Recall
By Lumendea
Chapter Fourteen: Recalled by the First 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.
….
It seemed that Susan had decided to take looking after her aunt as her task, not that Gaia seemed in too much need of constant attention. She was bright and completely at ease with the situation. In fact, the Doctor had the distinct sense that the girl was more amused than anything. Still, he was rather grateful that Susan had returned when she had and was so interested in Gaia. It provided him with some space to breathe.
What was he supposed to do with a young child? Despite having had the expected marriage and children on Gallifrey, the Doctor was rather young by Time Lord standards. And caring for young children had not been part of his education. Yes, he'd already had children on Gallifrey, but… well, he hadn't been very good at it and the expectations of raising children didn't seem to align with Gaia's behaviour at all.
Susan led the way to the kitchen, talking with Gaia in vague terms. Thankfully, his granddaughter was keeping in mind the Laws of Time. That was something. The Doctor was turning it all over his head and worrying about the reactions he'd be facing if the Time Lords ever discovered this. Of course, if they learned half of what he'd gotten up to during his flight from Gallifrey with Susan, then they'd surely just destroy him and be done with it.
Then again, Gaia's very existence indicated that things weren't as bad as they might seem. He wasn't willing to make an assumption regarding her creation just yet. No, that was a dangerous idea. Why he would have been used as a genetic parent again was a mystery, but it seemed that it would turn out right. Best keep that in mind, depending on what happened.
"I like to have a snack after school," Susan said in a friendly voice. "Are you hungry? I rather doubt that you arrived at the same time as you left."
"No," Gaia answered. "It was closer to morning when I was transported."
"Does this happen often?"
"Not really. A few times a year is all," Gaia replied. "Daddy has been trying to stay out of trouble a bit more since I was born. At least that's what he says."
Susan cast a glance back his way. The Doctor met it with an innocent look. Really, they'd had a few scrapes before arriving on Earth, but nothing of any magnitude to earn him that expression. Susan giggled and shook her head fondly. The Doctor held back a huff, having the feeling that it would only earn him more teasing.
"I suppose you can't give us any details," Susan said. "That must make for an awkward visit."
"It's not too strange, actually," Gaia replied. "This isn't my first jump even if it is Daddy's. He already knew who I was the first time my transport activated. That made it a lot easier on me." Gaia's voice glowed with affection and the Doctor almost stumbled when the wave of warmth hit the weak telepathic centres of his brain.
He was grateful when they reached the TARDIS kitchen. The Doctor rarely bothered with more than a nutrition bar and something to drink, but Susan was always pushing something from the markets of wherever they had last been at him. She insisted that it was another way to explore the universe. He found it charming in a strange way and indulged her often, but it frequently seemed unnecessary. Except for tea. He'd developed a rather intense fondness for that particular human beverage and ritual.
"Is the TARDIS very different?" Susan asked. She put on a kettle and began pulling cups and other tea makings out of the cabinets.
"From my time, yes," Gaia agreed. She reached out and ran a finger along the wall. The TARDIS hummed in response so loudly that the Doctor heard the ship's pleasure loud and clear. "Her appearance at least. I think as she gets older, she gets more confident in having more distinct appearances." Gaia laughed. "Bit like Dad, I suppose."
"Careful, young lady," the Doctor said.
She wasn't really giving anything away. Regeneration would come one day. That was a fact of being a Time Lord unless he refused to regenerate and now Gaia… well, his knowledge of her made that impossible. He'd have to regenerate in order to maintain the casual loop. It was possible that he might not have regenerated otherwise. He was a Time Lord and knew deep down that he feared that inevitability a little.
"Sorry, Daddy," Gaia answered. She didn't seem that concerned based on her tone. "Yes, she is very different, but also the same. That's not surprising I suppose. Her very nature means that everything is sort of happening to her at once. She knew Daddy, you, and me the moment you first stepped into her. So outside of her appearance and how much she chooses to communicate, I don't think she can change deep down very much."
Susan made a thoughtful sound. "I'd never thought of it like that."
"I grew up in the TARDIS," Gaia said with a hint of smugness and a great deal of affection. She raised a small hand and stoked the wall. "I suppose I think of her more than most."
