To the Stars and Back

by riverofmemories

Tagging along in the TARDIS after being rescued from a situation she was sold into, Jayden O'Connors finds that there's much more to life than expected. When the Doctor's involved, it's full of adventure, other worlds, saving lives, and quite a bit of running. But the clock is ticking, and even a Time Lord from Gallifrey can't help her run forever.

32. The Stolen Earth

Shan Shen was beautiful, Jay decided as they stepped free of the TARDIS and onto the planet's surface. The marketplace was bustling with activity. People shouted to one another between booths, and children's laughter flooded the air as a group of them ran past, yelling. The Doctor had to step quickly out of their path to avoid being knocked off his feet. Jay laughed at the startled look on his face.

"Watch it," she teased, and he fired her a playful glare before stepping aside to make room for Donna. Donna looked around with a smile on her face. She clearly liked their new stop as much as Jay did.

"Got your money?" the Doctor checked. He'd supplied them with credits before they'd left the TARDIS, handing each of them a significant amount so they could get whatever they wanted. Jay was already debating what to get Lucas, as the Doctor had promised to take her back to visit her brother at the next chance they got. So long as they arrived at the right time, that was.

Both Donna and Jay confirmed they had their credits. The TARDIS sang in Jay's ears gently, a soft farewell and wish that they enjoyed themselves. Jay vowed to find something for the TARDIS, too. Maybe she couldn't enjoy it physically, but she knew the thought would be there for the TARDIS to enjoy.

Jay grabbed the Doctor's hand and yanked him along as they walked down an aisle of booths, Donna hurrying to keep up. HIs hand was warm and hers, and the Doctor chuckled to himself as she playfully squeezed his fingers. She wanted to get him something, too, when he wasn't looking. She'd have to talk to Donna when she found something, so Donna could distract him.

They meandered the area for a short time, letting themselves get lost in the booths. Having decided against wearing her stone, Jay could immediately orient them in the direction of the TARDIS if they needed to. Jay was investigating a booth filled with ancient tomes when Donna called her name. "Look at this!"

Donna had already purchased a new sweater to replace her old one, and wore it proudly despite the fact that she'd only just bought it. Jay thought she was insane; this planet was rather hot. Still, she leaned in to peer over Donna's shoulder at the booth's wares. The Doctor wandered over to the booth next door to look at some scraps of metal that had been put on display. "Ooh," whispered Jay.

Jay wasn't one for jewelry, outside of her favored necklace, given to her by the Doctor. Her life before the Time Lord had seen to that. But this jewelry was beautiful, with stones resembling galaxies within their onyx surfaces. "These are beautiful," murmured Jay, lifting one to peer closely at it. "How much?" she asked the vendor. They gave her a price, and she immediately bought two of them. Donna sputtered at the price she paid, but Jay didn't care. She immediately turned to Donna and grinned as she draped one of the beautiful necklaces around Donna's neck. "Happy early birthday, I suppose?" she said, and Donna couldn't help but laugh, fondly brushing her fingers over Jay's arm.

"Thanks," she said sincerely. "Who's the other one for?"

"Me," said Jay with a grin. She put the necklace around her own neck. Maybe she wasn't a fan of jewelry, but in this case, she could make an exception. "In honor of our friendship and the travels we have had and will have together."

Donna's expression softened a little, and she opened her mouth to say something, but the Doctor suddenly bustled into their personal space as he was prone to doing. "Come see this," he said eagerly, hands cradling a tangled mess of metal and wire, "you'll never believe what I found, Jay."

Jay peered over, ensuring they weren't in the way of the vendor who'd sold her the necklaces. Donna hovered, too, though she clearly didn't understand what she was looking at. Jay took it upon herself to explain that this was a rather interesting find, for it was a piece of stripped material from a spacecraft that was famous in her time. It had been the first in her time to be sent to a specific star, and had been lost. No one knew where it had gone. Jay wondered how a piece of it had ended up here, in the markets of Shan Shen.

The Doctor pocketed it, and the trio continued on their way, laughing and chatting and enjoying themselves. Jay kept a sharp eye out as they did so, hoping to find gifts for others. She acquired a small knick-knack she fully intended to give Martha the next time she saw her, and she even stealthily acquired a gadget that was said to help with illness that came from time travel via vortex manipulator for Jack despite knowing the Doctor would do his damn hardest to avoid the immortal man. Pride filled her when she tracked down a beautiful globe of stars and galaxies. A gift for the TARDIS, she decided, purchasing it. She even found a gift for the Doctor.

It was as they were stopping to plan lunch that Jay spotted something that caught her attention. She slowed to a stop, even as the Doctor and Donna, engaged in a rather heated argument about something she'd not cared enough to pay attention to, continued on their way. Slowly, she picked her way over to the side-stall, her heart beating heavily in her chest.

The vendor noticed her immediately and immediately plastered on her best smile. "Interested?" she purred, and Jay eyed her too-sharp teeth warily. She forced herself to bypass the woman's slimy-looking skin and unnaturally black eyes in favor of picking the vial up. It was one of many and a shiver ran down her spine as she stared at the black liquid that filled it. She knew what it was without needing to ask; it had poisoned her when she'd stepped in it, feet laden with cuts. When she'd been trapped in that prison for some unknown length of time, listening to voices die off one by one.

The warmth and joy vanished as she remembered the never ending fear that had crept through her, day after day, as she waited for the thing to come after her next. She felt sick to her stomach as she breathed, "Where did you get this?"

The vendor cocked her head, oily black hair sliding over a shoulder. "I have no answer for that," she said. "It was sold to me by a supplier of rare items and substances. It has rare properties. Venomous, he said. It killed someone who was contaminated in less than an hour."

Jay's breath caught in her throat. "How much?" The Doctor would be able to do some research, she was sure.

The vendor listed her price. Jay winced. She was short on money. She looked over her shoulder for the Doctor and Donna, and was relieved to find that while Donna had disappeared, likely exploring without them for the time being, the Doctor had stopped to wait for her. He shifted impatiently from one foot to the other, clearly wanting to approach but willing to let Jay figure it out for herself if she wanted. Jay made a small gesture. Relieved, the Doctor swiftly came over.

"Everything alright?" the Doctor asked. His hands shoved into his pockets. He stopped at Jay's side, rocking back slightly in his impatience to know what was happening, and Jay wordlessly lifted the vial for him to look at. She didn't need to say a thing. The Doctor's face grew grim and he wordlessly handed over the remaining credits needed.

As the Doctor held the vial aloft and studied it, Jay asked the vendor quietly, "Your supplier...are you able to share their name?"

The vendor's lips twitched. "He was arrested, so I suppose so. Just keep it quiet. O'Connors. He went by O'Connors. He's been in prison for a while now. Doubt he'll be out anytime soon though, so you're better off finding someone else."

Jay stiffened. Still, she murmured a quiet thanks and fled the booth without so much as a glance in the Doctor's direction. She rubbed her arms unhappily as she led them on a random path through the marketplace, figuring she could find Donna if she needed to. Her friend's song was loud enough to signal that she was nearby. The Doctor said nothing as he trailed after her, fingering the small vial in his pocket.

Only when he spotted a booth filled with exotic foods did he stop Jay, gently taking her elbow and steering her towards the booth. "C'mon," he said softly, "let's get something to eat."

Jay said nothing, only nodded. The Doctor told her to stand beneath a small awning as he went to grab something for them. Jay watched as he bartered for something, her palms sliding up and down over her arms as she dropped her chin to her chest and looked at the ground. She'd not expected this. Not the discovery, per se, because they'd been keeping an eye out for clues, but this. The feelings that circulated in her chest. The sight of the familiar poison had sent her reeling, reminding her of bad times.

"Here," said the Doctor, startling her out of her thoughts, and Jay blinked when she found him draping his coat around her shoulders. She looked up and he offered a crooked, reassuring smile before holding out what looked like a sandwich of sorts.

She tucked her arms into the sleeves and then relieved him of one of the sandwiches. "Thanks," she said sincerely, trusting him. He'd not have given her something she couldn't eat. She took a bite and found she rather liked it. It tasted warm and delicious. The Doctor took a bite of his own, rocking back and waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she said, "Do you think you can find something out with that?"

"Maybe." He was making no promises. "It's a sample that can be tested at least. I'll make sure Martha and Jack get some of it. They'll get it tested with their technology without letting it get caught up by someone who doesn't need it, and we'll save as much as we can for other people to test if I can't figure something out." He reached out and tapped her wrist thoughtfully. "Any attacks?"

"Not yet." Jay flexed her fingers thoughtfully, judging. Over the course of their previous adventure, the familiar tingling had spread quite a bit. It had been very stressful trying to stop a time loop, after all. "Halfway up my arms," she touched beneath her elbow, "and shins. I'll be okay for a little while longer, I think. Just...no running."

