A/N: Review reply now! Yay!
Chapter 7 - 22nd May 2013, 06:56:40
The Doctor's head felt like his brain had been exploded into a million tiny pieces which were currently floating around in his skull in a completely random formation. He'd since regained his sight in his left eye, although a little blurry, and now he was standing in the middle of Torchwood with several stitches in his head trying to comprehend what his wife was talking about.
"We need to scan, or somethin', or trace them or CCTV or somethin'!" she said at a million miles per hour.
"Yeah," the Doctor said redundantly, blinking a few times to try and straighten his vision out, but it was doing nothing. "Scan."
Brax looked at his brother sympathetically. "I think what Thete's trying to say is yes, we do need to scan, perhaps using Alex and Jack's biosignatures in a worldwide radius."
"We have their biosignatures, yeah?" Rose said quickly, looking pleadingly at the Doctor. "We've got 'em?"
The Doctor looked at her, blinking a few times. "Umm… Jack's, no. Alex, yes. Won't need… umm… no Jack. Immortal."
"What?" Rose asked blankly.
"Thete said yes, we've got Alex's but we've not got Jack's, but we won't need it because he's immortal and has a rather unique biosignature," Brax translated before finishing off with, "Thete, go and lie down."
"M'fine," the Doctor insisted.
"You're clearly not, go and lie down," Brax ordered.
"I'm fine!" the Doctor insisted, more pronounced.
"What is 534 times 24?"
The Doctor paused, before looking at Brax with a furrowed brow. "A headache."
Brax sighed. "Gwen, take him to bed."
"I can take myself... Not an idiot," the Doctor replied, annoyed.
"You could have fooled me," Brax replied, pushing him in the direction of the TARDIS. Reluctantly the Doctor left, trudging back into the TARDIS.
He didn't go to bed - instead he went to the infirmary, straight to the medicines cupboard. He rooted around for a few silent minutes, hoping and praying…
"Yes," he chimed quietly so as not to aggravate his head, pulling out a bottle filled with pink liquid labelled, 'MAGHMAR'. He popped the lid, poured a cup full and downed it all in one. He winced, pulling a face, and slowly but surely his headache began to recede, his thoughts becoming a lot clearer.
"Mmm, fff," he tried out loud, shaping his mouth. "Ahhh. Ooo. Good morning, absolute pleasure to meet you! Spiffing! Dandy! Antidisestablishmentarianism! Roast beef!"
He grinned and put the medicine back, hiding it out of sight. He then jumped to his feet and skipped out the door, and almost trip over one of Alex's toys on the floor.
He stopped dead, all of the happiness immediately evaporating from him. He stooped and picked it up, gazing at it for a long while. It was a stuffed toy dinosaur - a Aegyptosaurus, to be precise.
Prior to getting it, the Doctor had noticed Alex was spending a lot of time playing with his Tyrannosaurus Rex toy and wandering around Torchwood trying to find Myfanwy the Pteranodon, but Myfanwy had always steered clear of him. Alex would get very upset that Myfanwy didn't want to play with him like she did with Leah.
So in an effort to try and get him to open up, the Doctor had taken Alex back in time to the dinosaurs to see them for real. It had turned out to be a very good idea. The Doctor had never seen him so emotive. He'd taken a particular liking to the Aegyptosaurus, so the Doctor had called ahead to Jack.
When the Doctor and Alex arrived back at Torchwood, Jack had searched over the entirety of Earth to find a toy Aegyptosaurus, and had it wrapped up and ready for Alex. The boy had been over the moon. He'd refused to put it down for a month.
Now here it was, all alone in a corridor. Alex was gone. Stolen. Stolen from their own home.
Jack would take care of him.
The Doctor sighed, swallowed, and put the toy into his pocket before moving back down the corridor. He passed the nursery where Kiana was sleeping like a baby, and then reached Leah's room. He rapidly decided to look in.
He found her sitting up on her bed, hugging her toy rabbit.
"Hey," he said gently, moving forward. "Thought you were asleep. You okay?"
"I'm scared," she said quietly.
The Doctor sat on the bed next to her. "Don't be scared."
"What if they come again, Daddy?"
"They won't. I promise. I'm going to up Torchwood's security so we're completely safe," he assured her. "Triple deadlock seals."
"I don't wanna be taken," she said, and started to cry.
"You're not going to be taken, I'm never letting that happen," the Doctor said quickly, picking her up to sit her on his lap, hugging her tightly. "Not you too. Nothing is ever going to happen to you. Because I'm your daddy, and you know what daddies do?"
"Scoff biscuits when mummy's not looking?"
