Dark Progeny- Epilogue
Author's Note:
Definitely one of my favourite EDA books, the ending always felt rather abrupt. I decided to fix that and then the Doctor demanded some Fitz feels after believing him dead for most of the book. How could I resist? I blame the creation of the story entirely on blindmansun, whose Fitz fics are awesome and amazing and should be read by every EDA fan.
It was wet and raining and cold but the storm was dying down. Slightly. To the point it was only threatening to drown you and blow you away at the same time and not actually attempting to. Fitz knelt in the mud beside the tiny fragile body and waited for the dark eyes to flutter open and the small limbs to start moving again. Behind him he could hear the sobbing of the older woman and her probably husband as they embraced one of the alien toddlers. The Doctor was grasping the hand of another one and being followed by two more while Anji was stroking the overly large head of the other one still in the ground. Ayla was by the chopper looking completely confused, Fitz could definitely sympathise there, and the other man who'd been in the TARDIS, Bains Fitz thought, was with the remaining two children. The little body in front of him stirred and blinked, whatever magic that was bringing them back to life had worked again so Fitz helped pull him free of the loose earth and led him over to where the Doctor was now hopping from foot to foot trying to explain something to a baffled looking Bains.
"No, no, no! You have to stop the colonisation! This planet, it's all interconnected, everything influencing everything else and it just can't stand the tearing up and destruction you're bringing here!"
"But Earth needs room Doctor." Alya cut in.
"Not here. The planet won't allow it."
"All these failures, the problems, that was the planet trying to stop us from terraforming?"
"Yes! Through the children mostly, but everything, down to the storm itself. The planet's been trying to warn you away but you just aren't listening." The Doctor bent down to pick up one of the children that was tugging at his sleeve. "It's not malevolent, it doesn't want to hurt you, but it is in pain and lashing out. Just like the children were."
"There's been so much hope and money poured into here though." Alya said looking impossibly sad. "So many dreams pinned in here."
"I'm sorry." He did look sorry too, thought Fitz.
Alya turned away as the sound of choppers rang through the clearing air. The woman who'd been with Anji came up to the Doctor, still holding one of the odd little alien children. Her husband followed behind, looking wondering and baffled. Sort of how Fitz felt at the moment.
"Thank you." Her voice was hoarse and tired but her gratitude was evident. "You saved them. You saved my son." The Doctor faced her.
"They're all someone's children. Parents who were told their children had died. Will you help them find each other again?"
"We're comptechs," put in the husband, "Me and Veta. We'll find out who they belong to. Are they going to be alright now?"
"Yes. They'll be fine. They need their parents though."
Anji came up to them then, leading the last of the children by the hand. They were all clustered around the Doctor now, looking to him for answers and guidance. Fitz thought he just looked tired now, like a man who'd pushed himself to the limit to keep some obscure deadline and now it had passed just wanted to curl up in a corner and sleep. He was almost relieved when the chopper finally swung over them and landed. Military men poured out of it, surrounding the odd little group. Fitz grimaced as what felt like the thousandth gun he'd ever had pointed at him waved in front of his face. He was aware of the Doctor's eyes on him, fierce and bright, before the Time Lord turned back to the military and started barking orders for blankets for the children and immediate transport to medicare for everyone. The soldiers didn't seem to know what was going on, lowering their weapons in confusion at the voice of command. One of them turned back to the chopper and pulled out some sort of futuristic survival kit. Probably no cigarettes in it though, thought Fitz morosely as he was bundled towards the chopper.
Anji was next to him for the flight back to the city. She seemed back to her normal self he was relieved to see, whatever sickness or virus that had been affecting her was over. The Doctor crouched in front of them, he'd avoided being strapped in somehow.
"You alright?" He asked Anji. She nodded but didn't speak and the Doctor bit the inside of his lip before turning to Bains and passing him a sheet of paper with some numbers scribbled haphazardly on it. "Here," he said, "Try these coordinates for colonisation. Lovely planet, pretty much Earth normal and I can guarantee no psychic children or sentient planets." The other man grinned and accepted the note.
Fitz found the rest of the trip back to the TARDIS a bit of a blur. They'd landed, somehow slipped past all the fussing military and security and rushed back to the Police Box before anyone thought to stop them. The doors whirred shut behind the three and Fitz and Anji shared an almost simultaneous sigh of relief. The Doctor, suddenly full of energy again, bounced over to the controls and dematerialised them. Anji brushed ineffectually at her clothes and sighed again.
"I'm going for a bath and change of clothes." She announced and headed off into the corridors. Fitz waved after her tiredly then became aware of how silent the TARDIS had gotten. He turned around. The Doctor was staring at him with the oddest look in his eyes.
"You okay?" Fitz ventured. The Doctor seemed to come out of whatever trance he'd been in, shaking his head slightly and rubbing his nose.
