Revenge of a Time Lord

Chapter 36

'I would be taking a risk by doing that,' the Doctor lied when Rose had told him her plan.

'Why? What could possibly go wrong? You duplicate her with that stuff I found in the TARDIS, whatever it is, and you can bring her back. Simply as that. Your past-self kills the double and she gets to live. How is that risky?' Rose asked.

'Because...' the Doctor swallowed his words.

'You don't want to save her. Is that it? Do you want her to stay dead?'

'Well... I have always lived with the rule that what is dead should stay dead. If I cross that line, if I chose to use my ability of travelling through time to conquer the death, I would be a God. And that is not what you want, nor what I want. I should not use that power and you know it. I was going to do the same with you. You were dead and I wanted to bring you back. What would that make me?' the Doctor replied darkly.

Rose looked at him proudly, finally he was thinking rationally. She had missed that.

'You can make an exception this time. For your friends. Because you were the one who killed her,' Rose said. 'I agree with you, you shouldn't abuse your power as a time traveller, but in this case, you can save her in a subtle way, without creating any paradoxes, and you would make Jack very happy.'

'Would I make you happy?' the Doctor asked.

'Definitely,' Rose grinned.

'Right!' the Doctor exclaimed, walking back to the spot where Jack and the rest of the Torchwood team were sitting. He had made sure that they weren't eavesdropping while he was talking to Rose. 'I have a plan! And I need your cooperation to make it work!'

'And that is?' Jack asked hopefully.

'That involves you not knowing anything about my plan,' the Doctor declared. 'You are stuck in a linear timeline, which means that you need to stay away from what I am going to do. I can't have you around, you would only mess things up.'

'What? What are you going to do then?' Jack demanded.

'I am going to get Gwen back for you. That is what you want, isn't it?' the Doctor said.

'Why?' Jack asked.

'Pardon?'

'Why are you doing this? First you kill her, now you are pretending to save her. What's wrong with you?' Jack asked, realizing too late that he was insulting again.

'I am not pretending anything. I said I wanted to be your friend. I am still keeping up with your rudeness because I want to do something good for you. I can still change my mind, you know? It is me who is pulling the strings,' the Doctor said somewhat irritated.

'Yes... yes, alright, I am sorry,' Jack said quickly.

'I am going to bring Gwen back. Why can't you be a bit more grateful? I starting to believe that I liked you better when you were still trembling on your feet at the mere presence of me. You are far too disrespectful for my liking,' the Doctor growled.

'Maybe he will give you respect when he trusts you again!' Rose interrupted before it would get nasty.

'I want him to show respect now!' the Doctor yelled, slamming his hands down on the desk on which Jack was sitting. The immortal jumped up and quickly moved back from the angry Time Lord.

'I-I am sorry!' Jack repeated. 'I never meant to upset you! I am just angry at you because of what you have done, I didn't think. I almost forgot that you are the same man who killed her! I almost forgot that I was still dealing with that monster.'