Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or it's characters. Sad but true.

Chapter: Return

The whirring and hums emitting from the console were relaxing if you got used to it. It was enough to make you close your eyes and rest; to shut your thoughts down and lull yourself into a trance. A trance though, even if relaxing was not something I wanted. With it came possibilities and hopes, and to me those were dangerous things; hurtful things. This is why when the hums turned into high screeching alarms followed by a robotic voice wailing out

"Captain imminent collision", a smile stretched my lips as I hopped down from the catwalk above the bridge.

"Imminent collision," screeched out again as I checked the monitors for activity.

"Imminent collision," Rolling my eyes I pressed the big shiny button in the middle of the console.

"Oi, shut up I heard you the first time." Blowing a piece of hair out of my eyes I checked the readings again. My eyes opened in shock,

"Oh my god! I've found it. After all this time I've found it. Ha, I say! Ha! I'm brilliant."

I ran to the other side of the bridge entering in the coordinates that I spent six years calculating; at least I was pretty sure it was six years. It can get hard to tell in this place.

"Captain! Captain," another robotic voice filled the air only this time it was from behind me. I twirled around and grabbed the Dalek machinery and danced in a circle with it.

"I'm brilliant! Brilliant I say! Didn't I tell you that we'd find it? Didn't I?"

I let it go and danced a jig back to the controls.

"Hold on my lovely friend because this is going to be a bumpy ride."

I pressed the big shiny button again and the voice wailed again. "Collision in 3…2…1…"

I took a breath and then everything stopped; the whorl the humming the robotic voice, everything dead in that moment followed by a sonic boom and sound caught back up to us. I ran to the monitor again and brought the viewer up.

"Lovely. We're here…wait...no...no…yes! Oh, that's not good, Earth going kablooey, we have to go; it won't due to cross his path here. That would be bad, very bad. Alright Wolf my friend it's time to go. Onward or backwards, to Torchwood, it's time to refuel and catch up. Dali you know the coordinates, input it and take the controls I have tinkering to do, this ship has been floating in the black too long and the rift has strained her, gotta fix it."

I dropped to the belly of the ship and grabbed my tools. I remember when I first found the ship or did the ship find me? It's a question that I have never been able to answer because I was pretty much insane at that time, but it didn't matter because the ship became my home in the darkness. There was nothing before I came aboard beside my drifting thoughts. I had been deaf and blind stuck in the darkness. I had lost a true sense of myself and my past. It took years for the ship to bring me back to some semblance of who I was before, and even now I have moments of nothingness that grip me at random times. I shivered at the thought of being back in that void, in the nothingness and bleakness of that half life.

Restoration had been very slow, the ship had managed a connection to my fried mind trying to bring back what was, but she couldn't do it without sharing her knowledge with me. The ship that I call Wolf is a living thing, made to venture between the worlds as any other ship but had gotten stuck in the Void. She had been stuck there for eons before she came across me. Her time in the Void made her develop a thought process which now linked to my mind. We were one and the same the ship and I. I had looked into her heart as she had looked into mine. I quirked my lips at the déjà vu of it all; shook my head and went to work.

My body is tired but I don't want to close my eyes. I'm afraid of the darkness that lies there when I do. I've had too much of it in my long life and I don't want to revisit that place again. Never again, will I willingly submit to the darkness, but my body needed rest even if my mind did not.

"Dali I'm plugging in now so wake me if you need me."

I called out to the Dalek that was once my enemy.

"Affirmative Captain,"

At his reply I kicked my feet up on the rail and leaned back into the chair and let my mind merge with the ship. While connected my body rested by my mind was restless. It wandered here and there, new knowledge old knowledge all dancing around in my brain. I saw what once was and what will be through the looking glass of the Void.

This is what the ship had basically transformed into as it absorbed the energy that surrounded it. I could see Captain Harkness as he led his team at Torchwood. I could see Ms. Martha Jones working inside Unit as she looked over a file. I could see it all, but I could not see HIM. Why can't he just stay put for more then a moment? But that doesn't frustrate me because everything will come in time. It always does.

You miss him.

The words echoed through my mind. Wolf has come to say hello then. She rarely visits anymore.

