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It isn't easy to leave Amelia behind, but traveling so far with who knows what awaiting her at the rift, Rose cannot bring herself to regret leaving the child safe at home. After she secures a room at a hotel that rests on the farthest edges of the rift and ensuring the young Tardis was not going to have a negative reaction to the steady stream of artron energy, she heads out in search of the single person who would be able to help her.

She finds them sitting just outside of a crowded pub, their sparkling azure eyes searching the clear night sky.

"Hello Jack," she quietly greets one of her oldest and dearest friends as she takes a seat beside him, "And don't yell at me. I am perfectly aware that I shouldn't be this old or have any idea of who you are yet."

"Rosie? Holy-is it really you?" he snatches her up in a fierce hug, "Not that I'm going to complain, but weren't you all badass blonde bombshell the last time I saw you? And where's the Doc? I've got a bone to pick with ole big ears."

"I'm in disguise," she twirls a lock of espresso brown hair around one finger, "As for the Doctor...I have no idea where or when he is. In my linear time we got...separated. I've spent a long time trying to get back to him. Had a streak of luck, but I ended up in the wrong time, too early, so now I have to wait for him to catch up. Been waitin' it out in Leadworth, spending time with a little girl who had the Tardis crash in her garden."

The former conman's chiseled face contorts with genuine worry, "But Rose, you'll age..."

"Not as much as you think old friend," her smile is sad as she takes his hand in both of her own, "What I did to you Jack, you will never know how sorry I am, but the power I used to bring you back, it changed me too. More than the Doctor ever suspected."

"How so?"

She shifts to face him head on, "How old do I look to you Jack? And don't worry about sparin' my feelings or feminine vanity, I want you to be completely honest with me."

"Alright then, let me see," he hums whilst turning her head this way and that, "In my expert opinion, I would say that you don't look a day over twenty five. But I'm guessing, from what you're saying, that I'm a little off the mark."

Rose's soft laugh is drown out by the enthusiastic pub goers and she fondly pats his cheek, "Tack on about a century or so and you would be very close. I actually stopped counting a while ago, so I'm not sure of my exact age."

"My gods Rose, what happened to you?" this is as close to panicked she has ever seen her friend.

"I am the Bad Wolf, I created myself," she states so low he can scarcely hear her declaration, "I wanted forever with the Doctor and now I age slow enough to have a chance at it...if I can ever find him. I can't tell you everything that's went on, since it is also your personal future. But all this time...Jack I need him."

"Come stay with me then Rosie. We can look for him together," the Captain offers, as desperate as she is to have a friend who understands the madness, "Life's been so messed up without you guys, but we can make it better, yeah?"

"I can't just up and move to Cardiff with you, as much as I'd like to," she forlornly objects, and is contrite the moment she notices the crestfallen look on his handsome face, "It's not what you think. That little girl I mentioned? There is a crack in her wall that even had the Doctor concerned. I can't explain it well, but it feels all wrong. I can see it, run my hands over it, but every piece of equipment I've scanned it with tells me it doesn't exist. Amy, that's her name, said the Doctor was going to fix it when he came back from stablizin' the Tardis. He's late though, as always, and it's been over a month. I'm guessin' he's either got more repairs than he first thought or he's mucked up the landing again. If-when he returns, she is who he will be lookin' for, I just know it."

"And you want to be close at hand to monitor the crack until he does, I get it," Jack correctly assumes and drapes an arm over her shoulder, "Okay, I'll help you when and where I can out of Cardiff then. Won't be the first-or the last- time I've had to slip my leash to get stuff done around here. Speaking of-"

"I can't help you wash your hands of them, it would mess up your personal timeline and could possibly cause several paradoxes in the process. I'm sorry, I know some of those people you work with are right bastards. The best I can do is lend a hand when you're workin' solo because they can't find out about me. Remember their motto. 'If it's alien, it's ours'. Jack, I'm not even sure if I qualify as human anymore. I can't take the risk."

He blows out a loud sigh of defeat but nods, "I understand. So...what am I like in the future? I know I have to look damn good, since it is me we're talking about. Come on, you can spill about the safe stuff, right?"

"You are every bit as bad as you are now, but with an improved fashion sense, bigger guns, and better friends," she tells hims, certain that the tidbit of knowledge won't disrupt anything, then stands, "But before I tell you an iota more, you are taking me to get somethin' to eat, I'm starvin'!"

"Whatever the lady commands," he flashes her his most disarming smile, then takes her hand and guides her down the sidewalk.

After finding a chippy and settling into their seats, Jack risks a question, "Does the-he know about what happened to me?"

She bobs her head ruefully, unable to look him in the eye, "You can't let him know anything I said here, but he panicked when he felt you come back to life. He was startin' to regenerate and had no idea what to do with you so instead he focused on tryin' to get me back to my mum."

"What do you mean by regenerate?" he inquires while sneaking a few of her vinegar soaked chips.

Rose takes a swift look around, making sure no one can overhear them before she leans forward, "Timelords have a way of cheatin' death. When they are dyin', they can basically scramble their cells, making them completely heal up any and all damage to their bodies. The downside is the body they have when it happens gets burned up and they transform."

"Transform?"

"They get a brand new body," she sighs and runs a hand though her dark tresses, "I can't really say much more about it because I don't know anything else. All I know is if they get hurt badly enough, they get a new face to go along with new quirks, new neuroses, and a bunch of other stuff. I've figured that's what made the Doctor's Tardis crash into Amy's garden in the first place, he regenerated again. What she described to me sounded a lot like what I saw him go through after what happened on Satellite Five."

"Do you know what he looks like now?" her friend's mouth curves into an impish grin, "Not that I minded those big blue eyes, rugged features or-"

"Oi! Put it back in your trousers Captain," Rose chuckles and smacks his arm, "Just wait until you see the next one. The big puppy dog eyes, that knicker droppin' smile, and oh my god the hair...some really great hair..."

She's brought out of her reverie by Jack wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin, "Sorry, you had a bit of drool there. So is this sexy version of the Doc the one we're looking for or what?"

"No. From what Amy explained, he's got green eyes now, still sort of brown hair-bet he's grumpy 'cuz he's still not ginger-sorry, long story, she couldn't remember the finer details but it's enough to tell me that he is different from the last time I saw him," she can't hide the tears that bubble up and begin to fall, "I don't know how I'm gonna find him this time."

Jack watches her for a second, then moves so they are sitting side by side and hugs her to his side, "Don't worry Rose, we will find him. I promise."