This is the new post CoE fan fiction that I said I'd write as soon as they announced series 4. That happened sooner than I'd thought it would. Yeah… so here we go.
The times in this story might be a little out of order. That's on purpose. I'm doing the "flashback" thing.
I own nothing!
"Ow, man." Jack Harkness had fallen against the pavement, in bustling Cardiff. For all he knew, it could be 2011 or 2121. He hadn't kept track of time; it was too hard to do mentally.
Walking through the crowds of people, Jack recognized this place as Market Street, and since it was so busy, it must've been a weekend, seeing that everyone and their uncle was out today.
He didn't see anyone he knew, but he figured if he kept walking, he'd notice someone vaguely familiar.
After an hour or so, Jack got bored and decided to just walk until he found who he was looking for. Catching cabs at random times, he rode different streets, looking for anything that would lead him back to Gwen.
Finally, he saw it. The back of a messy, brown-haired head, broad shoulders, and a brown leather jacket. Jumping out of the cab, throwing a few coins at the driver, Jack ran down the sidewalk, catching up relatively fast with the man he was aching to talk to.
"Rhys! Rhys Williams!" Jack panted. "It's me!" The figure turned around, looking for who called his name. He spotted someone wearing army surplus style clothes, and that was it. Running towards the man, he reached him within three seconds.
"Oi, you, here now." Rhys grabbed Jack's hand and pushed him into a SUV. There was a child's car seat and a few toys scattered about. Jack had almost forgotten that Gwen and Rhys were parents now.
He drove until he reached a two-story house in a spread-out neighborhood. They walked into the house, which held the living room, where the TV was flickering, a kitchen that was attached to the entire thing, and a sleeping woman on the couch. Rhys crouched down and gently tapped her back.
"Baby." Gwen flinched. She slowly turned around, facing Jack. He noticed a scar on the right side of her face, reaching down from her hairline to her chin.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him. She slowly got up and rung her arms around his neck. Instead of the usual, Welsh embrace typically emulated from Gwen, she dug her head into the nape of his neck and sobbed into his military trench.
"Shh." Jack put a hand around her neck. Gently, she backed off and sat on the couch, Rhys next to her, an arm around her shoulders.
"Where were you?" She asked.
"Different places. Planets, intergalactic pit stops, galaxies. I hitched rides with alien life forms and people that I'd never met before. I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long."
"So long? How long have you been gone for?" Rhys looked at Jack curiously.
"Eight years."
"No, you've only been gone for two years. Bloody long time, but a lot shorter than eight years."
"What?"
"Two years. Exactly. Well, not exactly, but almost. I think. I don't remember dates, but…"
"Darling, you're blathering on." Rhys cheeked.
"Shut up."
"Well, that's why you haven't changed at all. I just thought you had good genes." Jack flashed one of his signature toothy smiles, causing scowls (Rhys) and wretch-y, gag-y noises (Gwen).
"What?"
"Good teeth do not impress all of us." Gwen said, getting up to get a cup of coffee.
Jack awkwardly stared at her. "Why are you drinking coffee in the afternoon?"
"It's nine in the morning." Gwen giggled.
"Oh."
"Space must really mess with your head. Eight years, afternoon, what's next? 'I had a ten o'clock appointment with my orthopedist?'" Rhys joked.
Jack quietly sat down on the sofa.
"If it's nine in the morning, than why were you sleeping on the sofa?"
"Oh, erm, well, that's quite complicated, actually… Rhys, why don't you explain this to my long lost colleague?"
"You remember my mum, from the wedding, right?"
"The nostrovite or the real one?"
"Their both quite similar, actually…"
"Gwen! Anyway, my dad's been violently ill with an ear infection, pink eye, and the stomach flu all at once. He's very contagious. My mum wanted to stay here so she wouldn't get sick. I guess she has some sort of civil duties and can't bear the slightest bit of conjunctivitis."
"But what about the baby?"
"You are just full of questions, aren't you, Jack?" Gwen smirked.
"No, really. Just… tell me."
"Well he's not a ginger, that's a start." Rhys said.
"So it's a boy?" This caused Jack to smile, thinking of when Steven was first born.
"Yeah, doesn't look anything like me, though. Drove Mum ballistic, my kid looking like Gwen."
"She really doesn't fancy me." Gwen added in a secretive, (but not really) tone.
"It's nice to catch up with you."
"Oh, no. You are not leaving. Or getting nostalgic. Please don't become our parents. You might technically be quite old, but we're still young and hip and don't have very many friends."
"I do."
"Rhys, Dave and Banana do not count as quality friends. All you do is play poker, eat pizza, and get drunk."
"I haven't gotten drunk since my stag party." Gwen gave him a scolding look, causing him to add, "Well, maybe once or twice…"
"I sound old? You two sound like a couple that's been married for at least forty years."
"Oh, God, we do, don't we?" Gwen put her hands over her mouth.
"Yeah, my mum's been sayin'…"
"I'm kind of tired. The vortex manipulation thing needs work, and I haven't got the time or patience." Jack blurted.
"Okay, take a nap on the couch. Brenda's still sleeping because," Gwen paused. "Ianto's sick."
"You named your kid Ianto?"
"It was either that or Barry. That wasn't happening. Ever."
Out of nowhere, the phone rang. Gwen went to pick it up, and a mysterious man with a rusty, smoke filled voice answered.
"Gwen Cooper?"
"I think you have the wrong number." She went to hang up the phone, but the man was persistent on the other line.
"My name is Rex Mathenson. I'm looking for Torchwood."