A/N: Another little lighthearted fanfic that is part of my Something Old, Something New series. This one takes place three years after they've found Tara when she's fifteen years old.
"Okay, everyone know how to play truth or dare now?" Tara said to her friends.
She and the other female children were sitting on a blanket beside her house on Nova. They had been talking and Tara came up with the idea of playing truth or dare. Besides her, there was Amelia, Opal, Dorothy, Bala, Angel and Elizabeth.
"So if we say truth, we have to tell you something," Elizabeth said.
"Yes, you have to answer the question and answer truthfully and if you answer dare, you have to do whatever we say no matter what it is," Tara answered. "Okay, so I'll start to my right then. Okay, Elizabeth, truth or dare?"
The seven year old girl frowned.
"Um...truth," she said.
"Have you ever stolen anything before?" Tara asked.
"Um...no," Elizabeth said, shaking her head."But Angel stole one of Uncle Doctor's yo-yos though."
"I did not!" her four year old sister protested. "I was playing with it and put it back. You shut up, Lizzy!"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"So it's my turn, is it?" she said.
"Yes," Tara said.
Elizabeth looked at Opal.
"Truth or dare?" she asked Opal.
"Um...dare."
Elizabeth thought for a moment and then an evil grin spred over her face.
"Okay, I dare you to..."
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Jack lounged on the sofa beside his husband while they watched Sports Night Tonight on the television.
"Today's football match was intense," the blonde sportscaster was saying as he sat behind a desk. "Pablo Ongara led his team to victory against the Reigel Seven Sorcerors by scoring seven field goals all by himself. Here with the interview is Jack Jones. Jack?"
"Thank you, Flarn," Jack said as the scene switched to a soccer stadium.
Flarn was standing beside a man who was about four feet tall while Flarn was six foot two. Flarn looked down at him.
"Pablo, tell us how you managed to score seven field goals even though you're just a tiny thing," he said to as he lowered the microphone down to him.
"Well, Flarn..."
Jack looked over at the front door when he heard someone knocking.
"Be back in a sec, Yan," he said, getting up.
He opened the door and smiled at Opal.
"Hi, Opal, what's going on..."
He trailed off when Opal jumped up, spun around, bent over and began to slap her buttcheeks repeatedly while she chanted "Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo!" in time to the slapping. Jack stared at her in silence and then watched her run off, giggling insanely.
"Ooookay, I think that child's been around Alan too long," he said as he closed the door.
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The children all laughed as Bala ran back to the blanket. She had just run down to the road and screamed "HOWDY!" at the top of her lungs before running back to the others.
"Okay, my turn," Tara said, looking at Bala.
"Okay, truth or dare?" Bala asked her.
"Um...dare!"
Bala giggled.
"I dare you to go inside and go up to the Doctor and act like your mommy does when she gets really romantic with him!"
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The Doctor whistled to himself as he sat on the sofa. He was reading the latest copy of Quantum Physics Journal and he was currently doing the monthly crossword puzzle in his head. As he worked the puzzle, he was vaguely aware of the front door opening and closing. His eyes flicked up and he smiled when Tara came up to him.
"Hello, Star, enjoying your time with your friends?" he said.
"Yes...I am..."
The Doctor frowned when Tara took the magazine out of his hands and set it aside.
"Um...Star, I was working a puzzle in that just then," he said.
His eyes bulged out when Tara suddenly flung herself onto his lap.
"Oh my love, who cares about silly puzzles when you have me!" she said in a breathy voice.
The Doctor stared at her in shock. He glanced down and noticed Tara was running her fingernails over his shirt repeatedly like a cat clawing a scratching post. He looked into his daughter's eyes.
"Um...Tara, are you feeling alright?"
He grunted when Tara slammed her head into his shoulder and gave him a doe eyed look.
"I feel alright whenever I'm at your side, my love!" she said in a breathy voice.
The Doctor eyed her, not sure how to answer that. He noticed movement coming from the window and turned his head. He saw the rest of the girls standing there watching them intently. Tara put her hand up to his cheek and turned his face back to hers.
"Kiss me, my darling!" she said breathlessly.
"Tara, are you on drugs and I'm just now finding it out?" he said.
He was alarmed when Tara grabbed hold of his tousled hair and kissed him firmly on the lips. He jerked his head back.
"Tara, stop it. This isn't the way for you to act around me," he said angrily.
"But, don't you love me?"
"Yes, Tara, I love you very much but you're my daughter not some tart in a Harlequin Romance novel," he said.
"But..." she said, using him as a scratching post again, "we were made for each other, my darling!"
"Tara, what are you doing?" Rain said, coming out of the kitchen.
"She's acting weird is what she's doing and apparently her friends are enjoying it," the Doctor said, gesturing to the girls who were giggling outside.
Rain glanced at them and saw them waving to her. She waved back and bent over to Tara.
"Baby, what's going on?"
Tara looked from one to the other.
"Um...we're playing truth or dare?" she said hesitantly.
"You're playing what?" the Doctor said, confused.
He looked up at Rain who was giggling at that.
