Domestics and Divisions

Wooooo, it's been a while, hasn't it…? Sorry, been a bit busy with revision and exams and failing them. Anyway, thanks to Crawford for kicking me up the backside to get me going again hehe. Hope you enjoy this chapter and, hopefully we'll be back to weekly updates again!

Disclaimer: Nothing you might recognise belongs to me.

Part Eleven: Uncle Jack

The next day, the Torchwood gang returned to work to find Jack and Rose looking decidedly sombre. They had spent the night talking and discussing what they were going to do to get Jonny back and had finally come up with a plan.

Jack called his employees and friends into his office where he and Rose told them a brief version of their history, explaining who the Doctor was and why he was so important to both of them. The team listened quietly until Jack mentioned what he and Rose had decided to do that day- use the rift crosser tool and go back to Pete's Universe to collect Jonny. It was at that point that Gwen objected.

"But you can't!" she insisted, "We don't know enough about its technology. You might get stuck over there and then what would we do?"

"It's a risk I'm gonna have to take," Jack replied, "Jonny needs his mother and Rose needs her son. Hopefully we'll be in and out quickly and safely but you just have to be aware of the potential consequences."

Gwen sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. She'd never win. "Be careful then."

Jack nodded, with a smile. "I will. Gwen, I'm putting you in charge until I get back…"

There was an exclamation from Owen until Toshiko sharply kicked him in the ankle. Rose bit back her smirk as the doctor stared angrily at his friend.

It didn't take long for Jack to deal with everything so that there wouldn't be any major problems until his return. Shortly after, he and Rose said goodbye to the team and went up on the invisible lift- much to Rose's delight. She was particularly tickled at his explanation of why the lift existed, thinking back to the time in which they had come to Cardiff all those years ago.

"Do you know how to work it?" Jack asked, once they were in the open air, speaking of the rift crosser,

Rose bit her lip. "I think so, yeah. I twist it like so and think of you,"

"Me?" Jack asked in surprise,

"Yeah," she grinned, "That's what got Gwen to and from in the first place. She was thinking of you and wishing she could make you feel better."

Jack smiled. "Let's give it a try then." He put his arms around Rose so she was facing his chest as she fiddled with the contraption, thinking hard of her best friend. Nothing happened.

"I don't understand," Rose frowned, "Do you think it only works for two trips?" Her face paled. She couldn't bear never to see her baby again,

"Don't think that, honey," Jack said quickly, "Maybe you're thinking of the wrong thing?"

Rose shrugged. "I'm thinking of you. That's what Gwen did."

Jack pursed his lips as he thought deeply. "Maybe… maybe it worked for Gwen because she wanted to help me- so it took her to you because somehow this contraption knows that being reunited with me would make me feel better…"

Rose grinned before she picked up on his train of thought. "So what you're suggesting is that maybe we have to think of what we want for it to work? So, if I think that I want to get Jonny…"

There was a sudden flash of bright light and the same violent pulling sensation that Rose had experienced earlier. Their feet slammed to the floor seconds later, leaving them panting.

"It worked!" she cried happily, "We're back!"

Jack grinned, taking his first look at the world that had been Rose's home for the past three years. "They like zeppelins, hey?"

"Yup," Rose nodded, "They use them instead of aeroplanes here. Slower but better for the environment,"

"Fair enough," Jack nodded before a smile slid onto his face, "Remember our zeppelin, Rose?"

She laughed. "I thought I was going to die. Instead I met you,"

"Which is so much better," Jack smirked, taking her hand as she began to led them through the busy streets of London,

"Definitely," she agreed, "You and your fancy stolen spaceship,"

"Borrowed, thank you," he stressed with a cheeky grin, "Just because I took it without asking and then never gave it back…"

Rose shook her head before drawing to a halt outside a big iron gate. "Here we are,"

"Here?" Jack spluttered, "It's a bloody mansion!"

"Dad's rich in this universe," his friend explained, punching in the key code and walking up the enormous drive, "He and Mum live here. I used to but moved into a flat down the road when Jonny was about one." Speaking of Jonny, the ache inside her was rapidly reducing as she got closer to him. She was dying to see him again.

Jack nodded, squeezing her hand as she pulled out a key and slotted it in the front door. She pushed it open slowly and the wailing of a young child greeted their ears.

"Jonny!" Rose cried, recognising the sound. She dropped Jack's hand and raced up the stairs, heading for the nursery.

