Title: I Hope You Said Goodbye
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Jake Simmonds, Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams
Prompt: 092. Christmas
Wordcount: 2,687
Rating: T
Summary: Jack decides to throw a Christmas party for the members of Torchwood and U.N.I.T. to help cope with all that's happened in the last year and Gwen introduces Torchwood's newest member: this universes' version of Jake. Mickey is haunted by memories of his life in the parallel universe and contemplates his choice of leaving as Jack gets closer to Jake.
Author Notes: Set after 'Journey's End' and in the original universe. Spoilers for Doctor Who episodes: Rise of the Cybermen, Age of Steel, Journey's End, and a small part of The End of Time Part 2. Minor spoilers for how Torchwood Season 2 and Children of Earth ended.
This was previously uploaded onto my livejournal account but has since been taken down because I wanted to upload it here instead. There's a link to my prompt table on my profile.
I Hope You Said Goodbye
"So, a Torchwood/U.N.I.T. Christmas party, whatever will you think of next, Jack?" Mickey Smith asked as the Captain in question picked up his third glass of the spiked eggnog. The newly rebuilt Torchwood headquarters was festooned with Christmas garlands and sprigs of mistletoe. The members of both teams milled about, talking, laughing, and drinking. There was lots of drinking.
"It's been a tough year for all of us; I thought we deserved a nice party."
"Besides," Gwen added as she slipped in between the two men to get at the punch bowl. "We're also welcoming a new member into Torchwood. We can't keep it going with just me, Jack, and Rhys." Jack downed the rest of his glass at the sombre note in her tone and Mickey realised that what Jack had really wanted with this party was a chance to drink himself into oblivion and have no one judge him for it. Mickey would be concerned for the man's safety; if there had been any chance of him actually being harmed by the inevitable alcohol poisoning. Mickey decided to try his normal tactic; lightening with mood with a joke.
"So she finally bullied you into making Rhys a full member of the team, eh? Good for you Gwen." She laughed, Jack didn't. That was a good sign to back off. "So, this new guy, what's he do that got him into Torchwood?"
"Surveillance and infiltration mainly. But I found him in an art school in London so he'll probably have a nice steady hand with a gun; once we've trained him up a bit," Gwen said, ignoring Jack's grimace. "It was my job to find a new recruit so Jack and Rhys haven't actually met him yet."
"Art school, really? I said: look at the medical schools or people with police training. What's next? A musician who thinks we can sooth the alien with a nice guitar ballad?"
"If you'll stop turning your nose up at it, I'll tell you how the interview went."
"What did he think he was being interviewed for?" Mickey asked, he couldn't help but smile at the expression on Jack's face. He was still stuck on the fact that he'd soon be working with someone whose only training consisted of painting and sculpting.
"Special ops. It's quite easy to put the ad up: looking for people who are athletic, good with computers, and first aid training is a must."
"Gwen we need more than first aid; we need a new doctor."
"Would you let me finish?" Gwen said forcefully as she took the newest cup of eggnog from his hand. "And you need to go more slowly on those. So I start getting calls and no one fits the bill but two days ago this guy calls me and says that he's in his second year of college and he knows he won't be eligible for the job post because he's rubbish at computers. So I'm about to go off on him for wasting my time when he asks me if we could use someone for surveillance because he's pretty good at getting into places undetected. I'd pulled up his records when he'd told me his name; no criminal history and a clean medical record. Said he was in Cardiff for the holiday, that's how he saw my ad, so I asked him to meet me in the pub in an hour for an interview." Gwen smiled slyly at the two of them. "That's where it gets interesting. Twenty minutes after I get off the phone there's a tap on my shoulder and I find a skinny blond bloke standing behind me telling me that our security needs an upgrade."
"What?" Jack seized her by the shoulders.
"I know; that was my reaction too. Traced the call and got in without the system noticing. To be fair we hadn't gotten everything back online at that point. It is now but I'm still glad that he's on our side. And yes, I've already scanned him; he's not an alien or anything."
"So when do I get to meet him?" Jack asked in a clipped tone just as Gwen's mobile went off.
"Right now actually, he's just arrived. Everyone, I'd like to introduce the newest member of Torchwood, Jake Simmonds." As soon as she'd said it Mickey was sure he'd heard her wrong but as the main door slid open and Gwen ran over to the young man who had just stepped through there could be no question. He had the same spiky blond hair, the same smile, the same laugh. The only difference that he could see from where he was standing was the stark lack of battle-hard weariness. It made Mickey want to tell this boy to run, just take the retcon pill and never look back. To save him from seeing all the pain and death that went along with these jobs.
