I am SO sorry this took such a long time to update. But between real life and my muse fighting me it just got nuts. Thank you to everyone who has commented so far and I am glad youa re enjoying the story. A great big thanks and hug to my BETA Lauren. and to Teri and Etti over at the OG borads. As normal I don't own Doctor Who...whish I did.

XYZ

Now this was odd. Well when he thought odd he meant a bit strange…ok maybe really strange…now when he says that he means…Good grief he even rambled in his dreams. Oh and speaking of dreams where was he? Oh yes! This was odd…well when he says…

"Do you ever shut it?"

Oh now this was very interesting…Not only was he dreaming, but it seems that he was talking to himself as well…in a matter of speaking anyway. Nothing worse than a dream where you talk to yourself, well not really yourself but rather your former self but still yourself. Oh now this was just getting confusing.

"Well if that's any proof no, you don't ever shut it. Wonder how Rose ever got a word in edgewise."

Oh Rose…his Rose…wonderful Rose…sweet Rose…

"Yeah and you had to go and loose her didn't you."

Oh now that was a bit harsh. Now when he thinks harsh he really means…

"Oh shut it!"

Now that was just rude. He doesn't remember being that rude when he was in that incarnation. Well maybe he was a bit rude, but not that rude. Oh well there was that one time…wait a minute…

Rose…he lost her…

And then he saw it. The room, exactly as it was when he tore himself away from the sealed wall. A simple piece of steel and concrete his only connection to Rose. He couldn't save her. He couldn't help her. He lost her.

"That's right. You lost her."

No, he sent her away. Sent her to safety. But Rose, stubborn, independent Rose had to come back. Had to prove that she meant what she told him. She promised him forever. She promised the impossible, and part of him believed her.

"She nearly died for us. She gave up everything for us. She loved us!"

God he knew that. He knew it and he did nothing. Oh he had his chance more than once. He could have told her, but the Coward did what he always does. Hide behind the façade of smiles and adventure, always trusting that he would have time.

"Time? Now there's a fine thought. Time for what? Time has never granted us anything but lose and pain. We always loose everything. Times Champion? Time Lord?! Ha! More like Time's Slave. We dance to the tune she sets us and we pay the price for it. Is it worth it? Is it all worth it? Gallifrey? Romana? Rose? How much death have we left in our wake? How much more pain can we take? How much longer must we burn?!"

Oh now he remembered what he was like in his last body. Full of pain. Full of hate. Full of guilt. He survived, he had to.

"Your no different…"

Suddenly the room shifted and there she was. The pull of the Vortex tore at her as one-by-one Dalek and Cybermen flew by. He could hear himself yelling telling her to hold on. Then slowly the lever began to move and he watched frozen as Rose let go and locked the lever into full position.

"You told her a storm was coming. She promised you forever. What did you promise her?"

He reached for her. Pleading that for once fate would not be so cruel as to tear away his anchor to sanity.

"What did you promise her? Nothing!"

Time was against him as she slowed moment by moment as Rose's grip failed and she slipped away from him. Falling, screaming, her fear washed over him.

"You failed. You let them take her from us."

No! No! nonononononono…please not again. He can't watch again!

"You will watch! As I watched Gallifrey burn! This is your sin! This is your demon! This is your nightmare! And I hope you never escape."

ROOOOOOOOOOSE!!!!

XYZ

Head and body slamming against something hard and unyielding was not the way he had planed to wake up. Actually he didn't even mean to fall asleep, or remember even getting to his room. In fact last thing he remembered was sending Martha off to make tea and then nothing, blank, well until his floor decided to assist in his waking.

Well no use just lying here and contemplating the reasons of the universe. He thought to himself as he sat up and rubbed the nasty knot that was beginning to form on the back of his head.

"Doctor?" Martha's voice carried through the door. "You alight?"

"Fine, great, stupendous." He answered as he quickly pulled himself to his feet. "Never better."

"You sure?"

He could hear the disbelief in her voice. "Why wouldn't I be?" He pulled to door open and smiled brightly at her. "See nothing wrong I am 100 perfect."

