And here's another chapter! This is a really long one, so you all are welcome! It's been ages coming. I know you all will love it! ;)
Chapter 18: Fires of Pompeii
Freya made sure Ianto was settled into the TARDIS while the Doctor carried Donna's things to her room for her. The two were left to unpack while the Doctor and Freya converged in the console room.
"Should we get the children?" the Doctor asked.
"Not yet. I…I don't think we'll see them again in their right order," Freya admitted.
"What?"
"Think about it. Bad Wolf's about the age he was left at Torchwood Manor in Scotland. And we've seen Lil' Red at all stages of life. It's time," Freya said, although she felt a pang in her chest at the words.
"But they're just babies," the Doctor said, looking lost.
"Yeah. You're telling me," she murmured.
"So, what's up with Ianto? You and him looked spooked earlier," the Doctor observed. Freya bit her lip, keeping her mouth shut.
Then frowned.
"Ianto's looking for his past. You can't fault him for that. And his past? It involves me. And Rose," Freya said carefully.
The Doctor stiffened.
"Rose is in a parallel world," the Doctor said.
"She is. But we just saw her. Like a ghost, pressing herself into this reality," Freya said.
"She could fracture the multiverse!" the Doctor protested.
"That's the wrong thing. Think about it. Where would she get the power to do something like that? She wouldn't. Someone else is cracking the worlds, and she's managing to harness those cracks to slip through," Freya pointed out.
"Oh. Oh! Oh. And…oh," the Doctor drifted off.
"When Ianto said he recognized Rose and me as his past, I had a theory. Alternate Me had a child, yeah? With James. What if…what if that's Ianto?" Freya asked.
"I thought it was a girl," the Doctor said.
"I don't know. I don't know if James really knows either. But…we've gotta keep an open mind," Freya said.
"And if that's the truth? What will you tell him?" the Doctor wanted to know.
"The truth. I wouldn't lie to him," Freya said. The Doctor regarded carefully.
"No. You wouldn't, would you?" he murmured.
"I wouldn't. And you shouldn't have that as your primary suggestion," Freya scolded him just as Donna and Ianto made it back in the room.
"Right. So between the four of us, we need to stick together. At least two of us here are danger magnets," the Doctor said.
"You and Freya," Ianto said with a nod.
"Oi! I meant Freya and Donna!" the Doctor protested.
"We're all rather prone to danger. I think that much is evident," Freya said drily.
"So I want everyone to stick together. No going off on your own," the Doctor ordered.
"Where are we going?" Donna asked, her eyes lighting up. The Doctor gave her a wide grin and began dancing around the TARDIS console, flipping levers and switches. The TARDIS gave a shuddering sound and jerked off before stopping.
"Open the doors and find out," the Doctor told Donna with a grin. Donna raced for the door, the Doctor on her heels.
"Shouldn't we change in period-specific clothing?" Ianto asked.
"Don't ask him. This regeneration roles with anything," Freya said, rolling her eyes. Ianto sighed and straightened his bowtie.
"You'll be fine. It's me I'm worried about," Freya admitted with a soft smile before tugging on his arm, pulling the man alongside her out of the TARDIS.
"Ancient Rome!" the Doctor exclaimed, "Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome!"
"Oh my God. It's so Roman! This is fantastic!" Donna gushed, glancing around.
"Ha, ha," the Doctor said, giving Freya a wink. Ianto looked very unimpressed.
"I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead," Donna realized.
"Well, don't tell them that," the Doctor said with a frown.
"I'm reading English, sir. Is that the TARDIS translation circuit?" Ianto asked, his voice smooth.
"Yeah, everything is in English. Are you sure this isn't Epcot?" Donna added.
"Yes, TARDIS translation circuit. Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're all speaking in Latin. How'd you find out about that?" the Doctor asked Ianto.
"I worked for Torchwood One before Torchwood Three. Sir," Ianto said.
"What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni-vidi-vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi vici to that lot, what would it sound like?" Donna wanted to know.
"I…I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" the Doctor complained.
"I'm going to try it," Donna announced.
"Is the change permanent? Will I always be able to read almost all languages?" Ianto wanted to know.
"Nah. Tends to wear off after a few years," the Doctor said absently, watching Donna engage with the stall owner.
Freya couldn't help but start laughing when the man gave Donna a funny look and proclaimed that he didn't speak Celtic.
Ianto too was laughing.
"How's he mean, Celtic?" Donna wanted to know.
"Welsh. You sound Welsch. There we are. Learnt something," the Doctor said.
"And what does Welsch sound like then?" Ianto asked fluently.
"I'm not up to date on my Welsch," the Doctor said, rubbing the back of his head. Ianto gave Donna a wink before strolling back over to the same merchant.
The merchant eyed him suspiciously.
"Hello, sir. My friends and I heard someone the other day and we were wondering if you knew what language it was? We couldn't figure out where it sounded like it came from," Ianto asked the man.
