Author's Notes

This took sooo long to get out. Mainly it was the editting though. And having a lot of headaches recently hasn't helped. Oh well...

Jackie's starting to figure in the story more prominently now. You can tell where Rose gets her spunk with Jackie's character, which kinda led to it for me. Oh well, don't think people will mind, right? Might also bring in Jack for a cameo. What do y'all'es think?

Lastly, again I hope I did ok on the British phrasing, especially with the news report. When I lived in Glasgow, didn't have a tv except for two weeks. So I never really got to watch even the news. Or Doctor Who, since it came out in its first new season while I was still there. (TT) Am happy I got to see it in America though.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed/bookmarked/favorited the story! I hope you enjoy! And as always, I love constructive criticism.

DWDW

The Doctor sat down slowly on the sofa, his eyes glued to the television. Jackie stood in the doorway, a horrified look on her face as she turned her head to watch as well.

"An alert has been issued warning the United Kingdom of a danger to its daughters. Young women between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five have gone missing the world over and are suspected of having been kidnapped in a world-wide terrorist plot. In the United Kingdom alone, nearly a hundred women have been reported as missing from their schools, homes and jobs.

"There are no absolute patterns in the kidnappings. The majority of these missing women were blonde, of medium height, and with a thin to average build. However, nearly a third did not fit in these parameters and the women were of varied backgrounds. Due to the seriousness of this situation, the Prime Minister herself issued a Press Release just a few minutes ago stating that all young women who do not absolutely need to leave their homes should not do so. If a woman needs to go out, it is advised that she go with at least one other person, and that both remain wary of their surroundings."

The young reporter, who herself seemed to fit the description of the majority of those taken, paused. She seemed to be trying to finish her report as quickly as possible. She'd hurried through her spiel so far, but now she stopped and looked around her. She visibly swallowed and the Doctor knew she was close to losing her composure on camera.

"The public is warned not to panic," she continued, her voice wavering a little. "Report any women you suspect of having been taken, but be certain that their whereabouts can not be ascertained before alerting the authorities. The police are asking for any and all information on the missing women and their captors. If any information is known, or you know of a woman who might be missing, please phone…"

The screen cut to a hotline number for the public to call and the Doctor turned to look at Jackie. Her skin was a pale white he had rarely seen on a human before and the Doctor knew he was going to have a bad situation on his hands in a few minutes.

The Doctor stood and moved over to take Jackie's arm. He felt it shake under his fingers as he guided her to the sofa. "Sit down, Jackie. You'll pass out in a minute if you don't, and Rose won't appreciate that when I get her out of this mess."

Jackie stared up at the Doctor as he helped her to sit. "You will rescue her, yeah? You'll bring my baby home?"

The Doctor managed to twist his face into a tight smile that he hoped was reassuring. "Of course, I always do, don't I?"

Jackie nodded, "But sometimes I wonder… She doesn't always come home happy or-or unhurt."

The Doctor averted his eyes and leaned over the blonde woman to grab his coat. "I'll bring her home, Jackie. I will bring her home. There's nothing in this universe that can stop me."

He turned and began walking to the door in long quick strides. He threw his coat on with an absent grace that showed just how determined he'd become to Jackie. She knew she hadn't seen him this upset since Christmas, after he'd finally woken up and defeated the Sycorax.

"Wait for me!" Jackie was up and just behind him before she even had time to register she was moving. "I'm coming with you."

The Doctor turned and gave her an irritated glare reminiscent of the Doctor she first knew. "Jackie. This might be dangerous. I told you I'd bring your daughter home and I will, just trust me."

Jackie shook her head. "I know you will and I know it will be dangerous, but she's my daughter! I'm not waiting here for you to go and rescue her! I'm going to help this time."

The Doctor glared at her a moment longer, then turned on his heel and continued walking. "Fine, I don't have time to argue with you. But you will do as you are told. You will not get in the way. And you will not touch anything in the TARDIS."

Jackie grinned as she quickly locked the door to her flat and ran to keep up with the Doctor. "So, what are you going to do? Do you even know who has her?"

"I know who has them. First, I have to discuss a few things with Harriet Jones." He threw a look that was only mildly curious over his shoulder. "She is still Prime Minister, right? Don't think they'd have thrown her out yet."

