13 Novella 6

Gail

A pounding headache and gasping thirst are what wake you next morning.

You blink and groan, feeling your girlfriends either side of you. Jenny strokes your eyelids as you squint against the light, Missy offering you a cold glass of water that you down, eyes still closed. You finish it then flop back, whining and rubbing your head while Missy chuckles.

"Yes a hangover does that to you" she laughs and you glare in her direction.

"Oh shut up" you yawn as she laughs more at your attitude.

"And good morning to you too!" She says as you rise and stumble to the bathroom, turning on the shower and stripping. You get ready and walk out eventually, squinting and somehow dressed with your hair loose about your shoulders. Both women look you over and you stick your tongue out at them.

"How are you feeling?" Asks Jenny tenderly and you look at her.

"Like shit"

"Language!"

"You're turning into your mother" you mutter and Missy chuckles, highly entertained.

"Come on trouble" sighs Jenny, and you worry that you've upset her. You slip your hand into hers and squeeze it in apology. She pulls a face and you know she isn't angry.

You walk together to the console room where you find Yaz standing against a pillar looking very tired, holding a bundle of blankets you know to be Gail. You can't help but smile at the sight, especially when The Doctor pops her head up from behind the console, holding a teddy bear and squeezing it experimentally until it growls. She laughs and presses its tummy again, erupting into peals of laughter.

"I'm sorry but which one is the child?" Mutters Missy and you poke her, your bad mood lifting slightly.

"Oh stop it, you know she's a child at heart"

"You should have seen her when she was actually growing up, constantly experimenting and blowing stuff up" chuckles Missy but now you aren't smiling. You know what she was like. You had seen it only yesterday.

"Come here (Y/n), you haven't held him properly yet" smiles Yaz, putting him in your arms before you can protest. You look down and note his eyes. An incredible deep brown.

"He's got your eyes" you say to Yaz who smiles, confiscating the growling teddy from a pouting Doctor and tucking it under his blanket.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Says the blonde proudly and you nod as he frets. Slowly you start to pace, bouncing him lightly as you walk, beginning to whisper reassurances that you know he can't understand.

"It's ok little Gail, we'll all keep you safe. In the meantime you have a lot of growing to do! Your mummies love you very much, and your Aunties too" you coo as he closes his eyes. You couldn't help it, you already loved him.

You complete your tour of the console room and end up next to Missy who eyes you speculatively.

"Do you want to hold him?" You ask and she looks at him as though he may bite. Eventually she reaches out and you pass him gently. Her arms come to mold around him and she looks at him curiously as he blinks and opens his mouth at her.

"Did you just stick your tongue out at me you little bugger" she says and you giggle.

"I think he likes you"

"Well I'm not sure I'm going to like any offspring of the hyperactive idiot, but I suppose he isn't too offensive" she says, bringing him closer and you smile.

Jenny relieves him from her and Missy takes you into her arms instead, your other girlfriend sitting cross legged on the deck and giving him a bottle with The Doctor supervising. For all her childlike charisma, she was very good with him. Looking at him from a distance something seemed a little off however.

Remaining in Missy's arms you think hard, and The Doctor spots this. She raises her eyebrows in question and you decide to ask.

"I don't mean to be rude... but isn't he, he's quite big?"

She smiles and shrugs, returning to Gail.

"Half human, half Time Lord. We don't spend too much time growing, for our next body is often already aged for us. In most cases anyway." She explains and you nod. He already looked much bigger than he did yesterday.

"So he'll grow faster? When will he be a teenager?" You ask gently and she shrugs, unbothered.

"A year maybe? It's not an exact science"

A year... the boy you had seen being tortured, the teenage Gail... you thought you had years to keep him safe, but now, knowing it could be as little as a year away... You blanch and Missy let's you go, looking at you in concern. You needed to tell them, to warn them. And then what? Would they be able to protect him? You didn't doubt that every one of them would try, but would it be enough?

You glance up at Jenny who holds him securely, sitting cross legged next to the mother of both. They all looked so happy, and you despised that you would have to be the one to break that.