A/N: What if the Tenth Doctor's song ended in a different way after the events on Mars? The universe locks up the last Time Lord in the Pandorica, and he ends up being imprisoned for two thousand years. When Torchwood finds him again, he's a different man; scared, shy, timid, traumatized, and impossibly confused. Will the Doctor's friends be able to restore him back to himself? Enjoy! :)

#1

Mars. That's where everything started.

He'd pushed himself too far—trying to change a fixed event, even attempting to get the Laws of Time into his own hands. He failed, but this didn't go unnoticed. All across time and space, some recognized the signs that the Doctor was turning into a Time Lord Victorious, threatening the Time itself. And they were frightened.

Thus came the day when the Judoons, the Shadow Proclamation, the Silurians, the Cybermen, the Sontarans all came together to form an Alliance against him.

A prison was prepared; a perfect holding cell for a dangerous creature. It was shaped like a box, and was called 'Pandorica'. Together they lured, trapped, and imprisoned the Doctor. His eyes were wide with terror, and he kept struggling and shouting as he was dragged over and locked into place.

"No, please! You can't do this! You don't have to, I'm sorry, you know I'd never, I—"

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but we can't take risks with you," the Architect of the Shadow Proclamation replied in a curt voice. She turned away and ordered in a loud voice. "Close the Pandorica."

"NO! No, no, no, no, no…" the Doctor's voice died out as the Pandorica closed, leaving him alone in that utter, terrible darkness. Despair rose in his heart. He knew that the prison cell would keep him alive for all eternity to come. And worse, there was no one to rescue him; not anymore.

Crying out softly, he struggled against the restraints in vain. Then he slumped back onto his chair, feeling his heart sink.

All my fault, a voice whispered in his head. Perhaps he deserved it.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake the thoughts away. He coughed slightly, trying to figure out a way to get out. Then back to the TARDIS, and… damn! He cursed silently as he realized that the sonic screwdriver won't work from the inside of the Pandorica. Well, whatever. He can't reach it anyway. He sighed.

Weeks, months, years, centuries passes by. Soon, time loses its meaning, and his sanity starts to bleed out. Memories blurs together. Sometimes he dreams— dreams of Jack, Rose, Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, and Donna. Sometimes, he sees Adric die all over again. Sometimes, he is an old man, traveling with his granddaughter. Sometimes he's alone. And that's when it gets from bad to worst.

He's still haunted by the beats of four, and he can clearly see Adelaide Brooke staring at him with accusing eyes. And he'd wake up gasping, a sob caught in his throat. With all the previous anger and confidence gone, all he's left with is guilt and regret.

His limbs are numb. He forgets what light is like.

He can't remember his name. He's got so many, it's confusing.

He laughs.

So he sat there, in that lonely box under the relics of Stonehenge. He sat there till he forgot himself, forgot how to run, forgot the excitement and beauty of the universe. But he never forgot the faces of his friends, for they were the ones that kept him fighting— fighting on and on against all that darkness.

Until the day Pandorica opened.

"Jack," Gwen's voice called out impatiently. "Jack!"

"Huh?" Jack groggily asked back, rubbing his eyes. Then he adds in a voice a bit too bright. "What? Another alien invasion?"

Gwen rolled her eyes before sighing.

It had been only two weeks since the day Earth was stolen from its place by the Daleks— and it had left a lot of work to do for Torchwood. Those two weeks following the near-apocalypse was maddening. Busy. Well, both. No wonder Captain Jack was dozing off. Giving him a pat on his shoulder and a tired smile, Gwen said in a cheerful voice.

"No, not an invasion this time. But I bet this one's going to be a good one. Come on, take a look."

"Oh, really?"

Jack raised his eyebrows skeptically before skimming through the files. Then he abruptly started laughing out loud. "Pandorica? Are you sure? The legendary box containing the most dangerous, terrible, fearsome creature in the universe… was found under the Stonehenge? Oh, come on, Gwen."

"And we found the TARDIS right next to it," Gwen added promptly. Jack's jaw dropped open at this.

"… Oh. Well, that makes things different."