She glanced behind him at the tatters of his bed. "Right…"

He flashed her a hurt look. "Would I lie to you? Ah!" He waggled a finger at her. "It doesn't count in life or death situations."

Martha snorted. "Fine you don't want to talk about it, I'll just go back to my breakfast." She spun on her heel and walked away muttering about his ability to drive anyone to insanity.

He backed into his bedroom and firmly closed the door behind him. Ok so maybe he was a bit more bothered by what had happened then he let on. Loosing time wasn't something that he did that often, and when it did happen it was never for the better. He ran a hand through his hair sending it into an even more disarrayed state. Think. Met Martha in the library to solve her little mystery. Sent her off to make some tea while I looked over the book… He paused. The book!

He spins around as his mind suddenly connects the events of the night before, and there on the bed lays the source of his missing moments. An innocent enough looking item, but something tells him it is anything but simple or innocent. Cautiously he approached the leather bound object on his bed, reinforcing his shields before he reached a hand out to touch it. He closed his eyes and tensed expecting some reaction.

Nothing…

He cracked open, sighed, and pouted. "Now that's a bit unfair, you're supposed to do something or am I supposed to do something?" He picked the book up. "Great it has an on/off switch and I don't have the remote for it." He flipped the book open and blinked in surprise when the pages that just last night had been full of words, now stood blank. "Curiouser and curiouser."

He tossed the book back on his bed quickly pulled on his Converse and heads for the control room. He smiles at Martha as he scoots past her in the hall and grabs the cup of tea she holds out to him. "Thanks," he gulps down the beverage and starts dancing about the controls. "Have to give you a rain check on visiting the Temple of Medox."

Martha sighed and settled on the jump seat. "Where we off to then?" She grabbed the teacup from the Doctor as he danced past.

"Oh you know," He flipped switches and gave the console a tap with the mallet. "Somewhere, nowhere, everywhere."

"Doctor, last time you said that we ended up stuck up to our necks in mud with the entire population of Wexlon V betting on which of us would die first."

He paused in his dancing and gave her a pouting look. "Well I did promise you a mud bath."

Martha snorted. "You promised me a planet with the best day spa in the galaxy. I'm beginning to wonder if you even know how to drive this thing." She teased.

"I'll have you know that I was top of my class." He grins as the TARDIS begins to rematerialize. "And here we are."

"And where is here?" Martha asked as she followed the Doctor to the door. She stepped out and glanced around. "Doctor?"

He grinned as he stepped out beside her. "Wait for it."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The Doctor turned and smiled at the man behind him. "Hello Jack, you remember Martha."

XYZ

Rose Tyler loved a good mystery at times. She loved puzzling out the clues and hints that were left behind. This however was not one of those times that she enjoyed the conundrum before her. She had stopped glancing at the clock when it had read 2am and she still refused to give up on trying to figure out the cryptic message that now so hated book had given her. She knew deep down that she might be playing too much into it, but another part of her screamed for her to unravel the twisted strings in front of her and learn what was hidden within.

There were times Rose Tyler hated a good mystery.

Morning sunlight streaking through her window was the first hint she allowed in that she had spent the entire night staring at the dusty pages. She leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. This was getting annoying, and that just made her dig her heels in harder and try to figure out what was going on. "Bloody thing's prolly laughing at me." She mutters as she again flips through the blank pages.

"You look like hell."

Rose jumped and glanced up to her door. "What are you doing here?"

Alyce laughed lightly as she entered. "You Da called and told me I better pop in and make sure you were still alive. That and I thought you might like a little pick-me-up."

Rose smiles tiredly at the cup of coffee Alyce sets in front of her. "What time is it anyway?" She takes a grateful sip.

Alyce settled into the chair in front of Rose's desk and took a sip from her own cup. "Near 5:30, and don't look guilty about me being here. I was up anyway."

Rose slumped forward on her desk. "Maybe I'm going insane."

"We work for Torchwood, of course we're insane." Alyce sat her cup on the desk and leaned forward, her impish smile spreading across her face. "Any luck with the bloody book? Or should we just use it for target practice?"

Rose shook her head. "Nothing, I'm not even sure what I was looking for to begin with."

