The fragrance of pancake and maple syrup filled the kitchen. The Captain added a second stack for the serving platter while Jen used a wisk on a bowl of eggs. Toshi happily stirred cocoa into a steaming pan of milk while the rest of the team busied themselves with arranging the chairs and setting the table. As the bottles of hot maple syrup and platters of pancakes were set on the table, the team settled down to breakfast.

"Gauwds" Jack closed his eyes and moaned with his mouth full of pancake and syrup, "I missed this." He shook his head in delight and opened his eyes to the amused glances from the team. "What?"

Toshi giggled at her father and held out a pitcher, "More chocolate?"

The Captain grinned and pushed his mug forward for a refill.

Chi got up from the table and went into the kitchen for powdered sugar and cinnamon to dress the pancakes to his Adyan tastes. He looked around the room.

"Where's Gray?"

"Checking on the news of the day." Mara said as she spooned scrambled eggs on Adjit's plate and then her own. "He's been handling the communication with the Conservancy since the Colonel left to escort the Doyenne and the Adyan ship home. He'll be here. He loves pancakes," she said as she winked at Jack. "Must run in the family."

"Jen tells me that I had a baby," Jack said as he settled back in his chair, readjusting his braces. "You'd think I'd remember that."

"It wasn't your baby, there was no absorption of your genetic material," Mara corrected him. "A cruel practice, to force another being to carry a child."

"It was worse in the old days," commented Chi as he returned to the table and sat down. "Those who were forced to do this met terrible deaths." He looked at Jack. "You know she would have done it again…"

"We're eating here," complained Adjit as he forked in another mouthful of pancake.

"Sorry," said Jack. "There's a lot I need to catch up on." He looked up to see his brother coming towards them. " Gray, better hurry up before we run out of food."

Gray walked into the room with a folded paper in his hand, and a stricken look on his face. The room went silent.

"What's wrong?" asked the Doctor. Gray silently handed the communiqué to the Doctor. The Doctor glanced at the heading. "It's from the Conservancy Central Command."

The Doctor frowned as he read the paper and then put it down on the table.

"Doctor?" Mara asked. "What's wrong?"

The Time Lord handed the paper to the Catkin doctor.

"At 0200 hours today, an Adyan raider strike team boarded the captured Adyan mother ship" she read. "Two rebel fighters attacked the escorting Conservancy ship," She glanced at Chi then continued. "The raider team was led by Commander Adhari. After disabling the mother ship and escort, they freed the rebel prisoners and searched the vessel for an infant and one other." The doctor hesitated as her eyes met Jack's and continued. "They took an infant. After they liberated three confiscated fighters from the hanger deck, they planted bombs in the holds of both ships, and fled. Once they cleared the blast zone perimeter, they detonated the devices," Mara looked back at Chi. "resulting in the loss of all aboard the two ships."

Chi closed his eyes and bowed his head. All his friends, the Doyenne, McGrath…all dead.

The Doctor quietly stood up and went behind the Adyan physician and rested his hands on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Chi. She was a great lady, and a wise friend."

Chi nodded silently. "They all were," he said as he looked up at the Doctor. "My condolences on the loss of Colonel McGrath and the Conservancy soldiers who tried to put an end to this madness.

No one felt like eating. Adjit and Toshi got up and cleared the table as the adults silently filed into the conference room

"She went after the child," muttered Adjit as he placed the stack of plates into the dishwater. "She waited until the Doyenne transferred, and came back for the child. We're lucky it wasn't us."

"She would never attack a TARDIS," said Toshi as she finished arranging the plates in the drainer. "Let them air dry, I want to hear what is happening in the conference room."

"I wonder who else they were looking for?" asked Adjit as he took off the apron and hung it to dry.

Toshi thought for a moment, then her blue eyes widened in horror. "Dad!" she said to Adjit. "They were looking for Dad!"

XXX

The conference screen filled with the visage of Colonel Geoffrey Cline, who was second in command after Colonel McGrath. It was unusual to see a Catkin hybrid human rise this high in a military post. Unlike Mara, they could see that Catkin genetic side was dominant in the soft gray fur covering a face accented with bright almond-shaped green eyes. His stern expression commanded their attention.

"We have search teams in the area that are sweeping each planet in the quadrant. There is no sign of them, Captain."

Jack stood at the head of the table before the screen. "Do you require assistance?"

