A/N – Thank you all for the comments, follows, and favorites; I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Unfortunately, updates will continue to be sporadic for a while, I'm in the middle of writing my thesis. After this, there is one more chapter until our boys finally meet, well two of them anyway! Sorry that this chapter is short, I do hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 7
On-board the T.A.R.D.I.S., Time Vortex
Ringing, ringing, ringing . . . what's with all the incessant ringing? The Doctor thought within his unconscious mind as he slept, slouched in the rider seat near the T.A.R.D.I.S.' console.
He felt a not so gentle mental nudge from Her which pulled him out of his sleep.
"Was that really necessary? A bit rude, don't you think? Why did you-"
The Doctor finally realized that the ringing wasn't in his mind after all. The T.A.R.D.I.S. phone was ringing, and from the impatient nudges he was getting from the old girl it could only be one person.
He had just left Martha with her family. He missed her already, but he knew that she was right to leave. The Doctor couldn't give her what she wanted; he had tried to simply ignore all of her hints and not so subtle advances, but in the end it just became too much. Part of him was upset that it had come to this; he had told her from the start that he wasn't interested. Then there was that horrid year, the Master, and Jack; beautiful, indominible Jack, who had more courage and heart that anyone else he had ever encountered.
He had wanted to call his son so much after all that had happened, but the knowledge that he had gained concerning his grandson made him hesitate. The Doctor desperately wanted to keep his Ianto from the pain to come, but he knew that it was all necessary to ultimately bring about his happiness.
"Phil! How's my favorite son?" The Doctor exclaimed with more enthusiasm than he felt as he answered the phone.
"Hello Dad." Phil replied with a tight voice.
"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, immediately on guard due to the tone of his son's voice.
"There are some rather concerning things happening right now, can you meet me at the lodge?"
"Of course, I'll be right there." He started rushing around the console, setting the appropriate coordinates.
"Give me a couple of hours to finish up here and collect the kids." Phil sighed. "There's something else as well."
"Alright, what is it?"
"You need to stay clear of U.N.I.T. for the time being. I've found evidence that they are involved in some extremely questionable things along with the WSC and Torchwood London."
"U.N.I.T. is? I can't imagine that the Brig is aware of this. I'll stay clear, but I have a few phone calls to make before I meet you. I'll see you soon son."
"Alright Dad, I'll see you shortly."
The Doctor hung up the phone with a weary sigh before picking it up again to dial a number that he hadn't expected to call so soon.
It rang twice before she picked up the line. "Doctor?"
"Hello Martha, I'm sorry to bother, but something has come up and I needed to warn you. If anyone from an organization called U.N.I.T. approaches you with a job offer I need you to decline it."
"Someone contacted me earlier today." Martha said, her tone concerned. "What is this about Doctor, I assumed that you were the one who recommended me to them."
"I was, but I've since learned that they are not quite what they had been. What did you tell them when they contacted you?" He asked while pacing the control room and running his hair through his hair.
"I told them that I had to think about it."
"Good." The Doctor said with relief. "That's good."
"Are you in some kind of trouble Doctor? Has something happened?"
"No, no, nothing like that. Just please turn them down. I'm sure that Jack would love for you to join him in Cardiff if you are so inclined. He'll keep you safe and you can impress them all with your brilliance Dr. Jones!"
Martha smiled into the phone. "I'm not Dr. Jones yet, but I will be soon enough. Doctor, thank you, for calling, and I just wanted to say that- I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" He asked, frowning.
"For pressuring you. I've been thinking about the way I left all week, and I- I never meant to make things awkward between us."
"Oh Martha Jones, you're brilliant you are, saved the world and everything. No worries, and remember that you can ring me if the need arises."
"I will, and maybe just to bother you once in a while too!"
The Doctor chuckled. "I'd like that. How's the family?"
"About as well as they can be. I know how much you hate violence and death Doctor, but seeing the Master brought to justice for what he did during that year has gone a long way toward helping them heal."
"Yes, well, I suppose that some good came from it after all then." The Doctor said sadly. His childhood friend was long gone, he knew that. It grieved both of his hearts though that the Master had taken the dark path and caused so much suffering. He supposed that in a way his death was a merciful thing; Koschei had been tormented ever since he looked into the untempered schism.
After his execution at the hands of U.N.I.T., Koschei's body was burned and all of his possessions were destroyed, he had stayed to make sure of it. It was difficult to grasp that he was actually gone, despite believing that he was the only Time Lord left for years. The Doctor knew that if it weren't for his family, that the death of the Master would have been much more grievous. It was a bit daunting really, that he and his family were the last of an ancient, and once mighty race; but the Doctor realized that the discovery of the Master yielded something else good as well, hope. If the Master had lived all those years tucked away at the end of the Universe, how many others might have survived too?
The Doctor mentally shook himself from his thoughts to refocus on Martha.
"I only wish I could have stopped him sooner. You, your family, earth, and Jack, especially Jack, would have been spared so much pain and suffering if I could have figured out a way to stop him sooner!"
"Doctor, don't do that to yourself. You did stop him in the end, and we're all here because of that. Sure we've got quite a bit of healing to do, but at least we're alive to do it. I understand what you're saying, but you need to remember that the most important thing is that we survived, and I'd like to think that we're better for it."
"I suppose you're right. After all, who am I to argue with the Nightingale?"
Martha chuckled.
