Fic: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (8/17)
Title: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (8/17)
Rating: I'm going with PG-13 but I'm not really good with ratings
Characters: Ten, Rose, Jack, Tosh, Ianto, Gwen, Owen, Pete, Jackie, Mickey, Jake, Martha, other characters
Spoilers: Anything up till the end of season three is fair game
Summary: The sequel to Mrs. Jones You've Got a Lovely Daughter and part of my Homesick In Heaven series. Rose is back, has been for awhile now, and the Doctor is none the wiser. She's making a go of it and life is good...as good as it can be without him by her side. But what happens when forces beyond her control bring the two of them back together? What happens when the Doctor finds out she's been hiding from him all these months? Will Rose reveal her deepest, darkest secrets to him before it's too late?
Author's Note: Story dedicated to Foalen on Teaspoon, with continued thanks to SnowFox3 on fanficton.net for her constant support and flawless beta'ing. Also thanks to
sinecure for offering to do some additional beta'ing for me along with helping with plot development.
~~~
It may be early afternoon, only midway through the work week, but the streets of London are empty. Not a single soul is brave or dumb enough to leave the sanctity of their homes. Of course every city, every town, every small village across the face of the Earth is under house arrest right now. Not like there's anyone--police or military--out to enforce the law; they're all too busy with the enemy to worry about a few civilians not staying put.
Jack notices the surprisingly little resistance as they make their way across the tarmac and into the small cluster of trees kitty-corner to the Torchwood offices. The few Wraith units they manage to stumble into are small enough, and so intent on their current orders, that evading their detection doesn't require too much effort. It's a good thing too, Jack thinks as he watches Rose closely; the poor girl is so wound up right now he's afraid that, at the slightest provocation, she might just start shooting that awfully large gun she's carrying. Not that he minds a woman who can wield a weapon, but he's certain that sort of a scene would do nothing to ease the current tension.
They haven't said a word to each other since the minor altercation with the prisoner. Of course, minor doesn't really begin to cover it, but he has no urge to think too much about just how out of control the whole damn situation had gotten. The Wraith bit he can understand, saw it coming even (of course, who didn't?). But the scene between Rose and the Doctor? He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, coming here with the two of them, but if he had any clue that it was going to get that bad, he never would've allowed her on the TARDIS in the first place. There's no use dwelling though, what's done is done and there are more important things to worry about.
Maybe, after all is said and done, he can get the two of them to sit down and talk. Get Rose to finally see what a huge mistake she's making in not trusting the Doctor. If not, he may just have to help things along a little. Not that he's about to go revealing her secrets - he did promise after all, and Jack Harkness is a man of his word - but there has to be something he can do. Some way he can help the two of them start the healing process.
They're only a few feet into the tree line when Rose pauses, holding up her hand for them to stop. A few months ago he would've rushed to her side, looking for any signs of trouble, but now? Well, after seeing the new, much more experienced Rose in action, he trusts her instincts as much as his own. So he waits, watching as she looks first one way and then the other, her body tense for the slightest sound, the smallest thing out of place. A minute or two later she nods in satisfaction and continues on through the dense woods.
A little bit later he can see the outline of a large building looming up in front of them. This must be the storage hangar Pete had told them about. Inside is the alien ship that they are hoping is fully functional. In the six months Torchwood has had it in their possession however, they've been unable to get it off the ground despite numerous attempts to do so.
Surprisingly, when Jack pointed out that he could fly anything and suggested they use the unknown vessel instead of the TARDIS to reach the Wraith fleet, the Doctor made no objections. Of course he hadn't exactly been happy about having company on this mission but Pete pretty much insisted, saying he wouldn't even think about allowing it if the Doctor went alone.
Moving quickly across the open space between the trees and the building, they manage to reach the door and get inside without incident. He's just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a noise from within the compound alerts him to the fact that their luck has finally worn off.
~~~
There are only three of them, few enough to subdue without bloodshed. She's not taking any chances though and they can't risk the rest of the fleet finding out what they're up to. So she does what she's been trained to do and, after a quick assessment of the situation, aims the gun she's carrying and fires.
