Doctor Who 1. Prologue: The Parting of the Ways

**A/N: Basically, it's a rewrite with our favorite Captain Jack Harkness, spanning from Season 2 and onwards! My other fanfic, 'The Reunion Paradox', will be posted this Sunday. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

**Regeneration and Christmas Eve**

Jack gasped, his eyes flying open. Where was he? How could he be alive? He bolted upright and looked around, rubbing his eyes. The last thing he remembered was facing a malicious group of Daleks, aiming their stupid guns at him. And now… he shrugged helplessly, scooping up a handful of fine dust and letting it run through his fingers. He was absolutely clueless.

Maybe the Doctor did something?

Oh dear. His heart dropped as he finally remembered the Time Lord and his pink and yellow human, Rose Tyler. Rose was safe, that was certain; but the Doctor—?

No. That can't have happened. The Doctor should be alive and well, probably saving everyone, including Jack himself, again and laughing at the Dalek Emperor in its face, pulling fantastic tricks by his leather sleeve. He must…!

Jack groaned, hurriedly pulling himself from the ground. His body ached everywhere, and he was ankle-deep in Dalek dust, but he didn't care.

He _had _to find the Doctor.

Unaware of his newly gained immortality, the Captain began running—and the Doctor was waiting for him. He didn't abandon Jack. Not this time.

* DW * DW * DW * DW *

The Doctor swayed on his feet, and collapsed onto the floor. Despite the overwhelming fatigue and dizziness, he didn't forget to catch Rose Tyler before she hit the ground. The blonde girl was unconscious. He checked her pulse hastily; it was weak, but at least normal and stable. Not burning or anything, that was good. He let out a content sigh of relief, letting his arm drop. Rose was going to be okay.

But he wasn't. He only had a few minutes left to live—maybe ten, or less; then the pain would come, the cells would die out, organs would fail, and then… regeneration. He brushed off the gloomy prospect and got up, focusing on the task at hand. He gently scooped Rose up into his arms and took a step into the TARDIS.

That's when he felt a sharp jab of headache.

He almost dropped Rose's limp body from the sudden impact, but managed to put her down on somewhere safe before his hands slipped. Putting a hand to his forehead, he winced and staggered forth a few steps. No, this wasn't because of the Time Vortex killing him inside out. He could feel it. There was something unnatural, something _wrong_, and it _hurt_. It was like a walking fixed point in time. It was, it was—

_Jack. _

When Rose—no, the Bad Wolf—had brought the American Captain back to life, she didn't control her power very well. Now Captain Jack Harkness was an alive 'fixed point', and it felt so… so wrong. All his Time Lord instinct screamed at him to run run _run_, and he felt a sudden impulse to just close the doors and promptly leave.

But he couldn't. Jack had believed in him, _trusted_ him, when even he couldn't trust himself. He willingly sacrificed his life in the Doctor's name. The con-man was no more; he was one of the bravest, and most loyal, companions he had ever had. He was his friend.

To leave him stranded _here_ would be too cruel, unfit for the Name of the Doctor. He drew in a deep breath, persuading his legs—and his TARDIS—to stay still.

And so he waited.

* DW * DW * DW * DW *

Jack's eyes widened as he ran into the room. The Daleks were nowhere to be seen, and there was that familiar blue police box sitting right in front of his eyes, waiting for him. Better than he could have ever hoped for. But the question was… how?

"Doctor? Doctor!" He yelled breathlessly, throwing the door open and leaping into the console room. The time machine shuddered a little, but he didn't notice. Instead, he heard a familiar male voice greeting him from the console.

"You are late, Captain Harkness."

"Doctor!"

Jack spun around in surprise and amazement to see the Doctor staring at him with an expressionless face. He frowned, puzzled. No grin, no jokes, no nothing? Something was a bit off about that man. As Jack thought hard to figure things out, the Doctor turned around stiffly and pulled a lever. The TARDIS shook and groaned as it dematerialized into thin air. The Doctor pulled back, and slowly sank down into his seat—before suddenly jerking forward, doubling over and groaning in pain. Jack instinctively took a step forward.

"Doctor? What's happening? Why is the TARDIS back, and where did all the Daleks go?" HE paused. "Did you injure yourself or something?"

"Well, yeah. No, not really. Long story—just stay _away_ from me, Jack. Back, back, _back_! You are giving me a headache!"

The leather-clad Time Lord grimaced, still hugging his stomach tightly. Jack stared at him for a moment, then simply shrugged taking five steps back. That done, he spread his arms wide and asked casually.

"There. Better, Doc?"

"Nope!" The Doctor shook his head stubbornly, rubbing his eyes. "Look, Captain, did you black out when you were facing those Daleks, and then the next thing you know is that you are back to the world of living?"

"Yes. Exactly!" Jack nodded, feeling relieved all of a sudden. The Doctor knew something. He knew what happened. Maybe he could explain it to him…?

The Time Lord sighed, maneuvering the TARIDS into the Time Vortex. His guess was right, and he wasn't happy. Not really. Well, he was glad that Jack had lived, but like this… it would guarantee a permanent, throbbing, itching headache for him. That wasn't a very bright prospect.

Huh. Who knows. Maybe his next regeneration would be headache-resilient. He certainly hoped so, because it looked like he was going to be stuck with this American for a long time… perhaps all eternity.

So he turned to the Captain, who was stubbornly waiting with his arms crossed, and clapped his hands together, determined to make his explanation as short as possible. After all, Rose would be waking up soon enough, and he would never want her to know this.

"So, Jack, it all went like this. I didn't fire the weapon, because at the last moment, I realized that I'd rather be a coward than a killer. I already have too much blood on my hands… and I couldn't do it. Not again." His eyes darkened for a moment, but it was fleeting. He continued. "So there I was, facing the Daleks, ready to welcome death itself. After all, Rose was safe, and you were already dead."

"Wait. What?" Jack asked incredulously, motioning towards himself. "But I'm perfectly alive and well, and I don't think I'm a zombie!"

"Then a Goddess of Time came, saw everything, made the Daleks go back to dust. She saved me. And she brought you back to life, Jack. But she made a mistake. She accidentally fixed you onto a certain point in time, and that's what gives me a terrible headache— ah. Did I mention that you might be immortal?"

Jack stared at him, and then flashed a grin at him, as if the whole story amused him to no end.

"Huh. Goddess of Time and an Immortal Man? Isn't that a bit too melodramatic, even for you, Doctor?"

"We are all stories in the end," he replied, casually tinkering away with the console. "And mine tends to be a tad bit too dramatic, yes."

Jack's jaw dropped. "So you were actually serious? About time… immortality… and everything?"

The Doctor popped his lips. "Yup!"

"But then…" Jack frowned, letting out a long whistle. Immortality? That would be really weird. "Who brought the TARDIS back? And who on earth is that 'Goddess of Time'?"

"Rose."

Jack's heart leapt at the name in disbelief. Rose? But she was just a human! And not even a Time Agent. She was no Goddess of Time, at least the last time he had seen her. And yet, when he turned to see where the Doctor was motioning at, he could see her—peacefully sleeping, right here inside the TARDIS. He stared incredulously at her, and then turned back to the Doctor.

"Is she okay?" He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

The Doctor shook his head, his ever-present frown softening a bit.

"She absorbed the heart of the TARIDS. Became a goddess of Time," he said. "But she was a human, and couldn't survive—not when the power was in her. It would have burned her."

Jack inhaled sharply and ran over to Rose's side. He snatched up Rose's wrist, and both were immensely relieved—and confused—when he found a strong, regular pulse. He arched his eyebrows at the Doctor, grinning cheerfully.

"Doctor, what did you do?"

"Oh, just absorbed the energy myself and gave it back to the TARDIS. She will be fine," he shrugged dismissively. Jack, however, didn't miss the implication right beneath that sentence. He didn't drop his stare as he spoke very, very slowly.

"Doctor, you said that it almost killed her. But… what about you?"

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor shrugged again, but still averted his eyes from Jack's steadfast gaze as he drummed on the console with his fingers. He looked a bit guilty, and Jack caught it. He narrowed his eyes.

"Doctor… tell me the truth. Can _you_ absorb the Time Vortex without any damage?"

"…Nope." The Doctor popped his lips again, shaking his head and smiling sadly. "It's me that's dying."

Jack's heart almost stopped at this casual comment. He had had his suspicions and doubts, but still, to have it confirmed by the Doc's own lips—

"But don't worry, I have my ways! Time Lord stuff!" The Doctor jumped up, walking over to the shocked former con-man and patting him on the shoulder rather merrily. He exhaled loudly, stretching his arms. "Ah—mental barriers! _Now_ it feels better, Mr. Fixed Point. And our big Bad Wolf is waking up, too, I think. Fantastic! Just shut your mouth, Jack, and wait to see what happens."

Jack Harkness looked around just in time to see Rose stir. She mumbled something in an unclear voice, and finally, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a set of familiar hazel eyes. Jack could help but feel so incredibly happy as she pushed herself upright.

"What happened?" She asked, in a rather groggy voice.

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor eyed her curiously. She shook her head, thinking hard to remember, but apparently coming up with nothing.

"It's like… there was this singing," she said at last. The Doctor grinned.

"That's right. Jack and I sang a song together and the Daleks ran away."

"I'm a good singer," Jack piped up. The Doctor gave a warning glance at the flirting man.

"Oh, be quiet."

"Not a chance."

Rose was still frowning, in spite of their cheerful bickering and jokes. Finally, she went on, her eyes fixed on something they couldn't see.

"I was at home. No, I wasn't, I was in the TARDIS, and there was this light. I can't remember anything else."

The Doctor was silent for a moment as he watched her intensely, as if he wanted her to be the last thing _those_ eyes saw. Jack glanced at him, and his heart sank as he noticed that the Time Lord's skin was darkening. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he could see that it was time.

Sighing, the Doctor leaned forward.

"Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness. I was going take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet Barcelona. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses. Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny."

Rose frowned again, this time because she was puzzled. "Then, why can't we go?"

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will." He paused for a moment. "But not like this."

"You aren't making sense, Doc," Jack said in a quiet voice. The Doctor rubbed his hands together, grinning.

"Oh, shut up, Jack. And don't say that I don't make sense. Not now. I might never make sense again. I might have two heads, or no head. Imagine me with no head. And don't say that's an improvement. But it's a bit dodgy, this process. You never know what you're going to end up with."

Suddenly, he doubled over in pain again. Alarmed, Rose and Jack bolted forward.

"Doctor!"

"Stay away, you two!" The man hollered, making them stop right in their tracks. Perplexed and worried, Rose shouted in a pleading voice.

"Doctor, please tell me what's going on!"

"I…" A hesitation. Then he continued. "I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying."

"Oh no." Her hand flew to her mouth in silent horror. "Can't you do something?"

The Doctor laughed drily. "Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face. And before I go…"

"Don't say that," Jack murmured quietly. The Doctor glanced at him, and Jack was surprised to see that those eyes were neither accusing nor annoyed; they looked so old, so sad. Then that stupid smile again.

"Oh, Rose, Jack. Before I go, I just want to tell you— you two were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic!"

Rose watched him, her lips pursed tight. Jack glared, just wanting to punch that man's face, nice and proper. Pretending to be unaware of their worried, serious looks, the Doctor asked again, tilting his head in a mock seriousness.

"And you know what?"

She shook her head. He flashed a toothy grin.

"_So was I!_"

Happy to see that the faintest of smiles had made its way onto the lips of Rose and Jack, he smiled, wider than ever before. _This is it, _he thought, feeling content. _I'm ready. It's starting._

All of a sudden, he convulsed and erupted into a thundering rush of golden light, exploding in it, screaming silently as every one of his cells changed, and _oh_, so much _life_ and _energy _was madly coursing through his veins, rewriting and renewing everything! Orange energy exploded from his skin, blasting out of the neck of his jumper, the sleeves of his jacket and the bottoms of his trousers. Rose and Jack involuntarily staggered backwards, shielding their eyes from the amazing rush of heat and light—but they couldn't look away. Of course not.

They stared, transfixed, as gradually, the Doctor's hair lengthened, his face changed... until as abruptly as it had started, the process ended. The golden light had just died away like it had never been. Looking slightly disoriented, a new man was staggering in the place where the Doctor had been, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape in surprise. He was still wearing the old Doctor's leather jacket and everything.

He stood there for a moment, before turning to look at Rose and jack.

"Hello! Okay—ooh."

He gulped. They stared at him with shock and fascination as he ran a tongue over his teeth, brow furrowed.

"New teeth. That's weird. So, where was I? …Oh, that's right!"

Rose just stared at him with undisguised shock, and Jack was speechless. Regardless of their not-so-welcoming reaction, the newly regenerated Doctor flashed a merry grin at them.

"Barcelona!"

Their adventures were just starting.

**A/N: If you like this and/or want this story to continue, please review! :)**


	2. Children In Need

**Chapter 2**

**Children in Need**

The skinny, brown-haired man dashed to the console and flicked a few switches, checking the monitor.

"6 PM… Tuesday…"

Rose watched, half concealed by a pillar. Jack was watching, too, and silently processing quite a few calculations in his head as the new man— still dressed in the old Doctor's leather jacket— danced around the control panel and turned a knob.

"October… 5006… On the way to Barcelona!"

He straightened up and faced Rose, a goofy grin stretched across his face.

"Now then… what do I look like?"

"Pretty," Jack automatically replied, without giving much thought to it. Rose, who was too shocked and scared to understand the whole situation, choked out a laughter, and the stranger's eyes widened in horror.

"I'm a girl?" He squeaked, and his hand immediately flew to his neck. He sighed in relief as he felt his Adam's Apple under his fingers. He glared at Jack. "No, not a girl. And don't say another word, Captain Harkness. No, no, no, no, no… Hmm, let's see… two legs, two arms, two hands."

He briefly tested his wrist, circling it.

"Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle."

Then the hand flew to his head, and he yelped in delight.

"Hair! I'm not bald!"

Bringing his hands back down, he stroked his sideburns, grinning.

"Sideburns, I've got sideburns! Or really bad skin. Little bit thinner…"

The new man slapped his own stomach. _Oh, this was just getting weirder and weirder. _

"That's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it!"

And then, suddenly, he scrunched his face in deep concentration, as if he had just been hit by a most wonderful revelation.

"I… have got… a mole. I can feel it." He rotated his shoulder, dramatically pausing between sentences. "Between my shoulder blades… there's a mole. That's all right, love the mole!"

Abruptly flashing a cheeky grin, he jumped forward. Jack rolled his eyes. Rose flinched, looking a bit scared.

"Go on then, _now_ tell me, you two!"

The stranger cocked his head in anticipation, and a smug smirk appeared on his lips. He shrugged, motioning at himself. "What do you think?"

"Who are you?" Rose blurted out. The man, seemingly unaware of his incredibly ruffled hair, took a step back, with a startled and utterly confused look on his face.

_But… I am the _Doctor!_ How can she say that to me? _He thought, incredulously. Didn't she see it? Didn't she see him change into a new man, right in front of her—and Jack's—eyes? He took a deep breath, trying to calm down the boiling remnants of his regeneration energy. They were responding to his shaken feelings, jostling in his veins and threatening to break his madness loose.

_No. Don't. Don't feel hurt. Don't scare Rose,_ he sternly told himself. Regeneration could be quite a culture shock, happens to the best of people.

So— all these thoughts had crossed his mind in less than a millisecond— he looked straight into her eyes, steering himself to prepare for an explanation. He opened his mouth, about to say _I am the Doctor_ in a matter-of-fact voice, when, suddenly— Jack spoke up from behind.

"He _is _the Doctor."

The Doctor's jaw dropped, and Rose whipped around, shocked. Jack was standing there, arms crossed, eyes carefully scrutinizing the other man. Finally, a charming grin made its way onto his face.

"_Aaand_ sexy, I see." He added. Instantly, the Doctor scrunched his nose and leapt back in horror. Stumbling, he pointed at the Former Time-Agent and started spluttering in his most disapproving voice.

"You, you… Captain-_I-Will-Flirt-With-Everything-That's-Within-My-Eyesight_-Harkness!" He stopped for a moment, his furious expression melting into that of wonder and pleasure. "Ooh. This me is a fast talker, huh? Didn't know that!"

"Jack," Rose pleaded, looking both scared and lost at the same time. She grabbed Jack's wrist. "Jack, what happened? The Doctor—our Doctor—where is he?"

"Oh, Rosie," Jack replied, his voice soft. Gently, he patted her shoulder, and continued. "It's _him._ He _is_ the Doctor."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "No… no, he can't be."

"But the Doctor, he's an alien, don't you see?" Jack grinned. "Really, Rose, does it surprise you _that_ much that the Doctor can explode into golden flames and turn himself into a pretty boy, while cheating death at the same time?"

"Oi!" The Doctor scoffed, obviously offended by Jack's comment. "I'm not just any alien, I'm a Time Lord! And the process is called _regeneration, _thank you very much!"

"But…" Rose looked more skeptic than scared now. That was good, the Doctor thought. Situation improved. He had to (rather grudgingly) give Jack credit for that. "But… it can be anything. Nanogenes, Gelth, Slitheen… Oh my god, is he a Slitheen?"

"I'M NOT!" The insulted Time Lord roared, aghast. Jack couldn't help but laugh, thinking of those weird, alien-y, green… well, aliens. Oh god, no. _This_ alien looked much foxier than that! He shook his head, smiling at Rose.

"No, Rose. He's really our Doctor. Look. Remember him saying something about dying? A Time Lord trick to cheat death? Rose, maybe that involved face-changing. Alien stuff."

"How… how can you be so sure?" Rose looked like she was about to cry. "Did you know? Know that this was going to happen?"

"No, but I saw it. I saw him standing there, saying that he can't see us with the daft old face of his anymore, saying that he has to change. And WHAM! What happens? A new man appears in his place, wearing the same clothes!"

Jack motioned at the spiky, brown-haired man, who quietly shook his hand at Rose from behind, as if to say, 'Yes, that's me!' The American promptly ignored him and continued.

"He claims to be the Doctor, he knows our names—who we are—and he tinkers with the TARDIS like no one else does, he know that I have a tendency to flirt with many people. He doesn't know what he looks like, he's going all quirky, and he is obviously madly in love with you. So, yes, I am pretty sure that he's the Doctor."

Rose's eyes widened slightly at this. The Doctor's jaw dropped open, too, when Jack mentioned the 'madly in love' part. However, before he could utter a single protest, Captain Jack Harkness had already turned to face him, a mock-innocent smile on his face.

"Oh, by the way, _Doctor,_" he paused, emphasizing the 'Doctor' part. Then he continued, smiling. "Does this ring a bell for you— _'Are you my mummy'_?"

_Oh._ The Doctor hesitated, frowning. This was a test. A test, demanding that he showed who he really was to Rose and Jack.

_Very well, then. _

Grinning, he leaned forward. "Oh, of course, Captain Con Man. I believe there were gas-mask-wearing, mummy-craving zombies stalking a twentieth century London. They were actually people infected by nanogenes, but we cured them all— now, that was a good day! On that day, no one died. And, oh, Rose—"

He suddenly turned to Rose, staring straight into her eyes, his gaze intent and brimming with unspoken, strong emotions.

"We danced," he whispered, his voice quiet. He stepped closer reached out to hold her hand, still staring into her eyes. "You taught me the moves, and we danced, you and I. But long before that, we learned to run. That was the first thing we learned to do together, right? And it was, oh, such a long time ago… trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies. I took your hand…"

He leaned forward, and finally took her hand, just like he did when Rose had first asked who he was. Rose glanced briefly down at their joint hands and then back up at his face, her brown eyes wide. The Doctor continued.

"I said one word… just one word. The very first word I ever said to you was…"

His breath tickled her ears as his voice dropped even lower.

"'_Run'."_

Rose's heart skipped a beat.

"It's you," she whispered back in awe, looking up into his brown eyes, her own full of tears. "It's really, really you!"

He grinned. "Hello."

Laughing, he suddenly pulled Jack and Rose into a tight embrace, joyously twirling them around the console room.

"Honestly, it's me! I was dying! To save my own life, I changed my body, every single cell. But you know what? The wonderful thing is, it's still me! The Doctor!"

"Doctor!"

They started laughing with him, a bit tearfully, in joy and relief. Just like they used to do. Just as it should be. And that felt good. So good, in fact, that he could ignore the persistent headache that came from Jack's… wrongness. The Doctor let go, still chuckling, and took off to the other side of the console.

"And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running…" He flicked a few switches on the console. "One time we had to hop. Do you remember? Hopping for our lives!"

He hopped madly up and down on the spot. Rose just rolled her eyes, out of breath to say anything. Jack chuckled. The Doctor's face lit up in delight at their reaction.

"Yeah? All that hopping? Remember hopping for your live? Yeah?! Hop? With the…"

"Yeah, maybe we did. But where was that?" Jack inquired, out of curiosity, unable to place the memory. The Doctor's hopping subsided as he scrunched his face in deep concentration. He hesitated for a moment before his head snapped back up, eyes sparkling like a child.

"The Christmas Planet!"

"Oh, yes, now I remember! The Christmas Planet!"

"With a country named Tokyo on it, not the city!"

"Tokyo, yes!"

"And speaking of Christmas…" The Doctor sped to the console, giddy with excitement. "Cancel Barcelona. Change to… London… the Powell Estate… ah, let's say the 24th of December. Consider it a Christmas Present, Rose! Ha-ha! There!"

He stepped back, grinning. The TARDIS shuddered as it changed direction. Rose edged slowly over to the console, looking hopeful.

"I'm going home? To see my mum?"

"Yup!" The Doctor popped the 'p' with his lips. "Back to your mother. It's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast— No, Christmas! Turkey! Although… having met your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate."

Rose smiled. The Doctor looked exuberant at that. He opened his mouth, perhaps to say something quirky, another joke regarding Jackie Tyler perhaps, but he didn't get to say anything. He suddenly gagged as the TARDIS shuddered. Rose looked at him questioningly, while Jack suddenly found himself staring to be concerned.

"What?" Rose asked.

"I mean, your mother—" He gagged again, more violently this time. He shot forth, making nasty retching noises. A fleeting look of panic crossed his face, as he muttered to himself. "Uh-oh."

"Doctor, are you all right?" Jack asked quickly, coming forth. The Doctor held up a hand to stop his approach, and a piece of golden energy issued from his mouth, swirling upwards and disappearing. His jaw hung open for a few seconds as he stared at it, dazed. Rose looked surprised.

"What was that?"

"Oh… the change is going a bit wrong and all. Gah!" He gagged again. He fell to his knees, his face contorted. He felt a little panic streak across his mind. _Oh, this isn't going to be pleasant at all. Neural implosion…_

"Jack, can you help him?" He heard Rose's desperate voice. _Sweet Rose, beautiful Rose. _He heard the Captain's voice reply, sounding quite urgent.

"Maybe. I will have to check his pulse first."

…_Whatever._

"Oh, you know nothing!" He said impatiently, shooting up. A lever on the console suddenly caught his eye. He murmured, musing to himself. "I haven't used this one in years, huh."

He flicked it. The TARDIS shuddered violently and they were all nearly knocked off their feet. Rose stared at the Doctor, her voice rising in panic.

"What are you doing?!"

The Doctor whooped in delight, laughing crazily. "Putting on a bit of speed! That's it! My beautiful ship, come on! Faster! Faster! That's my girl!"

Rose looked distinctly alarmed. The Doctor started sounding violent, crazed, more and more.

"Faster! Want to break the time limit?!"

"Stop it!" Jack hollered, looking alarmed as he gripped the console tighter. "You are going to hur Rose!"

"Ah, don't be so dull—let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through the Vortex!" The Doctor said breathlessly, letting out a crazed laughter. His eyes caught Rose's for a moment. Suddenly, reason flicked back into the brown pupils, and his voice strained for a moment, his face clenched in pain.

"The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself. Jack, protect Rose if I—"

He grimaced in pain.

"Ah, my head…"

He violently sprung back up into the standing position, and his voice had gone back to the madman's.

"Faster! Let's open those engines!"

The Cloister Bell started ringing. Jack started to have a bad feeling about this. Some kind of… danger. The Doctor's voice echoed in his head. _Protect Rose_, he had said. Snapping his head back up and grasping Rose's wrist, just in case, he hollered over to the Doctor, the crazy one.

"What's that?"

The Time Lord leaned over and laughed, sounding delighted and manic at once.

"We're gonna crash land!"

"Well then," Rose shouted, sounding angry and scared now. "Do something!"

"Too late! Out of control!" His voice shot up hysterically. He ran around the console, giggling and jumping. "Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!"

"You're gonna kill us!"

"Oh, me? NEVER!" The Doctor hopped in the air excitedly. "Hold on tight, here we go!"

Jack and Rose exchanged brief glances.

_What do you think, Jack?_

_I'm going to punch him, once he regains his marbles._

_Me too. And quite possibly, mom will join in. _

_Wow. I'll look forward to that. If we survive this._

_If we survive. _

They quietly reached an agreement, and looked back up across the console. The Doctor was grinning madly at them. He laughed out loud.

"Christmas Eve!"

This was going to be their wildest ride _ever_. And that wasn't a good thing, Jack thought. It never was. But then, he didn't have much of a choice. So he did what he thought was second best in this situation.

He laughed along, his grip on Rose's wrist tightening.

"Okay— here we _Gooooo_!"

A/N: The Third Chapter will come up next week! Thanks for all your love! Read and Revies :)


	3. The Christmas Invasion: Part One

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I had a busy time at school these days… :) Thank you for waiting and please enjoy! Allons-y!**

**Chapter 3**

**Christmas Invasion: Part One**

"Doctor!"

Jack hollered as the TARDIS rocked dangerously, speeding through the Vortex at a mad speed. The Doctor was happily laughing out loud, like a kid wreaking havoc in a toy store. Rose was almost thrown off her feet from the momentum as the time-traveling police box abruptly changed directions. Luckily, Jack grabbed her arm just in time and prevented the possibly lethal accident.

"Faster! Faster!" The Doctor chanted, too excited to pay attention to them. Rose seemed a bit dazed, stumbling and trying to have a harder grip on the console. Jack shot a sharp glare at the childish, half-crazed Time Lord and muttered a quiet curse under his breath for the first time after the regeneration process, patting Rose's back in order to calm her down.

"Dammit," he shook his head, gritting his teeth. He certainly didn't want to test his possible immortality right now. And poor Rose wasn't even _'possibly immortal'_, Bad Wolf or not! He just hoped that the Doctor would stop before he either died in a random crash or decided to run over and give the alien a well-deserved punch in the jaw.

Captain Jack's train of thoughts was abruptly cut off as the TARDIS suddenly popped out of the vortex midair and collided into one block of flats, a second and a third, sending bone-rattling impacts through his bones. The blue police box avoided a post office van and crashed into a set of waste bins, finally coming to a halt.

The Doctor was the first to recover from the crash landing. Panting like an excited puppy, he bounded away to the TARDIS door, still in his T-shirt and leather jacket. Rose, her blonde hair all ruffled and sticking up on all ends, warily got up from behind the console and peered over Jack's shoulders.

"Looks like we made it out alive," she commented, looking all too confused to express what she was truly feeling at the moment. "You are sure he's… the Doctor, right, Jack?"

"Yup!" He answered, shrugging and stumbling in a difficult attempt to get up onto his feet and help Rose steady herself at the same time. After a moment's hesitation, he added.

"I'm not sure why his mental decided to go on a vacation all of a sudden, though."

"Well, I'm already missing it. His mental." A ghost of a smile floated onto Rose's lips as she remembered the Doctor, this new Doctor, swinging her and Jack around the console in joy, laughing. That had been quite _him._

"Me too," Jack nodded, and winced as he heard the Doctor throw open the door and loudly started greeting Jackie and Mickey, who happened to be standing right in front of the TARDIS doors.

"Ha! Here we are then, London. Earth. The Solar System. We did it, Jack, Rose! I told you, no need to fret! And look who's here. Jackie, Mickey. Blimey!" The Doctor grinned like a lunatic and leapt onto the street, putting his arms around the two of them. Then he abruptly backed away, shaking his hands, his voice rising in deep concentration and bubbling excitement.

"No, no, no, no, hold on. Wait there. I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you, something important… what was it? No, hold on, hold on. Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush. Oh, I know!" A huge smile lit up his face as he figured out what he had wanted to say all along. Panting breathlessly, he announced—

"Merry Christmas!"

With that, he simply collapsed onto the ground. Jackie and Mickey stared at his still form, looking more baffled than ever. Jack and Rose chose that moment to poke their heads out of the TARDIS. Rose's eyes widened in alarm as she saw the skinny Time Lord sprawled out on the cold ground, unconscious.

"What happened? Is he all right?" She asked, out of breath with worry. Jack quickly stepped out and kneeled down in front of the Doctor, carefully taking the pulse between his fingers in a well-trained Time Agent manner as Mickey babbled on, bewildered.

"I don't know, he just kneeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?"

Jack shrugged. "It's him, right in front of you. He's the Doctor. And Rose, don't worry. The pulse is quite steady, although we'd need a stethoscope to be sure. I bet it's just some kind of weird alien regeneration sickness."

Rose exhaled loudly in relief, while Jackie demanded to him, her voice rising. "What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who? And who on earth are _you?"_

_Wow, I see where Rose gets her occasional temper from, _Jack mused to himself. Then, looking up, he flashed a charming grin at the slightly angry blonde woman. Holding out a hand, he declared in his usual flirtatious voice.

"Hello, you must be Jackie Tyler— Rose said loads about you. The name's Captain Jack Harkness. I'm one of the best Time Agents from the 51st century, and I travel with the Doctor and your wonderfully charming daughter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jackie stared dumbly for a second. Under normal circumstances, with his 51st century pheromones and Jackie being Jackie, Captain Jack Charming would have been able to flirt with her in ease. But now just wasn't the time. It was cold, it was Christmas Eve, Rose had just come back from a life-or-death situation after months of absence, there was a dashing brown-haired man that claimed to be the Doctor knocked out unconscious at her feet, and now, he was flirting with her. Jackie Tyler could make neither head nor tail of it, and she was angry. So she did what first came to her mind.

She slapped Jack.

Jack stumbled back, his eyes wide from pain and shock. Rose almost burst out laughing, but stifled it as her mother turned towards her, her hands on her hips.

"Okay, now I see." Jackie declared in a firm voice. "You are alive, it's Christmas Eve, this guy is somehow the Doctor, and you have a mass flirter tagging along. Now, what do we do?"

***DWDW*DWDW*DWDW*DWDW***

The Tyler's flat— bedroom.

The Doctor had been dressed in stripy pajamas by a reluctant Mickey and an eager Jack, then put to bed. Rose sat at his side, carefully examining his looks. Jack stood a good few steps away, rubbing his sore cheek and muttering something under his breath. He flinched and glanced warily, as Jackie suddenly bustled into the room. She handed the stethoscope to Rose.

"Here we go. Tina the cleaner's got this lodger, a medical student, and she was fast asleep, so I just took it. Though I still say we should take him to hospital."

Rose simply shook her head, putting the stethoscope to her ears. Jack shrugged and answered in her place.

"We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race."

Jackie was about to say something, but Rose— who had been listening to both sides of the Doctor's chest— chose that moment to put the equipment back down. She sighed in relief and smiled up at her mother.

"They are both working!"

Jackie frowned, puzzled again. "What do you mean, both?"

"Well, he's got two hearts," she explained, in a matter-of-fact voice. Jackie Tyler stared at her daughter for a split second, as if she had heard something utterly unbelievable, and then simply snorted and shook her head.

"Oh, don't be stupid," she scoffed. Rose jumped up from the bed, feeling offended.

"He has!"

Jackie seemed genuinely taken aback at her reaction, then glanced back at the sleeping Time Lord, eyeing him suspiciously. "Anything else he's got two of?" She turned back to face Rose and aske. Stepping forward, Jack didn't miss the chance to waggle his eyes and grin in a suggestive manner.

"Well yeah, I'd love to know, too, Rosie."

Rose coughed out a strangled laughter at this. Oh, she really shouldn't be getting these… inappropriate thoughts. Traveling with Jack Harkness had certainly made certain impacts on her personality. Her heart feeling much lighter than right after the 'regeneration process', she skipped out the room and beckoned her mother and Jack out, adding in a mock-annoyed voice.

"Oh, just leave him alone! Come on, I'm famished. Let's have something at the table. After all, it's Christmas Eve, isn't it?"

She grinned, sticking her tongue between her teeth. Jackie, clearly relieved to have her usual cheerful daughter back, smiled warmly at her before going out into the kitchen. Jack also took a step forth, following her out— but not before glancing back at the Doctor. His eyes widened momentarily. Wait. Did he just see… the Doctor exhale a puff of misty golden energy from his mouth, which then flew out of the window? He wasn't sure. Not really.

Scratching his head and frowning, he gave the alien a last good long stare. Nothing more happened. Hmm, must have been a fragment of his imagination. Shrugging off the thought, he exited the room without further hesitation and shut the door behind him. The room lapsed into a peaceful silence, save the Doctor's even breathing.

He was dreaming— dreaming about a planet inhabited by funny dogs with no noses, and a certain pink and yellow human. He couldn't really remember who she was, not when he was in the middle of a healing coma after a particularly violent regeneration process, but somehow, he was sure of that she was special. She was the one who made him smile.

A soft smile appeared on the unconscious man's lips. Again, he sighed out a waft of golden energy, letting it escape into space and far beyond. And at the same time, his befuddled, half-asleep brain came upon the perfect word he had been looking for. A beautiful, shining word. A word that would remind him how there was still so many wonderful things left to be seen in this entire universe. A word that stood for hope and salvation for him. A word that shone brighter than the stars.

"_Rose,"_ _he whispered._

***DWDW*DWDW*DWDW*DWDW***

_The Tyler's flat – kitchen._

Jackie brought Jack and Rose a bowl of chips. She put it down in front of them, and Rose dove into it gladly. Oh, blimey, how she was hungry! Munching, she glanced sideways and saw Jack pouring himself two glasses of cocktail and offering one the Jackie, this time without any flirtatious intentions— which was quite _something_.

Jackie received the glass and emptied it. Then, wiping her mouth, she started asking in a curious tone, this time directly to Jack.

"So, Captain, do you know how on earth he can go changing his face? Is that a different face or is he a different person?"

"Well, actually, I don't know much. In the 51st century, we do know about the Time Lords— but it's more of a legend, really. A campfire story for the Time Agents." He took another sip, deep in thought. Then he continued, motioning vaguely. "All I know is that his people have a certain way of cheating death. Didn't know that it would involve face-changing stuff, though. But I'm pretty sure that he is absolutely the same man on the inside." He nodded to Rose, rubbing his nose. "Wasn't it a bit hard on you?"

"Well, it certainly was a long day," Rose sighed, stretching out her arms and legs. "And I was quite shocked at first, too, mom. 'Cause, you know, people don't usually go exploding and changing all over when they are dying, do they? Freaked me out completely. Oh, I just keep forgetting that he's not human. The big question is—"

Rose paused, frowning up at her mom. "Where'd you get a pair of men's pajamas from?

"Howard's been staying over," Jackie said. Rose's eyes almost popped out in disbelief as she bolted up straight in her seat.

"What, Howard from the market? How long's that been going on?"

"A month or so. First of all, he starts delivering to the door and I thought, that's a odd. Next thing you know, it's a bag of oranges…"

"Is that Harriet Jones?" Rose interrupted her, abruptly distracted by a familiar woman making a speech in the television. Without much thought, she got up and went into the living room. Jack cast an apologetic wink at Jackie and rushed after her. Jackie Tyler groaned in annoyance.

"Oh, never mind me."

And she followed the two of them, too.

***DWDW*DWDW*DWDW*DWDW***

"Why's she on the telly?" Rose asked, eyeing the television curiously. Jackie shrugged dismissively. Oh, a lot of things did happen these days, and Harriet Jones being on television wasn't really one of the more surprising ones. But she started explaining, anyway— after all, Rose wasn't around much nowadays, and she did need to catch on.

"She's Prime Minister now. I'm eighteen quid a week better off. They're calling it Britain's Golden Age. I keep on saying my Rose has met her."

"Did more than that. Stopped World War Three with her." Rose grinned in pride and amazement. "Harriet Jones, Prime Minister!"

_Prime Minister, what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money? _The man on the TV was asking, holding forth a microphone.

"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind." She replied without any hesitation, and Rose grinned. Oh, same old Harriet. She was always so polite, and yet so certain about what she was doing. "The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars."

Jack nodded in approval. It didn't really surprise him that much. A single encounter with the Doctor could change you in so many ways, and he could see it in Harriet's eyes. The woman who led the Britain's Golden Age— how appropriate. Now, another person had appeared on screen and was speaking.

"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle!"

_The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make its final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight._

The TV switched off. They were blankly staring at the black screen when someone loudly knocked at the door. Without waiting for an answer, it burst open and Mickey the Idiot barged in, panting. He smiled and nodded at Rose.

"Wanna go shopping? It's Christmas, you know. Gotta buy some turkeys and stuff."

"Of course, I'm in!" Rose jumped up, flashing Jack her signature 'tongue-between-teeth' grin. "What about you, Jack? Do you want to join us?"

"No, not really. Don't want to be in between an old bickering couple. Enjoy your time, Rosie. I'll keep an eye on the Doctor."

Rose pondered for a moment, and then smiled again. "Thanks! I'll be back soon."

"Yup," Jack said, still smiling, and watched the door close. He quickly turned around and made his way to the Doctor's bedroom, grabbing a mug of hot tea. He wasn't really looking forward to having, like, an hour to himself with just a slappy Jackie Tyler in the house, but he couldn't really let himself leave the poor, unconscious Time Lord in her hands, either. One of the only reasons he stayed behind.

Sure, if something breathed, he flirted with it. If it didn't breathe, he still flirted with it. But a friend's mother with a scary inclination to slap your face if you said the wrong stuff was a different matter altogether.

Putting a mug of tea by the Doctor's bed, Jack turned around to hang up his World War II greatcoat— just in time to miss the sight of another wisp of golden energy escaping the Doctor's mouth.

***DWDW*DWDW*DWDW*DWDW***

Having nothing much to do—the Doctor's condition was pretty much the same— Jack idled away on a sofa, waiting for Rose to come back. Blimey, the 21st century telly was so unbelievably boring. He only wished that the Doctor would wake up soon. Twirling the empty cocktail glass in hand, he grinned to himself in amusement.

_Four hours ago, I was facing the Daleks all on my own; and now I'm doing the domestics. Life is certainly unpredictable around the Doctor, _he thought. At that very moment, the doorbell rang, and Jackie, who had been talking nonstop on the phone, stepped forward to open it. Jack inwardly groaned in disappointment when he saw that it was a simple Christmas Tree. _And I was hoping that it was Rosie._

"Oi, you! Come over here right now and move it in!" Jackie called out to him. "Use your charming futuristic muscles for something useful!"

"Yes, sir," Jack answered playfully, saluting the blonde woman. He hopped forward and carried the Christmas Tree into a corner of the living room. Rose and Mickey the Idiot must have ordered it, he thought. Strange. He never knew that Christmas Trees could be that heavy. He sighed and shrugged, sitting back down on the couch. Jackie was still chatting away on the phone.

"Oh, no. Don't come round, darling. No, flat's all topsy turvy. Yeah, she just barges in and litters the place. Yeah. No, I'll come round and see you on Boxing day. So, save us a chipolata."

And then, suddenly—

"Get off the phone!"

Rose and Mickey burst in, looking a bit disoriented and slightly panicky. Jackie looked up from the phone, looking annoyed.

"It's only Bev. She says hello."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. Her heart was still drumming frantically. "Bev? Yeah. Look, it'll have to wait. Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," Mickey volunteered. Rose shook her head again, tugging her golden hair in frustration this time. Captain Jack Harkness slowly got to his feet, frowning. Something was wrong, his Time Agent side told him. Why? What had happened? What could possibly happen in London, Christmas Eve, 21st century?

_Oh yeah,_ he suddenly realized. Anything could happen when the Doctor was around.

"That's only two streets away! What about Mo? Where's she living now?" Rose shouted, obviously unaware of his distress.

"I don't know. Peak District?" Jackie said. Rose paused for a moment, seemingly calculating how far Peak District was. After a few seconds, she nodded in determination and announced.

"Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then."

"No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie retorted, eyeing her daughter incredulously and still holding her phone in hand. Jack took a step forward and placed his hand on Rose's shoulder, trying to make her calm down. She was almost hyperventilating, and that was never a good thing.

"Rosie, calm down. Your adrenaline is making me dizzy. What happened? Are you being chased?" He asked, his voice calm and serious. Rose didn't answer him. Instead, Mickey piped up, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

"We got attacked by crazy killer Santa brass band!"

"Yup. That's alien." Jack nodded. Since the Doctor was down and the enemy's capabilities were by far unknown, it would a wise move to run away. Wait, the Doctor! Could they be after him? Then all he could say was that it was a very bad thing.

He turned away, briefly reaching into his pocket to check his gun. He groaned in dismay when he found it empty. The Doctor must have sneaked the bullets away. Stupid of him! He didn't even have his squareness gun— it was on the TARDIS!

Rose, on the other hand, was wordlessly staring at the Christmas tree. It had just turned green. And she could swear that it wasn't there when she had left. She felt a strange, creepy sensation climbing up her spine. Slowly, slowly, she turned to her mom.

"Mum. Where'd you get that tree?"

They all turned to look. Rose continued. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

Jackie stared, looking confused. "I thought it was you."

"How can it be me?" Rose's eyebrows shot up.

"Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Jackie said, motioning at the tree with her free hand. Rose frowned.

"No, that wasn't me. Which means…"

"Then who was it?" Jackie demanded. "Who sent the tree?"

_Uh-oh._ Jack silently groaned, again, and pointed his empty gun at the tree. He could see what was coming, and he hoped that this would be better than nothing. Or maybe he could use some bananas. Letting his Time Agent side take over, he commanded in a firm voice.

"Everyone, get away from it. Right now."

Mickey and Rose complied, slowly taking a few steps back, but Jackie scoffed, clearly unimpressed. She crossed her arms and stood her place. "Oh, come on. What harm can a Christmas Tree do?"

As if giving her a reply, the tree lit up by itself and started playing Jingle Bells. Rose groaned in dismay when she saw sections of the tree starting to rotate in different directions, creating a strong wind.

"Oh, you're kidding me…"

It starts to move, chopping through a coffee table. Well, that was new. A killer, meat-grinding Christmas Tree. Jack clenched his teeth as he pulled the trigger and nothing came out. Turning around, he yelled.

"Get out! Go, go! Get out! Rose, go to the Doctor!"

Everyone ran to the door, but Mickey picked up a chair to fend it off. Jackie screamed.

"Mickey!"

The spinning tree began shredding the chair legs, and still, Mickey was standing there, his face distorted in a courageous, yet futile, effort to hold it off. Jack shook his head and ran over to grab him by the collar. Pulling the man out of danger, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Leave it! Get out! Didn't I tell you to get out of there? A wooden chair is useless!"

"Then, what do we need? What do we have right now?" Mickey said angrily. Jack pushed him into the Doctor's bedroom, where Rose and Jackie was already hiding, and slammed the door behind him. There was no hesitancy in his voice as he replied, pulling a wardrobe across the door.

"The Doctor."

Mickey stared at him incredulously. Jack searched the room for a weapon, any weapon. Anything to get rid of that blasted tree. And yet, he found none. Well, what kind of civilian would keep an axe or a squareness gun in their bedrooms? Another reason that the Doctor shouldn't be sleeping right now. He shook his head and cursed under his breath. Rose ran over to the coat hanger.

"Doctor, wake up!" She shouted. Pushing Jack's military greatcoat out of the way, she found the Doctor's jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver from its pocket. She ran back to the unconscious Time Lord and pushed it into his hand. The tree smashes through the door, shattering the wardrobe as if it was nothing

Cowering up against a wall, Jackie yelled in despair. "I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!"

Mickey backed away from the whirling tree, while Jack stood there, gritting his teeth. If there was nothing more he could do, well, then it must be the perfect time to test his newly gained immortality. Unaware of the intense situation, Rose bent over to speak into the Doctor's ear.

"Help me," she whispered.

The Doctor's eyes suddenly flashed open. He suddenly bolted up, aiming the screwdriver at the tree, making it explode. His dark brown eyes were as intense as an oncoming storm. After a brief pause, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?"

