"Please don't see Just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies. Please see me Reaching out for someone I can't see." - Adam Levine
He watched the news in the darkened living room, the only major source of light coming from the projection on the wall above the mantel. It wasn't like the projections of his time, or the time he was born in anyway. Where those were thin, often baring evidence of the wall surface and being fun to watch only in school, this was like having a crystal clear television set. The volume was controlled from the little projector box as well, a tiny speaker casting the sound as if the room had the surround-sound of his youth in the 21st century.
He moved around from the back of the couch to the front, wanting to give the coming story his full attention. He could ignore the dishes that needed putting away, and the mess about the flat (as he learned to call it). This deserved to be seen.
"And another child has gone missing, making this the seventeenth in two weeks," The woman on the news said, the worry in her eyes betraying the falseness of her steady voice. "Officials have no idea why there have been so many disappearances. The children range in age from one to thirteen years of age. All of them were taken at night, found to be gone from their beds in the morning leaving their parents stunned." She stopped, sniffed, cleared her throat, and continued. "Police are asking parents to take shifts to watch their children, and for single parents to get help from trusted friends or family." She took a breath. "The Face of Boe is set to be making his return to …."
Tim shut off the projection, the flat darkened except for the city light outside.
Earth, 5462. The planet, for once, was at total peace. 1500 years after the planet had healed from devastating solar flares, its vegetation regrown in most spots, and the world started from scratch. Very few of anyone actually lived on it for the moment, and if the history he was given was correct, no one really would for another thousand years. It was meant only for the rich, which he was thanks to his very old and very well fed bank account from 2300 years before.
So how was it that a planet in its most peaceful time in recorded history, with no more than a couple million people scattered across the globe in small, eco-friendly cities, was experiencing global wide kidnappings?
Well, global, he supposed, though mostly from there. London, or the rebuilt London after the ground had been properly filled. The Star Whale had taken a decent chunk of it, but the solar flares seemed to reshape it afterward.
He got up, moved to the window, catching his reflection. Short, dark hair and sideburns, though he never bothered with facial hair. He was still thin, but looked more so these days. His clothes, still the same from his younger days, were a bit baggier as of late. His eyes, though, didn't hide anything. They were old, much older than he looked due to stress and staring at screens. His glasses had helped, but not much. And under those old, weary eyes were dark circles.
"I should call." He said to himself for the dozenth time. "I should really call." He said to himself again as the weight of his fatigue hit him hard. It was only around seven in the evening, but he was dying for sleep. He also knew he wouldn't get it, and Elizabeth from next door already told him she had a shift in the morning. Very apologetically, and with a bit of a wince.
He must have looked awful.
So he moved to the kitchen where there was still a small light on, and grabbed the cell phone he refused to give up when he moved to this time and place. Ancient by their standards, it still charged as it should and worked just fine on the network.
He went through the contacts, hovering over one name, wrestling with himself as to whether or not he should call after all. He didn't want to, couldn't bring himself to do it, and set it down. He looked out the window, to the moon and the stars, and sighed.
"If you can hear me," he said and thought at once. "I have a request. I'm going to send something to her, but I don't want it to go … what I mean is, I want … oh you know what I want." He said as he picked up the phone, opened a new text for a different contact than he was intending. With another deep breath, he typed.
Earth, London, Sky Plaza, flat 20 c, year 5462. I need you guys, badly. See you soon, Wolf Girl.
He hoped he would.
And even if the TARDIS or the time vortex, or whatever helped field Rose's incoming calls and messages didn't hear or couldn't fulfill his request, that bit of a plea might help.
He set the phone on the counter, knowing it was unlikely she'd answer right away, if at all before showing up.
The dishes could wait.
The mess, he supposed, wasn't as bad as he initially thought.
So he went to steal a moment, just a small one.
He went to the closed door and opened it as quietly as he could.
Her brown hair spread over her pillow in long tendrils. Behind her lids were baby blues that were constantly complemented, often followed by a "she looks just like you." Her tiny lips were in a pout as she hugged a stuffed toy he was told looked like an Adipose. He wasn't sure what that was, but that little girl sure did like the white blob thing.
He sighed, his heart swelling with love and his chest tightening with worry. He hadn't slept in what felt like weeks, only getting a few hours on days when one of his wonderful neighbors could come by and give the single father a break.
But he had to be sure that she was safe, going so far as reading or writing in the bean bag chair in the corner of her room most times just to make sure no one could sneak in through the 19th story window.
No one was going to touch his little girl, and Tim just called in the big, Bad Wolf and the Oncoming Storm to make sure of that.
~DWDWDW~
"I told you, lots sunscreen!" The Doctor reminded Amy as they all clamored back inside the TARDIS. He was trying to be serious, but he was hysterically laughing in his mind.
"I didn't think that meant reapplying every twenty minutes!" Amy snapped back. Well, a humanoid lobster who looked like Amy. Admittedly it was really hard to take her seriously when she looked like a crustacean in a bikini and a sun hat.
"Well, follow me down to the med bay," The Doctor said as he gestured to the corridor and put on his jacket. "I'll use the dermal regenerator, get you back to you pasty self."
