suggested, ignoring my awkward apology.

I flipped through the pictures and we both laughed at the last one taken, which was a fuzzy shot of green and tan colored blurs and part of our fingers. We could just make out the expressions on our faces and we looked so panic stricken that I decided to keep the picture for future laughs.

"I like this one," the Doctor said when he pointed at the second picture.

"You do?"

"Mm."

"The colors are just a little brighter in the other one, though," I replied. "See? The green looks really stunning here."

The Doctor swiped back to the picture he liked and smiled. "Yes, but you can see our faces much better in this one. And the colors aren't that bad in this one either."

"Yeah, I guess so. And you can't see your celery here," I teased.

"My celery is perfectly fine."

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. I happen to like your celery, but it's still fun to tease you about your decorative vegetable."

The Doctor sighed dramatically and lay on his back, crossing his arms over his chest and pretending to be offended. I quickly went back to the camera, switched the direction of the lense, and snapped a picture of him pouting with the basket and pillows by his head.

"Very mature," I commented as I slid onto my stomach beside him. "But that's okay. I can just enjoy the rest of the date on my own."

I let the Doctor continue to pout and decided to take some more pictures. I took a few of the view of the valley and ocean at varying angles, some with the sun and some without. Then I turned and snapped another picture of the Doctor with the Quiraing and mountains behind him before he could notice.

"Come on," I urged as I scrambled to my feet. "Let's walk around a little. I want some more pictures."

I didn't wait for him to reply and ran off before he could stop me. I stopped as I passed the TARDIS and took a few shots of the ship with the mountains in the background. Then I hurried on and headed for the Quiraing.

"Diana, wait!"

"Come on!" I shouted over the wind.

I ran out onto the Quiraing and walked towards the edge, gazing in admiration at the valley and the lakes far below. The wind had grown stronger during our picnic and was now tearing at my hair and clothes. The Doctor ran up behind me and grabbed hold of my hand.

"Careful! It's easy to fall up here. The grass can be slippery."

I spared a glance over the edge of the land and shivered when I saw how far the fall was. "Lovely," I grumbled.

"I just want you to be cautious."

"Oh, no worries. I'm not exactly up for a free fall down to the bottom."

The Doctor intertwined our fingers and smiled at me. "I wouldn't let that happen," he assured me.

We walked forward a few more paces and stopped a few yards short of the edge of the Quiraing. Pulling my phone out again, I took another few photos of the view and then a beautiful panorama shot of the entire valley, as well as the mountains on either side. The Doctor playfully snatched the phone out of my hands and took a few pictures of me, mid laugh with the mountains standing dramatically in the distance.

Once I got my phone back, I stuffed it in the back pocket of my jeans. I grabbed the Doctor's hand and rested my head on his shoulder as I gazed out at the valley. "I wonder what it would be like to stargaze here," I wondered.

The Doctor looked down at me. "Hm?"

I shrugged. "There's no city lights and no air pollution, so just imagine what it would be like to stargaze here. It'd be amazing." I sighed and thought back to one of my favorite childhood memories. "I went to the mountains with my mom and grandma once and we drove to this grove of trees and turned off the lights and when we looked up, we couldn't tell any of the constellations apart because there were so many stars."

The Doctor suddenly jumped to the side and my head fell from his shoulder, making me stumble towards him in surprise. "Come on," he said quickly as he turned towards the TARDIS.

"Wait, what?"

"Come on."

"What? Where are we going?" I asked as he started to run towards the ship while dragging me after him.

"I'm going to take you stargazing."

"What, now? We're just gonna leave?"

"Yes, come on!"

He raced over to the TARDIS and released my hand to grab the key from his pocket. He had just opened the doors and pushed me inside when I turned and stopped him.

"Doctor, wait!" I laughed, pushing against his chest.

"Diana, move!"

"What about our things?"

That made him stop. "What?"

"The basket, the blanket, the rest of the food?"

"Oh! Oh, right." He turned around and ran out to our picnic area, frantically grabbing the food and dishes and shoving them into the basket. Then he ran back to the ship and pushed the basket into my arms. "Alright, I'll get the blanket and pillows, you type in the coordinates."

"What? Doctor, just wait a sec-"

"The coordinates are 0-00-30 by 084, Planet Earth, year 300."

"Okay, okay. Um, 0-00-30 by…?"

"084, year 300! Now hurry!"

I raced to the console and set the basket underneath it, then rushed over to the scanner, all the while repeating the numbers under my breath. I typed the numbers and year in exactly as the Doctor had said them, then pressed enter. The scanner when blank for a moment, processing the information, then light up again. It showed the planet with the coordinates and year typed out just above it.

The Doctor rushed back inside with his arms overflowing with pillows and the blanket slung over his shoulder. He tossed them all onto the floor and ran over to the console. He checked the coordinates, added a few numbers, then grabbed my hand and tugged me over to the dematerialization lever.

"Pull on this."

"Did you grab everything?" I asked.

"Just do it."

I shook my head and pulled the lever down, making the ship groan as the time rotor began to move up and down. The Doctor then ran back to the scanner and checked it again. I walked over to look, but he stepped in front of me and braced himself against the console.

"No peeking. It's a surprise."

"I know it's on Earth."

"Yes, and I'm not telling you anything else until we get there."

The ship materialized moments later with a long groan and the Doctor jumped around the console in excitement. He walked over to the switch for the doors and let his hand hover over it.

"We've arrived precisely at sunset so when we step outside, we'll be able to watch the sun go down and then… Voila! Stargazing! Now come on!"

He opened the doors, grasped my wrist, and pulled me out of the ship after him. We stumbled outside and I was instantly taken aback. I was in awe at the beautiful sight before us, but I was still confused because I could tell that we had definitely left Scotland.

