Doctor Who fanfic: Counting with Fairies

Takes place immediately after Big Finish story "Dark Eyes." 

Synopsis: Molly O'Sullivan has left to go back to the war, but Dr. Sally Armstrong was alive again, thanks to Molly's changing history for the better.  Sally is a scientist and when the Doctor lets her pick where in time she wants to go, she chooses to see Pascal Blaise's first mechanical calculator.  Seems a straightforward enough of a request for the Doctor, but nothing with him ever goes quite to plan.  Fairies are appearing in 17th century France, making the locals very nervous.

Story in progress, enjoy and review.

Chapter 1

The Doctor watched Molly disappear behind the tent city that surrounded the once stately châteaux.  He stood at the threshold of the TARDIS and listened to the cries coming from the hundreds of wounded soldiers in those tents.  It took nerves of steel to work in those makeshift hospitals, but it took guts to voluntarily go back when you've had a taste of freedom from those horrors.  And that is just what Molly had - guts, and lots of them.

He closed the door and went back to the small table where Molly had left her farewell note to him.  He frowned and almost a moment later, he smiled.  Molly O'Sullivan.  She had infuriated him more than once in their short time together, but she had also made him laugh.  A true genuine laugh.  He had not truly laughed like that in a very long time.

He had been sent to save Molly and he had done just that.  The Daleks had not succeeded in killing her.  But she had saved his life several times.  He could think of two separate occasions where she had actually dragged his unconscious body away from the firing range of the Daleks.  She had saved him from a botched blood transfusion that most certainly would have killed him if it had gone on a few minutes more.  And she had helped him to clear his lungs of the horrible mustard gas that he had been directly exposed to on the battlefield.  The more he thought about their short time together, the more instances he could think of where she had been the one to save him.

Of course, he smiled to himself, she had inflicted quite a bit of pain on him as well.  She had punched him twice in the face.  The first punch had been powerful enough to knock him out.

Molly had been hard working and brave.  She stood up to anyone who stood in her way, but she was also kind and willing to extend a hand of friendship.  She was never a victim, even though life had not been easy for her.  She stood up for what she believed in and wasn't afraid to call the Doctor out if he showed any signs of hypocrisy.  He had preached hope to her, but he had been unable to believe in it himself.  Molly had even once called him a "flaming idiot," which should have made him angry, but considering the circumstances and hearing her say it in her down-to-earth Irish lilt, the insult was rather comical and perhaps, just perhaps, very slightly true.

Despite her stubbornness and the exasperating way she was always messing about with the console controls, he had liked Molly.  She had known a hard life of work and servitude and now was in the thankless position as a World War I VAD, but it had only made her stronger and she worked harder for a better life.  In the end, she had left him.  He had planned on taking Molly with him, to travel with him, but she had a strong sense of duty and love for the soldiers she helped to care for.  She left the Doctor a farewell letter and had snuck out of the TARDIS, returning to the horrors of war.

The Doctor went to the console controls.  He set the TARDIS in flight in the vortex.  He decided he would go back for Molly one day.  Perhaps when the war was over.  Of course it would be easy for him to travel a few years ahead in Earth's history and just go right to the end of the war and pick up Molly.  He could do that in his sleep, but he decided he needed a little time away from Molly.

One side of his face was still a little tender from the last punch she had thrown him.  He wanted to travel with Molly again, but not just yet.

He picked up Molly's letter again and re-read it.  "I realize now that with everything Kotris did undone, my Kitty will still be alive."  He read that line several times before its meaning really sunk in - everything that had happened while he and Molly had been together had all been undone when Kotris had died.  That meant that Dr. Sally Armstrong at the Ides Scientific Institute would still be alive. 

The Doctor had felt so terrible after watching a Dalek kill Sally.  He had watched way to many people die at the hands of the Daleks over the many centuries of his life.  Dear friends and family had been killed by them right in front of his eyes.  Some of the deaths were still so recent for him and the holes left in his hearts from their deaths were still so fresh, that after he watched Sally fall, he was ready to give up.  He had come unglued and suicidal.  He gave himself up to the Daleks ready to accept his extermination.  If Molly hadn't been there with her common sense, he would have died right next to Sally.  Now the thought made him shiver with horror.

Sally.  He would go see Sally.  She had wanted so much to go with the Doctor and experience time travel. 

Joia and the Guild

One story I'm very excited about is currently titled Joia and the Guild. 

Funny, for my love of writing and creative story ideas, I'm completly useless at naming my own stories.

This is a children's (young adult) fantasy story.

Synopsis:  Joia is the daughter of Thomas the Baker, a tradesman of high respect in her villiage.  Joia's life seems to be like that of all the young ladies in the villiage.  She is learning how to care for a home and be a good wife so one day she might marry a respectable tradesman in the villiage.  Joia hopes to marry Hakon the Thatcher.  One summer day, when Joia is 15,  a group of travelling entertainers comes to the villiage. Joia meets the mysterious Edmund, the leader of the group of entertainers.  He can see that Joia has a destiny outside of the village.  A destiny that somehow relates to all the trade's guilds.  Joia, Hakon and Edmund begin on a journey that will lead them across the land and finding that all is not well among the trade guilds.

PART 1

Untitled: Part 4

If you are just joining, please begin with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Nora slid the pan of pork chops into the oven and closed the door.  She turned back to the kitchen table, where her youngest son Isaac was sitting.  Well, sitting was hardly what he was doing, his head was on the table and he was wallowing in self-pity. His head was resting right on top of his homework paper.

