By the time Wolvie had gotten to the most interesting part of the story of her first meeting "Captain Jack Harkness", as he was so fond of introducing himself, she'd managed to make everyone at the table laugh, and herself a bit sad. She sat diagonally across, directly in front of the past version of her father, allowing Clara to take the seat in front of him to give herself a buffer. She was here to take the only opportunity she'd ever have to meet her mother, and missing her ex was not a distraction she particularly wanted at the moment.
"No, because here I was thinkin' my teachers were all full of it in school..." Rose laughed, sitting forward. "I mean, to think of an army actually using cats."
"You underestimate how much Egyptians really worshiped and adored them." The Doctor snorted. "I'll take you later, you can see for yourself. It was a brilliant strategy Cambyses II of Persia had- use the felines against them."
"Right, so before I left, I was there with the Time Agency, sort of 'population control' on the poor fury soldiers, had to step in or domestic cats numbers would've been nearly depleted. I didn't really expect to have to almost arrest someone for stealing cats from the battle." Jack laughed, looking fondly at Wolvie, who looked straight ahead at Rosaline.
She'd somehow managed to make her father move over so that she was in between Jack and the Doctor, and it made her mother wonder if she could sense that the man next to her would one day be her beloved 'Papa'.
"You were also relocating them..." She defended, eyes still on her child, who was drawing in crayon on the back of her paper menu. "I was just helping... besides, if everything hadn't gone to rot, it'd be my people stepping in on such things. I had a birthright to be there."
"Your father is a Time Lord, huh?" The Doctor ask, calling her attention. "As in a proper, Academy Graduate 'Time Lord'."
"Yeah," She nodded, actually meeting his eyes. "Yeah he is."
For long, tense moment, the Doctor held her eyes. She could practically feel the gears in his head turning. She knew him better than he could imagine sitting over beside her mother, unknowingly occasionally coloring with his granddaughter.
"You know..." He pondered aloud in Gallifreyan, as if a challenge to her. She stiffened as he spoke, not knowing exactly what was coming next. She kicked herself for not asking more questions of her father before leaving.
"You express of High Gallifreyan?!" Lanie was suddenly no longer interested in her coloring, or her father's presence. She turned completely to the Doctor, her large blue eyes shining up at him.
"And you, little one!?" He laughed, a look of absolute surprise and joy on his face. He looked across to Louve, who wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what. She could tell the humans at the table were all quite lost at what was happening as they spoke. "I genuinely thought I'd never hear my own language again."
"My papa tells me stories of the land of orange skies." She replied eagerly. "And I can even write my name!"
The Doctor took a crayon from the table and turned the paper she'd been drawing on around so that the top portion, which she'd not filled in yet, was closer to her.
"Show me?" He grinned again, eagerly watching as Rosaline, who was now so focused she'd stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentrated on trying very hard to make her circles perfect. Everyone else at the table also seemed invested, while also being utterly confused. After a couple moments, she proudly held up the page for the Doctor to see better.
"What's happening?" Rose leaned behind the Doctor to Jack, who leaned back.
"They're speaking Gallifreyan." Jack explained.
"It sounds almost like..."
"Music." Clara finished Rose's thought when she seemed to get stuck.
"You are fantastic, Miss Lanie!" He beamed. "Mind if I keep this?"
"You keep it, yeah!" She agreed, excited that someone else knew their words. Before, her grandfather would tell her stories in Gallifreyan, and he'd explained that not many people knew it anymore, so it was very important to him that she know it, too. Her 'heritage' he'd tell her, so in her little mind, she was quite proud to show it off.
"That was... Surreal." Clara said after a moment to break the silence that had fallen, before sipping at her drink.
"I've never heard anything so beautiful in my entire life." Rose said quietly. She looked almost emotional as she watched the Doctor and his new little friend.
Their waitress came and brought their food, and Louve took the distraction as a moment to excuse herself to the restroom.
She took out her cellphone and scrolled through her 'favorites' contact list, hitting send on her father's TARDIS console number, knowing his cellphone was more than likely lost somewhere he may or may not ever see again. The console phone, however, also rang in the library, galley, bedrooms... She'd find him somewhere if he was on his ship.
'Pick up' She breathed, tapping her foot 'Pick up pick up pickup...'
"Freak you out, did I?" He answered, amused. "I have to tell you, as proud as I am of Lanie's progress learning, when I look back on that knowing she's mine now- She's so impressive. Like I know you know that, but it's not just because she's my grandaugh-"
"Hello is usually a good place to start, Dad." She interrupted.
"Sorry, right. Hello Darling." He snorted back at his very obviously annoyed child. "Sorry. Really."