"You didn't grow up on Gallifrey?" Susan asked in surprise.
The Doctor knew he should stop the questioning, but he was curious. Curious as to if this exile would last. Curious about how this child came about? Would things change greatly in the future and he'd loom a child off of Gallifrey and outside the House structure.
"I don't think I should answer that," Gaia said carefully. She glanced over in his direction and frowned a little. "I… when I was younger, I probably gave something away, but I'm trying to be careful."
"Oh, of course," Susan said quickly. "You're right. I'm sorry, I'll try to contain my curiosity. Though Grandfather would tell you that I'm not very good at that. It's why I'm even attending school in the first place." Susan smiled at Gaia.
"Do you like attending school?" Gaia asked. There was genuine curiosity in her voice and her eyes were bright with interest. "What is it like?"
"It is often a bit dull," Susan admitted. The Doctor perked up at the statement, wondering if he could use it to convince her it was time to move on. "But the learning experience goes beyond the material. It's fascinating to observe the social structure and interactions. It's very different from Gallifrey."
Gaia made a thoughtful noise. "I'd never thought of it that way. I don't attend school. I'm not really interested in it if I'm honest."
"Do you not enjoy learning?" the Doctor asked sharply with a bit of alarm.
"I love learning," Gaia assured him with bright eyes. "I've read a lot of the TARDIS library already and been to hundreds of planets, seen different historical events, taken part in cultural festivals and I help you sometimes with fixing the TARDIS and experiments." She shrugged a little, looking a bit sheepish. "Just… not sure I'd do well in a formal school setting."
The Doctor felt an odd twinge of… something at the expression on her face. Her confidence had temporarily vanished and in its place was the face of a little girl who was afraid of being a disappointment. The Doctor remembered that emotion well. He might not know much about being a good parent even if he was trying with Susan, but he didn't want that expression on her face to remain.
"Formal education isn't the right path for everyone," he said, softening his voice. "I wished to be a Time Lord and travel in a TARDIS so I attended the Academy, but I hated it." He hesitated for a moment, but only a moment. "I disliked the rigid structure of the classes and the set up of the tests. It took me a couple of tries to pass and even then, I barely managed it."
Gaia blinked in surprise. Apparently, he had never told her that. Well, she knew now.
"You're brilliant though, Daddy," Gaia said. "It's hard to imagine you hating school."
"I suppose we have that in common," the Doctor offered. "I enjoy learning and seeing the universe even if the idea of attending conventional school sounds horrible."
Susan chuckled. She was watching him and Gaia with a strange and soft look. He wondered if she'd already picked up on the fact that Gaia didn't seem to know her and realized that with her one Gallifreyan life, she likely wasn't around. Was she happy to see this glimpse of his future or did it make her sad? He was tempted to ask Gaia what Susan's fate would be but knew better.
The kettle whistled, and Susan quickly retrieved it. Smiling at her aunt, she asked, "I should have checked that you like tea."
"I love tea," Gaia assured her.
"Lovely. What else would you like?" Susan asked. "Or do feel free to look around and find something."
"Where are the bananas?" Gaia asked, peering around the room. "Don't you have any?"
"Uh, no," Susan answered.
Gaia looked shocked. "Did you run out?" She started to smile and looked back toward the Doctor. "Did you eat the last one, Daddy?"
"I don't eat bananas," the Doctor said. "I don't bother with such things most days."
Gaia's eyes widened and his mouth went slack with shock. "But- but you love bananas! They're so good! You're always saying so!"
The Doctor was not sure how to deal with this sudden development. On the one hand, the child was telling him about his own future in a blatant violation of the First Law of Time. Though her being here at all was a violation, so this was fairly minor. On the other hand, she truly seemed horrified by the lack of bananas in the TARDIS. He was familiar with the Earth fruit and that it had many varieties that shared its distinct shape and colour, but he'd never bothered trying one before. He hadn't tried many of the fruits, vegetables, and dishes around the galaxy. And it was hardly cause for alarm.
Then Gaia pressed her lips together and nodded, turning back to Susan. "That settles it. We need to find some bananas. Daddy needs to try them. They are his favourite."
"Favourite foods can change in regeneration," Susan pointed out delicately.
