"I hate this part", Jack mumbled as he and the Phoenix waited on the sand, the former playing with the latter's fingers.
"Me too", the Phoenix said with a sigh.
"How about we spend another week here?" Jack suggested as the Doctor's TARDIS started to appear "and maybe another and another…"
"That's tempting, believe me", the Phoenix said "but we can't. Not at the moment. Maybe in a few weeks".
"Let's make that definitely in a few weeks", Jack said "or less cos I really don't want to be away from you".
"Me neither", the Phoenix admitted. The man placed his hands on her waist, ignoring the ship that was now solid.
"Then let's just stay here. You, me in our little piece of heaven", Jack said.
"Heaven", the Phoenix repeated quietly as he leant towards her. Their lips had barely brushed together when Rose piped up.
"Jack come on we gotta go!"
Jack groaned, dropping his head on her shoulder "please don't subject me to her", he begged.
"Honey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", the Time Lady said, running her fingers through his hair. He groaned again.
"Not fair", Jack complained, lifting his head.
"Life is hardly fair but at least we got each other", the Phoenix said, trying to show him the bright side to the situation.
"And that'll never change", Jack added.
"Definitely not", the brunette agreed and they kissed. Over by the TARDIS, Rose gagged at the sight of the two of them making out. She couldn't help feel rather jealous of what they had. The blonde couldn't understand what Jack saw in the Time Lady. She was rude and didn't seem to care about hurting people. Plus she was super irresponsible.
"I love you", the Phoenix said softly as they parted.
"Love you more", Jack countered. He glanced at the TARDIS "sure there's no way we can stay?" he asked.
"Go on, getting going", the Phoenix said, gently pushing him towards the blue box. Jack started towards it, only to go back and give her a kiss that made her want to reconsider letting him go. The Time Lady shook her head and walked off to where her TARDIS was parked. She'd see him again soon enough.
"Are you really, really sure about this?" Mickey asked the Phoenix. She had picked both him and Goose up from his house, only to be told by the Time Lady that she was letting him pilot the ship on his own.
"Yeah, of course", the brunette said "I'll take over if it gets too bumpy but I think you're ready".
"Cool", Mickey said. He started to go through the steps that the Phoenix had showed him during her lessons. "What's that?" he asked pointing to a light that started to flash.
"Fuel indicator", the Phoenix replied "she needs to refuel". Which was a bit of a surprise considering that the ship had been sitting on the beach for a week without being used.
"What do we need, diesel or unleaded?" Mickey joked making the Time Lady laugh.
"Close", she replied "wanna help me get her back to Earth?"
Mickey smiled at her and the pair got to work piloting the TARDIS through the time vortex back to his home planet. There was a thump signalling that the TARDIS had landed. "Right, it'll take about a day for her to refuel", the Phoenix said flicking a few switches "so I think a bit of exploration is in order to pass the time".
"Hold on!" Mickey called as she strode towards the doors "not to sound out of line or anything but shouldn't you get changed?"
The Phoenix glanced down at her outfit. She was still wearing the dress from Hawaii which was lower cut at the front than she would usually wear with a slit in the side. "Why?" she asked "its not the strangest thing I've worn. I once wore a short toga with a pair of bunny slippers to meet the Queen" Mickey blinked at her, surprised "granted I had come from ancient Greece and my feet were hurting from those silly sandals. Liz Two was alright about it…though she does know who and what I am".
"So…you're gonna stay like that then?" Mickey asked, knowing her answer.
"Yep", the Time Lady answered "if I get looks, I'd ignore them cos I'm involved with someone. Now! Shall we go explore…" she glanced at the scanner "Cardiff?"
"Sure", Mickey replied. There was a meow behind them and they glanced back to see Goose standing there, looking at them expectedly. "You can come too", she said and he padded forward, brushing her body against her boot. The trio left the TARDIS, the Doctor, Rose and Jack leaving the Time Lord's at the same time.
"Nix!" Jack said delighted to see her.
"Hey J-" the Phoenix was cut off when he kissed her "blimey, you really missed me" she commented "its only been a few minutes".
"For you maybe but for me its been a couple of weeks", Jack explained.
"Ah", the Phoenix nodded "Mickey, this is the guy I'm involved with, Captain Jack Harkness", she added to her companion.
The man laughed "we should hide the rum then", he stated making her chuckle.
"Something I'm missing?" Jack questioned.
"We met a pirate also called Captain Jack", the Phoenix answered.
"Small world", Jack commented.
"Oh! And this is Goose", Mickey piped up, nodding to the Flerken "she's cool".
Rose snickered "Goose? Really?"
The Phoenix looked at her unimpressed "Yes. Goose. That is her name. And I wouldn't laugh if I were you. She's a Flerken".
