A/N: Took a little longer to get this chapter done. And as I promised...the Doctor has NOT forgotten Rose. How could he? But he's just been too busy running from MPs and dodging alligators to think about her until now.

It should be noted here that this story exists in my Trakenverse. Events from my story "Hold On To Life" are referenced in this chapter. (SHAMELESS PLUG HERE: If you haven't read that one, check it out for lots of fluff and romance.)

And I also want to note that this story is the start of a long and winding road back to Rose. I know how it's all going to end but I'm still working on the middle!

Thanks to those who have reviewed so far. Cyber-fudge awaits all new reviewers!


Tracking Torchwood

By

Lariel Romeniel

Chapter Four – Suspended in a Moment

The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door and pushed it open. He looked back at Kit. "Well, come on!" He stepped through and strode quickly to the console. He grinned a little as he heard Kit's bat clatter on the floor behind him. He didn't turn as he started flicking switches.

Kit hadn't said a word as the rotor began to move. "Most people tell me the inside is bigger than the outside," he said, still not turning her way.

Her voice was wry. "Don't think I need to tell you what you already know. But you need to tell me something, Doctor." He turned to face her. Her eyes were wide and her hands were trembling, but she managed to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Just who the hell are you?"

He kept his gaze steady on hers, willing her to believe him. "I told you aleady. A friend. Also a Time Lord, and an alien. So that's the who. What are the other usual questions you journalists ask? Oh, yes. What? What is this place?" He walked partway around the console and leaned against it. "It's the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. Where…hmm..where are we going?" He checked the monitor and looked back up at her. "Well, the plan is to get into the payload bay of one of the shuttles. And why? To find out what's gone wrong and stop it of course. Have I covered everything?"

"You forgot 'when' and 'how,'" she answered with a tilt of her head. Her trembling was diminishing, and a ghost of a smile was playing around her lips.

"Ah, that!" He looked back down at his monitor, studying the readout. "As to when - right now I'm keeping us suspended in the moment just after the TARDIS dematerialized. A chance to catch our breath and figure out the rest of the plan. Which will be the how."

Kit had managed to still her hands. She shook her head slowly, as if she were trying to process all the information. "You…you said suspended in a moment? This..this is a time machine?"

"Time and space machine!" he corrected in a chipper voice as he pushed a few more buttons.

"Can you take us back to stop the launches?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, no. We're already part of events, so we'll have to see this through if we're going to stop it. When we re-materialize, it will be right after we left." He looked up and locked eyes with her. "Unless…we could just walk away, now that we're out of danger. Let things unfold as they will."

Kit's response was firm and immediate. "No. Freaking. Way. There's something wrong, and it's a huge story even without this…" she paused, looking for words, then threw up her hands, "this close encounter of the third kind! And I'm getting the story!"

He beamed. "Kit Morgan, that was the right answer! Now, I've got coordinates set to land in the Atlantis payload bay once we're ready."

She walked over to look at the monitor with him. "Then what? No oxygen and no gravity in there."

He looked thoughtful. "Zero gravity is easy. Oxygen…hmm…be back in two shakes!"

He dashed out of the console room, down the hallway to the wardrobe. He pawed his way through the racks until he found it: the orange space suit from Krop Tor. Its oxygen tank was on the floor, fully charged. Next to the tank was the helmet, its faceplate repaired long ago, just in case. He pulled the suit off the rack, and then stopped cold as memories slammed through him. Rose...

The last time he'd worn this suit, he'd held Rose in his arms. She'd flung herself at him in sheer joy that they were both alive and together again.

He should have kissed her then. Should have told her he loved her. Should have never let her go. A wasted opportunity; one of many wasted opportunities. Since Bad Wolf Bay, he'd spent many hours mentally flogging himself over each one.

He could still smell her perfume on the suit. How could that be after so long?

So many memories connected to scent. That night on Traken….she'd anointed herself with this same perfume. He could remember breathing it in while nibbling on her neck, while licking her navel, while kissing his way up her silken thigh…

Damn damn damn damn damn. He viciously brushed away the tears that had begun welling up. He didn't have time for this! Even if he was suspended in a moment, he couldn't let himself get lost in memories of making love to Rose. Not now.

Ruthlessly, he squashed the memories back into the golden mental box he'd labeled "Rose." He had business to take care of. Villainy to stop. A world to save. Again. And if he didn't get back soon it was very likely Kit would go looking for him and get herself lost.

