Dreaming of a Blue Box ✧ Doctor Who ¹ ✓

28 - World War Three (Part V)

Continuing from 'World War Three - Part IV'

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BACK IN THEIR MUM'S FLAT, the sisters were sitting down on their sofa facing the television set. On it, Harriet Jones was speaking to the reporters, beaming about Earth's safety. "Harriet Jones," Jackie scoffed, moving her way into the room and sat on one of the chairs. "Who does she think she is?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Look at her, taking all the credit. Should be the two of you there." She leaned forward and yelled at the telly as if they could hear her. "My daughters saved the world!"

Lily fiddled with her locket and found the courage to bring it up to her mum. "The Doctor had a part in it too, Mum."

"Alright then, him too." Jackie sighed- Lily was thankful for that response. She was expecting worse. "You three should be given knighthoods."

"That's not the way he does things, ya know?" Lily sat up and moved her body to face Jackie. "No fuss. He just moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance."

Jackie admitted with a purse of her lip/ "He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that."

Rose gasped at her statement. "Oh, now the world has changed. You're saying nice things about him."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Well, I reckon I've got no choice. There's no getting rid of him since your sister's infatuated."

Hearing that Lily held in a blush and sunk back down into the couch- completely embarrassed by her mum's use of words. "I'm not infatuated." She gave them a nervous giggle. "We're just friends."

"Mm-hmm," It was Jackie's turn to sit up, leaning her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands. "I owe an apology, Lillian." She then added. "It's been a long time coming, and I took an entire year to figure out what to tell you exactly if you ever came home."

The hand that was messing with her locket froze. "Mum,"

Rose read the room and stood. "I'll give you two a moh." She smiled and walked out of the room.

A few seconds of silence had passed- Lily was still fiddling with her locket as she felt her mum's eyes on her. A lock of hair fell over her shoulder but she didn't bother with it. She counted the seconds and silently prayed her mum would say the first words. "There is nothing I can say to make what I've said to you, and the things I've done-" She paused and when she started up again Lily could hear she was crying. "But I am so sorry, Lily." Jackie's hand landed on Lily's knee, but she still didn't look up and only moved her eyes to look at it. "I love you and your sister more than I love myself and you know that. Please know that." The compassion in Lily's heart for her mum sent her to take her hand. When Jackie clutched it Lily looked up and saw the tears welling up in her mum's eyes. "You deserved to be heard and I wasn't listening."

Lily tried to lighten the mood with a chuckle. "It's a pretty extravagant story to believe."

What she said seemed to make matters worse when it came to Jacki's emotions- the tears were now running down her cheeks. "God, I was horrible." The hand Lily wasn't holding was now covering Jackie's mouth. "All your journals-"

"I can write again." She didn't dare bring up those memories of her dreams that the journals held, all those manuscripts of hers that were torn up that she couldn't remember enough of it to replicate them. "I can write again. You had good intentions," If it happened to anyone else they would possibly never forgive the perpetrator. But this was Lily Carter and there was nothing she loved more in this world, and those she had yet to visit, than her family- Mickey, Rose, her mum, and late father. "And I forgive you- for all of it." Jackie covered her whole face and hunched over, sobbing. At that, Lily stood and took a few steps to sit on the arm of the chair. She wrapped her arms around Jackie's shoulders and pulled her tightly to her. "I love you, Mum." She muttered on the top of Jackie's head and kissed it.