Recall

By Lumendea

Chapter Eight: Recalled by the Seventh IV

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.

AN: Thank you everyone for the well wishes for my dog. It's cancer and we've decided to focus on quality of life as the priority. Thank you again for all the love, it was very much appreciated as I was processing and trying to support the rest of my family.

….

Peace and quiet on the TARDIS were a bit strange to the Doctor nowadays. Oh, there'd been plenty of times over the course of his long life when everything had been calm and still on his time ship, but it hadn't been that way for a while. Ace had a large and loud presence that could be felt throughout the ship most of the time. She tended to have experiments blowing up or leave her music playing in at least one room. Ace even had her music on at night and slept right through it. So, the quiet was unusual.

But the girls had both been very tired by the time they made it home last night. After the show, both had been too excited to even consider sleeping, and so they'd spent hours at the theme park. Chuckling, the Doctor fondly remembered the way that Ace had carried Gaia back to the TARDIS when the girl fell asleep while riding the Ferris wheel the next amusement section over. That area had a space travel theme which the Doctor felt was a bit odd.

And yet, after a few hours of rides and games, Gaia had been slowing down. Ace had scooped her up and followed him back to the TARDIS, smiling all the while. Both of them had looked so young. The Doctor had managed to take Gaia from Ace when they returned to the TARDIS.

"Where does she sleep?" Ace asked.

"She has a room."

Ace had followed him to the door that only appeared when Gaia was on the ship. It was a simple door, but pink in colour, which was very bright against the dark grey of the TARDIS's current colour scheme. Ace had opened the door for him and poked her head in. Then she'd nodded and headed off for her room.

Gaia's room was fairly simple, but it showed a few more personal touches than before. He knew that it wasn't really Gaia's room. Not really, not yet. But over the years, the TARDIS had slowly added more and more things that reflected Gaia's personality. The bedding was a soft pink on a sturdy wooden bed with a built-in bookshelf at the head. Various children's books were in place there, along with a small music box that the Doctor eyed but didn't touch. There were hints of Gaia's personality throughout the room, but nothing that granted him any further information about her mother. It was for the best, and he knew that, but the question taunted him.

"Daddy?" Gaia asked softly as he laid her down.

"Ah, you're awake," the Doctor said. "How about getting into your pyjamas, my dear one?"

Gaia yawned but nodded. Slipping off the bed, she stumbled to the wardrobe at the side of the room and opened it. There were only a few articles of clothing, but Gaia opened a drawer and pulled out a set of pyjamas. They were pink with little white rabbits on them.

"Do you need help?" he asked.

"No, I'm good," Gaia replied easily, already reaching down to take off her shoes.

Standing up, the Doctor gave Gaia a moment to sort herself out as he checked out the rest of the room. There were some new pictures on the wall, decorative art only, rather than any family photos that would reveal too much. The ceiling was a deep blue with shimmering gold stars on it. He wondered what Gaia's real room would like in the future and how often it would change as she did. The Doctor hoped that the star ceiling might be a real part of her room.

"Ready, Daddy."

She climbed back up onto the bed and looked at him expectantly. It took the Doctor a moment before he recalled what he was to do next. When she was three, she hadn't started braiding her hair at night yet. There was a brush on the night table, which he dutifully picked up, and he sat down beside her. These hands weren't the best at braiding, but he managed to get his daughter's long ginger hair into a suitable braid for the night.

"When did you start braiding her your hair at night?" he asked. She hadn't done so when she was younger.

"A few months ago. It helps keep my hair healthier," Gaia said in a very matter of fact tone. Then she giggled. "And my hair doesn't strangle me now."

"Well, we can't have your hair attacking you, can we," the Doctor agreed.

Gaia's bedtime ritual had changed over the course of the years. He knew how she'd get ready years older than she was now but needed her to guide him through her current process. Their relationship had become the strangest out of temporal synch one in his existence. And yet, he was grateful for the glimpse of what he hoped was a happy future with her.

