Warning: if you are remotely horrified by homosexuality or Tencest please do not read any further. Or you could skip the first bits and go straight to the third section (but you'd miss vital info in the second section... why don't I just let you choose?).
A/N: I was going to post this separately, but then thought "Why bother?" If you liked the previous chapter you'd want to read this. :D
The Prequel:
Saving A Life
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Once they were alone together in the TARDIS, after everyone had been dropped off back into their previous lives, it had been increasingly hard for the Doctor and his duplicate to resist those small moments of desire that sparked between. They had tried, oh they had tried so hard to deny that they felt more than passing interest in one another, had said that it was some form of narcissism being experienced; but ultimately it wasn't. Slowly, they acknowledged that it was love that existed between them. A love that daren't be named, especially within the confines of the rules they lived their lives by.
But you can't deny the inevitable. Small touches became acts of micro-worship. Words of congratulations took on whole new meanings. Hugs that celebrated victories became longed for events, until almost everything became a thing to celebrate just to gain that much yearned for contact.
It had taken imprisonment by a decidedly twisted war lord to bring about events that would change their relationship for ever. They had been tied together, rather closely, and had needed to wriggle about so that the Duplicate could get the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's pocket. It had brought faces unbearable close, breath was shared, eyes gained unguarded contact, and then lips had inevitable ghosted across soft tender flesh.
There had been an unspoken pact to redeem the moment once they were safely back on-board the TARDIS. And promises, once made, should not be broken.
The Doctor worried whether they should take this step, but the Duplicate had no such qualms. He knew what he wanted, he felt love that was reciprocated, and he saw no reason to then seek the reassurance he so badly needed.
It started with holding with soft caressing touches, placing small kisses, gradually building in intensity as they allowed passion to flare between them. Their first time together was hasty as they sought mutual pleasure; quickly ending up sprawled across a bed, naked and sweating with the effort of expressing and receiving love. Keen to accept his lover, the Duplicate had led their passionate dance, taking his Time Lord within his arms and his willing body. Never had the Doctor known such completion; and his love for this man, this humble human metacrisis knew no bounds.
From then on they made love at least once every single day. Who knew how much time they would have to share together? The universe was not always kind to them; so every opportunity was taken to love and be loved.
It was soon after their first steps as fully fledged lovers that a significant incident happened. As often transpired in such moments, they discussed recent companions and what they thought they would be doing with their lives. The Doctor was aware that the Duplicate evaded mentioning Donna, since for him the subject was even more painful.
He had been utterly heartbroken when he had been allowed to accompany the Doctor to tell Wilf and Sylvia about the events of that fateful night; and had hid from Donna when she came out of her stupor. The only good thing about that evening for the Doctor had been comforting his duplicate, and taking what became the initial steps of their budding relationship.
They were idly sitting in the kitchen, drinking tea and eating breakfast, when a thought occurred to the Duplicate.
"Doctor, I know you said you had covered everything to remove us from Donna's mind, but what will happen about the baby?" he asked as he bit into his toast and marmalade.
"Baby?" the Doctor wondered in confusion. "What baby?" He stopped spreading marmalade on his own toast as he waited for an answer.
"D'uh! Your baby," the Duplicate replied sarcastically in true Donna style.
The Doctor spluttered in shock. "What! My baby? Since when did I have a baby?"
The Duplicate rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Since Donna touched the jar and we both got one of your hearts. Did you not know…?"
In stunned silence, the Doctor stared back at him for some seconds, until he eventually murmured, "No, I didn't know."
"Then how did you deal with the possibility Donna was pregnant?" the Duplicate demanded.
"The answer to that is simple: I didn't," the Doctor admitted.
"But… you can't leave her like that! She'll be suffering morning sickness by now. She'll find out. And then what, Doctor? Some idiot is bound to mention you!" The Duplicate had risen from his seat in indignation as the possibilities ran through his mind.
"It's okay, love." The Doctor stood to reach out and grasp his duplicate's arms, wanting to sooth him as much as he did himself. This was unexpected news, but it was salvageable. At least he thought it could be now this had come to light. "I know what to do. We can save her. Would you like us to go and do that now?"
The Duplicate nodded and tried to hide the tears that had appeared unbidden. He couldn't abandon Donna when she needed them; they were a part of each other and it hurt enough being ripped apart like they had.
"Come here," the Doctor softly ordered, and wrapped his arms around the Duplicate. He placed a kiss on his temple, saying, "It will be okay. I'm sorry I didn't know about the baby; I never even thought to look."
