Okay, here's the first part of Army of Ghosts. I can't believe I'm so close to finishing wait a minute and I'll tell you exactly how many chapters are left, not including the author's note I'm going to put at the end of the story......Okay, there are seven chapters left including this one. This episode will be four parts and the next will have three, but that will be explained in the third of them. Anyway, on we go.

"Planet Earth." said Jackie "This is where I was born. And this is where I died. For the first 30 something years of my life nothing really happened, except from meeting Peter Tyler, getting married and having a child. Her name is Rose." she paused as she remembered those three things "Then when Rose was 6 months old, her father was killed in a car accident. The first 19 years of her life, nothing happened. Nothing at all. Not ever." she paused "And then she met a man called the Doctor. I remember the first time I met him. I slapped him for bringing Rose home a year later than he meant... A man who could change his face, who took my daughter away from home in his magical machine. He made her happy and I hoped it would never end."

--

The Doctor looked over at his wife. She looked paler than normal and she'd been sick for the last 2 months, but she insisted that she was fine. He smiled when she looked up and then began setting coordinates. The Tardis came to life and moved from the time vortex to the planet the Doctor had chosen. When it stopped, the Doctor and Rose went outside and stood a short way away from the Tardis, they were on a rocky alien planet, with flying stingrays. The couple stood side by side as they watched the sunset "How long are you gonna stay with me?" he asked.

Rose looked at him, with a look that said 'are you kidding?' "Forever" she answered and smiled at him

--

"That's what I thought. But then came the army of ghosts. Then came Torchwood and the War. And that's when it all ended. At least for me." Jackie said as she stood on a desolate beach, looking out to sea, a gentle breeze blowing through her hair "This is the story of how I died."

--

The Doctor and Rose were sitting in the Tardis control room a few days after they had been to the flying stingray planet. Rose had been trying to figure out how to tell her husband that she was pregnant for days, but something inevitably happened every single time she tried. After a few moments of silence, she lifted her head from his shoulder "Doctor, um... " she bottled it "Can we go see my mum?" she asked, that way, she would be able to tell them both at the same time and they could finally tell her mother that they were married. The Doctor stood up and went to set the coordinates, while Rose went to grab the washing that she had set aside for her mother to do as he knew that she wanted to show her mother that she still needed her.

--

The TARDIS materialised in a children's play area. Rose stepped out holding a large red rucksack, which she slung onto her back. The Doctor followed, and they set off towards the flats on the Powell Estate with a spring in their step, obviously at peace with the world. They climb the stairs to Jackie's flat hand in hand, laughing.

Jackie was doing the washing up when she heard Rose calling from outside the front door. "Mum, it's us! We're ba-ack!" she shouted. Jackie smiled and ran from the kitchen to the front door, just as the Doctor and Rose enter the flat.

"Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone!" she said, sounding exasperated and pleased at the same time "You never use it!"

Rose grinned "Shut up, come here!" she said and Jackie flung her arms around her daughter

"Oh, I love you!" Jackie said
"I love you!"
"I love you so much!" Jackie said as the Doctor squeezed past them, trying to enter the flat unnoticed, but Jackie spotted him "Oh no you don't. Come here!" she said as she grabbed him and pulled him towards her and plants one on him, despite his weak protests. "Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine!"

"Just-- just-- just put me down!" he said

"Yes, you are!"

She kissed him again and then walked off, leaving the Doctor to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, looking for all the world like a little boy with an over-affectionate mother. They joined Rose in the sitting room. Rose took the bag and dumped it in Jackie's arms "I've got loads of washing for ya! And - I got you this!" She said as she showed Jackie an tiny ornate bottle with a wide grin. "It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of um..." she paused and turned to her husband "what's it called?" she asked him as he flicked through magazines which were lying on the table

"Bezoolium." he answered

"Bezoolium." Rose continued to speak to her mother "When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's gonna rain - when it's hot, it's gonna be sunny! You can use it to tell the weather!"
"I've got a surprise for you and all." Jackie said
"Oh, I get her Bezoolium - she doesn't even say 'thanks'." Rose said

"Guess who's coming to visit?" Jackie asked "You're just in time - he'll be here at ten past! Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know." Rose said, sounding confused

"Oh go on, guess!" Jackie told her

"No, I hate guessing." she said "Just tell me."

Jackie looked pleased "It's your grand-dad." she said "Grand-dad Prentice. He's on his way. Any minute!" Rose stared at her in shock "Right, cup of tea!" Jackie continued as though what she'd just said was completely normal. She went into the kitchen, Rose stared after her.

The Doctor appeared at his wife's shoulder "She's gone mad." she said sounding stunned

"Tell me something new." he said also staring after Jackie

"Grand-dad Prentice - that's her dad." Rose explained "But he died like, ten years ago. Oh my God. She's lost it." She went into the kitchen "Mum?" she said as she and the Doctor stopped in the doorway "What you just said about grand-dad... " she started, but she was interrupted by her mother

"Any second now." Jackie said

"But... he passed away." Rose said, gently "His heart gave out. Do you remember that?"

"Course I do!" Jackie said lightly

"... Then how can he come back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jackie said as she checked her watch "Ten past. Here he comes." And right before their eyes, a figure stepped out of nowhere in the middle of kitchen. It's featureless, like a shadow, but definitely humanoid. It stood beside Jackie. "Here we are, then!" The Doctor and Rose looked dumbstruck "Dad... say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?"

Right, the next chapter will be done soon. So I'll get going and finish it. I'm hoping to get at least 6 of the 8 chapters (including the author's note) that are left, done today. I think that I can do it between tidying up the mess I left when I was cleaning the cupboards yesterday. So I'm going now

TTFN

Julie.