"Do you understand the rules," Lord Kind asked as he finished.

Jack agreed, seeing the others do the same. It was simple enough. One to four players in each level of the game, if you failed the level you were executed. If anyone was left outside the level they would be allowed to try to finish for the sake of the planet.

"First level is two players, I pick the pretty young one," Lord Kind winked at Grace and Jack tried to keep his anger in check. "And the one who seems to have a claim on her." He pointed to Jack. "Go through that door there."

Jack took Grace's hand, and the Doctor and Donna told them both to be careful. The Doctor also shot him a look he clearly meant to be a threat if Jack didn't take care of his little girl. The Doctor didn't need to worry. If Jack ever let anything happen to her, he would be his own worst enemy.

They stepped into the room, Lord Kind following and the door slammed behind them, closing them off from the outside world. When the lights came up they saw they were standing on a large round platform, and farther out the floor just stopped, leaving the potential for a very long fall if you stepped off.

"Two on two, a fight to the death," he explained, and then turned and started to walk away.

"Um," Grace was watching him go. "I try to avoid killing as a general rule."

"Then you will die," Lord Kind told her. "Which is a shame."

She wouldn't die, Jack knew that for a fact, because he would do whatever it took to protect her. "I'll kill them Grace."

He wasn't looking to kill anyone and the look on her face showed that she didn't want him to either. "Jack."

She used that tone on him that made it hard to think of anything but kissing her, but her face was serious. Her eyes watching the far door, expecting their challengers to appear at any moment.

"Grace," he sighed. "I don't want to do it but I will, if it means that you don't have to. I would do anything…anything…to save you even the tiniest amount of pain."

She was touched, her eyes soft and a small smile hinting at those pretty lips. She was pleased with him, maybe not enough to mention the ring- that he had purchased when she wasn't looking, and was now resting in his pocket- but pleased all the same.

The door opened, sliding up slowly, as if to add drama to this already awful situation and two large Toon's walked out. They had muscle on muscle and Jack swallowed. They were carrying two staffs each and when they finally got close enough they offered Jack one, while the other offered Grace one.

"Really, who fights with staffs," Grace muttered.

Jack smiled a little to himself. "Just hold off yours Grace, I'll take care of the rest."

Grace nodded, but he wasn't sure if that meant that she was actually going to listen. Probably not.

The Toon's made a show of bowing before them, which Grace and Jack mimicked but when they rose they were both swung at by the Toon's.

For all of Grace's protest she fought back easily, dodging and hitting though he could tell she was trying to hold back. She could destroy them, much stronger than her body let on. Just like her father, thin but strong.

Time Lord strength, the Doctor had told him once. Jack tried hard to keep an eye on her, and it cost him a blow to his arm. It was only after he was hit did he realize that the Toon's staffs had raised pieces on them to inflict more damage.

His soft grunt caused Grace to glance at him, which was why love was so dangerous in the middle of the battle, and she received a hard blow to her cheek. The blood began to flow at once, but she didn't slow to even show her surprise.

He took her lead, focusing only on the task at hand, but his mind was occupied with her. Before he knew it though she had her guy on the ground, standing next to him, both staffs in her hand, the guy just laid there, expecting her to finish the job.

The other Toon stopped fighting as hard when his partner was defeated, letting Jack take him easily. He stood next to his, but even though he knew that he could kill them both with a hard blow to the neck, he couldn't do it.

He didn't have to look up at Grace to know that she was watching him with those big green eyes. And she would forgive him anything, he was certain. But he didn't want her to have to forgive him for this. He wanted nothing more than to be a man worthy of her, and killing was not on the list to accomplish this.

He kept his eyes on his capture, but shouted out to the room. "Why do we have to kill them, we won, isn't that enough?"

There was no indication that anyone was listening but at long last Lord Kind entered the room. His blue face held a look of surprise.

"You show mercy, though they would have killed you." He asked Jack, but he kept glancing at Grace.

Jack was already annoyed, and he really didn't think he could tolerate much more of this but he focused on what he was doing now. "We don't want to kill anyone."

Grace smiled at him, all light and home, and he knew that he was never going to be the wrong kind of man again. She could melt the sun, and he had never stood a chance. And he had never wanted to.

"Mercy is weakness," Lord Kind told him with a glare.

"Violence is weakness," Grace challenged. Lord Kind looked uncertain, but when Grace added a soft please he nodded.

"Very well," He sighed, unhappiness written in his features, but he had bended to her will. "Level one is passed. Please join your family."

Grace and Jack dropped the staffs to the ground, and walked away. Jack didn't take her hand until they were at the door. He didn't want to rub it in Lord Kind's face that he could never have Grace, at least not after an act of kindness.

The Doctor and Donna wrapped them in tight embraces as soon as they exited, and the Doctor made them both sit it the chairs that had been provided. He used the sonic to stop their bleeding, and he cleaned them up, a worried look in his eyes, but a big smile on his face.

"I'm so proud of you two," he told them, honestly.

To Jack it meant so much. He knew the Doctor often felt it towards them but to hear it said was wonderful. He wanted to make these three people proud, more than anyone else in the universe.

And the green eyed girl next to him, well he wanted to make her proud most of all.

"Prepare for game two," Lord Kind, returned to the room, eyes on Grace. Jack thought he might be searching for approval. Maybe she could make a better man out of Lord Kind as well.