Birthday Girl
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Bad Wolf Bay
"I still don't understand why we're having the party here. I was going to have the mansion decorated with white and pink balloons, I was going to hire a clown and…" said Jackie.
"You'll see," said Rose. Turning, she watched her husband, Adam, carrying their daughter, River, on his shoulders. To look at Adam, one would never guess that he was the clone of the Doctor but Rose didn't see him that way. To her, he was her husband and father of her child and that was all that mattered. Adam held onto River's tiny feet while she held onto his hair and Rose's stepfather, Pete, and her little brother, Tony, followed behind him. Tony pointed at the seabirds flying above them as Pete nodded and the sand pail and shovel bumped against Tony's hip.
"Can I make a sandcastle?!" asked Tony.
"Yes," said Pete.
They walked along until Rose stopped and spread the blanket out. Jackie placed the picnic basket down on the blanket as she wondered what was going on and frowned. Adam walked closer when he lowered River to the sand and she held onto his fingers, making him smile.
"Well, why are we here?" asked Jackie. Suddenly the wind started blowing and the sand blew around them. Jackie gasped as a familiar blue police box appeared and Rose smiled. Adam and the Doctor had discovered that the opening between their worlds was still active which allowed both the Doctor and Adam to visit each other. The only downside was it was only for a few minutes. After doing a scan the last time they were together, Doctor found out that, for a half an hour on River's birthday, the opening would remain open and agreed to have the party on the beach. Rose walked to the door as it slowly opened and she peeked inside.
"Come on out," whispered Rose, standing back, and the Doctor slowly walked outside. He looked at them as the wind blew the brown coat around his long legs and he brushed back some of his dark brown hair.
"Hello," said the Doctor softly then looked down and River smiled at him. He felt her mind reaching out for him as he closed his eyes and she gently nudged his mind.
'Uncle!' thought River.
'Hello,' thought the Doctor.
"Have any trouble getting here?" asked Adam.
"No, but I did have to stop off on Granalar Seven. They were having trouble with the fenriles," said the Doctor while Jackie slowly walked closer and he looked at her. Before he could move, she slapped him hard and he hit the sand. He gently touched his nose as he sniffed and River's lower lip quivered. She started crying as Adam picked her up and softly hushed her.
'Bad!' thought River as Adam stroked her back and the tears dribbled down her face.
'I'm all right,' thought the Doctor as he tickled her mind and she giggled. Adam wiped River's eyes as she looked at the Doctor and he winked at her.
"What are you doing here?!" shouted Jackie while Rose helped the Doctor up, dusting the sand off the brown coat and his trousers. "Well?!"
Jackie stood face to face with the Doctor and he saw the anger in her eyes.
"I'm here for River," said the Doctor.
"You are NOT taking my granddaughter! Pete, call Torchwood!" shouted Jackie while Pete and Tony walked closer and Pete took out his cell phone.
"Mum, that's not what he meant!" shouted Rose.
"Rose, let your father handle this!"
Pete pushed the buttons on the cell phone and Adam growled, feeling the anger growing inside him. Handing River to Rose, he walked to Pete, taking the cell phone from him, and Pete gasped.
"Give that back!" shouted Pete.
"Why do you want to take River?" asked Tony and the Doctor looked him, walked closer then knelt down.
"I'm not taking River anywhere. I'm here for her party," said the Doctor while Adam talked to someone, clicked the cell phone shut, and looked at Pete.
"Steven says hi," said Adam, placing the cell phone in Pete's shirt pocket, and the Doctor stood up. "Well, anyone hungry?"
"I am!" said Rose as the Doctor took River and Rose knelt on the blanket. She started taking things out of the basket while River played with the Doctor's ear and Tony pulled on the brown coat, making him look down.
"Yes?" asked the Doctor.
"Want to help me make a sandcastle?" asked Tony. He held up the sand pail and shovel as the Doctor looked at Rose and she nodded.
"No!" said Jackie. She walked to Tony but Adam stood between them and she growled at him. "Adam, move!"
"Come off it, Jackie, leave him alone!" said Adam and Tony crossed his arms across his chest, making the sand pail thump against his side.
"I want him to make a sandcastle with me!" shouted Tony, tossing the sand pail onto the sand and it bounced, rolling toward the Doctor's feet.
"Anthony Peter Tyler, stop that this minute!" shouted Jackie. The Doctor sighed and walked toward the TARDIS. Handing River to Rose, he headed inside, closing the door, and Tony looked at Jackie.
"You made the Doctor leave!" shouted Tony then ran to the door and pounded his hands on the wood. "DOCTOR, DON'T GO!"