"Oi!" he said, laughing. "Yeah, we do that, and don't tell your mother, but you know what else we do?"
"What?"
"We worry," he said softly. "We worry a lot. You always say I worry. I worry so you don't need to worry. Y'know, after you were born, after you'd done the rounds and everyone had seen your beautiful little face... I held you in my arms and made a solemn promise to you that you would never have to be scared. Don't be scared, because I'll do that for you. Nothing is ever, ever going to take you from me. I promise. Unless you want to run off with a boy, of course."
"Eww, boys," she said, giggling a little as she wiped at her eyes.
"Exactly. Keep thinking that way," he encouraged, grinning.
"Can I help find Alex and Uncle Jack?" she asked, looking up at him with teary eyes.
"Of course you can," the Doctor said, kissing her again. "Go brush your teeth and I'll find you some clothes."
The Doctor and Leah arrived in Torchwood ten minutes later, the girl still hugging Floppy under one arm with her other hand in her dad's.
"That was quick," Brax said seriously, gazing at the Doctor.
"I'm fine," the Doctor replied. "Let's find Alex and Jack."
Brax didn't look convinced. "What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Leah suddenly tugged on the Doctor's hand, and he looked down to her.
She looked back up at him with wide eyes. "Is Alex okay?" she asked quietly.
The Doctor nodded, dropping to her. "He's going to be fine. Uncle Jack is going to look after him for us. I just want you to stay near me, okay? Stay with me. Or anyone. Near me, Mum, Uncle Brax - anyone. Don't go anywhere on your own, okay?"
She nodded.
"Good girl," he finished, kissing her and hugging her tightly.
"Doctor," Mickey suddenly said from his desk. The Doctor straightened up, scooping up his daughter and sitting her on Mickey's desk as he reached it. "It's the news."
The tone in his voice was enough to make everyone gather at Mickey's desk, where he had the BBC News website up on his computer.
56 WORLDWIDE ABDUCTIONS - UN TO MAKE A STATEMENT
"Fifty-six people reported abducted or gone missing at the exact same time," Mickey said, gesturing to the screen. "And we're not just talkin' Wales, this is the whole world."
The Doctor leant in. "Get me a list of names and locations."
"No need, it's here," Mickey said, clicking onto the BBC News site. "Fifty-six names and places."
The Doctor took over the mouse, scrolling down through the names. There they were, Alex Tyler and Jack Harkness.
"How can they know that?" Martha asked, frowning.
"Somebody told them well in advance," the Doctor muttered. "This was a pre-prepared report."
"But what does that mean?" Rose asked.
"It means whoever took them is extremely well organised," Brax said quietly.
"They organise fifty-six separate abductions at the exact same moment worldwide and get a comprehensive list of names and locations to the press in time for the morning news?" the Doctor pointed out. "This isn't organisation, this is plain showing off."
"Hold on," Rose said quickly, pointing at a name on the screen.
Luke Smith, Ealing
The Doctor's eyes widened. "Phone Sarah," he said, and Rose quickly pulled out her phone, dialling for Sarah.
"Sarah," Rose said almost immediately. "Where's Luke? … Yeah, we just read it on the news site… They took Jack and Alex too, just stormed right in here…"
"Let me talk to her," the Doctor said quickly, holding out a hand. Rose quickly handed him the phone. "Sarah, it's me… No, I don't, but we'll find out… I'll come and pick you up. Don't go anywhere… Okay, see you in a minute."
He hung up and gave the phone back to Rose, turning to Torchwood.
"Okay, we need to organise too," the Doctor began, clasping his hands together. "We need to find out as much about the abductees as possible. Gwen, can you do a police check on them? Biographies, please. Find out if there's anything interesting."
"No problem," she confirmed.
"Mickey, we need to find out who those people were and how much power they have. Dig as much as you can on how that story got on the news," the Doctor continued.
"Yep," he confirmed.
"Brax, could you start trying to track Jack and Alex's biosignatures? Use the Tardis after I've got Sarah."
Brax nodded, still gazing at him.
"Martha, keep by Ianto."
"Of course," Martha responded, nodding.
"Rose," he continued, turning to her. "You're monitoring the news. Any more developments on the story let everyone know. And if anyone needs any help, lend a hand."
She nodded.
The Doctor turned to leave… before suddenly stopping and turning back around again. "Sorry… is everyone okay with me being Jack and facilitating?"
"Yep," Gwen approved.
"Go ahead," Brax said, gesturing his hand.
"Working pretty well so far," Martha added.
"Frankly it's better," Mickey said seriously.
