Author's Notes - There's a lot going on in this chapter as Melissa, Jack, the Doctor and Donna wrap up their time on Pete's World.
First off, the Doctor confronts . . . the Doctor! Just in case you're wondering, Fred is the private name that the Doctor, Melissa and Jack use to refer to the metacrisis, but they don't use it publically. I've used it in the story to more easily differentiate between the two because I really don't think the Doctor would give up his outward identity, including his name, just because he's now mostly human.
And, we see what's going to happen to Pete. Now, some of you might not think that it's punishment enough, but remember the person who's doling out the punishment. Pete will definitely suffer.
Lastly, I've attempted to write some fluff. Okay, I know I do humor all the time to lighten some of the scenes, which I guess can be fluffy, but I don't usually try to write fluff for fluff's sake. Let me know what you think.
And, thanks to ceeare, Kassandra J, Mrs. 11th and dwatlaskrhtcm for commenting on the last chapter. Hope everyone continues to read and enjoy the story.
The Doctor woke slowly to the sound of pounding on the TARDIS door. Well, if he was being technical, he woke to the TARDIS projecting the sound of the door pounding in his mind, but he was too irritated at being woken to be technical. They'd only been in bed for two hours and twenty-two minutes. Who could be so impatient?
Pulling on his trousers and hastily buttoning his shirt, he soon found out. "Come in," he said ungraciously as he undid the deadbolt and opened the door.
His mirror image was standing in front of him, clearly uncomfortable. "Didn't mean to interrupt anything," he began as he took in the Doctor's state of dress.
He wasn't having that conversation with his counterpart. It was none of his business. "I was asleep," he said testily. Leaning against the coral strut nearest the entrance, he didn't invite him in any further, leaving his doppelganger standing awkwardly near the open door.
"Donna was getting worried. She asked me to check up on you."
That was a blatant lie. Donna knew she'd be consulted if something were really wrong. "Tell Donna we're fine," he remarked, hoping it would be that easy to get rid of him.
It wasn't. "Jack knew you were being tortured."
The Doctor pushed off the wall to close the door to the TARDIS, although he didn't deadbolt it this time. "Cup of tea?"
Fred nodded, following his counterpart to the kitchen. They were silent until the tea was ready.
"So, are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" the Doctor asked, knowing it would irritate his twin.
"You know perfectly well what. How the hell did Jack bond with you? Psychic bonds exclude the possibility of a third party."
"Jack's an impossible thing. You know that."
"He'll hurt her."
"And we haven't?" he asked, bitingly sarcastic. "You're right, of course. Jack's already hurt her once. He died on Gallifrey so we'd survive. For a while I thought she'd die too, but she's stronger than we ever suspected. And, he'll hurt her again, because barring some catastrophe, he'll die for the last time far sooner than either one of us would like."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know perfectly well what you meant. And I can't believe you have the gall to warn me about Jack. She's right; you're not me. I might have run from the Captain, but I've never doubted his loyalty. If you'll remember, the main reason I left him was to shield Rose from what she'd done."
"You can't use that excuse on me, Doctor. If you can't be honest with him, at least be honest with yourself. You left him because his very presence made your skin crawl."
"You know full well I got over that prejudice on Malcassaro, and it never affected me that badly to begin with."
Fred wasn't about to drop the subject, even though he knew it would be the prudent thing to do. "How did he manage to have a child with her?"
The Time Lord smiled sardonically. "I imagine he did it much the same way we did."
"Funny—you're avoiding the question.
"I already told you he's an impossible thing. I think that answers all questions about Jack Harkness well enough, don't you?"
"Their child was born with a heart defect?"
"She had a hole in her left heart. With the available technology, it would have taken several operations to fix it. Knowing they were in an alternate reality, they chose not to subject her to unnecessary pain."
"She was born a Time Lord?"
"Yes."
"But why would they choose to have a child in an alternate reality in the first place?"
"That's not my story to tell." He really wished his counterpart would get to the point. So far, he'd been dancing around a question he couldn't fathom.
There was a strained silence in the kitchen as both men drank their tea.
"Do you think a child of mine would be defective?"
So that was it. "I shouldn't think so. You're DNA is a double helix; it's why you couldn't sense the presence of Time Lords when we landed. You're still mildly telepathic, and the TARDIS called out to you, but you didn't know Emma or I would be inside, did you?"
