ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

V

Tears poured down Penelope's face, some soaking her neck and the collar of her jumper and some hitting the floor. She had her arms around herself and barely flinched when the alien ship was shot from the sky. Looking around, she had somehow made it back to her own estate.

A group of people were walking towards her, making quiet small talk until the woman on the end looked up and gasped. Jackie Tyler came storming towards her, worry all over her face.

The hug that she received was so motherly that it caused Penelope to break down all over again. She heaved out sobs that wracked her entire body and made her feel sick. Everyone else that was in the group came over, but it didn't matter to the crying woman.

She could feel herself being moved, but couldn't really comprehend it as it felt like the world crashed down on her.

The floor moved under her feet, and when she didn't collapse a few moments after she concluded that she was in the lift. People were quietly talking and she could feel some of the stares she was getting.

The first time she looked around at her surroundings again was when a deep purple blanket was put around her shoulders. She sniffled and reached forward to grab a tissue from her table. Faltering slightly when she caught a picture of herself and her mother in the centre. Tears started to pour down her face again and an arm went around her shoulders.

She could feel herself crying into a dressing gown but inside she was hollow, there wasn't a single emotion other than grief for her to cling to. So she clung to this person, whoever they were, for some semblance of normality. She used the tissue she had clenched in her hand to wipe her face and nose, knowing she looked like a wreck, and apologised to the man she had been crying on.

"Sorry. I- um, thank you." He smiled and there was a tug at her heart at the familiarity of his eyes.

"It's okay, take all the time you need." Penelope's small smile turned bashful, ears burning.

"Is it alright if I'm just touching you at all times. N-Not weirdly but I need an anchor right now and I don't think I can be alone." He nodded and she took a tight hold on the end of his dressing gown, thankful for whoever he was. Jackie sat on the other side of her.

"Why don't you tell us what happened Penelope." She sucked in a breath to calm herself down.

"Well like we learnt, all the A positives were controlled and sent to the rooftops. Me and my mum are A positive. But- well, my mum can't- couldn't walk very well anymore without assistance so when they stopped the control and everyone stepped back, there was no one for my mum and she went over." They all looked at her sympathetically and she tried not to hate it, the man that she held onto sat forward slightly.

"I'm so sorry Penelope." She shook her head, trying more to convince herself than the others.

"It's okay, she was going anyway, I could feel it. At least it wasn't drawn out and painful. She probably didn't even know what was happening." Tears built behind her eyes but she shook her head to disperse them, knowing she would rather this than having to pull the cord herself in a few weeks. The man frowned.

"You could've had months or years with your mother and I took that away." She was confused by his wording but reassured him anyway.

"Or we could've had days. There is no telling, and I didn't have to watch her deteriorate further. It is okay." He still looked so guilty and she could not figure out why.

Chatter started up in the room again. Rose, Jackie and Rose's boyfriend went into her kitchen to talk, leaving her with this man with the Doctor's eyes.

"I'm still so sorry Penelope." She frowned this time.

"I know you don't I. You're the Doctor, but with a different face? I know you're an alien but I wasn't expecting that." He smiled softly, maybe at her recognition, or maybe at her attempt to distract herself.

"I died, and when my people die, we regenerate. We change everything about ourselves to avoid death." She looked taken aback.

"You died?" He nodded, "and you're okay? You're sure you're okay emotionally and everything." He nodded again, a little bemused by her worry.

"I'm always okay."

"You can't tell me you died and then follow it by saying you're always okay. There is not a bigger way to contradict yourself." The both sit back in comfortable silence, occasionally laughing together at something that Jackie says or the sound of her smacking someone. He pats her hand that still held onto his sleeve.

"I know it isn't the best time. But do you want to come with me, you said yourself that you don't want to be alone." She did say that. "If you're not sure, you can come and see my ship, I've got to get a change of clothes." She nodded, happy to see something positive from outer space compared to everything else that has tried to kill her. Although she was desperate for an excuse to leave the room in which the walls had slowly started to creep closer to her.

In contrast, he marvelled at the pure wonder in her eyes, delighted that she would finally meet his eye so that he could pinpoint the different swirls of browns and golds she contained.

He grinned widely, the smile different from before but better, reaching his eyes and crinkling his forehead. Taking her hand, he pulled her off the sofa and out the door, the only way to tell they had been there was from the purple blanket lost in his rush.