CHAPTER 9: Miracle Eight, Part II

"What you're all hearing is the sound of the universe, a song that comes from the Vortex itself. And what you're all seeing there, looking so small and fragile in Dr. Harper's hand, is something that hasn't been seen in millennia. Rose, that beautiful impossible thing that Owen is holding, that is the seed of a TARDIS."

Rose closed her eyes, recognizing in the Doctor's words a truth that she had known unconsciously. The song resonated through her, and she felt nothing but light and music. It was like all the heavens were singing a triumphant chorus for her benefit, and it felt like love. Love more true than she'd ever imagined. She and her son and this infant TARDIS—they all fit together somehow, small pieces of a larger grander pattern, a great celestial celebration.

But, even as she understood this, she instinctively realized that there was still something missing. This beauty was incomplete. Within the pattern, there was a gap, an emptiness, deep and cold, and its very existence made her heart ache. The music stopped—as if the small TARDIS had discovered the darkness at the same moment—and Rose moaned audibly in the sudden silence, a sound of utter despair.

"What is it, Rose? What is it, Love?" Jackie asked anxiously. "Doctor, what's wrong with her? Rose, sweetheart, are you in pain?"

The Doctor's face lost its boyish jubilation. Why should the presence of the new-birthed TARDIS hurt her? If anything, it should make her feel more whole, more complete. After all, it held within it all the power of the Time Vortex and it was, well, he looked at the fragile seed in Owen's hand, it was miraculous. "Rose?" his voice quivered with uncertainty.

As if in response, the baby being to cry, violent shaking sobs. Martha looked down at the infant in her arms, a terrified expression on her face. "Doctor?" she asked, "What's wrong with them?"

"Rose," the Doctor was yelling now. "Rose, please, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong." But Rose was too distracted by the tragedy in her head to notice. She was crying now, large tear drops rained from her closed lids. "Martha, give her the baby!" The Doctor insisted.

But, after a moment, it became apparent that neither Rose nor the baby was comforted, and the room was filled with a dirge-ish sound that everyone realized was generating within the TARDIS seed. Young Renny, sensing all the discord around her, also began to cry, her wails joining in accord with her nephew's.

Pete turned to the Doctor in exasperation, "Doctor, do something!"

"What would you have me do? If I get too close or interfere at all, the psychic link between the mother and the child may fail, like an interrupted circuit…" he trailed of, his face puzzled. "But, maybe…" His face changed with a sudden revelation. "Maybe the circuit's already broken. Maybe it needs another piece to be totally complete." He looked at Pete and Jackie imploringly. "Look at me, stupid Time Lord that I am… It's been so long since my species procreated in the natural way, so much has been forgotten… What if, what if what's missing is me?"

"If what's missing is you," Jackie replied in a deceptively soothing tone, her anger curtailed by her efforts to comfort her crying child, "Then you'd better hurry up and fix it already. I don't like seeing my daughter and my grandson cry out in pain while the no-good father prattles on about maybes. You come over here and make it stop."

"And if it doesn't work?" the Doctor asked, his face terribly vulnerable.

Jackie's face was flushed in frustration, but her voice was still calm. "Then we'll know more than we do now, won't we?"

"Right." The Doctor replied. Externally, he put on his most detached mask, but inside he was quavering. He was both eager and frightened to reach out to the odd trio of a TARDIS, his son, and his Rose—eager to discover if they truly could begin to fill the space that his people left and terrified that he should hurt them or, worse, be unwelcome. As he crossed the space to them mentally, he also did so physically, going to sit at Rose's side. He gently stroked her cheek with one hand and clasped his son to his chest with the other—and as he made physical contact he let down his defenses and let his consciousness brush theirs.

Jackie, Pete, Martha, and Owen grouped together along the other side the bed, Owen still holding the delicate pink TARDIS outstretched on a white handkerchief. The Doctor didn't say anything nor did they see him do anything, but both Rose and the baby stopped crying and the light humming that filled the room changed perceptively to something uplifting and lovely.

After several minutes, Pete cleared his throat. "Doctor?"

The Doctor, a radiant and happy-looking Doctor, looked away from Rose and the baby. "Right, sorry. Work to do?"

"Yes, well," Pete appeared flustered. "Torchwood will be here soon, and we still haven't brought you up to speed…"

Jackie interrupted. "Is my Rose okay?"

It was Rose who answered, smiling shyly, her face filled with a new radiance like the Doctor's. "I'm fine, mum. I'm sorry if I frightened you… I wish I could explain, but, well, I can't. But, we're fine now." She snuggled her infant close to her breast. "Just tired."

The Doctor placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and then stood and clasped his hands. "Pete, have you got a conference room somewhere? Someplace where we can all have a nice sit down with our chat?"

"Of course. We can use the study." He turned on his radio, "Mickey?"

"Yeah?" A voice crackled back through.

Pete asked, "How's the file corruption going?"

"Good," Mickey replied, and they could almost hear the smile in his voice as he responded, "We're almost done."

Pete nodded. "Great. When you finish, bring Dr. Sato along with you to the study. We're going to bring the Doctor up to speed."

"Copy that."

Pete looked to the Doctor. "As soon as you're ready," and he gestured towards the door.

