stay calm. it will be okay. you have my word. Episode One: Child of the TARDIS
This is episode one! To start reading from the beginning, check out Pilot : The Season Two Ending We Deserved
Story Summary
Turn off “The Reality War” at 40:15 and start here instead. This is the story of what happened after—the story where the Doctor, Bel, and their extraordinary daughter Poppy get to live the life they deserve.
It’s about finding family across time and space. It’s the Doctor and Bel co-parenting like the besties they are, Poppy growing up splitting her time between 21st-century London and the far-future of the Preservation Alliance, and a Sanctuary Moon fanclub that spans across the universe. It’s Rogue getting the ending he deserves, Jenny finding her fathers, Murderbot reluctantly acquiring more humans, and a universe where love, in all its forms, is the most powerful weapon we have.
This is a fusion-fix-it full of gratuitous wish fulfillment, because sometimes the best way to heal is to rewrite the story. 💕💕
Episode Summary:
After escaping the wish world, Bel and the Doctor forge a new life together with Poppy, balancing the need for domestic stability on Earth with the desire for adventures across time and space.
Notes:
As a gift, I’m posting this immediately after the prologue. Weeklyish updates on Wednesdays going forward (maybe, idk, it’s a work in progress and y’all should know how i roll by now)
Thanks so much to Fire_Phoenix2305 and tinysugacube for their beta and cheer-reads of this fic, and to Marvin for his seal of approval!
Episode One: Child of the TARDIS
Throughout her time travelling with the Doctor, Bel had one request: for him to bring her home. A life lived on the TARDIS was a chaotic one, a dangerous one, and she liked her life back on earth. And yet, the longer she traveled with the Doctor, the more frequently that they landed somewhere nice and safe and were able to enjoy themselves without danger lurking around the corner, the more she started to enjoy her life traveling through time and space.
The Doctor did follow through on his promise to bring her home. She was where she had wanted to be, on earth, May 24th 2025. But certain differences from the wish world lingered. In the new reality that had been created, she no longer worked as a nurse. She had quit her job two years previously, when she had married “John Smith” and they had a daughter together. Their house at 11 Calico Avenue existed, and was in her name. And yet it was only half a memory. What she remembered and what others remembered was split down the middle. And perhaps it was a bit like running away, to tell her friends and family that John had a new job that required lots of travel, and they were moving out the country. But she needed time to collect herself, and what did a time machine offer, if not time?
—
Poppy was not a typical child. As a child of the Doctor, she was never going to be normal, but once free of the wish world, that became increasingly apparent. The girl was incredibly smart, but that was a given. By the time that she was four—roughly a year after the end of the Wish World—she was already speaking in complete, grammatically correct, sentences. Considering the fact that the TARDIS translation matrix was active, that was not at all surprising, though it did mean that the Doctor began routinely turning it off to make sure that Poppy was still able to learn to speak on her own in case they were ever without the TARDIS and needed help.
“Papa,” Poppy tugged on the edge of the Doctor’s skirt as he stood at the TARDIS console, doing some routine maintenance while they floated in space. He stopped immediately when he realized she wanted his attention.
“Hey Pops, you’re up early.” It had been two years since the end of the wish world, and Poppy was growing up.
“Papa, when can I go to school?” Poppy asked, tipping her head to the side. “Kids my age usually have school, but I’ve never gone. Shouldn’t I be going soon?”
“I’ll talk to your mum about it and we’ll decide soon. Right now, do you wanna help me fix up the TARDIS?”
“Yay! What should I do?”
“Well, if you hold this down here…”
—
“Poppy’s getting old enough for school, now.” The Doctor hummed as he sat with Bel on the ridiculously comfy couch they had in the theatre room of the TARDIS.
“You’re right. And she really could do with socializing with kids her own age.” Bel sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it actually and I’d like to go back to earth. It’s been nice, travelling. We’ve managed to avoid anything too dangerous but…”
“It’s a bit much for a kid, I know. Poppy deserves more stability.” The Doctor nodded in agreement. He looked like he was about to say more but Bel cut him off.
“I know you can’t stay with us full time on earth, you like the adventure too much. But don’t ever be a stranger.”
“Of course not!” The Doctor replied instantly. “This is a time machine, Belinda. I can have my adventures and still be home for dinner every night. And we always have the weekends and school holidays to go on kid-friendly adventures.”
“I’ll have to see if I can get shifts at the hospital again. Or see about doing more volunteer work, now that money isn’t as much of an issue,” she mused. “I’ll need to stay busy while Poppy is at school, and you know how much I like helping people.”
“Oh really, I couldn’t tell, I thought you just made a point to learn about how triage works on every planet we visited just for fun” the Doctor teased. Bel shook her head and laughed.
“You’re my best friend, you know that?” Bel sighed, leaning into him. “You know I have little to no interest in romance as a whole, but as husbands go, you’re not bad. And you’re a good father,” she added, poking him on the side.
“You’re family, Bel. I wouldn’t trade either of you for anyone or anything.”
—
“There she is!” Lakshmi grinned as she opened her front door to see Bel on the front step. “My globetrotting daughter returned at last.” She pulled Bel into a hug before tugging her inside. “Come in, come in. Now where is my granddaughter?”
“Hi Amma,” Bel smiled. “Poppy is with the Doctor, doing some shopping before she starts school next week.”
“It’s good to have you back properly,” Lakshmi nodded as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen. “We’re happy that you’ve gotten to travel, but we have missed you. Oh! And we’ll have you at our Sunday dinners again.”
“Of course! We’ve missed you too. This will certainly be an adjustment. But it will be good to give Poppy a bit more stability.”
“Is she ready for school, do you think?” Lakshmi asked as she put the kettle on.
“I’m not sure if the school is ready for her,” Bel laughed. “She’s so smart Amma, smarter than I ever was. And kind as well. I could not have had a more wonderful daughter.”
“Well, from what I’ve seen when you come to visit, you both certainly seem to be good parents. And how is John?”
“He’s doing well. He really is the great father to Poppy. Drives me mad sometimes, but he’s one of the best people I’ve ever known.”
“He’s a good man, good for you, and for Poppy. What is he going to be doing for work now that you’re back? Is he going to be at the hospital with you or…?”
“Oh, he’s not really that kind of doctor. Or well, he is, but I don’t think the Doctor would last long in the typical nine to five role. He’s too much of a free spirit. He’s going to keep travelling I expect.”
“Oh, are you splitting up? But you fit so well together…”
“It’s not like that, Amma. He’s still my best friend, and our home will always be his home. He’s not moving out exactly, it’s… complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
“Well, and I really should have explained this sooner but, and I apologise if this is a bit of a shock,” Bel let out a deep breath “but the Doctor isn’t human.”
Lakshmi paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. Seeing Bel’s confused look at the unexpected reaction, Lakshmi composed herself. “Oh that explains so much. I thought he was just… what do they call it, neurospicy? But alien also makes sense.”
“Oh the Doctor is definitely neurodivergent.” Bel laughed. “The way his brain works is a mystery and a delight. But I’m sure you have questions. Let’s have them.”
“If he’s an alien, does that mean he has a spaceship? Have you been traveling in space all this time?”
“Well, it’s funny you should mention time…”