"Come on Isaac, sit up and do the work," Nora encouraged him.

"But Mom, it's too hard," Isaac whined.

Nora hated this nightly battle with Isaac.  She sat down next to him and pulled the paper out from under his head.  She looked over the math sheet.  "You did the last two perfectly," she said.  "Come on, let's do the next on."

Isaac lifted his head and Nora put the paper back in front of him.  Isaac huffed at the paper and he began to work.  Nora sat next to him and watched him work.  He was doing everything correctly.  When he had finished the problem, he looked up at his mother.

Nora nodded, "You got it right, keep going."

Isaac huffed again and went back to his work.  Nora chuckled to herself.  Isaac, who was eight, was her youngest.  Despite the whining and fighting he put up each night, he was very smart and never really needed her help.  But, he preferred sports and playing outside over homework.  He was small in size, but his wiry body was full of energy.  There was always a ball at his feet and even as he sat at the table, doing homework, his feet were twirling around a basketball under the table.  He would go on five mile runs with Paul periodically.  Of the three children, he looked like Paul the most.  The truth was, all the boys looked like Paul, but Isaac was the only one to have Paul's blue eyes.  The other two boys, Tristan and Blake, had Nora's light brown eyes.

Tristan, who was fourteen, was well rounded in his interests and activities.  Along with sports, Tristan also played in the school band, enjoyed reading and hanging out with friends.  He was social and had an easy going personality that made him popular among his friends.

Blake was twelve and often seemed to have his head in the clouds.  He was a dreamer and an artist.  He loved the outdoors and often spent nice days outside in a cluster of trees behind their home.  He would sit there and draw and dream.  He had camped out there on his own many times during the summers.  He didn't play sports like his dad and his brothers, but he enjoyed watching them and could be found with the other men in the house on the weekends, watching their favorite sports teams play.

Nora watched Isaac to his homework.  He was getting it all correct.  She stood up from the table, "Keep it up, you're doing it right," she said.  "Only a few more problems to go and you are done."

Isaac groaned, but he went back to his work.  In less than five minutes he had finished the math sheet and sprinted from the table to the back door.   Nora went back to preparing dinner.  Her mind wandered back to the events of the afternoon.  She couldn't stop thinking about Alexa.  What was she like.  She wondered if Alexa was a tomboy or a girly girl.  Did she like school, sports, music? Was she fashion conscious or did she have a style all her own?  Was she a reader?  Was she quiet and shy or outgoing and popular?

"Mom?"

Nora jumped, her thoughts abruptly cut off.  "Oh, Blake.  You startled me."

"Sorry, Mom," Blake said.

"That's alright.  Now, what can I do for you?"  she asked.

Blake held out a paper.  "There's an art contest at school.  I'm going to enter, but my teacher has asked a couple of us to come to an afterschool group so she can work with us on our entries and technique.  I need you to sign the form."

Nora took the paper and looked over it.  "Sounds like fun," she said.  "You'll stay after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays?"

"Yep."

Nora glaced over to the calendar.  It wasn't hanging on the wall.  Nora remembered she had given it to Paul earlier.

"That should be fine," Nora signed the paper and gave it back to Blake.

"Thanks Mom," he said.  "When's dinner?"

"Half an hour.  Have you finished your homework?"

"Yep," Blake answered again.  He left and went back to his room.

Nora went to the office to retrieve the calendar.  Paul was at his lap top.  She walked to him and kissed the top of his head, then she reached over his shoulder and picked up the calendar. 

"She wrote back," Paul said, swiveling his chair around to face her.

"Who wrote back?  Alexa?" Nora asked.

"Yeah.  She is inviting us over for dinner at her grandparent's house on Friday evening."

Nora glanced at the calendar.  Paul had already written the dinner onto the calendar.  "Good, that should be fine.  Are you alright?"  Nora kissed his head again.

"Yeah, fine," Paul answered, but his voice waivered, giving away the nerves he was feeling.

"It will be OK," Nora said.  "Dinner's in thirty."

When Paul didn't answer, she left and went back to the kitchen.  She hung the calendar back up on the wall.  Dinner on Friday with her husband's daughter and ex-in-laws.  What an evening to look forward too.

PART 5

Untitled: Part 3

If you are just joining the story, please begin with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Nora wrapped her arms around Paul and held him close.  Paul hugged her back.  He was lucky and he knew it.  Nora was an amazing woman.  She could have been angry with him.  He had a daughter with another woman, but Nora's arms were wrapped around him, and he knew that she loved him.

"Paul," Nora said. "Alexa says it is your name on the birth certificate, so she has probably begun forming an emotional bond of some sort with you even before meeting you.  And I know that you were legally married to Jessie for a short time, so there is really not much reason to doubt, but how sure can we be that Alexa is actually your daughter?  I mean, we really don't know what Jessie might have done after the divorce.  Is it possible that Alexa isn't your daughter?"

Paul looked hurt for a moment, but then his face softened. "I suppose you could be right.  However, in the email,  Alexa attached a photo of herself with Jessie."  Paul pulled out another folded paper from his pocket.  He handed it to Nora.

She unfolded it and looked at the picture of the two women.  One was older, with red hair and wearing a business suit. The other woman was a young, obviously a teenager.  She was wearing a school uniform and was laughing about something.  Nora looked closely at the teenage girl.  Alexa.  Her husband's daughter.  She gasped lightly.  "She has your eyes, Paul, and your curly hair."  Alexa's eyes were the same shade of bright blue as Paul's.  And her hair looked just like Paul's, but longer.  It was dark brown and full of curls.  "She looks so much like you," Nora said.