They both snorted at the thought of that. No running. The idea was the funniest thing Jay had ever had. She took a deep breath and let the exhale wash away any remaining negativities. "Where did Donna go?" asked Jay, scarfing down what remained of her sandwich as she looked at him.

She swiped crumbs from her fingers as he answered, puzzled, "Not sure. She said she was going to go look around for something. Not sure what it was though."

A smile tugged at Jay's lips. "Well, let's start finding her then. Who knows what kind of trouble Donna Noble can get into when she's in the middle of a market planet." She straightened as the Doctor hastily finished his own sandwich and nodded his agreement. Together, they headed back into the markets. Jay was happy to keep the Doctor's coat tucked around her, even if it was a fraction too big and made her seem a little child-like. It was warm and comforting to wear it after finding that vial of poison.

After they'd meandered for nearing ten minutes, Jay caught the sound of Donna's song - and stopped, tipping her head in alarm. "Something's…" She narrowed her blue eyes at him. "Something's wrong. The song changed." Without explanation, she tore off in the direction of it, frantically worried for her friend.

She hurtled right into a tent, not caring about who she might be disturbing. "Donna!" she burst out when Donna screamed bloody murder.

"What the hell is that?" shrieked Donna, pressed up against the opposite wall of the tent. She was shaking, her face ghostly pale. She jabbed a finger at the massive creature twitching its last movements in the center of the room. A beetle, Jay realized, grimacing in disgust. A massive beetle. But it wasn't the beetle who unnerved her so much as the terrified woman who looked at Donna with horror.

"You were so strong," she whispered in a heavily accented voice, already scrambling to her feet and backing away. "What are you? What will you be?" She fled without further comment, and Jay watched after her in brief confusion before grunting when Donna slammed into her, shaken.

"Donna!" Jay repeated, hugging her tightly and frowning at her friend's tear-stricken face. "Donna, are you okay? What-"

"Everything okay?"

The Doctor had ducked in, feigning calmness. Jay could see the worry stamped over his face as he studied them both closely with concerned dark eyes, his body tensed and ready to run if need be.

"Oh, God!" sobbed Donna, flinging herself at him, too, and the Doctor gave a confused laugh.

"What's this for?" he asked her, throwing Jay a questioning look. Jay only shrugged as Donna hugged the Doctor tighter. Whatever had happened, it involved the beetle, she'd guess. Curious, Jay approached the dead bug and shivered at its size. It was big enough to take up the table it had died beside. Much bigger than anything she'd seen before. She looked around until she found a small incense stick and grabbed it from the table, not hesitating to prod at it.

"What is this?" she demanded. "Donna, what the hell happened?"

"Can't remember," Donna said hoarsely, pulling away from the Doctor. "It's slipping away. Like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of goes. But it was...it was hell. A world of hell."

The Doctor gave her a once-over, concerned. Ensuring Donna was okay, he joined Jay beside the beetle. Donna hovered before them, and the Doctor took the stick from Jay, poking at the beetle himself. "I've heard of these," he said suddenly, puzzled. "They change a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you…" His gaze darted up to Donna. "Great big parallel world."

Jay stared at him, lips parting. "Really? A whole parallel world? You said they were sealed off." He'd have fetched Rose long ago if that wasn't the case, after all.

"They are," he said firmly, a flicker of grief rippling over his face. The Doctor rocked upright, tugging Jay with him, and turned to peer at Donna. "But Donna had one created around her. Funny thing is...seems to happen to you a lot, Donna." Still unnerved from her experience, Donna simply shrugged and averted her gaze. "Sometimes, I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once. Then we met your grandfather. Then we met you again. In the whole wide universe, you showed up a second time."

Jay knew enough about traveling with the Doctor to confirm that such a thing wasn't normal, whatsoever.

Donna scoffed, her voice soft and tired. "Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special."

The Doctor and Jay both looked displeased with this. "Yes, you are," the Doctor insisted, and Jay curled an arm around her friend's shoulder. "You're brilliant, Donna."

Jay felt the shiver that ran down Donna's spine and tightened her grip when Donna faltered, puzzling over something. The red-haired woman squinted at something they couldn't see, murmuring, "She said that. The woman...I can't remember." The Doctor shrugged, dismissing it. She had never existed, according to him. But Donna shook her head, in denial. "No, no, she said...she said the stars...they're going out."

"Donna," Jay said warily, "that world's gone." She looked at the frowning Time Lord for help. "That means we don't need to worry about it, right?"

Donna shrugged free of Jay's touch and hugged herself, nervous. "No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said...she said the darkness was coming, even here, in this world."

"What did she look like?" the Doctor gently prompted, encouraging her to remember without being too forceful. He didn't want to push her too hard. One, Donna was prone to snarling at him like a cornered cat when he pushed her too far, and two, he didn't want to upset her further. Clearly this whole incident had upset her greatly.

"She was…" Donna struggled to think back on the world she'd left behind, unable to remember clearly. Her eyes were hazy as she thought it over. "Blonde," she finally finished, frowning to herself.

The Doctor went stock still. Jay shifted, glancing at him. Something about the look on his face… He had a suspicion about who Donna had seen. And to make matters worse, Jay found herself thinking of the woman on the screens. She'd been blonde, recalled Jay, had mouthed the Doctor's title desperately until her image had disappeared, never seen by anyone else.

"Doctor," Jay said quickly, eyes wide, "there's something I need to-"

"Her name," breathed the Doctor, and Donna blinked at him in confusion. "What was her name?"

"I don't know." Donna bit her lip, ignoring the Doctor's suddenly frantic look as she wrapped her arms around herself again. She took a shuddering breath, her face pale. Jay wanted to wrap her in another hug, comfort her friend. "But...she told me to warn you...two words?" She squinted, wincing as if her head ached as she tried to remember.

Doctor, the woman on the screen had mouthed, over and over again. Doctor!

Donna suddenly blinked, clarity in her gaze. She looked the Doctor in the eye, puzzled. "Two words: Bad Wolf."

The Doctor jolted as if she'd shot him with something painful, face going white. "Doctor?" Jay prompted, but he was running, running for the exit. Jay and Donna exchanged puzzled looks and hurried after him, not keen on being left behind when something bad was clearly happening. The Doctor knew that woman, thought Jay.

The Doctor bolted through the streets of Shan Shen, and Jay realized where he was going before Donna. The TARDIS's song had changed, pierced with fear, excitement, and hope. Jay lunged, grabbing the Doctor's elbow, and steered him in a better direction to get back to the time machine faster. The Doctor let her after a moment of fighting.

Jay was taken aback when they reached the TARDIS and found the blue wood sprinkled with graffiti, all reading the same two words: "Bad Wolf."

"What the…?" whispered Jay, faltering as the Doctor threw the doors open and vanished inside with Donna. Reluctantly, Jay followed suit and her heart dropped when she found herself staring at a red-lit interior. The TARDIS was making a sound she'd never heard, something ringing time and time again, and Jay winced, covering her ears as the song of the TARDIS swelled until it was nearly screaming. "Doctor?" Jay called over the sounds, feeling sick from the force of it all. "Doctor, what's going on?"

It was all so loud that she almost didn't hear his response.

"The end of the universe," he answered softly, flying over to start yanking at levers. He was frantic, and Jay jumped when the TARDIS doors slammed shut behind them. A little frightened by what was happening, Jay bolted to go and track down her necklace. Everything was so loud, and she couldn't stand it a moment later. She needed to silence the songs, at least, in order to think straight.

The TARDIS shifted beneath her feet, moving through time and space as Jay grabbed her necklace and began stumbling back towards the control room. By the time she reached it, the Doctor and Donna had already left, sweeping outside. Jay hurried after them, a little frightened about being left alone. She took a deep breath as she paused to abandon the coat the Doctor had left her, draping it over a railing before stepping outside.

"-fine. Nothing's wrong, all fine!" he exclaimed, ruffling his dark hair in frustration as he spun in a slow circle. Jay realized they were back on Earth, on a street that didn't look like it was all that far from Donna's home. She made sure her necklace was on, clasp firmly done, and looked around herself. Donna was nervous, too, she realized.

"What's that?" muttered Jay, jabbing a finger in the direction of a small truck that had come to a stop not too far away. It was laden with jars of white liquid - milk, she realized.

"Milk truck," said Donna, distracted as the Doctor bustled over anxiously to speak with the man. The pair spoke quickly, and the man who'd been driving the truck looked a little befuddled as he answered the Doctor's questions. As the Doctor rejoined them, muttering to himself about Saturdays, Donna demanded, "So...I just met Rose Tyler?"