Tony pounded on the wood until the door opened again and the Doctor gently took Tony's hands. The Doctor knelt down as Tony wrapped his arms around the Doctor's neck and held him. The Doctor felt the tears rolling down his neck as the Doctor hushed him and Tony looked at him. The Doctor wiped Tony's eyes as he smiled and Tony smiled back.
"I was just going to get this," said the Doctor. Tony saw the box with sandcastle molds, shovels and tiny toy people, horses and weapons and a toy dragon and Tony gasped.
"Wow!" said Tony and the Doctor stood up, holding onto his hand. They headed for the shoreline as they knelt in the sand and Rose looked at them.
"Don't get too involved! The food is almost ready!" shouted Rose as the Doctor nodded and she glared at Jackie. Jackie sighed, sitting on the blanket, and Pete sat next to her. He wanted to say something but Rose glared at him as well and Pete placed his arm around Jackie.
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"…Happy birthday to you!"
Rose smiled while the Doctor played on a recorder and she did a close up of Adam holding onto River. Pete had brought the video camera and was filming the party but Rose had taken the camera because Pete wasn't filming the Doctor.
"There are two of them. Who'd know which was which?" said Pete and she growled, taking the camera.
"All right, River, close your eyes and make a wish," said Jackie as River looked at Adam and tilted her head to one side.
'Wish?' thought River and Adam gently stroked her hair.
'Nanny Jackie means to close your eyes and think of something you really want,' thought Adam and River looked over at the Doctor. Following her eyes, he smiled sadly and the Doctor winked at River. River closed her eyes as both of them felt what she was thinking and she opened her eyes. Adam helped her blow the candle out while everyone clapped and the Doctor looked at the small cake that was sitting in front of River.
"That isn't big enough for everyone," whispered the Doctor and Rose gently nudged him.
"It's a baby cake," said Rose and the Doctor scratched the back of his neck.
"I can see that. I'm just saying that there isn't enough cake for everyone to have a piece."
"That's not what it's for."
"Then what is it for?"
"Watch!" said Rose. River looked at the small cake then at Adam and Adam nodded. River gave a big smile as she slammed her hands into the small cake and it exploded everywhere. The Doctor gasped while River slid large chunks of cake into her mouth and Rose used the zoom of the camera to take close up shots of River's face and hands.
"Someone stop her! She's making a mess!" said the Doctor and everyone enjoyed River rubbing the cake into her hair until the hair was sticking up in little tiny spikes.
"That's the whole idea. See, these little cakes are made so she can have a cake of her own, to make a mess with, leaving us with the real cake," said Adam. He pointed to the cake near Rose and the Doctor blinked.
"Fantastic!" said the Doctor. He watched River destroying the cake then held up a large chunk of cake in her fist, smiling at him.
'Uncle?' thought River as he looked at the frosting oozing between her fingers and he moved closer. Opening his mouth, she placed the chunk of warm, squishy cake into his mouth and he smiled. She took her hand out of his mouth as he chewed and River giggled, placing her fingers in her mouth.
"Not bad," said the Doctor after he swallowed and River picked up a bigger chunk, holding it out for Adam. Adam nodded as he opened his mouth and River fed him. Rose filmed what was going on when River held out a chunk of cake for her and Pete took the camera. River feed her then Rose took the camera back and River went back to playing with the cake. A few minutes passed until the cake was nothing more than a smashed mess and River was covered in cake and frosting. Adam picked her up as the Doctor led them inside the TARDIS and Adam laughed, seeing the paper covering on the floor. They went inside the nursery as a small tub sat on the changing table and the Doctor helped get River undressed. She laughed as both of them gave her a bath and the Doctor made quacking noses while playing with the rubber duck. None of them noticed that Rose was filming them and tears tricked down her cheeks.
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Rose held onto the Doctor while they walked along the sand and the wind blew through their hair. River did like the Gallifreyan memory box toy that the Doctor had made for her and he told Rose that he'd make new programs for River as she grew older. Rose looked at him as he smiled sadly and moved her a little bit closer. She knew that he needed some time alone with her as they headed back to the others and she felt him tense up.
"What's wrong?" asked Rose as they stopped and he looked at her.
"The usual," said the Doctor.
"Well, if it bothers you, why don't you just stay?"
"Rose, you know that I can't do that."
"Why? What's there that's keeping you from being with the people that love you?"
"It's not that I haven't thought about staying. I just can't."
