Jenny had to hand it to Jack. If nothing else, the man was resourceful. Not only had he managed to find a liaison for the evening, she had given them both a ride back to Cardiff before hooking up with the captain.
When she had first come to Torchwood, she was a little uncomfortable at his coming and going. But she quickly adjusted, understanding that Jack came from a period in time where everything was free game. It was like the 60's all over again, with even less inhibitions. At least from what she had read.
And really, Jack Harkness was a good man. She was not his responsibility anymore, but at one point, she had been. He had lived 150 years while waiting for her, a lifetime full of more knowledge and adventure than any human could ever imagine. He'd even had a daughter and a grandson at one point, though he'd given them up so that millions would live.
Still, despite the weight of it all, he returned for her. He built the new Torchwood where he was supposed to meet her a century later, just so he could keep an eye out for when she made her way to Earth. And when Jack finally found her, he taught her everything he knew, everything he'd seen. She learned about her homeland and her people, what her father had told him, anyway.
But most important of all, Jack brought her every Torchwood file and UNIT file in existence on her father, thanks to Martha. The Doctor was more than just a traveler and an adventurer. He was a hero. And it made the wait that much easier to bear.
Jack made it easier too, with all of the experiments and the nights out when he wasn't otherwise engaged. He had succeeded in something she had come to realize was a major mark of the Doctor: he had humanized her.
There was no doubt that he was rubbing off on her. Every time she opened her mouth to speak to him, it was evident. She wasn't nearly as feisty and sarcastic around the rest of the population.
"Honey, I'm home," he called in a sing-song voice as the vaulted door opened.
Jenny barely looked up from her book. "Hello, dear. Let me fetch you your slippers."
And to be honest, she kind of loved it.
Jack slid off his trademark trench coat and slung it over a chair in the lab. "Ahh… I forgot it's Tuesday. Which one are you working on this time?"
She held a finger up in the air. "Fifty more pages to go… and done," the redhead concluded, snapping the book shut as she looked up at him from the couch. "Tagalog."
"Nice change of pace."
She shrugged and rose to her feet, "I thought so. How was your evening… and morning?"
A devilish grin spread across his face. "Excellent and fantastic. But I'll spare you the details…"
"Thanks," she laughed appreciatively. "Always a gentleman, Captain Harkness…"
Jack chuckled. "That's a good one. You don't get to see me during my finest hour… or should I say, hours? But you can if you want. All you have to do is ask."
"Not today, Jack…" She rolled her eyes at a phrase she had repeated every day for the past year and a half.
"Well then, let's talk about yesterday," he decided, dropping down onto the couch beside her. "The last time I went swimming at a beach was 1992 in Mikonos. Broke my record for minutes underwater… but I'll keep the details of that to myself, as well. It was actually kind of fun."
She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Where are you going with this?"
"Did you realize we missed your one year anniversary as an Earthling?"
"Yes," she replied quickly and a little harshly. "But we were a little busy with the Scourge that week." Jenny flinched. She hadn't meant to be cross with Jack, but she was more than a little upset at the time that he had seemingly forgotten.
"We were," he admitted with a nod. "But I should have taken you somewhere to celebrate. I am the king of a good time…"
Jenny placed a hand on his arm closest to her. "Jack, you've already done so much for me. I don't expect you to be responsible for my entertainment, as well." She patted him in assurance.
Heart-to-hearts with the captain were pretty rare these days. There had been a lot more when Jenny was new to the planet and having trouble adjusting. But as a being with accelerated levels of learning and intelligence, she assimilated exponentially quicker than expected. At twenty-one in Earth years, Jenny was better adjusted than anyone in their mid-thirties, let alone a college student.
Serious talks only occurred in the wake of life lost at this point and thankfully, they were few and far between.
He put his hand on top of hers. "I know, but is it really that bad if I want to take you on an adventure that doesn't involve running away from something?"
"Your idea of an adventure and my idea of an adventure have historically differed."
"Then we'll call it a Christmas holiday…" he proposed instead. "Come on, J2," he nudged her with his elbow, pouring on the charm. "Taking vacations is part of being human. Everyone, at least once in their life, plans a Christmas trip. It'll be fun. I'll even let you pick where you want to go."
Jenny smiled, tucking a strand of red hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear. "Alright," she finally caved. "But! No gallivanting, Captain Harkness. Or I'll kill you… multiple times."
Jack held up his hands in mock surrender. "Can't argue with that. I will be on my most gentlemanly behavior and only have eyes for you."
She nodded satisfactorily. "Quite right."
He hopped to his feet and strode to the chair holding his jacket, sinking into it. He cracked his knuckles in front of the computer screen and turned to the young woman on his left. "So, where are we going? Somewhere hot? Somewhere cold?"
Jenny let out a chuckle as she crossed the room to peer over his shoulder. When Jack got an idea, he was going to run with it by hell or high water. She was fairly certain that the trip would be booked within the next hour and if she didn't get her opinion across now, they'd be headed to Las Vegas. "I was thinking somewhere warm that I've never been to before."
"So that rules out all of the Mediterranean then." He spun the chair around and tucked his hands behind his head. "What else?"
She tapped her hand against her chin. "A place with a strong culture and fascinating history."
"So Canada's out, then."
"What do you have against Canada?"
"A lot… story for another time. Focus… vacation."
"Right." Jenny concurred with a bob of her head. "At the risk of sounding like a twelve year old girl who overly romanticizes everything…"
"Oh, God…" Jack clapped his hands together, sliding his palms back and forth. "I can't wait to hear this."
Eye rolling was becoming more and more common today. "I don't know anything about vacations outside of what I've seen in movies, which is mainly fruity drinks in coconuts with little paper umbrellas."
