Jordan's Journeys: The Unquiet Dead
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Me: Jordan's Journeys is an idea that came to me in my physics lesson on Thursday. I thought that the Doctor always has a companion and that because Tory has adventures off screen that she deserved one too! And so Jordan's Journeys were born!
Timmy: I miss Pears….
Tory: what? That one you had those playdates with?
Timmy: yeah….
Tory: oh….*doesn't quite know what to say*
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"You have got to be kidding me." Jordan muttered as she hung up the phone, "Oi! Alien-girl!"
"What?!" Tory yelled back from the kitchen.
"My parents just cancelled!"
"I told they hated me!" Tory yelled back.
"Yeah, yeah!" Jordan responded, "Time for plan B!" she seemed to be grinning. Tory cringed as she remembered what had happened last time Jordan had been forced to resort to a plan B, that horse had never been the same…all those feathers…Tory shuddered.
Jordan walked into the kitchen and picked up the tea Tory had left on the side for her while hiding the coffee from Tory, having Tory high on caffeine was never a good thing, it was nearly as bad as the Skittles and chocolate spread diet Tory went on whenever she left on one of her 'adventures'.
Jordan lent against the kitchen counter as she took a sip of the tea…ahh milk and no sugar just the way she liked it.
"So I was thinking,"
"That's never good." Tory smirked over her shoulder as she put the plate she was washing on the draining board.
"Shut it. Anyway, I was thinking that seeing as it's my birthday we could go on a trip."
"Where?" Tory asked.
"Oh I was thinking….1869." Tory froze. She put the mug she was half way through cleaning down and turned around, she raised a single eyebrow, "What?"
"I want to travel to 1869."
"What's with the sudden interest, eh?" Tory questioned carefully.
"I was re-reading my Charles Dickens and…" Jordan trailed off with a sheepish grin.
"Ah," Tory grimaced, "say no more," Jordan opened her mouth, "no really, no more, I can not stand that mans' books." Tory gave a theatrical shudder. Jordan glared but knew from experience that this particular argument would not end well.
Tory turned back to the sink and lifted the mug to continue washing it.
Jordan took another sip of her tea before placing her empty mug down on the side. Tory made a disapproving noise in her throat causing Jordan to roll her eyes, pick up her mug and bring it to her. Tory took it and washed it as well before draining the water. She wiped her wet hands on her jeans before facing Jordan.
"When do you want to go?" she asked with a sigh. Jordan just stared in shock before squealing in glee and hugging Tory for all she was worth.
"Thank you, thank you!" she chanted. Suddenly she jumped away and ran from the room yelling behind her, "Now go get me a proper dress for the occasion and tickets to one of his readings!"
"Slave driver." Tory muttered.
"I heard that! Now hop to it!"
"Yes ma'am!" Tory responded sharply before fading from sight.
It was a month after Tory had returned from the future and Jordan had taken Tory's status rather well. Informing U.N.I.T. however had not been quite as easy, at first they thought she was crazy, and then she proved it….. whole 'nother kettle of fish that one, Jordan mused as she packed her overnight bag. They had wanted her as a weapon she told them that she would consult and that Jordan was her contact and left. Jordan had gotten a promotion and a pay rise while Tory just had to work on the cases that the humans needed help with. A good deal as far as the two women were concerned.
Tory had shown Jordan her new appearance as well as U.N.I.T. so that they would know not to shoot her and now only used her perception filter to hide her sonic blaster and the fact she was a Time Lady.
When Tory returned she was carrying two large clothes bags. She placed the longer one on Jordan's bed, as she was the taller of the two, shot her a grin and walked out of the door, closing it behind her. Jordan unzipped the bag and smiled.
Jordan turned in her full length mirror to see the full effect, the pale beige dress brushed the floor and had a slight train hanging from the traditional bump in the back, it was embroidered around the bottom with brown thread in straight up down and across lines, the sleeves stopped just below her elbows and had slight tassels, the top itself looked like a jacket with the same tassels as the sleeves.
She pulled the corset down slightly as Tory knocked on the door.
"I'm decent!" Jordan called. Tory opened the door.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before, either way." She grinned.
