NEW: Return to Base (2/?)
Title: Return to Base
Rating: T (a bit on the high side, be warned... and not always for happy reasons...)
Author: bas_math_girl started this, writing much of the first scene and some of the pre-delivery moments, but the rest belongs to tkel_paris
Summary: Sequel to BMG's “ Back to Base” and my “ Eyes Forced Open.” Jenny plots against Rose, the Doctor helps Donna deliver, and a surprise hits them all...
Disclaimer: That we even wrote this ficverse proves that neither of us has any claims to the Doctor Who universe... I just own a Disappearing TARDIS mug, two Doctor Who t-shirts, and some DVDs... BMG can claim, among other things, a few MAAN ticket stubs. (pouts)
Also, this is not a Rose-friendly story. If that bothers you, turn back now. Save yourself the headache.
BMG's Author's Note: I am very happy to leave this in the capable hands of TP. I have adored writing about Donna and Andy but I cannot face writing Rose with the Doctor... I just can't so please don't expect me to, especially after all the grief I have suffered because of this. TP has very kindly allowed some bits I wrote to sneak in here (I couldn't leave it totally alone, you see); so I shall hand you back to my lovely online daughter. :)
TP's Author's Note: When my on-line mummy mentioned that she wasn't keen about writing the sequel to “Back to Base” since it almost demanded Rose's presence (and she can barely stand to mention her, if I understand her correctly), my Muse picked up the thread and wrote a fic for her birthday. “Eyes Forced Open” was my take on what might happen after the end of “Back to Base,” and BMG gave me permission to continue the story.
So... Hope those of you reading this enjoy it!
Author's Note for Part 2: basmathgirl deserves co-author billing for this chapter. She wrote nearly all of the birth stuff, and the delivery room moments. I added here and there, and put in Jenny's moments. Time to meet the newest Noble!
And a shout-out to mental_murmurs over at LiveJournal for inspiring a change I made to the end of this chapter...
Oh! And BMG wrote a DVD extra for this story at my coaxing! Please read " Return to Base - a DVD Extra" before reading this! I should be able to coax another one out of her... as soon as her muse cooperates... :D
Part One
PART TWO: New Arrival, and Prankster Siblings
“Is there any sign?” Donna asked Andy anxiously. She lay gasping on the bed, breathing as deeply as she could in the circumstances.
He got up and peered out of the window again. “No, love. There’s no sign of him at all.” He shook his head in sympathy. He could hope, after all, that maybe the Doctor would land somewhere out of line of sight. But given that things had lasted a few hours already since the first contractions made themselves evident, he was losing hope.
“But he promised!” she griped loudly. “He absolutely promised me he’d be here!"
Andy crossed the room to half lie on the bed, draping a consoling arm around her. “I know, love,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It looks like conventional painkillers for you.” He knew he'd failed to keep the tension out of his voice, and that Jenny had so far been critical to keeping Mikey from worrying too much over his mother's mental and aloud cries.
Mind, they wanted to keep Jenny from having to do too much. Besides, she was probably a little freaked out what she was sensing from Donna...
“The bastard!” she swore. “I hope he is rotting in a prison cell or a dungeon right now, because anything else means I get to kill him long and slowly."
“You know you don’t mean that, and he can feel your pain so he’ll be well aware you are in labour right now. If he has any sense he’ll get here pretty sharpish to stop that happening again; unless he liked plummeting face first on the grating,” Andy mused. He remembered that Jenny had been... rather okay with hearing that story. She'd all but said that it served him right.
Sometimes he worried about how much she hated the choices her father had made... Especially when she got this awfully smug look while she was thinking, a look that didn't fit with whatever was happening around her... And he'd chosen to not point it out to Donna, hoping that Jenny wouldn't do anything too insane.
When he had those thoughts, he'd clearly forgotten whose daughter she was...
~~
The Doctor ignored Rose's exclamations and demands to know what was going on as he raced through bringing them to Earth. The TARDIS decided to make it a rough ride, which forced her to grab a random railing - which happened to be on the other side of the room - to keep from knocking herself unconscious against something.