"No, when I saw Donna and Jack, I assumed you were able to preserve her memories before you'd died and the two of them were traveling together." Hastily, he added, "I'd hoped you'd been saved, of course."
"Of course."
"Are they alright?"
"They'll be fine. Jack was lucky, and Emma's resting, which is the best I can hope for at this point."
"The dangers of twins—"
"I know."
"Why didn't you talk her out of it?"
"It was her choice to make, not mine. Although . . . ."
"Yes?"
"I think she made the right one."
Both Doctors sat back for a few seconds, contemplating that admission. Finally, the human Doctor gazed keenly at the original, as if the answer to a very important question could be found on his face.
"You've changed."
There was no point in arguing with himself. "I've stopped running."
"From what I can see, you haven't stopped running. You're merely running with her rather than away from her."
"You're wrong. If I was running, we'd stay here. This is merely a tactical diversion."
"And if I asked you to take Rose and me with you? Would you run from that?"
That question genuinely surprised the Doctor. "No. Is that what you want?"
"No. Seeing her, I only feel the guilt. I can't imagine reliving that pain day after day."
"She forgave me."
"Does that help with the guilt?"
The Doctor stared at his counterpart for several seconds before answering. "Sometimes." Draining the rest of his tea in one long gulp, he quickly stood to place his mug in the sink. "Feel free to see yourself out."
It was a blunt dismissal, but Fred accepted it well enough. He knew that the Doctor had been more open with him than he would have been with almost anyone else, but there were limits. He didn't attempt to follow him through the hallways. Instead, he walked out the ship to find Rose waiting for him.
"You alright?"
"I'm fine. Just had a question for the Doctor. You?"
She shrugged. "Been better. 'S a lot to take in all at once, you know?"
He knew that all too well. "We don't have to resign, if you don't want to, Rose. I know Lumic's death is going to create chaos at Torchwood. If you think we should help, then we can stay."
Standing just inches from him, she peered at his face. "Is that what you want, Doctor?"
He swallowed thickly before speaking, his mouth suddenly dry. "I want to be with you, Rose Tyler. If you need to be at Torchwood, then that's where we'll be."
That teasing little smile she reserved just for him stole across her face, and in that instant, he knew that no matter what she said, everything would be fine.
"And if I want a house with carpets?"
His mouth turned upwards into a delighted grin. "Then, we'll have to get a mortgage, won't we?"
Her smile was even brighter. "Yeah, we will. Just, not quite yet. I want you all to myself first. Think you can find us a nice deserted island somewhere?"
Stealing a look at the TARDIS, he took her hands in his. "I think that can be arranged."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Once his counterpart had left, the Doctor found it impossible to sleep. Arguing with himself was always as annoying as hell, and this time was no exception. In fact, it was worse because he couldn't blame his bad-temper on a different personality. That little bit of Donna inside the metacrisis Doctor might make him ruder, but it didn't make his accusations any less cutting.
Jack found him a few hours later underneath the grill in the console room, muttering darkly about the state of the engines. Grabbing a perfectly ordinary screwdriver, he dropped down to help.
"Are the engines good enough to get us home?" The lights in the console room dimmed briefly, and Jack affectionately patted the ship. "Sorry, girl. Didn't mean to insult you."
"She'll get us home." After a few turns of a spanner, the Doctor looked up. "We still need to stay here another four to five weeks, Captain."
Jack shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I have to admit that I was looking for something a little more relaxing." When the Doctor agreed, he continued thoughtfully. "You know, when we were at Torchwood, Melissa requested a deserted island and lots of sex. I gotta say that sounds better than hanging around here mopping up Pete Tyler's mess."
"Well, I do have a reputation to uphold. I don't usually stick around for the clean-up."
The seriousness of the Doctor's tone almost made the Captain laugh. He was such a fraud. He'd done nothing but stick around since Melissa's true nature had been revealed. Smirking, he replied. "Doc, I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been 'sticking around' for months now." Hastily, he added, "Don't worry; we don't have to tell the Tylers. Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation."
As if invoking the name had summoned her to appear, Jackie Tyler pounded on the door of the TARDIS. "Oi! I know you're in there, you lug! Open up! I need to talk to you!"
With amazing speed, both men scrambled from underneath the grating, the Doctor going so far as to run his fingers through his hair in an effort to fix it. "Better let her in, Captain. Genghis Khan's got nothing on Jackie Tyler."
