A/N: yes, it's creeping into needing another chapter; sorry.

Part Ten

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The evening had gone to plan, with Geoff forming a firm friendship with Wilf before they had both gone home, and promising to ask if he could join the amateur astronomers group he belonged to. But what delighted Donna even more was the fact that the pair of them had been so friendly and interested in the Doctor. Her dad had never had the chance to properly meet him before, during the brief time spent at the wedding reception; nor had Gramps, come to that. Their visits home were always so fleeting. But now she could imagine what it would be like for the Doctor to be a proper husband to her, forging familial links that would strengthen over the years.

The Doctor had tried so hard too; keeping quiet as Geoff informed Wilf about various constellations, and explained why certain lenses had to be used. It was wonderful to watch them all together.

It came as a shock that it made her go all teary eyed when she'd had to explain the situation to Billy when he came in from Benny's.

Billy had asked, "Why was it so important to get Geoff and Wilf talking together? I don't understand."

She had taken a deep breath before confessing, "I need them to form a bond of friendship, because they will become sort of a father and son."

"You mean they're your family?" Billy had questioned in shocked tones. "I thought that wasn't allowed."

"In this case it was necessary," the Doctor defended the choice. "The timelines were fluctuating, and I can't let that happen. The timelines must converge on an event in the future; so Geoff and Wilf have to be a fixed point."

"What event?" Billy wondered.

"Ah," the Doctor replied enigmatically. He didn't want to add that Billy would not be alive to see it; that would be cruel. "Just wait and see."

The following lunchtime Donna was just finishing her hour helping out in the shop when Eileen appeared, looking rather apprehensive. "Hello," Donna cheerily greeted her, dampening down her desire to grab her grandmother and hug the living daylights out of her. "You look worried. Is there any way I can help you?"

Eileen instantly calmed down. "Oh Donna, love, there is, if you're willing to help me out. I'm supposed to be looking after our Margaret's boy this afternoon but I've got to go up the hospital and take some stuff in to Phyllis, because she's having…" Something was mouthed at this point that Donna strained to make sense of, but assumed was gynaecological. "It'd only be for an hour or so."

It didn't take her long to work out that Eileen was talking about Sylvia's cousin Margaret, and the boy was Tony, the brother of her yet-to-be-born second cousin Janice. Blimey! This'd be fun. "Okay, I think I can do that," Donna cautiously answered. "What time were you thinking of?"

Eileen positively beamed back at her. "I'll do him some lunch and then I'll bring him right over."

Pleased with the result, and the fact that Donna had almost volunteered to help, Eileen rushed out of the shop to collect and deal with Tony.

"Donna, is this wise?" the Doctor whispered once Eileen had left the shop. "You don't want to get too involved."

"Don't worry, Spaceman. I don't have much to do with Tony when I'm older; only his sister, so I can't do too much harm," she tried to confidently reply. "I'd better see if I've got anything to treat a kid," she added to herself as she wondered what food she could entice him with.

"Just be yourself," the Doctor advised. "And I'll be there to make sure he doesn't swallow anything he shouldn't from off the table top."

"You looking after Tony?" Sylvia suddenly asked Donna when she appeared from the kitchen with tea for them all. "Rather you than me. He can be a brat."

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Donna confidently defended him. She couldn't remember much about him, but she didn't remember Tony being brattish.

"Yeah, well, don't say I didn't warn you," Sylvia retorted. "Unless you can get him to talk about telescopes too like you did with that bloke in the leather jacket." When Donna raised an inquisitive eyebrow, Sylvia added, "Dad said that he met him last night."

"Oh! You mean Geoff!" Donna pretended to remember. "He's really lovely. I work with him down in the surveyors' office. He only wears the leather jacket in his spare time; the rest of the week he's in a suit."

That turned Sylvia's attention onto the Doctor for some reason. "Do you ever wear leather, John?"

His face was a picture of uncertainty. "I have done, when I was younger," he hesitantly answered, hoping that her question was purely about jackets. Surely she was too young to know about anything else?

"You wore leather?" Donna asked him seductively, and smoothed her hands over his chest. "Why didn't I know you then?"

"Because…" He grinned back, holding onto her waist and ignoring Sylvia's presence for the moment. Or was that using Sylvia's presence? "I stupidly didn't come looking for you first. Fortunately you haven't lost your chance, if we find something."

"Saucy!" Donna trailed her index finger across his lips.

"If you two oldies start snogging I shall throw up," Sylvia complained.

The Doctor merely smirked at her. "We can't have that; so I shall say goodbye to you, and we'll see you later."

Donna had finished washing up and was anxiously glancing over the flat, searching for possible child hazards, when Eileen knocked on the door.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Donna," Eileen gushed as she shoved a small boy in through the door before her. "I don't know what I would have done if you… Ooh, you've painted it all. Doesn't it look nice? Who did all this?"

"John and Billy did," Donna answered proudly. She noted how the boy had stood only just within the doorway, inquisitively observing the room. "And who is this?"

"This is Tony," Eileen said unceremoniously. "Mind that you behave yourself, young man!" she sternly warned the boy with a waggle of her index finger. "Or there'll be hell to pay."

