PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Twenty One When Jack opened the door and peeked outside, he looked around and saw they were parked in an alley near the bus station. He paused a moment and smiled when he felt the warm summer sun hit his face. "Oh yeah, if you're gonna hide, hide in the American southwest," he said, stepping out and taking a deep breath. "I could definitely get used to this and…" He trailed off when a zeppelin slowly flew into view. He craned his neck up and shielded his eyes from the sun while he watched it fly overhead. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," he said while he watched it. "Wow, that's interesting." Jack looked at River when she spoke. Everyone else had come out of the TARDIS and noticed the zeppelin. They were looking at it while the Doctor closed the TARDIS door. "So, this is one of the main differences here?" River asked the Doctor as she pointed up. "Those things?" "Seems so," the Doctor said. "Come on, let's get to the bus station before John arrives." "We need to find out how to buy one of those things," Amy said, pointing up while they walked. "Wouldn't mind hiding out in a zeppelin." "Until it Hindenburged on you," Rory said. "Do they explode like that?" Amy said to Rose as they crossed the street to the bus station "Not since I've been here. I don't think they use hydrogen. It's some sort of mixture that's hard to ignite. If they were like the Hindenburg, they wouldn't let them fly over major cities." Now that they were out of the alley, they noticed other airships in the sky. They also noticed hills rising up majestically behind the bus station. They all stopped to look at them. "Yup, I could definitely get used to this," Jack said. "Warm day, beautiful view, two blondes just willing to do whatever I say, it's paradise." "I hope you're not referring to us," River said, gesturing to her and Rose. "Who else would he be referring to?" the Doctor said. "You lot haven't figured out that you're his prey?" "I wouldn't think of it as prey. Only as potential fuck buddies," Jack said. "Wow! And I thought the Doctor had a monstrous ego," River said, shaking her head while Rose laughed. "Come along, Rose, before we get thrown down in front of a bus and raped." "Yeah, let's go find John before Jack gets any ideas!" Rose said before they walked off. "I'm only saying that a three-way could be fun between us," Jack said as they hurried off. "Ah well, I'll get you someday, I swear I will. In the meantime, I'll hang out with Pond and other Pond." "Oh boy, the serial rapist is following us now. Better cover your arse, Amy," Rory said while Amy sniggered. Jack chuckled warmly and the three of them headed into the bus station while the Doctor looked around. He had mixed feelings about seeing his clone again, especially after watching him snog Rose. He had agreed to go along with Rose's plan in order to keep harmony but that didn't mean he had to like it. Now that Rose was a Time Lady, he felt himself becoming more and more possessive of her. He knew that technically Rose wasn't being unfaithful to him since John was technically him but it still didn't sit well to see her kissing another version on himself. Still, there were more important things to worry about than fighting over Rose and he was determined to keep things amicable between everyone. He looked at Rose and River who were standing at the corner chatting and pointing up at the hills. It pleased him that they had become close since he knew the two of them had many things in common and breaking up fights between them was the last thing he wanted to do. He sauntered over to them, came up behind him and put his hands on their shoulders. Neither woman turned but he saw them glance at each other. "The gigolo is back," Rose said to River. "Couldn't keep away from the blondes for long, could he?" River said. "Not when the two blondes are so irresistible," the Doctor said. River and Rose jerked their heads around. "Oh! It's you, I thought it was Jack," Rose said. "Well, if you were expecting the gigolo, I could go fetch him," the Doctor said innocently. "No!" they both said quickly. The Doctor chuckled and patted their shoulders. "No, Harkness wandered off with Amy and Rory and since Rory will deck him if he tries anything, I'm confident he's behaving himself at the moment," the Doctor said. "Your friend is quite an interesting character," River said to the Doctor. "Seems his libido is permanently stuck in the "on" position." "Yes. I noticed that," he said while Rose giggled. "Made for some irritating times back when he traveled full time with me and Rose. Especially since at that time I was an irritable bloke." Rose snorted. "That's an understatement," she said to River. "All the time it was sod off followed by hold me followed by sod off again and then it was hold me some more and then sod off, I don't wanna be held now and then wait a minute, I do and…" River laughed when the Doctor clamped his hand over her mouth. "Poor delusional thing, doesn't know fact from fiction sometimes. Bless," he said while Rose giggled through his hand. He took his hand away when Rose's mobile rang. She answered it and spoke to John, telling