Tony's shove knocked Robbie back two steps, but he quickly straightened. "I'm telling what you did," he threatened, then turned to race the steps down to the landing. When he looked back, Tony was following him, clutching his most prized possession. He was horror stricken to see his remote TARDIS in Tony's hand. No other child in the entire world had a toy anything like his magic box. Daniel made up stories of great adventures occurring because of that box and now -Tony wouldn't give it back.
Robbie tried to be nice. He said please, but Tony stuck his tongue out. He promised not to mess with the special car park that Daniel had built for Tony as a Nollaig present. Tony ignored him swooshing the toy through the air, racing down the stairs, threatening its very safety. Now, here they stood. Robbie clinched his fists, trying to control the rising tide of fury sweeping through him, making his little heart beat wildly. His eyes narrowed and his lip curled. "Give. It. Back," he growled. "My dad made it just for me."
"He's not your dad. You don't have a dad. I knew Uncle Daniel first. He's not even supposed to be with you, he's supposed to be with me and my sister. You took my Uncle Daniel. I'm taking this!"
"He is my dad. You were my friend, give it back!"
"No, it's in my room, that makes it mine. You smell and you're stupid. You can't even read right. My friend Albie says you're retarded. Go away!"
Robbie opened and closed his fist; tears streaked his face. He didn't even know Albie. How could someone he didn't even know call him that name? A boy called him that word once in Glesga because he couldn't tie his shoes. He stepped closer to Tony, growling, "You. Take. That back."
"No! You stink and you're stupid!" Tony yelled back.
"Oi!" Jackie stood at the head of the stairs still in her pyjamas with hair sticking out everywhere. "What's going on down there? People are still sleepin'. Why isn't Mr…."
Neither boy heard her as she started down the stairs and all Jackie heard, before a full out brawl started, were three little words - 'take it back' followed by something that stunned her and horrified Robbie. His only friend smashed the toy TARDIS against the floor. Halfway down the staircase, Jackie's anger turned to horror, when Robbie's little fist flew straight into Tony's face. She wasn't sure who was the most shocked that blood gushed from her son's nose, Robbie or Tony. Robbie stood gob-smacked as Tony's wails filled the hallway. "Robbie Filson, what have you done?!"
He looked up at her rushing toward him and panicked. "It's not my fault," he cried, grabbing the only piece of his toy left and ran, not caring adult voices were telling him to stop.
The frigid air spurred him to run the path to the guest house faster, desperate to reach the arms of his mum. He burst through the door, colliding with legs that were immediately kicked. Howie's yelp went ignored as Robbie screamed, "Dad! Mum!"
"Robbie!" Nora's stunned voice cut through the haze of fury, as she grabbed her hysterical son up. "Where's your coat? It's bloody frigid outside."
"Howie," Daniel stopped in the kitchen doorway, nodded toward front door as he headed for his chair so that he could hold Robbie.
"I'll find out what happened," Howie answered, grabbing his coat.
"I hate him. Hate. Him. I want to go home right now," he sobbed against Nora's chest.
"Baby boy," Daniel huffed. "What happened?"
"I hate Tony. He broke it! I asked him nice. I said please and everything"
Nora wrapped her crying son in her arms. "It's all right sweetheart. Calm down, you don't hate anyone, you are just very angry," Nora reassured him.
"No, Mum. He said Dad belonged to him and Rose."
"It's all right. Breathe, sweetheart," she crooned as she carried him to Daniel's outstretched arms, just as Addie and Jackie both rushed in.
"Robbie," Addie called, coming through the door, followed by Jackie. Both women looked as if they had been ill. "Robbie, love, it's all right, Miss Jackie didn't mean to yell.
"Get away, I want my mum and dad. Please, Mum."
"Addie, Jackie, what happened?"
"I'm really sorry. We slept late and the boys got out of hand," Jackie filled in. "Pete had to threaten something worse than the naughty corner to get the truth. Seems he took Robbie's toy, called him a name and Robbie punched Tony in the nose."