"Oh target practice it is then." Alyce leaned over and grabbed the book up flipping through the pages. "I was thinking that new flame thrower the boys in R&D came up with, we could just BBQ it a bit."

Rose blinked and stared blankly at Alyce before breaking into a laugh. "I needed that."

"I know," She sat the book back on the desk. "I know you want answers, but it's not all going to come to you if you keep forcing."

Rose sighed, "I've been going about this all wrong." She stood and started to pace. "Something triggered it, but what?"

"Could it have been the scanner when R&D had it?"

She shook her head, "No, it was blank when Emma examined it in the lab." She ran a frustrated hand through her hair "Nothing happened until it was here. In this office."

Alyce tap a finger thoughtfully on her chin. "What could you have in here that could possibly trigger a reaction from it this afternoon, but not now?"

"I don't know…" She paused in her pacing. "No it can't be that simple."

"What?" Alyce asked as Rose rushed to her desk and pulled out a simple box. "Rose?"

"It was sitting on my desk when I looked at the book." She carefully opened the box and pulled out along chain to which a key was attached, a key that was glowing golden. "That's it."

"What the…!" Alyce jumped to her feet and with speed that contrasted her normal calm manner she dove across the desk sending the contents crashing to the floor, yanking the key from Rose's hand, and shoving Rose away. "Out now." Her usual quiet tone now sharp as a knife, her eyes calm and calculating.

"It's alright Alyce."

She turned slightly. "I said out Ms. Tyler." Her tone demanded action and not question. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a portable scanner that she ran over the key. "And remain out until I deem otherwise."

"No," Rose's brown eyes locked with Alyce's green. "What dose the scanner say?" She asked calmly.

Alyce frowned at the readings. "It's clean." She relaxed slightly and put the scanner back in her pocket.

"It's harmless." Rose held out a hand waiting.

Alyce glanced from the glowing key to Rose's hand and with a reluctant sigh returned it. "On the record this is against my better judgment."

Rose closed her hand around the key and held Alyce's eyes for a moment longer. "On the record I don't give a damn what you think." She turned and moved back to her desk stepping over the items strewn across the floor.

"I'm doing my job…"

Rose spun around key still clutched in her hand. "And I'm doing mine." She pulled the book to her and flipped open the pages.

Alyce stepped forward. "Just promise me one thing."

"What?" Rose snapped.

"If your planning on giving me a heart attack, at least wait until after I've finished my coffee."

Rose smiled slightly then turned her attention to the book. "It's working."

Across time they sing. Across space they walk. Forever apart. Forever together. Pulled apart by the darkness of the undying enemy. Bound by paths that are yet to cross. The Wanderer and the Wolf lost…alone…waiting. As the tapestry unwinds around them. As time moves in its dance. There is only one way. There is only one time. There is only one chance.

That which was healed, is now undone. The scar will crack, and the way will open. The Wolf will pass and all will be as it is meant.

The way is shut. The key is lost. The Wanderer grieves. The Wolf howls. The Unborn Pays. The Child cries. And only time can save them.

The way once shut shall shatter. The scar shall break The Child of Time will light the way. The way is set. The Wolf and Wanderer shall be one. That which was broken shall be healed. The time is now.

The Bad Wolf returns.

"That makes no sense." Alyce sighed as she leaned back from reading over Rose's shoulder. "It's like a riddle and a bad one at that."

Rose gently set the book back on her desk. "Scar," She leaned back in her chair, hand still clutching the key as she thought. "It keeps mentioning a scar." She shakes her head. "No you're right it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe you should give that thing back to R&D and forget you ever found it."

Rose shook her head. "To late to forget about it…" She broke off as her phone rang. "Tyler. What? How long ago?" She spun around to her computer and quickly typed in some commands. "I want transport standing by in twenty minutes." She hung the phone up and stood. "Alyce get the team in." She placed the chain with the key over her neck and grabbed her side arm from the desk drawer. "We're going on a little trip."

Alyce looked up from the phone as she sent out the single to the beepers. "Where?"

Rose pulled on her long leather jacket and holstered her gun. "Control is picking up a major increase in energy out put from site Alpha."

