One Day, I Shall Come Back

by

DrummondType2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this. They are the property of their respective copyright holders.

The Doctor had stumbled into the TARDIS, and was in the process of enjoying one last meal before he changed, while Trenzalore was still reeling from the aftershock of his latest Regeneration.

And then, once again, he's in the darkness, and he sees Her, standing alongside the TARDIS console.

"I see that you've found a way of eluding me once again, Doctor," She smiled, and it was warm and sweet and full of mirth.

"I'm afraid I've had to postpone our last dance, old friend," he set down his bowl, "Not disappointed, I hope."

"'S'okay," she eyed the bowl of fish fingers and custard, "May I?"

"Help yourself."

"Truth is, I'm just here for the usual," she took a tentative bite of a fish finger dipped in the custard, then set it aside with a cautious look, "I always knew this wasn't going to be our last dance. Destiny has other plans, y'know."

"I wouldn't mind a peek."

"Yes, you would," she smirked, "Spoilers."

"You've been traveling with me longer than anyone else," He nodded at her, "But I still remember the first time I saw you, I mean, really and truly saw you. It was at Antarctica, in 1986. I've been able to see you, ever since."

"Yes. I could always see you stealing glances at me, out of the corner of your eye. You could have said 'hello' from time to time. I don't bite."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. You do have a bite. The bitter bite of passing years, of friends long gone, of the people I tried...and failed...to save. That bites more than you know."

She ran her hands over the TARDIS console, "I think that there's something else to that. You think you bring me along with you. You think of me as the consequence of your actions."

He nodded, smiling without mirth, "Yes."

"No."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"No," She repeated, earnestly, her words full of soft comfort and warmth "I'm not following you around, dear Doctor. It's the other way around. You've been following me around, from the very first.
"There are whole worlds out there that I would have had to claim at once, Doctor, if not for your intervention. Do you know what it's like, having to listen to the mournful cries of an entire alien race at once, on a one by one basis yet, because the Daleks or the Cybermen have come and you haven't.
"When the Great Intelligence tried to wipe you from existence, whole star systems were blinking out. You've done much more good than harm, silly old man. Have you made mistakes? Who doesn't? But you saved more lives than have been lost.
"Right out those doors, right now, you know what's happened? For nine hundred years, you kept the planet of Trenzalore safe. You kept the Earth from being boiled, blown up, slaughtered, and overrun more times than I can count, and believe me, I've tried.
"You, Doctor, you make my load more bearable. Every living thing dies, Doctor. I'd prefer to visit each of them in turn, than claim then all at once. "

"I imagine I'll still be seeing you around, then?"

"Where I go, you tend to follow," She winked, "After all this time, I'm beginning to think I've got a stalker."

"One day, we'll have to get that last dance."

"Eventually," She nodded, "One day, maybe, the Daleks will figure to simply vaporize you instead of leaving a body to regenerate. Or maybe, you'll use up your last regeneration and the world will have to move on without you to save it. Or maybe, I'll have a last cup of tea with the old curator of a museum, and then we'll flip off the lights because that was it, no more universe left to save, and we'll just be the last ones to exit."

"That wouldn't be so bad," The Doctor nodded, "I think...Yes, I think I'd look forward to a nice cup of tea with you. But you'll have to bring the biscuits."

"I'll consider it a date, then."

She stood up, her pale face and raven hair looking radiant as ever, "One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.
"I think your companion has finally made it back to the TARDIS, Doctor. Be seeing you around."

The door to the TARDIS opened, and Clara, a concerned look on her face, stepped in.

********
"When you think about it, we're all different people all through our lives, and that's okay, that's good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me."

He approached the vision of Amelia, and understood. This was a gift from his oldest companion, a way to ease him gently into death, and back out of it again.

"Raggedy Man, good night..."