A/N: A reader mentioned in a review that I completely ripped of a line from the Kate Nash song Foundations and the person couldn't have been more right. I have shamelessly "borrowed" bits and pieces of the song that inspired me in each chapter (check the chapter-titles). So if you are extremely bored, see if you can spot them (some of them are really obvious). This would probably also be a good time to state that I don't own any of the songs either - 'cause I don't, unfortunately.
Thanks for the great response, it was super duper awesome and it always brightens my day. You guys (girls?) are amazing and I can't express how much it means to me.
It's the end of the world as we know itThere's another crack, this one in Austria" Tosh said.
Gwen sighed from her position on the couch. Rose was fast asleep, her head resting on Gwen's lap. "Well, I'm making zero progress here. And Rose is still burning up. Is Owen done with the tests or what?"
Tosh shrugged. "He vanished a little while ago. I'm getting such a headache!"
"More coffee" Ianto offered. He was resting at Rose's desk, trying to spot something on a map.
"I'll explode in one giant coffee-brown mess if I have anymore" Gwen said. "I think maybe we should call up this Master guy and ask him what he wants."
"I take it you have him on speed dial" Ianto asked.
"He called Jack.""He called Rose, and he probably lost that phone immediately after, knowing we would try to track him through it." Ianto eyed his cup warily. "God I can't drink anymore either. I feel like my insides are turning into pure caffeine."
Tosh yawned. "I'm really tired. Do you think Jack would mind…"
"Yes" Gwen and Ianto replied in unison.
"Why does Rose get to sleep" Tosh asked and rubbed her eyes.
"Because for all we know she's dying of some horrible and gross disease" Ianto said, resting his head on Rose's desk. He had never felt this tired before, ever!
"Ianto, ew! She's lying in my lap" Gwen said.
"Which means whatever she's got, you probably caught it… You could die together."
"It'd be very romantic" Tosh mumbled.
"I really hate this place sometimes" Gwen said.
The Doctor had been mulling over his conversation with Wilf for some time now. And he had come to quite the surprising conclusion: he was wrong! He was so completely and utterly wrong. Which was a new for him, but he embraced it (reluctantly).
"So this Snaf…"
"Snarf" the Doctor corrected Donna. She just rolled her eyes at him and continued. He wasn't even paying that much attention, he just hated when she got the names wrong; mostly because it could cost Donna her head one day, if she got it wrong in front of the alien in question. Snarfs really were quite unpleasant.
"Doctor, are you even listening" Donna screeched and pulled him from his own thoughts.
"Yes, of course I am. Very interesting, these Snafs…""Snarfs" Martha said, trying to hide her smile.
"Yes, those too.""Well it sounds like you have quite the adventures" Wilf said with a big smile. "Can't tell you how much it means to an old man to have seen it with his own eyes. But I think it's about time I got back…""Gramps, you don't have to leave" Donna said.
Wilf smiled. "No I better get back before your mother sets the house on fire or something."
Martha smiled and hugged Wilf. She really liked him and it had been fun having him around. It was just an added bonus that the Doctor seemed to brighten up too. "It's been really fun."
"It sure has" Wilf said. "Can't wait for next year, or Christmas!"
The Doctor smiled. "It was an honour, Wilf."
"Same here. And maybe you will rethink your decision? It's not too late, you know?"
"I know. Now, let's get you back home safely."
"Ha, easier said than done" Donna said and grabbed hold of the TARDIS, as it lurched violently.
"Jack, there's been a sighting" Gwen yelled from her desk.
Jack almost charged through his office door. "Where?"
"Not far from here" Gwen answered. "Are we going?"
Jack looked indecisive for a moment. "Yes! Gear up."
"Rose, you stay behind" Jack said, as Rose waddled to her desk to get her jacket.
"No way!"
"Rose I'm sorry, but there's something wrong with you…"
"There is nothing wrong with me" Rose said in a defensive tone. "I want to come, it's my life!"
Jack looked at Owen, who shrugged. "Tests came back inconclusive. I don't know what's wrong."
"Rose, maybe you should just stay here" Gwen started.
"I can't believe this! I want to go, I need to go! And we're wasting time standing around here arguing. I'm coming and that's it!"
"You stay back, understood? I don't want any accidents" Jack said in a stern voice and Rose nodded.