"Oi, pasty?" Amy protested as she followed the Doctor, her voice echoing through the corridor. "I did not go through all this to lack a tan."
"You're a ginger. Gingers don't tan." The Doctor's voice countered, fading as they went further into the ship.
"Can he seriously heal her burn that fast?" Rory asked, as Rose moved about the console solo, getting them into the Vortex.
"Never used the dermal regenerator on you while I was out of it?" She asked before throwing the dematerialization switch. She moved away once they were in the vortex, walking with Rory down the corridor to their bedrooms.
"Well, was only on less than one trip before you came out of your coma. He used his sonic to heal Amy's bite from the fish, but nothing … nothing like what's happening now." He replied, stopping outside his and Amy's bedroom door, which was placed directly across from hers and the Doctor's. I wasn't normally like that, but she was sure the TARDIS did this so as to not make them need to part ways just yet.
Rose tried not to let her eyes drift to what looked a bit like a cartoon drawing of a Roman sitting by a pond. She giggled the first time she noticed it, mostly because the TARDIS made sure to emphasize the Roman's nose, and still found it mildly comical each time she saw it. Not to mention that after meeting the TARDIS literally in person a couple weeks prior, Rose had a better sense of the personality the sentient time ship had. Hums, and blinks, and subtle changes said a lot, but hearing her sass, and snark, and humor portrayed with words was by far the best.
"Used it on me a lot in the early days," Rose replied, forcing herself to look to Rory. If he knew her eyes had drifted, he didn't show it. "Nearly every other trip, seems. Once my special talent was unlocked, well, didn't need it so much anymore."
"Unlocked?" Rory said, furrowing his brow.
"Yeah," Rose waved it off. "Was something I put in the time line when I was Bad Wolf. A sorta safe guard 'case what happened didn't happen. Almost got separated from the Doctor forever, was at least smart enough in all my uncontrolled power not to make it so I'd have to live out his life span without 'im."
"Makes sense." Rory nodded. "I mean, I'm human. Amy's human. Don't have matching life spans in the sense that we'd die at the exact same time, but I'd hate to live out what time I do have without her. Would feel long enough as it is, can't imagine it going on for centuries."
"Well, suppose neither did I." Rose smirked. "Anyway, we should change, get cleaned up. Might try and convince the Doctor to take a trip to Molaya 7. Gorgeous restaurant on a dwarf planet where the sun's up for an hour a day, and you can see a multitude of galaxies out every window."
"Sounds lovely," Rory agreed. "See you in a bit."
Rose nodded, and she and Rory went into their respective rooms.
Once the door was closed, Rose's bathing suit was off, the cover with it, and she darted to the shower. The sunblock left a residue over her skin from the constant application. They landed a bit late this go around on Solodarios 4, and the risk of burning the Doctor always went on about could be felt on her skin. Amy didn't heed the warning, and the result of that made Rose glad she had.
Once clean and dressed in jeans and black t-shirt, she put on her favorite boots, grabbed her blue leather jacket, and headed out to the console room.
"Amy is no longer a crustacean." The Doctor said as she entered the room. "Though I feel like perhaps I need to somehow purify my eyes. Why did she have to wear such a small …?"
"You stared at fish women." Rose teased as she came up beside her husband.
"I said I was lonely." He said with a pout. "Not so anymore. Amy's like a sister, and never once did I want to see my sister's …." His ears turned red.
"Yes, well, best you not complain too much. Not sure Rory would appreciate you looking at his wife's cleavage, even if it was to heal her." Rose eased, getting on her toes and giving the Doctor a quick kiss that landed just to the corner of his mouth. "So what now? Spend some time in the vortex?" She asked as he smirked, moving about the controls.
He started to ramble about it maybe being the best, what with Amy's penchant for warm places and her needing to wait until there was no chance of melanoma setting root, but Rose was distracted.
She had a phone for communication with their former companions, but it was rare for anyone to contact her while she wasn't right there to receive it. She noted the blue light on her device blinking to indicate a missed message. Rose plucked up her phone, seeing the message was from Tim. She wasn't sure why the words sent such a chill through her, but she promptly went to the controls and worked the information he gave her into the coordinate panel.
"Rose, what are you doing?" The Doctor asked, coming around beside her. She handed him the phone as she worked solo about the console. "Never good when he asks for help." The Doctor said absently.
"Because he never does?" Rose countered.
"And now we know Jenny and River have sort of taken him on as their own companion now." The Doctor replied, and Rose could feel his eyes on her as she neared the dematerialiation switch. He suddenly stepped up, blocking her from reaching it and putting his hand on it. "I'm still the pilot." He said with a grin.
"Do the honors, then." She gestured.
He grinned wider, throwing the switch.
"Heading off somewhere already?" Amy asked as she and Rory came into the console room. She was wearing thicker tights than she normally would with her short skirts, as well as a scarf and a knit shirt under her leather jacket. Must have still been feeling the post-sunburn chill despite being healed. Rory was in his normal wear, hands in his vest pockets as he leaned against the rail.
