It was odd, the connection between a Time Lord and his TARDIS. Even on the other side of town he was aware of her, her voice always humming away in his mind. When the tone changed, the Doctor smiled.
Jack had finally come to visit.
Drinking his tea in one quick gulp, he threw a few bills on the table, and left the cafe, making a beeline for the mansion. He took the stairs two at a time, entering the master suite and walking to the TARDIS.
Grinning, he stepped inside and looked around. No Jack, but he knew he was here. Knowing where he was bound to be, the Doctor went to the wardrobe, smiling when he saw Jack there, going through the vast number of costumes.
Jack already had a few costumes laying aside. He didn't know how many people would need his assistance and really, he wanted to avoid having to come back if he didn't have to.
When the Doctor joined him, Jack turned, a smile settling into place. No sign that there was anything wrong. He wasn't going to tell the Doctor about his little meeting with the master of the house.
The Doctor went to Jack, hugging him tightly for a brief moment before stepping back. "I'm rather put out that I didn't get to meet a young Jack Harkness. Didn't break any hearts did you?" he teased. "Good thing you didn't meet up with Rose. She denies it, but she was a completely moon eyed teenage girl. I think all you would have had to do was crook your finger at her and she would have been all over you. Giggling."
"Don't worry. Everyone was safe from a young Jack Harkness." Jack laughed, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. Okay, so he wasn't mentioning the one girl he meant. It didn't really matter right now.
"I think I might have liked to meet a teenage Rose." Jack waggled his eyebrows at the Doctor. He just wanted to see what reaction he would get out of the Doctor.
"I wouldn't have let you within ten feet of her," the Doctor laughed, arching an eyebrow at Jack and pointing a finger. "She would have fallen in love with you with little more than a smile and I didn't need a lovesick girl on my hands on top of everything else, thank you very much. Well, more lovesick than she was over me. I'm quite dashing you know."
The Doctor was very glad Rose wasn't in the room at the moment. He wasn't sure his stomach couldn't handle the sheer number of hits he was earning.
"You do know you wouldn't have been safe either, right?" Jack turned back to the wardrobe. A polka dot dress taken out and added to the pile he had already accumulated.
"Oh, I would have been hurt if you didn't at least try," the Doctor grinned. "You wouldn't have gotten anywhere, if for no other reason than I knew when you returned to your normal age, well in your case your abnormal age, you'd remember a certain Ianto Jones."
His grin softened to a smile. "I wouldn't do anything to mess that up, Jack. He's good for you."
The mention of Ianto's name had Jack smiling softly, looking down at the pile of clothing in front of him. In truth, since coming to Canada, his relationship with Ianto Jones had changed quite a bit. Maybe it was something in the air. Or the fact that they weren't under constant alien threat. There was no sense of urgency that their relationship had carried before.
When he turned to face the Doctor, his smile was still in place. "I loved you first, Doctor. When you asked me to go with you...after the Year That Wasn't. It was so tempting."
The Doctor ducked his head, fiddling with the button on a uniform coat. He loved Jack too, in ways that used to scare him. But he knew they had time for that later. Long after Rose and Ianto were gone, they would still left, never growing older. He wasn't good at saying the words, but he was confident that Jack knew that he loved him too. There would be the Master to contend with of course, but they had plenty of time to work that out as well.
The Doctor pushed away the thought of living his life without Rose, knowing it would only make him maudlin.
"Ah, but not tempting enough," the Doctor countered, forcing a smile. "Can't blame you really. Ianto is rather dishy," he teased, waggling an eyebrow at Jack.
Jack had already come to terms with losing Ianto, especially having already lost Tosh and Owen. In a matter of speaking. He hadn't known Ianto long, but he knew the Welshman was growing older by the day. That was why he had left to come to Canada. He hadn't wanted to watch him die.
"I didn't leave things in a good place with him. Actually, I had just woken up from a rather long death and ran off right away. But I couldn't miss you. I waited so long for answers. I can accept being immortal now."
"All in the past," the Doctor said, grabbing a uniform off the hanger. "What do you think?" he asked, holding it up. "Can I pull off being general? No, probably not," he decided, tossing it on the table. "With my luck the Brig would show up and be offended at my audacity. On second thought, that could be fun," he grinned.
"I think old Sir Alistair would come up to Canada just to put you in your place." That would actually be a rather amusing sight. Jack wondered with the old soldier would think of this young Doctor.
"Actually, though, I think pinstripes suit you much better than a uniform."
"You're right, why mess with perfection." Really, the Time Lord had no shame or even a smidgen of humility. Nearly one thousand years of superiority tended to have that effect on people, particular people from an already smug and self important race of aliens.
The Doctor didn't look at Jack when he asked quietly, "How are you, Jack? We don't see much of you and you're awfully quiet these days. Everything alright?"
Jack was deliberately avoiding a straight answer. Even if the Doctor wouldn't look at him, Jack was looking right at him. It might have been his idea for the Doctor to enter into a relationship with Rose and the Master, but he honestly hadn't expected the Doctor to move the TARDIS into the Mayor's mansion.
"Oh I'm fine. Happier than I've been in a century." Well, mostly. Except for the meeting he'd had with the Master only moments before. "Ianto and I...I don't think I imaged myself this settled."
Even when he had married, he had never really settled down.
Jack had finally come to visit.
Drinking his tea in one quick gulp, he threw a few bills on the table, and left the cafe, making a beeline for the mansion. He took the stairs two at a time, entering the master suite and walking to the TARDIS.
Grinning, he stepped inside and looked around. No Jack, but he knew he was here. Knowing where he was bound to be, the Doctor went to the wardrobe, smiling when he saw Jack there, going through the vast number of costumes.
"Jack! About time you came home for a visit!"
Reply
When the Doctor joined him, Jack turned, a smile settling into place. No sign that there was anything wrong. He wasn't going to tell the Doctor about his little meeting with the master of the house.
"Yeah, I thought I was long overdue."
Reply
Reply
"I think I might have liked to meet a teenage Rose." Jack waggled his eyebrows at the Doctor. He just wanted to see what reaction he would get out of the Doctor.
Reply
The Doctor was very glad Rose wasn't in the room at the moment. He wasn't sure his stomach couldn't handle the sheer number of hits he was earning.
Reply
Reply
His grin softened to a smile. "I wouldn't do anything to mess that up, Jack. He's good for you."
Reply
When he turned to face the Doctor, his smile was still in place. "I loved you first, Doctor. When you asked me to go with you...after the Year That Wasn't. It was so tempting."
Reply
The Doctor pushed away the thought of living his life without Rose, knowing it would only make him maudlin.
"Ah, but not tempting enough," the Doctor countered, forcing a smile. "Can't blame you really. Ianto is rather dishy," he teased, waggling an eyebrow at Jack.
Reply
"I didn't leave things in a good place with him. Actually, I had just woken up from a rather long death and ran off right away. But I couldn't miss you. I waited so long for answers. I can accept being immortal now."
Reply
Reply
"Actually, though, I think pinstripes suit you much better than a uniform."
Reply
The Doctor didn't look at Jack when he asked quietly, "How are you, Jack? We don't see much of you and you're awfully quiet these days. Everything alright?"
Reply
Jack was deliberately avoiding a straight answer. Even if the Doctor wouldn't look at him, Jack was looking right at him. It might have been his idea for the Doctor to enter into a relationship with Rose and the Master, but he honestly hadn't expected the Doctor to move the TARDIS into the Mayor's mansion.
Reply
He wasn't going to let the Captain evade him, not now when there was obviously something on his mind.
Reply
Even when he had married, he had never really settled down.
Reply
Leave a comment