Jackie shook her head. "She's still Prime Minister. If it weren't for this though, she'd have been forced out by a vote of no confidence at the end of the week. It's been all over the news, how could you have missed it?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Coronation Street is much more interesting. Your world's news is more gossip than news."

Jackie scowled at him. "Well, at least you have taste in your programmes. Even if you did just insult us."

The Doctor pulled out his key and unlocked the TARDIS. He hurried in, not even checking to be sure Jackie was following. Jackie closed the door behind her and trotted up the ramp to the stand beside him at the console. She watched as he brought up a computer monitor and began flashing through screens at an alarming rate.

"Can you even read that," she asked in an incredulous voice.

"Yes," the Doctor told her without looking at her.

His eyes remained on the monitor, until finally he settled on a screen with what looked like a mobile number on it. The Doctor grinned and began fiddling with the keyboard that had appeared presumably when the monitor had. Or at least Jackie hadn't noticed it when she'd been on the TARDIS before.

"That's Harriet Jones's private mobile number." The Doctor turned and fixed Jackie with the sternest stare she had ever been subjected to. "Don't say a word." He tapped a key and the sound of ringing filled the air.

"Hello," a voice curious, but hassled-sounding male voice said.

"This is the Doctor. Tell Harriet Jones I need to speak with her about the missing girls immediately."

There was a pause, then the tight voice of the Prime Minister came through. "Yes, Doctor. What do you know?"

"I need to speak with you, Harriet Jones, Prime Minister. These girls are not being taken by terrorists. They're aliens. And they're early."

"Well, thank you for the tip, Doctor, but I'm sure Torchwood—"

"No." The Doctor's voice turned grave and the room seemed to darken with his mood. "Those girls, women, will be on whatever ship you destroy. And you won't be able to destroy them all, but just that one will be enough to start a war which will annihilate the human race. They will turn their weapons on this planet and reduce it to rubble before returning home to repatriate their captives."

There was a long silence. Then, "You are sure of all this? Couldn't even the great Doctor be wrong?"

"No. You brought this on yourselves when you destroyed the Sycorax. They've decided they want to be allied to you, so they are choosing who to strengthen the alliance pact with."

Another long silence followed and both the Doctor and Jackie knew Harriet Jones was weighing her options. Finally the Doctor snapped.

"Do you think I would be contacting you if it weren't otherwise? And they have Rose! If you shoot, you might not just be killing some faceless woman from America or Australia or Wales! You could be killing Rose!"

More silence, then a sigh could be heard. "Meet me at New 10 Downing. I'm there now. And you better bring proof."

There was a click as the Prime Minister hung up. The Doctor threw a half-hearted grin at Jackie. "Seems she hasn't forgotten Christmas."

Jackie snorted. "Who would? You destroyed her with six words. What were they anyway?"

The Doctor pushed the monitor back into the console and turned a few dials. "We're here!"

"What? But all you did was twiddle a couple knobs!"

The Doctor turned and bounded out of the TARDIS. Jackie rushed to keep up, but stopped as she discovered herself to be stepping out into a large marble entryway filled with soldiers, who just happened to be pointing nasty looking automatic weapons at the Doctor and her. "Doctor?"

The Doctor looked the closest soldier straight in the eye and told him, "Tell Harriet Jones, the Doctor's here."

Rose sat chained between a young Nigerian girl and an American woman about her own age. Each of her fellow captives were chained to another, and they to another, in a seemingly endless chain of frightened human women. Some of the girls Rose had seen so far looked as though they were barely eligible to be in high school, but the oldest she'd seen looked as though she was just about to hit thirty. Whoever it was that had kidnapped her was only interested in young women. A i lot /i of young women.

The room she sat in was large enough to fit a football stadium, yet it was full of captives and pillows. Rose seriously doubted anyone else could be fit in. And the American woman next to her had been telling her that there was another room just like this one, also filled to capacity. Rose hadn't noticed, she'd been too busy trying to fight off her "host" when she'd been brought in.

The door opened and another young girl, who looked to be about fifteen, was dragged in, screaming and crying for her mother. Her captor pushed her down onto the nearest pillow, which she appeared to share with another girl about the same age as far as Rose could see, and chained her to her pillow-mate. He patted the girl on the head, then turned and left. The girl's sobs rose and several more joined in.

