The boy stormed out in the moment when the Doctor reached for open the door.
'Oi, you! You should watch out when you open a door!' he said smiling.
'Sorry.' the boy answered without a look on him and rushed over. The timelord looked after him eyebrows pulled up but then just shrugged. Nowaday youth he thought. He shook his head and opened the door. Even backstage he could hear the scream of the fangirls. He smiled when he got a glance on a young boy who bothered his guitar. He stepped closer and leaned to him.
'Good evening, Pauley!' he greeted him. The boy looked up and blurted out in laughter.
'Doctor! Good to see you. We could use a drummer like you.' he hugged him. The Doctor frowned.
'Where's Richard?' he asked suspiciously.
'He stormed out just a minuit ago. John criticised his hair again.' he laughted. The Doctor's eyes went wide.
'That was Richard?! I saw him but did not realized him. Has he got a new haircut?' he whispered.
'Yeah, that's what John told him too.' the boy giggled.
'It's funny?' he asked confused. Humans could be so weird sometimes he thought.
'Of course it is. Look at him!' the boy laughted. The Doctor's face went more confused.
'I can't, he's not here.' he frowned at the boy.
'Oh, Doctor, you are so funny!' he laughted more louder.
'I don't understand. How am I funny?'
'Never mind.' the boy calmed his face. 'Let's go and play something for the audition. John, George!' he called out. The two others turned towards them.
'Hey, what?' the one asked.
'The Doctor will play the drums tonight while Ringo is sulking.'
The other boy put down his guitar and walked to them hands in his pocket.
'Why we don't look for him?' he asked the first boy.
'He's sulking, George. Let him space.'
'I'm not leaving him!' the boy grimaced. 'He's our drummer.'
'And your friend.' the Doctor added.
'Oh, just theirs!' the boy in the corner shouted towards them.
'Shut up John!' George shouted back. 'I'll go and took him back.' he turned around.
'Oooh, no, no, no!' a man stepped in the cloakroom. 'Where's Ringo? What did you do to him?' he turned to the boy in the corner.
'You're hat is ugly.' he grimaced.
'John, don't play that game again! You have performance in ten minuit and Ringo's missing!' his face paled. 'You will bring me to grave, Lennon!'
'Sooner the better.' the John shrugged.
'Paul! Where's Ringo?' he turned to the first boy. He shrugged.
'John said his head looked like a potato with that hair and he ran away. Sensitive soul.' he turned to the Doctor. He made a mouth.
'I ask for permission for going and looking for him.' George applied.
'You are not going anywhere!' the man said.
'May I help you, Shake?' the Doctor asked.
'Ah, Doctor, thanks God you're here!' he hurried for him. 'Do something, find him, talk to him, bring him back, anything! Oh my nerves, I won't survive this evening!' he yammered.
'Don't worry, I'm here in a minuit.' he calmed him.
'Thank you, Doctor, God bless you. You guys, be prepared!'
'Yes, Professor sir.' John talked back to him.
'You quiet, Lennon! I keep my eyes on you.'
'Sure, Professor.' he played a cord on his guitar.
'Please, Doctor, be quick!' Shake turned to the timelord.
'Course, Shake. Don't worry.'
The street was empty, just the screaming from inside was heard a bit. The Doctor walked along and turned at a corner. A tiny café's lights were seen at the end of the street. He started to walk there, entered the door and sat down at the bar. He ordered a coke and pulled out a straw from his pocket.
'It's more fizz in it.' he said to the boy next to him.
'I don't care.' a sulking voice aswered.
'I know. You're sulking. I never really understood how you humans can care for your outlook. Like it would do anything.'
' You're talking to me? You are fancy of bowties!' the boy frowned.
'Oi, bowties are cool!' the Doctor answered sulking.
'Now you are sulking too.'
The Doctor shrugged.
'I suppose you are right.' he grimaced.
'Why you are here?' the boy asked.
'I came to see my favourit band to play tonight but it seems the concert's dismissed because the drummer is sulking in a café.'
'Pity.' he answered.
'Maybe you could help them out.' the Doctor squinted at him.
'Maybe. But why would I? My head looks like a potato.'
'I like your haircut. Maybe I will have my hair cut like yours.'
The boy's face lightened up.
'Really?'
'Yeah, sure! More: I make you an offer. When the concert is over, I go to a friseur with you and make my hair cut at once. What do you say?'
The boy looked thoughtful.
'You know time like these I don't want to be a superstar. Maybe I'll wait till my hair grows long again and I go back then.'
'Oi, don't you dare! Your frisure is great!'
'Do you think?'
'Sure!'
The boy sighed.
'Alright. But after it you come with me and let your hair cut.'
'I promise.'
The boy was smiling again.
'Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!'
The Doctor followed him hurriedly.
The door opened with a cry. Inside everybody jumped up.
'Ringo! You're back!'
'Ringo! Good to see you!'
'Thank God! Boys, get ready. Start in two minuits.'
'Hey, potato-head!'
