Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.
Timeline: Set sometime after Journey's End.

According to Jack, the 21st century was when it would all change. But somehow he failed to inform, mainly out of ignorance himself, that there would be a lull before the big changes would take place. And so it was that life at Torchwood Three began to settle into a bit of a routine. Catching Weevils had become a bi-monthly event at best and the most disturbance they got from the Rift these days was a fairly harmless artifact tossed here or there.

With the exception of Gwen and Ianto both of whom never wavered in their resolve to remain, the turnover rate at Torchwood was still high. But it had less to do with fatalities and more to do with people moving onto jobs they deemed more interesting. With the latest departure, they were looking again for a new tech and medic. Jack often conflicted over how he felt about this. On one hand, it was good not to lose anymore team members to the greedy hand of death. But on the other, he had to admit that the job had sunk into dull stagnation, only periodically interrupted by a mini-crisis, which he was starting to wish for more and more these days.

Jack started to feel bored. And not the boredom of a slow afternoon, but the boredom that itched and tugged at his skin, daring and begging him to stand up and run. On days that it got really bad, he thought of his team. The first team he'd ever put together under his originally deceptive, if ultimately well-meant, leadership: Suzie, Toshiko, Owen, Gwen and Ianto. The last two still surviving despite the best efforts of Fate's permanent hatred of Jack. He thought of them and the need to bolt would subside. Just a little bit.

Then one day, a crisis happened which fortuitously coincided with a stop by visit from the Doctor to Cardiff for a refuel. The crisis was averted as per usual. But by some bizarre twist of fate, the Doctor was fatally poisoned, clocking in the first fatal wound for Torchwood in three years.

"It's happening. I'm going to regenerate," the Time Lord gasped. "In the Cardiff sewer systems," he added in mild disbelief and disgust.

The Doctor lay writing on the grimy floor of the sewer tunnel as Gwen tried to keep him from accidentally kicking himself into the raw sewage that ran beside them while Ianto tried to feed Jack directions to their whereabouts.

"I'm sorry," Gwen whispered, not sparing a glance at the corpse of the Santran whose venom bite would have killed her had it not been for the Doctor's last minute interference. "I'm sorry."

"No…s'fine," the Doctor gritted out. He gave a hoarse cry as the pain in his limbs intensified and he thrashed involuntarily. "Ooohh…agony. Lots of…painful…agony."

"It'll be alright," Gwen tried to assure, though the look on her face seemed to contradict that point, despite her knowing it would be.

"What the hell is happening?" Jack's voice demanded in Ianto's ear at a loud enough volume to be heard by all.

"He's about to regenerate," said Ianto. "And you're about three meters away from us. Turn left at the next tunnel."

"Is he regenerating for real or do I have to get the hand for him?"

Before Ianto could ask what in the world that meant, the Doctor shouted a response. "Of course it's for bloody real! This much pain before, it better be real!"

"Do we need to do anything?" Gwen asked, desperate to alleviate at least some of the discomfort.

"No, no," the Doctor shook his head. "Just…have to let it run its…wait," he amended. "If the regeneration goes wrong, I'll need some tea. Do you have that?"

Gwen exchanged identical looks with Ianto, both wondering if they'd heard wrong.

"Yes, we have tea back at the Hub," Ianto affirmed, deciding to roll with the punches.

"Good….good," wheezed the Doctor.

"Erm…what sort of tea would you like?" asked Ianto. "English breakfast? Earl Grey? Chamomile? Green? Barley?"

"It doesn't matter!" the Doctor yelled, half from the pain along with irritation. "Wait…English Breakfast," he decided after a brief thought.

The sounds of Jack's heavy boots echoed around the sewer tunnels. The captain finally rushed around the corner to join them, looking remarkably dashing and in good spirits for a man who'd spent the last two hours crawling around sewage, battling aliens whose faces were about 60 percent teeth.

"Help him to his feet," Jack instructed his team mates as the tell tale glow began to emanate from the Doctor's skin, illuminating the tunnels.

Gwen grabbed his left side and hoisted him upward with Ianto's help as she continued to mutter apologies, interspersing them with reassurances. The two barely kept themselves from falling straight into Cardiff's less than attractive waters when the Doctor thrust his limbs outward and burst into suited strip of bright golden light.

"Have you ever seen anything so fantastic? It's brilliant!" the Doctor cheered back at the Hub's autopsy bay. He twisted his head left and right, catching himself at all angles in the mirror Ianto patiently held up for him. "I'm finally ginger! 900 plus years and it's finally happened!"