Was this how his Jake had looked at him back when they'd first met? Was this what he had looked like when Jake was comparing him to Ricky? So naive and free of battle scars yet longing to help and make a difference. Longing to be the hero?
And when exactly had he become his Jake?
"Is there something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." He nearly jumped when Martha slid next to him and took his hand in hers. "He's quiet the looker, isn't he? You know, if you jumped ship to Torchwood they'd have all the handsome men in our business." He may have smiled at that but he wasn't sure; his body had chosen that moment to go numb with shock. His only consolation was that Jack seemed to be just as mesmerized as he was; though, knowing Jack, it was probably for a completely different reason.
It didn't help of course that Gwen decided that now would be a good time to drag him over for introductions. "I'd like you to meet Sergeant Mickey Smith and Doctor Martha Jones of U.N.I.T. and Captain Jack Harkness." Mickey was suddenly on auto-pilot, gravitating towards the firm handshake and warm smile that was so familiar to him.
"Oh so you're the boss." Mickey couldn't help the stab of jealousy that coursed through him when Jack's smile widened and his hand lingered a little too long on Jake's. It was illogical of course; he was getting married to the beautiful, smart woman who was standing right next to him and this man was in all honestly a complete stranger to him. But old habits die hard.
"Yeah, I'm defiantly the guy you've got to sleep with to get a promotion." Mickey actually hit him, noticing the way Jake's cheeks coloured at the comment but by the look he was giving Jack he didn't seem to mind how forward his new boss was.
"He's kidding," Gwen said quickly, her voice deadpan. "Honestly, if we promoted everyone he had sex with we'd have all our high level jobs filled with unqualified people."
Oh, god, how he missed that laugh.
"And to think, a week ago I was planning on being a wedding photographer."
"Really?" Martha asked, grinning in excitement. "We're getting married in a month and we haven't been able to find anyone to take the pictures who is within our budget." The panic he felt at the announcement shouldn't have happened; he wasn't ashamed of being with Martha and it didn't matter that Jake knew that they were getting married.
"Yeah, I'd love to do it."
I love you, Mickey Smith.
Jake and Martha were talking, about what he wasn't quite sure but the two of them were still smiling and Jake was still laughing that oh so familiar laugh and his heart ached to remember it.
I love you too; now give me back my jacket! I have to go.
He couldn't help but notice that Jack had moved; farther away from the alcohol that had been his shield throughout the night and closer to Jake. And then the jealousy started again; and it wasn't tempered by Martha gently squeezing his hand and her concerned look.
Why do you have to go? Rose can handle herself.
Martha's engagement ring was pressing into his hand, cold and hard in contrast to the warmth of her hand. He was in love with Martha and she was wonderful. He shouldn't be feeling guilty about that. But that didn't stop him.
I'm not going to let my best friend head off to face the end of the world without me. And don't give me that look. You know you're the only one we trust with control over Torchwood while we're gone. I'll be back here before you know it, safe and sound in your arms.
"I'm really glad that I'm working here full time now; I'd be terribly jealous with you working around all these attractive young men all day," Rhys was saying, his arm around Gwen; did she give him that cup when she was filling her own or did he get it for himself?
"Rhys, Jake's gay!" Gwen laughed, playfully hitting him. "Besides, he's too young for me anyway."
"That doesn't seem to be stopping Jack."
When had the two of them left? Jack had pulled Jake into the centre of the dance floor and was holding him far closer than was appropriate for an employer. And from the way Jake was stumbling as he was led and the red flush rising across his cheeks it was obvious that Jack had gotten him to try the eggnog.
Alright, alright, go be brilliant and save the universe. I'll be waiting.
"Mickey, are you alright? You look like you're about to faint." Martha was holding a hand against the side of his head; her worried expression filling his vision. "Maybe you should go lay down or something. Let me get you a glass of water."
"No I need to talk to Jack."
"He's a little busy at the moment."
He didn't particularly care at this point; all he could focus on was how close Jack's lips were to Jake's ear and how the blond laughed at whatever he was being told. Hadn't Gwen made Jack's reputation quite clear earlier? How could Jake let him hold him that close?
