Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thank you for the reads and reviews! Sorry it's been a while. Big week for migraines. Hopefully, this is worth it. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!

Lydia and Oswin watched from the jump seat as the Doctor hopped around the TARDIS console.

"This panel is meant to operate with six pilots," said Oswin.

"That's right."

"So, is there a reason you're hopping around all on your own?," asked Oswin.

"What?," asked the Doctor looking up at them.

"Maybe Lydia and I could help," said Oswin. "Or you know, just keep standing here, bored."

The TARDIS lurched forward with a landing.

"First stop!," announced the Doctor.

"If we brought Aunt or even Jenny, that would be five," offered Oswin.

The Doctor frowned. "I don't think we should let Jenny drive the TARDIS."

"Where are we?"

"Picking up our passengers!"

He flung open the door and they found themselves in Chiswick.

"Are Donna and the twins coming?," asked Lydia.

"Yes, they are," said the Doctor as he bounced up the steps to the Noble house.

"Are they your new companions?," asked Oswin.

The Doctor turned, stunned.

"Obviously, I prefer them over the blonde," said Oswin. "Seems to be a strange choice for you."

"They're just friends we're taking along on a little holiday."

"I see," said Oswin.

"Well, good..." said the Doctor as he knocked on the door.

Donna answered. "Well, right on time. That's different, eh, Time Boy?"

"Time Boy?," asked the Doctor. Oswin and Lydia snickered.

"The kids are coming down," said Donna. She thrust three suitcases in the Doctor's arms. "Oh, let me get one more thing."

The Doctor stood there with three suitcases. Donna shut the door as she returned inside.

Oswin and Lydia burst out laughing.

"Are either of you going to help me?," asked the Doctor.

"No," said Oswin. "This is too funny."

The door opened again. Donna put a hatbox on top of the Doctor's load as Josh and Ella appeared with knapsacks and rolling suitcases. Ella held a teddy bear and Esther's lead.

"Hello, Doctor," said Ella.

"Hi, Oswin!," said Josh.

"You've got a hatbox," said the Doctor.

"Yeah," said Donna. "So, are we going somewhere?"

The unspoiled beauty of Janeris Two. Well, when he said unspoiled beauty, he meant terraformed, still as they planet was not yet permanently inhabited, they had it all to themselves. Donna was really quite game when thet got down to it, helping pick out a path, musing to the Doctor about her long gone scuba diving hobby as they gazed at the crystal streams and waterfalls. He found her looking nack at him.

"What?," he asked.

"Nothing. I'm just waiting for the trouble, that's all."

"I told you, I'm not going to let anything happen to our children." Donna shot him a curious look. He quickly backpedaled. "Collectively, yours and mine, but separately..." He cleared his throat. "Besides, trouble's just the bits in between."

"I see. From what the Oracle said, you had a lot of bits in between."

"What exactly is it you think is going to happen?"

"Dad?"

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, Oswin?"

"If this is 5195, isn't that the year of the Sontaran invasion?"

"Well, Oswin-" He paused, checking his watch. "It's not today, surely."

Donna's eyes were huge. "Okay! Everyone back in the box!"

"But, Mum..." Josh moaned.

"Nothing! No 'But Mum'. Oh, God, where's your sister?"

The Doctor looked. Ella was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Esther?," asked Josh.

"She was just here a minute ago," said the Doctor.

"She's a wanderer," said Donna.

"A wanderer? That's my first rule! No wandering off!"

"She doesn't mean to! She's just never paying attention! Grocery stores, shopping centers, hospitals..."

"Oswin, take Lydia and Josh back to the TARDIS and wait for us there," said the Doctor.

"You said nothing would happen!," Donna accused as Oswin started back with the others.

"Well, you never said Ella was a wanderer!," the Doctor accused right back. "I have big problems with wanderers! Most of my problems stem from wandering!"

"Or you mean all of them!"

"Well, I have less problems when everyone stays in one spot!," he shouted back. "This way!"

"Why that way?!"

