PARENTHOOD

Chapter Twenty Three

After the situation was calmed down, the children were taken back into the house. While Sokanon and Namid lay down in their beds, Rain checked out Chaska's face in the bathroom since the Doctor was still enraged over what Ceres had done.

"Oh baby, you're gonna have a bruise on your face," Rain said, gingerly touching his face.

"Why did he do that, Mummy?" Chaska asked as she wiped his cheek with a wet cloth.

"I don't know, baby," Rain said sighing. "I don't think he was in his right mind. It's complicated but I want you to know that you and your sisters are safe now. We all are, okay? He's gone now and I want you to take a nap because we have to talk downstairs, alright?"

"Daddy'll be here?" Chaska asked.

"Yes, baby. Daddy and Uncle Alan and Uncle Doc and Uncle Jack and me and Aunt Rose. We're all downstairs and we're guarding you, okay?"

Chaska nodded. Rain kissed his cheek and picked him up. She held him close and he wrapped his arms around her neck while she walked to his bedroom. She laid him down in his bed and tucked him in before going to kiss and tuck in Sokanon and Namid. Once they were tucked in and calmed down, Rain turned off the light and left them. Sokanon watched her go before she raised her head up and she spoke to Chaska in their special language.

You okay? She said in their special language.

Yes, Chaska replied in the special language.

Why did that man do that? Sokanon said in the special language.

Dunno. But my cheek hurts, Chaska replied. I'm glad Daddy and Uncle Alan came and helped us.

Me too, Namid said in the special language, I hope he never comes back.

They fell silent when the Doctor appeared in the doorway.

"There you lot go again, talking in that odd language I can't decipher," he said as the children giggled. "You're talking about me again, aren't ya?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Thought so," the Doctor said as the children giggled.

He turned on the light and walked over to Chaska's bed. He sat down beside him and touched his cheek, pain in his eyes as he stared at the huge bruise there.

"My son, my little boy," he said before he bent over and kissed it.

"Daddy," Sokanon said as she and Namid slid out of bed. "Don't let the bad person come back."

"Never. I won't let him hurt you again," the Doctor said, holding out his arm.

His daughters walked into it and he hugged them both as he sent love into their minds.

"Listen, we've been talking downstairs and tomorrow I think we should do something, have a day's break and get away from here and relax. Sound good?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"We were throwing out ideas and we decided perhaps find a nice nature trail and ride our bikes down it, perhaps have a picnic, how about that?"

The three of them nodded and he held them close.

"Daddy, who was that person?" Namid asked.

"A very old and dear friend, at least I thought he was until today. Turns out he was in love with your mum and was keeping it hidden but I s'pose he was tired of waiting for Mummy to notice him so he did something about it. But I told him to go away and never come back and I'll take care of him if he does decide to show up again. But I don't want any of you to worry, the whole neighborhood knows what happened and they'll keep an eye on him from now on and if he comes over here, he'll have me and the entire family breathing down his neck. So please don't worry any longer and try to rest, okay? And in the morning, we'll take a nice bike ride as a family and have some fun."

The children nodded and he hugged them again. He tucked in Chaska and walked the girls back to their beds, kissing them and tucking them in before he bid them goodnight and headed back downstairs. The children talked to each other for a bid in their secret language before all of them finally closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Sokanon woke before her siblings. She got out of bed and headed out of the room. She heard water running in the bathroom next to her parent's bathroom and smiled figuring her father was washing his face. She heard a soft tapping against the sink and amended that thought to shaving his face. She slowly opened the door but it was Alan who was inside shaving his face. He grinned at her.

"Would have been a bit awkward if you'd done that and I was in the altogether in here," he said cheerfully. "But then again, I would have locked the door. How are you this morning, my delight?"

"Fine. Where's Daddy and Mummy?"

