Yeah, the jury’s still
out on that one.
‘I’m not talking food. I’m talking death, destruction,
power.’
And the jury’s running
back in.
‘You look surprised.’
‘What, that you’re craving death and destruction? Yeah, I am
just a little.’
‘Well I don’t mean mine, stupid... I mean...’
Yeah, go on. I’m
waiting... Oh, and here comes the smile.
‘I mean stopping it obviously.’
Uh huh.
‘Because I’m the Doctor. And that’s what I do. Because I’m
nice, and good, and all that stuff.’
Yeah, and that’s what
you tell all the girls.
‘You should come with me in the TARDIS. Be my companion.
I’ve always wanted a companion! Why have I never had a companion before? It’s
so quaint. We can solve crime and have packed lunches and stop the death and
destruction! What do you say?’
What do I say? I guess
I say the only thing girl in my position can say:
‘I say, Doctor...’
‘Yes..?’
‘You need to come upstairs with me, now.’
Welcome to the
“schoolgirl shrine.”
Try not to trip over
yourself there Doctor, there’s a lot of you about. Oh, and, mind the toy
TARDIS. Think there’s another one just, yep, completely trampled it.
Ah well.
As cringe-inducing as
this is, he needs to see this; needs to feel the ripples that he leaves when he
just drops into a young girl’s life. Needs to see the mess he leaves behind him
when he leaves her.
Needs to really stop
laughing...
‘It’s like a terrible
museum! Of me! Look at them all! Look at these!’
‘Yeah, they’re the early ones. They get slightly better as
you go along the line.’
Great, now I’m
defending “Raggedy Doctors” from a critical mauling. Not really part of the
plan...
Sarcasm senses are
tingling. Here comes another critique...
‘Oh yes, a vast improvement, you can really see what the
artist was trying to say with this one.’
‘And what was that?’
‘I’m rubbish with faces! ‘
Funny. Really.
‘I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve left some lifeless dolls
behind in my time, but at least they still looked like people...’
‘You’re missing the point...’
No sure, just walk
past me, help yourself to the drawings too. Least he isn’t laughing at those
ones. In fact, he’s seems impressed...
‘You know, you’re right. I have a newfound admiration for
the work on display.’
Really?
‘Seriously, I’m in awe. I mean, to take a young girl’s life
like this and warp it in just one evening. The thought had never even occurred
to me before. Oh Doctor, Doctor, Doctor...’
What is he... crying?
Yep, definitely
crying.
Crying with laughter.
‘ “The Secret Diary Of Amelia Pond.” Oh, you really did a
sweet number on this one, didn’t you Doctor...’
What did he just do,
read it all in one flick?
Sure, just throw it
down on the bed like it’s nothing. I’m sure there’re loads of girls in the
universe who pour their feelings for you into a diary anyway. Why should this
one be special?
Oh, look out, here
comes the charm offensive again.
‘Amelia, Amelia, Amelia...’
‘Amelia’s gone. She grew up.’
‘Yes, so I see. And in all the right places...’
Maybe the bedroom
wasn’t such a great idea after all...
‘Amelia Pond... All
this talk about “fairy tales” in that diary of yours... How about we write it a
happy ending?’
‘You mean...?’
I probably should’ve
tried harder not to look at the bed just then. Oh, great, now he’s looking too.
Way to send mixed signals, idiot. Oh, that’s okay. He’s
looking disgusted. Awkward silence over,
and... we’re back.
‘I mean, come with me. Seriously. In the TARDIS. There’s so much more that I could do with you.’
‘Do? Like how?’
‘I don’t know, but let’s find out together shall we?’
Don’t even need to think this through. Decisions made. Decisions -
‘No.’
‘You’re turning me down?’
Wow. Not used to rejection this one. Let’s help him understand shall we?
‘You never came for me. All this time I’ve been here and you NEVER came for me!’
‘I was busy! Probably. You know how many useless lives out there need saving all the time? It’s like somebody left the lid off the moron jar and I’m the only person with the mop. How the universe ever got dressed in the morning before I started laying out its clothes and drawing it a diagram I do not know...’
‘You MISSED me!’
‘Of course I missed you...’
Spare me the over sincere act. I mean -
‘You missed me growing up.’
‘So? Who wants a little kid getting under their feet in the TARDIS?’
ow!
That hurt.
That really hurt.
Hurt the Doctor more though... He’s only just getting up.
Punching the Doctor.
It’s been that kind of a day.
‘You’re going to regret laying hands on me, little girl.’
‘Not as much as laying eyes on you, probably. You could’ve been my hero, you know that?’
He looks pretty shaky actually. Not sure I hit him that hard... not hard enough to stop him talking anyway...
‘Oh please. Spare me the daddy issues. So Prince Charming let you down. Well guess what, Amelia? We’re not in a fairy tale. We’re in a “life’s not fair”-y tale. So boo hoo you.’
Yeah, this is bugging me. I need to let him know -
‘It’s not my name. Amelia.’
Not sure why that makes him smile, but hey.
‘Of course it’s not... You grew up, had to change your name to something “cooler”, probably.'
‘And what’s so funny about that?’
‘I did the same thing too.’
He looks old all of a sudden, new face or not, just sat there on the bed like he’s ancient.
‘So why’d you chose “The Doctor?”’
Laughing again, though kind of sad too...
‘Because “The Killjoy” was already taken, probably, I don’t know. So why did you chose yours?’
‘To stop people looking at me funny.’
‘So what do I call you now “Amelia Pond?”’
And at last he asks my name...
‘You can call me Mels if you like. It’s short for Melody.’
See, now that’s the
reaction I was looking for -
Looks like he’s about to go into shock...
‘Doctor...?’
His hands are trembling, body trying to process it all.
‘Everything all right?’
‘My regeneration...’
He can’t even stand now, just keeps slumping back on the bed.
‘What about your regeneration?’
‘It’s failing...’
Yeah, he’s not kidding with that one. It’s like he’s falling apart at the seams. Who’d have thought it though? At last, a proper “Raggedy Doctor” in the schoolgirl shrine.
Looks like he’s about to go into shock...
‘Doctor...?’
His hands are trembling, body trying to process it all.
‘Everything all right?’
‘My regeneration...’
He can’t even stand now, just keeps slumping back on the bed.
‘What about your regeneration?’
‘It’s failing...’
Yeah, he’s not kidding with that one. It’s like he’s falling apart at the seams. Who’d have thought it though? At last, a proper “Raggedy Doctor” in the schoolgirl shrine.