Broken Hearts Still Beat

Chapter 23: Sissy

He stayed in Alexine's cottage for several days, coming to terms with all she had said to him. For awhile he teetered between furious anger and despondent pain, but was able to find a workable emotion within him that would honor her final request.

Rejecting bitterness was the most difficult thing he had ever wrestled with. Every time he felt it rise up, he would bring the vision of her request to mind. Find someone to love, she said. He wanted to honor her request, and felt that he needed to start by doing the opposite that he was tempted to do, which was to hide away and be alone for awhile. Instead, he would seek out others and deny the loneliness.

His mind made up, the Doctor left Alexine's cottage and entered the Tardis. He looked at the controls still pointed towards earth and canceled them. He thought he would go back to Parakemble and help Mother with the reconstruction for a while. Staying busy would help.

Remembering the beauty of the original palace, he thought he would bring a gift of remembrance in honor of Pranis. He had the sack of grain that Mother had given Alexine that he could trade, and thought he would bring some tile from Sandgel for the new palace.

His heart heavy, he adjusted the controls to go back to the courtyard near the market. The sun had been up for awhile, and the market should be open.

Arriving, he hoisted the sack up and traveled the familiar path to the market. He saw the color birds pecking in their pen and the same weather worn tables and booths set up, displaying their wares. Working his way through the crowd, he found the area belonging to Sissy's family. A young woman was at the table chatting with the old woman in the next booth.

"Excuse me" he began. "I'm looking for Sissy."

"You found her." The young lady said.

"No, no…The Sissy I'm looking for is 8 years – no….96 or 97 moons old? Maybe she's in school?"

"School is not in session right now. Who are you?"

"An old friend. I'm the Doctor."

"You're not the Doctor. I've met him, and it's not you."

"And you are….?" He asked.

"I'm Sissy."

"No, no. I told you, she's a little girl."

"I'm the only Sissy here, sir." She pulled herself up to her full height, as if to challenge him to deny her again.

"I'm looking for the daughter of Aviaz."

Sissy's hands flew up to her mouth. "Aviaz was my father."

It dawned on the Doctor, then, that the Tardis had hiccupped. By the looks of Sissy's age, it had hiccupped by about 10 years.

"Sissy, I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. I AM the Doctor. I know I look different, but it's me. Look, I still have it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the red feather that she had given him. "You gave this to me the day of your father's funeral, along with a red egg from your color bird. I gave you something in return."

"And I still have it." She reached into HER pocket and pulled out the handkerchief, now a little yellow and ragged with age.

He dropped the sack, and Sissy leapt over the table to launch herself into his arms.

"You came back! I knew you would come back one day!"

"Yes, Sissy. I'm back. But just for a visit. I need to trade for some tile. Let me look at you!" He pushed her back and looked her up and down.

"I'd say you grew up very nicely, Sissy!" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and said, "You're gorgeous!"

"Now, THAT's the Doctor I know!" She laughed. "I'll help you – how much tile do you need?"

Sissy loaded the tile onto a cart and had one of the men bring it to the Tardis. The man worked for the entire time with his mouth hanging open in shock as he made trips in and out from the large spaceship and back into the tiny blue box.

Sissy, on the other hand, was all over the control room, asking him what the levers did and what kind of music did he have on the speakers. She was fascinated with it.

When their tasks were completed, and the workman sent on his way, he invited Sissy to lunch in the Tardis's galley before leaving.

He listened to her chatter about life on Sandgel. The conversation turned serious when he asked about her mother.

"Mum died about 30 moons ago. She was never the same after Dad died, and I think she just didn't want to go on. For the most part I was grown enough to be on my own, but between me and you, it's been hard."

"You have other family, right?"

Sissy shook her head. "No, I'm alone. Oh, I have friends. And my father's old friends let me sell some of their tile for them, so I have a job. But it's not the same." She had a wistful look on her face. "I mean, it's like I know there's something more out there for me, but I don't know how to get it. It's like I'm waiting for something."

The Doctor sat back, staring at Sissy. He started chuckling, then broke into a laugh that had Sissy looking at him as if he were mad. He looked up and said, "Ok, Alexine. Quit pushing." Turning to Sissy, he said: "I have something you may be interested in."

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Some time later, the Doctor was at the control panel, setting up the coordinates to return to Parakemble. He was waiting for Sissy, who ran back home to pack and let her father's friends know that she would be leaving.

He walked into the bedchamber closest to the control room and looked around, checking the drawers to make sure they were ready for Sissy. All of Alexine's things had already been put into storage except for the white cloak. Taking it out of the drawer, he examined it. The blood was still there, aged now to a dark brown. There was a small tear that he remembered her mentioning.

He carefully folded it, and went to his storage, pulling out the chest marked "A". He placed the cloak in the chest, lingering his hand on it before putting it back. A noise at the Tardis's door alerted him to Sissy's returns.

She had several packs with her, a box and a bird cage with a bright red chicken in it.

"Sissy, we can't have an animal on board."

"Why not?"

"Well, sometimes we – uh, I'll occasionally –"

"Doctor, it's just a bird. I'll keep her in my room. Besides, we maybe can trade her eggs."

"Right. Things change. We now have a pet." The wry grin on his face showed his determination to make a new path, beginning with this young girl and her red chicken.

"Your sleeping quarters are this way. Bring your chicken."

Shortly later, the engines of the Tardis sprung to life and the ship left Sandgel again.

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Down the hall, in storage, inside the chest marked with an "A", the cloak glowed. The blood disappeared and the tear mended. And the cloak vanished.

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A Prequel that tells the story about the Doctor's first meeting with Pranis and the Princess of the Water Nebula is complete! Check out my profile for the link here on fan fiction. As always, thank you for very much....and please leave a review!