Auction Fic: Then Shall I Know 5/7
Story: Then Shall I Know
Author: wmr / wendymr
Characters: Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor (Pete's World), Jack Harkness (Pete's World); cameo appearances by Jackie and Pete Tyler and one or two OCs.
Universe: Through A Glass Darkly
Rated: Up to Mature
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters owned or inspired by the BBC series and its associated writers. No infringement of copyright intended and no profit of any kind is being made by this story
Summary: Jack can't avoid fifty-first century Earth for ever. He has to go back, and soon.
Written for wiggiemomsi and the Posse (and even sneakymaster) in return for an extremely generous donation to Support Stacie. With very grateful thanks to dark_aegis and yamx for BRing, and also my appreciation to honorh and canaana for some comments which inspired aspects of the story. This is a direct sequel to Through A Glass Darkly and may not make sense if you haven't read that story.
And, yes, it's morphed, just a little ;)
Chapter 1: Desensitising l Chapter 2: Division l Chapter 3: Going Public l Chapter 4: Testimonial
Chapter 5: Realignment
They’re both staring at him as if he’s got two heads. But they’ve never had to live with the kind of knowledge that’s always in his head without him even thinking about it.
Oh, he told Rose some of what he knows; just a little bit of the vague timeline he’s aware of as far as Jack’s concerned. But only enough so that she understood that he really did have good reasons to bring Jack back to Earth. Certainly not the rest of it: the murky threads, far from being completely visible to him, but at least some of which show Jack as a crucial part of this planet’s future. A future that probably means Jack needs to stay on Earth.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jack demands, leaping out of bed.
He opens his mouth to try to explain, or at least give part of the story, but Rose gets in first. “No talking until after breakfast. I mean it,” she adds as Jack gives her an incredulous look. “None of us had much to eat yesterday - I bet even if they brought you food, Jack, you didn’t feel like eating.” Jack’s reaction is proof that she’s right. “So, breakfast first, an’ then you can shout at the Doctor all you like.”
Anger’s written all over Jack’s face and he’s about to object, but then his stomach rumbles. Loudly. He pulls a face, then barks out a short laugh. “S’pose you’re right, Rose. Okay, breakfast it is.”
“And you can put some clothes on first,” Rose adds, sliding out of bed herself and picking up her dressing-gown. “Not denyin’ I like looking at your body, but not over tea and toast, please.”
Jack pretends to look offended, and the heavy weight on the Doctor’s hearts eases a little. If the lad’s genuinely as furious as he sounded a few minutes ago, he wouldn’t be able to joke around. Maybe Jack really did mean it when he said last night that they’d fix this.
The ritual of breakfast - making tea and toast, setting the table and passing each other milk, butter and marmalade - is oddly comforting. Probably because it’s normal. But despite Rose’s instruction, Jack doesn’t wait until they’ve finished.
“What did you mean by that crap about thinking I was going to leave you anyway?”
He forcibly suppresses a flinch, disguising his reaction by taking a long gulp of tea.
“Told Rose this already. After you ran off,” he says, reluctant but knowing he needs to. If he’s going to win Jack’s trust back, he has to start with some honesty. And, really, when did he stop being honest with the lad? All right, he’s never told Jack everything, but he never used to lie, either. Or mislead him.
“Yeah?” Jack’s listening, waiting for more but not giving any hint of encouragement besides that.
“I saw part of your timeline. That’s why I brought you back to Earth.” Jack’s shock is understandable; after all, how many times has he told the bloke, over the years, that looking into the future of people close to him is dangerous and he won’t do it, even if he could see it clearly? “Was after I got you off Schattenwelt,” he explains. “Never told you, but you almost died. For at least two days, I thought...” He pulls a face. “Thought you were dying, that the burns and injuries were too much even for the TARDIS to save you. That’s when I did it. Wanted to know if... Anyway, that’s why.”
“You wanted to know if I was gonna live,” Jack says, his voice soft. “If I had that ability, I don’t think anything would’ve stopped me from doing the same.”
He nods, getting to his feet and starting to pace. “Yeah. Anyway, I saw you. Alive, healthy an’ well. Back on Earth in your time, an’ doing something vital to the future of the planet. Didn’t know what - it was too murky - but I knew you had to come back. And soon, cause you didn’t look one day older than the last time I’d seen you in one piece.”
“And you couldn’t tell me any of this?” Jack demands, jumping to his feet, his entire body agitated. Then, immediately, he answers his own question, and his shoulders slump. “No. Of course you couldn’t.”
“Timelines,” he says in answer. Jack knows only too well what he means.
“I wouldn’t have believed you,” Jack says, still standing. “That I’d go back at all, let alone that I’d end up doing something important.”
Relief whooshes out of him. Jack understands. “Exactly.”
“So you just thought you’d spring it on me without any warning. Like a damn surprise party.”
The blunt sarcasm in Jack’s voice flays him, especially after his lover’s calm acceptance moments before. “I’m...”
“Save it,” Jack raps out. “Yeah, I want a proper apology. But first I want to know what you meant about thinking I’d leave you anyway.”
He gestures helplessly; surely Jack can work it out? “I told you. You’re part of something really important. Can’t do that and still be here.”
Jack looks sceptical, but it’s Rose who speaks. “Why not, Doctor? Jack’s already done the important thing, hasn’t he? You said so. He’s exposed Pure Blood. That’s gonna mean something big for Earth. Sorta like the Nuremberg Trials an’ all the stuff that came after that, right?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaims, allowing his frustration to escape. “Like I said, it’s murky, and I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but I don’t think Jack’s part in things is over.”
Jack slams his hand down on the table. “I don’t believe I’m hearing this. You thought I was gonna end up leaving you because of something I apparently have to do back on Earth, so instead of trying to help me do what I have to do and then come back for me afterwards you do the one thing that’s guaranteed to push me away? How does that make any sense?”
Into the silence that follows, Rose says, “Okay, you two really, really need to talk about this. And I need to shower and get dressed, so I think I’ll just leave you to it.” She crosses the kitchen, her body moving stiffly, but she stops in front of the Doctor. “An’ I’m expecting you to have this sorted by the time I see either of you again, you hear?” Her finger pokes him in the chest.
He watches her go, and wonders how he can have failed to realise that this isn’t just affecting him and Jack. She’s not taking sides, either, which is far more than he deserves, after the mess he’s made of this entire episode.
“Well, Doctor?” Jack’s snapped question drags him back to the subject at hand. “Can you explain that?”
***
Damn. They chased Rose away. Though it’s probably best that she doesn’t hear this - it’s likely to get ugly before it gets better.
