Beautiful Explosions

Fourteen

I awoke to the enigmatic sound of piano music from across the hall. I'd played piano since I was little, so I knew most of the compositions. My phone had been left on the floor next to me since our adventure on the Cyberman ship, and I picked it up to check how many days i'd slept. "Oh!" I said, when I saw the date was October 28th- my birthday! I smiled, putting my phone in my shorts pocket, and reminded myself to ask the Doctor to take me home to see my mum and Tom again. Still wearing the tweed jacket, I slipped on a pair of slippers that had somehow appeared by the edge of my bed, and padded towards the hallway. My door was ajar, so I stepped out and pushed the opposite door open. A wonderous sight met my eyes. Beyond the simple wooden door lay a grand orchestral hall, with high ceilings, rounded walls and a whole orchestra of instruments, none of which were being played- apart from a stunning black grand piano near the centre. I ran my hand over the fine polished walls, over to where the Doctor sat on the stool in front of the instrument, his delicate fingers drifting over the keys. He moved his head in time as he played, messing up the already crazy bouffant of dark. "Fantasia in F minor, Doctor? I never knew you could play!" I said, coming up behind him, watching over his shoulder. He stopped for a just a moment, before continuing to play, and spoke to me. "I had to keep myself occupied while you were getting better. I didn't mean to wake you, it's just it's been a while since I've played," he explained, his hands still moving swiftly up and down the keys. I rested my head on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you didn't wake me, I was just curious. Anyway, I thought you needed hands one and two," I said, before sitting beside him on the leather cushion. He looked over and smiled, and we sat, me in shorts, shirt and a tweed jacket, and him with suspenders, blouse, creased trousers and a loosened bow tie, his bare feet on the pedals. We continued Shubert's final piece for about ten minutes, our hands often colliding as we played so quickly.

We finished by running our hands down the keys, filling the vast hall with the sound of notes stumbling over eachother. "Come on, I have something to show you!" he says, grabbing my hand and dragging me to the console room. We got to the door, and he went behind me, putting his hands over my eyes. "Doctor, what are you doing?" I asked curiously. He said nothing. but just took a hand from my face, still covering my eyes, and pushed the door open. "Now take a step forward," he whispered in my ear his breath tickling my neck. I did as I was told, and he took his hands away. "Holy cheescake! Umm, I really don't know what to say!" I exclaimed, a hand over my mouth. He'd completely covered the console, bars, seats and everything else in the room in strips of blue tissue paper. My bare feet were met with gold glitter, which shimmered in the light. The Doctor took hold of my hand and span me round repeatedly, until the room was a blur. He stopped, and came close to me. He rushed over to the cream leather chair, and picked up a small, rectangular parcel, and handed it to me, a joyful look on his face. I pulled off the silver paper, to reveal a lidded blue box. I took off the top, and in it, sat on a velvet cushion, was a slim gold watch, the rectangular watchface surrounded by tiny diamonds. I looked up at the Doctor, and smiled. "It's beautiful," I said, attempting to do it up, without much success. "Here, let me do that," he spoke quietly, doing up the strap arond my slim, pale wrist. He looked up at me, and whispered, "So you always know i'm here," before kissing me on the cheek. I flushed, and shook my hair in my face.  His hand went to the sonic screwdriver pocket of the blazer, and he pulled out a small, shiny key, a warm smile on his face. "What's this?" I asked, as he placed it in my hand. "What this is, Lillian Parker, is me inviting you to be my forever companion. Do you accept?" He asked, holding my small hands in his. I pretended to think about for a minute, and squeezed his hands. "Of course! There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you!" I replied, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the glittering floor. He put me down, still holding me close. "Happy birthday, Miss Parker," he said, letting go of me.  "So!" He exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "Where would you like to go on your special day?" he asked. I already knew where I wanted to go, and that was to see my family. "Home, October 28th, 2013!" I said, and he began to get the TARDIS ready to leave. He typed the time and place into the typewriter, and danced around the console, pulling a lever up, pushing another forward, and pushed another downwards, before we set off into the time vortex, back to my life on Earth. 

Changed into skinny jeans, the pair of deep blue Converse that had nearly hit me in the face the other day and a slim fitting black t shirt with a grey cardigan, I stepped out of the blue door onto the front lawn, the Doctor following close behind. "Midday," he said, looking down at the gold watch on his wrist, "Perfect," he continued, closing the blue box behind him. I knocked on the door, to be greeted my the surprised and delighted face of my mum. "Oh my darling, you came home especially for your birthday!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. She let me go, and I looked at her overjoyed face, stepping into the house. "Come on in, then, Doctor!" My mum said, beckoning him into the hall. He did as she said, closing the door behind him. My brother made me jump, giving a sudden bear hug when we entered the living room. "Happy birthday sis," he said, before going to join mum on the sofa. I pulled the Doctor over the opposite two seater, and sat in front of the table, which was covered in presents. I sat looking at them for a moment, before mum said, "Open them, then!" handing me the smallest, box-like present from the centre of the table. I unwrapped the deep blue paper, to reveal a white lidded box. I took off the lid, to reveal a slim gold watch. Me and The Doctor looked over at eachother, laughing. "What is it, honey?" my mum asked, completely confused by our laughter. "Oh it's nothing, Mrs Waters," The Doctor replied, a secret smile on his face.