As soon as Jack opened the door, she stormed in. Taking a good look at the both of them, she demanded, "You two alright? Rose says you've been in here for hours. She's getting worried. 'S not the only one."
"We're fine, Jackie." The Doctor quickly assured her, wondering how he could get her out of his ship before she figured out that they'd all been through the wringer. He pointed to the open grating. "Just doing a little maintenance. The TARDIS' engines weren't meant for this universe. They needed a little tweaking."
"If you ask me, that ship of yours needs more than a little tweaking, in any universe." Before the Doctor could do more than sputter, she briskly continued. "I wanted to apologize for what happened. None of you should have been taken away like that. It was barbaric! And, I wanted to thank you for getting rid of that Lumic fellow. Something about this Torchwood always seemed a little off, but I never took the time to worry about it. Stupid, really. It was hard to believe when Pete told me how long it went on."
"So, you've talked to Pete?"
Jack glanced curiously at the Doctor. His voice had gone up a couple of octaves when he asked the question, and the Captain wondered what the Time Lord was thinking.
Jackie's expression hardened. "Was too pissed off to do much talking. Brought Tony home and listened while my flipping idiot of a husband explained all the reasons why I shouldn't kick him out on his arse. He claims he was helping that Dr. Harper all along, but when it came right down to it, he turned you in rather than stick his neck out. Not sure what to make of that."
Knowing the Doctor's feelings on Pete Tyler's betrayal, Jack half expected an angry diatribe to spew from the Time Lord's mouth. He didn't expect the gentle reassurance he heard.
"He was trying to protect his family, Jackie—all of you. And, I think he'd truly convinced himself that this Lumic was different. Maybe he was at first. He did help Rose with the dimension cannon and solve global warming. But, in the end, Lumic's clone was just as selfish as he had been, and that's why he couldn't continue."
"So, you think I should forgive him, then?"
Turning his penetrating gaze on Rose's mother, he answered, "I don't think you should not forgive him. But, whether you can forgive him is up to you." Then, making his tone intentionally lighter, he asked, "So, what's it going to be, Jackie Tyler? I could take you back to your flat at the Powell Estates. You could raise Tony there, alone. Or, you can decide to forgive Pete and be a family here. Your choice."
"I didn't cross the Void just to give up the first time Pete acts like a shit, Doctor." Smug, she continued, "Doesn't mean he's going to know that for a while. I think he deserves to suffer."
Turning to Jack, she had a definite grin on her face. "What do you think, Captain Harkness?"
Chuckling, Jack answered immediately. "I think I'm very glad not to be Pete Tyler at the moment."
Dramatically rubbing his cheek, the Doctor agreed. "So am I, Captain. Jackie here has a rather ferocious slap."
"That'll be the least of it when I'm through with him," she vowed. Then, her look of glee was replaced by one of genuine concern. Approaching the Doctor, she intently searched his face. "You sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine, Jackie."
"Good, 'cause I consider you family, and I don't want to be worrying about you all the time."
Extremely embarrassed by her declaration, he did his best to deflect it. "Well, since you're most likely getting me as a son-in-law, that's refreshing to hear."
"Not him, you twit. You. I worry about you. Stranding Rose here with him was the nicest thing you've ever done for her, but I wasn't so sure it was the right thing for you. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love."
"He lost your daughter, Jackie, but he found someone just as precious." Jack didn't know what made him say that, except perhaps the tense expression on the Doctor's face.
"I know that, and I'm glad to see it. Where is Melissa, by the way? Pete said she wasn't hurt?"
The question hung in the air like an unexploded grenade. Finally, the Doctor responded in an almost normal tone. "She's fine. A few bumps and bruises, that's all. She's sleeping. Did Rose tell you she's pregnant?"
Jackie's face split into a pleased grin. "With twins, yeah? Hard to believe you're going to have kids before my Rose. I got a plan to speed that along, though, don't you worry."
Neither man wanted to go anywhere near that assertion. There were some things that were better unknown, and Jackie Tyler's schemes were definitely in that category. They both were subjected to a hug and kiss before she took her leave. As soon as she was gone, Jack leaned against one of the struts, shaking his head.
"Now, I know where Rose gets it. I pity Pete."
"Don't. I pity me. Sounds like he's going to be married sooner rather than later."
