"Welcome to my humble abode," I greeted as we walked in the front door, "I've got a couple of couches down here, a single in the guest room, and someone can room with me."
"Rose and I can take the sofas." Mickey volunteered.
"I'll take the guest room," Sarah Jane said, "I've seen your bed, love, and there is no way my back can handle a night on that."
"So that just leaves the two of us then." The Doctor stated, looking over at me. I nodded.
"Right then..." I sighed, turning towards Mickey and Rose. "There are spare blankets and pillows in that cupboard over there, Sarah, you know where everything is." She nodded. "Ok...follow me, Doctor."
I led the way up the stairs and into my bedroom, the Doctor trailing behind me. I crouched down, pulling the trundle bed out from beneath mine. I pulled the throw blanket and one of my pillows down onto it, but before I could take it the Doctor laid down, staring at the ceiling. I simple shrugged, walking over to my dresser and pulling out a pair of pajamas. I went to the bathroom to change before coming back and laying down on the side of the bed furthest away from the Doctor, hoping to avoid more of that strange feeling.
"Is it true?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"Is what true?"
"What Rose was saying...and what Sarah Jane said for that matter. Do you really just pick people up and show them the universe just to dump them back on earth and never return?"
"Its complicated." I scooted over to the other end, peering over at the Doctor. He laid there with his arms behind his head, his eyes trained on the ceiling until I came into view. Then his brown irises moved to land on me.
"How so?" He sighed.
"When they travel with me, its my responsibility to keep them safe...to protect them. Unfortunately, I have not always been successful in doing that, so...if leaving them behind or sending them away will save their lives then I have a responsibility to do that." I nodded, laying down on my back again.
"So did you mean it? When you told Rose you wouldn't leave her behind?"
"If the choice comes down to saving her life or leaving her...I'd say the choice is obvious. Wouldn't you?" I nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, I would." The Doctor sat up, looking at me.
"Really?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I mean if the choice is between a difficult adjustment to live back on Earth and having no life at all, it makes perfect sense. I understand." He shook his head, narrowing his eyes at me. "What?"
"You know and understand so many things that you shouldn't," He stated, "I still don't understand why."
"Well...if you figure it out, do me a favor a let me know." He continued to stare at me and it was beginning to make me uncomfortable, so I turned over so that my back was to him. I could still feel his eyes on me for a long while, but sooner or later I heard the mattress rustle as he laid back down. I sighed, allowing my eyes to flutter closed.
It wasn't long after that until I fell asleep...and I dreamt of the Time Lords.
It wasn't the first time I had dreamt of the orange skies of Gallifrey, but it was ever only a series of harsh images, flicking by too fast to truly see. This time, it was clear. Majestic, towering spires. A large clear globe encircling the mighty city. I saw the rows of cylinders once again when suddenly...the scene changed.
I recognized it, clear as day, it was my most consistent dream only this time everything was clear. I was in a room with large white circles on the walls, and a round board of switches in the center, but it was engulfed in fire, and standing in front of me was a man and a woman.
The woman was beautiful with flowing red hair while the man behind her had black hair and striking green eyes. The man was at the controls looking panicked while the woman stood right in front of me with tears in her eyes. After that the dream sped up back into a chaotic array of images and sounds.
"Darling, we're sorry. We're so, so sorry."
'We're crashing! The engines are failing, there's nothing we can do!"
"Be strong, my darling girl. We love you so much. You are going to do such great things. Build a life for yourself. Find love. Do that for your Mum and Dad."
"No! NO! NOOO-"
I bolted upright to find tears streaming down my face. I brought a hand up to wipe them away, only to find that I was shaking.
I'd never seen the people who were speaking before. It was only ever fire and explosions and the sounds of their voices, but never their faces. The dream changed...its never changed so why now is it suddenly different, and why...
Why has the change got me shaking like a leaf and crying my eyes out in my sleep?
The Doctor sat down on the edge of my bed, just by my feet, and it was only then that I'd remembered he was there at all.
"It was only a dream." He said gently, reaching out and putting a hand on my arm. I shook my head.
"It didn't feel like a dream. It never feels like a dream, it feels real it feels like..." I trailed off. The Doctor slowly brought a hand to my face, wiping the tears away with his index finger.
"Feels like what?" He prompted, his voice barely above a whisper. I looked away from him, my eyes landing on the window to see the sun just beginning to rise above the other houses in my neighborhood.
"A memory." I whispered, my eyes finding his again. His eyebrows drew together. "What's wrong with me, Doctor? What am I?" He shook his head.
"I don't know," He replied honestly, "But if you will accept my help, the second we finish up with the Krillitanes, I will find out. I promise you that, Mary Perdita."
For whatever reason, in that moment I knew that I could trust him. I knew that this man would do everything in his power to find out the nature of my dreams and why I was the way that I was. And he knew that I knew, which is why he asked his next question.
"Do you trust me?" I nodded, and so did he. "Good choice."
"It'd better be."