A/N: Callie is six years old in the first part of this chapter, then thirteen, then she'll be sixteen for the rest of the story.

Chapter Two

Rose was eating nutella out of the jar with a spoon in her flat's kitchen when a soft, innocent voice broke the moment's silence.

"Mummy, why don't I have a daddy?"

Rose sighed. She had been expecting this question sooner or later. Six years and they still hadn't found him. Six years and he still hadn't come back. Six years and they still hadn't figured out what the deal was with that bloody crack.

Six years, and she still loved him, even though she hated him for being so bloody stupid.

Rose wrapped her arms around her daughter, coming to eye level with her. "You do have a daddy, Callie," she whispered. "A very brave, very caring daddy. And if he could see you now, he would be so proud."

"Then where did he go?" Callie asked into her mother's hair, her own words from six years ago in that voice nearly breaking her heart.

Rose pulled away slightly and looked into her daughter's deep brown eyes that were so much like his. "He did something very, very stupid and got himself lost," she tried to explain, her voice cracking.

"What did he do? When will he be back? Who is he?"

Rose smiled faintly, a single tear streaming down her cheek. "You know what, Callie," she said. "I think it's time for me to tell you a story."

So she told her daughter the story of the Doctor. The man with a blue box called the TARDIS who traveled the stars with a beautiful young woman with the name of Rose. The best and bravest man she had ever known, who eventually came to stay with her to start a new life (perhaps she'd go into more detail when Callie was older). How he had gone into a crack on the wall to see what was inside, and hadn't come back out yet.

The story of her father.

"So if he went inside the wall, maybe he's still there." Her voice was hopeful.

Rose smiled sadly. "I wish it were that simple, sweetheart."

OoOoO

"Mum, sometimes I wish you'd just move on."

Rose looked up from her magazine from the sofa, startled. "Sorry, what?"

Thirteen-year-old Callie moved across the room and sat on the couch next to her mother. It was appalling how much the two of them looked alike, even now. They had very similar face builds, but she had his nose, his eyes and long, feathery brown hair.

"Moving on," she said firmly. "You and me. We can't sit around here in this old flat, just waiting for Dad to come back, because we both know that he bloody well won't."

Rose looked sad. "Callie -"

"It's been, what, thirteen years since you saw him last?" Callie snapped, interrupting. "I'm sick of this way of living, Mum. Being stuck here, living with false hope that I might one day meet him. And I'm not the only one who thinks that," she added. "Nanna Jackie agrees with me, too."

Rose rolled her eyes, though it pained her to hear words that were probably true. "Callina Alexandra Tyler, if you've been speaking with my mother -"

Rose was interrupted yet again by a sharp knocking on the door.

Callie got up to answer it, knowing she would continue this conversation later.

"Uncle Jack!" She exclaimed happily, hugging the man in question.

He laughed, and spun her around. "Hey, Cals!" He grinned through that strange American accent. Then, his voice took a more serious tone, saying, "Is your mom here?"

"Hi, Jack," Rose said, smiling as she approached the doorway. "What brings you to our noble flat?" She gestured at the slightly messy inside.

Jack glanced between mother and daughter, eyes resting on Rose. Her roots were showing through dyed blonde hair; six years of insomnia prominent under her eyes.

"Rose," he said. "Rose, it's back."

Rose's eyes widened. She knew exactly what he meant. She could see it in his sad, sky-colored eyes. "Is he back too?" She said in scarcely a whisper. She didn't dare hope.

Jack shook his head. "But the big crack...it's glowing again, in the exact place and shape."

Rose and Callie gaped at him. Tears started forming in Rose's eyes, but Callie gasped excitedly, all talk of moving on suddenly forgotten.

"Mum, don't you understand what this means? He could come back now! Dad.. he could come back..."

Rose closed her eyes, and shook her head slightly. "I...I can't."

"It's okay, Rose," Jack said softly. "I understand. I just thought you had a right to know."

"Mum!" Callie protested, tugging Rose's arm.

Rose looked into Jack's deep blue eyes. "You take her," she said ruefully. "Take Callie to the crack, and show her. She has the right to see it. But Jack," she said, poking his chest hard, "don't you bloody dare let her touch it."

So Jack took Callie to see the crack. It closed again after a short while, with no sign of the Doctor.

OoOoO

"Happy birthday, Callie," Rose said, smiling at her now sixteen year old daughter. She had gotten a bit taller than Rose over the years, but still not as tall as Jack or Pete. Her long brown hair flowed across her shoulders down to her waist, complimenting her beautiful tanned figure. They had thrown a small party at the Tyler mansion, consisting of Jack, her uncle Tony who was only a few years older than her, and a few of her mates. She and het mum were now back at their small flat, about to go to bed. "Did you like your presents?"

Callie smiled back. "Of course," she said. "There's always one thing I want but never get for my birthday, though."

Rose pulled her daughter into a comforting hug. "I know, honey," she said. "But it'll be okay."

Callie nodded, and went up to her room. She sat on the windowsill, looking out on the busy Friday night that greeted her. Traffic ran this way and that on the streets of London, which didn't interest her one bit. So she looked up at the stars, and sighed.

Oh, Daddy, she thought. If only I could even meet you. I wish we could travel the stars together like you and Mum did. She briefly recalled her mother saying something about a TARDIS coral, but with the Doctor gone, she had no idea how to grow it.

Closing her eyes, Callie leaned her head against the wall, thinking of her dad and who he might have been had he stayed; the adventures the two of them might have had together. Maybe she'd even have a sibling or two. She smiled at that.

Callie was interrupted from her train of thought by a bright, white flash from across the room. She opened her eyes, and gasped.

On the wall opposite the bed, there was a three-meter-long glowing crack on the wall.

For almost twenty minutes, she just stared at it, considering. She thought she ought to tell her mum and possibly get Jack down here (well, on second thought, he had been quite drunk at the party, hitting on her mate Olivia despite the big age difference), but she had a feeling she shouldn't.

Is Dad trying to send me a message?

She slowly walked towards it, and tentatively pressed her ear to the wall right beside it.

Thousands of voices filled her head, speaking of many things. Life, death, mates, telly, apples, bananas, llamas, everything. And, in the background, she could hear her mother's faint voice screaming, "DOCTOR!"

Callie shakily turned away from the wall, and she knew what she had to do.

She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled,

Mum, relax. I didn't run off again. Well, not really. The crack appeared in my wall, and I have to go through it. This may be our only chance of ever finding Dad. Please don't freak. I love you and I'll talk to you as soon as I can.

- Callie xx

She set the note down on her bed, took a deep breath, and walked towards the wall again.

"This is for you, Daddy," she whispered. "Wherever the hell you might be."

She touched the wall, and her world turned a blinding white, and then a dark, ominous black.