**A/N: Read and Review:) The more reviews, the faster the update! **


	4. The Christmas Invasion: Part Two

**A/N: Sorry for the late update :) Enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 3**

**The Christmas Invasion- Part Two**

The Doctor threw the dressing gown on, not even looking at Jackie, Mickey, Jack and Rose, who was watching him with their jaws hanging open. He had an air of urgency and intense concentration that no one dared to interrupt him—even Jackie, too. He rolled his sonic screwdriver in his hand once, and strode out of the flat. Rose and Jack quickly exchanged glances before hurrying after him. Mickey and Jackie followed, still looking dumbstruck.

The air was freezing, but the Doctor, in his jim-jams and dressing gown, didn't seem to mind. He came to a stop and paused, looking down. The four humans joined him and peered over the railing. Jack was quite amused to find three Santa's gazing back up at them, one holding a radio controller.

_That's new,_ he thought. Santa, trying to murder them with a Christmas tree and a PlayStation controller. Huh.

"That's them," Mickey blurted out loudly, pointing downwards. "What are they?"

"Shush!" Rose whispered, nudging him in the side. Jack snickered, and earned a sharp nudge, too. Jackie rolled her eyes, obviously not knowing what to make of their childish bicker. The Doctor still took no notice, however. He simply stared down at the three Santa's, and then aimed the screwdriver at them. Jack was surprised to see the Santa's simply back away. Then they vanished, beamed away to god-knows-where.

"They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey scoffed in surprise, then glanced at the Doctor. "I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."

Jack frowned. His 51st century Time Agent training and knowledge was kicking in. Those Santa's, they couldn't have just given up. But going away just like that…

And _then_ he realized.

"Pilot fish." He spoke out loud in astonishment. Rose glanced at him, frowning at the unfamiliar term.

"What?"

"Of course, they were just pilot fish! You know, Rosie, the little things that swim alongside the big shark. Scavengers. Sometimes they try to eliminate the defence, but they aren't built for fighting— mostly harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, if there are pilot fish, then something is coming. Something _big_." Jack paused, scrunching his nose in confusion. "But what would they come for? Earth?"

"Um, no," the Doctor said, shifting uncomfortably. "I think that it might be me."

"_You?" _They all turned around to stare at him. He nodded.

"The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. Regeneration energy. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of— _Oh!_"

His mouth suddenly dropped open, eyes wide in surprise as he stumbled backwards. Instinctively, Rose and Jack caught him before he hit the wall with his head. Even Jackie and Mickey reached forth in alarm as the Time Lord began to convulse in pain.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked worriedly, grabbing his shoulder. The Doctor whipped around and stared wildly at her, which alarmed her even further— his brown eyes were clouded in intense pain. His jaw quivered, and he took a huge gulp of air. Then the words came, rushed and strained.

"Rose, Rose, Rose, you woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy. I— Jack!"

Jack stepped forth in surprise as the Doctor's back arched, exhaling a thick cloud of golden energy. He groaned and spoke breathlessly, more to everyone rather than Jack alone.

"You see? Bad. This is very, very bad. Captain, how much have you heard of the Time Lords at the Time Agency? Have you heard about the regeneration sickness? —Oh, never mind! My head!" He spun around, reeling in pain. Jackie caught him as he almost crashed into the opposite wall.

The Doctor's body spasmed visibly as he gasped, over and over again, in order to breathe. Rose winced; the pain was almost palpable to all the beholders. A few tense seconds passed, and finally, in between the ragged breathing, he spoke up.

"I'm having a neuron implosion. I need—"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! What do you need?" Jackie cried out, distressed that she had no idea what to do. The Doctor stared intensely at her this time, and opened his mouth, his breathing going worse.

"I need—"

"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"I need—"

"Painkillers?"

"I need—"

"Do you need aspirin?"

"Aspirin?! Time Lords are _allergic_ to aspirin! They are deadly! Instant suicide! Oh, never mind. I _need—"_

"Then what?! Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need—"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

Jack really knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but feel more and more amused by this comic exchange. He could _literally_ see the Doctor going bonkers, partly because of Jackie's incessant mothering, and partly because of his inability to object. The eyes were becoming wilder and wilder, the gasps more sporadic from distress.

"I need—"

"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

And finally—  
_"I need you to shut up!"_

The Doctor managed to spit out, attempting to stand up and ending up falling back to the opposite side again. Mickey and Jack caught his body, while Jackie rolled her eyes incredulously.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"

Rose would have laughed out of amusement, if not for the obvious pain on the Doctor's face. Worried, she stepped forward, and he immediately groped and held her hand, gasping like a fish. Beads of sweat were covering his forehead; tremors shook his fingers. He knew that he was going to zone out again, and this time, even his desperate urge to protect Rose wouldn't be able to wake him up.

"We haven't got much time," the Doctor said breathlessly, eyes wide. "If there's pilot fish, then… Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?" He asked, frowning, holding an apple in his sweating hand, the concentration diverted. Jackie shook her hand apologetically.

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry."

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry."

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

The Doctor asked incredulously, frowning. Jack groaned in annoyance— of course. Where would the Doctor's babbling and tackling go? But for God's sake, this wasn't the right time; it was going nowhere!

"_Focus,_ Doc," he muttered. The Doctor turned to glare at him, opened his mouth, probably to say something tart and nasty and rude, as this body was inclined to do— but was forced to stop as a sharp sensation of pain shot through his head, making him shut up.

Clutching his hair, he grimaced and gasped. He was _really_ running out of time.

"Argh… Brain collapsing! I need some superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin to heal my synapses, like, like, t— never mind. The pilot fish, you have to pay attention to it. The pilot fish mean that something, something, something is coming. Which means, which means…!"

The words rushed out as he grabbed Jack and Mickey by the clothes and dragged them close, so that he was breathing into their ears.

Jack Harkness was taken aback to see such desperateness, and above all, such _fierceness _in the Time Lord's eyes, even as his consciousness was slipping away. For a split second, their eyes met. And the Doctor whispered, the last remaining light disappearing from his pupils.

"You two… keep Rose safe while I can't. At _all_ costs."

His hands slipped.

The Doctor fell back onto the floor. He had lost his consciousness. Again.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

Rose put the suffering Doctor back to bed and mopped his brow. Jack watched her from afar, sitting in a comfortable chair, deep in thought. Mickey, who had gone somewhere, returned with a laptop in his hand. He shouted over his shoulders at Jackie.

"Jackie, I'm using the phone line. Is that all right?"

"Yeah. Keep a count of it. It's midnight. Christmas day. Any change?"

"He's worse," Rose replied, worriedly eyeing the Doctor. She nervously tugged at the stethoscope in her hand. "Just one heart beating. Jack, I'm, I'm afraid. I'm afraid for him, I mean. Will he wake up at all? What if he's dying?"

"Don't worry, Rosie." Jack said, getting up and walking up to Rose. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, the Doctor wouldn't have changed his face into something infinitely more foxy just to die on you."

"But, are you sure?" Mickey spoke up, scoffing. He crossed his arms and tilted up his chin. "I mean, is it really him? It's rather hard to believe that someone can go about changing his face when his _dying_—"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot." Jack snapped impatiently, and Rose was surprised to see that the usual playfulness was gone from the former Time Agent's eyes. Standing up, he continued in a fierce voice. "I _know_ that that man is the Doctor. It's absolutely _plain_ that it's him."

"Yeah, and how can you know that?" Mickey challenged. Jack glowered back, but his voice was calm and low as he gave a simple reply.

"Because he asked for Rose's safety, even when he was having a neural implosion."

Rose's hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. She had _seen_ him pull Mickey and Jack close, whisper something into their ears, and then faint again, but she had never imagined that even in those dire circumstances, all that the Doctor was able to think about wouldn't be the aliens, the Earth, but _her_…

If there was any doubt left in her mind before, it was gone now.

Rose swiftly turned away and hurried out of the room, brushing back her mother. Jackie hesitated in the doorway with laundry in her arms, not having heard their conversation. Confused, she was about to ask her daughter about what was going on— but then, she thought she saw something, perhaps a teardrop, glisten in her eyes. Was she crying?

According to Jackie Tyler's algorithm, Rose Tyler's tears meant that she had to choose between one of the two options. Give her a comforting hug, or let it pass. This seemed to call for the latter. So, after a moment of contemplation, she simply turned her attention to the TV. A reporter was on screen.

"_Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes._"

Rose wiped her eyes and quickly returned to sit beside Jackie as a bearded man came onscreen and started talking hurriedly.

"_Yes, we are. We're, we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."_

"_But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?"_

"_Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it, it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks._"

Mickey and Jack came out of the room to watch TV with them. Rose flashed what she hoped was a carefree, 'Rose Tyler' grin at the two of them, so that she could at least loosen the tension.

"Look at you. After seeing all of time and space, you can't resist watching a boring Mars adventure?" She joked. Jack's face instantly lightened as he replied in a bright voice, shrugging.

"Just as the 20th century humans flocked in front of the TV to watch a man land on the moon. Historical moment."

"Ha-ha."

Uninterested in their bickering, Mickey stepped forth and frowned as the TV screen began to flicker and buzz. Something that looked like a white rock— or skull, to be more exact— loomed in and out of the view.

"Look!" He said, pointing at the screen.

"What? It's just funny sort of rocks," Jackie commented, completely oblivious.

"_The first photographs—_" The reporter started, not knowing what was about to happen, too. However, Rose shifted in her seat and frowned; just like Mickey, she could sense that something was very wrong.

"That's not rocks," she whispered. Jack's eyes hardened as he straightened his back. The reporter continued.

"_This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning._"

The screen cleared. Jackie yelped in surprise, while Rose backed away in her seat, taken aback. It was an red-eyed ugly alien with a head like a goat's skull. It growled and gurgled at the screen. She felt a sudden chill run up her spine.

"_Pilot fish. It means something's coming_," the Doctor's voice rang in her ears, loud and clear.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

"Rose. Take a look. I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way." Mickey spoke up, tapping his laptop. Jack was in the kitchen, looking for a cup of drink; Rose slowly made her way to Mickey. Her heart was heavy with worry.

_They might be coming for the Doctor,_ she thought fearfully. _Maybe, they are coming to get him, and I won't be able to stop them._

Jack came out of the kitchen, sipping some beer. Mickey, unaware of her thoughts, tapped the keyboard, getting a clear image of four of the aliens.

"Have you seen them before?" He asked curiously. Rose shook her head.

"No. Jack, any idea?"

"Nope. I'm a former Time Agent, not the Doctor, Rosie. I don't know the names of all those stuff out there," Jack said, shaking his head. Rose slumped in disappointment for a second, then perked back up when the alien leader started speaking in a rough, foreign language.

"What are they saying?" Mickey inquired again. She shrugged.

"I don't understand, Mickey. The Tardis translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am. It isn't working now. It must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's, he's not in his best mode right now. Okay?"

She turned around halfway, and gazed at Jackie. She had fallen asleep by the Doctor's bedside. She reached out to brush a few strands of hair away from her mother's eyes. Watching her, Mickey piped up, his arms crossed firmly.

"The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor, the proper big-eared Doctor, he'd wake up. He'd save us. There's an invasion coming, and all he says is 'Protect Rose. Something's coming'. So what can we do? Nothing. Yeah, fat lot of help that is."

"Oh, do shut up," Jack shot back angrily. "He _is_ the proper Doctor. Just give him a break— he almost died a few hours ago! He will wake up in the nick of time, I bet."

"But what if they take him?" Rose whispered, her eyes watering. She leaned forward and straightened the blankets— the only thing that she could do for the Doctor at the moment. Pressing her hand to his sweaty forehead, she continued. "I'm afraid. What if they come to take him before he wakes up, and we aren't able to stop them? We have to protect him this time, and I, I don't know what to do. I can't do anything for him!"

"You already did," Jack said, in a serious, quiet voice so unlike himself. Rose turned her tearful eyes to him. Mickey glanced out the window, noticing a flash of blue light sweeping across the city. He stepped out. Jack continued.

"At Satellite 5. Although you don't remember, Rose, you saved me. You saved the Doctor. Without you, he won't have regenerated; he would have died for sure. You did so much for him, Rose. Which is why he won't dare die on him. I won't let him." After a pause, he continued. "And I won't let others hurt him. Or you."

Never, Captain Jack Harkness muttered to himself. If he _was_ immortal, he was determined to make the best use of it. He'd come back from death and again to protect his team TARDIS. Yes, he would.

Rose was looking at him with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to ask something, but no words came out. And at that very moment, Mickey Smith burst into the house, panting. Jackie, startled, woke up, rubbing her eyes.

"What? What happened?" She asked, groggily looking around.

"Come out," Mickey said breathlessly. "You've got to see this!" With that, he stormed outside again. Jack and Rose quickly exchanged puzzled glances, and followed, too.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

Rose, Mickey and Jack stepped out, one by one. Noticing her friend tearfully calling after her boyfriend, Rose frowned. Again, she felt an ominous chill run up her spine.

"Sandra?" She asked.

"He won't listen. He's just walking. He won't stop walking!" Sandra cried out, sobbing, not knowing what to do. "There's this sort of light thing. Jason? Stop it right now! Please, Jason, just stop."

Jason didn't respond, but continued to walk forward. Rose followed him, but stopped midway to look down to the ground. Mickey and Jack joined her. They could see lots of people walking through the estate. A flash of blue light, again, she noted. What could it be? Alien technology?

"People are all lining up on the rooftops," Mickey commented. It was true. Rows and rows of people were gathering, flocking up the staircases. They heard nothing, they saw nothing, and it looked like no one would be able to stop them from jumping off the roofs.

"What should we do?" Jackie asked, pulling her coat tight and following them. Rose was at a loss. She hadn't seen this before, and the Doctor was still in a comatose state. Jack, on the other hand, was frowning, racking through his brain. He had seen this before. He had seen it! But where—

_Oh._

"Oh, wait, wait!" He bolted forward, grabbed Sandra by the shoulders, and flashed what he hoped was a reassuring (or charming, he didn't exactly mind) grin. "Hello, I'm Captain Jack Harkness. You don't have to worry—."

"_Jack,_" Rose groaned in exasperation. "Now is hardly the time…"

"No, no, really!" Jack shouted, swinging the poor, confused woman around and grinning like a lunatic. "You don't have to worry about them jumping off roofs. You can't hypnotize someone to death. All we have to do is wake them up!"

"You know what's going on?" Mickey asked, taken by surprise at how sure Jack seemed of himself. Jack nodded. Honestly, he was feeling a bit uncertain, but he wasn't going to let it show. Oh, never. Someone needed to be the Doctor, wasn't it so?

"Then, what do we do?" Rose asked in an urgent voice. Jack smiled inwardly, pleased to see the life spring back into her hazel eyes— _this_ was exactly what she needed. Knowing what was going on. Knowing what to do. Having a goal to accomplish. Running. A piece of 'normality'.

So, straightening up, he replied in a firm voice.

"Well then, let's carry out Plan No. 52-36!"

"What?" Jackie asked back, completely befuddled. Jack grinned.

"Oh, I made that up. Come on. The military isn't doing anything useful, which means that the Doctor is our best shot. We should keep him safe till he wakes up. That's our duty. Well then, let's move him to the safest place on Earth!"

"And where would that be?" Mickey asked. Jack paused to briefly look at him before hurrying into the Tyler's flat, his military greatcoat billowing out behind him.

"The TARDIS," he said.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

Harriet Jones was speaking onscreen as they bustled on and about, moving the limp, comatose body of the Time Lord and a few other supplies out of their flat.

"_But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there, we need you. I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, Doctor… If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us. Help us._"

"Sorry," Rose muttered, feeling bad for her. "But this is the best I can do."

"Hurry!" Jack called out, carrying the Doctor's legs. Mickey huffed, holding the upper part of his body. Suddenly, all the glass in the block of flats shattered.

"Sonic wave! It's the spaceship. It's hit the atmosphere!" Jack cried out in alarm as all the non-possessed people turned to look. Rose kicked away the glass shards from her path, watching as the big powered rock with nasty pointy bits glided overhead, as big as Westminster. She turned halfway, and groaned when she caught sight of Jackie struggling with half a dozen carrier bags.

"Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?"

"It's food! _He_ said we needed food," Jackie called back, pointing at Jack. He flinched.

"Oh, just… leave it!" Rose shouted, exasperated. She held open the TARDIS door for the two male humans and one Time Lord to enter. "And you two, move, _move_!"

They complied wordlessly. After settling the Doctor down in the pilot's seat, Mickey exhaled loudly and looked around. He walked up to the console and rhythmically tapped on it with his fingers.

"No chance you could fly this thing?" He asked hopefully.

Rose sighed, shaking her head. "Not anymore, no."

"Well, you did it before."

"I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden. Try that again and I think the Universe rips in half."

"Ah, better not, then."

"Maybe not." She agreed, then paused for a moment. "Where's Jack?"

"Captain Cheesecake?" He scoffed, shrugging towards the darkened corridors. "Mentioned something about looking for the med bay. And Tylenol. No idea."

"Right, and I have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly, can't you speak in proper English?" Jackie complained as she stepped into the Tardis. She handed Mickey a flask full of hot, steaming tea, and Rose a small cup, too. "Here we go. Nice cup of tea."

"Mmm, the solution to everything, isn't it?" Rose sighed in satisfaction, her tea-loving, British side taking over. Holding the cup in hand, she felt her body immediately relax as the familiar scent seeped into her nose. Jackie chuckled, tapping on her daughter's shoulders.

"Now, wait right here. I'll get the rest of the food."

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British." Mickey smiled, shaking the flask around to make a soft 'swishing' sound. Then he turned his attention to the scanner display screen attached to the console. Curiously, he pointed at it. "How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?"

"I don't know. It sort of tunes itself," Rose said, shrugging and taking a sip. She had no idea that, at this very moment, the Tardis was detected by the Sycorax. That right now, they were being beamed up onto their ship. She did notice, however, the odd pattern on the scanner.

"What's this?" She asked, carefully putting the cup down on the console.

"Maybe it's a distress signal," Mickey suggested, peering into the screen.

"Distress for what?" She asked, frowning. Mickey grinned mischievously at her.

"Maybe the Tardis knows that it will be stuck with your mum's cooking. That's enough to cause a distress for anyone. Or anything."

"Huh." Rose rolled her eyes. Then, standing up, she frowned. "By the way, where is she? I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there."

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine." Mickey joked. Rose put on a false look of utter seriousness as she looked at Mickey and suggested—

"Why don't you tell her yourself?"

Mickey immediately cowered back. He shook his head vigorously. "I'm not that brave."

"Oh, I don't know…"

Flashing a tongue-in-between-her-teeth grin at Mickey, Rose headed outside. And at the same moment, Jack suddenly rushed out from the corridors, holding a thick book in hand. He hesitated for a moment, then his stare locked onto the flask in Mickey's hand. Dropping the book, he lunged forward, snatched it from his hands, and started to tip its content into the Doctor's mouth.

"Hey!" Mickey protested, but Jack didn't falter. Instead, he was smiling from ear to ear like a 51st century lunatic. Deal done, he shook the empty bottle at him triumphantly.

"Tea!" He shouted, exuberant with joy. "It was tea. You know, the Doctor said that he needed a superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin, that he needed t-something. And I thought, oh, something starting with a 'T', what could it be? Tylenol? Thymus? So what I thought was, why don't I go to the med bay and look it up? And bam, here it is. Tea! The magic potion of health!"

"Are you sure?" Mickey asked dubiously.

"_Of course_ I'm sure," Jack huffed, proudly crossing his arms. "I'm sure that our Sleeping Beauty will be up and about in a minute or so. Where's Rose?"

At that very second, there was a scream outside. They both froze. It was Rose.

"Rose?" They shouted in unison, running out of the Tardis without a second thought— just in time to miss the sight of the Doctor sighing, almost in satisfaction, a larger mist of golden energy escaping his lips.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

"Get off! Get off me!" Rose yelled, struggling against the firm grip of the Sycorax. Mickey and Jack ran out from the Tardis. Rose's eyes widened in panic, in fear for _her Doctor_, and she screamed.

"The door! Close the door!"

Jack faltered for a second, then bolted right back, reaching the door and slamming it shut just before a Sycorax grabbed both him and Mickey. Sighing in defeat, he stepped back. The Sycorax were cheering. Meanwhile, Rose had escaped from a Sycorax, and ran straight towards Harriet Jones.

"Rose. Rose! I've got you. My Lord. Oh, my precious thing." She tightly embraced Rose, and then leaned forward to urgently whisper in her ears. "The Doctor, is he with you?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. Then, straightening up, she continued in a stronger, brighter voice. "Well, not yet. But it won't be long!"

"Thank God," Harriet sighed in relief, and Rose flinched. _I hope_, she added silently. The translator beeped, and Alex, Harriet's right hand man, as she had put it, glanced down. Hesitantly, he read it out loud.

"The yellow girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet."

"But she can't!" Harriet protested. Rose's heart dropped for a second, but she quickly regained her courage. After all, they had survived the Daleks. What could be worse?

"Yeah, I can," she announced.

"Don't you dare." Mickey hissed. At the same time, Harriet shook her head in worry.

"They will kill you!" She said weakly. Rose faltered for a moment, glancing at Jack. Worry was in his eyes, but at the same time, he was smiling at her. He gave an encouraging nod.

"Someone's got to be the Doctor," he said. "Do it, Rose. You can do it. I've got your back. It's worth a try."

"Thanks, Jack." Rose smiled back. Straightening her back, she turned to face the Sycorax, who were waiting for her to speak. She drew in a deep breath, and started in a confident voice.

"I address the Sycorax according to Article Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation. I command you to leave this world with all the authority of the Slitheen Parliament of Raxacoricofallapatorius, and the Gelth Confederacy as… as sanctioned by the Mighty Jagrafess! Now, leave this planet in peace! We are armed. Leave. In peace," she finished, emphasizing the word. Jack bit his lips in apprehension. The Sycorax were still for a second, then they all burst into laughter.

The translator beeped, and Alex looked down in alarm.

"You are very, very funny. And now you're going to die," he said.

"Leave her alone!" Harriet shouted.

"Don't touch her!" Mickey yelled, struggling. They were both held back, staring in helpless horror as the leader lifted his whip. It was crackling with energy. He was going to kill her.

That was when Jack broke free and jumped in front of Rose. The leader struck. There was a blinding flash of energy, and he collapsed into a heap of burnt, smoking bones. Rose screamed in horror and disbelief, sobbing, falling to her knees.

"No!"

Laughing, the Sycorax leader walked up to Rose.

"Did you think you were clever with your stolen words? Look at what happened. Another primitive human's death as an example. We are the Sycorax, we stride the darkness. Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion—"

"_Then your world will be gutted_," the leader said. Alex repeated, staring at the translator.

"Then your world will be gutted…"

"_And your people enslaved._"

"Hold on, that's English." Alex said, glancing up in confusion. Harriet nodded, still holding Rose tight by the shoulders to offer what little comfort she could give.

"He's talking English," she said.

"_I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!_" The leader spat out, obviously angered by the mere notion of it.

"That's English. Can you hear English?" Harriet said. Rose simply glanced up and nodded, glaring at the leader with tearful eyes.

"Yeah, that's English." Mickey piped up.

"Definitely English." Alex agreed.

"_I speak only Sycoraxic!_"

"Yeah, you know what? I bet you do," all of a sudden, a sarcastic, pained, _familiar_ voice spoke up loudly from behind. A voice that shouldn't exist in this world anymore. Gasping in shock, they spun around in its direction.

Captain Jack Harkness, who had been lying on the ground as a heap of burnt bones just a few minutes ago, was back to life and struggling to his feet, his face scrunched in pain, but smiling nonetheless.

"Jack?" Rose asked, hardly believing her eyes. Jack fully stood up, and flashed a charming grin at her, opening his arms wide to offer her a hug.

"The one and only," he said, smirking smugly. "Captain Jack Harkness at your service."

"But… but you were _dead!_" She exclaimed, her voice shaking. Hesitantly, she stepped forward. He waited patiently, and her faltering hand met his warm, solid, _alive_ shoulder. _Real_, Rose realized. He was really, really _real_. A sob caught in her throat as she hit Jack on the chest, over and over.

"Not anymore," Jack said, pulling her into a warm, comforting embrace, giving her an awkward pat on the back. He added softly. "It's complicated, Rose. Oh, well, turns out that the Doctor was right about a few things."

"The Doctor?" She asked, sniffing, a puzzled look in her eyes. Jack smiled tightly, nodding.

"Yeah. I'll explain later. Right now, let's take care of this." With that, he turned around to the Sycorax, who were watching him with mingled looks of hate and fear and awe. Jack shrugged and greeted them in a sarcastic voice. "Hello, again."

"_Witchcraft! You are an abomination, human!_" The leader spat out, taking a step back. "What_ are you?_"

"Yeah, maybe. But you know what, fellas? That shouldn't be your chief concern right now. Actually, you should be running. Running as fast as you can. Because you are in big, big trouble." Jack paused, grinning. Oh, this was fantastic. Just in the nick of time. "If I can hear English, then it's being translated. Which means it's working. Which means…"

Everyone turned to look at the Tardis. The door swung open, and there stood the Doctor, hands in his pockets, brown hair sticking up like crazy, fully clad in his stripy pajama glory.

"Did you miss me?" He said cheekily.

**A/N: This chapter was mainly about Jack helping Rose through her doubts about the Doctor, and their strong friendship. But trust me, the next one will be more Ten/Rose centric! :) Review for the next chapter!**


	5. The Christmas Invasion: Part Three

**A/N: Thank you for your affection :) The next chapter will be posted after I get seven reviews for this chapter :) Also, thank you, my dear beta reader, Anna O'Carrick, for contributing **_**so**_** much to my story's quality! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

**The Christmas Invasion: Part Three**

The Sycorax leader roared in fury and cracked his energy whip, and Rose's breath hitched as the terrible scene of Jack crumbling to ashes replayed before her eyes. However, the Time Lord caught the end of the whip with ease and pulled it out of the leader's hand.

"You could have someone's eye out with that," he complained in an annoyed_, bored_ voice, even. Jack silently rolled his eyes. _Showoff,_ he grumbled under his breath.

"How dare!" The leader cried out angrily as the Doctor proceeded forward, and brandished a thick club. He simply grabbed it and broke it across his knee. Harriet Jones was watching him with a mixture of fear, confusion and awe, while Rose was smiling in relief. The Doctor flung the club away and pointed warningly at the Sycorax.

"You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. I'm busy." With that, he walked away from the baffled, angry Sycorax leader and stopped in front of them, beaming. "Well, look who's here! Mickey, hello! Rose Tyler, fantastic as always! Haven't been hurt or injured, right? Good. And Captain Jack Harkness— nice job." His voice dropped lower as he leaned forward. He whispered, "_You_ kept Rose safe when I couldn't. Thank you."

"Anytime, Doc," Jack grinned back. "As I've said before, she's worth dying for. Ah, by the way, you were right about that. My immortality. Took the words right out of their mouth. Really, you should have seen their faces."

"Oh, really?" the Doctor murmured. He seemed to be in deep thought for a second, and then abruptly broke out of it, grinning. "Ah, and also thanks for the tea. Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea! Just the thing for healing the synapses. I told you, Jack is absolutely brilliant. And I guess I've got to give Jackie Tyler a bit more credit for her cooking and tea-making."

"I don't have to buy you a drink anymore, right?" Jack joked back, and Rose giggled in amusement. The Doctor gave her a warm smile and wriggled his eyebrows playfully, and then spun around to greet Harriet with great enthusiasm.

"_Aaand_ if this isn't Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'. Now, first thing's first." With that, he stepped away from the befuddled woman to face Rose. His face was more serious than ever before, a dark storm brewing within his pupils.

"Be honest, Rose." He said quietly, and Rose flinched, feeling oddly nervous about what was coming. For a split second, everyone was listening in tense silence. Finally, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"How do I look?"

Jack groaned. Oh, of course. This new, foxy Doctor was bound to be bloody _egocentric_. Of all the things he could have been concerned about, his (unnecessarily charming, Jack had to admit) looks _had_ to be his chief subject of concern. Mickey was staring at him in disbelief, while Rose was merely puzzled.

"Er, different." She said.

"Good different, or bad different?" The Doctor said, fidgeting with apprehension. _So_ like a schoolboy hopelessly in love. _Now you won't be able to deny it anymore_, Jack grinned inwardly. It was so openly visible that it was almost embarrassing.

"Just different," Rose said. Then, flashing a 'tongue-in-between-teeth' smile, she added playfully, "You look quite nice, though. Especially the hair."

The Doctor beamed at her for a second, but turned serious soon enough. It must have been the mention of his hair that triggered the thought. Anxiously, he asked Rose again.

"Am I… ginger?"

"Er… sorry, no, you're just sort of…" Rose racked her brain, desperately trying to find the right words. She came up with nothing. "Brown," she finished, sighing. Immediately, the Doctor's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger. How unfair is that? Nearly ten lives, and I've never been ginger!" he whined, and then shot an accusatory glare at Mickey, brandishing his finger. "And you, Mickey Smith, fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me. Learn from Rose and Jack, won't you?"

"Doctor," Jack warned. The Doctor stepped back, startled at his own attitude.

"Oh, that's rude. Completely against the Christmas spirit. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger," he sighed. And that was when Harriet Jones decided that she could stand this… this bizarre situation no more. Who _was_ this strange, babbling man that stepped right out from the TARDIS and seemed to know all of them very well?

"I'm sorry. Who is this?" She asked in a challenging voice, pointing at the Time Lord. The Doctor stared at her, frowning, as if she had questioned the most obvious thing in the whole wide universe.

"I'm the Doctor," he said. Rose nodded eagerly in agreement.

"He's the Doctor."

"But… but what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?" Harriet asked, her voice getting higher and higher; her glance fleeted from the Doctor to Rose and back again. Rose bit her lips and shrugged, not knowing what to say; it had taken a long time to convince herself, which made her unsure if she could convince the Prime Minister.

But then again, the only reason Rose had held back from this new Doctor was because she was scared for the old one— because she had cared so deeply for him. Her heart ached momentarily, but she sternly told herself that he was still the same person; he was, and always would be, 'the Doctor', her friend.

Not knowing Rose's complicated emotions, the Doctor stepped forward without any hesitation, and gazed straight into Harriet's eyes.

"I'm him," he said, pausing to emphasize each word and let it sink into the woman before him. "I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything."

Jack noticed his gaze momentarily darting in the direction of Rose, lingering on her face for a split second, before turning his attention back to Harriet Jones again. Rose didn't notice, though. Harriet shook her head, feeling disoriented.

"But… but you can't be," she said, her voice weak. The Doctor stepped forward, and this time, his voice was firmer, more urgent, so much so that it reminded Rose of the old Doctor, the one with the big ears and a cranky smile, more than ever before.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, and it wasn't the war," he said quietly. "It was the thought of your mother being on her own."

"Oh, my God," Harriet breathed, her eyes widening from shock and realization. "It's you. Doctor, you're really you."

The Doctor finally grinned, satisfied. "Did you win the election?"

"Landslide majority," she answered, beaming. Jack could see the tension ease from her features, replaced with feelings of joy and relief. She knew. She knew that now that the Doctor was here, everything will be okay. It was only a matter of time—

"_If I might interrupt!_" The Sycorax leader snarled, drawing their attention back to him. The Doctor waved mockingly and spoke in his distinctly unafraid, daring voice.

"Yes, sorry. I'm so confused right now that I forgot you were still here. Hello, big fellow."

"_Who exactly are you?_" The leader growled back. The Doctor snorted, shrugging.

"Well, that's the question, isn't it? They ask me all the time. Daleks, Sontarans…never mind."

"_I demand to know who you are!_" He roared, infuriated by the mocking tone of the Time Lord. The Doctor dropped his patience, spun around and hollered back in a thundering voice, mimicking the Sycorax leader.

"I— don't— know!" With that, he returned to his more serious tone and continued. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, and I really care about my friends, Earth, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested."

He started walking, passing by Harriet, Mickey, Rose and Jack. "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" Rose and Jack exchanged quick smiles; they had both reached an unsaid agreement regarding the answer to the last question. The Doctor didn't notice, of course. Walking past the other Sycorax warriors, he went on with his incessant babbling.

"Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob!" Mickey couldn't help but roll his eyes at how satisfied he sounded. The Doctor suddenly sprinted forward and bounded up the stairs, coming to a stop in front of the blood controller.

"And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button? A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" The Doctor grinned knowingly as he threw open the base of the pillar under the button. He reached out and dipped his finger into the dark-colored liquid there, and held it back up. Peering at it closely, he hummed out loud.

"And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means blood control. Blood control!" His face cracked into a loony grin. He continued in an overly bright_, delighted_ voice, even. "Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. _Because I really don't know who I am._"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this…" Jack muttered his breath. The Doctor, of course, took no heed— or, rather, pretended so. His big, brown eyes were flashing dangerously as he babbled on.

"I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do _this_." Clenching his teeth, he forcefully slammed his palm on the button.

"No!" Harriet gasped out in horror. Rose stared at him wordlessly. Right. No. That man was the Doctor, she was absolutely positive of that; and the Doctor cared about humans' lives more than anyone. Anyone. But then why did he hit that button?

_You don't have to worry about them jumping off roofs— You can't hypnotize someone to death._

Abruptly, Jack's voice rang out clear and loud in her ears. Rose's eyes widened for a split second in realization, and then she spun around to face Harriet.

"He saved them," she whispered in joy. "He woke them up. He saved them!"

"No, he didn't," Alex argued back. "You saw it. He pushed the button. He killed them!"

"He'd never do that," Jack announced firmly, every word ringing with unwavering trust. Rose nodded, squeezing his hand tight with her own. The Doctor flashed a grateful smile at his two faithful companions, and turned to question the Sycorax leader.

"What do you think, big fellow? Are they dead?"

The leader scowled, and unwillingly growled out, _"We allow them to live." _

"Allow? You've no choice!" the Doctor frowned and scoffed incredulously. "I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis."

"Aww, that'll surely be a sight for sore eyes. Can't I use some blood control on you?" Jack whined, and Rose giggled a little at the idea of the Doctor walking like a chicken, singing like Elvis, or taking his pants off— _oh_. She gulped. _No, that wasn't a good idea. Not at all._

"Don't even dream of it, never works on the superior Time Lord physiology," the Doctor replied cheerfully. "Anyway, hypnotizing someone to suicide? Nope. Highly unlikely. Survival instinct's too strong."

"_Blood control was just one form of conquest_," the Sycorax leader spat out. "_I can summon the armada and take this world by force!"_

"Well, _yeah,_ you could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could." The Doctor scrunched his face in disdain, then leaned forward, his eyes as wide and earnest as possible. Every vowel, every syllable was savored by his tongue as he delivered his speech— Rassilon, he really _did_ have an amazing gob.

"But why? Look at these people. These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than… No, hold on." The Doctor shook his head and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, that's The Lion King."

"No way," Mickey groaned in disbelief, and Rose giggled. The Time Lord paused to wink at her, and continued smoothly, straightening his back.

"But the point still stands. Leave them alone!" He proclaimed, an air of utmost confidence surrounding him.

"_Or what?_" The Sycorax hissed contemptuously. The Doctor's eyes flashed dangerously, but his voice was still calm and controlled, which sent chills down the beholders' spine all the more.

"Good question, big fella. Or—" Abruptly, the Doctor pulled out a long sword from another Sycorax warrior standing by the side and ran back towards the TARDIS. He stopped right in front of the blue police box and spun around, holding the sword high up in the air.

"I challenge you!" he shouted.

The warriors burst into an incredulous laughter, and Rose glanced at him in worry; sure, the Doctor was absolutely brilliant, and no one could talk as he did. But man-to-man combat? With swords? She wasn't so certain about that. Jack licked his lips beside her, obviously feeling more than concerned as well.

The Doctor, however, was the very picture of confidence as he stood there, smirking.

"Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

"_You stand as this world's champion?_" The Sycorax leered in a hissing voice. The Doctor shrugged.

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up," he said, casually walking up to Rose and handing her his dressing gown. He glanced back at the waiting crowd of the Sycorax, and bent forward to whisper in her ear.

"Don't worry. I've had some experience. Richard the Lionheart. Cyrano de Bergerac. Errol Flynn. He had the most enormous ego. Anyway, I've won every single one of them, and the point is…" If Rose hadn't known the Doctor, she would have said that he was embarrassed. Averting his eyes, he licked his lips nervously and finished quickly. "You don't have to worry."

"Okay," Rose whispered back, smiling a little. "Just… be careful, will you?"

"I'll try," the Doctor promised. Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation; they were like a blossoming couple— _anyone_ could see the all-too-sweet atmosphere between the two of them. And the only ones that didn't know were themselves! How depressing was that? It was something that Captain Jack Harkness, 51st century pheromones, the Master Flirter, couldn't understand in a million years.

"Don't get your hand cut off or something," he interjected crossly, and the Doctor straightened his back, a playful smile making its way to his lips. He winked at Rose and Jack.

"You'll see."

With that, he turned around and strode up to the leader, sword in hand. His eyes were fierce as he slammed the blade onto the ground and spoke out loud, in a challenging voice.

"So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a _cranak pel casacree salvak_?"

The last part was unintelligible to the humans, but Rose thought that it must have been an insult for the Sycorax, for the leader scowled and made up his mind, taking out his own sword.

"_For the planet_?" he snarled. The Doctor prepared himself and repeated the words in agreement.

"For the planet."

That was it. The two champions, the Sycorax and the Doctor, rushed forward and clashed swords. They struggled in that position to gain the upper hand for a second, but it soon became clear that the Sycorax leader was stronger. He roared and gave a push, and the Doctor lost his balance and stumbled back, almost letting go of the sword in the process.

The Sycorax roared out and charged at the Doctor, and Rose cried out in alarm.

"Look out!"

She'd done that just in time. The Doctor ducked, narrowly avoiding being slain by the enemy, and gripped the hilt of the sword, balancing himself again. The Sycorax leader was the more experienced swordsman, for he had been trained for war since the moment he was born. He needed to pull some cleverer tricks to win this combat. He needed a larger space.

"Don't worry, Rose!" he said, sprinting through the crowd and retreating up a tunnel. "I've got it all under control!"

"Liar," Mickey muttered, but his jaw dropped as the Doctor slammed on a button, opening up an exit to the outside_. What's he doing?_

Having more knowledge of personal physical combat than the others, Jack nodded in approval at the Doctor's tactics. Smaller space made things harder for the less experienced, for it gave troubles to them when avoiding attacks. _Nice move, Doc_, he mused.

Glancing back at the Sycorax leader, who was stomping towards him, the Doctor called out in a loud voice.

"Bit of fresh air?"

And he dashed out into the daylight, his mind racing. All he knew for certain was that he had to win this fight, and he had to survive, too. For Earth. For humans. For Jack. For Ian, Barbara, Sarah Jane, the Brig, Jo Grant, Grace Holloway… and many others living somewhere down there.

And for Rose, of course.

Rose, Jack, Alex, Mickey and Harriet followed the other Sycorax soldiers out into the light. The Doctor was battling his opponent again, and Rose watched in horror as he got driven back to the edge, and was slammed on the nose forcefully. The Doctor staggered in pain, but when Rose instinctively started towards him to offer some help, he shook his head and shouted at her.

"Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

Rose faltered in her step, and the Doctor wiped his nose. Then the Sycorax gave his sword a large swing, and the Doctor charged forward, too. They started exchanging blows again. Jack felt a little unnerved, but he couldn't help but notice that the Doctor was standing up against his opponent extremely well. He was showing some very good movements, keeping up nicely…

He immediately regretted thinking so when the leader knocked the Doctor down and slashed.

And Rose's breath hitched in shock as she saw the Doctor's hand being cut off, falling to Earth with the sword. The Doctor watched it disappear from his sight, then looked briefly at the stump that used to be his hand. Turning his head to stare at the Sycorax leader with wide eyes, he breathed out.

"You cut my hand off."

At that moment, Jack, shocked as he was, instantly _knew_ that there was something; one, there wasn't any pain in his voice, and not a single drop of blood was coming from his injured wrist. Two, you could never say anything for certain when it came to the Doctor's stupid Time Lord physiology.

"_Ya! Sycorax!_" Unaware of Jack's speculations, the leader brandished his sword high up in the air and cried out in triumph. The other warriors cheered in unison. But this fight was yet to end; Rose watched fearfully as the Doctor slowly got to his feet, slightly out of breath— but, to everyone's surprise, smiling.

"And now I know what sort of man I am," he declared, and the leader turned around to stare at him in puzzlement. The Doctor was literally radiating with triumph and pride as he continued, holding up his wrist. "I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do _this_."

With that, his hand started to restore itself— starting from the palm, and then the fingers, growing, lengthening… _back_. Mickey's jaw dropped, unable to conceal the amazement he was feeling at the moment. He had just spontaneously regrown his _hand_ on the spot, for God's sake!

"_Witchcraft_," the Sycorax hissed. The Doctor raised his eyebrows smugly.

"Time Lord," he corrected. Jack let out a long whistle, and Rose couldn't hide her smile as she spun around and quickly pulled a sword away from a nearby Sycorax warrior.

"Doctor!" she shouted in joy, and threw him the sword. The Doctor neatly caught the sword by the hilt and winked at her in delight.

"Oh, you brilliant girl! Nice job. Fantastic. No, don't like saying that too much anymore. Wait, wait, wait, wait… oh, I get it." He grinned widely at her, and it made her heart jump. "_Allons-y, Rose Tyler!_"

Rose had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but it had a nice ring to it—she returned a warm smile. The Doctor turned back to the Sycorax leader and wriggled his fingers playfully.

"Want to know the best bit?" He grinned in excitement. "This new hand? It's a _fightin' hand!_"

They started fighting again, and the sound of them clashing swords drowned out Jack's annoyed groaning— seriously, did he have to use a terrible, poorly exaggerated American accent to say that? Really?

But he couldn't really complain, for the Doctor quickly overpowered and disarmed the Sycorax leader, completing his task. The Time Lord thumped both hilts into his opponent's abdomen, twice. He fell right on the edge, and the Doctor prevented him from getting back up by pointing the blade his sword at the leader's neck.

"I win," he said darkly. The Sycorax glared back.

"_Then kill me,_" he ground out. The Doctor shook his head.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

Having no choice, the leader spat out reluctantly. "_Yes_."

The Doctor was unwavering. "Swear on the blood of your species," he commanded.

"_I swear._"

"There we are, then." The darkness in his eyes disappeared as he smiled and flung away his sword. He started walking towards the waiting crowd. "Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow."

"Bravo!" Harriet Jones, impressed beyond words, started clapping. Jack grinned joyously and decided to join in. Clapping alongside, he cheered.

"That says it all. Bravo!"

"Thank god," Rose sighed in relief and rushed forward, and the Doctor wriggled his eyebrows at her as he let her help him put on the dressing gown.

"Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams, isn't it?" He commented, and she gave him her special 'tongue-in-between-teeth' grin. The Doctor smiled back and continued. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?"

Frowning, he groped in his pockets and found a…

"A satsuma," he said incredulously, furrowing his eyebrows. "Ah, that friend of your mother's. He does like his snacks, doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?"

As he babbled on, the Sycorax leader got up, grabbing his sword and running towards them. Jack's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to warn him, but it was unnecessary. The Doctor knew what was happening behind his back— superior Time Lord senses, of course.

He almost threw the satsuma at a control pad on the spaceship hull. That would have opened up a part of the wing, making the Sycorax fall far, far down to the ground below, killing him instantly. He almost said that _there was no second chances, _that_ he was that sort of a man._

But he _wasn't_ that sort of man.

When he had regenerated, Rose and Jack had never given up on him. They had trusted him, in spite of his different face and quirks; they had done their best to protect him. They had given him a second chance with them.

So he decided to be a better man.

Turning around, he pointed at the Sycorax leader, his eyes flashing like a fierce storm, like fire and ice and rage. His voice rang out cold and loud.

"_Stop!_ The fight is over. You have sworn on your people's blood; obey the word of the champion."

The Sycorax froze on his spot, unable to move an inch as his words and his blood bound him. The Doctor stared down at him coldly, and the leader's jaw quivered— even though his eyes were full of resentment and hatred for the Time Lord, he couldn't help but feel fear as the Oncoming Storm stood over him. Slowly, slowly, he dropped onto his knees. Roaring out in vain for one last time, he dropped his sword.

"There will be no third chances," the Doctor warned, his gaze unwavering and his voice calm and carefully controlled. But anyone could see the deadly fury just below. "Remember. I'm that sort of a man. I forgive once, but not twice. Let's go, Rose."