The name ripped through Jay like a cannonball. "Rose Tyler? You mean the woman Donna met is Rose Tyler?" The Doctor nodded jerkily, distracted. "But...but Doctor, you said she was locked away in a parallel world." Jay thought of the woman on the screens again and her heart skipped a beat. Rose Tyler. She'd seen Rose Tyler!

"Exactly," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. "If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world," he told Donna, eyes burning with confusion and desperation, "then that means the walls of the universe are breaking down. Which puts everything in danger. Everything. But what's breaking them down?" Frantic and a little lost as to what was happening, the Doctor vanished back into the TARDIS. Donna sighed heavily and chased after him, but Jay decided to remain where she was. She pinched the bridge of her nose. The TARDIS and the Doctor weren't going anywhere just yet, and the TARDIS's song - and Donna's - had created a throbbing headache. She'd wait for them to figure out something and calm down. When the Doctor had figured out where to go next, she'd go back in.

Jay's gaze locked onto the milk truck and curiosity took over. Slowly, she meandered over, smiling faintly at the milkman when he gave her a puzzled look. "Just looking," she murmured, and he shrugged, seeming content to let her as he began organizing bottles. Jay peered at the bottles, admiring the handiwork of humans from before her time. These didn't exist where she was from.

It started out small. So, so small. The ringing of jars soon filled her ears as they began to clatter together and Jay blinked, confused as the earth soon followed suit, rattling violently beneath her feet. Jay exchanged a puzzled, confused look with the milkman, who she'd never met in her life - and whipped around as alarm flashed through her.

Get to the TARDIS, whispered that little dark voice in the back of her head. Run. Run. Run NOW. They're coming.

"Doctor-" she began to call out, voice high and pitched in fear.

But the TARDIS had gone, and quite suddenly, the sky was very, very dark. Shaken and admittedly frightened by what was happening - what had happened - Jay snapped her gaze skyward. Her knees buckled, and she had to grab the milk truck to keep from collapsing. The sky - blue, only moments ago on a rather normal Saturday - had turned black, dotted with planets that Jay knew for a fact hadn't been there minutes before.

A bottle of milk fell from the milkman's hands, shattering on the cement at his feet. "What the-"

A strange sound Jay had never heard ripped both of their attention from the sky, and she quickly snapped her head around to look. Her body trembled, unnerved. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized someone had materialized out of nowhere behind them.

It was a woman. Jay recognized her immediately, with blonde hair and round, dark eyes. The desperate expression that the woman had worn on the screen aboard the shuttle on Midnight, on the TARDIS, was gone, replaced with calm, grim acceptance. Realizing she'd been spotted, the woman met Jay's gaze with a small, almost mocking hint of a smile on her plump lips and cocked the massive gun that she cradled expertly in her arms.

"Right," said Rose Tyler knowingly. "Now we're in trouble."

---

The cloister bell had softened to a dull, background ring as the Doctor convinced the TARDIS to knock it off. His eyes darted expertly up and down the console as he tried to figure out what to do next. Did he seek out Rose? Did he try and figure out what she'd meant with "Bad Wolf?" He almost wanted to start with analyzing the contents of the little vial in his pocket, remembering the look of fear on Jay's face as she studied it.

His hands were shaking, he realized as he worried over what to do next. He was so focused on the whirlwind of confusion that Donna nearly made him jump when she touched his arm with a delicate, kind smile. "Thing is, Doctor," she said softly. "No matter what's happening, and I'm...I'm sure it's bad, I get that. But Rose is coming back. Isn't that good?"

He met her gaze, startled by the concept. How had that not occurred to him? Rose Tyler...Bad Wolf. He remembered the loss that he'd felt, twice now. Once, when he'd sent her home to save her from the Daleks. Again when she'd saved the universe from Cybermen and Daleks, holding onto that lever until she couldn't any longer. His hearts ached at the farewell they'd had, just before Donna had come into his life.

But more than that, he remembered the joy of Rose. The laughter, the adventures. Rose.

A smile crept over his lips, soft and fond. "Yeah," he murmured. "Yeah, it's good."

The world ripped out from beneath their feet and Donna wasn't the only one who yelped. The Doctor hissed when he struck his elbow hard on the console, narrowly catching himself on the controls. The TARDIS nearly screamed, the cloister bell glitching for a brief second. And then it stilled, back to normal. Donna, heaving for air as she shakily dragged herself to her feet, rasped, "What the hell was that?!"

The Doctor frowned. "That came from outside." He briskly went to open the doors and peer outside, worried. He stilled when the doors opened and revealed nothing but empty space. An asteroid floated by, as if mocking him for his confusion. Donna peered over his shoulder, her eyes wide. "We're in...how did that happen?" The Doctor ducked around her, confused as he went to check the monitor. "Doctor, what did you do?"

"We haven't moved," he told her, staring at the coordinates displayed before him. "We're fixed. The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the Earth has gone. The entire planet - it's gone, Donna."

Donna lingered in the doorway, staring out at the stars with a nervous look. "But if Earth moved, then they've lost the sun!" Horror splashed over her face. "What about my mum? And Grandad? They're dead, aren't they?" Fear lifted her voice to a cry. "Are they dead?"

The Doctor tapped at the monitor, frustrated with his lack of knowledge. "I don't know, Donna, I just don't know. I'm sorry." She looked distressed when he gave her a sorrowful look, apologetic. He'd do whatever it took to make sure her family was safe, he decided. "There's no readings. Nothing, not even a trace or whisper. That is fearsome technology. Right, I think we've got to get help." Donna glanced at him, puzzled, but the Doctor only gestured for her to close the doors. "Donna, get the doors. Jay, come hold this button down."

Donna did as she was told; Jay didn't. So, somewhat concerned that their friend was having an attack or something he'd not noticed in his frantic search for answers, the Doctor looked up and scanned the console room. The TARDIS's cloister bell screeched again, and he hissed, shutting the sound off. His heart missed a beat when he realized Jay was nowhere to be found. He remembered her addressing him about Rose, beside the milk truck, and dread surged through him like a wave. "Donna, go check her room."

Something about the urgency in his voice sent Donna running. She came back alone only a handful of minutes later, shattering any hope that the Doctor might have had about their friend's whereabouts when she shook her head. "Doctor," Donna breathed, "where's Jay?"

He knew she wasn't there, but he still shouted, darting towards the doors as if he'd open them and find Earth there beneath their feet again. "Jay?" he shouted, faltering a few steps away. "Jayden!?" No one answered, and the TARDIS moaned in distress at the loss.

Jay was gone, left behind on the missing Earth.

---

Jay distinctly remembered Rose being described as a kind, soft-hearted woman who occasionally had a spitfire of a temper when she was upset with something. The Doctor had admitted to being a little unnerved here and there by that temper. Yet, as Rose approached, Jay saw no sign of either of those sides of Rose Tyler. Rather, this woman was serious and knowledgeable about what was happening. She came to a stop in front of Jay, eyes darting between her and the milkman. The man was still gaping at the sky, so Jay became the subject of her attention.

"Where are we?" she asked in a demanding manner. "Earth, but where?"

"I…" Jay swallowed the lump in her throat. "I can't tell you. I don't...I'm not from here." She took a shaken breath as the woman sighed in frustration but nodded curtly, showing she'd heard. "Wait," Jay gasped when Rose turned to leave, determined to figure out where she was and find what she was looking for. "Wait, you're...you're Rose, right? Rose Tyler?"

Rose stopped dead in her tracks, looking in surprise at Jay. "...yes," she said suspiciously. "Who're you?"

Jay flashed Rose her best, brightest smile. "Jayden O'Connors, but I go by Jay. I travel with the Doctor." Rose whirled on her, eyes flared wide, and Jay recoiled, a little unnerved by the intense look on Rose's face. Jay hastily swallowed and pointed to where the TARDIS had been. "Something happened. When the sky turned dark. The TARDIS was there, but it disappeared. I was left behind."

Rose pressed her mouth into a hard line. "I just missed him," she murmured in disappointment. Shaking her head, Rose said, "Come on. We'll stick together. Trouble's coming, and he's more likely to find both of us if we're together."

Jay agreed and together, the pair abandoned the poor milkman to head down the street. They walked briskly, Jay's heart racing in her chest and sending pins and needles through her arms and legs. She grew nervous when she realized that it was likely she'd have an attack before long. Bad timing on her body's part.

They found their way into the nearby town within the hour. While Jay wanted to ask a thousand questions about Rose and her adventures, it wasn't the time. Instead, she murmured what she knew about their recent discoveries regarding Donna and what Jay thought could have happened to create this mess. Despite everything, Rose was understanding about her clear nervousness. The pair were a little awkward, neither knowing how to interact with the other given that they were simply pushed into companionship by circumstance, but Jay was alright with that for now.

