“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.
I have learned my lesson, I will be writing these on Google docs and then copy-pasting onto Tumblr. While I am on GD, I figured I might as well open the docs I used to write the actual fic. Man, I went through a ton of hoops to get where I am. I will be using the most coherent ones for reference.
I can literally track my thought process as I went through writing all the different versions and I still have no idea how tf I went from this to dropping a flaming papermache whale on Ra’s Al Ghul. And I will die mad about it. Which means more meticulous notes in the future I guess.
Also, I’d like to apologize for how long it took to get this out, I have no sense of time whatsoever and as always, there’s a lot more than expected. This was 7 pages long
Original Ramble Post
Like most of my stories, the MC is an OCI - reincarnator brought into a fictional world they once watched. (Because I am obsessed with that trope.)
I now find the original name I had for her cringy and out-of-place given these are norse gods. So, from now on her name is Lokka, which is the female version of Loki
There’s a whole ass backstory about the transition of godly names and power I won’t go into. Just think Thor and female Thor kind of thing I guess. She’s basically seen as a spare Loki but it’s also a respected position.
Was tempted to name her Sigyn since Marvel doesn’t care about actual norse myth relations. No, Idc that there’s a canon Sigyn.
If you’re curious, the original name was Aradia. Yes, like the queen of witches.
MC is an asgardian, the daughter of the librarian in the royal palace and a blacksmith
She managed to get an apprenticeship under Loki and is occasionally taught by Frigga. She also learns under Eir when both her royal teachers are busy.
Lokka found her way into the central plane, probably having found it’s location from Loki’s notes and is unaware that it’s unstable.
So, Lokka is in the central plane, having the time of her life exploring new lands when she stumbles across a crying Marinette who is very lost
Unlike Lokka, Marinette does not know where she is or what is going on. She literally just tripped into a portal and has no way home.
Lokka takes Marinette under her wing and promises to help her find a way home
Problem is, she doesn’t know which of the three universes Marinette is from.
Even if/when she finds out that the girl is from MLB-verse, she still wouldn’t know which one that is because she has no reference to which world is which. Only that Marinette is probably not from Asgard.
At this point, she is unaware she lived in Marvel, she just knows Asgard is Norse Mythology.
So they continue to wander the central plane, Marinette ends up picking up a card guardian for a pet, accidentally becoming a cardcaptor.
Marinette has trouble pronouncing Lokka and Lokka gives Mari permission to call her Cosette (pre-reincarnation name)
Meanwhile, Ra’s sends Damian and Talia into the Central plane for combat experience and resource gathering.
Ra’s might be 700 years old, he might have access to the Central plane but he sure doesn’t know about magic or how it came to be or the current state of it. He might know something’s off because all the inhabitants have been increasingly on edge and the weather’s been stranger than usual but he didn’t deemed it important
Notably, he has never seen anyone other than those who he’d sent in himself in the central planes (CP, from now on bc I am getting tired of typing the entire thing out) so as far as he knows, the CP’s only entrance point is under his control.
Talia and Damian, who’s still going by Hafid, go hunting for resources and training
They separate for a bit for individual hunting/training time
Marinette and Cosette (Lokka) stumble across Damian’s camp
Misunderstandings occur, Damian fights them, more accurately he fights Cosette
Cosette tries to protect Marinette while also making sure not to harm her opponent
It was harder than she expected considering her opponent was a child
Asgardian training pulls through and she is able to do both
Damian’s tied up, Marinette is confused, and Cosette does not want to deal with this
Negotiation time
Marinette can’t speak Arabic, Damian doesn’t know french, and Cosette has all-speak
This means Cosette’s sitting there, having to repeat everything the kids say to each other for translation’s sake
also misunderstandings before the kids realize allspeak is a thing
Cosette is stuck with two kids who don’t like each other, one of which barely puts up with her so she does what most adults do when kids are too troublesome
Distract them: she does magic tricks with actual magic
Damian+Marinette are fascinated, Cosette accidentally gains two magic students
even though she’s still learning herself and all she has for guidance right now are Loki’s and Frigga’s notes
So, the trio end up travelling together
Damian demands Marinette should at least be able to fight so they train her too
They also figure out that Marinette and Damian’s worlds are not the same.
