Summary: The Robinsons, used to Francis' exaggerations as they were, were welcoming of the Doctor and as he'd introduced Rose, his affianced bride. He hadn't reckoned on their insistance that the young couple allow Minister Robinson to marry them officially. Missionaries were folk of narrow view in some matters and it was just easier this way so he went with it. He also offered Granny Myra's services for child care concerning their youngest without asking her first.

Jet-propelled and Jeopardy Friendly

He'd meant it as a way to get on up on the temperamental old woman and was disappointed when she had no problem with handling young Francis. She merely put the boy to boy-sized chores and used a harsh gimlet stare to bring him into line during the warm but not too harshly hot part of the day she deemed suitable for work. During the worst of the day, she sent him to the Doctor, Tim or Dick, never more than one, to be looked after and let him explore the nearer sections of the jungle with whoever was stuck with watching the energetic lad, or with Bruce, once he recovered from the dog bites.

Puffing as he followed the fast moving, constantly chattering human boy, Ninth wondered to himself how he'd ever labeled his wife as being Jeopardy Friendly, since compared to this child, Rose was an exercise in Health and Safety. In the space of one hour, he'd hauled Francis out of a snake pit, snatched him by the scruff just as he was about to jump, not fall, from a small cliff into water of unknown depth with undetermined dangers in it for a swim, found himself roped into helping the boy manhandle several large new pets into calm so the kid could ride them back to either the Ninth's tree-house or his parent's and was, at this moment following Francis up the tallest tree he'd climbed yet...which for this lad, was saying something.

For the Doctor, it was saying more since he'd climbed some huge trees in his life, but this was massive. And Francis wasn't content with just climbing to the top, oh no...the little boy was all over it, exploring every little cranny.

What made it all worse, somehow, to the Doctor's mind, was while the child steadily drove the Doctor crazy, he also had the gall to worm his way uninvited into the Doctor's hearts. No matter how he scolded, the boy showed nothing but joy at his company...and that was impossible to ignore or fail to respond to. And it was his first day at watching Francis...this wasn't to be borne. His right hand snapped out to grab the kid's upper right arm, steadying him when he would have slipped, hearts thundering at the near miss.

"Bet this one would make a good treehome, wouldn't it, Doctor? Bet we could cut rooms and stairs and things from it where we wanted them."

And the boy made observations that made him think, whether he wanted to or not. Like that one. He looked at the huge fig tree they were in differently now.

"Yeah, I think you're right. We could make rooms and stairs to use later and train the branches to make more as time goes on, in case we need them. Good idea, lad." He ruffled the boy's hair and got a wide, snaggle-toothed grin for in the way of young humans of Francis age, he was loosing milk teeth and had several gaps in the front of his mouth. Though the Ninth Doctor would never admit it where anyone could hear him, he thought it was rather cute.

The other lad, Francis' brothers, his father, Jack and most of the Xmen were building a raised walkway system that would be the main path to most of the locations on the island that they used most. Jack was simply not allowed near the missionaries nor was Kurt at first, until Francis 'caught' him and brought him home as a new pet...and they heard him explaining to the boy that he wasn't an animal, no matter what he looked like.

It took all the calming persuasion Rose had to get the Doctor through the first six month's sane, after which he seemed to settle down...and Francis helped a good deal since whenever Rose saw him start to brood, she sent him off to attempt to keep that boy out of trouble. Try was the operative word.

It was at the six month mark that he started cocking his head, to listen or try to understand what he was feeling. Something new had entered the island community and it felt odd. The TARDIS reported that she knew what it was, that it was annoyed but not dangerous and was right where it was supposed to be...and that she was talking to it. She did not explain but only said to gather his crew and try not to lose his temper.

:WHO:

The Ninth Doctor stared in disbelief at the second TARDIS next to his own, lips quirking at the younger self that was standing in front of his damaged Time Ship with his hands on his hips.

"Just my luck..." Fourth spat.

"Yes, isn't it? Worse though, is that I'm not from your universe and don't share your parentage...which means we can co-exist just fine...but that also puts two of us at large in the same place." Nine told him as he stopped behind the local Doctor. "Did our girls tell you what happened?"

Fourth turned to see his counterpart just as Rose joined him, her arm slipping into place around Ninth's waist. "The last of us in existence there and the Multifaceted Random Universal Variation Dispersal decided to relocate you...and that whole universe, to here...without putting the new rules into either you or your TARDIS. Means a blend of old and new is occurring, I suppose. The council isn't going to be pleased."

