And The Doctor Makes Four (4/?)
Title: And The Doctor Makes Four
Author: fluffygremlin
Characters/Pairings: Eleven, River, Jack, and OCs
Summary: “Torchwood Four is lost but we’ll find it someday.”
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Russell T Davies and the BBC. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Part Four
The Doctor was the first to notice that Jack and Catherine had joined them and moved quickly towards the pair.
“Point that thing at me and you’ll find yourself growing a new face,” Catherine said, pointing at the sonic screwdriver the Doctor was waving about.
“Well you’re no fun,” he sniffed. He slipped the device into one of his many jacket pockets before turning his attention to the immortal man. “Is that a grey hair?”
“Is that a bowtie?” Jack responded. The man grinned as the Doctor reached up to straighten the offending bit of cloth.
“He insists they’re cool.” River spoke up from behind him. She moved forward, offering her hand. “You must be Jack. I have heard quite the stories about you.”
“Don’t,” the Doctor interrupted. “Both of you. Don’t.”
“Captain Jack Harkness,” the other man took River’s hand, winking at the Doctor as he did so. “Torchwood.”
“Professor River Song. Archeologist.”
“I always knew he had a naughty side deep down under all that tweed.”
“If you two are quite finished then I would…” the Doctor’s words were cut off as an alarm echoed through the vast underground cavern. “I didn’t do it.”
“Neither did I.” Jack released River’s hand quickly and began poking at his vortex manipulator.
“You both have guilt complexes,” Catherine sighed. She pushed past them to walk over to Thomas. The grey haired man pulled a small handheld bit of technology from his pocket.
“Incoming,” he said quickly. “Main area. We might be able to get there before it comes through. If we run.”
“Running is my favorite.” The Doctor grinned as he grabbed River’s hand and rushed after Jack and the other Torchwood operatives.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack skidded to a stop once they had reached the main area. The previously empty space in the center was now alive with crackling rift energy. At the Rift’s base was a woman, all brown hair and red blood. As he slowly moved closer, ever wary of the Rift as it began to dissipate, he saw that her entire body was covered with cuts and lashes, her eyes closed, her chest still.
“Oh,” he heard the Doctor exhale next to him. The Time Lord moved closer, pulling out his screwdriver to run it the length of the woman’s body.
“Is she...?” River asked softly. The Doctor frowned at the readout on the screwdriver before nodding slowly. Hack caught the emotion that fleeted past his face as he straightened up. New face, same Doctor.
“She’s been in the Void,” The other man said softly. “Lost in oblivion. Impossible to say how long for sure but…”
“But?” Catherine prodded. She stood next to Thomas as the man worked at a computer terminal.
“But that didn’t kill her, I don’t think.”
“She was whipped. Tortured.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest.
“None of which matters now,” the Doctor said, slipping his sonic screwdriver back into its pocket and wiping his hands on his trousers. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“Doctor,” River said softly.
“For example,” the Doctor ignored his companion and moved to a nearby workstation. “For example, why do you have an entire ream of psychic paper here?”
“It doesn’t work,” Catherine replied defensively.
“No, it wouldn’t, would it? You’re nearly two thousand years ahead of yourselves here. Although, it would probably yell at you rather loudly with a few minor modifications.”
“Doctor,” River repeated more loudly.
“And while we’re on the topic of ‘Way out of your depth’ what are you doing with those Helian Lifegivers? How did you even get them to work?”
“Trial and error?” Jack was impressed by the fact that Catherine wasn’t trembling in front of the obviously angry Time Lord.
“Trial and error? With nuclear fusion reactors?”
“Yes, well…”
“Doctor!” Everyone’s attention turned to River.
“What?” The Doctor yelled as he spun around quickly.
“Did you know this woman?” she pointed at the body lying on the ground.
“What does that matter?” the Doctor frowned.
“Given your talent for making enemies? A lot.” River crossed her arms, refusing to budge until she had her curiosity sated.
“Yes, I knew her.”
“And?”
“And she’s dead. Apparently at the hands of some torturing Tetrap. Are we done?”
“No.”
Jack watched the argument with a slight smirk before slipping over to whisper in Catherine’s ear.
“Morgue?”
“Full up.”