"A request from a friend that we pop over for a visit." The Doctor played it off. "Tim, you remember him?"
"Supposed psychic with the American accent?" Rory asked. "Yeah, I remember him."
"Good. Don't need to do introductions. At least, not for you lot. Possibly for him. Hard to tell. Wait …." He turned to Rose. "He said 5462? What is he doing there?"
"We'll find out, won't we?" She countered as the TARDIS landed much quieter and smoother than normal.
Rose moved for the doors eagerly, always excited to see one of her dearest friends.
Opening the door, she was taken aback by the darkened flat. She knew that it wasn't going to be the single room flat he had before, but she didn't expect it to be so big, or multi-roomed. She stepped out, looking around at the decor. There were pieces of art on the walls she could see, though what they were was hard to see by just the moon and city light. The furniture looked nice but practical.
One of the doors facing the TARDIS opened, and a figure stepped out, looking right at her. The second TARDIS door opened, flooding the room with the orange glow and illuminating the figure.
He looked thinner, and as if he'd been through hell. Tim's hair being cut so short was something she couldn't reconcile, and when paired with the glasses it nearly disguised him. But his style was the same, and despite being older, his eyes were still ones she recognized.
He glanced between her and what Rose assumed was the Doctor before coming a bit closer with a tired smile. "Glad you came." He said softly.
"Where's Jenny and River?" The Doctor asked curiously.
Tim snorted, shook his head. "Got me, Doctor." He said with shrug.
"So why are you here by yourself, then?" He asked their former companion.
"I live here now." He said simply. "This time I've found is … better for my general circumstances. I've managed to develop my telepathy a bit, have better control over my psychic abilities. The benefits of the fifty fifth century."
"But you're out of your time." The Doctor stressed cautiously.
"Again," Tim said with a tired sigh. "Better for my circumstances."
While she sensed the suspicion from her husband, Rose didn't care. She closed the distance between her and Tim, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Whatever's going on, we're here." She said as she closed her eyes.
"Good, because it's a bit of a global crisis." He said as he pulled back. Rose didn't miss the fleeting look of surprise on Tim's face. "Amy, Rory. It's …. It's been a while." He said, swallowing as his voice shook.
"Only been a couple months." Amy said behind her.
"For you, maybe." Tim said, a touch of his familiar cheek appearing for a second. He sighed, and his whole body sagged. "There's a problem with disappearances." He went on to explain. "Kids. Young kids, no teenagers. Seventeen in two weeks, from all over, but most taken from here."
"London. Always a magnet for danger, doesn't matter the century." The Doctor quipped. "How are they being taken?"
"From their beds in the middle of the night." Tim replied. "Method unknown. They're advising parents to do a night watch, keep an eye on their kids and be sure they don't just vanish. Fine for multi-parent homes, but the single ones … I'm willing to bet a couple thousand credits that those are the unfortunate souls whose kids are taken."
"Because no one can stay awake all night, work during the day, and do it all again." Rory said.
"Tell me about it." Tim sighed, digging the heel of his hand into his eye beneath his glasses.
"So I can understand you calling us to figure all this out, but you made it sound like this was affecting you." The Doctor said, arms moving about. "I get you're empathetic, likely are seeing flashes of what's happening, but why do you …?"
The Doctor was cut off by a tiny sounding, "Daddy?"
Rose looked behind Tim at the little brunette walking into the room, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fist, clutching a toy Adipose in her hands. She stopped short when she saw Rose, glanced at the Doctor for the briefest of moments, then returned her stare to Rose.
Rose smiled. "Hello." She said, kneeling down to try and be eye level with the little one.
The little girl looked to Tim.
"Livie, these are friends of mine, Rose and the Doctor." He said evenly, smiling at her gently. "And older friends, Amy and Rory."
"You mean like …?" She started to say but Tim put a finger to her lips and she stopped.
"Guys, this is Olivia, my daughter. I call her Livie."
"She's telepathic." The Doctor said, amazed, moving toward and crouching before Olivia. "With some well-placed shields. Not done by herself."
"Someone I trust implicitly placed them shortly after she was born. They'll break down and be replaced by her own when she gets older, and learns how to build them." Tim explained before kneeling down beside the Doctor and his daughter. "Livie, what are you doing up?"
"I heard a noise." She attempted to whisper and failed.
"Was probably their TARDIS." He said as he stroked her hair. She shook her head. "What did you hear?" He asked her.
"It was … was a, a, a hum." She said, then tried her best to imitate it. Rose didn't know what she was trying to sound like, and by the looks of things, neither had Tim.
"Why don't you go back to sleep?" He asked her. "I'll go tuck you in."
"You haven't slept either, have you?" Rose asked him as Tim stood back up. "Single parent, aren't you?
He nodded. "Three days. I haven't slept in about three days." He admitted.
"Then you take your little girl in your room and hold on to her, get some sleep yourself."
"I'm a big girl, I don't need Daddy." Olivia pouted adorably.
"Yes, Sweetheart, I can see you're a big girl." Rose said kindly. "But maybe Daddy needs you?" She challenged.
