Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's not as long as I thought it was going to be, but I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. I realized that there is a lot more to the story than I had originally planned, so I suddenly doubt that I'll be getting it finished by Christmas. I promise, I will complete it, so, please keep reading!

Enjoy!


Chapter Three

Time With the Doctor

Once she was back at Camp, Nat managed to track Zitao to the Athena cabin. Annabeth was talking animatedly and typing away on her laptop. Tony Stark had worked with them to create a few pieces of tech that worked at Camp and wouldn't alert monsters when used outside the borders. The Daughter of Athena had demanded a laptop of her own so she could work on her architectural passions while at Camp.

Zitao looked like he was ready for the conversation to end, so Nat approached with a smile. "Annabeth, mind if I steal him away for a bit? There's someone I want him to meet."

"Fine, but bring him back as soon as possible. I still have so much to do before we understand his powers."

With another smile, Nat tugged Zitao after her, stamping down a squeal when he took her hand. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Suho mentioned that you were feeling less than confident about your powers," she explained. "I thought I could take you to meet someone who might be able to help." Zitao shot her a curious look, but continued to follow her as she led him a short distance outside camp.

Nat pulled out her phone and brought up the Doctor's number. After seven rings, a harried voice came through the speaker. "Hello!"

"You really need to patch the phone through the console!" Nat said with a laugh. She was glad she'd gotten Eleven. He was energetic and bouncy, just what Zitao needed to help him relax.

"You didn't call me just to say that, did you?"

"Of course, not! I need you to come for a visit."

"Why?"

"For one thing, it's Christmas! Thought you might want to attend the party this year."

"Is it that time already? Yes, of course, I'll come. Was there anything else?"

"Yes. I have a new friend who could use your expertise in Time." Nat glanced over at Zitao and winked.

"Ooooo! Sounds intriguing! I'll be right there, just give me your coordinates and date." Nat rattled off the information, then hung up. Within a few moments, she and Zitao heard the TARDIS's signature whooshing, groaning sound.

The blue Police Box materialized not far from them, and Nat waited patiently for the Doctor to open the door. After only a few moments, the door opened and the Doctor's floppy brown hair and bright smile greeted them. "Well? Come on in! Don't be shy!" He disappeared back inside, and Nat grinned over at Zitao.

"But, it's so small," he protested. "How-?"

Nat held her hand out to him. "Why don't you come find out?" Hesitantly, Zitao slipped his hand into hers. Ginning wider, Nat led him slowly inside the TARDIS.

The Doctor was leaning against the console, gazing down at them with an eager grin. As soon as she could, Nat turned to watch Zitao's face. Just like the Doctor, Nat always found it fun to watch the reactions of TARDIS newbies. Zitao was gazing around in awe at the huge space that was contained in the small area that they'd seen from the outside. "It's bigger on the inside!" he exclaimed.

The Doctor grinned even wider, as Nat laughed in delight. "Yes, it is!" The Doctor said as he hopped down the stairs to greet them. "You must be Zitao. Nat has told me all about you. I'm very pleased to meet you!" He shook Zitao's hand, then turned to give Nat a hug. "I haven't seen you since Akahten."

"How's Clara?" Nat asked, leaving Zitao to gaze and gawk while she got her timeline worked out with the Doctor.

"Good! Great! Just dropped her off when I got your call. I'll have to go get her for the party."

"Absolutely! Meanwhile, we need your help." Nat grabbed Zitao's hand again, bringing his attention back to the conversation.

"Of course, what can I do?" Nat explained about Zitao's powers, which immediately grabbed the Doctor's attention. "Come with me!" He turned and hurried further into the TARDIS. Nat grinned at Zitao, and tugged him along, eager to see what the Doctor had planned.

It turned out that the Doctor had a special room in the TARDIS specifically designed to contain Time experiments. His excited attitude helped Zitao relax, and the two began practicing and working with Zitao's powers, helping the Chinese boy relax and become more comfortable with his abilities than he'd ever been able to safely do before.

Nat watched for a while, happy to get to see two of her friends getting along so well. Only a beeping from her phone alerted her to how much time had passed in the outside world. She left the room to answer the call. "Nat, we need you to get over here, please. We need your help." Phil's voice was tense and concerned. Nat told him she'd be right there, then poked her head back in the room.

"Doctor, something's come up, I need to go. Will you take Zitao back to Camp when you're done?" With a dismissive wave, the Doctor remained focused on what he and Zitao were doing. Nat left quickly, hoping that she wouldn't have to do some major negotiating only two weeks before Christmas.


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