The Doctor had been standing behind Jack from the moment his hologram had appeared in the room below. Well, standing as much as one controlling an image of themselves could. The Doctor moved about the control room just as he had the room below, and didn't stop until the hologram disappeared.
And having known the Time Lord as long as he had, Jack instinctively knew when the Doctor's mood shifted without even looking behind him. His chair had moved, just a small amount, from the Doctor's grip tightening on it.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Something. Don't know what, though." The Doctor admitted nervously.
"Why do you say that?" Mickey asked.
"Because Rose's mind has receded in a way that usually means she's …."
Jack turned around, looking at him. He was pale, eyes unfocused. "She'll come back, though, right?"
"She's coming around, yes." The Doctor nodded. "But if she's been … it means something isn't going to plan. May be more men than we anticipated."
Jack watched the feeds, noticing the smirk on Her face even as the Judoon rounded her, her men, and the clergy up.
"It's been too easy, hasn't it?" He remarked.
"A bit." The Doctor nodded. He then turned to the door, opening it, revealing Vastra and Jenny helping a pair of Judoon drag the two guards slowly coming around to their feet.
The Doctor grunted and clicked, doing so in a rhythm that almost sounded like speech. The Judoon did the same in return, and the Doctor grunted once. They two bowed to each other.
"What was that about?" Vastra asked as the Judoon took the guards away.
"I asked them to bring our friend to talk to us." He said with a confident grin before backing out the door. "Have a feeling she'll have lots she'll want to say to us."
~DWDWDW~
Rose came around with a mighty cough, her chest aching. Groaning, she rolled to her side and opened her eyes to find herself staring at a pair of boots. She looked up the skinny legs before her to find Rory looking down at her with nervous, new father eyes, holding a baby in his arms.
"I'm not sure what to do." He admitted. "I set the Flesh copy down, picked her up, and the Flesh disintegrated.
Rose chuckled as she got to her feet, straightening out her jacket as she looked at the little one in his arms.
She smiled, then gently reached out to touch the baby's head. There was a hum she wasn't expecting, almost like a pull against her skin. She frowned, running her finger down the baby's tiny nose, hearing her coo. She leaned in, taking a whiff of the baby's skin, smiling at the non-flesh scent though confused by the hint of something else there.
"Please tell me she's real. I can't … I don't think I can give up another one, and if you tell me there's more copies of my daughter."
"She's human." Rose nodded.
"Oh good." He said, sighing with relief.
"Let's go to the medbay," Rose said. "Likely where Amy is. Best we head there now." She said, gesturing down the hall.
"Right." He nodded, and they made their way back to the computer from before. The map was still up, and a quick glance at it showed her where to go.
She led Rory there, keeping her eyes peeled for any possible signs of danger, heart racing with each step toward the medbay.
Shoulders sagged as they made it to the doors without issue, and she looked back to Rory with a grin. "You ready?"
"More than." He said, looking down at his daughter again.
Rose's grin grew as she withdrew her sonic and pointed at the panel. The doors slid open.
"Who ever you are, watch it! I'm armed, and really dangerous, and cross!" Amy's voice came from inside, a wall blocking the view of inside from the door way.
Rory glanced at Rose, his smile growing as he stepped inside. "Yeah, like I don't know that." He teased, heading inside.
"Rory? Rory is that you?" Rose heard Amy cry out. "They took her, they took our baby away."
"Now, Missus Williams, that is never, ever going to happen." Rory said just as he disappeared around the corner.
Rose stood at the doorway, listening to them before going in.
"Oh my God!" Amy cried, and Rose felt her self tearing up. "Oh my God! Where's she been, what have they done to her?"
"She's fine," Rory said. "I checked, Rose checked, she's beautiful." He said as Rose felt a pair of cool arms wrap around her.
"You alright?" The Doctor asked her.
"Chest hurts." Rose admitted, turning in his arms to smile at him. "Doesn't matter, though. Not really."
"Didn't want to go in?" He asked her.
"Wanted to give them a minute." Rose replied, wiping at the tears falling from her eyes. "Seemed a bit private, that." She gestured back to the room. "But there's something going on with here, Doctor. Something … off. Can sense it."
The Doctor gave her a quick peck. "Let's not worry them just yet." He said. "Though I would like to meet the little one that's caused so much trouble." He added with a grin before stepping back. He took her hand, then led her into the medbay.
He stopped short at the sight of the Ponds kissing over their little girl.
"Oh, blimey, shoulda stayed out there a little longer. We'll just …."