The little girl frowned as she thought of this, then nodded.
"I don't need you to keep watch." Tim said softly.
"Yes you do." Rose nodded, gesturing for him to go to sleep. He sighed, nodded, and took Olivia's hand. He guided her to what Rose would guess was his room.
When the door closed nearly entirely behind him, Amy softly asked, "So we're gonna be hunting down kidnappers?"
"Seems so." The Doctor said in a hush, sounding distracted. He looked it, too. "Though one has to wonder why all these children are going missing. And what's more, why didn't Tim mention a ransom?"
"There's no television," Rory said as she stepped out of the TARDIS and glanced around. "He must read the news?"
The Doctor snapped out of whatever he was thinking about, then glanced around the dim room. He smiled, pleased with whatever he discovered, then extended his arm toward a wall.
A crystal clear projection came up at low volume, the news playing.
"That is brilliant." Rory marveled.
"The news story is not." The Doctor said.
Rose really paid attention to what was on the screen.
Breaking News: the eighteenth child taken from a London home.
~DWDWDW~
"Not Cybermen again," Rose asked as she moved about Tim's kitchen and started making a pot of coffee.
"Hmm? No, I don't believe so." The Doctor said from his spot on the sofa where he'd spent the night. Amy and Rory had returned to the TARDIS to entertain themselves and maybe catch a nap while the Doctor watched the news to learn what he could about what was going on. He bragged about his superior biology allowing him to listen for anything in the next room as well as the news, and everyone awake merely rolled their eyes at him.
At some point, Rose had fallen asleep, waking as the sun started to come up. It was then that she had got up, heading into Tim's kitchen, and started her morning.
"There were no deaths in relation," The Doctor continued. "And these children are not orphans or poor. Earth at this point is meant for the wealthy. No, from what I've seen there are no connections. They don't release the sort of details that Tim can guess on."
"We'll sort it out." Rose said, wishing she was more confident as she flicked the switch on the basic coffee pot.
The creek of a door caught her attention, and she turned to see the bedroom door open a tiny amount, and then close.
"Hello," The Doctor said warmly.
There was a shuffle of tiny feet. "Hi." A sleepy little voice said.
"Daddy still sleeping?" The Doctor asked as the tiny head of dark brown hair peeked over the edge of the sofa. It bobbed. "Are you hungry?" It bobbed again. "Would you like some fish fingers and custard? It's quite good."
She giggled. "Daddy says 's not breakfast food." She replied.
Rose watched as the Doctor's face split into a large grin. "So you must know me, then? No one else in the universe eats fish custard."
Olivia nodded again. "Where's Rose?" She asked.
"Over here." Rose said, and she watched as Olivia turned and peered at her over the edge of the couch.
Her eyes were a vibrant blue, wide and far too wise for a toddler. Familiar, too, in a way that felt like it should be obvious, but Rose couldn't place. "Hi," She said with a little wave.
"Hi. What would you like for breakfast, Livie?" She asked, hoping that it didn't seem too odd for the little girl to be called that by someone besides her father.
She brightened. "Can you make pancakes?"
"'Course." Rose said just as the TARDIS doors opened. She rustled about the kitchen, trying to find the stuff she'd need while listening to the others.
"Blimey you look like your Daddy." She heard Amy say, likely looking at Olivia full on in the light of day. "So how old are you?"
"Three." She stated plainly. "Your hair's not curly."
"No," Amy said, sounding amused. "Not unless I make it curly."
"Oh." Olivia said as Rose finished finding everything she needed. "You and Aunt Donna have the same hair."
"Aunt Donna?" Amy asked stiffly, and Rose tensed. "Who's Aunt Donna? Is she … is she a Williams or a Pond?"
"Why would she be a Pond?" Rory asked.
"She's a Noble Temple." Olivia replied matter-of-factly, making sound almost as if she was, in fact, a building. "She and Daddy are friends. Sometimes, sometimes we go flying to visit her."
"Do you?" The Doctor asked, not containing the spike of curiosity through his bond with Rose.
"Yeah. Parks are different where she lives, but I like 'em. They have things to climb."
"What are you telling them, Livie?" Tim's voice pulled Rose away from her task of mixing batter. His tone matched the warning in his eyes. Olivia, who she imagined was all smiles and happy curiosity before, was now serious and subdued, sinking back on the couch by the Doctor where Rose couldn't see her anymore.
"Nothing." She said.
Tim beckoned her over with a finger from where he stood in front of the bedroom, and Olivia complied. She clutched her Adipose while she stopped in front of her Dad, her tiny feet peeking out from under her night gown. Tim knelt, and with what looked like practiced skill, touched his fingers to Olivia's temples like the Doctor would.
The Time Lord leaned forward, keen on observing them, his wonder running rampant as he studied the pair.
Neither Tim nor Olivia closed their eyes during what was obviously a private, telepathic communication. Instead they stared unblinking until Tim smiled and eased back. "Soon." He said gently out loud. "And you're right, Rose does make the best pancakes."
"No," Rory said with confidence, shaking his head as he came toward the kitchen. "No, I promise you, I make the best pancakes."
