A/N: This is the last chapter of this. However, I am going to continue the series. So, watch out for further stories about Ten and Jack ;) I hope you'll like the conclusion and don't hesitate to let me know what you think!

Chapter 5

After a few days Owen began to wonder if it had been a good idea to tell the Doctor that he should take a break. He hadn't expected the man to interfere in Torchwood affairs the way he did. Sorting out alien tech and helping Tosh with her software was one thing but the last two days he had observed the alien arguing constantly with Jack, mainly about how things needed to be done in his opinion. If the medic had known what a nuisance the Time Lord would become, he wouldn't have suggested him staying here in the first place.

He began to like Rose though. The girl was both intelligent and attractive and she had an amazing ability to sort out the two men, who were constantly fighting for supremacy. The moment she entered the room they would stop arguing and it was obvious that she was not only the center of the Time Lord's universe but also very dear to their Captain. It still bothered Owen that Jack hadn't explained why their relationship was so special but they were used to Jack being secretive, so he just decided to accept it for the moment.

The Doctor and Jack certainly had a lot to sort out with each other though, because every day in the afternoon, they would disappear into the TARDIS doing who knew what. These few hours were Owen's favorites, because during this time Rose was staying above in the Hub and he had the time and possibility to talk to her. She had a bunch of stories to tell, about distant planets, alien species and great adventures. Her knowledge would be a great asset for Torchwood and Owen told her that on one occasion, saying that she could come and work with them when she decided she had enough of traveling around in a blue box.

She laughed at his suggestion and with a shake of her head she replied, "Owen, I will never leave the Doctor. He needs me and I just love traveling around with him. No, nothing could keep me away from that blue box."

He frowned at that. "So, are you two. . . ."

Her eyes became distant and he wondered what she was thinking. Then she said, "No, not in that way. He surely likes me, maybe it's something like love. But he never acts on it."

He was surprised to hear that. The two of them were so intimate with each other and he would have sworn that companion was just another word for lover. "You tell me that he's never even tried? I mean, you're traveling together in that ship. Mind you it's bigger on the inside but it's intimate enough. And he never made a move?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Well, I am not surprised that this comes as a shock to you. But no, he never tried something like that. We're just friends, you know."

Owen saw the sadness in her eyes and realized that she wouldn't mind if the Doctor was inclined to change that. "I wonder if that is some sort of alien thing," he commented thoughtfully. "I mean, look at you, you're dead gorgeous. No man in his right mind could live with you in that box without noticing it."

She began to giggle at that and he was glad to hear it. He really didn't want to see her sad. Maybe after the Doctor had left, he would be able to ask Jack about Time Lords and their sexual habits. If anyone knew, it should definitely be Jack Harkness. At the moment he just liked the idea that he would have no rival in wooing the blonde girl in front of him.

It was their third afternoon in the TARDIS and Jack began to like the few hours he and the Doctor spent alone in it to get Jack used to the now existing bond. The Doctor was blocking it most of the time, but when they were here it was open and the Captain began to realize what an amazing thing had happened to them. In the last few days he came to know the Time Lord better than anyone. Not even Rose had been able to dig that deep. Due to the bond the Doctor wasn't able to hide his emotions and for the first time since Jack had met him the extent of the pain and loss the man had suffered in his life became apparent to him. He had already expected that the Time War had left an open wound in the Time Lord's hearts but there was so much more. It made the Captain sad but on the other hand it gave him hope. Hope that even after 900 years of life with all the losses that came with it, one could be enthusiastic about exploring new worlds and things as the Doctor was. This bond was not only helping the Time Lord but also the immortal.

"Your shields are weakened," the Doctor threw him out of his thoughts. "You really have to focus, Jack. I won't be here all the time and I won't have the power to control the bond on my own. I am going to need you for this. Imagine my emotions bleeding through while you have to deal with a nasty alien."

Jack gave him a snort. "It's a pity we can't talk through it then, considering how often I've wondered how easier things would be if I could just ask you for your opinion."

The Doctor gave him a smile. "Oh, Captain, imagine that, the both of us arguing over the bond while aliens conquer the world. . . No, I don't think that would work."

