Title: Back with Jack

Summary: The Doctor, trying to avoid facing the events of Lake Silencio , goes out on vacation, only to bump into a certain captain and immediately be swept up in new adventures and a confusing attraction to his longest-lasting friend.

Rating: T

Notes: This story is from Jack's PoV and refers to events in Torchwood quite often. For those of you who do not watch Torchwood, then I suggest watching it, then coming back and reading. If you have no desire, then I will tell you that everything you don't get (i.e. Ianto and the 456) will be explained later.

I do not own anything. Everything is to the BBC and Russell T. Davies, who I hate for CoE, but love because of everything else. :P

SUPER big gigantic thanks to an author near and dear to me, though I don't know if i mean as much to them. Riftintime! Their feedback has been so helpful, and I hope to get more of it as this story goes on. For those who have watched Torchwood, i suggest going and poking around riftintime's stories. This is rubbish compared to those.

Back with Jack, Chapter 1

Jack stumbled out of the alien pub just as an empty bottle was thrown his direction, breaking over the back of his head. He grumbled curses, knowing the minor cuts would heal over quickly. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his military great coat and strolled, quite unceremoniously, down the street of a planet his Vortex Manipulator had whisked him away to. The residents said it was called Raxon or something of the sort. That was the sixth intergalactic bar he had been booted from in the past two days. Jack didn't really care. His life had been a mess since Ianto and Steven's deaths. He got drunk every night, usually bringing home whatever warm (or cold... or metal... or scaly...) body he could coax into following him.

He hated his immortality more than ever. Sometimes he hated the Doctor because in the end, it could all be traced back to him. All Jack wanted to do was die, while everyone wanted to live forever. At least the Doctor could choose not to come back, not to regenerate, if he didn't want to. Jack figured that out with the Master...

Jack was about to flip open his wrist strap to teleport him to a nice, dark and lush hotel before he spotted a particularly fetching young inhabitant of the planet he was on. The residents were humanoid, the only difference being that Raxon people had long, reptilian tails and lizard-like eyes. This particular Raxonite would be considered VERY attractive if he were human, with a chiseled jaw, broad shoulders, nice arms and softly tanned skin. His blonde hair was tousled at the front and one hand rest on his hip, which brought Jack's attention to his greenish-blue tail. As his mind began to ponder what things the male could do with that extra appendage, Jack quickly assessed what the creature was wearing: a simple but low-cut, tight fitting black shirt and some sort of spacey-looking trousers that fit the object of Jack's thoughts all too well.

He smirked, strolling up to him, "I'm curious as to what your people do with those long tails of yours..." Jack murmured, his blue eyes locking with the amber ones of the alien, who flashed him a smirk, showing off two elongated canine teeth.

"Human, yeah? You lot always like fooling around with other species, don't you?" his voice was tinted with a soft lisp and a strong, what humans would call, London accent.

"It's a hard-broken habit of my generation... Is it so wrong that I find extra body parts insanely erotic?" Jack winked, knowing his charm would win him over.

"Absolutely not," the creature growled lowly, "I'm Taak, by the way..." he held out a hand. Jack grasped it and shook it firmly before yanking Taak towards him, their chests pressed together, "Captain Jack... My place or yours, Taak?"

"Captain, hm?" the alien trailed a finger down Jack's chest, playing with a button on his shirt, "Mine..." Taak smirked, and Jack felt something run down his back, and he had a good suspicion it was a tail.

"Lead the way, then." he growled back. They made their way out of the downtown of whatever city on Raxon, and Jack grew antsy with anticipation as Taak started teasing him more with his tail. Jack opened his mouth to whisper something in Taak's ear when he heard a loud, grinding sound that he would recognize ANYWHERE.

The sound of the TARDIS.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around wildly, trying to spot the police box. He apologized to Taak before running off, his arousal forgotten for the moment. He was so excited, he almost ran straight into the big blue doors.

