My Rival, My Doctor

Chapter 22

A/N ok so trying this if it doesn't work probably won't do it again

3rd Person

Celeste and the Doctor were starting the TARDIS up while Rose was saying goodbye to her family. She took a break to gaze at the heartwarming goodbye. "I think I want a companion," Celeste stated.

The Doctor grinned. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "It's just-people, not even aliens, shouldn't be alone." He stared at her thoughtfully. The Doctor just kissed her forehead and tapped her nose lovingly.

Celeste groaned, "Stop doing that! I'm not a child!"

Rose entered cheerfully. "So where are we going?"

The Time Lords looked deviously at each other. The Doctor answered, "Further than we've ever gone before." She shrugged and watched the pair work the TARDIS.

They seemed to fit like a puzzle, but there was no missing Celeste's eyes when they shone with doubt.

But now, they shone with excitement when she saw the massive city across the river with flying cars over it. "It's the year five billion and twenty three," he explained, "We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth."

"That's just-" Rose stuttered, "That's just-"

Celeste smiled approvingly. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky." She paused before asking, "What's that smell?" Celeste sniffed, not realizing.

"Apple grass."

"Apple grass," Rose repeated.

"Yeah," she agreed, "Yeah."

"It's beautiful," Rose exclaimed, "Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it." Celeste smiled, thinking about a person who could travel with her.

"Me too," she said, "Come on." They all took a seat, looking at the magnificent city. Celeste couldn't stop smiling, but her eyes still deceived her.

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," the Doctor explained, "So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars."

"Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place," Celeste continued, "Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

"What's the city called?"

"New New York," he answered.

She laughed. "Oh, come on."

"It is," he insisted, "It's the city of New New York."

Celeste noted, "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." She noticed Rose staring at them. "What?"

"You're so different," she commented.

The Doctor joked, "New New Doctor."

"Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?" Rose pleaded.

"Well, I thought we might go there first." He pointed at an elegant pair of curved skyscrapers standing apart from the city on the side of river they were sitting. Celeste noticed the green moon on the side and shuddered. One thing that didn't go when she regenerated was her discomfort of hospitals.

"Why, what is it?" Rose questioned.

"Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side," the Doctor pointed out, "That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this. A message on the psychic paper." He held it out for the girls to read it.