Recall

By Lumendea

Chapter Twenty: Recalled by the Second I

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material, and I gain no income from this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Hello everyone. As you may have noticed if you're on AO3, I've locked my stories to logged in readers. The AI program Sudowrites is mining AO3 to build its writing system without author consent. While locking likely won't completely stop it, I don't want to make it easier for a company to use my work to build a system to put creatives out of work. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience this may cause you and hopefully we'll see better protections for places like AO3 in the future. I might be removing my work on in the future due to these concerns as there are no extra protections there. If I do, you'll be able to find me under the same username at AO3. Hopefully this situation will be addressed soon.

….

Sometimes the Doctor missed when his TARDIS had been quiet. Silence wasn't the normal environment for who he was now, but there were times when the noise got to be a bit much. While he frequently played his recorder and paced when he needed to think, the Doctor had been used to a rather quiet ship. When he'd first started out, his link with the TARDIS had been weak, and his telepathic abilities rather limited. He hadn't been able to hear her sing and the hums of her moods as he could now back then. His regeneration had changed that tremendously and he found that the TARDIS was never completely silent.

Additionally, Susan had been a rather quiet child. Thoughtful and inclined to listen to her music in her room or read in the library. Barbara and Ian had been similarly inclined, and even when they were debating, they were always mindful of others. Back then, he'd be able to sit in absolute silence. No longer.

Blowing into his recorder, the Doctor went over the theorems needed to prove the latest scientific equation that Zoe was working on. Most of the ones she needed she already knew, but there were a few that wouldn't be created for a few more decades in her time. One of them wouldn't exist for almost another century. He was debating the wisdom in revealing that to Zoe. She wouldn't be impressed and would insist that he show her. Life with Zoe was many things, but quiet wasn't one of them. If she wasn't talking herself through advanced maths, she was practising her combat skills in the gym.

And Jamie wasn't any better. Oh, he adored the lad, he really did, but Jamie was loud practically every waking moment. Probably his sleeping moments, too, if the mumbling the Doctor occasionally heard when Jamie was asleep in his room was anything to go by. The soft notes of the Doctor's recorder filled the air around him as he did his best to organize his thoughts surrounding their latest adventure. They'd all made it out, but both Jamie and Zoe had taken too many risks.

Then a loud shout disturbed the silence or at least the temporary peace that the Doctor had found. It was Jamie, and while the words were muffled, there was a distinct note of panic that brought the Doctor to his feet at once. He felt a gentle push against his telepathic shields but kept them firmly in place. He finally had the control to keep them in place and wasn't going to run the risk of lowering them with something unexpected happening in the TARDIS.

"Doctor, it's a wee lass!' Jamie called. Confusion was apparent in his voice, but the Doctor could also tell that he was trying not to alarm whoever had just appeared. "She just popped into the console room!"

Hurrying down the TARDIS corridor, the Doctor took only a moment to wonder who could have simply appeared in his TARDIS. He had an immediate thought, remembering the last time a little girl had been transported into the TARDIS. There was a slight change in the hum of the TARDIS. It spoke of excitement, not worry that anything was wrong. In the past decade or so, he'd finally built a stronger bond with his borrowed TARDIS, and it was a relief to be able to confirm that at least there wasn't a threat.

As he hoped, the intruder was none other than his dear future daughter. Gaia had grown a little if his memory was holding true. Older than the first time he'd met her. The girl was bundled up for winter weather with a long scarf wrapped around her neck, but he could still see her face. Gaia pushed off her hood, revealing that her long ginger hair was done up in a crown braid. She beamed at him, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Oh, my giddy aunt!" the Doctor cheered. "Gaia! Hello, my little dear!"

"You know her, Doctor?" Zoe asked curiously.

Gaia was grinning at him, a knowing smirk on her face. Kneeling down, the Doctor opened his arms and beamed when the child threw herself into his arms. He was aware of his companions watching in surprise, but he was far too busy basking in the pure affection of his future daughter. This was an action that he hadn't properly indulged in when he first met Gaia. This level of physical touch simply hadn't been something he was very comfortable with. But now, he'd had time to warm up to the idea of having another child in the future. He'd had plenty of quiet moments of missing Gaia despite only knowing her for a short time. Plenty of moments of missing Susan and having regrets.

