The Doctor had a slacked jaw, wide eyes, and raised eyebrow – his usual shocked expression – as he looked on to the man in the very back of the store. The dark hair, broad shoulders, handsome face, and that smile that obviously had every female before him completely enthralled by him; former Time-Agent-turned-con-man Jack Harkness was smiling and laughing at something that one of the teen girls had said. Jack's own remark had the whole mess of about ten to fifteen teenage girls giggling and flirting (or attempting to) back at him. Smiling at the young ladies in front of him, Jack offered some little object or tidbit for sale to the ladies –usually the ladies weren't buying, just watching (and some salivating). The Doctor felt a hand on his shoulder and ripped his eyes from the man in front of him, to his current companion. Martha watched her universal guide with worry and a questioning look.
"Who is he?" Martha asked with a nod toward Jack's location.
"Capt. Jack Harkness," the Doctor provided, "the last time I saw him was back on Satellite Five – before my regeneration…he was dead…"
"Dead, what do you mean dead? And what the hell is'regeneration?'" Martha asked quickly and confused.
"I'll tell you later, but Jack" the Doctor said waving off the bit about his regeneration and pointing to the young man still entertaining the ladies in the shop and oblivious to the three watching him, "Jack was killed by the Daleks, but later Rose…well, Rose she revived him and saved us both – saved the entire world really! I never told her he was alive…"
"You left him there!" Martha exclaimed, loudly. The Doctor attempted to shush her, but was constricted by the tabby cat he still held. Aggie, sensing his aggravation, still thankful for the liberation from underfoot moved from the Doctor's arms, up the left side of his chest and arm and wrapped her feline body around his neck and shoulders. The Doctor raised one brow, smiled amusedly, and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Well, just make yourself comfy there, miss," he quipped.
"I will, thank you Doctor," Aggie assured him. He threw his head back and laughed heartily, Aggie rolled right along with him, but Martha ended it all – with a sharp smack to the Doctor's upper left arm and catching Aggie's tail.
"Oi, that hurt!" the Doctor yelped, gripping his arm. Aggie moved more to the Doctor's right shoulder and gave a small hiss.
"Sorry, Aggie," Martha said tightly, "but you," she pointed at the Doctor's chest, "How could you just leave a man on a satellite full of Daleks!"
"Cause he had someone much more important, then I, to take care of," a voice came through breaking up the little argument. Martha spun around and came face to face – or really, face to chest – with the aforementioned Jack Harkness. The attractive, young, ex-captain smiled at the two and grinned even more at the Doctor; coming closer, Jack rubbed the Doctor's head and especially his hair, before laughing loudly.
"THE HAIR!!!"
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Martha was seated in a living area in a modest dwelling, under the Dolci Shop. She sat on a huge, L-shaped couch diagonally from Jack with Aggie on her left, sitting on an ataman. A blonde haired young lady entered and sat down next to Jack. Smiling the young woman sat back and began to sip from a black glass mug – that wasn't there a minuet ago, Martha was sure. Jack, too, was sipping something from a mug. Her gaze moved to Aggie and there the small black glass bowl next to the feline with what looked like a milky color liquid in it. Catching Martha's eye the woman smiled more and gestured to Martha's right, the end of the couch and the location of a side table – where another black glass stood, waiting. Martha looked between the glass and the couple sitting and smiling across from her. Even Aggie seemed to be enjoying Martha's bemusement.
"Yeah, it really threw me for a loop too," Jack admitted, drawing Martha from her confusion, "but it's great… Try it!" Slowly and tentatively, Martha reached for and sipped at the glass. She was surprised at the fruity taste and the slow warmth it caused, smiling and drinking a bit more and she settled back into her seat. Martha looked up at her host and sighed, felling safe with these people. But even so, she had a tentative, internal sense – a silently hope that the Doctor was all right.
"He'll be fine, dearest," Aggie assured, as if reading her mind, but more likely her face, "he just needs time to accept what's happening to his world."
"This isn't anything that the Doctor has dealt with before, I think," Jack supplied. Martha nodded in agreement.
"He really thought that they were gone forever," Martha added, but then she looked up, "how did you..?"
"It really starts with me coming here, I guess," Jack started, "The Doctor told you about Satellite Five..,"
"Partly," she admitted, "He doesn't like to talk about it… I think that the guilt with loosing you and something about Rose…" Her voice faded as Jack's head bobbed up and down.
