The Jeopardy Project

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 5 – The Village People

[Chp 5 – Pt 1]

Peter tried to keep up...really he did, but as the Doctor, Jack and his friends bounded ahead of him he just couldn't make it. Turning around, he retreated to the village - until he was well enough he would stay with Martha and Oona, see if he couldn't get anything out of Claude too while he was at it.

As he returned Toshiko plucked up the laptop that somehow had survived and placed it safe with her new tech that Jack had chucked at her. Tosh still felt the ringing in her ears which was irritating but with gestures and mime she managed to get her message across. She was sorry to see Peter leave and hoped he would be okay. She followed Oona to the market to purchase some clothes. She also needed a wash and brush up. To her delight she found a race familiar enough to what she thought could be Chinese ancestry and wondered why in some cases cultures were the same no matter the planet.

Oona was just as glad to be told to stay in the village. She did not think 'climbing mountains' would work very well in her current garb. "I have some small coin.” She told the remainder, “Gold and silver. They are unmarked for better trade. I think we three could all use some better garb, as well as food." Oona did not mention the five crystals she also had. Three already full of dreams, nightmares really. It was to sell those that she had been headed. "If you search for food," Oona dug into the pouch at her waist from which she had produced the powder for Gwen earlier. She gave Martha two silver and a gold coins. "I will find a seamstress or tailor. " She used gestures, easy signs with her hands to make sure Tosh understood. "Will you come with me? We females tend to prefer choosing our own clothing." She tugged lightly on their clothes to give her the idea.

Peter stumbled back into the village. "See!" He said to Martha. "Told you I'd be back." He laughed a little, stumbled sideways and landed head first on the floor. As Martha pulled Peter to his feet and dutifully dusted him down he attempted to wave at the now freshly dressed couple emerging from the shop. Why was it that in crisis girls always went shopping?

Oona had a good nose for markets. She had visited enough of them on many worlds, in many times. It was a mystery why they all seemed so similar. She found a seller of clothing and purchased a pair of soft tan leather breaches, easily tailored to fit her, and a brownish green top with yellow embroidered leaves about the mandarin collar and short sleeves. A black leather corset and green cloak to hide her face and hair would serve much better than her dress. She had a pair of knee high doe skin boots made as well, with sturdy soles.

Toshiko left Oona, who was requesting alterations on her clothing and she indicated to her new female friend that she was going for a wash. After her wash and change into her new clothing Tosh felt good. She took a twirl in the changing area after her bath and chuckled. She wondered if her friends would like her choice of clothes. They were rather outlandish but felt perfect for her figure. Tosh had liked the corset styled clothing Oona had chosen and bought a similar style herself. Her pants were of a fabric that was unknown to her but felt like very soft leather. Did the burgundy red colour suit her? She liked the tanned tight fitted top with the bony structure that gave her a great bust. She covered herself up (not wishing to bare her assets to all), with a warm coat that reminded her of the one Peter had loaned to her earlier. She stopped out to meet up with Oona. Oona chuckled and made her turn around as they both laughed and Tosh indicated to Oona with her unusually loud voice due to the deafness that she loved her new look too.

Oona waited while adjustments were made, and she sensed magic at work so the speed of the turn around was no surprise. She changed in a small room, keeping her bracers, magic infused pouch and weapons, she was very satisfied she could now move through the wood without being seen nearly as well.

She was curious as to what Toshiko had chosen, but she had bartered well to pay for all, including handing over the burgundy silk to the seamstress to do with as she liked.

By now she was getting hungry. She had used energy to burn those bodies. Energy she had to replenish. And she did not want to be far from the others for long. They were in her charge, even though this village did feel safe to a degree.

She looked outside the seamstress shop while she pondered something that had been bothering her. The poor hell twisted man she had dispatched. He had born a remarkable resemblance to the bearded madman.

They both walked out and back towards there friends. Tosh hoped they could all go somewhere to eat together. Maybe she would learn more about Martha by observing. She felt so much better and with food she would be 100% well if she got her hearing back she would be. She’d decided that wasn’t going to be a problem she was sure her hearing would return soon.

Oona smiled as Peter and Martha hailed her from the distance. She crossed to him and Martha but kept the shop in sight so she could also watch over Toshiko. "Perhaps we should see if there is a weaponsmith as well? You both remain unarmed, and this makes me nervous. Even a small knife or dagger could save you from a bad situation."

"I don't generally fight." Said Peter, thinking of his last night on Earth...he had not been known to pull his punches. "But this guy I know has a pretty cool sword that came in handy. If we could find one like that - worst case scenario it's a souvenir." Martha smiled. "Lead the way." She said to Oona, taking Peter's arm. "I'm sure we can find out a lot from anyone with their own private arsenal."

Martha had gone strangely quiet since Peter had died....and come back...he wondered if it had something to do with the other girl, and really hoped it wasn't because of him,

Oona pointed in the direction of the armoury, they started to follow in eerie silence, they found someone who was dealing in weapons, but most seemed to be for hunting. The place did have a few swords, a single battle axe, a mace, a poleaxe, and a small selections of pistols from a range of times and places.
"If you are unfamiliar with firearms it is best to avoid them. Besides, I see no real ammunition here."
The little gnome behind the counter shook his head. "People show up here and register. After a while they use up their ammunition. I just have these here for the show of them, or for any new collectors."

"Makes sense." Oona looked at Martha and Peter. "Find something you will feel comfortable having... and using if it comes to it. If you are one to avoid a fight, a small knife can just as well cut bonds, start fires with a flint, and be useful in survival in the wood. It does appear we must be prepared for anything here."

She took the gnome aside to see about prices. He was not interested in silver or gold. She refused to part with her own weapons. But in the end, she showed him the emerald crystal, which contained the nightmares of a young Princeling from a world of water. It was a steep price to pay, but the gnome did agree to anything in the store, up to two things each, understanding there was a third in their party.

Oona noticed Toshiko looked over the assortment with a knowing eye. She especially seemed fascinated in the futuristic firearms, and those from other worlds. She tried to convey that they had no power or ammunition. The young woman's hearing should be starting to return soon. If it did not, perhaps they would have to seek out a healer, or an apothecary. Perhaps the other Doctor they were told to expect would be able to help.
At least Toshiko seemed happier now that she was clean and properly attired. She also looked to catch the male eye. There was at least one who seemed to be interested.

Claude trailed aimlessly along behind them, shopping wasn’t something he’d done for quite a while, he tended to liberate what he wanted when required, going and actually buying something new was a rare experience.

Peter seemed to be getting back to his usual (and to Claude annoying) chirpy self-although he suspected that had a lot to do with the fact that he had the undivided attention of a small crowd of females.

Unsure what to make of Oona, Claude had kept his distance, as he suspected she had been doing the same with him. He had dealt with a lot of oddities in his time, but nothing had prepared him for Oona. He’d managed to avoid the Doctor, he really didn’t feel like going over what he suspected with him, he just hoped he’d find something around here that would convince him he was wrong before the others got back. He also wanted to find out what technology seemed to be keeping Peter so stable, despite all he had suffered there had been no sign of him going into overload.

Peter had decided that he had to have a samurai sword for Hiro's sake. Hiro would never forgive him if he picked anything else. He didn't plan on using it, but the offer from Oona and the short person was so generous it would have been rude to decline.

He found a Boshido sword after few moment and flashed the metal in the light. Martha still looked unimpressed. He tried to make her smile, but she just kept looking out of the window wistfully - being separate from her friend Doctor Smith seemed to take its toll.

At least Toshiko was smiling.

Oona at last gave consideration to Claude. He was more than a little mad. He had already threatened Owen... but on further consideration that might now be a point in his favour.

"Can we trust you with a blade? I do not desire to have anyone awaken with their throats cut." Oona was leery of this, but the slightly crazed man was now under her protection. Jack had placed them all in her care when he pointed out that she was armed. "But then, do you still have that gun? I'm not certain being shot would be preferable."

She studied the older man's face. Under the haggard beard and shadowed eyes he might have a purely masculine handsomeness to him. However, she was now certain she was right. The resemblance he bore to the creature of hours ago was uncanny. Were they kin? Possibly even twins? Then why did he show nothing but shock and fear at the other's crazed attack?

Perhaps madness was in the blood?
Catching up , Claude glanced vaguely at the array of weapons on display, seeing Oona watching him suspiciously he just shrugged, "Not really in my line...I’d rather find me own" forced a smile and wondered around behind the stall.

Oona pulled her attention, if not contemplation, away from Claude to see Peter make his choices. "Good blades. I can teach you the very basics when we have time. It will not be pretty, nor would you do well against a trained opponent but for the unpredictability of a learner. But it will give you a start, and keep you from cutting off any of your own limbs you may feel the need of later. I do not know if you can regrow them." She smiled fully, her eyes sparkling. "But your other tricks may well give you great advantage." Yes, she thought, being invisible would be a great advantage. She turned her eyes back to Claude. Yet another worry for her list.

Toshiko felt a pang of homesickness as she looked at the swords and. Her Grandfather had owned many and could use one. She remembered as a young child In his company being shown how to hold a short sword and as she grew older if she returned to her ancestral home he would show her new skills in that department. She never thought to pick one to use as a weapon.
Dare she choose one now? She looked over the beautifully sculptured blades but hesitated. No, it wasn’t her field of skill and was sure Oona was much more proficient if her own hidden weapons were anything to go by. Tosh had an eye for detail and the hidden weapons had not been missed by her keen eyes.

The Gnome gave Peter the sword and something to carry it with. He hung it over his shoulder with pride...Claude seemed to look at him suspiciously, but what else was new?
Peter felt sad, he missed New York, he missed home, his brother...he didn't really miss being normal. To have a destiny, to be part of something bigger...what was wrong with dreaming about that - but after all he was here - he must have a destiny.
The dreams he had were of fire and explosions, of the world if he couldn't save it. No one knew of his nightmares except Claude.
He smiled at Martha and Tosh, hiding the darkness inside.

Since the girls were too busy shopping, Martha was ignoring him, and Claude was trying to fill his pockets with as many trinkets and bits he could find from the shelves (of course only Pete could not the vanishings) He decided to press the shopkeeper for information. "So..." Peter said, "What will it cost for you to tell me - anyone here ever been anywhere North of here?"
The little man shrugged his shoulders, as if to indicate he had everything he needed.
"You must not go to the North, my friend. Many have gone and never returned. Some say it is the place between worlds, a chasm that falls into the nothingness. Others say it's where the Keepers live. Many more say that from there one can see the whole of time and space and become lost in it.
Personally," The little man shrugged, "I'm inclined to think the whole spot is probably a huge disappointment, it's all 'North this' North that' - never look a gift Moose in the mouth I say, Grass is always bluer and that - but if you must go there talk to the oldest of us, people say he came from there, though all the words he speaks are madness - only his mind might bear a clue."

Martha had her eyes on Peter with concern and confusion, it was something she had seen in the hospital before, a patient on the brink of death suddenly restarting and coming back to life. But to survive a spear through the chest like Peter did? With no scars or anything to even show that he had been impaled? It was impossible, it had caught Martha off-guard.
She also missed the Doctor with his cheeky comments and his ability to always solve every problem, even if in a round-about way. They had only been apart for a few hours, and she was ashamed how much she longed for him.
Martha became agitated at her circumstance and so withdrew from everybody else. She didn't want to fracture the group by saying something she shouldn't. All she wanted now to eat a good meal, get a nice bed, fall asleep, and have everything be back to normal, but knew it wouldn't happen like that.

Peter was feeling proud of himself for doing a little bit of investigation he looked to Oona to share it, the woman was admiring a long bow and clearly was not at that moment interested - plus Peter found talking to her rather unnerving. He didn't want to get into an argument, in case he lost control, so he kept away from Claude. Toshiko was now haggling with the gnome. The only person he could talk to was Martha, he felt sad he had scared his new friend.
He walked up to her again, and smiled softly, "It's getting dark." He said, "Fancy going out side - I could do with some fresh air?"
"Fresh air and food!" Martha finished, admiring the jewel-encrusted hilt of the sword she was holding and placed it back on the wall. She looked at Peter and smiled, hiding her feelings in an attempt to get over her sadness. "There's got to be some sort of restaurant here."
"Now you're talking my language girl! Doesn't look like this is a place to get Pizza." She was smiling; it made the world of difference. "But I'm sure we can find something worth a bite...Come on."

By the time Oona looked about Peter and Martha had slipped away. She should have told them not to wander off! But then, she had allowed herself to become distracted. The bow was from Mirkwood. The stories of that realm so long ago had become stuff of legend in others. Especially this one. The bow was of Elvin make. And the Elves had all fled to a single plane. And no one else could get in or out. It was almost a sacred artefact to any archer. She sighed and looked to Toshiko, tapping her on the shoulder. She pointed to the rest of the shop, and it's distinct lack of people."Get what you wish, and come on. I have three missing charges now. I feel like I'm herding cats."
Toshiko tapped at Oona's arm and pointed towards her stomach and tried to speak softly, but it wasn't easy when you couldn't hear the words. "I'm hungry, can we go and eat?"
Oona nodded to Toshiko. "We'll follow our noses and sere if we can find Peter and Martha. Then I have to find Claude."
"Is there anyplace we can find shelter for the night?" Oona asked the gnome.
"There's an alehouse at the end of the main road. Theyll let you sleep on pallets in the main room." He was grinning, no doubt noticing her interest in the bow.

The small sun had now set They walked through the night, Peter and Martha, there were no stars in the sky, no moon to look up at, but the light in the village was enough to see by. People were cooking, strange sights and smells. No pizza. Oh well, thought Peter, somewhere nearby a crowd of people were roasting something on a stick that looked edible. Peter bit his lip and looked at Martha who suggested she had eaten worse in the company of the Doctor. She mentioned something called Pot Noodle, Pete noted that it didn't sound pleasant.
As they sat down, a tall thin, purple and glowing thing (who seemed to take a passing interest in Peter, and then also in Martha) smiled at them and through the power of just her mind, Peter was impressed that this didn't freak Martha out. She told them to help themselves. They did so.
It tasted a bit like chicken.

Martha ate in silence, finally Peter had to say something. "You know," he said, "if you ask, I'll tell you everything." He said, he really didn’t know why he felt such ease around her.
Martha laughed and rolled her eyes, picking at her food. "I really don't even know what to ask. It's like, the Doctor has shown me so much stuff and I've just taken it in. No questions. No wondering. Just took it as fact. Took it as fact that there are aliens and different planets and galaxies. Grew to accept sonic screwdrivers and parallel universes and weird food like Pot noodle and things that taste like chicken. Sure the flying thing surprised me, but so did time travel when it first happened." Martha grabbed Pete's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't like to sound cocky, but you'll be hard to shock me."

Peter laughed too; it felt like it had been so long since he had actually laughed. After everything that had happened in New York, being beaten soundly around the head more times than he could count, loosing Simone and ending up butt naked in a cave there was very little he could laugh at.

"Thanks. That's humbling." He said, "Nice to know I'm not so special. Really...you have no idea how weird and new all this stuff is to me. I mean, it's one thing to find out one day that your foot floats, the next to find out you can explode..."He paused, hoping she thought he was speaking metaphorically. "So this Doctor Smith seems pretty damned special...Time travel you said. That's pretty cool."

Oona found Peter and Martha easily enough. They were around an active communal cooking fire.
"You need to learn to not wander off." Oona chided softly. "You were placed under my care. I take your protection seriously. Please stay here and make sure Tosh gets something to eat. I'll try to find Claude and bring him back for a meal. I hope he has not gotten into trouble. I don't know how these people might react and I would hate to have to rescue him."
Oona and Toshiko headed to find a place to eat and decided not to interrupt the couple deep in conversation. Tosh smiled and waved at Peter and Martha but frowned when they did not respond, maybe they didn’t notice her and Oona and her after all?
The smell of fresh fruits attracted Tosh and she urged Oona forward to inspect the aroma. The place looked neat and tidy. A pretty fairy like creature met them at the door bowed and bade them enter.

The women talked as they ate and found many things in common and knew they could trust the other.

Oona tried to ignore the smell of the food, or the growling of her stomach. "Oh, and we can find shelter at the alehouse at the end of the main street. It will not be much, but it will be inside."
Oona moved away into the gathering dark to search out her last charge. She hoped that Claude had at least learned something useful while he was doing... whatever he was doing.
She had looked everywhere. She hoped he was still within the village. She could not abandon three to hunt for one.
Tracking him in a village would be near impossible if he had gone invisible. People walked everywhere. But not all wore shoes with unique treads. She smiled and summoned a witchlight. The glowing ball of energy floated a foot above her open palm. One of the most basic magics, this barely tapped any energy at all.
Starting behind the armoury, she spotted the occasional smudged print of 21st century Earth footwear. She began to track.

Claude watched as Oona began moving around, clearly she was looking for him , he shook the branches of a nearby bush and watched her, nodding to himself to himself, he was right- she couldn’t see him, only track him.
Finding a soft patch of ground, he jumped up and down a few times, making sure the impression of his feet was clear, he wasn’t sure just how good at this she was, and he didn’t want to lose her.
A small clearing just in front looked ideal, he picked up a piece of earth and threw it towards a bush, Oona took it as movement, and passed him, concentrating on the ground.
As soon as she was a safe distance away, Claude appeared behind her, "Lookin’ for me?" he asked, Oona jumped and turned around to face him, she was clearly nervous of him, he tried to make his smile as friendly as possible...not easy for him-he hadn’t found the need to use it in quite a while!
Claude shuffled his feet uncertainly, attempted a smile again, then hunting around in his pockets he produced the emerald crystal, putting it down on a tree stump, he said, "um...I think this is yours."
Oona eyes had conveyed more than a little sympathy for Claude now that he spoke of his past and regrets. He seemed a bit more sane now. Much more sane, actually. His return of her crystal was a huge surprise. "It's a dream collector. I collect them, and sell them to those who use and need them. Thank you." She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Seeing Oona’s amazed expression Claude suddenly went into overdrive, " Bought it back off that gnome...you looked like you didn’t want to part with it.." his voice trailed off, then suddenly realising something added " I didn’t nick it...paid for it...all legit...ish."
As Oona approached the tree stump, clearly not sure if the item really was what it appeared to be, Claude said, "I...wanted a word, I’m not sure where your from, but I thought maybe you knew more about what this place is.." he looked hopefully at her, took a deep breath and continued, " I got involved with something years ago, seemed like a good idea at the time," he gave an ironic laugh, "couldn’t have been more wrong...this set-up, well lets just say it brings back bad memories," he paused biting his lip, " tell me I’m wrong...please"

Martha told Peter stories of her and the Doctor's travels, loving that she finally had someone to share them with. Her mother wouldn't understand and her brother and sister would probably think she was mad, but Peter seemed to care and be genuinely interested. It wasn't like he didn't have oddities of his own.
The fire started dying down and the locals, some fuelled by drink of some kind, had began socialising. "Reckon we should start asking these people for information now. Wouldn't want Jack to get all stroppy with us in the morning. He's flirty now, but I wouldn't want to get on his bad side." Martha dusted off her coat and headed towards a group of aliens, hoping Peter wasn't shy.
Peter followed on behind for a time, letting Martha ask the questions, she seemed to be more at home with the whole investigatory job. She was friendly and approached people with determination, the last time he had acted in that way he had got himself killed (momentarily). The second time he acted like that he…no – still unable to think about it. Still he was determined to keep calm.

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 5 – Pt 2]

The Village people (at least he called them people, he had yet to decide upon an alternative collective term) were helpful and friendly. It seemed they were not, contrary to the Doctor’s belief, regular drop offs of people like himself and the others; in fact, most people agreed, it was in general a very rare thing. It seemed whatever power had brought them here (no one had the inclination to work out how) was in tune with jeopardy. So much so, in fact, that many referred to their noble benefactor as just that, ‘Jeopardy’.

Many of the stranded souls had been on the brink of terrible trauma when they had arrived, extinction, mass extinction in many cases, and at least one of their kind (and their families, friends) had been ripped from this jeopardy in the very moment that every other soul had perished. It made Peter incredibly sad to hear this, that explained, he thought to himself, why he had felt so alone since he had arrived (even though he had been alone only momentarily) because everybody in this place was destined to feel alone.

It also seemed that Jeopardy had only been in charge a while; “He did not bring all of us here,” said a small blue faced creature in a white hat that Martha was convinced was a Smurf, “only most of us. Some speculate he came with the others, that he was one of the first. But no one knows for certain. If they did we would hold parades in his honour, hunt him down and thank him.”

Peter wondered what was to be thankful for, this didn’t seem to be much of an existence. He listened intently as Martha continued to question and then remembered the ‘oldest’ that the gnome had earlier referred to. He asked the Brian (the Smurf) for directions to the person that the gnome had described. “I’ll take you too him,” Chirruped Brian, and led the way. Martha and Peter following along behind. The hut was small and fairly unnoticeable, they would have never found it without Brian’s help. Peter, not knowing what they would find inside stepped ahead of Martha to enter first; of course he knew she was brave enough to cope with whatever it was they found, but if it was dangerous, if it could hurt her, he wanted to make a pre-emptive strike. She had, after all left the nice sword behind, and he didn’t like to think about her killing anything anyway…he didn’t really like to think of himself killing anything either. Martha followed up behind him, and laughed.
Sitting ahead of them, eating a nice bowl of warm something stew like, was a small, blond haired boy who was, even Martha could tell, entirely human.

Martha sat beside the boy, she smiled, and he returned the favour. “So,” she said, “You’re famous.”
“This has to be some kind of a joke.” Sneered Peter, although he was willing to except that it wasn’t. “He’s only nine!”
“I’m older than that,” said the boy in a sing-song voice. “Much older, though I’ve quite lost count by how much, we’ve been here so long.”
“We?” Asked Peter, keeping an eye on the door for the others. “What do you mean we?”
“Sorry,” said the boy, “I say that because I was once the youngest. They have all gone now, the other humans, many, many years ago. I sometimes forget I am on my own here. I am one of the last of my people, and I will never die.” Martha looked at the child sadly, she was certain that she recognised him from somewhere.
“Never?”
“Never.” Replied the child. “No one here perishes of natural causes, they are attacked by animals, killed by others, taken by poachers; but no one ever dies naturally, we just…remain.” He said sadly, sipping at his soup, “the same way we were the day we arrived. Never changing, never aging, never dying. No poacher will ever take me, I am worthless to them. No creature will ever kill me, for I still remain a child in their eyes. No animal will ever attack me, for the others will not let me leave the perimeter of the village. So I must remain.”
“And the others?” Asked Martha, “What happened to them?”
“We came here in a rocket, called to from across the stars.” He smiled wistfully. “My mother…” he seemed to remember her fondly, as if to suggest that in the distance there was a spec that bore her face, though it was so small he was unable to read its features. “…said the sky was made of diamonds.”

Martha grabbed her breath…she remembered those words.
"The Doctor!" She exclaimed..."Peter, we have to tell the Doctor!"
"What?" Peter asked.
"UTOPIA!!!!!" She screamed...."We're in bloody UTOPIA!"

Martha's mind was racing, and though Peter hadn't been able to delve to far into her thoughts previously (he had yet to learnt how to really control this ability - and he doubted Claude would concede to helping him with it now). Her heart rate sped up at a phenomenal rate, she grabbed hold of Peter's hand and dragged him outside.

"Fly, damn it, take me to him...Now!" But he couldn't...he couldn't do anything. His head was pounding, visions were passing before his eyes.

"No!" He told himself, not again! It had been coming for a while, there was just too much power in the village, too much sadness and loss, he would be much better off in the wilderness...but would he make it there. As he stood in front of Martha, noticing Oona and Tosh in the near distance, he began to loose control. His breathing sped up. His heart pounded, his head pounded..."No...no." He watched in awe as his flesh began to glow.

"This seems to be a place unique people of many races are collected. It is like... a cageless zoo. I do not intend to be a exhibit. And that one who speared Peter earlier called himself a poacher. That does not bode well, either. There are people here with limited weaponry. Whatever protects this village cannot last forever." Oona explained to Claude.

Oona suddenly stared past Claude, alarmed at something, the others had wandered off. What was it with people wandering off? Thought Oona. Then, as Claude turned to see what was wrong, he saw Peter, begin to glow and shake, "Bloody hell no!!" Claude yelled and ran towards him., but Claude reacted quickly.

Claude skidded to a halt just in front of Peter, by now his head was glowing white hot, Claude scanned the area desperately, he wouldn’t be able to touch him, the only thing close was a wooden bucket, "oh well, needs must..." not really aiming it, he swung it at Peter’s head, there was a dull thunk as it made contact, Peter collapsed on the floor.

Claude gave a sigh of relief, closely followed by remorse (or a sort) "sorry mate...nothing else I could do." he mumbled to no one in particular.

Toshiko had her laptop still switched on and the device picked up Claude's words of apology to Peter. She looked more closely at Claude and wondered if he was as bad as the others had made out? Looking up from her laptop for a second she met the stare of Oona. Tosh wondered if she could read her thoughts? By the smirk on Oona’s face Tosh wouldn't be surprised at this strange new friend. Peter was building up energy within his body. Lots of it. Many kinds of energy clashing and fighting for dominance. He was a living powder keg. She could sense the differing energies, much like magic. This was not good. Yet, Claude's actions seemed to diffuse the energy, snap it into alignment. Peter needed a way to expend the energy build up in a controlled manner. He needed a pressure valve before he blew.

Peter was still glowing but it looked like the bucket had done the trick. Whatever horrible thing happening with Peter appeared to have been diverted for now. The alien tech that Jack had given her started to bleep and it was growing hot in her pocket. She took it out and gasped as it seemed to be transmitting some signal and if so to whom?

Claude looked down at the crumpled heap that was Peter, he was reluctant to move him, better let things settle down.

He looked over into the shocked face of Peter’s latest friend, what the hell was her name? He smiled at her, " All right luv?" he enquired, she just glared back at him and said, "I’m not your love now or any time you great bully."

Claude’s back stiffened, the smile disappeared, "God forbid...I eat little girls like you for breakfast." he leered at her. Expecting her to give him a dirty look and flounce off, he was amazed when she stormed up to him, pushed her face at close to his as she could get and whispered, "In your dreams."

Stunned he took a step back, Martha took him backing away (however slightly) as a victory of sorts, and decided to try and press home her advantage.

"What made him go all...like that?" she asked she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how to describe what she’d just seen, it seemed Claude was the man to ask.

Claude shrugged, "complicated, you wouldn’t understand." if she thought he was going to tell her anything she could think again!

Martha glared back, " fine, I’m a doctor," she paused, that wasn’t strictly true, "well...nearly."

The word doctor was more than enough for Claude, bloody hell not another one! He glared back, " oh yippee, a marriage made in heaven, a nurse and nearly a doctor."

Martha fumed back, " what the hell do you mean by that?"

"What do you think?" Claude glared back. If it hadn’t been for the fact that he didn’t want to leave Peter in case things started up again, he would have happily walked off at that moment, but he felt reluctant to leave him to the mercies of any doctor, nearly or not.

Martha found herself blushing, to try and cover it she yelled back (rather more loudly than she intended), "Look, I like him, I hope were friends, but that’s all, all right?
that’s all " realising how many people had heard the last part when so, so many heads turned around to look at her, she forced a smile and looked down at the floor.

