Author: RamblingRose
Rated: PG
Summary: Rose tells the Doctor to take her back to her time and come back in twenty years to get her. But after leaving her, TARDIS takes him to a post-time war Barcelona where he is assigned the task of taking on several companions and teach the ways of the Gallifrey.
Notes: 10/Rose. Somewhat AU.
Chapter Five - Not-So-Secret
The Doctor looked back over his shoulder to watch as The Vortex faded away and the diffused outline of a dark haired woman sat on the throne, with her face in her hands.
Back in the TARDIS over a cup of tea the Doctor racked his brain harder than he ever had before. That figure on the throne, the Empress, she was so familiar and yet he couldn't place her. It was frustrating to say the least. He couldn't help but think he had known her face, but for some reason he just couldn't put a name to it. Nor did it help any that every time he looked at the now thirteen year old Lilith, she also reminded him of someone, someone he couldn't place but felt that it should be very obvious.
That child was, indeed a mystery. When she was age six, just hours before, she had held a sort of extreme fascination with him as if he were some sort of mythological hero. She had pretty much told him that was exactly how he was viewed as throughout the universe. Now when she looked at him, it was with something different in her eyes. There was something closer to respect and reverence, but not in a hero sense anymore. It was more like she viewed him as a protective and favoured older brother of sorts. No, not older brother, a grandfather perhaps.
At any rate, it was with the same respect and reverence children gave to an older role model. The Doctor couldn't help but wonder what all the Empress had told the child , and how long she had been held at age six… had it been years, decades, or even longer?
The sound of a song being whistled down the passageway made the Doctor look up from his tea. The tea had been sitting on the table in front of him for at least half an hour and had gone stone cold. The whistling was coming closer. He had retreated to the kitchen after everyone else had gotten tired and gone off to bed. He thought perhaps making some tea and just rolling his ponderings and suspicions around in his head would help him work out the pieces that seemed to be mysteriously missing from his memory.
The familiarity of the tune was another annoying tangent crossing his already overworked brain. He knew it intimately yet couldn't quite place it. It had been years—decades—centuries since he had last heard that one. Where had he heard it? When the whistling was replaced by a strong young male voice singing the actual words to the lullaby, he knew exactly why he recognised the tune. It was being sung in Gallifreyan.
The Doctor watched the doorway until Dee strolled in. The young man stopped abruptly. He looked like the proverbial animal caught in the headlights. After a moment, he seemed to recover from the surprise and nonchalantly strode across the room to make himself a cup of tea.
"Good evening, Doctor," the boy greeted.
"I think it's still night time out there actually," The Doctor replied with a wave of his hand towards the sleeping chambers. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? You seemed very tired after all the exertions this afternoon."
Dee shrugged and brought his cuppa over to the table to join the Doctor. "Eh," the boy hummed. "Only need two or three hours every few days. It drives my Mum nuts. Drove my girlfriend nuts too… until she kicked me out of her flat because I kept taking her television apart. Not to mention I made a nasty habit of keeping her awake at night because I made something or other explode."
"So you've a girlfriend back home then? Why'd you come along?" The Doctor asked.
Dee shook his head and carefully sipped at his tea. "She left me months ago." He pursed his lips and huffed, "Never mind the fact that once I got the telly or the exploded things put back together they worked better than before."
"Why?" he knew this might be personal, but part of him didn't care besides he wanted to know, asking was always the best policy.
Dee gave The Doctor a long steady gaze and then sighed heavily. "You know, Mum always liked you because of who you are. She knew you were an alien but accepted it and knew that there was nothing she could do to change that fact, even if she wanted to… which she never did, mind you. Heather… she tried to make me into something she knew I wasn't when she found out." He gave a quick, bright, good-humoured smile. "But oh well, as you would say, silly little ape didn't deserve me anyways"
The two shared a hardy laugh. Ambrosia stumbled in, rubbing her eyes.