"Ah," said Rose as he looked around, gently took her head in his hands and gave her a kiss. They went forehead to forehead as he smiled and she slightly blushed. He took her hand as they walked to the blanket and Rose smiled, seeing Adam stretched out on the blanket with River sleeping on his chest. The Doctor let go of her hand while she walked to Adam and gently sat on the blanket. Adam hushed her as Rose took the camera, filming them, and the Doctor sighed.
'THIS, Rose Tyler, is the reason I can't stay. I don't want to destroy this and I will. It would only be a matter of time before something happens and either you, Adam or River will get hurt. If that happened, I'd never forgive myself,' thought the Doctor as Adam looked at him and blinked.
"Rose, can you take River for a second?" asked Adam and she picked River up. Adam walked to the Doctor as he gently pushed him toward the TARDIS and they went inside. The Doctor looked confused as Adam closed and locked the door then turned, looking at him.
"What's wrong?" asked the Doctor.
"I heard that," said Adam and the Doctor looked confused.
"Pardon?" asked the Doctor.
"I heard what you were thinking."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"Then you understand why I can't stay. It would only be a matter of time before something happens and either you, Rose or River get hurt."
"What a load of rubbish! All right, sure, danger seems to follow you around but do you think Rose and I can't defend ourselves? I remember the defense training you learned and we practice them when we can. In fact, I was using this Grallian move in practice the other day and nearly shattered this poor guy's leg. So, when you have decided that you have had enough of this 'I have to travel alone. Thus is the curse of the Time Lords' stuff, I want you to know that you are always welcome in our house for as long as you like!"
The Doctor shook as he felt his hearts pounding in his chest and tears filled his eyes until Adam was nothing more than a blur in front of him. Adam moved closer as he held the Doctor and patted his back. Hushing him, Adam let the Doctor cry until the Doctor calmed down and wiped his eyes. Adam handed him a handkerchief as the Doctor blew his nose and smiled at him.
"If I didn't know better, I swear I was talking talk to Donna. That was something I know she would have said," said the Doctor and Adam laughed.
"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, she had a hand in making me what I am, Martian Boy!"
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh, that was bad!"
"How so?" asked Adam, folding his arms across his chest.
"She had a HAND in making you what you are!" said the Doctor and Adam smiled.
"Feeling better?"
"Yes," said the Doctor when the cloister bell sounded and he walked to the console. Looking at the view screen, he sighed and Adam walked closer. They saw that the opening was starting to close and they looked at each other. Walking to the door, they went outside and Rose looked at them.
"What was that about?" asked Rose.
"It's time for me to go," said the Doctor.
"NO!" said Tony. He ran to the Doctor and wrapped his arms around the Doctor's legs. The Doctor gently unwrapped Tony's arms then knelt down and held him.
"I'll be back. I promise," said the Doctor as they let go and smiled at each other. He tapped a finger on the tip of Tony's nose as Tony ran to Jackie and the Doctor stood up. Adam had gone to get River as he handed her to the Doctor and he held her close to his chest. River was awake as she heard the sound of his double heartbeat and looked up at him.
'Bye-bye?' thought River as he kissed the top of her head and nodded. He felt her mind caress his as he handed her back to Adam and turned. They watched as he went inside, closed the door then opened it again, looking at Rose. She walked closer as he took her hand and she looked deeply into her eyes.
"What's wrong?" asked Rose.
"Tell your mum that I'm sorry for scaring everyone," said the Doctor. Giving Rose a quick kiss, he closed the door and she stood back. The wind blew the sand around while the TARDIS vanished and Rose walked to Adam. He held her as they looked at the empty spot then he took her hand and they walked to the blanket.
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Two months later.
"What do you mean we're stuck?!" asked Rose while Adam looked at the view screen and sighed.
"We're stuck!" said Adam, brushing his fingers through his dark brown hair.
"This is my fault," said the Doctor, holding River in his arms.
"No, it isn't. Who knew the opening would close before we got back from the circus? Let me check something," said Adam as he pushed the buttons and looked at the view screen. They waited until something appeared on the view screen and he smiled.
"What?" asked Rose.
"Well, it looks like YOU have guests for the next…" said Adam, checking the view screen. "...two months. Is that all right?"
"That is FANTASTIC!" said the Doctor, holding River high in the air and she giggled. Adam walked to Rose as he held her and she looked at him then at the Doctor. She saw the look in Adam's eyes when she got the feeling something was up and frowned.
"Are we really stuck?" whispered Rose and he gave her an evil smile.
"Nope, just thought we'd stick around for a while," said Adam. She gave him a gently punch in the shoulder and he shrugged. Rose hugged him as she smiled, watching the Doctor dancing around the room with River, and placed her head against Adam's chest.
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The End