A/N: Well I review replied! Though not much to reply to :o Reviews are always welcomed, it means more than you think, Reborn was written out of someone's review on a previous story I'd done XD I'll do the next reply at chapter 10.

This is 3.6k words. It's RIDICULOUS.

Chapter 6 – Babies R Us

The Doctor was relieved to find he had no one to confront when he got back to the Hub that night at 2am. He'd spent the entire evening strolling around Cardiff Bay trying to sort out his head, and although he wasn't even remotely close to accepting the situation yet, he had felt a little better by kicking a bin over.

He decided that going to bed where Rose would be probably wasn't a good idea, so instead he decided to immerse himself in his favourite hobby of messing with the TARDIS. It had been a while since he'd been able to do it, what with Alex needing pretty much constant care since the moment he'd been born.

He was so immersed that he didn't notice the sound of tiny footsteps coming from across the room, and as a consequence when they announced their presence with a small, "Daddy" he jumped about a foot in the air and whacked his head on a large piece of metal.

Leah giggled as he moaned and poked his head out to see her standing there in her pyjamas holding Floppy's hand.

"Oh, what are you doing up?" he asked, rubbing his head as he moved to sit on the steps inside the floor plating.

"Couldn't sleep," she told him shortly.

He frowned. "Bad dreams?"

She shook her head. "Nah, just couldn't sleep. Stop worrying. You worry a lot."

He couldn't help but laugh, gazing at her for a moment before finally nodding and beckoning her. "C'mere," he said, and she moved over to sit on the edge of the hole-in-the-door, legs dangling inside as she clutched onto Floppy, staring at him. "I'm really sorry about shouting at you earlier, there's no excuse, I was really angry and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. Forgive me?"

Leah continued to stare at him for a moment before finally pursing her lips, considering. "I'll think about it," she finally said, arms folded defiantly and looking down her nose at him.

He grinned. "Hug?" he wondered, arms stretched out.

She took a moment to think about that too. "... Okay," she finally replied, and they met in a hug. He kissed her head and Leah yelped.

"I didn't say you could kiss me!" she told him seriously.

He laughed again and drew back, hands in the air in surrender. "Sorry."

"What were you and Mummy arguing about?" she wondered.

The Doctor sighed, closing his eyes. He didn't like lying to her. She deserved the truth. "You know that woman who was in the TARDIS earlier? Well... Your Mummy thinks that that woman is my Mummy."

"But your Mummy and Daddy died, you said they did," she insisted.

He had absolutely no idea how she knew that, but he continued regardless. "I know. I don't think she's my Mummy, I think it's something else. I know my parents are dead and nothing is bringing them back... Especially not a train. And especially not one from Birmingham."

They fell into silence for a moment, the Doctor staring at the grating sadly and Leah staring at him in turn.

"Don't be sad," she said suddenly.

He exhaled a long breath, then looked back up at her, offering a wan smile. "I'm okay."

"Why do you always lie about being okay?" Leah wondered seriously.

She could read him like a book, the Doctor realised. He dreaded to think just how much better she'd be able to read him when the paternal-daughter bond between them established itself fully in a couple of years.

He decided to evade the question. "I never lie, I just tweak the truth."

She giggled. "You're silly."

"Yes, I am," he said proudly. "If people didn't do silly things then nothing intelligent would ever get done." He looked at her seriously for a moment. "Is it the boggart? Is that why you can't sleep?"

She shook her head.

"Did it bring back a few memories?" he persisted, determined to find out if there was something wrong.

Once again, she shook her head.

"You can tell me anything, Leah," he pushed. "Don't be afraid of me, I will always be here to help you. I will never judge you, I will never do anything to make you sad, and nothing you could ever say would make me think any less of you. Because... Because I'm your Daddy and I love you and I need you to know that. Tell me what's going on, please, because if I don't know what's wrong then I can't fix it for you."

"There's nothing wrong!" she insisted, slightly annoyed now.

"Hey," he said quickly. "I'm just trying to help."

She looked at him guiltily. "Sorry," she said.

"It's okay," he replied, leaning forward again to hug her tightly. "Forgiven." He drew back and grinned happily. "See? How easy was that! I forgave you just like that!"