An astonished expression appeared on Jack's face "So, this is Goose", he said, rather excited. The Phoenix had told him that she had a Flerken onboard the ship, whom he really, really wanted to meet since he had never met that kind of feline before. "Can I?" he asked gesturing to Goose.
"Sure", the Phoenix replied "be careful though. She's a bit wary around new people", she warned. Jack crouched down, holding his hand out. He smiled when Goose rubbed her head against his fingers. "She likes you", the Phoenix commented, kneeling down to give the little girl a scratch "you're one of the few people she likes straight away". She looked up at Rose "Do you want to pet her?" she questioned.
Rose shook her head "no thank you", she said "rather not touch the alien cat".
"Suit yourself", the Phoenix said, not too offended. If she pissed off Goose, the Flerken could eat her for all she cared. She stood up as did Jack "so what brings you guys to Cardiff?"
"Refuelling", the Doctor replied "You?"
"Same", the Phoenix replied "What'll we do for 24 hours then while we wait?"
"I don't know about you guys but I would love to have some quality time with my girl", Jack said, winding an arm around her waist and kissing her temple.
"I like that idea very much", the Phoenix agreed.
"Do you think we could get some food? I'm hungry", Mickey spoke up.
"I'm a little peckish too actually", the brunette admitted "how about food first and then…" she glanced at Jack "you and I can have some quality time?"
Jack responded with a kiss.
"I swear, six feet tall and with big tusks…" Jack insisted as he rubbed the Phoenix's arm as she sat on his lap in the café. Well, she had tried to sit in her own seat next to him but he just pulled her onto his lap and she didn't bother to move. This was actually much better in her opinion.
"You're lying through your teeth!" the Doctor said.
"I'd have gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!" Rose cried, trying to push aside her jealousy she was feeling.
"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean tusks! And it's woken, and it's not happy", Jack continued "And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked…"
"Naked?!" Rose exclaimed. The Phoenix just rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She'd heard this story before.
"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me. And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are running! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say…"
"I knew we should've turned left", the Time Lady said before he could.
"That's my line!" Jack stated.
"Yeah well, you shouldn't tell a story that I already know like a dozen times", the Phoenix countered "you need better material. That one's boring".
Jack looked at her, offended "I thought you loved that story!"
"No, it IS boring", the brunette insisted "but the storyteller is far from it". Rose made a face as they kissed again. Mickey politely looked away while the Doctor's attention was drawn to a newspaper that a man on the other table was holding. He snatched it from him.
"And I was having such a nice day", the Doctor complained.
"What's wrong?" the Phoenix questioned, concerned. The Time Lord showed them the newspaper. "You've got to be kidding me", the brunette complained. While she wasn't involved in the thing at Downing Street, she was most definitely aware of it. She knew who and what the culprits were, including their human disguises. "That's just put a damper on the day"
"I don't follow", Jack said, confused.
"Cardiff's mayor is a Slitheen", the Phoenix's eyes darkened, getting up from his lap "and I am going to have a talk with her". Jack and the Doctor exchanged glances as she stormed out of the café. They new that look all too well, the Phoenix was about to unleash her fury on the alien. The two males ran after her, leaving Mickey and Rose scrambling to catch up.
Anyone who saw the Phoenix marching up the steps of City Hall wearing a pretty summer dress and holding a sword in her hand be laughing, not when she had an expression on her face that told them not to mess with her. Even Rose was finding her rather scary. "All of you stay here", she ordered "I'll deal with the Slitheen" and with that she strode off to find Margaret's office.
"Jack, she said to stay", Rose called when he went after the Time Lady.
"Rose, Nix is my girlfriend", the American stated, making the blonde bristle with anger at the label "No way is she dealing with this on her own".
"I'm with him", Mickey agreed before hurrying after the man.
"She's my friend", the Doctor added, following suit. He knew that look on her face, he had a similar one when he became the Oncoming Storm. And he was very aware that when she was like this, it wasn't good for the person or being on the receiving end.
"This is madness!" Rose cried. It was completely insane to not do what the pissed off Time Lady said but she followed them anyway.
"Uh, excuse me, you're not allowed to go in there", Idris Hopper said to the Phoenix when she stormed up to the office door. She just threw him a look which made him shrink back, afraid. Inside the office, Margaret jumped several feet into to the air when the door was flung open and a very angry Time Lady stood there.
"Hello Margaret", she said calmly which was even more unnerving.
"W-who are you?" Margaret stammered, trying to appear unafraid and failing.
"I'm the Phoenix", the Time Lady answered "I think you met my friend before, the Doctor. So…are there any more or is it just you?"
"I-it's just me", Margaret replied. Mock sympathy appeared on the Time Lady's face.
"Aw the poor little lamb is all alone", she mocked "and decided to become Mayor. Not at all suspicious. What are you up to?"
"Nothing! I swear", Margaret insisted. She jumped when the Time Lady jammed her blade into the table near to were the Slitheen's hand was resting.
