Chapter 4 – Superfluous

"That's the seventh in two weeks," one of the officers of South Wales Police noted to his colleague, staring sadly at the sight before him of the abandoned baby pram sat on the pavement. "There's just no explanation."

"Word is Torchwood's got a case file on this," the second policeman replied with a knowing nod of the head, conspiratorial. "And even they don't know what's going on."

The first policeman nodded. "Speak of the devil," he said, gesturing up the road. "Here they come."

The jet-black Torchwood SUV pulled up next to the crime scene with a loud screech of tires. The car doors flew open and out stepped Jack, Gwen, Donna and the Doctor. Gwen and Jack slammed the car doors shut behind them as they strutted over to the police tape and ducked below it without even a glance at the surrounding officers. The Doctor and Donna followed them, both a little more well-mannered as they smiled courteously to the policeman before ducking under the tape and joining the other two.

"Okay Doc, in your own time," Jack said, gesturing to the incident area in front of them where the lone red baby pram sat on the pavement. The Doctor nodded, taking his sonic screwdriver from inside his jacket pocket and kneeling down next to the pram. He held the sonic screwdriver to the seat, a look of intense concentration etched on his face. Minutes passed as the Doctor worked. Every now and again he would stop, raise the device to his ear and close one eye, frown, then start buzzing the baby seat again.

Ten minutes had passed before Donna sighed, tapping her foot on the pavement. "Are you done yet?"

"Shush," the Doctor said dismissively, buzzing at the pram seat.

Donna looked at him in pure indignation. "Did you 'shush' me?!"

"Donna," Jack said quickly, giving her a gentle smile. She melted inside, and then shut up.

Suddenly the Doctor shot upright onto two feet, his eyes wide and alert. "Got it!" he exclaimed, running off down the road with his sonic held aloft. Jack and Donna started after him, but it wasn't long before the Doctor slowed to a halt on the pavement, grimacing with a hand on his stomach, hidden by his buttoned-up coat.

"All right?" Jack asked, stopping next to him.

"Remind me not to run again," the Doctor grunted.

Jack grinned and reached up to his earpiece as Donna reached them. "Gwen, bring the SUV around."

"You know," Donna began after a moment's thought, gazing at the Doctor. "All this makes me glad I never had children."

"Thanks for the words of support," the Doctor said sarcastically.

"No problem," Donna replied with a genuine smile.

The SUV screeched to a halt beside them, Gwen at the wheel. Jack pulled open the front door for Donna and shut it behind her before guiding the Doctor into the SUV.

"Go dead straight please, Gwen," the Doctor commanded as Jack got in and shut the door. "'Til I tell you to turn."

She nodded, and slammed down on the accelerator. The sudden motion made the Doctor almost heave, but he swallowed down the nausea.

"You all right?" Jack asked the Time Lord, but the Doctor suddenly turned on him as though Jack had just insulted his mother.

"Stop asking me if I'm all right!" he snapped, thoroughly agitated. "I'm fine, okay?! Just dandy! Get off my back already, would you Harkness?!"

"Hormones!" Donna said lightly.

"And you can shut up as well!" the Doctor snapped again rudely at Donna. Jack reached out towards him, but the Doctor was mad. "Don't touch me!" he said, slapping away the hand. Jack obeyed without hesitation.

Silence ensued.

"Left, Gwen," the Doctor suddenly said, eyes still fixed to his sonic. She instantly obliged, yanking the steering wheel left. The Doctor almost careered headlong into the window; once again feeling the need to throw up but again swallowed it down.

Eventually the Doctor called Gwen to stop, and the SUV pulled up beside a large empty-looking warehouse.

The Doctor nodded, still staring at the sonic screwdriver. "Here."

Jack sighed, staring at the warehouse. "What the hell happened to originality?" He pressed a hand to his earpiece. "Tosh, can you track our position and analyse the defences of the warehouse due west?"

"Already doing it," Tosh answered, coming through on the SUV radio for all to hear.

"Ooo, she's good," the Doctor complemented.

"You can't handle this," Tosh's voice came after a pause. "It's not stormable. Automatic laser weapons detect movement and shoot on sight."

"Oh come on, that's not so bad," the Doctor started. "I've dealt with those before. Be prepared to lose a shoe, though." He sighed reminiscently. "That was a fun day. Did I ever tell you, Donna? Sarah got locked in a room and was dying from asphyxiation when…"

"Doctor," Jack interrupted, pressing a hand to his earpiece again. "Okay, we'll get back to the Hub. There's gotta be another way of doin' this. Ianto, order some pizza, please. This is gonna be a long night."

"Can we have anchovies?" the Doctor suddenly said, brightening up.

"With anchovies," Jack said into the earpiece.

"And onions," the Doctor added.

