Author's Note: FINALLY the long-awaited next chapter of my story. I had a LOT of trouble writing this one, but I think I'm finally working my way through my writers block. Yay!
Oh, and the scene at the end in the kitchen was added solely for my husband, who begged me repeatedly to put it in.
Chapter Eighteen
"Explain to me how, exactly, it is that you manage that," Jen said dryly as she and Jack both pushed their way out of a seedy little tavern at dawn.
"Manage what?" Jack asked, glancing back at his redheaded companion with a quizzical expression.
"It doesn't matter who they are – male, female, or in-between – you always get exactly what you want out of them."
He paused and flashed her a brief, dashing grin. "It's a good thing that all I want right now is information, then."
Jen laughed, shook her head, and dragged her hand through her hair. "We should probably get back to the Tardis," she said, glancing at her wrist. "Rose and my father should be getting up about now, and I'm sure they'll want to know what we've managed to find out."
"Yeah, about that," Jack said thoughtfully as he slipped his hands into his coat pockets. "Does any of what we've found out make sense to you?"
Jen paused, squinted briefly, and considered the question. "Not a bit," she finally replied. "It's like we're being given pieces of a puzzle, but no picture to look at as a guide."
"Not having a guide doesn't make it impossible," Jack pointed out as they arrived at the Tardis. He pushed open the door and held it for her. "Just makes it more challenging."
"I think we could do with a little less challenge and a little more guide in this case," she replied as she passed by him and into the Tardis.
"And where have you two been all night?" a teasing voice greeted them as the entered the ship. Rose stood in the console room, a mug of tea between her hands and a twinkling smile on her lips.
Jack returned the grin and slid an arm around Jen's shoulders. "Well we couldn't let you have all the fun last night," he replied, cheekily.
Jen merely rolled her eyes and slipped out from under his arm. "Only in your wildest dreams, Jack," she replied.
He chuckled and tapped the end of her nose. "Hey, remember, I'm supposed to be your guinea pig, just as soon as I get your dad to agree."
"Anyway," Jen chuckled, turning to Rose and changing the subject. "We've been out in the city, and Jack has been working his charms on the more unsavory side of Rasarnia to get some information."
"Did you get anything useful?" Rose asked, leaning forward on her elbows and taking a sip of her tea.
"Well I did get the numbers for a really cute set of twins – oof!" Jack began, only to be interrupted by Jen's elbow connecting with his stomach.
"I think she meant information that would be useful to all of us," Jen retorted, witheringly. With a slight chuckle and shake of her head, she turned back to Rose. "We did find a bit of information, but it doesn't make much sense." She paused and stepped over to lean against the rail that surrounded the console. "It wasn't an individual that Rooney was reporting to – at least, not that we know of. According to one of his henchman," she continued, a note of sarcasm in her voice when she reached the last word, "it was an off-world corporation that was interested in this power source."
"The Dannar Corporation," Jack spoke up, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the railing next to Jen. "Interestingly, from what we've been able to find out, they don't specialize in energy harnessing." A puzzled expression fell over his features. "They're experts in genetics and genetic manipulation."
"Genetics?" Rose asked, suddenly very alert. "Seriously?"
Jen shrugged one shoulder. "Time Lord DNA would be very valuable," she pointed out. "We have two hearts, can withstand several forms of radiation, and let's not forget the fact that we regenerate instead of dying."
"But what does genetic replication and manipulation have to do with producing an unlimited energy source?" Jack wondered aloud.
They all fell silent for several moments. "Well," Rose finally spoke up, slowly. A hint of a grin began to pull at the corners of her lips. "I suppose that we'll just have to ask the powers that be at the Dannar Corporation ourselves, won't we?"
The Doctor had slept through their entire conversation. Knowing perfectly well that he would not stand for being left out of the adventure ahead, the trio had elected to let him rest and recover as long as possible before heading toward Dannar's headquarters.
Quietly, Jen slipped into his room late that morning. She'd had a chance to shower and dress, and then excused herself to check on him while Rose and Jack investigated the kitchen in an attempt to locate some breakfast.
The Doctor stirred when she entered the room, opening one dark eye to look up at her. "What time is it?" he asked, blearily.
Jen chuckled. "I thought Time Lords were supposed to know precisely when and where in time they are at any given moment," she replied, seating herself on the edge of his bed.
"Ah, well…" he scoffed, shifting around in his bed and wincing slightly. "I've never been that great at that bit."
"I came to have a look at your shoulder," she informed him, chuckling.
Experimentally, he rolled the joint around. "It's a shoulder," he grunted. Jen reached over to run a fingertip along the bruising, feeling gently along the joint for more permanent damage. "Stop that!" he said, slapping her hand away.
"I thought Time Lords had more constitution, too," she added. "Are you sure you're a Time Lord?"
Grunting, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "If I'm not, then you're the milkman's child," he replied, amused. He glanced briefly around the room. "Where did Rose run off to?" he asked.
"She and Jack are attempting to make us some breakfast," she replied, tucking her knees up to her chin.
He lifted one eyebrow. "Rose and Jack are cooking," he repeated doubtfully, and glanced back at his pillow. "Maybe I should sleep through breakfast."
