Recall
By Lumendea
Chapter Seven: Recalled by the Seventh III
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.
….
To the Doctor's great relief, both Gaia and Ace made it through their adventures with fireworks without even a burn. Ace, in particular, took great pride in this fact as he bundled them back into the TARDIS and put away the medical kit. Gaia stayed close to Ace, letting the older girl hug her and toy with her hair. While putting the coordinates, he had in mind into the TARDIS console, the Doctor might have used the TARDIS internal cameras to snap a couple of photos of the pair together.
This calm and happy domesticity would be over sooner than he would have liked. Gaia's father, his future self, would track down the TARDIS and take the little girl home, and he and Ace would continue their journey together until Ace was ready to head for Gallifrey. Still, the Doctor was allowing himself to enjoy it. The shock of Gaia had long since worn off. The only thing to do was enjoy the glimpse of his personal future that the child afforded him.
Ace helped him with the TARDIS controls. Her movements were smooth, but she hesitated from time to time still as they moved through the Time Vortex. Thankfully, the TARDIS had long since stopped pushing against her piloting and Ace's confidence had grown. It was another sign that the time for her to go to the Academy was coming closer. Romana's government was making it possible for off worlders to learn, and Ace was most deserving of that chance in his estimation.
Gaia stayed close to him, rocking onto her tiptoes every few moments to better see Ace's movements. The Doctor glanced down to see her quietly mouthing words as Ace moved, likely following their progress in the Time Vortex. It was a bit shocking to realize that even so young, Gaia was already learning the controls of the TARDIS. Pride flared in his chest. He knew that his daughter was remarkable, and this was just another sign of it. Truly, it was a pity that he couldn't take her to Gallifrey and show her off. His last self had been truly tempted to do just that. Though… that was a ringing endorsement of why he shouldn't. The TARDIS landed softly, and Ace grinned as the Doctor nodded across the console to her.
"Well done, Ace," he said warmly. "You're improving quickly."
"Thanks, Professor." Ace patted the console. "She does make it easy, though."
"Yes, well, the TARDIS is fond of you in her own way," the Doctor agreed.
And it was true, the TARDIS, in general, didn't show much regard or awareness of his companions. She recognized his sense of obligation to them and didn't harm them, but the TARDIS was never inclined to favour them much. Ace was a rare expectation since the incident with Fenric. The TARDIS seemed to be a bit warmer towards her. The Doctor felt it might be the closeness of their relationship or his educating of Ace in Time Lord matters. Ace was much more aware and respectful of the TARDIS as a living being at this point compared to most of his companions. Tegan, for instance, had always been dismissive of the TARDIS as a mere machine.
Gaia was next to them and stroking the edge of the TARDIS console that she could reach. To his surprise, the girl was whispering something to the ship. The hum of the TARDIS changed for a moment, just a tiny response that he and Gaia both noticed. His future daughter grinned while Ace didn't even notice.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that she's fond of you," the Doctor said gently.
"Nope, she loves me," Gaia replied. Then she beamed at Ace. "Where are we?"
"Not sure," Ace admitted. She nodded at the Doctor. "He picked the coordinates. I just helped fly us here."
"Where are we, Daddy?" Gaia asked, spinning to look up at him.
Chuckling, the Doctor gestured to the doors with his umbrella before taking Gaia's hand. "Let's find out."
They stepped out of the TARDIS into a small alley just off a brightly lit square. Buildings that resembled castle walls and shops of the Middle Ages were constructed around them. The Doctor sniffed the air just to make sure that he hadn't gotten anything wrong. No, it smelled just as it should.
"Welcome to the planet Apollo," the Doctor said, slipping into his familiar guide role. Gaia's little hand grabbed his hand, and the Doctor smiled down at her, happy to hold onto her hand. It was a busy planet. "This planet was colonized by humans in the 32nd century. It's warm and was uninhabited, leading to humans making it the prime pleasure planet in this sector. The planet's surface is full of amusement parks, hotels, nature parks, and resorts."
"And where are we then?" Ace asked, inspecting the nearby building. "The Medieval period?"
"This section is known as Castle Town," the Doctor answered. "A very unfaithful recreation of the Middle Ages of Europe."
"Very unfaithful recreation," Ace repeated with a growing smile. "I'm almost worried about what you mean by that."
The Doctor shrugged. "Well, for one, they don't worry about trying to recreate the waste disposal systems."
"Or lack of them," Gaia said. She shuddered, and the Doctor wondered when the girl had been in such a place. Gaia tugged on his hand and headed towards the square. "I wanna see."
