Hey guys, welcome to chapter five!
I do want to warn people that throughout the story, there will be small crossovers with over fandoms. It won't be often and it won't be a big deal, just run ins with characters, but if requested enough, I might do I full on crossover chapter based on what fandom you'd most like to see (if I'm a part of it, that is), so review if you're interested in that. Enjoy the chapter!
The Doctor had dropped Margaret the Slitheen at the hatchery on Raxacoricofallapatorius a few days previous, so it had been a few days since Jack and Ella kissed at the Bay. Ella was currently swimming in one of the many pool rooms we had on the TARDIS.
"Fancy meeting you here, Pixie," Jack's voice echoed across the room. Ella looked at him and saw he was fully clothed with no intention of getting into the pool. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt and brown shorts.
"It looks like you were looking for me. Any reason why?" Ella asked, knowing full well what he was here for. They hadn't talked about the kiss as they'd had no time to talk for the last few days.
"I want to talk about Cardiff," Jack said bluntly.
"What about it?" Ella asked with a grin.
"What did it mean to you? I know what it meant to me, what about you?" Jack asked, sounding a bit vulnerable, which admittedly, Ella was very surprised with. He sat on the edge of the pool with his legs in the water, so Ella swam up to Jack and floated in front of him.
"I think it meant to me exactly what it meant to you," Ella stated confidently.
"Your Dad has already said quite bluntly that he doesn't like the idea of us dating…" Jack said but was interrupted by being splashed and soaked by water.
"It's not his life though, is it? It's mine, and I can do what I want. His plans are for me to stay single forever and never move out. I don't blame him, I'm awesome!" Jack laughed at Ella's last statement. Ella pulled herself up and out of the pool before she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. Ella wrapped a towel around herself and was about to leave the room when Jack called out.
"Does that mean we're dating now?" Jack asked, a charming grin on his face.
"I bloody hope so," Ella called behind her as she left, the last thing she heard being Jack's chuckles.
It had been a few months since Jack and Ella got together, maybe around six, hanging out in the kitchens, living room, theatre room and library. The four in the TARDIS found a lull in adventures and it was after a few boring days when the Doctor finally decided to do something.
"Get dressed for the 70's," he yelled.
"Why?" Ella yelled back. Ella was in her room and the Doctor in the console room but the TARDIS could amplify voices to travel all around the TARDIS.
"We're going to see ABBA in concert!" The Doctor announced.
Ella cheered loudly. "Finally, you promised me that ages back!" Ella heard laughter around the TARDIS, from Rose, Jack and the Doctor.
Several minutes later, Ella was dressed for the era. Ella was dressed in white knee length go-go boots, a rainbow dress that went mid-thigh, and a white headband. Her hair was pin straight instead of its usual curls.
"I'm ready!" Ella sang. She was dancing around the TARDIS console in her excitement, even dragging Jack into a dance. Rose finally came out dressed in bright pink. They all walked out of the TARDIS and into a crowd of people. The Doctor showed off his psychic paper which was shown as tickets and they all got in.
"All our tickets are in pairs on opposite sides of the arena, so we'll have to split up," the Doctor said. Ella was practically shaking with excitement.
"See ya!" Ella yelled, grabbing Jack's hand, they took off to their seats on the left side of the arena. ABBA finally came onstage and started performing. Jack and Ella danced to all songs and tempos, having a complete ball. ABBA announced after a few hours that the next song was their final song for the night and 'Thank You for the Music' began to play. Ella began to sing along too, Jack amused by Ella's enthusiasticness. Ella waved to Rose across the stadium and Rose dashed over. The two came together and decided to dance together for the last song, making both Jack and the Doctor laugh.
When the song ended, ABBA thanked everyone for coming and exited the stage. Ella and Rose burst out laughing when they broke apart and they linked arms before following the Doctor and Jack out, weaving their way through the crowd and entering the TARDIS.
"That was amazing!" Ella squealed. "I'm totally gonna play ABBA at my wedding one day."
"Ella, you're not gonna get married. You are staying here on the TARDIS," Dad said jokingly.
"Oh, I will get married. Just watch me," Ella winked. Her and Rose went to change out of their ridiculously awesome dresses and into more comfortable clothes. Once Ella had finished getting dressed, she headed to the kitchen for some dinner. Jack was there too.
"Hungry?" Jack asked. Ella nodded and stole some of Jack's dinner, which happened to be chips and gravy. They ate in silence and washed up the massive plate when they finished. Ella sat on the bench with Jack standing to her right, drying the plate. Both of them were tired from dancing all night.
