The Great and Powerful

by The Plot Thinens

VIII

Rose and her father were intimidated as they stood in the pit like stage in a room teeming with Time Lords watching them from above like in the coliseums of old. The Time Lord that they recognized as the Doctor's father, Rassilon, sat in a position of importance in even stuffier looking robes than any of the other Time Lords. He looked quite at home lording over everyone. The Doctor, however, was annoyed more than anything else. Especially since he had been forced into wearing one of those half a dog cones, that the rest of the Time Lords were wearing, just before they had entered the room. One of Rassilon's cronies had demanded that the Crown Prince show some respect for the position if he wasn't going to keep good company. He just stood there adjusting the damn heavy looking thing while grumbling that he would burn it as soon as this was over, antique or not. Rose's attention was then brought back to the center and above as a loud gonging like noise sounded bringing everyone to quiet and attention.

"Thought you were so clever didn't you, son? You never could have just a simple pet, could you? It would just have to be one to annoy me." The Doctor was floored. What luck that his father would think this was his driving motive for choosing Pete of all humans to 'keep as a pet'. He should have figured that his uncaring father would have never understood that his motivations were driven by the desire to please his sort of girlfriend. Or even think it was worth considering just who he had pulled out of said prison. Perhaps Pete's rebellion wasn't as important to the Time Lords anymore as it had looked on file. But he guessed that Time Lords did have a tendency to trump up charges and forget about them in a year. Either that or whatever was concerning the Time Lords was considered of greater importance to them. Anyway, his father was yammering again and Pete was fighting back being affronted by being referred to as a 'pet'.

"You might be in a mood to cause trouble, but there are even more important issues to discuss."

"So couldn't you have just told me before? Rather than wasting time with all the pomp and circumstance?" Retorted the Doctor as he waved his hand about the room. Some Time Lords took hours to be ready for such a gather, what a waste of time.

"Doctor, we have reason to believe that the Daleks have returned to threaten us all." The Doctor was speechless, something that Rose had not seen too often. Then he got angry, and shouted,

"How? I destroyed them all. There is no way one could have escaped!"

"This is true, except for the four we had locked up." Explained Rassilon.

"Locked up, why the hell would you leave four alive?! They are too dangerous! And why is this the first time I've heard this?" Snarled the Doctor as his chest heaved with anger. Rassilon was not moved or even startled by his son's reaction.

"I was actually doing it out of concern for you, my son."

"Not bloody likely." Muttered the Doctor before his father continued,

" It was to spare you some pain that you would have felt had you know some survived. We had them in our possession before the end of the war and we were using them as test subjects. We had removed them from their armored suits over a century ago. We had assumed that you had found out and that was why you broke into the prison that we were holding them. To finish them off...That is until we realized you were just there for the human pet."

"But now they are out, yeah? They found a way to escape and now you want me to catch them for you, correct? Inquired the Doctor in a condescending tone.

"It is a regrettable circumstance, but you are the most experienced in this matter."

"You do realize that with just one Dalek out there on Earth, armor or no armor, that the entire Earth and its human population are at risk?! You Stupid Idiots! Why in the hell would you keep them on this planet when you could have either executed them for mass genocide or kept them locked away in some far off location without a level 5 induced population nearby." Shouted The Doctor, bristled at his peoples' own stupidity. One of Rassilon's cronies on his right did not take too kindly to the Doctor's remarks, and hissed back,

"Perhaps we should have done the same to you!" Referring of course to the Doctor's destruction of the Time Lord home world which had them living this displaced existence in the first place. The Doctor was taken aback by this remark and Rose saw the moment of weakness and hurt in his eyes. She wanted to hold his hand and offer him some comfort but his arms were tightly crossed. The Doctor composed himself, took a deep breath and glared at his fellow time Lords on high.

"I didn't see any of you on the frontline, I had to make a hard choice and none of you were there to make it with me. Of course, by the time you were done with your useless committees the Daleks would have won. It was either lose Gallifrey and the people on it or lose the entire galaxy to the Daleks. If I had done nothing we would have lost the planet anyway and the Daleks would have come gunning for all of you next. I chose not the right decision, but the best under the circumstances!" Roared the Doctor, but Rose could tell that he was trying to convince himself of that statement as much as his people. Her poor Doctor.

