He knew exactly where to land the TARDIS and how to find the place he needed. He hasn't been there for a very long time, yet, he moved quickly and with no shadow of hesitation as a person who does not need any guidance. The clogged streets of modern-day London welcomed him with the shout of drivers who knew exactly who was the moron here and were not afraid to tell it to the world. He was ignoring the busy talk of people, cars, birds who discussed their urgent matters. He had a specific goal and he needed to see one person in the whole world who could help him. The person who would still be glad to see him after everything. He hoped this person would.
His companion, to whom he said goodbye a long time ago, was a person he always trusted. Not only with his life in the dangerous adventures but with the key to the TARDIS which was—and is—the most valuable thing in his life. He hoped the key is still somewhere in the pocket or even in the wallet. It is where people keep the most important things in their lives, aren't they?  Of course, he did not know exactly. He was trying to be positive but a lot of time has passed, and everything might have been changed. But the time is a very relative matter, it is the thing he knew better than everyone else on this planet. Or another.
So, he knew exactly where to land the TARDIS and how to find the place he needed. He had been landing there a thousand times and it did not matter that it all ended a long time ago. For him, the bond with the companions never weakens.
On his way inside the ordinary block of flats where the companion lived, he hesitated for a moment trying to find the right words. Exactly at this moment someone painfully bumped into him. He looked up.
'Get out of the way, kid,' the big guy said. They were standing right in front of the door. The big guy grinned and seized his shoulder, trying to force him to move. No. He could not do that. Even if he looked like a ten-year-old kid, it did not mean someone could be mean to him. To him or to an average ten-year-old kid. Especially to a ten-year-old kid. He knew the planet where being a ten-year-old really made you special.
'Don't,' he said with a quiet and calm voice. He grabbed the arm of the big guy and forced him to duck near him simply pulling his hand without any effort. The big guy almost fell on the floor.
'This is not really nice, you know,' he said and let go of the big guy's arm.
'I'll show you what is nice,' the big guy growled. He tried to seize him once again but he was faster and quickly grabbed the big guy's arm and ensured the next second he was on the floor with the most surprised expression on his face.
'Who the hell are you?' the big guy whispered.
'I am the Doctor,' he replied peacefully. 'Do you happen to know if the inhabitant of apartment number three is home?'
The big guy stood up and quickly walked away leaving the question unanswered. The Doctor shrugged his shoulders and headed to the stairs. Anyway, he could find it out himself, not rocket science. He was just trying to make a conversation.
At the door of the companion's apartment, he did not hesitate as he did not have time for that after the little talk with the big guy. He knocked three times and waited for the door to open, then stepped forward.
'I need you, my friend,' he said. 'We've been through everything, and more. Remember? It means a lot, actually. To me, it is the most important thing in the world. I know I can trust you. That is why I need you to help me.'
He almost forgot he regenerated but he saw it in the companion's eyes. He grinned. Yeah, the ten-year-old boy in front of you talking rubbish is probably not the thing you expect first thing in the morning.
'I know I look different now but I am still the Doctor. And I need your help.'
He looked at the companion firmly, with the eyes of a thousand-year-old.
'Come with me. Please.'
[icon]http://s9.uploads.ru/1T7sc.jpg[/icon][nick]The Doctor[/nick][status]to infinity and beyond[/status]

Отредактировано Eddie Fawcett (2019-01-13 02:55:52)

The Doctor grinned. He did not expect her to refuse his request, she was the only person he knew for sure would be there for him. He hesitated a bit before coming here but he knew she would come without even asking what it is required of her. Theo MacAlister had always been a girl with a shocking ability to throw herself in the middle of an adventure or a party with a smile on her lips and a sarcastic joke to top it with. She did not even ask what he wanted a hand with, she just signed up for it as if he asked her to feed his cat while he is on vacation. Well, that would probably be easier for him to do for her but he liked the human analogies.
'Aye,' he said mocking her manner of speech. 'You can see whatever you want, even if it is your own funeral.'
