Hello, sweetheart. Care to play?

Notchy a.k.a. The Predator. Indie AU Eleventh Doctor roleplay blog. Dark version of the Doctor known as 'XI'. NSFW highly likely with triggers of ("fantasy")rape (dubcon/noncon), violence and foul language. Please do not engage in adult content with this blog unless you are 18+. Mun is over 21.

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

“Is that warning from experience?” River teased with a grin, pausing a moment before moving to the part of the console he had indicated. As much as she didn’t want to think of the places she hated, she had properly decide if Aiden would ever need access to them. As much as she never wanted to go near the medical bay again, Aiden would need access to it, were something to happen, so she couldn’t just remove it. If she had to deal with a few painful memories momentarily to do so, then so be it.

Her fingers hovered over the keys, ready to input her old room and office, when she stopped, her fingers hovering over the keys. There was a thought bothering her and, as hesitant as she was to bring it up, River felt it was better to address it now than later, letting her hands rest on the keys as she looked to him.

“Doctor, assuming this all continues to go well and Aiden and I do move in here with you and she does become our home, you know that we still won’t be able to leave here, right? Last I checked, she’s still grounded, and I can’t imagine the big shots in charge will let us wander around their universe as we please. Not with the histories we have. Is living here going to be enough for you, or are you going to want to change that, too, in a few years?”

Notchy hummed a dry laugh at River’s first comment. Though he approached it with humour, his warning was highly serious. Direct psychic contact with the TARDIS after what she had suffered was not something he would recommend to anyone. He planned on trying short bursts here and there, after which he and his ship would both need to recover. Her emotional damage was severe, though he did not perceive her as a danger to his family. No more so than she ever had been.

The next question came and it took him a few moments to look her in the face, ensuring that he stayed calm rather than gave in to bristling.

“I can’t say what the future holds, River. I am aware I have no permission to leave. But we know my nature, even before the man you knew me to be I was a wanderer. Aiden may well inherit that trait and I don’t believe you are exempt from that desire either. Should the day come that we want to leave, we will find a way. If that is what you want.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

Though River’s answer was rather nonchalant, she still had yet to take any additional steps toward the ship. Over the week, she had managed to convince herself that everything would be fine, but she still couldn’t stop the worry that this was going to turn into yet another mistake – and the Doctors wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to help her out of it this time.

Notchy walking past her broke her from her thoughts, and River watched him for a few moments as she contemplated her options before she finally huffed, determined to move forward. With one final glance behind her, she forced herself to walk all the way into the TARDIS, slowing her pace when she crossed the threshold to give the ship a proper examination.

Brushing the fingers of a hand along a guard rail as she walked in and closer to the console, River listened to the ship as she glanced about her surroundings. He was right – she did feel different, though exactly how, River couldn’t quite place it. She wasn’t particularly surprised – the ship had been through quite the ordeal herself, but River didn’t want to dig into it any further, and she expected he didn’t want to either.

So instead, she merely hummed. “I appreciate it and you’re right, though I can’t say I ever wanted to spend enough time in here before now to say how.” As she approached the console, River glanced around, trying to stay focused on the mission and distinctly not on the past times she had been in there. “But I can say that this room looks safe enough, given that Aiden can’t activate anything on the console. Also, have you found a way to limit how much he can free roam? I’d rather him never see certain rooms, if possible.”

An old feeling flickered in the Time Lord’s hearts, blackened though they were. A lost feeling of adventure; of having a companion sharing it with him. Just a glimpse of it. He kept his distance from River, though he wasn’t especially obvious about it, keeping himself busy with testing the locked controls. He was fairly certain the biolock would be able to tell the difference between River, Aiden and himself.

“The TARDIS herself will limit his exploring. You can input over there if there are any specific places that come to mind. If you’d rather not do that, you can touch the psychic circuits. She’ll read what you want without you thinking much about it. Just don’t… try to read her back. It’s a bit more than a trip.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

While what remained of the week moved quickly for Notchy, it was near agonizingly slow for River. Though she knew that she had very few reasons to be concerned about the visit, she could not shake the anxiety that the both of them in the ship once more would cause his old habits to resurface – and she wasn’t sure she could handle being trapped once more, especially not away from her son. He hadn’t shown any signs thus far, but Notchy did have a history of being unpredictable.