"Liar", the Phoenix snapped.
"I assure you, I'm not lying", Margaret repeated. The Time Lady narrowed her eyes at her.
"Prove it", she challenged. The Slitheen got up from the chair as the door to the office opened. "Told you guys to stay put", the Phoenix said to the Doctor and the others.
"We didn't want you to deal with her own your own", Jack said, stepping forward. The Phoenix's angry expression softened.
"Thank you", she said. The Phoenix turned back to Margaret "Now, why don't you prove to us, you're not up to anything bad", she said. The disguised Slitheen took the group to the Exhibition Room where a model of a power station sat.
"A nuclear power station", the Phoenix stated.
"I told you I wasn't doing anything bad", Margaret told her "A philanthropic gesture. I've learnt the error of my ways".
"So it's a coincidence that its right on top of the rift then", the Doctor said.
"What rift would that be?" Margaret asked 'innocently'.
"A rift in space and time", Jack replied "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go…schwwwuphboom!" the American made an exploding motion with his hands.
The Doctor inspected the model "This station is designed to explode the minute it reaches capacity", he said. That had the Phoenix shoving the Slitheen against the wall, sword against her throat.
"Not up to anything bad, huh? Looks like you're trying to destroy the planet again!" she said angrily.
"Shouldn't we stop her?" Rose asked the Doctor quietly.
"Its best to let her get it out", the Doctor admitted. There was no stopping the Phoenix when she was like this and in all honesty, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"You're not going to get away with it Margaret. Earth is protected by me and the Doctor", the Phoenix continued "I think should give the Judoon a call. They'll know what to do you. Or maybe I'll take you back to your home planet…"
"Please take me to the Judoon", Margret pleaded "I'll be executed slowly…painfully if I go back to Raxacoricofallapatorius".
"No more than you deserve", the Phoenix said.
"But why would she do try to destroy the Earth again? A great big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself", Mickey pointed out.
"Oh, but she's clever", the Doctor remarked. He prised off the middle section of the model and turned it over to reveal a circuit. "Fantastic", he stated.
"Is that a tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator?" Jack asked making the Phoenix look over.
"Couldn't have put it better myself", the Doctor said.
"Keep an eye on her", the Phoenix said to Mickey, who nodded. Goose who'd been watching the proceeds quietly, padded over to join Mickey in Slitheen watch. The Phoenix sheathed her sword and moved over to the Doctor.
"This is quite advanced", she commented, taking it from him and inspected it "you stole this", she added, glancing at Margaret.
"Is it a weapon?" Rose asked.
The Phoenix shook her head "no, it's just transport", she answered.
Jack took it from and set it onto the floor "The extrapolator protects you with a force field so when the power station explodes, you'd be safe. You can ride the resulting shock wave all the way out of the solar system", he explained, miming surfing.
"And it would've worked. I'd have surfed away from this dead end dump and back to civilisation", Margaret said bitterly.
"You'd blow up a whole planet just to get a lift?" Mickey asked, incredulous.
"Like stepping on an anthill", Margaret shrugged. Goose hissed at the Slitheen and the Phoenix scooped her up.
"No, you can't eat her. As much as I would like you too", the Time Lady said to the Flerken "the punishment doesn't fit the crime".
"How'd you think of the name?" the Doctor suddenly asked, now eyeing the posters on the wall.
"What, Blaidd Drwg? It's Welsh", Margaret replied.
"I know, but how did you think of it?" the Doctor pressed.
"I chose it at random, that's all. I don't know. It just sounded good. Does it matter?" the Slitheen questioned, confused. She didn't know what relevance it had to the current situation.
"Blaidd Drwg", the Doctor muttered frowning at the banner. He knew what that meant, it was a phrase he'd heard and seen several times before.
"What's wrong?" the Phoenix asked going over to him, Goose still in her arms. Though the Flerken shifted to eye the Slitheen over her shoulder.
"We've been seeing that phrase wherever we go", the Doctor answered "Bad Wolf".
"How can it be following us?" Rose asked, worried.
"I'm sure it's just a coincidence", the Doctor assured her.
"I've never heard of something happening like that before", the Phoenix remarked.
"See? Nothing to worry about", the Doctor said to Rose.
The Phoenix glanced at Margaret "I think we should get her somewhere secure while we wait to leave", she said. Goose meowed. "No, Goose you are not going to eat her!"
"Uh…why does she want to eat me?" the Slitheen asked, very worried.
"Cos she's a Flerken and she really doesn't like you", the Phoenix answered.
Margaret's eyes went comically wide "No!" she exclaimed "I'll do anything just keep that thing away from me".
"So who's ship are we taking her to?" Jack questioned.
"Mine", the Phoenix replied "got the perfect place for her".
