Journey Amongst the Stars
By Lumendea
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Empty Child:
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
…
Waking up in a strange place wasn't a strange event for Rose. Life on the TARDIS was unpredictable. She stayed still and breathed slowly, trying to make it appear that she was still asleep. The surface below her was soft and warm. Prisoners weren't usually left someplace this comfortable, and she relaxed a little.
Then the memory of what had happened hit her. Jack. He had helped her down from the balloon when cutting it to let the air out had limited success. Her hands stung, and she recalled the balloon and that strange child who had kept calling for his mother and hadn't been alarmed when she drifted away. Opening her eyes, Rose put it out of her head. There were other things to worry about right now.
Rose cautiously looked around the ship. It was small and compact, almost like the submarines in old films and photos. Everything was tightly packed, and it was fairly dark. A control panel a few feet away was full of small lights and had a window that looked out over London. She'd never seen anything like this before. Jack didn't use a ship as far as she knew other than the TARDIS he'd eventually share with Athena and Melody. Wow, she didn't want to think about that right now.
Sitting up the rest of the way, Rose swung her legs out of bed and got ready to stand. There was a man in the control chair next to the controls. It was Jack, and he swung around as her feet hit the floor with a soft thump. Jack was smiling at her, but it was that charming smile he used on people when he first met them. It wasn't forced, but it wasn't his normal Rose smile. He didn't know her. Rose's heart skipped a beat as nervousness took hold. This was their first meeting in his timeline.
Don't be nervous, Rose told herself, but it didn't help much. This was Jack, one of her all-time best friends who would literally die to protect her in his future. Who would hang around Earth for years to help keep her safe and prove himself loyal over and over again. Who would eventually date her daughter- okay, she really didn't want to think about that one. It was a lot of pressure.
"Thanks for the help," Rose said. "I was starting to worry about crashing into the side of a building."
"You're welcome." Jack chuckled a little. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Rose hesitated for a moment. "Got any lights?" Jack hit a button, and the small cabin brightened enough that Rose could see thing a bit more clearly. "Thanks." Smiling a little, she turned her attention fully to Jack. "I think introductions are in order."
"Captain Jack Harkness, One Three Three Squadron, Royal Air Force." Jack pulled a small wallet from his coat and handed it to her. "American volunteer."
Rose accepted the ID card with a small chuckle. Her mind buzzed softly as the psychic paper tried to control what she saw. It was unexpected, and Rose made a note to talk to the Doctor about it later. Still, she was able to see the words on the paper that Jack had handed over.
"That's funny," she teased. "I could swear that this is psychic paper." She gave Jack a tongue touched smile. "You know, that stuff that tells me whatever you want it to tell me."
"How do you know?" Jack asked. He didn't seem worried by her knowledge.
"Two things. One, I have a friend who uses this all the time."
"Ah."
"And two, you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out."
Jack laughed and held out his hand. "Tricky thing, psychic paper."
"Yes, it is." Rose smiled and handed the paper back, trying to push her thoughts into the material. It was harder than she thought it would be to keep her thoughts narrowed on a single purpose.
"Rose Tyler," Jack read. "You're flattered, but you have your eye on someone." He pouted cutely. "A day late and a dollar short?"
"More like years late, I'm afraid." Rose sighed and shrugged. "We're working through some stuff, but even a boy as pretty as you isn't going to sway me."
"I'm both flattered and offended."
"I'm sure you'll manage." Rose tilted her head and studied Jack for a moment. "So, what brings you to London?" She nodded at the controls. "This is a nice little ship, and you sure aren't a local boy."
"You're not a local girl."
"Of course, I am," Rose huffed dramatically. "Born and raised Londoner."
"A cell phone, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades."
"I never said that I was a girl from now." Rose shifted her hands and flinched as the fabric of the bed rubbed her hands.
"No, no, you didn't." Jack pointed at her hands. "Did you burn your hands?"
"Yeah." Rose looked down at her hands. A bomb whistled as it dropped past the ship. "It was better than the alternative." She glanced at the window. "I assume you have some sort of cloaking tech on."
