A/N: *rises up like Mushu* I LIIIIIIIVE!
Hey yoooooooo guess who's back with a little something-something?! A lot of stuff has happened since the last time I posted anything, mostly me losing a lot of free time and inspirations to write fics. But I got a sudden burst and started working on a wip that I had thought about while doing CTS, and lo and behold I finished it! I might be a bit rusty in deliverance, but I'm actually proud of myself for writing a fic for the first time in a while so here you go! If any of you are still sticking around, you deserve the biggest fan awards in the world :D
***Obviously this is set in the Stars Aligned series, so if you haven't read the previous stories this will include spoilers to events that took place leading up to this. TURN AWAY IF YOU AREN'T CAUGHT UP. The rough draft was originally gonna be CTS's epilouge, but I figured that was already long enough.
Also I'm planning on changing my username since I've grown tired of this branding name, so I'm gonna be regenerating at some point.
Anyway, enjoy!
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Time may have been relative on the TARDIS, but that didn't mean that Rose couldn't tell when it was too early for the day to start. And when it came to the hyperactivity of her husband, it didn't take 'superior time senses' to know it was the equivalent to being awake before dawn from Earth's perspective.
She wasn't sure what had woken her up from her deep slumber—or hibernation intervals as the Doctor would call them—but for a rarity she knew it wasn't from any tender gestures of affection like the feel of her husband's cool lips against her neck or gentle sensation of his presence slipping into her mind. Not even the annoying persistent act of having her covers snatched away from her clutches. But she wasn't opposed to waking up early all the time, not when it meant she would be warmly greeted with a pair of twinkling chocolate eyes and a touseled mop of dark hair.
This morning though, was a bit different. Opening her eyes, Rose noticed that she was occupying their bed alone. It wasn't surprising that the Doctor was already bouncing on his toes around the TARDIS, he never needed as much sleep as required by human—and technically nor did she with her advanced biology. But since they've been married for over three years he adjusted to newer habits of sleeping a little more often, mainly to cuddle and hold her in his arms a little longer. He may have been known as the Oncoming Storm, but he was also a big softie—the Oncoming Drizzle, as Rose had teased whenever he gave in to things involving her.
Considering it all though, the Doctor needed all the rest he could get just as much as her, what with their unborn child still on the way.
Rose was nearing twenty-five weeks into the pregnancy, which felt like no time at all since the road ahead was expected to be a lot longer than the average human female experience and she still showed no sign of a bump. Given how the Doctor estimated it would take around a year, possibly a little longer until their little Muppet would come into the universe, they knew it would be quite the journey they've never had previously. Things were always just a but unlikely when it came to their lives though, and they were both enjoying every moment of it so far. Until the Doctor was stuck over a toilet bowl with multiple rounds of morning sickness, and even then he knew it would always be worth it for the beginnings of their family of Time. Not every one of the bits in between involved trouble.
Instantly craving a cuppa, Rose made her way down the corridors to the galley. Upon arrival her eyes fell on the growing pile of dishes and pans in the sink—a contribution made courtesy by Jenny from her first attempts at trying to make banana bread and accidentally burning some of it—as well as the many bowls of bananas and tossed away peels. She chuckled quietly. The love of that fruit must've been genetic. Once the kettle went off, she poured herself a mug and left out two empty ones for her husband and daughter just in case.
She could feel through her bond that they weren't far, and sure enough the echoes of their voices came to her ears as she got closer to the console room. The technobabble was as clear as day by the sounds of it.
"So far, so good, my little prodigy," the Doctor said, a proud smile on his face as he maneuvered around the console with Jenny. "Haven't really used the reticular vector gauge in a long time. Centuries, nonetheless. Course, I never really had a reason to, used to know change the glass for it. It's pretty unnecessary, don't know why it's even a function. More like a decoration if you ask me—a bland decoration that doesn't pop."
"Then shouldn't we just get rid of it?" Jenny asked.
"Let's just leave that on the table for now, you never know if it comes into good use for something one day. Now then! Back to the more important controls." He pointed at one of the controls, his brow arched. "This right here is the magnitude adjuster, and what's its main purpose?"
"To adjust how much a coordinate plotter increments," their daughter replied, as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Brilliant! And the psycho-telemeter?"
"That tracks down the DNA strands of whatever item is being tested to find out its origins."
"Molto bene! Easy one here, and the last one for this lesson: the Chameleon Circuit?"
Jenny snorted. "C'mon Dad, everyone should know that's what makes the TARDIS blend in with its surroundings. I thought you were gonna make this more of a challenge."
"Well I don't wanna make it too hard on you," the Doctor replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "The Old Girl isn't always a smooth ride when you first operate Her, it takes long hours of concentration and days of intense studying. But all in all, She moves gracefully when there's a competent driver behind the controls."
