cjsmalley

[cjsmalley]

"Yes?" Batman questioned.

Sam was wringing her hands but replied, "Can you ask Wayne and Queen for an advance? It's just that Dani's outgrowing everything we have for her; clothes, toys, only thing she hasn't outgrown yet is the crib...we'll pay them back as soon as it's legal and I can contact my family again--"

Batman raised a hand as his other went to his utility belt and withdrew a credit card.

He handed it over with the instructions, "Buy whatever she needs but remember it all must fit in your rooms."

Sam took the card and looked it over; it looked legitimate and had the Bat symbol on it, "Really?"

"I too come from money," Batman admitted wryly, "and I cannot use my civilian cards for certain...purchases. That is attached to an off shore account under my hero name. There is several thousand dollars in it. Consider it yours. If you run out, tell me and I shall refill the account...though I trust you not to be frivolous with the funds."

"Batman, I--we can't."

"You're not going to win this argument," Superman joined them with a laugh, "he does this all the time. Found out the Daily Planet was going under and got Wayne to buy it."

Sam looked between the heroes, nodded firmly, and said, "I--thank you, Batman. If I ever get my inheritance I'll pay you back."

"No. Consider this reparations for not knowing about the Acts sooner," Batman shook his head, "order anything you need and we will have it moved up here with our usual supplies. If you can't get what you need online then we will contact Wayne and Queen."

"...Thank you."

Batman nodded and swept off.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

The first time the heroes knew they were trusted was unplanned and a surprise;

The small family--a 'fraid to use ghost jargon-- was separated; Sam and Jazz were shadowing Medical and Tucker was working with the more tech aligned heroes.

This left Danny and Dani to haunt the Watchtower as they pleased. Normally this would be fine but then Danny was dragged into an engineering argument (he was right, he knew it).

Without thought, he shoved Dani at a passing hero; Red Hood.

Hood was a good man though so he automatically caught the little girl and adjusted her to his lesser armed hip as Danny stole a pen and began drawing schematics on a wall.

The engineers, once he had drawn out what he was saying, oohed and ahhed and quickly sent a missive to Batman.

Batman appeared and looked over the schematics. spoke with the senior engineers, and unilaterally upgraded Danny's badge to allow him into the places where engineers worked.

Danny then realized his daughter was missing and, looking around, found the Red Hood on the floor, cross-legged with Dani in his lap, strings between his fingers.

"Thanks, man." Danny laughed nervously, gathering Dani.

"No problem," Hood shrugged, standing up, "not her fault you guys are stuck up here. You a STEM kid?"

"Parents. I can reverse engineer almost anything and find better ways to do stuff," Danny admitted with a flush.

"Mind looking over some gear?" Hood asked gently.

"You sure? I know you Bats--"

"I'll deal with DaddyBats. If you're as good as he thinks, he'll likely ask you anyways."

"I'll...take a look..." Danny agreed nervously, before saying, "after Dani goes down for a nap. Bring me what you want me to look at."

"Got it. Thanks, dude."

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

Alfred opened the door to the insistent, almost rude, knocking to find a young woman.

"I need to speak with your employer," she bustled past him.

"Excuse me?"

"Your employer, Bruce Wayne--I know he has someway to contact the Bats...please. It's important. My name is Tara and I'm looking for my brother. He's--he's in danger."

Alfred closed the door, "Miss, this seems like a matter for the police?"

"Police have to follow the laws, even if they're unjust...Wayne's been acting against the--the law that sees my brother as nothing but an animal or less."

"You are, I will presume, speaking about the Anti-Ecto Acts," Alfred realized.

"Yes."

"Your brother, is he a Liminal or a ghost?" Alfred led her to a meeting lounge and offered refreshments and a handkerchief.

"He's...it's complicated," Tara admitted, taking the cloth but refusing anything else politely , "he...he ran away with a friend, his two friends. I don't know why, he was so committed to proving not all ghosts are bad. He...he went on a recon mission against the Ghost Investigation Ward and came running home, grabbed his bag, and left. Told me a code-phrase to prove who he was and gave me one if we ever met again."

"I see." Alfred had the beginnings of an idea who this young woman might be, "I shall fetch Master Bruce."

He left.

Bruce Wayne arrived, settling down in a chair across from Tara, "Tara, or should I say Jazz Fenton."

Jazz's head shot up, "You know, you know where he is."

Bruce looked at her impassively, "Yes, he gave us all a password to prove your identity.

"Us?"

"The Justice League who gave it to me and Oliver Queen; tell me, what is your code-phrase?"

"Jonny 13 and Kitty died for their love," she recited.

Bruce grinned, "Accepted. Your brother's okay, Jazz, him, his friends, and little Dani..."

"Little Dani--Danielle! What happened to--!?"

"I don't know the mechanics of it but those GiW caught her and she turned into a baby."

"That's why they ran," Jazz breathed out; a baby, a baby clone halfa. No wonder they ran . She would have too.

"Where're they?" she demanded, "how safe are they?"

"Completely and utterly, they are at JLA HQ."

"You mean the one in space?"

"Yes. That's the one--"

A snkkt sounded and Nightwing came in through a window, "Mister Wayne, your butler called in. Says you have another high Liminal civilian needing protection?"

"Yes, hello Nightwing," Bruce greeted jovially, "This here is Tara; she's David's sister and thus Ellie's aunt. She gave the passcode and everything. Tara, Nightwing, one of our protectors. I'm told you and yours did him and his a huge favor by accident."

Nightwing nodded, "Several of my siblings are Liminal and one is classified as a Revenant. Not to mention Big Blue himself came back to life."

"The laws would affect everyone who has died," Jazz exhaled before handing over the binder she had been holding, "Here's all the information I've gathered. Our parents still think ghosts are evil and....they're mad scientists. There's a doorway--a portal--to the Ghost Realms in our basement. Also it is a laboratory. Please be gentle when you arrest them. There's a map to our town, from the nearest city. GPS doesn't work and cars get unreliable the closer you get. But on foot or by flight... "

Nightwing took the binder gravely before calling it in.

Tara was quickly brought to the Watchtower and reunited with her family.

Diana took her aside though and questioned, "On your parents, would knowledge of your brother's status sway them?"

Jazz was quiet for a moment or two before admitting, "I want to say yes, but that's probably a self-soothing lie. They're blinded of all things ghost."

Diana nodded and let her go back to her family.

Things had just got more complicated.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

Except they were safe.

Only them.

Every other ghost and Liminal was still in danger.