With that, he turned away and walked down the stairs. Rose, Jack, Mickey and Harriet hurriedly followed. From afar, they could hear the leader's howl of fury and defeat echo in the tunnel.

The Doctor was firmly staring down an entire army of Sycorax as he made his speech.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential— when you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this_. It. Is. Defended_."

The moment his words came to an end, the TARDIS, Harriet, Alex, Rose, Mickey and the Doctor were beamed away. The Sycorax seemed to be more than eager to get away from them— and this well-defended planet of humans.

ㅇ

Rose blinked away the disorienting feeling that came from the sudden teleportation, and asked in confusion, looking around, "Where are we?"

"I've got absolutely no idea," Jack said, grinning. "I'm a 51st-century American from the Boeshane Peninsula, after all. And London didn't look like this during the World War Two. What about you, Mickey? Got anything to say?"

Mickey's eyes widened as he looked around. He shouted joyfully, "We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we _did_ it!"

With that, they immediately started jumping around and whooping in excitement. The Doctor frowned up at the sky, and backed away.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," he said, holding them in place. They went quiet for a moment, and looked up. Standing there, they watched together as the Sycorax spaceship flew away. A huge smile lit up Rose's face. It was really, truly over! The Doctor had come back, and he'd done it again!

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey yelled at the retreating spaceship, brandishing his fist in the air. Rose joined in, laughing along.

"Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Jack shouted, and the three of them embraced each other, still laughing in joy. Then Rose turned to hug Alex. In fact, she was in such a good mood that she could have hugged anyone. Even something all green and alien-y like a Slitheen. Oh, whatever!

The Doctor stood afar, then nodded at Harriet, who approached him with a warm, genuine smile on her face. "My Doctor," she greeted him. He smiled back.

"Prime Minister."

They hugged for some time, and soon enough, she drew back and looked up at him, beaming.

"Absolutely the same man," she declared.

"Thank you." The Doctor said, and glanced at Rose Tyler, who was waving at her mother joyfully. He dearly hoped that her thought was the same too. Of course, he knew that she had stayed with him through the Game Station, the regeneration, and the most dynamic Christmas ever, but still, there was a nagging fear in his heart that somehow he would disappoint her, and she would leave.

_No, that would never happen,_ he admonished himself. He would never let himself disappoint his brilliant Rose Tyler. He would do his best to even outdo Big Ears. He would…

"Are there many more out there?" Harriet spoke up, gazing at the faraway sky, abruptly pulling him out of his contemplations. The Doctor let his jaw hang open for a second, and then snapped it shut and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. _Thousands_ of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it," he said, frowning. Harriet nodded wordlessly.

They stood like that for a few more seconds in silence, and the Doctor turned around to look when he heard the ever-so-loud voice of Jackie Tyler, who was running to her precious daughter.

"Rose!"

"Mum!" Rose laughed and hugged her, and Jackie swung her around, literally jumping in joy.

"Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!"

"You did it too," the Doctor said, shrugging. They turned to look at him, and he smiled warmly as he continued. "Jack fed me your tea. That was all that I needed, a fabulous cup of Jackie Tyler tea. Fixed my head."

"I said so," Jackie immediately retorted. Then she eyed him up and down, frowning suspiciously. "Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor? And oh my God, is that the bleeding Prime Minister?!"

"Of course, mum," Rose said, rolling her eyes. The Doctor felt his heart flutter with warmth at the sureness, the confidence in her voice. She believed in him. She knew that he was the Doctor, that he was always the same man. He grinned from ear to ear, and pulled Jackie forward.

"Come here, you," he said playfully. And they hugged. Mickey, Rose, and Jack all joined in, hugging and laughing in joy. Like a family. Like an old, proper family that he hadn't had for a long time, not after the War… no, he wasn't going to think about the Time War. He'd let himself fall into the blissful happiness and some domestic comfort that these humans gave him, at least just for today.

"Are you better?" Jackie asked, pulling away and eyeing him up and down again, this time out of motherly instincts.

"Absolutely fantastic," the Doctor grinned. Jack watched them exchange some jokes and playful conversation with fondness, and walked a few steps away. By doing that, he accidentally overheard Alex answering a phone call. He murmured something urgently, and put down the phone to look at Harriet Jones.

"It's a message from Torchwood. They say they're ready," he said. Harriet glanced back at the Doctor hesitantly, as if debating with herself what to tell the people on the other end. Alex put a little more emphasis in his words, trying to urge her into speaking.

"They might come back, ma'am. I say you should give orders."

"You're trying to blow them up, aren't you," Jack spoke up loudly from behind, realizing what they were talking about. Harriet turned around in surprise. Jack shook his head.

"You shouldn't. You really shouldn't."

"Why not?" she inquired, and it was more of a challenge than a question. Jack's lips set into a serious, rigid line.

"They are _leaving_," he answered quietly. "They aren't coming in for another attack. Blasting them into dust would be murder, not defensive tactics. The Doctor wouldn't like it. And trust me, he can be very, very scary when he is furious."

"Prime Minister," Alex spoke. Harriet held up her hand.

"Just a moment, Alex," she said. She looked up at Jack, and shook her head.

"I can't help it if he doesn't like it. What I was about to give permission to was adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago. The Doctor said himself that they would go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. In which case we have to defend ourselves. Britain's golden age comes with a price."

"The human race…..."

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf," she said, and this time, Jack shook his head. His eyes were grim.

"No, I mean the future human race. Britain's golden age might come with a price, but it will come to pass someday. And it did. I'm from the future, the 51st century, and I'm imploring you, ma'am. Someday, the aliens will come back, and humans will have to coexist with them. If not for the Doctor, do it for them. Help them go through it peacefully. Don't give the orders— don't kill them. Let the Sycorax leave and tell the others. That Earth is defended. That they shouldn't make war, but peace, with the humans." Jack paused, and then added, "Please."

Harriet's eyes were full of conflicted emotions, and her mouth quivered a little. She turned around halfway, and spoke to Jack in a quieter voice.

"I'm sorry, but you three are not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while the Doctor was sleeping." A beat. Her voice rose slightly in agitation. "What should I do next time he's not here? We have to defend ourselves, and…"

"You can call us," Jack said, his earnest gaze unwavering, never leaving Harriet's face. "The Doctor might not carry a phone around the entire time, but Rose does. I can give you her number. Call us. Ask for help. We have the best time-and-space traveling police box in the entire universe. We will be there before you can even blink, Prime Minister."

Their gaze met briefly, and finally, Harriet Jones gave him a quick nod. Having made her decision, she gave her order to Alex in a firm voice.

"I know I might regret this….. but the war is over. Tell them to cancel the attack."

Alex hesitated, but nodded, too. He picked up his phone and spoke into it. "Plan canceled. Do not fire. Repeat, do not fire."

Harriet turned back to face Jack. "I hope you keep your promises, Captain."

"Thank you," Jack said, smiling. Then he quickly took out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled the number of Rose's superphone on it and handed it to her. "We'll always be there for you," he promised. "And the Doctor won't be sleeping next time. I give you my word, ma'am."

"Again, thank you. Now I guess I should go have a press meeting," she sighed. "I wonder what we should say about all this. The hardest thing about being a Prime Minister is making things up. Anyway, have a merry Christmas."

"You too, Prime Minister." Jack winked at her, and Harriet started walking away, Alex trailing behind her. He stood still for a moment, staring at her back in relief— he'd _done_ it, he'd stopped her from blowing up those aliens— until Rose called after him from afar, unaware of what just happened.

"Jack! Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, I am!" Captain Jack Harkness startled and flashed a grin at her, purely out of reflex. Of course, he _was_ coming. With the Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS, as it should be. But he had something important to do before he went to join them.

"I can't believe that the Doctor forgot his damn _hand,_" Jack muttered under his breath before tapping on his Vortex Manipulator. It beeped, projecting a hologram of a map with a bright dot in the middle. There it was. He had to retrieve it before some other stupid humans did. As he'd said before, a single bottle of a Time Lord's blood could change an entire human history. And he couldn't even imagine what a whole _hand_ could do. Which was why he had some work to do.

Jack started running, his military greatcoat billowing out behind him. The crisp, cool air of a Christmas morning greeted him. He grinned to himself, feeling great.

Everything was going to be fine. Forever.

ㅇ

The Doctor was picking himself a new outfit in the TARDIS wardrobe. He momentarily considered the outfit that Casanova had given to him as a gift, but shook his head. Too much of Jack's taste. Downright appalling. His scrutinizing gaze casually swept over an old hat stand with a long scarf on it. He didn't feel like wearing it— he wasn't at all like his fourth regeneration when it came to fashion.

It was then when he found a brown pinstripe suit and a long brown coat. He immediately liked it. To make things even better, it was one of those coats that had two bigger-on-the-inside pockets.

He pulled it out from the wardrobe and put it on. Ooh, this body was slim, but these clothes were just the right size. Must have been the work of the TARDIS. Thanking her silently, he spun around once in front of the mirror, judging his outlook. Okay, fine, nice, great… quite handsome, actually— wellll, at least far better than Big Ears…

_Would Rose like his new look?_

The Doctor startled and immediately withdrew, sputtering at himself quite incredulously. This was getting ridiculous. He was acting so like a common lovesick schoolboy, no, he was a Time Lord, he was above this kind of—!

"Having an inner conflict?"

The Doctor almost jumped on the spot, and groaned in annoyance when he saw Jack standing in the doorway, smirking in amusement. Of course. It had to be Jack. Captain Jack Harkness that went with the subject of 'flirting' like bees went with honey. He wasn't tempted at all to ask him for a good piece of advice. Of course not.

"What makes you think so?" He shot back, almost too sharply. Jack waggled his eyebrows, putting a transparent glass case containing the Doctor's severed hand down on the console.

"You seriously don't know?"

"What?"

Jack smirked smugly and crossed his arms.

"You were thinking out loud, Doc."

…_Oh. _

Jack started roaring with laughter as the Doctor flushed bright red.

**DW*DW*DW*DW*DW**

Mickey, Rose and Jackie were back at the flat having Christmas dinner. Mickey had just carved out a good chunk of turkey when the Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness entered by the door. Rose grinned up at them and waved, and Jack waved back cheerfully.

"What on earth were you doing?" She asked as the two of them sat in front of the table, joining her family for a good Christmas meal. She frowned. "And why are you all reddish, Doctor? Did you have a drink or something?"

"Something equivalent of that," he muttered darkly. Jack rolled his eyes, and smiled cheekily at Rose Tyler.

"He just had a conversation with me."

"Oh, I understand." Rose grinned. "Here, have this."

She passed him the crackers. The Doctor eyed them curiously, and soon enough, he was back to his old self—cheerful, talkative, babbling and ever so curious. Thus the dinner progressed into the night, peaceful and joyous. They all started laughing their heads off when the Doctor's cracker revealed to hold a pink crown.

He groaned. "Oh, that's yours," he said, handing it to Rose. She squealed in delight.

"It's pink! Mum, it should be yours."

Mickey grinned as Jackie Tyler was half-forced into wearing the pink crown. He glanced at the TV without thinking. And that's when he noticed a familiar figure. "Look, it's Harriet Jones," he said, pointing at the screen. The Prime Minister, Harriet Jones, was speaking with the press.

"Prime Minister, who is the Doctor that you've mentioned earlier? You have asked for his help in a time of crisis. Can you tell us the reason?" A male reporter in the front row asked, and everyone in the room stared at the Doctor. He got up onto his feet and put on a pair of spectacles to watch the interview.

"He's our defender," Harriet stated, not being too specific, but Rose noticed a warm smile floating onto her lips. "He's our dear friend that most of us don't know about. Today, the human race had come into contact with an alien race for the first time, and it could have turned into a war. It was he who stopped them; it was his friend who stopped us from attacking back. Thanks to him, we could make peace with those living somewhere out there."

She smiled, this time at the screen. "The Doctor will always be our savior, and I'll forever thank him."

The Doctor grinned back at the screen, even though he knew she wouldn't be able to see him. Harriet Jones and the Britain's golden age. _Fantastic woman_, he mused. At that very moment, Jackie's phone started ringing. He watched her answer the call, chatter away excitedly for some time, and lower the phone and beckon them forward towards the door.

"It's Bev ," she announced. "She says go and look outside."

"Why?" The Doctor asked, confused, as Jackie pulled him and Rose along. Mickey and Jack hurriedly got up from their seats and followed them, looking equally as confused. Jackie Tyler shrugged and chastised him impatiently.

"I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!"

It was snowing. At least, it looked like it was snowing. The ground was covered with beautiful white flakes falling from the sky, and streaks of light were crossing the night sky like shooting stars.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Rose breathed. The Doctor smiled; even after seeing the wonders of the universe, Rose Tyler still had the ability to marvel at the everyday beauties of life. She looked up at him, her eyes shining like stars themselves. "What are they, meteors?"

"I made it," the Doctor announced proudly. Rose stared at him in surprise. "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation. Simple. Don't be so surprised."

"What did you make it snow for?" Jack asked, frowning, stepping forth to join them. He looked up at the sky. Snowflakes… well, it did look good, he had to admit. He didn't have much of this in his own time.

"This is a brand-new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new. That deserved some celebration," the Time Lord declared. After a moment's consideration, he added. "Well, and it's Christmas, too. Bah. Whatever. Nice, isn't it?"

"Wonderful," Rose and Jack chorused at the same time, and the three of them simultaneously burst out laughing. Well, it was coming back together. Team TARDIS, unbeatable… fantastic. Same old life. As it always should be.

"I reckon we must be mad, the three of us," Jack said, chuckling. "We're going to go looking for trouble, endangering our own lives, and I'm already excited."

"But that's the point, isn't it?" Rose nodded happily. "There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to. Plus, we _are_ going to save planets and worlds too. Isn't that worth it?"

"Of course. Molto bene! Trouble's just the bits in-between." The Doctor grinned, putting his arms around Rose's and Jack's shoulders. "It's all waiting out there, Jack Harkness, Rose Tyler, and it's brand new to me. All those planets, and creatures and horizons… even I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes. And it is going to be _fantastic._"

They smiled at the familiar catchphrase. The Doctor was always the same man, and they knew it.

"So, where're we going to go first?" Jack asked. The Doctor's brows furrowed as he sucked on his lower lip, trying to make up his mind.

"Er, that way." He pointed up to the left, but abruptly changed his mind. "No, hold on. That way."

His face lit up in excitement as he pointed to the right. Their next destination. New Earth.

"That way?" Jack asked, his face bright as well. Rose smiled and leaned into the warmth of her two boys.

"Yeah, that way," she agreed. And the snows twinkled brightly in the starlight, singing of their unwritten journey, the future that had been changed and would be given to them, changed by the presence of a certain immortal Captain that could have been abandoned on the Game Station. And it was going to be _fantastic__._

**A/N: Cheesy, I know, forgive me. I'm just not very good at writing. Anyway, review! :) Next chapter will include a conversation between the Doctor, Jack and Rose on the TARDIS, and their first adventure on New Earth. And I promise you, it's going to be… **_**fantastic. Haha. **_

**B/N: Hey y'alls, I'm Anna, the new beta for this story! (See, A/N is Author's Note, so B/N is Beta's Note… I'm such a genius.) Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. Love you all and thank you for reading! -A**

**A/N (for Anna, this time) : Sorry, Anna, for personal reasons, I have been forced into posting this fanfic today :( I really wanted to wait for you… I'm practically sobbing out loud right now. Oh, and thank you so much! I've been amazed out of my wits at how carefully you read my story. Really. Your grammatical skills and the amount of work that you put into this story… it's practically outstanding. Brilliant. Molto bene. In short, I love you! :) **

**I live in Korea— the good thing about that is, I've learned the correct usage of semicolons in my English class. The bad thing is that I'm not that good at English, especially grammar. Where do you live? I used to live in Irvine, California… Anyway, call me 'Spero' from now on! **


	6. New Earth: Part One

**A/N: A relatively short chapter. I promise you, the next chapter will be longer! Hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Chapter Six**

**New Earth: Part One**

The Doctor casually cast aside his coat and strode up to the console. He started tinkering with the autopilot device, and hesitated for a moment. He didn't even look around to see as he held his hand out towards Jack, thankfully with all his clothes on the right way, who'd just entered the console room, munching on an apple.

"Toss me the sonic screwdriver," he said. Jack glanced around, his mouth full of apple.

"Where?" he asked. The Doctor groaned and rolled his eyes impatiently.

"_Riiiight_ there, in my coat pocket."

"Left or right?"

"I think it's in the left one."

A pause. The Doctor could hear Jack cursing quietly as he rummaged through the items in his bigger-on-the-inside pocket. Well, he had to admit that it was a teeny-tiny little bit messy down there. He had his jelly babies, the battered remains of a TARDIS manual, some bananas, the chicken he had stolen from Casanova— oh, well. He thought he could hear the faint sounds of an angry chicken pecking at the immortal man, who seemed to be yelling and struggling to get it off him.

Finally, Jack reappeared, the apple gone from his hand; his hair was all messed up, and angry scowl was on his face. Handing the Doctor his sonic screwdriver, he muttered angrily, "Damn you. Why do you keep your pockets in that horrific condition? There was a bloody _chicken_ in there!"

"Welll, I'm pretty sure that it was a hen. And she certainly wasn't bloody, when I last checked on her. Although she was a little bit furious. I speak chicken," he announced proudly, brandishing his screwdriver. "And you know what? Chickens are good for keeping time. Better than alarm clocks. Good to have one in your pockets. Anyway, where's Rose? She was supposed to come with you."

"Well, she's outside, packing her bags with Jackie," Jack replied, shrugging. The scowl slowly disappeared from his face as he thoughtfully eyed the Doctor, who was tinkering with the radio this time. After a brief silence, he promptly decided to speak up.

"You can't hide it forever."

The Doctor stiffened momentarily, and his reply came out sharper than he had intended. "What are you talking about?"

"What happened at the Game Station," Jack said, as casually as he could. He picked the apple up from the floor and tossed it up, catching it with ease. The Doctor nervously watched the former con-man's movements out of the corner of his eye.

Finally, Jack continued. "Rose asked me today," he said. "In the morning. You know, she's taking it really well, but it really freaked her out when she saw me come back to life from the ashes. The thing is, I couldn't give her a decent explanation, because I don't have the details, either."

"But I'm not hiding anything," the Doctor protested, waving his sonic screwdriver in the air. "In my defense, I _was_ dying when we had just escaped from there, and I just bounced back from that merely hours ago!"

"But ever since then, you've been avoiding that topic altogether. You haven't mentioned regeneration, or the big-eared past you, for _hours_," Jack argued back, more stubborn than ever. "As if you're afraid— afraid that we're going to realize that you _are_ a different man than whom you used to be. Doc, you know that we aren't going to do _that._ The three of us are going to stick together for, like, forever."

"I'm not afraid!" The Doctor shot back angrily, and then started mimicking the Northern Accent of his past self as he continued. "Time Lords are never 'afraid', Captain, of being abandoned by _apes." _

"Doctor…"

"Okay, okay," the Doctor sighed, shaking his head. "I'll tell you two what happened there, but only after— after our first adventure. All right?"

"Great!" Jack brightened significantly, and flashed him a playful grin. "By the way, are you still firmly in denial that you've got romantic feelings for Rose Tyler?"

"_Jack!"_

"Aw, come on, Doc. You know that I'm a love professional, I could give you an advice or two when it comes to flirting with someone. You've got a foxy enough face, to start with…"

"I appreciate your compliments, but no, Jack." The Doctor glared at him, straightening his back and crossing his arms stubbornly. "_I'm not in love with Rose!_"

Jack waggled his eyebrows and asked in a skeptical voice, "Huh. Are you sure?"

Not looking straight into Jack's eyes, the Doctor resumed tinkering with the console. "I've never been more sure of anything else in my life," he replied in a dry voice.

"Now, that's lying. Really. I see all the signs…"

"What? What signs?" He shot back, and Jack grinned, taking another bite from his apple.

"Well, to start with, when you look at her, you start smiling all goofily, no matter which face you've got; your heart seems to beat faster, making you more energetic; and your tone is, like, more rushed, and definitely higher than usual. Not to mention that I can practically smell the pheromones coming from you. Ah, and weren't you thinking out loud last night? '_Ooh, would Rose like this new look_?'" Jack smirked triumphantly as the Time Lord flushed bright red, which was rare for him. "Typical loverboy. Face it, Doc. You're falling for her. No, wait- you've already fallen."

"Oh, shut up," the Doctor shot back angrily. "Just because you have the _spectacular_ ability, I admit, to fall for virtually anyone or anything that has two legs, that doesn't mean that I happen to do so, too. Rassilon, I'm a Time Lord!"

"Well, I don't mind flirting with those that have four legs, too…"

"Jack, drop it. Ah, _finally,_" the Doctor sighed as he succeeded in powering up the TARDIS at last. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't willing to drop the subject, having made the decision to press on.

"But why? You certainly aren't the abstinent or introvert-ish type," he said, flinging his apple elsewhere. The Doctor glared at him, but he promptly ignored that and went on. "Why aren't you acting on your feelings? It's not like she would refuse. I think she likes you, too, and—"

"Jack."

The Doctor put down his sonic screwdriver, and Jack fell silent. There was something in the Time Lord's voice, something more than annoyance and impatience. The Doctor didn't look at him, but slowly circled around the console, letting his fingertips run over the edge of it. When he started speaking again, the voice was quieter than ever before.

"Even if I did have feelings for Rose Tyler… I… I can't. Because I'm a Time Lord. I live for such a long time, and I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired; tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything you love turn to dust. Rose isn't immortal. She's just an ordinary human, with an ordinary lifespan… She can spend the rest of her life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with her. I have to live on. _Alone._ That's the curse of the Time Lords."

Silence. Jack stared up at the ceiling.

"As far as I can see, I'm going to live forever, too," he said quietly. The Doctor's eyes widened in shock as the words sank in. He spun around to stare at Jack.

"Oh. Right. Sorry, I'm so sorry, didn't mean that— oh, Jack, I don't know how to undo this…"

"No, don't, Doc. Don't be sorry. Even if I'm immortal, what's important to me is this moment. _Right now._ So I guess I'm going to stick around, even if, one day, I'm going to lose you guys. You're my friends, no matter what."

"Thank you, Jack. Really. But I… I….." the Doctor struggled with himself, and Jack was surprised to find that he was at a loss for words. The Doctor, who knew millions and millions of languages, who was able to talk the Daleks, Silurians and all those creatures away, was speechless. The Time Lord was visibly agitated as he continued.

"I… I can't do this. I just can't. I can't risk it. I've lost too much. Falling in love with her and losing her all over again… that's, that'll push me over the edge. I'm going to be best friends with her, and give her the best time ever, sure, but no… not any further. I can't do that."

There was a heavy silence. Jack was taken aback at how sad and… and _old_ the Doctor looked. And then they heard the door open. It was Rose.

"Don't tell her a word of this," the Doctor whispered to Jack, his eyes full of unspoken grief. Jack nodded, and saluted the man. The Doctor sighed, braced himself, and jumped up from behind the console, the sadness gone from his face. It had been replaced with that familiar goofy smile.

"So where are we going?" Rose ran up to the console and asked breathlessly, smiling in excitement. The Doctor smiled back, with no trace of sadness whatsoever, and it strangely made Jack's heart ache slightly with pain.

"Further than we've ever gone before," he said, grinning. And he pulled on the lever.

* * *

The TARDIS materialized with the familiar grinding noise. The Time Lord hurriedly checked the coordinates and nodded in their direction. Rose Tyler eagerly threw the door open and bounded out the door, followed by Captain Jack Harkness and the Doctor. Her jaw dropped open as she saw what lay in front of her eyes, and this time, even Jack couldn't hide his surprise.

They were standing across the river from a massive, futuristic city. Flying cars zoomed overhead. The landscape… the smell of apple grass… oh, it reminded Jack of his _home._ The Boeshane Peninsula. 51st century. All those technology, the flying cars, the apple grass! Although he knew that he was very, _very_ far away from his homeland, he couldn't help but laugh out in delight.

"It's the year five billion and twenty three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth," the Doctor explained, grinning widely and rocking on his feet. Rose simply shook his head, feeling dazed. So fantastic. One moment she was in the TARDIS, laughing along with her two friends, and the next thing she knows is that she's on a different world. A beautiful, new world.

"That's just. That's just…"

She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. The Doctor nodded in agreement, his eyes twinkling with joy as he observed the picturesque scenery of New Earth.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," he mused, smiling. Rose laughed.

"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never! Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. And… what's that smell?"

"Apple grass," Jack Harkness chuckled, reminiscing. "My mother used to grow some in the back yard. She made me mow the lawn. When I took off my shirt and started mowing the lawn, all the girls and boys in my town would gather around the fence and try to seduce me out… oh, the good old days…"

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up," the Doctor interrupted, rolling his eyes incredulously. Rose giggled, and tugged the Doctor and Jack close.

"It's beautiful. Oh, I love this," she said, an affectionate smile on her lips. "Can I just say, travelling with you guys, I love it!"

"Same here," Jack winked.

"Me too. Come on," the Doctor shouted in excitement, bounding forwards. A cool breeze swept through the endless green pasture of apple grass, and they followed eagerly, laughing all the way.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Jack was relaxing on the grass, using the Captain's military greatcoat and the Time Lord's long brown coat as cushions. The Doctor hummed, dreamily looking up at the blue sky. The clouds were drifting past, and he mused out loud.

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted."

"That was our first date," Rose laughed. "You should have been there, Jack. The 'last human' was a skin trampoline with lipstick plastered on it."

"I'm not sure if I'd flirt with it," Jack muttered. "That's rare. But I guess I would, anyway."

"Remember, Rose. If it can breathe, Jack flirts with it. If it can't breathe, Jack still flirts with it. The most important law of the universe. Frankly, I'm amazed," the Doctor teased, making Jack and Rose quickly exchange amused grins, before he continued his speech. "After that, we had chips. They were nice. Chips. Anyway, planet's gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but then find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."

"What's the city called?" Jack asked curiously.

"New New York," the Doctor shrugged. Rose laughed in disbelief.

"Oh, come on. It can't be!"

"It is," the Doctor smirked smugly. "It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it _New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York._ What? What's so funny?"

He frowned in puzzlement as Rose and Jack suddenly burst out laughing.

"You're so different," Rose gasped, wiping the tears away from her eyes. Jack chuckled and nudged her on the shoulder.

"New New Doctor," he joked. They started laughing uncontrollably again. The Doctor was a bit confused at first, but soon got the hang of it. _Oh. So_ that's _why they were laughing, _he thought. And a wide grin appeared on his face, and he soon joined in laughing.

Snuggled warmly against each other, in their joy and happiness of keeping each other company, they didn't see a metallic spider skitter across the grass, spying on them.

They ran out of breath and lapsed into comfortable silence soon enough, and Rose got to her feet, more than ready to go on a new, exciting adventure with her 'new, new Doctor' and the flirtatious Captain. She pointed at the city.

"Can we go and visit New New York, so good that they named it twice?"

"Well," the Doctor shrugged, getting to his feet, too. "I thought we might go there first."

Two elegant-looking curved skyscrapers were standing apart from the city. It wasn't too far away from them.

"That's a hospital," Jack said, frowning in confusion. "Green moon on the side. That's the symbol for hospitals. Not exactly the best place for sightseeing. Why should we go there?"

"I got this. A message on the psychic paper." The Doctor held it up. Rose and Jack peered at it closely. It said- 'Ward 26, Doctor, Wolf, Captain, Please Come.'

"Someone wants to see us?" Jack asked incredulously. The Doctor nodded. Well, this was unexpected. He knew that the Doctor was some kind of universal celebrity, but who could possibly know about Rose and Jack?

"Hmm, and I thought we were just sightseeing. Come on, then. Let's go buy some grapes," Rose said. And they started forward. The spider watched them leave, and then skittered away to somewhere.

* * *

They entered the hospital reception area. Jack looked around in wonder. Well, that was a bit unexpected. It was wide, it was clean, it was… _wait. _He felt a strange chill climb up his back. Something was here, it was coming—

"Bit rich coming from you," Rose commented casually, unaware of Jack's stiff expression. The Doctor scrunched his nose in distaste and stuck his tongue out.

"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals," he complained. "They give me the creeps."

Jack shook the unpleasant feeling off his body. If it couldn't be explained, then it would be better to just forget it altogether. He grinned playfully and poked the Doctor in the arm.

"That's more like what a five-year-old kid would say," he teased in a lighthearted voice. "Aren't _you_ the Doctor?"

"I do have a medical degree," the Doctor mused, waggling his eyebrows. "Only, it was the wrong time period when I graduated. Oh, and did I mention that I'm also a doctor in cheese-making?"

"You're kidding…"

Jack's groan was abruptly cut off by an announcement from the speaker. "_The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted," _the voice said.

"Very smart. Not exactly NHS," Rose shrugged, taking another quick, sweeping glance around. "And I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything. Huh."

"The human race moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war. Anyway, where's the shop? There isn't any shop. I like the little shop," the Doctor frowned again, obviously discontent. "The only good thing about a hospital is the little shop, and they don't have it!"

A few members of the nursing staff walked past them. They were all dressed in a nun-like outfit, and Rose looked at them just in time to see their faces—

"They're cats," she said, staring in disbelief. Jack whistled happily. The Doctor casually kicked him in the ankle and shot him a warning glance as the former con man hopped on one foot, scowling in pain.

"Don't, just don't. No flirting with cat nuns, Captain Harkness," he told him in a stern voice, and turned left to admonish Rose, too. "And now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. And you know what? Look! That's where I'd put the shop. Right there…"

"Oh, enough of this," Jack said impatiently, and bounded into the lift. "Get a move on! Where are we supposed to go?"

"All right," the Doctor groaned, and followed Jack into the elevator. Without giving much thought to it, he looked up at the ceiling and added. "Ward 26, thanks!"

To their surprise, the doors closed almost immediately, shutting Rose outside. They could hear Rose's panicked shouting.

"Hold on! Hold on!"

The Doctor pounded on the elevator door, but the lift started upwards. He threw his hands up into the air and sighed despondently. "Oh, too late. I'm going up. I'm sorry!"

"It's all right, there's another lift," they could hear Rose call out. The Doctor and Jack sighed in relief, and the Time Lord shouted back.

"It's ward 26. And watch out for the disinfectant!"

"Watch out for what?" Rose asked, confused. Jack could see the impatience slowly building up inside the Doctor as he repeated his words in a louder voice.

"The disinfectant!"

"_The what?_"

"_The disin- _oh, you'll find out," he groaned in exasperation, and leaned back onto the wall, sulking. Jack leaned onto his side on the wall, watched the Time Lord silently for a few seconds as the lift continued its way up, and abruptly decided to speak up.

"You know, Doctor, just you and me, together in the elevator— anything could happen," he smirked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. The Doctor didn't look at him, not even once, as he checked his psychic paper once more and replied in a dry voice.

"Yeah, anything. Such as a—"

"_Commence stage one disinfection,"_ the voice suddenly blared from the speaker, and without further warning, something instantly started pouring down from above. The Doctor stood calmly, as if he was expecting the assault. Jack, on the other hand, jumped in his place, as he got drenched from the spray. The next stage was a blow dry. The Doctor enjoyed it, even taking his chance to ruffle his magnificent brown hair. Jack gasped and spluttered, and finally got the hang of it. He scowled at the Doctor.

"You knew this was coming, didn't you?"

"Disinfection's a normal procedure," the Doctor replied casually, but Jack didn't miss the smug smirk that fleeted across his lips. As he was about to object, the lift came to a stop, and the doors opened with a _'ding'_.

"_Please report to reception,"_ the voice said. A veiled nurse approached them, and exchanged quick words with the Doctor. Jack shrugged, scratching the back of his head, and quickly followed the Doctor as he was led down the hallway by the nurse.

"Nice place. No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can… shop," the Doctor babbled, and Jack couldn't help but cough out a laugh, amused by the Time Lord's never-ending obsession for shops. The nurse removed her veil.

"The hospital is a place of healing," she said stiffly. The Doctor shrugged in a careless manner.

"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me. Other people," he rambled. He certainly had a gob, Jack had to admit. _Quite a cheeky regeneration._ Frankly, he was a bit impressed. This cat-nun who went by the name 'Jatt', however, was obviously feeling the other way. She replied in a firm voice, as if she was reciting a part of the textbook.

"The Sisters of Plenitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend," she said, passing an open cubicle. Jack peered inside out of curiosity. An incredibly obese man was lying on the bed, his skin distinctively gray. He jerked back in surprise when an irritable-looking woman sprung up and rebuked him in a sharp voice.

"Excuse me! Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."

Unfortunately, _that_ captured the Doctor's interest, for he stopped to observe the patient. "That's Petrifold Regression, right?" He asked, putting on his spectacles. The brainy specs, as he called them. _Yup, definitely foxy,_ Jack mused happily.

"I'm dying, sir. A lifetime of charity and abstinence, and it ends like this," the Duke said in a weak, trembling voice, trying to lift his limp hand and failing.

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance," the woman snapped immediately. Jack struggled to suppress his laughter at her attitude. He was about to make a flirtatious comment in her direction when the Duke cried out.

"Frau Clovis! I'm so weak."

"Sister Jatt. A little privacy, please," she ordered sharply before hurrying over to the Duke's side.

Jatt closed the curtain around the two of them, her expression more than unhappy. She resumed walking, and informed the Doctor and Jack in a matter-of-fact manner, "He'll be up and about in no time."

The Doctor frowned. "I doubt it. Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for oh, a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue."

"Have faith in the Sisterhood," Jatt said, trying to convince the Doctor. She stopped and looked at them in mild puzzlement. "But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."

"Wellll…" Jack answered hesitantly. They couldn't just say that they came to investigate because of some mystery patient who sent out a psychic invitation, did they? That would be just… downright suspicious. He glanced at the Doctor, trying to devise a convincing excuse. However, he was taken aback to see the Time Lord gazing intently at _someone._ Slowly, he stepped forward and spoke in a soft voice.

"No, I think I've found him."

It was the Face of Boe.

* * *

**A/N: I thought this was necessary, so that I could show how the Doctor changes through his travels with Jack and Rose. At first, he's unwilling to make a move, for fear that he will get too attached to Rose, and will break down once she's gone. Just like in the show. But with Jack coming along for the ride… will things be able to stay the same? We will see later!**

**Next chapter will include a Cassandra-Rose, a Cass-Doctor, and a Cass-Jack. Some fun bickering, running, excitement… and Jack's encounter with the Face of Boe. Major plot twisters galore. Enjoy! And review! :)**

**B/N: Hey y'alls! It's Anna again. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are all looking forward to the next one! Also, it's been scientifically proven by scientific-y scientists that every time somebody reviews this story, it sends out sparkles and rainbows that solidify into food for hungry children! (No, not really, though if you want to feed hungry children, go to .) Anyway, please review and tell us what you thought! And don't forget to click that favorite button! -A**


	7. New Earth: Part Two

"_The truth is, the world is so much stranger than that. It's so much darker. So much stranger. _

_And so, much, better."_

_-Elton Pope, 'Love and Monsters'_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**New Earth: Part Two**

"Who…?" Jack asked in a small voice, feeling confused. The Doctor answered by simply raising his eyebrows and mouthing _'you'll see'_ at him. Meanwhile, Sister Jatt tapped the shoulder of a nearby cat nurse and inquired.

"Novice Hame, if I can leave these gentlemen in your care?"

Hame nodded, and Jatt started to leave. The Doctor woke up from his contemplations and hurriedly called after her.

"Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?"

"Certainly, sir," she replied with a curt nod, and left. The Doctor beckoned Jack to stand by him. Jack's brows furrowed slightly, for he was astonished to see that the 'patient' the Doctor had wanted to see was a giant face in a tank. Hame, after watching them for a few seconds with interest, tilted her head towards the Face and spoke in a hushed voice.

"I'm afraid he is asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or…"

"We met just once on Platform One. What's wrong with him?"

The Doctor asked, never taking his eyes off the Face of Boe. Jack swiftly glanced between him and the nurse. For some unnamed reason, he felt an eerie chill run down his spine. Hame's eyes were full of grief as she stared at the Time Lord in surprise.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. He is dying."

The Doctor's eyebrows arched slightly. His voice was level as he asked back. "Of what?"

"Old age. The one thing we can't cure," Hame shook her head sadly, and then added. "He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible."

"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible," the Doctor commented causally, straightening his back and exchanging knowing glances with Jack.

"Impossible Man standing right here," Jack muttered under his breath, wriggling his fingers. The Doctor briefly grinned and turned his attention back to the mysterious Face. Crouching down, he gingerly placed his palm on the surface of the tank and spoke quietly.

"I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me… It's the Doctor."

The Face stirred a little, still asleep. Jack awkwardly looked away, feeling as if he was intruding on a very personal moment. Two ancient beings, the Face and the Time Lord. He, Jack, didn't belong here.

The Doctor didn't move. Jack coughed and edged away, choosing to observe other patients instead. Only when the Time Lord slowly got to his feet did Jack bound back to his place. He handed Hame a cup of water, grinning cheerfully.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Jack. Captain Jack Harkness," he said. The Doctor shot him a warning glance. _Don't,_ he mouthed, and Jack reacted by wagging his eyebrows playfully. Novice Hame received the cup gratefully and looked up.

"That's very kind. There's no need," she said. Jack opened his mouth to flirt, but the Doctor quickly intervened.

"You're the one working," he said. Hame shrugged, taking a sip.

"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs…..." she let her voice trail off, her eyes nostalgic. She took another sip and continued. "The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret- that he will speak those words only to those who bring him back the brightest part of his life."

The Doctor frowned. "What does that mean?"

Hame shook her head, smiling. "It's just a story."

The Doctor didn't smile.

"Tell me the rest," he insisted in a low voice. The sincerity and seriousness in his eyes made Hame stare back in surprise. She was silent for a moment, and when she opened her mouth at last, her voice was quiet, too, as if she was unveiling an important secret.

"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The Lonely God," she said. "And a girl who never left, along with a man who will live longer than any other," she said. Shrugging, she added in a louder voice, casually dismissing what she just said. "Really, it's only a myth."

Surprised, Jack's jaw hung open. His eyes met with the Doctor's.

The Doctor. _A wanderer, a man without a home, the lonely God. _

Rose. _A girl who never left. _

And Jack himself. _A man who will live longer than any other._

"Doc, could it be…?" Jack started, but the Doctor quickly clasped a hand over his mouth and nodded at Novice Hame. Prophecies were dangerous because he knew he wouldn't be able to resist it; he had gone too far more than once before.

Having made up his mind, he hid his face behind a façade of an overly bright smile and announced in a cheerful voice, "Thank you very much, Nurse Hame. And oh, I guess I should get going. Another friend of mine must have gotten lost on the way here."

"Oh, certainly," Hame said, taken aback. She motioned to the right. "In case you want to make a call, the phone's right there."

"Thank you," the Doctor said, still smiling. Then he dragged Jack away from the spot. Having reached the phone, he finally released the former Time Agent. Jack gasped and straightened his back.

"What was _that_ for? Doctor, I know that I'm irresistible, but this is a public place—"

"Oh, do be quiet," the Doctor rolled his eyes and picked up the phone. "Prophecies are dangerous. Until he decides to share that 'secret' of his with us, don't you dare sniff around."

"No, I was just thinking that I could be friends with that Big Old Face," Jack pouted. "After all, I've got more than a million years to idle away, and I could use some advices."

"All right, all right, do whatever you want. I was just taking necessary precautions. And your flirting won't work on him. Now, onto business. I'm calling Rose. And you… you can just take a look around." His voice dropped lower as he quickly glanced around and added, "I think there's something… _strange_ going on here."

"Yes, sir," Jack sighed and saluted the other man. An enigmatic invitation, a sleeping old face in a tank, snappy cat nuns, a missing Rose Tyler, and a suspicious hospital. Of course. Just a normal day for someone living with the Doctor.

The Doctor quickly pressed a few buttons, and started talking away to Rose in a concerned voice.

"Rose, where are you? Where've you been? I was starting to worry…"

Jack watched him for a moment and smirked briefly before skipping away. Humming, he strode around the place, stealing a peek here and there. Nothing special, he noted. And then he noticed the fat man— the Duke of Manhattan he had seen before. He stopped abruptly in his place.

"Didn't think I was going to make it," the Duke was chatting away pleasantly, a cup of wine in his hand. Just a few minutes ago, he'd been dying, his body stiff and gray; now, his body had returned to its healthy state. Jack stared in astonishment, and the Duke noticed him. He beckoned him closer, obviously in a very good mood. "It's that man again! He's my good luck charm. Come in! Don't be shy."

"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract," Frau Clovis said in a robotic manner as he cautiously stepped forward.

"Wow, look at you. Congratulations. No sign of infection," he wondered. The Doctor ran up to him and scrutinized the former patient closely. A waiter walked up to his side with a bottle in hand.

"Champagne, sir?" he offered. Jack nodded eagerly.

"Yes, pleas—"

"No, thanks," the Doctor threw him a warning glance and peered back at the Duke. "You had Petrifold Regression, right?"

"That being the operative word. Past tense! Completely cured!" the Duke laughed, exchanging warm smiles with Frau Clovis. The Doctor slipped his glasses on— wow, they made him look even _more_ foxy— and frowned in confusion.

"But that's impossible!"

Another cat nun whose name tag read 'Matron Casp' straightened her back and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science."

"How on Earth did you cure him?" Jack wondered. Matron Casp looked smug as she replied, her files in her paw.

"How on New Earth, you might say."

"What's in that solution?" the Doctor asked, staring at the medicine packets hanging nearby. The smile disappeared from Casp's face.

"A simple remedy."

"Then tell me what it is," the Doctor pressed on. Casp narrowed her eyes at him momentarily, but soon regained her calm façade and replied in an overly kind voice.

"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met."

"You can trust me," he persuaded, flashing what he hoped was a reassuring smile at the cat nurse. "I'm the Doctor, by the way."

Casp's face hardened at that. "I think you'll find that we're the doctors here. And if you would excuse me," was the curt reply that came. Turning around, she started down the corridors with Sister Jatt. Wordlessly, the Doctor and Jack leaned forward to overhear their conversation. They could catch bits and pieces of what they were talking about.

"Matron Casp, you're needed in Intensive Care. It's happened again. One of the patients is conscious."

"Oh, we can't have that…"

_Patient. Awake. _Wasn't that a good thing? But why didn't they seem so happy about it? Jack's brows furrowed in confusion. He turned around to ask the Doctor about it, and when he did, he found Rose Tyler standing right next to him. And she was scanning him from head to toe.

"Oooh, look at you. Charming," she commented, her voice… different. Flashing him a mischievous grin that seemed just a little bit off, 'Rose' continued brightly, "Anyway. _Hello_."

_What was wrong with her?_

"…Are you trying to ask me for a night out?" was the only answer that a surprised-and-befuddled Jack could give. And Rose laughed.

* * *

Jack's suspicions hit the ceiling when Rose snogged the Doctor. Thoroughly.

One moment, the Doctor was going round all the cubicles. One had a person floating in midair. He babbled on, mentioning something about Marconi's Disease taking years to recover. Here, they had accomplished the feat in no more than two days, he said. Even he'd never seen anything like it. And they had even found a cure for Pallidome Pancrosis.

"It's amazing," Jack marveled, taking a good look around. "A cell washing machine! Wicked."

"Yeah. That's the problem. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Their medical technology is way too advanced. And if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?" he frowned, scratching that big hair of his. And Rose joked back in a strange, badly faked Cockney accent. 'Adam and Eve', honestly? It was almost as terrible as the Doctor's _'it's a fightin' hand!_' American accent.

Yeah, that must have been it. Rose was teasing the Doctor, Jack concluded. He was relieved to have his suspicions cleared for the moment. And he was more than amused to see the Doctor quite clueless. Confused, the Time Lord stared back at Rose.

"What's wrong with your voice, Rose?" he asked, clearly worried. Rose pursed her lips back together and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth…" she paused, staring up at him. "New me."

"Well, I can talk," the Doctor joked back, relieved, with that familiar goofy grin back on his face. "New New Doctor."

Rose looked at him, an unreadable look on her face. Leaning forward, she said slowly, "Mmm, aren't you just…"

And Jack's jaw dropped at what happened next.

Rose Tyler was kissing the Doctor. Long. And hard. As if she had craved for this all her life. God, she was as skillful as Jack himself. And that was saying something for sure. The Time Lord's eyes widened impossibly, a million thoughts crossing his mind every second.

