WRAITHS OF THE RIPPER

Chapter Twenty Nine

After the screaming died down, Nine slumped in the chair, unconscious. Jack took the helmet off his head and River pushed the button that retracted it. As the arch went back up to the ceiling, everyone gathered around him.

"He looks healthier now," Jack said. "His cheeks aren't as gaunt."

"Do you think it worked?" Sarah Jane said.

"Dunno, I hope so. At the very least, he's not a part of the Ripper's hive mind," Jack said.

"But if he was, wouldn't the Ripper know he's been set free and come after us now?" Donna said.

"Yes, which is why I think we should move this TARDIS over to the house the guys rented," Jack said. "They've seen us here in the East End but they probably don't know where the Doctors are staying. At least he didn't," Jack said, nodding at Nine. "We need to find John too. Hopefully, he's not being converted as we speak. Um…I suppose we'll have to wait till he wakes up before flying over there?"

"No, I can do it," River said.

"How do you know how to operate the TARDIS?" Jack said. "Aren't you human?"

"Yup, but I'm also married to the owner and I was taught early on how to fly her."

"By who, the Doctor?"

"Nope," River said, patting the rim of the console fondly. "Do you want me to drive her to the house or not?"

"Do it," Jack said. "Hopefully if John is out there, he'll take a cab back."

They stood back while River worked the controls. Jack put his arm around Rose after glancing at Nine to make sure he was still unconscious.

"I think John's still out there," Jack said to her. "He'll find his way back to us, you'll see."

Rose nodded and Jack squeezed her shoulder.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile, the rented house was being cleaned and made presentable by everyone, including Ten and Eleven who had to be coerced into doing "Women's Work," after they protested vociferously. Sally was still there and they sweet talked her into lighting the stove and showing them how to clean with the Victorian cleansers and implements they found. She found it highly amusing that the women didn't know how to clean a house properly but she befriended them and they chatted while they cleaned. Rory noticed that Ten kept glancing at Sally, watching her while she moved about the house and every once in awhile Sally caught his eye and looked away shyly while she smiled. Rory wondered if they were going to have use the garden hose on them to keep them apart. After everything that was going on, Ten having sex with some Victorian Rose Tyler lookalike was the last thing they needed.

Then he froze when he heard a very faint and familiar wheezing coming from above. He thought he was imagining it until everyone stopped and listened.

"What was that?" Sally said to Amy. "Sounded like it came from the loft."

"I'll go check," Amy said. "Be right back."

She sped up the stairs to the second floor and ran to the end of the corridor. There was a wooden door with a brass handle and behind it were the stairs the led to the loft. Amy looked around, opened the door and slipped inside before shutting it behind her. She hurried up the stairs and paused when she reached the last step. She turned and groaned when she saw the TARDIS near the back of the loft, beside a few old oil paintings and a dresser filled with old clothes. The loft was dirty and dusty and dust had been stirred up by the TARDIS. Amy coughed and waved the dust out of her face as she headed for it.

"Are you crazy?" she said when Jack opened the front door and looked out. "What is that doing here? I thought we were leaving it near the Ten Bells."

"Plans have changed," Jack said. "Come inside."

Amy went inside, grateful that the TARDIS air was dust free. Jack led her up the steps and she froze when she saw the unconscious Ninth Doctor.

"That's one of them, isn't it?" Amy said to Jack.

"Yes but he claims to be on our side now. He just made himself human to cut his connecton to the Ripper."

"So he's another clueless Doctor thinking he's someone else," Amy said.

"No, he programmed the new identity to be like his old identity," Jack said.

"Well, why didn't our Doctors do that?" Amy said.

"I don't know, maybe they didn't think of it," Jack said. "I gather this isn't a common everyday thing they do. Especially since it seems to be extremely painful."

"But if he disconnected…" Amy said.

"Then chances are, the Ripper knows," River finished for her.

"So now we're really in trouble," Amy said. "He'll send everything he has in search of us."

"Yes, but Niney here didn't know where you lived," Jack said. "So I'm guessing Rippy Boy won't know either. There is a slight complication though."

"And that is…" Amy said.

"One of the other Doctors came with Nine and chased John when he ran out of the Ten Bells," Sarah Jane said.

"So they captured him?" Amy said, alarmed.

"We don't know. Rose has the mobile and could call him but what if he's hiding and she rings him?" Jack said.

"Yeah but if the Ripper finds him, he could torture him for information and find out where we are," Amy said. "I'd risk it. At the very least, we could use the TARDIS and save him, couldn't we?"

Jack looked at Rose.

"Your call, Blondie. I'm with Ginger here. We might as well risk it and get him back before he ends up goth and zombified."

Rose sighed. She reached into her pocket for her mobile.

"Please be safe, John," she murmured as she opened her phone.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"So…" Miranda said while she sat across from John and sipped her tea with him, "you goin' to the coppers then?"

"I might," John said, still not sure what he really should do. "I don't know how much help they'd be though."

Miranda snorted.

"Too right, love. Them coppers care only about themselfs," she said. "They tells us theys gonna clean up the area but do they do it? And now there's a killer after ya."

She froze when she heard music coming from John's trouser pocket.

"Here, is your pocket singin'?" she said, pointing to it.

"Um…yeah, you could say that," John said, blushing deeply. "It's a…communication device."

"Cor…ya don't says!" Miranda said while John stood up and quickly retrieved the mobile from his pocket.

He glanced at Miranda before opening it up and answering it.

"John? John, are you alright?" Rose said when he said her name into the phone.

"I am. For the moment. I'm in some lady's house and at the moment I lost the other Doctor."

"Can you get back to the Ten Bells? We have the TARDIS and we can go there and rescue you," Rose said.

"Yeah, but…I thought we agreed to hide the TARDIS," John said.

"Things have changed," Rose said. "I'll tell you when you get inside the TARDIS but we may have the Ninth Doctor on our side now. He used the arch and became human and he's with us now, unconscious."

"Rose, be careful. Keep your guard up," John said while Miranda watched him with awe and wonder. "Look, I gotta ring off. Miranda, the woman that let me in her house, is sitting here watching me speak into my nifty communication device. I'll see you in a few moments."

"Okay. Be careful. I love you," Rose said.

"I love you too, Arkytior. Be there in a trice," he said.

He ended the call.

"Gotta go, I have friends coming to take me to safety. I have to meet them at Ten Bells."

"I'll go with ya, love. It's the least I can do for ya," she said.

"Thanks," John said.

"You don't 'appen to 'ave another one of those, do ya?" she said, pointing to the mobile.

"Um…no, sorry," John said.

"Eh, never mind. I'm just glad you have some mates that can watch out for ya. Come on, lovey, let's go to the Ten Bells and meet up with them," she said, standing up.

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