Chapter Two

Before leaving, Esmera gave them the name of one of her spies and directions to a meeting place. She told them that she would contact him and tell him to meet them in a pub called The Supernova on Xian, Beltrop Eleven's capitol and largest city. Both brothers were furious at the Architect. They knew the area around this pub and it was in the seediest, most dangerous part of the city. The section they were going to was populated by thugs, drug users, prostitutes and slave catchers who preyed on young women and sold them to the highest bidder as sex slaves. It wasn't the ideal place for anyone to meet let alone two men traveling with a bunch of young women. That was why both of them urged the women to stay behind in the safety of the TARDIS while they went to talk to the spy. Understandably, the women were all worried for them but they assured them that they would be alright and would keep their minds unblocked and would communicate with them from time to time so they wouldn't have to worry.

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They landed the TARDIS in a secluded alleyway hoping no one would notice it. After getting hugs from their friend and family members and giving them their promise that they would be careful, both men stepped out of the TARDIS and closed the door behind them. The Doctor glanced at the directions and motioned for his brother to follow him.

"I can't believe she arranged the meeting here," the Doctor muttered to his brother. "Is she insane?"

"Who knows, brother? I just hope Jenny's alright," Alan replied.

They wandered along the pavement glancing around at the seedy slum. On almost every street corner, there were prostitutes in skimpy outfits and body suits calling out to them to come and have sex with them. Rubbish was strewn all over the alleyways and doorways of the houses and in some of them people lay passed out or very nearly so from the drugs they had consumed. They jerked their heads off to their left when they heard two angry voices in an alleyway threatening to slit someone's throat if they didn't pay them.

"Oh God, Jenny, what have you gotten yourself into?" Alan said.

Fears of her being harmed or enslaved caused them to speed up. After ten minutes they finally found the pub. It was an old wooden building with a large front window and a wooden sign above the door that said The Supernova with a painting of one underneath it. The window had several little holes in it that had been covered by paper and some substance resembling gum. They entered the pub and wrinkled their nose when the pungent smell of an opiate like substance reached them. The source of it was a group of men in the corner who were slumped together on huge pillows while they smoked hookahs. There were several people at the bar nursing their drinks while another rough looking group played cards at a table near the back.

"Charming," Alan commented.

As they walked up to the bar, everyone who wasn't completely drugged up stopped what they were doing and looked at them, scoffing at their pretty boy looks. The brothers ignored them and walked up to the bartender, a heavyset man with thinning black hair and a huge scar running the length of his forehead. He eyed them suspiciously when they approached.

"What'd ya want?" he growled at them.

"We're here to see Jax," the Doctor said to him. "Is he here?"

"Who wants to know?"

"We were sent here by The Shadow Proclamation. The Architect sent us to speak with him."

"In that case, that'd be me."

They looked down the bar at a man sitting at the end. He was tall and thin with close cropped brown hair and scars running down his left cheek and under his right eye. He had on a white, slightly soiled t-shirt, black trousers, black trainers and he was wearing a dirty tan coat that hung open. He staggered a bit and both brothers could smell alcohol on his breath but he still had enough of his senses to speak coherently.

"I'll handle this, Ben," he said to him.

Ben nodded and moved off.

"Follow me, we'll talk in the back of the pub," he said.

He grabbed his drink on the way over and led them to the very back of the building by the hookah smokers. The brothers glanced at them but those who were still awake turned their bleary, bloodshot eyes to them for a moment before they ignored them and went back to smoking. Jax sat down across from them.

"You want to know about this Jenny?" he said to them.

They nodded.

"Yes, is she still here?" the Doctor said.

"As far as I know, she is," he said.

"Is she safe?" Alan said.

"As far as I know."

"It's vitally important that we find her," the Doctor said. "Can you tell us where she went?"

"That depends."

"Depends on what?" Alan growled.

"Depends on how much money you have," he drawled.

He gasped when the Doctor grabbed him by his shirt and stared at him with hard, cold eyes.

"Don't even think of bribing us," he snarled. "We're here because your boss told us to come here. She's paying your salary so don't think you can get away with making a little extra on the side. This is my daughter you're spying on and I want her found as quickly as possible before something happens to her. Now I'll ask again and I want a straight answer…can you tell us where she went?"

He let go and Jax smoothed down his rumpled shirt.

"Yes, I know where she went. She's hiding in an abandoned building a couple of blocks from here."

Both men paled at that.

"Here, in the roughest part of the city?" the Doctor said.

Jax nodded.

"Oh God, please let Jenny be alright," Alan whispered.

"Take us to her, now!" the Doctor demanded.

"I will, but it won't be that easy to get to her."

"Why?" both of them said in unison.

Well, she has the place booby trapped. That's why the Judoon have been reluctant to move in and arrest her. One officer tried it and nearly got impaled by a flying piece of glass. It's dangerous to go in there.

"She won't hurt us though," Alan said. "We're her family. Please take us to her. We want her away from this place before she does get hurt or killed."

"But The Shadow Proclamation wants her."

"I made a deal with them," the Doctor said. "They've agreed to let me have her if I keep an eye on her and sees she stays out of trouble. Now for the last time, take us to her."

Jax nodded. He downed the last of his drink and motioned to them.

"Follow me then," he said.

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He led them down the crowded pavement to Jenny's hiding place. On the way there, Alan made contact with his family and told them what had happened and where they were going. He assured them all that they would be back soon and then cut off communication.

Jax led them to a rundown building nestled between two houses which looked to be in just as bad a shape as it was. The windows of the dilapidated building were boarded up and the door was hanging open and slightly off its hinges at the top. The Doctor glanced at Alan and slowly climbed the steps to the door. Tentatively he peered into the darkness.