I won't admit it. I can't admit it. I'll do something human like cry and that would be bad. I can't lose control, not now. Bad things can happen if I do. You know that.

I could feel Wolf smile in my head, it was almost comforting.

You have not cried in a very long time Captain, go on and let yourself be human for a moment. I won't tell anyone.

I could feel the anger bubbling; that was not good either.

It's not about what I feel; it's what happens when I do feel. I've been holding back because I will not put anything at risk; not this ship and not this time. I am not a normal human being. I have survived the void and have taken it into myself. A human is not meant for that kind of power. No one is.

Again the words caused a sense of déjà vu but I ignored.

It is not the first time you have done something like this, and it's not the first time you have survived such power. Why do you suppose that is Captain?

Enough Wolf, I've had enough. I no longer wish to discuss it beside it feels like we've landed so do your scans and leave me be.

I knew that if she had a physical body she would be sticking her tongue out at me as she faded from my mind; I didn't think that she was at all funny, but the ship had other opinions of herself. I separated myself from Wolf and my eyes opened to the viewing screen in front of me. I was here. Cardiff. My heart beat erratically for a moment before I gained control. Leaping to my feet I began the refueling process and set it on auto before grabbing my jacket off the rail.

"Alright then off I go. Dali you have control of the ship. Wolf keep everything else out, nothing besides me enters those doors understand?"

"Yes Captain. Safety protocols have been engaged. Safe journey Captain."

I smirked and gave a two finger salute before walking off the ship. Turning to look behind me I noticed that the ship had taken on the look of a telephone booth. I laughed out loud at Wolf's cheekiness before turning and walking towards Cardiff Bay. Taking in the fresh air around me, I felt almost giddy. It had been so long since my lungs had fresh air. I twirled in a circle, arms spread out a smile plastered to my face when my head started beeping. It happens on the occasion since I was in many ways connected to the ship. I closed my eyes and linked directly with the mainframe.

Sorry to interrupt your twirling session Captain but you have people surrounding you. They have high grade tech and are closing in fast.

I watched six dots move into formation around my position and sighed.

I just got here, how did they detect us so soon?

I rambled to myself as I watched as the dots closing in on my position.

"Oh well nothing for it then."

I mumbled out loud and held my hands out.

"I come in peace," slipped from my lips along side a giggle. Lord, I was a mess.

"Take me to your leader."

I giggled again as I was surrounded by the six blips on my radar that turned out to be men all in black carting weapons which were currently fixed on my head. I held my hands out in front of me wiggling my fingers and grinned,

"Alright then, off we go."

I kept my smile as they placed cuffs around my wrist and escorted me to their car. Silence reigned over us as they drove to Torchwood.

"Hey, I said I come in peace, you don't have to shove me you git!"

I growled out as I landed against the wall in the holding pin. The soldier's response was to push me again.

"Alright you goram hwen dan, I've had enough of this. You touch me again I'm going to bite your bloody fingers off, now go and get Harkness before I start showing my violent side."

I explained in a deep voice that was shadowed by something dark and twisted. Anger for me was a VERY bad thing. I took a breath as I watched the soldier back away with a new fear in his eyes.

I kept my back to the camera, not wanting my face to be recorded just yet, twiddled my thumbs as I sent my mind into the Torchwood database. I had to do a little clean up. No record of me and my ship should ever be found. I was a shadow and filtered through their firewall easily enough, although I was impressed with their security. None besides myself should be able to access it unless they had help from the inside. I'm so good that they wouldn't even know I had been there or that I had erased all traces of myself before they had even brought me before their leader. The cell door behind me opened and shut with a loud bang.

"I heard that I was called for by name."

The statement echoed in the tiny little cell. Oh that voice. It was a shock to hear it after all this time. I kept my back to him as I spoke.

"I did indeed call you by your name Captain Jack Harkness, former time agent, and former companion of one known as The Doctor. Your soldiers need a lesson on how to be careful when treating a woman. We're sensitive creature you know, but if you're not careful the wrath of a woman would do you in."

He said nothing in response for a moment but then he asked the question I knew he would.

"Who are you?"

