Harry prepared fish and chips with peas for their evening meal it was quick and easy, and something that could be left in the oven even when cooked until they were ready to eat. Once they were all changed and had finished their meal the Doctor asked Donna to excuse them while they talked to Harry.
"Put your wards up Harry as well as a full silencing ward." Spoke Theta quietly to Harry. He did as he was asked then went and sat down on the single seat in his living area leaving another single chair and a two-seater sofa free. Harry hid his smile when both Theta and Koschei took the sofa together and sat close to each other, he hoped this was good news.
"So what do you want to talk about?"
"Actually a few things, what Lucius said, the fact that we do hide our true names other than from each other very few people know me by that name even the other Timelords before the war called me Doctor, the fact that very few species knew about Gallifrey, the Pyrovilla didn't get involved in the Time War however neither were they affected by it. How did they know we were from there, all the searers must have been able to read minds, anyone affected must have a Pyrovilla infecting them, that girl will probably have to lose her arm and hand as you said. But the other things he said, you can see all possible timelines just like we can but you can look from others prespective, did you get anything off them?"
"No but I didn't try reading their minds you know I can do it, and I know you two can but with my barriers up I don't even use it passively I must push the thought out or pull the thoughts in."
"What's concerning me are the bit about she's returning and Donna having something on her back, I've scanned her through every frequency the TARDIS has but there is nothing there." Spoke the Doctor.
"You said you had met the very original high priestess, was she a seer?" Asked the Master
"Yes, but her prophecies or visions came to pass not like was happening there and they weren't turning into stone either."
"So could the Pyrovilla use the seers ability to look into the future, to give statements that will confuse us until they make sense?" Asked the Master next.
"If they were true seers then yes they certainly would have been able to use the high priestess' seers' abitliy, they didn't know what a volcano was because it wasn't a word invented and wouldn't be until after the Ash settles from Pompeii. But as they didn't intend to set it off only utilise its energy. They would have had their own language for all we know, and it just translated for us naturally, like the latin did, when we arrived. There really is only Donna who needs it." Answered the Doctor after giving it some thought.
"I still occasionally do, I noticed on Procule that two words were changed from what I was saying into something else and it was done at the same time by both the TARIS and SATURN. It was only the two words through all the time there."
"That is strange, maybe you need to grow more into understanding all languages we never left Gallifrey as tot's and so only spoke Gallifreyan. It's when we go out into space that we realise we can speak in any language, you know yourself you read about the Time War and that was written in Gallifreyan." Answered the Doctor again, with what he thought was a probable answer.
"So did you two talk to each other and look through each other's memories while you were gone?"
"We did, first we talked and then we shared our memories so we could feel the thoughts and actions behind every memory we have, even the ones including you." Was the answer with a wink off the Doctor.
"Well I hope you both had good thoughts about me at least."
"No we've decided to ground you for the next two months for allowing the TARDIS to go to Pompeii, on the day before it blew up." Answered the Doctor with a straight face.
"WHAT!...How's that my fault YOU were piloting, all the times I do we go where we are meant to, and even today we were meant to be there to set off that volcano." Demanded Harry.
Both the Doctor and Master burst out laughing at him and Harry just crossed him arms and pouted. The two older Timelords saw this and making a space between then interlinked their arms so Harry could fit between them and get a hug off who he considered to be his two dads. He was over between them in an instant.
"That wasn't funny, you know I would have done it if you were serious."
"Sorry, I just wanted to see you pout, it's funny that you are always reminding us you're an adult for you to then pout like a ten year old." The Doctor explained while still chuckling.
"Still not funny!" grumbled the little Timelord between them.
"Anyway, we wanted to talk to you about moving forwards." Spoke the Master while squeezing Harry closer to him
"What do you mean?"
"You dad and I are back to being friends best friends really and we want to see if there is more but we don't want it to affect you."
"What do you mean affect me, I would be ecstatic if you became my Stepdad just like He told me you would."
"We mean what if it doesn't work out?" Spoke the Master quietly
"Do you two love each other? I'm not asking if you're in love just do you love each other?"
"We have done since we were small children, for me though it was the drums for Theta it was seeing me burn, we're scared it will go back to that." admitted the Master with shame in his voice.
"But if you've been in each other's thoughts then Theta has seen, heard and felt the drums in you, he also knows they are gone now and that makes you Koschei again to him. He's only ever tried to stop you creating war now you don't want that anymore, even with the shield I have around your head we know the drums are gone through the occlumency, and you both agreed to make new watches as backups, you have a friendship older than some civilisations between you. But you do both love each other. If it is only platonic then I guess I get two dads still out of the deal so what does that matter….If you're both serious about a relationship though then you have to put your all into it, you can't stop at the first hurdle….If after a while, you both feel it's not working out then go back to your platonic relationship, all this would do is move you closer together maybe eventually turning into a physical relationship along the way. However, you must find time each day to talk to each other, or at least swap your thoughts on the day so you both know how the other feels or turn your link into a permanent one."
