Five times John Hart was really not nice – and one time he was…

I

"This is very serious," the Commander glared at the man who would late become known as Jack Harkness.

"I know," Jack straightened his back, jutting out his chin with a military bearing, looking beyond the Commander and into the middle distance.

"Cheating in finals could see you booted out of the agency," the Commander droned on, "In disgrace with no hope of ever making anything of yourself…"

Jack's heart sank. Was this all worth it? – All the same he kept his face impassive, his posture and demeanour resolute.

"However…," the Commander's voice softened slightly, "your grades and behaviour have been exemplary to date. This will go down on your record and you will have to re-sit in six months time….but you will be allowed to stay with the Time Agency for now. I should warn you though; any further misdemeanours and you'll be shown the door…"

"Thank you sir," Jack's face finally showed slight relief.

The Commander waved him away and after executing a rather snappy salute, Jack turned on his heel. As he walked down the corridor back to his quarters he ground his teeth at the man who would one day be known as John Hart, the friend who had sat on his bed and begged him to take the rap for him cheating in their final exams. That would be the agent who unlike Jack constantly faced disciplinary charges, the agent who hadn't really thanked him and who high-tailed it on vacation leaving Jack to take the flack on his behalf…

II

"Will you slow the fuck down!? You're going to crash this thing in a minute!" Jack hollered in John's ear as the space bike weaved dangerously in and out of heavy traffic.

"You want to get away or not, hotshot?" John hollered back gleefully, seemingly enjoying their getaway, "You still got the loot back there?"

Jack's right hand, white knuckled with the strain of holding on, held on to the back of the bike while the small rucksack of precious gems was squeezed tightly between them and his left arm was wrapped tightly around John's waist., "Course I have…"

"Good," another weave, sharp left, sharp right….which at hyper-speed really was quite sick-making.

"They're way back, they won't catch us," Jack informed John.

"Told you we'd get away didn't I?!" John crowed, dangerously taking a hand off the controls to smack against Jack's right thigh.

Jack spotted the cruiser bearing down on them at the last moment, went to holler to John, who only just got a hand back in time to seize control of the bike, but too late. In averting a head-on collision, John pulled the bike hard left sending it sliding sideways, it hit something and for Jack the world seemed to spin as he, John and the bike were hurled into the air. The spinning world stopped abruptly as Jack's body impacted with the sandy desert. He lay for a moment barely conscious, hurting all over with the part of him that was conscious, listening to the sound of sirens closing in.

Jack was half aware of his grip on the rucksack being prized off, of the smell of rather alcoholic breath in his face.

"Sorry love, gotta run…" John's voice hissed at him.

III

Jack had got used to John. Sometimes he couldn't be trusted, he was wild and unpredictable….but Jack liked that about him. They worked well together in the field and in bed. For two people with such clashing egos they had become close – their jokey, cynical humour belying a deep affection. On missions sometimes a look was all that was needed to let the other know how to act or react. Fellow Time Agents often referred to them as 'The Terrible Twins' because their mental and physical closeness was legendary…they fought with each other and for each other…you messed with one, you messed with both.

Jack felt at home with someone for the first time since he had left what had been his family home. For all this swagger and bravado John could be incredibly sweet and loving and on dark nights John Hart would hold Jack close and whisper that he loved him. Jack had come to believe it and had loved John back.

The first kick in the teeth had been when Jack walked in on John mid-orgy with at least two women and two other men in a mass of writhing flesh. Jack thought it might not have been so hurtful if John had invited him to join in…but he hadn't….he just looked up at him from between two legs and an arm, grinned sheepishly and carried on. The second kick in the teeth was John running off with one of the women a week later, complete with every valuable thing that Jack owned that wasn't nailed down and leaving a note – "You know I'm such a bastard! – But I do love you really!"

IV

What could Jack have expected? He knew John well, too well. The chance of making a killing on the profits of the precious minerals of Ullarian were too good to miss and the chance for them reunite in a last hurrah seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

Of course Jack thought himself wise to John now – keep your friends close and your enemies even closer and he wasn't always sure which he was. Jack had changed somewhat since John had last run out on him – his attitude had hardened and he took no prisoners, literally or figuratively. Pleasure and profit were foremost in his mind and Jack took delightful pleasure in showing his old Time Agency partner some of the new torture techniques he'd picked up….not that John didn't rather enjoy it….another thing 'The Terrible Twins' were infamous for…their S&M leanings…

Fraudulent dealings on a massive scale were discovered and John and Jack had been arrested. Being interviewed separately John decided to sing like a canary – sang that Jack had coerced him into it, had tortured him (he had the marks to prove it) and how terrified he was of his old partner and lover. Thus John got a legal rap across the knuckles and a suspended sentence and Jack was sent to a distant penal colony to serve a two year prison sentence….