The Old Girl could've sighed over the little brat's ability to preserve herself... And would've made the ride worse if she hadn't trusted that the past two months had been enough time for her Time Lady to figure something out...
And when the TARDIS touched down hard, the Doctor rushed outside - not even bothering with his long coat. Donna needed him - as fast as he could move!
And he also didn't answer Rose - again. He had no time or inclination.
The blonde gaped, but ran after him. Still calling out, “Doctor! Stop! Tell me what's happening!"
They'd landed just outside a hospital. The Doctor ran inside, ignoring all calls for him to stop and check in.
Rose, likewise, ignored them. Feeling like your dreams were slipping from your grasp made for a good energy boost...
Another mental trace - no, two! - suddenly hit the Doctor, and he couldn't help but smile when he rounded the corner and found Jenny - sitting on the floor - playing a card game with Mikey. Sylvia and Wilf were sitting in nearby chairs. “Jenny,” he called out, "where is she?!"
His daughter looked up. She'd tried to ignore him when she sensed his presence, but Mikey had started babbling happily. And the boy held out his arms. "Unka Doctor!"
It nearly made him skid, but he managed to slow down enough to kneel and scoop Mikey for a hug. Clever boy!
Jenny grinned, hiding her growing mischievous urge as she heard the footsteps racing toward them. “Room 12,” she said, pointing off to her right as she quickly gave him a one-armed hug.
The Doctor gave an equally quick one in return - but filled with so much emotion that Jenny nearly cried despite herself. Especially as he rushed off, ready to flash the psychic paper at anyone who tried to stop him.
And when Rose appeared, panting and looking for him, she froze upon seeing Donna's family. Oh, God, no...!
Sylvia looked up with a glare. “The staff only allows the father back there. I'm sure the Doctor will come up with an excuse, but you won't be allowed back. Better take a seat; Mikey took his sweet time coming out."
Mikey looked at Jenny, confused. Mummy will be okay, won't she? I didn't hurt her, did I?
Jenny stroked his hair. She'll be fine. Your uncle's here to help. And no, I doubt you hurt her at all. It was a little fib, but babies couldn't help it. Now... are you ready to make our plan happen as soon as I see a chance...?
Mikey grinned, his own smile almost as wicked as his sister's.
~~
The foetal monitor started blipping wildly, and Donna griped his hand with a deathly vice-like action. She groaned loudly as another contraction wracked her body and Andy tried desperately to quell some of the pain. The effort was knocking him for six.
“I’m here! Donna! I made it!” the Doctor cried as he burst into the hospital room. He immediately rushed to her side and placed a device on her arm. “There!” he declared, pressing a button on it with a flourish, and then adjusted his jacket. “Phew! That was a close one; I almost took another nose dive."
“Yeah, cos I was so worried about your nose,” Donna commented sarcastically. Mercifully, the pain did lessen almost the instant after Spaceman had pressed the button.
Andy kissed her forehead. “Come on, love, you know you were actually concerned about him.” Thank you, he told the Doctor as he felt the worst of the pain had gone. I can probably rest a little easier now...
“Only because I want to kill him first, before some other bugger gets him,” she replied easing herself into the pillows. “He’s not off the hook until this baby is in my arms. AND STOP BLEEPING ME!!"
Some things never change, the Doctor thought as he put down the sonic screwdriver and gave Andy a sheepish shrug. “Everything is fine by the way. In case you wanted to know."
“Yes, thank you,” Donna replied through gritted teeth. “Now if you could carry out the rest of your promise..."
“Oh that! Yes, of course,” he answered, bounding forward to lay his hands on her stomach. A large grin spread across his face. “She’s a little tinker, this one. I wonder where she gets her cheeky streak from?" I hope she's a ginger!
“Get on with it!” Donna groaned as another contraction washed through her, and squeezed hard on Andy’s hand. Unfortunately proving that the device had a delay in dealing with new onsets of pain...
“Yes, I’d appreciate it, if that makes any difference,” Andy added. "I'd like to have a whole hand left at the end of this."
Donna would have glared at him, but she was too busy suffering. “I’m doing my best to stop you getting this,” she told him in a small voice.
I know, that’s why I love you so much, he pushed at her. Let me take some of the pain for you, darling. I can’t bear to see you suffer so.
