Beta read by the fantastic micbb
River Song walked into the Maldovarium, looked around, and spotted him instantly. Smiling, both at the familiar face and all the prospects simply seeing him held, she took a second to straighten out her cleavage. She took a quick moment to check her hair and teeth in a gold, reflective surface, than headed for his table.
He was flirting with the server before he noticed River, and then simply dismissed the member of the staff before standing and greeting her with a smile.
"River." He greeted with his licentious smile, arms open to welcome her.
"Jack," She said, as she stepped into his embrace. His kiss was not unexpected and entirely appreciated.
Still holding on to her hand as they stepped apart, Jack waited for River to sit before settling back into his seat. "I know you said that this wasn't meant to be a social rendezvous, but I ordered that wine you like so much." He said as he gave a slight wave to someone she couldn't see.
"Thank you, darling." She said, giving his hand a squeeze and staring into those perfect blue eyes across the way. "When did I get you in your time stream?"
"Well, Ianto wasn't too pleased to know I was coming out to see you, but he understood." Jack said with a shrug, and River studied his face carefully.
There were slight lines around his eyes, whispers of gray at his temples. He may have still been with Ianto, but he wouldn't be for much longer. He'd told her once that he allowed himself to age a bit as they got older so neither would have to think much about Jack's immortality.
"Not too soon," She said as she reached across the table for his other hand, sliding her fingers up to his wrist. "To ask if I could have this."
Jack looked down to where River's fingers caressed his vortex manipulator.
He smirked. "Is that what you want from me, River? Time travel?"
"Well," She said, trying not to match his expression. "It is my primary reason for seeking you out. But, if we can come to some kind of agreement."
"Oh, I think we could." He said, taking a sip of his drink of his dark amber liquid just as River's wine was set down. She pulled her hand back from the manipulator to take her glass in hand, though their other hands remained joined. Jack caressed her fingers while she sipped the cool, crisp pinot. "What do you need it for?" He asked softly.
"I received a call from Winston Churchill." She said softly. "I believe the TARDIS rerouted him to my phone, to make sure the Doctor and Rose wouldn't know …."
"Wouldn't know?" He pushed gently.
"About the painting."
Jack raised an eyebrow at her.
"The painting … of the Pandorica."
~DWDWDW~
Rose stirred from slumber, stretched, and felt the long, lean body of the Doctor pressed as close to her as he could.
"Hello," He said in her ear, and it took her a moment to reconcile his new voice.
"Hello," She said.
"I snuck out to the galley to make you tea. The TARDIS moved the tray of it in here for you, though. Won't say why, but I will say that maybe we need to replace a few mugs. Not yours though, I caught that one."
Rose chuckled in her chest before she turned on her side to kiss him good morning. She noted the haunted look in his eyes when she pulled back, made a bit worse by his more youthful face. "You had a nightmare last night." She said as she brushed his long bangs from his face.
"More like a memory." He said with a put on smile. That had changed as well. Whereas before he could fake even the mania in it, this was too sad. "I recalled where I was going next after I met us."
"And where was that?" Rose asked, nearly certain she already knew the answer.
He looked at the space between them, though there wasn't much. "Do you remember what I told you about Cass?"
It took her a moment to search her memory, but eventually she stumbled across it in her mind. "You did what you could." She soothed him, running a hand over neck and cheek.
"Yes, I have long come to terms with that. She wasn't entirely wrong, of course. Not then, not now. The Time Lords were becoming as bad as the Daleks near the end. I just wish she could have put aside her hatred long enough to let me save her."
"You can't save everyone," She said softly.
"I know." He kissed her forehead, and the two took a moment to just revel in their closeness, enjoying the comforting presence of each other.
As she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to the center of the Doctor's chest, the TARDIS sent Rose a nudge in her mind. She did a little rearranging, and whenever they were ready, Rose could get to a task she had had in mind since the day before.
"Right," Her husband said, bouncing off the bed with eagerness. "Let's get you some … where did your tea tray go?" He wondered looking around the room, stumbling a bit as he turned about.
"She moved it." Rose said simply as she pushed herself up, swinging her legs over the side.
"Now why would she do that?" He said as he went for the bedroom door and opened it.
He stiffened, and Rose passed by him and entered the wardrobe without hesitation. She noticed the armchair set up with a small table holding the tea tray beside it, and made a beeline for the comfortable looking spot.
"What exactly is this about?" The Doctor asked, eventually following her inside.
"Told ya, you aren't keeping the clothes. They're not yours, and you have enough. Sure you can find an outfit in here you'd like."
He stared at her for the longest time, and she felt him probing her mind in search of the punchline. When it seemed he couldn't find one, she felt his mischievousness before the matching grin curled his lips.
"Alright," He said as he shrugged off his jacket. "But I'm keeping the bow tie. It's cool."
"Is it your bow tie?" She challenged with and arched brow. He blushed. "You can have a bow tie, but you need to choose one from here."
"Fine," he huffed. "But I want suspenders." He said, pointing at her as if she was going to argue the point.
"Never said you couldn't." She countered as she fixed her tea. "I never said you had to change how you dress, just what you dressed in."
"Alright," He sighed, venturing into the wardrobe.
She took a sip of her tea as she looked at the things immediately around her. His old leather jacket, ties he used to wear, various oxfords with the odd one having an embroidered question mark on the collar. His old clothes carefully set aside and away from the rest of the massive wardrobe to prevent any companions from wearing them. Not like most of his previous outfit choices would be one anyone would make, but she still like the idea that they were meant only for them.
