Sorry for the long wait! This one took so much work to get behind and be able to actually write, but here it is!
Chapter 27
The Doctor pulled Freya out of the TARDIS, causing Freya's breath to catch. It was beautiful.
Masen was holding his phone up, snapping pictures of Marie standing on a rock formation. Rose was giggling at Bad Wolf, whose cheeks were still red.
"Right! We are the only life forms on this planet. First people to ever lay eyes on this planet. How does that feel?" the Doctor asked cheerfully, ignoring the pointed look Rose shot at them. Freya's cheeks reddened slightly at it.
"What took so long?" Marie complained leaping down from the rocks.
"Sorry, got a bit distracted," the Doctor said cheerfully before taking the phone from Masen.
"I can take a picture of all of you," the Doctor suggested, gesturing towards the rocks. Marie tugged Masen along after her quickly, motioning for Rose and Bad Wolf to join her. Bad Wolf grumbled but didn't protest as Rose dragged him over.
"You too!" Marie shouted at Freya. Freya jumped slightly.
"Are you sure? I mean, what if the Doctor can't figure out how to operate the camera?" Freya said, only for the Doctor to give her a light nudge.
"Hurry up!" Marie commanded, smile wide on her face. Freya made her way over to the group and smiled alongside her son, the Doctor snapping their picture.
"Now get over here too! We need one with all of us!" Marie demanded.
"How do you plan on doing that?" the Doctor asked her as he obediently scampered over to them. Marie snatched the camera and held it as far out as she could.
"Everyone squeeze in as closely as you can!" Marie ordered. They did that, barely avoiding falling off the rock formations, as Marie snapped a few pictures.
The pictures were hilarious. Some held half of their faces, others caught them blinking, but it had the whole group of them.
It was sweet.
"How long do you lot plan on travelling with me?" the Doctor asked suddenly, glancing around.
"Awhile," Marie answered before Masen could open his mouth. Rose grinned.
"Forever. On and off. I wanna travel with the two of you forever," Rose told them. Freya caught Bad Wolf frown behind Rose.
But it was more than a frown. It was sadness. Bad Wolf was encased in sadness.
"Why don't you guys go explore a bit? I wanna spend a bit of time with my son," Freya said, shooing the group off. The Doctor remained at her side, only for Freya to shoo him off as well.
"You can't ask him about the future," the Doctor warned Freya, and Freya smiled.
"I don't need to. I see he's fine. That's all I needed to know. But I do need to talk to him," Freya pointed out.
"Plus, you should probably keep our companions from falling off the side of a cliff or something," Freya stated.
"Our companions?" the Doctor teased, and Freya grinned right back.
"Yes. Our companions. I like the sound of that. Now get along," Freya said, waving him along.
"Take good care of your mom. Don't let her out of your sight," the Doctor warned Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf gave him a smile and a half-hearted salute before the Doctor felt satisfied enough to scamper off.
Freya waited until the Doctor and the others were out of sight before sitting carefully on a rock. She patted the area next to her, waiting for Bad Wolf to sink down next to her.
"What's wrong?" Freya asked him. Bad Wolf stared at her, opening his mouth a few times before closing it once more.
"I can't tell you. It'd be spoilers," Bad Wolf pointed out. Freya shook her head.
"Telling me why you're upset would be. If you told me the events that led up to it. I can tell you're upset, and it has to do with Rose. I can piece some things together. She's not around. You've never met her. I don't want to know what happens to her. I just want to make you feel better," Freya told him soothingly. Bad Wolf shook his head.
"But you can't! You can't change what happened to her, so you can't get rid of what's causing me pain," Bad Wolf informed her. Freya wrapped one arm around his shoulders, pulling him so that his head rested on her shoulders.
"I can't . But I can understand how you're feeling, a bit. One of my first trips with your dad, we went to see Charles Dickens. He's dead now, but when we were with him, he was alive, so alive," Freya informed Bad Wolf.
"But he wasn't close to you. He was ages before you lived," Bad Wolf argued.
"Yes. We also met my grandmother. And my great-great grandmother. The thing about time travel is that you're going to meet people who are dead. But when you meet them, they're alive. They're so alive, just waiting to be spoken to and interacted with. Everyone's dead out there. I'm dead, somewhere, at some time. Some time soon. I'm dead. You know that. You know I'm going to die, and I'm going to die sooner rather than later. You don't want to spend your time with me sad because you know I'm going to die. You want to spend it happy because you got the chance to see me," Freya told him.
Bad Wolf stared at her for a moment before shifting so that his hands wrapped themselves around her tightly, gripping her as if he were scared that, upon letting go, she'd vanish. Freya rubbed his back gently, rocking them back and forth a bit as she did.
A sharp pain in her side made her freeze. She pressed one hand against her stomach, feeling as the baby kicked.
"What's wrong? Am I okay?" Bad Wolf asked in alarm, pressing his own hands over Freya's.
"Yeah. Just kicking a bit harder," Freya said with another wince. He also seemed to be more present in her mind than he had been….
As if he could sense another mind he could invade.
"Mini you's anxious because he can sense you and wants to make contact. However, I doubt that's a good idea," Freya said with a rueful smile.
"Nah. I bet the paradox's could destroy half the universe. Bettered not. Calm down a bit there, bud," Bad Wolf said with a grin. At the sound of his voice, the baby kicked a bit more.
"Darling, if you keep that up we won't be able to go on those adventures you like," Freya said. The kicking seemed to slow down a bit, as if mini-Bad Wolf understood her.
"He likes adventures, I believe," Freya said with a smile. Bad Wolf's grin grew.