Still, she had given both he and Aiden her word that she would give it a fair chance, and her son was so excited about the potential of visiting the ship that she couldn’t back out.

So, with their son safely at a friend’s house for the day, River found herself willingly going with Notchy to the ship. She stopped a bit away from it, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, trying to fight off the apprehension that tempted them to shake. Being as focused on staying calm as she was, River almost missed his offer, looking over at him before turning her gaze to the ship once more, considering it.

After a moment’s silence, she exhaled softly. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I need to enter it properly. I know Aiden, he’ll want to go in there eventually. And… if I’m to have a bad reaction anywhere, that will be one of the worst. I’d rather know how it will go now than later.” She wrinkled her nose. “I just hope you’ve at least sterilized it.”

Though gently amused, Notchy’s smile was also contrite. It was an expression that would be more likely seen upon the face of his counterpart; he could be mistaken for him in this moment. He knew this was already a lot for River. That was what the reclaimed Doctor in him felt. There was still an impatient darkness lurking, tempting him to grow irritated and claim she was making a fuss. But he did not allow that voice to take hold. 

Stepping inside, he left it up to her to venture in, not wanting to crowd in behind her while she made her choice. “She’s long since been cleaned. Many times over. She probably won’t feel the same either. After what happened with... well, she’s not what she was.”

If you knew what to listen for, the TARDIS’s once easy thrum now had an edge of uncertainty, a purr that was interrupted every so often like a cat with intermittent hiccups.

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

Rather certain that she had gone too far, River waited for some manner of verbal retaliation – but it didn’t come. It was somewhat apparent to her that he didn’t quite agree with what she said, but she appreciated that it didn’t turn into an argument. She was glad, for she was a bit too tired to handle that on top of the rest of the events of the night.

At his words, she gave him a small smile and nod. River didn’t really know what that would mean for them, and she had a bit of a feeling that he didn’t quite yet know either. But, only time would truly tell.

Exhaling softly, she rose from the sofa. “I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long enough day with enough surprises in it, and Aiden will be up early.” Taking a few steps toward the bedrooms, she stopped, half turning to look at him. River had the inkling it was going to be a rough night, so she might as well try asking for his company.

“Are you coming?”

Wide eyes followed her invitation before they became more composed. It hadn’t been the first time and he knew not to expect anything - he would never touch her again without her first asking - but after the difficult conversations of the evening Notchy was taken aback by it.

“Yes, I’ll be through shortly.”

---

The weekend arrived as insanely quickly as expected. With Aiden away for the day playing at the house of a Gallifreyan friend, they had time to themselves to visit the blue box. She smelt of fresh paint, something Notchy had chosen to apply personally rather than simply get her to regenerate her outer shell. He felt it had helped bond with her a little more.

“Here she is,” he gestured for River to see. “If you like I can get her to open her doors to another room. I haven’t really changed the hub.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

The hand in her hair stopped at his words, dropping to her lap a moment later. It had been a very long time since she had last seen him so vulnerable. Though they had been through quite a few ordeals that brought them closer, River was rather certain he’d appreciate it more if she didn’t address it. But, perhaps she could still find a different way to provide him some comfort.

After all, his reassurance that his ship liked her was a bit of a pleasant surprise, though on further thought it made sense.  His TARDIS had never directly hurt her, and she hadn’t really done anything severe enough to the ship to be considered true damage. It made her that little bit more comfortable about their agreement, so perhaps she could offer him something of the same.

After a slight pause, River sighed softly. “Well, she must like you at least a bit to let you stay there as much as you have. Sure, she’s grounded right now, but loyalty or not, she still could have found a way to lock you out if she didn’t want you there.”

She huffed. “What I’m trying to say is that you two are still together, so maybe instead of being depressed about it, look at it as a chance to work with her to become the Doctor you were meant to be, the father to Aiden I think you want to be, and not the Predator I knew. If I have to be uncomfortable for a little bit to help you get there, well, it’s not the worst thing I’ve survived.”

Even the verbal kick up the arse following the reassurance was of some help, despite the faint bristling he experienced at the notion of what he was ‘meant to be’. Notchy had long since left behind the responsibility he had once arrogantly put upon himself on behalf of the universe and had then been given for his trouble. Being a father and a better person was one thing, but taking on the mantle of the Doctor was something else entirely.

