Ok. This is frustrating beyond belief, but my laptop fell off my desk while it was open and the screen is totaled. I'm saving up to buy one, but until then I have to use the derpy family computer that is flipping out and that everyone clamors to get on. I did not miss this. But I acquired a writing app called A Novel Idea and it is very helpful.

Anyways.

Yay! Jack is coming! I love Jack! Anyway, I was having a hard time getting inspiration for this story, and that's another reason why it's taken so long. Then a little message popped up in my email saying I had a new review. The first one in nearly a month. So thanks to my eight reviewers: YoungestSolo, GraceDarkFeather, Shadow Redbird, Storme22, beulah2013, IntoTimeAndSpace, Barn Owl Eye, and Aka-Baka Hoshi. You guys helped me a lot.

And just a suggestion, you guys should read The Wolf and the Theif by whoson1st. It's a brilliantly done story and I love reading it.

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the Doctor, or anyone related to him. Nor do I own any other movie or book that might be mentioned.

Rachel however, is mine. Back off.

~.*§Found§*.~

Chapter 7: Empty of Love

"Focus on building up a wall. Like a fortress."

Rachel frowned, her eyes still closed as she attempted to protect her mind. "Like Sherlock's Mind Palace?" she asked, a small grin twitching her lips.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at her. She had become addicted to the BBC channel, mostly Sherlock and Merlin. "Yes, you little geek. Like Sherlock's Mind Palace."

Rose leaned against the door frame and smiled fondly at the two. It had been a few weeks since the incident with her father and the three had grown closer than ever, exploring planets and saving lives. Rachel had intertwined herself into their lives completely and Rose couldn't help feeling protective of her when the young teen got that look in her eyes. The same look the Doctor had at times. That ageless, war haunted look.

The Doctor stood from his cross-legged position on the floor pillow and patted Rachel's arm. "Keep working on it, I'll be right back."

Rachel nodded, eyes still closed as she concentrated on creating a barrier around her mind so she could control what she heard when she came into contact with other beings. The Timelord smiled and walked out, Rose falling in step with him. "You two are so cute." Rose said with a grin. The Doctor frowned. "Cute?"

The blonde gave him her best tongue in teeth grin. "Your like a Dad teaching his daughter new skills." She said.

The Doctor gave her a small smile. "Yeah?"

Rose nodded, before giving him a thoughtful look. "What?" The Doctor asked. Rose bit her lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've jus' been wondrin'. In 900 years of time and space..." she glanced at him. "Did you… ever have kids?"

The Doctor's jaw tightened and his blue eyes gained that haunted quality. "You don't have ta tell me. I was jus' curious." Rose said reassuringly.

He was silent for a long time. "Yes." he finally whispered, stopping and leaning against the wall. "I had several kids. Grandkids even."

Rose gently placed her hand in his. "I'm sorry."

He nodded. "My granddaughter Susan was the one who started me on having companions."

The blonde smiled. "Oh really? Her name doesn't sound very Timelordy."

The Doctor laughed, shaking off the gloom and continuing to the kitchen where he set about making coca in three mugs. "Susan wasn't her real name. She just chose that. Her real name wasArkytior. It's Gallifreyan for Rose, actually."

Rose stared at him with wide eyes. "Your serious?"

He smiled and nodded at her as he waited for the water to boil.

Rose didn't get a chance to respond as an alarm blared and the Tardis began to shake. The Doctor glanced once at his companion before turning off the kettle and racing to the console room. The Timelord immediately started hitting buttons and glancing at the screen. Rose grabbed onto the console as they began a bumpy flight. Barely a minute later, Rachel was rushing in, boots clunking on the floor and thin limbs stretched out to catch herself on the time rotor as the ship shook. "What's going on?" She asked in an exited voice, eyes bright. The Doctor gave her a small smile before turning serious again. "It's mauve."

"Mauve?" Rose asked, making her way around the rotor and clinging to it when the Tardis gave a mighty shake, nearly sending them all to the ground.

The Doctor twisted a knob and glanced at her from behind the screen. "Universally recognized color for danger."

Rachel fell into the jump seat while Rose quickly made her way around the Doctor to look at the screen. "What happened to red?" The blonde asked.

The Doctor smirked. "That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp." He frantically started typing into the console. "Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." Rachel laughed while he frowned at the image of a cylindrical ship hurtling through space. "It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Where it goes, we go."

"And that's safe, is it?" Rose asked. "Totally." The Timelord answered quickly, reaching over to hit a lever.