Cosette drills some value of life, basic morals, and feminism into Damian’s head
Marinette and Damian (Hafid) have trouble pronouncing each other’s names
They chose nicknames for each other from Cosette’s bedtime stories
Marinette is obviously angel or Tenko
Damian is gets Kabane, the name of a half demon
Kabane later changes to Kasane, protective blade
Yes, Cosette was/is a weeb and yes, they still mispronounce names which defeats the whole purpose but at least they kids don’t notice now even if Cosette is cringing every time they
They run into another card guardian and this one goes to Damian.
Cosette does not pout about this, it would be very immature
One training montages, several fights, a couple language lessons, and an abandoned (and Cosette-raided) house later, Cosette gets to the part of Loki’s notes where she figures out that the CP is collapsing in on itself and uh-oh
She tells the kids the gist of it but they’re too smart, ask all the right questions, and end up figuring out the important parts of situation that she’s trying to keep from them
Cosette is both impressed and a little put out, mostly impressed because not only did they figure out extremely complex magic, they also mostly remained level headed.
Marinette wants to rescue the card guardians and for once Damian is backing her up so Coestte gives up the notion of returning home and they go collect the guardians.
Remember, DC and MLB universes are closing in on each other
MCU is drifting away
If they don’t collect the guardians, Cosette would have the time to just drop them off at their world collection points and head back to hers
After collecting a couple guardians, they end up finding Talia and explain the situation to her.
Talia joins the gang, she may or may not be plotting a marriage
They raid a couple more houses, collect the 54 card guardians, and complete the power transfer ritual (replacing the Yue’s trial because the cards are the guardians)
The cards end up latching onto the three kids.
Marinette gets the Mistress title, Damian gets Sun Guardian, and Cosette gets Moon guardian.
Originally Cosette was going to be the mistress and Marinette the Moon guardian but because of the way I’ve decided magic works in this world - explaining that will need a whole other post - if Marinette is the moon guardian and gets the Ladybug miraculous, she will - for lack of better word - get sick and possibly die... or not.
Y’know what, it made sense at the time. But now that I think about it, we’re going back to the original idea.
Cosette’s the Card Mistress, Marinette’s the Moon guardian and Damian’s the Sun guardian.
Spoiler alert: that is a plot point for tropes-verse.
The completion of the ritual breaks puts CP deteriorations in high acceleration
Damian and Talia get into their circle, Cosette and Marinette in the other
Damian doesn’t have any cards bc he doesn’t want his grandfather trying to get to them. He and Talia agreed Ra’s would only know about the CP’s destruction. He does, however, have a CP beast that they picked up.
CP beast: magical creature that was born of CP’s magical residue or smth
Damian’s looks like a Teddiursa (Teddy bear pokemon) it is not
They have a notebook from a raided house detailing CP’s deterioration for proof
Cosette goes with Marinette because she can’t make it back to her universe and in the event that Marinette’s also from Cosette’s universe, she won’t be alone
They separate with the promise of meeting again.
At this point, I have had several differing ideas
They all go into DC world because they aren’t sure of Marinette’s world
Child trio goes into MLB world and Talia tells Ra’s Damian died
Everyone goes into MLB and Ra’s finds out about the collapse when he tries going in himself and finds out he can’t and just assumes they died
Y’all, I’m starting to see why I can’t do one-shots…
One of the things I forgot to mention in the rambling post is that while Marvel-verse was pulling away, it also messed with the time regulation thing, a day in the Maribat-verse will
Time in CP was very messed up
Kind of assumed readers could piece it together but I figured might as well make it obvious and straight up say it
MLBU: Cosette and Marinette arrive safely
Marinette is delivered home and Cosette has to figure something out
They find out Marinette has only been gone for a week
Marinette has some separation anxiety for about three days
Cosette slowly realizing this is an MLB universe and having a crisis
Cosette gets adopted by the Dupain-Chengs and starts working at the bakery
I have not figured out ages for Cosette
MLB goes like most Maribat fics pre-gotham because I’m lazy
Will likely be adjusted if I ever actually write this fic
Except Cosette steps in when things got too far and Paris has 3 heroes
Cosette is the known as the Sorciere or Lokka
Her uniform is just her asgardian armor
Good but misguided Adrien, Cosette probably adopts him too
Love square goes platonic and Cosette is glad this rom-com is over
Magic tutoring continues
Cosette is neutral with Fu and fascinated by the miraculous
You remember those ghost interactions? Those are filtering in
One of the first things to merge is the internet, because it doesn’t have a physical body and it’s just waves of information
News and discoveries between the world are being swapped
Given what I remember from DC and dimension travel, it wouldn’t be surprising if they figured out universes were merging.
