Slow Blooming Flower

by

Sabrina Lonewalker

Once Serena had dashed out of the control room, she had gone to her own room. She loved what TARDIS had done for her here. It looked like the room a Chinese princess would have had and yet, there were the distinct Shaolin touches TARDIS knew Serena loved. Serena changed into her Gi and headed for the garden. She loved meditating here, surrounded by the peace and quiet.

This time, however, she couldn't quite get herself to meditate. Her thoughts kept going back to him, the Doctor. She was remembering the nights she woke up screaming from the nightmares and he would be there to hold her, talk to her softly, let her cry. She knew why she couldn't ever go home, he had patiently explained that to her. But, she was growing up now and the feelings she was feeling inside her were confusing.

He had been like a father to her but what she was experiencing were very un-daughterly like feelings towards him. If only she had someone to talk to, someone who knew nothing of her situation and could advise her from an unbiased point of view, if only... She thought for a moment then, she went back to her room and changed into regular clothes, blue jeans, brown boots and a blue shirt and jacket.

She walked back into the control room. "Doctor?" He was under the console again she noticed, smiling. He slid out and looked up, "What is it?" She looked at his touseled hair, so like a childs. "I need to see someone, to talk about something." The Doctor nodded, "Who do you want to see?" Her eyes were wary as she answered, "My mother."

The Doctor's eyebrows climbed into his tousled hair. Serena was six when her and Peter's mother had died. "She won't know who I am, Doctor, please? Her I can visit without causing any trouble, especially if we can find her before she met my father." The Doctor smiled, she had taken the time to work this out. He was proud of her.

He got to his feet, "I think we can manage this. Let's look at the coordinates." He spun some dials and checked the monitor. "Here, she's in college right now, and it's a year before her parents and sister died. You can't tell her that." Serena nodded, "I know. I won't." The Doctor smiled, "Ok, then, off we go." He pulled the control lever and the TARDIS disappeared with a familiar groaning sound.

Serena watched him as he rushed around the different panels, keeping this old machine on course. He never seemed to be as happy as he was right now, dashing about, keeping things from falling apart while, she could sense that he did all of this to keep from standing still. It was as if he was afraid of what would happen if he stopped. Something had happened to him before he found her, something that had hurt him deeply.

She had noticed a few times that his eyes would mist over and he would stare off into nothing but, she never asked him why, what or who was he remembering. She had a feeling that someday he would talk. She just wondered if she would be with him when he did. She found herself hoping she would, she really didn't want to leave his side.

The TARDIS came to a stop and the Doctor looked at her. "She's out in what you call the Quad. You have 24 hours then, we have to go, ok?" His voice was soft, quiet and laced with concern. Serena smiled, "Ok, I'll remember." She walked out the TARDIS doors and they closed behind her. She didn't hear his whisper of "Please come back safe, I do need you."

TBC