"Welcome to my TARDIS", the Phoenix said as she entered the ship. Rose gaped at the interior "Don't touch anything. I'll be back in a minute".
"This ship is impossible", Margaret breathed trying to take in a much as she could while the Time Lady frog marched her to god knows where "How do you get the outside around the inside?"
"If I told you I'd have to get Goose to eat you", the Phoenix replied "and I still might do that anyway".
"Simulation Room?" Margaret said, brows raised when they stopped by a door "doesn't sound scary".
The Phoenix simply smirked at her, opened the door and shoved her inside. She closed the door, ignoring the Slitheen's pleas to let her out. "Seal up the door, I'll be back in 24 hours", the Time Lady instructed and the doorway vanished "thanks, old girl". Goose plonked herself by the wall where the door used to be. "Good girl", she said stroking her fur.
"Is Margaret secure?" the Doctor asked when she came back to the console room.
"Yup. I put her in the Simulation Room", the Phoenix replied.
"I'm guessing its not showing her a nice sandy beach", Mickey stated. She shook her head.
"No, it's not", the Phoenix said "she's currently in a prison cell".
"Which means we've got some time to kill", Mickey said and she nodded.
"That we do", the Phoenix confirmed "Mickey, why don't you do a tour?" she suggested "I've got something I need to do". The Time Lady didn't wait for a response as she just headed off into the depths of the TARDIS. Jack frowned at her hasty retreat before he followed after her.
The Time Lady wandered through the corridors, not really sure where she was going. All she knew was that she was being drawn to go to one particular place in the ship. The brunette stopped when she found herself outside of a white painted door. She reached up, gently tracing the words carved on the door. "Ah, there you are Nix", Jack said, appearing in the corridor "I've been looking…" he trailed off, finally seeing the door she was standing in front of "I haven't been here in a while".
"Me neither", the Time Lady admitted quietly "I couldn't not after…that day".
"Why are you here now?" Jack asked her softly.
"I just felt drawn here", the Phoenix whispered "I…I have to go in".
Jack slid his hand in hers "Not alone", he said. The Phoenix gave him a small smile and turned the handle. She pushed it open and they entered together. The room itself was decorated with a galaxy that stretched around the walls. On the ceiling was a set of constellations that shifted and changed.
There was a painted white crib in the middle of the room and other pieces of furniture was dotted around. Drawers; a rocking chair; changing table etc. The Phoenix crossed over to the crib, reaching down into it and taking the quilt that she had spent days making by hand. She clutched it to her chest, letting out a sob as she did so. Jack took her in his arms as she sank to the carpet, shaking and crying. "Its ok", he said softly, tears running down his face too "just let it out".
"Why did our baby have to be taken from us!" she cried "it's not fair".
"I know. I know", Jack said, hugging her tighter. As the couple sat there mourning their child, neither of them realising the life that was being created from within the Time Lady.
"All of you get ready", the Phoenix said the next morning to the others "I'll go get Margaret".
"I'm coming with you", Jack said "there's no way I'm letting you deal with her on your own", he added when she opened her mouth to argue.
The Time Lady sighed "ok, you can come", she said "But the three of you stay here and get ready".
She went to the Simulation Room with Jack where Goose was still sitting there, eyeing the now appeared door. "Go wait with the others", she said "Jack and can handle her" the Flerken meowed at her "yes I can" she said firmly "now get going". Goose shot her a look but padded off anyway. "You ready?" she asked, hand on the handle.
"Yep. Go for it", Jack replied. The Phoenix nodded and pulled the door open. Margaret, who was now out of her skin suit, leapt out at the two of them. Jack yanked the Time Lady out of the way.
"I'm. Not. Going. Home!" the alien exclaimed swinging at the pair. Each time, the Phoenix block or dodging her attacks. Suddenly Margaret fired at poison dart at Jack which the Time Lady was able to snatch out of the air before it hit him. Taking advantage of her distraction, the Slitheen surged forward and grabbed the Phoenix by the neck.
"Nix!" Jack exclaimed rushing forward to help her only to be swatted away. The Phoenix gasped as she was being choked. Brunette then noticed Goose behind the Slitheen "If you know whats good for you, you'll let me go", she gasped.
"Never", Margaret hissed.
"Your funeral", the Phoenix said. Goose opened her mouth and several tentacles shout out, grabbing the Slitheen. The Time Lady was dropped to the floor and watched as the Flerken swallowed Margaret up. "Should've let me go", the Phoenix said. Goose padded over to her and she stroked him. "Good girl. Now, whatever you do don't have a Slitheen sized hairball. Not until we get to Raxacoricofallapatorius", she told her sternly, wagging a finger. Goose just nudged her finger with her nose and she chuckled.
"Man, I'm glad that's over", Jack remarked "you ok?" he asked her, checking her neck for bruising.
"Fine", the Phoenix answered "still in one piece".