Recall

By Lumendea

Chapter Nine: Recalled by the Eleventh I

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: I debated a lot on bringing in the future Doctors, but the Eleventh Doctor was especially insistent. The War Doctor is still a bit of a question mark so let me know if you have thoughts on Gaia visiting him despite the Time Lock situation or if you want me to pretend that incarnation doesn't exist.

….

The Doctor hummed as he wiped down the metallic desktop of the current TARDIS console. Personally, he thought the bronze and glass look was the TARDIS's best yet, but Rose insisted that the ship was always beautiful. He knew that deep down, she missed the original layout that the ship had been using after the Time War. But Rose had adjusted to the changes that the years had brought. Especially the big ones like his two regenerations since they met. The TARDIS changing have given her a bit of a turn, in some ways even more than his first regeneration had, but Rose had rallied as usual.

A soft smile spread over the Doctor's face as his fingers danced over the controls. They'd been floating the vortex for a couple of days to relax and give him time to see to some repairs, but the Doctor's feet were beginning to itch. Rose wasn't doing much better. Too many days without a new planet under her feet or the air of a new era of her homeworld on her face, and his darling wife grew bored.

His smile widened at the thought. That was something he had adored about Rose from their first trip in the TARDIS. Even with his questionable taste in first dates, Rose had understood why he traveled. She'd loved it and embraced it, even as she stood up to him when she felt he was making a mistake.

Looking back, it wasn't a surprise that he'd fallen for her. The speed that he'd developed feeling for Rose Tyler and started to wonder if she was Gaia's mother was a touch embarrassing. The Doctor remembered all the little things he'd noted about Gaia over the years and tried to see if they fit with the notion of Rose Tyler being her mother. Still, it had all worked out. For once in his long and rocky life, things had come together. With a smile on his face, he eyed the console and debated between picking a planet and setting the TARDIS on random.

"What do you think, Old Girl?" the Doctor asked out loud. "Anything specific on your mind? Or randomize day? Oh, should we pick up the Ponds?" His excitement grew as the possibilities played out in his mind. Any of the choices were good. "Haven't visited Amy and Rory in a while. Could make it a whole family outing and grab Brian and Melody too. Though… would have to be a bit careful with Melody along."

Rory enjoyed their adventures, not as much as Amy did and worried about their daughter, but it had always worked out. The TARDIS never took them anywhere too dangerous when Melody was along for the ride. The Doctor paused to consider how old Melody was. It was hard to keep track of that when he and Rose moved in and out of the lives of the Pond family. Still, they were always happy to see him, and the Doctor did have to admit that it was pleasant to have them in their lives.

Suddenly the TARDIS beeped. Not an alert, but a sharp sound designed to get his attention. Blinking, the Doctor grabbed the scanner and began checking over the Gallifreyan symbols for anything amiss.

"What is it, Old Girl? Found something for me?"

"Daddy?" a voice called from the far side of the console.

The Doctor's green eyes widened, and he sucked in a sharp breath. The TARDIS beeped again, and the Doctor made himself move, stumbling around the console towards the voice. Sure enough, there was a small figure waiting for him.

It was Gaia. The Doctor knew that red hair anywhere, especially when it was braided into pigtails. Judging from her appearance, which included a TARDIS blue jumper that Jackie had somehow managed to knit, Gaia was either five or six. Probably five, given that the jumper was still in good condition.

"Gaia," he called softly in shock. Excitement was growing in his chest.

His daughter's eyes immediately jumped to him, the bright blue eyes of his Ninth self, and she beamed widely. Gaia threw herself towards him; her arms stretched out, which allowed the old recall bracelet to catch the light. Beaming himself, the Doctor dropped to one knee and scooped Gaia up. She was so small and curled against his chest in a way that she never had before in this body.

Tears stung the Doctor's eyes at the thought. That wasn't a bad thing, not really, but having his little girl in his arms brought back so many memories and sharpened emotions that had never left him. He'd never stopped loving Gaia, never would, but there was something almost painful about her being small enough for him to do this easily. Nowadays, she'd huff a little if he tried to cuddle her so close. She wouldn't fight him, but well, she was trying to be an adult, and he disapproved of that in general.

