The Doctor looked around the TARDIS, they had just left Spiridon and were in the vortex.
Jo yawned, "Sorry Doctor," she said yawning again!
The Doctor smiled, "Yes my dear, it's been a tiring few days!"
Jo smiled, "You can say that again Doctor, well good night!"
"Good night Jo!"
She left to go to the room she had claimed for herself!
The Doctor sat down and started working on the Chameleon circuit that he never seemed to be able to repair!
Several hours later he looked at his watch, 2 am. He stretched and stood up wondering if the Brigadier was still working in his office. It would be nice to discuss the last few days with Alistair over a glass of Whisky! It would also ensure Alistair didn't just work through until morning!
As he turned around he realised he was in the TARDIS and not back at UNIT HQ!
Suddenly he felt bereft! He rubbed a hand over his face and frowned puzzled! For five years he had been desperate to get his freedom and now he had it he wanted to be back at UNIT. More importantly he wanted to be sat with his friend chatting over the day!
Oh he'd always had companions, people he shared his adventures with. Young people in the main who he could show the miracles of the universe. He supposed the closest of them to being a friend was Jamie. What made Jamie different? He thought about that long and hard. Well, Jamie used to challenge him. Question his judgment, do things that friends do. Most of his companions he had a favourite teacher type relationship with. But not Jamie and Jamie had stayed the longest. Most eventually just wanted to go home and settle down. He thought about it, but would Jamie had stayed friends if they had been trapped on Earth? Yes, he probably would!
He then thought about his friends at UNIT, Liz had been more then a companion, she was a friend, a fellow scientist. Limited by being human but far more intelligent then anyone else he had ever met. No he had not been able to pressure Liz into doing anything and she had soon tired of his condescending ways. He had tried but he often forgot Liz was well too good just to be handing him test tubes!
Sargent Benton was a great guy and probably made the best coffee this side of the galaxy. But he too was like so many of his companions, he saw the Doctor as a sort of wizard who could solve every problem. The Doctor thought if he had offered, Benton would probably join him in his travels.
Mike Yates, like Benton, always so sure that the Doctor knew best! Yes, Mike, would be a good companion. Trusting and loyal.
But in truth it was Alistair he missed the most. With his infuriating sceptical looks, his oft muttered dubious 'Mmms' and the eye rolls. Alistair who would stand toe to toe with him and have a blazing argument. Alistair who would then offer him a drink, or a ride back or even lunch as if the argument hadn't meant anything.
Yates, when tipsy at the office party, had likened UNIT to being a family. John is a big brother to everyone, Jo is the crazy younger sister, Carol Bell is the grown up cousin trying to keep us kids in order, but still willing to tell us dirty jokes, and you, well, you're our crazy Uncle!"
Mike swayed dangerously, the Brigadier who was passing by at the time had put an arm to his elbow!
"I think you need a lift home Mike, finish that pint and I'll drop you off on my way home!" the Brigadier said.
"And the party pooper?" the Doctor asked nodding towards the Brigadier, who was rounding up several others who were the worst for wear and arranging lifts to make sure they got back to base safe.
Mike smiled,
"The Brig, is Dad!" he said with fond certainty. "Outwardly strict, but cares about all his children!" Mike giggled. "But don't tell him I said that!"
The Doctor thought about Mike's analogy! Yes, he'd basically got it right. Especially about Alistair. He had at first thought him uncaring about losing men under his command. But walking in on the man sat at his desk after the battle with the Autons and finding him, utterly exhausted but, determinedly writing condolence letters by hand had convinced him that every man lost mattered and their loss hurt the man deeply! His air of indifference was just a mask. A mask his men saw through even if the Doctor hadn't at first.
So if Alistair was Dad and he was Uncle then that made the Brigadier and him brothers or at least brothers in law! No brothers, he decided.
He poured a glass of Vernusian Brandy, and sat in the easy chair in the Library thinking.
After a moment he pulled out a large leather bound book and flicked through the photographs he had collected over the years. There were a lot of Susan, including some with Barbra and Ian. There was a photo of Ben in his sailors uniform. He smiled remembering his adventures with them all. There was Dodo, Victoria, Zoe, Stephen and Polly. He turned another page, these photos were different these had been taken by Isobel Watkins. A few were of Zoe posing with the feather boa, while wearing her usual black cat suit! He smiled indulgently. The rest were action shots. The Brigadier stood with his men firing at the advancing Cybermen. Alistair with his hand on his second self's back while ordering a bazooka to be fired. Alistair scrambling up the ladder to stop the Cybermen's beam! There was also a photo from Isobel and Jimmy Turners wedding, Isobel had left the photo with Alistair to give to the Doctor if he saw him again.
Then there were his latest set of photos. Liz, Alistair and himself by the Thames, after being called out to a hoax. A series of photos from the UNIT Christmas parties. Even a photo of the two of them drunk, sat in the corner of the lab, the Brig asleep with his head on the Doctor's shoulder the Doctor with his head resting on the Brigs. Jo had taken that and put it up on the notice board, luckily Benton had taken it down and grinning given it to the Doctor before anyone else could see it!
The Doctor closed his album and smiled! So many memories so many people he cared about. Most of them lost to him now.
He had been planning on taking Jo off on another adventure, to carry on travelling like he had always done. Getting up he crossed over to the console. He stood for several minutes, trying to get his thoughts in order. Suddenly he pressed a series of buttons, moved the lever and took the TARDIS out of the vortex.
Alistair heard the sound of the TARDIS landing and a slight smile touched his face. He had been sure the Doctor would return at some point, but he hadn't expected him to be back so soon.
A few minutes later there was a knock on his door and the Doctor stepped in holding a bottle and two glasses.
"About time you called it a day, Alistair! Let me tell you about Spiridon!"
A smile lit up the Brigadier's face.
The Doctor settled down into the chair across the desk from the Brigadier, poured two drinks and crossed his legs. He had the freedom to travel whenever he wanted to, but he thought about how good it was to have the freedom to be able to come home to his friends!