Chapter 3: Old Friends Reunite

The Doctor was busy yet again working on his TARDIS he left the door open for a change since the moment At'atara tried to step inside of it, her corporeal form simply vanished. The Doctor liked her, despite the fact that she had caused him a lot of distress earlier. It had been a bit of a misunderstanding. His choice of who he liked, well even though she was a planet, it wasn't as if he didn't have any other unusual friends. The Face of Boe, for instance, no one was really sure what he was, just a big old face in a glass jar, but like himself, he was the last of his kind. At'atara stood by the doorway peaking in but not stepping fully in. She looked a bit sad that she couldn't step inside the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled lightly, "I'd take you with me if I could."

"And what exactly would I do?"

The Doctor looked thoughtful, she had him there.

She chuckled lightly, "Besides, I am needed here. If you took me away…"

"I know. This planet would cease to exist."

At'atara nodded and the Doctor was busy putting in some new wiring. "Tell me what's it like to be a planet? I am curious."

"This whole planet is my body and I feel myself hurtling around in space. All the little things within me down to the microcellular level I feel. I am telepathic, I am linked to everything telepathically and they are linked to me."

"So that explains why Mala'shraians are telepathic. You're the connection between them all."

She nodded and he let out a bit of cry as the TARDIS decided to give him a bit of a shock.

At'atara giggled lightly. The Doctor gave a bit of a scow, "You know…it's not very nice to laugh at others misfortunes."

She shrugged lightly not really seeming to care what the Doctor had said and she then said, "I have ways of getting you there, Doctor. Mala'shraian transports are very reliable…."

"Are you saying the TARDIS isn't reliable? She's one of the best ships…."

"Fine, have it your way Doctor. She'll be waiting for you at any rate."

The Doctor frowned, he heard a bit of a noise outside and running out of the TARDIS he saw a ship, "Aww….you shouldn't have. I have the TARDIS."

At'atara chuckled lightly, "Oh this isn't my ship. It's Ta'sheeka's ship. She's traveled a bit since you last saw her. I brought it here to personally bring you to her."

The Doctor went over, smiled and ran a hand over it, "Organic plant life, sentient. Not a bad ship. If you mind something that looks like a chia pet. But you really shouldn't have brought her ship here, won't she miss it?"

At'atara giggled lightly, "Yes, but she was planning on going to the Forest of Cheem today, a trading and ambassadorial mission. When I felt you coming, I swiped her ship. Her travels will have to wait."

"If you swiped her ship on the way to an ambassadorial mission then…."

A gangplank door opened and the Doctor grinned as he saw a very familiar curly headed sandy blond headed woman exit the ship. She wore a very fancy cloak that held the sheen of a pearl. As it glistened in the sunlight it shown with light blues, pinks, and greens. Nothing had changed too much about her, except the last time he had seen her she looked in her early twenties, now she looked like she was a teenager about fourteen to fifteen years of age. She looked very irate. "Bad ship…..you know better than that. I grew you myself. Forged your seeds in fire, shaped you into my own private transport and you…."

She cocked her head, "What do you mean you were 'called here'?"

The Doctor chuckled lightly amused at Ta'sheeka's irritated words. "She sounds very unreliable."

Tash turned around and saw the Doctor, "Doctor….you've returned." She ran over and gave the Doctor a very firm hug.

He smirked, "Hello Tash." He took a look at her, "What a fancy cloak. You've certainly coming up in the world."

She blushed lightly," I was on my way to visit Trees, Forest Cheem; my people are very sociable with them. Suddenly my primary coordinates changed and I was brought here."

He laughed, "It wasn't me; I swear it. It was the planet's idea."

Tash looked around and saw no one, "Hump….figures."

"Oh I take it you two haven't been getting along too well."

"Oh we get along, most of the time, except for the occasional mishap, like this."

The Doctor chuckled, "She sounds a lot like the TARDIS actually."

Tash shrugged lightly taking all that happened in its stride, and then looked around, "Where's Rose?"

The Doctor's whole demeanor went flat when Tash mentioned Rose. "She's gone Tash."

She frowned lightly, not seeming to understand what 'gone' meant. "She left you. I thought….she cared for you…."

The Doctor's shoulders slumped, "She does. She always will. It's a long story Tash."

Tash took off her cloak and placed it on the ground and sat on it, "I have time Doctor. Tell me what happened."

"I'd much rather hear about what's happened to you Tash. Tell you what, you tell me what's happened so far in your life and I'll tell you what happened."

Tash looked deeply into the Doctor's eyes and then she grasped onto his hand and then let go as if she had been burned and seared, "There is much pain in you, Doctor. Wounds healed and wounds with many scars. I feel it."

The Doctor looked at Tash and frowned. Tash was very perceptive towards things. He did not know how she could read that much off of him and so he asked, "How?"

Tash said calmly, "I am healer. To heal one must feel pain, make it theirs, bear it, and then carry it off upon the clear winds."