him that they were outside the bus station. "He's here; he's searching for us and…" Rose trailed off when the Doctor ran off down an incline and hid behind a stone wall beside the bus station. "Act of cowardice?" River said to Rose. "Either that or he's going to jump up and say boo to him," Rose said with a shrug. She pointed when John came out of the bus station doors and looked around. A big grin broke over John's face when he saw Rose and he ran to her. Rose caught him in a huge embrace and they held one another while River watched. John tenderly kissed her cheek and murmured how much he missed her in her ear. Then he opened his eyes and looked at River. "River?" he said. "Doctor," she said with a nod. "You have blonde hair," John said. River frowned. "Have I not been blonde?" she said as he and Rose walked to her. "Well, I remember you having brown hair and it was more tightly curled but you look good." "So do you. I've never met this version before. You're very handsome." "You've never met me? What about the…" "John, wait," Rose said, holding up her hand before he said too much. "It's odd but she's going backwards in the Doctor's timestream so she hasn't come to the time when the Doctor first met her." "Really?" John said. "How is that possible? How are you going backwards?" "Dunno but she's right. The first time you meet me is the last time I'll see you." "Oh. Well, you had brown hair before but the blonde is nice. So where are the others? Where's the Doctor?" "You didn't see Jack?" Rose said. "I got off the bus and made a beeline for the front of the bus station, if I passed him, I didn't see him." "Odd he didn't say anything to ya but maybe he wasn't looking in your direction," Rose said. "I thought he and Amy and Rory went inside but maybe they went somewhere else. As for the Doctor…" She glanced at River, unsure of whether to tell John where the Doctor went. "The Doctor…was here and then he went off towards the bridge," she said, pointing to cars going across a stone bridge at the bottom of the incline. "He might have gone down to the subway," she said, pointing to the walkway under the bridge. "Or…he might be right here." John looked at the Doctor when he walked up. "I did that to allow some bonding time between you and Rose before we had to meet," the Doctor said, walking up to them. John raised his eyebrow as he looked at him. "I think Rose hit the nail right on the head when she said geeky," he said. The Doctor eyed Rose when she bent over laughing. John was studying his clothing. "If this is the next life, I'm glad I'm stopping with this one," he said. "No offense but you're growing younger. At this rate, you'll be a fetus on your last life." "Isn't it wonderful when old friends meet?" the Doctor said dryly while River and Rose laughed hysterically. "All the wonderful things that get said like haven't seen you in ages, you look well and you'll be a fetus before too long. It's the reason why I love tender reunions." "Only saying, I wouldn't have chosen tweed but you're you and I'm me and I won't say anything more about it. One thing though, mate, where the fuck are your eyebrows at?" "Okay, going to find the others now, see you later!" the Doctor said, walking off while River and Rose gasped with laughter. Rose stopped him while River volunteered to find the others. She walked off before the Doctor could change his mind and the two men faced each other. John was dressed casually, wearing a grey t-shirt with blue jeans and white Nikes with a red swoosh. His hair wasn't spiked up but was lying down on his head. John brushed his fringe out of his eyes and then extended his hand to the Doctor. "I said before that if there is any animosity that we bury the hatchet, so to speak, so here I am being the first to welcome you here to New Mexico." The Doctor smiled and Rose smiled with him when he warmly shook his hand. "I was thinking we could go somewhere and eat while we talk," John said. "I know a very good Mexican restaurant. We can get out of the heat and compare notes." "Sounds good to me," the Doctor said. "I've eaten but I can have a salad while we talk," Rose said. They looked over when River came out of the bus station and called out that she found the others. They walked out behind her and Jack grinned as he waved to him. Amy did a double take when she saw John. "That's him? He's cute," she said as they walked towards him. "Hey, nice to see you again," Jack said, taking John's hand. "And it's nice to have a name to call you beside Doctor Number Two." "Nah, I'm living as a human so I took a human name. Nice to see you again, Harkness. And this is?" he said when Amy and Rory walked up. "I'm Amy Pond, nice to meet ya," she said, shaking his hand. "Rory. I'm her husband. Nice to meet ya as well," Rory said, shaking his hand. "John Smith, always nice to meet new friends. I told the Doctor we could eat at a Mexican restaurant that I've developed a fondness for. I have money for it and bus fare so if everyone's ready, let's go and get out of this heat, eh?" Everyone followed him back into the bus station and soon they were on a bus heading towards the Mexican restaurant.
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