Sister Star

Chapter 9: Father's Day

Almadynis

Disclaimer: I only own Astrid. *glomps* No takies!

AN: Wonderful beta in the form of peaceloverhealer101.

Astrid's thoughts

Astrid was sitting in the TARDIS kitchen/dining room, sipping a hot chocolate. She couldn't sleep. It was getting so close. She could feel it. She knew the next episode to come, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face it. Not sure if she SHOULD face it. So many things were good and bad about what happened. The best way to really get a decision…is to ask.

Mind made up, she fixed a second mug of hot chocolate and started for the main control room. Just as she had suspected, there was the Doctor, hard at work doing meaningless little adjustments to his ship's controls. She cleared her throat, gave a smile and said, "I've named her Alexandra. It means 'Defender of Mankind' in Latin. I thought it was appropriate."

His head shot up, making him hit the back of his head on the console where he was bent over. Cursing in a language that the TARIDS refused to translate—so that is what Gallifreyan sounds like, it's very pretty even when cussing—he pulled himself out of the floor panel and got to his feet. She held out the mug and gestured to the seat.

He raised an eyebrow, but joined her. "Who are you naming?"

"The TARDIS. Do you know, you never asked her name, in all the 700 years that you have traveled. She's quite miffed about it." Her tone was purely conversational despite his quirked eyebrow.

"YOU named the TARDIS? Why? How do you even know she likes that name?"

Astrid gave him a wide smile and looked up at the ceiling. "Lexi? Do you like the name Alexandra?" As if in answer, the lights all over the control room flickered once, dimming and then going back strong. "I'll admit it's not a perfect system. As of yet, I can only ask yes or no questions. It took about four days to find a name we both liked. It's not like she can tell me her real one, I figured it would do until you could ask her name yourself."

It was an interesting moment of clarity. He never had asked. He never really thought of the TARDIS as wanting to be talked to at all. He knew she was sentient, but she lived in eleven dimensions simultaneously. The effort she had to make to be understood by one little human was staggering. Deciding on one question at a time, he asked, "'Lexi'?"

Astrid nodded. "Alexander lends itself to a lot of nicknames. Lexi is my favorite. Now that we've got the tension out of the way, I need to talk to you." She took a drink from her mug and drew a breath. "The next episode that I know of…" He straightened; she never gave out information like this. "…I'm not sure I should prevent it. It will make Rose very happy." The weight of the world seemed to be on her shoulders. "But nothing is free, Doctor. You know that more than most. The price…the price will be pain. Your pain. I figured, since it affects you directly, it should be your decision. I can prevent everything very easily, or I can just sit back and let everything happen as I saw before."

Now he understood her dilemma. Her sister's happiness or her…boyfriend's? pain. Something she knew he would survive, but it would hurt. "How happy will this make Rose?"

Astrid gave a small sad smile, "There is no measurement, no monetary value."

He gave one nod, and made his decision. "Then let it happen."

Astrid nodded again. "When she asks about her father…I'll stay in the TARDIS. If I'm there, I might change the outcome." Her blue eyes sought his, and locked intensely as they tried to communicate the danger and the care she had for him. "I'll wait for you."

Yes, short, but I did not want to change canon for this episode...this chapter explains why there is no change. What do you think? Astrid lives off of reviews!