Claude was laughing loudly, " Truce?" he asked, offering his hand, embarrassed Martha nodded grudgingly, " Truce"

Peter groaned. He knew there was something important he had to do, but for the time being he couldn't remember what it was. Claude looked down at Peter he seemed to be coming round, trying to nudge the bucket out of the way with his foot and hoping it wasn’t noticed he said "Peter? you with us mate?"
Peter opened one eye, then he opened the other. His head was still pounding. Above him the awkwardly hairy face of his old mentor loomed down, smiling mischievously.
"I'm not sure..." He said, remembering the night before, "...but I'm really hoping." He tried to smile, his head swimming with pain and a huge helping of guilt. "Pants?"
Claude looked relieved, "Well actually it was a b...erm what pants?"
Peter, lifting himself up with great difficulty and rubbing his head looked down and checked himself. He sighed, still clothed...Nuclear explosions had a terrible habit of disintegrating his very carefully selected wardrobe (Currently a part of Poacher's pants, Shoes from the Doctor and Owen's coat, although the Poacher would no longer be needing his pants he did hope to return the other borrowed items...)

Clothes meant he hadn't exploded...he would thank Claude later for knocking him out before the reaction got out of hand. He would have to find the space to work on controlling his new ability; otherwise the lot of them could get into serious trouble. Martha looked down at him, just as the sound of thunder erupted overhead.

When the ruckus started Oona was walking towards the others. A ship of rock sent a fierce wind through the village. It was an assault of some sort. Claude was already getting Peter and Martha to seek cover. There was more to him than met the eye. It was her turn to sneak up on him. She clasped his shoulder.
"I doubt that is the zookeeper.” Oona called as Claude vanished, “If they get through whatever protects this place then all the people will be in one group, like fish in a barrel. If they get through the village will need to disperse in groups, but in different directions. If it gets through I will try to cover you. Get Peter, Martha and Toshiko into the trees."

Claude helped Martha to get Peter up and back on his feet, he glanced up at the sky, trying to gauge where the thundering sound was coming from. "Get him under cover, and stay with him." He looked straight at Martha, she nodded and helped support him.

Claude took a deep breath and faded away.

Peter stumbled as best he could in Martha's arms trying to avoid her gaze. "I know, I know..." he said, "We should go to him." He conceded, though he didn't know why being in 'Utopia' should concern the Doctor enough, right now he thought they should go to him strictly for their own necks. He thought that maybe the Doctor could suppress his powers, stop him from going up, the way Mohinder had said was possible. Maybe he knew of a cure. But he couldn't fly, he was too weak to walk. They would have to wait, just a little while longer.

Toshiko followed them, she seemed to be playing with some electronic device, as if she was trying to make it work and it was eluding her. Peter mouthed 'what's that?" but she ignored him, he wondered if she could he hear him.

They stumbled out of the village, towards the perimeter, which made Peter happy - he needed to get away from all that power. Staying there was like putting a match to a bucket of gas...Wait, he thought, Bucket! "Did he hit me with a bucket?" He asked Martha drunkly, and promptly passed out again in her arms.

Claude watched invisibly as the others moved towards what he hoped was safety. Oona was no-where to be seen. The villagers seemed frightened, so wherever it was coming from, the thundering noise wasn’t usual. He still had Owen’s gun, he grinned to himself, he really must remind him about that the next time he saw him. What he could really do with was..."Yes" He pronounced, discarded on the floor, a broom! Exactly what he was looking for, quickly wrenching off the bristled end, he revolved the long handle experimentally, perfect, one final glance towards Peter, then he grinned and disappeared.

Claude reached the edge of the village; there was too much foliage here, little point in staying invisible.

Someone touched his shoulder, he turned quickly ready to attack...then lowered it, it was Oona!

Oona had seen Claude's surprise at being caught before he became visible again.

"Dust and debris. If you look for an invisible person, than the dust and debris hitting you gives you away. You might show up in rain as well. Be careful of that, yes?"
Claude laughed and nodded, for once the urge to get the upper hand (or the last word) didn’t seem to be there! There was something oddly calming about Oona.
"Where do you suggest we go now?"

As Peter once more regained his sense, this time feeling sick rather than suffering a headache (perhaps it was that meat he had eaten the night before? Something inside him definitely wasn't agreeing with him) he seemed to have been deposited amongst the dense foliage on the perimeter of the town. Toshiko and Martha were both playing with whatever strange device had been demanding Tosh's attention earlier.

He asked again "What's that?" and Toshiko, whose hearing had now apparently returned begged him to shush, she was deep in concentration twisting buttons and dials to her heart's content. Martha was watching her in awe, holding her finger on something when Tosh indicated she should.

Finally the machine seemed to burst into life, dragging Tosh's arm upwards it sent a bright light into the sky, an unmistakable green band of light.

Peter asked delicately exactly what was the point of hiding in a bush if Toshiko was going to hang a Neon sign outside announcing where they were. But he was immediately hushed.

Clearly they knew what they were doing, Peter shrugged; women! Can't live with them...it was no good. Now they were talking about shoes. Carefully, Peter pulled himself to his feet.

"When you need me..." He said, "...look it's going to take a while, but we'll go to him as soon as I can." He said sincerely. "I won't be far." He dragged himself from the undergrowth and saw Oona canoodling with his benevolent assailant. Making himself invisible was easy, after all he was taught be the best, and didn't require him to be fully healthy. Amused that the man who didn't like people, the man who taught him to be wary of his distractions, taught him that people were most interesting when they thought no one was watching, could do with being spied on himself once in a while. Plus, he had a suspicious feeling that the machine Toshiko had activated was good for nobody and no one, not that the girls would listen to him. He followed silently behind.

Oona met Claude's eyes.

"The most logical place would be North, after the others. But without a tracker with you won't find the trail in the dark. North and a bit east. Try to find a cave or niche to hole up. Camouflage it, and you or Peter stand guard in a tree or similar place of advantage. Your invisibility will allow you the advantage, and you can warn the others to run at an enemies approach."

Oona took the green crystal from her pouch. "Take this with you. I can find any I make. I will be able to find the holder anywhere so I can catch up." She was glad she had seen the others armed. Claude's gun may yet come in handy. "And don't lose that. I'll want it back. A friend gave it to me." With a wink and a smile she moved away, her bow unslung from her back. She grabbed an apple and some meat from a table. It might seem odd in the middle of a crisis, but she needed to restore her energy. She may yet need to conduct a greater summoning. It would leave her completely vulnerable, but it might buy the others time.

Claude and Oona walked together, conversation was a bit laboured but oddly for once it didn’t seem to matter. He was aware that Peter was following them, but it didn’t bother him enough to let him know that he knew, and he felt relieved that Peter was feeling well enough to want to eavesdrop! Just to keep him on his toes, he gave the filthiest laugh he could manage, prodded Oona’s arm gently, and smiled at her baffled reaction, just when she must have been thinking he was half way sane...but the temptation to wind up Peter was just too much.

"The Hypocrite!" Fumed Peter, "After everything he went on about with Simone! After all of his half-assed wisdom! After all of his 'selfish, deceitful, and gassy' bulls**t. And here he is! Lord of the Hermits hitting on a godamn elf!" Keep Calm, thought Peter. Keep calm.

Claude accepted the green crystal from Oona, if it meant she could keep track of them it could be of some use. He watched her leave, surprised that felt sorry. Turning in Peter’s direction, he grinned inanely and waved, "Hiya Petey boy alright?"

Peter nearly swallowed his tongue. He could have reiterated his thoughts but he found it easier to hide them. "A bucket?" He asked..."funny."
Claude ambled up to him still grinning, "oh come on Petey boy lighten up," he waved the green crystal at him, "We’ve been bugged...we’ll never be lost again-apparently."

He sighed, "Look I’m sorry about the bucket, it was the only thing I could lay me hands on quickly, your lucky it could’ve been worse!"

"A lot worse," Peter frowned, Peter explained what had happened, how he had landed in this strange place, he told him about Sylar and Nathan and Ted. "I think I need help controlling this, I mean, everything you did..." He rubbed his head, permanently sore, " it helped; more than that. But...where did you go?"

Claude’s smile suddenly disappeared, he shrugged, " Around, does it matter?" Feeling that perhaps he did owe Peter some kind of explanation he added, " there were some people I thought I should go and see...or not exactly see, just..." He sighed, "Perhaps we can try and work something out," he grinned, "I’m running out of things to hit you with, its getting’ embarrassing." Suddenly looking around, alarmed he asked, "Where are the others?"

Peter just thought he was being cagey as usual, but at least he wasn't beating him around the head with household objects any more. Peter eyed the broom handle suspiciously, which Claude noted. "My own personal Peter-putter-outer," He laughed, "Well, a man has to protect himself friend."
Peter attempted to smile and gestured that they should return to the girls, still crouched in the tree line projecting the strange green light into the sky.
He smiled at Martha, who still it seemed hadn't forgiven him for loosing it the minute she had 'worked out' wherever it was that they happened to be. "So..." he said as he approached, "tell me all about this so called 'Utopia'"
As he spoke it seemed the light of whatever it was that Toshiko had been playing with... gave out. She exhaled desperately. Peter, it had to be said, was grateful; as much as he like Toshiko, he had know idea of her strengths, for all he knew she had just managed to summon a herd of buffalo to trample them all down. He resolved, as soon as he was able, he was going to get out of that village.

"We need to tell the Doctor..." Martha continued staring off into space, thinking of all that had happened these past few days. Going to the end of the universe, releasing the Master, being plopped onto some other planet. Wait! she thought, The Doctor had come from the TARDIS. He couldn't have been plucked from the same time I was in, then! He must be from our future ... or maybe our past? Martha rested her head in her hands, trying to figure out how they had landed on Utopia ... Utopia, of all places! That little boy was Creet, from the silo. There must be others from the ship here then. Maybe if she could find them, she could find a way to get back home.
"Pete, we have find the Doctor. I know your not in the right state to fly or even run to find him, but as soon as you're fit, we have to go. In the meantime, find other humans. You'll know by their teeth."
"Their teeth...?" Peter could not help but look at her quizzically - having heard her thoughts you're choice, my head's hurting, but I think I can fly - that's if we can find them. Claude and Oona can watch over Tosh..." He looked down to Toshiko, she wasn't paying attention, obsessing rather about her gadget. He thought he might tell her about that purple thing....Mary, was it? Strange name for an alien...but she wouldn't have heard that either. He held out his hand to Martha and smiled his best smile. "I could do with some fresh air." He said.
"Are you sure you're ready? I don't want you to get all glowy again ... "
"I'll be fine for a while, " He said, hoping. Took her hand, cocked Claude a wink and up they went. At first it was hard going, but soon enough he felt free again. They left the cloistered village far below them and headed for the forest.

Claude watched as Peter took off with Martha, then turned his attention towards Toshiko. He shook his head, she was still wrapped up in her technology, he sighed well he supposed he was overdue on good deeds. "Toshiko" he announced -no response, wonderful! he thought, I’m really losing my touch.
He cleared his throat and tried again, "Oy..Toshiko"
This time she looked up, and giving him a vague look said absently, "What?"
He grinned at her, "Good wasn’t it?"
Tosh looked baffled, "What was?"
Claude put on a look of amazement, "You mean you didn’t see it?"
Tosh was now getting annoyed, "What didn’t I see?" she demanded, "what?"
He walked up to and leaned over, "Not a thing. But you could’ve couldn’t you?"
Tosh shook her head at him, what on earth was he going on about?
Claude grabbed the device she’d been fiddling with, jammed it into one of his pockets and nodded at her, "there, that’s better"
Tosh was furious "No its not, give it back, its not yours."
Claude shrugged, "Don’t have a problem with that particular concept never did". Tosh gave him a disapproving look, "so I’ve been told." Then sounds of explosions made them both look around

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 6 - Soup and Nuts

[Chp 6 – Pt1]

Hanging from a tree, Death's Head sighs. Maybe an upgrade from "tried-and-true" to "fancy new" would be in order. But doing so would be akin to admitting the Doctor was right all those years ago.

The cyborg removes his hand and attaches his favourite sword.

"Time to cut and run, yes?"

With a single, broad sweep, Death's Head severs the parachute's cords. And several tree branches. And part of the tree trunk. All smashing to the ground and into the creek in a jumbled pile of debris.

Death's Head rises from the middle of the pile, picking leaves and twigs from his spikey bits.

"Maybe not so much with the running, and next time... less cutting, yes?"

The cyborg pops a joint back into place and scans his surroundings. Seeing nothing, he switches to olfactory and audio. Something smells like... fish. And hot, wet robot. And he hears a voice, a pair of voices, human, "code zero".

"The natives have gotten more sophisticated since last time we were here, yes?"

The sword goes away and the sonic cannon is installed in its place.

"Maybe the Doctor has become a Teacher."

With a stomp and a splash, Death's Head follows the sound of the voices.

The Doctor paused his new story as his stomach rolled over and a cold hand clutched his spine. He looked skywards but couldn’t see anything. Rose nudged him.
"You ok?"
"Oh I'm always ok." he gave her a quick smile before looking up again. "Though I... heard something is all."
He wasn't sure if it was his slightly telepathic nature, 900 hundreds years experience, or just common animal instinct, but when there was danger afoot his knew about it.
"How's that fish going Jack? We should hurry up and get moving. Can't spend all day here..."

Gwen looked around. "Can you hear something?" She said as she stood up and looked towards the beach. " That sounds like..."
Owen's lungs burned. He was sucking in as much air as he could, running way too fast. One wrong step, and he'd wrench an ankle or go crashing down. He was going to have to quit smoking. That much was obvious. He could see Gwen and Jack now. Gwen looked up first in confusion, then surprise. Jack stood right away and went for his Wembley. Owen missed his gun.
Gwen didn't have to finish her sentence, as she saw Owen running up to them waving his arms, and yelling Code Zero. She turned to the others, "We've got a code Zero!”
Gwen grabbed for her gun and held it at the ready. Owen was running full pelt towards them. She looked over at The Doctor and Rose and saw them also looking around confusion. Owen was getting closer and a Code Zero was never good.

The Doctor looked up as Owen came crashing out of the trees. His spider sense never let him down. Something was up. Fishing rode forgot he hauled himself to his feet and stuffed them wet into his socks and shoes. Can't be left running around bare feet. Last time that had happened he'd ended up on the moon.
"Rose forget the fish, it's time to run." He said helping her up, and also helping with putting on the shoes. He grabbed her hand. "Does your foot feel ok? Ok enough to run?"
She nodded quickly, though he wasn’t sure he believed her and hauled her after him towards Captain Jack and Owen. "What's going on?"
Owen scrambled to a stop and panted, trying desperately to catch his breath. His hands went to his knees. “Steel. Parachute. Big!” He swallowed, moistening his mouth. He hadn't had anything to drink yet. Thirsty. God, he was thirsty. Arming himself as best he could with last night's big stick, he turned to face the forest.
“Owen!" Gwen ran up to Owen and held her gun ready, covering him as best she could. A big stick wasn't going to do much against whatever the thing was. "Owen. are you hurt?! What happened?" Gwen looked frantically from Owen to the forest and back again. Owen looked to the Doctor and Rose, then back to Gwen and Jack.
"Not sure. Came from…from the sky. Parachute. Steel. Big. Cyborg, maybe. Don't know if it saw me, but it didn't get here like we did. Which means it's potentially a very serious threat." Owen gave the Doctor the most serious look he could muster. "Help her get to safety. Don't make her run on that ankle. Have you ever heard a Cyberman stomping through the woods?” Owen asked, “Yeah, something like that...”
"Cyborg?” Asked Gwen, her guard up, “Is a gun any good, it didn't have much affect on Lisa." Gwen walked backwards with Owen to Jack and the others.
"No idea." Owen's eyes were wide. His bottom jaw jutted out a little -- he had a tendency toward an underbite when he was upset -- and he clutched his staff with white knuckles. Yeah, he was pretty sure he was going to die.
“Not good,” Gwen summed up. “This is definitely not good. Owen has no gun, Jack doesn't seem to be giving any orders and The Doctor and Rose aren't armed either. We're dead meat.” Breathing deeply Gwen brought her gun up in front of her and aimed it, ready to shoot at any time. It was emerging from the forest. “Sh*t.” She said.
Death's Head appeared at the far edge of the clearing. The cannon aimed upwards, he scans from side-to-side. If his immobile metal face could grimace, it would. His gaze settles on the humanoids cowering at the far end, "There wouldn't happen to be a Doctor in the house, would there?"

The Doctor didn't need to be told twice. Always the coward, that was him. He'd rather run from trouble than stand and face it.
He took Rose's hand. "How fast can you move?"
"I'm ok." She insisted.
He wrapped an arm around her waist regardless, and they started off towards the wall. Whilst the guys held up whatever was after them, they would head back up the mountain. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and leaned on him.
"The ligament is healed, so you're not doing any damage by putting weight on it, it's just stiff. You can do this." He kept speaking words of encouragement to her as they reached the wall and climbed over. Their speed picked up. "UP up and away!" He grinned at her. This was how it should be. He should never have let her go. Thinking of that day when he lost her to the other dimension. He should have packed her back into the Tardis and moved to Somerset, start a sheep farm, spend all his free time sat in an arm chair in front of a fire, her curled up in his lap. Hindsight was a wondrous thing.

"Owen, Gwen with the Doctor. I've got your back" Jack said, pretty annoyed that Gwen claimed he hadn’t been giving any orders, with that Jack took a firing stance and faced the cyborg. "Sorry no Doctor's here big guy, you'll have to settle for a Captain"

"Jack, we can't just leave you!" Gwen shouted back then realised Jack couldn't die, and she sighed, "Right, but be careful." She started back away, her gun still trained on the Cyborg.

"Thanks Gwen but get a move on eh, I'm not sure how long I can keep this guy occupied but it'll buy you some time at least. Just stick together and don't look back"
Owen grabbed Gwen's arm and started running after Rose and the Doctor.

"Captain? Earth. Twentieth century. Royal Air Force. American volunteer? Long way from home, yes?" Death’s Head calculated. Death's Head lowered his weapon and gazed out into the surrounding forest. His little electronic eyebrows furrowed curiously. "If you see the Doctor, let him know the tables are turned, yes? I must go take care of business before pleasure."
Spinning on his heel, the cyborg stomped off to the north, oblivious to any weapons pointed at him.
Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise. "well that makes a change, normally they try to blast you to smithereens then walk off"
Jack's immediate instinct was to follow the others but the cyborg would still be out there and nobody likes a surprise cyborg attack. Squaring his shoulders Jack set of north after the cyborg.

The Doctor and Rose had broken into a fast jog, but not quite a run. Rose seemed to be steadier on her feet and he had slid his arm away and taken her hand. They ran together instead of him dragging her like before. Up ahead were more trees. Though there was no doubt all sorts of nasties occupied those trees, if the voice of their attacker was who he thought it was, they would be safer in there. The cyborg would have difficulty following and tracking in dense forestry, and he was hoping that the team behind him would give them some extra time. If perhaps they could find the Keeper than maybe he/she/it could get rid of this Poacher, and perhaps all Poachers.

Maybe they should have just stayed in the Village. Lived the simple life. Walked the slow road. He felt almost wistful, but he couldn't help but think that his other self would show up, and Rose would no longer be his. No, he wouldn't walk the slow path with anyone other than Rose. It was then that he decided. He'd go down fighting to protect her, and he would give up his life if it meant her and her Doctor could be together for any length of time. He might even give the other Doctor some friendly man to man advice. Changing time was dangerous. Even more dangerous when there was a paradox. But Rose was special, and she was worth it. Not to mention when he faded out, another him may come into existence, one who managed to keep his Rose. He could hope for that. It was the stuff of dreams.
Rose grinned, holding onto the Doctor for dear life. "Think everyone else is okay?" She tried to turn to see what she could see, but was unable to. The Doctor's shoulder was in the way.
The Doctor smiled kindly at Rose. “I'm sure they're just dandy. " He lied, "Come on, we make it to the trees, we'll be home free." He grinned, adrenalin had taken over, and he was sure it was the same for her too. That was a good thing. When adrenalin hit the system endorphins released too, and they were better painkillers than anything Owen could have given her. Her leg should be feeling better. 'She should also be feeling slightly euphoric' he thought, smiling to himself. He picked up the pace, sure Rose could keep up with him. he never let go of her hand.
Rose grinned. "Come on then, the trees it is!" She felt so giddy, this was what she was meant to do. Run away from monsters. The stiffness in her ankle was beginning to disappear, allowing her to run even faster.
But Rose was struggling. They had upped the speed to a full on sprint for a while, but Rose, though fit, was only human and eventually started to lag behind. She seemed determined that he should carry on without her.
"He was looking for a Doctor, you're a Doctor." she gasped.
"He was looking for the Doctor. That's your friend." They held eye contact for a long time, neither speaking neither moving.
"I'm not leaving you behind." He whispered. No he would never leave her behind again. He pulled her up and led her to what looked like a bush from the outside, but his keen eyesight and noticed it was a thicket. The hollowed out centre would serve them as good cover for a bit. He pulled her inside to rest, and brought out his paper bag of jelly babies. They sat in silence for a long time.
Rose sat, grabbing a few of the jelly babies at a time. There was something familiar in his gaze. Something she knew. But she couldn't figure out what.
"Do you think my Doctor's okay?” She asked. “I don't know what I would do if he wasn't. I need him here, with me. I can't loose him. Not after what just happened before now”
"I bet you're Doctors fine." he said in hushed tones, not wanting to give away the game. "He's probably sat in the Tardis running hundreds of scans looking for you." he added. He knew his past self. He'd be in quite a tizzy once he realised Rose was missing.
"He wouldn't let anything happen to you, you know. He'd move heaven and earth to get you back." They sat in silence for a while.
"How did you say you met him?" Rose asked after a while, measuring his hushed tones.
"Oh, here and there. We have a lot in common." He knew more questions would probably follow. Every once in a while, all day, she had looked at him as if she knew. He slid and arm around her shoulder and rested his chin on the top of her head. He was giving himself away bit by bit, but with her with him like this, he couldn't help it.
Rose turned to face him. He was still in a daydream, babbling on about jelly babies.
"So, you know about the Tardis then, Doctor." She was starting to think that something else was going on. Something he was keeping from her.

The Doctor looked down at Rose. He had been lost for a moment. More than a moment. He had been back in his ninth self, remembering other times like these with Rose. That other Doctor was so lucky. He had so much to come. And then there would be Torchwood, and it would ruin everything.

He had to come up with something believable. Even if she had her memories wiped after they got out of here he couldn't deal with the hysterical, 'no you're not the Doctor' right now. A thought hit him, maybe they didn't get their memories wiped. Maybe they didn't get out of here. Maybe that's why he didn't remember all this. Only he hadn't died yet that's why he hadn't faded away like Marty Mcfly. He squashed the thought down.

"Oh me and the Doctor, we're alike in alot of ways. And good friends. I've seen that tardis of his, and this," he held up the sonic screw driver, "is his, only his future his."

Ok so not an all out lie. In fact, not a lie at all. He smiled.

"I know all about you." He smiled at her warmly. "You mean a lot to him. And so you mean a lot to me too."

Again not a lie, just not the entire truth. And maybe now she wouldn't question him again. And a small part of him couldn't help but hope, maybe it changed a few things between her and his past self too if she knew just how much she meant to him. He shouldn't wish for it really. He should maintain the order of time. That was his people’s way. But they were gone, and he needed Rose. Now more than ever.

Rose nodded and leaned up, lightly pecking him on the lips. She grinned up at him and leaned closer to him, hugging him tightly.
He completely froze. His Rose had never kissed him on the lips before. On the cheek yes a few times, forehead too, and once on the helmet. He had had an inkling she might have wanted other kisses but he had been so torn about making any move on her that he never had. He wished he had of done now. He sighed and let himself sink into Rose's embrace. This wasn't his Rose. It had become so much of a mantra that the words had started to lose meaning to him. "Thank you." She murmured in his ear as she held him tightly.
They sat in silence for a long time, so long he began to wonder if she was asleep. She suddenly turned to him.

"I'd think he'd be glad you took care of me. Maybe you could join us when we get out of here."

A lump formed in his throat. Here she was, his Rose, inviting him to go with her.

"Oh I don't know. I'm a little too smart and a little too pretty. I'd probably get in th way."

She looked like she was going to say something to protest. Before she could, he took hold of her hand and pulled her up out of the thicket.

"Time to get going I think. Can't sit around all day contemplating out belly buttons. Not that I have one." He added with a wry grin. "Lets go." And with that they were moving again. He had heard sound to the left of them, not far by his calculations, and not those of clumbering great cyborgs either. Time to investigate.
Rose walked, holding onto the Doctor. Her head kept on falling, she was going to end up falling asleep on her feet. She shook herself, she's no good to anyone like this. She had to be wide-awake. They walked on again at a more leisurely pace, their hands swinging in between them. It felt like all those many times he and Rose had gone on walkabouts minus the danger. It was nice.
Rose let out a large yawn but tried to hide it. This was odd, she wasn't normally tired by now. Normally she was still on a high.
The Doctor noticed Rose yawning, his brow furrowed into a frown. He had spent enough time with her to know she could withstand much more time than this without rest. Maybe it was the pain killers having bad side effects. Some were known to cause drowsiness. Or perhaps it was something they had ate. He thought back to the berries, but dismissed the idea. Maybe, more simply, she had little sleep the night before.

"You ok?"

She nodded but yawned again.

"Look, you need to rest. You need to be alert and responsive, which you won't be if you're sleep deprived."

The sun was going down and there would be no use trying to travel through the forest at night anyway. It was time for a break. She protested anyway, always the string one his Rose, but he dragged her to a a very tall wide tree with a hollow half way up. He boosted her up and helped her climb into the hollow.

"Time for sleepy byes." He grinned at her, "I'll sit out here and keep watch."

"Don't you need to sleep?"

He did feel a little lethargic, but nothing to write home about, and he really ought keep guard.

"I'm fine." He replied.

She pouted at him, reaching out of the hollow and grabbing his sleeve.

"There's plenty of room, and you can see for miles from in here anyways."

He could never deny her. There was a look she gave him, which just melted his insides and made his heart feel warm like toast, and apple grass on a summers day. He chewed it over for a fraction of a second. He really shouldn't. And as so as the word 'shouldn't crossed his mind, he crawled into the hallow and settled himself next to her. She curled up against him, arm resting over him, face against his chest. He slid an arm around her to keep her warm and kissed her forehead.

"Night Rose."

"Night Doctor."

He sighed, "John. Please. We'll find your Doctor soon don't you worry."

Soon would come to quickly he thought as he drifted off.

