She wasn't suppose to be here; she knew that, they knew that, -- hell, EVERYONE knew that! Yet, here is where she remained. Where here was she would be hard pressed to say right now, but she wasn't meant to be here. She tried to think where she was supposed to be, but something was blocking those memories and causing her head to spin and thrum. She looked up at the sound of the door opening, only then did she realize that she was in a room. The female humanoid that entered her room, was tall, wearing what looked like a deep ruby robe, and aged about the same as her mum in appearance, but her aura was one of malicious and evil. She knew that this woman wasn't to be trusted, but she didn't know how she knew and she didn't know why! This not knowing thing was getting frustrating.
"I see you've awakened, have you?" the woman asked.
'Does she always answer her questions before she asks them?'
"Good," the woman smirked.
'Okay…creepy smirk…'
"I see that my servants have made sure that necklace is in place," the woman leaned foreword to look at her neck, "Excellent!"
'Back away creepy hag!'
"I suppose your wondering why you're here," the woman leaned back and paused, "and why you can't talk or move." Right then she realized that the woman was right! She couldn't talk. She couldn't move. And she really did want to know where she was…
"Though you may not be wondering all that much," the smirk was back, "what with being human and all…" a very condescending tone was attached to that statement.
'That sounds so familiar…only I think then it was a wonderful he rather then a creepy she… hmmmm…. that kinda rhymed…'
"… But I suppose any human who could bear one of their children! Yes, then she would be acceptable," the woman went on.
'Does she ever shut up? I mean… wait…child?! What, child?! I didn't have a child… no, wait… I did… a boy, she said. Yeah, a boy… my son… HIS son!!!' The memories started to slide in on after another, and through it she looked up and saw that the woman was no longer smirking at her – no, not smirking at all. Now that woman was leering at her, with a knowing glint in her eye.
"Where is my son?" she asked, her voice monotone.
"Starting to recall?" the woman said with a touch of amazement, "No matter really, he won't find you. I've pulled you from your universe and into my own; a hard feat to manage – theoretically impossible -- but with a touch of your poor, lost mate's own people's technology, none to difficult really to pull you and your family through. Though as for your child – I assume he's dead. Your dwelling place – pitiful thing – collapsed after we took you -- that, too, a product of my decisions." A breath was caught in her throat. Her son was dead? Her last link to him – gone! How could she? She felt something slip and heat up against her throat -- Heated metal: the key! She must have moved and given away its location and her binds slipping. The woman pointed a finger at her and she felt her body stiffen and a sharp pain travel from her hair to her toenails. She was immobile and helpless to stop the woman's reach and snapping the key from her throat, though there was a sense of justice as the woman screamed and tossed the key behind her – obviously burned by the key. Proof that the link, to her and the key's home, was still strong and binding – too binding that they be in different universes…
'Wait she said that she took my universe and brought to hers… and for the key to be that hot to the touch means that the connection is strong… we're in the same universe!' her heart soared, but then plummeted, 'the baby's dead…our son is dead… Oh, God!' She felt a few tears travel from her eyes and then she felt something snap around her neck. She looked up and the woman gave her another smirk. The woman clapped her hands and two guards appeared in the doorway of the room. They step forward as the woman turned to left. Their hands gripped her upper arms and hulled her to her feet. They took her from the room –apparently a dungeon of sorts – and proceeded to take her up some stairs. She was in a palace of sorts, in a place they had never traveled. She was starting to fear for herself and her loved ones – she also mourned for the loss of her child. Gathering her courage, she started to take in her surroundings and where she was being taken.
A few minuets, later she was lead by the woman and the two guards into a huge room – obviously a royal's bedchamber, but why was she here? The woman stopped and the guards brought her to stand before her. The woman looked at her again raised her eyebrow…
'Oh, good job girl – some investigator you turned out to be! All this time and you just now notice the uni-brow!'