"They why bother knocking?" Jordan turned and smiled as she saw what her friend was wearing; the dress was an even lighter shade of beige than Jordan's but it had black patterned lace frills on the front of the skirt, the top was in the same jacket style as her own but with full length sleeves that ended with black lace, the lace continued on the edge of the jacket and up the centre before twisting around the collar, where her neckline ended a bow the same colour as the dress rested. Her hair was twisted in a complicated French plait that left some curls hanging around her face.
"That's a nice look on you." Tory complimented.
"And you." Jordan returned.
"Let me do your hair!" Tory begged. When Tory was finished Jordan's hair was curled and in ringlets that were draped around her shoulders.
"Thank you."
"You are welcome," Tory grinned, helping Jordan to stand and then offering her arm, "My dear Miss Mason would you accompany me to the theatre?" Jordan grinned and linked their arms.
"Why yes I would Miss Williams."
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The two women walked down the snow covered Cardiff street, arms linked laughing. Jordan was having the time of her life, history had always been one of her favourite subjects and now she was living it! Tory was just happy that her friend was happy, she wondered briefly if this was why the Doctor travelled with companions, Tory had told Jordan everything about her life even the Doctor and the woman had suggested taking off the perception filter many times so that the Doctor would be able to find her, Tory didn't know why she refused every time but Jordan had always looked at her in understanding and yet again Tory had no idea why; she'd never been too good with emotions.
However now that she was really considering it…she pulled the perception filter up to her eyes and sighed, Jordan watching on in silence. Tory smiled suddenly and turned it off. Jordan grinned at her before taking her arm again and leading her in the direction Tory said the theatre was in.
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In the TARDIS the 9th Doctor jerked his head upright and ran to the console.
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Tory and Jordan sat themselves as close to the stage as they could and waited with baited breath, on Jordan's' part, and amusement on Tory's for the great man himself to appear. When the lights dimmed Jordan grabbed Tory's arm in excitement. Tory rolled her eyes but applauded all the same when the curtains opened to reveal a slightly cubby man with dark hair, including moustache.
Tory grinned as she watched Jordan holding in a VERY undignified fan-girl squeal.
"Now, it is a fact," Dickens spoke and even Tory had to admit that this man had a talent for telling a story, "that there was nothing particular about the knocker on the door of this house. But let any man explain to me if he can, how it happened, that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without it's undergoing any intermediate process of change, not a knocker - but Marley's face." The audience gasped, "Marley's face! It looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look. It looked like..." an expression of horror and fear grew on his face, "Oh, my lord ! It looked... like that!" he pointed out into the centre of the audience, everyone turned to follow his finger, an older woman was standing in the centre of her row, her mouth wide open and a blue gas was escaping through it, "What phantasmagoria is this?" the woman screamed, the audience copied her actions and started running for the exists.
Jordan stared with her mouth open as Tory jumped to her feet; trying to get a better look.
"Stay in your seats," Dickens was yelling over the frantic screams, "I beg you. It is a lantern show, it's trickery." The gas moved around the room like it was searching for something. Tory grabbed Jordan's hand and pulled her to her feet just as the gas stopped coming from the woman and she collapsed into her chair.
Tory almost screamed herself as she spotted the 9th Doctor running up to the stage.
"We have to go!" she hissed at Jordan. The girl put two and two together when she noticed the man that matched the description of the Doctor that Tory had given her. Jordan gave Tory a glare and climbed up onto the stage with Dickens, Tory having no choice but to follow.
"Did you see where it came from?" the Doctor demanded as he jumped onto the stage.
"Ah. The wag reveals himself, does he?" Dickens growled, "I trust you're satisfied, sir!" the Doctor looked taken aback at the anger in the other man's voice.
"Oi! Leave her alone!" Rose yelled as she spotted another man and woman trying to take the body away, "Doctor, I'll get 'em!"
"Doctor!" Jordan interrupted whatever he was about to say, "It came for that woman!" she pointed out of the door that Rose had chased the couple through.
"Doctor?" Dickens repeated scornfully, "You look more like a navy."
"Did it say anything? Could it speak?" the Doctor walked towards Jordan as he spoke, scaring the woman slightly; she had read all of his files, she knew just what the Oncoming Storm could do. Tory stepped into his path sensing her friends' discomfort.
