starjargon: (AmyRory DoctorRiver)
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It took him years to learn...

A/N: I love the Doctor with a family, and his very first companion. I’m thinking of writing a couple more chapters like this involving the origins of some of his more peculiar behaviors. Suggestions welcome. This is also my first attempt at light- heartedness so please review and tell me what you think.

He speaks baby.

His wife had forbidden him, all those many, many years ago. She said he needed to learn how to understand even when there were no words. He had heeded her, of course. He couldn’t refuse her anything. But, ok, sometimes he couldn’t help himself.

He would speak softly to his children, whispering words he could only hope they would understand, never expecting them to answer back. And his wife was right. After countless misunderstandings, misreadings, louder cries than the ones preceding, he realized he felt closer to his kids by reading their body language alone. A different form of communication.

Sure, he was still the Doctor, and had always had a loose relationship with rules, but he only tried to teach himself baby one or two hundred times. Not many in the grand scheme of the universe. His children, however, had taken his wife’s side and had early on developed the annoying habit of not always giving him his way. He couldn’t get through to them. Or they couldn’t get through to him. Even when he entered their minds he saw only fuzzy images and colors, and he wanted WORDS.

He was sure they must be properly saying something when they gurgled, or whined. He secretly tried to imitate said noises when the missus wasn’t around, but those kids never let him get away with anything. She, for all her high and mighty making him learn and communicate with his children, had an uncanny ability to seem to know everything he did and never failed to laugh at his secret attempts.

Too soon, he knew he had missed his chance. His children grew and learned his own languages and he could talk with them in the old boring way that everyone else knew. He surreptitiously attempted Baby again when his oldest grandson was born, then his granddaughter, and each one after that. Still frustrated at this silly made up rule that he had to be out of the loop at some point, he all but gave up hope, resigning himself to the fact that he would have to stick to the rules and wait out this indecipherable phase of his descendant’s lives.

Then they placed her in his arms. And, though he loved all of his grandchildren equally, he didn’t think he had seen another child so beautiful since her mother. She took his hearts away, and he felt almost a niggling sensation at the edge of his mind when he held her near. He attributed it to a distinct fondness.

“What’s her name?” His wife asked as they cooed over the newest addition to their family.

“We’ve decided to name her after that beautiful delicate flower, Arkytior.”

The baby in his arms gurgled loudly, and suddenly the Doctor gasped softly, then began to chuckle to himself. When they were alone a little while later, he leaned in and whispered to his fellow co- conspirator, having finally found someone who went along with his mad schemes. It was then that he realized how special she would become to him. Because he had unmistakably heard the newborn scoff at her given name, choosing an entirely different one for herself. And, years later, when she was the only one daring and peculiar enough to run away with him, he made sure that was the name she was known by.

Yes, he speaks baby. Susan had taught him.
Summary:
It took him years to learn...
Notes:
A/N: I love the Doctor with a family, and his very first companion. I’m thinking of writing a couple more chapters like this involving the origins of some of his more peculiar behaviors. Suggestions welcome. This is also my first attempt at light- heartedness so please review and tell me what you think.
Chapter TextHe speaks baby.

His wife had forbidden him, all those many, many years ago. She said he needed to learn how to understand even when there were no words. He had heeded her, of course. He couldn’t refuse her anything. But, ok, sometimes he couldn’t help himself.

He would speak softly to his children, whispering words he could only hope they would understand, never expecting them to answer back. And his wife was right. After countless misunderstandings, misreadings, louder cries than the ones preceding, he realized he felt closer to his kids by reading their body language alone. A different form of communication.

Sure, he was still the Doctor, and had always had a loose relationship with rules, but he only tried to teach himself baby one or two hundred times. Not many in the grand scheme of the universe. His children, however, had taken his wife’s side and had early on developed the annoying habit of not always giving him his way. He couldn’t get through to them. Or they couldn’t get through to him. Even when he entered their minds he saw only fuzzy images and colors, and he wanted WORDS.

He was sure they must be properly saying something when they gurgled, or whined. He secretly tried to imitate said noises when the missus wasn’t around, but those kids never let him get away with anything. She, for all her high and mighty making him learn and communicate with his children, had an uncanny ability to seem to know everything he did and never failed to laugh at his secret attempts.

Too soon, he knew he had missed his chance. His children grew and learned his own languages and he could talk with them in the old boring way that everyone else knew. He surreptitiously attempted Baby again when his oldest grandson was born, then his granddaughter, and each one after that. Still frustrated at this silly made up rule that he had to be out of the loop at some point, he all but gave up hope, resigning himself to the fact that he would have to stick to the rules and wait out this indecipherable phase of his descendant’s lives.

Then they placed her in his arms. And, though he loved all of his grandchildren equally, he didn’t think he had seen another child so beautiful since her mother. She took his hearts away, and he felt almost a niggling sensation at the edge of his mind when he held her near. He attributed it to a distinct fondness.

“What’s her name?” His wife asked as they cooed over the newest addition to their family.

“We’ve decided to name her after that beautiful delicate flower, Arkytior.”

The baby in his arms gurgled loudly, and suddenly the Doctor gasped softly, then began to chuckle to himself. When they were alone a little while later, he leaned in and whispered to his fellow co- conspirator, having finally found someone who went along with his mad schemes. It was then that he realized how special she would become to him. Because he had unmistakably heard the newborn scoff at her given name, choosing an entirely different one for herself. And, years later, when she was the only one daring and peculiar enough to run away with him, he made sure that was the name she was known by.

Yes, he speaks baby. Susan had taught him.

Date: 2014-03-27 11:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morganfm.livejournal.com
Awwe, I like this! It's so cute and sweet :)
btw, it's accidentally double posted, starting over right after the last line.

Date: 2014-04-02 04:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starjargon.livejournal.com
It's lovely to have fellow fans of Original Who- especially the First Doctor!

Thank you for the warning! I fixed it right away!

Date: 2014-04-02 05:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morganfm.livejournal.com
I only recently discovered the Classic Who eps on hulu - and in the free time I don't have between RL, trying to read and write every fanfic that pops up on my computer or in my head, and rewatch New Who for character writing practice, I've begun watching the first season. I also saw 'Tomb of the Cybermen' once recently - I squeed at how adorably antiquated the fx are (the cybermites look like paper-eyed pet rocks!) (that can kill you!). I've woefully only gotten through the first story and a half (leaving me with a 'Daleks' cliffhanger...) but I love how you explore the First Doctor in your writing. Fanfics for classic who are like a learning experience for me - I get to know the Doctor before the time war, and I feel like it adds extra layers of history and things that weren't fully explained back when DW first began. so thanks for this! ::smishes you::

Date: 2014-04-03 05:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starjargon.livejournal.com
I actually have quite an affinity with the First Doctor- perhaps because he spent the most time in history, and not solely with aliens. I actually haven't seen the "Tomb of the Cybermen" yet, but I also must admit the Second Doctor is my least favourite so far (working on it, working on it!). And that's actually part of the reason I like writing Classic stories- he was so much more mysterious back then, and more serious even though there was so much less angst, ironically. It's a nice challenge. Though, as you can tell, I do love throwing in later Doctor references when possible.

I also love watching the older episodes in context- Daleks predate R2D2, Star Trek, ET, and green screen creations. In the context of the time period, nothing like that had ever been done before- they would have been ABSOLUTELY terrifying. So that type of knowledge, as well as the woo-hoo history! part of me (as well as the Ian and Barbara- loving part) gets so excited by Classic episodes. Glad I can contribute to your Classic experience as well!

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