"Um, Doctor, where are we?"

"Hawai'i, why?"

"Hawai'i? I thought we were staying in Scotland."

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, well the thing is that this exact spot is the best place on the entire planet to stargaze."

"Hawai'i?"

"Specifically, Mauna Kea."

I immediately noted how high up we were. "It's a mountain?"

"Volcano."

"A volcano? Doctor-"

"Don't worry, it's dormant. It has been for at least two thousand years now." He grinned and tugged me forward a few steps. "This is one of the most sacred places in ancient Hawai'ians. On fact, we're far enough back that you and I are the first to step foot on this volcano. No one else will come here for a few hundred years."

Just in front of us was the setting sun, casting orange and pink colors across the sky. I turned around and looked across the sky to the east where the beginning of night was stretching towards the sun. Already, countless stars had started to appear on the darkened horizon and were sprinkled across the sky.

"Theta, look at all those stars," I breathed.

"Just wait until the sun sets completely."

I turned back to the sunset and watched as it slowly began to sink below the horizon. Twilight fell, the pink and orange hues cast by the sun fading to just the low western sky. As more light began to fade, more stars appeared one by one until finally the entire sky was filled with stars.

"Doctor, look at all these stars!" I breathed, pointing at the sky in awe. "There's so many! I-I can't believe it."

"Wait here."

"Where are you going?" I asked, turning to face him as he started to step away.

He smiled and gestured to the TARDIS. "I'm getting the blanket."

"Why?"

"So we can lie down and at look at the stars."

I looked back up at the sky and exhaled softly. Out of curiosity I raised my hand to eye level and was amazed at how much light there was. The stars were shining so brightly that I could see my entire hand without any trouble at all.

"Wow."

"What is it?"

I jumped slightly, not hearing the Doctor when he exited the TARDIS again. "The stars," I explained. "They're so bright that I can see my hand."

"I know."

I turned and saw the Doctor spreading out the blanket from our picnic on the floor. I walked over and helped him even out a few wrinkles, then stepped back a little. He then sat down on the blanket and scooted over so he was almost in the middle. Then he patted the area beside him and I hurried over to sit next to him.

"Lie back," he instructed as he shrugged his coat off and folded it next to him. "And give me your phone."

"Why do you need my phone?"

"I'll show you."

I handed him the device and lay on my back, watching him as he started looking through the phone. He settled onto his back and held the phone above his face. I turned onto my side and tried to see what he was doing, but he kept shooing me away.

"Just a moment," he mumbled. "Ah, here it is!"

"What?"

He tilted the screen so I could see it easier, showing me what he had found on my phone. "It's a program I've designed for your phone- this one is from me, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now I've been planning and modifying this program for a few years now, but the finished item is obviously perfect."

"What is it and why haven't I seen it on my phone before?"

"This program only activates with a special code and, you will love this, it's a map of the universe."

"Seriously?"

"Yes! All the documented planets, stars, and galaxies in the known universe are listed in this program. Now what you do is enter your location, hold the phone up to the area of sky you're looking at, and it will show you constellations and star names and anything else you might want to know."

He handed me the phone and I followed his instructions. A moment after I held the phone up, a dozen different things popped up on the screen. I pressed the button that read "Major Constellations" and gasped in excitement when the stars on the screen were traced over with the outlines of constellations and accompanied with their names.

"Oh my gosh!" I squeaked.

"Just press on one of them," he recommended.

I pressed on the constellation of Scorpius and another list popped up, giving me options to read about varying Earth myths about the constellation as well as star names and their locations in the universe.

"This is incredible. You actually made this?"

"Yes. I know you have a fascination with stars and I thought that maybe this would help you if you wanted to learn more."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck. "Thank you so much! I-I don't know what else to say!"

The Doctor chuckled and pressed a kiss to the crown of my head. "I'm just pleased that you like it so much," he admitted.

I spent the next hour figuring out how to navigate the app, alternating between looking at the sky and looking at my phone to learn more about them. Sometimes the Doctor would tell me a story about a specific planet or star that he knew of when it appeared on my phone. He described alien species and their home world that orbited around this sun or was located in that pocket of the galaxy.

"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," I told the Time Lord as I gazed up at the sky.

"You liked it?" he whispered.

"Like it? Theta, there are so many stars out that I can see the TARDIS and the edge of the volcano. The Milky Way is on display right in the middle of the sky and you have to ask if I like it?" I turned onto my side to face him and rested a hand on his cheek. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

Slowly and carefully, I leaned forward until our lips touched. He froze, but I continued to kiss him. After a few moments, the Doctor let his hands move to my waist and settle there. I let my hand fall to his chest and rest above one of his hearts, where I could feel it beating. The sensation made the flurry of butterflies grow stronger and I felt my own heart begin to race.

When we pulled apart, I could tell my cheeks were flushed and I felt a surge of relief when I noticed that the Doctor's cheeks were a shade darker as well. I smiled up at him and chewed nervously on my bottom lip. We stared at each other in awkward silence until I finally let out a giggle.

"I'm sorry. Was that-"

"No, it was fine. Er, I meant good."

With a hint of a smile on his lips, the Doctor lifted one hand off my waist and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. I smiled and let my head fall so it rested against his chest just beneath his chin.

"Thank you," I whispered. "I've had to most wonderful time today."

"It wasn't too much for our first date?"

I shook my head and laughed. "It was perfect, Theta."

I closed my eyes and curled up against him, letting the sound of his heartsbeat and the warmth of his touch relax me. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was strangely comforting and I snuggled even closer to him as I slipped into unconsciousness. I felt safe and happy and at home in the Doctor's embrace.

A/N: Send me a review and let me know what you thought of their first 'official' date! I hope you enjoyed.