The Phoenix stood outside her TARDIS, not making a move to go in. She'd found it after barely managing to pull herself together. Somehow the old girl had managed to get from wherever she was to right here on the Powell Estate. She sensed the Doctor approaching but didn't look his way. "I see your TARDIS has arrived", the Time Lord remarked.
"Yeah, she has", the Phoenix said. The Doctor paused, hearing her tone though decided not to say anything about it. He could understand that she wasn't going to be okay, not after everything she had gone through.
"How are you going with, um...everything?" he asked tentatively, making to rest a hand on her shoulder, but stopped himself.
"Fine," the brunette answered, though she still hadn't looked away from her ship. They were silent for a moment, the Doctor shifting uncomfortably, unsure what to say before the Phoenix spoke up again.
"Can you do me a favour?" she asked.
"Sure," the Doctor replied, though he was a little confused as to what he could do for her.
"Can you take Mickey and Goose for a bit? I need to be alone for a while," the Phoenix finally cast him a glance.
"I'm not sure that's such a-" the Doctor started.
"Please", the Phoenix cut in "Theta, I need some time", she added quietly. The Doctor paused, his mouth closing when he noticed that she had been crying.
"Sure", he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze "take all the time you need".
The Phoenix nodded gratefully as the Doctor let her hand go. "Thank you", she murmured before she took a deep breath and stepped inside her ship.
When her TARDIS started to dematerialise, the Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry Enya".
The Phoenix slowly wandered through the corridors, not really having a destination in mind. Despite that, she wasn't surprised that she ended up outside the nursery intended for her first child. "Guess this'll be your room now", she mumbled reaching out to trace the carving on the wood with one hand, touching her stomach with the other "probably will redecorate. We got time. We got time".
The Time Lady continued on, this time heading to the kitchen for a hot cup of tea. While she did so, the TARDIS let out a worried hum. She knew that her pilot had been through a lot and she hoped that the Phoenix didn't spiral during her solo travels.
While she was waiting for the kettle to boil, Bobby's amulet whizzed around her head. The Phoenix sighed as she snatched it out the air, reading the message. She then shoved it into the nearest drawer, slamming it shut. "Those damn boys again", she grumbled "tea first. Then save their asses. Again".
Sam, Dean and John yelled as they were thrown around the motel room by the Daeva. Suddenly the door was kicked in and an annoyed Phoenix entered. "A Daeva? Really?" she questioned eyeing the shadow creature "hey! Shadow beastie!" the thing stopped and turned to her "I'll burn ya to cinders if you don't stop me", she challenged, waving her fingers, making them spark. The Time Lady turned and ran, the Daeva chased after her.
The brunette dropped to the floor, throwing her hands up, incinerating the creature as it flew over her. "Easy peasy", the Phoenix said, standing up.
"How did you do that?" Dean asked as he, his brother and dad came out, witnessing what happened.
"I have powers", the Phoenix replied, in a duh tone "its not the only thing I can do but I'm not giving you a show. I came, I saw and I kicked Daeva ass. You're welcome".
"Hey, wait", Sam called hurrying after her as she walked off "thanks for the save. Again".
"You're welcome. Again", the Phoenix said.
"I have to ask, how did you know that we were in trouble? Not with just today but those other times", Sam queried.
"A friend of a friend tells me", the Time Lady said, vaguely.
Sam frowned, noticing that she looks a little…off "are you ok?" he asked, softly.
"Yeah, fine", the Phoenix replied "take care of yourselves". She then turned and walked away, the Winchesters watching her leave.
The Phoenix walked towards her TARDIS, pausing when she noticed the pile of sweetie wrappers near the ship. "Hello Mr Litter Bug", she greeted, sensing a presence near her ship. Gabriel stepped out from behind her ship.
"Hello Nix", the archangel greeted back "and little one", he nodded to her stomach "congratulations".
"Thanks", the Time Lady said, flatly, unlocking the TARDIS and entering it.
"Are you ok?" Gabriel asked, frowning a little at her tone. She didn't seem to be as happy as he would've expected.
"Yeah, fine", the Phoenix replied, going over to the console and fiddling with it. The archangel knew she wasn't 'fine', even more so when her shoulders began to shake as she started to cry.
"Nix", he said softly, touching her shoulder.
The Phoenix looked at him tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she blurted out everything to him. Gabriel hugged her as she sobbed, his heart breaking at what she'd been through. "I'm so sorry", he said "is there anything I can do?"
"I just want it to stop!" she cried "I want the hurt to stop!"
"I think I have just the thing", Gabriel said "come with me". He held out his hand to the Time Lady and she took it. The archangel led her out of the TARDIS and into what appeared to be a two storey house.
"Where are we?" the Phoenix asked, pulling her hand out of his, looking around. They were standing in a living room, with a tv, sofa and a couple of arm chairs. In the corner was a small playpen. She picked up the pink bunny from the sofa and that was when she noticed the photos on the fire place. The Phoenix went over to it, the toy falling to the floor when she saw it was herself with Jack and two kids, one boy and one girl. "Gabriel", she breathed turning to him "you created this for me?"
