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And you know I'm fine. But I hear those voices at night, sometimes...
Danni danced around the bedroom in her dress to the music blaring from Craig's laptop. He'd let her borrow it while the Doctor was in the shower; hers was going to appear any day now apparently. She'd found that when the world around her was silent, the drumming increased in intensity and so listening to music had become one of her only reprieves from it, that and the events of the night before.
"The star maker says, 'It ain't so bad.' The dream maker's gonna make you mad!" She sang along loudly, "The spaceman says, 'Everybody look down. It's all in your mind'" God, she loved the Killers. She listened to the quite a bit when she was back in her own universe, even been to see them once in Manchester with Claire, but the lyrics caused her to pause mid bounce, having landed on the bed at some point during her antics. Her own Spaceman had been gone longer than she was expecting. She should go find him. She nodded to herself and headed out of the room, pressing pause on the song as she did, to find Craig heading to answer the telephone.
"Mad, that one." He told her with a laugh as he picked it up. She frowned and went out of the open front door to see the Doctor air-kissing a very surprised woman while wearing just a blue towel.
"Oh...oh!" She exclaimed in her shock, taking his dishevelled look in.
"Care to explain why you're naked?" Danni asked loudly and he turned to face her, looking alarmed despite the amused look on her own face.
"I..." He pointed up the stairs with the toothbrush he was holding, "I thought he was in trouble." Danni nodded slowly.
"Of course you did." She replied in disbelief, "Go get dressed." He nodded and headed past her. Danni smiled warmly at the woman, who was blushing faintly, "Sorry about him. He doesn't always think about what he's doing."
"It's fine." The woman told her and Danni grinned, walking up to her and taking both her hands in hers.
"I'm Danni, it's so nice to finally meet you Sophie." She kissed the back of her knuckles, "I'd love to chat more, but I'd better go make sure he gets dressed." She spun on her heels and followed the Doctor into the house. Craig had stopped him in his tracks with a hand on his chest.
"No, Dom's in Malta, there's nobody around. Hang on a sec." He told the person on the phone before looking up at the Doctor, "We've got a match today, pub league, we're one down if you fancy it?"
"Pub league? A drinking competition?" The Doctor asked and Danni walked up, linking arms with him. For some reason, lately she'd felt uneasy whenever she wasn't in some way touching him. She hadn't told him this, because she was scared he'd laugh at her, but she only felt safe when he was there.
"I think he means football, sweetie." She corrected gently and Craig nodded, not really understanding why the man in front of him didn't know that.
"Do you play football?"
"Football. Football!" His eyes went wide in realisation, "Yes, blokes play football! I'm good at football, I think."
"You've saved my life!" Craig cheered, patting him on the cheek before turning back to the phone, "I've got somebody. All right, see you down there. Hey, Soph." He called her as the woman finally joined them, getting over her original shock of the couple. He didn't seem like a drug dealer, but you couldn't really tell these days. The Doctor walked over to the fridge and took out a small carton of milk, about to drink straight for it before Danni grabbed it out of his hand, putting it back.
"Go get dressed." She commanded. The Doctor shot her a smirk as he saw her look cautiously over at Sophie.
"Are you jealous, Danni-Girl?" He asked her and she shrugged, blushing slightly.
"No, I just want you to get dressed." She retorted, blatantly lying. She didn't want anyone to see him like that except herself. He smiled and pulled her against him, placing a kiss on her lips before remembering they weren't alone. He let her go with an embarrassed cough and headed over to the pair.
"Hey, I thought I'd come early and meet your new flatmates." Sophie told Craig, motioning to the two.
"Do you play, Sophie?" The Doctor asked her and she shook her head.
"No, Soph just stands on the sidelines, she's my mascot." Craig explained before wincing slightly. What a stupid thing to say!
"I'm your mascot? Mascot?!" Sophie exclaimed, understandingly offended.
"Well, not my mascot, it's a football match, I can't take a date." He stumbled over the words, looking everywhere but her.
"I didn't say I was your date." She replied.
