I felt the gravel ground beneath my knees and hands as I slowly opened my eyes. People around me were standing up and cheering, gasping at each other. I slowly lifted my head and saw the Doctor and Rose only centimeters away.

"I'm alive?" I asked. "I'm alive…"

"Yes, Avalon. You are certainly alive!" the Doctor cheered.

"It's good to have you back," Rose smiled. She held out a hand and I slowly grasped it. I pulled myself up and looked around again.

"I'm alive," I breathed. "The child… the infection… it didn't…. it didn't kill me…"

"No, Avalon, it didn't," the Doctor replied, grinning. I took a step closer to him and held out my hand, warily. He grabbed it and pulled me in for a hug. I chuckled and wrapped my arms tight about him.

"I just had to make sure," I whispered.

"So why'd you try to get yourself killed then?" he asked as he pulled away.

"It was an accident, I swear."

"When were you planning to tell us?"

"Never," I murmured.

"But you told Jack?" Rose asked.

"Not exactly," I began. "If I had my way, he wouldn't have known. He just saw me."

"Saw you?"

"The guard watching Nancy. Long story. Where is Nancy anyway?" I asked. I stood up taller and glanced around for her.

"She's fine," Rose said. "Over there with Jamie."

"Well I should go say hello," I muttered, before racing off, avoiding the Doctor and his questions.

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"Hurry up!" I shouted. Jack stumbled to his feet and dashing through the TARDIS doors. I smiled at him as he just looked around, amazed by the interior of the small blue box.

"Right, and turn," Rose instructed to the Doctor, which she was 'dancing' with. It was more of the Doctor tripping over his own feet while Rose attempted to tell him how to move. The Doctor spun her around but somehow managed to get her arm twisted. "Okay, okay, try to spin me again, this time don't get my arm up my back."

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff," he argued. "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow—there's bound to be a draft." Jack quickly scrambled to close the door and then glanced back at us. The Doctor flipped a switch, turning the engines on. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"It's bigger on the inside." I chuckled at his amazement.

"You better be," the Doctor replied.

"I think what the Doctor's trying to say is… you may cut in," Rose grabbed his hand and smiled. He grinned back at her.

"Rose! I just remembered!" the Doctor suddenly shouted.

"What?"

The Doctor flipped anther switch and music was soon heard and lights began flashing. He began inching towards her, in rhythm with the music. "I can dance!"

"Actually Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance."

"I'm sure he would," the Doctor replies, unfazed by her response. "I'm absolutely certain he would. But with who?"

Rose snickered and hopped up to the Doctor and grabbed his hands. He spins her around perfectly and she giggled more. I chuckled softly and turn on my heel, headed towards the hallway. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw Rose and the Doctor dancing perfectly, as though they were made for each other. I just smiled even more and continued to my study.

Softly nudging my door open, I wandering into the room and plopped down in the chair seated behind my messy desk. There were three small picture frames sitting in the corner. One was of me and all of my sisters. The second was of Thalia and Robert. The third and last was of my parents with me as a child. Papers were scattered, some were in piles while others were just everywhere. There was a stack of folders, holding completed travels, sitting off to the side. Pens and pencils were the only thing sitting neatly on my desk. They were sitting in a small cup, waiting to be used. I shrugged my bag off my shoulder and placed it on the floor near me. Swiftly grabbing a clean sheet of paper and a pen, I slapped it on top of other sheets and began writing.

I was lost deep in my work, when I heard a chair slam down across from my desk. Slowly finishing my thought, I glanced up. There was Jack Harkness with all his smiles and charm.

"Hi," he said.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're alive, I've noticed."

"As are you," I responded. "They told me what you did. I don't know whether I should thank you or slap you."

"Why would you slap me?"

"Because it was incredibly stupid."

"I can't help that though. It's all about perspective."

I shook my head in amazement. "I'm leaning towards slapping you."

"Ouch," he frowned. "I thought we were closer than that."

"I just met you."

"That means nothing."

"Oh I believe otherwise," I countered.

He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "I should've seen that coming."

"You really should've," I murmured, turning back to my work. Picking up my pen, I began writing again; hoping Jack would get the picture and leave.

"What are you doing?"

"Hush," I scolded. I continued writing down all that had happened within the past few hours.

"Can I read it?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. My word is final."

"That's a matter of opinion," he huffed.

I looked up at him. He was just sitting there, examining me. "I have a niece who behaves better than you do. Please let me work," I begged.

"Fine. I'll stay quiet," he replied with a smile.

"Thank you," I sighed and turned back to the sheet of paper in front of me. I started writing again, the black ink bleeding onto the paper the details of the dangerous day I just experienced.

Jack was the first to break the silence. "You're a really good writer."

I quickly looked up. "What was that?"

"Oh. I didn't mention that I could read upside down?"

"No. You did not," I said through clenched teeth.

"Calm down. I mean, I already lived through it all."

"But this is different!" I complained. "These are my inner thoughts."

"You can't read psychic paper?"