The Duplicate sniffed against the Doctor's neck, and clung to him. "You don't have to apologise; I do. I had assumed you knew but carried on regardless." He then lifted his head to say, "I'm sorry. But I was so upset at the time and…"
"Shh, shh, shh" the Doctor crooned, and kissed away the tears that carried out their threat to spill over. "Nobody is at fault here, and I'm not mad at you. It was yet another horrible thing that happened that day."
"Are you saying a baby is a horrible thing?!" the Duplicate wondered accusingly. "Because…"
The Doctor halted his words by placing a tender kiss on his mouth. "I'm not saying that at all. A baby is good news; almost as wonderful as gaining you," he said breathily. "My beautiful…" He punctuated his words by kissing his way along the Duplicate's jawline. "Handsome… gorgeous… sexy… Earthboy."
This was all so new between them, and the Duplicate still felt overwhelmed by his emotions. He felt love and desire for the man who held him in his arms, and concern and guilt about Donna. Which one are you supposed to concentrate on first? He ran his hands over the Doctor's buttocks as he thought, enjoying the feel of his muscular pert form. A form that he wished was naked at that moment.
"Doctor," he gasped out. "I want you."
There was an answering understanding chuckle. "You humans are all the same," he teased.
"Just because you are the sexiest Time Lord there has ever existed!" the Duplicate huffed.
"Come on," the Doctor tenderly encouraged, taking hold of his duplicate's hand and starting to lead him towards their bed. "I'll always have time for you."
"Oh, alright!" the Duplicate pretended to gripe. "Just don't make me beg… this time," he cheekily added.
It was late afternoon when they left the TARDIS and walked out onto Donna's street.
"Ah, a Saturday! Good, she should be home," the Doctor commented as they swept their gazes over the almost empty street.
Grinning wildly in excitement, the Duplicate bound up to the front door and rang the bell.
It was opened by a very hesitant Sylvia. "Yes? What do you two want?"
"Hello," both Doctors said simultaneously, making her wince.
"Is she in?" the Duplicate blurted out his question. "Can we see her?"
Sylvia frowned. "But you said…," she began to say when there was a voice behind her.
"Who is it, Mum? Let them in or shut the door," Donna commented. "But don't leave the poor buggers standing there."
The Doctor briefly caught the Duplicate's hand as he let out an almost inaudible whimper.
"It's only those Smith brothers to see your grandfather," Sylvia explained. "I'll just…"
Donna appeared at the door and peered out at them. "Let them in then! What's the matter with you, Mum?" she admonished her. She then brightly smiled at the Doctors. "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes please," they answered in unison, and stepped into the house.
Sylvia's scowl stayed on her face, but she ushered them in.
"Can we have a quiet word with Donna, please Mrs Noble," the Doctor asked as he followed her towards the kitchen diner.
She gawped at him for a few seconds. "Are you sure you won't harm her?" she wondered suspiciously.
"On our honour!" the Duplicate vowed.
His beseeching look swung her decision, and she reluctantly agreed, "Go on then. But give me a shout if I'm needed. I'll be upstairs."
Donna turned in the kitchen, kettle in hand, to find herself being contemplated by two identical men standing right in front of her. Except something within her knew they weren't identical at all beneath the surface. "Do you still take two sugars?" she asked before thinking. That earned her beaming smiles and confirmation.
"How have you been feeling?" the Doctor asked, hoping it sounded like a normal polite question rather than a genuinely worried query.
"Oh, you know; fine," she tried answering, and then noticed they didn't believe her and amended her reply. "Not so great, to be honest. I've not felt right for weeks. First I had massive headaches, then a bout of food poisoning that won't go away, but the constant fatigue has been a killer. If I didn't know any better, I'd have said I was…" The word 'pregnant' hung heavily in the air as she stared wide-eyed at them. "You know something, don't you?!" she accused them.
"Well..." The Doctor shared a guilty look with the Duplicate. "That's why we are here. You might have something of mine."
"What do you mean?" she queried, as panic threatened to engulf her. "What did I take… or did you take it from me."
"Tell her," the Duplicate begged him.
The Doctor nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I admit that I took something precious from you, and we accidentally gave you something in return."
"He doesn't mean he assaulted you, Donna," the Duplicate leapt forward to console her by placing a hand on her arm. "Or passed on a disease."
"How did you know I was thinking that?" she wondered as she looked first at his hand resting on her arm, and then into his face. Something was emanating from him, pulsing through her body at his touch. It was so familiar, if she could only grasp hold of the memory. His eyes seemed to be able to see her very soul.
"Because it's me, Donna," he breathily supplied.