Paul took the picture back from Nora.  He looked at it and chuckled.  "Jessie must have dyed her hair.  She wasn't a red head."  He folded the paper and stuck it back into his pocket.  He stood there, in the middle of the room.  His eyes were unfocused as he thought about all the memories and feelings that were flooding back to him.  He thought of Jessie.  She had been so sweet and was such a beautiful bride.  They had been so happy and often talked about their future together.  Their honeymoon had been perfect and when Paul went back to work that first morning, he had no reason to believe that she would not be there waiting for him when he got home.  They had snuggled together the night before and chatted over breakfast.  Passionate kisses had been exchanged and they lamented being apart from each other for the entire day while Paul would be at work.  When he got to work, he was greeted by a stack of papers that needed to be taken care of.  He had been very busy all day long, but during his lunch hour, he had tried to call her.  She hadn't answered and Paul had figured that she must have gone to the store to stock their bare pantry.

He had no idea that she had left.  She had given him no warning.  They had been as happy as could be, or so he had thought.  But she had left and now, he realized, that she was pregnant when she left.  She couldn't have known.  Paul wondered if it would have made a difference to her if she had known before leaving him.  Probably not, Paul decided.  But, he would have like to have known and had  the chance to be  a part of his daughter's life.  He had been angry with Jessie when she left him, but he had forgiven her and moved on.  It had taken time to reach complete peace and forgiveness. Several years, if he was honest with himself.  But now, with the revelation of a teen daughter, all the hurt came back.  He was angry with Jessie all over again.  It wasn't about him and Jessie this time.  It now involved Alexa, Nora and his three sons with Nora.

"Nora, our sons," he turned around and looked into her eyes.  "How do we tell them about this?"

Nora slid her arms around his waist and squeezed him.  "Well, we tell them the truth.  They are old enough to know and understand.  They deserve the truth.  They have a sister now."

"A sister."  The revelation of a daughter was coming at him like a storm.  He felt lost and helpless.  It was so much to take on.  He pulled out of the hug that Nora had on him.  He looked at her and smiled, "That means you are a step-mom now."

Nora frowned and playfully shoved him.  "I never thought I'd be one of those.  I shall do my best to be very evil."

Paul hugged her.  "I'd better go email Alexa," he said.  "What's our schedule like?"  Nora took the calendar off the wall and handed it to him.  He looked at it for a moment.  "Where do I suggest we meet?"

Nora thought for a moment.  "Well, she could come here for dinner, although it might be difficult to talk openly with her on that first meeting with the other kids around.  We could meet at her grandparent's home.  It would be more comfortable for her and you could talk to your ex-in-laws.  Or we could meet at a restaurant.  It would be a neutral place."

Paul nodded at her suggestion, then he turned and left for the office.

Nora sat down on the sofa again.  A daughter had suddenly joined the family.  How would it changed the family dynamics?  Nora tried to think of the young lady who had just lost her mother, moved to a new city to live with her grandparents and then discovered the truth about her father.  As shocked as Nora and Paul were over this, no doubt Alexa was going through an even more difficult time.

Nora checked the clock.  She still had just under an hour before the kids got home from schoo.  Nora peeked into the office. Paul was typing at an email.  Nora went back to her comfy chair.  The tea was cold.  She sat down and picked up her book.  She found her spot in the book and where she had been and started to read again.

Ten minutes later, Nora realized she was still on the same paragraph.  She wasn't really reading.  Her mind kept wandering and she had read the same few lines over and over.  There was no way she could read right now.  Not when so many thoughts were going through her mind.  She closed the book and put it down.  For a while she just sat there, thinking.  Finally she got up and went back to the office.  Paul was sitting back in his chair, looking at the picture of Jessie and Alexa.

Nora walked quietly to Paul and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "Do you miss her?" she asked.

"Jessie?  No.  I don't miss her, but having this picture of her, seeing her for the first time in seventeen years, it is very strange.  Her face is a familiar stranger.  I know her and that she was once my wife, but at the same time, she never really was.  It was all a lifetime ago."

Nora squeezed Paul's shoulder.  He reached up and took her hand, pulling her around from behind him.  He pulled her down and sat her on his lap.  Nora put her arms around his neck and kissed him.  He held her around her waist.  He kissed her back.  His kisses wandered around her face and then onto her neck for a few moments until she giggled and squirmed away from the tickling.

"How much longer until the kids get home?" he asked.

Nora glanced at the clock on the screen of Paul's laptop.  "Half an hour," she breathed as he kissed her neck again.

"Perfect," Paul said.  He stood up, which forced Nora to stand up too.  He took her by the hand, led her out of the office and into their bedroom.  He shut the door and locked it.

PART 4

Untitled: part 2

If you are just joining the story, start at the beginning with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

"You know I was married for a short time before I met you," Paul said.  It wasn't a question because he knew that she knew the answer.

"Yes," Nora said.  She was surprised.  Paul almost never spoke about his first wife.  Nora tried to remain calm, but she could feel her breathing getting quicker.  A panic was starting to rise in her.  He his first wife contacted him?  Was e leaving her?  Maybe she should have worked harder on those last 20 pounds.