During Torchwood's mandated six-week training period for all new recruits it was discovered she had a knack for using weapons of all sorts. It wasn't something she was happy about initially; the Doctor had, after all, instilled in her an intense dislike of violence. But it didn't take long before she came to the realization that not all situations she ran into as a field operative were going to be as easy to defuse with words. By the time she managed to cross the void she was one of the best sharp-shooters in this universe and had earned herself multiple job offers from prestigious organizations around the world.
The Wraith doesn't even know what hits them.
Before she can lower her weapon, someone's grabbed ahold of her arm and she's being whipped around to face a very angry Doctor. "What did you do that for?"
"I thought--"
"Yeah, and that, right there, is the problem," he snorts, dropping her arm and moving quickly to the bodies now littering the floor. He checks each of them individually for any signs of life, but there is none. She doesn't need to see his reactions to know she hit her mark.
She cannot feel shame over her actions though, does not doubt for a second that she did the right thing. Even if he isn't willing or able to accept it yet, she knows the Wraith are not about to have a diplomatic sit-down over a cuppa.
"You didn't have to kill them." There's real, genuine pain in his voice. And, for that, she feels regret.
Pete is right. She's been so busy being selfish and feeling sorry for herself that she's hurt the one person in the universe who would've done anything for her. Not anymore though, not after what she's done...what she's said.
But that's fine. She's accepted the fact that he will never again see her the way he once did, will probably never even want to be around her anymore. And that's fine too. She just wants to make sure they make it out of this situation alive and then she'll watch him leave...after she makes her apologies.
Because, at the very least, she owes him that.
"What else were we supposed to do?" she asks quietly, subdued.
"We could have at least attempted to reason with them."
"So they could've alerted the others to what we're doing? You said it yourself, Doctor, they're a highly telepathic race. Would you prefer they swarmed the place before Jack even has a chance to figure out how to get the two of you off the ground?"
She can tell he wants to say something more, that he's already formulated a scathing retort, something that will surely put her in her place. Apparently she's not the only one who's changed, though, and he keeps his mouth firmly shut, eyes focused on Jack as he searches for a way into the ship.
With a sigh she turns away from the two of them, heading back the way they've come. The area is clear and she can head back to Torchwood now. She's done what she's promised she to do: Gotten them to the hangar safely. Her services are no longer needed here. Before she can make it back to the door though, her mobile starts to vibrate and she pulls it out of her pocket, putting it on speaker.
"Rose, where are you?" Pete asks and he sounds worried.
"We're inside the hangar. Jack's working on getting the ship operational and 'm about to head back."
There's a short pause then, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, luv. I'm afraid your position's been compromised.
"And just what did you think would happen, severing their telepathic link to the hive like that?" the Doctor asks, his voice empty of all emotion. "Did you actually think that wouldn't have them swarming the place?"
She tries to ignore him as she stares out the window at the mass of Wraith quickly making their way through the trees. There's so many of them, too many for her to take on alone. A quick glance over her shoulder confirms that Jack has managed to open the door to her only escape.
With a sigh she leaves her post, dragging her feet as she crosses the room to the ship. She has no desire to go on this mission - her expertise would be put to better use back at Torchwood - but there's nowhere else to run, nowhere to hide.
~~~
"So what's the plan then?"
It's just the two of them, Jack and the Doctor. The second he managed to get the strange alien craft off the ground Rose had gone off in search of a weapons locker, or at least that was her cover story. Both of them know, however, that anything stored on the ship when Torchwood acquired it had been removed months ago to study its usefulness.
"It's complicated," is all the response he gets.
Setting 'cruise control,' Jack pushes his chair away from the console and swivels to face the Time Lord sitting next to him. "I don't have to land this thing if I don't want to," he replies, folding his arms across his chest like a petulant child.
The Doctor lets out a sigh, making a sound like a rapidly deflating balloon in the process. "Look, Jack, I don't even know if this is going to work. And if it does..." he pauses, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"If it does?"
"I won't be coming back with you and Rose."
Jack raises a questioning eyebrow at the statement. He has the feeling that, whatever this grand master scheme is, he probably isn't going to like it.
"What do you mean, not coming back with us?" he asks cautiously.
