Alex sighed to herself happily as the TARDIS' engines quietened, the ship landing with a jolt. This moment, this shining moment full of excitement and anticipation, was one of the things she loved most about travelling with the Doctor. She was about to step out onto a completely different world, one untouched by industry and colonialism. A young, beautiful, pure world.
The first few weeks, she'd thought she'd get used to it, that it would stop being so wonderful. But then, every time they landed somewhere new, she saw that same exhilarated grin on the Doctor's face, the same delight in those blue eyes, and he was over nine hundred years old. Perhaps it was one of those feelings that never went away. She felt so lucky that she got to experience it too. If this was how it would feel, then she'd never stop running. She'd travel the stars forever.
The Doctor joined her at the doors and, after a shared glance full of enthusiasm, they pushed the doors open, stepping out onto a huge dusty plain. An icy wind bit into Alex's skin, making her grateful she'd remembered to pick up her denim jacket. The air was fresh and clean, the cleanest she'd ever breathed, and it almost made her forget she was cold.
While the Doctor locked the doors, she took the chance to look at their surroundings. About half a mile away there was a thick, green forest, all dark and tangled and fringed with wild grass. There were solitary trees too, casting long shadows across the hard ground. Something, some urge deep inside her, made her want to just run and run, just to feel the wind rushing through her hair.
"Could this be any more beautiful?" she breathed, eyes wide.
"That's proper fresh Earth air, that," the Doctor agreed, taking a full, deep breath.
"And this is Bromley?"
"Well, they probably don't call it that yet," he pointed out. "Better warn you, there'll be a lot of wildlife. Wild wildlife."
She glanced across at him as they started off towards the forest. "What, like wolves?"
"Yeah." He grinned. "Plus bears, and wild dogs, and mammoths, and rabbits." Alex snorted at that. "Das said there was a particular strange tree."
"Hmm." Alex raised an eyebrow, eyeing the forest. "Only about 40,000 to check, then." She shivered as they entered the woods, pulling her jacket close around her. The Doctor didn't look at all bothered by the wind, strolling along in his leather jacket like normal. "Aren't you cold?"
"Nah." He shook his head, then put his arm around her to warm her up. "And there'll be humans," he continued. "The Neanderthals like the forests, so they'll be over there. Beckenham, Penge way. But your lot, you roam about everywhere. You like big empty spaces 'cause you're from Africa, the savannah. You jumped down when the trees there died out. Then a whopping great volcano went off, covered the planet in ash. Just a thousand of you left then, you could have just given up, but you set off and you conquered the place."
"Oh right, so we're not completely useless and evil then?" Alex raised her eyebrows, grinning fondly.
"Not completely." He shrugged. "Though you've got a thing about tree-felling."
She shook her head, looking around the forest in awe. "Can I just say, I really really like this place."
"'Course you do," he said. "You're adapted for it. This is where you belong, not sat on your behind scoffing Pringles and watching Loose Women." He poked his tongue out at her.
"With the heater on," she added, another shiver running down her spine.
He smiled, rubbing her arm. "Yeah. Why d'you think you invented clothes in the first place?"
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Watch Us Run |1| The Ascension | A Doctor Who/MCU Fanfiction
Science Fiction✅ approx 185,000 words. It's March 2005, and Alex Tyler is barely recovering from recent trauma. Living with her mum and older sister, she has good friends, and she's doing what she loves at work. But sometimes, she thinks, there has to be somethin...