He was feeling as if all the air had been sucked out from his lungs. He felt so _dizzy_. He couldn't understand, couldn't _comprehend_ what was going on. Why weren't his respiratory bypass systems not kicking in? That was strange— oh, _Rassilon_. His heart almost skipped a beat as he _finally_ realized what was happening.

Rose Tyler was kissing him. A proper, lusty _kiss._

He was desperately trying to figure out the reason when the kiss deepened. She roughly grabbed his hair and tugged him closer, and oh, _her lips_… no, no, he couldn't do this! _Don't lose control,_ he chastised himself, but to no avail. Instinctively, his eyes drifted shut and he was snogging her back, his entire body melting away…

And Rose suddenly broke the kiss, stepping away from him. He stared at her, mouth still hanging open. For once, he was truly speechless, Jack noted. He had to give Rose credit for that one. Although he didn't know what the hell this was about.

"Te… terminal's this way," Rose stammered after a moment's pause, and casually walked away, as if nothing had happened. Jack watched her disappear down the hallway before turning back to look at the Doctor. To his great amusement, the Time Lord was still gaping like a fish at her back, looking dazed and dreamy. Crossing his arms, the former Time Agent decided to speak up.

"Doc, snap out of it."

"What? Oh. Oh," the Doctor said as he seemed to remember where he was. He started pacing around, waving his hands wildly and occasionally staring at Jack with wide eyes. "Jack, something is wrong. Rose would never do that. Could it be blood control, like those Sycorax? Or a Mind Confounding device? I mean, she wouldn't just walk up to me and kiss the life out of me just like that—"

"Oh," Jack started laughing uncontrollably. The Doctor stared at him, unable to understand why. Jack wiped the tears from his eyes and continued to laugh. "So she _did_ 'kiss the life out of' you, Doctor?"

"What?!" the Doctor flushed bright red as he enthusiastically shook his head. "No. No, of course not! That was a mistake. Oh, never. I was aiming for the opposite, um, which is, er…"

"Yep, still got your tongue, I guess," Jack chuckled. Then he turned serious. "Anyway, you are right. She's not acting herself."

"Well, we'll have to find out what happened, right?" the Doctor asked in a bright voice, obviously relieved to change the subject. Trying his best to push his thoughts away from the oh-so-very-distracting 'Rose Tyler Kiss', he bounded forward towards the terminal. "Come on, then!"

* * *

At the computer terminal by the lift, the Doctor was peering closely at the computer screen. He shook his head as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. And really, no sign of a shop!" He scrunched his face in distaste. "They should have a shop…"

"No, it's missing something else," Rose said impatiently. "When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

The Doctor and Jack stared at her in surprise. Jack nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off her.

"You're right. Well done, Rosie."

"Why would they hide a whole department?" she continued, oblivious of their puzzlement. She tapped on the computer screen and promptly gave orders to the Doctor. "It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame."

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" the Doctor said slowly, testing her. Rose shrugged as if he had just asked about the most obvious thing.

"Try the installation protocol."

'She's not even supposed to know about the term 'sub-frame'. And now she knows how to break through one,' Jack thought, glancing at the Doctor. Their eyes met briefly, and the Time Lord nodded in agreement. _Something's definitely wrong._

"Yeah. Of course. Sorry. Hold on," he replied as casually as he could, but Jack could see his fingers tense slightly as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the interface. But he had to push those thoughts away for the moment, for the whole wall suddenly slid down to reveal a corridor.

"Wow, is this their Chamber of Secrets? Very _Harry Potter_," Jack commented, stepping forward and into the place. "Where's the basilisk?"

"Intensive Care," the Doctor murmured, deep in thoughts. "Certainly looks intensive."

"Well then, follow me," Rose said abruptly, motioning them forward. The Doctor did without a word. Jack shrugged and bounded after them.

She led the way down a staircase. The whole place was lit with a faint green light, and the walls were lined with endless rows of cells, thousands of them. The Doctor approached one at random and threw it open. Jack's breath hitched.

"He looks like he's sick," he breathed. The man looked at him, but his pupils seemed as if they were unable to focus. Rose pulled back in distaste.  
"That's _disgusting._ What's wrong with him?" she demanded. The Doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he closed the door softly and moved on to the next. It was a young woman this time. She was diseased, too.

"It's like a primitive 21st century animal experiment," Jack commented, shaking his head and rubbing his cheek. "Lab rats. Doc, they've been infected with almost all the diseases that I know of."

"Not just the ones that you know of. They've been infected with all of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," the Doctor said, his eyes full of grief. Rose didn't say anything for a moment, calculating something in her mind.

"What about us? Are we safe?" she said abruptly. The Doctor shot her a warning glance.

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," he said, closing the door again. _Normally, she would have asked what should we do to help them, not about our own safety,_ Jack thought. That cleared everything. Something was very wrong with Rose Tyler's head.

Unaware of his thoughts, Rose pushed on.

"How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients," Jack blurted out. She gave him a strange look.

"But they're sick!"

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. As our Captain Jack here said earlier, they've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. Jack could notice an angry storm brewing within his eyes.

"Why don't they just die?" Rose asked, shrugging. The Doctor didn't look at her. Tracing the edge of the cell door with his fingers, he replied in a faraway tone.

"Plague carriers. The last to go… oh, how could they do this?"

A familiar voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

"It's for the greater cause."

They spun around to look. Novice Hame was looking at them, calmer than ever. There was not a single trace of guilt in her eyes.

"Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" the Doctor snarled, taking a step forward. Jack pulled him back and tried to calm him down.

"Whoa, whoa. Doc, calm down," he said softly, but the Doctor's teeth remained clenched. Hame sniffed.

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help."

"What, by killing?" the Doctor asked incredulously. Hame frowned and spread her arms wide, as if she couldn't understand why he was so angry.

"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence!"

"For how many years have you been doing this?" Jack asked, cocking his head curiously. Hame shrugged.

"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh," she finished. And this seemed to anger the Doctor even further.

"These people are _alive_," he spat out.

"But you said that you were the Doctor! Think of those humans _out there_, healthy and happy, because of us. Isn't it good?"

"If they live because of this, then it doesn't mean anything!"

"But who are you to decide that?" Hame challenged him in an indignant voice.

"As you've said, Novice Hame, I'm the Doctor. Not a Doctor, _the_ Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with _us_. I'm a Time Lord, and I ended the Last Great Time War with my own bare hands. This is Captain Jack Harkness. He can face off a thousand Daleks without trembling for a single second. And Rose?" He bared his teeth, his eyes burning with fury and hatred. Novice Hame instinctively took a few steps back as his voice dropped dangerously low.

"She's the one who gave _life_ even when she had the power of gods. And here's the question: let's just say that I can understand the bodies. That I can understand your vows. But still, there is one thing I can't understand. What have you done to _my_ Rose?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hame said, staring at him in confusion. Jack cut in.

"You'll have to be careful, Novice Hame. Because that man is the one who brings storm in his wake. And the only reason he's being so very, very calm— well, at least calmer than what I've expected— is because the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, we want it reversed," he finished with a sense of finality. But still, Hame was acting as if she didn't have a clue of what they were saying.

"We haven't done anything," she insisted. Rose nodded in agreement.

"I'm perfectly fine, Captain."

"These people are dying, and Rose would care!" the Doctor roared, glowering at Hame. Jack nodded.

"She'd say something like, 'you're thinking that you're so clever, Cat Nurse, but we won't let this happen anymore', or, 'how can we help them?'"

Rose seemed to contemplate this for a second, then let out an annoyed huff and reached out.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer. You're really not fun, the two of you."

"What's happened to you, Rosie?" Jack asked, concerned. 'Rose' laughed, tugging at the Doctor's tie playfully.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?" the Doctor said, staring intently into her eyes. Jack realized only then that this wasn't Rose _at all_. Nothing was wrong with her head. It was only that there was someone _else_ in there. And that person seemed quite gleeful as she looked up at the Doctor with Rose's eyes.

"The last human," she leaned forward and whispered. That seemed to hit the cue. The Doctor seemed to realize something. His eyes widened as he drew back and gasped.

"Cassandra?"

"Do you know her?" Jack asked, frowning. 'Rose' turned towards him and stepped forward, cupping his cheek in her hand.

"Oh, of course he does. Now smell the perfume. I know you'll like it."

Being a capable former Time Agent, Jack would have punched her in the face and knocked her out— if it weren't Rose Tyler. So he just stood stiff as she pulled out a vial and squirted it up his nose, her movements fast and efficient. His eyes rolled back into the skull and he crumpled heavily onto the floor, unconscious. The Doctor's voice shot up in anger as he stepped forward, grabbing her wrist forcefully.

"What have you _done_ to Jack?! And let Rose go, Cassandra!"

"Not a chance. And you're boring. It's time you stopped acting the typical overprotective older brother," Cassandra laughed, leaning forward. His breath hitched and his thought ceased momentarily as her breath tickled his ears. "Night-night, you charming boys."

She squirted the vial up his nose, and he passed out, too. Hame watched her, wide-eyed.

"You've hurt him. I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron," she said, edging backwards. Rose shrugged.

"You do that, because I want to see her. Now, run along. Sound the alarm!"

With that, she pulled on a power cable and set off the alarms. Without no further hesitation, Novice Hame turned and ran.

* * *

When the Doctor woke up, he was inside a cell. No, to be more accurate, he was in that germ-spraying, terribly green cell. He glanced at the restraints holding him down, and his chest rose and fell rapidly in panic. Struggling against the cuffs, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Let me out! Let me out!"

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?"

The Doctor went abruptly still when he heard Rose's— no, Cassandra's— gloating voice from the outside. "Well, two spares, really. Standing room only. Your friend is on your right."

"Hello," Jack answered in a pleasant voice. "Waking up in a hotel room, completely defenseless. I think you just made my day. Hey, Doctor, you all right?"

"No, not really," the Doctor said, straining his voice. "We are about to be infected with every possible disease you can imagine, and _she _has stolen Rose's body, Jack!"

"Oh, don't whine like that," Cassandra purred. She sounded all _too_ satisfied with the current situation. "Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You and your friend have got about three minutes left. Enjoy!"

"I don't think that you'll find me easy to kill," Jack muttered. "Doctor, just in case— how many times can you regenerate?"

"Thirteen," he panted. "But I only have two left. I can't afford to lose any _here_. And that isn't even important. The thing is, she's compressing Rose to death. Just let her go, Cassandra!"

"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste," Cassandra promised heartily, but it wasn't exactly reassuring. Upon spotting two cat nuns approaching her, she withdrew. "Now hushaby. It's showtime."

The Doctor clenched his teeth and looked wildly around, trying to find out a way to escape this place. And then he heard Rose's voice, and listened intently as Cassandra tried to negotiate with Sister Jatt and Matron Casp. It began like this…

"_Anything we can do to help?"_

"_Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money."_

And thankfully, it looked like that it wasn't going well. Casp refused the deal, and Cassandra scoffed, saying that the cat nuns had no way of stopping her from telling, for they were not even armed. And when Matron unsheathed her claws, Cassandra seemed to change her mind. Backing away, she commanded her faithful servant to enact 'Plan B', whatever it was.

The Doctor gaped as the restraints suddenly released him and the cell door swung open. He hurried out, and his eyes widened in shock as he noticed that a lot of dazed, diseased people have been released with him.

"What've you done?!" he shouted. Jack stumbled out to stand beside him as Rose promptly walked away with Chip. She glanced back at the Doctor and answered in a casual manner.

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jack gasped and ran after her. The Doctor faltered for a second, and started running after the lot after pointing at the cat nuns and yelling out an order.

"Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!"

But it was of no use. The diseased people knew and understood what had been done to them. After declaring to end this nightmare, one of them slammed his hand onto a button, electrocuting himself and blowing up all the locks on the cell doors. Cassandra ran, screaming, as every diseased human was released. The Doctor, Chip and Jack ran alongside her.

They stopped to see what was happening. Jack's breath hitched as he saw all the doors swinging open. This couldn't be a good thing.

"Oh, my God," Cassandra whispered.

"What the hell have you done?" the Doctor accused her in an urgent voice. She shouted back, but she sounded unconvinced herself.

"It wasn't me!"

"No, it _was_ you," Jack said. "And I suggest that we start running, Doctor. They are coming from everywhere."

"One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra. We've got to go down. Captain, you and I, in the back! Protect Rose's body!"

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra said, panicking at the sight of so many diseased people swarming to come get them. The Doctor roughly pushed her down the staircase. He shouted.

"Run! Down! Down! Go down! Keep going! Go down!"

They continued running down the stairs. When they reached the basement, Cassandra ran to the lift.

"Quarantine means that nothing's gonna move! The lifts have closed down!" Jack shouted. She huffed in annoyance.

"Well then, this way!"

She ran in the direction of her hiding place. The Doctor and Jack followed as fast as they could, but Chip was cut off from them as more people approached. He cried out in a desperate voice.

"Mistress!"

"Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!" Cassandra shouted, running away without even looking back once. The Doctor hesitated and reached out towards Chip, his eyes so sad and desperate.

"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape, I can't help you!"

"I'm sorry!" Jack yelped and ran after the Doctor. They could hear Chip wailing for his mistress, but kept running. Soon, the voice died out.

Cassandra ran and threw the back door open, and screamed in terror as she saw more sick people there. She slammed the door back shut and cried out tearfully.

"We're trapped! What am I going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet. You're compressing Rose to death! Please, get out," the Doctor said, pointing at the device Cassandra used to get into Rose's body.

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's _dead_," Cassandra snapped, glaring at the Doctor. "And it's all your fault!"

"Please, Cassandra. I'm so sorry for what I've done, back on Platform One. Truly. You can float as atoms in the air until I build you a new skin tank to live in. I promise, I'll help you live. Just let her go."

"Oh, that's so heartwarming," Cassandra scoffed. "What happened to your anger, Doctor? That fury and coldness, with which you condemned me to death?"

"I moved on. Jack and Rose, they changed me. I'm a different man now," he begged. "I keep my words. I can help you, Cassandra. And Rose didn't do anything to you. So just get out." He reached out, pointing the sonic screwdriver at her. He pleaded once more, "Give her back to me."

Cassandra stared at him for a second, and whispered. "You asked for it."

"Wait!"

Jack felt that something was wrong and bounded forward, but it was too late. Cassandra inhaled deeply and exhaled, a bright mist of energy blowing out and entering… _the Doctor_ instead. The Doctor staggered and nearly fell. Jack jumped forward and caught Rose before she collapsed, and called out at the Doctor's back in a wary voice.

"Doctor? Doctor? Are you alright?" And then, looking down at Rose, "Hey, Rose. It's you, right?"

Rose stumbled back onto her feet and straightened her back. Rubbing her temples, she looked around, feeling extremely disoriented.

"Blimey, my head. Oh, Jack, thank God. You're here!" She paused and glanced around once more, confused. "That skin trampoline. Jack, there's a crazy skin woman who jumps bodies. She was the one in my head! What's happening? Where'd she go?"

"I think…" Jack glanced up at the Doctor, shaking his head in disbelief. "She's in a certain Time Lord's body."

Rose gasped when she heard the Doctor's voice speak in a distinctly familiar way.

"Oh, my. This is… different."

"_Cassandra?"_

Yes, it was her. Jack stared at him, trying his best not to laugh as the Doctor, or Cassandra to be exact, looked around in surprise, moving in an awkward manner. "Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used!"

He grinned, waltzing around with that skinny body of his— so different from the Doctor. Rose could do nothing but stare, and Jack's eyebrows shot up at the phrase 'hardly used'. He thought coyly, _Interesting. I wonder what that 'hardly used part' would be…_

Suddenly, Cassandra gasped and started jerking around. Mouth agape, she commented in delight. "Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

That was the last straw. Jack burst out laughing, and he shouted, "Oh, please. Just get out of him! You're utterly wrecking that immense Time Lord ego of his with those movements!"

"He'll die out of embarrassment," Rose groaned. "Lucky that he won't remember any of this. Oh, my head hurts. You really need to get out of there, Cassandra."

Cassandra took no heed as she used the Doctor's hand to explore her new body. "Oo, he's slim, and a little bit foxy," she said, looking at Rose seductively. Rose and Jack gulped simultaneously. She continued, wriggling her eyebrows. "You've thought so too, didn't you? I've been inside your head. You've been looking."

She took a few steps toward Rose, and drawled out. "_You like it_."

At that very moment, their highly awkward conversation was brought to a sudden end as the diseased people burst in. Cassandra's eyes widened in panic as she grabbed Jack's hand and shouted out.

"What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do? You, Captain, tell me!"

"Well, he would have shouted 'RUUUN!' at the top of his lungs…" Jack hummed, and Rose pulled at his coat impatiently.

"Ladder. We've got to get up."

"Ladder! Good!" Cassandra panted, and pushed Rose and Jack out of her way to scamper up the ladder as fast as she could. "Out of the way, blondie and handsome!"

"Please, help us. Help," a diseased woman whispered, reaching forward. Jack glanced back at her briefly before pushing Rose in the direction of the ladder.

"Let's go, Rose! The Doctor needs you to stay safe!"

"…Okay," Rose breathed. Together, they ran to the ladder and started climbing up.

* * *

On their way up, Jack tried once more to persuade Cassandra into getting out of the Doctor's head. Honestly, it was highly hilarious to see him dancing around like that, but the situation was much too serious for jokes at the moment. Climbing up, he shouted.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something! He always does."

"Yap, yap, yap. Great. Maybe I should try you, Handsome. God, it was tedious inside her head. Hormone city," Cassandra said in a sing-song voice, rolling her eyes. Rose blushed a little. Jack shook his head.

"We're going to die if—"

He stopped in the middle of the sentence and gasped in surprise as Matron Casp grabbed his ankle.

"Really, we should go up. Can't you see them coming? Get off!" he said, kicking her away.

"All our good work," she snarled, her eyes burning with hatred. "All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Go and play with a ball of string," she said. Casp hissed sharply, reaching out once more to catch Jack's ankle.

"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!"

Jack was about to look back and give her a piece of his mind when a diseased human stretched out his hand to grasp Casp's ankle. She screamed as her skins became visibly blotched, her veins protruding. Screaming, she lost her grip and plummeted down. Rose looked down in shock. The diseased people were moving up. There was no time to hesitate.

"Move!" she yelled, looking back up. Cassandra obliged wordlessly, using the Doctor's hands to continue climbing up. "And Jack, I don't care if you are immortal or not. Just don't get caught!"

"Understood, ma'am," he nodded playfully before starting back up. Cassandra had reached the top of the ladder. She pounded on the doors, but it wouldn't open.

"Now what do we do?" she yelled back in panic. Rose sighed impatiently and shouted back.

"Use the sonic screwdriver!"

Cassandra scrunched her face in distaste and confusion as she pulled out the unfamiliar device from the Doctor's pockets. Pointing at it gingerly, she asked. "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing!"

"Well, I don't know how," she drawled. "That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."

"They're almost here," Jack said, nervously looking down. 'Not dying' and 'not feeling fear' were two very different things. He felt quite uncomfortable to have diseased zombies reaching for his ankle. As far as he could see, dying from a million diseases and falling down this ladder wouldn't be very pleasant. "Please hurry!"

Rose glanced back and bit her lips in exasperation. "Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it. Do it!"

Cassandra cocked her head and sighed. "Hold on tight," she sang out. And the energy traveled back to Rose. The Doctor shook his head, feeling dizzy, as Cassandra groaned, not really pleased to be back in Rose's body.

"Oh, chavtastic again. Open it!"

"Not till you get out of her," the Doctor said in a dark voice. Obviously, his 'no third chances' rule was kicking in. "Sorry, Jack. We really need Rose back."

"You owe me an apology," Jack muttered, pulling his legs higher up. "And a drink. Last time the Sycorax disintegrated me into dust. Doctor, being immortal is alright, but I'd prefer if my deaths were less painful."

"Really, I'm sorry."

"We need the Doctor," Cassandra demanded impatiently. The Doctor roared back in fury.

"I order you to leave her!"

Cassandra sighed and swapped back again. Shaking the sonic screwdriver in hand, she chastised the Doctor, even if she was using his body at the moment and he couldn't hear her. "No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout!"

"Oh please, don't go into him!" Jack said, his voice becoming more and more strained. The diseased ones were almost there. He pulled his legs higher up into the air. Soon, he was sure that he'd have to pull some gymnastic moves or something to escape. "There's not much time to waste!"

"But I can't go into her, he simply refuses," Cassandra whined. "He's so rude…"

"I DON'T BLOODY _CARE_. I'm not a professional in dying yet, and I don't want to die like _that_, yes, so JUST DO SOMETHING!" Jack roared out, slamming his fist into the ladder impatiently. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I am so going to regret this."

With that, she moved into the sick woman on the ladder right below him. She frowned in horror. "Oh, sweet Lord. I look disgusting," she commented. Jack sighed in relief as the Doctor opened the lift doors with a whirring noise. He jumped in and reached out to Rose.

"Nice to have you back," he said. Rose giggled. Having her safe and sound, he waited a little more for Jack to get in. "And you too, Captain Harkness. Fantastic job. Now, let's get away from here."

"No, you don't," Cassandra snarled just as the lift doors were about to close. Feeling a strange chill run down his spine, Jack glanced back— but it was too late. He felt something slam into his back and choked before he blacked out.

"What?!" Rose looked back, gaping, as Jack struggled to sit upright on the floor on which he had fallen. The Doctor zapped the door shut before whipping around and snarling at Cassandra, who was now in Jack's body.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" he shouted. Cassandra-Jack seemed a little dazed as he looked up at the Doctor. That's when Rose noticed something different in her eyes. It was shock.

"Inside her head," she whispered in Jack's low voice. "They're so alone. They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched."

"Oh…" Rose's voice trailed off, not knowing what to say about that. This was a crazy, body-jumping, skin-trampoline madwoman in her dear friend's body she was looking at. And yet, she seemed to be changing, if only a little. Did she deserve another chance?

The Doctor must have been thinking of the same thing, for he didn't speak for a long time as Cassandra stared at nowhere in particular, a distant, faraway look in her eyes. Finally, he grinned a little before wordlessly reaching out to offer her his hand. Cassandra lifted Jack's head to look at him in surprise.

"Come on," he said, helping Jack's body up. He grinned back at Rose. "We've got some work to do. I'm the Doctor— and it looks like I've got an appointment with some patients."

* * *

**A/N: Review, if you want the next chapter 'New Earth: Part Three' to be posted soon! :) And thank you, Anna, as always!**


	8. New Earth: Part Three

-New Earth: Part Three-

_**"So, how long are you going to stay with me?" the Doctor asked. **_

_**"Forever," Rose replied.**_

* * *

Jack, who was accidentally possessed by Cassandra, seemed to be a lot quieter than usual; Rose glanced a bit uneasily at the Doctor, who seemed to be a little bit too confident as he continued walking. The trio strode straight into Ward 26, not noticing as the Face of Boe blinked in surprise and wordlessly smiled upon seeing them. Frau Clovis, the secretary of the Duke, looked like she wasn't too happy to see them, however. Hollering at the top of her lungs, she lunged forward at them with a metal stand.

"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe!" the Doctor shouted out hurriedly, pulling Rose and Jack behind him. Clovis stopped for a moment, and the Doctor didn't miss the chance to show his clean, uncontaminated hands to her. "We're clean! We're clean! Look, look," he babbled. Rose smiled and put her hands forward, too, and Cassandra-Jack timidly followed suit.

"If we'd been touched, we'd be dead," Rose stated casually, and Clovis let her gaze sweep over the Doctor, Rose and Jack before hesitantly- and a tad bit unwillingly- putting down her weapon. The Doctor put his sonic screwdriver back into place and went on with his inquiries.

"So how's it going up here? What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left," the woman said in a strained voice. Rose noticed that Clovis was blinking quite rapidly- a sign of panic. That woman was terrified. And considering the circumstances, and the fact that not everyone lived like themselves, that _was_ the normal reaction to this kind of situation. She walked up to the window.

"And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad," she rushed out, holding a device in her hands. The Doctor frowned immediately in disapproval.

"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine!"

"I, am, _not_ dying in here." Clovis spat out, punctuating every word. Rose stepped forward, shaking her head. As much as she understood her, she couldn't let her mess things up like this.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. People in that city, they'd all be at risk. You should turn that off, really!"

"Not if it gets me out!" Clovis countered, huffing angrily. The Doctor grimaced, nodding in exasperation.

"All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me." Ignoring the woman splutter indignantly, he sprinted forward before stopping to give out orders. "Rose, novice Hame, Jack, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"

The determination and confidence in his voice was enough to compel everyone to follow his directions. Rose immediately sprang up in action, sweeping drip bags off the desk. Even Cassandra in Jack's body complied, grabbing bags of solutions as the Doctor busied himself collecting a long piece of rope, gizmos and gadgets and wrapping them around his own body.

Rose rushed to the Doctor's side and helped him attatch the drip bags to his rope. They worked wordlessly, Jack and other people also giving some help from time to time. Finally, with the work finished, the Doctor grinned a manic grin and winked at Rose.

"How's that? Will that do?"

"I've got no idea what you're intending to do, but yeah, hopefully, it will- whatever it is." Rose grinned, and Jack rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and grumbling under his breath.

"And _I _think you're completely crazy, you two. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, makeshift plans that will_ prooobably_ work," the Doctor said in a sing-song voice. "Now, off to work!"

He pointed his sonic screwdriver, and the lift doors opened. Jack frowned, noting that the lifts weren't working.

"That one's good for nothing," he complained. The Doctor flashed a cheeky smile at the possessed immortal man as he countered that the lifts were just 'not moving, which was a completely different thing altogether'.

"And now, here we go!" he declared, putting the sonic screwdriver between his teeth. He took a few steps back before breaking into a run and- Jack shouted out, "But you're not going to...!" in vain- jumped, catching the lift cable in a swift, nimble move!

"Hey, be careful!" Rose called, while Jack rolled his eyes and demanded to know what he thought he was doing. This was complete, _utter_ madness in his, no,_ Cassandra's_ point of view! The Doctor soniced the round piece of equipment he'd picked up from the ward, securing it onto the lift cable.

"I'm going down!" he cried out in a strained, albeit excited, voice. "Come on, you two!"

"Oh... I hate this," Rose mumbled, before taking two big strides backward and grinning. "Just kidding- love it! Ha!"

She sprinted forward and jumped, landing right onto the Doctor's back. Jack stared at the bold girl and the Time Lord incredulously, then muttered, taking a few steps to the side, "Not in a million years."

"Come on, it's nothing." Rose rolled her eyes. "Just bring that body of Jack's along with us, Cassandra."

"And I'm sturdy enough to sustain the weight of you two," the Doctor declared confidently. Rose giggled at this comment. Shooting a mock-glare at the girl, he quickly turned to grin at Jack. "What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?"

"You two are bonkers! I'd never-" Cassandra scoffed, shakng Jack's head again. She'd _never_, ever do something that stupid- or, so she thought. Right up until the metal door that was blocking the entrance of the diseased abruptly opened up. Jack shot them a glance in shock, gasped, and tried to run away, but Frau Clovis was faster. Paling at the sight of the diseased, she promptly ignored Jack's presence and gave the order.

"Seal the door!"

"NO!" Jack gasped as the door slid shut. He pounded on the door several times, but it didn't open. Panicking, he threw a one last glance at the approaching disease and realized that he had no choice. Uttering a stream of curses- which, the Doctor thought thankfully, wasn't from Rose's time period and couldn't be understood by her- Cassandra-in-Jack's-Body leaped onto the Doctor's back. The Doctor huffed and readjusted his position.

"Rassilion, you two are heavy, aren't you?"

"Hey!" Rose shouted, offended a little, while Jack kept shaking his head and muttering on. He looked quite disoriented.

"You're completely mad. No wonder you two are completely in love with each other."

"_Aaaand_ we know that's not true, Cassandra," the Doctor spoke in a flurry, trying his best to pretend that he didn't notice Rose blushing. He flicked and directed the buzzing sonic screwdriver towards the shaft. "Anyway, no time for Facebook chattering. Going down!"

The improvised wheel that was attached to the cable began spinning, and they suddenly started raching down the shaft. The Doctor laughed, Rose half laughed and half screamed in exhilaration. Cassandra-Jack was simply scared out of his wits and screamed at the top of his lungs. In no time at all, the Doctor put on the brake and they came to a surprisingly gentle stop. The Doctor merrily hopped off the shaft and landed right onto the lift. Rose and Jack followed suit.

"Best roller coaster I've ever ridden," Rose muttered breathlessly. "What a way to lose weight."

Jack, still struggling to stand upright, mumbled something incoherent in the middle of a failed attempt to throw up. As usual, the Doctor didn't mind one bit as he got to work. He hummed thoughfully before turning around to point at Rose and Jack.

"Now, here's the plan. Take hold of that lever, and I'll go treat the patients. How about that?"

"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't-" Jack started, but Rose gripped the lever firmly, looking up at the Doctor in an expectant way. The Doctor unhooked the drip bags from himself and happily babbled on, pouring the contents into the lift's disinfectant tank.

"Yeah, yep, yes. Well, whatever. I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself. Got a degree in it. And cheesemaking, too; I've got PhD for cheesmaking in the wrong time period. Messed things up quite a bit- and, now!" He exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in delight after throwing the last empty medicine package away.

"That lever's going to resist, but keep it in position. Both of you, hold onto it."

"Where are you going to go?" Rose asked, curious. Jack cautiously took hold of the handle along with her, looking at the tank warily as if the medicine itself would infect him or something. The Doctor grinned madly, taking off his long brown coat. He winked at Rose before dropping down into the lift itself.

"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in!"

"He's crazy," Jack muttered. Rose rolled her eyes and huffed as she took a better hold of the handle.

"Not crazy- well, maybe, yes. But more like a self-absorbed, cheeky idiot. I just hope he doesn't get himself into trouble."

"That's what you two always does- getting into trouble." Jack pointed out, frowning. Rose smiled.

"Oh, shut up. It's not just us, Cassandra; Jack is as good at stirring up trouble as the Doctor and me. Now, be safe!" Rose called out at the Doctor as he took out his sonic screwdriver. The Doctor gave her a cheeky wink as the lift doors slid open, and the diseased people turned to look. Jack tensed, his shoulders stiffening. He groaned in exasperation as the Doctor started shouting at the approaching ones, bounding in eagerness.

"I'm in here! Come on!"

"Don't tell them to _do_ that!" Jack hissed, and tried to withdraw his hands; however, Rose simply glared at him and clamped her hands onto the handle harder, keeping him in place. Cassandra glared at her through Jack's eyes in distaste.

"Did I tell you that you two are absolutely out of your minds?"

"Well, several times, yeah. And many people have been trying to tell us so, but we never listen." Rose shrugged. The Doctor looked up at them and shouted.

"Pull that lever!"

"Pulling- the lever!" Rose called back giddily. All the diseased people in the hotel reception started to shuffle towards the lift. The Doctor kept calling at them to come and get him, that he was in the lift and wasn't going to run away anywhere. He kept urging the diseased to come closer and closer, and despite himself Jack couldn't help but be impressed of the alien's confidence and boldness.

"I'm in here! Come on!"

**_'Commence stage one disinfection.'_**

"Hurry up! Come on!" The Doctor shouted joyfully, shoving his hair back as the contents of the disinfectant tank were poured onto him. "Come on, come on."

And they did. They stepped into the lift, reaching out. They then stopped, staring at their own outstretched arms in amazement as the medicine cocktail was sprayed onto it, taking away the pain and the disease from them. They marveled at their clean skin before leaving to pass the miracle onto others.

"All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!" The Doctor must have expected- and intended- this to happen, but still, he was overjoyed. Rose couldn't stifle her laughter as the Doctor bounded up and down on the lift. Jack was baffled enough to keep on asking 'Pass on what? Is he killing them?', but he soon realized what was happening and went quiet.

The disinfected humans slowly moved towards each other. The moment the cured ones touched their diseased friends, there were hissing noises and steam emanated from their skin- the sound of people being cured, of health returning. The Doctor watched them with a big, loony smile on his face before turning to help Rose and Jack down, one by one.

"No, I didn't kill them. The _Doctor_ doesn't go off killing people. I cured them," he explained. If Rose noticed a flitting shadow cross the Doctor's features for a moment when he mentioned that 'the Doctor does not kill', she didn't say anything. Instead, she watched in contentment as a sobbing, cured woman approached the Doctor and gave him a hug.

"That's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart. Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it." He gently patted her back before turning to Jack with tinkling eyes. "It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life. New humans! Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, _completely _alive. You can't deny them, because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life comes back, it always does! Ha!"

Cassandra didn't say anything. She simply pursed Jack's lips together and watched people go.

* * *

It was a little later that the quarantine was formally lifted. Noticing that the Doctor was still soaked, Rose paused for a moment to think before running off in the direction of the lift. The Doctor watched her curiously, and his eyes widened when Rose returned with his nice brown coat. She handed it to him, grinning and sticking her tongue out between her teeth.

"Keep yourself warm," she warned. "Don't want to catch a cold or something."

"This was the disinfectant. How can I catch a cold when I'm drenched with medicine and disinfectant?" the Doctor whined, but grinned nontheless as he put on the coat and brushed his wet hair away. "Besides, you keep forgetting my superior Time Lord physiology; the cold never bothers me anyway."

"That one's a bluff."

"Is not."

"It is! God, and can't you just not be rude for a second and say 'thank you' for once?" Rose said playfully, crossing her arms- a spitting image of her mother. The Doctor seemed to contemplate this for a moment before smiling back.

"Okay, okay. Just this once. Thank you, Rose Tyler. And my point still stands; I don't catch a cold."

"Whatever." Rose rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat.

"Oh god. Can you two just stop bickering like an old married couple? It's absolutely annoying." Jack- no, actually, Cassandra- shot back in an irritated voice, and the Doctor simply shrugged in return. Rose blushed a little but managed to hide it by pretending to watch people shuffle away, following the directions coming from the loudspeaker.

_"This is the NNYPD. Please step away from the shuttles. All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be catalogued and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."_

The Doctor sat there and listened to the voice. All of a sudden, he remembered someone whom he had forgotten in all the flurry and crisis. He cried out, jumping to his feet with wide eyes.

"The Face of Boe!"

He broke into a run, taking both Rose and Jack by surprise. They ran after him- straight to the last patient left on the ward. Rose's eyebrows rose as she looked at the Face of Boe for the second time.

"He was at Platform One..."

Jack scowled at the memory, but the Doctor simply nodded and didn't take his attention off the Face. The brown eyes seemed to be transfixed as the huge Face smiled a little at him.

"You were supposed to be dying," he spoke bluntly. The Face chuckled.

_"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait."_

"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face," Jack muttered, and the Face of Boe gazed at him in interest. Rose forced Jack to shut his mouth by nudging him in the side with her elbow _hard_. The Face of Boe laughed quietly at this sight, which surprised the Doctor. Then the old one continued speaking.

_"I have never grown tired with the universe, Doctor, not when you were there to teach me to look at it anew."_

"Was I?" The Doctor paused, looking distracted for a moment. Then he continued. "-There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old."

"_Maybe_," the Face smiled. _"But I've got the impression that my time was ending, and I'd greet death in a welcoming embrace when it comes."_

"Yeah... did you call me here because there was something you wanted to tell me?"

"_Two great secrets_," the Face agreed.

"So the legend says," the Doctor replied.

_"Only one will be told today. The other can wait for the third time, for the last time, when the truth shall be told. Until that day, you shall have to wait, too, Time Lord."_

"Oh... does it have to?" The Doctor hummed thoughtfully. "But I guess it will have to do. So what is it that you are going to tell me today?"

"_That you will find your home soon, Doctor, in more ways than one_," the Face answered in a cryptic voice. _"That you will need help to alter your song. And speaking of songs-"_ The giant lips tugged up, forming a smile that Rose would have called playful if it belonged to someone not so ancient. And the next thing he spoke brought immense shock to both the girl and the Time Lord in an instant.

"_Not once did I regret hearing that Moonlight Serenade under the Big Ben, the day we started running together_."

"...What?" the Doctor blinked rapidly for three times before the words sank in. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he wildly looked between Cassandra-Jack (who was frowning, not having a clue about what all this was about) and the Face of Boe. "WHAT? _What_?"

"Does that mean-" Rose gulped, hard. "That means- but it's impossible..."

"Jack-"

"Immortality-"

"Face of Boe-"

"-SAME PERSON?!"

The Face merely chuckled, but Rose could swear that she could see a familiar glint of amusement in his eyes. _"It's nice to see you again, Doctor, Rose. Well then, until the next time-"_

He was beamed away in a shower of blue light, leaving the Doctor and Rose speechless. Well, actually, _beyond_ speechless.

* * *

It took a lot of time for them to recover from the shock. Then they started speaking at the same time, their voice incredibly excited at the unlikely, timey-wimey (and rather shocking) reunion. Then after the initail chaos cleared away (but the excitement and disbelief still bubbling right there), they both agreed that getting Cassandra out of Jack's body was a priority.

It took some arguing, breaking down on Cassandra's part, the reappearance of Chip and the gradual, upcoming death to convince her, but at last, Cassandra did accept that death was an inevitable part of one's life. After accepting that, she only had one more request; the Doctor looked at her sadly before granting it.

They watched the dying Cassandra go greet her past, and then crumble down to the ground. Then they went back to the Tardis, quietly disappearing from the party and sailing through the Vortex in peaceful silence.

Jack woke up after two hours, three minutes with a terrible headache that he thought to be a hangover at first; then he managed to remember what had happened- he was taken over by Cassandra's mind. He felt a little dread. He was sure that the mad woman had done something absolutely insane and embarrassing in his body. After all, if that was not the reason, then why would the Doctor and Rose be whispering something together, shooting him a weird look- with a suspicious giggle!- from time to time?

He groaned and gave up trying to figure it out. He had absolutely no idea what had happened. So he sulkily went away to his bedroom, flopped onto the bed, and started snoring immediately.

When he woke up, the fatigue and the terrible headache was gone. And the Doctor was dancing around the console, as usual, and announced in a cheerful voice that they were going to go see 1979- 'crazy year', he said. And of course, he missed the destination, ending up in Victorian England.

...Who said that the 'troubles were just the bits in-between'? It seemed that nowadays, they were jumping from one trouble to next.

"-Not that I complain!" Jack winked. Rose sighed, and smiled.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! If anyone's there that remembers this fic, well, yeah... that you for reading :)**

**Is my faithful beta reader Anna still out there? Hello?**

**Read and Review!**


	9. Tooth, Claw and Captain Indestructible

**A/N: This one is mostly cannon, so- only one chapter. I skimmed through the episode and concluded that Jack couldn't have done much in the storyline, sorry :) But the Torchwood tidbits ****_are_**** there. And it's the longest chapter ever. Enjoy!**

**In the Season 2 part of this story, 'School Reunion', 'Age of Steel', 'The Idiot's Lantern', 'Love and Monsters', and '****_Doomsday_****' are quite off-cannon, while the rest is pretty much the same. Just keep that in mind :) **

* * *

**_Tooth and Claw_**

_"Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks _  
_ Within his bending sickle's compass come; _  
_ Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, _  
_ But bears it out even to the edge of doom."_

_ -Shakespeare Sonnet 116_

* * *

"Which one is your favorite queen?" the Doctor asked idly, fiddling with his sonic screwdriver in an attempt to fix the broken CD player. "Mine's good queen Bess. Elizabeth the second, not the first. Haven't met the first one yet. But still, the rest of the English Royals are generally on good terms with me. I'm the great drinking buddy of Henry Twelve, and Liz Two still invites me over for tea and scone."

"I like Queen Victoria," Rose smiled, watching the Time Lord leap around the console. "My history teacher was very fond of her. Whenever we caused trouble she'd say, _'I am not amused'_," she added, poorly mimicking the royal's sophisticated accent. The Doctor chuckled, nodding.

"Hmm, your favorite is ol' Vicky? Mine's Liz Ten," Jack piped up as he strode into the console room. He grinned and wagged his eyebrows in a suggestive sort of way. "Met her once while hopping through the twenty ninth century. I was a Time Agent then, and she was downright _hot_. Hell, I flirted with her and she almost shot me with a gun in one go! Loved it."

"You and your never-ending list of possible lovers..." the Doctor shook his head and sighed. Then he shot Jack a funny look. Face of Boe, with his ancient wisdom? _No way!_ The Time Lord hummed and shook his head disbelievingly. Humans kept surprising him (if you could call the Face of Boe a 'human'). The wonders of the universe...

"Aha!" the Doctor cried out in delight, snapping out from his musings, as the last piece of the CD player snapped into place. "I fixed it. Hold on, listen to this!" he cried out gleefully as he slipped a CD into the TARDIS player. "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979!"

"I can't believe this!" Jack laughed as the punk music started blaring out from the speakers. The Doctor grinned and swept around the console, pulling this lever and pressing that button to set the coordinates for their next destination. He bobbed his head up and down, swinging to the music. Rose tilted her head back and started giggling incredulously. "You're a punk?!"

"It's good to be a lunatic..." the Doctor hummed, punching the last few numbers into the system. Rose giggled and Jack pointed at the Doctor, grinning.

"That's what you are. A sexy punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in!"

The Doctor smirked and leaned back onto the console. "Oh, stop flirting, will you? Anyway, Rose- what do you say 'bout seeing him? Ian Dury?"

"How'd you mean? In concert?"

"What else is a Tardis for? I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?"

"Sheffield it is," Rose and Jack echoed happily after exchanging a quick glance. The Doctor beamed and leapt towards the console, clearly bubbling with excitement.

"Well then, we are on for a rough ride. Hold on tight!"

The sound of the engine groaning as the TARDIS hurtled through the Time Vortex couldn't be heard over the blaring music; Jack laughed uncontrollably as the Doctor started banging on the console with a mallet, beating out the rythm of the song just for the fun of it.

"Didn't you say that the TARDIS was alive? If I was her, I'd be seriously annoyed!" Rose joked over the music as the time machine rocked wildly beneath her feet. The Doctor gave her a loony grin as he threw the mallet aside and gave the console an affectionate pat.

"Ah, no worries, Rose. Old girl can take this just fine. Nice and sturdy, she is."

-_Aaand_ that was where the TARDIS seemed to disagree. As if it felt offended, it abruptly came to a stop, throwing the three of them right off their feet. They crashed, hard, onto the floor of the console room. Rose giggled and the Doctor howled madly with laughter, rolling on his back. Jack guffawed out loud, struggling to get to his feet. Ow, his head _hurt_.

"1979, hell of a year. China invades Vietnam. The Muppet Movie. Love that film. Margaret Thatcher... urgh." the Doctor babbled on, helping his two human friends back onto their feet. He continued in an elated voice as he threw on his coat and bounded towards the door. "And Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me... Nearly took off my thumb-"

They walked out, the Doctor first, Rose and Jack following him. He kept babbling. "And I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to-"

He looked up and found himself facing a row of rifles. Oh.

"...My thumb," he finished lamely, mildly surprised. They were surrounded by a group of soldiers that _definitely_ didn't belong to 1979. The Doctor pondered for a split second before holding up his hands and scrunching his nose in disappointment. "... Huh, 1879. Same difference."

"Very," Jack muttered as he rolled his eyes. "I knew the TARDIS would be angry at you for throwing such a racket."

The man on the black horse briefly directed his attention to Jack before turning back to face the Doctor.

"You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of this girl."

"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked back, sniffing the air. The man raised his eyebrows and asked back harshly.

"How can you be ignorant of that?"

The Doctor stuttered for a moment before shrugging in a nonchalant way. He chuckled, immediately slipping into the Scottish accent. "Oh, I'm, I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing this, this wee naked child over hill and over dale. Isn't that right, ya timorous beastie?"

"Och, aye! I've been oot and aboot." Rose spoke in an awkward manner, and Jack sighed a little in exasperation. The girl was all charms to his eyes, but really, feigning accents was really _not_ her area. It would simply rouse more suspicion in these men!

"No, don't do that," he whispered furiously, and Rose cast him a nervous glance. She giggled.

"Hoots mon."

"No, really, don't. It's like talking to the Sycorax all over again. 'Slitheen Parliament', really? That's rubbish."

"Hey, hey, stop chattering," the Doctor whispered before turning towards the soldiers and declaring in a clear, convincing voice. "I'm Doctor James McCrimmon, from the township of Balamory. I have my credentials, if I may. And this is Captain Jack Harkness. I hired him to keep us safe in- in this wilderness. Forgive him if he's rude, he's all brawn and no brains."

Ignoring Jack's tiny protest, he snapped out his psychic paper, holding it out for everyone to see. "As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself," he proclaimed.

