New chapter! And quite a long one too this time. And Cobb returns... :p

I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know if you did!

The Doctor was busy changing the coordinates of his TARDIS while waiting for his companions to come back. He had already some nice places in mind to take them, but he wanted to let them choose. When they returned, his enthusiasm instantly disappeared. Rose and Donna were not alone, they were being followed by Cobb.

'I thought I said that I would come to you when I had decided what to do with you?' the Doctor growled.

'He was walking in the corridor, we tried to tell him to go back to his own room and to wait there, but he insisted,' Rose told him.

'So he escaped? How is that possible?' the Doctor asked.

'The door was open, he said,' Donna answered.

'Can't the coward speak for himself?'

'He did speak to us, don't blame him, he is afraid,' Rose said defensively.

'If he is really so afraid, then why isn't he in his cell where I have ordered him to stay? Well?' this time the Doctor directed his question straight to Cobb. 'You disobeyed me.'

'I-I am s-sorry, b-but I-I…' Cobb started before being interrupted by the Doctor.

'Why is it that you have stolen one of the weapons from your room?' he demanded.

'T-to d-defend…'

'You threatened Rose and Donna with it, didn't you? They told you to go back and you didn't want that, so you threatened them!' the Doctor yelled furiously.

'N-no, th-that is not…'

'DON'T LIE TO ME!' the Time Lord thundered.

'Shut up, Doctor!' Rose shouted, though she was startled. 'He wanted to ask you something.'

'Did he threaten you?' the Doctor asked with his jaw clenched, giving Cobb a murderous glare.

'No!' Donna quickly said. It didn't matter what Cobb had done, admitting that he had threatened them would only make things worse.

'I don't care what he has to say. I can't see him yet. If he doesn't leave, I will do things to him I might regret later. Please take him back,' the Doctor asked as controlled as possible.

'He wants to leave! That is his question. He wants to leave the TARDIS,' Rose said.

'You can leave the TARDIS when I say so,' the Doctor said, looking at Cobb.

'P-please!' Cobb begged, falling down on his knees.

'Get out of my sight,' the Doctor hissed, charging at Cobb.

'Stay away from him,' Rose ordered, pushing the Doctor back against his chest, but she felt that the Doctor wanted to attack Cobb.

'Then make him leave,' he growled, taking another two steps forward, as if Rose wasn't there pushing him away.

'You see what he does to you! Just drop him off somewhere, I don't care where! Just let him leave and you don't have to see him again!' Rose said.

'He threatened you…' the Doctor said angrily, his eyes blazing with fire.

'I-I swear! I d-didn't do that! P-please, I am b-begging y-you,' Cobb whimpered.

'If I hear any more of your filthy lies, I will personally tear off all your limbs and stuff them down your throat,' the Doctor threatened, his glare still fixed on Cobb.

Rose's eyes widened in shock when she saw how serious the Doctor was, and she knew he would keep his word if she didn't make Cobb leave. 'Go!' she yelled at Cobb. 'Back to your room and make sure you don't try to escape!'

Cobb didn't need to be told twice and he ran away as quickly as he could with his shaking legs.

'Doctor, look at me,' Rose said, her eyes meeting the furious eyes of the Doctor. Seeing that fury, all she wanted to do was to shrink away and to hide from him, but she had to stay strong. He wouldn't hurt her. He had said so himself.

'Did you see how scared he was?' the Doctor asked, a manic look replacing his furious eyes.

'Stop it!' Rose shouted, shaking the Doctor, trying to shake some sense in him.

'He was so afraid… he regrets what he has done, I am quite certain about that,' the Doctor said calmly, the manic glance not leaving his eyes.

'Yes, yes, I am sure he does. Now calm down,' Rose said calmly.

'He shouldn't have threatened you…'

'Calm down!' Donna now ordered.

'I am calm! Look! Completely calm!' the Doctor said, holding his hands up defensively.

'No, you're not. You're angry and you will not go anywhere near him, understand?' Rose said sternly.

'He is in my TARDIS. He is my prisoner. He should stay away from me,' the Doctor countered. 'If I ever see him again without having my permission, nothing will stop me.'

'Oh, yes, we will. We will both stop you!' Rose argued.

'You shouldn't even be near me. I scared you and I don't want to do that again, love. I never want to do that again. So it is best for you to stay away from me,' the Doctor said quietly.

Rose shook her head and placed her hands on the sides of the Doctor's head, forcing him to look at her.

