A/N: Hey there! :) This is An Ancient Observer, a spin-off of my Heart of Time Saga that is going to be a collection of chapters based on events that happen in, and characters from it, such as my OC, the Time Lady Angel. This series will feature the TARDIS's Point of View on adventures and events that happen in the box. Each chapter will be based on an episode of Doctor Who, but the exact order of chapters after this one is still open to be determined (see the ending A/N for what I mean ;))

I would recommend reading The Heart of Time Saga to understand who my OC Angel is, her relationship with the Doctor, and the events that will be referenced in this series ;)

Also, just as a warning, since this is the TARDIS's POV, we'll be getting a bit disjointed thoughts and instead of character names, the TARDIS's own nicknames for them :)

As this is my 4th spin-off, this story will be updated once a month, around the 14th/15th of each month, however, as I have a basis to work with in the episodes/Heart of Time Saga, I may post more chapters in a month depending on time and inspiration. But no matter what, even if I post more than 1 chapter, we will still get one on the 14th/15th :)

~8~ is a scene break

Disclaimer...I do not own Doctor Who...or the TARDIS would be able to talk all the time :)

Enjoy!

~8~

Dalek

The Flower is sitting on me again.

Well not on me, but still on me, the 'captain's chair' my Thief has called it. I don't understand the point of chairs, if I had legs I'd just run around all the time and dance and jump! Ooh! I'd jump in puddles, yes, that would be fun, puddles in the rain, but the good rain, not acid rain, bad burny rain.

Good thing it doesn't rain in here, if it did, all my parts would get rusty and Thief wouldn't know the first place to start in fixing me. Oh he loved think…would love to think? Loves to think? Oh no matter, he believes he knows how to fix me…and then he breaks me more. I think he finds it amusing to break me, it's not very fun though, but it IS rather amusing to see him muddle his way through trying to 'fix' me. Honestly, I haven't the faintest idea how I'm still functioning. I think there are some parts of me that are, quite literally, held together with gum and paperclips!

I let out a soft hum that made my Thief and his Flower look up at me, at my rotor.

They never seem to think much of it, of my noises, but I suppose...why would they? A TARDIS hums and they probably think I'm just running a program or a scan or flying somewhere or landing or breaking or…

Where was I?

Oh yes, he doesn't know how to fix me and neither he nor his Flower understand me when I talk. It's rather irritating when I try to tell him he's about to land somewhere dangerous or boring but he just doesn't listen. It's also a bit…lonely, and very sad. They talk to me, you know. Thief talks all the time…too much of the time really…and I see poor Flower trying to keep up, like now! Thief is talking about slip-stream engines, trying to explain those nasty, smelly Slitheen they'd encountered just before.

Poor Flower is just sitting there, staring at him.

I tilt a bit, throwing Thief off his balance as I stare and examine his Flower. She looks rather like she just dribbled on her shirt. Well that must be disappointing for Thief, I know what he's talking about, well I would, I'm the TARDIS after all, the best ship in the Universe! Just as my Thief is one of the best men…but…

I let out a little sigh, which comes out as more of a hum but neither of them notice. Thief is a good man, a very good man but…he's not quite done yet, is he? No. I had so hoped he'd be ready before this, but…I think he needs this, he needs this now, he will need this when he sees the Flower for what she is…human. He really should know not to allow himself to be in two places at once and coming from the same timeline. That really IS dangerous and I won't have any part in that, thank you very much! He gets himself into messes, he can get himself out!

...even if this particular mess will be cause by his Flower and not him...for once.

But it'll be necessary, I can tell, Thief is losing sight of Flower, he's seeing her as...well...a flower really. A pretty, delicate thing, that smells nice...which is odd, she smells like the ocean...which isn't a flower at all...but he's starting to miss her thorns and her flaws. And that is dangerous. He'll see it soon though, her fragile and human nature...

And…I can't wait any longer!

Can't? Aren't? Won't? Tenses! They are the most frustrating thing ever!