“The med bay then. Probably better anyway so we can avoid a lecture on proper use of alien refrigeration units.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Doctor watched as Jack from the corner of is eye as the immortal man subtly went through the motions of giving him space. The other man slipped off his coat and rolled up his sleeves as Catherine fetched a body bag from the medbay. Jack grimaced as he helped her spread it out next to the body.
“What was in this last?” The Doctor heard his quiet mutter.
“A Hoix.” The woman grunted as she helped Jack maneuver the woman onto the black rubber.
“That explains the smell.”
“Was she a friend?” River asked softly. The Doctor glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention to the item in his hands. It was either a Phellian trigger, bad, or a very fancy Rubik’s Cube, almost as bad.
“Yes,” he answered softly as River began to prod again. “once upon a time, several lifetimes ago, and a few dimensional hops removed, she was a friend.”
“What happened to her?”
“The same thing that happens to everyone in the end. The specifics don’t really matter anymore.”
“Still,” River set her hand lightly on his arm. “I am sorry.”
“So am I.” He tossed the thing he was almost definitely sure was a 27th century child’s toy sans stickers back onto the desk in front of him. River watched as it clattered along into a mass of metal and technology before her sympathetic look brightened. She reached out and plucked what appeared to be a 42nd century Martian pistol from the pile.
“Can I keep it?” she asked gleefully. The Doctor frowned at her fondly.
“Certainly not. Your mother asked me to try and stave off your love of weapons.”
“Or what?”
“Or she’ll hurt me. She can be quite… quelling.”
“How about you tell me about your friend and I won’t tell her about my new gun?” River smirked.
“You do not play fair, River Song.”
“I learned from the best,” she replied in a falsetto voice. The Doctor sighed before settling his lanky frame into a nearby chair. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a moment for speaking.
“She was a scientist. A brilliant scientist. She could have done amazing things. No… no… she did do amazing things. It wouldn’t be fair to say otherwise. A genius, mad and wonderful and frightening and beautiful.” The Doctor paused and took a deep breath as he opened his eyes finally. “She was a queen. And now the queen is dead.”
A/N - Life has been getting in the way of writing anything of length lately so apologies that there aren't more regular updates. My muse has been trying to make me focus on more... smutty... endeavors as of late.
Author: fluffygremlin
Characters/Pairings: Eleven, River, Jack, and OCs
Summary: “Torchwood Four is lost but we’ll find it someday.”
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Russell T Davies and the BBC. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Part Four
The Doctor was the first to notice that Jack and Catherine had joined them and moved quickly towards the pair.
“Point that thing at me and you’ll find yourself growing a new face,” Catherine said, pointing at the sonic screwdriver the Doctor was waving about.
“Well you’re no fun,” he sniffed. He slipped the device into one of his many jacket pockets before turning his attention to the immortal man. “Is that a grey hair?”
“Is that a bowtie?” Jack responded. The man grinned as the Doctor reached up to straighten the offending bit of cloth.
“He insists they’re cool.” River spoke up from behind him. She moved forward, offering her hand. “You must be Jack. I have heard quite the stories about you.”
“Don’t,” the Doctor interrupted. “Both of you. Don’t.”
“Captain Jack Harkness,” the other man took River’s hand, winking at the Doctor as he did so. “Torchwood.”
“Professor River Song. Archeologist.”
“I always knew he had a naughty side deep down under all that tweed.”
“If you two are quite finished then I would…” the Doctor’s words were cut off as an alarm echoed through the vast underground cavern. “I didn’t do it.”
“Neither did I.” Jack released River’s hand quickly and began poking at his vortex manipulator.
“You both have guilt complexes,” Catherine sighed. She pushed past them to walk over to Thomas. The grey haired man pulled a small handheld bit of technology from his pocket.
“Incoming,” he said quickly. “Main area. We might be able to get there before it comes through. If we run.”
“Running is my favorite.” The Doctor grinned as he grabbed River’s hand and rushed after Jack and the other Torchwood operatives.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack skidded to a stop once they had reached the main area. The previously empty space in the center was now alive with crackling rift energy. At the Rift’s base was a woman, all brown hair and red blood. As he slowly moved closer, ever wary of the Rift as it began to dissipate, he saw that her entire body was covered with cuts and lashes, her eyes closed, her chest still.
