A Place in Time (12/30)
Apr. 29th, 2008 03:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocus
Banner by Megz33
Chapter Twelve: Missed Messages
“You should hear this, Doctor,” Martha said flicking a button on her mobile and slipping it into a slot the Doctor had retrofitted for this express purpose. The message from her voice mail played over the speakers.
“Martha, I need you to get a message to the Doctor. There’s a breach in the Void. It was attracted to the Rift and set up shop in the Torchwood basement. It’s not very big yet, but it was big enough to get a message tube through. It came back and there was a message from Rose. She wants him to come so she can send a message through to you and receive one back. Unfinished business and all that. It’s 3rd July 2008. Get here.”
The message ended and it clicked over into the next one. “Martha, where are you guys? I need the Doctor yesterday. The breach has gotten bigger. We’ve slapped together a capsule of Tiruvian metal and if you don’t get here in time I’m going to go through it myself and bring Rose back here. I don’t know how long we have. Tosh thinks it’ll close back up soon. It’s been open 10 days. It’s 13th July 2008. Where are you that you’re out of range?” The frustration in Jack’s voice was obvious even over the tinny sound system of the TARDIS.
Again, the message clicked over to the next one. “I can’t wait any longer, Doc. It’s going to close up today and this is the last chance we have to get Rose back. I know you’ll think I’m being rash, but for the time being the breach is stable. It’s a risk I have to take. You know that. It’s for Rose. I have the chance to get her back and I'm going to take it. Please, come to Torchwood Cardiff when you get this. With any luck I’ll be back with her by the time you show up. It’s 15th July 2008 and 14:00 hours. Get here, please!”
The Doctor’s face had been stormy when he’d first heard Jack’s voice, but gradually his annoyance and anger with Jack for snatching Rose away from him at the last minute had faded. “He did try,” Donna said softly.
The Doctor nodded. He took in a deep breath to clear his brain. “But we were drifting through the fissure. Well, I can understand why he did it, under the circumstances, but he’s still not off the hook.” There was a bit of a petulant look on the Doctor’s face. “Who does he think he is interfering with time and space like that? Bit reckless if you ask me.”
“Acting like you, if you ask me,” said Donna.
“I am nothing like Jack Harkness.”
“Oh?” questioned Martha. “Let’s count, shall we? Brooding half the time,” she held up one finger, “Devastating good looks,” she held up a second finger, “Charm, dangerous to cross, practically immortal,” she held up fingers 3 through 5, “Reckless, can talk himself out of, or into, any situation, likes his gadgets, and most importantly, an overwhelming fondness for a certain Miss Rose Tyler. I’ve run out of fingers. Nope, he’s not anything at all like you.”
“Martha.” His voice was dangerous.
“Hmm?”
“Martha, I need you to check something,” Donna said recognizing the tone, for it was used far more often on her than on Martha, and pulling her friend out of the room.
“Well, Donna’s learning anyway,” the Doctor mused. He programmed the TARDIS to take them to 15th July 2008. “Come on, old girl,” he said laying a hand on the center rotor, "Take us to Rose.”
“You’ve got to stop that. Needling him about Jack, I mean,” Donna said when they were out of earshot.
Martha rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. You know it’s the truth. He’s just being--.”
“How much do you know about his relationship with Jack?” Donna interrupted.
“They get along well enough.”
“They were rivals for Rose,” said Donna.
“How’d you know that?”
“He got drunk, the Doctor did, some pretty potent Gallifreyan homebrew. The last anniversary of the day he lost her. You weren’t on board then. He talked a little bit about how much he resented Jack when he first came on board. Jack came in and swept Rose off her feet. There was a lot of one-upmanship. And when Jack wasn’t flirting with Rose he was flirting with the Doctor, and generally getting in the way.”
Donna looked thoughtful before continuing. “The Doctor says he left Jack behind on the game station because he was a fact in time, he was wrong. But he didn’t. He left Jack behind so he could have Rose to himself again. I think he even regenerated “pretty” just for her. He said as much. I’ve seen a drawing of what he looked like before. He was appealing yes, in fact that form was more appealing to me personally, but he was a long way from the gorgeous he is now.”
She sighed. “He barely spoke about Rose at all, still hasn’t much other than to make me aware that he loves her. But Jack he talked about. You think he’s got a gob now, get him drunk sometime. He resents Jack’s interference in the relationship, Jack’s ability to be emotional and take the risks with his heart, and I imagine he hates it that Jack swept in one more time to save the day with Rose when it was supposed to be the Doctor. Then he’s annoyed at himself for letting Jack get under his skin when he genuinely likes Jack. So just don’t, okay, Martha? He loves her too much for you to be on Jack’s side in this.”
Martha sat still, a mixture of confused expressions playing over her face. “I can’t believe he let you get that close to him.” She tried to keep the jealousy at bay. She was over the Doctor, and she was used to feeling a lingering jealousy about Rose, but she'd never been jealous of Donna before.
“It was never a danger that I’d fall in love with him, the skinny little Martian git,” Donna said frankly. “Honestly, he gets on my nerves more than not most days, but the travel…the travel is worth the Doctor,” she said.
“Most people say the Doctor is worth the monsters.”
“I’ll never be most people, Martha. But I do care about him. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had despite our different personalities. I’m going to miss him.”
“Miss him? Why?”