"Perhaps we wouldn't argue that often if you were more present while we're trying to make things work here," Jack replied in a teasing tone, knowing fully well how much the Time Lord loathed the thought of being domestic.

"I don't think so, Jack," the Doctor commented dryly. "You're the born leader and it wouldn't do for me to interfere with you in the long run. And considering how you handled things up to this point, I don't think you need a know-it-all Time Lord in your head, telling you what to do."

Jack's face lit up at the unexpected compliment. The last few days had been difficult for him with the Doctor constantly criticizing how they ran things here. However, in this moment he realized that the Time Lord wasn't disapproving in general but was just trying to help them get better in what they were doing.

"Now," the Doctor said in a soft tone. "I'm going to leave the bond open, but remain unaware of your presence. It will be like that if we were to meet coincidentally. I want you to try to reach out to alert me of your presence. Just try to make it gently though. . . ."

Jack knew that the Time Lord had left the TARDIS with a massive headache in the last few days due to him shouting too much over the bond. He wasn't quite able to control the flow of his own thoughts and for a telepathic being like the Doctor it had to be a strain to endure the time it took him to get a grip on it. He began to focus on the bond, tentatively reaching out. However, after a few moments he felt the pull of the connection and couldn't help but rush further, causing the Doctor to wince. "Sorry," he said, his voice strained from the effort to hold back.

The Time Lord gave him a wan smile, barely able to contain his features because of the pain. "It just takes time, Jack," he tried to reassure the Captain. "You're going to get the hang of it someday. For today this should be enough. Just try to resist the pull a bit longer until I am able to let you in without you breaking down my shields."

Jack gave him a nod, feeling bad that he had once more caused the Time Lord to finish their session with a headache. Both of them left the TARDIS and Jack sent her a loving thought when he closed the door behind him. The Doctor was giving him a fond look at that. "You know, I am tempted to be a little bit jealous," he said with a wink.

The Captain grinned broadly and returned the wink. "Jealous of her or me, Doc?"

With an exasperated sigh the Time Lord turned away. "Let's just not go into that. . . ."

With a chuckle Jack followed him upstairs, hoping that Owen had behaved. He had seen well enough that the medic was attracted to Rose and it wouldn't do to add that into the mix at the moment.

Two days later the Doctor had left with Jack to get a Weevil in and Rose stayed behind with Tosh, while Owen and Suzie had been sent out to find another piece of alien tech that had come through the rift. Rose knew that their days here were numbered and she was eager to return to traveling. At the same time, however, she had to admit that a few days of rest, being surrounded by familiar people, were doing them an awful lot of good. The Doctor was in an exceptionally light mood and she loved having people around to talk to. For the first time she began to understand what the Doctor had tried to give her when he had taken Mickey with them. As much as she loved the Time Lord, it was also difficult to travel with him without having other humans to share it with. The fact that she was very much in love with him and he refused to act on it, didn't make things easier. She liked being wooed by Owen as much as she enjoyed talking to Tosh and Suzie. The second in command had warmed to them during the last few days and even if her initial suspicion toward the Doctor kept bleeding through sometimes, she had become friends with Rose at least.

Tosh was just explaining the rift movement to her when the door to the Hub opened and the Doctor and Jack made their entrance, both laughing and giggling. The women looked up from the monitor and Tosh shook her head. "What have you done now?" she asked, her voice showing just the tiniest bit of exasperation.

Both men gave her a sheepish look and Rose frowned. They were looking like two boys being caught in the act of playing a prank.

"There was no Weevil, Tosh," Jack said and couldn't suppress a giggle coming through again. "Well, maybe we were too late to actually catch it. But when we arrived on the scene, we found nothing other than a happy couple making out with each other."

Tosh raised her eyebrows. "And I gather you didn't just leave quietly, considering that you're both behaving like partners in crime."

The Doctor was looking upward, trying to convey an innocent expression while Jack turned toward him, a begging shimmer in his eyes. "Won't you help me out here, Doc?" he asked his voice mockingly desperate.

Once more a frown crossed Rose's face. The Doctor didn't seem to mind Jack's abbreviation of his name, which was quite odd. Normally he would insist that everyone called him Doctor. They really had come far in their relationship in the last few days and she couldn't help being a little bit jealous of the Captain. How much would she enjoy having such a connection with the Time Lord. . .