"Do you... you know, this you... Know who I am?" She pressed, nervously. "Do you figure it out?"
"No." His voice was suddenly serious. "No, I had my suspicions, but then everything happened with your mum and I thought 'Well, couldn't have been, because I've lost her, but Jack is still talking about you, so obviously your timeline wasn't erased', wasn't until you were born I understood."
"Okay." She breathed, relieved. "Because for a minute there, I really thought you were about to lay out an accusation."
"Oh I had planned to. Lanie saved your skin there." He laughed. "Brilliant child. Fantastic, even."
"You're biased." She replied, and the Doctor knew without having to see her that she'd rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone.
"Go on, quite hiding in the toilet and ask your mum questions- invite her to that God-awful musical... Be careful, but go for it." He encouraged her. "If the opportunity comes, give her a kiss for me, too."
"Just her, or Clara, too?" She smiled as she teased him.
"Bye Wolvie." He said, quickly clicking off the phone, making her laugh harder.
Taking the time away she had, Wolvie took a moment and stood before the mirror. She'd made sure to do both her hair and makeup in a way that was different than any picture her father had of Rose Tyler, to keep resemblance down to a minimum. She gripped at the sink, her hearts beating in her ears. She jumped when the door to the ladies room opened behind her, and her mother walked in.
"You alright?" She ask gently. "Seemed kind of... I dunno."
"I've never listened to anyone other than my family speak our language." She gave as a false explanation, but Rose shook her head.
"No, even before that." She replied. "You seem upset, really. Like you're hiding it from the little one well, but I had a single mother, I grew up and eventually understood that 'secret sad' look."
"Yikes. Read me like a book, why don't you?" Wolvie laughed nervously.
"I bet 's Jack, innit?" She said, crossing her arms, giving an annoyed look over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I should've known asking something about how you'd met to a couple who isn't together would be."
"Oh, no, its okay." Wolvie promised. "Jack is just... He's just him. Doubt he'll ever change, but for Lanie, I can put up with whatever."
"Lanie is brilliant, by the way." Rose added, "Just so adorable. Have to watch the Doctor with her, he may slip her in his pocket."
"I'm sure I'd get her back eventually." She laughed at her own joke, and Rose did too, not quite fully understanding just what she'd meant. "Listen, Rose... I have another ticket to this show this evening. I don't know if you three have plans or anything, but if you need a break from testosterone, ya know... We'd love for you to come."
"You know," Rose grinned, "I'd love some girls time."
The queue to get into the theater was a perfect opportunity to just talk, and where Louve could ask questions (often backed up or even asked by Clara, who she'd leaned heavily on to emotionally get through the event) and they'd nearly made it to the door after a good hour of waiting in the shade of the awning outside. They'd navigated asking Rose about herself, how she met the Doctor, why she'd chose to go with him... Louve didn't allow herself to ask Rose what sort of relationship it was or anything that could lead to an answer she didn't want to hear. They kept the conversation light and fun until Rose stopped them for a moment.
"So, I hate to ask like this..." Rose paused. "But I'm not like... like this isn't Jack's ticket, is it?"
"Goodness no." Clara answered through a laugh as Wolvie laughed too hard to answer.
"No, sorry." Wolvie said, trying to catch her breath. "No, it was my older sister's. Jenny. She'd sent me a message the other day that she wouldn't make it, before Jack even reached out. I'm glad you decided to come with us."
"Glad you ask." Rose smiled. "Jack and the Doctor go 'round and 'round sometimes. But they're like... best mates also? I dunno but 's like, they drive me insane sometimes."
"You should see him with my dad-" suddenly Louve's attention snapped away from the conversation, seeing that Rosaline had wandered too far away and was attempting to balance on a statue of a girl and dog that was along the sidewalk. "Rosaline Melody Thane!" She screamed, stepping away from her spot in line.
Rosaline looked over to her mother and grinned, before she jumped from the back of the dog and landed on the sidewalk with a huff.
'Thane?' Rose mouthed at Clara.
"Oh that's..." Clara looked over at Louve, who was still distracted trying to get control over the younger blonde, "That's Jack's real last name."
"Like I was ever going to name her 'Harkness'," Wolvie said, as she came back to her place, her daughter's hand held tightly in her own. "Its stolen. He may use it exclusively now, but its not his to give to her."
"Stolen?" Rose pressed.
"Jack Harkness is an alias her stole. From a man he sort of briefly dated." Wolvie laughed. "Poor bloke was killed in one of the world wars, I can't remember which. Jack stole his name."
