ok i apologize profusely at the very long delay for this chapter, but i had real trouble with putting this one together, and I'm still not completely happy with it, but i hope you guys like it :) and please keep reviewing - a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed to far :D

Chapter 7.

'Urgh! Can someone please go and tell that man to STOP SINGING?!'

The Doctor just raised an eyebrow over his cup of tea as Martha came storming into the kitchen the next morning. Already immaculately dressed and wide awake and a banana in his other hand, all he received from his companion was a disgruntled look. Smiling slightly as the younger Doctor crashed around the kitchen for a cup and coffee, he leant back on his chair and whistled. It took only 3 beats for her to snap.

'And you can stop that as well!'

'Well this is what you get for staying up all night drinking your sorrows away, so don't complain to the rest of us.'

'Me?! What about – '

Reinette closed her eyes as soon as she opened them, the harsh glare of a non existent sun burned through the fake window, the only light in the room. Groaning she finally opened them and sat bolt up right as confusion set in. The last thing she remembered was being in the control room on the floor…with the Doctor's coat over her…he was telling her about Galliferey…and Rose…there was a picture…then she didn't remember anything else, but she was still in the Doctor's coat! Still confused, she finally took in her surroundings, chastening herself for not doing it sooner. She was on a bed, that was a good start, and a large luxurious bed at that. The four-poster took up most of the room, with a strange purple fabric as a cover, that she didn't recognise; and dark deep red curtains fell about the posts as if someone had forgotten to pull them back. One old and scruffy teddy bear lay on the bed, neatly tucked in between the soft pillows. The rest of the room was a bombsite. Reinette couldn't see the floor and almost dared not to leave the bed in fear of tripping or breaking something. The walls surrounding her were baby pink, girly but not in your face girly. A chest of draws and a wardrobe stood opposite the bed, both open and cloths falling from them in heaps. A mirror stood precariously on top of the draws, necklaces and photos hung all around it; smiling faces, forgotten winds, and foreign places all beamed from the photographs and only one Reinette could make out clearly. Looking away, she saw a TV, with DVD's littering the floor around it, books barely touched lay in small piles in the corner. Make-up took preference at the end of the bed facing the mirror, foundation, eye liner and mascaras all left, waiting. As Reinette carried on taking it all in, it quickly became clear who this room had belonged to. The pictures proved it. The whole room felt like it was waiting, just waiting. It would wait forever. It wasn't the only room forever waiting.

Sighing sadly, Reinette slowly stood up, careful of what was on the floor, careful not to disturb a thing, and she saw a small door to her right leading to the bathroom. 'Thank you.' Mentally thanking the TARDIS she closed the door behind her and slid to the floor wrapping the coat tighter around her.

'What do I do now?'

As Jack finally emerged from the shower and found his two adult companions still in the kitchen, he could only look between the two as they sat at either end of the table, both folding their arms and refusing to look in either direction at the other. Failing to hide his surprise, he just leant on the door frame, not quite knowing what to do.

'Do you guys want a knife to go with this tension?'

'Nope. We'd better go find Reinette; she's going to want some new cloths by now more than likely. Women and cloths…I'll never understand that, and with shoes! Why do women need so many shoes?'

Jack looked back at Martha still with her arms folded, her gaze locked on her cup, tears silently falling as the Doctor walked further away from her.

The Doctor practically walked into Reinette coming out of her room, and both cursed at each other loudly, neither quite hearing what the other had said. Both moved back from each other, suddenly nervous and shy after the friendly night before. Both tried to speak at once, and both motioned for the other to go first, and they both laughed slightly at their own behaviour.

'You know, if I didn't know better, I would say you were both a pair of love sick school kids. So to save the poor man the embarrassment, I'll ask you instead. Did you have a good night sleep? Do you want some new cloths as that top is mine, and this is my own question, why are you wearing his coat?'

