Hostile Reunion
So here is the next oneshot. It's going to be a while before there's another one. Our niece has moved in and is getting used to our home. I've been writing when she's sleeping. Yesterday I wrote a bunch while she watched Barney.
This oneshot is a little short, but I think it accomplished what I wanted it to do. Also, the Empress Hotel is a hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where they served afternoon tea every day at noon.
Rated R for a little language.
As always, I don't own Ten, Donna, Jack, Ten II, Jack, Ianto, Gwen, or Doctor Who. The BBC does. Please read and enjoy...
Jack had held off on calling the Doctor for a few hours, and Lex forced himself to have patience. He played a little with Susie, talked with Gwen and Ianto, played around on the computer, and every once and a while give Jack a small glare hoping this would make the man call the TARDIS. Lex’s final glare made Jack decide to go ahead.
He’d placed the call, and was relieved to hear that Belle had woken up. But he ended up having to face Lex and tell him that they were staying where they were for a while. He told Wilf that he needed the Doctor to come to Cardiff, and Wilf said he’d pass on the message, but to not count on any visit any time soon. No matter what the reason. Belle had been deathly ill, and they just weren’t ready to resume their lives. Especially Donna. Belle’s illness had hit Donna pretty hard. Lex knew he would feel the same had it been Susie that ill, but it still rankled him. But he would not begrudge Donna. His issues were with the Doctor and the Doctor alone.
~*~*~*~*~
Finally after a week and a half of waiting in which Lex had managed to dismantle and reassemble Gwen and Ianto’s computers as well as circumvent Torchwood’s security systems twice (Jack was still repairing that), the Doctor called Jack. It had taken some convincing, as Jack wouldn’t tell the Doctor what he needed him for exactly. Just that he was needed, and he really should come to Cardiff post haste. Preferably without Sylvia or Wilf. In Jack’s mind the fewer people there to see the reunion of two brothers that was unlikely to be pleasant, the better. He was confident he, Ianto and Gwen could handle the Doctor and Lex if physical violence broke out, and Donna could look after Belle and Susie.
When the TARDIS arrived, in the hub per Jack’s request, Lex was seated on the couch faced away from the blue police box. Susie was asleep in the makeshift bassinette she’d been using since their arrival as Lex refused to leave the hub until he spoke with the Doctor. He heard the door open, and the sound of the Doctor’s voice, and then Donna’s. He listened as they told the Torchwood staff about what had happened to Belle and her recovery. He stayed still as they walked around the hub as they talked. Finally there was a silence.
“So, what am I doing here, Jack?” the Doctor asked into the silence.
“Where’s Belle?” Jack glanced at the couch where Lex sat still unnoticed.
“Asleep in her room. She’s still getting better. Still tires easily.”
Jack went to say more, but the sound of a baby’s coo interrupted them. “Is that a baby?” Donna asked looking towards the sound.
“Uh…yeah. It is actually, but Gwen has it in hand,” he waved to her and she picked up the infant who quieted.
“What’s a baby doing at Torchwood?” the Doctor gave him a look. “You didn’t take it did you? Or is it an alien? You’re not keeping it in the cells are you?”
“No. NO!” Jack said. “Of course we wouldn’t keep her in the cell. What do you take us for?”
“Then why is it here? What are you doing with it?”
“She. She’s a girl, her name is Donna Sue, and she’s my daughter,” the Doctor, and Jack turned towards the couch where Lex had stood up. He moved out of the shadows and towards the group.
The Doctor and Donna stared at him. Their jaws dropped and they circled him. “You’re…you shouldn’t be here,” the Doctor said. “You were in the other universe.”
“Yeah. I was,” Lex fixed him with a glare.
“How did you get here? Why are you here? Where’s Rose? And a daughter? Who’s her mother? Rose is alright isn’t she?” the Doctor asked, the alarm in his voice increasing with each question.
Lex rolled his eyes, and took his daughter from Gwen. “Why do you care about Rose? What has she done for you that warrants your concern? I could tell you what she’s done that warrants a trial from the Shadow Proclamation, but you wouldn’t want to hear about that, would you,” he sneered, giving the Time Lord a look of loathing. “Precious little Rose. Can’t do anything wrong in your eyes.”
“Now wait just a moment,” the Doctor said, anger flaring in his eyes, showing the rise in temper. “Rose was only trying-“
“Trying to what? Destroy the multiverses? Because that’s what she almost did. But too blind to see that, you are.”
