a/n: LAST CHAPTER! Thanks to all who read and reviewed. I really do appreciate all your thoughtful comments. Again, a reminder, I post the most of my work on whofic .com and Live Journal as Kelkat9. I'm also adding things to tumblr as Kelkat9. If you are looking for anything adult rated, you won't find it here. whofic is probably the easiest place to find it. If you have any questions, please message me and I'll get back to you (well if fanfic decides to let me know you messaged me! Sorry if I've missed you or double answer your reviews - I don't always get notifications anymore - sorry!)
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of these awesome characters or any of the songs referenced in this story.
After the Master was taken to a secure hospital ward under high security provided by UNIT, and the Blue Box was removed to another secure and highly classified location, the Doctor spent some time wandering the streets of London thinking about all that had happened. This case had made him more aware of how fallible they all were and how much the two teams needed each other. Perhaps if they had worked together from the beginning, they would have realized they were being manipulated. Many Torchwood people, including Yvonne Hartman, may have lived if they had set aside their differences and compared information.
In the end, the two teams had worked together seamlessly. Well, almost seamlessly. There still remained one loose end. Bad Wolf. He hadn't seen her since Canary Wharf and that had been weeks ago. It was almost like she had disappeared off the face of the Earth. Even her team members didn't know where she was. At least, that's what they were telling his team. To be honest, he had been avoiding them too. The last thing he wanted was Donna's reproach at how he had treated Bad Wolf or her sympathetic glances at his self imposed misery.
It was Roranicus who found him standing in the rain watching the construction of a monument erected to honor those that had been killed at Canary Wharf during Archangel's assault.
"Roranicus, what are you doing here?" the Doctor asked without turning around, water clinging to his tousled hair and soaking his trainers.
Roranicus stepped over to him shielding him from the rain with his umbrella. "You haven't been answering your mobile. Sarah Jane was worried you'd go off and do something stupid like blowing up as many Archangel assets as you could find."
The Doctor turned to Roranicus. "That explosion in Brussels wasn't me."
"Right," Roranicus said softly, nodding his head and making a mental note to check with Sarah Jane about the explosion. "So, will you be checking in anytime soon?"
The Doctor just turned to stare at the partially constructed monument. Roranicus looked at him and sighed. "Look, we all need a break. The Director wants to take all of us to a private compound in Scotland to relax and spend some time team building. He and the Matriarch have already agreed on a permanent merger."
"And Bad Wolf…she's agreed to this?" the Doctor asked, still not looking at him.
Roranicus didn't respond and stared out across the street.
The Doctor turned to look at him. "No one's talked to her have they?" he asked.
Roranicus turned to him. "The last person to hear from her was the Healer just after Canary Wharf. She called to make sure Jake and the Tin Dog were all right. She said she needed some time to think." Roranicus paused and sighed. "No one's heard from her since and she left her mobile at her flat. The Matriarch is not happy and well, you can imagine what that means."
The Doctor nodded. "I take it she blames me and wants my head."
Roranicus smiled slightly. "Well…maybe not quite that violent but slapping was mentioned. She's just worried. Bad Wolf's never gone off the grid like this before."
The Doctor turned to Roranicus. "Never?"
"Donna thinks she just needs to work out some things. Seeing the Madame sweep in with UNIT proud as you please may have brought back bad memories."
The Doctor stared hard at Roranicus. Bad Wolf wasn't one to run away from a fight. "Has anyone spoken to the Madam?" he asked.
Roranicus just stared at him. "Uh no and I don't think that would be a good idea. Both the Director and the Matriarch have made the Madame persona non gratis. She tried to take credit for our work. She told UNIT she provided you with the information allowing you to take the Master down. Got paid part of the reward for the Master's capture. Of course, the Director and the Matriarch made clear to UNIT that you and Bad Wolf did all the work and that the Madame was not to be trusted. But, you know how persuasive she can be so she still walked away with compensation."
The Doctor's eyes darkened. Reinette was mostly harmless just a bit avaricious. She liked nice things and being around men of power. She was the epitome of a courtesan and could sweet talk her way out of any difficult situation. It was obvious that she had made a comfortable life for herself. Of course, she made that life at the expense of others who were less inclined to employ her methods: people like Bad Wolf, and now him. He could care a less about the money. It was her selfish disregard for others that rubbed him the wrong way.
After learning what she had done to BW and how it had hurt her, not to mention Reinette's part in the Blue Box fiasco, and leading BW to believe he was involved with someone who betrayed her, left him feeling cold and angry. It would be best for Reinette if she didn't cross paths with him again.
"I take it the Director and the Matriarch have assured we will avoid future entanglements with Reinette," the Doctor said tightly.
