Recall

By Lumendea

Chapter Eleven: Recalled by the Eleventh 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.

….

The TARDIS library changed only a little between the Doctor's incarnations. It seemed that his ship favoured a highly traditional wood panel look and tall shelves stuffed with books from many different planets and eras. And of course, there were the rolling ladders that he, especially in this boy, enjoyed using to swish through the library. There were a couple of reading tables, but most of the seating in the library was either the comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace or cushy armchairs scattered about in nooks and crannies.

And it turned out that all those chairs and the shelves were excellent for making blanket forts. Something that greatly pleased the Doctor. Because this time around the library was very versatile. Not only was there the swimming pool on the far side, but of course, it was prime space for making blanket forts. His ship was just marvellous that way. Even if she had eventually added a wall between the pool area and the books. He wasn't sold on that adjustment, but the Old Girl never consulted him on her internal architecture.

Gaia and Melody were standing on their tiptoes as they weighed a corner of a blanket with books on a shelf. Amy and Rory were keeping an eye on them as Rory strung a clothing line between the shelves of the library. The Doctor noted the soft smile on his companion's face, but said nothing about it, knowing the same expression was likely on his face.

When the girls finished elevating that edge of the blanket, they hurried over to an armchair and began to push it over. Amy pulled out her phone and took a quick photo before moving off to the stack of blankets still waiting on the sofa. The Doctor made a note to get that photo from her. He hurried over to join her and pushed the sofa away from the fireplace and towards the armchairs that were waiting.

"I'm not sure what this is going to look like," Amy whispered. The girls were shifting an armchair together with a marvellous display of teamwork. "Not rhyme or reason that I can see."

"Honestly, Pond," the Doctor scoffed. "We don't need a plan. Some wire, some chairs and lots of pillows and blankets and it'll be marvellous."

"And here I was thinking we'd get a lecture about the architectural stability of blanket forts," Amy teased. "Don't you have blueprints somewhere in the TARDIS?"

"Some things are best done with wild abandon, Pond. You should know that by now."

Amy laughed and the Doctor smiled. They stopped pushing the sofa once it was close to the chairs. Gaia ran over and he was barely out of the way before she was pulling the cushions off the sofa. She handed them one at a time to Melody who laid them on the ground, building a soft lounging surface. They'd need more cushions for that, but he left the girls to it. They were so small that wrapping their hands around the cushions made them unsteady. It was adorable and he saw Amy pull her phone back out. Leaning over, he grinned when he discovered she was recording them.

"I need a copy of all videos and photos," the Doctor whispered.

"I'll hook you up," Amy promised. "Another reason to carry a mobile, don't you think, Doctor?"

He wrinkled his nose and Amy chuckled at his expense. In truth, the Doctor knew that he probably should have a phone on him. But it was so distracting. And useful for parts. They never survived long. Besides, Rose had a phone and kept it on her. Rose was usually with him. Not always obliviously as his wife had a nasty habit of wandering off that even centuries of travel and marriage hadn't helped.

"What's that smile for?" Amy asked.

"Nothing."

"No, that's your Rose smile," Amy chuckled. "So sweet."

"Oh, you should see your Rory smile!" He scolded before glancing around. Rose was missing. He thought she'd said something about snacks. Leaving the couch, he bounded over to the door and leaned out into the corridor. "Come along, Tyler!" the Doctor called. "Construction workers in need of snacks in here!"

"Your fish fingers are probably what's taking so long," Rory huffed.

"They are necessary!"

"Fish fingers are yummy!" Gaia agreed, darting up to him. "They go well with chips."

"Yeah, but your Dad dips them in custard in this body," Rory informed her.

To the Doctor's horror, Gaia looked disgusted by the thought. "Hey," he protested. "One, Rory, you've discovered that it's a good combination." Rory rolled his eyes. "And second, my little dear, my beloved child, you should know by now that your father knows a thing or two! I assure you that fish fingers and custard is a culinary masterpiece."

"Laying it on a bit thick there, Doctor," Amy teased.

"Amy, do not turn my baby against my favourite flavour combination! I'd never done anything so cruel to you."

Rory made a doubtful sound, earning him a stern look from the Doctor while Gaia and Melody giggled. Well, that was alright, even if it was a bit annoying. Footfalls from the corridor made the Doctor spin around. Rose was carrying a large tray with food and drink. He hurried over to grab a few of the drinks off the tray to make it easier. Rory and Amy hurried to the seating area by the fire and picked up the small table, bringing it closer to the fort.

Rose smiled at them in thanks and put down the tray. The Doctor noted with joy that there were indeed some fish fingers and custard, along with Jammie Dodgers, Amy's favourite crisps, Melody's favourite biscuits, some little cakes, and of course some steaming chips for his girls. With a grin, the Doctor stole a quick kiss from Rose.

"Ewww," Melody groaned. "Don't be gross. You're not supposed to be gross."

"Is that gross?" Gaia asked. She tilted her head at them. "Then they are always gross. Always."

"My parents are too," Melody agreed with a very put upon sigh.