"Alpha? Isn't Dr. Quinn and his team supposed to be running a simulation there tonight?"

"Yeah, and it looks like things are getting out of hand."

Alyce's eyes widened in shock, "that means…"

Rose nodded. "Yeah were going to Cardiff."

XYZ

There were times Jack wished he could take his fist and wipe out the arrogant, smug, all knowing smile that flashed across the Doctor's face. He had agreed that the Doctor was welcome to drop into Cardiff whenever the TARDIS needed to refuel at the Rift, but hadn't expected to walk into the Hub and find the TARDIS parked near his office. Thankfully the team was off on a mission so he was spared having to explain this to them. "What the hell are you doing here?" He repeated.

"Oh, what kind of welcome is that?" The Doctor's smile crumpled into a pout. "Here I was hoping for tea and…"

"Doctor," Martha sighed, "maybe now's not the best time."

The Doctor kicked a bit of rubbish on the floor and muttered something that sounded like 'never let me have any fun', before bouncing on the balls of his feet and turning his attention fully on Jack. "I'll prolly kick myself for saying this later, but I need your help."

Jack pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against. "That's a first." He motioned them towards his office. "Let me just make a note of this so I can refer to it later."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Humans."

"Time Lords." Jack counters.

"Men," Martha adds then sets the leather bound book on Jack's desk.

Jack looks down at the object then back to the Doctor. "It's a book."

"Oh it's a bit more than that Captain." The Doctor perched on the edge of Jack's desk. "I'm just not sure what."

"Can you be a little more specific Doc?"

"Course I can, but then you wouldn't understand any of it."

"Look," Martha stepped forward, stalling Jack's retort. "Would you two stop lobbing testosterone around long enough to figure this out? Or do I have to send you to corners and tell you to come out swinging?" She caught each with her eyes and waited a moment. "That's better. Now Captain can you help or not?"

"Sure I can help, but only if I have some idea of what the hell this thing is supposed to be."

"Doctor?" Martha turned her stare to him. "I'd like to know that myself."

The Doctor jumped up off the desk and began to pace back and forth across the limited space of Jack's office. "It's a psychic sponge."

Martha blinked confused. "Sponge?"

"No, wait not a sponge…more like a storage battery." He ran a hand through his hair. "Like a great big, colossal, super duper, extra large…super sized…oh chips sound good. Feel like chips Martha?" He paused in his pacing. "No wait, never mind more important things. Anyway storage battery, and right now whatever it's storing is starting to draw power-psychic energy at that. At least it was."

"Was?"

"Last night Martha when you asked me to look at it. I could sense that it was pulling psychic energy into itself." The Doctor pointedly tapped the book. "Now however not getting so much as a tickle."

"So it turned itself off?"

The Doctor nodded at Martha, "And I can't seem to find the on switch."

"Doc," Jack interrupted. "What exactly is this thing storing?"

"Far as I can tell aside from the energy its been pulling in there's a consciousness embedded in it."

Jack leaned back in his chair. "Any idea who?"

The Doctor shook his head. "All I've been getting are little glimpses out of the corner of my eye. Just enough to let me know something is there but not enough for me to know what it is. Or why for that matter, there's always a why you know…"

"Wait," Martha broke in, forcing the Doctor to pause. "You're saying that this book is alive?"

"Not in the sense as humans understand life no, but in the mental sense," The Doctor's face filled with his familiar grin. "Oh yes, it's very much alive."

"Is it dangerous?" Jack asked his eyes moving from the book to the Doctor.

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, "Well…I wouldn't say dangerous in the end of the world type danger…"

"Doctor…"

"Not now Martha, I wouldn't even say imploding the universe danger, maybe a tiny little smidgen of not really real danger."

Jack frowned. "You don't know do you." It was a statement not a question.

Martha glanced back down at the open book. "Doctor, I really think you should…"

He ignored Martha's request "Jack, It's nothing more than a psychic amplifier with an unknown imbedded consciousness that seems to be harmless. Well reasonably harmless that is." He pulled his glasses up to the top of his head.