The news about JL and Paris’s situation are causing all kinds of confusion
Cosette beings looking for information on Damian
As the physical world begins merging, there’s pockets of space where you can slip from one world into another; not quite portals but close
Eventually the trip to NY became a trip to Gotham because their plane slipped between planes (sorry, I saw the chance and I had to take it.) but yeah, that happened.
There’s quite a few details I’m forgetting
DCU: Damian and Talia arrive ok and report bare basics to Ra’s
It has also only been a week
Ra’s is displeased to find them back until they report the state of the CP
There’s the whole coup not long after and Damian is sent to Bruce
Damian is much more innocent looking when he’s bringing what appears to be a teddy bear with him
It’s name is Abd and it has grown wings by now. Actual name pending.
He gets teased about it, but under Cosette’s teachings, he has learned the virtue of patience, underestimation, and getting revenge with a side of entertainment
He does not try to kill Tim either
He also has to make the choice of bringing Abd with him as Damian or as Robin
He choses to make a side company for WE making toys based off creatures from the CP so Abd wouldn’t look too out of place
It takes two weeks for the bats to realize there’s something off about the Abd
They are convinced it’s haunted and Damian is very entertained
Abd only moves in daytime when no one - Damian excluded - can see it
Movement can expel magic that interferes with recording tech
Alfred is the first to figure it out and surprise, surprise, he has some magic books for Damian to learn from
It’s from the Wayne family library and they just assumed the language was lost to time. At least three are from Alfred’s own family.
Bat brothers spend the next 6 months trying to convince Damian his magical pet bear is a haunted doll.
Damian sort of getting along with Poison Ivy because his Sun magic is very compatible with plants and they love him
On an unrelated note, the plants seem to refuse to attack the new Robin
Damian randomly, unconsciously humming to songs Cosette and Marinette sang
Damian just vibing with the magic users of JL and Teen Titans
No one took him seriously at first but he pointed something out during a conference
“Robin, stand down and let the magic users handle this” - Green Lantern, probably
Constantine who actually knows what he’s talking about “No, no, let the boy talk.”
The plan was twice as efficient after Damian was through with it
Now Constantine’s trying to adopt Damian as an apprentice, he’s failing bc the bats are protective and possessive of what is theirs
Reminder that Damian brings Abd with him everywhere and he’s still getting teased about it from anyone who is not a bat (still convinced the thing is haunted)
The only thing the magic users have picked up about Abd is that he’s a magical construct which could mean a number of things but they brush it off as just a doll.
No one is prepared for the thing to come to life, multiply in size, and start spitting ice, sleep sand, and illusions. (Hiccups bubbles and can also turn into a cloud.)
They are also not prepared for the thing to quadruple in size and for Damian to ride it like a horse into battle. Reminder that Abd has wings and can fly.
Confusing talk about what’s going on in Paris and some other parts of the world
JL slowly figure out the universal merger that Damian already knows about
Damian is not impressed, it took him and Angel about 2 hours as 9 year olds
Somehow, Damian still has the ice prince image, less demon spawn though, that goes to Abd
Time moves on and one day, a plane from the other world arrives in Gotham
There’s a bit of confusion but it’s not exactly the first time something like this has happened at this point
WE steps up and offers jobs and a tour and all the usual Maribat plans (not just for the kids but all the other people on the plane)
Given the merger of the internet, MLB class and crew have some idea who the Waynes are and they accept.
Estimated about 6 months for full merger so people from MLB world are kinda just stuck there until then
Lila literally cannot lie about knowing the Waynes personally but she sure can lie about other things.
Dick and Damian are sent in to monitor the group
The reunion is awkward given they can’t freely interact and are not supposed to know each other.
While Dick is talking, there are just wide eyed staring between Marinette, Damian, and Cosette. With something a little extra between Marinette and Damian.
Cosette is torn between laughing and groaning at another rom-com trope coming in fast.
She ends up filming it bc blackmail is always good to have
Adrien is confused and quite frankly, he’s really just there to cover for them
The tour begins and about five minutes in, the trio breaks off and exchanges stories and names.
