DW Fic: Family Affairs
Title: Family Affairs
Author: Rambling Rose / irishlullaby
Beta Babe: crimedoc1
The Prompt: Per 25moments #19 - Blood
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing/Characters: TenII/Rose
Rating: Teen
Summary: “Just remember what your granddad says, Briton,” the Doctor said quietly, passing the baby on his hip to Samantha. “Be careful around anything with the ability to bleed for a week and not die.”
A/N: :: points to her side bar at the links to memes you guys might be interested in ::
“Just remember what your granddad says, Briton,” the Doctor said quietly, passing the baby on his hip to Samantha. “Be careful around anything with the ability to bleed for a week and not die.”
“Oi!” Sam barked, bouncing Zephyr in her arms. “Just be glad Mum didn’t hear that or she’d smack you.”
The Doctor looked at his oldest daughter blankly. “I always saw that as a compliment. Means women are much more durable than men.”
“Nice save,” Bianca snorted. “How do I look, Da?”
The Doctor looked at the thirteen year old as she slowly twirled around to show off her costume. It wasn’t much different than the outfit she usually wore these days: black and white pin-stripe stockings, black and white plaid skirt, black corset blouse, black fishnet gloves on her arms, and gothic make up. In fact the only noticeable deviation from her usual attire was her bright pink hair with two pig tails twisted into neat buns on each side of her head. And of course, the black, spidery, faerie wings were not her common fare either.
“You are absolutely beautiful, Honeybee. You are precisely how I picture Ambrosia to look,” the Doctor replied. Bianca beamed happily and flounced across the room to the refrigerator for some juice.
And though their house on the back part of the Tyler Estate was almost as sizable as the main house where Jackie and Pete lived, the kitchen of the Doctor and Rose Tyler was crowed with girls dressed as faeries. They were on their way to participate in a special presentation, sponsored by VitEx, to celebrate the release of the latest book in an extremely popular book series. His little Honeybee was Ambrosia, sinister sidekick to the Evil Queen Mab, Sam’s choice of character.
Sam had donned a black silk and lace off-the-shoulders frock with a dark, blood red corset. Her wings were the same shade as her corset and just as spidery as Bianca’s, but they had a much more impressive wingspan. Instead of going to extremes with her hair, as Bee had done, Sam had chosen to wear a styled black wig. Her makeup, while also gothic, was done in a more sophisticated style than Bianca’s, accentuating the two year age gap between the girls.
Twelve year old Chelsea, who currently had her nose buried in one of the earlier books in the series, was dressed as Princess Fauna, one of the heroines of the stories. She wore a simple pink frock, a purple corset, and sparkling white butterfly wings. One year old Zephyr, who was representing one of Good Queen Nimueh’s many children, wore a costume that made her look like an overgrown daisy.
They were currently waiting for Rose and Boudica to finish getting ready. However, as Rose was very much pregnant with their seventh and eighth -- and according to her final -- children, it took her a while to do anything. According to her doctor, Rose should be giving birth within a couple of weeks and he was quite excited at the thought of another set of twins. But until they arrived, he was content to offer his Rose support when she complained about being the size of a zeppelin or worried that her figure would never be the same again.
Then, like a herald announcing the arrival of a king, Boudica’s voice echoed down the stairway, along with the sound of soft thumps as the four year old hopped down the steps. She was singing one of the nonsense songs that she loved to make up. This one seemed to have something to do with loving pink flowers and her bunny slippers.
A final thump indicated her dismount from the stairs and was followed by her excited appearance in the kitchen, grinning with delight. “I helped Mummy get dressed Daddy. She’s pretty!” She started hopping circles around the Doctor and he just grinned and tried to watch her. Her costume, a simply faerie dress in various shades of green, with pink dragonfly wings that bounced up and down as she gyrated around the kitchen. She continued her little song until she was panting for breath and had to stop.
The Doctor used that moment to scoop her into his arms. “I’m sure your mummy is very pretty. And you know what, Boo? You’re a very pretty faerie as well. Just like your sisters.”
Boudica rolled her eyes and poked out her bottom lip as she gave him her best serious face. “I’m not a fair-wee, Da. I am a nif. I has dragonfly wings, not butterfly wings like they do!”
“You are a very pretty nymph, then,” the Doctor retorted, grinning at his daughter. They were slowly but surely working out Boudica’s speech impediments, but a few seemed to want to lingere… either that or she was pronouncing them the way she wanted to pronounce them.
“Gimme a mo, I’m having a hard time seeing the steps,” Rose’s voice floated into the room.
“Take your time, Rose,” the Doctor called back, setting Boudica on the floor. She immediately resumed her bouncing, this time with Bianca hopping along behind her threatening to tickle her. Boudica squealed and started running in circles around the table to escape her sister’s twitching fingers.
The Doctor took Zephyr from Samantha and took a seat next to Briton. “I know you’ve only got two weeks before the annual Saint Valentines Date Night,” the Doctor said gently. This was a tradition the Doctor had discovered when he’d arrived in this universe, one in which teenagers between the ages of fifteen and eighteen got to experience being a potential life partner for the first time. “You know, they didn’t have Date Night in your Mum’s old universe. Then again it wasn’t a crime for people under the age of fifteen to date… But while the girls are all out… I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” He shrugged slightly, and continued. “And maybe a few things you would really rather not know.”
Briton sighed and sank down in his seat. “I’m just going to be complete rubbish at being a boyfriend, I just know it…”
“So what? There’s always next year,” Samantha interjected, beaming at her brother. “They do the ‘Date Night’ every year, after all, until you feel you are able to go out and do things on your own.”
Briton rolled his eyes. “Easy for you to say. You already know you’re going out on Date Night with perfect Eric.” He batted his eyelashes mockingly and imitated Sam’s feminine tone.