"Oi, you, get in here!" Rory demanded, smiling a bit.
The Doctor didn't need to be told twice, dropping Rose's hand to dart over and meet the little one.
"My daughter, what do you think?" Rory asked as the Doctor stared at her with a wide, goofy grin that was equally endearing and heartbreaking. They came to terms with her infertility instantly, and they had Jenny to extend their family, but there was always something about watching the Doctor with babies that made her ache at the inability to bare one of their own.
"Hello, hello, baby." He cooed, and Rose moved to stand beside him.
"Melody." Amy said.
"Melody?" Rory gapped incredulously.
"Melody Rose," Amy nodded, smiling at Rose before opening her arms and embracing Rose tightly for a moment. "The strongest women I knew. Just in case."
"Melody Rose Pond, hello, sweet girl." The Doctor said as he stroked her little cheek.
"Melody Williams." Rory corrected.
"Is a geography teacher." Amy snorted. "Melody Pond is a superhero."
"Didn't get much say in this did I?" Rory teased with a smile.
"Well, Melody Rose Williams-Pond." Amy shrugged with a giggle.
Melody gurgled, and the Doctor turned his ear toward her.
"Does she? Never really sniffed her. Maybe I should give it a go." The Doctor said before turning to Amy and giving her a hug. "Sorry we were so long getting here." He said to her before taking a big sniff.
"It's okay," Amy reassured. "I knew you were coming, all of you. I had faith."
Melody squealed, and Rose chuckled at the little one's insistence.
"Oi, you should call her 'Mummy', not bit 'Big Milk Thing'." The Doctor scolded the baby gently.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked.
"He speaks baby." Rose rolled her eyes as Melody cooed. "Though I don't know if I believe they say half of what he says he does."
"No, it's not. It's cool." The Doctor frowned as he straightened his bow tie.
"Hate to break up this moment, but we do need to move out." Rose said, putting a hand on Amy's shoulder. "You alright to move quick?"
"Long as we don't have to run." She nodded.
"The Shadow Proclamation is rounding everyone up, but we still need to leave as quick as possible. I have a feeling there's still a few surprises waiting for us." The Doctor nodded.
"Then let's go." Rory nodded, clutching Melody close as the four of them left the medbay.
As they made their way to the hanger, they found Vastra hurrying toward them.
"There you are." She said, glancing wearily at the Ponds before approaching the Doctor. "We need you to come back to the control room. There's something you need to see."
"Is there?" The Doctor asked with a frown.
"Yes." Vastra replied seriously.
"We already know there was a Flesh avatar of the baby," Rose said in a low enough voice that Amy wouldn't hear. "We found the real Melody."
"That's not what concerns me." Vastra said.
"Ponds," The Doctor said, turning to where they stopped. "Head to the hanger as planned. Will give Mels a moment to meet the little one who's been named after her."
"Melody's here? Big Melody?" Amy asked, eyes wide.
"Rory will explain on the way." The Doctor insisted with a smile, nodding for them to go. After they continued on their way, he turned to Vastra. "What is it?"
She beckoned for them to follow, and with a worried glance at one another, the Doctor and Rose followed.
When they entered the control room, Rose was surprised to see a calm Jack and a confused Mickey and Jenny Flint looking at a screen with three strands of DNA up side by side.
"If I didn't know you two had such a strong marriage, I'd question the parentage of this little girl," Vastra cut to the chase. "Because they have been running scans and tests since before her birth, and it appears she is more than a mere human."
Rose didn't really understand what she was looking at, though she could plainly see there was quite a difference between two of the samples, and quite a similarity between the other possible pair.
"Oh that's not even the most confusing part." The Doctor said, a mix of wonder and fear in his voice as he stepped toward the screens.
"I'm not sure I understand." Vastra replied.
"That strand, that's human. Likely Amy's by the similar markers." He said, pointing to the one furthest left that also looked like the odd one out. "But this one, this one is Rose's." He said, pointing to the one farthest right.
"Mine?" She said incredulously.
"I studied your DNA religiously that first year after I almost lost you. When we discovered the huons inside you from the heart of the TARDIS. I know it intimately." He rambled off quickly.
"So you're saying …?" Jack asked expectantly.
"I'm saying she, Melody, has huons embedded in her DNA. Which is virtually impossible." He frowned. "But there's something, and inkling in the back of my mind, that says I should know that it's not. That we would have expected this."
Rose frowned as she felt that same sort of inkling tickle at the back of her mind. A memory blocked, but there were flashes of children in hospital beds that managed to come through.