Jack grinned. "That would be worth sticking around for."
A fleeting smile in response flickered across the Doctor's face, to be replaced by a solemn expression. "You know you're wrong, Captain."
"Oh?" Bemused, Jack waited for the Doctor to enlighten him.
"Yeah. When I gave up Rose, I didn't find one person, I found two."
Jack forgot to breathe. For the first time in his long life, he had no idea how to react. Although it sounded woefully inadequate, he answered the only way he knew how. "Thanks, Doc."
Dropping underneath the grating to continue working on the TARDIS, the Doctor nodded. He still hadn't been able to tell Jack exactly how much he meant to him, but he had a feeling the Captain understood. He always did.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Four weeks later, the TARDIS materialized on a warm, sandy beach. Rose and Fred had already packed for the return journey, and were standing in front of the ship when the Doctor, Melissa and Jack walked outside.
"I can't believe how big you've gotten in only a month!"
Melissa reddened in embarrassment as Rose gave her a hug. She didn't think she was that big. Self-consciously, she put her hand on her stomach. Smiling at her friend, she quickly reassured her. "I feel perfect."
For once, it was the truth. Four weeks alone with the Doctor and Jack on their own tropical island had done much to boost her spirits. While she was still dependent upon a cocktail of drugs to keep her body functioning normally, she was no longer tired and nauseous, and hadn't yet progressed to the stage of pregnancy in which she felt overly heavy and awkward.
Rose's Doctor kissed her cheek. "You look wonderful, Emma."
She acknowledged him courteously. Four weeks had mellowed her initial anger towards him. However, she couldn't find it in herself to return his kiss, no matter how platonic. "And you two look tanned. Donna's going to be jealous."
Resting his arm protectively around her thickened waist, Jack grinned. "I just remembered. I owe that woman a kiss!"
"Better pay up soon, Captain." The Doctor's warning came with a goofy grin. "Considering how scarily smart she is now, you don't want to get on Donna's bad side."
As they all entered the TARDIS, Rose asked, "Has she sorted Torchwood yet? I got a text from mum telling me that Donna was busy organizing everything better than when Lumic was running things. And, the security cameras are gone."
"More importantly," Fred added, "Torchwood Cardiff is no longer a medical facility. From now on, they're going to be solely concerned with things that come through the Rift."
"Does that mean Owen's out of a job?"
Melissa asked a tad too eagerly, and the Doctor quickly intervened. "No pets, we agreed. And definitely no gingerbread men. We are not bringing Owen Harper back to our world. It would raise too many questions."
Jack concurred. "Owen stays." Seeing the look of disappointment on his wife's face, however, he tried to cheer her up. "That doesn't mean we can't find Toshiko Sato and lock the two of them in a broom closet before we leave."
She liked that idea immensely. As they all piloted the ship to the Tyler mansion, Melissa briefly explained the almost relationship between her Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato. Rose agreed that it was very tragic, and was keen to help her play matchmaker when they returned to London.
She was keen to do anything to get them to stay a little while longer. Her Doctor was wonderful, but it was nice to have a group close friends. She was certainly going to miss them. But, she wasn't willing to leave her mum, Tony or even Pete to go with them. The Doctor had given her a chance at a normal, wonderful life-with him no less-and Rose Tyler planned to take full advantage.
They were glad that Donna met them in the garden because they almost didn't recognize it. The formal gardens had been utterly transformed. A red carpet adorned the path between two sections of the lawn, and fifty chairs had been set out in rows on either side. The concrete statue of Venus had been removed, leaving a small open area that was primed to become the center of attention. About a hundred feet beyond, past the box hedges, stood a huge white tent decorated in accents of soft pink.
Before anyone could demand an explanation from a grinning Donna, Jackie ran into view, hugging Rose and her soon to be son-in-law in turn. "You're lucky you're not any later. The official'll be getting here in two hours. Should give you all plenty of time to change for the ceremony. I'll have to do your hair, Rose, but it looks like the sun did a good job lightening it."
As Jackie continued to witter on about the details of the impending wedding, she finally took a good look at Melissa and stopped in her tracks. "Look at you! You're not supposed to be showing yet! It's a good thing I told Marco to stay in case Rose's dress needed some last minute alterations. You'd better come with me."
Before Jackie could pull Melissa away, Rose stopped her. "Mum, have you gone mad? What are you doing? The Doctor hasn't even asked me to marry him yet!"