The Doctor ignored Donna and she hurried to

Ella was very skilled at getting lost.

It was finding Mummy again that she seemed to have problems with. She had wandered away and taken a look inside this tunnel and things were getting very loud outside of it.

Ella looked up to see some men in futuristic suits.

They were rather short.

She pulled Esther's lead back closer to her as the terrier barked insistently.

One of the men took his helmet off revealing that he was in fact rather like Mister Potato Head.

"What are you doing here, human scum?"

"I, uh... I came with the Doctor," said Ella. "And Mummy and Josh, but the Doctor gave us a ride-"

"The Doctor?"

"Yes..." Ella said slowly.

Esther kept barking.

"What is that thing?," he asked, pointing at the dog.

"That's Esther," said Ella.

"How do you make it cease noise?"

Suddenly, the other potato head was pointing a big, futuristic gun at Esther. Ella scooped up her dog.

"Don't you hurt her! She's my doggie!"

"She has another creature, sir!," said the other one.

Ella looked behind her to where he was pointing. Her bear's head was sticking out of her knapsack.

"That's my teddy! You can't touch him, either!"

"There is some resolve in this one. Come with us. You are now the property of the Sontaran Empire!"

She frowned. "No, I'm not," said Ella.

"You dare defy the great and glorious Sontaran Empire! You belong to us!"

"No, I belong to Mummy."

"Ella!"

Ella turned back. Donna and the Doctor were rushing down the long corridor.

"See! I told you she'd be down here!," said the Doctor. "All children love long, featureless maintenance corridors!"

"Halt! In the name of the Sontaran Empire!," said the soldier as the other pointed his gun.

"Yeah, I was kind of afraid we were getting to that," said the Doctor.

"Who the hell are they?," asked Donna, pulling Ella close.

"Yes, right, Donna, these are the Sontarans, most fearsome warrior clone race in the universe. Sontarans, Donna."

"Hi," said Donna.

"The Doctor," said the lead Sontaran. "You led the call to battle in the Time War. The greatest war in history and the Sontarans were forbidden from participating."

"Yeah, well, the invite must have gotten lost in the mail..." said the Doctor. "Have you got Facebook?"

"Facebook?"

"Well, it would be problematic for you lot anyway. We really ought to be going."

"You are prisoners of the Sontaran Empire!"

"Oh, right."

"What happened to nothing is going to happen?," asked Donna. "Trouble is just the bits in between?"

"Well, sorry, we are at a bit in between at the moment, so just bear with me."

"Come with us, scum!," said the lead Sontaran.

"Have you got a plan?," asked Donna.

"I have the start of a plan."

"The start of a plan?"

"Follow us now!"

"First, we follow them," said the Doctor.

"Oh, great plan," said Donna.

"Then we do this," said the Doctor.

Donna and Ella watched in amazement as he pulled out two cricket balls and aimed them squarely at the back of the necks of the Sontarans. They fell to the ground as the Doctor picked up Ella, dog and all.

"The second part of the plan is to run, Donna!"

Donna rushed after them, not stopping until they arrived back at the TARDIS and the Doctor finally put down Ella and Esther and flew to the controls.

"What did you do to them?," asked Donna.

"Well, you see, all Sontarans are fed through a tube that goes in a port in their necks. Their only weakness, just stuns them a bit. Now, Ella, what did I say about wandering off?"

Ella stared back blankly at the Doctor.

He turned to Lydia and Oswin. "Girls, what do I say about wandering off?"

"Nothing," said Lydia.

"I've never heard you mention anything about wandering off," said Oswin.

"Well, rule number one is don't wander off!," said the Doctor. "Now, where should we go next?"

"What about Gallifrey?," asked Lydia.

The Doctor shot Lydia a look.

"What?"

"It's not much of a holiday for you," said Donna.

"I want to go to Gallifrey!," said Josh. "I could tell all my mates about the planet of the Time Lords!"

"Josh, they have rules about this sort of thing," said Donna. "We wouldn't want to get the Doctor in trouble, though I suspect he'd eventually be in trouble, one way or the other."