Even that bastard Doctor designated XI wasn’t following the standard rules of what it meant to be that ideal. He only took it up when he had to.

Notchy snorted in response, but it was closer to an accepting laugh than anything dismissive. He chose not to start up a new argument. 

“Thank you. We will find something that works for all of us.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

‘By the end of the week.’ Such a very close time.

One week or a few weeks, either way was still far sooner than she expected him to be ready – even including all of the time he had been working on it thus far. It felt more real to have a solid deadline associated with it now, whereas before it had always been hopefully very far in the future. It was enough to make her anxious.

Her focus on the time almost made her miss his offer. In all this discussion about possibly moving into the TARDIS, she had been so focused on avoiding the rooms of the past, that she hadn’t considered replacement rooms – and even less her being in charge of redesigning her own.

“Right, my rooms. I.. I’ll get those specifications to you soon.” She sighed softly,  tugging on a curl in thought. “I think… perhaps the sooner the better, so you can fold any of my requested changes into whatever you still have left. If all goes well, you might be able to host our son before the month is out.” She sighed again after a moment of silence, glancing over to him. “Are you sure you really want this, both he and I on your TARDIS with you? Do you even know if she’ll let me on? I haven’t exactly been kind to her.”

He almost wondered if he should retract the whole thing. It was understandably distressing to her. What would he have thought about being invited back onto his TARDIS? Yet, that would mean abandoning many of the supports he had been clinging to in order to regain some semblance of himself.

“Honestly?”

There was a note of the bereft to his expression.

“I think she’ll prefer you to me at present. What happened to her.. what she went through.. it took her more time to find me again than the time she ever spent with me connected to her as myself. She liked you. In spite of her loyalties.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

“Well, that is a nice reassurance, at least.”

Knowing that he wouldn’t lock her in and that his ship still couldn’t leave at least quelled two of her largest fears. Sure, there were other, smaller ones, but they were far easier to subside. Sliding her hand from his shoulder, River moved around the couch to sit next to him, giving him a small questioning glance before taking a seat.

“And I will keep that in mind. Though the Doctors would never believe it if they were here, I do want to see if you’ve been able to change your ship anywhere close to the amount you’ve changed. Years ago, I never would have imagined living with you this long, perhaps something similar is possible with your TARDIS, too. I’m tired of being afraid of it.”

River bit her lip softly as she pondered finally asking the question that had been bugging her since this whole conversation began. It was a question that, while she now really needed the answer, would cement this whole situation as reality and would therefore leave her that much time to accept it – at least enough to give his ship a fair chance as she promised. Soon enough, she determined that delaying it wasn’t helping either of them, releasing a small sigh as she looked over to him.

“So… how long until you’ll have her ready for you and I to do a walk through to see if she’s safe enough for Aiden?”

Again with the surprises. Though Notchy supposed it wasn’t all too unlikely that she asked so soon. River liked to tackle her problems head-on rather than have them linger. It made sense that she would need as much control as possible over this rather than have the notion be a worry hovering in an indefinite future. 

He puffed his cheeks and clasped his hands together then sat back and ran fingers through his hair.

“Theoretically? By the end of the week? That won’t mean it’s fully redesigned. I’d be running that by you anyway. You can have your own rooms entirely to your specification. She’ll make them from scratch. They’ll never have had my mark on them. If you’d like me to be thorough beyond a doubt, I can take more time and we’ll say the end of the month.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

The quietness of his voice caught her off guard, but not nearly as much as his words did, her eyes snapping to his place on the sofa where he was still faced away from her, her argument caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected him to respect her fears of his home. Sure, it seemed that he didn’t quite understand why she hated it, but the fact that he acknowledged it was far more than he had ever given her in the past.

And, it brought a somewhat painful realization for her – though she had tried to make this a comfortable home, tried to ensure Notchy had something to keep him happy, it was still a prison for him. It didn’t matter how nice or spacious it was, a prison was a prison, and he had been kept there for years without much of a choice about it. Sure she treated him far better than he had her, but at the base level, how different was it from what he had done?

So was it truly fair to not even give his ship a chance like he had their flat?

