The first days in this new world were complicated for Alvia. Not to mention the lack of identity papers. Not that she didn't have any. She did have them, secured in her leather wallet. However, it was a topic she would rather avoid dealing with. How was she supposed to explain that not only did she have papers from the future, but that they had a different name than the one used when she finally introduced herself?

For security, Alvia played the homeless, illegal immigrant card. It was bold, yet Jackie seemed convinced.

Alvia had to face the fact that the world she knew from television, audio, and some comics was no longer just fiction but a reality. Her reality. And it scared her to death. Because all those aliens, all those episodes with more or less happy endings were now real. Everything she knew about this world, past, present, and future was something she had to keep secret and protect with her very life.

She wasn't even sure if she could trust the Doctor with her knowledge. The worst-case scenario, she thought, might not be her own death, but rather confinement, isolation, or even having her memory wiped. What would she be without them? No, it was something she had to hide until she decided if it was completely safe for her to share what she knew with him.

But for now, it wasn't a priority. According to Jackie, a night when her nerves gave out; it had only been three months since Rose had gone missing. Rose and the Doctor wouldn't be back for at least nine months.

Nine months. There was plenty of time for Alvia to create some kind of identity and start a new life. After that... Well, she would adjust.

At first, it was relatively easy for Alvia to live in this new world. She had a roof over her head and someone who cared for her, which helped a lot. However, the harsh reality of this new life hit her hard. The language barrier was a constant challenge. Alvia worked on her communication skills every day, reminding herself that Jackie and the residents of the Powell Estate did not speak French. She often encountered confused faces, struggling to understand each other. The slang and everyday words that differed from what she had learned or knew in the future were the most difficult aspects for Alvia to grasp.

Then came the nostalgia. Alvia missed everything from her home and family to the technology of 2023 and pop culture. She longed for the nights spent with her online friends, engaging in nonsensical debates on vocal discord. She missed playing games on her laptop, watching movies and series, or simply listening to music on YouTube. The void in her daily life was palpable, despite having her phone and a pair of spare headphones in her bag to keep her distracted for hours.

Alvia realized that time travel was only enjoyable when you visited a specific period as a new destination. Experiencing it in reality was vastly different. She wondered if this was how the victims of the weeping angels felt – mourning the future and present that had been stolen from them, reminiscing about a period as the "good old days."

The most challenging part for Alvia was figuring out how to spend the nine months without going to school again due to her age. While she felt fortunate in some ways, not having a qualification made it difficult for her to find a decent job with a good salary. As a result, Alvia found herself frequently changing jobs, until Jackie eventually stepped in to help. She ended up working at the local butcher's shop.

Surprisingly, it wasn't so bad. The owner of the butcher's business, Mr. Adler, was an open-minded man with a playful sense of humor. Despite the tiring work at times, there was always laughter and music in the air. Mr. Adler was a big music fan and loathed working in silence. The butcher's shop was often filled with the latest songs from the radio or music CDs, with Alvia sometimes suggesting her own favorite styles of music that were quite different from what Mr. Adler typically listened to. She even managed to acquire a CD of a band she grew up with, which she found by chance in a music shop.

With the wages she earned each week, Alvia was able to afford some material comfort, including a new wardrobe and a phone subscription. Jackie had offered to lend her some clothes, but the difference in body measurements made it challenging. It took Alvia some time, but she managed to build up her wardrobe, alternating between new and second-hand clothes. After a few months, she had amassed the equivalent of a suitcase full of clothes, including trousers, skirts, tops, underwear, shoes, scarves, and coats.

Her favourite purchase was an oversized leather jacket that she found in a thrift shop. It reminded her of the Doctor in his ninth incarnation and had something familiar about it that reminded her of her father, though she couldn't quite understand why. Her heart felt drawn to it, and it became her preferred piece of clothing, giving her a sense of comfort in this new world.

The absence of proper identification has been a real problem for her in many areas, whether professionally, financially or even medically. It was fixed by the one and only Captain Jack Harkness. This was definitely something that Alvia had not expected or even thought about, at all.

Jack Harkness appeared to her like a good Samaritan during one of these days that didn't look good to her. A Monday, as they are called. After three consecutive unsuccessful job interviews, Alvia's mood went downhill. Instead of spending the rest of the day in bed at Jackie's place, doing nothing but crying from time to time, Alvia decided to explore London and went to Hyde Park. She took a book and something to drink and snack on and finally sat down at a free bench.

