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Chapter 42 – The Tux

A tall, skinny man walked into the room. He was dressed in a tux and didn't look out of place at all at the State Dinner. He clapped as he walked in the room. "Good idea not to sic the dogs on us. We just want to talk."

The Doctor turned his head to look at Legate. "There's the tux. I knew there had to be one here."

Legate and Jake laughed under their breath.

He walked up and stood in front of the Doctor, who had put his hands on his hips. "Somehow I doubt you just want to talk."

The man smiled at him. "Nah. It's curious, Doctor Smith. I expected you would wear a watch. All of your agents do. If I may, a brilliant piece of tech."

The Doctor looked back to see Legate and Jake's watches to be taken off of them. All of the men's guns pointed at the four men.

The Doctor looked at the man, "I usually just use my phone to get the time."

The man nodded his head and held out his hand. "I need that phone."

The Doctor held out his hands and shook his head. "I'm not armed. It's in my jacket." He reached in his jacket and handed it to him. The man looked down at it and clicked a few things. "This is dead."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Ask any of these guys. I'm terrible about charging that damn thing."

Legate spoke in the Doctor's head. 'All of these are Torchwood agents. Am I wrong?'

The Doctor spoke back to him. 'No. You're right.'

'You need to warn Rose-' Legate suggested.

'Rose is being taken care of.'

The man walked over to Logan and pointed at him. "He's new. I've never seen him with you."

The Doctor was shocked. Who was this man? How long had he been watching him?

The Doctor looked at Logan. "Yeah. He's a new guy. You want to chat with me. You can let them go and I'll come willingly. You won't have to make a scene."

The man laughed, "And let all of London know I have you?"

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Rose, Pete, Harriet and Lance were laughing at a conversation when Lance suddenly stopped and held up his finger. "Hang on."

As soon as he said that, Rose heard a familiar voice lean in behind her. "Rose. It's Lewis. Don't be alarmed, but I need all of you to quietly stand up and follow us out of this room immediately."

Rose's heart dropped. "Where is he?" She could feel the Doctor was shielding his emotions.

Lewis took her hand as she stood up and looked around to see Shakes, Polotius and Gobbo running out of the room. Lewis had Aemilius and Adriano with him. Lewis was wearing his familiar suit, but without his tie.

Lewis spoke. "I'll explain everything. We need to move. Now."

Pete took Harriet's arm and they quietly left the room and went towards the lift. As soon as all of them were in there, Lewis pointed at the other Quauhtin. "Priority One. Let's get them back."

They popped away.

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Legate looked over at the Doctor. 'Should we attack?'

'We can keep them talking and figure out what the hell is going on.'

'Summus is here.'

'Yeah and if he opens that door, we're going to have a hell of a fire fight. Don't tell him where we are. Redirect him.'

Legate nodded, 'You're the boss. Hell of a first day.'

The Doctor asked the man. "You know, you've asked me a lot of stuff….I'm curious about you."

The man smiled at him and rocked on his feet. "Sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well, who you are would be a start."

He smiled. "Well, you'll figure it out. I've been paid to come get you and deliver you to someone. But honestly, who I am is of no consequence."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Talking about yourself like that."

The Doctor felt a pinch on the back of his neck, and then the room went completely black as he fell into the floor.

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Rose popped into the Doctor's workshop with Lewis. He still held her hand. He turned quickly to face her. He held his finger up to tell her to wait just a moment.

Pete arrived a few moments later with Aemilius and Adriano. Lance popped in the room with Harriet.

Lewis turned around and spoke to the others. "Aemilius and Adriano. Get to Howie and Caroline in Washington with Bassanio. Stay with them until you hear from me."

They both nodded their heads and popped away. Lewis turned to Lance. "Lance, monitor all watch activity on the Doctor's monitors over there. I need to know if there were any unauthorized jumps. Summon Timon to assist you or anyone else you need."

Jack and Licis ran into the room.

Jack asked, "I've just heard. What can I do to help?"

Lewis pointed at Licis. "Go back to the house and keep the children, Arla and Jackie occupied. Don't inform them."

Licis nodded his head. "Certainly." He closed the door as he left.

He turned to Jack. "Jack. Assist Lance in anything he needs." Jack turned around and rushed over to the desk.

Pete stood next to Rose. "Lewis. What the hell is going on? Why are we here?"

Lewis held Rose's hand tightly. "The Doctor has activated a 'Priority One'. That means we are to stop everything we are doing and return the family to the island. Rose has to remain with me or Summus."