"There goes the chorus again," said the American woman next to Rose. "Every time one goes, they all go. It's like being in the nursery. God, I hope someone remembered to call my boss to tell him I wouldn't be in…"

"How would they know to? You were kidnapped," Rose pointed out.

The American woman flinched. "I wonder what they're going to do to us?" The woman's voice was becoming lower, as though she herself was on the verge of tears.

Rose stared intently at the head in front of hers, studying the way its hair fell in tidy ringlets she was sure she'd never be able to get. "Well, they don't seem to want to hurt us… I mean, they haven't been rough with us or anything. They even gave us pillows when they could have simply left us to sit on the cold floor."

The American woman snorted and anger began creeping into her voice. "They kidnapped us! Isn't that enough? I don't care about pillows! If I don't work, I can't pay my bills or save for college!"

"All I meant was that we've not been harmed, which gives me hope we'll get out of this."

The American shrugged, "How long are we going to last like this, though. Are they gonna—gonna start doing experiments on us or somethin'?"

Rose shook her head. "We'll be fine. I know you won't believe me, but we will be rescued. Someone—Someone will come for us. He'll rescue us and get us back safely."

The American let out a harsh laugh. "You're insane, girl. You know that? They've driven you nuts! Who's gonna be able to rescue us up here? Shining armor doesn't come equipped with oxygen or engine packs, darlin'. Then again, knights don' come with shining armor anymore either."

Rose grinned. "Mine comes with better!"

The American woman looked over at Rose and seemed to regard her British contemporary with a type of bemused sadness. "I thought that once too. Turns out, his better got him with ventilation where he couldn't afford no ventilation."

Rose shivered at the implications. "He hasn't failed me yet," she murmured quietly.

The American woman didn't answer and Rose was left to chase her own thoughts again. Only this time, they didn't quite settle on her own situation. Instead, she wondered what the Doctor was doing.

Did he know she was missing yet? Had her mother told him about their shopping trip? Did she give him his Jelly Babies?

Rose snorted in laughter, attracting the attention of several of the women around her. She ducked her head and avoided making eye contact, allowing the American to tell them she was cracking up. It might be true, she thought, if she was hoping the Doctor had gotten his Jelly Babies at a time like this.

But then it always came back to him, didn't it? And she knew he was her only hope of getting out of here alive. That was always the way it went. Except that once, on Satellite Five. Although, did it count when she didn't remember what happened, only knew she was responsible for what happened afterwards?

She shook her head and sighed. The Nigerian girl laid a hand on top of hers. Rose glanced up at her. The girl smiled at her and Rose found herself smiling back. The Nigerian had one of the sweetest smiles she'd ever seen. Or was it sweet simply because it was what she'd needed at that moment? Rose didn't know and she decided it didn't really matter.

The door opened again and three more women entered the room, unescorted this time. They wore black robes and black headdresses. Rose felt a twinge of fear, but she pushed that aside. The faces were covered by veils connected to the headdresses and she remembered the Doctor saying that the Tronch thought it a dishonor to hide the face of a woman. Still, she decided she'd better be careful. Life with the Doctor had taught her nothing if not to be aware of i all /i the possibilities.

"Please stand and prepare yourselves for inspection. One of you will be chosen to become a very fortunate woman. A hero of your people and remembered for all time among both our peoples." The flat accent and slight echo that followed the words told Rose that the speaker was one of the women who had just entered.

Rose strained her neck to see as far around the room as possible, but it didn't seem that anyone was particularly motivated to be the first to stand. She could understand that. The voice had her all but convinced that these were the Tronch and she wanted to bring as little attention to herself as possible. Of course, that whole incident had been a hundred years before, so she had probably been forgotten. She hoped she had been forgotten. But the Doctor had caused quite a lot of damage during his rescue… Rose was wearing a high-necked t-shirt, but she zipped her hoodie up higher anyway.

One of the Tronch women leaned down and pulled the last girl to arrive back onto her feet. The girl was so terrified that her legs gave out from under her and she flopped back down into the lap of the woman next to her.