"Let them approach," said a woman's voice from a nearby carriage. Reynolds cocked his gun uncertainly.

"I don't think that's wise, ma'am."

"Let them approach."

Reynolds hesitated before lifting his gun, albeit a little reluctantly. "You will approach the carriage, and show all due deference," he ordered. The Doctor offered a lazy salute and motioned Jack and Rose over. Jack winked at the youngest soldier (who flinched in surprise) before sauntering off with the Time Lord and his girl. They were exchanging funny glances again.

_God, I hope they'd just go and share a kiss or something,_ Jack mused. They are always bickering and giggling like a teenage couple, and still they just _wouldn't_ admit their feelings for each other (which was painfully obvious to Jack's eyes). But he didn't say anything, recalling the Doctor's words, the distant sadness in those brown eyes, back in the TARDIS. He then realized that the Doctor still haven't told them about what happened at the Game Station and all those stuff about regeneration. But he didn't have time to point that out. When he joined the Doctor and Rose in front of the black carriage, a footman had already opened the door to reveal- Queen Victoria herself!

"Rose, Jack, might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith," the Doctor announced in a proud voice.

"Captain Jack Harkness, your Majesty. It is a true honour," Jack said, smiling flirtatiously. Rose gave him a vicious jab with her elbow before greeting the Queen with a little curtsey.

"Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies for being so... naked."

"I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor. You seem to be the leader of your little party. Show me these credentials." Queen Victoria replied in a cool voice. The Doctor handed her the psychic paper. She peered at it, and her eyes went wide. She looked up to ask hurriedly.

"Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you and Captain Harkness have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."

"Does it?" the Doctor asked, trying to hide his surprise as she handed his psychic paper back to him. He peered at the invisible words on it. He smiled. "Yes, it does. Um, good. Very good."

Jack piped up from the side. "It may be rude of me, but your Majesty, as your Protector, allow me to ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line," the Queen explained curtly. The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"An accident?"

"I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned," she huffed. Jack frowned in puzzlement, although the Doctor hardly seemed surprised.

"An assassination attempt?" he inquired.

"What, seriously? There's people out to kill you?" Rose gaped incredulously.

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," the Queen replied, not at all intimidated. Soldier Reynolds spoke up from behind.

"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

Queen Victoria nodded. "This Doctor, Captain and their... timorous beastie will come with us."

Reynolds seemed to be unhappy, but he didn't dare object to the Queen's order. "Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall."

Victoria smiled. "Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" She commanded, and they started moving on. The Doctor, Rose and Jack walked with the soldiers behind the carriage.

"Funny," Jack said. "Because you say assassination and you just think of Kennedy and stuff. Not her."

"1879? She's had, oh, six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else. We just met Queen Victoria! Your favorite!" the Doctor grinned at Rose delightedly. Rose laughed.

"I know!"

They started bickering right away, with Rose claiming that she could make the Queen say her famous line: "I am not amused." The Doctor hummed and bet ten quids on it. Jack sided with Rose. They exchanged a conspiratory look before the three of them abruptly burst into laughter all at once. Captain Reynolds shot them a disapproving look and urged them on. Night was falling.

* * *

Sir Robert greeted them politely. The Torchwood Estate was quite charming, if a bit rustic, according to Queen Victoria. She exchanged a few words with the man and proceeded to enter the house. Lingering back for a moment, Jack noted with interest that the servants were all bald and muscular.

"Sir Robert must have a peculiar taste in men," Jack whispered to the Doctor. He frowned in disapproval.

"Not everyone is like you, Jack."

"Oh, really? Then let's see." Jack wagged his eyebrows and offered Sir Robert a handshake with a cheerful smile. "Captain Jack Harkness, Queen's Protector. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Jack, stop it!" the Doctor hissed.

Jack grinned and shrugged defensively. "I was only saying hello. Being polite and everything."

"Yeah, very convincing... Typical Jack." the Time Lord rolled his eyes and Rose chuckled as they proceeded into the observatory. Victoria was marveling at a massive, truly massive bronze telescope. And as usual, being a science geek and everything, the Doctor sucked in a breath in amazement and started whispering excitedly about the thing's beauty. Rose and Jack exchanged an amused glance.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour," Victoria spoke, tracing her finger on the telescope. Robert shrugged.

"All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession. He spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself."

"I wish I'd met him. I like him. That thing's beautiful... Can I?" the Doctor inquired, stepping forward and examining the grand work. Robert nodded.

"Help yourself."

"What did he model it on?" the Doctor said, peering into the telescope. The nobleman simply shook his head.

"I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little, shall we say, eccentric. I wish now I'd spent more time with him and listened to his stories."

"It's a bit rubbish," the Doctor continued. "How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top. That's stupid, kind of..."

"You shouldn't call someone _stupid_ in front of his son. Especially if he's dead. _Really_," Jack whispered. The Doctor blinked a few times in surprised before turning to Rose.

"Oh... Am I being rude again?" he asked. Rose nodded, popping the 'p'.

"Yep."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. But it's pretty. It's very pretty," he nodded enthusiastically.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded." Victoria agreed. Rose cocked her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. She was _so_ bent on winning this bet of companions against the Time Lord.

"Mmm. Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful? You could easily not be amused, or something? No?"

"This device surveys the infinite work of God. What could be finer?" Victoria countered, unfazed. Rose's shoulders slumped a little in disappointment, and Jack had to stifle a laughter. The Queen continued, turning around and walking around the room. "Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath, steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

"Stars and magic. I like him more and more," the Doctor commented. Then they proceeded to talk away about rural superstitions and the 'local wolf'. Rose noticed that Sir Robert seemed a tad bit nervous when he started on a story regarding the wolf. Was it just a coincidence that the moment his eyes fleeted over to the bald manservant, his tale was interrupted?

"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark," the butler reminded his master in a smooth voice, and Rose pondered for a moment before casually shrugging off her suspicion. Robert nodded a bit too hurriedly.

"Of course. Yes, of course."

"And then supper," Victoria added. "And could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler? I'm tired of nakedness."

"It's not... amusing, is it?" Rose tried once more, and this time both Jack and the Doctor had to stifle their chuckles as the Queen promptly ignored her and turned to Sir Robert.

"Sir Robert, your wife must have left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven, and talk some more of this wolf. After all, there is a full moon tonight."

"So there is, Ma'am," Robert replied sadly.

* * *

Jack shrugged off his coat as the bald butler- his name was Angelo, and he was as stiff as a doorknob- entered, clad in black and holding a silver plate with a glass cup placed on top.

"Your companion begs an apology, Doctor. Her clothing has somewhat delayed her," he said, placing the cup onto the table. The Doctor smiled in acknowledgement and licked some sauce off his finger.

"Oh, that's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham," he said, still sticking to his (surprisingly good) Scottish accent. Jack poked at his food in an attempt to hide his amusement as the Queen commented that Rose- the 'feral child'- could probably eat it raw. Reynolds awkwardly laughed out, trying to flatter her.

"Very wise, Ma'am. Very witty," he said. Victoria regarded him with an cool glance before wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Slightly witty, perhaps. I know you rarely get the chance to dine with me, Captain, but don't get too excited. I shall contain my wit in case I do you further injury," she retorted in a cool voice. Reynolds looked a bit embarrassed as he cast his eyes down and nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am," he replied. _That was a nice shot, good ol' Vickey_, Jack thought, grinning to himself. The Doctor lifted his head and spoke up.

"Besides, we're all waiting on Sir Robert. Come, sir. You promised us a tale of nightmares."

"Indeed. Since my husband's death, I find myself with more of a taste for supernatural fiction," Victoria said.

"You must miss him," the Doctor noted. Victoria turned her head towards him.

"Very much. Oh, completely. And that's the charm of a ghost story, isn't it? Not the scares and chills, that's just for children, but the hope of some contact with the great beyond. We all want some message from that place. It's the Creator's greatest mystery that we're allowed no such consolation. The dead stay silent, and we must wait. Come. Begin your tale, Sir Robert. There's a chill in the air. The wind is howling through the eaves. Tell us of monsters," she said with a smile.

Robert leaned back, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts, before resuming his formal posture and starting on his story.

"The story goes back three hundred years," he said in a calm voice. "Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning... livestock is found ripped apart and devoured."

Reynolds laughed. "Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that."

"Not always," Jack said with a shrug, earning himself a sharp glare from the man. "A bit of myth is the truth, from what I've seen. Loch Ness Monster, for example."

"Nicely said, Jack," the Doctor nodded. He directed his attention back to Robert. "And?"

"But sometimes a child goes missing," Robert continued in a hushed voice. The Doctor stared at the man intently, as if he was trying to read something from his calm face. "Once in a generation, a boy will vanish from his homestead."

"Are there descriptions of this creature?" Jack smiled. "I bet it will look grand."

"Oh, yes, Captain. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

The Doctor's eyes went wide. He leaned forward, intrigued. "A werewolf?"

Robert didn't look so comfortable with the story now. He was fiddling with his fork as he continued on in an uneven voice. "My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast, to have learned its purpose. I should have listened. His work was hindered. He made enemies. There's a monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

"Perhaps they thought his work ungodly," Victoria suggested. Robert shook his head.

"That's what I thought. But now I wonder. What if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet? What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?" He rushed out. The bald butler was slowly walking across the room, to the moonlit windowsill... he looked up at the full moon like a haunted man, and started chanting in a low tone.

_"Lupus deus est. Lupus deus est."_

"And what if they were with us right now?" the Doctor whispered in a hushed tone, gradually turning his head around. Jack grabbed his military coat as he proceeded to stand up from his place. An eerie silence fell, and the only sound that could be heard was the deep, rumbling voice of the monk.

_"Lupus, deus, est!"_

"What is the meaning of this?" Victoria cried, finally getting back to her senses. Reynolds sprang up, his shoulders tense. He hollered over to Sir Robert, who seemed terrified.

"Explain yourself, Sir Robert!"

"What's happening?"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife," Robert breathed out, looking heavily disoriented as he got to his feet. _They've got his wife_. The Doctor's eyes widened in a horrific realization at that. _And Rose, Rose is still missing!_ He sprang up from his seat and darted across the room. Jack sprinted after him.

"Rose! Where's Rose? Where is she? Sir Robert, come on!"

Sir Robert hesitated for a moment before throwing the queen an apologetic glance and running after the two. Captain Reynolds kept his gun trained on the chanting monk as the three of them sped down the corridor. The Doctor ran as fast as he could. The nobleman on his heels had a pained look on his face.

"They've got my wife down there, in that room. Your girl must be with her, too- I, I didn't mean to do this. I'm so sorry-" he babbled. Jack snorted and shouted back at the poor, befuddled man.

"We all make mistakes, get _over_ it and stop babbling! So what about the 'werewolf'?"

"It's in there with them. In a cage. But I doubt that the cage will be enough to contain the monster, now that the full moon is up."

The Doctor's face hardened. The door was right in front of them, and they could hear a faint sound of people crying out in terror, the sound of a chain breaking, a distant howl of a wolf. Jack scrunched his nose in frustration as he searched his pocket- he didn't have a gun on him! He often forgot to carry it with him, now that he was traveling with the Doctor. He sighed as he pulled his hand back out and braced himself for the crash. And- _BANG_!

Dust and debris flew everywhere as they kicked their way right through the wooden door. Jack stooped and coughed a few times to get the dust out from his mouth before straightening back up. Rose looked furious as she put her hands on her side and gave a stern look at the Doctor and Jack.

"Where the hell have you two been?" she demanded. Jack laughed cheerfully.

"Well, we were having a chat with her Majesty. And still 'naked', I see. There's some ham left, still- look at the bright side of everything, will you?" he then glanced at the growling monster. "Oh, dear. A werewolf?"

The Doctor was staring at the wolf in the crate, a manic smile slowly creeping over his face. He didn't take his eyes off the creature as he marveled out loud.

"Oh, that's beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking."

The werewolf howled viciously in reply as it broke out of its prison, shattering the iron bars. The Doctor blinked a few times before turning towards the herd of people and ushering them out of this place.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! -Oh, but really, you are wonderful, aren't you?" the Doctor directed his stare back to the monster in admiration._ An absolute geek,_ Jack groaned. He yelled.

"Get a move on, will you?"

"Come on, Doctor!" Rose shouted. The Doctor didn't pay attention, of course. Only after the monster threw a piece of crate at him did he duck and snap out of his trance, realizing the danger of the situation. He ran out of the room with his two human companions. Huffing, he turned around to lock the door with his sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor, Rose and Jack sprinted into the gun room, where people were already arming themselves. Jack immediately braced himself and grabbed a nearby gun-

"_No_, Jack," the Doctor said, giving him a stern look. Jack dropped the antique weapon with a regretful look on his face.

"Really?" he asked back in a mournful voice, looking down at his empty hand.

"Yeah. You are my companion, you shouldn't go around shooting things down, so don't even think of it-" the Doctor frowned momentarily. "You didn't bring a gun out from the TARDIS?"

"Well, as you pointed out, I travel with an alien, gun-hating pacifist. I don't carry a gun all the time. We were going to Ian Dury's concert, remember?" Jack retorted. The Doctor smiled as he removed Rose's shackles with ease.

"That's nice to know."

"Yeah, very, 'cause we are about to face a mythical creature, completely unarmed. Are you sure that I can't nick a gun from here? ...Okay, sorry, forget that. So what _is_ that thing?"

"It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths. Did it say what it wanted?" he asked Rose. She shrugged.

"The Queen, the Crown, the throne - you name it."

Their heads snapped up at the sudden _CRASH_ of something bursting through a wooden door. People in the gun room were all frozen in fear. The Doctor strolled out of the room to investigate. He peered into the darkness. His jaw dropped when he saw a giant wolf, standing at the other end of the passageway. They stood, staring at each other for a moment- and the wolf roared out before lunging at him. He ran back in and grabbed Rose's hand. The monster had followed him into the room, and the steward immediately gave an order to his men.

"Fire!_ Fire_!"

Gunshots thundered and smoke billowed as they fired away at the wolf. The wolf growled menacingly before letting out a long howl and disappearing from their view. The firing stopped as the men peered anxiously at the empty room. Jack stomped forwards, his long military coat billowing out from behind him.

"All right, everyone, nice shot, looks like we've won ourselves some time. We should retreat upstairs."

The Steward scoffed as he cocked his gun. "I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault," he announced stubbornly. The Doctor shook his head, irritated.

"You men, listen to Jack. Come with me- let's go upstairs!"

"And I'm telling you, sir, I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall," the Steward said. The Doctor glared at him, infuriated. Why did humans always _not_ listen to him? It was blatantly obviouse that the werewolf was no normal creature! The Time Lord seemed to be on the edge of yelling at the man as the Steward stepped into the corridor. He surveyed it carefully before looking back with a smirk.

"It must have crawled away to die-"

He didn't have time to finish the sentence, as he was suddenly yanked off his feet and hoisted up to the ceiling by a giant paw. People flinched, terrified, as the sound of snarling, screaming and tearing filled the room. The sound of death and wet meat dripping...

"There's nothing we can do!" the Doctor shouted and darted out the door, taking Rose with him. "Everyone! Jack, hurry!"

"A minute!" Jack said. This was a thing that only he- the immortal- and not the Doctor could do. He groaned in frustration. Huh, he already had a bad feeling about this. Jack started hollering, driving the terrified people out of the room. "Get, out, out, out, you idiots! Don't you just stand there cowering! Follow them!"

The people started shuffling out of the room one by one, and they started screaming and running. Jack stayed behind until the last one scampered out, then let out a sigh of relief and turned around...

...to come in face-to-face with the snarling wolf, as he expected.

"Oh, crap," he muttered, holding his hands up. "Can't you just be nice like a puppy?"

The wolf roared at him. Pain exploded. And he promptly died.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, Queen Victoria, Sir Robert, and a few remaining men ran into the room, slammed the door shut and barricaded it. Captain Reynolds wasn't with them; he had sacrificed himself to buy them time. The sound of wolf's paw shuffling, the howling continued outside the walls, but only faintly. Rose frowned as she listened to it intently.

"I don't understand. What's stopping it?"

"Something inside this room. What is it? Why can't it get in?" the Doctor said, pacing around the room. Rose pondered for a moment before grinning her signature grin, with her tongue poking out.

"I'll tell you what, though."

The Doctor looked back at her. "What?"

"_Werewolf_," she whispered in a delighted voice. The Doctor laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"I know! You all right?"

"I'm okay, yeah..." Rose shifted on her feet for a moment, looking uncomfortable. "Jack didn't come with us."

"Ah."

The Doctor's eyes darknened with worry for a second, but regained their cheerfulness soon enough. "He stayed behind and saved people, that's something. I guess I'm the one who should buy him a drink- no, not a drink. Never a drink. Anyway, I bet he'll be up and about in no time."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," the Doctor smiled. Robert glanced at the two of them, before sitting down wearily and speaking up in a defeated voice. Queen Victoria, still quivering with fear, sharply turned around to look at him.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault. I should have sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong. I thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

"Well, they were bald, athletic. Your wife's away, I just thought you were happy," the Doctor said casually, and Rose leaned back on him.

"I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now," she said, in an attempt to win the bet."

Victoria abruptly straightened her back, her eyes burning with fury. She was quivering- from fear, from anger. "Do you think this is funny?" she snapped. Rose flinched and ducked her head slightly.

"No, Ma'am. I'm sorry."

"What, exactly, I pray tell me, someone, please. What _exactly_ is that creature?"

"You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform," the Doctor answered, scratching the back of his neck. The men with guns stared incredulously at him.

"But who are _you_?" Victoria raised her voice. "Your companion- that Captain, he died at the hands of the wolf, and yet, look at you! You don't even care, do you?"

"Well, that's-" Saying that Jack couldn't die probably wasn't a good idea. It was highly likely that she'd freak out. "No, no, no- your Majesty, I'm pretty sure Captain is alive and well. When stuff happens, he tends to get knocked out once in a while, but he never dies." He feigned a cheerful grin.

"Doctor, that was rubbish. I don't think that will work," Rose whispered over to him, glancing at the stiff countenance of the Queen. The Doctor paused for a moment before frowning at her.

"Oh, dear. Funny how you can say something in your head and it sounds fine."

"And tell me, why should I trust you, sir?" Victoria continued with her accusation. "You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?"

The Doctor startled; he'd forgotten to keep up the Scottish Accent amdist the fight and excitement. He awkwardly scratched "Oh right, sorry, that's-"

Victoria shook her head decisively. Her mouth stiffened into a rigid line. "I'll not have it. No, sir. Not you, not that thing, none of it. This is _not_ my world."

* * *

The wife of Sir Robert, Isobel, was hurriedly giving out orders to the housemaids.

"Mistletoe! Gather it up. Quickly. Every last scrap. Quick, now!"

The housemaids quickly scurried around the place, gathering up the remaining mistletoe and chopping them into pieces. One of the maids, a girl named Flora, threw the mistletoe into boiling water and paused for a moment. She turned towards Lady Isobel and spoke in a trembling, yet hopeful, voice.

"There's no sound of the wolf, my Lady. Perhaps it's gone."

Isobel shook her head. "Perhaps it's toying with us. But my husband's up there, and if there's any chance he's still alive, then by God, I'll assist him."

Flora nodded and resumed stirring the water. And that was when Jack stumbled into the room, his military coat all tattered and bloodstained. Upon noticing his entrance, the maids shrieked in surprise and nearly dropped what they had in their hands.

"Hello! Cooking something at this hour?" Jack said cheerfully, trying to straighten himself up. He then frowned and muttered in a low voice. "Damn, this _hurts_\- still not used to the whole immortality stuff. I'm going to strangle that hell of a wolf."

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Lady Isobel cried out in a frightened voice. Jack took off the useless remains of his coat and flashed a lazy grin at her.

"Captain Jack Harkness, Queen's Protector, at your service, my Lady. I was... kind of... knocked out by the wolf, but luckily survived."

"You survived that beast?" Flora asked, surprised- after all, she had heard the horrible screams and the tearing sound. Jack looked at her in interest, and she found herself blushing and averting her eyes.

"Yes, by pure luck and chance. Now, no time for chitter-chatter, as much as I'd love to spend this night just looking upon your beauty." Jack deliberately pretended not to notice the blush blossoming on the poor girl's cheek. he strode over to the boiling water and sniffed at it, intrigued. "I need to find the Doctor and Rose. Oh, and the Queen, of course. And then, hopefully, I'd plant a nice good punch on that stupid dog's face. So, what's this?"

His 51th century nose picked up a few notable chemicals wafting up from the water. "Lectins and viscotoxins? Not very powerful. What are you going to use this for?"

"We will use it to help defeat the creature," Isobel said with a pale face. "The wolf cannot approach it. The monks are using mistletoe to prevent the wolf from attacking them."

"The wolf is allergic to mistletoe?" Jack grinned. "Fantastic! That was clever, very clever. Well then, my ladies, we'd better get going!"

The maids nodded and turned off the fire, busily pouring the mistletoe water into basins and buckets. Jack grabbed a fancy, 19th century sword from the wall. Flora helped him soak the silvery blade with the liquid. Jack examined it once, sniffed at it, then smirked in satisfaction. Lady Isobel stood up, a pan of mistletoe water in hand. She nodded solemnly at Captain Jack, who stood up and cleared his throat.

"Well, then, girls," he brandished his sword- making sure he looked good with it. He flashed a grin. "Time to catch the big bad wolf."

They hurried out of the kitchen, up the stairs, running as fast as the maids' skirts allowed them to. Jack didn't forget to flirtatiously smile at Flora as he saved her from stumbling and falling. Then he resumed running. They had almost reached the second floor.

"Alright. I suggest using the usual formation, my Lady." Jack said, taking in a deep breath, sword in hand. Isobel glanced at him in confusion.

"What's a 'usual formation', Captain?"

"Varies," he shrugged.

"How can a usual formation vary?!" Flora cried out, baffled. He winked.

"Hey, pretty, relax. I was just joking. But sometimes, a little flexibility_ is_ good for the soul-" he started charging forward the moment he saw Rose paralyzed in fear, standing at the end of the corridor. The wolf jumped forward, snarling furiously- and he hollered. "And this time, to hell with it. _FIRE_!"

They simultaneously thrust their buckets forward, capturing the werewolf in a shower of mistletoe water. The beast yelped and retreated a few steps, cringing; Jack didn't miss the chance and lunged forth, wielding his sword like he had done so all his life. The moment mistletoe-laced sword blade flashed across the wolf's legs, it howled in pain and ran away.

"That," the Doctor gasped, "was a good shot. Mistletoe, right?"

"Yes," Flora replied. Robert jumped forth to and pulled his wife into a hug. They kissed as if their lives depended on it. Rose smiled happily- while Queen Victoria stared incredulously- at Jack.

"Jack!" she cried, pulling him into a hug. Jack gladly returned it before turning to the Doctor.

"Did I earn my drink?" he smirked, dropping down to a mock-seductive voice. The Time Lord let out a merry laugh.

"Oh, not in a million years, Captain. But you were brilliant, absolutely brilliant. What happened to your coat?"

"I had a particularly rough dance with the bad dog." Jack chuckled. "It got shredded. Shame, I really liked that coat. And where are those guys I saved?"

"The cowards fled in terror. Scattered whilst being chased by the creature," Sir Robert informed him before turning to his wife. "Now, Isobel! You must get back downstairs."

"Keep yourself safe." Isobel whispered. Robert didn't reply to that, but gently pushed her away.

"Now go," he whispered. She nodded and quickly retreated down the back stairs, ushering her maids along with her. The Doctor nodded and braced himself for another run.

"Good. Come on!"

"The observatory's this way," Robert supplied. They fled up the staircase. When they managed to reach the observatory, the Doctor briefly licked on the wooden doors and declared that there was no mistletoe on them.

"Your father wanted the wolf to get inside. I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?"

"Just do your work and I'll defend it," Robert said.

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something..."

"I said I'd find you time, Sir." Robert said in a decisive manner. "I've committed treason, but my wife will remember me with honour. I'm sorry, your Majesty. Now get inside-"

The man suddenly crumpled down onto the floor. Jack looked down at him with an almost regretful look on his face- he'd hit the nobleman on the back of his neck.

"He's a good man, but he's a bit stubborn, isn't he? The fella should live to see his beautiful Lady Isobel again. Drag him in." Jack stood ready, sword in his hand. He let out a strained sigh. "I'll guard the doors and buy you time."

"But Jack, it'll hurt," Rose said, concern evident in her eyes. Jack laughed.

"Oh, awfully. But I am the man who can't die. He's not. Now go in!"

"Brave Jack. I'm sorry. So sorry," the Doctor murmured with a nod. He sprinted into the room, pulling the unconscious body of Sir Robert in. Rose and the Queen- whose worried gaze rested on the Captain for a split second before the heavy door slammed shut. A lonely howl echoed from a distance.

"Shit." Jack cursed under his breath. Then he held his sword forward. The wolf appeared at the end of the corridor, sniffing. It growled and narrowed its eyes when it spotted Jack. Jack tightly grabbed the sword and tensed. The words he had spoken to the Time Lord at the Game Station came back to him all at once.

_-Wish I'd never met you, Doctor. I was much better off as a coward._

But _this_ was fantastic. Fighting for them while they fought to save the world. The Doctor and Rose Tyler. The girl worth fighting for, and the Time Lord- the man who saves the universe, the man like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. His wonderful team.

_Wouldn't change this for anything. Even if it means..._

He grinned as the wolf lunged at him. His sword flashed through the air.

* * *

The fight was short-lived and violent, and Jack's curses and screams echoed through the air. Queen Victoria scrunched her eyes shut and held forth a cross. The Doctor and Rose managed to lift the telescope into place, using the diamond to gather the moonlight into a blinding beam of white light. When the wolf, dripping blood from its wound, crashed through the doors, Sir Robert woke up and sprang to his feet. He tried to protect the Queen by shielding her with his own body.

Fortunately, the white light captured the werewolf just in time. The wolf was lifted off the ground. It was suspended midair for some time before, with a soft groan, turning back into a silouette of a man.

_'Make it brighter. Let me go_,' it whispered.

The Doctor gazed at it for some time before adjusting the magnification on the eyepiece. The man turned back into the wolf shape. With a long, echoing howl, he vanished into a thousand tiny speckles of light. Victoria let out a small sigh of relief before lifting her arm to inspect a small scratch on her wrist.

"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" Sir Robert asked, alarmed. Queen Victoria shook her head.

"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all."

"If that thing bit you-?" the Doctor asked, taking a few strides forward. Victoria hid her wrist.

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing," she said stubbornly.

"Let me see-" the Doctor insisted. Victoria glared at him as she pulled away.

"It is nothing," she spoke sharply. The Doctor hesitated for a moment before letting his hand fall. He didn't insist anymore. The moonlight was still bright, and none of them spoke for a second. There was silence. And-

"Can someone get me a shirt?" Captain Jack's head suddenly popped up from the pile of wooden debris. Queen Victoria took in a sharp breath in shock. Jack flashed a smile at her. "The wolf ruined my shirt. I know I look great without one, but it's kinda cold in here."

"But that's impossible!" Sir Robert shouted. "The wolf killed you."

"Not _impossible_," the Doctor grinned as he turned to Rose. She laughed breathlessly before throwing her arms around him. "Just a bit unlikely," she answered playfully. Then she ran towards Jack and scooped him up in a warm embrace. The Doctor watched them with a smile on his lips before striding over to them and pulling them both into a hug.

"I'm glad you are okay," he murmured. "It hurt, wasn't it?"

Jack grinned back. "I'm fine. But I guess it kinda freaked_ them_ out," he said, pointing at the Queen and Sir Robert, who were still gaping at him in shock.

"Who? Oh... yeah, some people just can't take it." the Doctor shrugged. "Collateral damage, can't help it."

They burst into laughter again. The Doctor, Rose, and Captain Jack Harkness, the three of them- as it should be. Always.

* * *

Morning came. In the presence of the whole household, Jack (clad in Sir Robert's most formal coat), the Doctor, and Rose knelt before Queen Victoria, who was holding a sword in her hand.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis," she said, placing the sword on the Doctor's shoulder. Then she turned to Jack. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Jack of the Boshane Penninsula." She laid the sword on Rose's shoulder last. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate... You may stand."

"Many thanks, Ma'am," the Doctor said with a nod.

"Another addition to my ever-growing list of fancy titles, but I appreciate it." Jack added. Rose nudged him with her elbow and smiled sheepishly at the Queen.

"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home."

The Doctor gazed at Rose with his warm brown eyes before addressing the Queen once more.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave," he said, cocking his head.

Victoria nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed," she said, but her face hardened quickly. "Then you may think on this also. That I am not amused."

The Doctor burst into laughter as he looked at Rose, who jumped and whooped in delight, "Yes!"

"Ten quids each," Jack said in a sing-song voice. The Doctor groaned. "Oh, no. It was so close."

Queen Victoria's face hardened even more at their playful display. She raised her voice. "Not _remotely_ amused. And henceforth I banish you."

The Doctor was quite taken aback at this turn of events. Knighted and banished on the same day?

"I'm sorry?"

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and death- and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and _death_, and I will not allow it." Queen Victoria proclaimed, with a sense of finality in her voice. The trio quickly exchanged glances. "You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you will survive this terrible life. Now leave my world, and never return."

-And so they did.

"Whoa!" the man pulled at the reins, and the cart came to a stop. The Doctor, Rose and Jack hopped off.

"Cheers, Dougal!" the Doctor called out cheerfully.

"Walk on," the man said gruffly. So they started walking through the plains, wind whipping at their faces. The Doctor was babbling merrily.

"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood. It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere."

Rose laughed. "What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?"

The Doctor shrugged, a loony smile playing at his lips. "Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"Could be."

Rose blinked. "Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" she asked. The Doctor gave her a carefree wink, clearly enjoying this banter.

"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Now Rose _was_ freaking out.

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?" the Doctor grinned. Rose's eyes widened as she burst into laughter.

"Nah, that's just ridiculous!" Then she paused to think over it. "Mind you, Princess Anne."

"Ooooh. Really?" Jack's eyes almost popped out. The Doctor hummed happily.

"I'll say no more."

"And if you think about it, they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon. We'd never know. And they like hunting!" Rose rambled on, excited. They pushed the door open and entered the TARDIS. She continued, laughing. "They love blood sports. Oh my _God,_ they're werewolves!"

The Doctor and Jack laughed along with her, and the TARDIS dematerialized with a familiar whooshing sound. All was well.

* * *

"You are forgiven for your treason, Sir Robert, and your honour is restored, for you have shown bravery and attempted to protect me with your life. And also for your father's loyalty." Victoria said. Sir Robert bowed deeply in gratitude.

"Thank you, Ma'am. It's so much more than what I deserve."

"And although we may not speak of these events in public, they will not be forgotten, I promise you that," Victoria continued. "Captain Reynold's sacrifice, the ingenuity of your father, they will live on."

"But how?" Isobel wondered, squeezing her husband's hand tightly. Victoria lifted her head with dignity and spoke, her voice ringing loud and clear.

"I saw last night that Great Britain has enemies beyond imagination, and we must defend our borders on all sides. Therefore, I propose an Institute to investigate these strange happenings and to fight them. I would call it Torchwood. The Torchwood Institute. And if this Doctor should return then he should beware, because _Torchwood will be waiting."_

She smiled.

* * *

**_And about one hundred, twenty and six years later..._**

Captain Gwen Cooper, leader of Torchwood Three, carefully laid down the files and smiled. She leaned back on her chair and began sipping the coffee that Ianto Jones had made for her.

"Well, that one's my favorite. You and your friends unintentionally triggering the creation of Torchwood."

"Something that I heavily regret."

Gwen laughed at his sullen reply and put the file back into her desk. "If there wasn't Torchwood, you couldn't have made a living on Earth."

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and I charm the pants off my employees. I can _always_ get myself a job."

"Yeah, of course." Gwen twirled the ball point pen between her fingers. She chuckled as she flipped through another file that said: The Shakespeare Incident. "Look, this time it's Queen Elizabeth! What's with you and the queens, Jack?"

"I've got no idea," Jack Harkness grumbled, typing in a boring report about the recent Weevil attack. "Good Queen Bess tried to have my head cut off in front of Shakespeare! And do I have to keep doing this boring paperwork?"

"You were the one who wanted a job. In Cardiff."

"Is that my fault? God, that damn Chameleon Arch... John is, well, nice and interesting and all that, but Cardiff, really? Bloody Family of Blood. Rose was the lucky one."

"Stop grumbling and finish that report till six, okay? Then we'll have pizza. Owen, Tosh, Ianto! How 'bout pizza for dinner?"

"Fine for me!" came the distant reply. Jack sighed and got back to work after sending a short text message to his friends in London.

* * *

**A quick peep into the future, heh? ;)**

**Read and Review!**


	10. Interlude: Talking About Regeneration

**Interlude: Talking About Regeneration (Over a Cup of Tea)**

* * *

The TARDIS was safely floating around the Time Vortex. That settled, the Doctor had to admit to himself that he was going to be forced into having 'the talk'. The _very_-uncomfortable-and-truthful-talk-about-regeneration and a few other... things.

Rose and Jack was already settled in the library, chattering quietly over a cup of steaming hot chocolate and relaxing. The Doctor deliberately picked up a bottle of marmalade and toast in a very sluggish manner, unwillingly dragging his feet to the room where his two human companions were waiting for him.

"Hey, Doc!" Jack called him cheerfully, plopping his head up with a fluffy pillow. "What took you so long?"

(The TARDIS didn't like Jack; his presence made her feel all nauseous and sick, to such an extent that she wanted to run to the end of the universe to get rid of him. But her thief was fond of him, so she had to put up with him. In a tedious act of revenge, she'd often mix up the rooms and make him wander through the endless passageways until her thief came to his rescue. So _Jack _was never provided with a single cushion from the TARDIS- poor Jack, indeed.

But she _was_ very fond of Rose, her Wolf, which was why whenever Rose entered the library she found a mug of steaming hot chocolate and a mountain of comfy pillows waiting for her. Having noticed the ship's discriminative behavior, Rose would hand over some pillows to Jack. He was very grateful for this, 'cause he was pretty sure that an empty, cold bed would be waiting for him in his hard-to-find room. Anyway...)

"Weellll... the TARDIS, needed to fix a few things here and there," the Time Lord lied. Rose giggled and stuck her tongue out.

"But I didn't hear any tinkering. Just say that you don't like opening up to us but you had no way out," she teased.

"Leave it," the Doctor whined, settling down on a sofa himself. "Really, I'm just not the number one fan of interrogations." He picked up a book. He flipped through a few pages and looked up with a seemingly nonchalant shrug.

"So... what first?" he asked, trying his best to keep his voice void of the fear he was feeling at this moment. Rose and Jack exchanged a meaningful glance. Finally, Rose stared at the Doctor, her playful smile replaced by a serious- almost solemn- look.

"The Game Station, Doctor," she said softly. "Can we start with the Game Station?"

The Doctor gulped, but forced an encouraging smile onto his lips. "Sure. Why not? Ask away!"

"What happened there?"

The Time Lord dropped his gaze, absent-mindedly running his hand across the front cover of the book. An old front cover. He had immediately started writing it after the Time War ended. Everything was written in it, all the details that would be a crime to forget- in his previous self's own handwriting. _The History of the Time War_, said the title. A terrible, all-too-familiar feeling of guilt flashed through his hearts.

"Doctor?" Jack prompted worriedly as the Doctor seemingly relapsed into silence. The Time Lord took in a deep breath and gazed at them.

...And gratitude, too. To both of them. And especially Rose. He couldn't help but think that the universe had arranged their meeting, so that she could hold onto him. She was a reminder, a promise that life was, perhaps, worth living, no matter how terrible the losses. That it can be good again. He owed so much to his Rose.

So, maybe, just maybe, just this once, even though he desperately wanted to simply laugh and lie and run away- he could talk. He could give them the truth that they wanted.

The Doctor finally took his eyes off Rose and looked at Jack. He smiled.

"Okay. Let's start with this: What do _you_ remember, Jack?"

"Me?" Jack blinked, startled. He tilted his head to the side and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. Found myself standing knee-deep in Dalek dust, ran and found you. The big-eared you. What happened?"

"Rose," the Doctor answered simply. "_Rose_ happened."

"Me?" She pointed at herself, puzzled. He nodded, careful and leaned back on the couch.

"But how? You sent me back home, didn't you? I didn't want you to, but you went on with it anyway." Rose narrowed her eyes in accusation. "I had to- I don't know. I think I opened up the engine of the TARDIS to get back to you. Used a yellow truck. It worked, but I don't know how."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, averting his eyes. What exactly he was sorry of, neither Jack nor Rose knew. The Doctor lapsed into silence, a million different thoughts crossing his features. And most of them were guilt. _She was dying for me. She could have died._

Rose stared at him for a moment, her anger bleeding away. No matter how that memory hurt, she couldn't be angry at him. Not now. Not when he looked so... agitated. So she let the tiniest of smiles slip onto her lips and reached out to touch his arm. He flinched, startled.

"It's okay," she said. "Just... don't do it again. Don't send me away. Promise?"

The Doctor finally looked up, his brown puppy eyes full of wonder. Then his face cracked into a smile and he nodded. "Promise," he said. "Always."

"All right," Rose smiled. "You'd better keep that promise- Mom will most certainly give you a good solid slap if you don't."

The Doctor cringed at the thought of a Jackie Tyler slap, and his human companions burst into laughter. The heavy atmosphere seemed to lift a little. The laughter died out. A pause. Silence. Still uncomfortable, treading on the edge.

"So..." this time, it was Jack who spoke up first. His eyes darted over to Rose, then back to the Time Lord. He unconsciously fiddled with his sleeve and shrugged. "How did she come back?"

"Opened the heart of the Tardis and absorbed the time vortex itself," he replied slowly, a tinge of sadness coloring the edge of his voice. Rose frowned in confusion, since she couldn't recall what she had done at the time at all.

"I did that? Is that possible _at all_? I mean- The time vortex is something that can be, just, _absorbed_ by someone? And if it is, what does that mean, exactly?"

"No one's ever mean to have that power, Rose," the Doctor said. He leaned back and sighed, thoughtfully looking up at the ceiling. "If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful god. But you were... human."

"Good thing or bad thing?"

"Good thing, of course," the Doctor smiled softly. _Everything about you is beyond perfect_, he though, but didn't say it out loud. Her occasional witty comment, the tongue-between-teeth grin, the pink-and-yellowish-ness, her human heart... was good. Fantastic. Perfect. And he loved her for it. Loved her too much, perhaps.

But he'd never tell her _that_, no.

He inhaled deeply through his parted lips before continuing. "What you did was so human, Rose. _You_ brought Jack back to life. You and the Bad Wolf- the TARDIS. Together."

"I did?" A look of shock crossed her features. Then realization. "Does that mean- Jack being unable to die is..."

"It's not your fault," the Doctor answered quickly, giving her a comforting squeeze on her hand. "The power wasn't meant for you, so you couldn't control it. But you did what you could. You were trying to save me... save Jack... and we'd both have died without you. Forever."

"But we're here," Jack said, grinning. "Sure, you brought me back forever. So what? Back when we were fighting the werewolf, I could save you and this cheeky Time Lord sitting right over there with my inability to die, and I'm happy with it. Hey, Rosie, cheer up. You did the right thing."

"The best thing. And that's something, I suppose," the Doctor mused. "The final act of the Time War was life."

_That's who you are. You bring life, Rose. While I bring death and destruction._

_...I don't deserve you._

The Doctor felt self-hatred rising like bile in his throat, making him choke. He hid it by downcasting his eyes. "But you were dying because of it. The power. You were looking at the turns and spins of the universe, the timelines. And it was killing you, burning you from the inside out."

I think you need a Doctor, he'd said, pressing his lips onto hers. She tasted of time, of life, of love and the sweetness of morning sunlight. He had a different body back then, but he still remembered it. The brightness that seared into his burnt-out soul. He tried to ignore the tingling sensation that came back, ghosting across his lips, as he recalled the memory.

He didn't tell Rose that he'd kissed her. Instead, he simply skipped over the facts and stated, "I took the power from you. Returned it to the TARDIS."

"And you died," Rose murmured, yet another realization dawning on her. A hint of fear in her eyes. "You died... because of me?"

"Oh! No, no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely not. Quite the opposite. Were you listening at all?" the Doctor shook his head vigorously. His brown eyes sparkled with excitement. "Without you, I'd have been killed by the Dalek death ray. Period. No regeneration, nada, whatsoever, gone for good. But I'm here... thanks to _you_. But don't you ever do it again!"

The Doctor jumped up and swiftly pushed 'The History of the Time War' onto a crowded bookshelf. Then he flopped back onto the chair, looking far more at ease than he used to be. He flashed a quick grin at Rose and Jack. Rose was still deep in thought, trying to wrap her head around everything she'd just heard.

Jack smirked, taking a quick sip from his mug before leaning back and diving back into the conversation.

"And, now. I guess it's time for you to explain about the whole 'regeneration' business. At least I was a Time Agent and had heard bits and pieces of legends about the Time Lords- but Rosie here knows practically nothing, Doc."

He waved his hand over his own face. "Aside from the fact that you practically used it to have a work done on your face. Nice job on that, by the way."

Rose broke out from her contemplations and laughed as the Doctor scrunched his nose in horror and distaste. The Time Lord puffed his chest out in indignation and crossed his arms defensively.

"_I didn't use it to 'have a work done'_! I don't have any control over it, it was purely by chance that I ended up quite good-looking. Well, Romana could choose a face quite easily, but not me. Regeneration is a lottery. Keep that in mind, Captain!"

The fact that he was in love probably had some influence over the process, he knew that. His 'foxy' face, yeah, right. But there was absolutely no need for them to know, right?

"When do you... well, 'regenerate'?" Rose asked cautiously.

"Severe illness, old age, injury, radiation, poison, voluntary choice, blah blah blah, 'death' in short. Anything can invoke it. But sometimes it doesn't work," he answered with a shrug. Jack's eyes widened.

"Doesn't work?"

"The process can be hindered by certain types of death. Aspirin, poison of Judas tree, drowning me quickly, destroying both of my hearts at the same time, killing me during the regeneration process... you name it. _Ah, anyway."_

He flopped a book open and jumped back down to sit on the couch. The page held a picture of triple helix DNA that was disintegrating halfway through. Golden energy was surrounding it.

"Billions of years being exposed to the Untempered Schism, DNA evolves, boom. What do we have now? Time Lords that can regenerate!" He motioned over to himself, immersed in his own techno-babble. "We've got this... little... regeneration energy packs and enzymes floating around in our body. When we regenerate, one energy and one enzyme pack comes together and triggers a self-repairing process. Body releases energy, fixes itself, but bits and pieces of errors occur in the DNA, causing the change in appearance... quirks... personality."

"That's why you changed," Rose realized. The Doctor nodded with a smile. "Can you regenerate indefinitely?"

"Nope, that would be really, really... cheating. I've got limits, so I have to be careful. Twelve packs, twelve regenerations, twelve bodies. That's it!"

"Which body are you on?" Jack asked, curious. The Doctor looked uncomfortable for a split second.

"...I..." The man who wasn't the Doctor. But still_ him_. He couldn't mention that incarnation of himself. "...have got two lives left. Yes, two regenerations, period. One body roughly lasts a thousand years or so, but you know me: jeopardy-friendly." He grinned.

"Blimey, you've been running through them pretty quick, haven't you?" Rose asked, looking dazed. "You'd better be more careful when I'm around."

The Doctor offered her a playful salute. "Understood, Houston."

"But you are the same man, aren't you?" Jack asked. "You said so yourself. When you changed."

"Well..."

The Doctor hesitated. He couldn't possibly tell them that even if he regenerated... changed, it still felt like dying. No, he couldn't tell them that everything that used to be him dies in the process, that a new man would go sauntering away while the previous one is burnt away on the spot. If they realized that he was not the same man as his big-eared past self-

_Blimey. _He was _scared_ of being abandoned. He, the Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm, the Lonely God. Afraid. How pathetic was that?

But he still found himself lying to them, his eyes averted as the words slid off his tongue. "Yes, I'm always the same man. Completely. Same memory, same traits, same everything."

_Not same everything, you idiot. That's why you never return to your previous companions. You are afraid of how they'll look at you. How they will miss the past you. Always running away._ He shook his head to get rid of the little voice in his head and forced a grin onto his face.

"Same software, different case. But regeneration always hurts, and I'm quite fond of this body, so I'm not keen on doing that again anytime soon."