"Oh no, Jack," the Doctor responded, walking over to the women and glancing briefly onto the monitor like he always did when he had the occasion to do so. "I told you it wasn't a Weevil from the start. You could have listened. . . ." he turned toward Rose and shook his head in exasperation. "Why doesn't anyone ever listen?"

"What did you do?" Toshiko asked with a stern voice.

"Weeelll," the Time Lord replied and a bright smile crossed his face. "Jack wasn't able to see well enough. So when we came to find the pair of them locked into a tight embrace he thought the man was a Weevil attacking the woman. Needless to say that he barged in and used the narcotic without listening to my protests."

Now Rose couldn't help but join in their giggles, while Tosh shook her head. "You attacked a human? Well, it's good that the narcotic doesn't harm them then. . . But this will be a hell of a lot to sort out. . ."

Jack's face was serious now while the Doctor was still grinning. "No, we won't need any retcon, Tosh. The Doctor got this one covered. It's just that things went a bit down after the woman realized that their rendezvous had been rudely interrupted. She didn't take it too well."

The Doctor gave an amused snort at that. "To be precise, she slapped the hell out of Jack."

Now Tosh and Rose had to laugh out loud at the sinister look the Captain was giving the Time Lord.

When their laughter died down, Tosh raised an eyebrow. "Wait a moment, what do you mean, the Doctor sorted this one out?"

"Oh, just a tiny bit of mental persuasion to convince them that nothing had happened," the Time Lord replied in a light voice. "So much subtler than your drugs, I might add."

"Yeah," Jack commented dryly. "Only we normal humans aren't that well equipped with telepathic abilities as the almighty Time Lords. . . ."

Before a new round of banter between the two could begin, the door opened again and Owen and Suzie came in. All of them looked toward them expectantly. Rose spotted immediately that they had been more successful than the Doctor and Jack because Suzie was carrying a canister which had been empty when they had left and now showed something metallic inside. With a smile she saw the Doctor's eyes lit up at seeing another piece of alien tech to tinker with.

However, when Suzie approached them and the form of the thing became visible he took a step backward, his eyes wide. The same moment Jack shot him a look of concern and rushed over to him. The light mood disappeared in an instant and all of them were looking at the pair with curiosity when the Doctor backed further away and Jack followed him slowly. Something was wrong and Rose was barely able to hold herself back. However, she knew that Jack would have more insight into what had shocked the Doctor that profoundly.

The Captain had caught up with the Time Lord now and placed his hand soothingly on his shoulder. "Doc," he said quietly. "It's all right. You're in the Torchwood Hub. It's safe." Then he turned around and nodded toward the canister. "Get this thing into the secure archives, now!" His command was urgent and Suzie didn't hesitate to obey while Rose approached Jack and the Doctor, trying to find out what was happening.

The Time Lord's face was pale and his eyes were open widely, his body trembled and Jack was now gathering him in his arms. "It's gone, Doc. You can snap out of it. Everything is fine."

He felt it before he saw it. An overwhelming sense of wrongness was threatening to swallow him whole. There it was: a metal glove in the canister Suzie Costello was carrying. The energy emanating from it was vaguely familiar. He had to get out of here. All of his senses were screaming at him to run as fast as he could.

Then he felt a tingling at the edge of his consciousness. Not the normally rushed entrance he had become used to during the last few days but a tentative entrance, trying to calm him down, sending him reassuring thoughts. This must be Jack. . . .

"Doc, it's all right. You're in the Torchwood Hub. It's safe."

It couldn't be, could it? How could anything be safe with this threatening energy floating around? No, he had to get out fast. . . .

"It's gone, Doc. You can snap out of it. Everything is fine."

Jack was right. Suddenly he was able to breathe. The wave of wrongness had disappeared. He inhaled sharply, trying to get air into his lungs and calm himself down. The presence of Jack in his mind was helping him, slowly pulling him out of his shock.

He became aware of his surroundings again. The Torchwood team was looking at him in shock and Jack was standing at his side, his hand firmly placed on the Doctor's shoulder, trying to strengthen their connection. He turned a bit and saw Rose standing on his other side, her eyes full of panic at his reaction. 'Oh, Rose,' he thought. 'I'm sorry. . .'