"Do not be afraid, dear Earth sisters. Please stand and follow us to be inspected. There is nothing to fear, you will not be harmed."

The American woman snorted along with a few others as several fits of scared laughter rang out about the room.

The Tronch woman leaned down and reached to pulled the girl off, but jerked back at the last moment. Rose couldn't tell why at first, then the woman who had caught the girl before waved a hand at the Tronch woman, as though to tell her to stay back. The Tronch stayed still the woman slowly got up, supporting the girl she held as she also stood. Others soon followed and, a few minutes later, Rose stood up as well, secure in the knowledge she couldn't be seen very well through the surrounding women.

"Follow us," the Tronch woman said. Then one of the Tronch women turned and led the way back out the door.

The Human women were encouraged to follow by the remaining Tronch, starting with the terrified teen and her self-appointed guardian. The queue to leave the room was slow, but within ten minutes, Rose was shuffling out as well, her hair brushed forward to hide her face as much as possible from the Tronch. The Tronch didn't seem to notice, simply told her to follow the rest to the right and into the room at the end of the hall.

The hall wasn't that long, but the walk seemed interminable. Rose's stomach felt in knots and she kept swallowing, her eyes darting around to see through her hair and make sure no one would recognize an escaped prisoner from a hundred years before. How long did the Tronch live, anyway? Was it possible for them to recognize her? She closed her eyes as the line paused for a minute, trying to regain her courage, and only opened them when she felt the tug that meant they were moving again. Everyone was shuffling, their feet making rustling, and occasionally squeaking, sounds as they moved. Rose felt a hand enclose around the one behind her and jumped slightly. For one mad moment she thought it might be the Doctor, but she turned her head to see that it was only the American woman.

The woman smiled at her and nodded forward. "Pass it forward," she whispered.

Rose smiled back and reached to take the Nigerian girl's hand as well. The girl jerked the same as Rose, but didn't look back. Rose lengthened her stride as much as possible so that she was just behind the girl.

"Pass it forward, take the next one's hand," Rose whispered as soon as she was near enough to be heard. She saw the girl's head bow forward slightly and let herself fall back to shuffle where she had been before.

It wasn't long after that they moved through the next door and into a room identical to the one they had left. Even the pillows all looked the same. The only difference here was that an extra room was set up adjacent to this one at the very back. In it stood three Tronch men and one Tronch woman, dressed the same as the previous women had been, though without the veil this time. Behind these four sat a handful of Human women, their heads bowed and their hands apparently tied behind their backs.

The Tronch woman that had led them there stood just inside the door and directed to pass in front of the four at the back, showing them their faces, before following the wall around to find a seat again on a pillow in the room. The room's air seemed to grow thinner as Rose approached the back, but she was relieved to notice that several others seemed to have the same problem. She could hear several panting and see a few on the other side of the room look as though they were as well.

The line seemed to move faster now and before Rose knew it, she was about to pass in front of the four Tronch. And then, she was passing them.

Shuffling past, her hand still in her bondmates' grips, she turned her face towards to be scrutinized and ignored the discomfort of having her hair tickle her nose and eyelashes. She looked past her captors at the silently sobbing women curled up together. Their hands were tied behind their backs and none of them looked comfortable.

A clawed hand landed gently on Rose's shoulder, stopping her from continuing. Rose jumped, but managed to contain her squeak of fear. The claw grasped her jaw and lifted her chin before brushing her hair, again gently and even reverently, out of her face. The second Tronch in cocked his head to the side.

"There is something about this one…" he said.

The other three crowded in and Rose felt her stomach sink even as her eyes widened. She looked past them again to meet the terrified gaze of the other women. She swallowed and tried to lower her head. A smaller clawed hand, the Tronch woman, lifted it back.

"She seems rather ordinary amongst the Humans… Though that might work in our favor." The woman's voice was soft and detached, as though she didn't really realize that she had just insulted Rose.

Rose glared at the Tronch woman. The other's eyes widened. "Can she understand us? How can she understand Tronch?"

Rose bit her lip, knowing she had trapped herself. She closed her eyes for a moment and sent a silent apology to the Doctor. She was guessing her blunder just made it impossible that she'd ever see him again. She opened her eyes just as the Tronch male in front of her spoke.

