Chapter 7
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It has been a couple of hours since Rose brought The Doctor a cup of tea and ever since they have been sitting together telling Jack stories, neither realising that effect their words are having, neither realising that they are helping Jack go on.
"It was incredible Jack; you would have had a ball." Rose comments.
"He really would have." The Doctor confirms, looking amused, "I should go check on Jack's team. Make sure they aren't doing anything they shouldn't be doing." The Doctor comments, "I take it you're going to stay."
"Yeah, I can't explain it, but I just know that he needs us here with us." Rose comments, "At least one of us anyway."
"I know the same thing." The Doctor realises, "I'll be back soon." The Doctor tells Rose before getting up and leaving.
"What next, what can I tell you next? Ahh, I know I've got an idea of something you're going to like." Rose tells Jack, "A little trip The Doctor and I took to some one of the places that you told me I had to see." She says and she starts to tell Jack the story.
When he leaves the TARDIS Jack finds Martha and Owen sitting in the morgue talking about something, and Tosh, Gwen and Ianto in the main area of the Hub, clearly in the middle of their own conversation.
Instead of heading out to Jack's team and Martha to find out what they are doing The Doctor heads over to Jack's computer's to figure out everything about Torchwood, and what Jack's team are doing.
It has been a few minutes since The Doctor started looking into Jack's systems and as he does he realises that Jack's been deleting mentions of him, things that prove he existed for years, and so realising that The Doctor makes a note to himself to thank Jack once he wakes. As makes that note he hears footsteps and so The Doctor turns and sees Gwen walk in.
"Morning." Gwen greats, "How's Jack today?" she asks curious.
"Still unconscious, none of us will know if this helped or hurt him until he wakes up." The Doctor explains as Gwen sits down.
"Do you think it will help?" Gwen asks curious.
"I think it's the only thing that could." The Doctor answers.
"He missed you, missed you a lot." Gwen informs The Doctor, "He wouldn't say much, but the little he said made it clear." Gwen tells The Doctor, "Did Jack tell you what happened just before he disappeared with you?" Gwen asks curious.
"Yes." The Doctor confirms and Gwen realises that he's not too happy about that, and honestly she doesn't blame him.
"We were all shown images of the people we love to try and manipulate us, and it worked, but Jack wasn't shown anything." Gwen reveals, "I asked him what would have tempted him. What could have gotten him to open the rift and he just said, the right kind of Doctor." Gwen reveals, "He would probably never admit it, but I know because I know him, but everything Jack does he thinks about how you would react. He wants you to be proud of him." Gwen informs The Doctor as she stands up, "He wants you to be proud of the way he defends the earth." She says before heading to the door, pausing at the draw, "Oh, look in the bottom draw. There is a box in there I've never seen what is inside, but I think you should." Gwen says before leaving the room.
Once Gwen leaves, not being able to help his curiosity, The Doctor goes into Jack's bottom draw and searches into he finds a small box which he takes out of draw.
"Why should I see this?" The Doctor asks himself, but as soon as he opens it he realises right away why Gwen told him to look inside as sitting right on top is an image, clearly taken from a security camera, of him, Jack, Rose and Micky from when they visited Cardiff together. Seeing the image, The Doctor starts to flick through the others, wondering what else he'll find.
It has been a couple of hours since The Doctor started to look through Jack's box and inside he sees pictures, newspaper clippings and letters, which The Doctor doesn't read, all of whom, if the Doctor had to guess judging by what he recognizes, are all related to people that Jack has cared about over his long life.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry." The Doctor says after a little bit of searching he realises that practically everyone in the photos and clippings that Jack clearly values so much are dead.
"Doctor?" A voice asks and he looks up to see Martha.
"Martha Jones. How are you?" The Doctor ask as he puts Jack's box back in the desk.
"I'm okay."
"And how's the family?" The Doctor asks curious as Martha walks over.
"Getting better." Martha answers, "Thank you, Doctor."
"What for?" The Doctor asks, pretending to be confused.
"For getting me the job with UNIT, thank you." Martha responds.
"I just made the call, you had the qualifications." The Doctor responds, he knew that he owed it to Martha and that's why he made the call.
"Still, thank you." Martha responds, "I'll let you get back to searching Jack's desk."
"I wasn't…" The Doctor starts to say, but Martha gives him a look, "Okay I was, but he won't mind." He informs Martha.
"Considering it's you I believe that." Martha says, knowing that if anyone besides The Doctor except maybe Rose were to search his desk then Jack would be less than happy, before walking out of the office, "Ianto." She greats as Martha is walking out of the office he is walking in.
"Dr Jones." Ianto greats as he walks in, "Doctor." He greats
"Ianto." The Doctor responds, "What can I help you with?" he asks curious.
"Jack belongs with you and Rose." Ianto says to the Doctor's confusion, "In the TARDIS."
"What?" The Doctor asks.
