"Hey, Doctor?" Rose was leaning against the console, staring at the leather clad alien. They had stopped somewhere in space so the Doctor could tinker with the Tardis console. Jack was sitting in the jump seat behind him, admiring the view.
He looked up from his repairs, straightening his back. "Yes Rose?"
"I was wondering… I know you don't like talking 'bout it, but… What started the Time War?"
Jack snapped to attention as the Doctor stiffened and turned away from them. "Why? Why do you want to know?" The pain in his voice made Rose wince, but she carried on.
"Back when we met that Dalek, at Van Statten's… It made me curious. I mean, I'm sure you met them before the war, but…"
"…" The Doctor was silent for a while. "To be honest… I was the one who really started it. I was a different man then, you see. Back in the sixties, two factions of Daleks were trying to get this piece of technology called the Hand of Omega, so they could destroy the other one. I programmed it to destroy Skaro, their planet. Found out later that they saw that as an act of war from the Time Lords."
"I remember learning about that in the Time Agency." Jack said, staring at the Doctor. "That was you?"
The Time Lord nodded, turning back around. "That was a while back though, a century or so. The time between that and now's always a bit confusing… So!" The others jumped at the sudden change. "We need to refuel, we're stopping by Cardiff."
Rose pulled out her phone. "Better phone Mickey then, have him drop off some stuff."
"What is it you need?" The Doctor asked, a half pout on his face. "Why do you have to call in Ricky?"
"I want my passport and it's Mickey."
Jack laughed at the two, missing the pain still lingering in the Doctor's eyes as he put in the coordinates.