DISCLAIMER: I own nothing other than the plot.
A/N:
Chapter 2! This is story is an AU Torchwood series 4 story, set from the end of the Children of Earth, and movie forward in time from there (more or less – it's never exact . Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, you know...) It also has certain Doctor Who ties, but I will note those when they appear in a chapter. For this chapter, spoilers are for the Doctor Who episode 4.11 – Turn Left, and 4.12 - The Stolen Earth. This chapter is a set up for the next one, and as such is mostly a recap of the episodes. Next chapter, changes start to appear.
Review please!
Chapter 2 – Leaving and Loss, or History as they Know It...
Stop. Enough. This isn't what we dreamed.
Rewind. To before this pain. To before the Journey's End, where the universes were collapsing and the timelines converged on one girl. A temp from Chiswick – nothing special, but everything special. But our story begins further back than that. To when she turned left. To when she was told to turn right.
It's the planet Shan Shen - alive with colour and people. In once particular alley, decorated with banners and choked by stalls, the Doctor and Donna are walking. A fortune teller approaches Donna. She goes to have her fortune told. It was a mistake that nearly destroyed the universe.
The fortune teller spoke to Donna, hypnotizing her. "You turned left. But what if you turned right, what then?
" What if it changes, what if you go right, what if you could still go right… "
"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind... turn right. "
"Turn right, and never meet that man. Turn right, and change the world!" So she did. A beetle crawled on her back, and the world did change.
It was horrible. The Doctor was dead – died defeating the Racnoss. Sarah Jane Smith and Martha Jones were killed during the incident with the Judoon at the Royal Hope Hospital on the moon. Millions died in the United States because of the breeding of the Adipose, and the Torchwood team die while preventing a Sontaran invasion. London was destroyed in a nuclear explosion caused by the crash of the space cruiser, Titanic. The military took over, seeing that so many people from London and the South East were displaced. Donna was one of those.
Donna lived in this word, unaware of anything that happened in the correct timeline. People notice the invisible beetle, but Donna can't see it. She met a girl, running runs into her many times. The girl tells Donna about their roles in the Doctor's life, and explains that Donna had saving the universe. Warns her that the darkness is coming. Donna, of course, refuses to believe her. Then Donna's grandfather, sees the stars go out.
So Donna agrees. To turn back the clock, to turn left. Even though she will die. UNIT helps, for once. They show her the beetle, and tell her how to stop it. So she does. She goes back. It's the day, and the time, but Donna is too far away from where she needs to be. She'll never make it. So she does what she can. She steps out into the street. She gets hit, but the car turns left. As she dies, Rose is there, whispering two words into her ear.
She wakes up. The beetle falls off. The fortune teller runs, scared, and the Doctor is there. Donna remembers nothing. All is the way it was when Donna entered the room. The Doctor finds the dead beetle. He realizes that Donna's actions inadvertently created a parallel universe, despite the fact that the parallel universes are closed off. She's so special, but so ordinary.
His remarks trigger Donna's memory of Rose. Donna repeats her final words:
Bad Wolf
The Doctor runs. All around him, Bad Wolf.
He enters the TARDIS. The cloister bell is ringing. The end of the universe is coming. The Stolen Planet, the Journey's End. The Doctor knows. The walls of the universes are collapsing - something is wrong. But Rose, trapped in a parallel universe and lost to the Doctor forever, is coming back. And that's brilliant.
Then Earth is gone. One moment it is there, the next… Gone. It's impossible, but it's true. The Earth has been moved, and now sits in a different part of the sky, surrounded by different planets. The Doctor must ask for help, but his friends are taken. The Shadow Proclamation must step in, as the Daleks invade Earth.
27 planets taken. Callufrax Minor. Jahoo. Shallacatop. Woman Wept. Clom. Pyrovillia. Adipose 3. The Lost Moon of Poosh. And more. Taken, and rearranged. An engine - a powerhouse. Earth is chaos. The Valiant's down, the Air force retreating over North Africa, Daleks landing in Japan. Project Indigo and the Osterhagen Key must come into play.
And at the Shadow Proclamation, Donna waits. A heartbeat echoes in her head.
A servant approaches, and offers her water. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Yeah. My whole planet's gone." Donna says, smiling weakly.
"I mean the loss that is yet to come. God save you." Then the servant is gone. Oh, terrible prophecy.
"We shall see." A voice echoes.
The bees were disappearing on Earth. A sign of what was to come, but nobody took notice. They were going home, but they left a trail - a path leading in the right direction. The Doctor and Donna find it, and the Shadow Architect speaks.
"The planets were stolen with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Doctor. Right across the universe. And you will lead us into battle!"
So the Doctor runs. With Donna, he follows the trail in the TARDIS.
Back on Earth, the Daleks are rounding people up. If they try t fight back, they are EXTERMINATEd. Donna's family is in danger, but out of the night Rose appears. She saves them, but she needs their help too.