“It will become our problem eventually.”

Shutting her eyes and releasing a long, deep breath, River stood from her seat, moving to stand behind him on the sofa. Raising a hand to rest it on his shoulder, to finally close that gap between them, River hesitated a moment before placing her hand. She fought to keep the tremble away, gripping onto the cushioning with her free hand to ground herself as she began to speak.

“I can’t believe I’m about to offer this. I’m willing to give your ship a proper chance as a home under two conditions. The first, is that you remove every room I have been in, other than the console room. I don’t care if you just lock them up and hide them away, I don’t want Aiden or I to find them. The second, is that we do not leave Gallifrey, not yet. If I can’t handle being in there, I need to know I can leave safely and calm down here. If you can do those two things, I can try to see if it being our home is even plausible. Is that fair?”

Notchy hardly dared breathe as she moved over to him, his paranoia threatening to spiral that he might lose what he had. He wondered where that fear came from, and it was a foolish wonder. He had been cracked apart for his crimes and the only thing even close had been his second regeneration so very long ago.

His hearts fluttered fast at her proposal. He wouldn’t be surprised if he were about to wake up and confirm he was only dreaming it.

“More than fair. I don’t want you to analyse this conversation later down the line and conclude that I manipulated you either, so, when I agree to this, I do it in the knowledge you can change your mind at any time. I will delete every room save a few that will be redecorated and kept off limits. She is still grounded. The Time Lords took my dematerialisation circuit, so you need not fear any unwanted trips.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

“Good night, love. Sweet dreams.”

River smiled brightly at their son as he finished cleaning up and went to prepare for bed without a fuss, focusing on ensuring Aiden was properly sent off to bed. Their conversation could wait until after the exterior soundproofing of Aiden’s room was engaged.

As Aiden went to his room, River moved to the kitchen counter and into the chair next to the one Notchy used previously. She struggled to figure out how to approach the conversation. She was, of course, upset, but his near immediate regret somewhat pacified her anger. Her bigger concern was how to handle this situation now that the can was open – and how to keep Aiden safe.

Glancing at him as he spoke, River averted her gaze again, much refusing to look at him like he did her.

“Regardless of whether or not you meant to, we have to live with it now.” She took a deep breath, squeezing her hands together to keep calm. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve seen what terrifying thing both you and it can be not all that many years ago, and I don’t want Aiden to ever see it or have the same fear I had.” And sometimes continued to have.

River exhaled slowly. “The only reason I haven’t outright refused it is that, assuming it’s safe, Aiden deserves to have a TARDIS as part of his life, as it is yours and mine. Let me make myself clear, I don’t want to go on it, but I will to make sure Aiden doesn’t find anything he shouldn’t. Despite every instinct, I’m giving you a chance to prove my fears wrong, because I hope it will be better for him. Please, don’t waste it.”

Once upon a time he would have basked in the concept that he was something terrifying. It meant that nothing would mess with him; that he answered to no one. It was easy to be evil when you were immortal. Now Notchy had had to come to terms with having barely more life than a human, at least counting as ‘one’ rather than in years. There would be no banking on the Gallifreyans here allowing him to have another set of regenerations. He was the last one to deserve them. In the last few years his mind had gone to dark places and only Aiden had kept him to this one life.

River would have deserved him gone. Now he listened to her, and found himself grateful that she had not launched into a full-blown argument. She had every right to and still she was reasonable. It wasn’t for his sake, he knew.

“You want to know the fucking stupid thing?” he said quietly, ensuring he wasn’t attacking her. “I was going to suggest it one day be our home.” He raised a hand quickly before she might protest. “I know. I know. I don’t know where my head was. No, that’s not true. I do. I wanted us to have a place that was ours, not theirs. A place big enough, bigger on the inside, a bigger-bigger on the inside than your friends gave us. She’s my ship and as fucked up as she is, as much as he tore her apart, I am bonded with her. But that isn’t yours or Aiden’s problem. My TARDIS was your prison.” 

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

River gave Notchy a slight nod as he agreed without continuing the previous discussion any further, smiling at Aiden as she passed him and moved onto his room. Truthfully, she wasn’t so sure she could continue to play nice much longer if she didn’t have the chance to regain her composure – Aiden present or not.

