PARENTHOOD
Chapter Six "Now where are we going again?" David asked as he held Little David is his arms and Adam's legs stuck out from under the console. He had gone back to his universe to get his best friend and was surprised that he wanted to come with him for a ride in his TARDIS. "It's a surprise," Adam said when he slid out from under the console and stood up. He took his four month old son from David as David sat on the jump seat and Adam leaned against the console. "I still can't believe that this is real," David said as he looked at the rotor moving up and down and Adam smiled at him. "Care to do the honors?" he asked while David got up and walked to the console. Adam held Little David against his chest while he watched David moving around the console and David flipped switches, turned buttons and flipped levers until he placed his hand on the main hand break and looked at Adam. "Um, can I ask you something?" David asked with a sigh to his voice and Adam nodded. "What is it like?" "What is what like?" "What is it like to be a dad? See, I thought I'd be a father by now. My dad had three kids by the time he was my age." "Well, it's not all fun and games. There are the sleepless night, the tantrums, the fights and other stuff." "I know that but you seem to be enjoying yourself." "I am now. You should have seen me before he was born," Adam asked as he rocked Little David in his arms and his son softly cooed. "Oh, come off it, you weren't that bad," David said with a smile and Adam smiled back. "That's because I have you for a best friend." "I thought your best friend was Alan." "Did someone mention me?" Alan said as he strolled inside the TARDIS and held Christopher in his arms. "I thought I locked the doors," Adam said when Alan snapped his fingers and the doors closed. "Oh, sure, show off in front of David." "Ok, I will!" Alan said when he handed Christopher to David then stood on his hands and walked around the room. "Bet you can't do that!" "I can so!" Adam said when he handed Little David to David, who grunted, then stood on his hands and walked toward Alan. "Don't look at me, Guys, they're YOUR fathers!" David said as he looked at the babies and both of them cooed at him. Alan and Adam walked on their hands while David smiled when they lowered their legs and stood up. Walking to David, they took their sons then held them and David clapped his hands. "You two are bloody bonkers." "No cussing in front of my son!" Alan said. "Yes, no swearing in front of your godson," Adam said and David pouted, giving them sad puppy eyes. "Sorry," David said then sniffed and Alan looked at Adam, arching an eyebrow. "Are you sure he isn't related to us?" Alan said as they laughed and David walked to the main hand break. Placing his hand on the main hand break, David moved it down when the rotor moved up and down and the TARDIS hummed around them. "Where are we going?" Alan asked while rocking Christopher and David sat down on the jump seat. "Like I told him, it's a surprise," Adam said when the rotor stopped moving and the TARDIS made a soft thump when it landed. They looked at him when Adam placed his son in David's arms and walked up the ramp, vanishing into the wardrobe room. He came out a few minutes later with five colored robes and a wicker basket and walked to the console, placing the wicker basket down on the grating. "Here, put these on." Taking Christopher from Alan, he handed Alan a yellow cotton robe with rune symbols on it and Alan looked at it, holding it out in front of his body. "Not exactly my color," Alan said and Adam rolled his eyes. "Just put it on. Oh, take your shoes and socks off," Adam said as Alan nodded, kicked his converse sneakers off, took off his socks, and stuffed his socks into his converse sneakers. Sliding his arms into the sleeves then placing the robe over his head, Alan watched the robe float around his body when he looked at Adam and Adam smiled. Handing Christopher to Alan, he picked up Little David while David took his converse sneakers and socks off then stood up and Adam smiled. Adam handed him the blue cotton robe as David placed his arms into the sleeves and placed the robe over his head. David adjusted the robe when he took Little David from Adam and Adam took off his converse sneakers and socks. "Blimey, the floor's cold!" "Yeah, we noticed," David teased as they laughed and Adam placed the white cotton robe on. Kneeling down on the floor, Adam opened the wicker basket when he held his hands out and wiggled his fingers at David. Taking Little David from him, Adam dressed Little David in a white cotton robe then placed him into the wicker basket and looked at Alan. "Gimme," he said as Alan handed Christopher to him and Adam dressed Christopher in a white cotton robe and placed Christopher into the wicker basket. Standing up, Adam lifted the wicker basket off the floor as he nodded and they headed for the doors. Snapping his fingers, they watched the doors open as they walked outside and David's eyes went wide. "Blimey," David said as Adam