Life Lesson

The door to Jack's office opened suddenly, and he looked up, ready to yell at whoever it was to get out. They'd had a very bad day that day and it had ended in Jack having to bail Owen out of jail. Since then, he'd been stuck writing up his report, which proved to be harder than usual. The only thing that stopped him from snapping was the sight of Rose, who looked absolutely horrible. "Rose," he said in surprise, getting to his feet. She stepped inside and moved to him. He wrapped her up in a tight hug, and she settled her head on his chest silently. "Something happened."

She nodded into his chest, unwilling to let go. "It's bad, Jack. I really messed up."

He shifted to look down at her and pushed her hair out of her eyes. They were glowing more than usual, but they also looked devastated. "What happened, Rosie?"

"I killed people," she whispered. "I tried getting to the Doctor, but I wasn't… I didn't know, and now they're dead."

The look he gave her prompted her to explain the entire situation. When she was finished, he let out a sigh and guided her out of the office and then out of Torchwood entirely. They walked for nearly five minutes, holding hands, before he finally spoke. "No one can say anything to make this better. You made a mistake, a really big one, and people died for it. We can't erase that. But you know now. You know that your power is strong, but it can be beaten. Having the sense of morals that you do means that it can happen, Rosie. You got what you wanted - the Doctor - but you lost other people for it. Power doesn't have morals. You have to be careful, practice restraint."

She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, eyeing the lights of the city in front of them. "It could happen again."

"Yeah, it could."

"I can't… how am I supposed to use it to help people if I've used it and killed people with it?" she wondered. "I don't even feel… if I can do this, am I even a good person? I have the ability to kill ten people and not even realize it."

Jack stopped and grabbed her face in his hands to look down at her seriously. "Rose, listen to me. You are the best person I know - the best person I've ever known. That doesn't change because you're finding out more about your power and made a mistake. It's horrible, and I'm so sorry it happened, but you're still you."

Rose didn't respond to that, so they started walking again. After a few minutes of silence, she changed the subject. "The Doctor told me he loves me."

Jack stopped short in shock. "What? The Doctor? Our Doctor? The man with the blue box?"

She laughed slightly. "Yes, that Doctor. We ran into- ah, right. You remember Abbadon?"

He rolled his eyes at her slightly. "The creature that pretended to be Satan? Killed me pretty bad? Yeah, I think I vaguely remember."

She laughed and nudged him. "Shut up. We ran into him again. I think from before he came here. He was chained in a Pit on a planet called Krop Tor that orbited a black hole."

Jack stared at her in disbelief.

"I don't know what I believe abouts gods and devils," she continued. "I guess I sort of have to believe they exist, considering…"

"You are one," he nodded.

"But we met him and, god, Jack, I kinda think he might be the real deal. Even if he isn't, he's a damn good imitation. The Doctor went into the Pit, and Ross-," she cut short again and shifted a little. "It doesn't matter. The Doctor, I guess when he was down there, he decided he couldn't potentially die without me knowing, so he told a woman to tell me, but I didn't let her. When we got out of it, he told me himself."

"So, you're…" he raised an eyebrow at her. She shifted slightly.

"I think defining what we are is a bit difficult with the Doctor," she admitted. "Dating is a bit off since we live together and travel together and literally spend all our time together, but it's not like we're engaged. I think we're just… partners."

Jack grinned and picked her up in another hug. "That's great! And how is he handling an actual relationship?"

Rose rolled her eyes with a smile. "He's a bit odd about it. I don't think he's entirely sure how they work, but he's trying pretty hard. He told me yesterday he's gonna take me to Barcelona soon. I just don't think…"

"Huh?"

"We don't have time."

Jack let out a small laugh. "Rose, all you have is time."

She shook her head, her mood shifting again. "It's happening soon. This last trip, it was the last one before Canary Wharf. We're almost there, and I have no clue what's going to happen. I'm terrified."

"Canary Wharf," Jack repeated slowly. "What happens there?"

Rose looked at him curiously. "You know about it. You said I've told you… what year is it?"

"2004," he answered. Understanding passed through her. "A little early, I take it?"

"I'd really like to sync up with you at some point," she sighed. "Yeah, it's a bit early. Uh… soon, very soon for me, we're going to go to Canary Wharf. There's another version of Torchwood there, and they collect alien artifacts and use them as weapons and the sort. I can't explain much, but… we're going to run into two of our worst enemies, and there's a chance I'm going to be stuck in another universe. The one I was in before coming back here."

Jack's eyes widened slightly. "This is that thing you said… shit, Rosie, did you come here to say goodbye?"

She looked at him sadly. "I didn't get to last time. If things go the same way, I need you to know that I love you and I always will, and that you're the best friend I've ever had. I'll miss you."

Jack grabbed her into yet another hug and held her tightly. "I love you too, Rosie, but you're not going anywhere. You'll figure it out."

"Yeah, but in case I don't," she said. "Just remember."

"I couldn't forget," he assured her. "Now, we're going to have dinner and sit and talk, and I'm going to send you back to the Doctor happier than when you got here, got it?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded sharply. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to a restaurant with the hopes of taking her mind off things.

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