And she was sincerely thankful that the layout change to their home after Aiden had grown old enough put his doorway at an angle not able to be seen from the kitchen and counter, for Notchy was right in his assumption. The colorful language River muttered under her breath as she folded and put away Aiden’s clothes would have made the walls blush had they possessed ears and was most certainly not something to be said in front of the young boy for quite a long time to come.

She couldn’t fathom how this would ever be a good idea, and the fact that Notchy didn’t think that their son would be listening after waiting so long for his father to come home was mind boggling. And when the subject fell upon the very thing he was drawing, too.

River’s hands shook, but no longer from anger. She had promised herself years ago that she would never return to that ship willingly. Of course, she had been forced to break that promise several times, but all long before she ever had Aiden. And now, she was actually considering willingly breaking it to introduce her cherished son to a place she so hated.

As she put the last shirt away, she shut her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. What was done was done and, though she had every intention of speaking to Notchy after their son was asleep, there was no going back.

Moving back to the kitchen, she hummed. “Now Aiden, I think you’ve pushed your bedtime back far enough, don’t you? Say goodnight.”

The boy finished putting his drawings away in a folder, which Notchy and helped him clear away to save time.

“Goodnight, Mum. Night, Dad.”

“G’night, Aiden. Oi, don’t forget your brush-sweet.”

“I won’t.”

With their son heading off to bed and presumably consuming the nano-bot confectionery that would clean his teeth, Notchy prepared to face the music from his indiscretion. He went to sit on the sofa and felt the silence grow thick with tension before he chose to break it. Rather that than get an earful first.

“I didn’t mean to put you in that position,” he said without turning around to look at her. His tone had an edge of impatience and defensiveness. “I wasn’t thinking. The TARDIS is a part of me and I thought – I want you both to see what else it can be.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

Notchy’s obvious surprise abated River’s anger at him slightly. It seemed to truly be an accident, but that didn’t change the fact that he had opened an option that she had hoped would stay permanently closed – or at least closed until Aiden was older and she would worry slightly less about his safety in it.

He was still extremely young and incredibly curious, and that was a very dangerous mix in the TARDIS.

Running her fingers through their son’s curls, she gave Aiden a soft smile as he agreed instead of making a fuss. He was usually rather reasonable, but with how huge a thing going on the TARDIS was to him, she expected at least a bit of a fight. It helped that Notchy at least seemed to be reasonable about it.

“Now, love, it’s getting rather near your bedtime. Why don’t you finish up your juice and work for the night and start cleaning up?”

“Okay,” was his simple answer as he released her legs and moved back to the table, continuing his drawing once more and sipping at his juice as he worked to a stopping point for the night.

Finishing up the dishes, she looked to Notchy, her voice calm and even. “Put your dish away when you’re done. I need to put some of Aiden’s laundry away before he goes to bed. Watch him for a bit, will you?”

Notchy rubbed his face, praying that Aiden wouldn’t begin ‘pester power’ the next morning or even the middle of the night. River caught his eye and he nodded. “Yes, of course.” He needed to be as meek as possible now. She was probably going to turn the air blue while she did the laundry, even if it was silent. Needing space was a sure sign he’d pissed her off.

He shovelled the last of his food in, or at least what he could manage, and cleaned up while Aiden scribbled at the final bits of his colouring. It didn’t help that the boy was still drawing a stark reminder of their conversation.

“When I go inside,” Aiden piped up inevitably when River was out of the room, “I’m going to draw you and Mummy.”

“Well, don’t be disappointed if you can’t just yet. Tell you what,” Notchy kept his voice low, “I’ll bring you a few pictures of some rooms you can help redesign, eh? If it turns out it’s grownups only, it’ll all be there when you’re old enough. You might even be allowed your own TARDIS. What d’you think of that?”

Aiden’s eyes went wide. “Woooow.”

“Don’t stay up all night daydreaming or your mum will make me sleep outside.”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

His suggestion caught River completely off guard, her hands clenching onto one of Aiden’s cups she had been in the middle of washing. Had it been glass or something of the manner, she most assuredly wold have broken it with her grip. It was only Aiden’s gasp of excitement that reminded her where she was at the moment, forcing herself to set down the cup as he excitedly asked “Mummy, can I?”

