Child of Earth

By Lumendea

Chapter Sixty: Alignment: Enemy Territory

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.

….

"Spock," Rose said slowly. She inhaled deeply to keep the panic trying to grow at bay. "In your estimation was it terrestrial based?" Rose sternly reminded herself that rule one was don't panic, no matter what the Doctor might say.

"Yes, though the technology is alien."

"And we don't think it's Torchwood?" Rose asked. So soon after getting into trouble over the Qreiz'elt, Rose didn't think Hartman would risk something like this.

"I'm keeping an eye on UNIT, Torchwood and Section 13 systems," Spock informed her. "None of them seem to know what is going on."

"Lovely," Rose groaned. "Eclipse it is then."

"Isn't there anyone else you can call for help?" Clyde asked. "What about the Durminos, they like you right?"

"Yes, but…" Rose trailed off and rubbed her bracelet. "I'm not sure Clyde. This is being caused by humans, bringing another alien society into things may make it worse or draw the attention of the Shadow Proclamation."

"And that's bad?" Rani asked.

"They may decide to change our status," Rose replied. "Humans using this level of tech may lose us our protective status. While it doesn't always stop the invasions, it does dissuade a lot of other species from coming after us." Rose licked at her lower lip. "Spock send a message, but advise them that we don't know much yet. Ask them to stay back, but potentially be ready."

"As you wish," Spock said. "I'll establish communications and keep them informed as the situation changes."

"So what are we thinking?" Rani asked. "They can do that but why?"

"Hold the world hostage," Clyde said. They all turned to look at him and he shrugged. "Well I mean Spock said there was a temperature change from that thing being up for only a few seconds, what would happen if it was up for an hour or even more."

"A new ice age," Spock answered calmly. "It would cause rapid loss of life and crops. Solar plants would be rendered largely useless and much of the vegetation would die."

"So something very bad unless you have underground bunkers," Clyde said. "Again hold the world hostage."

"I hate to say it, but he may be right," Rani said.

"It would be a high effective way to control the population," Luke added. "And you said that control and taking over governments is part of how Eclipse works."

"Yeah, it is." Rose sighed and nodded to herself. "So the fate of the world."

"And they've got your mum," Luke said softly.

"I know!" Rose shouted. Snapping her mouth shut she took a long slow breath. "I know Luke and that has me worried, but…" She paused and shook her head. "Last time Eclipse came out in force they tried to kill me. I learned earlier this year that they have an execution order out on me." Rose licked her lips as an ugly thought began to form.

"You don't think they'll actually let you live, do you?" Clyde said with something like horror in his voice. "Those men…"

"May have actually been sent to kill me," Rose agreed. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "If I was close to world domination and knew that there was someone that could potentially stop me I probably wouldn't suffer them to live."

"What about UNIT?"

"UNIT is connected to the United Nations," Rose said. "And while they've been investigating the breach that happened with the Qreiz'elt there's a limit to what they know about Eclipse." Rose chuckled and gestured out the window. "And while Eclipse doesn't want me working with UNIT on this there is no way that UNIT isn't already all over this." She sighed and fingered the broken parts of her phone in his pocket. "If my phone was working I'd be guessing that they'd be calling."

"Rose," Spock called. "I believe I have a match on the fingerprints."

"Yeah?" Rose felt herself smiling a little bit. She needed something to help lift her spirits. Her mind kept jumping between worry for her mum. "What have you found?"

"Charles Turner," Spock said. The screen changed bringing up a rather grainy photo of a tall man with dark brown hair and sharp green eyes.

"That's Robert," Rani said. She gestured to the screen. "That's definitely the bloke your mum has been seeing."

"He is rather difficult to pin down," Spock said. "He is a former Royal Marine."

"Really?" Rose asked, curling her nose a bit. "What else?"

"There is little information about him. He was given an honourable discharge ten years ago. There are no records of him working since then. I do have two addresses for him: one for his identity as Robert and the other is in central London."

