Hello to everyone who decided to give this story a shot and to my followers who are currently reading my other works, I promise to get back to them soon! I've hit a partial writing block. :L SO! I wrote this story on a whim and I think most people who are into Rose/TenToo will like where this starts off, BUT be warned early on: it's not JUST Rose/TenToo...Even though, most people who like stories involving their potential children will like this. This individual story will have four chapters that I will post once a week, every Thursday. It is only 'Book 1' of the series which will total out to be about six in total, with four chapters each. (Any mistakes are mine and I apologize if anybody finds any.)
I hope you all enjoy! AND If you like it please follow or favorite and leave a review in the comments!
If there are any questions you have at the end of the chapter, feel free to PM me or leave it in your comment.
Enjoy! :D
Autumnal Equinox
22 September, 2025
Gravel crunches underneath my suede loafers as I make my way to our routine bench. Keeping my gaze downcast, I walk the familiar trail to the polished granite bench and gently ease myself down. Suddenly my worn grey driver's hat doesn't feel adjusted properly and my worn tan jacket sits awkwardly on my lanky frame. It seem like the hood is determined to bunch up in an odd position against my back.
The hat comes off quickly. It sits in my hands for a moment, well I say sits but it actually was being continuously wrung by my nervous fingers. They became fed up with the hat and instead moving off to rub the back of my head.
I had grown out my hair since the last time I saw him. Honey chestnut fringe now hangs rebelliously over my forehead. Mum had tried to get me to give it a trim, but I quickly refused. She said I looked almost like his spitting image. Almost.
Several golden leaves roll past me, playfully chasing the cool wind. Warm sunshine flittered down through the towering oak nearby. Dappled with sunshine, I found myself growing more relaxed, my anxiety dissipating with each passing moment as the warmth seeped into my skin. I used to love doing this with the both of them, mum and dad, when I was just a kid; I would sit on the bench between them, listening to their quiet murmurs and laughs while mum smoothed down my rebellious hair.
Well, that was when we were all together.
I sniff, taking a look around at my surroundings. There's the couple who stop by almost every day at this time, a little girl with her father are slowly moving along, her eyes following the dancing leaves, and that little old woman who comes by every now and again. She's watching me with a slight smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Her dark skin carries some wrinkles especially at the corner of her eyes. I watch her for a moment; now I see her hair is hidden beneath a knit cap. She gives me an almost imperceptible nod. I break the gaze.
With a quick glance at my watch I take note of the time: 3:49.
The cool granite bench starts to warm up with the dappling sunshine. Once again my fingers itch to be busy with something. My head tilts back to look at the nice autumn sky; perfect puffy white clouds floating along a gorgeous clear blue sky. Leaves make just the right rustling sound as I close my eyes.
22 of September 2025, the autumnal equinox. A date I have had memorized for the past five years, actually both equinoxes and solstices as well. We had made a pact all those years ago that we would meet and catch up four times a year on those days in this exact spot. I start to go over the first time we did this, well, at least when I ran into him, when I'm ripped from my reminiscent moment.
"Got your head in the clouds there?"
"Nah, just floatin' among the stars," I quip back with a cheeky grin.
Standing up from my bench, I give him a huge hug, which he returns enthusiastically. My cheeks hurt from the smile on my face, but that doesn't matter. I always grin like a fool when I see him. I pull out of the hug, a huge smile plastered on his face. The megawatt 'light up the room' smile mum always called it. A smile I miss seeing on a regular basis. It shows off where I inherited my two dimples from.
I look up and nod at his sleek slightly frosted brown hair, "Your hair's getting' a bit grey there Dad," I tease, tongue pressing lightly at the back of my teeth.
The loose hug he had me in moves down to just an arm slung warmly around my shoulder. Shock and slight worry is plastered onto his face as a hand moves frantically in the fringe to try and see it himself, nearly going cross-eyed in the process.
"You're lying," he cries out indignantly, "Oh bugger,"
I laugh and this seems to cheer him up. Moving his attention from his hair, he turns to me.