Jack outwardly pretended to glare, but inside he was jumping up and down, praying that they were getting along as well as they both had hoped. By the looks of things they were, Jack had never seen the man so nervous before, certainly never with Rose…well never to her face anyway! And he only ever told Jack anything of his feelings when the younger man had managed to get him drunk…4 times!

Reinette turned to Jack with a warm smile, her long hair still wet from a shower and back into the overlarge t-shirt and coat that literally drowned her. Counting on her fingers she answered his questions.

'Yes, I had a very good sleep, the humming is so soothing, and you told me it was annoying for the first few days Mr! As to cloths, hell yes! I love this top and all, but some that actually fit would be nice, plus it's just an excuse to get into that wardrobe!! You could lose me for days in there!'

'Believe me, it's happened before with a few of my companions, I can tell you, I thought they had up'd and left until I went wandering and finally found them. They weren't best pleased with me either!'

Martha could only watch as the two men led Reinette through the maze of the TARDIS. She could do nothing as the young woman clad only in Jack's t-shirt and the Doctor's coat, fell into step behind them, her mind far away; pain and worry etched into the fabric of her face that she kept so well hidden.

Reinette slowed down as she followed the men. Her eyes took in the surroundings, the coral like walls; the soft hum as the TARDIS kept them floating in the vortex; the calm atmosphere of safety and belonging. When her eyes fell on Martha, leaning on the door frame, still not fully dressed with her arms crossed to keep herself from shivering, not just from the cold. Tears still falling from her own eyes, in that instant, the pair felt a pure connection; lost souls far from home both needing the same man whilst having no one but themselves. But there was something else that Martha could sense in the other's look; even when the girl had looked away and run after the men, leaving Martha being held up by the TARDIS; even while Martha turned from the kitchen and made her way to her own room, there had been something In the girl's eyes that didn't fit. There was something…something that didn't fit…something wasn't there. In her eyes, something was missing. Not like Jack's eyes, there was a spark in his. Not in the Doctor's, he had something else in the Time Lords' eyes, but hers…there wasn't that spark…a human spark…there was no human spark in Reinette's eyes…no human…

'What about this?'

Jack and the Doctor looked up from their inspection of the best hair, to watch Reinette descend from the upper levels of the wardrobe. She wore plain dark blue jeans with black vans. A square necked green top complemented her just visible cleavage, whilst a vividly bright stripy hoody helped her keep a little modesty.

Jack looked at her critically, moving his head from side to side, then without warning he stepped forward and promptly unzipped the hoody so the top fell loose around her hips. He looked her over once again and nodded.

'Very nice indeed Miss Sigma, much better than that regal look you had going for a while. Though I do have a suggestion – stop going for stripes and blacks, actual colours and stop covering yourself up so much! Go find something girly like…I dunno, high heels, pink! Something that isn't a full on 'hide me I have breasts' sort of dress ok?'

Laughing at her guardian Reinette turned around and ran back up the stairs. Jack watched her go for a moment, before he spoke again.

'Spit it out Doc. What is it about her that you can't work out? What don't you like? Come on Doc, this you is much more of a talker.'

The Doctor sighed and put his hands in his re required coat, and shuffled his feet. In the silence that followed all that could be heard was Reinette moving around upstairs, hangers rattling as she moved through the cloths, and the occasional sound of awe or disgust at her findings.

'I don't know who she is. I mean – Rassillion I don't even know who you are Captain Jack Harckness! I pick you up in 1941 in the middle of the damn Blitz and you tell me you're an ex Time Agent from the 51st Century, and I let you on board! Martha helped save my life and one trip of thanks turned into many – and Rose…Rose…but Reinette? She swanked in here on your arm as if this was a long lost home! She…Rassillion Jack, last night, in the control room, nothing was happening, but I saw her in that damn top of yours, I wasn't seeingher, I saw Rose. There's something about that girl Jack, something neither of you are telling me – or she's not even telling you!'

