Recall

By Lumendea

Chapter Six: Recalled by the Seventh II

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material, and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

….

As expected, allowing the girls to have free reign of an empty expanse of rocky terrain proved both worrisome and amusing. Gaia proved once again to be much loved by the TARDIS as the ship just happened to locate a stockpile of fireworks and deposit them in a convenient location. Combine those with the results of Ace's latest experiments, and the Doctor was sitting on a chair with a medical kit beside him just in case he needed to live up to his name.

He'd located a dying planet that maintained enough of an atmospheric shell to be totally safe but was largely devoid of any flora or fauna in a large area. He wouldn't need to be concerned with them hurting anything or spreading chemicals that could impact the future of the planet. No, its sun was slowly expanding towards it. Gaia had been concerned when he told them as much, but he'd been able to assure her that specimens of the planet had long since been moved off to off-world gardens, zoos, and resettlement planets.

Leaning forward on his umbrella, the Doctor smiled as he watched Ace laying down some safety rules for Gaia and the four-year-old listening with an intense expression. That eased some of his worries. He supposed that he shouldn't have worried so much. While she didn't spend much time around children, Ace was fond of them. She saw them as innocent in a way that she couldn't believe of adults. Too many betrayals and harsh words had been directed towards her for that. Himself included, and he doubted the guilt of that episode would ever fully leave him. Perhaps by the time he sired Gaia and became a day-by-day father.

Yet as much as he cared about Gaia for her trips to visit his past, the Doctor had doubts. It was difficult not to. When he first left Gallifrey, the notion of having more children had been a surprise, but not something he dismissed outright. Over the year, however, he had changed a great deal. In this life, he often felt that he belonged to the universe. Eternals and Guardians had tugged him around throughout his life, and it was very bad in this incarnation.

His mood darkened, and the Doctor tried to focus on a bout of laughter from Gaia as she and Ace set off a delayed chemical reaction of some kind. Ace grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her towards a rocky outcropping they were using as shelter—his daughter. Oddly enough, the idea of Gaia seemed strange once more to him, but for different reasons.

He had so many enemies. He'd crossed so many creatures. His TARDIS was known throughout the universe, and his own people were frequently angry with him. And yet, he was to have a child. Things must have changed greatly in the years since. At least he hoped so, but it was hard to imagine. What could he do to grant Gaia a happy and at least somewhat safe life? What steps did he need to take?

The questions frustrated the Doctor, and there was no recourse. He couldn't ask Gaia. That would violate the First Law of Time and put the girl in a poor position. Already he carried the guilt of manipulating and hurting Ace. Doing the same to Gaia, especially when she was so young, was horrible. Shifting, the Doctor hoped that Gaia would always look at him with such bright eyes. He'd been with her when she was older, and while the childish total adoration of him had settled, she'd always look at him with love. After his centuries of wandering and having people leave him, that expression was worth a great deal. And yet, he couldn't make plans for how to protect it.

"I know that look," Ace said with a hint of resignation. His companion had joined him, carrying an empty box with an expression of fond exasperation. "Don't go borrowing trouble from the future, Professor. Not today, at least."

He didn't bother to deny it. Ace knew him far too well for that at this point. "A fair suggestion," he replied. Eying the box, the Doctor looked out to check on Gaia, who was dutifully cleaning up the trash left by their prior experiments. "Are you finished?"

"Oh no," Ace laughed. "Not even close! I've got more stuff in the TARDIS. Little firebug your girl." Ace turned to look at Gaia. "I'm not sure if she reminds me of you or not."

"Thankfully, Gaia doesn't seem to take after me much in personality," the Doctor said. "Though, who I'll be in the future is largely a mystery."

"Well… there are worse things she could be than like you, Doctor," Ace said. "She seems like a happy kid. I hope I see her again in the future after she leaves."

The Doctor smiled, warmth unfolding in his chest at the affection in Ace's voice and the request to visit in the future. He hoped that he would, but he'd made such promises before. Gaia had not been familiar with Susan when they had met. Keeping his ties to those with shorter lifespans was one challenge in life he'd never seemed capable of meeting.

