“It’s almost certain that every-one I know is going to die on me at some point.”

“Why do you even bother to have us around if we’re just going to up and die on you?” ZB demanded

“Because every-one’s always alive to the Doctor," Lucy stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

They both turned to look at her. Lucy blushed slightly, but didn’t look away.

“What do you mean?” The Doctor asked.

“You’re a time traveller.”

“I know, but I don’t follow your logic.”

“You’re a time traveller, you’re outside of time. Right now, here in here, we all are,” Lucy repeated, then pointed to the TARDIS doors. “Outside those doors, everything that has every happened and everything that will ever happen is going on simultaneously. Outside of those doors, every person you’ve ever met is both alive and dead. As long as something existed, it still exists outside those doors. It’s only when you open those doors that they’re one way or the other, in fact, out there, I am alive, dead and not born. When I die, you could go back in time and see me whenever you wanted, because I lived. We are all alive all the time to you. Outside of those doors, all of your companions are alive and off on an adventure with you. So, as long as you live, as long as you rocket around in this wonderful big blue box, we’re all immortal.”

The Doctor blinked at Lucy, staring at her as if he’d never really seen her before, then he turned back to ZB.

“That’s why,” he said quietly. “That’s why I bother to have you short-lived species hanging around with me, even though you have the bad manners to up and die on me. Because you surprise me every day,” He looked up at Lucy. “Thank you.”

Lucy smiled.

“You get to show me the universe, you get to see it through my eyes, isn’t that the deal?”

ZB paused, then grinned.

“You do realise, that by that logic, we’re dead before the Doctor even meets us?” She asked with an evil grin. “You shouldn’t worry about us dying Doctor, we’re already ghosts.”

The Doctor flipped a switch.

“So we have this huge profound moment and then you have to tarnish it, well played ZB,” The Doctor rolled his eyes. “I hate your species.”

“I thought that we were your favourite species.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Time Lord’s prerogative.”

“So why do you have us around?”

The Doctor paused, and sighed.

“Are you ever going to let this drop?”

“No.”

“Fine.”

With an impressive snap, the Doctor flipped a switch and the TARDIS came to a full stop. In the eerie silence, then Doctor perched on the central console and looked at ZB.

“I have you guys around because I need a connection. I don’t have any family left, I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any-one except enemies. I have no-one to think of when things I’m making all these immense decisions I get thrown into. When I’m thrown against the impossible, it’s hard to really imagine the consequences,” He stood up, straightening his jacket restlessly. “Try to imagine the galaxy, ZB, really imagine it.” He paused a second. “You can’t, can you – it’s just a swirly pretty pattern, isn’t it? Now try and imagine the universe. Then try to imagine the universe through all of time. You physically can’t do it. Even I can’t. There are too many people and they become this faceless mass of numbers. Sure, it makes life easier when you’re doing something unpleasant. 1 human against 500, statistically, it’s a no-brainer. It is easy to depersonalize, to distance yourself from them, just make the logical decision. In that situation, you don’t want to know that that 1 human is a mother, a daughter, a sister. You don’t want to know that she is a stunning artist and wants to open an art gallery. You don’t want to know, but you should. It’s easy to let that one person die to save 500 more, because it’s a number, not a person. No-one would ever blame you for making that decision, it’s hard to argue against, it makes sense. But life is not about making the choices easy, because those choices shouldn’t be easy. The easy option is rarely the best one, rarely the right one. I’m not a God, I’m a Time Lord,” The Doctor paused. “And, beyond all that, I need that personal connection, otherwise, what’s the point in making those difficult decisions, in fighting for the sake of fighting. I can’t think of the universe through all of time and space, but can think of you guys, of the human race, of Earth. I can’t fight for the entire universe, but I can fight for you.” He raised a warning finger. “Go on, make a quip, I dare you.”

ZB swallowed and shook her head. The Doctor turned back to the console.

“Now, can we move on?”

“That was… kinda beautiful,” Lucy said after a moment.

“You had to stick the ‘kinda’ in there, didn’t you?”

“Well, you’ve already got two hearts, I don’t want you to get an overinflated head too.”