PARENTHOOD
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Two Rain finished getting Hope into her blue jacket so they could go in the TARDIS. Rain had given coordinates to the TARDIS beforehand so as soon as they got inside, the TARDIS would take them to the predetermined locations for the Doctor's gifts. "What we gonna do, Mummy?" Hope asked her. "Something special for Daddy. He gave me his gifts, now I'm gonna give him his," Rain said with a twinkle in her eye. "And you get to come along and see. Do you wanna?" "Yes!" Hope said, excited. Rain smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm gonna get ready so wait for us," she said, stroking her long hair. Hope nodded and Rain gave her another kiss on the cheek before she went to her bedroom. Hope went downstairs, excitement filling her body while she wondered what her mother was going to do. She went to the bay window and looked out. Her eyes widened when she saw Donna walking by and she ran to the door, screaming her name as she opened the door. Donna stopped and looked at her. "Aunt Donna, wait, come with us!" Hope yelled as she ran up the pavement towards her. "Come with you where?" Donna asked, laying her hand on top of Hope's head. "Mummy's gonna take Daddy to get his gifts, come with us and see them!" Hope said, taking her hand. "Um...I'll have to ask your mum, love, I wasn't invited," Donna said as she walked with Hope back to the house. When they went back inside, they saw the Doctor going towards the open door. "Oh, wondered why that was standing open," the Doctor said when he saw them. "Daddy, can Aunt Donna come with us?" Hope said. "Well...this is your mum's idea so we better ask her but I'm sure she'll say yes if Donna wants to go," the Doctor said with a shrug. Rain came down the stairs and paused when she saw Donna. "Hey, Sis, didn't hear you knock," she said, coming the rest of the way down. "That's because your daughter tore out the door and came and got me," Donna said. "Can Aunt Donna come with us, Mummy?" Hope asked. "I don't want to bother you if this is something private," Donna said. "Nah, we're taking Hope along so it's not that private, you're welcome to come with us," Rain said. "Please? Please?" Hope said, tugging on her hand. "Oh alright, you talked me into it," Donna said with an exaggerated sigh. The Doctor gave her a hug before shutting and locking the door. Then all of them followed Rain into the garage. Once the door was open, Rain told the TARDIS to take them to the first location and the rotor came to life while the Doctor closed the door. "Where we goin', Daddy?" Hope asked him. "I don't know! Isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor said, getting in her face. He froze and his mouth hung open in a goofy grin. Hope giggled and walked around him while the Doctor remained frozen in the same position. Donna laughed and walked over to where Hope was standing and bent down so she could get in her face. "Act like an adult, ya twonk," she teased before she walked away. Rain laughed when the Doctor's fist shot out in front of him after she walked away. "Damn, I missed," the Doctor said, straightening back up. "Have to act quickly next time so I can knock her on her arse and...oh hi, Donna! Didn't see you there!" Rain snickered when Donna shot him a look and walked over to Rain who was standing with Hope at the console. The TARDIS landed, powered down and there was a flash behind them and a large wicker picnic basket and folded red blanket appeared on the jump seat. Rain handed the blanket to Hope and picked up the picnic basket. "Follow me and watch your step once you're outside," Rain said to them. "Hope, stay by someone's side, don't wander off, I mean it." The Doctor was intrigued. He and Donna shared a look and they walked outside. Once Rain opened the door, they saw a fire burning inside a ring of stones and all around them was the flat top of a mesa deep in the desert. Rain noticed her husband giving the fire a confused look and looking all around him. "It was me. I started the fire earlier and came back to nearly the same time I left," Rain said. "We're on top of a mesa, aren't we?" Donna said, looking around as the Doctor closed the TARDIS door. "Yes, in Arizona on the res," Rain said to her. "It's still dark now but the sun's about to come up. I thought we'd sit on top of this mesa, have a snack and watch the sun come up." "Ah, brilliant, I love a desert sunrise," the Doctor said. They sat the blanket down beside the fire and put the basket on it. All of them sat down and the Doctor got out two thermoses of tea and milk along with some mugs. He poured tea for the adults and put some milk in it and then poured a glass of milk for Hope. Then he took out a plate and a sack of