It was Jack's turn to sigh and pocket his hands after the Doctor's confession. He swallowed and didn't say anything. As the silence carried on, the Doctor finally took his eyes from the sound of the object of their conversation to his male companion, confusion mixed with a gut wrenching feeling of uncertainty and fear.

'What don't I know Jack?'

'What I don't know is this void thing, so care to tell me about it?'

Jack's quick response completely threw the Doctor for a few moments utterly speechless. When he recovered, he just stared at Jack, not quite comprehending what the other man had just said.

'What in Rassillion world do you want to know about the Void for? Apart from the fact its an absolute no place, no up; down; left; right; forwards; backwards. Nothing. What is there to know about that!? Why that Jack?'

Jack just looked back at the Doctor, his face unreadable, as his whole body tensed. The Doctor followed his gaze as both pairs of eyes looked up at Reinette. She just stood there at the bottom of the stairs in a baby pink dress, the full skirt fell to her knees; pink high heels sculptured her legs and gave her enough extra height to almost reach the shoulders of the two men. Whilst the small blue jacket covering her arms just to her elbows, but just showed her figure underneath. Pink sunglasses finished off the look, pulling her loose hair away from her face. All in all she pulled off the outfit perfectly. Too perfectly.

The Doctor felt tears spring to his eyes as he tried to fight them and the memories. Blinking rapidly, he turned back to Jack, not wanting to see the spitting image of Rose Tyler standing 4 feet from him. Jack refused to look at him, keeping his eyes fixed on the young, unaware girl before them. Struggling with his own tears he choked out:

'To get her back.'

'Me? What about you? Have you completely lost your nut? Or is her supreme beauty got both of your damn hearts in such a flutter you've lost your grip on REASON?!'

The Doctor moved so quickly from the chair to tower over Martha, the woman could only freeze as the chill from the man in front of her billowed around them with gale force. With courage that surprised and terrified her, she made her eyes move from his chest to look him straight in the eyes, determination filling her – not to back down. To prove he didn't scare her, despite her body betraying her. To prove she was good enough to be there.

'The.Girl.Is.18.Years.Old – '

'Rose was the same age, but that didn't stop you falling for her!'

Interrupting the Doctor wasn't the best move Martha could have made, as his face paled and as he tensed further, Martha couldn't tell if it was from anger or pain. Or both. Shaking, the Doctor moved away from her and sat back at the table heavily, his hands clenched so tightly in fists his fingernails almost piercing his skin. Martha watched him carefully and slowly let her body relax. Then carried on.

'Why did you just let her on board Doctor? Apart from the fact she's part of the Jack package. There's something not right between them, but that's something else. What is it about her? Aren't you even a tiny wincy bit suspicious of her? That guy Owen was running after her and held a gun to her head! Or had you forgotten that bit of information? 'If its alien, it belongs to Torchwood.''

'That's what he said Doctor. It's not really a question of who she is, but more of what she is. You just can't see that.'

The Doctor refused to look at her, but the tension in his body had left through Martha's calm speech. His hands were no longer fists but were clenched tight around his cup. Sensing nothing else was to be said, she sighed and sat back down, slowly folding her arms. Waiting.

The Doctor was roused from his memory lane trip as Reinette collapsed into the chair bedside him. Bags fell to the floor in a heap as he head fell back in utter exhaustion. Laughing at her, the Doctor produced a large cup of steaming hot chocolate covered in whipped cream. Her eyes were suddenly fixed on the drink as she forced her limbs to move her towards the table. She picked it up as tenderly as a new born, and brought it to her lips as if it were the nectar of life itself.

'How can you never have had one of these before?! That's incredulous! Unbelievable! Unconceivable! –' He stuttered into silence as words for once escaped him at his shock at this new discovery.

'Mmmmm… never? Oh yea, no my gran was pretty old fashioned in like everything. Good old British tea for me I'm afraid.'