Including heroes.

Like Greta Hayes, Secret, who was alive somehow but still Liminal, perhaps just short of being a halfa level of Liminal. She was sequestered to the Watchtower quickly.

Then it became triage; who had died and came back were the major worry, then their possible hostages.

A series of safehouses outside America were activated, burned, to get people out of the States. Every Bat for example gave up their international safehouses.

Robin--who was Liminal and young enough to gain a secure lodging on the Watchtower--sent a secure, secret message to his mother.

Reading this missive, Ra's al Ghul became furious to learn that he would have no rights in America and that his heir was endangered by the same laws. But he had to weigh his options as Damian was safe with the heroes. It wouldn't do to tip his hand completely.

Up on the Watchtower, because everyone possible was working on the problem of the Acts, Danny, Sam, and Tucker became the de-facto babysitters for the younger Liminals who were being kept out of the mess.

Younger Liminals like Lian Harper, daughter of Roy Harper aka Arsenal and also someone who has died and come back to life, who clung to Sam's skirt when her dad had to leave for recon missions.

In fact, there were so many Liminals, and one Revenant, that the three ran seminars on traits to look for and how to handle new instincts.

It explained some things for some heroes.

Down below, a woman stalked Bruce Wayne, who had been speaking out against the Anti-Ecto Acts.

She was on a mission.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

Eli kept his head down, he had to; his best friends' lives depended on him staying hidden. So he did just as he was told at his middling job at a middling tech shop working as a middling computer repair technician.

Coast City was a tech city, not quite Silicon Valley but somewhere people loved technology and money and little common sense.

Eli kept his head down, ignoring the Green Lantern of the city even though he itched to offer help.

Eli was just a nobody and he liked it that way.

He slumped into his apartment, eyes on his shuffling feet as he opened the door.

"Tucker Foley."

His head snapped up, his heart hammering away in his chest.

There was Red Robin and the Green Lantern standing in his--

He bolted, dropping his bag as he ran.

But the Lantern caught him in a construct; still he struggled.

"Tucker!" Red Robin commanded as the Lantern brought the so named man back into the apartment and sealed the door and window with energy, "Ember brainwashed you!"

Tucker Foley stopped fighting; the codephrase.

They had the codephrase.

How?

Had the--the others...

"Danny and Sam are safe," Red said softly, "Dani is safe. Up in the Watchtower. Wes is Clueless and Ember brainwashed you...something about a de-brainwashing machine...some sort of school test? They were talking fast."

"You gonna run again, kid?" Green Lantern asked mildly.

Tucker stuttered a head shake; he was let go but almost dropped to his knees, "The GiW...they can't--"

"We're taking down those Acts, promise," Red Robin replied, "the three of them are on the ultimate neutral ground. You need flight capabilities or a zeta-tube to get up there. Your goddaughter and brother are safe."

Red Robin handed over a comm and, with shaking hands, he activated it, "This's TooFine, come in Clueless? Goth-girl?"

"We're here, TooFine," Danny's voice, sleep rough but relieved, came through, "location, Watchtower."

Tucker burst into tears of so many emotions that he must have looked nuts, "Oh my god..."

"You did a good job covering your tracks, Tucker," Red Robin praised, "only reason we found out was because Danny attacked Superman thinking he was there on government orders. Our techie, Oracle, is still having a hard time unraveling your tracks. You're safe now, alright. It's all going to be okay."

"Why...why are you here?" Tucker asked, clutching the comm, "Danny...why are they...? I'm..."

"Our brother," Sam's voice rang out, "you think we'll let you stay in danger? They're there to help you up to us. You can stay on the Watchtower too."

"Really?"

"Oracle and Cyborg wanna pick your brain," Red Robin added, "to hide like you did...impressive."

"Yes."

Tucker grabbed his go-bag and went with the heroes to the nearest zeta tube and up to the Watchtower.

He saw Superboy holding Ellie before he was slammed into, his friends hanging off him in an embrace so tight but that was okay because he was holding them just as tightly on the floor of the zeta-room and they were all crying together and...and...

They were safe.

They were all safe.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

"We're a private non-federally funded international organization," Clark was giving them the tour of the watchtower, "The Watchtower is the ultimate neutral ground, an embassy. All you have to do is ask for Sanctuary here and you have it until we get those Acts repealed."

"Sanctuary, Clark, please, give us Sanctuary," Lisa almost begged.

"Approved." Batman materialized from a dark corner of the hall, "Come. Your room has been set up; Queen and Wayne are paying your room and board."

"The billionaires?" David questioned warily.

"Yeah, both are appalled by these Acts," Clark said as Batman raised a gauntleted fist to reveal ID cards on lanyards. One for David and Lisa each. Also hanging from his closed fist was a tiny security bracelet for Ellie.

"Do not lose these," Batman grunted almost gently as they took the badges and donned them, "they are your lifeline aboard the Watchtower...may I?"

David inclined his head and held out Ellie. Batman fastened the bracelet around her little wrist.

The little family was led to a room; about the size of an average bedroom, maybe a little bigger. A crib had been shoehorned into a corner.

"The Flash is retrieving your things," Batman spoke blandly, "please do not hesitate to ask for anything you may need. You will be allowed in the staff lounge, staff library, the cafeteria, the gym, and this bedroom. An observation deck is being cleared for you. We are looking for your friend and secure communications will be established when we find him. There are showers and restrooms at the end of this hall, you will provided all necessities. A tub will provided for young Miss Kroll."

"Th-thank you," David stuttered, "thank you so much."

"You're welcome, David, Lisa," Clark said warmly and then he and Batman left them.

Lisa and David entered the room, waited for the door to slide shut, put Lisa in her crib, embraced each other, and cried.

Dani was safe. They were safe.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

It was Martha's and John's worst nightmare playing out before them; young parents of a baby that didn't come along the normal way, on the run from the government.

It was clear that David and Lisa, whoever they were, whatever they were, loved their little girl.

They were also obviously terrified out of their minds that this all was a trap of some sort.

Clark made a call and Conner was soon landing out by the barn, Lois in his arms with her laptop bag slung over his shoulder.

As a show of good faith, Clark had given up his civilian name officially. Obviously the Krolls recognized him as a Kent and as Superman, some of the few to do so without being told.

Kon swaggered up to the scared couple, lowered his sunglasses, and said, "Hey, I'm Conner. Call me Kon. The clone-son of Clark over there."

