Child of Earth
By Lumendea
Chapter Ten: Black Archives: Threat Neutralized
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
AN: Okay I'm going to give this one another chapter! I just have to write Liz meeting the Chesterton-Smith clan. The next episode will be the shorter one.
….
Running through the Black Archives was exciting and terrifying all at once. Rose knew for instance and before Colonel Adams had freed him that Apep had been locked up in an old container here. All around them were shelves of dangerous and not so dangerous items that one wrong move on their part could set off. She looked over at Liz who was pale and struggling to keep up with her and the Doctor and Rose knew her adrenaline wouldn't last long even with the sound of a firefight behind them.
Then the Doctor pulled them to the side into a small area where a series of shelves formed an enclosed space and stopped to let them catch their breath. Rose glanced around and realised with a start that several nearby boxes were glowing and shaking due to activated devices.
"We still have some neutralizer in the hoses," Liz offered as she panted. "Well done Doctor. We have to finish the job."
The Doctor preened slightly though Rose wondered if he had really led them here on purpose or if it was a lucky accident. None the less she raised the goo gun with Liz and waited as the Doctor opened the boxes.
"Nothing too dangerous here," the Doctor informed them even as he glanced towards the aisle uneasily. "But we don't want to linger."
"Benton will send in more troops once they hear the firefight," Liz offered though in a weaker voice. "Any idea what they are after Doctor?"
"They might not be after anything," the Doctor murmured darkly. "But you'll just have to see how this one plays out."
The comment drew Rose's attention even as she used about half of what was still in the hose tied to her back to neutralise one of the odd little devices. There was a hint of the Oncoming Storm in the Doctor's voice, just enough to tell her that part of him really wanted to go and deal with this now. Which mean that it was probably a time line issue.
"I'll be alright," Rose whispered to him drawing a softer expression to his face as he smiled at her. "We'll stop them."
"Course we will," the Doctor replied with a widening almost dangerous smile.
"But let's focus on stopping them here first yeah?" Rose added with a smile of her own.
"Yes, well next activated device is this way," the Doctor announced as he pointed out the way they'd come towards the right. "Shall we ladies?"
Despite her having the suit on, the Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her beside him with Liz on their heels. She noted with a small smile that he wasn't running as fast as usual. They left the small area and rushed towards the right further into the rows and rows of boxes and odd things. Rose looked to the side and caught a glimpse of a damaged pod of some kind.
The Doctor had clearly memorised the map as he led them straight to the next two items with no hesitation, though Rose was amused by the way he liked to spin and turn. He was a bundle of seemingly endless energy and all she could think was how endearing it was. Finally, he slowed down and began to look around more closely at the objects around them. As he led them into a silent aisle, the Doctor plucked a small box off the shelf and used his sonic screwdriver to open the lock.
"Arktivan radiation sink," the Doctor announced with a smile as he reached into the box and pulled out a small bejewelled sphere and pressed a series of the small gems on it.
"Doctor!" Liz huffed. "We just deactivated numerous devices! Should you really be activating another?"
"Have some faith in me, Liz," he pouted in response making Rose pat his arm affectionately. "This will soak up the remaining radiation," he explained as he moved his fingers over it smoothly. "Just need to set it correctly. Too bad I didn't know UNIT had one of these when Mickey was trapped eh," the Doctor told Rose with a chuckle. "Would have been easier."
"What don't you keep a record of everything UNIT's got?" Rose teased as she watched his nimble fingers press the tiny buttons and control the sequence of flashing lights.
"Can you imagine me doing that much paperwork?" the Doctor questioned in near horror. "I mean that month of grading papers was bad enough. Course I had you to help me with that."
"Really?" Rose laughed with a widening grin before she paused. "Please tell me that I never graded my own papers."
"What? Oh no, I was there for you and took care of your work myself."
"Excuse me?" Liz cut in even as her eyes darted between them. "Is this really the time?"
"A flirt her," the Doctor remarked nodding towards Rose as he straightened his bowtie. "Can't quite help it around me."
"Oi," Rose protested around a smile. "You're the flirt. I've got to worry about timelines with younger you and you've made sure that UNIT and Section 13 know all about us."
"Well, those rumours will have an amusing effect on Big Ears trust me."
