IDChapter10

Author's note: The tune referred to in this chapter is 'The Great Gig In The Sky'.

Rose and Jon's peace was soon interrupted. Janice strode into the security holding area with two of her guards. She didn't look happy as she eyed them maliciously.

"We've searched your ship again, where is she?!" she demanded of them.

"Where is who?" asked Jon innocently.

"Don't mock me, Doctor!" Janice said icily. "She was seen boarding with you. WHERE IS SHE?"

"I really don't know what you're talking about. Do you, Rose?"

Rose shook her head.

"Doctor, allow me to explain myself, so there is no misunderstanding. We wish to solve the Skasis Paradigm. However, we have difficulty thinking in the abstract..."

"In other words, you have no imagination." Jon surmised.

Janice shot him a look that chilled his blood. She went on, "Children have the best ability to use their imaginations, to think in the abstract. Originally, we were going to take over a school. Then you and Rose arrived on this planet, and we reconsidered our plan. With your Time Lord brain and Rose's unique abilities, we felt we could arrive at our goal sooner. Your daughter was icing on the cake. She has it all, so to speak, and we will find her, even if it means killing you." She ordered the guards, "Remove them from the cell."

"You know," Jon began conversationally, as the barrier was shut off and they were roughly pulled forward by the guards, "If you do kill us, or even one of us, we won't be able to make any more children - wouldn't more of us help you reach your goal?"

Janice's mouth twitched into a smirk. "Not really, Doctor. After all, if we killed you, for example, we could study your DNA exhaustively and incorporate it into our own. The we could have our own children with your abilities."

"Ah, I see. In fact, that was part of your plan all along then, wasn't it?"

"Eventually. But not yet... first we need to find the child. I'll ask you once more, Doctor, where is she?" The only response she got from them was silence. "Very well." She turned to the communications port on the wall. "Daughter Sol'Le?"

"Yes Mother."

"Destroy their ship."

"Yes Mother." Sally's voice was rich with satisfaction.

Janice stared at Rose, who looked right back at her, but somewhat absently. Although she could sense that the female human's heart rate and blood pressure had risen, it was nowhere near the levels it would be if her offspring were in danger.

"You do seem somewhat upset, Ms. Tyler."

"I do have some items on the ship that have sentimental value to me." Rose replied haughtily.

Rose silently opened her mind to her daughter's. Arianna, are you still in the pod?

Of course, Mummy.

Are you strapped in your seat?

No.

Get in now, they're going to blow up the ship!

Yes Mummy!

Rose maintained contact with Arianna while she gazed at Janice impassively. Jon discretely squeezed her hand. They heard an explosion and felt the aftershock make the Krillitane ship tremble.

Arianna, is everything OK?

Yes Mummy, I'm fine.

Good! Stay put!

Janice gazed at the two of them, while they were upset, it still was not of the magnitude of emotion it would have been had their child been in danger. She took note of their linked hands.

"Alright, I believe you. Your daughter was not on the ship. So where is she?" she demanded icilly.

Jon and Rose remained resolutely silent.

"Well, my dear Ms. Tyler," Janice said with a malicious smile, "I may not be able to harm your daughter, but I can harm someone else near and dear to you." She gestured to one of the guards. "Take him over there and leave him." The guard dragged Jon to the opposite side of the room and left him standing there. Rose had a sickening feeling start to burn in the pit of her stomach.

Janice took the guard's weapon and showed it to Rose. "This is the standard setting, which we used on you previously. It only stuns the victim. We like our prey alive." She looked at Rose appraisingly. Yes, she understood where she was going with this. Good. She allowed a moment for the fear to really sink in. "This setting," she rolled the control with her thumb until it could go no further, "Vaporizes the victim. Effective, but not very satisfying." She then rolled it back several clicks. "This setting," she said slowly, drawing each syllable out for effect, "burns a hole right through the victim, but a well-placed shot will not kill - at least not right away - but allows the victim to feel the maximum amount of pain, making them wish they were dead." She handed the weapon back to the guard. "Once more, Ms. Tyler, where is your daughter?!"

Janice's methods were indeed working on Rose. Besides the burning ball of fear in her stomach, she was feeling light-headed and tingly all over. She had felt this way once before, but couldn't remember when, and pushed the thought to the back of her mind. What was she to do? She had no doubt that Janice would carry out her threat. Her mouth went dry and her heart pounded in her chest.

"Rose," Jon said, "Trust me. Do nothing."

"Shut up!" Janice ordered. Looking at Rose, "Well?"

Rose stood, silently, petrified. No matter what she did, it would be wrong. What could she do? What would the Doctor do? She stared at Janice mutely.

"Very well." Janice looked at the guard. "Shoot him in the stomach."

Rose heard the blast, saw Jon crumple to the ground, his mouth gaping open in a soundless scream of agony. "NOoooooooooo.....!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, not noticing the Krillitanes drop everything and clap their hands over their ears as she rushed forward, free of the guard's grip, and ran to her prone husband. Kneeling over him, she pulled him to her and held him close, weeping hysterically. She didn't notice that she had started to glow, that her tears were raining down upon Jon in a golden shower and disappering into him.

"Rose," he whispered, "trust me."

"I do, I do trust you, Jon. What do I do?" she whispered back.

"Sing me that Gallifreyan tune, the one without words."

"You mean the Pink Floyd one?"

"Yeah, that's the one, lovely fellows, them..." his voice trailed away as he gasped for breath.

Rose began the mournful wail, her voice cracking with grief, as she heard Arianna's voice join hers in her mind. Her golden tears rained down and soaked into Jon as he grew still.

"Must concentrate..." she heard him whisper. His breathing became slower, softer, then stopped.

"JON! Noooo!!!!" She gently laid his lifeless body down, kissed him one last time, then stood and turned to face her tormentors. Her body basked in bright golden light, her eyes blazed in golden fury, and a snarl eminated from her chest. One of the gurads had the presense of mind to shoot her, and she blacked out. As she fell to the ground, unconscious, the light faded away.

Janice walked over to her and poked at her with a foot. "That certainly was an amazing display," she said to herself. Then, to the guards, "Put Ms. Tyler back in her cell. Take that," pointing to Jon's body, "back to the lab. Once they've removed the important parts, take the rest to the galley. We'll have a decent meal for a change tonight."