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 6 - Pt 2]

Tree branches whipped at Gwen’s face and arms, but Owen still kept a firm grip on her. The forest started to get denser and they lost sight of The Doctor and Rose.
"Which way!?" She yelled trying to breath.
Owen's eyes darted around. He was so tired. And thirsty. And increasingly undressed. And substantially less equipped. And now completely lost. "Not sure. Lost sight of them. Damn, he's quick." Owen gulped down another breath and made a choice. "Let's try the trees. Seems like it would make good cover."
Gwen followed Owen through to the trees. The pace had slowed, now that they were away from the cyborg.
"Where's that water you got earlier? You need a drink and new clothes." She looked down at herself. Her t-shirt sleeve had ripped off, and her jeans were muddy with a bloody great rip up the right leg. "I need new clothes, and ... where's my coat?"
Owen panted “In bags. By the river. With my kit.” Owen took stock: “one pair of jeans (filthy), one #2 scalpel (slightly dull), one lighter, one pair of socks (also filthy), and one pair of trainers (filthy). Oh, and a big stick. Sorry.”
"Don't worry..." Gwen looked around "Where the hell are they? They came in this direction." She paused for a moment ," Can you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Owen looked around. He was flushed and red, still catching his breath. Other than Gwen, the only thing he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears.
"That! Shhh" Gwen shushed him with hand gestures and quietly moved through the undergrowth, with her gun at the ready. "A crackling sound...." She whispered over her shoulder.
Owen crouched next to Gwen. He dropped the big stick in favour of the scalpel. The trees were thick enough it was the only logical choice.
"The trees are too thick I can't see anything ..." Gwen whispered, barely audible, “What do we do?"
Owen was pressed back-to-back with Gwen. "Just be ready. It doesn't sound like the cyborg, but who knows what's out here?"
"Okay." Gwen let out a shaky breath. She felt comforted by Owen's presence, even if he was half naked without a gun.
"We can't crouch here forever..." Gwen whispered "We either go charging in, or try to get around it and carry on looking for the Doctor and Rose. Unless that is the Doctor and Rose, but we can't be sure." Gwen didn't like the options she was presented with.
"I'm in favour of charging in quietly, if it's all the same to you." Owen followed her, trying to guard her back.
Gwen slowly crawled through the trees, making sure her gun was at the ready and she was alert. She came out to a clearing and was confronted by... gnomes. Gnomes! sitting around a roaring fire. At least that explains the crackling. Gwen looked on it disbelief and Owen came to stand beside her. Gwen turned to him and raised her eyebrows.

Owen blinked in disbelief.
"Right. I've gone mad."

"No... you haven't, I see them too...." Gwen frowned at them "Actually how long has it been since I drank something, because gnomes?"
Owen took a deep breath. He'd seen weirder. He really had. And this was a far cry from "deadly cyborg" or "scary dog thing" or even Claude.
"Uh, hello there. My friend and I were just passing through and we're a little bit lost. Do you have any food or water?"
He watched a little giddily as the gnomes noticed them and cheerfully went to work sitting them down and bringing them some hot soup, blankets, and other useful items. He shrugged at Gwen.
"It's less weird than Jack's oestrogen in the rain spiel."
"True." Gwen Grinned.
For gnomes, the little guys weren't bad. Sure, they'd had him out of his clothes and into a blanket almost right away, but they also had food and drink. Those were two things Owen had been fairly sure he'd never see again. They were even making him a shirt out of a bedsheet, and some sort of cloak out of a couple of camp blankets. He'd feel a little bet renaissance faire, but he'd get over it.

Owen was getting to think that being wrapped in a blanket wasn't so bad. In fact, he was beginning to feel downright giddy. Wait, he thought. Giddy?
He took a careful sniff of the soup, then a careful taste. Sure enough. He leaned against Gwen Cooper and gave her a lopsided grin. "Gwen? It's beer! They make soup with beer! Really strong beer." He hadn't eaten for 12 hours. No wonder it went straight to his head.
Gwen giggled and pointed at the soup. " I know, I've already drunk it." She giggled again then held her fingers up to her lips and made a mumbled shhh noise "Don't tell anyone but ...." She beckoned him closer so she could whisper in his ear. " I am totally wasted!" Then she hiccuped.
Gwen's hiccup set Owen off into a fit of snickery giggles. He slipped off of his seat and wound up kneeling with his head resting against her leg, clutching the blanket around his waist. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew that being pissed drunk and laughing, naked, wrapped in a blanket was probably not the thing to do on an alien planet, but he was finding he didn't much care. It was good to be warm and fed and dry and clean and utterly wasted. "Oh, Jack's going to kill us when he finds us." For some reason, the idea struck Owen as mildly hilarious, and he started giggling again.
"Yup, we're sooo dead!" Gwen couldn't help but laugh too. Soon enough they were both sitting on the floor giggling like school children. Trying to catch her breath Gwen buried her head in Owens shoulder but just began giggling again.
"No no no nooo we must be serious...." Gwen had a straight face for about two seconds before a laugh escaped her lips.
"Ahh, oh, no look!" Gwen giggled and nudged Owen before pointing at the gnomes. "Look! Look, they've made us clothes! They made you clothes, ahhh!" But when she saw the clothes they had made Owen, Gwen just kept on laughing! Owen was given a pair of bright blue breeches, a red shirt and a mottled green cape.
"You look like a smurf!!" Gwen giggled some more, but then she saw what they had made her.


"There! A fire! With people! The Doctor's got to be there somewhere!" Screamed Martha, they had been circling the forest looking for any signs of a disturbance. She made Peter land them and approached the campsite, only to find Owen and Gwen giggling like four years olds, surrounded by gnomes like the one in the shop.

"Hey! Hey! It's ... erm its..." Gwen gestured around with her hands and started clicking her finger "Oh ... who is it Owen?" Gwen looked at Owen, but instead saw the smurf clothes again and started giggling into Owens shoulder.

"Some soup, Miss? Sir?" A small gnome (who was she kidding, they were all small!) offered both her and Pete bowls which they readily took.
"Smells like Guinness." Martha remarked as she sipped some of the rich broth. "Ugh! Tastes like it, too!" She never was one for beer. Give her tequila and rum shots, but never expect her to finish a pint. Martha looked over at Pete who drank the whole bowl, giving her a sly smile when he finished.
"What? It tastes good!” Peter's head was already spinning, he didn't really need alcohol. Of course he only realised this after he polished off the bowl of 'soup' the very small people handed to him. "Wait," he leant to Martha, almost falling over in the process, "Is this alcohol!"
"Of course it's bloody alcohol! What, you've never 'ad a drink?" She wrapped an arm around Pete, ushering him to sit down. "Bloody hell ... just what we need."

"Oi. Petrelli!" Owen was still wrapped in his blanket, snuggled up against Gwen Cooper. He'd had his fill of soup and bread and cheese, but wasn't quite up to the effort of getting dressed just yet. He waved a little and smirked at the younger man. "I thought all of you stayed behind. Where's the northern bastard with my gun?"

" Doctor..." What was his surname, Peter thought, his head going quite quickly fuzzy. "Owen!" replied Peter. "Claude's hitting on an elf!" he tells him with a smile, "You not dead yet?" He accepted gratefully another bowl of soup from a very small person and gave in to the desire to pat the thing on its head (which is not met gratefully) and gave the guy a thumbs-up..."Hey..." he says, "Don't I have your jacket?"
"Yeah, you're wearin' it. S'okay, though. These gnomes, right? They're making me sort of...you know, stuff." Owen indicated the hastily crafted breeches, tunic, and cloak. "I'll look like the bloke who does the Safety Dance."
Peter looked down at the bowl of soup ahead of him, it seemed miles away, this was not the best plan he had ever come up with, nonetheless he liked a stiff drink sometimes, it took the edge off. "So what happened to you?" he asked the gathered with a slur.
"Ahm. Right. So. We go off camping the Doctor and Jack and Rose. Three of us do the whole rough thing 'round a fire, then go off looking for food and water in the morning. We find a stream, and set about catching fish and doing my laundry -- which's how I lost my shirts -- and making a new fire and all that. Anyhow, I go out lookin' for sticks, an' Gwen here's all 'noooo, not in the woods with sexy ol' Owen Harper' and I'm out there alone when this, I sh*t you not, bloody cyborg comes crashin' out of the bloody sky at me. I panic, tell all them what's going on, and Jack decides to take it out one-on-one while the rest of us run away. 'Cept Gwen and I here lost the Doctor an' Rose. So we wandered around until we found here."
"And then they took my pants."

Peter laughed "Welcome to my world" hiccupped Peter...."every time I blow I wake up naked!" Peter coughed...damn the alcohol. He hadn't meant to slip that he was prone to nuclear explosions...Martha looked at him oddly. "Not that I...you know...explode...." Peter added as an after thought, putting the bowl of soup down on the soily ground.
"Mate, if I wanted you naked, and I'm not saying that's necessarily out of the question at this point, I'd just ask. You don't need to explode on my account."
"Oy, oy, oy!" Martha sensed a very wrong turn in conversation. "No one is drunk shagging under my watch, alright? No need to disturb the gnomes. They have been nothing but friendly to us. Now just sit and get quietly drunk like the rest of us until we find the Doctor." What fun he'd be all liquored up ...
Owen rolled his eyes at Martha. "Spoilsport."
"Shagging?" Asked peter, happily receiving his third bowl of soup...."what's that mean?"
Owen cinches the blanket around his waist, then wobbles over to Peter. He sits down next to the man and leans in close, then whispers an explanation into his ear. He then proceeds to grin, lean back against an empty bench, and giggle like a fifteen-year-old. Peter blushed and looked at the floor.
Owen gave Peter a playful wink, then motioned for Gwen to come over and join the group. He grinned as she made her way over and came to rest next to him. Owen had to admit that -- moratorium on drunken shagging aside -- he didn't much mind being between these two.
"So tell me about this boss of yours" Suggested Peter, slurring with aplomb, "...he's like me right?"
Owen put his arm around Peter in what might be construed in a brotherly way, ”Jack. Jack is...”
Owen knotted his brow. Jack was still out there with that cyborg was what Jack was. And that was quite a while ago. Usually Jack got out of situations like this after a while and found the team. “I don't know what Jack is. 'Cept he ain't here, and that's.” Owen tried to get up. Gwen pulled him back down.
"Owen, we're drunk. And lost. We should wait."
"But Jack --" Gwen handed him another bowl. He gave Peter a sort of helpless shrug.
"To Jack..." Peter stood, holding his bowl to the heavens, but promptly fell back on his ass over the log he had previously been sat upon. Martha caught him ask he fell.

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 7 – A funny thing happened on the way to the mountain.

[Chp 7 - Pt 1]

Stomping northward, Death’s Head tore a trail through the underbrush for about half an hour, all the while oblivious to any tail. His head scanned back and forth and he paused on occasion, as something or another garnered his attention. Suddenly, a pair of lizard-dog Koinu leapt from the brush at him. Grabbing one with his fist, the other enjoyed a backhanded smack from the sonic cannon.

"Bad puppy. No biscuit."

The first yelped piteously before its larynx collapses under the cyborg's literal iron grip. The second barely had time to recover from the swatting before a sonic blast from the cannon imploded its skull.

"They say dogs can hear more sounds. Looks like that's true."
His crimson gaze fixed upon the lifeless body in his grasp.
"Let us return you to your master, yes?"

Death's Head resumed stomping northwards, towards the level 5 force shield he'd detected from orbit.

Tromping around the forest north of the village trouncing poachers. The sonic cannon blew apart several traps. The net gun gathered a prisoner or two. The rest of the poachers and their animals are slowly herded northward until their backs are at the edge of the huge, glowing forcefield.

Dimly visible on the other side are the landing craft, spikey egg-shapes standing on spindly legs. The access ports stood open, but the vehicles were clearly without power.

"I lower the forcefield... You go and never come back, yes?"
Amid the panicked milling and restrained animals, there were many reluctant nods from the somewhat barbaric alien hunters. Even empty-handed as they were, escape was suddenly far more valuable than any rarity on the planet.
"Good."
Death’s Head punched yet another code into his portable security remote. The force field diminished, and then disappeared. The pods immediately sparked to life. There was much scrambling to board and launch, but there were still many pods for who's occupants are unaccounted.
"Enough work. Deserving of playtime now, yes?"
A beep and the field returned, sealing and deactivating the remaining landing craft. It would do no good to have some hunter return and leave with any of his client's assets, after all...

Throughout the night the giant, beweaponed cyborg sat under a tree hunched over a Nintendo DS. Thick metallic fingers managed to deftly work the controls without completely destroying the the device. On the slightly cracked screen, tiny dogs frolicked.

"That's a good Cerberus. Good boy!" Checking his internal chronometer, Death Head turned off the game and looked up. "Playtime over now. Back to work, yes?"
"Next time, I add 'Nature Hiking Through the Woods' fee, yes?"

Death's Head was tired of trees. He was tired of grass. He was tired of tangly, twiggy underbrush snagging at his feet. Maybe he could finish up what he was here to do and get off this rock. Back to his stuff, and his bank accounts, and his hot oil baths. Deep in his grousing, the cyborg never noticed the vine stretched across his path. Normally, such a vine would snap at the force of his stride, but this vine had been hardened with some ingenious gnomish concoction. DH landed face first in the dirt and loam. With a battle cry sounding something like "Mar-ti-ni", trees-full of gnomes began pelting the fallen metal man with rocks of all shapes, sizes, and densities. Small, hard rocks pinged off his cranium. Large, dirt-clod-like boulders shattered on impact, filling his joints with dirty grit. One particularly large lump of granite managed to dent and mar a shoulder pad. Growling with frustration, DH stood and glared into the trees.

The gnomes scattered, howling with glee. While the bounty hunter adjusted his sonic cannon for wide-area stun, a giant redwood log swung down from the branches, smashing squarely into his chest. Nearly a ton of metal and weapons was sent flying through the woods. As Death's Head flew out of sight, he screeched furiously, "Blast you gnomes! You will pay!"
To which the gnomes replied, "Yub yub!"

Death's Head flew for meters and landed atop an errant poacher, who had been stalking gnomes with his sticks and sharp, pointy teeth. The cyborg updated his mental tally of remaining poachers.
"Right. One less stray to corral, yes?"
In the distance, loud "WHUMP" sounds shake the leaves from the trees. Death's Head has his sonic cannon dialled in and was blasting away at anything green as he marched resolutely towards the gnome village.
Occasionally, a gnome party would put up a token counter-attack, only to be brushed away by the cyborg. "You gits bug me. Go away and no one gets hurt, yes? Well, not hurt much anyway."
As day breaks the cyborg trounced through the decimated Gnome camp like an great metallic elephant stepping on eggshells. "DOCTOR *WHUMP* DOCTOR *WHUMP* DOCTOR!" Almost like a metallic marching tune, of sorts, his voice, echoes through the woodland.
The gnomes gave up trying to stop the cyborg's determined trek. But, oddly enough, the gnomes in the nearby village did not panic. Clearly, they could hear the approach of Certain Doom (tm). Yet, they go about their business. Though, perhaps, with annoyed expressions of "not again".

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 7 - Pt 2]

As the small orbiting sun began to rise through the trees began Peter pulled himself up to the sound of high pitched laughter, he rubbed his head. Clearly the trauma of the past few weeks had taken their toll. He woke with that same old pounding head ache, but not from being beaten around the head of teleported to far off places, not from potential nuclear reactions or unpleasant visions...no, a slight feeling of embarrassment and a good old fashioned hang over. He never thought he would be so glad to have one.

The crowd around him lay in a drunken heap. Martha lay snuggled amongst a comfortable patch of ferns. Owen and Gwen looked curiously cosy together; a gaggle of gnomes curled up around their snoring heads...Very 'Disney', thought Peter. The bright sunlight ahead hurt his eyes...If only he had the presence of mind to buy some shades. Oh well. He thought he should wake Martha, but she looked so beautiful when she was asleep. He would wait, he decided, soon they would have to find that Doctor, for that he needed to have his wits. In the distant undergrowth, something stirred.
No, he thought, there was nothing for it. He had tried to ignore that uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched, but he couldn't. Peter quickly turned, hoping to confront whatever it was that had been watching him; there was nothing there. He could not help the feeling that whatever was stirring was looking for him.

'Right Pete' He said to himself, 'That's it, you've lost your mind. That would explain everything. Madness does run in the family.' He smiled. Surely, even mad, he couldn't imagine a world like this, nor would he ever think to populate it with such peculiar creatures. No, depression was in the family, not all out mania. He attempted to stand, his legs still rather shaky, his head swirling with the morning's pain.
"If you're going to sleep all morning," He said to Martha, "I'm going to look for your friends!" The walk would clear his head. He just hoped he didn't run into what ever it was that ... did Owen say something about them being attacked? He couldn't quite remember, his head was a bit fuzzy.

The Doctor’s eyes snapped open with when bright sunshine streamed into the hallow through vines outside. The feeling of lethargy refused to go away as a warm body snuggled closer to him. Rose's hand had somehow slipped underneath his shirt during the night and was now in contact with bare skin. She looked so peaceful sleeping, and he reasoned that she would probably need all the sleep she could get whilst she can. He pulled her closer taking comfort in her warmth and set to work learning every contour on her face.

The breaking of a twig near by snapped the Doctor out of his thoughts. Good thing too really, he considered. Rose's eyes had also opened suddenly looking at him with unguarded fear.

"Don't worry," he used hushed tones, "They can't see us up here whoever they are."
They smiled at each other.
"Hello."
She responded in the same way. He slide away from her to the opening.
"Oi! Petey boy! Up here." He called down upon seeing Pete wandering a little bit aimlessly under the tree. "On second thoughts, we'll be right down."
He turned to Rose capturing her hand as she yawned and stretched. "Ready for a climb? We can run for our lives right after. Promise."

Peter looked up to see the rubber plimpsoles of the Doctor climbing deftly towards him, Rose following tentatively behind. Jumping the last few feet, The Doctor landed firmly and deftly upon his feet...

"Rubber soles..." He grinned maniacally, "Swear by them.” The Doctor leapt the last few feet, feeling all impressive as he managed to land on his feet without losing balance or obviously hurting himself. “How's it hangin' my little boom box?" He mocked, his eyes widening along with his smile, slapping Peter on the back. Peter wondered what the Doctor knew.

"Doctor Smith!" He smiled awkwardly, feeling a little sick. "Seeing the sights?" He turned to Rose, who was sat on a branch half way up the tree.
"Your turn!" Called the Doctor.
"Oh hell no." She said, shaking her head.
"It's easy come on." He reached up and put supporting hands around her waist.
"Don't you trust me?" He said with a sly grin. He tried to play it down, but her response to that question would mean everything. She didn't reply with words, she just leaned forwards and jumped off the branch. He bared all her weight as she came down, and popped her on the ground next to himself. "See easy as that." His grin was blinding, his cheeks hurt just a little bit from the muscle work out.

Peter could not deny it was nice to see a friendly face. After the night's adventure he was tired of the frowns. " Martha seems to think we're somewhere called Utopia. She'd tell you herself I'm sure but..." He thought of her softly sleeping, "...she's tired after a...well - long night." Peter laughed to himself. He was about to explain, but the look on the Doctor's face terrified him into silence.
"Utopia? Did you say Utopia?" He grabbed Peter by the arms and shook him, "Why did she say that? What did she say exactly?"
Rose touched his shoulder, slightly frightened by his sudden change in temper.
"What? what is it? what’s Utopia?" Rose asked.
"The skies are made of diamonds." The Doctor replied absently, his brown eyes glistening with something akin to fear.

"That's what the boy said" Peter frowned, "I don't see any diamonds though. He said him and some other humans came here in a rocket aeons ago. He said he was the last of them, I suppose the rest were killed because he says no one dies naturally here. The gnome," Rose looked at him with a wry eyebrow, "I kid you not, there are gnomes, said he - that's the boy - is the oldest of all the villagers, though he only looks about 9 - came from the North. He said he was mad too though, and I have to say the kid seemed fairly sane."

He searched his head for any other memory of what was said..." so yeah, they weren't 'brought' here, they landed. And the others completely worship the thing that brought them here, call him 'Jeopardy' - heard of it?"
The Doctors eye widened to anime proportions. "Oh bamboozled..." he grinned at Rose, "Now where did that come from?" Then back to Pete. Peter threw his thumb in the direction of where he came from. It wasn't hard to find the others. Owen's snores could have woken an army of heavily sleeping sloths. He watched as Rose smiled at the Doctor and wondered exactly what had gone on between the two of them. Martha would not be happy to see them both. As much as Peter cared for Martha he could see the way her eyes lit up every time her skinny friend's name was mentioned, he had a deep felt suspicion that no matter how much he and Martha got on, that he would always come second to the man in the pinstriped suit. He couldn't help sighing.

"Buck up Buckaroo." Japed the Doctor. "Alons'y"
The Doctor gave Owen a quick poke in the ribs with his foot to wake him. It definitely wasn't a full on kick. Well, maybe just a little. "Moving time. Humans and their vast quantities of sleep! Look at Rose here, human and wide awake," He caught the smile that lit up on her face when mentioned, "now why can't you lot do that." He crouched down next to a sleeping Martha and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on." he whispered, "Sorry to wake you but we need to get moving." they shared a grin and a hug before standing up and getting ready to go. They all looked up when they heard the battle cry of Death’s Head as he launched into a herd of Gnomes way off in the distance. Martha had jumped up, and seemed intent on going to investigate. The Doctor grabbed her shoulder.
"No. No. And Thrice No." of her quizzical look he added, "there are far too many of us, and I’d rather not get us all killed right now. Whatever is happening sounds chest crushingly violent, and that leads me to believe I want nothing to do with it. We will be going in the opposite direction."
"Me either!" Peter said with certainty. "I've died enough for one day. Should we wait for Jack?" He asked, curiously aware that Owen pointed out Jack had last been seen facing down something nasty. He recalled Jack suggested he couldn't die, and no one seemed particularly worried about him. "He could be in trouble?"
Owen groaned. He was still naked save for the blanket. And sore in places he didn't remember having earlier in the week. And hung over. He squinted and covered his eyes. There was a man nudging insistently at him with his feet. “Listen, sweetheart. If you want to play footsie, you'll need to come down here.”

He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. Gwen was still asleep next to him, looking a bit rumpled, but still dressed. He had mixed feelings on that last point, but he put them aside as everyone looked to the sky. Owen gave Gwen a gentle nudge.
"Hey. S'morning."

The Doctor had got them all up, which was a good start. He had also located for Owen some clothes made for him by the gnomes. The clothes in question enticed giggles from both Martha and Rose and a broad smile from a now awake and very hung over looking Gwen.

Owen did his best to get dressed without giving the whole group a show. The gnomes had washed his jeans and socks, so he mixed and matched. Content that he didn't look entirely like a wiry Bilbo Baggins, he returned to the party. "So what's the plan?"

Peter turned his head...in the distance he could here the faintly disturbing sound of something being crunched.

"You know what, Jack can catch up, I have a feeling we should maybe flee."
"It is time!" The Doctor boomed in his best movie-trailer-narrator voice, punching the air like a super hero. When no one seemed all that ready to move, he sagged somewhat, plopping himself down on a near by rock with a huff.
"You humans will be the death of me one day." He moaned quietly rubbing his face with his hand, "As amazing and courageous and inquisitive you are, you are a bunch of lazy bones with no sense of self preservation. Amazing how you lasted so long it really is. The End of the Universe, and who was there? The humans. Why? God knows."
"Don't say that." Rose sat down next to him taking his hand in hers. He found it slightly worrying how quickly she had come to accepting him, even when his other self was out there. He felt kind of sad for the other him. Despite this incarnation being designed for her, a complexity that he didn't think she would ever understand so had never told her, he didn't like the idea that she liked this him better. #9 was the first Doctor she met, she should have fallen for him madly, and just transferred those feelings. They were the same person after all. If she liked this him better it meant her feelings were mostly superficial, and that wasn't the sort of love that lasted forever. But then it wasn't the sort of love to die for, and she had risked everything to save him that time on Satellite 5. He turned on his manic grin and pretended everything was just dandy.
"Nah, you humans sleep half your lives away, it's a wonder you get anything done."
She laughed, "Now I know you spent too much time with the Doctor."
And now there were definite "WHUMP" sounds...Peter wondered when his hearing got so good.
"Guys we'd best get a move on. I'm up for following the Doc."
The Doctor also heard the whump sounds. He leapt up from his rock grabbing Rose's hands and calling to Martha. They were his responsibility the others could look after themselves if need be. He figured if they saw him running they would follow.

He darted off in the opposite direction, but still bearing north. Rose was having difficulty keeping up but he dragged her regardless, speaking words of encouragement so she didn’t feel forgotten. He kept glancing over his shoulder to keep an eye on Martha. She had fallen behind a little and was way off to the left of him
"Come on Martha! You can do better than that. Get those big old legs moving!"
"Less of the old thank you very much!
Peter most certainly followed, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, which was not nearly as fast as the Doctor. He would have to meet someone very fast if he ever got home, he thought, fast would definitely be a useful bonus feature. He looked behind him when to the origins of the noise and saw Owen and Gwen keeping a good pace behind. He had no idea where they were running to, but he trusted that the Doctor might at least have a clue.
The Doctor actually had no clue, not that he would admit that. They seemed to have lost Death’s Head for the time being and he slowed down, checking to see if Rose was ok, before glancing over at Martha. Peter and co were close behind to.
"Right, bearings, bearings bearings." He span a full 360 degrees then back in the opposite direction, popping the b of the word baring over and over.
"Are we lost?" Rose asked, having caught her breath, rather impressively faster than anyone else. "Wellll, not lost. Just... co-ordinately challenged."
"So lost then." Martha suggested.
"No, I know exactly where we are going."
"But?"

He rubbed the back of his neck looking at her sheepishly.
"Not entirely sure where we are."
"So. Lost.” Martha clarified.
"Lets head this way."
He grabbed Rose’s hand and started marching up hill. In his theory, they were climbing the mountain when going north. Now he had lost his bearings in the forest, but if he was still climbing the mountain he must be roughly going north. He was positive. Ish
Rose sighed. "Oh come on! If we're lost at least admit it. So I can blame you if anything happens." Rose poked out her tongue at him, showing she was joking.
"Never!" He grinned

Peter, doubled over, grabbed his knees and gasped for breath...his eyes still on the Doctor, who was spinning around in circles it seemed. Gwen ran past him, almost pushing him over...."Sorry!" she called back; that girl had quite a pair of legs on her. Owen wasn't nearly so quick.

Gwen turned her head to see Owen, then grabbed his hand as he ran. Mostly for physical support but also for some comfort. Being chased by a great big cyborg wasn't very fun. It was even worse being chased by a cyborg while hung over. Her head was killing her and her throat was dry but she kept running, although she didn't have a clue if they were going in the right direction.
"Keep running!" She yelled to Owen and Peter.
"Come on, mate..." He yelled, "Last one to the top is a rotton egg!"

Peter came to the fast conclusion that all British people were strange. Fine. He thought. “If we're going up...,” He yelled after them, “I know a short cut”. Lifting from his feet he took to the sky, gesticulating rudely to Owen as he went.
"He can fly?!" Gwen yelled when she realised Peter wasn't running behind them. She rubbed her head and carried on running, tugging at Owen's hand.
"Now that's just cheating!" Owen said in disbelief.

The Doctor who had slowed his pace somewhat looked over head and saw Peter flying.

"Now that just isn't fair." Said the Doctor,
Rose grinned.