"What do you think?" Rani asked. "Probably wouldn't be anything at his identity flat, your mum has gone there."

"Rani…" Rose shook her head and sighed. "I don't need to hear about my mum going to the flat of a man who apparently was part of a plot against me."

"Right," Rani said. She grimaced as did the boys. "Sorry."

"That is something I never wanted Mum to go through," Rose said softly, almost more to herself than anyone else. "Using love against a person is horrible."

The memory of the Silver Lord living as Richard Beckett hit Rose suddenly. She shivered and did her best to push the memories away. The soft whispers of other lives helped drown it out and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Well at least take my phone then," Clyde said. He stepped forward and handed the mobile phone to Rose. "That way we can let you know what Spock's find." Clyde tried to smile but didn't quiet manage it. "I know better than to think you'll let us go with you."

"No, you're right on that front." Rose stepped forward and hugged Clyde. "Thanks and look after each other." She stepped back from Clyde and looked at Luke. "Your mum should be home soon. Tell her what happened and for god's sake be careful, all of you. After my mum, you'll probably be the next targets." Rose looked down at K-9 and reached out to pat the metal dog. "Stay close to them K-9 and protect them."

"Affirmative Mistress."

Rose paused, it was the first time that K-9 had just called her Mistress. Sarah Jane was his primary responsibility now, but the metal dog still had programming from the Doctor. She wondered if that was his little way of wishing her well. Either way, Rose smiled and patted him again before hugging Luke.

"Spock, link up with Malcolm or Kate, only them though just in case. Help them however you can. I'll try to stay in touch."

"Be careful Rose," Spock said. "Last time you encountered Eclipse-"

"I remember," Rose replied. Holding back a shudder, she took a step towards the attic door. "Trust me I remember, but no matter what they may say they're not going to leave me alive."

…

Rose didn't take her own vehicle. She didn't trust it. Instead, she put on a hoodie and slipped out over Sarah Jane's back fence. Thankfully the neighbour didn't have a dog and walked in the shadows as much as she could for almost a mile. When she reached a decent side street she got on a bus into the main city. Everyone was talking in low voices about the strange change in the sky. Rose saw one woman holding her son tightly on her lap. She gave them a smile and assured them that it would be okay, but the words didn't help much.

When she was in central London, Rose left the bus. There were too many worried people on board, too many people remembering the last alien attack and trying to decide if they needed to keep living their lives or run for it. She hailed one of the cabs still making rounds. All the while, Rose nervously chewed at her bottom lip and worried.

The cab dropped her off at the corner by a small market. Rose handed the driver some bills without paying any attention and got an energetic 'thanks, love' before they drove off. Hesitation wasn't something Rose was used to. Over the years she'd become a creature of instinct. Sure she valued a good plan and knowledge, but when it came down to it she trusted her gut. Now she couldn't help but feel weak in the knees. These people had her Mum and had warned her to stay out of it. She looked down at the note on the address. Her shoulder ached, a stark reminder of being attacked on a street in the middle of the day.

Yet her phone was damaged and she couldn't call the Doctor. That odd shield thing had impacted the environment and Eclipse's name suddenly made far too much sense. She'd never given it much thought, but clearly, they had. On one hand they were clearly moving forward with some sort of terrible plot using alien technology, but on the other hand, it was her mum. Back to the indecision. Rose brushed a hand over her bracelet nervously.

Still, she went around the back of the building and vaulted up from a bin to grab the fire escape ladder. No one looked out at the noise and she climbed as quietly and carefully as she could manage. In the distance, she could hear cars and the sounds of life, but the building seemed too quiet. Rose found the right window, double checking the floor three times before using her sword to slice through the bottom of the sill. There was a slight crunk and slick metallic sound as the lock was destroyed and Rose quickly pushed open the window.

