The Most You Ever Knew
Two-The Oncoming Storm and the Healer
A/N: Takes place before "Partners in Crime".
The Doctor stared aimlessly around the empty console room, the wheezes and beeps of the mechanisms his only companions. He sat on the jump seat with his head resting in chin, the quiet almost deafening to the ever moving Time Lord. Having human companions to share his enthusiasm of the Universe and all its glories made him feel less vulnerable, less alone. Being alone meant having to re-live memories in his mind and in his heart.
He was a man, or rather or an alien, always fluttering around space and time like a celestial hummingbird. A Time Lord had the power to travel unlike few species in the universe, so why stay in one place? There was too much to see and do. Even after 700 years, the Doctor had only seen a small portion of what was offered in all creation.
Part of him nagged at it being better that he were alone. It hurt him so much to leave behind companions; some, like Martha, left of their own accord. Others like Rose were trapped or never could see him again. And it was his fault, always his fault. He dragged them into dangerous situations, intentional or not, and they stood by him no matter what the risk. With seeing all of time and space there were inherent dangers he knew, but The Doctor could help but show off, and had put his companions in danger.
Perhaps he traveled as though he were still running; running from his past, his memories, and his deeds. Why, he never understood. Many knew and feared him after what he had done to his home planet, though none of the humans he traversed time and space with ever did unless he trusted them enough to tell them his story. The Doctor had even carried out his sentence of being exiled on Earth, forced into his third incarnation, and had the power of control the TARDIS. There were no more Time Lords (and this made him shudder), no one of his kind left in the universe. So many species had tried to take over the Earth, solely for the intent of surviving, only to be stopped by him, and in many cases were destroyed. So he understood what it meant to stand alone with nothing but one last thread of hope to cling on to, and nothing else.
He was called "The Oncoming Storm" and "The Destroyer of Worlds" by his enemies, which sometimes rang true. It seemed that The Doctor always came into bad situations. Despite being able to solve problems that were caused by the invasions and conflicts on many different planets, countless lives were sacrificed either by accident or to help the Doctor stay alive long enough to save the day. All those lives lost in his name where terrible blows to him.
Still, perhaps Donna was right, he needed someone, somebody to stop him when he went too far, he sometimes got lost, and became ruthless and unforgiving. It was human compassion and thirst for knowledge that made him admire them and want them for a companion. They made him better and that was worth all the heartache in the end.
A sudden clang of a bell made the Doctor jump up and run to study the console monitor. After reading it intently, he let a small smile cling to his face as he set the coordinates for 21st century Chiswick England Earth; and to find the name of the person who would no doubt be his next companion.