Chapter 6: Of Hell and Handbaskets

This wasn't Hell. It wasn't even a passable imitation. Humankind wouldn't discover the planet Hell for some time and, when they did, they truly meant it. Scorching heat, flaming lakes, sulphur atmosphere. Not a very pleasant location admittedly, but humans still lived there. All part of their charm, of course. They lived there because they could.

"Not really," he said, shaking his head. "Not enough heat and certainly not the right atmosphere. Needs more sulphur and brimstone." He met the Bad Wolf's gaze boldly, doing his best to seem unfazed by the fact that she was once his Rose Tyler. Then again, he'd always been a champion liar – especially when it came to lying to himself.

She laughed and it was so much like her laugh that it caused his hearts to clench in his chest. "You always were a witty one, in any and all of your forms, Time Lord. Did you wonder why I let you approach? Why your passage was so easy?"

Did she think he was particularly daft? Of course he knew. Her plan was completely clear. Practically bull-fighter-holding-a-red-blanket obvious. Though, he didn't care for the imagery of him being the bull. Dog whistle? No. He made a mental note to veer away from the animal metaphors. "Wonder? No. I already knew. You see, out of everyone on this tiny little planet – well, the universe really, but I wouldn't want to boast - I'm your only threat. You already know me and know what I'm capable of. You're scared," he taunted, taking a step toward her.

She moved back only a step, but it was a minor victory. "I fear nothing. Not when I can see everything. All these possibilities, all these futures. In one, I die but not before I take you and all your future regenerations with me. In another, you join me, unable to bear to be parted from the one I once was. In another, we both fail, but the universe dies and that is enough. I prefer to make my own future." She looked at him and her eyes swirled with the shimmering energy of the Vortex.

"Cockiness doesn't become you," he replied as he held out a finger, shaking it back and forth. "In fact, this entire demonstration doesn't become you. Where're your minions? Your slaves? Your legions of undead? Where are your worshippers? Your acolytes? Or did you scare them all away? Or kill them? Not a very good way of keeping minions around you, you know. Killing them is so permanent."

The Bad Wolf lips curled into a predatory smile. "Your methods are known to me, Time Lord. And prattling doesn't become you."

"It doesn't?" he asked, shocked. "But this is a new new me. I was born to prattle! Or would that be 'to be wild?' No, that's a song. Right. Prattling. Born to prattle. Well, not really born unless you consider regeneration a type of birth. Come to think of it, Freud would have a field day with that. Though it'd probably all trace back to my mother. Or, even worse, your mother. But I think that'd take a bit of doing on his part. Prattling tracing back to mothers? Well, I can see it with Jackie Tyler. That woman can talk. Or genetics! Genetic prattling? If a prattler has a child, is that child by default a prattler? No, that doesn't really work. Not for Time Lords, at least." He wasn't about to go into his genetic background. They'd be there all night. Well, whatever was left of it.

"Or, oooh, it could be because of the tea. First cup of tea defines the regeneration, I've always said. No, wait. Can't use that turn of phrase. This is the first time I've said it. Well, from here on out, first cup of tea defines the regeneration. Right. Good phrase. I like it. Where was I? Oh, yes. Like, this time, my first cup of tea was Tetley's. Had that type once before, just after the fourth regeneration, had a bit of a thing for celery-"

She stepped forward and slapped him sharply across the face, one nail drawing blood from his cheek. He didn't respond to the impact, forcing himself to ignore the sting of the cut. However, she did react. She seemed fascinated by the injury, the gold in her eyes glowing even brighter.

The blood.

Oh, of course. She was fascinated by the blood – his blood. He watched as she licked her lips. Once. Twice.

She leaned forward, baring her teeth.

Distraction right about now would be good. Which meant more words, more prattle. Easy. He could do that. "You interrupted a perfectly good flow of prattle! You should be ashamed," he scolded her. Thankfully, his words seemed to startle her from her original goal of feeding off him. He hadn't cared for it the first time that that'd happened, and he certainly didn't fancy experiencing it again.

He caught a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye. Jack had already primed his crossbow. Any second now...

The Bad Wolf shook her head. "Anything but. You're always prattling, Doctor. You'll have to try harder if you expect me to…" Her voice trailed off as she snapped her head toward Jack as the bolt was released from the catch. It whistled through the air toward her and he held his breath.

Maybe, just maybe…

Her eyes glowed even brighter as she held up her hand. The quarrel froze mid-flight. "How simple-minded you both are. To think that this could possibly kill me?" The wooden shaft disintegrated and crumbled to the floor, nothing more than a pile of dust.

Jack glared at her. "It was worth a shot," the former Time Agent said, and he could hear the disappointment in his voice.

