Takes place during the second episode of Nine and Rose, 'The End of the World', from the Face of Boe's perspective. Assumes Jack Harkness and the Face of Boe are the same individual.
The end of the world. End of Earth. His old home. The Face of Boe would be present. Would have to be. A long standing in politics and history would dictate it, this arrangement.
The steward announces him and he moves forward, glimpses the two humanoid guests on the other side of the room. Knows them already. Of course he would show her this. His eyes focus on the window instead, on the sun raging out there, unable to converse with them. Never mind he had long given up his voice to telepathy, but for the sheer principal of time. They don't know him as this. And it hurt, so, so much to see them. Was this before or after they had met "Captain Jack Harkness"?
Ah, the lovely Rose is disturbed. A blink in her direction and the young woman is out the door. The Doctor isn't concerned, so it must be early for them. Before they became so close. A pain surges in him, an ache with nothing to do with his old body. Not so directly.
More conversations, more mingling. More of them. The Doctor leaves with a female tree, and Rose points. Nothing harsh in her voice. Good. He couldn't bear otherwise.
Oh, to be by his side again, in the midst of tremors and trouble and danger. Even if the Doctor doesn't know it, he does. He does, and it feels wonderful and terrible again. He tries to piece together what's going on exactly. In essence he knows – something horribly wrong with the station, for the Doctor to fix. It always follows those lines, that script, always. He speaks with those beside his tank. But he's lost in the Doctor, the wishes that he was taken to help instead. Hardly a passing thought. Look at him now. So old. Billions of years older, warped from what he once was. But he could never blame them. Never. At least, not anymore.
As he thinks and reminisces, people around call him out. There's a lot of discussion, raised voices, turned faces. The Doctor's back. The Face of Boe is being blamed for this? He shakes his head quickly, off guard. Yes he arranged this gathering, but no, he could never do something like this. But the Doctor figures it out, just as he always does. He hopes Rose is safe, before realising the stupidity of it. Time may be in flux, but some things are fixed. She is fixed. He's had this long to know that she made it.
They leave. Of course, they have to. He doesn't try to think of where to – it hurts less that way. But he came. He came and she came with him and they saved lives. Not all, too difficult to save them all. Oh, does the Face of Boe know that.
He starts another meandering conversation with an attendant before he could think anymore. Useless information brought into discussion, recent events. Just don't think. Not until the Doctor needs him to. His heart can only last until a Time Lord's face breaks it again. The question is, however, will it be the same face next time?