"I don't know, bro." Tim said, unsure. "I traveled with those two for a very long time. Been to dozens and dozens of planets and places, and have never had pancakes better than Rose's."
"Yeah, well, you never traveled with me." Rory said as he shooed Rose away and took over.
"Ah, he's sexy when he cooks." Amy crossed her arms and smiled before she remembered the little one in the room. "Oh, crap, umm, I mean, ah …." She blushed.
Tim seemed to whisper something in Olivia's ear, and she giggled hysterically.
"Oi, what did you say to her?" Amy asked, face going darker red.
"Nothing I can tell you." Tim said with a cheeky grin.
Breakfast was an oddly comfortable event. In some ways it didn't really surprise Rose, considering that the only new addition was Olivia. Yet the whole thing was terribly domestic, right down to the picnic on the living room floor since the kitchen table was only big enough to fit four at most. Olivia told them stories of her many adventures with her Dad, mostly to common places like museums or the park. She never mentioned anything like space or time travel, though Rose suspect she'd experienced her fair share of them both without truly realizing it.
The one thing that stuck out the most was how there was no mention of Olivia's mother.
Rose remembered what it was like growing up. There were no photos of her father on the wall to be a constant reminder to her mother of what was lost. The only time she'd ever see any proof of his existence was when her mother grew nostalgic and brought out the old box of his things. Likewise, there was no proof of Olivia having a mother. Rose adored Tim, and could see that he was likely an excellent father, but she doubted he would have stuck his hand in a machine to become one. What's more, she was a child, so if her existence was based on one parent it was by some other method.
"So, Tim. Not to spoil the mood, but there is a reason we came." The Doctor said after a brief lull of contented silence. "Do you know anyone who's lost their child?"
Tim set his plate aside, taking a deep breath and removing his glasses. "A neighbor." He nodded. "One of the first. She had a son couple years older than Livie. She and her boyfriend were in the next room. Checked on him, sat back down to watch a movie. Few minutes in she heard something, went in to check again. He was gone. Window was open, but it's summer. Most of us had had our windows open at that point. They live on the ground floor, she looked around." He shook his head. "A few days ago, someone from Livie's preschool hadn't shown up. I've been mostly sleep deprived so I honestly couldn't tell you anything more than it was a little boy. Don't know his name, parentage, nothing."
"I thought you said last night you were sure they were all single parents, the ones whose children were taken. Your neighbor has a boyfriend."
"He doesn't live with her. And he's not the little guy's dad." Tim turned to the Doctor. "I suspect you caught yourself up."
The Doctor nodded. "I have." He said as Livie got to her feet and skipped toward him. He pulled her up on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and Livie sat comfortably as if she had always known him.
"So you know they're all human." Tim added.
"All human?" Amy asked. "We're on Earth, what else could they be?"
"Any number of things, Pond." The Doctor said. "This is the fifty-fifth century. At this point, you have a fair amount of interstellar immigrants. Even more so than you had in your time."
"What are you on about, Raggedy Man? There's no aliens living on Earth in our time."
"Wow, really?" Tim mused. "You really think that?"
"Well … suppose, human looking aliens." She reasoned.
"Which are still aliens." Rory said thoughtfully.
"It's just that by this time, they are more obvious in their alien-ness." The Doctor agreed.
"And there's more of them." Tim added in. "And they're the only ones that don't have to worry about their kids."
There was a light knock on the door, and Tim frowned as he got up to answer it. He opened the door just a bit and peeked out, and Rose noted how his entire posture relaxed at once. "Hey," He said with pleasant surprise.
"Hi," A woman said, sounding equally happy to see him. It was only when the woman spoke that Rose realized Livie only had a light accent by comparison to Tim. "My shift got canceled. I can take Livie for a bit if you want, though I'll admit you don't look near as tired as you had before."
"Umm, yeah. I had a few good friends come by last night. They're still here, actually, but, umm … if you want to come in." He stammered in a way Rose hadn't heard him do before.
"Oh, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to impose." The woman said, and Rose couldn't resist leaning forward enough to peek at her.
"Rose." The Doctor warned through their bond, but she could feel his amusement as well.
"What she look like?" Amy asked quietly.
Rose finally caught sight of her. "Blonde, no surprise there." She replied with a smirk. "Taller than him. By a bit. Pretty. Has blue eyes. Quite pale."
"You wouldn't be imposing." Tim said automatically, and Rose thought she noted a bit of a smile on his face. "But I understand if you aren't comfortable."
"Maybe I can come back tonight?" She asked a bit more softly.
"They might be around for a couple days." Tim said. "Umm," He then glanced back, noticed Rose being nosy, and rolled his eyes. The woman, who ever she was, seemed to recognize her somehow, but before much more was said, Tim gestured for the woman to step back and he followed her into the hallway and closed the door.
"That's Lizzy." Livie said matter-of-factly. "She's Daddy's girlfriend."
"Is she?" Amy asked, glancing at Rose before leaning toward Livie where she sat on the Doctor's lap. "Do you like her?"
