A/N- I apologize for how long it has taken to update this story. I've had no time to write in the past two months... but school is out now so hopefully updates will be more frequent.
Chapter 11- Revelations
The first thing to do is try and contact other survivors. The Chief Steward mistakenly thinks the best way to do this is to open the door- and is promptly sucked out into space. Rose admits that this was probably not the brightest idea, but takes an instant disliking to Rickston Slade, who feels only disdain for the dead man. The Doctor manages to get the oxygen shield back up, but it's clear they won't be abandoning ship anytime soon, as the TARDIS can be seen floating away towards Earth.
Finally the Doctor reaches someone on the comm. unit. Midshipman Frame informs them that the crash was deliberate, and that the engines are failing. And if they go totally dead, all life on Earth is wiped out. Rose groans and decides that the newspaper was right; London is NOT a good place to be at Christmas.
As Midshipman Frame signs off, a new voice comes over the comm. "Doctor?" The voice is fuzzy, but unmistakable.
"Jack! Good to hear from you! You alright?" Rose can hear the relief in the Doctor's voice. She, too, is relieved, and not just because Jack is alive. If the Doctor was concerned about Jack, then their friendship might not be in as much danger as she suspected. If only they can make it through this next disaster, things might actually be okay.
Jack pauses, she can hear some heavy breathing. Then, "Yeah. I'm fine."
"Anyone else there with you?"
Longer pause. "There was… I was with this girl, Astrid, one of the waitresses here… the oxygen shield failed in our sector. She's dead," he finishes harshly.
The Doctor exhales sharply. "Right. But you've made it to an area with oxygen now, correct?"
"Yeah, I'm not that far from reception, I might be able to get to the TARDIS…"
He cuts Jack off. "Don't bother. That whole area was caught in the collision, the TARDIS is on its way to Earth by now."
"Then we've gotta stop this thing from going down. Have you managed to reach anyone on the bridge?"
"Already done, he's going to keep the engines going until we can get there. That's where we're headed."
"Then that's where I'm headed too. Last one there buys the drinks. Over and out."
As Jack signs off cheerfully and the Doctor turns to reassure the other passengers, Rose can almost believe that it's just like old times. The unbeatable team. Surely things can't have changed too much between them… can it?
On the other hand, she might not mind if some things changed. Things like the Doctor trying to send her away for her own safety, when she'd much rather be with him.
"You can't do this. Not again! I told you, I'm gonna stay with you, you need me…"
"Rose." He reaches out and places a finger on her lips, and that's enough to send her into a startled silence. He turns her around to face the other survivors, a party which has sadly been diminished over the course of their climb through the ship. Only Mr. Copper and Rickston Slade are left… how someone like him survived over nice people like Morvin and Foon, she'll never understand. "They need you now. I need you to get them to safety, so we can send out an S.O.S."
She glares at him, frustrated. His plan is logical, but it feels like he had already decided to send her away and thought this up as a convenient excuse, instead of the other way around. But now he's forced the guilt factor on her, and it would be selfish of her to cling to him when she's needed elsewhere.
"Fine," she mutters. "But as soon as they're safe, I'm coming after you."
He grins cockily at her. " Oh, I'm counting on it. See you later!"
As he runs off, Rose shakes her head and turns to her 'team'. "Ready to kick some Host butt?"
They make their way through several rooms and corridors of the ship, Rickston unlocking the doors and Rose dispatching the Host. Only a few rooms away from reception, a door opens to reveal another survivor. He whirls around, shouting, "Don't shoot!"
Rose lowers the EMP disbelievingly. "Jack?"
"Fancy meeting you here!" he grins. She looks at him a bit suspiciously.
"Thought you were heading towards the Bridge?"
"I was, but I got a little held up," he says, gesturing around the room. Rose's eyes widen as they take in parts of the robotic angels they've been fighting all night. She noticed that his clothes are ripped and stained with blood, but there doesn't appear to be a scratch on him.
