Author's note: Thank you all soooooo very much for reading and following this story. It means a lot to me! I hope you continue to enjoy what I have to write. 3 squirrelytaco (and side note I've never watched the Torchwood series (sadly :'( )so I'm just going on what I saw from the last time Jack saw the 10th Doctor in 'Stolen Earth' and 'Journey's End)

Chapter 2

Clara picked herself up off the TARDIS floor once it came to a shuddering stop. She leaned against the consol to gather her considerably rattled wits. "Doctor, I know this thing isn't the smoothest flyer, but that was rather pathetic," she said with a huff, folding her arms across her chest. She looked over at the Doctor. He awkwardly pulled his lanky frame up with a badly veiled expression of panic. Once he was upright he looked at Clara.

"There is nothing pathetic about my girl," he said moving to the consol and caressing it affectionately. "If you ever find me a Human vehicle that can perform perfectly after over a millennia of service then you can talk. Human vehicles," he huffed and walked around to the consol's screen. "They barely run 20 years!"

"Doctor, I thought you liked humans… or do you just enjoy insulting species when you're annoyed?" Clara asked brushing off the dust she noticed on her trousers. How does a time machine get dusty? She also realized he wasn't paying her the least bit of attention. His green eyes where wide and glued to the screen of the TARDIS consol.

"No," he said shaking his head, causing his hair to flail like Conan O'Brien trying to head-bang. "Of all the places! Why here?" he asked the screen while shaking it; as if he was a bad cop abusing his suspect expecting answers.

"Doctor, where are we?" Clara asked getting concerned at the Doctors more than the typical erratic behavior.

"It doesn't matter, we're leaving," he said as he began to set the TARDIS controls; so they could extricate themselves from the location. The TARDIS, on the other hand, had other ideas. No matter what the Doctor tried she just wouldn't respond. He smacked the consol in frustration. "I thought you didn't even like him; and now you bring me to his doorstep?" he spoke this directly to the TARDIS, as if it could respond verbally.

"Doctor, who are you talking about? And again; where are we?" Clara raised her voice to get his attention.

"Captain Jack Harkness is who, as to where, Cardiff, Wales." He doctor sighed.

Clara narrowed her brown eyes. "You got something against Wales?" she asked placing her hands on her hips. The Doctor never ceased to astonish her. A man who had faced down monsters before the dawn of humanity wanted to flee Cardiff like it was a plague zone; all because of some Captain.

"It's not just that, we are right above the Torchwood instillation here. As for Jack he is a bit flamboyant."

Clara rolled her eyes. "Says the man in bracers and a bow tie."

The Doctor spluttered and waved his hands in the air before continuing, "He is like an overly curious omisexual teenage human boy."

This made Clara raise her eyebrows and flash a smirk at the Doctor. This seemed to unnerve the Doctor even more. He was rather like one of those wacky waving inflatable-arm flayling tube men when frustrated. "Sounds like and interesting bloke."

"Interesting is not the word I would have chosen. It's too late; he probably knows we're here and is on his way to make moves on my companion."

"Is he truly likely to do that?" Clara asked more excited than concerned; she hoped he was handsome.

"Absolutely," the Doctor stated simply.

TORCHWOOD INSTITUE

Jack Harkness was simply fiddling around in Torchwood's underground lair (that's the way he like to think of it). Not much had happened of late that required the attention of himself or his associates. His mind wandered as he twiddled his thumbs, literally. That mind inevitably wandered to the last time he had seen the Doctor. Since his encounter with that mysterious woman, Hazy, the Time Lord was never far from his mind. He had always fancied the enigma with two hearts. He shook his head putting his thoughts back on track. The Doctor had appeared suddenly in a pub and managed to set him up with a charming young ship pilot named Alonso. He had also disappeared just as suddenly. It had surprised Jack that the Doctor would do something like that for him. He was under the impression the Doctor was wary of him, given his unnatural immortality. Of course, Jack felt the same way. Not being able to die was even more unnatural than a Time Lord's ability to regenerate. That was essentially genetic. His gift/curse was given out of Rose's humanity amplified by the time vortex. He sighed and leaned his head back on his chair.