Harriet Jones, Former Prime Minister, comes from nowhere. The Subwave Network - A sentient piece of software, programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor. Undetectable. Bringing together Harriet Jones, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Smith, Martha Jones, and (unseen, and unheard) Rose Tyler. The Doctor's secret army.
They call the Doctor. The whole world (because of Mr. Smith). Billions of phones, calling out, all at once! A signal. The Doctor finds it, but the Daleks find it too. The Doctor locks on. The Subwave Network is transferred Network to Torchwood.
"...tell the Doctor from me... he chose his companions well." Harriet Jones says. The Daleks enter.
"Harriet Jones. Former Prime Minister."
"Yes, we know who you are."
"Oh, you know nothing of any human. And that will be your downfall."
"EXTERMINATE!" She dies.
The Doctor is travelling through time. One second in the future. Then one by one, the lost planets appear around the TARDIS. The entire Medusa Cascade has been put a second out of sync with the rest of the universe. Perfect hiding place, tiny little pocket of time. But the Doctor and Donna found them.
"Oh, oh, what's that? Hold on, hold on, some sort of Subwave Network..." The Doctor says.
And with that, the Subwave Network appears on the TARDIS monitor, the Doctor and Donna where Harriet used to be. Donna's family can see her, but she can't see them.
"Where the hell have you been? Doctor, it's the Daleks!" Jack shouts, relieved but angry.
"It's the Daleks, they are taking people to their spaceship" That was Sarah Jane.
"...it's not just Dalek Caan!" Martha chips in.
"Sarah Jane! Who's that boy? That must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people!" The Doctor exclaims, looking the people on the screen.
"That's Martha." Donna says, recognizing her from their earlier adventures with The Sontaran Strategy, The Poison Sky, and The Doctor's Daughter. "And who's... he?" She asks pointing at Jack.
"Captain Jack." The Doctor sighs. "Don't. Just... don't."
"It's like an outer space Facebook." Donna comments lightly.
"Everyone except Rose..." The Doctor says quietly.
On the other end, unseen, Rose is torn apart by the fact that she can't get in touch. "Doctor, it's me," she whispers "I came back." But he doesn't hear.
On the Dalek ship, someone has taken notice of the Doctor's arrival.
"He is here. The Dark Lord is come." Says Dalek Caan, giggling. Davros responds, turing to Dalek Supreme and asking: "Supreme one, this Subwave Network, I would address it, give me access." The screen in the TARDIS turns to white noise. The Doctor and Donna panic.
"Ah..." The Doctor.
"We've lost them!" Donna.
"No, no, no, no, there's another signal coming through, there's someone else out there." The Doctor says, fiddling with controls. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He whacks the top of the monitor. "… Rose?" he adds hopefully.
"Your voice is different. And yet, its arrogance is unchanged." Davros speaks. Though the screen is still all white noise, the Doctor freezes, recognizing the voice. He's not the only one who does.
"No. But he's dead... Sarah Jane gasps, horrified. Terrified."
Davros appears on the screen."Welcome to my new Empire, Doctor. It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection, and the triumph, of Davros. Lord and creator of the Dalek Race!" The Doctor is breathing heavily, speechless, terrified.
"Doctor?" Donna ask worriedly.
"Have you nothing to say?" Davros inquires.
"Doctor, it's all right." Donna reassures him, "We're-we're in the TARDIS. We're safe."
"But you were destroyed." The Doctor states. "In the very first year of the Time War. At the Gate of Elysium. I saw your command ship fly into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you."
"But it took one stronger than you." Davros retorts,"Dalek Caan himself."
"I flew into the wild and fire, I danced and died a thousand times."Dalek Caan adds in a sing-song voice.
"Emergency Temporal Shift took him back into the Time War itself." Davros explains.
"But that's impossible!" The Doctor shouts in disbelief, "The entire War is time-locked!"
"And yet he succeeded." Davros replies mockingly "Oh, it cost him his mind. But imagine, a single, simple Dalek succeeded where Emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creations?"
"And you made a new race of Daleks?"
"I gave myself to them. Quite literally. Each one grown from a cell of my own body." Davros opens his tunic to reveal that his flesh is ripped off, his ribs and heart are visible. "New Daleks. True Daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have, now?"
"After all this time. Everything we saw... everything we lost... I have only one thing to say to you... " The Doctor says gravely, before suddenly switching to a cheery tone, "Bye!" He pulls a lever and the TARDIS flies off towards the Earth.
"Emergency!" The Supreme Dalek states, about as panicked as a Dalek can get,"Locate the TARDIS! Find the Doctor!"
"He will go to the Earth to find his precious Human allies!" Davros replies calmly.
"And death is coming." Dalek Caan giggles madly "Oh, I can see it. Everlasting death for the most faithful companion!"
"Subwave Network rerouted. New location - Torchwood." A Dalek reports.
"Then exterminate them, at once!" orders the Supreme Dalek "Exterminate Torchwood!"
"Gwen, Dalek saucer heading for the Bay." Ianto Jones says "They've found us."
