Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own anything, nor do I get paid for it.
A/N Thank you for the lovely reviews on the last chapter. Here is Part 4 for #1 Home. It is a short chapter but I hope you enjoy it just the same.
Happy Reading!
Home: Where the Heart Is
The magic door as Rose had called it, was actually a door hidden with a perception filter leading onto a spaceship. The Doctor explained this when they both walked through the wall and emerged onto the control deck of a star cruiser.
The deck appeared to be empty, with only the various machines running scans in the background. The place was in semi-darkness and the Doctor got a thoughtful look on his face as he examined the technology curiously. They had only taken a few steps when a hologram popped up in front of them.
"Halt! State your name, rank and intention."
"Is that...that's Fitz," said Rose, surprised.
"No, it's only a hologram," said the Doctor. "It must have scanned us and picked a face we'd recognise."
"State your name, rank and intention," intoned the Fitz-hologram again.
"Uh, yes, yes, I am the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler," said the Doctor. "We are civilians and we are investigating some missing children in the area."
The hologram was silent for a moment before it solidified to look almost human. If it hadn't been for the disconcertingly blank look on his face, they might as well have thought that the real Fitz had somehow materialised in front of them.
"Follow me," said the Fitz-clone, turning around and leading the way.
The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look and followed after him. "Do you recognise the technology?" asked Rose in a low murmur.
"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact," whispered the Doctor before raising his voice. "What I don't understand is why the Jeskalonians have come to Earth of all places."
The Fitz-clone stopped and turned around to look at him. "You know of us?" he asked.
"Yes, but I have never seen your lot so far from home," said the Doctor. "What happened?"
"Who are they?" asked Rose curiously.
"The Jeskalonians are a brood parasite," said the Doctor.
"Like the cuckoo bird?" asked Rose, remembering the term vaguely.
"Yes, exactly like the cuckoo bird," said the Doctor with a grin. "However, unlike the brood parasites of Earth, the Jeskalonians have more of a symbiotic relationship with their host. They adopt alien children and replace them with their own until the children are a certain age. A bit like intergalactic culture exchange. Very popular with some species."
"I doubt human beings count as one of those," said Rose.
"We have not harmed the Earth children," said the Fitz-clone, managing to sound indignant even in his monotonous voice. He activated a dial which turned on the screen in front of them.
The Doctor and Rose raised their eyebrows when they saw the five children who had gone missing, enjoying what appeared to be a competitive video game. There were occasional cheers coupled with shouts of frustrations, but there was no doubt that they weren't in any danger.
"I know you wouldn't harm them," said the Doctor, tearing his eyes away from the screen to look at the Fitz-clone. "What Rose meant was that human beings as a species are very protective of their young. If they realise this little exchange has taken place, I cannot guarantee the safety of the Jeskalonian children."
"They won't kill the children," snapped Rose, glaring at the Doctor.
"No, but if a human medical professional was to look too closely…" said the Doctor gently.
Rose nodded, though she still looked a little put out. She turned to the Fitz-clone who had got a thoughtful look on his face. "Look, you have to return those kids back to their parents and take your children back. For all their sakes," she said.
"The project will then be a failure," said the Fitz-clone.
"What I still don't understand is why you came to Earth of all places," said the Doctor, shaking his head. "There are plenty of planets near yours where exchanging offspring is a common tradition."
"It was decreed that our scope had to be extended. Envoys have been dispatched all over the galaxy in order to conduct experiments on a trial basis," said the Fitz-clone.
"So, this was just an experiment then?" asked Rose.
"One that has now failed," the Fitz-clone sounded dejected.
"Don't be so down on yourself," said the Doctor, encouragingly. "Look, what's your name? Your real name, not this hologram."
"Lambda Regent 11010001," he answered gloomily.
"Lambda, may I call you, Lambda?" asked the Doctor, and waited until he nodded. "Well, Lambda, one failed sample does not mean the whole experiment was wrong. Yours is a powerful metamorph species, with one of the kindest natures I have ever encountered. The perfect combination of organic and cyber technology, born on a planet ravaged by constant dust storms and earthquakes. Your technology surpasses anything else in this galaxy and your compassion has only made you stronger. So don't be disheartened, Lambda. Embrace your failure and move onto to the next sample. Preferably a planet with more tolerant tendencies towards exchanging offspring."
Lambda nodded slowly, starting to look less depressed. Rose smiled fondly at the Doctor, delighted that his words had made Lambda feel better. "There is a procedure to reverse teleport the exchanged offspring," said Lambda finally. "An additional safeguard is in place to wipe the memories of the children, if required."
The Doctor smiled. "Tell you what, Lambda, skip the memory wipe. Let the children have those memories. They will fade with the years, but they might just remember them on an odd night when they gaze at the stars and wonder if there really is life beyond what they know," he said.
Lambda nodded. "Very well," he said. "Initiating exit strategy 1000110010011110."
Rose watched with wide eyes as golden particles whirled around the children, almost obscuring them into the shining haze before clearing slowly. The children were still there but Rose could tell that they were no longer the human children but the Jeskalonians despite their outward appearances. She glanced at the Doctor who beamed at Lambda.
"Wonderful, Lambda," said the Doctor. "Thank you."
Lambda's outward appearance of Fitz slowly morphed into a magnificent silver, translucent shadow in the shape of a tripedal organism the size of a large jungle cat. "Thank you, Doctor, Rose Tyler," said Lambda, his voice sounding a tiny bit more mechanical than before.
"Oh, you are beautiful," said the Doctor. "Well, Rose and I will be on our way then. Have a safe journey, Lambda. I wish you the best in your future experiments."
Lambda nodded gratefully. "Your good wishes are noted. The Jeskalonian council will always be grateful," he said.