"Here I will leave you to be tended to until the coronation… you see my late husband was ruler of this planet and his and his first wife's daughter is supposed to be crowned in three moons time. But she has runaway from her duties as ruler and left the palace, and was only recently returned to accept her thrown – at least that's what we told the kingdom. No one knows this but my private guards, my self, and now you – her replacement – that the princess has met an untimely end, because she would not yield to my power. But you can't fight it without your key and your son is dead and his father will not find you or him. You will do as I tell you and when the kingdom rots from your poor leadership – I will take everything and leave you to the people's own hands," the woman's smirk widened and she let loose a little laugh.
"You're a monster," she said. The woman laughed again.
"That maybe, but soon you will call me 'Mother' or 'Talis Lamar, Mother of Samhain,'" The smirk didn't waver, "And if by some miracle of some type, you do break free of this binding spell your under – I don't think you should leave… family would be very disappointed," the woman's smirk was backed by the even more disturbing gleam in her eye. The woman, now known as Talis, continued with her malicious smirking and looked her up and down, before clapping her hands again. This time four handmaidens appeared and bowed to Talis – never rising. Talis nodded to her and the handmaidens, before turning to leave and giving commands that the "princess" be taken care off and never allowed to leave the room and no one may enter it. The handmaidens nodded their understanding, not that the woman looked back to see. Pausing by the door, Talis turned once more to look at her and smiled – viscously and with confidence.
"Welcome home, Princess – my dear daughter." Then Talis left the room and her. Now in the hands of four handmaidens with no possible means of escape evident, Rose Tyler was left to mourn the death of her son and to pray the Doctor could find her in time to save her family.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He watched them leave – Rose and Talis with those over-grown troll dolls called guards. He waited until he heard them be about halfway up the dungeon stairs, before dropping silently from his hiding place in the rafters. Squatting down, he waited until he was positive that they weren't coming back and that no one else would come by suddenly. The dungeon was made for everyone to hear the steps passing through the halls and overhead – physiologically reminding prisoners that some was always around and that they weren't as free as others, and to help the guards find infiltrators and escapees, theoretically. Grinning like a mad man, he reached down and gently lifted the still warm key from its place where it had fallen. He raised it to eye level, before grinning more and slipping the tiny object into a pocket of his cloak. He looked up when he heard footsteps and was hidden once more in the rafters of the dungeon, before a guard had turned the corner. Smiling and nodding, he pulled out a small clear orb and gripped it tight. While the Robber's Orb warmed up to poof him back to the hiding place – he let his mind wander in hopes that his partners had procured their own intention.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The place was demolished. A lovely home by Earth standards – and many other planets as well – was now a pile of rubble holds something of immeasurable value. It wasn't destroyed – they knew that – but they hoped it wasn't too injured either. Moving carefully around, the orange tabby cat moved through the carnage stopping here and there to sniff into the air and sometimes along the ground. Slipping into what would have been the south end of the estate, the cat paused to flick an ear in the direction of the sirens and humans coming to the scene. They had to move fast. Sniffing again, the Tabby sense a feeling that was as old as time really, but still young in the creature it emanated from. Getting closer, the Tabby's thoughts were confirmed. And allowing her tail to show her excitement, the Tabby turned and called to her companion.
"Come quick, I've found him," the Tabby called. Her companion raced over to the Tabby from the area that she had been searching. Her cloak trailing behind her, the companion eased nearer, before looking down and smiling at the Tabby.
"Is that him Aggie?" the companion asked, "The baby Time Lord?"
"Now, why would you ask that," Agitha, the tabby cat, retorted with sarcasm and twitching whiskers and tail. The companion giggled and kneeled down to the babe. The little baby boy was on his stomach wearing a blue one piece and under a blue blanket. He seemed to be like any normal infant – except for the golden glow that was emitting from him. The glow was shielding and protecting him, as well as keeping him asleep. The companion removed all debris from around the infant before reaching a bare hand out to touch the golden barrier. The approaching sirens were pushed to the back of her mind as the companion spoke to the child and glow.
"I mean the child no harm. I will protect him and hide him until the day that I can return him to his mother and father," her voice was steady, but the barrier remained and the sirens grew nearer. Aggie ruffled a bit in a silent urging to keep going and to move faster – they were running out of time. Heaving a sigh, the companion racked her brain for the words that would assist in getting the child into her protection.
