PARENTHOOD
Chapter One Hundred and Nine The observation room was small and cramped. It had a large wooden table with several wooden high backed chairs around it and not much else save a speaker mounted in the ceiling above the table so the people could listen to the interrogation and a rectangular light fixture with fluorescent bulbs. The wall that separated them from the interrogation room was one large one way window. On their side it was a window but on the interrogation room side it looked like an ordinary wall. In the interrogation room was a similar table and chairs except they were made of metal. There was also a secret panel on the right side of the room. Under it was a red button that could be used to turn the speakers on and off in case something private needed to be said. Rain, Gaga and the children were in the observation room while the Doctor rocked back and forth on his heels in the interrogation room. He was waiting while Xashon went to get the delegation from Geordie. While they were waiting, a dogsbody brought in some coffee and sodas for Rain and the others, sat the tray on the table and left. The children sipped the sodas while they watched their father through the glass partition. He was still standing by the table rocking back and forth on his heels. Sokanon tapped on the glass to get his attention but the Doctor didn't hear her. "This side is soundproofed, baby," Rain said. "He won't be able to hear you in here." Hey, Daddy, I'm tapping on the glass, Sokanon thought to him. The Doctor stopped rocking and eyed the wall as the children giggled. The Doctor put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked over to the glass. The children laughed when he crammed his face up against the wall, flattening his nose as he stared out into space. No, Daddy, I'm down here, Sokanon thought as she came up directly in front of her father. They laughed when the Doctor got down on his hands and knees far below Sokanon's eyes and pressed his face up against the wall again. No, not that far! Sokanon thought as she giggled. "Make up your flippidy floopin' flee mind!" the Doctor yelled as the children laughed hysterically. The Doctor got up off the floor and paced around the table while the children tapped on the glass and yelled to him. He stopped in front of the wall again staring at the back of the room while the children hit the glass with the palms of their hands. Then he turned so his back was facing them. "Oh my!" he said in a loud voice as he looked down. "My shoe is untied." The children laughed as he bent over and pretended to tie his shoe. They laughed harder when he backed up and slammed his buttcheeks against the wall. Hey! Quit moonin' us! Namid thought to him. "I'm not moonin' ya," the Doctor said aloud. "I'm tying me shoe!" The children and Rain laughed as he pressed his butt as hard as he could up against the wall and wiggled it. Gaga shook her head. Rain looked at her. "What is it?" she asked. "I've heard many legends about the Doctor but I never knew he could be so childish and silly," she said. "Well, that's because he became a father and he learned how to be silly with them," she said. "Before he met us, he wasn't quite this playful." The Doctor stood up and looked around, then looked down again. "Blimey, the other shoe is untied!" he said, pointing to it. "What's wrong with me? I must not be thinking correctly today to have left both me shoes untied." Everyone laughed when he bent over and slammed his butt up against the wall again. "It's nice to know he does have a sense of humor," Gaga said to Rain as she sipped her coffee. "The legends spoke of the Oncoming Storm and how he was a fearful person." "He is at times, don't get me wrong. You don't wanna get on his bad side but there's this side he shows to his closest friends and family, his fatherly, playful side." They laughed when the Doctor turned and used the wall like a mirror as he pretended to pick at an imaginary pimple on his face. They laughed harder when the door opened and the Doctor instantly went rigid as Xashon and three others came inside. Xashon paused and stared at the Doctor with a bemused smile on her face. "What were you doing?" she asked. "Nothing, just contemplating the universe," the Doctor said, quickly turning as Gaga and Rain chortled. "So this is the delegation?" "Yes, this is Manon, the head of the delegation. Fratek and Bobo." "Bobo?" Rain said as Gaga giggled. She laughed when mere seconds after she said that she heard her husband echo the very same thing inside her mind. Two of the men, Manon and Fratek were tall and thin but Bobo was short and dumpy which made his name even more hilarious to her. Whereas Manon and Fratek were tanned and healthy looking, Bobo was lily white, pasty faced and had a triple chin. Manon wore his black hair in a Mohawk while Fratek's blonde hair was a buzz cut. Bobo was bald and the light over their