"I can give it a go," the man offered. Ianto then let a few words flow from his mouth at an ease that left Freya envious.
"It sounds French to me, but I'm no expert," the man said.
"Thank you very much," Ianto said with the slight bow of his head before returning to them.
"Why didn't what he said translate?" Donna wanted to know.
"We knew he was going to demonstrate something by speaking in a different language. It's the TARDIS. I don't fully understand her at times," the Doctor complained.
"You would if you would just ask," Freya pointed out.
"Or read a manual? Surely she has one," Ianto asked drily.
"She used to, but I didn't agree with it. So I threw it in a supernova," the Doctor said abruptly, "Now, let's explore!"
"He's like a child," Ianto murmured to Freya.
"I know. At least I get to raise one child," Freya said wryly, ignoring the pang in her chest.
"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked as she glanced down at her outfit and then over at Freya's casual clothes and Ianto's suit.
"Now someone asks," Ianto mutters.
"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger," the Doctor explained.
"Um, I seem to recall you saying that awhile back and I was imprisoned for indecent exposure. And you cannot forget the incident with Queen Victoria," Freya pointed out.
"Minor details. I'm right 99 percent of the time," the Doctor sniffed.
"And in that one percent of the time, the Queen of England creates a secret organization whose sole purpose is to protect the planet from you," Ianto pointed out.
"And I'm pretty sure the other place created a law saying we weren't allowed to return," Freya added in.
"It's like travelling with a mother," the Doctor complained.
"The mother and responsible child. You're the wild father," Freya pointed out.
"Oi! Does that make me a child too?" Donna protested.
"You'll get over it, dear," Freya told her.
"I'm a bit lost right now," the Doctor said, calling their attention back to him. He was staring around the place curiously.
"Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything. Come along, gang. Let's try this way," the Doctor said, urging them along.
They make their way through the streets, passing by places Freya would have normally stopped. She follows though, and makes sure Ianto and Donna does. They don't need to get separated until they are certain they are in a safe place.
They come to a clearing, where they can see one mountain above them.
But only one.
"I'm not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?" Donna wanted to know.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the ground started shaking. All of the vendors just steadied their merchandise without a second glance.
The unease in Freya's stomach rose.
"Wait a minute. One mountain, with smoke," Donna said, her eyes going wide.
"Pompeii. We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day."
The Doctor grabbed Freya's hand and Donna's and took off running. Freya reached out behind her and gripped Ianto's hand as well, dragging him along as they took off through the streets at breakneck speed. When they made it back to where the TARDIS had been…it was gone.
"You're kidding me. Not again," Freya complained.
"You're not telling me the TARDIS has gone," Donna added as she stared at the space.
"Okay," the Doctor said.
"Where is it then?" Donna demanded.
"You told me not to tell you," the Doctor retorted, his voice quieter.
"Oi! Don't get clever in Latin!" Donna chastised him.
The Doctor hurried off to question the fruit seller, while Freya froze.
She had an odd sense of déjà vu.
She turned quickly, only to catch a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye.
"Doctor! I'll be right back," Freya called.
"Not alone!" the Doctor protested.
"I'll go with her. Call us if necessary for a quick escape," Ianto said, tossing a cell phone to the Doctor. He caught it effortlessly as he continued his conversation.
"I hope you have a fully-charged phone, because I can't remember the last time I saw mine," Freya commented as she led him towards the glimpse she'd seen.
"I work for Jack. Of course I carry two cell phones," Ianto scoffed as they turned a corner.
And Freya froze.
Because, standing there in front of them was Captain Jack Harkness.
Right in front of a small spaceship.
Jack turned around and stared them up and down before flashing them a suave grin.
"Hello. I see you got my message," Jack said. Ianto opened his mouth, but Freya elbowed him. She took a step closer, examining Jack closely. It wasn't their Jack – this was Jack before they'd met him.
Before World War 2 even. But he didn't know her then.
"Oh," the words slipped from Freya's mouth before she could stop them. Ianto stepped forward and gripped her shoulder.
"You did get my message?" Jack tried once more. Freya opened her mouth and turned around for a moment.
"This is before he's met us," Freya whispered to Ianto, who seemed to be becoming more uneasy with each passing moment. Ianto nodded carefully before Freya turned away.
This was Jack. Before the Time Agency stole some of his memories.
"I'm afraid we did not. Nor are we the people you're looking for," Freya said diplomatically. Jack stared at her critically.
"You're not from here. Clothing and technology places you close to the twenty-first century," Jack observed.
"And you would be right. We associate the most with the twenty-first century. It has the greatest changes," Freya said, feeling her lips tug into a smile. Ianto chuckled beside her.
"If you're not here about the Time Agency, what are you doing here? And you're acting mighty suspicious," Jack said, staring intently at her. Freya shrugged.
"My son-in-law resembles you. It's quite uncanny, really," Freya said.
