Fic: Hope's Last Breath Chapter 3/10
Title: Hope's Last Breath
Fandoms: Supernatural/Torchwood/The Avengers/Doctor Who
Pairings/Characters: Dean/Sam/Castiel, Jack/Ianto, Coulson/Clint, Tony/Bruce, Natasha/Pepper, Thor/Loki, Steve/Darcy, Balthazar/Gareth Jones, Bobby, Marion Jones (OFC), Andy/Tosh, Owen/Maria Hill, Nick Fury/Donna Noble, Rhys Williams/Kathy Swanson, Martha Jones, the Doctor
Summary: Greek Mythology says that when Pandora disobeyed the Gods and opened the box, all the world's evil was unleashed but hoped remained inside. Unfortunately, hate found Pandora's Box and destroyed it. Out of his depth, Nick Fury has no choice but to seek help from others who have knowledge of and experience with this kind of stuff. But without hope in the world, it's only a matter of time before humanity falls into chaos.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the Avengers or Torchwood but I do own Gareth and Marion Jones
Beta: RoyalLadyEmma
Chapter 3
All eyes were on the television as reports of mass suicides and unexplained eruptions of violence poured in from every corner of the world. As he watched the news flash across multiple viewscreens, Jack couldn't help but wonder if this is what Alex had seen when he'd decided to kill himself and the members of his Torchwood Three team on New Year's Eve, 1999. 'I couldn't fault him if he did. A world without hope is a time bomb waiting to go off.'
As if sensing Jack's unhappy thoughts, Ianto crossed the room and wrapped his arms around his lover from behind, pulling him back against his chest. In response, Jack laid his hands over his Welshman's and squeezed. "It will be all right Cariad, we'll figure something out," Ianto whispered into the immortal's ear. He wasn't sure if they actually would or not, but he had faith in Jack, plus they had two angels on their side.
Earlier on, Owen had joined them and they'd sent David to join his family before the medic informed them that Mica seemed to be fine for the time being, but because of her connection to the Spirit of Hope, Owen wasn't sure how long she would remain unaffected. His news, while not what they'd wanted to hear, was nonetheless some of the best of the day.
"We're going to need to find someone who can inspire hope." Ianto spoke suddenly as an idea began to form in his head. The television was showing a group of superheroes based in America while the reporter was explaining how they were dealing with the sudden outbreaks of violence.
Dean did not like Ianto's thoughtful tone of voice or what he was currently looking at on the television screen. "Oh, hell no! There is no freaking way I'm working with a bunch of grown men who prance around wearing tights!" That was a strict rule of his and there was no way he was breaking it for anybody seen in bright coloured spandex.
Jack's eyes narrowed with jealous displeasure as he caught the openly appreciative look in Ianto's eyes. 'I'm not sure if I want Ianto around a bunch of pretty boys dressed in tight outfits. And I most certainly do not want them trying to steal him away once they get a taste of his coffee!' Jack crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I agree with Dean. We do not need a bunch of so-called heroes getting in our way."
Shocked by Jack's admission, Ianto and Sam shared a suspicious look; their lovers actually agreeing on something instead of being at each other's throats should have been a wonderful thing, but coming on the heels of Hope's death, it was actually a little frightening.
Owen hiked his eyebrow. "Really, Captain, are you sure you're not worried that they're gonna out dash you as the hero?" The doctor's gaze then fell to Ianto and a knowing smirk appeared on his face as he drawled out, "Or are you just worried that they might steal Ianto from you?"
Jack said nothing but his scowl grew darker which was answer enough for everyone and Ianto shook his head at Jack's unfounded worry. "You have nothing to worry about, Jack; I have you, why would I need any other hero?"
Castiel also raised a knowing eyebrow as he looked at Dean. "Is that what you are worrying about? Some hero stealing Sam or myself away from you? Because I’ll tell you right now you have nothing to worry about as well."
Surprised that he didn't think of that himself, Sam turned to face his brother and lover, taking note of Dean's shifting eyes and the guilty shuffling of his feet. Dean glanced up and saw everyone looked at him. "What? No! That's just ridiculous. I mean, come on!" he objected loudly. "Please, what hero could compete against me?" Dean snorted at the very idea.
In a loud stage whisper, Owen muttered, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" He frowned when he saw that nobody was paying him any attention.