"He said I stink and I'm retarded 'cos I don't read very well. He said Daniel's not my dad and I don't have a dad. I told him to stop but he wouldn't take it back."
"Oh baby boy," Daniel crooned, cuddling Robbie to his chest.
"He broke my TARDIS, Dad. He said it was his and he smashed it to bits."
"What did you do?"
"I…."
"Robbie, what did you do?" Daniel prodded gently.
"I punched him good," Robbie mumbled against Daniel's chest.
"Wow, punched him. You must have been really mad at me," Daniel offered.
Robbie sat up completely confused. "I'm not mad at you, Dad."
"Are you sure? I mean, we came here for a party and then I got hurt. We've been stuck here now for over a month. You don't have your school or your friends or even Finn to help you stay calm. Tony has had his house and his bedroom invaded, having to share his mum and dad when he didn't want to. I think you are both are fed up and this morning your tempers flared."
"I want to go home, Dad. I want Mum and you and Nana Addie and me to all go home today," he sobbed.
Nora knelt next to the chair, rubbing Robbie's back. "Honey, we can't." Robbie curled as tight as he could against Daniel's chest, burying his face into his shoulder, his tears turning the woollen jumper wet.
"Jackie," Daniel asked, "can you bundle Tony up and bring him over?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess we expected them to just keep getting on. Things were bound to come to a head sooner or later. At least it's today and not at the wedding hall." Jackie turned to retrieve her own little trouble maker.
"He broke it to bits, Dad," Robbie sobbed.
"It's okay, baby boy, it's Saturday. We'll get Pete to take us to a hobby shop and we'll get the parts to rebuild it. That's what the TARDIS does every once in a while. She changes everything on the inside."
"It won't be the same, though."
"No, it will be different and that might be better."
Moments later, a red faced little boy returned with, not one, but two parents. Robbie tightened his grip on Daniel, refusing to even look at Tony. The words 'you're retarded' resounded over and over in his head. The betrayal was too much to bear. Daniel eased him upright, gently wiping his tears away before beckoning Tony over. "Now, my leg still hurts and pretty much all the grown-ups except me and Nora have bad headaches, so there will be no yelling, okay?" He lifted Tony to his lap.
"So, Tony, that's quite a red nose you got there?"
"He hit me and made it bleed." Tony poked a finger at Robbie.
"Yeah, that was the wrong thing for him to do. He's sorry, you know."
"No, I'm not!"
Daniel ignored Robbie for just a second, wiping Tony's tears away instead. "What else happened - before, I mean, what made im so angry? Everyone told me you two were best mates."
Tony sniffled, then dropped his head. "I took his special ship because he played with my car park. The one you made me for Nollaig."
"Oh, did you ask him not to?"
"No, not 'zactly."
"Hmm. What about the thing with me and Rose?"
Tony's head came up again, his tears spilling over again. "You came here with her and you played with me. You always played with me, but not any more. You don't love us any more."
"Oh, squirt, that's not true. I'm so sorry that I've been so caught up with getting well that you and Robbie sort have got pushed aside. I love you very much."
"We were supposed to be a family. Don't you love Rose any more?"
Daniel swallowed and looked up at the adults. All of them looked decidedly uncomfortable and guilty. His eyes settled on Nora, who smiled. This was the very conversation that he'd shelved at three in the morning and now, a five year old had shoved it up from the abyss. Daniel took a breath, stalling for time. He felt everyone's eyes boring into his head. There were still so many tiny little holes in his memory. Two little faces looked at him, expecting the right answer. "Tony, Rose is my dearest friend, but what I feel for Nora is different. You have your mum and dad and your sister, that's your family. I'm like the crazy uncle that comes to visit. Robbie has his mum, his grandparents and Nana Addie. Don is the crazy uncle that comes to visit him. Together, we all love each other and that makes us one big family. Robbie - is like your cousin, do you understand? I will always love you and we will always be part of one family."