"Oh he took me up there before." Martha said rather wistfully.
"Found yourself a boyfriend have ya?" He grinned cheekily. He was al little glad, might mean she wasn't all that hung up on him all the time. He liked Martha and hated that he hurt her so much. Pete was also pretty handy to have around; maybe he could take him with him in the Tardis when all was done. He could help him with his little boom problem too. Powers of the mind was a TimeLord Specialty.
Rose giggled and leaned into the Doctor. "He thinks that's special, he should see the TARDIS. She'd beat him by miles!"
"To right she would!" he couldn't help but feel overwhelming pride for his little wooden box with so much power crammed inside. They came to another clearing, and quite a vast one too. The Doctor could see their surroundings quite well now.
"Ah ha! See. Told you I wasn't lost." It was his turn to poke his tongue out now. Rose took a step forward out of the trees but the Doctor pulled her back. She looked at him quizzically.

"If we step out there, old metal head will see us for sure. But if we stay here, we won't get to where we want to be. An age old dilemma, like Catch 22. Did you ever read that book. Excellent book, completely true. They don't make catches like that any more. Not since the good old days." He dropped his voice to a near whisper, searching Rose's face for the answer, "I don't know what to do." He would only ever tell her that, and it was her that always said the right thing at the right time. What to do, what to do?

Rose stared at the Doctor and squeezed his hand. "What are you waiting for? Let's go see metal head over there!" At his look she looked him straight in the eye.

"Look, we can sit here, biting our nails terrified that the monster will get us. Or we can go confront our fear. Either way he's going to find us." She stepped closer. "And I trust you to keep us safe."
Gwen skidded to halt behind the Doctor and Rose, still holding onto Owen. By now, her headache had gone away a bit but her throat was still dry and her legs were beginning to shake. She could see the mountain now, but if they went into the clearing the cyborg would get them. She lent on Owen to catch her breath.
"What do we do?"

"We’ll have to be quick and make it to the next line of trees before he spots us. If he does we're doooooomed!" He could feel the alien equivalent of adrenalin flooding his system. he squeezed Rose's hand for his reassurance more than hers.
"Ready? Teddy? Go!"

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 7 – Pt 3]

And with that they were off. Hopefully they wouldn't be noticed. They were too large a group really. It would have been better if they had split up. Easier to escape. Too late now really. The trees were mere steps away now, they were going to make it. “Madness! This was madness!” Gwen called after them, still, grinning and holding Owen's hand they ran towards the trees.

He smiled at the challenge. This was most definitely running, he could feel his legs aching under the pressure. But it never hurt to show off. He hurled himself forwards, feet leaving the ground, hitting the ground and rolling sideways dragging Rose along after him. They were both laughing hard. They lay on the ground, just covered by the new line of trees. He clutched her close to him.
"We made it!" and sobering from his laughing momentarily muttered a small 'thank you.' before being taking over by laughter again. "Peter's not the only one who can fly."

Rose grinned and held him close. "My heart was beating so fast there I thought it might burst!" She grinned at him. "This is so much fun!"
"Yes!" Owen exclaimed in celebration as they reached the trees. Gwen laughed and looked over at the Doctor and Rose. They were lying on ground hugging.

"Oop, better leave the love birds to it." Gwen smiled.
She was lying on top of him now. He stroked away the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears. "Fun? Running for your life is fun?"

Her smile warmed his hearts. "That's why he took you along. You were built for his kind of life. He'd never met anyone like you before."

That internal ache came back. He would never find anyone like her again either.
Rose grinned. "I'm glad he chose me. But don't tell him, his ego might get bigger...almost as big as those ears of his!" She grinned cheekily. Her grin fell when she realised just how close she was to him. Almost as if there was a magnet between them, she felt her head dipping ever so slightly. He could feel her drawing closer, knew that he was too. He froze.

"Super ego? big ears?! He won't like that!" he laughed, in a forced sing-song manner. He pushed himself into a sitting position, momentarily bringing them closer together, but removing any unwanted urges he may have.
"We should keep moving. I'll be damned if I let old Ticking Time Bomb boy beat us up this mountain."

Seeing The Doctor and Rose sit up Gwen walked closer. "Are we on the move again?"
Rose looked down and nodded at Gwen. She slowly walked away from the group, sitting on a near by rock. She couldn't believe what she had almost done!
"Martha?" It was only now that Gwen noticed Martha standing some way away from the group looking out towards the mountain. "You alright? I know it's hard all of this, but we'll sort it all out..." Even though Gwen misunderstood Martha's sadness she went over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
The Doctor was watching the exchange between Gwen and Martha. So, maybe not so head over heals in love with Peter, ah well, he thought as he wandered over, trying to act as if nothing especially different was going on.
"I think we ought to head deeper find more cover. Then maybe we should rest. Some of these lot aren't as good at the running side of things as we are, aye Martha." He nudged her playfully, but Gwen just glared at him. Ok, thought the Doctor, invading girl talk, bad move.

"Right I'll be heading thata-way." he pointed into the forest and further up mountain. The soil was getting harder, soon there would be no trees and would just be rocks. They'd be near the top then.

He turned to Rose sat looking a little dejected on a rock near by. He moved quietly over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and snapping her out of her thoughts.
"We still need to be moving. It's not safe here." he knew what was tracking them and it wasn't good, "It's never safe with me around. Maybe I should go on alone, you'd be better off."
Rose leaned her head against his. "You've got to realise something though. You know my Doctor. You know what he gets up to. I knew that when I said I wanted to travel with him. I knew the risks. And just to see him happy, just to have him there. That's worth the risks." Rose snaked her hand in-between them and grasped his hand firmly. "Besides. I'm only safe if I'm with you."
"Yes, you make your Doctor happy. By staying with me you'll get yourself killed." He sighed deeply. She honestly trusted that he would keep her safe. That just by him being there she would be ok. Again he wondered if she had cottoned on, if she had worked out who he was. Or maybe she just felt for him as she felt for her Doctor, because she figured he was alone too.

"I can't force you not to come. If you come I will do my best for you. I'll defend you until... but that thing is after me. If you stay here he may leave you alone. You'd be safe."
It scarred her how much like Jackie Tyler she could look when she was being all demanding, it made him smile just a little on the inside. She didn't want to miss the adventure, she didn't want to be left behind, and she certainly wasn't going to leave him up a mountain to get gutted by a big psychotic robot. That was him told! With a grin he leapt to his feet, dragging her up by both hands.

"Right then Rose Tyler! Up, up and away! To infinity and beyond. There's life Jim but not as we know it!" He started to run back to where every one had settled down. "Don't be getting too comfy. We need to find more cover and we need a plan. Otherwise I'll be forced to improvise and that doesn't always end up well."
Rose grinned. No way was she leaving him to go on his own! And he had agreed to her going...sort of. "So...Plan?"
"Weeeeell.... between you and me, I do like the improv." he winks and nudges her slightly. "However don't you go breathing a word, these guys think I know what I'm doing."
Rose laughed slightly, then feigned shock. "You mean...You're a liar! You don't know everythin'!"

"Oi i never said I did!" he moved closer, "I'd like to say I know enough.... wait that's the matrix." His brow furrowed, "excellent film, what were they thinking with the sequel." he lowered his voice to a whisper, as if telling her the biggest secret of all time, "Did you know Keanu Reeves is an alien?"
Rose moved her head to look at him sharply, lightly whacking their heads together. She rubbed at her head whilst staring at him.
"You are joking me right!"

He gave her a knowing grin, that told her she'd just have to trust him, and stepped back slightly, running the back of his hand over her forehead to check for bumps.
"Right!" He shouted to the lazy crew surrounding him, "If no one will take charge than I will." He winked at her. "Up you get and we are climbing this hill. Those who don't want to go all the way don't have to, but we need to find better cover otherwise that metalatron (where had he heard that before) will get us." He turned to Rose and lowered his voice again, "Do you think the bought the military leader act?"

Gwen got up and walked towards Rose. "Up the mountain?" She gestured upwards and grinned. "Come on guys, we're on the move!" Martha and Owen groaned then climed to their feet.

Rose laughed and stood with a smile. "It's hard to when your zip on your trousers are down!" She grinned.

The Doctor's gaze shot down to his crotch, and then back to Rose narrowing the gaze slightly. Again he could feel himself blushing. A 20 year old shop girl, no 19 now, could reduce him to a bashful teenager. It was a little revitalising, also a little scary.
"Shame on you Rose Tyler!" He grinned at her, trying to hide his embarrassment at falling for a 3rd grade human trick. "I'll have you know I've commanded armies in worse attire than this." He poked his tongue out for good measure.
Rose grinned. "I'm sure just looking at you would turn whole armies into quivering wrecks." With that she poked his stomach and began to walk over to the others, daring him to retaliate.

He did retaliate, poking her in the side as he walked passed her, in a spot just under the ribs that turned all human legs to jelly. As she stumbled he caught her and righted her.

"Throwing yourself at me are you?" His smile seemed to be permanently attached, "I'll have you know few people can look me in the eye when I'm angry" he said it with such a jolly note he knew she would be confused as to whether he was joking or not. That was good, he never wanted her to see his dark side.
Rose whacked the Doctor slightly. "You wouldn't scare me," she said confidently.
The Doctor knew that it wasn't true. He had seen the fear in her eyes when he had been about to kill the Dalek, and 100 other times. Though he figured she may not have been afraid of him, more of what he might do in his rage. He shook his head, not time to psychoanalyse her behaviour, time to reach safety. He walked up ahead, not wanting to interrupt her girl talk with Gwen. He felt certain she would come to him when she was done. They walked in companionable silence for some time, he began to wonder if she had been interested at all. All this effort to impress a little blond human girl. Rose Tyler defender of the universe. The title rolled from his tongue. He hoped his Rose was ok. Always attracting trouble, always getting into one scrape or another. Only he wasn't there to help her out.

With no visible signs of poachers he felt himself relax, and the power walk he had been maintaining slowed to an amble.
Should they just keep walking till they reached the top?
What if it was something bad up there, something he couldn’t cope with?
What if his rushing in with a massive group was a big mistake?
He wished Jack were there he'd know what to do...

Death's Head strolled into the gnome village. Multitudes of tiny little eyes glared at him, but he didn’t care. Everyone here knew ‘The Rules’.
An elderly gnome trundled forward brandishing a cudgel, "Damn you robot! Out of my village! You are not welcome here. Anymore!"

"Hmph. Good to see you too, Krikket. Leg better yet?" If looks could kill, the cyborg would have left in a garbage bin. "You get out! Do your job! Leave us alone!"
"Fine, fine. We don't want trouble. So, you give this to the Time Lord if you see him, yes?" DH drops an engraved metal plate at the gnome's gnarled toes. "I go see Pan now and tell him the same. Then I close up shop. Lock door. And throw away key. Bye bye, Krikket."

With that, the metal mercenary spins on his heel and stomps off towards the village of Irene, the Mayor, and the Fawn. Every gnome breaths a sigh of collective relief as Death's Head departs. Krikket gathers up the metal plaque and reads its inscription:

Doctor.
You left me on Earth, now I leave you here. Fair, yes?
Enjoy the End of Time.
Death's Head.
X

Death's Head fumes as he walks along the path to the main village. Leaving notes is, how do the humans say it? Like breaking up with your girlfriend over e-mail. Yes? So unsatisfying.
Still, he would be rid of the Doctor and his meddling. Funny though, that the Doctor and his "friends" would be dropped here, in the "alien quarter". There was a whole continent of his favourite companions, humans, just on the other side of the planet. And he may never realize it.

Not in a thousand years.
Now that was funny.

Jack saw the inscription of the plate that the cyborg had left, he had been following along behind silently for some time. "Oh geez Doctor is there anywhere in this universe or for that matter any universe that you don't have a mortal enemy"
Despite the cyborgs vicious an slightly weird attack on the gnomes he seemed to have gone off mass destruction for a while and decided on long lived vengeance. The cyborg leaving seemed a very bad idea indeed to Jack given his obviously control of the force field. Which made up Jack's mind that it was time to go and find the others, no more running the cyborg had to be stopped.
After Jack had been jogging steadily for an hour and his boots were letting him know it, fortunately his ears told him he was catching the group up.
"Are you alright? What's wrong?" Rose had noted the look on the Doctor’s face.
He shook his head, "nothing." She had confidence in him, trusted him, no point blowing that to pieces. But then he realised 'it's Rose'. He had spilled his guts out to her on countless occasions and she had never thought less of him. That was because of who she was, not because she knew him.
"It's just..." She raised her eyebrows waiting. He continued, "I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm used to doing this stuff on my own. Or perhaps with someone else who also knows what they are doing. I only take the best..."
Her eyes widened slightly at the comment. He silently scolded himself. "These people, they aren't used to this, and I can't control them. I don't want to get them killed. It's not like anyone will die if we don't get to the bottom of this. In fact, quite the contrary. People will die because of this. I don't mind risking my own life. I revel in it, but theirs?"

"We all know the risks. Do you really think we'd agree to come along if we were terrified that we were going to die? Dying to help others, that's worth it completely."
He stopped abruptly. "You'd give your life for a stranger? What good will that do? You need to be careful. If you die your Doctor will be alone. You thought of that? Thought how he would cope if he lost you after everything he went through? And what good are you if you are dead. These people don't want ot be saved, and you'd still lay down your life for them."
He swallowed his anger. No wonder his Rose was so jeopardy friendly if that’s how she had thought, her life was so important to him.
"Besides, these guys are trained like soldiers, they need their commander to give them orders. I'm not an order give, I expect the people behind me to do what they need to on instinct. Without their commander, without Jack they are no good to me. In fact they could be a hindrance."
"May as well lead a herd of rhinos up the mountain Doctor!" Interrupted Jack loudly.
The Doctor spun round at the sound of Jacks voice.
"I need a million pounds." he said to the sky but no other wishes were granted. Good old Jack, right on queue.
Rose shook her head at the Doctor. "If that worked I would have tried that ages ago."
Owen and Gwen disappointed Jack; he had trusted them to behave professionally.
As the rear end of the group turned to see him Jack could not keep the disappointment out of his voice as he approached. "Owen, Gwen you're members of Torchwood and I expect you to act in a professional fashion not giggle up this mountain like it's some damn Sunday school picnic. Where's the scout, where is the man watching the rear, why are you so damn close together one sonic blaster would take you all out in one go. It is your duty to protect the civilians or did you forget that" Jack glared at them for a few seconds letting his words sink in and turned to the Doctor. "So Doctor, when were you planning on telling us that our metal visitor was a friend of yours?"

"Doctor we may have a bigger problem than your dislike of command. There's a force field to the north that the poachers had their ships park outside. The cyborg threw em all out, well the ones it didn't kill that is and then switched the forcefield on. Then after a comical pitched battle with Gnomes he summed up by saying he was leaving you to rot here in return for your treatment of him. I'm kinda guessing him leaving is not a happy place!"
He looked at Rose and then at Jack. Back to Rose. This Rose wasn't his problem, he shouldn't interfere. Not his place. He'd lost his Rose, she wasn't his he had no right to poke his nose in.

"Look I lost my... I had... I had someone like you. I lost her, because she wasn't careful."

Maybe he could make her see, maybe he could make her take more care, maybe he could prevent himself from losing her. He was such an idiot.
He turned back to Jack, all smiled and giggles again.
"Jaaaaaaack! About time to. We all thought you'd been eaten or something. How would that work by the way?" He paused as if to ponder. "Deaths Head and I go way back. I insulted his lack of sonic, he tried to kill me, I trapped on a world with so little technology he would never escape. All in all, good mates. I'm sure he's only playing."

"What is it with men and getting into trouble with things bigger than them! You're just as bad as my Doctor!" laughed Rose sarcastically.
“You have no idea" said Jack to Rose and then mentally kicked himself for his slip.
Rose smiled at him. "You a trouble magnet too, I take it?"
The Doctor allowed himself a quick stealthy glare at Jack. "Look, all I know is, up there are the folks that have this place protected. We go up, we meet them, have a cup of tea and discus ethics of stealing people away from their homes and keeping them prisoner. Even if it is a very nice prison. We explain we want to go home, and suggest they offer the others the same right. Easy as that."
He looked at Jack who was frowning, "It's never as easy as that is it? What have I missed?"

"Trouble is what makes life interesting sweetheart" Jack who had always thought Rose to be incredibly jeopardy friendly managed to avoid laughing at her. "Sorry you're just going to say please can I go home sir, oh that's just peachy" He said, turning to the Doctor.

"Well, a little bit of persuasion. A nice friendly word. Maybe some shooting and running for our lives." he flashed grin at Rose, "But what were you saying about Death's Head? What is he up to? Why is he playing with the force fields?"
"He's not playing with them, he's controlling them. If we're talking to anyone maybe it should be him. He also plans to strand you here for all eternity if that helps"
Gwen sighed. She knew she should have been acting professionally, but it didn't matter much what she thought, she moved away from Owen and made sure that Martha was covered. Clicking her gun onto safety she stood, ready for orders. As the Doctor and Rose seemed to have started talking, realising that they weren't going to move any time soon Gwen instinctively Gwen moved closer to Martha.

The Doctor sat down on a near by tree stump, face pointed downwards, hands in hair, "Why is he controlling them? Is he working for them? But what would he be doing for them? They bring me here because I'm the last of my kind and then they let a killer in here after me." He looked up at Jack, "What on Earth are they playing at? Did they want me safe or dead?" He jumped up suddenly, "Lets go ask them?" He was about to march back up the hill when he heard Rose ask quietly, "Last of your kind?"

Jack winced. The Doctor was going to have to talk fast to get out of that one.
Rose stared at the Doctor. "What do you mean the last of your kind!"
The Doctor stared at her for a long moment. He grabbed both her hands and pulled them close to him. What to say what to say what to say. A voice in his head offered 'the truth' which he instantly scratched out. Rose didn't know about regeneration, right now he didn't need her losing faith in him and her Doctor, which she would. He was almost certain she wouldn't remember any of this when it was done, but that wasn't the point. This wasn't his Rose, hr couldn't have her in his time line and the last thing he needed was her either running off, or going mental when her Doctor did show up. Trust was key here, and that meant lying.

"The Doctor's people weren't the only ones involved in the war. Mine were there too. Me and the Doctor served together on board the Tardis, we both lived whilst everyone died. Rose, we are both alone. The last of our kind. This Jeopardy, whatever that is, brought me here and the Doctor here to maintain our species. But they let a creature in here that wants me dead." He looked back at Jack, "It doesn't make sense... Unless they don't know."

Suddenly he burst into motion, Rose and Jack momentarily forgotten, his hands were in his hair again he paced back and forth. "Of course! Of course! Death’s head is a kind of bounty hunter. Worker for hire. You said he was killing poachers and gnomes. These guys here need someone to deal with the pest problem so they put out an add. He figures it would be an excellent chance to get back at me. Of course! By trying to keep everyone safe, they have signed my death warrant. We need to get up there. We need to get up there now!" Rose stood staring blankly ahead as the Doctor assaulted his hair and yelled what he had realised. Not one word was processed. She was still finding it hard to believe that at least four species she had known about were destroyed due to this war.

Gwen immediately saw the disappointment in Martha's eyes when the Doctor took Rose's hands, but Gwen didn't have time to react because the Doctor was suddenly jumping up and exclaiming that they had to get up the mountain now.
"Come on Martha...." Gwen said gently, slowly walking away, and making sure that both Martha and Owen were covered.

Gwen walked up ahead, beside Owen and Martha, making sure that they were covered, leaving the others to follow behind. Jack didn't need to give orders this time, it was pretty clear that Gwen, Owen and Martha were to stick together and The Doctor, Rose and Jack would stick together.
Something was going on between the three of them, but Gwen couldn't put her finger on it. She thought something odd was going on earlier, but then she got drunk and dismissed the idea, but now...

Things Jack had said before now began to make more sense. The vision that would have persuaded him 'The right kind of Doctor' and Gwen was wondering. There was obviously a history, but The Doctor or Jack wasn't going to tell her and at this rate she wasn't going to find out. She'd have to wait until she got a chance to think on it properly.

Right now all she could do was protect Owen and Martha, make sure that Martha didn't feel too left out and reach the top of the mountain. Oh and find Peter. Where had he got to anyway?
The Doctor was marching on ahead, Rose's hand clutched in his, but his attention was completely on Jack. Plans were being made and discarded; tactics were being laid out in front of them and soon behind them. This was no good. Short of walking in there and demanding to talk to their leader he had little idea of what to do. Usually he wouldn't hesitate to do this. If it went wrong he would leg it. But he had half of Torchwood and a bunch of civilians on his tail, and he wasn't sure the barge in and run away tactic would work. Not to mention on the off chance it did work, what are the odds that they would make some comment s about his species. Everything would come into the open. Rose would lose faith, and then when a getaway was required he wouldn't be able to trust she'd do what was right. This is why he had wanted to be alone.

After a few hours the walk started to get steeper and Gwen turned around to see the rest of them. Owen and Martha were walking next to each other in silence. Gwen was juts thankful Owen wasn't attempting to flirt with her. That was the last thing they needed.

The Doctor and Rose were striding up behind them, holding hands. Hopefully if Martha didn't turn around, there would be some peace. Jack was walking behind covering them with his gun.

They had been walking for some time now when the silence was suddenly broken by "Bloody idiot! That's gonna bruise like a B*stard". Gwen grinned, they'd reached the top then, along with Claude and the others.

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 8 - Fredo

Claude watched as Peter took off with Martha, then turned his attention towards Toshiko. He shook his head, she was still wrapped up in her technology, he sighed well he supposed he was overdue on good deeds....

"Toshiko" he announced - no response, wonderful! He thought I’m really losing my touch. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Oy..Toshiko" This time she looked up, and giving him a vague look, she said absently, “What?"
He grinned at her, "Good wasn’t it?" Tosh looked baffled, "What was?" Claude put on a look of amazement, "You mean you didn’t see it?"

Tosh was now getting annoyed, "What didn’t I see?" she demanded, "what?"
He walked up to and leaned over, "Not a thing…but you could’ve, couldn’t you?" Tosh shook her head at him, what on earth was he going on about? Claude grabbed the device she’d been fiddling with, jammed it into one of his pockets and nodded at her, "There, that’s better" Tosh was furious "No its not, give it back, its not yours." Claude shrugged, "Don’t have a problem with that particular concept never did." Tosh gave him a disapproving look, "so I’ve been told." Sounds of explosions made them Claude look around. Tosh shook her head at Claude, not knowing what was happening, and pointed to her laptop that was still recording speech for her to understand.

“My hearing is still impaired, I can lip read some things now but this kit allows me to understand your speech!”

“You stupid or what!” Claude gawped at the woman with wonder and then started to laugh hard. He thought this woman had more sense but apparent her brains must have been obliterated in the explosion she had earlier caused.
Tosh was angry at his words then as he laughed, doubling over with mirth. She bounded up and struck him hard across the face. Claude caught her by the wrist and saw the anger in the young woman’s eyes. She had guts, that was for sure. She had been hurt and she had tried to overcome that quickly so not to encumber herself on anyone. He met her stare and to Tosh’s surprise he wiped his bloody lip and then shook his head and laughed.

“Crazy Women,” in case Tosh didn’t understand him he made the twirling sign at the sign of his head that meant crazy then pointed at her as he spoke. Tosh got the message and glared hard as she tugged at the wrist Claude was still gripping. Dragging Tosh back to her equipment on the ground he pointed and spoke as Tosh read.

“Pick up your stuff now!” Claude commanded, “You are coming with me!” He saw the anger flare up again in her face and she pouted as if to disobey.
“I’m taking you, you stupid woman to get your ears fixed. You should have done it earlier there are magical healers around you – you only had to ask!” Tosh picked up her kit and to her surprise Claude tugged at her hand to lead the way ahead. She followed and her anger started to dissipate.

The explosions were definitely an attention getter. Oona pulled up the hood of her cloak, making sure it covered her hair and shadowed her face. Pulling on her leather gloves she moved quickly from one building to another. The explosions had been dissipated against some sort of force field. If it was the field or the explosions that rippled green she could not tell. Earlier there had been another green light.
Beings were pushing inward, towards the middle of town, but some just stopped and tried to peer into the dark. Some of those had reflective eyes. Most likely they had better night vision. Oona found one of the more hardy souls was the curly haired woman that Doctor Smith had been speaking with earlier.
"Are you in charge here?" Oona drew up to her full height and put on the mantle of authority that she often had to employ. The woman did not seem overly impressed. "I'm the mayor, if that's what you mean."
"Do you have a plan if this protection is breeched?" Oona disliked the way at least half the village were gathering together, in a nice tight target.
"It's never been breached child. No need to worry about it. If you go find your friends you can sleep in the alehouse. It will all pass soon enough. We've been through occasional attacks before." tutted the woman. Oona did not like the passive acceptance. It did not bode well for a long future.
"Eventually SOMETHING will get through. Whatever powers your protection will run out over enough time. Or it may need repair. It may even be hit with a stronger force. If and when this goes down, your people should split into groups of no more than ten and head in different directions. Everyone heading in one direction in a panic will make you all easy targets."

The older woman looked at Oona. "You were a soldier once weren't you? The soldiers always have the hardest time letting go of their fears and trusting the protection. They are the best hunters and protect against the dogs. But you never relax until a few years have passed."

"I won't be here in a few years. I have no intention of staying here." Oona had done what she could. Given her advice. She could not be responsible for an entire village. Even though she would do as she could to protect as many as she reasonably could.

"They all say that, dear. A few go off to the forest , a few go North. Half never return. But that's because they get eaten or captured." The woman moved away.
"Or they found a way out." Oona muttered to herself as she tried to peer into the dark. If another attack was launched she should see where it was coming from.

Oona spotted four poachers. They looked the same as the other. They were of the same species anyway. They were passing around a rocket launcher device. That was the source of the explosions. But they had to know it would not get through the shields. Was it for entertainment?

She raised her bow from her cover and let lose an arrow. It entered the ear of one of the poachers and he dropped without a sound.

His fellows looked at him in shock then at the arrow. They started looking around for the attacker. Oona was already moving. Something struck hard behind her knees and she went down in a roll, instinctively protecting her bow. She came to a stop and looked up into the wrong end of some sort of pistol. The type Peter had had.
"Look what we drew out, boys. A pretty little elf. What's on that list Vong?"
Oona narrowed her eyes as she lay there. One leg snapped up and to the side, hitting the thing's wrist and pushing the gun from its aim at her while her other came up and slammed between its legs. She felt her ankle hit bone as it crumpled forward with a gasp, then vomited as she rolled away.

"I am not an elf," she snapped as a shot rang out and exploded bark off a tree to her right.

"The white witch is worth one point four for her blood, an additional one point five for her eyes, ears and tongue. Try not to make her bleed out." Someone called to the others.

"White witch? I saw a fawn, but this is no Narnia," Oona half muttered.
One small spell and a third hunter's clothes caught fire. He shrieked and dropped to the ground to roll. Oona used the distraction to fade into the dark and head back to the village. She opened her hand and her magic reached out for a part of itself. A thing she had created of magic. It was NOT in the village. It was North. Quite a bit north. The village still stood, unmolested. According to her crystal Claude was never-the-less far to the north. She couldn't tell if he was alone. If Tosh was in the village, she was relatively safe. If he had her with him, at least he hadn't abandoned her. But why had they left?