“Aiden, I…” River began, turning to look at him. His eyes were wide and imploring, his little hands clasped together and hopeful.

“Please? I promise I’ll be good.”

She sighed softly. River didn’t typically condone Aiden begging for anything, wanting him to avoid as many bad habits as possible. And because it was the Doctor’s ship, she wanted to do so even more and just outright refute the request. But… it was technically part of his heritage and, as much as she could barely remember it, it was part of her own childhood, too. Denying him access to one – especially his father’s – would be denying him part of his past. As much as she never wanted to step foot in there again, Aiden deserved to know it, and she knew very well she would only be comfortable if she was with him and could ensure he avoided certain areas.

“Alright, dear. But you can only go when I’m able to go with you.”

“Thank you!” Aiden hopped up from his chair and ran to hug her legs. River smiled and gave him a small hug in return, her smile fading as she looked up to Notchy with a mixture of anger and fear. If this was what he wanted to talk about not in front of their son, and instead used the boy’s presence to his advantage, she was going to make sure he regretted it.

Not that it would save him, but Notchy’s eyes widened in shock on hearing Aiden’s reaction. He hadn’t meant for it to be a hook, assuming the boy would be too engrossed in his work to catch a passing joke. He knew at once what River would surmise, that it was an intentional manipulation. This time it was an innocent mistake borne of his own thoughts.

“She’s got a few more tweaks yet,” he said, scrambling to preserve the situation. “Not safe for adventures until your mum and I say. If the ship’s not ok after a few more tests, Aiden, we’ll get you your favourite pudding to make up for it. How’s that sound?”

Aiden looked across at his father from where he was hugging River’s legs. He pouted but after some thought he nodded with reasonable enthusiasm.

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

River would be lying if she said that her breath didn’t catch a bit every time he sincerely smiled at her or Aiden. True, they wouldn’t seem like much to someone that didn’t know the Doctor, but to her, receiving one without having done something demeaning first was still rather new – and even those smiles were more hungry or proud than they were kind like this one. Perhaps eventually she would grow used to them, but not yet.

As Aiden went back to his work and Notchy his dinner, River moved to finish cleaning the dishes, one of the few tasks she had left to do for the night. It wasn’t that Aiden had to be monitored constantly, but River couldn’t help the relief that came with knowing someone that cared about him was keeping an eye on him. She knew very well that it came with the circumstances of his birth, and only hoped that it would fade to be less overprotective as he grew older.

She huffed a small laugh at Notchy’s question, shaking her head, before becoming distracted with her son’s request. River hummed softly, glancing at the clock in thought. “It’s rather close to your bedtime, so this will have to be your last cup for the night. No arguments, or you don’t get any tomorrow, understand?”

At his emphatic nod, River sighed lightly before retrieving him one and setting it before him. “Don’t spill, love.” River looked back at Notchy, giving him a soft smile. “He’s been working on drawing both our house and your ship for most of the day after wandering about this afternoon. I’d say I’m surprised at how detail oriented he is, but he is our son.”

“Ha, yeah, no surprises there,” he said, his manner reminiscent of the man he had almost been. Notchy observed Aiden while he ate, noting how innocently the boy got to focusing on his drawing. “If you wanted him quiet for the next year or two, we could suggest he start drawing the inside of Daddy’s ship.” 

Though some part of him was reluctant to let his son inside a place with so much distressing history, Notchy couldn’t help but imagine some of the good things that could come of it. His psychologically damaged TARDIS might enjoy the presence of a child to help her heal and there would be so much he could show Aiden, so much for him to explore and enjoy. It wasn’t only a place of horrors. She had belonged to a Doctor once.

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

Raising an eyebrow at his consideration over her question, River waited patiently for a response. While it wasn’t unheard of for them to talk without Aiden’s presence, it wasn’t often – in fact nearly never – that it was required for a conversation. It meant that whatever he had to say was either very important, or very inappropriate for a toddler to hear.

River wasn’t sure which she preferred.

Still, she nodded in agreement to his answer, smiling softly as Aiden visibly pouted. He had been good about not pressing for information when “grownup things” were involved, but that didn’t mean he and his curious mind weren’t disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to know. She couldn’t imagine what this behavior would become as he grew older.