Plopping in the chair, Rose reached up and fingered his absurdly long scarf as she sipped her tea.
She finished her cup as she listened to her husband cursing and grumbling as he went through articles. She'd caught flashes of pieces he was drawn to, but he would tuck the thought away before she could really see them. She made a second cup, contemplating putting on his multi-colored jacket to stay warm, when she heard his heavy foot fall coming toward her.
Her throat tightened at the sight of him.
"I meet you? Properly meet you when you change?" She asked, trying to be subtle in her curiosity.
The light in the Doctor's eyes told her he knew what she was fishing for. "You're still with me now." He said.
The memory from all that time ago was crystal clear to her now as he stood before her in still too-short black trousers that she remembered fit well over his backside. She spotted the clips of the suspenders on the waist band, but the demanded accessory was hidden under the grayish-purple waist coat. The light gray oxford helped the new purple bow tie pop, and she was curious how it all looked together with the long, purple wool jacket he had slung over his shoulder.
He smiled nervously despite the twinkle in his eye that proved he knew she liked it.
"Admittedly, these all do fit better." He said, gesturing to his outfit with his free hand. "Wasn't sure about the color, but the only other jacket I had like this was green, and I wasn't sure…."
"You look amazing," Rose cut him off, setting her cup down and getting to her feet. She moved toward him, running her hands over his shoulders, down the front of his chest. "Exactly how I met you before. And the color brings out your eyes." She said as she looked him over again.
His smile grew more confident. "You didn't see me like this." He countered. "I went to see you in the other outfit."
"What?" She asked, furrowing her brow. "No, was like this. Memory was still fuzzy until now."
"When did I see you if not before we met?" He asked, his confusion making hers that much more.
"You came to see me before we met?" She countered. She tried to think when she may have seen his face before. She really couldn't think of a time.
He shrugged, "I missed you." He said, the same reason he gave her when he came to her in 1969.
She smiled gently, getting up on her toes and pressing a kiss to his lips.
The Doctor sighed, moving his free hand to her waist to hold her as she threaded her fingers through the hair. He deepened the kiss, and she was forced to step back.
"How long before Rory and Amy wake up?"
"Long enough." He said, dropping his newly selected jacket to the floor, "that we don't have to worry about them for a little while." He said as he backed her up to the chair.
~DWDWDW~
River sipped her wine as Jack looked at the painting, eyebrows raised mouth partially open in shock.
"Is that …?"
"The TARDIS in the background? I believe so." River replied. "Legend has it that the thing inside it …."
"Was helped by a wolf. That it was put there falsely, though there are other legends that said it was rightly placed there and freed when it shouldn't have been." He commented as he handed it back to her.
River took in the impressionist painting one last time before rolling it up. A gray cube with odd glowing green edges, and the TARDIS in the background exactly as Jack had pointed out. Though, admittedly, River didn't really see how the TARDIS seemed to be glowing. She couldn't really look past the eight menacing looking figures surrounding the cube.
"So what do the painting and manipulator have in common?" Jack asked.
"I did a bit of research before seeing you." She said as she tucked the painting away in her trandimensional clutch. "The Pandorica is legend, but there were accounts of Roman's discovering in 102 AD. Earth, obviously. I'm not entirely sure if the accounts are completely true, and I have a friend verifying it for me as best he can."
"Friend?" Jack said, eyebrow arched, amused grin in place. "That what you're going with?"
"Well, it's the most polite way to refer to him." She replied with a cheeky grin. "But, of course, there's no way to get to him at the point in time I contacted him at, or to get to the time period when the Pandorica is supposedly found."
"And you can't just ask the Doctor to take you there?" He asked.
"I'll contact him when I'm sure about things." River replied. "Either way, I want to be there as early as I can. Perhaps … lay some ground work to ensure an ease of getting to the Pandorica itself."
"Wish I could help," Jack said as he finished his drink.
"Me too." River said with a coy smile, eyeing the Captain over. "Things are always better when you're around."
"Well," Jack leaned in. "I did get a room in at the hotel across the way, just in case I was off a couple days. Maybe we can discuss the possibility of my sticking around a bit longer than I was planning, among other things."
River laughed flirtatiously. "Oh, I do love the way you think."
~DWDWDW~
Rose finished pinning her hair up, checked her reflection one last time, and then left the bedroom. The Doctor promised to return the clothes he'd taken from the Leadworth hospital while she got dressed and ready for wherever they would head to next.
She headed into the console room, finding the door open. She stepped down and over to the console, glancing at the coordinates. Exactly where he said he'd be going.
"Doctor," She heard Amy call from the corridor. "I felt us land, where are we … oh." Rose turned around and noted Amy looked taken aback to see her there. The ginger looked around the room before crossing her arms and stepping down the stairs. "Where's the Doctor?" Amy asked without looking at her.
"Just stepped out a mo'." Rose said throwing a thumb over her shoulder toward the doors.
"Oh," Amy said, shifting slowly away from Rose.
It didn't go unnoticed that this was the most civil sounding conversation they'd had since Amy came aboard, and Rose smirked to herself at the thought.