"They...are in the TARDIS preparing for our fun day. Which is what I'm doing. I hate going for a bike ride with a five o'clock shadow on my face. I believe Rose and Doc are in the kitchen packing a delicious picnic lunch so you're stuck with me. So where are your brother and sister?"

"Asleep."

"Ah. So you decided to wake up early and get some early morning hugs and kisses from your daddy then?"

"Yes."

"Well," Alan said, finishing up his shaving and turning off the water. "I ain't your daddy but I am a reasonable facsimile if you wish to shower me with hugs and kisses."

Sokanon came to him and Alan bent down to accept her love. He gave her a firm kiss on the cheek before picking her up. He held her with one arm while she wrapped her arms around his neck and with the other he put his razor back in his pocket. Once he was done doing that, he held her firmly against him and walked back into her bedroom. Chaska was still asleep but Namid was climbing out of bed and looking for her cane. Alan walked over to her and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Huh? Who's that?" Namid said.

"Your lovable uncle come to collect you for the day," Alan said softly.

"Hi, you spend the night with us?"

"Indeedy. I wanted to make sure that certain undesirables stayed far away from the house and what do ya know, they did, which is a good thing for him," he said.

"Uncle Alan?"

Alan looked over at Chaska who was turning on his stomach and looking at him from his bed.

"Yup, I'm here," he said, setting Sokanon down and going to him. "How's the shiner?"

"The what?"

"The bruise on your cheek," Alan said, sitting down beside him. "Still hurt?"

Chaska winced when he touched it and nodded. He help him sit up and Chaska rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Where's Daddy and Mummy?"

"Down in the TARDIS getting our bikes and equipment together," Alan said.

"Where we goin'?" Chaska asked as Sokanon and Namid came up to Alan's side.

"Dunno yet but I'm sure it'll be splentabulous fun for all," he said. "Having said that I'm sure it'll be a warm place so put some shorts and t-shirts on, yeah?"

They nodded and Alan kissed them before he got up and let them get ready. Once they were dressed, they headed downstairs together and saw Christopher sitting on the sofa. He waved at them.

"I was at Gran Jackie's last night but Mummy came and got me this morning so I could go bike riding with ya," he said to them. "Uncle Doctor's got a bike for me. He's in the TARDIS with Aunt Rain. And Mummy and Uncle Jack have this huge picnic basket that we're gonna take with us. I can't wait to go."

While Alan sat down beside his son, the triplets went into the garage and headed for the TARDIS. The TARDIS door was open so they stepped inside. They heard voices coming from beyond the console room.

"Daddy?" Chaska said tentatively as the three of them headed towards the back.

The TARDIS rumbled warmly and moved the room the Doctor, Rain and Doc were in to the back door of the console room. When Chaska called again, the Doctor raised his head and smiled as he came towards them.

"Good morning, my darlings, sleep well?" he asked as he came towards them.

They nodded and smiled when Rain and Doc came over and all three hugged and kissed them.

"We found a nice long trail in Missouri called the Katy trail. Over 250 miles of bike trails that once were an old railroad, goes almost across the middle of the entire state. I figure that'll be long enough for us, eh?"

The three of them nodded and the Doctor led them into the other room where several bikes sat, new and gleaming. The Doctor picked up Namid.

"As for you, my intrepid daughter, you are going to be with Dada Doc on a bicycle built for two. He'll be in front and you can smell his bum all day."

Doc rolled his eyes and grinned when Namid giggled at that.

"Everyone else will have new mountain bikes, rugged and sturdy enough to hold up for one long cleansing bike ride. So...are you lot ready for a day of fun and in Namid's case, bum sniffing?"

"Daddy, be quiet," Namid said giggling as Doc kissed the top of her head.

"No, I don't wanna be quiet. I wanna have a good day and be loud and obnoxious," the Doctor replied. "So how 'bout it? Ready to go?"

"Yes," the three of them said.

"Okey-dokey, let's get everyone in here and get everything together and then it's off to Missouri!"

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