"There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened."

― Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Chapter 2: Stage Two, Acceptance

Susan sat on that bench for at least an hour, barely moving. She only moved to put on her gloves when the cold started seeping into her fingers. But she was still holding the phone.

She stared ahead.

Finally she came to a conclusion.

If this was really happening, she had no other choice. She had no money. She had no relatives.

Even her ID was invalid, because it said she was born in 1993. Which made her in fact 15, instead of her actual age of 20.

She needed help.

"Cardiff Bay Tourist Office, can I help you?" the cheerful voice repeated it's words from an hour ago.

"Hi," she said, hesitant. "I need to talk to Jack Harkness, is he available?"

"Sorry, you must have the wrong number," Ianto lied without a pause.

Susan gritted her teeth.

"Look, Ianto, this is really fucking imporant okay?" she said. Ianto must have jerked in surprise, because there was a weird sound from the other end. "I know Jack's there. Give him the phone."

There was a silence.

"NOW!" she yelled.

She could hear footsteps, and then muffled voices.

"Captain Jack Harkness," a voice greeted her. "Hello, what can I do for you?"

Susan's heart missed a beat.

"Uh..." her voice betrayed her. "Wow. Shit. It's actually you," she said. She could hear her blood pumping in her ears. "I'm sorry. I didn't actually think any of this was happening, but even my imagination isn't enough to make such a simple response sound so flirty."

There was a moment of silence. "Please explain."

"Okay, I was hoping that actually dialling this number would somehow wake me up from this... I don't even know if this is a nightmare or a dream," she babbled. "But somehow, I seem to have accidentally jumped realities while I wasn't looking where I stepped."

"Okay," Jack said, his voice soft. "Just, don't panic, okay? And how did you know to call me in this number?"

Susan let out a hysterical laugh. "Because it was on a TV show," she said. "Well, I had to google for it, but that's how I know. This whole universe is a TV show. You're in it, the Doctor's in it... It's called Doctor Who."

Another silence.

"I think we should continue this conversation face to face," Jack said, his voice serious. "Where are you?"

"London," Susan answered. "Just outside a public library. I barely have any money," she said, now panicking when she actually had to say it out loud. "None of my card's work."

"Look, Ianto will find you a nice place you can go eat and wait while I'll come to get you. It will take me two and half hours to drive..." Jack trailed off. "What's your name?"

"Susan," she swallowed. "Susan Friberg."

"Okay, Susan," Jack repeated. "Don't panic. I'll give the phone to Ianto, he'll let you know where you can wait for me. I'm gonna leave now, okay? I'll call you again when I'm on my way."

"Okay," Susan said. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah," Jack said. She could hear a grin in his voice. "See you in a bit."

He handed the phone to Ianto, who coughed. "Let's see about that restaurant then, shall we?"

"Thanks," she said, now feeling guilty. "Sorry I yelled earlier."

"No worries," Ianto said cheerfully, like dealing with lost dimensional travellers was part of his daily routine. "Now, do you want Italian or Chinese?"

She ordered a cheap pizza and then a coffee, and managed to spent over an hour in the restaurant, but in the end she decided to relocate to the coffee shop next door so she wouldn't seem like she was loitering. Even though she obviously was.

She dialed the number for Jack's cell, the one Ianto had given her, to inform him of the change in location.

"Hello," Jack answered, "I was just about to call you, actually."

"I'm at the coffee shop across the street," she said helpfully. "I just thought you should know."

"Yeah, thanks," he said. "I'm actually there in about five minutes, so come stand outside in a bit. Just look out for a big black SUV. Says Torchwood on the side," Jack continued.

Susan smiled, and idly wondered how many speed limits he must have broken to get there in just over two hours. "Thanks, but I think I'll recognise you pretty easily."

Jack laughed. "Ya think, huh?" he asked, "We'll have to talk about this later. See you in a bit," he said, repeating her words from earlier.

"Yeah," she answered and ended the call.

She waited for a minute or two, before walking outside with her bag and donning her scarf and hat. It was starting to get dark, and way colder. She was happy Ianto had instructed her to the pizza place, she would've been frozen otherwise, even with her proper winter clothes.

Finally, a huge black SUV sped down the street, slowing to a stop just before a free parking spot on the side of the road. The headlights blinded her for a minute, and by then, it was already parked less than neatly.

The door opened, and Captain Jack Harkness stepped out.

"Wow," Susan said. She realised she was staring but she didn't care. "You... Have... The coat. Man," she shook hear head as Jack came to a stop in front of her, smiling widely. "Sorry, I'm staring, but... You look a lot like John Barrowman, who is already incredibly handsome, but you're..."

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said and held out a hand.

She stared at it.

"Susan Friberg," she repeated and finally shook the offered hand.

"Hello," Jack said, grinning at her reaction.

She realised she was still staring, and it was probably incredibly creepy, but she couldn't stop. He looked like young John Barrowman from the beginning of the series.

"Hnnh," she said.

Jack was still holding her hand.

"You okay?" Jack's grin faded.

"No," Susan said, shaking her head. "Not even a bit. I'm trying not to be so disappointed with the fact that you haven't actually flirted with me in person, but I guess it's not that much fun to flirt with a person who looks this dazed."

Jack laughed. "I seem to have a reputation," he said and guided her towards the car.

"We should head back to Cardiff," she said, trying to stay logical, instead of being hysterical again. "You must have more important things to do than watch my reality break down in pieces around me."

"That bad, huh?" Jack asked, sitting down on the driver's seat.

Susan mechanically put on her seat belt.

"Imagine you actually met Harry Potter," she said. "Or some other fictional hero. Then tell me if it's bad."

Jack looked amused. "Yeah, that might freak out most people."

"Ah," Susan said, "But it isn't even the fact that you're real. It's the fact that by the extension of you, everything else is real too. Killer robots, Venician fish-vampires, anything that wants to eat me in this fucked up reality," she continued and glanced at him. "I mean, fuck, I just met Captain Jack Harkness. That is beyond awesome. But... Things that want to eat me are a much bigger concern."

Jack didn't seem to have a reply to that.

"Do you mind I try to sleep?" she asked after a silence. "I'm pretty tired."

"If you can," Jack answered.

It confused Susan for a minute, until they got onto the highway and Jack got up to a speed way beyond the speed limits.

"If you can fly a spacecraft, you can probably drive this car without crashing," she decided after a minute, and leaned against the window.

Jack grinned. "Suit yourself."