"Oh yeah. After they found out she swanned off with the reward money, they went straight to UNIT command about her involvement with H.C. Clements. I think UNIT will think twice about using her services any time soon and well…." Roranicus said, pacing and scratching his neck nervously. The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at him. "You see, Donna got wind of things so she and Pond may have hopped a jet to France."
"Oh?" the Doctor said, now curious to find out what the gingers had up their sleeves.
Roranicus smiled. "Let's put it this way. I don't think the Madam will be returning to her home. As a matter of fact, it may be a long time before anyone lives in that place. It's sort of infested with um….every vile thing you could imagine."
Some of the Doctor's dark mood lifted. "Such as?" he asked, curious to learn exactly what kind of vengeance the gingers had exacted on Reinette.
"Rats, Bats, fleas, these giant spiders from South America, slugs, flies and a few snakes," Roranicus explained. The Doctor stared and a smile emerged on his face. Roranicus returned his smile. "Never piss off a Powell."
The Doctor had an amused twinkle in his eyes and for the first time since Canary Wharf, a plan was forming.
Roranicus watched the expression on the Doctor's face change and he began to feel hopeful that all of this would work out. "Doctor, what do you want me to tell the Director?"
The Doctor, with a determined look on his face turned to Roranicus. "Tell him I'm going to find Bad Wolf and I'm going to make things right. I'll be in touch when I find her," he said with assurance and walked off with purpose.
Roranicus pulled out his mobile and rang up Sarah Jane. "You were right. He's on his way."
Sarah Jane smiled pleased. She had been afraid the Doctor would pull a runner. Asking Roranicus to have a chat with him, was her trump card and she hoped Roranicus presence would be enough to remind the Doctor that some things were worth fighting for. She thanked Roranicus and turned to the Director and the Matriarch informing them of his success. The Matriarch, dressed in a designer jeans with a pink jacket over a pink top nodded her head. "It's about bloody time! Honestly, the way he moped around London," she muttered, shaking her head. "Brilliant but useless without a good kick in the arse. Just like any man." She turned to the Director and smiled sweetly. "Sorry, love!"
The Director leaned over and kissed her. "No apologies necessary, sweetheart! You were right. He did need good shove. Now then, shall we?" he asked and held out his arm. The Matriarch smiled and wrapped her arm in his. "Sarah Jane, we'll meet you at Torchwood estate. You and Ianto can corral the rest of the team," the Director announced as he and the Matriarch exited the suite.
Ianto quietly appeared next to Sarah Jane and looked at her expectantly. "You heard the Director. Let's make the rounds and gather the children. I expect this will take some time. You know how rambunctious they all are after a mission," she announced as the two of them began making the necessary arrangements.
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It took the Doctor a week of haunting dozens of chippies in London before he got a lead on Bad Wolf. He was kicking himself when he realized how close to him she'd been all this time. If he hadn't had his head up his arse, he probably would have seen her. The chippy she was frequenting was one that none of the other team members would have looked at twice. It was very touristy and not her usual style which is probably why she was frequenting it. Well, that reason and its proximity to something nearby. He had to smile when he realized what she was doing. It was something he had thought about himself.
He descended down a stair case into a sub-level beneath London proper. He made his way through the dimly lit tunnel ducking around pipes and listening to the traffic and trains shake the tunnel walls. Soon, he was climbing down another level. He looked at a mark on a tunnel juncture noting Henriks above him and grinned. There was a metal door with a key pad and hand print scanner next to it. He punched in a code and placed his palm against the scanner and the door clicked open.
He walked into a cavernous room lined floor to ceiling with crates marked with various warnings and symbols. He made his way through dimly lit maze of boxes until he found her. She was sitting cross legged on the concrete floor, leaning against a crate, staring at the Blue Box opposite her.
"Hello," he said softly.
"Hi," she answered, but didn't take her eyes off the Blue Box.
He walked over. "Mind if I…" he said and gestured next to her. She shrugged her shoulders. He thought that was a good sign. He half expected her to tell him to 'go to hell' or that she would just leave without another word. Although he hated her silence, right now he'd accept it.
He sat down and leaned against the crate next to her. "So…the Blue Box," he said, looking straight ahead at the Blue Box and feeling something odd as he stared at it. It was like a song playing over and over in his head but he couldn't identify what it was.
"Yeah. I needed a place to think and…I just couldn't get her out of my head."
"Her?" the Doctor asked, even though part of him acknowledged that 'her' felt like the right description to use for the Blue Box.
Bad Wolf turned to him. "Yeah. Feels like a her. It's like a siren you know? She's singing this song and I can't help but come here. Sometimes it's kind of sad like she wants company."
"But not now," the Doctor said and smiled.
"No," Bad Wolf acknowledged and looked at him closer. "You can hear her too?"