"She's really nice. When Daddy has to work she plays with me. And weekends we go shopping and go for ice cream. Lizzy taught Daddy how to do braids, but he doesn't get them right."
"Oh I can do that," The Doctor said, shifting Olivia so her hair was easier to get to. "And when did Daddy meet 'Lizzy'?" He asked, keeping his voice light while Rose felt his suspicion.
Olivia frowned. "I dunno." She said.
"Has Lizzy always been around, then?" Rory asked, seeming to sense what the Doctor was curious over.
Olivia nodded as much as she could while the Doctor braided.
Disappointment, and guilt at that disappointment, crashed over the Doctor and seeped through the bond.
The door opened, and Tim closed it behind him, pausing as he made his way back to them and stared at the Doctor. "Yeah, sure, French braid her hair. Show me up." He gestured to his daughter but couldn't keep his displeasure long before he smiled lovingly at her. "Is the Doctor done with your hair?" He asked.
"Almost," The Time Lord said, reaching in to his pocket and pulling out one of Rose's hair ties. He finished up, then gave Olivia a gentle nudge. She slid off his lap.
"Okay, go get dressed. Lizzy's going to take you out for a bit."
"Yay!" Olivia said, darting into her room.
"And while Livie is out with Lizzy?" Rose asked teasingly, tongue between her teeth.
"We five can try and sort this all out, or at least have a better understanding what's going on." Tim replied.
"Daddy!" Olivia's muffled voice called from her room. "I'm stuck in my shirt!"
Tim sighed, shook his head, and went to help her.
"Is it possible the TARDIS could tell us what was happening?" Amy asked. "I mean, all of time and space, you could look up any big event, yeah?"
"Within reason." The Doctor nodded as he stood and straightened his bow tie.
"Well, lots of kidnappings in the fifty-fifth century. Seems like something the TARDIS would know, yeah?" She hinted.
The Doctor got up from his chair and moved swiftly to the big blue box. He snapped his fingers, stepped in, and disappeared inside.
"He doing a google search or whatever? Like he did with Van Gogh?" Amy asked.
"She doesn't work like that." Rose shook her head. "When you know an outcome it sorta sets things in place. If we know that there were, say twenty-five missing children in this event than we'd be stuck letting it happen."
"But you can change time, can't you? Rewrite it?" Rory asked as the three went to find out what the Time Lord was up to.
"Sometimes that can be bad." Rose replied. "Sometimes reading something makes it set, fixed. Can't be changed after that." She stepped inside, seeing the Doctor hunched over the console and staring at the monitor. "Find anything."
His stare got dark, a glint in his eyes that betrayed the worry and fear she could feel coming off of him. She was beside him in an instant, staring at the screen and not understanding anything that was there.
"What's the matter?" Rose asked him.
"There's, uh … there's traces of something I haven't seen in about a hundred years. Something dangerous, deadly. It was … it was how we met Donna."
Rose couldn't quite remember. The memory of their introduction to Donna had been tainted with the pain of losing her mother, and having just saying goodbye. She couldn't recall all the circumstances that lead to it, but did know that had somehow triggered her Bad Wolf side.
The Doctor was still one second, then frantic the next. Moving swiftly around the console, he flicked switches and turned knobs until he sent them on their way to location unknown.
"Whoa, ya just gonna leave Tim behind?" Rose asked, but the Doctor said nothing. When the TARDIS landed with a thud, the Doctor moved at inhuman speed down the ramp and out the door. When it slammed behind him, the TARDIS didn't protest. Which meant something was seriously off.
Rose darted out after him, pausing when she found herself in what looked to be an utter wasteland. There was a thick fog, or at least she hoped that's what it was, lingering in patches and allowing peeks at the remains of whatever city this was before. She heard Rory and Amy coming up behind her and spun around to stop them.
"Not another step. TARDIS atmosphere will protect ya so long as you're inside." She told them hand up to emphasize the need to not move as Amy and Rory gapped at the surroundings outside the TARDIS.
"Aren't you worried about … whatever you're worried about when it comes to us?" Rory asked. "Like radiation, or whatever?"
"Can't die unless he does." She said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the Doctor. "And if it was something that'd kill him, I'm as good as gone now anyway. But you two stay put, yeah?" She said as casually as she could, her stomach knotting while she remained appearing unconcerned about the whole thing.
Amy and Rory nodded, and Rose went off to find her husband, using their bond as a sort of tracker.
She stopped cold when tears pricked her eyes, her heart twisting in agony with loss. She looked around her frantically, starting to feel rage boil through her and dried the tears that had yet to spill before she was abruptly thrown into cold unfeeling. The Doctor must have closed the bond then, because she was once more neutral. She strained to hear, and eventually picked up on the heavy clomp of her husband's foot falls coming toward her.
She turned to see him, dread washing over her as the Oncoming Storm made his way through the fog.
"Doctor?"
"Not now." He said through his teeth though not entirely angry. She heard the gentleness in his tone, which only seemed to make it worse.