"Neither did I." He countered instantly and they all fell into an uncomfortable silence. Danni rolled her eyes and joined them, grabbing the Doctor's hand.
"I'll be your mascot, if you like." She told him happily, "You have to get dressed though." He beamed at her, kissing her on the forehead.
"Better get dressed." He told the other two. He handed the toothbrush back to Craig before pulling Danni into the bedroom.
"Oh, the spare kit's just in the bottom drawer." Craig called after him but the Doctor stopped him entering the room in case he saw the large timey-wimey scanner the Doctor had made last night after Danni had fallen asleep.
"Bit of a mess." He explained, shutting the door behind them. He moved to the chest of drawers but paused, looking back at the door.
"How did she get in? Craig had her key..." He muttered suspiciously.
"Why don't you go ask her?" Danni replied, sitting on the bed. He turned back to the door and opened it slightly.
"You unlocked the door. How did you do that? Those are your keys," He motioned to the other pair in Sophie's hand, the one she'd just picked up off the side, "you must have left them last time you came here."
"Yeah, but I...How do you know these are my keys?" She asked with a frown.
"I've been holding them!" Craig admitted, grimacing.
"I have got another set." Sophie explained, holding up the other pair she had to illustrate. Danni shut the bottom drawer then popped her head out underneath the Doctor's arm.
"You've got two sets of keys to someone else's house?" She asked and Sophie nodded slowly; it did seem a bit odd, didn't it?
"Yeah."
"I see!" The Doctor nodded then smiled, "You must like it here too." He closed the door and headed to the drawers, opening the bottom one to find it empty. He tried the rest, looking puzzled as there seemed to be no football uniform in the drawers at all. He turned to Danni, who was sat at the back of the bed looking entirely too innocent.
"Where's the uniform?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow and she shrugged.
"I have no idea." She replied with a smile. He stepped closer to her.
"I don't believe you, Danni-Girl." He told her, "Where is it?"
"I'll never tell!" She cried with a laugh and he dived at her, pinning her down on the bed. She tried to struggle away, still giggling as he grabbed her wrists.
"I have ways of making you talk." He warned her, smirking slightly.
"Promises, promises." She sighed and he leant down, kissing her hungrily. She quickly joined him as she stopped struggling, catching his bottom lip in her mouth and she sucked suggestively on it. He growled and deepened the kiss, the football kit forgotten.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor pulled the shirt of the uniform over his head as he talked to Amy on the communicator, proudly boasting about what they'd been up to, minus any details they didn't want Amy to know.
"So we're going out, if we hang about the house all the time, him upstairs might get suspicious, notice us." He told Amy, looking down to see he'd put the shirt on the wrong way around. He shrugged out of the sleeves, spinning it around and trying again.
"Football, OK, well done, that is normal." Amy conceded begrudgingly.
"Yeah, football, all outdoorsy." The Doctor confirmed, "Now, football's the one with the sticks, isn't it?" Danni rolled her eyes with a groan, an action she was sure Amy was mirroring and held her hand out expectantly for the earpiece. The Doctor pouted but handed it over, pulling the collar of the shirt upwards so it was sticking up by his ears. Danni put the earpiece in and winced at the quiet feedback it caused.
"You all right up there Amy?" She asked the other ginger.
"Tell me the truth, is he really going to play football?" Amy asked and she nodded, checking herself out in the mirror to make sure she looked okay.
"Yeah, he is." She could understand Amy's disbelief, anyone who knew the Doctor, especially Eleven, would never believe he'd play football, "He's even in a uniform. Craig asked, he said yes. Would seem suspicious if he said no, I suppose."
"And it won't seem suspicious when he picks up the ball and bounces it?" Danni sighed in despair, watching the Doctor pick up his jacket and shrug it on over the shirt before eyeing his bowtie with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Please don't joke, Amy. At lease you're safe in the TARDIS, I'm not." She scolded.
"Couldn't you have done it?" Amy inquired and Danni laughed loudly at the thought, startling the Doctor who dropped his bowtie.