"Right, so, everything's back as it should be." The Doctor declared as he entered the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. "And while I stepped out I received a message on the psychic paper. Coordinates, date and everything. Should go check it out. Oh, hello, Pond." The Doctor stopped as he came up beside Rose, smiling at Amy.
The ginger looked over the Doctor with wide eyes. "What happened to your clothes?"
The Doctor looked down, inspecting his outfit, not really finding anything wrong with it. He met her eyes with confusion.
"Raggedy Man," Rose said through their bond, and realization dawned on him.
"Right, yes. Well they weren't really mine, were they?" He replied cheerfully. "Best to bring them back, I think. Now, psychic paper, it says we need to go to…."
"This was your idea, wasn't it?" Amy rounded on Rose, but she didn't even flinch. Amy may have been taller, and her Scottish accent may have made her sound a bit intimidating (enough that the Doctor took a step back), but Rose simply tilted her head and observed. "Didn't like something about him so you went on and changed it, huh? Well let me tell ya something, Lady, if you really love someone you don't go on and change everything about'em. Next thing you'll be doing is tellin' him not to eat Fish Fingers and Custard."
"Ya quite done?" Rose asked calmly.
"No," Amy snapped, "Because ever since you woke up you've stood there and judged him and I don't care what Rory says or how you're only getting to know him, you're coming across as a nagging harpy and the Doctor doesn't need that." Amy finished with a nod, sizing up Rose's small frame.
"Right, done now, yeah?" She asked, and when Amy said nothing she took one step closer to her. "First, the Doctor picked those clothes himself. Yeah, I didn't want him wearing the clothes he had before, but they weren't his. Could cause problems for people if their clothes had gone missing, yeah? And he reverted the pockets back to normal, so we don't need to worry about that. Now, as for the rest of your … accusations, I guess, what makes you think I'm changing him? He's allowed to eat Fish Fingers and Custard until the end of time, if he chooses. Last body he ate jam out the jar with his fingers. Never stopped 'im then so long as it wasn't someone else's jam. Not judging him, I'm getting to know 'im. 'Magine waking up one morning and finding out Rory changed every single thing about 'imself. Still love him, he's still Rory, but now all these new things 'bout him take ya by surprise. Tellin' me you'd just shrug and not be a bit takin' aback? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you'd be going through same thing I am." She crept into Amy's personal space even as she heard Rory enter from the corridor. "Travel with us, if you want. But know this: you do not call the shots, Ginger. This is my TARDIS, that is my husband, and if you have even the slightest problem with how I am, or how we are, we'll bring you back to your life just when we plucked ya from it."
Rose stared her down, holding her eye and waiting for her prey to flinch and flee. It took a bit longer than she had expected, but eventually Amy looked at her feet and turned away to where Rory stood off to the side.
"Was that necessary?" The Doctor grumbled.
"Yes," She replied as she joined him at the console. "She's acting like a child who's not getting her way, and from the moment I woke up she's been trying to assert dominance. You are my husband, this is my home, and if she thinks for another moment that she has a say over either she needs to be corrected." The TARDIS hummed a strong affirmative, siding with Rose in an instant and causing her wolf to blush a bit. "Fish fingers and Custard?"
"Sweet and savory." The Doctor replied, a small smile pulling at his lips as he quietly smacked them. "Mmmm, fish custard."
Rose chuckled out loud, glancing at her husband and shaking her head in amusement. "So where are we going?" She asked for the benefit of their guests.
"I don't know. Let's see where the coordinates lead us." He said as he threw the switch, the grinding noise of the engines just masking the growing argument behind her. She could sense Rory's frustration, Amy's annoyance, and glanced to the Doctor to see if he was noting anything that shouldn't be.
He was frowning, staring at the controls like he was deep in thought, but as soon as the TARDIS landed, he snapped out of it.
"Right-o, here we are. Let's see what's waiting for us."
Rose moved to his side, hand falling into his as they headed down the ramp and stepped out the doors.
An encampment spread out before them in a fairly flattened field.
"Where are we?" She asked her husband, looking up at him as he squinted at the scene around.
"Britain." He glanced at his watch. "102 AD, just before noon."
Well, it didn't look British. Looked more like ….
"That's the Roman Legion." Amy said with glee as she and Rory stepped out. She was at the Doctor's other side, Rory coming up beside Rose and appearing exasperated.
"Romans, excellent." He said. "Because that's exactly what we need to walk into."
"Invasion of the hot Italians? Why not?" Amy countered, looking up at the Doctor's confusion. "Favorite topic in school. Did get marked down for the title, though."
"Yes, well, we're British. Three of us, anyway, and we are standing on the outskirts of an encampment of the men looking to conquer Britain. Doesn't exactly seem smart." Rory pointed out, gesturing wildly at the scene in front of them just as a soldier started running toward them. "Oh, look, it's starting."
"Just, stay behind me, you'll be fine." Rose said, only half serious as she noted that the solider wasn't followed as he approached them.
He panted a moment before putting his fist to his chest. "Honored guests." He bowed, and Rose noted a smudge of lipstick on the corner of the soldier's mouth.
"You were expecting us?" Rose asked.
"Caesar and Cleopatra have been anticipating your arrival all day. Please, if you'll follow me."
Rose looked to her husband who merely shrugged before following the solider with a grin. Rose, still holding his hand, went as well, glancing over her shoulder to see their curious companions tagging along. Amy, of course, was more eager than Rory, but given her supposed love of Roman culture it wasn't surprising.
