Never Be Lonely

I check my phone and take a sip of my tea. I turn around and freeze. “you” I whisper. “Yes.” He says with a smirk. “You’re-you’re back” I whisper. “Yes. I am.” He responds in that sickening tone of his. “You’re-you’re-” “Yes. I am.” He says. I slowly start to back away. “What do you want from me?” I say in a barely auditable voice. “What do I want? Why, you of course. I want you.” “Me?” I ask, continuing to back up until I hit the wall. “Yes. You. Think of all we could be. Miri and the Master. We could take over the world, you and I. And when the Doctor comes to stop us, he wouldn’t be able to hurt you. He wouldn’t be able to destroy a young girl.”

I press against the wall, wishing it could break and I would be free of the proposal this horrible man continues to voice. “So what do you say? Stay here and continue to wait for your petty Doctor, or join me, and control the world!” He takes a step closer to me and utters in a low voice. “Join me.” I grit my teeth and straighten my shoulders. I will not let him control me. “No.” I say, and then louder. “No.” “Excuse me?” He asks, obviously surprised. “No. I said no.” He narrows his eyes. “Is that your final answer?” “I said no. The answer will always be no, no matter what you do and how ever many times you ask.” He utters something that sounds very much like a growl. “You stupid, stupid girl…” he hisses under his breath as he starts to come towards me with fire in his eyes. I reach my hand into my pocket. Just as he is about to strike me I rise up my sonic screwdriver and press the button. The Master freezes as the TARDIS starts to materialize, making that magical noise that gives so many hope. Especially me.

“Now what you didn’t realize is that the Doctor already came to me. He gave me this sonic in case I was ever in trouble. How could you even think that I would abandon the Doctor like that? And do you honestly believe he would abandon me? The Doctor will always come. That was your mistake Master. The Doctor will never desert me. He is the center of hope, and wonder and magic. He is the Doctor, he is the Oncoming Storm, and believe me. He is angry.”

The TARDIS finishes materializing and the Doctor comes out, looking around anxiously for me. As his eyes find mine, he notices the Master, cowering in the corner. He storms up to him, drags him up, and started pulling him to the TARDIS. “Well come on!” He calls to me. I grin and run into the magically bigger-on-the-inside TARDIS. My smile immediately vanishes as I see the Doctor yelling furiously at the Master. “How dare you! I will kill you for what you did! How dare you try to hurt her! I will kill you! I will bloody kill you-”

“Doctor” I whisper, holding back tears. He turns around. I shake my head and wipe away tears. “What?” He asks quietly. “Don’t- don’t…” anger flares in his eyes “He tried to kill you!” I keep shaking my head, looking down. “It’s just… you killed them. You killed all of them.” “Why are we talking about that?” He asks angrily. “You killed all of them. And you regret it so much. You wish you could change it. Wish that they were alive. Now there’s another one. Another Time Lord. Your wish has been granted. I just… well I just… I just don’t want you to be lonely.” He looks at me, surprised. “Without him, you’ll keep picking up companions. Caring so much about them, and then having them die, with you always surviving. With him… you don’t have to be lonely anymore. You can travel together survive together. You’ll never be lonely again.”

“But what about you?” he asks quietly. I give a smile that both of us know is fake. “I’ll be here. I’ll stay here.” “But-” I press the sonic screwdriver into his hand and curl my fingers around it. “I’ll be fine. But you… you will never be able to accept and forgive yourself if you keep living the way you are. Loving people and losing them.” I remove my hand from his. “Please. Please just stay with him. I just want you to be happy.” He looks at me, and his expression is one I have never seen before-pure, utter gratitude.

“Alright” he whispers. “But keep this.” He says, pressing the sonic back into my hand. “I-I can’t…” “If you ever need help, ever. Any time, any place. If you are in trouble, call me and I will come.” I nod, tears threatening to spill over. I look at him, and slowly turn around and walk towards the door. “Miri” he calls. I turn. “Thank you.” He says, staring into my eyes with a look that made me want him to take me in his arms and never let go. “Thank you. For everything.” I nod with a thin smile. I slowly push open the door to the TARDIS, and step out. I look back, taking in my last look of the Doctor’s face, and I close the door.

I make it two steps away and collapse, sobbing, gripping the sonic screwdriver, the last piece I have of the Doctor. And then. In a moment before the TARDIS dematerialized, I thought I heard the door open. Imagined the Doctor watching me, silently, with a look on his face that would break the heart of any who might see. And then the box faded away, leaving me, alone. Forever in constant need of a Doctor.