"Son in law? How old are you?" Jack asked, immediately perking up.
"Not old enough to have a son in law. Time travel. You know," Freya said, waving him off. Jack's eyes drifted over to Ianto.
"And is this your son as well, then?" he asked. Freya started, meeting Ianto's widened eyes.
"I…well, it's complicated. We'll just go with yes," Freya said. This did little for relieving Jack's suspicion.
"If you're not from the Time Agency, I've been stood up," he said abruptly, spinning and kicking the ship violently.
"What do you mean?" Freya asked, feeling a pang of pity go out for the lost man in front of her.
"It was a simple mission. My Vortex Manipulator was disabled and I was dropped off here with this pile of junk. I was told someone would come no later than noon the day before Volcano Day to collect the ship and tow me back to a nearby Time Agency station," Jack said angrily.
"So you're trapped," Freya realized in horror.
Until Jack's eyes turned to her.
"How did you get here?" he demanded. Freya observed his slightly haggard face. He was the man they'd met before. Desperate. He wouldn't hesitate to do what he could to get what he needed.
"There's no need to try and trick us or doublecross us. We would be willing to give you a ride out of here when we finish here as well," Freya said. Ianto remained silent beside her.
"And why exactly should I trust you, sweetheart? How do I know you aren't just going to skip out on me?" Jack demanded.
"Jack," Ianto interrupted, but Jack just stared at him.
"Who told you my name?" he asked sharply.
"It's written on the inside of your shirt collar," Freya said drily.
It wasn't, but by the time he realized that he would have forgotten what she'd said.
Hopefully.
"Jack," Ianto repeated, "You don't know us. But I can assure you we mean you no harm."
Jack snorted at him.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he said derisively.
"Look. I'll make you a promise, okay? Stick with us. Don't let us out of your sight. And my husband? He's the one in charge. Well, most of the time. He's mostly in charge," Freya amended, giving Ianto a glance.
"I'd go with sometimes," Ianto corrected.
"You're right. Sometimes. Although with Donna around, I feel he's going to rarely be in charge. But right! I can tell you that if you stick with me and Ianto, you'll be leaving with us," Freya reassured him.
"And you aren't leaving immediately? Why?" Jack demanded.
"It's not what we do. My husband's a bit of a meddler. Always getting himself stuck in the middle of things. We'll leave just in the nick of time. Always do," Freya reassured him. Jack stared critically at her before moving closer. He reached out, as if to shake her hand.
Slightly puzzled, Freya took his hand, only for him to lock a handcuff over her wrist.
"There. Now I feel better," Jack said pleasantly.
"You just handcuffed me to you," Freya said, stunned as she stared down at the gleaming metal.
"I did. You didn't think I could just trust you on your word," Jack pointed out.
"Kinky," Ianto murmured, earning a glare from Freya and a wink from Jack.
"I can do it to you too, if you'd like," Jack said.
"I'm just fine, sir," Ianto responded automatically. Jack preened at the words.
"Sir. I could get used to be called that. Now, where's the hubby?"
"Look for trouble. He's usually in the center. Do you have a camouflage for this garbage?" Freya asked, gesturing to the ship. Jack pulled a key from his pocket and pressed down on it, allowing the ship to shimmer out of sight in front of them.
"Good. Let's go," Freya said, pulling him forward as she strolled forward.
"Is this the best of plans?" Ianto murmured.
"Only plan. It's not as if I'd abandon Jack," Freya shot right back.
"Now, I can't say we've been introduced yet," Jack said conversationally as Freya pulled them along through the crowded streets.
"Freya. Don't ask about a last name. It changes to much. And this is Ianto Jones," Freya said.
"And I'm Jack," Jack said.
"No last name?" Freya inquired.
"Not one. At least, not one you could understand," Jack said.
Freya was puzzled by that. He hadn't even used the title of Captain. Wasn't he always using it.
"I'll explain later," Ianto murmured.
"Explain what?" Freya demanded.
"The question you have. You're rather transparent," Ianto said with a chuckle.
"Even I could tell you had a question, darling," Jack said with a grin. Freya opened her mouth to retort only to see a man gliding by with a cloak and an entourage.
"Hello. That man looks important, and a bit suspicious," Freya pointed out.
"Tail him?" Ianto asked.
"Naturally. Husband dearest'll probably be wherever he's going. He doesn't look too happy," Freya said.
"That man's never happy. I've seen him around already," Jack pointed out.
"You might've, but I'm certain he can lead us to the Doctor," Freya said, pulling them along.
"Your husband's a doctor? What kind?" Jack wanted to know.
Freya paused.
"Just about everything, if we're being honest," she admitted. Jack whistled.
"Sounds like my kind of man. After Pompeii, I'd be up for a threesome. Or a foursome, if you want to join in too, Jones," Jack said with a wink.
