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Chapter 48 - Chapter 48 - Samuel's New Game

The Doctor popped back into his island home. Rose sat on the floor, laughing with baby Samuel. He was standing holding onto the coffee table. As soon as he saw his Daddy's arrival, he threw his arms up and laughed, "Da! Da!"

The Doctor smiled and sat down beside of Rose on the floor. She took his hand and smiled. He could feel her happiness and excitement. "I think he's about to walk. Watch this."

Not wanting to tell her that he already had, he decided to encourage their son with her. Rose wasn't fooled so easily. "What is that?"

"Nothing!" He told her quickly.

"There's something. You know he can do it. Shit, has he already taken a few steps?"

It was useless to tell her otherwise. "Yeah, earlier today. He walked to Lewis. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

He could feel Rose's disappointment. "Damn it. And he's the only one we'll ever have-"

"Rose, you don't know that-"

"The other children haven't said anything about anyone else."

"Well, they wouldn't. Would they?"

Rose sighed. "I don't know-"

"And listen. I'll forget I saw him do it. Come on, Samuel. Walk to Mummy."

Samuel held onto the table and babbled to his Dad.

The Doctor pointed at him, "Hey! There's no reason for that sort of language."

Rose laughed at his complaining. "What did he say?"

The Doctor looked back at her and became lost looking in her eyes. He smiled. "You are lovely."

She smiled at him. "Thank you-"

"No, I mean it. You truly are."

Samuel stood in front of them, laughing and clapping his hands. He had taken advantage of them being distracted and had walked to them.

"Mum! Mum!" He clapped.

The Doctor laughed, "You cheeky boy."

"I missed it again!" Rose complained as Samuel sat on her lap. He looked up at her and laughed.

Rose groaned. "My gosh, he's so much like you."

"Why is that? Did you need to see my first steps, too?"

She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Shut up."

He held his hand out and Samuel grabbed his finger.

Rose looked back at him. "What has you so worried?"

"Samuel. He's really not doing as well as you would think. Something is going on and he won't talk to me about it."

"How do you know?"

He told her what had just happened at Samuel and Karen's. "And when I held him, I could feel how full of fear he is. I think he must have dreamed he was back here, while he was being held."

"You think he remembers and just isn't telling us."

"Yes, I do. It doesn't make any sense that all of his memories would come back except those."

"So, he's joshing us?"

"There is that possibility. And it's a strong one. And another thing. Genie came to see me."

"She rang me earlier. I think she's just had a rough week. She's putting too much pressure on herself."

"Nah, there was more to it than that."

"What, then?"

He looked back at her and sighed, "Do you think I've gotten…"

Not sure what he was about to say, she shook her head and rose her eyebrows. "Gotten…."

"Soft?" He said slowly.

"Well, that was just while Samuel was gone. You were sick and you can't expect-"

He swore in Gallifreyan. "No! And that was simply because I was sick-"

"Oh, so you mean-"

"Yes! That! Not…that! Geez, woman. Is that all you think about?"

Rose laughed. "Sorry. You, going soft."

He sighed and shook his head. "You don't have to say it like that-"

"I didn't say it anyway-"

He stood up. "Oh, nevermind. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Realizing what he said, he stopped and closed his eyes tightly. Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing.

He put his hands on his hips. "Go on and laugh-"

"Nah." Rose insisted. "That takes the fun out of it."

He laughed under his breath.

"Baby, it's normal. You're 'The Doctor', you should know that."

He nodded. "Yeah."

Baby Samuel held his hands over his head and babbled to his Dad.

The Doctor pointed at his son. "If you can walk, then you should start speaking like your Mum and I do. You can say proper English words."

Samuel babbled the same word and held his hands over his head.

The Doctor smiled. "'Up.' That's the word you are looking for. Say, 'up', Samuel."

Samuel clapped his hands over his head and continued to babble.

His Dad crossed his arms. "No. That's not the word. Say, 'up'. And I'll pick you up."

Samuel looked at Rose.

She smiled at him warmly, "You can say it, Samuel. 'Up.'"

Samuel looked back up at his Dad, held his hands out, and said it clearly. "Up, Da!"

The Doctor smiled proudly. "That's it."

He picked Samuel up. The baby was so proud of himself that he clapped and laughed.

Rose stood up off of the floor. "So, about Samuel Bennett."

The Doctor kissed the baby playfully as he held him. "I really think you need to talk to him."

"Baby, I've tried. He insists he's alright."

