Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. I'm sorry it's been a while, but I've had a couple of bouts with illness/migraines/etc and the distraction of another story (that will be finished soon, if you were worried). So, please let me know what you think and happy reading!
It was a strange thing to be a Time Lord child.
For the entirety of her young life. Lydianasathvanara had been the youngest child on Gallifrey. She and Oswin were the only children on Gallifrey. She played in the house and behind the walls of the garden and somehow she knew to not to ask questions.
The Time War was finally over. Now her bedroom window looked down on the Earth. Her mother promised things were changing, for the better.
She awoke one night to find her mother sitting on her bedside. She had on her Earth clothes. She worked there now, helping the humans, she said. She dressed like one of them to blend in. She and Oswin had pored over the clothes that she had shown them, marvelling at the variety and complexity of some of the pieces. There was nothing to compare on Gallifrey. Time Lords had their robes, the Gallifreyans had their drab work clothes. She and Oswin wore the frocks of girls, crimson with gold sashes. Her father had almost always worn human clothes, but he was just weird. The Oracle had promised to acquire some human clothes meant for children, but Lydia saw no such package with her.
"Hi," said the Oracle. "Get dressed."
They walked through the night. It was the first time Lydia had been outside after dark. The destruction in the streets was so great that the regular Gallifreyans were out cleaning up the debris even now. They stared at Lydia. The stares were so intense she stopped in the path.
It was a strange sort of stare. Bitterness, anger, grief, all rolled into one.
The Oracle stopped and turned behind to see Lydia frozen and why. She walked back to where the Gallifreyans had gathered.
They turned. The Oracle didn't need to speak. All a Time Lady needed was a look and the Oracle had a hell of one. The workers backed away.
The Oracle led Lydia to an old building.
"That was a scary look," Lydia said.
"Hmm? What look?"
"The one you gave those men. Why did you do that?"
"Because I didn't like the way they looked at you and for our kind there is nothing more important than our daughters."
"Time Lord?," asked Lydia.
"No. Our kind."
Lydia followed her mother through the building.
"Our kind was here when the Academy opened. Our kind was here far before that."
"Who's our kind?"
"My mother, my mother's mother, her mother, her mother, are you getting the idea?"
"Sort of."
"As long as there have been Time Lords, we have existed and you you will carry us forward. You might be too young, but right now, you're all I've got."
"All you've got for what?," asked Lydia.
The Oracle waved her hands over some stones. The walls parted.
Inside, Lydia saw something beautiful and wonderful and cataclysmic.
"What is this?," asked Lydia.
"This is time and we keep it."
The Doctor rolled over to look at Donna. She was gorgeous as usual and she now had a nice baby bump that he adored and liked to rub. She had managed to wake before him and was doing something with a pen and paper.
"What are you doing?," he asked with disdain.
"I'm making a list."
"You're what?"
Donna glanced at him. "Christmas list. We're going to have a lot of shopping to do in a short amount of time."
"Right..." the Doctor said slowly. "You do know I have a time machine?"
"This is for the Christmas experience," said Donna. "Not cheating. Your girls ought to get to experience the all out family Christmas."
"Christmas is different for Time Lords," said the Doctor.
"Yeah, I get that," said Donna. She reached over to the night table and pulled a post-it off it in Gallifreyan. "What's this? I see it's Lydia's name."
"It's Lydia's birthdate."
"Well, when is it?"
"Uh, the twenty-fifth."
"Of December? You mean her birthday is Christmas Day?"
"That seems right."
"Well, weren't you going to tell me so we could organize something?"
"It's thirteen, Donna. That's not an important birthday for a Time Lord. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"She's your daughter!"
"I know that!"
Donna frowned. "We're going to have to improve upon these Time Lord traditions a bit. Like for instance, birthday parties."
"Donna..."
"Excuse me, by the laws of the Time Lords, Lydia is now my daughter and if I want my daughter to have a birthday party, she bloody well will. Now, what's her favorite type of cake?"
"Uh, banana?"
"That's your favorite type of cake. Try to help me with this, I think it would do her good. She seems so down lately and there's no one her age and her mother didn't die that long ago..." Donna's eyes were filling with water.
"Oh, Donna, don't cry again..."
"You know I can't help it!," she spat, motioning at her baby bump.
"Fine, Lydia can have a birthday party, but if she isn't interested, don't be disappointed."
"Well, I'm doing it," said Donna, wiping off the tears.
The Doctor headed down the hall and ran into his sister. She had the look of business on her face.
"Good morning," said Malyon.
"You're up early as well? You know, we have time machines."
"It's the Christmas Planning Committee. You could tag along to this one seeing as how you're usually caught up in these things."
"Oh, a committee meeting..." the Doctor whined. "That's not really my thing..."
Malyon nodded. "Very well, then. I'll call upon you when it's time to save the Earth. Again."
"Right, well, I have to go warn Lydia about something."
The Doctor headed upstairs. He found Lydia with her face planted in a pillow and frowned.
"Lydia?"
Lydia mumbled and the Doctor sat on her bed.
"Lydia?," the Doctor repeated.
Lydia's eyes opened. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong with you? Why are you still sleeping at this hour?," he asked with concern. He took the sonic screwdriver out of his breast pocket.
"I'm fine, Dad."
"Your energy stores are depleted. How can you be suffering from such exhaustion?"
"I'm fine."
"Not fine, Time Lords at your developmental stage need to maintain their energy stores. You are resting."
"I have lessons with Aunt-"
"Staying in bed!," the Doctor said. "That's an end to it! Now, let me go and tell Donna. I'll be back to sit with you."
"Sit with me?," asked Lydia. "Why?"
"Because it's something Donna would say," said the Doctor, heading out. "Don't move!"
Lydia frowned. Her father's last regeneration was so bitter it made him build walls to keep him away from everyone, including his own children. Of course, she had the Oracle to share their secret with then. She was on her own now. Since Oswin had started with the school, she had time on her own during the day to sneak off to the Academy when she didn't have lessons with Malyon. Then sometimes she had to sneak off at night. A lot lately as things were becoming clearer.
The current Doctor was desperate to know his children, craving connection. He forbade going to the Academy after Donna told him, warning her of the dangers of toying with such ancient things. She had assured him she wouldn't, never meaning a word. The Oracle had given her a task and it was hers.
There was a knock at the door. Donna entered with a smile.
"Your dad says you're not feeling well," said Donna. She sat down on the bed and put her hand on Lydia's forehead.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking your temperature." Donna took her hand off. "Wait, you're cooler anyway, so. how the hell would I know? Never mind."
"Okay."
"You do look tired," said Donna. "Too much staying up late?"
"No. Could you speak with Dad? There's nothing wrong with me, really, and I have lessons with aunt."
Donna shook her head. "I don't think so, Miss. You are tired. Malyon will understand. Besides, we all need a break once in a while. No harm in playing hooky for a day."
Something caught Donna's attention out of the corner of her eye.
"Flutterwings," said Donna.
Lydia looked out her window. There were. This was so not good.
"I thought they didn't come in the Citadel," said Donna.
"I don't know," said Lydia. She shrugged. "They're just Flutterwings."
Donna frowned. "Yeah, I guess."