"Hi, Daddy," Gaia said softly. There was the faintest hint of a tremor in her voice. He wondered how affected she had truly been by his colder response to her last time.

"Oh, it is good to see you." The Doctor drew back and scanned her over quickly with his eyes. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Nope," Gaia answered. She started pulling off her scarf. "Just a bit too hot. We were visiting a winter festival." Gaia gave him an unimpressed look. "You didn't want me getting cold."

"Well, that's understandable," the Doctor chuckled. As… strange as it was to be confronted once more with the reality that he would become a father, he did draw some reassurance from Gaia's good health, happy nature, and hints that he took good care of her. "I doubt either of us would enjoy you being ill."

Then the Doctor became aware of his companions staring at them. Laughing softly, he stepped closer to Gaia and welcomed her into a gentle hug. It was easier to accept the hug in this body. In fact, he found something very reassuring about it. He eased the tight grip he had on his shields. Gaia's warm affection came pouring in through even the small crack he allowed himself. It almost sent him to his knees. Sweet and unconditional. The Doctor swallowed, trying not to let himself get lost in the feeling. Instead, he focused on the tactile side of the hug and tightened his grip on the child for a moment.

"Hi, Daddy," Gaia whispered. Her voice was so soft and gentle that the Doctor was certain she was aware of his mental and emotional struggle. Normally that very idea would be horrifying, but with Gaia… the Doctor thought that it might be alright.

"Hello, my little dear."

The Doctor straightened up and cleared his throat. His emotionally stunting childhood and lingering issues from Gallifrey were not something he was going to address today. Or tomorrow. Not for many years. That would probably fall on the incarnation of him that became Gaia's father. At least he hadn't completely failed to raise Susan into a more emotionally stable person than he was.

Turning his attention to his companions, the Doctor gave them a smile and rested his hand on Gaia's thin shoulder. Even now, she was still so small compared to him and his companions. It was rather easy to understand why he'd create the recall device in the future. Just thinking about it was enough to give him stress. Some of the situations he'd found himself in over the years would be utterly horrifying if any child was present.

"Gaia, this is Jamie McCrimmon, a Jacobite that has been travelling with me for some time. I warn you not to discuss Scotland with him. He's rather passionate about his homeland."

"My praise is much deserved!" Jamie protested. He was beginning to calm down a little.

"And this is Zoe Heriot! Zoe is an astrophysicist who was living on a space wheel in Earth's orbit in the 21st century when I met her." Beaming at Zoe, he added teasingly, "She's very clever, though not as clever as myself or you."

"Doctor, who is she?" Zoe said. Her patience was clearly at a limit, with her curiosity boiling over. Apparently, Gaia had spoken too softly in her greetings to him for them to hear. The Doctor allowed himself a moment to enjoy this.

"Well, Jamie, Zoe, this young lady is Gaia. She is my daughter." Their eyes widened, and the Doctor giggled in glee. Beside him and still holding his hand, Gaia echoed his laugh. "Though she is from my personal future, so do be careful about what you ask her. Gaia was very responsible the last time I saw her, but still, it is important to be a little cautious."

"Your daughter?" Jamie asked. "You sure? The little lassie doesn't look anything like you!"

The Doctor almost pouted at that. But Jamie and Zoe had never seen regeneration, so they had no basis for understanding that he hadn't always looked this way and wouldn't be by the time Gaia came around. He did wonder about the ginger hair. From his memory, the chap who collected Gaia that he would be had very short brown hair. Maybe she'd get it from another incarnation of him. Or perhaps ginger hair was a trait from her other parent's family.

"I'm not human, Jamie," the Doctor reminded his companion. "But I assure you that this is no trick. My species can form a special connection with our offspring. I can feel her up here." The Doctor tapped his temple with his free hand. "She is my child."

"Are you serious, Doctor?" Zoe asked. She was studying Gaia as if the small child was a puzzle now. Better a puzzle than a threat. Then the concern cleared from Zoe's face as curiosity took its place. "What is that like?"