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Well, they do have Captain America." He fought back a smirk as he saw the twitch in his brother's eye. Looking over , he caught Ianto's eye and gave his old friend a wink.
From the devious look that appeared in Ianto's eyes Sam knew that his friend had immediately caught on to what he was doing and was more than willing to play along. "I've never told anyone before, but I have to admit that Hawkeye is rather easy on the eyes." Ianto fought back the urge to smile at Jack's low growl.
Never one to miss the chance to bug Jack, or anyone on the team for that matter, Owen didn't bother hide his grin as he joined the game. "Really, Tea-Boy? And here I thought given your taste in men that Iron Man and Captain America would be the ones you'd be drooling over."
Jack tensed and his scowl grew even darker as he saw the thoughtful look that appeared in Ianto's eyes. Reaching out he abruptly snagged Ianto by the collar and dragged him into a deep kiss, doing everything he could to wipe the idea of the Avengers from his beloved Welshman's mind. 'Ianto is his and his alone.'
Dean had to admit that Jack had a damn good way of getting Ianto to stop talking about the Avengers. 'I can't believe I'm going to take advice from Captain Horny-Dog there.' Stalking forward he grabbed Sam by the shirt and dragged him into a possessives and claiming kiss.
Tosh giggled, clearly enjoying the show. "I think Ianto would look good with Captain America or Hawkeye and I think Sammy would be a good fit with that dish known as Thor."
Pulling away from Ianto's tempting mouth for just a moment, Jack sent Tosh his best pout. "Oh, my sweet Tosh, how you wound me."
Castiel had a thoughtful look on his face. "I have to admit that the idea of Sam and Thor is not as unpleasant as I thought it would be." In fact, the angel was rather enjoying the image of his young lover wrapped around the blond God of Thunder.
Dean broke away from kissing Sam to glare at Castiel. "See, this is exactly why we are not working with them. Besides, I don't trust them; they're far too pretty not to be demons in disguise."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "As fun as it is to watch this alpha male show while we all drown in testosterone, I'd like to point out that we have a bigger problem than Dean and Harkness feeling threatened. With us mortals feeling only the darker emotions, you can bet your ass that those bloody demons will be out in full force making all kinds of deals." Bobby pointed out, succinctly bringing the conversation back on topic. "And how long will we stay unaffected?"
Forgiven for his earlier mistake, Balthazar chose that moment to speak up from his favourite spot, curled around Gareth. "The reason Castiel and I brought you all here was because the Rift should be able to protect you all from the loss of hope, at least for a while."
Sam shifted, making himself more comfortable against Dean when it became clear his brother wasn't letting him go. "We need something to hope in and right now the Avengers are our best chance. They've been saving the world for years so they obviously know what they're doing, and people look up to them as a symbol of all that is good in this world. Plus, they have Captain America on their side; seriously, he's the absolute living symbol of hope. I think... no, I know we need them."
"Damn it, Sammy, I hate it when you make sense!" Dean grumbled under his breath as he realised that Sam was indeed right. "Two things though; first off, how do we know that they haven't been affected by the loss of hope? Cause I'm telling you right now that I'm not looking to forward to facing an enraged and dark Hulk! Secondly, how the hell are we going to get in contact with them? Cause I seriously doubt any of us have them on speed dial!"
Everyone had to admit that Dean had a point, well, everyone that is but Bobby. "Actually..." the older hunter drawled out slowly, waiting until all eyes had flown to him.
Dean shook his head in vehement denial. "There's no way you're convincing me that you have the Avengers on speed dial." Even though Bobby had connections everywhere, surely not even he could have an Avenger in his hunter's network.
Bobby nodded his head. "You're right, I don't." A smug look appeared on Dean's face before Bobby's next words wiped it right off, "but their handler is a former hunter, maybe you've heard of him, Phil Coulson?"
Those who weren't hunters had no clue who Phil Coulson was, but the hunters on the other hand could only stare at Bobby with their mouths hanging open in awe. "There's no way you know where the Phil Coulson is." Dean just shook his head numbly. "There's no way you know Phil Coulson."
Jack tried to frown and raise an eyebrow at the same time and Ianto was forced to hide his laughter at the comical look on Jack's face when the man turned his gaze onto him. "Who the hell is Phil Coulson?" he asked in his best Captain's tone.