"And that's why you're always causin' us to roll around like we're in a washing machine," Rose spoke up from the entrance, a teasing grin on her face as she came to sit on the captain's chair.
"Oi!" the Doctor cried indignantly, causing Jenny to giggle.
"And you tossed the manual into a black hole to boot. Really puts your abilities in perspective."
"You haven't been complaining about them lately though!"
She hummed. "True, you're improving so I'll give you that. Only takes a few centuries, as it turns out."
The Doctor placed a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "Rose Tyler, you wound me. I can't even form a response to that insult."
Rose chuckled quietly. Truthfully, he was being ten times as cautious with his driving skills ever since they discovered that they were expecting a child. She couldn't have been more content knowing how much he would do everything he could to ensure their family's safety. That was one of the many reasons why she loved him with all her heart. "Could be worse though," she said with a shrug. "You could try driving that scooter again."
He plopped down beside her, resting an arm behind her and the seat. "Ah, right, even I'll admit I wasn't very good at that."
"I can picture that failing," Jenny put in.
"Oh hush, I may be bad at some things, but your mother likes to be hyperbolic sometimes."
"You know that experience still haunts me to this day, yeah?" Rose joshed. "You'd think I'd be havin' nightmares of pepper pots and metalmen and werewolves, but the real thing that takes the cake is you driving that bloody scooter."
The Doctor tilted his head and studied her. "Seriously Rose? That's highly overdramatic, my skills can't be that bad."
"You call those skills? They must be microscopic cause I never saw them."
His brows raised in mock offense. "That's it, missy, you're gonna regret saying that."
He immediately went after her ribs with his fingers, tickling and poking her mercilessly in every spot he could reach. Rose shrieked with laughter, arms waving in between them to block his sneak attacks and legs kicking in the air. She brought them up under her in an attempt to throw him off, but the Doctor only doubled his efforts and leaned into her more. Jenny watched in amusement and joined their fits of giggling with her own. She even got involved by going after the Doctor's neck with her own poking, causing him to yelp in surprise and Rose to retaliate.
"No fair!" he fought out in breathless hysterics. "I'm at a disadvantage!"
"Us girls gotta stick together, and that goes double for mother and daughter," Rose retorted as she and Jenny continued their tickle teamwork against him.
About five minutes passed until the Doctor surrendered to his persistent wife and daughter in the impromptu tickle fight. He should've known better than to initiate something on that level and expect to be outnumbered in his own ship. If the TARDIS had a living body to roam around, She'd undoubtedly join in and not even the odds out in his favor either. He rolled on his back, half his body dangling off the jumpseat with his head rested in Rose's lap and his hands gripping his rippling stomach as he continued to roar with laughter, Rose and Jenny joining in. Things have been so peaceful with their life that he felt like he was flying every day, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.
"Told you I'm a rubbish Time Lord though," the Doctor began once the giggling died down. "Nearly crashing a scooter is one thing, but it's worse when I can't even properly fly a TARDIS." The aforementioned ship hummed, resembling a laugh on its own.
"Nobody's perfect, love," Rose said, trailing her fingers over his sideburn. "No matter how many times you crash land, I still love you for all your imperfections. Forever and always."
A happy sound escaped from him as he sat himself up and gave her a sweet lingering kiss to the lips. "Now that I've fought my battles for the day, whattaya say we hit the old randomiser and see where we end up?"
"Sounds good to me!" Rose said with a grin. She turned to Jenny. "Wanna give it a spin, sweetheart?"
The young girl beamed as she bounced around the console, a spitting image of her father with her movements, then flipped a lever and sent them off. The ride was a but turbulent with a few sparks flying, but the landing was smooth once they materialized.
"See? Ain't hard to land that way every time," Jenny teased, bumping into her father's arm.
He smirked and rolled his eyes playfully. "Like mother, like daughter. Let's have a look at where you landed us, pumpkin. Magic mystery tour awaits!"
Deciding to leave his trench coat on the coral strut, the Doctor made his way down the ramp with Rose and Jenny following close behind and opened the TARDIS doors. Instantly they were greeted with shade and what appeared to be rusted colored sand. Peeking his head out, he noticed they were parked underneath a boardwalk. In the distant horizon, they could see a triple sunlight glistening in shades of gold and orange and magenta and a vast ocean full of dimmed glowing specks, giving the water an added glistening shine.
"Oh, lovely!" he exclaimed. "We're on the third beach of Peribeoa Serenus! Aw, it's been a while since we've been here, I thought it was familiar."
"'S gorgeous," Rose breathed out, reaching for her husband's hand and threading their fingers together. "Didn't we visit this planet before a long time ago? I don't remember this end."
"Yeah, that was on the other side of that boardwalk," he replied, scratching his sideburn. "Never really got to check out the beaches. And I had a different face the last time we were here, these eyes haven't witnessed the sights around here."