'I never said that. I don't want to stay away from you, I want to be with you. Nothing is going to change that. I know you don't want to scare me, so all you have to do is make sure that you don't do anything that frightens me. Stay away from Cobb. You become really scary in his presence.'

The Doctor chuckled slightly.

'Then he should stay away from me.'

'Donna and I will see if he is in his room,' Rose said.

'And if he isn't? Then you will have to tell me.'

'No, then we will find him. Without you.'

'Let's just hope for his sake that he is in his room,' the Doctor growled. 'And make sure you lock the door. He can't escape again. I can't see him.'

'Good that you see that yourself. Why don't you just leave him behind?' Rose asked.

The Doctor didn't answer that. He didn't know the answer to that himself.

'He is scared enough as he is. You don't have to hurt him any further.'

'But I want to,' the Doctor replied, a fire burning in his eyes. 'I really want to, but I try not to. I don't want to let him go because I want him to suffer. If it weren't for you, I would have made him suffer.'

'Then let him go. You can't make him suffer when he isn't here,' Rose said calmly.

'I know.'

'Then let him go.'

'I don't want to!'

'Just do it!' Donna shouted.

'Don't yell at him!' Rose snapped at Donna and she received a sly smile from the Doctor for speaking up for him. 'Please, Doctor. You are out for blood and I won't let you. Please don't let him get to you. You are hurt, you have lost too much. But don't take it out on him. It won't make you a better person.'

'Do you really think he should leave?' the Doctor asked, sinking down in a chair, a hopeless expression on his face. 'After what he did to my only family?'

'He is a criminal. But let the humans take care of him. No matter how badly he has behaved, he doesn't deserve whatever you have planned for him. Let him rot away in a cell on his own planet,' Rose said, sitting down next to the Doctor.

The Doctor stood up without looking at either of his companions, but something told Rose that he was going to listen to her this time. She had the idea that everything would become safer without Cobb on board. He would only make the Doctor angry and she really didn't want that to happen anymore. He had to find peace again.

'I'll do it.'

'What?' Donna asked.

'I will let him go. I need to get him back here so I can kick him out myself.'

He started to push some buttons to fly back to the planet where he had taken Cobb from. Rose already wanted to walk back to the corridors to get Cobb back, but the Doctor stopped her.

'I have an intercom, he can walk himself,' he smiled.

Rose returned his smile, it was always a good sign when the Doctor smiled. It meant that he was in a good mood and that he wasn't going to do anything stupid this time. That gave her hope.

'Here is your captain speaking,' the Doctor said solemnly though his intercom and his voice echoed through the TARDIS. 'Could General Cobb, from whom I still don't know his first name, please return to the control room?'

Both Rose and Donna had to laugh about that, they weren't used to the Doctor fooling around anymore.

'And don't make me repeat myself… I hate repeating myself,' the Doctor added.

'Maybe he can't find the way!' Rose chuckled.

'I am sure the TARDIS will help him,' the Doctor protested.

'He is taking his time…' Donna sighed.

'Maybe he needs some motivation,' the Doctor said with a cheeky grin and he talked again through the microphone. 'You have ten seconds left… I am counting… If you are not here within those ten seconds, I will come and get you myself.'

'Don't be mean,' Rose scolded.

'I can be as mean as I want to be with him. I could be a lot meaner,' the Doctor said, raising one eyebrow, turning back towards the intercom. 'You're wasting my time…' he sang.

Rose smacked him playfully on his shoulder before Cobb entered the room again, instantly dropping on his knees and bowing his head.

'I-I did what y-you asked, I w-went to my room!' Cobb stammered.

'Look me in the eyes when you talk to me,' the Doctor snarled. 'Pathetic human. Stop stuttering.'

'I-I'll try,' Cobb said timidly, raising his head to do what the Doctor had asked him.

'I said… stop stuttering. Not try to stop.'

The Time Lord was now only one step away from Cobb and he glared down at the man in front of him, hatred radiating from his whole body. Cobb quickly nodded in obedience.

'Speak up then. Tell me how worthless you are.'

Cobb didn't make any attempt to say anything, he couldn't trust his voice. Both Rose and Donna shifted nervously behind the Doctor, but they didn't interfere. The Doctor was probably just playing around with the General, he wouldn't hurt him. He wouldn't break his promises.

'TELL ME!' the Doctor roared when Cobb didn't answer him.

The General flinched away before quickly mumbling what the Doctor wanted to hear from him.