"When can we tell your Dad about us?" Jack asked.
"When I feel like it," I mumbled. I meant to put a quick kiss on the corner of Jack's mouth when he turned his head to catch my lips, the kiss only lasting for a few seconds before they broke apart, Ella leaning back against the kitchen wall.
"What's going on?" The Doctor asked in a teasing tone. Ella saw her father leaning against the doorway with Rose by his side.
"Er… what couples do?" Ella said weakly.
"You and him?" The Doctor asked.
"For about six months now, since Cardiff," I admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me? It would've been nice to know from you," the Doctor said.
"It wasn't Jack's idea to keep it secret. He wanted you to know. I didn't want to tell you yet," Ella said before she frowned slightly. "What do you mean from me?"
"I've known for three months, now," the Doctor said. Ella looked to Rose and she held her hands up in surrender.
"It wasn't me, I swear," Rose assured.
"It wasn't anyone, I noticed," the Doctor said. "And I don't mind it. You're happy, that's all that matters."
Ella slid off the bench and walked forward to hug the Doctor. "Thanks, dad," Ella mumbled.
A few hours later, they'd just escaped Kyoto, Japan in 1336. They were all laughing off the adventure when they were all surrounded by a golden glow and they all disappeared.
"Are you alright?" Ella heard a girl ask. She opened her eyes to see she was being stared at by a group of three people.
"Where am I?" Ella asked, her brain feeling fuzzy.
"You're on the GameStation, you are now a contestant in Stars in their Eyes!" A guy said. Ella went to get up but fell back down again.
"Careful sweetheart, that's the transmat. Scrambles ya head a bit," an older woman said.
"Thanks," Ella said.
"Gregory!" A woman's voice called out. The man who told Ella she was a contestant left with a grim look on his face.
"So what happens here?" Ella asked.
"Oh, you have to sing for the judges. If you don't, you get blinded, literally. They do it in rounds, the worst singer is eliminated. Blasted into atoms," the girl explained.
"That's not right," Ella mumbled. "Sorry, what's your name?"
"Lizzy," the girl answered.
"Mandy," the older woman said.
"Nice to meet you, both," Ella said genuinely. Ella waited for half an hour before her name was finally called.
"Ella!" A woman called out. Ella made her way to the stage where she could barely see in front of her.
"Hello, what's your name?" A female droid asked.
"Er… Ella Smith," Ella answered unsurely.
"What do you do Ella?" Another droid asked. Male this time.
"I'm a traveller. Sort of unemployed," Ella admitted.
"What are you going to sing for us today?" The female droid asked.
Ella went to speak but she saw her opportunity to escape. The door out was just behind the curtains where the droids wouldn't be able to get her if she started running. Ella inched her way to the door as she spoke. "I'm going to sing Dancing Queen by ABBA," she said before she took off in a sprint and quickly took her Laser Spanner out and aimed it at the door and activating it, causing it to open. Ella slipped out and shut the door behind her, along with locking it again.
"Oh, you're alright!" Ella heard Jack's say. She turned to see Jack coming toward her.
"Yeah, just escaped. So I think now is a good time to run," Ella said. They took off and Ella followed Jack as his vortex manipulator showed the way to where the Doctor would be. They found him on the observation deck with a blonde girl with two messy buns on the side of her head. She was quite a looker, in Ella's opinion.
"Hey, handsome. Good to see you? Any sign of Rose?" Jack asked.
"Can't you track her down?" The Doctor asked.
"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded," Jack replied.
"If I can just get inside this computer. She's got to be here somewhere," the Doctor said. He was working on a computer console.
"Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending," Jack warned.
"Do you think I don't know that?" The Doctor snapped. Jack handed over his manipulator.
"There you go, patch that in. It's programmed to find her," Jack said.
"Thanks."
"Hey, there," Jack said, offering his hand to the girl.
"Hello," she replied, shaking the offered hand.
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced.
"I'm Ella, the Doctor's daughter," Ella chirped.
"Lynda Moss," she said, grinning like a fool.
"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss," Jack and Ella chimed.
"Do you mind flirting outside?" Dad asked.
"We were just saying hello!" Jack and Ella protested.
"For you two, that's flirting," Dad muttered.
"I'm not complaining," Lynda said. Ella and Jack gave each other a fist bump before mimicking an explosion.
"Muchas gracias," Jack thanked at the same time Ella said, "Merci."
