I was warned about The Empty Child by both roommates, who know of my inability to watch anything horror without shrieking and flailing. (S even said "Dude. It is as bad as that One Episode of X-Files with Bugs Of Which We Do Not Speak, and seriously, you should wait until morning.") Had I a couch in my room, I would totally have been hiding behind it.

I'm not kidding when I say I couldn't rewatch ep 13 for like a year, and I watched all the other episodes repeatedly.

And yes, Captain Jack was younger and happier with the Doctor. (I love stories set in the time between Empty Child and Boom Town. So much happiness.)

And now I'm off to re-read a bunch of Ninth Doctor fics I stumbled upon while digging those recs up for you.