Chapter 2

Planet: Merope IV.

Pleiades Cluster.

Doctor John Smith, the Gallifreyan-Human hybrid, was carefully walking through the clearing in the woods, of the remote alien environment, using his sonic screwdriver to scan the undergrowth. The troop of Jadoon guards, who looked like rhinoceroses in spacesuits, was standing back so that they didn't contaminate the area, and were watching for any curious locals.

The planet was borderline level five, and as a whole had a moderate level of technology; it was starting to experiment with rockets that would eventually achieve orbit. Some individuals however, had already achieved orbit and mysteriously disappeared.

The Shadow Proclamation, who were the 'space police' in the galaxy, had asked John, and Torchwood for help in their investigation. Torchwood was happy to get involved, as a number of humans had recently gone missing from remote locations in mysterious circumstances.

There had been reports of alien abductions before of course, and the benefactor of Torchwood, New York was a victim himself. Those abductions however, were scientific research missions, by various species 'keeping an eye' on the development of the potentially dangerous human race.

Since John's arrival in 'Pete's World' though, those missions were phased out under the threat of John stopping them if they didn't. 'If you think humans are dangerous, wait until you see what I can do,' he told one research mission. The latest disappearances however, were different, because the abductees didn't come back, and the conspiracy sites were buzzing with theories.

What Torchwood did know, was that the abductions were one; by some off world agency, as there was no way any Earth technology could do it without being detected. Two; the abductors were somehow cloaked and managed to avoid detection, only after the event could satellite imagery spot some tell tale signs that an off world vessel had visited a remote location.

"Have - you - found - anything - yet?" the Judoon Commander asked, in his typical clipped, guttural speech.

John stood up and looked at the holographic display from his sonic. "Yes," he barked in Juddon speech. "There - is - residue - from - manoeuvring - thrusters. It - should - tell - me - what - type - of - ship - landed."

"Good, - we - should - leave." Without any preamble, the troop turned as one, and marched towards the amazing blue, wooden box that brought them here.

"I guess that's that then," he said with a smirk and followed them back to the TARDIS.

After dropping the Judoon off at the three asteroid headquarters, he made his way back to Torchwood One at Canary Wharf, where he landed in the designated area of the Standby Room, in the Special Operations Unit. As he stepped out of the TARDIS, he was greeted by members of Blue Watch who weren't out on a shout.

Gwen O'Toole, who was Jack's field partner, and Julia De Graff, approached John, looking concerned. "How's Rose?" Julia asked, knowing that the two of them had a telepathic 'bond'.

"She's fine, I spoke to her last night, and she's fine. A bit embarrassed by it all, but they're in no danger," he told them.

"And Jack?" Gwen asked.

John chuckled, as he remembered what Rose had told him. "They're not allowed to speak there, but he's naked and still managing to flirt."

The ladies burst out laughing at that news. "I'll let Rex know that he's alright," Gwen said. "But I think I'll leave out the bit about naked flirting."

"I don't think Rex would expect anything less from his partner," Julia said with a smirk.

"John, good to see you back," Andy said as he came out of his office. "How did it go, did you find any clues?"

"Hi Andy, yeah, I've got some more thrusters residue." He held up some plastic evidence bags with alien greenery in them. "I'll just get these down to Forensics, and then I really need to go and see the kids."

Andy understood this, what with Rose being away on a mission, and him being the only parent available. He held his hand out for the samples. "Here, I'll get someone to run them up to the lab; you get off home and see to your family. Have you heard from Rose?"

"Yeah, she spent the night with me here," he said, tapping his temple. "She's fine, but it doesn't mean that I don't miss her, if you know what I mean," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Andy chuckled and slapped his back; he knew exactly what he meant. "Go on, get off with you, I'll give you a call when the results are in."

"Thanks Andy…, see you later." He went back into the TARDIS, and a few seconds later, it started to disappear with a wheeze and a grind, reappearing in the living room of Tyler Mansion as it did so.

"DADDY!" the four year old Eyulf shouted as he ran towards him, holding his arms out to be picked up. John hoisted him up into a hug and swung him around.

"Hiya Son, have you been a good boy for Grumpy and Grandma?"