David moved in front of Lisa and Ellie, a defensive move, "I heard Superboy was a clone but--"

"Yeah," Kon nodded, "we don't advertise it, you know, but we don't hide it either. May I see Ellie? Clone to clone, you understand. Never met another clone so young."

David was about to object but Lisa moved from behind him and offered Ellie.

"Oh, baby," Kon murmured as he took in the barely year old looking girl, "oh, oh, what's that thing in her chest? It looks...cracked?"

Lisa haltingly explained what a core was and the last resort defense mechanism ghosts had. How Ellie was only half ghost. So that when she was safe, she had reformed as a baby, practically a newborn.

Ghost.

Liminal.

Finally, names for their species.

Lois was taking furious notes as Lisa spoke, telling their tale, of their run. How they had to run from everything they had ever known. How there was a third, that they had a friend who had laid a false trail as he ran opposite of them. How he had risked his freedom, his very life to disable the enemy before they ran.

Ghosts weren't malicious, David argued, shifting forms, not all of them. They were people, dead people. And like people, there was always a few rotten bastards in the bunch and more ignorance than cruelty than that.

With each word, each choked sob of catharsis that someone was finally listening, the Kents grew angrier and angrier.

This was bigger than Superman could handle; it was time to call an emergency meeting.

These Guys in White only had authority in America after all.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

Superman.

Of all the possible ones the Justice League could have sent for them it was the one Danny probably wouldn't win against.

"Sam," he cried, forgetting their false names, "Take Dani and Run! It's Him!"

He was charging up his most powerful ectoblasts possible and launched them as he heard the backdoor slam open and Sam's footsteps growing distant.

They may take him down but he was gonna take some of them with him.

Superman dodged, dropping that oh so innocent looking pie.

"You won't get them, not on my watch!" Danny Wailed, taking out the side of the house and knocking Superman out of the air.

"I just--" Superman got back up.

Clark recognized the terror on the other man's face; this was a desperate attack, not a malicious one.

He had a choice and he made it; he raced forward and grabbed his once hidden metahuman neighbor before shooting up in the atmosphere, away from the humans of Smallville.

But David, and Clark was thinking that wasn't his real name, fought and density shifted like J'onn, out of his grasp.

He blasted Clark again with those Tamaranean like energy bolts and they hurt. David was screaming with everything he had, not unlike Black Canary's own cries.

Clark concentrated on where "Lisa" had run; the baby was crying, Lisa was terrified and running with everything she had.

Clark went away from Lisa and the baby, leading David away and hoping to calm him.

"Peace!" They were over a cornfield now so Clark stopped.

David stopped as well, "You won't take them. You or the Government."

"What? No, I don't...what are you talking about David? Are you three in trouble...?"

David searched Clark before realization creeped over him.

They had blown their cover for nothing.

David floated down, Clark followed, and landed in the cornfield.

"Please, please, let them run," David begged, "take me...take me instead."

"David?"

And it all spilled out; laws that trod dangerously close to violating the MPA, a town that had begged for help and received none, a hurt child.

And Superman, Kal-El was angry.

"Come to my parents'," he ordered David and the man nodded glumly.

"I'll round up Lisa and Ellie," Kal-El added gently, to David's horror, "we'll keep you three safe. We'll tear down these acts. Ellie will be safe. Do you have a codeword?"

David nodded and croaked, terrified but cornered and oh the hope in his eyes, "Clueless. Tell her that Wes is Clueless. She'll come with you. Please, don't hurt them. Please, Superman. Please. They're all I have left."

Clark nodded, gentling, as he led David to the Kents' homestead. David walked like he was going to the gallows.

Superman later found Lisa and Ellie hidden in a stand of trees; Lisa had a gun that hurt him but he was able to get out the code-phrase.

Once the young family was reunited and under the care of Ma and Pa Kent, Superman got to work.

This was a job for Superman yes, but also Clark and Lois Kent.

Danny and Sam are on the run after rescuing Danielle from the GIW. They had forced her into her core, a testamentto how much damage was done. However, once they were safe and far away thanks to Tucker, she reformed as an infant.

They are now living new lives with new identities in a small aptly named Kansas town. They are just starting to make things work with Danny making money by fixing old farm equipment and Sam training to be a nurse.

Then a member of the Justice league knocks on their door in civvies, and they panic dash for their go bags.

[cjsmalley]

The Double Attack:

Inspired by: https://www.tumblr.com/pixie-stick-it-to-the-man/785992749131382784/i-like-the-idea-of-damian-using-real-swords-from?source=share

The first thing InuYasha did after he gained ownership of Tessaiga was to contact his older brothers Damian and Harry.

“Damian might not be an assassin—” InuYasha explained to Kagome who startled.

“What? Assassin?”

“But one of his hobbies is swordsmanship,” InuYasha ignored her interruption as they walked to Harry’s shop, “and Harry’s almost a Master enchanter.”

“Harry…the brother who enchanted our tent?” Kagome tried not to look around; they were in some sort of alley bursting with magical shops and bustling with magical people.

She certainly felt out of place in her school uniform.

InuYasha led her to a shop as he nodded, “Yeah. Here we are.”

He held open the door and let her in first.

The first thing she noticed was that the shop was much bigger than the storefront had led her to believe.

“’Yasha,” said one of men, Kagome recognized him as a Phantom but couldn’t place his name.

“Harry,” InuYasha greeted, going in for a manly hug, then addressing the second man, “Dami.”

He stepped back and introduced, “This’s Higurashi Kagome—remember the Japanese do last names first. Kagome, my brothers Damian and Harry.”

Kagome gave a show bow.

Harry smiled and led them through the shop and into a workroom, “Where’s this new sword of yours, ‘Yasha?”

InuYasha pulled the sheath from his pants and handed it over, Harry received it with some reverence as Damian leaned in and began asking questions.

InuYasha couldn’t tell them much, as Myoga hadn’t told him much, but he told them all he knew.

Harry unsheathed the sword and the men looked at it in its’ dormant state; Damian shook his head, “If I did not know better, I would say this is a very poorly maintained sword. Can you activate it for us, InuYasha?”

InuYasha nodded and took the sword; it turned massive in his grasp, the curve of a fang from the Great Inuyoukai Lord himself.

Upon the sight of it, Harry began rummaging around in a drawer to pull out a strange pf goggles with many different lenses over one eye. He donned them and fiddled with the lenses as he clearly cast spell after spell with his free hand.

“Amazing,” the wizard breathed out, “it’s channeling your youkai essence almost like a wizard’s wand! There’re some enchantments on it that I’ve never even heard of!”