"Well, he better get on with it, hadn't he? Really, Rose, I thought you wanted your friends here for your wedding."
"Yeah, I do," she vowed quickly before letting the uncertainty creep into her voice. "It's just, he hasn't asked me yet."
Jackie turned to peer fondly at her not quite son-in-law. "Well, what are you waiting for, you daft sod? I gave you permission ages ago."
"Mum!" Rose's cheeks colored in equal parts anger and embarrassment. Everyone except Fred stifled their laughter to varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, that only made her more self-conscious.
Sneaking a glance at his counterpart, the Doctor cheerily addressed his former companion. "Now, Rose, you know I don't usually agree with your mum, but in this case, I'm forced to make the exception. A proposal of marriage is generally expected before a wedding. And while I'm highly suspicious of assumptions, I'd say it looks very much like there's going to be a wedding here in the next few hours."
Then, the Doctor turned his attention to his twin, ready to encourage him, but the man had already pulled out a small square box from his pocket.
"I'm not going to be able to convince any of you to give us a shred of privacy, am I?"
Jack answered for all of them. "Not a chance."
Rubbing his fingers through his hair, the human Doctor took a deep, cleansing breath. "Right."
He pulled Rose a little away from the group, his expression unusually embarrassed and uncertain. "I bought you a ring," he explained, opening the red velvet box to reveal a stunning ruby flanked by glittering diamonds. Nervous, he began babbling. "I know, I know-I should have asked you before now. Although I've got to say, I didn't realize we'd be walking in on a surprise wedding as soon as we returned from holiday. I mean, who does that? Well, the Oxtorians . . . and the Halfej . . . and the Igsnatii of course, but they generally don't ask the bride and groom if they'd like to get married beforehand, so there's really no engagement as such, and none of them have anything recognizable as fingers—"
"Oi, Spaceman! Time and place, yeah?"
His cheeks aflame, he looked up to see Donna shaking her head and Rose doing her best to hide a grin. "Yes, right, of course." Taking another deep breath, he calmed his mind; only one person mattered at the moment.
"Rose Tyler—"
"Yes, Doctor?" She spoke coyly, enjoying herself very much. Much of her life was downright bizarre, why should her proposal or wedding be any different?
"I love you."
Her heart fluttered in her chest. It wasn't a joke any more. He'd whispered it on the beach in Norway, said it again when he'd filled out that stupid, stupid paperwork, consoled her with it every time she'd woken up crying, her nightmares too much to bear. But this, this was much different.
This wasn't some private declaration between the two of them. He was saying it openly, in front of the people that really mattered. He might as well be standing in front of some altar (although she knew he didn't believe in a deity) promising until death do us part, because his declaration had all the solemnity of a sacred vow. In many ways, it made the upcoming ceremony redundant.
"I love you, too," she replied quietly, unconsciously biting her lower lip.
He smile was one of relieved joy. "So, Rose Tyler, would you like to marry me today, in front of our family, friends, acquaintances and whomever else your mum has decided to invite? Do you want the house, the mortgage, the sensible car, and only occasional bouts of running? Would you, in fact, like to take the slow path with me?"
That had to be the best proposal she'd ever heard. "I do." She knew she must be grinning like a loon, but she didn't care one whit. And when he placed the engagement ring on her finger, her smile only increased.
They hugged first, because that's what they'd always done, and then they kissed until Jack started whistling cat calls and Jackie loudly insisted that Rose needed to try on her dress. Breaking apart, they held hands as they followed Jackie into the mansion. The rest of the wedding party followed, happily shouting congratulations and teasing the Doctor about his tendency to babble.
Four hours later, they were husband and wife. Jackie had given her daughter away. Although she and Pete had reconciled, it seemed more fitting that way. Tony had been the ring bearer, and had only dropped the pillow once. Both Doctors wore tuxes, and not a single alien had attempted to invade.
Donna and Melissa both looked washed out in the soft pink dresses Jackie had chosen, but they didn't mind at all. It was Rose's day to shine, and she did in an exquisite white silk wedding dress that trailed the floor. Melissa did mind how uncomfortable her fitted dress made her stomach feel, but they'd let out every inch of seam just to get the thing to zip. She was definitely looking forward to taking it off.