Sparks flew from the console with a loud bang and Rose shrieked in shock. "Riiiight." Rachel drawled, clinging to the seat.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there." The Doctor relented. The screen showed the ship they were following as it sped up and entered the vortex. "No, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us." The Doctor yelled.

"What are we even chasing?" Rachel shouted over the noise.

"No idea." The Doctor said.

Rose looked at him incredulously. "Then why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous." He paused and looked over at his blonde companion. "And about thirty seconds from the center of London."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Is it always Earth?"

The Doctor glanced at her. "Seems like it's always England." he said wryly.

The Timelord hit another button and soon the Tardis landed with a shuddering thump. Rose pulled on a jacket and Rachel hopped up, racing to the doors. "Do you know how long you can knock around space without happening to bump into Earth?" The Doctor asked as they all stepped out.

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" Rose teased, making Rachel giggle.

The Doctor made a face. "Of all the species in all the Universe and it has to come out of a cow."

They started walking quickly down the dark alleyway they'd landed in as the Doctor explained, "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month."

"A month?" Rose asked incredulously. "We were right behind it."

Rachel frowned. "You said it was jumping time tracks. Does that mean we lost it?"

"No, we didn't lose it." The Doctor said. "But with all that hopping we're bound to be a little off target."

"How much is a little?" Rose asked, eyebrows raised.

"A bit."

"Is that exactly a bit?" Rose asked, a smirk on her lips.

"Ish."

"What's the plan, then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?" the blonde asked. Rachel grinned looking excitedly up at the Timelord. "I saw some great scanners in the Tardis when I was exploring."

"It hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm going to ask."

"Awww! Come on, Doctor! What's the point of having that stuff if you never use it?" Rachel asked.

The Doctor ignored her and pulled out his psychic paper, showing it to the two girls. Rose raised an eyebrow. "Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids."

Rachel frowned and squinted at it. "Hold on. That's what you used at Satellite Five. How come it's all blurry?"

"Blurry?" The Doctor asked, flipping it around to see. "It's fine."

Rachel shook her head. "I have to really focus to see it or else it's blank."

The Timelord's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! Fantastic!" He grinned. "That's your psychic field. This is psychic paper, so it tells you whatever you want it to say. People with psychic training or abilities just look right through it. Or if they're a genius."

Rachel made a noise of interest, looking at the paper more closely. Rose rolled her eyes at the two and commented as they reached a door marked Deliveries Only "Not very Spock, is it, just asking?"

The Doctor chose not to answer, leaning his ear against the door. "Door, music, people. What do you think?" He asked.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech. Give me some Spock, for once. Would it kill ya?" Rose asked.

The Doctor started buzzing the door with the sonic as he looked up at his companions. "Are you sure about that t-shirt?" he asked, nodding at the Union Flag splashed across Rose's chest.

Rose pulled her jacket open and glanced at it. "Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin."

The Doctor merely raised an eyebrow. Rachel sighed and leaned against the wall while Rose stepped out into the open. The two girls frowned as a haunting voice called out, "Muuuummy? Muuuummy?"

"Are you my mummy?" the voiced whispered in Rachel's head.

"Come on if you're coming. It won't take a minute." The Doctor said, finally getting the door opened. Rachel glanced around before following him inside, not wanting to be near whatever was calling.

Rose glanced at them before continuing to search for the owner of the voice. "Mummy?" Looking up, she saw a small boy on the roof wearing a gas mask. "Doctor?" she called. "Doctor! There's a kid up there!" she yelled. There was no answer.

~.*§Found§*.~

Inside the building, Rachel followed the Doctor down a dim, cement hall. They saw a waiter enter from another corridor holding a platter of drinks headed for a thin, beaded curtain. Moving through the doorway, the glanced around at all the fancy dressed people. Rachel made a noise and tugged on the Doctors jacket. "I think we should do a scan. Something tells me people will think your crazy if you ask about things falling from the sky."

The Doctor looked down at her. "Why would they think I was crazy?"

The teen pointed at a poster on the wall that stated, Hitler Sends No Warning!

The Timelord grimaced. "We would land in the Blitz."

A siren blared from outside and the humans began to file towards a door marked shelter.

~.*§Found§*.~

In retrospect, Rose realized she should have checked to see what the rope was attached to before attempting to climb a building with it. Now, as she dangled above London from a barrage balloon, she wished she had gone with her friends. "Doctor! Rachel! Doctor!"