No, I won’t do that to you. You’ve suffered enough as it is with all my mood swings and cravings.
Donna’s answer was a wave of love from Andy. I don’t care about any of that. All I want is you in my life, he told her, mentally wrapping himself around her. You and our beautiful babies.
“Come here, you,” she whispered with tears in her eyes, and pulled his lips onto hers. Andy eagerly responded, kissing her deeply.
The Doctor gave them a cough. “I take it the pain had decreased then,” he stated, trying to not think about how his hearts twisted at the sight of their emotional and physical intimacy. “Did you want me to actually deliver her?"
“I erm… I’m not sure…,” Donna blustered with embarrassment. “It seems a bit odd getting you to touch me like that."
“It’s okay, I understand. I’ll only step in if the midwife asks me to,” he said. Probably for the best, he thought, since Andy looks like he might punch me for doing so... And decided to change the subject. “So have you chosen a name?"
Donna smiled wryly and Andy merely raised an eyebrow over the obviousness of the question. But she had mercy on him. “We were ready in both case. So we'll soon be greeting Effie Grace Susan Noble."
The Doctor's eyebrows tried to fly to the ceiling. The first name he assumed was a result of Donna knowing a lot about baby names, but the middles... The first was shared by a companion, the second by his granddaughter... And Donna would know that, he knew...
Andy's eyes softened, and the semi-smile he gave his twin confirmed that yes, they did remember.
He really hoped he didn't start crying once Effie made her grand debut... This was embarrassing for a Time Lord!
~~
Jenny smirked as she watched - out of the corner of her eye - Rose Tyler once again try to plead her way past the nurses. Little twit has no idea, she thought with a secret grin, that I warned the staff about her... Aunt Martha might have a laugh; she'd get to feel completely superior - which she is!
Aside from thinking about what to do when this moment rolled around, life had been fairly good to her since she came to Earth. Mum had some good friends who cared about her and Andy. Including that nice Jean - who she quickly decided to treat as an aunt since her Mum had such affection for her, and Mikey liked her a lot (and little kids were apparently supposed to be excellent judges of character) - and Martha.
Those meetings had been interesting... Jean she met the morning after her arrival at Great-Gramp's home. That had been quite the lesson in local sayings, and in how careful they needed to be about what they said. Jenny was glad that fostering young family members was such an honourable thing in this part of Earth; it meant that no one raised an eyebrow over her calling Donna “Mum.” Saved them a lot of questions!
Explaining how Mum was once with Dad and was now with Andy... That was another matter... But Jenny had saved her mother from embarrassment by being as quick with a cover story as her father was - but she was apparently a lot more convincing. And Jean had been a dear in teaching her about Earth things - without the woman ever realizing it.
As for Martha... Oh, had that been an interesting day... Just a few days after (the previous ones involved setting up Jenny's Earth identity), Donna decided that Jenny couldn't use her few clothes anymore, nor could she borrow from Donna's pre-pregnancy wardrobe. So she called a younger friend to help in selecting an age-appropriate wardrobe for Jenny. That was how she met both Martha Jones and Mikey Smith.
Oh, had Jenny wanted to laugh when she found out that Mickey, who had been tossed aside by Rose for the Doctor, had married Martha, who had accidentally been made to feel inferior to Rose... Well, she wanted to laugh after the anger she felt on their behalf faded and she saw the irony. The little twit would be shocked to see how far past her Mickey now was!
The shopping itself was interesting... and strange all at once. Aside from seeing all sorts of people around all the time and all of the noises (which sort of reminded her of some of the alien bazaars she'd been to), she wasn't entirely easy about some of the clothes a lady her “age” would likely wear. Dresses? Skirts? Bikinis?! And she still didn't want to have to think too hard about the undergarments! But Martha had excellent taste, she had to admit, and she'd walked away with a good start for her Earth wardrobe.
A little research beforehand had allowed her to handle getting cosmetics and such. She'd only just gotten used to having to wear what amounted to face paint.
