Matt opened the front door later that evening, and let Clare precede him into the house. He closed the door behind him and flicked on the light, before grabbing Clare and turning her to face him.

"Alright sis, tell me right now. What is going on?"

Clare bit her bottom lip, not knowing quite how to answer the question. He deserved to know the truth, but she didn't think he'd believe her unless she showed him the Tardis. After thinking it over for a second, she made a decision and hoped the Counselor would forgive her.

"I will tell you, Matt. But first I have to show you something."

Matt's eyes looked skeptical, but he followed her nonetheless. The Counselor and she had decided that since the Kennedy backyard was so secluded, it would be ok to keep the Tardis there. The Counselor was in the Tardis now, probably trying to sleep. This is where she took Matt. Just before she opened the back door, she turned to Matt. His eyes were filled with questions.

"You watched some of Doctor Who with me right?" Clare asked.

"Yes."

Clare opened the door, and Matt followed, more confused than ever. When they turned the corner, his eyes grew large at the sight of the Tardis. "Clare, where did you get that?"

"I didn't 'get it,' it landed here."

Matt looked cynical, but before he could say anything, Clare knocked on the Tardis door. A few moments later, the door opened. The Counselor stood in front of her in a white t-shirt and a pair of red flannel pants. His hair was quite ruffled, and a pair of reading glasses hung from his fingers. Clare was so surprised by his appearance that for a moment she forgot her brother.

"Time lords do wear pajamas!" She cried.

The Counselor laughed at both her statement, and at the shocked look on Matt's face as the younger man looked past the time lord into a box that was bigger on the inside. He continued to chuckle when Matt squeezed past him, looking around him in a surprised daze. His amusement was cut short however, when he looked back at Clare's face.

"What's wrong?"

"I just interrupted your rest and let my brother see the Tardis without even asking you." Her voice sounded shocked at her own actions.

"It's fine, Clare."

"No it is not. I was in the wrong, and I hope that you will accept my sincere apology."

"Done." He said. "Now, shall we join your brother?"

She still looked dubious, but she took the hand that was offered her, and stepped into the big blue box.

Early the next morning, Clare stood wrapped in the strong arms of her younger brother in a farewell embrace. After a long talk the night before, Matt had come to believe in the time lords, and to accept Clare's need to travel for a time with the Counselor. That didn't change the fact, however, that he would miss her.

"Stay safe, sis." He whispered in her ear.

She nodded before stepping back to look up into his eyes. "I feel bad leaving you here to deal with everyone's questions about my disappearance."

"Don't worry about it. Besides," he added cheekily. "They all like me better anyways."

She smacked his arm before once again hugging him. Matt squeezed her warmly before letting her go. He turned to the Counselor, the look in his eyes almost fierce.

"Take care of her."

"I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise." The two men shook hands before Matt gave Clare a final peck on the cheek, and walked back to the house. Clare watched him go, and turned back to find the Counselor's eyes on her.

"Are you all right?" He asked in a low voice.

"Yes, just tired. It was a late night"

He merely nodded, but continued to watch her. After a few silent moments, he opened the door of the Tardis, and held out his free hand to Clare. "Shall we?"

Clare sent one more look at the back door of her house before turning fully to face the Counselor, and took his hand. He assisted her into the Tardis, closed the door behind them, and merely leaned against the door as he watched her.

Though it was her third time in the box, Clare still walked around in awe of her surroundings, her fingers lighting only slightly on the things she passed as if they were antiques. The Counselor noticed that her shoulders were slightly stooped, and could tell that she was more tired than she admitted. It was then that he finally decided where they would be going first.

"Are we all set?" He asked. Clare turned to him, and he indicated her luggage. "You have everything?"

"Yes." She said, though she was thinking about the fact that she hadn't seen all the kitchen utilities she would like. Not knowing how to install them, however, she decided not to mention it.

The Counselor pushed off the door in a fashion so like the Doctor, Clare blinked. He jumped up to the platform where she stood, and began pushing, pulling, and turning dials and buttons. In a moment, the tall hollow machine in the middle of the Tardis began to hum.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Clare asked.

"Be patient, and you'll see." He turned back to face her. "You trust me, don't you?"

And Clare realized she did.