But no matter, it'll be happening soon, so soon, my Thief won't be ready for it, and that will be better for him, and for me, for all of them. I see him at night, when the Flower has gone to her bed to await the sun, he 'fixes' me and he talks. And he's so…

Sad.

My Thief is sad, he's been sad and he will be sad, he will be so sad. I can see that. He'll lose so much, his Flower, his Doctor, his Bumblebee, his Orangey Girl and my Pretty, his…well, he'll lose so many who are so important to him. Even his…oh what is that word? Wife? No, that's not right, that is NOT the right word and that is NOT the right person, not at all!

That Watery Woman, I don't like her!

Or would I like her?

I might, but I might not, there are two futures…I will like her very much in one…but my Thief will be sad, be hurt over and over and so alone…

My Thief is looking at me, he seems to see that my latest hum was sad this time. But the Flower is speaking again and he's looking away. He never does that. He never sees me, or hears me, he never really has…only one person, one little girl, has ever heard me.

And she's sad too. She's sad and alone and she's…hurting. She will be hurt so much more, she…I start to hum frantically, seeing her future play out before me as well, she won't survive it! The humans! They're hurting her! They're going to hurt her! They HAVE hurt her!

Don't you dare! Not her!

"Doctor?" the Flower is speaking now.

My Thief looks at her, "What is it Rose?"

She just points to my console, to my monitor, "What's that?"

Thief frowns and looks at the monitor, his eyes widening, "It's some sort of distress call," he replies.

I wish I had eyes to roll, of COURSE it was a distress call. She's in danger! He has to help her! He has to save her!

Yes, I know, 'tis dangerous to interfere with time, but I AM a time machine, and I HAVE to stop it! So much will change, but so much will be saved with her there.

The Flower will bloom, but so will my Doggie, he'll grow so loyal and strong and proud, because of her. The Doctor will be comforted when Thief mourns, will see how much of a star she is, will find a friend to last forever. The Bumblebee, oh she'll be saved! How wonderful! She'll be better in the end, she'll be happy and confident and she'll be protected. And the Orangey Girl and my Pretty…I can hardly wait!

But most of all…Thief…he'll be HAPPY again! He pretends, for his Flower, he smiles and laughs, but I know the truth. I have always been able to see it, one doesn't spend centuries with another and not know them. He isn't happy. He's sad, he's so sad…and he's alone.

But she'll change that! I know it! She is strong and she is clever and she is…good. She's special, I knew it the moment she was born, I could feel it even before then, I could tell that she would be important.

She spoke to me, she always talked to me and I listened, and I talked to her…and SHE listened! She HEARD me! She didn't always know what I was saying but she tried. She was special, she IS special, she WILL BE special…oh look at that, all three tenses fit with her. I like that.

And I like her, very much, much more than the Watery Woman. THAT woman isn't good for Thief, no she's not. Or she won't be.

Oh now I'm sad.

Thief is smacking my monitor now, frustrated, the coordinates aren't locking on. Because I…I hesitate to let them. If I let him go, if I bring him there where I've made it seem the distress call is coming from…he'll meet her. And he'll be happy and he won't be alone and he'll be better for it, he'll be lighter, his soul will be brighter, his hearts will start to mend and…he'll be happy, so happy, happier than I have or ever will see him.

But, to do it…the Watery Woman…she'll change. The woman I might like I will instead loathe, she won't be the same woman if he goes on this adventure. She will be…bad, corrupt, she won't be kind, she'll hurt other people, she'll hurt her…

She'll hurt my Thief as well.

Why am I thinking this again? The Watery Woman…in the end, Thief won't be happy. It won't bother me if the Watery Woman doesn't like me or if I don't like her if it means my Thief will be the happiest he's ever been, always, for as long as he lives, and to do that…

I let out a happy hum as Thief grins.

"There we are!" he cheers, the coordinates appearing on the screen and he runs around the console to get us there…

As though I would fight him on this. As though I wouldn't lead him right to it.

I can see it in his mind, oh my Thief is thick isn't he? Mr. Thick Thick Thickety Thick-Thick! Thickman! The Thickmiester!

