Flushed, Chapter 9: The Final Sanction

Flushed

I have finally finished my first multi-chapter fanfic. Thanks for staying with me for this one. I promise, I do have other things to write about (so long as I can keep the plot bunnies at bay). 

And, on to the final chapter.

Chapter 9: The Final Sanction

“Rose! Rose, where are you? Rose” Jamie pushed his way through the crowded sidewalk toward the large, damaged flat screen telly playing the final game of the World Cup in the middle of Rat London. His head bobbed above the crowd as he jumped, trying to scan the crowd for Rose and her family. Spotting Pete’s wheelchair and full body cast, he quickly changed directions and headed closer to the water.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jamie saw movement reflecting off the plastic window of one of the shops lining the street. Turning to follow it, he saw Rose tied up and dangling from a length of twine hanging from one of the upper pipes.

Thinking quickly, Jamie grabbed the latex glove balloon tied to a nearby food cart and a discarded handheld motorized fan. The balloon lifted him above the crowd and he used the fan to propel it toward Rose.

Within moments, Jamie had reached Rose and pulled her into his arms. While they were busy untying the twine, a mechanical lift rose on the other side of a nearby platform, revealing Rassilon, the Master and a large group of their subordinates.

“Get them!” Rassilon roared. Sec and Thay scurried to find a way to bring down the balloon before handing the Master a staple gun and backing away. The Master laughed in unholy glee as he rapidly shot staples at the yellow glove. A cheer ran through the assembled frogs as staples punctured the balloon, sending it careening around the pipe Rose had been tied to and flipping Rose and Jamie into the air.

They landed with a crash in the center of the platform, right at the webbed feet of Rassilon himself. Sec and Thay raced forward, pulling Rose and Jamie upright and blocking their path to the lift.

Rassilon strode forward, red robes billowing behind him. He glared at the Master, who was giggling madly, and quickly ascended the lift to a console covered with flashing buttons. The cable Rose had commandeered as a belt had been restored to its place on the panel and was crackling with electricity.

“And now, behold my genius! Prepare to witness the Final Sanction!” Rassilon slammed his slimy, green hand on a large red button, causing it to light up and the flood gate doors to creep open. “Watch as all the filthy lower life forms are flushed away! We toads will reclaim our place as the most powerful species in the sewers!”

Jamie met Rose’s eyes in horror. “My family’s down there!” Rose gasped, panicked.

“I promise, Rose. I won’t let that happen. We will stop him. Your family will be fine.” Jamie whispered in Rose’s ear, looking pointedly over his shoulder at the large tank of liquid nitrogen that Rassilon had hooked into his ice maker. Darting forward, Rose grabbed the hose, pulling it from the tank and pointed the spray at the frogs who were rushing to recapture the two rats. The liquid nitrogen froze the frogs in place, allowing Rose to drop the hose and make a run for the pipes.

Rassilon followed Rose onto the pipe, using his tongue to swing himself past Rose and block her escape.  She scampered back toward the platform only to be caught around the waist and wrenched back to Rassilon, still wrapped in coils of his tongue. He lifted her above his head and shouted out of the side of his mouth, “Master, grab the Doctor! He must not stop the Final Sanction! Where are my idiot minions? Sec! Thay! Protect the Master Cable!”

As the Master closed in on Jamie, he grabbed the incredulous frog by his waist. Jamie squeezed forcefully, causing the Master’s tongue to wrap around the pipe above Rose.

“Please let this work” Jamie muttered under his breath and jumped off the platform, swinging across the space. He grabbed Rose, using the momentum of the swing to pull her out of Rassilon’s slimy restraints.

“I have just one thing to say to you, Rassilon” Jamie shouted as they swung past the outraged toad. “See ya!”

Keeping one arm around Rose, Jamie let go of the Master. The two rats dropped to the pipe, causing it to crack at Rassilon’s feet, freezing his robe to the metal surface. The Master was propelled onto a junction in the pipe where his tongue wrapped him securely in place and froze onto the cold pipe.

Jamie jumped to his feet, loudly taunting Rassilon. “Look at you Mr. Thick! Mr. Thickety, thick, thick. From Thick-Town, Thick-sylvannia! I’ve never met anyone as thick as you!”

Enraged, Rassilon stomped forward, tugging the hem of his robe free. The pipe cracked further as he moved closer to Jamie, lining up his shot.

The distant sound of flushing echoed through the sewer. Rose turned horrified brown eyes to Jamie. Her voice cracked as she whispered “We’re too late.”

___________

In the crowd below, Pete Tyler turned away from the game, distracted by the noise of rushing water echoing over the shouts of “Go England!”