The Doctor looked slightly concerned, "You acted as if touching me hurt you."

Tash considered her words carefully, "With my people, Doctor. Healing is touch based. Whether it is physically based or mentally, it is the same, some of us have a bit of a stronger connection with it than others. That is why I was trained to be a healer."

He nodded, "I have many wounds of all sorts, Tash. Touching them may hurt you more than you realize. You can block…can't you?"

She nodded, "I can Doctor. I only heal if asked for. But why carry so much pain and why carry it alone? It is not good to carry pain alone."

The Doctor sighed; he wanted to say something to her. He wanted to tell her that the pain made him who he was; he wanted to tell her that it made him stronger but he couldn't. Even thinking about it made him ache inside. His hearts felt hollow, the pain of billions of deaths. Tash was right, it's not good to carry pain alone and without Rose, who made his existence worth living, he once again felt all that pain he had received over the past 900 years or so.

He decided to turn the conversation to something else and so he asked a question "You must be busy. Last time I was here, you were going to have children, with the help of the planet of course. How many children do you have?"

Tash blushed lightly, "Mala'shrians can have so many. Most of the time the average is at least in the 40's or 50's, but that was before the war, but up to this date I have 876 children or is it 879. I can't remember. I also have 2,365 grandchildren. And soon I'll have great grand children."

The Doctor chuckled," I don't suppose you are going to have any more children, are you?"

She blushed even more, "Doctor, I am worn out. Have you ever tried to raise that many children?"

The Doctor grinned, "Nope. Anybody that has that many children is either crazy or…."

She gave the Doctor a bit of an angry glance, "I never asked to have that many children. But I knew it was expected of me, Doctor. But having that many children is not without its benefits or risks. Having so many means I am never alone, that someone always is worried for me or cares for me. But the risk is…." She sighed and paused a bit.

The Doctor looked worried, when Tash mentioned risks. He took out his glasses but them on and looked at Tash with a deeper glance. Despite the fact that she carried a young look about her, but as he looked at her fully, he noticed that in truth she was haggard, tired, and worn.

"I am worn out, physically, Doctor. Having 870 odd offspring, no one in the history of my people ever had that many. We usually have 30 to 40. I am tired. I have had little rest. Plus I am asked to do so much for my children, for my people. I never asked to be a leader, yet I am. I am…tired." Tears began to come down Tash's face and the Doctor moved his arm over and let Tash pour out her tears, into his coat sleeve "You just need a break, Tash. When was the last time you actually rested? Had a vacation?"

Tash shrugged, she couldn't actually remember when she had such a thing and the Doctor grinned, "You see. Now you get into the TARDIS and you go right to bed. No work. Nothing."

She stuttered, "But….I have…to… go…to…"

The Doctor shook his head, Tash was about to have a nervous break down, he had seen it happen to lots of people. "No excuses Tash. You get into the TARDIS. Have a nice sleep. Your trip to Cheem is cancelled…"

"But….they'll be upset…."

He smiled "Don't worry, Tash. I have a way with people. And I know lots of people on Cheem. I'll handle it."

"You will?"

The Doctor nodded, "Of course….now hurry up and get inside the TARDIS. She is in another dimension you know? You'll have the best sleep that you haven't had in ages."

Tash gave the Doctor another cheerful hug and he ruffled her hair and he watched as she wandered into the TARDIS and disappeared into the many corridors that were within.

The Doctor's face pulled up into a very angry look and he yelled out, "At'atara, this is your fault. You have worn that poor girl out. I am taking her away from here. Do you hear me? She's done her job for you and she's broken inside. She hides it well, but it's not fooling me any. What have you done to her? She doesn't deserve that."

There was no answer for a moment and then he heard her voice, "Doctor….take her away from here. It is true, her job is done. I know she is not well. Do you think I do not know that? If you had come back sooner…." The wind gave a bit of a sigh, "It is my fault, and I should not have asked her to do so much."

The Doctor sighed, "Maybe it's mine. I did convince her to stay here. But I had no idea that it would cause such a toll on her health. I shouldn't have…."

The white haired girl suddenly appeared right beside the Doctor, "She would have stayed anyway, Doctor. Or she would have been torn between her duty to her home and to her people if she went with you. Surely you must know about being torn between what you want and what is the best for….?"

The Doctor muttered lightly, "Only too well. I guess I really do get to be a Doctor this time around. Thanks a lot, nursing the mental and physical health of a Mala'shraian is not my idea of fun."

At'atara laughed lightly, "What is your idea of fun Doctor?"

"You know I haven't the faintest idea, actually. I know it's somewhere between taking down a bunch of Daleks and keeping the TARDIS from falling apart. But other than that, I have no clue."

She smiled, "Then taking care of my daughter should be easy. My daughter is neither a Dalek nor your TARDIS."

The Doctor muttered, "Yea, that's why it's going to be a lot harder. I can deal with Daleks and my TARDIS but another person, that's different."