"I mean… I just…" The Doctor let out a frustrated sigh and peered sideways around the TARDIS console at Bill. "Are we sure we can trust them?"

"Of course we can," Bill said, rolling her eyes. "They're my friends. How come trusted them when I was going to live with them, but you don't trust me going on a week's holiday with them?"

"One of those things is in town," Nardole said to Bill in a low voice as the Doctor huffed and continued fiddling with the buttons. "And one of those things isn't."

Bill looked at him, confused. Nardole just shrugged and took a step back. Bill considered it for a moment, but eventually just shrugged too and returned to looking at the reflection of herself in the scanner.

The Doctor appeared at her shoulder and she looked from the reflection to the man.

"What?"

The Doctor just raised his eyebrows and held out his hand.

"What?" Bill repeated.

"Glasses."

Bill automatically raised a hand to the black Rayban sunglasses that she had been admiring in the mirror. She lifted them and set them on the top of her head.

"They're not yours," she stated simply.

The Doctor frowned. His hand reached into the inside pocket of his coat. His expression changed from one of frustration to surprise as he felt his sonic sunglasses safely in their place.

Still, Bill slid her own sunglasses from her face and eyed him suspiciously.

"What's wrong with you? You seem grumpier than usual."

"Oh, he's usually like this," Nardole muttered from somewhere above them near the bookshelves. "He just likes you."

The Doctor shot Nardole a dangerous look and a smile spread over Bill's face as the Doctor's behavior suddenly made sense.

"Doctor," she smiled. "Are you going to miss me while I'm gone?"

The Doctor continued to fiddle with the TARDIS, not saying anything, though he could feel the heat of Bill's grin and Nardole's silent judgement. He turned for the TARDIS doors, but entering his office did nothing to alleviate this as Bill and Nardole just followed him out.

"You are, aren't you?" Bill asked, unable to hide her excitement. "Just admit it. While I'm away, you're going to miss me."

"I don't think it's me that you should worry about," the Doctor muttered as he began to fiddle with things in his office instead of the TARDIS, avoiding eye contact as he did so. "I think you should worry about Nardole."

Bill's brow furrowed. She turned to glance at Nardole, who looked just as confused as she did.

"Nardole?" Bill queried. "What… you think he's gonna miss me?"

"No," the Doctor answered. "I think while you're gone there's a good chance I'm going to kill him."

"You do realize I'm standing right here, don't you, sir?"

The Doctor whipped around, raising a threatening finger at his assistant.

"Yes, I do, so consider yourself warned."

As he turned back at whatever he was messing with, the Doctor looked right at Bill. Her confusion was gone and she had returned to grinning broadly.

"Awww, that's so cute! You're gonna miss me!" she exclaimed happily. But upon seeing him fidget out of nervousness instead of regular fidgetiness changed her tone to a softer, more reassuring one. "Doctor, it's just a week. I'll only be gone a week.. So, you know, no tears, no anxieties."

He blinked.

"What?"

"You know… Like, 'don't cry, don't worry'? 'No tears, no anxieties'," Bill said with shrug. But at the Doctor's continued stare, she grew concerned. "What's wrong? Should I have not said that?"

"No, it's just… Nothing. Just sounds… Well, sounds like something I would say. Or, well, I have said."

The Doctor's voice faded. Bill watched him carefully for a moment. He said nothing seemed to be lost in thought. And when he spoke, though he was looking her right in the eye, it felt like he wasn't look at her but looking through her.

"Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I'm not mistaken in mine."

She watched him for a moment, waiting for him to look, really look, at her, but he seemed stuck in the memory. So, Bill looked at Nardole.

"Those… those words weren't for me were they?" Bill asked quietly.

"It's not the first time he's said goodbye to a granddaughter," Nardole muttered, though it wasn't his usual mutter.

Typically, his muttering was more grumbling than muttering, but this time, it just sounded… sad.

"Doctor, I'm coming back," Bill repeated, her voice more serious. "I promise. I'll only be gone a week."

At her words, the Doctor blinked again and seemed to come out of the memory.

"What? Yes, yes. I know," he said, nodding.

He gave her his most convincing smile. She did not look at all convinced and only broke eye contact when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

As she pulled it out and read the message, the Doctor leaned back against his desk. Nardole, knowing better than try to comfort the Doctor himself, just took a place next to him.

"That was my Uber driver," she informed them as she slid the phone back in her pocket. "Should be here soon."

"You know," the Doctor began, doing his best to sound lighter than he felt. "I could just give you all a lift you know. You'd be there in less than five minutes."

"Yeah, but we'd probably also be like seventy years in the past."

"Or future," Nardole added, earning him a smile from Bill and a scowl from the Doctor.

Bill went back into the TARDIS and returned a minute later with her bags slung over her shoulder.

"Okay you," Bill said, looking at the Doctor. "While I'm gone, you've got things to do."

"Do I?" The Doctor asked, amused.