She giggled. "Fine, you can kiss me."

He beamed triumphantly and leant forward to place a single kiss on her forehead.

"So, absolutely nothing is bothering you?" he asked.

"No."

"Okay, I'll believe you," he said, though looked very unconvinced as they gazed at each other for a moment. "You know what, let me show you something."

He moved back and gestured for her to come down under the TARDIS console and into her core. He manoeuvred himself to lay down on a bed of wires and Leah clambered to lie next to him, gazing around at the ethereal golden glow emanating from all directions, bathing them both in light and warmth like the sun on a summer's day.

"It's pretty," Leah said.

"Yeah," he replied, turning to look at her. "Whenever I'm scared, I like to come here and lie in this exact spot, and just think. It's one of the places I feel happiest in."

"Why is everything gold?" Leah wondered.

"That's the heart of the TARDIS and the energy from the time vortex," he explained. "We're shielded from the heart in here, it's the closest we can get without being affected by it. You know, one day I'll teach you all about the TARDIS."

"How to fly her?" Leah asked instantly.

"Yes, one day."

"Now?"

He laughed. "Not now, I meant one day when you're actually tall enough to reach the buttons."

Leah looked at him disapprovingly. "I am tall!"

"Sure thing, tiny little Leah," he replied, grinning cheekily.

"Hey!" she bemoaned.

He just laughed again, and then fell silent, just staring into the golden light. Within a few minutes he heard light breathing from next to him and he looked to find Leah lying there asleep.

With utter care and precision he moved her out from under the console and out of the hole-in-the-floor, making back to her bedroom with a half-asleep Leah clinging onto his neck.

The TARDIS was completely silent. He wondered what room Rose had put that woman in. He would have to face the both of them tomorrow...

He finally got to Leah's room and settled his now 4-year-old daughter down into bed, putting Floppy in her arms and giving her a kiss, before drawing up the covers and leaving. He made a quick trip to the Infirmary to check on Alex, who was, unsurprisingly, sleeping like a baby. He seemed to be dealing with his pneumonia very well. The Doctor checked his medicines and made sure Alex was getting everything he needed, before making out the door to the corridor.

To his complete surprise he found Rose standing there, wrapped up in a dressing gown and staring at him. He stopped dead, just staring at her to try and gauge if she was still angry.

"Hello," she said, smiling smally.

"Hi," the Doctor replied, looking at her.

There was a slight pause.

"Look, Doctor..."

"Rose..." they both began at the same time, then they both stopped, smiling.

"You first," Rose said.

"No, you," the Doctor replied, still smiling.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know how weird this must be for you, it's probably a lot to expect that you could accept this quickly. You were angry so I got that through the bond, then I made you angrier, that made me angrier, and well, we kinda got caught in this, umm..."

"Angry... Pandora's... circle," the Doctor summarised, grinning.

"Yeah," she laughed.

"Sorry as well," the Doctor said gently, moving to her. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you or Leah."

"Please come to bed?" she wondered.

His grin broadened. "Can't go one night without me?"

She laughed. "I guess not. I can't sleep without your skinny arms and legs wrapped around me now."

"Hey!" he exclaimed with a mock frown.

She giggled. "Please?"

"Well, all right then," he conceded, taking her hand. "But only because you said please."

She laughed and kissed him, though they didn't go to sleep for another couple of hours.

The Doctor had avoided Penelope all of the next morning. He'd run a couple of scans via the TARDIS on Penelope, to see if it was some kind of shape-shifter or composite lifeform, but it had completely checked out fine. He still wasn't going to accept it, though. There was something else at work, he knew it. The only thing he didn't know was what exactly it was doing here. However, if it had malicious intent for him or his family, he would be on it in seconds.

Martha had arrived for her and the Doctor to check Alex that morning. After some quick scans it revealed he was beginning to show signs of recovery, though you wouldn't be able to tell the boy was sick at all from the amount of energy he had, constantly trying to grab his Dad's hair and making the process of checking him as difficult as possible.

After they were done they cleaned up, and Martha quickly rushed to the bathroom. When she got back she looked very green indeed.

