Work Text:
It had been around an hour since Ed and The Doctor had left London. The TARDIS had been in steady flight ever since. Ed had spent most of that time exploring some of the locations within the ship. The Doctor had suggested he do so in order to keep his mind off the mark and the hunters whilst he worked on some things. It definitely helped - especially after Ed had discovered that this box had an Olympic sized swimming pool, a library fit for a palace and a wardrobe large enough to clothe an entire city. It was incredible.
Finding the Doctor again took a few attempts. Ed could have sworn that some of the corridors were stretching and changing. The Doctor had mentioned that the TARDIS was alive and that to step inside her was to step inside another dimension. It was no secret that the TARDIS was impossible, so being able to change its internal structure at will wasn’t too far of a stretch.
As Ed made his way down some stairs and back into the console room, he found The Doctor reading something on a projected screen - silent and focused.
“Any luck?” He asked, breaking the silence.
“There are thousands of ancient wars that have occurred throughout the universe.” The Doctor sighed. “None of which are known for mysterious cloaked figures that leave invisible marks.”
“Can I do anything?”
The Doctor turned to face Ed and gave him a gentle smile. “No more than you already are, Edward. Just let me know if you notice any changes in yourself or your mark.”
“Sure.” Ed nodded. There was a brief pause between the two, so he decided to change the subject. “I hope your friends are okay.”
“They will be. Like I said earlier, they’re a team and they work incredibly well together.” He replied confidently.
“I saw how fast they got ready to defend us. They didn’t even hesitate to risk their lives.” Ed said with a quiet voice, his eyes then softened. “They must really care for you.”
The Doctor let out a thoughtful hum. “They’ve seen me at my highest highs and have experienced me at my lowest lows. They’re the closest thing I have to a family.” He replied, eyes never leaving the monitor. “How about you? Do you have family waiting for you back at home?”
Ed shrugged. “Not really. My Father passed away when I was a kid, but we didn’t have much of a relationship. He wasn’t the nicest guy. My Mother was the one who raised me. She passed away just before I left New Zealand.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.” The Doctor said solemnly, glancing at him with gentle, consoling eyes. Ed smiled at him gratefully.
“She was an amazing woman.” He said with a soft smile. “When I was a kid, we used to look up at the night sky and for each star we found, we’d say one thing we loved about each other.”
Ed paused, lost in memory.
“There was this one night where we spotted a shooting star flying through the sky, and my Mum told me that it must have held so much love, that it had to fly off and carry it across the universe.”
The Doctor’s gaze dropped to the floor briefly, before returning to Ed. The story had clearly moved him. He began pressing some buttons on the console and the room shuddered slightly, indicating they were relocating somewhere. Ed grabbed onto the rail to steady himself.
“Your mother sounds incredible.” The Doctor said with a sad smile.
“I suppose if there’s a silver lining to all of this,” Ed muttered - almost like a casual, throwaway thought. “I may get to see her again.”
The Doctor let out a soft sigh and stepped closer to him.
“You’ll see her again one day, Ed. But don’t use that as an excuse to admit defeat - use her as an excuse not to .”
An audible hum rang through the console room. Ed realised that they had arrived somewhere.
“Ah.” The Doctor practically glided towards the doors, his turquoise coat trailing gently behind him like a sail in the wind. He pulled the doors open and glanced over his shoulder.
“Coming?”
Ed raised an eyebrow and strolled over. He peered outside and was met with a starry night. He quickly noticed that they hadn’t actually landed at all, they were hovering in place above a large field.
Ed looked closer, carefully scanning the landscape. It looked so familiar, like he’d been there before. “Where are we?”
The Doctor didn’t reply right away. Instead he retrieved his sonic screwdriver from his coat and activated it.
Ed suddenly found that he could now hear much more than before. The wind whistling through the trees, the rustling of grass, distant, muffled chatter of pedestrians as they walked through the field. It was like the sonic screwdriver had turned up the atmosphere's volume to max.
“How many do you think we’ll count tonight, Mum?” A youthful voice called out.
Ed felt a lump form in his throat, heartbeat quickening. He knew that voice.
“I’m not sure, Eddie. The sky looks pretty full tonight.” A gentle, feminine voice replied.
“Mum?” Ed breathed in a shaky whisper. He could see two faint figures making their way across the field. The taller figure carried a rolled up blanket under one arm and was holding the hand of a smaller figure. Himself.
The Doctor silently sat himself down on the floor of the TARDIS, his legs dangling over the edge. He softly patted the spot beside him. Ed hesitated for a moment, but eventually lowered himself to the floor and mirrored the Doctor’s posture.
“They can’t see us, can they?” Ed asked uncertainly.
The Doctor waved his hand as if to politely dismiss Ed’s question. “Not at all - perception filter, remember? To them we’re just another star in the sky.”
Ed nodded, he should have guessed it would have been something like that. He moved his attention back to the field below them and watched the scene unfold - a breath caught in his throat.