Sam rolled her eyes. “He’s not perfect… he’s just Scottish.”
The Doctor was opening his mouth to ask who this ‘Eric’ character was when Rose waddled into the kitchen, taking slow, deep breaths. As soon as he saw her, he forgot all about his query. He smiled happily and let his eyes roam over her as she leaned against the doorway to catch her breath.
Her blonde hair was in numerous braids which had been pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. Her dress was a deep scarlet, cut to show off her ample breasts and large belly. She wore large red multi-hooped earrings and a massive ruby necklace and her makeup was done in various shades of red and maroon.
Rose’s eyes closed for a moment and she signed heavily. “I really can’t wait for these babes to be born,” she said testily. “It’s like they’re playing football with my bladder. I miss being able to properly hug my children…” She glared at him. “What are you looking at?”
“You look… absolutely stunning,” the Doctor said softly.
The scowl immediately melted away from Rose’s face and was replaced by an affectionate smile. “Do I really?” she asked.
“Always,” the Doctor said, grinning at her.
Chelsea lowered her book and glanced at her parents. “Mum, you do realise that Dad thinks you’re beautiful even when you’re being sick, don’t you?”
“Do you have to be so negative about everything Chelsea?” Samantha sighed, glaring at her sister.
Chelsea pulled off her glasses and clamped her book shut. “Yes, I do,” she retorted. “What sort of middle child syndrome sufferer would I be if I wasn’t?” Suddenly a bright smile crossed her face. “But it’s true… Dad does think Mum looks beautiful all the time. Actually, I think it’s sweet.”
Briton groaned audibly and rolled his eyes. The Doctor looked at Chelsea and Samantha with an almost stern expression on his face. “You two listen. Your mum is the most beautiful woman in two universes. And, I should know…”
“Yeah, yeah… three thousand years old and all that… we know,” Chelsea replied, surreptitiously winking at Sam.
“Oi!” the Doctor objected. “I am not three thousand years old! Not even close! I’ll have you know…”
Rose straightened herself up and sighed softly, effectively derailing the Doctor’s semi-serious rant. “Right then, enough of that. Doctor, are you sure you and Briton want to stay in tonight?” She gave him a mock scolding look. “The tabloids might talk, you know what with you not making any public appearance with me lately.”
The Doctor made a face. “My character got killed in the last book, and I am not going to show up as a dead character. It’s the principle of the thing!”
“And I refuse to dress up as a faerie,” Briton stated firmly.
Rose rolled her eyes. “Oh really, Briton, you used to love being Prince Broody. At least, until your dad’s favourite character got killed off and said that in our old universe it was nowhere near as acceptable for men to like faeries. Why should that matter, I don’t know… we live in this universe, not that one, after all. Honestly! You’ve never even been to the other universe.”
Briton folded his arms over his chest stubbornly. “I’m still not going,” he said firmly.
“Besides, Briton and I could use a little time together,” the Doctor added, grinning at his son. “He’s got some questions about girls… and dating.”
“Aww,” Rose gushed. “That’s right he’s old enough for Date Night this year…”
“Gee, thanks, Dad,” Briton grumbled, turning red as he glared at his father. “Now she’s going to be on about it at the release party.”
Rose made a face, and ignored Briton’s comment. “Though, what questions could he possibly have about girls? He’s got five sisters, after all.”
The Doctor stood, passing Zephyr to Briton, and walked over to Rose to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t know. That’s the primary reason why I can’t go, I have to find out, help him… sort things out.” He gave her another kiss, this time on her lips. “But you are beautiful,” he said softly.
“Didn’t Bee and I say Mum was the perfect Queen Nimueh at the beginning of the series?” Bianca said, walking past and pulling along a squealing Boudica by her ankles. “Oi, Queen Mab, I seem to have captured one of Queen Nimueh’s court! I say we torture her.”
“No, no, no, no… I don’t get tortured,” Boudica objected, laughing as Bianca toted her over to Samantha.
“Oh yes,” Samantha said, using her sinister voice. “The little nymphet should definitely be tortured… in the cruellest way… with… tickling!!!”
Boudica squealed loudly as Samantha started tickling her. Rose cringed slightly at the sound and rubbed fretfully at her temples. The Doctor quickly turned to the children. “Sam, Bee… no tickle torture, your mum has a headache.”
“I have an all-over body ache,” Rose sighed. The children pouted but and ceased their playing. Bianca lowered Boudica to the floor and the four year old returned to bouncing around the room excitedly. “I am so glad these two are boys,” she said, rubbing her belly.
“Me too,” the Doctor said, beaming. “Be nice to have a few more males around the house, won’t it, Briton?”
Rose smiled softly and cupped his cheek. “It’s nice to see you’re eager to get neutered so that I won’t have to worry about getting pregnant any more.”
The Doctor’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock. Rose moved away, checking to see that all the girls were present and ready to go, and then leading them out of the house towards the car that was waiting to take them to the release party. The Doctor swallowed hard and glanced over at Briton, who was grinning broadly. “Remember what I said about the bleeding and five days?” Briton nodded. “No matter what anyone says. It’s true.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Briton said. “I’m glad that I’m finally going to have brothers. Even if the price is your masculinity.”
The Doctor nodded absently, wondering to himself if Rose had been serious or not.
88888
Rose shifted uncomfortably in her chair and rubbed her belly, trying to soothe the restless babies within. This particular pregnancy had its share of problems… ongoing morning sickness being the least of them. She was constantly tired and it looked like she was going to have stretch marks that even Torchwood would not be able to fix. She was due for a doctor’s visit in a few days and if they didn’t think she was ready to give birth, she was damned well going to find a second opinion. She had already carried the boys for even longer than she had Sam and Briton and to be quite honest she didn’t know how much longer her body could take it. And it wasn’t the first time Pete’s universe had earned ‘odd points’ but having a woman carry twins as far to term as possible was just bloody well ridiculous.