“Excuse me?” the Doctor said. “I’m not condoning what Rose did. I’m just saying-“
“NO!” Lex roared. “No, you’re going to listen to me. You can piss off when I’m done, for all I care, but you’re going to listen to me now.”
“I-“
“Doctor, just…just let him have his say,” Jack said. “He’s got that right, and he’s come all this way.”
“Jack,” the Doctor muttered. Donna took his hand, gave him a small kiss and asked him to let Lex speak, to hear him out. He agreed.
Lex told him what had happened in the other universe, from working at Torchwood to Susie’s conception and how he worked out getting back to the original universe without damaging the fabric of time and space. He handed Susie to Donna who stayed by the Doctor’s side. When Lex was done, the Doctor just stared at him. He wasn’t sure what to say. He knew Rose was impulsive and a little selfish, but would she really go to the lengths Lex had described? Then again, what happened with the Crucible and Daleks might not have happened if she hadn’t used the Dimension Cannon. And what about Lex? He’d crossed the void. How much damage had he done?
“None,” Lex growled, making the Doctor jump as he was unaware that Lex was in his mind. “Oh, relax. I’m not reading your mind. I’m you in a manner of speaking. I know what you’re thinking. Whether or not I damaged the walls. I didn’t. I used that piece of TARDIS to scan for stable breaches. And I used one.”
“Why are you here?” the Doctor asked again. “Why did you come back?”
“I never intended to stay. I wasn’t given a choice when you left me there, but damned if I was going to choose to stay there. Especially not with that stupid blonde bint.”
“You weren’t given a choice because it was an exile for genocide,” the Doctor countered. “You were born in anger and you were dangerous. I still think you are, though you’re a father now, so you might be a little better. Not quite as dangerous.”
“Genocide. You exiled me for genocide. That’s your reasoning?”
“Yes,” the Doctor heard a squeaking sound, but chose to ignore it.
“Why didn’t you exile yourself then?”
“What do you mean?”
“You commited genocide. You killed our people. Burned our planet. You killed the Daleks too. Why didn’t you exile yourself? Why do you get to get away with it, but others don’t? How many species did Rose destroy in her blind ambition to get to you? Why do you and Rose get a get out of jail free card?”
“Rose didn’t get away with it. She was sent back to that universe along with you. She is not relevant to this discussion. This is about you and why you’re here. And as for me, what happened to Gallifrey and our people was a result of the Time War, you know that. That was war.”
“And what the hell do you think the Rassilon damned Crucible was? Fucking tea at the Empress? That was war just as much as the Time War was. Worse even as all creation was at stake. You diminish Donna, what she did, and the resulting loss of her memories by stating it wasn’t a war.”
“Leave Donna out of this. I did what I had to. The metacrisis was killing her. It almost killed her twice. I’m so thankful she’s back with me now. I am not now, nor will I ever diminish what she did. She is the most important woman in all of creation. You would do well not to use her for your argument’s sake,” the Oncoming Storm began to assert itself. He noticed that the TARDIS door had been opened but saw no one there.
“Oh, what are you going to do? Send me back? I’ll kill you first. And I’ve got your mind in mine. I know how to kill a Time Lord and make sure he stays dead. You’ll not send me back there,” Lex had moved towards the Doctor, a matching Oncoming Storm look on his face. Unlike the Doctor, he’d noticed the small girl now in the TARDIS doorway, and so kept his voice low so she wouldn’t hear his threat.
The Doctor felt Donna move next to him, he looked at her, and then saw Belle in the doorway of the TARDIS, her eyes huge in her still too pale face. He schooled his features to look calmer than he felt, though Belle couldn’t see it. “Take the baby in the TARDIS with Belle.”
“Take my daughter no where,” Lex snarled, moving to take her from Donna’s arms. But Jack stepped forward, placing himself in between Lex and Donna.
“Gwen will go with Donna. Nothing will happen to Susie. I promise,” Jack gave the Doctor a look, before turning back to Lex. “Susie doesn’t need to be out here with all this tension. You know she doesn’t.”
Lex stood staring at Donna and Susie, before relaxing himself slightly at the scared look on the girl he assumed was Belle’s face. He looked closer at the girl, noticing the milky look of her eyes. She was blind? Deciding finding out about Belle could wait until later, he went back to matters at hand. He trusted Donna and he knew Susie would be safe with her. But he also liked the added assurance of Gwen’s presence.
“Doctor?” Belle’s voice was quiet, her face having turned to his shimmer. “Who is the shape over there?” she gestured towards Lex. “Why did he say you killed your people? Did you? Is that why you’re the last Time Lord? Why Gall-i-frey is gone?”