That's when Jack Harkness appeared. Immersed in her reading, Alvia hadn't noticed the well-known Captain sitting next to her, waiting quietly for her to notice him. Probably out of impatience, he broke off her reading by shoving a thick envelope of kraft paper right in front of her.

"Qu'est-ce que…?" exclaimed Alvia with confusion.

Alvia stared at the outstretched envelope then turned to face the person who disturbed her in the middle of her reading and at the park, no less. Whatever insults she had been thinking about and which were waiting on the tip of her lips vanished as she recognised the man sitting next to her.

Cheeky smile and handsome face, vortex manipulator on his left wrist and 1950s navy blue wool trench coat, plus a bit of immortality. Captain Jack Harkness in all his glory.

"Captain Jack Harkness." he introduced himself, smiling.

"I know…" Alvia replied with an unusually squeaky voice. She cleared her throat to regain her composure, unaware that her cheeks were turning red. "I know you Captain Jack, no need to introduce yourself."

"Aw come on, I can never introduce myself, when I'm with you."

"Were you going to flirt with me?" replied Alvia, with a rising eyebrow.

"Me? Where did you get this idea?" he said jokingly, but then suddenly dropped silent, appearing to notice that something was wrong. "Hold on… You know me?"

"Yes? Of course, I do."

"But it's... You've never met me before! I didn't get the date wrong – I had instructions straight from you!" Jack became alarmed, and went so far that he checked his vortex manipulator. "I've done everything you've written to me properly! I know for a fact that this is the first time you have met me. Then how can you possibly recognize me?"

Everything was very clear to Alvia know. Somehow, she was going to provide Jack with instructions on where and when to meet her for the first time.

"As you appear to be familiar with me, I assume you are aware of where I come from?" asked the redhead slowly.

"You mentioned a few times that you were French and came from another universe. But I really don't see why you're asking... No... no way, it can't... Did you know me from my counterpart in your world?! Was he as handsome as I am?"

Alvia couldn't help but cracked a smile and laugh a bit. But she knew that Jack didn't really know about her knowledge. She wondered if she could share her secret with him. If she could trust him. If not everything, at least give him a global understanding of how much she knew.

Then she realised that her future self-instructed Jack to meet her and give her...

"What's in the envelope?" She asked, taking the envelope to open it.

"I.D. and everything else necessary to be able live safely here. This includes a birth certificate, fake school results and diplomas. Although the school results are more or less realistic to what you seem to have had, I'm sorry you're still suck at math."

The girl let out an amused snort.

"And I took the initiative to set up a bank account for you and deposited some money in it, in case of an emergency."

"That's... thanks, Jack. You didn't have to do all this stuff, did you?"

"I was expected to do that. I didn't meet you just to have a nice chat, you know. You still haven't answered me, by the way. You and the Doc shared this habit of deviating from the subject when you don't want to answer something. It's rather frustrating…"

Alvia blinked at the mention of the Doctor but remained silent. Then she sighed.

"I suppose… I can tell you... But please don't ever tell anyone. I mean it... It would cost more than me or the Doctor's life."

She then proceeded to explain her knowledge of the show, from its creation as the main TV show to the audio stories and spin-offs. She told Jack how she first discovered the show and how she became a huge fan of the universe, diligently following the episodes. She explained how her passion and curiosity led her to remember numerous facts and small details about the universe that she could talk about and debate for hours.

By the time Alvia had finished sharing her secret with Jack, the sun was setting behind the various buildings, and the sky was growing darker. The park was gradually emptying, with families and old people leaving and couples on dates, students ready to party, junkies, and homeless people taking their place.

"I knew you knew things, but I didn't think it would be something this big. It feels... a bit far-fetched. I mean... a TV show?!"

"I know! I know" She smiled. "But you know what? Best English show ever. That and Sherlock."

"Didn't you mention that there was a spin-off with me in it?" asked Jack.

"I only watched the two first seasons and I haven't even finished the second one. Didn't have time to complete watching, sorry." she said without looking sorry. "But you were fabulous in there, don't worry."

Jack chuckled a bit. Then both remain quiet in a serene silence. Alvia looked at the envelope containing all her papers and then at the twilight sky.

"Time for me to go back to Jackie's." Said Alvia suddenly, leaving the bench "Her daughter is already missing, I wouldn't want her to think that something happened to me too."

Jack stood up too, stretching a bit. Alvia was surprised by the height difference.

"Yeah… Gotta go back to Cardiff. I'm scared to see how the hub survived without me. I swear Owen can't be left for an hour without causing trouble or being a twat." commented Jack while he began to use the device strapped to his wrist.