"Unknown is the key word there Doc," Jack's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And I am not taking chances that it might be harmless. You said that its pulling energy into itself." Jack waited for the Doctor's nod. "Well I'm wondering why would it need to pull in energy? What's it trying to do?"

"It's writing."

The Doctor and Jack both turned towards Martha as her voice finally broke through. She pointed down to the now glowing book and all three watched as slowly words appeared in golden script across the page.

It is come.

Time of the Wolf and the Wanderer draws near. The way once shut shall shatter. The scar shall break The Child of Time will light the way. The way is set. The Wolf and Wanderer shall be one. That which was broken shall be healed. The time is now.

The border between worlds shifts. The Universe merges. The way through Hell opens. One step. One choice. One thought. The separate paths become one. The Wolf and the Wanderer. The Lost and the Lonely. Time shall heal all.

The Wolf comes.

"Can you feel it?" The Doctor's voice though whispered seemed to shout out in the silent room. "It's coming."

Martha reached out and grabbed his arm. "What? What's coming?"

Jack spun round as the computer on his desk suddenly stated beeping madly. He dove into his chair and quickly typed in the commands. "Shit, Doc the rift just went active." He frantically typed in more commands as his eyes scanned the current readings from the Rift. "Powers climbing and climbing fast."

Martha's grip increased on the Doctor's arm as the ground began to shake. "That can't be a good sign."

"It's going to open." Jack flashed a worried look at the Doctor. "The Rifts going to open."

"I know." The Doctor replied in a calm voice. "She's coming."

Martha glanced over at Jack. He shrugged in response. "Doctor!" Martha had to shout to be heard over to increasing noise. "Who's coming?!"

The Doctor looked down at Martha his brown eyes a mix of pain, sorrow, and hope. "The Bad Wolf."

XYZ

Zeppelins. She never quite understood why it was Zeppelins, but who was she to argue with the rules of parallel universes and their need to be the same, but different. So far the supposedly short flight was taking twice as long as normal due to the havoc the Rift energy was playing with the local weather system. The pilots had to find ways around storm systems that sprang up in front of them.

Rose Tyler had always considered herself to be patient when she needed to be. Right now at this very moment she didn't feel the need. Relentlessly her fingers tapped out a rhythm that had someone caught in a loop through her mind. She figured it was either this or asking if they were there yet every five minutes. She decided to choose the latter. Behind her she could hear Mickey and Jake going over the current readings from the Rift in Cardiff and part of her mind assimilated the information while the other kept nagging her to tell them to move faster. No patience was not on the agenda for today.

"Unless you've got good news I don't want to hear it." Rose said without moving her eyes from her drumming fingers.

Alyce sighed and sat in the seat next to Rose. Gone was her normal office attire of skirt, blouse, and heels. In its place was black leather pants, dark pull over covered with a knee length coat, dark boots, and probably more hidden weapons then Rose really wanted to think about. "If it makes you feel any better we should be landing in less then ten."

The drumming stopped. "And?"

Alyce placed a new set of print outs in Rose's reach. "A ten block areas been cleared of civilians, local law enforcement has set up the road blocks and are standing by in case, and the Cardiff team is currently at location and monitoring activity. Air traffic has been diverted and a no-fly zone is in effect."

Rose nodded, her fingers absently beginning to tap again. "And the book?" She hadn't wanted to leave it behind, but she couldn't take a chance that it would cause more trouble than it already had if she brought it closer to the Rift.

"According to Dr. Highlands current readings." Alyce passed another print out over. "It's still pulling in power from somewhere, but its only increasing at 10 now instead of 50."

She turned her seat slightly and glanced back at Mickey and Jake. "And the Rift?"

Mickey looked up from his computer. "Latest readings have its activity at 30 above norm and increasing approximately every twenty minutes give or take a second."

"If this keeps up ETA on a breach in the Rift is in the next 6-7 hours." Jake added after rechecking some readouts. "But that's only if the increase remains constant."

"In other words this could blow up in our face." Rose felt herself tense as the pitch in the engines changed.

"Sorry about the delay," The pilot's voice cut over the load speakers. "ETA at Torchwood Cardiff, two minutes."

