PARENTHOOD

Chapter Two Hundred

"Mummy, is Uncle Jack going to be okay?" Hope asked her mother while they watched Jack on the monitor.

"Um...I hope so but just in case when I tell you to, turn around and close your eyes," Rain said to her.

The Doctor watched while the raptors advanced towards Jack. Jack whipped out his sonic screwdriver and held it above his head. He turned it on and the raptors chattered while they stepped back but they didn't run away, merely stood around, chittering angrily while they waited for Jack to stop. The Doctor had a feeling the moment Jack stopped; the enraged raptors would pounce on him. He suddenly had an idea and looked at Rain.

"Latara, let me borrow your screwdriver," he said, holding his hand out.

Rain handed it to him and the Doctor told Belock to teleport him to the ship. Belock was hesitant at first but finally he and the others complied when the Doctor insisted.

"Where's Daddy goin', Mummy?" Hope asked her mother as the Doctor ran for the teleport platform.

"He's going to go help Uncle Jack before he gets eaten, baby," Rain said.

They watched the monitor and saw a flash as the Doctor joined Jack several feet outside the ring of dinosaurs. The raptors hissed at him in shock but they still kept near their prey and began to eye the newcomer hungrily. The Doctor held the tips of his and Rain's screwdrivers together and warned Jack to cover his ears. Jack covered his ears seconds before the Doctor turned on both screwdrivers. Everyone in the control room winced at the deafening sound and watched while the frightened raptors finally scurried away.

"Thanks, Doc. Now I don't have to add eaten by velociraptors to my list of deaths," Jack said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want Hope or anyone else watch while you became dino dinner," the Doctor said, patting him on the shoulder when Jack walked up.

He told Belock to bring them back and a few minutes later, the Doctor and Jack joined the others in the control room. Jack handed the discs to Belock.

"Hope those discs were worth the risks to my brother's life," the Doctor said to Belock.

"They are and I apologize for sending him out without thoroughly checking the area. I'm glad you're both safe," he said to the Doctor while he handed Rain's screwdriver back to her.

"Well, if we're finished here, I'd like to get going. We weren't supposed to come here in the first place, we got knocked off course."

"We were going shopping," Hope said.

"Before you do that, would you like to see our home?" Belock asked. "You may not have heard of me and my people, Doctor, but we know about you and you are revered among my tribe. I'm the son of the chief of the Pondhopper Clan and I know he'd like to meet you and honor you and Jack for your bravery today."

"Well...I...suppose I could," the Doctor finally said. "Although there's no need to honor us for doing something we wanted to do."

"I understand but we also wish to honor you for all that you've done in the universe and all the good deeds you have done. Please come and meet our people."

The Doctor nodded and waited until Belock walked away before he let out a sigh of resignation and looked at Rain.

"I'd rather just shop but I want to be polite," he said to her. "Besides, I do want to see their home world so I'll just think of it as a diversion to see a new planet rather than a big hullabaloo to honor me."

"Are we going shopping, Daddy?" Hope asked him.

"Soon. We have to do this first, okay?"

Hope nodded and he patted her on the head before he and Rain took her hands. When everyone was ready, Pelema teleported them back up to the path and they walked to the TARDIS. The Amphors stood inside the TARDIS and stared at the interior in a stunned silence while the Doctor shut the door and the others walked around them. Hope stopped beside them.

"This is our home..." she said to them. "Well, sometimes it's our home. We have a proper home but this is our home as well."

"It's incredible," Belock said as they moved forward with Hope to the console. "We've heard stories of the Time Lord's time ships but this is beyond imagination. Our species have only just mastered technology but this puts our efforts to shame."

"Nah, don't say that. Everyone has to start at the beginning, even the Time Lords," the Doctor said. "Now, I'll just have the TARDIS search for the coordinates and all of you can go home."

The TARDIS landed several minutes later and the Doctor powered down. He informed the Amphors that they were home and everyone walked to the door. Opening it, they saw a modern looking city with buildings made of mud brick with glass houses. When they walked outside, Rain grimaced when she realized it was incredibly hot and humid.

"Ugh, this is a bit uncomfortable but I suppose if they're frogs they need the humidity," she murmured to herself.

"Talking to oneself is the first sign of insanity."

Rain turned to see Alan behind her.

"Shall we put a straitjacket on ya?" he added.

"No, I'll save that for you," Rain said.

"Interesting city," Alan said, coming up beside her and putting his hands behind his back. "Very cosmopolitan for a bunch of frogs."

"Yeah, but I thought they said tribe and Belock's father was the chief. I was expecting something a bit more primitive."

"That would be out in the forests."

They turned and saw Belock behind them.

"This...is the modern face of Springwater. This is fairly new. Most Amphors still live in the forests and swamps in tribes. I came here because we work for a man who makes his home here but our true home is out near Kapuchan swamp and I can direct you to that as soon as I deliver the information to my employer so if you'd be kind enough to wait here, I'll be right back."

Everyone nodded and the three Amphors hurried away. They returned twenty minutes later wearing a thin black rubbery one piece suit similar to what divers wore. They went back into the TARDIS and Belock gave the location of his village. The TARDIS found the location and took them there. When they stepped outside, they were in the middle of a swampy area. Hope reeled back when she came out the door at the foul stench in the air.

"Hey, it stinks here," Hope said, pinching her nose.

"Hope, did you fart again? How many times must we tell you not to let one rip in public?" Alan said, poking her on the top of the head. "Farty Fartblossom let one rip."

"I did not, you did it!" Hope said with a giggle.

"Me? I never fart. But you, on the other hand, must have eaten a passel of rotten eggs because that's what the air smells like. Farty Moo Moo."

"Why does the air smell?" Hope asked him.

"I told ya, you let one rip."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I, Farty Moo Moo, quit farting."

Hope giggled when he tickled her ribs and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

"In serious answer to your question, I expect the plant life is decaying and that's giving off the sulphury smell around us," he said.

"Can't they do anything about it?" Hope said.

"Well, they could burn the planet and get rid of every plant but apart from that, no. So I suppose you'll have to get used to it in time."

"I don't think I will," Hope said, walking over to her mother.

She took her mother's hand and Rain smiled down at her as they followed the Amphors along a narrow dirt path beside a large murky swamp. They heard crickets chirping and saw dragonflies whizzing around.

"It smells, Mummy," Hope said to Rain.

"I know, baby, you'll get used to it eventually, trust me," Rain said. "I can smell it too. It's just decaying plant matter."

"Or...Hope let one rip," Alan said behind them.

"I did not!" Hope said, giggling while Rain smiled and shook her head.

The Amphors led them down the path through several swamps that bordered the path along either side of them. Finally, they reached the village. The houses were made of mud with grass roofs. The houses were built around a huge dirt plaza that had several wooden posts ringing the outside of it. Belock motioned them to come inside and several other Amphors came out of their houses to stare at them as they walked past. Most of them were naked or clad in loincloths. Very small children hopped up, getting within a few feet of them so they could watch. The Doctor and his family smiled at them as they walked. Belock led them to a house that was larger than the rest.

"Wait here and I'll tell them who you are," Belock said to them.

They nodded and waited outside, smiling at the curious villages who were now making a half circle around them while they stared with their large bug eyes. Then Belock came outside the arched door that was covered by a woven straw mat.

"Come inside, he wishes to speak to you," he said, raising the mat higher.

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