"I'd rather not," Ianto said drily as they watched the man in front of them enter a house, a member of his group going first and the rest following him in.
"Front door, back door, or window?" Ianto asked.
"Back door. Window's too flashy," Freya decided.
"Why can't we just follow him?" Jack wanted to know.
"That'd cause too much of a scene. Come along," Freya urged, pulling them along as they examined the house. There really wasn't a back door, but there was a window big enough that climbing through it would not make a spectacle of them. Freya led the way, tugging Jack uncomfortably through the window after her. Ianto wasted no time in clambering after the two of them, keeping his eyes firmly on Freya as he did.
They crept towards the speaking, making it right to the doorway in time to hear the Doctor.
"How did you know that?" he asked sharply.
"And you. You call yourself Noble," a girl's voice said.
"Now then, Evelina. Don't be rude," a woman corrected the girl.
"No, no, no, let her talk," the Doctor contradicted anxiously.
"You both come from so far away," the girl continued.
"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," a man's voice said, his tone taking on a superior sound.
"That's the one we followed," Jack interrupted with his whisper.
"Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed," the Doctor said. Freya could have smacked him. He was egging them on.
"Is that so, man from Gallifrey?" the man asked. Freya drew a sudden, sharp breath, as did Jack beside her.
"Gallifrey? Did he just say Gallifrey?" Jack asked, his voice slightly strangled sounding.
"What?" the Doctor demanded.
"The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?" Lucius wanted to know.
"How can he possibly know this?" Freya whispered angrily as Ianto slid his hand into hers and gave it a light squeeze.
"Doctor, what's going on?" Donna asked anxiously.
"And you, daughter of London," the man continued with his attention focused on Donna, Freya assumed.
"How do you know that?" Donna asked.
"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth. And the intruders should come out now," the man called. With another squeeze of Ianto's hand, she stepped out leading the two men.
"Freya!" the Doctor said, eyes widening.
"That's impossible," Donna pointed out. Freya hurried the boys with her to the Doctor's side.
"Long time no see. Doctor, meet Jack. Time Agency left him adrift. Jack, meet Donna, and my husband the Doctor," Freya said quickly as the man in front of them began speaking again.
"Doctor, she is returning," he said.
Freya stiffened.
"Who? Who's returning?" the Doctor wanted to know.
"Rose," Freya breathed.
"And you, daughter of London. There's something on your back," the man said.
"What's that mean?" Donna asked sharply. But the man had turned to Freya and the newcomers.
"And you, the wife who follows obediently. You have already died," he said.
The Doctor shifted quickly to her side, blocking her from the man's view.
"Even the word Doctor is false. Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time," the girl said before collapsing. Another woman ran for her, shifting her on the floor as the cloaked man spun on his heel and left, taking with him some sort of panel.
But Freya didn't pay any attention to that. Her eyes were glued to the man in front of her.
Because he was the Doctor.
Freya stepped around the Doctor, towards the other Doctor.
"Freya," the Doctor warned, but Freya shook her head.
The Doctor had already told her that she could not tell his current self about his older self. But…this was him. In front of her. So he didn't know who it was. And she was handcuffed to Jack. She stared searchingly at the older Doctor, who only stared back at her in confusion.
Oh. He…he didn't know her?
Freya was so confused.
"Freya? Freya, are you alright?" the Doctor stepped into her line of sight, lightly shaking her shoulders.
"Yeah. I will be. Déjà vu, you know?" she said, hoping to cover herself.
"Are you okay? He said you'd died," the Doctor pointed out. Freya shook her head.
"Not that I'm aware of. I'm pretty sure I'm alive," Freya said drily. The Doctor pulled a stethoscope out nevertheless and put it on, pressing the cold metal against her chest.
After a few moments, he released his breath and put the stethoscope away before sweeping Freya up in a hug.
Only to jerk back a few seconds later.
"Oi! Hands to yourself!" the Doctor barked.
"It's not my fault you dragged me into the middle of your hug. How was I to resist?" Jack asked, but his eyes lacked the joking gleam they usually had.
"I promised Jack we would take him home. He insisted on keeping close to me so we didn't leave him. Given the state of the place, I couldn't entirely refuse him," Freya said.
"She also couldn't refuse him handcuffing her without permission," Ianto said drily.
"I have a sonic screwdriver. I can easily undo handcuffs," the Doctor said, his eyes turning more serious as he regarded Jack carefully.
"I don't think there's a need for that, dear. We'll just keep him close, yeah? Now, what's going on? I take it you found trouble?" she asked.
"Naturally," the Doctor agreed. He turned to the other man and gave him a wide smile.
"Do you mind if we investigate the grill?" the Doctor asked.
"Go ahead. I don't think we've been introduced, my lady. My name is Caecilius," he said, holding his hand out to Freya.
"Freya. I'm the Doctor's wife," Freya told him with a soft smile. The Doctor, behind them, was making quick work of the grill. He pulled the cover off, staring down inside.
