PARENTHOOD
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine Frankie stood in front of the jewelry store when Duer walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. "What are you looking at?" he whispered in her ear as she sighed and looked at the gold ring in the window. "Ah, you're looking at the birthstone ring." "Yeah, I know mine, Cam's, Cameron's and Faith's birthstones but I don't know yours or Jenna's," she said as he looked at the ring and blinked. He didn't know what his birthstone was as he looked at the selection of stones in the window and smiled at the chocolate diamonds in a ring next to the birthstone ring. "I know it's expensive, but I like that chocolate diamond ring there," he said she giggled. "Oh, of course," she said with a nod of her head and he smiled, kissing her cheek. "You did say that you'd forgive me for scaring Faith if I bought you something and I have decided on what I'm going to buy you," he said then vanished inside the jewelry store while Jamie and Faith, who had gone into the sweet shop, walked closer and Frankie turned, seeing a small paper sack in Faith's hands. "Did Jamie buy you some sweeties?" she asked. "Yeah," Faith said. "Did you tell him thank you?" "Aye, she did," Jamie said, leaning on the handle of the metal cane. "Where're Jenna and Cameron?" "They're in the music store," Jamie said, pointing to the music store with the metal cane. "Where's Daddy?" Faith asked when Duer walked out of the jewelry store and had a plastic bag in his hand. "Oh, there you are." "Did you get me some sweeties?" Duer asked as he reached for the paper sack but she pulled the paper sack away and shook her head. "Oh, ok, then I guess you can't see Mommy's special gift!" "No, I wanna see it!" Faith said as she jumped up and down and Duer held his hand out, wiggling his fingers. Faith opened the paper sack when she took out a banana lollipop and Duer's eyes went wide. Smiling, he took the lollipop as he took the wrapper off and placed the lollipop in his mouth. "My gift, please," Frankie said as he handed her the plastic bag and sent word to Jenna and Cameron to come to the jewelry store. A few minutes later Jenna and Cameron walked toward them as Jenna slid her arm around Jamie's arm and he kissed her cheek. "What's going on?" Cameron asked. "Daddy bought Mommy a special present!" Faith said as she took hold of Duer's hand and he smiled down at her. "Ooo, what is it?" Jenna asked when Frankie took the small box out of the plastic bag and held the black velvet box in her hand. She slowly opened the box when she looked at the gold ring sparkling in the light and tears filled the corner of her eyes. "Oh," she said softly as Duer took the black velvet box from her and took the gold ring out, placing it on her right ring finger then kissed the ring. Faith went on her tip toes as she tried to see the ring and he smiled, ruffling her hair. "Now," Duer said as he removed the lollipop from his mouth then showed them the ring and pointed to the amethyst at the center of the ring. "This is Mommy's birthstone. It's an amethyst." "What's that one?" Faith said, pointing to the emerald. "That is an emerald and that's Cameron's birthstone. Yours is the ruby," he said as he pointed to the ruby. "And whose birthstone is that?" Cameron asked as he pointed to the pearl. "That's for Jenna because she is my pearl," Duer said and Jenna blushed. "The chocolate diamond on the top is for me!" "It's really pretty, Mommy," Faith said. Frankie nodded then sniffed while Duer placed the lollipop in his mouth and hugged Frankie, sending love into her mind. Jamie looked at Jenna when she wiggled her finger at him and he moved his head closer so she could whisper in his ear. "I know what you're thinking, Highland, and I don't need one. You and the kids are my gems," she said and he shyly smiled while a blush moved across his cheeks. "Uh, Jenna whispered something naughty in Jamie's ear!" Duer said, taking the lollipop out of his mouth and shook his head. "Don't you have any shame?" "I was just telling him that he and my kids are my gems," she said and Frankie smiled, placing her head on Duer's shoulder. "What can we do now, Daddy?" Faith asked as they started walking toward the front of the shopping center then Duer stopped, seeing the bouncy house and smiled. "How about that?" he asked with the lollipop cushioned on one side of his mouth as Faith nodded and they walked toward the bouncy house. The attendant looked at him when he stood up and walked to Duer. "I already told you that this is for children only," the attendant said as Duer frowned and tilted his head to one side. He thought for a few seconds when he smiled, took the lollipop out of his mouth and rolled his eyes. "Was I with someone else that looked like me?" Duer asked and the attendant nodded his head. "Ah, that would have been my brothers. We're triplets." "I don't care. You can't go in there," the attendant said and Duer gave him a blank look. "It's probably sticky from kids peeing in it anyway," Duer said then, with a snort, he placed the lollipop back in his mouth and took Faith's hand. The attendant flipped them off as Jamie and Jenna laughed and Duer swung Faith's hand back