Hiya! 👋
I'm happy to see that y'all seem to have enjoyed "Robot of Sherwood". I actually just re-read it myself, and I love it! 💚
Anyway, as promised, here's a little filler chapter where we get to see the Doctor actually have a bit of a heart-to-heart with Jupiter. The specifics of this heart-to-heart...? Well, read to find out!
Enjoy! 😘
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I would really appreciate it if you'd please leave comments. They are what keep me motivated to write more! <3
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❝ All people, those with one heart or two or however many, deserve a chance at happiness. ❞
– The Doctor
*****
Walking into the TARDIS kitchen, the Doctor furrowed his brows when he saw his daughter sitting there with a mug of steaming tea cradled in both hands.
"What are you doing sitting in here, my dear?" The Doctor questioned as he walked over to stand across from her at the kitchen island. "Don't get me wrong, you're free to do as you please, this is your home as well. But that mug of tea is going to go cold if you don't drink it."
"Just because." Jupiter shrugged, not looking at her father before taking a sip of tea from her mug.
The Doctor quirked one of his attack eyebrows. "You know I don't believe that, don't you?"
Jupiter smirked slightly in amusement. "You'd think I know better by now."
"Well, you are my daughter." He gave her a small smile before turning around to the kettle on the stove in order to go about making a mug of tea for himself. "So, would you like to tell me what's taken over your thoughts?"
"Where is everyone?" She asked. "I sort of went and hid myself away in my room after we left Nottingham."
"Well, we dropped Clara and Lucas back home. Lucas was a bit reluctant to leave for some reason, but he did anyway. And your mother and Sky are having a chat in the library – your bother's back, by the way." He answered. "Why d'you ask?"
"I, er, I'm not too sure how to put it into exact words..." Jupiter began as she lightly tapped her fingers against the side of her mug of tea. "It's just that... I have a dilemma. And, well, I don't know how to deal with it." She tilted her head as she thought, then let out a breath. "When you fell in love with Mum... How did you deal with it?"
The Doctor paused stirring honey into his tea, and glanced back at his daughter in confusion. "Why do you want to know that?"
Jupiter bit her bottom lip. "Mum... was human when you met her. And yet, you still eventually allowed yourself to be with her – even though you knew there was a very strong chance that you would lose her. Outlive her. Knew that she'd... fade from you."
"Well, she is a stubborn thing." The Doctor let out a chuckle, finishing stirring the honey into his tea before turning back around to face his daughter. "All worked out in the end, though. Still, this whole topic of conversation is giving me the feeling that there's more to what you're saying... What's wrong?"
"I think I might be having the same problem that you had." She confessed, taking another sip of her tea. "And it scares me." She let out a shaky breath, setting her mug of tea down. "One of the scarier things I've felt in my life."
"Might I ask what individual is causing you this trouble?" The Doctor enquired, going around the kitchen island to sit on a stool next to Jupiter. "After all, I can't have my dear daughter in a state of emotional distress."
"Oh, I really don't want to say." Jupiter folded her arms on top of the counter, bowing her head. "Besides, I don't think it's too hard to put together."
"Although, it might help if you said it out loud." The Doctor told her before taking a sip of his tea. "It's never good to keep things bottled up inside."
"And yet, it can be bad to let them out as well." Jupiter countered, glancing over at her father. "A bit of an impasse, don't you think?"
"Possibly." He admitted. "Still, whatever it is, I believe you can get through it. You're one of the strongest people that I know."
"But how?" She asked earnestly, clenching her fists as she tried to keep her emotions under control. "It's not like I'm just a normal person who can date whoever they want without fear of actually outliving them. I mean, hell, who else has this kind of problem?!"
"Oh, my dear." The Doctor sighed, setting his mug down before putting his hands over Jupiter's clenched fists, caressing them with his thumbs so as to try and soothe her. "I'm genuinely, truly sorry that you're feeling this way."
"I don't know what to do, Dad." Jupiter sniffled. "Robin said that if I have the chance for love, that I should take it. But what if it's just not even worth it in the end?"
"Come here, my Angel." The Doctor tried to smile, even if it was just a tiny one, as he brought his daughter in for a hug. "All love is worth it. All people, those with one heart or two or however many, deserve a chance at happiness. And if someone is fortunate enough for such an opportunity, they shouldn't pass it up." He stated as he held onto Jupiter, stroking her hair before pressing a kiss to her temple. "It took me a long time to realize that. It literally took me centuries to understand that one should not cast any love aside. Whatever form that presents itself to you, you should hold onto it for as long as you are able. I know this is easy for me to say now, your mother was a unique case. But as I said after I walked in here – you are my daughter. You are capable of, and have done, so many things that the ordinary individual can't even imagine... All I ask is that, in whatever decision you make, you have no regrets."
"No regrets." Jupiter repeated her father's last two words in a whisper, tightening her hold on him before pulling away and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Dad."
The Doctor smiled at her, putting a hand to her cheek. "You are very welcome, my darling."
Jupiter smiled back at him as he then stood from his spot on the stool next to her, plucking his mug of tea from the counter before exiting the kitchen.
Now alone, Jupiter took a deep breath and turned back to her now lukewarm mug of tea that still sat atop the kitchen island. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before slowly raising her arm and lowering her jacket sleeve, revealing her vortex manipulator strapped securely around her wrist.
She bit her lip in contemplation, debating with herself, before a little smile slowly spread across her face.
*****
Author's Note
Aww, my poor Jupe! 🥺💔
So yeah, we all now clearly know (if we didn't already) the Doctor's position on love. 💘
I hope y'all enjoyed this. I really felt like writing a father and daughter scene. And given what this scene talked about... well, I thought that it was important. 💕 And if you go back and look in Dying Embers, you'll realize that this filler chapter was a bit of a parallel to a filler chapter in that book called "A Mother's Concern" between Lexi and Sky.
Anyway, Jupiter's now off to go do . . . something. She didn't leave us knowing exactly what she was about to get up to, did she? 😉
I guess we'll have to wait until AFTER the next episode to find out. 😁
Next up is "Listen"!!! 🎉
Until then!
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– Maddy Xx