PARENTHOOD
Chapter Seventeen The doorbell rang while Theta walked to the door and opened it. Jamie, Donald and Zoe stood on the porch as Theta smiled and stood back, allowing them to come into the house. Closing the door, Theta smiled when Donald and Zoe sat on the floor and Jamie took their sneakers off. "So, who's ready for some fun?" he asked as they stood up and smiled at him. "Where's Cam?" Donald asked when Cam ran down the stairs and had a cardboard box in his hand. "There he is," Theta said as they ran to Cam and sat on the floor. Cam opened the cardboard box when he dumped the toy cars onto the floor and they started playing with them. Jamie placed the small sneakers on the shoe rack while Theta watched the children playing and smiled, looking at Jamie. "Care for a cuppa tea?" "Aye, that would be great," Jamie said with a nod and Theta called to the children. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us," he said and the children nodded. Jamie and Theta headed for the kitchen when Theta walked to the cupboard and opened the door. He took out a tin then walked to the cabinet where Frankie kept the mugs and took out two of them, placing them on the counter. He jumped when he heard water running and turned, seeing Jamie filled the teapot with water. "Sorry," Jamie said as he turned the water off, walked to the stove, turned the burner on and placed the teapot down. "No, I'm sorry," Theta sighed and opened the tin, removing two teabags. He placed the teabags in the mugs then walked to the kitchen island and placed the mugs on the counter. The teapot whistled when Theta picked the teapot off the burner and turned the stove off. Pouring the water carefully into the mugs, he handed one of the mugs to Jamie and Jamie smiled. "Ta," Jamie said with a nod of his head then opened the drawer, took out a spoon and placed two scoop of sugar into the mug. Theta watched him as he smiled then sipped on the tea and leaned against the kitchen island, placing his elbows on the counter. "What's so funny?" "I was just thinking how funny it that you and I are fathers. Who would have thought that would happen?" "Aye, it is odd. The thing is, you have tae remember that I've been a father before," Jamie said, sipping on the tea. "Yeah, but Angus, Robbie, Ian, Conner, Victoria and Frazer were kids when you adopted them," he said and Jamie shook his head. "I wasnae talking aboot them," Jamie said with a sigh and Theta rolled his eyes, feeling foolish. "Oh, you were talking about..." he said and Jamie nodded. "It's funny, I can see their faces as clear as I can see yours and I remember all of their births," Jamie said and Theta's hearts hurt. "Och, dinnae do that again." "Do what?" Theta asked, sipping on the tea. "Dinnae go feeling all guilty aboot what happened tae me." "Jamie, half of your mind was ripped out of your head." "Aye an' I had tae relearn nearly everything. What you dinnae get is that you gave me the chance tae live out my life tae the end. We're nae sure if I was supposed tae survive Culloden, let alone get married an' have bairn," Jamie said when Donald walked into the kitchen and pulled on Jamie's jeans, making him look down at him. "Aye, what do you want?" "I want a biscuit!" Donald said and Jamie blinked, his lower lip sticking out. "You do, do you? Is that how we ask for one?" "Um, I want a biscuit, please?" Donald asked, tilting his head to one side. "Close enough!" Theta said with a smile then walked to the biscuit jar and took the lid off. He took out three biscuits when he placed the lid on the jar and walked to Donald. "Here you go." "I get three biscuits?" Donald asked, wide eyed. "No, you get one, Zoe gets one and Cam gets one!" Theta said as Donald nodded and walked toward the doorway. "Ah, what do you say?" Jamie asked and Donald smiled. "Thank you, Pa-paw," Donald said as he left the room and Theta smiled. Walking back to the kitchen island, Theta picked up the mug and sipped on the tea, placing his elbows on the counter. "Why can't the other kids act like that?" he asked and Jamie rolled his eyes. "Well, seeing who their fathers are, I'm surprised that they survived their first birthdays," Jamie said and Theta gave him a shocked look. "Are you saying that Adam's son is reckless?" "Have you seen him with Alan's son?" Jamie asked as Theta thought for a few seconds then sighed, nodding his head. "You're right, Chris is a terror." "Just dinnae let Alan hear you call him that." "Oh, like I'm afraid of Mister Trouser Chili," Theta