"Yeah… well," Jack cleared his throat and coughed, before sitting on the edge of his chair and leaning on his knees, "After Rose, got rid of the Daleks… and brought me back," Martha nodded again showing understanding, "…. well, (cough) I was a fair bit away from the TARDIS and I tried to get back, but by that time they were already starting to dematerialize. I watched them leave, and then went looking for other survivors; I had to keep moving… I didn't think they knew I was alive – thought apparently he did," Jack muttered think about earlier in the shop, but he cleared his throat and waved it off, "But that's alright, I did okay… restarted everything on Earth – governments, the UN, Torchwood…. spent time doing that, and that's when Aurie came across the radar...," Jack turned and smiled at the young lady beside him. Aurie smiled in return and glanced at Martha, her voice smooth and regal – almost…
"I was on Earth for a little… vacation, as it were. Jack and I met and the Apple Fair in London. He had recognized the necklace I was… am wearing, as something he had seen at one time on Samhain," Aurie lifted the necklace so that Martha could better see it. It was a thin golden looking chain with black obsidian pendent – about two inches long, smooth all the way around, and in the shape of a teardrop. Etched into the glassy stone was the image of a golden crane type bird and behind it a silvery-white tree. Martha marveled at its beauty and shimmer, before sitting back and smiling at Aurie.
"It's beautiful," she said, "What does it mean?"
"It's the symbols of my lineage," Aurie explained, "Jack realized what it meant and then figured out who I was from it…"
"Kinda hard not to notice a chick walking out of no where from a dead end hallway," Jack snorted, and then smiled, "I am glad I did though… wouldn't have made it here without her…" Aurie rolled her eyes at Jack's word but blushed all the same. Martha smiled at them, but then cocked her head in confusion.
"What did you mean, 'who I was,' Aurie?" Martha asked, "Who are you?" Aurie blushed again, cleared her throat, but was interrupted before she could say anything…
"Aurianna Maris Acronia." everyone turned to look at the Doctor and, by location, Davie, "Martha Jones… May I formally introduce the Princess of Samhain and the Uncrowned, Unquestioned Empress of the Orange Planet."
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The Doctor followed the hallway that Aggie had instructed and stopped at the door she had said. He paused outside of the partly closed wooden barrier and rested his head for a bit on it, taking a few seconds to register the faint bit of energy coming from behind the separation. He sensed a bit of the TARDIS and then he sensed the beginnings of telepathic reaching –looking for someone, probably its mother, but anyone who would know what was going on and would make it all right. Right then, the Doctor decided that he would be that someone even after he got Rose back, but that was for later – right now, he wanted to see his son.
Opening the door, as quietly as possible, the Doctor entered the little room and started taking note as to where everything was: the witches' tree made crib (the TARDIS key was still hanging over it and glowing faintly, he noticed), a small amour type piece of furniture built into the wall, the window and window seat, a rocking chair, and finally a changing table of sorts – the current location of a young blonde woman and the wriggling infant he sought. He observed her back as she worked and listened to her giggling at the little boy she was tending to. He watched, with bated breath, as she turned around with the baby in her arms. She jumped at seeing him, obviously she hadn't heard him come in, and she gave him a quick (but critical) look over. Once finished, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Can I help you?" She sounded educated and well instructed, the Doctor noticed. She was meant for more then working in a shop, he thought, but then noticing her necklace, he knew it. He slipped his hands into his pockets and bounced on his toes a little.
"Aggie told me where to see my son, so here I am," he said, watching as realization dawned on her face. She smiled and laughed gently, out of relief and slight embarrassment.
"Since Aggie sent you and Jack let you by, you can only be the infamously, famous Doctor, I presume then," she said raising her eyebrows. He nodded.
"You presume correctly," the Doctor said.
"Welcome, my Lord Doctor," she said, giving him a slight bow, shifting the baby to her hip before hand. The Doctor looked down, bounced a little more, and then bowed himself to her.
"Thank-you, you're Excellency," she cringed and smiled a little.
"Please don't," Aurie begged, "I'm not worth it…"
"I am worth it less, trust me," the Doctor interrupted, before sticking out his hand to her. Aurie laughed and shook it. He joined in laughing and they both continued on for a few seconds longer, before the third member in the room started to fuss and wiggle for attention. Both the adults dropped hands and shifted their attentions went to the infant, but with very different reactions: she was smiling at the baby, while he looked at it like it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Noticing this, Aurie shifted the baby in her arms and held it out to the Doctor. Hesitantly, the Doctor held the child on one arm and touched his little chest with the other. Tears of pure joy sprung in his eyes, as he felt the double beat of two little hearts. He looked into his son's face and smiled at the boy, who returned his father's earlier expression of wonder. Laughing and crying now, the Doctor clung to the boy and stood there for a few minuets – not even hearing Aurie leave and shut the door behind her.