"We haven't been to a beach in a little while, think the Old Girl had an inkling. But where are all the commuters?"
"Most likely on the other end of the boardwalk playing games or shopping or staying at campsites somewhere not too far away from here. Typically the beaches are closed once it starts getting dark, but the commuters have strict curfew laws for those who reside here."
"So we're trespassing."
"Weeeeeeeeeell...this one could be nearly abandoned, there doesn't seem to be any signs lining the area. We should be safe and not have to worry about getting caught."
"How many beaches does this planet have, Dad?" Jenny asked curiously, her eyes focused on the swirl of colors painting the sky.
"Six to coincide with every solstice on this side of the Arbisian gakaxy," the Doctor replied, licking his forefinger and thrusting it in the air. "This one happens to be in between the Earth equivalent of spring and summer, and good timing for us 'cause they make the sweetest banana smoothies known to beings this time of year!"
"No wonder we've been here before," Rose snorted. "Can't and won't ever get rid of that banana obsession."
He cleared his throat. "Admiration, Rose. Admiration is a totally different and non-radical description. Not only are the smoothies amazing, but there's something incredible about the oceans on this side of the galaxy. These beaches are populated with millions of beds of lingulodinium polyedrum—which in short would be a type of bioluminescent plankton. When something comes into contact with them, be it a wave or breeze or your hands, they glow as a reaction! Isn't that amazing?"
"So the water would look like a night sky full of stars?" Jenny inquired.
"Exactly! A metaphorical sea of stars!"
"Is it safe though?" Rose asked, studying the water. "Millions of plankton living in there is more than just a lot, it's an ecosystem."
"No worries, love, it's completely harmless," the Doctor assured as he strode towards the edge of the sand where small waves began to lap against the shoreline, a dim blue light emitting from the water. He knelt down and gently ran his hand through it, smiling widely as a trail of light illuminated the path he was creating. "Awww, lovely. Most residents are superstitious and believe them to be carnivorous creatures, but that's completely false. Thing about phytoplankton is that they're plants and use energy from the sunlight to convert nutrients. So you won't have any of these little ones nibbling on your toes."
Rose chuckled. "Well, that's good to know then."
Standing to his feet and dusting his knees off, the Doctor clapped his hands together. "Who's up for a quick swim? Maybe lay out and watch the sunset?"
"I like the sound of that," Jenny replied with a smile.
"Been a long time since we faced each other in a swim match," Rose mentioned, her tongue making its way between her teeth with a mischievous look on her face.
The Doctor caught on, a wicked grin tracing his own. He recalled the scene and transferred it into his wife's mind unabashedly. "Last I remembered I was clearly the winner."
"Right old cheater, you got your respiratory bypass to aid you all those times!" Rose proclaimed, lightly pushing him. "I'm still entitled to my rematch."
"Wasn't cheating, love, that's just fair advantages due to my physiology. Not my fault you couldn't keep up with me."
She playfully swatted his arm and he snickered. "You're so gonna regret that. Let's settle this right now. Loser buys all the banana smoothies for the three of us."
An inquisitive look crossed his face before he booped her nose. "Rose Tyler, I accept your challenge. But don't be upset when I win for the twelfth time in a row."
Rose scoffed. "Don't bet on it, you old git. You still owe me for all the other bets you lost."
So then the three of them hurried back into the TARDIS to change into more comfortable attire for swimming. If they were planning on initiating the swim war in the library's pool like most of the past rounds, it most likely would've been skinny dipping, but that was far too private to do on a public beach. For some reason, the Doctor felt a strange feeling tingle his mind. Even Rose felt a weird twitch in her gut out of the blue. Right away the thought and fear of trouble washed over, but the feeling immediately passed.
What trouble could possibly happen on a serene unoccupied beach?
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Emerging from the ship, the trio came out in their selected swimwear—the Doctor choosing a simple pair of dark brown pinstriped trunks, Rose with a two piece set that was TARDIS blue, and Jenny in a purple one piece suit. The triple suns were still looming and it was still pretty light outside, so they figured a quick swim would be nice before the sunset showed up.
Sure enough, the next chapter in the Doctor and Rose's water war began with the Time Lord impersonating a shark as he swam underwater and chased after his wife and daughter, causing them to burst into fits of laughter. They spent about an hour splashing water at each other—the Doctor and Jenny even holding a contest to see who can do the best cannonball—playing games and holding races, and of course the Doctor was on the front foot with his respiratory bypass. Jenny made herself the referee and declared the war was a stalemate, just to keep it fair and to leave her parents on the edge of anticipation for the next match in the future.