"No, we could get a special dispensation," said the Doctor, knowing full well that Malyon had already secured such a dispensation. "That is, unless you're not interested."

"I'm interested," said Donna. "It's just only been government ministers that you lot let up there and two of them were Benjamin Disraeli and Abraham Lincoln."

"There was a great deal of confusion at the time," said the Doctor. "So, you want to go then?"

"I wouldn't mind a look," said Donna. "As long as it's really okay."

"It is," said the Doctor.

The TARDIS materialized in the great library and the Doctor opened the door.

"Ah! How nice!"

The Doctor frowned upon seeing Malyon. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet your guests." She stuck her hand out. "Hello. I'm Malyon, the Doctor's sister."

"Donna Noble."

"How lovely to meet you at last, Donna," said Malyon. "I've heard so much about you. And these must be your children."

"Yes," said Donna, "this is Josh and Ella."

"Lovely! Oswin, Lydia, why don't you show our young guests around the house?"

"It just looks like a regular house," said Josh. He looked up at Malyon. "Does it do anything alien?"

"Wait and see," said Oswin. "Come on."

The four left with the dog. Malyon turned to the Doctor. "Why don't you show Donna the outer corridors? I'll go see to supper."

Malyon left. Donna turned to the Doctor.

"Well, that's my sister," said the Doctor.

"Just curious, do all Time Ladies boss the men about?"

"Well, just a bit..."

"Better do what she says then," said Donna. "Come on then."

Oswin and Lydia showed the kids some of the recreation zones of the house: the entertainment room. the swimming pool and then they made their way upstairs to where Oswin was sure the guest bedrooms would be. Instead, they stopped in the family corridor as Lydia pointed.

"Have you seen those doors before?," asked Lydia.

Oswin turned. "No."

Two doors had appeared, matching all the others in the house.

"What are those circles?," asked Josh.

"That's writing in High Gallifreyan," said Oswin.

"What do they say?"

"That's weird," said Oswin. "The one on the left says "Complete" and the one on the right says 'salvation.'"

"Is this like the Haunted Mansion?," asked Josh. "I love that ride!"

Ella opened the door on the left. "It just looks like a bedroom."

Oswin followed inside. It looked like the room she had when she was Ella's age, maybe even some of the same furniture, but there was a big window looking down on the Earth below.

"This is your room," said Oswin. "This is actually your room."

"What's wrong, Oswin?," asked Ella.

"I'm not sure."

Donna walked out onto the balcony.

"So," said Donna, "how posh are you?"

"Posh?"

"It's hard to tell with you lot," said Donna. "You all come off posh. This house is certainly big."

"It used to hold more people, that's all," said the Doctor.

"Oh," said Donna. "Sorry."

Donna looked out at the Earth. "Quite a view you've got here."

"I'm glad you like it."

"What's the rest of it?," asked Donna.

"We're inside the Citadel," said the Doctor.

"And that's mostly Time Lords?," asked Donna.

"Yes, except for those who work for us."

"And out there?"

"The continent of Wild Endeavour," said the Doctor.

"Yeah, you lot aren't posh at all," said Donna.

"Over there, the Never-Ending Mountains of Solace and Solitude."

"Is that where your daughter is?"

"Sorry?"

"Jenny. Lydia said a bit back that Jenny had to go to a behavioral retreat there."

"Yes, well, Jenny's behavior does leave something to be desired."

"You're one to talk." Donna caught sight of something to the left, beyond the glass dome of the city. "That's..."

The Doctor looked. "Yes, a Dalek saucer."

Donna crossed her arms. "You lot never bothered to clean it up. Seems sloppy. Some master race you are."

"We just never bothered with it," said the Doctor. "Nobody's ever mentioned it, actually."

"You like having a reminder of why all your loved ones are dead, do you?"

"I'd remember they were gone no matter what," said the Doctor. "Does it remind you of Josh and Ella's father?"

Donna was silent.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know, really," said Donna. "I guess I slept through it."

"Slept through it?"