"You okay?" the Doctor asked.

She sighed, and then nodded.

"Want me to check you out?" he wondered.

"Err... If you could," she replied, nodding. "I think I know already... but it's probably better to check."

He nodded, giving Alex a kiss before he rose from his seat and gestured for her to move to the scanner. Suddenly the entirety of Torchwood seemed to arrive bang on time as they always seemed to manage, crowding into the infirmary like a massive human tide.

"What's goin' on?" Mickey asked anxiously, seeing his wife in the scanner.

"I'll tell you in roughly thirty seconds," the Doctor replied, hitting the scanner keys. The red lines ran up and down Martha until the scanner pinged completion and a piece of paper buzzed out. The Doctor took it and moved back over to Alex, taking the boy onto his lap. Alex successfully grabbed the paper from his Dad's hand, then put it in his mouth.

"Ahh, no, Alex!" the Doctor said quickly, pulling the paper from Alex's weak grip. "Daddy needs this. And don't eat paper."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and it edged open slowly, to reveal Penelope standing there, looking a little nervous. She glanced at the Torchwood crowd, and then her eyes fixed on the Doctor, who purposely didn't look at her.

"I... wondered..." she began quietly, nervously. "I wondered if you would like..." she trailed off, still staring at he Doctor who was just absorbed in Alex sitting on his lap. He was completely ignoring her.

She glanced around at the crowd again, who were all staring at her. "... Never mind," she said in a trembling voice, and rushed out of the door.

Everyone looked back at the Doctor again, who was continuing as though nothing had happened, holding up the paper and checking it as Alex tried to grab it again.

"Ah," he announced, looking at Mickey. "Looks like the honeymoon went well."

He blinked, staring at the Doctor. "What?"

"Your wife is pregnant," the Doctor clarified.

"... What?" Mickey repeated in a croak, utterly wrong-footed.

"Yeah, you know, your wife. The one sitting over there," the Doctor said, nodding at Martha.

Mickey continued to stand there, absolutely stunned. "I'm gonna have a baby..." he realised, jaw agape.

"Here, sit down..." Martha said quickly, moving forward to help her stunned husband drop down into a chair, where he just sat rigid, staring at the wall. Then suddenly he was beaming from ear-to-ear. "I'm gonna have a baby!" he yelled in delight, and hugged and kissed his wife in pure, undivided joy.

"What?" a voice came from the doorway and Rose appeared.

"I'm pregnant," Martha told her.

Rose instantly burst into smiles and a million congratulations, running over to hug them both tightly. "Oh congratulations!"

Jack suddenly let out a loud sigh. "I feel so left out, everyone's got babies except me," he said.

Ianto looked at him. "Good luck with that," he muttered under his breath, then finished with a broad, innocent smile.

Rose turned to the Doctor, and instantly her smile seemed crash down around her mouth, her brow furrowing, her eyes piercing into his as her hands snapped to her hips. "Doctor," she began sharply. "A word, please?"

The Doctor nodded quickly, obeying his wife's command as he got up off the bed with Alex still in his arms, moving to Mickey.

"Here," he said, putting Alex in his arms. "Get some practice."

Then he moved out of the door after his wife, who took him into the kitchen and closed the door, forcing him to sit down in a chair.

"What are you doin'?" she asked crisply.

The Doctor considered making a joke, but from the expression on Rose's face he could tell that probably wasn't a good idea. "I'm avoiding it," he admitted.

"You're not just avoidin' her, you're completely ignorin' her. Now she's about to have a nap but you could go in there now and..."

"Rose, I thought we talked about this..."

"At least talk to her!" Rose said, throwing her arms up in the air. "Just listen to what she says, I'm not sayin' you have to accept her, just please, talk to her and then decide."

"I don't trust it. I don't think it's here for any good reason."

Rose frowned. "What are you sayin'?"

"Just... don't leave it alone with Leah or Alex."

"But she's your mum!"

"It isn't my mother."

"How can she not be your mum?"

"My mother is dead, Rose, she died, I killed them all... I know I killed them all. She's not my mother. She's an imposter. She might look like her, speak like her, act like her... Whatever this thing is, it's smart. It can see right into my mind... I don't know what it's trying to do... Maybe it's torturing me, I don't know. But my Mother is dead."

