Chapter 14

Author's note – I edited previous chapters to take the 11th Doctor out of the story until the end. I wasn't going to bring him in as early as I did originally, and I decided to go back to that original plan. Hope I don't confuse too many folks.

The Doctor was excited. He'd figured it all out – well, almost all of it. Avoiding the prophecy, getting Rose back, and having a family. One thing he hadn't quite figured out was what to do with his clone. The other was the amount of power he'd need to power the UCM – Universe Crossing Machine. If he used the TARDIS, he'd cripple her. Something he was not prepared to do unless there was no other way.

He'd been designing and building the UCM in a room in the TARDIS that was a beach, deliberately similar to Dårlig Ulv Stranden – Bad Wolf Bay. It inspired him, it gave him hope, one of his favorite emotions, and one he'd been lacking lately - that is until he hit upon his brilliant (even if he did say so himself, and he did) plan to cross into the alternate universe and rescue his Rose.

The UCM was complete. Once he came up with an alternate power source, he'd be ready to go. While he figured that out, he had gone out and about and had some fun. Now, it was time to go to the Ood and see what they wanted. Ood Sigma's calling was distracting, once he settled that, he'd be able to concentrate better and come up with the solution to the power issue.

"Breathe, Rose, breathe!" Jon reminded her, squeezing her arm and panting along with her.

"Oh shut up, I am breathin'!" Her water broke as if it were jet propelled, soaking Dr. David Johnson.

"She's on her way, push Rose!" David exclaimed. "Jon, get down here!"

Jackie took Jon's place at Rose's side as Martha threw Jon some sterile towels, one of which he gave to David to wipe off with, the others he gathered as he prepared to catch the baby.

"Alright Rose, whenever you're ready!" he called.

"Aaaaauuuuuugggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" She yelled, going along with the urge to push, and bearing down with all her might.

"Atta girl, Rose, she's crowning, keep it up!" Jon called.

The contraction ended. "Now hold her there, Sweetie," Jackie coached, Rose nodded silently as she worked to hold the baby in position and catch her breath. Relief flooded over her as the pain from transition disappeared and she caught her second wind. She opened her eyes to see Jon peering over the cover sheet, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're doing fantastic!" he crowed.

She nodded, then yelled, "HERE SHE COMES!" as she felt the next wave coming on, then bore down as if her life depended on it. Jackie slipped her arm around her daughter's shoulders, helping her bear down. Arianna's head emerged, then one shoulder, which Jon grabbed in his gloved hands and he firmly but gently pulled, helping his wife. Arianna slipped out, guided into the towels on Jon's lap. Leaving the cord attached, Jon scooped up the precious package and placed her on her mother's heaving stomach as Rose finished delivering the afterbirth and David took over cleaning things up. Jon went to Rose's other side and cut the cord as Jackie kissed her daughter and together they cried tears of joy. Arianna also started crying, gustily. Jon supported Arianna's shoulders as Martha cleared her airways more, and Rose was finally able to see her daughter's face. Pete came forward from where he'd been waiting near the door, and all celebrated the new birth.

As they all gathered in a group hug, a curious golden fog selectively enveloped Rose, Arianna, and Jon. Arianna's navel healed and the birthing mess cleared off her skin as if she'd had a bath. Rose suddenly felt as if the previous 12 hours of labor had never happened. David exclaimed as he saw her heal in front of his eyes, as if she'd never given birth. The only one of the three apparently unaffected was Jon. The fog dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Everyone looked around, bewildered.

"Weellll... let's not sit around staring at each other, we have a new life to celebrate!" Jon exclaimed.

"Where's the champagne?"

As they prepared to have a toast for the new life, Jackie asked, "What will you name her?

"Arianna." Rose and Jon said in unison.

"Arianna?" Jackie asked, "It's a lovely name! What does it mean?"

"Welll... it's really quite brilliant, she named herself."

"What? How did she do that? Rose? What does he mean?" Jackie retorted.

Rose grinned, sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth, and gazing into the innocent but wise golden eyes of her daughter.

"She can talk to me telepathically, Mum."

Jackie was temporarily speechless, but after letting that morsel sink in, managed to blurt out, "So what does it mean?"

Jon helpfully expained the origins of the name. "Well you see, Ariannous is one of the rarest elements in the universe. Millions of tonnes of ore have to be refined to get a single ounce of it. It has the unique ability to make the matter it is combined with – any matter at all, mind you – sensitive to psychic energy. It gives the things that are made from it various abilities, depending on the intentions of the person creating them." He looked at Rose. "Remind you of anything?"

"Psychic paper!"

"Yep -p! Anything else you can think of?"

She frowned for a moment, then realisation dawned on her. "The TARDIS!"

"Right again! A TARDIS has to have Ariannous in its makeup so that it can bond with its master. It also gives it the ability to adjust itself physically to the needs of its crew."

"Are you saying that this stuff can make matter sentient?" Pete asked, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Oh no, no, no," Jon assured him, "sentience requires intelligence, either biological or artificial. Ariannous simply gives the ability to reflect the intentions of the user."

"Where is it found?" Pete inquired.

"Nowhere you currently can get to." Jon assured him.

"Which reminds me," Pete said, pulling Jon aside and talking barely above a whisper, "how is the fleet coming? When can we test our first ship?"

"Soon," Jon promised. "We're just months away."

"C'mon you two," Jackie called, "It's New Year's Day, no business today, it's time to celebrate!"

Jackie got the glasses together while Pete opened and poured the champagne, and together they all celebrated the beginning of a new year and a new life.

"To Arianna!" Jon exclaimed, holding his glass high.

"To Arianna!"

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"