A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR
Chapter Seven "Hello, I'm the Doctor," he said to River while they stepped into the lift. Everyone introduced themselves to her and she nodded her hello to them. When Mara told her name to her, River laid her hand on her shoulder and said hello to her. The Doctor pressed the button for floor 15 and River gasped with surprise. "You're on floor 15, so am I," she said to them. "I hate to be forward but do you mind if I hang out with you from time to time. I'm here by myself." "Yourself? This is mainly for parents and families," the Doctor. "Yes, well…I didn't know that when I booked a room. Luckily they understood once I explained and let me stay here anyway," River said. "I don't mean hang out with you all the time but I enjoy meeting new people. Working in tombs with the dead gets to be boring since they don't talk back." "Aunt Donna and me might go get some ice cream and use some of these coupons, you could come with us," Mara said. "Is that okay with you, Donna?" the Doctor said. "It's alright with me, I enjoy meeting new people as well and we could use the company," Donna said. "Do you want to go ahead and go?" Rose said to Mara. "We need to speak to Jack, Ianto and Gwen and you can take Melody if you want in her papoose thing. I trust you and Donna enough to take care of her." "Do you want to?" Mara asked River. "Sure, I have nothing to do at the moment. I'd love to go. Just let me go to my room and get my coupon book and I'll meet you at your room," River said. The lift doors opened and River hurried to her room while the other people went to the Doctor and Rose's room. When they went inside, Rose went into the nursery to check Melody's diaper after asking Mara to get the papoose. Jack, Gwen and Ianto watched while Rose quickly changed Melody's diaper and put her into the papoose. "Where did you get that thing?" Jack said, watching while Rose folded the first flap and tied it. Rose nodded her head at the Doctor. "The TARDIS supplied it. I thought it would be better for Melly to be snug and Rose could have her hands free. The Indians used to carry their children this way." Rose finished with the papoose and made sure her daughter was secure before putting it on Melody's back. She adjusted to straps around her arms and kissed Mara's forehead. "Have fun and be careful. You have your mobile?" Rose asked Mara. "Yes," Mara said, pointing to the pocket of her blue jeans. "Use it if you need us, yeah? I want you to be safe." "I will, Mummy." Rose kissed her and walked around the back and kissed Melody who was watching her quietly. She grabbed her coupon book and she and Donna walked to the front door. "Don't destroy everything in sight and have fun," the Doctor said. "We won't destroy everything, Dad, that's you that does that." "Me? I've never done a thing like that in me life!" the Doctor said. "I'm the very picture of innocence." "Gee, it amazes me you can say that with a straight face." "Be quiet, Harkness," the Doctor said while Rose snickered. Once Donna and Mara were gone. Everyone moved into the main bedroom. The Doctor looked in the minifridge and pulled out several cans of pop. Jack, Gwen, Ianto and Rose sat down at the table while the Doctor sat down on the bed facing them. "There's something we neglected to tell you, about the baby," the Doctor said. He explained about Melody glowing and Jack gave him a horrified look when he mentioned his suspicions about Bad Wolf. "You mean Melody might have the power to become a god?" Jack said. "Dunno, it wasn't harming her though, her body was just glowing, don't know what that means to be frank." "What is the Bad Wolf?" Gwen said. The Doctor explained about the Bad Wolf. Gwen and Ianto looked at Jack when he told them about Rose making Jack immortal. "That's how it happened?" Gwen said. "You never told them?" the Doctor said to Jack. "I told them I was immortal but I never mentioned Rose. I was trying to protect her and besides, they'd never met her and I thought she was lost at the time so I didn't think it was worth mentioning." "Do you remember becoming this Bad Wolf?" Ianto asked Rose. "No, everything I know is because the Doctor told me. I have no idea what I did and I never would have brought Jack back to life if it meant forever." "Aw, don't