“No.”
He blinks, then stares at the Doctor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The Doctor steps backwards, leaning his shoulders against the wall, as if he needs it to hold him up. “No, I can’t explain it.”
“Why not?” Rage pours from him.
“Because I don’t know why.” The Doctor stares at the floor.
“That’s bollocks!” The words explode from him. “You’re a damn genius. Of course you can fucking well explain what was going on inside that thick skull of yours. So no more excuses!”
The Doctor raises his head, meeting Jack’s gaze. “You’re in love with me.”
The words, said in as toneless a voice as he’s ever heard from the Doctor, hit him with the force of a blow. Goddamnit! It was understood between them that his idiotic, pathetic confession of a few years earlier would never be mentioned again. That they’d both forget he’d ever said it.
“You thought I didn’t remember?” The Doctor’s voice is soft now, and full of self-chastisement. “You’re in love with me, and how do I repay that love? I have to take you back to the last place in the universe you want to be. You love me, and I have to repay that love by betraying you.”
“I never asked you to repay it,” he whispers, almost choking with the effort required to squeeze the words out past the pain in his chest.
“It was the one place in the universe you never wanted to see again,” the Doctor continues, ignoring his interruption. “And I was going to take you there regardless of how you felt. Would it’ve been better - kinder - to sit you down and tell you I had to bring you there, without telling you why, and persuade you against your will to say yes? To use your love for me to make you agree?” The Doctor shakes his head, a sharp, vicious movement. “Couldn’t do that, lad.”
Because, to the Doctor, that would have been a worse betrayal. Better taking him back without warning, and taking the consequences, than obtaining reluctant consent that Jack would have resented the Doctor for demanding.
Shaken, he can’t find the words to respond. Now that he understands, this is just so like the Doctor. So stupidly, idiotically naïve, and yet completely in line with the Doctor’s own personal code of honour.
He owes the Doctor some kind of recognition of his confession, though. “Doctor...” he begins, searching for the right words.
“Know I was wrong.” The Doctor cuts across him. “Should’ve realised it myself, but it was Rose who made me see it. Asked me how I’d have felt bein’ confronted with Daleks barely a year after the Time War.” The Doctor grimaces. “Anyway. You said I’d need to grovel. Not gonna do that, though.”
“No?” He shouldn’t be surprised, really. The Doctor doesn’t grovel. Not to anyone. And, if he’s honest, he doesn’t want his lover to, anyway. They’ve fought before, over the years, and apologies were always enough.
“No. Grovellin’d be too easy. You deserve better.” The Doctor steps away from the wall and comes closer, stopping when he’s about an arm’s-length away. Fathomless blue-grey eyes meet his, their expression unreadable. “I love you, Captain Jack Harkness.” His lover’s voice is hoarse, almost cracking on the words - words that make Jack reel in shock. “Forgive me?” He hesitates, then adds, “I’ll understand if you can’t.”
Jack takes the final step that brings them together, and rests his hands on the Doctor’s shoulders. “Idiot. Course I forgive you. I just needed you to tell me why. And, yeah,” he adds as the other point at issue comes back to him. “To know that you respect me enough to ask in future instead of making decisions for me.”
“You sayin’ you’d have preferred me to ask, even if I was gonna take you there anyway?” The Doctor’s not taking him up on the invitation to get closer still.
“Of course I would! I might not have liked it,” he concedes - okay, damn right he’d have hated it. “But at least you’d have been treating me as an adult. As an equal partner in this relationship. I am capable of agreeing to something I don’t want to do if I know it’s the right thing to do, Doctor.”
It takes a moment, but the Doctor nods. “Right. You are, an’ I knew that. Won’t do it again.”
“Good.” Jack leans in and presses his lips hard against the Doctor’s for a moment. “See that you don’t.”
The Doctor smiles faintly, then digs a hand in his jeans pocket. A moment later, he’s holding out a key. “Want this back?”
He was afraid the Doctor was going to make him ask for it. “Yes. Please.”
He reaches for it, and as he closes his hand around the warm metal the Doctor finally leans closer and kisses him.
***
She’s taken a long shower and got dressed - in her own bedroom, rather than the room she’s shared with the Doctor and Jack for the past six months, because for some reason she can’t really articulate she didn’t feel right using that room. Now, she’s at the dressing-table, drying her hair and thinking - fretting - about the two of them.
Are they beating lumps out of each other? Shagging each other silly on the kitchen floor? Is Jack fit to walk out again... or are they actually managing to get through to each other?
And where does she fit into this awkward, lop-sided threesome?
Oh, it’s not as if she didn’t know what she was letting herself in for when they invited her to share their bed and their relationship. She was well aware of how long the two of them had known each other, and how much they cared about each other. But they were persuasive... very persuasive. And very convincing about how much they wanted her to be part of their lives.
The last six months have been good - very good. Yes, there’ve been times when it’s been obvious that she is the odd one out, the one who doesn’t share all the memories the two of them have, the one who doesn’t read the unspoken signals. But they’ve been building new memories, learning new shared signals. It’s been more than enough for her, and so very worth accepting the times when she does feel like the outsider.
In the kitchen, though, once they started arguing, she might as well have been invisible. Not to mention what might have happened - what might still happen - if the two of them decided they couldn’t fix this. If Jack did walk out, where would that leave her?
No. She’s being selfish, when what she should be worried about is how much it’ll hurt both of them if they can’t-
The door to her room swings open suddenly. “Rose! There you are! We’ve been searching all over.”
Right behind Jack, the Doctor walks in. “Couldn’t find you. You weren’t in our room.” He sounds more worried than irritated. “You all right?”
She lays down her brush and stands, summoning a bright smile. “Course I am! Just wanted you two to have time to sort things out.” Her gaze flits from one to the other. Apart from concern that seems to be directed at her, they look okay. No sign at all of the edginess of earlier, the anger that was just simmering beneath the surface in Jack’s behaviour over breakfast.
“We’re fine,” Jack says, his tone reassuring. “It’s okay, really it is. He apologised. Grovelled.” His mouth curves into a grin. “I forgave him.” He takes a couple of steps closer to her and slides his arm around her shoulders. “Do you forgive us?”
“What for?”
“Drivin’ you out,” the Doctor says, coming nearer. “Makin’ you so uncomfortable that you left us to it.”
Her heart swells. They noticed - and actually came to apologise? She reaches for both of them. “ ‘S all right. You needed to sort it, an’ it was easier without me around, right?”