"Jack, you...Pete...no one here has a clue as to just how powerful these creatures are. How large their numbers." He turns away, staring out the window at the rapidly darkening sky. The ship is thousands of feet above the ground and it won't be long now 'till they reach the hive ship orbiting the Earth. "There's no way to fight them off, no way to avoid this invasion. Not unless fifty percent of the population is going to willingly hand over their own lives."
Jack shakes his head. "I can't see that happening."
"Nor can I, which is why this is the only way."
He doesn't much like the idea of leaving his friend alone and at the mercy of the Wraith, but the alternative isn't much better. "Alright then, Doc, what exactly is your plan?"
~~~
The hive ship, Rose finds, is not as foul on the inside as the name makes it sound...it's worse. The whole place appears to be made, not out of metal, as one would assume, but something else entirely; something not so very different from human flesh.
Staring at the wall in front of her, she can't help but reach out a tentative hand to touch it. There's a certain fascination along with disgust and it reminds her of how people slow down to gawk at the horrific car accident along the side of the road. It's something entirely inappropriate, and yet, so very human.
"Organic material," Jack murmurs in her ear, stopping her, fingers mere inches from making contact. Organic material! She understands enough to know that she doesn't want to know more.
Letting her arm drop to her side, she turns and follows the men in front of her. Down first one hallway and then another, they traverse, slowly making their way into the belly of the ship. How either Jack or the Doctor know where they are going she's not sure; every room looks the same as the last, the lighting so dim it casts shadows across the walls. And yet, they continue on without pause, as if...as if they have been here before or are somehow being guided.
For that matter, why does the place appear to be empty? Doing a quick three-sixty she confirms what she already suspected; they appear to be completely alone. Isn't that a little odd? Shouldn't there be at least a small number of those creatures left defending the place?
She's just about to say something to her companions when they suddenly come to a stop. Lost in thought for the last few minutes she hadn't noticed that they had entered a large, cavernous room. In the middle, standing behind what looks to be a control center of some sort, is a lone Wraith.
Resting her hand on the butt of the gun she has strapped to her waist, she waits. No one has informed her of exactly what the plan is and, despite her desire to decimate the whole fleet, she's not about to make a move without clear instructions. She may have taken out the three in the hangar without asking for opinions on the matter but that...well, that hadn't exactly turn out like she had planned.
For a few brief moments nothing happens. The three males just stand there staring at each other and she really hopes this isn't going to turn into a testosterone thing. Then, without warning, the Doctor begins to move forward, decreasing the distance between himself and the Wraith until mere feet separate the two. She's about to follow when she feels Jack's hand resting on her arm. Silently he shakes his head and indicates for her to remain quiet.
She doesn't like this one bit, but she wasn't even supposed to come along on this mission, and therefore, is completely out of the loop. There was plenty of time en-route for her to catch up on any important bits of information she needed to know but she chose to spend that time pouting and avoiding the Doctor. She's got no one but herself to blame for being in the dark, so she remains where she is and waits.
~~~
"You are the one they call the Doctor?" Its voice is as snake-like in his head as it is out loud.
He nods his head in affirmation. It was his choice to open his mind to this creature, to avoid discussing what will surely anger Rose if spoken out loud. Though he's no longer certain if she wouldn't throw him to the wolves if it would save Earth. He'd like to think she wouldn't, but he cannot take any chances here. One wrong move and his plan will fail, and the human race will be killed before his crew of three can even make it back to the ship they came here in.
"You have come to give yourself to us, in exchange for the lives of the humans?"
Again he responds with a nod.
"And why should we choose you, a single Doctor, over the millions of lives on this planet?"
He pauses for a moment, considers his choice of words, before answering. "I'm a Time Lord; I don't die. If you injure me beyond repair I'll regenerate into a new body but I will not die." He looks shrewdly at the Wraith before him, raising an eyebrow, challenging him. "Think about it, you could drain me of life again and again, and I won't die."
"But even you will not live forever. Three regenerations are all that are left to you and what happens then? You will become as fragile, as easily killed, as the humans you try so desperately to protect."
His eyes widen in surprise.