"Different sort of hypocaust?" the Doctor asked, drawing Caecilius's attention back towards himself.
"Oh yes. We're very advanced in Pompeii. In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs, leading from Vesuvius itself," Caecilius bragged. Jack snorted from her side. Caecilius's eyes shot up to glare at him. He merely threw his hands up in his defense, dragging Freya's hand with his.
"I was just agreeing with you. Rome's medieval compared to you," Jack said quickly before whispering to Freya, " Jeez, this guy has quite the attack face."
"Imagine him with wild eyebrows," Freya shot back, grinning fondly.
"What sort of sport is that?" Caecilious asked, staring at the handcuffs.
"Jack's like a son to me. He unfortunately gets himself into quite the spot of trouble. I have to keep him in my sight at all times, and he wanders off too quickly to keep him on hand otherwise," Freya lied smoothly. Jack raised an eyebrow at her and Freya smacked his cuffed hand with her free hand.
"Hush you," she scolded.
"Who thought of using the hot springs?" the Doctor interrupted as he put his glasses on.
"The soothsayers, after the great earthquake, seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage. But we rebuilt," Caecilius explained.
"Didn't you think of moving away? Oh no, then again, San Francisco," the Doctor said, shaking his head.
"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" Caecilius asked.
"Of course," Freya agreed with him instantly.
"What's that noise?" the Doctor asked, ignoring the others immediately.
"Don't know. Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring," Caecilius said solemnly.
"But after the earthquake, let me guess. Is that when the soothsayers started making sense?" the Doctor asked. Caecilius looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.
"Oh yes. Very much so. I mean, they'd always been, shall we say, imprecise? But then the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex, all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision," Caecilius explained. The Doctor was silent for a moment, as if debating something internally.
"Haven't they said anything about tomorrow?" the Doctor asked.
"No. Why? Should they? Why do you ask?" Caecilius asked.
Freya's heart broke at his words.
"Doctor, Jack, Ianto, and I will be outside. I need some fresh air. I feel faint," Freya said. The Doctor startled slightly until he looked at her and he nodded.
"Don't go anywhere without Ianto. Someone needs to keep him in line," the Doctor said with a sad smile and a wink.
"She won't be losing me any time soon," Ianto promised. Freya drug the two boys with her out of the house quickly, only feeling like she could breathe once she was in the open once more.
"Why? Do you have handcuffs you'd like to use as well?" Jack asked, wriggling his eyebrows.
"No. I can keep an eye on people without constantly feeling them up," Ianto said drily.
"I can too. It's just not as fun. Where do you want to go? There's a nice bar just down the street," Jack said.
"A bar? How long have you been here?" Freya asked, surprised.
"That was the first thing he found, I'd wager," Ianto suggested.
"Aw. You know me so well," Jack said, pinching one of Ianto's cheeks. Ianto slapped his hand away.
"Feisty. I like my men feisty," Jack said with a light growl.
"Let's get going. This bar is sounding better and better. Mummy needs a drink," Freya murmured.
Jack laughed.
Ianto glared at him.
It was like having two sons.
Jack directed them through the streets to a small, hole in the wall bar that held a handful of men. Each and every one of them looked up when Freya entered the bar.
"Huh. I hadn't noticed the lack of women before," Jack said as he to examined each and every person at the bar.
"Please tell me you did not just take me to the precursor to a gay bar," Freya groaned.
"Keep your mouth shut," Ianto shot at Jack, who had opened his mouth to say something witty back at her. Freya sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose, then pulled the boys towards the bar.
"I want something strong, please," Freya ordered. The bartender glanced between her and the men sandwiching her.
"I'm playing babysitter," Freya said simply.
"Babysitter?" the man asked.
"They behave worse than my four year old," Freya stated. The man nodded sympathetically and poured her a whole glass of something.
"On the house," the bartender said, winking at her.
"I'd like one of what she's having," Jack said, giving the man a flirtatious smile. The man gave him a nonplussed look as he poured the glass.
"Six denarii," the man said. Jack dug around in his pocket before giving Freya a look.
"It's in my other pocket," he said, reaching into the pocket with her hand following his inside.
Freya just took a deep swig of her alcohol with her other hand.
By the time she'd finished her drink, Ianto had conned Jack into buying him one. The bartender placed another drink in front of her and Freya downed it quickly.
Only for her vision to go hazy.
"What was that?" Freya asked, only her words were slurred. She glanced over at Jack, only to note he was already passed out on the counter. She turned quickly to Ianto – the motion making her dizzy beyond means, only to see he too was looking down at his drink in horror before staring up at her.
"We've been drugged," Ianto said, struggling to get to his feet.
That was the last thing Freya remembered.
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"What the hell?" Ianto's voice hissed near her ear. Freya blinked and rubbed her eyes. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and she felt rather…cool.