That's the questions isn't it? The one that hasn't been asked of me in so long, the one that for years I was unable to answer; and now that I could answer, I was afraid to do so. My hands gripped my thigh and squeezed. The pain cleared my head of the fear and I let out a soft breath before I turned around. Sound eluded the man in front of me; his breath seemed to be trapped in his lungs. Words could not move beyond his lips. I have yet to step out from the darkness but he could sense the familiar but unable to name it yet. Not until I stood in the barley there light of the holding pin.

"Rose Tyler." His breathless voice released my name into the air and my knees grew weak. It had been forever since I heard that name. I bowed my head a moment before I looked at him again.

"I was called that once, your lips are the first to utter that name in many years. It's very strange to hear them outside of my own head. It's stranger still to hear them from a dead man."

He cleared his throat but still did not move. "I'm not dead."

I smiled a silly little smile for him. "So I can see, and unable to die, at least not by the hand or tech of man." I saw him falter at my last comment. "Did you think that you would never die? A silly thought because all things die. Even you, but you have a long time yet before that happens."

"Rose…"

I held a hand out to him. "Please do not call me that again. I can't bare it just yet. I am called Captain or if you prefer, Wolfe spelled with an 'E', but never Rose." I watched as his calculating glance drifted over my form. Thoughts crashed together as he tried to figure out the puzzle that I am. I stood for his inspection, knowing that he was taking his time and comparing the past and the present me. I now that to him I looked almost the same as the last time he saw me. My hair was down to my hips now but kept in a braid that ran the length of my back. My blonde coloring was bright and golden and permanently natural. Brown eyes laced with gold flecks stared back at him.

"Wolfe it is then. You're dead and have been for decades. How is this possible?"

I shrugged as I stared at him. "You only thought that I was dead. The Void is not a place of death but very much like it. I have been alive within its embrace but dead to the world outside of it. I'm not here to talk about me Jack and I would caution you to keep my identity a secret. I don't have the time for the answers you seek. I only allowed your men to take me because I had a message for you."

Jack nodded his head. "What's your message then?"

I stared at nothingness as I fell into myself surrounded by the darkness. A shiver worked its way across my body as the future poured into me. "The darkness comes. It's hungry. And the lights burn out when it feeds. Watch the sky, prepare your defenses for it is coming and it will feed until there is nothing left."

Captain, we are refueled and ready to take off, shall I transport you aboard?

Dali's voice broke my concentration and I pulled away from what will be.

Not just yet, give me five minutes.

Affirmative Captain.

The connection with Dali broke off and I was once again seeing Jack Harkness in front of me. He looked slightly frightened and it took me a moment to realize that it was me he was scared of. A sigh escaped my lips. I couldn't blame the man, I often scared myself.

"Heed my words Jack for I speak the truth, you'll need Time's Children at your side to safeguard what has always been yours to protect. I have to go now." I moved forward only slightly to rest my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for what I did to you, but what was done was always meant and in time you'll see that as well." I drew my hand away about teleport myself back to the ship when he reached out and pulled me into his arms.

"I'm glad that your back. I'm sorry that we didn't find you. I'm so sorry that we left you alone." I smiled against his shoulder.

"There was never a way for you to be able to find me. I don't blame you, I don't blame anyone. I made my choices and I stick by them no matter the consequence, but I am not the same person I was. I'm not quite human anymore; no more then you are Jack. My time in the void has changed me. You can feel it, you just can't see it. It's why you are afraid of me; it's why your men are afraid of me. When I speak or look directly at them they can sense the darkness that lives within me. If I'm not very careful I can cause real harm. I have to go Jack, but I promise that we will see each other again." I stepped back from him, but he kept his hand around my wrist.

"Where will you go?" He asked quietly.

Again I shrugged my shoulder with indifference. "Wherever I want, but I think that I'll make a stop at Barcelona."

He grinned for a moment, "City?"

I snorted, "Nope, the planet. I hear they have dogs without noses there."

He let go at my response and his laughter followed me as I was teleported from the holding pin back to the ship.

The noise in the market place was almost overbearing. I wasn't used to so many sounds and my head was beginning to throb with the effort to phase it out and I was looking forward to getting back to the ship where I can zone out in the isolation room for a bit.