"Is there any chance whatsoever that she might've lived?"

"No..."

"Think about it, don't just say no. Could anyone have survived the War? The Master did, right? So it's not all impossible?"

"Well it's not impossible, but..."

"Okay, hold that thought. Just imagine for one moment, just think for one second that... Maybe the impossible happened. Maybe she's alive. Maybe that woman in there is your Mother, and she's not dead. You didn't kill her. Now after years of searchin' she has finally found you, her son. She knows what you did in the War, but she has completely forgiven you. Now I'm a Mum too, and I know that whatever Leah or Alex did, however bad, I would forgive them..."

"Rose..."

"Shut up and let me finish. Only a mum could forgive her son for doing that. She keeps talkin' to me about you, how proud she is of you, how beautifully you've grown. She loves you, and I know it's not fake. Now she's found you again she never wants to let you go, but you're pushin' her away because in your mind you think she's dead. But she's not, Doctor. She's here. And she wants to be with her family. But you're castin' her off, callin' her an imposter, and it hurts her, Doctor. She's not havin' a nap. She's sat in there right now cryin' because of you. Now accept the truth, suck it up, go in there and apologise to your mum. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

He didn't reply for a moment, before swallowing at looking up at her. "... But... But what if she's not real?" he croaked.

Her angry expression into turned into one of sympathy. She knew she couldn't even begin to understand what was going through his head, but she was going to help him. His Mum would help him, if only he would let her in.

She could really only say one thing to that. "... What if she is real?"

He stared at her for a moment, then dropped his gaze to the floor, looking like a wounded puppy. On instinct she leant forward to give him a supportive hug and kiss.

"Just go and talk to her," she told him gently. "Just do that for me?"

He sighed, and looked back up at her. "Okay," he muttered.

"Thank you," she said, and kissed him again. He rose from the chair, seeking out her hand. She took it, and squeezed it reassuringly before leading him out the door and taking him to the bedroom Penelope was in. With one final kiss she let go, and left him standing in front of the door alone.

He felt extremely numb, just staring at the door blankly. Of course, all the facts were staring him in the face. Her biology checked out, she acted like her, had her memories and her opinions and emotions, as well as the fact it was actually theoretically possible that she survived the Time War... There was no reason that this wasn't his Mum.

He had already grieved her death, though. He'd been through it, every single painful second, every single tiny tear he'd shed, not only for his race, but primarily for her. As far as his brain was concerned, she was dead, and this was just too much to take in.

But what if she wasn't real? Or what if she died while she was with him? He would have to go through the entire grieving process all over again.

Was this really worth the pain? Was this really worth another Jenny?

But if he pushed her away and it really was her, how could he deal with that either?

For once in his life, he had no idea how to handle this.

He closed his eyes, counted to ten under his breath, and lifted his arm. Another count to ten, and he clenched his fist. Another count... And he knocked three times.

"Come in," came a muffled, choked reply.

He took another breath, and pushed open the door to find Penelope sitting there on the bed, her hands at her eyes. She looked up, and froze instantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Theta, I mean, Doctor," she breathed quickly, wiping at her eyes. "I'll be out of your way."

She quickly made to up and leave, but the Doctor reached out to press a hand on her arm.

She stopped, and looked at him. His eyes were shining with unfallen tears, gazing at her face.

"... Theta?" she asked in a croak.

"Mother," he whispered simply... And then the floodgates opened. She quickly took him into a loving hug, kissing his forehead affectionately as he sobbed into her shoulder. His legs started trembling so she guided him to sit down on the bed, still holding him tightly and brushing back his hair. They were both in tears now.

"It's fine, Theta," she whispered, kissing his forehead again.

"I m-missed you..." he sobbed. "I th-thought about you all the t-time... It... It was s-so hard t-to forget y-you, I j-just... I..."

"I know," she whispered. "No harm done."

"I'm s-so s-sorry, M-Mother..."

"Theta," she said gently, still brushing back his hair and holding his trembling frame. "I forgive you."