and forth. "Do kids really pee in there," Daddy?" she asked and Duer shrugged. Faith giggled as they walked out of the shopping center and saw the Doctor and his family standing near the TARDIS. Waving at them, Duer told them that they were going home and the Doctor nodded. Cameron was pushing the wheelchair while Jamie held the bags in his lap and the metal cane was dangling on the back of the wheelchair. Duer patted the side of the minivan as the TARDIS hummed inside his head and changed back into a police call box. "Daddy, what does she like looking like a police call box?" "I don't know. I guess she's looked like one for so long that it's like a default setting. Why? Do you want her to look like something else?" he asked after taking the lollipop out of his mouth. "No, I like her like this," Faith said, patting the wood and the TARDIS blew warm wind through her hair. Nodding, Duer placed the lollipop back in his mouth then unlocked the doors and leaned against the doorway. "WAIT!" Alan shouted as he ran toward them then scooped Faith in his arms and placed her over his right shoulder. "Ok, you can go now." "And why would we leave without my daughter?" Duer asked while wagging the lollipop at him. "Because Bossy the cow, that's me, needs a new milkmaid and your daughter would be perfect for the job," Alan said when Rain walked over and took Faith off of his shoulder. "Hey!" "Sorry about that," she said as she handed Faith to Frankie and Faith giggled. Alan yelped while Rain grabbed hold of his ear and half dragged him toward the others. "How do they put up with him?" Frankie asked while shaking her head and they laughed. Duer saw the Doctor shrugging his shoulders as Duer nodded and they went inside the TARDIS. The soft humming sound filled the air as the TARDIS vanished and Alan walked to the Doctor, placing his head on his shoulder. "Dang, there goes my new milkmaid," Alan said while the Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Duer walked to the doorway when he saw Faith placing the Tinkerbell dolls in the little fairy house that the TARDIS had made her and Elby, the chibi doll of Duer's eleventh life that Marion had made for Frankie when Duer was going into exile, was poking at them. "Meepa?" Elby asked as it pointed at the dolls and Faith shook her head. "No, they're not alive," she said and Elby sighed, leaning against her. "Don't be sad. I don't want another living doll. You're my best friend." "I thought that I was your best friend," Duer said when he walked closer and sat on the floor, placing her and Elby on his lap. "You are," she said as she leaned against him and Elby smiled up at him. "That's good. I was worried there for a second," Duer teased and she giggled. "Daddy, can I ask you something?" "Sure, what do you want to know?" "How come Hope has more brothers and sisters then I do?" "Well, it's because the Doctor keeps adopting kids left and right. I don't feel comfortable doing that so I just have you, Jenna and Cameron." "You forgot Jamie." "Yep, Jamie will always be the son of my hearts." "Hope has a Dex. Where is my Dex?" she asked and Duer sighed, wrapped his arms around her. "Well, that is a sad story. Are you sure that you want to hear it?" "Yeah," Faith said and nodded her head. "Dex was the oldest of my children when I lived in my old universe. He loved to travel in the TARDIS with me and I always thought that he would be my companion. I was so proud of him while he was at the academy and his mother, my first wife, said that he was so much like me that she was afraid that he was going to get himself killed someday. I told her that she was over reacting but she was right." "He was killed?" she asked and held Elby against her chest. "Yep," Duer sighed and kissed the top of her head. "He was exploring with some friends when he was attacked by a halnar." "What is that?' "It's something like a bear and a wolverine," Duer said when Elby got off his lap then ran into its dollhouse. A few moments later Elby came out wearing a blue and yellow superhero outfit and the gloves had six plastic claws sticking out of them. Elby walked to them as it looked up at them and smiled. "No, it's not that kind of wolverine." Elby pouted as Faith picked it up and held Elby on her lap. Duer rolled his eyes as he patted Elby on the head and Elby moved the mask back, making its brown hair sticking up on its head. "His friends scared the halnar off and took Dex back to the citadel. He was taken to the hospital but he was too badly hurt and they made him comfortable until I got there." "Where were you?" "I was off world." "Why didn't he regenerate?" "His hearts were too badly damaged. He died in his sleep," he said and Faith sighed, placing her head against his chest. "Do you think he would have liked me?" she asked and he kissed the top of her head. "He would have loved you," he said softly and Faith smiled. "Right, it's time for bed." Faith nodded when she and Elby went to get ready for bed then crawled under the duvet and Duer sat on the bed. "Tell me a story about Dex," she said as Duer wrapped his arm around her, kissed the top of her head and began to tell her a story about Dex.
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