The Unexpected Hero

All My Fault

LACEY

"Maybe we can just leave him," the Master laughed, "and where's his shirt?"

I couldn't bring myself to speak. I stared at the red rose in the clay pot, feeling Rubie's arms around me.

"We came to help. It was that painting, wasn't it? Oh, God... The last time..." She was broken off by her laughter.

"Don't worry," the Master smiled at me warmly, "we'll help him resurface."

The way he said it was suspicious to me. I placed the Doctor's shirt over his bare chest, squealing when the Master appeared with a bucket of ice. What... I didn't even see him leave!

"Can we pour it on him?" Rubie clapped excitedly. Without permission she had the bucket in hand, and tipped it all over the Doctor... And my bed! I knew she didn't consider it until she had done it, because the expression on her face was of horror and apology. Plus guilt. So much guilt.

The Doctor screamed, grabbing onto me and flicking his hair.

"Where am I?" He had the happiest smile on his face. I was scared.

"Don't you remember? You're at Lacey's house, dumbass," Rubie's angered tone was contorted with her guilt. She hated stating the obvious.

"Who's Lacey?" The Doctor's eyes were bright, "oh, that must be you! Hello, I'm the..."

"Doctor, stop it," the Master rolled his eyes with boredom. "Don't pretend like you don't know."

"Master? I thought you were..." The Doctor slid off the bed. "Where's my shirt... Where's my TARDIS? Where's my... The Cybermen, they..."

I stared into the Doctor's eyes. There was a sparkle in his eyes. A present shimmer, like a diamond in the sunlight.

"What's wrong with him?" Rubie frowned.

"What's wrong with me? Everything, ha! I'm a madman with a box. Where is my box?"

"I ruined him!" I screamed in pain, "wait, not ruin. It's just his state of mind..."

"It's Eleven!" Rubie whispered to me excitedly, "he's all nice and shit!"

My mind boggled with crazy thoughts. If the Doctor was nice... Wouldn't that affect the Master?

The Doctor wouldn't stop grinning at me. I was so confused and scared. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful the Doctor was OK, but the bump on his head had a serious persona changing effect.

"Where's my TARDIS?" The Doctor repeated to me. I sighed.

"Close by, Doctor," I smiled wryly.

"Maybe he wants to leave," Rubie shrugged.

I stormed out of my bedroom, taking the rose from its pot and leaving Rubie and the Master to ponder with the new problem. I opened the door to my yard, and walked into the cool night air.

Dilly sat on my shoulder, looking up at me sadly. The beautiful being reflected my upset face.

"You have yourself a Diliges fae," the Doctor stated.

"Yep," I exhaled, "from Appalapachia."

"The Master?" Doctor blinked.

"No," I answered. "You."

Dilly eased herself onto the Doctor's shoulder.

"Doctor," she hummed. I eyed the TARDIS and then ruffled my hair.

"Doctor and Lacey," she said softly and melodically, making me stop.

Was that...

"Dilly, stop," I tapped my shoulder, gesturing her a place to stand on, "the Doctor's not looking for..."

"Why are you so important to me?" The Doctor slinked closer to me suspiciously. His words made me go red.

"Maybe it's just Dilly," I looked away from him.

"No. My hearts..." He breathed in deeply. I locked fingers with the Doctor and dragged him towards the TARDIS. He pushed the 'pull to open' TARDIS door, spinning around and laughing hysterically.

"Old girl, you wonderful thing!" He cackled.

"She's amazing," I sat down on the steps, meeting the Doctor's eye. He disappeared to somewhere I couldn't see, but it didn't bother me. A few dead silent minutes rushed by, and then the silence was broken.

"Who are you?!" The Doctor screamed, appearing with my work clothing from changing for the costume party, "how do you have a room?!"

I was in disbelief. The Doctor made me a room? In the TARDIS?

"What... Where?" I muttered, following the now agitated Doctor down the confusing corridors of the TARDIS, and into the room that was supposedly 'mine'.

My breath held back in shock. The room was beautiful, simply decorated and spacey. Spacey wacey. The salty tears ran down my cheeks and onto my lips.

"Doctor," I took short breaths, "you did this. All of this..." I couldn't stand my thoughts. Sure, it was just a room, with a bed, a mirror... Yeah, we all have rooms. But this room was made for me... In the TARDIS!

I jumped up when I saw two photos separately framed, inhabiting the bedside table. There was a photo of the Doctor and I at the costume party, which I don't remember even being in. The other photo was a picture the Doctor took of me and Dilly in the TARDIS. I tried to find Dilly in the room, but all I saw was a white pot and a...

The fae chirped happily, flying around the Doctor. Then it hit me; the Doctor cared about me. He brought me to the costume party, he offered me a trip to somewhere. He...

I impulsively pressed my lips against the Doctor's. He had his hands uncomfortably slacked by his side, the reaction I was expecting and honestly not hoping for. His lips were cold, most likely from the icy water, but I still wondered about the Time Lord's well being.

He ran his lips under his palm and smiled at me gently. The fob watch contains the memory of the Time Lord, I thought, but where...

"Sorry," I shrugged, "I just forgot you uh, forgot."

"We've... Done that before?" His eyes stayed focused on me.

"Once before," I flexed my fingers.

Doctor brought us back to the main control room, and then out the doors of the TARDIS.

"I need to get some things sorted," the Doctor's voice was at a fast rate, "give me two minutes."

Two minutes didn't mean two minutes. To him it did, but to me, it meant two years, two decades... Two lifetimes. Dilly and I wandered away at the sound of the dissolving TARDIS.

I started to strip the icy water-soaked sheets off my bed, and replace them as quickly but carefully as I could manage in this moment.

I prepared myself for a three AM shower, glancing at the clock.

Two minutes, I sighed, and I'll be in the shower. He'll meet Rubie and take her from the Master and leave, instead of me. He'll leave me alone for the rest of my life. He forgot about me.

And it's all my fault.

"Lacey, I'm definitely staying here with you. The Master can skedaddle, just us girls, eh?" She sounded like she was serious, and excited.

"Are you sure you can stay away from him for more that an hour?" I laughed, smiling at my words.

"Hey!" She popped her head through the shower room door as I turned on the light and the fan. We both screamed with laughter at our awkward smirks, then Rubie closed the shower room door and left me to it.

The shower relaxed my muscles and took my painful thoughts away. There was something about water that was always cleansing, not just to physically clean but mentally, too. Especially showering, its like the thoughts just wash away...

Oh, shit.