Author's Note: Oddly enough, I'm still alive! I managed to ditch the sleep zombies that are pursuing me (they don't like being ignored) for long enough to introduce the Torchwood team, and the charismatic Captain Jack Harkness to our tale. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned anything, I'd make Torchwood and Doctor Who a reality. Seriously, who doesn't want to ride around in a time machine with a drop-dead gorgeous captain?

And Now: Welcome Torchwood!

Miss Me Yet?

Episode 10: Of course I disobeyed, what kind of lackey would I be if I didn't?

The Doctor closed the doors of the TARDIS and caught Martha's eyes as she leaned on the TARDIS's control panel. "As much as I hate to admit this, but I think that we're going need some help with all of this."

Martha snorted and looked at him disbelief. "You. You're going to ask for help? From who, may I ask?"

There was a slight pause as the question hung expectantly in the air, and then the Doctor grinned, wide and exuberant. "Our favorite over-sexed captain?"

Martha grinned, but there was a slight hesitating lisp as she exclaimed. "Jack!"

The Doctor grinned in return. "I heard that implied question, Miss Martha Jones, and the only question I have for you is this: just how many over-sexed captains do you know?"

Martha's smile turned remarkably impish. "It's not how many over-sexed captains that I know that worries me."

"Oi! That hurt! I'm wounded! You've dreadfully wounded me!" The Doctor flung out a hand, and collapsed dramatically against the mainframe of the TARDIS. Martha simply rolled her eyes at the Doctor's antics, but chuckled.

"You do realize he's probably going to try to proposition you?"

"Wouldn't be the first time." The Doctor muttered under his breath, making Martha laugh. He held out a hand, and the small gesture somehow looked surprisingly expectant.

"Mind if I borrow your phone?"

Martha snorted again. "That's irony, that is."

"What is?"

"You're a man who lives in a phone box, and yet, you need to borrow someone else's phone." Martha propped a hand on her hip, making no motion to get out her phone.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Martha…"

The doctor-in-training simply shook her head. "Seriously! You know what? I'm going to get you your own phone." Her face was set and determined.

The Doctor turned exasperated. "I travel through time and space. I don't need a phone, not when I have a companion who does. Now, if you'd kindly…" The Doctor, hand still outstretched, wiggled his fingers.

Martha's heaving sigh spoke volumes about her unwillingness to tangle with the Doctor. It was easier to give in. "Alright." Martha took out her phone and slapped it into the Doctor's palm. A smile tugged at her lips. "I'm still getting you a phone."

"Whatever makes you happy." The Doctor said to appease her, then dialed.

Captain Jack Harkness relaxed in his chair behind his desk in the Hub. Ianto was outside in reception, doing…whatever it was that Ianto did as a receptionist. Jack's mind wandered, far more interested in what Ianto did when he was not acting as a receptionist. No one else was in yet, so he had the Hub mostly to himself, not counting the pterodactyl of course.

Lost in such happy thoughts, it was to Jack's distinct displeasure that his phone rang, and to his surprise, the caller ID showed a name he never thought that he would see again.

Miss Martha Jones.

He snapped the phone off his desk, fingers stumbling in their eager attempt to flip the top open. "Hello?" Jack imbued as much warmth into his voice as possible.

"Jack!" An extremely exuberant, extremely male, and extremely familiar voice practically yelled through the phone.

A flirtatious, happy grin grew instantaneously onto the face of the head of Torchwood Three. "Well, Doc! This is a surprise." He said smoothly. "I really, really hope this is my kind of call." There was no mistaking the intent in his voice.

The Doctor's voice may have risen half a tone as he said, "And what kind of call would that be Jack? No! No, never mind, don't answer that!" Jack could practically see the Doctor flinging his free hand over his eyes, and the Captain's smile grew astonishingly more preditorial.

Verbally, however, Jack only laughed. "Spoilsport. Besides, you know what I have to offer will blow your mind. What's up? And why are you using Martha's phone? You still live in a phone box, don't you?"

He heard a giggle over the phone, unmistakably Martha, followed by a male mumble of 'is everyone going to point that out?' Jack grinned; obviously Martha had brought this up as well. "Is that Martha I hear? Hi Martha! Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Hi Jack!" Martha yelled, voice still sounding distant. There was a brief rustling noise, as if she had wrenched away her cell phone from the Doctor. "Still trying to proposition the man?" She finished, voice light.