“You were as involved as we were,” the Doctor says soberly. “You were there. An’ that reminds me - thanks for putting up with me yesterday. Dunno what I’d have done if you hadn’t stayed with me. Even if Jack might’ve needed you more.”
She meets Jack’s gaze at that. He says nothing, but his eyes confirm what she’s known ever since he ran off: yesterday would have been easier for him if she’d gone with him. “Wanted to cut myself in two,” she admits. “Knew the Doctor needed me, Jack, but you did too, didn’t you?”
“Hey, you did what you had to,” he says, hugging her again. “And I didn’t exactly wait around for you, did I?” He presses another kiss to her lips, and then to the Doctor’s, before dropping his arms from the two of them. “Anyway, suppose it’s time to go and see Cara. Find out what I have to do next.”
The Doctor steps back, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “Time machine. Don’t have to do it today.”
“Nah. I want to get it over with. Doctor, I want to see this through now. Make sure those bastards get what’s coming to them.” Jack takes a deep breath, then swallows. “You were right. I did need to go back. It’s always just burned that they got away with it, you know? That not one single person on that goddamned planet said a word against their xenophobic shit. And now I’ve seen that there are people standing up and saying they’re wrong - even if they didn’t do it until the damage was done. And I have a chance to make sure those bastards pay.” Jack’s eyes burn with fury. “If it takes years, I’m not leaving until it’s done.”
The Doctor looks down at the floor. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.” Before Jack can answer, he’s moving. “Right! Time to go.”
On the way through the console room, Jack halts. “You know what you said, Doctor, about thinking I’d have to stay on Earth for some reason? And, yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe I will have to if I’m gonna see this through.”
“Yeah?”
“Time machine! What’s stopping you just coming and getting me when whatever I have to do is done? Or going back to the way it used to be - you coming to see me every six months or so in my timeline. And I know you preferred that, so don’t pretend you didn’t.”
Rose stifles an instinctive protest. Jack’s right. That’s how they managed things all the time until Jack’s planet was blown up. And, from everything she’s learned from the two of them, it suited both of them. Why wouldn’t they go back to the way things were, now that Jack’s well on the way to recovery?
And if they do, what would she do? Would she stay on the TARDIS? Would the Doctor even want her to? Should she go with Jack, so that he’s not alone? But how can she possibly choose between them? She loves them both.
“Know I could. Changed my mind,” the Doctor retorts. “I like it this way.”
Instantly, the tension building in her disappears - but only until she remembers. What if the Doctor’s right, and Jack has no choice but to stay on Earth?
***
He materialises the TARDIS inside Cara’s office, mainly to give her a hint as to just who she’s dealing with. Yesterday, she was the one with all the power, and while he didn’t have a problem with that - it helped Jack, after all - if a bit of showiness will help to encourage her to do her very best for Jack he’s not above it. Not at all.
Cara’s jaw’s still slack as they walk out of the TARDIS, but she recovers quickly. “Good thing you came this way. My office has been staked out by reporters since last night. If I’d known how to contact you, I’d have arranged to meet you somewhere else.”
“Shit.” Jack pulls a face. “Should’ve expected it, I suppose.” He starts to pace. “Okay, what’s happening?”
The lawyer smiles. “A lot. Arrest-warrants went out for the leadership of Pure Blood last night. As of a couple of hours ago, six arrests have been made and more are pending. The party’s bleeding membership - prominent citizens are queuing up to say how badly misled they were and dissociate themselves publicly from the organisation.”
“Hypocrites,” Rose snaps. The Doctor nods agreement.
“You’ll have to be available for interview by the Office of Public Prosecutions, Jack. And testify at the trial.”
Jack turns and nods. “Tell me when and I’ll be there.” There’s not the faintest hesitation in his voice. And, much as he’d love to protect the lad from having to talk about what happened again and again, the Doctor knows that this is probably the best thing for Jack now.
“And one more thing.” Cara’s searching through papers on her desk. “I received a message from Time Agency command. They want you back, Jack. They’re offering you a promotion to Major as soon as all the legal matters are dealt with. A commendation, too.”
The Doctor’s hearts sink. This is it - this is why Jack leaves. Has to be. He loved being a Time Agent. It was all the sixteen-year-old boy he first met, and watched grow up, ever wanted. This is an offer he won’t be able to refuse.
His gaze falls on Rose, still standing by the TARDIS door. She’s chewing her lip and staring at the floor.
And then Jack laughs. “You’re joking. They couldn’t accept my resignation quick enough before. And now they want me back?” He shakes his head. “No chance.”
He tries to hide his relief. This has to be Jack’s decision. He’s interfered enough.
Cara grins. “Good. You’re going to get a lot more offers - better ones, too - before this is over. Just for starters-” The Doctor’s gaze shoots to her again and, right behind him, he can feel Rose tensing a second time. “-this morning I was approached by someone wanting to back you financially to run for the political office of your choice.”
“Huh?” Jack sounds bewildered.
“You heard. Assembly-member, mayor, even president if it appeals to you. And, given the way the media’s in love with you this morning - have you looked at the holosites? - I wouldn’t bet against you winning.”
“Okay...” Jack says slowly, then pauses to take a deep breath. “Let’s concentrate on getting the trial out of the way. Then we’ll see.”
With a nod, Cara directs them to take a seat, and it’s down to business for the next couple of hours. By the time they’re back inside the TARDIS, Jack’s got a series of appointments lined up for the next week, including several sessions with Cara to prepare for his interviews with the prosecutors and for his court appearance. And, to the Doctor’s relief, Jack’s not at all upset or withdrawn at the prospect of everything he’s got to do to see this through. On the contrary, he’s energised by it all. That’s good. No matter what else happens, that’s good.
“Right. We need to talk. All three of us.” The stern note in Jack’s voice makes the Doctor frown as he looks at his lover. Beside Jack, Rose is looking worried again.
“What about?” he asks.
“You two trusting me,” Jack retorts. “Don’t pretend. I saw your faces when Cara mentioned the Time Agency and the political stuff. I’m not looking for things to do, you hear? If there’s something I have to do to make sure a group like Pure Blood never happens again, then so be it, but what I want is to stay with you. Like you said, Doctor, I prefer it this way. So do me the favour of believing I mean that, instead of thinking I’m gonna jump ship the first chance I get, okay?”
Rose moves first, wrapping her arms around Jack. “Okay.”
The Doctor hugs both of them. “Right. Yeah.” He does trust Jack, of course he does. It’s the future he doesn’t completely trust - but then it probably serves him right for looking into Jack’s timelines in the first place.