'But tea is FANTastic! You can't go wrong with a good cup of tea. Jackie… Jac…I new a woman who made the best tea ever, woke me from my last regeneration that was all I needed not all the mother codling that went on, just a good old cuppa. Saved the world on that cup of tea.'

They both lapsed into silence, the Doctor again re-living still raw memories; Reinette just watched him, as his eyes stared off into the distance, beyond the normal dimensions of time and space, he saw beyond the horizon, he saw beyond the world they were on, despite it being Earth; he saw all of time and space, and all he could see was the young blonde woman accepting it all, arguing morality, loving him.

The pair jumped in their seats as more bags fell from aching hands onto the already large pile under the table. Martha…could be described as collapsed, but her legs literally gave way as her muscles seeing the chair, rebelled and just let her free fall into the waiting seat. She didn't say a word, her hair was a mess and her face was red with the cold but apart from that devoid of any emotion. The Doctor and Reinette looked at each other half amused; half slightly worried, for the woman looked practically comatose. While a very hyperactive Jack bounded up behind her, and yet more bags in his own hands. The Doctor groaned and muttered 'I don't know if the TARDIS can take this many bags…I don't think my sanity can cope with that many cloths!'. Jack meanwhile dropped the bags and like the Doctor sat in the chair on the other side on the Doctor as if they had both been born to live there. Neither male showed one ounce of exhaustion much to the annoyance of Reinette.

'Now that is one woman who literally shops until she drops!'

The Doctor laughed at his companions as drinks were brought out to them. The smell of coffee didn't even register with Martha, which made the group laugh harder.

'Jack, what did you do to the poor woman?!'

The group could only laugh and joke in the summer heat as they gave accounts of their purchases. On Jack's order's Reinette had gone on to buy lots of more girly cloths to go with the extensive amount of jeans she had pulled out of the wardrobe. Skirts and dresses, trainers (mainly Converse influenced by the Doctor) and a few high heels also filled her many bags. Jack refused to reveal what he had brought, but considering he had chosen the place for their shopping trips the contents of the bag became suspicious, of the good kind considering its Jack. According to the immortal male Martha had gone on for the largest retail therapy session he had ever seen, buying practically everything in sight that was over £50, including tops, skirts, extremely high heels countless dresses, underwear, tens of bags, and had her nails done all without breaking a sweat.

'Look I got an idea, and this one is gonna be a good one. I mean, we're down in Brighton, the gay capital of Europe and we're just having coffee! There is great nightlife so why don't I take you guys out? Well once madam here starts responding anyway.'

The Doctor and Reinette looked at each other and then at Martha, whose pale face had ever so slightly regained some colour before both nodding enthusiastically.

The group were all finally back together in their normal states and were more than slightly merry as the drinks kept coming their way. Martha kept necking the vodka shots, with Reinette joining in from time to time, while the Doctor's attention was on Jack, who was subtly making the diversion. The club staff could only watch in amusement as the quartet kept on drinking, laughing and in Jack's case, flirting with everything in sight, whose charms seemed to work on the apes as the Doctor elegantly put it to the girls beside him. For his efforts a certain red headed bartender kept the liqueur flowing their way…on the house of course. The bouncy music kept the group in the mood as they danced around their table, and even Jack stopped Reinette as table dancing since she had changed into one of the few short skirts she'd been 'forced' to buy earlier! Martha laughed so hard at the younger woman she fell off her stool while the Doctor felt conflicting emotions on whether to laugh or scold the girl. Their voices filled the club around them although others could barely hear them over the music bounding in their ears.

'Reinette, can you sing?'

The girl in question giggled and leant the wrong way to reply to the Captain, almost falling off her stool before Jack caught her. The Doctor turned to look at her in surprise. Reinette continued to giggle, but nodded at Jack.

'Well then, I think its time for a little song don't you?'

The group looked at Jack with his determination face, his eyes sparkling as he held out his hand to Reinette, leading her to the stage. The Doctor still surprised looked to Martha who was slightly drunk herself.

