Earthdraco: Her hair was taken as punishment. I don't know about you, but I'd be devastated if my hair was all hacked off just because I told them to go shove their hair piece up their arse ;) Her appearance will be made clear when we can get an outside look at her, though, don't worry.

Princess Jennifer: You can say whatever you like in my reviews:p Heh, especially if you're fun with it! ;)

Borgprincess: Kit is my own character and you'll find out more about her soon enough, don't worry!

Goddess of Twilight: I'm not a Steven King fan, and 9 is the only Doctor I've really seen. I'd suggest keeping it as one fic to focus your energy on the one thing (trust me, tis a nightmare having so many fics!), but only if you think you can weave them together seamlessly. The categories sound intriguing together, but it's all up to you! It was nice of you to ask my opinion, though, am feeling all guru-y:p

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love ya all! ;) Keep feeding that review monster!

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Part Eight: To Search or to See

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A long time ago (time, of course, being relative to your current position - or positions - in it) humans discovered, though use of their innate curiosity, that there are mathematically proven universal constants. Likewise, a long time ago (regardless of his position in time) The Doctor discovered that the only human universal constants were those of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll; or in this case, sex (with various species, in any numbers, at any given time), drugs (from almost every planet in the reaches of known space), and techno-magma (a disgusting cornucopia of almost every musical style in creation all mixed together to create an ear-splitting din unlike anything heard anywhere else…ever).

Tsyaxialameraerinamalonius had once been a beautiful planet filled with nothing but untainted beaches, beautiful forests, gorgeous purple seas, and grassy plains that went on for miles. It was unpopulated except for the minimal plant and sea life and largely undiscovered, but the moment it was discovered it became one of the 'hot points' in the universe. The Doctor is likely the only being who remembers it as it once was; remembers what it was like before there was nothing but a mass of aliens from every origin that did nothing but party, leaving rubbish and various bodily fluids to litter the once magnificent planet. Beings (human and other) were unbelievably thick, he decides - and not for the fist time. Alone a person can be amazing, but the moment you add another five or more their brains just drip out of their ears, or whatever orifice they can find.

The Doctor glances out at the purple ocean to his left, watching as a group of people run along it; barely skimming more than a few centimetres before the buoyancy jiggles them. He wonders if the humans around him remember that old history book he once heard of that was pretty popular for a while; involved a man walking on water. That's right, Jesus; he remembers meeting the man in a pub a few months before the humanoid visited earth. Hadn't liked him much, had a bit of a God complex.

He looks around him, taking a few moments to find Kit amongst the writhing masses. The minute he spots her, he chuckles; she looks as pissed off as he is at the fruitlessness of the search. They've searched only a mile or so of the main walkway on the planets most popular continent and they've been at it for two days. He knows Kit must be tired, but she's said nothing and he knows she won't rest whilst he continues to look.

There are more people on this planet than he ever remembers there being before and it's beginning to dampen his spirits. Even if Kit didn't eventually require sleep, they could search for a few years and still not touch even a tenth of the planet's population. It was worse than finding a needle in a haystack; although, the Doctor has always wondered why humans would put a needle in a haystack when they were likely to need it, bit stupid if you ask him.

They'll never find Jack in this.

He sighs as he indicates to Kit that he's going to enter the next bar. She nods and makes her way to the doorway, briefly catching his hand and giving it a squeeze, before making a beeline for the far edge of the cramped room. The décor is nonexistent and he takes a moment to smile at the fact - it's been bugging Kit since they first arrived; no one cares what anything looks like, so long as there's inebriation of some description in their futures. Most aren't even that bothered with the need for a bed; after all, there are more exciting places to…well, he had to find Jack.

Looking around at the sea of people, he instantly rules out the ones with tentacles, brightly coloured skin and hair, females, short people, and the strange wibbly thing by the 'undecided' toilets. He growls softly under his breath and closes his eyes briefly, before glancing around the dingy nightclub. He can't see Jack at all. Kit catches his gaze from the other side of the room and shrugs. Nothing. They have been searching the planet for two and not only does he not remember anything more, but they have heard and found nothing of Jack.

He's about to call Kit over and tell her they need to take a break, but she's already gone from her last position. Aside from the fact that she needs sleep, he needs a break before he loses the will to live. The surroundings might be amusing to him in another time and place, in fact they have been and will be, but at the moment he just needs to get away from everything around him. He needs solitude. He needs Rose. She hasn't contacted him since they arrived and he's not going to deny that it worries him. However, he pushes those thoughts to the back of his head. He can't lose his focus now.

