This story is just rolling out of my fingertips, literally. I want to thank everyone for their continued support for this story, and I apologise profusely for my continued absence over the last few months. I hope I'm making up for the lack of updates with these chapters.

And again, I apologise for the cliff-hangers.

Please do enjoy!


Eight

As the smoke cleared Martha leaned up on her elbows cursing at her misfortune. She raised her right hand and dabbed at the side of her face. Blood reflected on her fingers and she sighed, annoyed, at her misfortune. The smoke was clearing. Scrambling to her feet she swayed a bit but someone laid a hand on her shoulders, steadying her.

"I've got you," said Jack.

"Thanks," she shook her head, her head ringing slightly from the force of the explosion. "Where are the others?"

Jack steered her away out of the rising smoke. Sirens blared in the distance as security forces rushed to the scene, but Martha took no notice of them as Jack led her away to the others – all of who were leaning on the sea wall – with their own cuts and bruises.

"Jack? The Doctor isn't here. Neither is Rose," swallowed Martha, as her eyes went from each face of the group. There was Gwen, Owen, Tosh, Mickey but no Rose or the Doctor.

"Rose was taken," replied Mickey. His eyes had the presence of tears in them. It was understandable for him to be upset, especially since he still cared for Rose deeply, despite her now stable relationship with the Doctor. "We think the Doctor was to."

Images were coming back to her.

"No," Martha shook her head, disagreeing with the overall opinion on the Doctor's fate. "He wasn't taken."

"How can you be so sure?" Owen asked, irritably, dabbing at a cut on his cheek with a handkerchief.

"Because I saw him being thrown over the edge of the wall," stated Martha. "One of the attackers grabbed me to get to him – I heard them say 'stop him from reaching the girl'. I was flung aside but the Doctor was right beside me – they grabbed him, said something to him and then flung him aside but the momentum carried him over the sea wall."

Ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, Martha rushed forward and peered over the edge. "There!"

As the others leaned over to look, Martha smiled in relief. Below were jagged rocks, sharp enough to break bones, but not to kill. There was a flat surface amongst the jagged rocks and there was a young girl trying to get their attention, waving at them to indicate that she needed help. Beside her lay the Doctor, completely drenched, but otherwise unharmed. It looked like he had been thrown into the sea and the force of it had caused him to black out. It was a relief to her that he was just stirring and was looking remotely confused as to why he was laying on rocks.

With the authorities now at the scene, Jack had no choice but to stand aside. Since they were not wearing their official Torchwood gear, he did not have the privilege of take over the operation. They had to wait for the Doctor and the girl to be rescued by a life-boat which carried them back to the Bay. Managing to excuse themselves from the police, Martha followed Jack as they made their way to the beach, where the Doctor and the girl had been taken by boat.

When they reached the beach, which was now devoid of tourists, Martha couldn't help but smile. The Doctor was being treated by paramedics who were trying to take some of his blood and he was struggling furiously. She could see they only wanted to know if he had any internal injuries, but she could see the problem with that. He was an alien, which meant alien blood, which meant, if examined, he would likely be dissected.

"You know," she casually spoke to Jack, "it might be a good idea to rescue him before they decide to subdue him probably, since they are beginning to look annoyed."

Jack nodded and strolled over to where the Doctor lay, still arguing with the paramedics. Martha watched as Jack quietly spoke to them and with, slightly annoyed expressions, the paramedics moved away from the Doctor. She wondered if Jack had charmed them into meeting them later. He certainly was the type of guy who could charm anyone or anything if he wanted to.


"Thanks for the save Jack," the Doctor said as he stood up. "They were getting rather insistent that they took my blood before they released me. Typical humans – I know I'm fine."

"You still could have injured yourself inside," insisted Martha, smiling as she approached him. She gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you are okay."

"Rose is gone," he stated suddenly.

"We know. I tried, I really did," added Jack. "I'm sorry."