“Your vassal claimed this was made of your biological father’s fang?” Damian questioned, “as in his incisor? From his jaw?”

“Yes.”

“Marvelous, simply marvelous,” Harry was still studying the blade, “I can actually see the tooth, Dami. It’s the root of the blade! We simply must see this in action.”

He hurriedly packed a small bag of instruments and then they portaled to a forest.

“No muggles around for miles, or magicals for that matter,” Harry chuckled, pulling something from his bag and enlarging it before setting it behind everyone.

It was a bunker, like the ones one would see at a heavy artillery range.

He shuffled Kagome into it, Damian following, and sealed it.

“Now, InuYasha, he said through a loudspeaker on the front of the bunker, “use your most powerful attack possible.”

InuYasha shrugged, faced away from them, and let loose, “Wind Scar!”

The devastation was immediate and undeniable; a twisted and torn scar, like a meteor had hit, had been created, destroying, ripping up a line of tree..

“Interesting.” Harry hummed, waving his wand to take notes with floating parchment and a self-propelled quill scribbling away.

“You saw something?” Kagome questioned.

“It’s magic, of a type. I cannot do it, but I can see it as clear as day,” Harry nodded, “I also don’t think that’s the strongest possible attack. Just the strongest he has access to right now. I also have an idea for making this…Wind Scar more powerful.”

He bid Kagome to grab her bow and arrows, which she did using a portal ball, and join InuYasha.

“Now,” said Harry through the loudspeaker, “I want Kagome to fire her arrow at the height of the attack!”

It took some time, and different positions tried, that they found out a way to make it work.

Kagome was firing over InuYasha’s shoulder, her legs locked around his waist from the back; he was holding her bum with one hand, in any other situation one might assume that he was copping a feel and let loose the Wind Scar despite only holding the sword with one hand.

At the pinnacle of the build-up, right before the attack launched, Kagome saw what InuYasha must have been seeing, a jagged fissure of youkai energy.

A sense of serenity and knowing came over her and she charged up the arrow she had notched to the bow.

She fired just as the Wind Scar launched.

The two attacks combined, merciless, and tore a worse path of destruction than the Wind Scar alone.

It left the two of them panting and InuYasha’s head slightly singed on the side where the purifying arrow had flown past him; InuYasha dropped to his knees, hands holding up his weight. Tessaiga transformed back to its’ dormant disguise.

Kagome had to force her legs to unclench from him, as her joints had locked in trying to support her weight, and fell back onto her bum, she then ended up laying down, looking to the sky with her knees still folded and in the air.

The attack was powerful, yes, but clearly just a last resort attack. It left them too weakened otherwise.

“Bravo! Bravo!” Harry and Damian were coming from the bunker and clapping, impressed looks on their faces, “Bravo! That at least tripled both attacks’ power! I think if you practice, you shan’t be so winded.”

“Father will no doubt began able to secure locations for your practice,” Damian agreed, eying the blown back trees and gouged earth.

They helped the other two up and the four staggered back through a portal to Harry’s shop where they had some fortifying tea.

Wished Away Master Post:

Part 1 with original prompt:

Part Two:

Part 3:

Part Four:

Part 5:

Part Six:

Part 7:

Part 8,

Part 9, check the reblogs:

Part 10:

[cjsmalley]

Sam Dreams of Dan:

“Hello, Mother.”

Sam knew she was dreaming, remembered going to sleep in her bed, but to be face to face with Dan still rather scared her.

She was sure she could love, and already did love, the baby she carried but the hulking man somehow visiting her dream….

“Hello, Dan,” she still said softly even as he turned to look at her fully, sympathy and pity in every syllable. It was true; she pitied the monster. Pitied the Phantom that had been so twisted by grief and fear and anger that he became monstrous. Vlad’s side couldn’t have helped either.

“You still fear me,” he observed almost gently.

“Yes,” and she did.

“How do you expect to birth and raise me if you fear me?”

“How did I raise Anakin knowing what he turned out to be,” she dismissed his question, “Dan, you became you because of events that no longer happened. Just like Anakin could have become Vader but he didn’t. We have an opportunity to change your Fate.”

Dan remained silent so she continued, “We already love baby you, Dan. Yes, we worry about what you could grow up to be—”

“You’ve already seen what I am.”

“I don’t buy it,” Sam shook her head, “that’s what you were without support, without family. I, for one, don’t believe you would have gone that bad if just one person had survived or Vlad had gotten Danny therapy.”

“Clockwork could have—” Dan raged, hair blossoming into a bonfire and teeth turning to fangs.

“Clockwork gave your father a chance because he bent the rules,” Sam interrupted calmly, “nearly bent them to breaking. The Observants are still angry over that trick. Your entire timeline was an aberration, Dan. Something that should not have come to pass and yet did. I’m sorry you lost everything, Dan. You don’t know how sorry I am. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly sorry.”

“You mean that.”

It wasn’t a question.

But she replied, “Yes.”

Dan looked at her searchingly, almost pleadingly before nodding curtly, “You will love baby me.”

“Already do.”

“You will not punish him for what I did.”

“Never.

“You will not let others punish him for my actions.”

“Of course not! Nobody will anyways! Baby you is innocent! And everyone knows that!”

Dan searched her again but then nodded, “Thank you…Mother.”

The room dissolved and Sam woke up, hand going to the slight bump she now carried as she breathed harshly.

“Sam?” Danny woke up, sitting up as well, “Is everything okay? Do I need to—”

“I think I talked to Dan,” she interrupted breathlessly.

“What?”

“In my dream. We were in the nursery, and he was asking me questions. He was making sure we’d love the baby him—”

“Of course we do,” his hand joined hers, “it doesn’t matter what a future him did—”

“And I told Dan that,” she nodded, “he seemed…pleased. Then the dream ended. I think it was some weird Bleed Through like Clockwork mentioned could happen. Remember the Chat Blanc dreams?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do. So you really think it was him?”

“Yeah. Too real not to have been.”

She yawned deeply; Danny smiled warmly, “We love him, Sam. Anything else we’ll handle when it comes to it.”

Yawning, Sam nodded and laid down; Danny spooned her from the back, hand on her bump.

He was right; they loved Dan. Anything else was for the future them to handle.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an��� me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Pandorica goes differently:

Using the sonic as a microphone, the Doctor spoke; a telly presenter, a match announcer, a gameshow host.

“Hello, Stonehenge!” he cried to his audience of enemies.