Memories and tears would have to wait until later.

He pulled on the suit, strapped the oxygen pack on and picked up the helmet. For an instant he thought he could see a slight lipstick smear where Rose had kissed the faceplate. Impossible, of course; it was a replacement. Another memory shoved into the golden box.

He stalked back out to the console room, where Kit was kneeling on the floor, her bag open in front of her and a small device in her hand. She held it up for him to see. It was a miniature video recorder.

"They took my camcorder, but I still have my D-Snap," she said. "Not the best video, but better than nothing."

"Kit, I've only the one space suit," he said. "You can't come with me."

She nodded. "I guessed that already. I can't do zero-G anyway; I'll puke. So you're taking it out there."

He frowned. "I expect I'm going to be a little too busy to be making movies."

"Guessed that too," she said, taking a silver roll out of her bag. "Give me the helmet."

He handed it to her, eyebrows raised in curiosity. After a moment, she had the recorder duct-taped to the side of the helmet. She stood up and handed it back to him. "There!" she said proudly. "Doctor-cam!"

"Very clever," he smirked. "Now, the TARDIS can give you audio and visual while I'm out there, and you'll be able to talk to me."

She brightened. "Can it record too?"

"She can do anything you want," he nodded. "Now here's the plan. We'll re-materialize in the Atlantis payload bay. You stay put," he said, emphasizing each word with a finger shake, "and I'll go out to see what's out there."

"Then what?"

"Don't know till we get there," he replied, "but I'll think of something. I always do!" He reached out toward the console. His hand hovered over a button. "Ready?" he asked. She swallowed nervously and nodded. He pushed the button. The rotor stopped and they heard the thump of landing. "Welcome to space, Kit Morgan," the Doctor said.

He flicked a switch and the monitor lit up with the image of the shuttle cargo bay. It was surprisingly dim. "Conserving power," Kit said. "They won't light it up till they get to the International Space Station."

"Then our timing is perfect," the Doctor said. "Stay here. The TARDIS will create a force-field airlock just inside the door." He stroked the console and murmured, "Watch out for her, won't you, old girl?"

Then he was bounding toward the door, ignoring Kit's quizzical look as he put the helmet on and snapped the fastenings into place. A small flicker of the lighting let him know the force field was in place. He pulled the door open and floated out, pushing off the TARDIS toward the closest crate. "Can you hear me, Kit?"

"Loud and clear, Doctor. The images are a bit dark; tell me what you're seeing."

He reached the crate and grabbed onto the webbing that held it to the deck. "Boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. I'm going up for a better look."

He pushed off toward the payload bay doors above him. As he floated up, he looked down at the orderly rows of neatly webbed crates, shining the light from his helmet onto them. "Big boxes, small boxes, red boxes, blue boxes."

"Doctor, the rest of your name wouldn't be Seuss, would it?" Kit asked dryly.

"Just Doctor, Kit," he answered with a smile. He had reached the top of the payload bay and now was pulling himself along its length. "Some of the Guardian framing is here also, and….hello!" He stopped moving. "I found them, Kit."

"The nukes?"

"Yes," he replied as he pushed himself downwards. Ten missiles, sleek and deadly. He moved to the control panel of the closest one. "Let's see what's programmed into the guidance system." He pushed some buttons. "Kit, the TARDIS will give you the names for these coordinates. 34 point 28 north, 69 point eleven east."

There was no answer. "Kit? You still with me?"

Finally, she answered in a small, shocked voice. "Yes. Doctor, that first set is for Kabul, Afghanistan."

"Hmmm. I thought it would be something like that," he said. "Your president seems to like sledgehammer solutions to his problems. I'm willing to bet that the other missiles are set for places like Baghdad, Mecca and other hotbeds of Islamic radicalism."

"You'd win that bet. But you won't be collecting."

That voice was far too low and far too masculine to be Kit's. The Doctor looked around as the payload bay lights came on. "We've got company," he said.


Preview Chapter Five

"I know the pain! They took everything from me that day! Everything I loved! You think I don't want justice? You think I don't want revenge? But this…this isn't justice. It's obscenity!"


A/N: OK, I know I've taken artistic license here. For the story's sake, he brought back the helmet from Krop Tor. :-)