DISCLAIMER: I asked for the Doctor for my birthday, but the BBC and The Moff said no. So I asked for the TARDIS… I got a cookie jar… shaped like the TARDIS. Better than nothing I guess! So no I don't own Doctor Who but I still have hopes that someone somewhere will see the massive error in this.
Regardless.
SUMMARY: The Doctor is being stalked through his own timeline. Nothing and nowhere is safe.
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As the new Director of Special Operations within UNIT, Martha Jones-Smith had just been given the task of a lifetime: Find Captain Jack Harkness.
Now, she just groaned and dropped her head to her crossed arms at the pub she'd found herself at.
Her husband, Mickey, was in Zimbabwe investigating the alien ship that had landed last week. The last time, they'd spoken, he'd reported that the Corinase ship had only landed on Earth after losing propulsion that would have kept them in orbit. It had taken everything their little ship had to offer not to crash. Luckily, the Corinase were a peaceful people and had actually been sent on behalf of the Shadow Proclamation to study the development of Earth.
As a Class Five planet, Earth was considered off-limits to every species that would have made contact. Little did the Shadow Proclamation know that Earth was quickly becoming accustomed to off-planet visitors.
So, for the moment, Mickey was safe, Earth was conflict-free (off the off-world type, at least), and Martha just wanted another drink.
She could only hope Gwen Cooper could help find the man that had essentially disappeared after Miracle Day.
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Martha parked her rental near the beach house where Gwen and Rhys had made their home with their daughter Anwen. She hated to bring this back into their lives when they'd obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to get away from the strangeness.
She moved to knock on the door and was immediately faced with a handgun, cocked and loaded, ready to fire. Martha froze on instinct, then cringed a bit when Gwen started cursing in Welsh.
"Um, hi, Gwen." Martha's hand was still frozen in mid-knock position.
"Martha Jones. Well, come inside then. No sense standing outside all day." Gwen uncocked her pistol, engaged the safety, and tucked it in the back of her trousers while holding the door open for a still-shaky Martha.
"It's been a while since I've seen you last. Can I get you anything?" Gwen turned into the kitchen to start the tea.
"Actually, I'm here on UNIT business. I need to find Jack."
Gwen froze at the sink, her grip on her mug tightening until her knuckles whitened under the pressure. "Jack's gone. Again."
"I know," Martha whispered, "But I need to find him."
"Is he in trouble then? Done something to piss off the next High-and-Mighty?" Gwen turned then and pinned Martha with a glare, pointing to the woman sharply. "You'll not be getting him from me, Martha Jones."
Martha gave the woman a small smile, admiring her for her loyalty to their common friend. "Actually, no."
Shock registered clearly and prompted her to put the mug down before she dropped it. "No? Then what? Hasn't he done enough already?" Gwen sat then and motioned for Martha to join her.
"To be honest," she started, "UNIT made me Director of Special Operations. After Miracle Day, the higher ups realized very quickly that having Torchwood out of the picture was a bad idea. That's why I need to find him, Gwen."
Gwen still cringed at the memory of Miracle Day. As a matter of fact, she still had nightmares about the entire fiasco. She shook her head and sighed. "I don't know, Martha. He's already lost so much. It's why he left in the first place." She sat back then, thinking for a moment before she spoke again. "Alright, then. I'll help you. But, so help me God, if UNIT tries to hurt him…"
"You have my word, Gwen."
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Gwen made the call.
If she were honest with herself, the butterflies in her stomach when she heard his voice for the first time in two years almost made her sick. But she'd missed him so much, she'd take the butterflies any day.
"Gwen."
"Hello, Jack."
"Everything okay?"
"Oh, yes, fine. Right as rain. A friend of your showed up here though."
"Are you in danger? Where are you? I'm on my way."
"No, Jack, it's okay, I promise. It's Martha. She wants to talk to you. And no, she's not in danger either. Can you come?"
Jack's sigh of relief was palpable. "Yeah, sure. When and where?"
"16th May, 2011. Let's say 14:30 and we'll meet you in Cardiff."
"Pizza shop near the Hub site?"
Gwen laughed. "Sure, Jack. We'll be there." Silence reigned for a moment. "I miss you Jack bloody Harkness."