"Ha! That did make me feel better, thanks Amy!" She chuckled, pulling the earpiece out and handing it back to the Doctor, "We'd better get going." She told him.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor bounced the football excitedly as he, Danni, Craig and Sophie headed towards the football field in the park the TARDIS had shot off from. Danni held Sophie's hand, swinging it casually back and forth as they walked side-by-side. Sophie had been quite surprised at the action, but didn't want to seem impolite and let go. By the time they'd reached the park it felt quite comfortable and she'd almost forgotten that she hadn't wanted to do it in the first place.
"What are you actually called, what's your proper name?" Craig asked the Doctor, who paused his bouncing to look at the man.
"Just call me the Doctor." The Doctor replied.
"Yeah." Sophie nodded and Danni smiled at her. Anyone who accepted the Doctor as readily as Sophie had was all good in her books.
"I can't say to these guys, 'Hey, this is my new flatmate, he's called the Doctor.'" Craig replied.
"Why not?" Danni asked in defence. 'The Doctor' suited him, everyone who ever met him could say that.
"'Cos it's weird." Craig retorted, "You have a name, why doesn't he?" Danni shrugged.
"Because I'm boring and he's not." The Doctor grinned at her and she shot him one back as they reached the group of men waiting to play football with Craig and the Doctor.
"All right, Craig!" One man greeted them, Craig patting him on the back as he walked past, "Soph." He nodded at the woman, who smiled shyly back, before turning to the Doctor, "All right, mate."
"Hello, I'm Craig's new flatmate." The Doctor introduced himself, using the handshake they were engaged in to pull the man closer and give him air-kisses, "I'm called the Doctor." The man looked slightly confused but seemed to brush it away easily.
"All right, Doctor. I'm Sean."
"I'm Danni, in case anyone is wondering." Danni piped up. Sean turned to look at her, giving her the once over before smirking at her.
"Are you one of Sophie's friends?" He inquired. Danni shook her head.
"Not yet, I hope to be though." She replied and he took her free hand, kissing the back of it with a flirtatious smile. The Doctor frowned, that wouldn't do at all. He grabbed Danni and pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Yes, this is my Danni-Girl. She's my mascot for the day, aren't you?" He looked at Sean pointedly as Danni shook her head at his behaviour. No one had ever acted as jealous over her as the Doctor would; a girl really could get used to this.
"Yes I am, sweetie." He smiled as she kissed his cheek.
"Where are you strongest?" Sean asked, moving the conversation along, no point in wasting time if he didn't stand a chance.
"Arms." The Doctor replied.
"No, he means, what position? On the field?" Craig clarified and the Doctor shrugged.
"Not sure. The front? The side? Below?"
"Are you any good though?" The Doctor spun the ball on one of his fingers, catching it just before it fell on the ground.
"Let's find out!" He stated, dropping the ball to kick it onto the field. He chased after it, much like a little boy and Danni watched him affectionately before turning to Sophie.
"Can I stand with you?" She asked and Sophie nodded, gently pulling her with their still interlocked hands.
"Of course you can." She replied, taking her over to the side of the field, "We just need to be far enough away not to be hit by the ball." She explained, joining a couple of the other... a couple of the other players' girlfriends who were on the sidelines.
"Do you come often then? To watch Craig?" Danni asked Sophie, who shrugged.
"I suppose so. If I have a free afternoon."
"She's always here." Another of the women interjected, "Don't let her fool you. She's the only one who comes to every one of their matches." Sophie blushed and Danni smiled knowingly at her.
"That's lovely. I bet you make him feel really loved by doing that."
~0~0~0~
Craig kicked the ball expertly to the Doctor, who manoeuvred it past two of the opposite team members, spinning on the spot as he moved dribbled it past the third. He had a huge grin on his face, enjoying his newly-found favourite sport. He glanced over at Danni and Sophie, Danni cheering him on loudly.
"That's rather good." Sophie said to her and Danni nodded.
