Disclaimer- Sadly i do not own Doctor Who or any associated characters, places or storylines...i definitely do not own Matt Smith, ahh if only. They belong to the BBC.
Authors note- So here is chapter 4, i have a general idea of the way this story is heading and so i feel at this point i must inform you that there will be lemons and some (maybe a lot depending on how it goes) Eleven/Jack.
Sorry if i switch POVs a lot without warning, i'll try to keep it to one POV a chapter. Enjoy x
Lora cast a glance at Jack, who offered her a grin in response, typical Jack she mused, she was going to get more answers than she had bargained for. Remaining silent she let Jack help her to her feet, she threw him a look that she hoped said "you better be able to explain all this" before making her way over to the other man who was frantically pushing buttons. She caught his attention before saying "So your the Doctor? Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor" he replied, offering Lora his hand as he spoke, she was a tough one he thought, no wonder Jack was running around the universe with her. Not a particularly tall girl he noticed, with the top of her head just reaching his nose...but he figured that what she lacked in height, she made up for with attitude. Just the way she had strode over to him had been imposing enough, curling her upper lip as she asked his name, but he could see it was forced. Jack must have noticed it too, but he wouldn't question it...not yet.
"So Lora, you've been travelling with Jack" he began carefully, "He's been looking after you then?". Lora just nodded and fiddled with one of the burn holes in her shirt, this didn't go unseen by the Doctor. He would wager that she probably didn't even know she was doing it, and he smiled to himself.
"Where are you from then?", he pushed as she stared defiantly at the fabrication panel of the controls, "what does this do?" she interjected, jabbing a finger pointedly at one of controls.
"Ahhhh that's the Harmonic Generator, very important so please stop thrusting your digits at it, She doesn't like it very much..." he trailed off, murmuring apologies to his beloved machine.
"She?...how do you know it's a she?, are you mad or something?", scoffed Lora.
"Because I know, She's my TARDIS...and yes I am mad, the best kind of mad...and...you haven't answered my question!", he wasn't letting her distract him, or at least trying really hard not to let her, he could rave about his TARDIS all day if given the chance.
"What's a TARDIS?", she pressed on with her questioning and the Doctor allowed her this last one.
"It stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space, or to put it shortly a time machine...well not just a time machine really, we can go anywhere in time or space...well not anywhere, there are restrictions, not many but there are some" and he shut his mouth hard on the last word, realising he was rambling "and speaking of time, I believe you've wasted enough of it...so where are you from?" he repeated, enunciating the last words.
"Ask Jack, he seems willing to give you the information you want" her head turned towards the former time agent, the Doctor fought back a laugh as Jack's head snapped up, from where he was lovingly dusting off his favourite jacket, at the mention of his name.
"Oh whoa, now don't get huffy with me, just answer his question", he exclaimed with his hands raised defensively as Lora crossed the room in a few strides and faced Jack.
"How do I know I can trust him Jack?, Who is he? How do you know him?...i..." Jack cut her off by cupping her face in his hands and raising her chin until she was staring directly into his eyes.
"You can trust him because I trust him, he's a friend...an old friend and he helps...mostly. So stop being so closed and talk to him". As the Doctor watched the exchange between them, he was sure that although Jack appeared calm and charming as ever on the outside, he was bracing himself for a slap on the inside. But it never came and she seemed to have resigned herself to the situation, now she walked back over to the Doctor and began.
"I was born on Synos 2, on a small island...it was only a 15 minute shuttle ride to the main port of Gyran...I used to love going there with my Father. He had a great business and we wanted for nothing, I was an only child and they doted on me. I was sent to the mainland for my education and I excelled in most subjects...especially in the art of Farnona, it's a traditional fighting style that all Synosans learn", she paused, swallowed hard and looked up at the Doctor, he offered her a cup of tea but she declined, he had thought she might but he wanted to be polite, she was opening up to him after all.
"After I finished my education, I went back to the island to see my family. I was going to take a job as a pilot doing export runs to the Shareesh space station, I was worried that they would disapprove...the job was well paid but it was sometimes dangerous. Pirates often tried to take control of ships doing the runs, but I wanted to do it...". Lora had trailed off again and the Doctor knew she was getting too a difficult part, Jack seemed to be silently willing her on and he felt it too, like waves flowing across the room and the connection felt strange and he dismissed it.
