Disclaimer: you know the drill.
Author's Note: So, another short one. I'm working on a longer story but no more on that until its finished.
Enjoy!
"Phoenix. Phoenix Tyler. How's that for a special name? Eh?"
He looked down at the baby, wriggling in his arms. This child was a miracle, rising from the flames of hell itself. Well, planet hell. More or less. At any rate he deserved a decent name and there was no one else around to give it one.
Around him the TARDIS hummed. Outside, the craziness the pair had just escaped was kept at bay by the thick blue doors. The solitude of this place was now a pleasantry compared with the chaos he had left behind. There was just him and the Tardis and this baby. In spite of its mother's fate, this newborn child gazed up at him wide eyed and alert, captivating The Doctor.
"Aren't you a wee mister, eh?" The Doctor grinned.
The baby blinked a couple of times. Then its face scrunched up. The Doctor realised his hands were covered in goo, because the baby was covered in goo, because he had just been born and his unfortunate mother had barely survived long enough to put her son to the breast for his first real feed before she'd passed away from complications. He could have saved her, he thought. He should have. The Doctor shook his head. They were out of time, the woman knew she was dead. She had given her baby to the man who had helped deliver it, strangers though they were. Such trust, he thought. No other option, his mind poked him. It was either that or leave her baby to the death squads. The squads now battering at the blue Tardis door. There had been no time to save her. He knew this. That fact, however true it might be, did little to soothe his conscience. This world was lost to him now. This was one battle he had not won, one war he was not ready to fight. Not alone, not now.
The baby wailed. Who knew a thing this size could make a noise loud enough to wake the dead? He knew everyone said human children were this noisy, but Time Lord babies were so strongly telepathic they'd have you dreaming of breastfeeding (weird and generally to be avoided) or doodling pictures of clean nappies if you didn't change them at once. Apparently human children preferred wailing.
Right! Wailing! He looked at the baby then at the banging door. Baby, door. Wailing baby, dodgy door. The door got it, by a nose. Well, by both their noses. It hurt when those death guys tried to tear your brain out through your nose. Not a pleasant way to die.
"I hope you realise," he told the boy, holding up a gooey hand, "That the console is an absolute nightmare to clean." He looked at the child, ripped off his blue suit jacket and wrapped up the child, holding him firmly in one arm. "I never liked that jacket anyway, but one handed it tricky to steer this thing so you have to hold on." He told the child sincerely. "Okay, here we go!"
The Doctor pulled a leaver and off they went.
Once the Tardis was safely surfing the vortex The Doctor stepped away from the console and frowned at the bloody hand prints all over its leavers and buttons.
"That's your fault, I hope you realise that. I don't care if you're only a baby, as soon as you're old enough your first chore will be the daily cleaning of that console, whether it needs it or not."
Still the baby wailed.
"Okay, okay! Enough already! I'll give you bath."
The Doctor gave the boy a bath in his en-suite sink. He made sure it was luke-warm, remembering something Rose had said once. The Doctor knew she wouldn't mind him borrowing her surname. It was a bit of her in this baby: a name to live up to and a tough name to live up to at that. Besides, the boy was human – he needed a proper human name. Even Susan had been older than this when he'd first looked after her. Once The Doctor had washed the boy, not to mention his own hands, he wrapped the baby in a blanket. He was discontent but not wailing. This was a good sign.
"So, fancy some food?" The Doctor left his room and started to wander towards the kitchen. "I'm afraid I'm all out of breasts. And cows. I do have a horse called Arthur but he's a he so he's not much good at making milk. Neither am I, incidentally. Oh look, the wardrobe room." It had shifted itself apparently. He didn't usually pass it on the way to the kitchen but it was here so he might as well have a quick peek around.
"I don't think I've got anything small enough for you. Even Susan's clothes won't fit but maybe I could be creative, throw something together for you, eh? Oh wait a minute. Nappies!"
Phoenix was gurning again.
"I know little guy but we can't do anything without them. I know I've got some somewhere." He put Phoenix down to root around behind some stuff.
"Yes! Here we are. I knew I had some around here just you case, you know. Great fire retardants these are. If you ever need any small things saved from fire, wrap them in one of these." The Doctor shook the pack of nappies to show the boy. "Clean though, obviously." He added after a pause. "Oh look, one of those strappy things! See, now I can carry you around with me!"
