Everything happened so quick, Theodore couldn't even describe what happened to him and Lila. The news shook him to his very core, he didn't register the TARDIS for a few days until he snapped back to reality. Despite this, he couldn't speak to Hammond and Odette about it, they're busied with the arrangements, that Theodore asked if Lila kept the TARDIS until everything's resolved.
Then, when that happens, he'll explain the situation with Hammond and Odette. How well that goes, he doesn't know, but he couldn't well send the TARDIS away, it'll hound him if he tries, and he needed to know the reason why it searched him out after all this time.
If it's even possible that it knew his father's death even before he did and some strange way kept him away from their universe until long after his brother and sister found out. For whatever reason that may be, Theodore hadn't figured it out.
When he finally has an appetite and able to eat, he'll look into it all, but for now, he's miserable and wearing large sunglasses to hide his reddened eyes and it's not just him.
Hammond's wearing his own large sunglasses, hiding his reddened eyes, too.
They haven't said a word to one another since they started their drive to the cemetery and the silence heavily uncomfortable.
The air's frigid, the skies dark and grey, befitting for this day.
Driving the yellow roadster bequeathed by a family friend on his sixteenth birthday, Hammond drove it with his brother in the passenger seat and in the back, Lila.
In little words, Theodore asked Lila to come with them to the cemetery for support.
He might've only known her for a month and a half, but that aloof man treated her like a best friend in that time, and it'd only be fair since Ben's coming with Odette for support, too.
Not something Lila expected, but in times like this, it's only fair that she came along for Theodore's sake, even if they hardly knew each other, and she never got to know his father, only what she learnt from him and Hammond.
Their father lived in the countryside and busied himself, any time they have a chance, his children popped in every now again to checkup on him, and he's still as clever when he was their age, it'd seem.
Never appeared at the library, not that Lila's able to remember, but Mr. Smith seemed to favor the quiet life of the countryside and there wasn't ill will.
Oh, right.
John Smith, aged 80 (in human years, apparently), found dead in his bed by a concerned neighbor who hadn't seen him outside for a day.
The old man had a ritual and when he didn't do it, it's enough for the neighbor to take notice and check on him.
For the cause of death, it's tricky when he's an full-blooded Time Lord with two hearts, but apparently, he's friends with a lot of people, that they swung into action the moment they're notified of his death.
Careful as they're able, they gave the cause of death as heart attack on the official paperwork for the clerks and officials.
In private, they concluded that it's likely John Smith's hearts failed, seeing there's signs of stress on them.
Broken heart syndrome, for the layman term.
Shocking for a man fit, but given his younger years, it's likely that the myriad of injuries and the stress from the situations he sustained finally caught up to him, added with the loss of his wife, it cultivated with his death.
Ruled as natural causes, his body released to his children, and they prepared him for burial.
As he wished, they're burying him next to his beloved in the hilltop of the cemetery.
In silence, the brothers and Lila sat in their seats as the roadster drove along the long stretch of road with fields on either side.
The quiet drive's enough to lull Lila into nodding off, she didn't want to be rude, but she felt herself drifting off, and slowly closed her eyes.
Thank you, dad, you're embarrassing her, even without having to be here, you and your car trips at night done it, again.
A bump in the road later woke her up and she sees the cemetery ahead of them as quickly rubbed her eyes. She shifted in her spot as the roadster came to a stop in a clearing.
Hammond and Theodore talked while Lila stayed quiet, before they stepped out of the roadster and walked towards the quiet cemetery.
There's always something about cemeteries being eerily quiet and Lila felt it as she followed the brothers through the neat rows of headstones towards the waiting people up on the hilltop.
Lila spotted a man looking towards them wearing a cream-colored hat with a red thin strip of ribbon with clothes that matched the family's quirk and he started coming towards them.
It's their beloved Uncle, having came the moment he heard.
Hard to say how old he is, but the Cheshire grin's enough to show it ran in the family, and he's as short and stout like Hammond. His peppered hair barely sticking out from underneath his hat and his face with age and fine lines.
Lila would've thought him in his sixties hadn't she known about Time Lord biology.
"Boys!" Uncle's thick Scottish showed as he grabbed Theodore and Hammond and squeezed them tightly. Tiny as he looked, he packed a punch, because he squeezed Theodore nearly blue.
The brothers greeted their uncle as he talked to them.
Odette's on her way with Ben and Uncle took time to talk to the brothers before he caught sight of Lila.
Sticking out like a sore thumb, Lila must've had a sign above her head that pointed this out, as Uncle went towards her.