***
It takes months, in the end, but in Jack’s opinion it’s time very well spent, even if the Doctor does occasionally get impatient and frustrated at being stuck in one place and in linear time for so long. With Jack’s encouragement, he disappears in the TARDIS for a couple of short trips, though he’s never gone for more than a few hours at a time - at least, Jack and Rose’s time. He never says how long it was for him.
They could have gone with him any time, and the Doctor did suggest it, but Jack’s seen the Doctor get his arrival dates wrong enough times not to want to take that risk. Once Rose confesses that her Doctor did it too, his resolve’s strengthened. Get the trial over with, he tells the Doctor, and then they’ll all leave together.
By the time it’s all over, fifteen members of the leadership of Pure Blood have been convicted of ordering the destruction of Schattenwelt. They’re all on the prison colony now and will stay there for the rest of their lives. Thanks to a few others agreeing to testify against their associates, some of the militia who carried out the attack are also now in prison, along with several Pure Blood foot-soldiers, convicted of hate propaganda and inciting racial violence.
It wasn’t easy. Telling his story over and over and, worst of all, being cross-examined in court, is something he never wants to have to repeat, even if it got easier each time he did it. Even the offer of a ghost-written book was too much to contemplate in the end. It’s not as if there need to be any more reminders anyway, as he told Cara when she relayed the offers from several publishers. The information’s out there on all the news sites and in court records. It won’t be forgotten.
The best part, though, is the government’s announcement that a monument will be created to honour Schattenwelt. He’s been consulted on the design, and he’s already promised to attend the unveiling. All three of them will.
Now, there’s no need for him to stay on Earth. There were plenty of reasons why he could have, but nothing that seemed essential. Justice is done, and recompense is being made - including an offer of generous compensation from the government to him, as the last Schatten. He refused, instead recommending that the money be used to fund scholarships for youth from the outlying colonies, and ongoing anti-racism education to make sure nothing like Pure Blood can ever emerge again.
Now, they’re back in the TARDIS, and off on a new journey. The Doctor hasn’t said where they’re going yet, and both he and Rose are itching with curiosity - it’s their first trip in close to six months. He’s about to ask yet again, but just then the Doctor looks up and beckons the two of them to the monitor. Jack frowns - just ahead, there’s a blackened sphere in unoccupied space. He hasn’t had a chance to look at the coordinates, so it means nothing to him.
The Doctor flips a switch on the console, and immediately a computer-generated voice fills the room. It’s smooth and friendly, just like millions of information-points all over the universe.
You have entered a preserved area managed by the Earth Historical Trust. Ahead of you is what remains of the planet Schattenwelt.
Jack freezes. His mouth’s open, but no words emerge.
Now he knows why the Doctor started all those conversations over the past few months, conversations that didn’t seem to make any sense at the time. Stuff about both of their lost planets, and how the Doctor couldn’t ever go back to Gallifrey because it’s time-locked, and whether Jack would go to Schattenwelt if there was anything to go back to. He would, he said. To remember, and to pay his respects.
There is something left - how, he has no idea - and the Doctor’s brought him to it.
Once a peaceful haven, colonised by Earth, in which Humans and Schattens coexisted in harmony, intermingling to create a new Human-Schatten species, this planet was the innocent victim of an act of genocide. In 5026, Standard Earth Dating, a militia calling itself Pure Blood invaded and then destroyed the planet. Only one inhabitant was ever known to survive.
The remains of Schattenwelt have been preserved as a legacy of this appalling act of genocide and exist as a reminder to future generations that the human race can never again allow such a brutal, hate-filled crime to occur.
The information reel continues, but Jack’s not listening. He turns to the Doctor, his entire body shaking. “How...? They used advanced nuclear missiles, for god’s sake! There shouldn’t have been any of the planet left! It should’ve been burned to dust!”
“Oh, it’s possible to extinguish a nuclear fire.” There’s a very faint smile on the Doctor’s lips. “If you know what you’re doing.”
And the Doctor does. He did this. He saved Schattenwelt from being completely reduced to dust, and thanks to him something of the planet’s been salvaged.
“There’s an exclusion zone around the planet,” the Doctor continues. He leans forward, flipping a switch, and the information broadcast falls silent. “If we went any closer, there’d be all sorts of warnings. Radiation,” he explains with a faint shrug. “Wouldn’t hurt us - we’re safe in the TARDIS. Any other ship’d be vulnerable. Safe enough out here, though.”
“How long... after... are we?” Rose asks.
“Fifty years or so,” the Doctor answers, and his gaze is fixed on the screen. “The human race remembers. Not for that long, mind,” he adds with a sardonic smile. “You’re never gonna stop prejudice or unprovoked attacks. ‘S just not possible. But for a while, Jack - thanks to this an’ a few museums on Earth - for a while the human race remembers an’ treats its neighbours well. That’s Schattenwelt’s legacy - an’ yours, Jack.”
“Yeah,” he whispers. He reaches for both of them, pulling them close to him and hugging them. “Thank you, Doctor. And you, Rose. I could never have got through this without either of you.”
“Welcome,” the Doctor says, leaning in for a brief kiss before leading them across the room and flinging the doors open. They stand together, arms wrapped around each other, silently honouring the dead.
***
They’ve just closed the door and the Doctor’s suggested going to New Rusholme for dinner - best balti and naan bread in six galaxies - when her phone rings. Surprised, she fishes it out of her pocket. “Yeah, hi, Mum.”
“Can you come home, Rose? Now?”
The agitation in her mum’s voice has her on full alert. “What’s wrong?”
“Just come home. Please, love.”
“All right.” She turns to the Doctor; he nods and heads for the console, hand out for her phone. “We’re on our way.”
Five minutes later, they’ve materialised in her parents’ living-room and the three of them hurry out. “Blimey, that was quick!” her dad exclaims. “Jacks just put the phone down ten seconds ago.”
“Time machine.” The Doctor steps forward. “What’s the problem? Rose said you sounded worried.”
“You better go out into the garden, love,” her mum says, still sounding anxious. “Go on, hurry.”
She looks at the Doctor and Jack, giving them a helpless shrug, and heads to the French windows. They’re right behind her as she pushes the slider open and steps outside.
There, in the middle of the garden, is a blue box, identical to the one they’ve just left.
A movement catches her eye. A man steps away from the side of the TARDIS - a tall, lanky man, dressed all in brown, and with hair that looks like it’s been dragged through a hedge backwards. A brilliant smile lights up his face.
“Hello, Rose.”