"No, but then, when are they ever?"

"Sounds like that one might be a multilateral universal constant." Fourth snorted. "I'm Four, you?"

"Nine." Ninth blew out his breath, "Well, at least we'll both have one person we can understand and enjoy the company of, other than just Rose...who is quite special. Enough that I married her. Rose, meet the Fourth Doctor, not actually me, but close. I suppose I'd better call my past selves so they can get a good look at what's going on. Including my own Fourth...you can compare scarves, I suppose." He smiled. "Just make sure you're wearing sunglasses before you look at my Sixth...that coat..."

"You've really screwed up the history of this island, here, y'know."

"Yeah. Couldn't be helped but at least editing was done with care."

"Well, you started it and I'm not cleaning up after you. You'll just have to agree to see it through."

"I do."

"Good, in that case, let's get a list of the parts you need and get your version of my timeship repaired."

"Thanks, she's been trying to do a self-fix, but..."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, I'm just going to help you rewire her for the local vortex."

Nine snorted. "Fine, but you get to help me with a little boy named Francis...one of my agreed to tasks, is to try to keep him out of trouble...but you're the local Doctor so the way I see it, that's your job."

The Ninth heard a familiar cackling laugh behind him. "Doctor, that's just cruel...Francis leaves you panting and exhausted and you know what to expect from that child. This baby you wouldn't have a prayer." Myra laughed.

"Baby?"

"You're a Four, he's a Nine...yes, a baby Doctor...very cute too. Precious youngster that you are." She laughed again. "Be kind to yourself, Fourth, turn him down. You will never be able to keep up with that human man-child." From behind Fourth's back she winked at Nine and it was all he and Rose could do to not give the game away.

"Ridiculous! He's only a human, after all. How hard could it be?"

"Perilous beyond all reason, actually." Nine told him honestly. "I don't get it, but she's right, he's got a positive genius for getting into dangerous sorts of trouble."

"How old is he?"

"Oh, nine or ten, I suppose. Don't do what I know you're thinking. Human boys of this era were sometimes given by their fathers to a trade as an apprentice at that age, but don't do that to yourself. Not smart." Myra told the Fourth. "You couldn't handle it."

Nine groaned, knowing what was coming. He was right.

"Of course I can! A small boy learns fast, after all, should be a snap to train after some of the companions I've already had." He turned his eyes to the Missionary and Mr. Robinson was already nodding. His wife didn't look pleased but putting the boy in a position under a scientist would be good for Francis.

While Fourth and the lad's father worked out the details, Ninth edged over to the old woman. He glared at Myra. "You just had to do that, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah, miss a chance like that? Are you insane?" She smirked at him. "You have to handle Jack, after all...making you handle them both just wasn't fair to you."

Rose laid her hand on Ninth's wrist. "She's got a point."

"Yes, but it's so domestic!"

"So was getting married." Myra pointed out. "At least Francis isn't your kid."

"Oh, he'll have that to concern himself with in another five months, don't worry about that." Rose assured her, one eye on Nine's widening, shocked eyes.

"Rose! Really? This is wonderful news!" He did start to fuss...enough to get Fourth's attention and that of Mrs. Robinson. When the reason for the fussing became clear, Fourth smiled while the women settled Rose in a comfortable location.

"I'm going to be an uncle...if that don't beat all."

"Best consider Robinson Island our full time residence for the foreseeable next several bodies, Fourth."

"Me, on the Slow Path? Willingly? "

"And the really weird bit is that I can't seem to convince myself to mind, at all."

"That is weird." Fourth agreed, shaking his head. "And Robinson Island, as a Time Lord's Family residence can legally undergo substantial edits as long as care is taken. So, I've taken Francis Robinson as a legal human apprentice if Temporal Physics and I have a new brother who is a genetic fraternal twin, married to a genetically altered human and expecting a first child with her. The Council is going to flip."

Myra chuckled, "If they get too out of line, come fetch me and I'll show you some of the best and funniest ways to make their lives more difficult for them and better for my boys. If they give us too much backtalk, we'll assign Jack Harkness as our Liaison to the Council...they'd love having him underfoot."

"No, they wouldn't...and that's just mean." Ninth retorted, but he was grinning. He glanced at Fourth. "Jack is a Fixed Point...but still both living and human. Drives you nuts until you get used to it."

"And she wants him to be the Island's liaison to the Council? You're right...that's just mean. Funny, but mean as hell...to them."

TBC