"But you won't marry Rose, will you?"
"No honey, tomorrow, I marry Nora. You'll carry our rings up the aisle and Robbie will stand with us so he can give his mother in marriage. Then - we'll have a party. Think you two can shake hands like the cousins you are?"
Tony glanced sheepishly at Robbie, then stuck his hand out. "Sorry. I - lied about Albie, he never said you were stupid."
Robbie hesitated and then glanced at Daniel, who nodded. "I'm sorry I punched you. I want to be your cousin. I don't have a cousin
"Me either."
Daniel stopped halfway to the car, taking a moment to enjoy the clear sky and fresh cold air. Images of the Ood home-world flashed through his head, leaving him half expecting a rocketship to fly overhead and to see Donna standing next to him. The shouts of two little boys snapped him back to the here and now in time to see Robbie doing his best to connect a snowball on a zig-zagging Tony. The ability of kids, regardless of their species, to bounce back from the edge of childhood wars never ceased to amaze him. A snowball splattered against a tree just above Robbie's head, eliciting a playful shout. Daniel glanced at the snow shovelled off the walk, considering the logistics of balancing on his crutches long enough to snatch a handful to lob a snowball of his own. The thought left as quickly as it came. Watching Tony fall on his backside reminded him that falling on his arse the day before his wedding wasn't the best idea. He didn't want Nora upset that he hadn't, as she put it, used all due diligence and caution whist in charge of the boys. He chose to ignore that Jackie and Addie left three men in charge of him whilst the women trudged off for final fittings.
He still didn't get the whole going off for final dress fittings thing. A woman put on a dress and either it fit or it didn't. They were even having a rehearsal for the wedding. Nora explained that she wanted a proper dress with a proper wedding, not the drab dress and quick stop at the clerk's office she had with Ian. After all the stress he'd put her through, if that bit of domestic life made her happy, he would do nothing to ruin it. Supervising the boys (with Howie and everyone's help) was the least that he could do. The words 'I don't do domestic' echoed in the back of his mind, like a half forgotten dream. The thought brought a reflective smile. If the Doctor could only see him now, he'd fall in the snow laughing - and then he'd run.
"Come on, you two," he called. "Pete and Don are waiting."
"This - is a mistake," Howie grumbled, making sure to stay close enough to Daniel to catch him if, or more likely, when a crutch slipped whilst he was hobbling toward the limousine.
"I'm fine; you're the one who looks like a Scotsman for a change. I believe you called it all pale and pasty," Daniel quipped. "We do the wedding thing and then we make a quick trip to the hobby store. It's just what those two need. I can rebuild Robbie's TARDIS and get something for Tony as well."
"I still can't believe Robbie punched him like that. He's always so quiet," Howie mused, watching the boys race for the car.
"Robbie can really kick off when he's stressed. He's been uprooted twice in the last few months, heard people tell him I might not remember him, or worse, die. Tony's had his home invaded by virtual strangers; heard things about me and Rose not working out. I mean they're five and six years old. It's too much. Think about it, it's too much for us."
"Yeah, well you just watch where you put the bloody crutches. You fall and the women will show all of us the meaning of - itoo much/i. Mr Tyler had your chair in the boot just in case you get tired."
Daniel huffed at the idea. "I don't need the bloody chair," he growled, tired of being treated like an invalid. He didn't need a wheelchair; he needed to feel like himself again. He flashed a cheeky smile at Howie and swung his cast through with his next step. Despite the cold air, beads of perspiration formed on his forehead just at the edge of his woollen beanie. By the time he reached the car, he was breathless, and the boys were waiting both grinning at him. "All right, you two hold my crutches whilst I slide in and then you get in, got it? Howie is sitting next to Pete and Don. Remember, they have sore heads, so no shouting, right?"
"Uncle Daniel?"
