PARENTHOOD

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Five

Before leaving the TARDIS, the Doctor packed a small rucksack with some essentials so they would be prepared. While he was doing that, Hope carried things to him and watched while he packed them in the black rucksack before he directed her to get something else. When she went off to fetch a flashlight, the Doctor thought to his brother and asked him to come to the kitchen. A few minutes later, Alan sauntered through the door.

"A-yeeeeees-ah, Old Fearless Exaulted One?" Alan said.

"You are in charge of my daughter while we explore," the Doctor said. "I need to keep alert for danger and as much as I love my daughter playing with me and teasing me, I can't afford to be distracted here. I want to see what's out there and if it really is safe enough for us to be out there. You can keep her distracted and keep her calm so will you do this for me?"

"Indeedly-doobly, Fearless Leader Person," Alan said with a salute.

The Doctor gave him a hug.

"There," he said, pulling away from Alan. "I've acknowledged you and given you love."

"Muchly, muchly appreciated. Now can you give me money?"

The Doctor shook his head when Alan sniggered and he gave his head a playful shove.

"Get outta here, ya git," the Doctor said affectionately. "And fetch a small first aid kit for the knapsack."

"Aye, aye, Oncoming Storm type person," Alan said with a salute.

The Doctor chuckled to himself when Alan hurried out the door.

Once everything was assembled, Jack put the rucksack on his back while the Doctor moved his sonic screwdriver from his trouser pocket to his jacket's interior pocket in case he needed it quickly. At the back of the group, Alan stood with Hope. Hope giggled when Alan gave her a wide eyed look.

"Now..." he said to her. "There will be no monkeyshines, funny business or horseplay. Order and decorum is the order of the day, order and decorum, is that clear?"

"No!"

She giggled when Alan gave her a long, hard stare before he smiled lovingly and took her hand. They stepped out of the TARDIS and the Doctor closed the door before taking Rain's hand. He, Rain and Jack took the lead while Rose walked beside her husband and Hope.

"No shenanigans," Alan said as they walked.

"Who, me?" Rose said to him.

"No. The Nipper Kipper here. I'm babysitting her," Alan said, pointing to Hope. "I want no shenanigans today."

Rose snorted.

"I think you need to follow your own advice," she said.

Alan looked at Hope.

"Rose is being sarcastic to me. What do you plan to do about that?" he asked her.

"Nothing," Hope said.

"Nothing! But she just besmirched my honor!" Alan said while Rose chuckled. "And no one besmirches my honor. My honor must remain smirched, by giddy, by gum! So...what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Fine. See if I buy you something nice and shiny in future," Alan said airily.

"What's wrong with Daddy?" Hope asked Alan.

Alan raised his eyebrow.

"Well, apart from the fact that he's 80 bazillion years old and probably is about to break down like a wonky old car, nothing, why?"

Jack, Rain and Rose laughed when the Doctor turned his head and eyed Alan. Alan gave him an innocent look in return. He then looked at his daughter after Alan winked at him.

"Why do you think there's something wrong with me?" he asked.

Hope walked up to him and took his hand.

"I wanna be up here with you. I'm your helper," she said.

Rain rubbed her back while the Doctor squeezed her hand.

"You are being my helper," the Doctor said. "I need you to watch over him."

Hope looked back at Alan when the Doctor pointed at him.

"I'm very mischievous and need constant monitoring lest I go off somewhere and destroy things," Alan said.

The Doctor put a hand on her head and Hope looked up into his loving brown eyes.

"Remember when I showed you the memory of us on the beach and I told Rose he had to look after him?"

Hope nodded and the Doctor leaned down to her right ear.

"Well, now I'm giving you the same job. You need to watch him closely, yeah?" he said while Hope giggled. "He's a nutter, ya see?"

"I like knives," Alan said with wide eyes. "I like to pounce on small animals, rip them open and eat their innards, mighty tasty. I also like to use the regeneration energy Brother poured into me and make myself Godzilla size and go stomping on small cities. It's fun plus it's a great stress reliever. Although...peeling the dead bodies off my shoes is a pain in the patoot, but still, can't beat a good Godzilla rampage through a small city."

The Doctor fought to keep a straight face while Rain, Rose and Hope giggled. Jack shook his head and muttered, "I wonder if I damaged the hand when I put it in the jar and that's why he's mental now."

"See, I need you to mind him so he doesn't creep up on me and do things," the Doctor said to Hope in a hushed voice. "He might pounce on me and take out my innards, you see?"

"I would do it to watch him regenerate but thanks to the Amalashians, we already know what you'll look like so that would be a waste of time there. Perhaps I could pretend to be Hannibal Lecter, open up your head and fry your brains as you watch. We could see your Time Lord intellect slowly go from ya until you're a raving monkey boy. Might be interesting."

Jack sniggered while the Doctor shook with silent laughter. It took him a moment to sober up enough so he could talk to his daughter.

"So..." the Doctor said, "if you're my helper, do you want the job? Think you can handle Crazy Boy there?"

"Godzilla stomp!" Alan said, stomping his feet repeatedly.

"Yeah, I can handle him, Daddy," Hope said.

"Good. Because I need to keep my peepers peeled for danger and I can't babysit the basket case."

"I like straitjackets," Alan said with wide eyes. "I can hug myself and feel love all the day long."

The Doctor could no longer contain his laughter. He kissed his daughter, wished her luck and Rain kissed her cheek and tousled her hair before she walked back to Alan's side.

"Hello, small person, are you minding me now?" Alan said to her.

"Yes, so you behave," Hope said, wagging her finger.

"Ooo, I'll try but the urge to pounce is very strong," Alan said, taking her hand.

"Don't drive her insane while you're pouncing on things," Rose said to him. "I don't think the Doctor wants to section her at the end of this hike."

"But...if I make her barmy, she'll join me in Barmyland...where you're the prime minister."

"Got that right," Rose said while Rain giggled.

They walked the path together, the adults looking around while they tried to determine if there was anything dangerous around them. Hope glanced up at Alan who was looking off to his left and she turned her head to the right. Something caught her eye and she stopped. She giggled when Alan kept walking in place and looking around.

"Hey, why am I not getting anywhere?" he said.

He did a double take as he pretended to notice Hope for the first time.

"Oh, it's you. You've stopped," he said, stopping with her. "Is there a problem? A twig in your path because I can carry you, you know."

"Look!" Hope said, pointing to a tree beside them.

On a thick branch sat a bird who was observing them quietly. It resembled a hummingbird but it had a short beak similar to a parakeet. Its purple and red feathers shimmered in the sun. Hope was enchanted with the bird and she let go of Alan's hand and slowly walked towards the bird while Alan followed. He frowned when he noticed the bird wasn't spooked by them and continued to sit there, observing them. In fact, he could swear the bird's movements were almost robotic.

"Hope," Alan said, suddenly uneasy, "love, step back."

"Why? I wanna see the pretty birdy," Hope said, looking at him.

"Yes, I know. But I don't think this is an ordinary bird. It's too mellow, for starters. Bro..."

He started to call to the Doctor and he noticed that they were stopped about twenty feet from them, looking back at them in confusion. Alan beckoned to them and the rest of his family shared a glance and turned back towards them. He turned his head back around and he noticed that Hope was now trying to touch the bird.

"Hope, wait, don't touch..."

Alan's words were cut short when Hope touched the bird and two beams of light came from its eyes, enveloping them in a ball of white light. The Doctor and the others with him let out startled yells when the light disappeared after a few seconds and there was no sign of Alan or Hope.

Back                         Home                              Doctor Who Main Page                          Next