Time Boys
Chapter Four
Disclaimer: Does it really need to be said… huff… fine, I don't own this nor do I make any money.
Rose sighed happily, accepting the waves that felt like warm hugs and coming home from the TARDIS as she patted coral wall affectionately.
"Mum can't you feel it? She's alive," Tony breathed, eyes wide with wonder as he stepped into the TARDIS. "Oh! She's brill!" He complimented, dashing alongside his brother around the console, trying to see everything by jumping up and down.
"She looks just like ours," Rory giggled, climbing up the captain's chair and peering over at the console and all the buttons, switches and screens.
The Doctor's jaw dropped.
"Theirs?" he asked, turning to Rose for an explanation.
Rose smiled and blushed deeply; a part of her never dreamed she'd see him again.
"I've been telling them stories of you and us from the moment the nurse placed them in my arms. When I changed their nursery from cribs to actual beds, the theme for their room was basically the TARDIS really. I made them a makeshift play console; the walls were decorated much the same, their ceiling had skylights over their beds, so they could see the stars."
Rose stood off to the side, the TARDIS must have felt her worry, her concern, because a two-seater booth appeared behind the captain's chair containing car seats for the boys to be latched in for destination flights, so their little bodies wouldn't be harmed during difficult landings.
Rose turned to Donna, who had a pinched thinking expression across her face.
"Don't you think about leaving him, you're his companion, his friend and you're very important to him and this universe, Donna Noble. While those boys are his family, we won't be permanent figures on this glorious vessel, not for some time; they're not big enough to run, yet."
"You're not bothered that he'll be traveling with another woman?" Donna asked, watching as Rose smiled reassuringly at her.
"Nah, the universe needs him, and he needs a companion to help him, keep him from being lonely. We help him by amplifying his brilliance with our little bit of human thinking. He needs to run and save people and have adventures, it's how he copes. He only takes the best, Donna Noble." Rose paused. "He might claim he doesn't do domestic, and has no time for roots, but really those are the things he needs most. I give him that, I'm his home, a place to come back to, to rest, to love. And you are his adventure seeking friend."
"But haven't you missed this? I have seen so many things, some horrifying, some completely wizard, and other astonishing beautiful places. I don't think I could ever give it up, now that I'm here." Donna asked. Rose watched as the Doctor placed the boys in their safety booster seats and strapped them in.
"Oh, don't think you're having all the adventures, the fun. I'm having the adventure of my life, have been for years. You think seeing New, New, New York, or the distance past or far future or the end of the earth is something, well try raising twin Time Boys with the Doctor's Time Lord DNA." Rose grinned cheekily, "Now that's an adventure."
Both Donna and Rose watched in silence for a few moments as the Doctor explained and put time travel into childish terms so his sons would understand and not be afraid.
"Can we stop and see the stars first, like all around us?" Tony asked wistfully from his child seat, both boys buzzing without energy.
"You wish is my command Tony-Jack," Doctor grinned.
Ruffling both their heads, he marveled how one looked a more like his current regeneration a small mini carbon copy of himself, while the other looked more like a bit more of his mothers features with his blond hair that was already showing signs of browning.
"Rose hold this down, Donna twirl this, yeah just like that," Doctor smiled watching as they worked together and followed his instructions. "Okay, let go, prefect spot of star dangling," Doctor grinned at the twins.
"Dangling?" Donna asked as a couple of harnesses dropped to the floor.
In a spit second the twins were out of their booster and bouncing as they waited to be strapped into a harness. The Doctor strapped himself into a harness before moving to the twins. He helped Rory into the first harness that was attached to him, before lifting Tony into second harness attached to his self.
"Strap up Donna, Rose," Doctor instructed, enjoying the excitement his boys were giving off. With a few tugs and pulls and re-adjustments the Doctor cleared them ready.
"What are we going to do, jump?" Donna asked skeptically as the Doctor flung the TARDIS door opened. They were stopped in the middle of space, no moving, still.
The Doctor huffed.
"Oi! Don't be silly we're going to fall! Ready Tony-Jack? Rory? He asked, his eyes flashing first to Rose then Donna's, pleading with them to trust him. Together they fell, coming to a rather gentle bounce, before slowly coming to a halt, dangling in space about fifteen feet below the TARDIS. No one spoke as the twins, giggled and awed at the sight before them.
After a few minutes of simple stare glazing the Doctor took, Tony's and then Rory's hand and pointed to a star to their right.
"That star, right there is a Red Dwarf Star; they're smaller than the Earth's sun. Because of their small size, these stars burn very slowly, which allows them to live a very, very long time." The Doctor taught.
"And that one?" Rory asked, taking his father's hand and pointing to another star off in the far distance that looked different than the Red Dwarf.
"Now, that right there is a Blue Giant Star they're very large and they burn very, very bright, which in turn makes their temperature very hot. Blue Giants don't live very long at all only about ten thousand to hundred-thousand years only."
"Why aren't we floating?" Rose asked, softly speaking directly toward the Doctor.
"The TARDIS, her force field is protecting us, providing us with oxygen and a show. Now, who's ready for Barcelona?" Doctor asked, pointing his sonic screwdriver toward the TARDIS, who admittedly started tugging them back on board.
Rose clicked the boys back into their boosters.
"That was so cool," they whispered to each other with matching grins.
With a switch of a lever and a pop of the console, the Doctor reached forward and gripped Rose's hand tightly. With a gentle nudge the TARDIS set down on the planet, no fuss, no sparks, no extreme jerking or shaking.