Not that he could understand such a desire. Looking at your own funeral is appealing, however, not the most pleasant experience in your life. Even if you know it will come rather sooner than later. He was looking at Theo for a second just to make sure she was alright but did not comment on that. He knew it was getting worse, he did not need to time-travel to know that or even come here to see her like that. He knew it back then, even though it did not seem to bother him at all. Now he felt weird. Not because she was missing her leg or because she did not look quite like Theo MacAlister he remembered, no. He felt like there was something he needed to pay attention before but he did not. 
'Sorry, could you ask whatever you asked again? I did not get it,' he replied to her sarcastic comment. 'The TARDIS is not as advanced to translate the language of your people.'
He slowed down without a second thought. He was young, at least anyone looking at him would say the same. However, with the regeneration to this form, he had lost a lot. He lost the adventurous spirit that drove him to explore different worlds just to have fun and learn more about the beautiful world around him. Dealing with the problems of the worlds became tiring, though he could not drop this and just enjoy himself. He felt obliged. He felt he was needed, even though sometimes he felt too tired to save a world once again. He felt old, and being a «wee lad» did not really help to fix it.
Ironic, he smiled to his thoughts. He liked the song, even though it was quite old for a lot of his companions. Did he ever ask Theo if she liked Alanis Morissette? Probably she would laugh at him for being 'such a lassie'.
They did not have to go far, he parked the TARDIS couple of blocks away just to enjoy the fresh air before visiting his friend. Theo moved fast like she was used to it. Seemed he clearly was gone for too long. He stopped in front of the TARDIS and gave Theo a long look.
'Will you do the honors?' he asked finally. 'And only when the doors were open, added, 'Welcome back.'
The TARDIS barely changed since last time Theo was there. It seemed weird to change it, even though he did it quite often after changing his personality. Now he was somehow conservative and preferred leaving everything as is. Moreover, he felt Theo needed something of old good times and he wanted to give it to her. She deserved it. Not because she was terminally ill, suffered a lot and even lost her leg, no. She always was more optimistic, more driven, more passionate then he was, even when he felt younger and better. Besides, the TARDIS loved her. That was the one and only thing one should consider when naming a good person.
The TARDIS gave Theo a warm welcome by humming like a small cat who finally had a chance to get to the knees of a long-lost owner. The flashes of all the lights the TARDIS could think of blinded him for a second.
'All right, all right, missy,' he smiled. 'Don't get that excited, we have work to do. Check the fastest way to the Aurora, will you? We are heading for the date I was there last. That would be much of a help.'
He came to the dashboard to get some of the big buttons pushed, however, the TARDIS was working already all by herself. He knew he could count on her. He turned to Theo and gave her the look. He did not know where to start. She was excited, and he was glad to see it. At the same time, he was afraid. He felt like saying some things out loud was much easier before, when they had a common adventure and they both were different. Theo maybe not so much, only on the outside. The Doctor became a whole new person since. Not that he liked it much but you cannot run from yourself even if you have a time machine.
'Grab something, for God's sake. Did you suddenly forget it is usually shaky?' he asked with a tone of a grandpa. 'I will do my best to be quick with the explanation. The Aurora is a planet in Tau Ceti constellation. Pretty similar to the Earth, to be frank. We are heading in the future, quite distant from your present, the planet has been colonized a couple of centuries after your generation. So, let's say, we are going far in the future.'
The TARDIS started the journey and he looked at the dashboard just to make sure everything is alright there.
'For the past five years, there has been a conflict between the government and the rebels. Classic story, one brother betrayed the other and got the throne first. The other one is leading the rebellion since. You probably watched a dozen films that started like this.'
He grinned.
'Yet, the one or the other side still cannot seize the victory. The fights are severe, they use whatever technology they can, seeking for allies on other planets or systems. People suffer, just ordinary people who try to leave their own lives on the planet being torn apart.' 
That was a pretty common scenario as well, Theo could have seen it just by pressing a button on remote control. All Earthern news programs were full of stories like this one.