"I don't know what happened in the past with the three of you. I don't even know Jack as well I thought, but I do know him well enough to know that he doesn't belong here, not anymore." Ianto informs The Doctor, "He's happy here, and has a purpose here, I'm not denying that, but even so it's not where he belongs. No matter what he has convinced himself off, or the reasons and obligations he thinks he has. It's the TARDIS with you and Rose where he belongs, not Torchwood, I know that now." Ianto informs The Doctor, "And you need to help him see that, you're the only one who can." Ianto says to the Doctor's complete shock.
"DOCTOR, IANTO, LUNCH." A voice yells and The Doctor stands.
"Not too long ago I asked Jack to stay with me, but he said no." The Doctor informs Ianto, "He choose to come back to Torchwood, back to you." He says, "Just because the TARDIS is where you think Jack belongs doesn't mean that that is where he wants to be." The Doctor says before leaving.
"Oh, but you're wrong, Doctor." Ianto says, "It's where he wants to be, he just won't admit it to himself." He says before getting up and leaving the office.
When The Doctor walks out into the main area of the Hub he finds Gwen and Owen handing out food to everyone.
"Doctor, we didn't know what you liked and so we asked Martha. She said that you liked chips so we got enough fish and chips for you and Rose." Gwen says as she hands a wrapped package over.
"Thank you." The Doctor says accepting it, "I'll eat in the TARDIS with Rose and Jack." He says before heading to the TARDIS.
A few minutes later Rose and The Doctor are once more sitting together on Jack's bed, but this time they are eating their lunch.
"These chips are actually pretty good." The Doctor comments.
"That they are." Rose confirms, "Then kind of remind me of the ones we had at the diner right after Jack joined us." Rose says with a grin, "That diner was so ridiculous."
"What was so ridiculous about it?" The Doctor asks.
"It was a fifties diner, in space." Rose says, looking amused, "The food was amazing though." Rose comments.
"That it was." The Doctor confirms.
"I taught Jack how amazing dipping chips in milkshakes is." Rose says with a grin, "I couldn't believe that he had never done that before."
"He came from a different time. It's not surprising that he had never experienced it." The Doctor tells Rose, "Of course after you made him try it he always wanted it."
"We should make milkshakes for when Jack wakes up." Rose tells the Doctor, "Strawberry, because that's his favourite." Rose says, remembering that The Doctor made Jack try it with banana milkshakes and he hated them and then she made him try chocolate which he wasn't the biggest fan off either.
"That might still be a few days." The Doctor tells Rose, "He's got a lot to deal with." He says.
"I know." Rose says, "It could still be good to do when he wakes." He says, "It might help Jack to do something familiar."
"Yeah, it might." The Doctor confirms, "So, when Jack wakes we'll go get the best milkshakes and chips in the universe."
"Sounds like a great plan to me." Rose says with a grin.
Jack's dream
"So, when Jack wakes we'll go get the best milkshakes and chips in the universe." The Doctor's voice says as Jack watches himself hand children over to the 456.
"I'll hold you to that." Jack comments as he watches the memory, "I need to remember this." Jack tells himself, "So that I never let it happen again" he says as giving the children over is one of the things that he has done that he regrets the most. As he accepts that it is a memory that he needs to remember the memory shifts, and changes to the next one.
While Rose and The Doctor are sitting on Jack's bed eating fish and chips and talking to him Martha, Owen, Ianto, Gwen and Tosh are in the conference room eating their own lunch while they talking.
"So, The Doctor that's who you and Jack met through?" Tosh asks Martha curious as they haven't really had a chance to talk since Martha arrived as they have been busy doing other things.
"Yes." Martha confirms, "We spent some time together."
"When Jack disappeared?" Gwen asks, looking at Martha.
"Yes, I believe so." Martha says as that's what It would seem like from Jack's team's point of view.
"What happened when Jack was gone? Why does he need to be unconscious to deal with what happened?" Ianto asks, wanting some answers about what happened.
"A lot of bad things happened." Martha answers, looking worried.
"Like what?" Tosh asks curious.
"Things you wouldn't believe." Martha answers, doing her best to avoid directly answering.
"Are you going to stop giving vague answers?" Owen asks curious.
"No." Martha answers, "Look, what happened is complicated and you're Jack's team so he should be the one who tells you." Martha reveals.
"I don't see that happening any time soon." Gwen comments, not even surprised by that.
"Then you're just going to accept that." Martha reveals and the group drift into silence, no one really sure what to say or do.
In the TARDIS Rose and The Doctor have just finished eating, but are still sitting on Jack's bed, talking to him.
As he and Rose talk to Jack The Doctor can't help, but think about what Ianto said to him, "Rose, do you know why Jack said no to traveling with me? Why he didn't want to?" The Doctor asks curious as he figures that if anyone knows then it would be Rose.
"He did want to travel with you. He does want to travel with you." Rose informs The Doctor.
"Then why did he say no when I asked?" The Doctor asks Rose.
"Because after the years, after everything that happened he wanted to protect his team, and the earth like he didn't then." Rose reveals.
"Ohh." The Doctor says, not sure how to respond to that, and he and Rose drift into silence once more.
Hours later Rose has gone to bed and so the Doctor is sitting alone with Jack. It has been about an hour since Rose went to bed and ever since she did The Doctor has been telling Jack stories about when he was exiled to earth.
