Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

Notes 3: So, so sorry for the delay! I've been battling chronic fatigue syndrome and A levels. I am now writing again, and the next chapter will be up within the next few days. Be assured, I have not and will not be abandoning this fic. I know what's happening, I know what's going to be happening, there will be at least another fic to the 'Domestic' saga.

Chapter Six

"Help! Hey, we need some medical attention here!" Jack yelled. Rose lay on the ground, head cushioned on his jacket. She was pale and shaking, her eyes closed.

Ace was banging on the door, her fists thudding uselessly against the metal. "Hey!" she called out. "Hey, c'mon! Help us!"

"He must be monitoring us somehow," Sarah Jane said, from the other side of the room. She was keeping an eye on Jamie, the companion who didn't remember the Doctor. "He has to be – he kept pumping drugs into the air. Why doesn't he come?"

"He's an unfeeling creature," Tegan snapped, running a hand through her hair. "I don't think he even has a heart!"

"He's got two," Nyssa reminded her. She held Rose's hand tightly. "She's burning up – I don't understand it," she said quietly to Jack. "If she gets much hotter, it could be very dangerous." She wondered briefly whether it was a reaction to the remnants of the soporific gas in the air of the room, then dismissed the thought.

"I know," Jack muttered. "Keep trying," he ordered Ace. "You – Ian – help her!" Ian and Turlough joined Ace, trying to batter the door open. "Dammit, Rose, hold on," he urged her.

"Come on," Ace yelled through the door again. "She's sick!"

Rose's eyes opened; Jack sucked in a breath at the sight. Gold light shone from her eyes and submerged her pupils. It made her skin seem even paler.

"Rose, what've you done?" he asked in a murmur. She gazed unseeing at him, and clutched at something in the air.

The door slid open with a faint hiss; Ace and the others stumbled back in surprise as the Master swept in. The door closed behind him.

"What," he began icily, "is going on here?" His eyes swept the room and landed on Rose. "What is the matter with her?" he demanded.

"I don't know – she's got a fever," Jack said hurriedly. "Please, you've got to help her."

"I don't have to do anything," the Time Lord retorted. His gaze moved to Nyssa. "You. What's happening to the girl?"

"I don't know," Nyssa said, echoing Jack. "Her temperature has elevated dangerously quickly. Other than that, I can't tell without proper diagnostic equipment." Rose clutched her hand tightly, and Nyssa glanced down at her and then looked back at the Master. "Please, this could be damaging the baby."

The Master hesitated for a moment, then nodded curtly. "You, Nyssa, will bring Miss Tyler into my medical facility. The rest of you will stay here."

"I'm not leaving Rose," Jack said, standing up.

"You have no choice," the Master retorted. "If you want her to be examined, you will remain here. I can just as easily leave her to die."

"He'll do it, too," Tegan said, mouth twisted in disgust. "Jack, do as he says. Nyssa'll look after her."

"I can't carry her," Nyssa said, releasing Rose's hand and standing up. "I'll need help."

The Master glanced around the room. "You – help her," he directed, pointing at Jo Grant. Together Jo and Nyssa managed to carefully pick Rose up. "I warn you," he continued, addressing the room in general, "don't try anything foolish. You will be returned to your correct time and place when I have done with you."

"As if we can believe you," Turlough retorted.

"Please," Jack said, following Nyssa to the door. "Take care of her."

"I'll do my best," the woman promised. "Be careful, Jack."

The Master opened the door with a device on his wrist; Nyssa and Jo stepped through, Rose carried between them. The door closed behind the Master, shutting the companions, past and current, into the room again.

The Master remained with Nyssa and Jo as the former tackled the Time Lord's diagnostic equipment in an attempt to discover what was wrong with Rose. The pregnant time traveller lay unconscious on the one bed in the medical facility, a sterile white room. Jo stood near her head, hovering nervously. Nyssa worked, trying to ignore the Master.

Finally she managed to set a hand-held scanner to human parameters, and moved it through the air above Rose's body. She frowned faintly, pressed a button, and tried again.

