DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Doctor Who. Yes, I wish I did. No, I don't earn any money from this. Yes, David Tennant is My Doctor.

ALL PRAISE TO THE MIGHTY BBC! ;)

SUMMARY: Starting at the end of Utopia, things change for the Doctor and Koschei. But in a good way, I promise! Doctor/Rose. (This is my first fic, so take it easy on me, please!)

A/N: I had planned on updating sooner. I did! Promise! . . . . . . Then I got the following that prodded me into action:
"Did you put Ten on there yet?"
"No. Should I?"
"YES!"
"Sorry! I'll do it now!"
"Okay. Cause that is just NOT acceptable..."
oops?

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It took the pair slightly under two weeks to configure the Rift manipulators in the Hub to allow the energy they planned to release to be safely channeled to the TARDIS. Koschei set The Doctor up on a IV of liquids and nutrients to ensure his idiot friend didn't dehydrate or starve. He and Jack also took turns drugging The Doctor to keep him unconscious.

"He needs the rest anyway," was Koschei's only explanation.

Once everything was calibrated and connected, Koschei moved the TARDIS to the jump site in the center of the Wales Millenium Center. The only thing left to do was flip a few switches to power up the converters, input the coordinates, and allow the TARDIS to do the rest.

Koschei waited outside the TARDIS for Jack who walked up with his rucksack and a smile, showing how excited he really was.

"I'm scared, Jack. Really, truly, and properly scared. What if she doesn't want to come back? She could have a family now! Who am I to take that from her, even for The Doctor? What if she hates him for not coming sooner, or even coming himself? Oh gods, what if she's really dead?"

Koschei groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands before threading his fingers into his hair and pulling. "I should have thought of this! I have some of his memories but nothing of his after his hand was severed." He dropped his hands and paled, then whispered. "I could ruin everything."

Jack stopped him before he could go further. "No. Koschei, listen. She promised him forever. We have to give her the choice." He gestured to the TARDIS. "He's still unconscious, right?"

"Yeah," he said softly.

"Alright then. He can stay that way 'til we're done." Jack opened the TARDIS door and propelled his friend inside. "Let's boogey!"

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Jack called Gwen from the TARDIS console. "Alright, Gwen. Activate the Rift manipulator."

"Good luck, Jack, and get back safe." The screen blacked out before he could reply and power suddenly flooded the TARDIS console room. The light grew so bright it hurt to look anywhere but down.

Koschei reached for the console, swore when it burned his hand, and slammed down the lever to begin dematerialization and the flight toward the open Rift window.

Jack thought it was quitely possible the smoothest ride he'd ever encountered in all of his TARDIS travels. Not a modicum of shaking, tossing, turning, sparking, explosions, or even slightly unsteady footing could be detected. So when the lighting returned to normal, Jack and Koschei looked to each other, their failure a deep pain in their souls written on their faces.

A light ping indicated they had landed.

The monitor showed they were still at the Wales Millenium Center and the clock on Jack's wrist strap matched perfectly with the one on the TARDIS console.

Nothing had changed.

"ARG! NO! This wan't supposed to happen! This was suppsed to work!" Koschei raged, kicking and screaming until he broke down, crying. "This was supposed to work, Jack. I was supposed to help him for once. Fix something beautiful."

Jack just held him until he calmed.

"I've got a bottle of hypervodka with our names on it. Let's go have a drink or twelve, then we can come back, wake up the Doctor, and ... well, we'll go from there."

Koschei whispered, "He'll never forgive me." He turned away to stare at the time rotor. "I'm leaving, Jack."

"What? You can't! You're all he has left!"

Koschei turned sorrowful eyes on his friend. "He has you. Always will," then stood and walked out the TARDIS doors toward the Hub.

Jack sighed and scrubbed his face before grabbing his rucksack and following Koschei, pulling the doors closed behind him.

And ran straight into the Time Lord, knocking both of them to the ground.

It took Jack a moment to realize they had an inordinately large number of guns trained on them, but was very happy his stumble didn't cause some newbie in the bunch to get a little too trigger happy.

So, Jack being Jack, flashed his trademark grin and followed it with a quick. "Hi there! Captain Jack Harkenss. Are you are?"

No one answered but each remained on alert as Jack and Koschei were hauled to their feet and restrained.

"State your names and intentions."

Jack smiled again. "Well, like I said, my name is Captain Jack Harkness and this," he motioned to Koschei, "is my partner in life, Adam Smith." To his credit, Koschei didn't make even the slightest motion to disagree, but raised his head slightly as if daring anyone to challenge his role.

Jack continued, "We're here searching for someone we love. She's practically our sister-in-law and we've been looking for a REALLY long time."

Nothing else was said as the two were dragged across The Plaza center and, surprisingly, gently placed into a large blue SUV.

Jack tried numerous times to engage one of the soldiers in conversation, but failed to their silent treatment each time.

Koschei reach for Jack's hand, the picture of the concerned lover.

I don't think you'll get much from them. Koschei tossed into Jack's head, which subsequently made him jerk to stare at Koschei.

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HEAD AND HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN THERE? Jack screamed.

Koschei winced at the volume. The TARDIS is safe. We're not dead. They don't know us. He looked pointedly at Jack. They don't know YOU. Think about it. Could we really have made it?

... makes sense. Jack looked out the window to the sky around Cardiff. Zepellins. He grinned. Oh yeah. We made it.

Jack tried one last thing. "Oi mate! What's the date if you don't mind?

The driver looked at him throught the rearview mirror as if he'd just escaped the loony bin. "15th March."

Jack muttered, "Beware the Ides of March.."

Koschei snorted.

"And the year?"

"What's wrong with your head man? 15th March. 3142."

Both men paled. "No way."

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dun-dun-duuuun!

Sorry, Johnnie! Remember I heart yer face!

*runs to hide... quickly*