Samantha was currently standing up in front of the mass of people who had gathered at the bookstore to get the latest volume book in Brian N. Catylsame’s series called Journey to Light. She was explaining how the series had contributed to a rise in literacy rates around the globe. Rose felt a wave of pride fill her as she watched her daughter speaking confidently before the huge, costumed crowd.
The series reminded Rose of Harry Potter, although the hero was a woman… well, faerie… who was battling the forces of evil that were trying to bring darkness to the fantasy kingdom of Avalon, while simultaneously trying to raise a family. If she wanted to be honest, the entire concept sounded awfully familiar. Well, except for the fact that Queen Nimueh’s husband had been killed, of course. She shook her head to clear it and tried to focus on Samantha’s speech.
“A love of reading is something my parents instilled in us at a frightfully young age,” Samantha was saying. “At the age of four, when we were getting ready to welcome Bee to the family, Mum says Briton and I were big fans of Charles Dickens and the Lord of the Rings. By five we were reading for ourselves the books Mum and Dad had read to us. At six, instead of watching educational television, we were acting out the works of Shakespeare during playtime.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Mum, I still say you make a much better Mercutio than Dad.”
Rose laughed softly before Samantha turned back to face her audience again. “Everyone in my family, my parents, all my sisters and brother, we all love to read. If you ever look at the tabloids, you probably know that Chelsea’s head basically looks like a book, even on holiday…” The crowd laughed at this and Rose took a deep, calming breath. “So to find that literacy rates around the world have gone up with the release of the Journey to Light series really pleased our family. And I’m not only saying that because we are dorky enough to be pleased about something like that. It really is important. It means that an entire new generation has opened their minds to the kind of adventure that only lies within the pages of a book. The kind that movies and telly try to duplicate but never can because, as my Dad says, the human imagination is always mightier than the idiot’s lanter.”
Samantha glanced back over her shoulder again for a moment. Rose gave her a reassuring nod and smile and she turned back to the crowd again and continued. “It is the hope of VitEx International that literacy rates will continue to climb so that when this generation of readers grows up, we will have vibrant and wonderful authors to fuel the minds of the next generation. So, without any further ado, it is my honour and privilege to introduce to you my Mum and second generation VitEx representative, Rose Tyler, to read a passage from chapter fifteen from Nimueh’s Path, The Ascension of Nimueh.”
The applause was thunderous. Rose closed her eyes for a moment before gripping the sturdy staff that VitEx had given her -- a gift from the author, they’d said -- to go with her costume. It was made of oak, thick, and twisted, with a large red crystal on the top. Decorative leather thongs with wooden beads on the end dangled from where oak met crystal on the staff. She leaned on the staff and pulled herself from her seat, swearing under her breath because the Doctor had not come along.
She gave Samantha a kiss on the cheek before taking her place at the podium. Bianca trotted up and placed the book on the podium, opening it to the proper page. “You alright, Mum?” she asked softly.
“Fine. Fine. I promise,” Rose managed. “Thanks.” She took a calming breath before offering the crowd a smile. Cameras flashed blindingly until she raised her staff and declaimed loudly, “You may cease your adoration…” Her soft laugh was echoed by the crowd as they recognised one of Queen Nimueh’s lines in an earlier volume in the series. She lowered the staff to the floor and leaned on it for support as she looked down at the book. “Now, let’s see if I can get through this without having any babies this evening.” She grinned out at the crowd before continuing, “Those of you who don’t want to be spoiled, now is the time to plug your ears.” She took a deep breath before beginning to read the passage she had marked with two Post-it notes.
“Nimueh crawled through the darkness, clinging to the thick mud as best she could, and praying to the ancestors that she would not lose her footing, praying that she would not fall and land on her belly, heavy with her twin offspring. As malleable as the viscous soil was, she was by no means certain that she could fall face down into it without risking the two small precious beings she carried inside of her. She could sense from the dying lives within the soil that she was close to a much deeper chasm and she hoped that her staff had not fallen into it, that instead it rested at the top of the slippery wall she was climbing, waiting to return to her hands.
“Her hopes began to fade the further upward she climbed. Slowly, one by one, her remaining powers were being consumed by the darkness that Mab had set upon her lands; it would only be a matter of time before she was powerless. But she knew that there was one thing that would always have power over the darkness. And if she could just get to the top of the ravine…
“Her foot slipped and she whimpered in panic as she struggled to find a new foothold and keep herself from falling back into the chasm. After a heart-stopping moment, she was able to stabilize her heavy body and continue to climb. Up and up she went, until at last she reached up for a new handhold and felt the top of the ravine. She whispered a prayer of thankfulness to the ancestors and laboriously pulled herself up onto level ground. Once she had moved away from the edge of the pit, she collapsed, lying on her back and gazing up at the starless sky, fighting to regain her breath. Her arms fell to the ground, spread out, her palms open to the darkness.
“Closing her eyes, Nimueh reached deep within her own mind, searching for the touch of her people. She could find none of the soothing comfort she sought; her people were all clinging to life as precariously as she. Tears filled her eyes as she gasped for breath… She had failed her ancestors… her people… their beautiful world. Soon they would all be servants of Mab, existing in the darkness, slaves to Mab’s evil will.
“Suddenly, she felt a small tickle in the back of her mind and she grasped at it frantically, instinctively turning her head in the direction of the sensation. The red crystal on her staff glowed brightly for a moment and then dimmed slightly before beginning to pulse in a steady unbroken rhythm. Nimueh’s eyes widened as she stared at it, realising what the light could mean. She knew she had tried not to consider the possibility because it would cost not only her life, but also the lives of her unborn children.”
