A/N: over 50 followers now, I'm blown away! Thanks everyone and for reviews and favourites as well. Also a big thanks to Godric'sGrl01 for volunteering to fix my bad spelling. She's going over the entire story slowly, currently up to chapter 5 has been updated and spelling fixed.
Disclaimer: I do not own or have anything to do with the production of Doctor Who. If I did suddenly wake up and did own it I'd make Matt kiss Billie in the 50th special ;)
Chapter 9
Rassilon, Rossadelaser, Irving Braxiatel and Rose arrived on earth in Rose and Brax's home universe with dimensionally transcendental packs and creates full of supplies. But they were not alone; waiting for them was a woman with curly blond hair who was smiling knowingly at them.
"Hello Sweeties."
"Who by Rassilon are you?" Brax asked then looked at Rassilon sheepishly, "sorry."
"Oh don't worry I'm quite used to it by now."
Rose laughed, "Still irks you a little though." Rose looked over at the woman who met them here. "Hello River nice to finally meet you."
River looked confused, "Okay this is definitely the first time we've met, and you've only just arrived back in this universe. How did you know who I am?"
"A certain sexy blue TARDIS told me all about you long before we got here Melody Williams." She didn't mind mentioning she could talk to TARDIS in front of everyone here, Rassilon and Ross already knew and she'd be willing to bet Brax did too, he reminds her of The Doctor in the way both of them never miss anything but pretends to be oblivious to everything; and as for River she was a child of the TARDIS, just like her and Rassilon are, so she probably already knew as well.
"That doesn't surprise me, if I hadn't grown up with you, she'd have told me all about you as well. Very chatty TARDIS she is." She handed Rose a package. "ID for all of you. Your name is Rose Smith, Rassilon is your older brother Ralph Tyler and Rossadelaser is a year younger since he looks young in that body, also your brother named Ross-"
"Oh come on, do I have to still be Ross? My name is Rossadelaser it means 'stone skipping over the water' Ross in common Gallifreyan means 'fish'."
"It's that or Harry Potter."
Rose laughed and Ross glared. "Oh come on its a common human name, it means headland, much better than fish."
"Fine. Not as if I'm not already used to it."
"Brax is William Smith, your Rose's brother-in-law." She gave him a conspiratorial wink and Brax smirked knowingly at her, and Rose couldn't help but feel like she's missing something.
"What about my husband then?"
"Your husband John and you are separated but not divorced. He's travelling."
This did it for Brax he burst out laughing.
"What?"
"He never told you did he?" Brax asked
"Who told me what?"
"The Doctor, you're married to him."
"I'm what!?"
"The first thing I noticed about you is his mark on you. It's why I trusted you right away."
"Mark!"
"Well it's always been obvious you two are bonded, how could you not know?" Ross asked curiously.
"Well I've spent enough time on Gallifrey to know the spark of electric I always feel when we touch means he's my soulmate but I had no idea we have a mental bond. We certainly never had a bonding ceremony. I'd remember that."
"You've never met a truly bonded couple. The ceremony is only necessary for politically arranged marriages. The actual mental bond is rare now, but when initiated just as binding. Actually more so, can't break the bond," Ross explained.
'Bad Wolf' the TARDIS spoke up to her as an explanation of when it happened.
"Oh I know how it happened now, but I was human then, and I've only seen him once briefly since becoming telepathic. How was I to know? Although he's got some major explaining to do once we catch up to him." Then Rose looked at Brax, "how does that make you my brother-in-law? That's very specific, it would have been easier to make you another brother or cousin."
Brax gave her a winning smile, "was waiting to see how long it takes you to figure it out. The Doctor is my little brother, well half brother anyway, we've the same mother but different fathers."
"That certainly explains a lot," Rose muttered.
"In here are deeds and keys to your house in Leadworth starting in 1987, Rose inherited a fortune from an aunt who left almost everything to her and a little to her brothers, and you all decided to move to a small country town away from the city. Also there is Vortex Manipulators in there one set to bring you to your new home base so you can unload your stuff; the others will take you to an orphanage in Florida 1969; you need to rescue me as a six year old girl from The Silence while The Doctor and my parents unwittingly provide a distraction, but you can't let any of the three of them see you. I'm dying because of experiments they have been performing on me since I was a baby, I'm going to regenerate, you need to get me out before that happens and bring me back to Leadworth and after I regenerate I'll be Melody Jones, Rose's foster daughter, all the paperwork is included."
"Why Leadworth in the eighties?" Rassilon asked.
"Because it's the closest you can all bring me to being with my parents, they are there as kids, Amelia Pond and Rory Williams. That's about all I can tell you, just remember to set this all up and send me here to close and open this circular paradox in the future."
Before anyone could ask anymore questions River Song was gone having used her own Vortex Manipulator.
They drew straws on who gets to go rescue Melody, and Rossadelaser got the shortest straw so he gets to setup base. Upon arrival at the orphanage they found things were not quite right. There were these strange aliens in a black suit and tie of all things and no one seems to notice them except herself and Rassilon.