"Oh my gods! It is him!" he dug inside his shirt and pulled out the key he kept on a necklace. He yanked on the chain, freeing it from his neck and frantically trying to unlock the doors when all of a sudden, they swung open, "Space Florida!" an unfamiliar voice shouted as a tall, lanky man with long, dark brown hair combed over to the side sauntered out of the TARDIS, disregarding Jack, though not on purpose. "Or... Not.. Space Florida...?" he looked around, slightly disappointed. Jack took in what the man was wearing, raising an eyebrow. A tweed jacket, suspenders and... A bowtie?

"I believe the planet is Raxon." Jack murmured, slowly moving his gaze to the man's face which he had saved looking at for last. Jack couldn't help but wonder why the Doctor always regenerated into something attractive as he examined the defined jaw line and cheekbones of this new incarnation.

The Doctor turned to him slowly, his eyes widening, "Jack?"

"Captain Jack Harkness, at your service, Doctor!" he saluted.

The Doctor grinned and threw his arms up, "Jack!" he laughed, taking him into a tight hug, which Jack didn't reciprocate immediately. So this was a huggy kind of Doctor...?

"What's with the bow tie?" Jack asked as he pulled away, again glancing over the outfit.

"Bow ties are cool, Jack!" The Doctor beamed.

Jack shook his head, "I see your fashion sense has been tampered with along with your handsome face, not that I'm complaining about the latter." he smirked, gazing into the Doctor's green eyes.

"Jack..." his tone held that familiar kind of warning, yet it was slightly less stern. If anything, more awkward.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Come on, Doctor! So where's your pretty companion? I could use more people to flirt with. Is she a redhead this time?" He peeked inside the TARDIS.

The Doctor scratched his head, his face showing that Jack had said something wrong. "I brought her back home... It was too dangerous for her. For anybody, really."

Jack turned to him sadly, not able to stop the next words that slipped from his lips, "It's not dangerous for me..."

The Doctor lightened up and chuckled, "No. Not for you, Jack. You're... Special." His eyes still looked wary. "Erm, shall we try again for Space Florida?" he yanked Jack inside the TARDIS.

"Ooh, Doctor..." Jack grinned, following eagerly. He wondered if this Doctor was more open to things the others weren't... He seemed a bit more socially awkward, but Jack could work with that.

"Still at your antics, are we Jack?" The Doctor laughed, strolling up to the center console.

Jack froze, looking around wildly as he didn't recognize his surroundings. "You redecorated!" he gasped, taking in the new TARDIS interior.

"Hm? Oh! Yes!" the Doctor beamed, "The old girl had a bit of trouble escaping a little... Mishap. she changed. I changed. Lots of change! A new start! A new lov-" he stopped, clearing his throat, "Companion... New companion." his gaze grew distant and he turned from his old friend.

Jack, sensing that discussing whatever most recent assistant the Doctor had was treading dark waters, decided to brighten up the mood. "Well i think the TARDIS looks amazing, Doctor!" he climbed up the stairs to the Time Lord, clapping him on the back. "Who needs female assistants anyways..." he murmured, his hand sliding lower.

The Doctor jumped away, swatting slightly at Jack, "No! J-jack! No." he cast him a warning look, but there was a slight heat to his cheeks, causing Jack to smirk before he held his hands up in surrender.

"Had to try!" he chuckled, knowing his tone and demeanor would calm the Doctor down.

"Well, Jack!" the Doctor burst out, changing the subject again, "All of time and space... Though you have that device," he thrust an accusing finger at Jack's wrist strap, "So I'm sure that's not much of an offer."

"You are the only offer I need, Doc..." Jack said slyly.

The Doctor laughed a bit nervously, "Right then, where do you want to go first?"

"Well, could I suggest one of the pleasure planets in the Vegas Galaxy?" Jack said suggestively, throwing himself down in a chair.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "And what's to say I've never been to one before?"

Jack laughed a genuine laugh. Something he hadn't done since... He decided not to think about it. "Because you're always saving the universe! Too busy! Oh, 'No one knows the burden of a time lord...'" Jack mocked, much to the Doctor's displeasure. "Well look here, Doc. I've done my fair share of saving the universe what with that damn rift.."