"No." she answered his questions, "It couldn't talk as gas, though it probably could when it was in that woman." He stared at her. The gas started to feed into one of the gas lamps, the Doctor barely turned.
"How did you know it was gas?"
Tory raised her chin defiantly.
"Tory." Jordan whispered from behind her. Tory seemed to visibly deflate before offering her hand to the Doctor.
"It's better if I show you." She explained, holding her hand out to him. He stared her in the eye for a moment before he took her hand eagerly. They pulled apart within five seconds the Doctor stared Tory in the eye for another before pulling her into a hug. Jordan grinned. When the Time Lords separated they were both grinning like the idiots Jordan thought they were.
"Rose!" the Doctor cried suddenly, running from the room. Jordan and Tory shared a grin, Dickens after glancing at the women chased after the Doctor.
"What did you do to him?" Jordan asked as they chased after the men.
"I showed him my memories." They got outside in time for a coach to pull up outside the doors, the Doctor opened the door.
"Get in then!" he ordered. The women obeyed, "Follow that hearse!" the Doctor ordered the driver.
"You can't do that, sir!" Dickens protested.
"Why not?" the Doctor demanded, casting a slightly hesitant look at Jordan who was sitting next to Dickens and looking rather shell-shocked making Tory laugh.
"Why not?!" Dickens repeated, "I'll give you a very good reason why not! This is my coach!"
"Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?" the driver asked hearing the raised voice of his employer.
"No! It is not!"
"What did he say?"
"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humour..."
"Dickens?" the Doctor asked.
"Charles Dickens?"
"Oh yes." Jordan answered quietly making Tory snort.
"Yes." Dickens answered smugly.
"THECharles Dickens?" the Doctor asked again.
"Shall I remove the gentleman, sir?" the driver asked.
"Charles Dickens!" the Doctor grinned, "You're brilliant, you are! Completely 100% brilliant! I've read 'em all! Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?"
"A Christmas Carol?" Dickens suggested.
"No, no, no, the one with the trains..."
"The Signal Man?" Jordan suggested.
"That's it," the Doctor agreed, "terrifying!" Dickens looked extremely pleased, "The best short story ever written! You're a genius!"
"You want me to get rid of them, sir?" the driver asked.
"Er, no, I think they can stay."
"Honestly, Charles, can I call you Charles?" the Doctor continued without waiting for an answer, "I'm such a big fan."
"...what?" Dickens seemed confused, "A what?"
"Fan! Number One Fan, that's me." Jordan seemed like she wanted to argue that statement but Jordan nudged her and she stayed silent.
"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"
"No, it means "Fanatic"," the Doctor corrected him, "devoted to. Mind you, I've gotta say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what was that about?! Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."
"I thought you said you were my fan." Dickens was disgruntled.
"Ah, well, if you can't take criticism... go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up. No, sorry, come on, faster!" the Doctor ordered the driver.
"Who exactly IS in that hearse?" Dickens asked.
"My friend. She's only nineteen, and it's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger." The Doctor explained seriously.
"Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important. Driver! Be swift! The chase is on!"
"Yes, sir!" the driver answered.
"Thatta boy, Charlie!" the Doctor said delighted.
"Nobody calls me Charlie." Dickens protested.
"The ladies do." The Doctor winked.
"Can I?" Jordan asked slightly breathlessly. Tory all out laughed.
"How do you know that?" Dickens asked slightly amazed.
"I told you... I'm your Number One..."
"Number One Fan, yes..." Dickens finished.
When the carriage stopped the Doctor offered his hand to help Tory out while Dickens did the same for Jordan.
"Why thank you good sir." Tory grinned.
"My pleasure, milady." The Doctor teased back.
They walked up to the door as a group and then the Doctor rang the bell.
"I'm sorry, sir, we're closed." A young serving girl opened the door.
"Nonsense!" Dickens protested, "Since when did an undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master."
"He's not in, sir." She tried to shut the door but the irate human forced the door open again.
"Don't lie to me, child!" he told her angrily.
"I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Dickens, but the mater's indisposed." Tory watched over the servants shoulder as a gas lamp behind the girl flared.
