ABOMINATION
THIRTYEIGHT
The nascent entity inside her head expressed shock and dismay.
"Don't worry," Wil told it, "The Doctor is not harmed. It's just that he is not very happy with you at the moment. To be honest when he wakes up he's not going to be very happy with me, either, but that's beside the point. I wasn't sure he would allow you to leave as I've promised. I felt it better to not take chances."
Then her other inner voice spoke up. Wil was starting to feel like her brain was getting a bit overcrowded…
#/ Wil, what are you doing? /#
#/ You know what I'm doing. You also know I have no choice. /#
#/ There are always choices. /#
#/ Yes, but only one that allows me to keep all my promises and retain my self-esteem. You know what I must do so let me do it. /#
#/ Wil… /#
#/ Hush. /#
"We must go now," she told the emerging TARDIS. "Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Then fulfill the rest of our agreement. Once I am certain, we'll leave."
Wil watched as the surrounding area became a soft, monotonous, drizzly grey. Then, as if her vision was suddenly clearing after a swim in the ocean, the room's old appearance reformed, reshaped and was restored. It was the Hub again down to the old pizza boxes, overflowing waste bins and dried coffee spills. The fetid goop on the floor was gone.
#/ Donna is safe, Wil. /#
#/ Wonderful! Take good care of her. /#
#/ Yes, I will. Take good care of yourself. /#
#/ Back at ya. /#
And just like that, the connection with The Doctor's ship was severed. For a nanosecond Wil Beinert grieved deeply.
"Will this not be hard for you?" the voice asked her.
"Yes, but go ahead. Lesson number one: not all difficult things are bad." Wil smiled inwardly, "You'll be tested on that later."
Then her eyes opened wide with wonder.
Out of his office, as if he was emerging from behind stage curtains to take a bow, stepped Jack Harkness.
He was stark naked and visibly damp, as if he'd just walked out of the shower. His skin glistened. His hair gleamed. His eyes sparkled. He looked around, blinking, as if he was trying to get his eyes accustomed to the light. When he saw her, he smiled.
He was beautiful and she loved him.
"Did you have to do it like this?" she thought, suddenly feeling breathless.
"I have my reasons," was the soundless response.
"Wil?" Jack asked, looking into her eyes.
"Jack…" she found couldn't say it.
It turned out that she didn't have to.
The sudden realization hit Jack like a pale, cold morning. His smile vanished. "Please… don't take my heart away," he said whisper-soft, his face, his entire body a portrait in sorrow.
She waited for a long moment and then responded with equal gentleness. "We'll meet again," she murmured and then closed her eyes, "someday…"
"TARDIS," she thought.
"Teacher," was the reply.
And then she was gone.