"I know. He could have been a professional if he hadn't hurt his back. Good thing he did though, otherwise I'da never met him and that would really suck." Sophie laughed as she cheered him again, getting into armature league game more than most professional league fans.
"Yes! Go!" She cheered. Danni let out a small breath she had been holding; that was Matt Smith, not the Doctor. She had found herself getting the two confused, as if she really had been watching the Doctor for all those years and not the actors that played him. It was wishful thinking, of course, but it felt like the memories were merging and she was starting to forget her old life. It was nearing a year in this universe, a year of the Doctor being the only real thing for her to focus on, it was understandable that she was getting mixed up. The raw feeling of loss she once felt when thinking of her parents was slowly fading, become a dull ache that would never disappear but didn't strike her in the gut like it used to. She'd finally moved on from it, and she wasn't sure it was such a bad thing anymore.
~0~0~0~
Craig passed the ball to the Doctor around another player, the Time Lord taking it off down the field towards the goal.
"Doctor, one two, one two!" He cried, waiting for the man to pass it back to him but he carried on, stealing the ball as he sped away.
"Go on Doctor!" Danni and Sophie cried as he ran past everyone else to score the first goal of the game. He did a little celebratory dance as Danni bounced up and down on the spot, cheering him on, "Doc-tor! Doc-tor! Doc-tor!" The pair chanted as Craig looked over, feeling slightly put out. That should have been his goal.
~0~0~0~
Craig placed the ball down on the grass, taking a few steps backwards to take a running kick at it. This would bring back Sophie's attention. Not that he was bothered about that, or anything. He took a deep breath to see the Doctor shoot past, kicking the ball as hard as he could and sending it past the goalie and through the posts. Everyone cheered him, even Sophie but she looked slightly annoyed at the same time.
"He really needs to learn how to share." Danni told her, "When he's excited he's like a little puppy. I'm sure he didn't mean to take it off Craig." Sophie shrugged, it didn't really matter. She knew Craig could do it, so it didn't matter who took the shot.
"It's fine." She replied and Danni linked arms with her as they walked towards the players congregating on the sideline of the pitch.
"Do you want to go shopping later?" Danni asked, "My stuffs still not turned up and this is the only outfit I have? I mean, if you're busy it's fine but I thought I'd ask." Sophie looked down at her hopeful look and smiled, unable and not really wanting to say no.
"That sounds great. I'm going to Craig's tonight anyway, so we can go home together as well." Sean walked over with a blue bag with a pack of beer in it.
"You are so on the team! Next week we've got the Crown and Anchor, we'll annihilate them!" He crowed as he handed the first beer to the Doctor. The Doctor tensed and stood face-to-face with him, a glare on his face.
"No violence, not while I'm around, not today, not ever. I'm the Doctor, the oncoming storm..."
"Sweetie." Danni called lightly and he blinked, looking at the stunned man in front of him.
"...and you meant beat them in a football match, didn't you?"
"Yeah." Sean nodded.
"Lovely," He smiled, pulling Danni against him, "what sort of time?" Craig opened a can behind them, causing foam to spray everywhere. Everyone laughed and cheered at the explosion, and then it happened again. Danni's knees gave way as she groaned in pain, the nausea she had felt the night before flooding back. The Doctor held onto her tightly, observing the localised time loop before pulling Danni away from the crowd, rubbing her back as she once again dry-heaved.
"Amy?" The Doctor called, turning the earpiece back on, "Amy?"
"It's happening again! Worse!" She cried.
"What does the scanner say?"
"A lot of nines." She replied with a bit of a groan, obviously having trouble holding herself up if the noises the TARDIS was making were anything to go by, "Is it good that they're nines? Tell me it's good that they're all nines!" Danni dropped to the floor, panting in pain. He crouched next to, holding her as she clung to him. She was scared, she had no idea what was happening to her or even why. The time loops didn't hurt anyone else, but it felt like someone was crushing her mind. The drumming was still on a loop, just like it had been last night, not being able to reach that forth beat was excruciating.