When the Tardis landed, Clare looked questioningly at the Counselor, and he nodded towards the door. "Go ahead"

She walked tentatively forwards, and after taking a deep breath, opened the door. A light breeze lifted the curls that had come out of her white ribbon. She smelled the air appreciatively, and smiled when she saw that they were in a wooded area. A moment later the sound of running water reached her ears, and she gasped before rushing out of the Tardis, completely forgetting her companion.

The Counselor chuckled, grabbed a quilt that was hanging over a nearby railing, and followed her slowly. He found her ankle deep in a spring that was fed by a flowing waterfall. Her shoes lay on the bank, and she was holding the edges of her deep blue skirt in one hand.

With her eyes closed, her face turned to the sky, and her chestnut curls framing her face, she nearly took his breath away. He cleared his throat both to get her attention, and to clear his thoughts. Clare opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

He nodded, and laid the quilt out on the grass near the bank. He sank down and let himself enjoy the spring breeze free of insects. One of his favorite things about time travel was the fact he could always leave a day of heat and go to a nicer climate. His mind wandered to some of the places he had gone and enjoyed in the past. He hadn't realized the time that had passed until he looked up and saw Clare lying next to him on the quilt, fast asleep. He smiled at the fact that the peaceful environment had accomplished exactly what he had hoped it would. He stood and went down to the stream to get a drink. After looking back to make sure she was still asleep, he pulled his shoes and socks off, placed his feet in the water, and pulled out his pocket Bible.

He opened to the book of Psalms, and became engrossed. By the time he looked up to find Clare's eyes on him, over an hour had passed. He smiled at her, and put the Bible back in his pocket.

"Sorry I fell asleep." She said.

"Not at all; that's why we came here. We both needed some down time. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I find that I am."

"All right then, follow me."

They both stood and began to walk side by side down a forest path. "This is one of my favorite places," he told her. "There are strawberry bushes a little farther down the path, and blackberry after that." He reached up to a tree and pulled off some large leafs. He then handed a couple of the leaves to her. "I figured we could fill these with berries, and then head back to the Tardis, where I have bread and cheese that I bought late last night. Then of course there is the fresh spring water."

"That sounds lovely." Clare said.

They were silent for many minutes, before Clare asked a question. "So, your sisters' names are Amy, Martha, and Rose?"

"Yes."

"No Donna?"

He smiled. "No."

"Would it be rude to ask your name, then?"

"David."

"David," she said. "So is your middle name, Tennant?"

He laughed warmly. "No, but after watching the show, I named our Mu, Tennant."

"Mu? What is a Mu?"

"Oh, that's right. You guys don't have Mu. They're like cows, only a lot smaller. Amy rescued our Mu when it was a baby, only up to her ankle. Now it is full grown, and comes to my knee. But it really looks like a small cow. I told Amy to name her Tennant, and though Amy didn't know of the BBC show, she agreed because she thought the name was cute."

Clare laughed at this. She wasn't quite able to picture a Mu, but she appreciated David's craftiness in naming it. Not for the first time, she wondered what life in Gallifrey was like. Were there other interesting creatures or pets? Did they have kitchens there with all the necessary attachments for a good chef? They must watch television, since David had seen Doctor Who. Then again, David could have just seen the BBC show on one of his travels. Clare could have continued in this vein of thought for quite a while, if she hadn't been interrupted by David's hand on her arm.

"Here are the strawberries."

"Oh," she looked around in surprise. She was now facing David, and they were standing next to a very large grove of ripe strawberries. She stepped forward to pick some when she tripped over a root. She would have fallen had she not been instantly caught up against David's chest. She looked up to find him watching her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, fine." She said, stepping back.

David released her and watched as she again went to pick some strawberries. Clare however, was deep in thought. Something was not right, but she wasn't sure what it was. Then it occurred to her. She had only heard a single heart beat; David only had one heart. But he was a time lord; he should have two hearts! A moment later David was surprised to have her look at him with a mixture of confusion and pain.

"Don't time lords have two hearts?"

"Yes." He said, not yet aware of the significance of his answer. But when Clare turned quickly in order to hide the tears he had glimpsed, he realized the reason for her reaction.

"No wait, Clare. I can explain."

But Clare had already spun around, and was stumbling blindly back towards the Tardis. Her leaves had dropped on the ground, and David stared at them for a moment before following her. She was obviously upset, since she had veered off the path, and into the foliage, and David became slightly worried. These were normal woods; there could be snakes or bears nearby. He had almost caught up to her, when he heard a sharp cry of distress.