And it was true. Bright ginger hair curled out from the Doctor's head in messy waves. He was ever so slightly shorter than his previous self and while still lanky appeared less spindly. He still wore the brown pinstripe suit, though now the jacket looked strained around the shoulders.

"You look lovely," Gwen commented, not really lying. The last version had been more than nice, but this one wasn't half bad either. Even if he had yet to shed out of the sewage-stained clothing.

"Thank you," the Doctor replied happily, his now blue eyes bright as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hum…" he murmured. "I sound odd. I'm speaking differently," he stated, stretching out the last sentence like a slowed down recording. "I sound…"

"Welsh," Ianto concluded.

"Welsh?" the Doctor repeated, his inflection identical. "I do! Well…that's different…Huh."

"Why would that be?" asked Gwen.

Instead of answering, the Doctor squinted and spoke with some concentration. "Dweud…hwyl…" he tried out. "Uh…Mabinogion. That's all the Welsh I know. Does that sound right?"

"South Wales," Ianto commented.

"But why do you sound Welsh now?" Gwen asked again. She was so used to the Doctor jumping straight in and explaining at his rapid fire pace an answer that often left more questions. But the now ginger Time Lord seemed too distracted until she asked again more insistently.

"Oh..." he mused. "Something having to do with close locational speech patterns during the regenerative process, I assume. You were both speaking to me and we were in a sewer," he waved off, vaguely. "Not all that interesting. So, would you say most people would believe I sound like I'm from the South?" he moved on, getting back to the personal interest at hand.

Before either could answer, Jack joined them in the autopsy bay, having changed his own clothes. "How's the new body working out?" he asked with a grin.

"Jack! Have you seen?" the Doctor exclaimed, brushing at his hair. "I'm ginger!"

The grin the Doctor was giving him brought Jack up short for a moment. Despite the change in coloring, the smile was still very much the one of the last Doctor. Only there was a slight difference. Jack had assumed it was just the new face, but it was only now that he saw it wasn't a difference in features but in the type of smile. For the first time since Jack had met the Doctor, the Time Lord looked genuinely pleased to see him.

"Yeah, I noticed," Jack answered after a beat.

"It's just the right shade as well, don't you think?"

Taking another look at the curls bouncing out from the Doctor's head, Jack saw the coloring was closely reminiscent, if not identical to another brilliant redhead. "It's just right," Jack replied with a nostalgic smile as Donna's face floated up to his mind's eye.

As expected, there were a few differences in the new version of the Time Lord. He was still energetic and keen toward anything new. But his enthusiasm was slightly more child-like, which matched his now more child-like interest in being social while being somewhat forgetful.

Eager to test out his new voice, he'd gone halfway out the cog doors before Ianto reminded that perhaps he'd like to change out of his ruined clothing.

Jack waited with some anticipation to see the fashion choice of the latest Doctor, only to be somewhat nonplussed when the Time Lord hastily exited the TARDIS having thrown on whatever had been closest and had fit. Everything matched in a somewhat haphazard, distracted style.

"No use wasting time just because we can," the Doctor announced, pulling on a green jumper. "Lots of people to tell me I sound Welsh. Let's go!"

He all but dragged Jack with him out the doors of the Hub. From above in the landing, Gwen and Ianto watched them. Or more specifically Jack and the lightness of his step. As the alarms of the cog door faded behind them, Gwen glanced over at her colleague with a smile, which Ianto matched with a sad if agreeing one of his own.

Three days after his regeneration, the Doctor announced it was time to leave. And only to the surprise of Jack, invited him to come along.

"It'll be like old times," the Time Lord insisted, standing in front of Jack's desk. "Of course, not exactly like old times, but they'll still be good. I mean, don't think I'm still.." He waved a vague hand. "About you and your fact, fixed point status. That was rude of me saying that before, wasn't it? I feel like I need to travel a bit and apologize for myself." The Doctor paused, considering. "Or not. That might be a big project. But, in any case, come along."

"I can't go," Jack half laughed, keenly aware of Gwen on his office couch and Ianto leaning on the wall behind him.

The Doctor frowned, puzzled. "Why not?"

"I've got a team to run."

"Bring them along," the Doctor insisted. He turned to the others with a bright smile. "You'll love the TARDIS."

"Yes, it's bigger on the inside," Gwen smiled, indulgently.

The Doctor made an unexpected pshhh sound with his lips. "That's the boring bit."

"You really would take all of us?" Jack questioned.

"Why not?"

