Doctor-When I was 7-they came." she paused swallowing back the painful emotions she had with the memory.
"Who came?" asked the Doctor quietly as his interest suddenly peeked.
"I don't know-some-things came. They were tall, dressed in hooded robes with some sort of guns and chains. They wanted my family-It was like my mother knew they would come one day and she hid us, me & my sister. My mother told me and my sister to be quiet-to not make a sound. She made me promise I wouldn't leave my sister, to keep her safe...and I.."
The Doctor observed a flood of guilt overcome her and-were they tears dancing in her pretty greeny-brown eyes?
"..I did..I left her. I left my sister. I told her to stay put, I told her I'd be quick. I went to try and find someone, anyone, to help-when I came back they were gone-all of them. My whole family just...... gone. All gone. The House, my home was...burning." She swallowed as another well of emotion rose sickeningly in her chest.
Her guilt, her sadness and her loneliness they seemed to cloak her for a moment and The Doctor found himself relating all too closely with her emotions. He knew exactly what it was like. He understood her and glimpsed her real self for just a second in that moment. The recklessness, the standoff-ish attitude, the 'I work alone' mentality, even sometimes the bravery-it was all a facade. The Doctor shifted in the silence-the comparison he had just made frightend him just slightly.
"I know they didn't die in the fire." she said stiffly when she regained her compsure " I know they didn't-I left my sister in the shed....she wouldn't have run away-she would have waited. She was gone & it was wrecked-" she stopped giving a sigh, turning away and folding her arms "You don't believe me do you? No-one ever believed me."
"I believe you." The Doctor replied honestly.
"You-You do?" She faced him again unfolding her arms. The Doctor gave a nod.
"I hid while the fire men put out the fire and I went back into the house in the morning and that's when I found the newspaper with the photograph-My dad left it for me-I KNOW he did-he meant me to find it. He was asking me, telling me to find them, to find a way. I promised myself I would find out what it was, who it was, that took them- find out where it was, find my family and bring them home."
The Doctor hesitated –it was a long time ago.
"I know it was a long time ago" she continued as if reading his thoughts "but I have to hope-I have to try."
"You said it was like your mother knew they were coming...what made you say that?"
"My dad was always working on-with- strange things. Like the Sonic-he had loads of things, He had connections-really top connections, secret government type connections-like Torchwood. Most of what I know I used to read in his notes or he'd tell us as 'stories'. My mum always said it would get us all into trouble one day."
The Doctor understood her need, her ache to try and find her family. He couldn't help thinking of Gallifrey-burning-dying.
How he wished he could change it.
He looked at her.
Her hair still slightly wet drying in loose waves. Her green brown eyes downcast and full of all the emotions he blocked himself from feeling. "I'm sorry." He said truthfully.
He never expected this.
"Will you Help me find them Doctor?"
She looked at him-waiting. Her posture still tense and slightly guarded.
The Doctor found he was fighting with himself inside.
This was part of something bigger-possibly more dangerous than just taking someone along for the ride.
Could he take her into the midst of that danger knowingly?
Could he risk her life?
Could he leave her here-to carry on doing this-alone?
Searching for a way to try and her family?
What if one day, she made the wrong choice?
Could he carry on doing this- alone?
There was someone, right here in front of him, that needed him now-needed his help.
Could he refuse someone asking for help?.....
"Doctor?" She broke the silence hesitantly "I won't give up." she added fiercely "whether you do help me or not."
"I have to make sure the Judoon fleet heads out of earths range.." He began with a deep breath "Buuuut....I will be back in...oh say..half an hour -if you still want to 'work with the enemy'?"
"Really?" she replied quietly, looking at him as if he had just told her she had won the lottery.
"Really." He grinned bracing himself for a hug that didn't come.
"Thank you!" she looked nearly ready to burst. A wide smile lighting up her soft features.
"I'll see you in half an hour-right here!" he shouted as she ran to the door where she paused
"Promise, you will come back."
"I promise."
and with that she gave him a nod and stepped out of the Tardis into the breaking dawn. Soft peachy light chasing away the angry clouds.
Some police cars and ambulances whizzed around and she couldn't hide the grin on her face as she headed down the street to collect her things from her room at a b&b.
High above the Earth the Doctor watched on a monitor as the Judoon ship left earths proximity, the yulppe safely contained for thier journey.
As glad as he was to see this dilemma sorted out he couldn't shake this nagging doubt in his mind.
He looked around the Tardis-listening to it's sad silence. No laughter from Rose or clever comment from Donna, not even a question from Martha. All was still and lonely.
He thought of Kitty-waiting for him miles below.
Should he really do this?
Could he keep her safe?
Could he allow himself to be left alone again at the end of this?
"I'm sorry Kitty." He whispered as he flicked a few switches and pushed a few buttons, sending the Tardis out into the time vortex before bending down over the console and rubbing a hand sadly over his face.
