The Time Witch

Born Again

(Can we just take a moment to appreciate David Tennant and all his adorable glory in that picture? lol)

I bite my lip, watching the Doctor as he rushes around the console. Rose was hiding halfway behind a coral pillar, holding onto it. Hermione was staring at the Doctor in shock; she knew about regeneration, but she'd never seen it before now.

"6 PM... Tuesday... October... 5006... On the way to Barcelona!" the Doctor turns to me, grinning and extremely pleased with himself, oblivious to the two humans. "Now then... what do I look like?" he asks and I open my mouth to answer, but he holds up a hand before I can. "No, no no, no no no no no no no. No. Don't tell me," he points at me and I shake my head, amused. "Let's see... two legs, two arms, two hands..." he moves his wrist, testing it. "Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle," he frowns before his hands fly up to his hair. "Hair! I'm not bald!" he laughs, making me giggle as he runs his hands through his hair excitedly. "Oh, Oh! Big hair! Eva, come feel it!" he beams at me. 

I roll my eyes with a smile as I step up to him. The Doctor smiles giddily as he leans down to my level and I run my hands through his amazingly soft new hair. 

The Doctor suddenly feels the sides of his face: "sideburns, I've got sideburns!" he cheers. "Or really bad skin," he grimaces. 

"They're sideburns, your skin's fine, sweetie," I snort. 

The Doctor smiles and straightens back up, slapping his stomach: "little bit thinner... that's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it," he shrugs. "I... have got... a mole, I can feel it," he says, looking as though he's discovered the cure to some rare disease. "Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole," he rotates his shoulders. "That's alright, love the mole," he grins happily. "Want to see it?" 

"No, keep your clothes on, bozo," I snort. 

"Go on then, tell me," he straightens and holds his hands out. "What do you think?"

I go to answer, but once again I'm cut off: "who are you?" Rose asks, her voice quiet and scared. 

The Doctor and I both turn to her, his face falling and mine turning a little sheepish. I had basically forgotten they were here. 

"I'm the Doctor," he frowns at her. 

"He's the Doctor," I nod, pointing at him.

"No..." Rose shakes her head. "Where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?" she asks, her voice rising.

"You saw me, I... I changed..." the Doctor points over his shoulder. "...right in front of you," he mutters. 

"Rose, it's... it's really him," Hermione says, coming out of her shocked state. 

"Bookworm!" the Doctor cheers, rushing over to her. "Come here, you!" he pulls her into a tight hug, making her squeak in surprise.

"You're not him," Rose shakes her head as he pulls away from Hermione. "I saw him sort of explode, and then you replaced him, like a... a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something," she takes a few steps toward him and pushes his chest. 

The Doctor rocks back on his feet, hurt and completely lost for words. I stare at Rose... I knew she'd have a hard time understanding, but she literally saw him change with her own eyes. 

"You're not fooling me," Rose glares at the Doctor. "I've seen all sorts of things. Nano genes... Gelth... Slitheen..." she gives him a dark look and he just raises his eyebrows. "Oh, my God, are you a Slitheen? Eva, get away from him!" she grabs my hand and pulls me behind her.