Summary: The Doctor blames Rose for this. Rose blames the Doctor for this. But Valerie blames herself. Was her birth really the upset of her Mother and Father’s relationship? And with the grudge only getting deeper as Valerie grows up, what can she do to persuade her Dad to change?

Author’s Note (Valerie): The birth of Valerie and how the grudge happened will be explained in later chapters. As this is only the prologue – this is just sorta like a teaser for what’s to come. –smile-

Author’s Note 2: I never really planned to write this fic after I knew Martha Jones was to be the new companion, but this plot bunny was just too good to throw away (and it hit me on the head with an overly large carrot before I could change my mind). Comments are love!

Daddy’s Girl

Prologue

I’m twelve today. Is that a big number? I’m not really sure if it is. Dad says that twelve is one of the smallest numbers you can think of. My Dad’s much older than I am. But Mum told me that twelve is a big number, so that’s why I’m not sure.

I don’t know many things about the number twelve, either. If you multiply three by four you get twelve; ‘a dozen’ means twelve; twelve is half of twenty-four. I don’t have any sisters or brothers to compare to, so I’m a bit stuck.

I think I’ll decide with Dad’s side though. He’s always right. Mum gets angry with him a lot for being right all the time. Mum and Dad fight a lot. Sometimes Dad runs away because he gets very angry, and then Mum gets upset and starts to cry.

I don’t like watching my Mum cry, so usually I go and try to find my Dad, so I run off in his direction, but all I find when I run there is a big blue box. I think that my Dad is an animagi from Harry Potter. Except he transforms into a blue box and not an animal. I told my Mum this and she laughed. She just said that Dad would explain the box to me some day.

I hope that day is today. After all, it is my birthday today. Twelve years ago since I was born. Mum says that’s a big achievement. Dad says that’s nothing.

I’m not sure if I like my Dad. He’s always upset. Or angry. Or thinking. But Mum is fun. But when Dad is upset or angry or thinking, Mum is upset. And I don’t like to see my Mum upset.

Being twelve is hard.

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‘Good day at school?’ Rose asked Valerie carefully, as if considering if that were the right question to ask. Rose knew Secondary School was tough, she had been through it – and wasn’t planning to do it again. Valerie looked up at her Mum with a confused look.

‘Define “good”,’ she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, scowling down at the ground. Rose sighed and put her arm around her daughter. ‘Poppy’s not my friend anymore.’

‘Why ever not?’ Rose asked, rolling her eyes at the mention of Poppy. Poppy was Valerie’s supposedly “best friend”, but they always broke up after one week or so.

‘Cos I said that I liked Science more than Music,’ Valerie scrunched her nose up, clearly showing the few brown freckles on her cheeks. ‘Music is crap, anyway.’

Rose nudged her daughter. ‘Oi, Val, bad language,’ though she was smiling. Valerie looked up at her Mum and smiled back. ‘Your Dad’s in today,’ Rose muttered, resentment twanging in her voice. ‘He says he wants to talk to you.’

‘About the blue box?’ Valerie said excitedly before she could stop herself. Rose froze for a second, but then shook her head.

‘Not sure, it may be about the blue box, but maybe not,’ Rose murmured, sounded far away. Valerie studied her Mum carefully with a sigh.

‘Why not? I want to know what it is,’ Valerie grumped, looking down at her shoes.

‘All in due time, Val,’ Rose shrugged, heaving her bag onto her other shoulder. ‘No… your Dad’s been… busy, as you may know… for a few months now… and he wants to show you something.’

Valerie raised and lowered a shoulder, before taking in a deep breath and asking the question she’d never dared ask before. ‘Does Dad hate me, Mum?’

Rose stopped walking. Valerie looked up and was shocked to find that her Mum was crying.

‘Mum?’ she asked wearily, reaching for her hand. Rose shook her head, though the tears were coming thicker and faster now. ‘Mummy…’

‘No, no… Val, your Dad could never hate you…’ Rose whispered, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her sweat top. ‘Don’t… don’t tell your Dad I cried, okay?’

Valerie looked surprised at this, but nodded solemnly. ‘Do you still love Dad?’

‘Of course,’ Rose forced a half smile, ‘he just doesn’t know it.’

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‘Doctor…’ Rose murmured, her hand hovered above his shoulder before returning limply to her side. He turned around stiffly, a fake smile visibly hurting his cheeks. Rose looked down, as she couldn’t hold his stare. ‘Val’s here to see you…’ she said weakly.

‘Oh, good,’ his voice didn’t have the same enthusiasm it used to, now it was limp and bored. He nodded as his daughter entered the room. ‘Good to see you again, Valerie.’

Valerie winced as her Dad said her full name. Nobody else apart from him called her Valerie, even the teachers at school called her Val. ‘Hi, Dad.’

Rose looked between the two, and left the room silently, tears daring to creep out of her eyes as she walked back towards her Mother.

‘Tea?’ Jackie offered, moving towards the kitchen. Rose nodded, her tears messing up her mascara. ‘Y’alright?’ she asked Rose, poking her head through the window into the living room from the kitchen.