"I'm sorry- What?" Rose looked both scandalized and wildly entertained.
"Sorry, that was unfair. He was 'given' the alias to use by the Time Agency, and he used his vortex manipulator to go back and meet the real one when curiosity got the better of him. But- he landed like, two days before the poor bloke bit it. But, he's Jack. So he, being him, took the real Jack out to dinner, and even ended up kissing him goodnight. He says he has kept it because it sounds more 'swashbuckling' than his real name."
"Which is?" Rose pleaded. "Come on, I need the leverage."
"Javic." Louve replied, not needing any persuading.
"He's insane." Clara snorted. "Javic Thane is a much cooler name than Jack Harkness. Sounds like an action hero from an old novel."
"He's American." Louve reminded them, rolling her eyes again.
As they continued to discuss the topic of Jack and his name, they made their way into the building. Rosaline was bouncing once again with excitement, dragging her mother to the souvenir stand, as Clara explained the plot of the musical to Rose, who had not heard of 'Wicked', but had seen 'The Wizard of Oz', and was thus excited about the show. They eventually made their way inside, and Clara made it a point to make sure Rose and Louve were seated together, putting herself on the end, and Rosaline between them.
She hoped it would be just the memory her friend needed with her mother.
The night outside the theater after the show was cold and windy.
As the crowd poured from the theater, there was not nearly the same order that there had been as they entered, and though they'd tried to stay together, somehow for a second, Clara had gotten separated from the others. She'd been holding one of Rosaline's hands, Louve the other one, and when she was knocked away she hoped Rosaline had just stayed attached to her mother.
The crowd was loud and pushy, and no amount of looking or calling out was helping Clara find her friends. She had no way of knowing that Wolvie and Rosaline had also been knocked, and that her mother was also hoping Clara had her daughter, losing her in the confusion. She and Rose both called to her desperately, but no one in the chaos seemed to notice them.
Louve and Rose had stopped moving, each searching the crowd for the little girl's blonde curls, Louve getting more upset and scared by the second. As the crowd thinned, Clara caught sight of them and came over, her face paling as she didn't see her godchild with them.
"I-" She gasped, grabbing Clara, "I can't find her- I can't-" Panic had set in so badly that the young mother was nearly catatonic, gasping for air as hot tears poured down her face. She'd doubled over, hands on her knees, trying to gather herself, with no avail.
The wheeze of a TARDIS materializing behind them caused all three women to turn as the time machine landed on the street, not caring who saw. The blue police box took up half of the walkway, and people around seemed confused by its presence. Rose stepped forward, prepared to go in and let Jack and the Doctor know what had happened when a man she didn't recognize stepped out. He wore a pair of plaid trousers and Doc Martin boots, a t-shirt and hoodie under a suit jacket, and sunglasses. He took the glasses off as he stepped onto the pavement and made his way over to Louve, pulling her up and into his chest.
Rose stepped back and looked at the two, now even more confused as the older Scottish gentlemen tried to soothe her distraught new friend.
He fit the description of Wolvie's father that Jack had given to her and the Doctor exactly. Unique but fashionable outfit, Jack had described him as a 'Old 'Silver Fox' of a rockstar' when he'd told them about him. She heard him say something about 'feeling the timeline shift', and he was promising to find Rosaline. Vowing to, more accurately. Clara stood by, quiet, unsure of that to do.
Then Rose's eyes traveled back to the TARDIS.
Back again to the man who was trying to clearly trying to comfort his own child. Offering promises that he would get his granddaughter back, no matter what.
Her mind rang with Jack's words. "He knew me, and has for a while... I don't know him, yet."
Reality clicked into place so suddenly, Rose gasp a little and covered her mouth, her head spinning. She could hear the sound of boots running behind her, but couldn't tear her eyes away. Jack came sprinting past her so fast her hair blew, yet she felt like everything was in slow motion. He came over to Clara to find out what was happening
Rose felt sick.
Her head was having trouble making sense of what she now knew, so Rose quietly backed up until she felt the brick of the building against her spine and she closed her eyes and allowed herself to completely lean on it.
Hot tears poured down Rose's face, and she finally opened her eyes to see the Doctor talking with Jack, Louve and her father.
The Doctor and the Doctor talking, she tried to rationalize, assuming this is what the result of 'regeneration' was. A new face, a new body. He'd tried to explain it to her once before, telling her how he'd lived so long.
It all started to make sense.
This was her daughter. Her granddaughter.
And her granddaughter was missing.
Thanks for reading! A mystery is on the way!
Please be sure to follow for updates!
And please do review! Especially if you're enjoying the story, I love to hear from you!