“Wave!” he yelled at the crowd, only to have the assembled fans do the wave across the sidewalk. “No! Wave!” he yelled again, this time accompanied by the roaring water.

A rat in a ‘the end is near’ sandwich board pointed at the approaching wave, yelling “I told you!” repeatedly.

“Shut it, Clive!” Captain Jack shouted back. “You’re not helping! We need to get everyone out of here!”

Jackie plunked a frightened Tony onto Pete’s lap and grabbed the back of the wheelchair, intending to push her family through the crowd and to safety, but the crush was too thick for the panicked group to move. Jackie wrapped her arms around her son and husband, determined to keep her family together, wave or no wave.

___________

Jamie danced to the side, lining his body up with the still moving, geared mechanism on top of the floodgate door. He ducked just in time as Rassilon’s tongue shot over Jamie’s head and into the gears, catapulting Rassilon back onto the pipe cracking it in half and flinging him onto the same pipe junction as the Master.

Jamie grabbed Rose’s paw, yelling “Run!” Once they reached the platform, he turned back watching the broken pipe fall lower and begin to pour liquid nitrogen into the air. “I hope this works,” he muttered as the wave hurtled down the tunnel.

Gallons of liquid nitrogen splashed onto the surface of the wave, freezing the water solid. The ice spread up the crest of the wave, stopping it in place just as it began to break over the Rat London sidewalk and the terrified crowd.

Shaking and laughing in relief, Jackie pointed to Rose and Jamie up on the platform. “They’ve saved us!”

Not to be outdone, Captain Jack Harkness shouted: “the Doctor and Rose saved the city!”

The crowd of rats celebrated, picking up the chant of “Doc-tor! Doc-tor!”

Rose turned to Jamie, pointing to the crowd. “You’re a hero. You saved everyone.”

“We saved everyone,” Jamie corrected. “Stuff of legends, that’s us.” Running a paw behind his ear, Jamie looked down shyly before meeting Rose’s eyes. “So, when you set off with the Bad Wolf II,” he started hesitantly. “Do you think you might need a first mate?”

“Come here, you!” Rose giggled pulling him into a hug. “How long you gonna stay with me?”

Jamie pulled back to look in her eyes before leaning forward and whispering “Forever” just before meeting her lips with his own.

___________

Jamie gazed out over Rat London contemplatively. Safe and sound after the World Cup and Rassilon’s madness.

“I still can’t believe England lost. I really thought we had it this time” Rose said as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. He leaned into her embrace, sighing. “You ready to set off?” she asked quietly, giving him one more squeeze before heading to the wheelhouse to get them underway.

“Oh, you’re stuck with me,” he replied, grinning at her and pulling up the anchor.

“Stuck with you? That’s not so bad. Better hang on Doctor,” Rose teased. Jamie grabbed her paw in his as she opened the throttle and gunned the Bad Wolf II down the nearest sewer tunnel. “Let’s see how far this baby can take us!” echoed off the walls as the Bad Wolf II and her crew set off on a new adventure.  

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Flushed - Chapter 8: The Oncoming Storm

Flushed

Ok, so I think there will only be 1 or 2 chapters left of this story. I promise I do have other things to share, not just fanfiction. Here we go.

Chapter 8: The Oncoming Storm

“There you are, Blondie . . .” Rose whipped her head toward the sinister voice and backed away from the frog as he stepped out of the shadows.

“I’ve been looking for you. Rassilon wants a word. Please, fight back. He didn’t say he wanted you undamaged.” The Master nodded and a pair of webbed green hands closed over Rose’s arms, holding her in place as she twisted and struggled. His unhinged laughter echoed off the sewer walls as he watched more and more of his brethren pile on top of the blonde rat before finally pinning her down and knocking her unconscious.

“Nice catch, Toclafane. Let’s take the baggage to Rassilon before she wakes up.”

Rose was lifted and thrown over the shoulder of the largest of the frogs. As they retreated down the tunnel, the Master’s giggles slowly faded with their footsteps.

___________

Jamie followed the sound of Mickey’s shouting to the den. The spotless white sofa now had black grease and orange cheese dust ground into the leather in a wide halo around the interloper. Mickey looked at him warily, waiting to see how Jamie would react now that Rose had left.

With a deep sigh, Jamie climbed onto the sofa next to Mickey and held out his hand for one of the snacks. Mickey handed him the bottle of hard cider once he’d finished chewing.

“I’d go easy on the drinks, Mate” Mickey cautioned. “Too much and you’ll never make it to half time. You’ll miss the match.”

Jamie started putting together the events of the last couple of days. Unhappy with how the puzzle was coming together, he asked Mickey “So, this a big game then? Lot of people watching today?”