said and Jamie laughed while Zoe walked into the room and pulled on Jamie's jeans, making him look down at her. "Aye, what can I do for you?" "May I have a biscuit, Daddy?" she asked and Jamie frowned. "Didnae Donny give you the biscuit Pa-paw gave him?" "Aye, but I want another one." "Well, I dinnae ken," Jamie said as Theta walked to the biscuit jar and removed the lid. Taking out three biscuits, he placed the lid back on the jar and walked to her. "Right, one for each of you," he said, handing Zoe the biscuits. "Thank you, Pa-paw," she said as she ran out of the room and Jamie shrugged. Walking to the kitchen island, Theta picked up the mug and placed his elbows on the counter. "Where were we? Oh, right, you were telling me about your other children," Theta said and Jamie sighed, sipping on the tea. "My eldest was called Alexander..." Jamie said and Theta smiled. "You named him after your laird's son?" "Aye, though I had no memory of him," Jamie said and Theta looked at the counter, half closing his eyes. "Dinnae do that." "Right, so, how many kids are we talking about?" Theta asked and Jamie closed his eyes, silently counting how many children he had with Rosealie. "Well, there was Alexander, Donald..." "You have two sons named Donald?" "Och, aye, I guess I do," Jamie said with a smile. "Then there was Daniel, Hamish..." "Why did your voice change when you said his name?" "Hamish was born blind." "You mean like Namid?" Theta asked when Cam came into the room and walked to him. Theta looked down when he smiled and shook his head. "Let me guess. You want a biscuit." "Please?" Cam asked as Theta sighed and looked at Jamie. "When did we start raising biscuit monsters?" Theta asked and Jamie laughed. Sighing, Theta walked to the biscuit jar, took the lid off the jar, removed some biscuits, placed the lid on the jar then walked to Cam and looked down at him. "This is the last time, understand?" "Yes," Cam said then left the room. Shrugging, Theta walked to the kitchen island then placed his elbows on the counter and slid a biscuit toward Jamie. Nodding, Jamie picked it up then started nibbling on it and Theta sipped on the tea. "Hamish was blind?" Theta asked and Jamie nodded. "Dinnae get me wrong, we never treated him like he was different or anything," Jamie said. "That's good." "After Hamish was Ashley then James then Catherine then Mary," Jamie said then sighed. "Jamie, is there something wrong?" "Och, you're nae going tae believe me," Jamie said as Theta placed his hand on top of Jamie's hand and locked eyes with him. "Tell me," he said when Donald, Zoe and Cam walked into the room and walked to them. Theta moved his hand back when he looked down at them and sighed. "What now?" "We're thirsty, Daddy, can we have some milk?" Cam asked when Theta nodded and walked to the cabinet where the glasses were. He couldn't find the sippy cups as he sighed and took down three small glasses, placing them on the counter. Walking to the refrigerator, he opened the door when he took out a plastic bottle of milk and closed the door. He walked to the counter as he opened the plastic bottle of milk and pour the milk into the glasses. Placing the cap back on the plastic bottle of milk, he walked to the refrigerator and opened the door. He placed the plastic bottle of milk away then closed the door and walked to the counter. Donald, Zoe and Cam stood next to him as he gave them the glasses of milk and they held the glasses in their hands. "Thank you, Daddy." "Thank you, Pa-paw," the twin said as he smiled then walked to the kitchen island and leaned against it. "So, where were we?" Theta asked when they heard the sound of glass breaking and screaming and Theta turned around. The shattered glass sat on the floor in front of Cam's feet as the milk spread across the floor and Cam looked at him with wide, sad eyes. "Right, no one move." "I'll go get the mop," Jamie said. "It's in that cupboard," Theta said as he pointed and Jamie nodded, walking to the cupboard door while Theta looked at Donald, Zoe and Cam. "No one touch the glass." "But I want to help," Cam said when he bent down then slipped on the milk, falling hard onto his bottom. Theta ran to him when he knelt down and saw that the milk was turning pink. Slowly, he lifted Cam's right hand with he saw the large shard of glass sticking out of the palm of Cam's hand and Cam's eyes went wide. "Ew, he's bleeding!" Zoe said as Jamie ran to them and handed Theta the dish towel that was hanging on the ring near