Stellar Collision

Chapter 13

The TARDIS rematerialized in the very same corner it had the first time. Dayle emerged first, still inside her own head as she stepped from the large control room into her small motel room.

The dreary backdrop of room 10 at the Kirkmore Rest Well Motel was contrast enough to snap her out of it.

"Well, this has been the most insane 24 hours of my life." she laughed, rubbing her eyes. She felt like she'd been awake for days.

The Doctor stepped out smiling. "It has been quite a day for you. You reached into a parallel universe like one of those carnival claw machines and pulled out a Time Lord. Doesn't exactly happen every day."

He surveyed the room, walking first to the window and pulling the heavy curtain back and forth. When he tired of that, he walked to the small outer bathroom area and examined the wall mounted hair dryer.

Dayle collapsed onto the bed. She heard the hair dryer turn on. Turn off. Turn on again.

"CAN YOU NOT?" she shouted with humor in her voice. She chuckled. "It's almost like you're an alien or something" she joked.

The Doctor finally settled into the peach upholstered chair. They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds. The Doctor fidgeted. Dayle started feeling a bit ill-at-ease lounging on the bed with a strange man in the room. She sat up quickly, adjusted her skirt, crossed her legs.

"So..." the Doctor finally began earnestly. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I don't know." she admitted after a beat. "Are you?"

His expression turned puzzled. "Me? Of course I'm alright. I'm always alright." he said dismissively.

"Doctor," Dayle paused, choosing her words. "You are haunted."

That one clearly caught him off guard. He started to protest but Dayle interrupted.

"Claircognizant, remember?" she pointed at herself with a small smile.

When he didn't reply, she continued. "When you hugged me, when you held my hand, the psychic bond was still very strong. I saw a lot. And I saw into your heart."

"Hearts." the Doctor murmured, clearly uncomfortable.

"Doctor, I've seen some of your adventures through your eyes. I saw a ton of friends, companions. I felt a brilliant mind. But you may well be the most troubled person I've ever met... and that's coming from a girl who currently lives in a motel room and will likely have leftover grilled cheese for breakfast."

The Doctor smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "And what else did you see there, eh?" he asked, softly, almost coldly.

Dayle wasn't about to let his harshness deter her. She needed to tell him something. Needed him to understand.

"I saw regret and guilt. I saw a war..."

"I'm not even remotely interested in discussing that with you." he snapped. His jaw was set. His eyes darker than she'd ever seen them.

"Doctor, I don't need to hear about any of it." she said, getting angry herself now. "You don't have to talk it out with me. You don't need to tell me how you fucking feel. You don't have discuss it at all because I saw it. I felt it." Her eyes bore into him, unrelenting.

"And the point of all this?" he asked, crossing his arms, closing himself off.

"You are good." She said simply.

He had been poised to argue but appeared caught off guard by her statement. "What?"

"You asked me what I saw there. In your heart, well hearts I guess. Freakin weirdo." (she muttered that last bit under her breath). "And it doesn't matter how cold you try to act, how angry you get, I know the truth. And the truth is, you are one of the good guys." She smiled sadly. "And I'm not sure I've ever even met a good guy."