There was silence following her questions, and for one of the rare moments in his life, the Doctor had no idea what to say.
This oneshot is a little short, but I think it accomplished what I wanted it to do. Also, the Empress Hotel is a hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where they served afternoon tea every day at noon.
Rated R for a little language.
As always, I don't own Ten, Donna, Jack, Ten II, Jack, Ianto, Gwen, or Doctor Who. The BBC does. Please read and enjoy...
Jack had held off on calling the Doctor for a few hours, and Lex forced himself to have patience. He played a little with Susie, talked with Gwen and Ianto, played around on the computer, and every once and a while give Jack a small glare hoping this would make the man call the TARDIS. Lex’s final glare made Jack decide to go ahead.
He’d placed the call, and was relieved to hear that Belle had woken up. But he ended up having to face Lex and tell him that they were staying where they were for a while. He told Wilf that he needed the Doctor to come to Cardiff, and Wilf said he’d pass on the message, but to not count on any visit any time soon. No matter what the reason. Belle had been deathly ill, and they just weren’t ready to resume their lives. Especially Donna. Belle’s illness had hit Donna pretty hard. Lex knew he would feel the same had it been Susie that ill, but it still rankled him. But he would not begrudge Donna. His issues were with the Doctor and the Doctor alone.
~*~*~*~*~
Finally after a week and a half of waiting in which Lex had managed to dismantle and reassemble Gwen and Ianto’s computers as well as circumvent Torchwood’s security systems twice (Jack was still repairing that), the Doctor called Jack. It had taken some convincing, as Jack wouldn’t tell the Doctor what he needed him for exactly. Just that he was needed, and he really should come to Cardiff post haste. Preferably without Sylvia or Wilf. In Jack’s mind the fewer people there to see the reunion of two brothers that was unlikely to be pleasant, the better. He was confident he, Ianto and Gwen could handle the Doctor and Lex if physical violence broke out, and Donna could look after Belle and Susie.
When the TARDIS arrived, in the hub per Jack’s request, Lex was seated on the couch faced away from the blue police box. Susie was asleep in the makeshift bassinette she’d been using since their arrival as Lex refused to leave the hub until he spoke with the Doctor. He heard the door open, and the sound of the Doctor’s voice, and then Donna’s. He listened as they told the Torchwood staff about what had happened to Belle and her recovery. He stayed still as they walked around the hub as they talked. Finally there was a silence.
“So, what am I doing here, Jack?” the Doctor asked into the silence.
“Where’s Belle?” Jack glanced at the couch where Lex sat still unnoticed.
“Asleep in her room. She’s still getting better. Still tires easily.”
Jack went to say more, but the sound of a baby’s coo interrupted them. “Is that a baby?” Donna asked looking towards the sound.
“Uh…yeah. It is actually, but Gwen has it in hand,” he waved to her and she picked up the infant who quieted.
“What’s a baby doing at Torchwood?” the Doctor gave him a look. “You didn’t take it did you? Or is it an alien? You’re not keeping it in the cells are you?”
“No. NO!” Jack said. “Of course we wouldn’t keep her in the cell. What do you take us for?”
“Then why is it here? What are you doing with it?”
“She. She’s a girl, her name is Donna Sue, and she’s my daughter,” the Doctor, and Jack turned towards the couch where Lex had stood up. He moved out of the shadows and towards the group.
The Doctor and Donna stared at him. Their jaws dropped and they circled him. “You’re…you shouldn’t be here,” the Doctor said. “You were in the other universe.”
“Yeah. I was,” Lex fixed him with a glare.
“How did you get here? Why are you here? Where’s Rose? And a daughter? Who’s her mother? Rose is alright isn’t she?” the Doctor asked, the alarm in his voice increasing with each question.
Lex rolled his eyes, and took his daughter from Gwen. “Why do you care about Rose? What has she done for you that warrants your concern? I could tell you what she’s done that warrants a trial from the Shadow Proclamation, but you wouldn’t want to hear about that, would you,” he sneered, giving the Time Lord a look of loathing. “Precious little Rose. Can’t do anything wrong in your eyes.”
“Now wait just a moment,” the Doctor said, anger flaring in his eyes, showing the rise in temper. “Rose was only trying-“
“Trying to what? Destroy the multiverses? Because that’s what she almost did. But too blind to see that, you are.”
“Excuse me?” the Doctor said. “I’m not condoning what Rose did. I’m just saying-“
“NO!” Lex roared. “No, you’re going to listen to me. You can piss off when I’m done, for all I care, but you’re going to listen to me now.”