"Well, don't be a stranger you! I better go; I promised I'd meet the family for dinner in five minutes."
"Give them my best, and say hello to Jack for me."
"I will; take care Doctor."
"And you Martha Jones."
They both hung up and went to meet their families, both full of questions, but feeling a bit better about their parting.
The Doctor went to set the coordinates for the Lodge but found that he wasn't needed; the T.A.R.D.I.S. set them herself, so all he could do was hang on and curse her as she tossed him about purposefully.
"You and I are going to have a serious discussion about this!"
The T.A.R.D.I.S. flickered the lights in the control room as she laughed at her Doctor's false indignation.
"Fine, have it your way."
A moment later they landed; the Time Lord grabbed his coat and made his way to the door. The Doctor was for once very glad that his son and grandchildren chose not to look into the time stream unless absolutely necessary. He hated keeping secrets from his family, but this was one instance in which he truly had no choice; too much depended upon Ianto joining Torchwood, the future of many universes in fact.
2 January 2006, 11:13 p.m.
The Lodge safe house, Philipstown, New York
It was late, but they had finally reached an agreement, one that Phil was none too happy about though.
"I don't like it!" Phil said for the hundredth time.
The rest sighed. They were all sitting around the Lodge's kitchen table, nursing cups of Ianto's coffee, with maps and reports spread across the surface.
"I know you don't like it, I don't like it either, but it's the best option. Despite Uncle Nick being an ass-"
"Hey!"
"Torchwood is clearly up to something, and with U.N.I.T. and the WSC involved I can't be anything good. We have to get in there, and as much as I hate it, Yanny is the best choice." Rhiannon reminded her father.
Phil just continued to glare, desperately trying once again to figure out a different option, and once again coming up empty. When his father had examined the tech that would disguise Ianto's true heritage along with its existence and said that it would work, he lost his last solid argument.
"Papa, I need to do this, we need this intel. Rhi will be in Cardiff for back-up, and I know that you all can bring in the helicarrier in a matter of hours if it all falls apart."
Phil sighed, "I know, I just wish it could be me and not you."
"You know that you would be recognized Phillip," the Doctor said. "If not by Torchwood than someone at the WSC would tip them off; I don't want him in there either, but if you're determined to do this, then Ianto is your best choice."
Phil remained silent, knowing that he had lost. He just couldn't shake the feeling of dread that filled his heart at the thought of his children walking straight into the proverbial lion's den.
Glancing around the table, Nick said, "Alright, that settles it then. We'll send Rhi in first to set up her cover near Torchwood 3. I know that we're almost positive that Harkness is not part of what's going on, but we can't be sure about his people. Don't forget, their Dr. Sato is good, damn good. You'll have to work hard to stay off of her radar."
Rhiannon nodded in acknowledgement.
"Ianto, you'll deploy in two weeks to London. We'll insert you into a situation that will bring you to Torchwood's attention; from there, it's up to you. I will be assigning some highly trustworthy agents to the area in case either of you run into trouble. I'm not going to tell you who or where they'll be, just know that you've got extra help nearby if you need it."
Both Rhiannon and Ianto nodded. Phil and the Doctor sighed in relief, it wasn't ideal, but at least the children wouldn't be entirely on their own.
"You miss a check-in, I'll alert your back-up, none of the usual waiting for two misses crap. In other words, don't miss your damn check-ins." Nick said.
The siblings both grinned.
"Alright, I suggest we break this up for the night. Rhi, you head out in two days' time. Phil, in light of recent events, I think it would be prudent if you were to start a counter-insurgency investigation within S.H.I.E.L.D. I screwed up, but we've got to get our house back in order. Dismissed."
Nick performed his usual dramatic exit to the amusement of all present.
"He does know that stopped being impressive about twenty years ago right?" Rhi asked with a laugh.
"Apparently not." Ianto commented.
"Sometimes he forgets his audience; it still terrifies the baby agents though."
"Baby agents? Since when have you called the newbies, 'baby agents?'?"
Phil grinned, "I blame Barton, it's what he calls them. He especially enjoys terrorizing them."
"When do we finally get to meet the famous Hawkeye anyway?" Ianto asked.
He had heard a lot about the marksman, and was eager to find out if even half of it was true.
The family of four made their way into the lounge to sprawl out across the leather sofas there.
"I had planned on introducing you both to him once he returns from his most recent op in a day or two, but now I doubt that will happen." Phil said.
"So you're on vacation the next two days," Phil nodded. "Tad-cu, Yanny and I will need to make appearances around our apartments to give the watchers something to do. We were both scheduled to be off anyway, so it shouldn't raise any suspicions."
"Alright, should we take care of that now and then come back to enjoy our break?" The Doctor asked eagerly.
He loved having his family travel with him, even when it was only for a short amount of time.
The Doctor, Rhi, and Ianto all looked to Phil with identical puppy eyes.
Phil rolled his eyes and smiled, "Fine, fine! I'm driving though, we need to get the timing right."
"Heeyyy!"
"He's got a point Tad-cu." Ianto said.
"Yeah, remember that time when you were going to take us to Carnival in South America and we ended up in the middle of the Incan Civil War? Fun times."
"Yes, yes," the Doctor said as he ushered his family into the overexcited T.A.R.D.I.S. "You're all a barrel of laughs you are. Let me tell you about the first time your father drove the T.A.R.D.I.S.!"
"Dad!"
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