The solider led them to a large, fairly grand looking tent in the middle of the encampment. He drew back the curtain door, waving them through.
Inside, River was perched on a rather uncomfortable looking day bed. Servants waited on her, which only made sense since she was dressed like Cleopatra. And laying in her lap, allowing another servant to feed him, was Jack.
"What sorta trouble did you get into now?" Rose asked her with a cheeky grin.
"Nothing you wouldn't approve of." River replied with a wink.
"Well, that all depends." Jack said, turning his head to smile at Rose. "This gonna count as our honeymoon, Rosie?"
"Not on your life." She shook her head slowly, smile growing. "And what're you doing here?"
"When have you known me to refuse a gorgeous woman when she begs me to meet her somewhere?" He replied, earning a hard slap from River.
Setting aside the small cup she had in her hand, River clapped her hands and dismissed the servants, much to Jack's dismay. The servants set down whatever they were holding before bowing and leaving without a word.
The second they were alone, River reached down beside her and plucked up a rolled canvas.
"What is it?" The Doctor asked as he let go of Rose's hand and took the canvas gingerly.
"It's a painting from your friend Vincent. He had visions, didn't he?" River replied, a nervous twinkle in her eye as the Doctor unrolled the canvas.
"Blimey," Rose exclaimed as she caught sight of the dark, menacing looking figures. "Thought the Krafayis was bad."
"Impressionist painting certainly enhances the …." Rory didn't finish the sentence, opting to make a menacing looking face with his hands like claws by his face. Amy snorted, took a wrist in hand and Rory lowered both arms and relaxed his expression.
"That it does," Jack said as he got to his feet and moved to Rory with a charming grin and an extended hand. "Captain Jack Harkness."
"Stop," The Doctor said without looking up from the painting in his hands.
"I'm only saying, 'hello,'" Jack said before looking to Amy. "Can't help it if you travel with such attractive folk."
River cleared her throat. "Jack?" She said pointedly, and he looked over his shoulder at her. She shook her head, scrunching her face a moment.
After a moment his eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, you must be Amy and Rory."
"Uh, yeah." Rory said as he finally took Jack's offered hand. "How did…? I'm confused."
"Spoilers." River said with a simple shrug of one shoulder.
"This painting of Vincent's, what's it called?" The Doctor asked, curious and weary at once. Jack seemed to get serious again, turning and crossing his arms as waited for River to explain.
"The Pandorica Opens." River replied as she got to her feet and moved around a changing screen in the corner.
"The Pandorica?" The Doctor asked, eye brow arching. He took a couple steps toward the change screen, turned his back and said over his shoulder, "And why is this so important that you wanted us here?"
"There are accounts of the Pandorica all over space and time, as you already well know. But one thing I discovered in my research is its tie to the myth of Pandora."
"Like Pandora's box?" Amy asked, looking at everyone in the room when all eyes fell on her. "Was my favorite story growing up. 'Bout a girl that released all the evils from a box. Well, jar, actually."
"Yes," River said. "Except it's a matter of perspective. I had Tim look up what he could on it here, send me what he found. There were counts of Roman soldiers surviving the opening of the Pandorica. But they were sparse, hard to find, but I believe it actually influenced the Greek culture, inspired the story you came to know." She said as she stepped out from behind the screen in trousers and a warm looking sweater and jacket.
"Survive the opening?" Rory asked.
"It was supposed to have contained the greatest evil in the universe." Jack replied.
"Or multiple evils." Amy added in.
"It's a fairy tale," The Doctor interjected. "A story told to keep unruly children in line."
"And the Grimm brothers, Hans Christian Anderson, some of the greatest creators of Earth fairy tales, weren't from Earth." River partially snapped. She then turned to Rose expectantly.
She smirked, wondering if this was routine for River. "Werewolves were legend, but we came across the Lupine in Scotland. Witches weren't real, but then we encountered the Carrionite. Might be worth a look, yeah?" She said to her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He looked uneasy, glanced at his companions, to Jack, to River.
The Doctor seemed to think on it, and as he did, Jack moved to the change screen.
Rose, not wanting to break the silence, chewed her lip to keep from commenting on Jack's sudden use of modesty. When she glanced over and caught his eye over the top of the change screen, the glimmer there told her he knew she wanted to say something.
"Something feels off about all this." The Doctor said slowly.
"Which is more reason to go check it out," Amy interjected with a couple twitches of her eyebrows.
"Mmm," The Doctor hummed with a tilt of his head. He tapped his finger against his leg, glancing sideways at River. "You're sure that it's here?"
"Somewhere nearby, yes."
"And it's assumed that it's opening?" The Doctor contemplated.
"There are signals going through all of space and time, from what I can read." Jack said as he stepped out from behind the screen, fully dressed, including his long coat. He tapped his vortex manipulator. "Hard to read, encrypted, and I don't have the juice to try to hack it."
"Any idea of where it's transmitting from?" The Doctor asked, turning to Jack more fully.
"Not far from here." Jack said with a shrug. "Could saddle up some horses, track it that way?"
"Why use horses?" The Doctor asked. "Come along, you lot." He added as he turned abruptly, leading them out the tent. River followed close behind, Amy and Rory tailing her, and Rose held back a moment to have a second with Jack.
"He regenerated." He said simply.
