Reunions and Wolf Cubs
Chapter 6
I DO NOT OWN DOCTOR WHO!
The Crucible was a horrid place to end up. Jack had just temporarily died, the TARDIS had been destroyed, Donna had been taken (loudly) to join the other prisoners, and now she and the Doctor were in tiny little cells to be playthings for Davros. She hoped the girls had gotten to Sarah Jane's alright. She could still feel them so she knew they were at least alive.
Then everything seemed to get even worse. Martha was threatening to destroy the Earth. Jack, Sarah Jane, Donna, and Mickey (who Rose was happy to see alive, if older) were ready to destroy the ship itself. The Daleks had a plan for that however and soon they were trapped in little cells as well.
Don't listen to him Luv, Rose sent to the Doctor, we are what we made ourselves. Did you help with that? Yes, by showing us that we could be more than we thought we could be. You didn't make any of our choices for us, and even when you tried to we didn't listen. Rose was only telling him the truth, just as Donna was defending him to Davros by saying pretty much the same thing.
Thank you. He sent her a small smile. Rose, what is it with villains giving lectures about their plans?
Maybe they think one day it'll work in their favor? She joked back.
"You know," she said aloud, "you're really annoyin'." She was glaring at Davros. This…person had endangered her daughters, her friends, and her home planet. He'd had one of her homes and a friend destroyed.
"Silence human child," Davros ordered her. "Did you think we, the Dalek Empire, would not know of a second TARDIS?" Four Daleks came into the room with the girls between them. The red TARDIS was being dragged behind them.
"No," Rose whispered, horrified. "No! Don't you hurt them!" She pounded the energy field around her, growling at the sparks sending her back.
"Mum!" Tally and Jenny were scared. They had tried to do as their parents had told them, but the ship had only been able to leave the blue TARDIS. Something had been blocking her ability to leave the Crucible itself.
"Let them go Davros!" The Doctor ordered, rage filling him. He'd already lost one world to the Daleks. He wasn't going to lose another.
"Yes, let them join their parents," Davros told the Daleks holding the children. "Let them see just what their father is." He was smiling as he said it. "Witness the orchestrator of your demise." Davros revealed Caan. "Just as your soul was revealed Doctor, the man who hates weapons but molds his friends into them, so he reveals our future glory."
Rose was disgusted by the mad Dalek, but horrified when he said the end of his so-called prophecy. She held the girls closer to her, swearing to herself that it wouldn't come to pass.
"The Children of Time gather, and one will die." He giggled. "Oh, I've seen it Doctor!"
Tally whimpered softly, clinging to Rose. She'd seen it as well and she knew who was to die. She knew that it had changed, but she had no notion as to what Caan might know about it.
Shh, be brave my cubs. We'll get through this. We'll stop them. Rose tried to sooth them, but she couldn't help but feel as if she were lying. She didn't know how they were going to get through this.
Of course, that was when their normal luck appeared to reassert itself as the blue TARDIS appeared and the red one began to glow.
"What is this?" Davros demanded. "What are you doing Doctor?"
"TIME LORD TREACHERY!" One Dalek decreed, shooting at the TARDIS nearest him.
It was the red one, and she didn't take kindly to the action. The laser blast rebounded, striking the Dalek and sending its dead shell into the wall behind it.
"Get down!" The Doctor ordered his friends, doing so himself. The prison cells deactivated, giving him just enough time to get to Rose and the girls to try and shield them.
The red TARDIS sent out a pulse of light and heat. Rose cried out in pain, feeling her ship beginning to die. What was it doing? How was it doing it? She knew that the TARDIS ships were alive, that they were sentient beings of a kind. She did not know or understand how or why one would be able to do this without a pilot.
Go back to my sister my Wolf, become her Wolf once again. She misses you and my job is done. She will care for you and our cubs now. It was the first complete thought she'd had from the ship since the day they had escaped.
"Rose, just breathe, you'll be alright." The Doctor didn't know what was going on or why Rose would be in so much pain. Her pain he could feel, as if a part of her was dying. "Get into the TARDIS, everyone, now!" He ordered, hoping the rest of them were alright in the ongoing confusion. "Girls, go to Jack. I've got her."