She followed him back into the time ship, watched from just inside, in front of the doors as he moved more slowly around the console though handled the controls roughly. He kept his head bowed, eyes far off with a mixture of emotions in them she had yet to see in this body. He consistently reminded her of his ninth self with some of his physicality's, and the way he stood hunched at the moment was so much like that him she could practically smell the leather.
"Doctor?" Amy asked softly from the jumpseat she and Rory occupied.
"I'm going to bring you back to Tim's. We're returning a few seconds after we just left, and I won't be long for you lot." He said as they landed. "Rose and Tim will bring you two up to speed with the history of our friend Donna."
"And where are you off to?" Rose asked.
"To take care of something." He said simply. Rose didn't move as the Ponds slowly got up and left the TARDIS, glancing between the Time Lord and the sort of human as they left. When the door closed most of the way, the Doctor strode toward her, cupping her cheek when close enough. "Just go, please."
"What did you find?" She asked him.
He swallowed visibly, eyes clouding over again, pain dominating. "Nothing you should see." He said with a very faint twitch of his lips before kissing her firmly.
Rose nodded once, understanding, and left the TARDIS.
~DWDWDW~
Tim heard the TARDIS leave as he helped Olivia get dressed, and seconds later heard it reappear. He wasn't surprised.
Not wanting to say anything first thing in the morning, and especially not in front of his little girl, he ignored the lingering memories of the visions he had the night before.
Of golden glows, and Oncoming Storms. Of sinister smiles and children….
He abruptly pulled Olivia in his arms and held her tight, kissing the top of her head. She didn't say anything, used to the general affection he gave her on a daily basis.
"Let's drop you off to Lizzy's." He said as he stood up from where he stayed on his knees. She took his hand, and they headed out of her room.
"Be back in a minute." He said to Amy and Rory. He heard the TARDIS door creak open as he left the apartment.
"Daddy," Olivia said. "Why can't I talk about Auntie River? Don't they know her yet?"
"Ah," Tim said, stopping in the middle of the corridor and staring at Elizabeth's door while Olivia stared at him. He scratched the back of his neck. "It's complicated, Sweetie. You know how, um, well, Daddy sometimes …."
"Your thought things." Olivia said sagely, bringing a smile to Tim's lips. He hadn't called them that himself in a very long time, a couple of decades at least. But when he had to explain them to Olivia when he wondered if she was having them as well, it was the simplest way he could think of explaining them to a then two year old. A disturbingly intelligent two year old who was asked to leave three day cares because she was too smart for them.
"Yes, Daddy's thought things. Well, they know her. They just don't know who she is yet."
She took the hem of his t-shirt and gave it a tug. He bent down, getting on one knee and waiting for what she wanted. Olivia leaned in, cupping his ear as she whispered, "Is that why I can't let them into my mind?"
"Yeah," Tim said, giving her a kiss on the forehead and standing again. He stepped up to Elizabeth's door and knocked.
She opened it with a smile barely more than a few seconds later. "Hey," She said to him, then to Olivia. "Hey, Livie. Go ahead and wait inside." She said, but Olivia was already racing into the flat.
Tim snorted, shook his head, and leaned on the door frame. He tried to ignore the concern in Elizabeth's face for as long as possible, but after a bit met her eye.
"Are you positive you don't want to tell them?" She asked him.
"Yeah." Tim nodded. "Unless it explicitly comes up, which I'm hoping it doesn't, I can't risk them knowing anything about her."
Elizabeth nodded before twisting her face in confusion. "I thought the Doctor was … older. A bit crotchety."
"Young version." Tim said with a shrug.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, let me know how Rose still looks the same, and I'll be a happy woman."
"You look great for forty-seven, what are you on about? You know what forty-seven looked like in my time? Grey. Wrinkles starting." Tim mused, making Elizabeth laugh and his heart swell.
"Yes, well, suppose you're glad you relocated then. How else would you explain looking as you do at sixty?"
"Fifty-nine, thanks." He corrected her. "And you know … you know why coming here was best. Though with everything that's been happening …."
"You have them here." Elizabeth soothed, putting hand on his shoulder and caressing his neck with her thumb. "You know they would sort it out. Your Wolf Girl and … what did you call him? Storm Boy?" She chuckled. "You'll have it solved. I know you will. And when it's all over, we will carry on with our plans."
"You sure you want to do that?" Tim asked slyly.
"You bet I do." Elizabeth said with cheek before leaning in and kissing him firmly. Unlike earlier, Tim didn't let it become languid. Olivia was likely watching, grinning like the silly little loon she was, and he didn't dare have anyone from his apartment come by and witness anything prolonged.
Reluctantly pulling away, he grinned as best he could. "See you girls later."
"See you then." Elizabeth said as she backed into her flat and closed the doors.
Well, her flat for now.
As it always does when he thought of he future, a pang of guilt Tim in the heart. He closed his eyes, shook it off, and forced himself to return to his place and hope beyond all hopes that the Doctor and Rose would have a clue as to what was happening.
~DWDWDW~
"He was a bit snippy." Amy said as she stepped out of the TARDIS, Rory right behind her.
"Was he?" He countered, stepping away from the doors as Rose had yet to step out yet.
