Domestics and Divisions
OK, bad news first. I'm off to America for two weeks so there won't be any updates for that time. But on the other hand, I will have ample writing time and fully expect to get this fic completed by the time I get back. Finally, I know! Hope you enjoy this chapter, anyway, and I'll update as soon as I can when I return. Jet lag withstanding.
Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me.
Part Seventeen: Bonding
"Tosh!" Rose called across the Hub, "Can you see if the Doctor's on his way back yet please?"
"Will do, Rose," the Asian woman replied, pressing buttons on her computer and bringing up the CCTV of the Bay outside. The blue box that was apparently the Doctor's spaceship stood in the middle. Tosh couldn't imagine how the Doctor managed to live in there. How did he see out? "Nope, nothing yet," she called back to Rose, "Oh, hang on. The door's just opening… Yeah, he's coming with Jonny…" She watched as her friend's lover put down her son and begin walking towards the base. "Oh my God," she gasped suddenly, "Rose, come quick!"
Rose heard the slightly fearful cries and hurried over to her. "Tosh, what is it… oh God! Doctor! Look out! DOCTOR!" Horrified, she, Tosh and Jack, who had come over to see what the commotion was about, watched as a pair of Weevils ambled up behind the blissfully unaware Doctor and thumped him on the back of the head. He fell like a stone to the ground from which one Weevil dragged him off whilst the other picked up Jonny who was quite obviously screaming in terror.
"Jonny!" Rose screamed, running for the exit, Jack hot on her heels, "Damn him! Why'd he have to park over the lift?" She increased her pace; cursing the Doctor for not moving the TARDIS so she could go the quick way. She was out on the Bay in under a minute, gasping painfully as a result of how fast she had run, and staring around wildly. "Where are they?" she gasped to Jack. The Bay was completely deserted. Not even a day tripper was in sight. "Jack, where are they?" she cried, grabbing hold of her best friend desperately, "We have to find them!"
"We will. Rose, listen to me, we will," Jack said calmly.
"But they're gone! He was hit over the head and Jonny was screaming and I need them both back, Jack! Help me get them back!" Rose cried.
"I will," Jack said, wrapping his arms around his distraught friend, "Rose, it'll be OK. Don't forget Jonny is with the Doctor and he's had plenty of practice at this."
She nodded, calming slightly, knowing her friend was right.
"Let's go back into the Hub and watch the CCTV visuals and see if they show us anything, OK?" Jack suggested, leading her away.
Rose nodded tearfully, casting a last look around the empty Bay. Where was her baby and her soul mate?
The Doctor drifted back into consciousness with the feeling of two small hands shaking him.
"Daddy?" a small frightened voice whispered, "Daddy, wake up!"
He opened his eyes slowly and saw Jonny looking at him, obviously afraid. "It's OK, Jonny," he reassured him, before slowly sitting up and looking around to make sure everything really was OK.
The smell was the first thing that hit him once all his senses had restarted. He took in a deep breath and gagged. It smelt… disgusting. He looked around and immediately found the source of the smell.
"We're in the… sewers?" he moaned. He stood up quickly from where he had been lying in a little alcove next to the deep gully that ran down the dark tunnel and in which the Doctor could see unmentionable things floating along. What kind of person put people in the sewers?
"Daddy?" Jonny whispered, his small hand slipping into the Doctor's larger one, "It's smelly here."
"Tell me about it," the Doctor gagged, "It smells worse that how the bathroom used to smell after Jack had used it and that's saying something!"
"Where's Mummy?"
"She'll probably still be at the Hub," the Doctor nodded, crouching down next to Jonny as he remembered what had happened up on the Bay, "Are you OK? Did they hurt you?""
"My head hurts," the boy whimpered, "The nasty monsters hit me!"
"Alright, hold still." The Doctor ran his sonic screwdriver over Jonny's head, checking for any damage. "It's OK. You'll probably have a nasty lump on it for a couple of days but there's no serious damage."
"Will you kiss it better?" Jonny asked innocently, "Mummy always does."
The Doctor paused. "Uh… OK. I suppose so," he nodded before pressing a gentle kiss to the injured area.
"Thank you, Daddy."
"It's alright. Now, come on. Let's get out of this stink hole before I'm sick." Even holding his breath didn't seem to help.
"It's dark and scary," Jonny announced, his voice timid.
"Ah, I can fix that." The Doctor fiddled around with his screwdriver for a moment before a clear light shone out of the end, illuminating the immediate area around them. He heard Jonny take a deep relieved breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go. We need to find one of those grates that open up in the pavements and then we can get out onto the street and find our way back. Hold onto my hand tightly, Jonny and be careful. It's very slippery."
"Yes Daddy," the small boy nodded and increased his grip on his father's hand.
The Doctor smiled slightly.
They set off, along the dark murky tunnel, the sonic screwdriver held high so they could see their way and search for the grate in the ceiling, which would spell their way out.
