A/N: Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but other projects…. Hehe. Please Read and Review.

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Chapter Six: A Garden without its Rose…

The Doctor smiled watching Tash eat a bowl of soup, some bread, and some cheese. So she wasn't a pure vegetarian, but then again there were so many different types of vegetarians anymore in the universe, it could get confusing to tell one type apart from another. She took a break from her eating, "Doctor, you were going to tell me about Rose."

The Doctor froze, the wound was still fresh. He didn't want to talk about Rose. It hurt. Tash was the only other "Rose" he had. He didn't want to talk about it because truthfully he was afraid that if he talked about Rose, he was afraid that he might jinx himself and lose Tash as well. He didn't consider himself superstitious, but he almost had lost Tash. She looked so thin and wane after her sickness, but still a very pleasant smile was on her face. Mala'shraians are pretty tough stock, and considering how long they usually lived they had to be. To think, that Tash's race was on the brink of being extinct only to come back with a vengeance after 72 years was simply amazing and a credit to one lone Mala'shra and the consciousness of a planet. He wished that somehow he could do the same for his people, but he couldn't, but seeing Tash alive and well, filled a bit of that gaping chasm inside his hearts.

He sighed, "I can't Tash. I miss her and it hurts to talk about her. Please don't ask me to talk about her."

Tash looked thoughtful and then taking a very loud slurp from her bowl said, "Okay Doctor, but I don't believe you will heal if you don't."

The Doctor cringed and then yelled at Tash "Who are you to tell me what will heal me and what won't?" And then he looked down at the floor at his converse trainers, ashamed that he had yelled at Tash, for he considered her a friend.

Tash sighed, "Anger is good Doctor, and it means you are healing. Yell at me all you wish. I know you do not mean it."

"Bloody hell, who do you think you are, Freud?"

Tash frowned, "Who?"

"Oh never mind. I know you are trying to help me Tash, but maybe I don't want your help."

Tash looked a bit hurt, "I am sorry." She got out of her seat and left the kitchen.

The Doctor sighed, he hadn't meant to yell at Tash or make her upset. He had to get out of the TARDIS that was all there was to it. Humans called it cabin fever; he suspected he had something similar, topped off with the heartbreak of missing Rose.

He decided to cool down for a moment before he went to find Tash and apologized to her. He knew where to find her; she'd be in his garden. He did after all just give it to her. Oh hell with it, he might as well find her now. He got up and wandered after her.

Wandering into the garden, his eyes went wide. The garden seemed very much alive to him as before him one lone Mala'shraian seemed to be swaying back and forth as if in a musical concert with his plants and the plants swayed with her, but they were growing. Flowers were blooming, trees were blossoming leaves. It kind of reminded him of the movie E.T. with, the alien causing the flowers to bloom rapidly. He walked over and touched Tash. She opened her eyes and smiled. "Doctor….you startled me."

He sighed, "Its beautiful Tash. You're quite a marvel with plants. Although, you should rest and not strain yourself."

"Why would I want to sleep? Didn't you say I slept for over three weeks? I am not tired, Doctor. If anything, I am restless as hell."

He chuckled lightly, "I was going to ask you about that, because truth be told, I am kind of feeling the same way. I know just the spot for someone like you."

She smiled, "Are you trying to apologize, Doctor?"

"Oi, smart as a whip, you are? How old are you again?"

Tash laughed lightly, "639."

"Right….and here all this time I thought I was talking to a fifteen year old."

Tash giggled lightly, "Silly Time Lord. I age in reverse."

He smiled lightly and then he said softly, "I am sorry I yelled at you, Tash. It's just….I really don't want to talk about Rose. It would be like asking you to talk about how you lost your family."

Tash bowed her head solemnly, "You are right, Doctor and I am sorry. It is only that I am worried for you. You helped me; I wanted to help you as well."

The Doctor smiled and gave Tash a bit of a squeeze, "I know. It's just that it's only been a few weeks since I lost Rose and….for you…."

Tash sighed, "72 years. I got on well enough without you Doctor. But to tell you the truth, I had used all my energy to give life to my home. There wasn't much left in me to do much more."

He nodded, he had thought about what she had done in his garden and wondered if she had done something similar on her home on a massive scale, if that was the case, no wondered she was tired and almost died. He then said, "Come along, Tash, lets go see some of the marvels of the universe and maybe if I feel like it, I might talk to you about Rose. If I feel like it…."