At least now they knew. What could kill a normal vampire wouldn't necessarily work for this one. Unless they could distract her somehow. Fully distract her. But how?

He regarded her carefully, assessing how she held herself. Predatory, yes. However, there was something underneath. Something so tantalizingly familiar. In the way her head tilted just so. Her hands as they rested against her side. And in her eyes, marred by the golden Vortex, he caught a look that was so much like his Rose's that...

No, that didn't matter. Not now. Possibly not ever. Because, as usual, danger was standing before him and he was about to throw himself in the flames.

Her laugh was unlike any that he'd heard from her – the real her - before. If he had to give it a name, it was evil. Pure and unabashed evil. "Do you like what you see, Doctor? Oh, wait, I already know that you do." Her voice was a purr as she began to move, circling him.

This was a game. Nothing but an amusing diversion for her. He deliberately yawned. "Oh, sorry, did you say something?"

Jack shot him a warning glance, but he ignored it. There was method to his madness. At least, he hoped there was. Hope. Yes, that was a good word for it.

She snarled, "I can destroy you, Doctor. I can destroy everything. The cosmos, time, Jack."

He couldn't help the tiny wince that escaped him at the sound of his companion's name. He'd already lost him once. He didn't want to have to go through that again. Not for a very, very long time.

She'd seen it. Caught that moment of weakness. Her expression turned calculating as she looked at him, tilting her head almost as if she were trying for a better view. "Ah, yes, Jack Harkness. Left behind. Forgotten. No more Jack, just the Doctor and Rose. And, now, how touching it is to see the two of you together. The Doctor and Jack."

He knew her goal. She wanted to sow discord between them, separate them. It wouldn't work. Couldn't work. Strength in numbers, strength in togetherness, strength in lo... Enough of that. Jack was here. With him. Facing this simulacrum of Rose. That was what mattered.

"Tell me, Doctor, did you miss him when you thought he was dead? Did you mourn him? Or did you just…forget about him like you've forgotten all the others. Never mentioned him again, did you? Sarah Jane redux."

"That's the past," Jack said, seemingly unconcerned. "What matters is now. Right here, right now, and that? That doesn't matter."

She growled under her breath and the Vortex flared around her, brightening the open area around them. "I tire of you two. I can kill you, you know. With one word, one thought, death will be permanent. Or I could destroy everything. And you can't stop me."

It was a glimmer, the merest beginning, but, yes, it was a plan. Oh, how he loved plans! They were beautiful! "I don't have to," he replied with a cheeky grin. "You'll stop yourself."

"And why would I do that?" Ah-ha. There it was. Curiosity. Lovely, beautiful trait that it was. Even as a vampire, even as Bad Wolf, she had that particular attribute in spades.

"Because it's too easy. Too simple. Too boring. Where's the challenge in that? Where's the fun?" Admittedly, his words could've easily been applied to himself. Why take the easy route when there was a dangerous and ultimately more rewarding path elsewhere? Then again, there were times when the easy path was the best choice. Like when Rose and he had been stuck in the Slime Pits of Mordragoranis IV. But that was neither here nor there.

"Fun? Oh, this is fun, Time Lord." In an instant, she was across the room, her hand wrapping around Jack's throat. "Hello, Jack," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet. "What is it that you liked to say? Oh, yes, long time no see. Remember me giving you your life back? The sharp, agonising pain of death and the sudden, desperate return to life – completely healed? Want to experience it again? Only, this time, I don't think I'll bring you back. Or maybe I will. The possibilities are endless."

Right. He hated it when a plan started to go wrong even before it was fully formed.

He'd be damned if this was the way he was going to die. He hadn't survived this long, held onto his anger, or climbed the ranks in Torchwood to die at the hands of the woman he loved. Then again, the woman that he loved was dead. Only this creature remained. Using her body and her voice, true, but it wasn't her.

He struggled against the strangling grip, digging his fingers into tendons that should have caused his captor to let go. However, it seemed that vampires had no such weakness. Well, damnit anyway.

What was it the Doctor said? Faith could drive vampires away. Well, wasn't that great? He didn't believe in anything. Anything, that was, other than himself. Because everything else that he'd ever believed in had betrayed him. Even - he glanced at his friend - the Doctor.

How could he muster up enough faith to defeat a vampire?

"Not so easy, is it, Jack? Fighting against me, realising that there isn't anything to believe in." It was Rose's voice, but it wasn't. There was a tone overlying her voice, making it something uniquely inhuman. Perhaps it was the effects of the Vortex.

"Fighting against you?" The words came out on a wheezing breath. "That's easy."

"Is it?" she asked, curious. "Is it really?" Her fingers tightened around his throat. "Perhaps I should make you like me. Would you like that Jack? To be immortal. To see the world as I see it. To be with me forever?"