Cosette hears about Batman and has a dawning realization of what this world is, mentally nopes out, later digests that they are going into Maribat verse
Starts checking off Maribat tropes they’re coming across bc she might as well have fun with it
They continue to meet up
Batfam thinking Damian somehow managed to get two girlfriends
Damian choking on his breakfast when it is brought up
The girls are invited to dinner and Damian is just dying inside
Cosette blatantly hitting on all Damian’s brothers in the first 5 minutes
Damian screaming internally while Cosette cackles
Dick is awkward until he realizes it’s a joke, Jason plays along, Tim has an awkward bean crisis
Tim x Cosette? Maybe.
Cosette does that sit and repeat thing at least three times out of habit
Batfam gets full explanation about how they met and everything
I have played with the idea of Cosette getting fear gassed a couple times and Idk how it would go tbh.
That’s as far as I got with this version, so shenanigans ensue
Pretty sure they used the cards and magic throughout even if I didn’t mention it
Absolutely would be useful for being in two places at once
I later changed so the merger happens and then Paris’s heroes meet the Justice League
Damian immediately recognizing Cosette but not Marinette bc magic
still effective but weaker because of Damian’s magic type
He later recognizes Marinette later when she pulls off a move he taught her way back in CP
Nickname confusion for everyone else
Cosette vs Constantine on who gets to teach Damian magic
Damian goes to Paris. They beat Hawkmoth and then go to Gotham.
Also had a general idea of a plot with LoS that never got fleshed out past existing
If we’re going for the rebound version: Cosette reunites with Thor and Loki during the Avengers movie
Also, poor Heimdallr. He probably had a lot of headaches with the universe crash
Accelerated merger because of the convergence in the dark world.
I wanna go with 2012 Avengers towers shenanigans. + Loki and his sort-of but not really daughter
Cosette vs Antman, shrinking/growing, science vs magic.
And then there’s the whole Ironman vs Batman vs Arrow rich boy fight
Hammer x Luthor or Hammer vs Luthor?
Also, Cosette just staring at her home universe in betrayal and being insulted she didn’t think of it earlier because classic Nordic myths had Loki as Odin’s brother and not his son among other things but still
Fight against Thanos is a bit anti-climatic when you give a gremlin murder child magic and a sword that can through anything, including magical artifacts.
this baby boy can and will fight God and Cosette’s not really the kind to hold him back
If I actually wrote this, a lot of things would probably change because I’d actually have to put more thought into logistics and how things work
A shout-out and thank you to all of those people who sent messages, sent questions and asks, and reblogged posts I made. You guys are what makes it all worth it!
Second,,,
I started something a little new, and therefore a little daunting. Yesterday I posted the first chapter of a multi-crossover fic. Why new, you ask? Well first of all I didn’t used to do crossovers - although I guess it could be argued that anything ending in ‘elle’ except Rumbelle is by its very nature a crossover, but that feels a little more organic. With this fic I am including a number of different and/or similar shows. It’s also daunting because I know there are a huge number of Marvel fans out there that might stumble across this fic who may or may not enjoy the way I write Bucky... cracking open that door is a little nerve-wracking. So let me be upfront about a couple of things - do I believe Bucky is Bi? Absolutely. Do I ship him with Sam and/or Steve? No. It is what it is, folks.
(Also on a side note about the fic - the ‘24′ part of the crossover has absolutely NOTHING - ZERO - ZIP to do with Jack Bauer. It is non canon, and the focus is a different character entirely.
Today marks the start of the second week of NaNoWriMo 2021. I’m struggling a bit, to be honest, so I’m trying really hard not to get frustrated at the low wordcount and missing goals. I’m still a little bit behind.
My focus fics this year are Disparate Pathways, and Cobra: In Your Prayers, the crossover fic I speak about above, and which came about thanks to @peacehopeandrats.
So, here goes with this weeks hopeful wishes.
Monday - The Monday Menu & ‘Missed it’ Monday
Tuesday - TMI Tuesday.
Wednesday - WIP Wednesday.
Thursday - Three Things Thursday.
Friday - Final Line Friday.
Saturday - Secret Saturday.
Sunday - Seven Sentence Sunday.
Writing this week: I will be working on writing The next chapter of Disparate Pathways, The first chapter of Cobra: In Your Prayers, and then after that, the next chapter of Storybrooke’s Best Kept Secret.
Posting today will be the next chapter of Disparate Pathways, and this weekend will be the next chapter of Time’s Curse.
As always my inbox is open for thoughts, questions, asks… I don’t restrict people to any particular day of the week, and I - like most fic authors - love to discuss things to do with fics and OUAT.
