He was angry, "Alice Evelyn! You do not speak to me that way." She burst into tears and ran down the hallway.

Chapter 57 Routine

"Don't take it personally. She did the same thing to me." Rose was standing in the doorway to their room. "Well, What did you expect? You brought her here to open her mind. And now you want to close it and go home. You were taken to the academy for the next 150 years. It's not too much for her to be here a few weeks." He grumbled and put his hands on his head, which was pounding again.

"Rose, we are in the past. Every moment we stay here could jeopardize our future. I did not plan on this taking so long." "Yes husband, I know." she said smiling. "You never plan on disaster happening and yet somehow it always does." He grimaced at her remark, Rose sighed, "Look, We could take her home kicking and screaming, where she will be miserable. Or, we could bend a little and let her have a few weeks here. Not forever mind you. We make that clear to her, but a few weeks to get the basics. Something she can improve on at home."

He held his head now threatening to explode, he was desperate for sleep. Probably a side effect of having your brain fried. "Let's talk about it in the morning." Rose smiled and kissed him. "Come on you, back to bed." Rose and 8 helped him back into bed. He wanted to ask how she and the baby were doing, But the moment he hit the pillow he was out.

8 smiled at her as she pulled up the covers. "You really know how to manipulate me, don't you?" Rose looked back with innocence. "I don't know what you mean. It's just, all in a day's work for a wife."

Things fell into a routine while they were there. The Time Lord and 8 were teaching David a daily list of subjects in utero, as he had Alice. David had strong telepathic powers as Alice did. Rose had let 8 feel the baby move. It was fun to watch his reactions. The Time Lord was not happy with how familiar 8 was getting with Rose. They had become good friends and he often walked in on them talking and laughing like best mates. Not wanting to upset Rose he would grind his teeth and be silent. Though he would make a point of sitting between them or kissing her passionately in front of 8. Just to remind him that Rose belonged to him.

Alice was absorbing everything like a sponge, as usual. Her telepathy was much stronger now, and she had added seer and healer to her abilities.

She would have breakfast with her parents and then be off to school for most of the day, and then return home in the evening. Depending on the studies she would be either vibrating with excitement or asleep on her feet. She knew she had limited time to learn as much as she could before her parents pulled the plug.

Rose was getting increasingly concerned that it was getting to be too much for her and named the date for returning home. Alice tried to stamp her foot again, but Rose was unmoved. "You have until the end of the week young lady, and then we're going home. I'm sorry Alice, but it's just too hard on your father and I to stay any longer." Rose put her hand on her belly.

"Your brother is coming soon. Are you so selfish that you want us to stay here and suffer?" Alice went pale, not realizing she was causing harm to anyone. She looked at the floor ashamed of herself. "No mother, I love you and father very much. I don't want you to suffer anymore for my sake. I'm sorry," Alice came to Rose and gave her a hug, "It's just that I'm having so much fun, learning so much." Rose smiled "I know sweethearts. We love you too. But there comes a time you must think of others, no matter what it costs you."

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It was 3am when the pain started. Rose ignored it as long as she could, thinking it was just indigestion from the terrible food on Karn. It was a cloister after all, and she was used to her husband's rich cooking. But by 3:30 she knew time was up. She woke the Time Lord. "Husband." She shook him again and spoke louder. "Husband!" He snorted awake, "Huh, What's wrong?" "Your son wants to be born, that's what." Rose groaned again. He was instantly awake.

"Ok, Stay calm."

"I am calm. I'm also in pain. Get me to the Tardis."

The Time Lord had moved it to a corner of the sanctuary just in case and the infirmary was already prepared. "Right, Relax, We have time. Get your slippers and we'll go down the hall. I'll ask if there's someone who can stay with Alice for the duration."

Another pain hit and it lit a fire under him. He rushed to open the door while still putting on his robe. He stopped short to see a novice on the other side. "Hello, My name is Abbasi, I'll be happy to stay with Alice while you go to the infirmary." The Time Lord was shocked, but grateful. He helped Rose out the door and there was 8, standing in the hall, fully dressed, ready to lend a hand.

"Come along momma, we need to get you fixed up." 10 was annoyed as they walked down the hall to the sanctuary, "What do you mean, we. You are not invited to this party." "Actually I am." 8 said smugly. "I asked Rose weeks ago if I could participate. She agreed." 10 looked at Rose disbelieving, "You agreed?" "He wanted to be there, and, as he is you, and you're going to wipe his memory, I thought, why not."

10 was so, not going for this, "You don't mind him seeing you naked?" "Stop being an ass, it's not like I'm trying to seduce him. Do you really think blood, amniotic fluids and my hairy legs are turn ons?" Another pain hit and Rose's scream put an end to the discussion.

"Almost there Rose." The Doctors said in tandem, scowling at each other. When they turned the corner to the large room, they could see it was filled to capacity. The Time Lord was aghast. "Did someone pass out invitations to this or what? And how come I didn't get one?"

"You really can be thick." 8 replied, "You're in a convent full of psychic women. Do you really think they're going to miss a chance to be handy when a baby comes?" 10 pushed open the doors to the Tardis and to the infirmary. Rose sat on the table and The Time Lord applied the neural device for her pain. Rose visibly relaxed, "Oh yea, that's the stuff."

The Tardis was monitoring hers and the baby's vital signs. There was a small anomaly in David's heartbeat, and the Time Lord was alerted immediately. Rose heard the warning bell, "What's that?" The Time Lord was calm as he assessed the situation. "David has developed a slight flutter in his heart beats." Rose became concerned, "Is it bad?" "No, but I'll keep an eye on it."

Hours passed and Rose's contractions were closer together. 8 had stayed out of the way but was observing everything. The Time Lord had covered Rose in a sheet for modesty's sake, his or hers was unclear. There was a knock at the door. "At last, a reason for you to be here," the Time Lord barked. "Go see what they want."

8 came back in the room hesitantly, "Doctor." he said, "It's Ohila, she wants to see Rose." The Time Lord did not laugh. He looked with deadly intent at his counterpart. She had not spoken to him since the day she had tortured him for information. He would never trust her again and did not want her near his family.

"Tell that witch I don't want her anywhere near Rose. I swear if she comes in this room I'll…" "You'll what?" Ohila pushed 8 back and stood at the door to the infirmary.

"Get out before I break your neck." He looked at 8, "I will deal with you later."

She was not afraid. "Doctor, I do what I must, what circumstance dictates, the same way you do. I'll admit my hands are not clean, but certainly neither are yours. I thought you could put your mistrust of me aside as you did on Gallifrey for Alice's sake." He looked down remembering Alice's limp body in the sand.

Rose let out a long low moan and his attention was diverted immediately to her. "What is it Rose? The neural block should relieve the pain of the contractions." "I don't know." She replied terrified. "Somethings wrong. It hurts really bad."

Chapter 58 David