Apocalypse Rising (Book Two)

Attack From The Past

The Apocalypse sat in the captain's chair later after they'd left, chewing the inside of her cheek, her hair out of its braids. Rose had gone to sleep about an hour ago, but the Apocalypse was still up, thinking.

No offense to her sister, but Rose was getting smarter than she had been. And that was something she knew hadn't been because of her. It was odd, but she could have sworn -

She was jumped out of her musings by when the ring of a mobile pierced the silence. Frowning, she poked her head around the console to see Rose's phone on top of her bag. She picked it up and took a quick look at the Caller ID. She picked it up. "She's asleep, Jackie," she said.

"Then how the hell do you have it?" Jackie's voice asked.

"She left her phone in the console room." She looked down the hall. "She just went down about an hour ago. Is there something I need to tell her?" She heard Jackie hesitate, and she narrowed her eyes. "Jackie, if there's anything I can do - "

"Tell her Jimmy's been released from prison," was all Jackie said before she hung up.

The Apocalypse blinked, pulling the phone away and staring at it. Jimmy? She didn't know a Jimmy personally. She was sure Rose didn't, either. The only Jimmy she'd heard of had been -

She broke off her train of thought.

Jimmy Stone.

She narrowed her eyes, spun on her heel, and walked down the hall to Rose's room. Jackie hadn't liked the idea of that Jimmy fellow being let out of prison.

It was time to find out more about Jimmy.

***

Rose jerked sleepily when she heard rapping at her door. "'M awake!" she called sleepily.

The Apocalypse poked her head in and held up her mobile. "Your mum called," she said.

"Yeah?" Rose asked, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. "What'd she say?"

"Jimmy Stone's been released."

Rose's eyes widened at that, and she sat up straighter. "What?"

"She said Jimmy, but I figured it out," the Apocalypse answered, walking across the room to sit on the bed next to Rose. "Only one Jimmy in prison she'd call to tell you about."

"Oh, my God," Rose whispered.

The Apocalypse tilted her head. "Rose? Who's Jimmy Stone really?"

Rose swallowed. "He was the reason I dropped out of school," she admitted. "I thought I loved him . . . but then I found out he was involved in drug trafficking." The Apocalypse narrowed her eyes. "I tried to leave, I honestly did, but then he got . . . rough."

"Rose," the Apocalypse said gently. "Did he force you?"

Rose swallowed. "Yes," she said hoarsely.

The Apocalypse said something in Gallifreyan Rose could only assume to be a very colorful curse, judging by the hum the TARDIS made. "That bastard," she ground out.

Rose shook her head. "As soon as that happened, I told Mickey and Mum. Jimmy was found in the drugs area, but not in sexual assault. I didn't expect him to be let out, but I told Mum that if he ever was, she should let me know." She swallowed. "I guess that's now."

"How much time would he serve for that?"

Rose shook her head. "Ten years?" she guessed. "At most. But it's so hard to get them stuck in prison - "

"Who said I was going to stick him in prison?" the Apocalypse asked innocently.

"You can't kill him!" Rose protested.