"That's enough! Enough wasting our time on old subjects. Son, believe it or not, we did have a plan worked out for this over a century ago. The Bad Wolf initiative. We have a portable device that we have made that could disrupt the nervous system of a Dalek in an uncontrolled environment." Explained Rassilon. Pete's head gave a noticeable jerk at the word Bad Wolf, but luckily no one noticed his change in behavior.

"If you have this then why didn't you tossers use it or keep it in the lab? What do you need me for?...Or are you all just too cowardly to face the Daleks on equal footing yourselves, hmm? What? Send the problem child that no one will miss to fix things? And if he dies, who cares? He wasn't very popular?" Shouted the Doctor.

"It is more complicated than that. The device is incomplete and was designed by one of your more like minded Time Lords, now dead. It will only work if it is synced with a type 40 TARDIS components and you currently possess the only one." Rassilon lectured his son.

"So you don't just need me as cannon fodder, you need my ride. Is this why for years you've been trying to convince me to get an upgrade in transportation, Dad? So you could rip apart my girl and get the parts you needed?" Growled the Doctor as he pointed at his father accusingly. The Time Lord did not take kindly to this and in a booming voice demanded of his son,

"I have had enough accusations from you, son. As your Great and powerful, unquestioned leader, I order you to either find, capture or destroy the Dalek threat."

"How did they even escape in the first place?" Demanded the Doctor, to which he noticed a silence only received for a question that caught someone off guard.

"You don't know yet do you? Will I have anything to go on for this mission besides my wits and a half working untested weapon?" The Doctor asked in a voice that seriously questioned the ridiculousness of this suicide mission. Rassilon slammed his staff down on the floor and barked,

"That is more than enough. We don't care how you do it, just get it done. You have pulled off the impossible before when other Time Lords could not, despite your renegade status."

"Yeah, only because the obvious was beneath any of you to do." Hissed the Doctor. How was it his species could be so stagnant. As far as he was concerned their species was a dead end if they kept going on as they were.

"Again, will you take up this task voluntarily?" The Doctor thought about it, but made a show of thinking longer than he probably needed about it just to annoy his father. He then glanced at Rose and Pete, who were doing their best to not look like scared Rabbits in the headlights.

"Fine, I will clean up your mess, under one condition." Declared the Doctor. Rassilon leaned back into his ornate chair and sigh,

"What?"

"I want any and all criminal histories from these two humans, past or future, forgiven and forgotten by Time Lord law." This not only shocked the Time Lords, but the two humans as well. Rassilon didn't know what his son was getting at but, it wasn't the most outrageous thing he had ever demanded.

"Why would you even...Whatever, son. Fine, I hereby grant a pardon for both of your pet humans." Pete was conflicted, on one hand he was glad that he was now free to return to his family. On the other hand he didn't know how to feel about being granted a pardon by a government that he considered to have no jurisdiction or legitimacy over him to begin with. He didn't know what to say, and was happy that the Time Lords for once didn't want to hear his response to a decree. The Doctor smiled at Rose and Pete, then looked at the council of Time Lords.

"Right, okay now that we have that settled, I'll be off, please bring whatever you think I'll need to my room for this mission and I'll be off as soon as I am ready. And maybe some lunch? Humans do have to eat too." Stated the Doctor as if he were the boss at a board meeting now. His cheek did not go unnoticed.

The Doctor and Rose walked out of the chamber with purpose while Pete lagged behind remembering a time he would have loved to have been in such a room with all those Time Lords, but with more soldiers and guns to take them prisoner. Moving about a Time Lord palace like this with such freedom was mind blowing for him as they were escorted, purely for show, back to the Doctor's room. Pete even wanted to laugh at what a hard time the guards were having keeping up with them as the Doctor clearly didn't care.

Once inside the Doctor pulled off the Time Lord headdress along with the ceremonial robes of the Prince attached to it. The Doctor threw it onto the couch disgusted, closed his eyes, and sat down on the arm chair next to it. The two humans understood that he needed a moment and were quiet. Rose sat down on the couch cushion closest to the Doctor and then started poking at the headdress. It was made of a material that she had never seen before and felt odd to the touch.