By now they were both laid on top of the blanket, staring up at the sky. They remained there for a long time, each taking a turn to point out a different star. Ed was fully engrossed in the scene before him - a memory brought back to life. His eyes were widened and emotional. Being able to hear his Mother’s voice again after so many years brought him a huge sense of peace.
Ed glanced at The Doctor with glistening eyes, so touched by his thoughtful gesture. “Thank you for this, Doctor.”
The Doctor turned to him with a warm smile. He gently placed his hand atop Ed’s. “No, thank you for letting me be part of such a beautiful moment.” He moved his gaze back down to the field, where young Ed and his mother were giggling away as they continued their game. “It’s clear how much your Mother loved you, Edward. That kind of love doesn’t disappear as soon as they’re gone. It’s buried within you - guiding you.”
“Even now.” Ed added, eyes drifting to the cloaked mark on his skin. He took a deep, steady breath and nodded to himself. “You’re right, Doctor. She’d want me to stand my ground and fight.”
“And fight we shall, Ed. Together .”
Back on the field, Ed’s younger self suddenly sat up and pointed enthusiastically towards the sky. “Look at that one! It’s so bright!” He called out to his Mother.
Present Ed leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better view. His eyes widened. “Wait, am I pointing at… us ?”
“That’s our cue to leave!” The Doctor leapt up and hurried back to the console.
Ed also stood up, but rather than joining The Doctor, he instead hovered by the door with a confused expression plastered across his face. “I thought they couldn’t see us…”
The Doctor shook his head, too focused on pressing buttons at the console to lift his head. “They can’t.” His tone was gentle, yet firm. “But it’s important that we leave at this exact moment, trust me.”
Ed turned back for one final look at the field below. The TARDIS was in flight now and travelling away at great speed. He watched as the image of himself and his mother grew more and more distant the further they flew.
“Thanks for everything, Mum.” He whispered with a soft smile, then he closed the doors. He rested his forehead against them for a moment to compose himself, then made his way over to the console.
“How did you know where to go… how did you know when to go? I only mentioned New Zealand, I never specified where or when.” Ed asked, watching as The Doctor continued to pilot the TARDIS effortlessly.
“Memory is a powerful thing, Ed.” The blonde man explained thoughtfully. “Your memory in particular was strong enough for the TARDIS to lock onto it. The more you talked about it and relived it in your mind, the easier it was for her to find that exact point in time.”
Ed smiled to himself, his heart full. Against all odds, he really did get to see his mother again - even if at a distance.
He let out an unexpected, silent yawn. It was wild how easy it was to lose track of time on board the TARDIS. In the span of a single day, he’d been in 2025, 1894 and 1983 - all of which were at different times of the day. Ed had no clue what time it would be for him back in 2025.
The Doctor noticed Ed’s yawn and turned to him. “It’s been a long day for you, Ed. Go and get yourself some rest. Perhaps we’ll get some more answers tomorrow.”
Ed gave a tired nod. “What about the hunters?”
“They can’t reach us whilst we’re in active flight.” The Doctor reassured him. “We’re travelling too quickly for their trackers to catch up. We’ll be safe for the night.”
Ed changed his focus to the multiple doorways surrounding the control room. He was suddenly very aware that he had no idea which one would lead him in the correct direction. He spun on the spot and bit down on his tongue, deep in focus. “And I’m going…?”
The Doctor looked up from his monitor. “Hmm? Oh - this doorway here.” He replied, pointing towards a corridor behind him. “Second left, go down to the end and turn right. It’ll be the fourth door on your left. She should have finished building your room by now.”
“She- she’s going to build me a bedroom?” Ed asked, blinking rapidly.
“Are you honestly surprised by that, Edward?” The Doctor smirked, clearly amused. “After all you’ve seen today?”
Ed paused, thought about it, then laughed. “Actually, no.”
Surprisingly, Ed found the room rather quickly. He suspected that the TARDIS may have helped him out a little on the way - every time he paused to reflect on which direction was next, he would see lights softly flicker in the correct direction.
He laid in bed that night, feeling like he’d lived an entire year in the space of a day. His mind was racing frantically - his body simultaneously aching with exhaustion. He glanced around the bedroom that the TARDIS had kindly made for him. It was everything he didn’t know he needed - an ideal mattress type, the perfect duvet thickness. It was like the TARDIS knew him better than he did.
It took some time, but eventually his eyes grew heavy and he was able to drift off to sleep.
That’s when he heard it.
A whisper .
***
Wellington, New Zealand - 1983
“Look at that one! It’s so bright!” young Ed exclaimed, pointing up at the sky.
His mother followed his gaze, and sure enough, she saw a star blazing brighter than any other. Together, they watched as the ‘star’ streaked across the sky and out of sight.
Young Ed’s eyes lit up. “Woah! It’s a shooting star!” he squealed, unable to contain his excitement.
His Mother chuckled and wrapped an arm around her son, pulling him in close. “Well, that star clearly holds an overwhelming amount of love, Eddie.” She said softly, “It’s gone to share that love with the universe.”
The young boy looked up at his Mother with gentle eyes. It was a beautiful sentiment - one he was sure he’d carry with him forever.
And that he did.