Chapter One

"Where are they with those coffees?" Jack said to himself as he walked away from Gwen.

He paused when he heard a high-pitched ringing. Going down some steps, he walked over to the jar containing the Doctor's hand. He stopped in front of it and a smile spread over his face when he saw that the hand was glowing.

At last! He thought to himself.

And then he heard it, the unmistakable whooshing sound of the TARDIS landing. Grinning, he quickly unhooked the jar from the alarm system and hurried off to find his rucksack.

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"So, tell me again why we're coming to Cardiff?" Martha asked as the TARDIS stopped.

"Cardiff is built on a rift in time and space. Just like California and the San Andreas Fault. But the rift bleeds energy, so every now and then I have to open up the engines, so I cut the energy and use it as fuel.

"So, it's a pit stop."

"Exactly." He said pushing buttons on the console. "If we're going to be searching for Rose, I want to make sure the TARDIS is fully powered before we start. Like I said, I don't want to stop for anything."

He paused a moment.

"Hmmm, rift's been active lately. I wonder why?" he mused.

He finished pushing buttons and stepped back.

"There. Should take about fifteen to twenty minutes for it to completely power up." He said.

He walked around the console towards Martha.

"In the meantime, I want to get that chip outta your head. Who knows what we're gonna find out there and I want to do it now while there's time. The last thing I want is for someone to take over your mind again."

He took her hand.

"It won't hurt and it'll be quick." He said.

Martha nodded.

He took one last look at the console and led Martha back to the med bay.

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Jack ran as fast as he could eager to catch up with the Doctor before he vanished. He managed to slip out before anyone could see him and ask him where he was going. He just had to see him again. Even though he cared a great deal for his team, he wanted nothing more than to travel with the Doctor again. In addition, he had to find out why he had been left behind on the Gamestation. Was it something he did, because if it was, he hoped the Doctor would accept his apology and forgive him.

Panting, he ignored the weight of the jar in the rucksack on his back and put on a fresh burst of speed.

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The Doctor kept his hand steady as he carefully inserted the sterile tweezers in the open incision. He had managed to cut the thin sutures that had held the chip onto Martha's brain and now he was slowly withdrawing it from her head.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally removed the burnt chip. He stood there for a moment, staring at the chip angrily before walking over and dropping it in the rubbish bin where it belonged.

He took a tiny needle and thread and closed the incision with a couple of stitches. Setting it back down on the tray beside his exam table, he leaned over and kissed Martha on the cheek.

"There, that's done." He said softly. "And now I'll take you to your room where you can rest up while I get us back into the vortex."

He picked up a syringe filled with green liquid and stuck the needle in her arm.

"And this will dull any pain from the operation and let you sleep in peace." He added putting the empty syringe back on the tray.

He gathered her into his arms and laid her head against his shoulder. Smiling, he carried Martha into her bedroom.

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The Doctor walked back into the console room and checked his monitor. He smiled when he saw that the TARDIS was fully charged.

"At last. Hang on, Rose, I'm coming." He said, powering up the TARDIS.

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"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOR!"

Jack ran faster when he turned a corner and saw the TARDIS up ahead of him.

"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!" he screamed.

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The Doctor was walking by his monitor when he stopped and looked at it. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar figure running towards the TARDIS.

"Oh Rassilon, no! Not you! Not now!" he said, speeding up.

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"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"

Jack gritted his teeth and ran harder when he heard the TARDIS wheezing and saw it dematerializing.

In a last ditch effort to reach the Doctor, he hurled his body towards the TARDIS.

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The Doctor gasped when the TARDIS jerked and sparks flew from the top of the central column. He grabbed the edge of the console waving smoke and sparks away as he looked at the monitor trying to figure out what was going on. He stared at the screen in disbelief while concentric circles flashed rapidly in front of his eyes.

"We're accelerating into the future." He said to himself. "1 million, 5 billion, 5 trillion, 50 trillion, what?"

His mouth dropped open when the calculations finally stopped.

"The year 100 trillion, that's impossible."

He stood there for a moment letting it sink in.

"We're going to the end of the universe." He murmured.

Meanwhile, Jack clung to the outside of the TARDIS bellowing the Doctor's name as he held on for dear life.

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(Meanwhile, back in 2007…)

"Come along, my dear."