The Colonel shook his head. "No sir, we have adequate coverage at this time. We think they have left this system and severed their connection to the Cartel for the time being. We expect them to regroup in another star system. This type of operative always turns up. Their pattern of attack is distinct. We will catch them."

Jack nodded grimly. "Anything else?"

"It is good to have you back, Captain Harkness," the Colonel smiled. "According to the prisoner depositions, you put up quite the fight." His smile faded, "Apparently no one who defied the rebel commander has lived to tell about it. You're still on her list, Captain. Take care."

"Thank you for your concern, sir," said Jack. "If you require our assistance, please let us know." The image faded and the screen retracted. Jack turned to his team. "We could use some down time. Think about what you want to do, and we'll meet later." The team pushed their chairs back, got up, and started to leave the room.

Adjit joined the Doctor, Jen, Mara, and Toshi by the door. He glared at the Time Lord.

"I thought you Time Lords knew the future," Adjit complained. "If that child had not been born, none of this would have happened." The young man fumed. "Her mother will just make her into another monster like herself. We could have stopped that. Jack died to deliver that child. McGrath and the Doyenne died because she wanted that child."

"Adjit!" Mara stepped between the Doctor and her son. "Apologize! The child is innocent!"

The Doctor held up his hand to calm her, and turned to Adjit. "There are some things I cannot stop, Adjit. It's complicated."

"Seems simple enough for me," growled Adjit as he stormed off to his room.

"Doctor, please forgive my son," said Mara. "He's…"

"Young, Mara, young." He glanced at Toshi and Jens, then back to the Catkin doctor. "Don't be too harsh with him. He means well."

Mara nodded. She turned and walked in the direction of her son's quarters.

The Doctor faced his daughter and granddaughter. "Do you understand?"

"Not really," said Jenny as she watched Jack finished collecting the briefing papers in the conference room. "I know in my heart…I can feel it. That baby will take the place of her mother, and her child will take her place until one day their descendants will raid the Boshane Peninsula and take Jack's brother." She narrowed her eyes. "You know that in your bones, as well as I do."

The Doctor looked down, avoiding her eyes.

"We could have prevented so much heartbreak, so much suffering."

The Doctor looked up, "And Jack would never had become the man he is today. Nor will he be the man he needs become in the future. You know that too."

Jenny glanced at Toshi, not sure of how much she knew about her father's destiny.

"I know, Mom," she said quietly. "When Grandpa and I time traveled to Gallifrey, I looked through the Portal. I saw him. I saw Boe."

Jen turned and watched Jack and Gray talked with Chi by the table. "He can't know, Toshi. I promised him. I promised Boe."

"I know, Mom," Toshi said sadly. "A mercy."

The Doctor opened his arms, drew his family together, and hugged them. "You will know things that you cannot share. You will have regrets and see things you cannot stop, know situations you cannot change." He drew them closer, "But sometimes you will know when to act, and sometimes, just sometimes everybody lives." He kissed both of them. "Everybody lives."

The two women looked up at the Time Lord returned the embrace. Toshi and Jens left the room silently and continued to the sleeping quarters. The Doctor stayed in the hall, fingering the letter in his pocket, waiting for the Captain and is brother to come out of the conference room.

Jack placed his hands on Chi's shoulder. "I know this may be too soon, the loss you have suffered is great. But I want you to know you are welcome to stay here. Stay on our team."

A slow smile broke over the Adyan's face. "You are generous, Captain. I would consider it an honor to join you."

"Then it's settled," smiled Jack. "We'll need to set up permanent quarters for you. After some R and R, the team will be ready for the next assignment." Jack glanced towards the door and saw the Doctor waiting. "After you have rested, meet with Mara. I'll let you two divide up the medical duties, and then we'll talk about the rest later."

Chi nodded, and left the room followed by Gray. The Doctor put his hand out to stop Gray before he entered the hall.

"I need to talk to you," said the Doctor, "both you and your brother."

"Me?" Gray stopped and looked quizzically at Jack. He shrugged.

Jack joined them as they stood near the door. "Did you want to talk with us?"

The Doctor carefully pulled the yellowed letter from his pocket and handed it to Jack. "I think this belongs to you." He pressed the faded pages into Jack's hand. "Toshi put your box back where she found it."

Jack looked down at the letter in his hand and curled his fingers around the pages. His eyes softened.

"I can't change a lot of things, Jack. But sometimes…" The Doctor stopped. "I want the two of you to come with me on my TARDIS. Just for a short while…Do you trust me?"

Jack looked at Gray, then back at the Doctor. "Always have, always will."