A/N: My book is actually published now! This is a weird feeling :o It's called 'Zeek Kim'lo: The Fifth Best Detective Agency in the Universe' and is avaliable internationally on Amazon for Kindle and paperback. Isn't that just so strange? :P

Tiny smattering of smut towards the end of this one! This is also the longest denouement in history :P

Chapter 34 - Having A Party

The Doctor had moaned but nobody had paid any attention when Brax finally got him into the scanner to check him. He was given a clean bill of health, before being promptly wrestled to a bed by Martha to redo the bandages on his leg as Rose had her scan.

'How's Zak doing?' the Doctor wondered, looking at the next bed. His echo just laid there, intubated and covered in tape.

'He's fine, he's in an induced coma to stop his brain swelling,' Martha told him, her eyes turning a little hollow at the sight of Zak. 'There's a lot of damage, but Brax is positive that his Gallifreyan genetics should be able to sort everything out fairly fast, there doesn't seem to be anything long term, but we'll see.'

The Doctor noted her awkward look. 'What?'

'Sorry,' she said, smiling at him sheepishly. 'Last time I saw him like that, he'd tried to kill himself. I still thought he was you. It brings back the feelings.'

'Ah,' the Doctor muttered, looking at Zak again. 'I'm sorry for putting you all in that position.'

'I know. It doesn't matter. Just ... don't ever jump off of a roof, okay?'

'I'll try not to,' the Doctor jested as she finished bandaging.

'Do you need anymore painkillers?'

'No,' he replied, just as two children came running to him.

'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,' Leah said repeatedly, climbing up onto the bed and helping her brother up at the same time. She crawled to him and hugged him tightly. 'Can I tell you about Colossus Major now?'

The Doctor glanced at Martha, who smiled and moved away to check Zak.

'Go on,' he invited, looking back at his daughter.

'We got there, and people were being taken by Creipian spiders underground, but then Uncle Brax got taken, and then I jumped down the hole cos I was brave and Daddy, their nest was huge!' she explained at a million miles per hour, her hands stretching at wide as they could go to emphasise just how huge the nest was. 'Like, a billion miles wide! And the spiders were as big as Cretonix spaceships! I escaped cos I ran really fast and I had good shoes on, but the spiders got Uncle Brax, he got dragged away, but I wasn't screaming cos I wasn't scared!'

He laughed. 'Did you call pest control?'

'Yeah! But they said they'd gas the whole nest and and loads of people were down there, and I said, "no! You can't do that!" cos I wasn't gonna let 'em kill the people!' she said melodramatically. 'So me and Alex made rastinate all by ourselves, and by the time we got back everyone was being taken! I hadda tell 'em what to do and everything!'

'Did you tell them to get off of the ground?'

'Yeah, like you would! But then Alex got taken, so I went down into the nest and loads kept attacking me but I got through 'em all! I still wasn't scared!'

Her dad's eyes shot open, looking at Alex. 'Wait. What?'

She ignored him. 'Then I found Uncle Brax and Alex and I took 'em straight to the nest where the queen was. Then we made a plan and I ran up the queen's leg and we beat it! But … umm …. Alex is all right now, mmkay? See?' She pointed at the boy.

'No. What? Alex is okay ... now?' he echoed, checking his son, who was smiling happily.

'Yeah. He got poisoned, but Uncle Brax went and got future you and you fixed him,' Leah replied.

'No. Wait. Alex was poisoned by a Creipian spider ... how exactly?'

'When I was on the Queen's head getting the bomb on her …'

'What!?'

' … She grabbed me in her leg and I dropped the sonic, Alex ran to get it and blasted the Queen but one spider got him and bit him,' she said, pointing at Alex's leg.

'Show me,' the Doctor said. Alex promptly showed him the back of his leg, where there was a healed-up scar. 'Uncle Brax got me from the future?'

Leah nodded. 'You came and you fixed him.'

'Oh,' the Doctor muttered. 'I need a word with your Uncle ... He blocked off your bond to me, didn't he?'

'Yeah, and Alex. He thought you'd go mental.'

He nodded, and reached out to her and Alex's temples in turn. Leah suddenly smiled, holding her chest. 'You feel warmer than usual,' she told him, before she suddenly pulled a face and grabbed her leg.

'What's wrong?' the Doctor asked.

'My leg's gone all tingly and weird.'

Her dad smiled. 'Hey, you're starting to feel me,' he told her, indicating his heavily-bandaged thigh.

'The bond?' Leah asked, wide-eyed.

'Yep. Your connection with me is getting stronger as your brain matures,' he said.

'Wow!' Leah said. 'Hey, will I get a bond with Uncle Brax?'

'You want one?'

'Yeah. How do you make one?'

'By doing a ceremony, of sorts,' he answered.

'When can we do it?'

'Anytime, really,' the Doctor said. 'I'll talk to your uncle.'

Alex shuffled up to him, hugging him. 'Don't be angry, Daddy,' he said quietly.

'Yeah,' Leah said, still holding her leg. 'It wasn't Uncle Brax's fault, mmkay? Don't yell at him with that scary face you do.'