"It's rather difficult to explain, Zoe."

"I don't know anything else," Gaia answered with a shrug. Then she paused and considered the question again. "Though… well, it is rather like having your hand held." The Doctor perked up at the description. "You know that someone is there with you. That someone cares and is staying close."

"That's not a bad way to describe it to someone who isn't telepathic," the Doctor remarked. He rather liked that way of thinking about it. "Yes, I like it. This sort of link is possible among family members. I met Gaia for the first time years ago. You see, due to a piece of technology that she possesses that is linked to the TARDIS, she is teleported back to the TARDIS for her safety, but not always at the right time."

Jamie was staring at Gaia. "What? You raise a wee one on the TARDIS?"

"Of course." Gaia sounded put out by the idea of anything else. "Where else would I grow up but home?"

"Well, it isn't always safe," Zoe pointed out.

"Life isn't safe," Gaia said frankly. She had straightened up and was looking at Jamie with a firm expression that dared him to argue with her. "There are fires, natural disasters, and diseases all across the universe. But the TARDIS keeps me safe from those things."

"Aye," Jamie agreed slowly with a thoughtful nod. "The lass has a point there." The Doctor knew the lad was thinking of his home time, where such things were far from rare. "How old are you?"

"I just turned seven," Gaia answered. "Seven years and three weeks."

Seven, she's been five and a half when he'd first met her. Children were so inclined to grow up even if the Doctor hated it. At least she was at the physical age where she'd better blend in with peers on Gallifrey. That is, if she spent any time on Gallifrey, given his status as an exile. The Doctor quickly put that thought and those questions out of his mind.

"You are certain you aren't hurt, are you, my dear?" the Doctor asked once again. Just thinking about how small and fragile she still was rattled him a touch.

"No." Gaia shook her head. Her response and tone were very patient. The Doctor wondered if she was used to him fussing. "I'm fine. The recall did its job before I was even really threatened."

The Doctor rather doubted that. He was sadly certain that someday Gaia would appear on the TARDIS injured. Thankfully his ship kept slowly improving her facilities with each passing year. Zoe was still studying the girl carefully as if afraid that this was some sort of trick, while Jamie was beaming at her in a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"So, you'll be a father in the future?"

"Clearly, Jamie," the Doctor said drily. "And it won't be the first time. Though I do seem to be doing things a little different with Gaia than my first children."

He ignored Zoe's stare at that one. Jamie had likely heard from Victoria that he had a family. To someone of his time, it was likely much more expected, while Zoe's time had slightly different expectations. It was fascinating how much some aspects of human culture could change within the span of only a few centuries.

"Well, Gaia will be here with us a little while," he continued calmly. Gaia grinned and took his hand. That was very pleasant. He'd warmed up considerably to such acts of physical care in this incarnation. "Likely a day or two."

"That's the usual," Gaia replied with a sage nod.

The Doctor glanced down at her with a smile, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that seeing her again brought forth. The truth was that the Doctor hadn't thought much about Gaia since he last saw her. As it stood, he was certain that she was a long way off into his future, and there was little point in wondering too much about her. Still, as he stood next to the girl with her warm affection bombarding him, it was too easy to embrace the lovely feelings, at least for a little while. She was a little older than he had last seen her and had gained a couple of inches. Still, most certainly a child and too young for the Academy.

This whole set of circumstances would get him into so much trouble with the Time Lords if they knew. Not to mention, if this was truly going to be a regular occurrence, it was going to be a strange thing to live with. He allowed himself a moment to wish that Susan was here. She had been so good with Gaia last time. That thought spurred him on.

"Well, my little dear," the Doctor chuckled. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Gaia agreed with a little smile. "Are you cooking again yet?"

"A bit." Jamie snorted at the Doctor's answer. "But… yes, perhaps we had best go out and find something." Stepping towards the console, the Doctor kept hold of Gaia's warm hand and smiled down at her. "Thoughts?"

Giving him an answering grin, Gaia leaned up on her toes and began to set the coordinates of the TARDIS herself, much to the Doctor's delight.