Wolf Signal

Chapter Fourteen: Parental Issues

by Lumendea

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.

Rose Tyler had seen a lot of things in her long life as both a Torchwood agent and the wife of a part Time Lord part human. It came with the territory, that and small explosions. She had faced down invasions by giant crab like aliens and potato look a likes and helped negotiate treaties with species as different from hers as night from day. Rose had filled out forms upon forms after each invasion and even turned them in on time. She had managed to stay sane married to Doctor John Nobel while he built a new sonic screwdriver by taking apart almost every appliance in their house. She hadn't killed him when he told her the truth about Jack, leaving him behind and her part in the messy whole affair.

Rose Tyler had even survived carrying, birthing and raising three Time Lord hybrids on Earth. Donna, Jack and Adric had not made that easy by any stretch of the imagination as they joined their father in taking things apart and finding trouble wherever they went. They had been sleepless nights, lots of conferences with concerned or stunned teachers and serving as a driver, cook, nurse and mediator on a daily basis. She'd managed, she'd survived and even thrived. So yes she'd seen a lot by any standards.

However, Rose had never walked into Torchwood to find one of her children pointing a gun at a Torchwood agent as he pointed one at her. Nope, that was completely new, even if it was only an adoptive child, it had never happened before. Every muscle in her body tense and Rose struggled to stay calm and keep breathing. Jack beside Rose shifted into military mode, taking back command of his team.

"Ianto lower your weapon," Jack ordered before he turned his attention to Jenny. "We don't want to hurt you, Jenny. Rose is an old friend of mine. I'll help both of you however I can," he promised in a much softer voice.

Jenny sought Rose's eyes, her own bright with confusion and worry. Rose nodded to the girl and took a few steps away from Jack. After a moment of hesitation, Jenny dropped her arm and let go of Gwen's arm. Gwen quickly moved over to Jack while rubbing her arm with a slight wince.

"You've got a grip," Gwen muttered, trying to smile and lessen the tension.

Rose on the other hand was angry, both at Torchwood and at Jenny. Striding forward down the stairs, Rose stopped just in front of Jenny and held out her hand for the gun. Jenny saw the look in Rose's face and felt her own anger rising, this wasn't her fault! She didn't like guns and wasn't actually going to hurt anyone!

"It wasn't my fault," Jenny said stubbornly as she placed the gun gentle into Rose's hand.

"You know better," Rose replied sternly as she wrapped her fingers tightly around the weapon. "You over reacted."

"I was restrained," Jenny protested with a slight pout.

"You got loose," Rose reminded her evenly. "You didn't need to take a hostage."

"It wasn't like that," Jenny defended with an obvious pout as she crossed her arms. "I just reacted."

"I know," Rose sighed calming her voice down. "That's what worries me."

Jenny didn't know how to identify the look in Rose's eyes and the tensions on the woman's face. Instead she released her grip on the gun and pulled her hand away. She couldn't help but be reminded of her father's initial reaction toward her and disliking the thought. Rose relaxed once she had the gun in her hand. With a quick practiced movement Rose removed the magazine and popped the bullet out of the chamber. She laid the weapon out of the nearby medical table.

Then she turned back and stepped closer to Jenny, pulling the girl into a tight hug. Rose didn't say anything as Jenny returned the hug and gently ran a hand down the girl's long hair. Jenny relaxed at the embrace, reassured that she wasn't going to be dismissed for her reaction. Rose rocked her gently and made a soft reassuring sound. She was gratified when Jenny fully relaxed against her.

"No harm done," Mickey said from next to Jack after a few moments. "I'd say time to drink something without caffeine."

"Good idea," Jack said glancing at Ianto and Gwen. "Everyone relax, Rose is an old friend of mine and apparently the girl is safe."

Rose let go and Jenny and stepped back to examine Gwen and Ianto. Her eyes noted the look of curiosity on Gwen's face and she smiled at the vague memory of speaking with Gwen the last time she was here.

"I'm Rose," she stepped forward offering her hand. "I don't know if you remember me, but we spoke briefly during that whole stolen Earth episode with the Daleks."

"Yeah I remember," Gwen replied with a soft laugh as she stepped forward and shook Rose's hand. "I'm Gwen. It was something about me being from an old Cardiff family wasn't it."

"Something like that," Rose agreed with a nod before looking towards Ianto.

"Ianto," the man supplied quickly before leaving the room to find food. "Pleased to meet you, I suppose I'll go and prepare something for our guests."

