A/N: This is a bit of an AU fic (I say AU becasue we don't know what happens when Jack fianlly meets the New Doctor)that starts immediately after we hear a familiar noise and Jack disappears in the season finale of Torchwood.
Disclaimer: I own a Doctor action figure, some books and a bunch of dvd's; does that count? No? Oh well, nope own nothing (although if Mr. Tennant can be bought...!) they are owned by the genii who created them and write the new stories. I make no money and don't enjoy doing it at all! Well the last bit is a lie I do enjoy doing it, writing I mean not making no money. Am I rambling? Hmm attack of the 'Doctor' syndrome. Sorry On with the show, as they say!
Chapter One
Jack heard a familiar whooshing sound and a sonic boom and smiled to himself.
"I've got a bone to pick with you Jack Harkness!" a very unfamiliar voice boomed.
Spinning round Jack looked for the owner and what he saw confused him. He knew he was on the TARDIS, no other place could look like this but the man in front of him, glaring at him, arms folded across his chest, wasn't the Doctor.
"You opened the rift! How many times did we tell Rose how dangerous the rift was? And you go and open it! You don't think I've got enough to deal with in this universe without people from all points in history flooding through bringing every illness known to mankind? I may be called the Doctor and I know my fair share of medicine but this is pushing the boundaries a little bit far don't you think? You are not the only planet in the galaxy and not the only galaxy in the universe."
Jack stood dumbfound.
"Well?..." Jack continued to stare. "What?!" the Doctor demanded.
"Who are you? And what have you done with Doc and Rose."
"Ok firstly don't call me Doc, makes it sound like I should be in an old western or something and second, I am the Doctor." He grinned broadly.
"You can't be. The Doctor is a northern guy, leather jacket, big ears, nose to match."
"Hey! My ears were not that big." The Doctor reached up to touch his own ears pouting ever so slightly.
Jack regarded him for a moment. "Ok, well if you're the Doctor where's Rose?" Jack saw the man's face age before his eyes.
"She's gone." The Doctor told him, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The former time agent was taken aback by the sadness in this man's eyes.
"You're really the Doctor?"
"I regenerated. Got a pretty good deal I think." The Doctor flashed Jack a grin, glad of the change of subject. He knew Jack would ask more questions about Rose and he would deal with them when it happened. "So you closed the rift?"
"Uh, yeah I think so." Jack frowned, thrown by constant change of subject.
"You think so? Any stragglers left behind?"
"I don't know." Jack told him sheepishly.
"What have you been doing for the last three days?"
"I've been dead. What did you want me to do? It kinda takes a while to wake up when you've been shot in the head five times!" Jack was almost shouting, his confusion making his mind reel.
"Woah, woah, woah. Hang on. You were dead?" The Doctor's brow furrowed.
"Yeah and now I'm not. The worlds full of surprises today ain't it?!"
"Ok you need to start from the beginning." With that The Doctor turned and headed out of the control room leaving Jack stood feeling like a lemon. "Are you coming Captain?"
Jack jogged after him finding him in the kitchen. "Tea, coffee, lemonade. You name it we got it."
"Didn't have you down as a girly drinker." Jack commented opening the fridge and holding up an alcopop.
"That's Ro….that's not mine." He turned back to the counter and poured himself some tea. "Right, start at the beginning. And when I say beginning I mean opening the rift."
XxXxX
"I can't believe you let him shoot you in the head." The Doctor chuckled.
"It's not funny and I didn't let him. So any theories?"
"On what?"
"The fact I can't die. Believe me I've tried doing it right myself but it's like I'm in 'Groundhog day' or something except the day is always different." Jack raked his fingers through his hair.
"That's easy. You were killed by Dalek's the Time vortex undid it. You were technically brought back to life by…….the vortex. So the residual energy of the vortex keeps bringing you back to life. Don't count on it always working though, eventually that energy will wear out and there will be no bringing you back again."
"Ok, but how?"
"What do you mean how? I just told you."
"So why does it feel like I've only got half the story?"
"No idea." The Doctor raised his cup to his lips, draining the rest of his tea before getting to his feet. It had taken the Doctor months to get used to the fact Rose was gone and having Jack here was stirring it all up again. It was his own fault, he knew that. He'd brought Jack here. Still once they had made sure everything was under control he'd be able to leave Jack at Torchwood and it would be over.