"Of course I do! I'm half you, half dad! Of course I'm going to love adventures!" Bad Wolf exclaimed. Only to sober up slightly.
"This version of the Doctor isn't my dad, is he?" Bad Wolf asked. Freya shook her head.
"No. Your biological dad was the last regeneration of him," Freya explained. Bad Wolf wilted at that.
"I've never seen him. What he looked like, who he was. I don't have anything of him. Dad always says that he is my dad, but he also says that regeneration changes him and he becomes a whole new person. It just makes me wish I had something of his," Bad Wolf said with a sigh. Freya's mind drifted towards his leather jacket. The one she couldn't wear any more without upsetting the Doctor. She leapt to her feet and tugged him towards the TARDIS.
"I do have something of his you can have. And some pictures, if you want to see them," Freya offered. Bad Wolf's eyes lit up at the words.
"You never mentioned pictures before!" he protested, but he grinned as he did.
"Of course not! I'd have wanted to save them so I could show you them now and see the look on your face," Freya pointed out with a grin, tugging him towards hers and the Doctor's room.
The two of them burst into the room and Freya opened the closet. Nothing really stayed in the closet, outside of the Doctor's current clothes and some of the clothes Freya found herself especially attached to.
The leather jacket was hanging behind her clothes. She pulled it out and handed it to Bad Wolf.
"This was his jacket. He wore this silly thing all the time. Well, all the time that he hadn't had to put it on me," Freya said with a rueful smile. Bad Wolf's smile increased as he tugged the jacket on.
Seeing it on him reminded her more of the Doctor, her first Doctor. She smiled at him and moved to her dresser drawer, pulling out her photo album she'd created in her free time. She patted on the bed, gesturing for Bad Wolf to sit next to her. He eyed the bed suspiciously before carefully sitting next to her.
"What? Scared it has cooties or something?" Freya teased. Bad Wolf shook his head.
"No, but you're younger than I know you. And you….well, you're pregnant with me. You probably….do…a lot of things in this bed. I'm not too fond of sitting in the spot that you and Dad…." He drifted off, seeming positively scandalized at the thought.
"You'll be fine," Freya told him with a laugh, opening the album.
"See? You have his eyes," Freya told Bad Wolf, pointing at the Doctor. The first picture had her, the Doctor, and Jack in it, all three of them beaming at the camera.
"Who's that?" Bad Wolf asked, pointing at Jack. His question surprised Freya.
"Captain Jack Harkness. He travelled with us a bit," Freya said. She had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Bad Wolf about his future best friend. She was positive that fell under the category of spoilers.
"Have I never shown you a picture of your dad before?" Freya asked Bad Wolf, feeling alarm at the thought. Bad Wolf didn't glance up.
"I'm probably not supposed to tell you," Bad Wolf said, eyes downcast. And he wasn't. Freya knew it.
"Am I…am I a good mother?" Freya asked hesitantly. Bad Wolf's head shot up and he stared at her, eyes wide.
"Of course you are!" Bad Wolf reassured her, but his words were too rushed. It scared her.
"But I've never shown you pictures of your father, and you've been waiting for us awhile there. We just left you behind in the past? Why would we do that?" Freya asked, her voice cracking.
"You guys…you lose me. A lot. But it's not your fault! I'm with Dad most of the time, but you're not there a lot. Dad always told me that your days with us are limited and we've got to make the most of each day. And Dad loses me a bit. But it's okay! I learn a lot on my own. I learn about myself in ways I never could, staying with you two," Bad Wolf tried explaining.
"But I don't get to raise you," Freya said sadly. Bad Wolf's arms roped around Freya.
"You're raising me now," he told her. Freya let out a choked laugh.
"I don't know why I'm crying," Freya said as tears dropped into her sight.
"Hormones. You do that a lot," Bad Wolf warned her with a grin of his own.
"That's reassuring," Freya said with a watery laugh. Bad Wolf pulled away and shoved the photo album into the drawer.
"Yes. It should be. Let's go find Dad before he starts a war," Bad Wolf said, pulling Freya to her feet.
"He said we were on an uninhabited planet," Freya pointed out.
"It wouldn't be the first time," Bad Wolf pointed right back out to her, pulling her towards the doors, jacket still on.
Sure enough, by the time they made it to the console room, the Doctor, Marie, Masen, and Rose were bursting through the doors, out of breath.
"Freya! Good! We were about to have to try tracking you down. Bad news. Turns out there are people on this planet," the Doctor blabbed, earning an 'I-told-you-so' grin from Bad Wolf.
"Those tiny blue savages weren't people! They were alien!" Marie shouted, smacking the Doctor on the arm.
"Aliens are people too! That hurt!" the Doctor complained, rubbing his arm as he leapt towards the console. He quickly flipped a few levers, causing the TARDIS to go flying. Bad Wolf caught Freya's arms, keeping her from flaying like the rest of the passengers. When the TARDIS finally stopped, the Doctor nearly skipped over to Freya, pulling her into a hug.
"I missed you!" he told her with his wide grin.
"I missed you too. We were only here in the TARDIS. And we weren't gone that long," Freya pointed out, feeling slightly puzzled.
"I always miss you," the Doctor disagreed. Freya couldn't help but smile at his words.
"Now come on. Allons-y!" the Doctor shouted, pulling Freya and everyone else towards the doors.
"Where are we now?" Marie demanded.
"Your time. Ish. Few months after you left, I'd guess. Not really sure. TARDIS picked up a disturbance. Come on!" he shouted, rushing out the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sonic, aiming it around.
"That way!" he shouted, taking off running. Freya stumbled along behind him. Rose was laughing as she ran, grabbing Bad Wolf's hand. Bad Wolf took it without a second glance.
