(Anonymous) on March 16th, 2009 02:27 am (local)

It's not like he had wanted to be there. Everything up until then had happened to him, not because of him. In his life, it had always been like that, and all he had ever learned from it was to follow others or run away.

Until, of course, the Doctor.

He couldn't say when it had started. It might have even been while he was still under contract with the Black Guardian. But somewhere, at some point, Turlough had started to change. Now he could do things, now he could take initiative. It wasn't anyone else, he learned, but himself who could change his future, could bring about the things he desired.

That night, he had taken initiative.

The Doctors rooms were hidden somewhere on the TARDIS, and no companion in a long list of Companions had ever been able to find them. Still, Turlough knew where the Doctor catnapped between working on the TARDIS and thinking of new places to go, and it was in this small side room off the main control room that the redhead found him. The Doctors eyes were shut, but his body was stiff and awkward with some unconcious worry, and it took only the light footfall as Turlough stepped into the room to bring him to complete conciousness.

"Ah, Turlough. How're you doing this evening?" the Doctor asked in his friendly way. Turlough shrugged, suddenly not as sure as he had been about what he wanted when he had gone searching for the Doctor. The Doctor saved him the trouble of answering, though.

"Would you like a cup of tea? Tegan brought it up before heading off to bed. I'm afraid its a bit cold now."

Turlough nodded. "Sure, sounds alright." He pulled up one of the nearby chairs and sat down a bit awkwardly at the small table by the Doctor. The blonde-haired man poured him a glass as he watched, and then offered it to the young boy.

"Here you go," he smiled. Turlough reached out slowly, and grasped the cup, meeting the Doctors fingers with his own. It took all his selfwill not to pull them back that instant, not to run away.

"Now," the Doctor sighed a bit. "I'm afraid we're not quite on course for your world. The TARDIS doesn't seem to be up to it just yet, but I was just thinking about the problem and I'm sure I can fix it quite soon." The man looked away towards the TARDIS wall, thinking.

Turlough nodded, and swallowed a gulp of tea. What had he been thinking, coming all the way here, and now look at him, sipping tea. There was no way he could say anything, let alone do what he had planned. Still...

"A-hem," he cleared his throat. "Doctor, I was wondering..."

The Doctor glanced over. "Yes?"

"Erm. That is."

The Doctor leaned forward a bit, a concerned wrinkle creasing his brow. "Yes, what is it Turlough?"

The young redhead scooted a bit closer in his chair, as if to confide in the Doctor...but what? Opening his mouth, he found that the words wouldn't come, and he shut it again, looking over at the Doctor as if to find some help. The Doctor only stared back blankly, and when Turlough hadn't said anything for some time, he placed a hand on the young mans shoulder.

"Are you alright, Turlough?"

The redheaded boy paused, glancing over at the hand on his shoulder. He lifted his hand then, and cuatiously, as if he had never touched anyone elses hand, placed it over the Doctors, and sqeezed.

"Yes, Doctor. I'm fine," he said, and smiled, still holding the Doctors hand. They stayed like that for a moment, the DOctor looking concerned and kindly, and Turlough turning red at his eartips. Then the young boy let go, and stood up.

"Thank you for the tea, Doctor. Don't worry, you'll find a way to fix the TARDIS."

And with that, the young man left. Some one braver might have said he ran away, achieved nothing, but the boy left with a smile. It was a step, but unlike almost every other step he had taken in his entire life, it was a step in the right direction. It was a step toward something.

He would never run away again.

Well, at any rate, he thought, not as fast as before.