Will reply to any reviews on Thursday...

I'd heard that sound before, the sound of grief beyond grief...heart-wrenching, soul destroying grief.

But I'd only heard it amongst humans...never from another species.

I thought Time Lords were a cold unfeeling race, caring for nothing, not even their own kind...but I was wrong, we were wrong.

I never want to hear that sound again...not from another human, but especially from him.

Gwen Cooper.

A voice drew him out of the dark.

"That's it, come back to us," it said.

"Master?" he asked.

"No, it's Jack."

He opened his eyes slowly, blinking at the brightness, his mind still fuzzy from unconsciousness, unsure of what or where.

He tried to sit up but a hand held him down.

"Best not," Harkness said.

He frowned; he knew that tone of voice.

He went to sit up again and when Harkness tried to stop him he growled 'don't stop me.'

Harkness held up his hands and backed away.

When he'd moved away he saw...no...no...no. He tried to stand but his legs gave way...but he had too.

By sheer force of will he made his legs move and he staggered the few feet to the first body and fell to his knees.

"Please, no."

He looked over at the second body, unable to take it all in. He pulled the body of his daughter close to his chest and stared at the Master's body.

He rocked back and forth, making small noises of comfort. Finally he looked up and looked around him.

"Where's Seska?"

When no answer was forthcoming he said it louder. "Where is Seska?"

Still no answer, why was no-one answering him? If they wouldn't tell him then...yes, it wasn't too late, she was still warm.

He placed her gently on the ground and letting out a shuddering breath placed his hands on her head.

"Irlia sar mesrir mi e'shala Losara," he whispered and forced a connection.

The mind of a dying Time Lord was not a place any rational person should be...flashes and sparks of dying synapses threatened to snuff out his own consciousness.

But he had to...he needed to know.

"Ashena?" he called softly, not expecting a reply, it was more wishful thinking than anything else.

A faint reply echoed, more than he dared hoped.

"Siah."

"Where are your brothers?"

"Sesa and he followed."

"Followed who?"

The reply was even fainter but it made his mind go cold.

"Followed the White Coat."

"Where...Ashena...where?"

"A rift...the old volcano..."

Then her voice was gone as the last synapse flared and died and the connection was gone and his daughter was truly dead...his other first born.

Grief welled up inside him; grief at losing another child...grief at losing the Master...again. Along with the grief came rage...rage at the cruelty of fate and rage at himself for not being able to save his family; some from death and some who might as well be dead.

The howl that left his lip came from the depths of his soul.

Jack had stepped back when the Doctor had growled at him; he'd been trying to protect him from more heartache, but in the end he couldn't.

He stood back with his eyes closed, so he couldn't see the heart wrenching scene, but he couldn't close his ears to the words or the howl that pierced his very being.

He thought he would never see or hear that again; not even twenty years of war had dulled the nightmare of that warehouse and the death of a child.

Now he was watching another child's death and to a lesser extent the Master's. He knew he should be happy that he was gone, but the broken man howling his grief to the world stopped him.

He wanted to move forward and comfort him but someone got there before him...Gwen; of course, she was the one he'd trusted back when the twins were babies, she'd been the one on that hiker's trail.

She knelt beside him and whispered words in Welsh and the howl of grief turned to body-wracking sobs.

No-one had noticed that the battle had ceased and that the Horde had stopped, as if they were clockwork and had wound down.

"Jack," Ianto said, breaking his own bubble of sorrow. "They've stopped."

Jack turned back to the battle and Ianto was right...they had stopped. Had they stopped when Sorsha and Sisai had been...well whatever Ashena had done to them? He had no doubt it had been her, after what he'd seen in that vision.

He knew they couldn't stay out here; already he could see several groups of his own army glaring at the grieving Doctor and the bodies.

He moved back towards Gwen.

"Gwen," he said quietly. "We have to move, get him and them out of here."

A group of men had detached themselves and he was relieved to see it was Silas and fifty others...men he knew personally and could trust.

"Need a protection squad?" Silas asked.

Jack nodded. "There's an old outpost on the east ridge. If we go now, we'll make it before sunset."

"If that lot let us, there's already talk of stringing him up," Silas said and nodded towards the Doctor.

Jack shook his head. "They wouldn't dare, not with the Doctor's soldier's here."

"You think," Silas replied as angry shouts rose from the army and men started to advance.

Silas drew his gun, prepared to waste bullets if he had to.

It only took the remains of the Doctor's army seconds to realise what was happening and they moved, putting themselves between Jack and the soldiers.

One of the Doctor's men turned to Jack and said. "Go, save the Lord Doctor."

Jack gave the man a salute and turned away and moved back towards Gwen and the Doctor.

"Come on," he said and went to grab he Doctor but Gwen stopped him.

"No, let me...help Ianto."

He reluctantly moved away and helped lift the Master's and Ashena's bodies onto one of the beasts.

He couldn't hear what she said as the one time allies started fighting each other, amongst the frozen Horde.

The sounds of the battle grew faint and Jack's heart grew heavier; if those things came back to life, it would be a slaughter.

They reached the outpost and thankfully it wasn't in bad shape and they all relaxed when the bolt slid across the gates.

He silently thanked Ianto as he found a place for the bodies of the Master and Ashena.

His main concern was the Doctor, who was virtually catatonic.

They found what were the commander's rooms; the one with what they hoped was some warmth.

Gwen had taken the furs of the beast and had wrapped it round the Doctor and was in the process of settling him on the small bed.

"That's it, it's not like your palace but at least it has four walls."

She shook her head at the lack of an answer and straightened and moved back to Jack.

"Poor sod, losing a daughter and a husband and god knows where the other two are."

"Go and get some rest, I'll stay."

"No...I want her to stay," the Doctor's voice although very quiet, silenced them.

"No," Jack said.

"I'll stay," Gwen said and pushed Jack out of the door and before he could argue and shut it.

She sat down on the bed beside the Doctor.

"Why me?"

"I trusted you with the twins when they were babies...you tried to keep them safe and for that I'll be eternally grateful...and I know that when everything has gone quiet, you'll let me go."

"Why would I do that?" Gwen said.

"Because I can change this...stop it from happening...the machine."

"I can't."

"Please...I want the Master and my daughter back."

"And what about my husband and all those that have lost someone...what about them?"

The Doctor looked at her and she saw the misery in his eyes, but she could also see something else and she made her decision.

Jack found that he couldn't sleep...there was something nagging at him...something wasn't right.

Damn the Doctor's request he thought as he strode towards the rooms and as he approached he saw the door was ajar and that feeling became stronger.

He knew what he would find as he approached...the room was empty.

Irlia sar mesrir mi e'shala- I am sorry my beautiful

Losara- A Gallifreyan flower that starts of small but blossoms into a vibrant plant.

Siah- Mother