"Null Adult Timelords only have a psychic link to their significant other and any children they loom. Once a link is permanently formed in two adults it's like saying I will be your and only yours for the rest of our lives. We could never take another the link wouldn't allow it." Explained Koschei gently to him.
"And you two, don't think you're at that stage yet?"
"Not only that Null it's like getting married, if we were still on Gallefrey there would be a massive celebration throughout our society as it meant that soon a new tot would be loomed, it would have been even more special the day you were born if you were mine and Theta's biologically because that would mean our own chapter was growing."
"Well we know when my birthday is you can work it out in what it would have been if I was loomed and we can celebrate that day instead, I didn't really get anything for my birthday until I went to Hogwarts and then nothing after because of me going into the Unspeakables living quarters, full time. Also you don't need to turn the connection into a permanent one between you yet, you have time to decide if this is what you both want and then we can have a big celebration, collecting everyone you know well, to attend it if you want, it might not be able to be held at our original home but we do have another planet we can call home, one we've just left."
"I've asked before I'll ask again aren't we mean to be the parents and you the tot?" Asked the Doctor smiling at Harry.
"And as I pointed out if I wait for you two to do something about it your link would be useless by the time you both get your act together to be able to ground me….And NO that wasn't a suggestion for you to do it now so that you can if you want. We've still all got plenty of time for that. Plus I always do what you tell me if I'm in trouble for something or you're upset with me." He started speaking with dry humour but that turned to genuine consideration.
"I know you do Null and we are both very proud of you for that, most people who are as old as you even if you're young in looks think they can never be wrong, but that's just not true, even we can be wrong or not know something at our ages. Never mind you." Replied the Doctor gently.
"So where does the future take you two now, are you going to try dating having alone time to yourselves while I work on my schoolwork and engineering course. At least Donna only see's you both a friends, not dating material. Actually she thinks you're both brilliant. She introduces me as though I'm both your son's, playing it off that I lived with my mother until she died and I've been with you two ever since. Don't worry I played you off s both being bisexual as no Timelord has bothered about their Chosen Mate in the past so I didn't think you two would mind."
"That's what you really want isn't it? You want both Koschei and me to be your dads, you keep pushing at that, but why? You know we both love you the same, don't you?" Asked Theta to Null.
"Yes….But its also what my father said would happen, I would find two dads to look over me as I grew, as I've said before, I thought It would be Sirius and Jack, and knowing Jack as I do he would have kept me with him to make sure I was alright. I was still confused over the human DNA though, how would it be got rid of? HE didn't explain that to me at the time HE just said it would be. Remember HE can also see the timeline of every universe if HE wants to, I think HE looked through yours and told me what I wanted to hear the most. That I would get two dads to look over me as I grew when the time was right."
"So you think because Death said you would get two dads that we will start dating?" Asked the Master shocked while looking over Harry's head at the Doctor.
"NO…..I knew I would get two dads and that's exactly what I got, as soon as you both stormed into the TARDIS with Donna that first time, I've seen you both as my dads, as I said all getting married means is that you would have more control over me and you would feel each other as well as be able to send thoughts along the bond. Just like I knew then you were both really angry with me, it's why I didn't argue I could feel the deep sadness, anger, frustration and fear combined showing an even bigger heart and I knew I was loved by the two of you equally and fully." Harry started off with the first word forcefully, but the rest was said quietly to the two men.
"You both know if you want time alone you can just say, I can take myself off to see something else for a bit with SATURN whenever I want."
"No" spoke the Master with firmness.
"You don't go anywhere without us two with you other than to earth in Sirius' timeline, you don't need to spend your time with him but we would know where you are and we would feel better about that, you are still a tot to us its hard letting you out of our sight. It's meant to be hard enough to send your child to the academy when the time comes never mind having you go somewhere we don't know about to find you again so quickly. If You want time to yourself though we would rather you search the TARDIS first there has to be miles of interior I know nothing about that you can look through. There will be spare parts knocking around inside of her somewhere I just never bothered looking she changes her console room every time I change so I end up with a new one every time, they will be catalogued somewhere, even the original console room from her being grown will be saved somewhere in her." Spoke the Doctor in a normal voice but there was a slight undercurrent he did not want Harry away from him, Harry could feel his dad agreeing with the Doctor in his thoughts.