He spoke at length, clearly readying for something and buying time, boasting his own victories.

“But, enough about me,” he finally said, holding a hand out, “Let’s talk about my lovely Rose.”

Rose stepped gracefully from the shadows and waved as if walking on stage.

The atmosphere changed; gone was the anticipatory air, the ‘he can’t take us all on’ feeling.

“My lovely Rose,” the Doctor said after kissing her hand, “is very lovely. Very kind. Her alter-ego however…”

The atmosphere changed again, fear in the air as Rose seemed to change without changing; she held herself differently, there was something about her that screamed apex predator beyond what humans usually could.

Bad Wolf was in control.

Bad Wolf didn’t need a microphone or sonic as her voice boomed, “I shall be kind. You have ten Earth minutes, that is 600 Earth seconds, to vanish from my senses. Any who remain shall be destroyed, erased from time itself. My Doctor holds the Pandorica and so it shall remain in his possession. Your time starts…now.”

The Daleks were the first to break and run; no doubt their memory banks told them of the last time they faced the Bad Wolf.

Seeing the Daleks flee, others followed at speed.

It was the first time Rory had seen the full presence of his mother-in-law; that Daleks fled from her?

He had once been told there were two beings in the entire universe that the Daleks feared and he had believed it of the Doctor, the way the man carried himself at the mere speaking of that word. But of Rose?

Never.

Rose was a kind and caring reality-warper, partnered with the so-called Bad Wolf who didn’t seem so bad at all.

Yes, Bad Wolf could be intense about protecting what was hers, something Rory himself counted as, but no more intense than a particularly overprotective and overbearing mother.

But now?

Now Rory believed all the stories.

Bad Wolf visibly let go of her vessel and Rose came back out without even a stumble.

She smiled sunnily up at the Doctor who smiled back.

“You did it,” Amy broke from the cover of the stone they had been surrounding and raced to hug her mother who picked her up and swung her around, “Rassilon! Dad, how were you—?

“Sure?” the Doctor finished, getting his own hug, “Daleks fear one being above all else and when Daleks run you should run too.”

“Good life advice,” Amy laughed, “I’ll have to remember that. Should we add it to the TARDIS rules?”

“Maybe.”

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Happy Death Day, Danny

Jack headed to the lab like any other morning only to stop dead in his tracks when he found the three teens staring into the portal as if contemplating something. They were slouched together, perhaps too close but comfortable.

A soft, strummed melody broke his stunned gaze as he turned his head to find Ember perched haphazardly on a stool. Her eyes were closed and the melody mournful but also empowering.

He walked closer to the blue ghost and whispered, because he felt like he was intruding on something he didn’t understand, “Ember—”

“The day a ghost dies,” Ember spoke, cutting him off, still with her eyes close and playing that melody, “is…freedom. Despair. No matter how you die, it’s…indescribable, Fenton. Humans can’t get it. Closest you get is actual birth…”

Jack’s heart dropped as he remembered what day it was; the day his son had died, watched by his two friends, in the Portal of his own making. He and Maddie had killed their son. With their portal, with their absentminded neglect.

“Ghosts are drawn back to the site of their deaths,” Ember continued, “year after year. The more painful or unjust, the stronger the pull to return. Even if the house burns down around their bodies. Even if there’s nothing left but an empty lot and an ignored memorial…I’ve never seen Witnesses so drawn though.”

“What—What are they doing?” Jack asked, sneaking a peek at the memorized teens, his voice cracking.

“Who knows? It’s personal to each ghost. Most contemplate their lives, their deaths, their afterlives. The little King might be thinking on the fact that he’s only three years dead and now rules the roost.”

“Is that…young? To be King?”

“He wasn’t supposed to be able to body Dark, Fenton. Not at any age, but as a baby? Yeah, it’s young. He’s a good one so far though, King I mean. There’s a bit of upset about his Chosen Queen. His Council ain’t happy, see? She’s mortal still. But they’re suited. My love spell wouldn’t’ve worked if it wasn’t True and already there…. that level of Obsession…it nearly replaced the Obsession to Protect for a hot minute.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah; if I had caught both and had used a lust spell, not a love spell, you woulda been a grandfather that year. No, the love spell didn’t create Love, only acted on what Love was already there. And it had to be Romantic Love…Lust will work on anyone, especially hormonal teenagers.”

Jack nodded jerkily, sneaking another peek, “Why’re you here, Ember?”

She strummed a little more before answering, “I’m here because I’m the only one to give the kiddos straight answers. Ol’ Clocky means well, for everyone, but he’s a cryptic old bastard at the best of time; besides, every time he leaves the Zone the Observants go into snits.”

“Where’s the—”

“With Nanny Clara, of course; at least Damian is. I think Dani’s at her friend’s house for the day.”

“What should we—me and Maddie—do?”

“Honestly, stay out until the kids wake up. I got it covered, and we have guards posted around the town. Everyone respects Death Days so there should be no trouble.”

Jack nodded again and, with one last look at the kids, exited the lab to tell Maddie.

Together they cried.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

The Dan Situation, Eight Month In:

It was official; Sam hated being pregnant, or at least heavily so.

At eight months she might as well have strapped a beachball to her waist.

“Penelope,” she sighed, calling for the attention of one of her Ladies, specifically the one in charge of her wardrobe.

Sam was on a strict regimen, as this was the first monitored pregnancy with a halfa, with strict instructions not to do anything the least bit strenuous so close to her due date.

‘Strenuous’ including trying to dress herself.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Penelope went to work, holding out the tailored made maternity dresses. Everything in the stores had been too overly cheery or cutesy and so she had requested that the Royal Seamstress and Tailor make her some things more to her taste.

She had grown up from being in-your-face goth, allowing more colors into her wardrobe than purple and black, but they were still the darker shades. Not that pastel or ‘Mother Goddess’ nonsense offered by clothing companies.

She was having a baby, not creating life from the Void.

And while she would have preferred maternity sweats and other types of pants, Sam had to admit the dresses felt better some days.

Today would probably be one of those days, so she selected a navy-blue sundress, something made of light fabric to keep her cool.

Thankfully, the Tailor was smart and there was a row of buttons down the back, all the way down the back so she could just walk into it and Penelope and another Lady, Mary, expertly snapped it shut over her maternity bra.

Once the dress was on her, Penelope and Mary carefully helped her with her non-slip slippers and checked for any abnormal swelling as they did so. All Sam’s Ladies had been given a crash course on signs to watch out for.

