In the Dark 13/?
Jack had drifted off to sleep on the couch in his office when his mobile rang.
Picking it up, he murmured, “Hello.”
“Jack,”
Hearing the voice of Jackie Tyler startled Jack out of his sleep, “Jackie? What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Is Rose okay?”
“Shhh” she said to him. “No it’s not Rose but I’m not sure everything is okay.”
He looked at the time. “Jackie it’s 3 am. What’s going on?”
She sighed in the phone. “He showed up here tonight.”
Jack frowned, “Who? The Doctor?”
“Yeah. He was demanding to see Rose”
“You didn’t tell him where she was did you?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer but he had to be sure.
“Of course not” Jackie scoffed.
“Good” Jack replied feeling relieved. “I’m probably next on his list of people to ask.”
“That’s why I called you. Do you think I should let Rose know?” Jackie asked sounding worried.
Jack turned his head to a familiar noise. “No, let me talk to him and see what is going on. There’s no need to worry her yet.”
He closed his phone and stepped out of his office.
The Doctor was standing outside the Tardis, looking around the darkness of the Hub.
“Captain” he greeted solemnly.
“Doctor” Jack returned. “Didn’t expect to see you back around.”
The Doctor ignored him. “Where’s Rose?”
Jack shook his head as he came down the stairs.
“I need to talk to her” The Doctor said letting the desperation creep into his voice.
“Sorry Doc, but I can’t let that happen.” Jack answered as he came to stand in front of the Timelord.
“I went back to the planet and figured out what happened. It was all a set up by someone who knew about Rose and about me.” The Doctor explained.
Jack narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. “So they were waiting on you?” The Doctor nodded.
“When I escaped from there, I threw a spanner in their plans and whoever this mystery man was went a bit mad and leveled the place.”
“He may have come here looking for Rose” Jack finished for him.
“And my son.” The Doctor added.
Jack nodded. This really wasn’t good. Turning to Tosh’s workstation he pulled out the piece of paper they had found at the wrecksite.
“What do you make of this Doc?” Jack asked as he handed it to him.
Slipping his glasses on, the Doctor opened it and looked closely. He caught his breath.
“Where did you find this?” he asked in a low voice.
“There was a wrecked space craft that we never seen before not too far from Cambridge. It had been there for a couple years or so.” Jack explained. “It’s Gallifreyan isn’t it?”
The Doctor nodded slowly. “They all died Jack” his voice was hoarse.
“Well, maybe, someone made it and has a bit of a grudge against you?” Jack suggested.
“I need to find Rose” the Doctor said.
The two men stared at each other waiting to see who would back down.
“I’m sorry Doctor” Jack shook his head stepping back. “Look, I’ll get in touch with her and see if she is willing.”
Seeing this was the best that he would get, the Doctor found himself agreeing to it. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late.
Jack disappeared into his office and flipped open his mobile. As he heard it ring he watched the Doctor wander around the Hub.
*****
Harry Saxon stared at the woman before him. Rose Tyler lay on his couch, having fallen asleep during a movie. Her swollen stomach made him smile. Tentatively reaching to her temple, he skimmed over her memories. This was what he really enjoyed. He had to be careful to not dip so far into her mind that he touched the link the Doctor had formed. Doing so would reactivate it when he had gone to such pains to keep it quiet. From time to time he could feel either Rose or the Doctor pick at it, trying to reopen it, but he firmly closed down around it, blocking their attempts. It had taken years of practice to know how to tip toe around in the human brain and Lucy had been a more than willing participant in his study of it.
Lucy had wanted to give him everything she could but when she realised she could never bear him a child she had become despondent. It worsened when she realised he found a human that could. In the end, her choice to end her life had worked out for the best. Having a living wife would have interfered with his plans to get Rose closer to him.