"Jenny?" he yelled. "Jenny, it's me. It's your father. Are you in here?"

He glanced back when Alan came up beside him.

"Move carefully, brother, if the place is booby trapped, we have to be on our toes," he said.

Alan nodded. Both of them slowly walked inside.

"Jenny? Are you here?" the Doctor yelled as he stared at the darkness.

He fumbled through his trouser pocket and pulled out a little pocket flashlight. He turned it on and shined the beam around. The interior was dusty with dirt on the floors and cobwebs in every nook and cranny. Smashed up furniture was strewn all over the floor. The brothers moved slowly, every sense attuned to their surroundings. Both of them called out to Jenny, assuring her she'd be alright and begging her to show herself to them. Suddenly, Alan heard a soft twang off to his right. He grabbed his brother's head and jerked him down as a shard of glass whizzed by them and implanted itself in the wall. The Doctor shined his flashlight on it.

"Thank you, Te'lesau," he said to Alan.

"You're welcome."

They moved on, the Doctor shining his light all over the place keeping his eyes peeled for any other traps. They nearly stepped into another one. There was a hole in the floor that had been hidden by a heavy faded rug. They looked into it and saw spikes made out of glass fragments and pieces of wood that had the ends whittled to a sharp point.

"Jenny's been busy," Alan said.

"At least she's rigged up some defenses especially since this isn't the nicest part of town," the Doctor replied.

They kept on going. As they passed by a room, Alan suddenly got a hunch. He stopped his brother and pointed to the slightly ajar door of the room. They shared a look and nodded. Both of them crept up to the door and paused a moment. The Doctor grabbed the door handle and slowly opened it. He shined the light in and both of them froze when they noticed there was someone on the other side of the room underneath a heavy grey blanket. The Doctor's hearts leapt in his chest and he and his brother slowly moved towards the lump. They paused a moment and stared down at it. Whoever was under there was thin and female sized. The Doctor's hearts were beating out of his chest while he slowly knelt down and poked the blanket with his finger.

"Jenny?" he said.

There was no response and the Doctor's hearts stopped. Fears of what might have happened plagued his mind and he slowly brought his hand up to the top of the blanket, terrified of what he might find. He hesitated a moment and then pulled the blanket back.

He gasped when Jenny suddenly sprang to her feet and it was only his keen agility that saved him from getting slashed across the face with a machete. Shocked, he dropped the flashlight and stumbled back towards the door.

"Jenny, it's me! It's the Doctor!" he said when he noticed Jenny was readying herself to spring again.

Jenny paused, hunched down with the machete up in front of her face.

"Dad?" she said.

The Doctor, overjoyed at seeing her again, picked up the flashlight and shined it on his face.

"Jenny, it's me."

"Dad!"

She dropped the machete and ran to his arms. The Doctor wrapped them around her and buried his face in the top of her head while a tear of joy ran down his face.

"Jenny, it's you. It's really you," he said, stepping back and looking at her.

"Dad, how did you find me?"

"Um…well, it seems you've been causing a bit of trouble and you've aroused the ire of The Shadow Proclamation which is not a very smart thing to do."

"You mean those rhino things?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry, dad. I heard you calling for me but I figured it was one of them and that's why I didn't answer."

"It's alright, Jenny, I understand. I'm just glad you're safe now."

He stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry I left you behind, my daughter. I didn't think you were alive."

"It's alright, dad, I understand. I just stole a rocket and I've been exploring on my own."

"Well, this is not the place for you to go exploring. It's dangerous for a young woman to be here on her own and you're coming back to my TARDIS with me where you'll be safe. But now I want to introduce you to someone. "

He nodded at Alan and shined his light on his face. Jenny looked from him to her father and back again.

"Hello, Jenny, I'm Alan. I'm your uncle," he said to her.

Jenny kept looking back and forth at them.

"But…you look exactly alike."

"Well, that's a long story. But for now, let's get you back to the TARDIS so you'll be safe and you can meet the rest of your family," the Doctor said.

The Doctor put his hand on her back while they walked out of the room. They stared to walk across the room when Jax suddenly put up his hand.

"What?" the Doctor said angrily.

"Hand her over."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Hand her over, there's a reward for her capture."

He started to walk towards her but Alan blocked his path while the Doctor held his daughter protectively.

"I believe you were told that Jenny is our responsibility now," Alan growled.

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind when I remembered I can get 500 credits if I turn her in. Actually, I can get even more if I turn her over to the slave catchers. A pretty thing like that is worth at least…"

He gagged when Alan's hand shot out at lightning speed and squeezed his windpipe.

"If I were you, I'd turn and walk right out the door without collecting your credits," he snarled. "Because both me and my brother are the wrong sort of people to mess with. I don't know if this was your plan all along but you're not gonna go through with it. Now get out of our way or I'll make you sorry you were ever born."

He threw him roughly to the floor. Jax scooted back along the floor and then turned and ran towards the door as fast as he could. Alan breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his brother and niece.

"Thank God we found you," he said. "You were right to rig this place with traps if that's the kind of people who were after you."

"Are…you my dad too?"

He smiled.

"In a technical sense I am, but I don't want to be. This is your true father. I'm his brother so that makes me your uncle. So you can call me that, Uncle Alan."

Jenny nodded. The brothers glanced at each other.

"Come, Jenny, we're gonna take you back to the TARDIS and you can meet your aunts and your stepmother," the Doctor said.

Jenny frowned in confusion but she took her dad's hand and let them lead her out of the house.