As soon as he was sure of their way and footing, the Doctor began to recollect what had happened when they had been kidnapped. He couldn't remember much; whoever had taken them had crept up behind the Doctor and hit him on the back of his head and down he'd gone like a Sontaran. He hadn't seen a thing and only remembered hearing some sort of grunting before darkness had claimed him.
"Jonny," he said quietly, suddenly recalling that the little boy had mentioned 'nasty monsters', "Did you see what got us and brought us here?"
"Yeah!" the boy nodded enthusiastically, "It was big an' nasty an' smelly an' ugly!"
The Doctor sighed internally. That hadn't really helped but Jonny's language skills hadn't developed enough yet to properly describe something in helpful detail. However, he was then suddenly struck by a thought. He stopped and crouched down to Jonny's height before placing his fingers on the child's temples. "Can you picture the monster in your head?" he asked gently, closing his eyes and easing his mind into Jonny's. "Don't worry if you feel something weird. It's just me."
There was just a jumbled mess to begin with. The Doctor caught snatches of memories from Jonny's short life- a lot of Rose talking and singing to him but also several of Jackie and Pete cooing over their grandchild. After a moment, the memories cleared away to be replaced by much more recent ones; ones from the past day or so. The Doctor waited patiently before the memory he was looking for came to the forefront and froze on the image of what had kidnapped them.
It was amongst one of the ugliest creatures the Doctor had ever had the misfortune to encounter during his long life. It had a bald head with a scrunched up, evil face. Its mouth was large and sharp teeth were very prominent. All in all, the Doctor was very much of the opinion that this was not a friendly creature and actually reminded him of Warner Bros. version of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies that Rose had forced him to watch once upon a time.
Suddenly, a sharp but not unpleasant shock ran through his mind making him jump. He could feel a presence in his own mind; warm and comforting and making him feel safe.
'Hello Daddy!'
The Doctor frowned, wondering why Jonny needed to stay hello to him when they had been together for a while now. Then he realised. The little boy was speaking to him in his mind. He was frozen in shock for a moment. Nobody could do that or they hadn't for a very long time.
"Daddy?'" Jonny's uncertain voice echoed in his mind and the Doctor pulled himself together.
"Hello mate. Are you OK?"
"Yes. Daddy, this is weird. I can't talk to Mummy like this."
"That's because Mummy is different to us. I don't really know how to explain it to you so you'd understand, Jonny."
"Is it 'cause I'm… diff… diff-runt?"
The Doctor had to smile. Jonny's vocabulary seemed to be increasing the more time he spent with him. "Sort of,' he spoke in his mind, "I'll try and explain it a bit more later, OK?"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Good boy, Jonny."
The Doctor carefully withdrew from Jonny's mind and just looked at him for a moment. What was this boy? He had two hearts and could access his mind and talk to him through it. Only Time Lords could do that. He took a deep breath, getting his thoughts in order. Could Rose be telling the truth, despite his unconscious wish to disbelieve her? Could Jonny really be his…?
"Daddy!"
His thoughts were interrupted by Jonny screaming, his eyes wide and fearful. The Doctor spun around to be greeted by the alien he'd seen in the boy's memories.
"Quick, run!" he shouted, grabbing Jonny's hand and pulling him along the slimy tunnel. All of his instincts were screaming out for him to protect the child and get him away from the monster to safety. He suddenly realised they were going too slowly, hindered by Jonny's little legs. Without a moment's thought, he slid his hands under Jonny's arms and hoisted him into his arms.
"Hold on tight," he warned him, "Arms around my neck."
The frightened child compiled and the Doctor began to sprint as fast as he could, always making certain his footing was sure. It wasn't only his life and dignity that rested on it. They did not want to fall into the putrid water.
The light from the sonic screwdriver bobbed as he ran, constantly searching for a way out. He could hear the creature chasing them but its heavy bulk was slowing it down, allowing them to get away.
"Escape!" Jonny called out, pointing at the ceiling.
The Doctor looked up and saw a metal ladder attached to the wall, leading up to one of the grates commonly found in the street.
"Good boy!" he praised, hurrying to the ladder and beginning to climb, Jonny clinging tightly around his neck like a monkey. As they got to the top, he gave the grate a solid push but it stuck fast. As a result, he aimed the screwdriver at the grate and activated it, listening to the resulting whine growing higher pitched as he steered it around the edges.
"Jonny, close your eyes," he said, knowing the light- dim as it was in the early winter evening- would hurt their eyes after the darkness of the sewers. He felt rather than saw the boy nod as he blindly pushed the grate aside and attempted to pull himself out of the small hole.
"Here," said a voice and the Doctor felt a hand catch hold of his, pulling him and Jonny out of the sewers and into what they thought would be safety.
But were they right or wrong? Find out next time in Domestics and Divisions'. Anyone think this sounds like a cheesy American sitcom? Hehe.
Review please. Constructive criticism is gladly received.