"How much do you want for the converter?"

The merchant grinned at the question

"For you Miss; 1000.00 credits."

I snorted as I picked up the item in question taking in the dents and fried wires as I ran the cost of repair in my head.

"No I don't think so. I'll give you 250.00 credits."

His eyes grew large in shock, overplaying his part of the haggle.

"Oh, but miss, that part came straight from a Sontarian ship. Its worth a great deal more then 1000.00; I can't go for anything less then 900.00 credits."

Dropping the piece back down, I shrugged.

"Alright then, good luck on finding someone else that's willing to take on a stolen Sontarian Converter."

Giving a quick solute I turned to walk away, smirking when I heard him clear his throat.

"WAIT!"

I looked back over my shoulder.

"Yes?"

The man stumbled a little before responding.

"Look I can't just give it away, my boss would fire me on the spot and I can't afford that."

I smiled at him before picking up the converter again.

"Ok, here's what we'll do. I'll take the Converter but you will throw in the Extrapolator behind you and the Manipulator as well. That will make up the difference of the 1000.00 credits plus I'll throw in an additional 200.00 credits. We'll call it a fair trade and you'll keep your best items for me when I decide to pop back in. You get good business, no worries of being fired, and I'll reserve future business with you. Everybody wins."

He chuckled after a while and reached his hand out to take mine.

"You drive a hard bargain Miss but it's a fair trade. I am called Talen, who are you?"

Shaking his hand I smiled in return and took the purchases he handed me.

"Nice to bargain with you Talen, and you may call me Wolfe. I'll be around again soon."

I once again turned to make my way out of the market place when something crashed into me with a muffled 'ops, excuse me.' before what or who ever it was took off running again. I stared off in that direction before being shoved to the side by two local men. I could feel my eyebrow reach my hairline and my feet automatically started off in the direction that they went.

Captain…

Not now, I'm following my spidey-sense.

I could feel my body tingle from head to toe, which is generally a warning sign of bad things. Half way into the market square I could hear cursing coming from the side alley and naturally I followed the sounds until I came up behind the men from earlier. Sticking to the shadows I watched the events unfold, not sure if I needed to intervene.

"Oi, let me go right now you great big git! I'm not alone and my friend will come looking and you really don't want to get on his bad side."

The red haired woman kicked out and managed to land a direct hit on one of the men's shins. I could see her smirk from where I was standing. Oh, I'm going to like her. I lost my smile when the red head was slapped in retaliation.

Darkness filled me, cold swept through my body. Oh, I detested abusers. I made my way around and stepped out of the shadows and in front of the woman.

"Leave her alone."

Everyone stopped and stared taking in the woman that seemed to come from no where. One of the men, who I guessed was the leader, stepped forward. His shoulders were tense, his face mean and calculating as he tried to intimidate me.

"Nothin' for you little girl, just go your own way and don't look back."

I rolled my eyes even as I stepped forward, he was only slightly taller then my 5'4 frame.

"First I don't want anything you have; second if I leave I'm taking her with me."

I pointed behind me at the still silent woman, "and third, if you even try to touch either one of us I will cut your hand off and shove it down your throat until you choke. Got it little boy?"

I heard a surprised 'eep' from behind me but ignored it because Mr. Burly came at me. Ducking down low I kicked his legs out from under him, pulled his right hand behind him and had a knife to his throat. I kept my eyes on his friend who was now holding a gun at me. I laughed at him; my blade nicked flesh and blood dripped. My vision tunneled, the darkness living in me breathed in rapture at the smell of blood and fear. I could feel the air crackle with energy but I was still able to hold it back, but they could feel it. I heard it in their gasp for air, felt it in the way they clenched at their chests. I pressed my lips close to Mr. Burly's ear.

"It's time for you and your friend to go. Don't look back, don't come looking. If you do I'll finish what I started. Do you understand me?"

My voice was a rough growl as I gave him my warning. At his nod I let go of his hand and let him get up. My knife still secure in my grip I watched him flee like the very devil was after them. The darkness ached with want, closing my eyes I controlled my breathing until I was sure that no traces of that unwanted power clung to me before I faced the woman who was clutching at her wriggling belly.