"The Brigadier is a good friend, and going by what you have in your desk I'm guessing he's a good friend to you too, and honestly I'm not even surprised by that." The Doctor tells Jack, before moving closer to him, wanting to lower his voice, "So, I never really good at this kind of thing, but I think that the fact that you're unconscious, even though you can hear me, might make it easier." The Doctor reveals, he had decided after he talked to Ianto that he was going to say this but he wanted to wait until it was just him as even with Rose it would be hard to say, "I didn't know what the vortex would turn you into when I abandoned you. I knew that you a fix point now, but I didn't know more than that." The Doctor explains, "And I was too much of a coward to find out. So, I did what I do best, I ran." The Doctor reveals, "When I met Rose I was just out of the fires of the Time War and she saved me. She taught me to live again, to have hope." The Doctor reveals a loving smiling on his face, "I love her for that, not that I could admit it." He tells Jack, "We had figured things out, we were so good together and then you came along." The Doctor says, looking amused, "With your dancing, and flirting, and well, being you, and at first I wasn't sure how to react. Sorry about how I treated you at first, by the way." The Doctor adds, realising that he never apologised for that, "But then an amazing thing happened. Your first night on the TARDIS you couldn't sleep, and so you sat with me in the console room and right away I realised that you knew what you were doing, you understood, and you started to help me fix the old girl. I think that was the fastest I ever let something do that and I never, and will never, regret putting that trust in you." The Doctor reveals, "You, Rose and I become a team. It was like I had a family again, like the Time War didn't take everything and I was so thankful for that, even if I never said it." The Doctor says, "I knew that it wouldn't last forever, but I desperately wanted it to." The Doctor admits, "Me, you and Rose in the TARDIS, traveling the universe, I loved it." The Doctor says smiling, "And then they came, the Game station, the Dalek's. You had such faith in me that day and then and you died because of that faith, until Rose came back." The Doctor says sadly, "I had lost you and I thought I was going to lose her too and I couldn't handle that. I thought It was going to break me, but I didn't lose either of you, you're both here, both so alive." The Doctor says with a smile, "After I took the vortex out of Rose all I wanted was to see you both again, see you alive and happy, but I didn't know that you would be you. I thought that bringing you back would take away everything you were, everything that meant so much to me, and that version of me didn't want that to be the last version of you I saw, I wouldn't have been able to cope if it had been." The Doctor says, "I've never been happier to be wrong. I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry that I left you, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you all this sooner. I want you to know that you're fantastic, and so very important to me, and that I'm so proud of you, proud of everything you've done, and that want you to travel with me, but that I understand if you say no." The Doctors says before leaning down and placing a kiss on Jack's cheek which he holds for several seconds, "Now… new story. Huh, oh I know. The first time I met the Dalek's." The Doctor says before he sits up once more.
Jack's Dream
In Jack's memory he hears everything that The Doctor says and as he listens he knows that it's not the memory of visiting all his friend that were killed during World War One that are causing the tears to roll down his cheek.
"You're important to me too, Doctor." Jack says, "I can't forget this." He says to himself and the memory changes.
For three days Jack has been unconscious while he deals with his past and the entire time that he has been unconscious Rose and The Doctor have either both been with him or at least one of them, except for that first night. Even though they have been sitting with them for a long time Rose and The Doctor have both managed to think up new things to say to Jack.
It is currently early afternoon and Rose is once more sitting with Jack on his bed in the TARDIS talking to him. She is alone as the Doctor, Martha and Jack team have gone to investigate some odd signals coming from a warehouse and because they didn't know what the signals are The Doctor decided to leave the TARDIS behind and instead they took two cars.
"So, just before I forced into the parallel universe The Doctor and I went back to the planet pool, do you remember that, Jack? The place where you pushed me in fully clothed." Rose ask curious.
"You squealed." A voice says and at first Rose isn't sure what that she really heard it but then she looks down and sees that Jack is wide awake, "Hello."
"JACK, YOU'RE AWAKE." Rose yells before throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly, "I'm glad, that one sided conversation was getting a little boring." She says and Jack just laughs.
While Jack is waking up his team, The Doctor and Martha are investigating odd life signs at a warehouse. Due to the fact that there are multiple the group has split up, The Doctor and Tosh have gone one way, Owen and Martha another and Gwen and Ianto another.
"It's odd, it's rather quiet for the life signs we are getting." Tosh comments as she and The Doctor make their way down a corridor.
"That it is." The Doctor confirms, not being able to help but think that something is very wrong, "Toshiko pass me that, let me see exactly what we are dealing with." The Doctor requests and Tosh hands over the device that she is using to track the signals as soon as he has the object The Doctor uses his sonic to enhanced the device to get better readings, as he does his eyes widen.
"Doctor, what is it?" Tosh asks, noticing the look.
"We've got to run! We've got to run now! We need to get out of this building. Tell the others." The Doctor says, needing Tosh to tell the others as he refused to wear an earpiece. The Doctor says as he starts to run, pulling Tosh along with him.
"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE BUILDING, GET OUT OF THE BUILDING NOW." Tosh yells and without questioning the others start to run too and a few seconds later there are several explosions in the building.