Chapter rating:T. minor coarse language. Amy is pissed.
A/N: So after this chapter I will slow down on the updates to one or two chapters a day, maybe, and if I miss a day, you can bet it's because I'm in my finals panicking over where my semester went. XD
The Doctor's Child
09. What Was Missed
The T.A.R.D.I.S. initiated take off before Amy or Rory could open their mouth but when the ship stabilized again, the young red head turned to the Doctor who was typing away at his computer, seemingly ignoring her.
"How can you leave him like that! He's your baby, Doctor! YOURS! You don't just leave a baby behind like that to go roam around the galaxy! Even if you'll be back before he can realize that!" Amy yelled, following the Doctor as he walked around the consoles, pushing this button and banging on that lever.
The Time Lord ignored her, muttering under his breath about junk planets and intergalactic Salvagation Army.
"DOCTOR! Listen to me! Why did you live the baby with those two men! How do you know you can trust them!" Amy kept on, way too pissed to care when Rory tried to calm her down.
Suddenly, the Gallifreyan turned to her like a whiplash, glaring hotly.
"Don't do this Amelia Pond!" He snapped hotly. "I've lived a long life before I met you, Pond, I don't talk about it but I have! Captain Jack Harkness is a man I would trust with the fate of the Universe! And we will be back before the baby can realize it!"
"But… he's your baby and you've always been so lonely… why did you leave him so soon after getting him!" Amy reproached him a bit weaklier, most of her ire having disappeared as she could clearly see that for all his levity, the Doctor was worked up about this whole affair.
The Time Lord sighed deeply and put his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes and smiling gently, trying to confer comfort and askance.
"There is a lot that a Gallifreyan child needs to develop that can't be found on Earth… we had to go to get those things…" He explained soothingly. "I am not abandoning my son, Amy, I am doing this so he can grow up to do amazing things!"
Amy gave the man a small smile.
"Just like his dad, then…" She said with a zest of humour.
"Yes! Just like his dad!" The Doctor replied, a big proud smile on his face that soon dissolved into one of amazement and glee. "Oh, Amy! I'm a dad!"
"I know!" The Scottish girl replied with a giggle, embracing her Raggedy Doctor before releasing him with a slightly more serious expression. "So… Where do we go first?"
"In the immediate future, there's a list on the screen there with the things I'm going to need, I trust Rory and you will help me find them?" The Time Lord asked her before turning to the girl's boyfriend.
The Last Centurion was looking slightly out of his depth but there was a glint of determination in his eyes that told Amy that whatever happened with the Doctor and his son, everything would turn out right.
And just like that, they were off again. They made short stops on several planets, in different time streams, the T.A.R.D.I.S. had even prepared a room right next to the control deck that was to be his room. None of them knew when it appeared, they just knew that after the first shopping run, the Doctor had looked at one of his screens and grinning told them to put everything in the room at the bottom of the stairs on the right, a room that hadn't been there before.
What they couldn't buy, they had to steal, but thankfully, it was only the case of a few items and the Doctor took care of those, when she'd asked about it, he told Amy that it was to built a trinket that might save the babe's life one day, before going back to some blueprints he kept of something called a "Chameleon Ark".
After what felt to the couple like nearly a week of running around like some crazy bint on a shopping spree, the Doctor finally decided they had enough for now and entered the coordinates of Cardiff, trusting his ship to take them where they needed to go.
They appeared exactly on the spot they left, but strangely enough, neither Jack nor Ianto was there to greet them.
They'd been standing around the T.A.R.D.I.S. for a full 5 minutes before a SUV pulled up next to the alley they'd appeared in and out came a black haired woman, looking particularly pissed off.
"Oh! You must be Gwen! I think I remember you!" The Doctor said jovially with a large smile as she approached them, seemingly unaware or uncaring of the thundercloud hovering over the woman's head.
Whatever reaction the Time Lord had aimed for, it certainly wasn't the resounding slap on the face he received for the effort.
"OW! You're not a mum! Why did you slap me? Are you a mum? Are you Amy's mum? I thought your mother was older than that the last time I saw her, Amy!" The Doctor babbled, bewildered, turning to his companion who looked as shocked as he felt.
"Shut your gobe and follow me, we're taking my car!" The woman retorted with a glare, in a very strong Welsh accent.