“Everything is fine. I’m afraid it’s just as boring around here as usual. Well,” she hummed, “as usual as it can be with an adventurous child who’s becoming more clever by the day.” River shrugged softly. “I don’t have any errands until next week, but if you’d like to have dinner, there’s some on the counter for you that you can have while Aiden finishes his current project. I have a few things I’d like to complete before the night is through.”

The smile Notchy made was genuine, even if it was small. They were something he was getting used to almost as much as River likely was. Real smiles, kind ones. As much as he could get frustrated with Aiden as much as any parent did with a small one, he found himself ever fascinated and amused by the boy’s means of entertainment. He smiled at that as much as he did at the fact there was dinner to be had.

After setting Aiden down and giving his shoulder a pat, Notchy moved to take a seat on one of the stools at their breakfast bar. He slid the meal container toward him and looked between the two of them as he set about tucking in. “So which project is this? Are you trying to rewire the house again?”

Aiden grinned and shook his head theatrically before his attention flicked like a switch. “Mum, can I have some juice, please?”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

Humming softly in response to his question, River’s smile brightened as the Doctor picked up his son and received a small giggle in return. It was only a few moments before Aiden rested his head against his shoulder and wound his fingers into the fabric of his father’s shirt, relaxed and listening to his parents’ conversation.

Because Notchy had been so present through his life so far, River knew that Aiden was attached to him and dearly missed him when he was out working on his TARDIS. He was with her most of the time, so he didn’t have the opportunity to miss her, and perhaps had she not been fearful of the ship, Aiden would not have had the chance to miss him either. But River was hesitant to allow Aiden there, especially considering her history with it.

Truly it was the fact that Aiden loved him so much that River had been more willing to give the Doctor another chance and tried to make their situation more “normal” without making it uncomfortable. It had been a bit awkward, sure, but seemed to be working for them.

At Notchy’s declaration of progress, Aiden perked up, looking up to his father. “Really? You’ll be home more?”

“It sounds like it, love.” River’s attention turned from their son to the Doctor. He didn’t ask for much anymore, so the fact that he had something to ask was a bit surprising. “I think I can spare a few minutes. Is it a question that should or shouldn’t be asked in front of him?”

Notchy opened his mouth and hesitated. That was a very good question and one she had been wise to ask before he caused any conflict. There were times he deliberately manipulated conversations by having Aiden privy to them so that he would apply pressure on his mother, but this was one that was far too delicate and would result in disappointment for Aiden if it did not pan out in his favour.

“Probably best done in private. It can wait until after his bedtime, I’m sure. Grownup things,” he added before Aiden could get too curious. “Anyway, is everything well? Need me to, uh, watch him while you go run any errands?”

[thenotchdoctor]

spoilersandguns​:

If someone had come to River even just a year before Aiden was born and told her that not only was she willingly living with the Predator, but that she had ensured it in order to save his life and also was raising a child with his assistance, she would have laughed in their face. Her? Living with the man who had made so many years of her life a living hell? Impossible.

And yet, there they were, just a short time before Aiden’s third birthday, and all of them healthy as could be. Sure, they had moments of strife, but he had never hurt Aiden or herself, and had apparently become trustworthy enough that the Doctors were willing to leave Gallifrey without imposing further restrictions.

Of course, they had made it clear that she need only call and they would come, but as this was likely the first time they had to focus on themselves in years, she had no desire to interrupt that unless absolutely necessary. Besides, she had imposed on them long enough as it was and far longer than she would have liked.

And, for the most part, she had been able to take care of herself and Aiden well enough once she recovered. It was obvious that Notchy was still having difficulty acclimating to a calmer lifestyle and fatherhood on top of that. So, when Shen had asked her what they could offer him to get his assistance when required, she recommended he have use of his TARDIS once more. While they removed its ability to travel, taking care of his ship would give him some of the comfort and control he once had and, since he had been trying so hard to treat Aiden and River according to her rules, she thought it only fair.

As long as he didn’t try to force her on it and didn’t take Aiden near it, she didn’t truly care that he had it or what he did with it.

Still, him having unlimited access to his ship to do whatever tinkering he desired did make his schedule a bit unpredictable. Sure, he could make himself available to watch over Aiden if she needed to go out, but since she refused to step anywhere near the ship, it did make communication when he was inside a bit more difficult.