Ianto smiled slightly as he was filled with fond memories, "The man who taught me everything I know; he's truly a legend among hunters."
Dean smiled. "You know I almost pity those Avengers. Almost." He knew that if anyone could keep the Avengers in line it would be Coulson.
*****
Nick Fury clenched his jaw to the point of pain as he watched almost all his SHIELD agents squabbling like spoiled children, before casting a glance at the man standing calmly at his side. "You really think they'll be willing to help?"
Coulson smiled tightly. "I suspect there may be a few problems at first but I know that neither Torchwood nor the others would ever put their pride over the safety of others. Plus, I think Dean would rather enjoy getting to boss the Avengers around."
Nick Fury was one of the three people in SHIELD who knew of Phil's past as a hunter, the other two were of course, Clint and Natasha. Fury crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, bring them in, but make it clear that I will shoot any of them if they get out of line."
Phil nodded his head, knowing his boss was serious about his threat, Fury wasn't fond of UNIT or Torchwood, except for Ianto Jones and Toshiko Sato, who he'd considered more than once stealing from Torchwood. "I'll make sure they are on their best behaviour." Despite his brave words, Coulson knew that he was going to have a huge headache before this was over.
*****
In the TARDIS
The Doctor, with Donna's help, had gotten Marion settled in one of the TARDIS' many bedrooms and if sensing her Time Lord's reluctance to leave Marion alone, the TARDIS put up Marion's room on one of her monitors. Every once in a while he would glance at it as he worked, but the view never changed. Lulled by the gentle lullaby of the TARDIS, Marion lay sleeping in the warm comfort of her bed.
Whenever he looked up at the monitor, Donna saw a softness in the Doctor's eyes that was rarely visible. "Who is she to you?" She asked softly, not wanting to be too nosey. There was clearly a very strong connection between this young woman and the Time Lord that she wanted to understand.
The Doctor chanced another glance at Marion's slumbering form before looking at the woman who was rapidly becoming his best friend. "For a year I was held prisoner, forced to watch a madman destroy a world before my very eyes. That young woman was the only reason I kept my sanity; she visited me every chance she could. She literally saved me." The Doctor recalled the many times when Marion would come to comfort him and buoy his spirits, always when he needed hope the most during the Master's rule of the Earth.
Donna shook her head, a knowing smile on her face. 'I think there's more to this story, but at least I know he won't always be alone.' The fiery redhead knew the Doctor was no good on his own; he needed a companion to keep the loneliness at bay and there was no doubt in Donna's mind that Marion would be around for a very long time. 'I'm glad he'll be with someone after I'm gone.' As much as Donna loved travelling with the Doctor and the TARDIS, she knew the cold hard facts of her situation; she was human and someday she would have to leave the Doctor and once again the Time Lord would be on his own.
The TARDIS hummed in approval of Donna's thoughts and it pained her to see what the future held in store for the brash redhead. However, she had a plan, and other than needing a few tweaks here and there, her plan was taking shape; the brilliant creature was going to ensure that Donna did not lose her potential and still had a bright future ahead of her.
Unaware of what Donna and his ship were plotting, the Doctor was studying the horrors and atrocities that were happening on Earth; it didn't look good that humanity fallen so rapidly and drastically into chaos and destruction. "What we need is something or someone who can and will inspire hope no matter what until we can figure out a way actually to bring back the Spirit of Hope," the Doctor mumbled under his breath.
"There is a group of heroes who may be able to help." Marion spoke up from behind them.
Whirling around, the Doctor's worried gaze fell on Marion; she still looked shaken but she was no longer as pale as when she first arrived. "What are you doing out of bed?" the Doctor demanded as he quickly crossed the distance between them. Grabbing her arm, the Time Lord gently but firmly dragged her over to the jump seat and sat her down. He pulled the shawl that had suddenly appeared on its back around her shoulders. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? What can we do to help you?"
"Oi! Space man!" Donna barked. "Shut it!" With one push, she shoved the Doctor off the seat and took his place. Taking Marion's hand in hers, Donna looked at the stricken angel sympathetically. "Never mind him, love, he never knows when to stop."
Marion rolled her eyes in a way very similar to Ianto as she smiled fondly at the Doctor. "I'm fine," she saw the look in the Doctor's eyes and amended her statement. "I'm much better now. The Spirit of Hope was right when she said that the TARDIS would keep me safe. The only drawback to that is I can't leave her, so the two of you will need to talk to the others."
