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Jack Harkness groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, a small metal shelving unit on top of him. His office in the Torchwood Hub was a complete mess, caused by an earthquake that had ran right through the base. His papers and computer were strewn across the floor, and the lamp Ianto had bought him was smashed on the floor. He'd been following a possible lead in Russia; there had been reports of a large meteorite falling across the sky but he had a feeling it was more than that, when a surprise earthquake had shaken him and everything else in the base to the floor.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed as he looked around the room, "What happened? Must be the rift..." The ceiling crumbled slightly as the light swung from the force. He headed out of the office, "Gwen? Ianto? Are you okay?" He yelled as he reached the doorway, finding his two friends on the floor in a pile of mess much like he had found himself. Equipment was smashed around them and they both were covered in dust.
"No broken bones," Ianto reported, "slight loss of dignity. No change there, then."
"The whole city must've felt that!" Gwen declared, shocked as she climbed off the floor, "The whole of South Wales!"
"I'm gonna take a look outside..." Jack told them as he headed for the door, a large, incredibly secure circle of metal that opened like it was unlocking a vault. He sprinted up the many stairs leading down to the Hub and onto the plaza outside. There were a few members of the public stood staring at the sky in disbelief. While it was only mid-morning, it was completely dark, like night. However, that's not what held their attention. Jack stared upwards, his mouth slightly open at the sight of a mass of planets hanging in the sky, seemly so close he felt he could reach out and touch them. He instantly knew they were not from their solar system, but where had they come from?
"That's just impossible..." He whispered to himself as a light flashed behind him and Danni stumbled into existance. She panted in pain, that... that had been something else entirely. While normally she felt like she was being transported elsewhere, this time it felt like she's been ripped from the TARDIS. It was a good thing she had managed to get changed into a pair of red pajamas, as moments later she had been taken from his room to a dark street. The Doctor said she kept them in his room so she always had something to get changed into in case she was suddenly thrown somewhere else, apparently she'd planned ahead for this.
"Woah! That was rough..." She groaned, clutching her arm to her stomach as she span around, trying to locate where she was. Her gaze fell on the 51st Century man and her eyes went wide, "Oh my god, Jack?" She asked unsurely. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.
"Danni-Girl." He replied in confirmatin, "Love the pyjamas." She blushed deeply, "Does that mean the Doctor's coming too?" He asked hopefully. Wherever she was, he knew the Doctor wasn't too far behind. She didn't answer him as she stared up at the sky, mouth open just like he had done moments earlier.
"Oh no..." She gasped in horror, "this is the Stolen Earth." This was the beginning of the end for Donna. She didn't want to be here, she really didn't. She took a deep breath then looked over at Jack, realising she hadn't answered him "Er.. He will, but not yet." She told him vaguely, "We need to get back inside." He nodded and took her hand, leading down into the hub where Gwen and Ianto were staring at a screen. Gwen saw her and smiled gently.
"Wasn't expecting to see you here." She teased the ginger, who smiled shyly.
"Yeah... I think I should start by saying I've not met any of you yet."
"Not even me?" Jack asked her, surprised and she shook her head, "Oh, I'm hurt Danni-Girl." She frowned at his use of her nickname; only the Doctor ever called her that, and really only Eleven did. Ten did sometimes, but only after a bit of prompting in the early days. Nine didn't called her it, but then again she'd only met him once so maybe he did.
"Don't worry, I've been looking forward to it." She told him, replacing the frown with a smile and a wink. Jack lifted her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles, smirking up at her with an expression she was all-to-familiar with.
"Captain Jack Harkness." He introduced himself. She giggled at the attention, then stopped, surprised at herself. He really did have that affect on women, and men if the look Ianto was shooting her was anything to go by. She smiled as she repeated the action back.
"Danielle Fielding." She replied in the same tone, "Taken, I'm afraid but always checking my options." She winked and Jack smiled in reply, amaused by her retort. Maybe that's how they always knew each other, harmlessly flirting. Heaven forbid he ever met River.
"Rhys!" Gwen shouted suddenly, startling Danni out of her thoughts as she ran up some stairs to get a better signal as she pulled out her mobile phone.
