In the Dark 6/?
Time to deal with the other problem he had. He rose out of bed and dressed quietly, his eyes on Rose. Her hair lay around her like a golden halo. He sighed. There was so much he had kept from her. In over 900 years, there were going to be parts of his life that he didn’t share or think to share with her, but there were more and more secrets that were coming up just between them.
Satellite 5 was one. Jack was another. Now this.
He closed her door and soniced it shut. The last thing the Doctor wanted was Rose interrupting his chat with Jack.
Following his sense that something was just off, he walked to the library to find the Captain reclined in the chair by the fire, cradling a glass in his hand.
“Doctor,” Jack said raising his glass to him.
“Captain,” he returned neutrally. He crossed the room and took the seat opposite him.
For a long moment, Jack regarded the Doctor. “What happened?” he asked softly.
With a sigh, the Doctor leaned back in the chair looking towards the ceiling.
“Which time?”
Jack smiled. “Start at the beginning” he shrugged.
“Weeelll,” the Doctor said, “Satellite 5, you remember being shot by the Daleks, then waking up, right?”
Jack nodded. This wasn't what Jack had in mind but, if the Doctor was going to volunteer information, he would listen.
“I had sent Rose home in the Tardis, but, instead, she tore open the console and looked into the heart of the Tardis, absorbing the Time Vortex, bringing you back to life, destroying the Daleks, and regenerating me.” The Doctor said with a flourish.
Jack opened his mouth to speak but closed it, unsure just what to say. Instead he took a long drink from his glass. The Doctor regarded him with an appraising look.
“Does she know?” he asked finally.
The Doctor shook his head. “She only remembers lights and singing.” He frowned. “She never really did question it.”
Jack looked down into his glass. “Why would she question you?” He asked finally looking up.
“True,” the Doctor agreed.
“I mean, look at tonight” Jack continued, leaning forward in his chair. “Just followed right along.”
There was something in the other man’s voice that the Doctor picked up on.
“You think I did that to her?” the Doctor asked sounding amused.
Jack shrugged. “You know, Rose though. She’s going to demand answers soon.”
The Doctor looked towards the fire. “She already is.”
“So what happened?” Jack repeated.
He shook his head slowly. “I wanted to take her to Ralcon 8.”
Jack nodded, “Nice place, been there a time or two myself.”
“Yeah,” the Doctor agreed, “There wasn’t a resort there though. I don’t know what went wrong and the Tardis can’t tell me either.”
“Can’t or won’t” Jack interrupted.
“Can’t. Its like her memory banks were wiped of it.” He stood up and walked to the bar he kept in the library and poured himself a glass of the wine Jack had been drinking.
Leaning back against the bar, he swirled the red liquid in the glass, staring at it.
“I don’t remember what happened. There is simply nothing there from the time we stepped out the doors until we walked back in them.” He said finally.
Jack lowered his eyes to the ground, taking it in. “What about Rose?”
“She remembered being there for four days and being locked in a cell alone.” He shrugged. “The Tardis confirmed it was four days, but I couldn’t tell you what happened to me.”
He sat back down in the chair. “I could tell something was off” he continued. “I was so much more aware of her suddenly.” The Doctor ran his hand over his forehead. Already he could feel another cycle starting up.
Jack noticed the way the hand holding the glass shook.
“Whatever was wrong with me was affecting the Tardis too because she let me right into Rose’s room.” He drained the glass and leaned back in the chair. His eyes had that far away look. Rose had used the sonic screwdriver to seal herself in at the Doctor's insistence, but in the end it didn't matter, as the Tardis was just as affected as the Doctor had been.
“Did Rose put up a fight?” Jack asked, dreading the answer.
When the Doctor looked at him, the look in his eyes froze Jack’s blood. Jack swallowed.
“How bad?” he asked finally.
The Doctor just shook his head, refusing to answer. He still had not fully come to grip with what happened.
For a time neither man spoke.
“The thing is,” the Doctor said breaking the silence, “it should have stopped by now. It was a response to Rose’s hormone levels and they have leveled out.”
“Was it just Rose this happened with then?”
“Yes.” The Doctor answered. Another long pause followed.