"I swear, nothing to do with me!" Jack protested. Freya blinked once more, only to realize she was being carried.
Naked.
"What the hell's going on?" Freya asked, raising her head immediately.
"Good. You're awake. We're running. Come on!" Jack said, dropping her to her feet.
"Why are we naked?" Freya protested.
"I didn't do it!" Jack immediately defended himself.
"You're the one that took us to the bar! You're the one who cut the clothes off to get us out of the ropes," Ianto pointed out.
"Come on!" Jack shot back, frustrated.
"What is going on?" Freya repeated, running a hand through her hair.
"Turns out the bar was a date rape bar. Since none of us knew that, they took us and decided to use us as slaves. I've been to places like that, so I knew how to get out," Jack said.
"And where are we going now?" Freya wanted to know. It was dark out, darker than it had been before. So it was well into the night. Pompeii's last night.
"Away from them," Jack said simply.
"We need clothes," Freya protested.
"Yes. We do. Before we find your husband. He will not be happy if he finds you naked and still handcuffed to another man," Ianto said, firmly glaring at Jack.
"Shit, they're coming. Come on," Jack said, pulling them down a street and into a house.
"Whose house is this?" Freya hissed as the door was closed firmly behind them.
"It's a whorehouse. Calm down," Jack said, waving her off.
"A whorehouse? You drag us into a whorehouse, without any clothing on, and say it'll be fine?!" Freya hissed back at him.
"Customers!" a voice called out.
"Jack, no. Get us out of here," Ianto protested quickly as women started piling into the room.
"Not customers!" Ianto protested.
"Speak for yourself. This one's a bit uptight. Both are, actually," Jack said.
"I am married, Jack!" Freya hissed at him.
"We've got a married one!" Jack called out. The girls tittered at them.
"No! Look, we just need to get out of here and find some clothes," Freya said.
"I can help with that," a woman said. She stepped forward and grabbed Freya by the arm, tugging her into a room.
"You two, in here too," the woman barked at Jack and Ianto.
"Oh, a foursome. I can't say I won't enjoy this," Jack said. Freya and the woman gave him twin glares.
"I'm the matron of this establishment. For the right price, I can fit you up with some clothes," she told them.
"So no foursome?" Jack whined.
"No foursome," the woman said drily. She started going through drawers and pulling out articles of clothing. She threw a long drape of blue at Freya before pulling pants out and chucking them at the boy.
"50 denarii good?" Jack asked, pulling out a small bag.
"Acceptable," the woman said. Freya worked to pull the fabric over her head in some sort of suitable fashion. Ianto wasted no time in tugging the pants and shirt on, while Jack continued eyeing the woman up.
"Sure you don't wanna have some time alone before I put these on?" Jack tried once more.
"I'd rather not. I leave the whoring to the girls," the woman said drily before giving Jack a light shove, taking the money, and walking out of the room.
"I'm sorry, but I'm looking for where my husband is. He's at someone's house. Um…Caecilius's house? He works with marble, I think?" Freya asked.
"He's about two blocks east of here. Just down that road," the woman instructed.
"Good. Jack. Hurry up," Freya demanded. Jack took pleasure, it seemed, in making her move with him as he took his sweet time buttoning up the shirt and pants. The moment they had finished, Freya was dragging both men out of the house and down the street, as per the woman's instructions.
They came upon the familiar house and Freya couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She knocked on the door and, upon seeing a familiar face, she launched herself at him and hugged him tightly.
The man in her arms was stiff.
And Freya remembered herself.
It wasn't the Doctor. It was Caecilius.
"I'm sorry. It's been a long night," Freya apologized.
"For us as well. I apologize. Your husband is not here at the moment," Caecilius said.
"He'll be back. Mind if we wait for him?" Freya asked.
"Come right in," Caecilius offered.
Freya walked in, dragging the boys behind her, only to stop. The once-neat living room was a mess. The vent was torn up and nothing was in its correct order.
"What happened here?" Freya gasped out.
"Your husband. He…he summoned one of the creatures. The gods, I fear, are angry with us," Caecilius said solemnly.
"Unfortunately, my husband has a tendency to anger people. It's his second nature," Freya said, still glancing around.
"Would you like some help, cleaning up?" she asked.
"It would be much appreciated. But we can do that this week. I have a rather light work week ahead of me," Caecilius said.
Freya turned away from him, staring at the vent. It would be a pretty light work week – because he would be dead.
"Why do you react that way? You all do. You act as if something terrible will happen," Caecilius questioned her.
"Because I know something terrible will happen. Something terrible always happens – it just feels closer today than usual, is all," Freya said before giving him a warm smile.
Both Ianto and Jack were stony faced.
The light slowly began to creep in the windows, illuminating the room with the light dawn glow. Caecilius blew out the candles before turning to his wife, who was waiting in the doorway.
"Sunrise, my love. A new day. Even the longest night must end," he said. She glanced at Freya and the boys.