No one came running to the window and she climbed in. Rose closed it behind her and pulled the drapes closed. She was in a fairly boring living room. There were an old sofa, a small telly and a table. It was clear that there was no real effort invested into this place. On the table were several files and Rose could see the corner of a photograph. For the moment she ignored it and eased her way through the flat to check it out. Otherwise, everything was clean even if there wasn't much of it.

The kitchen was well stocked, but only with dry goods and canned milk. There were a few pots and pans, but it was obvious that Charles Turner didn't spend too much time here. Or he'd moved almost everything out to his Robert flat when Eclipse assigned him. Rose had to force herself into the bedroom and bathroom. There was a bit more here, but she returned to the table in the living room first.

There were three files. The first was on her with photos of her in London and a couple from Cambridge that Rose wasn't sure how they'd gotten. She shuddered as she vaguely remembered the sense of someone following her a few times. One photo was from her at the gym and was far closer than Rose liked. Thankfully there was nothing from inside her old flat.

The second file was on the Chesterton-Smiths and only made Rose angrier. There were snapshots of Luke at school with Clyde and Rani, laughing at a cafeteria table. There was a photo of Sarah Jane at a press conference, Johnny at a presentation and a photo of Sky on the swing in the park near Bannerman Road. In the file were notes of Sarah Jane's connection to UNIT and that she should be avoided during the 'operation."

But the last file was the worst. It had numerous photos of her mum. There were a couple of her in the garden at their home, one of her in Gita's flower shop and one at the grocery store. Worst of all was the list of her likes and dislikes, information on her old boyfriends and shopping habits. Everything a man might need to make himself the perfect suitor. Lastly, there was information on Rita-Anne including information on her worsening sight, medical information and habits and a summary of Mickey including instructions to avoid him.

It all made Rose want to scream, but she had to stay quiet. If this was here and left in the open then maybe there would be more hidden away in this flat. That was what she needed now. A sound at the front door made Rose gasp softly. Freezing in place, Rose kept absolutely still. Guilt and regret hit her hard in the chest. She was going to be caught, they were going to call their bosses and they were going to hurt her mother.

Rose's pulse was so loud in her ears that she almost missed the familiar whirl of the sonic screwdriver. Frozen in place for a different reason, she watched the door open and the Doctor duck inside. It was the one due to pick her up in three days. His leather coat hung over his shoulders and shifted only slightly as he eased the door shut, not even noticing her. As he turned around, his eyes widened in surprise and then he grinned.

"For the record," Rose forced out. "I was here first."

Then before he could say anything, Rose jumped forward. Rose hugged the Doctor tightly, her fingers digging into the soft leather covering his shoulders. Part of her knew that she should let go, reminded her that they weren't like that yet, but she just needed a moment. Thankfully the Doctor brought his arms up and gently held her. It was a bit awkward, he seemed uneasy, but Rose was grateful that he allowed her this.

"Sorry," Rose said. She forced herself to release her death grip on the Doctor. Stepping back she gave him a sad little smile. "Things have gotten weird."

"I should have guessed that you'd get yourself messed up in this," the Doctor said. He stepped back a bit and crossed his arms over his chest. Rose saw something flicker in his eyes. "You alright Rose?"

"You're three days early," Rose said. She held back a laugh, afraid that she might just start crying or something. It was a lot harder than usual to stay calm knowing that the bad guys had her Mum.

"TARDIS brought me to Earth, I was a bit early, but then the sky went dark," the Doctor said. He shrugged a bit but was watching her like he expected her to be angry. "Figured it'd keep me busy until you were ready to go."

"Yeah, but thing is that this is Eclipse."

"I guessed," the Doctor said. His voice was tighter with a hint of anger and darkness. "Apparently the name had significance."

"Apparently," Rose agreed. "And they've got my Mum."

"Your Mum?" the Doctor repeated. He narrowed his eyes. "You sure?"