A moment later, he found Clare lying near a fallen tree. Nearby lay a small snake. It only took a moment to size up the situation. Clare had seen the snake and cried out; not realizing the snake was harmless. She had then run in fear and blindly tripped over the fallen tree. After checking her over, David found she had knocked herself unconscious, but other than a knot on her head that was sure to hurt later, she seemed fine. He stood in indecision for a moment, before gently lifting Clare in his arms, and carrying her back to the Tardis.

He laid her on the long couch that he used as a bed during his travels, and prayed that she wouldn't wake as he went to get the quilt from the bank of the stream. After returning, and finding her the same as he had left her, he gently laid a pack of ice wrapped in towel under her head to reduce the swelling, and put the quilt over her shoulders. He then set a smooth course for Gallifrey.

"Heavenly Father, watch over Clare. Please let her injuries be minor, and give me the chance to explain my family's history to her so she no longer has reason to doubt. I'm not sure why you lead me to her, or what you want her to learn. But if it be Your will, please let her know of Your salvation soon, and help her to receive that gift. Please also help me to keep Your will in this first, and don't let my feelings towards Clare get in the way of serving You or helping her. Thank You for this opportunity."

The Doctor strode through the halls of the Gallifrean School for young time lords. On the first three days of the week, young time lords go to school with the older time lord children. But on the last two days of the week they had a shorter schedule at the school he was now at. These latter days were spent preparing for the day when they would look into the time vortex. When David had come by to get the Tardis, he had asked the Doctor if he would be willing to pick up Rose after school while he was gone. The Doctor had readily agreed, and that was his reason for being here today.

He arrived outside of the correct room, and turned to lean up against the door. He looked down at his brown dress shoes which had just been shined that morning, and nodded in approval at their cleanliness. He also took note that his khaki dress pants were still crisp and without wrinkle, and his brown suit jacket was free of lint.

It was then that he realized the heat of the day. The halls of the school were open to weather, and after a moment of indecision, he removed his long brown coat, and folded it neatly over his arm. After running his hand over his slicked back rusty brown hair, he decided all was in place.

David had often joked with the Doctor over his need for all to be in place, especially when it came to his appearance. But the Doctor always pointed out that David couldn't look crisp and neat if he tried, so he had no right to comment. David conceded the point.

A moment later, a bell rang and the door behind the Doctor swung open. He moved aside just in time to avoid the rush of children that erupted from the room. He watched the boys race each other down the hall, as the little girls skipped arm in arm behind them. Chuckling, he entered the room. Inside remained only two of the children and a teacher.

"Hello, Mr. Disciple."

John turned at his name, and smiled warmly at the young time lord there. Many of the time lords that were the Doctor's age called him by his first name, or his given name, "the Teacher." But the Doctor had known him since a very young age, and thus out of habit called him by his last name.

"Well hello, Doctor. Have you come to retrieve my daughter?"

"I have."

"You know I would gladly escort her myself, except I have to fill in at the Bible history class for the older students."

"I know, David told me."

Both smiled, and looked at the two children still in the room. A little boy was searching frantically under a table, and was growing frantic, when little Rose tapped his shoulder. "Here it is, Tommy." She said, handing him a small object. Tommy took the object and smiled. "Thanks Rose."

"You are welcome."

The two children came walking towards John and the Doctor. "What do you have there, Thomas?" The Doctor asked.

"A scalpel."

"Really?" He looked at the object in the boy's hand, and indeed it was a small knife, known in the doctorate world as a scalpel. John leaned over and whispered "Surgeon."

The Doctor nodded. This was a common thing the older time lords did. They loved to watch the young ones, and guess what name the child would choose after looking into the time vortex. The Doctor had guessed correctly what both Amy and Martha would choose, although he hadn't yet figured out what Rose would one day become.

The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a small hand tugging on his. He looked down into Rose's large brown eyes, and winked. She giggled, and he took that as an invite to swing her up into his arms. She grinned, and threw her arms around his neck. At seven years of age, she was the perfect size to still fit perfectly in the Doctor's arms.

"And how is my Rose today?" He asked her.

"Good."

"Just good?"

"Yep." Her grin bordered on cheeky. The little girl laughed, and then called to her father.

"See you later, Daddy."

"Goodbye sweetheart." John walked over and pecked the little girl on the cheek. "Thanks again, Doctor." He said.

"Not a problem." The Doctor nodded to John, and walked out of the classroom, still holding Rose in his arms.