A/N: This is set somewhere before Turn Left for Doctor Who, but there may be spoilers for the rest of season 4 without me realizing it, just so you know. When it comes to Torchwood, it's a Torchwood in an parallel universe, so I guess anything game, but everybody is alive in this. :)
Disclaimer: I didn't get what I wanted for my birthday. That means I don't own Doctor Who or Torchwood. It still belongs to the BBC. Damn. :(
"Riftactivity!" Tosh yelled out.
"Where?" Jack asked grumpily. He was just about to send everyone home. It had been a unusually quiet couple of days and he was looking forward to spending the night alone with Ianto. The only reason any of them were here was so they could all catch up on paperwork.
"Just outside in the plass." Tosh said, consulting her screen. "And something is coming through."
"Alright everyone, you know the drill. Let's go."
Jack went into leader mode immediately. Ianto would have to wait. Gwen, Owen and Ianto each grabbed their guns, while Tosh took a portable device so she could track the rift, and whatever came through.
They all proceeded outside to see what was coming out of the rift this time. It was late, and thankfully nobody was around. There was a moment of silence, then the rift activated. They all expected to look at a new alien threat, or at the very least a very lost alien a long way from home, but what was there when the rift closed again was… a girl. A blond girl. A human blond girl.
"What the hell?" Jack said. This was definitely not what he expected to come out of the rift.
"Jack." the girl said.
"Sorry, have we met?" he asked. There was something familiar about the girl, but he couldn't place her.
"Jack, it's me, Rose." Rose said, looking at him.
"Sorry, but I don't think we've met. I would never forget such a pretty face." he said with a charming smile. He knew this was absolutely the wrong time to be flirting, but she was a very pretty girl, and it being the wrong time had never stopped him before.
"Of course we've met. I know you, and you know me!" But the lack of recognition on Jacks face told her that he didn't.
"So, you don't know me?" Rose asked.
"No." Jack answered simply.
"What about the Doctor, if your working for Torchwood, then you must have met the Doctor?" she asked nervously.
"Doctor who?" Jack was starting to get really confused. This girl knew his name, and said she knew him, but he could not remember meeting her. And now something about a doctor? Maybe this had something to do with his missing two years. "And how do you know about Torchwood?" No, not about that, he didn't even know that Torchwood existed back then. Who was this girl?
"Bloody hell, I finally find a way to cross form one universe to another and I end up in the wrong one! Again!"
"Wait, what do you mean, crossing between universes? And how exactly do know me?"
The girl, Rose apparently, didn't answer this time. She just continued mumbling to her self. Jack heard bits of what sounded like profound cursing drifting his way. Instead he turned to his team, who so far hadn't said a word. They all had a look of extreme confusion on there faces, and Jack couldn't blame them. They looked like he felt.
"OK, guys, lets get Rose here back to the hub and we can sort things out there."
Finally snapping out of it, Gwen answered. "OK Jack."
The sound of Gwen's voice seemed to snap Rose out of it too. She turned to Gwen and gave her a big smile.
"Hi Gwen!" she said and gave a little wave.
"Uh, hi."
Rose then turned to the rest of them and smiled brightly.
"Hi Tosh! Owen, Ianto." She gave them a wave too, before turning back to Jack. "´So, back to the hub, right?"
"Uh, yeah, that's the plan."
"Let's go then."
She turned and started walking towards the touristcenter. She obviously knew where she was going and Jack once again found himself thinking 'who is this girl?'
Once they were back at the hub Jack quickly noticed that it seemed like Rose knew her way around. She didn't seem surprised at all when Myfanwy cried out in greeting, and then walked without hesitation to the kitchen to put on a cup of tea.
"Anyone else want a cup?" she asked when she noticed that they had all followed her to the kitchen.
"Oh, no, you all like to drink coffee, don't you? Well, I better leave the coffee to Ianto, he is apparently the best coffeemaker in the world. I have never really taken a liking to coffee myself. A good cup of tea on the other hand… Something me and the Doctor have in common."
She then proceeded to make the tea for herself, while Ianto looked at Jack.
"Coffee anyone?"
"Yeah, you better make a big pot, I have a feeling were going to be here a while." Jack said.
Ianto stayed and put on the coffee while the rest of the team and Rose went up to the conference room.
"So, care to explain this?" Jack asked Rose.
"Well, you where right when you said we'll be here a while. It's a long story, I don't even know where to start… Why don't you ask the questions and I'll answer."