He thought he had lost his chance on Ralcon 8 when the Doctor escaped and took Rose with him. The scientists there had been very useful in helping him tear down the Doctor’s defences. The plan had been to tear him down, let him loose on Rose, and then let the guilt tear him apart from the inside. He had not quite decided if he would just outright kill the Doctor afterward or let him watch Rose ripen with his child. From there he could have decided to raise the child as his own and turn it into the sort of Timelord he knew the Doctor could be or just be done with it. Either way would have caused the Doctor farther anguish. The beautiful part was Rose would have been his.
Oh what a find Rose Tyler had been. Humans weren’t genetically compatible, but the Bad Wolf had changed her DNA just enough to make it possible. It was even sweeter that the Doctor was so foolishly in love with her.
He let out a sigh as her memories came to the surface. For months, he had been dating her but always kept a great deal of distance physically between them. He had sensed she was a bit unsure of a physical relationship and that was fine with him for now. What he enjoyed were her memories of those terrible two weeks in the Tardis. The Doctor had made him proud. It was the sort of violence and cruelty he had known his old friend was capable of but always so unwilling to give in too.
Rose whimpered as the memories integrated themselves into her dreams turning them into nightmares. He was always so careful to leave her on a peaceful note so the nightmare didn’t stay with her. Slipping out of her mind again, he sat back and looked at her. In two weeks she would give birth and the Master could show her a new level of pain and fear, as he fathered a new race of Timelords with her.
******
The ringing of her mobile sounded from the table as she slept on the couch at Harry’s. It was 3:30am and she had fallen asleep on another date. She almost felt guilty for it but he seemed so understanding. Rose was nearly full term and it was taking a toll on her body.
Harry was supportive and kind to her. He was pleased about the baby, which was a bit odd Rose thought, but since his wife and he weren’t able to have children it made sense that he would be happy. He had treated her like a queen and after four months he had not moved beyond a chaste kiss. He had been the perfect gentleman. Even Jackie seemed to warm to him. The problem was Rose didn’t love him.
Seeing it was Jack calling, Rose smiled as she answered the phone, “Bit late isn’t it Jack?” She looked around the room, deciding Harry must have left her to rest and gone to bed himself.
“Rose,” he said hesitantly almost like he didn’t expect her to answer.
Hearing the tone in his voice, she sat up becoming more concerned, “Jack is everything okay?”
“Well that depends on what you define as okay.” Jack answered cryptically.
“What do you mean what I define as okay?” Rose asked letting the frustration creep in to her voice.
Jack sighed. “Rose is everything okay?”
Rose chewed her lip. She had not been very open about her dating with Jack or the other members of Torchwood. It was something she did to pass the time really and it took her mind off of events. Harry was recovering from the death of his wife and Rose was feeling at a loss too. They gave each other something to do with their free time she felt.
“Yeah” she answered.
“Good” Jack replied and she could hear the relief in his voice.
Jack stood watching the Doctor in the Hub still. “Is the baby okay?”
Rose smiled as she rubbed her stomach. “Yeah it is.” Owen had told her when she went into labour she was to call them right away. She could go to the local hospital and Torchwood would come in and take charge therefore protecting her and the baby.
“Good” Jack said again. There was something to his voice still.
“Jack what’s wrong?”
He hesitated. “The Doctor’s here, Rose.” Came the soft answer.
Rose gasped. Her heart started to beat faster and the baby decided to start to kick.
“Why?” she blurted out.
“He found out what happened on that planet, Rose. He thinks there is another Timelord behind it who could be here on Earth right now.”
“Oh.” Rose replied unsure of what to say to that.
“Yeah ‘Oh’” Jack responded. “You and the baby are in danger.”
Looking around the room, fear started to set in. “What should I do?”
“Stay put. We’ll come in the Tardis to get you.” Jack answered as he opened his office door to walk down the stairs.
Rose felt panic starting to set in. “Jack I don’t know if that is such a good idea.”
“Rose, I know it’s not been easy for you but you are in serious danger.” He said more forcefully as he made it to the Hub floor.
The Doctor stood in front of him, watching expectantly. Jack gave him a look that said it wasn’t going well.
“Jack, I’m not at home but I’m safe. How about I come to Cardiff tomorrow?” Rose suggested as she stood. The last thing she wanted was to see the Doctor here of all places.
