Merry and the Doctor Ch 8 End

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They went back to the TARDIS.  Merry sat in a soft, high-backed chair near the center console during the journey back to her house on Earth.  She let the Doctor work his magic on the controls and concentrate on flying the ship.  When he announced they had arrived home, Merry hopped out of the chair and opened the TARDIS doors.

            “Wow!  You parked it in the living room!” she called back over her shoulder to the Doctor, who was still standing at the controls.

            “I hope that’s alright,” he called back to her.  “Did I break anything?”

            “No.  I’m very impressed, Doctor.”  She stepped out of the blue box and ran down the hall to her bedroom.  “I won’t be long,” she called.  Merry pulled out a suitcase and started throwing clothes into it.  When she had all the clothes she wanted, she carried her suit case to the kitchen.  She carefully began wrapping her tea set in her clothes.  The Doctor watched her.  He was quite amused.

            “You’re taking your tea set?” he asked.

            “Of course.  I can’t go live on Weyk and have them think I’m uncivilized.”  Merry laughed.  “Besides Doctor, they will always remind me of you and how you changed my life forever, over tea.”

            The Doctor laughed.  “Can I help you with anything?” he asked.

            “Yeah, can you get the bag of ginger from the fridge?  It’s in the bottom drawer.” Merry continued wrapping the tea set and placing it gently into her suitcase.

            The Doctor opened the refrigerator and pulled out a large bag of fresh ginger root.  “You really do like ginger, don’t you?”

            “Yes,” Merry agreed.  She opened her spice cupboard and pulled out two more large bottles of ginger powder.  She put it all into her suitcase.  She next went to the wall and took down several pictures: a photo of her and Peter on the day they got married and the picture of the family on the twins first birthday.  She went into the twin’s bedroom next.  She took a favorite toy from each of her children, a small photo album, plus one extra doll that she would give to Stjarna.  She put all of this into her suitcase and zipped it up.

            “Are you ready?” the Doctor asked.

            “Almost Doctor.  The suitcase is ready, but I have one more thing to do.  I’m sorry this is taking so long,” Merry called as she walked from one room to the next.

            “Relax, Merry,” the Doctor chuckled.  “You’re not taking long at all.”

            “But I want to get back before the children are done eating,” Merry said.

            “Merry, I guess I haven’t told you yet, but the TARDIS is a time machine as well as a spaceship.”

            Merry looked around the corner at him.  “What?  You’ve had a time machine all this time and you didn’t tell me?  Can you take me back to before Peter died so I can give him ginger?”

            “No Merry, I can’t.  I can’t go back in your personal time stream.  What’s done is done.  We can’t change it.”  He walked over to Merry and laid his hands on her arms.  “What it does mean is I can get you back to Weyk before the children are done eating their dinner.  Stjarna will never know you went away.”  He looked earnestly at Merry.  “You do understand, don’t you?”

            “Yes, I understand,” Merry’s head dropped.

            “I’m sorry,” the Doctor said.

            “It’s alright,” Merry sniffed.  “I understand and it’s OK.  I just have one more thing I need to do and then I’ll be ready to go.”

            “Take your time,” the Doctor said. “I’ll put your suitcase into the TARDIS.”

            Merry sat down at the table and began to write a letter.  It took her longer than she expected, but the Doctor was patient with her.  When she was done, she took the letter out to her mailbox. 

            “It’s a letter to my cousin, Tim,” she explained.  “He’s been in the Navy for years and will be retiring soon.  I’m giving him the house.  He can either keep it or sell it and use the money for his own place.  It’s his now.”

            “Are you ready then?” the Doctor asked.

            Merry picked up a potted plant off the porch.  “Yes, I am now.”  Merry was smiling.

            “What’s with the plant?” the Doctor asked.

            “It’s a ginger plant.  I’ll offer it to the Mayor to replace the one I dug up.”

            The Doctor smiled.  “You are remarkable.”

            Merry took one final look around the house and then she followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

            He was already at the controls and flipping witches.  Merry set the plant down next to her suitcase.  She went over to the high-backed chair again, sat down and watched the Doctor as he put the TARDIS into flight.

            “Doctor, how do you keep track of your own personal time on a time machine?” Merry asked.

            “It isn’t easy,” the Doctor laughed, “so the TARDIS keeps track of it for me.”

            “You speak of this craft as if it was a close, personal friend,” Merry said.

