WRAITHS OF THE RIPPER

Chapter Twelve

Eleven's spirits fell when he stepped out of his TARDIS and took a look at Martha's mother's house. They were over the road from it but there were no signs of life inside and out. Disturbingly, there were no boarded up windows on the house and in fact, all the windows on the ground floor had been broken. The front door was also standing wide open. Everyone else came outside and Ten walked up beside his counterpart and put his hands in his pockets while they stared at the house.

"I have a feeling no one's home," Eleven said sadly.

Ten said nothing. Keeping his hands in his pockets, he walked up to the house and went inside. Eleven and the others followed him. Inside, the Doctor was looking around at the front door. Broken glass was on the floor and furniture was overturned. There was no sign of life and the house remained silent after Ten called for Martha. Sarah Jane came up beside him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"They could have left London," Sarah Jane said gently when she saw the anguish on Ten's face. "Lots of people left, especially after America took over. Jacksprites could have broken in here and used this place. I don't see any blood on the walls in here and I'm sure there would be some if Jacksprites or the Wraith got them."

Ten nodded. She smiled tenderly at Sarah Jane before he and everyone else moved through the house, in search of any life or evidence of violence. Eleven walked upstairs with River, Rose and John. They walked into a bedroom and noticed the mattress was dirty and shredded but there was no sign of blood on the bed. However, there was a bloody drawing on the wall above the bed. Someone had painted JS in a circle and drawn a crude scalpel under it. Eleven snorted at that.

"I suppose this is their calling card," he said, pointing to the drawing. "Sorta like Kilroy was here."

"I think Sarah was right. I think they left and the Jacksprites moved in. So far, that's the only sign of blood in the house and I don't think the Jacksprites would take the courtesy of burying the people they killed. I heard Sarah referring to them as snot nosed punks as we were creeping up on them and I think she's right. These Jacksprites are a bunch of dirty, snot nosed punks who think they're somebody because they have scapels on their fingers. Gits," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Rory and Amy came into the room.

"I don't see any blood…apart from that thing," he said, pointing at the insignia when he noticed it. "I don't think they were slaughtered, Doctor. I think they just fled."

"And looking at this version of London, I wouldn't blame them one bit," River said. "To be honest, I'm surprised anyone's staying here."

"Probably most people don't have the money or means to leave," Eleven said. "Or they're stubborn like Wilf was or probably a lot of people have just given up hope and accepted this existence. But Martha and her family aren't here. I hope to God they're alright but since we don't know where they are, we have to leave them behind and move on."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After they left the house, they went to Cardiff to check on Jack. They landed next to the Millennium Centre and stepped outside. The Millenium Center plaza was quiet but there didn't look like there was much devastation as they scanned their surroundings. Ten led them as he walked to the Tourist Information Center that served as a front for their headquarters. When they arrived, the front door was also open. Ten went in and looked around. The office was deserted with dust all over the furniture and cobwebs in the corners. The Doctor walked over to the desk and pushed the button under it. The secret panel slid open and everyone walked through it.

"Jack?" Ten called out. "Jack, it's the Doctor, are you here? Is anyone here?"

"What the hell is this?" Donna said as they followed Ten. "Where are we going?"

"We're checking up on another friend of his," Rory said, gesturing to the Doctor.

"Yeah, but…a secret door and heaps of corridors, who is this friend, James Bond?" Donna said.

They reached the Hub and Ten called out again for Jack. They were walking around the Hub when they heard Jack's voice behind them.

"Don't move."

Everyone turned to see Jack pointing his webley at them. He was disheveled and visibly drunk.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" he slurred as he pointed his gun at them.

"I'm the Doctor," Ten said as he and Eleven stepped to the front of the group. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"Did," Jack said. "I knew a man called the Doctor but he didn't look like you. He was older and more rugged and I ran from the bastard when he tried to kill me and…Rose?" he said when he suddenly spied her near the back of the group.

"Hi, Jack," Rose said, coming to the front while Jack lowered his gun in disbelief.

"You're alive," Jack said in relief. "I lost sight of you after we became separated and that was the last I saw of you. I assumed that maniac….why are you traveling with him again if this is the Doctor?" he said, pointing to Ten.

"Because this isn't the same Doctor," Rose said.

"Yeah, I see that," Jack said. "What's wrong, you get killed when you tried to kill someone else?"

"No, I mean this Doctor is from the real reality," Rose said. "Something has mucked with time and changed it. The Doctor I know would never hurt us, Jack. And he didn't kill Mum or Mickey."

"Where's your team, Jack?" Ten said.

"Dead," Jack said, shaking his head sadly. "Died trying to fight those wraith things. They got sliced to ribbons. I did as well but my immortality…well, unfortunately I'm trapped. Couldn't commit suicide if I wanted to."

"Wait," Eleven said. "You're still immortal?"

"I've been immortal for a long time now, buddy. And you are?"

"I'm also the Doctor, I'm the one after him," Eleven said, gesturing to his counterpart.

"Two Doctors, that's nice. Twice the deaths if you two decide to turn on me again. Well, actually, three since there's two of that version," he added, pointing to John.

"How did you become immortal? Surely, Rose didn't do it if she fled from me," Ten said.

"Rose? No, Rose had nothing to do with it. I was fighting some self-proclaimed witch/goddess and she did this to me," he said. "I thought she was joking when she told me I'd never stay dead but apparently the old hag could do what she said she could do."

"So…" Eleven said, "Jackie and Mickey are dead, Rose and Jack fled from me after the murder. Jack was made immortal by some witch goddess, Sarah Jane only worked with me once, Donna never knew me and Martha is missing in action. I'm starting to consider writing all this stuff down so I can keep this new timeline straight in my head."

Jack shrugged.

"So…what brings you here then? I'm sure it wasn't to pay a social call," he said.

"Actually, we need your help," Ten said. "If you sober up, that is."

"Why should I sober up? I lost my friends and the world is fucked up. Why shouldn't I drown my sorrows in a bit of whiskey?"

"Because the world needs you, Jack, and this is no time to be drowning your sorrows, as you put it."

"Why should I trust you? You tried to murder me," Jack said.

Ten gave him a pointed look as he pointed to Rose.

"She's here and not running from me, is she?" he said to him. "Do you trust her?"

"Yes," Jack said.

"Well, do you trust her judgment?" Eleven said. "Because the fact that she isn't running away from us in terror should tell you something, right?"

Jack looked at Rose.

"Are they telling the truth about this alternate universe, Rose?" he said.

Rose nodded emphatically.

"Come with us, Jack," she said. "They're not gonna kill ya. I promise."

Jack walked towards her slowly, both out of wariness and because he wasn't quite steady on his feet. He stopped two feet short of the Doctors and peered at them with bloodshot eyes.

"I'm glad we have something inside the TARDIS that will sober you up quickly," Eleven said as he stared at his inebriated friend. "Bad enough fighting the Jacksprites and Wraiths without you stumbling about in a drunken stupor."

Jack let out a mirthless chuckle.

"You really think you can take the Wraiths on, you and this little group of yours?" he said. "I tried that and me and my team got slaughtered."

"Yes, well, we're going to try again because we're tired of London looking like the seventh level of Hell," Ten said. "You can come with us or you can stay here and drink yourself blind but if you do come, you are going to be sober, is that clear?"

"Yes because I want to be sober in case I have to run from you again," Jack spat at him.

Ten sighed and he, Eleven and John shared a look and rolled their eyes.

"Follow us, everyone, let's get going," Eleven said.

Rose took Jack's hand and smiled at him.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Blondie," Jack muttered under his breath before he and Rose followed the others out of the Hub.

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