Disclaimer: I'm just about to reach another level of non-ownership-ness. Be nice.

A/N: Quite short, but I wanted to leave it like this so I could start the next bit properly. Enjoy!


New Beginnings

It was just luck that I heard it. If I hadn't turned around at that moment to poke Ianto back, I wouldn't even have seen it as it appeared in the distance.

We were on the way back to the Hub, after Gwen had burst into the office - interrupting Jack and I - and convinced me I'd been cooped up inside for too long. Like she hadn't. But Ianto, Toshiko and Owen ended up coming with me, while she stayed with Jack. We were bringing coffee back for everyone (though Heaven knows why, as Ianto's is so much better), now that everything was back to normal. Well, normal for Torchwood.

All I had been able to think of was the kiss. Did it mean anything? I wasn't sure. Would I do it again? Well, yeah.

So anyway, when we rounded a corner and started walking towards the Hub, and I heard this sudden gust of wind pick up, I remembered the date. 28th of July. Now, with all that had been happening recently, I had almost forgotten about the Doctor and Rose, but the sound sparked my memory and everything came rushing back.

At first I thought it was just that, wind, but I needed to be sure.

"You guys go ahead." I told the others, passing the four plastic cups of coffee I was holding to Toshiko before dashing off around the corner with no further explanation.

It was just seconds before the loud wooshing sound began. Another few seconds before the TARDIS began to materialise. Another few before my mouth stretched into a grin and I sprinted towards my home. I thought I heard Jack behind me, and a quick glance behind me proved me right as I saw him in the distance. I wondered how he'd gotten out of the Hub so quickly, but didn't dwell on the thought.

It seemed to take forever for me to reach the blue box. My smile couldn't have been any bigger as my shaking hands pushed open the door, and filled with adrenaline, I rushed up to the console.

"Doctor! Rose!" I called loudly, not even having seen them yet. I looked around at my home in wonder, my heart buzzing with excitement. The Doctor's face, complete with wide, shocked eyes, stared up from behind the console.

"Alli..." he breathed. I ran into his arms, oblivious to his startled expression as his faced paled. He held me in a fatherly hug all the same, but then abruptly guided me away and dashed back to the console, where he glanced once at the screen and pulled down a lever.

"No -" I began, but it was too late. "Jack was outside." I explained, slightly hurt.

The Doctor didn't reply, merely looked slightly confused, but my thoughts cleared suddenly. "Where's Rose?" I asked excitedly, looking around the room. "I've got so much to tell you two; is she in your -"

I cut mid-ramble as my eyes fell on a dark haired, dark skinned woman standing apprehensively behind the console, a few metres away from the Doctor. My mouth remained hanging open, though I had no words.

"Alli," the Doctor said softly, glancing back at the woman then to me. "There's something I - Whoa!" This time the Doctor was cut off, as the TARDIS gave a sudden rumble and jolted to the side. Sparks jumped out from the mechanism. He leapt back to the console screen, lifting his left foot onto the mechanism, supposedly to steady himself, and the woman joined him. I pushed myself up off the floor and ran over to them, not caring for my stupefied expression as I stared at this strange lady in my home.

Where the Hell was Rose?

"What was that?" the woman asked the Doctor, seemingly angry about the abrupt take off, which annoyed me. That was my job.

"We're accelerating." the Doctor supplied for her, though it was more of a question. "Into the future!" he confirmed as he read the Gallifreyan writing on the screen. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion. What?" His eyes, and mine, grew wide with amazement as we both studied the screen. "The year one hundred trillion! That's impossible!"

"Why?" the woman asked. "What happens then?" I looked to the Doctor as well, not knowing the answer to this specific question, and feeling particularly vulnerable because of it. That curiosity was the only thing that restrained me from asking again where Rose was.

The Doctor stood up slowly, staring straight ahead at the door. "We're going to the end of the Universe."


A/N: So, what do you think?