"Yeah," Rose said, now knowing a bit more of where Jack was in his time line. Obviously not in line with her, and the couple gray hairs at his temples suggested a time with Ianto still around.
"How's the new model so far?" He asked, draping his arm around Rose's shoulders.
"Bit uncoordinated." She said, watching as the Doctor stumbled a bit climbing back up the hill. "Bit more odd than his last self, more alien I suppose. But it's only been a few days. I'll get used to it. New new new Doctor, after all." She paused, trying not to fidget as she asked, "How's Ianto?"
"Has his good days." Jack said. "Still refuses any treatments from outside his time line. Or alien. And it's not spreading, which is good, but it's not … he's not …."
"I'm sorry," Rose said, giving Jack a sideways hug as they went up the hill.
Jack sniffed, cleared his throat, and put on his best Harkness smile. "That's the thing about being immortal, Rosie. We out live everyone eventually. Doesn't matter how often we can go back in time, visit them in their prime, in the end there will be no more time left to steal."
Neither said anything more as they reached the top of the hill and walked into the TARDIS.
Rose could feel her discomfort more than usual when presented with Jack, like something else entirely was bugging her, but Rose couldn't figure out what.
"You redecorated." Jack said as he closed the doors behind him.
"You mean it didn't always look like this?" Amy asked as she moved for a jumpseat while the Doctor, Rose, River, and Jack took places around the console.
"Used to be kind of a grungy organic." Jack replied. "But I like this. Suits you." He added to the Doctor before he started to work the controls he was used to manning on their adventures. Rose and River followed suit as the Doctor searched for something under the console.
"Wait, hold on. He knows how to fly the TARDIS, too?" Amy asked, pointing to Jack as she addressed the Doctor.
"Jack, how long have you known us?" The Doctor asked absently as he continued his search.
"Over a few hundred years." Jack said without a beat. "But if you don't count the time we were all separated and you were avoiding me, just about a hundred."
"And we all know if we were to ask River that, she'll say 'Spoilers'," The Doctor said as he resurfaced with an end of a cord in his hand. He turned to Amy. "Frequent flyer privilege. Travel with us off and on for a few decades, we teach you how to fly the TARDIS. The only other person who knows how to that's not here is Jenny. Don't be offended that you didn't have a lesson." He said gently, and Rose noted the slight nod and understanding smile Amy gave him as Rory came to stand behind her. The Doctor then spun quickly on his heel. "Jack, your manipulator, if you would."
Jack removed it, tossing it to the Doctor. "What ya gonna do, Doc?" He asked.
"Going to use the signal you've been tracking to help land the TARDIS exactly where she needs to be." He replied as he attached the cord to the manipulator. He then set the device on a clear spot on the console before typing on the typewriter. He either didn't notice or ignored the uncomfortable hum of the TARDIS.
Rose rubbed the part of the console she stood in front of, looking to the ceiling in hopes she would be told what was wrong. The time ship said nothing, and partially blocked herself off from Rose when she went to inquire.
"Right, ladies, Jack, are we ready?" The Doctor asked as he put his hand on the dematerialization switch. He glanced around with a growing grin, getting their various gestures of confirmation. "Geronimo!" He cried before throwing the switch.
"Geronimo?" Jack asked with a grin. "What happened to 'Allons-y'?"
"Can't wrap my tongue around it. Sorta like I couldn't say Fantastic with my old teeth." The Doctor replied with enthusiasm.
The TARDIS landed smoothly, barely a jolt as she touched down in their new location.
"That was different." Rory said, slowly releasing his iron tight grip on the rail.
"Meant to be flown with six people." Rose said.
"Explains why landing in Venice meant nearly breaking my arm." Rory replied with a slight grin, and Rose's mouth contorted as she tried very hard not to laugh at the affronted look on the Doctor's face.
"Enough teasing the Time Lord, let's go see this box!" Amy eagerly jumped up from her seat and darted for the doors before the rest could move to follow.
As they came outside, Rose and the Doctor each stood on either side of Amy as she squinted through the wind whipping her hair around her face. There was a significant time change from where they were before. The sun was setting, giving them only just enough light to see.
"It's Stonehenge." She said unnecessarily, confusion and disappointment in equal parts.
"That it is, Pond." The Doctor said.
"Wasn't really expecting this." Jack commented from the other side of Rose.
"And what were you expecting?" The Doctor asked as he moved toward the stones. He stopped, turned to face them, long coat fluttering around his knees. "If the Pandorica is real, no one would leave it out in the open for any ol' anybody to find. They'd bury it. And if you bury something supposedly containing the greatest evil in the Universe, you'd want to remember where it is, wouldn't you?" He shouted back before turning and hopping somewhat ungracefully around the stones laying on the ground before pulling out his sonic.
"How come it's not new?" Amy wondered as they all started to move to join the Doctor, River moving a little further ahead as she pulled a scanner from her pocket.
"I think I remember hearing in school it was dated to somewhere around 2000 BC," Rory replied as he paused to run his hand over one of the standing stones. "You and the Doctor ever come back and watch the construction?" Rory asked Rose as she entered the circle.
"He decided one day that he would sorta watch it. Came back to the same day for years and sorta took a picture of the progress from inside the TARDIS. Just floated for a moment. Always said landing here might cause some sorta disruption."