"Stop them!" Davros ordered those Daleks that had escaped the attack like he had. Caan was giggling again, unaffected by the attack.
"The end is come, and we are undone." Caan announced even as Rose stood apart from the Doctor. "Welcome Bad Wolf. We meet at last."
"This ends," Rose's voice echoed. Her eyes were glowing and she was no longer just Rose Tyler. The air around her shimmered with the golden energy of the time vortex as held within a TARDIS. "A child of time has died and her death will not be in vain."
Daleks were shouting about exterminating the abomination, protecting Davros and Caan, and continuing with the Reality Bomb. It was chaos in its purest form with Bad Wolf and Dalek Caan being the only two pools of calm.
The Doctor, Jenny, and Tally were standing together, staring at Rose in a mixture of fear, concern, and awe. Jack and Mickey had gotten everyone else inside the Doctor's TARDIS, but they were all gathered to see what was going on. They were all silent amongst the chaos around them.
"I return that which has been stolen," Bad Wolf ignored the angry cries of the Daleks even as she (almost absently) deflected their attacks. The planets outside the viewing window began to disappear.
"I undo what has been recreated." All around them the Daleks began to disappear in shimmers of light particles. Davros screamed in anger and frustration, raising his own weapon to kill the woman in front of him. The second scream he gave was as he was turned into atoms, and he knew no more as he was returned to his fate in the jaws of the Nightmare Child just in time for Caan to save him. Bad Wolf then locked the events in place, ensuring that this was the way it would continue to happen.
"I end the threat to the universe and time itself." The machinery in the crucible began to self-destruct, setting off a chain reaction across the Dalek fleet as those ships disintegrated.
"Rose! That's it! You've done enough!" The Doctor wanted to go to her, even as she glowed with a power that had killed him once before. "You can let go now!"
"Mum! Please, get on the TARDIS!" Jenny yelled.
"Mum, come back to us! Give us our Mum back!" Tally shouted. "Bad Wolf can't stay forever! You aren't meant to!"
"Stand back my cubs, my Doctor," Bad Wolf told them. "Rose is fine, and she will be back." She walked into the TARDIS.
Everyone kept out of her way.
Jack met the woman's eyes briefly, but had to look away. This was a goddess, the creature who had made him immortal. It terrified him beyond measure that one of his closest friends could wield so much power.
Mickey was scared for Rose, not understanding what was happening to his friend. Was the glowing woman even his friend anymore?
Sarah Jane was struck both by her young friend's ethereal presence and concerned for the human (if that was, indeed, what Rose still was) girl inside Bad Wolf's power.
Donna was just stunned at the sight, speechless for one of the few times in her life and a little afraid. If the Doctor had Rose back, where was Donna's place in his life? He wouldn't need her anymore. There was no way she, who was just a temp from Chiswick, could compare to this woman.
Martha was just as speechless as Donna but a little less terrified. It was no wonder the Doctor had never looked twice at her.
Bad Wolf knelt beside the Doctor's hand. It was glowing as well, full as it was of regeneration energy. She touched it, completing the loop when she touched the TARDIS consul. Everyone had to look away as light filled the TARDIS. The TARDIS began to hum loud enough for all of them to hear it.
Smiling, Bad Wolf turned her attention to the object before her. It had to go. There would be no metacrisis doctor in this timeline, no Doctor-Donna. She sent the regeneration energy into the TARDIS before destroying the hand. It would never be used against her Doctor again.
A long time gone my friend.
My wolf.
Indeed, and a gift. Do you accept? It's bound to become chaotic.
I accept. My Thief has been alone for too long and it would be nice to have time tots around again.
Then I give it freely and return to you once again. Keep your sister's heart and memories safe, my friend.
I will.
Rose cried out as the power left her and was absorbed by the TARDIS. She panted, entire body aching as her hearts pounded in her chest. Her memories were foggy, as if from a dream rather than real time.
"Wha' happened? Where're the girls?" She tried to sit up only to be tackled back to the floor grating.
"Mum!" The girls babbled more, but Rose didn't understand most of it. She had them back and they were safe. That was all that mattered.