'I don't listen to you, John, my haircut is great.' Ringo said prideful.
'Oh, the kid's self-respecting.'
'Let him, John!' Paul cut him off.
'Yeah, let him.' George commented.
'Yeah, let me.' Ringo added.
'Alright, potato-head. Let's go on the stage.'
'Do you join us, Doctor?' Paul asked.
'No, no, it's your night. Let's enjoy it.'
Paul nodded and in a second the four boy was on the stage, between screaming and crying girls, and the music started: It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog...
The Doctor stood backstage and listened to the music smiling, till it ended and the concert was over. The boys came back gasping and laughing like children.
'Did you see that girl in the first line? Ooh, those bright blue eyes!'
'I watched a pretty one on the loft. The one with the curly brown hair.'
'I watched then all. Maybe if Shake would let me...'
'You are not going anywhere, Lennon.' the man said.
'Can I go somewhere, mister?' Ringo asked.
'Where would you go, potato-head?' the one before asked grimacing.
'I have a buisniss there.' he winked at the Doctor.
'Alright, but be careful, Ringo, careful, I said!' the man warned him pointing at hm with a finger.
'Yes, sir.' he saluted and paced to the Doctor.
'I'll take care for him, Shake, don't worry.' he said.
'I hope so, Doctor.'
He nodded, and the two of them walked out the door.
'Do you really do it for me?' the boy asked him suspiciously.
'Of course. I like it, I told you.'
'I thought you just said it to cheer me and have me go back to the theater.'
'Well... yeah, partly. But I keep my promise.'
'Great!'
They walked to the only friseur which was open at the time. They stepped in.
'Hello there.' the Doctor greeted.
'Good evening, sir. How can I help you?'
'I would like to have a haircut like this young boy's.' he pointed at Ringo. The man looked at him suspiciously, and then back to the Doctor.
'As you wish.' he said in the end.
A few minuits, and he was done.
'A brand new look for you, sir. Four pounds seventy, if it pleases you.'
'Sure... Urm... Ehh, there's a tiny problem.' the Doctor turned to the man. 'I don't have any cash by me.' he whispered.
'Excuse me sir?' The man frowned.
'Don't worry, mister, I'll pay for him.'
'Don't, Richard.' the Doctor whispered to him.
'Oh, forget it, Doctor. You helped me with much bigger problems.'
And so he payed the man and they walked out the shop.
'Thank you, Richard.'
'It's me who have to be grateful, Doctor.' he smiled at him.
A few minuits and they were back at the theater. The crowed was spreading away already.
'Take care, Richard. And don't let John bullying you.' he placed a hand on his shoulder.
'Thank you Doctor. I won't.' he said and faced to the door. 'See you next time.' he waved.
'See you.' the Doctor waved too, and started to pace back to the TARDIS. He found the blue box where he left her and stepped inside. A few pushing and pulling, and the commom dematerialization noise filled the alley.
In an other place, thousand years after the same blue box made the same noise, and parked in a green garden in front of a common 51st century english house. The door opened silently, and the Doctor stepped out.
'Hello Swee... What the hell?!' a shocked voice greeted him.
'Hi Honey, I'm home.' he grinned.
'What did you do to your hair?!' River hurried to him.
'Oh, just a tinyfavor for a friend. Never mind. It will grow back again.'
She began to giggle as she neared him.
'You look like a potato, you know?'
'Oh yes. A tiny problem. But it reunited the Beatles.'
'The Beatles?' she asked eyebrows pulled up but smiling.
'Yeah, John bullied Richard and he got sulking and I told him I would cut my hair like his if he goes back and plays in the concert. Not a big deal.'
'So the Beatles.' River giggled.
'Yeah.'
'Good for them. I missed you.' she threw her arms around his neck.
'So did I.' he grabbed her by her waist.
'So, shall I live with a rock 'n' roll star now?' she asked flirtingly.
'Nno, never. Okay, I beat the drums once for them, but never again. John plays always something different as it is in the notes.' he grimaced.
'Poor you.'
'Yeah, poor me.'
'Should I consol you?'
'Please.'
She giggled and grabbed his hand.
'Come in, the tea is still warm.'
'It sounds gorgeuos.'
She giggled and pulled him towards the house. In the door she spinned aroud.
'But promise me, you wouldn't keep this hair, would you?'
'To be honest, I'm quite familiar to it already.'
'You wouldn't keep it, would you?' she sounded more warning now.
'Why? It's not so bad at all.'
'Doctor...' she looked annoyed at him.
'Right, right, you won. I won't keep it.'
'Thank you. Now come in, the tea will get cold.
He smiled at her and stole a small kiss from her lips.
'I like your inviting words.'
'I know.' she winked and opened the door. 'You won't regret you came in.'
'Oh I know Doctor Song.'
'Professor Song to you.'
He murmured something and followed her in. He loved his woman. She understood. She understood every time. Always and completely. His woman, and nothing more from the universe outside – that's what he needed the most. And sometimes – some very few times – someone to make him feel useful. And the world was whole again.