Rose lowered her head and climbed out of the alternate Doctor's TARDIS, now sitting in an alley disguised as a rubbish skip. She glared at him.

"That's a good girl." He said closing the door and patting her head. "Now just behave yourself and I won't have to turn that chip on."

"You won't get away with this. The Doctor will find you."

He smirked and got into her face.

"I'm counting on it." He whispered to her. "Why else would I bring you here to Earth, 2007 and not some far-flung corner of the universe? I want to make it easy on him so his imbecilic mind doesn't blow a fuse trying to figure out where you are."

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I could slip away from you when you're not looking and run for help." Rose countered.

"Yes, dearie, that's why I reactivated the chip. You see; it's insurance against any escape attempts. The moment you try to make a break for it, I'll turn the chip back on and you'll just willingly waltz right back into my open arms. Besides, what are you going to say when you ask for help? Help me, a time traveling alien kidnapped me and took me away from my alien boyfriend? They'll lock you in the loony bin and throw away the key, so I think it's in your best interest to stay with me and behave yourself."

He snatched Rose's hand and jerked it when she tried to pull away from him.

"Let's go!" he snarled at her.

Rose gasped when he nearly jerked her arm out of her socket. She glared at him silently as she followed him out of the alley onto the pavement.

"Ugh!" The alternate Doctor said pinching his nose. "The stink of humanity. How can you lot stand it? You must not be able to smell very well because I'm about to puke from the stench."

He waved his hand in front of his nose.

"Right, let's get somewhere where I can breathe without having the overpowering scent of ape assaulting my nostrils."

He jerked on Rose's hand and she let out an angry sigh as she followed him. As they walked, she noticed the alternate Doctor looking around him in disdain at the people going about their daily lives.

"Stupid apes." He muttered as he watched them. "Pathetic. Wastes of space, that's all you are. Someone needs to blast this ball of mud into atoms and get rid of the bloody eyesore."

Rose sighed wishing that the TARDIS would just appear in front of them so the Doctor could step out, punch him and shut him up. Her heart ached thinking of him. She didn't know how long it would take before he found her, but she had to stay strong for him even if it meant listening to his double prattle on about how pathetic the human race was.

She was so lost in her thoughts; she didn't realize that the alternate Doctor had stopped until she walked right into him.

"Watch it!" he snarled at her.

Rose glared at him as he turned his head and looked up at a big screen TV mounted on a pole in front of them. She watched it with him and saw a young man with short brown hair standing behind a podium.

"My fellow citizens," The man said, smiling, as reporters snapped his picture. "I am honored that you have elected me your new Prime Minister. I pledge to do everything in my power to bring change not only to this country, but to the entire world."

"Time Lord."

Rose glanced back at the alternate Doctor who was pointing at the screen.

"A Time Lord." He muttered to himself.

Rose gasped when he spun around and seized her by the shoulders.

"I thought you said he was the only one!" he said.

Rose stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Your Doctor! You said he was the last of the Time Lords!"

"He is."

"Oh really? Well, who's that then?" the alternate Doctor said jabbing his finger at the TV.

Rose stared up at the man.

"I…I don't know." She said. "I've never seen him before."

She gasped when the Doctor jerked her body closer to him.

"He is a Time Lord!" he snarled.

Rose glanced back up at the man.

"No, the Doctor said there were no other Time Lords. He could feel them in his mind if there was." She said.

"Well, then there's yet another example of how addlebrained your lover is, because that man behind that podium is a Time Lord!"

"Who is he then?" Rose said.

"I have no idea, but you and I are gonna pay him a little visit. I want to see this Time Lord for myself."

He looked up at the screen and looked back at her.

"Where does the Prime Minister live? Where are his offices?" he asked.

Rose stared at him silently. She gasped when the alternate Doctor seized her face.

"Tell me or I'll enslave your mind and make you tell me!" he yelled.

Rose gulped.

"10 Downing Street." She said softly.

"Take me to it now!"

Rose sighed.

"Follow me." She said dully.

She gasped when the alternate Doctor jerked her arm.

"I'm warning you right here and now. No tricks, Rose, because you don't want me to punish you for disobedience, trust me." He said in her ear.

Rose nodded silently as she walked off with the alternate Doctor towards 10 Downing Street.