"We got married, went on our honeymoon and on my first day back at work after the honeymoon, she left.  I came home expecting to be greeted by my wife and instead I came home to a letter saying she had decided she didn't want to be married after all.  A couple of weeks later, I got the annulment papers to sign.  No explanation, no phone call, nothing.  We never spoke again.  I tried, but Jessie had moved and changed all of her contact information."

"Yes, you've told me all of this.  It still makes me sad to think she hurt you like that," Nora said.  It was true.  She was glad, for her sake, that his first wife had left him, leaving him free to meet and marry her, but she didn't like to think that someone had broken his heart like that.  Nora sighed an internal sigh of relief.  Maybe he wasn't leaving her after all.

"It did hurt, but it turned out for the best," Paul smiled and looked at Nora's face.  "I met you."  He learned over and kissed her.

"I've always appreciated your honesty to me about your first marriage," Nora said.  She was starting to relax, but she wondered where Paul was going with all of this.

"Well, it seems that Jessie wasn't very honest with me about several things." Paul took another deep breath and let out a big sigh.  "Nora, I have a daughter."

"What?" Nora felt like she just got the wind knocked out of her.  "You have a daughter?"

"Honeymoon baby," Paul lightly chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know until today."  Paul was hurt.  He never would have held information of this caliber from his dear Nora. 

"So what's changed?" Nora asked.  "Why now, after all these years, is Jessie finally telling you this?"

"Jessie didn't contact me.  Alexa did," Paul replied.

The name his Nora like another punch in the stomach.  "Alexa is your daughter's name?"

Paul nodded.

"How old is she?" Nora asked.

"Seventeen.  From Alexa's email, I've learned that Jessie died a month ago."

Nora inhaled sharply, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Why?" Paul asked. "You didn't know her at all.  Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry for Alexa," Nora explained.  "It can't be easy for a young girl to lose her mother."

"I suppose so," Paul thought for a moment.  "Anyway, it seems that Jessie never told Alexa who her father was.  Alexa's grandparents had a folder of important papers, should Jessie ever die.  It contained her will and Alex's birth certificate.  It was the first time Alexa had seen her birth certificate and the name of her father that is listed on it.  She found my email and contacted me today."  Paul pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.  He handed it to Nora. 

It was a copy of the email from Alexa.  Nora read the letter out loud. "Dear Mr. Wright.  My name is Alexa Henry.  My mother is Jessie Henry, who, as I understand, was married to you for a short time seventeen years ago.  I wanted to let you know that my mother passed away a month ago.  My grandparents, who are my only family, have invited me to live with them.  We were going through some of Mom's important papers and I found my birth certificate.  There is no easy way to say this, so I guess just coming right out and saying it is the best way.  You are listed on my birth certificate as my father.  Mom would never tell me who my father was, even though I had asked her on several occasions during my childhood.  I asked my grandparents if they knew you.  They told me what they knew about your marriage to Mom.  Because of Mom's death, I've have moved in with my grandparents.  I understand they live in the same city as you.  I would like to meet you.  I know that this is awkward and I do not expect anything from you, but I would like to meet you.  I hope to hear from you soon."

Nora looked into Paul's face.  She couldn't quite tell what he was thinking.  "Poor girl," Nora finally said.  "This has got to be tough on her."

Paul nodded his head.

"Have you replied?" she asked him.

"Not yet, but I need to soon."  Paul took the letter back and read over it again.  He couldn't believe this was happening.  Seventeen years and he never knew.  He had seen his ex-in-laws over the years.  It was a problem with living in the same city as them.  For a long time after the divorce, he had tried to get information from them about Jessie, but they would never answer him.  The finally told him that Jessie had asked them not to tell Paul anything.  Paul gave up hope at that point to ever find out what had happened to Jessie.  By that time, however, he had bet and fallen in love with Nora and it didn't matter anymore.  Still, he couldn't believe they didn't tell him about Jessie being pregnant.  Obviously Jessie hadn't wanted Paul involved, but to no even tell him he had a daughter was just wrong.

"So, what do you want to do?" Nora asked.

Paul looked concerned.  He was watching Nora for her reaction.  He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking or if she was upset.

Nora noticed how Paul was studying her.  She smiled at him "Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you."

Paul relaxed.  "I want to meet her.  She is my daughter and she is still a minor.  I probably have a legal responsibility to her."

"Well, if that's what you want to do, then that's fine.  I'll be as involved as you want me to be.  If you want me with you, then I will and if you want to go at this alone, then I will understand."

Nora wrapped her arms around Paul and held him close.  Paul hugged her back.  He was lucky and he knew it.  Nora was an amazing woman.  She could have been angry with him.  He had a daughter with another woman, but Nora's arms were wrapped around him, and he knew that she loved him.

PART 3

Untitled: Part 1

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Paul read and re-read the email several times.  He pulled up the picture that was attached to the email.  He stared at the picture for several moments.  His mind was in a whirl.  He couldn't believe what he was reading.

Finally he printed the email and the picture, logged out of his account and shut down his computer.  Paul grabbed his coat and left work early.  He made up a poor excuse to his boss about his wife, Nora, being sick and needing him at home.

*******************

Nora was home, but she was not sick.  In fact, she was quite happy.  Her morning part-time job at the library had gone well.  A book she had put on hold had finally arrived.  The pork chops for that night's dinner was thawing, the last load of laundry was in the dryer and the dishes were loaded into the dish-washer.  She was ready to dive into her book.

