It wasn't supposed to be this way. He was in fact on his last regeneration. To all extent and purposes he should be dead. Buried at Trenzalore. But here he was, taking the first few tentative steps of his fourteenth life.
Was it fourteen?
Grandfather, Hobo, Dandy, Eccentric, Celery boy, clown, the mysterious one, the kind one, War, Moody, Stickman, bow tie.
And then there was that messy business with the botched regeneration.
Yes, fourteenth.
Bow Tie. He used to say something in his previous form.
Bow ties are cool. Yes, that was it. Bow ties are cool.
Were they still cool on him? He didn't know. He didn't even know how he looked now.
He looked up from the TARDIS console tentatively and was faced with a wide eyed looking Clara.
They looked at each other not saying anything.
She's not saying anything, why isn't she saying anything. Is it that bad. he thought.
He didn't say anything, for once speechless.
One lost for words, the other afraid of how the words would sound out of his new mouth.
"How is that possible? I thought you said that you were on your last life" He heard Clara say to him.
"For once Clara I don't have any answers" he replied.
He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes lit up in excitement.
That was him that was his new voice. Wait, he had heard that accent before. It was the same as his dear Amelia and his stalwart friend Jamie had. It was Scottish.
"Scottish, I'm Scottish. I've an accent, an actual accent. I mean sure, I dabbled in using one over the years. But this has happened, it's finally happened." he said excitedly.
"Doctor" Clara said.
"I can't wait to try it out. Get used to the vernacular. Ooh, vernacular, ver-nac-ul-ar. Now there's a word that sounds great with this new voice" he said at breakneck speed.
"Doctor!" Clara exclaimed.
"What? Yes, thanks. Wait, you called me Doctor" he realised.
"Yeah, that IS still your name, isn't it? I mean, just because you regenerated doesn't mean you suddenly decided to change your name. Does it?" Clara replied worried.
"Clara Oswin Oswald, let me tell you something my impossible girl and I want you always to remember this about me. I am now, and will always be The Doctor" he told her.
"Well I have to say that is certainly a departure from your previous selves." Clara observed.
"I didn't want to ask, in fact I was dreading asking. Ok, might as well get this out of the way. Am I ginger?" he asked her.
"Well, no." Clara replied.
He sighed. "Oh well, perhaps I'll get lucky with that one day. Am kind of losing hope on that front to be honest. By the way, what colour is it? It feels shorter that's for sure."
"It's kind of...well." Clara started to say.
"Kind of what?" he asked. A sense of dread starting to build up within him.
"Well, it's kind of brown, there's a little bit of grey there though." Clara told him.
"Grey! Oh no, not again. I look like somebody's granddad" he despaired.
"Oh no, it's not like that at all Doctor. In fact I think you look great. And about the granddad comment, you may have been one in the past. But you sure as hell don't look like one now." Clara told him.
"Oh good" he replied happily however then his brow suddenly furrowed "What do I look like then?"
"Well, I personally think you look like someone's cool Dad." Clara replied with a chuckle.
He found himself chuckling a little. "Well, that sounds ok, I think"
"Well, I think it's about time that you had a look for yourself. Don't you" Clara said as she rushed towards him, grabbing his hand and yanking him to the hallway of the TARDIS.
"Where are we going?' he asked her rather irritated at being pulled and dragged down the corridor of his own ship, a ship that he could swear was laughing at what was going on inside of her at that very moment in time.