"I fell asleep at his flat, woke up at my parent's house, I didn't even know how I got there. I went to try to find James and he was on the list of the missing."

"He was called James?"

"James McCrimmon."

The Doctor frowned. "Did you say James McCrimmon?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just I used to know a James McCrimmon. I wonder if they're related. He didn't wear a kilt, did he?"

"No. He liked bow ties."

"Bow ties?"

Someone cleared their throat. They turned to see Benu, the head of the maids.

"Oh, Donna, this is Benu. She's been with the family for years. What can I do for you, Benu?"

"The Lady Romana is here."

"Oh," said the Doctor. "Does my sister know?"

"Not yet."

"Let's try to keep it that way, would you help Donna find her room?"

Donna sent Benu off and followed the Doctor. Romanavendawhatever had mentioned she knew the Doctor, just not in what capacity. She was unlikely to get a straight answer our of him. The Doctor entered the sitting room where Romana sat primly as Donna stood at the doorway.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Hello, Romana."

"I've come with a proposition."

"Have you?"

"You are in need of a mating partner. I propose that we combine our genetic materials in an arrangement I think we'll both find satisfactory."

Donna cringed in the corridor. She might have guessed there was something like that between them, still, though, was this how things worked here?

"Well," said the Doctor," that's quite a marriage proposal."

"I'm not proposing it in the manner you're thinking of," said Romana.

"Of course not."

"I could never be party to the strange ways of your cult."

"Strange?," asked the Doctor. "Being born, falling in love, getting married, having the next generation?"

Donna frowned. What was wrong with the Time Lords?

"I don't believe that's the way out of the current crisis."

"I think it might be the only way out. The only children on Gallifrey have been born."

"It's imprecise, wouldn't you say? The loom was more accurate."

"I suppose, if you want accurate children."

"I do,"

The Doctor paused. "I'm sorry, Romana. We've been too good of friends for me to lead you on like this, for even a moment. I have to decline your generous offer."

Well, there was a shock, thought Donna. Served Romana right for coming in with a proposal like that!

"May I ask why?"

"Because you're a cross old cow," Donna muttered.

"Well, mainly, I am spoken for," said the Doctor.

Spoken for? Donna's mind raced at that. Who could that possibly be? Not that she felt the teeniest bit jealous of the poor woman.

Not at all. God help her, really.

"Spoken for?," asked Romana.

"It was the Oracle's wish and mine as well."

"Spoken for by whom?"

"I'm sorry, but that's yet to be revealed."

Romana nodded. "I shall leave."

Donna hurried back and hid from view as Romana walked out into the hall and back towards the grand foyer. The Doctor walked out.

"Donna?"

Donna came out from behind a statue of one of the ancestors of Lungbarrow. "Yeah, I was just having a chat with my friend here."

"You heard the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Big proposal. Is everything that romantic here?"

"She and I see things differently."

"I caught that. What did she mean by your cult?"

"Not all Time Lords are born, well, were born. They were loomed."

"They were loomed?"

"A genetic device for extrapolating recombined DNA from two donors."

"Ah. So everything is that romantic here," said Donna.

"Not me. Not Oswin or Lydia. Or the Oracle. Or our families. Some of us reproduced the old way."

"And what's the crisis?"

The Doctor cringed.

"Romana said there was some kind of crisis. What is it?"

"Population. The Daleks destroyed the looms and then they wiped the knowledge of how to rebuild them from time itself. There have been experiments, but nothing acceptable on a large scale."

"Hence the lovely offer to mix together some Time Babies," said Donna. "So, who's the lucky woman?"

"What?"

"You told Romana you were spoken for. Who is she? I mean, not like I'll know her. I've only met three Time Ladies and one of them was your sister. Well, five if we count your girls and it's not like you're going to marry them. Or was it just a lie?"

"Donna..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sort of having a hard time talking right now, so I might have to do something."

"Like what?"

The Doctor leaned down and kissed Donna.

So she slapped him. As he stood rubbing his reddened cheek, wondering how he had let this failure happen, she grabbed him by the lapels to kiss him.

