Helloooo! :D
I hope everyone has been having an amazing day! Or night, depending on where you live. ;) This chapter is just a bit of fluff, not much adventuring this time around. So I hope everyone will still enjoy it!
Warning: Some adult themes present
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Chapter 44: Time with the Ponds
Amy typed away on her computer, finishing up one of her many travelling articles for the countless magazines she worked for. She had a deadline to meet for this particular article, knowing the head of this particular magazine was very grouchy when the articles were not turned in on time. Next to her, Rory sipped on his drink, reading the morning's paper. Both of them currently sat outside in the garden, enjoying the nice summer day of May. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky with a nice cool breeze that blew through every moment or so. The flowers in their home's garden were all in bloom. Amy glanced up from her typing, peaking at one of the innumerable black cubes that lay scattered around their house and the world, just sitting there quietly on the table in front of her and Rory.
"Is your dad still making his logs on those things?" Amy asked Rory offhandedly as she went on typing.
"Yep," Rory answered lightly, flipping through the paper.
"It's almost been a year. You'd think he'd get bored by now," Amy commented.
"My dad, getting bored? Yeah, that'll be the day. He stayed in the TARDIS for four days straight once, remember," Rory replied in sarcasm, shaking his head as he took another sip of his drink. "Besides, as he likes to say, his middle name is 'Diligence.'"
"A person can only be diligent so long before they snap. Look at what happened to the Doctor. Only four days of observing those cubes and he almost went bonkers."
"Yeah, but that's the Doctor. I don't think he could ever live a domestic, slow life."
Amy paused in her typing, pondering. "Do you think Wanda ever could?"
"Which Wanda? First, Second, or Third?"
"Hmm . . . Third?"
Rory shook his head as he set his drink down. "Doubt it. She's just as bad as the Doctor is. Can barely sit still for a minute. Could you imagine her living in one place for more than a week?"
"Well, we're all about to find out!" they heard their favourite Time Lady yell from the back door. They both whipped their heads over in shock upon seeing the grinning short blonde in the doorway, holding large bags in each hand. She plopped the bags down next to her feet, bouncing over to her favourite Ponds and gave them both a large hug by placing an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them all in together. "Hello, Amy. Hello, old man. Guess what! I'm moving in!" Amy and Rory blinked in the Time Lady's hold, looking at each other in shock.
"Um, what?" Rory asked in disbelief.
"Since when?" scoffed Amy.
"Since now," they heard the Doctor say from the doorway. They gazed over quickly when seeing the Time Lord holding bags in his hands too, setting them down in the same manner as Wanda had. He clapped his hands together, grinning at the two Ponds. "We need a place for her to stay, and, being as brilliant as ever, I figure with you two will be the perfect place! I'm sure you both don't mind." He waved his arms out merrily, not noticing the disgruntled expressions Rory and Amy were giving him. He turned around in a flourish, grabbing up some bags and going back into the house. "Come along, Ponds! We need your help with the bags." The three outside merely stayed in place, watching the retreating Time Lord until he disappeared into the home.
"Truth be told, this wasn't really on the top of my list of things to do to you two," Wanda told the companions sheepishly, giving them an apologetic smile. "I mean, I always, always love hanging out with you both. But I don't think you'd want me intruding on your space or time away from our adventures. If you really want me to, I can go somewhere else so that way I won't be a bother."
"No, you're fine, Wanda. It's just . . . we weren't really expecting company," Amy assured the Time Lady, standing up to give the short blonde a more proper hug.
"Why are you moving in with us?" Rory asked Wanda curiously.
"Because the Doctor doesn't trust that I'll be safe enough living with him in the TARDIS," Wanda explained with an exasperated sigh.
"And why aren't you safe?" Rory questioned as he and Amy frowned in concern. Wanda answered this by simply pulling off her marriage ring necklace quickly, showing them her round belly in clear signs of halfway through her pregnancy. Then she placed back on the necklace, appearing her normal thin self once more. The companions nodded, knowing they should have realized this from the beginning. Over time, the Doctor had become more and more protective of his Wanderer. Going to extremes to protect her, becoming agitated by the slightest of things.
Such as now, for example.
"What are you doing taking your necklace off like that? What if someone saw you?" the Doctor demanded as he suddenly rushed out of the house and swiftly came up to Wanda, pulling her close to him in a protective hold, shifting his eyes around the small backyard as if expecting an enemy to suddenly pop out and grab his wife. He then gave Wanda a stern gaze. "You can't be just waltzing around without your necklace on. In the TARDIS is fine, but when we're out and about . . ."
"Give her a break, would you?" Amy sassed the Time Lord, hitting him in the arm. "She isn't made of china, you know."
"Next thing you'll want to do is actually put bubble wrap around her," Rory said, agreeing with his wife.
"He tried that already, actually. Twice," Wanda said, elbowing her husband lightly in the side and giving him a stern expression. "You've got to relax, Spaceman. No one's going to get me in the back of Amy and Rory's yard."
"You never know," the Doctor grumbled, pouting upon the three of them ganging up on him. They just did not understand why he felt this way. Every second Wanda took the necklace off, he felt the instant connection, the bond from little Ember hit him. Surging him with the instinctive need to protect and safeguard his love and child. And every time this happened, instantly his mind went back to all the dangers in the universe. All the enemies that wanted him and Wanda, who would do anything to get at them. River herself was one of those examples. What if the Silence learned of Wanda's pregnancy and tried to do the same to her and little Ember as they had done to the Ponds and their daughter? The Doctor feared of this greatly, not wishing for Ember to suffer the same fate as River had. Or the same fate as . . .
He glanced at Wanda, a solemn demeanour and expression going through him as he gazed at her. If only she understood the real reason for his protection of little Ember and her.
"Come on, we better get those bags into the guest room," Rory said, snapping everyone to attention as he walked over to pick up what Wanda had left.
"No, Rory, here. They're my bags, so I should really—," Wanda protested, not wanting for him to go through the trouble. But she was halted when Amy pulled her away from taking the bags from Rory.
