I Can't Even

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Well, of course," he said, pulling away completely. "Life is never fair."

"You of all people know that," she replied.

"Yeah, that's the thing, how do you know about me and my TARDIS?"

"Ha!" she said. "Your TARDIS? The way I remember it, you 'borrowed' it!"

The Doctor stood up from the console and put his sonic screwdriver in his jacket. "Well, yes. I did borrow her. Well, I say borrow. More like stole."

"Yeah, that's what the quotation marks were for..."

"But I don't understand! And I understand everything! I'm clever!"

Genie pursed her lips. She remembered the planet midnight. Maybe she should warn him about saying outright that he was clever. Nah. Paradox, right? "I don't think I can tell you. At least not yet..."

"Why not?"

"It just might rip a hole in the space time continuum."

"Ok then," the Doctor said. "That would be bad. But you said not yet. When can you?"

Genie thought for a moment. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, WAR, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. "Not until you've regenerated into the twelfth Doctor, not including the war Doctor."

"He wasn't the Doctor." he said coldly.

"Oi, come off it, mate!" she said, slipping into her British accent. "Oh, that's right you don't remember." She thought for a moment. "Listen, I'm going to tell you something. Gallifrey is still... somewhere."

His eyes brightened bit but darkened quickly. "Gallifrey is lost. Please, don't try to trick me about that."

Genie sat down and motioned for the Doctor to join her. When he sat down, she said, "The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and... ridiculous and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles, and... that's a theory." she quoted. Sure, she was quoting the person she was talking to, but the Doctor needed something. "You, your next incarnation, and all your past selves saved Gallifrey, but the paradox was too strong for you to remember. It's somewhere in a different universe, but no one knows where. Gallifrey falls no more."

"No but that..."

"It's true. Whether you believe me or not, it's true."

"I'll choose to believe you when I know you."

"Oh." Genie realized the Doctor knew nothing about her. "Let's play the 20 question game."

"Wait a second, you were telling me about Gallifrey."

"You can't go looking for it! 20 questions time!"

He sighed. "And what's that?"

"Well, it's kind of in the name," She said slowly. "Sheesh, for a genius you sure aren't that smart." The doctor looked offended. "Sorry," she said. sarcastically. "You take turns asking questions about each other until you both reach 20 questions. Hence the name 20 questions."

"Okay..."

"I'll go first," Genie said eagerly. "Um... Have you ever been to Venus?"

"Yes! I have! On Martha's first trip I had to lend her a toothbrush with Venusian spearmint that I acquired at a flea market on Ahkaten."

She sighed. "I love Ahkaten."

"You've been?"

"You could say that. Your turn."

"Okay. Where are you from?"

"Farmersburg, Indiana, U.S., North America, Earth, the solar system," she said smiling. "Where are you from? I mean, I know, I just want to hear you say it."

"I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous."

Genie squealed. "Sorry. Fangirling."

"Fangirling?"

"It's when you freak out about something you're obsessed with."

"You're obsessed with me?"

"No!" she said, realizing it was weird now that she figured out he was a real person. "I just-" she broke off when she saw him smiling. "There's the smile."

He laughed. He laughed! Genie couldn't believe it. But she was happy. Incredibly happy. She started laughing herself. She had made the Doctor smile. She was just wonderfully happy. Until-

"All trespassers will be exterminated," screeched a dalek in the hallway.

"You fixed that TARDIS thing, right?" she asked.

"Yup," he said getting up, staring at the doorway.

"We'll pick up on question two!"

They ran to the door and looked out the hallway. The dalek was turned around.

"All trespassers will be exterminated!"

They moved behind it. When it's eye stalk moved to the opposite way they were going, then they made a dash for the TARDIS. Home free.