"I remember him from the network too," Rose remarked as she watched him head out of the room. "So you're still with Torchwood then."

"Yes," Gwen replied with a pleased nod, but her eyes drifted over to Jenny.

"Well good to see you again," Rose told her before she turned and held out her hand towards Jenny. The girl smiled and took it at once, moving over to stand next to Rose. "This is Jenny. We met each other when I crashed into a planet and decided to help each other."

"Hello Jenny," Jack said with a grin, holding out his hand to her. Jenny returned the smile and accepted his hand only to blush slightly and giggle when he kissed it. "It is a pleasure to meet you, any friend of Rose is a friend of mine."

"Jack stop it," Rose said firmly before an almost evil smile appeared on her face. "Really I mean it. I would have to kill you and keep killing you."

"Oh I'm just being friendly Rose," Jack protested, but he winked at Jenny.

"She's you and the Doctor's kid isn't she," Mickey said with a grin as he glanced between the two of them. He laughed as a terrible look of realization mixed with panic appeared on Jack's face. "Pretty obvious Captain Flash."

"Do you know my father?" Jenny asked, glancing between the two eagerly, her pervious distrust totally forgetten.

Jack took a small step back and lessened his charm before he answered her, "Sure, the Doctor is an old friend of ours. I traveled with him and your mother for a while."

"Jenny isn't my daughter Jack," Rose informed him with a chuckle even as she put her arm around the girl for a quick little hug.

"What?!" Mickey and Jack both gasped, looking between Jenny and Rose.

"You're kidding right," Jack asked and then seeing the look on Rose's face shook his head. "Wow, didn't think I'd ever see the day. He was always too wrapped up in you whenever I saw him."

"Oh no, I don't have-" Jenny started to explain when a cry from the door made everyone turn.

"Oh my god Jenny!?" Martha Jones walked forward toward the girl with an expression of shock. She covered her mouth for a moment in surprise before shaking her head. "But you're dead."

"Easy babe," Mickey said gently as eh moved over to Martha and wrapped an arm around her. "It's okay." Rose gave them a look of interest and smiled softly while Mickey mouthed the word 'later' to her.

"Martha, right?" Jenny asked carefully, nibbling on her bottom lip. "The one who was with my dad?"

"Yeah," Martha shook her head in surprise as she tried to recover herself. "We- he thought you were dead. You were shot and he and I both checked you ourselves."

"That's what Rose said," Jenny told Martha with a shrug and a nervous laugh. "I remember dying with Dad and then I woke up later."

"Woke up?" Martha said weakly before chuckling. "Strange genes, that must be it."

"That's an understatement," Rose supplied with a nod. "I think it was a limited regeneration since her DNA structure didn't change. Course it might have had something to do with that… breath of life thing on the planet too." She shook her head and looked at Jack. "Seems Martha never told you the story. Jenny was created from the Doctor's genes only, she doesn't have a biological mother unless you want to count the machine that spit her out. The blonde hair comes from his fifth life I think, though I suppose it does make her look a bit like me."

Martha noticed Rose for the first time and glanced over at Jack while tightening her hand around Mickey's. "Isn't she supposed to be in the other universe? What's going on? Is the universe ending again?"

"Long story," Rose told Martha as she rubbed her forehead. "I'm not really sure what happened, but I don't think we're facing a crisis this time." She paused and smiled again, "Well Doctor Jones I think Jenny and I should have an examination if you don't mind. Just to make sure flying through the rift didn't do anything to us."

"Actually it's Jones-Smith now," Mickey told Rose who smiled wider at the pair of them. "Just had our first anniversary."

"Congratulations then to you both," she gave Mickey a warm smile that then shifted into a cheeky teasing one. "Glad to see you settled down with someone able to keep you in line."

Martha managed a weak laugh and relaxed a little bit. She smiled at Mickey and he smiled warmly back at her making Rose feel a bit better.

"I'll call the Doctor," Jack told the assembled group with an almost pained look. "He needs to know what is going on."

Rose paused and swallowed before nodding and forcing a smile. Nodding she sighed and said, "Yeah, you'd better do that."

Jack gave Rose a soft affectionate look even as he nodded. Martha seemed to recover from her shock and stepped away from Mickey, giving his hand one last squeeze. She gestured for Rose and Jenny to follow her back into the medical area with a small encouraging smile. Jenny looked at her and Rose nodded, giving the girl a small push. She lingered for a moment and looked at Mickey who gave her a soft smile. Sighing in return, Rose nodded and followed Martha into the medical bay.