"Love, what's truth or dare?" he asked.
"Oh, it's this game children play. You ask someone truth or dare and if they answer truth, you ask them a question and they have to answer it truthfully, no matter what it is, and if they answer dare, they have to do whatever you tell them to do."
"What if you don't?" the Doctor said.
"Then you're out of the game and the last person wins," Rain said.
"I see..." the Doctor said. "So...I'm assuming this is a dare then, Star?"
"Yes," Tara answered.
"And what is it they are daring you to do?" the Doctor asked.
"Um...they told me to come in here and act like Mommy does when she gets romantic with you," Tara said hesitantly.
The Doctor stared at her as she let out a nervous giggle.
"Latara," the Doctor said, looking at Rain.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever done this to me before?"
He did the scratching post movement down her chest.
"Because," he said as he did it,"apparently our daughter is under the impression you do that to me along with speaking to me as if you have severe asthma and need oxygen. Not to mention speaking to me like we're in some cheesy, trashy romance novel."
Tara giggled and grabbed hold of his tousle.
"My darling, you are my life. I would die without you! You make me feel like a woman!" she said breathlessly.
Rain bent over laughing as the Doctor shook his head. Outside, the children giggled insanely as Rain kissed her father's cheek and sprinted towards the door. Both the Doctor and Rain watched as Tara high-fived her friends when she was back outside and they went back around the house.
"I've been enlisted into a children's party game without my permission," the Doctor said to Rain.
"Could be worse, Dear. They could have a slumber party and give you makeovers for fun."
The Doctor seized his wife's arms.
"If it comes to that, shoot me and put me out of my misery," he said while she laughed.
Rain gave him a kiss.
"I'm fixing you and the kids some tacos right now," she said.
The Doctor opened his mouth and made a gargling noise.
"What was that?" Rain said.
"Just showing you I'm salivating at the thought of tacos."
"You like my tacos, do you?" she said, doing the scratching post on his chest.
"Mmm-hmm, I like it even more when you shred my shirt to bits like you're doing right now."
Rain leaned in to his face.
"I'm making them with hamburger meat."
"Mmm, my favorite," the Doctor said in a breathy voice as she giggled.
Rain leaned in closer.
"Want me to make you some...enchiladas too?" she said breathlessly.
"Ooooh, Rain, say that again."
"En...chi...laaaaaaada!" she said, slowly and seductively, in a deep throaty voice.
She laughed when the Doctor threw his head back and breathed heavily. He quickly composed himself when they heard the door open. They watched while Dorothy walked over to them.
"Hello, Dot," the Doctor said.
They watched while Dorothy turned around, sat down on his leg directly behind his knee and pretended to ride his leg like a horse.
"Giddy-yap, ya rented mule!" Dorothy said as she bobbed up and down.
The Doctor glanced at Rain who was bent over in silent laughter. He looked over her shoulder and noticed the children were back at the window again.
"So...who exactly is winning this truth or dare game, Dot?" he asked her.
"Shhhh, you don't talk, mule, you work!" Dorothy said, smacking the side of his leg.
The Doctor began to move his leg up and down as Dorothy rode him.
"Hee-haw, hee-haaaaaaaaw!" he brayed as Rain laughed harder.
"That's it, Mule, you work hard or I'll shoot you!"
The Doctor looked at Rain.
"All children play this?" he said to her.
"Um, alot of them do."
"Well, thank God we didn't have this naff game in the nursery," the Doctor said.
Dorothy leapt off his leg and sprinted towards the door.
"I'm officially taking myself out of this game, cheers!" he called to her as she opened the door and went outside."Be sure to tell...Oi! Don't slam the door, young lady, you know better than that!"
They watched as Dorothy met up with the others at the window and they went back around the house.
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"Okay, truth or dare," Opal asked Amelia.
"Truth."
"Have you ever made out with a boy?" Opal asked.
Amelia was about to answer when they heard whistling and saw the Doctor coming around the corner of the house. He was carrying a paper plate with two tacos on it. He walked over to Tara and sat down beside her.
"Tacos!" Tara said as she and Dorothy got up and sprinted around the corner.
"Some in there for everyone if you want a go at em," the Doctor said to the rest.
Everyone got up and ran inside while the Doctor ate his and savored the flavor. By the time the rest of the children were back at the blanket, he was done and licking the burger grease off his fingers.
"You shoulda waited if you're gonna eat with us, Daddy," Tara said as they sat down with their plates and glasses of soda.
"Nah, I'm not out here to eat with you. I wanna listen to your game," he said.
He stared down at his empty plate.
"Second thought, I do want more. Excuuuuuuuuuuse me!"
The children giggled as he leapt back up.
"Don't start back up without meeeeeeee!" he called as he ran around the corner.
Five minutes later, he came back around the corner with Alan following behind him. Both had two tacos and a glass of Coke.
"Uncle Alan, you're back," Tara said.
"Yup, got home just in time for some de-licious tacos," he said, sitting down beside the Doctor on the blanket. "So...Brother's explained this little game of yours, so carry on while I make a scientific study of children's game playing habits."