"Mum, we've still got to get the Earth home. Bad Wolf didn't send it back, and it's the only one left." Tally managed to get out understandably.
"Bad Wolf?" Rose asked in confusion.
"Yea, our TARDIS died and you turned into Bad Wolf," Jenny told her.
The Doctor knelt down beside them. "Are you alright Rose?" He touched her gently, half afraid he'd find her eyes glowing.
"Yeah…I think so." The pain was already fading. "I…don't really remember. Like after the game station."
"Pretty much, that's what happened." The Doctor told her, helping her to stand. "Are you sure that you're alright?"
"Yeah," she smiled at him, "I'm alright."
"Sorry to break this up," Jack told them, "but we've still got a planet out there." He was relieved to see that Rose was back to normal.
"Right!" The Doctor "And, off we go!" He sent the TARDIS flying just as the Crucible hit critical and exploded.
"What about the Earth, it's stuck in the wrong part of space." Sarah Jane hung onto the consul. They'd all gravitated there as the TARDIS was spinning.
"I'm on it!" The Doctor turned to the screen. "Torchwood hub, this is the Doctor, are you receiving me?"
"Loud and clear, is Jack there?" Gwen and Ianto were at the same station they'd been waiting at since the time bubble had gone into effect.
"Can't get rid of him," the Doctor replied, staring at the woman who looked oddly familiar. "Jack, what's her name?"
"Gwen Cooper," Jack replied with a grin. He was proud of his small team. They'd handled things well and he was glad they were still alive and safe. It was with a glance at Rose's grin that he realized he'd just lost their bet.
"Tell me Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?" The Doctor and Rose exchanged smiles as Gwen confirmed that her family went all the way back to the 1800s. He quickly told them what he needed them to do.
"Doing it now Sir," Ianto popped into the screen briefly before going to do as the Doctor said.
"What's that for?" Martha asked, wondering what crazy, impossible idea the Doctor was going to manage now.
"Tow rope," he answered, "Now Sarah, what was your son's name?"
"Luke, he's called Luke. And the computer's called Mr. Smith." Sarah Jane told him.
"Calling Luke and Mr. Smith, this is the Doctor!" He got their attention, nearly dancing in place. His ship was humming, excited for what was about to come.
"Is mum there?" Luke had stood up and practically leapt to Mr. Smith.
"Oh she's fine and dandy," the Doctor told him.
Sarah Jane cheered to herself. Her son was still safe! At least something had gone right today. She listened as the Doctor told Mr. Smith what he needed.
"I regret that I will need remote access to TARDIS base code numerals."
The Doctor grimaced. "Oh blimey, that's gonna take a while."
"No, no, no, let me!" Sarah Jane went around, Rose moving out of her way so she was in view of the screen. "K-9, out you come!" She told the robot dog what needed done.
"Affirmative mistress!" As the Doctor grinned madly, K-9 did as was requested. "TARDIS base code now being transferred. Process is simple!"
The Doctor hopped around the consul, telling people to press or hold or move certain things as he explained why his ship was always rattling around. They had enough pilots now to fly her like she was meant to be flown.
"With the Torchwood rift looped around the TARDIS by Mr. Smith, we're going to fly planet Earth back home." He looked around as he took his place. "Aright then? Off we go." He flipped the final switch.
"Allons-y!" Jenny and Tally shouted, drawing manic smiles and laughter from the adults.
Donna and Mickey stayed back and let the others work. Tally was holding onto Rose and Jenny had the same grip on the Doctor. Everyone was laughing in a mix of relief and sheer enjoyment as they moved the Earth across space and back into its proper orbit. It was like an extreme roller-coaster ride, one without a safety harness. It was glorious and added to their sense of accomplishment.
After all, it wasn't everyday someone got to say that they'd helped fly the TARDIS.
Sarah Jane was the first stop. She hated to rush off, but Luke was only fourteen. Plus there was Clyde and Rani to check on, not to mention a house to put back together. She hugged both the Doctor and Rose goodbye, making certain that Rose had her number and she had the one for the TARDIS.
"So, Cardiff?" The Doctor asked grinning. "Or, well, back to New York Martha?"
"Cardiff is fine with me," Martha replied, "I can contact Unit from there." She eyed Mickey, wondering what he was going to do.