"Be nice about him," Rose scolded before smirking. "I happen to like that body."
"You seem to like all of them," the Doctor remarked, though he couldn't hide the pleased look at the thought.
"Well I seem to have an unfortunate weakness for madmen in blue boxes," Rose remarked before she nodded towards the device in the Doctor's hand. "What are you up to?"
"Dealing with the radiation in the archive," the Doctor answered as the device beeped and flashed. "We've deactivated all the current devices that were turned on, but plenty of things here activate in certain radiation levels and we don't want to have to run around to turn off even more," the Doctor pointed out. "Come on Liz, I know what I'm doing."
"I've heard that before," Liz replied, but without any real bite and she said nothing more as the small device began to hiss softly.
"Ah here we go, still state of the art in two galaxies," the Doctor remarked with a glance towards Rose. "Can neutralise programed radiation within a two-mile radius."
"The archive is about two miles," Liz observed as she stepped forward curiously. "You're saying the radiation that was harmful is now gone?"
"Well not gone, it needs about twenty more seconds," the Doctor replied a bit sheepishly.
"Impressive," Liz answered with a nod.
"Careful Liz," Rose chuckled. "Don't make his head any bigger."
"Darling that wounds me," the Doctor huffed.
The device beeped again and all the small jewelled buttons flashed.
"Less than twenty seconds," the Doctor announced.
"So is there really any point to me keeping this on anymore?" Rose asked even as she reached for the heavy collar of the suit.
"No, not really, radiation levels are normal more," the Doctor said with a nod. "You're safe."
Liz gave her a worried look, but Rose reached up and unlocked the helmet with a soft click before removing it. She took a deep breath of the stale air and began to tug off the gloves.
"Rose!" Liz scolded.
"We'll move faster if we aren't weighted down," Rose pointed out with a quick look her way as the Doctor stepped over and helped her unlatch the back of the suit. His fingers brushed against the back of her neck and she shivered as he caressed her skin. "Behave," she whispered to the Doctor.
"Don't want to," he whispered to her. "Missing me yet Darling?"
"I always miss you when you aren't around," Rose replied with a small smile. "But yeah being sorta single again is a bit rough."
"You aren't single," the Doctor reminded her as she shrugged out of the suit and let it fall to the ground. "Definitely not. Very taken."
"Doctor!" Liz called as she cleared her throat, her own suit off and draped carefully over a crate. "Shouldn't we keep moving?"
"Not just yet," the Doctor remarked with a grin as he turned and pointed to a nearby wooden crate.
Frowning Rose studied the box uncertain what had attracted him to it, but then on the corner, she saw the words 'Bad Wolf' scratched into the old wood. She blinked in surprise as the Doctor adjusted the box and slid off the lid to reveal a heavy metal box. The Doctor glanced back at her and chuckled.
"You barely notice it anymore do you?"
"Not really," Rose admitted with a chuckle of her own. "It's just sorta become background I guess. I watch for it sometimes, but I don't notice it all the time anymore."
"It's there," the Doctor promised with a small smile as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "But never be afraid of it Darling," he told her softly as he caught her hand with his free one and kissed it gently.
"I'm not," Rose assured him with a nod.
"Doctor what are you doing?" Liz asked as she looked at him in alarm as he used his sonic screwdriver to open the box. "We finally got the others deactivated-"
"Yes we did, but now we need to go and save the UNIT boys," the Doctor reminded her with a grin. "With the layout of this place and everyone trying not to hit all the dangerous hair dryers around them then the best they've got is a stalemate."
"What is that then?" Rose questioned as the Doctor set the metal box on the floor with a soft huff.
"A different sort of neutralizer," the Doctor remarked with a nod towards their discharged goo guns. "Come on ladies, we've got a bit to go."
He glanced her way as he hefted up the strange box and marched forward. Rose exchanged a look with Liz and followed him as they headed towards the sounds of shooting and firing weapons. Shifting uneasily, Rose looked towards the Doctor, but he didn't seem very bothered by the sounds of the weapons.