He was yanked from his musing as a proximity alarm warned him extraterrestrial technology was near the rift, and thus the Torchwood outpost that monitored it. He dashed over to the screens monitoring above ground. There in blue, that glorious blue was the TARDIS.

"Speak, well, think of the Devil and he shall appear," Jack said as he grabbed his trademark trenchcoat. After donning said apparel he tapped the transport button on his ever present vortex manipulator to take him topside before the Doctor could ditch him. He did after all have a message for him, though seeing him was defiantly a bonus.

The Doctor scrambled to the door of the TARDIS and peeked out the crack in time to see the man himself, Jack Harkness, materialize right outside. He shut the door and locked it hastily. He also firmly planted his back to the doors. Meanwhile, Clara just watched him astonished. He always struck her as squirrely but this was ridiculous.

"What's the deal Doctor? Why do you want to avoid him?"

There was a knock on the doors of the TARDIS, followed by a muffled, "Come on Doctor! I saw you peeking through. Please let me in. I haven't seen you in ages!" The Doctor's back stayed against the door as the knocking continued.

Finally, he responded to Clara's question, "It's just tedious watching him try to charm the knickers off everything that moves. He's also just not possible no one should be immortal like him." Then again, he thought, Clara was just as much an impossible creature. He ruffled his hair in frustration at the thought of both of them.

"Another member of the snog club, eh Doctor?' Clara asked as she walked forward and semi-gently pushed the Doctor away. She unlocked and opened the door to the handsome, dimple chinned, blue-eyed flirt machine standing outside. "Wow," Clara breathed. She turned to the Doctor, "Probably doesn't even take effort to succeed in that regard Doctor." The Doctor slumped his shoulders looking defeated and plenty annoyed.

Jack, having no clue what the two were talking about simply amped up the charm. "Hello there sweetie pie-" The Doctor cut him off. "Don't bother Jack. This is Clara Oswald, Clara, this is Captain Jack Harkness." Clara offered her hand, which Jack took and kissed. This might have been considered chivalrous, but this was Jack. The kiss lingered for a few too many Gallifreyan heart beats. Then Jack finally turned his attention to the Doctor.

"Well, Doctor, another regeneration? This is, what, the third face I've seen on you?" He asked as he followed the Doctor, whom walked dejectedly away from the TARDIS doors. Clara followed the two men and unabashedly kept trying to catch a glimpse of Jack's backside. The Doctor stopped and leaned against the TARDIS consol. Jack stopped a few paces away and looked the Time Lord in the eyes.

"Yes, Jack, it was The Master again." Jack gasped, he remembered The Master far too well, couldn't even count how many times he was killed by the man for amusement. "I absorbed too much radiation," he finished. Then he gestured to his lanky frame. It was clear in his eyes and the set of his mouth there would be no more said on the subject.

"Oh, well, I like the bow tie," Jack said, flashing a winning white toothed smile. This seemed to draw the Doctor from dark memories.

He smiled childlike in his pride. "Thanks, I wear a bow tie now. Bow ties are cool." He adjusted it proudly. Clara snorted demurely in amusement, which both men pointedly ignored.

"Jack why are we here? Has Torchwood been tampering with the rift? Cardiff is not where I wanted to end up."

"We didn't do anything. I've been twiddling my thumbs waiting for something to go down. Well, looks like you're it," he shrugged. "I'm glad you're here anyway. For one you interrupted my boredom. Secondly and more importantly I met a friend of yours; from Gallifrey." The Doctor's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows all but disappeared.

"Don't look at me like that! I'm serious! She called herself Professor Hazel Gordon. I met her on my last trip to 5149. She said you would know her as The Tracker. She had a message for me to give you." The Doctor's eyes widened alarmingly. He staggered from the consol to a bench near the rear of the TARDIS control room.

"Tell me everything," he said. His face was uncharacteristically pale.