He laughed low at the endearment. "Miss you too, Gwen."
Gwen hung up her mobile and looked to Martha. "Time to go then."
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Of course he was late. Travel by 'space hopper' (as the Doctor referred to his Vortex Manipulator) wasn't as reliable as it could have been considering how old the equipment was, but it had only put him off by three hours.
Regardless of the wait, as he walked around the corner leading to the café, he heard "Jack!" in a very familiar London accent. "Martha Jones!" and swung his friend into his arms for a massive hug.
He set Martha down to address his former employee. "Gwen."
"Captain."
Grins broke on both their faces as they hugged.
"Now, what is so dire that it brings me back to Earth." He wagged his eyebrows at his friends. "Not that I'm complaining much, mind you…"
Martha just laughed and said, "Stop it, Jack" in a tone very reminiscent of the Doctor.
The trio sat outside, far from prying eyes and ears, which turned out to be a good thing.
"UNIT needs Torchwood."
"Well, it was nice seeing you…" Jack stood and was immediately jerked back down to his seat by Gwen.
"Listen to her, Jack." Even he couldn't have said no to his once second-in-command when she used that voice.
Martha cleared her throat and began again. "As I was saying, UNIT needs Torchwood, but Torchwood doesn't need UNIT. I've been given the go-ahead to kick-start a new Torchwood, but only if you're at the head of it. We do need you, Jack."
"That's great and all, but all of our funding was seized by the government, as well as UNIT. How do you expect something like Torchwood to be restarted from nothing, as it were?"
"As the Director of Special Operations, I've also been authorized to grant Torchwood an almost unlimited budget. You have the authority to build your team and run it as you see fit."
Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What about UNIT? How much do they want from Torchwood?"
"That's the great part, Jack." Martha grinned at her friend and leaned forward excitedly. "The only concession to the entire offer is this: Should Earth be in danger, UNIT and Torchwood will work together – equally – to resolve the problem. If UNIT needs help, we'll come to you, and vice versa."
"Why, Martha? Why now?"
She sat back, observing her Immortal friend. "Mickey put it like this: UNIT is military. They've got to abide by certain rules and regulations, permissions, etc. Torchwood is…"
"Separate from the government, outside the police, and beyond the United Nations." Gwen interrupted.
Martha nodded. "And Earth needs Torchwood."
Jack sat in silence for a long time. After everything he'd seen and done. All the bad, the good, the in-between. Now, he was being offered the chance to start over with the one thing that had made his long, long life worthwhile for so long.
He pursed his lips and steepled his hands at his mouth, watching Martha and Gwen carefully. "I can build my own team?"
Martha grinned at him.
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Six months later, Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Rex, Jenny, Mickey, and Martha stood in the UNIT headquarters to receive the new Torchwood charter.
Brigadier Bambera smiled at the new team so eager to get started defending Earth once more. "Have you got your new base picked out yet?"
Jack grinned, excited as a child at Christmas, and squeezed Jenny's hand in his own. "Not yet, but we're working on that."
Bambera smirked and shook her head. "May I offer a suggestion?"
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Sure."
Bambera picked up the phone, dialed quickly, and requested a "pick-up of eight at my coordinates". As she hung up the phone, she looked at the assembled group. "Prepare for teleport in 3…2…1." The Brigadier's office emptied in a bright flash of light as a transmat beam engaged.
"Welcome, Torchwood, to what will be your new home, if you like." Bambera motioned to the view outside the window. A massive ship hovered in orbit above Earth, directly above the United Kingdom.
Bambera walked to the communication station nearby. "All hands, attention to orders. From Earth, UNIT Headquarters, to Captain Jack Harkness. As of this date, you are requested to take command of USS Defiant, also known as Torchwood One, in defence of Earth and its people. Captain, do you accept?"
Numb, Jack fell back on his soldier's training. He came to attention to Brigadier Bambera and saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!"
Bambera grinned. "Excellent. Computer, transfer all command codes to Captain Harkness. All hands, report to your stations." Bambera hung up the comm mic and held out her hand. "Welcome back, Torchwood."
Oh, yeah. Torchwood was back.