"Hold my hand, stupid," Marie shouted at Masen. Freya couldn't help but laugh at that. It seemed that the Doctor's habit of holding someone's hand as he ran had transferred over to the rest of them. Leave it to the Doctor to start a trend.
They approached a warehouse that the Doctor wasted no time in pushing open. His eyes darted around the place as he pulled them in.
Only to come face to face with an alien.
"Freya, out. Everyone else, scatter!" the Doctor shouted, giving Freya a push towards the door. Freya wanted to protest but she knew better. She knew if she protested it'd waste time.
That didn't mean she had to like it. She contemplated walking around, leaving them behind at the warehouse. Knowing her luck, though, the moment she went to do that, she'd end up in real, actual trouble.
"Left you behind again, did they?"
Freya glanced over to see River leaning against the warehouse next to her.
"Don't they always?" Freya asked with a smile, but the words hit her harder than they should have.
"Oh, they always try. You don't always let them though. Where are you at?" River asked her.
"Just learned who Bad Wolf really is," Freya said, eyeing River. River nodded immediately.
"You don't have to worry about me knowing Bad Wolf. I've always known Bad Wolf. How does it feel to know you've met your son now?" River asked with a grin.
Freya shrugged and shook her head.
"That means I'm friends with my daughter in law. I never thought I'd be able to say that," Freya admitted ruefully. River shook her head with a smile.
"Oh Beautiful, of course you are. How's my mini-husband doing?" River asked, placing her hand on Freya's stomach.
"Kicking up a storm. Of course. He can sense his older self and wants to reach out. Figured that'd be a bad idea," Freya said. River nodded.
"That is the very definition of a bad idea. Then again, that's Bad Wolf in a nutshell. A bad idea. My bad idea," River said fondly.
"What are you doing here? Did you stop in to say hi, or did you have another reason for being here?" Freya asked her carefully.
"I'm here to pick up my husband. Jack sent me. Said we were to bring him home. Well…to his new home, anyway. Jack warned me that he doesn't know me yet," River said with a sigh, but Freya could see the sadness in her eyes.
"It'll be fine," Freya promised, pulling River close to her.
"I know. After all, I was with Bad Wolf when he met you for the first time. Poor boy was nearly in tears with your lack of trust in him," River said sadly.
"Yeah. I wish I could change that. He was so sad this time too, because we didn't know who he was. You'd bettered teach him to watch his tongue. He's been giving away quite a bit," Freya said teasingly.
"That man. I'll never stop teaching him to hold his tongue," River said fondly. Freya swatted River away.
"I don't wanna hear about my son like that," Freya said. River merely winked at her and motioned to the other side of the warehouse.
"I'll go wait back there. The Doctor can't see me yet. You told me later on that my first meeting of him is much later," River said with a sigh before walking away.
"So you just want me to bring Bad Wolf to you when they come out?" Freya called out after her. River turned and let out a loud laugh.
"Yes Mummy Number 2. Set me up on a date with my husband," River said with a laugh, blowing a kiss as she turned the corner.
Freya couldn't help but chuckle at River's words. It was funny how she was to be setting up her son with the woman who'd be his wife.
And River had called her Mummy Number 2. Did River call her that often? Freya was hoping that she did. She rather liked that.
It was curious, though. Why would she have to call her Mummy Number 2? In the future, was Freya around River's mother enough that River couldn't just call her Mummy?
The questions swirled around in her head as a man ran up to the warehouse. Freya watched as he glanced at her quickly before rushing inside.
A few minutes later, he came running back out, eyes wide.
"Are you okay?" Freya asked him softly, moving towards him. His eyes widened.
"It's you!" he exclaimed.
"Do I know you?" Freya asked politely.
"You were in my house when I was a little boy!" he said.
"What's your name? I don't remember it, but that could be because it hasn't happened yet," Freya told him gently.
"Elton. My name's Elton. And…I've got to go," he said as he took off running. He had only just managed to make it out of sight when the Doctor and the others burst from the warehouse.
"Taken care of," the Doctor bragged as he pulled Freya into a hug. Freya laughed.
"You sure scared poor Elton," Freya commented.
"Elton? Was that his name?" the Doctor asked with a frown. Freya nodded, glancing at Bad Wolf.
"I'll meet you in the TARDIS. I've got to bring Bad Wolf to a playtime," Freya said with a wink. Bad Wolf groaned at her words.
"Mom, I'm eighteen. I don't need playdates," Bad Wolf whined.
"Course ya do. Come along," Freya said, holding out her hand to Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf let out a dramatic sigh before snatching her hand and allowing her to drag him around the warehouse.
"Where are we going?" Bad Wolf complained, but the words died in his throat when he saw River.
"Hello Sweetie," River said with a smile. Bad Wolf's jaw dropped but he quickly composed himself. He shot a glare at Freya, who was keeping herself from laughing.
"Bad Wolf, meet your playmate, River Song. Remember how you said you were waiting for future Dad to pick you up? Well, here's your ride. You get to live on your own," Freya said with a grin.
"What do you mean, I get to live on my own?" Bad Wolf asked in confusion.
"I mean, you are bunking down with a friend of mine. River here'll bring you there and show you the ropes, so to speak. Play nice with him, River," Freya warned. River's grin turned near feral.
"But Beautiful, I'm a naughty thing," River said, winking at Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf blushed deeply at her words.
"Don't embarrass him too badly," Freya warned once more, but River could only laugh.
"I'm only preparing him to meet Jack," River said with a laugh. Freya winced at the thought.
