It was a quick jump to take the TARDIS back to where the Earth was supposed to be. The Doctor stayed in the control room, scanning the empty space looking for any clue to where the Earth may have gone. If there was any trace of a trail to follow the TARDIS should be able to find it. Or at the very least she should be able to find the remains of the Earth if it was destroyed for its failure to cooperate in the destruction of the dimension cannon. Jack meanwhile let the Doctor work, choosing instead to head down to the cells to check on the prisoners.
Rose was in the first cell as you entered the room. She was sitting on the bed, glaring at her mother who was sitting across from her. The Master was in the second cell and he was laying on the bed with his eyes closed. Jack had no illusions that the Master was actually asleep but instead was hoping they would let their guard down so that he could escape. Jack had no plans on letting him out or allowing him to touch the Doctor ever again. The thought that he had while on the safety of the TARDIS angered Jack to the depths of his soul.
"Is everything going alright down here?" Jack questioned Jackie.
"Yes, she hasn't spoken since she was moved to these cells. That one there tried to taunt her when he first arrived, but the room went quiet so that we could no longer hear him. After he laid down on the bed and has been pretending to sleep," Jackie explained to him.
"Are you sure he isn't really asleep?" Jack asked her even though he shared the same thought. Jackie nodded.
"He keeps opening his eyes when he thinks I am not watching. She played the same games when she was younger and I am sure that Tony will do the same. Speaking of Tony, have we arrived on Earth yet. Mickey said that we had been delayed, but he won't tell me why," Jackie informed him. Jack glanced quickly to Mickey. Mickey's face gave nothing away. Jack took a deep breath.
"The Earth is missing Jackie," He told her.
"What do you mean the Earth is missing?" Jackie snipped.
"I mean that we took the TARDIS to where the Earth is supposed to be located, but upon trying to land we found it was gone. We went to the Shadow Proclamation to try to find clues, but they aren't looking for the Earth due to Rose failing to stop the dimension cannon when asked. The Doctor right now is looking for any clues about where the Earth has gone," Jack explained to her.
"And what if he doesn't find any?" Jackie fretted. She was worried about her family and the friends that she had made on that planet since arriving there several years back.
"We will do everything in our power to get you back to your husband and son, I promise." Jack wrapped his arms around her and Jackie held him tightly. He held her for a minute before heading back up the stairs to check on the Doctor. He wasn't immediately in sight as Jack entered. He started to head back to the corridors when the Doctor spoke up.
"There is nothing Jack. No clues, no trails, no fragments of the Earth, nor anything else that would suggest what happened to it. I am not giving up, but we have to return to our universe for now. The TARDIS needs to refuel on the rift before this universe kills her again," The Doctor explained. He stood up, not looking at Jack as he walked around the console, setting the coordinates to go home. He felt as he was letting the billions of people in this universe down, but he had no choice. If the TARDIS died, all hope of saving them would be lost forever.
He landed the TARDIS on the rift outside of Torchwood. It had been just over five hours for the people inside the building since they left. He was eager to get back down to the makeshift neonatal room and check on his babies. First things first they had to take care of the prisoners. Much to the Doctor's dismay, Jack called Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto to meet them outside of the building with guns to keep the Master from being able to escape. As he waited at the TARDIS door, Jack saw an unfamiliar red-headed man with a little red-headed boy walking beside him, come out of Torchwood. They stood off to the side as the rest of the team came on board.
"Who are they?" Jack questioned.
"You'll find out soon enough," Gwen told him. All of them went down to the cells. Much to his team's credit, not one of them questioned why they were escorting a man who looked like the Doctor down to the Torchwood cells. Instead they kept guard as Jack shackled the Master's hands and feet together and put Ianto and Mickey to hold his arms as they walked. He followed behind them with a gun pointed at the Master's head and Owen had one pointed at his left heart. The Doctor followed behind them with Rose and Jackie. Tosh held Rose's arms as they all exited into the bright Cardiff day.
"Mummy," The little boy yelled. He broke away from the man as he sprinted towards Jackie.
"Tony," She cried out. She broke off from the group, dropping to her knees to catch her son as he flung himself into her arms. She kissed him all over his head as Pete came over to join them. Picking Tony up in her arms as she stood, she pressed her mouth to Pete's kissing him passionately.
"And you really want to save these people Theta?" The Master asked as his face turned to a scowl at the open display of affection between the two of them.
"Yes," The Doctor answered immediately. The group continued on, taking the prisoners the quickest path possible down to the cells. They secured the Master in the first cell next to Janet and then took Rose to the furthest cell from him. Jack left Mickey down in the cells with a gun and orders to shoot the Master if he tried to talk to Rose. Dismissing the group, he wasn't surprised to find that the Doctor was no longer with them. It wasn't hard to find him as Jack headed straight to the neonatal room. Sure enough the Doctor was in there, both babies already in his arms as he sat rocking them slowly in the rocking chair. Jack crossed the room, leaning over to kiss the three of them on the heads.
"How are they?" Jack questioned.
"The same as when we left," The Doctor answered. "Martha took good care of them while we were gone." He kissed Cerys on the head then handed her up to her Papa. Jack took her, cuddling her close.
"We need to find out how Pete got here and ask him if he knows anything about Earth's disappearance," Jack informed the Doctor.
"Can't it wait a little while?" The Doctor whined. Jack looked down at his bond partner and lover. He didn't need the bond to know that the Doctor was feeling distressed over the thought of having to leave his daughters again so soon.
"Of course it can," Jack replied immediately. The Doctor smiled as he cuddled Kui'la closer to himself. Jack handed him Cerys and the Doctor held them both to his chest as he closed his eyes. Jack could hear the Doctor humming a faint tune that he had heard before. He didn't know the words but the Doctor had told him the song was a lullaby from Gallifrey and older than the Time Lords. The song could no longer be easily translated, but was a sad lullaby of being separated from the ones that you loved. However, no matter what happened they would always be reunited one day among the stars. Jack had asked him how it was a lullaby. The Doctor didn't have an answer for him but argued that the Earth's lullaby's were not any better.
Jack sat down against the wall, watching the three of them rock slowly. The babies fell asleep first, but it didn't take long for the Doctor's own breathing to even out and the rocking to stop as he drifted off to sleep as well. Jack didn't have the heart to move or wake him, instead he stayed close to protect and watch over his family as they slept.