Even as a few very good reasons why not rose in Jack's mind, a thousand other reasons why it would be perfect did as well. They wouldn't be able to stay away forever, obviously. But things in Cardiff had slowed down to pretty much a stop. A quick trip or two…what harm would that do? It would be brilliant, in fact. Especially with those closest to him coming along.

A grin slowly ignited Jack's face, the full Harkness wattage, which hadn't made an appearance in a long time.

He eagerly looked over to Gwen in front of him who slowly stood up from the couch as Ianto joined her. Seeing the identical looks on their faces, Jack's smile dimmed a bit.

"We can't," said Gwen, quietly.

"But you should," Ianto said with a soft smile.

Jack insisted that he needed at least a week to put his affairs in order. The Doctor agreed with unfamiliar patience, but maybe that was now a new characteristic.

In actuality, Jack had close to no affairs to put in order, but planned on using the week to try and convince his team to join him. But after three days of rationalizing, tempting, and close to begging, Gwen and Ianto remained resolute.

Torchwood Three might be in a lull, but it wasn't completely dead. It was just now more administrative, a word that could strike Jack dead with its boring connotations. There were still meetings that had to be attended, liaising that had to get done.

"If it's so impossibly busy as you make it seem," said Jack. "Then I'll stick around and help."

"Jack," Gwen sighed. "No offense, but you tend to cause the diplomatic situations that make us have these meetings with the PM. This is your chance to get out there, travel with the Doctor," she continued, brightly. "Be a hero. Save worlds. It's what you do best."

The two were in Jack's office that was slowly in small degrees being converted into a simple room. There was only one box in the middle of the floor that held a few of his personal items that he'd be taking.

"You should take this," said Gwen, a forced cheer in her voice as she held up the coral sculpture from his desk. "It's been with you forever."

"Do you want me to go?" Jack suddenly asked.

The Welshwoman dropped her gaze for a moment to the coral in her arms before she set it back down. "I'll miss you," she answered, meeting his eyes. "But it's time."

"Time for what? For us to all say goodbye?"

"That's not what this is. But you built Torchwood here to help people. It's what you do. And there'll probably be more people or aliens or whatever out there needing your help than us right now. You've outgrown this place," said Gwen. "So go out there and do what you do."

"What about you?" questioned Jack, stubbornly. "What about Ianto? This place?"

"We'll carry on," Gwen replied, her smile now teary, but firm. "Because you taught us to."

Jack studied her defiant, stubborn, brave face and recalled all the more keenly now why he'd hired her in the first place. He opened his mouth to tell her when he heard the familiar whirl of the sonic screwdriver and the immediately following noise of hissing steam and metal screeching.

"The hell was that?" Jack asked, peering out his windows below. The Doctor and Ianto were standing by the coffee machine. Judging by the way the Doctor was gesturing, he seemed to be apologizing profusely while Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose. "What are they up to?"

"Just a special project," Gwen said, secretively. "Come on, let's keep packing."

They did so for a little while longer in companionable silence before Jack broke it.

"It would only be a quick trip, Gwen. We could go, save a dozen worlds and be back the same day," he insisted.

Gwen laughed, not buying it. "Don't you always tell us the Doctor never lands where he means to? It'd be years before we come back and what would I tell Rhys?"

Jack didn't have an answer for that. So instead, he weighed the book he held in his hand, staring blankly at it. "The Doctor wants me with him," he said, randomly, sounding almost dazed.

" 'Course he does," Gwen replied.

"He didn't used to. Not even before I became the way I am."

"But he does now," said Gwen. "Maybe he's more lonely."

"He's always been lonely."

Gwen considered for a moment. "Maybe he's less willing to be this time around."

A few minutes later, Ianto and the Doctor joined them. On the usual silver tray, Ianto carried a cup of coffee in Jack's usual mug, which he handed to him. He watched Jack take a sip before asking, "How is it?"

Jack gave him a puzzled look. "It's perfect, as usual."

"Good," said Ianto with a grin. "He made it."

Behind Ianto, the Doctor made a triumphant gesture of arms being thrown up in the air.

His last night in Cardiff for a long time, Jack spent it on a roof. Or at least, he spent half the night on a roof. Eventually Ianto found him, teasing him slightly that only he would be brooding under the stars when soon he'd be amongst them.

Later, they were both sufficiently tired in Jack's small bed. Around them, the enclosed bunk area looked more or less the way it always did. But then again, Jack had never really decorated the space, no matter how long he'd stayed there. Even after he'd returned with the intent to never leave again.