"Go to hell," he said as forcefully as he could manage.

Rose laughed. "Is that the best you can do? 'Go to hell'? Hmm, maybe I will turn you. I can manipulate time, you know. It'll take only a moment, an instant, and the change will be permanent." He felt her nuzzle his neck and he shivered in revulsion.

He looked at the Doctor, his eyes wide, and he could see the other man mouth the words 'have faith'. Yeah, helpful, that. Faith in what?

Oh, of course. He was in trouble, yes. But he was in trouble right in front of the one man who practically wrote the book on saving the day against impossible odds. He grinned. "I have faith in the impossible," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I have faith in the Doctor."

She hissed and dropped him, almost as if his skin had burned her. "After he betrayed you? After he left you behind?"

He continued to grin. "Yeah. Because, when it comes to the impossible, I've never doubted him and I never, ever will."

"You can't stop me," she snarled. However, it seemed that she couldn't get any closer to him.

Good.

"You're right," he said. "But I don't have to, do I? Because the one person in this entire universe that you fear is right here, right now, and you, Bad Wolf, are fucked."

"Faith is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" the Doctor asked, grinning widely. "Especially when it seems to keep you from your prey. Problematic, that, isn't it?"

Inwardly, he was cheering. A little faith had a wonderful effect, despite its source. It was true that he did tend to save the day a great deal, but he also lost with similar regularity. This time he had no intention of losing.

"You can't keep me away, though, can you, Doctor?" The Bad Wolf turned her attention to him, her golden eyes piercing.

"I can't?" Oh, if she only knew. Then again, she would. Very, very shortly.

"You love Rose Tyler. That much is obvious. You can't resist me. Because I'm still her. Still your Rose. Just as you" - she moved closer to him, her gaze hypnotic. However, there was something in her eyes that made him realise that his Rose wasn't truly gone. She was still there. Terrified and overwhelmed, but still there. - "are still my Doctor."

He blinked, breaking her bewitching contact and laughed. "Oh, I can resist you. And you know why? It's called faith. Let me tell you what I believe in. I believe in Susan. Ian and Barbara. Jamie McCrimmon and Victoria. Dodo and Harry Sullivan. Sarah Jane Smith, Leela, and Romana. Adric, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka and Turlough. Peri, Mel, Evelyn, and Ace." He stepped closer to her and was satisfied that she took a violent step backwards. It was working. "Benny Summerfield, Charley, Sam, Trix and Fitz."

She shook her head, hissing as she backed away.

"I believe in Jack Harkness." He looked at his friend and was surprised to see shock in his expression. Surely he knew?

"And I especially believe in ROSE TYLER!" He shouted her name and he could see a flicker of confusion in the vampire's eyes.

"Why have faith in the one who will destroy you?"

"Because it's not you that I have faith in, Bad Wolf. The one I have faith in is still in there, buried, but there. My Rose Tyler. And she wouldn't do this."

There. In her eyes, he saw it again. Stronger this time, but still there. His Rose.

"You're wrong," the vampire replied. "There's only me now."

"How many times have I been wrong?" he asked. "No, wait, don't answer that. How many times have I got it right, especially when it counted?"

"Every single time," Jack said, coming to his side. Together, they faced her and she shook her head violently.

"I'm the Bad Wolf. I control life and death. The universe is at my fingertips. The woman you know is dead and gone. She was destroyed the instant I came into existence."

"No," he corrected. "You're so full of the space-time Vortex that you can't see the truth. Yes, you were bitten. But the Vortex saved you. You're still there. You're still Rose Tyler. You can fight off the vampire virus, Rose. You rid the universe of the Daleks. Ridding yourself of a tiny, insignificant virus should be child's play." He smiled as he saw another, stronger glimpse of his Rose in the vampire's eyes. "I believe in you."

The vampire staggered, her hands flying her head, pressing against the temples. "No. No, you can't. You can't, you're dead, and you can't." Her words were mumbled, barely audible, but it was enough. Oh, yes, it was enough.

Yes, yes, yes. He knew what that meant. He'd got through. He'd reached Rose, and, even better, she was fighting back. Fighting for control. In the contest of vampire virus versus Rose Tyler for control of the Bad Wolf, his money would be on Rose every time.

Beautiful. It was beautiful. And it could work. No, it would work. Had to work. Rose would win. And she'd be back. And the vampire would be no more.

Yes, yes, yes!

But wait. What if he was wrong? What if he was pining his hopes on an impossibility, a dream, a desire? What if Rose couldn't win or had already lost?

And, almost as if in answer to his questions, the Bad Wolf began to scream.

To be continued...