Title: Insurrection

Author: Lady Rheena

Rating: T (some violence and non-kiddie friendly stuff)

Disclaimer: Not mine. Evidently. No money. Don't sue. Please.

Notes: I am primarily a TNS Who fan and won't try to convince anyone otherwise. Any muff-ups I therefore make with TOS continuity can just be considered part of the AU definition. The Antecedent Series was written midway through TNS season two, and begins just after the events of Tooth and Claw.

Insurrection

Part 1

'Ah, crap.'

Captain Jack Harkness clambered out of the pile of junk and assorted parts he'd appropriated as a very improvised and makeshift timeship, fetching the nearest bulkhead panel a hard kick. He could clearly remember being in more serviceable garbage trawlers. At any rate, now he was stuck in this bemusing and befuddling century so he'd better find a ride of some kind because that heap wasn't going to go anywhere else, and there was nothing in this time period he could use to repair it with, let alone refuel it.

'Now then…' he turned around and flashed a winning smile at the woman standing nearby with a small child holding onto her hand. Ah. Crash witnesses. Oh well, nothing a little of the trademark Jack charm couldn't resolve. 'Morning, ma'am!'

'Are you an alien?' the child asked him matter-of-factly.

'Oh no. Definitely not.' He looked what he assumed to be its mother up and down. Nice curves. 'Definitely not.'

'Then how come you have a spaceship?'

'That's not a spaceship. That's a- ah-' he groped for a suitable mode of alternative transportation for the time period '-that's a Ferrari.'

The child boggled at him so he turned his attention to the woman instead, holding out a hand.

'Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am. I wonder, could you help me out? Got a bit of an awkward land- uh- parking situation here. Am I in London?'

She nodded, eyes still fixed on the wreck.

'Oh, good! And this is 2006?'

Another brainless nod.

'Then do you think you could kindly provide me with directions to the Powell Estate?'

That seemed to bring her out of the stupor and she pointed vaguely.

'Thanks,' he said with another smile, and slinging his jacket over one shoulder strode off. The ambiguity of the route necessitated inquiries with two more pedestrians, but within half an hour he found himself standing in a small square surrounded by medium-rise blocks of flats on three sides. After consultation with a trio of boys playing a ball game he couldn't quite remember the name of, he made for the middle block and ascended the stairs. Then it was a simple matter of number counting until he reached number forty-eight, and rapped on the door. Or was that button a bell? Never mind, the door was opening to reveal a heavily-made up face belonging to a middle-aged woman in a tracksuit.

'Who're you?'

'Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am.' In with the handshake and the winning smile. 'I'm looking for a miss Rose Tyler, is she around?'

He was given a disbelieving look up and down and then her voice abruptly shifted to a bellow.

'Rose! Some bloke at the door for you!'

'Who is it, Mum?' Ah, that was a familiar voice.

'I dunno, some bloke. Looks like a biker.'

'A what?' Rose appeared at the door and her jaw dropped. 'Jack?'

'Rose!' He grinned. 'What, no hug?'

'Oh, god-' she threw her arms around him '-I thought you were dead!'

'You left me for dead,' he pointed out reproachfully.

'Well we thought- I'm sorry-'

'Hey, all forgiven!' He treated her to one of his broadest grins. 'No matter. I got the message and I got here- although getting not here is gonna be a problem so I hope I get a ride! So where is he?'

'He? Message?'

'Probably sent it on the sly, huh? Nice surprise for you!' But her face had fallen. 'Oh, come on, Rose. Where is he? The big guy? The Doctor?'

'Oh my god.'

'I think you'd better come in,' the other woman- Rose's mother?- said to him. 'I'll put the kettle on, shall I love?'

'Thanks, Mum.'

So Jack found himself led into a little apartment, typical early twenty-first century, and sat down on a well-worn couch. Rose seemed strangely reluctant to talk so he found her mother, Jackie, providing a non-stop gabble of nonsensical commentary about how it was a change to meet a nice, polite young man rather than get invaded by monsters, which was more the usual fare, and now she thought of it she remembered Mickey mentioning him when he got back from Cardiff, and he hadn't seemed too impressed but then what did he know, bless him, and would Jack like sugar with his tea?

'Could you give us a minute, Mum?' Rose asked when the steaming cups had been set on the coffee table.

'Sure, love, I'll just go put that washing in the airing cupboard…'

'Rose, what is going on?' Jack demanded once the older woman had quit the room.

'It's the Doctor,' she said quietly.

'So I gathered. What happened, did he ditch you too?'

'No.' She looked away, and when she glanced back there were tears in her eyes. Jack was taken thoroughly aback by this and a little adrift of how to react.

'Whoa, girl. What happened?'

'He's dead,' she said, her voice breaking. 'The Doctor's dead. He was-' then, as if by rote, she was hurriedly rattling off some details about an Institute and a rebel faction and gunshots and a whole bunch of stuff, but Jack didn't hear most of it. Blind rage was clouding his senses.

'When?' he asked as she paused for breath.

'Two months.'

'Two months?' Basic sense penetrated the cloud of fury and he shook his head. 'No, no way. It can't have been that long.'

'Jack, don't-'

'Nobody else could do it! More importantly, nobody else would do it! It doesn't make sense, Rose, I'm telling you!'

'What do you mean?'

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wad of psychic paper.

'Because if the Doctor is dead, then who the hell sent me this?'

Rose's eyes widened. Printed in bold lettering that was, to those who'd seen it, unmistakeably the Doctor's handwriting, were the words Find Rose.