My Father's Son Chapter 1: Good Morning Davie, a treasure planet fanfic

I have always wanted to write a story about the Doppler puppy and decided to finally sit down and do it to blow off steam while working on 'Memories of Yesterday.' The children in the story are named after famous inventors and aviators and their personalities are simply inventions of my choosing. I hope everyone enjoys because I have already had a lot of fun writing the chapters I have completed.

Disney/RLS Stevenson (c) everything

David Doppler stretched against the linen sheets of his bed, his young muscles aching in protest at having to be used so early in the morning. He smiled against the pain and opened his weary eyes to summer's first morning. Summer. A groan filtered from the boy and he pulled the sheets over his head as though to block out the inevitable day that was dawning. David hated summer vacation. He was the only child in his class not looking forward to the last day of school, which had gone by too quickly in his opinion, and now there was no denying that it was here; the very first day of summer. A summer filled with tutoring and private lessons, not to mention his three sisters – the very thought made a familiar dread bubble in his stomach like a bad dinner.

"Wake up Davie!" The dread turned to nausea as several bodies pummeled his thin frame through the blanket pulled high over his head. "It's morning Davie, wake up!"

"Get off me you lousy brats!" He thrashed blindly and only succeeded in tangling himself up in the sheets; the chanting dissolved into mad giggles and his attackers backed off long enough for the young man to free his head and gasp for air. Ruth and Jacqueline squatted nearby, their impish grins spreading ear to ear while the fair haired Lillian hovered cautiously by the doorway. "Mom!" David cried. "They're in my room again!"

"Momma told us to come wake you, big baby!" Jacqueline sneered, shaking her red hair playfully in his face. David swatted her away only to be covered in brown curls as his other sister wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled close. "She says it's time to get up!"

"And that breakfast is ready." Lillian whispered musically and finally joined her struggling siblings on the bed. David squirmed in Ruth's surprisingly strong grasp and spat out the stray hairs tangled with his tongue. "I don't – bleh! – I don't care, you're not supposed to be in my room! Mom!"

"I swear I have seen criminals more sociable than you lot!" His mother's voice drifted through his room and order quickly restored itself at her command; Ruth's hold recoiled like a steel trap and she scurried back to join Lillian at the bottom of the bed. Jacqueline merely grinned up at her mirror image. "Momma, Davie tried to block his door again." David flinched as his mother's green eyes jumped from her children to the chair that he had clumsily shoved underneath the handle of his door last night. "But Mom, if I don't then they do this!"

"You're still not supposed to!"

"You're such a tattle, Jack."

"Don't call me that! Momma!"

"If you both don't straighten up," their mother growled suddenly, "You'll be spending the beginning of your summer with Grandma Doppler." Both children fell deathly silent. Their mother straightened with pride and ran her hands through Ruth's mess of brunette curls as she spoke. "Girls, go down and start breakfast. Your brother needs to change."

"Yeah, into someone different!" Jacqueline hissed into his ear before sliding off the bed with her sisters. They obediently allowed themselves to be shepherded out of the room and a moment before his mother closed the door behind them he called out, "Enjoy your breakfast Jack!" He saw a glimpse of furious green eyes before they were shut off by the heavy wooden door and a similar, cooler pair gazed down at him. "Why do you antagonize her like that, David?"

"Because she always starts it!" David squirmed out of the covers into the cold air. "Mom, I can't spend my whole summer like this! I want a lock for my birthday." But the tall woman shook her head. "You know the rule about locks, dear. Your birthday only comes once a year, I'd suggest you put more thought into your presents and not this petty argument."

"It's not petty! I'm the only boy and I don't want a bunch of hollow headed girls – Mom, I can dress myself!" David pushed away his mother's hands as they began lifting his nightshirt from over his head. "I'm almost nine!"

"Force of habit, dear." She smiled as David hurriedly dressed himself. "I forget how grown up you're becoming." David returned her smile. "You say that every year, Mom!"

"That's because it's true every year." He didn't complain as his mother pulled him close and kissed the spot just above his ear. She was wearing the perfume that Lillian loved but was too shy to ask for as her birthday gift and the scent drifted over him comfortingly. "Will you at least think about the lock?" The boy pleaded after several long seconds. His mother's slender ears twisted in a thoughtful manner. "I will – after you discuss it with your father."

