The Doctor had lied when he told Donna how long it had been since he'd traveled with Rose. He had lied when he said it had only been a few years. It had been a long time for him. Time worked differently in the parallel world though, he had no idea how long it would have been. He supposed it was true what the humans said about many things, but he wanted to smack whoever had said time heals all wounds. Time just made it hurt for him. He desperately pushed the morbid thoughts away. He let the memory of the letter in his breast pocket surface. He smiled a true smile, Rose would come back. When he landed and the doors opened to admit Donna, he grinned. She took two steps forward and stopped. He looked at her, she was gaping at him in shock. His smile disappeared.
"What?" He asked her, she just stared. "What?…Donna why are you staring at me?" She shook herself.
"You're smiling, you're happy."
"Is that a bad thing?" He asked in confusion.
"No!" She said rushing it out quickly, "I meant you're smiling and I can see it in your eyes. You're happier than I've ever seen you." He smiled softly.
"Good news tends to do that to a person."
"Good news? What kind of good news?"
"Rose."
"The Rose, as in love of your lives Rose?"
"That's the one."
"She's back?"
"Well not yet, but time itself has vouched for her return."
"Time itself…back up, what do you mean?"
"Well, I went to the Medusa Cascade, went to see where Gallifrey had been, guess I was feeling worse than I realized, Tardis took me to see Jack and what do you know he's got letters from all over time from different people, all of them saying I'm going to get her back and then I saw Bad Wolf, which is actually Rose, which is a huge paradox, thought it was over with, but apparently not anyway Jack said to call him if she shows up…"
"DOCTOR!" Donna yelled startling him. "Shut up a minute. Gallifrey, explain, short, to the point."
"Gallifrey is my planet, had red grass, silver trees, orange sky two suns. Grew up there, it got destroyed in the Time War."
"Lovely, Bad Wolf?"
"Well that's actually complicated. Bad Wolf is Rose, time incarnate, she ended the Time War. She's the one who told me Rose is coming back. Also left a lovely scarf for us to hold onto…"
"Doctor focus! Now, who is Jack?"
"Er well, it might be easier to show you. Mind a trip to Cardiff?" Donna seemed to ponder it for a moment.
"Alright." The Doctor set the coordinates and was suprised when they actually landed in Cardiff. He opened the doors. They were in the hub again. Several suprised faces greeted him.
"You were here just last week." Gwen said.
"I was?" The Doctor asked.
"You can relax Doctor, nothing happened. Your last visit was last week. We talked about Bad Wolf." Donna shoved past the Doctor.
"Oi spaceman, quit blocking the doors." Jack grinned.
"Who's this?"
"Donna Noble, that is Jack. Don't you even think about it Jack! I need someone less…me to explain Bad Wolf."
"When are we?" Donna asked.
"Cardiff, 2010." Jack answered, motioning for them to follow. Donna was eager to do so. The Doctor closed and locked the Tardis and turned to follow Jack. Jack had pulled out the box again. He handed the Doctor a few letters. The Doctor handed one directly to Donna. It was her name written on the front, although it was in Gallifreyan. She shrugged and opened it. The Doctor held three five other letters. He handed one to Jack.
"Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey…Mickey Smith! He's not even in this universe."
"Uh Jack, we've got visitors." Gwen said. Jack stuffed the letter into his coat pocket grabbed the scarf and followed her.
"Who?"
"UNIT."
"Lovely." Jack found his hub full of UNIT personnel, a lot of them were messing with the Tardis.
"OI!" The Doctor said getting everyone's attention. "Hand off my box!"
"ATTENTION!" A familiar voice yelled, everyone snapped to attention stance. "I want all UNIT personnel out, NOW!" They all scrambled out until it was just Martha left.
"Hello Doctor, Donna, Jack."
"Martha Jones!" Jack said grinning while Donna smiled. The Doctor remembered the letter and walked down the stairs to give it to her. She took it curiously.
"You sure it's mine?"
"Yes. I think it's on purpose. You can't very well read it if you can't tell it's addressed to you. It helps ensure you get it at the right time. But I still have letters for Sarah Jane and Mickey…oh alright fine! We'll do a little meddling. Jack give me your wrist."
"Doc, what are you…are you fixing my vortex manipulator?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, you're going to fetch Sarah Jane Smith for me. She lives at number 13 Bannerman Road in Ealing." Jack grinned and disappeared.
He reappeared in an attic of some sort and barely ducked the book thrown at him.
"That wasn't very nice!" He said. The woman just glared.
"Why are you in my attic!?"
"Because the Doctor doesn't just knock on people's front doors apparently. I'm Jack, are you Sarah Jane Smith?" She nodded. "The Doctor asked me to bring you to Torchwood Three in Cardiff."
"Mum? Can I come out now?"
"Yes Luke." A teenage boy stepped out and Jack blinked in suprise. He turned back to Sarah Jane.
"Why?"
"We've all got letters apparently, addressed in Gallifreyan." Sarah's eyes brightened."
"Luke, I'm going to be out for awhile. Stay here. And I mean it. Stay in the house, attic if you can. I may need you and Mr Smith." She let Jack take her hand and place it on the vortex manipulator. In a flash they were back in Cardiff. The Doctor was studying a large metal sphere, looking more and more worried by the second.