Jay felt a chill run up her spine when they emerged from an alleyway onto a main street. It was chaos. "Oh, God," she whispered as alarms blared loudly in her ears. People were screaming as they fled or shouting drunkenly as they celebrated the end of times. It was anarchy. Rose looked upon it all with a hint of sadness, but pressed on.

"End of the world, darlin's!" a man shouted as he stumbled past them, clutching a beer bottle. "End of the world!"

Rose inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Have one on me, mate," she said.

"Rose," murmured Jay, grabbing her arm and pointing. "Look, we can get a better look at what's going on from the screens over there." There was a TV shop across the street. The front window had been shattered and people were looting within. Donna had told her about the news stations and their covering of information, and Jay thought that might be what was playing on the screens at the moment.

"Stay behind me," Rose said firmly, and Jay agreed as Rose hefted up her gun. People were panicked and scared, and when people were like that… Jay recalled Midnight and shuddered. People were dangerous when they were like that.

Rose waited for a group to run past and then strode across the street. Jay faltered, waiting on the other side of the street for a moment before deciding with a look around that it wasn't safe to wait away from Rose. So, she bolted across the street to join her, ensuring to stick close as she'd been told. Jay fingered her necklace, and then stopped as Rose confronted the pair in the shop. Her heart skipped a beat as a soft, familiar ring filled the air.

She shoved her hand into her pocket and grinned at the phone. Her heart racing, she answered the call just as Donna had taught her. "Hello?" she said cautiously. "This is Jay speaking." She wanted to jump up and down despite the situation at hand. Donna would be proud when she tracked her down.

"Jay!" cried a familiar voice on the other end. Martha. "Jay, are you with the Doctor? There's an emergency on Earth, I can't get a hold of him-"

"No," answered Jay, looking around as the two men fled from Rose's gun. Rose stopped to peer with interest at Jay, noting what she was doing. She made a small gesture, indicating that she was asking who Jay was speaking with, and Jay held up a finger, requesting a moment before she answered. "No, we were separated. We came to Earth to check something out, and the next thing I knew, the TARDIS was gone."

Martha swore softly under her breath. "I'll try Jack," she decided. "Are you safe?"

Jay glanced at Rose and her gun. "As safe as I can get right now." She paused to think, and then added, "Tell him that I'd appreciate his company though, would you?"

"Careful, he'll take that the wrong way."

Jay snorted. "Focus, Martha," she murmured teasingly. Martha promised to contact her again with information and then hung up. Tucking the phone into her pocket, Jay told Rose as she marched over to join her, "That was Martha. A friend of ours. She's trying to get a hold of the Doctor, but coming up unsuccessful."

Rose pressed her mouth into a hard line. "Not surprised," she said with a heavy sigh. Frustration flickered over her features and Jay's face softened. She understood Rose's desperation. She'd come all this way to their Earth, and nothing. No sign of the Doctor.

"Don't worry, Rose," Jay told her confidently. "We'll find him. For now…" She turned her attention on the TV screens, her heart skipping a beat at the footage that was being shown. Her face paled when she saw the cameras reveal the dozens of planets in the sky - and the spaceships that were appearing amongst them, descending to the Earth.

"We're now getting confirmed reports of spaceships," reported the newscaster, sounding frightened. The man's eyes were wide and scared, and his voice trembled just slightly. "The Pentagon has issued an emergency report. They're now heading towards Earth in a regular pattern. We're getting contact now, one moment-"

"Exterminate!" Jay froze in horror, her fingers curling into white-knuckled fists. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Oh, no," whispered Jay as Rose stared at the screen, seemingly unsurprised even as something exploded nearby, rocking the ground beneath them. Jay and Rose both staggered slightly. Rose grimaced then, catching her balance.

"Come on," said Rose firmly. "Let's go."

Jay didn't bother to ask where.

---

"So what is the Shadow Proclamation?" Donna asked, hands fumbling with each other as she watched the Doctor dart this way and that around the console of the TARDIS. The time machine was uttering strange sounds, almost moaning in misery, if Donna was understanding correctly for once. The Doctor whispered to her, almost comforting her, and just once, Donna heard him reassuring the TARDIS that they'd find Jay, that he was sure if something had gone wrong, she'd find her way to Martha.

The Doctor's eyes remained locked on what he was doing, voice a little curt as he answered. "Posh name for police. Outer space police. Here we go!" He whipped around and shooed her over to the doors. Donna went willingly, eager to find her home planet in order to check on her family and Jay. Donna faltered when they stepped outside only to discover several rhinoceros-looking aliens waiting for them, guns aimed. Donna yelped a little in surprise even as one began speaking in a language she'd not heard. The TARDIS, slow in its fear, wasn't translating for the time being.

But the Doctor answered in the same language, eyes blazing, and the aliens - "They're Judoon," the Doctor whispered to Donna - lowered their guns. They gestured for the Doctor and Donna to follow, and the pair fell into step behind them. Donna looked around at the beautiful, massive building they were in. Ship, she corrected herself. A ship of sorts.

They reached a room of large windows overlooking the beautiful sea of stars around the ship, and then the waiting began. The Doctor looked impatient, fidgeting with his sonic screwdriver as he tried to keep from exploding into action again. Donna could tell it took a lot out of the Time Lord, and she gently took his hand and squeezed it. "We'll figure it out," she reassured, even as her own voice shook with fear for her loved ones. "We'll find Jay, Doctor."

The Doctor offered his friend a small, tired smile and said, "I know. Martha's there - and Jack, a friend of ours. Jay knows that. They'll do their best to get a hold of me through her and find her in the process." Even so, Donna knew he was worried. The tense set of his mouth told her as much. She knew that the Doctor was particularly fond of his blonde companion. "She was heading towards… With everything happening, she's going to have one soon."

That was what had made his desperation to find the Earth more wild and not focused. Donna could see the gears turning now. The focus was back. Still, it made sense. "Martha will find her," Donna reminded him. "And I taught her how to use that phone. She'll try calling Martha if Martha doesn't call her first."

The Doctor merely ran a hand down his face, and then looked up when a woman spoke from across the room. She'd appeared silently. Neither of them had seen her coming. "Time Lords are the stuff of legend," she said, red eyes sweeping over them. Curled white hair had been tied into a large bun on top of her head, and she'd been clothed in a black gown. The Doctor whispered her title to Donna: the Shadow Architect.

Donna just wished someone could have a normal, everyday name.

"They belong in the myths and whispers of the Higher Species," the Shadow Architect commented. "You cannot possibly exist."

The Doctor brushed her words off. "More to the point, I've got a missing planet."

The Shadow Architect crossed the room, stopping before a small column. A computer of sorts, Donna guessed, not really wanting to guess precisely what kind. "Then you're not as wise as the stories would say," the Shadow Architect said quietly. "The picture is far bigger than you imagine. The whole universe is in outrage, Doctor. Twenty-four worlds have been taken from the sky."

The Doctor was shocked. "What? Which ones? Show me!" He abandoned Donna's side, joining the Shadow Architect at the computer. Donna trailed after him, curious as to what she would see. A beautiful projection of countless planets appeared overhead, stained blue by the technology. Something tugged at the back of her mind, and she squinted at the map above with interest. She knew something. What was it?

"Locations range far and wide, but all disappeared at the exact same moment - leaving no trace."

"Callufrax Minor," muttered the Doctor, eyes flying from planet to planet as he perched his glasses on his nose. "Jahoo. Shallcatop. Woman Wept. Clom - Clom's gone!? Who'd want Clom."

"All different sizes, some populated, some not, but all unconnected," said the Shadow Architect seriously.

It struck Donna and she perked up. "Wait," she said, and the Doctor glanced at her. "What about Pyrovillia?" The Shadow Architect gave her a condescending look, sneering, and Donna glared right back at her. Lifting her chin proudly, she snarled at the Shadow Architect, "Donna, the human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend, but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you."

A proud grin shone on the Doctor's face, encouraging, and Donna pressed on about Pyrovillia with a small smile in return, relieved. "Way back when we were in Pompeii, Lucius said Pyrovillia had gone missing."

One of the Judoon - a captain of sorts, Donna would guess - stepped forward and said in a halting tone, "Pyrovillia is cold case. Not relevant!"

"The planet Pyrovillia cannot be part of this," the Shadow Architect confirmed with a flick of her wrist. "It disappeared over two thousand years ago."

But Donna was on a roll. Her eyes searched the map, wondering about any other lost planets they'd heard of. "Hang on, but there's the Adipose breeding planet, too. Remember, Doctor? Miss Foster said that was lost, but that must've been a long time ago."

