The Doctor stayed only long enough to watch her fall asleep on the sofa, after which he checked the house was safe and nothing was hiding in the shadows. He had to wonder what a girl was doing living on her own any way. Yeah sure she was self sufficient and independent, but it was Christmas! No one should be alone at Christmas, surely!
The thought irritated him so, even with his past memories of Christmas. He should hate it and dread it and push it away with a 10 ft barge pole, but he couldn't. Something about the very human event, something that made him admire them so, that they could celebrate each other even in the most manic of times. Even when there was a mile wide ship hovering over their houses just hours before, they could still sit round a table and tell jokes.
He felt foolish wondering around her house, he knew perfectly well it was safe. He checked every nook and found nothing, and soon he was rechecking, and after that he was wondering again, and after that he sat on the other sofa and contemplated.
Ask her, his head urged. He pushed the thought away. Of course, he couldn't endanger her like that. As much as it felt right, as much as she felt like the right choice, could he? He'd worked so hard on becoming cautious, keeping them at arms length, making sure neither got too close.
She'd be easy to forget, wouldn't she? He'd only known her two, three hours.
Imagine how you'd feel after a week or two, his mind pondered. He had a point.
No.
All he had to do was ask. What would be the harm?
…
When I awoke, dim light gently filtered into my eyes, tinted red by the drawn curtains. I allowed them to drift open naturally, and stretched away my grogginess as I let the events of yesterday float back to me. The strangeness of it all didn't even effect my sleep; completely dreamless. Well...except for a voice. His voice, unmistakeable as it was.
Join me, Mia, it would say. That was it.
I sat up straight and let the blanket fall, and wondered why it felt heavy, and glanced down to the beige trench coat in my hand.
"Doctor."
Throwing it off and shoving on a jacket, I grabbed it back from the sofa and ran outside. With incredulous relief, the blue police box was still there. Whether the man was inside it was another question.
"Hello?"
The door creaked open and I peered inside nervously. "Must get that sorted," I reminded the unseen man, and lay his coat gently over the near by rail.
"It's on the to do list," his voice said from above, and I looked up to find him crouching on one of the upper floors. I couldn't remember seeing them before.
"For how long now?"
He shrugged and made a thoughtful face. "Since I first got her. Leave her alone! Shes just a bit old.2
I laughed and closed the door behind me. "Why are you up there?"
He bounced back up onto his feet and ruffled his hair. "Looking for an outfit worthy of saving a world. What d'ya think?" He turned round on the spot while I tried to notice what was new.
"The tie!"
He grinned that now familiar true grin and I felt myself blush. He disappeared for a moment, perhaps to check his appearance in the mirror, and then appeared again via fire man's pole at the back of the large room, like the man couldn't get any weirder.
"What's the occasion?" I quizzed.
"Oh you know, save a planet, return a few kids. Usual."
He stayed in place next to the column expectantly, as thought waiting for a reply.
"Cool," I commented nonchalantly, though I was probably trying to delay him. Silence fell soon enough, feeling longer than probable reality. It was broken by his awkward sigh and my breathy laugh as he scratched the back of his head. He truly was adorable.
"Well, I shan't delay you, erm...Merry Christmas." I smiled widely, and turned hastily to make my way out.
"Wait."
I peered round, silently hoping to be asked...something. What it was I wasn't quite sure.
"Well, if you have nothing- erm...if you have no other plans, that is..."
"Go on," I urged with a gentle smile.
"Fancy joining me? Wouldn't be too dangerous; meet a couple of life forms you know... unless you..."
"Which planet?"
He pulled that usual thoughtful expression that changed his whole demenour as he rocked on his converses. "Don't know yet, as I mentioned no one quite knows where the Weeping Angels come from but-"
"What? But wasn't that already...was she mistaken?"
"Oh no! No no no, that happened."
I waited impatiently for an explanation, and folded my arms over myself questioningly.
"This little blue box," he mused mysteriously, "is more than just a get away car. The TARDIS can also travel through time." He sat back on the control panel as he waited for me to be impressed. I was still too in awe for it to register.
"It...travels through...time? You're a..."
"...yep."
"Time Lord! Of course!" I flapped my arms to my sides as realisation hit me, and that...what ever she was...her words made sense. Save worlds once lost...
He smiled down self consciously, and make eye contact, the question still in his brown orbs.
"So I have all the time in the world to consider, I assume?"
"To a degree, of course. It may be dangerous at times..."
"But it's worth it?"
He nodded slowly.
Silently, I exited, adrenaline racing through me as I considered the prospects.
…
He watched the back of her as she left the TARDIS with a sinking feeling, just in case. It would, of course, be truly logical for her to refuse him. More logical than accepting it, any way. Funny how he only doubted when he couldn't see her. It felt like the most right thing in the world while her eyes were in sight, wise and strong as they were.
Yes, she was strong. And it was only fitting for her to start here, just at the beginning of the mystery she discovered first. And the angels seemed to like her, they certainly didn't want to hurt her. To them, her mind was a wonderful place. He was almost jealous that they'd seen that.
He was pondering for a few long minutes, and he was beginning to wonder whether she was returning at all...
I scribbled a quick note to my parents, wherever they were, mentioning only that I was travelling with friends. After that I flung my very full back pack over my shoulder and made way for the blue box, the nonsensical thing I would be travelling around in for I didn't know how long.
Knowing how uncertain my near future was now was exhilarating, if not a little scary. But what is life without a little living?
I creaked open the door again just in time to find his face, filled with relief, as he bounced into a stance and slammed his hands and fingers over a few buttons, and I thought over the chaos I would soon be experiencing as the pulsating, electric noise filled my ears.
"Ready?!" He shouted over the noise. I nodded with as much excitement as was on his own grinning face.
His hand pulled down on a lever, and we were flying.