The archangel nodded "it's the least you deserve", he replied "this place will last as long as you want. To leave it, all you have to do is walk through the front door". As soon as he said those words, the door opened and the little boy from the photo ran in.
"Mummy!" he cried, happily.
"Hey, little man", the Phoenix greeted, scooping him up.
"Have fun", Gabriel said and disappeared.
"Daddy got stuck on the slide!" the boy told her with a laugh "it was really funny".
The Time Lady laughed too "did he now?"
"Yes I did", Jack said, strolling in, picnic box in on hand and an infant girl balanced on his hip "and we are never speaking of this again". He put the picnic box down and walked over to the brunette, giving her a kiss. "Hello love", he greeted, softly.
"Yuck!" the boy in the Phoenix's arms said, covering his eyes with his hands. The two adults chuckled at his response.
"James, why don't you go play while mummy and daddy talk?" Jack suggested.
"Yes", James cheered, wiggling in his mother's grasp. The Phoenix set him down and he scampered off. Jack placed the girl in the playpen were she started to play with her toys.
"Now, where were we?" he asked "oh, yes…" he walked back to her, cupping her face and kissed her tenderly "I love you".
"I love you too", the Phoenix whispered.
"How's our other little angel?" the American questioned, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Oh I…" the Phoenix glanced down to see that she was now sporting a 3 month baby bump. She smiled and looked up at him "fine, she just fine", she answered.
"Good. That's good", Jack said and kissed her again. The Phoenix felt the warmth flood through her just like she did every time he kissed her.
Thank you Gabriel she thought, closing her eyes, relaxing into the kiss.
Meanwhile in Cardiff….
Jack drummed his fingers on his desk as he stared at the computer screen. On it was pictures and reports of sightings of the Phoenix. There weren't many, unlike the Doctor who seemed to be everywhere. "I miss you", he whispered, touching the face of the latest version of the Time Lady. His heart ached at not being near her. She was the only thing that kept him from going insane all those years being stuck on earth waiting for a version of herself that would coincide with his timeline.
A good few years ago, he would be happy to wait for her to show up but now…now he was seriously considering sending her a signal somehow just so she would know that he was here. He didn't know how he was going to do it though. He'd call her, except he had lost his damn phone AND his own psychic paper. Maybe get a message to her TARDIS? Or leave a really big picture of a Phoenix somewhere for her to notice?
Jack ruffled his hair, frustrated. He needed to decide the method in getting in touch with her and soon. Otherwise, he might go spare if he had to go one more day without her.
Back in Gabriel's reality, the Phoenix and the archangel's creation of Jack were now curled up in bed. "This is nice", the Time Lady murmured, running her fingers through his hair as the man rested his head on her stomach, listening to the soothing thrum of the baby's heartbeat.
"Yeah it is", Jack agreed. He moved to lie beside her, placing his hand on her bump "I love you Nix", he whispered "you, James, Isla and this little one" he rubbed her stomach "you four are my world".
"And you guys are mine", the Phoenix whispered back, giving him a kiss.
~the Doctor's TARDIS~
"Mickey help!" Rose shouted as she ran away from Goose as quickly as she could. The man stepped out into the corridor, brow raised at the spectacle in front of him.
"Uh…I don't think so", Mickey said and disappeared back into the library where he'd been reading up on the aliens that the Phoenix had told him about.
The blonde woman watched him go both in shock and disbelief. She yelped when Goose lashed out with her tentacles. The young woman took off, the Flerken chasing after her.
~Gabriel's Reality~
The Phoenix hummed a lullaby as she paced around the living room, Isla in her arms. Two days had passed in the Archangel's world in a blink of an eye. Two amazing days with the family that he had created just for her.
The brunette glanced at the infant she was cradling, the girl now fast asleep. She softly smiled. She had loved every second in the life that she was gifted with. If she had to be honest, she would be happy to stay forever but in reality, she couldn't. Jack…the real Jack was still out there, probably wondering if and when he would see her again.
The Phoenix took Isla up to her nursery, setting her down in her crib. She stroked her daughter's cheek. "Sweet dreams, my little angel", she murmured. The Time Lady stopped by her sons room to take one last look and smiled as she saw Jack fast asleep on the bed with his arm around their boy. "Goodbye, my boys", she whispered. The brunette closed the door quietly and made her way downstairs.
The Time Lady paused by the front door, taking one last look around the house before she left. "So, how did you find it?" Gabriel asked as she walked down the steps.
"Amazing", the Time Lady replied "Thank you so much Gabriel. Its just what I needed".
"I figured as much", the Archangel said "if you ever need to go back there, just let me know".
"I will", the Phoenix promised. She moved closer and gave him a hug "look after yourself", she said.
"You too", Gabriel said. He watched her slip into the TARDIS, the box dematerialising before he disappeared too.