"No you don't, missy," Amy told the Time Lady sternly. "You're carrying around enough as it is. No more straining tasks for you. Or doing anything dangerous, for that matter." Wanda pouted as Amy and the Doctor guided her into the kitchen while Rory took the bags upstairs to the guest room.
"Weren't you just telling the Doctor not to treat me like chinaware," Wanda grumbled at Amy as she sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I can't tell you off when you're overdoing things. As usual," Amy retorted, going into the refrigerator to dig for some drinks instead. "So, what made you decide to come live here?" Amy asked the two Time Lords curiously as she set up some lemonade for them. "Are you both living here, or is it just Wanda?"
"Both of us, but . . . mostly Wanda. I'll be popping out during the day, finishing up a few things I have to take care of and to keep myself busy for the most part. While Wanda stays here to rest," the Doctor explained, accepting a glass of the cool drink Amy offered him. He took a sip, before spitting it back into the glass, making a face of disgust as he sat the drink in hand on the counter. "I'll come back in the evenings, of course. Have to stay around for Wanda in case that—."
"In case that I might wander away to another time," Wanda said for him, taking a small sip of her own drink that Amy handed her. She winced, finding lemons to not be a taste that agreed with her. However, she did swallow her sip instead of spitting it out like the Doctor had. "Can't be away from Spaceman here for too long, or else I might jump away again. So, he goes away for only about eight hours a day before coming back. Kind of like going to work, if you think about it." Amy nodded, understanding this completely. Sounded reasonable to her.
"And the reason you're staying?" she questioned, raising a brow at them.
"Wanda's five months along now. Meaning she's entering into her last trimester of her pregnancy, Ember's last stages of development," the Doctor explained briskly. "Both are at their most vulnerable state—."
"That you say," Wanda grumbled at him as she crossed her arms, pouting at the Time Lord. Both Amy and the Doctor ignored this from her, very much used to it.
"—and she and the baby need a more . . . stable environment," the Doctor finished.
"Meaning the adventures you go on in the TARDIS are too dangerous for her," spoke up Rory as he entered the kitchen, having finished getting the guest bed ready for their new housemates.
"Basically," Wanda sighed, not liking any of this one bit. Why did she have to be away from the TARDIS and the Doctor? She understood it was for Ember, but . . . Could she not even simply just stay in the TARDIS and they park the old girl somewhere safe? Or did the Doctor really not trust them at all in being able to stay away from danger? Most likely it was the latter. "Plus the Doctor's guilty for his Ninth self's doing again. Just came from meeting Jack the first time. Spaceman here got every temperamental back then. And jealous."
"I was not jealous," the Doctor countered, frowning upon the mentioning of that day. A day he still was not too fond of. Damn that Jack and his flirting. The other three in the kitchen smirked at each other, knowing the truth. The Time Lord cleared his throat. "Anyway, so, Wanda needs to stay here until little Ember finally arrives. Do you two think you can handle this?"
"Of course," Rory said while Amy nodded. Both completely fine and willing to help their two best friends along.
"Perfect!" the Doctor cheered, clapping his hands together as he bounced out of his seat. "Then, I'll be off. See you all tonight for dinner!" He started to bound out of the kitchen into the lounge where he had parked the TARDIS. Only to stop upon Wanda clearing her throat.
"Sweetie, aren't you forgetting something?" she spoke up, giving her husband a pointed look. The Doctor smiled sheepishly.
"Yes. Of course. How could I forget?" he responded, quickly going back over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up to him as she giggled and giving her his famous boyish grin before kissing her with a passion. She draped her arms around his shoulders as she returned the kiss, humming in enjoyment. The companions rolled their eyes, averting their gaze from the very passionate Time Lords. Though soon, Rory cleared his throat when he felt the kiss between the two was becoming a little too heated. The Doctor pulled away with a smack, kissing Wanda's forehead softly.
"Love you. Be back soon," he whispered to her.
"Love you, too. Take care of yourself. Don't get into too much trouble," Wanda replied warmly, letting go of him as he hurried off to the TARDIS. Though not before giving her a wink and a small salute. She kept a smile on her face until she heard the TARDIS departing. Then her smile dropped, earning her face a deep frown as she hopped from her seat and began marching back outside. Amy and Rory glanced at each other, raising a brow upon the Time Lady's change in demeanour.
"Uh-oh," Amy mumbled.
"Think she's cross with the Doctor?" Rory asked.
"Could be. I know I would if my husband forced me somewhere I didn't want to be," Amy said, shaking her head lightly as she stared at where the blonde had gone.
"You know how she is," Rory remarked, adding in on his wife's thoughts. "She always wants to be by the Doctor's side. I doubt she agreed to this arrangement willingly."
"No, I agreed and was quite willing," spoke the mentioned Time Lady. The two companions stiffened, alarmed in having been caught by the Time Lady in their conversation. Wanda stood in the doorway, holding a large bucket in hand. Something that she had spotted earlier when arriving at the home. "I'm not cross with the Doctor at all, nor am I not wishing to be here. In fact, I was excited when he decided that this would be the best place for me." She walked up, setting the bucket on the counter, glaring at a certain black cube sitting there on the table top that she had noticed from before. "I'm cross with that." She jabbed her finger at the black cube.
The two companions looked at the small object in surprise. They had grown so used to the cubes' presence that they hardly even notice them anymore. The cubes' arrival was barely a conscious thought on their minds. Unless, of course, if they discussed Brian, Rory's father, and his logs.
"Why are you cross with the cubes? What have the cubes done?" Amy asked curiously as she watched Wanda grab the small object roughly and throw it into the bucket.
"It's more of what they're going to do. But don't worry, that won't happen for a while," Wanda explained, quickly grabbing all the cubes off the counter and slam them into the bucket in anger. "I'm not having any of these damn cubes in the house while I and Ember are here." The two Ponds watched Wanda storm about, gathering up all the cubes in the kitchen from all sorts of odds and ends places. From on top of the refrigerator, under the sink, in the cupboards, and so on. She found the cubes in places the couple did not even realize they had been in.
"Wanda, wait, if the cubes are dangerous, then shouldn't we call the Doctor?" Rory questioned hurriedly as he and Amy swiftly followed after the Time Lady, who continued to storm off into the house to collect the rest of the cubes she could find.