"Very." Rose shook her head sadly. "My mum's been seeing this bloke. I was supposed to meet him tonight, but when I came home she was gone and her teacup had traces of drugs." Rose gestured around them. "He called me, apparently from a payphone in Brussels, but his fingerprints led me here. I thought I should check it out."

"They called you?"

"Yeah, told me to stay out of it and then the sky went dark." Rose paused and looked back at the Doctor. "What brought you here?"

"I was tracking a signal," the Doctor answered. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. "Saw the sky darken and followed it here."

"It was all across the globe," Rose protested. "You think the cause is here?" She looked around the flat uncertainly.

"No, but something else," the Doctor said. "Some sort of transport beam that was used just before the shield was created. Possibly how he got from London to Brussels."

"Then he might have brought my mum here!"

"Possible," the Doctor agreed.

"Can we follow it?" Rose asked urgently.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. He reached down and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "But let's take a look around this place first. I have a hunch about what we'll find."

"I haven't searched much of the bedroom yet," Rose offered.

The Doctor nodded, but his eyes were drawn to the files on the table. Grimacing, Rose said nothing as he crossed the room. She'd learned with the Dalek that nothing made him more curious than Rose not wanting him to look at something. Instead, she walked over next to him and watched as his eyes darkened as he flipped through the photos of her, her mum and Sarah Jane.

"Anything else Rose?" the Doctor asked. All humour in his voice was gone.

"It's Eclipse," Rose said. "They sent a car to Bannerman Road. They said it was another warning, but I think they were there to kill me. K-9 shot one of them and they ran. I told the kids to stay inside with K-9."

The Doctor nodded, his own eyes filled with worry that Rose knew reflected her own. He moved past her and entered the bedroom alone while Rose opened the small utility closet to check it out. There were a few coats on a rack by the door and a hot water heater, but nothing else. A throaty near groan from the bedroom made Rose's heart stop and she dashed inside, afraid of finding an injured Doctor.

Instead, he was standing in front of an open closet with a look of pained disbelief on his face. Rose stepped around to join him and sighed. The closet had no clothing and instead was filled with a large panel of shimmering lights. There was a small pad, barely large enough for two people tucked amongst the controls. Rose sniffed at the air, the scent hanging around them tugging at her memory.

"Transport pad," the Doctor said. He pulled out the sonic and stepped forward. "Just give me a tic to isolate the trail pattern."

"Then we can follow it right?" Rose asked, hoping it wasn't too dissimilar from UNIT's old transmat.

"Exactly."

The sonic screwdriver whirled and Rose stayed silent. Suddenly she didn't trust herself to speak. Hope, guilt and a worry were all battling for dominance and all she wanted was her mum safe at home. It was terrifying. Then the Doctor turned and looked at her. His eyes softened a bit and he offered her his hand.

"Got it," he said.

Rose nodded and took his hand, silently thanking him for being here. Never letting go of her hand, the Doctor led her out of the flat, down the back stairs of the building and out an alley door. They were both silent and Rose struggled a bit to keep up with his long strides, but soon found a good rhythm. Around two corners and down another side street, Rose spotted the TARDIS tucked away in a corner. Rose pulled the chain with her key out from under her shirt and unlocked the door quickly. The Doctor stepped ahead of her and rushed to the console.

Closing the door, Rose licked her lips nervously and waited. The Doctor set the small piece of the machine down on the console and hit several buttons. The screen changed with the circular Gallifreyan marks running across it.

"Got it!" the Doctor announced. "Clear trace to just outside of Brussels. They definitely used that transmat up there recently." The Doctor turned to look at her as Rose joined him at the console. "What do you say we find your mother and save the world."

"I really like that plan," Rose agreed. She finally managed to give him a real smile as the knot in her gut eased. Together she and the Doctor could do this.

He grinned manically at her and flipped a lever. Around them, the TARDIS shuddered and then they were off. Rose tried to smile in return, but she couldn't help but worry about her Mum. Crossing her fingers, Rose willed the TARDIS as close to Jackie Tyler as they could get.