Chapter 25

We walked to her room, and now Ayla is sitting on her bed. I sit on the side of the bed, take her hand in mine, and take off the bracelet. I feel a spike of pain going through my head; no doubt she is feeling it as well. She cries out, clutching her head. "Ow, make it stop, please make it stop doctor". I hold her in my arms as she starts sobbing her hearts out. My hearts break at the sound of her cries. I rub her back again.

After an hour she is asleep but still shaking in my arms. I lay her down properly, she doesn't want to let go of my shirt. I expected this. Even I am feeling the need to sleep after the few days I had. This got me thinking, "what would've happened to Ayla if she had come with?"

Time Skip

Doctor POV

It's been four days since I got Ayla back. She hasn't left my side since, she is very annoyed with the situation, and she is such a time tot. It's kind of fun to watch her complain. The bond is stronger than ever, we can both feel it, she even listens to me without me doing anything from my side. She hates that she is so dependent on me, I love it, it means she is embracing her childhood.

She told me about how she would've died and what Lumic would've done to her. I'm glad she stayed with Jackie then but this makes me worry for her mind, her abilities are growing. I've been teaching her a few things about time lines and helping her explore a bit more on a time line simulator, its going slow but she has been learning for the past two days, it will take a long time for her to grasp her abilities fully.

Ayla POV

'This sucks. I have to be close to the doctor. I want to but I don't want to. Why can't I have just been a normal human, with normal boring people surrounding my boring near adult human life with a boring human doctor dad? But no, I had to be a time tot whose mind is shared with another with a need to be super close to my bonded "dad/guardian" and whose enjoying my bloody rant right now laughing at my pain'.

The doctor looks at me amused and says, "Well at least you have a doctor, and it can be quite boring on Sundays. And you're not in physical pain my little tot, I know cause we're bonded"

"Sure rub it in Doctor. You had normal bonding with your parents. You didn't have to go through this. It's kind of embarrassing for me", I say glumly.

"I know this is not perfect but we are working through it. And why would it be embarrassing? he asks carefully.

I look at him in disbelief, "I was almost out of school, where I didn't need anyone, I had no parents, I was going to go to university, study, become someone better than the orphan girl, I only had to rely on myself but now... now I can't do any of that besides learning time Lord stuff. I had my own rules, no one really set curfew for me, and no one cared.

I got used it to the older I got. Now I have a parent who practically knows my every move, who knows what I'm thinking, what I need, gives me stupid rules that I never needed. I basically lost my freedom. I have this need to be close to you all the time, it drives me mad, and I have to rely on YOU, all the bloody time, and it's annoying. I hate it. And I love it. And I love you", I sigh and continue, "I never had a guardian who really cared to even ground me or to save my life or someone who even wonders if I had eaten that day. It embarrasses me because I always wanted this, and when I finally came to terms with my crappy life and getting over the hurt I felt, and legally taking care of myself... bam... then I have you. That's why it's embarrassing. I feel weak, I can't take care of myself anymore".

"Hey, this is not a bad thing, to be taken care of. And definitely not something to be embarrassed about. This type of bond won't last forever, it might take a few years but that's okay. Besides, this life is better than the one you had before. I'm just happy to have you in my life. I know you are frustrated with how 'clingy' you are, but this will only last a few weeks at most. It was the separation that caused this intensity.

You are still adjusting to being a time tot, don't be so hard on yourself or those around you. Take it one day at a time". He said to me.

'Why do you have to be so understanding?' I think to myself.

"You are right doctor. I'm sorry. I don't want to sound ungrateful, cause I am grateful. Its amazing traveling with you and scary. I wish I was properly raised by you from the start. It probably would have saved us a lot of drama from the start", I say smiling at him.