"Weird to think of you as a father," Ace said. "I mean, to a young kid," she added quickly.

"It was a bit of a shock to me when I first met Gaia," the Doctor admitted. "Not because I hadn't been a father before." He ignored the shock on Ace's face. "But on Gallifrey, families aren't like they are on Earth. We produced children, but in general, society didn't place a high value on personal relationships. That's changing a bit now, which is good, but my children from my first marriage were raised in that environment. I sought a relationship with them, but both were more inclined to fall in line with the standards of the planet." He shrugged a little, ignoring the mixture of grief and understanding on Ace's face. She understood the weight of a poor relationship, the sort that there was no fix for. "Needless to say, Gaia's behavior makes it clear that she was not raised that way."

"And that's good, right?"

"I think it is. As I said, the standards on Gallifrey are slowly changing, but that change takes time. Over the years of her visits, I've gotten the distinct impression that my future self keeps Gaia away from Gallifrey and the Time Lords. Hopefully, giving her room to grow without those rules is the reason."

He feared what other reasons there might be. Perhaps he was exiled again or had been when Gaia was very young. That was the most pleasant reason he could think of, and he still didn't like it. While the Doctor certainly wouldn't put it past Gallifrey to slide back into their isolationist and superior thinking and exile him, he was also aware that his reputation had changed a great deal since his third body. Back then, he'd be merely a wild Time Lord who loved other worlds too much. Now… well, he'd seen so much. Even the Daleks feared him since the destruction of Skarro.

And that was what worried him. There was a storm brewing between the Time Lords and the Daleks. It had been for years. Maybe it was already storming in places and times that he hadn't seen yet. Maybe it always had been. He wasn't sure but could feel the possibility of it. The Doctor hated it. Hated what it might mean for Gaia. He'd taken Susan away from Gallifrey to protect her and give her opportunities for freedom that he and his old friends had never had.

But he was also planning to send Ace there. Of course, she was basically an adult now and was curious about Gallifrey and wanted to make her own mark on the universe. It was very different from sending a small child. They'd discussed it, and he'd given her a choice. Now, they were just dragging their feet about it.

"Anyway, I best grab more supplies," Ace said. Her tone was light and happy. "Before Gaia gets impatient and shows me what sort of scheming she is capable of."

The Doctor chuckled. "Yes, she's a cheeky one."

Ace laughed again. "No mystery where she got that from."

"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said. "Gaia is clever, but she's let a few things slip regarding her mother. It sounds like she may be just as cheeky."

Ace raised an eyebrow and studied him for a moment. It was rare that the Doctor couldn't read Ace, but right now, he was at a bit of loss as to what his companion was thinking. Then she shook her head, hefted up the box, and headed for the TARDIS. Moments later, Gaia came bouncing over him. Her hair was becoming loose, and there was a smudge of dirt on her face, but her smile was wide, and her eyes were bright.

"Having fun, dear one?" the Doctor asked. He knew the answer but wanted to hear it.

"Yeah!" Gaia cheered. "Ace is so much fun!" Gaia glanced towards the TARDIS. "Are you travelling with anyone other than Ace, Daddy?" Gaia asked.

He supposed it was a fair question. Sometimes he traveled with only one person, but sometimes he had more companions. And while Ace had been in the kitchen, it was possible that someone else was lingering in their room. He'd had a few companions in the past who would have been very inclined to stay away from a child, even his. Well, especially his.

"Not right now, dear one," the Doctor replied. "And I don't think Ace will be with me on the TARDIS for much longer. She's preparing for the Time Lord Academy on Gallifrey." He folded his fingers in front of himself and watched Gaia as she scowled. "What was that look for?" The Doctor hoped that his daughter wasn't immediately so disgusted at the mention of Gallifrey or the Academy.

"Mummy says that you shouldn't travel alone," Gaia said. "She says she hates the idea of you being alone." Then Gaia blushed and snapped her jaw shut. "Sorry."

