Hm...wasn't actually going to put Jack in this story but there was a gap that needed filling and the Captain did this impressive cartwheel into the scene, jumped up and yelled 'Tah da!' and so he became part of it. Sometimes I think I'm not in control of this story at all.

Oh, I've also come to the decision that I'm going to write a prequel once I've finished this. If I ever finish this. In my mind Dreaming of reality was never this long but it seems to have mutated into a monster. I think we're at least halfway through...just as long as nobody feeds it. Anyway, here's the next chapter. :)


'Why? What's up there?' Captain Jack Harkness asked the Dreamlord.

'A good question.' The Dreamlord said in a mocking voice. 'Some say the very walls are made of gold, others claim that there is a hidden paradise, just waiting for people to colonize it. Those don't matter to you though. All that matters is that the secret to your freedom is there. You reach it and you're home free.'

The crowd began to murmur again and some even yelled questions at the Dreamlord. He laughed, a cold chilling sound that silenced them.

'Ah, peasants. If you want any more information you'll have to get to floor 500.' He clapped his hands with a flourish and promptly vanished into thin air.

'Some deal.' Amy murmured sarcastically under her breath. She knew he wouldn't make it as easy as he had made it sound.

'Uh huh.' Rose agreed absently. Her eyes were fixed on the Captain who was busy striding smoothly out of the crowd.

Amy noticed her thoughtful face and followed her gaze and noticed the beautiful man.

'What's wrong?' she asked Rose, trying to figure out why the mysterious man had her so enthralled. She instinctively knew it wasn't an ordinary attraction that held her new friend's attention.

'He shouldn't be here.' Rose replied in a cold voice that made Amy shiver.

Amy was about to ask why when Joktan and Kapil rejoined them.

'Who did that man think he is?' Joktan ranted angrily.

'He's the Dreamlord,' Rose answered. 'and I believe he's doing this because he's a bit upset about not having a physical body, to answer your next question.'

Joktan calmed himself as he processed the information she had given him.

'What do we do?' Kapil asked, unconsciously directing it at Rose.

'Well,' said a voice tinged with an American accent, 'the only way is up.' The group turned to look at the Captain who gave them one of his cheesiest grins. 'Hi.'

'Hi.' Amy answered cautiously, thinking of Rose's reaction to the man.

He directed his grin at her and introduced himself. 'Captain Jack Harkness.'

Amy hesitated before introducing everyone. 'This is Joktan, his son Kapil, Rose and I'm Amy.'

'It's pleasure to meet you all.' The Captain replied, his smile turning predatory.

Amy thought she saw Rose flinch but couldn't be sure. She decided that she needed to get more information about this strange man that, according to Rose, shouldn't be here.

'So, what are you a Captain of?'

'The innuendo squad.' Rose muttered and Amy had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. The Captain seemed to not hear Rose's comment.

'I'm a captain in the security force that protects the Bellus Translator.' He informed the group.

'Obviously didn't do a good job.' Rose muttered again which he again didn't hear or chose to ignore.

'Right, let's figure out what we're going to do.' Amy decided that she had to be the diplomatic one in this situation.

'Well, that Dreamlord guy said the only way out was floor 500, so it looks like that's where we need to go.' The Captain answered her. 'So, who here is going up?'

'We will.' Joktan asserted and Kapil nodded his agreement.

Amy looked uneasily at the Captain, then looked to Rose for some sign of what to do. Something about the Captain made her uneasy and she didn't know what to do. Rose nodded her assent of the plan.

'We will, too.' Amy pushed her shoulders back, appearing more calm and confident than she felt.

'Excellent! Shall we begin?' Jack asked the group.

'Sure. Got nothing better to do.' Amy sighed and the group headed out of the cavernous room and into the corridor.

(…)

Moving through the corridors of the station, the group came out onto an observation deck that showed a smoky planet orbiting a sun. Amy walked beside Rose who radiated tension. Recalling Rose's earlier comments about the Captain, Amy decided that she wanted to know what she meant and the others were suitably distracted with finding information on a computer terminal.

'Why shouldn't he be here?' She asked quietly, nodding her head at the Captain who was busy hacking the computer. Rose was silent for a long time and Amy almost gave up on hearing an answer.

'Captain Jack Harkness was the leader of Torchwood Cardiff in the 21st century.' Rose replied in a cryptic tone.

'So?' Amy asked confused. 'Why does that mean he shouldn't…oh.' She cut herself as she realised how far they were in the future. 'Maybe he, I don't know…time traveled or something?'

'Perhaps. He was a companion of the Doctor after all.' Rose mused, lost in thought. 'But I think that, if you asked him, he wouldn't know who you were talking about.'

'You sound like you know him.' Amy commented unthinkingly.

'I did.'

Amy stared at her. 'But…how?' she stammered.

'Like you said earlier. Time travel.' Rose laughed at the expression on Amy's face. 'The problem with it though is that you can bump into a person you know but haven't met yet. That man there doesn't seem like the Captain I know but he could just as easily not have met me yet. Or, even worse, he hasn't met the Doctor yet.'

Rose was quiet for a bit, letting Amy absorb the information when another option occurred to her and the smile slipped from her face. 'Or he could have been retconed.'

'What's that?' Amy asked curiously, knowing it wasn't good.

'Amnesia pill.'

Amy immediately understood.

The two stood in silence for awhile, watching the three men crowded around the monitor, hunting for information.

"So which one do you think it is?' Amy queried.

Again, Rose was silent and she could see her weighing up the options.

'None of them,' Rose finally answered.

'We're in!' the Captain crowed and Rose moved off to look over his shoulders at the schematics that covered the screen, leaving Amy rather confused and with more questions than answers.