A searchlight combed the sky next to her and she flinched at the bright light. Explosions lit the night with blazing fire and a squadron of German planes flew close overhead with a roar of engines.

Rose gasped and clung tighter to the rope. "Okay, maybe not this t-shirt."

~.*§Found§*.~

"Rose?" the Doctor called as they stepped from the club.

Looking around, neither traveler saw a trace of their pink and yellow friend anywhere near the Tardis.

A cat meowed from a bin, drawing their attention. The Doctor sighed and picked the animal up, stroking it's ears. "You know, Rachel. Your the only companion I've ever had that gets the whole don't wander off thing."

Rachel grinned cheekily. "Does don't wander off mean run around looking for trouble? Because that's the fun part."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Seriously though. Nine hundred years of phone box travel, it's the only thing left to surprise me."

A ringing noise broke the Silence and they turned in surprise to the Tardis. "You were saying?" Rachel asked. The Doctor put the cat down and walked over to the phone on the side. Opening the box he stared at the ringing device inside, Rachel looking over his shoulder in curiosity.

"How can you be ringing?" He asked incredulously.

Rachel laughed at him. "Talking to inanimate objects is a sign of madness, Doctor."

The Timelord ignored her. "What's that about, ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?"

He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and Rachel rolled her eyes. "You answer it."

"Don't answer it." a voice said frantically. The two time travelers turned to see a young woman with long dark hair staring intently at them. "It's not for you."

The Doctor glanced at his companion, who shrugged, before turning back to the woman, asking, "And how do you know that?"

"'Cos I do. And I'm telling you, don't answer it." she said vehemently.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you know so much, tell me this. How can it be ringing?" he stared hard at the phone. "It's not even a real phone. It's not connected, it's not…"

He stopped as he noticed the girl had vanished. "She seemed jittery to me." Rachel observed. "Like she's terrified of something."

The Doctor shrugged and picked up the still ringing phone. "Hello? Hello? This is the Doctor speaking. How may I help you?"

Rachel froze as she heard a child's voice. "Mummy? Mummy?"

"Who is this? Who's speaking?" the Timelord asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Are you my mummy?"

"Who is this?"

"Mummy?"

"How did you ring here? This isn't a real phone. It's not wired up to anything."

"Mummy?"

The dialing tone buzzed down the line and the Doctor slowly hung up. "Doctor. I've heard that voice before. When you were unlocking the door. It was in my head." Rachel said.

He looked over at her in concern. "Right. Time to find out what's going on." he knocked on the Tardis door and called, "Rose? Rose, are you in there?"

He poked his head in, receiving no answer. A loud noise drew his attention though, and with matching grins, he and Rachel dashed out of the alley.

Coming to a fence, the pair climbed on the bins to peek over as they heard a woman's voice.

"The planes are coming. Can't you hear them? Into the shelter. None of your nonsense, now move it!"

They watched as a VERY large woman ushered her well fed son into an air raid shelter.

"Come on, hurry up, get in there. Come on." she said. "Arthur! Arthur, will you hurry up? Didn't you hear the siren?"

Her equally large husband waddled from the house, looking very grumpy. "Middle of dinner, every night. Blooming Germans. Don't you eat?" he yelled at the sky, shaking his fist.

Rachel shared a grin with the Doctor at this. "Looks like they could do without a little dinner." she whispered.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. The woman called to her husband again. "I can hear the planes!"

"Don't you eat?!"

"Oh, keep your voice down, will you? It's an air raid! Get in. Look, there's a war on."

"I know there's a war on. Don't push me." the man grumbled, shuffling into the shelter.

When the door had closed they saw the young woman from the street slip inside the house. Rachel glanced at the Doctor and he raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what she's up to." he said.

They jumped down and crept into the yard just as the girl walked out of the house and whistled twice. The two watched as a pair of dirty boys ran in. "Many kids out there?" she asked the boys.

"Yes, miss." one of them answered before trying to attack the food.

"Ah! Still carving. Sit and wait. We've got the whole air raid."

The child grinned as he stared at the feast the family had left. "Look at that. Bet it's off the black market."

"That's enough." the woman said sternly.

~.*§Found§*.~

Rose gasped as her grip on the rope slipped, burning her hands. A scream tore the air as she plummeted to the ground, wind slamming into her. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable, when a bright light assaulted her eyelids and her decent was halted. Her eyes snapped open in shock to find she was suspended miles above the ground by a beam of light.