The Doctor chuckled. He was oddly touched at the thought of his future… well, whatever their relationship would be, having such affection for him as to worry. He had rather warmed up to the idea of another marriage and raising a child together. If it was another marriage, he reminded him that there was no guarantee of it, but Gaia's hints of her home life made him believe that was in his future. But not in this life. No, the Doctor knew very well that it wouldn't happen in this life. While he and Gaia did both have blue eyes, he was not the incarnation that had fathered the child.

"Well, perhaps I will meet someone to travel with by then," the Doctor said gently. "I do so often meet interesting people in my travels. I've stumbled upon most of the people who have traveled with me."

Gaia laughed, her smile broad and knowing. He suspected that the little girl had heard plenty of those stories. She was so clever. The Doctor could see the intelligence shining in her eyes, but unlike his own, there was a joy and innocence that he desperately wanted to protect. Already, he knew that he wouldn't be able to protect her forever. What then?

Ace reappeared out of the TARDIS, holding the box up in triumph. With a whoop of glee, Gaia rushed over to meet Ace. Her little legs didn't allow her long stride, but her pure joy propelled her with impressive speed. Gaia jumped around Ace like an excited puppy, and the Doctor found himself standing. He grabbed the medical kit and strode over to join the girls as Ace put the box down. Peering into the box, he chuckled and gave Ace a soft smile. Some impressive elements, but nothing that couldn't be set off from a safe distance. Ace rolled her eyes, clearly catching onto him.

Yet, she herself hadn't loaded anything truly dangerous. He gave his companion a soft smile and a barely perceptible nod. Ace returned a slight shrug and a nod towards Gaia. The Doctor experienced a moment of longing for this. For things to stay this simple and easy, not only between him and Ace but with Gaia there as well. Gaia noticed him and turned to hug his legs tightly. He chuckled and patted her head, running his fingers through her soft, lovely ginger hair while basking in the adoration being sent his way.

Still, the girls were having fun, and he withdrew a little with the medical kit after providing some suggestions, of course. While he had Ace to handle matters of explosives right now, he was a rather deft hand at them himself. When he said as much, Gaia had started giggling and talking about him blowing up a shop full of autons. She caught herself and slammed her mouth shut. The Doctor hadn't been too concerned with the future information before her reaction but now assumed that it was important. Did it have something to do with her mother? Despite himself, the Doctor tucked that potential hint away.

Another explosion rattled the rocks, and the Doctor smiled when Ace and Gaia jumped around cheering. Their chemical mixture had spent sparks of bright red and purple falling through the air. They seemed to have decided to hold off on the fireworks until it got dark. Not that it would be long before that happened, not on this planet.

Ace looked younger. She ruffled Gaia's hair, disrupting the braids, and laughed when Gaia scowled at her. There was no heat in the look. The little girl was happy too. The Doctor studied Ace, allowing himself to enjoy the years falling off of his companion. Traveling with him always aged them and Ace more than most. But it seemed that she could still have fun, still smile and still be that brilliant and adventurous girl he met on Ice World. She'd be fine. Both of them would be.

And they'd need to be fed soon. Hours were ticking by, and the excitement was sure to leave both of his charges rather hungry. The Doctor found himself disliking the notion of simply having dinner in the TARDIS. No, a brilliant day full of laughter like this called for something fun for a closing meal. Gaia was still so young, and no doubt would be ready for sleep not long after they ate.

Someplace interesting, with chips, he reminded himself. A few thoughts spun through his head as he tried to pick one that would be absolutely safe. Another laugh from Ace made the Doctor smile as fireworks erupted in the now dark sky. Streams of red and gold brightened the rocky terrain. Not someplace with fireworks, the Doctor decided. No, something different. Then he had a thought that he quite liked and smiled to himself. Another explosion echoed in the sky, and the Doctor watched the shells release sparks of purple. Yes, a good day like this needed a solid closing act. He didn't have a lot of truly good days; it was best to savor this one.