Donna rolled her eyes as she saw the protective look on the Doctor's face before waving him out of the way. "Who’re these heroes you were talking about?"
As she watched Donna boss the Doctor around, Marion just knew that she was going to love the brash redhead; it did her heart good to see that the Doctor had someone travelling with him who could keep him in line and didn't see him as anything but a buddy. She looked over and nodded approvingly at the Doctor, who'd plopped down cross-legged on the floor at their feet and was listening with rapt attention. "Not too long ago Earth was invaded by a group of aliens lead by the Norse God Loki and they tried to take over New York City. Even though they did their best, nothing UNIT and Torchwood did was effective against them, so a new group of heroes step forward and saved the day. They are smart, dashing, and they inspire everyone who sees them, and I believe the Avengers are the best ones to help us." Marion explained her plan. "Plus they have Captain America and that should be more than enough."
"Aahhhh!" the Doctor sing-songed his disappointment when he heard the news.
To the shock of both women, the Time Lord's pouting over this last fact caused Donna to grin snarkily. "Oi, what are you moping about now?"
The Doctor's pout grew and his lower lip stuck out and wobbled a bit. "I missed the Avengers being formed! I've always wanted to meet Captain America!" he whined childishly. "It's not fair!"
"Oh you have got to be kidding me! That's what you're on about?" Donna couldn't believe what she was seeing, the mighty Time Lord, the last of his kind and saviour of countless lives, was pouting like a spoiled child. 'I wish I had my camera; this was to priceless not to have on film!' Donna hoped that the TARDIS had managed to catch that somehow and would give her a copy.
Marion raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean you're willing to help?" she asked with a knowing grin on her face.
The pout faded from the Doctor's face as he grinned brightly at Marion. "Of course I will! I get to meet Captain America!" Leaping to his feet and whirling around, he practically bounced over to the TARDIS' central console; his hands flew over its surface as he began fiddling with all the dials, levers and buttons.
Donna shook her head and mouthed, 'fanboy,' to Marion who giggled softly; for the first time she could feel a small spark of hope building in her chest.
Fandoms: Supernatural/Torchwood/The Avengers/Doctor Who
Pairings/Characters: Dean/Sam/Castiel, Jack/Ianto, Coulson/Clint, Tony/Bruce, Natasha/Pepper, Thor/Loki, Steve/Darcy, Balthazar/Gareth Jones, Bobby, Marion Jones (OFC), Andy/Tosh, Owen/Maria Hill, Nick Fury/Donna Noble, Rhys Williams/Kathy Swanson, Martha Jones, the Doctor
Summary: Greek Mythology says that when Pandora disobeyed the Gods and opened the box, all the world's evil was unleashed but hoped remained inside. Unfortunately, hate found Pandora's Box and destroyed it. Out of his depth, Nick Fury has no choice but to seek help from others who have knowledge of and experience with this kind of stuff. But without hope in the world, it's only a matter of time before humanity falls into chaos.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, the Avengers or Torchwood but I do own Gareth and Marion Jones
Beta: RoyalLadyEmma
Chapter 3
All eyes were on the television as reports of mass suicides and unexplained eruptions of violence poured in from every corner of the world. As he watched the news flash across multiple viewscreens, Jack couldn't help but wonder if this is what Alex had seen when he'd decided to kill himself and the members of his Torchwood Three team on New Year's Eve, 1999. 'I couldn't fault him if he did. A world without hope is a time bomb waiting to go off.'
As if sensing Jack's unhappy thoughts, Ianto crossed the room and wrapped his arms around his lover from behind, pulling him back against his chest. In response, Jack laid his hands over his Welshman's and squeezed. "It will be all right Cariad, we'll figure something out," Ianto whispered into the immortal's ear. He wasn't sure if they actually would or not, but he had faith in Jack, plus they had two angels on their side.
Earlier on, Owen had joined them and they'd sent David to join his family before the medic informed them that Mica seemed to be fine for the time being, but because of her connection to the Spirit of Hope, Owen wasn't sure how long she would remain unaffected. His news, while not what they'd wanted to hear, was nonetheless some of the best of the day.