"Don't worry; no one can see us," Jack assured her. He stood up and stepped towards her. "Can I see your hands?"
"You gonna give me first aide?" Rose asked. She raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Do you have a medical bay tucked away in here."
"Better." Jack picked up a scarf as Rose stood up and gently wrapped it around her wrists.
"Uh… this is an odd way to start first aid."
"It's just to keep your hands still," Jack said. "This won't hurt, I promise."
Rose didn't struggle. This was Jack. He might not know her, but she was confident that Jack would never hurt her. For all his bluster, he was a good man and a gentle one. TO her amazement, a golden cloud appeared when Jack pressed a button. It surrounded her hands, and there was a strange tickling sensation. Keeping her herself still, Rose tried to see what was happening, but the cloud was just a mass of tiny dots. She couldn't make out any details.
"Nanotech?" she guessed.
"In this form, its called nanogene," Jack offered. "The air in here is full of them. They just repaired three layers of your skin."
"Did you add them or did they come with the ship?" Rose asked curiously.
"Came with the ship." Amusement coloured Jack's voice. "You can move now."
He reached to undo the scarf, but Rose was able to turn her hands enough to pull it free herself. UNIT would have been so pleased to know that their training was still proving so useful. Still, she'd been trained under false pretenses, so Rose didn't have any plans to thank them. The light in the ship was still low, but Rose was able to turn her palms up and examine the new layer of skin. It was a touch tender and unbelievably smooth, but it was no doubt healed.
"They do nice work."
"So you're a London girl, but not from now." Jack's smile turned charming again. "At least you aren't pretending you're not a Time Agent. I appreciate that."
Rose had heard the title before but had never gotten any details as to what a Time Agent did or how they worked for. Jack had let a few things slip over their many lunch dates over the years, and Rose hoped that it would be enough.
"I try not to insult people's intelligence."
"That's a good system. I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"
"I can honestly say no." Rose shook her head. "I don't recommend it."
That got a laugh out of Jack. "Sounds like a story."
"Not really," Rose admitted. "There was a child, I thought they were stranded, but now I'm afraid that they were trying to prank me. A really terrible prank."
"Yikes, but shall we get down to business?"
"Business?" Rose repeated.
"Shall we have a drink on the balcony? Bring up the glasses."
He grinned as he opened the hatch on the top of his spaceship with almost a flourish. He nodded to a pair of waiting glasses. "Bring up the glasses."
Rose almost groaned, then she almost laughed. This was Jack to a level she'd never seen him. With a cocky smile, he vanished up top, and Rose shook her head fondly. Picking up the glasses, she carefully followed up him onto the top of the spaceship. The wind had died down a bit thankfully, which kept Rose calm as she saw how high up they were. Below them, searchlights were moving across the sky, and she could see more barrage balloon bobbing in the breeze, thankfully all tethered.
"Problem?" Jack asked.
"I hate not seeing what I'm standing on," Rose admitted.
Jack chuckled and gave her another charming smile. He pulled a small remote from his coat, and a moment later the smooth hull of the ship appeared beneath Rose's feet. She relaxed and looked around. A small table with an old fashioned record player and bottle of champagne was nearby. Rose figured he must have set up while she was having a nap. Her eyes jumped up to the massive clock face of Big Hen beside them.
"Nice parking spot."
"First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember." Jack popped open the bottle of champagne and filled the glasses. Rose struggled not to giggle.
…
Nancy crept forward along the railroad tracks with purpose and light steps. Her dark clothing helped her blend into the shadows as she slipped into a small shack. In her arms was a bundle with the cans and packaged food that she'd taken from the Lloyd's kitchen. There was a small glimmer of pleasure in her chest, but she didn't let it grow.
With quick and practiced movements, Nancy packed the food away and dusted off her hands. She was considering turning in for the night when she stood up and found the Doctor smiling at her from a few feet away. He was relaxed, and despite the stories from the children she helped out, she had the sense that he wasn't going to hurt her.
"How'd you follow me here?" Nancy asked.