“I-“
“Doctor, just…just let him have his say,” Jack said. “He’s got that right, and he’s come all this way.”
“Jack,” the Doctor muttered. Donna took his hand, gave him a small kiss and asked him to let Lex speak, to hear him out. He agreed.
Lex told him what had happened in the other universe, from working at Torchwood to Susie’s conception and how he worked out getting back to the original universe without damaging the fabric of time and space. He handed Susie to Donna who stayed by the Doctor’s side. When Lex was done, the Doctor just stared at him. He wasn’t sure what to say. He knew Rose was impulsive and a little selfish, but would she really go to the lengths Lex had described? Then again, what happened with the Crucible and Daleks might not have happened if she hadn’t used the Dimension Cannon. And what about Lex? He’d crossed the void. How much damage had he done?
“None,” Lex growled, making the Doctor jump as he was unaware that Lex was in his mind. “Oh, relax. I’m not reading your mind. I’m you in a manner of speaking. I know what you’re thinking. Whether or not I damaged the walls. I didn’t. I used that piece of TARDIS to scan for stable breaches. And I used one.”
“Why are you here?” the Doctor asked again. “Why did you come back?”
“I never intended to stay. I wasn’t given a choice when you left me there, but damned if I was going to choose to stay there. Especially not with that stupid blonde bint.”
“You weren’t given a choice because it was an exile for genocide,” the Doctor countered. “You were born in anger and you were dangerous. I still think you are, though you’re a father now, so you might be a little better. Not quite as dangerous.”
“Genocide. You exiled me for genocide. That’s your reasoning?”
“Yes,” the Doctor heard a squeaking sound, but chose to ignore it.
“Why didn’t you exile yourself then?”
“What do you mean?”
“You commited genocide. You killed our people. Burned our planet. You killed the Daleks too. Why didn’t you exile yourself? Why do you get to get away with it, but others don’t? How many species did Rose destroy in her blind ambition to get to you? Why do you and Rose get a get out of jail free card?”
“Rose didn’t get away with it. She was sent back to that universe along with you. She is not relevant to this discussion. This is about you and why you’re here. And as for me, what happened to Gallifrey and our people was a result of the Time War, you know that. That was war.”
“And what the hell do you think the Rassilon damned Crucible was? Fucking tea at the Empress? That was war just as much as the Time War was. Worse even as all creation was at stake. You diminish Donna, what she did, and the resulting loss of her memories by stating it wasn’t a war.”
“Leave Donna out of this. I did what I had to. The metacrisis was killing her. It almost killed her twice. I’m so thankful she’s back with me now. I am not now, nor will I ever diminish what she did. She is the most important woman in all of creation. You would do well not to use her for your argument’s sake,” the Oncoming Storm began to assert itself. He noticed that the TARDIS door had been opened but saw no one there.
“Oh, what are you going to do? Send me back? I’ll kill you first. And I’ve got your mind in mine. I know how to kill a Time Lord and make sure he stays dead. You’ll not send me back there,” Lex had moved towards the Doctor, a matching Oncoming Storm look on his face. Unlike the Doctor, he’d noticed the small girl now in the TARDIS doorway, and so kept his voice low so she wouldn’t hear his threat.
The Doctor felt Donna move next to him, he looked at her, and then saw Belle in the doorway of the TARDIS, her eyes huge in her still too pale face. He schooled his features to look calmer than he felt, though Belle couldn’t see it. “Take the baby in the TARDIS with Belle.”
“Take my daughter no where,” Lex snarled, moving to take her from Donna’s arms. But Jack stepped forward, placing himself in between Lex and Donna.
“Gwen will go with Donna. Nothing will happen to Susie. I promise,” Jack gave the Doctor a look, before turning back to Lex. “Susie doesn’t need to be out here with all this tension. You know she doesn’t.”
Lex stood staring at Donna and Susie, before relaxing himself slightly at the scared look on the girl he assumed was Belle’s face. He looked closer at the girl, noticing the milky look of her eyes. She was blind? Deciding finding out about Belle could wait until later, he went back to matters at hand. He trusted Donna and he knew Susie would be safe with her. But he also liked the added assurance of Gwen’s presence.
“Doctor?” Belle’s voice was quiet, her face having turned to his shimmer. “Who is the shape over there?” she gestured towards Lex. “Why did he say you killed your people? Did you? Is that why you’re the last Time Lord? Why Gall-i-frey is gone?”
There was silence following her questions, and for one of the rare moments in his life, the Doctor had no idea what to say.