'I-I am worthless, pathetic, I am nothing,' Cobb said quietly.

'Exactly,' the Doctor said with a silky voice, now circling around Cobb to make the man only more nervous. 'You are nothing. I want you to remember that.'

'Why? What do you want with me?' Cobb whimpered.

'Did I say you could talk? No. So unless you wish to make me mad, shut up. And bow your head,' the Doctor growled, and Cobb immediately bowed his head back towards the ground. 'Good. You are not my equal. You are no one's equal. You will always be less. Understood?'

Cobb nodded quickly and the Doctor continued.

'As for what I want with you. I never want to see your face ever again. You are going back to where you came from. And if I ever hear anything about you again, then I will take you straight back to the TARDIS and we will continue what I had originally planned for you. So you need to remember how little and measly you are. If you ever try anything, if you try being rude towards others or try to hurt someone, I will find you.'

Cobb looked up with a hopeful look in his eyes.

'You don't deserve it,' the Doctor added and he leaned in and grabbed Cobb's face forcefully. 'So I want you to apologize to me for everything you have done, for every murder you have committed. Say it,' he growled venomously, squeezing Cobb's jaw so tightly that it almost broke in his grip.

'I am sorry!' Cobb squeaked. 'I regret everything I have ever done! If I could undo what I have done, then I would!'

'Good. You can't decide who gets to live and who gets to die. If I can't have that power, then neither can you,' the Doctor said and he let go of Cobb's jaw.

There was still a hopeful look in Cobb's eyes, which the Doctor didn't like at all. The man was far too happy that he was going back to his own planet. That he was going to be free from the Time Lord.

'Wipe that smug look off your face or I will beat it out of you,' the Doctor spat, giving the General a blow to the head with his fist without giving Cobb really a chance to do as he asked.

Rose stood instantly by his side and she took the Doctor's hand quickly, as if trying to take away his anger. The Doctor could smell the blood that was coming from Cobb's head, and he actually enjoyed it. If Rose and Donna weren't there right now, he would have continued.

'Please have mercy!' Cobb whimpered, more begging Rose than begging the Doctor.

'You had no mercy. And I won't show you any either. Just be grateful that Rose and Donna are stopping me, because I would have given you a lot more hell if it were up to me,' the Doctor snarled. 'Thank them.'

'Yes… Thank you,' Cobb said weakly, bowing his head for both girls.

'Now stand up,' the Doctor ordered and Cobb immediately obeyed him.

He wasn't fast enough for the Doctor, so the Time Lord grabbed him by the arm and threw him roughly towards the door. Rose stepped in between, calming the Doctor down. His breathing became a bit calmer and he relaxed a bit.

'Don't be violent,' Rose whispered calmly.

'Please get out of my way,' the Doctor tried to sound controlled, but the warning was very much audible. He was trying to stay calm, but he was boiling inside. He didn't want to hurt Rose.

'You are not going to lash out on me,' Rose scolded, reading the Doctor's mind. She crossed her arms and remained on her place.

'No. Of course not.'

'Then calm down.'

'I will. I am. I am calm, completely.'

Rose gave him a smile and she shook her head.

'You can't fool me.'

'I will try,' the Doctor said truthfully, kissing Rose's forehead and pushing her aside gently.

'Don't hurt me,' Cobb was shaking and his eyes widened when he faced the furious eyes of the Oncoming Storm again. That look could have killed a much braver man.

The Doctor came very close and he looked down on Cobb, who was cowering away against the door as far as he could.

'You… are going to walk though this doors, straight to your prison. And I will be following you. Make one wrong move and I will make you pay,' the Doctor hissed. 'And be silent. I don't need to hear your voice.'

Then the Doctor took a step back and he opened the doors of the TARDIS. Cobb slowly moved towards the door, finally daring to breathe again. When he heard an annoyed sigh behind him, he quickened his pace and he hurried out of the TARDIS, with the Doctor and his companions following him closely. The walk to the prison wasn't very far, in fact, the Doctor had landed his ship in front of the building. One of the guards immediately approached them when they arrived.

'What is your business here?' he asked with a steel voice.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, but he stayed calm. He knew that Rose and Donna were watching every move he made, he didn't want them to get the wrong impression of him.

'He is your prisoner,' he answered, nodding at Cobb.

'Don't waste my time, sir,' the guard said irritated.

'Who's in charge here?' the Doctor asked with authority in his voice.

'I'll fetch him. If you wait here.'