"I'm all right," he said quietly. He wanted to say more but couldn't bring himself to do it. The Captain led him over to the couch and firmly placed him down on it. "Bring the Doctor a cup of tea," he said to Toshiko and the Asian woman hurried to comply.

The Time Lord still wasn't able to speak and with gratitude he felt Rose sitting down at his side, placing her arm around him. "What happened?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit.

Jack crouched down in front of him and shook his head. "He's still in shock, Rose. Give him a moment."

The Doctor was trying to form words but at Jack's understanding comment he just gave his companion a silent nod. He shouldn't be that affected by a mere glove. He didn't even understand why he was reacting like he did. A cup of tea was placed into his hands and slowly he took a sip, feeling his brain coming back to life again. After having emptied the whole cup, he gave it back to Jack, took a deep breath and asked, "Where is it?"

"We've locked it away," the Captain replied, placing his hand on the Time Lord's knee in a reassuring gesture. "What was it? Did you recognize it?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I can't tell you where it came from or what it does. But one thing is for sure, you should leave it alone. Its energy was kind of . . . I don't know just wrong. . ."

He saw Jack's slight flinch at his choice of words and cursed himself for having used the same expression that he had used to describe the Captain once. However, in the end he had to admit that the energy had felt a bit like Jack had felt on Satellite Five right after Rose had brought him back to life.

"Wrong?" Rose stepped in, "What does that mean?"

Jack heaved a sigh. "He means that this thing somehow triggered his Time Lord senses in a wrong way. It must do something unnatural, so unnatural that his instincts told him to run away from it. That's what you wanted to do, Doc, isn't it? You were ready to bolt. I felt that."

Rose swallowed against the lump forming in her throat as she began to realize why Jack's explanation had a sarcastic undertone in it. "Oh. . ." she voiced in understanding and a glance from the Doctor prevented her from saying more. She knew that Jack's team wasn't aware of his immortality and she wouldn't be the one to give his secret away.

"Promise me, you won't use it, Jack," the Time Lord said with a firm voice. "Just leave it be." He looked toward the others, who were still watching from safe distance. "All of you promise me to not examine it. It is dangerous and it shouldn't even be here."

Owen and Suzie gave a reluctant nod when they realized that their Captain wouldn't argue with the Doctor this time and Toshiko just looked back with wide eyes, apparently too scared to even think about using the glove.

Jack stood up and turned around, his posture back to commanding. "You heard the Doctor. This glove is to be kept in the secure archives indefinitely. I don't want to see anyone tinkering with it. I am going to place a suitable warning on it to prevent others from using it."

Suzie cleared her throat. "Um, we have to report it to Torchwood London though. What if they want to have it?"

The Doctor blanched and a shudder went through him. "Jack," he said, trying to remain calm. "You can't trust them with this."

The Captain gave him a nod. "I know and I won't. We won't report it. I know Yvonne Hartmann well enough. She wouldn't be able to just leave it and we couldn't tell them that the Doctor advised us to keep it locked up. No Suzie, this stays in Torchwood Cardiff."

The second in command apparently wasn't happy about the deception and the Doctor couldn't blame her. His presence here was bad enough for her and now their leader had once more overruled Torchwood rules in favor of the advice of an unknown Time Lord whom they should have reported to London a long time ago. What astonished him about this wasn't Suzie's reluctance to trust him but Jack's apparent loyalty toward him. He really didn't deserve the devotion of this man.

"Owen, just make it an early evening! "

The others had already gone home after a heated discussion between Suzie and Jack about the glove and the Captain's decision. The Doctor had left them hours ago to tinker with his ship and Jack was sure the Time Lord had fled the scene, not wanting to answer any more questions. Jack just longed for a bit of quiet after this day, so he wanted the medic to leave, too.

Owen gave him a nod and began packing his things. Then as if a sudden realization had hit him, he turned toward Rose. "Why don't you come with me and we grab a bite?" he asked, his best flirtatious smile in place.

Jack, who had retreated into his office, looked back, curious how the Doctor's companion would react.