"Hi, Daddy," she said. There was a small quiver to her body that he immediately tried to soothe and place.

"Hello, my little dear," the Doctor replied. He shifted just enough to kiss her forehead. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

Gaia's presence was warm and a bit frightened, nowhere near as bad as her first jump, but whatever had forced the activation of the recall had startled her. The fear was fading fast, and the Doctor kissed her head again.

"I'm here," he promised her. "You're even in my future, so you know that your Mummy and Daddy are going to be fine."

That caught the little girl's attention. Shifting back in his arms, she looked up at him with those sharp blue eyes from his Ninth body and blinked in surprise. There were no tears, thankfully, but he could still see hints that the girl was shaken and tried to remember what had happened this time.

"You're the future?" Gaia asked.

"Yes, the first time that you jumped into my future based on your size," the Doctor said lightly, almost in a teasing tone. "Look at you, so tiny!"

"I'm five years and a month old," Gaia protested. "I'm not tiny, Daddy."

"Ah, but to me, you've been an adult Time Lady for years," the Doctor pointed out. "So, you very tiny."

He couldn't help it; the Doctor gathered Gaia close to him and snuggled her again with a happy little noise. The girl giggled and cuddled up to him once again as the last of the fear and worry vanished from their emotional link. That was a success, the Doctor decided. And he was getting snuggles from his firstborn. He kissed her head again. The Doctor cuddled Gaia close against him, enjoying the small weight of her in his arms. His daughter was so perfect in his arms. Of course, she was perfect as an adult, but she'd done that annoying thing called growing up.

"Do me a favor, Gaia," the Doctor said. "Don't grow up."

"Can't help it, Daddy."

He grumbled loudly into his daughter's hair. She had the gall to giggle at him. Why did they grow up so quickly? Gaia had been little for only a few years, mere years in the span of their long lives. Given that, they should be children longer.

"It's not fair."

"Don't be silly, Dad," Gaia laughed. She squirmed in his arms, and the Doctor looked at her, taking in her soft and small features. "I'll always be your daughter."

"I know," the Doctor said softly. The words were true, so very true. But she was small again. It made him think of something Jackie had once said to him about there being a time when you picked up your child for the last time and didn't know it. "I know, but I like you in miniature. More huggable."

"Don't you hug me anymore?"

"Oh, every chance I get," the Doctor promised. He kissed her cute little nose, making her giggle. "But you're going to grow up and go have adventures of your own. You're so brilliant and wonderful, my little dear."

His eyes stung as he said the words. Gaia looked at him with soft blue eyes and kissed his cheek. That wouldn't do, he decided quickly. He was the parent. It wasn't the place of his child, especially not when she was so young, for her to be comforting him. This was a gift. A nice little return to Gaia as a child. Her growing up wasn't a good thing exactly, but it wasn't the worst thing in the universe.

"Anyway, my little Tyler, when it comes time for me to pick you up, your mother will take you to your dad," the Doctor explained with a grin. "So, you, my little darling, need to keep what I'll look like a secret." He leaned closer to Gaia, watching with joy as her smile widened. "Our little surprise."

"Is this your next body, Daddy?"

"From the me, you know, no," he answered. "There's another between us." Shaking his head, he sighed. "The pretty boy."

"You're pretty too, Daddy," Gaia informed him seriously. "And Mummy says that you're gorgeous."

"Yes, well, your mother is very in love with me," the Doctor said, though he couldn't ignore the rush of pleasure at his daughter's words. He didn't always look back on his prior selves warmly; too often, there was the baggage of their decisions on his heels. But he did have a certain fondness for his Ninth self, the man who had been brave enough to love Rose Tyler and give them their precious Gaia. "Still not sure about those ears."

Gaia giggled. Her voice was so different. Not in a bad way, just different. Blimey, the Doctor realized, he was cataloging all the differences between the Gaia he had seen a few days ago and the little girl in his arms. And she hadn't even regenerated. She was less interested in studying his face and instead started looking around at the TARDIS.

"She's so different," Gaia breathed.

"This is my future, my dear," the Doctor reminded her gently. "A lot has changed."

"Oh." Gaia glanced down and seemed nervous. "How long in the future?"

"I won't be regenerating anytime soon," the Doctor reassured her. "I can't go into details, but rest assured that I will always adore my little girl."

