The Doctor's Visit.

I was walking through the palace in the dead of night. Everything was peaceful on Jacowitz, as usual. I didn’t expect anything else, really. But I never do. I reached the throne room and sat upon the throne, thinking. I hadn’t seen the Doctor in a few hundred years. It was rather unusual, really.

As usual, when I started thinking about him, I heard that familiar churning of the TARDIS, though unusually, he didn’t park in the throne room. He landed outside in the garden. I could see him in my mind.
He walked through one of the hidden little entrances, the ones only he and I know about. I watched him in silence as he ran a hand over the walls, his thumb caressing the smooth gold. “I hope you’re still here...” his voice came softly. I walked towards him.

"I'm here..." then I noticed it. The sorrow in his eyes, the pain, the suffering. Something had happened. And he was alone. He smiled, and I could tell it was the first time he’d smiled in days.
“Ariella” he wrapped his arms tightly around me as I reached him “I’ve missed you..” he whispered into my ear before glancing back into my eyes. “Still as beautiful as ever” he took my hand “Walk with me..”
We began a slow walk around the throne room, in silence. He broke it after a while “It’s been too long... I’m sorry. I should have visited sooner... Forgive me” he smiled softly “So how is your reign going?”
"It's alright... I know you have universes to save" I smiled gently, looking into his eyes "It's going fine... Nothing really happening. Everything is perfect.. as usual" And for that moment, it was.

He sat down on the floor, before lying beneath the glass roof, pulling me down with him. We lay, side by side, and finally he spoke of what was bothering him.
I can’t help it you know...liking humans so much, that’s half the problem.” He closed his eyes , running his fingers through his hair. “She doesn’t even remember everything she did, how for one moment, she was the most important woman in the Universe, the one who saved us all, a Legend, now she’s back talking about Calories and running up a phone bill” he sighed. “I’m alone again Ari...”
"Are we talking Donna?" I asked, propping myself up on one elbow and looking at him, biting my lower lip. I had met Donna just twice, and I thought her brilliant. Obviously, I have always had a fondness for Rose, what with her being my closest friend, but Donna was fabulous.

"Doctor.. my dear Doctor.. You're never alone..."
“I feel so alone...” he braved opening his eyes, looking straight into my eyes. “ I’m losing myself...I can feel it...I’ve spent so long running from myself...there’s no part of me left...” he propped himself up, on his elbow. “Save me...”
Well, how could I do that? What was I to say? He was the one who saved me. He tried to help my father, he saved my planet so many times...
"There's so much left of you, Doctor.." I placed a hand gently over his hearts, before leaning closer to him, resting my forehead against his. "You're still my kind, brave Doctor... Nothing will change that. Donna will go on to be happy in her life... and you'll meet someone else.. Loss makes us who we are."
“I can’t see what’s left anymore.. Ari...it hurts...so much...” he sighed before smiling ,”Anyway enough about me, they’d call me an Emo on Earth right now!” he swallowed “Talking of Earth, fancy a trip, I could have you back before you got there?”

"I'm always up for a trip to Earth.. you should know that by now.. How is my star, by the way?" I asked, smiling softly at him. What happened next was probably.. foolish. I kissed him. I felt he needed it. I felt I needed it. I wanted to do it. I’ve wanted to do it since I was 16. Since the first time I'd met him.

“Your...” The Doctor didn’t finish his sentence before that fateful kiss, and I was immediately embarrassed. We broke apart and he looked into my eyes.” Ari...I?” he was completely shocked, that was obvious “I...”
I absent mindedly brushed a hand through my hair, feeling a very foolish. "I apologise, Doctor.. that was.. well it was rude of me, for one.." I looked into his eyes as he found himself speechless, before letting out a sigh that sounded somewhat like a laugh
"I'm sorry.." I stood up, looking down on him "What kind of Queen am I? Going around, kissing people.." I walked away, back towards my throne. I felt like an idiot.

“Ari...” the Doctor jumped up, walking towards me. As he reached me, he placed his hands on my arms, before kissing me again. It was soft, gentle.. and I was hooked. He pulled away gently, whispering as he played with my hair. “You still manage to surprise me... Now how about that trip to Earth?” he grinned, taking my hand. “You’ll love it...especially the chips! Did I introduce you to chips last time? I don’ t think I did, no that was scones wasn’t it, well they’re brilliant anyway!”

And so we made our way into the TARDIS... More tomorrow.