DIARY OF A HALF HUMAN TIME LORD

Chapter Seventeen

"Finally, I get to see the flat," Suzanne said as they all walked in the door.

She grinned when Boots came running up to them.

"Hey there!" she said, picking her up. "You're a cutie. You must be Boots."

She stroked her as Boots meowed and snuggled with her. Jonathon came in carrying a large pizza box, closed the door and told Rose and Suzanne to sit down while he went to get some wine for all of them. Suzanne put Boots down and helped Rose with her suitcases.

"So this is your new home, eh?" she said to Rose.

"Yeah, I feel more at home here than I do at the mansion. That place is too big for me, too cold and impersonal. I like it here."

"I bet. Especially with Jonathon here," she said."You and him make a cute couple."

"Thanks. He's my life. I can't imagine being without him now," Rose said as they set the suitcases by the sofa and sat down.

A few minutes later, Jonathon came back in holding three wine glasses filled with red wine. Rose and Suzanne thanked him as they took theirs and he sat down beside him in the sofa.

"I wanted to bring you here tonight because I want to explain a few things before we eat," Jonathon said to them. "A few things about me and what I've been through. But first I have to ask you Suzanne if you believe in the existance of aliens?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, I've never seen one up close but it's daft to think that we're the only life in the universe," Suzanne said.

Jonathon glanced at Rose and saw the shocked look on her face when she finally realized what he was going to say to her. Jonathon winked at her and took a sip of wine.

"Well, what I'm about to say may sound fantastical, but I swear it's all true. You've known me for a few days now and as you said, I'm a very responsible bloke and not given to making up wild stories."

Suzanne nodded.

"I just want you to keep an open mind and listen to what I have to say," he said. "And if you need proof that what I'm about to say is true, you can ask Rose because she can vouch for me."

"Okay," Suzanne said. "I'm listening."

"Also for the moment, please keep this to yourself. Don't tell George or anyone else, yeah? I'm doing this because I trust you and because I want you to know that I'm trying to find a cure for your cancer, we both are."

"Jonathon, no, you don't have to do that," Suzanne said.

"But I want to because saving people is a part of who I am," Jonathon said.

Suzanne was confused but remained silent as Jonathon took another sip of wine. He sighed, mentally preparing himself for what he had to say.

"Suzanne, I'm part alien," he said to her.

Both he and Rose looked at her. Suzanne stared at him silently for a moment, not sure what to say.

"You're joking, right?" she finally said.

"No, I'm not."

Suzanne looked at Rose.

"Seriously?" she said.

"very seriously," she said. "He's telling the truth."

"Okay, mate, how are you part alien?" she said, looking him over.

Jonathon took another sip of wine and told her about the Doctor, his birth and the battle on the Crucible. Suzanne sat in a stunned silence, her wine untouched as she listened quietly to his story. Boots came up and nudged Rose's leg while Jonathon talked. Rose picked her up and put her beside her and Boots quietly curled up in a ball and fell asleep beside her.

After almost two hours of explanation, Jonathon finally came to the end of his story. Suzanne was both shocked and spellbound and she shook her head slowly.

"This is beyond weird," she said.

She touched his right hand.

"This used to belong to the Doctor."

"Yes. This used to be his and now it's mine."

She turned to Rose.

"And you were in love with the Doctor but he just dumped you here with him."

Rose sighed.

"He...the Doctor didn't feel like he could love me the way I needed to be loved. He left me here with him and I was upset but after thinking about it, I realized what a great gift he gave to me because Jonathon won't live centuries after I die and we can be together and be in love without his worrying about me growing old and dying in front of him."

"But he didn't leave you this time machine he had. That must sting knowing he can go through time and space and you can't," she said to Jonathon.

"Well...Rose is going to try to find a way to build something similar at Torchwood, at least build a ship that we can take to other planets. And...if she succeeds and we do gain a time or space machine, I want you to come with me because there are planets out there that have advanced medical facilities that can cure your cancer completely."

"Wait, this is all to save me? This whole building the time machine thing?"

"It's a part of it. We also want to leave Earth and resume our lives. Both of us love traveling through time and space and we want to get back to doing that as soon as possible."

"But isn't that dangerous? You said the Doctor always runs into monsters and evil people out there."

"Yes, but that in itself is thrilling," Rose said. "Just the thrill of seeing new planets or new time periods and fighting evil and running and laughing and having a good time. That's what we want to go back to. And I would be chuffed if you came with us, Suzanne. I think you'd make a great companion."