"Am I... am I going to see you again?" Alvia paused before specifying "Not the you from the past, but the actual you?"

"I don't know", replied Jack honestly. "There's a lot going on and Torchwood is keeping me pretty busy. But I think I can manage to work it out if I need to. I wrote my phone number as an emergency contact on some documents. Call me if you need me."

"And if I just want to talk?"

"You can text me. But I may not respond immediately, so don't worry."

"Yeah, I understand, you do need to take the time to write the message." she teased him. "Old people and technology."

Alvia dodged his foot, which was heading for one of her legs. This was her call to finally leave and go home. She hugged Jack quickly and gave him a brief kiss on his cheek before leaving, returning to give him her widest smile.

"Hope to see you soon Jack!"

And then she left for good, running away.

When she was out of his sight, Jack sighed. A wistful look painted on his face.

'So young' he thought, passing a hand over his face.

Jack looked up at the first of many stars emerging across the sky. His mind focused on one particular man, a girl and his blue box filled with wonder.

"I couldn't bring myself to ask her..." he said aloud. "But how long should I wait before I see you again? I have so much to say to you."

The stars shone in the sky, silent to its fate.

"Why did you abandon me, Doctor, Alvia?"

Jack left, returning to Cardiff in a flash of blue.

Alvia met Mickey during a last-minute shopping trip. It was quite late and only the local grocery shop was still open. Jackie had finished the last bottle of milk in the morning and the next shopping trip wasn't due for several days. But in the mood for a Chai Latte, she was determined to get a bottle of milk.

This infamous bottle of milk that she wanted so badly was unfortunately high up and she found herself asking someone to help her to grab it. That help came in the form of Mickey Smith.

She recognised him immediately, but said nothing. She played the innocence card.

"Thanks!"

"Never seen you before, you knew here?" asked Mickey curiously.

"Yup. Been here for couple's month now. Managed to find a flat share in number 48 with Jackie Tyler. Poor woman lost her daughter. The girl seems to be missing."

Mickey suddenly became awkward.

"Yeah… so I've heard. Rumours say that her boyfriend killed her", he said with a sour look on his face.

"Nah! I'm sure she's fine. People disappear every day and come back."

"If you say so…"

"Look, no offense, but I have to pay for the milk. I really, really want to drink my latte tonight." she said, offering him a brief smile.

"It's okay, I started talking to you so..."

"I work at the butchers. If you happen to have time to drop by and say hello, I'd love to have a chat. I don't know anyone here except for Jackie and Mr. Adler. And they're what, like, forty-five years older than me? It would be nice to have a friend around my age here."

"I'll try to remember that. See you soon I guess?" Mickey smiled, unsure but grateful.

"Yes! Oh! I'm Alvia, by the way!"

"Nice to meet you Alvia, I'm Mickey!"

Alvia went to the counter, paid for her milk ignoring the grocer's stare and went back to the apartment and made her tea.

Tea was delicious.

Rare were the nights when Alvia found herself unable to sleep, and this night was one of them. Her heart seemed to beat too loudly in her ears, and sounds felt too sharp. She was overwhelmed with exhaustion, yet sleep eluded her.

Alvia had learned to recognize the early signs of these nights. Colors appeared either too bright or too dull, textures felt rough against her skin regardless of how soft they were supposed to be. Food didn't taste quite right, and even the air seemed unfamiliar on such nights.

These signs were reminders from the universe, telling her, 'You don't belong here, you will never belong here.'

On nights like these, Alvia would spend hours tossing and turning in bed, searching in vain for the perfect sleeping position. Eventually, she would give up and get out of bed. She would put on some clothes, slip on her shoes and leather jacket, grab her phone and headphones, and quietly sneak out of her room and her flat, careful not to wake Jackie.

Alvia would spend the entire night on the rooftop, lost in her own world with music playing in her head. She would listen to songs that were yet to be released, or sometimes, songs that would never be released. Tears would silently roll down her cheeks as she cursed her life and the universe. She would dance to the beat of the music, accompanied only by the ghost of her own mind. Her gaze would be fixed on the starry sky, her thoughts consumed by the Doctor and his adventures in the TARDIS. If Jack was available, she would chat with him on the phone, finding solace in their conversations.

As the first rays of sunlight painted her cheeks with warmth, Alvia would return to the flat, Jackie still unaware of her nocturnal excursions. She would slip back into her routine, living each day as if it were an adventure, sometimes more exciting, sometimes less joyful.

Before she realises it, nine months go by.