Hence why she had been in the middle of cleaning up after dinner, packing Notchy’s away for later in the case he returned hungry, glancing over her shoulder at her son who had immediately perked up at the sound of the door opening, abandoning his in progress art on the table.

Not realizing how tense she was until she heard Aiden identify their visitor, River exhaled softly as she relaxed, walking toward the front door. It seemed that, despite how long it had been since her last nightmare, she still could not stop the reaction. The circumstances around conceiving the little boy currently clinging to his father’s legs had left a mark on River that she wasn’t certain would completely fade any time soon – not that she would ever willingly let Aiden see any signs of them. But lingering on the cause wouldn’t do either of them any good, so instead she focused on the scene before her, enjoying the slight helplessness of Notchy.

Shaking her head, she smiled at her son. “Now Aiden, dear, how is he supposed to come inside if you’ve got his legs? He can’t exactly greet you like that, can he?” She finally looked up at Notchy, giving him a small shrug. “I think he missed you a bit today.”

There was reluctance in the little boy’s face as he retreated a few steps to let Notchy move, though he still made fumbling grabs for the fabric of his father’s jeans as he got in and the door slid closed behind him.

“Did he?” The Doctor arched an eyebrow at his son and following a small sigh picked him up to keep him occupied while they talked. There was the scent of food in the air and he recognised River had come from the kitchen. It was still strange to him that she made a point of taking care of him in certain ways, as she did with Aiden. He presumed it was her way of making this normal, knitting them together as a family. Notchy wondered if perhaps he should cook more often himself; make a family dinner out of it. They had done it more frequently of recent and it was.. nice.

“Well he’ll be pleased to know that I won’t be quite so busy now. All major repairs are finally complete. Which now leaves me with a question I’ve been meaning to ask, if you have the time.”

[thenotchdoctor]

@spoilersandguns (All below subject to potential editing on discussion :D)

He was still here. That was the biggest takeaway from everything that had happened in the past few years. More remarkable than the spillage of Daleks that had entered through the rift at Arcadia; more surprising than the day the two Doctors rebooted the universe to prevent it from disintegration and to seal the Tear; more astonishing than when they visited the new parents and told them they were leaving. X and XI had said their goodbyes - if only officially, for they were only a call away for River - and left Notchy with the appropriate threats before they sailed off on their adventures and gave up their posts.

The new Lord President was a woman her predecessor had trusted and had allowed Notchy and River to stay as long as they pleased, so long as Notchy kept up his good behaviour and now and again answered a few questions only a Doctor would know. For the most part, he did behave, and he gave them some of what they wanted. In turn, he was rewarded with access to his broken TARDIS once her most hazardous issues had been dealt with and her dematerialisation circuit removed to prevent him bunking off. She had been Notchy’s semi-secret project over the years. River knew he tinkered there and knew he was being monitored, but for reasons of his own he had insisted on keeping it private for a while. Besides, his TARDIS had been a place of horror for River in the past, and since the TARDIS’s experiences with Caliban she had been left with scars no living thing should ever have borne.

Fatherhood was never going to be an easy thing for him, nor should it have been something he was allowed again. Circumstances and kindness had said otherwise, and Notchy had found something in himself he thought had been long lost. Some days he blamed the angry angel from his dreams, other days he supposed it was the fear of the devils who had tormented him, both working to mould him into a better man. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to believe he was doing it by his own actions.

Notchy wasn’t perfect. There had been times he had made both River and Aiden cry, but he never touched them, not in anger. He had also not shared River’s bed, not sexually. She was allowed to do as she pleased, of course, whether with the Doctors or anyone else. The once Predator, however, deliberately went without. He satisfied himself and when the main craving was sated he would tinker, and tinker, and tinker, as a Doctor usually did. He was there to be a father and an ally. Anything more would have to be earned and time needed to be put between the man he used to be and whoever he may become, which today was-

“Daddyyyyy!” Aiden sprang at him when he walked through the door, practically pinning him to the frame by the legs.

“Bloody ‘ell.”

The boy, who was almost three, squeezed him tightly and bellowed through the apartment.

“Muuuuuuum, Daddy’s home!”