Child of the Doctor

Chapter 23

"Now let's get ready for the day. I'm going to try to be better . What do you think about going to the anti-grav room and having some fun and tomorrow we can go to the planet of the ingloos", I say to her.

She smiles, "I would like that. But can I go visit aunty Jackie for a day or so? I kind of miss her. And earth. You can take me another time to the ingloo planet". She asks.

I sigh. 'I really don't want to see Rose's mother. But I want to make it up to her. Despite her wanting to be with me ( time tot instincts), I can tell she wants to be alone as well'.

"Okay. We can go. Tomorrow though"

"Really!?" I nod, and she hugs me

Time Skip

Ayla POV

"Hi Aunt Jackie. How are you?" I ask her.

"Hello sweetheart. Oh I have missed you. I'm good. How are you? Have you been eating? You look almost as thin as the day I met you. Are you hungry?"

Jackie and I continue chatting. While Rose and Mickey decided to go have a drink at the pub down the street and enjoying a day out in the city. The doctor stayed behind, looking a bit bored.

Doctor POV

Ayla looks exhausted. She has been enjoying her day here so far with Jackie, watching a bit of TV. 'She seems so relaxed, I haven't felt this from her before, this relaxed state of being. We were arguing with each other, or fighting for our lives and just being emotional in general. It's been a difficult few months'.

"Come on Ayla, let's get you to bed. You've had a long day". I say to her.

"No, I don't wanna. I'm not tired", she says as she yawns. 'I don't want to leave yet'. It's so nice not to worry about something going wrong or losing the doctor, or the world ending, or time collapsing', she thinks to herself tiredly.

Her thoughts disturb me. 'She is just a child. When I was a time tot, all I wanted to do was to travel and go meet new people. And the reason why the children stayed with their parents and or at the academy, not allowed to do travel, it was because of reasons like this. I put her in danger. I put her mind at risk. I've been trying to teach and train her and see the extent of her growing abilities on some adventures when she really needs the security, a stable home. There aren't others her age, like what I had with my children. She misses out on so much'. I wish she and I could go home, to Gallifrey', shame filled me.

"Come on sweetheart, why don't you go lay in Rose's room. You'll still be here in the morning". Jackie says.

"Okay aunty", Ayla replies sleepily, walking to the room. And falling asleep almost immediately.

Jackie turns to me with a glare, slapping me, again! "Doctor, I can't believe you've been so irresponsible with her", she tried to continue speaking, but I stop her, rubbing my cheek.

"I know Jackie, I have made some mistakes with her. I don't know what to do. She is still so young and I worry for her. She has no one her own age. She needs the stability. I thought I could give her that, but now, now I don't know. The TARDIS is big enough for us, but I wish I could've raised her on our planet."

Jackie replies ,she does need the stability. Human children can't be that different from your species. Let me take her in for a few days. Think of it as a holiday for her, to rest". She offers.

I stare at Jackie in shock, once again. "I'm sorry Jackie but she needs me, maybe not physically, if she were a normal human child I would do it in a heartbeat. But she is a time tot. You are simply not equipped to deal with her. I can monitor her when I am with her", I say.