"It must be scary," Rose murmured, taking the Doctor by surprise. She continued. "I think I would be terribly scared to wake up in a different body, with a different voice and everything, you know."

"It's always difficult, and always scary... to change," Jack murmured to himself. "Hell, _I_ didn't think that I had it in me to face down Daleks and a mad werewolf. Almost wished that I was back in the World War time period. Well, not really, I take that one back." He grinned, rocking back and forth on his seat. The Doctor's jawline tightened.

...Brilliant Rose Tyler and Jack Harkness. They kept amazing him. Always seeing through him, comforting him when he was at his worst. The Doctor gulped and shrugged- he couldn't do anything more than that, for fear that his voice would break and betray his feelings.

And before he could recompose himself and give a clever remark, Rose's phone rang.

"Who is it?" Jack asked, curious, trying to peer over her shoulder. The Doctor blinked.

"It's Mickey," Rose said. The Doctor wrinkled his nose and Jack tilted his head.

"The 'idiot' in Cardiff?"

"Well, he lives in London, but basically yes." Rose brought the phone to her ear and turned her body halfway around. "Hello?"

A beat. She laughed.

"Nah, I'm fine. Saved a few planets, got knighted by Queen Victoria and exiled on the same day, the usual stuff. Yes, I'm having fun. No, not really busy..." Pause. She glanced up, looking skeptical. "Oh, really?"

"What is it?" the Doctor asked.

"He thinks something is going on. UFO sightings over a school, half the teachers got replaced, children getting record grades," Rose answered, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Are you sure he isn't inventing an emergency?" the Doctor frowned. Jack shook his head.

"Possessive, male Time Lord."

"Shut up," he sighed. He clapped his hands together and jumped to his feet. "Ah, all right, fine. I guess we could drop by and investigate. School dominated by aliens! Even if Rickey the Idiot's the source of information, it's worth a check. Besides, I've promised your mother a visit."

"So what do we do, mister?" Rose leaned forward, smiling. He winked.

"Well, first, we could drop by a lottery shop, buy a winning ticket, go visit one of the teachers, place it on the doorstep. And then we go investigate, the three of us. Easy with the psychic paper we've got. Same as always!"

The blue police box dematerialized with a wheezing, groaning sound. Their next destination: Deffry Vale High school.

* * *

**The Doctor lies. Sometimes he doesn't. And I like to think that Jack sees through most of the lies. **

**Throughout the series, we see him telling people that he is the same man despite the regeneration, but he keeps referring to his other incarnations as if he's _not_ the same man. (I personally think that he's the same man, but I do think that regeneration will scare the Doctor out of his wits- after all, his entire body changes into a different form. Randomly!) I tried to portray the delicate shades of the Doctor's thoughts, and I'm positive that I sucked. Ha ha... (sobs)**

**And this leads up to School Reunion Episode... :) Look forward to it!**


	11. School Reunion: Part One

**A/N: I've currently applied for university and is waiting for the result. My other fic, 'The Opening of the Pandorica' will be updated in next week. This story will also be updated on a more regular basis from now on. Anyway, I'm sorry for the exceptionally long hiatus; these few months were very important to me. Thanks for the readers who waited for me. Well then, enjoy!**

* * *

_**School Reunion: Part One**_

**Sarah Jane**: Oh, I _know_ you're a _Time Lord._

**The Doctor**: You don't understand the implications... I'm not a human being; I walk in eternity...

**Sarah Jane**: What's that supposed to mean?

* * *

It was a disappointingly easy business, infiltrating the mysterious school. After all, they were quite proficient in this area; Jack was an ex-con-man, not to mention that he was an ex-Time-Agent. Rose and the Doctor had months and months of experience in this, and they were perfect as a team.

That's how Captain Jack Harkness found himself as a temporary caretaker of a blatantly boring elementary school. The Doctor was a teacher- and a terrible one at that, he was fairly sure. Honestly, he would have been quite surprised if the Doctor managed to keep himself in check and not mention any quantum physics in class.

And Rose was a dinner lady. A _dinner lady_.

Jack pressed his lips together in a desperate attempt to keep himself from burst out laughing when Rose entered the cafeteria along with others and got the food ready for the lunch break. Oh, the look on her face. He was absolutely certain that the Doctor would be getting a piece of her mind today.

Whistling, he deliberately steered his mop towards Rose. She noticed his approach, and as he passed by, she quietly muttered in a frustrated voice.

"I'm going to kill him. Really. Two days. We've been here for _two days!_"

"And nothing special happening, too. Except for a few students not turning up today. Maybe we were on a false lead... blame your boyfriend for that," Jack chuckled, leaning on the mop.

"Mickey's a friend now, not a boyfriend," Rose declared defensively, looking a tad bit guilty. Then she glanced back nervously. "Well, I've got to get going now. Lunch time's just starting."

"Yeah, and I have to go now. A journalist is visiting this school today. Oh, here comes the daft alien," Jack added, nodding towards the Doctor, who was casually striding into the lunch hall along with other students. He winked towards Rose, and gave Jack a warning glance that was clearly intended to remind him of Rule Zero: _Hands off the blonde_.

Jack snorted. If only he'd get a move on. That thick git of a Time Lord was all possessiveness and no courage. _Just go kiss the blonde,_ he thought irritably. But of course, voicing that thought would only result in the Doctor brooding, moping, going on endlessly about how _he_, a Time Lord, couldn't allow himself to fall in love with a human being, for fear of losing her and being left heartbroken someday.

That idiot.

"Don't be too hard on him," Jack muttered over to Rose before sauntering away. She tilted her head and sighed before moving back to her staiton.

"Oh, well."

But of course she couldn't resist slopping mash into the Doctor's tray. He, however, grinned completely unabashedly and strode away with a grin. Rose sucked in a breath, exasperated, and as soon as she saw the chance she grabbed a towel and walked over to the Doctor's table. He winked at her as she pretended to wipe the table.

"Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy. No, no, just, just there," he said, pointing.

"Enjoying this, aren't you? Honestly. Two days, we've been here."

"Blame your boyfriend. He's the one who put us onto this," the Doctor said defensively, making Rose chuckle just a bit.

"You and Jack. Ganging up together against poor Mickey. Did you know that Jack said the _same thing _just a minute ago?"

The Doctor looked embarrassed for a moment. "Oh, did he? Um. Welll... I should really keep an eye on myself. Don't wat to end up speaking like _Jack_, oh no. Anyway, Rickey was right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

"Oh, really?" Rose asked, intrigued. The Doctor grinned.

* * *

"So, are you the new caretaker of the school?" the woman asked, walking briskly next to Jack as he led her down the hallway towards the staff room.

"Yes. Caretaker Jack Harkness at your service," Jack said flirtatiously while giving the investigative reporter- Sarah Jane Smith, working for the Sunday Times, the business card read- a watchful eye.

She seemed to be a bright, charming woman, but a glimpse of her notepad revealed that she also knew of the UFO activity. Apparently the Doctor wasn't the only one who noticed something fishy about this school. Forty sightings of UFO activity, coinciding with the replacement of the kitchen staff. The connection was blatantly clear, even for humans. No wonder she was here to take a look.

He just hoped that this 'Sarah Jane' wouldn't get in the way of _their_ investigation.

They were reaching the staircase when Sarah Jane spoke up again, evidently trying to start a conversation and get some useful information out of him. (_Well, nice try_, he thought.)

"So, Mr. Harkness, what do you think about this school? And its policy? Have you seen any strange or uncommon happenings?"

"Oh, no, no, absolutely not. As far as I can see, this school is very well-behaved. Not even a single food fights in the lunch hall. And brilliant exam results, I've heard," Jack lied smoothly, clasping his hands behind his back. "And I'm new. Maybe you could hear more about this school from the teachers."

"From what I've learned from my friend, people who are new often provides the most brilliant insights and observations," Sarah said. She sighed a little reminiscently, and Jack glanced at her with renewed interest. That sounded just like what the Doctor would have said. Maybe she wasn't just a nosy reporter, but someone who was really interested in the truth...

"You could talk to Mr. Smith if you want to," Jack blurted out. "John Smith. He's a teacher, and he's new to this school, too. I'm just an ordinary caretaker, but perhaps he could provide some 'insight' for you."

"That's a good idea. Thanks for your help," she smiled. Then she stared off into the distance and added in a quiet voice. "'John Smith'... I used to travel with a friend who sometimes went by that name. Led me to the most wonderful places."

"Well, it's a common name," he said carefully.

"He was a very uncommon man. A doctor," Sarah Jane declared proudly, snapping out of her reminiscence. Jack' s eyes widened slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it back shut when Mr. Finch- the headmaster- appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Mr. Harkness," the headmaster called, hurrying down the stairs. He smiled at Sarah Jane and held a hand out. "And Miss Smith, I presume? It is truly a delight to meet you."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, Mr. Finch," Sarah Jane replied pleasantly, instantly changing her demeanour. She shook his hand politely. Then they started back up the stairs, Jack watching her carefully as he trailed behind the two. They were engaging deeply in a conversation. Finch was proudly going on and on about how he changed this school for the better.

"Our work here. My improvements aren't confined to the classroom. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We've introduced a new policy. School dinners are absolutely free, but compulsory. Do try the chips."

"Oh, I'd love to. Thank you," Sarah said earnestly, giving the headmaster an appreciative nod. "And it's got to be said, the transformation you've brought about is amazing. I mean, maybe you're working the children a little bit too hard now and then, but I think good results, they're more important than anything."

"Exactly. You're a woman of vision, Miss Smith," Finch replied, pleased. He seemed to be unaware of how her eyes flashed as she smiled.

"Oh, I can see everything, Mister Finch. Quite clearly."

They walked on, having reached the top of stairs, until they got to the staff room. The door opened and they entered. Jack leaned on the doorway, noticing that the Doctor was chewing chips and having a conversation with another teacher- one with a mustache. _His name is Parsons_, he remembered.

The headmaster coughed a little to make himself known.

"Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time. May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes," he said, introducing Sarah Jane. With a smile, she stepped forward. And the Doctor saw her.

Jack's suspicion- that she was aquainted with the Doctor- was confirmed as the Doctor slowly stood up, looking positively and absolutely stunned. The corners of his mouth was quirking up a little, threatening to morph into a huge grin. He seemed to be literally holding himself back from jumping forward and giving her a bear hug.

Finch left, and having noticed the Doctor, Sarah Jane walked towards him. Obviously, regeneration and all, it seemed that she didn't recognize him.

"Hello," She greeted.

"Oh, I should think so," the Doctor murmured breathlessly. Sarah Jane blinked. Have she met him before? It felt like something was tickling her at the edge of her consciousness; a strange familiarity echoing from deep within. But that couldn't be. She shrugged that feeling away and smiled, pulling out her notepad.

"And, you are?"

"Hm? Er, Smith. John Smith. Nice to meet you. Very nice. More than nice. Brilliant," the Doctor blurted out. Sarah Jane faltered in surprise for a moment, and then she exclaimed happily,

"Oh, so you are Mr. Smith!"

The Doctor blinked in confusion. "Pardon?"

"Actually," she said, "Mr. Harkness, the caretaker, informed me that you'd be the perfect source of a new perspective of this school."

"...Oh, did he?" _Typical Jack. Did he know-_

"Yes. Are you two close?"

"Oh, no, no. We've talked only a few times. I can't see why he recommended me. It's only my second day," the Doctor stated vaguely, secretly shooting a glare at Jack, who was staring intently at him from the doorway. The former Time Agent simply shrugged, as if saying, _'You asked for it.'_

"Being new allows you to look at things in a novel perspective," she stated in a firm voice. "So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile," the Doctor said slowly. Sarah Jane shrugged.

"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here."

"No. Good for you," the Doctor nodded. He smiled, a genuine wave of happiness rippling inside his hearts. _Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith._ I knew you would be doing well. He glanced around briefly before he stepped forward, brushing past her. And when he did so, he dropped his voice, whispering into her ear:

_"Come back at night. Go to the storeroom, and you will find something you've been looking for."_

"What-?"

She blinked in surprise. When she turned around, the mysterious teacher was gone.

* * *

It was night. Rose, Jack, Mickey and the Doctor was striding along the school's dark corridors. Rose shivered a little and rubbed her hands together in apprehension.

"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school."

"Actually, the teachers are _sleeping_-" Jack tried to start on an innuendo, but the Doctor slammed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him short. Then he cleared his throat, put on a fake cheerful grin, and gave out instructions in an overexcited voice.

"All right, team. Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang. Er, comrades. Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. I'm going to look in Finch's office. Jack, you're coming with me. Be back here in ten minutes."

He left, dragging the disgruntled Captain along with him. When they got far enough away, the Doctor turned Jack around to face him, his eyes flashing angrily. He dropped his voice and demanded in an imposing tone.

"What have you said to her?"

"Rose? Oh, no, nothing. If you are going to give me a lecture on 'no-innuendos-while-investigating', we could do that sometime later... maybe somewhere else than here. The Teacher and the Caretaker, together at night in a dark school corridor, some _investigative reporters_ might get the wrong ideas, _right_?"

Jack barked out a sarcastic laughter, waggling his eyebrows. The Doctor clenched his jaw.

"It's not Rose that I'm talking about, _Captain_, you know it! Sarah Jane. Did you tell her who I am?"

"Of course I didn't!" Jack snapped back. "I didn't know she knew you, but when she's talking to me, she mentions a friend who sometimes went by 'John Smith', a friend who's a doctor, a friend who helped her travel to the most wonderful places. Not to mention that she reminded me of _you_. But oh, no, you've never told us about her, about other companions, so how could I have known? Only one way to be sure: drive her straight to you."

"You shouldn't have intervened! It's... this problem is... between her and me. It was all in the past!"

"Oh, really?" Jack was shooting the Doctor a full-fledged glare by now. "I intervened. How interesting, because if my memory serves me correct, it was you who invited her here tonight."

"I had to, now that I've run into her. But I didn't need your _help, _Harkness. You didn't need to know," the Doctor said in a strained voice, rubbing his temples. "Honestly, Rassilion! Why should you be so nosy all the time?"

"I didn't need to know? I'm being _nosy_?" Jack asked back incredulously. "Did she leave you by herself, or did you just leave her? Did you ever visit her afterwards, after you stopped traveling with her? Is that what happens to old companions? Well, Doc, here's something new: _We've got a right to know_. 'Cause that's what's going to happen to me, and to Rose, someday!"

"You don't understand..." the Doctor scrunched his eyes shut. For a split second, Jack saw something akin to _fear_ flitting across his face, but it disappeared quickly enough. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I don't leave people behind because I want to, I just... it just _happens_. And then I can't go back."

"Why can't you?" he challenged. The Doctor snapped his eyes open, seething with quick-tempered fury.

"I should have left you behind at the Gamestation. You give me such a headache!"

Jack froze. "What?"

The Doctor glared at him for a moment, and then looked up as a screeching sound erupted overhead. Someone was being chased in an upper corridor.

"Let's go," he said gruffly, marching forward. "We've got work to do."

Jack stared at the Doctor. Then he took a deep breath. "Alright. But we're talking about this again later. And you're going to tell me what the hell you meant by that."

The Doctor strode on in silence.

* * *

_"Come back at night. Go to the storeroom, and you will find something you've been looking for."_

What could he have meant by that? And who was he? Why did those unreadable brown eyes seem so familar? Her heart pounding, Sarah Jane crept along the corridor. She flinched when a screeching sound echoed from far away. Yes, something was definitely wrong here. Something was happening, and she was going to find out the truth.

Having reached the end of the corridor, she found herself standing in front of the storeroom. She hesitated for a moment, an inexplicable sense of foreboding growing stronger and stronger. Finally, she inhaled deeply and pushed the door open. Her hand froze on the spot.

It was the TARDIS.

The blue police box was just standing there, an eerie white light shining out from the windowsill. She blinked, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Police public call box... she stumbled a little, then retreated step by step back into the corridors. Her shuddering hands fumbled with the handle and closed the door shut.

A quiet brushing sound told her that someone was standing behind her. She whipped around. The moment her eyes fell on the mysterious 'John Smith', she knew- and she couldn't breathe. _Oh, god_, _he was the Doctor_. _The Doctor, after so long a time!_

"Hello, Sarah Jane," he said, his face unusually set and solemn. His eyes conveyed so many emotions- sadness, and a hint of regret perhaps?

"It's you. Oh, Doctor," she breathed, her eyes fixated on the impossible man. "Oh, my God, it's you, isn't it?"

Her eyes were still wide as she stumbled forward, unable to take her eyes off the Time Lord. She lifted her hand as if to greet him, and then awkwardly put it back down and smiled. "You've regenerated."

"Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met," he smiled sadly, giving a stiff shrug. Sarah Jane was still breathless.

"You look incredible."

"So do you," the Doctor said, giving that familiar signature smirk. Sarah stepped to the side, approaching him tentatively.

"Huh. I got old," she laughed a little and frowned. "What are you doing here? A teacher named John Smith, seriously?"

"Hey, John Smith is a perfectly good name!" the Doctor said defensively and laughed, pushing his hands into the pockets. "Anyway, UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"The same!"

They burst into laughter together. As the laughter died out, Sarah Jane looked at the Doctor, all joy gone from her face. "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back... and I thought you must have died."

"I lived," he replied in a tired voice. "Everyone else died."

"What do you mean?"

_Grief. So much grief. The Time Lord stands while his friends, his family, his planet turns to dust and blows by._ The Doctor looked glum. His voice very nearly broke, but didn't. "Everyone died, Sarah."

Sarah stared at him, unable to comprehend fully what he had been through. So she decided to change the topic and smiled again. "I can't believe it's you."

And then came the scream.

The Doctor's head turned around in a reflex motion, and Sarah Jane burst into laughter, reveling in delight as the old feeling of adrenaline coursing through her veins came back to her. "Okay, now I can!"

The Time Lord shot a grin at her, and they bolted through the corridors together. Jack, who had been searching the classrooms nearby, ran up to them. The Doctor deliberately avoided his eyes; Jack ignored him and mock-cheerfully greeted the gaping woman.

"Hello! Captain Jack Harkness. Pleasure to meet you."

"Stop it," the Doctor warned, but Sarah Jane didn't seem to mind. Rather, she was quite surprised.

"The Caretaker! Of course. So you were his companion! Like Harry Sullivan, right?"

"Harry Sullivan?" Jack showed interest, while shooting the Doctor a look. _You've got a lot to explain, Doc. Companions after companions after companions, and you never mentioned them even once!_ "Sounds like an interesting story."

"He was a doctor. He and I used to travel with him. Old Team TARDIS," Sarah shrugged nonchalantly. "Looks like he never talked about me. So you've traveled with him for long?"

"Rose was first, I joined up next."

"Rose?" Sarah Jane lifted her eyebrows. The Doctor winced slightly. Jack opened his mouth to explain, but Rose chose that moment to come running up to them. The Doctor caught her neatly and grinned.

"Did you hear that? It's Mickey," Rose said breathlessly. And then she noticed Sarah Jane. Jack noticed her tense slightly. "Who's she?"

The Doctor smiled awkwardly and quickly motioned towards his two companions. "Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose."

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Sarah Jane said politely, shaking Rose's hand. Rose looked at her defiantly, worrying her lower lip. Sarah Jane chose not to notice and looked back at the Doctor. "You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger."

"I'm not his assistant," Rose snapped. Sarah lifted her eyebrows, then looked back at the Doctor. "No? Get you, tiger."

The Doctor opened and shut his mouth like a fish, rubbed at the back of his neck, looking a tad bit guilty. Then he pointed and started forward as if nothing had happened. Sarah Jane followed him quickly. Rose gaped, and then looked back to Jack Harkness.

"What's happening?" she whispered incredulously. Jack shrugged.

"Apparently, he tends to leave people behind when circumstances demand so, and act all tingy when you poke at the truth. She's only a victim," he sighed, pulling Rose along. "Hey, Rosie, loosen up. He's been much worse on me."

Rose looked disturbed for a moment, then looked up, alarmed. "Did he say something to you? Something bad?"

"His bark was worse than his bite," he said, and then added slowly, "I hope. Nope, I'm not currently on my best terms with good old Doc. He's got a lot to explain. Anyway, come on, Rosie. We need to see what made Mickey Mouse scream like a girl, right?"

She smiled a little and jogged on in silence. The Doctor... he made her feel special, took her to the farthest edges of the universe. But apparently she wasn't the only one, and _this_\- being left behind like a book on a shelf- was something that might happen to her someday. And she was... scared.

* * *

They rushed into the classroom to find Mickey fumbling and stumbling in a pile of little packages.

"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me," he yelped, leaning against the cupboard. His voice was positively shaking. "You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me!"

"Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats," Rose breathed out. The Doctor bent down and picked up one of them, examining it carefully. Then he looked up and smirked at Mickey.

"And you decided to scream."

"It took me by surprise!" Mickey shouted defensively. The Doctor tossed the package over, and it was Jack who- albeit a little hesitantly- caught it. Jack looked it over briefly- yup, just a normal dead rat... then looked up at Mickey in amusement.

"Like a little girl? 'Oh, my gosh, it was dark, and I'm covered in rats! Yeesh!'"

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt," the Doctor agreed, smugly motioning to Mickey's head. Jack snorted. Obviously his conflict with Jack was less important than an opportunity to tease Mickey Smith. Rose coughed out loud and gathered their attention.

"Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?"

Sarah sniffed. "Well, _obviously_ they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?"

"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?" Rose snapped back. The two females glared at each other. The Doctor shot Jack a glance. Jack briefly considered intervening and making the two relax a bit more, but he simply crossed his arms and pretended not to notice.

Nope, he just wasn't in the mood of helping the Doctor today. Let's see how he talked his way out of this _this_ time.

Finally, the Doctor coughed and started forward, just as he did when things got awkward. "Anyway, moving on. Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived. We should go and check his office."

They moved into the corridor. Rose and Sarah Jane was in the lead, briskly walking down the hallway almost competitively. Jack was right behind them, his hands pushed into his pockets in a casual manner. Mickey and The Doctor walked a bit behind, looking at their exchange a bit warily.

Finally, it was Rose who broke the silence and started first. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?"

"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor," the woman replied proudly. Rose looked a bit disgruntled as she tilted her head.

"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you."

"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time," the Doctor lied hurriedly, trying to do something about the icy atmosphere. Jack snorted.

"Hold on... Sorry. Never. Did I tell you that you are a horrible liar? And not so good at telling the truth either."

"What, not even once? He didn't mention me even once?" Sarah Jane exclaimed in dismay, and the Doctor flinched. Jack felt a bit sorry for her (and not sorry at all for that idiotic Time Lord), and cast her an apologetic glance.

"No, sorry. But don't think too much of it. He didn't even tell us about the regeneration before he went _boom_ right before our eyes and changed from Big Ears to Big Hair."

"Oi, my ears were just right. And I _did_ tell you about the regeneration!" the Doctor said defensively. Jack didn't even look back at him but simply shrugged.

"Yeah, but not until you actually did it before our eyes and we dragged you off to interrogate you. He's like that. Horrible at talking about himself," he told Sarah. She sighed, but she did look like she was feeling better.

"Yes, he's like that. He didn't tell me about the regeneration business either until he changed from a dandy old man in a green velvet suit to a loony Bohemian with Jelly Babies and a ridiculous scarf."

"Dandy old man? Bohemian with a scarf? Seriously?" Rose said. Even she was showing interest now as the three of them talked on, walking down the hallway at a quick pace. The Doctor looked speechless, and Mickey gleefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ho, ho, mate. The missus and the ex, starting to team up against you. Welcome to every man's worst-of-the-worst nightmare," he said. The Doctor sighed and looked up stiffly, quickening his pace. Finally they arrived outside the headmaster's office. They stood behind, watching as the Doctor whipped out the sonic screwdriver.

"Even the sonic screwdriver changed," Sarah Jane observed. The Doctor flinched, but kept his voice level.

"Oh, yes. Everything changes, everything moves. Even the silly old Doctor with his sonic screwdriver. Anyway... Maybe those rats were food."

"Food for what?" Rose asked, curious. The door unlocked with a 'click'. Carefully, slowly, he pushed the door open. Looking up at the ceiling, he breathed out in amazement.

"Rose, you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well... they _do_."

Rose looked over his shoulder. Her breath hitched. Giant bats, hanging from the ceilings- they _were_ the teachers!

"No way!" Mickey screamed, and sprinted away. The others crept away more quietly. The Doctor stared at the aliens for some time, and then quietly pulled the door shut. Everything seemed to be still for a moment, until one bat suddenly woke up, shrieking and spreading its wings meancingly.

* * *

They all ran into the school yard, Mickey panting away like they'd just faced the most life-threatening thing ever (which was, of course, not true- everyone except him had met the Daleks before).

"I am not going back in there. No way," he gasped. Rose struggled to catch her breath for a moment, and then declared in a disbelieving voice.

"Those were _teachers!"_

"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on," the Doctor announced in a matter-of-fact voice, turning back towards the wide-open entrance and striding back into the school. Rose, Jack and Sarah Jane started following him like a reflex, but it was Mickey who stopped them.

"Come on? You've got to be kidding!"

"I need the Tardis," the Doctor explained in an annoyed voice. "I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed in relief. The Doctor looked at her. She motioned over to her car, smiling proudly. "I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you."

Frankly, when she had said so, Jack expected an amazing oil analyzer... or some high-tech device... well, anything. But Sarah Jane Smith's trunk opened to show something that was wholly unexpected for him. He nearly choked out a laughter from amazement and delight when K9 came into their view.

Despite its disco-looking appearance, K9 was a hot item when he was young. A 51st-century cutting edge. It was capable of storing massive quantities of information, shooting lazor beams, activating Time Scoop (a highly valued technology)... people used to half-joke that even the Time Lords- the stuff of legend at that time- were said to carry one around time and space. Judging by the way the Doctor's eyes lit up, the rumor was true.

"K9! Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Jack Harkness, allow me to introduce K9. well, K9 Mark Three to be precise," he exclaimed in joy, cradling the robot dog's jaw. Rose tilted her head in confusion.

"Why does he look so disco?" she asked. The Doctor seemed scandalized.

"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"

Sarah shrugged, laughing. "Oh, one day, he just, nothing."

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"

"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro, Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."

The Doctor was hardly paying attention to her, too busy cooing over the metal dog. _Ever the geeky type_. "Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?"

"We could take a look at it somewhere else. Let's go to the chip shop over there or something. A parking lot is hardly the place for planning how to take down evil alien bats," Rose yawned. A giant alien bat creature flew across the face of the full moon, and no one noticed. The Doctor cradled K9 in his arms while Sarah Jane shut the trunk. They were about to head over to the chip shop when Jack stopped him in his track, a determined look on his face.

"I believe we've got something to discuss," he said. The Doctor's face stiffened. Sarah Jane and Rose looked at them worriedly. The Time Lord thrust the defunctional metal dog over to Mickey, who caught it awkwardly. Jack Harkness stood tall and unintimidated, his long military coat throwing a long shadow behind him in the moonlight.

"Fine," the Doctor finally ground out, his eyes narrow and seething with the fury of an injured animal being driven into a trap. "But it better be quick."

"I'll be with you in a mo', Rosie. Don't worry," Jack said, giving a nod to the apprehensive trio. The three looked unsure whether they should really go or not, but the Doctor gave them a hard look, causing them to leave. When they were far enough away, the Doctor turned his glare back to Jack.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "This is hardly the time."

"No, it's the _right_ time. Because I need to know, and you have a lot to explain," Jack said in a steely voice. "'I _should have left you behind at the Gamestation._' Might wanna stop rambling and get the hell to the point. What did you mean by that?"

"Ah." A brief look of regret flitted over the Time Lord's features. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"Well, sorry, you did."

"Yes... yes," the Doctor rubbed his face before lashing out in extreme fury. "-Yes! I can't help it! I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct; it's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space; you're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS doesn't like you. It's like hearing a million fingers scratching the chalkboard all the time. It's like having a spider crawl around on your skin when you have a arachnophobia. _Such_ a terrible headache that cannot be alleviated; that concentrated _pool_ of wrongness! It drives me mad, all the pain, and the only way to feel better is to shut down my time sense. It makes the pain dull, but it also makes me feel like I'm walking around blind. And yes, you always ask the wrong questions, you make me talk when I hate to! And sometimes, sometimes I..."

"You wish that you left me behind at the Gamestation. With only corpses to keep me company. You wish that you left me ankle-deep in Dalek dust, lost in time, all alone, because that would have made things easier for you. Okay, all right."

Jack felt numb from pain and bitterness. The Doctor's words felt like knife cutting into his heart itself. Fire searing scars into his soul. He'd never imagined. All the time the Doctor was laughing along, running together, or chattering away with him, he was... _hating_ it. Screaming inside. And so was the TARDIS, his newfound home.

Now that he knew the truth, he felt tired. He just wanted to turn around and run away. Because he couldn't blame or lash out at the Doctor anymore. It was his bloody _nature._ What _could_ he do about it?

But he had one more question. Just one. Because if that went unanswered, nothing made sense anymore.

"So what you're saying is... you now have a phobia against me, and yet you still carry me around time and space. But it doesn't make sense," he started. Closed his eyes and reigned in his emotions. Then opened them again. "It doesn't make any sense. If you feel so much pain, why don't you just run away, like you've always done? Why do you put up with me at _all?"_

"Because I _care_," the Doctor said.

Jack blinked in surprise. The Doctor crossed his arms and laughed bitterly.

"I'm old, Jack. Older than you could possibly imagine. Old enough to know better. I'm selfish, and I'm not particularly the best guy to have as a friend. But I do know that I can't possible run away from a... friend. You gave your life for me when you were fighting the Daleks. So, no matter how much wrongness you carry around... running away is not an option."

He looked away and sighed, pushing his hands into the pocket. The wind was cold tonight. "...I could have abandoned you that day. I could have run before you woke up and came looking. But I didn't. I waited. I made a _choice_. So that means... you are stuck in the Team TARDIS for the time being, Jack."

"Ah. Thanks," Jack said awkwardly. That... was unexpected. He didn't know what to say.

But he did feel glad. Relieved.

"Mmm hmm," the Doctor nodded, pursing his lips together, looking away to a distance. He rocked on his feet, his hands planted firmly in his pocket. Then he motioned vaguely towards the chip shop, where Rose was peeping from the window rather anxiously. "I guess we should be get going."

"Oh. Okay."

Awkward silence. They stood rooted on the spot. The Doctor glanced at Jack. Their eyes met for a split second. Jack chuckled slightly. The Doctor coughed out a laughter. Then they both felt downright silly and burst out laughing like a pair of teenage boys laughing together after a full-blown fistfight.

They couldn't explain it, but this was a nice change. Brilliantly nice. Idiotically nice.

They started jogging over to the chip shop. Rose had vanished from the window, obviously relieved at seeing them _not_ engaged in a fistfight or something. Apparently her jealousy of Sarah Jane came lower on the list of priorities than an outright conflict of Team TARDIS.

"Ah, and Doctor?" Jack said, as he briskly turned around in front of the entrance to the chip shop. "Mind if I tell you two things that you don't know?"

"Mmm?"

"One, tell Rose _something_. She deserves that much, and I know you really care about her. But people tend to be scared that one day, you'll just leave them behind and forget them. She's scared, Doctor. Do something about it."

"..."

"And two, I think you still owe Sarah Jane an apology."

"Jack-"

"She deserves that much," Jack said firmly. "Tell her your side of the story. Tell her why you didn't go back. I know that would be painful. But if you really, really care about her... talk with her. Not talk _to_ her. I'm not a wise old man or anything, but hell, I _do_ know that women don't like the conversation full of just _'Oh, you know'_."

* * *

"I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone, great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there," Sarah said. Mickey and Jack and Rose was sitting on the other side of the shop, having a heated conversation over god-knows-what and chips. The Doctor kept tinkering with K9 and pretended that he wasn't paying attention.

"Right on top of it, yeah."

"And Rose and Jack?"

"They were there too... and Harriet Jones, and the Sycorax," the Doctor added cheerfully, trying to intrigue his old companion. Sarah smiled a little sadly, and let her gaze drop.

"Did I do something wrong? Because you never came back for me. You just dumped me."

The Doctor turned his timeless brown eyes to her. He seemed a bit sad, a bit agitated, a bit of everything.

"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed."

"I waited for you," she said. She blinked. "I missed you."

"Oh, you didn't need me. You were getting on with your life," the Doctor replied, trying to cheer her up, trying to make her see how wonderful she was. But in the corner of his mind, he knew that it wasn't enough. As much as he hated to admit it, this time, he was wrong. Jack was right. But he didn't want to, not really... He cleared his throat.

"Look at you, you're investigating. You found that school. You're doing what we always did."

"But at that time, you were my life."

The Doctor's hand froze. Sarah's eyes, same as they always have been, bore into his. Her words dug into his heart, sharp as the blade of a knife.

"You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could _anything_ compare to that?"

She was still now. _He_ was still. He couldn't speak. And finally, she did, her lips trembling a little. "You could have come back."

The Doctor slowly shut his eyes. He needed to tell her, now, and he couldn't possibly look at her while he did. "I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"...I was afraid," he confessed. Sarah opened and closed her mouth. He kept working on K9, kept his attention away from his lips bleeding away the shameful truth.

"Sometimes, the companions, if they've been away for some time and I suddenly turn up on their doorstep as a different person, having regenerated and all, they just don't... take it well. They try not to show it, but they do. They miss the old me. Then they laugh, they joke, but it isn't same anymore, because I've _changed; _they try to find pieces of myself that are similar to my old self. They compare me with him, like a different person, like a twin brother of their best friend that they miss. They are sad because their Doctor is gone. They can't meet him anymore. And I can't do anything to help them. I just stand there, helpless. Then I don't feel like the Doctor anymore, just a poorly made copy, so I turn around and run."

He paused, gripping the sonic screwdriver tight, not daring to look at her. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm standing there, and they see me, but they don't see _me_. I hated it. So I stopped going back. Stopped looking back. I couldn't go back to you, Sarah Jane, even if I missed you so much, because..."

_It would either break you or me. And it did. It broke me._

His hand froze when he felt her pull him into an unexpected, warm embrace. "Sarah...?"

"Doctor, I'm sorry," she murmured. "I understand. It's okay. I'm just... I'm just being silly. I'm glad that you're alive, that's all."

A pause. And then, she abruptly pulled back and flashed a playful grin at him.

"And by the way, it wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon. Your driving was as horrible as ever."

The Doctor considered protesting at the last comment- honestly, with all of time and space, humans should know better than to just assume that it was easy for him to hit a specific location in the right era!- but chose to grin back at her instead. "Where was it?"

She giggled softly. "Aberdeen."

The Doctor sniffed, waving his sonic screwdriver in a haughty manner. "Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?"

They laughed together for a glorious moment, and then suddenly, K9 came back to life. It lifted its metal head and beeped, its eyes flashing a playful red. The Doctor rubbed his hand joyfully, feeling as if a huge burden has been lifted off his shoulder.

"Oh, hey. Now we're in business!" he exclaimed confidently. It was time to deal with the bat teachers.

* * *

**A/N: This story will keep up its Jack-centric POV, but you'll see Tenrose more and more as time goes by. Sorry if this chapter wasn't up to your expectation; I wanted to portray a different side of Jack, and the difficult relationship of the Doctor and his past companions in relation to the topic of regenration.**

**Review if you liked it! :)**


	12. School Reunion: Part Two

**A/N: Sorry for the slight delay! But here's the chapter! And merry Christmas!**

**School Reunion: Part Two**

_JACK: It was meant to be buried. I buried the memory over 150 years ago. Why now?_

_-Torchwood, 'Adam'-_

* * *

"Master," K-9 said in a metallic voice. The Doctor's face positively lit up at this.

"He recognises me!" he exclaimed, beaming at his friends in joy. K-9 beeped, nodding its head up and down.

"Affirmative."

"Rose, give us the oil," the Doctor ordered, holding out his hand, his eyes fixated on the metal dog. Rose, Jack and Mickey got up one by one and walked over to him. Rose passed him the bottle of oil. She looked slightly wary as she watched him turn the cork.

"I wouldn't touch it, though," she warned. "That dinner lady got all scorched!"

The Doctor looked at her and declared in all seriousness. "I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that."

"Maybe you should put that on your T-shirt. 'I'm no dinner lady' on the front, and 'Actually, I am the Doctor' on the back," Jack declared. Rose snorted out a laughter while the Doctor shot him a glare. Even Sarah Jane and Mickey chuckled a little at the sight of the Doctor turned speechless._ Jack has a way of doing that,_ Rose thought, feeling amused.

The Time Lord couldn't come up with any clever retorts, so he decided focus on the work here. He poked the oil with his finger and smeared a sample on K9's probe.

"Here we go. Come on, boy! Here we go," he said impatiently, crossing his arms. The multicolored light on K9's back started flashing irregularly. The dog nodded as he analyzed the oil extract.

"Oil. Ex-ex-ex-extract. Ana-ana-analysing," it beeped.

"Listen to him, man. That's a voice!" Mickey laughed, making Rose grin. However, Jack and Sarah Jane were not so amused. Sarah Jane warned him in an affronted voice.

"Careful. That's my dog."

"And it _was_ a hot item in the future," Jack agreed, snorting at the ignorance of 21st century humans. K9 chose that moment to flash its eyes and beep out in the same robotic voice.

"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil."

None of the companions seemed to know the meaning of this analysis- even Jack looked puzzled. Only the Time Lord straightened his back, his eyes wide from realization. The Doctor breathed out in horror. "They're Krillitanes."

"Is that bad?" Rose asked. The Doctor nodded vigorously.

"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad. Jack, you know, Time Agency stuff and all, have you ever heard of the Krillitanes?"

"Nope. What are they? Never heard of them in my life," Jack replied. The Doctor brought his hand up and ruffled his own hair.

"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy," the Doctor scrunched his nose. It was obvious that he didn't approve of their ways.

"That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."

"Like giraffes?" Jack asked, wondering what kind of 'mix-up' could _possibly_ make giraffe-humans turn into giant bats.

"Like giraffes. No, that's a rubbish comparison. Forget it. So, the question is..." the Doctor turned to Rose. She nodded and spoke out in a hushed voice.

"...What're they doing here?"

"Exactly, Rose. Brilliant. School. Elementary school. Aliens disguised as teachers. Children getting exceptional grades..." the Doctor paced around the room, an intent concentration burning within his eyes. "Mandatory lunch and chips. Chips fried in Krillitane Oil. Oh. _Oh!_ Of course..."

He looked up, looking more horrified than ever.

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children," he whispered.

* * *

Mickey and Sarah Jane were putting K-9 back into her car as Rose and the Doctor strode out of the coffee shop. Jack was behind them, close enough to be within earshot but also far enough to _not_ be noticed. The Doctor was rubbing the back of his neck. What Jack had said to him half an hour ago was ringing in his ears.

_"Tell Rose something. She deserves that much, and I know you really care about her."_

Well, what _could_ he say? He felt terribly bitter. Was he going to mention his granddaughter Susan, who was now gone forever? Or Adric, who had died because of him? Romana, who must have been killed along with Gallifrey when he ended the Time War? No. _No_.

The Doctor pushed his eyes shut and sighed. The brown coat billowing out from behind him made him feel all the more lonely. Eventually, Rose would leave him too.

He closed his eyes. Jack's voice continued in his head.

_"People tend to be scared that one day, you'll just leave them behind and forget them. She's scared, Doctor. Do something about it."_

...But Rose was scared. She wasn't jealous- well, maybe a little- but she was scared. Because he was a coward running away from his past companions, and she had seen it despite his best efforts. He couldn't just let her feel that way and walk away.

So when she spoke up in a hesitant voice, he decided to tell her the truth.

"How many of us have there been travelling with you?"

The Doctor slowed his pace to walk by her side. He reigned in the instinctive defensiveness he felt at the question and cleared his throat.

"...Quite a few," he admitted. "I've been running for a long time. I may not be a human, but I was lonely, and when I was alone, I tended to get... off the reils. When you're traveling through time and space, what you really need is a hand to hold. A friend."

"But then why do you just leave them behind, if they were so important to you?" Rose sounded hurt. Her voice trembled slightly. "I've been to the year five billion, right, but this? Now this is really seeing the future. You just leave us behind. Is that what you're going to do to me?"

The Doctor shook his head, feeling terrible. _He knew this would happen. He was horrible at this. He_ knew _he would mess up!_ "No... no. Not to you. Never to you."

"But what about Sarah Jane? You were that close to her once, and now you never even mention her. Why not?"

"Because it hurts. I still care, but it _hurts_ and I have to bury it deep down in my memory to save myself from the pain. The thing is- I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you..." the Doctor trailed off, his eyes burning with intense hurt. Rose suddenly found it hard to whispered.

"What, Doctor?"

_Someone who means salvation to you by her very existence_. The Doctor averted his eyes. He gulped and continued in a more level voice.

"I'm sorry," he said, closing his eyes. Rose stared at him, surprised. "I'm so sorry, Rose. But that's all I can say. You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone... That's the curse of the Time Lords."

"_Time Lord!"_ someone hissed in delight from above. The Doctor and Rose looked up in alarm. A giant bat was swooping down on them. Jack ran towards them and cried "Duck!", which they did. To their surprise, the monster just flew off.

Sarah Jane was the first to come to them. She looked up and whispered in awe.

"Was that a Krillitane?"

"But it didn't even touch us. It just flew off. What did it do that for?" Rose asked. The Doctor stared at the bat flying off, his grip on Rose's hand tightening.

"I think I know," he said. His face darkened. "He now knows that I'm a Time Lord. Come on."

* * *

It was morning. The Doctor, Rose, Jack, Sarah Jane and Mickey marched towards the school. The students looked fine- laughing, chatting, doing everything they were supposed to do- but Rose couldn't shake off an eerie feeling. Something was wrong here.

And the Doctor... she allowed herself to glance at the Time Lord tentatively. Yesterday night, she had seen an aspect of the Doctor that she had never been allowed to see before. He was so lonely, even with her and Jack keeping him company.

So many had left, and _he_ was the scared one now; he was scared that she would leave him, one way or the other, as many companions did before her. She now understood, if only a little, why he hadn't mentioned Sarah Jane before. Because it _hurt._

How could she be angry at him?

She knew no empty consolations could help him. She was a human, and her end was bound to come someday. But she quietly vowed to herself that she _would_ keep his side till the end. If that was all she could do for the Time Lord, she would-

She was so deeply immersed in her own thoughts that when the Doctor suddenly whipped around and pointed at her and Sarah Jane, she was so startled that she nearly jumped.

"Rose, Jack and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. Crack open those computers, I need to see the hardware inside. Here, you might need this," he gave the sonic screwdriver to Rose. To everyone's surprise, she nodded and promptly handed it to Sarah. The Doctor turned to Mickey next.

"Mickey, surveillance. I want you outside."

"Just stand outside?" he asked incredulously. Sarah snorted out a laughter and threw Mickey her car keys.

"Here, take these you can keep K9 company."

"Don't forget to leave the window open a crack," the Doctor warned him, striding forward. Mickey was baffled as he jingled the keys.

"But he's metal!" he managed to say. Jack chuckled and slapped his arm before he started to follow his gang.

"He didn't mean for K9, Mickey Mouse. You are the one who needs a nice whiff of air for your continued existence."

"What're you going to do?" Sarah Jane called out worriedly at the Doctor's back. He glanced back at them.

"It's time I had a word with Mister Finch," he said in a dark voice. And then he disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

The Doctor pushed the door open and entered the pool room. Finch was already waiting for him. He turned to look at the Time Lord in an almost leisurely manner. They came to stand at the opposite ends of the pool. After a moment's pause, the Doctor broke the silence.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Brother Lassa. And you?"

"The Doctor. Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

Finch started walking alongside the edge of the pool, approaching the Doctor very slowly. His voice was confident and controlled. "It's been our form for nearly ten generations now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day. Just imagine..."

He smiled as if that was a good thing. The Doctor felt disgusted, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he also started walking alongside the pool, keeping the distance between him and the Krillitane steady.

"And now you're shaped human," he prompted.

Finch shrugged and tilted his head. "A personal favourite, that's all."

"And the others?"

"My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath," he said. The Doctor nodded. Finch continued advancing. Now it was his time to question the other.

"And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and chaos. And of course, they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

They were both walking now. The Doctor didn't want to talk about the Time Lords; instead, he changed the topic.

"This plan of yours. What is it?"

Finch nearly sounded astonished. "You don't know!"

"That's why I'm asking."

"Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out."

"If I don't like it, then it will stop."