It had started to rain again.
The sky was once again dull and dark with heavy rain clouds, Kitty leaned on the wall of the bridge with a sigh. Looking out at the field where the Doctor had left her- watching for that funny blue box.
Would he come?
She began to feel silly for hoping.
Was she wrong to trust him to come back?
He had said he would.
He promised.
She was getting wet and cold now...
She checked her watch again.
Late.... a 'Timelord ' who was late.
She laughed to herself before another doubt whispered in her mind
Maybe he wasn't late at all. Maybe he hadn't really planned to come back.
She looked up to the sky thinking of them somewhere out there, her family. "I'll find you somehow, I promise." She whispered to herself before checking her watch again
"Come on Doctor." she sighed again before quietly adding "please."
He stood still for a moment biting his lip, his hand slightly squeezing his chin. "No, no, no!" he sprang into action "this isn't right!" he flicked and switched again taking the Tardis back to the place he'd just left.
Kitty drummed her fingers on the bridge. She didn't want to believe he wasn't coming back but it looked like that was true. She shook her head as she straightened up.
"I'll find another way." She spoke to the sky as her hand slid slowly across the brick. "Goodbye doctor." She turned and began walking away.
"KITTY!" the doctor burst through the Tardis door. He sprinted out coat and tie flying along behind him in his stride. "KITTY!" he called her as he spotted her making her way through a crowd on a bridge that overlooked the field of the Telecom tower.
"KITTY!"
she stopped, wondering if she'd heard someone call her. She turned and saw the Doctor racing across the Field. He'd come back!
"DOCTOR!" she shouted back waving an arm happily in the air before running back to meet him. This was it! finally she was leaving-she was beginning the adventure she'd always dreamed of and had fought for. She was going, travelling through space to find and rescue her long lost family and almost right in front of her was her only hope-The Doctor. Her heart swelled with a chaos of emotions as she ran; joy, gratitude, excitement, fear.
She sprinted down into the open gates leading to the field, passed a couple of police officers who shot her a look.
They met half way both a little out of breath.
"You're late." She breathed.
"Better late than never." The doctor smiled "Shall we?"he added as they began to walk back to the Tardis.
"For a moment I thought you weren't coming." she gave him a sideways glance as she tried to sound light hearted.
"Yeah, sorry about that got a little...lost." The doctor shrugged smiling as he looked at her.
"You got lost? I'm trusting you to take me to a lost star system and you get lost coming back to a place you left an hour ago?"
The Doctor winced "err"
She shook her head laughing softly. The Doctor changed the subject "No baggage?" he asked as he noted she only carried a backpack and a small handheld carry case..
"Only on the inside." She joked. "This is pretty much it for me." She gestured to the backpack. "Not much in the way of stuff-travel light I guess." She seemed a little embarrassed all of a sudden.
"oh wait-hang on." He took off his wet shoe and shook some water out-he'd just stood in another puddle as they'd continued walking.
"What kind of a man wears converse with a suit?" she asked half laughing
"I don't know" he replaced his shoe and caught up with her "What kind of a man wears converse with a suit?"
She looked thoughtful for a second "A weird, crazy, brilliant out-of-this-world kind of man." She smiled.
The Doctor grinned back. "I was barefoot on the moon once."
"Really? You have the whole of the universe and you go to the moon?"
"Well it wasn't by choice."
"So then-a Timelord and his time machine." She said stopping just a few paces away from the Tardis and smiled as she took in the Doctor.
This mysterious dark-eyed man with the craziest hair she'd probably ever seen, that wasn't emo or goth related, who had suddenly appeared in her life and given her new hope. He stood there tall and proud-hands in his trouser pockets an aura of power seemed to sweep around him as his long coat caught a faint breeze.
He still seemed a little frightening to her, this humble looking man who wasn't really a man at all but something much more complex and alien. He was frightening yet captivating, strong yet kind.
He stood just in front of the Blue box that was bigger on the inside, both he and it seemed illuminated by the pale sun that crept out from behind clouds behind them.
The Doctor and the Tardis surrounded by an aura of gentle morning light.
The Doctor outstretched his arm and with a squeak opened the door of the Tardis.
"Still got to get that fixed." he muttered to himself.
Kitty looked inside and felt her smile spreading as she let out a small laugh
"You know, It really is amazing...."
"Weeeeell it's different." The doctor grinned reflecting on her earlier comment
"It IS different-beautifully different. Thank you doctor! Thank you!" She half jumped into him to hug him briefly and he laughed before she let go-a little embarrassed.
"Kitty, just remember ..." His lively voice became serious as he caught her eyes for a moment "there are no guarantees-."
"But there is hope." Her defiant green brown eyes looked back at him and he let the Tardis door swing shut behind them.
"Welcome to the Tardis miss Welsh." He grinned.