heads shone down on top of it making a reflection. Rain couldn't help but think of Jabba the Hutt and she expected him to say ho, ho, ho at any moment. All three wore black satin robes with a gold sash draped around their chests and black satin boots. "That's the official dress of my people," Gaga said when Rain pointed it out. "They wear that for special occasions like this." The Doctor bowed and the children laughed when he quickly butted the wall with his bum before he straightened back up. "Yup, my husband is a very cheeky person, literally and figuratively," Rain said as Gaga chuckled. The children stood in front of the wall, sipping their sodas while they watched their father intently. Xashon sat down at the head of the table while the delegation sat down opposite the Doctor. Rain raised her eyebrow when Bobo sat down. "Good thing the chairs are made of metal in there," she said. Gaga laughed. "I've never met him but he's one of the elite. Most of them are that fat since they have servants to do everything except breathe and I'm sure one day they'll figure out a way for the servants to do that." "But aren't you part of the elite? You're a Lady, aren't ya?" Rain said. "Yeah, but I'm still not that high up compared to him. Besides I'm a woman and like I said before, being a woman doesn't count for crap on my planet, nobility or not." "I'm sure Xashon has filled you in on some of the details," the Doctor was saying to the delegation. "If by that you mean we know that Lady Gaga is here on this planet, then yes," Manon said. "And we've come to take her back with us." "I believe Lady Gaga is an adult and she has her own mind," the Doctor said. "She's expressed the wish not to return to Geordie." "That doesn't matter," Manon said. "She's a woman, she has no status and she has no say on whether or not she will come back with us. Her role is to be submissive." "Charming," Rain said to Gaga. "Yeah, now you see why I got the hell away from that place," Gaga replied. "Lady Gaga has applied for asylum here among us," Xashon said. Rain looked at Gaga. "You did?" "No, but I guess this is her way of trying to keep me here so I'm not gonna argue," Gaga replied. "We do not recognize a plea of asylum for women," Bobo said in a deep, watery voice. "Dear God, he is Jabba," Rain said. "Huh?" Lady Gaga said. "I'll explain later," Rain replied. "Well, that's unfortunate because we do recognize a plea of asylum from both genders," Xashon said. "We do not perceive Lady Gaga to be a threat so she is welcome here among us provided her petition is granted." "THERE IS NO PETITION! SHE IS NOTHING!" Manon said, springing to his feet. "Sit down!" Xashon said. Rain raised her eyebrow when Manon gave her a look that clearly said he didn't think much of her position of power either but then the Doctor stood up and Rain smirked when Manon quickly sat down. "You were saying all the legends you heard were about my husband being a badass?" Rain said to Gaga. "Yup, nearly all." "Well, that explains why he nearly pissed his pants when the Doctor stood up," Rain said as Gaga smirked and nodded. Everyone sat back down. "I take it you find my gender my issue then since you have such a low opinion of women to begin with?" Xashon said to Manon. The three men's eyes went from her to the Doctor and Rain suppressed a laugh when she noticed how nervous they looked. She was looking at her husband's back but she imagined he was giving them a warning look. And if he was, they would be wise to heed it. The discussion went on for about twenty minutes with everyone getting angrier and angrier. The delegation refusing to accept Lady Gaga's petition for asylum claming she had no rights as a female. Rain felt for Xashon because each time they put down females she looked like she was about to reach over and smack them on the face. Finally, the meeting was adjourned for the moment in order to let everyone calm down. The Doctor waited until a couple of guards escorted the delegation back to the waiting room before he and Xashon walked out and went into the observation room. "We're trying," the Doctor said to Gaga as he shut the door behind him. "I know you are and I appreciate this but you're fighting a losing battle. They're never gonna let me stay here." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "There's gonna be some way we can get them to leave you alone," he said as he paced back and forth. The children watched him pacing when suddenly Namid had an idea. "Hey!" she said, running over to him. "I got an idea." "Yes, Rainbow?" the Doctor said. "Uncle Alan," Namid said. "What about him?" "Get Uncle Alan over here." Namid said. "What for?" the Doctor said. "So he can talk to those people," Namid said. "Baby, the Doctor can't get through to them what makes you think Alan will?" Rain said. "Cause I got an idea, Daddy. Listen."
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next