She seemed to contemplate the offer briefly, then she shook her head. "I don't know, Owen. . . ."

The medic shrugged. "It's not a date, Rose," he tried to reassure her. "It's just that you've been cooped up in here for more than a week. I thought a change of scenery would do you some good."

She smiled. "I know, Owen. But I don't want to leave just now. After everything that happened today, the Doctor might need me."

He gave her a nod. "Okay, but if you change your mind, just let me know." Without pushing the subject he finished packing his things and a few moments later Jack and Rose found themselves alone in the hub.

"He's right, you know," Jack said and Rose turned toward him with a questioning glance. "You really should go out. You haven't left the hub except when chasing after a Weevil or some other alien things out there. You really should get some fun while you still can."

She sank down on Owen's chair. "I don't want to get his hopes up, Jack," she replied and Jack frowned when he saw the sad shimmer in her eyes. He had been so caught up with the Doctor and their bond that he hadn't realized that Rose was apparently struggling with something of her own all the while. Time to remedy that.

He went to the couch and waved her to join him. She gave him a wan smile and came over. Gently he placed his arm around her shoulders and she leaned toward him with a contented sigh. "He's quite smitten with you," Jack said with a broad smile. "I've never seen him being so. . . cautious in his approach."

She gave him a short laugh. "Yeah, he seems to be serious." She heaved a sigh and Jack knew that she wasn't thinking about Owen anymore. "I can't though," she whispered and he strengthened his grip on her, squeezing her gently.

"Rose," he began after a few minutes of silence. "Are you really prepared to wait for the Doctor any longer than you already have?"

She looked up at him, her eyes showing the depth of her feelings for the Time Lord. "What am I to do? I love him."

Jack swallowed against the lump in his throat at her desperate tone. "Yes, anyone can see that, but did he ever. . . ."

She shook her head. "Sometimes I am sure that he loves me, too. The glances he gives me when he thinks I can't see it, the occasional hug and his protective streak when it comes to me. . . Well, maybe he just likes me as his friend, his traveling companion. But he never. . ."

Jack knew that it wasn't his place to explain the Time Lord's need for a telepathic connection in order to have a relationship. His mind was racing, trying to come up with something to say. He was spared from answering though as she continued to talk.

"I mean, it's daft to even assume that he would be interested in me that way. But I can't help it. There are times when we are so close and he looks at me as if I am something special. . ."

"Rose, you are something special. He loves you as much as you love him. Everyone can see that. Maybe it's just not in his nature. . . I mean, we don't know much about Time Lords and . . . um . . . you know. . ." He cursed himself for not being able to really help her and at seeing the tears glistening in her eyes, he decided that he would confront the Doctor with this as soon as the occasion presented itself.

"Well, if it is as simple as that," Rose said, her voice trembling. "He should explain it to me, you know open up a bit. I wouldn't want him to change what he is. . . ."

"What would you do, if he told you that what you desire with him just isn't possible?" Jack asked.

She gave him a wan smile. "At least I would know then. It wouldn't change how I feel though."

"You mean, you are prepared to stay with him forever, even without having more with him?"

She gave him a look that told him everything he needed to know. She didn't even think about the possibility that one day she would want more of her life than what she actually had. She had made her decision long ago and she wouldn't leave the Doctor just because he wasn't able to give her what she needed. Jack swallowed thickly, thinking about everything he had learned from the Brigadier regarding the Doctor's former companions. One day the Doctor would leave her behind, because one thing was sure, this man didn't like endings. Jack couldn't stand by and watch without having even tried to prepare her for this.

"Rose, listen," he began and took her hand in his. "I know you love him and I know you love this life. But please think about what you're giving up. Don't you want to have a relationship some day? I mean a real one with everything the term entails? Don't you want to have a family? Do really think you can travel with him for the rest of your life? What if he decides to leave you behind one day?"

"He won't," she said, her voice firm. "He told me that he won't do it and I trust him."

His gaze shifted away from her. He really wasn't able to show her his doubts about it. However, given his own experience with the Time Lord he couldn't hide it either. He was convinced that the Doctor wasn't planning on separating from Rose anytime soon, but who could tell what the future had in store for them?