"OK, how about we start with how do you know about Torchwood? You seem to know your way around here, but I'm pretty sure that you've never been, at least not while I've been around."
"I have been here before. Just not quite here, here." she answered.
"What's that suppose to mean, either you have been here before, or you haven't." Gwen said rather harshly. Jack could easily read the look on her face, she didn't trust Rose. He couldn't really blame her, he wasn't sure he did either.
"Well, it looked the same, and you were all here, but different versions of you. It was in a parallel universe."
"A parallel universe?" Tosh asked with a very sceptical face.
"Yeah, I was trapped in another one. The Doctor said the walls between the universes has closed, there was no way to get back to where I wanted to be. But I found a way to use the rift to cross, but ended up in the wrong one. I crossed again after your other selves helped me, and ended up here. Well, actually, I crossed several before I ended up here. In the wrong universe again!" she said with a small laugh that sounded far from sincere.
They all sat in silence while contemplating what Rose had just said. Eventually Jack asked "OK, second question. Who is the Doctor? You mentioned him before too." And Jack had a strong hunch it was the Doctor Rose wanted to get back to, no mater what universe.
"Well, now that could take a while… He's an alien. A Time Lord to be precise. Last of."
"That's not possible." Jack said. The others just looked more confused. "Time Lords are just a myth."
"Ah, no, their not actually. But like I said, he is the last one. All the other Time Lords died."
"What do you mean? What's a Time Lord?" This came from Ianto who just stepped in to the room carrying a tray.
"Well, they were protectors of time. There are laws of time, and the Time Lords made sure the where followed. But as I just said, the Doctor is the last one. He basically just travels in time and space and helps who ever he comes across."
"And how do you know him?"
"I used to travel with him. His companion. He doesn't like to travel alone."
"OK, say I believe you, what's all this got to do with me?" Jack asked. He had heard of Time Lords when he was a child. But he wasn't that surprised to hear that they had actually existed, because when ever they were spoken of, it was always with a healthy dose of respect.
"In my universe you know him too. And me. You used to travel with us."
"So, let me get this strait, the reason you know about Torchwood, and me, is because you went to an alternate universe where I told you all about it?"
"Yes."
"And I used to travel with you and the Doctor in an alternate, alternate universe?"
"Yep." Rose replied.
"OK…" Jack said sounding rather doubtful.
"OK. So, uhm, do you think I can ask you a couple of questions? There are a few things I don't get."
"Ask away, but I still have a few more for you too."
"Yeah, I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm telling the truth. So, you still worked for the Time Agency, right?" Rose asked. Jack nodded in reply.
"But you never met me or the Doctor, so how come your still working for Torchwood?"
"I guess it was just meant to be." Jack answered noncommittally.
The rest of the team just stared at them, not getting much of what they were talking about now. Alternet universes where one thing, suppose one can get the jest of that, but what on earth was this Time Agency? Jack hade never told them much about his past, in fact pretty much nothing at all. And the question seemed to have upset Jack a bit, who started fidgeting in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.
"Yeah. Uh, so anyway did you have more questions for me?"
"I'm sure I did, just can't seem to remember them right now." Maybe more than a bit upset then…
"Well, that might be a good thing, because I don't have that much time. I need you to help me cross again. I need to find the Doctor and warn him." Rose said.
"Warn him. Warn him about what exactly?" Jack asked.
"The reason I was able to pass between universes is because something is coming. Something that threatens every single universe. I need the Doctor to keep the stars from going out."
"I'm sorry, what? You're going to have to explain better than that."
"Oh my god! Like I just said, I don't have that much time. I need to find the Doctor before it's too late. And I need you to help me in order to do that."
"Alright, say we decide to help you, what is it you want us to do?"
"I need you to open the rift." Rose said quietly. The reaction of the Torchwood-team didn't disappoint.
"No way!" they all said, practically in unison.
"Look, I know it's dangerous, but it'll be alright, I promise."
"How can you possibly know that?" Ianto asked.
"Don't tell me, because our other selves did it already." Jack said.
"Yeah."
Jack took a sip of his coffee. "But you weren't there after the rift was opened, were you? You had already crossed over?"
Rose looked down and kept her eyes on the floor. Instead Tosh spoke up.
"Right, but we, I mean the other we, must have had a good reason for helping Rose out, despite the danger."
At this, Rose lifted her gaze from the floor and gave Tosh a small smile.