Of course, Martha and Mickey had another motive in meeting her, evidently. They both worked for the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, whose primary mission was to guard against alien threats. The Doctor had worked for UNIT a few Earth decades ago, and so her new friends had been “instructed” to recruit her. They'd had a few incentives that they knew would influence her decision...
Pop (as she'd decided to call Andy) had been reluctant to let her have anything to do with an organization that used guns, but when that... giant flirt arrived to try recruiting her into Torchwood... Jenny had been unsure what to make of Jack Harkness at first, but hearing the story about his actions toward her father and about his pan-sexual nature... She was quickly grossed out. And eventually, Pop had agreed that UNIT was a better choice. After all, she could help Martha and Mickey while she truly figured out what she was best at.
And those two had helped her figure out her fake degrees: a bachelor's of science in anatomy, astrophysics, and electrical engineering (basically, the three subjects that she'd needed to know the most about to handle what she had on her own...); and a double masters in the latter two subjects. Her cover story said that she'd declined to pursue her PhD at present in order to help Donna and Andy. Which was true enough...
Of course, Jenny knew that Pop was only too happy to keep a distance between her and Jack... Which suited her just fine! Oh, sure, he didn't flirt so much the next time she saw him (a few weeks later), and she'd heard that he was just that much of a flirt, but some things just made a person unacceptable!
She didn't want to imagine what things were like for those who worked for him...
So here she was. Christened Jennifer Catherine Noble, a former child prodigy with advanced degrees and helping to protect Earth. So she'd taken over what her father had done... in a way... Mostly, she'd been getting used to Earth systems, and gaining field medic experience beyond the basics she knew from Messaline. There was one nasty incursion, but it turned out that the mere mention that she was the Doctor's Daughter was enough to frighten them into fleeing.
Her father apparently had a reputation... She would find ways of using it to her advantage...
She came back to the present when she heard a thump. Rose had dropped herself into a chair, and was pouting so much that Jenny was positive that the fluff had a very limited emotional range. Angry, she noted silently, and frustrated... Better make sure we're ready...
So she quickly went over the plan with Mikey, leaving her Nan and Great-Gramps no clue what they were up to...
Just as well. The target needed to be in the dark as long as possible... But maybe they'd wait a little longer. Might be a good idea to wait till I can tell Mum's had the baby; I do want Dad to actually see what a bad idea it is to keep Rose around since she doesn't like Mikey... Especially since Dad was so entranced by everything he did...
Mikey sensed she was thinking about him, and beamed. Uncle Doctor gonna send Mean Girl off?
Jenny grinned back at him. Soon... Very soon... Especially because I think our sibling's about to join us, and we want “Uncle Doctor” to see Rose for what she is...
~~
“Which one of you is the father?" asked the miswife when she came in.
The question startled both males in the room. “Technically that's me," replied Andy.
“What do you mean ‘technically’, you dumbo?! You ARE the father,” Donna admonished him.
“Well… I didn’t know if she meant me or the baby,” he tried defending himself.
“Of course she meant the baby! She doesn’t give a monkey’s arse about YOU!" Donna snorted.
Rubbing his neck, the Time Lord muttered, “This could get awkward.” Better take some control here. “Hello, I’m the Doctor, and Donna asked me to be here to help keep her calm,” he explained as he took the midwife aside. “There might be complications, and she was always found my presence a comfort."
Bloody cheek! raged into his mind from both Donna and Andy.
I’ve got to tell her something, haven’t I? Otherwise she might think we're some kind of threesome, the Doctor tetchily replied.
We ARE some kind of threesome, just not… THAT… kind, Donna pointed out.
The Doctor laughed internally while giving the midwife his best ‘trust me’ smile. It eventually worked, since this incarnation was - as Donna had once joked - a natural flirt. And so he was allowed to stand on Donna's other side... and share in the pain of getting a hand squeezed within an inch of its life...
As it was, he wouldn’t have missed this moment for the universe! Taking hold of Donna’s hand and sharing her experience had opened his mind to a whole new world… Together he and Andy helped her visualise everything so deeply, as though it were a marathon with the end in sight. But in this case he was able to commune with Donna, Andy and the baby. Aw, she was sweet! Her tiny mind reached out to them like a gentle breeze, questing knowledge as she did so, and pulsing little snippets of emotion that could only be explained as love. The Doctor knew he would do everything in his power to keep her healthy and well for the rest of her life.