"Oh, hello, I don't seem to know you," Uncle shook her hand.
Lila responded with a thoughtful, "Er, Lila Watson. I work with your nephews."
Uncle introduced himself and the name didn't roll off the tongue in a way Lila can understand, but he short handed it to Hamon.
As he shook her hand, Lila nearly lost it because he forgot his strength, and he quickly apologized.
Hammond inquired if his uncle gotten into any trouble leaving, causing him to remark, "I've done my duties since they were in diapers, nephew. They've no right to bar me."
Theodore asked if they're expecting him back and surprised when his uncle replied with, "They nearly jumped for joy when I told them the plan."
Considering their father's death, Hamon thought it was time for him to make changes in his life, and decided to move to Earth, so he'll be closer to his family in these uneasy times.
… He also just wanted to get away from the politics and the question if a damn bird in a book's real or not!
"Well, it'd be nice to have holidays with you more, Uncle," Hammond leaned on his umbrella as he found a positive aspect.
When he and his siblings were young, their uncle couldn't come and visit often, seldom he did, due to his duties. Few times, he and their parents held arrangements when the Smith children stayed with their uncle on his home world.
It allowed him to show them in depth of the history of Time Lords and show them the goings.
Often, the traditional Time Lords gave them side eyes whenever they were there, but Hamon made sure to give them an earful once the children returned home safely.
There's a reason he never expelled his Nephew during the Trials and he'll certainly never expel his Nephew's children for their heritage.
Why, his sister would've never forgave him from beyond the grave if he did such a thing!
"Odette's nearly here, I'll meet her at the entrance," Hammond blinked as he rubbed his eyes before heading off to meet their sister, leaving Hamon with Theodore and Lila.
Looking towards them, Hamon asked if anything went on since he'd last been present on Earth, oh maybe sixteen years, give or take.
Theodore admitted he and Hammond dealt with Sontaran who mistook him for their father. He did what he could to keep them away from their father and well, things spiraled from there.
"Uncle, I don't know what to do," Theodore admitted to him that the TARDIS reappeared into their lives and not only that, stole Theodore and Lila away to deal with Daleks.
He learned that Skaro didn't die like his father thought and there's another Supreme in his place and knew he wasn't his father.
It'd seem that the Dalek wanted to keep the ruse going, seeing as thought Daleks thrived on hate like a caffeinated rubbish cans. Suppose Darvos found it fitting they besiege Theodore at any point since he's the son of their hated enemy. A known face.
"It's back?" Hamon looked at his nephew, surprised like Theodore.
Nodding, Theodore told him, "It just showed up."
Hearing this, Hamon inquired why Theodore didn't contact him sooner and Theodore replied that he panicked. He was going to contact him and his father once he figured things out, but it just didn't pan out the way he wanted to.
"Yeah, by chance, is there a way to mute them?" Lila inquired if Daleks have mute buttons they can toggle whenever they get annoyingly loud.
She wasn't making light of the situation, she really felt like her ears started ringing after dealing with the Daleks. Shrilling loudly, maybe they're deaf and they can't hear anything below shouting level. Would explain their inability to converse normally and their penchant for anger, could just be migraines caused by their own voices.
"I'm afraid they don't," Hamon informed her that there's nothing she could've done to silence the annoying shrills of a Dalek without killing it or shorting out the chassis that resulted in the death of said Dalek.
Trust him, he and his Nephew have enough stories of Daleks and their loudness to last centuries.
"Nephew, I'm feeling parched, mind you fetch me a cup?" Hamon asked Theodore to grab him a drink from the table and Theodore without hesitation left to get his beloved Uncle a cup of tea.
… Leaving Lila and Hamon.
Hamon looked at her and she stood further out of place in an all-black clothing selection she picked in a rush. Fitted frilly dress shirt, long slacks, loafers, her hair tied back in a bun, quick enough to manage.
Having never met him before and her experiences limited as is, Lila did what someone once said to her, just smile. Not wave, since that'll make her look even more stupid, but just a weak smile. Enough that it doesn't look psychotic or dumbfounded.
"So, met your first Daleks, hm?" Hamon eyed her.
Nodding, Lila replied, "And I'm going to bill them for the hours it took for the ringing in my ear to stop."
Hamon nodded back as he sighed heavily as he said, "Oh, believe me, they're aggravating, from sunup to sundown, they have to do something and it's always the same with them."
Having encountered his share, Hamon agreed with Lila's limited assessment of the Daleks.
He stopped and looked around before inquiring if anything else happened on their misbegotten adventure.