He half-smiled at that. 'I won't.'

After the Doctor, Rose and Seth had been scanned and Zak had been tended to, the Doctor piloted to Colossus Major to see Hunfrid.

The Doctor entered the tiny village on his own with a large black box under the arm not in a crutch, looking around. It was in the process of being rebuilt, with people constructing huts and others filling in holes in the ground. Of course, it didn't take him long to spot Hunfrid – the giant helping to move building materials for the villagers.

'Hunfrid!' he shouted. The giant turned, surprised, and frowned.

'Sorry,' the Doctor said quickly, realising his face-change since he last met Hunfrid. 'It's me, the Doctor.'

Hunfrid smiled. 'Doctor!' he greeted, walking to him. 'It is so good to see you.'

'Are you okay? Everything cleared up?' the Doctor asked Hunfrid.

Hunfrid nodded. 'Yes, thank you.'

'Anything I can do?'

'We are coping well, thank you. There were no fatalities, we are just filling up the caverns the spiders made. Your daughter was fantastic.'

The Doctor grinned. 'She is, isn't she? Nothing to do with me,' he joked, shrugging. 'I wanted to thank you for looking after her.'

'She looked after herself,' Hunfrid assured him.

'I also wanted to thank you for raising Leya,' the Doctor said. 'I know I sent her to you without any warning. But I knew she'd be safe here.'

'We were happy to have the privilege of raising her,' Hunfrid assured him. 'She was treated as a daughter of everyone in the village. Though I had feared that you had permanently died; I am relieved this is not the case.'

'Me too,' the Doctor joked. 'She's absolutely fine, she's helping to better the universe. The escape pod she came on that caused the spider infestation should be devoid of anything that could affect Colossus now, just let it lay there.'

Hunfrid nodded, and hesitated slightly. 'How … How is your son?'

The Doctor smiled. 'He's fine. Recovered.'

Hunfrid sagged, relieved. 'I am very happy to hear that. And thank you for coming when I asked.'

'You can ask for for anything, you know that,' the Doctor said. 'I owe you more than my life. Here.' He set down the large black box he was holding on the ground. 'This has a direct link to the Tardis. It's Hunfrid size. Call me anytime you need me. And I don't hand these out lightly.'

'Thank you,' Hunfrid said, picking up the box between thumb and forefinger to examine it.

'I'd better get back,' the Doctor said, gesturing to the TARDIS a little way behind him. 'I'll see you again.'

Hunfrid nodded. 'Good travels to you, Doctor.'

Everyone ended up congregating in the living area. Jack had taken his mind off of Zak by making himself busy with appropriating everyone's music players to show Seth some music. The teenager, who had never heard music before, perked up quite considerably, and the event had quickly developed into an impromptu party just after the children went to bed. Jack had, of course, quickly made drinks available, and configured the lights in 'party mode' himself. He could be very efficient for parties when he wanted to, the Doctor noted.

A few hours later, and most people were drunk and dancing. The Doctor and Brax were sat on the sofa, watching the humans making complete idiots out of themselves.

'Babya light up mah world like nobody elsh! The way that choo flip your hair getsh me overwhelmed! But when choo shmile at the ground it ain't hard ta-tell, choo don't know-oh-oh! YA DON'T KNOW YA BEAUTIFUL!' Rose screamed. 'NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA!'

'Is this normal!?' Brax shouted to his brother over the noise.

'Pretty much!' the Doctor responded, watching his wife in the middle of a series of violent dance moves. He looked at Brax. 'When were you going to tell me about Alex!?'

'What!?'

'Alex!'

Brax looked a bit guilty. He said something quietly, which the Doctor managed to decipher as a quiet apology. But before they got anywhere, Jack appeared.

'Hey!' the immortal said, dropping to sit next to him. 'Having fun!?'

'You're still sober!' the Doctor realised. 'Your blood must be about seventy percent proof!'

'Probably is!' Jack admitted. 'Hey, Rose was talking to me about you earlier! Well, she's not talking, she's more droning, but I speak drunk!'

'What was she saying!?'

'She said "I feel guilty for getting him shot"!' Jack replied. 'It was something like that, anyway! Either that or she wants the guttering insured!'

'But that's ridiculous!'

Jack just shrugged and stood up again. 'Just warning you! She's done the singing bit! She'll hit the crying bit soon! Then probably the sex bit! Then the unconscious bit! She's got a drunk process!'

'Thanks!' the Doctor yelled insincerely as he disappeared, and looked back at Brax, the song ending. 'Now you've had time to think.'

'I'm sorry,' Brax insisted.

'I don't mind now, because you saved him, but tell me upfront next time, would you?' the Doctor asked seriously.

'I will,' Brax replied, nodding as Taylor Swift started up.

The Doctor had to raise his voice again, his throat becoming raw. 'Oh, Leah, wants to bond with you!'

'What!?'

'Leah wants to bond with you!'

'Oh!'

'Do you want to!?'

'Of course, if she wants to!'

'Good!'

'Look, there's something you need to know!' Brax shouted.

'What!?'

'When I found your future self, he was –'

'Doctah!' Rose suddenly shrieked in delight, stumbling towards him and grabbing his hands. 'Come'n dansh!'