“Rose, don’t be like that.” Jack admonished her. “Whoever it is knows who you are and most likely knows where you are too.”
“Well, I just won’t go back home?” Rose suggested. “I might be able to get a train to Cardiff in a bit right?”
Jack turned away from the steady stare of the Timelord. “Rose, where are you?”
“Jack” she exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t think I can face him right now.” She said ignoring his question as she stood up and walked towards the front door.
“Rose, I can understand that but I don’t think you understand the amount of danger you are in right now.” Jack answered letting his own fear start to show through.
Footsteps came from behind Jack and the mobile was plucked out of his hand.
The Doctor turned quickly away from Jack, bringing the phone to his ear.
“Rose, please tell me where you are. There really isn’t time to waste.” He said to her.
“Doctor” a man’s voice answered.
The Doctor stilled, and a cold hand gripped his hearts. “Who is this?”
Hearing the tone of his voice, Jack stood in front of him, eyes wide.
“Oh after all this time you still forget me! I should be hurt”
The Doctor gripped the phone tightly. “What have you done with her?”
“Tsk tsk. Do you want me to spoil the surprise for you so soon?”
“Where is she?” the Doctor repeated.
“You will find us soon enough I’m sure.” The call went dead.
“Who was it?” Jack asked worry written on his face.
The Doctor shook his head. “I couldn’t tell. He had his mind too heavily shielded.”
“Where is she?” The Doctor asked as he walked to the Tardis.
“Cambridge” Jack answered following him.
*********
“Harry, what is going on?” Rose asked after he closed her mobile and pocketed it in his suit jacket.
He smiled at her and handed her coat to her. “We are going to take a little trip.”
“You know the Doctor?” Rose asked, stepping back from him.
Harry smiled. “We go way back. Old school chums you could say.”
“You’re a Timelord,” Rose answered for him.
“How astute of you”
“But they all died in the Time War,” Rose said stepping back from him.
“Rose, you are going to find that your dear Doctor doesn’t know as much as he likes to pretend.
********
Picking it up, he murmured, “Hello.”
“Jack,”
Hearing the voice of Jackie Tyler startled Jack out of his sleep, “Jackie? What’s wrong? Is everything okay? Is Rose okay?”
“Shhh” she said to him. “No it’s not Rose but I’m not sure everything is okay.”
He looked at the time. “Jackie it’s 3 am. What’s going on?”
She sighed in the phone. “He showed up here tonight.”
Jack frowned, “Who? The Doctor?”
“Yeah. He was demanding to see Rose”
“You didn’t tell him where she was did you?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer but he had to be sure.
“Of course not” Jackie scoffed.
“Good” Jack replied feeling relieved. “I’m probably next on his list of people to ask.”
“That’s why I called you. Do you think I should let Rose know?” Jackie asked sounding worried.
Jack turned his head to a familiar noise. “No, let me talk to him and see what is going on. There’s no need to worry her yet.”
He closed his phone and stepped out of his office.
The Doctor was standing outside the Tardis, looking around the darkness of the Hub.
“Captain” he greeted solemnly.
“Doctor” Jack returned. “Didn’t expect to see you back around.”
The Doctor ignored him. “Where’s Rose?”
Jack shook his head as he came down the stairs.
“I need to talk to her” The Doctor said letting the desperation creep into his voice.
“Sorry Doc, but I can’t let that happen.” Jack answered as he came to stand in front of the Timelord.
“I went back to the planet and figured out what happened. It was all a set up by someone who knew about Rose and about me.” The Doctor explained.
Jack narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. “So they were waiting on you?” The Doctor nodded.
“When I escaped from there, I threw a spanner in their plans and whoever this mystery man was went a bit mad and leveled the place.”
“He may have come here looking for Rose” Jack finished for him.
“And my son.” The Doctor added.
Jack nodded. This really wasn’t good. Turning to Tosh’s workstation he pulled out the piece of paper they had found at the wrecksite.
“What do you make of this Doc?” Jack asked as he handed it to him.
