Walk The Earth: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 2]

Return to Canary Wharf

Return to Canary Wharf

"I knew you would come." -the Face of Boe

A/N: Next to last chapter... wow. Meant to have this up yesterday but I realized I'd forgotten something important and I managed to finish just in time to lose internet for the entire evening... WHOOPS.

It was late in the afternoon when it came time to drop off Jack in Cardiff. Glances were exchanged as he and the Time Lord stepped off the TARDIS, while Mallory dawdled a moment more and Matt made no move toward the doorway.

"Are you coming?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged. "I'll let you three go. Not like I know him all that well."

She didn't know why that response sent a flicker of annoyance through her, but she tried her best to tamp it down. "Yeah, all right then." She turned away, following after the other two.

It was hard to believe it had been over a year since the TARDIS had landed here in Cardiff and her world had turned upside down. Jack and the Doctor stood not far away, leaning over a railing and watching the world spin by, unaware of the disaster that had once unfolded. They conversed in low tones, their voices quieting when Mallory caught up and stood beside the Doctor.

"Matt not coming?" the Doctor asked. She shook her head.

"Doctor," Jack finally put in. "Been thinking about this for a while now. How come the Master didn't realize we were going to use Archangel against him?"

Mallory glanced over, curious about his sudden inquiry. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he knew about the gun from Matt, right? Why didn't he find out about Archangel too?"

"Matt told him about the gun?" she asked sharply, raising her brows.

"He didn't have much choice in the matter," Jack explained. When she looked at him blankly, he tapped his temple. "Telepathy."

"Oh," she breathed, glancing back at the TARDIS and trying not to shudder at the thought. "Yeah, Doctor, how's that work?"

"Weeeeeell... you may not like the answer," the Time Lord said, tugging on his ear.

"Doctor, just tell me," Mallory said.

"Well... I had about ten minutes worth of instructions and about ten seconds to give them to you. I told you what you needed to know... well, telepathically."

She looked at him for a long moment, remembering the touch of his hand to her temple just before she had left the Valiant. "I'm not exactly happy about it, but I guess it had to be done. As long as you didn't poke around in my head."

"I didn't," he told her earnestly. "Point is, I'm much more familiar with the human mind than the Master was. The knowledge was designed to protect itself. The further it got from you, the more vulnerable it would be, but those that heard it straight from you—like Matt—would have it pretty well defended."

After a moment, she nodded, satisfied with the explanation.

No one spoke for a long while. "Once upon a time, every single one of these people knew your name," Mallory finally said quietly, glancing at the Time Lord. "Now they've all forgotten."

"Good," he answered.

A moment later, Jack slapped his hands against the railing and ducked through it. "Back to work."

The Doctor's words stopped him. "I really don't mind, though." He nodded back toward the TARDIS. "Come with me."

"I had plenty of time to think that past year," Jack said. "The Year That Never Was." He glanced at Mallory for a moment before looking back to the Doctor. "And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor. Responsibility."