"It's not compatible. This stupid system doesn't make sense," the Doctor complained. He passed the manipulator to Lynda and before he kicked the console. Jack took off the front plate. "This place should be a basic broadcaster, but the systems are twice as complicated. It's more than just television. This station's transmitting something else."
"Like what?" Jack asked.
"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Someone's manipulated my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Rose is stuck inside it," the Doctor said darkly. He reconnected the manipulator and searched the station.
"Found her. Floor four oh seven."
"Oh, my God, she's with the Anne Droid. You've got to get her out of there," Lynda said urgently.
They took off to the lift and headed up. The Doctor was leaning against the wall staring at the floor numbers. They were in the mid hundreds when Dad said, "Come on, come on!"
"Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen Dash Ten Barric Fields?" They heard the Anne-Droid ask once they exited the lift.
"Game Room Six, which one is it?" The Doctor asked Lynda.
"Over here!" Lynda said, leading them to the far left side of the floor.
"San Hazeldine," a man, Rodric, Ella guessed, answered.
"No. The correct answer is San Chen," the Anne-Droid said.
"Stand back, let me blast it open," Jack said.
"You can't. It's made of Hydra combination," the Doctor said, fiddling with the hand panel. "Come on, come on, come on." He finally got the door open. "Rose! Stop this game!" The Doctor ordered once we got inside the room.
"Rose, you leave this life with nothing."
"Stop this game!" Jack yelled.
"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor yelled.
"You are the weakest link."
"Look out for the Anne Droid, its armed!" Rose yelled. She ran towards Ella but the mouth of the Anne Droid opened and shot Rose in the back, leaving a pile of dust.
"What the hell did you do to her? Back off!" Jack yelled at the floor manager.
"I need security and I need it here right now! It's this lot," the manager yelled.
"Don't you touch him! Leave him alone!" Jack yelled at a guard that had taken the Doctor's arms. Ella felt her hands being handcuffed together and she struggled against the guard until she felt something cool on the back of her head.
"Sir, put down the gun or I'll have to shoot," the guard holding Ella said.
"You killed her! Your stupid freaking game show killed her," the Doctor yelled furiously.
"Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate."
We were taken to a pathetic excuse for a holding cell and the Doctor was searched.
"Can you tell us the purpose of this device, sir?" The guard asked. When the Doctor was seated, the same guard questioned us. "Can you tell us how you got on board?"
"Just leave him alone," Lynda said. The guard grabbed Lynda's chin angrily.
"I'm asking him. Sir? Can you tell us who you are?"
"Are you stupid? We came on by means of that stupid transmat beam of yours! Jeez, humans are stupid," Ella snapped. A sharp sting bloomed across her cheek before the sound echoed. Ella turned her head to glare venomously at the guard who slapped her. She went to retaliate but Jack held her back.
All of them had mug shots done and Ella never stopped glaring at everyone who worked on the station. "You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial. You may not appeal against this sentence. Is that understood?" A second guard unlocked the cage to let his colleague out.
"Let's do it," the Doctor said. They all stood up and Jack led the fight out. The two guards were knocked out in no time flat and Jack reclaimed his weapon while the Doctor retrieved his sonic screwdriver. Lynda took the guard's weapons before she found Ella's Spanner, handing it to the pink haired woman. "Floor 500." Ella said once they were in the lift. The group of four sped up to the top floor and Ella took one of the guards weapons from Lynda. They all arrived there within a minute.
"Okay, move away from the desk! Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clear. Stand to the side and stay there," Jack ordered.
"Who's in charge of this place?" The Doctor asked.
"Nineteen, eighteen," a blue woman connected to wires muttered.
"This Satellite's more than a Game Station," the Doctor continued.
"Seventy nine, eighty."
"Who killed Rose Tyler?"
"All staff are reminded that solar flares…"
"I want an answer!"
"…Occur in delta point one."
"She can't reply. Don't shoot!" A man said. He panicked when the Doctor aimed the gun.
"Oh, don't be so thick. Like I was ever going to shoot," the Doctor said, tossing the gun to the man. "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."
"Yes, sir."
"You. What were you saying?" The Doctor asked the man from before.
"But I've got your gun," he said confused.
"Okay, so shoot me. Why can't she answer?"
"She's er. Can I put this down?"
"If you want. Just hurry up."
"Thanks. Sorry. The Controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain. You're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognise your existence."
"What's her name?"
"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."
"Door's sealed. We should be safe for about ten minutes," Jack said from his place at the computer.
"Keep an eye on them," the Doctor ordered. Ella left the Doctor's conversation to join Jack by the computer. Ella wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head against the middle of his back.