‘Fine,’ Rose mumbled. Jackie didn’t move. Rose sighed. ‘Things are… just a little bit hectic.’

‘Rose, tell me the real reason,’ Jackie persisted. Rose looked at her Mum, sad smile on her face.

‘The Doctor,’ she whispered, ‘you remember I said I’d never leave him? Turns out he left me.’

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‘What were you gonna show me, Dad?’ Valerie asked excitedly, coming to a sit beside him. The Doctor sighed, and turned to look at Valerie.

‘Um, your… Mother and I think it’s time you should know something, Valerie…’ he started. Valerie looked mildly confused, but attempted to cover it up. ‘You might notice… a blue box?’

‘Yes!’ Valerie nodded quickly. ‘I see it a lot. Mum gets upset when I mention it. Or you. She gets upset a lot.’

The Doctor looked taken aback by this. ‘She… she gets upset?’

‘Yeah. Mainly because of you though. She cries a lot.’ Valerie clamped her hands to her mouth. Didn’t she promise her Mum she wouldn’t tell? Her Dad seemed genuinely worried by this.

‘I’ll have a chat with her then,’ he mumbled to himself. He looked up at Valerie again. ‘Well, the blue box… it’s my… ship.’

‘Ship?’ Valerie asked, confused. ‘How can a box be a ship?’

‘Because it’s not just a box,’ he told her calmly. ‘It’s… Gallifreyan.’ Valerie looked at her Dad as if he were mad.

‘Do you work for NASA?’ she asked suddenly. ‘Like, you’re an astronaut?’ The Doctor paused for a second, then nodded.

‘I guess you could say that.’

‘And that box is your spaceship?’ Valerie asked excitedly. The Doctor nodded again. She giggled. ‘That’s cool.’

‘Sorta,’ the Doctor shrugged. ‘But, listen, the blue box… it’s important you don’t tell anyone – and I mean anyone about it. Your Uncle Mickey and your Nan know, but no-one else. Okay? Promise to me.’

‘I promise!’ Valerie said, still buzzing with elation.

‘I better go chat to your Mum,’ the Doctor hauled himself up off the floor, and left the room, Valerie quick at his heel. ‘Rose?’ he called down the corridor. Valerie pretended to go to her room, but doubled back and peeked through the door.

‘Yes, Doctor?’ Rose said, letting go of her Mum and brushing Jackie away. ‘What is it?’

‘I…’ the Doctor shook his head, ‘we need to talk.’ Rose looked slightly anxious for a second, but sat down. Valerie noticed she didn’t dare look him in the eye.

‘About what, Doctor?’ Rose asked quietly. Doctor, why is Mum calling Dad ‘Doctor?’ Valerie thought to herself.

‘Us,’ the Doctor replied. ‘Val.’ Valerie smiled as her Dad called her Val.

‘What is there to say?’ Rose asked, biting her lip.

‘We never talk anymore, Rose,’ the Doctor continued. ‘Not like we used to. We don’t even sleep in the same place anymore…’

‘That was your decision!’ Rose interjected. ‘You were the one who went off to sleep in the TARDIS so you could “work on something” – well what? Yet another failed project?’

The Doctor stared at her. ‘I did invite you to come along too, y’know,’ he replied darkly. Rose glared at him.

‘But what about Val? That’s what I told you – what about Val? Our child, Doctor! Our friggin’ child and you can’t even smile at her! Why? Why is that? Do you hate her that much?’ Rose shrieked at him. Valerie felt tears pricking in her eyes. She didn’t like watching her Mum cry, but making herself cry was even worse. She turned away from the scene.

‘I could never hate her,’ the Doctor mumbled, feeling powerless over Rose.

‘Well, it’s quite obvious you hate me!’ Rose continued, ignoring him. ‘I have never touched you – ever. I have never smiled at you – at least, I tried to. I haven’t held your hand – in twelve years!’

‘Then hold it now,’ the words were so quiet, Valerie could barely hear them. Rose remained silent. ‘Rose,’ he said, leaning forward, and taking her hand. At first Valerie thought she would refuse, but when she turned around she noticed that her Dad’s hand was holding her Mum’s. She allowed herself to smile a little bit.

‘You have no idea…’ Rose broke off, tears threatening to fall. Rose took her hand away. ‘Things can’t change. If you had wanted them to change then you would have done it twelve years ago!’

The Doctor shot her a look. ‘Twelve years ago – you came to me – a miserable wreck in the TARDIS – and told me you were pregnant – what was I supposed to do? I’m a Time Lord – I’m an alien – and you were pregnant with my child?’

‘If you didn’t want her – then why did you stay?’ Rose snapped back at him, anger coursing through her.

‘By hell I don’t know!’ the Doctor yelled at her, ‘I could be off saving the Universe right now – but no, I’m stuck in bloody South London with you and a twelve year old kid!’

‘Then leave!’ Rose’s tears were falling now, thicker and faster. ‘Then just leave!’ The Doctor stared at her, not moving.

‘What happened to us?’ he asked her, slowly.

‘Val,’ she whispered back. Valerie turned cold from where she was in her room. Had she been the upset of her parent’s relationship?