PARENTHOOD

Chapter Fifty Eight

Rain lay bound in the back of a space skimmer heading for Mackus. Besides her, Zod and two guards were inside. The two guards were acting as pilot and co-pilot while Zod guarded her. She had been under interrogation by Zod, mostly because Zod seemed to think she was some sort of temptress who had lured the Doctor away from the princess when she'd never even heard of her before. He had a couple of the guards rough her up and her body ached from the assault but she took comfort in the fact that her little girl was safe and her husband, brother and son had been able to reach her in time. She heard her husband speaking to her asking if she was okay. She told him she was for the most part and he assured her that he was tracking the ship and he'd save her. Secure in the knowledge that her husband was following the ship, she relaxed and looked forward to the moment when all of them would hand this princess's ass on a platter.

She calmly regarded Zod as he came into the empty room where she'd been dumped. He glared at her but she kept calm and smiled sweetly at him.

"Something wrong?" she said.

"He's following us, how is that possible?" Zod said.

"Who's following you?"

"Don't play games with me, harlot! You know who I'm talking about."

Rain smirked.

"Ah yes, my husband. Well, see, he's very clever and he's very persistent and he doesn't like it when people take me. Makes him angry and then he has to take that anger out on someone, preferably the people who kidnapped me which means you have a very pissed off Time Lord tailing you. Sucks to be you! Ah, ah!" she said, when Zod raised his hand to backhand her. "Wouldn't do that either. See, my husband also doesn't like it when people give me bruises, that also makes him see red."

"You think he's gonna save you?"

"Oh, I know he is because..."

"You are going to be put to death for treason!" Zod said, interrupting her.

"For what? For marrying someone who apparently forgot all about this so-called engagement because it happened centuries ago? Sorry, I had no idea he was already betrothed because he failed to bring it up and he's the one who asked me so I don't know where you're getting this whole temptress thing from. I was a shy, insecure girl when he proposed not some slobbering whore who was ready to jump his bones the moment he asked me to be his wife."

"What do you mean centuries ago? It was only three years ago."

"Not by my husband's watch. He's a Time Lord, remember? And she waited three years to come find him? Must not want him that badly then, I woulda started looking immediately."

Zod raised his hand to backhand her again when suddenly the pilot turned on the intercom.

"Sir, the Doctor wants to speak to you on the monitor, should I patch him through?"

Zod froze while Rain gave him a smug grin. He lowered his hand.

"Yes, patch it through into here," he called out.

A portion of the wall across from Rain was lowered and her hearts beat faster when the screen flickered and she saw her husband, her very pissed off husband. His eyes immediately met hers and she could see he was staring right at her wounds and she swore she could visibly feel his anger increasing right through the monitor.

"Rain, are you alright?"

"Yes, apart from the bruises you see, I'm fine," she said.

He finally looked at her captor.

"I take it you're Zod," he said coolly.

"You know who I am, Time Lord," Zod replied.

"Uh...no, in fact I don't," the Doctor retorted while Rain smirked. "You see, you got the wrong man. I wasn't home at the time you broke in and kidnapped my family. I got home ten minutes after the fact."

Zod's eyes bulged out of his head when an identical looking Doctor stepped into view.

"This...is my brother. He was coming home with his friend when you nabbed him, not me!"

"What? There are two of you?"

Alan stepped into view and waved at him as Rain fought to keep from laughing.

"Three of you?" Zod said in disbelief.

"More actually, I'm one of six identical brothers. I'm the one that was supposedly engaged to your princess, not this one here! I'm the one you'll be dealing with from here on out and you better cooperate because I could go to the Shadow Proclamation right now on kidnapping, assault and attempted murder of my daughter!"

"Wait, he said that girl was his daughter."

"She is, I adopted her as my own and I co-parent her with him and Rain," Doc said.

"Luckily I rescued her before she burned alive because you would have been the next one chucked into the furnace," the Doctor said as all three men gave him a look of death. "Now. You are going to let me onto your ship and you're going to take me to the princess and if you refuse, I'm going to board anyway and I and my family and friend who unfortunately got caught up in this mess will knock you all unconscious and we'll pilot the ship ourselves. Your choice and you have two minutes to give me your answer before I'm coming on board without an invitation."

"You have no right..."