"Having trouble with your gas?" Tory and the Doctor asked at the same time, they glanced at each other and then back at the girl.
"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Dickens demanded. The Doctor forced his way passed the girl and Tory followed him, he pressed his ear against the wall underneath the lamp, Tory did the same with her hand; using her abilities to scan the pipes.
"You're not allowed inside, sir! Ma'am!"
"There's something inside the walls." The Doctor muttered. Tory nodded in agreement as Jordan moved to her side, holding out a bag of Skittles to help her replace the energy she had just used when using her TARDIS abilities. The Doctor gave her a concerned glance as she leant back on Jordan for support.
"The gas pipes." Tory muttered, "Something's living inside the gas."
"That blue thing from the theatre?" Jordan asked.
"Yep." The Doctor answered as Tory had her mouth full of Skittles.
"Let me out! Open the door!" Rose's yelling came from further in the house.
"That's her." The group of four ran off to the rescue.
He runs off to her rescue. Dickens's follows.
"Please, let me out!" Rose yelled again.
"This is my house!" an older gentleman yelled as the Doctor ran passed him. The banging noise Rose was making on the door was getting louder.
"Let me out! Somebody, open the door! Open the door!" the Doctor kicked the door in.
Rose was being held in the grasp of a once good-looking younger man and the same old woman from the theatre.
"I think this is my dance." The Doctor darted forward and pulled her out of the corpses' grip.
"It's a prank?" Dickens asked in amazement as both corpses turned to face the people crowded around the door, "It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence."
"No were not," Tory told him, laying a hand on his arm as her strength returned, "The dead are walking." The Doctor grinned.
"Hi!" he greeted Rose.
"Hi! Who's your friends?" she asked.
"Charles Dickens." The Doctor answered before looking at Jordan for her full name.
"Oh! Jordan Mason and Victoria Williams."
"Call me Victoria again Jordan and best friend or not I'm leaving you with the dinosaurs!" Tory growled.
"Oh." Rose blinked, "Okay."
"My name's the Doctor." He told the corpses, "Who are you, then? What do you want?"
"We're failing." The male spoke, his voice female, "Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form, cannot sustain, help us." Both of them raised their heads to the ceiling and the blue gas left them with a scream as the bodies fell to the floor.
Everyone stared.
"Perhaps we should retire to the pallor?" Jordan suggested.
"This way Miss." The serving girl led the way.
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The serving girl, Gwyneth, poured tea as Rose yelled at Sneed. Tory was sitting beside the Doctor with Jordan on his other side.
"First of all you drug me," Rose was saying, "then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man." The Doctor sniggered, Tory elbowed him to shut him up.
"I won't be spoken to like this!" Sneed protested, looking around the room for support.
"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies!" Rose continued, "And if that ain't enough, you swan off! And leave me to die! So come on, talk!"
"It's not my fault, it's this house!" Rose sat down as Sneed spoke, "It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs..." Sneed noted the offended look on Dickens face, "...the er, dear departed started getting restless."
"Tommyrot." Dickens announced.
"You witnessed it!" Sneed continued, "Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps..."
Gwyneth poured the Doctor his tea.
"Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." Then she turned to Jordan, "Milk no sugar as always ma'am." As she walked away all three of them looked at her curiously.
"She knew how I liked my tea," Jordan muttered, "and she knew not to offer you any." She nudged Tory to get her attention.
"One old fella who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service! Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir! Just as she planned." Sneed was still trying to convince Dickens.
"Morbid fancy." Dickens refused to see reason.
"Oh, Charles, you were there." Jordan sighed.
"I saw nothing but an illusion." He protested.
"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up." The Doctor ordered. Dickens sat back in his chair, stunned, "What about the gas?" the Doctor asked Sneed.
"That's new, sir, never seen anything like that."
"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through." The Doctor realised.
"What's the rift?" Rose asked.
"It's like a crack," Tory started to explain before the Doctor could open his mouth, "a weak point in space and time, it connects two places together sometimes things can even pass through it, it's the cause of most ghost stories."
"That's how I got the house so cheap." Sneed muttered, "Stories going back generations. Echoes in the dark. Queer songs in the air and this feeling like a... shadow. Passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."
