To the Past from the Future
by Lumendea
Chapter Seven: Guess Who IV
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story
…
Captain Jack Harkness had been returning to the Hub when the tell-tale sounds of the TARDIS echoed through the center. Around him a few people looked around in mild curiosity for the source of the sound while a grin lit up his face. For a moment he just savored that long missed sound, grateful to be hearing it again, before he broke into a run towards the lift. He had a good hunch that the TARDIS would return to her old parking spot.
He reached the ship just as it materialized only a few meters from the lift, not quiet on top of it, but close enough that nobody seemed to notice her at all. It was a little disconcerting and he thought back to the Ninth Docotr and his comment about humans just walking past the unusual. He strode towards the TARDIS as his grin became a touch more nervous.
It had been almost a year since he had seen the Doctor after he left him in the aftermath of the Master's takeover. Jack had wanted him to, but he'd been beginning to worry that he wouldn't be seeing the Doctor ever again. Since then he had returned to Torchwood and even gotten Martha in to help them a few times once she passed her final exams. Jack reminded himself that the Doctor must just be fueling, there was probably nothing wrong.
He stopped right in front of the door, knocked hard on the seemingly wooden structure and prepared to wait for the Doctor or his latest companion to open the door. Suddenly the door was thrown open and blonde blur hit him, wrapping him in a hug. Jack laughed and wondered how the Doctor would react to a companion hug attacking him. Lowering his eyes he paled as he realized it was none other than Rose Tyler that was hugging him. His mind stopped before his time agent training took over. Had he accidently cross Rose's time line? Was this a short time after Game Station when she thought he was dead? Or was this one of those time when the Doctor had dropped him off somewhere for 24 hours?
Thankfully the Doctor answered his question for him. The brown haired Doctor dressed in pinstripes stepped into the doorway with a pleased, but cautious smile on his face. Jack thought he might have detected a hint of jealously in his expression, but the Time Lord gave him a reassuring nod. Breathing out Jack felt the tension drain from his shoulders and his worry was replaced by amazement. But then Rose released him, stepping back with a confused look on her face. Reaching out Jack brushed some hair from her face and took her in with a disbelieving smile. She smiled in return, seeming to understand his confusion.
Then without warning, Jack then scooped Rose up in a bear hug and spun around in front of the TARDIS, holding her tightly. Laughter filled the air as the Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, smiling at the pair. Random words about how happy he was to see her escaped Jack without his notice as raw happiness bubbled up through him. Finally Jack calmed down enough to set Rose back on her feet and hold her arm softly as she looked very dizzy. Grinning at both Rose and the Doctor, Jack laughed off his confusion and shook his head.
"How Doctor?" Jack asked as he turned back to the Doctor, "What happened to the walls are closed? I was beyond grateful when you told me she was alive, but now to have brought her back?" Jack wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulder and held his friend closely. "Best gift I've ever gotten and trust me I've gotten some good ones."
"Careful Jack," the Doctor warned with a stern look that was ruined by his own little smile. The Doctor's eyes went to the happy Rose and his look softened. Rubbing his neck the Doctor stood and took Rose's hand causing Jack to perk up with interest. Jack's eyes darted between them, almost leering at them. "Well I overlooked a very strange possibility," the Doctor informed Jack. He grinned and looked at Rose, tightening his grip on her hand, "Do you think we should tell him?"
Rose blinked but then grinned as well, looking back at Jack who was looking between them with a growing expression of realization. He looked ready to vibrate right out of his clothes, something the Doctor was fairly certain that the man was capable of.
"Oh I don't know, I haven't even told you about all of them yet," Rose giggled as she looked up at Jack from her place under his arm.
"True maybe we should make him wait for the happy event itself so he finds out with the rest of the universe," the Doctor suggested calmly.
"Which event would that be Doctor? The announcement or the happy day itself?" Rose asked with a teasing smile, slipping out from under Jack's arm to stand closer to the Doctor.
Jack blinked at this and looked between the two of them. His eyes widened and a downright stupid happy smile appeared on his face.
"Rose are you pregnant?" Jack asked her, his eyes darting between them before his expression turned downright leery. "Oh you crazy kids finally got together." He squealed, honest to god squealed before jumping forward to hug them both. "I knew you would! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! Oh I wish good old Big Ears could see you now! I knew it!"
"Jack!" Rose laughed as she wrestled herself free and looked up at the grinning former Time Agent. "No I 'm not pregnant."
"Not yet," the Doctor commented with a smirk as Jack let go of them.
"Oh not yet," Jack repeated with interest looking between them. Rose couldn't help the soft blush creeping up her cheeks and Jack beamed. "You've done the deed, I'm so proud of you," Jack cheered, clapping his hands together. "But I know enough about time travel to recognize that there's something hinky going on here," he wraggled his eyebrows at them and added, "And probably not just in the bed."
