ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

XXIX

"I've got to go back. My wife's in there."
— Pete Tyler, The Age of Steel

They sat quietly in the van. Penelope having to practically sit on top of the Doctor due to a lack of space - not that he is complaining in the slightest - which was inconvenient in the type of dress she currently had on. There was a tense disbelief in the air after the whole conversation with Rose and Pete, and Pete claiming to be the informant against Lumic.

Penelope coughed a little, causing people to turn to her. "Sorry, dry throat." The woman with her mothers face smiled softly and reached for a bottle of water next to her, passing it over. She took to cautiously, thanking the woman.

"It's no problem. I'm Jena, by the way. And this is my husband, Garrick." She looked over at the man, is he the parallel version of her father? He can't be, he's so different.

"Garrick." The man must've taken it as a sign to give his surname, smiling at the girl.

"Adaams. We're Garrick and Jena Adaams. It's very nice to meet you- um-" Penelope quickly switched into her polite tone that Reinette forced her to use when she entered court. She could, however, feel the stares from the Doctor, Rose and Mickey. They all knew who these people are now.

"McCrimmon. Penelope McCrimmon. It's a pleasure to meet you." The Doctor sat forward, extending a hand to Penelope's 'mother'.

"And I'm John McCrimmon, it's so lovely to meet you." The Adaams's gave them a look, quick glances between the two.

"Oh, John is my husband. He's a Doctor." Jena smiled, happy to take her mind off of what just happened.

"How long have you been married?" Penelope sat forward, eager to talk to this woman with her mother's face.

"Not long, just over a month."

"Congratulations! How has the married life treated you so far?"

"It's been wonderful, everything I was expecting and more. How about you and.. Garrick?" Jena missed the hesitation before her husband's name, but the Doctor did not. Choosing to slip and arm around her waist, he pulled her completely onto his lap, muttering something about looking married.

"We've been married nearly 22 years now, but it still feels like we were only married a month ago. That's the thing about good men, they make the love last far longer." Jena was too amused at Penelope reacting to the Doctor's arms wrapped around her waist to recognise the tiniest scoff and the phrase 'good men'.

The Doctor is a good man, he is far better than she could've ever hoped for. Her father can't even compete, parallel world or not.

"Forgive me for asking, but no children? I only ask because I want my own someday." Garrick watched, amused as the Doctor instantly looked down at her, not having expected that, but with a soft smile on his face. The smile on Jena's face became a little strained, she's been asked this a lot over the years.

"I'm not able to have children." Penelope frowned, surely the parallel world couldn't have been that different.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It's okay. Garrick and I knew that we never wanted children before we found out I couldn't have them. We decided early on that we only need each other, having a child would be inconvenient." They smiled at each other, content with their choices, as if she hadn't just punched a hole through Penelope's chest.

They can't have children. But before they even knew that, they didn't want to have children. Was it the same for her world? Because they look so happy together. She remembered that on some of the worst days of her mothers pain, she would curse to the high heavens that none of this would've happened if she hadn't been given Penelope. She always cast it off, her mother always apologised, and while it stung she believed it wasn't true.. but was she wrong? Was her birth the reason for her mother's pain? She was the reason for her father beating her mother senseless, but until now there was no guilt attached to that. Her existence had ruined her mothers life. It was all her fault.

The Doctor sat forward again, not liking the quiet from the woman in his lap. "So what do you do?" Jena smiled, happy for a new conversation.

"I'm a writer, I publish mainly for Lumic. Not that I actually enjoy it, but it pays the most." The Doctor turned to the man, aware that this would be Penelope's father. And while she hasn't told him what happened, he knew it wasn't good.

"And you, Garrick? What do you do?"

"I'm a Captain in the Navy." Navy? He was Naval? How could this man be the parallel of her father, there are so many factors that are just wrong.