'They have the weapon now. I mean, the government. They have the weapon that will ensure their victory over the rebellion. With that, they will probably erase the entire planet's population. Either they will be dead, or never existed. The best option for them is to spend the entire eternity trapped in nowhere. That might happen as well. The behavior of the weapon is unpredictable and it should be used only by one with clear thoughts.'
He knew what he was talking about. He knew how this weapon worked and how to use it for your own sake. He sighed.
'I was there. The planet is in pretty bad shape but that is not my only concern. There are other planets in the same system that will be affected. Possibly, it will be the last century of their existence. Moreover...'
It was suddenly harder to breathe. The Doctor felt uncomfortable but at the same time, he felt the urge to tell it out loud. To someone who would not be judging and who knows about his past. About the Time War and how it ended. About his inner demons. Someone he could confide in. Theo was right there, listening, and he did not want to keep her waiting for too long.
'I was asked to help before but I did not,' he finally said. 'I was tired. I felt old. I refused, and now I have to deal with the consequences of my decision. I have to finish it before it got everyone killed.'  [icon]http://s9.uploads.ru/1T7sc.jpg[/icon][nick]The Doctor[/nick][status]to infinity and beyond[/status]

Отредактировано Eddie Fawcett (2019-02-19 02:17:21)

It felt like good old times. Like there was no parting of the ways, nothing was lost in the meantime, everything stayed the same. Except it did not. The Doctor changed, a lot. Theo changed, he did not know how much. He desperately wanted to feel the same way it felt before that is why he was trying to keep the conversation going as if nothing happened and they just met like they had met any other day in the past before going on a glorious adventure to see the world in all its beauty.
Except they did not.
'I don’t,' he could not help but laugh. 'TARDIS does.'
He lied. The TARDIS loved Theo with all her accent, being a Scot, desire to attend her own funeral. Her strength. Her compassion. Her ability to laugh at the darkest of times. The TARDIS loved her, and so did the Doctor. He used to say the TARDIS could not forget Theo because she bribed her but it was not true, and he knew it. The TARDIS felt people that needed her and, the Doctor thought, each time she found her way to them so they could travel together. With the lost boy whom she had chosen one day, even if calling him a boy in his first incarnation was harder than understanding Theo’s accent. Now it would be more appropriate.
'I tell them my parents are very hopeful of my future,' he smirked. 'And I just prepare for my bright future when I am addressed like that. We are not going to see a lot of people anyway, Theo. Not the ones interested in our stories.'
He got serious all of a sudden, right in the middle of the sentence. He did not want to get into the details just yet but he would have to very soon. He wanted to avoid the moment when he had to be honest with Theo and tell her everything, every little detail about him being a coward and ruining lives of the others. Innocent people. She would not approve of that, would she? He was afraid she would look at him in a very certain way, and he would know they are not going anywhere; Theo is not going anywhere. Not with him. Not like that. He wanted too much of her, he knew that, but he hoped she would understand. If anyone on this planet, it would be Theo MacAlister.
'I won't mention how old I am just not to brag, gal,' he rolled his eyes. Even though he was in a boy’s body, he felt old. Older than he ever felt before in his entire life, and boy it was long. He knew Theo did not get enough time even as a human being, and he got so much more. For what? Was it worth it? No, was he worth it? He watched Theo open the TARDIS’s door and hid the smile in a quick cough. Boy, he missed it. Every one of his companions was different, they were never the same to him. The Doctor had a lot of them, he did not even want to count how many, but all of them were different. Brilliant. Smart. Special. To him, always. The TARDIS always opened her doors for them, and he was always ready to welcome them. He felt the warmth in his heart when Theo was walking around the TARDIS, getting the feeling of being there back. He missed her being there. He missed this. He would not tell her, he just could not find the words but he felt it.
And he knew it could end. Maybe later, maybe right know when he talks. It could and it would, at a certain moment of time in the future. Being pessimistic is inevitable when you live long enough.
He was not very impressed with Theo’s new leg but looking at her shiny face gave him the strength to keep the comment to himself. People of her time were not that advanced technology wise, and he could have found her the better replacement, more advanced, with more features. But would she want it? Where had he been when she needed it in the first place?
