Chapter 7 Will the Real Jack Harkness, Please Stand Up?
Donna had taken a couple of days off to go to London, since her mother had been unwell and had requested a visit. Coming back to the Hub, instead of the flat as she'd been requested to by Ianto via a mobile phone call whilst on the train back, she was almost flattened by Ianto throwing himself on her. His voice muffled by her shoulder as he pressed into her, he blurted, "I shot Owen."
Patting his back, Donna smiled and replied calmly, "Well, someone was bound to eventually. Is he alright?"
Ianto laughed and stood back from her. Nodding, he filled her in briefly on the events of the day. "Jack looked like he'd seen a ghost when he got back. I don't think he'll ask, but he should come back to ours tonight."
Nodding, she told him to get ready to go whilst she went and got Jack.
Donna stopped on the way to inspect Owen's shoulder, noting the position of the entry and exit wounds. Shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips, she exclaimed, "Can't leave you people alone for five minutes, without you falling into different eras or shooting each other. Good thing Ianto's an excellent shot, huh, Owen?"
Owen grumbled and let her help him do up his shirt. He looked even paler than usual and his hands were shaking.
Donna called to Tosh as she exited Jack's office, "Tosh, can you take Owen home on your way to your party? I don't think he should drive after being shot."
"Of course. Um. You and Ianto may want to … well, I know that you three sometimes, um, socialise… it's just that he may need you after… " Tosh stumbled to articulate her concern without divulging Jack's secrets.
Moving to put her hand on Tosh's arm, Donna looked at her with fondness. "It's okay, Tosh. We'll look after Jack. Ianto noticed he looked upset when he got back. You go and enjoy your party. It's not everyday your grandfather turns 88." Smiling, she rubbed Tosh's arm before squeezing it and turning towards Jack's office.
"Jack?"
Jack sat on the edge of his desk, his brandy tumbler empty in his slightly shaking hand. His shoulders were hunched and Donna caught sight of tears, before Jack hastily brushed them away as his rose to turn away from her. "What is it, Donna?"
"Time to go home, Jack."
"Oh. Right. Well, goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning." He tried to keep his voice light, but failed miserably. "Is..is Ianto still here?"
Donna moved forward, putting her arms around his waist and leaning her head on the back of his shoulder. "I meant, it's time for you, me and Ianto to go home together, you prawn. We're not leaving you here alone in this state. Now come on, Ianto's waiting." Moving away, she took his hand and led him out to where Ianto stood, holding Jack's coat.
Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet all night, but Ianto and Donna let him be. Once they were all settled on the couch, after dinner, Donna turned to him and took his hand. Ianto did the same on the other side.
"Jack," Donna noted how he seemed to be flinching whenever she used his name, "Sweetheart, tell us what happened today."
Shaking his head, Jack squeezed their hands. "Can't."
Exchanging a look with Ianto, she fished into her handbag which she'd dumped beside the couch on arrival. Withdrawing some printouts, she started speaking softly, "I'm a curious person, me. And it's funny what you come across when you're organising an archive. There's a whole filing cabinet down there with your name on it, Jack. Captain Jack Harkness, 133rd Squadron, didn't report for duty or killed in action January 21st 1941, depending on which version of the records you believe. Funny thing is, I found this photo, " Donna paused and handed Jack one of the printouts, "and whilst it claims to be Captain Jack Harkness, it doesn't look like you."
Jack held the printout, running his fingers over the face of the man in the photo, tears running unchecked down his cheeks. "What do you want to hear, Donna?"
Donna sighed, running her hand over Jack's hair before sliding her arm around his shoulders. "I want to hear the truth about what happened today. We know that you were pulled into a dancehall in 1941, what happened whilst you were there?"
Silence met her request, as Jack continued to gaze at the photo. Ianto looked at Donna and she saw tears in his eyes too.
"You know what I think happened? I think you met Captain Jack Harkness, the man whose identity you've been using since 1941. I think you took a liking to the man, maybe even snogged him, and now you're struggling with the fact that you've lost someone you hardly knew and you feel guilty and confused and lost. You don't want to tell us what happened, 'cos you're afraid that Ianto will be hurt and I'll be angry. You think that if you tell us that you've lied about your name that we'll be betrayed and feel like we don't know you anymore. Does that just about sum it up, pretty boy?"
Jack nodded, still unable to make eye contact, as a sob wrenched free from his chest. "I was a conman. I assumed his name, falsified records.. I took a good man's name and sullied it. Is that what you want to hear? The real Captain Jack Harkness was a hero, a brave and beautiful man who died in battle. He died the day after I met him and I couldn't save him. I didn't want you to know what I was, didn't want you to h-hate me, l-leave me alone again…" He broke off, choking on his sobs.
She pulled him into her arms, Ianto followed and draped himself over Jack's back, so Jack was sandwiched between them. "Well, then, you're an idiot. It doesn't matter what we've been, it's who we are now that counts. Besides, Captain Jack Harkness - hero and saviour of Earth - may be what you are. But Yan and I know who you are, which is more important. You're our mate and we love you because you're a good man with a kind heart, irrespective of what you call yourself." She paused before adding fondly, "You big dumbo."
After Jack had exhausted himself, crying for the loss of the original Jack and the relief of knowing his friends loved him regardless of his past, they changed and cuddled up together in the bed. Donna had tried to leave and go to her own bed, but Jack had made an inarticulate noise of distress and clutched her hand. So they spent the night together, Ianto and Donna on either side of their Captain, providing respite and shelter from a cruel world.
The next day, Donna grilled Tosh on what it had been like at the dance. She loved the songs of that era and used to dance with her Gramps to them. She was explaining this to Ianto and Tosh, when she decided that a display was more effective. She got Tosh to play "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" over the speakers and grabbed Ianto, trying to teach him some simple dance steps. Jack, Gwen and Owen appeared and stood watching the fun.
"Oh for pete's sake, Jack come over here and help me show them." Donna called to him, exasperated with Ianto's self consciousness.
Laughing, Jack happily obliged and they blurred into motion, Donna's red hair flying. Soon Ianto and Gwen were dancing, as were Tosh and Owen, albeit with a little more decorum and a lot less flair. Myfanwy shrieked as she circled overhead, dancing in her own way. When the song ended, they collapsed in laughing heaps in various chairs and against worktops.
Donna leaned over and whispered in Jack's ear, "Hold onto the good times, sweetheart." Kissing him on the cheek, she moved off to the archives just as the Weevil alarm went off.