But Jackie wasn't quite ready for them all to head out yet. "Doctor, can I take the boy to the nursery now?" She looked at her daughter, "I won't obviously, if she needs him here, but they both look so… exhausted…"

The Doctor studied the fierce woman that could strike fear into the metal heart of a cyberman if her brood was in danger and smiled reassuringly. "They'll both be okay now, Jackie. But, you're right, absolutely right; they could use some sleep."

He turned his eyes to Owen, "Here, I'll take that." And he accepted the TARDIS seed from Owen's hand. "Dr. Harper, I am placing my son and his little aunt here," he turned his bright eyes to Renny as if seeing her for the very first time, "Oh, well just look at you! Jackie, she's lovely!" He touched her delicate little fingers and laughed as she smiled. "And there it is! The Tyler grin!" He looked at Pete and added cheekily, "Pete, you're a doomed man."

Pete laughed, "Don't I know it."

The Doctor continued, his tone suddenly severe, "Dr. Harper, I am going to send you along to the nursery with Jackie, Renny, and my son. I'm assuming Jackie will be joining us downstairs…" He looked to Jackie for affirmation of this, and she nodded. "So," he proceeded, his eyes nearly burning holes into Owen with their intensity, "I am trusting you to guard the children with your life."

Owen looked like someone had just handed him an uncomfortable burden, and he didn't know quite what to do with it. Seeing his expression, Rose laughed. "Oh, Owen, don't let the Oncoming Storm intimidate you." She stuck her tongue through her teeth. "Besides, we're all perfectly safe," she turned wary eyes towards Pete, "For the moment."

Owen still looked unconvinced, but Jackie took matters into her own hands. She handed Renny over into Owen's unexpectant arms where she immediately began patting her chubby hands upon his dumbstruck face. Then, Jackie delicately lifted her grandson from Rose's arms, giving her daughter a conspiratorial grin, and sashayed towards the door. "Are you coming?" she asked over her shoulder, without really looking back, and Owen followed wordlessly like a puppy on a lead.

Pete then looked at the Doctor expectantly, "Right then." And he gestured towards the door again.

"You go on ahead, Pete," he answered looking from Rose to Martha. "I'll be along in a moment."

Pete looked from Martha to the Doctor to Rose still lying on the bed and acquiesced. "It's the second door, at the bottom of the main stairs." he said, leaving and closing the door behind him.

"So," the Doctor began, looking from Martha to Rose, "You made proper introductions when I was gone?"

Rose smiled, "Yes, Doctor. I've met Martha. We're quite good friends now, I think. All right and proper."

"Well, that's good." The Doctor responded, his voice hesitant.

Rose winked at Martha. "Were you worried?"

"Um… worried… Nah. I wouldn't say worried." The Doctor babbled.

Rose looked at Martha apologetically. "I told you I was a bit of a pill when I met Sarah Jane. Sorry."

Martha laughed. "'S okay. He was probably more worried about me. I certainly never hid the fact that I wasn't so found of hearing about you."

Now it was Rose's turn to laugh, "I can imagine."

The Doctor fidgeted uncomfortably. "Right, then. Friends, well and good and as it should be. Now to business. Martha?"

"Yes Doctor?"

"Hold out your hand," he demanded, and, realizing what she was about to be handed, a look of wonder crossed her face as she did so. "I'll need you to hold this for me."

Martha nodded solemnly and stared at the small pink star sitting upon her own outstretched palm. "Ok. I've got to know. Where'd you get this from? Is it really a TARDIS?"

The Doctor beemed with pride. That was his Martha, always wanting to know. "It will be, provided that it's planted in Gallifreyan soil."

"But I thought that Gallifrey was gone? Gone means no soil, doesn't it?"

"No. Gallifrey is gone," The Doctor replied, his smile fading. "But the TARDIS has got Gallifreyan soil in her gardens. Hmmm, she's not the only own anymore. I'll have to start saying 'my' TARDIS rather than 'the' TARDIS. Small change that but still…"

"Doctor?" Rose interrupted.

"Hmm?"

"And where did you get it?" Rose prompted.

"Oh," the Doctor's face took on a rather clinical look. "We cut it from the placenta, from the afterbirth. Well, I should say that Owen cut it from the placenta, as I was afraid to touch it at the time. He thought I was mad, he did. Lucky we found it, though, the placenta—stupid ape doctors had chucked it in the bin."

"Oh, that's disgusting, that is," laughed Rose.

Martha snorted. "Yea, shame I missed that."

"Right, then." The Doctor looked at his two companions. "Rose, sleep. And Martha?"

"Yes, Doctor," Martha replied knowingly. "I'll stay with them, Rose and the TARDIS both. I'll take good care of them. I promise."

The Doctor headed towards the door, "I've got a feeling I'm not really going to enjoy this meeting."

Rose nodded in agreement. "I know that you're going to hate it. But, Doctor?" Her voice was pleading, and he turned to look at her with his hand on the knob. "Whatever happens… everything that you learn… remember… remember that it's not time to lose your temper yet."

The Doctor's brow clouded at this admonition; whatever had been happening in this alternate universe must be bad indeed. But looking at Rose's eyes so filled with worry, he answered as honestly as he could: "I'll do my best."

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N—Seriously, I keep thinking that I'll be getting to Torchwood and all the dastardly things with each chapter only to realize that I need more explanations. But, I think that I can guarantee some intrigue in the next chapter. Plus, I promise that Donna will be making her return appearance. Thank you for sticking with me even though it takes me ages between updates—I really hope you're still enjoying the story. Please review.