Life

I come up from underneath the floor, shutting the grate behind me as I stand up. Cracking my back I go to the second floor below and hang my tools up. My hands present a layer of grease and grim to my sight, indicating the need for a shower.

Going back to the top I find Roger laying next to the chair Jessica sat in, reading in the library. 

"Oi! I'm going to clean up and then I will take you to the best fish and chips place in Cardiff. The TARDIS needs to refuel and I'm sure you do too," I smile and disappear again.

I go back below to the third floor and collect under clothes and a black pinstripe suit. One that I have not seen, actually, worn for many years. I mean many, enough to make me feel as old as I am. The last time I wore it was when I was a young lad of 90 years old, I was going to the theatre with my wife... My wife bought it for me... 

I take the suit and wipe my eyes dry and go for a shower. 

† † † † †

The TARDIS rings her cloister to announce her landing. Opening the doors a sea breeze greets our senses, the salt smelling wonderful and tasting sweet. Actually it smells more salty than usual. Like the deeper parts of it are being churned up.

"DOCTOR!"

I walk around the TARDIS and find Jack running towards me at full pelt.

"Really? Now? He needs to do this?"

"Who is that?" Jessica asks, her eyes lighting up as she gawks at him.

"Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood. He traveled with me once a while ago. He was granted the inability to die by Rose Tyler. She looked in the heart of the TARDIS and found it fit to give him life again. He hasn't let me alone since."

His feet clip and clop as he slows down to a rest in front of me.

"Hello Jack. Always good to see you," I say with a forced smile.

"Lair," he spits in a winded voice.

"Eh, I guess so. So do you mind explaining the change in the salt content of the air? Besides the tide?"

"That's... why I am here," Jack pants, resting his hands on his knees while he leans over.

"Well spill it," I urge.

"He ran over here, give him a break."

"The man runs for his job, not my fault he's out of breath. Should stay in shape," I say, putting my hands into my trench coat pocket.

He looks up with an irritated but kind look.

"Bite me," he smiles.

"Tell me where."

"Not with the lady here," his eyes still with mine.

"You two are going to really flirt in front of me?"

"Join anytime you want," I look in Jessica's eyes and smile. "Well Jack, seeing as how you are here, I promised Jessica and Roger here," I introduce Roger with an open hand,"some fish and chips. Mine as well join us."

I lead the small group to a nearby restaurant and order fish and chips for all of. The manager tried to complain about Roger to me, so I look him in the eyes and smile, "If you want our business and money for all four of us, I wouldn't complain." We walk away and grab a table over looking the water.

"So what is with the salt content?" I ask, chewing on a chip as I lean back in my chair.

"Well there seems to be some sort of activity under the ocean. It looks to be like..." Jack hesitates, like he is trying to find the words.

"Well spit it out old man!"

"It looks like Atlantis..."

I stop in mid-chew, close my mouth, sit up and lean forward to look into Jack's eyes.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. Atlantis."

"Well how do you know?"

"Scans show a large mass ascending from the ocean floor. For the last few weeks at has been growing in speed. I was hoping you'd know something about this."

I sigh and lean back again, digging through my memories and the data I've stored over my years.

"Well I met the Atlantians once. Nice and intelligent race, very helpful to the human race. Right when you guys seemed to jump intelligence, that was them. All these seemingly, uncanny and unbelievable technology that you guys cant copy, that was them."

"Why did they disappear?" Jessica asks.

"Why else? Humans wanted too much, the Atlantians would not give more and, well, as the stories go, you fought and revolted. They seen you as a selfish race and decided it best to go below the surface. They are an aquatic based species, so it wasn't too much of a change for them- well, at least one they cant handle," I toss another chip into my mouth with a smile.

"So they just vanished?" Roger asks.

"Yup. Just like the fleas on your back."

"Oi!" he yells.

I smile and continue to eat my chips, taking my time to dig into my backed, breaded fish.

"So why would they be coming back?" Jack asks, cutting off a piece of fish.

"I'm not sure. Maybe they had enough of the habitat and decided to come back. I'd like to know, but you know me Jack; we wait and ask questions."

We sit and talk more, tossing back stories of our adventures. Jack stops a moment and chuckles, looking down at his empty dish.

"Remember the last time we did this? Sat and ate fish and chips?"

"Sadly... Was with Rose, the Sylveen women, Blond Fel Fonge was the governor. Had fun playing with her transportation," I smile. "Each time her face had that look of frustration, made me laugh so hard."

Jack laughed along with me, shaking his head.

"Who is Rose?"

"A girl we knew and both... Loved..." Jack trailed off.

Jessica looks at me with a look of sadness and pity, her mind telling me she knew exactly how we felt. A pain twitched in her head but faded with control.  

The moment breaks up with a slight trembling under our feet, water bouncing around in the vases and cups. I jump up, grab my coat and sprint off to the TARDIS, Jack, Jessica, and Roger close behind. Stumbling through the doors I remove my coat and toss it off to the side on the structure. Going to the display, I look at the readings the TARDIS is collecting.
       "You're right about that land mass being massive. It could sink the UK easily and most of Europe for that matter. Seems to be gaining speed, three times more since we arrived."
       "What do we do than Doctor?" Roger asks anxiously.
       "We say hello," I smile.
       I tap on the controls for a destination, then I pull the lever down and send us away. Her colistor groaning  that legendary noise. The noise all hope to hear, from [people I have traveled with, to those I have simply helped and never met. Her and I have become so much more than a machine and an alien... 

Reviews

[whiterabbitandthedoctor]

Atlantis. Awesome, please write more :)