Then they were almost on top of the enemy forces. Rose could see figures in black navigating around a series of shelves and firing towards the soldiers in the heavy blue suits. The Doctor stopped and gestured her and Liz back into one of the aisles. The Doctor glanced her way before he shoved the metal into the main aisle. It beeped loudly and began to rattle as the Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at it. Rose stayed back with Liz as the device beeped again before it suddenly began to unfold itself with the metal sides dropping to the ground and revealing another layer that shifted itself around. The sonic screwdriver hummed once more and then the whole box rolled onto its side and shifted in shape, forming a cone-like thing pointed down the aisle.
Rose slammed her eyes shut as the flash of light rippled across the room and split into a variety of colours. She could still see the light dancing against her eyelids and felt an uncomfortable rattle in her bones. Then everything went quiet for a moment before the sound of several bodies hitting the floor echoed in the massive archive. As the light dimmed, Rose opened her eyes and stepped out into the aisle with the Doctor and looked down towards where the fighting had been.
"Did you have to knock out UNIT as well?" Liz asked sternly as she began to move past them.
"No choice," the Doctor answered with a soft sigh. "But they are all just unconscious, not hurt and it stopped the firefight."
Moving forward, Rose avoided the fallen enemies and moved over the UNIT men. One of them had a bleeding shoulder and slumped behind a shelf, but they all seemed to be breathing beneath the protective suits.
"They're alive Doctor," Rose called over to him as she adjusted the injured soldier and shifted the other two so they weren't fallen on their firearms.
"Good, at least there's that," the Doctor breathed before looking around. "Come on Benton, you should be here by now."
As if summoned by the Doctor a group of soldiers dressed in the protective suits rushed around the corner and ran towards them. The Doctor gave a cocky smirk and nodded to them as the first man knelt to check one of the enemy agents. He reached over and grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her back as Benton's men took the firearms and began to secure the prisoners. Rose leaned closer to the Doctor and silently watched as the humans began to slowly wake up. Liz was staying near the UNIT boys and helping one of the medical techs with tending to the wounded.
The Doctor was completely still as the UNIT soldiers ordered the unknown assailants to their knees. All of them were still wearing their heavy masks though one of them had shifted and was askew enough that Rose could see his brown eyes and a long scar beneath his eye clearly.
"Remember that they-" Rose started to say when one of them suddenly collapsed with his body shaking.
"What the?!" Liz gasped in alarm just before the Doctor reached over and drew them both back.
"Have suicide capsules," Rose finished weakly as the others all began to collapse.
One of the UNIT soldiers knelt down and pulled back the mask which just revealed a smug face with drool dribbling out the side of his mouth. None of them said anything and Rose leaned against the Doctor as a feeling of defeat settled on her shoulders. An arm came up around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. The Doctor kissed her forehead.
"Nothing you could have done," he whispered to her.
"That's… disturbing," Liz muttered making them both look at her as she was staring at one of the corpses. "They are loyal enough to die if captured."
"They did that at Torchwood too," Rose offered weakly as the Doctor cradled her closer. "I was hoping that since they weren't trying to get a living alien that maybe…."
"You'll stop them," the Doctor promised her in a low voice. "I promise."
"I'll hold you to that," Rose replied. "After all, I can't go off to the see the universe with you if there's unfinished business on Earth."
The Doctor chuckled and Rose looked up at him to meet his bright green eyes. His smile was warm and gentle and Rose relaxed. As the soldiers began to lay out the bodies in a more organised fashion, the Doctor pulled Rose further away from them and motioned for Liz to follow. Rose shifted away from the Doctor, but let him keep a hold of her hand. Benton looked their way and nodded to the Doctor, but made no move to stop them as the Doctor led them away from the bodies.
The walk back to the staging room took a while and Rose didn't feel much like talking. The Doctor, however, kept a tight hold of her hand and managed to start Liz talking a bit about the UNIT Moon Base. As the door to the staging area slid open and they stepped inside, Liz moved towards the TARDIS. She touched it lightly and then shook her head as she turned back towards the Doctor.
"You've changed," Liz observed. "And yet you haven't changed at all."
"He's the Doctor," Rose explained with a shrug. "Core stays the same even if other things change."
The Doctor smiled easily and put an arm around Rose's waist pulling her close.
"What would your wife think?" Rose scolded lightly as she looked up at him, ignoring Liz's little gasp.