"Could you two be any louder?" she grumbled. She rubbed her eyes again and shook her head to clear it. She blinked a couple of times then grinned brightly. "So, you were telling the good Doctor about The Bitch, yeah?" Dee gave a small nod. "I told you it was doomed from the beginning." She looked at the Doctor matter-of-factly. "She couldn't even understand something as simple as the manipulation of astral-physics. Mum at least knew to go 'what's that?' The Bitch just smiled and nodded and tried to turn the conversation to something of what was on the telly and the newest fast food spot down the way."
"Should you be talking like that?" The Doctor asked briskly. "You're what… Twelve?"
Ambrosia pursed her lips in mild annoyance. "I will have you know that I am almost sixteen years old," Ambrosia said with an aire of arrogance. "Mick and I are twins; he just looks older for some ghastly reason."
"Your snobby lit'le attitude more than makes up for it 'Brosia," Dee commented. He sighed, "As if you couldn't tell, she will never refer to my ex-girlfriend as anything other than 'The Bitch'. Never has… 'Less y' count her calling her 'Bit' to her face."
"The idiot actually thought I was giving her a witty nickname," Ambrosia muttered, snatching Dee's cuppa and claiming as her own. "And I don't have an attitude, Doc… I just know I'm much more mentally advanced and better than everyone on Earth." She beamed a smile at The Doctor. "I'm actually rather nice when around people of the same mental capacity."
"Which pretty much means she's nice to no one," Dee snickered, getting up to make himself another cup of tea. "By the way, Doctor… Ambrosia has the same sleep patterns as me."
The Doctor felt his curiosity peak. He suddenly felt very inspired to start telling the two all about the habits of the Gallifreyan people… so he did. "On my home planet… adults can get by with a decade of sleep every hundred years or so. Maybe I should take the lot of you there since it just mysteriously reappeared. I'm sure the two of you would love it, it's a fascinating place."
Dee returned to the table. "I want to go to Gallifrey and see the Vortex choosing The Empress. It'd be interesting to see who spawned Lilith. But it's not so important that we go right this very moment, because Mum wants us to stay here on Barcelona while you run amuck in our pasts."
"I can read a book just by touching it," Ambrosia spouted, apparently rather desperate to get the conversation back to herself.
"So can I but I don't like to brag about it," Dee commented, rolling his eyes. He nodded toward The Doctor. "So can 'e."
The Doctor scratched the back of his head and looked between the brother and sister. Ambrosia looked at him as if asking if the information Dee provided was true. "Yes, I can," The Doctor replied. "But I never really liked the practice much, per se, only if it was to be used for studies or something. Besides, there's nothing more relaxing th'n curling up with a five hundred page book when one has a little extra time on their hands."
Ambrosia looked at her brother. "I think we should tell him, Dee."
"No," Dee replied. He cocked an eyebrow as if in challenge to his sibling. "Mum wants to tell him."
"But it's driving me crazy Dee," Ambrosia whined. She inhaled sharply and looked at The Doctor wildly. "Doctor, you're o--"
Dee dove across the table and clapped his hand firmly over Ambrosia's mouth. The Doctor jumped to his feet as the table was knocked over in the process, sending cups of tea flying. When it seemed Ambrosia was to have the upper hand in the struggle, Dee delivered a quick, firm jab to a spot close to the her clavicle. Almost instantly, Ambrosia went cross-eyed and gave a lazy smile as she slipped to the floor unconsciousness.
Slowly, Dee got to his feet and wiped the little bit of blood on his lip. "Sorry 'bout that, Doctor."
The Doctor ruffed up his hair as he looked between Dee and Ambrosia. Some things were beginning to fall very much into place. If it were not for his own denial of even the possibility, he might have figured it out sooner. He narrowed his eyes at Dee.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not the 'Doc' she was referring to when she was telling us about her lack of an attitude?" The Doctor asked, getting so close to Dee's face that The Doctor could easily see the panicked look in his eyes.
"I haven't a clue as to what you're talking about," Dee said, his voice wavering slightly.
