PARENTHOOD
Chapter Fourteen It's strange how things work out. Amato and I were born in another universe and we thought that the other had died during the Time War that destroyed our Gallifrey. When I look at Alan and Adam, I see us as we were when we were just starting out at the academy. To be honest, I was Adam and Amato, or Theta as I used to call him, was Alan. Without him in my life, I know I would never have gotten married, let alone have any children. When I got married, Amato was my best man, or what passed for one, and was there when my first child was loomed. In all, my wife and I loomed four children, three sons and a daughter. It's odd that the only one I remember is Vinara. She was the youngest of my children and I can remember the first time I held her in my arms. "She is so beautiful," I whispered as she wiggled in my arms, like she was trying to find a snuggle spot, and fell asleep shortly thereafter. Normally Time Babies weren't held or cuddled but I couldn't put Vinara down. The doctors told me she would never develop normally if I didn't put her down but she didn't seem to mind. Neither did I, if truth be told. There were many a night that my wife would find me rocking our daughter to sleep then fall asleep myself and she would just wake me up so we could put Vinara to bed. My wife also told me that Vinara had a look in her eyes that she had only seen in mine. "What are you talking about?" I asked my wife. "She's a time junkie, just like you," she told me and she was right. Vinara soon joined me for trips in my TARDIS and held her own in dangerous situations. When I look at Sokanon and Namid, I see my daughter. They are just like her in so many ways that I'm sure they can handle anything that comes their way during their travels with the Doctor. In fact, the silly banter he does with them is exactly what I would do with Vinara. "I will not have my daughter turn into a rebel!" my wife shouted at me more than once but the two of us would just smile, nod then run off and head off in my TARDIS to who knows where or when. When the Time War broke out, Vinara told me she wanted to work on one of the medical ships. She was a fully trained medic and had stitched a few of the wounds that I had received in battle. She would always wrap the wounds in pink plasters, or purple if she was in a mood, and we'd laugh. My sweet little girl was turning into quite the doctor. "I thought the Doctor was Uncle Theta," she teased me once and I shrugged. "Where is it written that there can't be more than one?" I asked and she just rolled her eyes at me like I was the biggest idiot in the universe. It was during one fierce battle that I got word that the daleks had attacked the medical fleet and all of the ships had been destroyed. I thought my hearts were being ripped out of my chest when I heard her screaming then felt her mind blank out. My sweet little girl was gone. I thought I would soon join her when the Rani got hold of me and started experimenting on me then used me as her killing machine. The only one that has knows what I have done is Amato and he assured me that he would never tell anyone. What I didn't expect was getting a new family after they rescued me from the Rani. It was great to be reunited with Amato but falling in love with the most amazing woman I have ever met and becoming attached to an Amos orphan was something entirely different. Julie is wonderful and is a great mother. I love the way she smiles at me and her nose crinkles when she laughs. But what I want to talk about is Aderyn. The first time she was placed in my arms, I felt my hearts melting. She did the same wiggle that Vinara did until she found the right snuggle spot and looked at me with those big grayish blue eyes. Now, most people say their babies are cute but Aderyn is adorable. She has these light gray feathers that are more like chick fuzz then feathers at this point and the cutest beak I have ever seen. Sorry, but that is how I feel. If you don't like it...Tough! She is a cutie! She had the hiccups and I was shocked that they didn't know what to do. It's a simple recipe of two parts water and one part sugar in a bottle then pat her back until she burped. According to the Doctor, she won't be talking for another three or four months and her wings will start growing in at that time. Rassilon, the thought of her flying around the room scares me. I had a pet bird once but it died after colliding with the window. Julie assures me that Aderyn will be fine but I'm still worried. He also told me that Amos have brown, black, yellow or white feathers when they are full grown and I think Aderyn would look amazing in all white feathers. He did tell me that he will give her something when her wings start growing in so she won't be in any pain. "It'll be like the stuff humans use when their babies start getting their baby teeth. Only she won't be doing all that drooling," he told me and smiled. Should I have told Julie about the worm? See, when we made a rest stop, I had taken Aderyn for a walk then sat on the ground so we could watch the sunset. She was looking at something on the ground when I picked up a worm and showed it to her. It happened so fast when she snapped her beak around it and downed the worm in three bites. "Let's not tell Mummy about that, eh, Little Peep?" I told her and she blinked. "Cheepa!" she said with a nod and I hugged her. Now, one of the things I love about being a part of this large, dysfunctional family is its silliness. I have never read the classical version of A Christmas Carol but I don't think I could after the play Alan, Adam and John performed but Aderyn liked it. It was when she had fallen asleep and cried after we took her out the room that I said "Daddy" for the first time. That was what I was now. I was her daddy and no one was going to tell me that I wasn't. She even gets upset when I do. Just like Vinara did. Blimey, she would have loved Aderyn. Oi, there's a thought, the two of them together and plotting who knows what. Oh, I need to