"I enjoy spending my time with you two, but if you want time alone then I will defiantly explore the TARDIS, you might get a new console room before you think though, if one works better than using a sieve we are having a new one!"
"The controls work perfectly leave her alone for now, finish you engineering course and you'll understand why it's there and why it works with it there!" Was the indignant response off the Doctor.
"Doctor she had to provide me with a qwerty keyboard just so I could check the shield strength and then I got a holographic screen shoot from the roof that wasn't there before. She should be able to do that with the touch of a holographic keyboard and screen already prepared for use, it can still work fully and have character." Was Harry response.
"Just finish your course"
"No leave you course and start searching this place and find a proper console room for us Null, that ones stuck together with duct tape, it was no wonder It was easy to turn her into a paradox machine, her console room isn't up to full speck. With a proper console that shouldn't have happened and I am sorry for trying it as you well know, but the drums told me it would work and it did. Yet clear minded I realised it shouldn't have." Was the comeback this time from the Master and even though it looked like he was talking to Null they both knew he was having a go at Theta.
"daaaaad….You just don't like him driving" Null got out before the Doctor could say anything but he didn't disappoint.
"She goes though time and space easily enough we get to where we are meant to get, leave the poor girl alone, and don't change the console room unless it's a new design!...The old ones are here but they are also in time flux having been used but now catalogued and put away, you could find the future ones even if you aren't careful. I meant for you to look at the rest of the inside of her not go trapesing through her past, the time flux around that area would not be healthy for you long term, plus you remove something from an old console and it could ripple back through time. As I said finish your engineering course. Then you can design one and show it to us both and we can make alterations together the three of us and then implement them." Harry smirked at the end.
"Can I redesign the libraries so all the information is in the right place as well"
"NO…You just want to get rid of the pool, I've told you it adds character and you can swim and read at the same time its perfect, relax in water and read."
"He looks like you've just grounded him again!" Spoke the Master and when Harry looked up he was smirking.
"Dad, even you don't like the pool."
"I don't mind it, I go to the other library to read even if the book is in the pool one." Smirked the Master looking right back to Null.
"Are you the one that's been putting all the books back in the wrong place, do you know how long it takes to search both libraries, and no wonder it's never the same configuration at the same time, I thought it was the TARDIS, but never brought it up so she couldn't tell me I couldn't read what I wanted."
"Actually that will have been the TARDIS, I knew you were using the library so I aways put them back from where I took them. Which means you've been reading stuff you really shouldn't yet." Explained the Master while looking at Null with a look of you had better talk.
"it was only two books that were really hard to find….The Last Great Time War and its chronicles, and the process of bringing life to a TARDIS,I think she was scared I was like you and looking to kill her or hurt her I communicated with her about why I wanted the two books just the two times and the books were on the bookcase opposite the wall I was talking to. When I went back to continue reading, I found the Time War book on a large gold pedestal in the middle of the main library as though it has always been there."
"It should have been, I was upset when I found you reading that, it was only the TARDIS that didn't make me say more until I had talked to you, it was important she said that I had talk to you first."
"You had both refused to tell me about the War, I had lived through two, I wondered why you were hiding just another one from me. I didn't realise the scale or the damage done until I read that, it's when I knew what I would find, even if you hadn't told me, the horrors released and used in that war was ripping TIME to shreds in this uinviere, I don't even want to know what that feels like to be burnt but I would bet it's like a cigarette type burn on HER, SHE would have lashed out SHE did, and SHE chose you as her instrument of choice, just like I am in a sense my fathers instrument in this universe HE knew I cared to much for life its why HE's tried to make my life better for me, in a sense HE is becoming my father as well, but HE is DEATH of the multiverse and can be busy, he couldn't hold my hand all the time like you two can, he can't stay with me always, although HE aways keeps an eye on me in case I need him, its why I knew the Pompeii volcano was actually started by me it was his first test to me could I kill what could amount to an entire civilisation and carry on living, it will hit me what I have done, I don't think he would have minded if I didn't do it he just would know I wasn't yet ready."
"Ready, ready for what?" asked the Master while looking between Harry and the Doctor
"That I don't know…but today has been very strange, with our occlumency they were not able to read our minds like you thought they could, well they could pick up surface thoughts what you were thinking then but none of us were thinking of Gallifrey and those two predictions, plus the timeline seems to be splitting for some reason, I see Theta dead, I don't see Koschei or me anywhere, yet Donna keeps popping up and I see Rose, but she is normal, if still looking young , the other one everything is fine nothing happens until the Earth vanishes, but we are stumped on how to find it never mind get it back, what's stranger is we are there we feel it move its just us that don't but no matter what we do we can no longer find earth."
"So you think we should stay on Earth and be careful?" Asked the Doctor