Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Her brow furrowed when he mentioned Torchwood letting her come alone. Her hands moved to her hips and she tilted her head, drawing in a deep breath. “Who else were they going to send, John?” She pressed her lips into an irritated line before she drew in a deep breath. She was a capable, more than capable, full agent of Torchwood. She was familiar with this world and the subtle differences, she had been the best qualified for this, it wasn’t a matter of anyone letting her…
She drew in a deep breath, her hands falling from her sides as a small smile touched her lips. This of course meant that he was here by accident, and the situation was getting worse back home. “I’m glad you’re here.” She said with a nod, looking on him with a certain amount of affection.
When he asked who she was working with, her expression shifted again. She reached up, scratching the back of her head as she looked around. “Uhm. No. Actually.” She said before looking back at him, arms crossing over her chest. “Torchwood here has…been destroyed. I’m—Well I’ve been working with the Doctor. And Jack.”
His hands flew up, almost to defend himself. “I didn’t mean that!” He said quickly. “I just… Did Torchwood really not think of giving you backup, or a partner?” He frowned worriedly. It sounded far too risky to just set her off alone. He knew Rose could handle it of course, but still, it just seemed too risky to put one person in the cannon like that.
Despite all of his urging not to, John couldn’t help but blush slightly at her show of affection. Of course, it didn’t last long, and his smile slipped from his face the moment she confirmed his biggest worry. “Oh.” He barely even heard Jack’s name, but he very clearly heard the other. “He… He must be very happy to see you.” He said, masking any jealousy he could feel. “But they’re not here?”
Her expression shifted slightly when he pointed out that this wasn’t Pete’s world, and she shook her head. “No.” She answered. “It’s not.” She’d left that universe behind, but not for the reasons he perhaps thought. Honestly, she hadn’t thought she’d ever see John again and now she was having a hard time deciding exactly how she felt. Relief? Yes, there was a certain amount of that, but not just….
“No, it wasn’t an accident.” She confirmed, biting her bottom lip as she watched his face. “You were gone and something happened. The walls of reality, they’ve started to fracture again. The dimension canon started to work and—” She paused, taking in a deep breath as she put on her professional face. “Something is happening in this universe, and if it’s not stopped all other universes will collapse. We were able to notice it first because time runs faster back home.”
Of course he knew all that, why was she explaining it? “So I came back to try and help.”
John couldn’t hide the wariness in his face as he listened to her explain herself. He stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. “And Torchwood let you come alone?” He asked, then glanced around. “Are you alone?” He clarified. He wondered curiously.
Still he understood what she meant, but it didn’t mean he liked it. (What would he have preferred, he thought to himself, leaving Rose alone in the other world? He couldn’t bear to answer that.) “I…” He started to say, suddenly bashful. He tried again, scratching the back of one ear. “I’m glad I saw you.”
And he meant it, he really did. Even after what happened, he still was desperately happy to see her again. “So, I take it you’re working with this world’s Torchwood?” He rubbed his nose. “Or is it UNIT?” Please don’t say him, please, please don’t. Oh shit, he sounded so needy. Thank god she wasn’t a mind-reader.
Although, he’d seen weirder things happen to people before…
Rose had been trying to figure out this Shadows thing, but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough information for her to come up with any kind of lead. She’d been seated at a library in London, going over some books on the occult she knew to be at least partially accurate in the parallel world, though who knew exactly how much weight they’d hold here. After hours of perusing though, she was still at square one. So she decided to take a break.
She stepped outside, looking up at the sky before she realized she’d been at it all day. Looking back she frowned at the doors. Ok, so she wouldn’t be getting back to it today, but that was fine. She’d get herself some fish and chips, and then perhaps the Doctor would be ready to pick her up.
Letting out a yawn, Rose stretched her arms behind her, then headed down the stairs, tucking her hands in her coat pocket as she headed off in the direction of the wharf.John winced as the floor beneath him began to shake. The TARDIS quaked and roared like a hurt lion, and the klaxons nearly made him go deaf. He rushed forward, trying to placate the engines by slamming a few levers. This did nothing, of course. He could only watch in vain as the auto-pilot switched itself on.