That wouldn't be anytime soon, however. The bride and groom had yet to cut the wedding cake, a lovely, three-tiered Italian crème cake covered in cream cheese frosting and bedecked with edible ball bearings. After dessert, they could all look forward to several hours of speeches, toasts and dancing.
Donna particularly enjoyed the dancing that evening. There were plenty of eligible men, even if she couldn't take one home with her. And, most were more than eager to dance with her, especially after she and Jack performed a very steamy tango together. He'd even unexpectedly kissed her at the end. Afterwards she whacked him playfully on the arm, warning him about making his bond mates jealous, but she had been delighted nonetheless.
Owen Harper attended the wedding. He spent most of his time talking to Pete about Torchwood business until Jackie dragged her husband to the dance floor. Soon afterwards, Melissa introduced the Director of Torchwood III to Toshiko Sato, who was a bemused, last minute addition to the wedding guests. She had just finished her doctorates in computer science and applied physics, and was currently being recruited by Torchwood to begin working on the proposed Rift Manipulator at the Cardiff branch.
At first, Dr. Harper danced with Ms. Sato to please the extraordinary woman who had been brave enough to walk into Lumic's version of the lion's den. By the time he asked Toshiko if she'd like something to drink, however, he had completely forgotten that he'd been forced to make her acquaintance in the first place. Tosh, as she preferred to be called, was quite shy at the outset, but became more and more animated as the night wore on. Before the evening was over, he had put her number in his mobile, promising to call her the next day.
By eleven that night, Melissa was flagging. Quietly, they made their goodbyes to Pete and Jackie. Tony was already asleep, but they'd explained to the boy that they'd be leaving before he went to bed. It was more difficult to say goodbye to the Doctor and Rose, but Donna insisted that they do it properly. While the band took a break, they made their farewells.
As they walked down the now dark garden path, Rose suddenly came pelting towards them, clutching the extra fabric of her gown in one hand and a large yellow gift sack in the other while shouting at them to stop. Curious, the four of them waited for her to catch up.
"Me and the Doctor, we got something for the babies. Didn't want you to leave before we could give them to you." Handing the present to Jack, she threw her arms around Melissa. "The Doctor told me the walls aren't closed anymore, so if you want, we'd love for you to visit after the twins are born."
Happy tears streaming down her face, Melissa promised to do just that. "Thank you, Rose, for everything."
"'M gonna miss you, all of you. Take care of each other, yeah?"
Before they could start another round of hugs and tearful goodbyes, she had turned to run down the path. When Jack commented on how fast she was running, Donna explained that she'd worn white trainers underneath her wedding gown, just in case.
While Jack and the Doctor were still chuckling over that, they reached the TARDIS. Once inside, Donna insisted that Melissa open the gift. Taking it from Jack, she pulled out two baby blankets. Her eyes got teary once again. The flannel was tie-dyed with every shade under the rainbow, and the swirling pattern reminded her of the Time Vortex. They were beautiful, and as the first gift given to the twins, they would be doubly treasured.
"Those are gorgeous," Donna enthused. I wonder if Rose made them herself?"
"Most likely," the Doctor responded. "They certainly look . . . unique."
His tone of voice piqued Donna. "If by unique you mean ugly, Spaceman, then you couldn't be more wrong. They really are lovely."
"Donna, I did not mean to imply they were ugly. Unique does not mean ugly, at least I don't think it means ugly in this time period. Thirty-third century, now there's an era where ugly means all sorts of things. Have to be very careful in using that word then."
Jack decided to voice his own opinion. "Well, they're definitely colorful."
Donna rolled her eyes. "Men! You wouldn't know beautiful if it came and knocked you over the head with a stick!"
Jack firmly disagreed. "Definitely wrong there, Donna. I've been staring at a vision of beauty all night, wondering how difficult it's going to be to unzip the dress she's currently poured into."
Realizing that he was speaking about her, Melissa hastily wiped the tears from her face. "I don't know if it will unzip, you might have to rip it."
Donna shook her head in exasperation. "I do not need that image in my head, thank you very much. I suggest we take the TARDIS back to our proper universe and spend some time in the Vortex. I, for one, could do with some sleep before dinner in Barcelona. What you three get up to, I really don't want to know."
The four of them were able to pilot the TARDIS with very little turbulence. They all agreed that taking a break was an excellent idea before meeting Martha and Mickey at the restaurant at the resort on Barcelona. When the ship was safely drifting in the Vortex, Donna made a point to inform them that she would be going to bed, disappearing into the hallway seconds after her pronouncement.