"I know that, Daddy," Gaia said. She gave him a beaming smile so much like her mother's. "Where's Mummy?"

"Oh, right?" the Doctor shifted to the controls and tapped a button. "The TARDIS has an intercom now," he told Gaia. "So useful! Can't believe that I never had one before!" Gaia laughed, and the Doctor turned his attention back to the intercom. "Now hear this, Rose Tyler; we have picked up an adorable little passenger. She wants to know where her Mummy is." Turning his attention back to Gaia, he adjusted her closer to the intercom. "Say hello to Mummy, Gaia."

"Hi, Mummy!" Gaia called out. She started to wave before catching herself and giggling. "Daddy won't put me down."

"Nope," the Doctor agreed happily. "You are my prisoner, Gaia Tyler."

"Your arms will be tired!"

"You'd be surprised!"

Rose came rushing into the TARDIS control room with wide brown eyes. A soft gasp escaped her when she came to a stop only a few feet away from them. Rose stared at Gaia with wide and soft eyes. The Doctor smiled softly at the awed expression. At least he wasn't the only one affected by seeing Gaia at such a young age. Tears shined in his wife's eyes, but they didn't fall, and her smile widened. Gaia was watching Rose with equal fascination, likely taking in the changes to her mother.

There weren't many. Bad Wolf had more than done her work in keeping Rose young and healthy over the centuries. Her deep blonde hair was shorter than it had been when they first met, hanging just past her shoulders, and today it was in a simple braid. She was wearing jeans and a jumper that reminded him of one of his old ones and, to most, wouldn't have seemed any different. But at this age, Gaia's temporal senses were already developing, and he knew that she could see things about her mother that humans couldn't.

"Oh, it is good to see you, sweethearts," Rose breathed. She closed the distance and wrapped an arm around Gaia, making the three of them a little cuddle monster. The Doctor adored it. "You're alright, aren't you?"

"I'm not hurt, Mummy," Gaia said. "There was an explosion and screaming," she admitted softly. "It was a little scary."

"Do you remember where you were?" the Doctor asked.

"Tarigoniston."

"Tarigoniston," the Doctor repeated softly. "Ah, yes, I remember that. Don't worry. Your parents are just fine. Honestly, the biggest shock for them was the recall activating." Gaia looked up at him with a hint of doubt and worry. "Really. They looked at each other in surprise before swinging around to deal with the warlord trying to overthrow the planet."

"I remember that," Rose said with a hint of fondness. "But we got it sorted out. I remember thinking that the recall probably hadn't been necessary. It was pretty easy to sort out. Though, your father couldn't resist showing off a little once we were in the throne room of the palace."

"Well, my stunning wife was watching," the Doctor explained.

"Flirt," Rose laughed.

"For you, always."

"Mum, Dad," Gaia groaned in the way that only children could when their parents became too affectionate.

Rose just laughed, and he relinquished his hold on Gaia as Rose gently shifted the girl into her arms. For Rose, he could manage that and smiled as he took in the sight of the two of them. His love and their eldest. Both of them absolutely beautiful and his source greatest source of joy.

"How long is she here for?" Rose asked. She was holding Gaia tightly with a wistful smile on her face. Apparently, he wasn't the only one a touch overwhelmed at having her so young again.

"Not long," the Doctor answered. He felt the familiar surge of annoyance at himself for always coming to get Gaia so quickly. In the past, they'd been directed towards his future, but now his past was the target. "A little over a day."

"Well, then what shall we do with our extra day with our beautiful little girl?"

"Oh, we should take her to see the Ponds!" the Doctor laughed. "Amy would love to meet Gaia as a little girl."

"I'm not that little," Gaia protested adorably. The Doctor melted and bent to his daughter to hug her again. "Daddy!"

"You'll always be my baby girl," the Doctor cooed. He kissed her forehead and heard Gaia sigh softly in surrender. "My brilliant, wonderful daughter that I love so very much."

Rose was watching them with a soft and amused smile. Her brown eyes were bright as she watched them, and the Doctor met her gaze. He offered her a soft smile, trying to express his gratitude for their life once again. Given the gentle grin he was rewarded with, Rose understood what he couldn't voice.