"This doesn't make sense," she murmured.

"What is it?" the Master demanded from his position near the doorway.

"She's human," Nyssa said, thinking aloud. "But there are some strange readings…"

"We need to do something to bring her temperature down," Jo put in. "She's burning up." She looked at Nyssa anxiously. "Cold water?"

"That won't make much of a difference at this point," Nyssa replied. "But it can't hurt." She turned to the Master, one eyebrow raised imperiously. "Towels and water?"

The Master indicated a cupboard; Jo opened it to reveal towels and a basin. She soaked a towel with cold water, squeezed out the excess, and went to pat Rose down.

"I don't know why she's so pale – she should be red and sweating, with a fever this high," Nyssa muttered, reading the display on the diagnostic scanner. "This doesn't make any sense. I've never seen anything like this before!" She abandoned the scanner and turned to the Master. "I need Jack Harkness," she told him. "He knows Rose – he must be able to help me."

"You will work with what you are given, Nyssa of Traken," the Master told her icily. "Get a move on."

"It's not that simple," Nyssa muttered, turning away from him. She checked Rose's pulse, counting silently, then picked up the scanner again. "Perhaps…" She changed the input parameters, and her eyes widened. "But she said – "

"What is it?" Jo demanded, still patting Rose's exposed skin with the wet towel.

"I've altered the scanner's parameters," Nyssa explained. "I had what the Doctor would call a hunch." She looked down at Rose. "She reads as both a human and a Gallifreyan."

The Master suddenly became very interested. He crossed the room to stand at the foot of the bed. "Gallifreyan?" he demanded. "Impossible."

"I'm telling you, that's what the scanner is indicating," Nyssa said, trying to hold back her anger. "I can't tell you anything else without some more sophisticated technology."

"Wake her up," the Master ordered.

"It's not safe," Nyssa protested.

"Do it," he snapped. Jo looked between them, then shook Rose's shoulders gently.

"Rose," she said softly. "Rose, come on, wake up." Rose moaned slightly. "Yes, that's right. Come on." Nyssa went to get some more damp towels as Rose's eyes flickered open.

"Where am I?" Rose demanded after a moment. Her voice was hoarse. All gold was gone from her eyes. She sat up slowly, brushing away the hands that moved to stop her. "What's happening?"

"Don't you remember?" Jo demanded. "You fainted, Rose."

"Her temperature's going down," Nyssa reported, moving the scanner over Rose. "It's back to a safe level."

"What?" Rose said groggily. "Did I have a fever or something?" She looked around. "Where's Jack?" she demanded.

"He's back with the others," Jo told her. "We're in a medical bay of some sort."

Rose looked up at Nyssa, eyes wide. "Is the baby alright?" she asked urgently. "Nothing's happened to it?"

"The baby seems fine," Nyssa assured her. "Do you remember anything that happened, Rose?"

"What are you?" the Master demanded before Rose could do anything but open her mouth to answer.

"Animal, vegetable or mineral," Rose retorted after a moment. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed a hand over her swollen stomach. "God, he's busy in there," she muttered. "Is there any water?" she wanted to know.

"No," the Master rapped out. "What are you, girl?"

"I'm a mother," Rose answered, closing her eyes briefly.

"What species?"

"Human, originally." Rose opened her eyes and looked straight at him. "It's nothing to you, Time Lord. It's none of your business. You shouldn't have messed with me."

"Is that a threat?" he wanted to know.

"No, it's a statement," Rose said with a faint smile. Then she frowned. "I think something's wrong," she said flatly. "The baby…" She gave a moan and then bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"What's going on?" Jo asked nervously.

"I think…" Nyssa began, then trailed off and pressed a combination of buttons on the scanner. She shook her head incredulously. "Impossible. Rose, how far along are you?"

"Six months, I think," Rose said. "Don't tell me I'm in labour."

"You're having the baby now?" the Master demanded, an expression of utter distaste on his face. "Impossible."

