AN: Since all you guys have been brilliant in reviewing this story I'm giving you the special treat of two chapters. 'How lucky are we ?' I hear you say. Well you don't but... oh never mind. Enjoy the chapters!
It was over a week before Rose and the Doctor felt confidant enough to tell Jack. He was happy for them, but at the same time it was almost like the last straw. They were a family and Jack was… nothing. Just a spare part of the TARDIS.
"When are you going to tell your Mum?" Jack asked. "And Mickey?"
"When I've been pregnant about a month," Rose replied. "You know, just to be sure."
"What we gonna do until then?" Jack said leaning on the console. "I mean no doubt the Doctor'll have you under TARDIS arrest."
Rose paused wide-eyed before turning to the Doctor.
"You've got to be kidding, right?" She said quietly.
"Well, Rose," he began. "We can't go running about on adventures when you're carrying a child."
"Oh c'mon, you gotta let me out now!" Rose moaned. "I won't be able to walk in a few months, let alone run!"
The Doctor hesitated.
"Alright," he said giving in. "But nothing too dangerous, got it?"
"Ok," Rose said smiling as the Doctor caved.
"I suppose you wanna go now do you?" Asked the Doctor grinning.
"Yup," Rose replied.
Jack smiled half-heartedly. It was times like this that he felt even more pushed out. It wasn't that he resented them being together, it was much better than when they were fighting.
Maybe things would be better once the baby was born. They'd need all the help and support they could get so maybe Jack would be more involved?
The TARDIS screeched to a halt and the Doctor opened the doors cautiously looking out before letting Jack and Rose out. He looked around frowning. This place seemed strangely familiar, though he was sure he'd never been there before.
It was a large ruin, like something out of ancient Greece, but they weren't on Earth. It was quite dark and the sky was a deep red. They walked forward through the ruin until Rose uttered a cry of surprise.
"What is it?" The Doctor asked, immediately by her side. She pointed at the ground startled by what she'd found. It was a skeleton, a human skeleton, and as the Doctor shifted some rubble he saw there were more.
Taking out the Sonic Screwdriver he examined them and made a slightly disturbing discovery.
"They weren't killed by the building collapsing," he said straightening up and pocketing the Screwdriver.
"What killed them then?" Rose asked frowning.
"They died from brain trauma," the Doctor said, still frowning, contemplating carefully. "By the looks of heir skulls they were, at one point, all connected by micro chips."
"Like on Satellite Five?" Rose asked watching the Doctor as he wandered about shifting rocks still, as though he were looking for something.
"Yes," the Doctor pulled another rock out the way. "But these chips were used to control the people."
"Control them?" Jack looked increasingly more confused and worried.
"By using their fears against them," the Doctor continued. "Whenever one of them did something they shouldn't, their fear would become reality, or at least it would seem real to them. Disobey too many times and it did become reality."
"Isn't that one, illegal and two, potentially dangerous?" Jack asked. The Doctor nodded.
"It's been outlawed in most parts of the universe," he said looking around again. He was starting to feel more and more uneasy.
"Looks like they revolted or something," Jack said looking at all the skeletons the Doctor had unearthed.
"Or they were being used for something else and were no longer needed," the Doctor mused.
"Do either of you feel like this isn't a good place to be?" Rose asked quietly, starting to feel nervous.
"Yeah, lets go back to the TARDIS Doctor," Jack said, stepping backwards slightly.
You won't be going anywhere.
"Ok, I'm hearing voices in my head," Rose said looking from Jack to the Doctor, who had evidently heard the voice as well. All three turned and saw a large shadow floating in front of them.
"What's that?" Jack asked glancing at the Doctor, as the pair of them stepped either side of Rose.
I am your worst nightmare.
Rose whimpered, grabbing the Doctor's hand. Jack took a step closer to the pair.
"That is the Falos high chief," the Doctor said quietly. "It's like a living fear. Whatever scares you most, it drives itself to make it reality. It's what those chips are based on."
My people were enslaved in those chips, but we rose up and destroyed our enslavers. Now we roam free, but we need the Time Lord. We can exist but without the right metabolism we cannot die. We will exist forever. We will go insane.
"Great, another species after my genes," the Doctor complained. "Why exactly should I hand myself over?"
We still possess the power to make our fear a reality. In our current form we can even get past your defences Time Lord. If you do not hand yourself over we will kill your companions.
"Fantastic," the Doctor said pulling Rose and Jack closer. "Looks like we're going with you. If you weren't the High Chief I'd say take us to your leader."