"I hate repeats," he says, trying to stop his voice from breaking. He kisses her forehead, and with a few final words, he steps out of existence.
At least, that’s what he’d thought would happen. He's pretty sure that the opposite of existence is more void and oblivion and nothingness and less red grass and orange sky and silver trees. In fact, he's very sure he shouldn't be seeing any of this at all, under any circumstances, and the fact that he is is more than a little worrying.
"So why am I here?" he says, then spins on his heel. There’s no trace of a crack, not anymore. There are, however, two very familiar little boys staring at him.
He grins helplessly. "Hello."
"What are you doing here?" Koschei asks, in an annoyed, imperious voice. "This is my father’s property."
"I’m sorry," the Doctor says. "I never meant to trespass. Truth is, I’m sort of really, extremely lost."
"We should take him back with us," his very, very past self says to Koschei. "Your father will-"
"No, no," the Doctor interjects. "That’s probably not a good idea."
"Why not?" Koschei asks, face screwed up in confusion.
"So many reasons," he says, eyes flitting from Koschei to his younger self. Then, he sighs. "Oh, just look at you two. So young. So much ahead of you."
They both look a little uncomfortable at that, and he clears his throat. "Anyway. I wasn’t lying about being lost. Have you seen any big, glowing cracks in the fabric of space-time lying around? I’m desperately hoping so, because otherwise I might need to steal a TARDIS to get out of here and things could get messy." He frowns. "I probably shouldn’t have told you that."
Both boys’ eyes widen.
"Something like that?" Koschei asks, pointing behind the Doctor.
He glances over his shoulder, and breathes a sigh of relief. "Yes, exactly like that, which means I'd better be off." He hesitates, waffling, then looks at his past self. "There’s so much I want to tell you."
"Like what?" his past self asks, looking up at him.
"Trust me; you'll find out someday." The Doctor ruffles the boy’s hair and turns toward Koschei. "And as for you, I just want to say... goodbye. And I'm sorry."
He turns and heads quickly toward the light, ignoring the questions behind him. Stepping through, he finds himself back in the TARDIS. "Thank you, Amelia Pond," he breathes. He runs off to find his tuxedo, and tries to put the unexpected homecoming far out of his mind.
no subject
"I hate repeats," he says, trying to stop his voice from breaking. He kisses her forehead, and with a few final words, he steps out of existence.
At least, that’s what he’d thought would happen. He's pretty sure that the opposite of existence is more void and oblivion and nothingness and less red grass and orange sky and silver trees. In fact, he's very sure he shouldn't be seeing any of this at all, under any circumstances, and the fact that he is is more than a little worrying.
"So why am I here?" he says, then spins on his heel. There’s no trace of a crack, not anymore. There are, however, two very familiar little boys staring at him.
He grins helplessly. "Hello."
"What are you doing here?" Koschei asks, in an annoyed, imperious voice. "This is my father’s property."
"I’m sorry," the Doctor says. "I never meant to trespass. Truth is, I’m sort of really, extremely lost."
"We should take him back with us," his very, very past self says to Koschei. "Your father will-"
"No, no," the Doctor interjects. "That’s probably not a good idea."
"Why not?" Koschei asks, face screwed up in confusion.
"So many reasons," he says, eyes flitting from Koschei to his younger self. Then, he sighs. "Oh, just look at you two. So young. So much ahead of you."
They both look a little uncomfortable at that, and he clears his throat. "Anyway. I wasn’t lying about being lost. Have you seen any big, glowing cracks in the fabric of space-time lying around? I’m desperately hoping so, because otherwise I might need to steal a TARDIS to get out of here and things could get messy." He frowns. "I probably shouldn’t have told you that."
Both boys’ eyes widen.
"Something like that?" Koschei asks, pointing behind the Doctor.
He glances over his shoulder, and breathes a sigh of relief. "Yes, exactly like that, which means I'd better be off." He hesitates, waffling, then looks at his past self. "There’s so much I want to tell you."
"Like what?" his past self asks, looking up at him.
"Trust me; you'll find out someday." The Doctor ruffles the boy’s hair and turns toward Koschei. "And as for you, I just want to say... goodbye. And I'm sorry."
He turns and heads quickly toward the light, ignoring the questions behind him. Stepping through, he finds himself back in the TARDIS. "Thank you, Amelia Pond," he breathes. He runs off to find his tuxedo, and tries to put the unexpected homecoming far out of his mind.