Jack is a little upset.

"Where the hell have you been?! Doctor, it's the Daleks!"

"He's a bit nice, I thought he'd be older," Gwen cocks her head.

"He's not that young," Ianto sounds just a bit jealous. Interesting.

"It's the Daleks, they are taking people to their spaceship..."

Sarah Jane and Martha are talking at once.

"...it's not just Dalek Caan!"

"That's Donna!" Sylvia exclaims.

Wilf sits up straighter with pride. "That's my girl!"

"Sarah Jane! Who's that boy? That must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people."

I grin. The Doctor is here. The Doctor is here.

Donna points at the screen. "That's Martha. And who's he?"

"Captain Jack. Don't. Just... don't."

I rub Roses shoulders as she sees the man she loves for the first time in four years.

"Doctor, it's me, I came back."

"It's like an outer space Facebook."

The Doctor's forlorn reply makes me cry inside. It's different now. I was invested before, but now I'm actually connected to it.

"Everyone except Rose."

The screen goes white and I brace myself. I only half listen as Davros speaks to the Doctor. I've heard it before. Many times. I don't need to hear it again. Not in person. I have to focus. I hear the Doctor sing song his final word on the matter. "Bye!" The conversation ends and Rose pulls out her phone.

"Control? I need another shift. Lock us on to the Tardis. Now!"

She hands up. "Right, we're gonna find them. Wish us luck!"

"Oh, good luck!"

I hand my gun to Wilf. It's better to get rid of the temptation. "Here. You need this more than I do. Don't use it unless you absolutely have to."

"Oh, thank you. Good luck, ladies."

Then Rose and I disappear in a flash of blue light. We reappear in the middle of a deserted street. I turn around, looking for a familiar box. When I see it, I start to point it out to Rose, but she's already slowly walking toward it.

I force myself to stand back. I don't have the gun anymore, so I won't shoot the Dalek, but I still have to keep out of the way. The meta crisis has to happen for any of this to work. And it all starts with this moment. This is the first domino to fall.

I see the Doctor turn. I watch from a distance as he moves forward on shaky legs. And then they're both running. They're so close.

"Exterminate!"

I shut my eyes as I hear the shot ring out. And then I move. I run toward Rose and the Doctor. I hear a gunshot and I know that Jack has arrived. I reach them as Rose pulls the Doctor's head onto her lap.

"I've got you, it missed you. Look, it's me."

"Rose.."

"Hi."

My heart breaks during the exchange. Rose is going to be very mad at me.

"Long time no see..."

"Yeah, been busy, y'know."

He yells in pain.

"Don't die, oh, my God, don't die. Oh, my god, don't die."

Donna and Jack get to us and Jack starts giving orders.

"Get him into the Tardis, quick. Move!"

Rose and Donna help the Doctor up, and half carry/half drag him back the TARDIS. I pick up Rose's gun and Jack and I fall into a common defense pattern to cover us as we head to safety. I was right. The gun is heavy.

I step into the TARDIS for the first time as the Doctor is being laid on the grating. I'm tempted to rush out and do the run around like everybody else does but I can't. I don't have the luxury. It's amazing. Even knowing to expect the inside to be bigger it still throws you. It's a bit like jet lag, except it's with space instead of time. It's a bit ironic. Donna's worried voice brings me back to the moment.

"What do we do?! There must be some medicine, or something."

I head over and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jack is pulling Rose away from the Doctor.

"Just step back. Rose! Do as I say, and get back! He's dying and you know what happens next."

"What d'you mean?"

"Oh, no, I came all this way."

Rose turns on me.

"Why?! You knew this was going to happen but you didn't stop it!"

"What d'you mean? What going to happen?"

Poor Donna is so lost but I can't explain it to her. I look at Rose.

"I'm sorry. But there is a reason for it. You just have to trust me."

She looks like she's about lay into me but we all get distracted by a golden glow. We all look at the Doctor as he lifts his glowing hand to his face.

"It's starting..."

I move toward the Doctor as Jack puts his arms around the other two women.

"Stay back. Here we go. Good luck, Doctor!"

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?!"

I subtly catch the Doctor's attention. He looks at me. He has no idea who I am but there isn't really time right now. I discretely gesture to his hand in the jar. He looks from me to the hand and back again. Realization dawns on his face and I smile as I back away. All this happens as Rose answers Donna's question.

"When he's dying, his-his body... it-it repairs itself. It changes. But you can't!"

"I'm sorry, it's too late. I'm regenerating."

And with that, he bursts into golden light. I realize that Jack and Donna have never seen this. Rose has seen it once. I've seen it many times. Once I saw it in person. When Rose changed, at least on the inside. He thrusts the remaining energy into hand and then the light stops. He straightens up looking the same as he did. And I'm the only one not surprised.

"Now then. Where were we?"

He leans down and checks on his extra hand.

"There now."

He blows on it and it stops glowing. At least he didn't lick it. I roll my eyes at the thought.

"You see? Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but soon as I was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to. Why would I? Look at me."

I scoff at that but he continues.

"So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle, namely my hand. My hand there. My handy spare hand. Remember? Christmas Day, Sycorax. Lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand. What do you think?"

Rose approaches him uncertainly.

"You're still you?"

"I'm still me."

I can't help being sarcastic.

"No Rose. Can't you tell? He's a completely different person!"

But both she and the Doctor ignore me. Instead, she flings her arms around him as he lifts her into his arms. I grin like a loon. As it should be.

I'm not surprised when Jack turns his attention to me. I was actually expecting it.

"Captain Jack Harkness. And who might you be?"

I give him my most flirtatious smile and reply.

"Lieutenant Jane Ryder. Way out of your league."

He laughs and so do I as I pull him into a hug. I can't help it. He's totally awesome. I keep it short and friendly though. No need for him to get the wrong idea. Donna is practically drooling.

"You can hug me now, if you want. No, really. You can hug me."

Jack looks a tad frightened of the red head and it makes me giddy. The feeling doesn't last though because then the power goes out.

"They've got us. Power's gone. Some kind of chronon loop."

We all scramble for purchase as the TARDIS jerks and tilts. I take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. I've just about reached the end of the line. I'm nearly at my journey's end.