"No. If we told him that the cubes were a threat, then he'd lock me away deep in the TARDIS for the rest of my pregnancy. I'd like to see the light of day again, you know," Wanda replied with an exhausted sigh as she bent down to get a few cubes from under the sofa. "Besides, as long as we get all the cubes out, we'll be fine." She stood up, frowning as she looked around to see where else the cubes could be. But when noticing a certain man walk out of the lounge to come and investigate the voice of someone new in the house, Wanda beamed upon seeing him. "Brian!"
Wanda bounced up, giving the father a hug as he blinked in surprise. It had been a while since she had seen him last. They had met on the Silurian spaceship that had been carrying dinosaurs. During a time in the earlier days of her pregnancy, even before she had known of it. It had been a fun day . . . sort of. There had been a few ups and downs on that particular day. But it was still a blast in finally meeting Brian! It had even been a fun chance for her to give him a gift she had been saving for him. A very fancy, technological pocket knife that had all sorts of survival features on it. Something that he had been wary, and confused by, at first. But soon, it had come in handy for them on that day.
Since then, whenever Wanda had a chance to, meaning whenever the Doctor actually brought her to the Pond's home, she had visited with Brian and had fun in a chance of getting to know him better and hang out, having fun. It was always great to get to know a companion's parent(s) a little better. She had tried doing so too with Amy's parents. But they did not really like neither Time Lord too well. They kind of reminded Wanda of Donna's mother, really. People who were just too wary of anything that was not human. However, Brian was different. Though he had been surprised at first, he accepted the Doctor and Wanda almost immediately. Just like Wilf had, too.
"Oh. Hello again," Brian said cheerfully, patting Wanda lightly on her back in greeting. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Wanda gave the father a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Too long," she agreed merrily. "How's that pocket knife been doing for you? Pretty useful I bet. Though I do hope the fire feature hasn't been too glitchy for you. I know last time that did give us quite a surprise when it burst out a spout of flame like that. Oh! No wait, I remember. You're watching those cubes for UNIT, aren't you?" She set a determined expression on as she marched past Brian and went into the lounge. The cubes were snatched up by the Time Lady before the others had even had a chance to walk into the lounge with her. She turned to face them, her arms awkwardly holding all of the small cubes as she started to leave the room again.
"Wait, you can't take those away. I've got to keep an eye on them for UNIT and the Doctor," Brian protested. Wanda sighed, grabbing one cube and tossing it over her shoulder to the three behind her. Brian caught in the air, fumbling with it in his hands for a moment having grabbed it at an awkward angle.
"Fine. You're right. The Doctor would get suspicious if you weren't still observing at least one of the cubes," Wanda agreed reluctantly. She turned, pointing harshly at the cube. "But I want that thing under a glass case at all times. You've got that?" Storming off again into the kitchen, she left behind the bewildered humans.
"I don't understand. Should we be worried about the cubes?" Brian asked his son and his wife.
"We have no idea," Amy muttered, crossing her arms and shaking her head, still trying to get her mind around what exactly the Time Lady was going on about.
"If Wanda's cautious about them, though, then I think we should be, too," Rory offered, trusting the blonde's caution more than the other two did. He knew firsthand when to trust Wanda on these things. She had helped him stay safe and keep the Pandorica in protection on many occasions by having her strange logic in fighting against enemies.
"Is the Doctor here, too?" Brian asked them curiously.
"He will be in the evenings. But it's just Wanda staying with us until the baby arrives," Amy answered.
"Baby?" Brian questioned, frowning at this news. He had never heard anything about a baby.
"Oh, right, we forgot to mention that. Wanda and the Doctor are expecting a new arrival," Rory explained to his father. "Her name will be Ember. And yes, Wanda doesn't look it, but she's five months along. Perception filter and other stuff in her wedding ring. Blocks the imagine of her pregnancy." Brian blinked for a moment, then shook his head, going back into the lounge.
"I'll just pretend I understood all of that," the father said before shutting the door behind him. The two Ponds then stiffened when they heard a crash coming from upstairs. Apparently, Wanda had moved onwards in the hunt for the cubes.
"She's going to tear up the house at this rate," Amy sighed, starting forward to go to where the Time Lady had wandered to.
"Yeah. She probably already is," Rory agreed, going with his wife. They heard another loud crash.
"Fine! Be difficult!" they heard the Time Lady yelling as if scolding someone. The two Ponds sighed but smiled nonetheless.
"This is going to take some getting used to," Rory laughed lightly.
"There's never getting used to the Doctor or Wanda," Amy chuckled, shaking her head in amusement as they heard Wanda rambling away in frustration from above. Each Pond knew then that things in their household were only going to get more exciting from now on.
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Things in the Pond's house truly did become more interesting from the day Wanda joined the home. Her hyper nature (similar to the Doctor's) made it so there was constantly something new popping up within the house. There was a moment where she had built a breakfast-making device. Something that she had gotten the idea from the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie after watching it on the telly one evening. As she had told them when they had walked into the kitchen one afternoon, "I got bored!" But then, she tore down the invention later, saying that it would be more fun to actually make the breakfast herself in the mornings alongside the Doctor.
Then, there was a time they had arrived back home after being out for the day to find a large dog just sitting on their sofa, watching the telly. As Wanda had told them later, "He was just passing through. Needed to catch up on the news." Then there was the small fire that erupted in their toilet. Wanda yelled out later, after stopping the flames, "Don't mix sugar with those chemicals under the sink! They won't do any good. Also, you might not want to flush for the next few hours. Might blow up the pipes." Then another time when the Ponds walked back into their house after being out shopping, coming to find the entire interior of their home had been wiped of color. As in everything appeared as though they had stepped in a black-and-white film. They had been even more stunned when Wanda herself came around the corner, just as black-and-white as the interior of the home. The Time Lady had simply huffed in frustration and said, "Don't ask." And of course, this continued on with Wanda making all kinds of goodies for the house, paper decorations, cleaning the place up . . . fighting off small aliens that the Doctor accidentally brought into the house a few times. Nothing really surprising to the Ponds there.