And just like with Mikey, he would fight hard to ensure that it was a long life...!
He was so wrapped up in greeting his niece that he clean forgot that he was supposed to be helping Donna shield her pain from Jenny and (especially!) Mikey for a split second; but he soon fixed that. He didn't want them getting any unwelcome backlash.
He worried that the device wasn’t going to be enough, and kicked himself for not realizing that a delay might happen. So he wound up getting the brunt of Donna’s cursing as she pushed and struggled her way through for a few hours. He almost got some cursing from Andy when Donna started to feel the need to push. Well, he’d innocently offered to give Donna’s leg his body to brace against when the midwife couldn’t do it all on her own; but Andy had nipped that idea in the bud. She’s MY wife, and I’ll help with this bit, thank you very much! Andy had thrown at him.
Fine, the Doctor thought back; this way I avoid all the gore. It also meant that the Doctor got to sit behind Donna so that she could brace herself against his chest as she pushed, holding both hands. She obviously wasn’t going to let him get away scot-free. He could feel every muscle strain, every nerve ending scream, the baby’s confusion as strong contractions tried to force her out; and all pain free thanks to his device, once he’d surruptiously sonicked an adjustment. Andy had covered for him by apologising for his phone alarm going off.
Never had he thought he’d get the chance to experience such a thing with Donna; there was only one other way he could have been more closely connected to her.
“Nearly there, Donna," the midwife encouraged her. "Just one more push."
“I can see her! Andy cried out. "Come one, Donna. You can do it."
You can do anything, Donna, the Doctor told her. We're almost there! And then suddenly there was calm; perfect calm. His job was done, so he deactivated the device on Donna’s arm; and for a brief moment thought that was it.
But when the midwife placed the little girl on Donna’s chest... a beautiful ginger girl! Oh, he was crying as much as Andy was over the sight of her...
“What do you think? Donna asked softly as she caressed her new daughter.
“Beautiful!” Andy replied as he gazed at them both in wonder. He planted a grateful kiss on Donna’s cheek and then tenderly kissed his daughter’s head. “She’s so… I don’t know how to describe how wonderful she is!"
Donna wiped at his teary eyes with her free hand. “You dafty! Do you want to hold her for a minute?"
Andy quickly encompassed the baby in his tender care, cooing softly at her as he sat himself down.
Donna leant her head back to try and look the Doctor in the eye. “And how was it for you, Doctor?" she asked him.
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’d do this again, if you want me to. She really is beautiful, Donna,” he quietly answered her; and placed a kiss on her cheek too.
She smiled in relief at him before suggesting they adjust their position so that she could regain her modesty and he could regain the usage of his legs. He chuckled, knowing she was covering up her embarrassment at enjoying his close proximity. At least she hadn’t shouted "Hands!" at him this time.
“Would you go and bring Mikey in for me? I can feel that he’s really agitated right now, and I want him to meet his new little sister,” Donna asked the Doctor as soon as they'd shifted their positions.
The Doctor looked over to where Andy sat on the other side of the bed, still deeply engrossed in talking to his daughter; and he tried to quell his pain of regret. “Anything for you,” he told Donna, giving her another congratulatory kiss on the cheek; and then he headed out to the corridor to face whatever would greet him out there.
But he paused on his way out, to look back on the scene he was leaving. He ignored the activity of the midwife and her assistant, and focused on Donna's fond and indulgent gazing upon Andy holding their daughter. How enthralled Andy was with Effie, and how the girl's little mind was soaking in all his words and mental love...
He'd missed Mikey's first moments... He wasn't going to miss Effie's firsts! He had to be there for her first telepathic words, her first steps, and everything in-between and after!
For the first time in a long while, he had a moment of total clarity. He had to simply tell Rose that if she couldn't stand his family coming aboard, then she could pack her bags and go back to her relatives. Oh, she'd yell, but he would be firm. He was correcting for his mistake at Bad Wolf Bay as best as possible.
He sighed, and opened the door. Time to get this over with...
Part Three: Rose Triggers the Oncoming Storm