Rose, out of curiosity, then picked up the somewhat heavy thing and examined it. After finding the hole her head would fit into, she placed the silly thing on her head. Rose imagined that it probably wasn't heavy at all to the Doctor since she knew that Time Lords were stronger than humans. Pete raised an eyebrow at this action, but Rose just silently communicated that she wanted give the impractical thing a test run. She walked around in it almost tripping on the long robes attached to it and laughed. Even Pete found the display amusing. The laughter had gotten the Doctor's attention and he opened his eyes to quite a sight. As much as he hated to wear the traditional robes and headdress of his office, for some reason he couldn't help but find it somewhat cute and alluring, seeing Rose in his clothes and dressed sort of like a Time Lady. Hell, she looked better than any Time Lady. No time Lady he could think of alive had ever looked as kissable. He guessed that he had some kinks he had developed that he never knew about women in men's clothes. They were so big on her and gave him a stronger urge to protect and be at the side of this woman. His staring was interrupted however, when the two humans realized that their Time Lord host was watching them. Rose's eyes said an apology incase she had offended him with her clowning around, but the Doctor also indicated, by eye contact, that it was fine by him. All this was done in a manner that Pete could have sworn was telepathic...which they very well could be doing, he guessed.

"How do you move in these things? Let alone move your necks? I'd hate to wear this for more than a half hour. Is peripheral vision too good for Time Lords, heh?" Joked Rose.

" I don't really know, I wear it like, maybe every fifty years. So I don't really have time to get used to it before those kind of gatherings." Groaned the Doctor. Rose was struck by the fifty years comment and the subject of his age came back to the front of her mind.

"How old are you exactly, Doctor?" Questioned Rose.

"You can't expect someone as old as me to own up to it. Especially when unmarried." Tutted the Doctor in mock seriousness.

"Be careful, someone could change that and then you'd have to tell them." Joked Rose back without realizing what her tone was implying.

"Yeah, but then they'd have to wear a wedding dress with one of those Time Lord cones of shame you hate so much." The Doctor grinned back. The two then began to blush at each other, then remembered that Pete was watching them. They're joking they realized might be viewed in a different light by an outsider and quickly they turned their heads away from the view of the other.

Luckily that was when catering decided to knock and the Doctor had a grand feast laid out for his guest on the coffee table as if they were visiting Royalty. This was done with much indignant looks from the Time Lord servants that they were trying desperately to hide in front of their Prince.

"Alright you lot, jog on." Ordered the Doctor to the servants while gesturing them to leave, knowing that they didn't get human expressions. Normally he was not this rude to his servants, but they were normally not this rude to his guests.

Rose smiled as she watched her father eat with gusto. Who knew how long it was since he had a spread of food like this. Once the Doctor had explained what all the food was and its earth equivalent when it applied, Pete just dug in. The Doctor noted how surprisingly the man's table manners did not seem affected by his stay in prison. The man was a gentlemen through and through. Rose also had her full but then leaned back in her chair.

"I don't know about you, but after standing in front of a Time Lord Tribunal, I need to use the loo, so if you'll excuse me before we take up this 'The Bad Wolf initiative' plan." Blushed Rose, before heading off to the Doctor's private bath that Pete had so welcomingly used earlier.

"Take a shower if you like! There is a compartment near the shower, if you put your clothing in it, it will clean them for you. Made it on one of the days I was 'grounded' it has similar properties to a sonic screwdriver setting. Rose nodded, entered the bathroom, and now the two men were left alone to wait on Rose.

"Anyway, if I understood those Time Lord cowards...no offense, Doctor. We have been enlisted for a suicide mission." Noted Pete.

"I have, not you lot. This isn't much of a plan to begin with and I don't know if they expect me to come back. I've been a problem child from the start and I'm sure my father wouldn't mind being rid of me. He already has ways to get my DNA without my permission. I wouldn't put it past him to get me and the Daleks out of the way with me, so he can loom his grandchildren and raise them 'proper, in his eyes,' without me. I don't plan on rolling over and dying, but when dealing with Daleks, it's a possibility. And I don't know how to tell Rose that, or that I think it would be best if I did this one alone, while you two have your family reunion with your wife." Explained the Doctor. Pete was certainly in favor of this idea, but he didn't want to make decisions for Rose.

"I think you should ask Rose. Perhaps if you tell her how dangerous the mission is, she'll think it best to stay out of your way." Suggested Pete.