"About bloody time." Rose muttered under her breath and quickly gathered up the pile of handouts and shoved them into her case. She then turned her attention to her team. "Once we're ground side I want Mickey and Jake to hook up with Cardiff's crew and compare readings. Sam," She turned to the head of her security team. "You go and back up the local law, you know the drill."

Sam nodded. "Standard perimeter should be easy enough, what about press?"

"Usual release will cover for now." Rose frowned and fixed her eyes on her team. "This is a mauve situation am I clear?" The quick echoing responses of 'yes ma'am' were all she needed and with a nod dismissed her team. She felt the familiar jolt as the Zeppelin settled into its landing cradle and without a backward glance grabbed her jacket and headed for steps, trusting her team to carry out their orders.

Cardiff had never been her favorite spot, not even in the other Universe. It was hard to find enjoyment in a city that seemed to cause her nothing but grief. From Gelth that wanted to kill her so they could take over her body, Slitheen that plotted to cause a nuclear holocaust just to get home, to the Rift that seemed to exist to generate headaches for her. So Cardiff…not on her top ten spots to visit.

The wind hit her as she stepped away from the protection of the Zeppelin and into the open airfield. She glanced up and the darkening sky and shivered as she felt the power emanating in the air. It was something familiar, like from a dream. She could remember light, burning, the paths of time stretched out before her.

I can see everything. All that is. All that will be. All that was.

That's what I see, but doesn't it drive you mad.

But why does it hurt?

She could hear signing and she knew it was a song she had heard before, but couldn't place where.

There was singing.

That's right. I sung a song and the Daleks ran away.

You were fantastic. And you know what…so was I.

"Rose?"

She blinked and looked down at the hand Alyce had placed on her shoulder. "Sorry?"

Alyce frowned. "You alright?"

"Fine." She took a deep breath shoving the memories back down. "Come on we've got a job to do." Her steps were full of purpose and she could feel herself being drawn towards whatever it was that was calling her.

"Am I glad to see you." Dr. Ian Quinn, head of Torchwood Cardiff, nearly fainted in relief at seeing Rose and her team walk off the lift into the Hub. "We thought you might not be able to get through with the weather patterns."

Rose nodded a greeting, but her eyes were only for the stats flashing across the computer screens. "We're here now. Where can my team set up?"

"Conference room." Ian waved to the open room behind him. "If you need…"

"No thanks Mate." Jake waved him off as he and Mickey moved past. "We can do it ourselves."

"Actually get someone to grab the rest of that gear and bring it in." Mickey added as he moved past.

"Yes of course." Ian turned back to Rose. "Ms. Tyler, I realize that you're here to observe and I will be happy to share the information we have managed to amass since the phenomenon began, but I do need to request that you do not interfere with the current experiments. "

"No," Rose turned on her heel fully facing Ian for the first time. "As of now my teams in charge. Your team is to back us up as needed and contain the civilians. All experiments are to stop and no one is to attempt any manipulation of the Rift"

"But my teams research…"

"Takes a backseat to what's happening now." She turned back to the screens. "You screwed up and it's my job to figure out how to fix it without blowing the Universe up."

Alyce stepped forward placing herself between Rose and Ian. "I suggest you go and do as your told." She waited as Ian stalked away then turned to Rose. "So what's the plan?"

"The plan is to shut down whatever it is they have feeding power to the Rift."

"And?"

"And like I said hope the Universe doesn't blow."

Alyce shook her head. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

XYZ

"Who's the Bad Wolf?" Martha shook the Doctor's arm and was contemplating slapping him to knock him out of the blank stare, when suddenly he blinked and looked at her the familiar smile spreading across his face. "Doctor?"

"Right where was I?" He thought for a moment and pulled his glasses back onto his nose. "Oh wait I remember…"

"Can you hold that thought Doc. "Jack interrupted, "we've got a bigger problem right now." He grabbed hold of his desk as the ground shook. "The Rift."

"Rift, right." He turned to Martha. "Come on. Upstairs for us." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him.

Martha lengthened her strides to keep up with the Doctor. "What's this Rift? And who's Bad Wolf?"

