Doctor Oneshots

New. (A Regeneration fic)

Light. Blinding, painful light. Burning through every part
of him, he can feel it. In his hands, his face, his body, a
burning. He's shrinking, stretching, compressing, every proportion changing, and burning.

But he's seen it all, done it all before. He's
old, impossibly old. But he's also new, untested, young.
He's seen everything and nothing, knows everything and
nothing, met a million people and not even one.

Suddenly, the light is over, and he stumbles, adjusting
quickly to a new body. Difficult to move, to balance. He
pulls air into new lungs, his first breath. New eyes search
across the room, taking in the familiar unfamiliar place
all over again. But something's different this time.

There's a girl, small and blond, in a pink jacket, staring
at him with wide hazel eyes. She's frightened, and shocked,
and tired...and the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
She's his Rose, and he died for her, he remembers suddenly.
He died to save her because...This mind acknowledges the
feeling, at least to itself. That's different...He likes
it. Anyway...he cares about her. He cares so much about her,
and she's alright. Good. Job well done then.

Wait, wait, wait, he was in the middle of something. What
was he doing?

He was saying something. They were going to go somewhere.

OH! But he ought to introduce himself again, as he's
changed, even if he doesn't quite know who "himself" is
yet. He could be anyone now. What what he like? All he
knows  right now is the Rose, Rose Tyler, is so important,
and he ought to introduce himself.

What if she doesn't like him anymore? The thought occurs to him suddenly. He's
changed. What if she hates him now?

What is that little feeling? In the pit of his stomach? Is
he...nervous? That's different. Nervous. Alright.

Say something! Alright.

"Hello. Alright-oh."

He feels around his new mouth. It felt
awkward, less room.

"New teeth, that's weird. Anyway, where
were we?"

Dogs. No noses. The planet, not the city.

"Oh yes!"

His first grin with this face, and it's for her, all wide
and cheeky, teeth and tongue. He hopes she likes it.

"Barcelona!"