Cursing all idiots who just could not stay put, she ran to the village and scooped up a bag and tossed fruits, bread and left over meats into it. She grabbed a water skin, uncaring what was in it. Dropping a silver coin on the table she left the village once more and headed North. She could get there faster. But she liked her weapons, and her new clothing.

Though Oona thought Claude to the North, he was not, her crystal was no longer in his possession, not that she knew this. Claude had been as good as his word and had steered Tosh along to a Doctor of sorts. On their way Tosh had spotted a signpost for an apothecary and tugged at Claude’s hand and gestured to the sign.
“No,” Claude shook his head. “That’s one place you don’t want to get treated.” He made a sour face to get it across to Tosh that it was not a desirable place. “Come on.” Claude had understood some of the symbols on the sign and it didn’t bare thinking of what could have occurred to Tosh if she had gone in on her own. He was doing as the Doctor and Jack asked by keeping Tosh safe. He wondered for a second what Oona was up too then realised she was on a mission of her own to discover more about this site.

“No, no, no, no!” Tosh backed out of the little musky brown tent where Claude had taken her to get her hearing fixed. The “thing” he said was a Doctor looked to Tosh like a Toad with lots of warts. Not that she disliked toads or anything but the foul odour from the creature along with it’s grey coloured talon hands that reminded her of an eagle just didn’t instil confidence. “Lets go back to the Apothecary we saw earlier.” She pleaded upon deaf ears as Claude yanked her back inside the rank tent.

“Turn head!” Croaked out the Toad/bird like creature to Tosh. He hadn’t touched her yet. Claude looked on as he had managed to restrain Tosh to the seat and pressed his hands onto her shoulders and by his defiant stare, she knew to stay put or else.
Claude stole a look over Tosh’s shoulder and saw the fear in her eyes as the creature named Fredo approached Tosh to administer the healing treatment. He squeezed her shoulders in reassurance but still maintained his contact.

To Tosh’s utter disgust, Fredo had a jar in his hands and she shivered as whatever was in the jar looked like it was alive. Her heartbeat quickened as Fredo plucked at the jar with a pair of tweezers bringing out a wriggly purple grub that reminded Tosh of a worm. She tried to bolt but Claude anticipated her movements and wrapped both his arms around her to restrain her.

The screams that came from the tent didn’t attract any undue attention. A Butterfly creature chuckled and nudged her humanoid companion, as they walked passed the tent.

“Sounds like Fredo has a new patient!”
“Yeah and by the noise she’s making must be serious.”
“Such a good healer though?” Chuckled the butterfly.
“The best.” Replied the Humanoid.

Tosh exited the tent pale and looked like she needed a drink. Claude manoeuvred her to an ale house and ordered a drink for each of them. Tosh gulped hers down in one quick movement and then just as swift stole his own untouched drink and downed that too. She glared at him and pushed the two empty glasses to wards him and indicated she wanted them refilled.

“I’m in shock.” She stated as she shivered at the memory of the creatures wriggling into each of her ears. Claude knew that the alcohol probably wasn’t the best thing to give her but …. He chuckled as Tosh downed her 4th drink then dived for the outside to be sick.

He drank his own drink slowly and knew she’d reappear once she felt better. The sight of the small wriggly creatures burrowing into the woman’s ears wasn’t too bad but it was the sight of them burrowing back out bigger fatter and with legs as they crawled down onto her shoulder that nearly made him want to scream. But of course he wouldn’t do that.

Tosh returned and hunched over the table. “Feeling better?” Claude asked moving his head closer in case she couldn’t hear yet.

“A little.” Tosh said then she sat up and smiled. “Hey I can hear you! It’s a little faint but I can hear!”

“Good, come on up you get.” Claude said finishing his drink and heading outside. Tosh had lots of questions and she rushed out following Claude. She sensed trouble was brewing.

Tosh and Claude chatted amiably, as they strolled around the boundary of the enclosure. They wandered into a cluttered alley that barred their movement but Claude cleared some of the debris and helped Tosh up and over the barrier.

“Don’t think anyone has been around here for a long time going by the dirt and stink.” Claude said as he wrinkled his nose but moved forward taking care where he stepped. This corner of the compound was old and remained untouched for many many years.

Something caught Tosh’s eye and she stared…blinked… rubbed her eyes, opened them and looked again.

Claude rolled his eyes wondering what had caught the females interest this time. He called her name. “Tosh!” But didn’t get a reply. “Tosh!” he repeated, louder and then pushed at her shoulder.

“Sorry did you say something?” Tosh said not fully concentrating on Claude at all. The light above the fence had caught at her concentration and she wondered if she was imagining things.

Claude knew by the look on Tosh’s face something was bothering her. He faced her and abruptly demanded, ”Out with it!”

“See the light, behind the fence. Do you see it shimmer?”
“Looks like a force field of some form.” Claude said interested and grinned. “Want to investigate?”
Tosh’s face lit up and with her laptop safely secured in a carry bag over her shoulder she nodded and stepped forward as she said, “Come on what are you waiting for?”
Claude and Tosh headed towards trouble. Tosh moved through the force field and walked smack bang into Claude She chuckled
an apologetic “Whoops!”
Claude shook his head and beckoned her forward as he pointed out what he had seen in the distance.
Claude squinted through the swirling images, he sighed and glanced down at Tosh

"any chance you can change the setting on that thing?"

Tosh finally lost patience with the alien device, if it blinked at her one more time.... frustrated she smashed it against Claude’s arm
"Oww, do you mind," he rubbed his elbow, "I know they call it yer funny bone, but when you get clobbered on it it bloody well isn’t." The device promptly beeped twice, and their view of the outside world became clear.
Claude peered up into the sky, "Well it looks like we know where Peter is at least" he murmured, nodding towards him, " and it seems like there’s some kind of cover near the summit."

Tosh peered up towards the hut, " its a long way up," she mumbled, "don’t suppose there could be an easier way?" Claude laughed ,"you never know, bung it over, lets have a look."

Tosh tapped at the controls and passed it to Claude and he smiled. “Thanks.”
Claude turned the device over, coughed, and shook it in the air, Tosh watched him, less than impressed. " I got the impression earlier that you knew something about how that works."

He shrugged and shook it experimentally, "Yeah well, I do give that impression sometimes, I’m not really that keen on technology...it..." he jiggled it a bit more "tends to.." and the casing fell off, "break."

Tosh grabbed the broken case as it fell, frustrated she yelled at him, " If you don’t know what your doing with it, why do anything?" He shrugged, " when in doubt, hit it with a hammer."
Tosh almost fainted, " oh my God, no" grabbing what was left of the device from his hand, she turned her back on him, almost as if she was defending it from him, " You haven’t got one have you?"
Claude opened his mouth, thought better of it, blinked twice, and said, "Pardon?" She was rapidly losing control, " A hammer, a hammer," she screamed back at him. Claude looked baffled, "Well I haven’t got one on me...but I could probably.." "Nooo" wailed Tosh, " Forget it, alright? no hammers"
Claude stared at her, "OK, alright, no hammers, alright, calm down," he waved his empty hands towards her, "there...see...no hammers."
Claude was leaning over her shoulder trying to see what was left of the device, "If you’ll just let me.."

She fended him off with a slap, "No just...no, alright, I’ll do it, leave it alone"
Claude shrugged and shook his head...women.

She looked down at the hand held mechanism and shook her head at the broken device. She grumbled about the ineptitude of men and in this case Claude. He inferred he knew about tech earlier but looks like he was running his mouth off. She snorted and got a glare in return from Claude who was striding along by her side.
She tapped it hard against her leg. Nothing happened. She huffed then chucked it away violently as she was so frustrated.
“Temper, temper.” Smirked Claude as he watched the metal fly through the air in a wide arc then fall with a chink against stone hidden in the long grass.

To both their surprise it started to beep and flash multi coloured lights.

Relieved that the device was still working, he picked it up quickly and pointed it towards the general direction that he had last seen Peter. "With any luck..." Claude brightened up, " yes!" it began to blink and a beam the same colour as Oonas crystal, shone faintly out towards the mountain. He sniffed, "Think we may need to be a little nearer,fancy a walk?" he grinned at Tosh, who looked like she was struggling between bouncing up and down, and killing him with anything she could lay her hands on!
"I thought you said.."
Claude grinned, " lucky guess."
Tosh shook her head, she still wasn’t sure when he meant something, and when....oh what the hell.
"Fine...after you, lead on Macduff"
Claude tutted at her and shook his head, " shouldn’t quote that, bad luck."
Tosh looked suprised, "what is?"
Claude had already set off at a brisk pace, shouting over his shoulder, "Scottish play, terrible luck, apparently he quoted bits in it from something he shouldn’t have, been cursed ever since," he stopped and turned to wait for her to catch up, "not that it’ll do us any harm, I mean...how much worse than this can it get?"

A strange humming noise suddenly started up, the air around them began to shimmer and the outside world took on a blurred appearance.
"Owwww, damn...ok Tosh...its now or never," he grabbed her hand, then hit the device hard against his chest, "here goes nothing..."

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 9 - Death’s Head’s Head

[Chp 9 = Pt 1]

At the top.

It was peaceful. So blissfully peaceful. The wind in his hair, Peter closed his eyes and breathed it all in. How long had it been since he had been alone? The silence was, for want of a better cliché, golden.

In New York he felt he had to fix everything, fix himself, fix Nathan, fix Simone and Isaac and…Save the Cheerleader, save the World. Hm, the very thought of it all seemed so very far away. Yet here! Here he was not the one everyone looked to. He could find some space to think, to breathe. Thank heavens for the Doctor, he could have some peace.

In the heady heights he had a good go at practicing his new gifts, safe in the knowledge that he was, as of yet, far enough away that if anything went seriously awry he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Soon he found he could expend small amounts of the energy that was building up inside, it took all his concentration to control, but it gave him confidence that maybe some day he could control it enough to use it well.

He looked down, below him, into the tree line, no sign yet of the others. He had heard no noises to alert him, they must be safe, and if they weren’t he felt safe in the knowledge that the Doctor, or at least Jack, would be on hand to sort things out. No need for him, not for the moment any way.

Ahead of him he watched the midday sun begin to fall in the sky over the glowing light in the North. It really was quite beautiful, and he had to say, not in the least bit sinister looking. Fact of the matter, he would remember the sight for all his born days. When he got home - how he hoped he would get home – if ever he felt bad then it would be this very picture he would pull out of his head.

However, this beautiful visage was interrupted. He seemed to hear a strange buzzing in his ear, a floating, humming, just behind him. He turned abruptly, nothing there. The noise, still behind his head. He turned back, nothing. But what his eyes did not see his ears were perfectly attuned to. Quick as you like, and a little bit damn impressive, Peter stuck his arms behind his head and grabbed firm hold of whatever had been pestering him.

He had been slightly concerned that the thing would have been a sort of ugly alien bug. He had to say he was very pleased that it wasn’t. However, what it turned out to be did not inspire him with too much hope either.

The ‘thing’ was a small, rusted metal, ball. It seemed to be motorised. It seemed to be computing. It seemed to be…studying him. He shook it. It didn’t shake rattle or clatter. He dropped it on the rock, it still didn’t shake, rattle or clatter. But it flickered into life, as if it had been confused by the abrupt beating. “Radioactive emissions detected.” It whirred. “Radioactive emissions detected. Reconnassaince. Reconnassaince. Re - Re - Jeopardy Project Report Four Million and and fourty two… Toooo….rrrr…cccc….hhhh…..wooooooooooooo” And then it died. Spitting a small amount of electricity into the ether.

This wasn’t good. Thought Peter, he dusted the rust from the side of the globe. It read, in proud and, he had to note, very customisable letters. ‘Torchwood’

Peter placed the ball on the rocks beside him next to the sword he had brought for Hiro. It was about the size of a baseball, he noted, thinking again of home. Then, something in the pocket of Peter's pants began to thrum. It was like he had been sitting on a hot coal. He jumped to his feet. He didn't recall picking anything up, in fact he had yet to check the many pockets of the Poacher's pants for anything, he had been so distracted. He could be carrying anything around with him and he'd never know. Franticly he began to search the deep pockets for whatever was inside and found:

1) a notepad of some description scrawled with what looked like shorthand.
2) a necklace
3) a banana
4) a small, and very glowing green stone.

Last time I checked I hadn't turned into Super-man, smiled Peter, thinking back to the comics he used to read as a child. He laughed, if that kid could see him now.

He contemplated throwing the stone into the forest. If there was one thing Peter had learned from the films and comics and shows he had watched as a kid: Green and Glowing was generally bad news.

Reeling his pitch arm back in his best fashion, he threw the small stone. But it bounced off something. It bounced off something in the middle distance, something materialising.
"Bloody idiot." Said the materialisation. "That's gonna bruise like a B**tard. I`m beginning to think I should’ve hit you harder with that bloody bucket," Claude rubbed the side of his head, and glared at Peter, "didn’t your mother ever tell you not to aim things at people?"
Turning to Tosh, who was just behind him he said, "watch it, the bloody phantom flan flingers on the loose."
Grumbling back at Peter he murmured "Well you could at least look pleased," seeing Peter suddenly brighten up and move as if to run over and hug him, he added " fine...that’ll do nicely," he dodged behind Tosh.
Warily peered around at their new environment, he said, "where are we?" he glanced at Peter hoping for answers, Peter was smiling at Tosh and not listening to him, Claude sighed and looked up at the sky, " wonderful...loves young dream! Just what I damned well need...Oy smiler...where-are-we?"
"Utopia..." He smiled. "Apparently. Give me New York any day."
He smiled at Tosh who seemed to be regarding Claude with a wary eye and trying not to look down.

"The others are on their way up." He looked down the rock face. "Hopefully, though I haven't heard any of them for hours. We could go and look but..."
Claude wasn't paying attention, he was eyeing up the banana Peter was now wielding. Without a word he grabbed the fruit from Peter's hands and devoured it with a smile.

He sighed, "I could murder a beer." He said wistfully.
"care to tell me how on Earth..." That particular phrase seemed a bit redundant, "...you got here Claude? Last time I checked you were making eyes at Oona. Thought you two would have set up shop and had little white faced, pointy eared, grumpy children by now." He laughed. Claude hit him. What else was new?

Claude pulled Peter unceremoniously up off the floor, dusted him down, and looking slightly embarrassed, said, " Sorry mate, automatic reflex...you alright?"
Peter nodded, "Yeh, look I shouldn’t have said that about you and Oona"
Claude sucked air in through his teeth and shrugged, "No you shouldn’t...won’t say it again either will you." he looked pointedly at him.
Peter shook his head, shuffling his feet, he tried to apologise again, but Claude’s mind was on other things, he wondered around, kicking over the odd piece of wood, a few piles of leaves went the same way, "Where the hell did it go," he mumbled, then turning back to Peter said, " You know we might need that crystal of Oona`s again, and she`s not going to be exactly thrilled with me if you’ve lost it."
Claude wondered towards a clump of bushes, took a vague swipe at them with his foot and suddenly said, " Utopia?" he laughed ironically, and added, " It doesn’t even deserve Dun- bloody-roamin`”

Tosh had set up her lap top on a tree stump, she was reluctant to turn it on, the battery must be getting low, and she didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to use it. Claude glanced down at the screen, moving slightly from side to side, he said, " what’s the battery like?"
Tosh shook her head, "Not good, don’t suppose you know where there’s a power supply."

Peter smiled, he walked over to Tosh. "Gimmie that." He japed. She was reluctant. "I promise I won't break it." Still reluctant. He gave his best 'trust me' stare. She leant away. "Just want to try something."
Honestly, he didn't know whether or not what he was about to do would work. It probably wouldn't. In fact, it was highly likely he might blow the machine off the cliff, he really hadn't got to grips with the energy building up inside...but if he was gentle. veeeerrry gentle. He poked the machine with his finger, a small buzz of static electricity transferring from his hand into the machine. It flickered and buzzed into life.

Toshiko jumped from her feet, grabbed Peter's pale cheeks (he knew he still looked like hell) and promptly kissed him exuberantly. "Can I keep you?" She said, although Peter had a feeling that the words had come out of her mouth before she had even thought them through. Peter blushed, scratched his head and was about to say something when he heard voices behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Gwen jogged up the last part of mountain, arriving a little way away from Tosh, Claude and Peter.
"Over here!" She called, running over to Tosh and hugging her then quickly hugging Peter. She turned to Claude.
"I'd hug you, but you don't seem to be the kind of guy who does hugs." She smiled, as the others ran up the mountain behind her. Greetings were exchanged, and stories updated.
"Peter!" Called Martha, running up to hug him. Did she want to make the Doctor jealous, Peter thought, or did she really care for him. Had she seen Toshiko kiss him? He blushed a deeper shade of red.

"That put the colour back in your cheeks friend." Claude said sarcastically.
Claude shrugged, "Your guess is good as mine, unless one of the glut of Doctors we seem to have collected can find one."
Tosh snapped the laptop shut, she sighed, the prospect of being without it made her feel strangely vulnerable, perhaps Claude’s reaction to technology was right, she shouldn’t be so attached to it.
Holding tightly onto Martha, as if he was he making up for something, Peter ran over to where he had left his sword and the device that had been pestering him. He had a feeling that the Doctor might be pretty excited to see it. Suspecting that the Doctor had a good arm he threw the rusty ball in his direction. The Doctor's arm jutted out quickly and caught the object mid flight.
"Woah..." he said, "Petey pete, what's this then?" He produced a pair of glasses from his pocket and sniffed at the metal.
"One question..." Peter pushed. "What in the world is 'Torchwood'?"
Jack, Owen, Tosh and Gwen, exchanged looks.
"We are." Gwen said simply.
Owen grimaced then gave a smile. "It's a long story, mate."
"We'll let Jack explain." Gwen sighed and sat down next to Tosh and the newly working laptop.

"We're Torchwood. Torchwood three to be precise." Jack paused to give a dashing grin. "We're a secret organisation, that deals with alien artefacts and activity. Basically we're alien catchers." Jack glanced at Gwen. "We're based in Cardiff, and if you don't mind, I think that belongs to us..." Jack went up to the Doctor and took the rusting ball.

"Did you send that thing to follow me? So how come it knows about Jeopardy?" Peter was confused. What else was new? Claude, who hadn't seemed entirely impressed with jack and the others before, now positively growled in their direction every time one of them came near. The Doctor snapped the ball back from Jack. He grabbed his pen torch...thing...and aimed it at the rusty metal object.
"Not yours Jack. Not unless you jumped into the year four billion and poached Tininite from the Trins of Trinine. This thing is very, veeeeerrrrryyy....very" (he added for good measure) "old. And what's more veeeerrrrryy cool."
" No, I mean, it's ours, but last thing I remember it was in the vault. It came through the Rift, a few years back so we put it in the vault. I still assumed it would be there, so perhaps it's stolen in the future. Our future that is..." He stops to gesture to the Torchwood team.
"Okay... but stolen by who?" Gwen frowned.
"And how? The security at the Hub is brilliant. No-one could possibly get in un-noticed." Tosh started tapping at the laptop, presumably to get up the security plans of the hub.
" Yeah, unless they arrive carrying pizza, eh Gwen?" Owen grinned at Gwen.
"Weeelll..." Said the Doctor, "That's entirely possible, Time being all wibbly-wobbly and all," He glanced into the sky and smiled. He was throwing and catching the ball as he thought, clearly engaged quite deeply in some complex consideration of time and space. Peter didn't even bother to try and read his thoughts, he was afraid it might set off the kill switch inside.

"Why is it every time I hear the word Torchwood I get a feeling of nearby impending doom?" Peter seemed to note the Doctor looking in Rose's direction, but only for a moment, an almost unnoticeable moment.
Claude paced nervously around, if he didn’t find that crystal soon he was going to have to give it up for lost, he knew that Oona would be able to find it, but he was worried what else she might find with it if they weren’t around when she tracked it down.
He knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but it bothered him that something he’d done might put her in danger. He sighed, that was the trouble he’d always had, did things for the best and something went wrong, leaving him to try and pick up the pieces...history repeating its self. It was safer for everyone if he isolated himself, he’d got everything off pat (or at least he thought he had) complete guide to being alone and staying that way...then alone came Peter.

Peter Petrelli- young, eager, confident he could change the world, that he could trust anyone `til they proved otherwise. A lethal combination if ever there was one- and he should know, that s exactly how he’d been once. He’d tried the `whacking his nose with a newspaper` technique, but this particular puppy seemed incapable of rottweiller tendencies. Claude sighed, what was worse was he could feel his own protective skin beginning to split, even Gwen had initially thought of including him in the general joy of meeting up again, and what was even worse, he found himself looking for a chance to have a quiet word with Owen...Owen of all people!

He was just going to have to try and isolate himself somehow, when this was all over...if this was ever all over, he had to be able to go back to being on his own, and he knew by the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that it might already be too late.

He sighed, well might as well get Owen finished off...did he say off? He meant with, definitely with, mind you if he was anything like the last time they’d met up the only place any hatchet was going to get buried was in the back of that great big, fat, ugly, head of his. Just at that moment he spotted Owen, standing apart from everyone else, sulky look on his face, "Oh...what the hell," he muttered, and headed towards him.

Owen was standing watching everyone pairing up, he always felt odd at moments like this, never quite sure what to do. "Oh hell, not that sod Claude..."

There was nowhere for him to legitimately move to, what did that matter? this was Claude he was talking about! Just as he was about to move away, Claude forced a grin and said, "Owen...um, need a word m.." Claude never quite managed to get the word mate past his lips in connection with Owen, there were some limits, even for Claude!

Claude shuffled his feet, "um...just wanted to say.." he forced the words out," thanks...for what you did for..." he nodded vaguely in Peter’s direction, getting into the swing of it a little more he added, "I owe you one." swung quickly around on his heels and walked away.

Owen was stunned, he opened his mouth to say something, just as he took a breath, Claude slowed, and at the top of his voice yelled, " and no you can’t have your bloody gun back."
Gwen couldn't help but let out a laugh when she heard him, she instantly felt bad when she saw the look on Owen's face. Boys and their toys. It was as if Claude just stole Owens favourite toy and they were about to fight to get it back. Except it wasn't a toy it was a gun and things had gone far enough. Jack was busy with the Doctor and Rose, and Peter and Martha were admiring the view and, Tosh was looking at something on the laptop. Gwen sighed and walked over to Owen.
"Look, we have three guns between us. Jack has his, and he's going to keep that. Claude has yours-" She put her finger onto his lips before he could protest. "Yes I know Owen, it's your gun, but we have enough going on without you and Claude fight over a bloody gun, so..." She reached into her back pocket and brought out her own gun. "You have this, and we'll swap and change when needed." Owen smiled and took the gun.
'The small things it takes to please men." Gwen thought in awe. While the Doctor was thinking, pacing about and generally talking very loud and very fast to himself Peter returned to the comfortable patch of earth he had called his home for a few hours. Martha sat herself beside him.
"It's beautiful." She said, smiling at the view. Peter smiled.
"Sorry I left." He said, "I needed to get away from everyone a bit. I don't know how you can keep up with that guy." Martha was quiet. "Are you okay?" He asked, Martha shrugged.
"I'm glad to see you" she said. Peter noted that she hadn't really answered the question. He reached back into the pocket. He took the necklace out from his pocket and gave it to her.
"I don't think this will suit me." He said softly.

The Doctor was muttering to himself, no one in particular. A billion thoughts were flying through his head at the speed of light. He took some, discarded others, and carefully compartmented some until suddenly...He pulled out the sonic again and started scanning. He grinned. He pushed past Jack and Rose and took a few bounding steps towards the very peak of the mountain, where the glow had emanated from. Now they were here, there seemed to be nothing there, but when he turned on the sonic screwdriver the readings went crazy. The readings were the same as the ball type thing.

Jack had followed him up, studying him and his demeanour, expecting answers.
"It's simple." He said at last, "Completely, totally, unbelievably simple." He licked the ball and made a slight moaning noise which in most uncivilized societies meant 'yummy'. He then tossed it to the captain, saliva and all.
"That!" he pointed, "That there, that there metallic bally thing, that Tininitey, futuristic bally..." Jacks eyebrows raised to meet his hair line, a look of exasperation on his face, "... thing is very special. Go on ask me why?"
"Why?" Rose chipped in, she had wandered up behind Jack and had been quietly listening.
"Becauuuuse, that there... yes that, has come through the rift."
"I know." Jack responded, "I told you that."
"Noooo, no no no. Not your rift." He pointed to the ground, "This rift."
"There’s a rift there?"
"Yep!" he popped the P and looked excited. "And that means, if I'm right, and I'm almost always right.... almost. That means, there’s a Torchwood here too." Jack frowned.
"Isn't it amazing, a Torchwood, all the way over here, at the end of the universe. Chaos is falling and Torchwood comes, rescues the last remaining humans, rescues alien species of interest, so they can study interactions no doubt. This, this is Torchwood."

"You're kidding me!" Gwen said and the Doctor, Rose and Jack looked around in surprise.
"There's a Torchwood? Here?" Gwen frowned, then grinned. "You don't think it's Torchwood 4 do you?" She asked Jack. " After all we lost track of that one."
The rest of the group had followed them up now and they were all standing at the very top of the mountain.
"So what now? Do we get in?" Gwen looked from the Doctor to Jack hopefully.
"I'm getting that feeling again." Smiled Peter, as he heard the Doctor's brain go 'ding'.
"You’ll get used to it." She smiled. "You know," She said, "If we get home, maybe, well maybe you can come with us. The Doctor and me I mean. You're kinda cool to have around."
Peter returned the smile, he thought about the peace of being around the Doctor, and the rush. He didn't think he would take her up on the offer, but he did think about it. Maybe, perhaps, just perhaps, she could come back to New York with him instead.

"I'll think about it." He said, "Really." Martha stood up. Clearly raring to get going, she held out her hand to him and Peter took it.
"So John," He said to the Doctor, "I suppose I did good?"
“Now there’s a good question..." The Doctor started muttering to himself again, pacing again, and ruffling hair again. "No no no" He groaned but kept pacing, his muttering has stopped, obviously whatever he was thinking he didn't want to let anyone in on it just yet. Rose stepped up to him, placing a hand gently on his arm to stop him pulling out great chunks of hair.
"You'll be as bald as the Doctor. What’s up?"
"The Doctor!" His eyes flashed up, irritation emanating from him causing her to step back slightly. Interesting, he could frighten her. "Your Doctor isn't bald. He just keeps it cut and out of his way. Me, me, I like to play with my hair, helps me think." They just stare at each other a moment.
"So what's going on Doctor?" Jack asked, earning another look of annoyance from the Doctor. Doctor Smith, why could no one remember that, its not like it’s a tough name to pronounce. He could use his real name. Actually he couldn't he wasn't sure he remembered it any more. And the name held power, power he didn't want other people to have. He pulled out his 'void' specs and looked around. He was right. Damn it he's always right.

"This place is full of void stuff." The lump was in his throat again, too many past bad memories. He couldn't even look at Rose.
"The Universe is collapsing. Not just this ones, but all that share a similar enough time line. They all turn to the void, and this place, this place seems to be a safe haven. Not just on this side, but on the other sides as well. It seems all the universes are melting into the void and this world is a static point, accessible from all universes." He sighed, this was the place he had spent months looking for, he never even considered this. He was such an idiot.
"And what's the void?" Gwen asked. She looked at everyone else and they all looked just as confused as her. The Doctor was babbling a one million miles an hours and she was having a hard time keeping up.

