I'm Not A Child Anymore | Tenth Doctor x OC

Chapter Three ~ The Third Mistake

"Why did you give me that ring?" I shouted. "I thought it would protect you. I didn't want you knowing about me, it might have put you in danger." He replied. "That's not your decision to make." I added. "Please. Let me explain." He said.

"You have a minute. Then you get out of my apartment. My brother will be home soon." I said. "When you were seven I felt you." He stated. "What? What does that mean?" I asked. "Sometimes when people get scared enough, they can send a message so powerful that it reaches me in the TARDIS." He replied. "The TARDIS? You mean that box thing?" I asked. "Yeah. I was travelling with my friend when it reached me. I got it on my psychic paper. Then I found you." He replied. "Psychic paper?" I was so confused. My head was swirling. "Yeah. It can take messages from beings with sufficient psychic ability. Which is why I was stunned when I turned up at a little girls aid and her older brothers." He frowned. He slumped in the dining chair.

"But I don't have psychic ability." I replied. "You must have had a dormant gene. Your fathers death triggered it and sent the message to me." He said, looking up to me from the chair. I sat beside him. "But the way you looked at me. I remember it now. Chase thought at that moment that you must have known us, because you knew his name. So, how did you know us?" I asked.

"I can't tell you that yet. You have to live it." He said. I sighed. But I couldn't take it anymore, and I wanted to change the subject. "Where's your box?" I asked. "I parked it on a street corner near the college." He replied. "It's still there? Why didn't we just go there then?" I asked. He smirked. "I-I don't know. I completely forgot about it. I just followed you, I guess." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. But I realised something soon enough and all I wanted o do was cry.

"You were never planning on seeing me again, were you?" I asked. "What?" He added. "You didn't mean to meet me here. You went to the college. But when I was seven you said you were going to get something and return, but you never did." I replied. "I'm here now." He stood up. "No. No you're not. This was a mistake. You didn't even know I was here." I stammered.

"Who are you?" I asked. I was angrier than ever before. "I told you I'm the Doctor." He said. "That means nothing." I added. The Doctor sat down and sighed. "Okay. Sit down." He replied.

Eventually, we were running. "I can't believe you forgot about your friend." I repeated, this was the fifth time I had said it since I set off. "I didn't forget about her, I just-I just. Displaced her in my memories." He said, trying to cover the truth. "You forgot. Do you do this with everyone or are we just the lucky ones?" I asked, continuing to run. Eventually, I noticed a blue box parked on a street corner. It seemed like my mind was going to burn in that very instance. "My head!" I cried.

"Malia?" He stopped, dead. "Malia? What's wrong?" He asked. "My head... It-it feels like, like it's burning. Like it's going to explode." I shrieked. "I knew taking that ring off was a bad idea." He responded. "What?" I asked, gripping my head in pain. I screamed. "Into the TARDIS. Now!" He rushed, as she gripped my arm and ran with me. We entered and the box was bigger on the inside. "My head? Doctor? What's happening, please explain?" I asked.

"You're memories are too much. They're flooding back all at once. Every story in your head that you'd ever created about me, every song you ever wrote, you forgot. And now you're remembering, and it's killing you." He stated. "Killing me? I can't die." I cried. "No. You won't. But you have to fight it, you have to us every ounce of your strength. Can you do that?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor? Who's tha-?"

"Not now, Rose." He hushed someone who had emerged from behind him. I grabbed the railing, it felt the same as it did when I was seven. My fist clenched it tightly, and I let out roar. I felt every memory. I felt every second of my childhood tick by waiting for the magical Doctor to return in his equally magical blue box.

"Hold on." He said. "I'm-I'm trying..." I screamed. Then I felt as everything stopped. I took a breathe and sighed. "Is it over?" I asked. He took out his funny little device and scanned me. "Yes, it's done. The memories have integrated properly now." The Doctor replied. "What is that thing? You used it when I was seven, for the seat belts." I asked. "Sonic screwdriver. A little bit of technology from my home." He replied.

"Doctor? Mind explaining who this is?" A woman was behind him. She couldn't have been much older than me. "Oh Rose. This is Malia." He responded. "Nice to meet you." I smiled. She didn't smile back. I remember that vividly. "What she doing 'ere?" She asked, flipping her blonde hair behind her. Her hair sat on her shoulders, even from where I stood maybe 3 metres away I could see her hazel eyes. "Rose. She's..."

"Not staying." I had never seen someone turn so fast. The Doctor looked at me. "What? I thought you wanted to." He sighed. I stepped one step closer to him. "Thank you, Doctor." I said, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he bent down to return the embrace. "But I know when I'm not welcome." I whispered. I pulled back. I turned to the door, starting to walk away. I opened the door and stepped out of the box. It was strange that no one seemed to notice.

A few seconds later, the Doctor followed me out. "Wait. Malia." He spoke quickly. I span around. "What?" I asked. "You can stay. You can travel with me. And Rose. With us." He reassured. "I didn't even say anything and the way she cut me off and made me look like a bad person." I mumbled. "Rose can be like that sometimes. Trust me, she'll come to like you." He comforted me. I thought about it. It would have been incredible.

Travelling. Time and Space in my hands. Like clay, I could mold it.

"One chance. One trip. If she doesn't lighten up, then I can't stay." I replied. "Okay. That sounds fair." He smiled. But it made me wonder. Why did it matter so much? Why did he want this?

There was a time when we were young that me and Chase would sit and talk about the Doctor for hours. In the orphanage, there wasn't really much else to do. So, as a child we would discuss him. He seemed to know us. We could never figure it out. But maybe if I traveled with him, maybe then I'd get the truth.

I stepped back into the TARDIS and I watched as Rose stared a me. "Doctor? I thought she was leaving." She snapped. "Now Rose. This is Malia Quinn. Malia Quinn, Rose Tyler. Now, get acquainted because you'll be spending a lot of time together." He interjected. She huffed, before storming away from the console. "Rose." He gasped.

"That's okay. Maybe this isn't a good idea." I turned to the Doctor and spoke in a hushed tone. "No. You're staying, Malia." He insisted. I gave him a half-hearted smile. "Okay. First adventure with Malia. So, where we going to go?" He asked. "Don't ask me, I'm new to this." I smiled. He turned to Rose, who was still sat in her pink jacket and bell bottom jeans. Well, let's see where we end up, eh?" He smiled. Eventually, Rose jumped up and smiled. "Let's go." She chuckled.

I tried to look at her and smile, just to show her I was friendly. That I was nice. But she refused to look at me. Even when she did, she would roll her eyes, or pout her lips. I could already tell she was a Londoner. A girl from London and one from Manchester, arguably the roughest ares in England. He certainly knows how to pick them, don't he?

He started running around the console, pressing buttons, flicking switches, pulling levers, much likes he did when I was a kid. I watched in awe, until it started to move. Could he even drive this thing? I was thrown around the console, as I tried desperately to grab on to things.

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