After they all dried off the Doctor threw on a fitted white t-shirt and his brown pinstriped trousers, also exiting with his wife and daughter's clothes draped over his arm. Once they were dressed, he thought it best to grab some of the sweetest banana smoothies before everything closed down. Not many people occupied the area, so the lines were fast. Much like he recalled, they were unbelievably sweet and savory that he bought nearly ten of them—ignoring another one of Rose's comments about his alleged banana addiction. Some of the game stands were still open, a few catching Jenny's eye. Like an excited kid she bounced over to them while her parents waited for her to return.
When she did, her arms were full of various prizes she had won—one being a small motorized scooter that made the Doctor and Rose burst into hysterics. Making their way back to the beach, the Doctor dashed into the TARDIS to retrieve some blankets for them to rest on while watching the sunset. The sky was already turning a deep magenta shade, the phytoplankton in the sea glowing more intensely with every lap of the waves against the shoreline. A cool breeze blew by, sending chills over Rose and Jenny's skin. The Doctor fetched his pinstriped jacket and slipped it on his wife while giving his Oxford to his daughter.
"This is nice an' cozy," Rose said dreamily, hugging the jacket close to her as she leaned into her husband's side. "Is it okay if we stay here for a while?"
"'Course we can," the Doctor answered, shifting himself to seat behind her with his arms encircling her middle. "We can head off to Earth and pay Donna a visit. If my senses and dates are correct—which they are, at least ninety-three point seven six percent of the time—her birthday is coming up."
"Ooh, can we get her some things?" Jenny asked. "There's plenty of shops around, what would she like? A fancy hat or necklace?"
Rose chuckled. "Dunno about the hat, but then again we did go to a 'planet of the hats' once. I think she'd appreciate any souvenir you bring her, sweetheart."
"I saw some nice ones at a craft store, and some bracelets. I can get a few real quick. Maybe even collect some seashells we walked past earlier."
"Brilliant idea," the Doctor said with a smile. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a credit stick, handing it to the young girl. "Be heedful and modest with your spendings, okay? And watch your surroundings."
"And no more smoothies for tonight," Rose added. "I think we had way too many for the day."
"What?" the Doctor quipped, incredulously.
"Yes, mum," Jenny said before heading for the boardwalk to the craft shop. "I won't be long!" she called back to them as they waved.
"They're perfectly safe for the baby if that was a concern, Rose," he was saying in a soft spoken tone. "Unless...they don't agree with your cravings. In which case, I'm sorry. Not being able to enjoy bananas would be a real inconvenience."
"No, 's not that. I just think you two had more than enough sugar for the day. You're already like Tigger, don't want you bouncing around and pouncing on people for their smoothies."
His brows furrowed and gently poked her side. "Oi, you know me well enough to know I'd never do such a thing."
She scrunched her nose and shrugged. "Anything's possible with you, love."
The Doctor rolled his eyes playfully and pressed a kiss to her temple, nuzzling the spot. "So does that make you my Pooh bear since you're soft and cuddly and always getting into trouble?"
"Oh god, if you start calling me that I won't hug or kiss you anymore. Among other things."
He paused. "Can't have any of that, I'll drop it and promise I'll behave." She inwardly chortled and pecked his cheek.
With his arms still loosely around her middle, he rested his hands on her abdomen and traced words of affection in his home script just above where their child was still growing. A tiny sensation tingled through their bond, like a guitar string being plucked and vibrating, causing both of them to smile.
"I'll never get tired of that," Rose whispered, threading their fingers together. "Think all the intake of bananas jolted them too."
"Good source of potassium," the Doctor replied. "All that tryptophan stimulates the serotonin production in both of your brains, its feeding off of the energy. Can't say the same for pears, those nasty evil things are the worst."
"You're just biased cause you hate them. What'll you do if I start craving them at some point?" She snorted when she felt him shudder.
"This might sound completely barmy, but I don't know if I would be able to snog you in that time period, Rose. That'd be such a crime for both of us."
"Doctor, I honestly don't even think me eating pears would keep you away."
He rested his chin on top of her head in thought. "That's true. Letting you have your way with me is the imminent fashion and I can't and won't ever complain about that. The things I'll go through for you, Rose Tyler, are endless because you're definitely worth fighting for."
Rose giggled. "My knight in shining armor."
She turned her head, catching his tender gaze before placing a palm on his cheek and bringing him down for a deep passionate kiss. The little one's mind was still developing, but was managing to respond to brief warm mental expressions of love and safety. Any exchange was enough to bring them comfort in knowing they created this miracle, and it was something for them to cherish.
But when another feeling pressed against the Doctor's mind, he realized it wasn't coming from his wife or daughter or unborn child. He froze and furrowed his brows, consternation washing over him along with an added uneasiness of what felt like a hard set of eyes burning into him from somewhere.
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Rose thought to him.
Breaking the kiss, the Doctor slowly turned his head around and tensed up when the sight of a certain individual caught his attention. His eyes widened. "Uh oh."