"But Mom -!"

"Now go! Eat your breakfast before your sisters polish it off for you." She playfully swatted him as he shuffled out of his bedroom. "Miss Spouts will be here shortly for your lessons and we don't want to keep her waiting."

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Miss Spouts was appropriately named. She had a round, fat body and four arms that looked incredibly too short against her large frame and her stubby legs barely seemed strong enough to carry her weight. Her neck, however, was slender and incredibly long, almost attractive, and David found it a shame that her wrinkled face was flabby like her lower body. When viewed from a distance the woman greatly resembled a grotesque teapot and he cautiously watched out of the corner of his eye as Ruth doodled a cartoon of their tutor on the corner of her paper. She was just about finished drawing the woman's neck as a teapot spout when her voice, which was as thick as the rest of her, cut through the small room. "Eyes forward, cheeldren. I weel now geeve you your readeeng assignments."

Ruth's elbow quickly covered the drawing as Miss Spouts shuffled between their desks and handed them a short list of stories and their authors. David frowned and squinted down at the printed ink; three weeks ago the boy realized that it was growing harder and harder to read until finally the letters that were supposed to be crisp and bold were nothing but fuzzy symbols in his eyes. He pushed the paper to the edge of his desk and discretely leaned back in his chair until the letters gained some of their original shape. "Read thee leest and choose two storees; you weel write a paper no shorter than five pagees explaneeng – "

"Excuse me, Miss Spouts…" Lillian spoke and timidly raised her hand. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but can Romeo and Juliet be added to the list?"

"Oh my leettle devochka, such a storee is not good for cheeldren!" Miss Spouts drawled sadly and patted her blonde head with a freshly manicured hand. Lillian withered dejectedly in her seat as Jacqueline cut in. "You don't want to read that pathetic excuse for a love story, Lily! Besides, everyone knows that Shakespeare's works belong to Edward De Vere."

Ruth huffed in irritation. "Not everyone knows that, Jackie. It's a theory – a misguided theory." She added with a hint of superiority that was not shaken by her sister's glare. "The only reason you don't believe it is because you don't want to accept history's wrong!"

"And the only reason you do believe it is because you like to argue with everyone!"

"I – I just want to read Romeo and Juliet." Lillian whispered with wide eyes.

"Well, I theenk you two have geeven us our deebate for today!" Miss Spouts grinned. "Ruthee, you argue why Shakespeare stole from Deee Vere, and Jackee, you argue why he deed not." Both girls groaned and trudged up to the front of the room to argue the other's points. David barely listened to the quarreling sisters and instead focused on the paper in front of him; he leaned forward and back, squinted and focused, trying to find the limits of his eyes. At arm's length he could just make out some of the words and the further back he removed himself the clearer everything became.

"Davie, what are you doing?" Lillian whispered. The boy snapped back to attention and realized he had leaned his chair onto its back two legs. "N-nothing." He stammered, and gently righted himself.

It took nearly twenty minutes for Miss Spouts to grow tired of the debate and send the girls back to their seats before moving the lesson on to math. David passed the time watching Ruth draw and making the numbers in his workbook go fuzzy and clear. Their four stomachs had just begun to rumble in need of lunch when the tutor finally dismissed them with a page of homework and a sloppy kiss on each of their foreheads. "Do svidaniya, cheeldren. I weel see you in two days, and I expect to see much progress on your papers." They responded with a chorus of "Yes ma'am" and David waited until his sisters had filed out to fish the list of stories from his bag. He tilted the page and shut one eye, trying to make out the first line. "T – t – the…Le – La – The Last…"

"What's wrong with you?" David yelped and jumped from his seat. Jacqueline grinned from the open doorway, leaning on the paneled side with her arms crossed. "Can you not read?"

"Don't be a smart aleck; you know I can!" He snapped. His sister sauntered closer, her grin widening with each step. "I've seen you acting weird." She said. "Twisting your head and squinting your eyes – you can't see can you?" David's jaw trembled uncontrollably. "Jackie, please don't tell!"

"Geez, don't cry over it! You just need glasses." She reassured him and sat in a nearby chair. "Daddy has glasses."