"It's ok Lora, you can go on", he urged gently.
"When I got back to the island something was different, people were greeting me and welcoming me home, all of them commenting on how much I had grown and how I had made my parents proud... but something was off like they were hiding a terrible truth behind their smiles. I tried not to think anything of it, I had been away from my home for 6 years and I was nervous about coming back...and then as I approached my house that little spark of of worry was back again, I couldn't place it...i heard my parents before I saw them, raised voices talking quickly. I did not see anyone else there but I was sure I heard another voice, a man. He said 'there is no mistake, it is definitely her'...I walked into the room at that point, only my parents were there. They looked like shocked to see me at first, they changed their expressions quickly enough though"
"I thought I'd gone mad, hearing voices when there was no one in the room. I didn't question them on it, maybe I should have...i just wanted to tell them about the job I was going to do, when they found out they forbid me from doing it, I was crushed. They told me that I was to stay on the island and help my Father, I had no idea why...i thought they would be happy. I spent a week with them, begging and pleading to be able to go back to the mainland for the job when the men showed up, they introduced themselves as Mihan, Kayran and Sadoor, they were the Order of Restis and they told me that I was very important and that they needed me. They were going to take me with them, they said I was going to be ok and that I had a very special job to do...but I could see the fear in my parents eyes"...
The Doctor continued to listen as she told them about how her Father had stood between her and them, told them that he would never allow it and told Lora to run. She told the Doctor and Jack about how she heard them fighting and how she didn't look back, she just ran and ran until she caught a shuttle to the mainland, she hadn't dared to stop.
Jack asked his first question since Lora had begun her story, "so how come you left the planet? How did you end up so far from home?"
"The Order had influence, that became apparent when port officials tried to stop me...i both out-ran and out smarted them though, got myself aboard one of the export vessels, the ones I should have been piloting myself. Ended up on Shareesh, decided it wasn't far enough. Hopped two more stations before I found myself in the Bar, that's when you found me Jack", Jack smiled as he remembered what happened next.
"You were so persistent Captain Jack Harkness, following me around until I agreed to let you buy me a drink, 30 minutes in your company and I was jumping straight into your bed", Lora gave a blush and a chuckle at the last part.
The Doctor decided he should jump in at this point, "yes well he has a habit of doing that, some of us however...remain immune to even his most advanced flirting tactics" and he shot a look at Jack who was already giving him one of his own...an unexpected shiver ran down the Doctor from the nape of his neck to the base of his spine and it caught him off guard, he wasn't sure if anyone else had noticed.
"So you've been running since then?", he continued.
"Yeah, every planet, every station we end up on, it's like someone knows me, I feel someone watching me and then The Order show up..." "That's what happened when you found us, except this time the locals got a bit enthusiastic and joined in, guess they figured they were helping catch dangerous criminals but it just pissed The Order off, they were getting in the way, shooting everywhere", Jack cut in.
"I have a question", said Lora "It's still fuzzy, but if I was in the middle of all that and it caused all this"she gestured to the remains of her shirt "then how come I'm not hurt? Not one little scratch and yet my clothes are in tatters, what happened when you found me Doctor?"
"You were injured, badly...i got you to the room and you were already healing, I don't know how but you did, I thought you might have been able to shed some light on the situation", replied the Doctor.
"I healed? But how? It's never happened before, this is madness! And Jack...was I really just dreaming? Or did you actually die? Because that can't be possible! But then I guess anything is possible now huh? A TARDIS that can take you anywhere! My wounds healing themselves!", she slumped to the cool glass floor as it all sunk in. Jack remained silent, The Doctor thought this was for the best. Enough talking for now, time for action. The Time Lord pressed forward, he had made up his mind what he was going to do next. Time for a little adventure.
"Well Lora, I do believe a visit to your home planet is in order, how else do we get to the bottom of this?", and he immersed himself in preparing the TARDIS for the little trip she was about to take.
Lora looked on in shock, as the mad man with the mad grin whizzed about the controls she snuck a look at Jack who was grinning just as widely as the Doctor and she wondered what she had got herself into. She was going back, and she was terrified.