"You did. But then again, I gave you the whole story that time. You lot are a hard bunch to convince." Another smile, this time directed at the room in general.
'She certainly is a beautiful girl.' Jack thought before snapping back to the situation at hand.
"So why not tell us the whole story?"
"Well, first of all, I already told you the damned story once, actually, more like three times, and it's a long story! And yes, I know it wasn't actually you I told, but like I said, it's a long story and I rather not tell it again. And were running out of time! We really are."
"OK. Rose, do you think you could please step outside while we discuss all of this and decide what to do?"
"Of course. I think I'll get another cup of tea." With that Rose left and they could se her heading towards the kitchen.
"Well, what do you think?" Jack asked sounding impatient. "You've all been unusually quiet during all of this."
Owen was the first to break the silence. "Yeah, well, it's a lot to take in Jack."
"I know, but you heard the girl, we don't have that much time. We need to make a decision as quickly as possible."
"Oh, so it's we now is it?" This again came from Owen.
"Well, yeah, of course it is. If we help Rose it will effect all of us."
"Really?" Owens voice was now dripping with sarcasm.
"What's the Time Agency Jack?" Gwen asked. She knew the others felt the same as her and Owen. It certainly wasn't the first time they had discussed Jacks inability to tell them about his past. It annoyed them all immensely. They trusted Jack with there lives, but he refused to tell them anything about himself.
Jack, on the other hand, was annoyed too. If what Rose hade told them was true, then the end of everything was coming. Not just the Earth, but the entire universe. All universes. And they ask questions about his past? It didn't matter anyway, he was a completely different person back then. It might as well have happened to someone else. And he really didn't want to discuss it.
"Focus here people. The question right now is; do we help Rose or not?"
While the Torchwood-team discussed what to do, Rose stood in the kitchen making her cup of tea. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She was so close, she could feel it. But she really needed their help, otherwise it had all been for nothing, and she would be trapped in the wrong universe again. Not to mesion she couldn't warn the Doctor and the end of everything would come.
Suddenly she felt a pull. She looked around, but nothing was there. Nothing out of the ordinary to explain it. Another pull, then another. She took a step back and there was a bright light.
It felt as if they had been in the blasted room for days when in fact only a few hours had past since Rose first appeared. Now they had finally come to a decision and went of to find Rose and tell her.
They started with the obvious place, the kitchen. No sign of Rose. No, there was a sign, a half full cup of tea on the counter. But no sign of Rose herself.
"Where's she gone of to then?" Gwen asked the obvious question.
Jack sighed loudly before he answered. "Alright, we need to find her. Can't have her running around here by herself."
"I'll search downstairs." Gwen said.
"I'll check the CCTV. I'll let you now if I find anything." Tosh said, already heading for her computer.
"OK, good. Owen, do you mind helping Gwen look? And Ianto, check the archives and the rest of the lower levels, just to be sure. I'll look up here." Jack quickly gave the orders and they all set out to follow them.
After a while of futile searching they met up around Tosh's computer.
"Find anything Tosh?" Jack asked when everyone was present.
"I think so. I'm pulling up the footage from the kitchen now."
They all gathered around and watched. Rose was going in to the kitchen, so obviously she did what she said she would. They continued watching as Rose started making her tea. When the tea was done she went over to the counter. She then proceeded to sip her tea, looking deep in thought.
"Nothing out of the ordinary yet." Gwen commented.
Suddenly Rose was jerked out her thoughts. She seemed to be looking for something behind her, seemingly confused. She turned back to her tea, but then looked up again. It almost seemed as if someone or something was pulling at her. She took a step back, there was a bright light, and she was gone.
"Well, where's she gone then?" Owen asked Tosh.
"Into the light. She must have, she didn't leave the kitchen, I checked the camera outside."
"What do you think happened Jack? Gwen asked.
"Well, I can't be sure. Maybe she found a way to cross over without our help. Although it looks more like she was pulled trough. Either way I have a feeling we wont see her again. At least not this version of us."
"No, I think we'll see her again." Tosh said.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see. "
"Yeah. But right now I want you all to go home. It's been a long day. I'll check the kitchen again to see if we missed anything. I'll see you tomorrow." Jack said.
With that they all went to pack up there things and head out for the night. Just another day at Torchwood.
A/N: So, what do you think? Let me know! And be kind, it's my first fanfic ever! And on that note, English isn't my first language, so any spelling or grammatic errors you see, please let me know!