"So what happened with Rose?" Jack asked falling into step beside the Doctor as they walked the corridors.
"I sent her home. Out of harms way." There was no flicker of emotion across his face.
"And you didn't go back for her when it was all safe?"
"Nothing is safe in this world. Even I died. It was better for her to stay behind."
"You seem to make a habit of leaving people behind." Jack told him.
"So I do." The Doctor said, not bothering to put him straight. He wasn't telling a complete lie. He had sent away and he hadn't brought her back, she'd come back by herself. The less the Jack knew the better.
XxXxX
Jack knew the Doctor was hiding something. He found Rose's room and went inside. He smiled at the state of it, typical teenager, clothes and c.ds all over the place, just as it was the last time he saw it. He saw one wall was covered in photos. Peering closer he saw lots of the three of them, her, Jack and the old Doctor but noticed most of them were of her and the Doctor. The new Doctor. He'd been lied to again. The Doctor hadn't left her behind. He's gone back for her. The pair looked happy as if they were always laughing and Jack smiled. The Doctor looked younger in the photos so Jack figured she must've been gone for quite a while until he saw the date stamp on the bottom of one. It had only been taken six months ago. Of course having a time machine it could have been years but Jack was sure there was something else going on and he was determined to find out what. He missed Rose.
"What are you doing in here?" The Doctor's voice came from behind him.
"Just looking."
"Out." The Doctor pointed to the door. "We don't need to be in here."
"You're the boss. One question though; if you left her behind why all the photo's of you?" Jack pushed passed him and retreated to the control room. He expected the Doctor to follow arguing; telling him off for snooping but after a good half hour the Doctor was no where in sight.
"Ok girl," he whispered to the machine. "There's a lot of catching up I need to do and the Doc isn't really forthcoming with info. But right now there's just one thing playing on my mind and I'm sure you can help me with this. What happened to Rose?"
The monitor flickered into life. Jack watched the Doctor sidle out of the TARDIS doors leaving Rose and another older woman behind. A few moments later the door opened and the Doctor's arm snaked in and dragged the older woman out leaving Rose behind. She pottered around at the control panel then slipped out through the doors. The video jumped and the Doctor entered through the front doors and lent over the control panel. Suddenly Jack wasn't sure he wanted to see any more. He watched as the Doctor carried on in what seemed like the normal fashion but his actions became more erratic, flicking levers and switches, kicking the control panel until he seemed to lose the ability to stand and just sunk to the floor. It was then that he saw how distressed the Doctor was and it brought tears to his eyes.
"Ok, I get it he didn't hurt her. But what happened?"
The monitor flickered again and the scene changed to a white room, Rose was talking to the older woman. Two hands came into view placing a chain over Rose's head. Jack realised he was seeing things through the Doctor's eyes. Rose turned to look at him and vanished in an instant.
I sent her home. Out of harms way. The Doctor hadn't lied to him, well not completely.
Seconds later she was back in the room and the Doctor grabbed her by the arms telling her off.
"Once that breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!" He was almost shouting at her, trying to make her see sense.
"I made my choice a long time ago and I'm never gonna leave you."
He stared at her for a moment before releasing his grip.
"So what can I do to help?" She was staring at him stubbornly waiting.
"Those co-ordinates over there; set them all at six. And hurry up."
Jack winced at the tone of the Doctor's voice.
"We've got Cybermen on the way up."
"How many floors down?"
"Just one."
Suddenly it all made sense. Jack knew what this was. He knew Cybermen; this was the end of Torchwood in London. He leant forward, watching intently.
The Doctor began tapping furiously at the computer entering the last command and the levers finally became operational.
"That's more like it, bit of a smile! The old team!" Rose cheered.
He grabbed the magnaclamp and crossed to her. "Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake!"
"Which one's Shiver?"
"Oh I'm Shake!" he told her handing her a clamp. A smile touched Jack's lips, so much enthusiasm and hope in both their voices.
Rose followed the Doctor's lead by holding it up against the wall. "Press the red button. When it starts, just hold on tight. It shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in void stuff. Are you ready?"
They pushed the levers up then grabbed hold of the clamps struggling to stay on the ground as the void opened.
"The breach is open. Into the void! Ha!"
