It was a beautiful Spring Day, and the Doctor was wandering the streets of a small village in England. The village was holding some kind of outdoor shop, with villagers selling items from little stalls outside their homes. It was delightfully human, and the Doctor was having a great time perusing the items. He did love a little shop. He made his way towards a small stall, seemingly unmanned except for an elderly lady who was clearly asleep. The table held several cardboard boxes, one full of children's items. The Doctor lifted a very tatty looking stuffed bear from the box. It was black or had been at one time or another. The colour had faded, and the bear was missing an ear and an eye. He clearly had been through the wars, this bear.
"His name is Shadow." A small voice said quietly. The Doctor grinned to himself, as he knelt to peer under the table. Sure enough, there was a very young girl, with her knees pulled to her chest, looking very forlorn. "Hello! Shadow here seems like he needs a bit of a make-over. Would you like me to make him new again?" The little girl looked up at him, curiosity lighting up her previously glum expression. She tilted her head to one side as the Doctor sat on the grass and lifted his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. Aware of the girl watching his every movement, he touched the bear with the device, and pure, inky black spread out across the fur of the bear. Within seconds, the bear was shiny and black again. He grinned again at the tiny gasp from the little girl, and he handed her the bear as they both stood. "You forgot the ear and the eye." A croak came from the direction of the chair, and the Doctor was startled to find the old lady staring at him.
"Can you really make him grow a new ear and a new eye?" The girl was mesmerised by the Doctor, as everyone should be quite honestly, he thought. He was a genius after all. Tearing his eyes from the old woman, he touched the bear with the screwdriver again, and out popped a bright new eye, and matching ear. The little girl squealed with delight, shouting thank you over and over again, and hugging the bear fiercely. She ran to the old lady, holding the bear out to her. "Look, Nana! The man fixed Shadow for you! Now he can be magic again!" Nana still had not taken her eyes off of the Doctor, and now he met her gaze. "I suppose I should thank you, Mr?" Her croak trailed off, as she waited for his name. "My name is the Doctor, and you are very welcome." "Are you really a doctor? Is that how you fixed Nana's bear? My name is Charlotte, but you can call me Lottie!" The little girl was brightly skipping around the garden, swinging the bear back and forth. The Doctor smiled again. Humans were so endearing, especially the small ones.
"Who are you really, Doctor? What are you really? Because you look like a man, but my soul tells me you're not. Your eyes… you've seen too much to truly be so young." The old woman was still staring at him, and the Doctor began to feel unnerved. Avoiding the question, he chose to continue pawing through the boxes on the table. The woman did not speak again, but he could feel her eyes on him, searching him. How could she know he was not human? Was she too an alien, disguised as an old woman? He hoped whatever it was, it bore no malevolence to the Earth. He did not want to have to fight Lottie's 'Nana'. The small child was sitting with the creature again, singing with it. He could not bring himself to think of it as an old woman anymore. Only other species outside of Earth recognised him for being un-human. Suspicions as to what race the creature might be swirled through his mind as he absentmindedly searched the boxes.
Deep in thought, the Doctor's fingers gently brushed against something metal, and his fingers began to tingle. Instinctively, he wrapped his hand around the cool, circular metal, and lifted it from the box. It felt like… but it couldn't be. It was impossible. Truly, completely impossible. He was almost afraid to open his fingers. "What have you found Mr Doctor?" Lottie's voice sang out from her place next to the creature. There was no doubt now that the creature was evil. It must be to have such an item. He very slowly uncurled his fingers from the object and stared in horror at the pocket watch lying on his open palm. "Are you alright? You have gone frightfully pale." The Doctor's eyes were cold as he looked up at the creature, which was doing a good job of pretending to be concerned.
"Tea! Tea makes everything better!" sang Lottie, who quickly ran to the Doctor, took him by the hand and led him inside the small house. His other hand clutched at the pocket watch. A Time Lord device. How could this creature have a Time Lord device? Shaking his head slightly, he forced himself to stay focussed. He would need to be alert around this creature, which had hobbled after them into the house. Lottie went running into the kitchen, speaking to someone the Doctor couldn't see. "My son, Daniel. He will bring in some sweet tea. Get some colour back in those cheeks." The Doctor glared at the thing. "What are you?" He hissed between gritted teeth. Confusion clouded the grey eyes, and the creature coughed a little as it shifted in the chair. "How did you get this?" He shook the watch violently, still glaring.
The silence was beginning to make him angry. He did not want to get angry, not with humans around. "I have had that watch my whole life. I have no idea where it came from. No one else seems to notice it. It does not even open." Forgetting to glare for a moment, the Doctor paused. He had heard similar words before, uttered by the Master before he became the Master. It could not be possible. It simply couldn't. The Time Lords were dead. Every single last one, except for him.
Yet, a small bud of hope formed in his hearts.
"Can you open it, Doctor?" The croak had become a whisper now. This being had known him to not be human instantly. Time Lords always recognised each other. Always. The Doctor took a closer look at the creature. His attention was drawn to the eyes. So young and yet so old at the same time. He made a split-second decision. Fingers trembling, the Doctor once again gripped his sonic screwdriver, and very gently moved the tip along the edges of the pocket watch. He was once again reminded of the last time he had done this, and the chaos that had been unleashed. When finished, he silently handed the watch to the creature. Its breathing had become shallow, as though it was scared but eager at the same time. The Doctor could feel his own breath stop as the creature opened up the watch.
Bright, swirling light floated gently from the surface of the watch, and the creature breathed it in. The Doctor could not move. This should not, could not be happening. He watched with an expression of both horror and hope as the creature breathed in all of the light. The watch fell, empty and dull. The Doctor raised his eyes to meet the gaze of the creature, and without warning, that swirling light erupted from inside the creature's body. The glow burst out of every pore, and the Doctor cast his gaze to the ground, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he became suddenly emotional. It was regenerating. The creature was regenerating.
No.
Not creature.
Time Lord.
"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" A crash accompanied the male voice, and the Doctor looked up to see Lottie holding the hand of a tall man, spilt tea making a puddle around his feet. They shared the same blue-grey gaze that the old woman had, but their hair was darker. It suddenly struck the doctor that the woman had called this man her son. She had a son, and a granddaughter. Humans, just like she was before opening the watch to her true self. Lottie was hiding behind her father now, eyes wide and scared. Her fear reminded him that this small child was watching her grandmother change right in front of her.
"I think I have some explaining to do." The Doctor muttered to himself.
