Chapter 7
Lexi's POV

I was trying to shove my sketchbook in to a bag when I entered the consol room and noticed the Doctor's trainer clad feet and long legs hanging over the side of the jump seat. I moved around the railing and found him there asleep, barely fitting his long body on the small two seater. I giggled at the sight but wondered if he had slept here all night. Perhaps he had meant to say awake to avoid the nightmares. It hadn't worked; his eyebrows were scrunched together in pain and his hands were clenched tightly to the seat cover. He was slipping off the seat and rather than let him be awakened two mornings in a row by hitting the floor, I decided to try to wake him gently. I got down on my knees close to him and, placing my hands on his arms, I shook him a softly as I could.

"Doctor?" I whispered, "Doctor wake up." His eyes flew open and his hand flew to my wrists in defense as if to hold me off. "Doctor it's okay. It's just me. It's Lexi!"

"Lexi?" The Doctor repeated as a question. He blinked, and the wild fear in his eyes disappeared, recognition in its place. "I knew that, course I did."

Maybe I've been the problem, maybe I'm the one to blame
But even when I turn it off and blame myself, the outcome feels the same
I've been thinkin maybe I've been partly cloudy, maybe I'm the chance of rain
Maybe I'm overcast, and maybe all my lucks washed down the drain
I've been thinking 'bout everyone, everyone you look so lonely

"Course you did." I smiled at him and he let go of my wrists to brush his knuckles along my cheek. I let my hands rest on his chest and I could feel his double heartbeat: Thump thump thump thump. It was a familiar feeling and the four beat pattern was calming. It brought back memories from the night we had shared together. I had fallen asleep to its lullaby as I lay against his chest. I quickly shook these memories away and focused on the present. "You were having another bad dream weren't you?"

"It's nothing." He said sitting up. I stood up to give him more room and he soon joined me.

"You alright?" He ran his hands over his face to wake himself up and then quickly through his hair as he when over to check the scanner.

"Me? I'm always alright."

But when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars I see someone else
When I look at the stars,
the stars, I feel like myself

Obviously he was pleased with what he saw there because he grinned. "Brilliant! Molto bene! Come on Cardiff awaits us. Allons-y!" He headed for the door.

"Are we gunna visit Jack?" I asked excitedly as I followed him out the door.

"And the rest of his team. Not that I know who is a part of it now." I laughed and we started towards town. After a few seconds of wandering around I asked:

"Have you even been to Jack's TORCHWOOD before?"

"Not as such. No."

"Then how are you going to get there?"

"Simple. I'll ask someone for directions." He ran over and tapped someone on the shoulder. The man nodded after a few seconds and pointed. The Doctor thanked him and jogged back over to over to me with a grin. "He said to head towards the docks. Come on."

Once we reached the water's edge the Doctor dug around in his pocket for his sonic screwdriver. Brandishing it he began moving it through the air in broad circles while it blinked and made weird sounds.

"What are you doing?" I asked, exasperated.

"Scanning for alien tech."

"Won't it just pick up itself?" He scowled at me.

"No. Ah! Here we go. It's identified three hot spots. There's the TARDIS and that is all the things I have in my pockets, so that must be Torchwood." He took off again and eventually successfully found a promising looking door.

Stars lookin at our planet watching entropy and pain
And maybe start to wonder how the chaos in our lives could pass as sane
I've been thinking bout the meaning of resistance, of a hope beyond my own
And suddenly the infinite and penitent begin to look like home

"After you." I ushered and he stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind me. Well at least now they know we're here. We wandered in a bit farther until we reached a reception desk. To both or surprise, we found Mickey sitting at this desk, texting someone on his phone.

"Sorry, we're closed for renovation. Thanks for coming." He said without looking up. I snorted and the Doctor grinned. Boy was Mickey in for a shock

" OI, Mickey the idiot!" He shouted loudly, making Mickey jump and drop his phone as his head snapped up. "Maybe if you look up when you talk to people instead of texting and begin rude, you'd get somewhere in life!"

"Doctor! Lexi!" Mickey exclaimed, shocked and not a tad bit embarrassed.

"Who were you expecting? Elvis and Lindsey Lohan? Did you grow a beard?" Mickey chuckled and held up a finger in a 'wait a sec' motion. He pressed a button on the desk.

"What is it, Mickey?" Gwen's voice came from a speaker.

"Tell Jack, the Doctor is here."

"Oh boy. Here we go. Hold on." There was silence during which I gave a confused look to the Doctor. He shrugged and looked at Mickey who grinned.

"Wait for it." He explained.