She seemed to sense his hesitation to say something about it and in an attempt to lighten the mood she said, "Besides, I have a family. I'll always have my Mum. I don't need anything else."

Somehow Jack didn't believe her. He had come to know Rose quite well during their time traveling together and he knew that deep in her heart she needed the stability of a family. The Doctor would never be able to give her that and it fell to Jack to convince the Time Lord that he needed to be honest with her in this.

It was late at night when Jack and the Doctor finally found the time to retreat into the TARDIS. Rose had fallen asleep on the couch in the hub after the Doctor had joined his friends, having sensed that everyone else had left. They had ordered pizza and the enjoyable evening with them had lightened the Doctor's mood considerably. However, it was time to move on now that everything was sorted out here.

Jack was looking around with a wistful gaze and the Time Lord knew that his friend had already guessed that he would leave. Before he was able to address the issue though, the Captain looked up and said, "So, time to get back saving the universe then. . . ."

The Doctor couldn't quite place his own feelings about it. He was eager to return to traveling, but at the same time he loathed the thought of being separated from his friend. They had become quite close and he already knew that he would miss the bond terribly. But wasn't this the reason why he had to leave actually? The reason why he didn't ask Jack to come with them? In fact the TARDIS was welcoming the Captain's presence now more than ever. Due to the bond she didn't recognize him as a threat any longer. But this time it was he who refused to even contemplate taking Jack with him. He couldn't afford such an attachment. Being in Jack's presence every day would strengthen the bond further and he didn't want that. As much as he liked having such a connection - because it finally helped against the void in his mind - he also feared the close relationship that came with it.

"Doc?" the Captain asked, concern filling his voice at the lack of response.

The Time Lord shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yes, um, sorry. . . Yes, you know that it's time for me to get back into the TARDIS."

"Yeah, I know, traveling around saving worlds, last of the Time Lords. . . ." Jack couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes and the Doctor had to admit that he felt the same.

"Well, at least you'll know I came back this time," he said with a faint smile.

"I knew that before," Jack replied and his hand gently stroked over the console.

"But with this bond it's not only a question of what I want but also of what I need."

Jack looked up with curiosity. "I don't understand."

"Weeellll, having made such a connection, my mind is going to crave it. The bond needs feeding and I won't be able to stay away from you for an extended period of time. Mind you, it's not as strong as a Gallifreyan bond would be but both of us are going to miss each other and the bond will work to remedy that. Sometimes I think it's too much of a burden for you. You shouldn't have to deal with these things. . ."

Jack walked over to him and took his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. "I decided to keep it, remember? And I think the positive aspects of this outweigh the negative by far. You've always been important to me, bond or no bond. Having you constantly in my life is good for the both of us, don't you see? Our life-spans leave us alone often enough. It's good that we have this connection to help us."

The Doctor smiled brightly at the Captain's words. Oh, Jack always had a knack for saying the right thing.

Then Jack looked at him with a serious expression. "Speaking of life-spans. We really need to talk about Rose, Doc."

Rose? What did they have to talk about Rose? He gave Jack a nod, indicating him to continue.

"You really should tell her that you won't take your relationship further," Jack began and the Doctor could feel insecurity in his friend's voice which was quite a surprise considering how self-assured the Captain was normally acting. "I know that it's none of my business and maybe I am overstepping my boundaries here. But I don't want her to get her hopes up. She loves you, you know and it isn't fair to let her believe there could be more. . . ."

The Doctor couldn't fight the sudden annoyance at Jack approaching this with him. Who did the Captain think he was? No, this really wasn't his concern and he was very much overstepping it here. . . .

"Please, Doc," Jack insisted. "Think about it. She can't know that you won't be able to have an intimate relationship with her. You never told her that. She should know. . . ."

The Doctor sank back into the jump seat, his annoyance slowly faded when he got a glimpse of Jack's feelings about this over the bond. There was fear that the Time Lord would unleash his anger on him because he had the courage to address it and there was an overwhelming sense of protectiveness toward Rose. Jack was trying to help her here and the Doctor had to admit that the Captain had a point. Hadn't he himself thought about this often enough? He couldn't deny that Rose was very much in love with him, as much as he was trying to do so every day. He didn't want to address it, because as long as he refused to acknowledge that it was there, he could almost believe that nothing had changed between them. His own feelings had changed too over the last few months. He loved Rose just as much as she loved him and he knew that she felt it. But as a human she would want to become intimate one day and he just wasn't able to give her that.