"That's why I don't…Look, just please don't tell! Promise me you won't!" Jacqueline stared at him thoughtfully and David found himself unable to look away. "If you never ever call me Jack again I promise not to tell Momma or Daddy."

"I'll never call you Jack again!" He repeated immediately and stuck out his pinkie finger. "Now you promise!" His sister huffed and wrapped her pinkie around his, sealing their secret together in an unbreakable bond. The silence following their pact was uncomfortable and it did not take long before the siblings excused themselves and walked to the dining room at different paces. Ruth and Lillian were already seated but had waited politely for their sister and brother to join them and it was not long after they had started eating that their mother also sat with them. "Where is Daddy?" Lillian asked with a glance at his empty seat.

"Ahh my dears, it is one of those rare occasions where your father actually ventures outside instead of gazing at it through his telescope." The girls giggled light heartedly. "He will be back in time for supper, and – " Her gaze suddenly fell onto David. " – In plenty of time to prepare for your lesson tonight."

The young boy growled and stabbed a piece of scrambled egg with his fork. "I'm tired of astrology, Mom."

"Astronomy, David. Dear Heavens, do not ever let your father hear you mutter astrology in the house!"

"Whatever it is I'm tired of it! And why am I the only one who has to go?" He asked weakly. His sisters murmured disapprovingly but his mother stopped their chatter with a small wave of her delicate hand. "Your father wants very little from you, David."

"He wants me to be just like him! Always buying me clothes like him and the same books as him and the astronomy lessons!"

"He wants to bond with you the only way he knows how. So tonight when he brings up the Astronomy Convention…"

"MOM!"

"Do not fuss!" She warned. "It is three days out of your vacation and your father has been looking forward to this for some time. Go for his sake if nothing else."

"I'll go, Momma." Lillian said over her plate and David nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Mom, let Dad take Lily!"

"Lily, you wouldn't know what to do at an Astronomy Convention!" Ruth giggled. Offended, Lillian began to answer but was interrupted by her mother. "That is very gracious of you Lily, but this is your brother's responsibility." The boy pouted his lips as he glared down at the tablecloth and muttered under his breath. "Why don't you just start calling me Delbert, too?"

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The evening hours were a particularly beautiful time for Benbow. Without the pollution and harsh glares that accompanied larger cities the quiet town was able to display a spectacular viewing of the night sky and it was one of the reasons Delbert Doppler had chosen to make his home in the dusty mining community. But as David crossly made his way to his father's study and peered out the expansive windows he could not see any of the beauty the sky held; in his mind the sight translated into diagrams of stars and their relative positions to other celestial bodies during the months. Already his father's scholarly curse was seeping into his blood and the boy wished for nothing more than to be able to look at the dark night and see swirling collisions of color like Ruth or envision a romantic story about star-crossed soul mates the way Lillian could.

His father's study was as cluttered as ever; his mother had tried to adjust the man's need for disorder before he and his sisters had even been born and it was the only time David knew of that his mother had not followed through with a challenge. He cautiously stepped around a stack of thick books easily twice his size and called out, "Dad?"

The great chair attached to a monstrous telescope swiveled around at his voice and his father grinned down at him. "David! Right on time; are you ready for your first summer Astronomy lesson? Let me get the telescope ready…"

"Can we talk about something first, Dad?"

"Of course! Whatever is on your mind."

"Well…I want a lock for my room."

"Oh…You know your mother's rule about locks." He answered automatically and delicately adjusted a large brass knob. "I know!" David huffed. "But if you say I can have one then she'll have to listen!"

"Ha! The day your mother listens to me is the day – well, now, that's not important." His father leaned over to peer at a chart, obviously past the conversation, but David was not ready to surrender. He craned his head in front of the chart and peered into his father's eyes. "I want to suggest a hypothetical situation in my defense." The old man grinned, amused, and leaned back in his chair as David continued. "I am denied a lock even though all my siblings are girls. If the situation was reversed and I was the only girl in a house filled with boys I don't think my request would be ignored." He spoke slowly and enunciated as he had been taught by Miss Spouts, thankful that the only thing of his father's that he had not inherited was his nervous speech impediments. His father continued to grin ear to ear as he thoughtfully readjusted his glasses. "Well, hypotheticals are generally weak defenses but you make a valid point!"