"I don't feel like I'm in labour," Rose said worriedly. "Isn't it supposed to hurt?"

"Not initially," Nyssa said. "But if the baby's born now…" She cast a horrified look at the Master. "it would need intensive medical attention, and I'm not trained in paediatric medicine."

"But it's not due yet," Rose said, eyes wide. "It's not due for at least two months – more than that!"

"But temporally –," Nyssa cut herself off abruptly and glanced again at the Master.

"What," he said in a dangerous voice, "is going on here?"

There were two things wrong with this plan, as far as Jack could tell. The first problem was that it involved breaking down the metal door. The second problem was that the Master would know exactly what they had done.

But they had no other options, and Jack wasn't going to let Rose be sick here, with the Master. He needed to get her back to the Doctor, and fast. From what the others had told him, the Master was using a kind of sleeping gas to keep them under control – and he didn't want to think what that would do to Rose and the baby.

They'd fashioned a crude battering ram out of the chairs in the room, and the door was looking a little skewed already.

"Keep going," Jack ordered. "On three – one, two – three!" They heaved the battering ram at the door. "Again, on three! One, two, three!"

"This isn't going to work," Barbara said worriedly. "Surely he'll hear."

"That's not terribly helpful, Barbara," Ian said, his words clipped with breathlessness.

"On three," Jack said loudly, cutting across them. "One – two – three!"

The battering ram hit the metal again and promptly fell apart. The people holding it fell back – a couple fell over. Jack was on his feet and at the door within seconds.

The metal had caved. Not by much, but enough for Jack to slip his hand into the gap and push the door open.

"Right," he said, turning back to the group. "We need to get you out of here, as fast as possible. Does anyone know the way to the control room?"

"I think I remember," Sarah Jane offered. "But – aren't you coming too?"

"I can't leave Rose," Jack said, shaking his head. "And Nyssa and Jo are still in here. No, I'm staying put. But listen, the Doctor will have followed us here – if we're lucky, he'll be out there somewhere, in the TARDIS. Find him, get inside the TARDIS, and tell him what's going on. Alright?" He looked around at everyone. "Everyone understood?"

"I'm staying," Ace said, a determined look on her face. "You'll need some help. We might be able to find my bag – I've got explosives in there."

"Alright," Jack conceded after a moment. "But no-one else," he added sternly as Tegan opened her mouth. "You need to get out and find the Doctor." He gripped Sarah's shoulder. "You're sure you know how to get out?" he demanded.

"Yes – and K-9 will remember." She looked down at the robot, never far from her. "K-9?"

"Affirmative, Mistress," the robot beeped. "Follow me." He wheeled through the doorway, Sarah following him. Jack nodded at everyone as they followed suit – Ian, Barbara, Tegan, Jamie, Turlough, Vicki and Liz. Finally, when they were all gone, he turned to Ace.

"We'd better find your bag," he said. "And then we've got to find Rose."

"And keep out of the Master's way," Ace suggested. "I'm all for blowing him up, but not while he's got Rose."

"Agreed," Jack nodded. "Let's go."

K-9 proved true as always; he led the former companions to the control room of the Master's TARDIS. Turlough hovered over the controls for a moment.

"Turlough, come on," Tegan said impatiently. "You can't mess about with it, not with Nyssa and the others still in here!"

"Oh, alright," Turlough conceded. He checked a readout. "It's breathable atmosphere," he reported, and pulled a lever to open the doors.

"We'd better stick together," Jamie suggested.

"Good idea," Ian nodded. "Come on, then." He exited the TARDIS and looked around him. "It's hot," was his first thought.

"Very hot," Liz Shaw agreed.

"It reminds me of home," Vicki observed quietly. Tegan gave her a warm smile. "Look – isn't that the TARDIS?" She pointed at a distant hill. A speck of blue was starkly visible against the yellow sands of the desert they had found themselves in.

"It could be," Sarah said cautiously. "K-9, can you see?"