turned then closed and locked the door and slid his arm into the sleeve, placing the TARDIS key into his pocket. "Where are we?" Alan asked as he looked around and Adam smiled. Spreading out around them were large trees with thick green leaves and long vines, lush green grass and a wide variety of large flowers and mushrooms. Birdsong floated in the air around them while large clouds floated lazily across the violet sky and the sunlight shimmered on the leaves. "Welcome to Lanvalli III," Adam said as he picked up the wicker basket and walked toward the path. Alan and David half jogged after him as they looked at the large leaves bobbing in the soft wind and small insects buzzed around them. "Don't worry. They're harmless." "This is amazing!" David said while looking at some glowing moss on some of the trees and Alan nodded, looking up at the trees. "This put Avatar to shame," Alan said while Adam gently swung the wicker basket back and forth and the babies cooed. "Yeah, it does," Adam said. "Are we in my universe or yours?" "This is my universe," Adam said when he smiled and Alan looked at him with a confused look on his face. "Ok, Brother, what's with the face? Is there something you're not saying?" "Well, you know that my brother told me not to go to dangerous planets, right?" "Yeah, I remember him saying that." "Well, the protocol program shorted out once and..." "What did you do?" Alan asked when Adam stopped and held his hand up. Alan and David moved closer when Adam handed the wicker basket to David and parted the large blades of grass. Both David and Alan were stunned when they walked into the large glade and the babies looked around with wide eyes. "Blimey!" Alan and David whispered while looking around and the sound of soft music filled the air. Rope bridges connected one branch of the trees to the other while wooden huts sat on platform and skin sacks filled with glowing bugs hung outside the doors to the huts. At the center of the glade was a large wooden hut with skulls of animals on pointed sticks encircled the hut and a trail of smoke rolled out of the hole in the roof. Smaller huts stood near the trees and some of them were selling fruits or dried meats and a medium size stone hut echoed with the sound of metal being pounded. The people moving about the village were humanoid and looked like felines. Some of them had orange fur with black stripes and yellow eyes and white fur spread down their throats, chests and stomachs. White fur also covered their hands and feet and some had white fur on the tips of their long tails. Others had tan fur and black hair that ended at the top of their hips and amber eyes and the males had tufts of black hair at the end of their tails. There were a few with white fur with black stripes and blue eyes and others had jet black fur and yellow eyes. All of the people were lean and muscular and wore cloth loin cloths or dresses and the males wore metal bands around their biceps. "This way," Adam said when he picked up the wicker basket and they headed toward one of the smaller huts. Alan and David noticed the most of the people carried their babies in wicker baskets as Alan looked into one wicker basket that had three babies in it and smiled. Adam gently tugged on his arm as he shook his head and Alan blinked. "Don't do that." "Why?" Alan asked. "They don't trust outsider." "Then why aren't they attacking us?" David asked. "It's because you look like A'da'm," a low growling voice said as Adam smiled and a large figure walked closer. His fur was so black that the sunlight didn't shimmer on it like it did on the others and a large scar ran up his right cheek up to the top of his head. His pointy ears twitched as he titled his head to tone side and the tips of two fangs stuck out from his upper lip. "Greetings, M'nan'do," Adam said as he handed the wicker basket to David then pressed his hands together and bowed. M'nan'do did the same then looked at Alan and David and David placed the wicker basket down between his feet and pressed his hands together, bowing. Alan did the same while M'nan'do smiled and ruffled Alan's hair. "Why are you here?" M'nan'do asked while he looked at Adam then looked at the wicker basket and the babies looked up at him. "Are these cubs yours?" "One of them is mine and one of them is his," Adam said as he pointed to Alan and Alan puffed his chest out. "Yep, mine is this handsome one," he said as he picked Christopher out of the wicker basket and M'nan'do looked at Adam. "Is this the brain ill one?" he whispered and Alan's eyes went wide. "What have you been telling them?" he demanded and Adam laughed. "That I have a very strange family," he said and Alan frowned. "And this is my friend, David." "Greetings, Da'vi'd," M'nan'do said as David nodded and smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, what are your people called?" David asked. "We are the Fe'na'li," M'nan'do said then looked at Adam. "Are you here for Za'mar'ath?" "Yes, we are," Adam said when M'nan'do looked at Little David and picked him