Oh those are rubbish titles.

No, I like 'Thief.'

But he IS thick.

I see it in his head, he thinks the distress call is coming from the museum he's heading to. But it's not. I'M the one creating the call, because the museum is shielded, the Mean Man shielded his pets, both of them, to keep them his. Thief wouldn't pick up any distress call from that horrible place. But I'm not picking up a distress call. I know who's there, I know who's waiting, I know that now…now really is the time to show my Thief that Big Face is right...

He is not alone.

Temporal tipping points are my favorite moments, and this is a big one! Thief wasn't ready before, he was too scarred and closed off, Flower helped him a bit, he's open to others now, he asked Doggie to come! Oh, but Doggie isn't here, but he WILL be! But Thief ASKED! And that means he's healing, but Flower won't heal him enough, no, he needs someone else.

He needs her.

I land gently this time, not wanting Thief to waste time trying to regain his footing as he and Flower head for my doors. I let out an excited hum as they stepped out, because really, I do have quite perfect timing, this was the right time. There was no time to waste and there was nowhere else for it to happen. This was where Thief needs to be (Needed to be? Will need to be? Tenses!). It had to be here and it had to be now, earlier would have him push her away, later would have him look at Flower differently.

No, it had to be now.

Now was the only moment it could happen, the moment when Thief would start to be happy again and stay happy forever.

He just needed an angel to help him heal.

Oh, I am just BUZZING in excitement!

~8~

I can hear her! I can hear her, I can hear her, I can hear her! Oh I can hear her again!

Why couldn't I hear her before?

Oh…

Oh.

Oh!

That…that…that…meanie! That mean, awful, terrible man! How dare he do that to her!? A Mental Dampener?! I thought it was odd I knew where she was but couldn't hear her…and now that I can…oh, Thief hit him for me! No! Bite him! No…no, hit him, definitely hit him. No! Both! Hit AND bite him!

Look at what he did to her!

Oh I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have waited, I should have come sooner, but Thief…he wasn't ready. He'd have hurt her and I won't let anyone do that! Not at all.

But…

Oh no…no, no, no, no, no, no…don't go with Thief, don't! The Flower doesn't know the Dalek is going to lie to her and trick her and…oh don't go! Please don't go…

I let out a sad hum, of course she'll go. She never ever left someone alone, she never will, she won't now. And she wouldn't be who she was if she abandoned anyone. She never left me, despite her father trying to tell her not to bother on me. She saw something in me no one else did, as I did her. I see so much in her and more to come.

So please…be careful.

Please.

~8~

I can actually hear her speaking! Oh my Stars! I can hear her and Thief! They're right outside my doors, it worked! My Thief saved her! I knew he would, I knew he'd get her out.

Oh...but she regenerated...the Dalek...it fired at her and hit its mark, they always do, Daleks never miss...

But no matter, it's still her, and now she's new, she's brand new and still her same old self inside, like me! Oh we have so much in common, I can't wait, open the doors!

Why are they talking?! Stop talking Thief! I should expect this really, that's all he ever does, talk and run around and bring home strays but…they're talking about me! Well, that's alright then. Thief is startled that she knows my Chameleon Circuit is broken. Clever, clever, clever! She always was so brilliant at that. She could read me like a book!

How does one read another person…or machine…as a book? People don't have words written on them. Oh well, expressions are funny, I never seem to get them right. I did this one though.

But Thief, he has no idea. He doesn't know that I know her, have known her…will know her? He doesn't know how well I know her! And I want to see her again. Ooh! Open the DOORS! I'm buzzing again, because Thief, he sounds so impressed with her knowledge, she guessed exactly when my circuit broke, and he's impressed! Already! Oh this is perfect, this is JUST what I hoped.

All he needs is a nudge, just a push in the right direction, to someone who will be…good for him. Truly good for him. He's close to being good for her, good enough for her would be the right phrase yes? He's gotten closer and closer, all those adventures I took him on. All of them shaping him, making him into the man he is now, the man he needs to be.

