CHAPTER THREE:

The Babe

Jack's smile shook UNIT, but he passed through the doors easily enough with his vortex manipulator he had again hacked. It didn't take long, and that is why he grinned.

"Aw, Jack, I told you no! Twice I told you no. Twice, I fixed that darned thing!"

He turned at the Brit, eyes wide but still smiling. "What'd you say?" Then it sunk in and he banged his fist against the wall loudly, but not hard enough to bruise anything but a couple of ears.

"Oh, no! Doctor, why'd you go and do that? Doctor, what was the real point of that? Oh," he whined again. He took off the watch and laid it down next to the Doctor's hand. "So, you are here. Have you heard?" Then, quieter, he leaned in and studied the Doctor.

"Not now, Jack," he said, feeling the release of happy hormones as he sounded like himself, again.

Jack laughed and shook his head. "I meant about Donna. It's all over. I mean, she saved the Iuniverse/i and then she was human again, and now she's got a child. Everyone is curious. The whole universe."

It pained the Doctor to hear this. That was probably another reason why these Drucks were here. Donna and her child are the talk of the universe. Literally.

"I've heard. The Ood told me. We're watching over her."

"Have you figured out how to send them away, yet? …Wait, the what?"

The Doctor grinned and nodded his head. His big transporter machine was starting to hook into the Drucks as he programmed it to. Now, all he had to do was use the power of UNIT, process the Drucks to assemble on one street, and poof, good-bye Drucks. Gone back to the home planet. "Easy enough. Not really in need of me, I promise. I'm just making this process quicker."

Winking, the Doctor set it all up, pressed the big purple button and, "Poof. All on one street. Jack, click your go button."

Grinning at the set-up, lame joke, Jack did as he was told. "Poof? All gone?"

With a nod, the Doctor rechecked his system. "All clear!"

The release of breath UNIT and Jack, forced the Doctor to wonder if this human race was ever going to get over their fear and fight off an attack themselves. That thought made the Doctor frown and shake his head, but all the more, the Doctor strode to Jack.

"Come on with me, then. We have a baby to birth."

Jack's expression didn't bother the Doctor. He always listened to him, anyway. Plus, after his future revelation, he figured Jack owed him something, even if Jack didn't know what stress he had caused the Doctor with the Master the last time around.

The baby was already on its way, Donna fussing and loud, but the Doctor couldn't let the child be born in her home. Too many risks. So, ordering Jack to get on her other side, they helped her stand and Donna followed, too blurred by pain to really iargue/i.

"This is a first, Donna! Not arguing with me." He laughed quietly as he set Donna down on the TARDIS floor. "Jack, the door."

Tarna and Sylvia entered; Sylvia temporarily stunned by the enormity of everything around her. And then, hearing her daughter's loud cry, Sylvia ran to her.

Tarna had stayed hidden when Donna woke up. She wasn't sure even a perception filter would have let Donna ignore the tentacles that came out of her mouth. Or, at least that appeared to.

"Sylvia, please, do me a favor. Go through there, get everything in the birth cupboard. Hey, Donna. Donna! I'm the Doctor."

Donna's eyes lifted to him, her head pounding. "You're not my doctor, buddo." She shook her head, her hands searching for somewhere to grab.

Not letting the hurt show, he lowered himself to the ground and started to prepare her. "I know; I know, but Donna, please, believe me. I am the Doctor. I'm here for you. We couldn't get you to a- Donna?"

Her head pounded harder and she closed her eyes, pushing. "I can see things. I see them, again. In my nightmares. I saw them when I saw... I don't know what to do!"

"Donna, please, listen to me. Push, Donna." He winced when she screamed. This time, it was because of her head. "Doctor Donna, listen to me."

That did it. It snapped her brain into place. All her memories rushed back, and she was Donna again. "Ouy, Spaceman, what happened?"

He laughed, but quickly silenced when she let out a breath of pain. "Donna, push."

And she did. With all her Doctor-y might, she pushed. Her brain couldn't keep up, it flashed, her head ached. Still, Donna's sense of want and need for the child inside her overpowered and she pushed.

She was dying. The Doctor could feel it in her veins. He saw it in her eyes, but there was something he didn't tell anyone. As light started to show in her eyes, he knew that when she died, all her being would be put into the child. All her knowledge into this child.

He also knew Donna better than anyone else. Better than her mother. Donna would want the child safe. She'd want her baby to live peacefully. Maybe, at one time, the babe could travel-

A quiet whine came from the newborn, and the Doctor cut the cord. "It's a girl, Donna."

She was struggling to stay alive to see her babe. "Andie. Name her Andie, Doctor. Mum, I love you. Doctor, keep her safe."

Sylvia fell to the ground, her arms gathering Donna close to her.

The Doctor rose and walked into the cleaning room. Jack followed, watching as the Doctor washed the baby.

"Ah, Andie. Your mother was beautiful. One day, when I come back, I'm going to tell you all about her. One day, when I see you again, you'll see the stars."

Jack's deep breath took the Doctor away from his thoughts. "She said you keep her safe."

The Doctor's face was drawn, sad. "I had children once. I couldn't save them like I can save my companions. Jack, watch after her when she's with her grandmother. Sylvia can't stop everything. You can help her, though." His hands washed the baby, carefully making sure she was clean, and looking after every small bit of anything that could harm her.

"Andie, you're the color of a light olive. A beautiful color. Your father is black, isn't he? Your eyes are a pretty green. They remind me of the beautiful grass on Grenifi. You will be able to handle your mind, I just know it." The Doctor's quiet words were enough to quiet any soul, and the baby didn't make a noise, only stared at the Doctor.

"I'll be back one day, Andie and Jack. For now, I can't keep you. Donna knew that. She wants to live a great life." And then the Doctor turned to Jack. "You've got to keep the things that might come after her hidden until I come back. It's of great importance, Jack. Please, please don't let them hurt her. Don't let her know of them. It could hurt her. Something's right, though, because Andie has a mind for the world."