Chapter Three: Homecoming

Eastside Docking
Berth 92
2050 Hours

A chill wind blew through the docks, lifting a small piece of litter and twirling it as if it were a child's toy. Rose wrapped her cloak tighter around her slender form, the only protection that she had against the icy fingers of the breeze. The package was hidden nearby, where only she would be certain to find it. Over the past three years, since hitching a ride with a Mixirian couple who had been vacationing on Earth, she had learned all too well what the seedy underworld was like on dozens of different planets. She had not realized how difficult it was to survive on her own while traveling the universe; Rose had grown up in that time, done some things she wasn't proud of, and yet others that she reminded herself of every time that the depression grew to be too much to handle.

She had saved a planet once, much in the same way she, the Doctor, and Jack had all those years ago. Rose had saved children on dozens of worlds from the hands of slavers while on other planets she had stolen priceless artifacts to pay for her journeys through space. She had been searching for all those years – searching for hints of a blue police box and the Doctor on dozens of worlds in the hopes that she might find him again. Ral-fot Fel Fotch Pasameer-Lon Falleen had offered to pay her enough to continue her quest if she would steal the Fil-fot Orb from the ruling family of his home planet. While she had done so, Ral-fot owed her money for what he put her through, not to mention the damage incurred to her ship getting his package.

Her sharp ears picked up a slight scuffle behind her and she spun, pulling her blaster in one smooth movement. But there was nothing there.

CLICK

The cold metal of a blaster pressed into her cheek and she froze, silently damning herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings when she had turned towards the sound. It was an old trick that she should have known.

"Drop it," Ral-fot hissed into her ear and she complied with a mental groan. "Kick it away." She kicked it towards a stack of crates.

"Now, you will tell me where the Orb is, tiny little human. Or I might get the urge to play," Ral-fot's sharp claws drifted down her cheek in a mocking parody of a lover's caress. Rose suppressed a shudder.

"No," Rose responded, and immediately grimaced as the Ral-fot pressed the blaster harder against her cheek.

"I can smell your fear, little human. The scent of adrenaline coursing through your system is intoxicating. You will tell me, or you will die."

"Go ahead," she smiled a secretive smile, "And you'll never find the Orb."

Ral-fot growled at her response, knowing that she was right. She was an annoying woman and he would take pleasure in killing her once he got his Orb. She had out lived her usefulness, "Tell!"

Rose took her life in her hands and remained silent.

"Bitch!" the Raxacoricofallapatorian shook her violently, his hands leaving painful reminders of their large claws.

"I suggest you release her," a cold voice spoke from near the crates, "Before I decide to do the universe a favor and shoot you."

Rose was about ready to faint from relief. Jack Harkness, sonic blaster firmly aimed at Ral-fot's head, stepped into the light cast by the glowrod above the docking berth doors.

Ral-fot growled, "I will kill her." The blaster moved a fraction of an inch from her cheek and in that instant of almost relaxation, Rose made her move.

She dropped towards the floor and brought an arm up to sweep the blaster from her head. Ral-fot squeezed the trigger, but the brilliant red beam blasted harmlessly several inches from her head. Jack took advantage of Ral-fot's distraction to take a shot at him, which was deflected by someone that he didn't know was even there. The blaster clattered onto the floor as a fist slammed into his face.

Gritle, Ral-fot's second mate and henchman, grinned in the harsh lighting at Jack's expression. Jack lifted his hand to touch his lip, his fingers coming away coated in crimson. He smiled at Ral-fot's cohort for a moment before making his decision. He feinted an attack and jerked his arms down on Gritle's shoulders, stunning him. Quickly pressing his advantage, he let loose a round house kick that toppled the hulk of a man to the floor. "Don't do that again."

While Jack was occupied with Gritle, Rose managed to worm her way out of Ral-fot's grip and to knock away his blaster in one fell swoop but her luck was beginning to fail her. Ral-fot was on the attack. She rolled to avoid the kick that was heading her way, striking out with her own foot towards his leg. Ral-fot yelped with pain as her foot crashed into his shin, falling to one knee before getting up again. She could see rage burning in his beady eyes and vowed to do whatever she could to keep that rage there. An angered man, or Raxacoricofallapatorian, makes mistakes that a calm person would not.

A fist that she didn't know was there rammed into the side of her face, and she was moved a few feet to the side from the force. She moved her jaw with care and touched her lip. Her finger came away tinged with red.

She raced towards Ral-fot, firing her leg towards him in a round-house kick...which he caught. He laughed at her, his huge hands completely surrounding her ankle. He had assumed that he could throw her now, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Using her other foot she dropped a few centimeters before jumping, snaking her leg around the burly alien's neck. With a twist of her hips, she made him loose his balance and fall to the floor.

Rose rolled away from the felled Raxacoricofallapatorian, and stood carefully, her breathing slightly labored from the fight. Before she could say anything to Jack, she heard the Doctor's voice as he cried out, "Rose!"

Turning, she saw him just before he grabbed her hand. "Run for your life!" he grinned at her and she grinned back, for a moment reminded of their first meeting all those years ago.

"Wait," she said, pulling away from his hand. She raced to the crates and carefully pulled the Orb out of its hiding spot and reclaimed his hand, letting him lead her towards the TARDIS. Jack ran along beside them, shooting glances at her as they ran. Rose could almost hear the questions racing through his mind and she thanked him mentally for not asking until they were safe.

When she saw the familiar blue box rise out of the mist before her, she wanted to throw her arms around it again. "Dear old TARDIS," she murmured, earning a grin from Jack and a smile from the Doctor as he let them inside.

For the first time in three years, Rose felt like she was home.