The Sisterhood of Karn. Not the most friendly sorts. They tended to dislike company and have a dampening field around their planet that made things crash. The Time Lord had saved them on a few occasions so they let him come and go as he pleased.

Chapter 53 Karn

He had landed outside their sanctuary and headed for the temple. Several of the red robed sisters blocked his way as he approached. One stood out to speak for them, "The High Priestess is waiting for you. This way please." They led him to a three story room in the stone sanctuary where their leader sat in an ornately carved chair. "Welcome Doctor."

He bowed low in respect. "Hello Ohila."

"I'm surprised to see you. Especially as you are already here." The 8th doctor came out from behind her chair. A tall, handsome man with curled shoulder length hair and beautiful blue eyes, dressed like he just stepped out of a Dickens novel. The 8th incarnation of the doctor.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a testy voice.

"Looking for you of course. I need your help." 10 said. The 8th doctor laughed and rolled his eyes.

"What kind of trouble are you in now? Anything that breaks the rules?"

"What else?" 10 said with a grin. 8 laughed and said "I'm in." The council had managed to screw him again and he was looking for payback. The Reverend Mother stood and silenced them both. "We should adjourn to a more private setting to discuss this." She waved them to an anteroom off the main hall.

The Rev Mother sat first and they, second. 8 asked, a bit too flippant, "So, you need my help."

"Do you want it all at once or should we fence a little?" 10 replied, just as flippant.

8 smiled, "Start from the beginning, I need a little amusement."

10 had had enough and got right into his face. "First, get that smug look off your face. I need you to get serious."

8 who had been smiling with his chin in his hand suddenly sat upright and sobered. "No need to get upset. We have gotten old haven't we?"

10 stared at the man he used to be. So much had happened to him, it made the man in front of him look like a child. He decided to give him something adult to think about. "Our daughter is now eight years old and I'm taking her to the dry lands. I need to get on Gallifrey without being questioned."

The eyes of 8 grew wide and he stood, knocking his chair back onto the floor. "Our what?" He asked incredulously. 10 smiled "That's right, our daughter. She has come of age and requested this right of passage from me. I will not disappoint her. Will you help me?"

8's eyes were bewildered at the thought of settling down and having a child. The Rev Mother watched the two doctors and compared their differences. Something very drastic must have happened, for him to have changed so dramatically.

"Gentlemen, sit down." she said with some authority. She looked at 10. "A surprise to say the least, Doctor. Why don't you just land the Tardis and ask the monks?" 10 looked at the seemingly fragile woman, knowing she has a core of iron, "Because she's half human."

"So are you." she replied.

8 interrupted, "Yes, but they didn't know that at the time. When father died everyone just sort of forgot I existed, being such an unpleasant anomaly. I registered under my foster parents house along with the other foundlings. We were just grist for the mill. No one bothered to look any closer, and they were not surprised when most of us ended up as farmers. I just barely got in by the skin of my teeth. Besides, a half breed was never something they'd ever consider looking for."

10 was tired of the discussion, "The portal is not guarded and quite a distance from the temple. All I need, is access to Gallifrey." "Yes, it's possible." 8 was going over a possible scenario. "Are you sure you want to do this? You know what it did to us." 10 was pensive, "Yes, Alice wants this, she needs this." 8 smiled as he said her name, "Alice, yes, I like it. Very Lewis Carroll. Where is she? I want to meet her."

"NO, we need to limit contact so I don't have to wipe your memory." "Wipe away." He said offended, "I want to meet her or the deal is off. Besides, do you remember any of this?" 10 growled, "Very well. My Tardis is under the rock wall, but I'm warning you, if you say anything to frighten her or my wife, I'll put you into regeneration!" The cold stare he gave his counterpart let 8 know he wasn't kidding.

"Don't be so protective. I have no intention of doing any such thing." The Doctors bowed to Ohila and left the sanctuary, heading for the Tardis. When they got there, 10 stopped him. "Give me a moment to prepare them for... you." "Why, don't they know about regeneration?" "Yes, of course, but…" 8 pushed past him. "Are you always such a stick in the mud?"

As he entered the Tardis, his eyes fell on Rose and Alice. "Well, you must be Alice and My Wife." He said grinning with the double meaning. "Sorry my dear he didn't tell me your name." "Rose, and who are you?" He bowed low and took her hand to kiss it. As he bent over he saw that she was very pregnant. Looking back at 10 he said, "Why you randy old wolf."

10 strode to Rose's side and removed her hand from 8. "I said you could meet them, not..., touch them." The disgust in his voice was evident. Rose was tired of being ignored and cleared her throat. "Again, who are you?" 10 seemed almost embarrassed to say, "Rose, Alice, this is the Doctor, number 8 to be exact." 8 smiled at them fondly. "I'm very happy to meet the beautiful woman who conquered where no one has before. And little Alice. She's a treasure. But tell me my child..," 10's teeth were audibly grinding, Why do you want to do this? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

He looked in the girl's eyes and sent a questionable message to her mind. Alice stared back with equal intensity, "Because it's my birthright, and no one will stop me." Alice sent a not so sweet message back at him. 8 laughed, impressed, "Oh yes, your father's daughter aren't you?" He looked up at 10, "She seems to have inherited our love of rebellion and flouting authority. How delicious."

Rose spoke up, "And my stubbornness so don't bother trying to talk her out of it." "My dear lady, I wouldn't dream, but what she intends to do is no easy task. I wanted to know if she really wants it, or is just trying to impress daddy."

10 moved to stand between 8 and his family. "I want you to arrange a shuttle with Ohila. There's no way they would question her ship coming to Gallifrey to go to the vortex. Drop us off and we'll call you when we need you. Understand?" 8 was not willing to go into an argument about his role in this, at least not yet. He breathed in a large sigh, "Done. I'll meet you here in twenty minutes." He turned and left the Tardis.

10 smiled, "Well, what do you think?" Rose was not impressed, "What an arrogant ass." He laughed, "You have no idea."

Chapter 54 The Untempered Schism