Then they had to pause for some planning because while it was a great start to bring over the chairs and cushions, they did now have to make some decisions. But the Doctor left that to Rose and Amy, grabbing Rory and tugging him to one of the storerooms to gather up more pillows and blankets.

When they'd returned, there had been some minor alternations. The small table with the snacks had been moved between the shelves and the chair backs. A standing lamp had been made a support post and Rose was stringing some ambient energy lights around the chairs. Almost vibrating with glee, the Doctor hurried forward with the new blankets. Rory chuckled and joined Amy and the girls in deploying pillows and blankets across the floor.

"Ready for the finishing touches!" the Doctor crowed.

Rose laughed, but he hurried to spread more blankets across the top of their fort to finish the job. Two blankets just wouldn't do. Not for four grown children and two mini children. Gaia laughed happily as the blankets settled and the Doctor stepped back as Amy took another photo.

It wasn't elegant exactly. Between the backs of the chairs and the light posts, it had an uneven shape and very uneven in height, but a soft glow illuminated the space under the blankets and the pillowy bottom looked very cosy. More blankets were piled inside and they vibrated with glee.

"Take off your shoes," Rory told Melody as he bent down to untie his. Amy followed suit and Melody hurried to obey.

Deciding it was a decent idea, the Doctor did as Rory suggested and wiggled with toes with a grin at Rose. "Not exactly barefoot on the moon, but not bad."

"Barefoot on the moon?" Gaia asked, tilting her head like a curious little owl.

"You'll hear about that someday," the Doctor promised. "Soon, in fact, I think. You were little and visiting your grandmother. Your mum and I found trouble."

"That's why Gran thinks it's only trouble," Gaia replied seriously.

"Your Gran is very wrong."

"I don't know," Amy teased. "I've met Jackie and I know you; she might have a point."

"My mum doesn't need your help," Rose laughed. Her eyes moved back to the fort. "So, what do you think?"

The Doctor threw an arm around Rose, pulling her closer and looked down at Melody and Gaia who were peering up at him with their big eyes. Evolution had done well giving mammals such big eyes.

"No promises it won't come collapsing down," the Doctor said. "But I think it'll do the trick. And we wouldn't want those snacks getting cold."

That was all it took. The girls piled into the blanket fort, shifting around the cushions, pillows and blankets. It was the largest gathering of soft materials that the Doctor had seen since the Fluff Festival on Pondo IV a few years ago. Melody and Gaia looked very pleased with themselves as they crawled deeper into the fort. The TARDIS lights began to dim, making both girls squeal in excitement.

Rory and Amy walked around the back and climbed in under one of the blankets that made up the back. The multiple entrances were good the Doctor decided as Rose ducked down and followed Gaia inside. The Doctor beamed and hurried in after her, crawling across the soft surface as the lights dimmed further. As was planned, there was a thick layer of soft things around the small table that still had plenty of snacks.

It was an interesting mixture of blanket fort styles. Part of the space was held up by the backs of armchairs and the sofa with the ceiling helped along by the cord Rory had strung. The other side was up against the bookshelf with blankets held in place by small stacks of books. Rather chaotic and just the Doctor's style. Gaia crawled over to him and Rose, squeezing between them as they stretched out on their stomachs.

The Doctor's smile widened impossibly further. He glanced across the table and noted that Melody had taken up a similar position. Amy was lounging on her side and her hand touched her stomach with a soft smile. Everyone was happy. That was good. He liked moments like this. Melody and Gaia, by some silent child telepathic agreement, began to make up little plates for their parents. Gaia wrinkled her nose again but dished up his fish fingers and custard.

"And you still kiss him, Mummy?"

Rose laughed. The Doctor sputtered and started at Gaia. The absolute betrayal! Gaia gave him a small mischievous smile. The little ginger grabbed a cookie and started eating, keeping her blue eyes locked on his. He could hear the others laughing now and shook his head in surrender, huffing softly.

"Somehow, I forgot how cheeky you were at this age."

"It's natural," Gaia said firmly. "Tell us a story, Daddy?"

The Doctor blinked and took a bit of his fish finger after dipping it in custard, pointedly ignoring Gaia's grimace. Everyone was far too amused. He didn't like it and cast his gaze towards Rose. She had that blasted tongue-touched smile and was sharing the steamy chips with Gaia.

"A story, huh?" he said slowly. "Well, how about the story of how I met your aunt Sarah Jane?"

"Oh, yes please!" Gaia's eyes widened and then she smiled. "Will I meet Aunt Sarah Jane when she travels with you?"

"Maybe," the Doctor teased. "I'm not going to spoil the surprise, my little dear."

Gaia couldn't even manage to look annoyed and the Doctor smiled at his sweet and curious daughter. Amy gave him an expectant look and he hurriedly fed himself another fish finger covered in custard before clearing his throat.

"Well, I was in my third body then. You remember him, don't you Gaia? I was investigating a think tank for UNIT and a woman claiming to be a well-known scientist came to speak with me. The problem was that she was far too young."