Jack crouched down in front of him and took both of his hands in his. "Doc?"

He took a deep breath, trying to form a reply but failing. How should he explain to Jack why he couldn't tell her? It would be the right thing to do, giving Rose the chance to get out before it was too late but where would that leave him? He would be alone again. No, he wasn't able to imagine a life without Rose.

"Her knowing the truth doesn't necessarily mean you'll lose her, Doc," Jack said in a soft voice and the Doctor's eyes widened at the Captain's insight. "You belong together, everybody can see that. The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS, as it should be. . ."

"The stuff of legends. . ." The Doctor whispered wistfully.

Jack gave him a smile. "Oh yes. However, as long as she doesn't know, she is going to wait for more. I don't think that it's fair to leave her wondering about what is possible and what not."

"It's just. . ." the Doctor began and then shook his head. "I don't think I can bear to lose her, Jack." His voice was trembling at the very thought of it. "I love her and she is the one who keeps me going. She saved me. I don't know what to do without having her at my side."

"Yes," Jack said taking him into a reassuring embrace. "I know and that's what she feels. It feels like love to her and she doesn't know that this is as far as you can go. You have to explain it to her."

Suddenly the Doctor jerked away from him and stood up. "Did she talk to you about this?" His tone was laced with panic. If she had talked about this with Jack, who else had she told about it?

Jack's eyebrows went up at the change in the Doctor's demeanor. "She did. . ."

"She did?" the Time Lord replied with wide eyes. "She just walks around and talks about this?"

Jack shook his head. "Doc! She's human. It's perfectly natural that she needs someone to confide in. I know that it's hard for you to understand it, but we aren't able to bury our feelings in a distant corner of our mind like you do. Besides," he gave the Doctor a grim glance. "She didn't just walk around and talked about this. She talked with me. You can't expect her to bottle these things up just because this is your way of doing things."

The Time Lord sank back down onto the jump seat contemplating what Jack had said. Wasn't this the reason he had taken Mickey with them? He knew well enough that the Captain was right. Humans hadn't the same coping mechanisms as Time Lords did. And their best way to sort out their feelings was to talk to each other. He just wasn't able to do that. He should be glad that Rose had opened up to Jack and he should be grateful that his friend was calling him on it. But he wasn't. As much as he knew that Jack had a point, that he shouldn't let Rose believe that maybe there could be more, he just wasn't able to tell her the truth not yet anyway. Surely he would have to do it one day, maybe even soon. But for now he couldn't even think about such a conversation and what might be the consequences. He wasn't ready to be alone again.

Due to the bond Jack was able to sense what was going on in his head and gave him a resigned smile. "Just promise me to think about it. I don't want to see her heartbroken one day because she gave up something without knowing what she was getting in return."

With this the Captain walked out of the TARDIS leaving the Doctor behind to think about it. It wasn't what the Doctor wanted to do and suddenly he was glad he could leave. Running didn't solve anything but running with Rose was what held him together at the moment.

It was about six in the morning when Jack heard the unmistakable sound of the TARDIS dematerializing in the storage room. He wasn't surprised that the Doctor would leave without another word after their conversation before. On his way back he had found Rose awake and as he had already expected the Doctor to run, he had hugged her firmly and they had said their good-byes. He felt bad about his team, knowing that all of them would have wanted to see the Doctor go, but he knew the Time Lord well enough that all of this was becoming a bit too domestic for him. Jack chuckled at the thought. In human standards there was nothing less domestic than Torchwood, but he had learned enough about the Time Lord by now to know that being together with the same people in one place for such a long time made the Doctor practically choke.

He focused on the bond in his mind, already feeling it fading into the background a bit. He knew they couldn't communicate but he sent the thought toward the Doctor anyway, "Good-bye, Doc. Until wee see each other again."

He couldn't fight the feeling that the Time Lord had heard him and was responding with a wave of reassurance.