"So, they did it on the TARDIS and the TARDIS, what? Some how go involved in …?" Jack said, a grin growing with each word.
"Oi! That's absolute rubbish." The Doctor spat back. "I don't care how sentient my ship is, she certainly didn't find a way in the mix of that with them and helped make a baby."
"So how would this have happened?" Jenny asked.
"There are files, medical files, that show … experiments being done involving the child while in utero." Vastra said, pressing a few keys and bring them up.
The Doctor leaned forward and scanned them. "Man made. In fact, it looks like … but that's impossible."
"What?" Rose asked.
"I could be wrong, very wrong, and I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like they are the same huons that Donna was dosed in all that time ago. She must have somehow gotten a hold of a sample of the huons the Racnoss developed."
"We never went back," Rose frowned at the realization. "We flooded the base with water from the Thamas, but we never actually went back to see if things were destroyed. If there was anything even left."
The Doctor's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "We didn't." He realized. "I was too worried about you to even consider that maybe we should have."
"But we don't have to worry, yeah? Melody's alive, so there's no damage in that way. And Donna had the huons she was dosed with extracted." Rose reasoned.
"Yes, but Donna didn't have them injected into her as she was developing. It's become a part of Melody's DNA, just like yours did. It's why they look so alike." The Doctor said.
"And she will be a glorious weapon." Her voice made Rose turn around abruptly, seeing the smug woman being led inside by a pair of Judoon. "You asked to see me?"
"You knew we were coming?" The Doctor countered instantly.
She shrugged. "Admittedly, I hoped you would. Though I didn't think you would get here as soon as you did. I was hoping for another month or two, but it is what it is."
The Doctor stalked toward her, and Rose stopped him from getting too close by standing in front of him. "Who are you?" He asked her with a bitter undertone.
She smiled. "A victim of the Time War." She replied. "Someone who lost their planet, because your people were so against interfering that they didn't bother ensuring the safety of the innocent people they were dragging into their feud with the Daleks."
"The Time War wasn't that simple." He tried to reason.
"No, of course not. But you would say that. Even if you are 'one of the good ones'." She said, and a wave of unease hit Rose as the Doctor looked at the woman with new-found suspicion. "You know, my people celebrated the end of the Time Lords. The Daleks are parasites that would never go away, not properly. But Time Lords? Their eradication thrilled us. But time went on, and I found a man's name scattered throughout the Universe. One who spoke of the horrors of the war, of ending it. A man who said he was a Time Lord. Funny how his name was the same one of the Time Lord who killed my sister."
"Your sister?" The Doctor repeated.
"Cass." She said. "Homebox from her ship returned with the recording of her final moments. No video beyond the control room, audio cut off after she declared you a Time Lord. Because it was you, wasn't it, Doctor? Regenerated since then, of course, but you're the same man."
"I didn't kill her." The Doctor protested. "I didn't kill her, I swear, I tried to save her."
"If you really tried to save her, you wouldn't have let her die." She snapped back.
"What do you want Melody for?" Rose asked, feeling the despair mix with anger coming from the Doctor.
She looked to Rose, her coy smile quite malicious. "To make another you, Bad Wolf. You're nearly as legendary as the Doctor. Strong, smart, extremely quick healing." She eyed the rips in Rose's pants and tops where she was shot. "A being powerful enough to control or maybe destroy the Doctor. It's a shame you sided with him so early in your life, but I couldn't resist the chance at making my own Bad Wolf from the child of his dearest Amelia."
The Doctor frowned, glanced at Rose, holding her.
"I don't think she knows why you became what you did."
"I don't think she realizes I don't die, either." Rose replied.
"You wanted to make a weapon out of my companion's child?" He asked for clarification.
"And won't that be spectacular?" She asked.
"You make it sound as if it could still happen," He noted darkly.
She laughed. "Well, the real child was being held in an remote controlled space pod under heavy guard. The child in the nursery is like me and all of my men."
"Meaning?" Vastra asked.
"Meaning we fooled you all again with the same trick." She replied before turning into a puddle of liquid flesh. Rose turned and watched on the monitors as all of Her men turned to liquid one by one.
"The child." Vastra gasped.
"Safe." Rose said, looking to Vastra with a slight grin. "We already figured out she had a decoy, remember?"
"Oh, and Doctor?" She said as her face came up on the monitors. "I have one last surprise for you. The cyborgs, they were asked to go after any life forms that weren't already registered in my systems. I'm sure you'll know what that means."