"Okay my sexy Yankee friend, what do you want us to do?" Danni asked Jack, turning from watching the woman scamper away to ring her husband. He opened his mouth to reply but she looked up at Ianto, "I think you should check the media, news reports and any other live feeds while Jack does something clever and sexy on the computer to work out where exactly we've moved to." Jack's mouth stayed open as she seemed to take charge, shocked and ever-so-slightly impressed she knew exactly what he was going to suggest.
"You think we've moved?" Ianto asked.
"I know we have. It's the Madusa Cascade, I think but I can't completely remember."
"Remember?"
"Did you not tell them about me?" Danni asked Jack, "Now I'm hurt."
"Oh I did. They just didn't believe that you're from another universe." Jack replied, "Although, they don't make girls like you here." She rolled her eyes at his blatant flirting.
"Time and a place, Captain." She teased, "But you're right, they don't." She pushed Jack gently towards some advanced-looking equipment, "Impress me, then. Show me something Spock-ish." Jack laughed at the reference to Rose and moved to another piece of machinery, falling into commander-mode as he began typing through the system. Danni turned to Ianto.
"TV time?" She asked him.
"Just a quick question?" Ianto asked her as they headed over to the couch at the other end of the room.
"Shoot." She flopped down, tucking her legs under herself. It didn't matter why she was watching television, she wanted to be comfy while doing it.
"Why are you in your pyjamas?" She blushed slightly, thinking back to her night with the Doctor then straightened out the collor.
"Cause I like to be comfortable while watching television, silly." She patted the cushion next to her, "Now sit down."
~0~0~0~
The newsreader on the AMNN did her best to stay calm as she carefully explained the situation to the millions of viewers who were all scared and confused as to what has happened. The headline 'WORLDWIDE EMERGENCY, PLANETS APPEAR IN SKIES' appeared underneath her while a scrolling information bar at the bottom of the screen had a constant loop of further information on the crisis.
"The United Nations have issued an edict asking the citizens of the world not to panic. So far, there has been no explanation of the twenty-six planets which have appeared in the sky." She told them. Ianto pressed a button on the remote and the channel changed, bringing up a programme called 'Universally Speaking'. Richard Dawkins was sat behind a table talking to the presenter who they could only see from the back.
"But it's an empirical fact: the planets didn't come to us, we came to them." Richard explained, "Just look at the stars - we are in a completely different region of space. We've travelled." Ianto pressed the button again and Paul O'Grady appeared behind his desk, his dog Buster sat in on it in front of him.
"Do you know what, I look up and there's all these moons and things - have you seem them? Did you see them?" He asked his audience, who replied with a cry of 'Yes', "I thought, what was I drinking last night? Furniture polish?" Both Ianto and Danni burst out laughing, Danni clapping a hand on Ianto's arm in amusement before she took a drink from the mug she was holding. They'd been sat on the couch for a while, at first nothing was reported except on local radio channel news about earthquakes so Ianto had offered to make them all a cup of tea or coffee, depending on preference. Danni had gone for coffee and they'd just sat there and chatted while they continued to checking the media, waiting for the reports and programmes to start pouring in. Not at all worried about the situation and just happy that she finally got to meet not only Jack, but Ianto and Gwen at the same time, Danni sipped the cup of coffee, patiently waiting for when the Doctor turned up. Jack, who was stood at a computer console, shot an annoyed look at the pair on the sofa.
"Ianto!" He reprimanded, "There's a time and a place."
"He is funny, though." Ianto replied but leant forward to turn the monitor off. Danni reached out and stopped him.
"Don't, I wanna watch him.I love Paul O'Grady and it'd finished where I'm from." Ianto looked suitably outraged.
"He stops doing it?" Danni nodded.
"I know, right?" She exclaimed, "I mean, he moves to ITV to do a post-watershed version but I never really liked it as much as the Channel 4 one." Jack rolled his eyes at the pair while suppressing a smile. He was glad Danni and Ianto were getting along, even though she'd only just met him. Ianto stood up and walked over to Jack to see what's he'd found out.
"Gwen, come and see!" Jack called, not even bothering to see if Danni wanted to have a look. If she did, she'd come over. Gwen began making her way across the platform above them.
"Rhys? I have no idea, just stay indoors." She was saying to her husband over the phone, having been trying to calm him down and convince him she was okay. Once he had finally believed her, he had started demanding to know what was happening, "And can you phone my mother? Tell her um... oh, I don't know, just tell her to take her pills and go to sleep." She paused, looking out across the Hub, "I'm gonna come home as soon as I can. I promise. I love you... you big idiot." She reassured him before hanging up and coming down the stairs to meet her fellow co-workers. Danni laughed at something on the television as they looked at the screen.