"The Doctor will be mad at me when he realizes that's where we're sending our son. I hope you're ready to take the heat for that," Freya informed River, who could only laugh.
"He's only mad because you made him promise no sex while the baby was in your mind. He'll get over it as soon as you give in," River pointed out.
"Is that why you two were…on the console?" Bad Wolf drifted off.
"Oh Sweetie, you've got a lot of learning to do," River said with a wink before grabbing his hand.
"Say goodbye to Mummy dearest!" River told him. Bad Wolf opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, River had pressed the button on her Vortex Manipulator, and they were gone.
Freya made her way back to the TARDIS, where the Doctor was standing outside, waiting for her.
"Where's Bad Wolf?" the Doctor asked, but Freya just shook her head.
"Off to start the next chapter of his life," Freya supplied as they entered the TARDIS.
"Not that I'm complaining, Doctor, but do you think we could give Masen and Marie a nice, fun little trip without running?" Freya asked, her tone teasing. The Doctor huffed lightly at her words.
"What's wrong with running?" he asked indignantly. Freya kissed the pout off of his face before patting the TARDIS.
"Nothing's wrong with it, as long as you take me with you. I don't like being left behind," Freya pointed out.
"But we haven't been leaving you behind! You've been spending time with our son!" the Doctor pointed out, confused.
"I know I have. I just don't want you to start leaving me behind," Freya said, smiling back at him once more. The Doctor could only shake his head as he stared at her.
"What would you suggest then, for a trip?" the Doctor asked her.
"Shopping! I want to go shopping off-planet," Marie piped up.
"That does sound like quite a bit of fun!" Rose said excitedly.
"Shopping isn't safe either!" the Doctor pointed out.
"Yeah, but it can be fun for them," Freya pointed out.
"But shopping is boring!" the Doctor complained.
"You met me in a shop," Rose pointed out, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, right before I blew it up," the Doctor corrected her.
"It'll be fun. We can buy some stuff for the baby?" Freya tried begging. The Doctor seemed to ponder that for a moment before nodding.
"Fine. ONE shopping trip! Only one! Then we'll go on another adventure. You hear that, TARDIS? No trouble, this trip!" he shouted at the console. Freya heard the TARDIS laughing at him in her head.
She wisely kept her mouth shut as he took off, flipping levers. The takeoff was much easier than the Doctor's usual takeoffs, leading Freya to believe that the TARDIS was mainly flying herself rather than allowing the Doctor to pilot her.
That in itself wouldn't surprise her one bit.
When she landed the Doctor pulled a few sticks from his pocket and handed them out.
"There ya go. Should be enough credits for anything you want to buy. Don't wander off! Stick together!" the Doctor commanded.
Marie quickly grabbed Rose's arm and dragged her off to one side while Masen, Freya, and the Doctor stood here, confused.
"Rose probably wanted to buy something she's had on the TARDIS before," Freya guessed, and the Doctor nodded.
"I could stay with Masen and we'll wander around here, if you want to go looking for trouble. I'm sure you'll find some," Freya suggested with a smile. The Doctor stared at her for a moment, thinking, before his face burst out into a wide grin. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before taking off running, sonic screwdriver out already.
"Does he do that a lot?" Masen asked curiously. Freya couldn't help but laugh.
"You'd bettered believe it. He's always running off, then telling us not to wander off," Freya said with a laugh.
"Where are we? Do you have a clue?" Masen asked her. Freya shook her head but dragged Masen towards the nearest stand.
"Excuse me, miss, but could you tell my friend and I where we are?" Freya asked the alien running the stand politely. The alien was wearing what looked to be a dress, so Freya hoped she was indeed a girl. The alien smiled and nodded.
"You're at the bazaar of Katalan," she said. Freya nodded, keeping her expression as serious as she could.
"Is Katalan the name of the city?" Freya asked. The merchant laughed at Freya's question.
"Of course not! It's the name of the asteroid!" the merchant informed them. Freya smiled at her words and pointed down at what she was selling. Masen moved closer, examining the necklaces.
"I think Marie might like one of these," Freya said. The merchant's eyes lit up at the prospect of a sale. Masen held one of the necklaces up, testing its weight.
"Might make a nice anniversary present one day. How much?" he asked the merchant.
"Fifty credits," she said immediately. Masen handed the stick over and she scanned it before handing it back. She wrapped the necklace up and tucked it in a tiny box before slipping it into a bag for Masen.
"Thanks again!" Freya called out to her. The merchant waved them off.
"There you have it. An asteroid named Katalan. That's where we are," Freya said with a grin. Masen nodded, moving towards another stand with her.
"You're taking all of this quite well," Freya said, observing him carefully. And he was. Freya couldn't remember hearing him make any comments about…well, anything. He was perfectly cool with everything.
It was almost…worrisome.
"I hear about this kind of thing a lot, with work," Masen said absently as he examined a ring at the stand they had just stopped at. Freya caught sight of a ring that she liked. It was blue and seemed to flow a lot. Like a river.
Freya quickly bought it, thinking that it would make a nice gift for River for the next time she saw her.
"What do you do at work?" Freya asked, hoping she sounded nonchalant enough.
She hadn't.
Masen stiffened at her words.
"Oh, this and that," he said breezily.
"I get that you're lying. If you can't tell me, you can just say you can't tell me," Freya pointed out. Masen's shoulders relaxed slightly at her words.
"I really can't. It's top secret," Masen explained. Freya let her own shoulders drop.
"That's all I needed to know. That and that it has something to do with aliens," Freya said more to herself than to him. He nodded in agreement.
"So…that man was your son?" Masen asked, trying to hold a conversation. Freya nodded.