The Doctor stared at her for a long, long moment in surprise and then lit up like a beacon. "That's it! Donna, you're brilliant!" He paused to kiss the top of her head, earning a playful sputter of disgust from his red-haired companion, and then whipped around to face the computer again. He took control after a brief request for permission from the Shadow Architect. "Planets are being taken out of time as wella s space. Let's put this in… Now, if we add Pyrovillia…" The planet appeared on the computers. "Adipose Three… Where else, where else, where else… Oh! The Lost Moon of Poosh!" He winced at that name. Donna wondered why, but was immediately distracted as the holograms shifted before their eyes, rearranging themselves.

"What did you do?" demanded the Shadow Architect, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing," said the Doctor. "The planets rearranged themselves into the optimum pattern. Twenty=-sven planets in perfect balance...come on, that's gorgeous!"

Donna wasn't quite as impressed. "Oi!" she snapped at him. "Don't get all spaceman. What's it mean?"

"All those words fit together like pieces of an engine," he murmured, studying the holograms as if the answer resided within them. "Like a powerhouse...what for though?" He continued muttering to himself. "Someone tried to move the Earth once before. Long time ago…"

Shaking her head and figuring that her work was done for the time being, Donna left the Doctor and the Shadow Architect to discuss the discoveries they'd made. She searched for a place to simply sit and rest until it was time to do something new, and found a staircase near the back of the room. Grateful, Donna hurried over and climbed up a few steps before sitting, exhausted after her ordeal with the bug on her back and what was happening now.

She found herself worrying about Jay as she rested her chin in her hands. Jay was clever in her own right. Donna had seen it in action. She was good with spaceships - she probably could have told Donna all about the one Donna was currently in - and quick-witted. But she was rather childish in other matters. She still struggled to tie her shoes. She was bewildered by something as simple as calling someone else.

That wasn't what worried Donna the most though. If something was truly happening and someone had stolen the planet, Jay could become a potential target. That poison that sickened her on some occasions was clearly something deadly and useful, if one could temper its uses, and Donna had no doubt that someone would want to use it if they knew about it. And Jay wouldn't just hide away until they found her. No, if someone else was put into danger, Jay would be the first one to help them, snarling at the enemy until her last breath.

Donna rubbed her nose, tired. She hoped Jay stayed out of trouble. She let her gaze slide to the Doctor. Even now, she could see the strain in his shoulders. He was frantic to find his way back to Earth. Partially because Rose was likely returning, sure, but because of Jay. The panic on his face when he realized she was gone...it reminded Donna of the times when the Doctor was in particular trouble and Jay grew frantic. The pair were like that. When one was in trouble, the other was not far behind, ensuring everything was okay. It wasn't hard to miss the softness in their gazes when they looked at one another, or the warmth of their smiles.

Lazily, Donna wondered if the Doctor realized that Jay's fondness had begun creeping beyond friendship, and vice versa. She doubted that either of them realized it for themselves either. When they found Jay, Donna decided to make it clear to her. And to apologize for not realizing that she wasn't in the TARDIS sooner.

"You need sustenance." A woman had appeared in front of her, white hair piled on top of her head like the Shadow Architect. Her eyes were red, too, and they gleamed kindly. "Take the water." She offered Donna the cup she was holding. "It purifies."

"Thanks," Donna murmured, cradling the cup between her palms.

"There was something on your back." Donna glanced up, confused, but the woman only said, "You are something new."

Donna snorted, sipping at the water before setting it aside. "Not me. I'm just a temp. Shorthand, filing, one hundred words per minute...fat lot of good that is now. I'm no use to anyone."

The woman blinked once at her, eyes sorrowful. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yeah," sighed Donna. "My whole planet's gone." Grief cracked through her voice. She hoped they found it soon.

"I mean the loss that is yet to come," whispered the woman, rising to her feet. Donna's stomach churned in horror at the woman's words. She wondered what it meant. "God save you." And then, the woman was gone, and Donna was alone again, frightened by what she'd said.

"Donna!" Her gaze snapped to the Doctor as he approached. He seemed oblivious to her fear, though she could tell by the way his brow furrowed that he'd noticed. He dropped heavily onto the step beside her, cocking his head. "Think! Earth. There must've been some sort of warning. Was there something happening back in your day? Electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the sky?"

"How should I know?" she snapped, voice curt in her fear. She softened when he frowned. "Um, no," she sighed, running a hand up and down her arm. "No, I don't think so. No." The Doctor sighed heavily, frustrated by the lack of progress. Frustration flickered in his eyes. So, Donna murmured, "I mean, there were the bees disappearing."

The Doctor muttered that to himself. "The bees are disappearing…" His expression lit with excitement a moment later. "Donna!" he cried, racing back to the computer, and she trailed after him, pleased to have been of some use. "The bees are disappearing!"

The Shadow Architect glanced between them, confused, so Donna told her, "On Earth, we have these insects. Some people said it was pollution or mobile phone signals."

"Or," suggested the Doctor, grinning wildly. "They were going back home! Planet Melissa Majoria!"

Donna faltered, staring at him in horror. "Are you saying bees are aliens?!"

The Doctor snorted. "Don't be daft. Not all of them." Donna sputtered again, thinking about every bee she'd ever seen, and he flashed her a wicked grin. "But if the migrant bees felt something coming, some sort of danger, and escaped...Tandocca!"

"You better stop using words I don't understand," Donna said bluntly, giving him a fierce, warning look. "And start explaining, spaceman."

"The Tandocca Scale," he said with a grimace, "is the series of wavelengths used as carrier signals by migrant bees from Melissa Majoria. Indefinitely small. No wonder we didn't see it!" He peered at the map again, as if memorizing it, and Donna realized that they were likely about to head off to find Earth at last. "Like looking for a speck of cinnamon in the Sahara. But look!" He indicated something, encouraging the holographic map to zoom in. "There it is, the Tandocca's trail. The transmat that moved the planets was using the same wavelength, so we can follow the path."

Donna didn't need to be told twice. She spun around and darted for the TARDIS, the Doctor a step behind as she shouted, "Stop talking and do it!"

"I am!" he shouted back, nearly slamming into the TARDIS's controls after bursting through the doors. "We're a bit late, the signal's scattered. But it's a start, Donna!" A wild grin appeared on his face when the TARDIS, frantically searching for that signal, beeped, alerting him of what he wanted to know. "I've got a blip!" he yelled, running back to the doors. "Just a blip, but definitely a-"

The Shadow Architect stood before the doors, her chin lifted high and her gaze stern as she met him there. "Then according to the Scriptures of the Shadow Proclamation, I will have to seize your transport and technology." The Doctor faltered, caught off guard. "The planets were stolen with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Doctor - right across the universe. And you will lead us into battle!"

Donna stared at the woman from where she stood in disgust. They didn't want to start a war. They just wanted to make sure their friends were safe and get the planets back where they belonged! The Doctor cleared his throat, glancing briefly over his shoulder. For once, Donna caught the message and gripped some railing. They were about to leave. "Right," he said, one hand slowly reaching for the door. "I'll just go and…" He slammed it shut. Donna winced at the scream of anger that came from the other side of the door.

Even so, the Doctor was beaming at Donna as he raced back to the console and pulled a lever. The TARDIS's soft vworping sound filled the air as she pushed herself through the time vortex, taking them away from the Shadow Proclamation. They had what they wanted.

Now, they just had to find their way back to Jay - and to Earth.

The stop was sudden enough that Donna nearly stumbled, puzzled. The Doctor looked as startled as she did, commenting that the TARDIS had simply stopped. "What do you mean?" demanded Donna anxiously. "Is that good or bad? Where are we?"

The Doctor studied the console's monitor with a flinch. "The Medusa Cascade I came here when I was just a kid, ninety years old. It was the center of a rift in time and space…" He sucked down a sharp, frustrated breath. "The Tandocca's trail stops dead. This is the end of the line." He rubbed his hands down his face, distressed, and Donna stared at him fearfully.

"Doctor," she whispered. "What do we do? Doctor. Please."

But he didn't answer, leaving her to nearly crumple beneath the crushing heartbreak.

---

"I know where we are," breathed Jay as she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes roving the familiar neighborhood. She wasn't sure where precisely to go, but she knew where they were. "This is...this is where Donna's family lives. They can help us. At least, they can give us shelter until we figure out what to do next. Or until I can get into contact with Martha again." She'd tried, but Martha hadn't answered. She looked at Rose, who merely pressed her mouth into a hard line, searching the empty, silent streets. She pressed a finger to her lips.

Jay understood why. She heard the distant cry of "Exterminate!" Daleks were here, among the streets. Jay's stomach churned with fear for Sylvia and Wilf. She hoped they were okay. Worried, she followed Rose into the shadows, meandering in the direction of the Daleks. They slid through an alleyway and Rose gestured for Jay to hang back as she peered around a corner, down another alley.