Rose barely had time to fully comprehend before three cyborgs entered the room, two shooting a Judoon each. Rose shoved her husband out of the way hard before drawing her already reprogrammed weapon and firing three rounds into the nearest cyborg's chest then diving over the Doctor to protect him as the other cyborg with a gun arm went to fire.
Jack, or Mickey, or maybe both fired at it, and with it occupied, Rose noted Vastra and Jenny going after the other one with swords. The other Cyborg who now had long swords in place of hands.
"Go!" Vastra yelled. "If they came after us, they'll have gone after the others. And something tells me those four aren't going to be quite as quick to counter." She said with a grunt as she pushed the Cyborg back with Jenny's help.
The Doctor and Rose scrambled to their feet, moving past the cyborg with ease. Rose checked behind her, seeing Mickey duck out of the room, and Jack nearly making it to the door.
Nearly, as before he could make it fully into Rose's view there was a sickening wet sound.
"Come on," The Doctor said, pulling on Rose's arm as she stopped with a hand covering her mouth, eyes wide with terror while she waited for Jack to come out. "Rose, we need to go after the Ponds, and Jenny, and River, and Tim."
"Right," She managed to say before letting the Doctor give her another tug.
She and him caught up to Mickey as they rang toward the hanger.
It was both nerve wreaking and relieving to see Gridin taking on a sword hand cyborg with a young nurse, helping ward him off. The gun wielding cyborgs concentrated on crates where Rose could see Jenny, River, Tim, and Mels were using as shields between shots.
"Oi!" Rose said, pulling her gun while stepping between she and the Doctor. When one of the Cyborgs turned toward her, she fired into it's chest.
"Jen!" She heard Tim cry out as the cyborg she stopped fell out of the way.
Jenny cried out in hysterics as River and Mels followed Rose's lead and shot at the Cyborg's chest to prevent it from firing off another shot. It didn't work entirely as one more round went off and hit River in the arm before the Cyborg when down, and Mels turned her gun toward the last remaining one, the one with swords for hands, and shot it in the back.
Rose darted to the crates the others used for cover while the Doctor went to check on the nurse and Gridin. Rose had barely registered one of them had been hurt, her concern on her family. Bolting over the crates, she landed beside Jenny.
She cradled Tim in her arms, a nasty looking wound one the side of his head by his temple. His eyes were glazed over, shock setting in as he looked up at Jenny.
"Can't die." Jenny said to him. "We have a future together, a beautiful future, you'll see. It's filled with love, and beauty. And … and we have …. You can't die, you hear me? You can't die now because I still need to be better for you and I can't do that if you don't live out your life with me."
"Whatever you say, Jen." Tim grunted out.
Rose pulled out the sonic device the Doctor gave her and found the healing setting. She ran it over the wound, but barely anything happened.
"We will call for medical transport." A gruff Judoon voice startled her. She looked up over her shoulder to see him punching a code into his wrist band.
"I'm going with him," Jenny said to the Judoon. "Mum." She said, looking to Rose, her tone a question while it was clear there was only one right answer to it.
"How are you going to make it back to where we found you?" Rose asked.
"I'll do it." River said, gesturing with her wrist, indicating her vortex manipulator. It was the same arm she was shot in. Rose couldn't help but notice how it was nearly all healed, and what was left of the wound was disappearing fast. "I'll come back for her when she's ready."
"They don't happen to have anything to reattach heads in this century, do they?" Jack's voice called out, and River turned at the same moment Rose did.
Vastra and Jenny walked in, a couple nicks on the arms but looking no worse for wear. In Vastra's hands was the very animated head of Jack Harkness.
"Funny thing about being immortal, you live through everything, apparently. Including decapitation."
"Oh, Jack." Rose stared in disbelief.
"Don't be too surprised, Sweetheart," The Doctor said as he came up beside her. "We always knew this was bound to happen at some point."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Oh, let's just say we see more of the Face of Boe yet." The Doctor said, and Rose smacked him in the abdomen for giving away a future detail. He merely laughed.
"We make a pair, eh great granddad?" Tim asked. "Me shot in the head, you having yours lopped off?"
"Figured that part of your family tree out, did ya?" Jack asked with a smirk, looking toward where Tim was but likely couldn't see him from the height at which Vastra held him.
"We will take you to the medical facility." A Judoon said to Jack as he came over.
"You could, but I'm not sure there's much more that can be done." Jack said as the Judoon took him from Vastra. "My body's probably too far gone at this point."