For them, it was actually fun having the Time Lords around more often. They laughed along with (or at) the Time Lady and Time Lord almost constantly. And things went well in having Wanda around the home more steadily than the Doctor. Even though she did get into many antics in keeping herself entertained, she still knew when to keep things calm enough and to not bother Amy or Rory too much as the Doctor would at times. In fact, as a few weeks passed, Wanda actually calmed and settled down. She picked up her violin playing to create gentle music for the house, mostly cleaned, cooked, watched children movies, and sat reading in the lounge to keep Brian company. The Time Lady sort of had to slow down, for too much strain on her made her tired. Plus, it was not necessarily good for the growing child, either.
Amy and Rory, cuddling up together while watching a program on the telly, looked over their shoulders from the sofa when hearing the TARDIS arriving just behind them. Right on time, as usual. It had become routine for the Doctor to leave after cooking breakfast in the morning and arrive back in the evening for dinner before retiring for the night with Wanda in the guestroom. The Time Lord would sometimes bring back guests (sometimes unwelcomed ones), or presents for everyone to enjoy. Mostly though, it was him going off on his own adventures, working on making the TARDIS a more suitable environment for future Ember.
"How's the wife doing?" the Doctor asked merrily the moment he stepped out of the ship, holding up a large box in his arms as his eyes immediately began searching the room for his Wanderer.
"Just fine," Rory said fondly, warmly kissing the top of Amy's head as she lay curled up against him. The two began chuckling as they kissed, causing the Doctor to huff and pout at them.
"I meant my wife," he responded sternly. Amy laughed as she pulled away from her and Rory's kissing.
"She's fine, too. She's in the kitchen starting dinner," she told the Time Lord. "You missed it earlier. She ended up starting a small street game with the neighbor's kids. I think there were water balloons involved at one point."
"And confetti," Rory added.
"And glitter," Amy finished. The Doctor pouted once more, disappointed that he had missed out on that. He should really hang out longer in the day. Or even more permanently like Wanda was. They all jumped when they suddenly heard a loud crashing coming from the kitchen.
"Oh! Doctor! Amy, Rory! Come quick!" Wanda yelled out urgently. Before the companions could react, the Doctor had already dropped the box from his arms and leaped into action, rushing in a flurry into the kitchen. He skidded in, coming up to see Wanda, having taken her necklace off (a habit she had become used to while being inside the house), holding her belly tightly and staring at the round stomach in awe.
"Wanderer, what is it?! Are you hurt?! Is it the baby?! What happened?!" the Doctor panicked, coming up to his wife in an instant, thinking of the worst in his mind. He was surprised when she looked up from staring at her growing belly, having the largest and brightest of smiles on her face. She swiftly grabbed his outreached hand, yanking it forward to press against her stomach. The Doctor looked back and forth between her face and where his hand currently pressed. "What? What is it?"
"Sshh," Wanda shushed him quietly, pressing his hand tighter to her. He blinked, trying to understand what she was trying to do. Had she hurt her stomach? Did she sense something wrong with the baby? Then, blinking again, he felt it. A light, very small, bump against his palm. His mouth fell open in shock, wiping his eyes back to his wife's, seeing how her eyes sparkled with unshed tears of joy. "Did you feel it?"
"I—I did," he breathed. He looked back at her belly, getting on his knees to have his face level with it. He pressed his face to the side, closing his eyes as listened and waited.
"What's going on?" Amy asked as she and Rory entered the kitchen. Both of them worrying about the Time Lady. But they were shushed by the Doctor as he held up his finger, still keeping the side of his face and his ear pressed into Wanda's stomach. He waited, anticipating for it. Then, he felt it once more. A harder kick this time from little Ember inside, bumping against his face. He let out a watery laugh as joy swept through him.
"Ooh, what a kicker. You're definitely going to be an ornery one," he joked, kissing the top of Wanda's stomach so tenderly that the Time Lady could not help but let a few tears slid down her cheeks.
"Oh! Is she kicking? Let me feel," Amy said in excitement, quickly going to the Time Lords. The Doctor stood up, wrapping his arms around Wanda from behind, leaning his chin on her head as they both watched Amy grin happily when feeling kicks from Ember. Rory joined her, feeling for the kicks as well.
"Took her long enough to start kicking, don't you think?" he remarked.
"Nah. It's about normal for Time Lords," answered the Doctor. He hummed as he swayed lightly where he and Wanda stood, closing his eyes as he pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek. His eyes snapped open as he suddenly realized something, however. "You're not wearing your necklace. How many times do I have to tell you to keep it on?"
"I'm inside the house. No one is going to see me," Wanda scoffed, batting the Doctor lightly on the arm. "Besides, I know a certain Time Lord put a perception filter around the house as a means of double protection."
"You put a perception filter around the house without telling us?" Rory questioned in disbelief as both he and Amy sent the sheepish and embarrassed looking Time Lord stern looks.
"It won't affect humans if that's what you're worried about," the Doctor countered in a mutter.
"Oh!" Wanda suddenly exclaimed, surprising them. She held her stomach in shock, blinking as she stared at it. "I think Ember has the hiccups. Kicking and hiccups, all in one day. It's been a big day for her." Wanda laughed, feeling the slight continuous jumping and kicking in her belly.
Soon, Rory and Amy left the kitchen after they all chatted away happily about the development of Ember. Once the companions were gone, Wanda turned back to the stove, continuing to make dinner for them all. The Doctor kept on holding her from behind, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck as he hummed in content. Basking in the glow of love and warmth, the two both entwined their fingers together over the Time Lady's belly. Little Ember kicked away as if telling them just how happy she was, too.
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"All right, so within in the first three months, she'll already be able to stand. Walking about another month after that?" Rory asked as he wrote down on a notepad.
"Right. And even as a newborn, Ember will be able to hold eye-contact with others around her, and she'll be able to move her hands and legs around pretty well," Wanda answered, flipping through the pages of one of the many books the Doctor had loaned them to study. The two of them have been working on learning as much as they could on what to expect for Ember's birth as a Time Lord child. Currently, they were sitting outside in the dim sunlight, the day slowly becoming evening. Each of them had their own pile of books they were going through. Concurring on information and taking notes on what they should know. There were not many differences between Time Lord and human babies. But there were still a few things to take note on.