Jen chuckled softly in reply, and then an uncomfortable silence fell between them. The Doctor's gaze fell onto the blanket draped over him, and he finally spoke, softly. "How did you get away?" he asked, suddenly.
Jen took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. She'd known this conversation was coming. "I'm not sure, to be honest," she replied, just as quietly. She rested her chin on her knees and folded her arms under her thighs, hugging her legs close. "I woke up a few days…after," she continued. "I had been knocked through time and space into a completely different timeline." Her eyes rose to meet his. "I couldn't feel anyone, not even you. I tried… for days I tried, but nothing."
"I know," he said, reaching out a hand to rest on her cheek. "I know that feeling very well."
She nodded slowly, finding small comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone. "Because I thought I was alone, I decided to settle down on a small, nondescript planet and live as normal of a life as I can. And so, that's what I did, and I've been there ever since. I found a little village on a planet in a far-off system, and I blended in as best I could."
"How did you hide regeneration?" he asked. He reached up and touched a lock of her hair. "And, by the way," he added, a twinkle in his eye. "Very jealous that you get to be ginger this time. I've always wanted to be ginger!"
She laughed. "It was pretty easy," she said. "I just 'died,' and one of my relatives moved into my house in my place." A slight, devious smile tugged on the corner of her lips. "Jenaria, Jennifer, Genivere… Always a Jen living in the house."
He, too, smiled. "Very clever," he replied, nodding.
The smile was still on her lips when she reached one hand out and took his. Slowly the grin faded and she looked earnestly into his eyes. "There's something that I need to say to you," she began.
A wary, guarded expression fell over his handsome features. "Okay…" he replied, cautiously.
Jen took a deep breath. "I don't blame you for what happened," she stated. The Doctor sighed and tried to turn away. "No, don't pull away. Don't you dare pull away." He turned back to look at her, although reluctantly. "I don't blame you," she repeated, "and I know that they wouldn't either. You did what was necessary." She paused and leaned forward for emphasis. "As I said to Rose just two days ago, because of what happened millions of people died, and my hearts – both of them – break for every last one of them every day. But if you hadn't done what you did," she continued, squeezing his hand, "then billions more would have. You did what you had to do, and no one blames you for it. No one, that is, but you."
Restlessly, he shoved himself off of the bed and snatched his dressing gown off of a nearby chair. "Damn right I blame myself," he muttered to himself. He whirled back around to face her as he forcefully tied the belt of the gown. "Wasn't I the one that pulled the trigger, so to speak?"
Jen, too leaped to her feet and glared up at him. "And wasn't it you who told me, when I was merely a Time-Tot in nappies, that doing what's right isn't always doing what's easy?" she shot back, chin lifted defiantly. "You did what was right," she continued, her voice dropping. "Not what was easy."
She could see the conflict of emotions in his eyes, the tightening of his jaw. "My head knows that," he replied with a sigh.
A sympathetic smile touched her lips. "It's hard to convince the hearts, though," she finished up. Jen crossed the space between them and slipped her arms affectionately around his waist in a daughterly squeeze. The Doctor sighed and held her tight, a pleasure he hadn't had in many, many years. "I missed you," she admitted, resting her chin on his good shoulder.
"I missed you too," he replied, softly. He couldn't hide the emotion in his voice.
"Oh, and Rose," Jen continued, pulling away and grinning mischievously up at him. "I like her."
The flush in his cheeks amused her. "Yes, well…" he flustered, glancing at the door and running his hand through his hair. "I do too," he admitted, grinning down at his offspring.
"Really?" Jen asked, innocently. "I wouldn't have guessed…"
Embarrassed, he looked down and chuckled. "And speaking of, she and Jack should probably be just about finished with…" He stopped and looked up, puzzled. "What's that noise?"
Jen looked up and around, a similar expression on her own face. In the background, she could hear what sounded distinctly like guitars. "It sounds like… music?"
The two of them gazed at one another, confused, for a long moment before they simultaneously turned and strolled out of the room to seek out the source of the clamor.
They followed the music until they did indeed find where it was coming from – the kitchen. The two Time Lords paused in the doorway of the room, each leaning against one side of the doorway and watched the activities that swirled around the small room.
Rose and Jack were indeed cooking breakfast, and enjoying themselves immensely as they did so. Loud rock music blared over the Tardis' loudspeakers overhead, as they danced their way through meal preparations. Jen lifted an eyebrow in amusement and shared a glance with her father. She recognized the song they were enjoying to be a popular tune from Earth's 80's era of rock music.
When the song reached its chorus, both Jack and Rose abruptly jumped and spun around to face one another. Jack thrust a stirring spoon up to his mouth while Rose belted the chorus into a large pancake turner. "Doctor, Doctor! Give me the news, I've got a bad case of loving you!" they both belted into their utensils, loudly and very off-key.
"Well," The Doctor spoke up from the doorway. Rose and Jack both jumped, and shifted their attention to him. Both of them had the look of a child that had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Catchy beat and entertaining song," he commented, grinning broadly. "And it's nice to know that I'm so well loved and appreciated," he couldn't help but add with a teasing grin.