"Didn't that thing that...killed me," He tried not to look to embarrassed by the incident, and kept his eyes away from Martha, "Say it came from the Void..."
The Doctor's eyes snapped up to Peter. "It did?" He frowned and then went to explanation mode.
"For those humans who have yet to wake up more than a quarter of a brain," which received some 'heys' from around the camp.
"For every alternative decision made there is another universe where that decision was made differently. Which would mean there are billions of universes out there making up a multiverse. Now these universes all lie side by side, but there’s space in between. Well actually its no space. Its the void, its nothing, its hell." he looked around making sure they were still with him.
"Aaaaanyway, universes are coming to an end, breaking apart, they are all melting into one and the void is seeping in. Those poachers would live in the void, in void ships. As species vary from universe to universe, a place like this would be ideal to go hunting on, pick up all sorts of game." He looked at Jack, silently requesting he jump in if he got things wrong.
"From time to time, little tears in space-time occur, a rift, and these open themselves up to other dimension. You get junk drifting through from all over. There’s a rift in Cardiff and there’s a rift here. I imagine as the universe degrades more rifts open making travel between dimensions easier, though totally random. You could step through a rift in Cardiff 2007 and end here, now. Or Cardiff in the 1800s." He cast an eye over Gwen then winked at Rose. She could figure the rest of that puzzle out by herself.

He thought of Oona and how her people could walk the space in between realities, enter whatever and whenever they please. These rifts are totally random, what she could do was amazing. He swallowed hard his gaze turning intense and would probably unnerve them all but this could be his chance to get his Rose back. Maybe once they were done here he could have a word with Oona, make it worth her while. He must have something she needed.
"So that’s it. If the rift is here, Torchwood isn't far behind."
Rose nodded. "So is that a good or a bad thing?"
He smiled at Rose. He forgot how far behind she was. She had yet to meet Torchwood. Soon, he thought sourly, soon.
"Well from my experience Torchwood being around is never a good thing."

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 9 – Pt 2]

"Oi!" came a synchronised sound of annoyance from Jack and Owen.
"Of course I don't mean you guys." He grinned at Rose, obviously yes he did include those guys. " 'If it's alien it's ours' " he mimicked in a low SciFi, 'previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer' type voice, "Doesn't bode well for me really... or the Doctor."
"Then, no offence to you guys but, should we not be against Torchwood. Just because something's alien doesn't give them the right to just take it and say it's their own!"

The Doctor couldn't be prouder. "Well, I can't see what their motives are." he rubbed his neck. "The Torchwood in our reality exist solely to defend the British Empire and pilfer technology. It's possible they have a different objective in another reality. Maybe a kindly old grand father runs the place or something, or Aunt Bessy trying to protect her kittens... excellent Yorkshire puddings too."
"So, do we go find the thing that's looking for you, or go find Torchwood?" Asked Rose.

Peter stuck his hand in the air. "One question?" Of course he had hundreds of questions, thousands, about everything around him, about every one around him, about himself.
"John." He said, as sincerely as possible, desperate to get the Doctor to focus. "Whatever they are, whatever their motives. Can they get us home?"

The Doctor looked at Peter, slightly surprised that someone had called him John and not Doctor. He silently thanked him for helping him reinforce the belief that he wasn't actually the Doctor.

"They got us here, they'll have the technology to release us. Whether they will volunteer the information is another thing." he swallowed, "Death's Head is soniced up, and I mean soniced. Soniced up to the armpits, the eyeball, really soniced. It won't be easy to fight him, I suggest staying out of his way. Other than his hate of me, he is kind of on our side. He's kept the poacher away. But if we are going to go against Torchwood, we will need a plan. A damn good one."
"In that case I say no time like the present Doctor Smith." He was so eager to get home it was burning inside of him. "We've got four people from A Torchwood here. That should at least help.

"Well, you said the Torchwood you knew had the whole "If it's alien, it's ours" thing, so why don't we just use something alien as bait. Draw them out."
Rose bit her lip. It was a long shot but she might as well try and help.
The Doctor grinned at Rose's fantastic idea. It had been a while since he used that word, he should use it more often. He grabbed by the arms. "I never thought I'd see the day!" he gave a whoop of joy and excitement, "a plan, an actual plan, me acting on an actual plan, given to me by the fantastic Rose Tyler. And rather fantastic I must say" Over doing it with the fantastic, he noted.

Peter had been staring at the Doctor closely. And for the first time since he had met the man he felt incredibly attuned to him. It was the strangest thing. He knew he was good at tuning into people, Claude had called him an 'Empath'. But he never really believed....
The Doctor was focussed intensely, definitely, terrifyingly. On Rose.
Rose! The word was whispered in his ear, so loudly it deafened him.
The swimming noises of electricity. He hum of the Doctor’s words. Every one of them that had been uttered. Torchwood. Void. Jeopardy. Utopia. Rose. Rose. Rose.
His eyes paled as Isaac's curse flooded to the surface to plague him. He swam in the memory of it and the sound of it. The Sound of Drums.

Inside, somewhere deep, with the understanding of everything the Doctor was, everything that he represented; the past; the future; the fire; the ice - A switch switched.

He was about to go back into rant mode when he noticed Pete, clutching his head slightly, in what seemed to be a little more than a bit of pain.
"Pete, are you alright?" He strode over to him, grabbing him, pulling him up to face him. He was shocked at how warm he felt, his eyes were tensed closed.

"Petey? Petey Pete Pete Pete?"
Rose walked over to Pete, crouching down in front of him.
"Pete? What is it?"
Peter looked up at the Doctor with hopeful eyes. He fell onto his knees. He had gone too far. Whatever power he had seen inside the Doctor it had triggered something he could no longer control.
"I'm sorry." He said, "I should have told you.”
"Doctor, what's wrong with him?" Marhta rushed over to Pete, pushing Rose away with a little more force than was necessary. "Is he alright?" she clutched the necklace he gave her.
“You have to kill me!" He begged the Doctor. "You have to kill me Doctor, before I kill everyone else. Please!"

The Doctor frowned but could feel the temperature rising, spiking, his skin burning white hot. The pain was unimaginable but he stepped forwards regardless and pressed fingers to the temple of the dying man. Suddenly all became clear. This mans genetics were all askew, and this man body could explode like an atom bomb.
"This won't hurt a bit Petey my friend."

And he entered his thoughts. Placed walls over ruins, restructured his mind. He saw his childhood, his past, the potential for what he could become, his first love, his first loss, everything that had been done to him. Martha worried at him, backing away as his flesh began to burn. The Doctor smiled at her, she was a caring one this one.
"Everything is going to be fine." he soothed pulling away and making eye contact. Already Pete's colour was returning to normal, his temperature dropping, the pain leaving his face unmarred.

"You should have told me. If you let me, I can help you."
Martha ran to hold Peter again. "Oh he'll be alright.” Said the Doctor. “Little headache perhaps, in need of chicken soup and a good night sleep, just what the doctor ordered." He looked down at Pete who was sat on the floor, head between his legs like he had head rush. He patted him on the shoulder. "You are quite the enigma aren't you?" he said with a slight chuckle. Pete just starred up at him, not a word spoken. The Doctor patted his shoulder again.

"I think Pete needs some time to recupperate. Who's up for a tea break? Not that I have much tea. Or any for that matter."
"Doctor, not to be mean, but that had to be one hell of a headache for Pete to say those things." Martha grabbed the Doctor's arm and said, through gritted teeth, "What aren't you telling me?"
"I...." Peter struggled for words. "I exploded. New York city. Before I came here. Before I woke up here. The last thing I remember. I...I couldn't...I couldn't stop it. I couldn't do anything." He tried to explain. He looked at Martha he stood and began to back away from her. "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm so Sorry."

The Doctor pulled Martha away, all darkness and grim. "Some things aren't meant for you." and then he smiled, the clouds clearing and eyes shining like the sun. "I'm sure he will tell you when he is ready to." He gave her a swift hug, a consolation and a thank you. With a cheeky grin he added, "You really ought to stop wearing heels. Trainers are best for what we do. Not that I'm taking you shopping, I don't do shopping." He nudged her with his elbow, "I wonder if there’s any food?"
Peter knew Martha was intent upon the Doctor again. And why not - the man had just averted yet another disaster...Peter looked over at her, his body and his mind drained and for the first time, when he looked at the Doctor - for he knew exactly what he was now - it terrified him.

Peter stood, and though every soul was looking, he did not feel anyone stop him. Peter took up the sword, he needed to disappear, into the woods.

“Wait….Exploded?" Martha turned on her heals, seriously questioning the sanity of her new friend. "Like, spontaneously-combusted-into-a-million-bits-yet-you're-still-here exploded?" She laughed, partly out of nervousness. "First flying, then going all glowy, now you blow up?" She ran up to him as he walked away. "You just can't stand bein' ordinary, can you?"
Peter was grateful, she tried... but he was still unstable. He had to get away from them all again. Back to that peace. He would have a lot to achieve, to make up for what had happened, and to thank the Doctor for the help he had promised. There was nothing for it - Peter went looking for trouble. Peter went looking for Death's Head.

So there they were again, watching Peter walk off alone and Martha left dreading the idea of being stuck with the Doctor and Rose in love. It made sense now why Pete and Claude seemed to get on so (relatively) well. They did better alone and strove to achieve solitude, no regard for others' feelings. Martha was an independent woman, but that didn't mean she didn't need any companionship.

"Peter! Wait!" She ran to catch up with him. "You can't fight that thing on your own."
The Doctor starred after her in shock. “Martha wait!" he called after her, grabbing her arm and trying to stop her.
"What are you doing? Death’s Head will eat you for breakfast! Like Lucky Charms with too much milk." He grinned at his clever reference to lucky charms but it quickly faded.

"Pete will be ok, but you won't come back alive and I'm meant to take care of you."
"Meant to take care of me? You haven't even so much as looked at me since Rose got here." Martha made sure her voice was quiet enough so Rose wouldn't hear. She dug in her pocket and found the key to the Tardis. "I'm no longer under your care!" She dropped the key into the Doctor's hand and walked towards Claude.
"Give me the gun. I really think I'm more in need of it now than you." Surprisingly, but not without some bit of reluctance, Claude handed the weapon over and endured the anger of Owen.

"Peter!" Martha ran, holstering the gun under her jacket. "I'm going with you!"
"Well that... that’s just...Fine go on then!" He didn't know whether to feel more hurt or angry. He closed his hand around the key and thrust it into his inside pocket, settling for a middle ground between hurt and angry. He had shown her the stars and this was how she repaid him. He had been straight with her from the start, she wasn't going to replace Rose, and now she was mad because he wouldn't be her boyfriend and sit and eat Sunday roast with her mother. Well fine he didn't need such a pathetic excuses of a human for a companion. But what saddened him is that he had forced Martha away, and he had never got Rose back, no matter how much he pretended.
Rose came over and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Go after her."
"No, she made her choice, no second chances." and as an after thought mumbled slightly, "I'm that kind of a man." In that moment he made himself hard and impenetrable again.

Martha regretted letting go of the Doctor, but only for a second. Sure, he had taken her to far off galaxies and given her opportunities far greater than any she had on Earth, but he had also put her in harm's way more than once. More than twice or three times even. What kind of friend does that? Besides, what did he need with two companions? Rose seemed to be doing the job just fine, now that she was back.
"Martha?! What the -- Go back!" Peter yelled, but she refused.
"I can't go back." Martha's lips kissed Peter's, sealing their partnership against Death's Head.

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 9 – Pt 3]

She followed!

Peter couldn’t get over the fact that she had come along. He had instantly got over the fact that she seemed to be slightly clairvoyant in knowing his intentions because it didn’t matter. She followed!

She held his arm tightly, unperturbed at what he was. She knew what he was capable of, but…she followed. He hoped, for her sake that he could keep her safe.
They traipsed down the cliff, it was steep. Over fallen trees and dusty outcrops, he held out his hand to her. Under heavy boughs and dewy grass she kicked at the mud and told him about her interminable family; he shared the favour, telling him about his own.
She laughed. “Quite a pair.” He caught her up in his arms. He kissed her as tenderly as he could. It was the only way he could tell her he was grateful. “So…Miss Jones, do me a favour and tell me how we find this thing?”

Martha bit her lip and admitted, "I really have no idea. Figured you had some plan in that pretty little head of yours."
They walked further down into the forest, deeper in until they could no longer see the light through the trees. This is useless, thought Peter, I'm running blind. He stopped for a minute to see if he could hear anything. Not a thing.
Martha turned the gun over in her hand. Peter looked over at her and smiled. "You ever fired one of those things before."
"Not really." She said, a little worried. It was all well and good, thought Peter, to act all bolshy and gung ho around the Doctor, it was quite another in the cold light of day without the safe presence of the man nearby.
He sat her down, took it from her hand. Checking the magazine, the safety, the weight. He handed it back to her carefully and told her how to use it. He didn't want her to fire off any bullets, lord knows she might need every one. But he told her what to do.
"Since when did a nurse know how to fire a gun?" Martha asked.
"You're forgetting where I come from," he smiled, "Italian New Yorker. Taught about these things in the crib we are." She laughed. It meant everything.
"I'm serious though, Martha. If I lose control it won't be Death's Head you need to point that thing at." He looked her in the eye, dead straight. "Whatever the Doctor did, might be temporary. If I go up against this thing and loose it...It won’t just be me and him that bites the big one."
She nodded, solemnly.
"I promise." She said.
Peter smiled, he had heard that one before.
The clarity of the conversation, the time to think gave him an idea.
"Wait, he's after the Doctor." He said, "But you said this thing was heading for the town right?" Martha nodded. "Through the forest, yes?"
"You sound like him." Martha giggled. Peter wasn't playing. He held out his hand, "Come on!" He said firmly, "I know EXACTLY where he'll be."

Up they went, sky high. She was laughing, the sheer elation of flight. Peter had been so caught up in the saving the world he had forgotten how cool it was that he could fly. He remembered the first time. He spinned and turned, held her tight. For a moment, just a single moment, they were free. Then he saw it, far below them in the clearing. The place it had all started. The small blue box in the clearing that held so much power.
Peter took them low to the tree line. If Death's Head was nearby he hoped he did not see them yet.

"Are you ready?" He asked Martha.
"As I'll ever be." She smiled.
Carefully, so as to make as little noise as possible he set her down.
"The Tardis... " Martha whispered as she walked over and touched the wood gently. She could've sworn she felt the machine move away from her hand, almost like a person who had just been betrayed. But it wasn't the Tardis she wanted to get away from ... Martha thought it would've sensed that.
"Martha?" Peter beckoned her to follow him.
"Yeah, sorry."
"WHUMP" Came a noise in the distance. The metallic thumping and whumping of inhuman feet.

Peter's eyes widened, he wasn't to be seen. Taking Martha's hand as quickly as possible and pulling her away from the other Doctor's Tardis he lent in close. "Don't be scared," He whispered and as quickly as he was able made them both invisible.
Death's Head emerged from the forest.
"Ah, Doctor's Box, abandoned for Death's Head, Yes?" He said to himself and approached the box, which stood vulnerable in amongst the clearing.
Death's Head stomped up to the Tardis. He took hold of her sides and shook her. He kicked at her and thumped at her with his great hulking fists, but the wooden box did not buckle or break.

Martha looked as if she was about to yell at him, as if a the machines was hurting a dear friend. But Peter would not let go, he held her s tightly as he was able, if she pulled free the machine would see her, he had no idea how the monster would react - he could pull her apart.

Dropping the Tardis, for Death’s Head had come up with the ingenious idea of picking up the box and shaking it like a salt seller, better to shake the other Doctor out of his sanctuary, he removed his ‘hand’ and replaced the appendage with a shiny looking cannon. Stepping back from the blue box he aimed the weapon at the doorway.

“Pretty Tardis Doctor, yes?” Said the beast, “I have pretty toys too.” He aimed the great gun at the box, firing it up.
Peter could hold onto Martha no longer, screaming out she pulled away from his grasp, snapping into visibility.
She ran towards the cyborg, whose strange tusks made his face look almost as if he was smiling at this little woman. And, bearing only Owen’s gun in her shaking hand, aimed it at the head of the animal.
Peter, held his breath. This was crazy. Insane. She was crazy. Insane. But she might have just given him a chance.
Her finger slipped. She didn't mean to shoot the monster, it just happened! Nothing "just happens," you idiot, she scolded herself. It wasn't like it did anything. It simply tore a whole in the monster's hip, the shock of which made Death's Head drop the Tardis.

"Pretty girl shoot. I must destroy pretty girl." Martha ran back into the forest, not knowing where the still invisible Pete was. The monster shot the cannon in her direction, hitting a nearby tree instead. Martha fell to the ground and hoped Pete would come soon. It was her only chance for survival.
Remaining invisible for as long as he could he ran around the Tardis until he was behind the monumental metal man. The cyborg towered over Martha, bearing down upon her and laughing mechanically. He tackled her down as she ran and dragged her away as quick as he could.

He was out of breath, but he had time to kiss her. "You're amazing!" He said under his breath, "clinically insane, but hell...what possessed you to do that!"
“Pretty little girl, yes? Not so brave." Called the monster. "Hide yourself from sight of human eyes, yes! But not so cold. Not so cold. I see you and your friend, yes?"
Able to see their heat signatures the monster aimed his cannon and fired a sonic shot at the ground in which they huddled. Peter had no choice, he could he flew them upwards out of the way.
Death's Head was now firing into the air. He was deadly accurate and his fire power only just skirted Peter's shoulders on more than one occasion. He had to fly fast. He had to be quick witted.
One problem. He could only usually use one of his gifts at a time. He could never attack if he continued to fly around. They needed to distract the monster.
"Martha!" Peter called, as loud as he could amongst the din of the blasts exploding around his ear. "I need your help. Are you feeling brave again?" He asked. "I promise I won't let him hurt you." Another blast, dangerously close. He dodged behind the Tardis to avoid it, but it caught his toe. He really hoped it would grow back.
"I need you to surrender." He said as they hit the ground very ungracefully, Peter spat up a mouthful of dirt. "Tell him you're with the Doctor. I promise, I won't let it hurt you."

Martha did as she was told. Stepping out cautiously from behind the TARDIS, she made sure the monster saw her discard the gun behind her and held up her hands in surrender. "I can take you to the Doctor. I know where he is, if you stop shooting."
Death's Head seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "I came for the Doctor. Show me him, you will be destroyed." Martha really hoped that there was meant to be an ‘or’ in that sentence.
Peter could attack now. He could attack this very minute, but not with Martha in the way, what if she was hurt. His anxiety rising, he stilled his heart.
"And your friend, Pretty girl?" Asked the monster.
Peter didn't dare open his mouth, he knew the monster might hear, it was so close. He smiled at Martha again, made himself invisible. And used the cover of the Tardis to take a big enough circle around the back of the cyborg so that it's heat vision did not notice him. Hoping, against all hope that Martha could think of something good enough to stall him, keep his attention on her. Just for a moment. He only needed as much time as it would take to sneak up on the thing from behind.
"My friend? What friend?" Oh God, how stupid was that? Death's Head growled in frustration. "Oh ... that friend, yeah, well, you see, I don't even know if you could call us friends, I mean I only just met him, I've never even seen his flat! I always make it a priority to visit a friend's flat before I actually call them friends, you know? You can tell a lot about a person from where they live. For example, I'm sure if I saw your ship or wherever it is you live, I'd probably find you to be a very nice, orderly creature. A bit on the anti-social/manical/geeky side, but still all in all --- "

Burn bright, not hot The words kept repeating themselves in Peter’s head as Martha stalled. He don't know where that came from, they weren't there before the Doctor did his voodoo thing.
He was pretty much going on instinct, it had always worked that way for him before, jumping off buildings, battling invisible men, beating up errant psychopaths...this wasn't any of those things.
This was a heavy, metal, hulking monster. But for the first time in a long time he felt in control of himself, of his powers. He didn't know how long it would last.
Burn bright, not hot.
He was a few meters behind the cyborg, watching as Martha let rip. He thought he should try and return the favour.
Letting his emotions take over, and hoping that he could control it, he let out the energy building up inside and tried his best to aim it in the direction of the monster.
It was incredible, awesome to see and intense to feel. Great streams of electricity surged from his body, from every inch of him, but unlike before it was controlled.
The electricity surged into the monster, causing his circuits to fizz and fuse, to split and spatter. It would not be permanent. The cyborg could not be completely stopped this way, it would give him and Martha time to run. But he was not here to run away from the thing. He was here to stop it. He was here to protect the Doctor, protect them all.
Immobilised, Death's Head crumpled to the floor.
And it was then that Peter REALLY showed his mettle. He smiled at the pun.
Remembering his anger as he faced down Isaac, and the tremendous viciousness he felt towards Sylar, with his mind he took hold of every sheet of metal on the cyborg’s great body. He wrapped his mind around every wire and screw and bolt. He twirled imaginary fingers around each electrical synapse. And two imaginary hands around the beast's neck.
With one great, draining, mental push he tore the body of the cyborg apart so that all that was left, was his head.

"AAAAGGGHH!!!!" Martha's saw rivulets of electricity surrounding the monster's body, electrocuting him. As he collapsed, she saw Peter, weary with exhaustion, his hair falling in his face.
Man, they could be a great team.
Tired.
Exhausted from the strain of it.
Awed by the power and potential inside of him.
Peter fell to the floor.

After checking that Peter was still alive (not like he wouldn't come back soon enough anyways), Martha tried her best to find cover for the both of them. It was then she really regretted giving up the Tardis key. She tried to carry him back to the Doctor and Jack and the rest, but only got so far as about fifty meters before he just got too heavy.

Resting against the base of a tree, Martha looked out to find the Doctor and Oona deep in conversation. Finally, Oona had caught up! Martha was much too far away to hear what they were talking about, but curiosity got the better of her. Assured that Pete was safe, Martha headed farther in, towards the Doctor and Oona.

The trees got thicker and it became harder to be quiet with the leaves crunching and twigs snapping under her feet. She crouched behind a bit of shrubery and caught a glimpse of the Doctor's face. Martha had never seen him look so sad. Well, maybe that once after they had saved that ship from crashing into the sun ... she never did understand why he looked that way then.
Oona began making circles in the air with her bow, creating a portal of some kind which both she and the Doctor passed through. The portal closed as soon as they passed through. Martha wondered if she should tell the others. Surely Oona wouldn't take the Doctor prisoner, he must be going of his own accord, and he must be coming back eventually. How soon was eventually, though?

She sombrely walked back to where Pete lay, awake, but still a bit sleepy.
"Hey you," He smiled sweetly at her.
"We should probably get back to the others. We finished what we came to do, no point in just standing around." There was a definite sadness to her voice she just couldn't hide.
"Everything okay, Martha?" Peter got up and gently cupped Martha's cheek. She leaned into his touch but resolved to keep her defences up for the time being.
"Let's just get back, okay?"
Peter was still unconvinced Martha was okay but decided it was better not to pry. "But first! Mind giving me a hand with something?" Peter spun around, trying to regain his bearings. "This way, right?" He pointed to the direction in which the clearing was and started walking.

"Pete, what are you doing?"
"Grabbing a little souvenir." A mischievous grin and he continued walking. Wading into the clearing with pride Peter witnessed the decimation he had caused.
Death's Head was (almost) entirely destroyed. Yet the Tardis stood proudly in the middle of it all. Despite Martha's protestations he knocked on the door. No reply. He knocked again.

"Must have gone out for a stroll." Peter smiled. Martha glared at him.
With great determination he wandered over to what he wanted. Looking down at the great tusks that grinned up at him from the mud he picked up his souvenir and held it up for Martha.
"Death's Head's Head." He laughed. "Oh come on, that's funny." Martha finally cracked a smiled.

Peter, warm after his exertions slipped off Owen's leather jacket, he didn't much care that he had long ago lost his shirt, it was the least odd thing about this day. He wrapped the head in the shirt and tied the arms in a loop. If wasn't as heavy as he thought it would be. He slung it over his shoulder.
"What's so funny?" Martha asked. He hadn't realised he had been laughing.
"It's just, well, I guess I'm trying to work out how to tell everyone about this. And you know what?" She shrugged, "I just can't think of a way to tell them without sounding like I should be committed. Me! And I mean I've come up with some crazy theories in my time, but look what happened. And after a while, they all realised I was right. But this! This!" He looked around them, at the proud Tardis, the earth scattered with electrical components and sheets of metal, the one or two gnomes that had popped their head out from the forest to applaud. "This is just fantastical!"
It seemed she got the joke. For just a few moments they fell about laughing. Then Peter, suddenly serious, because he knew what it must have taken for her to leave her friends, held out his hand to her once more.
"Are you ready to go back to find your friends."
She shrugged.
"Come on, the "If-it's-alien-it's-ours" gang are gonna love our present." He tapped the metal bounty in the jacket, "And the Doctor will be over the moon."

Peter and Martha flew over the forest that crept up the side of the mountain. He quickly found the place he had waited for them all, and set the two of them down.
"They can't have gone far." Peter said looking around. "We've not been gone so long."

"Long enough." Martha hummed, "The Doctor doesn't stay in one place for more than a few hours, it gave him a headache." She seemed to Peter as if she was in a sulk. Peter didn't quite know how to pull her out of it. One of these days I'm going to have to meet someone with an intuitive understanding of women, he thought. Some empath! Of course he knew the Doctor had 'gone off', it had all Martha had been thinking about. But he didn't understand why this made her so sad.
"We have a way home." He told her, "you'll see."
As they listened to the sounds of the forest, intently watching the leaves and the soil for any sign of a trail, shots rang out below them. Martha took off at pace, Peter not far behind.

"Halt!" Called a voice from the undergrowth.
Martha and Peter did not do as they were told.
A blast hit the earth ahead of them. Martha fell in the dust, Peter went to take hold of her.
“Not so fast flyboy.” The voice continued. Peter looked around him, he could see no one, not a soul.

“Who’s there?” He asked the air around them.
“I’ll ask the questions if you don’t mind.” A fuzzing buzzing noise echoed around them. The voice responded to the signal in a whisper. “Arms and anything else you might own in the air. For the record we’ve decided this also includes tentacles. If they don’t go in the air they get lopped off, capiche?”
Peter put his arms up, dropping Death’s Head’s Head in the process.
“And think of taking one teeny tiny step skyward and I’ll shoot you where it won’t grow back.”
Martha looked up at him with a wry smile.
“I take it you’re Torchwood?” Peter groaned.
“And then some. Hands behind your back.” The invisible assassin cuffed him with something very much along the lines of the same cuffs Owen had earlier accosted him with. Except there were further clamps around his ankles, he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. “You’ve been busy I see.” The voice, a female voice, said. She kicked the head on the floor, though Peter could only discern this from the way it moved in the dust.

“You're are coming with us mate. Someone wants to meet you.” Peter was about to say something smart, the invisible woman poked him in the back with the weapon she had. “Your friends have just shot my husband! So if you think you have something incredibly clever to say, trust me, you don't. Open your trap again flyboy and I’ll shut it for you. Now…Walk!”
They left Martha behind in the dust with Death’s Head’s Head. All Peter could see as they marched him away was Martha mouthing four little words to him, which he heard with perfect clarity in his head.
“Don’t Mention the Doctor.” He smiled. He wouldn't say a word.