Rose paused and put her hand on her belly as one of the twins shifted. She drew in a deep breath then exhaled before continuing, “Nimueh shifted clumsily, rising to her knees and reaching out to retrieve her staff. The glow of the crystal intensified once again, but this time the light did not dim. She heard the soft voice of her king in her ear, whispering promises of being with him once more. Nimueh sighed sadly, knowing what she had to do. There was no choice. And… well, three lives was a small price to pay to save all of her people. Using all her strength, she clambered to her feet, leaning heavily upon the glowing staff. She groaned as she felt the first pangs of birthing rip through her.
“She wondered what her king would have done in such a situation. Would he have risked his own life, her life, the lives of his unborn children to defeat the darkness? She closed her eyes and asked the ancestors for guidance but even their brilliance had faded, blocked from her Sight by the all-consuming darkness. She grimaced as another pain ripped through her body. Three lives to preserve the universal balance. Yes, she decided as she heard her king’s soft voice whisper her name once more, it was a small price to pay. And it would be worth it.
“She thrust the wooden end of her staff into the thick mud. The sound of thunder rolled through the plains, echoing within the ravine. The glow of the crystal intensified as she focused what remained of her power on the warm red light. In that moment she felt hope surge through the fragile remains of her people. ‘By flesh and blood and bone and spirit…’ she called out. ‘As the guardian of life and death, I give my light so that my people may live.’”
Everyone gasped as Rose closed the book and gave the wide-eyed audience a smile. “Well, that was just a sample of Mr. Brian N. Catylsame’s latest book. I don’t know what he has planned next for Nimueh. But I ca’t wait to find out!” She grinned out at the crowd. “Any questions?”
A reporter raised her hand first. “Do you know if Brian Catylsame will ever make any public appearances?”
“I honestly do not know,” Rose replied. “According to the VitEx subsidiary that publishes the Journey to Light series, all contact with Mr. Catylsame has been via emails and post. The only person at VitEx to have ever met him face to face is my father, Pete Tyler. I’m not really sure why, actually. Perhaps he has some sort of social disorder that makes him uncomfortable to be in public.”
Rose jumped as her mobile began ringing with the tone that indicated a text message from the Doctor -- something to do with limes and coconuts -- and she wondered why he was texting her when he knew she was at the VitEx presentation and was most likely watching it on the telly. She held up her hand, looking apologetically at the crowd as she retrieved her mobile from where it rested in a hidden pocket in her dress. She flipped it open and quickly read his text.
‘Watching you on telly. I forgot how much it turns me on to see you being Miss In-Charge. RAWR’
Rose felt a blush touch her cheeks and quickly closed her mobile, setting it on the podium and glaring at it as if it, rather than the Doctor, was responsible for her momentary embarrassment. “Another question?” The lime and coconuts tone started playing again and she said tartly. “From anyone besides the wonderful father of my children?”
“What about the rumours that Pete Tyler is Brian Catylsame?” another reporter asked.
Rose snorted, barely managing to keep from laughing outright. “My dad can barely come up with something clever to put on Christmas cards! Do you really think he would be able to write a six book series?”
“Um… actually, if I could say something?” Bianca said shyly, moving to stand next to her mother.
Rose smiled and stepped aside to let her usually very anti-public speaking daughter take the podium. She grabbed her mobile and read the Doctor’s new message. ‘I have a question… What about ten kids? Ten is a nice, round number.’
Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head at the phone, quickly texting back the words ‘NO MORE! AND THIS TIME I MEAN IT!!’, before turning her attention back to Bianca.
Her daughter gave the crowd a nervous wave. “Hello,” she said softly. “I know I don’t generally speak at these things… events… but… um… yeah. I just wondered… Why is it so important for him to be seen? Did anyone ever stop to think that perhaps he wanted a clear, unbiased opinion of his novels? I mean, how many people would read a book simply because the author is, I dunno, the youngest published writer or something? Maybe he didn’t want to hear the words ‘Surprising for someone of his tender years. Perhaps he doesn’t want your opinion of the book to change just because he’s foreign, or because he’s handicapped or… because he’s only thirteen or fifteen years old, or something like that.”
The reporter laughed. “There’s no chance that this series was written by someone that young. That would mean he had to have started it when he was… what… nine, maybe ten years old. The writing style hasn’t faltered since the first volume. It’s much too thought out with all the twists and turns… too detailed… too wise to be a child writer, even a child prodigy. I’m thinking he’s much older, probably has a wonderful wife and family…”
Rose watched, bemused, as a smile ghosted Bianca’s lips. “Anyone,” Bianca said, “with reasonable writing ability and a decent imagination can write a book. Perhaps he’s just wise beyond his years. Perhaps he’s a man with the spirit of someone 900 years old…”
Rose’s eyes widened and she looked hard at her daughter. Did Bianca know something she didn’t know? Was the Doctor… Her phone started singing again. The new message read, ‘No. I’m not Brian N. Catylsame. Saw the question on your face.’
Rose looked thoughtfully at the mobile in her hand. Her daughter was speaking again but suddenly her voice faded out. Rose gasped as she felt an all too familiar pain in her lower back and a sudden gush of fluids between her thighs. Taking a step back, she saw a small red-tinged puddle on the floor. She groaned softly and then moved forward to grasp Bianca lightly on the shoulder. Speaking softly, she said, “Honeybee… tell your dad he needs to go the hospital… we’ll meet him there.”
Bianca looked startled and then laughed with delight as she stared at her mother for a moment. She turned back to the audience with a broad grin on her face. “Um… it seems my mum has just gone into labour… we’ve got to run! Sorry!”