"Yes Tony," Daniel answered as he sat on the edge of the car seat. Even though he couldn't see Pete being driven anywhere, he had to admit there was an advantage to the huge car. Howie held his leg as he scooted in, until his back rested against the other door.
"Are we still in trouble?"
"Not with me, but Don is coming with us too, so I wouldn't act up. Robbie?" he cautioned.
Robbie tossed a look at Tony, then smiled. "I'm good, Dad, really."
The car was uncharacteristically quiet as Pete turned from the mansion's driveway to the main road. The pristine snow covering the grounds rapidly gave way to a grey mess bordering each side of the road. The boys sat glued to the windows. Neither had ever seen so much snow shoved off to the sides of the road. Daniel loved watching their faces. They had the same look of incredulity that he remembered on the faces of every friend the Doctor took into space. It would be at least a couple of years before he would have the same pleasure with his family. The time would be agonizing, but so worth it. Between the warmth of the car and generally feeling tired, his eyes drifted closed imagining their expressions the first time he opened the doors of the TARDIS to show them what Earth looked like from space.
Giggles brought him back. "You fell asleep, Dad," Robbie laughed. "And you talked in your sleep."
"Did I?" Daniel answered. "That's annoying. Did I say anything good?"
"I don't know, it was all mumbly. Howie says he's not surprised. He said you should be havin' a nap."
"Uncle Daniel, you gonna stop havin' to take so many naps soon?"
"I hope so. Seems my energy isn't quite up so don't make me chase you, hey?" Daniel looked at the neighbourhood they were passing through. It had an oddly familiar feel. Parallel or not, there were so many similarities in this city to the London that the Doctor had called home. It was almost unnerving the way the odd sound or house tickled the back of his memory. The architecture of the homes and buildings on the next street Pete turned on sent a rush of adrenaline. The image of a woman, dressed in garb of an eighteenth century woman invaded his thoughts. He could hear her voice calling to him… "Pete," Daniel called. "Where are we? What street is this?" He felt an overwhelming urge to run. He had no idea why his heart began racing.
"Henrietta, we're about six blocks from Ealing Abbey."
"Pull over!" Daniel ordered, suddenly and inexplicably finding it difficult to breathe.
"Daniel, you have to be kidding." Don turned to look at him.
"Pull over. Right there in front of the Georgian house. I need to get out. Please."
"Daniel, I'm not stopping," Pete replied.
"Pull the bloody car over, now!"
Pete growled, but pulled the car to a stop next to a kerb that someone had cleaned. Don leapt from the car, to wrench open the door. Daniel wasn't sure if the man would help him or toss him on the sidewalk, but he was already scooting to the edge to make his escape. He balanced on one leg while he adjusted his crutches and hopped to the sidewalk, compelled to hobble to the iron fence surrounding an old Georgian brick home. The image in his head made him suck a deep breath in. Scantily dressed women cavorted in a room that at best would be considered garish. In the midst of the laughing, one woman stood out. Daniel half smiled as he watched the house. A man with a face not his own, sat in chair reading, ignoring the women in black dresses with red trim. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of the memory.
"Cuz, what's wrong? You're scaring the boys and you're making Pete wonder if he should call Marcus."
"Sorry, I just had to get out, to breathe," Daniel panted. "Her name was Scarlette."
Don's hand hovered, but he'd seen enough panic attacks to know sometimes touching made things worse. "Who?" he asked when Daniel's breathing settled and his grip on the fence eased.
"I saw her - when we turned, I saw her. She…. For a man who hated domestics, he married a lot, but the last one - her name was Scarlette. She ran … a house of … you know." He arched an eyebrow. "It looked just like this place. It was on Henrietta Street in London, his London - on Earth Prime, at the tail end of the eighteenth century. Scarlette let him move in when he was stranded. They got married."
"Daniel, I wish I understood half of what the hell you're talking about."