cookies and arranged the cookies on the plate. The night was slightly chilly with a slight wind that made the fire dance and flicker but the adults weren't bothered by it. There was a crescent moon in the sky and the stars shone overhead. The Doctor took a bit of a chocolate chip cookie as he craned his neck back to look at them. Hope watched him and imitated him. "Pretty," she said, pointing up to the stars. "Yes, they are and I've been to most of them," the Doctor said. "What's your favorite?" Hope asked. "Um...that one," the Doctor said, randomly pointing to a star. He giggled when Hope stared up into the sky where he was pointing while she tried to figure out which star he was pointing at. He put his arm around her and kissed her head while she snuggled against him. Then about a half hour later, Hope noticed a star that was brighter than the others and she pointed to it. "Hey, that's bright!" she said. "That's the morning star, love," Donna said with a smile. "It comes out just before the sun comes up." "Otherwise known as Venus," the Doctor said to her in a loud stage whisper. "It's Venus, really!" "Who's he?" Hope said. Rain and Donna laughed when the Doctor feigned shock. "He's a bloke who owes me money and I need to go and hit him in the face sometime," the Doctor said in a conspiratorial whisper. "Ooo, can I watch when you do it?" Rain and Donna laughed harder when the Doctor gave his daughter a long, hard stare. "Do I know you, Captain Bloodlust?" he asked her while she giggled. "Do you like bloody things? I'm beginning to think I spawn people who love violence since both you and Jenny came from me." Hope laughed when he tickled her and she crawled over to Donna and sat down beside her. The Doctor feigned anger when she waved at him and stuck out her tongue. "See, she's got a lot of spunk, reminds me of me," Donna said. "I know, that's why I have to reprogram her brain before it's too late. Now perhaps the mind scrambler will do the trick, turn her subservient to me..." "Daddy is silly sometimes," Hope whispered to Donna. "Love, your daddy is silly all of the time," Donna whispered back. "Ahem, ahem," the Doctor said, getting up, going over to them and leaning over. "Talking about me then?" "Yes, as usual. We're talking about what a daft plonker you are," Donna said. "Um...see that edge over there. We're on top of a mesa and it's a long, long drop so I'd watch your gob if I were you before you were a blob on the desert floor." Donna let out a melodramatic yawn and rubbed Hope's shoulder as Hope stuck his tongue out at his father. The Doctor walked over to Rain. "Why don't people fear me?" he asked as he sat down beside her. "Because you're all blow and no show?" she said with a shrug. "You like to go on and on about things but you never do them because you love us and you wouldn't do it cause you're nice," Hope yelled. "No I'm not and I don't run my gob and I don't go on and on and I'm not nice and I'll throw you off the mesa, so there!" the Doctor yelled back. "NO YOU WON'T CAUSE YOUR NICE!" Hope screamed. "YES, I WILL CAUSE I'M NOT THAT NICE!" the Doctor screamed back. They laughed as he got to his feet, stomped to the edge of the mesa and screamed downward. "Feel better?" Donna asked him. "YES!" the Doctor screamed at her. "I FEEL TONS BETTER SINCE I'VE FIGURED OUT THAT I CAN SCREAM AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME! AAAAAAAH!" Hope leapt up, ran to him and Donna looked at Rain when the two of them screamed at the top of their lungs. "I can see why he's a great dad, both he and his clone brother are practically children," Donna said to her sister. "Yup, never grow up, that's my motto," the Doctor said, picking up Hope and holding her to his chest as he walked back to the blanket. By this time, the sky was lightening and the adults put out the fire so they could watch the sunrise. They sat together and Hope sat with Donna while the sky slowly lightened and in the distance, reddened. "Ooo," Hope said as they watched. "Pretty." "Yes, nothing like a desert sunrise," the Doctor said. "I..." He trailed off when Rain handed him a small jewelry box. He opened it and smiled when he saw a silver chain with a sliver of turquoise as a pendant. "Oh, this is beautiful, my love," the Doctor whispered as he held it up so Hope and Donna could see it. "Yeah, gift number one," Rain said as she took it from him and put it around his neck. The Doctor held up the turquoise so Hope could see it. Hope touched it and smiled. "I like it, Daddy." "Yes, I do too. It's beautiful. Always loved turquoise," he said. "So...what's next?" "Follow me everyone," Rain said, closing up the basket, "and the TARDIS will take us to the second location."
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