tell you that nappies are nasty. We did use them on Gallifrey but they never smelt as bad as the nappies Aderyn wore. I mean she drinks milk but it smells like we gave her something putrid. Julie teased me when I slid to the floor and sat against the cabinet. Sorry, but it stunk! What I didn't like was when the Doctor used an imager so Aderyn looked like a human baby instead of an Amos baby. When are the humans going to realize there are more life forms out there besides their own? She isn't some sort of monster. She is a cute cuddly baby. Then again, the image we're using is just as cute. I did learn to duck when giving a baby a bath. I swear that Aderyn is part duck! She loves the water and she is my little tweety pie! Yes, Julie hates it when I call Aderyn that but she is! It was also during that bath that I realized that I had my own little family. Julie and me and Aderyn makes three! My mind was in a whirl with the idea of making it a permanent thing and I hope to Rassilon that I can someday. I do think that Aderyn's adopted Tim as her grandfather because she didn't mind him holding her and even peed on him. Ok, that wasn't a good thing but it was funny. She did fall asleep in Tim's arms and they looked so cute. I wasn't sure her seeing Amato and I bantering back and forth was a good idea but she was giggling so I guess she thought Daddy was a silly sod. I do know she likes stories about Gallifrey but I'm not sure what would happen if she ever saw the Rani. Oh, I'm sure she'd be fine. It's the Rani that I'm afraid would get the snot kicked out of her. I also know that whatever I feel for Julie is growing stronger and stronger. We seem to click when we're taking care of Aderyn and I love when Julie stands close to me. Then I discovered that the Rani had done something to me besides turning me into a killing machine. I can produce electricity from my fingers and can leap into the air. I was so scared the first time it happened and it was Cameron that helped me down. I thought none of my new family would want anything to do with me, not even after I told the truth about what I did, but they did and I still have my Julie and my Little Peep. Speaking of Cameron, I'm not sure if I like the idea of him in Aderyn's life. He is a nice kid but if he EVER floats her in the air without someone around to catch her, I will hit him so hard that he'll regernate. He told me he was just letting her get used to flying but she could have gotten hurt if he lost his concentration. Alright, I will admit this. Julie and I have had sex. We're careful not to let Aderyn see us and I love snuggling with Julie. She just seems to fit into the curves of my body and that was something my mother told me when it came to picking a lives mate. If there is a Heaven, please let it be true. Aderyn does like peek-a-boo, I know that for a fact. The problem is she likes to play it over and over again. It's not a problem but one does get bored after the hundredth time. This is going off topic but Duer and I seem to click just like I do with Amato. Maybe it's because he is Amato but from another universe. His Koschei turned out to be this evil git called the Master and was totally insane. This would also explain why Adam and Cameron didn't like me at first. What surprised me was that Duer wanted to play a prank on the others and I had to wait until Aderyn had filled several nappies before we snuck into the caravans and left our little "presents". In the morning, they woke up and found that our little "presents" had ripened and we got locked in a closet and the bathroom as punishment. Even Aderyn was mad at me. The funny bit was Alan and Adam coming into the caravan and removing all the nappies until we swore to never do it again. Speaking of Alan, why do I have a feeling he was dropped on his head at some point? He is totally bonkers and Adam and John fall in line whenever he decides to do something loony. Like pretending to be minstrels while Julie and I were out for a walk. By the way, that was when I flew into the air and Cameron helped me down. Oh, lying in bed with Julie and Aderyn is the sweetest thing. We just lie there and talk while Aderyn snuggles against my chest or lies between us with such love in her eyes. I feel like it's just us when we're alone like that and swear that I would sooner die then let anything happen to them. Bath time has become a ritual with us and it's when I get drenched. Don't get me wrong. I like taking a bath but it's more fun when a little one giggles after soaking their mommy and daddy that makes my hearts soar. Rassilon, Julie asked me to move in with her and Aderyn! She wants us to be a family! Then my stupid power kicked in. Why can't I control it? I don't want it to ruin my chance at true happiness but I'm not sure what to do. Ah, snow. It is pretty but it's not a nice thing when it hit Aderyn in the face. True, Christopher and David didn't mean to hit her with it but she didn't like it. Neither did I. What they didn't know was Julie and I took her out later and made a tiny snowman. I wonder if it's still in the caravan's freezer. I now lay here in the Torchwood med bay as I think about what has happened after taking a walk with Dory and getting captured by a maniac that thought I was the Master of this world. The whole time I was their hostage, the only thing that kept me sane was getting back to Julie and Aderyn. No matter what they did, I kept my sweet Julie and Little Peep in my head and hearts and swore that I would find a way to get back to them. Even after getting shot in the heart didn't stop me. I wasn't going to regenerate. No, I wasn't even though I should have. My little girl needed the daddy she first laid eyes on and I wasn't going to disappoint her. Julie, my wonderful bride to be, brought her in to see me after surgery and I know Martha is going to be mad. I don't care. Hold my little girl makes me feel one hundred percent better and I am glad that she picked me to be her daddy.
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