"Not bananas. Daddy has said that he's loved them all of his lives. He's just more vocal about it in some of them is all. I'm sure he'll enjoy it."
Gaia, with a look of great determination, opened the various TARDIS cupboards while Susan and the Doctor looked on. There was a faint hum from the TARDIS, a telltale sign she was working to replicate or move something, and then Gaia opened a cupboard and cried out in victory.
"The snack cupboard! Thanks, Old Girl." Gaia patted the wall again and began to pull items out of the cupboard. In her first handful were bananas and a packet of some sort of biscuits. "Proper snacks."
The Doctor looked toward Susan, feeling a small hint of alarm at his future child's great energy. While it did remind him a bit of himself, only a small amount, at that age, his current worn down first body lacked the energy to keep up with her. Susan chuckled and slid a cup of tea across the table to him, made just the way he liked. He wasn't sure he liked Susan's easy acceptance of Gaia after all.
Then his future child handed both him and Susan one of the bright yellow bananas, keeping one for herself. She beamed when Susan asked how she liked her tea and the Doctor studied the banana with some amusement. He looked back at Gaia as she turned her eyes towards him eagerly. A soft chuckle escaped him and he picked up the banana to take a bite. The flavour made him blink in surprise. It was unexpected and quite distinct. Not as sweet as the berry varieties he often ate, but more savoury and very pleasant. He liked it a great deal.
"See!" Gaia cheered in excitement. She picked up her own banana and unpeeled it with great speed. "I told you you'd like it."
"Yes, you were correct," the Doctor agreed. He couldn't help but chuckle at Gaia's enthusiasm. "Well, Gaia, after tea, what do you say to a bit of exploring?"
"Grandfather," Susan huffed. "You promised we would stay here a little longer."
"And so we shall, Susan," he assured his granddaughter. "But primitive planet or not, this is London and I'm sure we can find something interesting."
Gaia giggled, watching him with knowing eyes. He wondered just what part of what he said was so amusing to the girl. Smiling a little, he settled in his chair and focused on eating his banana with his tea. Gaia opened the small package of Jammie Dodgers and slid it to the centre of the table.
"Have you visited Earth before?" Susan asked Gaia.
"Yes," Gaia answered. "In fact, this is Daddy's favourite planet."
"What?" the Doctor coughed. "It is not."
"Not yet," Gaia laughed. "But it will be. You're just getting started in exploring the universe and there's a lot waiting for you to see, but you'll find that Earth is a place you come back to a lot."
"Any particular reason?" He asked before he thought better of it. Granted, he had hidden the Hand of Omega here on Earth, but that was more about the plant's position in the Web of Time than anything as emotional as it being his favourite planet.
Gaia's knowing smile widened, and her blue eyes glittered with amusement and affection. Another wave of her love crashed over him and the Doctor almost melted from the strong emotions. Despite himself, he was already a bit fond of the child. She had a spark to her that he liked, and her confidence and affection made him optimistic about his future.
"I've never asked you that," Gaia admitted. Now she looked a bit quizzical. "But you're fond of the 'apes' from what I understand." Gaia used her hands to make quote marks around the apes. Susan laughed, and the Doctor sighed. "I guess you'll have to wait and find that out. Unless you ask my father when he comes to pick me up."
Oh, she was a cheeky thing. The Doctor felt his lips twitch into a smile despite himself. This Gaia, this future child, had a talent for getting under his skin. She wasn't anything like he would have expected if someone had told him that he'd have another child. Still, it was probably best to get the girls out of the TARDIS for a bit so Gaia could burn off some of that energy.
"When should we expect your father?" the Doctor asked.
"Don't know." Gaia shrugged. "Usually I'm only in the past for a day or so. Don't worry, the TARDIS probably already has a bedroom for me to use. She's usually on top of things like that."
Susan grinned and giggled, her entire face lighting up. He was grateful that she was so fond of Gaia. He wasn't sure what to make of the girl, and the notion of her being here for an entire night was more than a little frightening. Surely, after taking them out for a bit, he could trust Susan to entertain her aunt a little. If he sent a message to his future self, he might be able to speed up when his future self arrived. That would be best for everyone involved. Gaia smirked at him and the Doctor felt a deep sense of foreboding.