"Where is he?" Rose asked.

Lewis looked sadly at her. "I'm not sure. Summus is looking for him now. He told us he was taken by fifteen armed men. Logan, Legate and Jake are with him. Legate gave us a description, but he didn't tell them his name. He said he was paid to bring them to someone. They were someplace in the Palace, but no one can find them. We can't contact him or Legate."

Rose realized she couldn't feel him in her head. She covered her mouth and started to cry. "I can't feel him. Why?"

Lewis shook his head. "I'm not sure. He's instructed me to ask you a series of questions and to remain with you the entire time."

Harriet put her arm around Rose's shoulder. "You poor thing. Please, let's sit down."

They moved to the sofa and sat down. Lewis sat on the coffee table, still not letting go of Rose's hand. Pete put his arm around her and kissed her head.

Lewis asked her. "Rose. This is going to be very hard, but I'm not going to leave you until he returns. I need you to tell me, your connection with him. Is it a void, or is it just quiet?"

Rose looked at him. "It's quiet. As if he's there, but he's not. Similar to when he sleeps."

Lewis smiled. "That's good news. He's still alive. He just can't contact us for some reason."

Tony Stark transported into the room behind the sofa. "What the hell is this? He has my damn suit turned off!"

Lewis looked at Tony. "During a Priority One, he doesn't want you to risk coming to get him. All watches from Torchwood have also been locked. No one can jump."

Pete looked surprised, "You lot used your watches to bring us here."

Lewis nodded his head. "Each of ours are coded. We can reactivate them if needed. Legate and Jake's are now inoperable. That's to keep them from being used. They aren't tracked by Torchwood."

Tony asked, "What about his bracelet? That has everything."

Lewis shook his head. "It's locked down now, too. Unless he uses his voice to instruct it to do something."

Tony swore. "Hang on, Lewis. You know the code to unlock this. Unlock my damn suit so I can go get them!"

Lewis shook his head. "I'm sorry, mate. I don't have that code. We don't know where they are. And your other suits are locked down, as well."

Tony kicked the table. "Damn it, John!"

Rose shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense. I want to change. Jack, you are going to take me to him."

Jack didn't take his eyes off of the screen he was looking at. "Right, Rose. Go get out of the dress."

Lewis looked at Rose. "I am to remain with you."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Then pop me and you back into my closet. I'm going to get him!"

Lewis bit his lip. "Right. Lance. You are in charge here."

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Lewis popped Rose back into her and the Doctor's bedroom. Rose walked into the closet. She turned and pointed at the doorway. "Stay just here, Lewis. I'll just be a minute."

Lewis nodded his head. "Right."

Rose started to walk away, then remembered her dress. She walked back to him. "Would you mind?"

Lewis blushed, and unzipped the back of her dress. She walked into the closet. He stood in the doorway and turned around. After a bit, he cleared his throat. "Your bracelet will not take you anywhere. It's been deactivated."

He heard her voice from the closet. "Damn it."

He grinned as he realized he had known that she was planning on popping away.

"Rose, we are working to find him. We'll get him back."

After a few moments, Rose walked out of the closet wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She had slipped on some boots. "I'm going to help."

Lewis looked at her and shook his head. "You know he wouldn't want that."

Rose became angry. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Lewis. "I don't think this is completely up to him! I do have a say in this!" Her eyes flashed yellow.

Lewis' eyes became huge. He nodded his head and took her hand. "Rose, I hear you. You have to understand, I'm only doing what I've been ordered to do."

Rose took a deep breath and blinked away tears. "Lewis…"

"Rose. We're going to get him back, but I'm going to need your help. I need your help to find him and the others. Please help us with this, so we can help them." Lewis asked her calmly.

Rose wiped her tears and nodded her head. "Alright."

Lewis took her hand. He popped them both back into the Doctor's workshop.

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Pete was up, looking at the screens with the other men. Tony sat at a computer, searching something and running programs Rose had never seen before.

Lewis asked, "Any luck?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing yet. I'm trying everything I can think of."

Lance sighed, "Damn. Where the hell are they?"

Pete turned to look at Lewis. "Legate told you lot it was Torchwood Agents?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Yes. Fifteen of them. Torchwood is locked down at the moment."

Rose stood on the other side of the desk, looking at the monitors. "Torchwood Agents did this?"

Pete crossed his arms, "Sleepers. They would have had to have a guy on the inside at the palace. Harriet, who was that security guard that came to get them?"