out of the basket. He held him away from his body as he looked him over then sniffed the top of Little David's head and smiled. "He is ready," he said, handing Little David to Adam then looked at Alan and Christopher. "May I hold him?" "Sure," Alan said when he handed Christopher to him and M'nan'do held Christopher in his hands and looked him over. Christopher giggled while M'nan'do sniffed the top of his head and rolled his eyes. "Yes, he is ready but is like his father. A little brain ill," M'nan'do teased then winked at Alan and Alan laughed, taking Christopher from him. "Now, come, we must talk with Ka'ran'i." "Who is he talking about?" David whispered as they walked by the huts then stopped in front of a tree and David looked the thick vine dangling from the branch above them. "Don't tell me that we have to climb up." "Nope," Adam said then he tugged gently on the vine and it encircled his waist. He held on to the wicker basket as the vine lifted him up to the platform while M'nan'do followed him and David looked at Alan. Shrugging, the gently tugged on the vines as the vines encircled their waists and they rose into the air. Their cheering echoed through the air as Adam laughed then shook his head and they walked along the platform, across a rope bridge and headed for a small hut. Smoke trickled out of the hole in the roof as they walked to the doorway and M'nan'do pushed the skin curtain back. "Wow," Alan whispered as they walked inside the hut and peered into the darkness. Bits of sunlight trickled down from the holes in the roof while something sat on a straw mat at the center of the hut and Adam placed the wicker basket down, kneeling on the floor. Nodding, he patted the floor as Alan and David knelt down and Adam bowed his head. Following him, Alan and David looked at the floor when something moved closer and moved fingers through their hair. "A'da'm, it is good to smell you again," a soft female voice purred and Adam smiled, lifting his head. Sitting in front of them was a tall female and her gray fur was matted and a film covered her green eyes. She was wearing a tattered blue robe and a skull of a small bird hung on a cord around her neck. "Ka'ran'i, it is good to smell you as well," he said as she took his hand and rubbed his fingers against her cheek. "Who is with you?" "This is my brother, Alan." Adam said as he placed Alan's hand in hers and she sniffed the back of Alan's hand, smiling. "Ah, the brain ill one," she teased and Alan glared at Adam. "Just wait until we get home," he growled and Adam yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "And this is my friend, David," Adam said as he placed David's hand in hers and she smelt the back of his hand. "The one that can make women melt just by talking," she purred as he blushed and she stroked her hand against her cheek. "Oh, nice, you make him sound like Casanova and I'm a loony," Alan sighed when Ka'ran'i tapped the tip of her claw against the tip of his nose and smiled. "Lighten your heart. I am teasing. If both of you look like A'da'm then you are very handsome," she said. "Wait, you know what he looks like?" David asked. "Oh, yes, I..." she said when she heard the babies cooing and sniffed the air. "Where did these cubs come from?" "One of them is mine and one of them is Alan's," Adam said as he lifted the babies out of the wicker basket and placed them in her lap. Little David and Christopher looked at her then smiled as they gently pulled on her gray hair and she smiled. She nuzzled the top of their heads then looked at Adam and held the babies against her chest. "Are they here for Za'mar'ath?" "Yes," Adam said when she licked the top of the babies' heads and Alan scrunched his face. "We will do it this evening," she said then handed the babies back to Alan and Adam and they placed the babies back into the wicker basket. After saying their goodbyes, they left the hut and used the vines to get down from the tree and M'nan'do let them stay at his hut so they could rest. "Ok, spill, how did you meet them?" Alan asked as he went to lie down on a straw mat and Adam laid the babies in a skin hammock, covering them with a cotton blanket. "We found the planet by accident when Jamie was three months old. They were being attacked by slavers and I saved them," Adam said as David rested on the straw mat to his left and the babies drifted off to sleep. "And how did you do that?" "It's simple really. I told them that I worked for the Shadow Proclamation and would set the Judoon on them if they didn't bugger off," Adam said with a grin and David and Alan looked at him with a stunned look on their faces. "There's a Shadow Proclamation in this universe?" Alan asked. "I guess. Never met them myself," Adam said as he shrugged and they laughed. "How did Ka'ran'i go blind?" David asked. "I think she was born that way. Her mother was the medicine woman of the village and she took over the job when the slavers killed her mother. She was just trying to save her from being taken. If I was just a few seconds