A/N: Most of this information comes from classic Who and the episode The Five Doctors. This is a short chapter and I could have continued but I just couldn't. You'll understand when you read on. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please R/R
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Chapter Fifteen: We Really Should Stop Meeting this Way
The Doctor looked around the room. It was a vast room with what looked like a computerized machine of some massive shape and design. "No it can't be…"
"Can't be what, Doctor?" Martha said curiously.
"I thought this thing burned with the rest of Gallifrey."
"What burned?"
"The Time Scoop, see in the Dark Times, my people were still experimenting with Time travel. With the Time Scoop they were able to snatch people or things out of various times and bring them onto Gallifrey."
The Doctor still had his glasses on and he said, "Although it looks like a few alterations have been made to it, since I last saw it."
"Last saw it. You mean you used it?"
"NO…Martha Jones. It was used on me. See before the Time War, the Lord President Borusa, used it on me and various companions I traveled with beforehand."
"Why?"
"Well he was one of my teachers for one, so he kind of knew what I was capable of. The other thing was he wanted the secret of immortality. I kind of had very little choice in the whole matter; Borusa was…well he was kind of persuasive as Lord President."
"Immortality….wow….you mean the Time Lords had that power. I…wish…"
"Now get that idea out of your head, Martha Jones. Immortality isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It's more of a curse, than anything. Being a Time Lord is a curse enough."
"But I thought you like being a Time Lord."
The Doctor sighed, "I do, Martha Jones. But my people, we live such a very long time. You humans, you live such a brief span of years."
"When you're talking about brief span of years, how long can your people live?"
The Doctor sighed, "Over ten thousand years, sometimes a bit longer."
"Whoa….and how old are you now?"
"Almost a thousand years old."
"You're kidding me."
"No, I am not. It's kind of hard being a Time Lord when all of the humans I know…." The Doctor sighed, he couldn't finish the sentence, but he managed to say, "All things have their time, Martha Jones. Whether you live to be eighty seven or live to be a thousand and eighty seven. Immortality is not a blessing but a curse. My people knew that, Martha Jones. Even the great Rassilon, the most revered Time Lord in all my people's history knew that, and he held the secret of immortality, or that's what Borusa thought. Anyway, I had to solve the puzzle and Borusa got his immortality, he was turned into a statue, a living statue. See stone has a habit of being known to last the ages, and that's immortality for you."
Martha nodded and then said, "Doctor if this thing was suppose to be destroyed when your home was destroyed. What's it doing here?"
"I don't know. That's what I'd like to know."
He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair; he walked around thinking over the situation. He then grinned; he found his clothes, in a nearby pile on a chair. Finally, he could take off these ridiculous Gallifreyan based robes. Martha was right about that, those robes made him look like a priest or a monk.
"Martha, I found my clothes, I need to change, would you mind stepping out for a bit."
Martha feigned disappointment, "You mean I can't watch." Martha then added a slight joke, "I am a med student, Doctor. It's not like it has been the first time I have seen anatomy before."
"Very funny, Martha, now go join Ry'kla for some biscuits and tea."
Martha gave a smile at the Doctor and stepped out of the room.
The Doctor proceeded to change. Finally, he would be back into his old familiar brown pinstripes and converse trainers. He thought about how he changed out of the pajamas and into his brown suit, the first time around. He always meant to tell his companions about regeneration, but he never got around to doing it and then his companions freaked out after it happened. Poor Rose, she had called him a Slitheen. At the time, he had been annoyed to be called a Slitheen. But now that he thought about it, it was kind of funny. Rose didn't know about regeneration. So she tried her best to work her mind around what happened. He thought about Martha, she was a brilliant woman. And the way he kept skimming over death lately, maybe he really ought to tell her about regeneration, because it might be better to give Martha an idea of what might happen if….nah….why tempt fate. If he told her about it then he might jinx himself. He had already regenerated as many times as there were fingers on both his hands. He only had three more left. He decided he wouldn't, but then again…. It might not be a bad idea to give Martha a heads up. He kept debating whether or not to tell her.
He was just about to put on his trousers when he heard a ding. He frowned. His eyes turned towards a lift. What's a lift doing in here? He thought. The lift doors opened and out came Ms. Lai. Her hair was bedraggled and her clothing was all askew. She smiled as she saw the Doctor with nothing on, yet again.
"Really Doctor, we really should stop meeting this way."