Daniel huffed. He wished he knew what he was talking about. "He liked his wives, all of them in his own way. He probably loved them, but he always lost them. Don, I had a family - a sister - sort of. She was a clone, a child of a machine. He rejected her too, in the beginning, but she wormed her way in. Just as soon as he accepted that she was his, a maniac killed her. That's one reason I think he couldn't stand to look at me." Daniel had no idea why tears stung his eyes. He wiped them away in embarrassment.
"I know if he could, he would have accepted you too."
"No - no he wouldn't, he couldn't. The two of us in one universe would have been a disaster. I can remember the most ridiculous things about his life, like this house, but I spent ten minutes the other day trying to figure out why people would crush up teeth and use it to clean their teeth. Don't laugh, ask Howie. He had to explain it. When we turned on this street, I remembered him marrying Scarlette and what happened when he left. I can remember him with kids. I remember him holding a baby. He even adopted one. He was a … crap dad, but not so bad as a granddad and even a great granddad. He just had this overwhelming … need to run."
"And you don't…"
"Oh no, I do - it's just …. When I came here, I wanted to be just as different from him as I could, but things keep pulling me back to him. I mean, we turn a corner on an entirely different world, and there he is. What if it's a curse or a warning? God, I'm mental. Cracking my head open has left me bloody mental."
"You're not mental. The question should be - why aren't you mental? Daniel, I've talked to Rose about you a lot since the truth came out. She explained how you keep another man's memories inside your head. That you're not psychotic is a testament to how strong you are. Until your memory comes back, I think you will keep having these 'what the hell' moments. So, the next question is, are they scary enough that you want to delay getting married or not get married at all?"
The question stunned Daniel. "No, I can't breathe without Nora. I panic every time I wake up and she's not there. I can't imagine not having her. But that does bring up something else."
"What?"
"I remember Rose and me on the beach when we first got left. I know I was in love with her. I remember snogging her in the tunnel at Crystal's. I remember that night, but I can't remember why we aren't together or why I left for Scotland. I thought about asking her, and I thought about asking Nora, but then we …."
"Yeah, that's … that's not a good idea. All I know is that Rose loved him. You hold his memories, well most of them anyway, but -"
"I'm not him," he muttered.
"No, you're not, and she grieved hard for him. She's finally accepted that he's never coming back and she's starting to move on. I wouldn't dredge it all up again."
Daniel turned to face his friend. "Do you love her?"
"Don't go there, Cuz. It's - complicated."
"Does she love you?"
"No, no, I don't think she does. She likes me a lot, but no - she doesn't love me. Maybe sometime down the line, but right now - we are just close. That's about the best I can describe it. Rose isn't ready for another relationship."
"Do me a favour, Don?"
"What?"
"Be a better than I think I was, 'cos I think I was a crap friend."
"You would be wrong. Daniel, for as much as you love Nora, I can tell you that you have never stopped caring about or loving Rose and you never will. You've just made a choice to hold Nora's hand."
"Hey," Pete yelled from the car, "you alright?"
"Yeah, fine," Daniel yelled back, then looked at Don. "Thanks for listening, I'm sorry for being an idiot."
"You're okay. Come on, the chauffeur is calling."
Daniel looked over his shoulder at the limo. "It just seems wrong to see Pete driving himself around in a limo. Did you know, he picked us up in a land rover?"
"Yeah, I rode in that thing. It has to be twenty years old. Rides good, though." Don laughed.
Daniel flashed Pete an apologetic smile, then settled into the car, immediately finding himself smothered by worried hugs and kisses from the boys. The rest of the drive was spent reassuring them that he was okay. Pete negotiated the last of the turns through streets to Ealing Abbey, finally turning through massive iron gates. Until the Troubles, the ancient religious compound had housed a handful of monks, belonging to an order of mystics, dating back four hundred years. They were among the first Lumic converted. The Gothic buildings, with their myriad of tunnels, provided perfect cover for the legion of Cybermen that had poured into Ealing that night that was now nearly seven years ago. Afterwards, the buildings stood empty until an enterprising trio of women bought the place turning it into a Bed and Breakfast with a wedding chapel. Pete drove the lane around the circle drive to the chapel.