"Never been able to land here properly," The Doctor interjected. "Tried in my eighth life with Samantha and didn't quite make it. Those snap shots are the closest I've ever gotten." He stood straight, looked at his sonic. "You were right, Jack. It's sending out a signal, but it's muddled. Hard to read. This isn't the source, just the transmitter."
"But there's nothing here." Rory said, looking around.
"Not up here." The Doctor said, mouth in a straight line. "We need to get below."
"Below?" Jack said.
"To the Underhenge." The Doctor replied.
"Give me a mo'," River said as she started typing on her scanner as she moved about.
Jack, in the meantime, started moving around the parameter of Stonehenge, placing something on the ground every few feet.
"So we're just gonna hang back, let them do their thing?" Rory asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Learned a long time ago best just to do that. Might be able to follow the tech, but gives me a headache." Rose replied.
Rory nodded. "Were you always modified, or was that something that happened while you were with him?" He suddenly asked, and Rose turned to toward him. In the very dim light, she noted the spark of fear in his eyes, the blush in his cheeks. "Sorry, I know it's rude. I just like to understand things. Doctor comes by, saves us from something called the Atraxi, and I started researching everything from aliens to time travel. I felt like I had a basic grasp on it all until we met you. A human, supposedly, but you heal fast and can't die."
"Well, I can die," Rose countered. "I just don't stay that way. And no, I wasn't born like this. It was something that happened when I was traveling with the Doctor but it wasn't something he did to me. More like something I …." Rose stopped. Her eyes had been wandering the area as she explained things, and in their light skim had noted something that she hadn't seen in a very long time. Moving toward a standing stone, her hand outstretched, she skimmed her fingers along the two words that made up her other name. "Something I did to myself." She said as she looked at the too-neat script.
A light came on over her shoulder, shining brightly on the words and startling her.
Whipping around, she spotted Jack nearby with a remote in hand. Around the structure were tall flood lights.
"Torchwood technology." Jack said as he gestured with the remote. "These will last about twelve hours. Hopefully we won't need them that long."
"Shouldn't really need them at all," River called. "I almost have access to the underhenge."
"You just want to show off." Jack countered.
"And you love it when I do." River countered with a wink.
"Oi, you two," The Doctor protested. "He's bad enough, don't need two of you."
Rose closed her eyes, trying very hard not to laugh, and caught the curious nudge in her mind from her husband. She shook her head, waved it off in her mind, and sent him affection to sooth him.
A moment later the ground vibrated lightly while the sound of tumbling stones drew her attention. She watched as one of the stones laying on the ground moved slowly to the side, revealing something that excited her husband, making him smile.
"The underhenge." He said with uncontained glee as he changed the settings on his sonic. The green light shone a little brighter as he moved to descend below. River withdrew a torch, quickly following him.
Jack reached in his pocket, withdrawing his own. "Need one, Rosie?"
She shook her head as she withdrew her own pocket size one in time with Rory pulling out his pen light.
"I'll take one, Captain." Amy said with a bit of flirt in her voice, a matching grin in Jack's direction as she jutted her hip toward him and extended her hand.
"You got it, Red." He said as she tossed her one.
Amy fumbled it a bit on the catch, but clicked her tongue and winked before following River and the Doctor with determination. The rest followed, but Rose paused a moment.
The TARDIS whimpered in her mind, but wouldn't reply when Rose asked what was going on. There was, however, an underlying feeling that Rose had rarely if ever really got from the Old Girl: fear.
"I'm going in after him," She said softly over her shoulder to the old blue box. "And we'll be back."
She tried to sooth the ship, but she sensed it wasn't really working.
So Jack wasn't really the problem, then. It was most definitely associated with the stone structure she'd managed to avoid for a good, long time. As Rose moved down the stairs, she considered how the stubborn thing was forced to land now. The manipulator, she supposed. A signal hard wired into her system, guiding the controls. Not like the TARDIS couldn't override those if she really wanted to, but given it really hadn't been that long since she was rebuilt maybe it was too much for her.
Rose couldn't contemplate on it any more as she heard doors creaking open at the bottom of the steps, and a collective gasp.
"It's the Pandorica." She heard her husband say with wonder, and she hastened her descent into the cavern.
Through the doors, she peaked the giant cube with circular markings on all sides. Not Gallifreyan, it looked more like some sort of circuit pattern. The surface itself looked stone, but if there was one thing Rose knew from all her travels was that not everything was as it appeared.
She was the last to enter the room, the other five having already formed a semi-circle around the cube.
"More than a fairy tale." River said with wonder, taking a step closer and placing her hand on it. "What did it say? The stories? What did they say were in here, exactly?"
"There was a goblin," The Doctor said as he walked around it, hand skimming the surface. "Or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared thing in all the cosmos, and nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it." He came around the front and looked Rose square in the eye. "One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world."
"Not thinking it's you?" She asked, arching a brow.
"Sounds like something people would say about me. Destroyer of Worlds, remember? But no, no, I do not believe it is me. Well, I say that, but memory was always bad in the eighth life. Maybe it was me. Maybe I was trapped in it, still trapped in it, waiting to be released. Would have had to be released or else I wouldn't be standing here."
"Doctor," Rose said quietly, crossing the cavern to stand in front of her husband. She moved her mouth, but felt too many eyes on them for her to feel comfortable speaking out loud. "I saw something outside." She told him, showing him the stone with the words etched in them. "What if that goblin, or trickster, or warrior is me?"
