The Time Ring

When the TARDIS landed in Birmingham for the second time, Jeremy flew out the door in an instant. He still had to prepare a few things before the party. The Doctor was checking the machine and tidying it up. Mousy crossed her arms behind her back and leaned over his side.

“Are you really going to come to the party?” He hummed. “It’s going to be a lot to take in, even for you” He nodded. She still had a few unanswered questions. “Back on Corolla, I died” The Doctor stopped.

“Yes, you did” She continued to look at him with the same big curious eyes. He could feel it eating him from inside out. She was making him feel guilty for some reason.

“But I am here now. I’m alive. How is that possible?” He turned to face her and grabbed her hand. He raised it in front of her face.

“The Time Ring can’t revive normal people. Your organism has been modified so your body could be transformed easily. The ring recharged you. Nothing more and nothing less” Her eyes moved on the ring. It started to glow a faint pink color. It looked really weird.

He glanced at her over his shoulder. She looked very thoughtful. If she were to think more about it, she was going to figure the truth out. He didn’t want that to happen. It was going to destroy her. He had to distract her attention with something else.

“Your brother” She raised her head and looked curiously at him. “I think I’m going to agree on a few adventures. He seems nice” She scoffed.

“That’s because you don’t know how he acts under normal circumstances. Just wait and see” The Doctor chuckled and watched her walk out the door.

His grin changed quickly into a frown. He knew he should tell her the truth. He realized something in their latest adventure. She wasn’t only the one who activated the ring. No, she became the Time Ring itself.

When the Doctor entered the mansion, he realized just how most people felt when they were seeing the inside of the TARDIS. The living room looked smaller than he remembered. The furniture was set aside but there still wasn’t enough space.

Mousy’s aunt walked downstairs in an elegant green dress. She was giving orders to the maids. She wanted everything to be perfect. She noticed the Doctor and scowled.

“Why are you not dressed already?” The doctor blinked in confusion. She shook her head disapprovingly and pushed him towards the stairs. “Go and change before the guests arrive. I don’t want anyone to see you dressed so poorly” The Doctor couldn’t speak a word. She gave him a hard shove and walked away.

“Your family is very violent” He spoke right as he walked inside the room. “I don’t underst-“ He stopped when he turned his face towards her.

She was standing awkwardly in front of the mirror in a black dress. She wasn’t wearing much make up and her hair was arranged in a simple bun. She wore red high heels and didn’t look comfortable in them at all.

“Does it look good?” The Doctor blinked a few times. He didn’t know what to say.

“You actually look your age” He was fascinated by that. She actually looked to be 25 years old. That wasn’t the response she wanted, though. She felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. She wanted to hit him but restrained herself.

He sensed how the atmosphere changed. He didn’t understand what he said wrong. She always complained how unfair it was when people wouldn’t take her seriously because of her age-looks difference.

“Get changed and come downstairs afterwards” Her tone was cold and so was her attitude. She pushed him on her way out. The Doctor was confused.

“How can he think that was a compliment? Annoying asshole alien from the asshole planet. It was better if he was small and green and had pig ears” She was furiously mumbling to herself. She didn’t even notice Matt at the end of the staircase.

“Are you alright?” She stopped and glared at him. He took a few steps back and placed his hands in front of him. He surrounded even if he didn’t know why or to what.

“Do I look alright to you?” He was afraid to answer that. “Of course I’m not alright. How would you feel if someone just told you that you look your age?” He didn’t have an answer to that. She rolled her eyes and walked past him. She stopped after a few steps and turned to him. “How do I look?”

“You look amazing” She sighed. That was a good response. But she didn’t feel good hearing the right adjective. It sounded too normal and good to be realistic. She didn’t look amazing and she knew that.

“Ah, I’m going crazy!” She raised her arms in the air dramatically. She was losing her mind.

The Doctor walked downstairs a few minutes later. He wore the suit she chose for him and he had to give her the credit. It was a good choice.

“Hey, mate. What did you do?” Jeremy and Matt were in suits as well. They looked younger and well, better. “I saw Mousy a few minutes ago and she was mumbling to herself” The Doctor placed his hands in the pants pockets and shrugged.

“Nothing. Everything’s perfectly fine” Jeremy raised an eyebrow and stared expectantly at him. The Doctor only waved him off. “I have to go do something” That was the best way to get out of there.

In a matter of minutes, the bell started to ring repeatedly and people started to occupy the living. IF it looked small before, the Doctor was sure it just grew smaller. Mousy’s aunt invited the whole city to her Christmas party.

“I thought this was supposed to be a family gathering?” He found Mousy in a corner, trying to avoid the people she knew. The Doctor surprised her when he leaned over her shoulder and whispered.

“I never said that. I only used that as an example. I said our family gatherings are bad” The Doctor shrugged. Well, it was boring. Mousy turned around and checked him up. He looked rather good in the suit. She was admiring her own fashions sense.

“How do I look?” He seemed very excited to find the answer. She stared at him for a few seconds and bit the inside of her cheek.

“You look your age” The Doctor’s grin fell but he was still very proud of his looks. She was only trying to pay back for what he said back in the room.

“I think I look pretty good in this” He patted his suit and smiled. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “So, is there something interesting going to happen?” His eyes were wide and curious. Maybe a little hopeful too. He lived for the adrenaline and adventure.

“No. Nothing fun happens. Never happened and never will” The Doctor looked disappointed for a moment. Until of course he remembered some little city he could visit while on Christmas. He grabbed her arm and pulled her after him through the crowd. “Wha-“ He was pretty fast.

Jeremy saw the Doctor and sister trying to escape and didn’t like it. He wanted to have fun too. Therefore, he let the hard work on Matt. He ran quickly after the two and ended up in front of the TARDIS. He coughed and knocked, like a gentlemen.

The Doctor already had an idea of who was knocking on his door. He opened it and invited him in. Jeremy entered with a childish grin. He was definitely more excited than his sister.

“So, where do you want to spend Christmas this year?” He looked at Jeremy but the boy shrugged. He didn’t have any idea. The Doctor moved his attention on Mousy.

“Let’s go to Neverland. I’m sure Peter Pan will be so happy to have a few guests for Christmas. We could even meet Captain Hook” She was ironic. Everyone knew that was a story. But the Doctor had a few aces in his back pocket. He pulled the lever and smiled mischievously at his companions.

“Then let’s go meet Peter Pan” Jeremy and Mousy frowned. They glanced at each other worriedly and walked closer to the Doctor.

“But isn’t that only a story? Maybe you mean we could go visit Barrie, the writer of Peter Pan” the Doctor laughed loudly.

“You know, all these human stories come from somewhere. You think it’s only the work of your imagination or experience, but there is a place called Neverland in this World. And this Neverland has a boy who cannot grow old. And he has a story” He smiled and pushed the last few buttons.
“Let’s meet Peter Pan and the Lost Boys” The Doctor was probably more excited than the two siblings.

Peter Pan was fictional. It was only a story written by J.M Barrier. It was only a story, wasn’t it?

When the Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS, Jeremy and Mousy’s eyes widened. The place they got into was taken from a story.

“But it looks a little familiar” Jeremy was right. The Doctor nodded and walked out into that wander place.

“That’s because Neverland takes your most desired childhood wishes and makes them reality in here” He turned to Mousy and smiled happily. She didn’t look happy at all.

“Peter Pan has a lot to do with water” The Doctor nodded. “I don’t know how to swim” The Doctor’s smile cracked.

“Well then, we have a problem” He pulled her out and she realized something vital. “We’re on the only island on this planet. We’re surrounded by water” She gulped. Coming o Neverland was such a bad idea.