A/N: I'm aware that this story has been going on for around eight or nine chapters and people may be getting a tiny little bit bored, but I just love writing the craic between the characters at the moment. Tell me and I'll stop. On another note, the story/episode after this is the penultimate, but only if you want it to be. Do you think I should continue with one or two more stories, or do you think this fic has gradually run its course and its time to end it? I'm asking because I genuinely don't know if people want to keep reading or feel like its time to wrap it up. Please, just quickly – even if its one word – tell me what you think by comment or PM.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Impressive

"Aha!"

"Found another piece of the lost spaceship of Calloraha or is it another Judoon helmet?" Cara asked for what felt like the fourth time the Doctor had exclaimed in excitement.

"Neither." The Doctor was holding what appeared to be a shard of crystallised glass. It was no bigger than his hand and seemed to coat itself in a light layer of frost at his touch. He was staring at it with wide, fascinated eyes as his mouth gaped open in astonishment. He explained excitedly, "It's a shard of water from Gurmoria. You look into your reflection and you're supposed to see your best qualities written on your face. As if your appearance tells a story."

Cara looked over to the fragment he was holding, her brow furrowed. She flicked her brown hair out of her face and turned away from the deep treasure chest trimmed in gold she was searching. She was still helping the Doctor look for something useful to protect themselves against the robots. The Doctor was currently sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, deep in a pile of gadgets and forgotten treasures.

"Shard of water? Like ice?" she questioned with a hint of curiosity.

"No, no. It has a similar molecular structure to water, but it isn't exactly the same type of liquid. Lots of humans are colonised there, so the language has changed slightly to suit them. This water, when frozen, doesn't melt again. It stays frozen." He turned the shard over in his palm, adding, "Gurmorians think a lot about appearances. A shard of water reminds them what really is important."

Cara nodded, more to herself than to confirm she had understood. If truth be told, she was feeling slightly wary. "And is the shard of water going to help us against killer robots?" she asked lightly.

"No. Not exactly. It wouldn't work on something with a mechanical unemotional belief system," he answered.

"There ya go then," she retorted and turned back to the treasure chest, taking out a strange glittering rock from near the bottom.

"You know, there was a time, not so long ago, when a shard of water from Gurmoria would have been so impressive to you," the Doctor said humorously, pointing the shard at her from over the pile he was under.

Cara smiled a genuine massive smile. She added, without looking at him, "And then you showed me the world in a little blue cupboard as we travelled among the stars." She threw him a glance over her shoulder, saying, "I'm not saying the shard of water isn't impressive, I'm just concerned that we've been gone too long and Jack and Flynn have been eaten by robots with unemotional systems – or whatever."

The Doctor grimaced. "They'd need some mouthwash after eating Jack. Who knows where he's been."

Cara laughed as she set down the glittery rock beside the other items she'd discovered. Under the rock was a strange flat and round object. When the metallic surface hit the light, it lit up a weird unearthly blue. She stared at it curiously, asking, "Doctor, what is this?"

He spared her a glance. His frowned slightly as he warned, "If it's small and round and made from nickel, don't touch –"

But Cara had already touched the object. A huge and brilliant flash of unearthly blue light illuminated the room. The Doctor sighed and rubbed his eyes, trying to cover his snigger of amusement. The blue light washed away to reveal Cara dangling in a tinted blue bubble which was floating high in the air. The bubble was gently spinning, making Cara's hair float around her as if she was in water.

"I told you not to touch it!"

Cara gave a little nervous sarcastic giggle, close to hysteria. "Little bit late for that now!" she yelled. "Get me down!"

"Hold on, one minute," the Doctor said with mischief. "I think I've found something we can use."

"Doctor, I mean it, get me down! I'm just – I'm just floating here!" she shrieked, slamming her hands against the side of the bubble.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow as his fingers fiddled with some alien device while watching Cara float in the air.

"And is floating in an oxygenated bubble going to help us against killer robots?" he retorted.

Despite the situation, Cara shot him a look of daggers. "Obviously not!"

He smiled sweetly. "Then you shouldn't have touched it," he said innocently.

"Stop acting all smart! What even is this thing?"

The Doctor slipped the device in his pocket before traipsing over to help Cara. He gave her a cheeky wave and wink, to which she responded with a rude gesture. All he needed to do was brush his hand over the small metallic object and cover it with the glittering rock. The bubble disappeared in another flash of blue light; Cara fell to the ground in a heap, wincing as she landed awkwardly on her arm. The Doctor kindly helped her stand.

