PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five

The Doctor, Jack and Hope lay together in the bed. Rain put the radio on the table beside the sofa and soft rock was still playing while the others sat outside by the pool and chatted. The Doctor listened to the soft voices floating in through the open door and watched Anne and Elizabeth come inside so they could sleep in their dog beds. He glanced at Jack who had his eyes closed but he could tell he wasn't asleep. He looked at Hope who was cuddling with him and staring up at him with her expressive dark brown eyes.

"I'm not sleepy anymore," the Doctor said to his daughter. "I'm bored. Sing for me."

"What?" Hope said.

"Um...sing the ABC song for me."

"A, B, C, D, EFG..."

Hope giggled when Jack started to sing instead of her.

"Ahem, I meant the child, not the man-child," the Doctor said. "Sing the ABC song for me."

"No, I wanna sing something else," Hope said.

"Okay, sing something for me."

"Great big gobs of greasy, grimy, gopher guts. Mutilated monkey feet, chopped up baby parakeet."

Jack chuckled when Hope giggled at the shocked look on the Doctor's face.

"Where did you hear that?" the Doctor said to her.

Jack snorted.

"I can figure that one out, can't you?" he said, opening one eye to look at the Doctor.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"In future, I'll have a talk with Brother about teaching Hope certain songs," he said dryly while Hope giggled.

"Speak of the devil," Jack said when Alan slipped through the patio door into the room.

Alan walked up to the Doctor's side and leaned over.

"Soon..." he said in an ominous whisper. "Soon, you will be asleep and then you'll be mine. Bwahahahaha!"

"No!" Hope said.

"Silence, child, you will know my wrath and believe me, I have wrath," Alan said. "I have wrath, really I do."

"You gonna lay down with us?" Hope asked.

"Um..." Alan said, looking at the bed. "I don't think there'd be room for me in there. You're sorta full now. But don't worry, once you're asleep and vulnerable...I will return."

He said this last part in a hushed whisper as he walked to the lavatory.

"Don't worry, we'll protect ya from Mister Silly," the Doctor said to Hope. "So...how 'bout that song? Sing me something so you can ring in your birthday with a song in your hearts."

Hope thought and then sang C is for Cookie to them. The Doctor and Jack smiled while she sang softly. While she was doing that, the Doctor heard the toilet flush and heard the lavatory door open.

"Okay, let's see if they're asleep yet," Alan said as he walked into the room. "Wait? What's this? Singing? Curses. I love the innocent songs of children; I have no defense against it!"

"I'm just singing for Daddy. He wanted me to sing," Hope said to him.

"I'm glad. You need to help your daddy and Uncle Jack get better and singing will help," Alan said, laying his hand on the top of her head.

"Sit with us and have some fun," Hope said, pointing to the chair near the bed.

The Doctor handed him the Scooby Doo blanket and he draped it around him while he sat down in the chair.

"So...continue with the singing," Alan said to Hope.

"No, I want a story now," Hope said softly. "Tell me a story, please."

"Oh boy," Jack said when he saw the delighted look on Alan's face.

"Once upon a time there was a dashingly handsome clone who had ambitions of ruling the world. Problem was, one person stood in his way of world conquest."

Hope giggled when Alan got up, poked the Doctor repeatedly in the cheek for several seconds and then sat back down.

"Now..." Alan said, arranging his blanket while he spoke. "The person in question was a clever man but the clone was far cleverer than he."

Jack caught the Doctor's eye and rolled his while the Doctor nodded.

"So one day while the man was asleep, the clone crept up and gave him a wet willy. Ha, said he. I have triumphed and so it was from that day forward."

"Uh, you're s'posed to entertain the child, not bore her to tears," the Doctor said, glancing over his shoulder at him.

"She loves anything I do, I'm a neverending source of amusement for her," Alan said.

The Doctor caught his daughter's eye and she giggled when he spun his finger around his ear. Alan looked over when Rose came into the room.

"I figured you couldn't resist bothering them," Rose said.

"Oi, Hope is lying there keeping them awake. And she invited me to sit," Alan said indignantly. "I'm having fun with them."

"He's not bothering us," the Doctor said.

Rose nodded and turned around. The Doctor looked behind him at Alan and mouthed Tarty to him with a wink. Rose turned her head and eyed them when Alan sniggered at that.

"I don't know why he's laughing but I can guess my little nickname has something to do with it," Rose said.

Alan and the Doctor shared at look.

"That's incredible. She guessed," the Doctor said.

"It's the Bad Wolf. It's made her incredibly psychic and now she can read minds," Alan said.

"I don't need to read minds to know what you lot get up to," Rose said, walking back outdoors.

"Oh, I better butter her up before she spends the night angry," Alan said, taking the blanket away and getting up. "I'll see you lot later...when you're asleep."

Hope giggled and Alan smiled affectionately before he leaned over and kissed her cheek. He strolled out the front door while the Doctor adjusted the eiderdown and held Hope close to him while he, Hope and Jack closed their eyes.

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