The Doctor allowed his future daughter to lead him into the square. Lights were strung between posts. There was a distinct lack of open flames, but he noted holograms here and there. It was more about the atmosphere than anything else. Visitors were milling around the square, some in costume and others in futuristic street clothing. But styles hadn't changed so much that he, Ace and Gaia stood out.
"We have reservations for one of the popular dining attractions in this sector," the Doctor said. "I think you'll both enjoy it."
"It's not a circus, is it?" Ace asked, coming to a stop and eying him. "You know I don't like circuses."
"No, Ace, it is not a circus," the Doctor said. "It's a dining hall with a floor show that caters to families." He paused and for a moment reconsidered his choice, but the curious gleam in Gaia's eyes made up his mind. "Jousting and such, though all rehearsed and very safe."
"Jousting?" Now Ace's eyes were gleaming. "With real horses?"
"Oh yes, they have a full stable in the back," the Doctor said. "And while the armour is designed to look like classic horse armour and barding, it is made of materials that keep the animals safe. Besides, the end of the shows is always hand to hand off the horses."
"Oh!" Gaia threw her arms around his leg. "Sounds fun, Daddy!"
Ace grinned. "I agree with the munchkin," Ace said. "That does sound fun." Ace's smile shifted. "I suppose you'll need to know how such things work for if you become Merlin."
"Merlin?" Gaia asked, tilting her head.
"Oh, don't you know, your Daddy might be Merlin," Ace said. "Hasn't he told you that story?"
"No," Gaia answered. "But he has a lot of stories."
"Yes, and something that might happen isn't all that interesting," the Doctor explained.
"Something to look forward to," Gaia said with a nod. "That's what you say in the future."
"I suppose it is something to look forward to," the Doctor said. He bopped Gaia on the nose after handing Ace his umbrella. "Though you are my favourite thing I look forward to."
Ace gave him such a soft smile that the Doctor nearly blushed while Gaia beamed. Taking back his umbrella, he cleared his throat and led the girls further into the square. They had some time before the show started so they could look around. The bright colours and smells quickly distracted both girls and gave the Doctor a chance to regain his equilibrium—no reason to be too sentimental.
There was a great deal to see. This wasn't the peak of the tourist season, but all the booths selling items were open, and staff were walking around in full costume. Gaia stopped to note a few of the inaccuracies here and there, which amused both the Doctor and Ace. Thankfully, Gaia kept a tight hold of his hand, so she didn't get lost in the busy square. Ace stayed close on her other side, keeping a spirited conversation going. Then they passed a blacksmith shop, or at least a reproduction of one and lost Ace inside of it. Sighing, the Doctor shared a look with Gaia and pulled a credit stick out of his pocket.
"How soon does dinner start?" Gaia asked innocently.
"We have a little time," the Doctor replied. "Best see if we can pry Ace out of the shop."
"I'm not sure that'll be easy," Gaia said. "Looks like they have swords."
The Doctor chuckled. "You have a knack for understanding what motivates Ace."
A giggle escaped Gaia and made the Doctor smile. With an exaggerated sigh, they followed Ace into the blacksmith's shop, where a demonstration on the old ironworking techniques was going on. Ace was, as expected, admiring some of the claymores on the wall. The Doctor held back a sigh and got to work pulling Ace away from the wall of weapons.
Somehow, they did make it to the restaurant and to their seats in plenty of time to order their meals before the show. The space was a massive circular room with an open stage at the centre and patrons eating at tables around the stage on raised platforms. It granted a good view while giving patrons plenty of room. Banners hung around the hall that was built to resemble a castle along with art reproductions.
Ace now had a longsword in a scabbard strapped to her back and was very impressed with herself. Gaia had settled for a small wooden sword despite eying a small dagger that Ace had pointed her towards, the traitor that Ace was. While Gaia having an actual dagger would have been a problem for the future's self, he did have some self-preservation regarding his future selves. Maybe once she was trained in fencing, they could come back here to find something suited to her size and body type. But not until then, the Doctor told himself. If she wanted to, Gaia could do more than enough damage with even a wooden sword. Of that, he had no doubt.
But food had finally distracted the girls. All of the wait staff were dressed up in fancy clothing that showed off the styles of the era. Though, they were a great deal more comfortable and lighter than their historical counterparts. The meals were over the top recreations of old recipes, though Ace and Gaia both wrinkled their noses at some of the descriptions and stuck to more basic dishes. Glancing around, the Doctor noted the exits and the other patrons before allowing himself to relax. There were no signs of a threat or anything unusual. Not that he was expecting trouble. After all, Gaia's recall brought her to this point in his timeline because it was safe.