The Doctor left the room, following Dickens who must have snuck out while Sneed was talking, Rose, not wanting to be left alone with Sneed even with Tory and Jordan in the room wandered off. Jordan looked at Tory who was staring into the fire before pulling her up by the hand and following Rose.
"My father died years back." Rose was saying as Tory and Jordan entered the room.
"You've been thinking about him lately, more than ever." Gwyneth told her.
"I s'pose so... how do you know all this?"
"Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you miss," she turned to face Tory and Jordan by the door, "and you as well ma'am."
"No, no servants where we're from." Jordan protested.
"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth said dreamily.
"What makes you think so?" Rose asked.
"You're from London." She looked between Rose and Jordan, "I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise... and the metal boxes racing past... and the birds in the sky... they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying." She turned to Tory, "You the little orpan girl who builds her family unknowing it's the only way she'll ever have one, but you live in fear of being alone; you know that one day Jordan will die and you will carry on, the last time lady!" Rose gasped drawing Gwyneth's attention back to her, "And you, you've flown so far, further than anyone! The things you've seen... the darkness... the big bad wolf..." she staggered backwards, afraid, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, miss!"
"S'alright..." Rose told her, shooting a concerned glace at a blankly staring Tory and Jordan who was standing beside her trying to get a response out of her.
"I can't help it," the girl explained, "ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it!" the Doctor walked into the room, glancing at Tory and Jordan before speaking making Rose and Gwyneth jump.
"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?"
"All the time, sir. Every night. Voices in my head." She answered.
"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." The Doctor told her, pulling out the sonic screwdriver and trying to scan Tory.
"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table wrappers, all sorts."
"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."
"What to do where, sir?"
"We're going to have a séance." Gwyneth nodded and led Rose back to the parlour. The Doctor hit the sonic against the palm of his hand.
"What's wrong with her?" Jordan asked, she had given up trying to get a response out of her friend and was just holding her hand.
"I don't know; I can't get a reading from her." The Doctor said, frustrated, "She has most of the capabilities of a TARDIS so she could be jamming the signal or she could just have her shields up." He put the sonic away and rubbed the back of his head in frustration.
"Oh Tory." Jordan sighed.
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"Don't trust the Geth!" Tory screamed as she jerked upright. The Doctor rushed to her side and Jordan stood beside her.
"shush." Jordan tried to comfort her but Tory was desperate.
"Doctor!" Tory shrieked.
"I'm here and we know, its alright."
Tory blinked.
"Oh, that's good." She smiled, "I'm going to faint again now." She did just that.
Jordan flopped into the seat she had jumped out of when Tory woke up.
"Thank you Doctor." She told the man who was stroking the hair out of her best friends face.
"Thank the TARDIS."
"Are your adventures always this dangerous?" Jordan asked after a moment remembering when they had being trapped by the Geth.
"Not all." the Doctor answered, "But quite a lot of 'em, yeah."
"Oh." The Doctor glanced at her.
"What?"
"She goes off on her
Own all the time and I worry and then to see just how bad it can get." Jordan stopped.
"But that's half the fun of traveling," the Doctor tried to explain.
"Oh I know," Jordan grinned, "And I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world."
"Agreed." Tory muttered, grinning up at the shocked human and Time Lord, "Agreed."
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Me: the links for the images of the two dresses worn by Tory and Jordan are on my profile, I don't think my description did them justice so please go and check them out! *grins and walks out of room*
Tory & Timmy: *sneak into room and sit in front of laptop*
Legend- wait for it- Dary: *loudly* what are you doing?
Tory & Timmy: shush!
Legend- wait for it- Dary: *quieter* what are you doing?
Timmy: we want to encourage more reader interaction!
Legend- wait for it- Dary: what?
Tory: we want more reviews!
Legend- wait for it- Dary: why?
Timmy: Tory wants to know what people think of her adventures!
Tory: and I've managed to talk Madd Madds into agreeing to let me write in people who make detailed reviews or ask interesting questions! It took a year's supply of chocolate to do it though and even then she refused to add it to the story, said she wanted it to be a surprise!
Timmy: she's a strange human that one.
Legend- wait for it- Dary: indeed.