"We're here," Doctor announced, he twisted his hands in anticipation. "Barcelona, The Lone Survivor of the Seven Systems. It sets at the outer edge of the Kasterborous, only planet in the constellation to survivor the Time War, along with second sun and its moon. Due to the massive shockwaves from the wars, Barcelona's axis has shifted, the way the world moves has been altered and now the planet is stuck in constant Dusk. Always sunset or sunrise, never fully bright, never fully dark."
"Oh my word," Rose gasped taking in the purplish – orange sky.
"It's beautiful," Donna complimented as the twin burst past her and onto the new soil. "Nothing going to eat us? Chase us? And or threaten or lives in anyway?"
"Nah," Tony giggled, twirling full speed along with his brother. "This planet move so slow, like, um sluggish." Tony declared.
"Can't you feel it Dad?" Rory asked in wonder, gripping his hand. "Don't be sad, this planet is healed, happy. Come on Daddy feel it." Rory urged bring the Doctor down to his knees and placing his ancient hands into the soft grass and rich soil.
Rose sniffed as the Doctor's grin spread widely across his face.
"Yeah, quite right you are Rory Williams." The Doctor stood and whistled and out of the bush came dogs, running their way. "Here boy, Rowtwo, Finer, Gail,"
Three dogs, circled the Doctor excitedly, barking and jumping. As promised they were missing noses, bridle and fawn colored. "Now Tony, Rory, reaches out with your right hand and allow them to touch their foreheads to your palms. – very good."
The adults sat back and watched as the boys ran, through the tall grass with the dogs on their heels, each enjoying the simple, joyful sound of children laughter. It wasn't long before they came trotting back, much slower and deep yawns floating out of their young mouths.
"This is the closest I can ever bring them to Gallifrey," the Doctor spoke softly in Rose's ear. "What are they going to think of me, when they get older and learn of the destruction I caused. That I destroyed, their world, my home."
"They're going to grow up in their own world, Earth, with a Mum and a Da that love them very much. When they learn their history, their place in the universe, they'll learn that their Dad had to make an impossible choice, and he decided on, he chose to save the Universe, and it cost him everything. Well almost everything." Rose told him firmly, placing a small kiss to his cheek before lifting a tired Tony into her arms. She was pleased that even though their father appeared in their lives with all his magnificent glory that they still needed her. Rory stumbled after her.
The Doctor waited until Rose stood backing away from tired-eyed boys, who would be dozing off in minutes as the TARDIS dimmed the lights accordingly. Once they were Time Vortex, Donna bid them a goodnight and drifted off down the hall to her own room.
"Let's get these guys into bed before you bombard me with questions," Rose instructed, sidetracking the Doctor for him current thoughts.
They each picked up a sleeping boy, carrying them down the hall. They didn't have to walk far before a door appeared marked, "Time Tots!" Rose chuckled softly, "Apparently she has a sense of humor."
The Doctor gasped as he pulled it open. It was a classic Gallifreyan nursery room, with their alphabet and numeric system, toys, and books that started the founding blocks of a Time Lord's education. Morals of Gallifrey were depicted on the walls and…
"Oh sexy, that's straight out of Hogwarts!" He chuckled and the lights flickered as the ceiling of the nursery depicted the Gallifrey sky.
Once the twins were settled in their beds, the Doctor and Rose walked to the lounge room. Rose curled up on the sofa with a warm cuppa, waiting for the Doctor to speak.
"I can park her, settle down, do carpets and doors and help with the mortgage." Doctor spoke softly, taking her hand gently.
"No." Rose denied quickly "You need this, you need to keep exploring, saving civilizations and correcting wrongs. I, you, I, you're not going to be tied down to Earth. I can't ask that of you."
"What do you want? You could, we could," He paused, lost uncertain.
"The boys need to be raise on Earth, with routines, traditions and roots." Rose said assuredly.
"So you just want me to leave you all there to live your earthly lives? But they're Time Lords!"
Rose scowled at him.
"I didn't say that either." Rose putting a stop to his spiraling mind. "I'm saying, what I'm trying to say is that. We'll be your home."
"What?" He asked softly but his very clever mind quickly caught on.
"We'll be your home. I'd love to raise them here on the TARDIS. There is no one more capable than you to teach them, but we both know this life isn't always safe. It'd be like a job, nine to five you're saving the Universe and you're home for homework, bath and bed and on the weekend we take the boys to see the Universe." Rose offered. "What I'm thinking is our lives are going to need a lot more balancing and careful TARDIS driving, no more one-day, one-year mix ups."
"Oi!" Doctor admonished grinning. "One time, one time and you never going to let that go!"
AN: Now go on then, go on and Review... Negative Nancy, your comments will be ignored. Also Thanks StormWolf10 for beta'ing!
Coming soon! More Domestic Talks and Adjusting ;)
ALSO.. I have a new Doctor Who Story!
Title - Healing Love - Rating M
Summary - AU: After the Time War, the Doctor couldn't cope with what he had done or the loneliness in mind, tearing at his sanity. Now he's being hunted by the Family of Blood, with the help of Sarah Jane in the year 2005, he turns himself human, to hide. In a moment of madness he doesn't tell her, when or how long to keep him hidden.
I've wanted to write this story for a while now. A human doctor falling in love with Rose, then the struggles and complications that arise when he returns to his Time Lord self, followed by his regeneration. I know this has been done before but the story line just fascinates me.