V

John had a habit of turning up like a bad penny. He was the proverbial spanner in the works.

Whether Jack wanted to know or not, John had a habit of storming into his relationships like a hurricane. It was almost as if John wasn't sure he wanted Jack but he sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone else have him. Jack had lost count of how many affairs, or potential ones, had been sabotaged by John swaggering in telling whoever it was all about 'good old Jack' the fun and high-jinks they'd had…and he wasn't one for holding back on being graphic. He'd certainly sent several women screaming in the other direction.

Of course it always seemed to end the same – upset and anger and slammed doors and people leaving Jack because his old lover had popped up and duly messed things up like some evil genie. He would have punched John out – but then he might have enjoyed that too much. The thing was, John would never hang around, he'd find some excuse to go once he'd caused trouble and Jack was left on his own again…

And the one time he was….

Jack leaned his chin on his arms as he sat on his bed gazing out at the beautiful mauve hues of the Alaris fields. For the first time since leaving Earth after the 456 threat he felt some sense of peace and didn't feel the need to keep moving.

He was aware of warm skin against his back, a chin settled on his right shoulder, "Glad I brought you here, Jackie?" John asked quietly

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "It's serene…I need this…"

"I know you do," the head moved to kiss his cheek, "I know nothing will mend that broken heart of yours, but you can at least trust little old me to ease it a bit can't you…"

Jack's eyes lowered, "I've just been running John, like a headless chicken."

"Come here," John pulled him back against him and wrapped his arms around Jack, "Losing Ianto wrecked you, sweetheart. And tell ya something? – It won't get better for a good while yet."

"Thanks," Jack almost groaned.

"But one day the pain will subside…and until then a little bit of peace in place like this will just ease it day to day," John continued, "You'll pick up, you always do…"

"You know me too well"

"Of course. Ditto. Known each other too many years, Jackie-Boy"

"Thanks, really…"

"That's what friends are for"

"Are we?"

"What?"

"Friends?"

John kissed the top of Jack's head fondly, "Above everything else we've been. Sometimes, well me especially, I haven't been nice….I've been a bastard, can't change that baby"

"All the times you've dropped me right in it, betrayed me in oh-so-many ways," Jack muttered.

"Yeah, but the laughs we've had! The fun we've had!" John laughed. He stroked Jack's forearm and leaned his head in close to his ear," I know I've gotta funny way of showing it….but always loved you…and I know you're hurting so I'll be the friend I should have been."

"You are," Jack patted his hand.

John had found him two months previously propping up a bar trying to drink and shag himself senseless and despite Jack yelling at him and punching him out, John had just stood there and taken it. After the spitting rage subsided John had been there to hold the sobbing mess that was Jack Harkness as he bemoaned the death of his beautiful Welshman. John had just held Jack wondering at how the rather unassuming but quietly fierce and passionate Ianto Jones had worked some special magic in capturing Jack's heart and breaking it so. So adored, so missed...he had been something special…

"Come on, can't rattle around here all the time, "John went to move, "How about we stretch our legs with a hike over the hill?"

Jack shook his head.

A shirt wopped Jack square in the face, "Shift that cute little ass of yours Jackie."

"You don't give up do you…"

"Nope"

"Give me a hand up"

John extended a hand but was immediately yanked down on top of Jack. They lay there giggling as they had done as eighteen year olds at the agency academy, as if all the intervening years hadn't happened.

"I fall for that every time," John started to tickle Jack so that he wriggled and flinched.

Suddenly still they looked at each other and smiled. John leaned down and kissed him softly. Eyes closed, smiles widened as they both got lost in memories of their youth for a moment.

"Hike," John mumbled and went to get up.

"In a minute," Jack mumbled back, pulling John back down with his head in the crook of his neck. Arms came around John, hands stroking his back, "Thank you."

"Like I said, that's that friends are for…"

FIN