"Jack, sorry to interrupt," Mickey said shortly, pulling on Jack's shoulder and not particularly caring that he didn't sound very sorry at all. His main objective was to stop Jack's left hand from sliding any farther up the back of Jake's shirt. "Could I have a word in private? It's about the next mission Torchwood and U.N.I.T. are running together."
"Mick, it's Christmas, give work a rest for the evening and relax. Dance with Martha, have a drink, you deserve it."
"Please, Jack? It's important. It won't take long." He wondered briefly if Jack could hear how desperate that sounded in his own head. The look Jack shot at Jake reminded Mickey of the way he looked when Gwen would take his third bottle of rum away at the end of one of his low days. The lost puppy look he gave when they'd take away one of his safety mechanisms. Mickey had never seen him this way, not even when he was facing down the end of the world. Another reason for what he was doing right now.
"I'm sure I can fend for myself for ten minutes," Jake said brightly, finally slipping out of Jack's arms. "I'm going to go raid the snack table, I didn't have dinner."
"Alright, come on Mickey, what do you need to talk to me about?" Jack grumbled, reluctantly heading up the stairs towards his office. Once the door had shut behind them Jack turned to him looking almost murderous. "What exactly is so important? Because I know you saw me dancing with the cute new guy and you wouldn't interrupt that without a really good reason, right?"
"I think the way you're acting around Jake is wholly inappropriate because you're in a position of power over him," Mickey said quickly. There, that should be a valid reason for Jack to stay away from him. Right?
"Really, you've dragged me up here, away from my own party, and from a guy I'm more than a little attracted to, to tell me that you disapprove? Honestly? And not only do you disapprove, it's only because the two of us work together. You don't see me criticizing you and Martha."
"I'm not Martha's superior!"
"No, she's yours. So you're either the world's biggest hypocrite or there's something else that's bothering you. So put it up or shut up and stay out of my business."
"What about Ianto?" He really hadn't wanted to play the dead boyfriend card and the flash of pain across Jack's face reminded him why. It was a low blow but he needed to get his point across.
"Ianto," Jack said, slowly and carefully, grasping the edge of his desk. "Ianto was the most beautiful person I have ever met in my entire life and I loved him more than anyone. He is the person I could see myself settling down with. But I also buried him over a month ago. That life is no longer a possibility and I am grieving that every day. Don't you think that I'm not. But wallowing in grief and being alone for the rest of my life isn't something that Ianto would have wanted me to do. He would have wanted me to move on and try for some semblance of normality. So, Mickey, I need you to look me in the eye and tell me what is wrong."
"Back in Pete's World," Mickey said softly, watching Jack visibly relax and sit back into his desk chair. "The parallel world where Rose is. There's a Jake there and we worked together to fight the cybermen."
"So you're mad because I'm making moves on the guy who looks like you're best friend?"
"If I was still there, if I hadn't stayed in this universe, it would be our two year anniversary." To Jack's credit he didn't make a big deal out of the soft admission; he gave him a level look that only asked him to continue. "It's been five months and tonight just sent me right back. Every time I look at you hitting on him all I can think about is that's my boyfriend and you shouldn't be touching him."
"If you still feel that way about Jake, why are you here? Why are you marrying Martha? Why didn't you go back to him when the Doctor took Rose home?" Mickey didn't answer; there was no answer to those questions, at least not ones he could come up with at that moment. "So let me tell you something. That man out there; he isn't the Jake you know, he isn't your friend or your boyfriend or your ex-boyfriend or whoever Jake is to you. He's not your Jake. You made your choice Mickey and you have to live with that choice. I hope you at least said goodbye to him."
Mickey let Jack walk past at that point, what else could he do? He had said goodbye of course. But it had been a 'bye, I'll see you when I get back'; it wasn't a final goodbye by any stretch. He hadn't planned on leaving for good.
When he walked out of the office himself it was to find Jack leading Jake under one of the hanging pieces of mistletoe. He heard Rhys' catcall whistle and Gwen's happy laugh as Jack pressed a soft kiss to the other man's lips. Jake was happy, grinning and blushing in Jack's arms.
"Hey, isn't it great that Jack will have someone to spend Christmas with?" Martha asked as she kissed Mickey on the cheek. "Life's been tough on him, more than any of us. I didn't want him to be alone for the holiday."
"Yeah, they look happy," Mickey said softly, watching as someone dimmed the lights and put on a slow song. "Do you want to dance?"
