-1Title: Torchwood

Author: MYBIGBLUEBOX

Series: Doctor Who

Rating: K

Genre: Romance/ General

Spoilers: Some spoilers for Doomsday and very, very subtle spoiler for The Age of Steel ( I know the episodes are ages old, sorry folks!)

Characters: Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler and Martha Jones

Disclaimer: God knows how many times you've all read these disclaimers but I'm going to say it all again just coz. I don't own these characters or the story line this fanfic is based on. They belong to our lord and master 'The BBC' ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Summary: After Doomsday Rose goes to work for Torchwood. The Doctor and Martha struggle to get her back to their world but when everything seems to be going to plan a fatal mistake leads to disaster, and the Doctor must fight to keep his companion and love alive

Dedications: For princesspeaches thank you so much for your wonderful comments and the affection you have shown this fic. Your reviews revived this fic, I was so close to giving up on it (damn writers block) but the support you gave has inspired me. Thank you.

Warnings: May contain a little bad language further along in the story.

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The TARDIS landed heavily on a bay in Cardiff. The rising tide lapped viciously against the blue exterior of the ancient machine. The unnatural stillness of the surrounding area was not common for a world on the brink of destruction. A cold wind blew in from the West, rustling the blades of grass and foliage on the rolling hills. It would have been the picture of serenity if it were not for the swirling black clouds looming overhead.

Inside the TARDIS, things were operating a little differently. The Doctor spun on his heel as yet another siren began to ring shrilly throughout the control room. Grasping several different levers and slapping his hand down on many ominous-looking red buttons, the Time Lord almost didn't notice his companion leaning, small and silent against one of the columns that decorated the odd interior. When he did look up and saw the distraught bundle that had previously been his bubbly companion, he cursed his stupidity under his breath. She looked so lost: head hanging down, arms folded protectively across her chest. Not quite knowing the best way to comfort her, the Doctor did the best he could; after all, a mind occupied is better than a mind idle.

'Rose.' He spoke gently, quietly, as if afraid even the sound of his voice might break her in two. 'Can you go and see where we are?' She gazed up at him with empty, frightened eyes and nodded slowly. He watched her exit the TARDIS and sighed, running a hand over his face. God, what was he going to do?

Rose stepped from the time machine and instinctively pulled her hoodie tighter around her as the biting wind pulled at her small form. Looking up at the tortured sky, Rose wondered how much longer the Earth had to spin on its axis. She barely noticed as the freezing water of the tide soaked her shoes and the bottoms of her jeans. Gazing around, Rose quickly spotted a small signpost about 5 feet away from her. Splashing clumsily through the rolling waves, she approached the battered piece of plastic. Leaning in close, her lips moved silently as she tried to pronounce the strange Welsh words.

Dårlig Ulv Stranden

Bad Wolf Bay? No way, this was way too creepy to be real. Rose trembled slightly as icy fingers ran up and down her spine. Straightening up, she took a deep breath of cold air. It was just a freaky coincidence; one of the weird things the TARDIS did, like when she used to end up in Cardiff on every other extravaganza they went on. Yeah, that was it. Sloshing her way back to the TARDIS, Rose couldn't help but feel there was something more to this odd coincidence they'd landed themselves in.

The Doctor registered the look on her face before her bedraggled appearance when she finally forced her way through the doors, battling with a particularly large gust of wind.

'So, where are we?' He asked cheerfully, desperately trying to lighten the sombre mood that was becoming all too familiar around the time machine. Rose walked shakily up to him and leaned against the TARDIS' control panel, gaining the Doctor's full attention. Then again, the whole world could implode and Rose Tyler would still be the centre of the universe.

'Erm, we're in… Bad Wolf Bay.' Rose laughed coldly. 'I can't believe this, I really can't believe it.' Struggling desperately with tears, Rose put her hands to her face, leaving the Doctor to watch her and feel his heart tug painfully in his chest. Slipping an arm around her waist and shoulders, he brought her to him in a hug. The TARDIS had chosen here of all places to land! He was so preoccupied with ridiculing his time machine and her choice of destination in his mind that he barely noticed Rose move under his protective grasp. Looking down at her, he asked that age old question.

'You alright?' Smiling up at her lover, Rose nodded.

'I was just wondering: shouldn't we be doing something like, oh, I don't know...saving my home planet?' It was like the whole world rushed in on the Doctor at once; suddenly he was overwhelmed with the noise of the sirens, the smell of certain bits of the TARDIS overheating, and an overwhelming urge to resonate something.

Pulling away from Rose sharply, the Doctor tried and failed miserably to put the TARDIS in flight. The usual sound of the old machine starting up was cut short by a series of spluttering as the flight mechanism failed. A real fear now filled Rose with such force that she could almost feel her mind reeling. If they couldn't put the TARDIS in flight, they were goners, along with the planet she had called home for so many years. Using all his best manoeuvring skills, the Doctor skidded around the central column desperately. All too soon, he had run out of things to whack and yell at. Gliding to a halt next to Rose, he gazed at the TARDIS, almost longing for her to work.

'What is it?' Rose whispered. The Doctor looked down at her, undercurrents of anger showing through his dangerously calm face.

'Someone is interfering with the signal; I can't get her to fly.' Rose was all too aware of the lack of time they had. Unable to just stand and wait for fate to claim her, she darted towards the monitor protruding from the control panel.

'There has to be something we can do! Who's sending the signal?' The Doctor put his arms around her waist and lent his head on her shoulder.

'It's coming from London, more specifically where I picked you up from. Rose ... there's nothing I can do.' Not even turning to look at him, Rose continued to gaze at the screen in front of her as it cast an eerie blue light on her pale skin.

