The man dashes to the console and flicks a few switches before checking the monitor. Rose and I are hiding behind a coral structure, staring at the man in fear. My arms are wrapped around my waist tightly and I am staring at him with tears running down my face.
"6 pm... Tuesday..." he turns a knob. "October... 5006... on the way to Barcelona!" he straightens and turns to Rose and me, beaming and looking rather pleased with himself. "Now then... what do I look like?" he asks, holding up a hand before I answer. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't tell me! Let's see; two legs, two arms, two hands..." he moves his right hand to his left wrist, rotating it. "Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle..." he frowns before his hands fly up to his hair. "Hair! I'm not bald!" he laughs as he runs his hands through it but I can agree, he does look handsome with hair. "Oh, oh, Big hair!" he beams, moving his fingers down his sideburns. "Sideburns! I've got sideburns!" he exclaims gleefully. "Or really bad skin..." he murmurs. "Little but thinner, that's weird..." he slaps his stomach. "Give me time, I'll get used to it!" he smiles before pausing, his expression turning to wonder. "I... have got... a mole, I can feel it! Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole!" he rotates his shoulders. "That's alright! Love the mole!" he grins. "Go on, then, tell me!" he straightens. "What do you think?" he asks, sounding a bit hesitant.
I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I don't have to worry though for Rose cuts in. "Who are you?" she asks quietly.
"Rose!" he moves closer to us but I back away and go hide behind another coral beam by the ramp. "I'm the Doctor!" he beams and I put a hand to my mouth, stifling a sob.
"No..." Rose shakes her head. "Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done with him!?" she demands, her voice rising.
"You saw me... I- I changed..." he gestures over his shoulder. "Right in front of you..."
"I saw him sort of explode and then you replaced him like a... a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something..." Rose steps forward and pushes his chest. "You're not fooling me," she glares. "I've seen all sorts of things; nano-genes, Gelth, Slitheen... oh, my God!" she gasps and he raises an eyebrow. "Are you a Slitheen?"
"I'm not a Slitheen..." he denies calmly.
"Send him back!" Rose yells, getting in his face. "I'm warning you! Send the Doctor back to us right now or I swear-"
"Rose, it's me," he cuts in, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Honestly, it's me! I was dying... to save my own life I changed my body, every single cell but... it's still me..." he explains.
"You can't be," she whispers.
"Lexy, tell her!" the Doctor turns to me.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out but a sort of sob, squeaking noise. I can't look him directly in the eyes; the way he's looking at me is just like... just like him. The man's face falls as he moves closer to me before standing in front of me. "Lexy, please say you know it's me," he frowns, reaching out to me.
I take a step back, shaking my head. "I- I- I... but- but you-" I choke out.
The man looks as if he got punched in the gut. "I'll... come back to you..." he whispers, sounding crushed. "Rose," he moves back over to her. "If it wasn't me, then how would I remember this: very first word I ever said to you? Trapped in that cellar, surrounded by shop window dummies... ooh..." he grins. "Such a long time ago! I took your hand," he takes her hand in his. "I said one word... just one word, I said: run," he whispers.
"... Doctor?"
"Hello," he smiles gently.
"Rose gins, pulling him into a hug. The man laughs, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her once. "And we never stopped, did we?" he sets her down and moves to the console. "Running, running, running!" he flicks a few switches. "One time we had to hop! Do you remember? Hopping for our lives?" he starts to hop around on the spot, making Rose giggle. "Yeah? All that hopping> Remember hopping for your life? Yeah! Hop? With the..." he trails off, seeming to notice the lack of reaction and attention. "No?"
"Can you change back?" I blurt out.
He stops moving. "Do you want me to?" he asks me and I stare at him.
"I- I- I..." I stutter.
"... oh," his face falls.
"Is that even a possibility?" I ask hesitantly.
"No," he shakes his head. "Do you want to leave?"
"... do you want me to leave?"
"No!" his eyes widen as he holds out his hands before awkwardly putting them at his sides. "But... your choice... if you want to go home... I told you I'd understand..." he murmurs and I just stare at him. "Cancel Barcelona..." he moves back to the console. "Change to London, the Powell Estate, ah... let's say the 24th of December... consider it a Christmas present," he smiles at me and I look away. "There!" I glance to see him step away and tuck his hands under his armpits in an almost defensive manner.
I look between him and the console. "I'm... you're taking me home?" my voice cracks.
"Up to you," he shrugs. "Back to your mum... it's all waiting; fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast," he lists off and Rose snorts, making me frown. "No! Christmas! Turkey!" he beams before his expression turns thoughtful. "Although... having met your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate..." he grimaces, making Rose and laugh and I turn my head to hide a smile. "Was that a smile?" he asks, moving so he could see my face.
"No," I shake my head.
"That was a smile," Rose grins
"No, it wasn't," I give her a look.
"You smiled..." the man teases.
No, I didn't," I glare up at him.
"Oh, come on!" he whines. "All I did was change! You've seen me do it lots of times in your dreams. I didn't-" he suddenly gags and the TARDIS shudders.
"What?" Rose frowns.
"I said I didn't-" he gags again, more violently this time as he makes nasty retching noises. "Uh-oh..." he frowns.
"Um... are you alright?" I ask carefully, watching as a bit of golden energy flows from his mouth and towards me.
"What was that?" Rose points out to it as it dissipates.
"Oh... the change is going a bit wrong and all..." the man mutters before falling to his knees, his face contorted in pain. "Look, maybe we should go back," Rose moves over to help him back to his feet. "Let's go and find Jack, he'd know what to do," she suggests.
"Gah, he's busy!" he waves off. "He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!" he pauses, seeing a lever on the console. "I haven't used this one in years!" he laughs, flicking it.
I scream as the TARDIS shudders and jolts violently. I grab onto the console tightly to stay upright. "What did you do!?"
"Putting on a bit of speed! That's it!" he laughs, turning a few knobs. "My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl! Faster! Want to break the time limit!?"
"Stop it!" I scream.
"Ah, don't be so dull," he scoffs nastily. "Let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through the vortex!" he shouts before suddenly looking much calmer as he catches my eye. "... the regeneration's going wrong, I can't stop myself," he grimaces in pain. "Ah, my head!" he cries out, gripping his head before springing back up. "Faster! Let's open those engines!" he laughs as an alarm blares.
"What's that?" Rose asks shakily.
"We're gonna crash land!"
"Well, then do something!" I shout.
"Too late! Out of control!" he runs around the console, giggling madly. "Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!" he jumps on the spot excitedly.
"You're gonna kill us!" Rose screams.
"Hold on tight, here we go! Christmas Eve!" he squeals madly.
**********
A/N: Say goodbye Nine and say hello to Ten! The first chapter with David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Anyway, Christmas is coming soon and the next chapter will be coming soon as well.
Hope you all enjoyed it.