AN: I've always loved the idea that the TARDIS can do more than the Doctor realizes, sometimes even the impossible. So I've incorporated her as a character in and of herself- with feelings, thoughts (of a sort), and personality. She doesn't "speak" per say...but when she chooses to communicate it's mentally (of course) and in abstracts- emotions, images, etc. It's frequently stated she has telepathic and empathic abilities...so I'm pulling on these ideas and putting my own tweak on them. Thanks for continuing to read my story! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2: The TARDIS has a plan

TARDIS' POV

For quite some time she had been aware of his deteriorating mental state; her Thief, her Time Lord. She did what she could for him, but as remarkable as she was, even she had limitations. She had learned a lot from him and from her Thief's pets over the years. Though at first she didn't understand why he kept bringing home these "strays" as she playfully thought of them. Then she began observing and eventually interacting with them, and she gained greater understanding behind his reasoning- perhaps even more than the Doctor himself understood. These "companions" as he affectionately calls them give him a great many things: someone to teach and share all of time and space with; someone to marvel at his brilliant mind and abilities; and of course someone to provide friendship and a sense of family.

More than this though, they help him to see that life is worth living, and to appreciate the marvels of the universe. Many creatures know the Doctor as The Lonely god, The Oncoming Storm, the man with no home, no people. In most cases his companions also rein him in when he becomes too harsh, too dark, too willing to do whatever it takes; a result of war and desperate times. The Great Time War stole everything from him- his family, his people; even his home planet- and that had left many deep scars on his soul.

The Doctor was refusing to take on another companion after he had been unable to save the last one, though it was obviously tearing him apart inside to be alone. At first the TARDIS' presence had been enough, but more and more lately it was becoming obvious to her that he needed more. Someone who could reach past this wall he built around himself, to help heal his broken hearts (yes plural- he has two after all!), and perhaps even help him come to terms with some of his past.

For a while now, without the Doctor knowing, she had been searching, trying to find just the spark she felt he needed to overcome his current state. Finally, she had located one that might work, and traced it…to EARTH of all places!

It had been weeks since the Doctor had rescued the brunette girl, Becca. He had blown up at her when she had tried to figure out why he had practically ran away from the tea shop to get away from the girl. She had not communicated with him directly since and really he had not tried to communicate with her beyond basic needs. At first it didn't concern her; they had given each other the proverbial "cold shoulder" before. After all you can't travel with someone this long and not have a few spats along the way! This time was different though, this time he had began retreating deep within his own mind for hours at a time. When he did so, she was almost completely unable to reach his consciousness. This level of despondency was disturbing in her Thief. Something had to be done- soon! So the TARDIS began putting her plan in motion…

Two (Earth) Months later…

The Doctor lay in his bed, muscles tensed and twitching like he was fighting a great battle, and in his dreams he was…

The last day of the Great Time War, the Dalek fleet had surrounded Gallifrey and launched the biggest attack yet on the planet. Millions of Dalek ships had subjected Gallifrey to a massive orbital bombardment and deployed thousands of individual Daleks to invade the surface. Dalek ships hung in the air, firing shots at buildings, taking out anything they could.

Though the smoke was thick and blinding, the Doctor could feel the heat of the fires searing everything around him. He heard the hellish cacophony of the War all around him…screams, bombs exploding, the implosions of buildings collapsing, Daleks calling out "EX-TERM-IN-ATE!"… Gallifrey was burning, his planet was burning! All around him laser and photon fire glittered across an inky black sky. As he scanned the backdrop of flames and flickering shadows, he saw the outlines of spacecraft wheeling and diving above him, most of them in near ruins by this point. Discharges of energy weapons backlit the terrible scene of casualties lying dead or dying among the ruins of buildings and crashed spaceships alike, and as he watched in horror, Dalek scouts could be seen gliding unnaturally over the tortured mess and shooting anything that moved.

Not far from him was a small child, crying and calling out for help. Running….he was running as fast as he could to save the child…but he was too late! He was always too late! He watched helplessly as the child was consumed by an energy blast from a passing scout…

The Doctor woke thrashing and screaming "No….NO…NOOO!" The dream had left him nauseous and shaking, covered in sweat with his two hearts beating at an alarming rate. "It's my fault…it's all my fault" he sobbed…"my home…my planet…my people, all dead because of me!" Grabbing his brown suit jacket he took off towards the one place where his desperate plan to end his agony might actually succeed.

Becca's POV

Great pain, anguish….a cry for help!

I woke abruptly filled with nearly overwhelming feelings of concern, anguish and terrible sadness. Shaking my head I tried to clear it. Had I been dreaming? Getting up and wrapping a bathrobe around myself, I walked to the dresser and turned on the light. Looking in the mirror, my own face stared back at me, pale and wide-eyed. I didn't remember dreaming, just being woken from a sound sleep in a near panic. In fact the feeling still stuck with me. Strange, I thought, that never happens; usually when I wake the emotion disappears too.

Strange or not, I could still feel the emotions like they were my own. Not an uncommon situation as I've often felt the emotions of others around me, but never while I was asleep! Was someone or something trying to send for help? I scoffed at the absurdity. Who would look to me for help? I thought reflexively. I'm just the overly sensitive girl with the soft heart. How many times did mom and dad scold you for being weak, overly emotional and a sucker for a sob story?

Growing up she could never stand to see anyone or anything hurting, and often stood up to bullies of all types. She'd come home, sometimes bloody and bruised, from those fights only to have her folks rage at her. Her mom, having delusions of grandeur, was always furious at her for not "acting like a lady". Her dad, more interested in his own self-interests, would lecture her on maintaining the status quo and embarrassing the family name. There was something wrong with her, she wasn't right- and they told her so every chance they got.

As soon as she possibly could she had moved out of her parents' home and got a job to support herself. She found a small but affordable flat and for a short time found a measure of peace. Things with her parents never improved. The final break with her family came after her grandparents had passed on. Outside of London they'd had a small country cottage, not much really, just a weekend getaway of sorts. When the wills were read and my parents discovered that they had been skipped over and the cottage and everything was left to me…well let's just say furious is an understatement and they haven't spoken to me since. Why it upsets them so much, I still have no idea. After all the legal paperwork had been taken care of, she decided to move into the cottage. She'd been living here for a few months now and was enjoying life outside of all the hustle and bustle of the city.

Now looking at myself in the mirror, I took a deep breath and tried to sort out where the emotions were coming from.

An impression of the outside….concern…urgency! The impressions struck my mind from out of nowhere. Help…the one thing I could never refuse anyone. Dressing quickly I followed my instincts as they led me outside but as I stepped out on the porch I froze in shock…there was a blue police box sitting in my front yard! What was a police box doing in my yard? As I watched, the door swung slowly open and I was compelled to go inside...

Disclaimer: I did not write the imagery I used for the Doctor's dream...I found the description years ago but alas I can't find or remember who wrote it to give credit where credit is due. However, thank you to the Unknown Author...I hope you don't mind if I borrow your amazing description of what the Great Time War must have been like!