Harriet shook her head. "I had never seen him before. A security guard."

Tony shook his head. "Phhhh…. This is shit! How am I supposed to do anything with everything locked out? Hang on. Idea." He started to type again on the computer.

Pete turned around and looked at Lewis. "So, the Doctor has shut everything down?"

Lewis nodded his head. He turned to look at Rose. "Rose. Tell me. Do you feel anything at all? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Rose shook her head. "No. I'm alright."

Lewis seemed satisfied. "That's good news."

Rose sat at the large desk. "You can't talk to him, either?"

Lewis shook his head. "No. None of the unit can. Him and Legate are both being blocked."

Licis walked back into the workshop. He was carrying Sam who was screaming. Rose rushed to him and took him in her arms to comfort him. Harriet put her arm around her as they walked back over and sat on the sofa together.

Lewis nodded at Licis. Rose was able to get Sam quiet within moments. She held him and rocked him where she sat.

Harriet patted her knee. "I'll get him a bottle and us a cup of tea. That's just the thing we need."

Lewis sat back down in front of Rose and smiled at Sam as he tickled his cheek. Sam took Lewis' finger and put it in his mouth. Rose and Lewis both smiled.

Lewis grinned, "He loves chewing on my finger."

Rose smiled at him. "Sam. You always make everyone feel better."

Lewis looked at her, "Rose, he's going to be alright."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him as she felt his emotions. "You have no intentions of helping me get to him. He's told you not to allow it."

Lewis sighed, "Rose. My first duty is to you. It's what I've been entrusted to do. I'm to remain with you and ensure your safety."

Harriet returned and handed Rose a bottle for Sam. She sat the tea down on the table that Lewis sat on.

Pete shook his head as he joined them on the sofa. "This doesn't make sense. You lot are supposed to protect the family. Why does it sound like he's the one calling the shots here?"

Jack laughed as he looked at the monitors, "Have you met who we are talking about, here?"

Summus popped back into the room. "This is just shit. How the hell could they have left the Palace unseen? Security doesn't even have them on video. It's like they just….disappeared. I can't even hear them in my head."

Lewis asked. "Watch use?"

Summus shook his head. "Makes sense and doesn't make sense. Well, no. They couldn't have. He activated the Priority One before they left the Palace."

Tony spoke as he pointed at the monitor, "Unless you have a guy on the inside at Watch Control. Look at this. Ten minutes before our guys were taken, we had these fifteen guys pop into the Palace."

"Priority One would have prevented them from using the watch to pop back out." Summus thought out loud.

Pete shook his head. "More than these Torchwood agents are behind this. Jesus. Tony, get me a list of all of those users."

Tony nodded his head. "Got it."

Pete made a call, "Thomas. I need a detailed manifest of everyone who has been in the Torchwood building within the past hour."

Thomas said something. Pete nodded his head. "Yes. Space port, too. Good man. Cheers."

Pete ended the call. "Well, the phones still work. That's something. Is the Doctor's phone still on? We can ring him?"

Lewis shook his head. "As soon as he activates a Priority One, an electromagnetic pulse from his bracelet shorts out everything in the room. None of the bad guys phones, watches or anything are working any longer."

Tony looked surprised, "I didn't put that in there."

Lewis laughed under his breath. "Oh, there's several things he's got in there he hasn't told you about. He's had some time with it."

Tony looked impressed.

Pete shook his head. "Hang on, if he had used an EMP, the lights in the Palace would be out."

Harriet shook her head. "No. They are all gas still. Have been for years in those rooms we were in."

Pete tossed his hands in the air. "Damn it."

Jack added, "They would have had to leave on foot. Why is there a telepathic black-out? Rose should be able to speak to him."

Summus looked at the monitors, "All of the unit should be able to speak to him and Legate. They are both silent."

Lewis looked at Rose. "Rose. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Rose looked at him surprised, "No. I'm alright."

"No, I mean…do you hurt anywhere? Is anything uncomfortable?"

Rose thought. "My head aches a bit. Right here on the side."

Pete said. "They have hit him in the head and knocked him out?"

Jack shook his head. "You really would have to hit him really damn hard to do that. That's not it."

Tony added, "Any fast force like that would have been prevented with his personal force field. He's not been struck. That's not it."

Lewis added, "But, his wrist band is turned off."

Tony didn't look away from the monitor, "Nah. Personal protection is still online. It's a different program."

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