"Are there no more for medical transport?" The Judoon asked.
Gridin came forward, carrying the nurse in her arms. "She's gone, but she deserves to be returned to her people." She told the Judoon.
He nodded, and in a flash, Gridin and the Nurse, the Judoon and Jack, and Jenny and Tim were transported out.
"Right," The Doctor said, looking about. "Where are the Ponds?"
"Strax went with them inside a ship, when the things came." Mels gestured. "Said he was protecting them from something Sontoran or other."
The Doctor nodded, heading toward the ship with an open cargo hold. After he disappeared, there was the creak of a wooden door opening.
"Halt, in the name of the Sontoran empire!" Strax voice boomed. "Oh, Doctor. Welcome home."
"Come on," Rose gestured toward the ship. "Let's get you lot back where you came from."
~DWDWDW~
As Mickey stepped out of the TARDIS, saying farewell to new friends and old, he was smiling. For the first time in awhile he was a soldier again. He did so much mire than sit at a desk, even if it was his primary task. But after seeing the Ponds with their daughter, the joy they had at being all together again, it made him realize what he'd been missing out on.
"Not gone ten minutes." Martha said with a warm smile, coming up and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Have fun?"
"Suppose." He said. "But I think … I think a desk job might not be so bad." He turned to watch his boys as they climbed a tree, glimpsing his daughter in her play house with a little grin on her face. "Let's me spend more time with them, after all."
Martha looked at him suspiciously, and he kissed her firmly. "Gonna go grab another beer. Need it after a long couple days. And when they go to bed I'll tell you all about it."
"Yeah, you'd better." Martha called after him, and he merely smiled wider.
~DWDWDW~
"Are you sure you want to stay with them?" The Doctor asked Strax as he dropped him off with Vastra and Jenny. "Won't be any glory for the Sontoran empire with them. No heated battles."
"Oh, I shouldn't say that, now, Doctor," Vastra grinned. "Our lives are more exciting than you think. Besides, we need a butler."
The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS doors as he turned his attention back to Strax.
"I believe the great and glorious Sontoran Empire has abandoned me because of my failures. While returning to the heat of battle would be grand, the lizard has convinced me I may be of more use here."
"Well, we'll check in from time to time. Make sure it's what you still want."
Strax straightened and saluted, then turned to Rose. "Until we meet again."
Rose saluted back loosely, waved to Vastra and Jenny, then went inside.
~DWDWDW~
Jenny Tyler stood outside the flat door, listening intently for any sign that she shouldn't be there. It was silent, and she debated if that was a good or bad thing. Taking a deep breath, remembering the young man she just left in the fifty-second century, the split decision they had made with him knowing she was from his future and what was going to happen, she knocked.
There was a shuffle, and she stiffened as she waited for the door to open.
It did so slowly, and she was taken aback by how much this Tim still looked like the one she left sleeping. Shorter hair, older eyes, glasses because of that, but still the same Tim.
"Jen," He said, more a statement then anything else. Not harsh, either, which made things a bit easier.
She took a deep breath, "Do you have any idea what it's like to look at the love of your life while they're … so hurt, and you can't do anything about it?"
He smirked, rubbing at the temple he was injured on, tracing the scar she'd wondered about for years. "I got an idea, yeah."
"I wish I could go back." She admitted. "I wish could have been the kind of mum to Olivia you wanted me to be."
"Me too," He said softly. "But you wouldn't be happy in this life."
"Not exactly happy without you." She countered. "And I know it's too late. I know you have someone else."
"Elizabeth?" Tim asked with a frown. Jen nodded, and he laughed. "I haven't been with Liz in, what, three years?"
Jenny shook her head. "I saw you with her this morning. Unless …." She looked around Tim into the living room.
"If you're looking for Livie, she's with her grandparents."
"You let our three-year-old daughter go off with my parents in their TARDIS, when you wouldn't even let me take her to old Earth Disney world in mine?" She growled. "You heard the stories from Melody, why would you even think for a second that was a good idea? I may not have a natural instinct to be motherly, but I certainly wouldn't drag Livie into dangerous situations!"
"Liv's eight." Tim corrected. "And before you ask, yes, your TARDIS has been sitting at the edge of the park for years. It's been an out of order restroom that people complain about, but never seem truly bothered by." He smiled, and leaned against the door. Jenny stared at him with her mouth open for long enough that Tim reached over and closed it.
"So … so I missed five years of my daughter's life?"
