Chapter Five

"Looks like you were expecting us," commented the Doctor as he followed Rose and Jackie into the house.

"We were," replied Jackie, leading them up the stairs and to the right. "Well, sort of,"

Stopping at one of the doors on the left of the corridor, Jackie gave the Doctor a comforting smile and a nervous pat on his right arm before leaving them there, telling them that she was going to make some tea. The Doctor didn't know what was more worrying. The fact that Jackie Tyler seemed to like this regeneration, or the fact that she'd seen it necessary to offer some sort of reassurance.

"Rose," said the Doctor, turning her to face him, not missing the look of worry on her face as he spoke. "Tell me what's going on. How could you possibly know that we were coming through if..."

"If Evie hadn't already been through her self," Rose finished for him. "Yeah, that's how we knew you were coming and it's how Genny knew she'd be able to get through,"

"You saw Evie?" asked the Doctor, his mind working furiously to process what he was being told.

"Look, let's just get everyone settled then I'll tell you as much as I can, yeah?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, but the scream on the other side of the door cut him off. With barely a glance at Rose, he pushed the door open and surged into the room, his sonic screwdriver already in his hand. What confronted him though, froze him in his tracks.

Pete Tyler and Ianto were trying their damnedest to hold Genny down on the single sized medical bed, trying to keep their grips on her even as she continuously pushed them back as she sat up. Jack held her face between her hands, talking to her and trying to calm her down, keeping his voice calm and his words clear. From the unfocused look in her eyes though, the Doctor could tell that Jack wasn't having much success.

When the Doctor would have moved towards her, he felt a restraining hand on his right arm and he looked down at Rose. Though she didn't look at him, instead keeping her eyes on the scene in front of them, she answered his unspoken question.

"Her empathy will go crazy if any more of us get any closer," said Rose, her voice soft, but unable to hide the waver in it. "She's confused enough as it is,"

"Jack!" ordered the Doctor, fighting against the urge to wade into the problem himself. "Get Genny to focus on something. Anything. Just take her mind off everything else she's feeling,"

Jack barely gave him a glance before he turned back to Genny. Without a word, he sealed his lips to hers, putting every positive emotion he could into the kiss. After a moment, her struggles lessened and Pete and Ianto released their grip on her, moving away. Though Genny held onto Jack's wrists, the immortal continued to push his way through whatever barriers that had seized her mind. When he felt wetness touch his thumbs, he gently broke the kiss, resting his forehead against her own as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Make it stop, Jack," she told him... begged him, her voice a choked whisper. "Please, make it stop before it gets too strong. Kill me,"

The Doctor hadn't missed her plea, nor did he miss Jack's hands begin to tremble.

"I won't do that," replied Jack, his voice firm and angry. "You can't ask me to do that and I won't,"

"Please Jack, please," she sobbed openly. "I don't want it to hurt any more. I can't stand it any longer. So much pain, so much fear. I don't want it - "

"It's alright," said Jack, combing her hair away from her face as more tears escaped her control. "It's OK to be scared, to be frightened,"

The Doctor tensed as he watched Genny lean back to look Jack in the eyes, a far away look in her own gaze.

"Down, so far through the years," muttered Genny, her voice soft but clear. "Past the pain and through the fears. Amongst the shadows, dark and cold, comes something new and something old. Torn apart in the past and brought together, but not to last,"

"What does that mean?" demanded Jack, an odd harshness to his voice and a haunted look to his eyes.

When Genny's gaze sharpened and focused on Jack, the Doctor had to stop himself from physically shivering as he felt ice running down his spine.

"I see you, Captain Jack Harkness," hissed Genny, pure hatred and malice in her voice, even as the blood began to drip from her nose. "Time Agent, companion, leader. Immortal. It's a shame that your young doctor is not. If it's any consolation though, neither are the women,"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the Doctor saw her stiffen, her head fall back and then her eyes close. Not waiting for a second warning off Rose, he surged forwards and laid her down on the bed, snapping orders at Jack, Ianto and Pete to hold her down as her body became wracked with seizures. Though none of them wanted to hurt her, they had to use considerable force just to keep her still enough that the Doctor could could give her a sedative that wouldn't be lethal to her. After what felt like hours, but were only minutes, Genny's body became limp, lying on the bed with an eerie stillness.

As a precaution they fastened the medical restraints around her wrists and ankles, hoping they would stop her from hurting herself, then attached her to the various monitors that would keep an eye on her vitals and alert them if anything should happen. Running his hand through his hair in frustration, the Doctor turned and faced Rose.

"I know," she told him, worry and sadness dulling her hazel eyes. "We need to talk,"

"Go on ahead," said Pete, already pulling up a chair and sitting down besides Genny. "I'll let you know if anything happens,"

"Thanks Dad," replied Rose, the quick flash of pride on Pete's face not going unnoticed by the Doctor as Rose took him by the arm and dragged him out of the room, Jack and Ianto following.

"So my little Rosebud," said the Doctor as they descended the stairs and walked towards the kitchen. "Just what have you been up to?"

"We've been preparing," replied Rose gravely.

"What for?" asked Jack.

"For war," replied Rose, a deadness to her voice that the Doctor had hoped never to hear from his Rose. "For war,"