SPACEMAN AND THE MOON ― doctor who

six ; rise of the cyberman part one

chapter six ; rise of the cyberman

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LUNA SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE TARDIS DOORS, WATCHING THE SUPERNOVA BURST AND TURN INTO DUST, thinking about the last journey, and Reinette's letter. She wasn't sure what the Doctor's said, but she had a feeling it had something to do with her. He hadn't been avoiding her, exactly, but he'd been far less touchy-feely with her and didn't smile as much.

Luna presumed he was hurting, but the whole ordeal upset her a bit. She hoped Rose hadn't said something to him -- she genuinely liked him and enjoyed spending time with him, not to mention the incredible adventures he could take her on.

"Luna?"

Luna turned her head, a soft smile settling on her lips when she spotted the Doctor near the console, eyebrows raised and hands in his pockets. "What're you doing over there? How'd you even know how to get the oxygen inhibitors working and open the door?"

Luna shrugged. "I thought about it in here and then a light blinked on a button, so I pressed the button, and I already knew about the wibbly lever from when you first showed me."

He smiled, walking over slowly and sitting down next to her, his shoulder resting against her own. "Are you upset with me?" He asked faintly.

She turned to him with a frown, shaking her head immediately. "Of course not," she told him gently. "What -- I thought that you were mad at me."

He looked at her then, finally, truly, for the first time in a few days, and stared into her eyes. "Of course not, Luna, I could never be mad at you."

She tore her eyes from his, nodding to the sky outside. "It's so beautiful. Do you ever get tired of looking at this?"

He shook his head, eyes flickering in between her and galaxy in front of them. "Never," he told her simply. "It's why I keep going."

They sat in silence for a long while, shoulder-to-shoulder, until finally, Luna spoke up again, her voice thick with emotion and eyes filled with tears.

"My sister is dead," she told him quietly, just above a whisper. "It happened just before I ran away and I feel like -- like maybe I was running from her."

His expression changed; guilty, morose, she couldn't define it exactly. His eyes were filled with a deep understanding -- he knew how she felt. He'd lost someone too.

"I had a sister once. A long time ago," he cleared his throat, looking away. She grabbed his hand, silently telling him he didn't have to continue. But he did. "I had a lot of things once. A family, a planet..." He sighed. "All gone now. And I ran too."

Luna watched him carefully, quietly, like speaking to an injured animal. She didn't want him to jump away from her or fear she'd judge him. "It's the worst sort of pain," she replied after a moment. "I couldn't stop crying for days. I didn't even get out of bed."

Luna sniffled and the Doctor squeezed her hand. "I miss her everyday," she added, tears slipping down her cheeks. She didn't wipe them away this time, clinging to his hand like a lifeline. "She would've loved all this," she gestured to the space outside. "She would've -- she was always more adventurous than me. Once, when I was sixteen, just after our parents died, she just got us in the car and drove. Didn't give a damn about anything. We drove for hours. I don't even remember where we ended up, I just remember the drive."

The Doctor kissed her head gently, rubbing her hand softly. "It should have been me," she gasped out, letting out a shuddering breath. "God, I've never said that aloud before but it's true. I was driving. It should've been me."