He furrowed his brow. "It's been a very long time since you were out of control of your wolf side. And even then, your hands weren't nearly as drenched as mine."
"It's about perception," She reminded him.
"So … this evil. How would it have ended up here if nothing could hold it?" Amy asked, seeming to fill in an uncomfortable silence that formed outside their bubble.
"You know fairy tales," The Doctor said, looking to their companion with a tiny smile. "A good wizard tricked it."
"Yeah, well, whatever this 'good wizard' did, it doesn't seem to be holding." Jack said, and Rose turned toward his voice. He was looking over River's shoulder at her scanner while she read it with wide eyes. "It's already opening."
A bolt of panic went through Rose, coming from the Doctor as he moved to the pair in a few quick steps.
River handed the Doctor the scanner to look at. "There are layers of security protocols in there," She said. "And they're being disabled. One by one, like it's being unlocked from the inside."
"Look at the security," The Doctor remarked with a mix of awe and concern. "Deadlocks, time-stops, matter-lines."
"Meaning?" Rose asked. "No deadlock means you can't open it with a sonic, but the rest?"
"A time-stop does just as it says: stops time. In there time is frozen, unmoving. Technology of the Time Lords used a bit too liberally as a way to hold prisoners of war in the Time War. Shouldn't have been any left off world before it was destroyed." The Doctor said as he narrowed his gaze on the cube. "Matter-lines mean there would be no teleporting out. Vortex manipulators, telemats, they all turn you into matter in order to displace you from one point to another. Matter-lines are a shield that prevents anything passing beyond. Whatever inside there is meant to never leave, and someone went through a great deal of trouble to ensure that could never happen." He stepped toward the box, admiring it like he would a dangerous alien he'd never encountered before. "Think of the fear that went into making this. What could inspire that level of fear?" He caressed the box, softly saying, "Hello, you. Have we met?"
"Okay, I would like to point out, now, that with everything you've been saying we should be properly worried about what's in there, yeah?" Rory asked, gesturing to the Pandorica with his pen torch. "It's opening, and someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure it couldn't. So we should probably be a bit more, I don't know, concerned about it, right?"
"You haven't been traveling with them that long, have you Rory?" Jack asked with a partial tease. "The best thing we can do right now is stay, wait for it to open, make sure that if it is dangerous it doesn't get out of this cavern."
"Right." Rory said, earning a giggle out of Amy as she moved around the cavern, shining her torch about.
"Think its opening's why the stones above are acting like transmitter?" Rose asked, looking at the tech savvy among them. "Doctor said they weren't the source, yeah? This it?"
River, Jack, and the Doctor all exchanged a loaded look before River went around the room with her scanner and placed them against the pillars. The Doctor soniced the Pandorica, while Jack removed his mobile from his long coat pocket.
"I'm getting very faint readings of alien life." Jack said, looking to the Doctor.
"This is the source of the signal." The Time Lord stated. "All of space and time, like Jack said. Likely why Vincent knew about it."
"But how could he know?" Amy asked.
"He saw things we could not, Amy. The signal could be heard in his dreams, floating on the peripheral of his mind. It's reaching everyone, everywhere, every when, and anyone with a sensitivity could …." The Doctor trailed off, turning abruptly to Rose. "Tim."
She furrowed her brow before she understood what he meant. "But he never said. When we saw him …."
"Might've been too early, or too late for him. Hard to say when this signal would reach him."
Without another thought, Rose reached in her pocket, pulled out her mobile, and dialed Tim's number.
"Hey, you've reached Timothy Latimer. I may be out of town for an undetermined amount of time, so if you want to leave your …." Rose hung up before his voice mail message could finish.
"Right." The Doctor said, sounding a bit defeated. "We are nearly nineteen hundred years in the past before he's even born. Might not be able to get him at any point in time properly." He turned to River. "I folded back the signal, do you have a read on who might have heard the call?"
"Give me a moment." She replied.
Rose could feel the Doctor's impatience growing, and she tried to sooth him as best she could, but her own stress was mounting by the moment.
"Doctor," Jack said, "I'm getting a clearer info on these readings. We're looking at invasion force numbers of alien life coming to Earth. I can't detect the life forms, but …."
"Ten thousand." River said, her voice barely audible. "There are ten thousand starships around the planet. At least."
"At least?" Amy asked, moving to Rory's side.
"Too many readings." Jack said, typing furiously against his screen.
"I'm getting a transmission," River said, "Hold on," She pushed a couple buttons, and waited.
"MAINTAING ORBIT." The all too familiar voice made Rose's heart stop.
"I OBEY. SHIELD COVER COMPROMISED ON ION SECTORS."
"Pepper pots." Rory said breathlessly.
"Daleks," Amy said, her hand dropping into Rory's. "Those are Daleks."
More of the transmission played, but Rose ignored it, moving to her husband and clasping his hand as she looked into his eyes.
"Okay," He said with relative calm. "Dalek fleet. Minimum twelve thousand battleships, armed to the teeth. But we've got surprise on our side. They'll never expect six people to attack twelve thousand Dalek battleships."
"Not just Daleks up there." Jack said, fear palatable in his voice. "Cyber-ships."
The Doctor perked up. "Well, we need to start a fight, turn them on each other."
"'Cause that worked out brilliantly last time we did that," Rose snapped through her own panic.
