Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or Doctor Who

I'm sorry for the grammar mistakes; I haven't posted anything in a while and wanted to get this up quickly!

Pre-Miracle Day, Pre-Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead/Name of the Doctor; Gah what is a timeline anyway.

River Song hadn't missed the look in the man's eyes as she entered the Nova Taberna night club on planet-what's-it's-name. That look of loneliness and a sense of a heavy, constant remorse. Under all of the Doctor's cheekiness and amiable persona, she'd seen it there often. River would never tell him, but it broke her heart.

The man was sitting at the bar, slumped over his - fifth? - shot glass. A bottle of emerald green liquid was near empty at his elbow. He wore an RAF greatcoat and his sandy brown hair had a windbswept look about it. River took it upon herself to cheer the man up. What the hell, right? She was in a good mood anyways, two days from now she'd be going out with a team of astronauts to investigate a mysterious 51st century planet called "the Library".

"Smile a little, soldier boy," River quipped, hoisting herself into the bar stool next to the man. He didn't reply, instead continuing to stare blankly at the glass, lips fixed in a frown. "Professor River Song," River introduced, turning sideways in the seat and holding out her hand.

There was a long, and quite frankly, awkward pause. The only noise was the sound of the people (and multiple other lifeforms) chatting and laughing around them. Finally, the man spoke, under his breath and mumbled so River nearly missed his words.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said, reluctantly taking her hand and shaking it for a brief few seconds. Now that Jack wasn't making a one-sided conversation with the counter, River got a good view of him. He was the second (or, if you want to be technical about it; twelfth, but that doesn't sound as impressive, now does it?) most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Jack appeared as if he'd stepped straight out of a movie screen.

River grinned. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Jack glanced at her, his tired blue eyes suddenly filling with vague amusement. "I suppose not," Jack agreed.

"For someone whose nearly downed an entire bottle of this" - River indicated the alien vodka- "on his own, you sound stone cold sober."

"Impressed?"

"Not easily," River said.

Jack sat up a bit straighter to meet her at eye-level. "Wine doesn't do anything for me," he explained, "I can forget a night and a sunrise, but that's just it."

River considered this. "They make drugs to erase entire years, if forgetting is what you're interested in," she suggested.

A dark expression came over Jack's face. "I know. Trust me, Professor..." he sighed. "I know." He coughed off-handedly. "What brings you here?"

"Celebrating, Captain Harkness," River exclaimed. "I've been recruited to go on a special research mission to the 51st century."

River thought she saw Jack stiffen, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "51st century, huh," the American (at least, that's what he sounded like to her) said, "Where to?"

"A place called the Library...What's that look for?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack dismissed. "You said your name was River Song, yeah?" River nodded. "Ah," Jack said, "good luck. On your mission."

River eyed Jack suspiciously. "Oh, come on now."

Jack shrugged. "It'd be better if I didn't say."

"Alright. Fine, I'll play along. Timelines I'm guessing. Right?"

"Wibbley wobbly, timey wimey," the captain grumbled.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the professor's lips. "And where did you hear that?" River asked.

Jack picked up the wine bottle and drank the remaining liquid. "Let's just say it's an old saying from a very special doctor."

River was pretty sure she knew who this doctor was. But she decided it be wise to keep quiet. From the bitterness to Jack's ton, she figured there'd been bad blood between the Captain and her Doctor.

"So, you know why I've come here tonight. How about you?" River asked.

Jack sighed,"There are things I've done that I'm not proud of."

"We all make mistakes, Captain Harkness," River pointed out.

"Not like mine," Jack stated firmly.

"I could say the same thing about myself," River commented casually. "Hit me with your best shot, I'm pretty much un-shockable."

Jack held her challenging gaze. "Alright," he said. "I get everyone killed. Even my own...son. By my hands." Jack shook his head. "Not just him, but every other person I love."

River watched him for a few seconds. "Is that why you're traveling alone?"

"Sorry?"

"You're traveling alone because those who travel with you are always in danger," River guessed. "That's it. Isn't it."

"Yeah, it's...an adequate description," Jack muttered.

River smiled sympathetically. "Oh, Captain Harkness, he's talked about you" - she rested her hand on his shoulder- "You and all the other's. But he said some interesting things about you. Said you and he were alike."

"Who?"

"A very special doctor," said River, winking. She waved to the bartender, a young man with bright red skin, and told him, "can you get Captain Harkness another one on me, sweetie?" River reached into the pocket of her jacket and paid the scarlet-skinned man before he strode off to grab the drink.

Jack was now staring at River with a new edge of hostility and caution. "Did he send you?" Jack demanded coldly. "Do you know where he was when they came to take the children?"

"I don't know that, captain," River said. "But...you should know what's to come."

"What is that supposed to-"

"Something very bad will be happening on earth soon, Captain Harkness."

The bartender set the bottle down in front of Jack who gladly took it. "World's always ending, River Song," Jack grunted. " What makes this so different? Let someone else deal with it."

"I'm going to assume that you know something about me that hasn't happened yet," River stated. "It's obvious from the way you reacted to me telling you about my mission. So let's assume the same in your case." She waited until Jack met her gaze again. "Those people down there on earth are going to need you, Jack."

Jack half laughed. "What am I? Their saying grace," he snorted. "Their miracle?"

"Spoilers," River teased. She pushed off the bar stool and began walking towards the door, pausing at the exit. "Captain."

"Hmm."

"What was his name?"

Jack frowned. "My gra- my son's name?"

"No," River said in a sudden, gentle ton that didn't seem to suite her. "That young man you took with you to confront the 456."

Jack froze slightly, but after a beat he sighed heavily and glanced at River. "Ianto Jones."

"The world is going to end one last time and his death will be for nothing if you don't stop it, Captain Harkness," River informed. "Think about that. Please." She turned and walked out of the alien night club. River looked up at the vivid cobalt sky above, streaked with violet and dotted with countless stars.

It didn't surprise her when she heard footsteps. "How do you know so much?" Jack asked.

"My timeline isn't linear, Captain Harkness," River said. "I've been forward and back on more occasions that I can count."

"I know how that feels," Jack reconciled. River noticed him looking at the Vortex Manipulator strapped onto her left wrist.

"Oh, this old thing? It get's me around," River affirmed, lifting her arm.

"Where did you get it?"

"52nd century black market. It seems to be malfunctioning, I suppose I'll have to find another way to join up with the rest of the investigation team."

"Yeah, Vortex Manipulators don't usually work one hundred percent," Jack said, "the Time Agency never did figure out those little glitches."

"Oh, it's not a glitch." River glanced at Jack's wrist strap. "Good luck, Jack." She smirked and strolled away, pulling out her mobile phone. "Ah, Anita. Could you organize to have the space craft pick me up? My Vortex Manipulator won't work at the moment. It doesn't function when the same wrist strap crosses it's timeline."