“Oh,” he heard the Doctor exhale next to him. The Time Lord moved closer, pulling out his screwdriver to run it the length of the woman’s body.
“Is she...?” River asked softly. The Doctor frowned at the readout on the screwdriver before nodding slowly. Hack caught the emotion that fleeted past his face as he straightened up. New face, same Doctor.
“She’s been in the Void,” The other man said softly. “Lost in oblivion. Impossible to say how long for sure but…”
“But?” Catherine prodded. She stood next to Thomas as the man worked at a computer terminal.
“But that didn’t kill her, I don’t think.”
“She was whipped. Tortured.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest.
“None of which matters now,” the Doctor said, slipping his sonic screwdriver back into its pocket and wiping his hands on his trousers. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“Doctor,” River said softly.
“For example,” the Doctor ignored his companion and moved to a nearby workstation. “For example, why do you have an entire ream of psychic paper here?”
“It doesn’t work,” Catherine replied defensively.
“No, it wouldn’t, would it? You’re nearly two thousand years ahead of yourselves here. Although, it would probably yell at you rather loudly with a few minor modifications.”
“Doctor,” River repeated more loudly.
“And while we’re on the topic of ‘Way out of your depth’ what are you doing with those Helian Lifegivers? How did you even get them to work?”
“Trial and error?” Jack was impressed by the fact that Catherine wasn’t trembling in front of the obviously angry Time Lord.
“Trial and error? With nuclear fusion reactors?”
“Yes, well…”
“Doctor!” Everyone’s attention turned to River.
“What?” The Doctor yelled as he spun around quickly.
“Did you know this woman?” she pointed at the body lying on the ground.
“What does that matter?” the Doctor frowned.
“Given your talent for making enemies? A lot.” River crossed her arms, refusing to budge until she had her curiosity sated.
“Yes, I knew her.”
“And?”
“And she’s dead. Apparently at the hands of some torturing Tetrap. Are we done?”
“No.”
Jack watched the argument with a slight smirk before slipping over to whisper in Catherine’s ear.
“Morgue?”
“Full up.”
“The med bay then. Probably better anyway so we can avoid a lecture on proper use of alien refrigeration units.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Doctor watched as Jack from the corner of is eye as the immortal man subtly went through the motions of giving him space. The other man slipped off his coat and rolled up his sleeves as Catherine fetched a body bag from the medbay. Jack grimaced as he helped her spread it out next to the body.
“What was in this last?” The Doctor heard his quiet mutter.
“A Hoix.” The woman grunted as she helped Jack maneuver the woman onto the black rubber.
“That explains the smell.”
“Was she a friend?” River asked softly. The Doctor glanced at her for a moment before turning his attention to the item in his hands. It was either a Phellian trigger, bad, or a very fancy Rubik’s Cube, almost as bad.
“Yes,” he answered softly as River began to prod again. “once upon a time, several lifetimes ago, and a few dimensional hops removed, she was a friend.”
“What happened to her?”
“The same thing that happens to everyone in the end. The specifics don’t really matter anymore.”
“Still,” River set her hand lightly on his arm. “I am sorry.”
“So am I.” He tossed the thing he was almost definitely sure was a 27th century child’s toy sans stickers back onto the desk in front of him. River watched as it clattered along into a mass of metal and technology before her sympathetic look brightened. She reached out and plucked what appeared to be a 42nd century Martian pistol from the pile.
“Can I keep it?” she asked gleefully. The Doctor frowned at her fondly.
“Certainly not. Your mother asked me to try and stave off your love of weapons.”
“Or what?”
“Or she’ll hurt me. She can be quite… quelling.”
“How about you tell me about your friend and I won’t tell her about my new gun?” River smirked.
“You do not play fair, River Song.”
“I learned from the best,” she replied in a falsetto voice. The Doctor sighed before settling his lanky frame into a nearby chair. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a moment for speaking.
“She was a scientist. A brilliant scientist. She could have done amazing things. No… no… she did do amazing things. It wouldn’t be fair to say otherwise. A genius, mad and wonderful and frightening and beautiful.” The Doctor paused and took a deep breath as he opened his eyes finally. “She was a queen. And now the queen is dead.”
A/N - Life has been getting in the way of writing anything of length lately so apologies that there aren't more regular updates. My muse has been trying to make me focus on more... smutty... endeavors as of late.