"I'm fine. Well, rather muddy but fine. Are you alright Fitz?"
"Fine, fine. Few bruises from Jörgan but nothing serious. Alya patched me up mostly."
"Who's Jörgan?" The Doctor's voice was odd too, Fitz thought. Too tightly controlled, like he was desperately trying to hold back some ocean of emotion. Fitz thought back to his enthusiasm at their reunion and felt even more confused.
"Erm, security I think. Thought I was a corporate spy or something. Had the usual methods of finding out."
"How bad is it?"
"It's nothing really. Just some bruises. Feels worse than it is." Fitz wished the Doctor would move or something, he was holding himself so still and tense now. When there was no reply he smiled awkwardly and turned to leave. "I think Anji had the right idea. Shower and food for me." There was no reply but the Doctor's eyes didn't leave him as he left the console room.
Fitz showered quickly, for the second time that day, and pulled on some clean jeans and a T shirt. He contemplated going back to the console room or to his bed but found his feet leading him directly to the small kitchen the TARDIS had placed near his room. It was a small, cosy space, with a level of technology that Fitz could operate, although he mostly stuck to the food machine, the microwave and the kettle. He flicked the kettle on now and sat down at the table, fighting back a yawn. He stretched his previously broken leg, marvelling at how easily it had been fixed and rubbed at the dark marks visible on his wrists and arms.
There was a soft footfall at the kitchen door and the Doctor appeared. He sat down next to Fitz and slid a small jar of some sort of orange paste over to him.
"For the bruises." He said to Fitz's questioning look. Fitz unscrewed the lid and sniffed it. It didn't really smell of anything at all and when dabbed onto the bruises it tingled slightly. The marks began to fade almost before his eyes and Fitz hiked up his T shirt to rub some of it there. The Doctor frowned but didn't say anything and moved over to the kettle, setting out two mugs of tea and bringing them over to the table.
"What happened on that planet Doctor? After you left me-" Fitz ground to a halt, shocked to see the stricken look that had appeared on the Doctor's face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Fitz, Fitz, Fitz, I'm sorry!" Fitz blinked in surprise but the Doctor hadn't finished talking. "I didn't want to leave you, I'm sorry, I didn't realise the city moved and then I got knocked unconscious and I didn't wake up until much later and the city had already moved and I looked, I swear I looked but you weren't there and I couldn't find you and I'm sorry Fitz but I thought you…" He trailed off, looking lost.
"You thought what Doctor?" Fitz asked quietly. The Doctor looked down at his tea.
"I thought you were dead and it was all my fault."
"Oh." The Doctor glanced up at Fitz briefly but looked away again immediately. Fitz thought back to the Doctor at their meeting in the TARDIS, his surprise and incredulity and it made a lot more sense now. As did his odd looks earlier and his overreaction when whoever it had been had threatened to have Fitz shot. He reached forward and touched the Doctor's hands. The Doctor's blue green eyes flew up to his face.
"It wasn't your fault Doctor, you had to get Anji to the city. It was just bad luck I fell then. And, well, I'm still here aren't I? It all worked out?"
The Doctor swallowed and suddenly Fitz found himself with an armful of Time Lord. The Doctor was clinging to him as though Fitz would fade away and vanish. Fitz wrapped his arms around the shorter man and ducked his chin down to rest on the curling brown hair. He felt the Doctor's shoulders shake with silent tears and held him that little bit more tightly, even as his eyes flashed with alarm. He wasn't good with emotions or tears but the Doctor needed him right now so Fitz had better be there for him.
Eventually the Doctor seemed to quiet and still, though he didn't relax his grip on his companion. Fitz fought back a yawn and shifted his position slightly.
"I'm glad you're okay Fitz. And I really am sorry for leaving you."
"S'okay Doctor."
The Doctor pulled back slightly and looked into Fitz's face.
"You're tired. You should sleep.
"Mmm. You going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine. C'mon." The Doctor pulled Fitz up and guided him to his room. Fitz was half asleep as he collapsed onto his bed, vaguely feeling someone taking off his shoes and draping a blanket over him. He opened his eyes blearily as he felt a presence hovering over him. The Doctor looked uncertain, biting his inner lip again as he glanced between Fitz and the door. Fitz rolled to the side, inviting the Doctor to lie down without words and saw the relieved smile on his friend's face. The Doctor slid in next to him and Fitz curled up against him, feeling the Time Lord wrap his arms around his shoulders again. He drifted off listening to the comforting double beat of the Doctor's hearts and the contented hum of the TARDIS.
"Love you Fitz." Was the last thing he heard before sleep took him. He was too tired to speak and simply squeezed the Doctor's hand slightly in reply. He hoped the Doctor got the message.
Love you too.