"Affirmative, Mistress. It is the TARDIS," the robot confirmed. "It is estimated that it will take two hours to reach the TARDIS on foot."

"That's a long time," Tegan said worriedly. "Jack and Ace won't be able to distract the Master for that long."

"Suggestion: I can go ahead," K-9 beeped.

"Can you get there faster?" Liz wanted to know.

"Affirmative."

"Go on, then, K-9," Sarah ordered. "Tell the Doctor what's happening, and that we're on our way."

K-9 departed as fast as his wheels could take him. The group of companions followed him at a much slower pace.

Susan sighed and watched her grandfather pace about. He was clearly torn with indecision, but she couldn't help him. Every time she suggested anything, he came up with half a dozen reasons for why it wouldn't work.

She'd never seen him this frantic with worry.

"Grandfather, we have to do something soon," she spoke up after long minutes of silence, broken only by the gentle hum of the TARDIS engines. "Rose and Jack – "

"I know, Susan," the Doctor snapped. "I'm thinking."

"You've been thinking for a while," she pointed out gently.

"I know," the Doctor muttered, and collapsed into the chair. "I don't know what to do."

"I – " Susan cut herself off, frowning faintly. "Do you hear something?"

"Yes," the Doctor said after a moment. He sprang up and crossed the control room to the TARDIS door. He flung it open – and stopped, blinking stupidly.

"K-9?" he said, almost tentatively, after a long moment.

"My sensors indicate you are the Doctor," the robotic dog said. "Please confirm."

"Yeah – you – what's going on?" the Doctor demanded.

"My Mistress sent me ahead to give you information," K-9 beeped.

"Mistress – Sarah Jane?" The Doctor rubbed a hand over his face. "Bloody hell. Right. In you come, then."

"Affirmative," said the robot, and wheeled into the TARDIS. The Doctor scanned the horizon; he could see the Master's TARDIS, still in the same place on a far-off dune, and a dark blob of what he assumed were people. Sarah Jane. And others, but who?

He shrugged. He'd find out soon enough, and whether Rose was with them.

If she wasn't…

He refused to think about that. He closed the door and turned around.

"K-9, this is my granddaughter," he said. "Susan, this is K-9. I made him, few hundred years back."

Susan crossed the room and inspected the robot. "Interesting."

"I bring news from my Mistress," K-9 said.

"Is Rose alright? Have you seen her?" the Doctor demanded quickly.

"Affirmative," the robot said. "Rose Tyler, female, pregnant. She collapsed and was taken for treatment by Jo Grant and Nyssa of Traken."

"Jo and Nyssa?" the Doctor repeated strangely. "Rose collapsed?"

"Her temperature was elevated," K-9 replied.

"What about Jack?" Susan asked. "Was Jack there too?"

"Captain Jack Harkness was present," K-9 confirmed.

"Who else?" the Doctor demanded, crossing to the console. His fingers skittered over the keyboard. "Who else does the Master have, K-9? Sarah, Jo, Nyssa…"

"The Master currently has three people in his custody," K-9 said. "Rose Tyler, Jo Grant, and Nyssa of Traken. Captain Harkness and Ace are in his TARDIS."

The Doctor looked up quickly. "In his TARDIS – but not his prisoners? They escaped?"

"Affirmative. My Mistress is on her way here with others." K-9's ears rotated. "Liz Shaw, Vislor Turlough, Jamie McCrimmon, Vicki, Tegan Jovanka, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright."

"Ian and Barbara?" Susan repeated with a slight smile. "How wonderful."

"Not really," the Doctor contradicted. "How was he controlling them, K-9? I can't picture Ace and Sarah sitting still for too long without trying to escape."

"A sleeping gas was pumped into the room at six hour intervals," K-9 reported. "This was omitted when the Master took Rose Tyler, Jo Grant and Nyssa of Traken to the medical bay."

"And they took advantage of it," the Doctor nodded. "Right. We'll wait for them to get here, then I'll hop the TARDIS over there. It's time I had a chat with the Master."

To be continued...sooner rather than later!