"Well, on the subject of hair look at yours!" a hint of pride tinges his voice, "Just look at it, it's nearly as impressive as mine."
With a teasing wink he pats my shoulder before moving to the bench. I notice he has on a pair of dark jeans and grey and burgundy jumper; his and mum's favorite jumper. Of course as always, he completes the outfit with some sort of trainers; todays are white, well, they used to be. His hair is in perfect disarray as always (even with the gray), well mum calls his perfect, not mine though, and he finally grew out his stubble. I remember as a kid I would love to run my fingers over it just to feel the light ticklish scratching. Dad and Mum would just laugh heartily every time at my insistent giggling. Nothing has claimed its spot as my favorite memory yet.
My feet move towards the bench before I have a seat on his immediate left. Never on his right. He crosses his feet at the ankles and leans back with his elbows resting on the back of the now warm granite bench.
"So Ian, how's your mum?" he asks without preamble.
I take a deep sigh and lean against the back of the bench, "She's….doing better. Still hasn't tried to date anyone, but she has moved on…enough. Sometimes she still has her moments. Just because it's been a few years doesn't mean she's completely over it. She tries to never do it around us; always trying to protect others right?" I give him a tight sad smile which he returns sympathetically, "It doesn't happen as often now; she's been too busy with John and Donna. Mischievous little devils they are, but we love 'em all the same. It's hard to imagine they're almost five…." I trail off, "And you? How have you been?"
He tilts back his head as he scratches an itch at the base of his throat, "Oh you know," he drawls out followed by his iconic sniff, "going here and there, seeing everything there is to see, mingl-"
"They miss you," I blurt out softly.
He raises an eyebrow at me, but nonetheless gets a somber expression, "but they've never even met me."
I know he's holding back his full emotions. Never one to show too much, him.
"It doesn't matter; you're their father. Mum hasn't completely wiped your existence away," It comes out with a bit more of a snap than I would have liked.
I take a deep breath. My eyes avoid the man sitting next to me as I watch all the other people milling about.
"They grew up knowing who you are; mum would never let that be forgotten. Pictures of us were, still, are plastered all over the house," I drift off for a small moment. Suddenly I turn to face him; his eyes shine with tons of emotions: sadness, pride, and happiness, along with the rest of his ancient burdens. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he gives me an encouraging nod.
"I would never forget either. When mum needs help getting them to sleep I tell them the stories you told me," I blush a bit bashfully saying this, "Me and mum make it a team effort. She retells New Earth's cat nuns and I retell Queen Victoria becoming a werewolf. Personally, I just like to remember all those wild things you and mum saw before I was born,"
Gaze downcast, I fiddle my thumbs. In the past three years I've been seeing him, I never once admitted to this.
He gently rubs my shoulder, "There's nothing wrong with that," he says calmly, "what's the point of being grown up if you can't have some fun sometimes?"
I laugh at this, a smirk forming on my lips. This is his motto and he sure does practice what he preaches. My dad is the most childish acting grown up I have ever met, and I'm 16.
"See that's what I like to see," he grins, "You know I don't like to see you all mopey or pouty, maybe sulky….nah that doesn't sound right, well it is right just doesn't ring a bell,"
"Dad?" I give him an admonishinglook.
"Grouchy? No, that wouldn't do either,"
And on he goes, staring off into space with a slight furrow in between his eyebrows, "Dad,"
"Frowny…. Oooooooh I like that! Frowny. Froowwnnyy. Frowny faces. Ha! Perfect,"
"Dad!" I exclaim.
He gives me a confused look, "What? What was I doing wrong?"
Tongue pressed behind my front teeth to stop from doubling over in laughter I quirk an eyebrow at him,
"You went off on a tangent,"
It takes him a moment to absorb my statement and compare it with his previous actions.
"I suppose I did….Anyway, moving on to a different matter, how's the secondary going?"