"Rose!" a familiar voice screamed as she entered the room, "Where were you? I was so frantic!"

Rose held onto her mother. "I got back, Mum," she said, tears prickling in her eyes, "I'm sorry I worried you. It just happened." She let go off Jackie and made her way to the cot where her son was sitting, crying his eyes out. She scooped him up. "Shh, Jonny. I'm here now, shh…"

Instantly, he quietened down, his tears magically drying. "Mummy," he mumbled, resting his head on her shoulder and sticking his thumb in his mouth. Rose pressed a kiss to his head, so grateful to have his warm weight back in her arms.

"Rose?" her mother's voice interrupted.

She looked up, shocked to see how tired her mother looked. "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Mum. How long have I been away?"

"Just the day," Jackie replied, "But Jonny didn't stop crying the entire time. Where were you?"

Rose stroked her boy's hair. He hadn't stopped crying? "I got back home," she explained, "To our universe,"

"How?" Jackie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock,

"It was Gwen. That object she had- we worked out how to use it. It took us back to Cardiff and I found…"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" a voice roared from outside the room, interrupting Rose.

Jackie frowned. "What's going on now?" she muttered, marching to the door, closely followed by Rose. They opened it to see Pete standing sternly in front of Jack, his arms folded.

"What are you doing in my house?" he demanded, "How did you get in?"

"Dad, wait!" Rose cried at the same time as Jackie exclaimed, "Jack?"

"Good to see you, Jackie," Jack grinned, leaping forward and kissing her on the cheek.

She giggled like a schoolgirl, much to Rose's amusement. Not to Pete's though. His eyes had narrowed, a questioning frown on his face.

"Jack?" he asked slowly, "As in the Jack?"

"Yeah," Rose said, her eyes suspiciously bright, "We found each other again, Dad."

Pete's eyes softened as he looked at his surrogate daughter. "Where've you been, sweetheart?"

"Back," she said simply, "With Gwen. I found a way, Dad."

Pete smiled, embracing her. "I'm so pleased for you, love,"

"Thanks," she whispered, "Look, let's go down to the lounge and I'll explain everything. Where's Mickey?"

"Oh! He's probably still out searching for you," Jackie said, "I'll ring him and say you're home."

Rose nodded and led the way to the lounge.

"Jack," she said as soon as she'd taken a seat, Jonny bouncing on her lap, "Meet Jonny."

Jack grinned, kneeling down in front of her. "Hey Jonny," he said, offering the small boy his large hand, "I'm Jack."

Jonny cautiously took it in his tiny hand and shook. "Hi, Uncle Jack," he grinned.

Jack smiled in delight, glancing up at Rose. "Uncle Jack?"

"I told him about you," she explained, "Always said I hoped he'd be able to meet his Uncle Jack one day,"

"Uncle Jack, brave and ham- some!" Jonny inputted,

"I love him already," Jack laughed.

Rose smiled.

"Uncle Jack. Come play aliens!" Jonny urged, "We gotta beat the nasty cybermans!"

Jack laughed again and the two males ran off to play together. Rose sighed contentedly. They'd bonded already. She was glad as she knew they were going to spend a lot of time together in the future. Now all that was left was for her son to meet his father. She'd taken a step forward with finding a way back into her universe- the chance of her longed for reunion had increased dramatically but she had to be rational. Jack had said himself, he'd been waiting in Cardiff for five long years and the Doctor had never arrived. At the same time, Matt, Lauren and Kirsty had been keeping an eye out in London but they'd seen nothing either. Where was the Doctor? Was he alright? God, she hoped he hadn't regenerated again!

Her worried thoughts were interrupted by her parent's arrival in the lounge, close followed by Mickey who ran and gave her a hug.

"Don't do that to me ever again!" he said, half sternly.

Rose nodded guiltily. "Sorry. Mickey, do you remember Jack?"

Mickey turned around to see the ex-time agent sitting on the rug with Jonny. "Hi," he greeted. He didn't really know Jack that well as the only time he had met him was in modern day Cardiff all those years ago. Mickey had stayed behind in this parallel world several months before Rose's life had changed with the Doctor abandoning her for a year and then their eventual reunion with one another and then with Jack. Rose had told him plenty about her best friend but Mickey knew there was a big difference in hearing about someone and actually seeing it, and he didn't have particularly fond memories of Captain Jack anyway.

"Hey Mickey," Jack nodded, before going back to play with his godson.