Nora had two hours before the kids started getting home from school.  She fixed herself a cup of herbal tea, flipped on some quiet music and settled herself into her favorite chair.  The chair was old, over sized and extremely comfortable to sit in, although, it was hard to get out of.  The cushions were sinking in from years of use.  It was Nora's special place.  Paul had bought her the soft chair back when their first baby had been born.  She had spent many hours, sitting in that chair, nursing and snuggling all three of her children.

Nora took a sip of her tea, settled into the chair and opened her library book - a murder mystery.  It was her favorite author's latest novel.  She slowly sipped the tea as she read.  The characters were introduced, each of them seemed to have dark secrets.  The stage was set for the murder.

There was a click at the front door.  Nora's head popped up.  She heard the door open and then close.  Nobody was suppose to be coming home right now. She held completely still, listening.  Her heart was pounding

"Nora, I'm home!" Paul's voice called out to her from the front room.

Nora let out the breath she was holding.  She chuckled to herself.  The book had just gotten intense.  The murder was about to happen.  She was a little jumpy.

"Nora?" Paul called out.

"In here!" Nora struggled to get out of the soft chair.  She got up and went to the front room.  Paul was taking off his coat.  He hung it over a kitchen chair.  Nora walked up to Paul and kissed him, "Hello dear.  What brings your home so early?"  When he didn't answer right away, Nora looked into his face.  She could tell something was wrong.  "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not."  Paul pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong then? You seem upset."

Paul looked around the room.  "Are the kids home?" he asked.

"No.  Not for another hour and a half," Nora answered.  She was getting a little concerned.

Paul sat down on the couch with a sigh.  Nora sat down next to him, but turned herself to face him.  She put her hands on his knee.  "What's wrong?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering her.  "Nora," he said, "you were so young when we married."

Nora chuckled nervously.  "Young?  Not that young.  I was twenty five."

"Much younger that me," Paul said.

"You know your age has never made a bit of difference to me," said Nora.  She gave his knee a light squeeze.  It was true.  Paul was nine years her senior.  He had been thirty four when they had married.  Her parents had worried that he was so much older and several friends had voiced their concerns, but it had never mattered to Nora.

Most of the time Nora felt much older than Paul.  He ran five miles every morning and was in perfect health and when he had turned 50 on his most recent birthday, Nora though he looked better than he did when they were married.  She, on the other hand, had not managed to stay in such great shape.  She had been pregnant and given birth three times.  During her last pregnancy, she had put on more weight than she had with the first two.  Now eight years later she had shed all but 20 pounds.  They were stubborn and they were not coming off.  Nora decided to accept the extra weight as a pregnancy battle wound, like her stretchmarks.  Really, Nora knew how blessed she was to have those extra pounds and stretchmarks due to pregnancy.  She had several friends who couldn't have children and wanted them.

Paul's sigh drew Nora back from her thoughts.  "I know you've never cared about our age difference and for that I'm thankful."  He paused.

Nora was watching his face with intensity.  He had something big on his mind.  She knew she just needed to be patient.  He would tell her whatever was on his mind in his own time.

PART 2

A new story with no name

This story doesn't have a name yet.  It is certainly a work in progress.  It is the first time I've tried to write an adult fiction, meaning a non-children's story.  I don't know if it is any good and I will be adding to it and changing it as I go along. 

Synopsis:  Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years.  They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons.  But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter.  She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood.  Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Disclaimer:  The story is my own and it is a rough work in progress.

Comments are welcome.

Part 1

Merry and the Doctor: all chapters

Welcome to "Merry and the Doctor," a Doctor Who fanfic.

Introduction: Merry felt nothing but dispair after her husband and children died from a mysterious illness. Then a man in a green Edwardian velvet coat, who called himself The Doctor, arrived on Merry's doorstep with a promise to help her.  He takes her to a planet where the people are dying of the same illness that killed her own family. Merry and the Doctor race against time to find the cure before more people die.

Disclaimer: Doctor Who, the Doctor and the TARDIS are not mine.  They belong to the BBC, but the rest of the characters and the story are my own original creations.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

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Merry and the Doctor Ch 8 End

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They went back to the TARDIS.  Merry sat in a soft, high-backed chair near the center console during the journey back to her house on Earth.  She let the Doctor work his magic on the controls and concentrate on flying the ship.  When he announced they had arrived home, Merry hopped out of the chair and opened the TARDIS doors.

            “Wow!  You parked it in the living room!” she called back over her shoulder to the Doctor, who was still standing at the controls.

            “I hope that’s alright,” he called back to her.  “Did I break anything?”

            “No.  I’m very impressed, Doctor.”  She stepped out of the blue box and ran down the hall to her bedroom.  “I won’t be long,” she called.  Merry pulled out a suitcase and started throwing clothes into it.  When she had all the clothes she wanted, she carried her suit case to the kitchen.  She carefully began wrapping her tea set in her clothes.  The Doctor watched her.  He was quite amused.

            “You’re taking your tea set?” he asked.

            “Of course.  I can’t go live on Weyk and have them think I’m uncivilized.”  Merry laughed.  “Besides Doctor, they will always remind me of you and how you changed my life forever, over tea.”

            The Doctor laughed.  “Can I help you with anything?” he asked.

            “Yeah, can you get the bag of ginger from the fridge?  It’s in the bottom drawer.” Merry continued wrapping the tea set and placing it gently into her suitcase.

            The Doctor opened the refrigerator and pulled out a large bag of fresh ginger root.  “You really do like ginger, don’t you?”