"Says here to start teaching her to talk almost a month after birth. If we don't, she'll fall behind in development," Rory remarked as he thumbed through a book.
"We have to teach her to read and write early, too," Wanda sighed. She thumbed through a book absently, beginning to worry. The Doctor always assured her that there was nothing to worry about. Always stating that they would have no trouble at all in keeping up with helping their daughter to grow into a proper Time Lord.
But Wanda still worried.
What if she was not good enough in teaching Ember in what she should know as a Time Lord child? What if Wanda acted as a bad mother because she had not been a normal Time Lord herself? What if she messed up and made it so Ember did not grow properly? Or what if it was worse than that? What if, because of the Time Vortex within her, it was hurting little Ember? What if her body was killing her daughter without any of them even realizing it? Wanda knew the one reason the Doctor was protective of her and her daughter was because a Time Lady's body was known to react against growing children within them in the past. Sometimes, their bodies would assume that developing child was an invading growth, harming the Time Lady. Then, the bodies would react in instinct, of course, in getting rid of the 'growth' by either pumping more regeneration energy through the Time Lady's body. Or even forcing on a full-blown regeneration, causing the child inside to die. The one time a Time Lord's lifesaving defense actually became a fatal flaw. This was why a Time Lady must be so careful as to not have her body think it was under any danger.
Her body might be doing the same to little Ember. With either her regeneration energy or the Time Vortex. Even now as she flipped through these useless books. Wanda's face scrunched up, growing red as she slapped a book shut. Rory jerked his head away from the book he had been reading, alarmed to see the Time Lady across from him, face and eyes red from the crying fits that began to hit her.
"Uh-oh," he muttered as he shut his book. This had been happening quite often now. As with any normal pregnancy, hormones and emotions were very high at this stage. Wanda had been hitting low and high moods quite often. With her becoming hyper and ecstatic one second, and a crying mess the next.
"I'm—I'm g-gonn-a-a b-be a ho-o-orrible mother!" Wanda sobbed as she placed her head down in her crossed arms that were lying on the table, burying herself the best she could from the world. Rory stood up from his chair, moving around the garden table as he began patting the crying Time Lady's back awkwardly. He looked up when he heard the TARDIS materializing in the garden.
"Good news!" the Doctor exclaimed as he stepped out of the TARDIS. "I've solved the riddle of that nasty Oorock problem back on Oogag. Met the Queen. Nice lady. Had a strong grip, like iron. Wouldn't stop trying to strangle me after blowing up her tower. So, I've gotten done earlier than I thought I would, and I was thinking—." He stopped short when he saw the urgent look on Rory's face and his Wanderer crying up a storm with her face buried away. The Time Lord's face hardened as he suddenly glared at Rory the Roman. "What did you do?"
"Me? I didn't do anything?" Rory retorted, cross that the Time Lord would just assume he had done something to Wanda.
"He's fine, Spaceman," Wanda sniffed, lifting her head up to give the Doctor a wavering smile. "I'm just being an emotional train wreck again." The Doctor walked over, pulling around a chair and sat down next to his wife, placing a comforting arm around her.
"What seems to be the matter?" he asked her gently.
"I'm going to be the worst mum," she sniffled. "No matter how much I study, I just know I'm going to mess up. And what if I put her in danger? What if the Time Vortex is hurting her?!"
"Wanda, we've been over this before, remember? Nothing is hurting her, or is going to hurt her," the Doctor assured his wife gently, smiling and giving the top of her head a kiss. "We've looked over the Time Vortex before. It's not showing any signs of hurting her."
"But are you certain?" she urged. She stared at him carefully, seeing the small twinge in his face. She knew there was something he was hiding from her. Something important that involved what was going on inside her. What could be effecting Ember? But he still seemed reluctant to tell her.
"You're having cravings again, aren't you?" asked the Doctor, changing the subject quite abruptly. "You always get emotional when you're craving. Would fish fingers and custard help? They helped the other day."
Wanda sniffled again, rubbing at her eyes, wiping away her tears. She looked at him sheepishly, but also with a hopeful stare. Her big eyes at play in making her appear just as adorable as ever. "Actually . . . I'm really in the mood for . . . cheesy tuna. And—and pineapples. Oh! And apple juice. Lots and lots of apple juice. I've been craving apple juice like you wouldn't believe. Though, I think I could also be in the mood for spinach and turnips. With some fish fingers and custard." She blushed, embarrassed by her many cravings.
The Doctor chuckled, giving her another kiss. "I'll see what I can do for you." He stood her up from her chair, walking her into the house while Rory picked up the books from the garden table. "I'll go pick up some things from the shop. Anything you want. And if you change your mind on what you're wanting, just give me a call. I'm happy to please."
Wanda beamed, bouncing lightly on her feet in anticipation for her treats. "Yay! Thank you, sweetie!" She gave the Doctor a smacking kiss of gratitude on his cheek, making him chuckle.
After the Doctor left, making his way to the shops with Rory in tow, Wanda did just that in calling him. The two husbands chatted as they walked down the sidewalks, reaching the small food shop in no time. Once they were inside, the mobile phone in the Doctor's pocket began to ring.
"Hello?" he answered.
"I thought of something else!" Wanda said quickly, sounding very hyper and giddy. "I'd really love to have some mushy peas?"
"Mushy peas?" He replied curiously.
"Yep! With some chips," she clarified.
Then again later.
"Could you get some custard creams? I forgot I wanted those, too," she said after the Doctor answered the mobile once more.
"Of course," the Doctor responded while he and Rory searched through different shelves of food.
Then again.
"And, if it's all right, could you get some marshmallows for us to share? I'd love to make some s'mores."
And again.
"I'd love some sardines. Do you think they have any of that in the shop? Zucchini too, please. If that's not too much, of course."
"You'd think she'd make up her mind," Rory commented after the Doctor hung up the phone for the fifth time.
"I think your wife's actually the one putting her up to it. I heard Amy snickering and making suggests in the background," the Doctor remarked, smiling and shaking his head fondly as he placed back mobile phone in his inner jacket pocket.