The Wraith hisses out laughter that is no less unnerving than the last time he heard it, in the cell. "Yes, Doctor, I can read your mind. Even those places you try to keep hidden from me. Though there are still a few memories...not to worry though, I'll have time enough to shatter even your most well-placed defenses."
"So you are accepting my offer then?" he asks, ignoring his growing unease.
"Yes. Despite the fact that you will eventually die, the vastness of your mind alone will please my queen."
Nodding in acceptance one more time, he turns to walk back to Jack and Rose. The Captain has been given his instructions, he just needs the agreed upon indication that everything is going to plan.
"Oh, and, Doctor."
He pauses and glances back at his jailer.
"The yellow and pink one is most displeased." It nods its head in Rose's direction. "Do make sure she does not cause me any problems or our agreement will be off."
~~~
"Jack, take Rose and head back to the ship," he says, avoiding eye contact with her. "I'll be along in a minute or two" His voice is low, full of resignation and…regret? She doesn't think she's ever heard him sound quite so defeated before and it's starting to scare her.
The strange look that passes between him and Jack isn't lost on her, and suddenly, the feeling that something isn't right here becomes so strong she can almost taste it. "Doctor..." she says, but he's turning from her before she can finish. The realization that everything has gone wrong-horribly, horribly wrong-is so strong, she feels as though she may be sick.
Reaching out, she tries to grab him and whip him around to face her, to answer her questions, but she can't because Jack's right behind her, one arm firmly entrenched around her waist. Twisting and turning she tries to break free but he's too strong for her and she knows who's going to win. "Le' me go, Jack," she bites out through clenched teeth but it's no use, his grip refuses to loosen.
She watches in horror as the Doctor comes to a stop directly in front of the Wraith. Why they're even trying to convince her that this is anything but a surrender is beyond her. Everything screams of it, from the submissive way in which he's standing there to the disgusting triumphant grin on the Wraith's face. Then Jack begins to tug on her arm, trying to pull her back into the hallway that'll lead them to their ship.
She wants to fight him off, wants to demand that they tell her what's going on right now but she can't seem to find the words. Then suddenly something's covering her mouth and nose and before she can reach for it, before she can yank it away from her face, everything goes dark.
Chapter Nine...
Rating: I'm going with PG-13 but I'm not really good with ratings
Characters: Ten, Rose, Jack, Tosh, Ianto, Gwen, Owen, Pete, Jackie, Mickey, Jake, Martha, other characters
Spoilers: Anything up till the end of season three is fair game
Summary: The sequel to Mrs. Jones You've Got a Lovely Daughter and part of my Homesick In Heaven series. Rose is back, has been for awhile now, and the Doctor is none the wiser. She's making a go of it and life is good...as good as it can be without him by her side. But what happens when forces beyond her control bring the two of them back together? What happens when the Doctor finds out she's been hiding from him all these months? Will Rose reveal her deepest, darkest secrets to him before it's too late?
Author's Note: Story dedicated to Foalen on Teaspoon, with continued thanks to SnowFox3 on fanficton.net for her constant support and flawless beta'ing. Also thanks to
sinecure for offering to do some additional beta'ing for me along with helping with plot development.
~~~
It may be early afternoon, only midway through the work week, but the streets of London are empty. Not a single soul is brave or dumb enough to leave the sanctity of their homes. Of course every city, every town, every small village across the face of the Earth is under house arrest right now. Not like there's anyone--police or military--out to enforce the law; they're all too busy with the enemy to worry about a few civilians not staying put.
Jack notices the surprisingly little resistance as they make their way across the tarmac and into the small cluster of trees kitty-corner to the Torchwood offices. The few Wraith units they manage to stumble into are small enough, and so intent on their current orders, that evading their detection doesn't require too much effort. It's a good thing too, Jack thinks as he watches Rose closely; the poor girl is so wound up right now he's afraid that, at the slightest provocation, she might just start shooting that awfully large gun she's carrying. Not that he minds a woman who can wield a weapon, but he's certain that sort of a scene would do nothing to ease the current tension.