"We're sorry for intruding. My husband's a handful," Freya apologized.
"Most men are," she agreed as the ground shook once more. The son stumbled into the room, looking as if he'd slept as much as anyone else in the household.
"The mountain's worse than ever," he said, his tone adopting worry.
The Doctor must've gotten to him too.
Freya didn't want to upset them, though. They were all going to die. They deserved to live their last day as happily as possible.
"We killed a messenger of the gods in our own house. Sweetheart, can you see? Tell us. What's going to happen?" the mother asked of her daughter.
Freya hadn't noticed the daughter in the room.
The daughter closed her eyes carefully, eyes moving behind the lids as if she were watching a scene play out.
"Just leave her alone!" the son told his mother.
"I can see," the daughter said slowly.
"What is it?" the mother begged.
"A choice. Someone must make a choice. The most terrible choice."
The daughter opened her eyes and looked directly at Freya.
"My husband. My husband must make the choice. No. Ianto, Jack, we must find him. Right now. I'm not letting him make any more choices that will rest on his conscience. Not without me there to help," Freya ordered.
"Right on it," Ianto said, pulling out his cell phone. A moment later, he nodded.
"Got a signal," he said.
"How?" Jack asked, staring intently at the other man.
"I have a tracking device in the phone I lent the Doctor. I usually give it to my boss- he runs off so much we have to have some way to trace him," Ianto said drily as he stared at Jack.
"Let's go then!" Freya urged.
The three of them wasted no time in running through the streets of Pompeii and towards the mountainside. They made it just in time to see Lucius disappearing inside, a group of men following him.
"Come on," Freya urged, pulling them along after her. They slipped inside the cavern, wandering along the walls.
"Over there!" Ianto directed. The two of them were staring at the flaming giants working inside the mountain.
"What I don't get is where's the lava?" Jack asked.
"It's called magma before it reaches the surface. And you're right. There isn't any," Ianto agreed as they approached the Doctor and Donna.
"It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain," the Doctor said.
"There's tons of them," Donna protested, staring at them.
"Oh yeah," Freya agreed. The two of them spun around.
"Freya! Ianto! Jack! When'd you guys get here? Better question, how?" the Doctor asked.
"I have a tracker set on the phone I gave you," Ianto said drily. The Doctor pulled the mobile out of his pocket and stared at it before staring back at Ianto. Freya took the phone from him and tucked it in his pocket.
"I like him. We should keep him," Freya said with a grin.
"You tracked me?" the Doctor repeated.
"More importantly, what's going on? Species and planet of origin?" Jack demanded.
"Species? Pyrovillian from the planet of Pyrovile," the Doctor said.
"So that thing over there must be how they got here," Jack decided.
"Looks like an escape pod? Or a prison ship? Gene bank?" the Doctor rattled on.
"But Doctor? Why do they need a volcano? Maybe it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something?" Donna asks.
"It's worse than that," the Doctor said grimly.
"How could it be worse? Doctor, it's getting closer," Donna protested.
"Someone has to make a choice," Freya repeated the daughter's words from earlier, her blood chilling at the thought.
"What?" the Doctor asked, startled.
"Caecilius's daughter made a prediction this morning. Someone would have to make a terrible choice," Frey whispered.
They were cut off by Lucius calling them out, pointing out their location to the Pyrovillians.
"Come on!" the Doctor said, pulling them into the rock spaceship thing.
"We can't go in!" Donna protested.
"Well, we can't go back," the Doctor pointed out.
"In?" Jack asked.
"In sounds good," Ianto agreed.
"Crush them! Burn them!" Lucius roared. The Doctor pulled out a water pistol and used it to extinguish the Pyrovillian closest to them before pulling them towards the closed Escape Pod thing.
"There is nowhere to go, Doctor, wife, Daugther of London," Lucius crooed.
"Now then, Lucius. My lords Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lather. In a lava? No? No," the Doctor sighed when they didn't get his joke.
"But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish. Once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?" the Doctor inquired.
"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself. An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization," Lucius explained with pride.
"Yeah, I should warn you, it's seventy percent water out there," the Doctor pointed out.
"Water can boil. And everything will burn, Doctor," Lucius said brightly.
"Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed. Donna," the Doctor said, pushing a button on the side of the Escape pod. The door opened and they quickly piled inside before the Doctor closed the door using his sonic screwdriver.
"Bit tight of a fit," Ianto observed, pointedly ignoring the wink Jack sent him with his words.
"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna complained.
"Don't jinx us," Freya warned her.
"Little bit hot," Donna said, adjusting the top of her shirt slightly.
"See? The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete. They can convert millions," the Doctor said, staring intently at the panel.
"But can't you change it with these controls?" Donna asked him. The Doctor nodded, still staring at it.
"Of course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're going to use it to take over the world," the Doctor said.
Freya's heart dropped.
"Oh," Freya said.