"From Clom," he answered. "They stole it from Raxacoricofallapatorius, their twin planet. Helps them catch prey."

Cara was breathing heavily, brushing herself down and trying to act graceful. "Fascinating," she said. "It works well."

The Doctor nodded. "That's what worries me."

He pulled out a triangular device, remarkably similar in appearance to the green triangle out of a tin of Quality Street sweets. It was a button of some sort, Cara could see that. She didn't need to ask what it was, because the Doctor was eager to explain anyway. "Guards use these on the Isle of Warrow. Press the triangle and a protective barrier forms, shielding all life forms on this side of the barrier. Means we can be protected against the robots and any form of attack they might have. Simple way of solving this situation."

"By any chance, is your plan to simply talk to the robots?" asked Cara.

"Yes, in a way. Sometimes talking is the only way to solve a situation. We were a bit distracted by their weapons earlier, so this little device should solve that problem. Then we can find out why Sparro have sent them and why they've ended up here."

"Even better, we could find out who's ordered them," Cara added helpful.

"My kind of thinking, Cara Harvey," he said and patted her shoulder. "Come on; let's get back to the river. Jack's probably destroyed the place by now."


The Doctor was quite impressed to see that Jack and Flynn had managed to get support from the military, rather than being arrested by them. Perhaps Torchwood had a lot more power than he cared to believe. The stern woman the Doctor had seen earlier was still hanging about, and appeared to be quite excited to see the Doctor.

"You can call me Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ferrell. I'm commander of this operation," she greeted.

"I'm the Doctor, as I'm sure you know by now. This is Cara Harvey, my loyal assistant –" he gestured to a rather annoyed Cara, who was mouthing at him 'assistant?' "– and I see you've already met Captain Jack and Flynn."

"Yes, I have," she said with a restricted tone. Cara smiled to herself.

"Doctor!" called Jack. He was running up to him with Flynn not far behind. Elizabeth Ferrell retreated ever so slightly. When they reached the pair, Flynn gave Cara a tight hug, a lot more urgent than the ones they usually shared. Normally they were quick and fleeting, more flirty than meaningful – but now he hugged her as if their time was limited and he wanted to feel as close as possible to her. It scared her more than it comforted.

"They've been making noises in there. It doesn't sound good," Jack explained in an instructive tone. "We need to do something. I could call my team to –"

"That won't be necessary, Mr Jack Harkness," interrupted Elizabeth Ferrell. She eyed him mistrustfully. "My services are willing to help."

Jack raised his head in the air, ever so slightly. He wasn't acting now, he wasn't joking. "That's Captain," he corrected. "Besides, your services consist of weaponry that could kill us all. Toy soldiers, remember? My team are experts in aliens and their technology. We are prepared."

"The agreement still stands, Jack," hissed the woman. "Our guns stay down as long as you co-operate."

"Your guns didn't help us a while ago, when there were planets in the sky, did they? No, that was us. That was the Doctor. So button it," he snapped.

Flynn sighed and stared at the Doctor, who was watching the proceedings very carefully. "Do you ever get bored of everyone treating you like a hero?" asked Flynn with a small frown. Cara rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," he said, turning his attention to the nineteen – nearly twenty – year old. "Got bored after the first suggestion."

"Care to share? I'd happily take the burden," Flynn offered, giving a hopeful smile.

The Doctor patted his shoulder, already partly turning away again. "Once you've left primary school, Flynn, and perhaps – I don't know – start to shave, then you can take over. Deal?"

Flynn's smile merely grew as the Doctor gave a mischievous wink. Cara nudged him in the ribs as she tried to not laugh at him. He gently touched her arm and held her close - something had caught his eye from beside the submarine.

As Flynn looked closer, the Doctor was saying to Jack, "You said noises –"

Flynn spotted it just in time, soon followed by Cara who was curious as to what he was looking at. He pulled his best friend to the ground, but she moved out of his reach. Cara threw herself at the Doctor, in an unconventional way of warning him. Jack yelled out a verbal warning at everyone nearby before flinging himself on top of Cara and Flynn.

The latch of the submarine containing the robots was blown off its hinges. In a burst of fire and debris, it landed in the river, spraying water in the air. It was as if someone had pulled a trigger inside. Everything shook for a brief moment at the sudden impact. No one moved until the explosion had died down. Cara raised he head tentatively to see what was happening.

She could make out the slightest outline of a robot. The tangy smell of metal was travelling in the air and a familiar clicking could be heard from the threshold of the submarine.

The robots were coming out.