"Gallifreyan lullabies," The Doctor pointed out in a dangerous tone ticking each off on his fingers. "Minimal sleep patterns, the absorption of knowledge from a book just by touching it… Ambrosia falling unconscious just by you jabbing that spot at her collarbone… The little ape comment… You knowing exactly what can fix the TARDIS for a few jumps…"
"So? Maybe you were around from time to time while we were growing up," Dee retorted.
"And what reason would I have for coming around the lot of you?" The Doctor asked in a low, accusatory tone. "You really think just having a bit of a fancy for your mum would have made me come around to visit? No, no, no… If I know me--and I do--it would be because I didn't want to risk the exposure of any human-alien half-breeds being discovered on accident."
Dee took several steps back, the expression on his face was one of shock and hurt. "Human-alien half-breeds? Is that all we are?"
The Doctor opened his mouth to comment then stopped himself with a puzzled expression. "Okay, so maybe that didn't exactly come out the way I intended it to." He licked his lips as he ran his words over in his mind again then lightly worried the top lip with his teeth. "Right then." He looked at Dee and grinned widely. "Wrong choice of words, maybe? Let me try that again. Or maybe it was my tone? Was it my tone that made me sound spiteful and rude?"
Dee crossed his arms over his chest thoughtfully, a curious expression on his face. "It might 'ave… Run it by me in a more subtle tone and let's give it a try? And change 'any' to 'my'."
The Doctor cleared his throat, tried a few tones before finding one he liked and gave it a go. "It would be because I didn't want to risk the exposure of my human-alien half-breeds being discovered on accident… That better?"
"Lots better," Dee agreed. He eyed The Doctor wearily for a moment. "You're not angry or anything? I mean, that we've been keeping it from you?"
"Should I be?" The Doctor asked. "If you want I can just take us back in time and completely undo your conception, but then that would cause a load of other problems wouldn't it? Much easier just to get on with it, no reason to be angry right? Just don't let your mum know I found out. I sort of like playing her little game. In fact, you don't even have to let your sister know."
The Doctor found himself grinning widely again. "Besides I'm kind of looking forward to getting to know your mum, if you know what I mean?"
Dee gave an almost violent shudder and plugged his ears. "Too much information there Doctor." He shuddered again then instantly went back to a cool, calm stance. "Does this mean I can tinker with the TARDIS at anytime now?"
"Can you pilot her properly?" the Doctor asked warily.
"Learned from the best…"
"The only… Or am I the only Time Lord left still?" The Doctor scratched his head in thought. "I'll have to ask Lilith later. This is getting very confusing."
"Touché," Dee smirked. "Well, then again I remember being told once that not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords that the Time Lord title is one you have to study for. I'm going to go set the controls and see if I can get us to any place interesting. But first… I'm going to go kidnap that old goat outside and drop it into a black hole somewhere along the way."
"What goat?" The Doctor asked.
"The one that was outside earlier and just staring at us for no apparent reason," Dee offered. He shook his fist in mock fury. "No one looks at this TARDIS with disinterest and gets away with it!"
"Don't you even think about bringing that thing onto my TARDIS," the Doctor warned.
Dee waved his hand dismissively and walked out of the kitchen to go about his own business. The Doctor raced to the doorway of the kitchen. He was torn between making sure they didn't gain the companionship of an old, Barcelonan goat and making sure Ambrosia was alright. Finally the thought of a goat stinking up his TARDIS overruled helping the overly-rude child and he ran toward the exit.
888
Somewhere in the depths of the TARDIS, Lilith removed her hand from the wall. It was amazing how easily she could now request that the TARDIS let her see what all was going on. She patted the wall affectionately and whispered, "Thank you." The TARDIS seemed to hum appreciatively.
Dee had been correct to point out that not all Gallifreyans were Time Lords. In fact, technically, The Doctor was in fact the last Time Lord. It would be his children that enabled the Time Lord title to once again flourish in the universe.
Lilith placed her hands against the wall again. "You know where we have to go," she murmured. "We must assure that the children are given the information they need… We must assure that the Empress is chosen. We alone must assure that all is as it should be."
In an instant, the TARDIS began her journey.