The Littlest Timelord: Outtakes/Deleted Scenes

Orion

Summary: Elise wants a pet for the TARDIS and the Doctor is more than happy to indulge her.

A/N - This was a request on my fanfiction.net account.

It was a quiet day in the TARDIS.

Amy and Rory were at home enjoying wedded bliss, so it was just Elise and the Doctor traveling alone.

The Doctor was down below the console while Elise sat on the stairs near him, sketching River.

There hadn't been a lot of adventures lately so there was nothing to put in her diary.

"Dad?" Elise asked.

"Yes?"

"Could we get a pet for the TARDIS?" She'd been wanting a pet ever since staying at Craig's.

The Doctor smiled and jumped out of his swing. "What are you thinking?" he asked her as he ran to the console.

"Something unique", she told him.

He threw a lever and the TARDIS took off. When they landed, he grabbed Elise's hand. "Close your eyes", he told her.

Elise closed her eyes and he opened the doors.

"Open them".

Elise opened her them and saw they were right in front of a pet shop. Elise smiled and they went inside.

"Pick out anything you want", he told her. Instead of bringing her to a normal pet shop filled with animals like puppies, kittens, and bunnies, he had brought her to a more exotic pet shop.

It had lizards, snakes, turtles, and other more unique pets.

He watched as she looked at the turtles until she heard something rattling around in a cage.

In the back was a black owl with large orange eyes. It had white specks on its feathers, almost like a reverse Hedwig.

"Hello", Elise said.

The owl hooted at her.

"Careful, he bites", the owner said, "Hates everyone".

Elise stuck her fingers into the cage and the owl gently nipped at them. Elise laughed.

The bird wasn't mean. He was probably just misunderstood and needed some love and patience.

"You want him?" the Doctor asked her.

Elise nodded enthusiastically.

The Doctor turned to the owner. "How much?" he asked.

"For you? He's free".

"Really?" Elise asked.

"I've had that bird for almost three years and in all that time, he's never taken to anyone like you. You'd be doing me a favor". The owner took the owl from the cage and placed him into a carrier.

The Doctor picked up the carrier and they went back to the TARDIS.

"Don't we need food?" Elise asked her father as he opened a door.

It was a forest.

"I'm sure he can find some mice in here", the Doctor said. He walked over to a shed and pulled out some leather gloves. He knelt down and slipped them onto Elise's hands. "You'll need to wear these whenever you handle him so his talons don't cut up your hands and arms", he told her.

He opened the carrier and the owl flew to Elise and perched on her hand. She stroked his chest with her other hand.

"What are you going to call him?" the Doctor asked.

Elise thought for a moment before she said, "Orion".

"After the constellation?" Elise nodded.

His name would be a reminder of her birthday trip to the planetarium. Orion nipped at her hair before he flew off.

Elise turned to her father and threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you".

"You're welcome, Ellie".

"I can't wait to tell River!"

"Hey, take your gloves off first".

Elise slipped them off and the Doctor took them.

"Well go on", he told her.

Elise ran out of the room heading back to the console room to call River.

The Doctor put the gloves away in the shed. When he came back into the console room, Elise was sitting on the jump seat. "Elise, what's wrong?"

"They wouldn't let me talk to her".

The Doctor hugged her and said, "Maybe we can try again later. Why don't we jump ahead and go get the Ponds?" He stood up and went to the controls, thankful his back was to her. He knew their lifestyle wasn't always ideal, but it still broke his hearts when she was sad and he couldn't do anything about it. But then an idea hit him. He flipped a lever and said, "Come along, Elise!"

Elise followed him out of the TARDIS. She smiled when she saw River. Elise ran up to the bars and started to tell her all about her new pet.

"Doctor Song isn't allowed visitors right now", a guard said.

"Five minutes. That's all I'm asking for", the Doctor said.

The guard looked at the little girl talking to River. "Fine. Five minutes".

The Doctor approached them.

"What did you name him?" River asked Elise.

"Orion. Like the constellation".

"Just couldn't say no to her could you?"

"Almost every child has a pet while growing up", the Doctor told her.

"I'm just surprised it's not from some other planet".

"I can be responsible when I want to".

"Of course you can, sweetie".

"Elise, I need to talk to River alone. Why don't you go clean up your room?"

Elise looked at River.

"Mind your father. I'll see you soon, okay?" River said.

Elise tapped River's forehead with her own. It was something Elise had started doing since the Byzantium. Every time she saw River, she would share memories from various adventures.

River kissed her cheeks and said, "Run along".

Elise went back to the TARDIS and River stood up.

"What's wrong?" River asked him.

The Doctor sighed. "I wish you could travel with us full time. Elise needs her mother".

"Mother?"

"Don't play coy River. You know Elise looks at you as a mother figure. More so than Amy".

"What's brought this on?"

"After she got Orion, the first thing she wanted to do was tell you but they wouldn't let you talk to her. You should've seen her face, River. She was heartbroken".

"Times up!" the guard yelled.

"I'm sorry, sweetie", River told him.

The Doctor smiled sadly. "I know you are". He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Till next time, Doctor Song".

"Till next time, Doctor".

The Doctor entered the TARDIS and found Elise waiting for him. "We have some Ponds to pick up, don't we?"

Elise gave him a small smile and nodded.

The Doctor threw the lever and they took off.