            “Well, it is,” the Doctor said.  “The TARDIS and I have been traveling together for over six hundred years.”

            “Six hundred years?  You mean to tell me you are six hundred years old?”  Merry asked.

            “No, I’m quite a bit older than that,” the Doctor blushed.  “I’m over eight hundred years old, but the TARDIS and I have been travelling the universe together for six hundred.  Give or take a few hundred years,” the Doctor smiled his half grin.

            “My, my,” Merry said, “your race lives for a long time.”

            “We can, yes.”

            “Well Doctor, I must say, that for being eight hundred years old, you look great.”

            “Thank you,” the Doctor said.  “Do you know how I manage to stay so young?”
            Merry stood up and walked over to him at the console.  “How?” she asked.

            “By believing in the impossible.”

            Merry laughed.  The Doctor did too.

            The journey back to Weyk wasn’t long.  The Doctor parked the TARDIS right outside the school.  He picked up Merry’s suitcase and she picked up the potted ginger plant.  Before stepping out, Merry turned back at the looked at the TARDIS console.

            “Thank you TARDIS!” she called.  “Take good care of him.”

            A single spark flew off the TARDIS console.

            “Incredible!” the Doctor said.

            Merry laughed and stepped out of the blue box and into the evening air.  They walked back to the classroom that was Stjarna’s.  Merry and the Doctor were surprised to see the Mayor and Deputy Gweri in the classroom.

            “There you are Doctor,” the Mayor said.  “I was hoping to find you.  I want to apologize.  I had a lap of bad judgment and I’m not proud of my actions or behavior.”

            “It’s not to me whom you owe an apology,” the Doctor said.

            “You are right,” the Mayor looked to Merry.  “Madame, I wish to apologize to you.  My behavior has been inexcusable.  You made an honest, brave offer with your life and I took advantage of it.  I am deeply sorry.”

            Merry smiled.  She stepped up to the Mayor and held out her potted ginger.  “Mayor, I accept your apology.  As a peace offering, I bring you a new inciver plant to replace the one I dug up from your city garden.”

            “Thank you,” the Mayor said.  He took the plant from Merry.  “What can we offer you in return?”

            “I wish to stay here.  I want to adopt Stjarna and live here among your people,” Merry answered.

            “It is a request we will gladly grant.  You are welcome here Merry, Citizen of Weyk.”

            The voices of the children could be heard coming down the hall.  The door of the room opened and the children came in.  Stjarna ran to Merry.  Merry scooped the child into her arms and kissed her.   “You’re mine now, Stjarna and we are going to be very happy together.”

 

*************

            The Doctor stood in front of the TARDIS.  Merry was holding Stjarna, who was holding the doll that Merry had brought for her from Earth.

            “When I first met you, what, three days ago?” Merry started, “You told me you would help me find peace and closure.  I didn’t think that was possible.  But you did it.  You helped me to believe in the impossible.  You helped me see I was strong and that my life was still worth living.  You have brought me peace and joy.  How can I ever thank you?”

            “Help rebuild this world, Merry.” The Doctor smiled.  “Take care of Stjarna and be happy.”

            Merry’s eyes filled with tears again, but not the tears of loss and despair that she had felt so often.  These were tears of joy.  Merry pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket and began to dab her eyes.

            “Oh, this is yours Doctor.  I’m afraid it is rather messy.”  Merry held up the handkerchief.

            “No worries,” the Doctor said.  He took the handkerchief from Merry.  Merry was sad to part with it.  She had come to love its soft texture and the calming smell of the Doctor that it carried.

            The Doctor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a fresh handkerchief.  He gave it to Merry. “Something to remember me by.”

            Merry took the silky handkerchief and held it up to her face.  “Thank you,” she said.

            “Best wishes to you,” the Doctor said.  He pulled Merry and Stjarna into a hug.  They hugged him back.

Merry kissed the Doctor on the cheek.  “Take care,” she whispered in his ear.  They pulled away from each other.  Merry took several steps back and watched the Doctor as he walked into the TARDIS and closed the door.  Moments later Merry heard the engines on the TARDIS start to hum.  She and Stjarna watched as the TARDIS dematerialized. They waved.  When the blue box was out of sight Merry wiped away a tear. 

 

She looked at Stjarna and hugged her tight.  “Come on, dear.  Let’s go home.”