"See?" she smirked , crossing her arms. "Ianto's already out there. Are you coming or not?"

"Of course I'm coming!" Jack grabbed his gun, just in case, along with his sonic blaster. Grabbing his World War II greatcoat and putting it on, he bounded forth in excitement. He hadn't expected to see the Doctor so soon. And it wasn't even an apocalypse! He hummed happily as he got into the car with Gwen and started the engine.

The mystery of the Pandorica, plus a fun day of running with the Doctor. What could possibly go wrong?

"It's locked," Ianto said. Jack frowned in puzzlement as he traced the surface of the familiar blue police box with his fingers.

"No," he said. Circling the TARDIS, he repeated once more in disbelief. "No, it's not just 'locked'. It's locked, empty, Doctor-less, and dusty. That's bad. That's, that's— wrong. How can a TARDIS get dusty?"

"Perhaps he went somewhere," Gwen suggested, not knowing the Doctor as well as Jack. "I don't know, a relaxing trip on Earth…"

"The Doctor's never going on a 'relaxing trip', as far as I can see. Not without his TARDIS," Jack said stubbornly. Then he turned around and sighed, shrugging. "Well, I've got no idea. I guess we'd have to wait for him. Now, to business, folks."

He walked up to the Pandorica. Alien engravings stretched across the smooth surface, and an eerie, sad feeling echoed from within. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Jack stepped back. A telepathic creature, then, he concluded before bringing out his sonic blaster. A sad, telepathic, dangerous creature. Funny.

"Jack?" Gwen asked in an alarmed voice as he aimed his sonic blaster—the one the Doctor had called 'the Squareness Gun' at the box. He smirked at the thought. Ianto stepped forth.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to open this."

"What?" Gwen seemed alarmed at the idea and grabbed his arm. "Jack, I don't think that's a good idea. The stories said that there was a dangerous thing locked up in there. What if we let it loose?"

"What if we don't open this?" Jack asked back, not taking his eyes off the Pandorica, still holding the gun firmly in his hands. "Should we wait till it breaks out someday, when we are not looking? Gwen, I know you're scared, but I have a feeling that we've got to do this— have to do this. Now, better be quick. Get your guns ready."

"…Although I have a very strong feeling that this is a very stupid idea, Jack," Ianto sighed as he got out his gun and aimed it straight at the box. "I guess we don't have any choice."

Gwen hesitated before stepping back and hurriedly pulling out her own gun. Jack glanced back at them and grinned.

"Okay, here we go. Three, two, one."

He pushed the trigger, and a sonic wave erupted from the end of the blaster. The surfaced of the Pandorica glowed green and blue for a split moment as the sonic wave hit it. Ianto tensed visibly as a loud, banging noise echoed from within the box. And then the Pandorica opened. Jack backed away a few steps, lowering his gun, squinting to see through the brilliant white light.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

The sonic blaster fell onto the floor with a clattering noise, but he didn't make any move to retrieve it. Ianto's eyes widened, and Gwen's breath hitched as she recognized the man sitting in that box, the one that was supposed to be the most dangerous creature in the universe.

"Doctor?" Jack gasped, taking in the ruffled brown hair, the skinny body, the pinstriped suit, Converse trainers, and a long brown coat.

The man, still not freed from his restraints, slowly lifted his head at his name, and gazed back at the immortal Captain. He stared for a long time, and then a spark of recognition lit up in his old, brown eyes. A weak smile floated up to his lips.

"Ah, yes, I guess that was my name. Almost forgot," he said in a quiet, hoarse voice. "Thank you for that. Just one question: What's your name? I'm sure I know you, but you know, after a thousand years or so, things get a little blurry. Are you Pete? Adric? Ian Chesterton? Mickey? …No? Well, let's see. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Oh, I get it. Are you…." He leaned forward, grinning happily. "Captain Jack Harkness?"

Jack could only gape at the Time Lord.

A/N: Read and review! My other stories are on hiatus because I'm preparing for university, but I promise that I'll never, ever abandon them. I'll get back to them in a few months or so. Anyway, please tell me how you like this story :)