Author: Rambling Rose / irishlullaby
Beta Babe: crimedoc1
The Prompt: Per 25moments #19 - Blood
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing/Characters: TenII/Rose
Rating: Teen
Summary: “Just remember what your granddad says, Briton,” the Doctor said quietly, passing the baby on his hip to Samantha. “Be careful around anything with the ability to bleed for a week and not die.”
A/N: :: points to her side bar at the links to memes you guys might be interested in ::
“Just remember what your granddad says, Briton,” the Doctor said quietly, passing the baby on his hip to Samantha. “Be careful around anything with the ability to bleed for a week and not die.”
“Oi!” Sam barked, bouncing Zephyr in her arms. “Just be glad Mum didn’t hear that or she’d smack you.”
The Doctor looked at his oldest daughter blankly. “I always saw that as a compliment. Means women are much more durable than men.”
“Nice save,” Bianca snorted. “How do I look, Da?”
The Doctor looked at the thirteen year old as she slowly twirled around to show off her costume. It wasn’t much different than the outfit she usually wore these days: black and white pin-stripe stockings, black and white plaid skirt, black corset blouse, black fishnet gloves on her arms, and gothic make up. In fact the only noticeable deviation from her usual attire was her bright pink hair with two pig tails twisted into neat buns on each side of her head. And of course, the black, spidery, faerie wings were not her common fare either.
“You are absolutely beautiful, Honeybee. You are precisely how I picture Ambrosia to look,” the Doctor replied. Bianca beamed happily and flounced across the room to the refrigerator for some juice.
And though their house on the back part of the Tyler Estate was almost as sizable as the main house where Jackie and Pete lived, the kitchen of the Doctor and Rose Tyler was crowed with girls dressed as faeries. They were on their way to participate in a special presentation, sponsored by VitEx, to celebrate the release of the latest book in an extremely popular book series. His little Honeybee was Ambrosia, sinister sidekick to the Evil Queen Mab, Sam’s choice of character.
Sam had donned a black silk and lace off-the-shoulders frock with a dark, blood red corset. Her wings were the same shade as her corset and just as spidery as Bianca’s, but they had a much more impressive wingspan. Instead of going to extremes with her hair, as Bee had done, Sam had chosen to wear a styled black wig. Her makeup, while also gothic, was done in a more sophisticated style than Bianca’s, accentuating the two year age gap between the girls.
Twelve year old Chelsea, who currently had her nose buried in one of the earlier books in the series, was dressed as Princess Fauna, one of the heroines of the stories. She wore a simple pink frock, a purple corset, and sparkling white butterfly wings. One year old Zephyr, who was representing one of Good Queen Nimueh’s many children, wore a costume that made her look like an overgrown daisy.
They were currently waiting for Rose and Boudica to finish getting ready. However, as Rose was very much pregnant with their seventh and eighth -- and according to her final -- children, it took her a while to do anything. According to her doctor, Rose should be giving birth within a couple of weeks and he was quite excited at the thought of another set of twins. But until they arrived, he was content to offer his Rose support when she complained about being the size of a zeppelin or worried that her figure would never be the same again.
Then, like a herald announcing the arrival of a king, Boudica’s voice echoed down the stairway, along with the sound of soft thumps as the four year old hopped down the steps. She was singing one of the nonsense songs that she loved to make up. This one seemed to have something to do with loving pink flowers and her bunny slippers.
A final thump indicated her dismount from the stairs and was followed by her excited appearance in the kitchen, grinning with delight. “I helped Mummy get dressed Daddy. She’s pretty!” She started hopping circles around the Doctor and he just grinned and tried to watch her. Her costume, a simply faerie dress in various shades of green, with pink dragonfly wings that bounced up and down as she gyrated around the kitchen. She continued her little song until she was panting for breath and had to stop.
The Doctor used that moment to scoop her into his arms. “I’m sure your mummy is very pretty. And you know what, Boo? You’re a very pretty faerie as well. Just like your sisters.”
Boudica rolled her eyes and poked out her bottom lip as she gave him her best serious face. “I’m not a fair-wee, Da. I am a nif. I has dragonfly wings, not butterfly wings like they do!”
“You are a very pretty nymph, then,” the Doctor retorted, grinning at his daughter. They were slowly but surely working out Boudica’s speech impediments, but a few seemed to want to lingere… either that or she was pronouncing them the way she wanted to pronounce them.
“Gimme a mo, I’m having a hard time seeing the steps,” Rose’s voice floated into the room.
“Take your time, Rose,” the Doctor called back, setting Boudica on the floor. She immediately resumed her bouncing, this time with Bianca hopping along behind her threatening to tickle her. Boudica squealed and started running in circles around the table to escape her sister’s twitching fingers.
The Doctor took Zephyr from Samantha and took a seat next to Briton. “I know you’ve only got two weeks before the annual Saint Valentines Date Night,” the Doctor said gently. This was a tradition the Doctor had discovered when he’d arrived in this universe, one in which teenagers between the ages of fifteen and eighteen got to experience being a potential life partner for the first time. “You know, they didn’t have Date Night in your Mum’s old universe. Then again it wasn’t a crime for people under the age of fifteen to date… But while the girls are all out… I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” He shrugged slightly, and continued. “And maybe a few things you would really rather not know.”
Briton sighed and sank down in his seat. “I’m just going to be complete rubbish at being a boyfriend, I just know it…”
“So what? There’s always next year,” Samantha interjected, beaming at her brother. “They do the ‘Date Night’ every year, after all, until you feel you are able to go out and do things on your own.”
Briton rolled his eyes. “Easy for you to say. You already know you’re going out on Date Night with perfect Eric.” He batted his eyelashes mockingly and imitated Sam’s feminine tone.
