A/N: Turns out I have another speed than angst. Spoiler: it's fluff.

The Doctor landed in the usual spot in Sheffield, just outside Yaz's flat. She didn't really have a plan in mind, but it suddenly occurred to her that Ryan and Yaz would be probably be working, since it was a weekday.

At least, she was pretty sure it was a weekday.

So she started walking, trying to remember how to get to Graham's house. She'd landed in his front room before, it couldn't be too hard. All she had to do was follow the lat and long co ordinates she remembered...

She reached a street she was sure she recognised, but the outside of the houses all looked the same. What was it with humans and uniformity?

A group of people chatting on the street corner spotted her, looked her over. Some seemed bemused but one of the men called out, "You all right, love?"

She cleared her throat. "Looking for Graham O'Brien's place?"

"You want number three then."

She looked where he was pointing, spotted a familiar pot plant she had missed the first time. "Oh, brilliant! Thanks."

He nodded and they went back to chatting, but she couldn't help picking out what they were saying as she headed up Graham's drive.

"Do you know her?"

"Dunno. Feel like I might've seen her before..."

"Well, yeah, the outfit's pretty...unique."

"Sounds like she's from around here."

The man who had called out to her said, "I don't think so."

"What? Why?"

"Dunno. Just don't."

She tuned back out from what they were saying and rang Graham's doorbell. There was a long pause, long enough she started to worry he was out, before he cracked open the door.

"Doc?"

She didn't even have time to greet him before he grabbed her in a hug. "You are a sight for sore eyes, cockle," he said, squeezing. "We were a little worried when we didn't hear from you."

"Oh, no, how long has it been? Could've sworn I landed-"

"Two days, Doc."

He still hadn't let go. She reached up and, gingerly, hugged him back. It was...nice. It had been a long time since anyone had given her a hug...

He let go. "You all right? Did you need something?"

"No, I just thought- if you weren't busy..." She waited, hoping he would catch on. He didn't. "Cup of tea?"

"Oh! Yeah, 'course. Come on in." He looked surprised but happily showed her to the kitchen, where the Doctor busied herself finding mugs and making them both a cup. "How, uh... how did things, you know, go? With the Master?"

She bit her lip as she waited for the kettle to boil, trying to figure out what to say.

"...Is it OK to ask?" he said, sounding a bit nervous.

"Yeah! Course," she said, then realised how dumb that sounded when she had spent so much time avoiding their questions. "I mean... yeah. It was - frustrating. That message he left me... he didn't want to, erm, discuss it. I let him off the ship."

"Was that wise?"

"Wiser than keeping him on the TARDIS, probably." She set the mug down and debated what to say. "Listen, Graham..." She struggled to find the words, all the things she wanted to say too hard to get out. "Could I stay with you today?"

"Absolutely. Love to have you."

She looked up, surprised at his lack of pause. "What, really?"

"Of course really! Come on, Doc, why would I throw you out? We practically live in your home, why shouldn't you spend some time in ours?"

She couldn't control the beam that spread over her face. "Brilliant! This calls for biscuits! D'you have any?"

She sprang out of her seat and started searching through cupboards, opening one to find the jackpot: custard creams. "Oh, bingo!" On closer inspection, she noticed he had more than one packet, and they hadn't been opened. "Been sleeping on these, haven't you?"

"Well..." Graham coughed and she turned to find him rubbing the back of his neck. "I bought them just in case, y'know, you ever dropped around again."

She paused, the packet of biscuits - plain yellow packaging from a local supermarket - suddenly heavy in her hand. "Oh. Um, thanks. Appreciate it. They're my favourite."

"No problem," he said, smiling in a way that crinkled all his lines. "Doc."

She swallowed hard. Damn. Tears coming on. Couldn't do tears in front of Graham. She sank back into her seat, putting the biscuits down between them and hiding her face in her tea until she could get hold of herself.

"There are some quizzes I watch around this time," Graham volunteered, opening the biscuits and nudging one over to her.

"Oh, right?"

"Yeah. Never learn owt but I like to think I'm keeping my mind sharp when you're not filling it with technobabble."

"Oi! I'll have you know I'm a great educational resource. Think of all the things you've seen."

"No kidding," he said somberly, draining his cup. "You've changed my life, Doc. Ryan and Yaz's, too. Ryan's more determined than ever to get his NVQ. All this saving people lark has really given him some confidence."

"Confidence," she repeated. All the changes she'd seen in her companions over the years and somehow she'd never noticed that happening. Usually by the time she did notice, it had morphed into suicidal overconfidence and that was that. "Good. Good, good. I'm glad."

"Doc?"

She popped another custard cream in her mouth. "Mm?"

"You're doing that mumbly repeating yourself thing." He took his mug to the sink. "You sure their wasn't something you needed to... You know, talk about?"

"Talk. I, uh." She swallowed the lump along with the biscuit down. "I'd think I'd like to...be here."

"How'd you mean? You're here already."

"I know that, I meant..." She sighed. As much as she loved talking - gabbing, really - having 'a talk' was so difficult. Words for so inadequate for what she went through on a regular basis. "You said we were... Family. I want to be around my family, just a bit more."

He nodded, not even offended by how much she was avoiding eye contact. "All right, Doc." Then he nudged her shoulder. "Come on. Terrible TV quizes await."

Later on, while they were watching the news together, the phone rang. Graham picked it up, saying, "Oh hey, Yaz." He grinned and winked at the Doctor, putting a finger to his lips before the Doctor could say anything. "Listen, can you come over? Are you meeting Ryan on the way? Great, bring him too. Got a surprise for you both." Then he hung up.

The Doctor watched him as he settled back into his chair."Ooh, a surprise? What's the surprise? I love surprises."

He gave her a funny look. "I'm taking a nap, all right, Doc? Watch whatever you like until they get here." And he set the remote next to her on the sofa and shut his eyes without a further word.

The Doctor channel-hopped for a while until she settled on a rerun of an old British science fiction show. Pretty cheesy with cheap effects in parts, but it was good enough to distract her until the doorbell rang.

Graham must have been catnapping, because he was out of his chair and leaving the front room by the time she had stood up. She followed close behind and he swung the door open on a confused Yaz and Ryan, saying, "Surprise!" and then moving to one side.

"Doctor!" they said in unison when they spotted her, Yaz especially beaming.

"Hi," she said, smiling back and feeling inexplicably like she really meant it for the first time in a while. She looked at Graham for confirmation, and he raised his eyebrows a little and nodded. She grinned from ear to ear this time, and said, "Hi, fam."

Yaz grabbed her in a hug and before the Doctor even had time to react, the others joined in, squeezing each other tightly in Graham's little front room. And a little, just a little, of the tension left her shoulders.

Despite it all, the Master had been right about one thing: she was going to need them. She was going to need them a lot.

But for right now, she just wanted to be here with them, in this moment together.