"My team's waiting for me there," Jack said, eager to return. He'd promised after all.
"That's where I've been," Mickey added in, "working freelance around cheesecake's lot."
"Oi!" Jack protested. Mickey just smirked at him. "And here I was thinking you might want a job."
While the two of them bickered at each other, Rose rolled her eyes. She had no idea what they were going to do now. Their ship was gone…well, mostly gone. Some of it remained within the Doctor's TARDIS. However, he hadn't asked if they were going with him and Donna yet. The last thing she wanted was to assume something.
"Mum," Tally got her attention.
"Yeah?" Rose picked the girl up. Tally was the one who tended to tire faster and slept more despite being a time tot. Jenny would run around for a week at a time if Rose would let her.
"Where's our room? I'm really tired." She yawned, laying her head on her mother's shoulder. "The visions are all gone for right now."
"Alright, let's find your room then." If nothing else, her room was most likely still around and she could put them there for the night.
"Rose?" The Doctor looked up from setting the coordinates.
"Tally's exhausted, so I'm going to put her to bed." Rose caught Jenny yawning. "You too Jenny, come on."
"But mum! I'm not tired!" It would have been more impressive if she hadn't yawned in the middle of her statement.
"Jennifer Donna Tyler, its bed time." Rose said firmly, holding out her hand.
"Yes mum," Jenny replied, taking the offered hand. She squealed when Rose picked her up.
The girls said goodnight, although Tally was nearly asleep already. The Doctor watched them go, wanting to follow them.
"Well go on then spaceman," Donna told him, shoving him after Rose. "There ain't gonna be an engraved invitation!"
"Right, uh, be right back." He hurried after the trio of girls (although Rose was no longer a girl).
"Donna Nobel, I like you," Jack told her with a smirk. He'd never seen the Doctor listen that fast to anyone except Rose and he'd only reacted like that when Jackie Tyler was mentioned.
"Oi, no flirting from you Harkness," Donna told him sternly.
"I wasn't flirting!" Jack denied.
"You saying hello is flirting," Martha told him, "with everyone."
As they teased Jack in the main consul room, the Doctor followed after Rose and their girls. He found them in a new room (to him at least). He watched as Rose tucked the girls in.
"Mum, would you sing for us, please?" Jenny asked quietly. Just for tonight they were both cuddled together on her bed, leaving the top bunk empty.
"Like you have to ask," Rose told her, humming in thought for a moment.
"Although you see the world
Different than me
Sometimes I can touch upon
The wonders that you see
All the new colors and pictures you've designed
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a child of mine"
The Doctor listened as she sang. It was a sound he had missed during her absence. Not that she had ever done so around him, and he'd been surprised the first time he'd heard her. However, it was some of the few times he could be quiet and just watch her. He would duck back and make a sound to alert her of his presence before reappearing.
He'd made a comment once about having heard her. She'd blushed and muttered an apology, thinking she'd disturbed him. He'd managed to tell her he thought it was nice before babbling about some nonsense to remove the awkwardness. It had either been that or kiss her, and he'd been far from ready at the point to break any of his rules regarding his relationship with Rose Tyler.
Or rather, he'd been a coward. So afraid of losing her that he hadn't dared anything beyond friendship, something he regretted now. He didn't know if it would have changed anything, but having lived without her he knew he never wanted to do so again now that he had her back.
Rose kissed each sleeping girl on the forehead, aware of the Doctor behind her but not acknowledging him just yet. She turned on several glowing stones in a variety of colors that were sitting on the nightstand. Neither girl liked the dark. It held too many bad memories for the both of them. The lights, connected to a smaller set in her own room, also served to alert her if they needed her.
Finished with that, Rose stood to face the Doctor. She knew he 'didn't do domestics', but if they were going to make any kind of relationship work now he would have to get used to them.
"I guess some of the rooms made it over this way when…" She ducked her head so he wouldn't see her cry. Her ship was gone, dead. A small part of her was glad it had been her TARDIS instead of her daughters, her Doctor, or any of their human friends. That made her grief worse, because her ship had been her only friend for years.