Ricky the cyber dog trotted over and started sniffing around John's boots, as Eyulf started telling him about his day. He was interrupted though by his twenty month old sister, who had seen her father and started tottering towards him.

"Da-da-da-da-da," she chuckled, as she reached up towards him.

"Hello Sweetheart," he said as he put Eyulf down, and picked her up for a hug and a kiss.

When he looked over to the sofa, he could see Pete and Jackie smiling at him, but there was concern in their eyes.

"Afternoon John, how's it going?" Pete asked.

"How's Rose doin' is what ya want to be askin', yer dope," Jackie chided, and John couldn't help but have a little laugh, 'she'll never change' he thought to himself.

"Mummy's fine Grandma, she's with Uncle Jack and they've got no clothes on," Eyulf told her helpfully.

John closed his eyes and cringed. "Thanks Son, I don't think Grandma needed to know that."

"Didn't need to know that! Where is this investigation, in a nudist colony?" she asked indignantly, Pete unsuccessfully stifled a laugh.

John sat down on a sofa with his daughter on his lap, and EJ sat next to him. "They're in a sort of alien kennel, where they are being trained to be a sort of pet slave."

"Pet slave?!" Jackie exclaimed. "Did you know about this?" she had turned on Pete now, who sort of slid down into the sofa, hoping it would swallow him.

"Yes he did Jackie, and for a change, she's not in any danger, and apart from a bit of humiliation and loss of dignity, she's being well treated."

"Humiliation? Loss of dignity?" Jackie said.

"Is there an echo in here," John said, and Eyulf burst into laughter.

Seeing her grandson laughing, took some of the fire out of Jackie's indignation, and she calmed down as John tried to explain.

"They are in a fully automated holding facility. There's no one to protest to, no one to complain to, no appeals, the only way out is to do as you are told and behave yourself so that your new owner will take you to their home where you will be their pet, and domestic servant."

Ricky the cyber dog came trotting over and sat at John's feet, wagging its spring tail, as if emphasising what he was telling her.

He nodded down at Ricky. "Not a bad life if you're non sentient I suppose, but this place is taking all sorts of people, and forcing them to be slaves. Now I've checked with Rose, and she is fine with everything, if it results in this place being closed down. The moment she has had enough, I'm in there and pulling her out."

He was looking defiantly at Jackie, and she could see the love and the passion in his eyes. She'd come to expect nothing less from her daughter, a champion for the defenceless and downtrodden.

"Well…, if she's alright with it, then I suppose…. The moment she's had enough, yeah?"

"She's my wife…, their mother," he said, nodding at his children who he was hugging. "I won't let anything happen to her."

She saw the conviction in his eyes, and nodded with a smile. "Cup of tea then," she said, drawing a line under the conversation. John felt a warm glow in his mind.

["Give them a hug and a kiss for me,"] Rose thought at him.

"Mummy!" EJ said and thought.

"Ma-ma!" Juleshka echoed.

John saw Jackie's and Pete's questioning looks and spoke out loud as he thought to her. ["Hi Sweetheart, how are you?"]

["Fine thanks, a bit busy at the mo' talk to ya later."]

["Okay, talk to you later; I'll give them a hug and a kiss. Bye."]

Jackie smiled and reached for Pete's hand. "I wish I knew how you lot do that, 'cos it's really reassuring."

John gave her a knowing smile. "To be honest, I don't know if I'd be able to cope without it."

Pets-Assist Kennels Training Facility.

Location: Unknown at present.

'Oh my God', Rose thought to herself. 'Martha Jones! I don't believe it, it's this world's version of Martha Jones, what are the chances?' {"Hi, I'm Rose,"} she mouthed, as she reached her arm through one of the holes in her cage towards Martha, and Martha reached through her cage to grab her hand.

{"Hi, I'm Marla Jones,"} she mouthed back, and was puzzled by the expression on Rose's face. She looked as though she didn't believe that she knew her own name.

{"Marla?"}

{"Yeah,"} she nodded. {"Why?"}

Rose shook her head. {"It doesn't matter. That's Jack,"} she mouthed, pointing to a cage opposite hers.