A HUGE thank you to those readers who have left comments on AO3, If I haven’t answered them yet, I will.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 86/86
Fandom: Space Academy (TV), Jason of Star Command (TV), Lost in Space (TV 1965)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Laura Gentry, Chris Gentry, Tee Gar Soom, Adrian Pryce-Jones, Paul Jarome, Loki (Space Academy), Peepo (Space Academy), Isaac Gampu, Samantha (Jason of Star Command), Jason (Jason of Star Command), E.J. Parsafoot, Dragos Evil, Queen Medusa (Jason of Star Command), Zachary Smith, Stone (Jason of Star Command), Don West, Judy Robinson, Maureen Robinson, John Robinson, Will Robinson, Robot (Lost in Space), Penny Robinson, Officer Bolix (Lost in Space)
Additional Tags: Attack, starfires, Pretending, Siblings, Fear, Pre-Season/Series 02, Beginning is mostly focused on planetoid's senior staff, As in the first several chapters, Mostly going to be focused on the cadets, Space Academy, star command, Dragonship, Character Study, At least I think so???, Since it's like that way?, when you look at it, Seekers, Minor Character Death, subplots!, time travel dilemmas, to interfere or not to interfere, Temporal Prime Directive, trying to be be abided, by the space cadets, assembling a plan, come and join me discovering their battle plan!, Stable Time Loop, Smith!Gampu, Lies, Distrust, Space drill, starships, Space Battle, Creepy, unstable time loop, Experiment, Werewolves, Turns into a season 1 LIS episode seventy chapters in, long fic, This quickly became longer than I anticipated, questionable medical treatment, Set right what was wrong, Found Family, Self-Sacrifice, Priplanus, Bittersweet Ending
Summary:
Graduation day for blue team one finally arrives. But it is a day sends them down into a desperate road to keep people alive. That forces others to make sacrifices of their own to help them. Sacrifices that the Robinsons are all too familiar almost a year on Priplanus. Sacrifices to save everything they hold dear when it comes to facing someone like Emperor Dragos. And the consequences of everyone's actions afterwards.
“Christ, Mum,” Rose said as she took in how Jackie, Pete, and Tony were dressed, “we’re just meetin’—”
“Royalty!” Jackie squeaked. They were all done up like they were meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace itself!
“Honestly, Mum, they don’t care,” Rose rolled her eyes, grabbing her mother’s wrist and tugging her through the console room and to the wardrobe room, “I told ya ta dress casually. Let’s just hope the Ol’ Girl has clothes fer ya.”
It took about an hour to get everyone redressed, in things much more casual but still nice, before Rose led them back to the console room.
Jackie was clearly anxious, “Are ya—”
“’m sure, Mum. Danny an’ Sam don’t do formal unless they have ta. Unless you’re an annoying subject or someone threatenin’ war, ya don’t even have ta call ‘em by their titles. They’re just Danny an’ Sam ta family.”
“Lookie what I found,” Jenny bounded from the innards of the TARDIS, holding a tiny bike helmet.
She went to her toddler uncle and put it on him, making sure it fit right, “Landings in the Realms are worse than normal ones. The TARDIS does Her best but the Realms give her…nausea? A headache? She just doesn’t do good.”
“Oh, goody,” Jackie said lowly, hugging a strut for dear life already.
“Let me protect Anthony,” Bad Wolf came out, holding out her arms; without hesitation, Pete handed his son over.
Bad Wolf settled Tony in her arms, against her chest and shoulder, and then spread her feet and crouched slightly, clearly bracing for impact; she stayed steady even as the TARDIS began Her flight.
Everyone else was thrown about the console room, the Doctor and Jenny barely holding on to work the console, but Bad Wolf and Tony did not move an inch.
The landing was rough, just as Jenny said it would be, throwing even the Time Lords to the grated floor before the TARDIS stopped quaking.
Jenny recovered first and stood up, rubbing her shoulder, to peek out the doors, “We’re in the Palace. Uncle Danny and Aunt Sam are waiting…”
Slowly, everyone picked themselves up and Rose reemerged, straightening with some popping from her knees.
Jenny led the procession out, racing to hug a man and a woman, “Uncle Danny, Aunt Sam! How’re you?”
Danny and Sam chuckled and hugged her as one, “Good, doing good. You?”
“Perfect!”
