Bill

Over the many years the Doctor had been a professor at St. luke's University, he'd acquired quite a reputation. Students and fellow teachers both would come to his lectures in droves to hear him speak, the veterans of this congregation smiling to each other when the subsequent lesson went wildly off topic. The Doctor hardly seemed to notice all of the new faces not on his roster as he monologued without hesitation.

One day, for whatever reason, this changed.

He was giving a lecture about poetry, which had spiralled out of control immediately, ending up somewhere along the lines of physics. Nobody seemed to mind, taking notes with smiles on their faces. The Doctor scribbled on the board, transported and rambling.

When he next turned back to the class and noticed the expressions, he realized suddenly that he'd mentioned a few experiments that hadn't actually been completed yet. He looked around the room and scratched his chin. Dead eyes stared back at him, blank and perturbed faces with set frowns.

His eyes scanned across the room. Even one of the physics professors, sitting in on his lecture, sat squinting at the board without the hint of understanding or amusement at said misunderstanding.

The Doctor was about to give up and go back to something simpler, like rocket science, but one face stood out in the mass of frowns; a smiling young woman sitting four rows back. Her eyes darted across the board, taking in all of the information, obviously puzzled, but that smile didn't waver for a second.

He went back to his lesson and got everybody else back on track, but he kept that young woman in mind. She was an A student, whoever she was. Earnestly excited about learning; eyes shining with the thrill of new knowledge. The Doctor made a mental note to check the roster and learn her name.

The next day, the Doctor saw her again, though not in class. He was in line in the busy canteen, caught in the middle of the lunchtime mass of people. A spatula dipped into the fries across the counter and a tired but cheerful voice asked, "Do you want some chips?"

He looked up and there she was, that same inquiring smile on her face. He read her nametag: Bill. "Sure, thanks."

They shared a quick nod and then he dashed to the emptiest table, instantly mobbed by students and professors as he ate and answered questions. By the time he decided he'd better hurry to his lecture, he felt like a celebrity with the crowd that had swarmed around his table. Softly, he smiled to himself and left a few disappointed but enraptured professors behind and went to the lecture hall he'd called home for over seventy years.

The Doctor set his books down and watched particles of dust filter into the air. He'd never get over that old smell. It made him think of his beautiful university, and the life he'd built for himself. But it also made him think of the stars, and time travel, and saving planets. Nostalgic for a life he'd never live again, yet yearning to be somewhere else at the same time.

Quietly, he shook his head. He had a lecture to give, and no time for pondering over the past or dreaming of what couldn't be. A few students were already slinking in, pulling out their laptops and notebooks to take notes on his words.

The class went quickly, as they always did nowadays, and soon the Doctor found himself wandering down the hallway without any clear thought where he was going. Eventually he made it back to his office, where he came to his desk and opened and closed a book for five minutes. Nardole appeared from inside the TARDIS, worried.

"Sir, are you alright?"

The Doctor registered his question a moment late. "Yes. Fine."

"You just seem to be...I don't know. Lost in thought, lately."

The Doctor blinked and looked up at Nardole. "Busy mind."

Nardole blew some air out of his nose. "Right. I know what you're thinking about. But you're not running off again."

"I know. I know, the oath; Missy; the vault; you. Trust me, Nardole, I wish I didn't have the impulse to leave either. But...it's always there."

The Doctor stared pensively, folding his hands together on the desk. Nardole bit his lip, and then widened his eyes. "Maybe you just need to find something to focus on. Something new. Like a new friend, or a new hobby or something."

"Would that work?", the Doctor asked, straightening up.

Nardole shrugged. "It's worth a try. There's plenty of things to do around here. Especially for you, you're practically famous. Everyone wants to hang out with you."

The Doctor glanced down at the desk with a soft smile. Then he looked back up at Nardole. "Do you know Bill? She works in the canteen."

"I think I've seen her, yeah. Why?"

"She came to one of my lectures the other day."

Nardole chuckled. "Sir, half the school comes to your lectures."

"She was different, though. I could feel it. I asked a difficult question and everyone else was frowning. But she...she was smiling. Even though she was totally lost."

Nardole furrowed his eyebrows. "Right. So you want to talk to her? Or what?"

"I want to help her. She wants to learn, I know it. But she's not on the roster; she's not a student."

"You can be her tutor!"

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah, that would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"It would get your mind off the stars, I think. That would be good for you."

The Doctor agreed, "Yeah, it would wouldn't it?"

Nardole nodded. "And a load off my shoulders, mind. Maybe she'll keep you on Earth for a while."

"Maybe she will."

The Doctor smiled and looked at the TARDIS in the corner of the room. "Maybe she will."

Thank you so much for reading! I loved working on this story and am so grateful for all of the comments. I hope you enjoyed!