Mycroft watched from the backseat of his car as the blonde woman walked out the door of 221 Baker Street. She made her way across the street and then down to the corner where the blue 1960's style Police Public Call Box sat.
He first noticed the Police Box when he arrived at Baker Street and he immediately sent a text to his associate, having been told to look for such a construct. His associate had warned him of a woman that was associated with the Police Box that wasn't what it seemed, but advanced technology, dangerous advanced technology. The woman was a threat to the entire country and because of Mycroft's position his associate was concerned that the woman might use Sherlock against him. Since his brother had fallen prey to another woman he assured his associate that he would not allow Sherlock's weakness to be used again.
"Back to the office," Mycroft instructed his driver.
As the car pulled out he watched the woman enter the Police Box. She wouldn't get away. He knew his associate was already implementing steps to trap her.
Rose entered the TARDIS and closed the door, leaning back against it to release a sigh. He said goodbye, but she knew it couldn't really be goodbye because he kissed her, well, not him, well future him. It was enough to give her a headache because she wasn't entirely sure what that meant.
It didn't seem like the first time he kissed her either, well, it was for her, but not for him and…yep there was the headache again.
Okay, so he said goodbye and he seemed to mean it so something must happen to make him change his mind, but what? I will find you. What the hell did that even mean? Did that mean she needed to leave? And if she did how did he get a vortex manipulator?
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, glancing up at the ceiling.
Unfortunately, the TARDIS remained quiet, which usually meant she had to figure this one out for herself.
"No help there then," she replied as she walked up to the console. "All right, well, we can't just sit on the corner. Sherlock's got enough of an ego on him. Wouldn't want him to think I'm pining for him."
She felt the TARDIS actually laugh at that and it made her smile. She typed in some coordinates.
"How about a quick hop into the future and then we can go from there, yeah?"
She flipped the lever for the time rotor and grabbed onto the console as the TARDIS began to rock. She laughed, but in the next moment a deep sound emanated from her ship.
"That's not good."
She raced around the console flipping levers and pushing buttons.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
She felt a painful cry coming from the TARDIS.
"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Rose declared, trying to undo whatever happened.
She grabbed the monitor. Something was physically pulling the TARDIS to a time and location. She was fighting it, but whatever was pulling her was too strong.
Rose could feel the TARDIS' fear and that was a very bad thing. If the TARDIS was afraid then whatever was pulling them was beyond dangerous. She made a decision then. If someone had the technology to force the TARDIS to land somewhere then there was a chance they had the technology to get through the doors and she couldn't allow anyone to get their hands on the TARDIS.
She punched in coordinates and commands as quickly as she could. She could feel the TARDIS protesting, but she knew her ship would do what she wanted. The TARDIS materialized as she finished typing the last command.
"You'll be all right, girl," she said, stroking the time rotor.
Then she turned and strode to the doors. She paused as she reached for the handle, taking one last look at her ship. She released a sigh, knowing there was every chance she'd never see the TARDIS again. She opened the door and stepped out.
Sherlock sat in his chair, hands steepled, his thoughts consumed by the woman who had shaken the foundation of his entire life. A woman he pursued because of the mystery that surrounded her. Impossible mysteries.
She showed him how very small his world was and that not even he was what he seemed. She did it, not for a reward or to mock him, but to show him his true self. And he, in turn, had done what he always did. Looked for a hidden reason, an agenda because everyone had an agenda. He accused her, belittled her, and made her feel inferior. She took the brunt of his viciousness and instead of turning on him she set him free.
A sound invaded his thoughts. A sound that had so easily become familiar. A rhythmic Whooshing.
"What is that?" John asked, but he paid his friend little attention.
In his mind he saw her, standing at the console, smiling as the time rotor began to move. She was leaving and now it was too late. Regret forced its way to the surface, but he forced it down. He was Sherlock Holmes and he didn't allow himself to fall prey to weaknesses.
He heard John stand up, but the sound was almost gone.
"Must be a leaf blower," his friend mused.
There were many things that Rose expected when she stepped out of the TARDIS. An army. A lab full of mad scientists. Aliens. What she didn't expect was the brown haired bloke in a dark three piece suit who stood a few meters from her. There were two armed men, one on either side of him.
"Rose Tyler," he said, putting her immediately on edge. How the hell did he know her name? "I have been looking forward to this."
