Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own any of it, nor do I get paid for it.
A/N I'm back! Thanks for everyone who sent me messages, and I apologise for my absence but as I explained on Tumblr, I was waiting until the 50th anniversary episode was aired so I could decide the future of this series. Nothing too drastic, I just needed to reaffirm the way I was taking Eight and Rose. Now that the anniversary is done and dusted, I know exactly the way I am going with this. Read the A/N at the end for a surprise.
Anyway, people liked the M rated one shot about Eight and Rose. I was very grateful for the feedback. We are finally at story #10 The Roman Invasion. As promised, it features the return of a friend as well as a few enemies.
Also, I know that Italy did not win the FIFA world cup in 2010 but this is a parallel Earth, so there. Plus, England won in 1966 and Fitz is from 1963.
Happy Reading!
The Roman Invasion: Bifurcation of Time
"It is a delicate matter," said the Lord Burner quietly.
"I understand."
"No one is to know that this ever happened. Not even the President. I do not have to impress upon you what the consequences will be if this ever got out," said the Lord Burner.
"No sir, you do not."
"Good," said the Lord Burner quietly. "You have your task, and this Time Ring will take you to the parallel universe when you are ready. Do not fail me."
"I will not fail, sir."
The Doctor knew he had been sleeping for quite a while but he was very comfortable where he was, thank you very much. He reached for his lover, only to meet the cool side of the bed instead of Rose Tyler.
He popped an eye open and was greeted by a wondrous sight. Rose was seated in a chair, her hair mussed, wearing only a short silk robe, and holding a sketchpad and a pencil. He knew she liked art, she had even been planning to do her A-levels in English, Art and French before Jimmy Stone had happened, but he had never seen her in action.
She noticed his rather brilliant smile and blushed, ducking her head into her sketch. The Doctor's grin widened. "Good morning, Rose," he said cheerfully.
"Morning," she mumbled, starting to close the sketchpad.
"Won't you share?" he asked with a nod towards the sketchpad.
She grinned at him. "Maybe some other time," she said, putting it away in her bedside table and crawling back into bed with him.
The Doctor hummed in contentment as she straddled him and bent down to kiss him slowly. His hand was drifting to the haphazard knot holding her robe closed when they were interrupted by loud alarms blaring in the TARDIS.
They sprang away from each other and jumped out of bed, the Doctor scrambling for clean clothes before rushing out towards the console room.
Fitz met them halfway through, dressed in a half-buttoned shirt and jeans and looking shocked at the sight of the Doctor dressed only in his trousers as he rushed into the console room. Rose followed, dressed in a robe, her hair standing on end.
"What's happening?" Fitz asked.
"Not sure," answered Rose loudly over the alarms.
The Doctor was running diagnostics but couldn't see what was going on with the TARDIS. He finally decided to simply take them out of the vortex and spun the randomiser for coordinates, any coordinates, that would land them somewhere. The TARDIS landed quite roughly but the alarms stopped ringing, plunging them in silence.
"What was all that about?" asked Rose.
"She seems agitated by something," said the Doctor as he stroked the time rotor. "I have landed her, but I must see what's troubling her so much."
"I'll make tea," said Rose as she went towards the kitchen, knowing that the Doctor would not be satisfied until he knew for certain what was wrong with the TARDIS.
Fitz finished buttoning up his shirt and turned to the Doctor. "Any idea where you've landed us?" he asked curiously.
The Doctor cast a cursory glance at the smaller scanner. "Rome, 2010 A.D.," he answered. "Quite ordinary as far as time periods get."
Fitz, on the other hand, was fascinated. "Rome in the future? Can we go out?" he asked eagerly.
"I have to see what's wrong with the TARDIS," said the Doctor, returning his attention back to the TARDIS. "You're welcome to go exploring, as long as you try not to change history or interfere into anything."
"Fine by me," said Fitz, already at the doors. "Rose! You coming?"
Rose entered the console room, balancing a tray of tea in her hands. "Nah, go ahead. I'll be out in a bit with the Doctor." Fitz tossed her a jaunty salute and stepped outside. Rose sighed and glanced at the Doctor. "He'll be alright, won't he?"
"Yes, I expect so," said the Doctor taking the cup of tea she gave him. "Pass me the laser spanner, will you?"
Fitz grinned widely as he walked out of the TARDIS. It was a cool evening in Rome, and he could hear people chanting something in the distance.
