The TimeLord Who Changed

8

   BANG! BANG! BANG! My eyes open. I check my watch; it's 2:00 in the morning. "Ugggh. Doctor, wake up. There's someone outside the TARDIS," I inform him. He doesn't move. I shake him. Still, nothing. I groan. I roll out of the Doctor's bed and drag myself to the doors. I mumble, "I swear, if this is some rogue Cyberman, I am going to be very pissed." I open the doors. A boy roughly my height, about 20, stands there. He has red-brown hair, with a hint of stubble, and green eyes. I regard him with suspicion. "What do you want? Don't you realize how late it is?"

   He looks around, as if he's scared of something. Quickly, he asks, "This is the TARDIS, right? The Doctor's TARDIS?"

   "Um...yes? Why else would I be standing here? Now, answer me. What do you want?"

   "Something's following me. Can I come in?" he inquires. I gesture inside to let him know he's welcome. He smiles, and steps inside. I close the doors after him. I raise my eyebrows in askance. "Okay, well, I was just walking around London, right? Then, a chill runs up my back. A feeling, like I'm being followed, like--like I'm being watched takes over. I turn around. Nothing. But after walking another mile or so, I get that feeling again. I turn around once more, still nothing."

   "Okay, well...what do you want us to do? We only stop alien schemes and out-of-World Wars. We can't do anything about stalkers," I patiently tell him. "Say, what's your name?"

   He hesitates. "Bryan. Bryan Pond."

   "Pond? That's an odd last name. I feel I've heard it before, though..."

   "Oh, you may have heard of my grandparents, Amelia and Rory. When I was young, they told me they used to be companions of the Doctor. They were sent to the past by Weeping Angels. They adopted my dad when they were about 45, in 1946, and my dad married my mom, naturally, and they had me. So here I am."

   I take a few seconds to process this. I glance at the door to the hallway that holds the bedrooms. I glance back to Bryan. "BRB." I dash to the Doctor's bedroom. "DOCTOR!" I shout. He wakes up with a start.

   "Clara, what is it?" he groans.

   I take his hand and drag him out of bed. I pull him to the console room and show him Bryan. Bryan tells us his story again. When he's done, the Doctor replies, "Of course they had to adopt. After Demon's Run, Amy couldn't have kids again...and it makes sense they would adopt so late. They probably wanted to make sure their grandchild was born late enough so he could meet me. I still can't believe...do you mind if I touch your face?" Bryan nods awkwardly. The Doctor brings his finger to Bryan's cheek. They stare into each other's eyes. "After all these years, the Ponds still managed to pass down their attractiveness in the family. You have Amy's eyes, and Rory's hair," the Doctor declares

   Bryan steps back. "Doctor, how many times have you regenerated?" he inquires softly. "My grandparents showed me pictures of you and them from when they were younger. They told me all kinds of stories about you."

   The Doctor chuckles. "Of course they would. I'm...I'm the Thirteenth. I'm old. Do you want a tour? Of the TARDIS, I mean."

   Bryan grins from ear to ear. "I would love a tour," he answers. The Doctor and his new friend wander off, leaving me in the console room.

   I frown. "I just had to let a stranger in," I grumble. I decide to go back to bed. I stumble to my own bedroom and jump right into bed. I close my eyes, hoping to fall asleep as fast as possible. Unluckily, as soon as I do, my bedroom door is opened.

   "This is my companion Clara's room! As you can see, the room is currently occupied, so we should probably go before she mauls us!" the Doctor speculates. Bryan and he disappears. I roll my eyes in disgust. Damn son-of-a-Pond. I close my eyes again, hoping that Bryan will 'accidentally' drown in the pool on the other side of the TARDIS.

   A thought strikes me. Am I jealous? Jealous of a college sophomore who's descended from one of the Doctor's most beloved companions? Seems ridiculous. The Doctor's not gay, as far as I know. Unless...he's bi? Or pan? What if he doesn't know? What if this one, simple boy changes the Doctor's life forever? No, that can't be right. I'm probably just being paranoid. There's always a possibility, though, that I'm right. I should go find them just in case.

   I roll out of bed. I rush out the door and go looking. "Bryan? Doctor!" I call, growing more worried. I turn into the hall that goes to the library, pool, and observatory. I open the door to the library. No one's in there. I open the door to the observatory. Still, nothing. I open the door to the pool. No one. Maybe the media room? I make a right to the recording studio, TV studio, and media room hallway. I enter the recording studio. They aren't there. Nor are they in the TV studio. I pull open the media room door.

   They're watching television. That's all. They aren't kissing or anything. I sigh of relief. They turn around as soon as they hear me breathe. The Doctor asks, "Clara?"