"Oh, no," Tim said, straightening up and putting his hands in his pockets. "No you were there for birthdays, appropriate holidays, and one particular party that … well, spoilers. Can't tell you what happens there but, I will say you have something to look forward to." He winked. "But in the meantime, do you want to come in? I'm not expecting her back for a few hours, but you know how your dad drives. Could be a couple days, could be five minutes, but I'm willing to take that risk if you are."
Jenny continued to stare at him as Tim backed up into his flat. Hope started to creep in her chest, but despite how dangerous she knew it was she followed him anyway. Just to see where it would lead, just to see if maybe a second chance was on the other side of the door.
~DWDWDW~
"Has my body been recovered yet?" Jack asked as his head was placed on a robotic body.
"Yes, sir," One of the extremely pale assistants in the Shadow Proclamation head quarters replied. The medical team there was doing their very best to give Jack some quality life as it was unlikely he'd pass on any time soon.
"Good." He said, looking at the fairly slender body he was being given. "I was rather fond of that jacket, and there are a few other things on it I'd like to get." He then moved his new arms down his new body, feeling the sensations of his fingers along his abdomen. "Oooh, sensory. I take it there will be a skin membrane of some kind put over it?"
"Absolutely, sir." She nodded.
He smiled, leaning toward her a bit. "Any other parts I you haven't shown me yet?" He asked with a wink.
She blushed, "Might be."
"Well let's find out if they work alright, shell we?"
~DWDWDW~
River walked around the corner, adjusting her terrible dress and fluffing her hair, hoping it still looked roughly the same as when she left.
Her father was right where she left him, and he smiled at her.
"Are you ready to dance now, Melody?" He asked, extending his hand toward her.
"Are mother and Anthony finished?" She asked, and her father chuckled, causing what wrinkles he did have to deepen. "Wait until the song's over." She said, taking his hand and grasping it tightly as she rested her weary head on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have traded it for anything." She said to him. "The life I've had? Doesn't matter how I've had to live it; things could have been so much worse."
"I know," He said, and River felt him place a kiss on the crown of her head. "And while there were times your mother and I wished we could have been there every second of it, we know that this was our best chance."
River relaxed a bit, her thoughts drifting to her parent's younger selves, the Doctor and Rose, and how they all remained blissfully unaware of all that was about to happen.
~DWDWDW~
When Tim was returned his apartment in the twenty-first century things felt … weird. Not because they were. Nothing outside of himself was different, yet at the same time it was very much so.
He was committed, sorta, to his best friend's daughter. Whom he also considered to be his best friend. And yet, he wasn't, because there would be versions of her that didn't know he had just promised to spend the rest of his now stupidly long life with her.
It had been a haze of the best pain killers he'd ever had, of being asked questions like "have you considered life extensions?" and "how long do will you stay with me?". It was feeling like he was breathing the purest air there ever was and having more energy than he knew what to with, all while being unable to move because he was in pain. It was seeing things from his own future with a clarity he never knew was possible, and earning himself a headache from more than just the graze wound as he suppressed what he learned.
All he knew as he looked around at the evidence of his drab life was that it was only a small part. A fragment. That he could have fun, but never really be with anyone, that there would be a time when he was going to have to dress a bit more sensible and buy hair dye for the wrong reasons.
And that he really, for no reason he could understand, liked the name Olivia.
~DWDWDW~
Melody Jones woke up in her cell and instantly wondered if all the things she'd seen and done were a dream. It felt like a dream, couldn't possibly be real.
But on her pillow was a deep blue piece of paper with gold writing that read: You'd have made a wonderful companion in other circumstances. Be good.
She didn't recognize the writing, but her heart still raced with the possibility.
The sound of the warden's boots tampered the hope a bit before the befuddled woman came into view.
"Jones," She said, "It's your lucky day. You're getting out on good behavior."
Melody smiled, knowing full well who left her the note, and that everything she'd seen and done was completely real.
~DWDWDW~
It had taken the Doctor longer to drop off Melody at the prison than Rose had anticipated, but every time she had poked his mind, he would simply send her a wave of affection that was tinged with glee and mischief. And while she wanted to see what he was up to, there was a small part of her that really couldn't leave the Ponds.
They were in the galley, Amy sitting in a plush chair the TARDIS provided, sipping tea and eating a small meal while Melody slept in her arms. She still looked like she hadn't had a shower, but at least opted to change into the more comfortable sweats and jumper Rose had offered her instead of remaining in her hospital gown. Rory was back in his own clothes as well, more focused on his daughter than on the meal beside him.