She let go of them to drag Jackie, who was hesitant, forward, “This’s my Gran, Jackie. Mum’s side, duh. Completely human. He’s my step-granddad, Pete, and Mum’s holding my uncle, Tony.”
“Yer Majesties,” Jackie tried to curtsy even though she was in trousers, “an honor ta—”
“Oh, enough,” Sam chuckled, “didn’t they tell you? We don’t do formalities with family.”
“Family?” Jackie’s eyes were wide, “I know Rose said—but—”
“We count Clockwork as family,” Danny explained, “and he’s claimed the Doctor as family. The Doctor and Jenny. Rose’s basically married in by this point. Common-law, you understand. That makes her family our family. Welcome to the Palace, your home in the Infinite Realms.”
“My god,” Pete muttered, somewhat disbelieving.
“Not a god, not yet anyways,” Danny winked.
“Where’s Dani?” Jenny burst out, “Is she still in school?”
Sam grinned, “With Anakin, in the nursery. We let her stay home today.”
“Oh, Gran! Can I introduce Tony to Anakin? Please!” Jenny nearly begged.
“Anakin’s our youngest,” Danny explained kindly, “around Tony’s age, actually. We also have a nanny looking after them, Nanny Clara. He’d be perfectly safe.”
“Well…” Jackie looked to her husband, who nodded, “if you’re sure.”
Jenny cheered and took Tony from Rose, dashing off with him deeper into the Palace.
“Jenny knows the Palace as well as anyone,” Sam assured, “and if she gets lost, she can flag down a servant for help. She’s heading directly for the nursery. It’s the most defensible part of the Palace.
Danny stood up, helping Sam, “C’mon, we can talk over food; stay close, Tylers. Doctor?”
“Rose and I can bring up the rear,” the Doctor agreed, taking Rose’s hand as they began walking.
The Palace was a gothic masterpiece, in a very literal sense, though even Sam had wearied of all the gloom and had sought artists and artwork to fill the halls, soft, plush carpets and tapestries to keep the warmth, glassworks to fill the once barred windows. Statues and busts dotted the hallways, some classical, some avant garde
Masters had given their masterpieces, their magnum opuses; they were paid handsomely of course, in either coin or material.
Oils, watercolors, acrylics, textiles, glass, all created for Her Majesty the Ghost Queen.
For His Majesty the Ghost King.
It wasn’t yet a riot of color, nor would it ever be, but it was more alive.
Jackie gasped and the group stopped, turning as one to see what had captured her attention.
“When they said the family was huge…”
Ah, it was the most recent family portrait; all the children were gathered around Danny and Sam, all in formal wear.
“We…sometimes people sell the souls of children to me,” Danny started, causing her and Pete to whip around to him in horror, “I know, it’s horrible, isn’t it? But anyways, we adopt the kids. Only Dani—Danielle—isn’t adopted.”
He pointed out each child and gave their backstory.
“Good Lord, you were young!” Pete said at Damian’s story.
“Old enough to be king,” Danny shrugged helplessly, “it…it wasn’t easy, we had help, so much help, and we made mistakes…”
“All parents do,” Jackie told him softly.
“So we’ve been told,” Sam smiled just as softly, “and we’ve learned and made new ones with each kid.”
Danny coughed and continued to point out kids and tell stories, until all had been covered and then they moved on.
As they neared the dining room, Danielle and Jenny joined them with each holding a toddler.
“Oh my,” Jackie said, taking in the Anakin Skywalker; she knew who he grew up to be, or would have if he had not been adopted.
“We’re hungry, Dad,” Danielle said.
Danny waved them into the dining room where the smaller table was already set for a meal; there were two chairs with booster seats and Jenny and Danielle put Tony and Anakin in them before sitting beside them and helping them get food.
The group chatted over the meal, Jackie and Pete slowly relaxing at how easy going the Royals were, and generally had good cheer.
After the meal was done, Jenny asked, “Do we put their photo up on the family wall now? I know you’ve got me, Dad, and Mum…”
Danny chuckled, “We can, if they’re okay with it.”
“Family wall?” Pete questioned.
“We keep walls of pictures of the extended family,” Sam explained easily, “you know, like Rose, the Doctor, and Jenny. Harry’s and Neville’s parents. Damian’s paternal birth-family. The Royal Portrait is just the immediate royal family. The walls are for everyone and everything else.”
Danny and Sam led the group out of the dining room and down another hallway; the walls were plastered with photographs. Some were professional, most were candid and amateur.
