FIC: Finding Father (1/1)
Title: Finding Father
Genre: Doctor Who
Rating: T
Author: tkel_paris
Summary: The Doctor is happy to be back on Earth after the Planet of the Dead. But he's in for a big shock... from Malcolm's assistant.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly.
Dedication: My betas. All of you. :)
Author's Note: Posted as a Christmas present for alimoseby. Congratulations once again.
Finding Father
Started May 9, 2013
Finished December 25, 2013
The Doctor awkwardly accepted Malcolm's praise and hug. These geeks at UNIT were an odd bunch, but was there something about him that screamed to be fawned over? At least this him?
Might explain some of Jack's behavior, if you didn't know about the Boe-Kind.
He also had to endure being importuned by Lady Christina, let her down, and send her off. Thankfully, that local DI was useful in taking her away. He thought about freeing her, but he wasn't sure about that.
Malcolm suddenly got his attention. “Doctor, my assistant wants to speak with you.”
“Many people want to speak with me, but I need to get going.”
But the geek grabbed his arm. “It's important, Doctor. He came to work for us partly to find you.”
Captain Magambo smiled, looking behind the Doctor. “And because he knew we'd accept him without question.”
That got the Doctor's attention, though he didn't look where they were. He shook off Malcolm's hand and shrugged. “What does Mickey Smith want with me?”
“Wrong Smith.”
The Doctor whipped around, shocked at the voice. He saw a young man wearing jeans, a t-shirt of Escher's famous “Ascending and Descending” lithograph, and a leather jacket approach him. Hints of ginger caught in the lights, and there was a twinkle in his eyes that was so familiar.
Malcolm did the introduction. “Doctor, may I present Geoffrey Alexander Smith-Noble?”
Geoffrey grinned. “Hello, Dad.”
The Doctor's gob snapped into action. “How can you be here?! You're supposed to be with Rose!”
He glared right back, the Oncoming Storm firing in his eyes. “Fat good she did me! She wanted you! Thought she could use me to get back to you through my DNA! Well, I had to stop her, especially since she didn't destroy the Cannon. Once I did, she let Torchwood get their mitts on me.”
“She wouldn't!” the Doctor cried.
“Look into my mind, Dad! Unless you're too much of a coward.”
The scathing tone aggravated the Doctor, but the confidence the words were delivered made him pause. If... the person who used to be the Duplicate believed it, then at least part of his words were true. Swallowing, the Doctor stepped closer and established the connection.
He gasped as he walked through the man's memories. Rose, through Geoffrey's eyes, appeared like a monster who was obsessed with the man she saw as her lifetime ticket to being taken care of. The Duplicate hadn't even been named, just called that. He endured her manipulation until he destroyed the Cannon, and then torture. The Doctor watched the lucky escape to Bad Wolf Bay, and then... Geoffrey broke the connection.
The Doctor drew back with a choking sob, covering his mouth. He was no longer aware of the people around him except for Geoffrey.
“Why'd you do it, Dad? Drop me with her when you had to know what she was? When she showed her character when you both thought Mum was dead?”
Stricken, the Doctor forced himself to focus on something else. He would be sick if he didn't. He might be able to face his mistakes later, but not right then.
Luckily, the younger man's appearance provided the perfect solution. “Why do you look so much younger than when I last saw you? Even your hair's different. Ginger? That's not fair!”
Geoffrey rolled his eyes in a manner that brought tears to the Doctor's eyes. “Oh, you're going to whine instead? No comment even about how that crack I dove through should've killed me?”
“Sir,” called Carmen.
The Doctor turned to look. She'd stopped her husband to speak with him. He wanted to wish them wel, but he couldn't get the words out.
“Be careful, sir. You must go back and destroy the ring, or... he will return.”
The Doctor's breathing stopped, the respiratory bypass kicking in. Geoffrey's did the same. They knew who she was talking about.
“As long you do, then your new song will not end, and the universe will be protected from needless harm. But your current song is ending.”
“Current song? What do you mean?”
Carmen smiled, looking slightly beyond the Doctor as the sounds of an approaching car reached them. “Your song of loneliness, sir. It is ending now.” She nudged her husband, and they walked off, following one of the soldiers.
Frowning, the Doctor turned to see Geoffrey's face beaming at the car as a soldier leapt out to open the back door. He blinked, and then froze solid.
Donna Noble stepped out of the car, her eyes fixed on him. Her face lit in a smile of relief.
Geoffrey gently nudged his father's shoulder. “I landed in her room, drew the Meta-Crisis from her head. She's healed, whole, and took care of my injuries, which didn't heal from gaining the second heart. You can check with the UNIT hospital if you want. I was there for months. But I think you want to greet your wife first.”
He blinked, not trusting his eyes. His body shook as his mind suddenly felt hers.
Donna's eyes watered. She'd waited eight months for this moment, praying it would come. “It's me, Spaceman,” she called out, slowly walking toward him. “I remember.”
Those words, combined with a decided lack of burning, propelled his feet into moving. He found himself running in the next instant, bearing down in desperate eagerness until he clamped Donna against him and into his arms, burying his face into her hair as the tears fell.
She hugged him as tightly as she could, knowing he could take it. “I'm real, love. I'm all right now that you're home.” And she whispered something very important into his ear.
He cried harder at the proof that she remembered. He choked an answering whisper, the remaining part of his martial vow, before dissolving into tears.
Geoffrey turned to Captain Magambo. “Would you please get some of these people to leave? I think his pride...”
“Understood.” She gave some orders, and Malcolm clapped him on the shoulder before walking off, following her.
Looking back at his parents, Geoffrey wiped away some tears as he strolled to join them. He wasn't surprised to hear his mum softly singing his dad's favourite song through her own crying. Reaching them, he gently touched their shoulders, wondering if he would finally be looked upon with kindness by his own father.
He was stunned when his father's arm snaked around and drew him into the hug. Now his own tears fell as he embraced both his parents.
Donna couldn't move her arm to hold her son, but she knew that he knew that Spaceman needed her touch more. She smiled, and nuzzled her husband's wild hair.
Some long moments later, the Doctor pulled back just enough to look into his son's eyes. “I'm so sorry. I was blind, despairing. I thought I was going to lose her no matter what, and couldn't bear the reminder of her that you would've been. Geoffrey. thank you for saving your mum.”
“You're welcome.” They were all in tears, but Geoffrey's were the most under control. “Now, let's go take care of that ring. Then you're coming home for a good meal and a good night's sleep. Assuming you and Mum don't want to immediately start work on a sibling for me.”
The Doctor flushed deeply. Donna, despite blushing, giggled.
THE END