"Right, Jack, look! Let's just forget about the past and have an adven-" The Doctor was cut off.

"Oh! And The 456? I did that without you! Too busy to save millions of children, are you?" Jack narrowed his eyes.

"Right, well there wasn't much I could-"

"Burden of a Time Lord..." Jack scoffed, "I've lost people I love, Doctor. Sure, I haven't killed off my entire race, but I almost let most of the Earth's children perish. I've always been one for having fun, but as of late, I realized that life is shit, so might as well get the most of it. We're going to a pleasure planet." he crossed his arms, not sure where all of that came from. Actually, he knew. That was all of the pent up emotion from killing his lover and his grandson. The same emotion he had been ignoring when he was shagging a random person...

"Jack... The 456, all of that was a fixed point in time. I can't change what happened there. I can't bring Ianto back." the Doctor whispered.

Jack narrowed his eyes, "Don't speak his name..."

"Jack, please-"

"Doctor, just stop. I don't want to think about anything but here and now." Jack rarely exploded his thoughts and feelings like that. It was strange, unexpected and uncalled for really, but he wasn't going to admit it or apologize. He cleared his throat and put on a smile, shoving away his depression. "Thanks for introducing me to that Alonso guy, by the way." he smirked, effectively throwing the conversation away. He had gotten so accustomed to hiding his pain that it came as an instinct for him.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, probably from both the statement and Jack's quick change in mood. "Right... Well, it was the least I could do." he said, his tone dismissive, but a little victorious glint was in his eyes and a smile played on his lips as if he were proud.

Jack laughed, "I told him I am a Captain, and he saluted me... Our games were quite fun that evening, we started out with a not-so-polite round of Captain Says. Like Simon says, but-"

The Doctor's neck grew a soft shade of pink before he whirled around to face the console. He cleared his throat, "So! Setting the TARDIS on random and OFF we go!"

Jack was glad his was sitting down already as the room shook and rolled. Deflection... Hm? Jack was going to have fun with this Doctor... When the world around him finally stilled, Jack stood up and sauntered over to the front doors, "Shall we, Doctor?" he murmured, holding out his arm for his friend to take.

The Doctor glanced down at Jack's offer as he approached the threshold himself. "Erm, why not?" he grinned, looping his arm through Jack's, the ex-time agent's smile growing wider. "Let's see where the old girl brought us this time!"

He pulled open the door and glanced around. They were in a large, ornate cathedral of sorts.

"Fancy..." Jack murmured, tugging the Doctor out. "But not particularly exciting."

The Doctor froze, and his free hand shot to his jacket pocket, pulling out his sonic.

"Ooh, new screwdriver, too? And this one's bigger..." Jack grinned suggestively, "Can i jump to conclusions about what else might have increased in size?..." his hand was slowly gliding down towards the Doctor's waist.

"Jack, not now!" the Doctor whispered, but Jack could see that blush creep up the Doctor's neck again. 'Not now? So later, then?' Jack wondered.

"What?" he teased out loud, "Just hav-" The Doctor put his finger to his lips and made a sharp, short 'sh', somehow effectively shushing the other man.

"Jack... The statues..." The Doctor gazed around again, and Jack could hear the rapid beat of two hearts.

"What about them?" Jack followed the Doctor's gaze, falling on one of them, "They're just angels, Doctor... We ARE in a church. Speaking of which, there was this one priest I met-"

The Doctor did his magic 'sh' once more, now most of the color drained from his face, and his eyes wide, shooting around the room.
"Don't blink... Whatever you do, Jack, don't blink..."

*plays "Blink" by Chameleon Circuit and headbangs*

*clears throat* anyways! PLEASE REVIEW! I'll love you forever! even if you loved or hated it. If you liked it, If anything, at least fave or alert. Anything. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside! :DDD plus it'll help me update faster!