PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five

"Banana!" Adam shouted while standing near the kitchen island and Alan leaned his hands on the counter, locking eyes with him.

"I say red silk! It's my brother and sister-in-law's birthday, you know!" Alan said as they glared at each other then yelped when Marion and Rose smacked them on the back of their heads.

"Why not make both?" Rose asked as they looked at her and blinked.

"And why are you two making the cake anyway? The TARDIS will make one for them," Marion said while putting the kettle on for some tea and Alan leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest.

"Well, we couldn't think of anything to get them for their birthday and the TARDIS agreed that we could make the cake this year," he said and Rose gave him a slightly stunned look.

"Are you serious?" she asked and Alan and Adam nodded their heads.

"Oh, this is going to be a disaster," Marion sighed and they gave her a stunned look.

"I can bake, you know," Adam said and Marion half smiled.

"Yeah, and the last time you baked anything, you nearly set the kitchen on fire," she teased and Adam arched an eyebrow at her.

"Right, out, the pair of you," Alan said, pointing with a wooden spoon.

"Not until we have our tea," Rose said.

"Fine, have your tea then get out!" Adam said and Rose and Marion softly laughed.

Frankie snuggled under the duvet when she sighed and reached her hand across the bed. Feeling the empty space, she opened her eyes then frowned and wondered where Duer was. Suddenly she heard soft whispers coming from behind the door as she smiled and closed her eyes again. Duer quietly opened the door as he held it open and Faith walked toward the bed, carrying a gift bag in her hands. In front of her was Elby, her chibi of Duer's eleventh life, and it was carrying a single rose in its hands like a flag. The rose bobbed up and down as they walked closer to the bed and Duer followed behind them, carrying the tray with Frankie's breakfast.

"Is Mommy still asleep?" Faith asked as she tried to see when Duer placed the tray on the floor and sat down on the bed.

"Mommy, are you asleep?" he asked he gently shook Frankie but she didn't wake up and he felt her giggling inside his mind. "Ah, I think Mommy needs a kiss to wake up."

"Oh yuck," Faith said as she scrunched up her face and Elby made kissy lips, making Duer smile. Sticking his tongue out at Faith, Duer leaned over and kissed Frankie's cheek.

"Time to wake up, Love," he thought as Frankie smiled and opened her eyes, looking up at him.

"Morning," Frankie said as Faith placed Elby on the bed then climbed on the bed and crawled toward her. Elby held up the rose as it smiled at Frankie and she took the rose, sniffing it. "Thank you."

Elby blushed after Frankie kissed the top of its head and buried its face in its hands. Duer rolled his eyes while Frankie sat up and picked Elby off the bed, holding it in her arms.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy," Faith said as she handed Frankie the gift bag and Elby tried to see what was inside the gift bag. Frankie held the gift bag open as Elby peeked inside and reached inside, trying to pick up the small box that was inside the gift bag. Yelping, Elby slipped inside the gift bag as its tiny legs kicked back and forth and Faith giggled, lifting Elby out of the gift bag.

"Hey, that's hers!" Duer said as Elby nodded then held the velvet covered box out to Frankie and she took the velvet covered box from Elby. Faith crawled up the bed until she was snuggled between Duer and Frankie and held Elby in her arms. Frankie smiled when she opened the velvet box then looked at the gold necklace and her eyes went wide. Picked up the gold necklace, she saw the gemstone charms and Duer kissed her hair. "Like it?"

"Oh yes!" Frankie said as Faith pouted and looked up at him.

"What are those?" she asked as she pointed to the gemstone charms and Duer smiled.

"Well, the first one is for Mommy's birthday, the second one is for Uncle Cameron's birthday, the third one is for Cameron's birthday and this one is for your birthday," Duer said while Faith kept count then pouted.

"Wait, there isn't one for your birthday, Daddy," she said and Duer shyly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's because I don't know when my birthday is," he said and they gave him a stunned look.

"You don't?" Faith asked with wide eyes.

"Nope," Duer said, shaking his head.

"And you never had a birthday party?"

"Nope, not a one!" he said.

"And you never had birthday cake or a party or presents?"

"No, poor me," he sighed and Faith frowned.

"We need to pick a day for Daddy so he can a have a birthday!" she said and Frankie smiled at her.

"That is a lovely idea!" she said and Elby nodded.

"Oh, don't do that, I'm happy not having one," he said when Faith knelt on the bed and placed her hands on her hips.

"No, you should have one!" Faith said, wagging a finger at him and Elby waved a finger at him as well.

"Well, do you have any date in mind?" he asked as Faith yelped from him tickling her armpits and she wiggled on the bed.

"Yeah, how about Christmas?" she asked and Duer gave her a stunned look.

"And why would I want to celebrate it on Christmas?"

'Well, you would get a lot of presents!" Faith said with a smile and Frankie softly smiled, shaking her head.

"I had a friend that was a Christmas baby, but she hated it," she said and Faith looked at her.

