To Be Continued (A Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Chapter Twelve: New Outlooks

I sat there for six minutes, staring and waiting and expecting to wake up at any minute.
The TARDIS door slowly creaked open, leaking pale yellow light into the room.
"Doctor...?" I asked.
No answer. I quietly slipped from bed, carefully tiptoeing toward the TARDIS.
His head popped out and, once again, I nearly jumped out of my own skin.

"Well come along, then. What's the hold--" he started, and paused as soon as his confused eyes fell upon me, "...Oh. Wrong...year?"

"I guess that depends on who you're looking for," I replied.
"Well, you. But not this you. More of an older...ginger you."
"I GO GINGER?!" I probably shouldn't have been as excited as I was about a hair color I could have changed at any point in time.
"Oh yes! Smashingly ginger!" we smiled at each other, overly-enthusastic, until he remembered something and ran back into the TARDIS.
A moment later, he was back in my room with a pointy, frilly, glittery hat atop his head. He pulled another from behind his back and shouted,"Happy Birthday!"
"I am NOT putting that on my head," I laughed.
"Oh, yes you are, little human," and he straped it on before I had the chance to physically protest.
I argued as he pulled me into the TARDIS, "Doctor where are we going? I'm in my pajamas!" he gave me a good look-over.
"Indeed you are...Talia, how many times have I taken you in the TARDIS before today?"
"Twice."
"How many times have we left Earth?"
My eyes and smile widened ten fold,"NEVER?!?!?!?!?!!!!"

A very excitedly wry smile played it's way across his lips. "Gooooood. Oh, just brilliant! A very happy birthday it is! What would you like to see?  Appalapachia? Ember--well before the acid rain, of course.  Or maybe The Medusa Cascade?!"

My very first off-world adventure, & I was expected to know the hot spots? "Surprise me?"I finally answered.

"I knew you would say that!" he yanked a lever. "No, honestly I did. You've told the story of your first real TARDIS trip millions of times. It does get a bit old."
I smiled sinisterly.
"I've just created a monster, haven't I?"

~~~
My first inter-worldly trip was a surprising success. The Doctor and I visited a planet where golden apples grew on vines & there were no creatures who even slightly resembled humans for lightyears. He explained to me about the TARDIS and the many perks of being a time-traveler, and he told me very little of my future, or his past.
We jumped off of a cliff, at the bottom of which was a portal right back up to the top. We drank the lemonade-flavored sap from an orange-coloured tree. We had lunch with bugs who had cartoon faces.

All that, and the TARDIS had me back home before the sun rose on puny little Cardiff.
I was half asleep when he carried me to bed and tucked the covers up around my shoulders.
"Happy birthday,  Elizabeth Talia Hoffnung. I will see you very soon."

*Hey! Look at me, posting all late & whatnot. I do apologize. I've just started work again. Boo.
I know this chapter isn't the best, but it is all building up to something;  I promise. Meanwhile, if there's anyone you guys would like to see pop up in the story, let me know! Companions, villains, monsters, random characters.  Whatever! :)

Thanks so much for reading!*