But Jack is on the phone and doesn't hear. While Jack talks, Ianto helps him into his coat. He hangs up, and Gwen hands him his gun. Jack knows nothing about the Daleks heading for the Hub.
"I've gotta go, I've gotta find the Doctor. I'll come back. I'm coming back!"
"Don't worry about us." Gwen says "Just go."
"We'll be fine." Ianto adds.
"You'd better be!"
He teleports. He leaves. As Jack always does for his Doctor. The Hub shakes. The Daleks make their way inside. The Daleks can be heard above them as Gwen and Ianto wait for death to arrive.
"They're here..."
Sarah Jane Smith. She goes too. Her son protests.
"But there are Daleks out there!"
"I know, I'm sorry, but I have got to find the Doctor..." SARAH JANE responds, hugging him. "Don't move, don't leave the house, don't do anything."
"I will protect the boy, Sarah Jane." The Zylock, Mr. Smith adds.
"I love you. Remember that." Sarah Jane whispers, looking at her son. She runs to her car and drives off.
Rose Tyler. She travelled across universes to get back to the Doctor. So she goes too.
"Control? I need another shift. Lock me onto the TARDIS. Now!" She hangs up and turns to Wilf and Sylvia.
"Right, I'm gonna find him. Wish me luck!"
"Oh, good luck!" Donna's mom cries.
"Yeah, good luck, sweetheart!" Donna's grandfather adds. Rose disappears in a flash of blue light.
And the TARDIS lands. A deserted, post-battle street full of abandoned cars, broken bicycles, scattered rubbish. The Doctor and Donna get out.
"Like a ghost town..." Donna whispers
The Doctor does what he always does. Rambles. "Sarah Jane said they were taking the people. What for? Think, Donna, when you met Rose in that parallel world, what did she say?"
"Just... the darkness is coming."
"Anything else?" The Doctor questions her. Donna looks away, thinking . Then she spots something behind the Doctor. She smiles.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?"
The Doctor turns around. There is Rose. At the other end of the street, but looking at him with a bright smile. The Doctor stares at her. He cannot believe his eyes.
Then Rose starts to run and so does the Doctor. Oblivious to anything but each other. About to be reunited at last. They don't notice the Dalek. It's too late.
"EXTERMINATE!"
It shoots at the Doctor. The Doctor falls.
Jack appears. The Dalek dies. Rose and Donna run to the Doctor. Rose gets there first. She kneels beside him and takes his head in her arms.
"I've got you, it missed you. Look, it's me."
"Rose..." The Doctor says softly, barely conscious but still smiling to see her again.
"Hi."
"Long time no see." The Doctor jokes weakly.
"Yeah, been busy, y'know." Rose smiles, her eyes watery. He yells in pain. Rose panics. She's travelled so far. For so long. Risked so much. Given so much. But he's dying in her arms. And she can't stop it.
"Don't die, oh, my God, don't die. Oh, my god, don't die..." Then Donna and Jack reach them.
"Get him into the TARDIS, quick." Jack shouts "Move!" Rose and Donna support the Doctor. They walk with him to the TARDIS while Jack picks up Rose's gun and covers the way.
In the Hub, Gwen appears with two machine guns and hands one of them to Ianto.
"But, they don't work against Daleks!" He protests.
"Yeah? Well, I'm going out fighting. Like Owen. Like Tosh. How about you?"
"Yes, ma'am!" He salutes.
The Doctor is on the TARDIS floor. He groans and shudders in pain. Donna and Rose are beside him. Jack puts down the guns on the seat.
"What - what do we do? There must be some medicine or something!" Donna asks desperately.
"Just step back." Jack warns them. Rose doesn't move from where she is comforting the Doctor. "Rose! Do as I say, and get back! He's dying and you know what happens next."
"What d'you mean?" Donna asks.
Rose is in tears. "Oh, no, I came all this way."
Donna walks to Jack. "What d'you mean? What happens next?" Nobody answers her. The Doctor lifts up his hand and watches it starting to glow.
"It's starting..."
On the road, Sarah Jane's car is stopped by two Daleks.
"All Human transport is forbidden!
"I surrender! I'm sorry!" Sarah Jane says, terrified.
"Daleks do not accept apologies! You will be EXTERMINATED! EXTERMIUNATE!"
A Dalek appears in the Hub.
"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!".
Gwen and Ianto open fire.
In the TARDIS, Jack pulls Rose away from the Doctor.
"Here we go." He says, "Good luck, Doctor!"
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Donna screams.
Rose finally looks at her and replies. "When he's dying, his-his body... it-it repairs itself. It changes." She looks desperately at the Doctor "But you can't!"
He struggles to his feet, panting. "I'm sorry, it's too late. I'm regenerating." It starts.
Jack puts his arms around Donna and Rose as they hide their face from the blinding light. The Journey's End is upon them. Something is coming.
At the Journey's End something changed. History was set on a new path, and all of time shook with the impact.
But the Bad Wolf sees all.