PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two

After everyone got into the TARDIS and the Doctor took it into the vortex, Hope went back to her bedroom on the timeship. She went inside the cheerfully decorated room and the moment she entered, the Sesame Street theme song began to play. Hope stopped and looked up at the ceiling before a smile broke out over her face and she began to sing along. She walked over to her bed and took her Barbie doll off it. As she walked out of the room, the Sesame Street music followed her and Hope giggled, knowing the TARDIS was doing it. She turned a corner and ran into Jenny, Emi, Amelia and Opal. They stared at her for a moment when she stopped in front of them and then Amelia pointed to the Barbie doll.

"Oh my God, Jenny has her own doll!" she said with feigned shock.

"Piss off, Amelia," Jenny said while the adult girls laughed.

They all stood there for a moment listening to C is for Cookie as it played above their heads.

"What's this rubbish?" Jenny finally said. "Why are we listening to baby music?"

"Um...because we're in the presence of a baby?" Opal said with a shrug.

"Leave me alone," Hope said, walking past them.

"Oops, little baby gonna cry now," Opal said.

"Leave me alone!" Hope yelled out as she walked off.

As she headed for the console room, the music followed her and she did a few little skips as the Sesame Street songs lifted her spirits. When she entered the console room, she noticed her father and Dex were by the console. The Doctor was gesturing to a few of the controls while they talked about the TARDIS. Both men paused when they heard Rubber Duckie suddenly playing above their heads. They glanced up as Hope walked up to them.

"What in the name of Rassilon is this music?" Dex asked.

"I believe it's Rubber Duckie from Sesame Street and I believe the old girl is playing it for the child's amusement," the Doctor said, gesturing to Hope.

"Where's Mummy?" Hope asked.

"I tied her to the back of the TARDIS so she can check for traffic while we fly," the Doctor said with wide eyes. "I keep running into cars in the vortex and I finally decided to use your mum as a lookout. Want me to tie you up beside her so you can chat?"

"No!" Hope said before running around Dex and hiding.

"Ok!" the Doctor said before he ran around the console and hid.

Hope giggled and came up beside her brother, taking his hand.

"Daddy's silly," Hope said, looking up at him.

"Yes. But he wasn't always this silly, at least not with me. You're lucky. You came along after he learned to relax and be more at ease with himself and others."

"I had a lot of demons to sort through and let go of," the Doctor said to him as he came around the console. "But now that I've let go of a lot of the things from the past, I can be a bit sillier than I used to be."

"See," Amelia said as the Doctor's daughters and granddaughters came into the room. "There's the baby's music, told ya we'd find the baby in here."

"Daddy, tell them to leave me alone. I'm not a baby," Hope said, walking up to her father while his daughters headed towards them.

"She's listening to baby music," Sokanon said, pointing up to the ceiling.

"Hmmm, they do have a valid point," the Doctor said.

He tousled Hope's hair and chuckled when Hope let out a puff of angry air at that. He picked her up and Hope wrapped her arms around him while he held her close to him. While he was doing that, Rain and Chaska came into the room. Chaska made a face when he heard It's Not Easy Being Green playing above him.

"Ugh! Do you have to play this rubbish, Daddy?" Chaska asked as they came up to him.

"Not my idea. Blame the TARDIS. She's the one playing it for your sister," the Doctor said. "Besides, you used to like this stuff. I got you a Tickle Me Elmo one year and you wore it out because you insisted on carrying it around all the time with ya."

The women all laughed as Chaska blushed deeply. The Doctor put his arm around him.

"Don't make fun of your sister, you aren't that far removed from your childhood," he said to his son.

Chaska was about to reply when the mobile rang in the Doctor's pocket. The Doctor sighed, pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Yes?" the Doctor said.

"Guess where I am?" Alan said to him.

"The seventh level of Hell. You found a way to get into Dante's Inferno and you're living it right now," the Doctor said.

"No, but that's an interesting idea. Have to see if I can do that sometime. Nope, I am in a Jacuzzi with the misses in a health spa on Zatron Nineteen. You?"

"No, I'm not in a Jacuzzi at the moment," the Doctor said.

"No, I mean, what are you doing this very moment?" Alan said.

"Standing in front of the monitor while the TARDIS flies through the vortex."

"Ah! And what misadventures are you going to get into?"

"Well...I s'pose we'll get into some misadventures while we go shopping."

There was a long pause.

"Shopping? You're going shopping and didn't think to ask us?" Alan finally said.

"Um...well, this was going to be for us and the children except Amelia and Opal apparently thought we wanted them here and tagged along," he said, glancing at them while the two women stuck their tongues out at them. "Besides, you and Rose are in a Jacuzzi at the moment."

"Yes but...shopping and..."

The Doctor heard a grunt followed by Rose saying "Give me that!" in the background.

"Doctor, never mind him. You go ahead and shop with your family if you want. He's being a whiny jealous baby as usual," Rose said to him.

"Am not," Alan said in the background.

The Doctor chuckled.

"If you and Alan want to come with us, you can. You know I don't mind having you lot come with us."

"Yes! Shopping trip!" Alan said in the background.

"Oi! Don't get me and mobile wet, you git!" Rose yelled as the Doctor heard splashing sounds. "He's already out of the Jacuzzi and getting dried off so I s'pose that means I have no choice now."

"Do you need me to send coordinates?" the Doctor said.

"Nah, we'll just track your TARDIS's artron energy signature and meet you when you land," Rose said.

"Okay, see you soon," the Doctor said before he hung up the phone and told the others what was happening.

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