"Someone's established an artificial atmospheric shell keeping the air and holding in the heat." Jack explained to them.
"Whoever's done this wants the human race alive. That's a plus." ianto replied dryly. They were gathered around a 3D diagram of the planets surrounding the Earth, Gwen staring at it in surprise and terror, "Twenty-seven planets, including the Earth." Ianto continued as a flashing red dot appeared in the middle of the planets.
"No, but what's that? That's not a planet!" Gwen said uneasily.
"That'll be our lord and masters." They all jumped as Danni spoke, having appeared behind them. She was biting her lip, arms wrapped around her as she stared at the screen intently.
"And that would be..." Jack prompted.
"The Daleks." She replied sadly and Jack shook his head.
"No, the Daleks were destroyed with the original Torchwood in the battle of Canary Wharf." He insisted. Danni rolled her eyes.
"Who here is from another universe with in-depth knowledge of the future?" She asked loudly. She put her hand up in the air, "Anyone else? No? Then maybe you should listen to me." She told him angrily. They all knew where she was from; even if they didn't know why she knew what she knew, they still knew that she had knowledge of events they didn't. And yet, no one ever wanted to listen to her.
"Three-thousand miles and closing." Gwen informed them, interrupting their little argument, "But who are they?!" Jack opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying the think of how to describe the Daleks when his phone rang. He looked at it, confused then flipped it open.
"Martha Jones!" He stated lowly, "Voice of a nightingale. Tell me you put something in my drink."
"No such luck." She replied, slightly breathlessly, "Have you heard from the Doctor?"
"Danni's here, but not a word from the man himself." He told her, "Where are you?"
"New York. Danni's there?" She replied hopefully.
"Yeah, which means he shouldn't be far behind. What are you doing in New York?"
"I've been promoted. Medical Director on Project Indigo." She explained.
"Did you get that thing working?" Jack asked, intrigued despite the situation.
"Indigo's top secret. No-one's supposed to know about it." Martha replied.
"Oh, I met a soldier in a bar. Long story."
"When was that?" Ianto looked up at him suspiciously. Jack moved the mouthpiece away.
"Strictly professional." He promised and Ianto nodded, reassured but still slightly wary. Danni smiled at the pair, Ianto being jealous reminded her of how she felt about the Doctor. She blushed slightly as she thought about where she had just come from, then frowned at how rough it had been coming here. Although, seeing the trouble the TARDIS was about the have reaching the 27 planets, she could understand why it hadn't been the smoothest of rides.
"Fifteen-hundred miles, boys, and accelerating. They're almost here." Gwen reminded them pointedly, obviously having been witness to their tiffs in the past. Danni reached up and yanked Jack's phone out of his hands.
"Hey Martha, no time to chit-chat." She told the girl on the other end cheerfully, "It's the Daleks. Yes, the Doctor is on his way, yes he saves the day and yes we'll meet up soon for tea and scones but right now you need to do exactly what you're told, you understand? Follow orders, Martha. You'll be fine, I promise..." She trailed off as a message from the ships was played through the Hub and the base where Martha was simultaneously.
"Exterminate!" The Dalek cry rang through the large cavernous room, echoing in her ear as the message played on a loop.
"No." Jack breathed, his blood running cold as his memories flew back to the last time he'd dealt with the Daleks, "Oh, no." Danni lowered the phone and grabbed his hand with her free one. He squeezed it tightly.
"What is it? Who are they? Do you know them, Jack?" He didn't answer Gwen, instead wrapped an arm around Ianto and pulled him closer, Danni pulling Gwen close with her other arm. He planted a kiss on each of their heads and he clung them.
"There's nothing I can do." He told them hopelessly, "I'm sorry, but we're dead." Danni squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a deep breath. It was one thing to know what was going to happen, it was always another thing entirely when you had to live through it. Just hearing that word in that voice sent chills down her spine.
"Doctor." She whispered, "Please, please hurry."
~0~0~0~
Jack rushed over to one of the many monitors as an alarm rang through the hub. Ianto was stood at one monitor, keeping an eye on world events unfolding while Gwen was on another, keeping an eyes on Great Britain.
