A/N: most of this is already written but extra scenes keep jumping in my head.

Part Ten

.

"You came!" the Doctor cheerfully greeted his son and showed him into the flat. "Shhh! Come into the kitchen, and try to be quiet because Rose is lying down having a nap. Walking around Wicket Hall wore her out"

Ben's courage was still holding out when he stood in his father's kitchen minutes later. The whole place was a mess! It wasn't as bad as some student digs Ben had found himself in as a guest but, sneering at it all, it was far from what he expected of his parents.

"Sorry about this," the Doctor had apologised as he hastily rearranged a few things, "but Harkie tends to forget to clear up after himself."

"So I see," Ben remarked as he sipped a mug of coffee and tried his hardest not to notice. Now, how to swing the conversation onto what he wanted to know?

The warming caffeine had just hit his palate when the Doctor suddenly asked, "What's up? You seem a bit off today. Has Martha upset you on the way here with all her talk about weddings?"

It was a teasing question but it gave Ben the perfect lead in. "Not quite. I'm not upset about her wedding, since her and Mickey seem so right together. No, that isn't it."

"Then what is it?" the Doctor gently asked. "Has a girl… or a boy…? And don't look at me like that; it could be! How do I know these days? Lots of people have come out of the closet. Anyway, has anyone in particular caused you heartache?"

Ben smiled in amusement. "If I was gay you'd have known by now, but for the record, no there isn't anyone, as such. But I do have questions."

"Oh dear, this sounds serious," the Doctor proclaimed. "We'd better go and sit more comfortably to discuss this."

"I'm fine here," Ben assured him, and leant back against the worktop whilst avoiding a gruesome stain as he did so, to get a more comfortable position. "I wanted to ask something, but I'm not sure you'll approve of me asking it."

"I won't know until you do," the Doctor reasoned. His mind was gearing itself up to be asked a personal, sex related question. "Go on then."

"Dad, I… I want to know, why did you leave Mum and go off with Rose; exactly why." Ben then blushed in case it was sexual too.

Slightly stunned, the Doctor tried to put it into words. "First, I want you to know that I have remained physically faithful in the sex department to your mother, and she for me. We've not had any affairs over the years, so you can cross that off your list. The thing is, we erm; we just drifted apart, like many married couples do. It wasn't deliberate, honest. I've had to get used to your mum not being by my side as I've travelled about. That's why I took on Martha as my companion for a while." He gave a cough. "Anyway, I started to innocently travel with Rose and, I don't know; she flirted with me and it was nice. Having someone lovely like that being interested in me was flattering; it always has been. I can't put my finger on why it was different this time and I took the step of responding, but I did. You must admit, she is beautiful."

"True, but beauty takes lots of forms, and looks can fade," Ben remarked in irritation. "So Mum was right and all you cared about was getting someone younger to replace her with."

"No no no no, that isn't necessarily so," the Doctor defended himself. "Rose is sweet and innocent and a breath of fresh air."

"If you like that sort of thing," Ben murmured. "She does nothing for me. I've seen lots of girls like that in college; all flicky hair and heavily made up sultry eyes. It's all an act, and some poor sap falls for it every time."

"Maybe it is an act for them, but not for Rose," the Doctor insisted.

Anger properly flared in Ben. "And maybe you ought to grow up and be the adult around here! She is far too young for you. Sorry, Dad, but this is degrading for Jenny and me. It makes you a borderline paedophile and Jenny…" He abruptly turned his head away in shame.

"What's Jenny done?" the Doctor wondered as horror started to mount within him.

"Oh, like you care that she has had to fend off all sorts of insults and comments about you," Ben ground out through gritted teeth. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, as only one or two people at college knew or had said anything so far. But you never knew when it could happen again; and his grandmother had certainly made her defamatory thoughts loud and clear. One thing he did know was how to make his dad react. "It's a good job Uncle Peter was there when Jenny got upset. He's been a real father figure for her when she needed one."

There was a strangled sob from the Doctor. "He's what!" The breath in his body stuttered for a bit longer. "How often has Peter been to see your mother lately?"

"Erm…" Ben had to think about that one carefully. "As far as I know it's been a few times since you asked Mum for the divorce, but we've only been home for the summer hols in the last week or so. Both me and Jenny thought it weird how these blokes have suddenly started asking Mum out. I mean, nobody came near or by beforehand. Well, Mum has always been determinedly nice about you in public; especially in front of Nan. God knows why she bothers."

"Who else?" the Doctor softly asked after a silent pause.

"Who else she's said nice stuff to, or who else has asked?" Ben tried to clarify.

"The latter."