Ianto was finally reaching sleep when Jack asked, "Why won't you come?" He didn't elaborate that while Gwen had the excuse of Rhys, Ianto did not. It might be taken as insulting.

"Because I belong here," Ianto answered, hazily, keeping his eyes shut.

"You've traveled before," Jack mentioned, quietly. He felt soft hairs brush his shoulder as Ianto shook his head.

"No, I drifted before," he clarified. "There's a difference." He paused a moment in thought before adding, "You taught me that, actually."

"Remind me to kick my ass for doing that." Ianto chuckled beside him, the gesture sending a brief vibration through the mattress. "I'll come back," Jack promised after a bit.

"You'll visit," Ianto replied. "In need of some expert tailoring, no doubt." He finally opened his eyes, smiling to let Jack know he was kidding, but caught the frown on the other man's face. "Jack, this is the right thing."

"Guess you guys are ready then," Jack mused. "You've got it covered without my help."

After a handful of years around Jack, Ianto had gotten better at translating Jack-speak into plain English. He teased and translated apart the words now, remembering that for a long time now, the older man had only been measuring people's affection for him by how much they deemed Jack helpful toward their own cause.

Curling closer toward him, Ianto closed his eyes. "Jack, I won't always need you. But I'll always want you," he said, carefully.

He could feel Jack still for a moment, not breathing. But then the warm body next to him relaxed and a heavy arm pulled Ianto closer to the heat source. The lull of Jack breathing so easily next to him was soothing.

"His coffee's not as a good as yours," Jack mentioned.

"He'll get better at it."

Upon the Doctor's insistence and rationale that like most first time drivers and models of cars, he only knew how to operate one model of a coffee machine, Ianto helped him roll Torchwood Three's coffee machine into the TARDIS. Gwen seemed rather distressed until Ianto assured that a new one had been ordered to arrive latest by tomorrow.

"Should I be insulted the coffee machine leaving is getting you more upset?" Jack asked, good naturedly.

"I'm transferring the grief," Gwen insisted.

Standing next to her outside on the Plass, Jack had only his usual greatcoat with him, his own personal items now safely tucked inside the TARDIS. It was early morning and despite the century of civilization changing, the air smelled same to Jack on this day as it had the first day he'd arrived in Cardiff. Waiting for the right Doctor to come along.

It seemed only now he was finally here.

Having deposited the coffee machine safely, Ianto exited the TARDIS, dusting his hands as the Doctor followed, asking last minute questions regarding grinding beans.

"Well, bye for now then," the Time Lord said cheerily to members of Torchwood Three who would be staying behind. "Sure you won't come?"

"Yes," Gwen assured.

"Very sure," Ianto added.

The Doctor shrugged. "Next time maybe."

"Can I get a minute?" Jack asked, looking at the Doctor.

"Of course," the Time Lord answered. Three sets of eyes stared at him when he didn't move an inch. "Oh, sorry, am I supposed to go?"

"Just for a minute."

"Take your time," the Doctor waved his hand, magnanimously. "I'll be inside. Only, if you're going to be more than an hour, could you tell me? I might want something to eat then."

"He'll be just a minute," Gwen assured.

Watching the Doctor go back inside the TARDIS, Jack turned back to his remaining, original team. Genuinely happy smiles were plastered on their faces, happiness for him, though a shade of sadness for themselves. Jack thought on what they'd told him privately and of what it meant that they were letting him go and telling him he'd always be welcomed back.

They were now his home.

Reaching out, he pulled them both into a tight hug, feeling them embrace him in return.

"Thank you."

They stood for a moment, their bodies bracing against the cold Cardiff winds, even as the sun began to shine brightly in the sky above them.

And then they let go.

Pulling away, Jack gave them a last, true grin before turning and doing exactly what his body had been asking for the past few years. He ran.

Inside the TARDIS as the Doctor pulled levers and punched buttons, Jack looked to the monitor and saw Gwen and Ianto, standing shoulder to shoulder, waving, their eyes bright with unshed tears.

Jack knew this wasn't goodbye. Because over the years of his long, long life, he'd done goodbyes plenty of times and this definitely wasn't it. He felt excitement churn inside his veins as the TARDIS whirled it's unique, marvelous sound. But it wasn't for the adventures ahead that made Jack's heart beat faster. It was looking forward to the day he'd be back.

He'd be back with stories to tell Gwen and Ianto and be told stories in return. Just as all reunited family members did.

He could hardly wait.

THE END