Before Rose could ask again, she gasped quietly when she followed his eyeline. On the boardwalk was a familiar man in a leather jacket, a look of shock and betrayal coloring his features as he watched them from atop. Her old Doctor, his ninth incarnation. His steel blue eyes were bulged and locked on them before he turned and fled.
"Blimey," the Doctor breathed out as he hopped to his feet, helping Rose up in the process. "Better take care of this quick."
"Sure he won't suffer a brain aneurysm when he sees what his future becomes?" she said, half jokingly as they began to chase after the younger Doctor.
"From what I remember about this moment so far, he wants to throttle me and toss me into the sea. What comes next remains to be seen."
If the waves of fury and outrage coming off of his ninth self were transmogrified into physical existence, he'd be drowning in a tsunami. It was obvious that his previous self had suppressed the memories of this incident, appropriately so since it would cause a paradox in his personal timeline, and with every moment all the emotions were flooding into his memory banks.
They went in different directions as they tried to find him through the crowd occupying the boardwalk, hoping one of them could get to him before he left without a trace. The Doctor was the one who caught up to him, noticing his younger self standing around a corner with a hand running over his head while muttering in Gallifreyan. His head raised up, a glare in his eyes.
The Doctor held his hands up in peace. "Okay, let me explain—"
"You know what you're doing is forbidden and not supposed to happen," Nine cut in sharply, stating it rather than questioning it.
"Weeeeeeeeell," the older Doctor drawled, scratching the back of his neck. "Some things sorta happened."
"Some things, huh?"
"Um, more than some actually. Lots. Quite a lot of things, really."
"Never happened before."
"Never was captivated by anyone on this level until Rose. You know she's different, I remember how you were feeling about her where you are right now in our timeline and those feelings mature and grow even stronger." The Doctor bit his bottom lip, noting how tense his younger self remained with his features appearing like stone. "And I know for a fact that you're restraining yourself from snapping my neck, that's some strong willpower you're holding onto."
"You can't be here! My TARDIS is parked not too far from here, plus my Rose is wandering around the boardwalk somewhere. What if she sees either of you?"
"Highly doubt she'd run into herself. Even if she did I have a feeling mine would sense yours. My case would be a little simpler. She'd be wondering who the pretty boy wearing pinstripes is, then forget about me since I'm a stranger and run back to you, that's all."
Nine scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course, what else would I expect for turning into a pretty boy? She always liked the pretty boys."
The Doctor shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. "She is quite fond of this body. And the hair as well, which I can't blame her for." He ran a hand through his wild locks, smiling widely. "It's pretty amazing."
His past self rolled his eyes. "Just my luck. Not only have I lost this daft old face, but I actually became a skinny cockatoo with sideburns."
"Oi! Cockatoo?" the Doctor said indignantly. "It's not easy maintaining its disarray shape, you know. Course I've experimented with a variety of styles—the 'just-snogged' look had been a recurring one that has its merits." His grin was radiant as he lightly bounced on his feet. "Rose helps out with that one."
Nine opened his mouth, then closed it before tilting his head in acceptance. "Pretty face and smooth attitude. Must be nice for me to be you."
"But you had the best first word when you first met her. I, on the other hand, not so much. But we both do have an impressive nature." Nine smirked at that. "And to be fair, our eighth body was pretty too. Maybe more than this one, but I subconsciously chose this form with her in mind. She imprinted herself onto us, as you can tell. All southern now, adapted to her tongue and everything."
"Literally and figuratively," Rose spoke up with a smile as she approached them, linking her arm around one of her husband's, noting his prurient smirk as a response. "Hello, Doctor. 'S been a while. And for the record, I always thought you were handsome too."
Nine took a deep breath, his hardened expression switching to a softer one. "I see you stayed with me through a regeneration then," he responded, his voice slightly gruff. "Can't say that's happened often in the past."
"Couldn't get rid of me if you tried, you need someone to keep you grounded and outta trouble."
"Says the longest holder of the 'Miss Jeopardy Friendly' title," the older Doctor murmured, causing Rose to elbow his side and both Time Lords to chuckle.
"I can't help but notice," Nine began again. "You look a little older, Rose. I imagine quite some time has passed since right here and now from my placement in the timeline."
"A few years, yeah," Rose answered.
"And you've been...this way with each other for how long?"
The Doctor cocked his head to the side as he calculated. "Roughly four and a half years, that sounds about right. Give or take some weeks or so. Nothing happened straight away when we changed, but not as long after."
Nine's brows creased in thought, appearing to be solving mathematical equations in his head. "Hold on, so that must mean I'll be..." He trailed off, flitting his eyes between them. Rose chewed her thumbnail while the Doctor averted his eyes. The younger Doctor sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I was hoping to get some more mileage out of this body after everything the last one went through. I didn't expect this body to have a fleeting existence, what's the point of it?"