faster..." Adam sighed and they nodded. "What is Za'mar'ath?" Alan asked. "It's a naming ceremony." "Shouldn't Marion be here then?" "Nope," Adam said when David sat up and scratched the back of his neck. "I get it. When it's a male, the father does the naming and, for a female, the mother does it," he said and Adam nodded. "Give that man a TARDIS!" Adam said and they laughed. Lying down, they closed their eyes as they drifted off to sleep and the sound of soft music filled the air. The sky was dark while the glowing moss twinkled on the trees and the sounds of drums filled the night air. A large fire crackled in the fire circle as Adam, Alan and David stood near the fire circle and Adam and Alan held onto the babies. The drums grew louder while M'nan'do led Ka'ran'i toward them and she held onto a large wooden cane. Bells jingled in the night air as the drums grew louder then stopped and Ka'ran'i turned, facing those gathered around them. "Gather all and listen as we name four who wish to become one with us," she said as Alan looked at Adam and blinked. "Four?" he thought. "You, David and the babies," Adam thought and Alan's mouth dropped open. "I think I'm going to cry." "Don't. They might think you're rejecting them," Adam thought and Alan slightly nodded his head. Ka'ran'i slowly walked to David when she took his hands and he looked into her eyes. "Da'vi'd, do you wish to join us?" she asked as he blinked then looked at Adam. Smiling, Adam nodded as David looked at Ka'ran'i and gently squeezed her fingers. "Yes, I would be honored," he said as she let go of his fingers and removed a cord from her neck. At the end of the cord was a clear crystal and he helped her placed the cord around his neck. She nuzzled his nose as he smiled and she smiled back. Walking to Alan, she gently took Christopher in her arms then nuzzled the top of his head and held her over her head. Turning, she showed Christopher to the others as he blinked and wiggled in her hands. "What is his name?" she asked, looking back at Alan. "His name is Christopher," Alan said and she nodded. "Behold Chri'sto'pher! We pledge to guide and raise him in our ways!" she said as the others lightly growled and Christopher giggled. Placing him in her arm, Ka'ran'i removed a small cord with a clear crystal on the end from a pouch on her robe belt and slid it around his neck. She softly licked his forehead as he wiggled in her arm then handed him to Alan and Alan smiled. "Now, A'la'n, do you wish to join us?" "Yes, I would be honored," he said and she removed the cord with a clear crystal on the end around her neck. He helped her placed the cord around his neck when she nuzzled his nose then walked to Adam, taking Little David from him. "What is his name?" she asked and Adam new that no Fe'na'li had the same name. "His name is David Alan," he said as she nodded then turned, showing Little David to the others. "Behold Da'vi'd'a'la'n! We pledge to guide and raise him in our ways!" she said as the others lightly growled and Little David giggled. Placing him in her arm, Ka'ran'i removed a small cord with a clear crystal on the end from a pouch on her robe belt and slid it around his neck. She softly licked his forehead as he wiggled in her arm then handed him to Adam. "Now that they have agreed to be one with us, let us eat!" "THAT sounds like a good idea!" Alan said as they went to join the others and the sound of music filled the night air. After saying their goodbyes and going back to the TARDIS, Adam placed the sleeping babies in the cots in the nursery then left the room and headed for the control room. David sat on the jump seat while Alan stood against the console and was twirling the cord around his finger. "That was fun," he said as Adam walked closer and nodded. "So, where do you want to go now?" David asked as he stood up and walked to the console, looking at the screens. "Well, since I have the most handsome baby in the whole universe, I should pick where we go next!" Alan said and Adam blinked with a stunned look on his face. "He is not. Mine is," Adam said. "No, he isn't. He's a monkey face and that means I pick where go next!" "Well, mine learned how to sit up before yours did!" "He was taking his time!" "He's a snail!" "You take that back!" "Make me, Brain Ill One!" Adam shouted when they felt a slight thumping sound and they looked at David, who was leaning against the console. "What did you do?" Adam asked when he looked at the screens and saw that they were back in his garage. "Well, seeing that you two were acting like children, I turned this TARDIS around and went home," David said as he walked to the doors, snapped his finger then left after the doors opened and they looked at each other with stunned faces. "Are you SURE he isn't family?" Alan asked as he went to catch up with David and Adam softly laughed, shaking his head. Shrugging, he went to get the babies while the rotor moved up and down behind the glass and the soft sound of humming filled the air.
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