I Didn't Mean It (Doctor Who)

Ch.2: I Fall Off a Roof

Recap: "Take me back to the roof," I said hoarsely.

"Alice, I-" Doctor began, but I cut him off.

"Take me back to the roof," I snapped. He slowly flicked a few switches and we landed. I walked over to the doors, pausing before I pulled them open.

"I'm sorry, Doctor."

I stepped closed the doors behind me.

~o0o~

I felt the ice cold winds sweep over me almost immediately as stepped out. It was as if I had never left.

"Alice! Wait!" The TARDIS doors reopened from behind me.

"Doctor, I've already made my decision. Please, please. Just leave me alone," I sniffed, walking slowly across the roof.

"No."

I turned back to look at him in disbelief, "No?"

"No, I won't leave you alone. No one should die alone."

I remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate.

"If you're going to jump, then I'm jumping with you."

"Doctor...I can let you do that. It's not right," I sighed, looking at him pleadingly, "You can't do this."

"Then neither can you."

"Don't you have anyone that cares about you? Family? Friends?" I asked.

He shook his head, his eyes shifting away from mine, "Not anymore."

A moment of silence fell upon us again, and my gaze darted from the Doctor to the roof's edge, my mind running wild.

Finally, I closed my eyes, turning back to him, "Fine. I'll go with you, okay? But only one trip, and then you're taking me back here."

"If that's what you want."

I headed back towards him, struggling to balance on the uneven planks below my feet. Without warning, one of them snapped, breaking loose from the others and taking my foot out from under me. I landed hard on the roof, disorienting and knocking the air out of me as I went sliding down the surface.

"Doctor!" I gasped in shock as I slipped off the edge, frantically grabbing at it. I managed to hook my fingers around one of the eaves, dangling precariously over the ground 30 feet below.

The edge creaked and heaved ominously under my weight, "Doctor!!!"

The realization dawned on me that I really didn't want to die. The thought of it terrified me.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Doctor threw himself down near the edge, extending a hand, which I gratefully took. He pulled me upwards and back to safety.

Doctor hauled me up onto the roof, setting me down against his TARDIS.

I wheezed, fumbling around in my jacket for my inhaler. I took a long, deep breath, taking a moment to compose myself again.

"Asthma?" Doctor asked awkwardly, sitting down beside me.

I nodded, "A severe case, ever since I was five. It has not been fun.".

"I guess that would explain the passing out earlier," Doctor chuckled lightly, playing with his bow tie for a while as an awkward silence hung over us.

"About what I said earlier... I-" Doctor said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Oh shut up," I cut him off, "Of course I'll come with you."

"Then let's get started!" Doctor replied cheerily, as if all that had never happened.

"Wait. Before we go...wherever the hell we're going, this is a one time thing, okay? One trip in your...spaceship... and then you take me back here. Understood?"

"One trip and then you decide if you want more," he clarified, his ever-present smile growing larger. I couldn't help but return it.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me, as I had begun to realize was a regular thing for him, and pushed the doors of his machine open, letting me in.

"This is the TARDIS. T, A, R, D, I, S. it stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. It can take you to anywhere in the universe...and did I mention it travels in time?" Doctor explained, skipping around the console and flicking switches as if his life depended on it.

I didn't question it after seeing what this machine could do. I couldn't help but grin again. His happiness was infectious.

"So, all of space and time, any place or point in the universe, where do you want to go first?"