"You have Rose," the Doctor said gently, stepping forward to place a hand on his past incarnation's shoulder. "From the moment you found her and rescued her from those shop window dummies and whispered 'run ' and took her hand, you gained something you never imagined would be possible. She's more than enough, more than just one reason to keep on going and fighting; she's everything to you. A guiding light to your dark, a candle to your brighten up that chasm inside your head and hearts. You're terrified of getting too close and taking dives into this territory, but it's worth it. Rose is worth it."
Both Doctors studied each other deeply, almost lost in each other's thoughts. "But..." Nine shook his head. "If you're that way, then it can't just be casual. Does that mean you... we become bonded?"
"Sure do," Rose replied, reaching for her husband's hand and offering a gentle squeeze. "Bondmates and partners for life."
"That-that's impossible, how could you contain that? Humans are extremely low level telepaths, barely able to hear anything above the lowest register."
"Nothing's impossible when it comes to Rose," the Doctor said warmly, raising their joined hands to kiss her knuckles. "It's a long story to get into, but for the sake of preventing a paradox to implode the universe, I'll spare the details. You'll find out one day. Just know that the word 'impossible' has lost its meaning by now."
Nine let out another deep breath, a small smile crossing his face as he turned to Rose. "Bet we're in for some of the best of times," he said fondly.
She returned the grin. "Count on it. Better with two."
"A little more than two now," the Doctor mentioned behind a cough, causing his younger self to arch an eyebrow. "You know you have to suppress your memories of this once you get back to your TARDIS, I hope."
"Obviously, I'm not daft," Nine scoffed.
"Dunno about that," he murmured to himself. "Anyway, Doctor, it's been nice catching up. Always remember to give Rose a chance and watch out for your faulty driving skills, because let's be honest, we need to come to terms with that fact, but there's always room for heavy improvements and just keep being amazing and—"
"There you two are! I've wondered where you went, and you always are on top of me for wandering off. You should adhere to rule number one just the same as I should."
The sound of Jenny came from behind them, causing the Doctor and Rose to whip around. Their daughter dashed over with bags filling up the lengths of her forearms before she placed them all in her pockets.
"Good thing our people invented bigger-on-the-inside technology," she said, catching her breath. "So much convenience!"
"All the convenience in the universe, can't argue with that," Nine said with pride. He opened his mouth to speak, but his expression changed in an instant with eyes as wide as moons. "W-w-wait a minute, did you just say our people?" He sputtered out. "Our people?! Are you a-a...Time Lord?"
The Doctor and Rose shared a hesitant look, the former rubbing his eye while the latter chewed her bottom lip. Truthfully, they were hoping that they would run into their daughter after parting ways with the younger Doctor to avoid any awkward confrontation and fearful diatribes flooding from his mouth. But then again, when it came to them, some opposites occurred regardless.
"Yup, I'm Jenny!" the girl beamed. "You've heard of them then? You seem... a bit familiar, yet I never met you before. Are you another friend of mum's and dad's?"
It was a miracle Nine's eyes didn't burst out of his skull. "Mum and Dad?!" His eyes flipped rapidly between the Doctor and Rose, his face beginning to be drained of color.
Jenny grinned before studying the younger Doctor intently. "Your eyes..." she drew out. "Look so ancient, full of stories untold and kept secret. Ones of history and accomplishments and pain." She gasped before jumping up to him with a hug, to which he left his hands out and opened like he was unsure what to do with them. "You're one of dad's past regenerations! We have the same eye color!"
"Please tell me my ears are deceiving me."
"Hard to imagine that happening with those ears," the Doctor muttered, holding in a chuckle when he heard his wife and daughter let out quiet giggles. His younger self wasn't amused in the slightest, his blue eyes bearing into him. "It's...a long story, but Jenny is definitely our daughter. She came out of a progenation machine as a result of the combination of our DNA extracts. Think of it like how the Looms operated back home. It was unplanned, but she's brilliant and so full of life and adventure fit for traveling."
Nine blinked a few times. "I never imagined actually starting a family again. Blimey. I don't even wanna know how Jackie reacted to this."
"Hmm so far, you're winning that round," Rose said with a chuckle. "There's... something else you probably should know too." The Doctor cleared his throat, his eyebrows raising almost in morse code. "Come on, he deserves to know, yeah?"
"You might as well tell me 'cause I'll be wiping my memories of it anyway," Nine suggested.
The Doctor bit the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not he should inform his past self of their unborn child. He could feel how palpable the emotions coming off his mind were, and the urge to strangle were still pretty much known. But there was also a certain warmth—a safety even. Probably because he already knew just how special Rose was, even though they were still learning things and slowly falling for each other in those early times in their point in their timeline, even if they were reluctant to admit them yet at the time.
"Promise you won't freak out?"
"I doubt there's anything that could top everything I've already learned," Nine said steadily.