She pulled back a moment later. "Stay here," ordered Rose. Jay nodded, and Rose cocked the gun before vanishing down the alley. Jay peered nervously around the corner to watch the scene unfold. The Dalek was screaming its usual "Exterminate!" at a pair of people cowering at the end of the alley, advancing on them without a clue that Rose was approaching from behind. She brought the gun up in a smooth motion, aimed with a careful eye, and then fired.

Jay jumped. The blast took off the entire top half of the Dalek, leaving nothing but smoldering remains behind. Rose glanced back over her shoulder, calling out, "Safe!" Jay was quick to join her, eyes round. The Doctor would most certainly not approve of that weapon, she thought as she let her gaze slide to the people who'd been saved.

Her jaw hit the ground. "Wilf!" she cried. "Sylvia!" It was Donna's family. Circumstance and coincidence seemed to be on Jay's side this night.

"You!" Wilf yelped in response, eyes lighting with relieved joy. "That means Donna's-"

"Not here," cut off Jay. She grimaced apologetically when their hopeful looks disappeared. "I wasn't with them when the Earth did its...thing." She rubbed the back of her head anxiously. "I tried to call her, but I can't get through. A friend of ours is trying to get a hold of her, too." Her gaze darted to the rather anxious, impatient Rose. "Wilf, Sylvia, this is Rose Tyler. She's a friend of the Doctor's. Think you could help us out?"

Sylvia was still stunned by what had happened, but Wilf had cleared his head. "'Course! Come on, this way." He began hustling down the street, towing his daughter by her wrist. Sylvia sputtered, annoyed with her father's actions, but Wilf didn't care.

"Last time Donna called," he told them as they walked, "it was from a planet called Midnight - made of diamonds, she said!"

Jay flinched violently at the memories that burst through her head, shaking her wrists out. Numbness had crept through them. Not good, not good, not good, she chanted in her head. Rather than answering Wilf's comment, she glanced at Rose and found Rose to be rather distressed. She didn't hesitate to grab Rose's hand and give it a tight squeeze. "We'll find the Doctor," she murmured. She glared at the phone she'd been carrying for some time. "I wish I could call Jack," she grumbled, thinking of the immortal man's supernatural ability to know where the Time Lord was. "I don't think I can. He's not on the list Donna showed me. What did she call it? The contacts?"

"Jack?" Rose's gaze snapped back to her. "You know Jack Harkness?" Something troubled her about the name, though she didn't say what.

Jay smiled at her. "We...went through a lot together. I'll tell you all about it if you want, when this mess is done and over with." Rose looked keen on the idea.

It didn't take them long to reach the house Donna had shared with her mother and grandfather, and Jay chewed on her lip as Wilf ushered them in. He and Sylvia had been arguing about something, but now, Sylvia simply dropped into a chair and began crying. Jay's heart ached for her. Sylvia was not prepared for something like this to happen - especially when she had no idea where her daughter was.

Distress crept through Jay's veins as the numbness suddenly swam further up. Her heart had been racing since this had all started, she realized nervously. She hoped that she could divert any attack that might happen, but she doubted it. "Rose," she said seriously as Wilf went to comfort his daughter, teary-eyed himself, "listen, there's something you should know…"

With nothing else to do, because they couldn't get a hold of anyone, Jay decided to tell Rose about the poison that seeped through her blood. Rose listened with a wide-eyed look on her face, looking concerned when Jay showed her the black veins that snaked up her elbow and legs. Wilf even took a peek, fascinated and sorrowful about the pain that accompanied such things before going to turn on the news, deciding they might as well know what was happening. "I think I'll go down soon," warned Jay. "I wanted you to be aware, with everything going on."

"Thanks," Rose said sincerely. "That's good to-"

"This is the Commander General of the United Nations calling the Dalek fleet," the news suddenly declared, and they paused to watch as a man's face appeared. "We surrender. I repeat, we surrender. Planet Earth surrenders."

The Daleks, who had been ranting from the moment Wilf turned the TV on, continued as if no one had spoken to them. "Humans selected for testing will follow Dalek instructions. The Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks."

"I hate them," whispered Jay with venom in her voice, remembering her last interactions with the Daleks. She'd never forget their cold, calculated cruelty towards things that were different from them. Tired, Rose hummed her agreement.

"You will obey Dalek instructions without question. You will obey your Dalek-"

Jay jolted when the connection suddenly cut off. Was that normal? No, if the confused, scared look on Wilf's face was anything to go by. A beep was heard, and then a new voice began speaking over the TV audio. "Can anyone hear me?" It crackled, the connection unclear. "The Subwave Network is open. You should be able to hear my voice...is anyone there?"

"I know that voice," murmured Rose, abandoning her gun to rest against the wall before slowly approaching the TV. She knelt before it, studying the screen intently. Jay hovered nearby, eyes locked curiously on the screen as an image flickered and vanished.

"This message is of the utmost importance. We haven't much time. Can anyone hear me?" There was a moment as the person waited for someone to answer, and then everyone in the room jumped when it barked, "Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you! Stand to attention, sir!"

"Jack?" echoed Jay, choking hope swarming up her throat. She stared intently at the screen as the image finally cleared, revealing an older woman with short dark hair and narrowed, serious brown eyes glaring impatiently at them, as if she could see them. "Who's that? That's not Jack-"

Rose gave a startled, loud laugh, touching the screen. "Harriet Jones!" she cried, more joy in her voice than Jay had heard since her arrival. "Harriet, it's me! She can't hear me...have you got a computer? Webcam?" She rounded on Wilf and Sylvia.

Wilf grimaced apologetically. "No, she wouldn't let me. She said they were naughty."

Jay couldn't help the small, half-grin that cracked across her face, even as Rose's face fell. She'd not be able to speak with anyone who was communicating then. Jay pressed the phone into her hands to try and help her feel better, not able to feel the buttons herself. "Look and see," Jay said urgently. "Maybe you'll find a name you know. The Doctor, Donna, and Martha put numbers in, but I don't know all the names."

The message continued, even as Rose did just that, hoping against her bad luck that she'd find someone familiar in the contact list. "Sarah Jane Smith, thirteen Bannerman Road, are you there?" Rose choked out another laugh, delighted by the name. "Good. Let's see if we can talk to each other…"

The image blinked out. When it reappeared, Harriet's image was in one corner of the screen, with three blank panels crackling in the other corners. Another image flickered to life, one of a woman Jay had never seen before. Rose murmured the name "Sarah Jane" under her breath, so Jay assumed that was her. She looked friendly and scared, a boy hovering at her shoulder. Jay cheered when Jack's face appeared in the third panel, in the upper right corner. He was grinning impishly, though there was a dark light in his gaze. The fourth panel continued to crackle and shift.

"The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through," Harriet informed them, frowning. "I'll just boost the signal…"

Rose stared hopelessly at the TV, as if frustrated that her face wasn't there, too. Instead, Martha's appeared, and Jay nearly shrieked in delight at the sight of her friend, safe. "Hello?" said Martha, looking a little wary. Jay was startled by the sight of Francine Jones, right beside her.

"Martha Jones!" laughed Jack, and Jay lurched to grab the phone back from Rose's hands, trying to call Martha's number again. Nothing came through and Martha didn't bat an eye, earning a frustrated huff from both Jay and Rose. Nothing. Martha might have lost her phone, Jay supposed, but still. Jack continued, "Martha, where are you?"

"I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought." Jay and Rose exchanged confused looks. "One second I was in Manhattan, next second...maybe it tapped into my mind. I ended up in the one place I wanted to be." Francine gave her daughter a fond, small smile. "All of a sudden, the laptop turned itself on."

"That was me," said Harriet Jones. "Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."

A smile tugged at Rose's mouth. "That's...she always does that."

"I thought it was time we all met, given the current crisis. Torchwood, this is Sarah Jane Smith. And Martha Jones, former companion to the Doctor. And Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood."

Rose grumbled under her breath, "I was a companion, too."

Jay studied the blonde with a little sympathy, squeezing her shoulder as she tucked the phone back into her pocket. Rose was jealous, she realized, and frustrated. Not only had she not found the Doctor just yet, but she couldn't get into contact with anyone else who would recognize her - who might have information, or do well to learn from Rose herself.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Subwave Network, a sentient piece of software that is programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help contact the Doctor."

Martha, sharp as ever, was right on target with the most important question: "What if the Daleks can hear us?"

"That's the beauty of the Subwave. It's undetectable. It was created by the Mr. Copper Foundation."

Jay couldn't help the strangled sound of delight that escaped her. "So that's what Mr. Copper did with all that money," she declared, confusing Rose. She waved her off. She'd tell Rose all about the Titanic at a later time, when they weren't trying to figure out where the Doctor was.

