Gallifrey was truly beautiful, Emily had decided. It was everything the Doctor had said it was and more. The breeze that gently rustled the grass and blew her starshine-white hair out of her face smelled like a flower she could not identify, but it was wonderful anyway. She would have to ask the Doctor what it was later.
The whole landscape left her at a loss for words. Behind her, the TARDIS; before her, a grassy valley dotted with various flora and bordered by a forest and mountains. An orange light from the two suns bathed everything. And in the center of the valley, a great city. The Time Lords’ citadel.
She made her way toward the forest, recalling that the Doctor had sprinted in that general direction to follow an indigenous butterfly that apparently was able to brighten any mood with just a flit of its wings. Not exactly what he needed, but she watched him go with a smile on her face. Emily smiled a lot when she was with the Doctor.
Approaching one of the trees, she regarded it curiously. The trunk was no different from an ordinary tree on Earth, but something in its genetic makeup had turned the leaves silver. Emily wondered if there were any books in the TARDIS’ library that had one between its pages. She ran one hand casually over the bark.
“Good afternoon,” said the tree.
Pulling her hand back, Emily tilted her head to one side. The Doctor hadn’t mentioned that Gallifrey’s trees could talk. Still, no need to make judgments when meeting a new species. “Hello,” she responded politely.
“You, ah, look quite pretty.” But before Emily could say thanks, the tree spoke again. “Oh dear, that’s not a very good way to start a conversation, is it? Shall I start over?”
Emily was intrigued. “If you’d like.”
The tree began again, sounding hesitant. “I, uh…Emily. There’s, uh, something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for quite some time.”
The tree knew her? “What’s that?”
“Well, I was, uh, wondering exactly…how long…you intended to stay with me.”
What a weird question. “Well, I don’t know. As long as you’ll let me, I guess.”
The tree now sounded a bit happier. “Oh! Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you.”
Was it just Emily, or did the tree sound exactly like…? “Oh? Tell me.”
“Would you, uh…be interested in…staying indefinitely?”
Oh. It was. It had to be. Only one way to find out.
“But if you don’t, that’s fine too!” the voice said hurriedly, taking her silence as a negative. “It’s a stupid idea; I have no right to force any life on you; I’m sorry, I shouldn’t even have brought it up…”
Slowly peering around the tree, Emily saw the Doctor. He was leaning his back against the tree, his face in his hands, and looking quite distraught. She decided he looked cute when he was distraught. He looked cute a lot of the time.
Suddenly realizing he was not alone, the Doctor looked up and flinched. He tried to say something, but nothing came out except a muted croak and a few “I, um…”s.
Smiling, she took his hand. “Talking to trees, are we, Doctor?”
The whole landscape left her at a loss for words. Behind her, the TARDIS; before her, a grassy valley dotted with various flora and bordered by a forest and mountains. An orange light from the two suns bathed everything. And in the center of the valley, a great city. The Time Lords’ citadel.
She made her way toward the forest, recalling that the Doctor had sprinted in that general direction to follow an indigenous butterfly that apparently was able to brighten any mood with just a flit of its wings. Not exactly what he needed, but she watched him go with a smile on her face. Emily smiled a lot when she was with the Doctor.
Approaching one of the trees, she regarded it curiously. The trunk was no different from an ordinary tree on Earth, but something in its genetic makeup had turned the leaves silver. Emily wondered if there were any books in the TARDIS’ library that had one between its pages. She ran one hand casually over the bark.
“Good afternoon,” said the tree.
Pulling her hand back, Emily tilted her head to one side. The Doctor hadn’t mentioned that Gallifrey’s trees could talk. Still, no need to make judgments when meeting a new species. “Hello,” she responded politely.
“You, ah, look quite pretty.” But before Emily could say thanks, the tree spoke again. “Oh dear, that’s not a very good way to start a conversation, is it? Shall I start over?”
Emily was intrigued. “If you’d like.”
The tree began again, sounding hesitant. “I, uh…Emily. There’s, uh, something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for quite some time.”
The tree knew her? “What’s that?”
“Well, I was, uh, wondering exactly…how long…you intended to stay with me.”
What a weird question. “Well, I don’t know. As long as you’ll let me, I guess.”
The tree now sounded a bit happier. “Oh! Well, in that case, I have a proposition for you.”
Was it just Emily, or did the tree sound exactly like…? “Oh? Tell me.”
“Would you, uh…be interested in…staying indefinitely?”
Oh. It was. It had to be. Only one way to find out.
“But if you don’t, that’s fine too!” the voice said hurriedly, taking her silence as a negative. “It’s a stupid idea; I have no right to force any life on you; I’m sorry, I shouldn’t even have brought it up…”
Slowly peering around the tree, Emily saw the Doctor. He was leaning his back against the tree, his face in his hands, and looking quite distraught. She decided he looked cute when he was distraught. He looked cute a lot of the time.
Suddenly realizing he was not alone, the Doctor looked up and flinched. He tried to say something, but nothing came out except a muted croak and a few “I, um…”s.
Smiling, she took his hand. “Talking to trees, are we, Doctor?”