Starcrossed (A Doctor Who Fanfiction) Book Two

Family Bonding

There was a click as Beatrice took a picture of her absolutely adorable niece Michelle before joining the child on the floor.

Beatrice smiled cheerfully as she played with her niece. She and her sister Louisa had decided to visit their brother.

Louisa entered from the kitchen carrying two glasses of water soon followed by Collin. His wife Janine was at her work but like Beatrice and Louisa, he had the day off.

"Enjoying being an aunt?" he asked Beatrice who nodded.

"Absolutely, how's being a father?" she asked.

"Fantastic, Michelle, as you can see is doing well, I can't believe she is already one. Janine is enjoying being a mom. Now I'm a dad I officially appreciate everything that Mum and Dad raising us." 

"We did worry them a fair amount," agreed Beatrice.

"Says the girl responsible for most of the worrying events," said Louisa playfully. Beatrice liked this side of her sister much more than the snooty attitude she had picked up working in the high-end bridal shop.

"One of us had to be the troublemaker of the group and the two of you were complete goody-two-shoes," Beatrice replied.

"If you hadn't dragged us into so much trouble our childhood would have been significantly less enjoyable," Collin told her as the three of them sipped their drinks.

"Remember our prank war with the boys who lived next door?" asked Louisa.

"As I recall we pelted them with water balloons from our treehouse after they teased you and Beatrice." Collin replied.

"That was fun. I'm sure your daughter will get into plenty of mischief. It's practically a right of passage for a child." Beatrice said as she lightly bounced Michelle on her lap.

"So what have you been up to? I heard that you had an accident a few months ago. I know you said that you were recovering but I didn't hear much else," he asked her.

"Full recovery and back to normal," Beatrice told them quickly. Louisa looked at her suspiciously. She might not be quite as skilled as Beatrice when it came to perception but that didn't mean she was blind to her sibling's emotions.

"Are you sure?" Louisa asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Beatrice assured her and Louisa let the matter drop. Beatrice really didn't want any argument's breaking out.

"You know you are fantastic with kids," Collin told her.

"Good practice for when you settle down and have a family," agreed Louisa cheerfully. Beatrice paused for a moment. She did like children but with all the danger she constantly dealt with it could put the child in danger and selfish though it might sound she wasn't ready to give up her life of adventure. Besides, it wasn't like she and the Master would ever settle down together. The idea was laughable.

"We'll see," was all she said.

"Jumping over to the topic of romance, have you met anyone in London yet who you like?" Louisa asked.

Yes, he's a certified intergalactic criminal who I should technically be trying to chase down. He has a time machine and I've been travelling the universe with him. Oh, and I have to hide this entire relationship from both my superiors and my family. Beatrice thought to herself but smiled at her siblings and replied.

"No, I really don't have time for that sort of thing."

"Understandable," Collin said with a shrug.

"What about you Louisa?" asked Beatrice.

"I just went on a date with a man who's a bartender at the local pub," Louisa said happily.

"I hope it works out," Beatrice told her sister.

"Me too. I'm going to go check on those muffins I was making," said Louisa as she left the room. Beatrice passed Michelle over to Collin.

"So everything alright at work in general?" he asked quietly.

"Let's just say things have been quite exciting," Beatrice said thinking about the Daemons.

"Mum and Dad are getting a little worried. You've been going MIA more than usual," he told her.

Beatrice winced. If she were being honest, keeping in contact with her parents had taken a bit of a back seat ever since she began her secret relationship with the Master. A part of her felt slightly ashamed as she did care about her parents but she was also a little annoyed that they seemed more concerned about her than her other siblings.

"I'm sorry, I know it sounds like I'm making excuses and maybe I am, but I really have been busy. It just slipped my mind a little. Why can't they worry more about you and Louisa?" 

"I'm sure you have. I think it's just how secretive you are about your life, that all they can do is draw conclusions from the information they have, which isn't much."

"I wish I could tell you what is going on but  I just can't. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Even if she wasn't obligated to keep quiet, how could she explain the existence of alien threats to her parents? She wasn't even sure if they would believe her. Besides, if they actually knew what she did on a daily basis they might worry more.

"I'm not criticizing you. I'm sure you have your reasons to keep things secret. It's just something to think about." Collin said as he handed Michelle back to Beatrice and stood up before leaving the room.

Beatrice looked at Michelle. She was so young and innocent. She didn't have to worry about secrets or lies. Everything was new to her. 

"Enjoy having a simple life while you can. It gets way more complicated for us adults," she told the girl who giggled.

Author's note: I'm trying to flesh out her family a little more. Please like and COMMENT. Thanks for reading!