"Yeah. We've met him before. He's actually got his licensure, and he was the one who married us. He doesn't know that yet," Freya said with a wink.
"Your son married you? Before he was born?" Masen asked for clarification. Freya nodded with a grin.
"Time travel. Isn't it great?" Freya asked.
"Have you met future us?" Masen asked, stopping at a stand. He appeared to not care much about the answer, but Freya could see how tense it made him to wait for the answer.
"Stayed with you a few months in 2012. You name a son after the Doctor," Freya said before she could stop herself. Masen spun around, a look of almost disgust on his face.
"We name him Doctor? Why would we do that?" Masen complained, only for Freya to bust out laughing. He stared at her for a moment before joining her laughter.
"You had me believing we'd actually name a kid Doctor," Masen wheezed. His laughter faded and his expression turned serious.
"You said I had a son. You never said we did. Am I not with Marie in the future?" Masen asked worriedly. Freya shook her head.
"I can't tell you the future. You aren't meant to know it," Freya said apologetically.
"But you do," Masen argued. Freya could only shake her head.
"I don't really. I met you and Marie in the future. I've met future friends of mine. I've even met my daughter in law! Up until today, I'd never been able to know if my son would live. And I've not been able to meet Rose in the future yet either. I can't know the future either. I just get to be in awe of it," Freya told him with a rueful grin.
"Are you ever going to stop travelling?" Masen asked. Freya could only shake her head.
"No. He…he keeps mentioning of leaving me behind. To 'savor' the time he has left with me. But if I understand it correctly, I'll never be without him. He'll drop in just as a younger version of him leaves, so he can pace himself with me," Freya tried explaining.
"That's a bit odd. Even when you sleep?" Masen asked critically.
"Yeah. I can't really sleep alone," Freya admitted guiltily.
"They have medicine that should be able to help you with that," Masen said.
"I'm sure they do, but I just can't get warm alone. It's been a bit better now, while I'm pregnant, but it's always lie this otherwise," Freya informed him.
"Well, if you ever find yourself alone, you can always come find us. Or me. If I'm not with her. But I should be with Marie. If I'm with Marie, you can sleep with her that night. Otherwise…well, we'll figure something out," Masen offered awkwardly. Freya gave him a smile.
"I appreciate the offer. Hope I never have to use it, but I appreciate it nonetheless," Freya told him with a grin. He grinned right back at her.
Freya actually glanced down at the stand they were at. They were selling beautiful journals. Freya found a pile that matched the TARDIS in color. With a grin, she purchased one of each design.
River had a journal, when Freya had seen her. Freya was sure it was one of those, just wasn't sure which one. And Bad Wolf would need a journal. She could give it to him when she saw him next, at his earliest. Who knew who else would need a journal? Maybe Jack? Maybe their mysterious number four of their group.
Either way, she knew the journals would be useful.
The two of them made their way to a stand of food and had only just had a chance to buy some of the food when the Doctor came running by, gripping their hands and pulling them as quickly as he could.
Freya and Masen barely managed to grab their bags before they were dragged away.
"What's wrong?" Freya asked as Rose ran alongside them. Marie managed to push her way up front and grabbed Masen's hand, pulling him from the Doctor's grip.
"Rose made a scene!" Marie protested.
"Marie insulted the person in charge!" Rose added.
"And there was a tiny invasion that I got rid of," the Doctor added.
"Basically, run!" he said with a laugh. Freya couldn't help but join in with his laughing. He threw himself at the TARDIS, unlocking it just as a group of guards seemed to be closing in on them.
The Doctor shoved everyone inside and shut the doors, sounding rather out of breath.
"Well! That was close! Where to next?" he asked, his manic grin covering his entire face.
"You're already planning the next adventure?" Marie asked in disbelief
"Of course! What else would we do?" the Doctor asked, oblivious.
"Sleep?" Marie pointed out. The Doctor's eyes widened and he nodded, moving quickly to Freya.
"Right! Sleep! You need sleep!" he said.
"It's not that late," Rose protested, glancing at her watch.
"But it's a bit late for another adventure. Knowing our luck, we'd end up with a few day one. Remember the werewolf?" Freya threw out. The Doctor chuckled at that.
"You met a werewolf? They're real?" Marie asked, eyes wide.
"Weeeelll, technically it was a lupine wavelength…..yes, it was a werewolf," the Doctor amended quickly.
"Or there was the time I didn't have a chance to change clothes before we visited somewhere and you were thrown in prison for kidnapping," Freya added.
"You have all the fun adventures when we're not here!" Rose complained, but there was a smile on her lips still.
"We're always having fun. You'd have to be living here with us to be able to experience it all," Freya pointed out.
"Okay," Rose said. The Doctor fumbled with the TARDIS control he was working with.
"Okay? You mean, you plan on gallivanting all around time and space too? Bad enough I have one friend always gone," Marie complained, but her eyes held anxiety.
"What about Jackie?" Masen asked.
"Mom'll be fine. I'll still visit," Rose said defensively.
"Why don't we all go take showers and we can watch a movie together?" Freya asked, trying to diffuse the situation she'd unknowingly caused. Marie and Masen all but ran out of there.
"Can I though? Can I travel with you guys permanently?" Rose pleaded. The Doctor hesitated, glancing at Freya.
"It would be nice to have female company," Freya said, not wanting to see Rose look disappointed.
"And I am family," Rose added, her eyes widening to look more innocent.
"Domestic!" the Doctor pointed out, only for Freya to shake her head at him.
"Fine! But only because Freya wants it!" the Doctor relented. Rose squealed and threw her arms around the Doctor, then Freya, before skipping out of the room.