Brax suddenly caught sight of one and froze, "what are they?"
"Something that shouldn't be in this dimension," Rassilon replied.
"Never seen them before," Rose added.
Brax looked away and then seemed to forget all about the aliens, "never seen what?"
"The aliens."
"What aliens?"
"But you were just pointing them out, don't you remember?"
"No." He caught sight of one again, "wow what is that?" He asked again.
"The aliens," Rose replied exasperated.
He looked away at Rose again and said, "what aliens."
"They're wearing black suits and are kind of grey, look like what people in this time period think of as the typical alien but taller. It seems every time you look away they somehow edit themselves out of your memory but it don't work on me because I can see loads of them and remember seeing them."
"Won't work on me either," Rassilon added. "Our brains work differently because we are children of the TARDIS. This isn't good. They should be sealed away in another dimension, I did so myself, and I'm sure I did so here as well; I'm the only one who could have released them."
"So you think the version of you from here must have done it before the time lock. But why?"
"Can only think of two reasons, one I'm insane and desperate, two to kill the Doctor to break the time lock."
"What you'd try and kill your own son?" Rose asked then added, "don't act so shocked it really wasn't hard to figure out. His mother comes to visit you once a year at least and you preen yourself like a peacock before she gets there. The Doctor is a womb born Gallifreyan born of Time Lord parents and you claim to have a child the natural way, never said had, always in present tense. Also you act so much alike."
"You're very clever and good at observing things, knew I couldn't keep it from you for long."
"Does he know?"
"He knows. He's always been afraid of turning into me, going insane. I am so changed now I can never imagine doing anything to harm my son, and I actually feel guilty for what an alternate version of me has done. But you know what I was like when we first met, and imagine the madness brought on by the Time War; I must be a million times worse. So the answer is no 'I' wouldn't but this universe's version of me wouldn't bat an eyelash about it."
"What are they?" Brax asked softly.
"Toclafane, the beings behind the myth. They don't like Time Lords because of the mental buzzing, the telepathic connection all Time Lords share, which means these perception filters I made to block The Doctor is actually working; but getting off topic, the Toclafane hate us because that low level telepathic field creates a buzzing in their heads that is irritating. They tried to wipe us out before to silence the noise; at least a crazy sect of them did, they called themselves The Silence. I had guessed that it was the same Silence but seeing the Toclafane here just proves it."
"Well we can't just leave a little girl here with them lets get her out of here," Brax suggested.
They got their chance not long after. The Doctor's companions showing up distracted the Silence, and the companions in turn were distracted by the Silence. Rose found the little girl who had been running around scribbling 'get out' on the walls and said, "hello Melody. I'm Rose; this is Brax and Rassilon. We're here to help."
"I escaped from the suit but now I think I'm dying."
"It's going to be okay sweetie, just hold my hand and come with me."
The young girl looked at her and then making a decision took her hand. Rose gave the signal and they used their Vortex Manipulators and arrived in Leadworth 1987 where Ross was unpacking things.
Melody gave a bit of a giggle when she saw Ross pull an object out of one of the crates that was six times bigger than said crate, but stopped and winced holding her stomach like it hurt.
"It's OK sweetie, your going to be fine," Rose said kneeling down in front of her but was now careful not to touch her.
Ross looked up from what he was doing and noticed them for the first time; he was absorbed in his work before. "What's wrong with her?" He walked up but Rose stopped him from touching.
"She's been heavily experimented on and is dying."
Brax punched a nearby wall in anger, "who would do something like that to a kid?"
"It burns," Melody said starting to cry.
"Have you ever heard the story of the Phoenix?" Rassilon asked kneeling beside Rose and continued when she nodded, "the Phoenix dies by bursting into flames, but from it the Phoenix is also reborn. I need you to be a good little Phoenix for me and let it go and be born anew, don't be scared we're all here for you."
"It hurts," she sobbed.
"I know my little Phoenix but it will hurt more the longer you hold it in. Trust me I've done it loads of times before, all of us here have at least once. It will be better after I promise."
Melody nodded and let go as she burst into the golden fire of regeneration. When she was done she was now a young black girl but looked healthier. "That- new teeth that's odd and my accent. I'm the wrong colour!"
"You look perfect to me sweetie," Rose told her smiling.
"I feel weird."
"Your still regenerating, you'll be feeling strange for a bit."
Rassilon picked the girl up who squealed but in an exuberant sort of way. "Come on Phoenix, best get you a bedroom. You need to get some sleep after that, and you can tell me what you want to do with your room while you settle down."
When he and Melody disappeared upstairs Brax and Ross turned and looked at Rose, it was Ross who finally spoke, "how did she regenerate? She should be too young and she hasn't looked into the Untempered Schism."
"I'm not entirely sure, I know it has something to do with being exposed in utero to the background radiation of the TARDIS, but other than that my best guess is all the experiments they did on her." Rose sighed. "Have you found the medical kit yet? She's going to need tannins."
"No but there is tea in the kitchen."
"Better get on with it then," Rose replied and headed to the kitchen to make tea.