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The Doctor sat on the window seat and held his son upright at elbows length. He watched the baby smile, laugh, and to kick his legs. Putting his arms into the motion, the baby made the Doctor laugh, thus causing the infant to laugh in return and stuff his fist into his mouth. Smiling even more then he could have possible dreamed since Rose's loss, the Doctor sat the infant into his Indian style lap; Davie's feet were towards him, his back rested on the Doctor's ankles, and the head and shoulders were supported in one of the Doctor's long fingered hands and bare forearms, he had removed his suite jacket not long after he had first held his son and rolled up his sleeves (his over coat had even longer been hung by Jack somewhere in the house). The free hand traced its pointer finger over the infants face, neck, chest, and left arm before being clasped in the baby's own hand. Smiling at the baby, the Doctor leaned down and kissed Davie's forehead and nose – like he hand a million time in the last twenty minuets. Sitting up only slightly, the Doctor allowed Davie to place his hands on the Doctor's cheeks, nose, lips, and another part of his face that he could reach. Sitting up more, he let the baby play with his tie and pondered for a few minuets before focusing his mind to clear and close off.
Exhaling gently, the Doctor leaned down and ever so slightly, touched his forehead to Davie's. Closing his eyes, the Doctor let the very edge of his mind touch his son's. There the Doctor felt the beginnings of learning, exploration, and curiosity. Traits, the Doctor mused, that could have come from either him or Rose. Pulling his mind back, he didn't want to scare Davie and didn't want to inadvertently allow the baby to innocently enter his own mind; like Reinette had (though she was no innocent), the Doctor took in the baby before him with an observer's eye. The face looked like him and the hair defiantly was (Jack was right about that), but the deep brown eyes could only come from Rose and her mother. He chuckled lightly as Davie yawned and wiggled to get comfy, pulling and clinging to the brown tie around the Doctor's neck.
"Sleepy," the Doctor said aloud, then whispered, "defiantly get that from your mother… Speaking of which… or witches, I should say…," he brought his son to his shoulder, allowing him to snuggle in, while chuckling at his own pun, "I aught to go see what they know… or don't know, as the case might be… but whatever the case," he turned his head to face his son, whose head was on his shoulder, "lets find out." Davie watched the Doctor with big brown eyes and two of his left hand fingers in his mouth. The Doctor smiled at the baby.
"Developing an oral fixation," the Doctor shrugged very slightly, "suppose you can blame that one on me." They left down the hall and upon reaching it, the Doctor leaned his unused shoulder on the doorframe and listened for a bit – hearing Aurie explain meeting Jack on Earth and showing Martha the pendent necklace she wore.
"It's beautiful," Martha, said, "What does it mean?"
"It's the symbols of my lineage," Aurie explained, "Jack realized what it meant and then figured out who I was from it…"
"Kinda hard not to notice a chick walking out of no where from a dead end hallway," Jack snorted (though the Doctor had to agree that it would be something that Jack would have noticed, but then again that's him), and then smiled, "I am glad I did though… wouldn't have made it here without her…" Aurie rolled her eyes at Jack's word but blushed all the same. Martha smiled at them, but then cocked her head in confusion.
"What did you mean, 'who I was,' Aurie?" Martha asked, "Who are you?" Aurie blushed again, cleared her throat, but was interrupted before she could say anything, being that the Doctor chose that minuet to announce his presence.
"Aurianna Maris Acronia." everyone turned to look at him and, by location, Davie, "Martha Jones… May I formally introduce the Princess of Samhain and the Uncrowned, Unquestioned Empress of the Orange Planet."
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Martha smiled at the Doctor and the infant he held. She moved over a bit and gestured the Doctor to join them. Smiling at his current companion, the Doctor sat down next to her on the couch. Out of the corner of her eye, Martha spotted Aurie giving a quick flick of her wrist and settles more into Jack's side.
"Ahh… Thank you, Your Majesty," the Doctor said, lifting a newly appeared black mug. Looking more closely at the table on the Doctor's right, Martha noticed a black glass bottle with a type of cloth topper. Martha watched as the Doctor replaced his cup and picked up the black bottle. With the ease of an old pro – and not someone who didn't even know he had a child a few hours ago – the Doctor sat the baby upright sitting position and offered him the black glass bottle. Martha openly gapped as the infant accepted the bottle and watched his father with awe. The Doctor glanced at his companion and laughed.
"Don't look so surprised Martha! 'Doctor' isn't just a title, I really am one! On many planets even!" the Doctor announced, grinning all the while, "I've help birth one of two babies in my time… well, more like twenty or so, but that's not important… but the point is, I'm not new at this, not really." He ended with a huge smile and two quick deep "hee hee's," never stopping the feeding of the infant. Jack's chuckle brought Martha to the attention of the rest of the room occupants.
"Doc, I've sure missed ya'," Jack announced with a laugh, "Though I gotta admit I like the new look."