Mickey looked at Jamie in disbelief before slowly answering him. “Where you been, Mate? This is the World Cup. All of London is watching right now. The whole world’s watching.”

“Oh. This is not good. This is very not good.” Jamie started pacing across the sofa cushion, tugging at the fur at the back of his head. “This is two suitcases and a bus ride from good.”

“What’s got in your knickers? What’re you on about?”

“Mickety, Mick, Mickey! Don’t you see? Half Time! Rassilon buggared the system. When everyone in the city uses the loo at half time, it’ll cause a tidal wave! Rat London will be washed away.” Jamie’s pacing came to a halt as a terrible thought occurred to him. “Rose went back there! She’ll be washed out, too! Her whole family is down there! I have to stop Rassilon!”

Seeing Mickey’s blank expression, Jamie tugged him off the sofa and back down the hall to the bathroom. Pulling them both up to stand on the toilet seat, Jamie turned to Mickey.

“There’s a little girl that lives here. Reinette. Will you promise to take care of her? Cheer her up when she’s upset? Be there for her when she has nightmares about being attacked by clockwork men?”

Knowing a good thing when he heard it, Mickey quickly agreed. 

Jamie nodded to him before jumping into the bowl as Mickey pulled the lever.

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Flushed: Chapter 7 - Home Again

Flushed

So, I decided to flex my very limited Photoshop skills, and I made a banner for this story. (It took me a week to figure each aspect out, too.) Here it is!

And without further ado . . .

Chapter 7: Home Again

“Oooff!” Rose and Jamie tumbled across the floor. Rose sprawled inelegantly across Jamie for a moment before rolling away laughing uproariously.

“You alright?” Jamie asked as he climbed to his feet, looking concerned as Rose continued giggling madly. Rose took a few deep breaths before managing to reign in her snickers.

“It’s nothing. You take me to the nicest places, is all” she teased before accepting his hand up and looking around. “Where are we?”

“This would be the upstairs guest room” he replied, turning away from the open window to gesture to the hall. “The master suite is just down the hall. That’s where all the jewels are kept.” He kept up a rambling commentary of the features of the house as they walked down the hall.

Rose smiled in amusement at his stories of grand misadventures and scandal connected to seemingly every decorative painting or vase.  They scaled the dresser and Jamie quickly lifted the lid of the wooden jewelry box.

Rose’s eyes glistened with unshed tears seeing so much wealth so casually discarded inside the box. Each piece could bring enough to feed her family for a year, and here it all was, just jumbled up together in a careless tangle. She suddenly felt very small; as though she and everyone she knew were running in pointless circles while those up above lived a life of ease and plenty.

Jamie leaned toward her, breaking Rose out of her contemplation and placing the daimond he had pooped out of an earring in her paw.

“The lady of the house won’t even notice it’s gone” he stated quietly. “That white point star is bigger than the one that broke. It’s probably worth twice what that one would have been if it was real.”

He stuck his hand back inside the box, pulling a pendant with a large rectangular sapphire off its chain and handing it to Rose. “And this one, I think, should just bout cover the Bad Wolf mark two.” 

Finally meeting her eyes, he let out a small nervous breath before continuing, “I really am sorry about the Bad Wolf. And, thank you. For helping me. For bringing me home. I just . . . I’m so glad I met you.”

Rose smiled and reached out for his paw. Interlocking their fingers, she pulled him back into the hallway. “So, which one’s your room?”

“Ah . . . you don’t want to see my room. It’s boring. It’s almost tea time. Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll make us something, shall I?” Jamie pulled Rose down the hallway a bit faster, hoping to distract her long enough to pass Reinette’s open door without her noticing his cage under the window.

“Who lives there?” Rose pulled away to get a better look at the elaborate cage in what looked like a child’s room.

“Ahh. Well. Ah, that is my apartment. I like to have my own space. Get away from the comings and goings. The hustle and bustle, you know.” His rambling explanation trailed off at the heartbreak on her face.

“It’s just you, isn’t it? How long have you been alone, without any other rats? Without any family?”

“There’s only been me. For such a long time now,” Jamie sighed. “I mean, Reinette is lovely. She takes care of everything I need, really. But . . .”

“But you’re lonely” Rose finished. “Why didn’t you say? Why didn’t you tell me you were a pet? You don’t have to stay here. You could come back with me.”

“I can’t. I have responsibilities. Reinette depends on me. She’d be heartbroken if I wasn’t here when they return. And, I don’t have anyone down there either. I’d still be alone.”

“There’s me. I mean, I thought we were . . . I guess I got it wrong,” Rose dropped her paw back to her side.

