As I was writing this, I was so focused on the impact to the Doctor, and then it suddenly occurred to me how lonely it must be for Rose, how very terrified she must be to be trying to do all of this and not let it show. I was trying to figure out whether Brem and Athena really were lonely, ought to go to school, et cetera, and it was exhausting for me, so it occurred to me it'd be a million times worse when they're your kids and not your fictional characters.
Aww poor Rose, she's really feeling the effects of only having the Doctor and the children to talk to isn't she? As a naturally social person you wrote her dispair really well. I could imagine her loneliness and her worry about telling the Doctor. I'm sure she was worried he would suggest he leave them on Earth for a while, when really she wants him to play domestic with her. Maybe they could buy a house with carpets and spend a while there each year (like a holiday home ;) ) Great update x
You're right: She is a naturally social person, and, as much as she loves all of them, it's terrible for her to only have the immediate family to talk to and laugh with. And you're also right that she worries terribly that the Doctor will leave her. Not because she suspects he doesn't love her, but because she knows his self-sacrificing mind.
An absolute gem of a chapter. I love the way you make their extraordinary relationship so recognisable as a demanding but rewarding marriage. They're both a realistic, older version of the people we saw falling in love. And I'm delighted you're tackling the issues many baby fics skate over, such as socialisation.
I was quite choked when Bren told Rose he was a Time Lord, not an alien. Exactly the point. And this I loved:
She was raising the most powerful beings in creation; she wasn’t sure she could afford to make a mistake, and she wasn’t sure the Doctor would notice if she did.
But I think Rose has a point - these children are half-human after all, and the fitting-in issue won't go away.
I'm so glad you're liking this. I did want it to feel like it could be a continuation of the series. And it would be *hard.* They're a weird, unusual family that would always feel as if they're not quite working. Rose is always wondering if she treats them too human, or too Time-Lord, trying to find the right balance between them. I don't think they ever really find the answer, but then, life doesn't often have answers like that. They just kind of make do.
The one thing they are both crystal clear on is that they wouldn't change the oddity of their family for any other family in space and time. And that holds them together.
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:D
Brem is adorable, and Molly is off her rocker for not finding him charming
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Great update x
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I was quite choked when Bren told Rose he was a Time Lord, not an alien. Exactly the point. And this I loved:
She was raising the most powerful beings in creation; she wasn’t sure she could afford to make a mistake, and she wasn’t sure the Doctor would notice if she did.
But I think Rose has a point - these children are half-human after all, and the fitting-in issue won't go away.
Reply
The one thing they are both crystal clear on is that they wouldn't change the oddity of their family for any other family in space and time. And that holds them together.
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