"Why?"

"She just did."

"Can Daddy have his birthday on Halloween?"

"Why would I want that for a birthday?" Duer asked with wide eyes. "There would be all these monsters and ghosts running and I'd be scared!"

"But you could go out and get candy," Faith said and Duer thought for a few seconds then nodded.

"She does have a point. Imagine all the candy I could get by telling people it was my birthday!" he said and Frankie softly giggled.

"Right, like you need an excuse when it comes to getting candy," she said and Duer gave her a stunned look.

"Can I help it if I have a sweet tooth?" he asked and she kissed his cheek.

"It must be a Time Lord thing. The Doctor and Amato are candy-holics, too," Frankie said then moved away as he tried to tickle and Faith giggled.

"Well, maybe I have to live without having a birthday," Duer sighed, lowering his chin toward his chest. Faith crawled onto his lap when she lifted his chin and patted his cheeks with her hands.

"You can share my birthday, Daddy," she said as his eyes went wide and he sent little cartoon hearts into her head.

"Yay, I have a birthday!" he said as she kissed the tip of his nose and settled against him with her back against his chest. Duer wrapped his arms around her when he remembered the tray by the bed and looked down at it. "Um, Mommy's breakfast is getting cold."

"I'll get it," Frankie sighed as she got out of bed, walked around to the other side of the bed, picked up the tray then walked around to the other side of the bed. Sitting down on the bed, she placed the tray on her lap when she looked at the tray and lifted the lid off the first plate.

On the plate were some eggs, square sausages carved into the shape of a heart and some orange slices and Frankie placed her head on Duer's shoulder. Under the second lid was a bowl of apple and cinnamon yogurt and some sliced bananas. A small pot of tea, a china cup and silverware were also on the tray and Duer reached over and tucked the napkin under her chin.

"Am I supposed to eat all this?" she asked and Duer nodded. Shrugging, she picked up the fork then started eating and Duer placed his head against hers.

"Ok, you can come in now," Alan called from the kitchen doorway and Rose and Marion got off the couch, walking toward the kitchen. They had heard a few curse words while Adam and Alan were in the kitchen, but they were not ready for what was sitting on the kitchen island counter.

"Whoa," Marion said.

"Blimey," Rose said and Adam gave them a blank look while wiping off the counter. On the counter was a seven tier cake covered in pink fondant with red and milk chocolate hearts and HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOCTOR AND RAIN was written on the bottom. "You did NOT make this!"

"Do you hear that, Old Smelly Toes? They are questioning our baking abilities!" Alan said and Adam pouted.

"I hear that, Old Cake Master, the nerve of them doubting us!" Adam said and tossed the towel he was using to wipe the counter down on the counter.

"Ok, we're sorry," Marion said and Rose nodded.

"Then we forgive you," Alan said as they walked out of the kitchen and Rose looked at Marion then the cake.

"Do you really think they made it?" Rose asked when Marion walked to the back door, following a trail of black crumbs. Placing her finger to her lips, they walked outside then walked to the rubbish bin and Rose nodded. Marion opened the lid of the rubbish bin then looked inside and smiled. Rose looked at what she was looking at when she saw the burnt remains of the cake, several ruined plastic bowls, piles of ruined fondant and globs of melted chocolate. Closing the lid, Marion hushed her as they went back inside and closed the door.

"You made the cake, didn't you?" Rose thought after setting up a privacy block and the TARDIS grumbled inside her mind.

"Did she make the cake?" Marion asked and Rose nodded.

"But we're going to pretend that they made it," Rose said.

"Yeah, or we're going to have to watch them sitting around, moping and complaining," Rose sighed when Alan and Adam walked back into the kitchen and tilted their heads to one side.

"Who are you talking about?" Alan asked.

"Uh..." Rose said as Alan walked to her and placed his hands on his hips.

"Well?" he asked, tapping his foot.

"She's talking about the Doctor and Rain!" Marion said as Adam walked to her and stood in front of her, his hands on his hips.

"And why would they be moping? It's their birthday," he said.

"Well, they are going to be sad that they have to cut into that masterpiece over there," Marion said, pointing to the cake and they looked at it.

"Ah, I see your point," Alan said.

"Yes, it is a work of art," Adam said with a grin.

"Well, how about asking the TARDIS to put it in the party room and we go get ready?" Marion asked as she held her hand out and Adam took her hand.

"See ya later," Adam said as they left the kitchen and Alan walked to the kitchen island and looked at the cake.

"Oh, you are so beautiful!" he said as he placed his elbows on the table and placed his chin on the back of his hands. Smiling, he half closed his eyes then turned his head and looked at Rose. "The TARDIS does great work, eh?"

"Hold on, you knew that you didn't make this?" she asked as he stood up and stood against the counter.

"Starlight, I may be a lot of things, but a baker I am not!" he said with a smile and she sighed, rolling her eyes. Walking to her, Alan placed his arm around her waist as they left the kitchen and the cake disappeared.

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