"Oh yes! It's been playing in my head for a while. I just couldn't hear it too clear 'cos I was…distracted. Now, I can hear it clear as anything."
Bad Wolf stared at him. She had heard he was stalking around London in a funk. She may not have been in contact with her team, but her informants and friends outside the company had told her he was often seen staring at the monument at Canary Wharf.
Even though she was still hurt by things that happened in Paris, and things he did and said on their mission at Canary Wharf, she still empathized with his guilt over all who died at Torchwood One. She was also bearing that weight. Truth be told, the whole Blue Box case had shaken her confidence and made her reassess everything. It wasn't just about falling for him and what she felt was his betrayal, nor was it only the Madame. This was about her losing faith in her own judgment and instincts about people. If she couldn't determine who was trustworthy, she shouldn't be in this work anymore.
Before she could say anything, the Doctor reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, BW. Sorry about Reinette. Sorry that I misjudged your reaction to seeing her all over me in her office. Sorry that I didn't talk to you sooner and clear the air. I'm sorry that I accused you of being jealous and unprofessional and that I didn't trust you to do your job. Mostly, I'm sorry we've lost so much time, time that we could have been spending together."
Bad Wolf looked down at his hand clasping hers. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about you and Reinette. The Captain explained that you and her were…were together a while ago and she hurt you. She's good at that. She knows how to be exactly what you need or want until it doesn't suit her anymore and then she just leaves. I don't want to be like her," Bad Wolf said passionately.
"You're not!" the Doctor affirmed.
"Aren't I? I left you didn't I and I'm sorry for that. I couldn't get past my own pain and didn't give you a chance to explain."
"BW, you have every right to feel angry and suspicious of her and anyone associated with her. She betrayed you and left you to suffer at the hands of mercenaries. She expected you to do what she would have done but you were better than that. You are better than that. Better than me even."
"But, I'm not!" she answered, tears in her eyes. "I'm so not. You're brave and not afraid of anythin'. You kept focused when all I wanted to do was smack that aristocratic smile off her face."
The Doctor gripped her hand tighter. He was so angry at himself for not seeing what was happening to Bad Wolf at H.C. Clements. He jumped to conclusions and then allowed his emotions to get the better of him. He should have trusted her and known there was something more than petty jealousy at work. It was his own cowardice blinding him. He had been afraid at how close he had grown to Bad Wolf and it had almost destroyed them.
"You're wrong. I was scared of how close we had grown and how much you mean to me. The thought of losing someone that I…" he said and looked away. He took a breath and turned back to her. "You're the brave one. Even though you were hurting, you set aside your feelings to get the job done even when I…. Well, I wasn't at my best. And there you were, setting aside your own pain and leading the charge at Canary Wharf. I felt all twisted up watching you be so brave and putting your life on the line like that. You could have died and I never told you…"
"Told me what?" she asked, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.
He looked at her and grasped both her hands in his. "How sorry I am that I caused you any pain and how much it guts me that I hurt you. How much you mean to me and how I want to make things right. Please give us another chance. I need you. I love you," he said softly, gazing at her with every bit of emotion evident in his eyes, now hiding nothing.
Bad Wolf stared deeply into his earnest brown eyes and smiled. "You still want me then? I thought…and, well I'm not…" she stuttered and sighed miserable. "I left you at Canary Wharf."
"I want. Never doubt how much I want," he answered passionately.
Bad Wolf nodded her head and threw her arms around him whispering how much she loved him. He squeezed her tight to him like he couldn't get enough of her. She snuggled into his arms and looked up at him. "If me and you do this thing then we have to be honest and well, make some promises. No more snoggin' betrayin' bints."
The Doctor, smiled and nodded. "All right. No more charging into certain death without me."
Bad Wolf smiled. "Better with two," she responded, nodding.
"Better with you," he responded, leaning in to nuzzle her, pressing his lips to hers. Bad Wolf moaned as she felt his soft lips against hers, his tongue expertly licking, begging entrance to deepen the kiss. She sighed into the snog which was quickly turning into roaming hands with both of them tugging at clothing.
She pulled back breathing hard and looked into his eyes. "We can't. Someone could walk in and…what about the team?"
"First off, no one's coming in here. Only a handful of people know about this place and even fewer have the access code. B, the team is off with the Director and Matriarch in Scotland doing some sort of rubbish team building exercise. So you see, perfectly safe. Just you me and the Blue Box over there."
Bad Wolf giggled and snuggled up to him looking over at the Blue Box. "She sounds happy. I think she likes us being here with her."
The Doctor pulled her tight under his long coat. "I think you're right," he said gazing at the box and almost feeling like he could see himself and Bad Wolf running, dancing and having a future together.
"Doctor?" Bad Wolf asked.