The Doctor nodded. He looked over his shoulder and spotted the girl who had presumably saved his life. "Hang on," he said.

The girl was sitting with the paramedics; he waited till they had left her and sat down beside her on the bench she occupied.

"Thanks."

"For what?" the girl asked, her hand brushing through her brown hair that was tangled and smelled strongly of sea water.

"For saving my life," said the Doctor. "I could've drowned if it hadn't been for you. The force of the impact made me black out. If it weren't for you I'd be dead." And I'd have regenerated.

The girl shrugged. "It was the most obvious thing to do. I couldn't let you die."

"What's your name?"

"Jenni."

The Doctor nodded. "You should be life-guard."

"What? I can't!"

"Why not?" asked the Doctor, politely.

Jenni smiled. "I don't know. I've always loved the sea, though."

"Heck, you managed to pull me from the water and I may look thin but I'm heavy to carry."

"I know," replied Jenni. "Perhaps you're right. I've always wanted to help people."

"I think you should. You'd be a very good life-guard."

Jenni blushed. "Thanks."

"I expect I'll see you around at some point," the Doctor said as he got up from the bench and walked away.

He smiled to himself. He was certain he would meet that girl again. He was certain she would play a vital part in what was going to happen – it was just a feeling he had.

It was a rather uncanny feeling at that as well.


"It doesn't make any sense," he paced through the Hub, one hand behind his back, the other under his chin as he tried to decipher the questions that raced through his mind. "Why? Why? Why? Why?" He turned abruptly in a circle and stared at Martha. "No, she can't….she is definitely not as powerful as me…and yet they think she is…but how?" He swallowed; his mind racing as he thought of possibilities as to why Rose had been taken.

The Time Vortex had affected both her and Jack.

Jack had the unfortunate fate of living forever.

Rose didn't.

The Vortex still ran through Jack, but was dormant within him.

Rose had the power of the Bad Wolf and she could control it.

In theory she was part Time Lord, part human. Her data still showed her as a biological human which proved that she was still human.

The only way that could make her more connected to the Time Vortex then he ever could, would be because there was something growing within her to make her more attuned to it.

But why would Time grow within her? Time shouldn't reside in human beings even if they had been touched with the Vortex.

And then he gasped, understanding dawning across his face.

He looked at Martha and Mickey, his brown eyes bearing into theirs. Without realising it, the statement was released from his lips. "Rose is pregnant with my child. Isn't she?" he added, gazing deeply into Martha's brown orbs.

"Yes, she is," Mickey answered.

"That's why," the Doctor replied. "The baby…" it felt odd explaining about his child's conception, "was created within the TARDIS. It's forged a connection with the Bad Wolf power within Rose, which in turn originally came from the Time Vortex. The baby has made Rose more attuned to the Time Radiation in the factory then me, although her glow wasn't as bright as mine. That signifies that is the only unique thing about her. That's why she was taken. They'll find out why she's stronger then me and they'll be able to use her forever."

"Use her for what?" Jack ignored the sudden revelation that Rose was pregnant.

"They can use her power as an energy source. The unborn baby, because it's in the womb, is drawing upon Rose's energy, which effectively means that her captors can use her for eternity. The energy within her, helping the baby grow, effectively regenerates itself, which means, Rose herself is somehow immortal," explained the Doctor, dread settled in his features. How come I didn't realise before? Rose's dabble with the Time Vortex has effectively made her immortal…and it's my fault. I let myself become too attached to her, let her get too close to me and she must have unconsciously changed herself so that she remained human but had the qualities of immortality.

"What can we do?" Mickey asked. The others in the Hub could not speak. The immortality issue could be dealt with another time – the most important thing was getting Rose back, safe and sound.

"I don't know. I really don't know," was all the Doctor could say.

To be continued….

Lots of questions and some answers…still a long way to go before this story is finished though. Next chapter will be following soon.

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