Eventually, the two arrived back to the house. Carrying many bags with both Wanda's requests and of what the Ponds needed for the home. As soon as Wanda saw them come in, she cheered and helped them place everything in the kitchen. Giving the Doctor a large kiss in thanks as well. Then, she dug through the bags, searching for the one thing she craved the most at the moment. She ended up pulling out a large jug of apple juice the Doctor had bought especially for her. Popping open the top, she titled the jug of juice to her lips and began to gulp it down. Amy and Rory paused in what they were doing, blinking in bewilderment as the Time Lady continued to gulp down the jug. Before they knew it, she had the whole thing down in an instant. She popped her mouth away from the jug and gave a sigh of content.
"Okay. Now I need to pee like no tomorrow. Be right back!" she giggled as she bounced out of the room. Amy and Rory remained in stunned silence as the Doctor hummed while putting away items.
"Did . . . did she just drink a whole bottle of apple juice?" Amy questioned in disbelief.
"What can you say? She was thirsty," the Doctor responded with a grin.
XxXxXxXx
The moment Rory walked into the kitchen in the morning, he felt a great tension in the air. He paused in the doorway to the room, blinking as he saw Wanda stirring a mixing bowl stiffly, grumbling loudly under her breath. He glanced over at the kitchen counter, seeing Amy sitting on a stool nervously. His wife jerked her head once she saw him enter, indicating for him to sit with her.
"Is everything okay with Wanda?" Rory asked as soon as he sat down next to his wife, keeping his voice low as to not disturb the fuming Time Lady.
"The Doctor wasn't here this morning when she woke up," Amy whispered under her breath the best she could so that Wanda would not hear. "I think she's cross that he broke his promise of always being here in the mornings for her."
"You're damn right I'm cross!" Wanda barked suddenly, surprising the two behind her. She slammed a wooden spoon down on the counter by the stove, turning around to show the Ponds her red face and twitching left eye. "I needed him this morning, and where was he? Not here, that's where!" She turned back around, slapping pans and dishes around. "Can't keep a promise to save his life. Flies off in the TARDIS whenever he damn feels like it. What's more important: his wife, or a flipping tea meeting with the Frayrkbium?"
The Ponds watched anxiously as Wanda continued to mutter angrily, harshly making a soufflé during her small fit of rage. They glanced at each other, each giving a raised brow. Each of them pitied the Doctor when he turned up again. And just then, they heard the TARDIS materializing in the living room. Looking at Wanda cautiously, they saw how she tensed, slowly putting her mixing bowl down on the counter. Amy and Rory stood up quickly, going into the living room to give the Doctor a warning. They stepped into the room the same time the Time Lord stepped out of his ship. He seemed to be backing up from the TARDIS doors slowly, softly closing them as if afraid to alert someone to his presence. Facing away from the TARDIS, he was surprised to see Amy and Rory standing there.
"Oh! You're both up already?" he asked curiously.
"Doctor, it's mid-morning," Amy told him. The Doctor blinked, flipping up his arm to check the watch on his wrist.
"Must have gotten a bit off course," he muttered as he tapped his watch. He lowered his arm and looked over to the kitchen archway when he saw Wanda storming towards him. Her eye twitching in warning. He immediately smiled and backed up against the TARDIS doors. "Wanda! Good morning! I was just—." He was cut off as Wanda got right up to him, pushing him against the ship's doors and thrusting her lips against his, holding one hand on the back of his head and the other gripping his bow tie.
"You weren't here, and I needed you this morning," she grumbled as she pulled away from the kiss, though kept their lips slightly pressed against each other.
The Doctor blinked in confusion, asking, "You—you needed me?"
"I needed you," Wanda clarified, pressing her lips against his again. She pulled back once more, snapping her fingers. The TARDIS doors opened swiftly, allowing her to drag the Doctor back into the ship by his bow tie. Amy and Rory gave quick looks to each other before hurriedly following after the two Time Lords inside the ship.
"Where are you two going?" Amy asked.
"Swimming!" Wanda barked in answer, dragging the Doctor down the corridor. The Time Lord looked over his shoulder to the Ponds as if pleading for help before he and Wanda disappeared around a corner. The two companions left in the control room sort of blinked for a moment before they shook their heads and walked back out of the ship.
About a half hour later Rory glanced up from his paper from where he sat on his lounge chair, and Amy looked over her shoulder from watching the telly while lying on the sofa, seeing Wanda bounce out merrily from the TARDIS. She beamed at them in joy, looking as though she had never been fuming at all that day.
"You both up for some brunch? I know I am. I'm starving!" she said merrily, skipping into the kitchen. Moments later, the Doctor came out of the TARDIS as well. He leaned against the open way of the TARDIS, appearing exhausted. His hair was a mess, looking wild on his head. With his shirt untucked from his trousers, tweed blazer completely gone, and bow tie not even tied around his neck. He let out a long sigh.
"Have fun 'swimming'?" Amy chuckled cheekily. The Doctor merely responded with another long sigh.
"Learn your lesson about leaving Wanda alone in the mornings?" Rory quizzed, absently thumbing through his paper. Running a hand through his messy hair, the Doctor gave a small laugh before going into the kitchen to be with his wife.
XxXxXxXx
Wanda sat on the sofa in the Ponds living room, running her fingers through a certain blonde woman's hair. Distantly she heard clinking and clanking coming from the kitchen in the house. Amy and Rory, along with Brian, were working together to prepare for the upcoming baby shower. Gazing around the room, Wanda smiled warmly upon seeing all the decorations that had been made. Streamers, balloons, cards, and all sorts of brightly coloured things that made the room appear so cheerful.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a sister," Jenny said softly, happiness heard quite clear in her voice. She kept the side of her face pressed against Wanda's stomach, listening in to the baby within and enjoying the small kicks every few moments from little Ember. Wanda chuckled softly, rubbing her fingers fondly through Jenny's hair as she simply enjoyed having her older daughter cuddle up against her.
"You say that every time," Wanda laughed softly.