'Fantastic,' he nodded. The word tasted familiar as if he was used to saying it before. There were so many things he could not recall, it felt weird. Fantastic. Yes, definitely, he said it many times before.
Telling her what happened and why he had to be involved, felt relieving. After he finished talking, he felt as if the huge stone had fallen from his shoulders, the one he was holding all the time, unbeknownst to himself. At the same time, he was nervous. What would she say? But Theo did not judge him. He was the one who could not justify himself. But her joke set the tone, and the Doctor felt relieved. He felt as if everything was alright and they got this, they can do it. Like they always did. Theo was serious, but he could feel the usual Theo MacAlister vibes even in her tone, not mentioning her eyes flashing with joy and amusement, and it gave him comfort. It gave him hope he could fix it. He would fix it.
'Sounds like a plan,' he echoed her earlier words. 'Let’s get down to business then. We've got things to do.'
He frowned giving her the look. The look meant she said something very true but very inappropriate to say out loud. Probably, she should get used to the boy giving her all kinds of looks because the Doctor became very fond of them lately.
'Yeah, plans are for suckers,' he said, not able to find better words. 'Let’s go.'
He opened the door and stepped out of the TARDIS without even looking around. He was so used to it that he was not even bothered. The TARDIS’s door closed behind their backs. They were in a very small room that looked like the warehouse, clogged with the boxes. He could see the wires, the parts from the mechanisms and even the guns but was not interested.
'We are inside the station that has the machine,' he explained. 'We need to find our way to the control room and see what we can do from there. I don’t have any building plans so we have to be careful.'
He gave Theo the look again, now expressing that he really meant it. He moved to the door but before opening it, he turned around to see his companion.
'And Theo, I need you to promise me that whatever happens, you will finish this. Even if it means alone.'
He did not want to speak about it, he never did, however, it just slipped. He did not even need her response, but he wanted to make sure she understands how much it meant to him. It always did, but today was something different. It was his fault, and he needed to finish this no matter what. What old friends are for anyway, right?[icon]http://s9.uploads.ru/1T7sc.jpg[/icon][nick]The Doctor[/nick][status]to infinity and beyond[/status]

He was an old man, he had to be grumpy and mysteriously sad over the old times, suddenly falling into the meditation state of remembering everything that happened to him during his long and eventful life. A lot happened, and he even started to forget things. He had promised himself that he'd never forget people he traveled with. He'd carry their names with him until he'd run out of lives. Names were there, he could remember every one of them but the stories were the ones to fade away. In the end there was only an empty feeling of losing someone important whose name he could never forget. There was a feeling of great adventures that ended bitterly, and he could still feel the bitter taste in his mouth. Theo was one of the recent names, one of those he held dear to his heart but didn't he for all of them? Centuries passed faster than years and he couldn't stop them even if he tried. He was a time lord but in the end time was ruling over him, leaving him empty, broken, sad, and grumpy like an old man. He didn't want this but this was the circle of life, even if his last incarnation was a child whom Theo enjoyed mocking over.
Latest, of course. He meant the latest incarnation. Curse of the time lords.
Theo promised. He never doubted but felt relieved that she did. He knew she had her reasons not to be careful but he didn't want her life to end because of the wrong step. There were enough deaths he witnessed and he didn't need one more to be on the stupid side. Theo deserved to die a hero. He knew she wasn't supposed to, no one praised people dying from incurable diseases, but that's on humanity.
He watched Theo looking through the boxes. Doctor knew they wouldn't find anything of importance here, they needed to go through the whole ship before they can reach their destination. He knew there wouldn't be something dangerous as well, or at least hoped so. He wanted to remind her of her promise but made himself stop just not to be called old and grumpy again. Boy, that was not a nice thing to hear, even if he thought so himself.
'Hope it would not go to this,' he answered to her previous thought as if he did not hear her request that came later. He surely did, he just wanted some time to think of a proper answer. Theo asked this already twice today and it bothered him. The thought in the back of his head didn't want to stop bothering him and was causing a terrible headache. As if something he forgot a long time ago was trying to make its way out to the surface. Doctor looked at Theo again trying to catch the look in her eyes he could always catch before the end. Not sad, not at all. Resigned.