So they took the car and drove. The 3 minutes drive must have been the most tense and heavy one either Amy or Rory had ever taken. The Doctor was sulking in the front seat, every attempt he made, at opening the conversation being shot down with a glare.
Then they arrived at what the woman (was it Gwen or did the Doctor do his thing where he thought he knew someone but in fact he knew her ancestor/descendent thing?) called the Hub and went down into what seemed to be an underground facility.
Their arrival was welcomed by loud wails coming from one of the offices, actually, the office where the Welsh lady was leading them.
Rory seemed to get nearly immediately what had happened, the moment they passed the door and restrained Amy when she tried to go up to the Doctor who'd froze in the middle of the room.
Rory shook his head when his wife sent him a curious look and indicated with a nod the couple standing on the other side of the room.
Amy looked on and her eyes widened when she saw Captain Jack Harkness, sitting at the head of the office, looking slightly grim while Ianto, was standing behind him, looking kind of nice without his jacket, and holding a baby in his arms that he was trying to calm down. A baby that looked to be, at least, a month or two old.
"Doctor… the next time you go on a shopping spree like that… how about you answer your damn phone when we call you?" Jack said with fake levity, while glaring at the other man.
"I… the phone was smashed when I defeated the Master, I just never got around to repair it…" The Doctor replied with a wince. "How long…?"
"You missed it by a month and a day…" Jack replied evenly. "I know from Rose that it's not the first time this happens but please, next time, do try and get back in time, yes?"
"I will, I'm so, so sorry, Jack!" The Doctor replied with a nod, looking slightly hesitant. "Can I hold him?"
Jack looked back at Ianto who was now openly glaring at the Time Lord before sighing and walking to him, holding up the baby for the Gallifreyan to take.
The Doctor took the baby with precaution and hummed slightly.
"I'm so sorry, boyo, I never meant to be gone for so long…" He muttered against the baby boy's forehead at he kissed it.
"Ianto, I think our new guests would like a cuppa if you would? Gwen, come with me I have some readings to show you…" Jack finally said, surprising the Doctor's companions by firmly leading them out of the room with a muttered "let's give those two a little privacy, ok?"
The Doctor stayed in the office, swaying on his feet as he hold the baby whose large blue eyes were fixed on his face (or maybe on the bang on his face?).
"You're not Teaboy…" The baby said almost accusingly.
"No I'm not, babe, I am your daddy…" He replied with the ghost of a smile.
"Where is Teaboy? He makes an awesome milk thing!" The baby continued, his eyes still fixed on his face.
"I'm sure he does, but I can make a mean one too, you know!" The Time Lord said with amusement.
"Then make me a milk thing and I'll be the judge! That's a good name, Judge, I want to be called The Awesome Judge of Awesomeness!" The babe continued with a slight giggle.
That declaration brought a full blown grin to the Doctor's face as he nuzzled the baby's cheek, breathing in that peculiar smell all babies shared.
"What do you say we ditch everyone and go for a walk, Awesome Judge?" The Gallifreyan asked the baby with another smile.
"Only if you give me the milk thing first! I want it! And I pooped so I guess you'll have to do the poop cleaning thing too!" The baby replied.
The Doctor sighed with fake regret.
"Well that is one thing I wasn't looking forward to, but I guess yes I can do that…" He replied to the baby as he headed for the door.
The toddler continued his running commentary on about everything as the Doctor joined Ianto with Amy and Rory to ask for the diaper supplies and such. He had the strange sensation that Amy was cross at him for some reason but just shrugged it off and went on his way. He was met in Ianto's office-turned-kiddy-nursery by Jack.
"So what are you going to do now?" Jack asked him after a period of silence while he watched the Doctor change the dirty nappy while talking quietly to the baby.
"I think it'd be best if we stayed Earth-side for a few, that way I'll be able to make some modifications to the T.A.R.D.I.S.' matrix to enable me to take him with me." The Doctor explained as he wiped his hands and took the baby back into one arm, before starting to heat up a nursing bottle full of formula, with what seemed to Jack like great ease.
"No problem, you can park her down here next to the suites, that way you'll be able to work on her and won't have to stay in all the time" Jack proposed.
"Oh not a bad idea, yes!" The Doctor nodded with an easy smile.
"Is that the Perv? I like the Perv, he always sings to me! I want the Perv to sing!" The baby demanded from the Doctor's arms, making him laugh loudly.
I want to speak baby... and also Reviews = AMAZING