"Yes, yes, it's...it's good! Zigzag plotter, zigzag plotter, Amy." The Doctor snapped, hearing her scream moments later, "Amy? Are you there? Amy?"
"Yes, hello." The Doctor sighed in relief, placing a kiss on Danni's head as she seemed to calm down.
"Ah, thank heavens. I thought the TARDIS had been flung off into the vortex with you inside it, lost forever."
"You mean that could actually happen!?"
"It can, but it won't." Danni promised weakly. Amy would survive this, but she wasn't sure she would.
"You have got to get me out of here." Amy shouted, scared.
"How are the numbers?" The Doctor asked in reply; getting her out was still a work in progress.
"All fives." She replied.
"Fives?" He looked back to see the time loop had ended, the group of people carrying on as if nothing had happened, "Even better. Still, it means the effect's almost unbelievably powerful and dangerous, but don't worry." Danni whacked him on the arm, albeit with very little strength.
"Stop scaring the poor girl." She muttered.
"Sorry." He apologised, "Hang on, OK? I've got some rewiring to do." He turned the communicator off before gently helping Danni stand. She clung to him, still very pale even though the drums had started up once again, and they headed back over to the group.
"Are you okay?" Sophie asked, concerned at how sick the girl suddenly looked. Danni shot her a queasy smile.
"I'm going to take her home." The Doctor replied for her, rubbing her arm sympathetically. He hated her feeling sick, so he had to take care of her. That's why he was the Doctor, after all.
"I think we might have to go shopping another time." Danni told her forlornly and Sophie smiled warmly, seeing how genuinely disappointed she was that they couldn't go.
"I'm on a half day at work tomorrow, we'll go then if you're feeling better." Danni grinned, "But get some rest first." She nodded and the Doctor walked her away.
~0~0~0~
Danni was sat up on the back of the bed, using the Doctor's football uniform for pyjamas as he made the finishing touches on his scanner which stretched halfway up the mattress. He currently held an orange traffic cone, looking at the machine thoughtfully as he tried to work out where exactly it should go.
"Do you actually need the cone?" She asked, "Or do you just want to put it on the scanner?"
"It's a very important part of the machine!" He defended, "I need to find out exactly where it should go, otherwise it could cause the entire thing to explode and take out the five-mile radius around us."
"It's a traffic cone." She retorted as there was a knock on the door. The Doctor tucked the cone safely underneath his arm then opened the door slightly, standing in the opening to make sure Craig couldn't see inside.
"Hello, flatmate." He greeted cheerfully.
"Hey, man. Listen, Sophie's coming round tonight and I was wondering if you two could give us some space?" He asked pointedly and the Doctor nodded.
"Oh, don't mind us. You won't even know we're here." The Doctor promised as there was a loud crashing noise from above. The Doctor looked up towards it, concerned, "That's the idea."
"Don't worry, I'll keep him out of your hair." Danni called from the bed. The Doctor turned and shot her a slightly offended look and she smirked suggestively in return.
"Are you feeling better?" Craig asked her and she nodded, despite the fact the Doctor was keeping her very much out of view.
"Yeah, much thanks. Give Sophie our love." She answered. The Doctor closed the door without saying goodbye, having spotted the exact place he wanted the cone. He placed it on top of an upside down umbrella he had draped in fairy lights.
"Yes, perfect! What a beauty!" He crowed before jumping on the bed next to her, pulling her up against him as his long legs stretched out in front of them. He tilted her head, pulling her eyelids down before feeling her forehead for a temperature, and under her chin bizarrely, "Are you sure you're feeling better?" He asked quietly and she nodded, watching the umbrella spin lazily out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes, I'm fine. The drumming doesn't like the time loop, it has to take it out on something. That'll be me." He reached up to her temples hesitantly, his fingers hovering just next to her head, "You can listen, if you like." He smiled guiltily before pressing against her skull, closing his eyes and focusing on her mind. The noise filled his head, a steady four-beats that echoed around everything else in her head.
