PREDATOR AND PREY
Chapter Thirty One "Pete, no, you can't do this," Jackie said when she, Pete and Tony emerged from the taxi in front of their mansion. "Jacks, they need me," Pete said. "I know you don't like it but I'm just as much an ally of the Doctor as the others are and they need someone who hasn't been captured to help them escape. Take Tony and get inside the house and stay there. I'm going to get a couple of things and then I'm going back to Canary Wharf." "Blimey, sometimes I wish I stayed at the Powell Estate. Life was so much simpler then," Jackie said as she took Tony towards the house. "Wonderful," Rory said, kicking the locked door. "Love it when people betray us." He, Amy and River had been put in a bare room and the door had been locked after they were searched and everything that could be used for escape was taken from them. They were now waiting for something to happen and Rory was getting antsy. "If John comes in here, I saw we jump on him and break his neck," he said when he turned away from the door. "And what will that accomplish?" River said as she sat on the floor. "Well, it'll make me feel better for starters," Rory said, slumping down on the floor beside her. "Hearing the snap of his neck would make me feel very good." "And the moment we did that, we'd be killed," Amy said. "We're gonna die anyway, might as well take John out in the process," Rory said. "I'm so glad the Doctor wouldn't do anything so underhanded." "The Doctor is more than capable of being underhanded," River said. "The difference is he isn't underhanded to us." "Well…the Doctor does lie, he keeps saying that," Amy said. "Yes. But he wouldn't do something like this to us…would he?" Rory said. "I mean, he did say that Valeyard was a possible future for him." "Possible," River said. "I doubt if it'll be his future because the Doctor would fight against it. And no, I don't think the Doctor would ever betray us like this. Not unless he was pretending to be evil in order to accomplish a goal." "He's not evil," Amy said. "I know him. He's nothing like John. He'll do everything in his power to save us." "I hope your right," Rory said. "Because I'm betting we'll be in a world of pain if the Doctor doesn't come up with a way for us to escape." Meanwhile, the Doctor, Jack and Rose had been taken to another bare room. After being searched and their weapons seized, they were left alone in a locked room. The guards had cut the bonds around Rose's wrists and she rubbed them, trying to get the feeling back in them while they sat on the floor. "So…we're going to be drained of our lives and immortality and just thrown onto the rubbish heap?" Jack said. "If the man can even drain us." "There is a way, at least where the lives are concerned," the Doctor said. "The Master tried it with me once before during my eight life. He nearly succeeded too." "The Master?" Jack said. "I thought he could regenerate. Why would he need your lives?" "Because the Master used up his original 13 lives long ago. Technically, he shouldn't have lived on but he or others always found a way to bring him back. When he tried to siphon off my lives he had just been executed by the Daleks and was inhabiting a human body. He needed my lives in order to live on." "Wow. I keep regretting the fact that I didn't meet you earlier. You've led an interesting life," Jack said. "So he really can do it? He can take our regenerations?" Rose said. "Well, he can if he can get to the Eye of Harmony in the TARDIS. Other than that, he'd have to have some sort of fancy schmancy doodah from Torchwood and knowing Torchwood, they'd have it," the Doctor said. "But you don't know if he could do the same with my immortality?" Jack said. "No, but if there's a way, they'll find it. I think you and me are an afterthought. Rose is the real prize, especially if she's on her first life." "Lovely. My boyfriend's a complete nutter psycho," Rose said, shaking her head. "I don't think I'm that bad…oh wait, you mean the other nutter psycho." Rose raised her head in surprise when the Doctor said that and couldn't help but smile when she saw his cheeky grin. "You're a nice nutter psycho, you're not trying to drain my lives and throw me in a gold mine," she said. "What about me? Am I a nice nutter psycho?" Jack said. "No, you're daft and randy and you drool a lot." "I do not!" Jack said while Rose giggled. "Drool, I mean. I am daft and randy. But don't worry, Blondie. If John even puts a finger on you, I'll rip it off his body." "What if he pumps this room full of gas and knocks us out," the Doctor said. "Um…then ripping his fingers off his body will be a bit harder," Jack said. "You're right though," Rose said to the Doctor. "He'll gas this room before he comes in. He won't let us fight back. He'll put us in suspended animation and take our lives that way." "You don't know that," the Doctor said. "Don't give up hope yet. John may be many things but he's not invincible or infallible. He's an egomaniac and most egomaniacs tend to be very self confident and that leads to mistakes. Just keep calm and keep your wits about you, both of you. You've traveled with me enough to know how to take advantage of a situation and when to recognize that advantage. Just keep it together, yeah?" "So…I guess after all this, Rose is now yours free and clear?" Jack said to the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Rose and gave her a warm smile as he put his arm around her shoulders. "I gave John a chance and so did Rose but I s'pose John's jealousy would have gotten in the way of any relationship they might have had." "You know, I could take River off your hands," Jack said. "I'll seduce her and lure her away and then you wouldn't have to worry about her." "You'd willingly put up with River?" the Doctor said. "Yeah, why? Is she a holy terror hellion or something?" "Can be. But if you want to sacrifice your sanity so I can have Rose to myself, be my guest." "Well gee, now that you put it that way," Jack said. He frowned when the Doctor kept pointing to the wall behind him. Jack looked behind him and then looked at the Doctor in confusion. "What?" he said to the Doctor. "Turn for a moment so I can have some privacy, yeah?" the Doctor said. Realization spread over Jack's face and he quickly turned to the wall. The Doctor smiled lovingly at Rose and was about to kiss her when suddenly Jack began to sing "La, la, la" loudly. "You don't have to do that, Jack," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes while Rose giggled. Jack fell silent and stared at the wall. Rose smiled when the Doctor leaned into her ear and whispered. "I have something for you," he whispered. "Something that Gallifreyan couples used to do. I will explain more after we escape since I'm sure John and the Valeyard are watching us. But if you're going to be my live's mate, I want to seal the union in a special Gallifreyan way. So keep that in mind. Just look forward to my surprise and don't give up. Okay?" "Yes," Rose said softly as the Doctor pulled his lips away from her ear. The Doctor grinned at that and he leaned in for a passionate kiss. They snogged for a few minutes and the Doctor gently kissed her forehead. "Okay, Harkness, you can turn around now. Mushiness is over." "Damn, I was wanting to see the mushy," Jack said, turning back around. "So, judging from the mmm's and kissing sounds, you two are definitely a couple now?" "Most definitely," the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand and giving it a squeeze.
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