The Doctor unwrapped the boy from the blanket and put on a nappy there and then just in case. Since it was there he put the carrier on himself and slipped the baby in. He patted the boy where he sat against his chest.
"That's it, drool all over my tie why don't you? Oh, you're hungry!" The Doctor realised. He picked up the nappies and headed for the kitchen.
"I'd simulate you some breast milk, cause I made a simulator for Rose to make chocolate with, but I'm not exactly sure what's in breast milk so that would be difficult and I'm not feeding you chocolate cause even if you would eat it Jackie would have my hide if she was around to see me do it."
He looked down at the baby's expectant face. Did the boy know there was nothing edible in the fridge?
"You're like her, aren't you? Shopping."
The baby stared at him.
"Fine! I'll take you shopping. Food, clothes the lot. Okay? But you'd better appreciate this! I don't go shopping with just anyone."
Five minutes later they were in Mother Care getting lots of frowns from caring mothers and devoted fathers who clearly disapproved of this man bringing a newborn out in only a blanket without so much as a hat to keep its head warm, even if the child did appear to be sleeping. Self-conscious The Doctor was not, but mothers were probably best avoided if he didn't want too many awkward questions asked. Several sets of baby clothes later they made a stop at Boots for formula, bottles etc. and extra nappies. He felt like a walking shopping trolley by the time he got to the TARDIS. How could a person this small possibly need this much stuff? Still, once back in the TARDIS The Doctor put his boy in pyjamas, fed him and put him down in his own bed. Lying in the centre of the big double bed, and tucked in tight, he would have to do an amazing escapee job to get out of there considering he couldn't crawl, walk, or teleport yet.
Phoenix Tyler looked up at the only man that he knew and blinked.
"So, Phoenix or Tyler? What should I call you? I've not decided yet but if there's one that you prefer...?"
The boy blinked a couple of times and smiled. Sort of.
"Was that a smile?" The Doctor grinned. The boy blinked, and yawned. "I'm starting to like you, little man." The Doctor sat down on the edge of the bed. "What do you think of the stars on the ceiling? I put them there for Rose. She loved stars but you can't see them where she grew up so I put them up here for her to learn them. I stole the stars from the sky – cause lets face it, they were hiding anyway, and I imprisoned them on my ceiling."
They baby starting to mumble discontentedly.
"Well, not really!" The Doctor claimed, affronted. "Do you honestly think I'd do such an evil thing as imprison the stars? I painted them, okay? And frankly I thought better of you!" The boy's face scrunched up. "Oh look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." The Doctor made soothing petting motions over the baby's head with his hand. "Oh you like that, do you? I bet you're just playing with me, eh? You just like having someone around, I think. Sort of like me I suppose. I like having people around, but I'm sorry to tell you this place hasn't been much fun since Rose got stranded. I'm not very good company. Then again you don't have much choice in the matter. Sorry, I'm being rude again, aren't I?"
The baby yawned.
"The bedtime stories I'll have to work on but I tell you what, I'll sing you a lullaby. What are you looking at me like that for? I can sing!" The Doctor cleared his throat and began to sing in a soft tenor voice:
Down by the sally gardens my love and I did meet
She passed the sally gardens with little snow white feet
She bid me to take love easy as the leaves grow on the tree
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand
And on a leaning shoulder she laid her snow white hand
She bid me to take life easy as the grass grows on the weir
But I was young and foolish and now I am full of tears.
Down by the sally gardens my love and I did meet
She passed the sally gardens with little snow white feet
She bid me to take love easy as the leaves grow on the trees
But I being young and foolish with her would not agree.
He looked down at the sleeping boy.
"You know son, just cause they're gone, it doesn't mean we have to stop loving them. Remember that. Its not age that makes us young and foolish, its love. Sort of like my keeping you."
The Doctor kissed his adopted son, and dimmed down the night.
"Goodnight, sweet prince." He said and left the room, trusting the heart of his Tardis to keep his boy safe.
Author's Note: Just a couple of things. Firstly, what I know about Susan is mostly hear-say because I haven't seen the original Doctor Who so I apologise for any inaccuracies. And just to clear up any confusion, the boy's mother was not Rose, she was just a random woman on a random planet he met and tried to help.
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