"You just made her night," Freya said, giving the Doctor a quick kiss on the lips.
"I only agreed because you wanted me to. This place keeps filling up," the Doctor complained.
"It's nice to have a family on the TARDIS. She likes it too," Freya said, only for the TARDIS to express her own agreement in her head.
"Are we really going to watch a movie with everyone?" the Doctor asked, wrinkling up his nose in discontentness.
"Yes. We are. Life can't be all running around. Not with me," Freya pointed out with a smile. The Doctor pouted but didn't protest. He did, however, wrap his arms around her and press his forehead against hers. Freya felt the slight sensation of him pressing against her mentally, slow enough that she could protest if she wanted him to stop.
When she didn't stop him, he entered her mind as he had before. The baby kicked at the sensation and Freya could swear she heard the baby's happiness at the connection. Freya herself adored the connection. It made her feel so full, she wondered how she could ever live without someone in her mind.
It made her dread giving birth.
"Sh. Don't think of that. Everything'll be fine," the Doctor said soothingly.
"But I won't be connected to you two then. Will you still be able to do this?" Freya asked him.
The Doctor hesitated.
"Technically, yes. But it won't be the same. Humans don't have the mental capacities that Time Lords have," the Doctor told her regrettably.
"Humans also don't have two hearts. Is there any way we can change it?" Freya begged. The Doctor didn't respond for a few minutes, standing there in silence.
"We could try to work on strengthening you mind. The baby will help. But we won't be anywhere near close enough to making your mind strong enough to handle the connection before he's born," the Doctor warned her.
"Then I guess Bad Wolf'll have to have a sibling," Freya joked, trying to cover up the crushing feeling she felt at the rejection.
"Hey! Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. We can work on it without him inside you. It'll just be even slower going," the Doctor said soothingly. Freya allowed herself to be consoled.
The Doctor tugged her down the hallway, to their room, where they quickly changed into their jimjams and made their way to the movie room.
Rose and Marie were already there, fighting over what movie to watch.
"I already said I wanted a romantic film! Masen agrees with me," Marie pointed out.
"No, we need an action film. Masen prefers action films. All men do," Rose argued.
"I actually was in the mood for a comedy," Masen supplied quietly, only to earn a glare from both women.
"We have the widest variety of documentaries," the Doctor suggested, settling himself onto the loveseat. He pulled Freya down next to him. All three of them stared at the Doctor in disbelief.
"I don't think they're too interested in a documentary," Freya told the Doctor gently. The Doctor pouted at her words and crossed his arms.
"The TARDIS only likes to give me the documentaries. She hides the rest," the Doctor huffed.
"What about an animated, kid-friendly show? Those are fun, and with baby Bad Wolf here so active, I'd rather we watch one that won't scar him for life," Freya suggested.
"You haven't even had the child and he's already dictating your movie preferences? You're in for a long period of motherhood," Marie pointed out.
"You're only watching kid-safe movies? What about kid-safe activities?" Rose asked, wriggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively. Freya blushed and the Doctor slung one arm over her shoulders.
"We decided that, given his best friend in the future is Jack, we can be liberal about our actions," the Doctor said smugly.
"Jack Harkness? Oh. He was, wasn't he?" Rose asked in disbelief.
"I'll put in a movie," Masen mumbled, quickly throwing himself to his feet. He pulled a random disc out and all but crammed it into the telly, hurrying back to his seat next to Marie.
Freya was only awake for the first ten minutes of the children's movie before she fell asleep on the Doctor.
Freya woke up in bed, in the Doctor's arms. She snuggled closer as he shifted in the bed as well.
"Mornin'," he said, eyes cracking open to stare at her.
"Morning," Freya responded automatically.
"Sleep well?" the Doctor asked her with a grin.
"How was the movie?" Freya shot back, her own grin in place.
"Fancy an adventure?" the Doctor asked her. Freya slowly pulled herself from his arms and towards the closet.
"I did just get a good night's sleep. I think I'm ready for an adventure," Freya said with a laugh.
The Doctor was out of the bed in an instant, quickly throwing on his clothes.
"As soon as we get dressed, we'll be off!" the Doctor grinned manically as he said that.
"Do you want me to wake up the others?" Freya asked as she tugged on a dress.
"Nah. We'll let them sleep in. Just you and me this time, for old time's sake?" the Doctor asked her with a grin.
"As long as we're quick then. And we leave them a note. Otherwise they'll wander off," Freya told him with a grin.
"You companions always wander off," the Doctor reminded her.
Freya grinned at him and quickly finished getting ready. The Doctor practically dragged her to the console room in his excitement to go on an adventure with her alone. Once there, he started flipping levers at random before stopping, eyes glued to the monitor.
"The TARDIS pulled up an article from a newspaper. From Howling Halls. It's a planet in the galaxy next to yours. It looks like a living shadow escaped Howling Halls's main prison," the Doctor said with a frown before flipping a few more levers.
"A living shadow?" Freya asked curiously.
"Yeah. It's an elemental shade. That's another name for it. They're relatively dangerous, if you don't have the right equipment to track and capture it," the Doctor said, grinning before hitting a final lever.
"And we're going to bring it back to the prison?" Freya asked. The Doctor pulled out a cylindrical metal can and tossed it to her.
"That's the containment device," he said as he rummaged through a small box that had been tucked under the console. He pulled out a complex device with an antenna sticking out of it.
"And this is the tracker!" he said gleefully, tapping away at it quickly.
"You just happened to have both of these within reach?" Freya asked him in disbelief.
"It's what my daughter and I did for fun, once upon a time," the Doctor said quietly. Freya hesitated at his words. He never talked about his family before. He'd only told her a few times that he'd had a family before. Freya knew it had to be nearly impossible for him to talk about them.