Rose sighed quietly before starting to speak, explaining everything that had happened since the last time Pete, Mickey and Jackie had seen her. She watched her mother's eyes widen before an intense fear occupied them.

"You're going to go back then? For good?"

"I've got to, Mum," Rose muttered, "I have to take this chance that I'll find him again."

Jackie nodded, understanding. "And I guess Jonny will be going too?" She didn't wait for a reply, knowing that there was no way that her daughter would leave her son behind. "So, I'll lose you both?"

"Come with us," Rose suggested.

Jackie shook her head. "I can't leave Pete,"

"Dad could come too!"

"But Rose, I'm officially dead in your universe. I have been for over twenty five years according to your stories," Pete said gently.

Rose nodded numbly. "Mum and me are officially dead too," she suddenly realised, "The Doctor told me…"

There was a silence for a while, punctured only by Jonny's enthusiastic squeals and Jack's laughs but he was obviously listening in.

"What do we do then?" Rose whispered, "I have to go back to find the Doctor. I need him and I want him to meet Jonny but I don't want to leave you behind…" She gave a frustrated sigh. "If only there was some way of changing the official records!"

"But even if there was, wouldn't that cause more problems as the friends and family of your Pete Tyler would know something's up if I suddenly came back to life?" Pete argued.

Rose shrugged, a desperate look on her face. "I suppose I could use the rift crosser thing to come and visit you every so often…?"

"No," Pete said immediately, "Not until I know if it's having any sort of effect on the rift. I don't want the same thing happening again. The polar ice caps are only just beginning to freeze again."

Rose nodded. "Then what?"

There was another silence before Jackie took Rose's hand in hers, tears in her eyes. "You're going to have to take Jonny and go back to your universe with Jack and wait for the Doctor,"

"But Mum…"

"No buts, Rose," Jackie said firmly, "I know you've not been happy since you arrived here despite appearing fine the last few years. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. You need your Doctor back just like I needed my Pete back. I got him back and it's only right that you get the same even if it means losing you in the process."

Rose nodded slowly, tears streaming down her face. She understood what a huge sacrifice her mother was making for Rose's happiness. "I'll try my best to find a safe way to come back through," she choked.

Jackie nodded, holding her daughter tightly. "Probably best if you go now," she said quietly.

Rose moved her face away from Jackie. "OK," she whispered, before hugging her tightly, "I love you, Mum. Thanks so much for everything,"

"I love you too, sweetheart," Jackie replied, kissing her, "I'm so proud of you."

Rose nodded tearfully, staying in her mother's embrace for a moment longer before pulling out of it and facing Pete. He grinned at him, throwing his arms around her in a bear hug.

"You go and save your heart, Rose Tyler," he murmured, "I know you are going to survive and find him again,"

"Yeah, I hope so… Thanks Dad, I love you,"

"Love you too," Pete replied, his voice going gruff.

Rose smiled at him. "Look after Mum for me, yeah?"

"Course I will. And you take care of Jonny."

Rose nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

After she'd said a sad goodbye to her oldest friend, Mickey, she ran lightly up the stairs to collect a few essential things to take back with her, including some of her clothes and accessories, Jonny's clothes, some of his toys, photos of her family- although she was determined she'd see them again- and lastly, but most importantly, she carefully took her TARDIS key out of the jewellery box she kept in her drawers. She took a deep breath as she tied the chain around her neck, fingering the key gently, before hoisting on her full to bursting rucksack and going back downstairs.

"Ready to go then?" Jack asked, pulling away from Jackie who had been badgering him to take care of her daughter and grandson and "make sure that Doctor does too or I'll find my way through the void and slap 'im so hard he'll regenerate!",

"Yup," Rose nodded sadly, taking Jonny from Pete's arms.

Jack nodded, pulling the rucksack onto his own back before pulling the rift crosser out of his overcoat pocket. "Here we got then,"

"Bye," Rose said, tears in her eyes, "I love you all and I'll find a way back, I promise,"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, love," Pete said, "Just try."

Rose nodded. "I will. Jonny, say goodbye to Granny and Grandpa and Uncle Mickey…"

"Bye-bye," the little boy said solemnly, somehow realising this was a sad occasion,

"Bye," Jackie whispered, tears flooding her face.

She bravely smiled at her daughter for one last time before a blinding flash of white light overtook them and they were gone.

Review please. Constructive criticism is gladly received.