"You went up against this many Host on your own, and survived?" she asks, amazed.
He shrugs. "Yeah, but it means I haven't made much progress. What are you doing here?"
"We're trying to get back to reception, try and send an S.O.S. Wanna come?"
"Love to," Jack agrees. "I've even cleared the way."
"So it would seem," Rickston mutters from behind Rose. "What are you, the luckiest man alive?"
"Something like that."
They make their way back to reception, and Rose starts giving instructions. "Right. Rickston, seal the doors, and Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Host, make sure they stay down for good. Jack, can you use the computer, send an S.O.S.?"
Jack looks at the computer doubtfully. "I can try." Despite his efforts, though, the computer stays dead. Rose clenches her fists in frustration.
"That means our only hope for survival is the Doctor. I got these two to safety, now I'm gonna help him." As she turns to go back the way they came, Jack's arm shoots out and stops her.
"I admire your devotion in being willing to climb all the way back down there for him, but you might want to consider taking a short cut." He holds out a teleport bracelet to her and she grimaces.
"Right. Sorry. 21st century thinking." As Jack gets his own bracelet on, Rose makes a call to the bridge. "Hello? Anybody there?"
A wary voice answers. "Who's there?"
"You're Mr. Frame, yeah? This is Rose Tyler. I'm with the Doctor. Can you give me power for the teleports?"
"No way!" He responds immediately. "I'm using everything I've got just to keep the engines running."
"If the Doctor doesn't succeed it won't matter how long you keep the engines going, we're gonna crash. It's just one trip, for me and my friend," she coaxes. "We've gotta get down to deck 31."
"And I'm telling you no!"
"Listen, the Doctor's gone down there alone," she tells him, her voice betraying her frustration. "I have to be there, I can't leave him. I'll get there somehow, even if you don't give me power, but without the teleport I might be too late."
She can hear a sigh across the line and knows she's won. "Fine. Giving you power."
Jack winks at her. "Knew you could win him over."
"Shut up," she says playfully. In a split second, the world shifts around them and the two find themselves in an unfamiliar room, presumably located somewhere on Deck 31. In the distance, they can hear raised voices. Rose brings a finger to her lips and nods towards the open doorway. The two of them creep forward, and as the sound gets nearer it becomes clear the Doctor is involved in a heated conversation with someone. If past experience is anything to go by, it's probably the person responsible for this whole mess.
"We should have crashed by now. What's gone wrong?" Demands the other voice petulantly. Yep, thinks Rose. Definitely the Bad Guy.
As the Doctor continues reasoning with the madman, Rose's eyes dart around the room, searching for something she can use to help. Before she can come up with a plan, Jack tugs on her sleeve and motions towards a forklift in the corner. Rose starts towards it but Jack motions her back, indicating he'll take care of it. She huffs impatiently- why do all the men in her life want her to watch from the sidelines?- but agrees to stay here and watch his back. Silently he slips away, and Rose turns her attention back to the conversation at hand.
"You can't even sink the Titanic," remarks the Doctor scornfully.
Rose's breath catches in her throat as she hears the villain's reply. "Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here!" All life on Earth… or at least in east London… depends on them getting this ship safely out of the range of the planet. Jack, I hope you know what you're doing.
The Doctor is alarmed as well. "You can't do this!" But the android doesn't listen, and commands his Host to kill the Doctor as the alarms proclaim doom for all on board. Rose's heart pounds but she forces herself to stay still, give Jack a chance to work on his plan. If it doesn't work, she'll… she'll… well, she doesn't know what she'll do but it had better be pretty spectacular.
Suddenly Jack's voice rings loud and clear throughout the bunker. "Buddy, I really wouldn't threaten him if I were you." Everyone turns to gape at the captain, who is sitting tall in the forklift, aimed straight at the villain.
The head in the life-support machine snorts. "And who exactly are you?"
"Cap'n Jack Harkness, at your service." He winks.
"Not for long," growls the android. "Kill him as well."