It was an intimate scene, but Rose had an almost feral need to protect them even with them safely inside the TARDIS.
The engines finally roared to life, and Rose watched Melody's eyes drift shut at the sound only to have them pop back open again upon landing.
"I'm surprised she doesn't cry." Rory noted. "I mean she does, obviously, or how else would we have known how ravenous she was before?"
Amy chuckled, her smile wider than the sound warranted. "Think she just finds it soothing, the TARDIS. Sorta like when you rock her and stop before she's fully asleep. Her eyes just reopen.
The Doctor entered the galley, beaming like he'd done something wonderful. "And how is the littlest Pond?" he asked.
"Fed. Changed, thank you TARDIS," Rory said, directing the last bit to the ceiling. Rose wondered if he heard the appreciation in the TARDIS's hum. "And now we think she's about ready to fall asleep."
She cooed.
"I know that, and you know that, but they don't." The Doctor replied, and she gurgled. "They'll get used to it, promise. They're new at it and they don't understand you as well as I do." He then looked to Amy and Rory, his smile stretching. "Are you ready to go home?"
"Yeah," Amy said nervously, "But … how are we going to explain …?"
"Follow me," he said, beckoning them with his finger.
The Ponds got up, and Rose followed them and the Doctor out the galley and into the console room where the Old Girl conveniently placed them. They headed out the main doors, and Rose was as startled as Amy and Rory to find themselves on a sidewalk instead of inside the flat.
"Doctor, this isn't where we live." Amy replied, adjusting her hold on Melody.
"Actually, Pond, you will find that it is." The Doctor replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. He tossed them to Rory, winking at Rose a moment before he turned to the town house with the bright, TARDIS blue door. "Your home, acquired for you nine months ago. Everything you'll need for your wonderful, human lives are inside, including everything you'll need to get settled with Melody."
Rose shook her head, beaming proudly at her husband. "Never cease to amaze me, you." She said, closing the small distance between them and wrapping her arms around his waist. He straightened his bow tie smugly before putting his arm around her waist and watched the Ponds take in their new home.
"But our jobs?" Rory said suddenly.
"When you're ready, we'll take you back to formally quit them. As for money, I moved some from my UNIT funded account into yours. More than enough to live on until you find new ones. Oh," He gestured to the car parked in front of the house. "Not your favorite, Rory, but your favorite isn't exactly child friendly. That one, however, is."
"You bought us a house." Rory said. "And a car? You bought us a house, and a car, and gave us money to live off of? But … how are we going to explain Melody?"
"He did say nine months." Rose pointed out. "Could just tell your family when we take you back to quit your jobs." She added with a shrug.
"Or it could be a surprise." Amy smirked. "Really give your Dad a shock. But anyway, let's get inside."
"Actually," The Doctor said, surprising them all, "We're going to leave that to the pair of you."
"What?" Amy asked, her smile fading.
The Doctor glanced at Rose then stepped toward their friend, stroking Melody's head while putting his other hand on Amy's shoulder. "You've been through a lot, and your lives are about to change in a big way. One you had no time to prepare for. We'll let you get settled, rest, allow the three of you to bond properly. But if you need us for any reason, like you feel off, or wrong in anyway, you call us immediately."
Amy studied his face then nodded, pulling him as close as she could and hugging him with one arm. "Thank you." She said to him before stepping back and moving to Rose. She gave her the same one armed hug, "Thank you both. For saving us, for helping Rory, for everything."
"Any time." Rose said, turning to Rory and giving him a hug as well.
After one last goodbye, she and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS.
With the doors closed, and them returned to the Vortex, the Doctor opened his bond.
Worry, fear, anxiety, and loss swept over Rose hard enough to make her knees buckle. She caught herself before collapsing, looking at her husband as he flopped down on the jumpseat.
"What's wrong?" She asked, moving toward him and sitting beside him.
"She's still out there. Cass's sister who wanted revenge so badly. She's out there, and by now has discovered we have the real Melody. I didn't want to tell Amy, because with the kind of trauma she went through it's the last thing she'd need to worry about. You humans, you have hormonal connections to your children, you bond. Mothers have nine months to do it while they wait for their child to be born, but Amy didn't get that. And then there's Melody, with her DNA altered. What will happen to her? How will it affect her, if it affects her at all? You, you rewrote yourself, but she was injected with it. Maybe she'll just be a host, like Donna, I don't know. There are so many possibilities, but I can't keep them with us."