The Doctor and Rose shared a look. "Okay, brace yourself, mate," the former replied. "You'll wanna grab a hold of something nearby to keep you up."
Nine raised an eyebrow. "Right..."
Placing her hands over her abdomen, Rose offered a gentle smile. "I'm pregnant."
The younger Doctor froze up and blinked a few times in confusion. "You're joshing me now."
"No, we're seriously not," the Doctor answered, making a happy sound.
"I'm gonna have a little sibling!" Jenny cheered. "Given time we'll be discovering new worlds together."
Nine shook his head. "B-but...but how can that even be when Time Lords and humans are incompatible for reproduction, if engaged in it. How did this even happen?"
"Weeeeeeell, takes two to tango in that situation." The Doctor waggled his eyebrows at Rose, who nudged his ribs. Jenny rolled her eyes at them.
The younger Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm aware of the typical methods of human reproduction."
"So much for bein' sterile, huh?" Rose chuckled.
"I'm supposed to be."
"The baby growing in my stomach says otherwise. 'M honestly surprised you can't smell the hormones with your hyper-senses."
Nearly on cue, her husband inhaled deeply, letting a deep satisfactory breath out. "It's very intoxicating," he purred, causing Rose to roll her eyes. "Hard to miss it you have heightened senses. Although, with you crossing our path it could be canceled out, like those are being suppressed as well. In a sense, if you like."
Nine looked to be at a loss for words, running a hand over the top of his head in bewilderment. He leaned against the wall next to him, most likely to keep him from passing out from the shock. "I'm assuming this wasn't planned either then."
"Oh god, no," Rose snorted. "This was as unexpected as it could get. But we have no regrets about it. We've been happy all this time, and this experience has been inspiring so far."
"How far along are you?" he spoke quietly.
"Twenty-five weeks and countin'," Rose told him. "Still got ways to go."
"It's gotta be a hybrid then."
"In hindsight," the Doctor replied. "First of its kind. It's brilliant, isn't it?"
Nine crossed his arms, his eyes intense. "And you're positive that you have no regrets or fears?"
"Fears? Ohhh, there's fears. Parenthood can be a scary thing, we were down that road a long time ago. But this is on a whole other level. Rose can tell you how much I was tugging on my hair looking for resources. Regrets though? None whatsoever." He blew a puff of air past his lips before he explained. "When we first discovered the news, I felt like I was hallucinating. It was far beyond the bounds of possibility to even fathom the very idea. And for a bit, I didn't wanna believe it—didn't wanna have to face the idea of losing yet another thing near and dear to me, to possibly lose Rose to whatever repercussions would stem from this unlikely pregnancy. Didn't want to have to bear any more guilt and pain."
He paused, threading his fingers with one of his wife's hands and placed his free one over her abdomen with a loving smile.
"But the little one is strong, just like their mother. Its adapted to the contrasting biologies that are still merging together, but everything is coming into a whole at a steady rate and Rose has become compatible enough to carry them with more ease. The universe can be cruel at times, but it's wonderful too. It gave us Rose, Jenny, a small gang of friends back in Earth close enough to be family, and now another child. We've been through hell and back and even more he'll to get to where we are now, and we couldn't be any more grateful to be given this opportunity to share this experience with each other. No regrets about us or our growing family whatsoever."
Fervent waves of warmth were transferred from both ends of the bonded couple as the Doctor wrapped an arm around Rose's waist and brought her closer to his side, kissing her temple. Jenny came to his other side and joined them in their circling embrace. Though they weren't meeting his younger self's gaze he could feel the reflections of past thoughts lingering in the back of his mind, when the old fears and the darkness pushed their way forward and tried to overwhelm him. That was always expected, even in recent times in his current point in the present whenever he found himself tracking off the set path of serenity within that he and his wife helped create together when they bonded. Only now and forever, whenever she dug deep into him, did any and all doubts fade away.
His younger self was just realizing the true captivating nature that this pink and yellow advanced human had on them. It was still a bit early into their travels together in his ninth incarnation's point from what the Doctor could tell—just before the Blitz. The feelings he had for her were already bubbling and churning at that time, and he knew that everything he was discovering now seemed to fanciful to comprehend as a reality. But in time his past self would come to terms with everything and see just how at peace and alive Rose would make him feel. Teaching his hearts a feeling he had thought he lost so long ago—to love. A love worthy of every culture to weave through time and space, writing it across the stars forever, carved into stones and monuments and documents to be passed on.
A love of abundant, undying passion and avidity.
Seemingly being able to conjure up a sentence, Nine sighed with widened eyes. "Blimey," he breathed out. "I never would be imagined anything like this. But the TARDIS! It's not exactly—"
"Baby-proofed? All taken care of," the Doctor assured swiftly. "Mind you, the Old Girl was quick to make sure everything was in tip-top shape way ahead of time. Once our muppet comes along, they won't get into any dangerous obstacles."