            “Yes,” Merry agreed.  She opened her spice cupboard and pulled out two more large bottles of ginger powder.  She put it all into her suitcase.  She next went to the wall and took down several pictures: a photo of her and Peter on the day they got married and the picture of the family on the twins first birthday.  She went into the twin’s bedroom next.  She took a favorite toy from each of her children, a small photo album, plus one extra doll that she would give to Stjarna.  She put all of this into her suitcase and zipped it up.

            “Are you ready?” the Doctor asked.

            “Almost Doctor.  The suitcase is ready, but I have one more thing to do.  I’m sorry this is taking so long,” Merry called as she walked from one room to the next.

            “Relax, Merry,” the Doctor chuckled.  “You’re not taking long at all.”

            “But I want to get back before the children are done eating,” Merry said.

            “Merry, I guess I haven’t told you yet, but the TARDIS is a time machine as well as a spaceship.”

            Merry looked around the corner at him.  “What?  You’ve had a time machine all this time and you didn’t tell me?  Can you take me back to before Peter died so I can give him ginger?”

            “No Merry, I can’t.  I can’t go back in your personal time stream.  What’s done is done.  We can’t change it.”  He walked over to Merry and laid his hands on her arms.  “What it does mean is I can get you back to Weyk before the children are done eating their dinner.  Stjarna will never know you went away.”  He looked earnestly at Merry.  “You do understand, don’t you?”

            “Yes, I understand,” Merry’s head dropped.

            “I’m sorry,” the Doctor said.

            “It’s alright,” Merry sniffed.  “I understand and it’s OK.  I just have one more thing I need to do and then I’ll be ready to go.”

            “Take your time,” the Doctor said. “I’ll put your suitcase into the TARDIS.”

            Merry sat down at the table and began to write a letter.  It took her longer than she expected, but the Doctor was patient with her.  When she was done, she took the letter out to her mailbox. 

            “It’s a letter to my cousin, Tim,” she explained.  “He’s been in the Navy for years and will be retiring soon.  I’m giving him the house.  He can either keep it or sell it and use the money for his own place.  It’s his now.”

            “Are you ready then?” the Doctor asked.

            Merry picked up a potted plant off the porch.  “Yes, I am now.”  Merry was smiling.

            “What’s with the plant?” the Doctor asked.

            “It’s a ginger plant.  I’ll offer it to the Mayor to replace the one I dug up.”

            The Doctor smiled.  “You are remarkable.”

            Merry took one final look around the house and then she followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

            He was already at the controls and flipping witches.  Merry set the plant down next to her suitcase.  She went over to the high-backed chair again, sat down and watched the Doctor as he put the TARDIS into flight.

            “Doctor, how do you keep track of your own personal time on a time machine?” Merry asked.

            “It isn’t easy,” the Doctor laughed, “so the TARDIS keeps track of it for me.”

            “You speak of this craft as if it was a close, personal friend,” Merry said.

            “Well, it is,” the Doctor said.  “The TARDIS and I have been traveling together for over six hundred years.”

            “Six hundred years?  You mean to tell me you are six hundred years old?”  Merry asked.

            “No, I’m quite a bit older than that,” the Doctor blushed.  “I’m over eight hundred years old, but the TARDIS and I have been travelling the universe together for six hundred.  Give or take a few hundred years,” the Doctor smiled his half grin.

            “My, my,” Merry said, “your race lives for a long time.”

            “We can, yes.”

            “Well Doctor, I must say, that for being eight hundred years old, you look great.”

            “Thank you,” the Doctor said.  “Do you know how I manage to stay so young?”
            Merry stood up and walked over to him at the console.  “How?” she asked.

            “By believing in the impossible.”

            Merry laughed.  The Doctor did too.

            The journey back to Weyk wasn’t long.  The Doctor parked the TARDIS right outside the school.  He picked up Merry’s suitcase and she picked up the potted ginger plant.  Before stepping out, Merry turned back at the looked at the TARDIS console.

            “Thank you TARDIS!” she called.  “Take good care of him.”

            A single spark flew off the TARDIS console.

            “Incredible!” the Doctor said.

            Merry laughed and stepped out of the blue box and into the evening air.  They walked back to the classroom that was Stjarna’s.  Merry and the Doctor were surprised to see the Mayor and Deputy Gweri in the classroom.

            “There you are Doctor,” the Mayor said.  “I was hoping to find you.  I want to apologize.  I had a lap of bad judgment and I’m not proud of my actions or behavior.”

            “It’s not to me whom you owe an apology,” the Doctor said.

            “You are right,” the Mayor looked to Merry.  “Madame, I wish to apologize to you.  My behavior has been inexcusable.  You made an honest, brave offer with your life and I took advantage of it.  I am deeply sorry.”

            Merry smiled.  She stepped up to the Mayor and held out her potted ginger.  “Mayor, I accept your apology.  As a peace offering, I bring you a new inciver plant to replace the one I dug up from your city garden.”

            “Thank you,” the Mayor said.  He took the plant from Merry.  “What can we offer you in return?”

            “I wish to stay here.  I want to adopt Stjarna and live here among your people,” Merry answered.

            “It is a request we will gladly grant.  You are welcome here Merry, Citizen of Weyk.”

            The voices of the children could be heard coming down the hall.  The door of the room opened and the children came in.  Stjarna ran to Merry.  Merry scooped the child into her arms and kissed her.   “You’re mine now, Stjarna and we are going to be very happy together.”

