The Orphan in the TARDIS

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sophie leans against his arm, looking around the room. "It's been a little since I've been to the Black Archive. Forgot how creepy this place can be."

He leans his head down, "That's probably the dead Dalek...and seeing some of your stuff laying about."

"Yeah, that's a bit disconcerting, seeing as I'm certain I haven't donated any of this. I just find things slowly disappearing over periods of time." Her eyes look up to the left, a thoughtful look crossing her face, "Hang on, does that mean that UNIT officers are breaking into my house?"

"Eh," the Time Lord shrugs, his younger self meandering over, "It's more likely interns, not officers. Maybe a soldier here and there."

"That is not, at all, comforting!"

Clara comes hurrying over to her Doctor. "We need to go, now," she tells him, grabbing his hand.

His eyes widen, "What, why? What's going on? Are you okay?"

"It's you, younger you. He just left to destroy Gallifrey. He doesn't have to be alone."

The Time Lords look at each other, weighing the options. They both turn to look at Sophie. She winks at them, "Have fun, boys. Don't worry I'll supervise the negotiations."

"Why don't you come?" Clara asks.

"You'll see. Now go," she shoos the aliens away. The younger one stops for a moment, kissing her cheek. The oldest Time Lord grabs her hand, pulling her toward him. He presses a quick kiss to her temple.

Turning back toward the exit, he says, "Be careful, Lyn."

"Not a chance," she winks at them.

The three smile, quickly leaving the tower.

*Younger Sophie and the War Doctor*

Sophie looks up from the big, red button in front of them, as loud elephantine wheezing fills the dingy barn. Turning, she sees two TARDIS', big blue boxes to be precise, materialize in the barn. Turning to look at the Warrior, she asks, "What the f*ck is happening?"

"I wish I knew," he responds, ignoring her choice of words.

The doors of both boxes open simultaneously, from the one on the left, the Doctor covered in pinstripes emerges, and from the box on the right, the Bow tie Doctor steps out, Clara directly behind him. She looks shocked to see Sophie, but the girl pays her no heed.

She keeps her eyes pasted on the eldest Doctor's face. Slowly letting the tension drop from her shoulders. "Doctor-er, Doctor's? What...how are you here?"

The War Doctor doesn't seem to care how or why, simply saying, "Go away now, all of you. This is for me."

"These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here," Sandshoes says, gazing around the barn. His eyes stop to linger on his best friend, smiling largely at her.

"So something let us through," Chinny adds, also smiling at the girl.

"Go back," the Warrior says, his hand hovering over the big red button from the Moment. "Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile."

The girl looks over at him, seeing the pain in his eyes. She turns slightly, glancing at the other two Doctors, confusion and pleading just behind her eyes.

"All those years, burying you in my memory," Sandshoes says.

"Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself," Bow tie continues.

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else."

Sophie smiles looking back over at the War Doctor, even with both of her hands hovering over the button, along with his.