Before the last word is out of his mouth, Jack rams his foot down on the gas pedal, sending him and the forklift careening towards the life support machine. The lift rams into the machine, lifting it off the ground as one of the Host takes aim with its halo. Jack ducks slightly and the weapon misses, but it cuts something else.
As the Doctor cries out, "He's cut the break line!" Rose rushes forward, shocked, but she's too late. The forklift pushes the villain over the edge, but unable to stop, follows it into the fiery depths.
"JACK!"
Rose rushes to the edge of the cliff, reaching out blindly, but Jack is too far away. She can still make him out through her tears, falling, always falling, and for a second she thinks she is going to follow him.
Strong arms circle her waist, pulling her away from oblivion. She lashes out in anger and fear, but they don't let go until she is a safe distance away from the edge. "Let me go!"
"We have to get away from here," the Doctor tells her urgently. "We have to get to the bridge, we have to save the ship…"
"But Jack!" She cries desperately. "You let him die! You let him die and you didn't even tell him why you abandoned him! How could you? How?"
"Rose, there's no time to explain but I promise you, Jack will be alright. Do you hear me? He'll be alright. Trust me." Rose gulps hot tears down her throat, and nearly chokes on her next words.
"I don't know if I can anymore."
She can't bear to see the look on his face so she turns away, but she doesn't take back what she's said.
Somehow, they end up on the bridge. The Doctor saves the day yet again, but for Rose the victory of saving thousands of lives is tainted by the loss of just one. She refuses to look at the Doctor, instead secluding herself in a corner until they are safely back in space. Instead of giving her time to grieve, however, as soon as he is free the Doctor comes and takes her hand.
"Come with me."
She snatches it back harshly, snapping, "Why should I?" A tiny rational part of her mind tells her it's not really the Doctor's fault Jack died, it's not like he wanted him to die, and he must be hurting too, but that part of her is overwhelmed by her grief and anger.
The look he gives her is steady and unwavering, not returning any of the anger she's lashed out, simply absorbing her fury. "Because we're going to get Jack back."
She doesn't take his hand again, but she follows behind him, unwilling to admit she's found a spark of hope.
They enter reception, the Doctor snapping out instructions as soon as they walk through the door. "Rickston! Sonic!" He catches the device in his hand and turns towards the other survivor. "Mr. Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"
The elderly man looks confused. "I don't know. They should have."
"What's the emergency code?" he asks.
"What the hell are you doing?" demands Midshipman Frame.
As the Doctor answers, he glances at Rose. "I can bring him back." As he gets to work on the teleport, Rose turns to Mr. Copper for answers.
"What does he mean?" she whispers, hardly daring to hope. "Can he save Jack?"
The old man hesitates. "Well, if a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis so that we can just trigger the shift. So if your friend Jack was wearing one…"
As Rose tries to take this in, the Doctor cries out triumphantly. "There!" She whirls around, to see Jack materialize in the room.
But he's only halfway there.
Rose halts in her dash to hug her friend. "But he's… he's transparent. Like a ghost. Where's the rest of him?"
Mr. Copper shakes his head sadly. "I'm afraid the system was too badly damaged. It was only able to retrieve some of his molecules… he's just atoms, Rose."
She glances at the Doctor in despair, but the look he gives her is patient. "Just wait."
She looks back at Jack's ghostly figure again. To her astonishment, his body begins to fill in, becoming more and more solid as she watches. As Mr. Copper exclaims, "That's impossible!" she rushes into his arms.
Tears trace their way down her cheeks for a second time today, but this time she doesn't mind. It may be impossible that Jack has just come back to life, but she doesn't care, as long as he's here. Alive.
"Hey, now, hey," Jack murmurs into her hair. "You didn't think I was gonna leave you for good, did ya?" She just laughs and pulls him tighter.
After what seems like too short a time they are interrupted by a sharp cough from Mr. Copper. Rose pulls away, confused, then suddenly understands his problem. She starts laughing harder.
