PARENTHOOD
Chapter Seventy Three "Are you sure we're supposed to be in here?" seven year old David asked as his seven year old cousin nodded and Cam peeked around the corner, looking into the gallery. "Daddy lets me come in here all the time," Cam said as they walked by the paintings and he pointed to the large landscape hanging on the wall. "See, that's our Gallifrey." "Wow, it's awesome!" David said as he looked at it then they walked by some of the statues and mobiles. "My daddy said that your daddy lost his original TARDIS during a time storm and Uncle Doctor grew him another one." "Yep, he found a piece of her original coral and it grew back into a TARDIS." "And she replaced the stuff that got destroyed?" David asked as they walked by a statue of Rose and both of them titled his head to one side. "Is that my mommy?" "I think so. Daddy said he did that after Aunt Marion was turned into a statue." "Oh, yeah, my daddy told me that story. He wrote a book about it. I think he called it Clay Rose," David said as they walked along then he stopped at a painting of Jamie and smiled. "There's Uncle Jamie." "What is he wearing?" "That his kilt." "No, I mean that," he said, pointing to the sheath on Jamie's belt. "Oh, that's his dirk. It's a small knife that Highlanders wore or had tucked in their socks." "Why would someone want a knife in their sock?" Cam asked and David shrugged. They kept walking when they came to a dark room and the boys peeked inside the room. "What's in here?" They walked inside when the lights came on and nine display cases stood at the center of the room. Walking closer, they noticed that the first display case had a dress dummy wearing gray checked trousers, a gray vest, a white shirt, black shoes, white socks, a black tie and a black waistcoat and a thin black cane stood next to the dressing dummy. Next to the display case was a portrait of the first Doctor and they looked at it. "Who is that?" Cam asked when, suddenly, the first Doctor opened his eyes and blinked at them. "I would be asking you the same thing, hm," the first Doctor said and they slowly backed up. "Oh, there is no need to fear. I can't hurt you. I'm just a portrait. Now, come along, who are you two?" "I'm Cameron and this is my cousin, David," Cam said and David shyly waved at the portrait. "Ah, yes, he told me about you two." "Who did?" "Why, your father, of course. You see, he comes in here from time to time and talks to me." "Or he talks to me," a voice behind the display case said and the boys walked around it and blinked. In the display case was a dress dummy wearing baggy, grey checked trousers, a white shirt, a black waist coat, a black bow tie, white socks and black shoes. A red handkerchief stuck out of the jacket pocket and a recorder was on a small plastic shelf. Next to the display case was a portrait of the second Doctor and he sweetly smiled at them. "Ignore the little clown and come back over here," the first Doctor said and the second Doctor scrunched his face. They watched as the second Doctor left the portrait and they followed it back to the first Doctor's portrait. The second Doctor stood nose to nose with the first Doctor and growled. "I have told you numerous times not to call me that!" the second Doctor shouted when they started arguing and Cam cupped his mouth, trying not to laugh. David pointed to the next display case when they looked at the dress dummy and it was wearing black trousers, white socks, black shoes, a black jacket, a black bow tie, a white shirt with ruffles on the front and ruffled cuffs and a black opera cape was draped over the shoulders. A set of car keys sat on the plastic shelf when they heard sighing and looked at the portrait of the third Doctor. "Here we go again," he said then looked at the boys and smiled. "Oh, hello, didn't see you there." "Do they always argue like that?" David asked. "Oh, yes, if that little fool isn't arguing with him then he's..." the third Doctor said when the second Doctor appeared in the third Doctor's portrait and glared at him. "I heard that! At least I'm not some gangly giant!" the second Doctor said and they started arguing. David and Cam smiled when they heard someone whistling and headed for the next display case. The dress dummy was dressed in a floppy brown hat, a long brown coat, brown trousers, a brown jacket, a grey vest, a white shirt, a black tie, brown shoes and a long multi-colored scarf that reached to the floor. On the plastic shelf was a white paper bag and JELLY BABIES was on the card above the bag. "Over here," the voice said as they looked at the fourth Doctor's portrait and he gave them a big grin. "My daddy told me about you. You were the one who traveled with Aunt Sarah Jane," David said and the fourth Doctor nodded. "Mind telling me what you two are doing in here?" he asked. "We were just looking around," Cam said when a hand appeared to the right of the portrait and wiggled its finger at them then pointed to the next display case. "Oh, he's not going to go away unless you go," the fourth Doctor sighed and they walked to the next display case. The dress dummy was dressed in a floppy off white hat, a tan coat with red trim and a piece of celery on the lapel, a white shirt, a tan sweater vest with black and red stripes forming a V at the top, tan trousers and white converse sneakers. A cricket ball sat on the plastic shelf and the portrait of the fifth Doctor softly coughed, causing them to walk closer. "Hello," he said and they nodded. "My daddy told me that you're his favorite Doctor," Cam said and the fifth Doctor shyly smiled. "I remember meeting him. He left the shields down and our TARDISes smacked into each other." "Yes, because he's a bloody git," a voice said at the back of the room and they walked