Lila gave him the shorthand and he wanted to know if she might've seen something out of place.
Harkening back to her first adventure, Lila recalled the odd feelings she felt and the strangeness that happened, more, she couldn't forget those damn eyes.
They pierced her dreams more than once.
Glowing blue eyes, gave her the creeps, and Lila seen plenty of horror movies to last her a century!
It sounded crazy telling Hamon this, but when Lila finished, she could tell that Hamon wasn't baffled at her story, and instead fidgeted in his spot.
"Something I said?" Lila raised her brow.
Okay, it did sound very "Village of the Damned" but that's the honest truth.
Shaking his head, Hamon instead asked her if she shared this with Theodore.
Truthfully, after that adventure and with the fact that his dad died while they were gone, Lila never got the chance to tell Theodore what she experienced.
Hamon raised his hand as he asked her, not to tell Theodore.
When asked why, Hamon only said, "It's not his fight."
He left it at that and wouldn't say anything more as Theodore returned with a cup of tea for him.
As Hamon took it into his hand, he turned his head as he sees Hammond walking back, with Odette and Ben trailing behind him.
Odette spotted Hamon and immediately hugged him, careful of the tea.
"Hello, dear!" Hamon smiles at her as she released him.
Odette, wearing large black sunglasses, long fitted black coat and gloves, responded, "Hello, Uncle, no trouble getting here, I promise?"
Touching her shoulder, Hamon assured her that he found his way here without problems.
Looking at the time, Hamon corralled the group to their respected seats and the services commenced.
Speeches and all, everyone gave their final respects, and everything blurred from there.
At the end, everyone gone home and it's just the Smith siblings, their uncle, Ben, and Lila standing in front of the headstones of Sarah and John Smith.
It'd seem Odette kept Ben in the dark on a lot of things since she censored herself constantly and probably never even told him anything about her two hearts.
Because he stuck even further out like a sore thumb compared to Lila, she guessed Odette's having a hard time deciding whether to trust him with her deepest secrets.
If Lila may speak freely, Odette's probably having a hard time finding relationships on the account she's an actress with two hearts and as far as public awareness goes, there's no such thing as Time Lords. Or aliens. Or the fact that if what Lila learnt from Theodore, Odette's children will have two hearts as well and that'll make a lot things awkward for the delivery room.
Maybe that's just Lila gossiping with herself, but Odette definitely wanted interpersonal relationship with someone and that's a tall order when considering the facts.
Could be Odette's thinking of good o'Ben as the Bachelor, the scarecrow with a beak for a nose, and high cheekbones. If not for the sun and studio editing, he'd be a vampire, surely.
…What, dad told Lila not to lie about things and always to tell the truth, no matter how unsightly they are.
Ben spoke to Hamon who kept him on his toes with the conversations.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Ben gave his condolences to Hamon.
If Lila had to say, it must've stung worse for Hamon.
Outliving your family, indeed.
Hamon nods as he said that his Nephew's constant troubles gave him more grey hair than age, but he'll never forget his smile when he introduced Sarah.
Perhaps Hamon criticized his Nephew too harshly the first time he introduced Sarah, maybe he deserved it for the subtle brag he conveyed with just his smile, but if there's something to be said, it's that Hamon never saw his nephew so happy before.
Miserable the day he lost his parents in the War, always got into trouble with his peers and teachers, ran with the wrong people, and the tipping point where he'd taken the machine from the recycler and seemingly vanished from the world.
Almost a shock to Hamon seeing him willingly return, older than he left, with Sarah in tow, and seeing the change in him.
His smile grew even more bigger when he became a father and humbled compared to his careless youth.
That said, he did everything he could for his family.
The five spoke to each other before they noticed the time. Odette needed to return with Ben back to the city and she hugged her Uncle before heading back to the car with Ben.
Once she's out of earshot, Hamon talked to Theodore about the elephant in the room, the TARDIS.
"Nephew, it'd seem that it chose you," Hamon gave his opinion on why it'd suddenly returned into their lives after this long.
When he sent it away, John Smith wanted it to find people like him, willing to get their hands dirty for the good of others, as mad as him, and then some.
It traveled extensively, since Hamon recalled hearing tales of it showing up long after John Smith put up his scarf. Always someone different helming it and the interesting stories that came out of it, that it's not surprising the TARDIS showed up.
"And if he refuses?" Hammond raised his brow at the thought.
Hamon looked at him as he reminded what happened before.
"It kidnapped you once, it'll do it again, this time it won't bring you back," Hamon warned Theodore that refusing the TARDIS proved detrimental.
