1

Analisa Dimirov put down her pencil with a smile. She'd aced this exam for sure. And quite right too; she'd studied half the night for it, and the only thing keeping her awake right now was a shot of espresso. But the test itself had been so easy, a lot easier than she'd expected. Analisa stood up, gathering her things amid the scritch of pencils and the muted rustle of paper. This would earn her an A in the class, and that could bump her GPA up to a decent level, so maybe…

The world shifted beneath her feet. Chills ran up and down Analisa's spine. She stumbled as her vision tilted and blurred. She needed to find something to hold on to, to keep her standing…was she standing? Or was she walking? Or sitting with a pencil in her hand? For a moment, it felt as if she were doing all three.

The test, she was taking the test-no, she'd taken the test already-or had she?

The world around her seemed to bend and warp-she reached out for something, someone…someone was beside her…

Analisa Dimirov put down her pencil with a sigh. She'd failed this exam for sure. It had seemed so easy at first, but she'd missed her coffee this morning, and despite all the cramming she'd done last night the facts had just slipped out of her mind. She couldn't seem to remember a thing she was being tested on, though she'd studied half the night for it. Now she'd be lucky to hold a B in this class. And she'd been so close to a good GPA this semester. Analisa stood up, gathering her things. She handed her paper over to her professor reluctantly, and pushed through the classroom door. Dammit, why couldn't things have been different?

…………………………………………………………………………….

Jack Harkness walked down the alleyway, his blue eyes watchful. Today was not a good day. It wasn't a bad day. It had to get a lot worse to qualify as a bad day. But getting pulled out of a warm bed and away from Ianto at five in the morning, hunting a weevil before breakfast, and now tracking this strange signal through the city did not constitute a good day. He could have delegated the signal-hunt, but it was best if he took it. His team-what was left of his team-was run ragged as it was. Keeping the strange and dark in check for the people of the UK had been a handful for five people. It was nearly impossible for three. He'd have to start hunting around for some new agents. But…

He turned a corner. But maybe not just yet. Not quite yet. He could afford some sentimentality.

In his pocket, the energy tetrameter began to vibrate wildly. He pulled it out, eyes sharp.

"About time." He growled, looking over the information. But it wasn't the signal he'd been following. This was something much more powerful. He began to jog lightly, following the coordinates. Hopefully it wouldn't be anything really serious. But with his luck it'd be something….

Then Jack froze. Was that…

He broke into a sprint. Yes. He'd heard it. That sound. Through another street and down another alley-and there it was. The tall blue box stood incongruously in the middle of the alley, blocking access to a restaurant dumpster. Jack stood in front of the TARDIS, arms akimbo, a grin he couldn't help brightening his somber face. The door opened, and he stepped forward to embrace…

A girl. A tall, dark haired girl that stepped out of the TARDIS door. She glanced over the alley, then up at the sky, pulling straight the long blue pea-coat she wore over a red dress. A very nice-looking girl, Jack noted idly. Around twenty-five, maybe? Somewhere around there.

The girl turned abruptly and stared at him. Her brow wrinkled, her eyes narrowing as she looked him over, studying him with an expression something like distaste. Jack met her eyes. They were so dark, almost black. And the expression in them was familiar, as if you were being looked into, not at. It was the look Jack had gotten every morning in his days on the TARDIS. Could the Doctor regenerate into a woman? He'd almost opened his mouth to ask, when another girl stepped out of the doors, this one platinum blonde, the black t-shirt and jeans accentuating her light coloring. Some girl. Maybe eighteen, nineteen. Looked very athletic too. A little short for him, but still…

"Did we hit the right spot?" the blonde girl asked, throwing the strap of a satchel over her shoulder and slinging the bag behind her in a fluid movement. "I think-"Then she glanced at Jack, and took a quick step back, staring at him with the expression most people displayed the first time they saw a weevil. Well, these two weren't much help for the self-image. A voice from inside the ship cut the staredown.

"Very nice, but you've got to watch those gauges, Jenny." Then the Doctor stepped out of his ship, glancing distractedly over his shoulder. He looked no different from the last time they'd met. Same long, lithe, thin body, maybe even nicer than the first one Jack had seen. Same long coat and suit. Same hair that begged fingers to run through it-Jack shut off the line of thought as the Doctor caught sight of him, and that thin, refined face broke into a grin.

"Jack!" The Doctor strode over, taking Jack's hand in a firm handshake. Jack grinned, and pulled his friend into a hug, slapping him on the back.

"Doc! Noticed your signal when you materialized."

"Really? Ooh, getting sloppy I am." Smiling, the Doctor turned to the two girls, who were still staring at Jack as if he was something contagious.

"Girls, this is-"

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack cut in smoothly, stepping forward. He smiled charmingly at the older girl.

"And when did the Doctor start travelling with such lovely companions?"

"Jack, don't." The Doctor's voice had a hint of something extra behind his usual warning. Jack shot him the wolfish glance that he still remembered how to do, after all this time.

"Doctor, even you can't say whether I talk to a pair of lovely girls or not. Now ladies, what're your names? Perfection and Beauty, maybe?"

"Jack, really, don't."

Jack turned his eyes on the younger girl with a conspiratorial smile. "Don't mind him, he's too old to understand a little flirting with a pretty girl anymore. And…"

"Jack!" The tone of the Doctor's voice caught Jack's attention, turning him on reflex. The Time Lord was glowering at him, his eyes nearly black. He pointed one long finger at the girls.

"That's my granddaughter. That'smy daughter. Really, I mean it, don't."

For a moment, Jack Harkness, with so many year's worth of glib commentary in his head, couldn't think of a word to say.

Author's Note:For those who haven't read my earlier stuff, the granddaughter is Susan Foreman, who took the name of the Walker when she reached adulthood. The disclamer's implicit. Enjoy!