"Jack," said Martha suddenly, and he focused intently on Martha's words. "Have you heard from Jay? She's not with the Doctor. I heard from her earlier, but I can't get a connection through now. I lost my phone in the attack in Manhattan."

"Here we go," breathed Jay, her eyes lighting with hope. "If they find me, they find you, Rose."

"Jaybird's not with the Doctor?" Jack seemed shocked. "Did she say where he was? Was she okay?"

"She was okay. The Doctor was on Earth and then he wasn't. Around the time the Dalek's showed up. I'll get you her number, Jack." Martha looked worried, and Jay's heart swelled with fond warmth for her friend. She murmured something to her mother, who nodded and left. Jay's fingers crept into her pocket, hopeful, but stilled when Jack asked to know about something UNIT had given Martha - a key of sorts.

"The Osterhagen Key," answered Martha.

Harriet's face went stone cold, and Rose and Jay exchanged wary looks when she said, "Forget about the key, and that's an order! All we need is the Doctor."

Hesitantly, glancing over her shoulder at the boy accompanying her, Sarah Jane said slowly, "Excuse me, Harriet, but...well, the thing is…if you're looking for the Doctor, didn't he depose you?"

"Is her position as prior Prime Minister important?" asked Jay with a befuddled look. All those present stared at her, and Jay said defensively, "I'm not from here, remember? Another time, another country. I don't know anything." Wilf simply looked horrified by her lack of knowledge.

"It's important enough," Rose murmured, "that she had a spaceship that was retreating destroyed." A smile appeared gently on her face. "That was the day I met his new face."

"He did," confirmed Harriet quietly. "And I've wondered about that for a long time, whether I was wrong or not. But I stand by my actions to this day, because I knew that one day, Earth would be in danger, and the Doctor would fail to appear. I told him so myself - and he didn't listen."

Jay sighed. That certainly sounded like the Doctor. Her eyes drifted from face to face, all friends of the Doctor. Her heart ached at the thought of him. Where was he? She hoped he and Donna were okay.

It was Jack who suddenly came up with the idea. "Wait, we can boost the signal! Transmit the telephone number through Torchwood itself, using all the power of the rift!"

"And we've got Mr. Smith," said the boy at Sarah Jane's shoulder excitedly, grinning at the camera. "He can link up with every telephone exchange on the planet. He can get the whole world to call the same number, all at the same time! Billions of phones, calling out all at once."

"Brilliant!" Jack laughed. "Who's the kid?"

Sarah Jane beamed at the boy. "My son."

"We'll need to call Donna's number," Martha informed them. "Jay carries the one I gave the Doctor."

Someone new stepped into view on Jack's camera, capturing Jay's attention. He looked nervous, fidgeting a little as he said carefully, "Excuse me. Sorry, hello. Ianto Jones. If we start transmitting, then this Subwave Network is going to become visible. I mean, to the Daleks."

"Wait," said Jay softly, her own delight fading as she looked at the people on the screen, "that means-"

"Yes, and they'll trace it back to me. But my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves Earth and the lives on it. There are people out there dying in the streets."

"Marvellous woman," said Wilf fiercely, coming to join them to watch the broadcast. "I voted for her." Sylvia only scoffed, muttering that he had not.

Chaos erupted as they all began working together, boosting the Subwave Network in order to get their message to the Doctor. Jay had her phone in hand almost immediately, encouraging Wilf to track down any in his home. He supplied one to Rose, a mobile phone, and went to fetch a house phone as well, wanting to help. Rose thanked him softly, grateful. Her own phone, she told Jay, wasn't there at the moment. It had been lost somewhere between universes. Sylvia had scoffed again at that.

And when Sarah Jane gave the order, Jay dialed the number Rose helped her pull up, pressing the phone to her ear to listen. Rose did the same, as did Wilf, all of them hoping that the plan would work. Jay fumbled with the phone badly, struggling to feel it with numb fingers and hands. Eventually, she just tucked it between her cheek and shoulder, letting her eyes slide shut.

"Come on," she murmured. "Pick up, Donna."

She'd never prayed before, but Jay found herself doing it now.

---

The ringing of a phone snapped the Doctor out of his frustrated, motionless trance. His head snapped up and Donna, dozing on the captain's seat, nearly fell off. "Phone?" he said, briefly confused.

"Doctor!" Donna yelped, yanking her phone out of her pocket and racing over to stand with him. "Phone!"

The Doctor snatched it from her fingers, answering the call immediately. "Jay?" he demanded, hoping to hear his missing friend's voice on the other end of the call. "Jay, is that you?" No one answered. Instead, there was only a soft series of beeps. "Signal," he gasped, thrusting the phone at Donna and bolting around the TARDIS console. "Signal!"

Donna stood back, giving him room to work. She looked as if she wished she'd learned more about driving the blue box. "Can we follow it?"

He threw her a wild grin, winking. "Watch me!" He twisted the monitor so it faced him, brow furrowed in concentration, and Donna grabbed the nearest bit of railing in preparation as the TARDIS began to shake even more violently than normal. He laughed in excitement. "Got it! Locking on." He yelped when sparks flew. The lights in the usually calm control room turned a blaring red, and flames sparked to life beneath his hands. He ignored them, waving them off.

"Alright?" he shouted to Donna. She nodded, eyes wide. "Right! Traveling through time, one second in the future! The phone call's pulling us through." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen, just waiting. "Three...two…" On "one," the violent shaking ended, and the flames died away as massive fans beneath the console turned on. The Doctor and Donna both sighed in relief, and Donna walked over to peer at the screen over the Doctor's shoulder.

"I don't understand," said Donna as the missing planets appeared, one after the other on the screen. "Why couldn't we see them?"

"The entire Medusa Cascade has been put a second out of sync with the rest of the universe," explained the Doctor, rocking back slightly. He ruffled his hair thoughtfully, pleased. Next step: find Jay. "Perfect hiding place, tiny little pocket of time. But we found them!"

---

Jay found herself jumping up and down in excitement when Jack's voice filled the air, joyous. "We've got a fix!"

"Mr. Smith, now at two hundred percent," reported Sarah Jane. "Come on, Doctor!"

A woman now pushed herself into view on Jack's screen, worried. Her eyes were wide and concerned as she said, "Harriet, a saucer's locked on to your location. They've found you."

Jay's heart ached at the thought as Harriet paled and began working on transferring the Network to Torchwood. "You're in charge now," she said shakily, "and tell the Doctor, from me...he chose his companions well." Rose uttered a sound of alarm when a cry of "exterminate" came from Harriet's call. "It's been an honor." They had enough time to see a Dalek creep into the room behind Harriet before the screen went blank, returning to the scratchy, flickering gray noise from before.

"Oh, no," murmured Jay, pressing a hand over her mouth. Harriet Jones was dead. Another name to add to Jay's list of lost ones in her travels. She could see matching expressions of grief and despair on the others' faces, on Rose's. Rose had known Harriet personally, Jay realized, giving the blonde a small hug to offer some comfort.

And then, like a beacon of hope in the face of death, the image in the corner flickered back to life. "Doctor," Jay choked, "it's the Doctor!" Sure enough, the Doctor's face had appeared in Harriet's slot, with Donna peeking over his shoulder curiously.

Jack barked out a startled, disbelieving laugh. "Where the hell have you been?! Doctor, it's the Daleks!"

The others on the screen broke into wild conversation, but it was Sylvia's cry of relief that dragged Jay's attention away from her friends. "That's Donna!" cried Sylvia, rushing over to look closer at the screen. Wilf cheered, tears sparkling in his eyes, unshed.

The Doctor was watching his screen in awe, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Sarah Jane! Who's that boy? And that must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant?" He pulled back to grin at Donna, who smiled back. His eyes crinkled at the corners, giving away the extent of his delight. "Look at you all, you clever people!"

Donna pointed at the screen. "That's Martha. Who," she paused, indicating someone with a very interested look, "is he?"

Jay coughed, trying to hide her laugh as the Doctor sighed. "Captain Jack. Don't. Just...don't." He leaned back again, his face softening. "Everyone. Everyone except…" He trailed off, gaze filling with sorrow. Jay saw him mouth the name, even if Rose didn't, hiding her face in her hands out of longing despair. Rose. His gaze sharpened suddenly. "Where's Jay?"

Donna squawked suddenly and disappeared from frame, and Jay sighed in disappointment as Martha repeated her comments about his missing companion, reassuring him that the last she'd heard, Jay had been safe and unharmed. The Doctor looked only fractionally happier after that - until Donna suddenly called, voice muffled and a little distant, "Calling!"

As if on cue, Jay's phone rang. Rose snapped her head up, eyes flaring wide, and Jay scrambled to answer it, her fingers trembling. Her breath caught in her throat as she answered the call, moving to press it to her ear-

The screen cut off.