"Oh is right," the Doctor agreed.
"But can't you change it back?" Donna asked.
Jack and Ianto were silent as well.
They understood what the Doctor was saying.
"I can invert the system, set off the volcano, and blow them up, yes. But, that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world," the Doctor said.
"Oh my God," Donna said, eyes wide.
"If Pompeii is destroyed then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen," the Doctor said faintly.
"No. You don't. I will," Freya told him, moving so she was at his side. The Doctor looked down at her in shock.
"You would do that?" he asked her. Freya nodded.
"If that was one less thing on your conscience, I would do it in a heartbeat. Can we guarantee that these Pyroviles will be destroyed?" Freya wanted to know.
"Vesuvius explodes with the force of twenty-four nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it. Certainly not us," the Doctor said.
"9 Downing Street. Sound familiar?" Freya asked him. The Doctor gave her a fond smile, his eyes sad.
"Never mind us," Ianto said. Jack looked as if he wanted to protest, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Push this lever and it's over. Twenty thousand people," the Doctor said quietly. He had his hand resting on a stone lever. Freya gently pushed his hand off of the lever, keeping her own on it instead.
The Doctor stared at her.
"You don't know what that sort of thing will do to you," the Doctor told her. Another hand covered hers.
Jack's. He gave her a small smile.
"I'm not unaccustomed to making hard decisions," Jack told her. Freya gave the Doctor one last look before pushing down on the lever, Jack's hand on hers.
The pod they were in was launched and they started tumbling all around. Freya crashed into the Doctor, who locked his arms tightly around her. They tumbled around before a sudden and jarring crash.
The Doctor stood, pulling Freya up and sonicking the door. He peeked his head out and sighed.
"It was an escape pod," he said in relief, pulling Freya and by extension Jack out of the pod. Donna and Ianto followed quickly.
"We should probably get back to the TARDIS," Ianto said. Freya turned around to see an avalanche of ash rolling down the mountains.
"Yeah. Back to the TARDIS!" the Doctor ordered, hurrying them along. As soon as they made it to town, the ash started falling. The sun was already blotted out by the ash and people were frantically running around.
Donna immediately tried directing people to safety, but Freya hurried along, allowing the Doctor to bring Donna along.
She made it to the villa with Ianto and Jack before the Doctor and Donna. Huddled in the corner of the villa was Caecilius and his family. Freya unlocked the TARDIS.
"Unlock us and get inside," Freya ordered Jack. Jack pushed a button on the handcuff and it clicked off. Him and Ianto hopped inside quickly.
"Ianto?" Freya asked. Ianto poked his head out.
"Don't let him leave us," she said. Ianto nodded swiftly.
"I won't," he said. Freya turned to the family huddled in the corner.
"I can save you," she said. The Doctor and Donna ran in the room.
"Get in!" the Doctor shouted at her.
"I pulled the lever. I'm bringing Caecilius and his family to safety. Cone with me," Freya said, holding her hand out to Caecilius.
The Doctor opened his mouth to protest but closed it once more.
Caecilius rose and hurried over, followed closely by his family.
"Get in!" Freya urged, pushing them all inside.
The Doctor was already at the console, moving it along. It stopped then and the Doctor nodded to the door. Freya opened it, helping Caecilius and his family out.
They were on a hill now, watching Pompeii be destroyed. The Doctor, Ianto, and Jack followed them out. The Doctor moved to stand next to Freya, slipping his hand in hers.
"We shouldn't have saved anyone," the Doctor murmured.
"We shouldn't have. But I did this. I killed them. I wasn't going to leave them behind. I killed twenty-thousand. And I saved four," Freya said simply. The Doctor squeezed her hand tightly before turning his head to Caecilius.
"It's never forgotten, Caecilius. Oh, time will pass, men'll move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you," the Doctor told him.
"What about you, Evelina? Can you see anything?" Donna wanted to know.
"The visions are gone," the daughter said absently, still staring at the destruction in front of them.
"The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time, just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pryvillian alternative. But not anymore. You're free," the Doctor told her.
"But tell me," the mother began, staring intently at the Doctor, "Who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?"
"Oh, I was never here. Don't tell anymore," the Doctor said, trying to keep his tone light.
"The great god Vulcan must be enraged. It's so….volcanic. It's like some sort of volcano. All those people," Caecilius said, his voice reflecting the shock he felt.
The Doctor pulled Freya back into the TARDIS, Ianto, Donna and Jack following slowly inside as Ianto shut the door.
"Thank you," Donna said to Freya.
"You were right, Donna. Sometimes we need someone," the Doctor told her. Freya gave Donna a smile.
"Welcome aboard," Freya told her with a fond smile.
There we have it! Jack! I hope you enjoyed this. I enjoyed writing it, and hopefully I'll be able to come up with another long chapter in a few weeks or so. I just want to thank all you for being patient with me.
So please, let me know what you think!
-Andi