Sam rolled her eyes. “He’s not perfect… he’s just Scottish.”
The Doctor was opening his mouth to ask who this ‘Eric’ character was when Rose waddled into the kitchen, taking slow, deep breaths. As soon as he saw her, he forgot all about his query. He smiled happily and let his eyes roam over her as she leaned against the doorway to catch her breath.
Her blonde hair was in numerous braids which had been pulled into a bun at the base of her neck. Her dress was a deep scarlet, cut to show off her ample breasts and large belly. She wore large red multi-hooped earrings and a massive ruby necklace and her makeup was done in various shades of red and maroon.
Rose’s eyes closed for a moment and she signed heavily. “I really can’t wait for these babes to be born,” she said testily. “It’s like they’re playing football with my bladder. I miss being able to properly hug my children…” She glared at him. “What are you looking at?”
“You look… absolutely stunning,” the Doctor said softly.
The scowl immediately melted away from Rose’s face and was replaced by an affectionate smile. “Do I really?” she asked.
“Always,” the Doctor said, grinning at her.
Chelsea lowered her book and glanced at her parents. “Mum, you do realise that Dad thinks you’re beautiful even when you’re being sick, don’t you?”
“Do you have to be so negative about everything Chelsea?” Samantha sighed, glaring at her sister.
Chelsea pulled off her glasses and clamped her book shut. “Yes, I do,” she retorted. “What sort of middle child syndrome sufferer would I be if I wasn’t?” Suddenly a bright smile crossed her face. “But it’s true… Dad does think Mum looks beautiful all the time. Actually, I think it’s sweet.”
Briton groaned audibly and rolled his eyes. The Doctor looked at Chelsea and Samantha with an almost stern expression on his face. “You two listen. Your mum is the most beautiful woman in two universes. And, I should know…”
“Yeah, yeah… three thousand years old and all that… we know,” Chelsea replied, surreptitiously winking at Sam.
“Oi!” the Doctor objected. “I am not three thousand years old! Not even close! I’ll have you know…”
Rose straightened herself up and sighed softly, effectively derailing the Doctor’s semi-serious rant. “Right then, enough of that. Doctor, are you sure you and Briton want to stay in tonight?” She gave him a mock scolding look. “The tabloids might talk, you know what with you not making any public appearance with me lately.”
The Doctor made a face. “My character got killed in the last book, and I am not going to show up as a dead character. It’s the principle of the thing!”
“And I refuse to dress up as a faerie,” Briton stated firmly.
Rose rolled her eyes. “Oh really, Briton, you used to love being Prince Broody. At least, until your dad’s favourite character got killed off and said that in our old universe it was nowhere near as acceptable for men to like faeries. Why should that matter, I don’t know… we live in this universe, not that one, after all. Honestly! You’ve never even been to the other universe.”
Briton folded his arms over his chest stubbornly. “I’m still not going,” he said firmly.
“Besides, Briton and I could use a little time together,” the Doctor added, grinning at his son. “He’s got some questions about girls… and dating.”
“Aww,” Rose gushed. “That’s right he’s old enough for Date Night this year…”
“Gee, thanks, Dad,” Briton grumbled, turning red as he glared at his father. “Now she’s going to be on about it at the release party.”
Rose made a face, and ignored Briton’s comment. “Though, what questions could he possibly have about girls? He’s got five sisters, after all.”
The Doctor stood, passing Zephyr to Briton, and walked over to Rose to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t know. That’s the primary reason why I can’t go, I have to find out, help him… sort things out.” He gave her another kiss, this time on her lips. “But you are beautiful,” he said softly.
“Didn’t Bee and I say Mum was the perfect Queen Nimueh at the beginning of the series?” Bianca said, walking past and pulling along a squealing Boudica by her ankles. “Oi, Queen Mab, I seem to have captured one of Queen Nimueh’s court! I say we torture her.”
“No, no, no, no… I don’t get tortured,” Boudica objected, laughing as Bianca toted her over to Samantha.
“Oh yes,” Samantha said, using her sinister voice. “The little nymphet should definitely be tortured… in the cruellest way… with… tickling!!!”
Boudica squealed loudly as Samantha started tickling her. Rose cringed slightly at the sound and rubbed fretfully at her temples. The Doctor quickly turned to the children. “Sam, Bee… no tickle torture, your mum has a headache.”
“I have an all-over body ache,” Rose sighed. The children pouted but and ceased their playing. Bianca lowered Boudica to the floor and the four year old returned to bouncing around the room excitedly. “I am so glad these two are boys,” she said, rubbing her belly.
“Me too,” the Doctor said, beaming. “Be nice to have a few more males around the house, won’t it, Briton?”
Rose smiled softly and cupped his cheek. “It’s nice to see you’re eager to get neutered so that I won’t have to worry about getting pregnant any more.”
The Doctor’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock. Rose moved away, checking to see that all the girls were present and ready to go, and then leading them out of the house towards the car that was waiting to take them to the release party. The Doctor swallowed hard and glanced over at Briton, who was grinning broadly. “Remember what I said about the bleeding and five days?” Briton nodded. “No matter what anyone says. It’s true.”
“If it’s any consolation,” Briton said. “I’m glad that I’m finally going to have brothers. Even if the price is your masculinity.”
The Doctor nodded absently, wondering to himself if Rose had been serious or not.
88888
Rose shifted uncomfortably in her chair and rubbed her belly, trying to soothe the restless babies within. This particular pregnancy had its share of problems… ongoing morning sickness being the least of them. She was constantly tired and it looked like she was going to have stretch marks that even Torchwood would not be able to fix. She was due for a doctor’s visit in a few days and if they didn’t think she was ready to give birth, she was damned well going to find a second opinion. She had already carried the boys for even longer than she had Sam and Briton and to be quite honest she didn’t know how much longer her body could take it. And it wasn’t the first time Pete’s universe had earned ‘odd points’ but having a woman carry twins as far to term as possible was just bloody well ridiculous.