It wasn't often that Amy and Rory heard about his past selves or past companions and they were listening with great interest along with Melody. Rose was gently braiding Gaia's hair with a soft smile as she listened to the story. She'd heard it before, though from Sarah Jane's perspective. Amy laughed out loud when they ended up facing Sontarans before everything was said and done while Rory just seemed resigned.

After the story and the snacks, the girls scrambled out of the blanket fort and began to run around the library, playing an imagination game. The Doctor listened to them shouting off things that were happening one by one, bringing in some of the elements of the story he'd just told him. Smiling wistfully, the Doctor listened to them play. He almost wished that they could have Gaia at this age meet up with Melody more often, but it wasn't wise. At least they'd have nice memories.

"It's too bad they can't play like this more often," Amy observed, voicing what the Doctor was thinking. "Melody has her friends, but this is special. She can talk about anything with Gaia." Her soft sigh reminded the Doctor of the issues Amy had faced as a child.

"Well she's got a playmate on the way," Rory said gently, smiling at Amy.

The ginger woman beamed at him and kissed his cheek. "Yeah, she does. Still, it's so funny to see Gaia playing with Melody like this. Not just, you know babysitting."

"Wait," Rose cut in. "Gaia babysits for you?"

"Uh, sometimes," Rory said. "It's one of those things that I don't try to analyze for fear of my sanity."

"Plus… a free babysitter is hard to turn down," Amy added. "She just shows up and offers to watch Melody while we go out." Amy's eyes widened and she looked back at the girls. "Do you think this might be why? That she remembers Melody from this?"

"Most likely," the Doctor said. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Comes to see her old playmate." Wistful, he decided. It wasn't safe for Gaia to come here as a child. This visit to the Ponds was pushing things. But he hated the idea that Gaia might have missed Melody that much. Something to talk to her about once her younger self was safely back with old Big Ears. "That seems about right."

"Doctor, she's a happy woman," Rory said. "Says great things about her childhood. I don't think you need to worry or feel bad."

The Doctor was startled. Was it really that obvious? Judging from the looks Rory and Amy were giving him and the softness in Rose's eyes, maybe it was. He held back a sigh and fought his features back into a neutral position. There was no reason to be worrying about it right now.

"Well, you always worry a little," the Doctor said dismissively. "And she didn't have a normal childhood." He gestured between himself and Rose. "Case in point."

"Still, she's a happy girl," Amy said. Then shifted and crawled towards the exit. "Though, they suddenly got quiet. Better check on that."

"Right," Rory agreed. "Though, no screaming yet." He hurried after his wife leaving Rose and the Doctor alone in the blanket fort.

Unlike the Ponds, the Doctor wasn't concerned. Melody and Gaia had probably expanded their game of make-believe into the corridors. The TARDIS wouldn't let them hurt themselves. Still, his mind was running at fast speeds, trying to sort out what to do next. The girls had some energy to burn off, that much was apparent, but maybe they could convince the Ponds to have everyone sleep in their lovely blanket fort.

"Doctor?" Rose called. "Should we follow them?"

"We should have more kids," the Doctor whispered to Rose. The warm cocoon of the blanket fort was more relaxing than he'd anticipated. "Time we had little ones in the TARDIS again."

Rose smiled and turned to peer at him. Her brown eyes studied him carefully. "They're a lot of work," she reminded him. "And when they're young, we have to cut back on adventuring."

"Raising a family with you is an adventure," the Doctor reminded her. Unable (and unwilling) to help himself, the Doctor leaned forward and kissed Rose softly. "Seeing Gaia at this age just reminds me of all the brilliant parts of being a parent. I spent years and years looking forward to her visits, falling in love with her and the idea of being her father someday. Being an actual hands-on, every day of her life sort of father." His smile widened. "Falling in love with the hope that someday I'd have the sort of loving family that humans aspired to. The sort of life that I had never believed I could have. Then I met you and we had her and everything…" He exhaled. A billion languages and no words.

She shifted closer to him, touching her leg to his and the Doctor's smile softened. Releasing a soft sigh, he looked up at the top of the blanket fort, already debating how long the old girl would let it stand. Maybe she'd just adjust rooms and they could have a blanket fort room. He'd never had a room for that in the TARDIS. They'd done blanket forts with Gaia from time to time while she was growing up, of course, but never kept them up for long. In this body, he found that idea more attractive. Having a room where you could go and snuggle up in a blanket fort? Perfection.

"Doctor?"

"I like having her here," the Doctor admitted. "I miss her. I know she's off living her own life and being brilliant. But I miss her. I miss those little daily adventures."

"I do too," Rose said. "I think all parents do." She kissed his jaw. "We can talk about it more once Gaia is back with her parents-"

"We are her parents."

"Our younger selves, then," Rose corrected. He could hear her rolling her eyes. "But... yeah, I'm open to the idea of more children. For now, let's just enjoy this extra time with Gaia."

"Right, then yes, Tyler. We should follow them. Can't have them having adventures without us!"