to the display case. The dressing dummy was wearing a black leather jacket, a black t-shirt, black jeans and black boots. On the plastic shelf was a billfold with psychic paper in it and they looked at the portrait of the ninth Doctor. "Not only that but he lets Rose get sucked into another dimension. Does he even try to rescue her? No, she has to do it herself and he gives her that chopped off body part to spend forever with." "That chopped off body part is his father!" the fifth Doctor said when he appeared in the ninth Doctor's portrait and pointed at David, who looked like he wanted to punch someone. "I know that, you cricket playing wimp! I was just saying..." the ninth Doctor said as they started arguing and Cam led David toward the next display case. The dress dummy was wearing black shoes with white spats, yellow striped trousers, a blue vest, a white shirt with little question marks on the collar, a blue ascot and a multi-colored coat. A cork board with cat pins was sitting on the shelf and they looked at the portrait of the sixth Doctor. He had his fingers in his ears as they smiled at him and he lowered his arms. "And what are you two laughing at? I do not want to listen to the din," he said with a smug tone to his voice and placed his fingers back in his ears. The fifth Doctor ran into the sixth Doctor's portrait when he pulled the sixth Doctor's fingers out of his ears and winked at the boys. "Meow!" he shouted then put the sixth Doctor's fingers back into his ears and the sixth Doctor growled. "Oh, so that's how you want, eh?" he said then ran out of the portrait and the boys looked at each other. "This is better than the paintings in Harry Potter!" David said while they watched the fifth Doctor run from one portrait to the other and the other Doctors ducked out of the way. Walking to the next display case, they looked at the dress dummy wearing a tan hat, a tan coat with red trim, a white shirt, a red tie, tan checked trousers, brown shoes and a yellow sweater vest with blue zigzag stripes and red question marks on it. A pair of spoons sat on the plastic shelf and they walked to the portrait of the seventh Doctor but he wasn't in it. Slowly he peeked up at them then stood up and shrugged. "Hullo," he said with a Scottish accent and smiled at them. "You sound like Uncle Jamie," Cam said and the seventh Doctor laughed. "Yes, I guess I do," he said with a nod of his head then grunted as the fifth and sixth Doctors smashed into him and he fell out of the portrait. His right hand appeared as he pulled himself up then brushed out his clothes and stuck the hat on his head. "Are you ok?" Cam asked. "Oh, yes, I'm..." he said when the second Doctor crashed into him and the third Doctor chased after the second Doctor. Growling after standing up, the seventh Doctor pushed his hat forward then ran after the third and second Doctors and the boys laughed. "Wait for me!" the ninth Doctor shouted as he ran by and the boys turned, walking to the last display case. It was sitting in the darkest corner of the room as the light shimmered inside the display case and the dressing dummy was wearing black shoes, brown trousers, brown vest, brown ascot, a white shirt, and a black coat. A sonic screwdriver sat on the plastic shelf as they looked at the portrait of the eighth Doctor and noticed how sad he looked. "Are you alright?" Cam asked as the eighth Doctor slowly lifted his head and nodded. "EXTERMINATE!" someone shouted as the eight Doctor jumped and spun around in a circle, a look of pure terror in his eyes. "Right, this ends now!" a voice shouted as the boys turned around and Theta walked closer, placing his hands on their shoulders. "Everyone, back into his portrait, and, whoever said that, come over here and say you're sorry!" "Bite me!" a voice said as he walked to the ninth Doctor's portrait and glared at him. "Oh, so it was you, eh?" "Who else?" he said and Theta growled. "Get over there and tell him you're sorry," Theta said as his eyes went dark and the ninth Doctor snorted, cocking his head at him. "That doesn't work on me, Pretty Boy," he said when Theta grabbed hold of the frame the portrait sat in and the ninth Doctor gasped. "Oi, where are you taking me?" "I'm putting you in time out!" he said as he walked to the corner and placed the portrait against the wall, checking to see if the ninth Doctor was still there. "Bugger," the ninth Doctor sighed as he looked at the wall and Theta walked away. The boys tried not to laugh as he walked closer and looked down at them. "Who are they, Daddy?" Cam asked. "They're me," Theta said. "Oh, you mean these are your former lives," David said and Theta nodded. "Now, mind telling me what you're doing in here?" Theta asked and they heard a soft ticking sound. "That's what I would like to know, dear boy," the first Doctor said as they looked at Theta and he placed his hands on his hips, waiting for an answer. "We were just looking around," Cam said and Theta nodded. "Do you really talk to them?" David asked, pointing to the portraits. "Yep," Theta said, nodding his head. "Why?" Cam asked. "Well, sometimes I need to talk about things that are bothering me and who better to talk to than myself?" Theta said with a grin and they softly laughed. "Now, say goodbye and let's go. Dinner's ready." The boys said their goodbyes then Theta led them out of the room and the second Doctor smiled. "What nice boys," he said when the fifth Doctor snuck up behind the sixth Doctor and grinned. "Look at me! I'm Docto the Clown!" he shouted when the sixth's Doctor's eyes bugged out and he growled. "Right," he said then chased the fifth Doctor and the first Doctor sighed, shook his head and walked out of his portrait.
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next