"We're going to need to find someone who can inspire hope." Ianto spoke suddenly as an idea began to form in his head. The television was showing a group of superheroes based in America while the reporter was explaining how they were dealing with the sudden outbreaks of violence.
Dean did not like Ianto's thoughtful tone of voice or what he was currently looking at on the television screen. "Oh, hell no! There is no freaking way I'm working with a bunch of grown men who prance around wearing tights!" That was a strict rule of his and there was no way he was breaking it for anybody seen in bright coloured spandex.
Jack's eyes narrowed with jealous displeasure as he caught the openly appreciative look in Ianto's eyes. 'I'm not sure if I want Ianto around a bunch of pretty boys dressed in tight outfits. And I most certainly do not want them trying to steal him away once they get a taste of his coffee!' Jack crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I agree with Dean. We do not need a bunch of so-called heroes getting in our way."
Shocked by Jack's admission, Ianto and Sam shared a suspicious look; their lovers actually agreeing on something instead of being at each other's throats should have been a wonderful thing, but coming on the heels of Hope's death, it was actually a little frightening.
Owen hiked his eyebrow. "Really, Captain, are you sure you're not worried that they're gonna out dash you as the hero?" The doctor's gaze then fell to Ianto and a knowing smirk appeared on his face as he drawled out, "Or are you just worried that they might steal Ianto from you?"
Jack said nothing but his scowl grew darker which was answer enough for everyone and Ianto shook his head at Jack's unfounded worry. "You have nothing to worry about, Jack; I have you, why would I need any other hero?"
Castiel also raised a knowing eyebrow as he looked at Dean. "Is that what you are worrying about? Some hero stealing Sam or myself away from you? Because I’ll tell you right now you have nothing to worry about as well."
Surprised that he didn't think of that himself, Sam turned to face his brother and lover, taking note of Dean's shifting eyes and the guilty shuffling of his feet. Dean glanced up and saw everyone looked at him. "What? No! That's just ridiculous. I mean, come on!" he objected loudly. "Please, what hero could compete against me?" Dean snorted at the very idea.
In a loud stage whisper, Owen muttered, "Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" He frowned when he saw that nobody was paying him any attention.
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Well, they do have Captain America." He fought back a smirk as he saw the twitch in his brother's eye. Looking over , he caught Ianto's eye and gave his old friend a wink.
From the devious look that appeared in Ianto's eyes Sam knew that his friend had immediately caught on to what he was doing and was more than willing to play along. "I've never told anyone before, but I have to admit that Hawkeye is rather easy on the eyes." Ianto fought back the urge to smile at Jack's low growl.
Never one to miss the chance to bug Jack, or anyone on the team for that matter, Owen didn't bother hide his grin as he joined the game. "Really, Tea-Boy? And here I thought given your taste in men that Iron Man and Captain America would be the ones you'd be drooling over."
Jack tensed and his scowl grew even darker as he saw the thoughtful look that appeared in Ianto's eyes. Reaching out he abruptly snagged Ianto by the collar and dragged him into a deep kiss, doing everything he could to wipe the idea of the Avengers from his beloved Welshman's mind. 'Ianto is his and his alone.'
Dean had to admit that Jack had a damn good way of getting Ianto to stop talking about the Avengers. 'I can't believe I'm going to take advice from Captain Horny-Dog there.' Stalking forward he grabbed Sam by the shirt and dragged him into a possessives and claiming kiss.
Tosh giggled, clearly enjoying the show. "I think Ianto would look good with Captain America or Hawkeye and I think Sammy would be a good fit with that dish known as Thor."
Pulling away from Ianto's tempting mouth for just a moment, Jack sent Tosh his best pout. "Oh, my sweet Tosh, how you wound me."
Castiel had a thoughtful look on his face. "I have to admit that the idea of Sam and Thor is not as unpleasant as I thought it would be." In fact, the angel was rather enjoying the image of his young lover wrapped around the blond God of Thunder.
Dean broke away from kissing Sam to glare at Castiel. "See, this is exactly why we are not working with them. Besides, I don't trust them; they're far too pretty not to be demons in disguise."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "As fun as it is to watch this alpha male show while we all drown in testosterone, I'd like to point out that we have a bigger problem than Dean and Harkness feeling threatened. With us mortals feeling only the darker emotions, you can bet your ass that those bloody demons will be out in full force making all kinds of deals." Bobby pointed out, succinctly bringing the conversation back on topic. "And how long will we stay unaffected?"