“She told me she would forgive me anything.” He said his voice heavy with doubt.
Jack heard the heartbreak in his voice. “And she will, cause its Rose.” He said with a certainty that the Doctor didn’t feel.
Satellite 5 was one. Jack was another. Now this.
He closed her door and soniced it shut. The last thing the Doctor wanted was Rose interrupting his chat with Jack.
Following his sense that something was just off, he walked to the library to find the Captain reclined in the chair by the fire, cradling a glass in his hand.
“Doctor,” Jack said raising his glass to him.
“Captain,” he returned neutrally. He crossed the room and took the seat opposite him.
For a long moment, Jack regarded the Doctor. “What happened?” he asked softly.
With a sigh, the Doctor leaned back in the chair looking towards the ceiling.
“Which time?”
Jack smiled. “Start at the beginning” he shrugged.
“Weeelll,” the Doctor said, “Satellite 5, you remember being shot by the Daleks, then waking up, right?”
Jack nodded. This wasn't what Jack had in mind but, if the Doctor was going to volunteer information, he would listen.
“I had sent Rose home in the Tardis, but, instead, she tore open the console and looked into the heart of the Tardis, absorbing the Time Vortex, bringing you back to life, destroying the Daleks, and regenerating me.” The Doctor said with a flourish.
Jack opened his mouth to speak but closed it, unsure just what to say. Instead he took a long drink from his glass. The Doctor regarded him with an appraising look.
“Does she know?” he asked finally.
The Doctor shook his head. “She only remembers lights and singing.” He frowned. “She never really did question it.”
Jack looked down into his glass. “Why would she question you?” He asked finally looking up.
“True,” the Doctor agreed.
“I mean, look at tonight” Jack continued, leaning forward in his chair. “Just followed right along.”
There was something in the other man’s voice that the Doctor picked up on.
“You think I did that to her?” the Doctor asked sounding amused.
Jack shrugged. “You know, Rose though. She’s going to demand answers soon.”
The Doctor looked towards the fire. “She already is.”
“So what happened?” Jack repeated.
He shook his head slowly. “I wanted to take her to Ralcon 8.”
Jack nodded, “Nice place, been there a time or two myself.”
“Yeah,” the Doctor agreed, “There wasn’t a resort there though. I don’t know what went wrong and the Tardis can’t tell me either.”
“Can’t or won’t” Jack interrupted.
“Can’t. Its like her memory banks were wiped of it.” He stood up and walked to the bar he kept in the library and poured himself a glass of the wine Jack had been drinking.
Leaning back against the bar, he swirled the red liquid in the glass, staring at it.
“I don’t remember what happened. There is simply nothing there from the time we stepped out the doors until we walked back in them.” He said finally.
Jack lowered his eyes to the ground, taking it in. “What about Rose?”
“She remembered being there for four days and being locked in a cell alone.” He shrugged. “The Tardis confirmed it was four days, but I couldn’t tell you what happened to me.”
He sat back down in the chair. “I could tell something was off” he continued. “I was so much more aware of her suddenly.” The Doctor ran his hand over his forehead. Already he could feel another cycle starting up.
Jack noticed the way the hand holding the glass shook.
“Whatever was wrong with me was affecting the Tardis too because she let me right into Rose’s room.” He drained the glass and leaned back in the chair. His eyes had that far away look. Rose had used the sonic screwdriver to seal herself in at the Doctor's insistence, but in the end it didn't matter, as the Tardis was just as affected as the Doctor had been.
“Did Rose put up a fight?” Jack asked, dreading the answer.
When the Doctor looked at him, the look in his eyes froze Jack’s blood. Jack swallowed.
“How bad?” he asked finally.
The Doctor just shook his head, refusing to answer. He still had not fully come to grip with what happened.
For a time neither man spoke.
“The thing is,” the Doctor said breaking the silence, “it should have stopped by now. It was a response to Rose’s hormone levels and they have leveled out.”
“Was it just Rose this happened with then?”
“Yes.” The Doctor answered. Another long pause followed.
“She told me she would forgive me anything.” He said his voice heavy with doubt.
Jack heard the heartbreak in his voice. “And she will, cause its Rose.” He said with a certainty that the Doctor didn’t feel.