 

*************

            The Doctor stood in front of the TARDIS.  Merry was holding Stjarna, who was holding the doll that Merry had brought for her from Earth.

            “When I first met you, what, three days ago?” Merry started, “You told me you would help me find peace and closure.  I didn’t think that was possible.  But you did it.  You helped me to believe in the impossible.  You helped me see I was strong and that my life was still worth living.  You have brought me peace and joy.  How can I ever thank you?”

            “Help rebuild this world, Merry.” The Doctor smiled.  “Take care of Stjarna and be happy.”

            Merry’s eyes filled with tears again, but not the tears of loss and despair that she had felt so often.  These were tears of joy.  Merry pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket and began to dab her eyes.

            “Oh, this is yours Doctor.  I’m afraid it is rather messy.”  Merry held up the handkerchief.

            “No worries,” the Doctor said.  He took the handkerchief from Merry.  Merry was sad to part with it.  She had come to love its soft texture and the calming smell of the Doctor that it carried.

            The Doctor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a fresh handkerchief.  He gave it to Merry. “Something to remember me by.”

            Merry took the silky handkerchief and held it up to her face.  “Thank you,” she said.

            “Best wishes to you,” the Doctor said.  He pulled Merry and Stjarna into a hug.  They hugged him back.

Merry kissed the Doctor on the cheek.  “Take care,” she whispered in his ear.  They pulled away from each other.  Merry took several steps back and watched the Doctor as he walked into the TARDIS and closed the door.  Moments later Merry heard the engines on the TARDIS start to hum.  She and Stjarna watched as the TARDIS dematerialized. They waved.  When the blue box was out of sight Merry wiped away a tear. 

 

She looked at Stjarna and hugged her tight.  “Come on, dear.  Let’s go home.”

Merry and the Doctor Ch 7

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When the Doctor woke up he could tell immediately that he felt better.  He wasn’t one to need much sleep.  In fact he got by very well on nothing more than a few hours a week, but he had slept most of the last day and a half away.  It was an odd feeling.  He noticed Merry was still sitting in the chair next to his bed.  She was learning forward and her head was resting on the bed next to his chest.  She was sleeping.  The Doctor tried to move without disturbing her, but as soon as he began to move, she woke up.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better.  Much better,” he answered.

Merry rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  She was holding the Doctor’s handkerchief in her hand.  She stuffed it back into her pocket.  The Doctor sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“Can you get me my waistcoat?” he asked.

Merry went to the coat rack where his things were neatly hung.  She got the silver waistcoat and cravat and handed it to him.  He slipped the waistcoat on and buttoned it up.  Then he tied the cravat around his neck and tucked it into the waistcoat.  Merry handed him his shoes.  He put them on and stood up.  No dizziness this time.  He could tell the illness was gone.  Merry had saved him.

She was smiling and holding his coat.  She helped him put it on.  He gently pushed her back down into her chair and he brought up another one and sat it down in front of her.  He took her hands in his.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” said Merry brightly, “and no.”  Her voice dropped.  “Doctor, I’m so happy you are well and I’m so happy that everyone who was sick is getting better.  It is amazing and I’m glad to have had a hand in it.”  She took a deep breath, “But Doctor, I spent most of last night in a jail cell.”

The Doctor interrupted her, “I’m so sorry about that.  You should never have been put in there.”  It was obvious to Merry that he was quite mad about that.

She smiled.  “No Doctor, I’m not upset by that.  I understood that I broke one of their laws and I was willing to die for it if it meant saving everyone else and I knew it would.  But all that time in the cell gave me a lot of time to think.  I thought about Peter, Liam and Ailish. I had the cure in my house while they were sick!  I have lots of ginger in my home.  It is my favorite spice, my favorite tea, my favorite fragrance.  I could have saved them.  I had the cure in my home all the time.  I could have saved them!”

“You didn’t know,” the Doctor said.

“I drink ginger tea every day.  That is why I never got sick.  My daily dose of ginger prevented me from getting sick.  Peter hated ginger tea and never drank it and the twins were so young, I hadn’t given them any yet.  If I had known that I had the cure in my hands every day, I would have forced Peter to take it and given it to my babies.”

Merry pulled the handkerchief out again.  It was getting very wet from the regular use it had been getting since the Doctor first handed it to her less than two days ago.

“Merry, you didn’t know.  You can’t beat yourself up like that.  You had ginger every day and it was available to Peter.  He only had to drink it once in a while.  It would have pleased you and it would have protected him, but he chose not to.  As a matter of fact, I chose not to as well.”

Merry looked at the Doctor.  She was puzzled.

“Do you remember our delightful tea party in your yard?” he asked.  Merry nodded.  “You offered me ginger tea, remember?  And I turned it down.  You could have saved me right then and there, but it was my choice not to accept it,” he paused thoughtfully for a moment.  “Now, you mustn’t be upset any longer.  You saved a city.  You saved an entire civilization!  Think of the thousands of people who owe you their lives.  Myself included.”

Merry smiled shyly.

“Do you remember the message that the Weyk visitors in the spaceship left Peter and that you memorized?” the Doctor asked.  Merry nodded.  “Remember how they said they were searching for the Healer and we took it to mean me, the Doctor?  I was wrong about that translation.  They meant you.  You are the Healer that they were seeking.  You are a nurse and healer from Earth.  They needed you.”  The Doctor smiled at Merry.  She hugged him. 

“Have you seen Stjarna today?” the Doctor asked brightly.

