The Heart Within

November Rain

"And when your fears subside, and shadows still remain, oh yeah. I know that you can love me when there's no one left to blame. So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way. 'Cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain." - Guns N' Roses: 'November Rain' (Use Your Illusion 1 [1991])

~**~

Katy's Room
The TARDIS

Katy spent the next three days locked away in her room, hiding away from both the Doctor and Rose, much to the former's disappointment, and the latter's confusion and slight hurt. But for Katy, it was necessary so she could deal with her feelings surrounding the fact that she was apparently what the Doctor termed as a 'dormant Time Lady', still yet to release her 'essence' from her locket of all things and essentially cease being who she was: Caitlin Tyler; the adopted daughter of Jacqueline and Peter Tyler, and the adopted sister of Rose Tyler.

It was hard to fathom.

And on top of all that, she was stuck in denial, despite all the evidence pointing towards the undeniable truth. Because it was one thing to know about Time Lords, Gallifrey, and the Time War; but it was another to know and accept that she was apparently part of an almost extinct alien race, wiped out by one of their own to save the entirety of space and time.

Eventually, Katy decided to re-join the Doctor and Rose on their adventures, and stepped out from her room, heading for the console room or the Doctor, which ever she came across first. As she got closer, she could hear Rose and the Doctor in the middle of a rather solemn conversation. Presumably, about where to go next for their next adventure.

"Peter Alan Tyler, my dad," Katy paused mid-step, waiting to hear the rest of what Rose was about to say about their late father. "The most wonderful man in the world. Born 15th September 1954."

Katy couldn't help the small, reminiscent smile that formed on her face, as she remembered how fondly Jackie had spoken to them both about Pete Tyler; since neither of them were old enough to remember him. All they knew of Pete, were old photographs inside one of Jackie's photo albums. She could still remember the first time Jackie first introduced him to them when they were about seven years old.

~**~

Rose and Katy peered around Jackie's slightly ajar bedroom door, watching their mother flipping through an old photo album, looking a little sad. Katy stumbles a little, bumping into the door, making it swing open a little more and causing Jackie to look up. She smiles warmly at both girls.

"Come here, you two. Come here." Jackie coaxes them closer, and both of them walk in and join Jackie on the bed, sitting either side of their mother, and peer down at a photograph of a laughing man with thinning strawberry blonde hair. Jackie points at the picture. "Who's that?" Both girls stare at her blankly. "It's your daddy." Jackie explains, nostalgically. "You both weren't old enough to remember when he died. 1987, 7th November." She looks between both her daughters, who were still staring at the picture of their father, curiously. "Do you remember what I told you? The day that Stuart Hoskins and Sarah Clarke got married. He was always having adventures." Jackie sighs bittersweetly. "Oh, he would have loved to have seen you both now."

Katy frowns down at the photo, absently playing with her locket again, and questioning why she didn't look like either of her parents.

She wished she could learn the reason why.

~**~

Katy tuned back in to listen to why Rose was suddenly bringing up their father, to the Doctor of all people.