PARENTHOOD

Chapter Twenty Nine

A half hour later, they reached Rocheport and the next trailhead. This one was laid out much the same as the last one with the restrooms, drinking fountain, billboard and benches and picnic tables. It was here that they decided to rest and eat. The Doctor unzipped the canvas covering the picnic basket and the blanket and Rose and Rain took the blanket and spread it out under a nearby tree. Beyond the billboard there was a large field and in the distance was a white farmhouse with a red barn and silo. Jack studied the billboard and the maps while the Doctor brought the picnic basket over to the blanket.

"The next town is New Franklin about another ten miles away," Jack called to them. "Do we wanna go on?"

"We shouldn't go too far, we have to turn around and go back for the TARDIS," Rain said as the Doctor passed out turkey and chicken sandwiches to the children.

"I have my Stattenheimremote control with me. It'll call the TARDIS back to us, so going on isn't an issue unless you lot wanna turn back now," the Doctor said.

"I wanna go on, Daddy, this is fun," Sokanon said as the Doctor put a turkey sandwich on her paper plate.

"I don't mind going on, I also think this is fun," Rose said as she put some crisps on her plate.

The Doctor asked everyone else and nodded when everyone agreed to go on.

"Brilliant, we'll go after we eat and have a bit of a rest then."

"According to this billboard," Jack said as he came over to them. "The next bit of the trail has a railroad tunnel on it, the only tunnel on the whole trail."

"Cool!" Christopher said.

"There really used to be a railway that went through here?" Chaska asked as he ate his turkey sandwich.

"Yup, that was another danger. Chief Mantua tied me to the rails and was gonna let the steam engine run me down until Lewis freed me with his bowie knife."

"He did not, Daddy," Chaska said as everyone laughed.

They ate and chatted while they sat in the shade of the tree. After they finished and cleaned up their mess, Chaska and Christopher went and played catch with a little baseball while Namid and Sokanon stretched out beside their mother and talked to each other while Rain chatted with Rose. Jack and Doc explored the immediate surroundings while the Doctor and Alan strolled through the field together.

"Still can't believe Ceres did that to me," the Doctor said to Alan as they walked.

"I can."

The Doctor looked at him and he shrugged.

"Mate, you do realize how many times through the years you've heard people comment on how beautiful Rain is?"

"Yeah, but he was one of my best mates."

"And? He was also a man."

"And there's another version of Rain in our family. Moreover, she's single. So why not go court her instead of trying to rape my life mate?"

"Forbidden fruit?" Alan said, shrugging. "Wanting what he can't have. To be honest, the man always seemed a bit off but I didn't say anything since he was your friend and you never commented on any of my friendships."

"Well, thank you for coming to her rescue."

"Well, I just happened to be on my way there to get a piece of pie so thank Rain for inviting me so the children didn't have to run all the way to my house."

The Doctor sighed angrily through his nose.

"Bad enough he tried to rape Rain but he scared my children and struck my son. I have half a mind to go and throw him in a supernova just for that."

"Don't think like that, Brother. Let it go. I'm sure the bastard knows better than to come round now since the moment he does the Oncoming Storm'll be unleashed. He's ancient history, let him alone and concentrate on the here and now and...ooo, a ball, mine now," Alan said as he quickly bent over and grabbed Chaska's ball when it rolled near his foot.

"Hey, give that back!" Chaska said as the brothers snickered.

"Ah! Finders, keepers. It rolled near my foot and that's my personal space so now it's mine," he said, holding his arm up above his head so Chaska couldn't get his ball.

The Doctor grinned and plucked it from his hand.

"Hey!" Alan said as he gave his son his ball. "That's torn it. Prepare to meet thy doom, geezer!"

The children laughed when he got the Doctor in a headlock. The Doctor wriggled out of it and grabbed him. The boys laughed harder when the two of them fell to the ground and began to wrestle each other. Rain and Rose laughed as they rolled around on the ground play fighting with each other while Chaska and Christopher cheered them on.

"What's going on?" Namid asked, raising up beside her mother and looking over in their direction.

"Oh, your daddy and uncle are being silly and roughhousing with each other," Rain said to her.

"Come on, Mi-mi," Sokanon said, standing up. "Let's go help Daddy."

Namid stood up and grabbed her sister's hand as they ran to help out the Doctor who was being pinned to the ground by Alan. Rain and Rose laughed as they and the two boys dog piled Alan.

"HEY!" Alan yelled as the children began to tickle his body. "Get off me, you reprobates. This is between me and Fartblossom here."

"Help me, children, save me!" the Doctor yelled as Jack and Doc roared with laughter and walked over towards them.

Alan halfheartedly batted at the children as they laid on him and tickled him. The Doctor's eyes bulged when Jack came up to his head and stared down at him.

"Oh crud, Jack's here and I'm pinned down in a compromising position."

"Oh, shut up, Doc," Jack said as everyone laughed.

The children slid off Alan. He got up, grabbed the Doctor's outstretched arm and pulled him up.

"Is everyone ready to go then?" he asked.

They nodded and started packing up everything. While they did, Namid tugged at the Doctor's trouser leg.

"Yes, Mi-mi?"

"You okay, Daddy? Uncle Alan didn't hurt you, did he?"

The Doctor's hearts melted at that and he ruffled her hair.

"Nah, take more than Uncle Alan to damage me," he said as they walked towards the tree. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes. I like bicycling with Dada. Are we spending the night here?" she asked him.

"Um, I wasn't planning on it."

"Can you if you want to?"

"Well, I think camping's aloud but I don't know if everyone will want to spend the night out here," the Doctor said to her.

"I think we should. We could make up scary stories and watch for ghosts," Namid said.

She giggled when he picked her up and swung her legs out.

"And if there are ghosts about, will you protect me from them?" he asked as he held her close to him.

"Yes, Daddy. I'll chase the nasty ghosts away from you," Namid said, putting her arms around his neck.

The Doctor's hearts warmed at that and he sent love into her mind.

"Let's see what the day brings first, my rainbow, before we decide if we should spend the night, yeah?"

"Okay, Daddy."

The Doctor rubbed her back before he put her down. He took her hand and led her back to the bikes as everyone else finished packing up and getting ready to leave.

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