He felt he looked this way himself, too.
'I already told you, Theo, you can see your own funeral if that is what you desire. It is not what I would like to do, I will not lie, and it would not be pretty. So choose wisely. We do not want to traumatize the younger you, do we?'
He smiled but his smile faded immediately. Theo was looking at the door, Doctor was looking at something that lied behind it. The dangerous adventure he wanted to enjoy so bad as if it was his last chance. Maybe it was? He couldn't though. He felt worried, sad, anxious. He never got the feeling of burning desire to go somewhere for a very long time, why was it so important now?
'Alright, let's go,' he said and nodded at the door that opened with a quiet creak. It always fascinated him how even in the worlds with the greatest technology doors were still making noise. They entered an empty long corridor, no one seemed to be there. Doctor stepped forward, he was going to lead the way.
The station seemed suspiciously empty and quiet. People worked and lived there, he was sure there were troops everywhere but they couldn't see a living soul. Doctor felt sudden sting of an old friend paranoia. What if they were waiting for them, or someone else? They knew someone could come for the machine, and the easiest way to get them to the trap was to make them believe they almost succeeded. They didn't have a choice anyway, they needed to go further and find the way there, no matter what.
'Stay close to the walls, Theo,' he said. It wouldn't help her a lot but at least she would have a couple of additional minutes. They walked calmly further and further until they reached the end of the corridor. The door was massive but Doctor always had a way with doors. The sonic screwdriver felt heavy in his small hands but he still knew perfectly well how to use it. It's buzzing always made him feel better as if it could fix not only closed doors or busted locks but the rest of the things too. It clearly couldn't as when the door opened, the group of three very angry men met them on the other side.
'I wish the psychic paper would work on them,' he mumbled so only Theo could hear him. The men didn't talk. One just grabbed Theo's shoulder, the other twisted Doctor's arm, the third led the way. He should have known. Well, he did know, in fact. It was obvious something like this would happen.
'Try to remember the way. Do not play hero, Theo. Not now.'
Plans are for suckers but he just couldn't help thinking of one.
'Later,' he grinned. He knew she was going to keep her promise of 'no matter what'. It was not the time to die just yet.[icon]http://s9.uploads.ru/1T7sc.jpg[/icon][nick]The Doctor[/nick][status]to infinity and beyond[/status]

Well, at least it was something that sounded exactly like Theo MacAlister. Theo might have changed a bit since they had seen each other last time but she was sure as hell the same Theo he knew. That was reassuring, to say the least. Doctor needed something, someone, from his old self to keep him sane and show him the right way. He didn't trust the new self, not anymore. Not after he allowed him to let all those people down by staying out of this. He was the Doctor, he was saving the universe not just watching it die. How could he forget that?
So, he promised her a funeral. The funeral. He wasn't sure there will be the Doctor to show young Theo her own funeral after all this but he wanted to believe he'll live to that. She needed someone by her side while going through this. Even though he did not get any instructions on how to behave when the inevitable happens.
'Wouldn't lie, it stings,' he said as if Theo could read his mind and knew what he was talking about. He didn't comment on that continuing through their little journey and trying to be as careful as he could. Theo didn't mind, though. She was probably used to him falling out of conversations and falling back in when prompted with the right question. Like the one she asked, about how he ended up in a body of a young boy.
'I cannot control it, you know that. Regeneration takes me to a different form randomly, no time lord knows why they end up being male or female, an old man or a child. My next form can be an infant or a dinosaur, for all I know.'
He suddenly felt the amusement of old times when he felt so much younger and looked so much older. When he and Theo were a team. Not that they were not a team now but it was more like a throwback to old good times. Times that passed.
'Either is not the best option for piloting TARDIS, though,' he grinned.