He had only had the ship for half a year, how could it already be malfunctioning? He groaned and stumbled back, holding onto a thick railing behind him. The monitor flashed, then fizzed as the power surged, then stopped with a crash that threw him onto his belly.
Eventually (after a space of time he did not care to count), the power came on, miraculously, and John drew himself up. Without a thought, he went to the door, since the monitor seemed to be out, again. He reached up to brush his hair back (which did nothing), and stepped outside into…
…a wharf. “Huh.” He mumbled to himself and scratched his head. “London? But-” He looked up, eyes wide. “Oh.” His jaw dropped at the blimpless sky, stuck to the spot in complete shock.
Rose had gotten herself fish and chips, as she had promised for a day…well, if not successful at least she’d tried hard. So now she was sitting at a bench, watching the water while she ate. She stopped mid bite when she heard a familiar noise, and turned to look over her shoulder as the TARDIS rematerialized and her brow furrowed. She hadn’t called the Doctor yet…
Her brows lifted, eyes widening in surprise when she saw who stepped out. To anyone they might confuse him for the Doctor, but not Rose. Rose knew both men well enough that in spite of their identical appearance, she could tell the difference(even if their fashion sense had been the same).
She stood up, leaving her food on the bench as she stepped towards him, not sure if she should feel relieved or concerned. “John?” It came out as a question, but a smile slowly spread across her lips when he turned towards her. “John, how—” She looked over at the TARDIS, then back to him. “How did you get here?”
The surprise in his face stayed as he heard a voice call out for him. “I-” He started, looking forward. His eyes went wide. “Rose?” His mouth fell open again, relief washing over him, although he quickly tried to reign it into something more neutral. As an answer, he pointed at his TARDIS, which currently had it’s chameleon circuit off, and set to “police box” (Not for any reason, no…). “I should say the same to you!”
He gulped and took a step back. His eyes darted back to the sky for a second. “This will be a stupid question, but… This isn’t Pete’s, is it?” He asked, pointing upwards. He watched her expression, thinking of the hundred questions he desperately wanted to ask her, but trying to focus on just one.
“Why are you here?” He finally asked, his voice hushed. “How did you get here?” He took a breath, holding in the rest of his curiosity. “Was it an accident, or…?”
Rose had been trying to figure out this Shadows thing, but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough information for her to come up with any kind of lead. She’d been seated at a library in London, going over some books on the occult she knew to be at least partially accurate in the parallel world, though who knew exactly how much weight they’d hold here. After hours of perusing though, she was still at square one. So she decided to take a break.
She stepped outside, looking up at the sky before she realized she’d been at it all day. Looking back she frowned at the doors. Ok, so she wouldn’t be getting back to it today, but that was fine. She’d get herself some fish and chips, and then perhaps the Doctor would be ready to pick her up.
Letting out a yawn, Rose stretched her arms behind her, then headed down the stairs, tucking her hands in her coat pocket as she headed off in the direction of the wharf.
John winced as the floor beneath him began to shake. The TARDIS quaked and roared like a hurt lion, and the klaxons nearly made him go deaf. He rushed forward, trying to placate the engines by slamming a few levers. This did nothing, of course. He could only watch in vain as the auto-pilot switched itself on.
He had only had the ship for half a year, how could it already be malfunctioning? He groaned and stumbled back, holding onto a thick railing behind him. The monitor flashed, then fizzed as the power surged, then stopped with a crash that threw him onto his belly.
Eventually (after a space of time he did not care to count), the power came on, miraculously, and John drew himself up. Without a thought, he went to the door, since the monitor seemed to be out, again. He reached up to brush his hair back (which did nothing), and stepped outside into…
…a wharf. “Huh.” He mumbled to himself and scratched his head. “London? But-” He looked up, eyes wide. “Oh.” His jaw dropped at the blimpless sky, stuck to the spot in complete shock.