They haven't said a word to each other since the minor altercation with the prisoner. Of course, minor doesn't really begin to cover it, but he has no urge to think too much about just how out of control the whole damn situation had gotten. The Wraith bit he can understand, saw it coming even (of course, who didn't?). But the scene between Rose and the Doctor? He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, coming here with the two of them, but if he had any clue that it was going to get that bad, he never would've allowed her on the TARDIS in the first place. There's no use dwelling though, what's done is done and there are more important things to worry about.
Maybe, after all is said and done, he can get the two of them to sit down and talk. Get Rose to finally see what a huge mistake she's making in not trusting the Doctor. If not, he may just have to help things along a little. Not that he's about to go revealing her secrets - he did promise after all, and Jack Harkness is a man of his word - but there has to be something he can do. Some way he can help the two of them start the healing process.
They're only a few feet into the tree line when Rose pauses, holding up her hand for them to stop. A few months ago he would've rushed to her side, looking for any signs of trouble, but now? Well, after seeing the new, much more experienced Rose in action, he trusts her instincts as much as his own. So he waits, watching as she looks first one way and then the other, her body tense for the slightest sound, the smallest thing out of place. A minute or two later she nods in satisfaction and continues on through the dense woods.
A little bit later he can see the outline of a large building looming up in front of them. This must be the storage hangar Pete had told them about. Inside is the alien ship that they are hoping is fully functional. In the six months Torchwood has had it in their possession however, they've been unable to get it off the ground despite numerous attempts to do so.
Surprisingly, when Jack pointed out that he could fly anything and suggested they use the unknown vessel instead of the TARDIS to reach the Wraith fleet, the Doctor made no objections. Of course he hadn't exactly been happy about having company on this mission but Pete pretty much insisted, saying he wouldn't even think about allowing it if the Doctor went alone.
Moving quickly across the open space between the trees and the building, they manage to reach the door and get inside without incident. He's just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a noise from within the compound alerts him to the fact that their luck has finally worn off.
~~~
There are only three of them, few enough to subdue without bloodshed. She's not taking any chances though and they can't risk the rest of the fleet finding out what they're up to. So she does what she's been trained to do and, after a quick assessment of the situation, aims the gun she's carrying and fires.
During Torchwood's mandated six-week training period for all new recruits it was discovered she had a knack for using weapons of all sorts. It wasn't something she was happy about initially; the Doctor had, after all, instilled in her an intense dislike of violence. But it didn't take long before she came to the realization that not all situations she ran into as a field operative were going to be as easy to defuse with words. By the time she managed to cross the void she was one of the best sharp-shooters in this universe and had earned herself multiple job offers from prestigious organizations around the world.
The Wraith doesn't even know what hits them.
Before she can lower her weapon, someone's grabbed ahold of her arm and she's being whipped around to face a very angry Doctor. "What did you do that for?"
"I thought--"
"Yeah, and that, right there, is the problem," he snorts, dropping her arm and moving quickly to the bodies now littering the floor. He checks each of them individually for any signs of life, but there is none. She doesn't need to see his reactions to know she hit her mark.
She cannot feel shame over her actions though, does not doubt for a second that she did the right thing. Even if he isn't willing or able to accept it yet, she knows the Wraith are not about to have a diplomatic sit-down over a cuppa.
"You didn't have to kill them." There's real, genuine pain in his voice. And, for that, she feels regret.
Pete is right. She's been so busy being selfish and feeling sorry for herself that she's hurt the one person in the universe who would've done anything for her. Not anymore though, not after what she's done...what she's said.
But that's fine. She's accepted the fact that he will never again see her the way he once did, will probably never even want to be around her anymore. And that's fine too. She just wants to make sure they make it out of this situation alive and then she'll watch him leave...after she makes her apologies.
Because, at the very least, she owes him that.
"What else were we supposed to do?" she asks quietly, subdued.
"We could have at least attempted to reason with them."
"So they could've alerted the others to what we're doing? You said it yourself, Doctor, they're a highly telepathic race. Would you prefer they swarmed the place before Jack even has a chance to figure out how to get the two of you off the ground?"
She can tell he wants to say something more, that he's already formulated a scathing retort, something that will surely put her in her place. Apparently she's not the only one who's changed, though, and he keeps his mouth firmly shut, eyes focused on Jack as he searches for a way into the ship.