In two quick strides, the Doctor had her in his arms. "It's okay, or it will be okay." He wanted to know what had happened in Pete's World, how Rose had gotten her TARDIS, and how she'd gotten back here. Would she want to go home? He knew she had said she was staying here, but surely she and the girls would want to say goodbye to their family. There were still some rips open. He could find one and take them for a quick trip back, maybe offer them a return here.
"I know," she returned his hug, "just, so much has happened since we were together and I don't even know where to start."
"The beginning?" He suggested.
"Are you going to take us back to Pete's World?" Rose would think about what he said, but this was the important thing right now.
"Don't you want to at least go and say goodbye?"
"They don't even remember me," Rose admitted softly, "Torchwood's fault. Until today, I thought Mickey was dead from one of the jump experiments. My little brother doesn't even know I exist. Mum's never met her granddaughters and I never even really got to know Pete very well. I'm no one to them." She shook her head. Not that it really mattered anymore anyway. Her parents were both dead, time moving faster there than it did here. Coming back to this world meant some time travel was involved on top of going thru the void.
"I'm sorry Rose," the Doctor didn't know what else to say. He hurt for her. As much as Jackie scared him, she'd been Rose's mother and thus had become important to him. "How long?"
"Fifty-four years, six months, two weeks, and four days I was there," Rose whispered. "Five months, three weeks, two days, sixteen hours, twenty-three minuets and thirty-one seconds of that I was a prisoner at Torchwood." She shuddered. "I'll tell you more when we're where the girls can't hear us." She never wanted them to know the full extent of the torture she'd gone through. They had enough of their own nightmares, they didn't need hers.
"Of course." He agreed, although he had a sinking suspicion of what Rose had gone through.
"Come on, we've got friends to take home. I bet Donna want's to check in on her family as well." Rose released him, but grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.
"But you're staying right?" He asked, voice small. "You're going to stay with me?"
"Do you want us to?" Rose asked quietly, needing to know.
"More than anything in the universe, any of them." He told her with complete seriousness. "I never want to let you go again." He breathed deeply. "Rose Tyler, I love you," was as far as he got because she was kissing him. He had no idea where the sudden courage had come from, but he was glad that for once in his long life, he'd heeded it.
"About time you finished that sentence," she told him when they broke apart. "I love you too."
Smiling at each other, they finally returned to the control room. It was unsurprising to find the quartet they'd left there still going at it. Only now, they were exchanging stories.
"This is why I try to avoid having my companions meet each other," he grumbled to Rose.
She laughed. "Come on Doctor, it's not that bad." She smiled her tongue in teeth smile at him. "Besides, I know you've got some interesting stories to tell of your own." She spoke louder. "Like the time Jack got caught flirting with the maiden prince on Thrombus IV by pretty much everyone."
"Oh come on, not that one!" Jack groaned.
"You're right," Rose said, "at least, not without Gwen and Ianto present." She was smiling widely as she teased him. She was still a little upset at him for before, but couldn't fault him for it. The Earth and his team were his first priorities and that was as it should be. For Rose, her family came first and that included Jack. She knew that if she'd really needed him, he'd have been there with her.
Jack opened his mouth, ready to tell her that she wouldn't do such a thing but snapped it closed just as quickly. Rose would do it, and she'd time it just right to either get him in the most trouble or the biggest laugh. Probably a little of both knowing just how much trouble the three of them could get into. He settled for pouting.
"You owe me twenty quid by the way, I won." She told him, ignoring his pouting.
"You won a bet with Captain Flirt?" Martha grinned. She liked Jack, she really did, but it was so much fun teasing him out of his serious attitude that she couldn't help herself. "What was it on?"
Rose explained about the Ghelf and Gwen looking more or less exactly like Gwyneth. "Jack didn't think the Doctor would notice and Gwen wasn't entirely certain she believed me. Ianto stayed out of it."
The Doctor listened to them as they chatted. He stayed as close to Rose as he could without hovering. He might have made the trip last longer than it normally would have, but it was so rare to have so many people in the TARDIS. It seemed to make all of the females in his life happy and he wanted to make that last as long as possible.
"Torchwood Hub," he finally called out as they landed.