"I give you my oath as the Princess and Ruler of the Kingdom of Samhain, that I will give all that I have including my life and the lives of my companions to protect this child," the princess watched as the glow softened, causing her to smile. A nanosecond later, the glow changed and the image of a wolf lunged for the Princess's outstretched hand. Suppressing a squeal and a flinch, the Princess remained steadfast as the glowing wolf moved towards her. Stopping just short of her hand, the wolf locked eyes with the Princess and spoke a command, "Let no harm come to this child – or forfeit your soul." The Princess nodded and as quickly as the wolf appeared, it vanished. Both the Aggie and the Princess heaved sighs of relief. The Princess leaned down and lifted the infant to her chest. Aggie hopped over the rubble and then on to the Princess's shoulder. The two looked down at the babe as it continued to sleep. The sirens and now visible colored lights broke the infant's attractive spell.
"Quickly," Aggie said into the Princess's ear, "the Orb… We must go." Shifting the babe to her shoulder and pulling the orb. Giving it a squeeze, the Princess, Aggie the tabby Cat, and the infant son of Rose Tyler and the Doctor were all transported through space and time and between universes back to their hideaway.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Traveling by Robber's Orb always gave him a bit of a headache and some dizziness. Slowly shaking his head and dropping his orb into the Rejuvenating Basin, he plucked his recovered key from his cloak pocket and placed it on the table before him. The room spun a little, but it was enough for him to reach out and grip the table to stand upright.
"Bit light headed are you, Jack?" Agitha's voice asked. The tabby cat leapt onto the table and looked at the ex-Time Agent quizzically. Jack smiled at the cat and gave it a quick head pat – Agitha wasn't amused and showed it with a low growl and narrowed eyes. Jack just laughed.
"What, now worried about my health, Aggie?" Jack joked.
"Nope, just our objectives in this endeavor," Aggie retorted, "can't have a sick one slowing us down!" The cat sat smugly on the table and looked at Jack. Rolling his eyes and his shoulders, Jack removed his cloak and hung it on the wall next to a slightly smaller one that was already there – proof that Aggie and his partner had been back before him.
"I see Arie is back," Jack stated fingering the clock affectionately before turning back to the cat, "How's it go?"
"Everything went well, as to be expected, and the child has returned with us," Aggie gave Jack a slightly worried glance, before continuing, "the trip took more out of Arie then intended, especially on the way back. She's inside resting now. How was your excursion? What did you find out?" Aggie sat down on her hunches to listen to Jack. Jack, for his part, sighed and rolled his shoulders again.
"It was what you were thinking," Jack stated, "Talis is using Rose as a stand in for Arie."
"Odd, that she would use a human," Aggie wondered bringing a paw to her chin in a thinking pose, "she doesn't like human's – thinks that there is very little or no use for them. And she certainty wouldn't want one to bear the next princess! Why would she bring in one to replace Arie?
"Said something about any human that gives birth to a Time Lord's child meant that they were acceptable," Jack offered. Aggie nodded.
"Yes, that might be it. Talis believes that if she can control who mates with Rose, she bring forth a princess who can be completely controlled and give Talis control in part to the kingdom," Aggie nodded to herself, "yes, that must be it… well done, Jack!" The man smiled fully.
"Well I'm not just another pretty face," Jack said charmingly.
"Yes, that's true too," the cat stated firmly. Jack tried to think of a comeback, but Aggie interrupted him by pointing to the key sitting next to her on the table.
"What's this for?" Jack smiled broadly again.
"This, my dear feline," Jack started leaning down to be nose to nose with the tabby, "is the key that the Doctor gave Rose. This is the key to the TARDIS – the Doctor's ship!" Aggie raised itself upward and then leaned down to peer closely at the small piece of metal.
"Really," the cat whispered.
"Yes, really," Jack answered and picked up the key from the table top to toss it gently into the air, "Rose was wearing it when she was brought in, and now Talis pulled it off Rose's throat and I've brought it to you two," Jack chuckled lightly, "She was burnt by it."
"Who, Rose?" Aggie asked a bit confused and slightly worried.
"No, Talis when she pulled it off Rose's neck. The TARDIS would never intentionally hurt Rose."