"Doctor?"
"Ah Sarah Jane, here you are." He handed her a letter. She noticed two women with similar letters.
"What's this?" Jack asked."
"Void ship." The Doctor said darkly.
"What's a void ship?" Martha asked.
"A ship that's made for traveling through the void, the deadspace, nothing can survive there except for maybe this."
"So why don't you like it?" Sarah Jane asked.
"The last time I saw a void ship was at Canary Wharf, there were a billion Dalek's inside of it. It's the day I lost Rose. Captain, I don't suppose you have any blasters?" Jack grinned.
"Actually, I do."
"Mind getting them just in case?" Jack nodded and handed a blaster to Martha, he had the other. The Doctor stepped back.
"It's opening, has been since you two got here."
"Have any of you touched it?" The Doctor asked. Everyone said no. The Doctor sighed.
"Donna, I need you to touch it."
"No way! I ain't touching the space ball!"
"Donna please, you have the least amount of Artron Energy, the ship feeds off of it. I don't want to give it too much power in case it's inhabitants are hostile. If Jack or I touch it, it would be an all you can eat buffet. Martha and Sarah Jane are still risky. Even you're risky, but the least risky."
"Fine!" She huffed walking forward. "I just have to touch it."
"Yes, just slap it and run back." Donna tensed and then hit it before sprinting back to her spot behind Jack and Martha. The sphere opened and the Doctor's jaw dropped.
"Here I am actually expecting a fight and what do I get? Mickey Mouse!" Jack said walking forward as the man dropped to the floor, dusting off his pants.
"You can talk Captain Cheesecake!" He grinned and they both gave a quick hug. Mickey pulled back.
"Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith."
"Mickey Smith! Didn't think I'd see you again." Sarah Jane said happily.
"Us Smiths got to stick together." He said smiling. He hugged the older woman and turned to introduce himself.
"I'm Mickey Smith, traveled with the Doctor and Rose. Met Captain Jack a few times and Sarah Jane. Don't think I've met you two before."
"I'm Martha Jones. I traveled after Rose." Mickey winced.
"How bad was it?"
"He wasn't doing very well, but it got better."
"I'm Donna, Donna Noble. I'm his current companion. Tell me, does he ever smile, like really smile?"
"Why?"
"Never seen him do it till today, I come in and he's blabbing on about Jack and a box and letters and Rose and a Bad Wolf."
"Bad Wolf?" Mickey asked startled. He turned to the Doctor in shock. The Doctor handed him the letter.
Dear Mickey,
You and Jack I'm sorry to say are going to know more than the others. You can't tell them. Jack and you have to know because of the role you play in this, something is coming, it's one of the reasons you came. The stars are going out and soon, very soon, the parrallel world will not exist, none of them will. The void is dying even now, but you can't say anything to the Doctor. All of you are going to have to stop this together. Stay in London, you'll have to save Sarah Jane. Tell her to bring the warp star when the time comes. You will not return to the parallel world again, you will find a different path with the companion the Doctor never noticed. Be safe, keep watch.
Love,
Rose
Each of the companions read their letters silently.
Dear Donna Noble,
You've seen me before and will see me again. You asked what Bad Wolf is, she is me, she is time itself, a goddess in her own right. We are the same and it's through Bad Wolf that I will return to this universe. Stay with the Doctor, he's going to need you more than ever and under no circumstances let him keep that blasted hand of his in the console room or the kitchen.
Thanks, your future friend, hopefully, Rose Tyler
Dear Sarah Jane,
I can do nothing more than make you a promise, something is coming, something big, something dangerous and you can't protect your son. I promise you this, he will survive. He will be safe if he stays in the attic with k-9. You will be needed elsewhere, but be wary, if you choose the wrong path, it may end in your death. Remember the warp star the day it comes.
Rose
Dear Martha Jones,
You've never met me, but your entire stay with the Doctor you felt as if you were living in my shadow. I wouldn't blame you for hating me, but I want to thank you for being there for him, for holding him back, for healing him. I want to repay that debt, but before I do, I'm going to tell you something. There is something coming, be ready. You will have your part to play, the final option. You will survive and you will find a future, the two companions the Doctor forgot. He knows much of why, it is the same reason he ignored you. All I ask is you give him a chance, he's my best friend, a good man with an even better heart. I wish you all the best! Oh, and probably don't tell the Doctor I told you your future.
Rose Tyler
Dear Captain Jack,
God I missed you! I'll see you soon, when the stars go out. You will play the greatest role in this. Mostly because I'm telling you exactly what you told me I need to. You're going to need the scarf and Martha. You're also going to need to die. I realize you can't die permanently. That's the point. The main point of this is the enemy your fighting has me right now and when it comes time for you to arrive, I'm going to need your help.
Rosie
Doctor,
I love you, I can't tell you what's coming. I'm a second out of sync. There's a suprise coming, a memory you need to see. I love you. Bad Wolf.
Love,
Rose Tyler
They all tucked their letters away, now worried. Martha and Mickey wore small smiles and Sarah Jane seemed relieved. Donna looked confused and the Doctor was smiling softly. Jack seemed to be the only concerned one, but no one else noticed. They all returned to their lives normal lives, but the words Bad Wolf began following all of them.