Danny usually helped Sam dress in the morning, but he had had an early meeting with the Observants, who were not happy with the Dan Situation as it was.

The family personally thought those old eyeballs could poke themselves out.

Not to say there wasn’t some discord in the family at the news, they had known enough of the Dan Situation as it had been to be wary of reincarnating him, especially as an heir. But everyone agreed that this was probably the best course of action short of Ending him as he had been.

Almost as soon as Sam was dressed for the day, another Lady, this one named Louise, arrived with her daily ectoplasm smoothie.

Frostbite insisted that she consumed, thankfully diluted, ectoplasm; it was good for the baby’s core, he said, pointing out that newborn neverborn often fed off ectoplasm from their parents’ cores.

It was a miracle that David came through healthy without prenatal care. Those his core had been a tad weak and had needed to nurse from his father’s just as he nursed from his mother’s breast.

Speaking of Davy, he came flying through after Louise; his flight was wobbly but at six years old he was pretty stable. It helped he did not have to learn to fly on the fly like his father and sister had. Although he was supposed to walk inside. For Davy though, it was an easy choice. He wanted morning hugs from his mom, and his mom couldn’t pick him up anymore or crouch down because of his baby brother.

Sam, after drinking down the smoothie, smiled at her son and opened her arms to let him float closer, “Hi, baby. Good dreams last night?”

“Uh-huh,” he nodded, anchoring himself to her neck but still floating.

“I’m glad, baby; wanna go to the gardens while we wait for Daddy?”

“Yeah! Um, yes please.”

And so Sam, Davy, and Sam’s Ladies and Davy’s various attendants, for he too had a few, just in case, trooped out to the gardens.

Someone grabbed Sam a chair and she sat beneath something like looked like a large oak but probably wasn’t, watching her son play with his guards who had all been handpicked for their skill in childcare and self-defense. Many of them had been big siblings and military in life.

Someone else brought out a picnic for lunch and that was where Danny found Sam and Davy, cuddled under the not-oak and napping, guarded by their people.

All his cares melted away as he gaze on his wife and son and his worries about the Dan Situations went away for the moment.

They could do this.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Kaede's Choice, Kagome's Future:

Kaede swirled the liquid she had been given and looked at the King in her hut.

His son’s pack, children and all, were away from the village and she suspected he had chosen this moment for that reason.

Water from the Fountain of Youth; Kaede had never heard of such a thing but she could guess what would happen if she drank of it.

She had a choice.

“I shall die before Kagome’s training is complete then?” she asked without much inflection. She wasn’t stupid; she was old, elderly even, she knew her time was short. But to hear it, that she would soon pass…

The King shrugged, “I don’t know, honestly. I’m here on advice of my closest advisor. He instructed I bring you some Water from the Fountain, carefully measured, and give you the choice.”

He became more serious, “But I do know the kids still need you, Kaede; Kagome’s the obvious one, what with her training. But your confidence in them has allowed others to see past their prejudice against hanyou and youkai. I know the Headman comes to you for your counsel before making any big decisions.”

“I must die eventually,” the old miko pointed out calmly.

“Yes, eventually. But we’re giving you a chance to put it off for a few more years, Kaede. It won’t deage you. But it will lengthen your lifespan slightly, maybe a couple decades, strengthen your body and organs, clear out any senility you may be gaining. Just long enough for Kagome to be trained and trusted in the village. Long enough for her to gain her footing in being the village priestess.”

Kaede mulled it over, “If Kikyo was still—”

“If Kikyo was still around, or at least her knowledge, we wouldn’t offer. If we could find any other priestess with comparable wealth of knowledge, what Kagome needs to know, that would train the mate of a hanyou and a mother besides, we wouldn’t offer. But, Kaede,” he was earnest now, “you’re the only one that checks all those boxes; everyone else would see Kagome as sullied, tainted by the youkai and hanyou she calls family.”

And Kaede knew he spoke the truth of the matter; Kagome was strong but too strange for many to mentor her. Since the day she arrived, Kagome had pushed back against those traditions she did not accept as necessary or rational. Case in point, her acceptance of InuYasha without much thought beyond the murder attempt.

(And Kaede even doubted the hanyou had been truly trying to kill who he saw as Kikyo, even after her own betrayal of him. She had seen him fight, both as a little girl and an old woman. There would have been no way an untrained human could have dodged and outrun him legitimately. He was trying to scare her into fighting back as Kikyo would have.)

And yet Kagome even forgave him their rocky first meetings and his often-uncouth words, seeing the hurting man under the rough exterior where others only saw the barely controlled beast pretending at being a man.

Then she had gone a step further and adopted a kitsune child; Kagome had confided in her once, while Shippo was sleeping in her arms, that she did indeed know the legends of the kitsune, tricksters who loved illusions and jokes on others but she hadn’t even thought about leaving the boy to fend for himself though it was InuYasha who offered a place with them.

That she married a hanyou—it wasn’t often that priestesses married, and they never married outside humanity. But Kagome did and was proud of the fact. Proud that she belonged to InuYasha and he to her.

Yes. Not many would take her as an apprentice.

Kaede made her choice.

She thumbed the vial open and drank the water; it was cool and refreshing, a drink on a hot summer’s day but then it burned though her body like fire eating at her from the inside.

Then it was over.

She felt the same.

But the King was beaming, “Thank you, Kaede.”

Before she could say anything, the hanyou and his pack had arrived in the village, triumph.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Saving Dan:

She cupped the core; it was such a little thing, a pretty little thing for having come from such a monstrous man.

“This’s Dan’s core?” she asked for confirmation again, almost denying that such a pretty core could have come from that monster.

There was a reason they had celebrated Danny’s twenty-fifth birthday the way they had; the monster was gone. Could never come back. At least not how he had been.

Sealed in a can and hidden away as his timeline was wiped out.

Except now.

Now Clockwork was asking them to consider saving him; letting him be reborn as their son and heir.

Something about how they couldn’t just End him, though it would be so easy to do right then, even she could crush the core. How he was an anomaly and causing temporal issues.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Clockwork answered patiently, “he would not be Dan as you knew him, Your Majesties; he would only share a core and possibly regain some memories as he grows but not all. You know as well as I do, nurture is almost always stronger than nature. I do not believe he was purely evil, though he acted it.”

Danny dragged a hand down his face before saying, “It’s Sam’s choice. Sam?”

Sam thought for a moment.

Two.

Three.

“How would this work?” she asked.