"Thankfully Darling you've never had the problem of getting jealous of yourself."
"Just as well," Rose chuckled and she was about to say more when the door opened again and Benton strode in, rubbing his eyes.
"You okay?" Rose asked him with a slight frown.
"Yeah, just not looking forward to the reports on this one," Benton sighed as he moved over to them. "Well I suppose it's just as well that this archive wasn't built TARDIS-proof," Benton observed as he patted the side of the TARDIS with a chuckle. "Might be the last straw to convincing Geneva that moving it to London would be a mistake."
"Yes putting a collection of dangerous artefacts directly below on of the largest cities on the planet, not the best idea," the Doctor agreed before he tilted his head thoughtfully. "Of course the matrix and vaults were directly below the citadel on Gallifrey, but then again that didn't end well either."
Rose looked up at the Doctor as she tried to hide her surprise at his casual mention of Gallifrey. He caught her look and smiled as his green eyes shown slightly. She wasn't sure what had changed for him beyond time, but something was definitely different. And that wasn't a bad thing. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry about it," he told her. "Timelines."
"It's still odd to see you in a romantic relationship," Liz admitted with a smile as she glanced towards the TARDIS. "I suppose once I finally accepted that you were an alien it just seemed… I don't know."
"It's surprising a lot of people," the Doctor told her with a grin.
"And he enjoys watching it surprise people in this incarnation," Rose added with a soft chuckle. "Gets a kick out of advertising it to UNIT."
"I do not-"
"Oh you so do," Rose countered, cutting him off with a laugh. "They wouldn't even know about it if you didn't keep flaunting it whenever we're around UNIT."
"Benton and Alistair found out at your wedding," the Doctor reminded her.
"Yes, and the General had to repay me the grand I lost on our original bet since I had money on the pair of you," Benton remarked with a chuckle earning a glare from Rose. "But we didn't spread it around," he added quickly.
"There were plenty of rumours beforehand," the Doctor argued with a small pout.
Liz laughed drawing their attention and she shook her head. Benton chuckled and smirked slightly, looking their direction fondly. Shaking his head, the Doctor shifted towards Liz and opened his arms with a grin. She hesitated for only a moment before she stepped forward into the embrace.
"Don't gossip too much with the other companions," the Doctor instructed Liz in far too serious a voice which made her laugh. "I mean it, Liz, you'll never meet a worse group of gossips."
"And I'm quite certain that you and Rose are their favourite topic," she remarked as the Doctor released her from the hug.
"You'd be right on that one," the Doctor sighed. "Well then ladies, I'll be off." He turned to Benton and extended his hand, shaking the Brigadier's hand with a smile. "Take care, Benton."
"You as well Doctor," Benton replied with a smile. "And we'll try to keep Rose safe."
"Thanks for that, but she does a pretty good job on her own," the Doctor admitted before turning to her with a wide smile. "Until next time Darling."
"Until next time Doctor," Rose returned with a faint blush as she kissed him quickly, keenly aware of Benton and Liz watching.
The Doctor wasn't having it and tugged her against him, sealing their lips together very firmly. Around Rose, the world went a bit fuzzy and she forgot about their audience until a nervous cough pulled her back to reality. Liz was blushing and Benton was looking up at the ceiling.
"Be careful Darling," the Doctor whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek. "I love you, Rose Tyler," he said too softly for the others to hear.
Then he stepped away and opened the TARDIS door with a wide smile. As the door closed a chuckle from Benton echoed in the small room and filled Rose with a hint of dread.
"Oh please don't tell Alistair," Rose groaned softly.
"We'll see," Benton replied neutrally.
"So you call him Alistair?" Liz questioned with a chuckle as the TARDIS vanished. "Even I still only call him General."
"It's recent," Rose offered with a shrug. "But as he said I'm the significant other of pretty much his best friend so… it's Alistair."
"Well, I suppose we at least know what the name of your first son will be," Liz laughed and Rose paused, not quite able to correct her. She had no idea if they'd ever have a son, but with Athena and Astra another A name might not be too much of a stretch.
"Maybe," she muttered with a weak shrug before straightening up. "So… any interest in a quick trip up to Cambridge for dinner?"