"Okay, okay, I've got you." a deep voice said soothingly.

"Who's got me? Who's got me, and… you know, how?"

"I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field."

"Descent pattern?" Rose squeaked.

"Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone?" Rose frowned. "No, seriously, it interferes with my instrument."

"You know, no one ever believes that." Rose replied, struggling to get her phone from her pocket, shutting it off.

"Thank you. That's much better."

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey, my mobile phone's off." Rose cried hysterically.

"Be with you in a moment."

Rose tried to calm her breathing as she waited, hands twitching nervously.

"Ready for you? Hold tight!"

"To what?" Rose cried, all attempts to calm herself forgotten.

"Fair point."

It was like the moment a roller coaster went over the hill and you start to fall. Wind whipped Rose's blonde hair around her face and she shrieked as the fell and landed with a thump in a very handsome mans arms. "I've got you. You're fine, you're just fine. The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little."

Rose blinked up at him in a daze. "Hello."

"Hello." He replied with a wide grin that showed off white, perfect teeth.

"Hello." Rose repeated. She blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough."

The man laughed. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." The blonde replied as she was set on her feet. "Why? Are you expecting me to faint or something?" she giggled.

"You look a little dizzy." He said, watching her carefully.

Rose giggled again. "What about you? You're not even in focus."

And then she fainted.

~.*§Found§*.~

One of the boys gestured at the large poultry that the young woman was carving, saying, "It's got to be black market. You couldn't get all this on coupons."

"Ernie, how many times? We are guests in this house. We will not make comments of that kind. Washing up." the woman said with a hint of a smile.

The children laughed at this. "Oh, Nancy." Ernie said.

Nancy turned to another child. "Haven't seen you at one of these before."

"Jim told me about it." the boy said, pointing at another child.

"Sleeping rough?"

"Yes, miss."

Nancy nodded and passed the plate of meat. "All right, then. One slice each, and I want to see everyone chewing properly."

As the plate was passed around, each child thanked her in turn.

"Thank you, miss." Jim said.

"Thanks, miss." Ernie repeated.

"Thank you miss." the new boy whispered shyly.

"Thank you." Rachel said, putting a piece on her plate.

"Thanks, miss!" The Doctor said with a large smile as it was passed to him.

The children gasped at the two intruders and started to get up to run, but Nancy held out her hand to stop them. "It's all right. Everybody stay where you are!"

"Good here, innit? Who's got the salt?" the Doctor asked, cutting his piece.

"I do." Rachel said, passing over the condiment.

"Back in your seats. They shouldn't be here either." Nancy said, frowning at the pair.

"So, you lot, what's the story?" the Doctor asked.

Ernie frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"You're homeless, right? Living rough?"

Rachel chipped in with, "How'd you end up on the streets?" before taking a bite of meat.

"Why do you want to know that? Are you coppers?" Jim asked.

"Of course we're not coppers." The Doctor said indignantly.

"We're usually the ones coppers want to throw in jail." Rachel chuckled.

The Doctor shrugged not wanting to add to that. "What's a copper going to do with you lot anyway? Arrest you for starving? I make it 1941. You lot shouldn't even be in London. You should've been evacuated to the country by now."

"I was evacuated. Sent me to a farm." a boy piped up.

"So why'd you come back?" Rachel asked.

"There was a man there" he replied.

"Yeah, same with Ernie. Two homes ago." Another boy added.

Ernie glared at him. "Shut up. It's better on the streets anyway. It's better food."

Jim nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Nancy always gets the best food for us."

"So, that's what you do, is it, Nancy?" the Timelord inquired.

"What is?" the young woman asked.

"As soon as the sirens go, you find a big fat family meal still warm on the table with everyone down in the air raid shelter and bingo! Feeding frenzy for the homeless kids of London Town. Puddings for all, as long as the bombs don't get you."

"Something wrong with that?" Nancy asked stiffly.

"Wrong with it? It's brilliant. I'm not sure if it's Marxism in action or a West End musical." the Doctor grinned and Rachel covered her own grin with a hand.

Nancy raised her eyebrows. "Why'd you follow me? What do you want?"

The Timelord pointed his fork at her. "I want to know how a phone that isn't a phone gets a phone call. You seem to be the one to ask."

"I did you a favour. I told you not to answer it, that's all I'm telling you." the woman said with finality.

The Doctor nodded. "Great, thanks. And I want to find a blonde in a Union Jack. I mean a specific one. I didn't just wake up this morning with a craving." the kids laughed and Rachel nearly choked.