A small shudder shook through his younger self, causing Rose to giggle. She moves forward and placed a hand on his arm. "I know all the domestics are freakin' you out, but you'll get used to it. Trust me." She rubbed her middle. "Wanna feel them?"
He hesitated, flitting his eyes between her and her husband. The Doctor smirked and nodded his approval. Nine reached out slowly before gingerly pressing his palm against her belly. A faint double pulse vibrated through his hand, followed by a warm sensation slipping into his mind along with a soft humming tremor. The younger Doctor gasped and stumbled back in amazement, his eyes glued to where his hand was rested.
"That's just..." he began, shaking his head. "I mean, that's fantastic if not impossible."
"We've decided 'just a bit unlikely ' to be a more suitable replacement for impossible," Jenny mentioned.
"Too right," the Doctor said with a snort. "Rose hates that word. With everything we've gone through in our relationship and lives, 'impossible' just doesn't cut it. It's an irrelevant term nowadays."
Nine rapidly blinked about eight times. "I... I can't... it's—"
"Good to see you're handling it well," Rose cut in with a tongue-touched grin. "You're gonna be okay, Doctor."
He snorted. "I sure hope you're right, 'cause the idea of having Jackie Tyler as my mother-in-law might give me a double coronary."
The Doctor laughed at that for a moment. "Take my word, she may be scary but it's all worth it. After all, she's the reason why the universe gave us Rose. And when it comes to her, you know you'd do whatever it takes to make her happy and feel better and get through every challenge laid in front of you. You'll find out just how many reasons you've got to keep fighting through the toughest and darkest times."
Rose wrapped her arms around Nine's neck and gave him a tight hug, causing him to return the gesture with a trembling smile. "You'll make it through whatever comes your way, and I promise we'll be fantastic."
His eyes met the Doctor's, one matching his own face. He cleared his throat. "We'd better head off before your Rose finds us. Don't wanna add more onto the paradoxical circumstances."
"Right then, I might need a larger head to process all of this as something that actually happens in my future," Nine said as he pulled back. He grabbed one of Rose's hands and squeezing it. "It's been nice seeing you again, Rose. I look forward to the many days to come. Even if it means barely surviving your mother when she found out the news as well. Have a fantastic life, all of you." He turned to Jenny. "I bet you're incredible too, just don't get into any trouble."
"Even though trouble can be the bits in between?" Jenny replied with a smirk.
The younger Doctor chuckled at her before approaching the Doctor, placing a hand on his shoulder and looked hard into him. "You take good care of your family."
"Always," he replied sincerely.
With that, his ninth incarnation nodded then parted ways with them and made his way back to his TARDIS and his Rose. The Doctor slung his arms around both his wife and daughter before leading them back in the opposite direction to the beach.
"That was a real surprise," Jenny commented as they walked.
"'S not the first time we ran into one of your father's past selves," Rose told her. "This is turning into a real habit."
"One too common at that," the Doctor sighed. "At this rate we'll be having cups of tea with them all in the TARDIS and knocking each other's wardrobe choices and appearances like a roast."
"I'd love to see that," his wife cackled. "Think I'd have a word or two to throw in there, starting with your sixth self's exploding rainbow attire."
He cocked an eyebrow and gently nudged her shoulder with his own. "Oi, that was just a phase I was going through at the time. It's not like I'd openly choose those colors again with this body."
"And you were complaining about wearing a Christmas sweater on our last trip to Noel," Jenny pointed out with a teasing grin. "You're a walking contradiction, dad."
The Doctor patted the ginger girl's back. "Thanks, pumpkin."
"Can you imagine what past me would be thinking if she bumped into us?" Rose inquired once they made it back to the beach. "God, between the both of us back then I wouldn't know who'd freak out more."
"Weeeeeeell, I know you'd appreciate my hair at least. Especially when you'd find out you're the one who spends a considerable amount of time perfecting its disarray 'just-snogged' style."
She snorted and elbowed his side. "Yeah, says the man who's also spent so long in the en suite preening like a peacock."
"A peacock?!" he cried indignantly, causing their daughter to burst into a giggling fit. "Rose Tyler, you know a comment like that can start another round in the water war, right?"
"That so? Try me, Oncoming Drizzle."
A wicked look appeared on his face as he went to hoist his wife in his arms in an attempt to rush into the water with her, but Rose had already ran in its direction to prompt him on. He chased after her and grabbed her by the waist, both of them erupting in laughter as they pulled themselves down into sand by the shoreline, splashing water at each other.
Jenny watched on with a grin, shaking her head at her parents. It seemed as though the water war was adding a new chapter to its story, much like their lives as they were living was with every day.
I can't promise I'll be able to post as often as I used to back then, but I'm not completely gone from this lovely site and thumbing through the pages of my fantasies and musings in my mind. :)