He glimpses Kit briefly and starts to move towards her. She's worrying him, which is the last thing he needs - another worry. He hadn't noticed before, but the further he thinks on it, the more he worries about his new companion. Over the last week or so, she's been sleeping a lot less. He's heard her moving about the ship at unlikely 'times', she's always trying to fix things, always up for a new adventure, and, at the moment, throwing everything she has into finding a man and woman she's never even met. Alone those things don't merit more than a thank you, but he's noticed how skittish she's been at times, he's seen the trancelike state she slips in and out of, and, more than that, he's seen the look. When she thinks he's not paying attention to her, her guard falls and he sees it; the blinding terror behind her eyes that's so striking it even terrifies him, a nine hundred year old Time Lord, the only survivor of a dead race.

"Watch it!"

His attention zones in on the voice instantly, like a homing beacon. He spots Kit ahead of him, looking at the person that knocked into her in askance. "You're the one who knocked into me, you stupid git!"

"Really, sweetheart, if you'd wanted to touch me, all you had to do was ask."

"Oh, please, do you actually think you're being suave?"

"Darling, I know I am."

"Don't you darling me, you-"

Whatever Kit's about to say can wait as the Doctor pushes between them. He's not even sure if he's really seeing things right. Has he just patched the image he wants to see on something else? A moment passes and he knows its right. They men grin at each other before hugging tightly. It's definitely real. They're laughing in relief and the Doctor doesn't even try to hide his happiness when Kit's voice breaks over the music.

"No. Ugh, please tell me this smarmy git isn't Jack."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kit," the Doctor says, pulling back. "But this is him in the flesh."

"You'd better believe it. And if you want to see more of the flesh, sweetheart, just let me know." Jack says with a wink.

"Not even in your dreams, wiseass."

He smirks and looks back at the Doctor. "I can't believe you came back for me." There's a beat and Jack frowns. "You did come here for me, right?"

"Yes, Jack, we came here for you."

"But we changed our minds."

"Kit," the Doctor says warningly, not even turning to look at her. "You all right?"

"I'm not sure. Do you know who Rose is? Because until about a week ago, I didn't. Now, she's everywhere and, pretty as she is, I can't figure out if she's real or not."

"She's real."

"Right," Jack says grimly. "And I'm guessing she didn't leave by choice."

"Got it in one."

"So, I'm guessing a rescue mission is in order." Jack says with a nod and the Doctor agrees. "I may need to partake in a little ass kicking as well. Something with big guns."

"Overcompensating?" Kit asks with a sugary voice.

"Sweetheart, I'd need gun barrels to be overcompensating."

"You're disgusting."

"You're annoying." He turns back to the Doctor. "Where did you pick her up? And more to the point, why?"

"You know, you two sound like an old married couple." The glares make the comment worth it. He smirks. "Come along, children, we've got a rare flower to find. And if you play nice, we might stop for ice cream."

Jack grins and follows them out of the club. "I always wondered why I left you." He looks serious for a moment. "I really couldn't figure it out. Why would I choose this place over you?" The Doctor grins and Jack smiles at him. "I mean, if you and Rosie ever want to come back here and indulge in a little, you know what, then fine. But alone? Not so much fun."

"I doubt you were along for long, Jack," the Doctor says, smirking.

"Well, there's only so much gratification from gorgeous, horny strangers a guy can…am I actually saying what I think I'm saying?" Jack frowns. "I think they took more than my memories."

"It's good to have you back."

Jack smiles. "It's good to be back. There is one thing I want to know, though. I still don't understand why we were allowed to remember each other at all," Jack says softly, still looking at him as if he's about to disappear. "I mean, I remember being on the TARDIS with you and then leaving, although they never could make the reason sound right in my head. I mean, why let us remember at all?"

"Simple. They underestimated how much we meant to each other."

Jack grins. "Well, that was just stupid."

"Wasn't it just."

"You know what I think?"

"You think?" Kit mutters, but they both ignore her.

"I think it's time we found Rosie."

The Doctor's smile fades and he nods. "I couldn't agree more."

Jack nods and their strides get more determined. All that matters is finding Rose…which is why neither of them notice Kit's eyes glaze over as she staggers to keep up.

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End of Part Eight

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I couldn't help myself! I had to have some Doctor/Jack-ness in there! g Hope you're still liking! Go on, review, you know you want to… ;)