Both brothers ate their tacos with gusto while the others got settled again.
"Okay, um...anyway, have you ever made out with a boy?" Opal asked Amelia.
Amelia opened her mouth and then noticed that both the Doctor and Alan were leaning in, staring at her intently.
"Well, have you?" Alan asked while the girls giggled.
"Um...no, but Pa did take us to the department store three weeks ago and there was this hot guy I wanted to kiss," Amelia said.
She glanced at the Doctor and Alan who were both chewing their tacos while they kept their eyes focused directly on her.
"Was he dreamy?" Alan said when he swallowed.
"Yeah, he was cute but I think he was in his twenties."
"Did you run to him and claw his chest like a lion looking for meat?" the Doctor said to her.
They giggled at that.
"No," Amelia said.
"No? I thought all women used men for scratching posts if they liked them," the Doctor said to her. "At least that's what my daughter seems to think grown women do."
"So did you find out this bloke's name?" Alan said to her.
"Yeah, you gonna ring him and propose marriage?" the Doctor added.
"No, because I didn't say anything to him, Papaw," Amelia said.
"Well, you shoulda! I mean you're fourteen now, yeah? Time to start thinking of marriage!"
"Yeah, you're gettin' to be an old maid," Alan added. "We need to get ya hitched and get ya ditched so we can find someone to replace you."
Amelia looked around and then flipped him off while the girls giggled.
"Call me crazy but did you just use a rude hand gesture on me in front of other children?" the Doctor said.
"Yeah, but I've done worse than that before," Amelia said, shrugging.
"Truth or dare!" the Doctor said to her.
Amelia hesitated.
"Dare?" she said.
"I dare you to tell me what you've done that's worse than the rude hand gesture," the Doctor said.
Amelia stared at him.
"Come on, you gotta tell me or you're out of the game. That's the rules, right?" the Doctor said.
Amelia glanced around at everyone and coughed nervously.
"Um, one time I was out playing with everyone in Serena's treehouse and drank alot of Coke while we were there and Pa wanted me to come home right away so he could take me shopping so I ran but my bladder was about to burst and I couldn't hold it in any longer so I kinda...watered Jackie's plants by her back fence.
Alan snickered while the Doctor bit his lip.
"Really? You urinated on Jackie Tyler's prized marigolds, did ya?" the Doctor said.
"Um...ye-ah?" Amelia said while the other girls giggled.
"Truth or dare!" Alan said to Amelia.
"Um...truth?"
"Nah, too boring, I choose dare for ya. I dare you to go over there right now, ring the doorbell and confess to Jackie that you peed on her plants," Alan said.
"I said truth though," Amelia said.
"And I said that was too boring. We already got the truth outta ya. Time to take a dare and see if Jackie will blister your bootie for watering her marigolds."
"She loves those marigolds more than life itself, you know," the Doctor said. "She entered them in several contests. She told me so."
"And I'm sure the last thing she wants is urine stains on her prize-winning plants," Alan added.
"Actually, she's never won anything," the Doctor said to Alan.
"She hasn't?"
"Nope."
Alan sniggered for four seconds and then gave Amelia a stern look.
"Go! You gotta do what we say or lose the game!" Alan said, wagging his finger at her.
"Well, bye guys, thanks for the tacos!" Amelia said, getting up.
"Chicken!" Alan yelled as Amelia ran off laughing.
"Truth or dare!" Dorothy said to Alan.
"Um...dare!" he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Um...I dare you...to...go kiss Jack on the lips, nice and big!" Dorothy said.
"Oh ho ho, Jacky boy'll love that," the Doctor said.
"Hmm, dare I and make Ianto so mad he beats him for a fortnight straight?" Alan mused.
He glanced at the Doctor.
"Go on, mate, you know you want to," he said to Alan.
They laughed when Alan put down his plate and leapt up.
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"So," Jack said to Ianto when Sports Night Tonight was over with, "movie now?"
"Here or out there?" Ianto asked.
Jack thought it over and grinned.
"How 'bout a nice romantic night with dinner and a movie? My treat," he said to him.
Ianto smiled and nodded and Jack kissed his lips. They heard a knock on the door.
"In a minute!" Jack yelled.
Martha came out of her bedroom.
"I'll get it, Jack," she said to him.
Martha opened the door and smiled when she saw Alan standing there. A little ways behind him stood the Doctor and the children.
"Oh hey, Alan, how ya doin'?" Martha said.
"Just peachy keen, Martha, my dear. Is Jack available?"
"Jack, you're wanted," Martha said to him.
"Coming," Jack said, getting up from the sofa.
He walked up to the door.
"Yea..."
He was cut off when Alan lunged forward, grabbed him and kissed him hard on the mouth.
"Bye, Martha!" Alan said when he finished and everyone ran off laughing back to the house.
Jack stood there in a stunned silence with Martha while they watched them all run as fast as they could back to the house, laughing like a bunch of maniacs.
"Martha," Jack said.
"Yeah, Jack?"
"Remind me again just why I agreed to join this nutty family?" he said as he closed the door.
THE END.