"The shields are down! There's so many of them! Abandon ship!" A voice filtered through, obviously panicking and as terrified as everyone else. Jack turned to Danni, who was stood to the side by a small kettle they kept nearby, stirring a cup of tea slowly, as if focusing on it with all of her willpower.
"The Valiant's down!" He told her in horror. She looked up and nodded sadly, knowing that was going to happen. He blinked at her, that was not the reaction he was expecting when he mentioned the aircraft, but then he remembered she hadn't met him yet, which meant she hadn't been to the Valiant yet. He watched her pick up the mug and blow on it gently, suddenly feeling very sad as he remembered what was coming for her. He shook his head, clearing it of any stray thoughts. He had to be focused on the here and now, and the Valiant had already happened.
"Airforce retreating over North Africa! Daleks landing in Japan." Ianto updated them.
"We've lost contact with the Prime Minister's plane." Gwen exclaimed then turned to Jack, "Jack! Manhattan!" Jack He picked up his phone off his desk where Danni had placed it before methodically making the cup of tea.
"Martha, get out of there." He urged her.
"I can't, Jack, I've got a job to do." Martha replied.
"They're targeting military bases, and you're next on the list." He explained.
"Doctor Jones - you will come with me. Project Indigo is being activated." A deep, male, American voice commanded Martha on the other side of the phone call. Jack stiffened, knowing the implications of the order, "Quick march."
"But we can't use Project Indigo. It hasn't been tested, sir, we don't even know if it works!" Martha tried to reason with her commanding officer as Jack nodded his agreement, not saying a word. Danni walked over and he placed the phone on speaker so that they all could hear her.
"Put it on. Fast as you can." The male voice commanded.
"Martha, I'm telling you - don't use Project Indigo, it's not safe!" Jack told her frantically. Martha didn't reply, obviously hesitating as she agreed wholeheartedly with Jack.
"Do it, Martha. Follow your orders, it'll be fine. I promise." Danni reassured her gently.
"You don't know..." Jack began, trailing off as Danni shot him a look.
"You take your orders from UNIT, Doctor Jones, not from Torchwood." Martha's commanding officer told her warningly.
"But why me?" Martha asked.
"You are our only hope of finding the Doctor. But failing that... if no help is coming... then by the power invested in me by the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, I authorise you to take Osterhagen Key."
"I can't take that, sir." Martha whispered fearfully.
"Yes you can, Martha." Danni urged her, "You have to."
"You know what to do. For the sake of the Human Race." The man told her.
"Daleks one five breaching north corridor. Exterminate! Exterminate, exterminate!" The voice of a Dalek echoed over the speaker and Jack looked torn between Martha being killed by a Dalek or being killed by Project Indigo.
"Doctor Jones;Good luck." Gun fire was heard over the phone, Danni wincing away from it as the soldiers attacked the oncoming Dalek.
"Bye, Jack, Danni." Martha sobbed in a small voice.
"Martha, don't do it!" Jack shouted but the phone went dead as Martha activated Project Indigo, teleporting away from the UNIT base, "DON'T!" He kicked the desk in frustration and Gwen flinched away, scared of the man's anger.
"She's fine, I swear." She promised Jack weakly, knowing it didn't matter what she said. It wasn't just anger at Martha's possible death, it was at the entire situation and until it was over she could say they'd be fine until she was blue in the face and no one would believe her. She didn't believe herself, but it didn't mean she would ever stop trying to reassure them.
"What's Project Indigo?" Ianto asked. Jack rubbed his eyes as he exhaled, trying to keep it together for the sake of his team.
"Experimental teleport salvaged from the Sontarans. But they haven't got co-ordinates or stabilisation!" He explained angrily.
"So where is she?" Gwen asked,
"Scattered into atoms." He replied and she stared back at him in horror, "Martha's down." Ianto placed a hand over his mouth.
"My lord you're dramatic." Danni stated loudly and angrily, sitting down the her cup of tea on the couch she was on before, "She's fine. She lands in her house, or her mums house. I forget which... Either way, she's fine. We just have to be patient."
"And you know that?" Jack demanded and she nodded.
"Yes, actually, I do." She retorted, "We're the one's being surrounded by Daleks, maybe you should be worrying about that instead of shouting at me."