"Hmmm," he responded.
"Do you…do you have any family?"
He became very silent and Bad Wolf looked up to see a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked so soon. We both need time," she said compassionately.
"I lost them in a war. It's just me now," he said sadly.
"Not anymore. Now there's me," Bad Wolf said, looking up at him with love.
He looked down at her and smiled. "What about you?"
She blushed and looked off toward the Blue Box. "Just me and my Mum."
The Doctor's eyebrows rose in response. Bad Wolf giggled. "It's a bit funny really. We lost dad when I was baby and didn't have much of anything. We were poor and living on an estate. Then one day we saw one of the neighbors gettin' beat on by some tough and we stopped him. Broke his nose and everythin'. He never came back. That's when it hit us. Maybe we don't have no A-Levels and maybe we're not all posh and fancy but we know what's right and everyone needs protection. We started our own agency just doin' little stuff at first. You know, followin' cheatin' blokes around and gettin' pictures or tracking down runaways. We just got better and better at it."
"The Powell Agency!" he exclaimed softly. "You and your mum founded it. That's brilliant!" Then he paused and his smile fell. "You and your mum founded it," he said softly and swallowed hard. He stared at Bad Wolf. "You…" he started to say and then reached up and started pulling at his hair. "Oh, I am in trouble," he moaned.
Bad Wolf laughed. "Yeah, you are! Don't worry, I'll protect you."
He shook his head. "Blimey, I'm getting old. I should have seen this. You and the Matriarch. Do the others know?"
Bad Wolf shook her head. "No, we decided a long time ago not to tell anyone. It's better that way. Keeps everyone safe."
He looked at her for a moment and smiled warmly. "You trust me with something so important?"
"Yeah, I do," she said softly and traced her fingertips over his side burns.
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "I want to share something with you too."
Bad Wolf smiled shyly at him and bumped her shoulder into his playfully, happy that they had recaptured some of the easy intimacy they shared prior to the Reinette incident. He pulled out a sonic screwdriver and handed to her. She looked up at him. "This is your sonic?" she asked, a confused look on her face.
"No, it's yours," he said and tugged at his ear nervously. "It's sort of like a key you know. Opens just about any lock and has stuff programmed into it."
"Stuff?" she asked with a flirtatious smile.
"You know, like the addresses of my flats in London, New York, Athens and Jalagaon."
"Jalagaon?" Bad Wolf asked quizzically.
"India," he said, staring at her like she should know. Her brow furrowed. "BW, the banana capital of the world!" he exclaimed shocked. "Oh, that's it! We're going! I'm taking you now. Come on," he said, standing up and pulling her up with him.
"Doctor, we can't just swan off. What about the team?"
He rolled his eyes. "They'll make do. They're just off blogging and getting lectured. You know, boring stuff. While you and I," he said and pulled her up and started dancing with her, twirling her about. "Will be off enjoying the sumptuous banana groves in exotic India." he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her swaying with her and whispering into her ear, "Think of it. You, me, tropical nights, the scent of tamarind and coriander with fresh made banana daiquiris and not a judgmental Matriarch or Director in sight."
Bad Wolf smiled, closed her eyes and hummed in his arms. That is until I need a hero began playing and his pocket started vibrating. "Uh, Doctor?" Bad Wolf murmured into his coat.
"Ignore it. It's just Sarah Jane checking up on me."
Bad Wolf giggled. "Nice ring," she teased.
"Bloody, Captain," he groused.
The phone continued to wring and a new song played, Sexy Back.
"Doctor, I think you should answer it. I don't have my mobile with me and it could be important."
He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket while Bad Wolf walked over and put her hands on the Blue Box. She smiled listening to its song which seemed much more content. "There, there, girl. I promise we'll be back soon," she cooed to it.
"This better be important, Captain!" he said grumpily. "What!" the Doctor shouted. Bad Wolf turned to him, hearing the concern in his voice.
"We'll be right there. Hang tight!"
"What's wrong?" Bad Wolf asked.
"India will have to wait. We have to get to Scotland," he said and then looked at the Blue Box for a moment.
"What's happened!" Bad Wolf demanded.
He looked back at her. "Torchwood that's what," he said annoyed. "Our team went and blonded into a Torchwood mess."
Bad Wolf took his hand and they began making there way out. "What's the situation.?" she asked all business now.
"Werewolf," he answered.
She pulled him to a stop. "Seriously?"
He grinned back at her. "Apparently, the Director and the Matriarch took over Torchwood House in Scotland and ran into some experiment in the basement. They need help fast."
Bad Wolf grinned at him. "Sounds like they need a Bad Wolf and a Doctor."
"The stuff of legends," he responded and they dashed off together hand in hand on to the next adventure.