He continued thinking over the best options they had when they were captured. Doctor was just following the three lads who didn't look friendly at all. They were probably taking them to the airlock or somewhere they can immediately take care of them, and that was not about being great hosts for a welcome party. Doctor knew it was time to move on with the plan, even if they didn't have any. He looked at the guy who was holding him a little too strong for a guy holding a child. Probably, they already know who he is, or maybe they are just too cautious. That was understandable but not very convenient for the intruders.
'You need to tell your boss we are here,' he said. 'He will know we have a lot to offer.'
More likely he would want to kill them, though. In any case, if the guys are stupid enough, they will end up at the place where Doctor wanted to be. At the heart of the base, right in front of the person that every spy on that base wanted to avoid. Doctor knew if they wanted to do what they needed to, they had to be at the heart of it, right next to danger. The guy holding him didn't look at him but his arm shook a little bit when Doctor mentioned their boss. Good sign.
'So will you do yourself a favour and get us to your boss?' he asked as if he was in control of the situation. 'Or will you continue with whatever plan you have and end up like those poor guys who didn't recognize the leader of the opposition and threw him out in space?'
The guy leading the way stumbled. Doctor knew he just pushed the right button.
'You know who she is, right?' he continued and immediately knew it worked. They didn't know but didn't want to take the risk and end up in an airlock themselves.
They changed the course and after a couple of minutes of endless grey corridors, they were thrown into the small room that was almost empty. There was a nice comfortable chair behind an empty desk right near the door, a big grey box standing at the opposite wall and an unusual lamp that looked familiar but Doctor could not remember where he had seen it. They were not left alone but only the guy who had grabbed Theo stayed in the room, the other two left.
'Theo, I need you to get out and find the control room. We saw it on the way here,' he murmured. 'There's a computer there. The one you need to destroy.'
She didn't have any reason not to trust him, he would probably trust himself as well at this point. But he was lying. The big grey box to the right of them was the mechanism they were looking for. The computer at the control room was the perfect bait for those who didn't know what it truly was. Destroying the computer would not bring an end to the device, just trigger the security alarm. Unfortunately, Doctor knew this not because he was smart and figured it out all by himself. Someone's life was taken for him to learn this.
'This is it,' he said. 'You will need a sonic screwdriver. Just point and... Well, you know what to do.'
He knew she did.
'There will be guards so run to the TARDIS after you destroy the computer.'
He felt their guard was watching them closely and immediately changed the topic.
'Let's get you to a chair. Your leg probably needs rest,' he said loudly. The guard looked at him but didn't say a word. Doctor took Theo's arm and walked her to a chair, helping her seat. The guard didn't do anything, probably just tried to figure out who Theo was. That was the plan.
'It's in my pocket,' Doctor whispered. He was so short he did not even have to lean in to say that, and Theo could grab the screwdriver without the guy at the door seeing it. She did have only a couple of seconds, though, before the door opened again and they saw the boss Doctor claimed they wanted to see.
'Who are they?' he asked looking at Doctor and Theo. Of course, he didn't know. Doctor looked at Theo one last time and smiled warmly.
'Be careful,' he said.
Then he turned to the man who wanted to destroy the planet.
'I am the Doctor.'
Before the man could answer, they heard the rumble followed by the noise in the corridors. It was getting louder and louder making the guard very nervous.
'What do you want, Doctor?' the man asked. He didn't look very happy, probably didn't expect to see him after rumours of the retirement and not helping anyone anymore.
'I am here to save a world or two,' he said.
The door suddenly opened. Something was happening on the base, people were running and shouting. Doctor heard guns but was not sure he didn't imagine it. The guard went out of the room and never came back, probably run away from the mess or joined it, making it only worse.
'Theo,' he said not even looking at her. She knew what to do.
As for himself, he had the final boss who was getting the gun out of his pocket and the machine to destroy. And finally being a little boy paid off. Doctor was faster than the man in front of him. He jumped at him and fought for the lives of those whom he already betrayed once. He just needed a little time and a free hand to destroy the machine but first Theo needed to be out of there. [icon]http://s9.uploads.ru/1T7sc.jpg[/icon][nick]The Doctor[/nick][status]to infinity and beyond[/status]