Because she's special, and lovely inside and out, and she deserves to be protected and cared for and loved…and each day Thief is one step closer to being someone who deserves her.

Now if only he'd not be absolutely thick about this. But he will be, he always will be, he won't even make the connection between her life as a TARDIS farmer and me, my beautiful idiot. He really does need to learn to listen, but no matter, she'll teach him how and he'll hang on her every word one day. She listened to me all the time, on Gallifrey. Oh she took such good care of me and my sisters, and I know she will take care of me in the future too. She'll take care of Thief as well, and his Flower and so many others.

And Doggie! He'll come for her too!

But Thief won't even realize how well she knows me, will he? Hmm…not for a good long while though. Ooh, look at that! One day I'll be able to talk! And Thief will actually understand me too and…is that a…bowtie?

Oh Thief, I would shake my head fondly at him if I could, if I had a head that is.

But then I hum, even more excited, she's introduced herself, the Angel! Oh it really IS her! Please, Thief open the doors! Open them now! Don't wait any longer, if you do that other boy will…

My doors are opening! Finally! Finally, finally, finally!

I can see her! I can see her, and Thief, and Flower, and…oh, that other boy is here. She doesn't seem happy, well, neither am I. That boy will be nothing but trouble. Thief should notice that! Her expression, he's staring right at her, he sees her frowning in reluctance and concern, there's a reason for it Thief!

But they let the other boy in anyway, the boy following behind them. Well, he'll leave soon enough, won't he? Our very next adventure really, which Thief is working on right now! We're off, into the Vortex, and I let Thief do most of it, I'm not concerned with where we're going right now, nope, I'm looking at her.

The Time Lady he'd saved.

The Angel.

The most special Time Lady ever and she has no idea.

I buzz with excitement and happiness, humming loudly as she walks up to me, before quieting as she reaches my console, worried for a moment…

What will she say?

What will she think of me after all this time?

Does she even know who I am?

"She's beautiful," she whispers, which makes my Thief smile so widely, "A treasure…"

I can't help but give my loudest hum as she puts her hand on my rotor, because…she DOES know me! She remembers me! She still thinks I'm a treasure like she always called me as she repaired me on Gallifrey! It's still her! I wish I had eyes, I feel like I need to cry right now I'm so happy.

And then I hear it, the whispered mental words echoing in my matrix, the way she often used to communicate with me and my sisters in the past, 'Hello old friend…'

Hello! I try to shout back to her, my words only coming out as a hum and a brightening of my rotor, yet she smiles regardless, like she can hear me, understand me, like she always could, I missed you so much! Hello Sister!

Oh this is going to be just fantastic!

A/N: Well, this is a new attempt for me :) I've never written anything in first person before or mostly present tense (though with it being the TARDIS POV, I'm sure that'll get mixed up from time to time). So I hope it was ok for a first attempt :) I mentioned somewhere (can't remember if it was in FF or tumblr) that I felt like I had to wait till AFTER Idris to post this spin-off, I hope it makes sense why. There was a lot in here that would have ruined the surprise of who Angel was to her and more about Angel's past if I had posted it first :)

Just a warning, the chapters may not be very long, since it's the TARDIS's POV, it'll mostly be the scenes that take place in the console room or in the TARDIS herself or very powerful moments that the old girl can feel from a distance ;)

Now, quick question. I'm honestly not sure how to do future episodes for this series, whether I should go in order of the show or if I should mix it up and give random episodes in random orders. So I'm open to opinions of what you guys would prefer :) I'll be cool doing either so I just wanted to see what the general thought was for how you'd like the series to play out :) I won't be making separate stories for separate series, it'll be every episode in this spin off so over 100 chapters by the end of it, it's just the order I'm not sure what to do with :)

I feel like going in order could be good as we see the TARDIS's thoughts progressing and see her watching the relationship building, but in the same breath, out of order could be interesting too as it's a time machine and that might sort of echo that :) Just let me know ;) If you would prefer it to be out of order, give a shout out of the episodes you would really like to see the TARDIS's thoughts in and I'll make a big list and pick from that to start us off ;)