"Same thing you do every day," she said, ticking the list off on her fingers. "Guard the vault, don't leave Earth, and don't kill Nardole."

The Doctor sighed dramatically, his eyebrows so theatrical that Bill couldn't help but laugh.

"I promise to do some of those things."

"Don't kill Nardole," Bill repeated, pointing a finger at the Doctor.

"Yeah, sir. You should listen to her," Nardole chimed in happily.

"And you," Bill said, looking at him, finger still raised. "Don't provoke him."

"Provoke him?" Nardole scoffed. "I don't provoke him-"

"Uh, yeah, you do," Bill said in her how-thick-can-you-possibly-be? voice.

Her phone buzzed again and she checked it, ignoring Nardole's grumbles.

"He's outside," Bill read aloud. She looked up at the Doctor. "Guess I've gotta go then."

Then, without warning, she wrapped the Doctor in a huge hug and squeezed tight. She couldn't help but wonder if he was always this awkward when receiving hugs, or just when he was caught off guard.

She released him, chuckling at his obvious surprise.

"Alright," she said, adjusting her bags on her shoulder. "You kids be good."

Bill then gave them another stern look and then smirked again. She turned on her heel and began to make her way out towards the door."

"I'll see you later," she called, waving behind her. "Love you!"

Bill was halfway down the hallway before she realized what she had said, turned around, and walked swiftly back to the office.

The Doctor and Nardole both wore looks of the utmost surprise, thought admittedly, Nardole was a bit closer to shock than surprise. His eyes kept flitting between Bill and the Doctor, his mouth a bit agape.

"That was weird. I didn't mean to say that," Bill chuckled sheepishly. "It just sorta slipped out… And I think I made it weirder by turning around and pointing out that it was weird."

Her embarrassed smile turned into a grimace. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

"Okay," she said after a moment's pause. "I'll see you in a week and hopefully by then, we'll all forget this happened. Yeah. Bye."

Bill spun on her heel again and rushed back out the door.

"Wait, wait. Bill..." she heard the Doctor call. "One more thing."

Bill froze where she stood. Eyes squeezed shut, she slowly spun back towards the open office door.

"Yeah?" she asked cautiously.

But to her surprise, the Doctor was smiling softly.

"Love you too."

Bill's lungs released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She smiled again. As soon as she did, he raised an eyebrow and a playfully stern finger.

"Be good. Make good choices. Don't spend all your pocket money on sweets," he ordered in his best parent voice. "Eat your vegetables. Be kind to people you meet. Oh, and don't talk to strangers!"

Bill chuckled again, shaking her head as she turned back towards the continued to call directions after her all the way until she entered the stairwell and disappeared from sight.

The Doctor sighed, his gaze lingering on the place where the corridor met the stairwell. But even as he sighed, he continued to smile.

But, of course, leave it to Nardole to ruin the moment.

"You do realize she's not really your granddaughter, right, sir?"

The Doctor's smile vanished immediately and was replaced with a scowl.

"Yes, I know that," he snapped. "Why?"

"Just reminding you because I know how you get attached," Nardole shrugged. "Everything has to come to an end eventually, and I just want-"

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that?" the Doctor huffed. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Nardole."

Now, it was Nardole's turn to scowl.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" he scoffed. "I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous of Bill?"

"Because," the Doctor said, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "I didn't say I loved you too."

And with that, the Doctor stood up from his place leaning against his desk and started back to the TARDIS.

"Why would I care about that?" Nardole grumbled. He crossed his arms. "I don't care about that. I'd never be jealous about that. I don't need... I could kick your arse, you know. I've got permission."

"Are you coming, Nardole?" the Doctor shouted from within the console room, his voice slightly muffled through the closed doors of the TARDIS.

Nardole continued to glower at nothing for a moment before letting out a deep, frustrated sigh.

"Yes, sir."

He huffed once more and than turned towards the TARDIS. But the moment Nardole reached to open the doors, one of the doors opened and the Doctor poked his head out. His expression was stony.

"I love you too, Nardole."

As soon as he had said it, the Doctor pulled his head back in and shut the door.

Nardole grumbled something unintelligible for a moment, before whispering so low that not even the scanner inside the TARDIS could pick him up one little sentence that he would definitely deny saying if it ever came to that.

"I love you too, sir."

Just a little bit of family fluff this chapter! I know that's mostly what this whole thing is anyways, but I think this chapter was a little fluffier than usual :)

I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, and I can say right now that it's going to be one of the longer chapters and a bit more of a character study/reflection than the others. We'll still have some granddad/ granddaughter bonding time, but it'll be a little bit more focused on Twelve than their relationship. I think (read: hope) you'll still like it though. Some old friends are going to be featured. Some old Victorian friends...

As always, thank you for all your kudos and comments! I have every email notification from AO3 saved in my inbox. Thank you so much for your kind words and reviews! It really spurs me onwards, I promise. Thank you so much!

And since I didn't say it last time... Happy New Year!