"Not likely, your Daughter has grown up into quite the strong woman." Laughed the Doctor.

"Just like her mother." Noted Pete, still amazed that he might see his wife again and that she might have very well waited for him. He was so grateful to the woman, especially since she had never been the patient sort. And he wasn't always the best provider.

"Anyway, it will take me some time to set up this weapon they are bringing me. I think we can fit in a quick visit to the Tyler house." Smiled the Doctor as he contemplated the task at hand. He should very much like to see Rose happy again with both her parents, but he was anxious to meet Rose's mother, she would certainly be angry at him for spiriting Rose away for so many days. Maybe he could drop them off a few days earlier if it would save him some tension between him and the mother of the woman he was dating. Perhaps bringing back her husband would earn him a few brownie points. The Doctor stopped his musing and focused on the man in front of him again.

"Well, You got a clean slate, Pete. You can go home, no one will ever bug you again." Smiled the Doctor to Pete.

"I appreciate what you have done for me, Doctor. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't believe that I did anything that warranted my incarceration. That was your lot denying me my rights as a human being." Declared Pete.

"Then don't look at it as a pardon as much as a cleverly disguised apology from the Prince of the Time Lords on behalf of my boneheaded species and father." Stated the Doctor, to which Pete replied,

"It is a start, but I don't think it will give back what I have already lost. I never got to see my little girl grow up."

"And for that all I can offer is my sincere and most humble apology. You will always have my support for what it is worth." The Doctor stretched out his hand and indicated that he wanted to shake hands. Pete looked at the Time Lord's hand and thought that a few days ago he would have been disgusted by such a gesture from a Time Lord. But the man in front of him had done nothing so far but prove himself to be trustworthy. And he had already thought the idea of the Doctor as an ally, for the moment, didn't seem to be a bad one. Pete took the Time Lord's hand and shook it. Then the fatherly instincts kicked in and tightening his grip, he whispered to the Doctor,

"I don't know what you're plans are for my daughter, but whatever they are, you better treat her right or you will have to answer to me."

"Rose, is the most wonderful person that I have met in a long time. I would never dream of causing her harm." Assured the Doctor.

"I'll take you at your word, Doctor. And I have a question for you about Bad Wolf initiative." Stated Pete.

"What of it?" Asked the Doctor.

"Why is it called that?" Inquired Pete. To which the Doctor shrugged and answered,

"I don't know, maybe they thought it sounded good. Why, does that name mean something to you?"

"Quite a bit actually. I can name several times in my life that I have seen those words." Noted Pete.

"It's a old human children's book character. When would you not see it?" Inquired the Doctor.

"I know but, it keeps coming up in my life." Pete tried to explain.

"How do you mean?" Asked the Doctor now a bit interested.

"It's like it follows me. But only when it involves Rose. On the day she was born in the hospital, it just flashed across the TV screen in the recovery room several times while I was holding her. Jackie complained about bad interference, but it just struck me funny. Later we lived on Bad Wolf street until we moved into public housing. I know that can be just coincidence, but then I joined but a underground protest group call Bad Wolf but that was just a code name for recruiting into a group called Torchwood. Eventually I was running the place. I'll spare you the details, but the day I was arrested, on a Torchwood mission, those words seemed to be everywhere. Again it was weird, but I didn't think anything of it until after my arrest. I had not seen those two words until today. And after that many years of reflection, I wonder if it's a warning to be careful. Like someone is warning me, but I don't know who. All I know is Rose is in my life again and for her sake, I want to be careful." Pete answered, feeling a little silly about admitting the superstition.

"In my experience there is no such thing as coincidences." Noted the Doctor. He began to think back on his times with Rose. He had seen those two words before, but never gave it much though. Rose lived in a seedy part of town and graffiti was all over the place. His picture perfect memory seemed to recall seeing the exact words in old graffiti. Was it a gang thing? Silent protest? A Torchwood thing? But then why had the words been written in Latin on one of the clay pots at the museum exhibit they had visited? He didn't know, but he was going to keep his eyes open. Especially if it kept Rose and her family safe.

Author's Notes:

Hope you enjoyed! There is going to be quite the reunion of the Tyler family in the next chapter. Stay tuned.