Chapter One; The Big Move

Hey everyone! Welcome to my very first short of The Next Doctor series! As you may already know these are called shorts which means they'll each be ten chapters or less. So I hope you enjoy them and please don't forget to leave any kind of review in the comment section except please no flamers. I promise that I'll try to update as often as I can.

Today had been the biggest day of my life since Cassie had been born. Everybody was busy hurrying around the apartment and packing everything up because of the fact that today we were moving into Mickey and Martha's house. They were originally going to move in here, but Mickey decided that we would all have a lot more space if we moved in with them. Martha was a doctor (a real doctor) and Mickey was studying to become one.

This is the first time that my children and I would be living in a house since I couldn't afford to pay the mortgage before. That's why Jackie helped pay our rent and after she died Amber pitched in. I felt really bad for my son Peter. He didn't want to show it but I knew that he was full of emotions. First he lost his mother, and now he would have to say goodbye to one of his greatest friends.

Of course we weren't moving that far away, but he had got used to seeing Maggie every day and now he wouldn't be able to do that anymore. I allowed him some extra time to say goodbye to her properly while the girls and I continued to pack. I walked over to the bed and looked up at my wedding picture just as Shadow had jumped up onto it and placed his paws up on top of the headboard and rested his head on top of it and whimpered while he glanced up at the picture.

"You really miss her too don't you?" I questioned him. "I can't say I really blame you, after all,.. she's the one who found you when you were a puppy." I told him as I pulled the picture down from the wall. "It's alright boy, even though it'll take some getting used to, we'll get through it." I said although I secretly doubted myself even after I had said it. As I placed the picture down inside the box I picked up my sonic screwdriver and turned it on.

"Wow, this thing has seen better days." I said to myself as I turned it off and set it back down. Then I looked over at the pink sparkly tube that rested beside it and picked it up and looked at it while I held it inside my fingers and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Daddy," Cassie said from behind me as I gave out a loud gasp and accidentally dropped it back inside the box.

"Oh Cassie, you scared me." I told her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm all packed." She said.

"Good, that's good." I told her. "How's Jane doing?" I asked her.

"She's still packing, I don't think she's too happy about it though." She told me.

"Alright, I'll go check on her." I said before I left the bedroom and went to go knock on her door. "Jane, it's your dad can I come in for a second?" I questioned her.

"Yes." She answered inside a small voice and so I turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open. I looked up at the mirror that still stood upon her bedroom dresser glistening back at me. I secretly hoped and prayed that Rose was still somewhere inside it and that I would be able to see her again someday. Just as I was about to close my eyes and wish that she was I heard a small sniff and snapped back to reality.

I turned my head to look over at my eldest daughter who was busy packing her clothes snug inside her tiny pink suitcase. "Jane, are you alright?" I asked her out of concern.

"Yes Daddy, I'm fine." She answered which sort of took me for surprise since she hadn't called me that since she was about Cassie's age.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" I asked her.

"No, just leave me alone!" she snapped with another loud sniff while she wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Listen sweetheart, you've had a lot happen to you within the past few weeks. I realize that. So it's alright if you're feeling a little upset and scared." I told her.

"Why would I feel scared?" she asked as she looked up at me.

"Well because you're moving away from your friends into a new neighborhood where you won't know anybody and you're going to have to make a huge adjustment to that. Not to mention you're probably worried that we're not going to be a happy family anymore since your mother died." I told her.

"Wow, and I thought that I was the only one who could read minds." She said.

"Well I just want you to know that that's not true. You have so many people who love you and want the best for you. Peter, Cassie, Uncle Mickey, Aunt Martha and I are only just a few of them." I told her. "Besides I know for a fact that if your mother was here right now that she'd also agree with me." I added.

"I know, I just really wish that she was." She told me with another sniff as I squatted down and held my arms wide open.

"I know, come here." I told her as she ran over to me and embraced me tightly. "I wish she was too sweetheart." I whispered with a sniff before I placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

Meanwhile my son had just finished his stroll back to the apartment with Maggie hand in hand. "Thanks Peter, I'm glad that we were able to have one last walk to the beach." Maggie said. "I just wish that you didn't have to leave. I'm going to miss you." She told him.

"I know, but I'm not moving that far away. I'm just going around the corner." He told her.

"Listen, I know I already told you this a hundred times before but I'm really sorry about your mum." She told him.

"Thanks." He said.

"I mean even though I don't remember my father too much except for the stories that I've heard about him and the pictures I've seen, I still miss him and I know what it feels like to lose somebody that you love. I mean I imagine that whether or not you're an alien or a human it feels the same way." She said.

"Yeah, it does." He began. "But in all honesty I think my dad's the one who's having the hardest time with it. That's why I don't want to let it bother me too much. I don't want him to feel any worse about it than he already does." He explained. "Well I better get going," he began as he heaved a heavy sad sigh before planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you around Maggie." He told her before he walked away.