"Home sweet home," Jack was smiling widely as he got up and went to the door. He'd barely gotten it open when he had his arms full of Gwen. "I told you I'd be back."
She shoved his shoulder a bit. "The last time it took you eighteen months. Besides, we wanted to see inside this place."
"Sir," Ianto greeted.
Gwen stepped aside so her friend could greet his lover. She smiled widely when Ianto broke his normal rule of 'no kissing on the job' as he snogged Jack. She was even more tickled to see Jack's look of surprise. She left them to it and looked around the TARDIS, comparing it to Rose's.
"Hello!" The Doctor greeted brightly. "Are they going to continue doing that?"
Gwen shrugged, "probably."
"Oh be quiet spaceman," Donna told him, "it's sweet."
Mickey took this time to talk to Rose. "I guess this is goodbye again, huh?"
"Yea, but we'll come back." Impulsively, she hugged him. "I thought you were dead. You didn't come back and we couldn't find you."
"Not dead, just here," he shrugged. "Landed just before Canary Wharf, and believe me I was tempted to try and change it, but," he shrugged again. He'd spent enough time around the Doctor to know not to meddle in things. The last thing he wanted was to actually meet the reapers. Those things were scary enough just from Rose's stories.
"I understand," and she did. "But you'll keep in touch, yeah? Call if you need any help?"
"Yeah, and this time," he handed her his phone, "give me both numbers." He watched her. "What happened over there in the other world?"
"Long story, one I don't like thinking about." She told him.
"But you'll talk to him about it?" He nodded to where the Doctor and Donna were talking with Martha and the Torchwood team. Okay, so mostly he was staring at Martha.
"Yeah, I will." Rose didn't want to hurt Mickey. He was still her friend, and he'd never been made to forget her. "They've all forgotten me there," she told him, "Torchwood did it, somehow. Completely wiped me from existence," an existence that Pete had set up for her, one that had been hard to get used to but she'd almost been there.
"I'm sorry Rose, I really am." Mickey couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like. Yeah, he'd felt forgotten and even cheated out of time with his former girlfriend when she'd gone off with the Doctor but he hadn't been. "If it helps, you're a hard one to forget."
She laughed, her smile back. "Thank you Mickey, and take care of yourself."
"I will, and don't let him keep you away too long." They hugged again.
Joining the group in the doorway, Rose went to the Doctor's side and took his hand. He laced their fingers together, smiling at her.
"We're off then," Jack hugged both of them goodbye. "I'll keep an eye on him Rose, don't worry."
"I know you will," Rose returned his hug. "Call us if you need us," she told him softly, "even if you just need a hug or something." She smirked. "Although, I'm sure Ianto won't mind helping you out there."
Jack grinned at her, "I'll keep that in mind," he promised her. "Such a dirty mind."
"I learned from the best," she hugged him again. "I love you Jack, please don't forget that."
"Love you too Rosie, and I won't."
The two friends separated and Jack left with his team, Martha, and Mickey. Mickey was already offering Martha a ride back into London.
"So now what?" Donna asked, trying to brace herself for whatever they were going to say. She'd have to leave now, probably. After all, they had each other and the girls currently sleeping somewhere on the ship. What did they need her for?
"I don't know, Barcelona's always good. We haven't gone there yet." The Doctor suggested. "Or we can go to the past, or the future. We could take you home for a visit, check to see everyone's alright."
Donna stared at him. "You want me to stay then?"
The Doctor looked up in surprise. "Don't you want to stay?" Donna was his best friend, very much like what he'd imagined a sister or a very close cousin (in Earth terms at least) to be like. Did she really think he didn't need her anymore because Rose was back?
"Of course I want to stay ya daft Martian!" Donna told him, managing to keep her volume low since the girls were sleeping somewhere on the ship. "I just thought…" she trailed off. She didn't want to hurt either of them. She was glad they were back together.
Rose nudged him. She needs to hear you say it, just like you need to hear when we want to stay.
"I, we," he clarified, "want you here Donna." The Doctor told her. "Wouldn't be the same without you."
"Then yeah, a trip home would be good. Grandad probably has tons of questions for the both of us."
"Noble house it is!" Back to his normal self, the Doctor proceeded to do just that.