Jack's body may somehow have regenerated itself, but the same is not true of his clothes. They were still only half-there, and as soon as Rose hugged him the molecules had collapsed and fallen into dust on the floor. Jack glances down at the remains of his clothing.
"Oh," he says, mildly disappointed. "I really liked that coat."
"Bit more drastic than a defabricator, eh?" The Doctor remarks, shaking his head.
As Mr. Copper is still looking on seeming very affronted, Rose hastens to reassure him. "Oh, don't worry, it's nothing I haven't seen before. Can't really help it if you hang around with him." Despite her intentions, the gentleman does not appear to be reassured.
Rose takes a deep breath to steady herself but can't help feeling drained. It's difficult to go from excitement to sorrow to fury to joy and amusement all in quick succession, and everything has taken its toll on her. Before she can do anything else, though, she has to get something cleared up.
"Right, Doctor," she says, addressing him for the first time since the miracle. "Answer me this, short as you can for now, but answer me. How did Jack come back to life?"
He takes a deep breath, blows it out, and gives her the shortest answer imaginable. Just two words, but they're enough. "Bad Wolf."
Somehow, although the event happened on the Gamestation, his bringing up Bad Wolf is the last thing she expected. She remembers very little about it, although the Doctor had explained to her some of what happened later. He told her she'd absorbed the Time Vortex and used it to destroy the Daleks, but that's about it. For some reason she hadn't really thought about it since, except to brag to the Daleks about defeating their Emperor, and for the first time she wonders if that is his doing.
She takes a moment to absorb the implications of his statement, then sets them aside for later. "You're going to follow up on that statement as soon as we've got the time. Now… what about getting back to the TARDIS?"
Several hours after their departure but months before the incident with the Titanic, the TARDIS materializes once again in Cardiff. The Doctor is the first to poke his head out for a look around. "Not bad," he remarks. "Maybe a few hours after you left but I expect your team won't be calling the missing persons department just yet."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that. They can be a rather paranoid bunch… but then, we've got reason to be," Jack says with an ironic grin.
Rose follows the two of them out, looking decidedly drained and a little disappointed. "You sure you don't want to come with us again? Just a little spin round the universe?"
Jack shakes his head, somewhat regretfully. "Nah. It's been fun, having an adventure with you two again, but I've made a life for myself here. Got responsibilities- something I never thought I'd say, back in the old days. But you keep that phone close, you hear?"
She pats the pocket with said phone inside. "Will do."
Rose grins as the Doctor goes to shake Jack's hand and gets pulled into a hug. For the first time this evening, they seem to be at peace with each other, and that's fantastic.
The Doctor steps back and Rose goes in for her hug. When they part, she murmurs, "I'm sorry I can't undo it. I'm still willing to try…"
Jack places his fingers on her lips, silencing her. "Enough apologizing. You said it all back there, a thousand times, and my answer is the same. I don't want you risking your life again, not for me."
She nods, blinking back tears before they threaten to overwhelm her again. Jack may have made his peace with what she's done, but it will be some time before she can come to terms with it. Even so, she's glad to finally know the truth.
"But what're you going to do?" she whispers.
He shrugs, then gives her that amazing smile. "Live." He backs away, still smiling, and salutes them both. "See you soon." With that, he vanishes off into the Cardiff night.
Rose breaths out a heavy sigh and turns back to the TARDIS, thinking only of her bed. It's been an exhausting day. Before she reaches the door, she feels a hand fall tentatively on her shoulder.
She looks up to see the Doctor gazing at her searchingly, trying to hide his anxiety. "Rose. Are we good?"
She thinks back over the day, how frustrated she was with him for keeping the truth from her, for leaving Jack behind, for being stubborn and selfish and thinking he knows best. And she thinks about the long hours in the TARDIS, when he finally told them what happened, what she had done and what his response was, answering every question put to him (a rarity in itself). She remembers that he was willing to die for her (for her!). And while it doesn't excuse his actions, at least it's a start.
"Yeah," she says softly. "We're good."
