"It usually is," Jack said without irony or mirth. His face was blank, almost vacant, and he was utterly closed up in any way possible. Holding himself away, using every age old mechanism he ever had. A cold exterior to hide the truth beneath it.

The TARDIS shook a little as the time rotor started moving and they dematerialised away from the ship. Outside he could hear shudders of lightning as it attacked the damaged ship. Still the ship though, he hoped, and not them.

They shook again, rocking back and forth, knocking Jack from his stance, one foot losing stability and making him fall to the floor.

And then, quite suddenly, they evened out. They were away. Still in the vortex, but away. He pulled himself back up and looked up at the time rotor.

"Right," he said, his voice flat.