"WHAT!" Came Jack's shout from the intercom. "Let him in! Let him in! Martha, the Doctor's here! Gwen get that weevil out of here. Lois make yourself useful. Rhys get your feet off that! Why are you even here? Mickey let him in for God's sake!" Mickey burst into laughter and got up.

"Come on." He told us, getting up and heading over to a door. He pressed some buttons, entering a code, and it slid open. We walked down a dimly light metal hallway. I was starting to get excited. If the outside was this high-tech, I could only imagine the inside. I would have some amazing things to draw.

I've been thinking bout everyone, everyone you look so empty
But when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars I see someone elseWhen I look at the stars,
the stars, I feel like myself

We reached another door and put his palm flat against a pad. It lit up and the large round door rolled to the side on a track. We entered and my eyes widened. It looked like a space station had fallen out of orbit and buried itself underneath Cardiff.

"Welcome to the Hub, version 2.0" Mickey said ushering us inside so he could close the cog door behind us.

"Doctor!" Jack called climbing down a ladder and landing right in front of us.

"Nice entrance, Jack." Mickey snorted and pushed past him to go find the others.

"It's good to see you, Jack." The Doctor said, smiling despite himself.

"Of course it is." Jack beamed and opened his arms wide for a hug. "Come her, you gorgeous hunk of an alien." The Doctor's quirked an eyebrow but returned the hug.

"Just watch your hands." Jack laughed and released him. Then he noticed me.

"Well, hello there." He greeted, a little too friendly, offering his hand. "Jack Harkness."

"Stop it."

"What!?"

"Lexi Burke, I've heard all about you." I introduced myself shaking his hand firmly. His eyebrows scrunched together.

"All? But has he told you what he doesn't know? I thought not! Come on then." He turned and started deeper into the hub. The Doctor shrugged and took my hand. We followed Jack inside. Mickey was leaning over a computer with a pretty, dark skinned woman. "The pretty lady next to Mickey is Lois. She's our computer wiz." Lois looked up and waved. "Mickey helps her with the techy stuff, and answer our phone calls." Mickey made a face.

"I'm not a Tin Dog!" He called out.

"You're right." The Doctor called back, "K-9 is much cooler than you." Mickey turned his attention back to the computer, grumbling about how he never got any respect and he was going freelance one of these days.

"Martha?!" Jack called.

"I'm coming!" Came Martha's voice. She was climbing a set of stairs from a lower level. "It's not like he doesn't know who I am."

"Hi, Martha." I greeted. She smiled.

"Hey! Long time no see."

"Has it been that long?" The Doctor asked.

"Two and a half years. It's 2011." She answered.

"Whoops. I was aiming for early 2010. Eh, what's a year between friends?" Jack and I laughed.

"Well, if you've had the year I've had." Jack stopped laughing. I followed his example. The Doctor frowned.

"When did you leave UNIT for Torchwood?" He asked.

"A little bit ago. They needed a doctor; I needed to escape." The Doctor's eyebrows creased in worry. I wondered how much we'd missed.

everyone, everyone we feel so lonely
everyone, yeah everyone we feel so empty

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Jack?" Gwen asked from behind us. We all spun. "Gwen Cooper-Williams and this big lug next to me is my husband, Rhys." Rhys waved.

"Hello. I'm The Doctor, nice to meet you properly. This is my friend, Lexi."

"Hi." I said.

"She's my boss." Jack informed us proudly.

"Is she now? Last time we talked you were all 'my team'."

"Yeah, I went…exploring for bit and Gwen rebuilt the Hub, and put the team together, it's her's now."

"I guess it has been awhile."

"Last time I saw you, you hooked me up with a fellow named, Alonzo."

"I did? Really? Hmm... Why would I do that? Poor, Alonzo."

"Hey!"

When I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars,
when I look at the stars I feel like myself
When I look at the stars, the stars
I see someone...

Author Note:Song "Stars" by: Switchfoot

End of Time totally screwed up my plot line! So I had to set this in the future…so I could explain the Mickey/Martha-ness (which takes place a couple of years after this story takes place.

Right now, this is after Children of Earth and End of Time (Jack's scene). He has returned to the hub because he missed it too much. Martha has quit UNIT because Tom died. See! End of Time forced me to kill him off! Sigh. Mickey's been consoling her and it leads to their relationship in their scene in End of Time.

Lois is from Children of Earth. Rhys isn't on the team. He'll be leaving to pick up his and Gwen's kid from daycare in the next chapter (they aren't totally irresponsible parents). Mickey is the new Ianto...except he doesn't do coffee…or Jack.

OK, I think that about covers it. Review are love.