Chapter 4: "A Walk in Cardiff"

"Poppy!" The Doctor called. "What did I say about wandering off."

"I dunno." Poppy said from atop a ten foot gray brick wall. She chuckled. "I must've already wandered off before you could tell me not to wander off."

What could he say? She was a human, and The Doctor had given up on humans ever not wandering off. Poppy however was different, she beat all the records. But what was it that made her different? Was it her smile? Her constant laughter and lack of worry? Or was it just the Doctor's loneliness.

"Get down from there! This isn't a playground!" The Doctor commanded, trying to seem angry.

Poppy carefully climbed down the fence, and landed in front of The Doctor.

"We've got serious business here, I mean it. Don't wander off!" He instructed.

"Oh, pooh." Poppy teased. "You aren't very good at pretending to be mad."

He frowned. He was happy he took Poppy on board, but she was a handful sometimes. She teased, then she sympathizes, then she teases again, then she gets angry, and then she teases, and it starts all over again. The Doctor wasn't 100% sure what he had gotten himself into. He wasn't sure if he had just chosen the first person he saw to be his companion, or of there was really something special about her.

But one thing he did know, she was excellent at calling his bluff.

He looked at the ground to attempt to hid his grin. "Okay, alright, Poppy."

She smiled and grabbed his hand. "I won't wander off anymore, okay?"

That was classic Poppy. She'd take his hand, and make a promise, but she'd only hold the promise as long as she held his hand.

"So, let me get this straight." Poppy said as they walked the empty streets while the sun began to set. "You're an alien from outer space, you've got a time machine, and we're walking around present-day Cardiff?"

"Well, yes."

"Why don't we go somewhere interesting? What are we doing here?" She asked.

"The TARDIS needed a re-charge. There's a time rift where we parked her, and she should be good to go in a few days." He explained.

"A few days?! Goodness, what are we going to do for a few days in Cardiff." She complained.

"Time travel's getting to your head, little Poppy." He smiled, tussling the hair on the top of her head. ease flinched, and batted his hand away. "Let me remind you that when I met you, you lived in a city with a population of less than a thousand and read books in the park all day."

Poppy sighed. "Sometimes I miss that."

"You do?"

"Only sometimes." She smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "Only sometimes."

They walked aimlessly, side by side around the darkening streets, with nowhere to go, and nothing to do, and if you caught her at the right time, Poppy might admit she liked it, or even tell you the truth. That she liked it a lot.

A/N: So there's quite a lot of filler chapters. I'm writing ahead (so far I'm on the twelfth chapter) and as far as I can tell, it's probably only going to be about 15 chapters, twenty at max. So maybe I'll write a sequel or something. idk.

Thanks to all my friends, Mushy, Catie, and Kristy for being the the only ones to actually read this story (as far I can tell xD)

Review suckers :P

-Kitty