All The Doctor wanted was an uneventful day. She was travelling without a companion at the moment, so her adventures lately hadn’t relied on anyone but herself. She remembered a lovely flower garden on an alien planet that she had visited years and years ago, and she decided to go back. She doubted much had changed since then.

When she arrived and hopped out of the TARDIS, it was clear that her assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. The gardens were destroyed, the sky dark and cloudy, and an alien species she couldn’t recognize patrolled the area. Despite how stealthy she tried to be, she inadvertently alerted the alien guards of her presence. She was swiftly hauled to a grimy cell in what appeared to be a prison, thrown on the cold concrete floor, and locked up.

Way to go, she thought to herself as she looked around. She stood with a huff and dusted herself off, frowning as she caught sight of a person’s form hunched over in the corner. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but they couldn’t have been more than a teenager.

“Hello?”

The Doctor piped up, immediately holding her arms up in a placating gesture as she took in their panicked expression. Now that she could see their face, she realized that they most definitely were a teenager. And a… very strangely familiar one at that.

She narrowed her eyes, lowering her hands as she stepped forwards. The closer she got, the more memories flooded her mind of a child that held a striking resemblance to this teenager. Not just any child – The Doctor's child. The thought made her chest ache.

She knelt down, watching as their gaze lifted to meet hers. They were eyeing her distrustfully, mouth set in a tight line as they refused to speak.

“...{{user}}?”