The Doctor was once again in Tegan's room. Peri was settled in now
and was enjoying exploring the TARDIS. She was a charming girl. Full of
spirit and a genuine sense of wonder. He had shown her the library, where
she was enthralled with his collection of books on botany. He was quite
sure she would be there awhile.
Once again he sat in the wicker chair. He gently stroked the fabric of the multi colored dress draped across its back. She had worn it when they visited her grandfather, one time he can actually remember her being happy. A smile came to his face as he removed the LiveJournal from his pocket and pressed review.
"Entry 3," the Journal's computer said as the screen came to life.
"Well this will be my last entry aboard the TARDIS. I'm leaving today. Starting the life that has ben interrupted one too many times. The Doctor says he'll get me to my flight on time and the last couple of months I'll just have to pretend didn't happen. But, no I can't do that. Despite the troubles we managed to land ourselves in, I'll miss them all. Especially Nyssa. Adric has begun to grow on me a little. Like a fungus!" She laughed. "Oh that was so bad. He's all right really. Just a bit arrogant. He'll grow out of It.. I hope. And the Doctor, well he's just the Doctor," She paused for a moment as if trying to make sense of something and then continued.
"I had a dream about the Mara last night. Can't remember a thing about it really. I asked the Doctor about it earlier this morning but he said it was just my mind's way of coping with the trauma of being possessed. He assured me again that I'm free of it. I've really come to rely on him despite all our rifts. He's a good man, if I can call him that There's a part of me that actually wants to stay. Anyway I'll miss them all."
He had remembered all to well what had happened next. The TARDIS had arrived at the future site of Heathrow, around 300 years too early. The exchange of words had been heated in the console room when she saw the viewer screen.
His thoughts returned, however, to how easily he had dismissed Tegan's experience with the Mara. He had known the legends, the danger. So why had he not seen what had happened to her.
"Entry 4,"
"Well I'm still here. No Heathrow, and this time we managed to burn London. The Doctor and I had our worst exchange of words yet. Well, I said a lot more than he did. I think I actually hurt him. I hate that because I think the world of him actually. But he has to know how I felt about being stuck here. That's right, FELT, past tense. I think I'll stay for a while. I feel, I don't know, some sort of connection. We had a pleasant dinner this evening. Just me and the Doctor. Nyssa wanted to study what was left of the android and Adric decided to help her. The Doctor told me a little about the Time Lords and Gallifrey. That's where he's from. And he explained a little more about regeneration. There was an air of vunerability about him which made me feel more at ease with him. Don't get me wrong, if there's a crisis at hand he's anything but vulnerable. But a friendly dinner is another story. Despite the danger we've faced, this is an adventure one could only dream of. I'm not giving him any slack though. And being the mouth on legs is just me. I can't change who I am. I'll speak my mind until I'm old and gray."
The Doctor had been smiling up until Tegan's last line. Old and gray was something that wouldn't happen for her.. She was gone at 27 years old. How brief a time for someone to live, he thought. And then he remembered a line from something he had read once. The flame.that burns brightest burns the briefest
"I can be thankful that for a brief time, Tegan, your flame warmed my hearts. I miss you."
He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized she was dying. Those dying embers. His own eyes began to water and he turned off the LiveJournal, once again knowing there would be more pain in the entries to come. He would see the affect of Adric's death on her. Feelings below the surface of what he had seen when it happened. Despite the few light moments they had shared, pain was par for the course in her travels with him so far. He didn't remember it getting much better.
Once again he sat in the wicker chair. He gently stroked the fabric of the multi colored dress draped across its back. She had worn it when they visited her grandfather, one time he can actually remember her being happy. A smile came to his face as he removed the LiveJournal from his pocket and pressed review.
"Entry 3," the Journal's computer said as the screen came to life.
"Well this will be my last entry aboard the TARDIS. I'm leaving today. Starting the life that has ben interrupted one too many times. The Doctor says he'll get me to my flight on time and the last couple of months I'll just have to pretend didn't happen. But, no I can't do that. Despite the troubles we managed to land ourselves in, I'll miss them all. Especially Nyssa. Adric has begun to grow on me a little. Like a fungus!" She laughed. "Oh that was so bad. He's all right really. Just a bit arrogant. He'll grow out of It.. I hope. And the Doctor, well he's just the Doctor," She paused for a moment as if trying to make sense of something and then continued.
"I had a dream about the Mara last night. Can't remember a thing about it really. I asked the Doctor about it earlier this morning but he said it was just my mind's way of coping with the trauma of being possessed. He assured me again that I'm free of it. I've really come to rely on him despite all our rifts. He's a good man, if I can call him that There's a part of me that actually wants to stay. Anyway I'll miss them all."
He had remembered all to well what had happened next. The TARDIS had arrived at the future site of Heathrow, around 300 years too early. The exchange of words had been heated in the console room when she saw the viewer screen.
His thoughts returned, however, to how easily he had dismissed Tegan's experience with the Mara. He had known the legends, the danger. So why had he not seen what had happened to her.
"Entry 4,"
"Well I'm still here. No Heathrow, and this time we managed to burn London. The Doctor and I had our worst exchange of words yet. Well, I said a lot more than he did. I think I actually hurt him. I hate that because I think the world of him actually. But he has to know how I felt about being stuck here. That's right, FELT, past tense. I think I'll stay for a while. I feel, I don't know, some sort of connection. We had a pleasant dinner this evening. Just me and the Doctor. Nyssa wanted to study what was left of the android and Adric decided to help her. The Doctor told me a little about the Time Lords and Gallifrey. That's where he's from. And he explained a little more about regeneration. There was an air of vunerability about him which made me feel more at ease with him. Don't get me wrong, if there's a crisis at hand he's anything but vulnerable. But a friendly dinner is another story. Despite the danger we've faced, this is an adventure one could only dream of. I'm not giving him any slack though. And being the mouth on legs is just me. I can't change who I am. I'll speak my mind until I'm old and gray."
The Doctor had been smiling up until Tegan's last line. Old and gray was something that wouldn't happen for her.. She was gone at 27 years old. How brief a time for someone to live, he thought. And then he remembered a line from something he had read once. The flame.that burns brightest burns the briefest
"I can be thankful that for a brief time, Tegan, your flame warmed my hearts. I miss you."
He remembered the look in her eyes when she realized she was dying. Those dying embers. His own eyes began to water and he turned off the LiveJournal, once again knowing there would be more pain in the entries to come. He would see the affect of Adric's death on her. Feelings below the surface of what he had seen when it happened. Despite the few light moments they had shared, pain was par for the course in her travels with him so far. He didn't remember it getting much better.