Samantha was currently standing up in front of the mass of people who had gathered at the bookstore to get the latest volume book in Brian N. Catylsame’s series called Journey to Light. She was explaining how the series had contributed to a rise in literacy rates around the globe. Rose felt a wave of pride fill her as she watched her daughter speaking confidently before the huge, costumed crowd.
The series reminded Rose of Harry Potter, although the hero was a woman… well, faerie… who was battling the forces of evil that were trying to bring darkness to the fantasy kingdom of Avalon, while simultaneously trying to raise a family. If she wanted to be honest, the entire concept sounded awfully familiar. Well, except for the fact that Queen Nimueh’s husband had been killed, of course. She shook her head to clear it and tried to focus on Samantha’s speech.
“A love of reading is something my parents instilled in us at a frightfully young age,” Samantha was saying. “At the age of four, when we were getting ready to welcome Bee to the family, Mum says Briton and I were big fans of Charles Dickens and the Lord of the Rings. By five we were reading for ourselves the books Mum and Dad had read to us. At six, instead of watching educational television, we were acting out the works of Shakespeare during playtime.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Mum, I still say you make a much better Mercutio than Dad.”
Rose laughed softly before Samantha turned back to face her audience again. “Everyone in my family, my parents, all my sisters and brother, we all love to read. If you ever look at the tabloids, you probably know that Chelsea’s head basically looks like a book, even on holiday…” The crowd laughed at this and Rose took a deep, calming breath. “So to find that literacy rates around the world have gone up with the release of the Journey to Light series really pleased our family. And I’m not only saying that because we are dorky enough to be pleased about something like that. It really is important. It means that an entire new generation has opened their minds to the kind of adventure that only lies within the pages of a book. The kind that movies and telly try to duplicate but never can because, as my Dad says, the human imagination is always mightier than the idiot’s lanter.”
Samantha glanced back over her shoulder again for a moment. Rose gave her a reassuring nod and smile and she turned back to the crowd again and continued. “It is the hope of VitEx International that literacy rates will continue to climb so that when this generation of readers grows up, we will have vibrant and wonderful authors to fuel the minds of the next generation. So, without any further ado, it is my honour and privilege to introduce to you my Mum and second generation VitEx representative, Rose Tyler, to read a passage from chapter fifteen from Nimueh’s Path, The Ascension of Nimueh.”
The applause was thunderous. Rose closed her eyes for a moment before gripping the sturdy staff that VitEx had given her -- a gift from the author, they’d said -- to go with her costume. It was made of oak, thick, and twisted, with a large red crystal on the top. Decorative leather thongs with wooden beads on the end dangled from where oak met crystal on the staff. She leaned on the staff and pulled herself from her seat, swearing under her breath because the Doctor had not come along.
She gave Samantha a kiss on the cheek before taking her place at the podium. Bianca trotted up and placed the book on the podium, opening it to the proper page. “You alright, Mum?” she asked softly.
“Fine. Fine. I promise,” Rose managed. “Thanks.” She took a calming breath before offering the crowd a smile. Cameras flashed blindingly until she raised her staff and declaimed loudly, “You may cease your adoration…” Her soft laugh was echoed by the crowd as they recognised one of Queen Nimueh’s lines in an earlier volume in the series. She lowered the staff to the floor and leaned on it for support as she looked down at the book. “Now, let’s see if I can get through this without having any babies this evening.” She grinned out at the crowd before continuing, “Those of you who don’t want to be spoiled, now is the time to plug your ears.” She took a deep breath before beginning to read the passage she had marked with two Post-it notes.
“Nimueh crawled through the darkness, clinging to the thick mud as best she could, and praying to the ancestors that she would not lose her footing, praying that she would not fall and land on her belly, heavy with her twin offspring. As malleable as the viscous soil was, she was by no means certain that she could fall face down into it without risking the two small precious beings she carried inside of her. She could sense from the dying lives within the soil that she was close to a much deeper chasm and she hoped that her staff had not fallen into it, that instead it rested at the top of the slippery wall she was climbing, waiting to return to her hands.
“Her hopes began to fade the further upward she climbed. Slowly, one by one, her remaining powers were being consumed by the darkness that Mab had set upon her lands; it would only be a matter of time before she was powerless. But she knew that there was one thing that would always have power over the darkness. And if she could just get to the top of the ravine…
“Her foot slipped and she whimpered in panic as she struggled to find a new foothold and keep herself from falling back into the chasm. After a heart-stopping moment, she was able to stabilize her heavy body and continue to climb. Up and up she went, until at last she reached up for a new handhold and felt the top of the ravine. She whispered a prayer of thankfulness to the ancestors and laboriously pulled herself up onto level ground. Once she had moved away from the edge of the pit, she collapsed, lying on her back and gazing up at the starless sky, fighting to regain her breath. Her arms fell to the ground, spread out, her palms open to the darkness.
“Closing her eyes, Nimueh reached deep within her own mind, searching for the touch of her people. She could find none of the soothing comfort she sought; her people were all clinging to life as precariously as she. Tears filled her eyes as she gasped for breath… She had failed her ancestors… her people… their beautiful world. Soon they would all be servants of Mab, existing in the darkness, slaves to Mab’s evil will.
“Suddenly, she felt a small tickle in the back of her mind and she grasped at it frantically, instinctively turning her head in the direction of the sensation. The red crystal on her staff glowed brightly for a moment and then dimmed slightly before beginning to pulse in a steady unbroken rhythm. Nimueh’s eyes widened as she stared at it, realising what the light could mean. She knew she had tried not to consider the possibility because it would cost not only her life, but also the lives of her unborn children.”
