Chapter Three

Donna wrenched open the doors and looked outside, not really knowing what to expect. She turned around slowly with a bored expression plastered over her face,

'So much for "random co-ordinates", we're still on bloody earth'

'We can't be; I know the settings for earth and these defiantly aren't them'

'Ooh, maybe we're in a parallel universe then?' she smiled at what she thought to be a funny joke. Only Jack noted the slight pain in the Doctor's eyes. He slapped a hand on his back and said softly,

'You have to try to move on, maybe with Donna?'

'Donna?!' he spluttered

Jack just shrugged; clearly she was available and his for the taking.

'So, you ever been here before then?'

'Nope,' he tried to put on a brave face and not think about last time he was in a parallel universe, 'then again, one parallel world looks much like another'

He didn't like being here, something bad was bound to happen.

Jack looked around himself: they were in Cardiff. At least, a parallel Cardiff. It was identical to the one they'd just come from. He walked over to a paving stone and was suddenly disappointed when it didn't swallow him up and take him under ground to a parallel hub.

'I prefer my Cardiff' he said, mostly to himself. But someone heard him.

'Your Cardiff? Since when did anyone own Cardiff?'

Jack froze; he knew that voice. It was Owen's voice, Owen Harper.

'Owen? Is that you mate?'

'More to the point is that you? So you finally came back, eh. The others will be so pleased. We've had no one to pay for our drinks'

Jack just nodded, completely dumbfounded.

'I…,' his throat felt suddenly dry, 'I'll catch up with you later. I'm with a mate of mine. Might see you at the feeding ground tonight?'

He hoped this parallel Owen got the joke. But he didn't have time to ask; Owen was already snogging the face off someone who looked a lot like Gwen.

Jack caught up with Donna (who could walk at an alarming rate, when she wanted to) and the Doctor, who was dragging his feet slightly.

'Oh my god! Is there, like, a parallel Donna?'

'For the good of man kind, I hope not'

'I'll assume that was a joke'

'Just ignore him,' Jack linked arms with Donna, 'last time he was in a place like this he lost his love before he'd even told her how he felt'

Donna didn't have to say anything to know Jack was talking about Rose.

Suddenly the Doctor heard a voice far away behind him call his name. It was so quiet that he almost didn't bother to turn around. But then he heard it again and a nagging feeling told him that if he didn't turn around, he'd regret it.

So he turned around just in time to see the flash of blonde. No one else had blonde hair quite like that. He ran, for all he was worth, towards her.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. They stood in silence for a few moments. Neither daring to admit what they were seeing. The Doctor shifted his eyes to the small baby in Rose's arms and felt stupid. She was beautiful, why wouldn't she have a family? With Mickey the idiot.

She smiled,

'For a man who travels through time and space you have a really bad memory!'

'What?'

'Don't you remember anything? This is mum's baby, she was pregnant when you…said goodbye. This is John, like John Smith' they both smiled at the mention of his alter ego.

'So, you're single? Or are you…'he trailed off

'I'm single. Mickey's gone; he's out of my life. I…I never gave up hope that you'd be back and in the end I think he got sick of your name. So we kinda went our separate ways'

He couldn't believe his luck! The woman he loved was standing before him, as beautiful as ever and totally single. He had to grab this chance.

He reached across her, carefully dodging the baby. He cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. He was soft and gentle at first but then passion took over. He hadn't seen her in over a year, they had some catching up to do.

Suddenly a bright light flashed and they broke away, slightly short of breath, to see where it had come from. And there was Jack with a camera pointed at them, a huge grin on his face,

'About bloody time too!'