"I HAVE EVERY RIGHT!"

Rain flinched when her husband bellowed and even Alan and Doc backed up a couple of steps. She looked at Zod and noticed he was trembling at his unbridled rage. She glanced back and saw her husband had calmed himself but not by much.

"Your answer," he said, reining in his temper. "Do I board with your permission or without it?"

"You might as well let him board," Rain said. "You're dead either way, trust me."

"Spot on, my wife," the Doctor said as Rain chuckled softly.

Zod's shoulders sagged.

"Pilot, lower the shields and allow the Doctor to board us," he yelled.

"Wise decision. For that, I won't kill you straight away," the Doctor said. "Alan, kindly bring us on board their skimmer."

"Righty-O," Rain heard Alan say.

The Doctor turned his gaze back to Zod.

"You do know that you and your people are guilty of several crimes and you will be brought to justice. I don't take lightly someone coming in, kidnapping my seven year old daughter and trying to burn her alive along with beating up and intimidating my family and friend and trying to sell them into slavery. There will be repercussions from this so your kingdom better have some damn good diplomats or you'll all end up at Volag Nok!"

Zod shivered at that and he glanced at Rain who was giving him a smug smile. He longed to slap it off her face but her husband was staring right at him, so he forced himself to resist.

Rain breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the familiar wheezing sound and the TARDIS materialized around her. When it ended, she was lying on the grate in the console room.

"See, told ya I'd land right on top of her, am I good or what? Cha-ching!" Alan said, pumping his fist.

The Doctor ran over to her.

"Latara, are you alright?"

"Yes, are the children..."

"MUMMY!"

"I think that answers your question," the Doctor said as the triplets ran into the room.

The Doctor allowed them to hug Rain as she kissed them and kissed Namid's cheeks, her eyes filling with tears at seeing her daughter. Then he made them step back while he burned through the ropes with his screwdriver. He glanced at the door and scoffed when he heard Zod and the guards yelling at them to open up while they banged on the door.

"If I were you lot, I wouldn't be so eager for me to come out," the Doctor muttered as he finished untying his wife.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she could move her arms again and rubbed them as the Doctor helped her up.

"Go ahead and go back to the living room and relax, have some pizza," the Doctor said to her. "I gave Doc my rejuvenator and he mended the kids and he'll mend you as well. I have unfinished business to take care of."

The Doctor hugged her tightly and kissed her lips. He eyed the kids when they all said, "Eww," in unison.

"You lot go, eat your pizza or I'll kiss her again," he said to them.

They left and Rain turned to go but the Doctor caught her arm.

"I've already told this lot this, but once this is through, I'm taking the memories of this whole thing out of the children's heads so they won't remember it anymore."

"Good! Please do, especially Namid. I don't want her to ever remember someone tried to burn her alive," Rain said.

"Brother."

The Doctor looked at Doc.

"Can you do the same for me? I'm still mending from being the Valeyard and I nearly lost it listening to Namid screaming and feeling her anguish and I really don't want that memory either since I'm trying to get over as much rage as I can. So if you don't mind..."

"Of course, Brother, I don't want you to suffer, I'll be happy to do that. The rest of us who opt not to do this though, we can't speak of it any longer."

"Fine with me," Nelak said. "I'd rather not bring it up again."

The Doctor sighed angrily when the pounding and yelling continued.

"IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU'LL STOP THE POUNDING!" he bellowed at the door.

Alan and Doc chuckled when the pounding and yelling ceased. The Doctor shook his head.

"Anyway, business calls. After we sort this out, I'm gonna find somewhere to take all of us so the kids can relax. Heaven knows I need it as well. But in order to get to that point...Doc, can you take Rain back to the living room. I have a wanker's ass that needs my foot up it."

"Have fun," Doc said as Rain walked to him.

The Doctor stood up.

"Showtime," he said.

"One ass whoopin' coming right up?" Alan said.

He smiled at him.

"Exactly. Hold down the fort in the meantime."

"Fort secure, fearless leader," Alan said with a salute.

He, Nelak, Awinita and Namor stood around the console and watched as the Doctor cracked his knuckles and moved down the ramp. He unlocked the door and dramatically threw it open.

"Now, I believe we have business to attend to," the Doctor said to Zod and the guards.

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