"Does it hurt?" He asked her. He couldn't focus on the sound as he tried to home in on it's origin. It just seemed to be there. As if it had always been there.
"Not all the time." She explained, "Sometimes it can, like when it's angry or scared but sometimes it's joyous and it feels wonderful." She opened her eyes as he left her head to see him staring at her searchingly, trying to understand what it was, "It's linked to you sometimes, I can hear your heartbeat quicken and slow in time with it, then sometimes it has absolutely no bearing to you at all."
"Do you have any idea where it came from? When it might have come from?" She shook her head.
"You looked into my head one day, and it started then but as to why... well, if you've not been able to figure it out, how could I?" He nodded in agreement.
"I am a genius." He admitted slightly arrogantly and she rolled her eyes.
"I can tell you one thing though..." She trailed off as she climbed onto his knees, wrapping her arms around his neck, "It loves it when you're kissing me." His eyes fluttered down to her lips, "You should hear it. It's almost like it's cheering." She leant forward, brushing her lips briefly against his, "It loves any type of pleasure, I wasn't joking when I said when it's joyous it feels wonderful. It's quite the perk, actually. It loves when I'm touching you. And when you're touching me..." She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
"What?" He croaked out, his throat dry and she leant in towards his ear, her breath warm against his skin.
"Why don't you find out?"
~0~0~0~
Sophie sat next to Craig on the sofa that evening, the pair in a comfortable silence as she studied the large stain on his ceiling. She was always telling him to do something about it, but it was like he barely noticed it. She couldn't understand it really, something like that would really annoy her but Craig always seemed like he had other, more pressing, matters on his mind.
"That's got bigger." She pointed out, nodding towards the stain. He glanced at it before turning back to face her.
"Oh, yeah." She smiled at his dismissive attitude, that's what Craig was like really. Comfortable with things the way they were.
"Are we going out?" She asked and he sighed, looking at her pleadingly.
"I've had a bit of a weird day, can we do pizza-booze-telly?" He asked and she nodded.
"Great, love it! Wait." She reached over to the coffee table, picking up her phone and turning it off, before placing it back purposefully, "No Melina, no crises, no interruptions."
"Great. Excellent. Um, Soph...I've...I think..." He sighed, frustrated at himself.
"Where's this going?" She asked him gently, trying to push him along.
"I think that we...should..." He stuttered and Sophie nodded encouragingly.
"Hello." They both looked around to see the Doctor's head popping up behind the back of the sofa, a mass of wires behind his head. Craig tried to mask the glare he really wanted to shoot at him.
"What?" He breathed in disbelief.
"Whoops, sorry, don't worry, I wasn't listening, in a world of my own down there." He promised.
"I thought you were going out?" Craig asked pointedly.
"Just re-connecting all the electrics, it's a real mess. Where's the on-switch for this?" He held up a screwdriver and Sophie looked at it, amused. Maybe he was expecting an electronic one.
"Doctor!" Danni rushed in through the front door, still wearing the football jersey, "I'm sorry, he got away from me." She rested a hand firmly on the Doctor's shoulder, "We were just heading back to our room, weren't we sweetie?"
"Are you feeling better?" Sophie asked her and she nodded with a smile.
"Much better, cheers." She replied, "Still a bit woozy though, could do with a bit of lie down, we won't stay and interrupt your evening any longer. Come on Doctor."
"No, I don't mind, if you don't mind." Sophie looked at Craig, who looked at the Doctor, slightly annoyed before smiling at Sophie.
"I don't mind, why would I mind?" he exclaimed and Sophie turned to the couple.
"Then stay, have a drink with us." She offered and the Doctor looked up at Danni.
"What, do we have to stay now?" He asked her and she shook her head.
"We should leave them alone." she tried to get him to stand but he just looked at the pair on the sofa.
"Do you want to stay?" Craig asked him in disbelief. How was this happening?!
"I don't mind." The Doctor replied and Sophie grinned.
"OK!" She said with a nod and Craig reached forward to grab his phone, wanting to get something in his hands before he wrapped them around the Doctor's neck.