'Can't you override the system or something? We can't just sit here and do nothing. Come on...what about the screwdriver? When we were on the Game Station, you overrode all the controls I was holding down. What about all the signals it's figured out? I bet it could help us out here too.' Finally turning to look up at her lover, she begged him with her eyes to try. Still a slave to her every whim, he pulled the screwdriver out of his pocket as he let go of her waist. Fiddling with the settings, the Doctor pointed the screwdriver at the central column with a sceptical look on his face.

Rose felt her heart leap as the TARDIS suddenly roared into life. A look of shock, bewilderment, and then glorified amazement each swept over his face in quick succession.

'Well, that was unexpected.' He commented quietly. They both watched side by side as the TARDIS took them to the Torchwood headquarters; where all this had started, where the Doctor had finally found his Rose.

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As the TARDIS landed heavily in the same room the rift had appeared in, chaos ensued around the strange old box. It almost went unnoticed in all the confusion, only the odd few stopping mere seconds to glance at it as it materialised, before being pushed away with the frantic crowd.

Forcing their way into the packed room, Rose and the Doctor took each other's hands and tried to force their way through the crowd. They had not gotten far when they were waylaid by a group of burly looking men and a few haggard looking members of Torchwood.

'Hello again!' The Doctor greeted them a little too enthusiastically, taking the small group a little by surprise.

'You are the Doctor, yes?' One particularly nervous scientist plucked up the courage to ask. The Doctor grinned all the more at him.

'The one and only, at your service.' The scientist wet his lips and nodded his head, giving the pair a small, strained smile.

'As you most likely know we're having somewhat of a crisis here. We caught a hold of the signal your ship was giving off and grounded her. Lord knows how you managed to move it but…'

'It was all Rose really. Couldn't get anywhere without her.' The Doctor cut in, gazing down at his companion as she squeezed his hand in silent thanks.

'Quite.' The scientist cleared his throat and indicated that they should follow him. 'We recognise that you may be the only person on Earth that can help us. So in light of the impending emergency, we're willing to lift the bounty on your head.' The small man stopped suddenly in front of the small group behind him and approached the Doctor. Squaring himself up against the Doctor's tall, wiry frame, one got the impression that he was a little disappointed that he only reached the Doctor's chin.

'Before we go any further, I must ask if you will co-operate with us. This means no alien authority, no taking off unexpectedly and no touching. Can we rely on you?' The Doctor nodded and took the little man's outstretched hand, shaking it a little too vigorously.

After he had successfully untangled himself from the Doctor's grip, the little scientist pressed a few buttons to his left and entered an access code to the door they were currently standing in front of. Just like a corny film, everyone's jaws dropped open, right on cue.

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They all gaped at the large rocket that stood before them; it was ugly, to put it simply. It was dull, grey, and cylinder; your typical sci-fi space shuttle. It loomed above them, silent and ominous.

'This is our only hope now.' The scientist almost whispered from somewhere off to the Doctor's left. 'When we have our final parts, we can disband and find another planet to inhabit. This world has proved too fragile for man; we must find somewhere else to reside. We do require something from you, Doctor, to achieve this.'

'What would that be then?' The Doctor asked, never taking his eyes off the shuttle as he glanced over the exterior components.

'Your ship. We anchored her here to save the human race.' Both Rose and the Doctor whipped around to glare angrily down at the little scientist who, to his credit, met their gaze with a new resolve. 'If we could harness her technology, we would have the power to leave this planet and start a new life, perhaps growing to become greater than ever before.'

'If you're trying to appeal to my better nature, you're failing.' Rose could hear the anger rising in her lover's voice between the blood rushing through her ears.

'I'm sorry, Doctor, but your machine is the key to our survival. Without her speed and time travelling device the human race will not make it from earth alive.' A tremor of fear ran through Rose; without the TARDIS they were doomed. They were outnumbered in the largest sense of the word; six billion desperate people worldwide that would do anything to get off this planet against the Doctor and herself, hardly a fair fight.

'I can fix this. Trust me, I know what to do please all I need is time.' The Doctor fixed his gaze on the scientist. 'Please.' A moment passed in which Rose held her breath, her chest burning. The Doctor and the scientist held each other's gaze, each weighing up the other.

'You have two hours. If the alert has not been raised by then, I'm afraid we have no choice but to acquire your machine by force.' The Doctor nodded and watched as the small group of scientists and guards moved off into the heart of Torchwood's head quarters.

'Well' He said a might more cheerfully, turning to Rose. 'Looks like we've got a job to do.'

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Throughout all this the TARDIS had sat dormant in lab 24 C, Martha still lying motionless on the cold medical bed just inside the entrance. The entire ship was in darkness, only the dim green light from the control panel stretching out into the gloom. The silence was daunting, broken by the odd hum as the TARDIS yawned to herself. This stillness was deceiving, hiding from sight and sound the events taking place outside the calm interior of the ancient ship.

Martha groaned in her sleep. It had been almost twenty four hours since the Madions had been imprisoned in their own tower and she had fallen into a coma like state. The light from the panel bathed the left side of her body in its eerie green light, causing her skin to appear clammy and pale. What it didn't do was create the sheen of sweat and the sudden burst of heat that had begun deep in her gut. It didn't cause her skin to tingle and her mind to whir. Every nerve ending in Martha' body was on fire, and the TARDIS knew; she could feel it. It was almost time; soon Martha would be who she was born to be.

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Ok, I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry for leaving this chapter so late and it is a little short, I apologise. It was supposed to be the last chapter in the book but I think that I shall extend the fic. There was just so much more I could make of it and I didn't want to cram all of it into one last chapter. I promise I will be quicker with chapter nine. Oh and yes I do have plans to make this a book series, anyone interested?