"Yeah, okay," said Donna, "that was good."

"You slapped me!"

"Yeah, sorry, it happens sometimes."

"How often?!"

"How can you like me? You don't like me! You called me an ape! All the time!"

"I was a different man then."

Donna huffed. "What is this regeneration nonsense?! You're the same person, you're not, you finally change clothes?! How am I supposed to get my head around it?!"

"You didn't like me!"

"You were a jerk! And not very nice to my children!"

"Do you like me?"

"What?," asked Donna.

"You just keep going on and on about how I couldn't possibly like you, but do you like me?"

"Well..."

"Do you like me, Donna?"

"You're sweet and kind and you're trying..."

"I'm trying?"

Donna shrugged. "I haven't had anybody try for me in a long time. Trying is important."

"I'd try for you to the end of the universe."

"Your wife just died," said Donna. "We should take some time."

"I can't wait on you," said the Doctor. "You humans. Your lives are beautiful and wonderful, but fleeting. So fleeting and I don't want to miss any of it."

"Supper!," called Ella.

"Coming, love!," Donna called back.

Oswin sat quietly through dinner and waited for their guests to dismiss themselves, followed by Lydia. No need to get her worked up as well.

Oswin walked into the sitting room. She sat down pointedly next to her aunt and looked at her father.

"Did you know Josh and Ella had rooms?"

"You made them rooms, didn't you?," asked Malyon.

"Of course I programmed rooms," said the Doctor.

"These weren't programmed," said Oswin. "They were Gallifreyan rooms. There were a few Earth bits in them, but they were rooms for Time Lord children. Ella even has my bed."

The Doctor and Malyon exchanged glances.

"Did they seem put off by them?," asked Malyon.

"No, just walked right in. There was writing on the doors as well 'complete' and 'salvation.'"

"You're certain of this?," asked Malyon.

"Of course I am, I can read."

The Doctor got up and walked out of the room wordlessly.

"Where are you going?," asked Oswin as her father ignored her. She turned back to Malyon. "What's going on?"

Donna walked into Ella's room and was immediately in complete awe of it. Ella was snuggled up in the big canopy bed with Esther beneath a sea of pink bedclothes. There were toys and games galore, even an area by the big window for Ella to do her drawing.

"Well, someone lays it on thick," said Donna.

"What do you mean, Mummy?"

Donna smiled. "Nothing, love." She climbed on the bed next to her daughter. "How do you like Gallifrey so far?"

"It's quiet."

"Yeah, I suppose it is," said Donna. It was quiet, the big house with too few people in it. The city with too few people in it.

"I like it, though," said Ella.

"Yeah?," asked Donna.

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to stay with you? Just until you fall asleep?"

"No, thank you."

Donna was floored. "No?"

"I'm okay."

"You're sure?," asked Donna.

"Yes."

Donna kissed her on the forehead. "Come find me if you need me."

Donna came out to find the Doctor staring at the doors.

"Sorry, were you waiting on me?," asked Donna.

"Time Lord houses are like my TARDIS," said the Doctor. "They have rooms for every occupant past, present and future. They're linked to our DNA, every member that ever was or ever will be from the house of Lungbarrow."

"Okay," said Donna. "That's a fun fact, I suppose."

"Do you know what Josh and Ella's names mean?"

"Of course I do," said Donna. "I can be counted upon to look up my children's names before I give them. Ella means all or complete. Joshua means salvation."

"Then you might be interested to know these doors say 'complete' and 'salvation' in Gallifreyan."

Donna looked. "So? Is this your way of saying I should move here? It's going to be awfully hard to get a removals crew to come here. Not to mention, I don't know about the catchment area."

"No, I said linked by our genes. I did have something programmed for Josh and Ella, but the house chose to ignore it based on a genetic link."

"They don't have a genetic link."

The Doctor turned to Donna. "I need to know everything about James McCrimmon."

Donna stiffened. She tried not to talk about him. "Why?"

"Because I'm starting to think he's me."