Jamie opened his mouth, the words heavy on his tongue when a noisy shape in a football jersey barged into the room.

“Hey, you’re back” Mickey shouted. “Thought I was well rid of you.”

“Oh Rose, let me introduce you to . . . my brother. Rickey.”

“Hey Micks,” Rose waved at the darker rat. “How’s your Gran?”

“Rosie! Fancy seeing you up here. Your dad doin’ ok? Gran wants you to come round. She misses you.” Mickey glanced at Jamie before bursting into gales of laughter. “Your brother! Who would believe that, Mate? You’re not near handsome enough to be my brother.” He turned to Rose, elbowing her gently in the side and throwing his arm across her shoulders before stage whispering “You think I should tell him you used to be my girl? Oh, what a lark. I ain’t laughed like that in years.”

Rose shrugged Mickey’s arm off and stepped away from them. “I can’t stay. I have to go back. Jamie, you could come with me.” At the slight, despondent shake of his head, she turned to go.

“Rose,” Jamie gasped as she turned the corner and disappeared down the hall. A heavy weight settled in the pit of his stomach when he realized she was really gone. Even Mickey had wandered back to the telly to watch the game.

Jamie looked around at the room he had lived so long in. What had felt comfortable, extravagant even, just yesterday now felt claustrophobic. How could his world have changed so drastically in just the few short hours he’d spent in her company? He knew one thing for sure. His world had never been lonelier, now that she was gone.   

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Flushed, Chapter 6: End of the Road

Flushed

Chapter 6: End of the Road

“I can’t believe you had chips in that black hole you call a galley.” Rose shook her head in amusement at Jamie’s teasing. “No, really. How does one survive with only malt vinegar and salt packets, anyway?”

Rose giggled softly at his wild gesturing before answering quietly. “It’s been hard since Dad got run over getting that fake stone. But I make sure Mum and Tony don’t have to do without.”

Jamie looked down at his plate, wishing he hadn’t mentioned the sorry state of the Bad Wolf’s cabinets. “Well, we’ll just have to make sure to grab a bite before you leave Gallifrey, won’t we. Should be plenty in the larder if you want to take a doggy bag on your way out.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Jamie stood and collected the dishes to return them to the galley. “I will get you that real diamond, you know.” Her eyes followed him as he took their plates below as Rose fought down the first vestiges of hope she had felt since her dad’s accident. There was still too much that could go wrong, even if she did want to trust Jamie.

___________

The buzz of electric motors reverberating off the sewer walls woke Rose and Jamie the next morning.

“It’s them! We have to go. Now!” Rose pushed Jamie toward the stern to look out for Rassilon’s hench-rats before vaulting over to the wheelhouse and starting the engine. “Get that anchor pulled! Don’t just stand there!”

Jamie found a big red button next to the base of the mechanical hand and, crossing his fingers, slammed his paw on it. A winch quickly lifted the large fishing weight out of the water. As soon as it was clear, Rose gunned the engine, a rooster tail of spray marking their passage.

“They’re here” Jamie yelled over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on the rapidly approaching figures.

“Come on, Old Girl! Let’s show those boys what we’ve got” Rose shouted. “Better hang on to something, Jamie.” As she spoke Rose spun the wheel, causing the Bad Wolf to turn sharply into a small side tunnel. Pressing a button, she yelled “Up!” The mechanical hand grabbed a pipe that crossed the tunnel, and used the forward momentum to swing the Bad Wolf higher into the air, leaving Sec and Thay behind.

Jamie clung to the railing for dear life as the hand repeated its aerial stunt up a small ventilation shaft in the sewer ceiling. As the Bad Wolf climbed closer to the top of the shaft, Jamie spotted frogs dressed in black bodysuits jumping up the pipes behind them. “Frogs!” he yelled to Rose, causing her to swear colorfully before gathering her maps and shrugging a stuffed backpack onto her shoulders.

Just as the Bad Wolf cleared the top of the vent shaft, the frogs started hopping aboard. Rose grabbed Jamie, pulling him behind her as she clambered onto the railing. Throwing an arm around his narrow waist, she jumped, pulling the strap of the backpack. A thin, white grocery bag burst open, catching the wind and carrying Rose and Jamie out of reach of the frogs.

Looking down sadly as the Bad Wolf fell back into the sewer, Rose whispered goodbye. The mechanical hand waved until the Bad Wolf hit the water below, breaking apart and being carried away by the rushing current.

Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, Rose looked at Jamie. “So, where’s home?”

“That way,” he replied. Pointing quickly slightly to the left he added “Nope, hang on. That way,” as she guided them down over Kensington toward Gallifrey. 

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