I clam up in an instant. He instantly picks up on my change in demeanor. Slowly turning around so he's facing me on the bench; he rests his right leg on his lap and crosses his arms over his chest. I cringe slightly for what's about to come; I remember this look very well from when I would get in trouble in nursery school. Oh he's started tapping his finger on his bicep,
"Ian, what did you do?" he says it with such ice calm, it makes me want to fall even more into my shoulders.
I start fiddling with my hands nervously; my right ring fingernail seems extremely shiny…
"Ian. . ?"
Oh he's starting to punctuate every word now. I suck in my left cheek, making the dimple stand out properly. I instantly know I shouldn't have done it. Ever since I was little it has been my tell for whenever I've done something bad or wrong….and he knows it.
"Didn't want to do this," he sighs and rubs a hand from his cheek down to his chin, "Ian Stuart Tyler-McCrimmon, what in Rassilon's name did you do in school?"
" 'sexambecauseIfinishedearlyandshewouldn'tletmego." I breath out in a rush.
"Woah ho ho! You might want to slow down just a tad," he says with a hearty laugh.
Hanging my head in embarrassment, I say it again,
"I re-wired my laptop during the exam in Mrs. Jensen's class because I was finished with it within the first twenty minutes and she didn't believe me and made me sit there like an idiot for the rest of the time. I got bored so I carefully pulled apart the computer, gutted it, and then put it back together so it would function much more easily as well as faster."
I'm waiting for his disappointed reaction like the one I got from mum, but he just stares at me flabbergasted before breaking out into maniacal laughter.
With a careful stare I make sure he hasn't gone off his rocker.
"Oh you are indeed my boy!" he exclaims with breathless laughter, his eyes shining with amusement and joy.
Now it's my turn to be stunned, "but...But...What!?" I stammer.
"I don't know if your mother ever told you this, but I used to do that all the time,"
"Do what?" I ask, still in shock from his reaction.
"Pull things apart to make them more efficient," he grins, "used to do it all the time. That's how the toaster ended up only lightly toasting the bread."
"You're the one who did that to the toaster?!" I gape at him before bursting into a fit of giggles, "was that how you liked your toast, yeah?"
He looks at me with mock surprise, "How'd you know! I hate extremely crunchy bread, but also when it's too soft. SO, I rewired a few bits in the toaster to make it toast bread to be slightly crunchy but at the same time warm enough to melt butter." He smiles at me.
"So how did Mrs. Jensen react when she found out?"
"Oh she had a right fit in the middle of the room, she was yellin' 'how on Earth did you manage to do that to the computer', 'this is vandalism young man', 'just wait until I call Headmaster Robinson down here!' etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."
He snorts.
"What?" I look over at him curiously.
Raising an eyebrow, he gives me a smirk, "She really sound like that Ian?"
"Um," I stammer, heat creeping up my ears, "No?"
"Uh-huh," he teases.
The sun has started to shift further down. I look down at my watch: 4:51PM.
"How much time we have left Ian?" he questions quietly.
"About 24 minutes." I respond.
I slump a bit on the bench, while my dad glances out past the oak tree to some scarlet and orange leaves twirling in the breeze. I set the alarm on my watch to ring in about 15 minutes to give us enough warning. He seems so comfortable and at ease; no worries line his eyes like they used to.
"How's your Gran been?"
I laugh lightly, "She's been brooding because Tony's leavin' soon to Uni. Tony's over the moon and so is Grampa Pete, but Gran is all frowny-" he snorts, "about him leavin'," I finish.
"That's right he is leaving soon, isn't he? What's he going to the University for?" he asks keenly.
"Wants to become a lawyer, so he's said. He's talking about helping Grampa Pete with Torchwood when he retires."
Another moment of silence lapses,
"Dad?"
"Hmmm?" he glances over at me, full attention directed at whatever I'm about to say.
"When did you know you loved mum?" I'm hoping to lead this somewhere, but want to know his response first.