"Yes, Auntie Eileen," Tony instantly reacted.

"None of your funny business," Eileen added; rather unnecessarily, in Donna's opinion, but she kept quiet. "I'll be off then, and I'll see you both later. If he gives you any lip just slap him one," Eileen advised Donna.

And then she was gone, leaving them facing each other in the sudden silence. He seemed to not know what to think of her as he stood warily on the rug, breathing in shallow bursts.

Bending down slightly, Donna softened her voice as she told him, "Hello. I'm Donna and I'm very distantly related to you; but you won't have met me before."

He still said nothing, but stood silently; as though he was waiting for the axe to fall.

"We can do some drawing, read a book, make a cake, or you can explore the box of gadgets my husband has left us. What would you like to do?" she asked as pleasantly as she could.

"You've got no telly," he noted forlornly.

"No, sorry. We can't afford one. We've got the radio if you want to listen to it," she offered.

Tony shook his head. "No thank you." He contemplated the room again. "What's that thing on the table?"

Ah, a breakthrough. "It's a recording device. Would you like to try it out?"

His face was eager for a few seconds, and then it fell. "Does it break easy?" he wondered.

"Depends what you do to it. But normally if you treat things okay they don't fall to pieces," she reasoned. "Let's have a look."

She led him over to the table and gestured for him to sit down on one of the dining chairs. "You sit there, and I'll record you saying something."

"What should I say?" His big blue eyes pleaded with her.

"Let's see…" She tried to think of something a young boy would be knowledgeable about as she switched the recorder on. "Do you know any jokes?"

"No," he answered sadly.

"Oh come on! You must know one. I bet you know loads that would make me groan." She smiled encouragingly at him as he remained quiet. "What is a bird after it is nine days old?"

"I don't know," he admitted, stunned that he didn't. "What is it?"

"Ten days old!" Donna declared.

The boy burst into giggles. "That's silly!" he protested.

"I didn't say it couldn't be; I just wanted you to make me groan at your jokes," she retorted playfully.

"Okay, what's big, red, and eats rocks?" he asked her gleefully.

"Ooh, you've got me there. What is big, red and eats rocks?" she asked in return.

"A big red rock eater!" he practically squealed, and laughed at his lame joke as Donna groaned dramatically.

By the time the Doctor walked in through the door they had exchanged several more groan-worthy jokes, and were giggling inanely. "Surely you aren't forcing your jokes on him, Donna," he teased. "That's child cruelty."

"Shut it, you!" she playfully bit back. "Tony, this is my husband, John. He made this machine."

"What machine are you showing him? Oh, the recorder," the Doctor noted as he eyed the table. "Have you been trying it out for me?"

"Yes. Do you want to play it back and show Tony," she suggested.

He grinned. "Why not?"

He quickly covered the two steps to the table, where Tony had gone back to his previous stony silence as he eyed this new person with caution. The Doctor then swivelled part of the machine towards Tony and pressed a button.

A small monitor burst into life showing Tony giggling with delight as the gap between his front teeth clearly showed up. "That's me!" he announced with surprise. "You've got a little telly in it!"

"Oh it does more than that," the Doctor boasted. "Watch this."

A press of another button had Tony talking with a Chipmunk voice; and another button had him doing everything backwards.

"That is weird!" Tony beamed at the Doctor with new found affection.

"I dunno. I keep him entertained for an hour, you waltz in, press one button…," Donna pretended to gripe.

The Doctor caught hold of her, and gave her a brief consoling kiss. "Stop grizzling woman and make me some tea."

"Did you…? No! Did you hear him, Tony?" She looked at the boy as he watched them with keen interest. "He thinks he can come in and demand tea! I ask you; is that the way to carry on?"

Tony was loving this show of affection. "No, Auntie Donna," he answered as he bounced up and down in his seat.

"What should we do to punish him?" she asked.

"Erm… he should make the tea!" he gleefully decreed.

"Ganged up on in my own home," the Doctor complained. "Did you want tea as well, Tony?" he asked as he turned to grab the kettle.

"Yes please, Uncle John!" Tony didn't catch the shocked expression on the Doctor's face. He was too busy investigating the buttons on the recorder.

Donna smirked at the Doctor's pleased face and brought out some biscuits to go with their tea. It was no surprise when Tony's attention swapped to the treat. "You can have one now, and save the rest for when we have our tea," she instructed him.

"Thank you, Auntie Donna," he gulped out as he bit into a biscuit.

She sighed in contentment, watching Tony swinging his foot as he played with the recorder.

"You miss all this," the Doctor quietly commented as he stood next to her.

"Yeah, I do," she admitted. "I've never minded looking after other people's kids. I used to do a lot of it at one time."

"Auntie Donna, can I draw you a picture?" Tony suddenly asked.

"Of course you can," she brightly answered. "Hang on and I'll find you some paper."

By the end of the next hour three pictures carefully drawn by Tony were proudly displayed on the mantelpiece; and they were all saddened when Eileen knocked on the door to take Tony away with her.

"Come back any time that you like!" Donna called out to Tony as he was led down the stairs. And then she slunk into the flat.