"Yeah, its alright, not the worst regeneration I've ever had," the Doctor recollected with a sniff and a clearing of the throat, "little disappointed that I wasn't a Ginger though…"
"At least your ears are properly sized this time," Jack teased.
"Oi, I got a lot of compliment on those ears thank you," the Doctor defended and was a bit too moving, causing the baby's bottle to be separated from the baby's mouth, allowing a something else to escape the infant's mouth: a strong wail. The Doctor and Jack both flinched moving their heads and necks as far from the upset boy as possible. Replacing the bottle quickly, the Doctor ended the wailing and regained the fairly quiet room. Jack started to snicker and Aurie giggled with Martha joining in too. Even Aggie gave a light chuckle at Father and son. The Doctor smiled and rested against the back of the couch while keeping his son in the upright position. The baby turned his big brown eyes to Martha and she smiled at him.
"What's his name?" Martha finally asked.
"David or Davie, I imagine," the Doctor said, "I'd also vouch safe that those lungs were inherited from a Tyler women – now whether it was Rose or her mum, can't be sure… though I'd put money on Jackie," Martha rolled her eyes. She had heard almost as many stories of Jackie Tyler's exploits with the Doctor as she had Rose (though she may exaggerate a bit, but only a little bit). It was clear to anyone who knew the Doctor, that he had a healthy fear of Jackie Tyler – but only because he was always afraid that Rose would someday want to go home to her or that she, Jackie, would somehow convince Rose to return to her former life. Though it seemed to Martha, just through the Doctor's stories, that Rose Tyler was a force of her own to be reckon with and wasn't likely to leave the Doctor anytime soon. The sound of Aurie's voice caused Martha's mind to rejoin the current conversation.
"Davie's the name we found on the blanket he was wrapped in," Aurie explained, "It looked hand stitched… figured it was a birthing gift or something of the sort." The Doctor was nodding in agreement.
"I saw it," he admitted, "Looked like something Jackie or Rose did…" he grew silent and reclusive for a brief time – thinking back to Rose at some time or another. Martha pushed gently on his shoulder, causing him to come out of his mind and return to the present with a clearing of the throat.
"Speaking of Rose and Jackie…"
"Was wondering when you'd want to hear about that," Jack admitted, "thought it would be before now, but I guess with physical changes so comes some personality differences..?"
"Thus is the curse of regeneration," the Doctor mumbled quietly, and then shook his head, "Rose?"
"In the palace," Aurie said with a sigh, "she's alright, as is her mother and father and young sibling. Those three and two young males are in the dungeons – Rose is upstairs in some more private chambers…"
"What do you mean?" Martha asked, "Why is Rose being kept separate from the others?"
"You've got it backwards," Jack said with a sigh, "Rose isn't being kept from them…"
"They're being kept from her," the Doctor finished, "Leverage on Rose so that she does what they want."
"What do they want," Martha asked again.
"Good question, Martha Jones," the Doctor admitted.
"Unfortunately, the answer is a bit cliché, though the means at which to achieve the goal is a little unique," Jack said slowly, before adding, "and it's not a they – just one… a 'she'… Talis."
"If you can call Talis a she," Aggie grumbled and growled, sarcastically. The Doctor and Martha glanced at each other and then at the Tabby cat in front of them, eyebrows raised.
"Do I detect a bit of hostility, there Aggie?" the Doctor mused aloud.
"Talis is a monster, Doctor," Aggie stated with conviction, "You will understand what I mean…"
"Which is why I'm hesitant to tell him," Jack interrupted, "I remember what the old Doctor was like and I'm making the assumption that you've not changed all the much."
"You'd be right," the Doctor said, while removing Davie's empty bottle and giving the infant a few quick taps on the back to expel any air bubble that had built up. Hearing them released, he glanced up and noticed Jack watching the infant intently.
"What is it Jack," the Doctor questioned, "What did Talis do that would worry you about me?"
"Doc," Jack groaned, "Talis abducted Rose and tried to kill Davie."
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Hi again it's me!!!
First, let me say, that I am really sorry about the late update! School has been driving me crazy and my plot bunnies have run away with the middle of the story and are taunting me with the ending… so be very, very quiet! I'm hunting rabbits… ha, ha, ha….
Corny, I know…
Alright, moving on from the rambling and onto the Author's Notes:
Aurianna ar-EE-anna, Maris MAR-is, Acronia a-KRON-ee-a
If Jack's account of what happened seems a bit off, that might be because I've only seen the regeneration bit and read episode synopsis – so my apologies for discrepancies
There you have it, so please enjoy it and if you feel so moved – review!!!!
Love and Kisses – and a Super Turkey Day to you all!!!
Princess of Peas