"So can I have one?" He asked in attentive hope. "I'll discuss it with your mother later, now come look and identify this cluster." David wished he could flatten his ears like his sisters but he settled for stomping a little too heavily across the floor and pulled himself into the telescope's vacated seat. He gazed into the eyepiece and the distant Etherium was suddenly within arms reach. "Seven stars in the shape of a plough…."

"Take everything in before you answer! Observe and consider every variance." David rolled his eyes and stared uninterested into the telescope for several seconds before pulling back. "Those stars make up the body of Ursa Minor."

"You're correct – er, in a way; sevens stars do make up the primary figure of Ursa Minor, however those are not the stars in the lens. These stars are actually a part of Ursa Major. Your error was honest though, the two are practically identical to each other except in size."

"I know what that's like." David murmured but his father was too caught up in his lecture to hear. "Here, I'll show you a simple way to tell them apart; come over to – " Suddenly a soft gwapping sound filtered through the air and both men glanced about comically as it gently grew louder. David had heard the sound many times before from his father's aged stock creature Delilah and sure enough as his father stood and moved to one of the windows with David close on his heels they both saw that a carriage had pulled up and parked intrusively at the head of their cobblestone driveway. The grunts and snorts of the carriage beasts were too strong to ignore now and it was certain they had alerted the rest of the house with their strange barking. "A visitor at this hour? Who in heavens could it be?" His father mused.

David pressed his nose close to the window, holding his breath so as not to fog the glass. The carriage door opened and even from the great distance the boy could see the vague silhouette of a thin yet muscular form and a pristine white uniform he knew so well. "It's Jim!" He cried and tore off for the stairwell. His eager feet ran so quickly that Jim – for it was him – had not even made it to the front door before David pushed it open and launched himself at the startled man. He laughed with joy as he collided with Jim's firm chest and strong arms latched around the boy to lift him high off his feet. "Davie! You get taller every time I see you, and faster too – or your sisters are getting slower!" He spun around as he spoke and David giggled madly as his vision swam. It was mere moments later that his sisters arrived and Jim released the boy to give the impatient Jacqueline and Ruth their own turns as Lillian bashfully watched. The young girl had just gathered up the courage to raise her own arms to Jim in a silent request when their parents appeared in the doorway. "Captain James Hawkins." His mother greeted proudly. Jim gave an exaggerated curtsy that made the children shriek with laughter. "Sorry to drop in this late but my ship made port behind schedule."

"Jim, you know you're always welcome!" His father assured the man, with a small pat on the shoulder. "Your visits bring such vexation, er, exaltation…"

"We're always happy to see you." Their mother broke in amongst the laughter that now included Jim's own. "But come inside, don't block his way children – go on." David and his sisters obeyed and eagerly went first into the warm house. Lillian walked with her blonde hair in front of her face, too embarrassed to admit her disappointment at being left without a hug, when a large squeak erupted from her as Jim casually lifted her in his arms. "Don't think I've forgotten about you my Golden Lily!"

Jim's visits were not rare but the young captain was frequently away supporting his career and it was with great joy that the children greeted him when everyone was finally assembled in the living room. Each one fought for the right to sit on his lap and they would have continued all night had their mother not finally commanded them to 'stop their ridiculous behavior' and act like civilized beings. So they settled for sitting at his side, Jacqueline and Ruth on one and David and Lily on the other, and barraged him with questions.

Where did you go? How many people did you see? Did you get lost? How did you get that scar? Did you have to shoot anyone – Jackie! That is not an acceptable question! – Who was on your ship? How long are you staying? Will you be here for our birthdays?

"That's right; it's going to be your birthday soon." Jim grinned. "Don't pretend like you forgot, Jim! You brought us presents didn't you?"

"Ruth!" Their father scolded but Jim affectionately tapped the flushed girl's nose. "You got me, Ruthie! I'll give them to you but you can't open them until your party or my mom will be pisse – ugh, angry at me."