"But what if you can't build it before I die. I may be living on borrow time, mates," she said to them. "I would love to wait as long as it takes for you to build a time machine but I probably won't be able to do that."

"Then we'll find a way to cure you here," Jonathon said. "Torchwood must have something we can use, some advanced cure or at least something to block the cancer for awhile till we can get you to a hospital that can cure you."

"Jonathon, I appreciate this but you shouldn't be worrying about me like this. I'm gonna die eventually, yeah? Concentrate on building a time machine for you and Rose, not for me."

"But I told you, saving people is in my blood. It's a part of me and I can't just stand back and do nothing while you die, not if there's a chance to save you. You're my mate, a good friend, and that makes you more of a priority for me."

He took her hand and squeezed it when tears came to her eyes.

"You are the best mates a woman could ever have," she said to them.

Both Rose and Jonathon set down their glasses and embraced her. Suzanned rubbed Jonathon's back and patted it before he and Rose sat back down.

"And you don't have to worry about me telling anyone this. I don't think anyone would believe it and I don't feel like being sectioned," she said.

"Thank you. I don't mind you knowing but I don't want too many people to know for safety's sake," he said. "The Doctor always tried to keep a low profile and I need to do that as well."

He looked at Rose.

"And now I need to tell you about the dream I had last night," he said.

He told her about meeting the Doctor and both women listened in a stunned silence.

"You went to him?" Rose said when he finished.

"That's what he said, I was so worried about Suzanne that my soul went out of my body, across the void and into the TARDIS to see him."

Suzanne shook her head as tears came to her eyes.

"You are absolutely stellar, Jonathon. I've never had anyone care for me like this, not even my own family would care this much."

Jonathon smiled and leaned forward to accept another hug and a whispered thanks from her. He leaned back and took a sip of wine.

"But why does her family think you're reckless?" Suzanne said. "Because of the Doctor?"

"Yes, because they dealt with the Doctor before and they think Jonathon will be the same as him and eventually get me killed," Rose said to her.

"But like I said, he's the most responsible person in the shop. I think Edward's even thinking of raising his salary because he's so reliable."

"Seriously?" Jonathon said.

"Well, don't quote me on that but yeah, that's the rumor," Suzanne said.

Jonathon beamed.

"Here that, Rose, worked there a few days and already I'm getting rewarded for it," he said. "But the Doctor barely got along with Jackie and he didn't know Pete all that well, the Pete in this universe at any rate."

"So, the man you call Dad really isn't your dad," Suzanne said to Rose.

"No, he resembles my original dad, but he isn't him."

With a sigh, she told them about the conversation she had with him. Jonathon's blood boiled when she told them about the yorkie being better behaved.

"I'm so glad you're here, Rose, so you don't have to put up with them."

"Well, I've been worried though since that argument," Rose said to them.

"Worried about what?" Suzanne said.

"My dad is one of the top men in Torchwood and he knows all about Jonathon and I'm frightened that he might do something or have someone harm him because he's half alien," Rose said. "I don't like Torchwood all that much, I don't really trust them and I've tried to keep them from doing the same things the Canary Wharf Torchwood did but I wouldn't put it past my dad to try to have Jonathon kidnapped and taken there to keep him away from me."

They looked at Jonathon and saw anger flash in his eyes.

"I'd love to see him try to take me," he said with a hardness to his voice. "I may be half human but I can still fight and I'll make them regret kidnapping me."

"I believe it. I've seen the Doctor when he's pissed off," Rose said. "And my Jonathon is supposed to have the temperment of the ninth Doctor. The Daleks call the Doctor the Oncoming Storm and believe me, they do it for a good reason."

"Well, if someone tries to kidnap you, ring me because I'll be over here beating their brains out with a stick. I'm not about to see my best mate strapped to a table and dissected."

Jonathon beamed at that.

"So...if we are able to find a way to get off this mudball, you wanna come with?" he asked Suzanne.

Suzanne thought it over and then grinned as she nodded.

"You know, you talked me into it. I wanna see time and space with you."

She smiled when both of them cheered that and gave her hugs.

"In that case, let's warm up that cold pizza and celebrate our eventual escape from Earth and then you are more than welcome to spend the night here with us because I have a feeling we're gonna stay up late into the wee hours of the night and I don't think Rose wants to drive."

"You're right, I don't."

"Sounds good to me, mates," Suzanne said.

The three of them clinked their wine glasses together and took a swig of wine before Jonathon excused himself and went to get their pizza.

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