"And you kept it up here for memories?" Freya asked softly. The Doctor nodded before glancing at the screen.
"We're not too far from your time. You're alive, now, somewhere. Baby, probably. We're extremely close. What do you say? Ready to go on your first shadow hunt?" the Doctor asked her with a grin. The grin was masking his pain, but Freya knew he wanted to pretend it was fine.
"Of course!" Freya responded, making her own grin as wide as she could. The Doctor's look was grateful as he pushed the doors to the TARDIS open.
They were in a living room, and it was dark. Freya wasn't sure how they were supposed to find a shadow when the entire room was one big shadow, but she didn't say that to the Doctor. His eyes were wide, eager for the search. He waved the device around the room carefully, listening for the quiet beeping it gave off. When he pointed it towards a doorway, the beeping intensified.
"That way!" he whispered, grabbing her hand quickly. He pulled her into the kitchen, only to stop. Freya slammed into his back, but he didn't move.
"What's wrong?" Freya asked, trying to step around him. The Doctor held her firmly behind him.
"Hand me up the container," the Doctor said softly.
"Why?" Freya asked once more. She peeked her head around, only to gasp.
There was a shadowy creature, on the floor.
Hovering over the body of a woman. The dead body of a woman. Freya felt sick. The Doctor snatched the container from her hands and quickly opened it. The creature was sucked into the container instantly.
"Doctor," Freya breathed in horror. The Doctor nodded.
"She's dead. Elemental shades generally leave humans alone. This one must've been a particularly malicious one. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, stepping closer. He bent over and closed her eyes. When he stood up, his look was stony. Freya moved over to him and wrapped her arms around him, tucking his head down even though he ought to be much too tall to have his head tucked into the crook of her neck.
As soon as the Doctor's head was down, Freya's eyes went wide.
There was a little boy, standing in the doorway, eyes wide and glued to them. Freya shifted their position so it blocked the boy's view of the dead woman.
His mother.
It had to be his mother. The poor child. No. He couldn't be allowed to see his mother, dead on the ground. Freya wouldn't allow it.
"Darling, why don't you head back to bed?" Freya suggested in her gentlest tone.
The Doctor's back stiffened at her words and he slowly lifted his head from her shoulders, turning around. He stepped aside and back so he was next to her, his face an emotionless mask.
"Why are you in my kitchen?" the boy asked. Freya shook her head.
"Problem with a shadow. It's all taken care of. This is just a dream, darling," Freya told him. He cocked his head sideways, examining Freya.
"No one calls me darling. They call me by my name. Even in my dreams," the boy said. Freya gave him another smile.
"What's your name, then?" she asked him. He seemed to be considering telling her carefully.
"Elton. I'm Elton," he said. Freya smiled and gripped the Doctor's arm, pulling him to where she was standing before making her way over to Elton.
"Why don't we get you back to bed, okay?" Freya asked him, gently tugging him towards the stairs. After a few steps, he made his own way up the stairs and, presumably, to his bed. Freya turned back to the Doctor, whose expression hadn't changed.
"If we'd been out here a few minutes earlier, we could have saved her," the Doctor said.
"But we didn't. That boy'll grow up without a mother. There's nothing we can do about it," Freya told him. But the Doctor shook his head.
"He won't remember what happened. He didn't see her dead body. The father, assuming he's in the picture, will never mention it. He'll never know his mother, because we were a few minutes too late," the Doctor's voice shook slightly at his words. Freya gripped his arm and tugged him back to the TARDIS, closing the door firmly behind them. She pried the container and device from his hands, setting both of them back into the box he'd pulled them out of earlier.
"It'll be okay," Freya told the Doctor, wanting him to not feel that aching guilt she could practically sense from him. She carefully pushed him into the captain's chair, moving behind him to run her fingers through his hair. She knew it always made her feel better to have someone running their fingers through her hair. She hoped it would help the Doctor.
Sure enough, she felt something akin to comfort practically radiating from him. She let out a sigh of relief at the feeling. Good. He was feeling something from it. After a few minutes, she moved back around and sat down next to him.
"I just wanted a quick, fun little adventure, for the two of us," the Doctor said quietly. Freya smiled t him warmly.
"Everything with you is an adventure. And I have fun all the time," she told him freely before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She hadn't even had the time to pull back before Rose barged in the room, her phone up to her ear.
"Don't worry Mum, we're on our way," Rose said before hanging up.
"We need to go visit Mum. Some git has been using her to try and find us," Rose said angrily.
"What?" Freya asked in horror, jumping to her feet. She felt a wave of nausea hit her at the sudden movement, but it faded quickly.
"Some guy's been helping Mum out for weeks and she just found out he was searching for me. I guess that means he was searching for you two, since that's the only reason someone'd be searching for me. She was in tears," Rose said in irritation.
"Weeks?" Freya asked, glancing at the Doctor. Rose nodded.
"It seems we've been gone quite a few weeks," Rose pointed out.
"Well, I haven't landed yet," the Doctor said feebly. He wasn't really up to handling a full insult-filled conversation yet. Freya was thankful Marie was still asleep. She had a feeling that Marie's sort of conversation would break the Doctor in this mood.
"But you've gotten the phone call. Go get dressed, Rose. We'll find the guy and land near him for you. I'm sure you can yell at him loud enough to make him regret hurting your Mum," Freya told her with a warm smile. Rose smiled and took off down the hallway.
"Should we wake up the others?" Freya asked, but the Doctor just shook his head.