"Don't you dare change the subject," I warned.

"Too late," Jack mocked, a smirk on his face. He stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out his own psychic paper. "Read it aloud."

I took it from his hand and stared at it. "Worthless." I tossed it back at him and sighed.

"I don't think it said that."

"You know what I meant."

"You honestly can't read it?"

"It's blank to me," I sighed. "What was it supposed to say?"

"Just rubbish," he answered sheepishly. "Continue writing."

"Oh no. Not now," I replied. "What did it say?"

"Nothing."

"Jack!"

"Avvie!"

"I thought you called me Karma."

"Yeah I stopped that when I found out you were going to die."

"What did that have to do with it?"

"Do you know what they say about karma?" he asked. I shook my head. "They say it's a bitch."

"You were calling me a bitch?" I shouted.

"I take it back now. You aren't a bitch," he continued. "Bossy? Yes. Demanding? Yes."

"Jack!"

"But," Jack began. "You're cute, so that makes up for most of it."

"Whoa. Stop. Hold the phone."

He chuckled. "What?"

"You think I'm cute?"

Jack shrugged. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Because," I stubbornly answered. "Now hush. I'm working." I turned back to my paper and picked up my pen.

"Not so fast," he quickly said. His hand reached out in front of my face and snatched the pen out of my hand.

"Don't you dare," I warned.

"I was just thinking," he began. "Can your face turn as red as your hair?"

I slowly reached up and tugged on the end of my ginger hair. "Please just give me back my pen."

"Tell me about yourself first."

"What?"

"These photos on your desk. Who are they?"

"Oh," I whispered. "My family and friends."

"I figured," he replied. He pushed his chair back and walked around to my side of the desk. "Tell me more about them."

"Why?"

"I just want to know more about you."

"Well," I began. "The first one is of me and my sisters."

"They're all your sisters?"

"Jack, I'm the youngest of eight in total."

"Are you serious?" he breathed.

I nodded. "There are five girls and three boys."

"What are their names?"

"Ingrid, Peter, Natalie, Mason, Lucas, Julie, Fallon, and Avalon."

"Wow."

"You're telling me. It was a hell of a childhood," I laughed. "Ingrid is nineteen years older than me. She was married when I was five."

"Are you close to her?"

I nodded. "Oh definitely. I'm actually closer to her than anyone else."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When I first… dreamt of something that hadn't happened… she was the first to know."

"What did you dream of?"

"The Doctor," I began. "It actually became real recently… when I first met him."

"So you dreamt of him before you met him?"

"Thirteen years ahead," I added. "Every night. Approximately 4748. That number isn't including the times I took naps and he appeared in them."

"You had the weirdest childhood."

"You don't have to say that twice."

"So in total about five thousand times?"

"At least. I saw him every single day. I was terrified. I didn't want to sleep anymore."

"What helped your fear?"

"I met a tall ginger girl at my parents' funeral which so happened to be the day after I had the dream."

"Who was she?"

"She told me her name was Ryan," I replied. "She lied."

"She lied?"

"Her name wasn't Ryan."

"What was it?"

"Avalon Banks."

"What?"

"Yep," I stated.

"You met… yourself?"

I nodded. "Not too long ago, actually. Well, technically thirteen years ago, but I just traveled and changed my memories recently. I think a few days ago, but I still can't tell in this box."

"You changed your memories?" I nodded. "Okay then."

I laughed. "It was awkward at first, but then it all sank in. It felt as though it was truly part of my past."

"So when you met yourself, you weren't scared of the Doctor as much?"

"No I still was, but not nearly as much."

"How long did it take you to get used to?"

"A couple of years."

"How did it feel after thirteen years of the same dream?" Jack asked.

"I honestly just wanted to meet the man so I could yell at him to stop invading my dreams."

He laughed and I smiled. "What do you dream of now?"

"Everything that will happen in the soon future."

"So if you fall asleep today, you'll dream of what happens tomorrow?"

"Exactly." Jack stared at me for a few moments, completely silent. "What is it? You're kinda scaring me."

"Is it worse knowing than not?"

I opened my mouth, expecting words to come out, but I fell silent. Part of me was screeching yes while the other was softly whispering how it actually wasn't. "Yes and no," I softly whispered. "Knowing certainly has benefits, such as knowing I'm going to live another day. But, I believe it has more downsides. Everything is already played out so I feel as though I must do everything I saw. If I change anything, I don't know what could happen."

"Is that why you fell today even when you could've avoided it?"

I nodded. "A black hole could open up and suck me in for all I know," I chuckled.

"Is it hard?" he questioned.

I shrugged. "Fate knows an awful lot about me. I mean, I'm just as sassy if it was really me talking."

"Is it 'real' you talking now? Or is it 'fate' you?"

"Real," I smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Why is that good?"

"Because I don't want to kiss someone controlled by fate," Jack smirked.

I only had seconds to think properly before he leaned forward and pressed his lips on mine, turning my mind and all my thoughts to mush.

What did I just do...?