"Let me see…" Ben scratched his head in thought, enjoying this moment of causing pain. "There was Shaun, Uncle Peter, Roderick, and someone else that I can't remember offhand. Oh! She also got this letter from your other cousin, Piers, I think, the other day, but it was a general invite thing. An open day or other. Why? Feeling a bit jealous, Dad? Because if you are, that's rather hypocritical of you considering you've gone off and got engaged to someone else when you aren't even divorced yet!"

The Doctor was facing raw anger now, and he tried to combat it by saying, "You don't understand!"

"Too right I don't! So why don't you go ahead and explain it to me," Ben goaded. "Try saying it in words of two syllables or less, if need be. What is so wrong with Mum?"

"Nothing. There is nothing wrong with her, it's all me!" the Doctor raged back. "She's almost too perfect, as usual," he continued in a much calmer voice. "But me…," he stated, hitting himself in the chest, "I'm this washed up ex-rocker has-been who doesn't even make music anymore. My childhood friend died, taking all of that creativity with him; everything we ever were. Leaving this poor pathetic excuse of a man behind. I was so depressed, hiding myself away in this flat at every opportunity; and then I met Rose. She brought sunshine back into my life. Before I even knew it, I had fallen in love and proposed. It all happened in a whirl."

"How wizard! You must be chuffed. What about now, having lived with this decision for a couple of months?" Ben pressed, still fuming. "Are you still serious about her, or has your midlife crisis started to wane at long last?"

Angered by the 'midlife crisis' slur, the Doctor wondered, "Why do you ask?"

"Because you obviously still feel something for Mum. Don't deny it. Can't you see how mad this is? It's ridiculous! The hugging on the settee, the midnight phone calls; and don't think that I wasn't aware you've been having secret conversations with her! If you love Rose so bloody much you want to break the family up, why in God's name are you flirting with Mum and wanting to get her into bed at every opportunity? It isn't the other way around, I've noticed. I've not even seen you cuddle Rose once beyond that hug in the hospital, let alone attempt to kiss her, but I've caught you several times trying it on with Mum."

Caught out, the Doctor merely responded, "Ah…!"

"Don't 'ah' me!" Ben was on a roll now and he wasn't going to stop until he had vented everything. "Are your feelings for Rose strong enough to continue being engaged, or are you only holding on out of some weird sense of duty?"

There was a deep sigh from his father. "I don't honestly know, Ben. I'm so sorry; but I still care deeply for your mother."

"Then for God's sake do us all a favour and break off the engagement!" Ben spat, adding in an irate digit stabbed towards his father in order to press home his point. "For all our sakes, please give it serious thought and end this madness."

The Doctor nodded as the logic of his son's words hit him. "I will," he promised.

There was a crash at the kitchen door, and it swung open to reveal Rose stumbling through. "What was all the shouting about?"

"Oh, nothing," the Doctor insisted. "Did you have a nice nap? Go into the lounge and I'll make you a cup of tea."

She pulled a face. "Can I have a coffee instead? I've gone off tea a bit."

"Certainly," he pleasantly complied. "I'll bring it in to you in a minute."

Ben wanted to rant about his personal time with his dad being ruined by Rose's appearance, but plan B materialised in his head and a mischievous grin spread across his face. So he sauntered into the other room after Rose and pulled out his phone to ring his sister.

Pretending to ignore Rose watching the television, he spoke clearly once Jenny answered. "It's me. What you doing? I'm at Dad's making the most of this place while I can. You know why! I thought you did; I could have sworn you did. Anyway, Dad will lose the lot once the divorce goes through; he won't be worth a penny since all of it was signed over to Mum years ago."

Rose slightly turned her head and she feigned interest in the programme on the telly as she strained her hearing to listen to every word he said.

Good! The plan was working.

"Who you talking to?" the Doctor asked as he entered carrying two mugs of coffee.

"Jenny," Ben readily supplied. "I was just telling her about the flat and what'll happen to it."

"Oh yes," the Doctor sadly acknowledged as he remembered the conversation with Donna earlier that day. "Ask her if there's anything here of hers that she might need you to rescue for her for the time being."

"Right oh." Ben returned his attention to his phone. "Did you hear that? Good. Just let me know before I go back home, and I'll speak to you later. Okay, I'll say hello to Rose for you."

"Why would I want you to do that?!" Jenny near shrieked down the phone. "Just make sure she heard what you said. Bye, Ratface!"

"Bye!" Sourpuss, he tacked silently on to the end. He then turned his huge grin on to his father. "She sends her usual love."

The Doctor stopped himself from rolling his eyes in exasperation. As if Jenny would say such a thing! And there was something extremely suspicious going on between his children. He would have to tread carefully for the next couple of hours.

~o~

Ben stayed for another hour or so, sharing a meal the Doctor prepared; and then it was home time, for both Ben and Rose. The Doctor had had enough of their strained company as the pair of them refused to exchange anything beyond the merest pleasantries. However, driving Rose home to her mother's later proved to be the perfect end to an emotional day for them both.

~o~