Chapter four: Torchwood

The Doctor had to admit, he was a bit sceptical when he found out torchwood were up and running again. They had taken someone he loved and made it so he could never see her again, which was enough to make anyone angry. He was still sceptical when he found out Jack had taken them over, but after the help with the Medusa Cascade, he rusted them almost ninety percent.

The TARDIS materialized, back in the original universe, outside of torchwood headquarters. Rose stepped out first and sighed in relief. "this, this feels right" she jumped on the ground, similar to the way she had when The Doctor had taken her to New Earth, and the doctor smiled. I can worry about her later; right now I can't interrupt her happiness. He grabbed onto her hand and they did what they did best, they ran.

Amy Rory and mickey strolled behind them, following them to the torchwood building.

"So how long you been travelling with The Doctor then?" mickey asked them

"Well I've been travelling for about year and Rory a little while. There was a sort of incident when he was erased from time, and then turned into a plastic roman but. We make do."

Mickey just raised his eyebrows. "Well I have to say, even for The Doctor that's not the story I was expecting." Amy laughed.

"So how long did you travel with The Doctor for?" Rory asked.

"Not long really, me and Rose were kind of in this half-relationship but she had completely fallen for The Doctor by then. And then, when we went to that parallel universe for the first time, there was some business with the cybermen and that universe lost its mickey, so I thought it was my duty in a way, to stay behind. Rose deserved to be happy with The Doctor without me getting in the way"

Rory nodded and smiled sadly "the things we do for women huh? Waited 2000 years for this one" he nodded at Amy, he noticed mickeys startled expression. "Oh right, long story, plastic roman end of universe big bang two palava. That was one heck of an afternoon."

Mickey just laughed "I like you guys; I can see why The Doctor travels with you. He only takes the best." He nodded at Rose, who was still in The Doctors firm grasp, beaming and examining something that one of the workers was showing her. Mickey sighed to himself, she's finally happy. Truly happy.

As Amy, Rory and Mickey sauntered up to the torchwood building, captain Jack Harkness burst through one of the back doors. "I thought I heard your voice" he beamed as he scooped Rose into a hug. "Jack I've missed you" she laughed.

"Oi Harkness, hands of the blonde" said The Doctor, remembering having the same conversation with jack when he was all northern and leather.

"Doctor!" jack explained "you keep getting younger every regeneration? Planning on turning into a teenager next time or something?" jack joked with a wink.

Then he saw mickey, Amy and Rory enter the hub. "Mickey mouse" he exclaimed "and here's me thinking I'd finally gotten rid of you in that parallel universe"

Mickey just laughed "ha, I'm a bit harder to get rid of then that jack." Jack just laughed and his gaze drifted to Amy, "and who is this? Doctor you do pick only the best don't you?" he said, eyeing Amy up and down. "Amy." She said as she took jacks hand, eyeing him up and down.

Rory then awkwardly extended his arm to jack "hi, I'm Rory, husband, pretty handy with a sword" jack laughed and shook his hand "say no more, Rory." He said as he began to turn back to The Doctor.

"So no more 'The Doctor' and his plus one then? Since when did you have an entourage doctor?" jack asked as he looked at the four people that had followed The Doctor out of the TARDIS.

"Just dropping mickey off and then back to adventuring as usual jack. Wondering if you could give him a job? He does know a thing or two about aliens."

"Why not, always room for one more in the torchwood family," winked jack.

"So jack your my boss now then? I don't even want to know how I get promoted." Mickey grimaced as he walked over towards the front desk, examining the new headquarters, not too shabby he thought.

At that point, a welsh woman holding a laser gun walked in. "oh hi, you must be friends of jack, I thought I heard voices. Gwen cooper." She smiled

"Gwen, fantastic, just the lady I was looking for. How's that laser coming along?"
"It's still pretty jumpy," she said as she held it up. As she held it, it sparked and she jumped, accidentally shooting jack square in the chest.

"Woops," she said

Here we go. Thought The Doctor. He turned to see Amy, Rory, Mickey and Rose had fallen to Jack's side. "Doctor do something!" Amy shouted. Rose was starting to cry.

"Oh you guys don't know do you?" said Gwen

"Rose, stop crying, everyone else listen to me." Said The Doctor "jack's-" but at that moment jack gasped for breath and said "immortal"

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Rose and Amy at the same time. Jack stood up and stretched, and lightly swatted Gwen on the arm "thanks for that Gwen"

"Sorry jack," she laughed.

Jack just laughed; he was used to being killed in various different ways. Many of which were accidental. He noticed Rose's shocked expression and went over and gave her a hug.

"How did this happen?" she asked

"You," jack replied

"Me? How?"
"Bad wolf. I was shot by the daleks, and then you did your whole I bring life thing and brought me back from the dead. But you did it a little too well."

"Oh jack I'm so sorry" said Rose as she began to feel more tears building up in her eyes.

"Rose it wasn't your fault," said The Doctor "you had a moment there of infinite power. You wanted jack alive but you couldn't control it. You can blame yourself, if anything blame the TARDIS."

Rose just nodded and gave jack another hug.

"Don't sweat it Rosie, I'm pretty good out on missions. Don't have to worry about boring stuff like getting killed."

Rose laughed sadly and jack released her. "Anyways, gotta go, you smith with me," Jack said as he pointed to mickey "gotta follow up on some weevils, you can help. Call it training. Catcha later doc, come visit soon."

They began to walk away and then jack shouted down behind them "and oh, bring the redhead too!" Amy just laughed and Rory protectively took her hand.

"Don't worry about jack," The Doctor said "he'll flirt with anyone, anything despite the gender and or species." Rose laughed remembering when jack tried to seduce her on top of his ship, over big ben. That was a good night, minus the whole gasmask child thing.

The TARDIS crew walked through torchwood, heading to the TARDIS.

"So where to next?" Rose asked

"Can we actually find somewhere peaceful this time doctor?" asked Rory

Amy just laughed. "Rory this is The Doctor, no planet is ever just 'peaceful'. Let's go and find some adventure"

"That's my Amelia pond, but let's let Rose decide. What do you think Rose, relax or adventure?"
Rose didn't even have to think about it, "I think after three years on a parallel world, I deserve an adventure"

"That's my Rose" The Doctor smiled fondly, they piled into the TARDIS, chattering excitedly about where she would take them next. But as soon as their backs were turned, the doctor's smile turned into a worried frown. I'll tell Rose later, let her have this adventure. Then straight to the infirmary for tests. Just one adventure, what could possibly go wrong?

But of course this was The Doctor, and nothing ever went to plan.