"I know. Still can't believe it," Jenny remarked, sitting up to grin at her mother. The two of them have been meeting up more often than they had been in years. At least once a month during Wanda's pregnancy, as a courtesy from the Doctor. It had been a blast for them both in getting to hang out and catch up.
Jenny had grown quite old over the years, yet still appeared rather young than from what she should look like. Thanks to the Doctor's DNA, she aged much slower than any back on her home. Instead of looking in her late eighties, she appeared more in her late thirties instead. Which made things a little awkward for her when introducing herself to her grandchildren's friends and partners.
"I can't wait to show Ember around my home," Jenny remarked as she patted the large belly. "I'd love to get her into gardening with me."
"I know she can't wait, either," Wanda laughed as she felt another happy kick from the little baby within. Both of them looked up when they heard the TARDIS arriving in the home, parking just behind the sofa. The Doctor stepped out on the other side, poking his head around the corner of the TARDIS to beam at his two lovely women sitting on the sofa.
"Guess who I brought!" he exclaimed in a flourish. Wanda squealed in delight when she saw River, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax all wander out of the ship. She jumped up from the sofa (well, more like awkwardly got up from her seat while holding a hand on her belly) and made her way over to the arriving party, giving each one a large hug and laugh along with them in delight in meeting again. All laughed, say for Strax. He more or less grumbled about the hug. Amy, Rory, and Brian came into the room as well, giving their own greetings in the newcomers.
"It's been too long, sweetie," River said, smiling brightly and giving Wanda a kiss on the cheek.
"Yes, I dare say I have almost forgotten just how small the Wanderer is," Vastra agreed with River, smirking as Wanda pouted at her.
"I'm not that short you lot!" the Time Lady said, stomping her foot while everyone laughed at her. "And call me Wanda, Vastra. We're friends. You don't have to be so formal with me."
"She's always formal," Jenny said, giving a small shake of her head.
"Here," Strax stepped up, handing Wanda a large china bowl filled with some kind of stew, "I prepared a customary dish from my homeworld for this occasion. It will help give the unborn child perfect strength for future combat."
"Um . . . thank you, Strax," Wanda said, smiling in thanks. Strax marched into the kitchen with Jenny and River following on behind. Wanda glanced down at the contents in the large bowl. Amy and Rory peaked over her shoulder to stare as well, highly skeptical of the dish. It had a strange brown-green tinge to it, with odd chunks floating around it.
"Is that even edible?" Rory asked.
"Nope," said the Doctor as he grabbed the dish from Wanda, taking it back into the TARDIS. Wanda laughed, walking into the kitchen with the others as they began to start the celebration. Only one remained behind from the group, waiting patiently for a certain Time Lord to come out of his ship. The Doctor stepped back only, adjusting his bow tie absently when he stopped short. He slowly lowered his hands from his bow tie, staring warily at Vastra, who currently held a very leveled gaze with him.
"I have been trying to contact you lately, Doctor," she said evenly.
"Oh? Sorry, I haven't noticed. TARDIS phone doesn't always pick up calls. At least, not in the right order in time," the Doctor replied, trying to keep his voice light to avoid suspicion from the tension he felt.
Vastra gazed back at the Time Lord as if she had raised a brow at him in skepticism. "I haven't been trying to contact you by telephone. I have been sending you letters. Professor Song said she had given you one a while ago. Did you not bother to read them?"
"I don't remember getting any letters." He tried to walk into the kitchen where he heard laughter coming from. His Wanderer's all too familiar giggling of delight catching his ears more specifically. But Vastra blocked his path by swiftly walking in front of him.
"Doctor, a word, please," Vastra said calmly, nodding her head back to the TARDIS.
"Can't it wait?" the Doctor mumbled in a hard tone, glancing over the Silurian's shoulder when he heard a cracker pop and more laughter come from where the party was. He wanted to be there with his wife on this very special day.
"No. You promised me an explanation that has been long due."
The Doctor stood tall, giving her a hard stare. "And what explanation is that?"
"What exact species the Wanderer is."
"Ssh," snapped the Time Lord, holding up a hand to make certain she stayed quiet. He looked over her shoulder again, fearful for a moment that the others had heard her. But he was relieved to still hear the continuous chattering from the party. Jerking his head to the TARDIS, making it clear that he would indeed talk to Vastra in the ship.
"I have been discussing concerns along with Professor Song," Vastra said the moment the two of them were inside the TARDIS. "We are worried as to what will become of the new child."
"You're worried about Ember? I thought you wanted to know more about Wanda?" the Doctor responded, raising a brow as he crossed his arms, leaning against the railing by the console.
"The Wanderer is a main concern, yes," Vastra clarified. "Professor Song explained to me about the Time Vortex living inside of her."
"Of course she did." A large spike of irritation ran through the Doctor as he knew he would have to scold River later about just letting information like that slip out. Even amongst trusted friends.
"How did this come to pass? I know the Time Vortex is—."
The Doctor waved his hand in dismissal. "'The most dangerous thing in the universe. It'll turn anyone who has absorbed it into a terror unlike any other.' Yes, yes, I know the sayings. What's your point?"
Vastra sniffed in annoyance. "My point is that the Time Vortex made the Wanderer into something even beyond a Time Lord. What if the same happens to your daughter Ember?" She saw the worried expression cross the Time Lord's face and the way he averted his eyes from her. Clearly, he had been worrying about the same thing lately. She walked up closer to him. "Doctor, what will this child be once she's born?"
"A perfectly normal Time Child. Nothing more."
"But you've said it yourself. The Wanderer's DNA makes her unstable. The same will happen to Ember."
"No, it won't." The Doctor turned to the console, working to get the scanner on to show Vastra a number of scans. Particularly those of DNA. "You see," the Doctor pointed to the screen as Vastra walked up closer to stare over his shoulder, "my DNA will help balance out the instabilities." They watched as his own simulated DNA mixed with Wanda's, showing a more normal strand that would be seen for any Time Lord. But . . . the simulation fluctuated, showing the DNA shift back to what Wanda's would be. Or, possibly even more intricate than the Time Lady's. The Doctor hurriedly shut off the scanner, pushing it away as he cleared his throat nervously. "See? Nothing to worry about."