Rose paused and put her hand on her belly as one of the twins shifted. She drew in a deep breath then exhaled before continuing, “Nimueh shifted clumsily, rising to her knees and reaching out to retrieve her staff. The glow of the crystal intensified once again, but this time the light did not dim. She heard the soft voice of her king in her ear, whispering promises of being with him once more. Nimueh sighed sadly, knowing what she had to do. There was no choice. And… well, three lives was a small price to pay to save all of her people. Using all her strength, she clambered to her feet, leaning heavily upon the glowing staff. She groaned as she felt the first pangs of birthing rip through her.
“She wondered what her king would have done in such a situation. Would he have risked his own life, her life, the lives of his unborn children to defeat the darkness? She closed her eyes and asked the ancestors for guidance but even their brilliance had faded, blocked from her Sight by the all-consuming darkness. She grimaced as another pain ripped through her body. Three lives to preserve the universal balance. Yes, she decided as she heard her king’s soft voice whisper her name once more, it was a small price to pay. And it would be worth it.
“She thrust the wooden end of her staff into the thick mud. The sound of thunder rolled through the plains, echoing within the ravine. The glow of the crystal intensified as she focused what remained of her power on the warm red light. In that moment she felt hope surge through the fragile remains of her people. ‘By flesh and blood and bone and spirit…’ she called out. ‘As the guardian of life and death, I give my light so that my people may live.’”
Everyone gasped as Rose closed the book and gave the wide-eyed audience a smile. “Well, that was just a sample of Mr. Brian N. Catylsame’s latest book. I don’t know what he has planned next for Nimueh. But I ca’t wait to find out!” She grinned out at the crowd. “Any questions?”
A reporter raised her hand first. “Do you know if Brian Catylsame will ever make any public appearances?”
“I honestly do not know,” Rose replied. “According to the VitEx subsidiary that publishes the Journey to Light series, all contact with Mr. Catylsame has been via emails and post. The only person at VitEx to have ever met him face to face is my father, Pete Tyler. I’m not really sure why, actually. Perhaps he has some sort of social disorder that makes him uncomfortable to be in public.”
Rose jumped as her mobile began ringing with the tone that indicated a text message from the Doctor -- something to do with limes and coconuts -- and she wondered why he was texting her when he knew she was at the VitEx presentation and was most likely watching it on the telly. She held up her hand, looking apologetically at the crowd as she retrieved her mobile from where it rested in a hidden pocket in her dress. She flipped it open and quickly read his text.
‘Watching you on telly. I forgot how much it turns me on to see you being Miss In-Charge. RAWR’
Rose felt a blush touch her cheeks and quickly closed her mobile, setting it on the podium and glaring at it as if it, rather than the Doctor, was responsible for her momentary embarrassment. “Another question?” The lime and coconuts tone started playing again and she said tartly. “From anyone besides the wonderful father of my children?”
“What about the rumours that Pete Tyler is Brian Catylsame?” another reporter asked.
Rose snorted, barely managing to keep from laughing outright. “My dad can barely come up with something clever to put on Christmas cards! Do you really think he would be able to write a six book series?”
“Um… actually, if I could say something?” Bianca said shyly, moving to stand next to her mother.
Rose smiled and stepped aside to let her usually very anti-public speaking daughter take the podium. She grabbed her mobile and read the Doctor’s new message. ‘I have a question… What about ten kids? Ten is a nice, round number.’
Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head at the phone, quickly texting back the words ‘NO MORE! AND THIS TIME I MEAN IT!!’, before turning her attention back to Bianca.
Her daughter gave the crowd a nervous wave. “Hello,” she said softly. “I know I don’t generally speak at these things… events… but… um… yeah. I just wondered… Why is it so important for him to be seen? Did anyone ever stop to think that perhaps he wanted a clear, unbiased opinion of his novels? I mean, how many people would read a book simply because the author is, I dunno, the youngest published writer or something? Maybe he didn’t want to hear the words ‘Surprising for someone of his tender years. Perhaps he doesn’t want your opinion of the book to change just because he’s foreign, or because he’s handicapped or… because he’s only thirteen or fifteen years old, or something like that.”
The reporter laughed. “There’s no chance that this series was written by someone that young. That would mean he had to have started it when he was… what… nine, maybe ten years old. The writing style hasn’t faltered since the first volume. It’s much too thought out with all the twists and turns… too detailed… too wise to be a child writer, even a child prodigy. I’m thinking he’s much older, probably has a wonderful wife and family…”
Rose watched, bemused, as a smile ghosted Bianca’s lips. “Anyone,” Bianca said, “with reasonable writing ability and a decent imagination can write a book. Perhaps he’s just wise beyond his years. Perhaps he’s a man with the spirit of someone 900 years old…”
Rose’s eyes widened and she looked hard at her daughter. Did Bianca know something she didn’t know? Was the Doctor… Her phone started singing again. The new message read, ‘No. I’m not Brian N. Catylsame. Saw the question on your face.’
Rose looked thoughtfully at the mobile in her hand. Her daughter was speaking again but suddenly her voice faded out. Rose gasped as she felt an all too familiar pain in her lower back and a sudden gush of fluids between her thighs. Taking a step back, she saw a small red-tinged puddle on the floor. She groaned softly and then moved forward to grasp Bianca lightly on the shoulder. Speaking softly, she said, “Honeybee… tell your dad he needs to go the hospital… we’ll meet him there.”
Bianca looked startled and then laughed with delight as she stared at her mother for a moment. She turned back to the audience with a broad grin on her face. “Um… it seems my mum has just gone into labour… we’ve got to run! Sorry!”