"Why did it heat up then?" Both Aggie and Jack turned to face Arie who was standing in the doorway that leading into the rest of the residence. Aggie sat up and Jack smiled charmingly at the supposedly dead monarch.
"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" he asked. Arie rolled her blue-grey eyes and pushed her brown-blonde bangs back behind her ears.
"Nice change in subject," Arie said coming up to them and slipping an arm around Jack and giving a gentle scratch to Aggie's chin, "now answer the question."
"I think that's the link to the TARDIS reinstating itself with Rose. They've been different universes for so long that the link was weak…"Jack explained.
"…Bringing them back together means that link is reformed," Arie added with understanding.
"Add in the birth of a child between the TARDIS's Doctor and Rose and the link would increase all the more to reunite these three," Aggie finished. All three looked at each other with shared understanding.
"The TARDIS will do everything it can to bring them all together," Jack announced – voicing all opinions and thoughts.
"As long as the TARDIS key is near one of them and Talis knows that," Aggie cautioned, "that's why she took the key from Rose – she thought that the key would allow the Doctor from coming to claim Rose. Remove it and you remove the chance that the TARDIS will be able to find Rose."
"So to bring the TARDIS to Rose we need to get the key back to Rose,"Jack thought out loud, "how we do that without Talis realizing it. The strengthening link started to break the binding spell Rose was under – that's when Talis removed the key."
"No, I don't think so," Aggie said returning to her thinking stance, "we may only need a part of her to bring the TARDIS and Doctor here…"
"Or," Arie interrupted, "we can just allow the TARDIS to link to the baby. I imagine that if the TARDIS is so devoted to its Doctor…"
"Her Doctor," Jack corrected, "the TARDIS is a her. And she is devoted to the Doc."
"Well, then she," Arie emphasized, "would look for the baby and want nothing more then to reunite it with he's father."
"The infant should be enough to bring the Doctor here," Aggie nodded.
"The baby's a boy?" Jack asked, "What's his name?"
"Good question, but I don't know," Arie admitted, "I suspect that Rose would know, but from his age the Doctor may not even know that he exist. He's only about four months old."
"Back to the key, please," Aggie said, slightly miffed, "Now, how do we help ensure that the Doctor arrives in time for the coronation? We only have three moons left."
"A distress signal to the TARDIS would bring him a bit faster maybe," Jack offered up.
"Give him the time he has to come in as the limit on our existence," Arie added.
"Yeah, the Doctor doesn't say, 'no' to a call for help," Jack confirmed. Aggie nodded.
"That will have to do," Aggie announced before standing up, "Arie, get a length of dragon's tendon and rig up the key above the infant's crib… we need the link with the TARDIS to be established. Jack, get to work on the distress signal and send it out as quickly as possible." Aggie leapt from the table to the floor and headed out the door, leaving the couple in her wake. Jack looked at Arie and grinned. Arie started to move away, but Jack gave her arm a sharp tug and had her falling into his embrace and their lips meeting before she had a chance to contest – not that she would. They remained that way for several minuets before separating and smiling at one another. They heard Aggie's call from down the hall:
"Get a move on you two!" The young couple sighed and chuckled together.
"I suppose we should get going," Arie said while starting to move away again and pulling Jack, who sighed.
"Yeah, before the fur ball coughs up a hairball or something," Jack, joked.
------------------------------------------------------
Ten minuets later, Jack had composed and sent a distress signal into space looking specifically for the TARDIS and the Doctor and was now on his way to the large living space to find Aggie and Arie. Heading down the hallway, Jack noticed a door to an extra room that hadn't been there this morning before he left. Figuring that this was where Arie had created a space to keep the infant for its stay, Jack poked his head in the door and smiled. He was right. Arie was sitting on a large padded window seat with a small infant in her arms. She was feeding him. Jack took a few seconds to glance around the room. A crib had been formed using one of the white witch's trees that were common in the kingdom. Jack could see layers of soften blue colored fabric in various shades and values lay inside the crib and that the trees long limbs had been shaped as a type of canopy with the golden colored leaves as the covering, but he could still see the golden key hanging down from the canopy – it was already starting to glow slightly. The room was the same soft whitish-grey stone that the rest of the house had. And the window that the Princess and the baby were sitting in overlooked the continuous autumn forest and apothecary fields that they frequented for Arie's craft.