The guard turned around and went to get his boss. After a couple of minutes, the guard returned with another man.

'There he is!' he exclaimed, looking at Cobb and then at the Doctor. 'Where did you find him?'

'Just… somewhere.'

'Well, I am extremely thankful, sir. We have been looking for him. I have been asking around, but no one seemed to know where he went. None of my soldiers told me. They either didn't know or they didn't want to say, but I am glad we have him back. He is a terrible criminal, he shouldn't walk around anymore,' the man said, shaking the Doctor's hand.

'Indeed. Tell me, how exactly do you treat him here?' the Doctor asked, his eyes narrowing.

'Why?' the man asked, raising his eyebrows.

'Just wondering. I want to know if the criminal in question is treated badly enough for his deeds.'

'Well… he is imprisoned. He gets food, water, a shower, bathroom, clothes…'

'Then give him less of that. Imprison him and give him nothing more than bread and water,' the Doctor said, his eyes boring into the prison's boss.

'I can't do that, it wouldn't be fair compared to what other prisoners get.'

The Doctor groaned and he grabbed the man's head, entering his mind. Rose tried to pull him back, but the Doctor didn't move.

'If Cobb opens his mouth, you will beat him until he bleeds. If he protests, you will beat him until he is unconscious. He will get no more than bread and water on a day. These are my orders, if you disobey them, I shall know. Right now, I am creating a telepathic link, so I will always know. If you disobey me, you will be sorry. I will…' the Doctor's voice left the man's head abruptly, because the Time Lord had been pulled away by both his companions.

'Stop with whatever you're doing!' Donna yelled.

'I wasn't finished yet!' the Doctor protested.

'You will not use alien… stuff on human beings!' Donna said.

'You know what I want,' the Doctor said to the boss. 'Make sure you do it.'

'What has he done to make you so upset with him?' the man asked.

'You know what he has done. He is a murderer. An evil man. He has hurt people very close to me. Make sure you make him pay, or else I will come back to do it for you. And I will not spare you either if I find out that you have been treating him too well,' the Doctor said darkly.

'I am sure he gets the message,' Rose said, tugging the Doctor arm. 'Come on, let's go.'

'Yes. We should be leaving,' the Doctor agreed. 'Remember what I said, both of you.'

The man and Cobb both nodded quickly, before the man grabbed Cobb's collar to drag him inside the building.

'What have you done to that poor man?' Donna asked suspiciously.

'I have made a link between us. If that man doesn't do what I asked him to do, I shall know. And then I can come back,' the Doctor said.

'Oh no, you are not coming back to this planet ever again!' Rose argued.

'I will if Cobb doesn't get what he deserves.'

'Yeah, but that is not now. I am sure he won't enjoy his time there.'

'I hope so,' the Doctor sighed and he hugged his companions tightly. 'Back to the TARDIS?'

'Yeah,' Donna smiled. 'Let's do something fun for once.'

The Doctor gave Rose a cheeky smile and he waggled his eyebrows at her, receiving a slap from Donna.

'Not that kind of fun!' she scolded. 'We are going to do something together, and that does not involve you and Rose shagging each other in the TARDIS!'

'Doesn't it?' the Doctor pouted.

Rose chuckled and she ruffled the Doctor's hair enthusiastically, messing it up.

'Oi!' he exclaimed. 'Don't mess with the hair, Tyler! My hair is glorious!'

'It was already spiking in all directions. I don't see any difference,' Rose protested.

'Do not mock my hair,' the Doctor growled playfully. 'Now apologize, before you lose your privilege to ruffle my hair again. I can always go to Donna if I need someone to run their fingers through my hair in the future.'

'I won't ruffle your hair, forget it,' Donna said airily.

The Doctor gave her a shocked look.

'Seems you are stuck with me then,' Rose laughed, and she tried to reach for the Doctor's hair again. But he dodged her and he grabbed her hands, holding them behind her back so she couldn't do anything.

'Let's please Donna first. When we are back in the TARDIS after a short trip, you can ruffle my hair for as long as you like,' the Doctor whispered in her ear, and he captured her lips with his.

'Oi!' Donna shouted, hitting the Doctor's back. 'I am still here!'

'Yes… Sorry,' the Doctor said, letting Rose go. But he kept her hand with him.

'Now get us back to the TARDIS and make yourself useful!' Donna said sternly.

'Yes ma'am,' the Doctor saluted and he took Donna's hand as well, leading them both back to the TARDIS.