Tucking Gaia into bed once she'd cleaned her teeth, her hair was braided, and she'd washed her face, the Doctor kissed her forehead and accepted a soft kiss in return. The TARDIS dimmed the lights as he reached the door, leaving the small stars on her ceiling to provide a soft glow. The Doctor smiled and wished Gaia a good night before slipping out to the library.

….

While there was no true morning on the TARDIS while she drifted in the Time Vortex, it was marked by the residents waking and getting ready for the day. The Doctor found himself moving a touch slower than normal. He knew that his time with Gaia was slipping away when morning came. It was rare that he had her for more than one night at a time. His future self always seemed to resolve whatever crisis made it necessary for Gaia to travel into their past and come for his daughter quickly. The Doctor knew that was for the best. The more time he spent with Gaia, the more likely it was that she'd slip up and reveal something she shouldn't.

Moving around the console, the Doctor considered where he might take Gaia and Ace today. He set in the coordinates and kept his ear open for the sounds of the girls leaving the kitchen. Ace had taken charge of breakfast and had enjoyed directing Gaia in how to make waffles. Gaia had revealed that her mother often made them which had interested both the Doctor and Ace. With that in mind, the Doctor put the coordinates into the TARDIS console and smiled as his time ship began to move through the Time Vortex with purpose.

They landed with a soft thump. The planet wasn't anything too special, but it was safe for them to visit. The Doctor held back a sigh when a knock on the door echoed in the console room. He could already feel the presence of another him and wasn't happy that the visit with Gaia was already over. It had been the calmest things had been around the TARDIS for some time and had shifted his relationship with Ace back towards the warmer place it had been before. Seeing him as a father seemed to have softened her lingering distrust of him a little. To say he was grateful for Gaia's visit was putting it lightly.

The Doctor eyed the door of the TARDIS with a frown. He'd always been a bit disappointed when it was time for Gaia to go. The child was certainly a bit of work, but her bright presence was always a pleasure to have around. He'd never refused to give her back and wasn't going to start now, but… well, he didn't make a move to open the door.

But a few moments later, his future self simply used his key and stalked through the doors as he'd expected. The tall man with sharp blue eyes, even brighter than his own, was armoured in his leather coat and a maroon jumper. The jumper was the only thing that had ever changed. It was simple and utilitarian without any flare as far as the Doctor was concerned. He wondered just what would attract his future self to such a wardrobe choice.

"Everything resolved, I trust," the Doctor said as a greeting.

"Yes," his future self replied. He glanced around the console room, his lips twitching into a small smile. If it weren't for Gaia and the laugh lines around his future self's eyes, the Doctor might have inclined to think that this man wasn't the sort to smile. He gave off a very serious and sharp presence. "Glad you had fun with Gaia and Ace."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed, allowing himself to smile. "It was a pleasant visit. Ace very much enjoyed her. I was a touch surprised at how strongly she took to Gaia."

"Ace likes kids," his future self replied. "And Gaia is… an interesting child."

"Indeed. Very interesting."

"Don't ask," his future self said. "You know I can't answer any questions about her genetics."

So, he did remember all the questions that the medical check had brought up. Not surprising. This all seemed to be one very stable time loop. It astonished the Doctor who smoothly it always occurred. Gaia's presence certainly created ripples; it was impossible for it not to, but never destructive wave.

"They are stable, though," the Doctor pressed. "She's safe?"

"Yes," his future self promised. He hesitated and sighed. "Her mother did something, years before Gaia was born. Nothing bad, but it changed her a bit, and Gaia inherited aspects of that change. But it is stable. Been keeping an eye on it for years."

Well, that confirmed from his own mouth that he and Gaia's mother remained close. The fondness in his future self's voice was something he didn't want to read too deeply into. It wasn't that the Doctor objected to the notion of a true romantic partner; he just struggled with the idea of something like that actually happening for him at this point in his life. Then again, it wouldn't be this him, of that he was certain.

"Daddy?" a soft voice called from the corridor. His future self perked up and smiled just before Gaia came running into the room. "Daddy!" Gaia threw herself at his future self. The man was ready and dropped just enough so he could scoop the little girl up in his arms.