Staring at him coolly, Vastra shook her head. "Doctor, you cannot be certain on the outcomes of what that child will be."
The Doctor slammed his fist against the console furiously, glaring at Vastra. "That child is my daughter. And I will not treat her, or have anyone else treat her, like some sort of dangerous monster!"
Vastra remained as calm as ever, not fazed by the Time Lord's fury in the least. "I'm not saying to treat her as such. All I am saying is that you must have caution when it comes to how Ember develops. I know how emotional you can be at times, and I fear for your lack of being wary of what is to come. You need to be prepared for the worst, Doctor. Not simply live in your dream of having a family in your TARDIS. Dreams can crumble if one is not wary of the path they travel." Moving up to the Doctor, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm troubled for you and the Wanderer. I am a friend to you both, and if I wasn't, then I would have never raised concerns in the first place."
They turned from the console when hearing the TARDIS door open. Poking her head inside the ship, Wanda blinked in surprise when seeing both the Doctor and Vastra by the console.
"Is everything all right?" she asked them in concern, walking inside the ship and up to them. "Everyone's wondering where you two wandered off to."
"We were just discussing matters on a case I've been working on," Vastra told the Time Lady, smiling in assurance of everything being fine.
"Oh. Okay," Wanda replied. She seemed to accept this answer but held small suspicion in her eyes as she observed the Time Lord and Silurian carefully. "Well . . . we can worry about your case later, Vastra. Gotta give yourself a break every once and a while. Come on and enjoy the party." Wanda grabbed Vastra's hand in excitement, giddy to have fun with a friend she never did get a chance to spend time with all that often. The TARDIS door closed, leaving the Doctor alone in his ship.
Standing there in silence for a moment, he started to make his way towards the doors, only to stop when he heard the console beep in urgency. Something that has been happening quite often lately. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the images of the fluctuating DNA of the sample he had taken from Wanda. The growing DNA of Ember's. He saw how the scanners showed the shifting strands, indicating to the child being something . . . different. Beyond even what the Doctor could predict to happen.
"Not now," he grumbled at Sexy, knowing she was trying to get onto him like Vastra was. With this said, he ignored the scolding beeps and hums from his ship as he went back into the Ponds house.
XxXxXxXx
Yay for fluff, but then the ending is worrying. I'm sure everything will be fine, though. :) I really hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far! Getting very close to the end now! If anyone has any theories on what they think will happen for the ending, let me know in a review. I always love seeing thoughts and theories from you guys, and I know other readers enjoy them just as much. :)
Reviewers:
X-Lisa-Anne-X: There really has been a ton of problems lately. I think the site has been working more on the app than focusing on the main site, so there's been a lot of errors. Not that I blame them for that because the app is very nice. I just hope that things get easier for those working on the technical side of the site. And I hope that you won't miss out on any more notifications. :) Hope you enjoyed all the chapters you've missed!
Rixelated: Great theory! I love it! Can't confirm on any of it, but thank you so much for sharing! If you have any more thoughts you want to share, feel free to always leave a review. I always love hearing from every reader. :) I hope that the story will always be a joy to read for you! Take care!
alwaystherereading: Well, a little more than a crush, but yes, Wanda will never know. Which is very sad considering Rose almost did tell Wanda a few chapters back. If only Rose had enough courage to say it. :( Jack is one of those characters who is great with anyone. haha. And a jealous Doctor is always fun. ;) Until next time!
All The Stories Are True 24601: Hope that means you enjoyed that little 'twist' at the end there. ;) I love me a twist ending. haha. Glad that you think I'm more than adequate. :) Actually, the next story involves Torchwood, Sarah Jane Smith Adventures, and the seasons with the Twelfth Doctor. It's going to be much different than this trilogy, so I'm very, very worried that many people won't like it. But I'm glad to hear that you'll still stick around to give it a chance. :D Glad you liked that part with Rose. I was afraid that many people would pick up on that throughout the trilogy before this chapter came out, but it was nice seeing how surprise many people were. Wanted to keep how Rose felt about Wanda so subtle that the only way people realized it would be until after this chapter. So anyone who goes back and gives the story a re-read would suddenly be like 'I can't believe I never noticed!' sort of thing. At least, that was my hopes with this. :) Until next time! Take care!
silverhawk88: Aww, I'm just so happy to hear that! I really hope that it continues to bring you joy as you read it. :) Yep, the time of the Master will be coming up soon. Though with there being more than just a perception filter on Wanda's wedding ring necklace, I think there might be hope for the Master to not see Wanda's pregnancy. Let's just hope it works out for her and Ember in the end. Can't wait to see you again in the future! Take care and have a fantastic day! :)
swimmjacket: Agreed! It is always fun watching a jealous Doctor. lol ;) Glad you enjoyed the chapters. It's one of my favorite adventures, too. More baby stuff coming right at you. ;) Hope that you enjoyed it. Tried to make it all rather cute. Yeah, it's something that sadly never gets resolved between Wanda and Rose. Very unfortunate, but that happens sometimes in life. :( But at least everyone is happy at the end of it all. So glad you're enjoying the story just as much as before! Hope I can keep up the good work and to see you again for the future. :)
Ruthyalva96: haha. I'm sorry. I hope that means you enjoyed it at least. :)
Owl: lol I suppose I can be evil from time to time. ;) I think they would have made a great couple. Too bad the universe had other ideas for the two. *sigh* Oh well, at least everyone is happy in the end. I hope this new chapter made up for my evilness from last time. :)
Momochan77: I'm so glad you liked it! I was really afraid that everyone would be cross with Rose loving Wanda as well as the Doctor. But I'm happy to see so many people supporting the idea. :) Hope you enjoyed this new chapter just as much as the last one!
bored411: Jealous Doctor is always fun. ;) Hope you liked the new update!
Amber0522: I'm not certain, but hopefully things turn out all right. I really hope that you'll enjoy the story throughout the rest to come. :)
Kylie Winchester: lol I am, too. Too bad it never worked out for them. :( Oh well, at least everyone is happy at the end of it all. :)
Thank you all once again for such lovely reviews! I always love them! :D
~Tinker~