Then the lights dimmed, and Gaia and Ace were both leaning forward in their chairs. The Doctor was happy that the show started with music and pageantry; otherwise, the pair may have completely ignored their meal. His eyes scanned over the fabrics and styles that the "knights" were draped in. All of it was focused much more on looking nice than being true to life, but the Doctor couldn't fault them for that. His best guess was that they were worried about durability and appearance.
"It's all so colourful," Ace laughed. "Bet it didn't look so good back then."
"It depends," the Doctor replied, drumming his fingers on the table. "In your home era, the past is frequently imagined as rather brown and grey, but humans were already very familiar with making a variety of dyes for fabric. The peasantry in, say, England had blues and greens and yellows thanks to plants."
"Really?" Ace asked. "You're right; that doesn't get shown much on the telly."
"Some colours were rare," Gaia added. "Like certain blues and purples because the comp- uh, ingredients came from far away. But when I visited with Dad, there were lots of reds and pretty blues!"
The Doctor smiled, both at Gaia's struggle with the word components and the knowledge that he'd take her to the Middle Ages at some point. She did know a great deal about Earth history, and her style always reflected it. When he was younger, he'd imagined that she'd picked up on his fondness for the planet or perhaps from humans as he travelled with them so often. But, well, he had suspicions regarding the potential planet of origin for her mother. Or, given Gaia's odd genetics, it might be that her mother also saw Earth as a foster planet as he did.
Knights began to parade out on their horses while a group of minstrels played songs and marched beside them. Cheers erupted from the patrons, and the Doctor relaxed back in his chair, watching Ace and Gaia's reactions.
"Gran would have liked this," Gaia told Ace excitedly. "She always says that Mum and Dad go looking for trouble! She never believes Mum when she says that it isn't always that way!" Gaia laughed and climbed to her knees in her chair to better see while still eating her dinner.
Ace cast a look his way, and the Doctor did not react. There was nothing to say. Gaia hadn't caught onto her slip, and he saw no reason to point it out to the four-year-old. Over the years, she'd given away small things here and there. That was the nature of time travel. He doubted full Time Lords would manage much better. There was a reason crossing one's own timeline was forbidden (though that rarely stopped him), and it was because keeping future information secret was difficult.
The notion of a mother-in-law was almost ridiculous, but the Doctor had time to make peace with it. Ace leaned closer to him, ignoring the performance for the time being.
"Is her mother human?" Ace asked softly. "Is that why you hang around Earth so much?"
"Earth is my favourite planet, Ace," the Doctor told her. "And I have avoided confirming anything about Gaia's mother." He sighed. "Even my last body had enough sense not to poke at that."
"But you're not dismissing it," Ace pointed out. "Haven't you ever done a medical check on Gaia? You must know something."
It wasn't wise to discuss it, but ever since Fenric, the Doctor had tried to be as honest with Ace as he could. "Yes," he admitted. "But it isn't conclusive. Gaia is part Gallifreyan, as expected as my biological offspring, but her other DNA is highly mutated. Parts seem to be human, but she shows traits that I've never seen before." He shrugged. "Hence there being no confirmation. Her mother maybe something new, or an oddly mutated human or Gaia herself may have been exposed to something when she was very young." The Doctor nodded towards her. "That recall device is a form of time travel that pulls her through time, and yet it has never had a negative effect on her. Travelling through time without a capsule is a messy business, except for Gaia."
"I see." Ace's voice was thoughtful, and the Doctor wondered what his student made of it. "No wonder you've never taken her to Gallifrey."
"Oh, are you certain?"
"I asked her if she'd been there before," Ace said. "While we were setting fireworks off. She just said no and didn't explain."
"Well, if she is some sort of new hybrid, I suppose I'd want to be cautious with taking her to the Time Lords."
"Guess I'll have to pave the way for her, then," Ace said. She gave him a cheeky smile. "Show them not to judge too quickly. If- when I excel and become a Time Lord, maybe that will help make things easier for her."
The Doctor smiled at Ace. He'd not considered that possibility. In theory, Gaia would be safe under the current laws, the very laws that were opening a path for Ace. But he certainly appreciated the image the Ace was painting.
"I have no doubt that you will excel," the Doctor replied. "Not a single one."