Author's Note: So it's been awhile, life and school and everything caught up with me. As always I own nothing, though owning Jack would be interesting. I'll try to post semi-frequently (ie every few weeks).

RECAP:

A dim series of flickering candles illuminated the inside of the tent, drawing all attention to the table laid out in the middle where a man was currently seated. Middle aged with a balding crown, he looked up at his guests with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes which narrowed as they settled on the Doctor.

"So you've come then?" he asked his voice like gravel pouring down into a rushing riverbed.

"Well I did get your message. Doctor, urgent: need help. People dying. Come soon. XOXO Caesar."

"It is urgent Doctor, my citizens are in danger, Rome is in danger. People have been disappearing off the streets, only to be found days later outside of Rome. Their bodies are mutilated beyond imagining, something I had a hard time believing until I saw for myself," Caesar replied, his eyes flashing.

"Sounds like our kind of problem Doctor," Rose muttered with Jack nodding his head beside her.

"Yes, well that's all terrible… do you have any of the bodies still? I'd like to examine them," the Doctor trailed off as Rose and Jack raised their eyebrows.

"There was one found this morning, I had a feeling you would want to see it when you arrived. It's in the tent next door, report to me when you've discovered something. You are dismissed Doctor," Caesar's words trailed after the black leather disappearing behind the tent flaps.

"He's at it again, he's got that look in his eye—you know," Rose grinned, her cheeky smile infectious as Jack began to laugh.

"Oh I know Rosie, looks like we'll be staying awhile. Now let's go see about some mutilated Romans," linking arms with Rose, Jack led her after the Doctor.

Δ

The beige blanket fluttered against the draft of the tent flaps opening, it's frayed edges revealing a hollowed skeleton, skin stretched tight against the bone. Running his sonic around the corpse, the Doctor started to mutter to himself, much to Rose and Jack's chagrin as they entered behind him.

"That's ghastly, wot do you think happened Doctor?" Rose asked as she leaned over the body.

"I dunno, it looks as if the blood, muscles, and tissue have all disappeared beneath the flesh. All the organs are missing too; the only sign of injury is the triangular hole along the ribcage. A mystery for sure."

"Well it's a good thing that the crack team is here to do the investigative work, what's our first step Doctor?" Jack said coming to stand next to his two companions.

"Do what you do best, talk to the locals—but Jack don't do anything stupid. Actually, I'd better go with you. Rose can you stay and find out what Caesar is keeping from us, there's more than what he told us."

"Don't worry Doctor, I'll get it out of him, I have my ways," Rose's eyes crinkled as she dimpled and held her tongue between her teeth.

"Oh Rosie, how devious of you," Jack snickered.

"Not like that Jack, go ahead you two we have a mystery to solve," Rose giggled as she shoved the two men out of the tent.

Δ

Fires crackled along the paths between the tents as Rose followed behind Caesar to his general's tents. Speeding up to match his fast-paced stride, Rose's eyes followed the gazes of the men around them, their stares lingering on her denim clad body.

"I'll find something more proper for you to wear Miss Rose, you're drawing for more attention than I believe your Doctor would like." Trailing after Caesar, Rose took in the way men snapped to attention as he walked by, he had a presence about him, much like the Doctor, a sense of authority and purpose that seemed to fill the air. Rose wished she could do that, could turn heads and command respect, but she was just a drop-out who used to work in a shop. Straightening her shoulders, Rose shoved her self-pity down in time to jerk to a halt as Caesar had stopped before what appeared to be a shrine.

"What's that?" Rose asked as she cocked her head in the direction of the shrine. A giant bronze wolf with snarling teeth stood in the center of a circle of columns. The eyes of the wolf seemed to glow gold in the firelight from the torches along the columns.

"That's Lupus Malum, she guards the warriors of men, it's said that she stalks the stars protecting the innocents searching for the Champion of Time," Caesar replied, his voice taking on an almost reverent tone, "Soldiers have been worshipping her on the eve of battle for many years."