A common camera sat on a small round table; a high-end camera but nothing too expensive or professional.
Danny picked it up, saying, “If Jackie, Pete, and Tony don’t mind—”
Jackie decided it would be a family photograph and dragged the Doctor in; Rose and Jenny came without complaint.
Danny took a set of pictures.
After that was done, it was decided it was time for the Tylers to leave, taking pity on the still disgruntled TARDIS.
They were, however, invited to the next family gathering.
“He is Nephilim,” Castiel declared, having inspected the boy, “though I cannot tell his true parentage. It is being…hidden from me.”
The pediatricians took over as soon as the angel stepped back.
“Nephilim,” Danny said slowly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “isn’t that half-angel or something?”
“Precisely,” Castiel said just as slowly, measuring his words like they were his last rations, “They are…it is Forbidden for angels to lay with mortals. The creation of Nephilim is even more taboo as the first, the original, were monsters more often than not. It is an intentional act, to create Nephilim; the angelic parent must give a portion of their own Grace to the child during conception.”
“So they purposely knocked someone up then ding-dong ditched the kid,” Dean growled.
“Perhaps they heard that we are romantically involved, Dean,” Castiel offered, “and hoped we would take in the child as our own.”
“Well, of course we are,” Dean huffed, rolling his eyes at his angel who shook his head fondly, “I’ve already picked out a name too. A good human name.”
“Oh?”
“Jack, after Grandpa Jack. Unless, you have a name?”
“Perhaps…James, after James Novak?”
“Hmm…Jack James…James Jack…JJ…no, definitely Jack James. I like it, Cas.”
“Well, little Jack is healthy as far as we can tell,” Doctor Peterson joined the little huddle, “every scan we can perform came up normal, perfectly within range for his age group.”
Both Dean and Castiel visibly relaxed.
“We’ll get you set up,” Sam promised her son and might-as-well-be son-in-law.
A servant brought David’s old wrap and Sam showed Dean and Castiel how to wind it around their bodies to carry little Jack close to their hearts.
“Does the heart even beat?” Danny asked Castiel with interest, referring to his Vessel.
“Yes, I have kept all systems functioning as intended,” Castiel confirmed.
“Good. Because babies this young are used to heartbeats,” Danny explained as Sam worked with Dean, “they just spent nine months with their mom’s in their ears.”
“I see,” Castiel nodded, “well, Dean has assured me that I have a perfectly human sounding heartbeat.”
“What’s the likelihood that his mom was the human?” Danny asked next.
“Oh, quite likely…angels with female vessels most often shutdown the reproductive system. It would also be quite hard to hide the evidence of the gestating Nephilim. His mother likely died in childbirth; her body finally unable to handle his Angelic self.”
Danny winced; that would be a horrid way to die and he fried like a French fry.
Within hours, little Jack was all ready to go home.
Over the next few days, a room in the Bunker became a nursery and supplies loaded in.
“Father, Mother, and Uncle Tucker wish to invite you to our Thanksgiving meal,” Damian said.
“Are you sure?” Bruce asked, “we’re a lot.”
Even without Damian, Bruce had many children and cooking for all of them was sometimes a tall order.
Damian smiled, “We are aware. You are not the only family we are inviting. Every child Father, Mother, and Uncle Tucker has taken in we have invited along with their remaining family if they have any. Even the non-Americans have been invited.”
“We’d be delighted to come,” Alfred said for his family, “should we bring anything?”
“You may,” Damian agreed, “however, the chefs and cooks of the Palace will be preparing the main meal. It will be mostly meatless. Seitan mostly, in observance with mine and Mother’s dietary needs and our beliefs. It will also be made in-line with kosher regulations.”
“Cookies,” Jason said, looking at Alfred, “we can make vegan cookies.”
“Very well, Master Jason,” Alfred nodded, already planning for such a large batch, or several batches.
Damian grinned.
Thanksgiving Day arrived and the portal opened.
They filed through and were greeted by Sam, the younger Sam on her hip, “Happy Thanksgiving.”
Sammy just waved shyly, gaining fond chuckles.
They all echoed the sentiment and were led through the palace to one of the ballrooms, “Not even the large dining room is big enough to hold our horde,” she said with humor.
“Oh?”
“Everyone invited came,” Sam explained before visibly remembering, “Oh, and any red wine you see? Not red wine; we have a vampire in attendance. He eats human food but not really.”