"Okay, I'm going to get Sarah, back in a minute," he said, and jogged to the TARDIS.
"I'm going with him," Brax said shortly, and rushed off after his brother.
The Doctor was already programming the TARDIS when Brax got there. The Doctor looked up, saw him, and looked down again.
"Stay here, look after Rose and Leah. Start locking down the Hub," he ordered, tapping at the console.
Brax ignored him. "Have you taken what I think you've taken?"
"You know what I've taken," the Doctor replied shortly, and changed the subject. "Please look after my family."
"You've taken Maghmar."
"Yes, I have."
Brax rounded on him immediately, pushing him away from the console. "In the name of Rassilon why would you take Maghmar? Why do you even have Maghmar? Do you know what you've done, Theta!?"
"Of course I know what I've done!" the Doctor snapped back. "I needed a quick fix and I found it, what's your problem?"
"Maghmar is black market, it's illegal, for a very good reason!" Brax yelled in his brother's face. "And look at the dosage you took!"
He reached up and pulled a stitch out of the Doctor's head. The Doctor yelped in pain, blocking his brother from doing it again. But the fresh wound was already healing, just like his head had.
"You're already healing, your bruise has gone!" Brax shouted, jabbing him in the face. There was no longer a bruise under his eye. "You took a whole capful, didn't you!?"
The Doctor pulled back, glaring fiercely at Braxiatel. "Oh no, Brax!" he began insincerely. "Maybe the dosage will kill me!?"
Brax fell silent.
The Doctor turned to the console to continue programming.
"... It's addictive," Brax said quietly.
"It's irrelevant," the Doctor replied shortly.
"I cannot believe you did that. Even if you are already dying, why would you take it? You know what Maghmar does. It's not just lethal. It's maddening. It's decaying."
"Stop worrying," the Doctor fobbed off. "I know what I'm doing."
That made Brax angry. "I don't think you do!" Brax was shouting again, wanting to shake his brother hard. "You stupid, stupid boy!"
"... You sound exactly like him."
"What?" Brax asked, wrong-footed.
"Like father."
Brax stared. "No, I do not."
"Yes, you do!" the Doctor shot back.
There was an awful, long, awkward pause before Brax swallowed, taking a moment to calm himself down before leaning forward and resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Forgive me. But Maghmar is dangerous. You know that. Look, just tell me where it is, then I can dispose of it and there is no chance you might take another dose."
The Doctor sighed, annoyed. "I'm not going to take another dose."
Brax let go of him, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. "Thete, you are all I have. I just… I need to look after you. Let me look after you."
"I'm not a child anymore, Brax."
"I know, I know that Thete, but you're still my little brother and this is… This is painful, Theta," Brax said, his voice beginning to waver. "Don't think I'm comfortable with this. I wish you could regenerate right now, just so I didn't have to watch you go through this. But I know that's not a possibility. So just let me worry a little about you. It is my duty. I am your older brother. And I'm asking you not to take black market drugs."
"Can you leave now, please?" the Doctor said sharply.
Brax faltered. "I am trying to help, Theta."
"Well you're not, so just leave me alone. If you really can't grasp that I might not take another dose, it's in the medicine cupboard in the infirmary, at the back."
"Thank you," Brax said shortly. "And I did not say you would. Now go and get your friend. I will take care of your family."
"Bye," the Doctor grunted, and turned back to the console. Brax gazed at him for a moment, before leaving.
The TARDIS disappeared the instant Brax stepped out of it. Rose met him immediately, frowning.
"Were you two arguing?" she asked.
Brax couldn't lie. The shouting had probably been loud enough. "Yes."
"What about?"
"Oh, nothing important, he's just being his usual stubborn self," Brax dismissed. "Right, I need to strengthen our defences. Is there a terminal somewhere?"
"Over there," Gwen said, gesturing to a computer. Brax left to get on with his assigned job.
A/N: Next time...
The device around her neck suddenly lit up. The Doctor immediately dived forward to get it off. The moment he touched her he cried out and was immediately launched backwards five feet, slamming into the metal floor. The high-pitched buzzing increased, and with a final scream the girl was gone - completely disintegrated.
"Doctor!" Rose cried as she ran to him, getting there just in time for him to push himself to sit up, staring at the space the girl had been. Gwen was already on the case, picking up the envelope and quickly closing the Hub door. It locked into place, and suddenly there was silence.
"Mind control," the Doctor muttered, still staring. "That was mind control. It was him. I felt him."
"Who?" Rose asked quickly, helping him to his feet.
"The Master," the Doctor muttered. "Completely inside her head…"