But something went wrong, there was a small explosion and the lever on Rose's side shifted back to the 'off' position.
Jack watched in horror as she let go to set the lever right, he knew what was coming. Rose struggled to reach it before managing to get it back into the 'on' position. Only problem was she only had the lever to hold on to.
"Rose, hold on!" the Doctor shouted in desperation. "Hold on!" his voice turning into a scream.
Jack wasn't sure he could watch. It was in slow motion as Rose lost her grip on the lever and got sucked towards the void.
"ROSE!" he heard the Doctor scream again. Suddenly a man appeared grabbing her. Rose managed a quick glance over her shoulder at him then disappeared and the room fell quiet except for the wind.
He stared at the spot where they had been until the void closed. The wind died down and the room fell completely silent. Jack watched as the Doctor walked up to the wall and laid his palm against it and rested his head there.
Jack felt his stomach sink. Rose came back to the Doctor even after he'd sent her away, willing to leave her mother behind to never see her again only for them to lose each other anyway. "Oh, Doc." Jack sighed rubbing a hand over his face.
"Seen enough?"
Jack jumped at the Doctor's voice "Why do you keep sneaking up on me?"
The Doctor grinned but Jack didn't quite trust the sincerity of it. "Because you're so nosey." He replied tapping away on the keyboard. The images disappeared from the monitor; all that was left now were a series of shapes that seemed to make no sense at all. "Looks like our visitors are back in their own times."
"I'm sorry. But I cared about Rose too. I just wanted to know what happened to her."
"Well now you know." The TARDIS beeped and whirred at him. "Yes yes I know." The Doctor sighed and lifted a panel in the floor. He fished in his pocket for his glasses and putting them on threw his jacket over the rail. Holding his screwdriver between his teeth he hopped down underneath the TARDIS.
Jack watched him for a while, muttering as the TARDIS sparked and flashed. He was taller than the last Doctor, slimmer too. He still had that steely look when he didn't like something, this time though it was even darker and it unnerved Jack a little and excited him too. This Doctor was even fierier than the last but it hid beneath the surface ready to explode at any moment. Having him around would make things very interesting.
"You know you really did a number under here. Ever since you left she's been a nightmare!" The Doctor's voice filtered through his thoughts.
Jack remained silent, sitting himself on the edge of the pit. "Listen," he said finally. "I'm sorry. I know how much she meant to you."
"It's not like it did any serious damage, just a little uncomfortable at times."
"I was talking about Rose."
"So was I." The Doctor poked his head out to look at Jack.
"Hurts huh?" He watched the Time Lord's shoulders sag.
"More than you know."
"Wana talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Is that the kind of 'not really' where I get up to leave and you start rambling or the kind where you really don't want to?"
The Doctor sighed and thought for a moment then nodded his head. "Really don't want too!" He grinned.
"So how'd you die? You know my story, what's yours?
"The game station. I sent Rose home in the TARDIS, away from the Daleks but you know Rose, has to do things her own way. Some how she managed to open the heart of the TARDIS and brought her back." He hissed as a spark burnt his fingers. "Rose absorbed the time vortex and used it against the Daleks."
"And brought me back to life." Jack nodded.
"Yeah. Only problem was that the vortex was killing her. You can't have the entire knowledge of time and space in one person's brain, especially not a human one. So I absorbed it from her…"
"Your first kiss." Jack said hearing the Doctor bash his head in shock under the control panel.
"How do you know that?" He asked coming out from his hiding place, rubbing the sore spot.
Jack nodded at the monitor; the TARDIS was playing the scene out.
"Will you stop doing that?! Can't do a damn thing without this machine taking the memories from your head and storing them. I hope no one ever decides to blackmail me 'cause this ship could be my downfall."
Jack chuckled. "She's just trying to help."
"Being nosey is not helping." He moaned ducking back out of sight.
"You mean you never watch them? Like a home video?"
"Nope. Don't need to, it's all still in my head. I don't need to see it all played out."
"Not even the fun times?" Jack heard the sonic screwdriver stop.
"Is this not talking about it?"
"Alright, alright. I'm just curious. I only just got to know the old you and now there's a new you."
"I'm still the same man Jack."
"But that's just it. You are but you're not. From what I've….seen you still put yourself in harms way to save the universe and I'll bet when you're excited your still giddy as a school boy but you're so different and I don't mean in the way you look or dress but just the way you are."