Hammond asked his uncle what they're supposed to do with it, now, and Hamon smiled as he pointed at Theodore as he said, "Well, it'd seem that you have your work cutout for you and you've already got a companion, too!"
Lila animated as she raised a finger at this, pointing out that it wasn't in her job description. She couldn't possibly become a companion to some mad man with a weird disjointed police box!
"Hm, that's what they all say and they've all missed their adventures at the end of it," Hamon gave her a toothy grin.
It'd seem Hamon had plenty of experience and said that it wasn't the first time a companion became one unwittingly, but at the end of their adventuring, for whatever the reason may be, they grown bored with their uneventful lives.
"So, how's this work?" Lila asked as she realized that Hammond had that look on his face that just screamed that he'll ask her anyway to go with Theodore to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble.
Hey, Lila worked with Hammond long enough to read the man's face and she can already deduce that he'll incentivize her in some way or just threaten to cut her hours.
Man wasn't exactly as bubbly like Hamon.
Hamon replied that it's simple. The TARDIS takes Theodore wherever he's needed and with Lila's help, does whatever is needed and go from there. Once they've earned trust with the TARDIS, they'll be able to come home regularly with exceptions. Exceptions changes, but eventually Theodore gets in the swing of it, and it'll come naturally when they're needed or not.
"Wait-wait, you're telling me that thing's got a mind of it's own?" Lila balked at this claim.
Well, she shouldn't on the account what she witnessed, but the fact that the thing kidnapped them out of a tantrum borne because Theodore wouldn't attend to it in a timely matter.
She hate to see what it'll do when Theodore's workload explodes periodically when they get new book shipments to sort through and all that.
Nodding, Hamon explained that it's just that.
There's a reason his Nephew took it when he did and the two developed an odd friendship.
Yes, he just said that a machine and a Time Lord became friends.
No, Lila doesn't know what world she's living in, anymore.
"Well, all fine and dandy, but what if we're gone for a long time?" Lila pointed out that the first one had them gone for three hours and that's just three hours. Another adventure might as well take them three years in the future.
Hamon shrugged his stout shoulder as he said that it's the nature of it, but the TARDIS tended to ensure they're not gone for long.
Looking at his little brother, Hammond mentioned that he didn't want Theodore getting hurt on the account that he promised their parents.
"What's life without getting hurt?" Theodore shrugged his shoulders.
Hammond stiffly replied, "You know what I mean, little brother."
Hamon calmed his nephews as he pointed behind them and Lila.
Standing behind them, quietly, the TARDIS.
Freaked Lila out, understandably as she wondered how it happened to show up without them knowing, and she's told that someone must've found the breaks. Only made noises when they're on.
Looking at Theodore, Hamon said that while he'll make mistakes along the way as he's trying to find his rhythm, he'll be as good as his father, if not properly behaved.
"Just don't lose the key, hm?" Hamon winked at Theodore as he pushed his nephew and Lila towards the TARDIS.
The door opened on its own and the two cautiously walked into it, while Hamon and Hammond watched the TARDIS disappear before their very eyes.
"This is a mistake," Hammond denounced his little brother as the Doctor.
Hamon calmed his nephew by saying, "Sometimes mistakes are needed and I rather know now than later."
Signing, Hammond conceded that his uncle's right, but he's still uncomfortable with the idea. Hamon patted his shoulder as he smiled, saying it's natural for an older brother to worry. He knew from experience.
Looking at the time, Hammond asked if his uncle needed a lift somewhere, but Hamon said he'd like to spend some more time at the cemetery.
He motioned with his hand for Hammond to leave and he did, leaving him alone in the empty cemetery.
"Did you do this?" Hamon called out in the empty cemetery, his bubbly attitude turned to anger.
There's movement behind him and someone standing beside him, wearing a pressed blue suit with a black tie over a dress shirt. Peppery hair, pale skin with black veins, and his blue eyes illuminated behind the rigid sunglasses.
"I did nothing," the man standing beside Hamon insisted. His accent strange and his pronunciations uneasily uncharacteristic of a human.
Hamon snorted as he responded with his accent thickening, "I'm supposed to trust yer word?"
Shrugging his wide shoulders, the man replied with, "There are things in motion, that I even I cannot control. Even you knew this. His death was sudden, but warranted."
The man insisted that he didn't cause the death of Hamon's nephew, much less prevent it.
"What then?" Hamon eyed him suspiciously.
The man replied with a stiff, "The silence looms."
THE END