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 10 – Plan B

The Doctor let Pete and Martha go. He should have told him to stop. He should have physically got in his way. That boy was dangerous. He had a gift, yes, but he could not control it. He had put barriers in place, lessening risk of his triggering, but he could go up, and if he did... well he didn't want to think about that. He would have to help him. He couldn't not. But powers like that took years to master. he could invite him along, Martha liked him after all, and he would be useful, really useful. "Right then. Seems like Petey boy was late for an appointment. So that fantastic plan our fantastic Rose came up with. It must be perfected."
"So what do we use to draw this Torchwood out?" Gwen asked walking over to the Doctor. "If this Torchwood is anything like ours, we might be able to help."
Right, so Martha was gone, as was Ticking Timebomb boy, Rose was here, but he was a solid rock so that didn't matter at all. It was time to get down to business, time to break into Torchwood and save the day.
"Right then! Who wants to be bait?"

Tosh had retreated to work on her laptop now it was fully charged. The zap that Peter had given it had taken only a second to get it up to maximum power. She wished she had a charger like that on hand every time she was out and about. She guessed by the doe eyes that Peter was giving Martha, his desires were elsewhere. Good luck to them both, she thought with a grin and returned her concentration to her laptop. She was puzzled as the emissions she was viewing didn’t make sense. The levels were too high for a ship and higher than anything she had ever encountered. The other emanations she had on screen were unknown to her and she couldn’t make head or tail of the information. She looked up and over heard the Doctor spouting forth.
Toshiko stood up and approached the Doctor. She remembered him from her first meeting in the mortuary of Albion Hospital but he had changed his appearance. She hadn’t voiced her knowledge as she knew some of the history that the Doctor had with Rose and she knew that if she did it could cause problems and paradoxes so didn’t wish to go there.
“I will be bait if you like. I need to do something useful.” She looked him in the eye and held out her hands. “Look after this for me?” She held out a small bag of food “Think you will find some makings for tea in here.”
"Tosh! Are you sure? We don't know what this Torchwood is like, they could do anything to you!" Gwen exclaimed coming over to Tosh and putting her hands on her shoulders.

Tosh looked into her friend’s eyes. Gwen looked worried for her. “Thanks I’ll be fine. If I get into trouble. I’ll have all of you to come save me – right?” Tosh waved her arm around to encompass all her friends. Owen nodded, although he hadn't spoken for a while now.

"Of course we will." Gwen smiled kindly. She was worried for her friend, she was used to Jack stepping up and offering himself, Owen even, but not Tosh. This was all new to her.

"So what now? How do we attract their attention? They know we're here, so we just need to know how they going get Tosh."

"I could use this?" Tosh removed the little piece of alien tech that Claude had recovered after her little tirade earlier. The lights started to flash at her pressing down with her fingers. Then it started to omit a little hum. “If you check my lap top you may see how this little gismo reacts to the other power source that I discovered coming through from the rift.”

"That could work." Gwen said "You're sure about this?" Tosh nodded and Gwen walked back over to where Owen was standing.

"Jack? Doctor? Your call." Gwen looked towards them, waiting for orders.
The Doctor was pretty much dancing from foot to foot. "That's brilliant! We should head to the forest, you stop and pretend you dropped something, and we'll leave you behind. When they come back and get you, Kapow!" He did a batman style fight sequence. Eyes filled with excitement, he smiled. "Think you can handle that?"
Claude came up to her an nudged her elbow. “You sure about this Tosh?”
Tosh nodded. She was determined to do this and glared at him. She was stronger than men thought. She also had some martial art training up her sleeve. Gwen, who stood next to Tosh, flashed a smile and whispered. “I know you can do this Tosh as long as you are absolutely sure I’m behind you.”
Claude bumped her again but this time with his hip. “I’m behind you too.” He winked down at her and Tosh broke into a smile.
“Thanks” She whispered “Both of you.”

Tosh looked over towards Jack and the Doctor waiting for their confirmation all was okay with her idea. She grinned and hugged Gwen enthusiastically as they both bounced up and down delighted the plan had been approved. Claude cheekily stepped in when Gwen broke from Tosh’s hug and he caught Tosh by surprise in a awkward embrace. “Be careful.” Claude whispered for only Tosh to hear, then broke from the hug as if it had never happened.

“Oh,” Gwen said with a chuckle. “He does give hugs after all.”
“What?” Said Claude and Tosh in unison and looked blankly at Gwen who was still chuckling to herself.

Tosh prepared herself by handing over any of her specialised tech that they didn’t want captured or broken Jack strode over to her as she handed the equipment into the safe keeping of Gwen. Tosh didn’t much like the serious look on Jack’s face.
Part A of the plan was put into motion. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand, and if nothing was up at all started walking towards the trees, swinging their hands in between them. She giggled slightly, probably more out of apprehension than anything. "Don't worry," he whispered near her ear, "It's going to be over soon."
He couldn't help but here a smile as he heard Tosh 'accidently' trip over, nor did he break his stride. They were soon in the trees. He was very aware that Claude who had been ahead of him had vanished the instance he had reached cover.
"I think someone’s got a crush." Rose smiled from beside him.
The Doctor made an 'mmmm'ing sound, which could have been either an affirmative or a negative. He didn't want to tell her that men like Claude were well armoured, and that the chance of him lowering his defences even a little to let someone in was unlikely. And then he looked at Rose and remembered what he had been liked before the regeneration. He had been very much like Claude, and since losing Rose had reverted to form.

Gwen watched from the trees as Tosh 'tripped'. She hoped like hell that this would work, and that Tosh would be safe. Sensing Gwen worrying, Owen gently took her hand and squeezed it. Gwen looked up at him gratefully and smiled.
Tosh walked along with the group out in the open heading towards the forest. She allowed everyone to pass her as they all reached the outskirts of the forest. She was alone when she stumbled and fell down a small hill. She lay motionless on the ground with the grasses swaying around her in the breeze.
Tosh had pretended to trip right enough. But she hadn’t expected to roll down the bloody hill. Her insides were all churned up and she felt decidedly ill. Her motionless was also due to the small bolder that had hit her head as she rolled to a stop.

The Doctor realised with a cold stab of fear that things hadn't gone quite to plan. Tosh seemed to have disappeared out of sight. He threw a quick glance at Jack. He had noticed too. If they went and helped her, their cover would be blown. If they did nothing, she would be captured. He hoped Claude was out there with her, and not gallivanting around the forest whilst invisible. He didn't know what to do. Rose held on to his hand tightly.
"Where is she? I can't see a thing!"
The words that tumbled out of the Doctors mouth in Rose's direction was that,
"Tosh is fine." And, "She knows what's she’s doing." he wasn't so sure though, and he got the impression Rose wasn't convinced either. He looked over at Jack for help.
Gwen was close to running over towards Tosh, but was pulled back by Owen.
"That wasn't supposed to happen! What do we do?" Gwen turned to the Doctor and Jack, expecting an answer.
"Time for Plan B I think. What is Plan B?"

Captain Jack started barking out orders. This was Plan B, quiet sneaky, perfectly ordered, and just a little bit of 'John Wayne' thrown in for fun.
The Doctor stood silent, he had no place here. He stepped back into the shadows, hoping no one would miss him. They would help Tosh, he was going for a wander.

Rose noticed the Doctor creeping away from the corner of her eye. She sighed.
She was needed here. But she couldn't help but feel drawn to go with him. She just wished she had her Doctor. He would know the right thing to do.

Tosh swore under her breath and carefully rubbed at the sore spot on her forehead. She winced in pain as she found a gash.
“That’s all I need.” She thought as she saw the blood on her fingers. “Tumbled down a bloody hill and look like I mucked up the plan. Owen will be laughing his arse off at me. Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Tosh kept herself low to the ground as she wiped the blood away as she berated herself for her ill fortune. She was sure she would be in for it, when she next met up with her Torchwood team-mates.

She was in trouble. No one would be able to view her from the Forest She held her breath as she heard something coming. The hairs on the back of her head were standing up and she knew that the other Torchwood had arrived.
“Dinnae screech in my lug. I’m no deaf!” Duncan McKinnon groused into his earpiece. “Aye can see ya ken, I already spied the stray in the grass. Off to take a peek” Now hold yer wheesh and let me scout aboot.

Duncan had been sent up ahead as his tracking abilities with and without Tec were considered the best in Torchwood. His boss put up with his bad temper and bad timekeeping knowing he would get the job done.

Duncan was dressed in the latest chameleon suit. With a flick at the insignia on the lapel the suit changed into its camouflage mode. It made its occupant nigh on invisible. Duncan had got into trouble from his boss on many occasions for using this function inappropriately. The chameleon suit had been given only to this unit of Torchwood for testing Duncan liked to think he was conducting a thorough assessment under all conditions.

Tosh froze as she heard the grass move. Her heart beat fast but she tried to keep calm. She was Torchwood too, after all. She was sure she would be safe.
The arrival of Duncan McKinnon put paid to that idea. Tosh frowned she could hear something breathing close by. Her senses told her something was in front of her but she couldn’t see it. She jumped when a smell of bad breath wafted over her face making her gasp. Then an invisible hand seized at her throat.

“Hiya lassie, Dinnae scream, or I’ll have ta kill ye’.” Came a nasty chuckle close to Tosh’s ear.
McKinnon continued to gaze at the pretty female. He wasn’t much for PC and didn’t care if he insulted her feelings. “Ya Chinese, Japanese or somthin’ or a half breed or what?”

Tosh had been frightened at the constriction of her throat but this personal attack on her kin made her angry. “I’m full Japanese and proud of it.” She barked out unafraid at that moment.

The clutch around her throat slackened for a second as she heard a laugh that made her shiver. She reacted instantly taking advantage and turned around fast in a spiral with legs and arms striking out at the invisible antagonist.
She was delighted to feel her limbs impact against a real body and the yells of pain informed her she had injured her attacker. She realised she was in big trouble by the swearing and turned tail and fled, running as fast as she could run. How she hoped to get away from this invisible thing she didn’t know but right now she was free.
“B**ch!” Roared out McKinnon, as he wiped blood from his face. He tried to straighten up but the pain between his legs still caused him to grimace. Tosh had kicked him where it had hurt most and as he yelled insults at her she ran, stumbling and not looking back.

Duncan was angry. He knew that his Torchwood mates would have been listening over the Com of his progress. They would be ready to poke fun at him on his return. But he would ensure the payback he gave the B**ch would be worth it. McKinnon let loose an outlandish cry and set his sights on his objective once more. He then ran straight towards Tosh. He was determined that his target wouldn’t make a fool of him again. He ran fast covering ground like an antelope bounding up and over obstacles of rocks and tufts of dirt. He roared like a lion as he moved in for the kill. Tosh heard the clamour of her pursuer and increased the pace. To her annoyance she heard herself making involuntary whimpers and found her face wet with tears.
Duncan was close to Tosh’s ankles when she let loose a piercing scream as she felt the weight of the thing thump into her. Duncan roared with delight.
“Miss me girlie?” Duncan crowed forebodingly.

“Who are you?” Roared Tosh as she tried to bat away the rough hands that were restraining her. She didn’t look a pretty sight, tears tracked down her dirty face, but she had her anger and that would keep her from losing her dignity. She lashed out with her feet and felt the thing behind her move away from her. She felt pleased with this but the grip around her changed and she felt pain in her back.
“Can it, girlie.” Duncan didn’t dare reach up to turn off his chameleon disguise. This fish was too slippery for him to lose contact His boss would have his orbs if he hurt her. But he could play with her for a bit – that would appease his male ego.
“Can snap yer neck like a wee twig, girlie if ya Dinnae play nice. Who I am disnae matter but ah work for Torchwood.”

Tosh stiffened for a second at the word and closed her eyes. Least the plan had worked even if she had stuffed it up a little in the process She sighed and wondered if this man was as bad as he pretended to be.
The metal on her neck made her shiver. She knew without looking it was a gun of some form. “Ah, Girlie, this is my freen’ she’s a braw lass, saved ma skin, many a time. Yer gonna be a nice Girlie now, not mess with me or this wee bairn will blow yer brains oot!”

Duncan made Tosh behave. She knew that she wouldn’t’ be able to escape a gun. She wondered why he hadn’t used it earlier but then realised that whoever this thing, man was he’d have his boss at Torchwood to answer too if she got hurt.
Tosh had figured him out. She didn’t dare relax or let him know she worked for another Torchwood. She was disgusted as his hands had roamed her body and she bit her lip not to cry out her revulsion. She knew he was toying with her and she wouldn’t give him the pleasure at hearing her begging for him to stop.

Claude stood close by, very close. He had this overwhelming urge to run to Tosh's aid. Surly this wasn't part of the plan. But the orders had been to use her as bait and he assumed that the Torchwood types were good for something. He remembered working for secret organisations himself, and he was well aware that they could pull off most things. He took a step closer, he wouldn't intervene, but he also wouldn't trust the gaggle of Doctors. He would stay with her.

Duncan let his free hand wander around the woman’s body. A bit too skinny for his likening but he chuckled as he saw blood run down her chin. The wee lass was biting her mouth to stop from crying out. He laughed louder and flipped the Chameleon switch and that got her attention.

Tosh bucked trying to escape as she saw a man’s face appear over her shoulder. This time she screamed. His teeth were pointed.
Duncan howled knowing now that the Girlie under his hands was really scared.
“I’m not gonnae eat ya yet Girlie. “ Duncan was aware that he looked like one of the humankind cannibals but it had been a disguise he had used and couldn’t be bothered returning to get his teeth fixed by their resident Doctor-Dentist-fixer of things. Now if this lass thought him crazy she wouldn’t like to meet the Dentist – Gabriel - he’d even sent shivers up Duncan’s spine.

Distracted Duncan didn’t hear the quiet footstep of Claude approach. Claude had been angry enough waiting around on the sidelines for help to come from Tosh’s friends. Claude had had as much as he could take of watching the Ba***rd making free with Tosh. Once the man had materialised Claude made his move.

"Look, these plans are all very well and good, but what if Torchwood's already got her? What then?" Gwen looked to the hill that Tosh disappeared down. "If we could get into Torchwood on our own then we could get her out."
"But we don't know the security plans." Owen reminded her.
"What else do we have?!" Gwen was frustrated now, and was willing to try anything. She kicked a nearby rock, and sent it flying through the air into the forest.
They all heard her scream, and this time Gwen had had enough. She turned to Jack.
"We need to help her." Gwen said forcefully. He looked from her to the hill and back again. "Jack?!" Gwen got his attention and waited for an answer. "Jack?!" Gwen was getting angry now, Jack hadn't answered Gwen yet and even Owen, knew it was long enough.

"Jack, this has gone too far, they weren't supposed to capture Tosh." Owen said sternly. Jack looked at the hill then at Gwen and Owen.
"Okay, where's Claude? Actually scratch that, here's the plan...." He then quickly told the others the plan and they prepared to put it into action.
"Go! Go! Go!" Jack yelled and the four of them jumped from their hiding place, Jack and Owen holding guns, ready to fire and Rose standing behind Jack and Gwen standing behind Owen, both ready to fight. They confronted the man who had Tosh, to find Claude wrestling him to the ground.
Suddenly a gun went off.

Four things happened all at once. First a gun shot went off somewhere in the forest, and then the other person from Torchwood (mistaking this for someone near him shooting) Then let off two shots, one bullet went flying in Jack's direction and the other in Gwen's. In response to this Owen fired at the man, missing Claude by a hairs width, it hit the man square in the shoulder and he fell away from Tosh and Claude.

Tosh hadn’t known what hit her as Claude leashed his wrath on McKinnon. The fact that Claude was so fast on his feet had amazed her. She was quick to recover from the shock of his sudden appearance and as Claude fought with her attacker she got in a few punches of her own in retaliation. The three were still entangled when the shots rang out. Tosh felt the attacker fall as his own gun fired whizzing past Tosh’s ear leaving a scorch mark in her hair.

Claude and Tosh exchanged confused looks as a pool of red spread on the shoulder of the man they were now holding up between them. He had gone limp in their arms. Tosh turned her head to look to see where the shot had come from and saw Gwen and Jack on the ground. Instantly she moved and ran like a bat out of hell screaming for Gwen. She hadn’t dismissed Jack but looked at him on the way past seeing him take a sharp intake of breath- she knew he was on the mend. But her friend, Gwen needed her.

“Gwen, Gwen, stay with me”” Tosh called out hanging onto her friends clammy hand for support.

Tosh hadn’t time to think of what had happened to herself her only thought was to her friend and the fact that the B***ard who had so recently held her captive had shot her best friend.

“Come on, Come on.” Roared Owen agitated as he attended quickly to Gwen’s gun shot wound.
Tosh tightened her hold on Gwen’s hand and prayed that Owen could save her. Owens face was tense as Tosh looked on.

Time seemed to go in slow motion at that moment for Gwen. She saw Jack shot in the chest and fall to the ground, it didn't worry her though, he'd be up in a minute, but then a searing pain erupted in her stomach. Gasping, she fell to the ground, blinking and trying to stay in focus. The last thing she saw before passing out was Owen leaning over her, yelling at her to stay awake. She tried, but she couldn't.
It was like being underwater. Gwen could hear, but only just. Sounds were muffled as if she was underwater. Everything was dark but she could feel hands on her, Owens hands. Working, him being doctor. She could feel Tosh at her side, holding her hand, holding her to reality. She could just about hear Claude yelling, but it sounded so far away. She could now hear Jack ordering people. The orders she didn't know.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on...." repeated again and again by Tosh.
"Stay with me, stay with me, stay with me..." repeated again and again by Owen.
Two mantras, from two people. She could feel Owen working, but she was still underwater.

Claude let the body drop to the ground with a thump. He just stood there starring. Man he never got used to death, no matter how often he dished it out. He didn't get involved with Gwen or Jack’s rescue, he barely knew them and felt he might get in the way. So he stood, alone, always alone, and watched as the chaos unravelled in front of him.

Tosh was in shock as she removed her dirty coat to roll up into a pillow of sorts to put under Gwen’s head. Owen had glared at her but at least she knew Gwen wasn’t laying on the damp ground. Owen was angry and unfortunately he took it out on Tosh.
“If you had done the damn job properly in the first place Gwen wouldn’t hav got shot!”
“It’s not my fault.” Tosh said through gritted teeth. Owens glare and snort of disgust led her to begin to believe otherwise. Owen slapped her hand away from Gwen. “I think you should go!” He said in a ruthless tone. “You’ve done enough damage and… if she dies …it will be down to you!”

Tosh had remained strong up till that point. Then her mind began to buzz with images of her plight from her attacker. From his groping hands that had assaulted her body through to The images of the blood soaked shirt as it spread on her attackers chest. Then the slow motion picture of Gwen laying on the ground with blood pooling on her shirt as she ran to help her friend.
It all became too much as she let go of Gwen’s hand and in a dream she ran. Tosh ran till she found the cover of some trees and thinking she was alone hugged the tree and cried into it as she hoped it would muffle her shameful sobs.
"You know you'll get splinters doin' that."
Claude had seen her run off and had followed suit. He wasn't one for emotional interactions, but he felt somewhat guilty for not helping her sooner. He awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder, hoping this would be comfort enough. He was no prepared for her to turn and hug him, damp face pressing into his chest.
"Erm right then." he mumbled, patting her back gently looking around for someone to remove the sobbing woman from his embrace. There was no one.
He would kill that b**tard Owen at some point soon.

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 11 – A very brief detour

Oh, that just ripped it.

Oona was slogging through the wood using her awareness of her own magic to guide her when it faded. FADED to almost nothing but a vague general direction. It had lost contact with living energy. She was using a small trickle of energy from whomever the crystal was on to help amplify and focus her awareness of the crystal.

No energy meant a vague and shadowy awareness. She was going to be playing hot and cold until she found an actual trail to follow. And she'd have to cover that up.

She only hoped the loss of energy meant the crystal had been taken or lost, not that Claude lay dead somewhere.

If there were poachers then they were trackers. If Owen were any indicator, this group wouldn't know how to clean their trail with a broom and a vacuum cleaner.

Oona ate as she walked, chewing the meat, lamb actually, as she walked carefully on hard ground or leaves, leaving no footprints and making sure to break or bend no branches.

She could use some sleep, but that was not feasible right now. Food alone would have to serve as energy.

After a few hours she came across a group of gnomes rigging buckets and ladders up a walnut tree and harvesting the nuts. Some of them seemed overly cheerful, and none to steady. They were on the ground at least.

The gnomes were small, and apparently either unarmed or lightly so. "Excuse me?" She stepped from the wood and brought down her hood. "I'm searching for some friends of mine. They were heading in this direction. A tall man in a tan coat with brown hair sticking out all over, a blonde woman with a bright smile, a small, wiry man with light brown hair, a dark haired woman with sad eyes, and a tall dark haired man with a dark coat."

The gnomes looked at her, then at each other. That last was rather comical as there were at least a dozen of them in different positions. They started to talk rapidly among themselves before one separated from the others and approached her.

"You don't look like a poacher. And none have those kind of weapons. We saw your friends last night. They shared our soup and drink, and our campfire and company. Some of them can't hold their soup." He shook his head. "They went North come morning. The dark coated one joined them then, and was rather rude."
Oona cocked her head. "Where did you last see them?"
"North and a bit west. Heading for the mountain. They're nearly a day ahead of you."
"My thanks, master gnome. I only have a bit of silver to repay you." She reached into her pouch.
"No, no. Your friends were entertaining, gave us a good laugh and stories enough for a week. And we would be ashamed to not help a beautiful lady alone in the wood. Best be careful, miss. The dogs hunt from a bit before dusk til dawn. They work in packs."
Oona gave a slight bow. "I have my own protections. And should all else fail, there are many trees to climb."

She bade farewell to the busy lot and set off once again.
It was not easy. The closer she got, the better her link. She had given up discretion for speed. Oona set out at a jog. A full run would tire her to quickly.

She felt the distance closing between her and her crystal. So far, there had been no real interference. Since the village she had not seen a single hostile. It was almost too easy. Oh... she'd gone and cursed herself!

She then actually found the trail. Footprints, many with a clear tread. Not something the natives had. Snapped twigs, pressed moss. These people were rather helpless and hopeless.

She jogged up an incline and felt it getting steeper. All too soon she found the crystal. It was laying in the brush. Damnit.
At least she had a trail.
The rocks were her downfall. She lost the trail on the rocky side of the mountain. She was not tracker enough to manage to trace them over rock. Just great. But then again, hopefully no one else could track them, either.

She could find them. But not until they went to sleep. Even one of them in REM sleep, and she could slip in, touch the dream as either observer or participant, and they would never know, even if she participated, that it was more than dream. Well, perhaps the Time Lord would, were it his dream. However, she would know where they were if she collected just a little of their dream. But until then, she was stuck.

The Doctor was glad Rose had not decided to follow. He was sad to leave her behind, but Jack would take care of her, and he had plenty on his mind. Specifically Oona. He was slightly worried that she hadn't met up with the rest of the team, and he needed her. When came to stealthy infiltration he was sure Torchwood were the best, he'd only blow something up, make lots of noise and screw up everything. The time was right to pop into the other dimension and retrieved what he lost, before they were released and his opportunity past him by. He was sure Oona must be close by. She would be covered by void stuff after walking the 'moonlight paths' and he could feel it making hairs on his manly hairy hands stand up on end.
The Doctor strode through the forest, covering ground fast. He let his cheery expression fade, he had no one to fool now. He'd find Oona, get his Rose back, return in time to save the day, after all Torchwood would stuff their job up, and then back to Earth in time for tea. With crumpets perhaps. Or maybe scones with fresh cream and jam. Maybe he would take Rose to Cornwall, back in the day, back when they made real cream, and real pastries.

Then the thought hit him, Martha wouldn't be too happy. He shook his head, Martha had ditched him, she could come back grovelling if she liked, he wouldn't turn her away, he'd even take on her new boyfriend, but he wasn't about to chuck out the most perfect plan for getting his Rose back just so he didn't make her jealous. Hell no.

Oona heard someone approaching by the skittering of the rocks. She drew her sword and waited for an attack. She was surprised to see ‘Doctor Smith’ approaching her.
"Should I be running or covering your back?" Oona gave a half smile. In truth, she was almost certain it would be one of the two. But the others were not with him. She had thought he was protective of Rose. His whole body language had bespoke of a very deep connection.

The Doctor gave Oona a small smile, letting his sadness creep through his features. He leaned against a near by tree, nearing foetal position, burying his face in his hands. From this position he told Oona everything, from meeting Rose, traveling with her, loving her, losing her and never getting the chance to let her know. Seeing this past Rose was breaking him. He looked up, intensity and pain etched onto his feature, sorrow in his eye.

"I need your help. Would you help me?"
Oona nodded, he could see she was a step ahead of him, but he voiced exactly what he needed none the less.
"Rose, my Rose, is stuck in another dimension, one with Cybermen and Aepplins. I know you can move between universes, could you take me, let me say goodbye?"

Or bring her back? He didn't voice his last thought, he could barely begin to hope. Hope for the best and expect the worse had fast become his catch phrase, and he wasn't getting his hopes up, despite hope being the only thing that kept him alive. Hope that one day he would have her by his side again.
He could see her mind working, he had told her about the attack on Torchwood and it seemed she wanted to go help.
"Come on!" mock cheery now, trying to grin from ear to ear in a manner natural to his previous self, "A little adventure. Just the two of us." He winked. When this didn't seem to effect her judgment he added, "Look Torchwood are trained to do this infiltration type stuff. They don't need me, they probably won't need you, we could keep ourselves out of the way, and trouble. I hate trouble, too troubley. Lets just nip off to the other dimension for a quick holiday, quick working holiday. We'll be back before they even notice."

"I could do as you ask, Time Lord. However, I know it is not goodbye you seek. It is another chance. But I have something to ask of you. I trust your integrity in this. Set aside your feelings, your desires. In all of the 'what could bes', do you see any where you and Rose are together? I cannot chance destroying this reality." Oona knelt before the Doctor, looking into his ancient eyes.

"Yes. I see more than one. They just seemed ghosts of what could have been not what could be." The Doctor met her eyes.

"Then she does not belong in that reality. The others had people that they replaced. A gap they could fill. Your Rose did not. That could throw off the Balance of that world. A temporary visit would affect nothing. But the longer she stays, the more she disrupts the fabric of that reality. Chaos begins to seep in. In time it could start to warp the fabric of time and the Multiverse itself. It is why I cannot stay in any time or place for more than a few months, unless there was a version of me to trade off with." Oona stood.

"I wish I could find love such as yours." A sad smile graced her lips. "Someone worth losing some of my magic to give myself over. To give up my fight for. Or to join me in it. But I have begun to suspect it is not my fate."

Oona unslung her bow and muttered a few words in a language even the TARDIS had never heard before. A musical, lilting tongue.

Using the end of the bow she drew repeated circles in the air. The air shimmered and warped until the view of the trees beyond warped, twisted into something akin to a whirlpool.

Reslinging her bow across her back Oona held out her hand. "This is the most difficulty I have had opening the way. It is resisting, and sapping my energy. Quickly, take my hand. That which brought me here may yet drag us back while we are on the paths."