With a sigh she turns away from the two of them, heading back the way they've come. The area is clear and she can head back to Torchwood now. She's done what she's promised she to do: Gotten them to the hangar safely. Her services are no longer needed here. Before she can make it back to the door though, her mobile starts to vibrate and she pulls it out of her pocket, putting it on speaker.
"Rose, where are you?" Pete asks and he sounds worried.
"We're inside the hangar. Jack's working on getting the ship operational and 'm about to head back."
There's a short pause then, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, luv. I'm afraid your position's been compromised.
"And just what did you think would happen, severing their telepathic link to the hive like that?" the Doctor asks, his voice empty of all emotion. "Did you actually think that wouldn't have them swarming the place?"
She tries to ignore him as she stares out the window at the mass of Wraith quickly making their way through the trees. There's so many of them, too many for her to take on alone. A quick glance over her shoulder confirms that Jack has managed to open the door to her only escape.
With a sigh she leaves her post, dragging her feet as she crosses the room to the ship. She has no desire to go on this mission - her expertise would be put to better use back at Torchwood - but there's nowhere else to run, nowhere to hide.
~~~
"So what's the plan then?"
It's just the two of them, Jack and the Doctor. The second he managed to get the strange alien craft off the ground Rose had gone off in search of a weapons locker, or at least that was her cover story. Both of them know, however, that anything stored on the ship when Torchwood acquired it had been removed months ago to study its usefulness.
"It's complicated," is all the response he gets.
Setting 'cruise control,' Jack pushes his chair away from the console and swivels to face the Time Lord sitting next to him. "I don't have to land this thing if I don't want to," he replies, folding his arms across his chest like a petulant child.
The Doctor lets out a sigh, making a sound like a rapidly deflating balloon in the process. "Look, Jack, I don't even know if this is going to work. And if it does..." he pauses, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"If it does?"
"I won't be coming back with you and Rose."
Jack raises a questioning eyebrow at the statement. He has the feeling that, whatever this grand master scheme is, he probably isn't going to like it.
"What do you mean, not coming back with us?" he asks cautiously.
"Jack, you...Pete...no one here has a clue as to just how powerful these creatures are. How large their numbers." He turns away, staring out the window at the rapidly darkening sky. The ship is thousands of feet above the ground and it won't be long now 'till they reach the hive ship orbiting the Earth. "There's no way to fight them off, no way to avoid this invasion. Not unless fifty percent of the population is going to willingly hand over their own lives."
Jack shakes his head. "I can't see that happening."
"Nor can I, which is why this is the only way."
He doesn't much like the idea of leaving his friend alone and at the mercy of the Wraith, but the alternative isn't much better. "Alright then, Doc, what exactly is your plan?"
~~~
The hive ship, Rose finds, is not as foul on the inside as the name makes it sound...it's worse. The whole place appears to be made, not out of metal, as one would assume, but something else entirely; something not so very different from human flesh.
Staring at the wall in front of her, she can't help but reach out a tentative hand to touch it. There's a certain fascination along with disgust and it reminds her of how people slow down to gawk at the horrific car accident along the side of the road. It's something entirely inappropriate, and yet, so very human.
"Organic material," Jack murmurs in her ear, stopping her, fingers mere inches from making contact. Organic material! She understands enough to know that she doesn't want to know more.
Letting her arm drop to her side, she turns and follows the men in front of her. Down first one hallway and then another, they traverse, slowly making their way into the belly of the ship. How either Jack or the Doctor know where they are going she's not sure; every room looks the same as the last, the lighting so dim it casts shadows across the walls. And yet, they continue on without pause, as if...as if they have been here before or are somehow being guided.
For that matter, why does the place appear to be empty? Doing a quick three-sixty she confirms what she already suspected; they appear to be completely alone. Isn't that a little odd? Shouldn't there be at least a small number of those creatures left defending the place?
She's just about to say something to her companions when they suddenly come to a stop. Lost in thought for the last few minutes she hadn't noticed that they had entered a large, cavernous room. In the middle, standing behind what looks to be a control center of some sort, is a lone Wraith.