"Hello, sweetheart," the future Doctor greeted warmly. His eyes lit up, and a broad smile took over his face. "Did you have fun?"

"You know I did," Gaia retorted, giving her father a small smile and look.

It only made him laugh before he kissed the little girl's forehead. Then he turned his attention to Ace, who had followed the Gaia. Her eyes took in his future self with a sharp look and a smirk. Ace looked rather pleased, and the Doctor decided to never ask her impression of his future self.

"It's good to see you, Ace," his future self said. He stepped closer and gently gripped the side of Ace's head with his free hand, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. Ace's eyes widened a touch, but then she smiled. "Hope you had fun with my little firebug."

Ace laughed, and Gaia giggled. "Yeah, we had fun, Professor," Ace answered with a smile. "Told me that you're inclined to blow things up yourself in this incarnation."

"Oh, I cause plenty of explosions throughout all of my lives," the future Doctor said. He shrugged, and Gaia grinned, gripping her father's leather-clad shoulder. "He's just got you for that," he added, nodding towards the Doctor.

"Very true," Ace agreed.

"Well, we best be off," his future self said. There was a hint of sympathy in his eyes as he looked at him. The Doctor managed not to glare at him for that look. He would be just fine despite Gaia leaving; they always were.

"Bye, Daddy," Gaia called to him. She waved cheerfully from her place in his future self's arms. "Bye, Ace. I had a lot of fun!"

"Thanks," his future self said, a bit gruffly.

He gave Ace another smile and then nodded to him before turning and heading for the door. His future self wasn't much for talking or even arguing when he came by. Then again, it was probably best that they did not behave that way in front of their daughter.

The Doctor held back a sigh when the door of the TARDIS closed. His fingers twitched, and he was very tempted to turn on the view screen just to catch one more glimpse of Gaia. He never knew when he would see her again. And he didn't know how long it would be until he was that man who could start a family. For all the Doctor knew, that version of him might be in his final incarnation. The final life who could live as if he was a human being with only a few grains of sand left in the hourglass. He could see things being easier for them than without the years stretching out ahead of them.

A few moments later, the Doctor felt the mental signature of his daughter's mind fading away. It became a little more painful every time as he grew more and more accustomed to having her there. Ace was watching him, and the Doctor did his best to keep his expression neutral. There was no real need for it, but the churning emotions made him a little too uncomfortable.

"I'm gonna miss her," Ace said, breaking the silence. "She was a good kid. Felt like she fit here, you know?"

"I do know," the Doctor admitted. "In time, she'll live in the TARDIS. And the TARDIS is aware of herself throughout time, so she knows Gaia."

"You'd better keep me updated on that," Ace said firmly. "I'm not gonna let Gallifrey make me too stuffy of a Time Lady, so I demand visits with Gaia after she's born."

"I have the feeling that I may be in exile again by the time Gaia is born," the Doctor admitted. "And you noted yourself that I'm not taking her to Gallifrey. Not sure what he did, what I'll do, but she's not being raised very Gallifreyan."

"That's not a bad thing, Professor," Ace said. "But if you are exiled, then I'll get a TARDIS of my own and come and visit you," Ace replied. She shrugged easily, and the Doctor imagined that Ace would follow in his footsteps and steal a TARDIS if she felt it was necessary. The idea was oddly endearing, even if it would damage Romana's efforts to show that Time Lords didn't have to be Gallifreyan. "She needs the Nitro-9 recipe when she's older."

Holding back a smile, the Doctor wanted to argue. Ace did not need to corrupt Gaia to the path of explosives. And yet, well, he found that he didn't mind the idea quite as much as he probably should. The notion that someday his past and his future might exist peacefully and happily was a lovely idea and not one that he'd often let himself imagine.

"We'll see," the Doctor settled for saying. "But now, back off into the universe." He drummed his fingers on the console and looked to Ace. Their current planet was best suited to Gaia's interests. Hopefully, he'd take her there in the future, but for now, Ace was still here. "Where to next?"