A/N: Gawsh, this is epic!

Chapter 20 – Two Kidnappers and a Stolen Child

The Doctor awoke the next morning to the sound of a television being switched on. It was for this reason he suddenly wondered where he was, opening his eyes to find himself lying on the sofa with a cover over him in unfamiliar surroundings.

He was instantly drawn to his right where a clean-looking Jack sat on the other sofa, watching the television intently. He looked over at the Doctor, giving a grin.

"Mornin'. How you feelin'?"

"On top of the world, thanks," the Doctor replied with an equally as happy grin. "So I didn't bleed to death."

Jack shrugged, nonchalant. "Well I tried to bleed you out but you just wouldn't die, you stubborn git."

"I don't die very easily," the Doctor replied simply. "Kind of annoying sometimes."

"This morning's headlines: two highly dangerous convicts are on the loose whilst holding a young girl hostage, police beg the public to come forward with any information on their whereabouts and to take all precautions if confronted by them…"

"That'd be us then," the Doctor muttered, staring at the screen as an image of the supposed 'parents' came on screen, addressing a crowd of media.

"Please, we beg the two men holding our little girl hostage to return her, safe and sound to two loving parents," the man said as the woman dissolved into tears. Instantly the sight was replaced by two photographs, one of the Doctor and one of Jack.

"Told you sooo!" the Doctor said in a singsong voice as Jack got up off the sofa, walking over to the Time Lord and kneeling down beside his legs.

"Need to check on your wound," he explained as he drew back the cover and carefully pulled down the borrowed pyjama trousers to expose the reels of bandages encasing the Doctor's upper right leg, slightly stained red. The Doctor watched him carefully.

"Don't get any ideas Jack," he warned, and Jack just shot him a grin.

"You're forgettin' who changed you into pyjamas last night Doc," he pointed out, lifting the leg gently to rest on a cushion before continuing in an innocent voice, "and the thought never even crossed my mind!"

"Right," the Doctor said in a voice filled with sarcasm. "Where are we?" He winced as Jack started to unpeel the bandages.

"Sarah-Jane's house," Jack answered shortly. The Doctor's eyebrows reached the ceiling.

"How…" he began, but Jack was already shaking his head.

"Some freaky stuff happened last night Doc, I'm beginnin' to think I dreamt most of it up."

"What kinda stuff?"

"Well…" Jack began, pausing in his handiwork to look at the Doctor. "We were surrounded, they were about to find us, you were unconscious, we had no escape… and then the soldiers appeared. But they acted like they couldn't see us. I watched 'em; they looked everywhere except for the exact place we were sittin', like there was somethin' preventin' them…"

The Doctor frowned. "A perception filter?"

Jack continued, "so I checked you to see if you'd done anythin' but you were still out, then I looked to Zoë and… her eyes were gold. She said somethin' like she'd put a, as you said, perception filter on us and that they couldn't see us. Then she told me to follow her, her eyes turned back to normal and she led us straight to Sarah's house." His eyes were searching the Doctor, as if waiting for an answer. The Doctor regarded Jack carefully.

"Jack, you know as well as I do who she really is."

Jack nodded, flashing back to the dark night in the castle. Khthonia, a twisted woman with psychic powers had forced a child with the Doctor, only for the child, Erida, to became evil and drowned in resent for the human race. When the Doctor had told Erida about him – as her father – being half-human half-Time Lord so consequently she was part-human, her soul had been ripped from her, her body reverting back to the form of a baby. The soul of the immensely psychic Eva – the Doctor and Rose's first daughter who had died during childbirth – chose to give the soulless baby her own soul. The Doctor and Rose had taken the baby in, and named her Zoë. Zoë was simply a girl with the soul of a psychic being.

"So her powers are just unlockin' then?" Jack asked, looking back to the wound. "As she grows up they'll get more powerful and all that?"

The Doctor nodded. "She's a special little girl Jack. No wonder Torchwood wanted her to grow new life. The amount of power she's got inside her to too much for us to comprehend. Enough to light up Las Vegas for a million years. She's easily the most powerful being in the Universe."

"So the most powerful bein' in the entirety of the Universe is a little girl with a teddy bear," Jack summed up, before chucking. "Sounds 'bout right."

"Lucky for us," the Doctor continued, "the start she's had she's keeping all that power reserved for doing good. She could easily turn that against us all. Khthonia Mark II: Destroyer of Worlds. She's perfectly capable, and even the Time Lords at the height of power would not even be able to get within 10 000 light-years of her, never mind me." He paused, watching Jack watch him for a moment before he suddenly jerked back to life, grinning. "So, where's Sarah?"