Resting her hand on the butt of the gun she has strapped to her waist, she waits. No one has informed her of exactly what the plan is and, despite her desire to decimate the whole fleet, she's not about to make a move without clear instructions. She may have taken out the three in the hangar without asking for opinions on the matter but that...well, that hadn't exactly turn out like she had planned.
For a few brief moments nothing happens. The three males just stand there staring at each other and she really hopes this isn't going to turn into a testosterone thing. Then, without warning, the Doctor begins to move forward, decreasing the distance between himself and the Wraith until mere feet separate the two. She's about to follow when she feels Jack's hand resting on her arm. Silently he shakes his head and indicates for her to remain quiet.
She doesn't like this one bit, but she wasn't even supposed to come along on this mission, and therefore, is completely out of the loop. There was plenty of time en-route for her to catch up on any important bits of information she needed to know but she chose to spend that time pouting and avoiding the Doctor. She's got no one but herself to blame for being in the dark, so she remains where she is and waits.
~~~
"You are the one they call the Doctor?" Its voice is as snake-like in his head as it is out loud.
He nods his head in affirmation. It was his choice to open his mind to this creature, to avoid discussing what will surely anger Rose if spoken out loud. Though he's no longer certain if she wouldn't throw him to the wolves if it would save Earth. He'd like to think she wouldn't, but he cannot take any chances here. One wrong move and his plan will fail, and the human race will be killed before his crew of three can even make it back to the ship they came here in.
"You have come to give yourself to us, in exchange for the lives of the humans?"
Again he responds with a nod.
"And why should we choose you, a single Doctor, over the millions of lives on this planet?"
He pauses for a moment, considers his choice of words, before answering. "I'm a Time Lord; I don't die. If you injure me beyond repair I'll regenerate into a new body but I will not die." He looks shrewdly at the Wraith before him, raising an eyebrow, challenging him. "Think about it, you could drain me of life again and again, and I won't die."
"But even you will not live forever. Three regenerations are all that are left to you and what happens then? You will become as fragile, as easily killed, as the humans you try so desperately to protect."
His eyes widen in surprise.
The Wraith hisses out laughter that is no less unnerving than the last time he heard it, in the cell. "Yes, Doctor, I can read your mind. Even those places you try to keep hidden from me. Though there are still a few memories...not to worry though, I'll have time enough to shatter even your most well-placed defenses."
"So you are accepting my offer then?" he asks, ignoring his growing unease.
"Yes. Despite the fact that you will eventually die, the vastness of your mind alone will please my queen."
Nodding in acceptance one more time, he turns to walk back to Jack and Rose. The Captain has been given his instructions, he just needs the agreed upon indication that everything is going to plan.
"Oh, and, Doctor."
He pauses and glances back at his jailer.
"The yellow and pink one is most displeased." It nods its head in Rose's direction. "Do make sure she does not cause me any problems or our agreement will be off."
~~~
"Jack, take Rose and head back to the ship," he says, avoiding eye contact with her. "I'll be along in a minute or two" His voice is low, full of resignation and…regret? She doesn't think she's ever heard him sound quite so defeated before and it's starting to scare her.
The strange look that passes between him and Jack isn't lost on her, and suddenly, the feeling that something isn't right here becomes so strong she can almost taste it. "Doctor..." she says, but he's turning from her before she can finish. The realization that everything has gone wrong-horribly, horribly wrong-is so strong, she feels as though she may be sick.
Reaching out, she tries to grab him and whip him around to face her, to answer her questions, but she can't because Jack's right behind her, one arm firmly entrenched around her waist. Twisting and turning she tries to break free but he's too strong for her and she knows who's going to win. "Le' me go, Jack," she bites out through clenched teeth but it's no use, his grip refuses to loosen.
She watches in horror as the Doctor comes to a stop directly in front of the Wraith. Why they're even trying to convince her that this is anything but a surrender is beyond her. Everything screams of it, from the submissive way in which he's standing there to the disgusting triumphant grin on the Wraith's face. Then Jack begins to tug on her arm, trying to pull her back into the hallway that'll lead them to their ship.
She wants to fight him off, wants to demand that they tell her what's going on right now but she can't seem to find the words. Then suddenly something's covering her mouth and nose and before she can reach for it, before she can yank it away from her face, everything goes dark.
Chapter Nine...