"And...?"

"I know he's not. He's full of….determination."

"Determination. Like to keep anyone from knowing what is going on and he has a handle on this."

"Baby-"

She was interrupted by Samuel who babbled again.

The Doctor looked at him. "Your Mum was speaking. Don't interrupt her."

Samuel babbled again.

"It's alright. She's not cross. But, try not to do it in the future." He told him.

Samuel clapped his hands together and babbled to his Dad.

The Doctor nodded, "'Down'. That's the word. 'Down.'"

Samuel whispered, "Don."

The Doctor kissed him and sat him on the floor. "And down you go."

Rose smiled. "Wow. It's a big day for Samuel. And back to the other Samuel. When should I go speak to him?"

The Doctor sighed and put his hands on his hips just as the baby pulled himself up on his Dad's trousers. "Da. Up."

The Doctor picked him up. "Karen says he's not sleeping."

"Well, that could be from him worrying about things."

"Nah. I don't think so. I think he's just been sleeping so much that he isn't tired."

"Don, Da." Samuel asked.

The Doctor sat him on the floor. "And Arles tells me he has always been a terrible sleeper."

Rose insisted, "He has to be worried. Baby, he's a kid-"

"Oh, I agree. Although, everyone else seems to think he's an adult-"

"A baby adult."

"Up, Da!" Samuel laughed.

The Doctor picked him back up. "So, you feel that he is overwhelmed?"

"Don, Da!" Samuel said.

The Doctor sat him back on the floor. Samuel laughed and clapped at his fun new game.

Rose smiled at the Doctor. "This is good for your back."

The Doctor smiled, "I'm counting it as training. Primus Lewis would be proud."

Rose smiled back at their son who was pulling himself up again. "Up, Da."

The Doctor picked him back up. "So, what are we going to do about this older child of ours?"

"Well, talk to him-"

"He won't talk to anyone. He just has….clammed up."

"Boy, that sounds like someone I know." Rose told him.

The Doctor nodded. "Doesn't it?"

She pointed at herself. "Do you mean me?"

"Don, Da."

The Doctor looked at his son. "Now, say 'please.' It's polite."

"Pleze." Samuel said and clapped his hands.

"Say all of it together."

"Don, Da. Pleze."

The Doctor kissed his cheek and sat him back on the floor. "Good job. Top work, Samuel."

Rose laughed proudly. "He's so much like you."

The Doctor nodded. "Which is why he's probably thinking he can handle it all on his own."

"Up, Da!"

"Please."

"Pleze."

"Together."

"Up, Da. Pleze!"

The Doctor sighed and picked his son back up. "I've created a monster."

"So, you're saying that you would do this?"

"How long have you known me?"

Rose put her hands on her hips. "Well, that's true."

"And he's so much like you, too. We shouldn't discount that. I mean, let's face it. If you don't want to talk about something-"

"Don't." She warned him.

"Exactly, my point."

"Don, Da. Pleze."

The Doctor sat him back down on the floor.

Rose giggled at them. "How's your back?"

"I'm fine. You think that Samuel is overwhelmed?"

"Well, think about when you first arrived here-"

"In Pete's World." He grinned.

She smiled. "Yes. In Pete's World. You were overwhelmed. And that's you. He's just a kid."

"See, I love it that you are agreeing with me that he's a kid-"

"Well, not really a kid."

He groaned. "A kid!"

She sighed. "I was older than him, and I was…well. But, I had lost so much."

"Well, yeah. But, he's from here-"

"No, he's not." She pointed at the baby sitting in the floor. "He is."

He sighed. "That's true."

"He has you and me, but it's not actually us. And all of the rest of this. He is lost. This is a lot for him to go through. Hell yeah, he's hiding his emotions!"

"That's what I said!" He insisted. "Have you been here for this conversation-"

Rose wasn't listening. "I need to talk to this kid."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I'm glad we agree."

"Up, Da. Pleze."

The Doctor picked him back up and kissed his cheek. "Top work, Samuel. Great job."

Rose smiled, "You're working up a sweat."

"Nah, not really." He told her as Samuel clapped his hands and laughed in his Dad's arms.

She took a deep breath. "Well, you're worried you are getting soft-"

"We really don't have to talk about that-"

She pointed at him. "And we're both worried about our son."

He kissed Samuel's face again. "And that's the tone of voice your Mum uses when she has an idea."

Rose grinned. "You know me so well."

"Don, Da! Pleze!"

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