“No.  I dropped her back off at the school last night.  Then I went to the gardens, found the sacred plant, dug it up, got thrown in jail, released from jail and then sat by your side until 10 minutes ago.  I’m afraid I’ve been rather busy,” Merry answered with a little smile.

“Well then, should we go find her?” The Doctor stood up and offered Merry his elbow.  She took it and they walked out together.  The sun was starting to set on the horizon.  The Doctor and Merry walked to the school.  It wasn’t far and they both felt like a little exercise after having spent so much of the last day cooped up.

When they entered the school, Merry noticed there was more laughter and chatting among the children.  Merry walked to the door of Stjarna’s room and she opened it up.  Stjarna squealed in delight and ran to Merry.

Merry scooped the child into her arms and hugged her tight.  The Doctor noticed another child in the corner of the room crying.  He walked up to the child, sat down on the floor in front of him and spoke to him in a quiet whisper.  The child climbed into the Doctor’s lap and stopped crying.  The Doctor cuddled the child and whispered to him.

Merry went over to them and sat down on the floor next to the Doctor.  Stjarna settled herself in Merry’s lap.

The Doctor patted the child’s head as he spoke to Merry. “His name is Beltreb. He told me his father died.  He misses his father.”

            “He has not allowed me or any of the other caretakers to comfort him,” the caretaker came over to where the Doctor and Merry sat.  “I’m surprised he has allowed you to hold him.”

            Merry smiled, “Sometimes only a daddy will do.  Beltreb may not know you, but he can tell that you are a kind father-type person and that is what he needs right now.”  She started playing with Stjarna’s hair. “These poor children.  So many of them are so young.   They don’t understand why they can’t go home or see their parents.”

            “They are so lonely and looking for someone to love them that they will take it from anyone, even a stranger, like me.” The Doctor said quietly.  He laid his head on the child’s.  He looked sad.  Memories from long ago stirred in his mind and he recalled his own children, holding them, playing with them and singing them songs.

            As if Merry could read the Doctor’s thoughts, she began singing.  She had dug deep into her own memories and recalled a lullaby that she had learned in college.  She sang it quietly to the Stjarna and Beltreb.  The Doctor was surprised to see other children come and sit with them while Merry sang.  He was even more surprised when he realized the words she was singing wasn’t being translated by the TARDIS.  She was actually singing to them in a language similar to their own.

            By the time Merry had finished her song, she had two children sitting in her lap and the Doctor had two more children leaning up against his arms.

            “Sing it again, Merry,” he said.  Merry did and the children sat quietly to listen.  Even the room’s caretaker came over and sat with the children.  When Merry was done, the caretaker stood up and quietly announced to the children it was time to go eat.  All the children jumped up and ran to the door and waited for the caretaker to lead them out.  When they had left, Merry and the Doctor stood up.

            “Doctor,” said Merry, “I want to stay here.”

            “Stay here?  You don’t want to go home?” he asked.

            Merry shook her head.  “No, there is nothing for me there.  But here, this building is filled with children who don’t have parents.  And I’m a parent with no children.”

            “Merry, you can’t adopt all of these children,” the Doctor said.

            Merry smiled.  “I know that, but I can help them.  Maybe they would let me have Stjarna and I can help to care for the others until adoptive parents can be found.  I’ve got no one back on Earth, but here is different.  I’ve got Stjarna.”

            The Doctor studied Merry’s face.  Her smile was real.  He could tell how attached to the small child she had become.  The Doctor was fond of the child as well.  He realized how much Stjarna and Merry needed each other.

            “Merry,” he mused, “how did you know that song?  You sang to the children in a language that was almost their own.”

            “Was it not their language?” Merry asked.

            “Not quite, but it was very close and they probably understood it.  How did you know that song?” the Doctor asked.

            Merry smiled shyly.  “This is going to sound silly, Doctor, I know, but years ago, when I first started school at the university, I had wanted to study Indo-European language and history.  I took classes in Indo-European history, grammar and language structure, and etymology.  I loved my classes and everything I learned, but after two years, I realized I could never make a living doing that, so I switched to nursing.

            “I started to realize after arriving here that I was recognizing words, but I couldn’t figure out why.  Then last night when I had those long hours in the cell, I started to comprehend why the language seemed so familiar.  It is similar to Proto-Indo-European!  Now Doctor, tell me why these people speak a dialect of sorts of my own language’s Mother tongue.”

            “The universe is full of mysteries,” the Doctor chuckled.  “Sometimes I go out into the universe to solve mysteries, but there are many that remain a mystery.  This is probably one of those mysteries of the universe that we must simply accept.  Two civilizations, two species, two planets, tens of thousands of years apart, one base language.”  The Doctor smiled.  “So you want to stay?”

            “Yes,” Merry answered.  There was no hesitation in her reply. 

            “The TARDIS translation will remain with you for a short time after I leave, but it will fade away and you will have to learn the language, although that doesn’t seem like it will be a problem for you,” the Doctor said.

            “No, I don’t think it will be,” Merry smiled.  “I do have one favor to ask of you, though.”

            “Yes?”

            “Will you take me back to my home on Earth?  I want to get a few things and I have one loose end I want to tie up.  Then, if you would, bring me back here.  I mean, can you do all that?”  Merry felt a little uneasy asking for so much from the Doctor.

            “Of course I can,” the Doctor said.  “Come one, I can have you back here before the children are done with dinner.”

CHAPTER 8