"They don't need woken up. We'll take care of this first. Oh. We never took you to see Martha. We'll go see Martha after this," the Doctor told her with a smile. He pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead against hers and allowing his mind to wander.
The baby seemed to bridge the gap between them.
"He seems fine, but I'd still rather have a doctor check up on him," the Doctor admitted as Rose bound into the room. Her nose scrunched up at the sight of them.
"Did I interrupt a couple-y moment?" she asked in distaste. Freya smiled at her and shook her head.
"Just a hug and a checkup on the baby. Now let's go take care of this git," Freya said.
"Language. I thought we were agreeing to try keeping it clean for the baby," the Doctor pointed out.
"He grows up to be Bad Wolf. Best friend of Jack. He'll be fine," Freya waved it off as the Doctor pulled a few switches on the TARDIS console. It jerked quite a bit as he tried taking off and it slammed down rather abruptly.
"Good landing," Freya teased as Rose stalked towards the door. Freya followed her quickly, as did the Doctor. She threw the door open and stepped out angrily.
Freya's eyes widened at the sight. They were standing in an alley where an alien had backed a man up in the corner.
"Someone wants a word with you," the Doctor said, trying very hard not to grin.
"You upset my Mum," Rose said, stepping forward.
"Great big absorbing creature from outer space, and you're having a go at me?" the man asked in disbelief.
"No one upsets my Mum," Rose continued angrily.
"At last. The greatest feast of all. The Doctor," the creatures crooed.
"Interesting. A sort Absorbatrix. Absorbaclon? Absorbaloff?" the Doctor guessed.
"Absorbalof, yes," the creature said.
"You wouldn't be related to the Slitheen, are you? You're a bit similar. From Raxacoricofallapatorius, perhaps?" Freya guessed. The alien looked positively offended at the guess.
"No, I'm not. They're swine. I spit on them. I was born on their twin planet," the alien said with disdain.
"Really? What's the twin planet of Raxacoricofallapatorius?" the Doctor asked.
"I hope it doesn't have as ridiculous a name," Freya added under her breath.
"Clom," the creature said.
"Clom?" the Doctor repeated in disbelief.
"Did they run out of creativity after Raxacoricofallapatius?" Freya murmured to the Doctor, who hid his chuckle with a cough.
"Clom. Yes. And I'll return there victorious, once I possess your travelling machine," the creature declared.
"Yeah. Not gonna happen," Freya said firmly.
"Oh, it will. You'll surrender yourself to me, Doctor, or this one dies. You see, I've read about you, Doctor. I've studied you. So passionate, so sweet. You wouldn't let an innocent man die. And I'll absorb him, unless you give yourself to me," the alien stated.
"Sweet, maybe. Passionate, I suppose. But don't ever mistake that for nice. Do what you want," the Doctor said with a shrug.
"He'll die," the alien pointed out.
"Everyone dies eventually," Freya stated. She had a feeling the Doctor was bluffing, but didn't want to make it look like she was nervous. It would most certainly ruin the bluff if she did that.
"Go on, then," the Doctor added.
"So be it," the alien said, turning away.
"Mind you, the others might have something to say," the Doctor said. Others? Freya stared at the creature, her eyes widening in horror when she realized that there were faces on the creature. Had it absorbed them already?
"He's right. The Doctor's right. We can't let him. Oh, Mister Skinner, Bridget, pull!" the face on the front begged.
"No!" the creature shouted.
"For God's sake, pull!" the face shouted once more as the creature dropped its cane.
"Elton, break the cane!" the face shouted once more as the man stumbled forward. He grabbed it and snapped it over his knee. Some sort of light came out of it and the hands on the top of it opened.
"My cane! You stupid man!" the creature roared. And then he turned into liquid, being absorbed into the ground.
"What did I do?" the man, Elton, asked, almost in shock.
"The cane created a limitation field. Now it's broken, he can't stop. The absorber is being absorbed," the Doctor explained.
"By what?" Elton asked. Rose was strangely quiet through all of this.
"By the earth," Freya pointed out. As the last of the creature disappeared, a face, the first face, appeared on the brick that was under where the creature had been standing.
"Bye bye, Elton. Bye bye," the face said as it faded.
"Who was she?" Rose asked quietly.
"That was Ursula," Elton said, his voice conveying to much heartbreak that it made Freya want to cry. Rose did pull him into a hug as the Doctor's hand slipped into her own.
"You look familiar," Freya realized, staring at the man. And he had. The Doctor's eyes widened as well before going flat.
"You don't remember, do you?" the Doctor asked.
"Don't remember what?" Elton asked.
"We were in your house when you were young. You were that little boy," the Doctor said. Freya's own eyes went wide.
"No," Freya breathed. The Doctor nodded. The Doctor sat down on the curb, gesturing for the others to sit down as well.
"There was a shadow in your house. A living shadow in the darkness. An elemental shade had escaped from the Howling Halls. I stopped it, but I wasn't in time to save her. I'm sorry," the Doctor said.
Freya could see the moment the realization hit him. About what had happened. And she watched him crumble in Rose's arms.
"Is there any way to bring that girl back for him? He deserves happiness too," Freya begged the Doctor. His eyebrows screwed together before he leapt to his feet.
"If I can key into the absorption matrix and separate the last victim. It's too late for total reconstruction but Elton! Fetch a spade!"
The Doctor wasn't able completely fix her, but he was able to bring part of her back. Her face, in that cement block that had been in the sidewalk.
After they let him, the three of them made their way back into the TARDIS.
Off for another adventure.
Three more chapters left before the end of season 2. I'm probably going to end this story at season two, and then have the sequel. :) What did you think? Leave me some reviews!
Andi