***
tbc in Chapter 6: Decision
Author: wmr / wendymr
Characters: Rose Tyler, Ninth Doctor (Pete's World), Jack Harkness (Pete's World); cameo appearances by Jackie and Pete Tyler and one or two OCs.
Universe: Through A Glass Darkly
Rated: Up to Mature
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters owned or inspired by the BBC series and its associated writers. No infringement of copyright intended and no profit of any kind is being made by this story
Summary: Jack can't avoid fifty-first century Earth for ever. He has to go back, and soon.
Written for wiggiemomsi and the Posse (and even sneakymaster) in return for an extremely generous donation to Support Stacie. With very grateful thanks to dark_aegis and yamx for BRing, and also my appreciation to honorh and canaana for some comments which inspired aspects of the story. This is a direct sequel to Through A Glass Darkly and may not make sense if you haven't read that story.
And, yes, it's morphed, just a little ;)
Chapter 1: Desensitising l Chapter 2: Division l Chapter 3: Going Public l Chapter 4: Testimonial
Chapter 5: Realignment
They’re both staring at him as if he’s got two heads. But they’ve never had to live with the kind of knowledge that’s always in his head without him even thinking about it.
Oh, he told Rose some of what he knows; just a little bit of the vague timeline he’s aware of as far as Jack’s concerned. But only enough so that she understood that he really did have good reasons to bring Jack back to Earth. Certainly not the rest of it: the murky threads, far from being completely visible to him, but at least some of which show Jack as a crucial part of this planet’s future. A future that probably means Jack needs to stay on Earth.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jack demands, leaping out of bed.
He opens his mouth to try to explain, or at least give part of the story, but Rose gets in first. “No talking until after breakfast. I mean it,” she adds as Jack gives her an incredulous look. “None of us had much to eat yesterday - I bet even if they brought you food, Jack, you didn’t feel like eating.” Jack’s reaction is proof that she’s right. “So, breakfast first, an’ then you can shout at the Doctor all you like.”
Anger’s written all over Jack’s face and he’s about to object, but then his stomach rumbles. Loudly. He pulls a face, then barks out a short laugh. “S’pose you’re right, Rose. Okay, breakfast it is.”
“And you can put some clothes on first,” Rose adds, sliding out of bed herself and picking up her dressing-gown. “Not denyin’ I like looking at your body, but not over tea and toast, please.”
Jack pretends to look offended, and the heavy weight on the Doctor’s hearts eases a little. If the lad’s genuinely as furious as he sounded a few minutes ago, he wouldn’t be able to joke around. Maybe Jack really did mean it when he said last night that they’d fix this.
The ritual of breakfast - making tea and toast, setting the table and passing each other milk, butter and marmalade - is oddly comforting. Probably because it’s normal. But despite Rose’s instruction, Jack doesn’t wait until they’ve finished.
“What did you mean by that crap about thinking I was going to leave you anyway?”
He forcibly suppresses a flinch, disguising his reaction by taking a long gulp of tea.
“Told Rose this already. After you ran off,” he says, reluctant but knowing he needs to. If he’s going to win Jack’s trust back, he has to start with some honesty. And, really, when did he stop being honest with the lad? All right, he’s never told Jack everything, but he never used to lie, either. Or mislead him.
“Yeah?” Jack’s listening, waiting for more but not giving any hint of encouragement besides that.
“I saw part of your timeline. That’s why I brought you back to Earth.” Jack’s shock is understandable; after all, how many times has he told the bloke, over the years, that looking into the future of people close to him is dangerous and he won’t do it, even if he could see it clearly? “Was after I got you off Schattenwelt,” he explains. “Never told you, but you almost died. For at least two days, I thought...” He pulls a face. “Thought you were dying, that the burns and injuries were too much even for the TARDIS to save you. That’s when I did it. Wanted to know if... Anyway, that’s why.”
“You wanted to know if I was gonna live,” Jack says, his voice soft. “If I had that ability, I don’t think anything would’ve stopped me from doing the same.”
He nods, getting to his feet and starting to pace. “Yeah. Anyway, I saw you. Alive, healthy an’ well. Back on Earth in your time, an’ doing something vital to the future of the planet. Didn’t know what - it was too murky - but I knew you had to come back. And soon, cause you didn’t look one day older than the last time I’d seen you in one piece.”
“And you couldn’t tell me any of this?” Jack demands, jumping to his feet, his entire body agitated. Then, immediately, he answers his own question, and his shoulders slump. “No. Of course you couldn’t.”
“Timelines,” he says in answer. Jack knows only too well what he means.
“I wouldn’t have believed you,” Jack says, still standing. “That I’d go back at all, let alone that I’d end up doing something important.”
Relief whooshes out of him. Jack understands. “Exactly.”
“So you just thought you’d spring it on me without any warning. Like a damn surprise party.”
The blunt sarcasm in Jack’s voice flays him, especially after his lover’s calm acceptance moments before. “I’m...”
“Save it,” Jack raps out. “Yeah, I want a proper apology. But first I want to know what you meant about thinking I’d leave you anyway.”
He gestures helplessly; surely Jack can work it out? “I told you. You’re part of something really important. Can’t do that and still be here.”
Jack looks sceptical, but it’s Rose who speaks. “Why not, Doctor? Jack’s already done the important thing, hasn’t he? You said so. He’s exposed Pure Blood. That’s gonna mean something big for Earth. Sorta like the Nuremberg Trials an’ all the stuff that came after that, right?”
“I don’t know!” he exclaims, allowing his frustration to escape. “Like I said, it’s murky, and I shouldn’t even be telling you this, but I don’t think Jack’s part in things is over.”
Jack slams his hand down on the table. “I don’t believe I’m hearing this. You thought I was gonna end up leaving you because of something I apparently have to do back on Earth, so instead of trying to help me do what I have to do and then come back for me afterwards you do the one thing that’s guaranteed to push me away? How does that make any sense?”
Into the silence that follows, Rose says, “Okay, you two really, really need to talk about this. And I need to shower and get dressed, so I think I’ll just leave you to it.” She crosses the kitchen, her body moving stiffly, but she stops in front of the Doctor. “An’ I’m expecting you to have this sorted by the time I see either of you again, you hear?” Her finger pokes him in the chest.
He watches her go, and wonders how he can have failed to realise that this isn’t just affecting him and Jack. She’s not taking sides, either, which is far more than he deserves, after the mess he’s made of this entire episode.
“Well, Doctor?” Jack’s snapped question drags him back to the subject at hand. “Can you explain that?”