"Are you chatting me up Jack?"
He could hear the laughter in the Doctor's voice. "See there; right there. That is new you, the old you would've changed the subject and fast if he was on his own with me, not challenge me."
"Not necessarily. People change over time. Normal, everyday people. Not just aliens. How do you know the company I keep has nothing to do with it?"
"What company? You're on your own as far as I can see."
"Well I am now."
"Oh, you had another friend after Rose?"
"Depends on what you call a friend. Let's see there was Donna. Thick as twenty short planks but her heart was in the right place. She stuck around for an entire day. Mind you she was meant to be getting married when the TARDIS kidnapped her. Completely unintentional, I'll have you know. You know, she was so hung over one Christmas she didn't even know we were being invaded?! And then there was Martha."
"Martha?"
"You would've liked her, liked a good fight. Full of life."
"But?"
"But nothing. She wanted to go back to medical school so she left."
"So. How close were you to Martha?"
"She was a friend."
"Like Rose?"
"I didn't let her stay to replace Rose. No one can replace Rose." Jack heard the hint of anger in the Doctor's voice.
"Ok, ok. Just asking. You can still be just as grumpy as your old self."
"Sorry." Came a quiet response. "Here take a look at this." The Doctor held out a piece from the underside of the TARDIS.
"Not pretty, any ideas how to fix it?"
"Plenty but as you did it I think that's your department." The Doctor reappeared in the pit rubbing his hands on a cloth.
"Oh I see. That's why you brought me here all along wasn't it, nothing to do with the rift. It's because you think I made a mess under there."
"Good thought. Completely wrong but good thought. No this is just an added bonus. She's been sparking like mad recently. Someone's going to get hurt."
"Ever thought that maybe she's just too old?"
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at him. "Brave words for a man inside the belly of the beast." A wicked smile tweaked his lips.
XxXxX
Jack sat under TARDIS' control panel singing away to himself while the Doctor scanned the rift over and over.
'Well, I've roamed about this Earth So, reel me in, my precious girl,
With just a suitcase in my hand,
And I've met some bog-eyed Joe's,
I've met the blessed, I've met the damned.
But of all the strange, strange creatures
In the air, at sea, on land,
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
I love you, you understand.
Come on, take me home.
'Cause my body's tired of travelling
And my heart don't wish to roam.'
The Doctor froze, something about that song disturbed him. He shrugged it off and continued.
Jack watched the Doctor through the grated floor and tried not to smile, he knew he was making him uncomfortable and he had to admit he was enjoying it. He'd always enjoyed teasing the Doctor.
'I have wandered, I have rambled
I have crossed this crowded sphere,
And I've seen a mass of problems
That I long to disappear.
Now, all I have's this anguished heart,
For you have vanished too.
Oh, my girl, my girl, my precious girl,
Just what is this man to do?'
"Uh Jack?"
"Yeah, Doc?"
"Shut up." The Doctor peered at him over the top of his glasses.
"Fair enough. So what's with the change of accent?"
"Just part of the regeneration. Lucky dip. Why, does it bother you?" He continued fiddling at the keyboard.
"No, I like it, makes you sound even more intelligent."
"Thanks, I think."
"Was just wondering if it was a choice. Like the new clothes."
"Well, leather and black trousers wasn't really me. Well new me anyway."
"Well the glasses definitely suit you." Jack climbed out of the pit.
"Different face, different eyes…. Well different everything but the answer will always be the same Jack; not a hope." The Doctor looked at him again and raised a playful eyebrow.
"Shucks and there was me hoping with Rose out of the way I'd get a chance to do this." He grabbed the Doctor by the tie and pulled him so close their noses were touching.
"Ah, Jack. Don't you dare." The Doctor's voice suddenly stern, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed his discomfort.
Jack burst out laughing. "Gotcha." He said planting a quick kiss on the Doctor's forehead.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." A familiar voice came from the other side of the control panel. The men froze and stared at each other.
XxXxX
A/N: There you have it folks. Sorry it's a bit of a marathon of a Chapter but I couldn't see anywhere else to break it. Hopefully the other chapters won't be so long. So reviews are always welcome, printed and put in a shiny blue folder. Did I just say that out loud?
"Catch ya on the flip flop"