"And how would Sontarans factor into that equation?" Jack asked, glancing between them and his phone. "Or the Slitheen family of Raxocoricoflabitorius? What about the Nestene, the Sycorax, Zygons, Atraxi? Because they're all here, just over head, and getting closer."
"Lovely, sounds like a right party. Got some anti-plastic in any of those pockets? Vinegar? A satsuma to toss around?"
The Doctor dropped her hand and moved to the stairs leading back above ground.
Rose followed, feeling all of the hairs on her arms stand on end as she went out to stand beside him in whatever likely idiotic thing he planned to do.
Once above, he moved to stand on the stone that had been covering the staircase. His thoughts moving too fast for her to follow, she watched as he looked to the sky with a pensive expression. Dimly, there were lights above them too big and bright to be stars, and she gritted her teeth at their meaning. The Doctor then pointed his sonic at a stone.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked.
"It's a transmitter, I'm just refocusing its source." He said, and a few seconds later, the whir of the sonic silenced. He cleared his throat, and it echoed around them as he put on a smile that was recognizable regardless of the body. "Hello, Stonehenge," He called out like a rock star. "I know why you're all here, you lot. Whoever takes the Pandorica, takes the Universe. Well, bad news, everyone, 'cause guess who got here first. So, question of the hour is who's coming to take it from me?" He said, extending his arms in a wide gesture toward the sky. "Come on, look at me! No plan, no weapons, and as far as you lot are all concerned, nothing to lose. So if you're sitting there in your silly spaceship with all your silly little guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica, just remember who's standing in your way. Remember every black day I ever stopped you. And then, and then, do the smart thing: let somebody else try first." He hit a button on the sonic, holding his arms outstretched before hoping off the stone and heading back to the underhenge.
Rose stood stunned, trying to decide if what he'd just done was brilliant or stupid, and when she couldn't decide she followed him.
"What in the bloody hell was that?" She lashed out, deciding in the moment that stupid was the right choice.
"Inside the Pandorica is force field technology. If I can enhance the signal, I could extend it all over Stonehenge, buy us a half hour." He said as he moved for the box with his sonic extended.
"And what after the half hour, eh Doctor?" Rose huffed. "What then? Just me and you here, sure. We can face down all our enemies."
"My enemies." He tried to counter.
"Our enemies." She snapped back. "We could even do it with just Jack, but we got others to think about. We have people out of their time."
"Think I don't know that?" He bit out quietly. "Rose, I'm painfully aware we have people here who are important, who need to exist. And I know, I know it looks grim. But I have a plan." He turned to her as best he could while holding the sonic to the Pandorica, gripping her shoulder. "If I can stop whatever's in this box getting out, then they'll go home."
"You believe that?" Rose asked, arching a brow.
"No, not really. But what would we do if we didn't hope?" He asked, a sadness in his eyes. "I never changed emergency program one. Could you adjust it to June 25th, 2010, Leadworth? Around 11pm?"
"Of course." Rose replied through their bond.
"Sweetheart, could you run to the TARDIS and get the extrapolator for me, please?"
"'Course." She said with a nod.
"And Rosie," Jack said, getting her attention. He smiled sadly, an understanding his blue eyes. "Mind getting my vortex manipulator?"
"I'll grab it for you." River said.
Rose nodded, and gestured for River to follow her above ground.
On the surface, it seemed the wind was blowing stronger than before. Rose looked up, seeing those too-bright stars just a touch bigger and brighter. A half hour might not be enough time.
She turned to the TARDIS, seeing River fit a key in the door. She didn't ask, knew she didn't have to, though she didn't recall River ever mentioning having one. She supposed it didn't matter, and maybe was even for the best. She could take this TARDIS, if she truly was as important to them as she believed. This beautiful time ship wouldn't have to collect dust and die.
Stepping inside after River, Rose took another long look around in case she didn't make it back inside after this.
She moved up the ramp, running her hand along the rail.
She just made it to the top when she heard the lock latch behind her. Whipping her head toward the doors in confusion, she was about to move toward them when she heard the grind of the engines start up behind her. Whirling around, ready to give River a lecture, she noticed the curly-haired woman wasn't near the console.
"What the bloody hell?"
A/N: Hello! Early update because it's the weekend and I felt like it.
Thank you to the readers, favoriters, followers, and the reviewers.
DuShuZhi, Litwick723, EccentricTeen, Fan (Dream state was in Hold my Hand), ParadoxPixie, Dreamcatcher56, Darkelvoriplorellion Tyler, shadowneko003, Shadow Eclipse, Guest, Ryann Bennett, Trowa'sDancer, Insane-Bookworm-4ever (Promise, Amy's getting there), FriskyDragon (you'll have to wait and see ;)), BadWoldGirl, annabethfan15 (Tim at this point is 25/26), Valora, pyro-pixiechik, and Loca8892.
Thank you all for leaving word.
I know many of you are hoping I continue the series, but when it comes to rewrites I know this will be my last novel size one. I love 12 to death, but I won't be going into S8 or beyond. I have other stories I plan on writing, both on here as well as eventually posting to FictionPress. I will say, though, that I am very very much considering doing a one shot to further explain Jenny and Tim's relationship. It will become a bit more clear as we go what Tim's involvement is, and why he is out of sync with everyone. Interest pending, of course. I may also do a one shot of 12/Rose, but I don't want to make a promise I can't keep.
Until next post!
sdsd