He left the small wooded area where the TARDIS had landed and went towards the light of civilisation. As he got closer, he smelled the familiar scent of smoke, alcohol and crowds. After the bizarre places they'd visited, the familiar smell sent a thrill down his spine.
He had meant what he had told the Doctor; he really did want to see more, but sometimes a glimpse of familiarity could do wonders for the feeling of homesickness. He wondered if Rose ever had that, but for some reason he was certain that she didn't. Sometimes it seemed like she was even more of a stranger to this world than the Doctor, though he couldn't explain why.
"We've won! Here, mate!"
Fitz jumped in surprise as the enthusiastic man thrust a bottle of beer in his hand and went off into the crowds. Fitz drank some of the beer and looked around, wondering what they'd won. As soon as he saw the FIFA scarfs and banners, he understood.
Looked like Italy had won the World Cup. Briefly, he wondered if England had ever won the damn thing but was positive that they would not have. Incompetent bastards, he thought, drinking more of the beer.
"You got a light?" he asked a man jumping up and down next to him.
He shouted something loudly, and Fitz realised that the man was too far gone to even realise what a light was. Pretty much everyone in the crowd was inebriated enough to feel it painfully in the morning. Fitz put the cigarette between his lips and started hunting for matches himself, when someone held a light in front of him.
Fitz looked at the man who had offered, and nearly dropped the cigarette. Jesus, he was attractive. He also seemed to be pretty sober compared to everyone around them, and was wearing a long navy coat that reminded him of old soldiers from back in the war.
"Captain Jack Harkness," he said flirtatiously, to Fitz's slightly vacant look in his direction. "And who are you?"
"Slow down, would you?" smirked Rose in amusement as the Doctor wolfed down another slice of bread slathered with jam.
He waited until he swallowed his last bite to speak. "I apologise, I seem to have a renewed appetite following the spectral beam and of course, coitus."
Rose turned pink and sipped her tea to hide the ridiculously huge smile on her face. She loved how easily he acknowledged it. She had been half-expecting things to be different between them now but the Doctor was radiating nothing but a quiet happiness that she was mirroring. It was wonderful.
She was brought out of her reverie by the Doctor smacking his fist against the console and being rewarded by a shower of indignant sparks from the TARDIS. Sighing, she walked up to him and slipped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his bare back. "What's wrong?" she asked patiently.
"Nothing," he said, relaxing a bit but still sounding frustrated.
"What do you mean?" asked Rose, brow furrowing a bit as she nuzzled his shoulder.
"I've checked and rechecked," he explained. "But everything is fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the TARDIS."
"Then what were the alarms for?" she asked, confused.
"We may have jumped time tracks in the vortex. It happens sometimes," he said. "In any case, there's nothing wrong here so we could go and join Fitz."
"'Kay, I'll get dressed," said Rose as she moved to go back into the room only to be stopped by the Doctor tugging her close to him again.
"I said that we could, not that we had to," he said, with a slightly suggestive lilt to his voice. "Fitz can look after himself for a while."
Rose opened her mouth to disagree but the bright mischief shining in the Doctor's eyes did a splendid job of changing her mind. "Well," she conceded. "Maybe for a while."
"So, what brings you to Rome?"
Fitz took a swig of his beer and smiled in what he hoped was a slightly mysterious manner at Jack. "There's always something new to see here," he said. In reality it was his first ever visit to Rome but that wasn't as interesting.
Jack smiled back and took a sip of his own drink. He still had no handle on the guy, apart from the fact that he was displaying presence of Artron radiation and was quite good-looking. There were worse assignments to have, he decided, as he appraised Fitz Kreiner appreciatively.
"I agree," he said. "Even better when you've got someone to see it with you."
Fitz grinned a little. "I will take your word for it, mate," he said. "Especially since it looks like my friends won't be joining me for a while."
"Friends?" asked Jack, interested.
"Yeah, two of them. Both of them taken with each other though," he said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"You don't like being the third wheel, I guess?" he asked.
Fitz shrugged and sipped his drink without answering. Jack raised his eyebrows upon realising that he wasn't going to get an answer to that. He finished his drink and turned to Fitz. "I'm staying at a hotel down the road," said Jack. "Want to join me for another drink?"
Fitz looked him up and down with a smile playing at his lips. "Lead the way."
"2010 though," said Rose as they walked out into the console room fully dressed. "Not exactly 1963, is it? I'm concerned is all."
"I'm sure he will be fine," said the Doctor, opening the doors for her only to have her stop midway. "What?" he asked.
"Not 2010," said Rose with a quick look around.
