The Defender of Time

Twenty-Six

PART THREE

In which things begin to look up for our heroine.

"Why do you have a bag packed? Where are you going?" The Doctor looked over his book (Advanced Quantum Mechanics, a biggie with a construction-site-yellow cover) and raised his eyebrows. "Did I miss something?"

Alessia sighed and shifted her backpack onto her other shoulder. "Sleepover at Gabby's, Dad," she droned. "You know about this. Mum told you."

The Doctor scoffed. "No she didn't!" He propped the book open with his index finger and crossed his legs. "I never approved a sleepover."

"You definitely did." Alessia walked the length of the console room and jumped down the step her father was on so she could sit next to him. "You're worried about me." It wasn't a question. "Come on, Dad."

"I'm not worried!" He protested. "I just don't like you being away from home. You know that."

There was another sigh, and Alessia shed her backpack to lean her head on the Doctor's shoulder. Today was the eighteen-month anniversary of her near-death experience, and she knew for a fact her father counted the days. So did she, but that didn't matter much. And now she was eleven-and-a-half. Basically a real grown-up. He needed to stop worrying about her.

They sat in silence, and her father took both of Alessia's hands in one of his. "We both know I'm lying," he finally said. "I'm definitely worried."

Alessia chuckled. "Yeah," she whispered. "I know you are." She lifted her cheek and gave her father a kind smile. "I'll let you take me on an adventure when I get home tomorrow," she offered.

The Doctor considered. "What do you mean, let me?"

"I mean, your choice. Whatever pyramid you want to see finished, whatever jungle you want to safari through. Anywhere."

"That's tempting."

They'd been in place for many months now, save the occasional trip to celebrate somebody's birthday or a school break; year 6 was winding down, and Alessia had passed with flying colors. She really did miss traveling, but that would get to her father's head, and she knew it. "We can go anywhere, all summer. Every different anywhere in the universe."

"You just keep growing up, don't you?" Rather than answer the question, he flipped it back on her. He  reached to tuck a piece of hair behind Alessia's ear. "I can't believe you're old enough for sleepovers now."

"Gabby's been having sleepovers since she was seven."

"Gabby tried to steal one of her dad's cigarettes. Not exactly a role model."

"I'm not even allowed to have her over to visit! Be nice to me!"

"You live in a time machine!"

Alessia pouted. "Fine." She kissed her father's cheek and picked up her bag, before making her way to the doorway to slip on her boots. "I'm going to Gabby's. Tell Mum I left. Bye, Dad! Love you!" She hurried out the door and closed it behind her, with a deep exhale. He and Clara could argue until she was back in the morning.

The walk to Gabby's house was warm, with a nice breeze and spots of late-afternoon sunshine. Alessia took a breath of the summer air and smiled to herself, letting her gait turn into a little skip. Gabby lived down the road from the park where the Doctor had decided to park the TARDIS, which was a couple blocks from Fairview Secondary, their new school. This meant that the two girls walked to school in the morning and stopped at the park in the afternoon to sit on the playground and work on their homework, when the weather permitted.