A name came to her lips, and she stuttered out, "Earthman?"
He fervently nodded. "Yes, and do you know who he is?" He indicated his head towards the Doctor.
"I don't think…," she began to deny; but she did know him. She knew him very well. "Spaceman, what's going on?"
"We're here to help you," the Doctor stepped forward to say as he placed his hand on her other arm. "We've come back for you."
They both trailed their fingertips up her arm and onto her face, landing on her temple. A faint glow passed between the three of them, swirling into a circular pattern before dissipating into her stomach.
She looked down where their other hands rested on her hips, not feeling the usual response of wanting them to stop manhandling her body. "I'm pregnant," she whispered in disbelief. "He'll be a little Time Lord."
"I'm sorry," the Doctor instantly apologised.
"Don't be," she reassured him. "I'm not. In fact, I'm ecstatic!"
"Then you'll come back with us?" the Duplicate asked with glee.
"Try stopping me," she declared.
"Erm… Donna, there's just one problem. What do we tell your mother?" the Doctor cautiously enquired.
"We tell her the truth; well, sort of. She doesn't have to know everything. Like she doesn't need to know about you two." She smiled at him conspiratorially. "But you're the dad, I'm the mum, and there'll be the three of us to look after him when he's born."
"She'll kill me!" he stated in horror.
The Duplicate impishly giggled and got glared at for his troubles.
Donna fondly caressed the Doctor's sideburn. "We can bring up the marriage thing if you like, or we can say you are a donor dad. Which option would you prefer?"
"I erm…" The Doctor stood stunned as the possibilities whirled around his head.
"She does know your name," the Duplicate pointed out helpfully. "That makes you married in all the places where it matters most. And she still has the wedding ring come biodamper." He then screwed his face up in thought. "Unless you want me to say all that? I don't mind."
"Ain't you sweet!" Donna enthused; and grabbed him to kiss his cheek. "Well, Timeboy? What's it to be?"
"I think it should be me that says it," the Doctor said decisively.
"Says what exactly?!"
They turned to see Sylvia now standing a few feet away; her peeved posture could turn nasty at any moment.
The Doctor double checked that her axe was nowhere near in sight and then gulped nervously. "The thing is, Mrs Noble, that we've come back to collect my wife now that we know she'll be okay."
"Wife? I never knew you had a wife, Doctor," Sylvia sneered. "Been hiding her away while you ran about sniffing around my daughter like some dog?"
"Mum," Donna uttered in warning.
"He's got a tongue in his head; let him tell me," Sylvia retorted.
The Doctor deliberately reached out and took Donna's hand tenderly within his own. "Your daughter is brilliant, and I'd rather not live without her; that's why we came back to get her and give our child the best start in life."
"Hang on, you almost make it sound like Donna is your wife and she's pregnant," Sylvia unhappily reasoned out.
Both the Doctor and the Duplicate smugly grinned in her direction; pleased when she faltered.
"Due in about thirty weeks," the Doctor arrogantly stated. He then turned to Donna and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Why don't you go and pack a few of your things for us to take? We can buy anything you miss on our next trip."
Her returning smile shone with gratitude. "I won't be long," she told him as calmly as she could. Inside she wanted to squee with delight, but she held it in until she reached her bedroom.
Both the Doctor and the Duplicate sat themselves down in an armchair. "About this tea...," the Doctor began to ask as Sylvia recovered some of her composure, "is there any chance of a biscuit?"
"Ooh, yes please!" the Duplicate enthused, and gave her his sweetest smile. "Donna said you always have the best."
"Well, I suppose I do," Sylvia managed to boast, and raced off to entertain her newly acquired son-in-law with food and drink.
When Donna arrived back in the lounge with a suitcase she was shocked to see tea, cake, biscuits and sandwiches were being consumed. "What brought this on?" she wondered with open amusement.
"I've got to make sure you're well looked after now," Sylvia defended herself as she handed the Doctor a second cup of tea. "And these are two strapping lads you've got."
"You could say that," Donna agreed as she saw them wolf down copious amounts of food. This wasn't fair! They were doing all the eating and she was the one that'd end up putting on weight.
But as she watched them fall over themselves to be nice to her mother, and the resultant fawning in return, she decided that perhaps it would be worth it after all. Travelling back in the TARDIS, a yearned for baby on the way, two blokes willing to do her bidding, and to top it, her mother was being nice about it all. Who said miracles couldn't happen? Yes, Donna sat back with her plate of sandwiches feeling very happy indeed. She could hardly wait to get started on this new chapter in her life.