Slipping his glasses on, the Doctor opened it and looked closely. He caught his breath.
“Where did you find this?” he asked in a low voice.
“There was a wrecked space craft that we never seen before not too far from Cambridge. It had been there for a couple years or so.” Jack explained. “It’s Gallifreyan isn’t it?”
The Doctor nodded slowly. “They all died Jack” his voice was hoarse.
“Well, maybe, someone made it and has a bit of a grudge against you?” Jack suggested.
“I need to find Rose” the Doctor said.
The two men stared at each other waiting to see who would back down.
“I’m sorry Doctor” Jack shook his head stepping back. “Look, I’ll get in touch with her and see if she is willing.”
Seeing this was the best that he would get, the Doctor found himself agreeing to it. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late.
Jack disappeared into his office and flipped open his mobile. As he heard it ring he watched the Doctor wander around the Hub.
*****
Harry Saxon stared at the woman before him. Rose Tyler lay on his couch, having fallen asleep during a movie. Her swollen stomach made him smile. Tentatively reaching to her temple, he skimmed over her memories. This was what he really enjoyed. He had to be careful to not dip so far into her mind that he touched the link the Doctor had formed. Doing so would reactivate it when he had gone to such pains to keep it quiet. From time to time he could feel either Rose or the Doctor pick at it, trying to reopen it, but he firmly closed down around it, blocking their attempts. It had taken years of practice to know how to tip toe around in the human brain and Lucy had been a more than willing participant in his study of it.
Lucy had wanted to give him everything she could but when she realised she could never bear him a child she had become despondent. It worsened when she realised he found a human that could. In the end, her choice to end her life had worked out for the best. Having a living wife would have interfered with his plans to get Rose closer to him.
He thought he had lost his chance on Ralcon 8 when the Doctor escaped and took Rose with him. The scientists there had been very useful in helping him tear down the Doctor’s defences. The plan had been to tear him down, let him loose on Rose, and then let the guilt tear him apart from the inside. He had not quite decided if he would just outright kill the Doctor afterward or let him watch Rose ripen with his child. From there he could have decided to raise the child as his own and turn it into the sort of Timelord he knew the Doctor could be or just be done with it. Either way would have caused the Doctor farther anguish. The beautiful part was Rose would have been his.
Oh what a find Rose Tyler had been. Humans weren’t genetically compatible, but the Bad Wolf had changed her DNA just enough to make it possible. It was even sweeter that the Doctor was so foolishly in love with her.
He let out a sigh as her memories came to the surface. For months, he had been dating her but always kept a great deal of distance physically between them. He had sensed she was a bit unsure of a physical relationship and that was fine with him for now. What he enjoyed were her memories of those terrible two weeks in the Tardis. The Doctor had made him proud. It was the sort of violence and cruelty he had known his old friend was capable of but always so unwilling to give in too.
Rose whimpered as the memories integrated themselves into her dreams turning them into nightmares. He was always so careful to leave her on a peaceful note so the nightmare didn’t stay with her. Slipping out of her mind again, he sat back and looked at her. In two weeks she would give birth and the Master could show her a new level of pain and fear, as he fathered a new race of Timelords with her.
******
The ringing of her mobile sounded from the table as she slept on the couch at Harry’s. It was 3:30am and she had fallen asleep on another date. She almost felt guilty for it but he seemed so understanding. Rose was nearly full term and it was taking a toll on her body.
Harry was supportive and kind to her. He was pleased about the baby, which was a bit odd Rose thought, but since his wife and he weren’t able to have children it made sense that he would be happy. He had treated her like a queen and after four months he had not moved beyond a chaste kiss. He had been the perfect gentleman. Even Jackie seemed to warm to him. The problem was Rose didn’t love him.
Seeing it was Jack calling, Rose smiled as she answered the phone, “Bit late isn’t it Jack?” She looked around the room, deciding Harry must have left her to rest and gone to bed himself.
“Rose,” he said hesitantly almost like he didn’t expect her to answer.