They stopped, standing face-to-face. Finch tilted his head, observing the Doctor as if he was a charming test subject. "Fascinating. Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new. Would you declare war on us, Doctor?"

"I'm not a war person... but I'm so old now. Old enough to be tired of species trying to endanger the universe for their sake. Old enough to know how to stop you- permanantly- without going through the troubles of declaring war. Many armies and species have fallen before me. You get a few warnings. That was it."

Finch smiled. "But we're not even enemies. Soon you will embrace us."

The Doctor's face hardened. He turned around to stare at him. The Krillitane walked forth, brushing past him. A silky smile was etched onto his face. "The next time we meet, you will join with me. I promise you."

"I doubt it," the Doctor murmured. _What could the Krillitanes possibly be up to?_

-Meanwhile, in the IT classroom, Sarah Jane was fumbling with the sonic screwdriver. Jack and Rose was standing back, watching her. Finally, Sarah threw her hands up in the air and complained in a loud voice.

"It's not working!"

"Press the button on the bottom at the same time as the one above that," Jack supplied. Sarah did, and finally the equipment started to make a whirring noise and flashed blue. She looked embarrassed for a moment.

"Used to work first time in my day," she said, shrugging. _Her day. Yes, a long time ago, there were 'her days'. And someday, the end of my days would come, and the Doctor would never tell my story to anyone. ...Like he did to her._ Rose blinked and sighed. Sarah Jane turned towards her.

"By the way, he said that 'everyone died'. Do you know what he meant by that?"

"Well..." Rose trailed off, feeling uncertain whether she had the right to tell this. She paused before deciding that at least Sarah Jane had a right to know and launching forth the tale. "According to what I've heard, there was a war. A great war, a Time War. It destroyed his home planet and all his people except him."

Sarah Jane stared at her with wide eyes. "That's... that's impossible. Oh god. It's..."

"I know," Jack sighed. "From my native time period, the Time Lords were nothing but a myth. I didn't even know that the stories were true until I met him."

"It's horrible," Sarah Jane whispered. "So terrible. I've never imagined... No wonder he was so _hurt_. I could see it in those big brown eyes, but I didn't know why. It has been a long time for him, right?"

"Yes," Rose agreed, feeling something bitter melt down and disappear in her throat. Sarah Jane handed her the sonic screwdriver and she started to fiddle with it. "I met him just after his war ended. He had big ears back then- and I've seen things you _wouldn't_ believe!"

"Oh, really?" Sarah Jane smirked and crossed her arms. "Try me. I've seen a lot of space stuff myself."

"Ghosts and Charles Dickens."

"Mummies."

"Slitheen, in Downing Street."

"Robots. Lots of robots. And the Daleks!"

"Met the Emperor," Jack crowed proudly. "And Gas masked zombies during World War Two."

"Anti-matter monsters," Sarah said, unabashed. "Real living dinosaurs."

"Real living werewolf."

"The Loch Ness Monster!"

"Seriously?" Rose asked in disbelief, and they all burst into laughter. They'd seen so much, seen all of time and space, seen impossible aliens and the most wonderful planets- and they were fighting like little kids over the most trivial things ever. Only now did they realize how absurd that was.

The Doctor was the same man, regeneration or no- different, but same to the core, and they were all _his_ companions. Rose chuckled.

"With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you'd go, what? and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

"_All_ the time. Does he still stroke bits of the Tardis?"

"Yeah! Yeah, he does. I'm flirting with him all the time, and he's more attracted to his ship than me. He's too hard a work," Jack joked. Rose shook her head and grinned.

"And I'm like, do you two want to be alone?"

The three of them all erupted into laughter, bonding over the single subject they were so familiar with. That silly, tragic, wonderful, amazing and ancient Time Lord.

They were still laughing when the Doctor strode into the IT room. He froze when he saw Rose, Sarah Jane and Jack laughing hard. Jack was so out of breath that he stumbled and nearly toppled over a nearby computer. The Doctor frowned.

"What's... going on? Did the computers spray out laughing gas or something as an automated defense protocol?"

They kept laughing hysterically, pointing at him but unable to form any word. The Doctor awkwardly rolled his eyes and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"What? It's nice to see you getting along, but listen. I need to find out what's programmed inside these."

Well, yes, he was the Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm, the Nightmare of Monsters and everything- but honestly, watching his companions settle into an insane fit of laughter was kinda freaky. Well, it did freak him out.

"_What?_ Stop it!"

It took quite a long time for them to stop.

* * *

They were still chuckling when the Doctor admonished them for not getting much work done and snatched the sonic screwdriver away from Rose's hand. They finally quieted down as the Time Lord looped wires around his neck and shoulders as he tried to get inside the CPU. This was something urgent, Rose noticed. He had the brainy specs on.

"I can't shift it," the Doctor finally growled out in frustration. Sarah Jane looked surprised.

"But I thought the sonic screwdriver could open anything!"

"Well, anything except a deadlock seal," Jack shrugged. "And wood, too. Doctor, you should really improve the settings. The Time Agency had deadlock-openers."

"Sonic screwdriver is _classic_, I can manage with it perfectly fine," the Doctor pouted. He rapped his hand against the computer screen. "Anyway. There's got to be something inside here. What're they teaching those kids? I wonder... oh!"

He gasped as symbols suddenly made an appearance on the screens. Rows and rows of unreadable green symbols flew past. The Doctor pushed his brainy specs up his nose and frowned at it.

"It's some sort of code..." he murmured. Then he froze in horror, a terrible realization dawning on him. "No._ No,_ that can't be!"

"What can't be?" Rose asked, confused. The Doctor spun around on the spot, hurriedly shrugging off the wires. He pushed the sonic screwdriver back into his pocket and glared at the large screen, which was also displaying the code.

"It's the Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm!"

"The Skasis what?" Sarah whispered. She had no idea what he was talking about, but she had a bad feeling about it. Even Jack seemed to have no idea. He was watching the Doctor intently, not having heard about the Skasis Paradigm during his time in the Time Agency. (Which was surprising, really, considering how the Time Agents barged across all of time and space.)

Finally, the Doctor forced his mouth to open. "It's the God maker. The universal theory. Crack that equation and you've got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control."

"That's amazing," the words blurted out of Jack's mouth involuntarily. His eyes were strangely glazed as he crossed his arms. "Can you change your own past, then? It sure is tempting."

"Don't even think about it, Captain. It's terrible. No one's supposed to have that kind of power. And yet here they are, trying to crack the equation," the Doctor growled out. Rose glanced at him.

"What, and the kids are like a giant computer?"

"Yes. And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

Her eyes widened. "But that oil's on the chips. I've been eating them. And Jack, too."

"Rose, what's fifty nine times thirty five?" the Doctor asked, glancing at her.

"Two thousand and sixty five," Rose replied without thinking. Her eyes widened immediately. "Oh, my God."

"And I know Jack has been affected, because he figured out that Sarah was my companion shortly after meeting her for the first time. That's _way_ too clever for him," the Doctor pointed out, ignoring as Jack cried out "Hey!" in a mild protest. "Anyway, that's not the problem here. They're using children because the God maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code, they're using their souls."

He paused, and Finch casually strolled into the room as if he had been waiting for the Doctor to figure out what was going on. He looked eerie, bathed in the green light, as he took deliberate steps towards the Doctor.

"Let the lesson begin."

The Doctor turned to face him. The alien in disguise had a sickly sweet smile on his face as he continued his advance. His voice was hypnotic and had a dangerous edge to it.

"Think of it, Doctor. With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

The Doctor scoffed. "Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mister Finch? Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are."

"You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order? Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

"What, by someone like you?" the Doctor asked skeptically.

"No, someone like you," Finch smiled. Jack stood back as Finch interacted with the Doctor, with Sarah Jane and Rose at his side, but his eyes widened at this. _Uh-oh. This could be a little dangerous._

Finch dropped his voice and whispered at the frozen Time Lord. "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God at my side. Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords... _reborn."_

The Doctor was staring at Finch, transfixed, obviously thinking of everything and everyone he had been forced to lose. Finch, that horrible bat, was playing on his loss._ Dammit_. Jack was thinking fast. _Think, Harkness, think!_

"Doctor, don't listen to him," Sarah Jane cried out in a futile attempt to snap the Doctor out from his thoughts. It failed as Finch continued his speech, this time looking at the three of them.

"And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die."

"Been there, done that," Jack muttered. "No, actually- _doing_ that."

Finch ignored him and turned towards the Doctor, smiling almost sympathetically. "Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could save everyone," the Doctor whispered. His countenance wavered a little, along with his telephatic wall. Jack, being the only telepathic human in the room, winced as tiny pieces of the Doctor's troubled mind leaked through flashed past him. _Arcadia. Gallifrey. Time Lords. Burning._

"Yes," Finch laughed.

"I could stop the war."

_Adric_._ Rose. Rose, Rose, Rose. The Time War. Daleks. No more, no more. Why do they keep dying? The wars- if only he could stop the wars... _It was so overwhelming!

"STOP, Doctor!" Jack roared out, startling everyone as he managed to throw off the vast influx of thoughts- god, how did the Doctor _live_ with all of that inside his head. He shook his head vigorously and glared up at the Time Lord. "No. You can't change everything, Doctor. I know, I understand, we all regret one thing or another. But you said so yourself. _No one is meant to have that kind of power_!"

"Jack is right, Doctor," Rose said in a firm voice. "The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love."

" Whether it's a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends, Doctor," Sarah Jane whispered. _Just like our time together, everything ends._ The unsaid words lingered in the air.

And that did it. The Doctor's eyes hardened as he snapped out from his thoughts and made up his mind. Oh, they were right. Those humans. His brilliant, amazing humans. Always keeping him in line, stopping him when he went too far. What would he be without them?

With a strained cry, he rushed forward and grabbed a chair. He thrust it forward- straight into the screen. There was a large _crash_ as it shattered into pieces.

"Out!" the Doctor hollered, and they ran out of the room. From afar, they could hear Finch cry out in fury- apparently, he was summoning his brothers, which meant that they were in big trouble now. They ran as fast as they could, and the Doctor nearly slammed into Mickey and the kid when they met at the bottom of the staircase.

"What's going on?!" Mickey spluttered. The Doctor wordlessly shook his head and pointed. The Krillitanes were appearing one by one at the end of the corridors. They roared and spread their wings, clinging at the walls.

"They don't look too friendly, do they? Ooh, menacing teeth, I bet I could have fun with them," Jack commented, laughing. "But we don't have time for _that,_ I guess. Run!"

They turned straight around and resumed running. They entered the cafeteria. The Doctor fumbled with the lock on the other side of the room, but didn't open it in time. Finch strode into the room, followed by the bats. Kenny whimpered.

"Are they my teachers?"

"Yeah. Sorry," the Doctor said, picking up a chair. Jack made a mental note to himself that they really needed a sonic blaster, not a sonic _screwdriver,_ at times like this. Huh. Next time he wasn't going to go investigating empty-handed. The Doctor's rules would have to wait. He groaned as he picked up a chair, too.

"We need the Doctor alive. As for the others? You can feast," Finch declared gleefully. The Krillitanes swooped. Jack ushered other humans to hide under the tables and started fighting back-to-back with the Doctor. He thrust the chair at the bat that was trying to attack Rose, and cursed as he realized that he was defenseless now. He cried out in immense pain as another Krillitane lunged, biting and tearing at his arm. Sarah Jane screamed.

Suddenly a laser beem hit the bat square on the chest, stopping the assault. Finch roared in fury. A metal dog was proudly making its way across the cafeteria. Sarah shouted out in surprise.

"K9!"

"Suggest you engage running mode, mistress," it beeped. The Doctor flung Jack's uninjured arm around his shoulder, supporting him, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Come on! K9, hold them back!"

Jack grimaced and groaned as pain shot through his body. He took a step forward. Rose looked as if she was the one in pain as she hovered near him, murmuring soothing words. They didn't know how they did it, but they did make it out of the cafeteria in the end. The Doctor slammed the door shut behind their back and sealed it with the sonic screwdriver.

"Oh my god," Sarah Jane said breathlessly as she turned to Jack. "They got you, didn't they? Let me look at the injuries."

"No, I'm fine," Jack said, frowning, clutching at his shoulder. Sarah shook her head and reached out to take a look.

"It's obviously not fine. We should at least stop the blood-" Sarah stopped short, staring at where Jack's injuries should have been. Had been. Jack's face cracked into a huge grin. He moved his shoulder around. The clothes were ripped and there was blood on it, but he had healed perfectly. No wounds whatsover, not even a scrath. The skin was immaculate. Sarah Jane gaped.

"But that's... that's impossible!"

"No, not impossible. Just a bit unlikely. Sarah, did I forget to mention that Captain Jack Harkness is a fixed point in all of time and tends to revert back into his best condition when he's injured or dead? Captain Jack, you're brilliant!" the Doctor grinned as he gave him a once over with a sonic screwdriver. "Right-o, I'll give you a clean bill of health."

Jack waggled his eyebrow back at him. "Hmm, Doc, you seem quite happy about that now. My fixed-pointedness."

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I'm great. You aren't hurt and that matters," the Doctor shrugged. Sarah Jane and Kenny still looked bewildered. Rose sighed in relief and mock-punched Captain Jack in the shoulder.

"Don't you ever do that again," she warned. "Fixed point or not, really. Take care of yourself, will you?"

"Ow! That hurts," Jack complained playfully, rubbing his shoulder. "But all right. Point taken, madame."

The Doctor leaned back on the table, half-listening to their playful banter. The other half was thinking now. Okay, now that they had a few minutes to spare, what could they do to stop the scary bat teachers? He frowned. Think, Doctor. Krillitanes. Composite race. Oil. _Oil!_

"That's it!"

They nearly jumped in surprise as the Doctor sprung up from where he was, realization slowly dawning on his face. He was brimming with manic energy as he slapped his forehead.

"It's the oil. Oh, I'm so thick. Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil. That's it! They've changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them. How much was there in the kitchens?"

"Barrels of it," Rose replied. The door rattled. They turned to look. THe Krillitanes were crashing against the door, their sharp claws making dents and holes on it. The Doctor didn't take his eyes off it as he handed out orders.

"Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey?"

"What now, hold the coats?" Mickey asked incredulously. The Doctor shook his head.

"Get all the children unplugged and out of the school. Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?"

They lapsed into silence as they thought hard, but it was Kenny who figured out the answer. He stomped over to the fire alarm and confidently slammed his elbow onto it. A trilling noise filled the room. The Doctor's face lit up with a manic grin, and he pushed the door open. They ran past the immobilized Krillitanes and made their escape.

They scattered. Mickey went for the kids, and the Doctor urged K9 forward as they all ran towards the kitchen. They made it before the Krillitanes did, and the Doctor desperately sprinted over the the barrels of oil and soniced it. Jack panted and slammed the kitchen door shut. Kenny, K9, Sarah Jane and Rose all stood back and watched as the Doctor struggled with his screwdriver.

K9 broke the silence.

"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing," it beeped. The Doctor stared at it for a moment, then nodded briskly. Rose could see that he had a solution now- it showed in his eyes.

"Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me."

"But you'll get out, right? Safe and sound?" she asked before she did as he asked her to. The Doctor gazed at her for a moment, and then gave her a tight smile.

"Safe and sound."

* * *

They lingered outside the kitchen, unable to leave the Doctor behind. After a minute or so, the Doctor did come out safe and sound, but K9 wasn't with him. Sarah Jane watched with wide eyes as the Doctor sealed the door.

"Where's K9?" she demanded. The Doctor glanced at her.

"We need to run," he said. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Where is he? What have you done!"

The Doctor hesitated. For a moment, Jack thought he saw the Time Lord's hand tremble. Then the Doctor refocused and grabbed Sarah's hand, pulling her along as he ran. Rose, Jack and Kenny ran, too. They got away just in time as the entire school exploded into flames, sending papers into the sky. They slowed down as they joined the kids rejoicing in the schoolyard.

He silently watched the children hail Kenny and turned to face Sarah Jane, who was staring at the flames.

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she sniffed. Her voice broke. "He was just a daft metal dog. It's fine, really..."

She burst into tears. The Doctor silently drew her into an embrace, rubbing her arm with his hand, trying to comfort her. He knew nothing could comfort her; it was a nonfunctioning metal dog, but still, it held the memories of their time together. Nothing could replace that, just like nothing could replace Gallifrey in his heart...

Wait. His eyes lit up.

Some things _could_ be replaced.

* * *

The TARDIS was parked in the Belle Vue Park. It was a nice day, with the blue sky and white clouds. The Doctor stepped out and invited Sarah Jane into the TARDIS with a smile.

"Cup of tea?" he suggested.

She almost warily stepped into the blue police box. Then she looked around the coral-themed console room in amazement. The TARDIS hummed happily, and she patted the console softly. The time machine never ceased to surprise her. She turned towards the Doctor."

"You've redecorated," she commented. The Doctor rubbed at the back of his neck nervously.

"Do you like it?" he asked in an anxious voice. Sarah Jane smiled and nodded.

"Oh, I, I do, of course. I preferred it as it was, but er, yeah. It'll do."

"I love it," Rose declared happily. It wasn't an argument; just a plain fact. Jack loved the coral design, too. It was more... organic than what he was used to at the Time Agency. Sarah laughed and leaned against the console.

"Hey, you, what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?" she called out to Rose. Rose grinned cheekily at her.

"I've got no idea. It's gone now. The oil's faded."

Sarah smiled. "But you're still clever. More than a match for him."

"You and me both. Doctor?" she poked the Doctor with her elbow. The Time Lord, who had been fiddling with the console, yelped in surprise and gave Sarah Jane an awkward grin.

"Er, we're about to head off, but you could come with us," he suggested. A warm, surprised smile appeared on Sarah Jane's face, and Jack thought for a moment that she was going to come; but eventually she shook her head.

"No," she paused. "I can't do this anymore. Besides, I've got a much bigger adventure ahead. Time I stopped waiting for you and found a life of my own."

"Can I come?" Mickey suddenly piped up from behind. Sarah Jane looked at him in surprise, and he shook his head. "Can I come? No, not with you, I mean with you three. Because I'm not the tin dog, and I want to see what's out there."

The Doctor quickly exchanged glances with Jack. _Cheer up, Doc. Sorry, can't help you here_. The Doctor downcast his eyes, obviously disheartened. Sarah Jane chuckled.

"Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith, a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board."

"Okay then... I could do with a laugh," the Doctor sighed, fiddling with the console. Jack rolled his eyes. _Just say no, you idiot_. Mickey laughed and turned to Rose- who didn't look so happy about the turn of events.

"Rose, is that okay?" he asked. Rose shrugged.

"No, great. Why not?"

"Well, I'd better go," Sarah said, glancing between the four of them. The Doctor silently gazed at them as Jack and Sarah Jane hugged.

"It was nice to meet you, Captain. Thanks for helping me meet the Doctor again," she said truthfully. Jack chuckled and winked.

"You were a pleasure, ma'am. But you would have easily found that daft Time Lord without my help, I think."

Sarah smiled and turned to Rose. They hugged briefly. Rose dropped her voice and whispered to her.

"What do I do? Do I stay with him?"

Grief danced in the elder woman's eyes, but she nodded. They hugged once more. "Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for. Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."

Rose and Jack watched as Sarah Jane Smith, the most extraordinary woman ever, exited the TARDIS.

Outside the TARDIS, Sarah Jane turned towards the Doctor.

"It's daft, but I haven't ever thanked you for that time. And like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Something to tell the grandkids," he smiled.

"Oh, I think it'll be someone else's grandkids now."

The Doctor blinked. "Right. Yes, sorry. I didn't get a chance to ask. You haven't...? There hasn't been anyone? You know..."

Sarah shrugged, chuckling. "Well, there was this one guy. I travelled with him for a while, but he was a tough act to follow. Goodbye, Doctor."

The Doctor smiled. Running into his old companions always had this kind of effect on him. It was sweet and sorrowful, wonderful and heartbreaking. And it was worth it. He should have known that Sarah Jane, out of all people, wouldn't be heartbroken because he had regenerated and become a different man. He didn't have to be scared. Sometimes, he was so thick, wasn't he?

"Oh, it's not goodbye," he insisted. Sarah shook her head.

"Do say it. Please. This time. Say it."

The Doctor paused before enveloping her in a crushing hug. He lifted her off her feet. She clung to him, tears in her eyes.

"Goodbye, my Sarah Jane," he whispered in a broken voice. Then he put her down and hurried back into the TARDIS. Running away, as he always did. Sarah Jane sighed, strangely feeling empty, and walked away as the TARDIS started to dematerialize with that familiar _whooshing_ noise. She faltered for a second, at the last moment, she turned back to see-

"K9!" she exclaimed in surprise. A brand-new K9 was sitting there, cocking its head up at her.

"Mistress," K9 beeped. She smiled and reached out to it. A warm feeling surged in her heart. _Back._

_Some things could be replaced._

* * *

"Jack, show Mickey his room. The TARDIS would have prepared one," the Doctor said, leaping around the console. "Rose, stay with me and help set the coordinates."

"Yes sir," Jack nodded and pulled Mickey along. "Come on, you. This way."

"How do you know?" Mickey inquired in disbelief. "The corridors all look the same!"

"You're thick. Of _course_ I don't know. The TARDIS knows, Mickey Mouse. This ship is alive _and_ female, so the more you flirt with her, the kinder she is to you," Jack laughed, slapping his hand on Mickey's shoulder.

Their voices got farther and farther away. The Doctor kept fiddling with the console. Rose walked over to his side. She leaned back on the console and watched him with an amused smile on her face. He was typing something into the computer now, his brows creased in concentration.

"You never need any help setting the coordinates," she commented after a beat.

"Yeah, you're right. It was just an excuse," the Doctor replied dismissively. There was a lingering defensive edge to his voice. "Captain Jack is more than capable of babysitting Mickey Mouse, so leave him be. I used to like things the way it is, with just three of us, running-"

"Give him a chance. Maybe he'll be better out there, just like I was," Rose laughed. The Doctor's gaze lingered on her. She noticed this and shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "-What?"

"No, nothing. Was just... just... drifting," he lied, blinking fast and turning back away.

_You aren't just 'better out there'. You are fantastic. Always fantastic_. He blinked and sighed._ Stop it, Doctor. You're getting worse every day. Maybe it _is _better to have Mickey onboard._

So he spun around to face Rose and changed the topic hurriedly. "Anyway! Bat teachers, dealt with. Done. Boom. _But!_ There was something off. Rose Tyler, did you notice that there was something off with Captain Jack today?"

"No... apart from the fact that he didn't try to flirt as hard?" Rose shrugged, looking bewildered. The Doctor chuckled and shook his head, still typing into the TARDIS system.

"No, no. Remember what he said when I was explaining about the Skasis Paradigm?"

_"That's amazing. Can you change your own past, then? It sure is tempting."_

"Jack was a Time Agent. He knows that he shouldn't change his own past. But he wants to. He is regretting 'something'... hiding it... and I know, I just _know_ that because when he said those words, he had that look on his face."

"What look?"

"The look you had on your face when you asked me to go back in time so that you could see one Pete Tyler. The look I must have on my face when I think of Gallifrey," the Doctor sighed. Rose froze. He fiddled with the controls, not looking at Rose.

"I'm sorry, Rose. But he's regretting something, and it's making him more reckless and too brave. He got his shoulder ripped out today. He got killed by the werewolf- twice- during our last adventure. We can't go on like this. Immortal or not, I can't watch him get killed over and over again and be okay with it. Whatever he's hiding, we need to know. So..."

"We'll keep an eye on him," Rose replied. She had quickly recovered from her initial shock, having realized the gravity of the situation. The Doctor smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks."

"Hey, there's no need for that. We're friends- we look after each other, right?" Rose grinned at him, poking her tongue out from between her teeth. The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat at this familiar gesture, but he managed to stop it from showing.

"Definitely, Rose Tyler," he declared cheerfully. "Now that we've got another passenger onboard, let's go to the future!"

She giggled in excitement as he thrust the lever forward, sending the ship hurtling through the Time Vortex. She didn't notice as the TARDIS screen blinked with tiny Gallifreyan letters that only he could read.

_'Subject: Jack Harkness. Native Time Period: 51st century. No existing record of a Time Agent by that name. No existing birth record.'_

_Not a real name, then. _

Huh, that could wait. They had another adventure waiting for them right now.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took a long time! :) Jack's past was mentioned in Torchwood. It was slightly altered by the Doctor in my fic. And so the plot thickens. Let's move onto the Girl in the Fireplace now!**

**Please Review!**


	13. The Girl in the Fireplace: Part One

**The Girl in the Fireplace: Part One  
**

_**Jack:** I saw a firebird, once. A tiny little thing, even smaller than a hummingbird. Literally made of fire. It only lives for a minute; It blazes different colours and sings. It gets so bright, you have to close your eyes. And when you open them, it's gone. But the image stays behind your eyelids for longer than it was alive._

_-Torchwood, 'Immortal Sins'-_

* * *

"So, what's the date? How far we gone?" Rose asked. Rose, Jack, Mickey and the Doctor were standing in an abandoned spaceship. The Doctor glanced once at the cluttered equipments on the floor and shrugged.

"About three thousand years into your future, give or take." He reached out and clicked the light switch on a console. The ceiling opened up to show the stars. The Doctor smiled as he looked up at the twinkling lights in the sky. "Fifty first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies."

"Go on, Mickey Mouse, meet the universe. How is it?" Jack asked in a bragging tone. Rose smiled fondly and pulled him to the window. Mickey gaped as he stared out at the stars- the universe. Finally, he managed to utter out.

"It's so realistic!"

Meanwhile, the Doctor had been peering at the console of the spaceship, an intense frown on his face._ Now that's a bad sign,_ Jack mused to himself. Whenever the Doctor had that kind of look on his face, it meant trouble. Something was wrong, or was_ going to be_ wrong. He casually walked over to the Time Lord's side and peered over his shoulder. Rose noticed quickly and followed suit.

Finally, the Doctor glanced at his companions and pointed at the screen, still frowning. "Now that's odd. Look at that. All the warp engines are going. Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?"

"And where did all the crew go?" Rose added. The Doctor frowned and ran his sonic screwdriver over the screen. He pulled it back and read the data.

"Good question, because there are no life readings on board."

Jack found himself frowning, just like the Doctor. "Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag or a dance."

"No, I've checked all the smoking pods," the Doctor replied, swiftly choosing to ignore the 'dancing' part. Then he sniffed the air. "Can you smell that?"

"Yeah, someone's cooking," Rose replied in a hushed voice. Her eyes widened marginally when she realized that it didn't make any sense at all. The crew was_ gone_. No one could have been cooking, and even if a robot was cooking, there was no one left to eat the food. Then what was this smell?

"Sunday roast, definitely!" Mickey exclaimed gleefully. Jack rolled his eyes with a sigh. He was so clueless. The Doctor didn't reply to any of their comments, but instead manipulated the console to open up a door behind them. They all headed towards the hidden place. Jack scrunched his nose in confusion when he saw the room.

The wall was panelled, and contained a blazing fire in an ornate fireplace, with a clock on the mantlepiece. If someone asked the Doctor, he'd say that it looked more like 18th century France and not like a futuristic spaceship. He pulled out his sonic and scanned the place.

"Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship. Eighteenth century. French. Nice mantle. Not a hologram. It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double sided. There's another room through there!" he exclaimed. Rose shook her head in confusion. But it couldn't be. It didn't make sense. What was a fireplace doing in a spaceship? She glanced out a porthole in the wall and saw the outer hull of the ship. The fireplace couldn't be connected to anywere, but then...

"Hello," Jack blurted out, kneeling in front of the fireplace. Rose startled when she realized that he was actually speaking to someone. She hurriedly knelt down beside the Doctor and Jack. A young girl was staring at them from the other side of the fireplace.

"Hello," the girl said meekly. Jack smiled at her- not the usual charming one, but a more gentle... reminiscent smile. Then the Doctor pushed his way in and peered up at the girl, curiosity evident in his sparkling brown eyes.

"Hi, I'm the Doctor. What's your name?"

"Reinette," she replied. Jack nodded encouragingly.

"Reinette, that's a lovely name."

"Yes it is," the Doctor said, rather impatiently. He was clearly uneasy, since he felt that the time-space connection between fireplaces was insecure at best and could be broken any moment. "And can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"

"In my bedroom..."

"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?"

Reinette frowned in confusion. It was natural, Rose thought with a sigh. A group of people in strange clothes asking "Where do you live?" from the fireplace- that just wasn't the thing that happened everyday. But to her surprise, Reinette simply answered with a casual shrug.

"Paris, of course. Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?"

"Oh, it's just a... a..." the Doctor waved, his voice trailing off. He glanced at Jack. Jack Harkness took the hint and leaned forward, beaming at the girl as if it was nothing unusual.

"Oh, it's just a routine fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?"

"Of course I can. Seventeen hundred and twenty seven."

_Good job_, the Doctor mouthed towards Jack, shooting him a thumbs-up. Then he winked at the girl.

"Right, lovely. One of my favourites. August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night!"

"Goodnight Monsieur."

Reinette's small voice echoed in the fireplace. The Doctor was deep in thought as he stood up and looked around. Then he jogged back over to the main console. Mickey followed him, his arms crossed.

"You said this was the fifty first century," he accused in a stubborn voice. The Doctor rolled his eyes, as if to say, _honestly, Mickey?_

"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe," he declared in an exasperated voice. "I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink. Which is just a fancy way of saying 'magic door'. Jack, keep inspecting it to see if there's anything."

"Actually," Jack said slowly as he felt along the edge of the fireplace. He looked back up at the Doctor, a playful grin on his lips. "I think I found something. Will be back in a sec, Doc!"

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed, his eyes snapping upwards in surprise. Jack gave him a dazzling wink and stood up, his hand on the switch that he found. Then he pulled it and the fireplace rotated-

-right into 18th century France. He had been anticipating it, kind of, but still blinked in surprise as he beheld Reinette's bedroom. It was a normal, French-istic room, and it was snowing outside. He carefully stepped forward, inspecting the room carefully. He could hear a loud ticking sound. Something was out of place... but he could figure it out. Not yet. He rummaged his pockets and took out an ancient match. He lit the candle with it.

Reinette woke with a start at that. Her eyes snapped open, and she got up, clutching her white bedsheet in fear. She stared at Jack.

"Hush, hush," Jack whispered, putting a finger to his lips. He smiled tenderly. "It's okay. You don't have to scream. It's the fireplace man. Hey, we were talking just a moment ago. I was in your fireplace with the Doctor... remember him? We asked you strange questions..."

"Monsieur, that was weeks ago. That was months!" Reinette exclaimed, looking puzzled. Jack frowned and gave her a shrug.

"Really? Oh, must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in."

Silence ensued. The ticking sound was fairly loud, now that they weren't talking. Jack glanced at the clock on the mantel. His heart stuttered. _Wait. Wasn't that clock broken?_

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and I'm here to protect you, mademoiselle Reinette," Jack declared in a loud voice, whipping aroud to face her. He gave her a little bow and continued. "Is that broken clock the only one in this room?"

"Yes," Reinette replied hesitantly. Jack sucked in a sharp breath and pushed his hands into his pockets. (He'd search his pockets for weapons anytime he sensed danger, although he didn't carry them around anymore. It was just out of habit that he did so.)

"But if that clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" he wondered out loud in a hushed voice. Reinette immediately realized what he was trying to imply. The loud ticking noise. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Her eyes widened in fear. Jack shook his head slightly.

"It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. I'm here to protect you, Reinette. But I'd still say... that sound is too loud for a clock."

"What is it?" the girl asked breathlessly. "What should I do?"

"I don't know what it is," Jack quickly conceded. "But I'll take care of it. Don't you worry- I was a Time Agent. Was. Just... stay on the bed, right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge."

He immediately lunged down, and peered under the bed. There was a loud clattering noise of someone- something- standing up hurriedly. And he could see a pair of feet. Captain Jack slowly got back to his feet, too. Now he could see it. He tried to steer the fear out of his heart as he beheld a figure in a smiley mask, standing just behind Reinette.

"Don't look round," he murmured. Reinette blinked rapidly.

"There's something behind me? Something bad?"

"No," he lied. Reinette breathed heavily.

"You're lying."

"Yes," Jack admitted. "Saw a friend of mine doing that all the time. Thought I could give it a try. Well, anyway, there's a scarely tick-tocking doll behind you. Don't look if you don't want nightmares."

"What does it want with me?" Reinette whispered in a scared voice. "Does that thing want me?"

At her question, the droid- which had been simply standing there- jerked into life. It answered in a mechanical voice. "Not yet. You are incomplete."

"Incomplete? What do you mean, incomplete? She's not a machine that's built out of stuff. She just grows and grows into an adult. It's that simple. Then how can she be 'complete'?" Jack asked incredulously. The android suddenly started walking around the bed, a blade snapping out from its hand. Jack quietly cursed out loud as he backed around slowly.

"Monsieur, be careful!" Reinette cried out in alarm. Jack laughed breathily.

"Don't worry, Reinette. It's very hard to kill me. An idiot android monster? No match for an immortal Fireplace man."

The android slashed. He dodged it narrowly. Damn, he still didn't want to die. Or get injured. It hurt, and... it would give Reinette nightmares, seeing a man get slashed open in her bedroom at night.

"I'm going to be fine, don't you worry!" Jack shouted at Reinette, dodging another sharp blow. He grinned mischievously. "I am a man who visits your dreams, and I came to protect you. And although I'm no Doctor, I do intend to keep my promises!"

The clockwork monster lunged forward. Jack stepped aside, and the blade got stuck in the mantlepiece. Neat.

"Why do you intend to protect me?" Reinette asked, her eyes wide. "I don't even know you!"

"My friend once said that protecting children from their nightmare monsters is our duty," Jack replied, grinning. He quickly jumped over to the fireplace and slammed his fist on the switch. "It was a pleasure, Reinette. Have a nice dream!"

And the fireplace swung around, leaving behind a baffled Reinette.

* * *

The moment Jack got back on the spaceship, he tackled the clockwork monster and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Doctor!"

The Doctor swiftly looked between the android and the Captain. Then he immediately realized what was happening and rushed over to a nearby rack. He grabbed a giant gun-like object and fired its contents over the android. The clockwork android seized up as white ice spread across his body. Mickey whistled.

"Excellent. Ice gun!"

"Fire extinguisher," the Doctor retorted, tossing it to Mickey. He fumbled to catch it. Rose stared at the ice-coated android and asked in a baffled voice.

"Where did that thing come from?"

"Here," the Doctor said, scanning the android and the fireplace with the sonic. "It came with Jack from beyond the fireplace. And Jack, what on Gallifrey- what on Earth were you doing there?"

"I was protecting Reinette," Jack said stubbornly, crossing his arms. "That _thing_ was hiding under her bed. It had broken the clock in the room."

"Brilliant," the Doctor nodded. "If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do, break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone. Okay. And anything else?"

Jack shrugged. "Reinette asked if that thing wanted her. It replied that she was incomplete. And when I asked _why_ she was incomplete, the typical thing happened."

"Okay. So it took out a blade and attacked you," the Time Lord sighed before shooting Jack a sharp look. "Did you get killed again?"

"No. Didn't even get hurt," Jack replied truthfully. The Doctor stared into his eyes. Then he relaxed a little- undoubtedly he had sensed that Jack wasn't lying this time- and directed his attention back to the android. Mickey was spluttering quietly, baffled by their conversation- especially the _'Did you get killed again?' _part. (He didn't know that Jack was immortal yet.) And then Rose spoke up, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Why is it dressed like that?"

"Well, it was in France. Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework. But that's not the problem," the Doctor announced, waving his sonic screwdriver in the air. "According to my sonic scan, this thing have been searching the little girl's brain. That was why it was in her bedroom. It had crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain! What could there be in a little girl's mind that's worth blowing a hole in the universe? When does she become 'complete'?"

The Doctor paused.

"And what's really underneath the mask?"

He reached out and swiftly removed the android's mask. There was simple, almost beautific clockwork beneath it. The Doctor's demeanor instantly changed; his eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in surprise. He grinned, looking like a child who had received an early Christmas present.

"Oh, you are beautiful!"

"Typical," Rose muttered, and burst into laughter. Jack chuckled, too. The Doctor shook his head fervently, not taking his eyes off the clockwork android. He immediately pulled out his glasses and peered at it.

"No, no, really, you are. You're gorgeous! Look at that. Space age clockwork, I love it. I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those- it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you."

He paused smugly, holding the sonic up close to it. Jack suspected that the Time Lord, being the drama queen that he was, was enjoying this moment too much. "But unfortunately for you, that won't stop me."

However, the Doctor didn't have a chance to disassemble the android; the moment he finished speaking, a light shimmered around its body and it teleported away. The Doctor let out a disappointed sigh and threw his hands up into the air. Rose chuckled a little.

"Looks like you lost your toy, Doctor."

"It's a short range teleport. Can't have gotten far, could still be on board..."

"...Or it could be back in Reinette's bedroom. She's in danger!" Jack shouted, fear dawning over his face. He darted over to the fireplace with sharp determination in his eyes.

"Jack, no! Stop running off, for Rassilion's sake!" the Doctor shouted, exasperated. It was too late; Jack didn't hesitate to push the switch. The fireplace rotated and the Captain vanished from their sight. The Doctor cursed in Gallifreyan and ruffled his hair. It wasn't like Jack, running off on his own. The Captain was very protective of the girl. Actually, he was unusually protective around children...

"Rose, don't go looking for it. I'll bring Jack back! Back in a sec!" the Doctor said at last, stomping towards the fireplace. Rose and Mickey quickly exchanged conspiratory glances.

* * *

Jack found himself in a bit, plush room. _Time has passed again, it seems,_ Jack thought, uneasiness pulling at his heart. He simply hoped that he wasn't too late. He couldn't stand children being hurt... not after Gray... he shuddered before calling out cautiously.

"Reinette? Are you okay? It's Jack, just checking if you're okay..."

He glanced around the room. He tentatively pulled the harp's string. A musical sound resonated within the room. He let out a sigh and relaxed a little; he couldn't hear any forboding tick-tocks. The little girl was okay. He stepped forward- and froze when he heard someone cough behind his back.

"Ahem."

Jack spun around, and came face-to-face with a beautiful blonde woman. Presumably Reinette's family. Jack mouthed "Oh..." and prepared a charming smile. Shrugging as if there was nothing wrong, he bowed gracefully towards the woman.

"Hello, mademoiselle. I am an aquaintance of Reinette's. I have come looking for her. This is still her room, isn't it? I've been away, I'm not sure for how long..."

His voice trailed off abruptly when he heard a woman shouting from somewhere nearby.

"Reinette! We're ready to go."

Jack's smile disappeared in an instant, and his eyes widened as the beautiful, fully-grown woman in front of him turned around to the door and called out towards her mother.

"Go to the carriage, Mother. I will join you there."

When she turned around to face Jack again, he was gaping at her. "_You_ are Reinette?"

"Yes, I am. And you are... if my memory serves me right... Captain Harkness, the Fireplace man?" Reinette's eyebrows quirked upwards. "It is customary, I think, to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence."

"Do imaginary friends always look this good?" Jack flashed a playful grin. "I'm flattered that you remember my name at all. Oh, Reinette. You've grown!"

"_And_ you, on the other hand, do not appear to have aged a single day. That is tremendously impolite of you," Reinette whispered, taking a step forward. Jack's voice also dropped a baritone as he gazed down at her.

"I apologize for my inconsiderate actions. I tend to forget about the aging part," he paused before frowning. "By the way, are you _flirting_ with me?"

"Maybe I am," Reinette said. A fond smile flitted across Jack's face.

"Strange. Flirting is usually my part of the job."

"I am an extraordinary woman. I can do many things you do not expect me to do."

"Indeed. Anyway, I'm glad to see that you're okay. I came to check up on you," Jack sighed. He took a step back. "But I'd better be off. I don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man."

"Strange?" Reinette echoed. "How could you be a stranger to me? I've known you since I was seven years old."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, the fireplace swung around once more, and the Doctor came striding into the room. He opened his mouth as if to scold him, but stopped short in his track when he saw Reinette. He glanced between the two and sighed.

"Jack, honestly, now's hardly the time to-"

"It's not like that!" Jack protested loudly. He waved carelessly between the Time Lord and the French girl. "Reinette, Doctor. Doctor, Reinette. Say hello, whatever, yes. Doc, I guess we've come the quick route."

"Reinette? The little French girl?" the Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh goodness, how you've grown! I've heard people say that time flies, but I've hardly expected-"

"The Doctor? One of the people who were in my fireplace?" Reinette murmured, knitting her eyebrows. "This is truly a strange day. My childhood imagninations are coming true, all of them. You both seem to be flesh and blood- yet I know that it is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."

"Impossible things tend to happen around us," Jack observed. They were silent for a moment, and then they heard a servant shouting from a place not so far away.

"Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient."

"A moment!" Reinette called out before turning around to face the Doctor and Jack. Her eyes were focused on Jack alone. "So many questions are between us, Captain Harkness. And yet, so little time."

"I-" Jack started, but he was abruptly cut off as Reinette threw herself at him. She pulled him into a fierce kiss. His eyes widened for a split second before they drifted shut. He leaned into the kiss, lost in the sensation- Reinette pushed him up against the wall-

Then the servant called "Mademoiselle Poisson!" from the hallway, and she abruptly broke the kiss. She ran out, keeping her eyes on the floor instead of Jack. The Captain was left behind, disheveled and breathless. He simply stayed there, gazing out into the distance, his body still slumped against the fireplace. The Doctor hurried over to him and pushed the fireplace, causing it to rotate before the servant entered the room.

Back on the spaceship, the Doctor stared incredulously at Jack. "What have you done?"

"I kissed," Jack said in a vague, inarticulate voice. The Doctor scrunched his nose and threw his hands up into the air.

"Yes, I know! But you didn't just kiss anybody, Captain Harkness. You kissed Reinette Poisson. Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan, fantastic gardener! Later Madame Etoiles. Later mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France!" he paused dramatically. "_You just snogged Madame de Pompadour!"_

"I liked it," Jack murmured, not heeding the Time Lord's words at all. The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh.

"Don't you always."

"Madame de Pompadour? Nah. Mademoiselle Reinette- that suits her far better," Jack said, still looking dazed. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Okay. All right. Didn't expect that much romantic-ish-ness from you, but... anyway. Oh, right. Rose and Mickey!" he exclaimed, looking around wildly. They were gone, off to explore god-knows-where. He also noted that two of the fire extinguishers were missing. The Doctor let out a long sigh. This was another _'Oh yeah, no one is listening to me, and will probably have to get saved by me sooner or later' _kind of day. Fine, no problem.

"Now, where are they? They wandered off again! Every time, it's _rule one_. Don't wander off. I tell them, I do. Rule one! They nosedive straight into danger. Why?!"

"They learned that from the best," Jack remarked in a snide voice. When the Doctor glared wordlessly at him, he simply grinned and shrugged. "Anyway, if they were the sitting-and-waiting type, you wouldn't have picked them up as companions."

"Quite right," the Doctor muttered. "Point taken. But still, there could be anything on this ship."

"Like a horse?" Jack asked in a faintly amused voice. The Doctor spun around and came face-to-face with a white horse with bridle and saddle. The horse snorted. Taken aback, the Time Lord blinked once. Twice.

"...Yes. Like a horse, I guess. Wasn't expecting that one."

* * *

Meanwhile, Mickey and Rose were weaving their way through the spaceship. The more they got to know about this spaceship, the more fear they felt. A human heart was grotesquely wired together. A real eyeball was connected to the security camera. Mickey was reeling from shock at all that; Rose was slightly calmer than he was. And then they stopped in front of a window. Mickey peered into the room.

"It's France again. We can see France."

"I think we're looking through a mirror," Rose suggested. They watched as Louis the Fifteenth entered the room beyond, followed by two men. Mickey scoffed and shrugged.

"Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?"

"Well, Rickey, to be fair- he's the King of France," the Doctor replied smoothly as he walked up to them from behind. Rose beamed at the Time Lord.

"Oh, you're back! What have you been up to?"

The Doctor shrugged, his eyes twinkling playfully. "Well, I became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man- and Jack is moaning about being in love. He and Reinette seems to be getting along spectacularly well. The usual."

There was a neighing sound of behind, and Jack came in, dragging a horse with him. He grunted. "-Aaand we've met a horse."

"A horse?" Mickey asked incredulously. "What's a horse doing on a spaceship?"