The Doctor's hand was cool in hers and she pulled him through the warp she had made.

They stepped into a place where all was blackness except for a silver path beneath their feet. It was as wide as a street and the light seemed to keep back the dark.

"The void." Oona pointed to the blackness.
"The moonlight paths." Ahead of them the path resembled a tree, a twisting gnarled tree of a thousand limbs and branches.
Oona pulled him along. There were people walking the paths. Only a few had the common 'human' look. Some looked like slugs, some - walking statues. Others were even more emorphous. She made several twists and turns, taking different branches where they touched.
"Move quickly, so we are harder to find for whoever targeted us." So they were running on paths of light. Other travellers looking at them oddly. They seemed the only ones to be in such a hurry.
"Each path leads to a different reality at differing points. Some are made of free will choices. You, yourself, have created many."
"Earth, Zepplins, Cybermen, President of England. There are three choices. One will resonate as being off balance due to your Rose."
Oona pulled him, actually running a bit faster than him. There," she pointed to a branch "That is it."
She drew her sword one handed and sliced through the air, cutting through reality. They spilled out into a busy sidewalk. No trace remained of the place they had just been. Overhead, Zepplins floated lazily.

The Doctor stepped forwards, the scent of chips filling his nostrils. Oddly enough, this was where they parked the tardis last time they were here. Offering Oona his hand, but finding it unaccepted he started to head towards where he knew the Tylers lived, his pace picking up speed and bounce as he got closer. This could be the happiest he's ever been.

He ran up the Tyler’s path leading to their mansion like house, leaping over the fence rather than going round, cutting down precious seconds. He threw himself at the door hammering with both his fists full of excitement and desperation. Oona looked on from the street, totally amused before following him down the path.
Jackie Tyler, complete with dressing gown and hair rollers opened the door, and promptly slammed it in his face. That wasn't quite the reaction he was looking for.
The Doctor hammered on the door again, over and over.
"Come on Jackie I just need to talk to her!"
Eventually Jackie was at the door again, glaring at him in a way only a mother could at her evil Son in Law.
"You should come in." She said quietly, opening the door wider so he could come in.
It was her tone that told him something was wrong. The way she silently led him to a plush living room and told him to take a seat on the overly squishy leather sofa.
"She's not here." Jackie said at last after starring at him for what seemed like hours, seemingly waiting for him to speak first. He waited for an explanation, not speaking, knowing that she would tell if he just waited. Part of him didn't want to know. He could feel the dread building in the pit of his stomach.
"She went to work for Torchwood. Pete runs it you see. But she was restless. One day she found out about these rift thingies or something. She said there was one in Cardiff that she needed to look at. Before we know it, we're getting a phone call from Cardiff Torchwood telling us she opened it up and popped through. She's gone Doctor. She's gone and it's because you made her feet wanderers feet."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, she looked like she might slap him, but didn't have the energy. The Doctor himself found himself fighting to keep composure.
"You haven’t heard from her?"
"Oh she rings every once in a while. Said your super phone still works even without the Tardis. But she says the rift is random, and she can't get back."
The Doctor stood, stepping over to Jackie, crouching down in front of her.
"So where is she?"
She didn't answer. Anger and pain and loss welled inside of him. He took her by the arms and shook her repeating the sentence in a strangled shout, not caring that he had woken the baby.
"Where is she?"
"Oh I don't know. Some planet somewhere. She’s working on some secret project over there. Said she wanted to do something helpful, something worthwhile."
"Yes?"
"She called the planet Utopia. Said it was a paradise for all those lost and in need of a home." She smiled at him, "She's doing good all the way out there." Then upon seeing the frown on his face she couldn't help but ask. "What? What's wrong?"
He stood up, not answering, heading over to Oona who was standing in the doorway.
"We need to get back. NOW!"

[whodovoodoo]

Chapter 12 – Worms and Oomaray

[Chp 12 - Pt 1]

Swimming, swimming, up, up up ...

Gwen gasped back to life gulping down air, arms flailing. The pain in her stomach was still there but now it was just about bearable.
"Owen!" Gwen exclaimed.
A look of delight was on Owen's face as he took her hands and placed them on the floor
"Keep still, I need to work." Gwen supposed he was meant to say this sternly but, the grin on his face didn't help.
Gwen tried to look around, but her head hurt and her eyes wouldn't focus properly. She couldn't see Jack, Rose or Tosh. Jack would be fine, she knew that he'd look after Rose, but she was still worried about Tosh. The last thing she remembered was jumping out on someone attacking her and then ... nothing.
"Tosh..." Gwen croaked.
"Not here at the moment.... be back later...." Owen said distractedly, working as fast as he could. She grimaced in pain and wondered where the hell everyone was.
Owen swore under his breath.
"Owen?" Gwen whispered.
Owen swore again and continued working.
"Owen?" Gwen whispered again, her voice weaker than before.
Owen's hands were covered in Gwen's blood, his clothes too. He was working with his one remaining scalpel, which had somehow remained with him. She assumed he was trying to remove the bullet.
"S**t" He murmured. He's eyes were filling with tears. He was beginning to think that it was useless but he refused to stop working. He angrily wiped away a tear that fell. He swore again.
"Owen...."Gwen's voice was barely audible. Owen looked at her.
"Hold the hell on Gwen!" he yelled. She looked at him for a second before her eyes closed.
Underwater. Always underwater, except this time it wasn't just darkness, there was a light. A bright light. Voices, lots of voices and all of them lost. One voice came from the darkness and caught her attention.
"Gwennie?"
"Gran? Gwen asked, tears welling.
Suddenly Gwen could see, hear, feel. She could see her Gran standing in front of a bright, white light. She could hear her Gran calling her, holding out her arms, waiting for Gwen to come running, just like when she was child. The smell of carbolic.
Gwen smiled. Just like she thought. Suzie was wrong.
"Gran..." Gwen whispered. She wanted to go to her, but another voice came through the darkness.
"Gwen!" It yelled "Gwen! Come back!!" Owen, yelling.
"Gwennie!"
"Gwen!"
"Gwennie." Gwen had to decide.
"Gran..."Gwen took a step forward.
"Come on Gwennie. Let's go home." Gwen was crying now.
"Home..." she whispered "I want to go home..." Gwen was about to take another step forward when Owen's voice cut through.
"Gwen, come back! We need you here!" She could hear the sadness in his voice.
"I want to go home!" Gwen said firmly.
"Come on Gwennie, I'll take you home." Gwen's gran said softly gesturing for her to come over to her.
"GWEN! Come Back!" Owen yelled again. "If we're ever going to get home you need to be here with us!!" Gwen closed her eyes. Her friends needed her. She opened her eyes.
"I'm sorry Gran..."
"Gwennie?" Her Gran looked sad as she lowered her arms. She gave a small smile. "You were always a good girl Gwen. You do what you think is best..."
Gwen's friends needed her.

Tosh suddenly thrust herself away from Claude. This wasn’t what she wanted to do – she wasn’t a cry baby and brushed angrily at her tears . “I’m so stupid,” Tosh cried out harshly. She stared up at Claude who looked uncomfortable and she smiled awkwardly. “Sorry I’ve been an idiot. Sorry for wetting your clothes, this isn’t like me.” She gave herself another mental shake and had a brainwave

She grabbed at Claude’s hand and tugged him along behind her as she ran weaving in and out of the trees. She was on a mission to heal her friend Gwen.
“What the hell…” Claude started to say but Tosh cut him off short.
“Quit yapping man, come on. Remember what Fredo said about the grubs he poked into my ear?” Tosh ran tugging him along faster as they headed in the direction where Tosh had remembered seeing golden coloured shrubs.
“Oh no, we’re going grub hunting?” Claude said as he ran faster as his frown turned into a maniac smile and he howled with delight. “Hey your not that stupid after all!”
Tosh and Claude were down on their knees delving in the dirt with their hands to reach the grubs that they hoped to use on Gwen. Claude had broken off a branch and was gouging at the dirt as he and Tosh hunted for the little elusive creatures.
Martha caught sight of two running figures that looked familiar. She watched as she saw them stoop down onto the ground. Her curiosity was peeked and she moved towards them. She was worried about Peter but knew somehow that they would see each other again.
“I’ve found one!” Whooped Tosh holding up a wriggly thin grub for Claude to inspect. “Does this look like the right type. I wasn’t’ trying to look that closely when Fredo shoved the blooming things into my ears.”
“Looks just like the right thing to me. The same colour and the identical ridges on the head.” Claude replied then was just as elated when he found one of his own.
“Where are we to keep them? We need a few to carry to Gwen.” Claude looked quickly around and spotted Martha staring down at them.
Martha started to laugh hard and Claude and Tosh ignored her as they continued their task until they had about a dozen grubs. Together Tosh and Claude rose eyes sparkling with merriment and moved towards Martha. She had bigger pockets as Tosh had lost her coat and as Claude didn’t have much room to put anything in his. They both deposited what they each had collected into the right and left pocket of her jacket.
“What! “ Screamed Martha, “ What do you think you are playing at?” as she frantically tried to remove the grubs from her pockets.
Tosh quickly filled Martha in on Gwen getting shot. She explained Owen was trying his hardest but it didn’t look good.
“I’m a Doctor, “Martha paused then added, “Nearly.” She smiled “If these little things can help … just like the old fashioned leaches. Then maybe I can persuade Owen to give it a try!”
“Good idea,” Tosh said patting Martha on the shoulder, “Come on lets get back to Gwen.”
The three ran heading towards Jack, Owen and Gwen. Tosh ran, leaving Claude and Martha trailing, as she caught sight of the blood on Owens’s hands and shirt. She stared down at her friend Gwen. Tosh was in shock at the sight and froze for a second before sinking to her knees and clutched frantically at her friends hand.
“Gwen, Gwen!” she cried out, tears streaming from her eyes as she felt the icy touch from Gwen’s fingers. Her friend was dying and Tosh turned to Martha who was speaking urgently with Owen. “Please, please, please….” Tosh whispered that Owen allow this to take place. She ignored the voices behind her and concentrated on hopefully reaching out to Gwen and hoped she wasn’t too late.
Gwen closed her eyes
"Gwen, Gwen! Please, please, please ...." Gwen heard Tosh in her right ear, and opened her eyes again. Gwen was submerged into darkness. She gasped as she felt something on her stomach. Looking down, she saw nothing, but still felt as if something was burrowing in her, crawling. It was horrible.

Swimming, swimming, up, up, up ....

"Gwen, can you hear me?" Tosh asked softly as she rubbed the chilly hand of her friend in between her grubby ones. Tosh had forgot about the dirt on her fingers as she clutched at her friends hands and hoped she at least gave Gwen some support.
Owen allowed Martha to place the grubs on Gwen’s wound . Tosh looked sideways as she watched the little bugs burrow inside.

“Ow that’s disgusting.” Owen said as the grubs wiggled their way deep into the wound. The whole amount were soon inside Gwen. Martha looked don curiously taking in the whole scene.

Tosh watched and waited, then she noticed movement in Gwen’s hand and her eyes stirred under her lids.

The grubs after some minutes started to reappear one by one. They had changed their form into long dark centipedes with legs that wiggled up from the healing wound. They wandered out and along the ground then burrowed under the soil and away, having completed their work.

“Oh man, “ Owen stared fixedly as the wound changed and healed in front of his eyes. “This is amazing!”

Swimming, swimming, up, up, up....

Further this time.... her hands felt another’s hands, and her stomach crawling....
Swimming, swimming, up, up, up ....
Gwen awoke with a scream.

Rose jumped as she heard Gwen scream. She instantly ran over, kneeling next to the girl, pulling her into a hug and shushing her.
"You're okay. You're safe. Don't worry."
Martha was so thankful the grubs helped. Leave it to Tosh and Claude to think up something like that. Celebrations of Gwen's return to life were in order, but Martha knew they still had major problems.

"Torchwood have Pete." It was almost comical how each person's head whipped around to look at her. "We finished off Death's Head and we were just about to meet up with you guys when they took him. One mentioned killing her husband. We have to go in and find him."

[whodovoodoo]

[Chp 12 - Pt 2]

Oona looked at the Doctor like her had two heads. He explained rapidly.

"I can take you back, but when we get there I'm going to be as good as useless. It will drain me to the point where I will be near unconscious when we step through the other side."

She did not argue, however. "You owe me a dream for this, Time Lord. One dream, and one Nightmare. At least I'll earn something for such exhaustion."

Oona used her bow once more and the two stepped onto the moonlight paths. This time Oona leaned on the Doctor as they moved as quickly as she was able. It was not such a priority now, as they were returning where they would be dragged to anyway were they caught.

Oona staggered several times. A strange fox walking on two legs and dressed as a cavalier ran over to them.
"Oona, what is wrong? You are dimming."
"Too much too quickly, friend Raynard. I'm almost done. The Doctor here will see to me."
The four foot fox shook his furred head. "I will come, or you may not be able to open the way out. You will need someone to watch over you as well."
The Fox wrapped one foreleg around Oona's waist and allowed her to give directions. She did not care that her one fellow was vulpine wearing a velvet doublet and lace.
The Doctor caught Oona as she collapsed, gently lowering her to the ground. She wanted his dreams? That was somewhat insane. His nightmares were enough to emotionally and psychologically scar someone for the rest of eternity. Maybe that's where the power lied, though he doubted she would find a dream in his head, which didn't end in death and bloodshed and despair, but she was welcome to look around.

He ran the sonic screwdriver over her forehead, her energy was drained, almost like her internal battery was flat. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. Wait it out, or would she need something? He had itchy feet, he needed to get into that Torchwood base, needed to see his Rose, before Jack did something stupid like blow the place up. He wondered idly how long she had been here, and if the energy field kept her safe from aging. What is she was a trillion years old, haggard and unable to go back with him. What if millennia on this planet had sent her quite mad, which is why this place went from a safe haven to some kind of zoo. Or maybe she was just looking for him, perhaps that was the reason why the orders were to collect the last of alien races. He couldn't believe that his Rose could be doing something bad, not intentionally. As soon as he explained the damage she was doing it would be set right again. That is if he got to her.
Raynard helped Oona, as she slashed with her sword, he turned and did the same with his tail and opened the way back to Utopia. They stumbled out and Oona went limp.
The Doctor glanced at the Fox like creature who had landed next to him.
"You'll be trapped here you know."

The fox said nothing.
"Well if you're sticking around maybe you could help me help her." He wasn't about to admit to this animal and he knew little of Oona's people. Honestly he had always considered them a myth. They were like Angels to the Time Lords. Much in the way that Time Lords were myths all over the universe. He couldn't just leave her though, not after what she had just done for him.
Raynard, the small fox held Oona's hand between his paws.
"She just needs to recharge. How much danger is there in this place?" The fox lifted his topmost paw from her hand and patted the hilt of his rapier and then his musket pistol. "I can defend M'lady against anything these might deter. And I have a bit of magic of my own. Not much, mind. Enough to walk the paths, and start a fire. You look eager to be gone."
Raynard narrowed his eyes. "But not so eager to abandon a friend if there is more danger than a poor fox can handle, hey? She'll be out an hour or more." Raynard answered. "But I can cover us with leaves and twigs, camouflage us. Her cloak can cover her face and hair. And... I can act the dumb animal if I must."
The fox sniffed the air. "I can also scent any approaching. I will do as I can. But have you friends here, I would not object to a bit of help. She is a dear and lonely soul, but a bit heavier than this fox can carry."
The Doctor nodded... and then shook his head. He did want to be gone, but what is Death's Head was still out there. Pete and Martha had gone to sort it out, but what if they failed. The sudden thought that Martha might be dead sent s urge of guilt through him. Sure enough she had said she wasn't his responsibility any more, but he brought her here, and he should be the one to take care of her. If Daeth's Head was still out there leaving Oona and Raynard alone may not be the wisest choices. The only place safe was all the way down the mountain.
He sighed and sat flopped down on the ground next to Oona, long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

"Don't worry I won't leave you." With another sigh he wondered absent-mindedly why it was getting so much harder to leave people behind. A small smile touched his lips, oh he knew exactly why. What a sap he had become in his old age.
The volpine smiled, though on such a canid face it looked more like a baring of teeth.
"We have not been properly introduced. Sir Raynard deMarci Chavel, at your service." The little head bowed. "You sir, had a taste of the the void to you, but you were new to the paths. Only a little over a thousand in the multiverse ever see or travel them. M'lady was taught by her mother."

Raynard settled himself down on the ground as well. "That and the magic of a Dreamthief. And with her father's blood... Young Mistress Oona has a depth of power few posses. But her poor body cannot fuel the spells. Often certain herbs or drugs may help her strength. But even they cannot help her achieve her potential."

Raynerd gestured to Oona between them. "This happens when she has to open doorways in quick succession. And once she rouses, she woun't have the power to spark a match for more hours still. Her sword and bow will be little use, as she will still be tired, and physically weak as well."

"The Balance asks too much of her. Her father paid a terrible price to save the multiverse as a whole. One would think fate would be kind and allow her at least to rest. But I have faith one day she will find what she truly seeks. The universe in balance proper can give as well as take."
The Doctor sat in silence for the longest time as Raynard tried to cover Oona up the best he could, all the while talking about her history. He allowed his mind to wander.

Seriously he had no idea why he was staying. If Death's Head popped up there would be little he could do, and considering the type of coward he was he'd probably turn tail and run away. Could he do that? Leave Oona to take care of herself. He thought about it carefully, and then realising that he should jump off that bridge sourly when there was reason to he went about his sitting in silence with a little less going on in his head, and paying a little more attention to the creature in front of him.

That was until he thought of Rose in that Torchwood building. What would he say to her? What if she had moved on? What if she didn't want him anymore? His companions always left in the end didn't they, why would Rose be any different?
'She promised forever' a voice in his head reminded him. But they all promised forever and they all left. 'But Rose was the only one you believed.'
The Doctor's bum was going to sleep. Not that he would admit that was the reason why he had leapt up and started pacing, using his sonic screwdriver to scan the area. He had heard something he had insisted, can never be too careful. But the truth was, his bum was dumb, and nothing at all was going on.
The Doctor didn't notice as Oona strated to come round. Really it was lucky her friend was there or she would have lay there all day as he paced back and forth muttering to himself.

"Ooooooooooona! Welcome back to the land of the living. Nice to see you, to see you nice!" He grinned.

"As fun as this little sleep over has been, do you think we could get moving? Big bad alien bounty hunters out there and all." He made running motion with his index and middle finger of his right hand, "Time to amscray I think."

He came over perplexed.
"You know that’s not proper Pig-Latin? I don't know why they got rid of Pig-Latin. Pig latin was fun. Fooled the teachers, annoyed your parents, I can't see where there’s bad..." He trailed off, eyes darkening, hands rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyway! Shall we?" He offered an arm to Oona. If they could meet with the others, they'd have guns to protect a weakened Oona. And then he could leave them in their care, storm the castle gates, get the girl, and ride off into the sunset on the back of his trusty white stead. Or blue stead... The Doctor helped Oona up, and then strode of into the trees, Oona lagging behind with her friend. In the Doctors over hyperactive way he would power walk off, run back, and jump about from one foot to the other whilst encouraging Oona to move it. And so it went on like that. He knew he was being insensitive, Oona was sapped and really needed to rest, but that was the kind of man he was. Rude and not ginger.

"I'm doing the best I can." Oona offered against the Doctor's impatience. "One would think that her being here for however long it has been, a few minutes will not count."
Raynard took as much of Oona's weight as he could. He knew she was weak.
Oona did not like the rubbery feeling to her arms and legs. It felt that her knees would colapse at any moment.
"Is Claude alright? I found the crystal I gave to him so I could track you. It was on the ground."

The Doctor could see Oona getting annoyed, could fully understand it. Her questions about Claude took him right out of left field... not that he had ever played baseball. More of a cricket man, especially after all that time he spent in the UK.
"I don't know, I don't remember seeing him." He laughed, the laugh of a crazy person, anyone watching would assume he'd cracked up. "He is invisible after all... I was dealing with Pete before I left, but he ran off to fight Deaths Head with..."
The thought of Martha brought back the guilt, and made him just a little more anxious to get back to the others. They may have news. They also had a Plan B which knowing Jack would involve people getting shot or blown up. They were nearly there now though, with his added assistance Oona seemed to be moving more quickly despite her obvious discomfort.

"And who, or what, is a Death's Head?" Oona had not seen or met the creature.
"And apparently you have the same problem I have with people wandering off. I'm thinking of handcuffing them all together. One long daisy chain of merry idiots to keep them for getting too far."
"That is because you tend to join in with inquisitive people." Raynard was glad Oona was distracting herself with conversation. "Inquisitive people never stay in one place. But then curiosity killed the cat, as they say."
Oona couldn't even roll her head in Raynard's direction. It was all she could do to keep her feet moving. "And satisfaction brought him back. Why do people always forget that part? Still, any second rate moron must realize there is safety in numbers."
The Doctor felt slightly amused. Seemed like Oona and himself had much more in common than he thought.

"It does seem to be a regularly occurring trait in my companions. I say 'stay there' so they wander off, end up hanging from a barrage balloon in the middle of an air raid. Or I tell them, 'we are definitely not having a cat' and what do they do, bring the cat on board. Took me six months to get all the cat hair out from under the consol. It fried all the electrics; we were stuck floating in the time vortex for ages. I have never been so bored. Well except that one time when I was forced to play chess with an Ent. Live in the forests, tree like creatures. Takes them days just to decide what move to make, let alone make it. I once sat in on one of their counsel meetings. Jeepers, the whole forest had been burnt down before they decided that, yes they had a problem, and yes they ought to do something about it. But then saying that, at least they have the brains for democracy, there’s this planet out by the..."
"Doctor?"
The Doctor frowned, how very rude to cut him off. He was meant to be the one who was rude. Rude and not ginger. Unless he went to that shop. The one Rose makes him stop off at every couple of weeks. Shoes, no no, Boots. Next time they go to get her bleach for her hair, he'd ask her to pick out some dye for him. Maybe he could go ginger. Or maybe more punk. Blue, or green.
He was thinking in tangents and realised he ought to respond to Oona.
"Yep?"
"Death's Head?"
"Oh, big machine like fella. Wants to kill me. And Gnomes for some reason. I can't see why, Gnomes are perfectly helpless creatures. I once knew a Gnome called Grimble Crumble. He wore a scarlet tunic, a blue-green hood, it looked quite good. He had a big adventure amidst the grass, fresh air at last." and suddenly burst into song, realising he was quoting Pink Floyd, "Wining, dining, biding his time..."

And so he sung all the way back through the forest and up the mountain, moving from one Pink Floyd song to the next.

"And then one day...
Hooray!
Another way for gnomes to say
"Oooooomray"

Look at the sky, look at the river.
Isn't it good?
Look at the sky, look at the river.
Isn't it good?

Winding, finding places to go.

And then one day
Hooray!
Another way for gnomes to say
"Oooooomray"
"Oooooomray..."
"I know a mouse
And he hasn't got a house
I don't know why
I call him Gerald
He's getting rather old
But he's a good mouse...

Oh look there’s the others!” He released Oona, and ran out into the clearing where they were all sat around, taking care of Gwen. She seemed to be a little pale, but smiling and talking, he wasn't concerned.

He grabbed Rose and started to dance singing
"You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world
I'll give you anything
Everything if you want things"

She giggled, a, burying her face in his shoulder as he waved about the one hand he had clasped, and the one on her hip guided her in a massive comic swaying motion. He grinned at her.

"Someone looked pleased." Jack said, one eyebrow raised. "If you would like to put Rose down, we have a slight problem here."
The Doctor laughed at Martha and Jack.
"Awww someone’s just feeling left out!"
He grabbed Jack's hands and started to spin him. Jack had a laugh for all of thirty seconds before going serious again.

"Yeah, while you're busy having your fill there, Torchwood has taken Pete." Martha snapped.
"Doctor, if you really want to dance with me, I can suggest other times and places. We need to get into Torchwood and rescue Pete and sort out the Torchwood guys." Jack said as the Doctor dipped him.
"Funny you should mention that." And with that the Doctor released Jack, who landed on his back upon the floor, and walked up the peak, waving his arms around.
"Oi! You lot! I know you can see me! It's me! Your boss will want to see me! Come on!"

He started jumping up and down before dropping to his knees and pulling up grass.
"Are you under here or something? I'll find you you know!"
Jack came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. It was clear from his expression that he thought the Doctor had flipped.
"Jack... it's her, she’s in there."

"Too many pronouns Doc. Who's in there?" Jack asked wryly.
Oona looked as shocked as Jack at the Doctor's antics.
"You did not inform me he was mad, M'lady." Raynard chided.
"I didn't know he was that far gone." Oona admitted. "Perhaps the Moonlight Paths were too much for his mind. I hope I didn't break him."
Raynard nodded sagely as he helped Oona to sit. She had to admit it was more of a collapse. And thank the Creator these people did not seem phased by Raynard. He was unique, and looking for traces of his own kind. Most humans had a hard time facing a four foot fox who walked on his back legs. The Cavalier outfit was more accepted than he.

"He means his lost love." Oona had gathered enough hints to not name Rose directly. "She is here. We crossed to her new home, and she was not there."
Oona dug some hard bread and cheese from her bag, offering the bag with it's fruits and remaining bread to the rest. Her water skin was just water, and tasted of leather, but she would share that as well. Ripping the bread she shoved large bites into her mouth. "He has evidently either taken the news very well, or very badly." Raynard spoke up.

In the darkness something began to flicker. Next mission, must note, improve electrical surge protection, bring spare body, yes?. Lying in the grass, Death's Head's Head could swear he heard singing. Oh for his Sonic Cannon. He had never like Pink Floyd. Much more of a Status Quo fan, yes?

The Doctor stood up, given up in a way, and walked a little into the foliage. Maybe he was wrong, maybe there was no base here. When he felt two sets of hands grab him from either side. One more important factor was neither of these sets of hands were visible to the human eye.

"The boss wants to see you sir." Came the disembodied voice by his ear. Jack leaped forward to the Doctor's defence, but he fought him off, agreeing to go with the invisible guards.

"My friends?" The Doctor asked.
"Our orders only referred to you. And that you are not to be harmed."
"Yeah you probably shouldn't have told him that." Came the voice next to him.

They entered the base via a long tunnel, the entrance for which was somehow concealed. When the Doctor raised his eyebrow on the matter, the guards just laughed.
"Magic."
They followed many winding corridors, the Doctor quickly became disorientated. Eventually they came to a big set of double doors. A plaque read 'Torchwood 4 Company Director', and on the line underneath 'Jeopardy Project Manager'. So he was off to see the big boss. He swallowed hard. It felt like he had spent his entire life waiting for this moment.
The Doctor was left in a waiting room. Apparently the boss had other business to attend to before she got back. His mind wandered to Pete. Her lackies better not be doing anything to him.
A voice came from the doorway, and a young man in the smartest suit he had ever seen appeared at the door.
"She will see you now."

The Doctor stepped into the office, straight ahead of him in the spacious office was a desk and behind that the back of swivel chair. The chair turned round revealing a female figure stroking a white cat. He knew this figure well, though she was a little older and her a hair was a little darker.
He swallow hard, "Rose?"