"So Red, are you going to tell me what you got in your shirt?"

Red narrowed her eyes before smiling.

"Red. I like that, and thanks by the way. You're bloody scary, you know that right? I thought spaceman was bad when he gets all dooms day moody but you…well let's just say almost nightmarish. Not that you're a bad person or anything, well really I wouldn't know, but you saved me which means that I'm going to ignore said scariness and give you a chance. You're not going to turn evil on me or anything are you?"

I crossed my arms and raised my brow, still waiting for my answer.

"You don't talk much do you? That's ok; I'm told that I can talk enough for everyone. I suppose your still waitin' for my answer."

She pulled her shirt up to reveal a wriggling puppy that looked so malnourished that I could practically count each rib. Oh the poor baby.

"You see, there I was just mindin' me own business when I heard the beating they were givin' him. I couldn't just let them keep hurtin' him and spaceman went wondering around again and so I had to do it on me own. Only problem is, it took forever for me to get close enough to pick 'im up. I had just managed to get my hands on 'im when the two goons showed up again, so I ran."

I smiled at the explanation because I got an interesting visual of Red on all fours talking baby talk to the mistreated puppy. Shaking my head at the image I smiled slightly for her. She took a step closer and into the light, and my heart skipped a second before her name was called out.

"Donna Noble! You are the worst Companion; I told you to stay put."

His voice filled the air and I couldn't stop the shiver that ran across my skin. It was too soon; I wasn't ready to see him yet. I was a coward. I stepped silently backwards in to the cold arms of shadows as they bent the light to my will.

"Oi, I'm not a dog… Oh never mind you, come here I want to introduce you to... hey where'd she go?"

She looked around her in a wide eyed gaze until the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder turning Red to face him. He gave her a look of concern.

"There was no one there when I came up to you, everything ok?"

I could feel a sense of jealousy before forcing it back. She was important to him and I would not hold it against them.

"Oi, I'm not crazy Doctor. She was right here. She helped me when those guys were smackin' me around an…hey…hey…watch the puppy!"

The look of concentration on the Doctors face was so familiar it left me aching.

"Donna, what happened and why do you have a puppy?"

He asked her as he tenderly pressed against her bruising cheek.

"I saved 'im from those rotten no good dandelions. They had me cornered when she came along. Oh, Doctor, you should have seen her. She was awesome and scary. Very scary; don't want to get on her bad side. She calls me Red. I like it, and now she's gone and I don't even know her name."

I watched him as he watched her. Concern was etched into his face. He looked older and yet he looked the same. Time Lords were interesting creatures, and if I had it in me to weep for my lost time with him I would; my cheeks were dry even though my heart was pounding painfully against my chest. His head tilted slightly and his eyes shifted to my hiding place, narrowing in concentration.

Oh, that's not good.

I could feel him reaching; searching for something he knows is there but can not see. His little mental feelers were seeking and my mind automatically recoiled from it and lashed out, watching as he flinched from the mental attack.

Who are you?

I fell back deeper into the shadow wrapping it around me like a cocoon. Silence was needed; if I connected he would feel me. I wasn't sure how upset I would be if he did or didn't recognize me, and with the shadows surrounding me my mental and vocal state were altered.

Who are you?

I could feel feet pounding the earth coming in from behind the Doctor. My blood boiled, they were given a warning. One is all they get but to protect him I would have to reveal myself. Sighing I pulled my blades out and taking aim; releasing each one with a mental shout in warning for the Doctor and Red.

Get down Doctor, now!

The Doctors head swung in my direction just as the knives cut through the air, he let loose a yelp and grabbed Donna dragging her down with him. The blades found their place in the shoulder of each man who had snuck up behind them. They screamed for only a moment before their eyes shut and bodies stilled. Instant paralysis was my poison of choice; it worked fast and kept them down for some time. I tried to keep the killing down to a minimum if possible.

"Rose."

My name whispered from his lips stirred up memories best forgotten; I choked back a sob as I pulled the shadows in around me until I was skipping from place to place until I was back inside my ship with what felt like a bleeding wound where my heart used to be.

Rough translation:

goram hwen dan: God damn bastard