"But you get it, that he's changed right?"
Rose gripped tightly to Jack's hand, staring at him intently.
"Yes Rose," he responded affectionately, "You've explained it about a million times. Time Lord, regeneration, new face, I get it, now please just let me in the Tardis."
When Jack had heard the engines of the Tardis a few minutes ago his heart nearly stopped. He never thought he'd see them again. He ran as fast as he could to the familiar blue box, but before he could burst through the doors Rose had appeared and stopped him. She had patiently explained how much the Doctor had changed, but now Jack just wanted to reacquaint himself with his old friend.
Finally Rose relented and stepped aside. With one swift push Jack threw open the doors of the Tardis and strode inside. And there he was, the Doctor. Only not the Doctor, not the one Jack recognised. Despite Rose's warnings Jack felt a wrench at the loss of the man he knew.
Jack stood silent as he took in the Doctor's new form. Tall, slender, more hair, but less ears! Jack was saddened by the absence of the leather jacket, he remembered the smell of the thing as he and the Doctor worked hard into the night fixing one thing or another on the Tardis. Somehow this suit, as good as it looked on the man, didn't hold the same promises.
The Doctor smiled and held out his arms, "Come on Jack, no hug for an old friend?" Jack moved into the embrace, noting each difference in the Doctor, they way he smelled, the way he felt in Jack's arms, Rose was right, he really had changed. "It's good to see you Jack."
Jack stepped back, taking a moment to look deeply into the Doctor's eyes, to find some remnant of the man he knew, but found none.
"You left me." With that Jack left the control room, he hoped that his room was still where he left it.
The Doctor watched as Jack left, sadness apparent in his eyes.
"Give him time," Rose said, "It's just the shock."
A couple of hours passed, a time which Jack had spent sitting on his bed, trying to understand his own reactions. Despite Rose's warnings he had been unprepared for the feeling of total loss when he realised that the man he had know as the Doctor really was no more.
There was a quiet knock as the door swung open.
"Am I welcome?" The Doctor hesitated at the doorway, unsure of himself.
Jack nodded, so the Doctor entered the room, sitting next to Jack on the bed. They sat in silence for several minutes, neither man looking up from the floor. Finally the Doctor spoke "I'm sorry that we left you. I had no choice, Rose was going to… I was about to…" His words faltered, how could he explain?
Jack looked up, holding the other mans gaze for a moment, "I know. I shouldn't have said it. But if you had just waited, I nearly made it, I saw you leave…"
The Doctor hung his head. Leaving without Jack had been hard, without even having time to find out if the man had survived, but he had known what was coming and he had to get Rose somewhere safe before it began.
"Still," Jack tried to lighten his tone, "It's not like an army of Daleks could keep me down! But I'm still not sure what happened there, I was certain they'd got me… and then they were gone."
The Doctor smiled, "It's a long story, I'll explain it to you sometime."
"So," Jack sat back and looked the Doctor up and down, "this is the new you then is it?"
"Yeah, what d'you think?"
"Hmmm, you could have done worse!"
"God I've missed you Jack!" With that the Doctor pulled Jack into a rough embrace.
Jack pulled back looking into the Doctor's eyes, maybe there was a glint of the man he remembered in there.
The Doctor rested his hand on Jack's cheek, caressing it softly. Jack leaned into it, enjoying the feel of the skin upon his, it was softer than before, but it still felt good. The Doctor's hand slid down to cradle the back of Jack's neck, pulling the man towards him. The Doctor touched his lips to Jack's, softly at first, ever wary of rejection, but as Jack began to respond the Doctor leaned in closer revelling in the feeling of this wonderful mans mouth on his own. Jack replied with a passion of his own and as he sank into the joy of the kiss it was as if the rest of existence went away and there was nothing but Jack, the Doctor and their kiss. It was then that Jack knew for certain this was the man he had loved, and he knew that he could love him again; he could love him no matter how many changes took place.
Jack was sorry to let reality back in as the Doctor pulled back. "Welcome home Jack," he whispered softly. Jack smiled and lazily ran a finger across the Doctor's cheek.
"Just one thing," Jack said sitting back. The Doctor raised an eyebrow in question. "That leather jacket… you wont be wanting it anymore. Can I have it?"
The Doctor laughed, he could think of nothing better than seeing Jack in his beloved old jacket, except that was for seeing him out of it.