The Master looked at Mariah for a moment before replying. "Oh, really?" The Master smirked vindictively. Mariah smiled back at him, seemingly knowing something he didn't.

"Yeah." Mariah smirked and she vanished.

The Master's jaw dropped. His look of dismay was replaced by one of shock as Mariah reappeared, crouched beside Jack. She had bruised arms and a dark smudge across her cheek, but looked strong. She was holding Jack's hand, looking intently into his eyes, murmuring softly to him. The Master frowned, the Captain should have been in agony; his timeline should have begun unravelling by now… unless…

Mariah turned and smiled triumphantly, and The Master snarled. "NO!"

~Mariah's Flashback~

Mariah looked one last time at the old team, still overjoyed that they'd beaten the Time Assassin and all survived. A tear trickled down Mariah's ink-smudged cheek as Jack looked back at her and she raised her hand in farewell. He shook his head at her and then looked at the glasses in his and each of his teams' hands… She smiled sadly as each of the team fell victim to the Retcon and sedative in their drinks. Jack was the last to be overcome. He fought it as he stumbled towards Mariah.

"You can't go…you can't leave me…" Jack fought against the Retcon and sedative mix fiercely.

"It's all as it should be now. What we did won't change, just your memory of the events. It'll be the same; I just won't be in them." Mariah explained, kneeling beside him as he slid down the wall. "You'll meet me the right way now…you get to fall in love with me all over again." She half laughed half cried as he cupped her cheek gently. "You have all that ahead of you…I have people waiting for me…I have you waiting for me…" Jack shook his head and said something unintelligible. Mariah smiled and pressed her lips to his sweetly. "I love you, Jack Harkness, now and forever…"

As Jack slipped into the realm of unconsciousness, Mariah reset the coordinates in her Time-Jump device…and vanished, travelling through time back to the moment she had left the Valiant.

~End Flashback~

Mariah smiled wickedly... She had won.

...

Sorry it's so short...it's basically just a filler chapter.

Still, R&R darlings!