Hearing the tone in his voice, she sat up becoming more concerned, “Jack is everything okay?”
“Well that depends on what you define as okay.” Jack answered cryptically.
“What do you mean what I define as okay?” Rose asked letting the frustration creep in to her voice.
Jack sighed. “Rose is everything okay?”
Rose chewed her lip. She had not been very open about her dating with Jack or the other members of Torchwood. It was something she did to pass the time really and it took her mind off of events. Harry was recovering from the death of his wife and Rose was feeling at a loss too. They gave each other something to do with their free time she felt.
“Yeah” she answered.
“Good” Jack replied and she could hear the relief in his voice.
Jack stood watching the Doctor in the Hub still. “Is the baby okay?”
Rose smiled as she rubbed her stomach. “Yeah it is.” Owen had told her when she went into labour she was to call them right away. She could go to the local hospital and Torchwood would come in and take charge therefore protecting her and the baby.
“Good” Jack said again. There was something to his voice still.
“Jack what’s wrong?”
He hesitated. “The Doctor’s here, Rose.” Came the soft answer.
Rose gasped. Her heart started to beat faster and the baby decided to start to kick.
“Why?” she blurted out.
“He found out what happened on that planet, Rose. He thinks there is another Timelord behind it who could be here on Earth right now.”
“Oh.” Rose replied unsure of what to say to that.
“Yeah ‘Oh’” Jack responded. “You and the baby are in danger.”
Looking around the room, fear started to set in. “What should I do?”
“Stay put. We’ll come in the Tardis to get you.” Jack answered as he opened his office door to walk down the stairs.
Rose felt panic starting to set in. “Jack I don’t know if that is such a good idea.”
“Rose, I know it’s not been easy for you but you are in serious danger.” He said more forcefully as he made it to the Hub floor.
The Doctor stood in front of him, watching expectantly. Jack gave him a look that said it wasn’t going well.
“Jack, I’m not at home but I’m safe. How about I come to Cardiff tomorrow?” Rose suggested as she stood. The last thing she wanted was to see the Doctor here of all places.
“Rose, don’t be like that.” Jack admonished her. “Whoever it is knows who you are and most likely knows where you are too.”
“Well, I just won’t go back home?” Rose suggested. “I might be able to get a train to Cardiff in a bit right?”
Jack turned away from the steady stare of the Timelord. “Rose, where are you?”
“Jack” she exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t think I can face him right now.” She said ignoring his question as she stood up and walked towards the front door.
“Rose, I can understand that but I don’t think you understand the amount of danger you are in right now.” Jack answered letting his own fear start to show through.
Footsteps came from behind Jack and the mobile was plucked out of his hand.
The Doctor turned quickly away from Jack, bringing the phone to his ear.
“Rose, please tell me where you are. There really isn’t time to waste.” He said to her.
“Doctor” a man’s voice answered.
The Doctor stilled, and a cold hand gripped his hearts. “Who is this?”
Hearing the tone of his voice, Jack stood in front of him, eyes wide.
“Oh after all this time you still forget me! I should be hurt”
The Doctor gripped the phone tightly. “What have you done with her?”
“Tsk tsk. Do you want me to spoil the surprise for you so soon?”
“Where is she?” the Doctor repeated.
“You will find us soon enough I’m sure.” The call went dead.
“Who was it?” Jack asked worry written on his face.
The Doctor shook his head. “I couldn’t tell. He had his mind too heavily shielded.”
“Where is she?” The Doctor asked as he walked to the Tardis.
“Cambridge” Jack answered following him.
*********
“Harry, what is going on?” Rose asked after he closed her mobile and pocketed it in his suit jacket.
He smiled at her and handed her coat to her. “We are going to take a little trip.”
“You know the Doctor?” Rose asked, stepping back from him.
Harry smiled. “We go way back. Old school chums you could say.”
“You’re a Timelord,” Rose answered for him.
“How astute of you”
“But they all died in the Time War,” Rose said stepping back from him.
“Rose, you are going to find that your dear Doctor doesn’t know as much as he likes to pretend.
********