The Doctor frowned and slapped him on the back. He declared in a half-bragging, half-scolding voice. "Mickey, what's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective. Anyway! See these fireplaces? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history."

Jack stood there, enveloped in an uncharacteristic silence. His eyes were glued to a particular woman standing beyond the glass. Reinette had entered the room, and was curtseying to the King. A resigned sigh softly escaped his lips. The Doctor chose to ignore him and continued, pointing at Reinette.

"Hers. Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?"

"Who is she?"

"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived," the Doctor shrugged. Rose blinked.

"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?"

"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress," the Doctor said, glancing at Jack. He was seemingly unshaken by those words- or his 'flexibility' worked in favor to him- but his eyes never left Reinette's face. The Time Lord sighed and continued, more to Jack than anyone else. "I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title. Madame de Pompadour."

"I know," Jack murmured softly. "But time can be rewritten. Doctor... is she a fixed point?"

The Doctor's eyes flashed sharply. "Don't you dare, Jack."

Jack just smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Versailles, Reinette checked herself in the mirror once and turned around to see someone standing in the corner. A familiar tick-tock sound echoed loudly in the room. The sound from her nightmares. _No... no, it can't be._ A strange uneasiness squeezed her heart. Reinette shook her head and raised her voice in a futile attempt to banish her own panic.

"How long have you been standing there? Show yourself!"

The person snapped around- and it was a clockwork android. Her eyes widened as she stepped back, quivering from fear. She could recognize that horrible mask from anywhere...

But suddenly, the mirror miraculously spun around, and Captain Harkness barged into the room, a strange weapon in his hand. His face was pale, but the lips were stiff with determination. She gasped, feeling most of the fear miraculously dissipate from within her. Instead, she felt relief.

"Fireplace man, it's you!"

"Yes. Reinette, stand back!" Captain Harkness shouted out an order. Reinette gladly obeyed, and her savior aimed his weapon at the droid and sprayed ice all over it. The advancing droid immediately froze in its spot as a thick layer of white ice covered its every limb. The Captain sighed out loud in relief, lowering his weapon.

At that very moment, the mirror spun around once more, and the Doctor came in, closely followed by a blonde girl and a dark-skinned boy. The droid kept creaking and tiliting its head. The Doctor stopped and scanned the thing with his sonic screwdriver.

"What's it doing?" Mickey said, staring at it nervously. The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly, as if it didn't even concern him.

"Switching back on, melting the ice."

"And then what?" Rose ventured. The Doctor grinned at her, although there was nothing funny in this situation.

"Then it kills everyone in the room. Focuses the mind, doesn't it?" he stepped back and gave a low whistle as the droid abruptly raised its hand in a menacing way. The Doctor cleared his throat and focused his attention on the droid. "Okay, who are you? Identify yourself." There was silence. The Doctor turned to Reinette and asked in a soft voice. "Order it to answer me."

Reinette stared at the droid, fear still flitting in her eyes. Jack stepped closer to her, his face set in sympathy. She regained her calm almost instantly and turned to look at the Doctor. "Why should it listen to me?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."

"You can do it, Reinette. Give it a try," Jack whispered in an encouraging voice. Reinette blinked, and sighed.

"Okay. If you wish." Then she turned towards the droid and declared in a commanding, authoritative voice. "Answer his question. Answer any and all questions put to you."

Silence. The droid simply stood there, looking at Reinette with an attitude that was akin to curiosity. Rose glanced at the Doctor, worrying her lower lip. What if something went wrong? What were they supposed to do if the droid attacked them? She knew that they could get out of whatever danger they found themselves in, but still... she didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Fortunately, the droid lowered its hand after a few seconds. Its menacing air dissipated, and the Doctor finally let his shoulders relax a bit. The droid tilted its head as if to get a better look of Reinette. Then it spoke up in a distinctly mechanical voice.

_"I am repair droid seven."_

"Okay, it's working," the Doctor murmured. He raised his voice in a casual manner. "What happened to the ship, then? There was a lot of damage."

_"Ion storm. Eighty two percent systems failure."_

"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?" he continued with his inquiry.

_"We did not have the parts."_

Mickey scoffed at the obvious answer, but the Doctor didn't take his penetrating gaze off the droid. He just knew there was something more to it.

"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?"

_"We did not have the parts."_

"There should have been over fifty people on your ship. Where did they go?"

_"We did not have the parts."_

The Doctor's eyes flashed in anger and frustration. "Fifty people don't just disappear! Where-"

Then he stopped abruptly, his mouth slightly hanging open. The disgusting, gutwrenching truth dawned upon him. The strange smell, the repeated answer of the droid, the lack of crew on the ship- the droid _was_ giving him the answer.

"Oh," he murmured. "I understand now. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew."

"The crew?" Mickey echoed. Rose's eyes also widened in horrifying realization. A camera with an eye in it, a heart wired in to machinery. A real eye. A real heart. The 'parts' taken from the- crew. The Doctor nooded solemnly. This was what he didn't like about robots. You program it wrong, and they kill humans without a single drop of remorse. End of story.

"It was just doing what it was programmed to," he sighed. "Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"

"Someone cooking," Jack said. He frowned. "Ah, of course. Flesh plus heat. Barbeque. But what is this clockwork monster doing here?"

"Exactly, Jack," the Doctor declared. He turned towards the droid. "You've opened up time windows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?"

_"One more part is required,"_ the droid announced. The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

_"She is incomplete."_

The Doctor laughed as if the answer was absurd. Ridiculous. "What, so, that's the plan, then? Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet! But why her? You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her? She's just a French woman. Yes, special, but she won't necessarily make a better 'part' than any other human in existence. Why?"

The droid creaked. _"We are the same."_

Reinette startled at the answer. She frowned and shook her head fervently. "We are not the same. We are in no sense the same!"

_"We are the same,"_ the droid insisted. Reinette paled. She couldn't stand the thought. The monster from her worst nightmares had chased her throughout her life, and now it was claiming that she and it was same. It was... was revolting. Scared beyond reason, she blurted out before she could think.

"Get out of here. Get out of here this instant!"

"Reinette, no!" the Doctor cried, but the droid had already teleported away in a shimmer of light. He groaned and rubbed his temple. That made things complicated. The droid was back on the ship. He briefly considered sending Rose, Jack and Mickey after the droid, but it was too dangerous. He felt a stab of protectiveness over Rose- _he, _the Doctor, the Time Lord was the one that was supposed to watch over her! But someone needed to take a brief look into Reinette's head, to find what the droids were looking for...

Oh, he had a really bad feeling about this.

"Okay. We need to find out what the droid is up to. Rose, Mickey, follow me. Let's go back to the ship," he said. Mickey looked queasy, but Rose nodded eagerly. Despite the situation, the Doctor found himself smiling the tiniest bit. She was so jeaopardy-friendly... he shook his head, and fixed his stern gaze on Jack.

"And Jack, you know what you have to do. Time Agent. Mind melding. You need to find out what they're looking for. But you can't stay here- you have to come back. Understand?"

"Yes!" Jack replied, a bit too eager for the Doctor's liking. The Time Lord nodded and sighed once. Then, with a shrug, he pushed the mirror and disappeared with Rose and Mickey by his side. And Jack was left alone with Reinette. He turned to face her, a solemn look in his eyes.

"Reinette, you have to trust me. The Doctor needs me to find out what they're looking for. There's only one way I can do that," he said. Then he hesitated. "I've been trained in this area before, but I have no idea what to look for- and I'm rusty at best. I can't control this as well as him. But I promise I'll try not to hurt you."

"I trust you," Reinette said, closing her eyes. Jack nodded and braced himself.

"Okay, then... all right. Here we go."

Then he placed his firm, warm fingers onto her temples. He inhaled deeply before closing his eyes. Then he dived into the depths of Reinette Poisson's mind.

"You are inside my mind, Captain," Reinette whispered.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Nice. Tell me if it does."

Jack's breath became rougher. It was complicated, the mind-meld, and it was easy enough to get distracted by the light. Her light. Her confidence, her talent, the life she has had... he'd met many people before, danced with numerous life forms, flirted with men and women, mind-melded with quite a few as a part of Time Agent missions... but he'd never seen such a wonderful mind. She was different. Talented. Motivated. Artistic. Beautiful...

"I saw a firebird, once," Jack blurted out, his eyes still shut tight. "A tiny little thing, even smaller than a hummingbird. Literally made of fire. It only lives for a minute; It blazes different colours and sings. It gets so bright, you have to close your eyes. And when you open them, it's gone. But the image stays behind your eyelids for longer than it was alive."

"That sounds beautiful," Reinette breathed, her eyes closed. Jack nodded, his heart twinging unnaturally.

_I was talking about you, too._

"You are in my memories. You walk among them."

"Yes. I think I can see what they've been looking for..." Jack paused, his eyebrows knitting together in concentration. "Reinette, I'm going to go deeper. If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I won't look. Or actually imagine a box, and stuff the memories into that. Ah, and... wait a bit."

He paused. And using all his concentration, he grabbed one of his memories and pulled it up. He could see the firebird's image clear in his head. It was beautiful, blazing with fire, lighting up the darkness within him. In reality it only lived for a minute. In his mind it could live as long as he wanted it to be.

Gently, he let the firebird go. He could hear Reinette inhale sharply. The firebird was flying around, singing a beautiful song and blazing in different colours. And Reinette could see it now. He smiled, and continued his search.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I know, it's been a long time. This chapter's by Jack and for Jack, and will have a huge canon divergence. I know some of you love this episode and some of you hate it, but I'd really appreciate it if you saw my episode apart from the original one. It's a totally different story. It's the story of Jack, and how he came to realize that love isn't just about dancing. And it will teach the Doctor a few things, too. I just hope it's not too OOC or cheesy...**

**Read and Review!**


	14. The Girl in the Fireplace: Part Two

_...Gently, he let the firebird go. He could hear Reinette inhale sharply. The firebird was flying around, singing a beautiful song and blazing in different colours. And Reinette could see it now. He smiled, and continued his search._

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Girl in the Fireplace: Part Two**

* * *

"You are in my memories. You walk among them," Reinette whispered. Her mind was connected to his, and she could see her own memories flitting past. Perhaps she should have felt uncomfortable about it- but she found it oddly comforting. She inhaled, not taking her mind-eyes off the imaginary firebird. Finally, she opened her mouth.

"To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?"

Jack laughed briefly and shrugged. "I don't get used to it. Believe me, I'm rubbish at this. And the Doctor wouldn't like me rummaging around in other's minds. It's rude. Oh, wait a sec. What age are you, Reinette?"

"Now _that's_ rude, Captain. So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising."

Despite herself, Reinette smiled as Jack burst out chuckling in amusement. And although he didn't notice it, his mental shields slipped altogether in his efforts to direct his attention back to his task. That was why she suddenly found herself in front of a door. A door seperating her memories from his...

"No, not my question, theirs. You're twenty three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough," Jack finally spoke up. Then he carefully stepped deeper into her memories, chasing after the clues. He stuttered out an apology as he rushed down the mental path. "Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."

Reinette didn't reply. As if she was spellbound, she reached out and touched the door. Her fingers brushed against the door's surface. Then, carefully, tentatively, she pushed the door open. Her mind-eyes widened as she stepped into his mind. The stars and the darkness, the impossible memories of a life among galaxies... she gasped softly as memories swirled around her like a shimmering fog.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She murmured softly. "Oh, such a terrible childhood. Full of fear, and brought to an end by guilt and shame."

"Reinette?" Jack faltered. Reinette opened her eyes, her eyes full of sympathy and compassion.

"Oh, Jack. About your brother... I'm so sorry. That guilt, so much guilt for a little boy... how can you bear it? The memories, burdening yourself after all this time."

"How did you know?" Jack's eyes snapped open, and his hands fell to his side. "How did you? And... how do you know my name? I never told you! It's impossible!"

Reinette sighed softly. Her shining eyes bore into his, and Jack felt as if she was looking into the depths of his very soul. "A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction. Oh, Jack. My poor Captain-"

She paused. The end of her fingertips gently traced his frozen jawline. "...Dance with me?"

"I can't," Jack blurted out. "The Doctor would kill me. I can't change history. He told me that this is the night you dance with the King. This is the day you become his mistress."

"Then first, I shall make him jealous," she murmured with a sigh. Her gaze lingered on his face, but he quickly averted his eyes as emotions threatened to overtake him. But he found himself automatically looking back at her as she took his hand in hers. After a moment, she took it to her face and made him cup her face with his hand. She closed her eyes and murmured.

"You have another name, but you chose this name in a promise. Promise made for those who you couldn't protect. But you always protected me and watched over me, my angel. I'm scared, my Captain."

Tear glistened in her eyes when she opened them again. "Make a promise that you'll come back. That you will continue to watch over me, to protect me. That you will remember me and care for me."

"Of course I will care for you. I will always care for you. I made that promise a long time ago," Jack said. Their eyes met. And then, the world faded around them. Time and space was all but lost. In that very second, they understood each other.

"Dance with me?" Jack whispered, holding out his hand. Reinette clasped his hand with hers and smiled sadly. Then they stepped out towards the ball room and slowly, very slowly, started to dance.

* * *

"What are you doing? And what's Mr. Cheesecake up to?"

Mickey demanded as he followed the Doctor and Rose. Rose and Mickey each had a fire extinguisher at hand, and the Doctor was in lead. He didn't reply- he simply kept scanning the corridors with his sonic screwdriver, his brows furrowed in concentration. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"Jack is scanning Madame de Pompadour's mind to find out what the droids have been looking for. And I am keeping you safe while trying to figure out which way the droid went. Ah, this screwdriver is useless. There are too many droids in this spaceship and that makes tracking the signal difficult," he complained in a whiny voice. Rose blinked.

"Wait. Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"If they are a lot of droids wandering around in this spaceship, aren't we in danger? After all, they used the crew for parts, and-" she paused. "No one told them we are off the menu, either."

A pause. The Doctor blinked. "...You're right. Why didn't I think of that earlier? Oh, _Rassilion."_

He quickly put his finger in his mouth and took it back out, lightly brushing the air with his fingertips. Mickey frowned in confusion. Rose, on the other hand, knew that the Doctor was tasting the air for something and watched him intently. The Doctor's eyes widened. The taste of metal, getting stronger and stronger... which meant...

"They're coming for us," he muttered loudly and snatched Rose's hand. "Run! Mickey, you too. That way!"

They immediately broke into a run, their feet clashing against the metallic floor of the spaceship. The moment they started sprinting away, two clockwork droids appeared from behind with a creaking sound. Mickey yelped and wildly sprayed at them with the ice gun. One of them froze and shut down momentarily; the other creaked and slowed down, but continued to walk after them. The Doctor cheered.

"Nice job, Rickey. Now come on!"

The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey quickly outran the droids and barged into the control room. Rose's eyes widened as her steps faltered and froze. Mickey uttered a curse word. The control room was_ full_ of clockwork droids, and there were three tables in the center- presumably prepared for them. It was a bone-chilling sight. They turned around to face the three of them and started to advance, their blade outstretched.

_We're hopelessly outnumbered_, Rose thought. The Doctor caught his breath and looked around, his brown eyes fiercly searching for something- and then blinked. A tiny grin stole across his lips. He whipped around to face the droids, holding his hands up in the air.

"Okay, okay, we surrender, gentlemen. We're outnumbered, we won't run, ooh, and we're offering a full donation of our parts. This ship's beautiful, and of course we'll gladly make a donation if that means the ship will get fixed! So! No need to hurry, no need to be impatient. Okay, smile, smile. Oh well, you're already smiling."

"What's he doing?" Mickey whispered furiously. Rose shrugged and whispered back.

"Just shut up and watch what he does."

Mickey obeyed. The droids stopped, looking at the Doctor curiously. The Time Lord took a sweeping look around as he babbled on fluently.

"Ah, well, I knew you'd be sensible enough. We don't have do put up an unnecessary fight, do we? Oh, are you nervous? Come on. We don't have any weapons. Go on, Mickey, Rose, drop the fire extinguisher. Let's show these gentlemen that we mean no harm."

Of course Mickey didn't take it well. He was about to shoot a furious retort at the Doctor, but Rose dropped her fire extinguisher and gave him a pointy glance. Groaning, Mickey unwillingly let go of his weapon. The Doctor beamed and slowly lowered his hands. Then he quickly spoke up. "Well, that went nicely. So, before we make donation of our parts, I have a question. What is the part that you need most right now?"

_"We need a command circuit for the ship's computer. But your brains aren't compatible,"_ the droid replied in a mechanical voice. The Doctor shrugged.

"Okay, now I see. You're planning to take the brain of Madame de Pompadour. Thanks for telling me. Okay, then. What was I going to say?" he knitted his eyebrows together, then grinned brightly. "Oh, yes. _Bye bye!"_

He reached out and slammed his hand on a switch on the console. All the androids seized up and deactivated immediately. He let out a loud sigh in relief and winked at Rose and Mickey. "That was close, don't you think?"

"Are those things safe?" Mickey blurted out, glancing at the droids nervously. The Doctor laughed.

"Of course. It's safe and thick, the way I like them."

Then they heard the sound of running footsteps and turned around. After a moment, Jack stormed into the console room, gasping.

"I got it. I know what they've been looking for."

"What is it?" the Doctor asked urgently. "I know that they're planning to take her brain and use it as a command circuit for the ship's computer. They think it's 'compatible'. Why?"

"I don't know why, but they've been scanning her brain for her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Because this ship is thirty seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty seven, when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible."

"Okay. Nice job. So let's see, we need to stop clockwork droids from taking a French womans brain. Fantastic! First, let's get the rest of the ship turned off," he declared, striding over to the console. He peered over the panel. "All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down. Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago-"

Rose spoke up curiously. "Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty seven?"

"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century. Trial and error after that," he grunted as he pulled at the messy wires. He tussled his hair. "The windows aren't closing. Why won't they _close?"_

Suddenly, a bell tolled. The Doctor looked up in surprise.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Incoming message?"

"From who?" Jack said in a hurry. The Doctor stared at the screen.

"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override!"

The off switch automatically moved to 'on', and all the droids snapped back into life. They raised their heads. Jack whistled.

"Right. Many things about this are not good."

"I definitely agree, Captain," the Doctor muttered. Then the bell tolled several times more, and he casually directed his glance at the droids. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"

"She is complete. It begins," the droid said. Then every one of them shimmered and disappeared from sight. _Teleport!_ Jack bit his lips.

"What's happening?" Rose rushed out. The Doctor's eyes hardened as he looked back at her.

"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops," he ground out in a voice that made a chill run down Jack's spine. "And this time they're bringing back _her head."_

* * *

Reinette was gazing out at the stars, deep in her thought, when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw a blonde girl walking into the room tentatively. She instantly recognized her- after all, she had once barged into her room with the Fireplace Man.

"Madame de Pompadour. Please, don't scream or anything. We haven't got a lot of time. I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years," Rose said, carefully approaching her. Reinette felt fear clench her throat.

"Five years?"

Rose nodded. "Some time after your thirty seventh birthday. I er, I can't give you an exact date. It's a bit random. But they're coming. It's going to happen. In a way, for us, it's already happening. I'm sorry, it's hard to explain. Er, there's- say, a vessel, a ship, a sort of sky ship, and it's full of, well, you. Different bits of your life in different rooms, all jumbled up. I told you it was complicated. Sorry."

To Rose's surprise, the French woman simply nodded in understanding. "There is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book, so that he may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveller, must always take the slower path."

Rose marveled at her. She gave her a sincere nod of appreciation. "He was right about you. You sure are bright."

Reinette smiled tightly. "So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?"

"The Doctor says keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit. And then we'll get there."

"Jack has promised," Reinette murmured, and Rose looked up at her, startled. "Captain Jack... he promised me that he'll protect me, that he'll come back to me. That he'll be there when I need me. The way it's always been. The monsters and the Captain. You cannot have one without the other."

"That's the way it's got to be," Rose declared. Then she frowned. "I'm sorry, I know it's rude of me to ask... but... are you and Jack close? Like, romantically close? Cause I thought Jack doesn't do things that way."

"We understand each other, and care for each other. We make promises that we'll come back to each other. That is our way of life," Reinette replied. "Do you care for him, child?"

Rose blinked. "Of course I do- but not that way. He's my best friend, and he's like a brother to me. But I have... I have someone else in mind."

"The Doctor?" Reinette smiled. "Oh, don't be surprised. I could see it in your eyes."

Rose blushed. "It's not like that-"

"No, it is. But then you would understand me. A flimsy word like 'love' cannot define our relationship, and I would not have it any other way. I can tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel. Like you do all the time."

"Tell me about it," Rose muttered, and then smiled up at the French woman. "Okay. So-"

All of a sudden, they heard Mickey shout from the corridors.

"Rose? Rose? We found it. The time window where she's thirty seven. Right under our noses."

Rose sucked in a sharp breath and hurried out the room. Reinette's eyes widened slightly. She hesitated for a moment, but determinedly followed Rose into the corridors- and into the spaceship.

* * *

After persuading Reinette- who had boarded the spaceship and to take the slow path, to go back to her life and wait for the Doctor, Rose headed towards the time window that Jack and the Doctor was working on. They were arguing furiously over something, and Jack's face was dark. Rose tentatively stepped forward and spoke up.

"You found it, then? What's wrong?"

"They knew we were coming. They blocked it off."

Rose glanced up at the large screen. She could see the ballroom in chaos, with clockwork droids dragging Madame de Pompadour in. She shook her head.

"I... I don't get it. How come they got in there?"

"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick," Jack replied automatically, his hardened eyes trained on the Doctor. "And we can't use the Tardis, because we're part of the events now- at least, that's what the Doctor's telling me."

"Because that's the truth! We can't do anything!"

"So you'll stand back and let her die? She's not a fixed point in time, the history around her can change, and she _will_ die if we don't go and rescue her!" Jack shouted. Mickey cleared his throat, clearly feeling uncomfortable amidst this kind of tension.

"Well, can't we just smash through?"

"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck," the Doctor replied in a deject tone. "And we don't have a truck, I know."

"We've got to try something. Even if we have to blast through the mirror," Jack declared. The Doctor shook his head.

"No. Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way back. We'd be lost in time. We'll have to live out our lives in 18th century France."

"Well," Jack said, a sad smile on his lips. "I've got a very long life."

Then he turned round and sprinted away. No, they didn't have a truck. But they did have a horse. Ignoring the Doctor's horrified shouts, Jack mounted Arthur and gripped the rein tight. He had already made up his mind- he had promised, and he intended to keep it. He winked at his three friends.

"See you later, team. And anyway- if my Vortex Manipulator works properly, you guys will be able to see me soon enough."

Then he turned back towards the mirror, a hardened look of determination blazing in his eyes. The horse neighed and galloped forward. Then it jumped, smashed through the mirror, and disappeared. Only a brick wall was left in he mirror's place. The Doctor sighed and dropped his gaze.

"What happened? Where did the time window go? How's he going to get back?" Mickey asked, bewildered.

"He has a Vortex Manipulator. That allows him to travel through time and space without the TARDIS," the Doctor replied. He turned and headed towards the TARDIS. "But since it is highly inaccurate, I doubt that it will be able to lock onto this ship accurately. Come on. We can track the Vortex Manipulator with the TARDIS. Let's go get our headstrong Captain."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Versailles-_

"You think I fear you, but I do not fear you even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured, so will yours. A clockwork _thing_ cannot gain victory over an immortal hero," Reinette declared proudly, her confidence not lost even in this dire situation. And her unwavering belief in her guardian angel was rewarded soon enough.

The neighing of a horse, the sound of galloping hooves. The sound of someone approaching got louder and louder, and the human beings in the ballroom looked around in chaos and fear. Then the mirror over the mantlepiece _smashed_ and a man on a white horse _flew_ into the ballroom, causing everyone to scream and scatter.

Reinette smiled in relief as Captain Jack Harkness gave her a charming smile and his characteristic wink. He pulled the horse's rein, making it slow down and stop, and dismounted the horse in a fancy fashion. He grinned and gave her a graceful bow.

"Madame de Pompadour. You look younger every day. Captain Jack Harkness is at your service."

"What the hell is going on?" King Louis inadvertently blurted out, glancing between Jack and Reinette in bewilderment. Jack grinned at him before Reinette had a chance to reply.

"Oh, Reinette didn't tell you? I'm the Captain, and I'm here to fix the clock."

Then he reached out and stripped the mask off the main android. People gasped when they saw a clockwork machine instead of a human face. The droid pointed its blade at his throat, but Jack only laughed out loud, without any mirth at all.

"Forget it. It's over for you. I'm an immortal- you can't kill me- but that's not the problem. Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand! The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh? A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up."

The droids stood absolutely still for a moment. Jack waited expectantly, with his chin raised high. Then the clockwork monsters drooped its head and stopped working. One fell back and broke apart into pieces. Jack exhaled loudly and looked back at Reinette.

"You all right? That was close."

"What happened to them?" Reinette asked. Jack shrugged.

"Well... that's the thing with machines. They lose their purpose and they are as good as nothing. They won't harm someone anymore. Not ever," he said, smiling. "You are safe now, Reinette."

She smiled tearfully at this. It was one of the brightest things he had ever seen.

Later that day- he found himself next to the window, looking up at the night sky. Reinette slowly walked towards him.

"Do you know their names? The stars?" Reinette asked. Jack shrugged, and shook his head in a rueful gesture.

"No, I'm not an expert on their names. The Doctor is. I wish I was, though. Then I'll be able to tell you."

"You don't have to. A name doesn't hold a lot of meaning," Reinette said.

"Oh, like Madame de Pompadour? But 'Reinette' holds a lot of meaning to me. Won't have it any other way," Jack grinned. His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Anyway. What do you think when you look at the stars?"

"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, I think..." Reinette paused. She gazed at Jack with an unreadable look in her eyes. "Are you trapped here?"

"Not technically," Jack muttered. He held up his wrist. "See this? This is a Vortex Manipulator. This allows me to travel through time and space. But getting back on the spaceship? I don't think that will be easy. The vessel is a few millenias away, and in deep space. _And_ it's moving. That makes it quite a difficult task, and, well... I have no desire to end up in vacuum. I'll have to be careful, and that will take some time."

"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?" Reinette asked. He shrugged.

"When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with the ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here. Useless for me."

"So, here you are, stuck on the slow path for me."

"Yeah, the slow path! It's fine, I've got a very long life. Here, let's have a toast," Jack grinned cheerfully. He held up his wineglass and drank a toast with Reinette. There was a moment of silence. She looked down at the floor thoughtfully before raising her head.

"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, aren't you?" Reinette giggled. "Come on, I have something to show you."

Reinette held Jack's hand and gently led him into her bedchamber. When he stepped into the room, his eyes widened, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

"What-?"

"It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail," Reinette said with a sad smile. Jack gaped. The fireplace from Reinette's bedroom, from so many years ago, was right _there,_ waiting for him. Reinette continued.

"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened may someday open again, I ordered it to be moved here. One never quite knows when one needs one's Captain. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?"

"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it. But the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean that it will work. I can..." Jack paused. "I can leave."

Reinette waited while Jack traced the edge of the fireplace with the end of his fingertips. He seemed to be deep in thought. And then, Jack closed his eyes with a resigned sigh. He turned around to face her with a smile.

"But I won't."

"What?" Reinette asked back, surprised. "You won't... leave me?"

"I promised that I would come back and save you. I kept that promise. Now I intend to stay. Of course, only if you want me to."

"_Of course_ I want you to. I just... I never thought..."

"I never expected myself to do so. I'm not the settling type, you see," Jack said with a smile. He took her hand in his, and then paused hesitantly. He looked into her eyes.

"I can take you traveling through the stars, and you can spend your life with me. But you'll have to leave behind your life as the King's mistress- since the King would obviously dislike the prospect of having me around in Versailles. You'll have to leave behind your life as Madame de Pompadour."

"That name doesn't hold any meaning for me anymore," Reinette smiled. "I'd gladly do so. I loved the King, yes, but I would never have done so if he wasn't the King. Being the King's mistress is a lonely and difficult task, and I would have no hesitance whatsoever in abanI doning that post for your sake."

"I'm also immortal, and I don't age. I can't spend the rest of my life with you. You'll age on and fade away, but I'll stay like this forever. Is that also okay?"

"You are my Captain and my angel, and you are no standard human being. I've always loved you despite your lack of aging. I wouldn't expect any less from you. If you're okay, I'm fine."

"I..." Jack smiled faintly. "I might also flirt with others. It's in my genes."

Reinette held her chin up high in the air and smile arrogantly. "Then I can flirt with other men, too. Remember that I was the _King's_ mistress."

"Then it's perfect," Jack murmured. His eyes shone brilliantly. "Reinette Poisson. My Girl in the Fireplace. Come on, let's have our dance among the stars."

He held Reinette's hand and planted a kiss on her fingers. Then he pressed the button on his Vortex Manipulator, and the two of them disappeared into thin air, leaving only a wisp of shimmering fog behind.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, Mickey boarded the TARDIS. The Doctor danced around the console, drumming the coordinates in and pushing a button here and a switch there. His brows were knitted in intense concentration.

"We're tracking Jack's Vortex Manipulator!" he cried. He proceeded to dematerialize the TARDIS. And then, abruptly, he froze. He simply stood there, staring off into the distance. Rose blinked, feeling worry creep upon her. Was something wrong? She ventured forth and tentatively placed a hand on the Time Lord's shoulder.

"Doctor? Doctor, snap out of it. What is it?"

"He changed history," the Doctor whispered. It was not out of horror or fury, but more out of astonishment. "He stayed with her."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" Mickey asked, bewildered. The Doctor spun to face him, his eyes glazed with sheer shock.

"Jack. Jack didn't just save Reinette. The history's changing, I can feel it. Reinette gave up being the King's mistress and disappeared from history. She should have died at 43, but she didn't... instead, she traveled the stars with Jack."

"Doesn't that cause a problem?" Rose asked, concerned. The Doctor shook his head, still looking quite dazed.

"No, not really. She's not a fixed point, and her achievements and history-changing decisions were mostly made before she reached thirty-seven. Jack knew this. The history wasn't damaged too much- he only changed her personal history. He really did it." _He really loved her._

_Jack loved her enough to stay with her despite knowing that she would fade away and he won't_. The Doctor felt a pang of guilt and envy. He marveled at the audacity of that man. In a sense, Jack was braver than he was. He glanced back at Rose, who looked puzzled. That was something he could never do.

But he couldn't let Rose know his thoughts. He drew in a shuddering breath and steered himself to calm down. He forced a smile onto his lips.

"Ah, no need to worry. We can still track his Vortex Manipulator, find out where he went. We can pick him up at the right time-"

_BANG!_

All of a sudden, the Time Rotor blew up. The Doctor cried out in surprise and caught Rose as she stumbled and fell. The TARDIS tossed them around roughly with a loud screeching noise. Rose clutched him and looked up desperately.

"What's going on?!"

"The Time Vortex is gone. That's impossible. It's just gone. Brace yourself! _We're going to crash!"_

And the TARDIS crashed through the universes, hurtling through the void and into another dimension. A dimension where Pete was alive and zeppelins decorated the sky of London...

* * *

**A/N: And so Jack stays with Reinette, misses the Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel episode. Next chapter will start right away with 'The Idiot's Lantern'. Read and Review!**

**P.S. Anna! I'm so glad you're back. You were never a bad beta reader, cheer up. You drastically improved my grammars :) Don't feel burdened if you are too busy to beta this!**


	15. Interlude: Fallouts

**Chapter 15**

**Interlude: The Fallouts**

* * *

The TARDIS materialized in the living room just as Jackie was filling the kettle with water. She heard the familiar _whooshing_ sound and hurriedly put it down. Smiling in amazement, she hurried over to the living room- but her smile faded away when Rose opened the TARDIS door with a haunted look on her face.

"You're alive," Rose whispered. Jackie froze and blinked in surprise. Rose exhaled loudly and rushed over to her, giving her a tight embrace. She kept whispering over and over. "Oh mum... you're alive!"

Jackie gingerly patted her daughter on the back. "Well, I was, the last time I looked. What is it? What's happened, sweetheart? What's wrong? Where did you go?"

"Far away. Very far away," the Doctor murmured as he stepped out of the TARDIS. He wanted to just stay in the TARDIS- or stand back, his arms crossed- but if there was one thing he had learned from Jack and Reinette, it was that there were times he should not run away. He took another hesitant step forward. Jackie finally noticed what was wrong and stared at him.

"Where is that Captain Jack? And where is Mickey?" she inquired. The Doctor sighed.

"Jack is... is traveling through time and space with a French woman. We'll pick him up in due time. And Mickey- well, he's gone home."

He glanced at Rose. She was quietly sobbing now, and his heart broke just a little. He was still tempted to run away... to just _pretend_ that nothing went wrong, that everything was okay... but he couldn't. Not now. Not today. He looked back up with a tired sigh.

"I think it would be better if we talk about this over a cup of tea."

Silence. Jackie stared at him incredulously.

"What's wrong with you two today? Did I just hear you suggest that we have tea and actually, properly _talk_, or am I just going bonkers?"

"Both, I guess. And I'm definitely insane to say that. You humans have been rubbing off me too much," the Doctor muttered, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. He snapped out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the kettle. The water inside started to boil immediately. He pushed the sonic screwdriver back into his pocket and groaned. "Are we going to have tea, or not?"

"Oh, all right, all right."

Jackie rolled her eyes before rushing to the kettle. Rose slowly lowered her arms and brought a hand up to wipe the corners of her eyes. Then she looked up towards the Doctor. She smiled tearfully.

"Thank you," she whispered. The Doctor gulped, feeling his heart tighten momentarily.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"It isn't nothing for me," Rose murmured, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against the Doctor's chest. The Doctor hesitantly placed his hands on Rose's back. His double heartbeats quickened quite a bit, but if Rose noticed it, then she didn't say anything. And the Time Lord felt thankful for that.

* * *

"So what happened with Mickey?" Jackie asked, glancing between Rose and the Doctor.

The three of them were seated around Jackie Tyler's table, each holding a teacup. This was far too domestic for the Doctor's taste, but... well, better get it over with. The Doctor glanced at Rose; she was staring dazedly into her cup, and it seemed that she wasn't in a mood to talk. He sighed inwardly and turned his head to Jackie.

"We accidentally crashed into a parallel world," he started, and hesitated._ Better not talk about Pete. Or the parallel-Jackie._ He shook his head a little and continued.

"And then the Cybermen- robots with human brains in them, I mean, they are a_ lot_ worse than you could imagine, by the way- anyway! They tried to take over that world. We stopped them, of course. But many people died. And brave ol' Mickey stayed behind to take care of his parallel-grandmother and save the rest of the world."

"So Mickey is in a parallel universe? Can't Rose visit him, then?" Jackie asked. The Doctor shook his head ruefully.

"No. Not anymore. We can't punch a hole in the wall of the universe."

"Oh," Jackie murmured. She didn't know about dimensions and universes, but she did know that Mickey was Rose's best friend. And not being able to meet him ever again- that would hurt. She wrapped her arms around Rose.

"Sweetheart, it was Mickey's choice. He would live a good life. You know that," she said, patting her daughter's back. Rose blinked rapidly before leaning into her mother's embrace. Her eyes fluttered shut. She sighed, relaxing a bit.

"I know. But I- but I- I'm going to miss him, that's all," she admitted.

And for the thousandth time, the Doctor wondered if he had messed everything up by coming into her life.

* * *

Jack and Reinette danced across the stars.

As a start, Jack Harkness took her hand and took her to a 21st-century (well, probably, if his Vortex Manipulator was accurate) bookstore. There, he showed her the museums, the bookstores. They laughed together as they read the history book about Madame de Pompadour.

"_'After the appearance of the mysterious Captain, she disappeared without a trace and never came back. It is rumoured that the King disposed of her and created this story to avoid the blame.'_ How amusing," she giggled, picking up a chip. She peered at it curiously. "What is this?"

"Chips. Try them, it's okay," Jack shrugged, grinning like a madman. He wondered if the Doctor always felt this way- the sheer delight of showing people the things they have never seen. "Oh, Reinette, you'll be surprised at people's ability to warp the truth to satisfy themselves."

"Indeed!" Reinette nodded, popping a chip into her mouth. She looked up at him eagerly, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "I don't know what kind of life I would have lived without you."

"Oh, yes. Well, you still live a fantastic life," Jack replied, carefully leaving out the fact that she died at the age of forty-three due to pneumonia. But she didn't need to know that, did she? That was never going to happen now. Oh, _how_ he was glad that he came back for her. He smirked and jumped to his feet.

"Where do you want to go now? The past, or the future?" he asked. "By the way, the Vortex Manipulator can act as a temporary translator, but it can't translate the languages of some aliens out there."

"Hmm," Reinette mused. "It seems that you are the one with more abundant knowledge here. _You_ decide our destination, Captain."

"Oh, all right. Hmm, then..." he pondered. Then grinned. "Oh, I know! Starship UK!"

He held his hand out for her. She took it, a smile on her lips. And with a _flash _of light, they were gone.

* * *

Captain Jack Harkness and Reinette Poisson ran and ran. They laughed, they saved people, and they walked numerous galaxies. She got accustomed to the concept of time-traveling marvelously well, and even donned herself with a more modern outfit, such as a T-shirt and jeans.

"These so-called 'modern' clothings are highly convenient," she murmured, twirling around in front of a mirror. "But a little less graceful."

"We can't travel through time and space wearing a French dress," Jack reminded her. She shrugged and grinned flirtatiously.

"I've noticed that. It's a small price to pay. Anyway, where will we_ sleep_ tonight?"

"Oh, that."

During the nights they spent together, snuggled against each other, Jack would fondly rub his hand on her back and murmur that Reinette was a woman out of her times. She was always meant to be more than just a French mistress, he thought. And he felt thankful that he was given this opportunity.

And then time passed. Like grains of sand slipping through one's fingers, they passed slowly, but incessantly.

Jack never aged. Reinette did.

Their time was running out, as they had anticipated. They had known it would happen someday when they started running hand-in-hand. Yet, it didn't mean that Jack liked it. It wasn't that she was growing old; his love for her wasn't just because of her striking beauty and youth. No, it was much deeper than that. And definitely worse.

Rather, it was the sinking feeling that she was going to die someday, and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

When her aged feet stumbled during their run, Jack was there to gently catch her and lead her forth. Nothing changed between the two of them. But Jack himself was changing, bit by bit. He now understood- if only a little- what the Doctor had meant.

_"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay; you wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone that you..."_

Someone that you love. Someone that you cannot bear to lose.

_"...You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse."_

Yes, it was a curse, Jack thought, watching Reinette sleep. He reached out and gingerly traced the lines of her wrinkles with his fingertips. He wept into his pillow that night.

* * *

Decades passed.

Reinette Poisson, formerly known as Madame de Pompadour, had passed away in her sleep. She was eighty-five. The death was a peaceful process, and Jack held her withered hand, watching as she exhaled her last breath. Born December twenty-ninth of the year 1721, she died in the year five billion, on New Earth.

Jack watched, his face devoid of any emotion, as her corpse was engulfed in fire. After the flames subsided, Jack received her cremated remains. He stared at the handful of white-gray ash on his palms. He stood, rigid, as the wind carried her ash away. And nothing remained in his grip. He was alone, now.

Somehow, it felt right.

He stood in the apple grass fields for three days straight, just stood and remembered their time together. After the emptiness came the gentle grief. And he found that he could smile, if a little. He looked down at his empty hands- which were still outstretched- and smiled.

Oh, how he wished that his hands were decorated with wrinkles, like her hands had been.

That's when he heard the familiar whooshing sound. It was literally a lifetime ago that he'd heard it... he looked up, blinking slowly. The blue police box was slowly materializing on the meadow. He stared blankly as the sound stopped and the TARDIS doors swung open.

Rose and the Doctor was standing at the doorway.

"Hello," he croaked, staring at his two friends. He smiled tightly.

"Jack!" Rose cried- sweet Rose, so nice and _caring- _and leapt forward. He felt himself being swept up into Rose's hug as she buried her face in his shoulder. He stood stiffly for a moment before raising his hands and wrapping her into an awkward embrace. The Doctor stayed behind and watched them wordlessly.

A threatening mixture of pressure and heat built up behind his eyes, but the tears didn't come. Instead, he exhaled heavily and looked up to face the Doctor.

"How did you find me?" Jack asked, his throat tight. The Time Lord shrugged.

"We tracked your Vortex Manipulator. Followed your jumps, and here we are," he replied. Then he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Is she... is she gone now?"

"Reinette died in her sleep, a few hours ago. It was peaceful," Jack muttered, dropping his gaze. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. A gentle breeze swept through their hair. Rose's hug tightened.

"Oh, Jack. You okay?" she whispered. He briefly considered lying, like the Doctor always did, but realized that he couldn't bring himself to.

"No," he said truthfully. "But I'm glad you came."

A few seconds lapsed in somber silence. Then Rose loosened her hug and tugged at his hand. Her big hazel eyes gazed into his pleadingly.

"You'll travel with us, right? Back onto the TARDIS. The three of us."

Jack hesitated. Then he inhaled deeply and nodded. "It would be my pleasure, Rose."

"Thank you," Rose whispered in a sincere voice. She held his hand a little bit tighter and smiled sadly. "Come on, Captain. Let's have some tea in the TARDIS."

Jack flinched at her casual use of the word 'Captain'. Reinette would often call him so out of affection or playfulness. The memory was so fresh that it _hurt_. Rose glanced at him, noticing that Jack had suddenly stiffened up. Jack immediatley realized that he was making her worry and smiled a little to reassure her.

"I..." he faltered, the words_ 'I'm okay'_ dying away at the tip of his tongue, because he was not okay, not with Reinette gone. Instead, he dragged up his old cheerful self with considerable difficulty and winked.

"I'd love that, Rose Tyler. By the way, where is Mickey the Idiot?"

* * *

A few hours later, the TARDIS was back in the Time Vortex, drifting in peace. A few empty teacups and mugs half-filled with hot chocolate was scattered on the kitchen table. Rose was asleep. The Doctor was fiddling with the coordinates when Jack came stumbling into the console room, a scotch bottle in his hand.

"Hey, Doc," he slurred out, slumping onto the console. The Doctor stared at him.

"You're drunk," he stated the obvious. Then he frowned. "How old are you?"

Jack barked out a laughter. "So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising."

_"Jack-"_

"All right, all right. I stopped counting."

"Already?"

"It hurt to see Reinette fade away. Plus, I don't age anyway."

The unsaid words- _I wish I did_\- hung heavily in the air. Jack was silent for a minute or so. The Doctor turned his attention back to the console and started tinkering. His face was emotionless, but his eyes were full of grief and sympathy. He understood how Jack felt- almost too much.

"People like us, we go on too long," the Doctor blurted out. Jack turned to stare at him. The Doctor kept his eyes downcast as he continued. "We forget what matters. And that's why we need the mayflies. You see the mayflies, they know more than we do. They know how beautiful and precious life is because it's fleeting."

"So that's who Reinette was. My first mayfly... how poetic," Jack muttered. Then his head drooped. He moaned, clutching his chest. "It hurts. _How_ can you stand it, Doctor? How?"

"I run away," the Doctor replied with a shrug. "I never stay long, because I can't bear to see my friends wither away. That's why they call me 'the man who comes for the battle, and runs away from the fallout'."

"And that's why you try to distance yourself from Rose," Jack said, realization dawning on him. "Because falling in love with a mayfly... it kills you from the inside."

The Doctor sighed, but didn't reply. After a few moments of silence, Jack took another huge swig from his bottle and jumped to his feet.

"But you're wrong," he declared in a loud voice. The Doctor's gaze snapped up sharply.

"What do you mean?"

Jack's eyes were burning with fierce determination as he slammed his hand down on the console.

"Because I stayed Reinette, she lived about forty years more than she did in the original timeline. She saw the stars, and she was happy. I made her life better, and before she died, she said that she was content. She thanked me. What we do, Doctor, makes them better. And we have no right to be selfish and run away when we know that."

"But you said it yourself- it kills you from the inside!" the Doctor pleaded desperately. "How can running away from _that_ be considered 'selfish'?"

"A few years with Reinette was worth dying a thousand times for me," Jack said quietly, clenching his fist. "I don't regret the choice I've made that day. I don't regret a _single moment_ spent with her."

Then he turned and stormed out of the console room. Stunned, the Doctor stared at his back until it disappeared from his sight. Then he lowered his head very slowly and chuckled.

"You're far braver than me, Jack," he muttered, sadness welling up in his hearts. "That makes the difference."

* * *

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Doctor Who, Family, Romance