'How is she that drunk?!' To which Martha could only laugh at her companion. They watched as Jack leant in and whispered in Reinette's ear, looked back to the Doctor, laughed slightly, but walked up to the DJ with as serious expressions on their faces as they could manage in their current state. They spoke to the DJ who just nodded and finishing the song early gave the couple microphones and let them take the floor. Holding onto each other they nodded back to the DJ who started the next song and let them take over.

I've been wandering around the house all night
wondering what the hell to do
Yeah, I'm trying to concentrate but all I can think of is you
well the phone don't ring 'cause my friends ain't home
I'm tired of being all alone
Got the tv on 'cause the radio's playing
songs that remind me of you

Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone

I keep driving up and down these streets
trying to find somewhere to go
Yeah i'm looking for a familiar face, but there's no one I know
oh, this is torture, this is pain, it feels like I'm gonna go insane
I hope you're coming back real soon, 'cause i don't know what to do

Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone

Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone

Nothing could have prepared the Doctor for this, any song he could have thought of for them to sing, it wouldn't have been this one, or any one like it. Why this? What were they playing at? No. What was Jack playing at and pulling an innocent girl in with him? But that's wasn't right either, for if Martha was right…IF…then that girl is no innocent.

The Doctor didn't pay any attention as they came back to their table, high from singing and only slightly more sober. He didn't notice as Reinette begged leave back to the TARDIS, or as Jack waited for any response from him. He only saw her face, wet with tears and salt from the sea, her hair wind blown across her face as she struggled with her emotions. He saw her determination as she refused to leave his side and her sacrifice. He saw the vortex spilling from the TARDIS, filling her eyes, killing her. To save him.

The air was silent around them as they stumbled from the club, along the main roads of Brighton, and through the laines back to the TARDIS. Even in the early hours of a Sunday morning, all was quite, that was until they all heard a phone ringing. The trio stop dead as the blue box continues to ring, while Reinette stood just staring at the phone, a very confused look on her face holding a black cat. The Doctor meanwhile stood stock still, tense in the middle as more memories overwhelmed him as another time and another place fill in vision. The phone rings and before he could answer it a different young woman warns him not to. The group watch as Reinette walks backwards and forwards from the TARDIS in distrust.

'How can you be ringing? What's that about, ringing? What do we need a ringing phone for?!'

'Answer it.'

The Doctor's hoarse voice cuts the air as much as the loud phone continues to ring. Reinette jumps in surprise, but looks back and frowns at the alien, not quite believing what he said. 'Answer it.' He repeats. This time Reinette does not ignore him. And almost immediately collapses, leaning against the TARIDS for support as her knees give way. Tears fall from her eyes leaving black mascara lines down her face; her mouth opens and closes forming no sounds as whatever she hears continues to talk. Jack ran to her holding her close as she began to sob and her whole body gave way; the phone falls from her hand as her grip loosens; her legs refuse to walk as Jack pulls her away from the TARDIS as she starts to mumble incoherently but Jack shushes her and holds her to his chest rubbing her hair trying to calm her. The Doctor and Martha walked towards them slowly, neither sure of what to do. The Doctor opens the door and motions for Martha to go inside while he waits for Jack to be able to move Reinette inside. As he waits he catches what manages to mumble to Jack.

'My moth – my moth – that – that was – that – mother – my – '

'Reinette that's not possible, she can't reach you here.'

'No – she – she spoke – Jack! – she – '

The Doctor frowned as his youngest charge continued to mumble, clinging harder to Jack as she became hysterical. He reached into his coat pocket but before he could touch anything he froze. Reinette's eyes suddenly changed colour – her normal deep hazel orbs suddenly widened and glowed gold. They didn't just glow – no it was more than that, and only the Doctor had seen it before.

'Jack – I – I have – I have to – back – get back – '

She finally collapsed into Jack's arms as the shock consumed her, but before she lost complete consciousness, she mumbled one more thing that only Jack could hear.

'This is killing me Jack.'