Disclaimer: Do not own Doctor who or Torchwood, Yada yada yada.

A Second hand Goodbye

The sound of hammering can still be heard as they finish building the base, Jack sighed at his desk, the hammering grating on his building headache. He found his hand wandering to the necklace yet aging, the ordinary key upon it reflecting the light from the recently installed fixtures. Looking out of his office he could see the base of the Millennium Fountain. Above them Cardiff like the rest of the world tried to recuperate after the ghosts had turned out to be Cybermen. He had not known what they had been doing in the Torchwood institute in London; if he had he would have warned them long ago.

With another sigh he moved the mountain of paperwork to one side, having enough of signing forms and other rubbish for one night. The base would soon be fully operational, his team assembled. He found himself touching the key once more, in some kind of reassurance that it was still there. It was strange how he ended up heading the Cardiff branch of Torchwood. Arriving in Cardiff to see if he could find a trace of the Doctor, seeing if Rose had come home. Which she had for a time Mickey told him, said the Doctor had changed and gone back to space. He hadn't seen pictures of them in London, but some old pictures at the Torchwood manor all those years ago.

The Doctor really had changed, more hair, the huge ears were gone as was the leather jacket. So they had abandoned him…that hurt more than he would admit, the amount of times he had nearly thrown the key into the sea surprised even him. But the memories of their time together were too precious to throw away.

"Sir" He looked up at the voice of one of the young recruits, Michaels he thought his name was, very cute fellow. He would have to have a drink with him sometime. "This came for you, it is a report and CCTV video of what transpired at the Torchwood headquarters.

Oh that got his attention, supposedly Yvonne had been pushed back into some backwater base after that fiasco, letting Cybermen and Daleks run loose, not the best idea. He ignored the report a moment as he placed the CD into his computer. As it began to run automatically he began to read the report. He was not sure how long he read, but his attention was ripped from the paper to the screen the instant he heard her name.

"Rose!" Jack looked up to see a form on the ground, gold light filtering into nothingness. Then the form of the new Doctor running to her side. "Rose…what have you done?" His voice sounded so broken, full of horror and pain.

"What I had to, you know more would have gotten through. I had to stop them" her voice weak, so weak he could feel the pain inside her just from her voice, his knuckles white as he gripped the desk.

"Oh Rose…why…" Jack saw the Doctor cradle Rose to him, her eyes locked on his. Behind him he could see the Tardis doors open to the air, cables running from the old girl to some kind of gateway in the wall.

"She called to me Doctor.." he was drawn back to the moment by Rose's voice laced with even more pain.

"Who Rose?"

"The TARDIS, they hurt her, sucking the Vortex from her so she couldn't stop…but I could stop it. Send them back…so she called me….called the Bad Wolf" Her body seemed to spasm, and even from here Jack could see the gold flittering beneath her skin.

"No…. No,no,no,no. You took the Vortex in you again…no I told you no one is meant to do that"

"I had to My Doctor, to keep you safe" Rose caressed the Doctors face; and Jack knew that was a goodbye. He saw the Doctor notice the gold now, just as Rose's form began to disappear.

"Rose, no. You promised to stay with me forever remember…you can't leave…you…can't…die" The Doctors broken voice, Jack could see the tears on the Doctor's face, and knew they were flowing from his eyes just the same as the Doctor.

"I'm so sorry Doctor, who's going to hold your hand now? But don't worry I said forever and I mean it. In here" she placed her hand over his hearts. Then Rose leaned up pulling the Doctors face down so their lips met. At any other time Jack would have jumped for joy, exclaiming that it was about time. But not now. His heart broke for the Doctor, just as it broke for himself. That he would never see her again. Never laugh, flirt or kiss her again.

Jack looked back at the screen through blurred eyes as Rose's body became lax in the Doctor's embrace. Then like gold smoke her body disappeared completely. Trails of the dust entering the TARDIS. The Doctor did not seem to move, nor breathe. Just looking uncomprehending at his empty arms. He saw Yvonne walk in from the back. The guards with her as they pointed their guns at the Doctor. All was quiet a moment, until the Doctor put his head back and screamed his agony held all in one name.

"ROSE!"

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Jack couldn't bear to watch anymore, he switched it off. Knowing in the report that the Doctor had got away, taken Rose's mother with him and left. Oh god, how had he told Jackie? And Mickey? Jack wiped the still flowing tears from his eyes, hand yet again on the key, but this time in a tight grip, almost enough to draw blood. He had come here in search of the Doctor and Rose, to rejoin them and travel the stars. He reached the top draw of his desk and pulled out a photo of the three of them jammed into a passport photo booth in Cardiff, just down the street from here. It had been just before they had gone into the café and seen the newspaper with Blon on the front. They looked so happy, even the Doctor smiling in a carefree way.

Jack had hoped to rejoin them, those that had been more than friends to him, to back to how things used to be. But now Jack realised…..Nothing would ever be the same again..

"Oh Rosie.."

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No one would ask why Captain Jack Harkness had been crying in his office. Jack could be your best friend, yet never tell you anything about his past, or why he cried over a photo of a him with a man in a leather jacket…and a 19 year-old blonde girl.

THE END

KITG: there, just a little short fic. Just came to me. And made me cry.

See you in time :)