"Nora's dad should be here. He really should. Maybe if I talk to him, you can send a helicopter to get him."
"I could. Mrs McGregor told Jackie he'd committed to doing a wedding at his church a year ago."
"Yeah, but he could come after, I'll call him," Daniel replied more to himself. Pete let out a soft oath at the sight of four cars parked in the circle of the drive. Not only had the women beat them, but Harriet had arrived with her security detail, ruining Pete's surprise.
"Why is the President here?"
"Because," Pete replied, "you asked her to do your commitment ceremony. When things didn't quite pan out, she was disappointed. She likes you - a lot. You charmed her during our meetings last summer."
"Really," Daniel grinned. "I charmed her, huh? Wish I could remember how, I might need that talent when I make Nora and Addie mad. I'm sure I will, seems I have penchant for that sort of thing. So she's coming to the wedding?"
"No, she's doing the wedding."
"Really? The president of Great Britain is performing our ceremony? Blimey, is that legal?"
"Of course it's legal," Pete laughed. He pulled the limo behind Jackie's car. "Boys," he turned to the back seat, "And Daniel, best behaviour. The security team carry guns." He grinned.
"Where the bloody hell have you been," Jackie roared when they trooped in. "Rehearsal was supposed start ten minutes ago. The bleedin' president is here."
"Sorry, it's my fault," Daniel said, facing the irate woman full on. "Where's Nora?"
"She's in the loo, I'll just get her. Boys, behave."
"Hello, Harriet Jones, President," Harriet Jones announced when she joined them.
"Hi, Auntie Harriet," Tony said.
"Hello, Master Tony." She scooped him up in a hug. "I must say, Daniel, you look a sight better than the last time I saw you."
Daniel's eyebrows knitted in confusion. He wasn't sure how to respond. He honestly didn't remember ever meeting this Harriet Jones. Images of the other Harriet ordering the murder of fleeing aliens flitted through, forcing a quick reminder that this woman wasn't that Harriet. Pete wouldn't work with her if she'd tended toward trigger happy. He flashed the Doctor's trademark smile, deciding it was better to be dazzling than appear utterly stupid. He listened as she nattered on about seeing him in the infirmary and how pleased she was to do this for him and his bride. Daniel kept smiling, occasionally nodding, even as he watched the hallway where Jackie had disappeared. Daniel's eyes lit up when Jackie reappeared with Nora between her and her mother.
"Excuse me," he said, without waiting for an answer, he moved toward her.
"Hey you," Nora greeted. "Robbie, don't run in the aisle." When the others walked away, she stood on her toes to kiss him.
Daniel wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her. The only thing that stopped him was the reality that he would fall over. "The boys and I are still alive, no fights, no broken bones."
Nora chuckled, "You did good. You know, I'm spending the night in the mansion, right? As soon as we're done here, we can't see each other."
"Why? Whatever I messed up, I'll fix it."
"You really are from a different planet, aren't you? It's tradition. Don't they have traditions in that other universe?"
"Yeah, of course. Gallifrey was nothing but tradition, but I was hoping, we could - you know - repeat this morning, only tonight. I could go for a new record," he said with a smirk.
"Sorry, you can't see me again until I walk down the aisle. Tonight you will have to entertain the boys and then find other things to dream about. Record setting will have to wait for tomorrow and the next three days."
"Nora?"
"Yeah."
"After, can we go home? I mean, our home. Get our dog and sit in our lounge with our family and no more -"
"Drama?"
"Yeah, no more drama. Just us - making babies," he whispered, before kissing her.
"Come on you two, let's get this rehearsal started," Jackie ordered.
"Come on you two, let's get this rehearsal started," Jackie ordered.
Daniel pulled a face considering the appropriateness of sticking his tongue out then followed Nora to rehearse the biggest say of his young existence. He half expected to hear reapers clawing at the windows to render time secure.
