Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Seven
"Rassilon," Dex gasped when he walked inside the control room and Duer smiled, closing the doors. His heart swelled with pride as he watched Dex walking around the console and the rotor moved up and down. Walking closer, Duer started moving levers, pushing buttons and turning switches while Dex watched when Duer nodded and pointed to the main lever. Dex grinned when he pulled the main lever and Duer sat down on the jump seat. The TARDIS hummed around them as Dex walked around the console and handed Duer the teddy bear. "This doesn't look like the control room simulation."
"Well, that's because she's an older model,' Duer said and Dex nodded his head.
"She is a Type 40 model," he said when he felt a warm blast of air blowing through his hair and Duer smiled. "What was that?"
"That was the TARDIS saying hello," he said and Dex smiled, patting the console.
"Hello," Dex said then looked at the screens and blinked. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to Earth."
"Mother says that there is nothing there but stupid apes," he sighed and Duer growled, balling his hand into a fist.
"Well, your mother is wrong. Humans are an amazing race. Over the centuries that they have roamed the Earth, they have experienced things that should have wiped them out, but they always survive, adapt and overcome whatever stands in their way."
"Mother says that they'll die off soon."
"Poppycock," he said as Dex frowned and Duer smiled at him. "It's an Earth word."
"I like it," Dex said when the TARDIS shivered then came to a halt and he looked at Duer. "Did we land?"
"No, there is something I want to show you," Duer said as he walked to the doors while Dex walked to him and Duer opened the doors. The Earth floated slightly below them as Dex' eyes went wide and Duer held him to his side.
"Rassilon," Dex whispered as Duer smiled and Dex looked up at him. "Is that the Earth?"
"Yes," he said with a nod of his head and Dex grinned.
"It's beautiful," he sighed and Duer nodded. He gently moved them back as the doors closed and Duer walked to the console. Dex half ran to the console as Duer looked at the screens then ruffled Dex' hair and pulled the main lever. The TARDIS hummed around them when they felt a slight bump and Dex looked from the screens to Duer. "Have we landed?"
"What? Oh, yes, we have landed," Duer said then looked at Dex and blinked. "But you can't go out dressed like that. Go to the wardrobe room and change, hmm. It's just through that door over there."
Nodding, Dex ran to the door as the door opened and he went inside the wardrobe room. A few minute later he came out wearing a pair of tan trousers, a cream color shirt and tan boots and Duer nodded, holding his hand out. Taking his hand, they walked to the doors as the door opened and they walked outside. Duer turned as he closed then locked the door when he held his hand out and they walked toward the dirt road to their left.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, I know where I am now," Duer said while they walked along the dirt road and he swung Dex' hand back and forth. The trees surrounded them as Dex looked up at the blue sky and green leaves on the trees and gently squeezed Duer's fingers.
"Everything is green! Father, look at that!" he said as he pointed to the small fawn in the middle of the dirt road and Duer hushed him.
"That's a fawn, a baby deer," he whispered as Dex nodded and they watched the fawn tilting its head side to side. Neither of them moved when a large stag moved out of the bushes and some of the velvet covering on its eight point horns moved in the soft breeze. Duer nodded his head as the stag gently nudged the fawn and the stag and fawn moved off the dirt road. Dex grinned as Duer winked at him and they went down the dirt road.
"Are there more animals like that?" Dex asked and Duer nodded.
"Oh yes, there are many different forms of life on this world. Some of them are as large as that tree where some are so tiny that you have to lay on the ground to see them," Duer said as Dex' eyes filled with wonder and he understood why his father was so fascinated with the Earth.
"Do the humans live in harmony with the other life forms of this world?"
"Some of them do."
"What about the others?"
"Well, those are the ones that are just…"
"Stupid apes?" Dex asked as Duer laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Exactly," Duer said as he leaned down and winked. Suddenly they heard a loud splash and a tiny voice crying out as Duer looked around and headed into the forest. Dex chased after him when they came to a stream and a small boy was splashing in the water. "Oh dear, I don't think he can swim!"
Before Duer could say anything, Dex ran toward the stream when he dived into the water and swam toward the small boy. Both of them went under the water as Duer ran to the edge of the stream and sighed when he saw their heads coming to the surface.
"Over here!" Duer said as Dex held onto the small boy and swam toward him. Duer held his hands out when he took hold of the small boy and Dex crawled out of the water, sitting down on the ground next to him. The small boy sobbed while Duer held him and rocked him back and forth. The small boy looked to be about five years old and was wearing a white shirt, a kilt and tan boots and had light brown hair. Duer hushed him as he sat on the rock and sat the small boy on his lap. Sniffing, the small boy wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt and Duer wiped the tears out of his hazel eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Aye," the small boy said with a nod of his head and sniffed.
"Well, mind telling me how you ended up in the stream?" he asked with a smile and the small boy sighed.
"My cousins were trying tae teach me tae swim," he said and Duer looked around, but didn't see anyone and the small boy's lower lip stuck out as he pouted. "They ran off when I started sinking."
"The nerve," Duer said then ruffled the small boy's wet hair and smiled. "Well, I guess Dex and I should take you home, eh?"
"Nay, I can find my way. Thank ye," the small boy said then got off Duer's lap and started running for the dirt road.
"Wait! What's your name?" Dex shouted as the small boy smiled and placed his hands on his hips.
"My name's Jamie!" the small boy shouted then ran off and Dex looked at Duer. Shrugging, Duer stood up as they headed toward the dirt road and Duer slid his fingers around Dex' hand, smiling down at him.
"Wait, Daddy, that little boy Dex rescued. Was that…?" Faith asked and Duer smiled.
"Yep, Dex saved Jamie's life," Duer said and they gave him a shocked look.
"I thought you couldn't interfere with someone's timeline," Frankie said.
"I didn't. Dex did. And how do we know that his saving Jamie's life wasn't supposed to happen?" Duer asked while arching an eyebrow at them and Frankie smiled, rolling her eyes. Faith yawned as she snuggled closer and Duer looked at her, stroking her hair. "Do you want me to carry you up to your room so you can have a nap?"
Faith nodded as he carefully got up and headed for the stairs and she placed her head against his shoulder. Smiling, he kissed the top of her head as they went up the stairs and headed down the hallway. Duer kicked the door open with his foot as he headed for the bed when Elby, Faith's chibi doll, ran out of its dollhouse and Duer smiled, seeing Elby dressed in surgical scrubs.
"She just broken her wrist," he teased as Elby nodded then vanished into its dollhouse. Elby came out a few seconds later, dressed in red and white striped pajamas, as Duer placed Faith on the bed and took her shoes off. She hissed as he removed the sling then slid her up toward the pillows and placed one of her teddy bears under the cast, kissing her hair. "Now, I want you to go to sleep."
"Ok, Daddy," she said while Elby climbed up onto the bed and walked toward her. Elby crawled under her good arm as she held it against her side and Duer smiled. "Daddy, did you make up that part about Dex saving Jamie?"
"Nope," he said then headed for the door and turned, looking at her. Faith closed her eyes as he watched her and Elby drifting off to sleep then he softly patted the wall and left the room.