“Of course,” Bruce nodded; only Dick was of age to drink, of his children, but neither one really drank. Still, it was good to know.
“’m assuming the vamp’s friendly?” Jason voiced.
“Friendly as in doesn’t eat humans anymore, yeah,” Sam nodded, “but, well, Spike’s Spike. You’ll understand once you meet him. Don’t go after his humans and he’s nice enough.”
“Fair enough,” Stephanie nodded.
“Also in attendance are a Vampire Slayer, several witches and wizards, two magic superheroes…basically everyone you met at Damian’s birthday party’s here. I know Spike wasn’t there; he had to babysit the Hellmouth that day, so he’s really the only new face. Him and his daughter, Hope.”
“Vampires can have—”
“She’s adopted, from a separate dimension. Danny brought her to the Hellmouth group to hide her. She’s being raised by Buffy and Spike.”
“Oh.”
They finally made it to the ballroom; the doors were wide open; servants rushed forward to relieve the Waynes of the platters of cookies they carried before they entered the room.
Most of the room was divided down the middle by a cartoonishly long dining table, bench seating on either side of it. Settings were already in place.
In one corner was a padded and gated off area where Anakin and the baby that could only be Hope played. Well, played as only young babies could, which wasn’t much.
Dotted around the room were small clusters of regular chairs and beanbag chairs, some of which were already occupied, surrounding small tables with pitchers of water and juices and, yes, blood.
Spike the vampire was easy to pick out from the masses because he had a glass of what looked like red wine in hand. Nobody else did.
The Waynes spread out, first finding Damian to say hello, then mingling and visiting with the friends made at the birthday party.
Bruce made his way towards the vampire.
“’Lo,” Spike greeted lowly over his drink, Buffy at his side.
“Hello, Buffy,” Bruce said before smiling with a closed mouth, “and you must be Spike. Bruce Wayne.”
“Not an ape, mate,” Spike snorted, “won’t attack if you smile at me. Sit down, take a load off. Hear you’re Batman. The real deal one.”
“I am,” Bruce took a seat, reaching to fill a cup with orange juice, “where did you hear it from?”
“Dawn was excited; her little brother’s bio-dad is Batman,” Buffy explained, rolling her eyes fondly, “one of my friends, Xander, is a big comic book nerd.”
“Ah. I assume there won’t be any problems?”
“Not from us,” Spike agreed, nudging Buffy with a smirk, “my girl here’s a superhero too. Won’t be any trouble from our lot. Right, Slayer?”
“Yep. No problems from us. If Danny and Sam are good with you being…you know, you then we’re good,” Buffy nodded, “just as long as you don’t put Dawnie or Hope in a suit.”
“I don’t want them out there,” Bruce grumbled, “but if I didn’t help them, they’d all be dead by now.”
“We get it, honestly,” Buffy assured, “Dawn’s given us enough gray hair,” she grinned mischievously at Spike, “she’s even given Billy Idol here some.”
“Slayer, you know that pissant stole—”
Bruce laughed.
Everyone mingled and chatted for a few hours before the meal began; servant after servant carried food and drinks to the main table as everyone found seats on the benches.
Spike and Danny placed the babies into highchairs.
By the time everything and everyone was ready, the table was fairly groaning with the meal.
Danny gained everyone’s attention, standing and grinning, “Welcome to Thanksgiving Dinner at the Palace. Thank you all for coming, even our non-Americans for putting up with our silly traditions.”
The non-Americans laughed fondly, nodding; even Alfred cracked a smile.
“For those who’re probably wondering,” he continued, “our essential living staff celebrated at lunch and most will have the day off tomorrow. Everyone else had the day off today. Now, normally we’d go around and say what we’re thankful for but we’d be here forever if we did that tonight. So, while we eat let’s just think about what we’re thankful for and enjoy the food and the company. Oh, and just so you know, everything’s kosher and most of the ‘meat’ is actually Seitan. Real meat is on the green platters. But before we begin, let’s give a round of thanks to the kitchen staff for making the food!”
Everyone applauded.
“Now, tuck in!”
They all did so with gusto; the meal was magnificent and it was clear the Palace staff had put their all into it.
Most of the Seitan was shaped into meat product appearances, looking indistinguishable from the real turkeys and hams. And it tasted almost like the real things too.
The meal lasted well into the night and everyone went home stuffed and with leftovers.
