PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six

The shopping center was fairly new, only a few years old. The interior was wide and airy with plate glass ceilings to let in ample light and plants and fountain to add an aesthetic touch. The shops were on either side, spaced out evenly and offering everything from clothes to books. At the far end was a large food court with metal chairs and tables that were in the center of a semi circle of different restaurants. Everyone came in the revolving doors and stood for a moment, taking everything in. The Doctor took his magic wallet out of his pocket and produced 25 pounds. He handed it to Rain who put it in the billfold in Hope's lavender purse.

"I'm giving you 25 quid," the Doctor said to Hope. "That should be enough to buy a toy and a snack so don't ask for anything more than that, got it?"

Hope nodded and the Doctor tousled her hair. Rain handed her the purse and kissed her cheek before Jenny took her hand. They watched while Jenny led her off towards the toy shop.

"Ah, we don't have to look after the wee one, she's in good hands," the Doctor said with a sigh. "Now, I hope I don't have to remind the rest of you to behave yourselves and that goes double for you, Opal and Amelia."

"Amy, Papaw, it's Amy now."

"Like I said...Amelia, I want you to behave."

"It's Amy now, Papaw."

The Doctor eyed her while Amelia and the other women giggled.

"Anyway, behave yourselves and we'll meet at the food court in two hours," he said to them.

Jenny walked with Hope over to the toy shop near the back of the shopping center. Hope was glancing all around, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells while Jenny smiled at her lovingly. Hope looked up at her.

"I like traveling with Daddy and Mummy," she said to her.

"So do I. I love to travel," Jenny replied.

"Did you do this when you were small?" Hope asked.

A sad smiled spread over Jenny's face.

"I was never small, love. I was born this way," she said, pointing to herself.

"But...everyone is a baby once, Mummy said that," Hope said.

"Not me, love, and not your Aunt Jenna or Uncle Alan or Adam or John. We were all adults when we were born."

"How'd you do that?" Hope asked.

"Well, these people forced Dad to put his hand in a machine and they took a sample of tissue from his body and made me."

"How come?"

Another sad smile.

"Because these people were fighting a group of people called the Hath and they needed as many soldiers as they could and they made me so I could fight in their war. But Dad showed me a better way of living, one that didn't involve fighting and being a soldier and I don't fight anymore except when I have to defend myself or others."

"So...you never got to play with toys then?" Hope asked as they stopped outside the toy shop.

"Nope. I was too old for toys," Jenny said.

"No, you're never too old for toys. You come with me and we'll find something to play with," Hope said, tugging on her hand.

Jenny smiled lovingly at her, squeezed her hand and they went inside the shop. Inside were all sorts of toys, some in cardboard displays and some on metal shelves. Jenny did feel a pang of regret that she never had a chance to play with some of the wonderful toys on the shelves on either side of her but she was happy that her sister was born naturally and her father was allowing her to have a childhood, especially since she knew that his childhood had been anything but idyllic. They walked down one aisle and Hope stopped. Jenny stopped with her and looked where she was looking and smiled when she saw a Sesame Street Ernie plushie inside a blue box. Ernie was dressed in red swim trunks and was holding a rubber duck in his hands. There was a small hole in the cellophane on the front of the box and a sticker on Ernie's foot indicated that it should be squeezed. Jenny did and Ernie began to rock back and forth while Rubber Duckie played from his belly.

"Oo, I want that. I want that. Do I have enough money?" Hope said, tugging on Hope's green shirt. "Daddy gave me 25 quid. Do I have enough?"

Jenny took the box down and checked the price tag on the side of it. She smiled when she noticed it was on sale for 10 pounds and she nodded at her sister and was even more elated when she saw the ecstatic expression on her face.

"I want it. I want Ernie, Sissy," Hope said.

Jenny handed her the box and they kept on looking. They reached the end of the aisle, made a U turn and headed into the next one. Hope stopped when she saw Alan and Rose standing at the far end. They waved and Hope and Jenny walked up to them.

"Hello, beloved niece of mine, are you shopping for fun things?" Alan said.

Hope showed him the Ernie and Alan and Rose chuckled when Alan squeezed his foot and he came to life.

"I have enough money," Hope said happily. "Daddy gave me 25 quid for toys and something to eat and I have enough to buy Ernie."

"Aw, hear that, Starlight? Brother is teaching her financial responsibility. My hearts are warmed by that," he said to her.

"Are you gonna get a toy?" Hope asked.

"Nah, I saw you and Jen come in here and we wanted to say hello before we went on. You have fun though shopping with your sister and playing with Ernie," he said. "We'll see you both later."

Hope and Jenny said goodbye to them as they turned and went outside. Hope turned and looked up at her sister.

"You gonna get a toy now?" she asked.

Jenny started to say no and then suddenly thought better of it. With a smile she nodded and Hope took her hand and walked with her back down the aisle.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Rain were walking around, looking at the shops, trying to decide where to go. They held hands while they walked.

"Perhaps we could go into the record store?" Rain said, pointing to a record shop.

"What for?" the Doctor said.

"Just because. It's a lot better than wandering around out here," she said.

"Not all who wander are lost. J.R.R. Tolkien," the Doctor said airly.

"Well, as many times as you've gotten lost traveling, I don't think J.R.R was thinking of you," Rain said.

"How dare you. I've never gotten lost. I just end up somewhere surprising," the Doctor replied. "But I always manage to make the best of the situation. Lemons into lemonade and all that, you know."

"Mm, if you say so, Thete," Rain said.

They stopped when they saw Alan run past them. He came to a sudden stop in front of a martial arts supply store and looked at them while he pointed to them.

"Lookie, I can stock up on things that kill. See ya inside," he said before he rushed in.

