The Bits in Between
Chapter Ten: Being Their Daughter
By Lumendea
AN: This follows Astra's viewpoint until the end of The Tyler Factor.
…..
It wasn't easy being the firstborn of the Doctor and Rose Tyler. Okay, it wasn't easy being their child, period, but she was the first one. Sure there was Athena, but her sister had come into the world fully grown with combat skills, and despite what Dad might say, she knew those skills had occasionally been a source of comfort to him. She, on the other hand, had just been a baby. Fragile and pretty helpless with minions of the Silence trying to use her. It wasn't the best start to life.
Still, as a child, she'd been largely sheltered. Mum and Dad had set up the Wolf's Den on Earth in a protected little pocket of time that only selected people could cross into. She'd been loved and adored by her parents and had the best bedtime stories. She hadn't really even understood that there were beings that wanted to hurt her or use her until she was six. A rough thing for a six-year-old to discover, but she'd been kept safe from that reality for six years. All things considered, it was pretty impressive.
But that wasn't really the issue to her. It wasn't. People weren't all good; that wasn't exactly news to a child who knew her history. No, the biggest thing was just her parents. They were loving to her, loved each other, but they were legends.
Her Dad was the Doctor. While he'd never tried to become famous or infamous in the universe and usually vanished after saving a world as quickly as he could, there were still stories. His influence was spread all across the universe. He was charming when he wanted to be compassionate and brilliant. People looked up to him, and of course, he knew almost everything. With the TARDIS, he could go anywhere and do anything!
Her Mum, Rose Marion Tyler: clever, charming, and capable. There never seemed to be anything that Mum couldn't do. She'd flick her wrist and summon a sword to deflect energy bolts away from them; she'd cook fantastic meals right after finishing a gorgeous painting and then play the piano or violin. While Dad was brilliant and seemed to know everything, Mum could do everything. Add to that how pretty she was, how much everyone liked her, and the fact that Mum and Dad had such an amazing love story, and it all became a bit much.
She was a blend of them. Many people said that she looked like her Mum, just with her Dad's coloration. She learned instruments from her Mum but never felt talented at it. There was just always a sense that she didn't measure up. A frustration at not having her father's brains or her mother's talents that she could never shake. It wasn't that she wasn't smart, of course, but she never caught on to what Dad was doing as fast as it seemed she should have. He'd tell her that it would come with experience, but it never seemed like it was. Sure she was more advanced than humans, but she just wanted to be as good as her parents.
When her Mum sent her to Horath Academy, Astra hadn't been sure what to expect. Part of her had been thrilled at having a role in her mother's past while nervousness had plagued her from the start. Another weird part of her had resented being given a mission in time. Still, she'd focused on doing her job and had met the younger version of her Mum on the way to the school. It hadn't been what she expected.
Rose Tyler was only a teenager, even younger than her. She was clever, sure, but less confident and a bit awkward. Rose couldn't play any instruments yet or fence. She was a kid. One with a brilliant future, but still a kid. Like her. Rose had been impressed with the musical talent and had even thought she was good at chemistry despite the explosions. Rose had her own talents, but there were things she wasn't good at yet. They'd had regular sorts of talks, and for the first time, it really occurred to Astra that maybe her Mum hadn't always been so confident and capable. Maybe what Dad said about learning as you grew up was real.
Then she met her Mum a few more times in her youth. She actually shot herself to trigger a paradox and save the world. It had been terrifying, but when it was over, something in Astra was proud of herself. Like her parents, she wasn't afraid to do something crazy to save the world. As scary as it had been… Astra had been proud of herself. She wasn't Rose Tyler or the Doctor, but she could still save the world.
Things were easier after that. She didn't have her own TARDIS yet, but it was nearly grown, and she travelled a bit more with Athena. It had been fun travelling with her sister. Of course, that was before she and Uncle Jack started making eyes at each other, and that was something Astra didn't want to think about too much. Finally, she had her own TARDIS and was sent back to help her Mum and older sister save herself.
Rose hadn't known. Astra had been sure that she must suspect or something, but nope she was completely surprised when her childhood friend from school turned out to be her own daughter. Apparently, only Time Lords and Time Ladies were paranoid about stuff like that. Watching Rose with her younger self was strange. Rose was already so protective, so worried, and so… amazed by her that Astra hadn't known what to say. Not really. She'd fudged her way through it like she always had. That was a talent she got from her parents. Once they were gone and her TARDIS was her own again, Astra baked a cake and went to see her Mum. She stopped off at a Tesco to get a mother's day card but didn't wait for mother's day.
It might not always be easy being the child of Rose Tyler and the Doctor, but… well, it wasn't all bad. There were still some moments when she had a little envy of her Mum gaining knowledge from other selves, but most of the time now, she just had to consider herself lucky. Not because Rose Tyler was her Mum and the Doctor was her Dad, but because she had pretty good parents. Parents who would suffer horrible things if it meant keeping her or their siblings safe. Parents worth loving and respecting. Even if they were both complete nerds.