"It's their time to leave us." Rose said with understanding, and the Doctor nodded.
"Wish it was under happier circumstances." He said with a sad smile. "Not that a baby isn't happy, it's brilliant. But they way it came to be…."
"Don't blame yourself," Rose said firmly. "Couldn't have known this would happen."
"No, we couldn't have." The Doctor said, brow furrowing in thought. "Cass hated Time Lords. Said we were no different than Daleks. At that point in the war, she wasn't wrong. I tried to save her, I really did. I don't blame her sister for wanting revenge, but I wish there was a way for her to see reason." Guilt washed over him. "I wish she'd let me tell her that I hated them, too."
"Maybe you'll get the chance one day." Rose said, barely louder than a whisper. "She's still out there, like you said."
"Yeah." He sighed. He then turned toward her. "Let's go to our planet." He said. "Been a while since we've been to Woman Wept, haven't gone once in this regeneration, and I think I need to have a moment with my wife."
"Only ones on board now." Rose teased.
"Doesn't matter." He said, springing to his feet. "Never stopped us before." And with that, the Doctor set the coordinates.
"When did you drop them off?" Rose asked. "When did you make Melody's birthday Earth time?"
"February 12th, 2011." He replied as he danced around the console. "Right around nine months from the time we picked up Rory and what turned out to be Amy's Flesh Avatar."
"We'll need to remember that." She said, and the TARDIS showed her an image of a calendar in mind. "Old Girl will, that's for sure."
The Doctor merely smiled before throwing the switch, and sending them on their way.
~DWDWDW~
She wasn't sure how long it had been since they seen the Ponds when her phone rang with Rory's number coming up. Rose and the Doctor had been passing time by looking for Cass's sister, as well as getting into trouble when they didn't intend to, and simply hadn't kept track.
"Hey Rory," She greeted warmly.
"Rose," He said nervously. "We sorta need you and the Doctor to come see us. It's … it's important."
A chill went down Rose's spin, and she inadvertently let it slip through their bond. The Doctor shot out from underneath the console, and looked at her with worry, routine maintenance all but forgotten. "We'll be right there, Rory." She said, and the Doctor was on his feet, plucking the phone from her hand and attaching it to the coordinate panel on the console. Once it was set, the pair of them flew the TARDIS to the Ponds' home shortly after Rory made the call.
As soon as they landed, the Doctor was out the doors and running for the house, all his fears from before reawakened.
Rose was right behind him, moving through the open door and at least remembering to close it before heading into the living room.
Amy sat on the couch, cradling a smiling, happy, still small looking Melody on her lap. Amy's cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy. "Glad to see you Raggedy Man. It's been a while."
"Amy, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked, kneeling in front of her.
She tried to smile, but failed. "I'm never going to see my little girl grow up." Amy choked, and the Doctor rubbed her arms in soothing motions.
"Can't think like that, Amy." He said soothingly, looking back to Rose with uncertainty.
She wasn't sure she understood herself. She remembered what Martha was like when suffering from Postpartum depression after MJ, but it didn't look like this. And while she knew that circumstances and people were different, she still had to wonder if it was something that simple. She suspected that if it was something of the sorts, they'd have heard from them before Melody got this old. Or Rory would have gotten her proper help.
So while the Doctor tried to sooth Amy as she cried over little Melody, Rose turned to him.
Rory, who was calm in the face of everything, and still was now, held her eye as he moved to the couch arm and picked up the remote. He turned on the telly. "It's the news," he said. "When we came back from Demon's run, as well as after our honeymoon, we watched the news. Most reliable source for the date and time, really." He said, shifting his gaze to the screen.
Rose turned, feeling the shock and cold dread her husband had as his eyes landed on the flickering box.
She followed it, eyes falling on the bottom right corner where the date read February 12th, 2012.
Rose turned back, gaping at Melody as she babbled and cooed, and looked no older than four months old.
A/N: You didn't think it would be simple, right?
Thank you to all the readers, favoriters, followers, and reviewers.
Eagle Hawke, BadWolfGirl (Your wish is my command, but be careful what you wish for), Darkelvoriplorellion Tyler, WaitingformyDoctorintheTardis, Fernands10, Wazup (thank you very much), midge85 (thanks), Kylaia78, debygobel, annabethfan15, and Tori (yes, because Rose still kills herself)
Thank you all for leaving word!
SO, next couple of chapters are a bit more ... fluffy? I guess. Tell you what, plot develops, but there isn't a lot of action.
Not many left.
Until next post.