***
Damn. They chased Rose away. Though it’s probably best that she doesn’t hear this - it’s likely to get ugly before it gets better.
“No.”
He blinks, then stares at the Doctor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The Doctor steps backwards, leaning his shoulders against the wall, as if he needs it to hold him up. “No, I can’t explain it.”
“Why not?” Rage pours from him.
“Because I don’t know why.” The Doctor stares at the floor.
“That’s bollocks!” The words explode from him. “You’re a damn genius. Of course you can fucking well explain what was going on inside that thick skull of yours. So no more excuses!”
The Doctor raises his head, meeting Jack’s gaze. “You’re in love with me.”
The words, said in as toneless a voice as he’s ever heard from the Doctor, hit him with the force of a blow. Goddamnit! It was understood between them that his idiotic, pathetic confession of a few years earlier would never be mentioned again. That they’d both forget he’d ever said it.
“You thought I didn’t remember?” The Doctor’s voice is soft now, and full of self-chastisement. “You’re in love with me, and how do I repay that love? I have to take you back to the last place in the universe you want to be. You love me, and I have to repay that love by betraying you.”
“I never asked you to repay it,” he whispers, almost choking with the effort required to squeeze the words out past the pain in his chest.
“It was the one place in the universe you never wanted to see again,” the Doctor continues, ignoring his interruption. “And I was going to take you there regardless of how you felt. Would it’ve been better - kinder - to sit you down and tell you I had to bring you there, without telling you why, and persuade you against your will to say yes? To use your love for me to make you agree?” The Doctor shakes his head, a sharp, vicious movement. “Couldn’t do that, lad.”
Because, to the Doctor, that would have been a worse betrayal. Better taking him back without warning, and taking the consequences, than obtaining reluctant consent that Jack would have resented the Doctor for demanding.
Shaken, he can’t find the words to respond. Now that he understands, this is just so like the Doctor. So stupidly, idiotically naïve, and yet completely in line with the Doctor’s own personal code of honour.
He owes the Doctor some kind of recognition of his confession, though. “Doctor...” he begins, searching for the right words.
“Know I was wrong.” The Doctor cuts across him. “Should’ve realised it myself, but it was Rose who made me see it. Asked me how I’d have felt bein’ confronted with Daleks barely a year after the Time War.” The Doctor grimaces. “Anyway. You said I’d need to grovel. Not gonna do that, though.”
“No?” He shouldn’t be surprised, really. The Doctor doesn’t grovel. Not to anyone. And, if he’s honest, he doesn’t want his lover to, anyway. They’ve fought before, over the years, and apologies were always enough.
“No. Grovellin’d be too easy. You deserve better.” The Doctor steps away from the wall and comes closer, stopping when he’s about an arm’s-length away. Fathomless blue-grey eyes meet his, their expression unreadable. “I love you, Captain Jack Harkness.” His lover’s voice is hoarse, almost cracking on the words - words that make Jack reel in shock. “Forgive me?” He hesitates, then adds, “I’ll understand if you can’t.”
Jack takes the final step that brings them together, and rests his hands on the Doctor’s shoulders. “Idiot. Course I forgive you. I just needed you to tell me why. And, yeah,” he adds as the other point at issue comes back to him. “To know that you respect me enough to ask in future instead of making decisions for me.”
“You sayin’ you’d have preferred me to ask, even if I was gonna take you there anyway?” The Doctor’s not taking him up on the invitation to get closer still.
“Of course I would! I might not have liked it,” he concedes - okay, damn right he’d have hated it. “But at least you’d have been treating me as an adult. As an equal partner in this relationship. I am capable of agreeing to something I don’t want to do if I know it’s the right thing to do, Doctor.”
It takes a moment, but the Doctor nods. “Right. You are, an’ I knew that. Won’t do it again.”
“Good.” Jack leans in and presses his lips hard against the Doctor’s for a moment. “See that you don’t.”
The Doctor smiles faintly, then digs a hand in his jeans pocket. A moment later, he’s holding out a key. “Want this back?”
He was afraid the Doctor was going to make him ask for it. “Yes. Please.”
He reaches for it, and as he closes his hand around the warm metal the Doctor finally leans closer and kisses him.
***
She’s taken a long shower and got dressed - in her own bedroom, rather than the room she’s shared with the Doctor and Jack for the past six months, because for some reason she can’t really articulate she didn’t feel right using that room. Now, she’s at the dressing-table, drying her hair and thinking - fretting - about the two of them.
Are they beating lumps out of each other? Shagging each other silly on the kitchen floor? Is Jack fit to walk out again... or are they actually managing to get through to each other?
And where does she fit into this awkward, lop-sided threesome?
Oh, it’s not as if she didn’t know what she was letting herself in for when they invited her to share their bed and their relationship. She was well aware of how long the two of them had known each other, and how much they cared about each other. But they were persuasive... very persuasive. And very convincing about how much they wanted her to be part of their lives.
The last six months have been good - very good. Yes, there’ve been times when it’s been obvious that she is the odd one out, the one who doesn’t share all the memories the two of them have, the one who doesn’t read the unspoken signals. But they’ve been building new memories, learning new shared signals. It’s been more than enough for her, and so very worth accepting the times when she does feel like the outsider.
In the kitchen, though, once they started arguing, she might as well have been invisible. Not to mention what might have happened - what might still happen - if the two of them decided they couldn’t fix this. If Jack did walk out, where would that leave her?
No. She’s being selfish, when what she should be worried about is how much it’ll hurt both of them if they can’t-
The door to her room swings open suddenly. “Rose! There you are! We’ve been searching all over.”
Right behind Jack, the Doctor walks in. “Couldn’t find you. You weren’t in our room.” He sounds more worried than irritated. “You all right?”
She lays down her brush and stands, summoning a bright smile. “Course I am! Just wanted you two to have time to sort things out.” Her gaze flits from one to the other. Apart from concern that seems to be directed at her, they look okay. No sign at all of the edginess of earlier, the anger that was just simmering beneath the surface in Jack’s behaviour over breakfast.
“We’re fine,” Jack says, his tone reassuring. “It’s okay, really it is. He apologised. Grovelled.” His mouth curves into a grin. “I forgave him.” He takes a couple of steps closer to her and slides his arm around her shoulders. “Do you forgive us?”
“What for?”
“Drivin’ you out,” the Doctor says, coming nearer. “Makin’ you so uncomfortable that you left us to it.”
Her heart swells. They noticed - and actually came to apologise? She reaches for both of them. “ ‘S all right. You needed to sort it, an’ it was easier without me around, right?”
