The Artist and the Doctor

Chapter 13

A loud yawn escaped my lips as I stretched out my limbs. Settling back into the pillows I sighed in content. Wait, pillows? I opened my eyes and noticed that I was in my bed in the TARDIS. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and gazed around the room. I thought I was in a cab with the Doctor and Sherlock. My gaze settled on a small vase with a single red rose in it along with a handwritten note, a plate of biscuits and a glass of water resting on my bedside table.

Reaching over and I grabbed the note off the stand, it read:

Claire,

I hope you slept well last night. You fell asleep in the cab; I didn't want to wake you so I carried you back to your bed in the TARDIS. If you're hungry I left out some biscuits for you. If need be, the TARDIS can guide you to the kitchen. I'm with Sherlock investigating weeping angel stuff. I'll be back later. Feel free to check out the library, the pool, the arcade room, the trampoline room, etc. Just have the TARDIS lead you there; I don't want you to get lost.

The Doctor

PS: Please stay in the TARDIS!!!!!

I placed the letter back down on the table and climbed out of bed. I sniffed the rose inhaling its sweet scent before taking a biscuit and nibbling on it. I looked around my room sadly. Without the Doctor running about, it felt lonely. Deciding to get washed up I headed for the bathroom and took a nice hot shower. After showering and taking care of the usual routine of brushing teeth, brushing hair, spraying body spray, etc. I went to the closet to select my outfit for the day.

I chose a simple red and black-checkered button up shirt with a pair of ripped black skinny jeans. I concluded my outfit with a pair of black plat-formed converse, a black feather necklace, and a black serpent ring. I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail and headed for the console room of the TARDIS.

I ran my fingers along the side of the console earning a soft hum from the TARDIS. Smiling back at her I continued to admire all of the different buttons, controls, and levers. Every time I looked around this place I couldn't believe that I was actually aboard such an amazing ship with an equally amazing man. I shook the thought out of my head. Yes, the Doctor was amazing, but it seemed like whenever I was around him a warm fuzzy feeling would fill me along with a small spark of adrenaline. Claire, you just met him a few days ago. Don't start developing feelings for someone you just met. No, mushy feelings! It's probably just all of the dangerously fun places he's been taking you to lately. Not feelings of attraction.

My thoughts were interrupted suddenly by my cell phone ringing. Surprised I pulled the cellular device out of my pocket and read the caller ID: Home. My heart skipped a beat. Oh god. I knew this would happen eventually, I just wasn't expecting it so soon. How am I going to explain myself? Why haven't I thought this through yet? Knowing that I was going to have to talk to them eventually, I decided to just get it over with and wing it.

"Hello."

"Claire! Oh thank goodness you're okay!" My mom practically screamed on the other line causing me to wince. Thankfully she lowered her voice back to normal afterwards. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick. You decide to make contact after what? A year! We thought you were dead!"

"I know. I am very truly sorry. I kept loosing track of time." I half-lied.

"How could you lose track of a year?"

"School ended up not being enough for me so I dropped out and decided to travel the world." This was true. I had called my college our first day with the Ponds, informing them that I was going to drop out. It all became official a few days afterwards. And I was traveling... just a bit more than the world...