the stove. "Jamie, I need you to call Frankie. She's over at Rain's," Theta said when he carefully wrapped the towel around Cam's hand, picked Cam up and ran out of the room. Cam was crying against his shoulder as Theta ran toward the garage door and opened the door, running toward the TARDIS. Snapping his fingers, he watched as the doors opened and he ran inside. The TARDIS had moved the medical bay next to the control room as Theta ran into the room and placed Cam down on the examination bed. Cam sniffed as Theta wiped his son's eyes with his thumbs and sighed. "I am so sorry." "Why?" Cam asked while Theta slid the sterile cloth under Cam's hand and unwrapping the towel, looking at the blood oozing out from where the glass was sticking in the palm of Cam's hand. "Because Daddy didn't give you a sippy cup," Theta said when a tray of medical equipment appeared next to Cam and Cam half smiled. "They're in the dish washer," he said as Theta placed a sedative in a syringe and nodded. "Ok, this is going to pinch a bit," he said as he injected the sedative into Cam's arm and Cam whimpered. Theta's hearts ached as he sent love into Cam's mind and Cam closed his eyes, going to sleep. Theta placed rubber gloves on when he looked at the glass shard then picked up the tweezers and tears rolled down his cheeks. Frankie found Theta in the nursery as he slowly rocked Cam and Cam's head was resting on his shoulder. A blue plaster coveed Cam's right hand up to his wrist as his thumb stuck out of the plaster and she slowly walked to the rocking chair, kneeling down next to it. "How is he?" she whispered while Theta rocked the chair back and forth and was looking straight ahead. "I am so sorry," he said then blinked and she stood up, kissing the top of his head. "It was an accident," she said but he shook his head and looked at Cam sleeping peacefully in his arms. "I hurt my son," Theta said as tears rolled down his face and Frankie stroked Theta's hair. "No, you didn't." "I should have gotten a sippy cup out of the dishwasher." "They were all dirty." "I should have made them sit at the table." "Yeah, you should have." "He could have bled to death." "He didn't," she said as he looked at her and she saw the anger and pain in his eyes. "Why are you defending what I did?" "Because you're beating yourself up over it," she said and placed her hand on top of his hand. "Love, this isn't the first time he's going to get hurt. He is going to get bumps, scraps, bruises and cuts. It's a part of childhood." "I never had any. Then again, I was raised in a control environment so I never would have even touched broken glass, let alone get cut by it," he sighed and she nodded. Cam wiggled a bit in his arms when Cam opened his eyes and looked at Theta then at Frankie. "Hi, Sweetie," she said and kissed his cheek." "Hi, Mummy," Cam said then looked at the tears rolling down Theta's face. "Daddy, why are you crying?" "Because I hurt you," he said and Cam sat up, looking at him. "Nuh-unh," Cam said as he shook his head and pouted. "Yep, I hurt my son and now he hates me." "No, I don't. I love you!" he said and wrapped his arms around Theta's neck, hugging him. "But...but...but...you shouldn't love me if I hurt you!" Theta said as he held Cam away from his body and Cam smiled. "Daddy, you didn't hurt me. I fell down and got glass stuck in my hand," he said then held up the plaster. "See?" "Oh, that looks like it hurt," Frankie said as she kissed the plaster and Cam giggled. "Yeah, but I was really brave," Cam said and Theta frowned. "Excuse me, but who was crying on my shoulder the whole way to the TARDIS?" Theta asked and Cam smiled. "But I stopped when we got into the med bay." "True and you were very brave when I had to sedate you," Theta said and Cam nodded. "Well, sounds to me like my brave men need some ice cream," Frankie said as their eyes went wide and both of them smiled. "Can we invite Donny and Zoe?" Cam asked, bouncing lightly on Theta's lap. "Sure!" Frankie said as Cam got off of Theta's lap and Theta stood up. They left the nursery as she slid her arm around Theta's waist and placed her head on his arm. "You ok?" she thought and he looked at her then smiled. "Yep," he thought as Cam ran ahead of them and Frankie placed a finger on Theta's lips before he could say anything and he softly laughed. "Come on!" Cam yelled as he ran around the corner and Theta looked at Frankie, shrugged and they ran to catch up with him.
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