"And onions."

"And tomato?"

"Tomato."

"Ham, pineapple, cheese, chicken… Oh, and can we have some vanilla ice cream?"

Jack stared at him. "Okay, Ianto, you get that?"

"So that's anchovies, onions, tomato, ham, pineapple, cheese and chicken with a side order of indigestion and severe vomiting followed by vanilla ice cream dessert…"

The girls giggled as the Doctor scowled at Jack, arms folded.

Jack looked innocent. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger! That everythin' you want?"

"Onions."

"We got that."

"No," the Doctor said quickly, hand in the air. "I want one lot on the pizza, then another lot with the ice cream."

He was met by silence. Donna was staring at him in total bemusement, as though he'd just ripped off his clothes and danced naked around Cardiff Bay.

"Can I get a different pizza?" she wondered.

"So, what are our options?" Captain Jack Harkness demanded of his team as they tried in vain to keep their eyes off of the Time Lord currently stuffing himself full with onion-seasoned vanilla ice cream just across the desk. "We can't break in straight away, so can we nullify their defences then attack?"

Tosh shook her head. "Their security system is amazing."

The Doctor nodded, swallowing down another spoonful. "Even I can't hack it! And that's saying something."

"Can we lure them out?"

"What you gonna do, lay a trail of doggy biscuits?" Donna suggested crudely. "No, the only way we're gettin' in is through the front door."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Owen wondered.

"You said they would be lookin' for an adult female, right?" Donna asked, looking at the Doctor who nodded. "Err, hello!" She gave a wave. "Adult female right here!"

The Doctor sat up and put the bowl down on the table, taking notice as the others looked at each other unsurely. "Wait, what? Bait? No way."

Donna folded her arms. "Think I can't handle it?"

"I can't let you."

"Who are you, my mum?" Donna shot back. "You guys need results? Put a tracker on me or somethin' and I'll walk right up to them and go in."

"No! It's not happening!"

Jack could see this heated discussion was going to get even more heated so he quickly stepped in to break up the two. "Donna, the Doctor's right. It would be safer to send either Gwen or Tosh in."

"Actually," Tosh interrupted, almost hesitantly. "I couldn't hack much, but from what I saw the Torchwood team are on some kind of blacklist. They won't touch us."

"Exactly," Donna said triumphantly, a broad grin on her face. "So, I'm the only one for the job."

Jack shot the Doctor a look. "She's right, y'know."

The Doctor knew when he was defeated. He glared at them both with enough poison to kill a small army, picking up his bowl again and unhappily scraping up the last of his ice cream and onion mix, shoving it into his gob. He upped, and left.

Jack watched him go, frowning as Donna sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's such a woman."

Without a word Jack got to his feet and followed the Time Lord out the door.

"Doctor?"

Jack opened the door to a very dark room, but he could still see the silhouette of the Doctor sat on the bed, facing towards the wall.

"Doctor?" Jack tried tentatively.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at him, and Jack could see tears in his eyes. The Time Lord quickly looked back at the far wall. Jack sighed, moving forward towards his best friend and taking a seat on the bed next to him. The Doctor had a hand on his exposed swollen belly, his shirt undone. Jack remained silent.

"I hate this," the Doctor whispered, tears in his eyes. "I really, really hate this."

It was rare the Doctor ever showed his emotions, and Jack knew he had to tread carefully. He rested a hand on the Doctor's arm, but said nothing.

"It's moving. I can feel it moving," the Doctor continued. "I can feel it growing and moving and sucking the life out of me… and I just feel I have to protect it. Why? It's going to kill me. It already is killing me."

"I know," Jack said softly. "They're relyin' on that instinct."

"I haven't got long left, Jack. You know that."

"I'm not gonna let you die."

The Doctor laughed humourlessly through heaving sobs. "There's nothing you can do, and you know it."

Jack fell silent. He did know it. But he refused to believe it.

"Just promise me you'll get Donna back to London safely."

Jack couldn't bring himself to nod, so he swiftly moved on the subject. "Get into bed 'cause you look like crap. Can I get you a drink?"

The Doctor grinned weakly, sniffing back his tears. "Tea."

Jack smiled back. "One tea comin' right up."

A/N: Ooo, I am LOVING this fic! Could you tell? It gets better, MUCH better! There'll be more on the individual Torchwood members. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye! Ow... Oh, I wasn't actually physically supposed to? Damn...

Ty once again to all reviewers! I just have to stop, take a breath and thank all who do review, anyone who writes long stories know how important reviews are to be the "fuel" as it were, it's a bit depressing when you're posting a story and think that no one is reading. I do appreciate feedback telling me what I suck at. Flame away, people! (offers self up) Flame awaaaaaay! I can take it! Imma big girl now :D