"I'll keep an eye on the doors, you check for the TARDIS," Ella said, letting Jack go. Jack headed over to a door in the corner and tried to open it.
"You're not allowed in there. Archive Six is out of bounds," a woman said.
"Do I look like an out of bounds sort of guy?" Jack asked, holding up the two guns he was carrying for reference. The door opened and Jack disappeared into Archive Six.
"Solar flare activity in delta point zero fifteen," the controller said.
"If you're not holding us hostage, then open the door and let us out. The staff are terrified," the woman yelled.
"That's the same staff who execute hundreds of contestants every day," the Doctor said.
"That's not our fault. We're just doing our jobs."
"And with that sentence you just lost the right to even talk to me. Now back off!" The Doctor snapped. The power then went down.
"That's just the solar flares. They interfere with the broadcast signal, so this place automatically powers down. Planet Earth gets a few repeats. It's all quite normal," the man said.
"Doctor."
"Doctor?" The woman asked.
"Whatever it is, you can wait," the Doctor snapped.
"Dad, I think she wants you," Ella said. The Doctor looked to the controller and ran towards her.
"Doctor? Doctor? Where's the Doctor?" The controller asked.
"I'm here."
"Can't see. I'm blind. So blind. All my life, blind. All I can see is numbers, but I saw you."
"What do you want?"
"Solar flares hiding me. They can't hear me. My masters, they always listen but they can't hear me now the sun, the sun is so bright."
"Who are your masters?"
"They wired my head. The name's forbidden. They control my thoughts. My masters. My masters, I had to be careful. They monitor transmissions but they don't watch the programmes. I could hide you inside the games. Knew that you would find me."
"My friend died inside your games."
"Doesn't matter."
"Don't you dare tell me that!"
"They've been hiding. My masters hiding in the dark space, watching and shaping the Earth so, so, so many years. Always been there, guiding humanity, hundreds and hundreds of years."
"Who are they?"
"They wait and plan and grow in numbers. They're strong now. So strong, my masters."
"Who are they?"
"But speak of you, my masters, they fear the Doctor."
"Tell me, who are they?" The power turned back on and the controller went back to counting.
"Twenty one, twenty two."
"When's the next solar flare?" The Doctor asked the staff.
"Two years time," the man said.
"Fat lot of good that is," Ella muttered.
"Found the TARDIS," Jack yelled.
"We're not leaving now," the Doctor said.
"No, but the TARDIS worked it out. You'll want to watch this. Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?" Jack asked Lynda.
"I just want to go home," Lynda said.
"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can. Everybody watching? Okay. three, two, one," Jack said. Lynda disappeared from her spot on one side of the room in a puff of smoke.
"But you killed her!" The Doctor yelled.
"Oh, do you think?" Jack asked. Another beam brought Lynda back except she reappeared next to the Doctor, clutching her head.
"What the hell was that?" She asked.
"It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator, a secondary transmat system. People don't get killed in the games. they get transported across space. Doctor, Rose is still alive!" Jack explained. Ella breathed a sigh of relief as Jack and the Doctor cheered and hugged.
"She's out there somewhere," the Doctor said, running to a computer.
"Doctor. Coordinates five point six point one…" The controller said.
"Don't, the solar flare is gone. They'll hear you!" Ella warned.
"-Point four three four. No, my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven…" the beam took the controller away and Ella stared in shock at the empty space. Ella went to the TARDIS to find out more on the Gamestation with no luck.
When Ella went back out to the Doctor and Jack, she froze, spotting what the screen was showing.
"That's impossible!" Ella said in shock.
"And yet, there they are," the Doctor said grimly.
"No!" Ella yelled. "It's not possible! They were destroyed! You destroyed them!" Ella was panicking and struggling to breathe.
"I know I did, but we will get to the bottom of this," the Doctor said.
A hologram appeared with three Daleks and Rose on it.
"I will talk to the Doctor."
"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" The Doctor said with false happiness.
"The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."
"Oh, really? Why's that, then?"
"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."
"No." All of us looked to the Doctor in confusion and shock. Rose looked a bit insulted.
"Explain yourself."
"I said no."
"What is the meaning of this negative?"
"It means no."
"But she will be destroyed."
"No!"
"Make up your mind," Ella muttered, her father sending her an annoyed look.
"Because this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth, and then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!"
"But you have no weapons, no defences, no plan."
"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death. Rose?"
"Yes, Doctor?" Rose asked.
"I'm coming to get you." The transmission ended, courtesy of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.