"Well, she is woman." The words were not spoken to be sarcastic, but held even more reverence and respect than his touch had.

"Yes, but there are only two women can speak and understand the tongues of other cultures." The woman paused as though for effect and Rose reflected that she really wished the TARDIS hadn't chosen to give the Tronch woman such an old style of speech. Of course, that might just be the closest it could get in meaning… And that thought unsettled Rose even more. "The first is the Prophetess, who sees and knows all as the chosen one of the Goddess. The second…is the Beleaguered One who first told of this world almost a century ago."

Rose blinked and tried her best to look innocent and insignificant. She somehow thought she was failing miserably at it, but was almost positive she had succeeded in looking terrified.

The Tronch man in front of her turned to the first Tronch she had passed. "Bring me the data on the Beleaguered One."

The man turned and ran through a door that slid open in the side of the smaller room.

The third Tronch man reached out and turned Rose's face towards him. "She does not look to be a hundred. Might this not be a descendant?"

"You remember the legend and the reports, don't you, O'rong? She was a girl, stolen from her mother's bosom by a time traveler, who would only occasionally bring her home so that he might wash her eternal tears from the floor of his ship," the Tronch in front of her, who seemed to be their leader, said.

"So, perhaps we have found the Beleaguered One then?" O'rong's voice seemed chastised and Rose was amused to see his olive-green skin grow darker.

"Perhaps," the woman replied, still staring at Rose.

The three Tronch fell silent, their eyes roaming over Rose as though to memorize her. Rose shifted uncomfortably and glanced over at the American woman. The woman gave her hand a tight squeeze as their wide eyes met. Rose took a deep breath and was embarrassed to note that it shuddered. She was even more embarrassed when she realized tears were starting to burn at the back of her eyes.

Rose swallowed as the Tronch man returned and handed his leader a large round electronic pad. The leader tapped a few things in, glancing up at Rose every now and then. Then he passed it to the woman, who repeated his performance.

"It certainly seems to be her," the Tronch woman said.

Leader nodded, "Only one way to be certain…"

"Yes, the mark we unwittingly gave to identify the Beleaguered One."

Rose bristled at the woman's words, then gasped as one of the leader's claws snapped out. It cut Rose's t-shirt and hoodie open from the collar to half way between her breasts. Rose gasped and tried to cover her chest with her hands, but screams were erupting around her and the women on both sides were backing away. Her hands were pulled from her sides and she was left open. Her chest bare and the fresh, red scar bright against her pale skin.

The Tronch woman nodded and stepped forward. She lifted one claw to gently caress Rose's cheek. "Welcome, Beleaguered One. You can rejoice now. We bring you, and your world through you, the redemption you must never have realized you could have."

Prime Minister Harriet Jones looked almost exactly as she had the last time the Doctor had seen her, the only real differences being the dark circles under her eyes, a few new wrinkles, and the cold that seemed to emanate from her person. She stood watching the Doctor with a stance that clearly spoke of how she felt about him. He was a reluctant ally, an enemy of the enemy, but not necessarily her friend. Not after what he'd done to her last time.

The Doctor nodded and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Harriet Jones. Still Prime Minister I see."

"No thanks to you, Doctor." Her tone reflected her demeanor and it saddened the Doctor that it had come to this. He didn't regret what he had done though. Murder was murder, and he really hated murder. "Why did you come here? And why should I listen to you?"

"The Tronch, a species that evolved from a type of reptilian mammal--" A snort interrupted the Doctor and he glared at the offender. "Not all species fall into the same categories as they do on Earth." The snorter, a man who looked to be one of the aides by his clothes, flushed and slipped behind one of the soldiers. "As I was saying, the Tronch are a species that value the safety and honor of their world very highly. When you killed the Sycorax, they did not die as quietly as you had hoped. It would seem they were reporting back when the blast struck them. And now Earth has a reputation. A reputation that has made the Tronch wish for an alliance to prevent them becoming the next victims of the Earth."

Harriet Jones's lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. "So this is my fault?"

"There was a bit of bad luck involved, but yes. It is."

Jackie picked just that moment to find her backbone and pushed up next to the Doctor. "And what about my Rose? She's been taken by these things and it's your fault!"