Forgiven for his earlier mistake, Balthazar chose that moment to speak up from his favourite spot, curled around Gareth. "The reason Castiel and I brought you all here was because the Rift should be able to protect you all from the loss of hope, at least for a while."
Sam shifted, making himself more comfortable against Dean when it became clear his brother wasn't letting him go. "We need something to hope in and right now the Avengers are our best chance. They've been saving the world for years so they obviously know what they're doing, and people look up to them as a symbol of all that is good in this world. Plus, they have Captain America on their side; seriously, he's the absolute living symbol of hope. I think... no, I know we need them."
"Damn it, Sammy, I hate it when you make sense!" Dean grumbled under his breath as he realised that Sam was indeed right. "Two things though; first off, how do we know that they haven't been affected by the loss of hope? Cause I'm telling you right now that I'm not looking to forward to facing an enraged and dark Hulk! Secondly, how the hell are we going to get in contact with them? Cause I seriously doubt any of us have them on speed dial!"
Everyone had to admit that Dean had a point, well, everyone that is but Bobby. "Actually..." the older hunter drawled out slowly, waiting until all eyes had flown to him.
Dean shook his head in vehement denial. "There's no way you're convincing me that you have the Avengers on speed dial." Even though Bobby had connections everywhere, surely not even he could have an Avenger in his hunter's network.
Bobby nodded his head. "You're right, I don't." A smug look appeared on Dean's face before Bobby's next words wiped it right off, "but their handler is a former hunter, maybe you've heard of him, Phil Coulson?"
Those who weren't hunters had no clue who Phil Coulson was, but the hunters on the other hand could only stare at Bobby with their mouths hanging open in awe. "There's no way you know where the Phil Coulson is." Dean just shook his head numbly. "There's no way you know Phil Coulson."
Jack tried to frown and raise an eyebrow at the same time and Ianto was forced to hide his laughter at the comical look on Jack's face when the man turned his gaze onto him. "Who the hell is Phil Coulson?" he asked in his best Captain's tone.
Ianto smiled slightly as he was filled with fond memories, "The man who taught me everything I know; he's truly a legend among hunters."
Dean smiled. "You know I almost pity those Avengers. Almost." He knew that if anyone could keep the Avengers in line it would be Coulson.
*****
Nick Fury clenched his jaw to the point of pain as he watched almost all his SHIELD agents squabbling like spoiled children, before casting a glance at the man standing calmly at his side. "You really think they'll be willing to help?"
Coulson smiled tightly. "I suspect there may be a few problems at first but I know that neither Torchwood nor the others would ever put their pride over the safety of others. Plus, I think Dean would rather enjoy getting to boss the Avengers around."
Nick Fury was one of the three people in SHIELD who knew of Phil's past as a hunter, the other two were of course, Clint and Natasha. Fury crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, bring them in, but make it clear that I will shoot any of them if they get out of line."
Phil nodded his head, knowing his boss was serious about his threat, Fury wasn't fond of UNIT or Torchwood, except for Ianto Jones and Toshiko Sato, who he'd considered more than once stealing from Torchwood. "I'll make sure they are on their best behaviour." Despite his brave words, Coulson knew that he was going to have a huge headache before this was over.
*****
In the TARDIS
The Doctor, with Donna's help, had gotten Marion settled in one of the TARDIS' many bedrooms and if sensing her Time Lord's reluctance to leave Marion alone, the TARDIS put up Marion's room on one of her monitors. Every once in a while he would glance at it as he worked, but the view never changed. Lulled by the gentle lullaby of the TARDIS, Marion lay sleeping in the warm comfort of her bed.
Whenever he looked up at the monitor, Donna saw a softness in the Doctor's eyes that was rarely visible. "Who is she to you?" She asked softly, not wanting to be too nosey. There was clearly a very strong connection between this young woman and the Time Lord that she wanted to understand.
The Doctor chanced another glance at Marion's slumbering form before looking at the woman who was rapidly becoming his best friend. "For a year I was held prisoner, forced to watch a madman destroy a world before my very eyes. That young woman was the only reason I kept my sanity; she visited me every chance she could. She literally saved me." The Doctor recalled the many times when Marion would come to comfort him and buoy his spirits, always when he needed hope the most during the Master's rule of the Earth.