“Do you really think that once he gets his Rose back, there’s going to be any room for you and me in the TARDIS? That he’ll just pop in and take you for a quick spin ‘round Alpha Centauri because he got bored?” Donna shook her head. “It was fun while it lasted. And I’m grateful for what I got. And happy that he’s about to get his hearts back. I hope you can be, too.”
Martha sat there stunned. “I need some time,” she whispered.
Donna nodded. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She left Martha to her own thoughts, fortunately in time for Martha to not have to worry about Donna seeing the hot tears that were falling down her face. She had gotten over the Doctor long ago, but could she ever get over losing the adventure he brought with him?
Ch. 13: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/50921.html
Again, the message clicked over to the next one. “I can’t wait any longer, Doc. It’s going to close up today and this is the last chance we have to get Rose back. I know you’ll think I’m being rash, but for the time being the breach is stable. It’s a risk I have to take. You know that. It’s for Rose. I have the chance to get her back and I'm going to take it. Please, come to Torchwood Cardiff when you get this. With any luck I’ll be back with her by the time you show up. It’s 15th July 2008 and 14:00 hours. Get here, please!”
The Doctor’s face had been stormy when he’d first heard Jack’s voice, but gradually his annoyance and anger with Jack for snatching Rose away from him at the last minute had faded. “He did try,” Donna said softly.
The Doctor nodded. He took in a deep breath to clear his brain. “But we were drifting through the fissure. Well, I can understand why he did it, under the circumstances, but he’s still not off the hook.” There was a bit of a petulant look on the Doctor’s face. “Who does he think he is interfering with time and space like that? Bit reckless if you ask me.”
“Acting like you, if you ask me,” said Donna.
“I am nothing like Jack Harkness.”
“Oh?” questioned Martha. “Let’s count, shall we? Brooding half the time,” she held up one finger, “Devastating good looks,” she held up a second finger, “Charm, dangerous to cross, practically immortal,” she held up fingers 3 through 5, “Reckless, can talk himself out of, or into, any situation, likes his gadgets, and most importantly, an overwhelming fondness for a certain Miss Rose Tyler. I’ve run out of fingers. Nope, he’s not anything at all like you.”
“Martha.” His voice was dangerous.
“Hmm?”
“Martha, I need you to check something,” Donna said recognizing the tone, for it was used far more often on her than on Martha, and pulling her friend out of the room.
“Well, Donna’s learning anyway,” the Doctor mused. He programmed the TARDIS to take them to 15th July 2008. “Come on, old girl,” he said laying a hand on the center rotor, "Take us to Rose.”
“You’ve got to stop that. Needling him about Jack, I mean,” Donna said when they were out of earshot.
Martha rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. You know it’s the truth. He’s just being--.”
“How much do you know about his relationship with Jack?” Donna interrupted.
“They get along well enough.”
“They were rivals for Rose,” said Donna.
“How’d you know that?”
“He got drunk, the Doctor did, some pretty potent Gallifreyan homebrew. The last anniversary of the day he lost her. You weren’t on board then. He talked a little bit about how much he resented Jack when he first came on board. Jack came in and swept Rose off her feet. There was a lot of one-upmanship. And when Jack wasn’t flirting with Rose he was flirting with the Doctor, and generally getting in the way.”
Donna looked thoughtful before continuing. “The Doctor says he left Jack behind on the game station because he was a fact in time, he was wrong. But he didn’t. He left Jack behind so he could have Rose to himself again. I think he even regenerated “pretty” just for her. He said as much. I’ve seen a drawing of what he looked like before. He was appealing yes, in fact that form was more appealing to me personally, but he was a long way from the gorgeous he is now.”
She sighed. “He barely spoke about Rose at all, still hasn’t much other than to make me aware that he loves her. But Jack he talked about. You think he’s got a gob now, get him drunk sometime. He resents Jack’s interference in the relationship, Jack’s ability to be emotional and take the risks with his heart, and I imagine he hates it that Jack swept in one more time to save the day with Rose when it was supposed to be the Doctor. Then he’s annoyed at himself for letting Jack get under his skin when he genuinely likes Jack. So just don’t, okay, Martha? He loves her too much for you to be on Jack’s side in this.”
Martha sat still, a mixture of confused expressions playing over her face. “I can’t believe he let you get that close to him.” She tried to keep the jealousy at bay. She was over the Doctor, and she was used to feeling a lingering jealousy about Rose, but she'd never been jealous of Donna before.
“It was never a danger that I’d fall in love with him, the skinny little Martian git,” Donna said frankly. “Honestly, he gets on my nerves more than not most days, but the travel…the travel is worth the Doctor,” she said.
“Most people say the Doctor is worth the monsters.”
“I’ll never be most people, Martha. But I do care about him. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had despite our different personalities. I’m going to miss him.”
“Miss him? Why?”
“Do you really think that once he gets his Rose back, there’s going to be any room for you and me in the TARDIS? That he’ll just pop in and take you for a quick spin ‘round Alpha Centauri because he got bored?” Donna shook her head. “It was fun while it lasted. And I’m grateful for what I got. And happy that he’s about to get his hearts back. I hope you can be, too.”
Martha sat there stunned. “I need some time,” she whispered.
Donna nodded. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.” She left Martha to her own thoughts, fortunately in time for Martha to not have to worry about Donna seeing the hot tears that were falling down her face. She had gotten over the Doctor long ago, but could she ever get over losing the adventure he brought with him?
Ch. 13: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/50921.html