worry about it, I'd rather be alive and see your beautiful face than be dead," Jack said while Rose blushed at that. "But there's been no other…incidents since then?" "Not to my knowledge," the Doctor said. "But think what'll happen if my other self learns my child might have the Bad Wolf inside her." "Shit, as if the maniac isn't hell-bent already on coming after you," Jack said, shaking his head. "But you know me, Rose, I will do everything in my power to keep you and the children safe even if it means sacrificing myself." "Thank you," Rose said. "It's not me I'm concerned about, just Melody and Mara, I don't want them harmed, especially since Mara used to be that bastard's sex slave." "What?" Gwen said. "He raped her?" The Doctor's jaw clenched while Rose nodded sadly. "How old is she?" Gwen asked. "Thirteen." "Oh, Jesus," Gwen said, feeling sick to her stomach. "Is she alright? How is she dealing with it?" "Pretty well," the Doctor said. "We told her that we're always here for her and she can come to us if she needs to talk. I did take out a large part of what he did to her from her memories, what I could take out without disrupting other memories anyway, so she isn't as traumatized as she could be. But Rose and I are trying to allow her to be a kid since she never had much of a childhood. Her people trained early to be warriors so that and the sex slave thing didn't allow her to just be a kid. I'm glad that she wants to do things like go get ice cream and explore the resort with Donna. That's what I want her to keep doing so she can grow into a well adjusted young woman." "Which is why we need to make sure this double of yours never gets near her or the baby," Ianto said. "Exactly. And for the moment, don't mention the Bad Wolf thing to Mara. I don't want her to worry about her sister. Donna doesn't know about it but we can tell her privately but until we know for sure what's happening to Melody, I'd rather Mara not know about it." Everyone nodded. Rose looked at her pocket when her mobile rang and she stood up, fishing it out of her pocket. "Hello?" she said, sitting back down. "Mara, is something wrong? You what? Oh. Hmm, I had no idea that was in there, that's nice of them to do that." "What is it?" the Doctor said. "One of the coupons is for a free embroidery kit and she wants to get one and make something for me." "Oh yeah, she was telling me about that," the Doctor said. "Really? They have a coupon for that?" Jack said. "Yeah, why? You do embroidery?" the Doctor asked him. "I've mended my own clothes before but that's not the same thing, I guess," Jack said. "Well, pick whatever you want, love, whatever you make for me is fine. I'm not picky about what the design is," Rose said, speaking to Mara. "Huh? Wait a tic, love." She lowered the mobile. "Donna has another coupon and she wants to get a kit for you. What do you want for a design?" Rose asked the Doctor. "A Snaffdoodle." "Seriously, Doctor," Rose said while Jack sniggered. "I am being serious. I like Snaffdoodles," the Doctor said. "He says he likes bunnies," Rose said to Mara. "I did not!" the Doctor said while Jack, Gwen and Ianto laughed. "Give me that!" "Dad wants to bark at you now," Rose said. "Bark?" the Doctor said while Jack laughed harder. "Honestly, Rose, you confound me sometimes. Bow wow, Mara, arf arf," he said to Mara while everyone else giggled. "Woof woof woof, meow, oh sorry, spoke a foreign language for a moment there. What'd ya want? Well, I told Rose to tell you I want a Snaffdoodle and she said bunnies, she must have a hearing problem…" "Let me," Jack said, taking it out of his hand. "Oi," the Doctor said while Jack put the mobile to his ear. "Look, your daddy is weird," Jack said. "Get him a doggy with a big red bow and if he doesn't like it, I'll smack him over the head with it when you're done. Okay?" "Ha ha, Jack," the Doctor said, dryly. Jack held out the phone and Rose took it. "Just get whatever you want to make us, love, we'll both be happy with it," Rose said. "And be careful, yeah? Be back here later for supper. I'll talk to you later. Bye." "I wanted a Snaffdoodle, no one ever listens to me," the Doctor said, sulking. Gwen looked at Jack. "He's over 900 years old?" she said while Jack giggled and nodded.
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