Donna shook her head, a knowing smile on her face. 'I think there's more to this story, but at least I know he won't always be alone.' The fiery redhead knew the Doctor was no good on his own; he needed a companion to keep the loneliness at bay and there was no doubt in Donna's mind that Marion would be around for a very long time. 'I'm glad he'll be with someone after I'm gone.' As much as Donna loved travelling with the Doctor and the TARDIS, she knew the cold hard facts of her situation; she was human and someday she would have to leave the Doctor and once again the Time Lord would be on his own.
The TARDIS hummed in approval of Donna's thoughts and it pained her to see what the future held in store for the brash redhead. However, she had a plan, and other than needing a few tweaks here and there, her plan was taking shape; the brilliant creature was going to ensure that Donna did not lose her potential and still had a bright future ahead of her.
Unaware of what Donna and his ship were plotting, the Doctor was studying the horrors and atrocities that were happening on Earth; it didn't look good that humanity fallen so rapidly and drastically into chaos and destruction. "What we need is something or someone who can and will inspire hope no matter what until we can figure out a way actually to bring back the Spirit of Hope," the Doctor mumbled under his breath.
"There is a group of heroes who may be able to help." Marion spoke up from behind them.
Whirling around, the Doctor's worried gaze fell on Marion; she still looked shaken but she was no longer as pale as when she first arrived. "What are you doing out of bed?" the Doctor demanded as he quickly crossed the distance between them. Grabbing her arm, the Time Lord gently but firmly dragged her over to the jump seat and sat her down. He pulled the shawl that had suddenly appeared on its back around her shoulders. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? What can we do to help you?"
"Oi! Space man!" Donna barked. "Shut it!" With one push, she shoved the Doctor off the seat and took his place. Taking Marion's hand in hers, Donna looked at the stricken angel sympathetically. "Never mind him, love, he never knows when to stop."
Marion rolled her eyes in a way very similar to Ianto as she smiled fondly at the Doctor. "I'm fine," she saw the look in the Doctor's eyes and amended her statement. "I'm much better now. The Spirit of Hope was right when she said that the TARDIS would keep me safe. The only drawback to that is I can't leave her, so the two of you will need to talk to the others."
Donna rolled her eyes as she saw the protective look on the Doctor's face before waving him out of the way. "Who’re these heroes you were talking about?"
As she watched Donna boss the Doctor around, Marion just knew that she was going to love the brash redhead; it did her heart good to see that the Doctor had someone travelling with him who could keep him in line and didn't see him as anything but a buddy. She looked over and nodded approvingly at the Doctor, who'd plopped down cross-legged on the floor at their feet and was listening with rapt attention. "Not too long ago Earth was invaded by a group of aliens lead by the Norse God Loki and they tried to take over New York City. Even though they did their best, nothing UNIT and Torchwood did was effective against them, so a new group of heroes step forward and saved the day. They are smart, dashing, and they inspire everyone who sees them, and I believe the Avengers are the best ones to help us." Marion explained her plan. "Plus they have Captain America and that should be more than enough."
"Aahhhh!" the Doctor sing-songed his disappointment when he heard the news.
To the shock of both women, the Time Lord's pouting over this last fact caused Donna to grin snarkily. "Oi, what are you moping about now?"
The Doctor's pout grew and his lower lip stuck out and wobbled a bit. "I missed the Avengers being formed! I've always wanted to meet Captain America!" he whined childishly. "It's not fair!"
"Oh you have got to be kidding me! That's what you're on about?" Donna couldn't believe what she was seeing, the mighty Time Lord, the last of his kind and saviour of countless lives, was pouting like a spoiled child. 'I wish I had my camera; this was to priceless not to have on film!' Donna hoped that the TARDIS had managed to catch that somehow and would give her a copy.
Marion raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean you're willing to help?" she asked with a knowing grin on her face.
The pout faded from the Doctor's face as he grinned brightly at Marion. "Of course I will! I get to meet Captain America!" Leaping to his feet and whirling around, he practically bounced over to the TARDIS' central console; his hands flew over its surface as he began fiddling with all the dials, levers and buttons.
Donna shook her head and mouthed, 'fanboy,' to Marion who giggled softly; for the first time she could feel a small spark of hope building in her chest.