"I'm good at following, me. Got the nose for it."
She didn't laugh at the joke, at least she hoped he meant it as a joke. "People can't usually follow me if I don't want them to."
"My nose has special powers."
"Yeah? That's why it's…" Nancy trailed off, not feeling much like joking herself.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"Nothing. Do your ears have special powers too?"
"What are you trying to say?"
She got the impression he really didn't know or was really good at playing the fool. He wasn't one. Nancy was sure of that, and she didn't like having him poking around. He was too curious about the worst things for a person to be curious about.
"Goodnight, Mister," she said.
"Nancy, there's something chasing you and the other kids," the man said. His voice was firm and gentle at the same time, almost pleading. "Looks like a boy and it isn't a boy, and it started about a month ago, right? The thing I'm looking for, the thing that fell from the sky, that's when it landed. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
"There was a bomb," Nancy admitted. She didn't know why she was willing to tell him. It was a bad idea. "A bomb that wasn't a bomb. Fell the other end of Limehouse Green Station."
"Take me there."
"There's soldiers guarding it. Barbed wire. You'll never get through."
"Try me."
"You sure you want to know what's going on in there?" Nancy asked.
"I really want to know."
He seemed earnest, and Nancy knew he wouldn't stop following her. At least, she had tried to warn him. If Jam- if he was infected, it wasn't her fault.
"Then there's someone you need to talk to first."
"And who might that be?"
"The Doctor," she answered.
….
Jack was in rare flirt form. It made Rose realize that even with all the flirty comments in her past, he'd never actually meant any of it. When he was in full-on seduction mode, you noticed, and it was a little uncomfortable to be honest, at least for Rose who saw him as a big brother. They had a strange relationship.
"You know, it's getting a bit late. I should really be getting back."
"We're discussing business."
"This isn't business," Rose said. "This is champagne." She gestured to the bottle in question.
"I try never to discuss business with a clear head. Are you travelling alone? Are you authorised to negotiate with me?" Jack shifted even closer to her.
"What would we be negotiating?" Rose asked, curious as to what Jack was doing.
"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?"
"I'm afraid not," Rose answered. "Not alone at least," she added quickly. "My partner and I would need to discuss it first."
"Partner?"
"Talking of him, I should really find where he's gone off to." Rose looked out into the city.
"He?"
"So when you say your partner, just how disappointed should I be?"
"We're on a spaceship tethered to Big Ben during a German air raid," Rose pointed out. She was torn between horror and laughter. "Do you really think now's a good time to be coming on to me?"
"Perhaps not." Jack gave her another cocky smile. "Do you like Glenn Miller?"
"Yes."
Rose knew what was coming. The memory of Prague and Jack cutting in sprang to the forefront of her mind. A moment late, Jack pressed another button on his remote, and Moonlight Serenade began to play. He didn't wait for an invitation, stepping closer and taking Rose in his arms to dance. She barely held in a giggle. Their song indeed.
"It's 1941, the height of the London Blitz, the height of the German bombing campaign, and something else has fallen on London. A fully equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is because I parked it. If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Now, shall we discuss payment?"
"You're not leaving me much time."
"Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater."
"You used to be a Time Agent, and now you're some kind of freelancer. So is this what you do?" Rose asked. "Find things and put them on a deadline?"
"You said you needed to talk to your partner?"
"You didn't answer my question," Rose pointed out. "But yes." She shifted her hands and gently pushed Jack away. "So, if you're so determined then we should go find him. He's the one in charge of technology."
"And what are you in charge of?"
Rose fixed Jack with a knowing look. He didn't flinch under her gaze, but his eyes flickered the tiniest bit. "The people." She didn't linger on the silent conversation and gestured out into the city. "Got a scan? He's got alien tech on him."
"I do, indeed."
Jack's smile returned full force, and he stepped closer to Rose once again. He shifted his wrist, and the vortex manipulator he wore came into view. He pressed a few buttons, and when it beeped, held his arm out to Rose. With a fond shake of her head, Rose took his arm and let him lead her back into the ship.