The voice that replaced it had her faltering, her fingers still locked around the phone. She could hear Donna's voice on the other end, demanding answers from the Doctor just before the call ended as the new voice croaked, "Your voice is different. And yet, its arrogance is unchanged."

The screen flickered to life once more, and this time, they all flinched away from the image rather than trying to get closer. "Welcome to my new empire, Doctor," said the figure on the other side of the screen. Jay skimmed her attention over it. Humanoid, with pits for eyes and a blue Dalek eye in the center of its forehead. "It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, lord and creator of the Dalek race!"

"What the hell?" whispered Jay, and Rose looked at the screen with grim anger, her fingers twitching as she glared. This person had created the creature that Rose hated so much.

The Doctor must have answered Davros, unheard by anyone else, for the creator of the Daleks replied, "It took one stronger than you. Dalek Caan himself."

"Oh, no," murmured Jay to herself, remembering the Dalek that had escaped Manhattan when she, Martha, and the Doctor had come across them. Her stomach twisted with fear.

Dalek Caan's voice spoke, twisted and gargling and crazed as it sang, "I flew in the wild and fire. I danced and died a thousand times."

"Emergency Temporal Shift took him back into the Time War itself," Davros told the Doctor. "Oh, it cost him his mind. But imagine this: a single, simple Dalek succeeded where emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creations?"

The conversation continued in this way, one-sided from Jay and Rose's end. Davros told the Doctor of how he'd created the Daleks, a new race of them. Each one had been grown from a cell within Davros's own body. He finished the explanation by revealing his emptied chest, and Jay's stomach rolled when she saw that his heart and rib bones were visible when they shouldn't have been. "New Daleks. True Daleks. I have my own children, Doctor. What do you have now?"

The connection ended once more, and the screen flickered without a sign of other people on it. Jay took a shaken breath and then scrounged up Donna's number again. She pressed the phone to her ear, muttering prayers under her breath, but Donna didn't answer. Jay guessed she was busy with the Doctor, so she turned her attention on Rose, whose eyes burned into hers. "Lend me that?" she asked, and Jay placed it in her hands.

"Donna's not answering," she told her. "We'll have to track them down another way."

"Already doing that." Rose went to fetch her gun, muttering into the phone as someone picked up. When she was done, she returned, tossed the phone to Jay and hefted up her gun. "Right. I'm gonna find the Doctor. Jay," she said, glancing at her. "I'm gonna shift. We've not tried it with two."

"Don't worry about me," Jay said firmly. "Go. I think I'm going to manage to get some help from someone else." She grinned, lifting the phone in her hand. It was ringing again, this time displaying an unknown number. She had a gut feeling about who it was. "Good luck, Rose." Rose offered her a faint smile and then thanked Wilf, who wished her luck, and Sylvia, who also did so. Jay was impressed to see Sylvia saying such things. Normally, her comments were rather biting.

As Rose vanished in a flash of light, Jay turned away, answering the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey there, Jaybird," chirped a familiar voice on the other end. "Really good to hear your voice. Are you hurt?"

"Jack," Jay breathed, laughing softly. "No. I'm okay. Saw your conference on a screen though."

"Good. You're all caught up then. You heard from the Doctor yet?"

Jay shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "No, nothing." She debated whether she should tell him about Rose, but decided against it. It wasn't the time to get excited over seeing old friends - not like that, at least. "But I'll take a guess and say that you know where to go. Still got that vortex manipulator?"

---

The street was empty. A deserted wasteland, full of ruined, abandoned cars and trash that raced across the pavement in a breeze. Donna shivered as she looked around herself. The Doctor locked the TARDIS doors behind them as Donna smoothed her fingers over her phone. Jay hadn't picked up this time, and they were both worried about what might have happened. "A ghost town," whispered Donna.

"Sarah Jane said they were taking people," the Doctor said, looking around. He pressed his mouth into a hard line. Donna could tell he was worried that Jay had been among them. She hoped that wasn't the case - and that her family was safe, too. "What for? Think, Donna, when you met Rose in that parallel world...what did she say?"

"Just...the darkness is coming." Donna's attention was snagged by a flash of light, over the Doctor's shoulder. Even as he pressed her for more information, she tensed, worried about what was coming, only to relax, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth when she saw just who it was that had appeared. A true grin appeared when the Doctor huffed at her lack of attention. "Doctor," she said quietly, "why don't you ask Rose yourself?"

He stared at her, bewildered, until Donna nodded in the direction Rose was approaching from. Still confused, he turned to look, somewhat annoyed, and stopped dead in his tracks. She saw the shift in his expression, the disbelief and awe as he caught sight of Rose. Even from where they stood a significant distance away, Donna saw the smile that broke out over Rose's face.

And then, the pair were running for each other, as quickly as they could. Donna watched them fondly, her heart aching as she fumbled to call Jay again. Maybe she'd been wrong, she thought as she put the phone to her ear. Maybe the Doctor hadn't been as sweet on Jay as Donna had initially thought-

"Exterminate!"

Rose's scream pierced the air.

The Doctor hit the ground, still.

The Dalek exploded, leaving behind only a small shell of debris as Jack lowered the massive gun in his hands, standing protectively over a shaken Jay, and Donna's phone tumbled from her hands as she flew towards the fallen Time Lord. The second it was safe, Jay and Jack were running, too.

Rose got to him, too, of course, and by the time Donna and the others reached them, she'd pulled his head into her lap, tears gathering on thick black eyelashes. "I've got you," she was whispering, her voice trembling with emotion. "It missed you - it had to. Look, it's me."

A faint, pained smile managed to cross the Doctor's face. Tears welled in Donna's eyes as he forced out through gritted teeth, "Long time no see."

"Yeah," laughed Rose nervously, "been busy, y'know?" The Doctor moaned in pain, and Rose gave a low, mournful sob. "Don't die," she begged, "don't die."

Jay slammed hard onto her knees beside them, eyes wild with terror. "Doctor?!" she cried, and hazy dark eyes shifted slowly over to her. He was clearly dazed, thought Donna, frozen and unsure of what she should do. Relief flickered through his gaze as he noted Jay's appearance before he seemed to slide very briefly out of awareness.

Jack, shaking off his shock, snatched up the gun Rose had dropped to kneel beside the Doctor. "Get him in the TARDIS," he barked, voice authoritative as he ordered them to move. "Quick. Move!" He shoved the gun at Jay when she stood, and she nearly shoved it back at him in horror. He silenced her protests with a warning look, and Donna took it upon herself to help Rose get the Doctor - who she would have teased about his weight at any other time - back to the TARDIS.

Jay sprinted past them when they got close enough. With shaking hands, she unlocked the doors to the TARDIS, not bothering to greet it as she was prone to doing. She was terrified, realized Donna distantly. They all were. They were terrified. The Doctor was hurt - badly hurt, potentially dying. Donna felt guilt bubbling up, choking her. She shouldn't have told him Rose was there. Just a few seconds difference, and he'd have been-

"Put him down," Jay whispered to Donna, fingers squeezing her shoulder clumsily. Donna stared at her tear-stricken friend in shock. Had she had an attack? Would Donna lose her, too? She blinked when Jack gently swept Jay aside before hauling a protesting Rose and confused Donna back, too.

"Get back," Jack said. "Come on, he's dying and you know what happens next."

The words had Donna's breath catching in her chest. What?

"No," sobbed Rose, a moan in her throat. "I came all this way."

"What do you mean?" Donna's words came out snappy in her fear. "What happens next?"

A strangled sound left Jay's mouth as she came to an understanding, and sympathy flickered over Jack's face. He tucked her beneath his chin, giving her a comforting half-hug while simultaneously reaching out to weave his fingers through Rose's. "Here we go," he said softly as the Doctor suddenly groaned, struggling to drag himself upright. "Good luck, Doctor!"

Donna grew frantic. "Tell me what's going on!" she shouted at Jack, and he gave her a warning look that had her shuffling back a little more.

It was Rose, grief wracking her voice, who whispered, "When he's dying, his...his body repairs itself. It changes." Her voice cracked then, as the Doctor succeeded in pulling himself to his feet. He staggered a little, staring at his hands, and Donna stared in horror at the golden light that had begun to flicker around his fingers. It grew and grew, surrounding him. "He regenerates."

Donna thought for just a moment she might be able to do something. To stop it.

But that beautiful golden light exploded in every direction, rocking the very TARDIS beneath their feet, and she had to hide her face to avoid being blinded.

Donna thought she might have heard the Doctor's anguished, protesting scream.

---

Whoo, I wrote this all today! I'm so excited about this. I've been wanting to write these chapters for a while. It's a challenge, but a fun one. ;)

Thanks to reviewers (savethemadscientist and Spiffygirl90!) as well as those who favorited and followed!