"School run," Jack replied, returning to work. "And Zoë's upstairs sleepin'," Jack quickly answered the Doctor's next question before he even opened his mouth. The Time Lord nodded, wincing again as Jack tightened a fresh bandage on the wound. "How're we gonna carry on?" Jack continued after a brief few seconds of silence. "I mean it's not like you're gonna be able to walk all day."

"We're in Ealing, not too far from Jackie's," the Doctor replied, "if we stick to the alleyways we could be there in a day and a bit with my leg. Unless you feel like carrying me, of course," he added on the end.

Jack grinned, a little too happily.

Lottie Sigma-Tyler was alone in the TARDIS.

After making some breakfast (and a whole load of mess on the floor) Lottie headed to the console room, wandering around the centre where the mushroom-shaped dome sat. She rested her hand on it, feeling the gentle vibrations humming beneath her palm.

Then the phone rang.

She strained to reach it but after much scrambling about she managed to knock it off its holder, the phone hanging over the side of the console before she picked it up and pressed it to her ear. She felt responsible!

"Herro?" she said.

"Lottie?" came a woman's voice on the other end, sounding a little stuffy, "it's mummy. Is Rory there?"

"No mummy. He disappear-red like you did."

"Is it just you in the TARDIS?"

"Yes mummy," she answered, nodding.

"Honey, don't go outside and don't touch anythin' on the console, okay?"

"Mmmkay," Lottie muttered, eyes widening as she looking over the tempting buttons and levers affixed to the console. Her attentions turned back to her mother. "Where are you mummy? Where's daddy? I miss you."

There was a brief silence.

"Lottie honey, we've always believed in tellin' you all the truth so that's what I'm gonna do. Evil people have captured us both and I've got no idea where your daddy is, though he might have your sister with him."

"You sound sad mummy. What's wrong?"

The voice on the other end was suddenly shaking. "Don't worry yourself honey. I've gotta go now. Love you loads, and just sit tight until we can get back to you, okay?"

"Mmmkay mummy. Love you. Byesies."

Lottie got onto tiptoes, managing to hook the phone back on its holder before taking a few steps back, looking at the console. All the buttons. All the levers. All the temptation…

But she couldn't touch it. She wasn't allowed to touch anything.

But… but…

She stepped forward again back to the console, hesitantly reaching up to rest her finger on a button. Just one little button. It wouldn't matter, would it? Just one… red… shiny…

She pressed it.

"I packed some food for you," Sarah was saying, handing a rucksack to Jack who took it with a courteous bow. "You'll be careful, won't you Doctor?"

"Oh you know me Sarah," the Doctor grinned, adjusting himself on the pair of crutches Sarah had found for him. "Dainty little fairy, I am. Run away from trouble."

Sarah smiled before her eyes dropped to his wounded leg, and she began to shake her head. "I can't leave you to walk back to Jackie's like that, especially with your leg that way."

"They'll be watching the major roads," the Doctor replied simply. "Thanks for all your help Sarah, but this has to be where we part."

Zoë ran forwards to Sarah, hugging her tightly around the leg silently with Drunky in one arm. Sarah bent down and held her tightly.

"You take good care of your daddy and uncle, okay?" Zoë nodded at Sarah's words, smiling her pretty little smile. "Good luck." She got up once more, addressing the Doctor and Jack. "If you ever need me, you know where I am."

The Doctor nodded. "Allons-y then." He led the way out of the front door, going quite fast considering he was on crutches. They got out onto the street, Jack giving Sarah a final wave as the Doctor checked the surroundings. It was 1:00am on Monday morning so people were scarce on the streets – perfect for 'two kidnappers hiding a stolen child'.

They began the long journey from Ealing to Bucknall House, determined not to look back.

A/N: Chapter 21 – The Storm Unleashed

Jack nodded, helping him to his feet before moving to wake Zoë. The Doctor grabbed his crutches, starting towards the exit painfully slowly. Zoë was far too sleepy to walk, so Jack gathered her up in both arms and carried her out of the exit himself, her head resting against his chest.

They must've walked quarter of a mile before the Doctor had to stop for a rest on a conveniently placed bench, and only because Jack had made him. He protested that they'd never get to Jackie's if they had to keep stopping, but was secretly glad of the break. He felt awful.

Then came the churning. Groaning. It was an awfully familiar sound… but no… it couldn't be… it was impossible…