As soon as Donna disappeared, Melissa turned to Jack. "If you've got a pocketknife, I wouldn't mind you cutting me out of this dress, right here, right now. I'm starting to feel like I'm being squeezed by a giant boa constrictor."
The Doctor looked up from his calculations. "Won't that ruin it?"
"It's pink, Doc," she replied with a sigh. "Not exactly a good color for a pale ginger, but for Rose I didn't mind wearing it. I can't believe Jackie and Donna managed to put together a wedding behind her back."
"Told you Donna was brilliant."
"And she dances a mean tango."
"Don't even think it, Captain. Donna's made it perfectly clear that she shares enough of my memories as it is."
As he jokingly chided Jack, the Doctor stood behind Melissa and tugged her zipper downwards. When he finished, the strapless dress slipped to the floor. "Jack's right. You are a vision of beauty."
Sighing in contentment as her restrictive clothing fell to the floor, she looked up wryly at the Doctor. "You two are blind, you know. Five people told me how big I'd gotten."
She experienced their rebuttal rather than heard it; it surged through the bond, leaving her breathless. "Oh," she panted in genuine surprise. "I guess you aren't—blind, I mean."
Encouraged by her response, they led her to the bedroom, careful not to run into Donna along the way. Their attention was wonderful, but she was determined that the night would not be all about her. Eventually, they agreed, and for the first time, it was about them, all three of them, sharing equally in their pleasure.
Abruptly, the trio slipped out of their physical constraints to enter each others' minds, a landscape free from gravity and the laws of reality. It was dizzying, titillating and lasted forever and no time at all. As they reveled in the ecstasy of their union, Melissa was only dimly aware of her physical body.
When she finally crashed back to reality, she inexplicably burst into tears.
"Sweetheart?"
"I'm o-okay," she wailed, stuttering as her voice hiccupped with her cries. "S-stupid hormones. Everything's w-wonderful. D-don't m-mean to make a fuss."
"How could you make a fuss, Em? It's been a long day, and we're all knackered. How are you feeling?"
She was trembling, and he wasn't that surprised by her answer. "I'm a l-little over-overwhelmed-too many emotions zipping through my head."
Jack and the Doctor tightened their mental barriers in response, although it was more difficult than they had anticipated after such an intense union. Rolling onto her side, she faced Jack, who wiped away her tears as the Doctor stroked her back. Gradually, she calmed to the point of sleep.
When her breathing had finally evened, the Doctor pressed a kiss against her shoulder before returning to the console room to fetch his sonic screwdriver. A quick check reassured him that she was suffering from nothing more than fatigue.
"She's just tired."
"I think overwhelmed is the better answer. I know I'm still trying to take in everything that happened tonight."
"Don't say you're too surprised, Captain. You did buy me that drink some time ago."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I did. And I thought you'd never go for it. Guess there's just something about weddings."
"Well," the Doctor drawled. "I have to admit that it was reassuring to know Fred married Rose. Now, I don't have to worry about him crossing the Void to pursue you two."
"Seriously? You were worried we'd be attracted to him? You've got to be kidding me, Doc. He had all your flaws and very little of your redeeming qualities. Not to mention the fact that he was much ruder."
Complacently, the Doctor turned to face him. "So, I have redeeming qualities, eh? I'm going to remember that, Captain. Might even ask for a list."
"No way, I am not pointing them out to you. You'd be impossible to live with."
"Most likely," the Time Lord acknowledged with a grin.
Melissa began to snore, and the two men changed topics, Jack asking the one question that scared him the most.
"Do you think we'll be able to pull this off?"
"I think it's our best bet. Emma knows not to mention our trip to Pete's World, even if she doesn't truly understand why. Her pregnancy is noticeable now, but she's not so big that Martha or anyone else will be unduly surprised. They'll assume they weren't very perceptive at lunch."
Then, wanting to be more open, the Doctor admitted, "I'm still concerned about possible complications. She's stable for the moment, but that could change in an instant. I'll feel much better once we're back in Cardiff and she's under Drocina's care."
"You trust her?"
"More than most. She's young enough not to be tainted by politics."
"That's a relief. Now, all we've got to do is figure out how to keep her safe for the next five months."
"Yeah."
