Disclaimer: I do not own Dr Who I am just borrowing the characters for a little while. I promise to return them when I'm finished.

Thanks as always to my lovely beta, dustyashes.

Chapter 6

Neither Rose or the Doctor noticed when the door opened. The quartet of former Companions froze in the doorway. Mickey and Jack looked at each other, both wearing mad grins.

"It's about time," Jack said in his normal boisterous voice.

The Doctor and Rose pulled away from each other in shock, both glaring at Jack, before noticing the other 3 people.

"Mickey!" Rose exclaimed. She threw her arms around her old friend and began crying again.

The Doctor and Aeryn stepped up to each other, both wore a soft smile.

"Hello my dearest Professor," the Doctor greeted.

"Dear Doctor," Aeryn said softly. "I think this is the happiest I have seen you since the academy. I am very happy to see you this way."

"And as long as Jack can keep you happy I'll not complain," the Doctor stated. Then he flung his arms open in a grand gesture.

With a soft giggle, Aeryn walked into the embrace and held onto him tightly. "This is a pleasant surprise. You're not normally so touchy feely."

"Are you complaining?" the Doctor questioned his oldest surviving friend.

"I did say it was a pleasant change," Aeryn replied. "Don't push your luck little boy."

"Yes ma'am ," he mock saluted her earning a giggle and a smacked arm.

Jack wrapped an arm around Martha and grinned, "Hello beautiful."

"Jack Harkness," Martha admonished him. "I'm a married woman."

"As if I need to be reminded," Jack scoffed. "I stood up at your wedding, you think Mickey would have more friends by now."

"So the two of you are married?" Rose asked.

"About 3 months now," Mickey answered softly.

"Let's get back to the TARDIS," Jack stated. He slowly opened the door a crack and peeked out. "It's clear. Let's get going."

"Right," the Doctor exclaimed smacking his hands together. "Have to get back before Ianto comes charging for us."

"You brought Ianto?" Jack laughed out.

"Who's Ianto?" Aeryn questioned. She stepped forward and looped an arm through Jack's.

"My tea boy," Jack said with a smirk.

"Yeah," Martha stated. "That's one way to put it."

"Ha ha," Jack gave a fake laugh.

Together as a group they began to cautiously sneak through the halls, trying to safely make it back to the TARDIS. The Doctor was in the lead, Rose was right behind him, holding his had. Following behind them were Mickey and Martha, hand in hand. At the back were Jack and Aeryn, her hand had gone from his arm and now their fingers were entwined. They had been traveling silently along the corridors, going slow to avoid detection.

Turning a last corner the Doctor let out a sigh of relief at seeing the TARDIS standing tall and proud. "Let's run," the Doctor stated. He tightened his grip on Rose's hand and the 6 of them took off. Just before they reached the TARDIS the Doctor snapped his fingers and the doors swung open. As soon as they entered the ship, the Doctor left them to get reacquainted. He immediately rushed to the console and took them into the vortex. Setting a course for Torchwood 3, he collapsed onto the jump-seat.

Jack was currently being held tightly by both Gwen and Ianto, he was softly stroking Gwen's large stomach with one hand and the other hand was buried in Ianto's hair. Rose smiled at him before sitting beside her Doctor on the seat. Without a second thought Rose joined their hands. After a minute she rested her head on his shoulder and he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"That is a sight years in the making," Jack stated. "But we all could see it coming."

The Doctor snorted in response, and wrapped his arms tighter around Rose. He looked up to see Aeryn standing by one of the coral structures. She was stroking the ship and murmuring softly to her. The Doctor smiled softly at Rose before standing and walking over to Aeryn. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

"Are you all right?" the Doctor softly questioned her.

"Yes dear Doctor," Aeryn responded with a smile. "I don't know how long I was there for, feels like months but I doubt it."

"Aeryn," the Doctor stated. He put both of his hands on her shoulders. "Do you know where you were?"

"No," Aeryn answered, shaking her head as she spoke.

"Oh Aeryn," he wrapped his arms around her. "You were on Afex IX."

"What!" both Aeryn and Jack shouted in unison.

"Afex IX?" Aeryn repeated. Her grip on the Doctor's shirt tightened. Her eyes had widened to a ridiculous state. "Doctor," her breath caught in her throat. "They did something to me, before I met Jack."

"C'mon," the Doctor said. His face very serious as he linked their hands and led her to the medical lab. But before he could help her onto the table, Jack gently pushed him aside and wrapped his hands around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her nose and lifted her up onto the table. Jack moved around to her side and held onto her hand.

"What do you need to do ?" Aeryn questioned.

"Just a simple scan," the Doctor replied. He began pressing buttons on a large machine that quickly covered her in a pale green light. The light varied in intensity for a few minutes before turning off. "There we go, all done." He walked over to a monitor and put on his glasses.

"What's the prognosis doc?" Jack asked the Timelord.

"Her internal systems have been completely modified since the last scan I have on record," the Doctor responded.

"Why?" Jack asked.

Aeryn turned to face him, "Do you know what they do in the labs of Afex?"

"Yeah," Jack answered. "They are trying to create a race of perfect beings. Strong, beautiful and hard to kill."

"They breed for power," the Doctor explained. "The labs are so they can force alien races together, create powerful children then take the children for their own purposes. Most of those in the labs are forced against their wills. Drugged and forced to carry on the Afexians cruel agenda."

"What did they do to you?" Jack questioned the woman he had been bound to.

"My race doesn't breed," Aeryn answered. Her gaze was focused on the coral structures in the center of the room. "We came into creation at the beginning of time. I was full grown and one of many guardians for this universe. I can change, or I could change my appearance at will. But that hasn't worked since I was captured. I look compatible, and physically it is possible to copulate with another race. But internally I was sterile." Her gaze shifted and locked onto the sympathetic eyes of the Doctor. "What am I now?"

The Doctor stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Judging from these scans, internally you're human now. All of the correct female parts are there. We will do further scans to determine how much has been changed. But I'm not going anywhere, I've been trying to get you to travel with me for centuries."

"I'll help however I can," Martha offered. She stepped forward and took Aeryn's hand. "I'm a medical doctor."

"Thank you," Aeryn whispered.

"I'm not going to leave you," Jack assured her. He held up her left hand and twisted the simple band on her ring finger. "You're my wife. And since we're both essentially immortal, I don't see that changing. Ever. You're stuck with me until the end of time."

Aeryn smiled at the group around her. Her friends and family. She knew now that surrounded by these people she would never be alone again. She locked eyes with Jack and for the first time in a long time, she felt loved.