Still alive guys! I've been spending lots of time working on non-fanfiction projects but i think i'll be writing more of this in the near future? Hopefully. stay tuned c:

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When Alice woke up, the Hub was as quiet as it had been when she arrived. As she sat up, the door opened and Jack entered the room. Alice jumped and pulled the sheets around her.

"I got you some more clothes," he said, ignoring her skittishness. "It's not much, but it should be enough. Come on, take a look." Cautiously, Alice got out of bed and took a plastic bag from Jack's outstretched hand. Inside were four dresses in varying shades of blue.

"They're perfect," Alice said in surprise. Jack grinned.

"The Doctor told me that blue was your favorite color," he explained, "And I figured you were the kind of girl who liked dresses."

"Jack," Alice gasped, "This is wonderful." She held up a strapless dress in a pure shade of deep blue with a white underskirt. Jack's smile softened.

"Try it on," he suggested. "I was only guessing with sizes."

Alice hesitated, then slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She emerged moments later; the dress fit her perfectly. It hugged her small torso despite the empire waist and ended just above her knees with some of the underskirt peeking out from under the blue fabric.

"It's beautiful, Jack," Alice breathed.

"Good. The others should fit too. They're all the same size." Alice looked at him suddenly, as if she was seeing him for the first time.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. Jack shrugged.

"I promised the Doctor I'd take care of you," he said simply.

"Really. So if some other man appeared in your secret base and shoved an unknown alien at you, demanding that you look after it, you'd do the same?"

"Maybe not," Jack conceded with a laugh. "But the Doctor's no ordinary man. And not many aliens are as pretty as you are. Aw, come on, I was just joking," he amended as Alice frowned at him. "Hey," he said suddenly, "Come see the city with me."

"What—" Alice started, but Jack was already grabbing her hand and pulling her out of his room. He raced down to the center of the Hub, Alice hot on his heels.
"Now stand here," he said, positioning her on a platform near the central bank of computers. He pressed a button on one of the keyboards and hurried back to where Alice was standing.

"And up we go," he said. The ground beneath their feet jolted and began to rise. Alice jumped and grabbed Jack's arm.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Showing you Cardiff," he replied. "It's okay. No one's gonna hurt us." Alice didn't reply. She stood uncomfortably next to Jack. Though he was nice enough, and seemed as energetic as the Doctor, she didn't trust him. The fact that she couldn't read his emotions unless he let his guard down bothered her. She had seen enough of the universe to know that people who put such effort into guarding their minds had a lot to hide.

As the lift came to a smooth stop, Alice gasped and staggered backwards.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, his hand on her shoulder.

"So many people," Alice gasped. "So many feelings…"

"Come with me," Jack said, helping her up. "Try and block it out." Alice did as Jack told her, albeit with difficulty. She'd been to many cities that teemed with far more life than this one, but those cities had been alien. Human feelings were so raw and unguarded, and the sheer force of their combined mental weight left her breathless. Alice was so focused on keeping the rush of thoughts and emotions at bay that she didn't notice where they were going until they got there.

"So," Jack said. "What do you think?" They were on top of one of the taller buildings in their general area. Alice looked around her, finally having managed to block out the emotions of the city.

"In all honesty, it's quite ugly," she said softly.

"Compared to the sights you've seen, it probably is," Jack laughed. His expression grew serious. "Sometimes, this place makes me lose faith in humanity," he said quietly. "The things I've seen, Alice, in this town alone…! Sometimes I honestly don't know how it could get any worse than this."

The two sat in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts.

"Why would the Doctor bring me here?" Alice said, half to herself. "If this place is so horrible, why would he leave me here?"

"Maybe he believed you'd be better off," Jack replied. "You've been with him a long time, longer than most. The way he saw it, it was probably only a matter of time before something bad happened to you. Maybe he thought it would be better if he left you with someone he trusted instead of continuing to put you in danger."

"Maybe," Alice said. She rubbed the teeth of the TARDIS key between her fingers. "We're all just fools, aren't we Jack?" she murmured. "Silly, insignificant fools, always chasing after his shadow."

"We may be fools, but I prefer to see us as the chosen fools," Jack said with a wry laugh. "After all, the Doctor doesn't just pick random strangers off the street to travel with him. I figure there must be something special about all of us that draws us to him, or him to us, whichever you prefer." Alice snorted.

"I suppose that's a better way to look at it. Still doesn't change anything, though."

"There's a life beyond the Doctor," Jack said quietly. "I know it doesn't seem like there is, but believe me, it's there. Trust me, I know."

"You had a life before him," Alice pointed out. "I didn't."

"Then for you, it'll be a little harder to find. But you'll get there. I know you will."

"Thank you, Jack," Alice said after a few minutes of silence had elapsed.

"For what?"

"For being kind to me."

"I promised the Doctor I'd take care of you," Jack said. "Being kind to you is the least I could do.

"And you've already done more than that. It can't be easy…Torchwood sounds like a full-time responsibility."

Jack's expression hardened.

"It consumes you, after a while. I always tell my team to hold on to the lives they have outside of it. The worst mistake they could make is to let Torchwood become the sole purpose of their existence."

"What about you, Jack? What's the sole purpose of your existence?" When he didn't answer, Alice tried to read his thoughts. They remained as impenetrable as ever, but his emotions were a different story. When Alice opened herself to them, she was hit with a wall of overwhelming bitterness and anger. Suddenly, Jack stood up.

"That's enough stargazing for one night," he said in a commanding voice. "Let's get back to the Hub so we can work out where you'll be sleeping." He strode off towards the staircase that lead off the roof, and Alice had to hurry to keep up with him. His sudden change of mood surprised her, but she didn't show it. The best way for her to learn how to fit in at Torchwood would be to imitate its leader. If Jack kept his thoughts and feelings under lock and key, she would too.