He went to open his mouth, then stopped, leaning his forearms onto his thighs. "Is that what you want?" She shrugged, throwing her hands in the air. "Okay, then. Scratch what we said before. Maybe I should pick where we go."
"Maybe. "
Kicking his feet up in the air, Jack spun his chair back around to the computer and focused in on the screen. "Challenge accepted."
"Whoa there, Harkness…" her voice raised as she stood up. "There will be no alternative lifestyle resorts on our itinerary, you got me? The time you 'accidentally' drove us to the wrong bar in Liverpool was enough for me."
"Hey," he protested, not bothering to look up from the monitor. "Singers and Swingers are two very close names. It was an honest mistake."
Her red locks bounced behind her as she laughed, retreating to the lab. "Nothing about you is honest, Captain Harkness."
"You love me for it…"
"Only on Fridays and the first Tuesday of each month!" she called out, her voice muffled by the walls.
Jack continued to click away in an attempt to land the perfect search result. Then suddenly, he froze and glanced off to his right. "Wait… is any of that today?" he yelled back, only to be met by silence.
Jenny slid out the metal stool from beneath the lab table and sat down before the slab. In front of her, lay a Webley Mk IV or at least, what was left of it. A recent bout with a few Water Hags had destroyed Jack's favorite weapon and while she couldn't be sure whether it was the water itself or the electrocution that did it, the gun was still in shambles.
The good captain had opted to use his backup gun, the more modern Zoraki 925, on a permanent basis and had elevated his Smith and Wesson 686 from third string to second string status. But he was still devastated by the loss of the firearm that had faithfully served him for over eighty-five years, to a point where she actually found it more than a bit disconcerting.
So now that Jack was going to be celebrating two years of adventure with her, she was determined to have a present for him when the day came. If only she could get it on the plane… assuming, of course, he didn't have another method of travel in mind.
Cleaning and removing any rust was going to be the easy part. Unfortunately, water damage and electrical damage meant that the mechanisms were likely destroyed. This wasn't such a big deal for a gun that was currently in production. Even one that was a few decades old, considering their lack of rarity, would still be easy to find parts for.
Yet, Jack's gun was a stone's throw away from a century old. Many had been lost in World War II and left on the fields of battle. An overwhelming majority of those left were likely in less than stellar condition. This was a project that would take time and effort, far beyond the trial and error of her lab work.
In fact, most of the time and effort involved… would be invested in concealing it from Jack.
A/N: Okay, so I'm VERY VERY excited to get to the next chapter. Now that you've gotten a brief introduction to the relationship of Jack and Jenny, we're going to get to the real meat and potatoes of it all. The next chapter is very emotional for Jenny, who admits that she knows very little about her father outside of what she can read in files. So an important plot point will turn up in Chapter 5 and lend to future meetings. I'm sorry to be vague... I just want to keep it a surprise. Just know that someone from the Doctor's past turns up in Jenny's life in a BIG way.
Dinosaurs... ON A SPACESHIP! I adored Brian Williams, which if you're an American, I mean Brian Pond/Williams. Not the newscaster! How great was that bit with the golf balls? Steven Moffatt being all cheeky...
I'm so overwhelmed by your love and support and encouragement! I promised I would start answering reviews, so here goes...
VivaWho - Thanks so much! I don't think that Jack and Jenny have too many serious discussions, very much like Jack in general. So I love to write them verbally abusing each other. HAHA! Chapter 6, which I just completed, is VERY funny. By then, they're on their way for Christmas.
10sladydoctor - I know, the things that go on in my head.
WhoviansUnite - I honestly believe there's tension between Jack and virtually anybody. But I'd like to think that he and Jenny have a unique relationship. I will tackle the idea of a previous relationship for Jenny in the near future.
Winchester Lover - Jack would use a Weevil to get laid, let's be honest here.
MadameHarkness - You're about to see how she interacts with someone other than Jack in the next chapter. Actually, by my count, TWO people other than Jack. One good, one not-so-good.
Pebbles - I adore her. I can't wait to see how the Moff writes himself out of this corner.
GeekChic - I could definitely see it happening.
LeilaWillems - Thanks so much! I love her, as well... Chin Man. I think I'll be okay with someone else in the TARDIS. She's kind of a mix of Amy and Donna. And I adore that.
HydeandSeek - Yeah, I can see how it was a little confusion. Should have warned you all about the time jump! Sorry about that. Because of my unending love for 10, she will be reunited with him in that incarnation and it will be explained down the road. Beauty of the whole wibbly wobbly, timey wimey thing. But I think more importantly, you should be concerned with what incarnation of Jenny he'll be meeting.
Golden Robin - Thank you SO much! I am so glad you're excited for future chapters! The next one really is my favorite thus far. Jenny really fleshes out as far as her personality is concerned.
UntilNeverDawns - Thank you! I just think that it's such a natural fit. He's the man without a home, who can't die and will practically live forever. The second lonliest man in all of time and space. And she's just a girl with no planet to call home, dying for adventure. COME ON! I'm glad you love them as much as I do!
Alright, everyone... I have two chapters in the can, waiting to be published. If I can get 8 reviews before Monday (9/18), I will post Chapter 5 earlier. I'm EVILLLLLLLLLL that way. Regardless, you'll get your Jenny/Jack fix soon enough.
Also, I purchased the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control... holy hell, I'm like a 5 year old running around my house with that thing. Literally. My sister is 12 and begging my parents for one. Oh! And in the craft store near my house on Sunday, we were looking down an aisle for materials for a Spanish project for her and I spotted what we were looking for across the store in another aisle. Without thinking, I just go, "Come along, Pond..." and start walking away.
I love life sometimes.
Danielle