"Are you going to come in and see him or just stand there, Jack?" Arie's voice broke Jack from his musings. Smiling Jack wondered over to the window seat where Arie was now just holding the infant, having finished feeding Jack had been looking around. Jack sat down and got a good look at the baby he was protecting.
The little boy stared up at Jack for a few minuets before breaking out into a toothless grin, which caused both adults to smile too. The baby laughed and his brown eyes sparkled with mischief and happiness. Arie handed him to Jack who held him in a standing position, allowing the infant to kick and bounce. The baby's movements caused his wild brown to flip and bounce and the adults started to laugh. Arie attempted to smooth down the flippy-floppy locks, but they never seemed to stay put. Jack gave the baby a quizzical look; the baby laughed and stuck his fingers in his mouth.
"What is it Jack?" Arie asked seeing the look.
"I don't remember the Doctor having this type of hair and Rose doesn't either," Jack mused, "we sure this is the right kid?" Arie gave him a look and shook her head. Taking the baby and sat the little man in her lap, she reached for Jack's hand and placed it on the infant's chest. Jack smiled at the feeling of a double heart beat. The baby laughed and the young couple smiled again. Jack took back the infant and allowed him to stand and move some more. They remained there a few minuets just letting the baby move and to enjoy the setting sun light from the two suns. Jack again broke the silence
"Still needs a name you know?"
"Huh?" Arie asked.
"The baby, he needs a name," Jack explained, "I mean I'm sure that Rose has named him, but we don't know…"
"He's 'Davie,' I think," Arie said, "or maybe 'David' and 'Davie' is a nickname. I found it on the blanket he was wrapped in." Jack raised his eyebrows and nodded looking at the baby.
"Look's like a 'Davie,'" Jack mused. Aggie entered the room and seated herself in Arie's lap.
"So the little prince has a name," Aggie said while looking at everyone, "and everything else is in order…"
"The key started glowing as soon as it entered the room and glows even more brightly when Davie is in the crib. I think whatever link there is strongest when the key is closer to the baby."
"Sorta like the TARDIS is keeping an eye on the kid," Jack remarked, "The distress signal I sent out contained everything we needed and nothing that Talis or her goons could intercept."
"Excellent," Aggie said.
"Aggie," Arie asked, "why do you call Davie, 'little prince?' His mother isn't royalty and I don't know about the Doctor… Jack?" Jack shook his head to the negative and unknowing.
"The boy's father is a Time Lord – and the last of his kind," Aggie explained, "he deserves the respect his race has ascended, as does his son. And therefore, 'little prince,'" Aggie finished by gesturing towards the babe in Jack's arms. The couple nodded and smiled as the baby began to laugh and bounce more. Arie petted Aggie's head and back while the cat settled herself in her princess's lap – the two women watching the two males as the suns went down behind the colored trees. The fading light gave way to the brightening glow of the golden key hanging over the crib – the glowing light a match to the hope that the Doctor and his TARDIS would arrive in time to save Rose and them all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay people, here's the thing…
I know the first section is really difficult to read and eventually anyone who has at one time or another seen the show could figure out who "she" was, but I thought it was kinda cool way to write – so I did! And thanks for sticking through it to the end here!
I do hope I surprised you with Jack! Let me know!
Never seen the character Martha Jones, but I need her, so she in this -- please do tell me if I royally screw-up her characteristics. Thanks!
The Kingdom's name, Samhain, is pronounced Sah-ween and means something specific in relating to the planet and kingdom's inhabitance and customs.
Talis is pronounced tall-eesse, Arieana is pronounced Ar-ee-anna and the shortened form is Arie is Ar-ee, Agitha is just like its spelled, and as new names come along I will put in the pronunciations. (I do this because I have people writing to me in other stories that I've spelled the names wrong! Slight peevishness has been aroused. None towards you all.)
Thanks for reading and go ahead and tell me what you like and dislike – go ahead I can take it! – I look forward to your reviews. Happy Reading!