Chapter 22
Author's Note: SO it has quite literally been ages since the last chapter - I am SO sorry, but TADA here is the next one and it's a bit longer! YAY! Lemme know what you think! Thanks for reading!
Jack's phone rang as he stepped out of the TARDIS. He grinned mischievously at Martha and Gwen and walked away to answer it. Rose glared after him and settled herself on one of the desk chairs.
"I always worry when he grins like that." She commented. Martha smirked and headed straight for the coffee machine.
"Tell me about it….Usually I'm just too afraid to ask." She chuckled. Gwen joined her and grabbed several mugs. "You have to tell us all his dirty little secrets." She said pouring coffee intot the mugs. Gwen groaned and laughed.
"I don't think you want to know…sometimes I wonder that I'm not more scarred from just working with him." She replied. Rose giggled.
"Oh do tell….." she encouraged and Gwen handed her a mug. Gwen grinned and cast Jack a glance as she sat down.
"Well….there was this one time, I had just walked into the hub…." She began. Rose and Martha both cringed.
"The hub?! Really…does he have no decency?" Martha asked, giggling. Jack snapped his phone shut and walked back toward them.
"No Martha Jones, I don't. It's more fun that way." He winked at her and took a gulp of Rose's coffee.
"Oi! That's mine!" she protested. Jack ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry Rosie, I'll pay you back." He said, sending the other two women a knowing look. Rose scowled and clutched her mug closer.
"I'm not sure I want your kind of payback." She retorted.
"Oh I think you're going to like this." He leaned on the desk and grinned at her. She raised an eyebrow and him, and then turned to the girls.
"What did you do?" she asked warily. He shrugged and held his hands out innocently.
"I'm just trying to help my two best friends, is that so wrong?!" he asked cheerily.
"What did you do?!" she demanded, sounding exasperated.
"Nothing! I just thought you and the Doc would like some alone time, you know….dinner, candles, wine." He shrugged again and folded his hands, looking pleased with himself. Rose groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Jack…" Rose warned, her tone dark. A lab assistant rushed up to them, his hands full of papers and files.
"Here we go…" Martha sighed and folded her hands, preparing to go back to work .
"We've got a problem…" the lab assistant shoved his clipboard into Martha's hand. "The readings are off the charts, and the aliens are becoming more frequent and more aggressive." Gwen got up, walking to the computer screens behind Rose. Security cameras showed the streets that surrounded the building, several aliens running across the street and bothering passerby. Gwen frowned and leaned forward across the desk.
"Is there anyone out there trying to control them?" she asked warily. The assistant nodded at her.
"We have several teams out there, trying to keep them in hand, but it keeps getting harder. They're saying they want to bring the Army in." he replied.
"No! They can't do that!" Rose exclaimed incredulously. The assistant looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?"
"Because they'll slaughter them." She said gritting her teeth. He rolled his eyes at her and turned to Martha.
"We're awaiting your orders."
"I don't want the Army anywhere near here, you Americans are worse than Torchwood. I want the most recent readings on that machine as well as the reports from throughout the night." Martha told him.
"We're happy to help if you need it." Gwen piped up.
"Besides, we could use some excitement." Rose reluctantly got off her chair.
"South street, we could use a team there." His eyes flickered briefly and his tone was flat. "Fantastic!" Jack narrowed his eyes and watched him carefully for a minute, suspicious of his sudden change in demeanor. He turned and saluted Martha. "Can you hold down the fort?" She rolled her eyes at him.
"It's a good thing I like you." She commented. He winked at her as he ran out the door, followed by Rose and Gwen.
"I don't see anything." Gwen said looking around the street. "It's quiet."
"I know…." Jack turned on his heel and walked back up the street, opening his vortex manipulator and scanning as he went. "I'm not getting any life forms…" he said quietly.
"Any?" Rose asked, peeking inside several parked cars.
"None." He turned back to them. "I don't like this."
"Where did everyone go? People don't just disappear, especially in New York." Gwen said. Jack didn't respond and began walking away.
"Come on, we're going back." He called. Rose and Gwen looked at each other and frowned.
"Jack we can't just leave." Gwen said. He turned to her, knowing and dreading the look she was giving him. "An entire street of people have disappeared." She emphasized the last word. He looked to Rose, mentally pleading with her to understand.
"That's just it, whatever it is that has that kind of power….it's massive and dangerous and we're not safe." He responded. "The Doctor will be back and we can form a plan of action, but this," he waved at the empty street. "Is not something we can face on our own." Rose nodded slightly, noting the tiredness in his voice.
"And what about all those people? Did they die? Where are they?" Gwen challenged him.
"The Doctor will know." Rose said cheerily, trying to alleviate the tension.
"Of course he will…." Gwen breathed sarcastically. Jack's eyes widened and he tensed.
"Don't move." He said. Rose instantly tensed and searched his face, looking for something to read from. Gwen frowned, warm air blowing down her neck. "Ok…slowly move toward me." Gwen took a small step forward and he nodded. "Come on, slowly. Try not to make sudden movements." Rose followed her, the two inching forward as smoothly as they could. Rose frowned and turned her head as she heard a step behind her.
It was tall and green and vaguely reminded her of a dinosaur. Its skin was rough and thick, and loomed over them. Its mouth was short and round, but it's teeth were long and jagged and it didn't have eyes. Rose bit her lip and slowly stepped backward, keeping her eyes trained on it. Her step was miscalculated and she bumped into Gwen. Gwen squeaked and waved her arms to regain her balance, but their presence had been alerted. With a mighty sweep, it swung its arm towards them and they both ducked and it missed them by inches.
"Ok run!" Rose exclaimed hopping to her feet. Jack led the way as the alien thundered behind them, he could hear the TARDIS materializing before them and picked up the pace, just as he heard a scream and a sickening thud. The blue of the TARDIS appeared before them and he screeched to a halt and whirled around, his heart pounding. Gwen nearly ran into him, but Rose was several feet behind, blood running down her forehead. She was grinning weakly at him, and he opened the TARDIS doors for her.
"It had to be you." He scowled playfully. She pointed to her head.
"I'm getting better at this, I've stopped bleeding already!" she said proudly as she gasped for breath. The alien lumbered up to them and he pushed Gwen and Rose inside the TARDIS. The Doctor ran up to them, his eyebrow skyrocketing when he saw Rose's head. Silently he swept her into a hug, holding her close.
"I'm fine." Her muffled voice said from his shoulder. He looked down at her with a knowing look and led her back to the door. Their alien stood outside the TARDIS, paused as if it was waiting for them.
"That is beautiful…" he said in awe. Gwen put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"It just tried to kill us." She said dryly.
"Oh but that's its natural instinct," he began, shutting the door again and facing her. "Yupva aren't born with eyes, so they have to rely on sound to capture prey. They can literally hear movement!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"That's why when I ran into Gwen it attacked…it heard her nearly fall." Rose said, drawing from his energy. He nodded, softly laying a hand on her face.
"Go wash up, we've got news." He said quietly. He let his hand rest there, trying to quell the worry that had seized him when they'd first landed. She smiled, feeling his emotions swell.
"I'll be right back."