“I will bring Your Majesty to ovulation,” Clockwork spoke, “you will press the core to your womb and it should phase into it. Once inside, the core will seek out your egg and fuse. The core will act like sperm. I will then manipulate time to where implantation occurs within moments of this fusion, even as the zygote begins to form. Once implantation occurs, we shall let it progress as a normal pregnancy.”

“Miscarriage? Ghost DNA doesn’t play well with human, even Liminal, DNA.”

“No chance of such, Your Majesty. As with all your possible pregnancies, it will be quite a feat to lose what is already half-dead. You would have to be on the brink of death yourself, Your Majesty.”

Sam thought some more as the core glittered in her hands, glittered in the low light of Clockwork’s lair.

“Do it.” She nodded.

“Are you sure, Sam?” Danny pressed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure…he…Dan didn’t have much of a chance, did he? We can…we can give him that chance and wipe out an enemy, Danny. I know you worried about him breaking out, going for the crown. But if we raise him. Give him a family again…Do it, Clockwork.”

“As My Queen commands,” Clockwork waved a hand, “now, My Queen. Do it now.”

Sam lifted her shirt slightly and pressed the core to where her uterus was and felt it begin to phase into her body.

Her hand was empty.

Clockwork concentrated and then she felt a sharp prick in her side.

“Implantation has been a success,” Clockwork intoned.

Sam smiled shakily at Danny who smiled just as shakily back.

Here went nothing.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Jamie Harold Potter

Harry, or Jamie as his new name was, was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

There had to be something.

Things this good didn’t happen to him without a price.

He had met alternates of his parents who had accepted him immediately and had become furious at his prior treatment. He had met the grown-up Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ron, and even Draco Malfoy who all welcomed him into their families.

He had cried at the sight of Sirius, apologizing for getting him killed in his world and saying how much he missed him and it was all his fault. Sirius had taken him into a hug, rocking sideways and forgave him.

Remus was different here; livelier and warmer, not stripped of every hope and dream. He smiled warmly and shook Harry’s hand.

Molly Weasley gave the same hugs as always and fussed over him while Arthur talked muggle things. Ginny wasn’t crushing on him, that would have been weird and gross because she too was an adult, and she fussed more quietly than her mother.

He met his uncle Tim, who had not existed in his world, and his cousin Sam; in fact, he had met his entire new family, the Phantoms and all branches of it and he was welcomed and cherished.

There was a price though; he had to submit to medical care and a specialized diet and regimen of potions. He had to go to therapy, though he was able to pick his therapist.

He had tutors, catching him up in subjects his Hogwarts failed to teach or taught improperly for whatever reason. Like his counterpart and Neville’s, he was shoved at every mage his uncle Danny could trust.

He found, that without the pressure of Snape hating him and the boiling hatred he himself held for the man, he quite like brewing potions and learning first aid and medical spells.

For the first time he saw a life beyond survival, and he was terrified.

Terrified that this was all some terrific, wonderful dream.

But with each passing day, each hug and kiss, each well-meaning and sincere attempt to interact with him, he relaxed.

Perhaps his soul had been enough of a price.

Perhaps this was real.

Perhaps he could finally just…be.

No fame.

No enemies.

Just Jamie Harold Potter.

Yeah, he could live with that.

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.

[cjsmalley]

Harry to the Rescue:

Inspired by Milandaanza’s comment on chapter 320:

The figure unfolded in the circle.

“James?” Remus breathed out, shocked and horrified but the man shook his head.

“Common mistake,” said the man with a half-smile, “I’m Harry…who has summoned—Harry? Harry Potter? Is that really you?”

The man focused on what had to be an alternate younger version of himself and stepped forward from the circle towards the boy.

Skinny. Too skinny.

Without thought, the older one hit the younger one with dozens of medical spells, diagnostic spells he had learnt in childhood.

The results made him furious, and he spun towards who had to be Dumbledore, “What’re you playing at, Old Man? The boy’s half starved and shows signs of it being a long-term problem! Where are the Potters?”

“Lily and James are dead.” Remus Lupin spoke up, still horrified for different reasons now.

The older Harry froze.

“Sirius?”

“Dead. Been a year now. Before that, imprisoned and then on the run.”

“The Longbottoms? Aunt Alice and Uncle Frank?”

“Incapacitated. Attacked by Death Eaters years ago.”

“Don’t tell me the boy’s been with the Dursleys!”

“It is for the—” Dumbledore started but the older Harry silenced him with a wave of his hand.

“So why have you summoned me?”

“We need a hero who can defeat Voldemort,” spoke the younger Harry with resignation.

The older Harry paused again, before admitting, “I technically didn’t defeat him—”

An uproar.

“We summoned the prophesied hero,” someone shouted in a panic.

“Yeah, that’s me, unfortunately,” the older Harry admitted with a sigh, “but I had major help. Lemme call Uncle Danny.”

He went back to the Summoning circle and bled on a sigil; Danny appeared and the older Harry brought him up to speed in Old English so he wouldn’t give too much away to their audience.

Danny nodded and stepped towards the younger Harry, “Who’re your guardians, Harry?”

“Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon,” replied the younger Harry.

“Do they treat you properly?” Danny asked softly, ignoring Dumbledore.

“No, Sir,” Harry admitted quietly.

“Would you like to get away from them? Somewhere safe?” Danny was exceedingly gentle.

“Dumbledore says—”

“Harry, I know about everything. I know about the cupboard and the frying pans and the Harry Hunting,” and Danny became gentler as the boy’s green eyes widened in fear, “I can take you somewhere safe, somewhere where you can be a kid. My nephew, the older Harry, wants to take you in as his own. He wants to take you away from here.”

“But Voldemort—”

“Is not your duty, Harry. You’re a kid and almost every adult has failed you. Give me permission and I’ll act as your hand and weapon. You won’t ever have to face him again.”

Painful hope, tempered by previous disappointment, came to the boy’s eyes, “What do I have to do?”

“Your guardians have to sell your soul to me.”

“WHAT?!” someone bellowed, the older Harry silenced them.

“That’s easy,” said the younger Harry, “they’d sell me for a used tissue.”

He looked to his older self, “You…you really want me?”

“Of course, kiddo. My world’s much safer anyways. The Potters are still alive and the Longbottoms sane,” the older Harry nodded, “you’ll have a huge family…technically Uncle Danny will own you but he’ll treat you as a nephew. He owns my soul and I’m perfectly free and fine…Mum and Dad messed up a protection ritual,” he explained, “accidentally sold me but agreed for my safety from Voldemort. Neville too. Uncle Danny, Aunt Sam, and Uncle Tucker used all their resources to End Voldemort for good and I had to help very little.”