The new jeep was uncomfortable and smelled weird and Rose felt awkward almost sitting on Gwen's lap, as Ianto was squeezed in between her and Owen, who was loudly complaining about their seating-arrangement. Tosh was sitting in the front passenger seat with her computer, trying to get a lock down on the Master's whereabouts. "Turn here" she yelled, and Jack took a sharp right turn, making all the heads in the back collide with each other.
"I say, after all this is over, we find that blonde alien thing and force her to buy us another jeep" Owen said, as he bumped into Ianto again. "Do you mind?"
Ianto gave him a dark look and tried to move closer to Rose, who felt weird sitting this close to Gwen. It was like getting to second base, without anyone really wanting to.
Another wild turn. "I'm killing that Master, I swear to god! And then I'm going into hibernation" Owen said, as Ianto was thrown into him. "Get off!"
"You know, this isn't exactly a picnic for me either. You smell awful!"
"And you smell of peaches and sunshine, is that it, Ianto?"
"Owen, Ianto, shut up" Jack yelled and hammered down on the brakes. "We're here!"
"So, what now" Donna asked. They had just dropped of Wilf, who had hugged them all three times before exiting the TARDIS.
Martha shrugged. "Another crazy adventure?"
"Actually…" Donna and Martha turned to look at the Doctor, who was leaning against the console. "I have something I need to fix."
"You're always fixing it, just give it rest. It's always gonna say that whooshing sound" Donna said.
The Doctor smiled a little. "I like that sound. And it wasn't that…"
"Oh" Martha said, as it dawned on her. She felt both happy and sad at the same time.
"What?" Donna looked around wildly. "What am I missing?"
"We're going to Cardiff" the Doctor said.
"Why?" Donna still looked completely confused.
"Donna…" Martha made a gesture with her hands.
"I made a mistake" the Doctor finally said. "I need to make it right between Rose and me." An almost goofy smile lit up his face.
It had been easy, almost too easy, Jack thought. They were all standing on some abandoned construction site, the Master in front of them. Jack had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, it just didn't feel right that it had been that easy to chase him down.
"What a lovely little gang" the Master said with a smile. "Like a little Scooby gang. You even have the van!"
"What is it you want" Jack asked.
"Oh, such a loaded question. What do I want? Well, let's see, shall we? I want a house on the beach, a white picket fence, world peace… But what I want most of all is revenge. Isn't that right, Rose Tyler?"
Rose nervously took a step back. She had been hiding behind Owen and Ianto, doing her best not to be noticed by the Master. She felt weird, this whole situation was giving her the creeps and she was starting to regret the fact that she had insisted on coming. "I don't know what it is you want from me" Rose said, trying to sound brave. She had a flashback to when she had faced the Sycorax, and just like then, she had a feeling that her "borrowed" words wouldn't impress the Master either.
"I want to know what you are. Him" the Master suddenly pointed at Jack with a gun, "I already know about. Isn't that right, Mr. Time Agent? You, on the other hand, smell differently. And I want to know why, before I kill you!"
Gwen, Ianto, Owen and Tosh all looked at Rose and Jack, their eyes displaying both uncertainty and confusion. Jack held up his hands. "Why don't you put the gun away?"
"Why don't you just shut up" the Master replied. "Where's the Doctor, by the way?"
"Don't know what you're talking about" Jack said.
"Please don't act stupid, it bothers me" the Master said. "I would really appreciate it if you would help me get in touch with the Doctor. We have some unfinished business."
"And if we don't" Gwen asked.
"Then I'll send him my own message! I'll start by shooting you." He pointed the gun at Jack again.
"You're not gonna shoot me" Jack said.
"You're right I'm not. It would be a waste of bullets, as you would just get right up again, you one-hearted immortal freakshow. Shooting her" he moved the gun so it pointed at Rose, "sends a much better message to your beloved Doctor, don't you think" he asked with a smile and pulled the trigger.
Donna and Martha had been laughing for almost half an hour, as the Doctor swore and kicked the console. "Of all the times to have motorstop" Donna said with a huge grin.
"It's not a motorstop" the Doctor said. "Old piece of junk!" He gave the console another kick, as the TARDIS made a loud screeching sound.
Donna almost collapsed from laughter, as her phone started to ring. "Martha, get that will you" she said, too intrigued by the Doctor's battle with the console.
"Hello? It's Martha… Oh, hi Jack, how are you?" Martha turned to the Doctor, who clearly gestured he did not want to talk to Jack, causing Donna another fit of laughter as the TARDIS shocked him.
Martha's demeanour suddenly changed and she held the phone out to the Doctor. "It's Jack. He says it's important. It's about Rose."