Harriet Jones didn't seem to even notice as Jackie gave the Prime Minister her best glare, the one that could make even the Doctor quake in his plimsolls. The Prime Minister turned her head towards another young aide, who shook his head. She turned back to the Doctor with a glare to match Jackie's.

"Doctor, you told me Rose Tyler was among the missing, but she's not on any of the lists."

"We had just realized she was missing when I discovered what was happening."

"How did you figure it out? What was happening, I mean."

"Rose's disappearance, my memory of Earth history and your television news reports covering the disappearances. They'll be pleased to know you're attempting to protect your women, even if it is a bit of the closing the barn door after the horse has escaped."

The Doctor thought he saw a flash of anger in Harriet Jones's eyes, but it reverted back to the cold, blank look so quickly, he couldn't be sure. And she certainly gave nothing away by her voice.

"I thought you said this was early. So how did you know then?"

"Time is fluid. You weren't supposed to blow up that ship. It wasn't even supposed to be here."

"Then why was it here?" A bit of annoyed frustration was beginning to seep into her voice now. The Doctor was glad of that. This wasn't the Harriet Jones he had once cared for, and even if she had done something heinous in his eyes, he would really prefer that spark to this lifelessness. She would need it if this planet was to survive the Tronch.

"Time is fluid, Prime Minister. Any little tiny change a thousand light years from here could have catastrophic effects on Earth. Or no effect at all."

Harriet Jones's eyes narrowed and the Doctor knew she was starting to catch on. "You keep mentioning time, Doctor. Why?"

The Doctor sighed. He hated when others played dumb, the Prime Minister had to have figured what he was out by now. No matter how many viruses he sent out on the net, there would always be enough information on him for the governments and any interested, which there always seemed to be many, to figure out what he was.

"He travels in time as well as space!"

The Doctor didn't know what surprised him more, that it was Jackie who'd said it or that she'd said it with a note of pride in her voice. As though he was a beloved family member she was bragging about. He shot Jackie a small look of surprise before smiling and nodding at the Prime Minister.

"I've saved this world many times, from all types of destruction and invasion, including ones orchestrated by humans themselves. This is not an invasion. It's not particularly friendly, but it's not an invasion. They want to ally with you. Their methods are simply a bit…skewed. You'll have to do some fast talking. And you, Harriet Jones, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and quite possibly the most powerful female leader on this world, will be the best representative for this world." The Doctor paused a moment, making sure to catch Harriet Jones's eyes with his own hard stare. "With my help."

"Your help, Doctor," scoffed the aide that had snorted before. He was obviously either too young to know better or too ambitious for his own good in the Doctor's opinion. "Why would she need your help? She's handled—"

"Every invasion she's handled has been with the Doctor's help," Jackie snapped.

The Doctor placed a placating hand on Jackie's shoulder. "That, and the Tronch revere the female gender to almost the point of insanity. But this has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. Normally, they wouldn't listen to just any woman. However, they do believe in and respect Warrior Women as the right of the woman to defend her young, her family and her home. If Harriet Jones accepts my help and uses my knowledge, whomever they choose, as well as the Earth, might just survive all this."

"Choose? What do you mean choose, Doctor?" Harriet Jones was sounding much more like her old self now—sharp, but inquisitive—only a small portion of the chilliness remained.

The Doctor's lips twisted into a deep frown. "The Tronch normally solidify alliances by marrying into the other tribe, or planet in this case. They will be choose a bride from the women and girls they have collected and broker a settlement around her before marrying her to the highest ranking single royal among them. The day after the wedding she will be taken to the sacred lands…" The Doctor paused a moment, then continued. "She will become your world's equivalent of a Saint to the Tronch and celebrated for a month before being given her own annual feast day, but…"

The room went quiet. The Doctor gave Jackie's shoulder another tight squeeze. Jackie let out a soft sob.

The door opened and a man rushed into the room. He stopped, looking startled at the tense atmosphere he'd been met with, then moved to whisper in the Prime Minister's ear. Harriet Jones nodded and met the Doctor's eyes again.

"All right, Doctor. They've asked to meet with Earth's leaders. What do we do?"

The Doctor grinned. "We save the women of Earth!"