The Doctor shrugged and pointed at his leg, which was propped up on the table. 'Can't!' he replied.

'Awwh!' she said, dropping down to sit next to him, picking up his arm and holding it around her, snuggling into him. 'Am shorry!'

'What for!?'

'For gettin' you shot!'

'You weren't the one that shot me!' the Doctor insisted.

'But I wash in your body, 'n I got you shot cosh I didn't run fasht enough! Then I got you hung … hanged … hung!'

'I pretty shot they'd have shot me anyway!' the Doctor told her. 'And it's not like I haven't been hanged before!'

Rose looked up at his neck, which was still bit bruised. She ran her hand over it, before she began to tremble, and then abruptly started to sob.

'I love ya!' she said through tears. 'You're mah besht friend ana love choo sho mush!'

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. Across the room he could see Jack looking at him, smirking. He just rolled his eyes and kiss Rose's forehead impulsively.

'I jusht meshed up!' Rose sobbed.

'You didn't mess up anything! You were brilliant!' the Doctor insisted.

She looked up at him, her drunken eyes struggling to focus. She leaned forward and tried to kiss him, but mostly missed. To help her, he took her face gently and guided her lips to his. She stayed there, too drunk to even use her tongue. She tasted of Peach Schnapps, the Doctor noted. She finally seemed to accumulate enough energy to pull away from him, struggling upright and grabbing his arm, pulling him up and nearly falling over in the process. 'C'mon,' she said.

The Doctor looked at Brax, who shrugged and gestured for him to leave.

'Wait!' he said, and Brax obediently handed him his crutch. 'Thanks!' he said, and was quickly dragged out of the room and into the corridor. There Rose pushed him against the wall and cupped his face in both her hands. She kissed him again – this time with a little more success in her aim.

'Can we …?' Rose ventured, nodding to their room. 'Jusht us.'

'You're a bit drunk. Well, a lot drunk,' the Doctor amended. 'Let me get you a nullifier ...'

'Am fine,' she said, giggled, took hold of his tie and pulled him into their room.

He closed the door behind them, but Jack seemed to have devised a way to get the music pumping into the room. The Time Lord had no idea how to turn it off. But Rose barely seemed to notice the music, pushing him to sit down on the bed. Her push was so hard that he fell back completely and yelped as pain shot through his leg.

Rose's hand went to her mouth. 'Oh god, shorry!'

'S'ok,' he breathed.

'Dun't hafta do thish,' she said. 'Jusht shay you don't wanna if it hurshts.'

'No, I'm fine,' he insisted.

'Okay,' she said, moving to straddle him. She unhooked his tie and tried to undo the buttons on his shirt, but he ended up having to do them for her. After another struggle she pulled down his trousers, slipping in her hand to hold him as she began to kiss him, starting near his groin and working her way up to his neck, slowly. She gave him a drunken smile as she reached his face, one hand still holding him and the other buried in his chest hair. She kissed him fully on the lips, and moved to lick his earlobe.

Seconds later she stopped, and fell quiet.

'Rose,' he prompted as the music continued to blare.

She emitted a gentle snore from next to his right ear.

'You're asleep,' he realised out loud. 'You're actually asleep.'

She snored a bit more.

He groaned, trying to roll her off of him, but stopped abruptly when his leg flared with pain. It quickly became clear that she was in such a position that any movement was going to cause her to put a fair amount of her body weight on his leg.

He was stuck underneath her.

'Oh, Rose,' he moaned as she continued to snore. He sighed, at least managing to get her hand out of his boxers and her hair out of his face as for a moment he just laid there, staring at the ceiling, wondering what to do.

Finally, he decided to reach for her pocket to extract her phone, swallowing his pride and sending a message to the only person he felt he could rely on in this situation.

Help. D

He sent the message, and waited. Roughly thirty seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

'Doc?'

'Help,' the Doctor said, and the door opened.

Jack took one look at the situation, and immediately burst out laughing. 'Oh my god!' he cried.

'Jack!' the Doctor moaned. 'She passed out and I can't get her off. Stop laughing.'

The immortal didn't stop laughing, but he did pull off the unconscious human to allow the Doctor to move. The Time Lord managed to get up with a small moan of pain, redressing himself.

'I can't believe she actually enjoys being in this state,' the Doctor muttered, staring at his wife lying there, snoring and drooling slightly.

Jack shrugged, but didn't get the chance to say anything else as Martha suddenly appeared in the doorway in her pyjamas, holding her belly.

'Where's Mickey?' she asked weakly.

'At the party …' the Doctor said and frowned. 'Are you alright?'

'My waters broke a few hours ago,' she said. 'I've started contracting ... '

The Doctor nodded. 'We'll get you scanned. Jack,' he turned to the immortal, 'you'd better let Mickey know, and find someone who isn't drunk.'

Jack gave a mock salute, and left.

'Is Rose all right?' Martha asked seriously, staring at the woman.

The Doctor shrugged. 'Jack's having a party,' he said to explain everything, grabbed his crutch and moved forward. 'C'mon.'