"See ya," said Rose brightly as she and the Doctor went back the way they had come from and stepped through the wall to find themselves in the alley. "Will we see them leaving?" she asked the Doctor.
"Shh, just watch," said the Doctor, pointing to the wall which was shimmering just slightly. The shimmer became more pronounced and then died down, leaving the wall looking just like before. The Doctor nodded at Rose and she touched the wall experimentally, gasping a little when she felt the solid cold bricks under her hand and nothing else. "They're gone," said the Doctor, grinning at her.
"Shame, I liked them," said Rose as the two of them started to walk back to Jackie's flat. "You know, apart from the abducting children thing."
"They're just one of the many delights of this universe," he said. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"
"What?" asked Rose curiously.
"How many such delights exist," he grinned.
"Aren't you supposed to know that?" teased Rose as they climbed the stairs of Bucknall House. "Being the all-knowing ancient Time Lord that you are."
"Ancient? Ancient?" he asked, looking outraged. "Why, you cheeky…"
Rose giggled and took off up the stairs, the Doctor close on her heels. His stride was longer than hers and with him taking two steps at a time, he had caught up to her in no time. He snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her up against him, her back against his front. Rose fumbled with the keys to open the door to the flat and the Doctor carried her inside the minute the door opened.
The keys clinked as they missed the bowl where Rose threw them but neither of them paid it any attention. Jackie still wasn't home, and Rose wriggled out of his grip briefly so she could grab his arm and pull him into her room. He went willingly, eyes gleaming darkly as he shut the door behind him firmly and locked it. Rose had dropped her jacket and was beckoning him with a grin but before the Doctor could make good on his promise, they heard Jackie calling their names outside.
Rose started laughing at the petulant look on the Doctor's face as she walked past him to open the door. "Hi mum," she greeted.
"Why was the bleedin' door open?" demanded Jackie, hands on her hips.
"Sorry, we were just in a bit of a hurry," said Rose, stepping out of the room after shooting the Doctor an apologetic look who waved her apology away. He was aware that Rose could very well have only this week with her mother and he would not begrudge her a moment longer of that.
Jackie's eyes narrowed when the Doctor walked out after Rose, but she refrained from commenting. "You won't believe what Bev told me," she said, looking at Rose. "It's about the Taylor girl. Carol or Carrie, her name. Never can remember which one."
"What about her?" asked Rose curiously, remembering Carrie Taylor being one of the children that the Jeskalonians had taken in.
"Bev said she was on the playground before she started glowing all golden like and then just like that she was fine," said Jackie. "Wouldn't have anything to do with you two, would it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the pair of them.
The Doctor gave her his most innocent look. "Of course not, Jackie," he said brightly. "We had absolutely nothing to do with that."
Later that night, long after the Doctor had gone back to the TARDIS, Rose and Jackie sat on the sofa in the living room, drinking wine.
"And you don't know when you can come back again?" asked Jackie.
Rose shook her head sadly. "They can't be sure when it will go away. If it will even happen in my lifetime," she said.
Jackie's eyes filled with tears. "Can't your Doctor do anything? Cure it or something?" she asked, a note of desperation in her voice.
Rose set her wineglass aside and took her mum's hand. "He's doing everything he can, mum," she said earnestly. "Honestly, if there was a way he would have done it by now."
"You're my little girl, Rose," said Jackie tearfully. "Am I just supposed to say goodbye to you in five days and not know if I will ever see you again?" Rose blinked back tears and didn't answer. Jackie began to sob and Rose knew there was nothing else she could do but hug her mother and tell her she would be alright.
"I won't even be able to see you get married," said Jackie, through her tears.
Rose didn't feel like pointing out that she and the Doctor would perhaps never get married in the way her mother would want them to. She just patted her mum's back soothingly.
Jackie pulled away and wiped her tears clumsily before looking at Rose sharply. "I know what you are thinking, Rose Marion Tyler," she said. "But mark my words when I say that you will have a proper wedding. For your sake, if not anybody else's."
"Alright, mum," said Rose as sincerely as she could, not wanting to press the issue.
Jackie searched her eyes for a moment. "Stay here," she said and stood up. "I've got something for you."
Rose's brow furrowed as her mum walked into her bedroom and emerged with her handbag. She set it down on the coffee table and rummaged through it briefly. "Got this when I went out today," said Jackie. "Been sitting in the deposit box for ages." She held up the object in question and Rose's eyes went wide.
"That's Nan's, isn't it?" she asked, staring at the wedding band that Jackie was holding.
"Yeah," said Jackie, smiling at it fondly. "I know it isn't flashy…"
"It's beautiful," said Rose, admiring the rows of tiny diamonds and sapphires entwined in a vine to form a delicate wedding band. The stones were miniscule and it was only silver that held them but Rose remembered how much her Nan had treasured it.
"Take it," said Jackie. "Mum wanted you to have it anyway. There's a matching men's band too. It belonged to Granddad Prentice."
Rose looked at the other band which was just plain silver, and then back at her Nan's. "I can't take them," said Rose. "They should have been yours and Dad's."
"Pete's family had their own set of rings to give us," said Jackie, gazing fondly at her own wedding ring that she had never taken off even after all these years. "Take them, and wear them as a way to remember us."
Rose took the two rings from her mum and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she said.
Jackie patted her back and held her just as tightly. "Promise me, Rose," she said, her voice shaking as she started crying. "Promise me that you will be happy."
Rose nodded and buried her head in her mum's neck. "I promise," she said. "Even if I never see you again, I promise you I will do my best to be happy."
A/N End of #1 Home. I know the fluff level is off the charts but it is going to be fluffy for a while, with heavy stuff making an appearance in full force later. Plus, writing fluff is always fun. Hope you enjoyed it.
Part 1 of the next adventure will be up soon. See you then!
