The Doctor and The Nightingale {1}

nova's task

Tate and Mickey were in some room of the Tardis, getting better acquainted with one another. Both of them were happy that there was another male travelling. Rose was in the console room, sitting on the bench, reading a magazine.

The Doctor and Nova both stood at the console. He was letting her pick their next destination. Nova thought hard about where they were going to. Considering the fact that this was Mickey's first time travelling with them, she wanted to go somewhere he might actually like.

While Nova was pressing buttons, The Doctor kept his gaze on her. He smiled at the adorable sight of her eyebrows furrowing in concentration and the way her tongue would slightly stick out of her mouth.

The way he felt about her, was a way he never felt about anybody before. He thought about what Sarah Jane said to him. He did need Nova in his life.

She was like him. As much as The Doctor has come to care deeply about both Rose and Tate, he knew that they couldn't travel with him forever. But Nova could.

At least, he hoped she would want to travel with him forever. He knew that he could never let her go now. Not after how deeply in love he had fallen for her.

"You keep staring at me, Doctor" Nova said. She looked up from the console and towards her fellow Time Lord. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes" The Doctor said. He took a step closer to her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Everything is perfect"

"Oh, just kiss already!" Rose said. The both of them forgot she was even in the room. "I can feel the sexual tension between you two"

"Sexual tension?" Nova repeated, a deep blush appearing on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rose"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just admit that you two are in love with each other!"

"We are not!" Nova quickly denied.

"That is not true!" The Doctor denied at the same time.

Rose groaned and put her head in her hands. "Seriously, you two. There's nothing wrong with being in love. Is there some kind of rule that says two Time Lords can't fall in love?"

Nova huffed. "Even if there was, I hardly think it would matter now considering we're the last two"

"Then just say the magic words to each other!"

"First," The Doctor said as he crossed his arms. He leaned against the console. "You need to admit you're in love with Tate"

A deep blush appeared on Rose's face. "I am not..."

Nova smirked. "Hmm" she hummed. "Sure you're not"

"Okay, I'll drop the subject" Something else came to Rose's mind. She remembered something that Finch said to Nova back at the school. "I have been wondering something though"

"What is it?" Nova asked.

"Back at the school, when Finch was trying to tempt you two, he said something about stones to you. Something about the fate of the universe depending on you finding these stones"

Now The Doctor had become interested in knowing about these stones. "What exactly would these stones be?" He asked and then raised an eyebrow. "And why would they be so dangerous?"

"Rose, could you find Tate and Mickey?" Nova requested of her other best friend. "I suppose it's time to tell you about my very important task"

______

The Doctor, Rose and Mickey all sat on the bench while Nova and Tate stood together. "What's so important that you've got us all gathered?" Mickey wondered. Not that he was complaining. It felt nice to be included.