Marla looked over to the cage, and saw a handsome man grinning at her, his right hand waving through on of the holes. She couldn't help notice that he was naked as well, except for a black collar, with silver studs on it that really suited him.

{"Well, hello there. Nice to meet you Marth…. Marla Jones,"} he mouthed, with a wink.

Marla couldn't help notice that it was not only Jack's hand that was poking through one of the holes in his cage. In a hole below his waist, there was another part of his anatomy saying hello. Okay, she was a doctor, and had seen those things before, but this was a particularly fine example. Her dark skin went darker, as she blushed, and she looked quickly back at Rose, who was rolling her eyes and shaking her head,

{"Jack!"} She mouthed at him.

Marla risked a look back at him to see him shrugging, and mouthing, {"What? I was just saying hello."}

These two people seemed to be relaxed and smiling about their predicament, so it couldn't be that bad, she thought. {"So what's going on, where are we...? Hang on…, Rose? Are you Rose Smith? THE Rose Smith, the Vitex heiress?"}

Rose gave her one of her broad smiles and nodded. {"Yeah, that's me. It's a bit complicated, but don't worry, we'll get you out of here. It's a bit humiliating, but just do as you are told, and you'll be fine."}

{"Why, what do they want with us?"}

{"We are being groomed and trained to be well behaved pets…, slaves,"} Rose mouthed.

{"Pets?"}

{"Yeah, this is a galactic version of Battersea Dogs Home. We are going to be pampered pooches, so get some sleep, tomorrow you've got to learn to obey commands in an alien tongue."}

{"This is mad!"} Marla mouthed, shaking her head in disbelief.

Rose grinned at her. {"Welcome to my world."}

After having their evening meal at the Tyler's, John took his children home in the TARDIS, and spent the early evening playing with them in the living room before getting their pyjamas on and taking them up to bed. He then went to his home office and went over the results of the thrusters residue samples that he'd collected earlier in the day, comparing it with other samples taken on other planets, and by agents here on Earth. He had expected the results to be the same, and was puzzled when they were not. So far, he'd found three different engine configurations, that were used by three different civilisations.

He took a sip of his tea, and felt the warm feeling in his head.

[Y'know, I can put up with the nakedness, the subjugation, and the indignity of it all, but the worst bit, is not bein' able to have a cup of tea."]

John chuckled in his head. ["How's the training going?"]

["I'm a model student, I know all the commands I've been taught, and I learnt how to use an alien vacuum cleaner,"] she thought with a cheeky grin. ["Oh, an' you'll never guess who arrived this evenin'."]

["Who?"]

["This world's version of Martha. She's called Marla here."]

["Oh wow, Marla Jones, she mysteriously disappeared from the Grand Canyon in the early hours of the morning."]

["She's in the cage next to me, lookin' all confused and terrified. I'll take her under my wing and look after her."]

John smiled at his wonderful wife, ignoring her own discomfort to help someone else. ["I'll send word to her family and let them know that you are looking after her. Have I told you lately that I love you?"]

["Not in the last..., ooh..., fourteen hours or so."]

["Let's correct that oversight then."] He guiltily finished his tea, and made his way up to the bedroom, where he got undressed and climbed under the duvet.

["Okay Sweetheart, would you care to join me and snuggle?"]

Rose gave a giggle of anticipation as John opened his mind to her, and they joined each other in their shared place. John was still in bed, in their bedroom, but he had a leash in his hand. He followed the direction of the leash and saw it attached to a diamante collar around his naked wife's neck.

"Mmmm, that's a new look for you, I could get used to that," he said, waggling his eyebrows and gently pulling her towards him.

"So could I," she said, suddenly feeding a chain though her hands. He could see the chain leading towards him, and felt it lying across his chest. When he reached up, he could feel a thick leather collar with spikes on it, around his neck.

He pulled her towards him with the leash, and she willingly approached, pulling herself towards him with the chain. She crawled up onto the bed, and knelt over him.

"Hello," she said cheekily, pulling up on the chain to lift his head off the pillow.

"Hello," he said with a giggle, and those were the last coherent words they said to each other as their lips and bodies met for a night of virtual, mental pleasure.