“What will I have to do for you?”  the younger Harry said warily.

“Be a kid. Go to therapy for your trauma, get good grades, the best you can.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s it.

“Yes.”

The older Harry smiled and took the younger by the shoulder, telling Danny, “I’m taking him to Privet Drive. Follow us.”

And the two Harry’s left; Danny gave one more disappointed look at Dumbledore and returned to the Realms to grab the paperwork needed for muggles to sell a soul.

Then he appeared beside the boys at the end of Privet Drive; he turned back to human and let the older Harry transfigure his clothes into something more suitable for the time and location.

They walked to Number 4, knocked on the door and waited.

Petunia answered the door and sneered, “You! They told me you were dead, Potter! Finally come to claim the little freak, have you?”

Danny spoke and they were quickly ushered in and shown to the dining room table.

“So, I sign these papers, and I never have to see the little freak again?” Petunia demanded.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny nodded, trying to keep his temper, “as the blood guardian, only you can sell his soul.”

Petunia grabbed a pen and signed Harry away as quickly as possible.

“This is the consent form that you know you’ll never see him again,” Danny led her through, “initial and sign where highlighted please…your relation to the sold soul, initial where…proof of guardianship or parentage to the sold soul, yes, that’s right…Release form so that we may take all his earthly possessions with us, yes, no only his things, I promise…”

With each page signed, the younger Harry seemed to become more hopeful.

Was it true, could he be free?

Then it was done.

The younger Harry led them to his room where they packed his things before they returned to their starting point of the ritual room in Grimmauld Place.

Molly Weasley swept Harry up into a hug and cried a goodbye, apologizing for not realizing how bad things were. Dumbledore tried to intervene, but the older Harry merely temporarily transfigured him into a goat.

“Quite impressive, Mister Potter,” McGonagall praised the man as she inspected the goat, “quite impressive indeed…you will take care of the boy, won’t you?”

“With everything I have.

The younger Harry met with his friends one last time, everyone crying and hugging and arguing that he didn’t have to leave, they’d find another way to deal with Voldemort.

As the younger Harry said goodbye and gathered his things, the older Harry found Madam Pomfrey and went with her to Hogwarts to gather his younger self’s medical record.

Then it was time.

Harry, tears of grief and joy in his eyes, and Hedwig on his shoulder, stepped through the portal.

He was ushered off to be seen by doctors.

But he was free.

(And if Danny stayed behind to give every adult in Harry’s life a dressing down, well, the boy didn’t have to know.)

Wished Away 10

A Mother-Daughter Talk:

“When I first started a relationship with the Doctor,” Rose began, watching the man in question play with her little brother, their pseudo-daughter, and their actual daughter, “a real one, more than whatever the hell we were doin’ before, he warned me. No kids.”

Jackie gasped, “You mean he didn’t want a—?”

Rose gave a bitter laugh, “No, like, literally. We couldn’t have kids. Too different, genetic wise. He’d need another Time Lord or Lady, that’s what the women were called, Time Ladies, ta…Loom a kid with. He may have the parts, Mum, an’ be able ta use ‘em, but they didn’t make or carry babies like humans do. The babies were…best translation is ‘woven together’ by machines out of two separate DNA sources. Then they were given over ta professionals—like foster-parents almost. Nobody raised their own kids… He isn’t even sure how exactly his granddaughter was related ta him, just that she wasn’t a daughter but was a direct descendant.”

Jackie was gaping at her daughter.

“Not even Bad Wolf makes us compatible, even if we had a Loom. “Cause he’s shootin’ blanks…an’…’m sterile too now…”

“Rose!”

“I don’t…my eggs might still be good, but I don’t ovulate or get monthlies anymore,” Rose explained, “’m frozen, exactly how I was when Bad Wolf took me. Nothing ‘bout me can change permanently. I don’t even scar. Haven’t had to cut or dye my hair since then either. My nails don’t grow. I wasn’t ovulatin’ or bleedin’ so I don’t anymore. I never will again.”

“Oh, Rose…”

“I’d do it again,” Rose assured her mother firmly, “even if ya went back an’ warned me ‘bout all this. I’d’ve taken any help I could to save him…We’re lucky Bad Wolf’s so benevolent. She could stuff me inside my own head permanently an’ there’d be nothin’ we could do ‘bout it. Not even the Doctor.”

“Rose…what did you do?” Jackie whispered shakily, “When you first met Bad Wolf?”

“I don’t remember,” Rose admitted, “Bad Wolf says I traded my life for the Doctor’s—Jack’s only alive cause she was feeling nice—the mortal life an’ death ahead of me. All my possible futures as a mortal human woman, gone. I had one thought, Mum; the Doctor. I had ta get back ta him. Didn’t care ‘bout anythin’ else. Apparently, Clockwork says we’re literal soulmates. I’d’ve survived his death but I would—either grieve for the rest of my life or gone absolutely crazy,” Rose smiled sadly, “an’ I woulda…I didn’t have a kid ta hold on for.”

“Me an’ Pete…?”

“Soulmates, or Bad Wolf says; both of them. Just like Pete here lost his Jackie, you lost your Pete. An’ it was some major meddling for you two ta meet,” Rose’s smile turned brighter, “between you an’ me? Think Bad Wolf had a hand in that somewhere.”

Jackie nodded faintly, before questioning, “What ‘bout Jenny? If you an’ he aren’t compatible then how…?”

“We’re not sure,” Rose shrugged, “after her physical, after we got her home, the Doctor took samples; she belongs ta both of us but we’re both still incompatible an’ sterile. Then he took more samples from her; she’s genetically sound, everythin’ matches up where it should. Time Lord DNA’s doin’ the heavy-liftin’, but she registers as partly human too. Bad Wolf’s not talkin’. Neither is Clockwork.”

Jackie gave a slightly hysterical laugh, “Rose, if you told me years ago that aliens were real I’d’ve thought you drunk! Now here we are, talkin’ about gods an’ immortality! While your alien husband—”

“He’s not my husband,” Rose murmured, an old argument she didn’t really believe anymore.

“Uh-huh—as I was saying, your alien husband plays with your little brother, the girl cloned off you both, an’ the girl you accidentally kidnapped.”

Rose smiled again, lovingly as she looked to her family out on the front lawn of Tyler Mansion.

They had come a long way from Hendriks’ basement.