Discovering Sarah

Mind Games

Mind Games
Sarah sat with her Gran for a few moments silent tears falling from her eyes but they were tears of happiness not sadness, since her Gran died she had hated that she had died alone and without ever knowing just how much she meant to her and she was so relived that she was able to fix that.

"Sarah we have to go before younger you wakes up" The Doctor whispered.

Just as he spoke the door of the room younger Sarah was sleeping in opened and younger Sarah stepped half asleep out in cotton jammie bottoms vest top and fuzzy slippers, her hair was messy and stuck up everywhere as it flowed down to the middle of her back. The Doctor was momentarily stunned looking at his 14 year old daughter, she was shorter than Clara which shocked the Doctor he didn't think any human could be shorter than Clara.

"Go back to the TARDIS, having two of you here could cause all sorts of problems" The Doctor whispered to Sarah who gave one last look at her Gran before disappearing down the stairs.

Younger Clara sleepily walked to the bathroom without even acknowledging them, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she did. The Doctor and Clara looked at each other confused, how had she not noticed them? Young Sarah was nearly at the bathroom when she stopped and spun round

"Who are you?" She asked suddenly awake, she had been half asleep before and forgot she was in her Gran's house. At home it was normal to see random people standing about at all hours, she had just been thankful they hadn't came into her room or grabbed her as she walked past to really pay attention but now she was more awake she was scared.

"It's OK we aren't here to hurt you I promise, I'm Clara this is the Doctor, we are friends of your Gran's" Clara answered before the Doctor could using her best soothing teacher voice

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked.

"We just came to check on your Gran that's all" Clara lied thankful it was dark so Sarah couldn't see her Gran's body "Why don't we take you back to bed, we could tell you a story if you want" Clara encouraged

Sarah looked between the two of them nervous and unsure, She trusted Clara but she wasn't sure about the Doctor.

"Is my Gran OK? Why did she need a Doctor in the middle of the night?" Sarah asked worried

"I'm sure she'll tell you all about it in the morning, how about I take you to bed and the Doctor can quickly check your Gran's in bed and then we'll be of" Clara offered remembering Sarah's distrust of men and hopping the Doctor got her hint to move the body, Sarah said she found Gran in her bed the next morning not out in the hallway.

Sarah nodded and walked back towards her room completely forgetting about using the bathroom, Clara followed closely behind. It was dark so Clara couldn't make out much of the bedroom other than the dark shapes of a single bed against the wall a small bedside table beside it with a lamp on top and a rocking chair at the end of the bed, a chest of drawers and wardrobe on the opposite wall. Sarah climbed into bed and laid down.

"Could you read me this one?" Sarah asked handing Clara a book, she had to turn the light on to see it, it was a book about a man who travelled through time and space, Clara smiled the apple really didn't fall far from the tree and settled down in the chair to read it.

Clara had just finished reading the third chapter when the Doctor came into the room. Sarah was fast asleep looking more peaceful than the Doctor had ever seen the older Sarah look, he couldn't help himself he stroked her head and left a small kiss on her forehead.

"She'll forget all about this won't she? you normally do" Clara whispered walking over to stand beside the Doctor

"She's human right now, I'll need to scramble her brain a little so she forgets" The Doctor answered not taking his eyes of the younger version of his daughter

"Better hurry up then or our Sarah will be worried" said Clara

The Doctor put his hands on either side of Sarah's head at her temples before reaching into her mind. He was met with a bombardment of different thoughts. Teenage girls minds where always full of different things all at once but this was different there was no worries about what boy liked her or why a friend was being bitchy or even worries about how she looked like normal teenagers would, Sarah's was full of pain and worry about what Stephan would do to her next, worried about the party he was throwing on Wednesday, the loneliness she felt at not being allowed to make friends at school the teasing from other kids because she was thought of as weird for always being on her own and never speaking to anyone. The disgust she felt at herself for the things men had done to her. The Doctor's hearts broke for his daughters pain no one let alone a child should ever feel like that,

He pushed further back and found her memories, the one of them in the hall and Clara reading to her was right at the front so it was easy to bury it deep so she wouldn't remember until 5 years in her future when she would step foot in the house again. More memories started swimming to the top and the Doctor couldn't help it he looked at them all, every dark moment every ounce of pain and suffering his daughter felt and ever bit of joy she experienced with her Gran. He began to work on the lessening the pain and dulling the details of the bad ones and strengthening the good. The Doctor gave Sarah a dream about his 8th body her true father flying around in space with Sarah by his side and he programmed her brain so that every time something bad happened she would experience the same dream as a comfort. The Doctor pulled away from her mind gently, a small amount sweat on his forehead from the concentration it took.

"Is she OK?" Clara asked worried

"Yea she'll be fine she's in a deep sleep now" The Doctor answered wiping away the tears that had fallen from his eyes at his daughters pain

"And you are you OK?" Clara asked linking her arm around the Doctor and resting her head on his shoulder to comfort him

"Better get back to the TARDIS" He answered ignoring Clara's question afraid that if he answered it he'd loose control because right now he was a mixture of furry anger and sadness.