He stepped toward her, smiling as he extended his hand, but she merely glanced at it, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
"You know who I am, but I'm afraid I'm at a loss," she replied.
He clenched his hand in the air when she didn't shake it and the stuffed it behind his back with the other. He stood there for a moment appraising her, but she merely folded her arms. There was something off about him.
"I've been watching you for a while now. You're definitely not ordinary. Though, really, I'm not entirely sure what you are. Care to enlighten me?"
She quirked her brow. Was he referring to the fact that she wasn't human? No, he couldn't know that, could he? He said he'd been watching her for a while. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a large conference room and from the furnishings she guessed 21st Century, which was where she'd been when she dropped Sherlock off. She turned her gaze back to him.
"'M not sure what you mean."
"Oh, now, no sense pretending, Rose." He waited, but when she didn't reply he continued. "Shall I tell you what I know?" She eyed him. "Your name might be Rose Tyler, but there's another name, one whispered across universes, and that name's Bad Wolf." Her eyes widened and he smiled. "It's the name you took when you had the power of the time vortex running through you." He stepped closer to her, making her back up. "The name you used when you saved the Doctor." Who the hell was he? How could he know about that? "It's what changed you. You may have started out nothing more than a shop girl from London, but you, Rose Tyler, are so much more. You're not even human.
I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. The day I got trapped in that parallel universe I started planning. Simple plan really. Put myself in a position of power and take over the world, then other worlds, but then I saw you. The woman who could control the time vortex. You have no idea how happy I was and how very hard it was to keep myself from taking you that minute, but I knew I had to be careful because you weren't just any companion to the Doctor. No. You were the one. I saw you in his memories.
So, I waited and I planned. You see, you had that meta-crisis, that copy of him. He was human, but his mind wasn't and I knew if I took you he would find you and I couldn't have that. Then there was your family, couldn't have them either. No. I wanted you all to myself. My own little toy. I don't like to share, you see. I'm sure the Doctor would have something to say about that," he mused.
As he rambled Rose started to get a very bad idea, one that made her feel sick. This man, who she doubted was actually a man, well, human anyway, he knew her, but he knew her from the parallel universe. He called it a parallel universe, which meant he wasn't from there either and he knew the Doctor.
"When I saw the cracks, well, that's when I knew exactly what I had to do. It was the only way to get you alone. After they disappeared I poked at the scar tissue between that universe and the Void. Really, it wasn't very difficult."
"You…you did that," she said, disbelief and anger battling for control. "You let the Cybermen out! You let them kill everyone!"
"Not everyone. You survived and then…well, you did something incredible, didn't you? You brought them all back," he replied, stepping closer to her, grinning as if she were some new shiney toy he'd just been given. "It was beautiful."
"I watched them die! My family! And then they killed the Doctor-"
"Not the Doctor, dear. A pale copy."
"He was more of a man than you'll ever be!"
She could feel her emotions churning inside and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to kill him.
"Now, that's just rude," he chastised in a teasing tone, but when he glanced at her his eyes narrowed. "No, no, now stop that. I know what it means when you're eyes glow." She could feel the power building inside of her, could feel the Bad Wolf taking over and she knew each time she allowed it she lot a bit of herself, but in that moment she didn't care. "Rose." She caught his gaze. "Well, I did warn you."
He lifted his hand and she barely registered the sonic he held. Then he pressed the button. She cried out as pain flared through her body. He drew up closer to her as she screamed.
"You really think I would trap you without a way to keep you from doing that? I thought you were smarter than that. Now, be a good little wolf," he snapped something around her neck. "And stay."
He turned the sonic off, but there was still a residual pain running through her body. She reached for the collar he put around her neck and it shocked her enough to make her pull her hands back.
He laughed.
She glared at him and stood up, but when she opened her mouth to shout at him she only got one word out before it shocked her again.
"What's that?" he asked, cupping his ear. "Did you say something?" He grinned. She hated him more than she'd ever hated anyone in her entire life. "Come on then. I'll show you to your room and then I'll have the TARDIS taken to…"
At that moment the Whooshing sound began emanating from the ship as it dematerialized.
"No!" he shouted running towards it. "No, no, no, no!" But it was too late. He rounded on her. "What did you do?" She merely smiled back.
Standard Disclaimer.
Thank you to all my brilliant readers!
Reviews are always welcome. :)