The Other Tyler - rewrite

Getting To Know The Doctor

FILLER

SAPPY SAPPY SAPPY 

Rose grinned as she peeked her head around Mei's bedroom door. She had wondered why it was so quiet when she woke up, she thought for sure Mei and the Doctor would have a lot to talk about. Instead she found the two stretched out on Mei's bed, the Doctor on his back with one arm behind his head, the other around Mei who was cuddled into his side, her head on his chest.

The blonde cooed at the peaceful smiles on their sleeping faces, and ensured her flash was off on her phone before proceeding to take several pictures of the two. Slipping out, she closed the door behind her and made it to her room before she squealed happily. The Tardis seemed to hum in amusement around her, and Rose could only guess she was as happy at the turnout as the blonde was.

Mei cracked her eye open at the sound of the door closing, and lifted her head to see who was there. Realising she and the Doctor were alone, she shrugged and lay her head back on his chest, knowing it had probably been Rose. She hummed under her breath as she got comfortable, tilting her head to look at the Doctor as the arm around her waist tightened.

"Morning," she greeted him, then made a face, "Sort of."

He laughed, "Morning works."

"I didn't think you slept, you always seem to be awake," Mei told him, "But you were asleep every time i woke up."

"I don't have to sleep," the Doctor told her, moving his hand from behind his head to play with her fingers on his chest, "But i can."

The brunette smiled, watching their hands for a moment. She was content to stay there all day, forever even. But she knew eventually they'd have to get up and go, someone somewhere would always need saved.

"Can i ask something?" she spoke up, but kept her voice quiet, " You don't have to answer."

"What is it?"

Mei steeled herself to ask, knowing she would probably be brushed off, "The other night, you said something about the last two of you. What did you mean?"

The Doctor's body tensed beneath her, and he stopped playing with her fingers. For a moment she expected him to get up and leave, but the Tardis seemed to hum encouragingly and instead he clasped her hand tightly.

"You know i'm 900 years old, but . . . i haven't had this face for those 900 years. Time Lords, we - i have a way to cheat death. My body, every cell, they re-write themselves. Physically and most of the time, psychologically too but we're still the same person at heart. It's called Regeneration."

Mei raised an eyebrow, sure she had given it some thought but she had really only come up with incredible healing factors and longevity. But now she was curious, was Regeneration just part of who they were? Was it to do with their DNA? Or was it some sort of evolution that humans would eventually reach?

The Doctor laughed slightly at her expression, "My people, we were never really sure how it happened. There were a lot of ideas and theories. The only thing i know for sure is that our people's exposure over billions of years to the Untempered Schism contributed to our ability to regenerate."

The Brunette scrunched her nose up in confusion, "Untempered Schism?"

"It's gap in the fabric of reality, or it was, and Time Lords could see the whole of the Vortex through it. When we entered the academy at the age of eight, we would be taken to the Schism and made to look inside. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad. And it hurt."

His hand tightened slightly around Mei's fingers and she held on just as tight. He glanced down at her, lost in memory and she smiled, waiting for him to continue.

"I ran of course, if it wasn't obvious," he laughed, "But my best friend - my only friend really - was one of the ones that were driven mad. After looking, he started hearing what he called 'Drums'. The other Time Lords started to act as if he was diseased, but they forgot that they were the ones that made it happen to him."

"So it was an initiation?" Mei asked, "You and your friend were forced into it? That's horrible."

Nodding, the Doctor said, "Anyway, when we regenerate, a Time Lord experiences a surge of pure energy. It's kind of like hormones, we release them during extreme trauma to save our lives. It's called Lindos, the hormone i mean. It can look different each time, but either way it still has the same effect. Age, hair, eyes, shape, size, accent, everything changes. Sometimes a Time Lord can control it, but only with enough will power and usually only when it's a willing regeneration. Some Time Lords even changed gender sometimes."

The brunette laughed at that, "You could turn into a girl?"

"Yup, but i'd be a pretty girl," he winked.

Mei laughed, unable to help herself from imagining it. She could picture him looking something like  Natalie Dormer. He was right, he'd be a pretty girl.

"You need to know something, Mei," The Doctor broke her out of her thoughts. "Regeneration is never insured, if I was to be killed during the process then I would be dead - no coming back. And each Time Lord only has a cycle of twelve regenerations."

"So," she narrowed her eyes in thought, "You will eventually die, and you won't come back?"

He nodded, moving his hand to her hair, tucking a curl behind her ear, "Everything changes in regeneration, everything."

"Everything," Mei repeated with a sad smile, "So even if you do feel something for me now, when you regenerate, it will be gone?"

The Doctor hesitated, looking uncomfortable, "Before, back when my people were alive, when we bonded or married for love, the feelings, the emotions between those people would remain through the regeneration. My first marriage, my first wife was out of convenience, i regenerated and what little toleration i had of her was gone. My second wife i loved, and i loved her through three more regenerations until she exhausted her own twelve. We might not love each other, but i know my feelings for you continue to grow. And i know when i regenerate, i'll keep those feelings. Of course you might not, and i would understand."

"That sounds as if you think i only like you for how you look," Mei frowned, "Honestly i don't care that you could change, as long as you continue to be who you are in your hearts, that's all that matters."

The Doctor smiled, a gentle look in his eye that caused Mei to blush, and he rubbed his thumb over her cheek bone.

"Mei-"

A shrill beep sounded through the Tardis, interrupting him. Both Mei and the Doctor sat up right, looking around as the time machine began to shake, slowly growing more violent. Despite being upset by the interruption, Mei laughed.

"Looks like it's time to save the world."