"We promise to wait!" They chanted and the man obligingly dug into his duffel bag and handed the girls three sizeable boxes before turning to David with a grin. "I didn't leave you out Davie; you'll just have to wait a bit longer than the others, okay?" David hardly cared, as long as Jim was here he never needed another birthday present again. Then it was their parents turn to talk and the conversation suddenly became heavily boring to the four young minds. They chatted about mortgages and trading prospects with distant planets, professors that Jim and Amelia knew from the Academy and the article that Delbert was planning to have published. It was not long before the siblings slumped against the couch and their mother announced that it was time for bed. "Can Jim tuck us in?" David asked and his sisters nodded their approval. "I don't mind." Jim said to their parents.

"Go on then and get yourselves ready." Their mother instructed warmly. "Jim will be along shortly." The children wasted no time in brushing their teeth, washing their faces and changing into their sleep clothes. David finished first and quickly ran back down to the living room to make sure that his sisters did not get Jim's attention first, but he stopped at the top of the stairs as his name drifted up. "I know he seems a bit young, but I think it would really do well for Davie." The boy dropped to his knees and crept closer to the banister as he listened intently. "And it wouldn't be for a long time – just a week."

"Well I think it's a splendid idea. I've been eager to take the children out on a ship for months now but this one – " His mother tipped her head to the side and jerked towards his father. "Is still shell shocked from our last escapade in the Etherium."

"I would think so!" He sputtered. "Imagine if our little ones were to get caught up in such a fiasco! Why I'd…"

Jim laughed and leaned back casually. "Relax Doc, it's not going to be anything like the Legacy; I just want to take Davie out on my ship for a while, let him build up his space legs." David's heart hammered in his chest. Him on Jim's ship! The boy practically shook with excitement as the thought about it – him on a real ship with a real Captain! Jackie was going to be so furiously jealous! "I've got leave for the next three weeks so I thought I could take him after their birthday."

"Oh! But Delbert, isn't that…?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that's when I was going to take David to the Astronomical Convention." What!? The convention? "That's okay!" Jim was saying. "I'll jus take him another time."

No, no, no! This wasn't fair! Why did he always have to do what his father wanted?! "I better go see if the kids are ready." David was thrown from his despairing thoughts as Jim's footsteps started for the stairs and his hiding place. He crawled on his hands and knees to the hallway before tearing off into his sister's room. The three girls were finally changed into their nightclothes and sitting on Ruth's bed; they glanced at him with mild irritation as David barged in, panting. "Where's Jim?" Jacqueline demanded.

"Here I am!" David jumped as the man's voice issued behind him. "Woah! Sorry Davie, didn't mean to scare you! Are you guys ready to be tucked in?"

"Us first, Jim! We're ready now!" Ruth squealed and hopped between her sheets. Jacqueline and Lillian quickly followed, each of them burrowing under the covers and staring at Jim with eager expectation. Jim laughed and scratched the back of his neck before tucking them in one by one. David waited impatiently as he folded the covers around Ruth, then Jacqueline, but when he reached Lillian the man paused. "Lily, you haven't said three words to me – what's wrong?" Lillian shook her head and pulled the covers up to her nose as Jacqueline snorted. "It's because of those penny romances she reads!"

"She fancies you!" Ruth giggled, ignoring the look of absolute horror that crossed her sister's face. Jim smiled and patted the blushing girl's hair. "Well, I'm too old for you, Golden Lily, but there's not a boy in the universe who wouldn't fancy you back." And with that he lightly kissed Lillian's cheek to the amazement of her bewildered sisters. "Good night, girls." He called out and gently led David out by the hand. The door had just closed behind them when a trio of delighted shrieks filtered through the wooden frame. "Girls are so weird." David sighed. Jim laughed loudly as they traveled down the hall to David's room and the boy bounced into bed as he was also tucked in. "Give it a few years, Davie. One day they'll grow on you."

"Not those girls!" He snarled. "And why did you have to kiss Lily? They're never going to shut up about that." His friend grinned. "If you want a kiss too all you have to do is ask!"

"No!" David yelled and squirmed as Jim pretended to try and catch the boy. "No you weirdo! Hahhah! Get off me!" The boys wrestled playfully until David was out of breath and his sheets were a tangled mess. Jim took a moment to readjust the covers and again tuck the edges around his body. "Night, Davie."

"Jim? I want to go with you on your ship." The man turned back as David spoke, his surprise apparent. "Were you – you were listening in to us, huh?"

"I'm sorry." He whispered but Jim was smiling easily. "I wanted to take you out for your birthday, but we'll do it another time after the convention."