Rose tossed her hair and smiled letting her tongue slid in between her teeth. Jack's heart jumped at the familiar sight and it almost hurt not to crush Rose in another hug. A glance at the Doctor told Jack that the Time Lord felt much the same way even as he watched Rose with an oh so soft look. It was the expression that Jack had seen on the Doctor's face many times during his previous incarnation when he thought Rose wasn't looking.
"Well it's actually our future kids that will lower the walls," Rose explained with a blush and she gave the Doctor a warm look.
"Future kids?" Jack repeated carefully as a smile spread over his face, watching the Doctor tug Rose against his side and wrap an arm around her waist. It was such a… domestic, in a relationship action that Jack's jaw almost dropped. They nodded at his question and he grinned widely at them both. "Oh wow, early congrats! Look at you Rose Tyler, domesticating the Doctor!" That comment got him a dark look, but he didn't care and just kept going, "I claim the title of godfather! I'll be around for a long time for the kiddies! Plus I'm more than happy to destroy anyone who'd ever try to hurt your kids." Before they could say anything to that, Jack jumped forward and hugged them both again. "I am happy for you," he added in a softer voice. "Just in case that wasn't clear."
They stayed like that for some time. To Jack's surprise the Doctor didn't say anything about him feeling wrong and it was almost possible for Jack to believe that it was the old days. Rose sniffed softly against his shoulder and he brushed his fingers through her hair, knowing that they'd have to talk about Bad Wolf and his immortality. Kissing her forehead softly, Jack hoped that his joy at seeing her would reassure her that he wasn't angry. Not everyone had someone who loved them so much that they couldn't allow the idea of them not being alive.
"So is that what brings you here then?" Jack finally asked as he released the two, smiling when Rose took and kept holding his hand. " Showing off Rose to me or something?"
The Doctor shook his head at the Captain but kept smiling. Jack felt that last little knot in his chest unwind at the Doctor's calmness around him.
"Actually I would have gone for sooner but the TARDIS picked up something odd in the area," the Doctor explained which also served as a small apology for not visiting sooner.
Jack nodded at both the explanation and the slight apology. He remembered all too well how temperamental the TARDIS could be about taking you where you wanted to go. Slipping on his business face, Jack turned very serious.
"The rift fractured a bit earlier today," Jack told the Doctor. "I was out doing a visual check on the area. My team is working on it."
Rose blinked at the two men and asked, "Your team?"
Raising his eyebrow again, Jack looked back at the Doctor with a questioning look.
"I haven't told her yet but she'll take it better than I did," the Doctor assured Jack with a nod.
Jack nodded in return, hoping that the Doctor was right and turned back to Rose who had folded her arms across her chest. The problem with Rose trying to be intimidating was that Jack just found her adorable like that and could barely contain his smile.
"I work at Torchwood," he told her in a softer voice. "Well I'm head of Torchwood 3 here in Cardiff, the only remaining office at least in this universe. We monitor the Rift and work to contain the weirdness to that comes through so it doesn't harm Earth."
"You're being careful right," Rose asked with a concerned look. "I mean really careful right Jack?"
"I'm not willing to make the kind of mistakes they made at Torchwood 1 and I'm not going to let innocent people get caught in the middle," Jack told her firmly watching as she relaxed at his words. "I'm not saying we've never made mistakes, but we don't go poking at things and don't try to use the rift for our own benefit like Hartman wanted."
"Okay, I trust you," Rose told him with a smile making Jack feel taller and stronger. "So do I get to meet this team of yours Jack?" Rose asked with a titled of her head.
Having a loss for words Jack just blinked at Rose who smiled, "Come on Jack they're your friends." She grabbed his hand and added, "And I want to meet them." She looked over her shoulder at the Doctor. "Have you met them Doctor?" Grinning at the worried look on Jack's face the Doctor shook his head.
"Not yet Rose." He stepped up next to Jack and smirked, "So Captain what do you say."
"I'm guessing you're going to embarrass me in any way you can."
"Maybe." Rose responded with an evil little giggle. "Let's find out Jack."
"I really did miss you Rose," Jack assured her before his voice turned whiny, "I missed you and this is the thanks I get."
"He used to visit you as a child," the Doctor threw in with a smug smirk of his own.
"What?"
"Oh you are not one to talk Doctor," Jack shot back with a frown. "Red bike when she was twelve!"
"I already knew about that," Rose laughed tugging on Jack's hand. "Come on Captain, you used to be more than happy to show off your moves."
Jack sighed dramatically, but couldn't help his smile as he tugged Rose by her hand towards the entry to Torchwood. Thousands of years old and she still turned him into a sap with that smile. At the least the Doctor had the same problem, that made him feel a bit better.