The Doctor looked over her shoulder and his eyebrows rose at the dusty streets and people walking about in traditional Roman clothing. He met Rose's eyes sheepishly. "Ancient Rome," he said.
Rose shook her head with a smile. "Going to put something more appropriate on," she said, turning back to go towards the wardrobe room. "At least we realised what was wrong with the TARDIS," she called over her shoulder.
"Hmm?" asked the Doctor distractedly peering out at Ancient Rome from the doors.
"The scanner," said Rose.
"Oh, right," realised the Doctor. "Must have been," he added with a frown.
"'S no' tha' I don' like it," slurred Fitz. "'S weird 's all."
"I hear you," said Jack, still quite sober unlike his drinking partner. "Last time I was partnered with a couple, I just joined them."
Fitz squinted at him and burst into drunken giggles. "I wouldn' mind tha'," he said. "Bu' the Doctor and Rose, they're different," he said seriously, suddenly a lot more focused.
Jack sat up at that. "The Doctor and Rose Tyler?" he asked eagerly.
Fitz straightened up too, but for an entirely different reason. "How did you know that?" he demanded. "I never said her last name." He glanced quickly around the hotel room as if looking for an escape.
"Calm down," said Jack, gauging his reaction. "I don't want to hurt them, I promise. They're old friends of mine. I just wanted to see them."
"Did you know about me too then?" asked Fitz, getting his feet a bit unsteadily. "That why I am here?"
"No," said Jack, standing up too. "I was scanning for time travellers and you lit up. Look, I work with the Time Lords," he said, showing him his wrist where his vortex manipulator was displaying his credentials as an Agent of the Celestial Intervention Agency. "I don't mean harm to the Doctor and Rose. I am just here to find them."
Fitz watched the sincerity on his face and despite the anger and hurt he was feeling, he gave a small nod. "What's the Celestial Whatever Agency?" he asked.
Jack closed the vortex manipulator and sat down. "It is a Time Lord organisation. Sort of like an intergalactic law enforcement body."
Fitz nodded and stumbled into his chair. "And what do they want with the Doctor and Rose?" he asked.
Jack hesitated but Fitz had crossed his arms and was clearly expecting an answer. "If you take me to them, I'll tell you," he said.
"No," said Fitz firmly, sounding a lot braver than he was feeling. "Not unless I'm sure you're not here to hurt them."
"I'm not," said Jack honestly. "I just want to deliver a message, I swear."
It was Fitz's turn to hesitate. He could take him back to the TARDIS easily but he couldn't be sure if he would harm him or the Doctor and Rose if he did. At the same time, he was reluctant to doubt the man's sincerity since he seemed quite genuine. "Fine," he said finally. "Let's go."
Jack smiled broadly at him and held out his hand for Fitz to shake. Fitz hesitated briefly but then shook his hand firmly.
The two men left the hotel and walked back to where they had first met. The celebrations were still going on in full force despite it being close to midnight. Fitz could feel the effects of alcohol dwindling down which he was grateful for. Jack already had a massive advantage over him in terms of size and fighting prowess if he was part of some fancy Time Lord agency. Fitz was still not fully convinced of Jack's intentions, and needed to be ready to defend himself if things soured. Or at least, be capable of running for his life without bumping into a goddamn tree because of his drunkenness.
"How much further?" asked Jack.
"Just round here," said Fitz, as he parted the branches to the clearing where he knew the TARDIS was. "After you."
Jack raised his eyebrows but stepped into the clearing and stopped short. Fitz came up from behind him and felt his mouth open.
The clearing was empty.
A/N End of Part 1. Just setting the scene for things to come.
Writing Jack is always fun, plus the appearance of the Lord Burner at last. Not exactly, but a glimpse at least. Anyway, let me know what you thought of it.
As for the surprise, I have finally finished planning the third story in the Eight x Rose series. Like always, they will have 13 adventures and I have the titles for them.
1: Home; 2: The Haunting; 3: The Auton Invasion; 4: Victory of the Cybermen; 5: The Eternity Doctors (1); 6: The Best Enemy (2); 7: The Doctor's Daughter; 8: Children of Time; 9: New Horizons; 10: Fear Itself; 11: Defenders of Earth; 12: The Malvylian Law; 13: The Time War.
Stories 5 and 6 are parts 1 and 2 of the same plot. The titles are still tentative but my notes on them have been getting pretty extensive so I am certain that there won't be any drastic changes.
I'll have the next chapter up soon. See you then!
~ Phoenix