"But he hasn't even asked me to go yet!" David whined as the man sat back down on his bed. "Why can't I go with you instead?"

"Davie, this will be a great chance to spend some time with your dad – "

"I don't want to be around him! I'm sick of looking like him, acting like him, being like him! I'm sick of him!" There was silence after his outburst, both boys too stunned by David's words to speak. Jim stared straight ahead at the wall, unblinking and unmoving like a statue in the park, his face twisted into an emotion that the child did not recognize. "Jim?"

"A lot of people would love to have their dads around – you should be happy that yours wants to be." David felt his jaw tremble as Jim stood and left without as much as a goodnight. It took all of his self control not to cry as his friend's footsteps echoed down the hall, extinguishing every light until the house was bathed in darkness.

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As he had feared the girls wanted to talk about nothing during breakfast except Jim's kiss. David sat at the table bitterly, hardly eating his food, and trying not to think about last night every time they said his friend's name. Jim would never take him out on his ship now; not after David had made him so angry. But it wasn't his fault! Why should he have to like his father just because Jim didn't have one? But even as the thought crossed his mind David felt a wave of guilt crash over him and he was disgusted with himself. His mother and father patiently listened to the girls chatter and just as the boy had finished and was about to excuse himself his mother spoke. "Jackie, have you shown your brother yet?"

"Shown me what?" Jacqueline grinned and took a folded piece of paper out of her pocket, passing it to him carefully like it was made of glass. "It's a poem Davie, about you!" David's gut tightened and he quickly shoved the paper under his jacket. "T-thanks…"

"David," His mother scolded. "Your sister wrote that for you! Read it out loud."

"Yeah, read it!" His sister purred; her smile as wide and menacing as a crocodile. There was nothing he could do except slowly pull the paper out and unfold it with his trembling hands; the words were so fuzzy it looked as though the sheet had been dipped in water. The boy focused as hard as he could, wishing that some sense would come from the jumbled marks and trying to ignore the expectant stares of his family as he struggled. The effort made his head hurt and his stomach grew more nervous. "Why are you crying, Davie?" Ruth asked. David hadn't realized there were tears in his eyes and before he could wipe them away his mother had seen them as well. "David! What's wrong, dear?" His mother wrapped her arms around his small frame soothingly which only made his tears spill over faster. "I-I-I-I…"

"Oh my!" His father said suddenly and also came to stand by David's side. "Davie, you're having difficulty seeing, aren't you?" There was no need to answer, the boy's tear stained face said everything his parents needed to know. "Well dear, it looks like our boy inherited my eyes as well!"

"That's hardly a surprise, although I had hoped we would have more time than this before glasses became a necessity!"

Glasses. It was his worst nightmare come true; the final variable that would make him a perfect imitation of his father. No one except Jacqueline, who was still grinning and watching her brother with interest, seemed to notice the young boy's dejection. "I don't want glasses." He muttered darkly. His mother's hand ran through his hair and for once the touch felt more revolting than comforting. "I'm sorry dear, but you can't go forward not being able to read." His father nodded. "Yes and it's not as debilitating as it seems! Why, I believe the optician who crafted my first pair is still in business; he'll be able to make a pair similar to mine when I was your age…"

"NO!" David cried and kicked away from the table. He heard his sisters gasp in surprise but the sound barely registered as he continued to scream his frustrations. "I'm not wearing glasses, I'm not studying astronomy and I'm not going to that stupid convention!"

"David!"

"I'm not you! I never want to be you! I hate being like you!"

There was silence. No one moved or breathed and the house ceased its subtle groaning; even the creatures outside seemed to simply vanish from the universe. David was the only existing being, huffing and trembling from his outburst as he glared into the astounded brown eyes so much like his own. He saw the grief, the shock, but his immature mind focused on nothing else but his own bitter resentment. It felt like an eternity before the spell was broken and his father silently walked from the room without glancing at anyone, just as Jim had the night before. David squeezed his eyes shut as the world returned to life; his sisters began to whine as tears took hold and their mother guided them out of the room after their father.

'You had to do this.' He told himself. 'Things will get better from now on! They have to be better!'

But alone in the kitchen the young boy had never felt more worse.

To be continued