“You were as involved as we were,” the Doctor says soberly. “You were there. An’ that reminds me - thanks for putting up with me yesterday. Dunno what I’d have done if you hadn’t stayed with me. Even if Jack might’ve needed you more.”
She meets Jack’s gaze at that. He says nothing, but his eyes confirm what she’s known ever since he ran off: yesterday would have been easier for him if she’d gone with him. “Wanted to cut myself in two,” she admits. “Knew the Doctor needed me, Jack, but you did too, didn’t you?”
“Hey, you did what you had to,” he says, hugging her again. “And I didn’t exactly wait around for you, did I?” He presses another kiss to her lips, and then to the Doctor’s, before dropping his arms from the two of them. “Anyway, suppose it’s time to go and see Cara. Find out what I have to do next.”
The Doctor steps back, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “Time machine. Don’t have to do it today.”
“Nah. I want to get it over with. Doctor, I want to see this through now. Make sure those bastards get what’s coming to them.” Jack takes a deep breath, then swallows. “You were right. I did need to go back. It’s always just burned that they got away with it, you know? That not one single person on that goddamned planet said a word against their xenophobic shit. And now I’ve seen that there are people standing up and saying they’re wrong - even if they didn’t do it until the damage was done. And I have a chance to make sure those bastards pay.” Jack’s eyes burn with fury. “If it takes years, I’m not leaving until it’s done.”
The Doctor looks down at the floor. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.” Before Jack can answer, he’s moving. “Right! Time to go.”
On the way through the console room, Jack halts. “You know what you said, Doctor, about thinking I’d have to stay on Earth for some reason? And, yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe I will have to if I’m gonna see this through.”
“Yeah?”
“Time machine! What’s stopping you just coming and getting me when whatever I have to do is done? Or going back to the way it used to be - you coming to see me every six months or so in my timeline. And I know you preferred that, so don’t pretend you didn’t.”
Rose stifles an instinctive protest. Jack’s right. That’s how they managed things all the time until Jack’s planet was blown up. And, from everything she’s learned from the two of them, it suited both of them. Why wouldn’t they go back to the way things were, now that Jack’s well on the way to recovery?
And if they do, what would she do? Would she stay on the TARDIS? Would the Doctor even want her to? Should she go with Jack, so that he’s not alone? But how can she possibly choose between them? She loves them both.
“Know I could. Changed my mind,” the Doctor retorts. “I like it this way.”
Instantly, the tension building in her disappears - but only until she remembers. What if the Doctor’s right, and Jack has no choice but to stay on Earth?
***
He materialises the TARDIS inside Cara’s office, mainly to give her a hint as to just who she’s dealing with. Yesterday, she was the one with all the power, and while he didn’t have a problem with that - it helped Jack, after all - if a bit of showiness will help to encourage her to do her very best for Jack he’s not above it. Not at all.
Cara’s jaw’s still slack as they walk out of the TARDIS, but she recovers quickly. “Good thing you came this way. My office has been staked out by reporters since last night. If I’d known how to contact you, I’d have arranged to meet you somewhere else.”
“Shit.” Jack pulls a face. “Should’ve expected it, I suppose.” He starts to pace. “Okay, what’s happening?”
The lawyer smiles. “A lot. Arrest-warrants went out for the leadership of Pure Blood last night. As of a couple of hours ago, six arrests have been made and more are pending. The party’s bleeding membership - prominent citizens are queuing up to say how badly misled they were and dissociate themselves publicly from the organisation.”
“Hypocrites,” Rose snaps. The Doctor nods agreement.
“You’ll have to be available for interview by the Office of Public Prosecutions, Jack. And testify at the trial.”
Jack turns and nods. “Tell me when and I’ll be there.” There’s not the faintest hesitation in his voice. And, much as he’d love to protect the lad from having to talk about what happened again and again, the Doctor knows that this is probably the best thing for Jack now.
“And one more thing.” Cara’s searching through papers on her desk. “I received a message from Time Agency command. They want you back, Jack. They’re offering you a promotion to Major as soon as all the legal matters are dealt with. A commendation, too.”
The Doctor’s hearts sink. This is it - this is why Jack leaves. Has to be. He loved being a Time Agent. It was all the sixteen-year-old boy he first met, and watched grow up, ever wanted. This is an offer he won’t be able to refuse.
His gaze falls on Rose, still standing by the TARDIS door. She’s chewing her lip and staring at the floor.
And then Jack laughs. “You’re joking. They couldn’t accept my resignation quick enough before. And now they want me back?” He shakes his head. “No chance.”
He tries to hide his relief. This has to be Jack’s decision. He’s interfered enough.
Cara grins. “Good. You’re going to get a lot more offers - better ones, too - before this is over. Just for starters-” The Doctor’s gaze shoots to her again and, right behind him, he can feel Rose tensing a second time. “-this morning I was approached by someone wanting to back you financially to run for the political office of your choice.”
“Huh?” Jack sounds bewildered.
“You heard. Assembly-member, mayor, even president if it appeals to you. And, given the way the media’s in love with you this morning - have you looked at the holosites? - I wouldn’t bet against you winning.”
“Okay...” Jack says slowly, then pauses to take a deep breath. “Let’s concentrate on getting the trial out of the way. Then we’ll see.”
With a nod, Cara directs them to take a seat, and it’s down to business for the next couple of hours. By the time they’re back inside the TARDIS, Jack’s got a series of appointments lined up for the next week, including several sessions with Cara to prepare for his interviews with the prosecutors and for his court appearance. And, to the Doctor’s relief, Jack’s not at all upset or withdrawn at the prospect of everything he’s got to do to see this through. On the contrary, he’s energised by it all. That’s good. No matter what else happens, that’s good.
“Right. We need to talk. All three of us.” The stern note in Jack’s voice makes the Doctor frown as he looks at his lover. Beside Jack, Rose is looking worried again.
“What about?” he asks.
“You two trusting me,” Jack retorts. “Don’t pretend. I saw your faces when Cara mentioned the Time Agency and the political stuff. I’m not looking for things to do, you hear? If there’s something I have to do to make sure a group like Pure Blood never happens again, then so be it, but what I want is to stay with you. Like you said, Doctor, I prefer it this way. So do me the favour of believing I mean that, instead of thinking I’m gonna jump ship the first chance I get, okay?”
Rose moves first, wrapping her arms around Jack. “Okay.”
The Doctor hugs both of them. “Right. Yeah.” He does trust Jack, of course he does. It’s the future he doesn’t completely trust - but then it probably serves him right for looking into Jack’s timelines in the first place.