"I thing he did, actually, he just won't admit it." she laughed, the children falling into fresh peals of laughter.

The Doctor put his hand over her mouth. "Anybody seen a girl like that?"

Nancy shook her head with a smile and took the mans plate from him. He looked up with an injured expression. "What have I done wrong?"

"You took two slices." The kids giggled at the pouting alien and a grinning Rachel pushed his hand away and said, "Shame on you Doctor!"

"No blondes, no flags. Anything else before you two leave?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, there is actually. Thanks for asking." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it as he spoke. "Something I've been looking for. Would've fallen from the sky about a month ago, but not a bomb. Not the usual kind, anyway. Wouldn't have exploded. Probably would have just buried itself in the ground somewhere, and it would have looked something like this." He showed the sketch of the ship they'd been chasing. Before anyone could say anything, a knock on the door made everyone jump.

"Mummy? Are you in there, mummy?"

The Doctor looked out the window to see a small blonde boy in a gas mask. "Mummy?" Rachel shuddered.

"Who was the last one in?" Nancy whispered in terror.

Ernie pointed at another child. "Him."

Nancy shook her head. "No, he came round the back. Who came in the front?"

"Me." a boy said quietly, raising his hand.

"Did you close the door?"

"Er…"

"Did you close the door?" she asked frantically.

"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?"

Nancy rushed to the door and bolted it, jumping back as soon as she did.

The Doctor frowned as he and Rachel came in behind her. "What's this, then? It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold, you know."

"I suppose you'd know." Nancy snapped.

"I do actually, yes." the Doctor said grimly.

Rachel glanced at him sympathetically, slipping her hand into his, coming into skin contact with him for the first time. She felt his pain and knew he could feel hers as well. Images of a small, black haired boy, all alone in a field of red flashed in her mind.

"It's not exactly a child." Nancy said seriously.

"Mummy?"

She turned back to the table of children. "Right, everybody out. Across the back garden and under the fence. Now! Go! Move!"

The children grabbed their coats and fled out the back. Nancy bent down to help a small girl no older than four. "Come on, baby, we've got to go, all right? It's just like a game. Just like chasing. Take your coat, go on. Go!"

"Mummy? Mummy? Please let me in, mummy. Please let me in, mummy."

A small hand slipped through the letterbox. The Doctor and Rachel looked at the scar on the back in confusion.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor asked.

"Please let me in."

Nancy threw something at the hand and it flinched, retracting out of sight. "You mustn't let him touch you!"

"What happens if he touches us?" Rachel asked.

"He'll make you like him." Nancy replies gravely.

"And what's he like?" The Timelord asked.

"I've got to go." she said, turning away.

"Nancy, what's he like?" the Doctor demanded.

The woman paused and said sadly, "He's empty."

The telephone rang shrilly, causing the three to jolt.

"It's him." Nancy said. "He can make phones ring. He can. Just like with that police box you saw."

The Doctor picked it up. "Are you my mummy?"

Nancy yanked it from his hand and slammed it back in its cradle. Rachel twitched as she continued to stare at the door. The radio buzzed to life in the dining room. "Mummy? Please let me in, mummy."

A clockwork monkey whirred and started clapping its cymbals. "Mummy, mummy, mummy."

Rachel covered her ears in pain, gritting her teeth as the voice echoed in her head. "Mummy. Mummy let me in."

"You stay if you want to." Nancy said, rushing away.

The hand came back through the door. The two time travelers looked at the scar again. "Mummy? Let me in please, mummy. Please let me in."

"Your mummy isn't here." the Doctor said.

"Are you my mummy?"

"No mummies here. Nobody here but us chickens."

Rachel lowered her hands with a small laugh, still wincing in pain. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her in comfort.

"I'm scared."

"Why are those other children frightened of you?" the Timelord asked carefully.

"Please let me in, mummy. I'm scared of the bombs."

"Okay." The Doctor said slowly, moving to the door. "I'm opening the door now."

The hand pulled back and Rachel felt the mental assault vanish. The Doctor unlocked the door and opened it quickly, only to see an empty street.

AAAHH! This was the first scary episode before blink. I was curled up on the couch with my family and just whispering, "Don't open the door. Don't open the door."

Please read and review. I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. By the way, I've still got more follows then reviews. Don't just show me you like it, tell me! Reviews help with ideas.

Artistically yours,

Destiny Obaké