"The Rift is nothing more than an opening to the void. It comes in handy when the TARDIS needs a bit of a top off. Although, it can be pretty nasty if it gets out of control, nearly blow up Cardiff once cause of that Rift." The Doctor glanced back at her in surprise as the rest of her question caught up with him. "Bad Wolf, is…was actually someone who saved my life once." He pulled her out of the lift behind him and froze at the sight of the energy vortex dancing in the nighttime sky of Cardiff.

Martha held tight to his hand as the wind picked up and the crack seemed to slowly spread across the sky."That can't be good."

"Doctor!" Jack's voice piped over the comm unit he didn't even remember grabbing. "If the readings are right some things going to break through from the other side."

"Can we stop it?" The Doctor glanced down at Martha and she caught her breath at the look in his eyes. "Can we stop it?"

His answer was simple. "No."

XYZ

"It's going to breach!" Mickey's shout stopped the current argument that had been going on between Rose and the Cardiff staff. "Mass is at critical."

"Right," Rose turned and headed for the lift. "Can we kill it if we stop the power feed?"

"Negative." Jake's voice was strained. "Even if you cut it off completely the Rift's got to much built up to dissipate 'fore it cracks."

Rose ignored Alyce as she pushed into the lift before the doors closed. "Sam get everyone clear fast as you can."

"Already working on it." Sam's voice could barely be heard over the background nose outside. "Although, most of 'em took off when it started going to hell."

The doors opened at the top floor and Rose was forced back by the strength of the wind that pounded into the lift. Their ears were assaulted by a high-pitched whine that made all of them cover their ears quickly. Above them, lightening flashed across the sky and a small crack slowly grew spreading its blinding white light as it did so.

Rose stepped out of the protection of the lift and fought against the wind as she pushed forward. Around her the singing she had until this moment heard only in her mind wrap her into its embrace as she moved towards the Rift.

"Rose! What are ye doing?" Alyce shouted to be heard over the wind. "Rose!"

Slowly, so slowly Rose turned. "I am the Bad Wolf."

Alyce froze at the woman before her, gone was the familiar brown eyes in their place rose golden light.

"I am the Bad Wolf." Rose turned away and stretched out her arms to the Rift. "I create myself. I wander alone." She stepped forward. "Now I see the path."

"It's open." Jake shouted over the comm. "I repeat the Rift is open!"

Alyce forced herself forward and reached out to grab for Rose. She felt her fingers brush against fabric and gripped with all her strength. Around her the wind tore at her, pulling at Rose, trying to rip her away from Alyce's failing grip.

"Let me go home."

Alyce looked up at the voice that was pleading, the eyes begging. In horror she watched as time seemed to slow and gradually her fingers loosened and Rose slipped away.

"Thank you." Without a backwards glance Rose threw her arms out and jumped.

XYZ

Jack was frantic as he fought to gain some control over the power emanating from the Rift. So far it was a loosing battle, but he was never one to throw up his hands in defeat. So the more power that built up, the more he fought it. Until there was nothing more he could do.

"This is it!"

It was all the warning he could give the Doctor and Martha topside and he hoped that it was enough for them to get clear. Around him he felt the air grow heavy and the pressure build, then suddenly as if someone had released a valve it stopped. He glanced down at his computer and blinked baffled at the readings now appearing. "Doctor can you hear me? I don't know what the hell is going on, but its stable again…just like that. Doctor?"

"Jack," Martha's voice answered him. "You need to get up here."

Jack didn't waste time with questions and instead grabbed his sidearm and headed up to the Millennium Center. He kicked aside several objects that had been blown into the open courtyard of the center and skidded to a stop next to Martha. "Where's?"

Martha pointed to the spot where the Rift had so recently been consolidating its power. "There was this light and then suddenly everything stopped and she was there."

The Doctor knelt on the ground clutching a body to him. Jack's breath caught when he saw the locks of blond hair. "It can't be. It's impossible" He took a shaking step forward and fell to his knees beside the Doctor. "Oh God…"

"Rose." The Doctor whispered as he rocked her. "Rose."

She wasn't breathing.

To Be Continued.