"Oh Lord, I can just imagine what the maniac will buy in there," Rain said while the Doctor sniggered.

"Say," Alan said, stepping out of the store, "isn't this Emi's thing? Shouldn't we be fetching her?"

He went back inside while the Doctor snickered.

"As you can see, my husband is imagining that he's Super-Ninja Destroyer again."

They turned and saw Rose standing behind them.

"I'm sure he has this secret fantasy about being Jet Li and annihilating everything in his path," she added. "Moral high ground be damned with him. He just wants to kill."

"Ah, well, that's because he's my dark side, the side that thinks moral high ground be damned," the Doctor said.

Alan suddenly stepped outside the store.

"Hey, I could buy a long Samurai sword and wreck havoc on the shopping center. Shall we take a vote? Who thinks I should?"

No one raised their hands and the Doctor laughed when he flipped them the V's and went back inside.

"On second thought, it might be fun watching him chop humans up into little bits, I vote for sushi in the shopping center," the Doctor said.

Alan came out of the shop holding a tiny brown paper sack in his hand.

"Oh no, what's he got?" Rose said while the Doctor snickered.

She came up to the front of the group, folded her arms over her chest and stared at him while he walked up. Alan stopped in front of her, gave her a kiss on the forehead and was about to turn and walk away when Rose's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"What is it?" Rose said to him.

"Well...offhand, I'd say it's my arm," Alan said to her.

"No, what is in the sack, ya twonk! What did you get?" Rose said while the Doctor and Rain giggled.

Alan straightened up and gave her a haughty look as he reached inside the sack and brought out a steel six-pointed shiriken.

"My money, my purchase," he said to her.

"Why the hell did you get a throwing star?" Rose said to him.

"Um...shits and giggles? I can use it to threaten the neighbors? I can write letters to Jackie, stick them on one point and throw it into her house?"

Rose groaned and turned to the Doctor.

"Ya had to go and stick me with him, didn't ya?" she said to the Doctor while Rain laughed.

"You didn't have to stay with him. When I said look after him that was just a suggestion. You and he aren't joined at the hip," the Doctor said. "You chose to stay with him and now you have to put up with him and his...throwing star."

"Beware, Rose Tyler, I hold thy doom in my hand," Alan said ominously as he put the shiriken in her face. "Obey me or get a doodah in your hoo-hah!"

Rose tried to look stern but was losing the battle while the Doctor and Rain giggled. Alan, sensing Rose was losing her composure, got in her face.

"I am Ninja Lord, king of all ninjas and I shall put this throwing star into thy skull if thou doesn't give me nookie."

Rose tried desperately not to crack a smile while Alan stared at her with wide eyes.

"Fear me and my nifty star of destruction, Roseta Stooooone."

"Get away from me, ya git," Rose finally said, playing shoving him back before laughing. "God, I thought the Doctor was certifiable but you put him to shame."

"I take offense at that. I'm not certifiable. I've been examined and declared mentally sane. See?"

He pulled out his psychic paper, opened it and showed Rose. Alan chuckled when he looked over Rose's shoulder and saw a small photo of the Doctor with crossed eyes and his tongue sticking out while the word SANE was beside it in bold, black letters.

"Ha, yeah, you're sane all right," Rose said, rolling her eyes while the Doctor grinned and put his psychic paper back in his pocket.

Rose looked past him and the Doctor and Rain turned to see Hope and Jenny walking up to them. Jenny was carrying a large red sack and Hope was carrying a small blue sack. Hope walked up to her father, reached in and gave him a small brown teddy bear.

"For you, just cause," she said.

"Ooo, I love teddy bears," the Doctor said.

Hope reached into the bag and gave her mother a small white teddy bear. Rain smiled and kissed the top of her head. She gave Rose a brown bear and stopped by Alan.

"Well, fork it over, Rover," Alan said, holding out his hand.

"I didn't have enough money and..."

"No, you did have enough money, you're just holding out because you like to tease your favorite family member, now...where's my huge, expensive item that I can use to gloat to the others about how much you love me."

Hope grinned, reached into the sack and pulled out a little blue bouncing ball. Everyone laughed as Alan stared at it for a moment in feigned shock and then a grin spread over his face while he bounced it on the floor and caught it.

"What about you, baby? You didn't get anything?" Rain asked Hope.

Hope walked over to the large sack in Jenny's hands and pulled out the Ernie.

"Aha, see? We get small trinkets and she gets a huge plushie monstrosity that'll break down in two seconds," the Doctor said, pointing to it. "She doesn't love us as much as she loves Ernie."

"Who cares. I like my bouncy ball," Alan said as he bounced it.

"How much did this cost?" the Doctor teased his daughter as he poked her in the stomach. "How much, huh? Two billion quid? You went over budget, didn't ya? Admit it!"

"It cost ten quid, it was on sale and the little gifts were all a pound or less," Jenny said.

"You mean she actually listened to me when I said don't go over budget?" the Doctor said as the other adults laughed. "Someone listened for once, my mind is officially blank."

Jenny smiled and pressed the foot. They watched while Ernie rocked back and forth while Rubber Duckie played.

"I'm gonna pinch that when Hopey isn't looking, just sayin'," Alan said when it finished playing.

"Show em what you got, Sissy," Hope said to Jenny.

Everyone looked at her and Jenny sheepishly pulled out a rag doll from the sack. It resembled her with yellow yarn hair. Jenny was about to explain herself when Hope walked over to the Doctor and took his hand.

"Jenny said she was born from you and she came out looking all grown up and she never was small and played with toys so I told her it was okay to get a toy and be a little girl."

The Doctor's hearts lurched at that and he fought to keep his emotions in check while he squeezed Hope's hand. He suddenly decided he needed to talk to Jenny about this, so he suggested going to the food court for something to drink.

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