A/N: Well, here's the one chapter I've longed to do for a while. I don't know if I got the dialogue right still, so if I get a better idea in the long run, I'll update this chapter to make the dialogue more real.

Once again, I start school next Monday, so I'm going to slow down the releasing of my chapters to get you all used to me not posting as often. (Also because this week is crazy busy IRL.)

Thank you all who reviewed, favorited, and followed since I put up the last chapter! You know who you are! :D

Time Lord Coffee

How to apologize to a Time Lord?

Find some weird coffee next to my refill and hope that he liked it, apparently. Leaning over, I dared a whiff of it ….

… and almost fell over a chair as I stumbled away from it. My head swam, like something had turned it thick and unable to think. "Wow." Okay, I wouldn't be drinking that or even holding that near my face any time soon.

Of course Time Lords could handle stronger stuff than simple humans. Why didn't I think of that before smelling it, I had no idea.

Nevertheless, both mugs were made. No going back and no more delaying in the kitchen any longer.

As much of a mental pep-talk I tried to give myself every step I took, I needn't have worried. The Doctor had left the console room. "Well, that's a big let-down," I grumbled. I stood there like an awkward teenager. Where could I put the coffee without risking that it spilled on something important?

Then my eye caught on a feature that hadn't been there before. A new couch/chair, thing, and what I could only call a coffee table between the two. Just what on earth did the TARDIS have in mind? I sighed and shook my head, setting the Doctor's mug on the table. As long as it didn't get in the way of his running around the console, why bother ignoring it?

Burying my face into the steaming vanilla drink, I wandered over to the doors. A curiosity ate at me. Where had the TARDIS taken us? When and where did we pull over? The frosted glass prevented any clear view. Slowly, I took the latch. Would the TARDIS even let me open the door? She had to have some sort of force field to protect any air from escaping. The door gave way quite easily … and once again my breath was stolen away.

The TARDIS hovered in the middle of space. An actual galaxy drifted in front of me, a brilliant array of colors against the vastness of space.

My legs threatened to give out on me from the sight. Following my instincts, I opened the other door and sat on the threshold. Not sticking my face beyond the TARDIS herself, but still right enough on the edge that it gave me a thrill. Why didn't the TARDIS have any windows? I set the mug down on the floor and rummaged in my pocket, pulling out the musical device from Statten's museum. I hadn't been able to resist. I brushed my fingertips over its surface, again drawing out clear notes right from the start.

At least I was good at something.

"Where did you get that?"

I jumped but held onto the device and not making any sour notes. I'd forgotten that he'd sealed himself off from me. My ugly blush resurfaced as I drew my legs in. I didn't look at him. "Where do you think? I couldn't just let Statten get his grubby little fingers all over it."

An uncomfortable silence descended as neither of us said anything for a while. Then a drift of a certain potent beverage made me turn my head. Standing even more awkwardly than I had earlier, the Doctor stared down into the coffee I'd made him. A dark and thoughtful expression dampened his usual intensity.

I couldn't tell if he'd taken a sip or not.

"That I think the TARDIS gave me," I added with a much quieter tone. Putting the device back into my pocket, I managed to get on my feet, my own mug cradled in my hands. "I didn't go peeking, I promise."

Those eyes snapped up to capture mine. Intense yet not frightening enough to make me back down. "You made this? Did you change this room as well?"

I shook my head. "Again, all the TARDIS' idea." I paused then took a fortifying sip of my drink before gathering up the rest of my courage. "Yes, I made it."

"Why?"

"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're thinking," I retorted before I could control myself. My heart pounded its way into my throat. I needed to say it, but what did I say afterwards? Past time to take the plunge and see what splashed up. "I … uh … it's a peace offering … thing. Back on Earth, I kind of screwed things up. I questioned everything you did and even when I thought I was helping to calm things down, I just made it all worse." Shrugging, I glanced down at my toes. "Because of that and everything I said to you, I'd understand if our next stop ended up being my place."

All right. A lot better than I thought I'd do.

A muscle twitched in the Doctor's jaw. "Stop. Whatever you're blaming yourself for, stop it."

"But …."

"You're an empath," he sighed, running a hand over his head. "And you reacted just like any empath would, but it's my fault for getting you in that situation in the first place. I should never have forced you to get in the line of fire like that."

Some of my timidity melted away and I frowned. "Doctor, you're a Time Lord, but that doesn't make you perfect. I'd say it makes you more human, but I don't think you'd appreciate the comparison."

A twitch of his lips gave away some of what was going on in his head. "You're right, I don't." Somehow his words didn't give as much sting as they could have delivered. A better silence followed. Still a bit awkward, but not embarrassing in the least.

"So, tell me the truth, Doctor, am I going home now?" I needed him to say something on that, be it a yes or a no. Not knowing tore at me so much that an answer would have less of an impact.

"Do you want to?"

That I hadn't expected. I stared at him for several moments. "I don't want to, but if you want to get rid of me, I won't argue." I fiddled with my mug, running my fingers across it until the motion drew my gaze away from the intensity in his eyes.

"You haven't asked yet. Why?"

I knew what he meant. He'd called me by someone else's name. Like he'd had someone like me before in a similar situation. "That's your business, Doctor. I felt everything you were feeling, but after this, you won't catch me asking you about any of that. I know where that line is, at least."

So used to the new silence between us, the opening of the Doctor's emotions brought my head up with a snap. A sharp regret that stung at my mouth. It felt as if some other emotion dampened it, but I couldn't tell what it was. "Right. Good. I think …. Thank you." Those last words came out in such a rush that I almost missed them entirely. Now he couldn't look at me, focusing everything he had on the view outside.

I blinked back the tears that truly threatened to spill this time. The Doctor never thanked anyone. Never came so close to apologizing. Not even to Rose. "Anytime. If and when you want to talk, I'll always be ready to listen. That is," I added with a forced try at humor. "If you don't mind me hitchhiking for a little longer."

Finally the Doctor took a long sip of that coffee, which had somehow stayed hot all this time. "I think," he began, slowly turning to look back at me with the largest grin on his face. "That's a fantastic idea."