***
It takes months, in the end, but in Jack’s opinion it’s time very well spent, even if the Doctor does occasionally get impatient and frustrated at being stuck in one place and in linear time for so long. With Jack’s encouragement, he disappears in the TARDIS for a couple of short trips, though he’s never gone for more than a few hours at a time - at least, Jack and Rose’s time. He never says how long it was for him.
They could have gone with him any time, and the Doctor did suggest it, but Jack’s seen the Doctor get his arrival dates wrong enough times not to want to take that risk. Once Rose confesses that her Doctor did it too, his resolve’s strengthened. Get the trial over with, he tells the Doctor, and then they’ll all leave together.
By the time it’s all over, fifteen members of the leadership of Pure Blood have been convicted of ordering the destruction of Schattenwelt. They’re all on the prison colony now and will stay there for the rest of their lives. Thanks to a few others agreeing to testify against their associates, some of the militia who carried out the attack are also now in prison, along with several Pure Blood foot-soldiers, convicted of hate propaganda and inciting racial violence.
It wasn’t easy. Telling his story over and over and, worst of all, being cross-examined in court, is something he never wants to have to repeat, even if it got easier each time he did it. Even the offer of a ghost-written book was too much to contemplate in the end. It’s not as if there need to be any more reminders anyway, as he told Cara when she relayed the offers from several publishers. The information’s out there on all the news sites and in court records. It won’t be forgotten.
The best part, though, is the government’s announcement that a monument will be created to honour Schattenwelt. He’s been consulted on the design, and he’s already promised to attend the unveiling. All three of them will.
Now, there’s no need for him to stay on Earth. There were plenty of reasons why he could have, but nothing that seemed essential. Justice is done, and recompense is being made - including an offer of generous compensation from the government to him, as the last Schatten. He refused, instead recommending that the money be used to fund scholarships for youth from the outlying colonies, and ongoing anti-racism education to make sure nothing like Pure Blood can ever emerge again.
Now, they’re back in the TARDIS, and off on a new journey. The Doctor hasn’t said where they’re going yet, and both he and Rose are itching with curiosity - it’s their first trip in close to six months. He’s about to ask yet again, but just then the Doctor looks up and beckons the two of them to the monitor. Jack frowns - just ahead, there’s a blackened sphere in unoccupied space. He hasn’t had a chance to look at the coordinates, so it means nothing to him.
The Doctor flips a switch on the console, and immediately a computer-generated voice fills the room. It’s smooth and friendly, just like millions of information-points all over the universe.
You have entered a preserved area managed by the Earth Historical Trust. Ahead of you is what remains of the planet Schattenwelt.
Jack freezes. His mouth’s open, but no words emerge.
Now he knows why the Doctor started all those conversations over the past few months, conversations that didn’t seem to make any sense at the time. Stuff about both of their lost planets, and how the Doctor couldn’t ever go back to Gallifrey because it’s time-locked, and whether Jack would go to Schattenwelt if there was anything to go back to. He would, he said. To remember, and to pay his respects.
There is something left - how, he has no idea - and the Doctor’s brought him to it.
Once a peaceful haven, colonised by Earth, in which Humans and Schattens coexisted in harmony, intermingling to create a new Human-Schatten species, this planet was the innocent victim of an act of genocide. In 5026, Standard Earth Dating, a militia calling itself Pure Blood invaded and then destroyed the planet. Only one inhabitant was ever known to survive.
The remains of Schattenwelt have been preserved as a legacy of this appalling act of genocide and exist as a reminder to future generations that the human race can never again allow such a brutal, hate-filled crime to occur.
The information reel continues, but Jack’s not listening. He turns to the Doctor, his entire body shaking. “How...? They used advanced nuclear missiles, for god’s sake! There shouldn’t have been any of the planet left! It should’ve been burned to dust!”
“Oh, it’s possible to extinguish a nuclear fire.” There’s a very faint smile on the Doctor’s lips. “If you know what you’re doing.”
And the Doctor does. He did this. He saved Schattenwelt from being completely reduced to dust, and thanks to him something of the planet’s been salvaged.
“There’s an exclusion zone around the planet,” the Doctor continues. He leans forward, flipping a switch, and the information broadcast falls silent. “If we went any closer, there’d be all sorts of warnings. Radiation,” he explains with a faint shrug. “Wouldn’t hurt us - we’re safe in the TARDIS. Any other ship’d be vulnerable. Safe enough out here, though.”
“How long... after... are we?” Rose asks.
“Fifty years or so,” the Doctor answers, and his gaze is fixed on the screen. “The human race remembers. Not for that long, mind,” he adds with a sardonic smile. “You’re never gonna stop prejudice or unprovoked attacks. ‘S just not possible. But for a while, Jack - thanks to this an’ a few museums on Earth - for a while the human race remembers an’ treats its neighbours well. That’s Schattenwelt’s legacy - an’ yours, Jack.”
“Yeah,” he whispers. He reaches for both of them, pulling them close to him and hugging them. “Thank you, Doctor. And you, Rose. I could never have got through this without either of you.”
“Welcome,” the Doctor says, leaning in for a brief kiss before leading them across the room and flinging the doors open. They stand together, arms wrapped around each other, silently honouring the dead.
***
They’ve just closed the door and the Doctor’s suggested going to New Rusholme for dinner - best balti and naan bread in six galaxies - when her phone rings. Surprised, she fishes it out of her pocket. “Yeah, hi, Mum.”
“Can you come home, Rose? Now?”
The agitation in her mum’s voice has her on full alert. “What’s wrong?”
“Just come home. Please, love.”
“All right.” She turns to the Doctor; he nods and heads for the console, hand out for her phone. “We’re on our way.”
Five minutes later, they’ve materialised in her parents’ living-room and the three of them hurry out. “Blimey, that was quick!” her dad exclaims. “Jacks just put the phone down ten seconds ago.”
“Time machine.” The Doctor steps forward. “What’s the problem? Rose said you sounded worried.”
“You better go out into the garden, love,” her mum says, still sounding anxious. “Go on, hurry.”
She looks at the Doctor and Jack, giving them a helpless shrug, and heads to the French windows. They’re right behind her as she pushes the slider open and steps outside.
There, in the middle of the garden, is a blue box, identical to the one they’ve just left.
A movement catches her eye. A man steps away from the side of the TARDIS - a tall, lanky man, dressed all in brown, and with hair that looks like it’s been dragged through a hedge backwards. A brilliant smile lights up his face.
“Hello, Rose.”
***
tbc in Chapter 6: Decision