"Well, that's my story," Eleanor said, as the three stood in front of the café, having finished their coffee and conversation. "It was nice meeting you two—especially you, Doctor. I got a chance to see what the finished version of my father would have looked like. Not bad. Not a patch on my own husband, of course."
The Doctor straightened his tie. "A matter of personal opinion, of course."
Eleanor laughed. "Well, I guess you two have things to do—people to save, planets to visit, all that sort of thing. Goodbye. Thanks for taking the time to let me share my parent's story. I'm glad you got to know my father did eventually have a happy life after his adventures with you, Doctor." She turned as if to leave them.
"Wait," Clara cried, touching Eleanor's arm to detain her. She then turned to the Doctor. "Why don't we show her the Tardis?"
His face lit up with a big smile. "I think she deserves that, after having listened to her dad's stories all those years." He gestured down the street. "Come along with us. It's time you saw where all those memories of his came from."
Eleanor gasped, and brought her trembling hands up to her mouth, her expression one of wonder and surprise. "Really? Can I? Can I really see her?"
Grinning, the Doctor led the way. The trio crossed the street, and slipped down an alleyway. About halfway down, a large blue police box stood incongruously next to a dumpster. Clara and the Doctor walked right up to the door, and as the Doctor slipped his key inside the lock, Clara looked back to see Eleanor standing a few feet away, eyes round with wonder, as she stared at the ship. Slowly she came forward, to where Clara was positioned, just inside the door, beckoning her in further. The Doctor was already inside.
Crossing the threshold, Eleanor looked about the large, spacious control room. "It really is bigger on the inside," she breathed. She walked down the ramp to the console, and delicately touched its edge. "But…it's different…than my dad's…I mean, the one my dad told me about. He said it was gold and copper and had stairs running up and down all over." She turned and glanced all around the room, then faced the Doctor. "What happened?"
"It changed after I stopped traveling with the Ponds," the Doctor stated, a wistful look crossing his features. "It was a sad time in my life, and I couldn't face any reminders of them. The Tardis changed the desktop for me, to help me move on. And then, after I met Clara, the new design came to remind me more of my time with her. Each one of my selves has had a different control room, that often reflects what they're going through at the time."
"Are…are the Ponds still alive?" Eleanor asked softly.
The Doctor smiled, but it was tinged with melancholy. "They were tragically sent back in time by forces beyond my control, and I couldn't rescue them. They lived the remainder of their lives in New York City. They're buried there."
"I'm sorry," Eleanor murmured.
"They lived a full life. I have that knowledge, at least, even if I was unable to spend more time with them. As it was, I spent possibly a longer time with them than almost any other of my companions. I miss them, but I go on with the knowledge that they live on in my memories." Rapidly switching moods, he turned to the controls, and danced around them, throwing levers and pressing buttons, grinning like a madman. "And now, let's give you a real experience in the Tardis…by taking a little trip!"
Eleanor gave a yelp as the Tardis came to life and shook, taking off with its distinctive whine. Clara laughed, watching the joy on Eleanor's face as she experienced her first ride in the fantastic machine. With a bang, they landed moments later. The Doctor led the way to the doors.
"And here we are," he said, opening the door with a flourish, and stepping aside. Clara and Eleanor trooped outside, to find themselves in the English countryside, next to a lake. Looking around, Clara raised an eyebrow. "You just moved us elsewhere. I thought we'd be taking a much more exotic trip than this."
Leaning against the Tardis, the Doctor crossed his arms and smiled mysteriously. "Take a closer look," he suggested.
Clara, gazing at the scenery surrounding them, didn't see anything of interest. But Eleanor, next to her, gasped. She grabbed Clara's arm and pointed. "That car…parked over there next to the lake," she explained. "That looks like my mother's old Mini Cooper, only that one's much newer."
"Because we are closer in time to when she originally bought it," the Doctor remarked. He strode over to the two women, and handed Eleanor a pair of binoculars that he pulled out of one of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets. "See if you can focus on the inhabitants of that car."
Watching Eleanor bring the binoculars up to her eyes, Clara was surprised when the woman squealed. Lowering the binoculars, Eleanor's eyes filled with tears, as with a trembling mouth she turned to the Doctor. "Is it…really?" she whispered.
As the Doctor nodded in response, Clara gently took the binoculars from Eleanor. And as Eleanor hugged him, murmuring fervent thanks, Clara gazed at the occupants of the Mini Cooper parked next to the lake.
Inside, in the driver's seat, sat a young woman who could have been Clara's twin. And next to her was a man who faintly resembled the Doctor, but who had white skin. Neither of the two in the car noticed the three standing about a quarter of a mile away, as they were both engrossed in talking to each other.
Eleanor came back to stand next to Clara, who handed her the binoculars. "It's the day he proposed," she smiled, through the tears running down her face. "The day he always said was when he first felt like an actual human being. Especially after she said yes."
And as Eleanor hungrily watched her parents through the binoculars, Clara walked back to stand with the Doctor. His arm went around her shoulders. "If I'd been him, and had been through all he'd suffered through," he remarked quietly, "I would have felt the same way."
Clara gazed up into his face with a sweet smile, and his eyes met hers. Something tender seemed to pass between them, and then it was gone. But Clara locked it away into her heart, to give more consideration to later, when she could be alone with her thoughts.