"In his own way." Amy replied, crossing her arms as she moved and plopped down on the couch. She glanced over as Tim and his daughter left her room.
"Be back in a minute," he said, barely acknowledging them as he left the flat just as Rose stepped out.
She was looking at the floor, mouth twisted in confusion as she stepped a few feet away from the TARDIS. The engines started up again, and she barely looked over her shoulder as it faded in and out of existence until it was no more.
"Oi, what's got his knickers in a twist?" Amy asked, gesturing with her head to where the TARDIS was even if Rose wasn't looking at her when she asked.
"Not sure," Rose replied absently.
Silence lingered around them, and Amy ignored the sharp pain in her abdomen in favor of watching Rose intently. Even when she was sure Rory caught the flicker of pain, having placed his hand on her shoulder, Amy kept her gaze fixed on the blonde woman biting her thumb.
Rose looked as if she were trying very hard to search her memory for something, eyes looking to nothing in the air surrounding her.
"So who is this Donna we keep hearing about?" Amy asked, still not fully getting Rose's attention.
"A dear friend," She replied absently. "She, umm, she traveled with us and Tim."
"And where's she now?" Rory asked. "Tim obviously started traveling with your daughter before he settled down. What happened to Donna?" He asked, and Amy glanced up to see he appeared a bit worried about the answer.
Rose turned to them, looking at each of them in turn as if only just realizing they were still in the room despite talking to them. "Donna had a bit of an accident." She started. "She saved he world when the Davros and the Daleks moved the Earth. But when she did, she accidentally … you know what, hard to explain yeah? Complicated. Just know that she had an accident, and as a result she had to stop traveling with us. She's fine, safe, living a great life in Chiswick. We stop by 'bout every five years for us and have tea, catch up. Hasn't had a chance to meet the new Doctor yet, may never, dunno if it's safe."
"And this 'accident'," Rory pressed. "Is this the bit the Doctor wanted you to fill us in on?"
Rose shook her head. "Can't be. What happened was a literal one time possibility. Couldn't and wouldn't have anything to do with children missing. But I'm forgetting somethin'. Doctor said what he found was deadly dangerous. Hadn't seen it in a hundred years, so what am I forgettin'?"
"Say memory is the first to go in old age, there, Granny." Amy teased, smirking as the jab hit Rose just the way she wanted it to.
"Oi, Granny?" Rose said indignantly. "Where you get off sayin' something like that?"
"Over a hundred, aren't you?" Amy countered, smile growing as the door to the flat opened behind her. "My own Gram didn't make it to eighty."
"Why are we calling Rose 'Gram' now?" Tim asked as he came toward them, face blank as he rubbed his palms on his jeans.
"'Cause she's an old bird with memory loss." Amy replied, chuckling to herself.
"Yes, well, live past a hundred, few things are bound to go missing, yeah?" Rose countered with a glare before looking to Tim. "What was special 'bout Donna other than the Meta Crisis?" She asked him.
Tim seemed to think on it, eyes going unfocused, his posture becoming still. "Mistaken for a Princess, Savior to many in the Universe." He said mechanically. "Saved us from the dream state." He seemed to come back to his senses, blinking. "Why did I see Donna in a wedding dress and a twenty-foot spider alien?"
"Those exist!?" Amy asked, pulling her legs up on the couch to avoid being near an non-existent spider.
"Not anymore." Rose said absently, seeming to think on what Tim said. "She was … she was used. She was being dosed with something …." And just as the TARDIS began to reappear, stirring up the contents of the living room as welThas the hair of its occupants, Rose seemed to come to a horrifying understanding.
When the TARDIS was fully formed, the doors opened, and the Doctor stepped out, hands in his pockets, purple tweed jacket gone.
"Huons." Rose said simply, and the Doctor nodded. "Deadly, dangerous huons. That's what you picked up on your scanner?" She asked again, her voice catching. He nodded again, grimly.
"Doc," Tim said, voice shaking. "Tell me it's not … I can be wrong, so just tell me I was wrong for once."
The Doctor smiled sadly. "I can't do that, Tim."
"Doctor?" Amy asked, dread welling inside her along with the need to hug herself around her abdomen.
The Doctor swallowed, falling back on the TARDIS. "It's the children." He said. "Whoever is taking them … they're dosing them with huons. Ease to trace, of course, but …."
Tim ran from the room, and the echo of him retching punctuated the silence. Amy felt sick to her stomach, her throat tightening at the thought. Her chest heaved uncontrollably, and something between a sob and a scream managed to escape the hand she clasped over her mouth.
Because huons were deadly, and if the children were being dosed with them, it could only mean one thing, and it made her heart shatter.
A/N: Thank you for the readers, favoriters, followers, and reviewers
Zorobak, Darkelvoriplorellion Tyler, BadWolfGirl, debygobl, annabethfan15, eternity1012323, Shadow Eclipse, Loca8892, TheKitchenMistress, Bad Wolf Jen, jackjenfan.
Thank you all for leaving word, as always.
I think next post will be Wednesday. Until then!