"Great!"
~0~0~0~
The Doctor sat on the armchair, Danni firmly in his lap as he worked on the cabling hanging around his neck, barely paying attention to the other couple. Danni kept shooting apologetic glances at Craig, who had continued to shoot dirty looks at the Doctor since Sophie had poured them all a drink. He was just so clueless; Craig had obviously wanted them to go and he couldn't just take the hint and leave. She raised the glass of wine to her lips but the Doctor grabbed it out of her hand without looking, placing it down on the floor next to the chair before carrying on with whatever he was doing. She narrowed her eyes at him, she'd wanted that.
"...Cos life can seem pointless, Doctor. Work, weekend, work, weekend. And there's six billion people on the planet doing pretty much the same." Sophie continued on, feeling just as Craig had, like she could tell the man anything.
"Six billion people? Watching you two at work, I'm starting to wonder where they all come from." The Doctor muttered.
"What? What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked, confused.
"That's not what she meant." Danni corrected him. She could tell he was getting restless, that's why he'd decided to do some rewiring to pass the time. She, on the other hand, was loving the normality of the last couple of days. No jumping here, there and everywhere, no running, only the slightest amount of hiding. She felt like a student again, just hanging around the house until she had to go to class. Her life wasn't remotely in danger at the moment, the most pressing matter was getting some clean underwear. She loved it. Really.
"So, the call centre. That's no good? What do you really want to do?" The Doctor asked Sophie, pulling her attention back to the conversation. God, when was the TARDIS coming back?
"Don't laugh. I only ever told Craig about it. I want to work looking after animals. Maybe abroad? I saw this orangutan sanctuary on telly."
"That's sounds really interesting." Danni replied, "And I've heard that working with animals can be really rewarding."
"So have I." Sophie agreed, "I've always wanted to work with animals."
"What's stopping you?" The Doctor asked.
"She can't," Craig jumped in quickly, "you need loads of qualifications." Sophie nodded sadly.
"Yeah, true. Plus it's scary, everyone I know lives round here. Craig got offered a job in London, better money, didn't take it."
"What's wrong with staying here? I can't see the point of London." He studied his glass, unable to look at Sophie and tell her he didn't see the point of London because she wasn't there. He was such a coward!
"Well, perhaps that's you, then. Perhaps you'll just have to stay here, secure and a little bit miserable until the day you drop. Better than trying and failing, eh?" The Doctor pointed out, turning back to the wiring around his neck. Danni tried to hide her smile, she loved this bit. Craig, on the other hand, was eyeing him suspiciously, wondering what he was up to.
"You think I'd fail?" Sophie asked, slightly offended.
"Everybody's got dreams, Sophie, very few are going to achieve them, so why pretend?" he picked up Danni's glass, taking a drink of the red wine before spitting it back into the glass. She grimaced, well, she wasn't drinking it now, was she? "Perhaps, in the whole universe, a call centre is where you should be?"
"Why are you saying that? That's horrible." She exclaimed.
"Is it true?" He asked, examining the base of a plug closely.
"Of course it's not true. I'm not staying in a call centre all my life, I can do anything I want!" She snapped determinedly and the Doctor smiled knowingly at her. The anger dropped off her face instantly and she stared at him, surprised and impressed, "Oh! Yeah! Right!" He leant closer and fist-bumped her hand, "Oh, my God!" She turned to Craig, "Did you see what he just did?" He shook his hand, bewildered.
"No, what's happening? Are you going to live with monkeys now?" He asked her.
"It's a big old world, Sophie." The Doctor pointed out, "Work out what's really keeping you here, eh?" He placed a kiss on the side of Danni's head and she leant on his shoulder.
"I don't know. Dunno." Sophie muttered, trailing off as she really thought about it, while Craig looked between the two. This was such a bad idea, he just needed Sophie to realise it.
"See?" The Doctor whispered into Danni's ear, "Not so oblivious, after all."
"Definitely not, Spaceman." She replied, closing her eyes. She really was sleepy.