He doesn't even take a moment to think,
"When I grabbed her hand in that little shop, her surrounded by window shop dummies, and I whispered to her run. We never stopped running together…until, well, you know."
"Why did you want to know?" he asks me curiously.
Tugging nervously on my earlobe, I glance sheepishly up at his face. His freckles give him a boyish look, but the wrinkles around his eyes betray his true age.
"There's a…girl. I like her a lot, and whenever I'm around her she makes my knees go weak,"
Dad grins at this. He shakes his head and chuckles; he tilts his head back to gaze at the lazily rolling white clouds.
"Oh Ian. What's her name?"
"Kaitlyn, she's here as an exchange student from the States."
"Oooh, all the way out there?" he teases, "What part?"
"The east coast; says she's from Vermont." I say with a sigh.
"Sounds like you've got a crush," he sing-songs.
I punch his arm gently, "Just give me some advice," I take a moment to think, "Please?"
"Well," he drawls, "Is any other bloke showing interest?"
"Well, yeah."
"Are you showing interest?" he smirks at me.
"Yes. Well, no! Not in that way, I'm more of a….mate right now?" I'm stumbling over my words.
"Then just be there for her the best yo-" My watch alarm cuts him off.
This is the moment I always dread, having to get up and walk away from him for another three months.
We stand up slowly in unison, the nice autumnal sun finally starting to dip lower and lower in the sky, just beginning to dust the sky with a pale pink. He turns to me with a sad smile on his face; he hates this part as much as I do.
"You'll know what to do Ian, and if not it'll come to you in time." He says quietly.
I just nod, knowing the tears want to rise up to the surface right now.
"Why can't you just come back?" I ask shakily, sounding a bit like a petulant child.
He takes my face gently in his hands, "You know why Ian."
"What about Mum?" my voice chokes a bit as I wrap my fingers around his wrists. I'm shaking.
He shakes his head somberly, "You mustn't ever tell her Ian. Maybe someday in the future, but not now. She can't know yet."
I only nod my head in his hands. I'm trying so hard not to cry; I don't want to be like a 4 year old child on their first day of nursery school, tears in their eyes as their parents walk away.
He pats my cheek as a tear rolls down, "it's fine Ian; never let your emotions stay wrapped up within you. It's okay Ian." His voice is smooth and comforting.
I just nod once more tears streaming down my cheeks. My head finds its way to his shoulder just like I used to do when I was younger, taking in his scent of spice and well-worn books. Even now it feels like a security blanket. He wraps his arms around me in a comforting hug, tucking my head under his chin in a slightly protective gesture. His hand is smoothing down the back of my hair as I weep silently into his shoulder. After a moment I know I have to pull away from the familiar warmth I've missed for the past couple of years. I never knew how much I loved his hugs until he wasn't with me and mum anymore.
I pull back and he rubs away the tears in my eyes in his comforting fatherly manner.
"Feel better?" he asks.
"Yeah, 'm feeling a little better," my voice sounds weak and odd to my own ears.
His face lights up with a warm smile, "Good,"
Taking my hat from my hands, he acts like he's about to place it on, but instead just rubs out my rebellious hair making it even more rebellious.
I let out a watery laugh before snatching my hat back, "Thanks."
"You're very welcome," his eyes are laughing even as he tries to keep his serious demeanor.
He gives me a slight head nod, "Well, see you next time. If anything comes up that you want to talk about before than just make a note of it."
"Okay, bye Dad," I say with a small smile.
Giving a quick wave of his hand he starts to walk away, "Bye Ian,"
Just before I start walking down the path he turns around and walking backwards he calls out,
"Oh and Ian! If this Kaitlyn truly does make you feel that way, make a promise to yourself that you will always be there for her."
I smile at his tidbit of advice and with a wink he turns around before continuing down the gravel path once more.
Walking back down the path, gravel crunching under my shoes once more, I notice the colors painted among the trees and smile to myself.
They all seem just that bit more vibrant.
SO! I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a comment or review and let me know how you liked the first chapter!