"Always!"

"What am I, a living phone stand?" The Doctor said in mock outrage over the ensuing laughter.

Tosh smiled at Ianto as she walked into the reception of the Torchwood Hub. "Good morning Ianto!"

Ianto smiled as he pushed the entrance button to release the passage door into the main part of Torchwood. "Morning Tosh. Coffee?"

"Oh! Yes please!" Ianto flushed at the clear pleasure and longing in her voice. "Is Jack here?"

Ianto hid a smile, tilting his head away from Tosh's inquiring face. He knew that Tosh suspected something was going on between them, but was too well mannered to do more than speculate idly. "I don't think he ever leaves."

"Mm, you're probably right."

Morning in the Hub was usually quiet, so Tosh was surprised to hear the sound of Jack's laughter ringing through the subterranean structure.

"Hey! I did promise to behave!" Tosh heard him chuckle. "You do think something's going on?" There was a pause. "Alright – yeah, yeah, don't tell me anything, I'll come and give you my conclusions. Bye guys." Jack hung up and Tosh quickly tried to look busy. Jack stepped out of his office and came down.

"Good morning Tosh!" He flashed a grin that, still to this day, ran shivers down her spine. It was not that she was interested in a relationship with him, but he was undeniably handsome. "You look as radiant as ever!"

Tosh beamed. A good morning and a complement from a gorgeous man, the day couldn't get better. "Hi Jack, and thank you! Anything new on the home front?"

"Well." Jack crossed his arms and smiled sneakily. "Ianto's about to find out that his attempt to switch us all to decaf, and thereby stopping us from being our normal, jittery selves, isn't working. He was remarkably sneaky about it, this time. He only used a quarter decaf to regular. It was extremely well done, if I do say so myself."

"You switched the coffee back again." Tosh said in disbelief, trying not to laugh. Every time that Ianto tried to get them calmer, Jack would try to stop the draining of their caffeine. "You know, I think today would be a good day to check the systems in the basement of the Hub." Tosh declared, grabbing her laptop bag. She wanted to be well out of the danger zone.

Jack laughed. "Nah. I need you up here and monitoring the area until the others come in."

"Alright." Tosh nodded. "But I may slip away if Ianto finds out."

"Great." He squeezed her shoulders as he passed. "I'm going to go distract the man."

"Good luck!" Tosh opened her mouth as if to say something more, but shut it, shaking her head, though Jack's choice of words certainly fueled her imagination.

"Hey!" Jack grinned as he climbed the stairs, mock threatening. "I happen to believe myself very accomplished at distracting my employees!"

Tosh stuck her tongue out at him, but once he'd left for reception, she looked curiously up at his office. It had sounded suspiciously and horribly like Jack was planning to leave them again.

Martha took her phone back and tucked it into a pocket. "He's coming then?"

"He's coming!"

Jack had, by whatever means, managed to distract Ianto, because with every glorious sip of coffee, Tosh could feel the caffeine flowing through her veins. Owen and Gwen had trickled in as the morning progressed.

"Hey guys? Could I see you all in the conference room?" Jack's voice sounded through the intercom, tone strange. The request phrased unusually, and it had them looking at one another, uncomfortable.

Jack was standing in front of the conference screen, arms crossed and waiting as they sank into their seats.

"What's going on Jack?" Gwen asked in concern, though she struggled valiantly to keep it off her face.

Jack, grinned, but the smile didn't put the group at ease, as it normally did. There were too many layers hidden beneath it, and the shock of his previous abrupt departure still stung a little. "I'm giving you a week off." Jack stated simply, looking amused.

They stared.

"What?" Owen spluttered. They never got time off. This was Torchwood.

"I need to go do something in London for a week. I'm telling you so we can avoid the –bad feelings – generated by my last trip. This time, you'll know where I am, generally, and for how long. And you'll be able to contact me if anything comes up." Jack could tell they weren't happy with the news, though the rigid set of his team's shoulders eased a little at the knowledge that they wouldn't be completely bereft.

"Right." Ianto said uncomfortably, echoing everyone's sentiments. They still felt the separation, the anxiety, the terror of being without him. "So…"

Jack stared at them intently. Spreading his arms, he cajoled, "Relax! It's a paid vacation! I'll be back after a week! I promise." He dropped his arms, looking as serious as he ever had, and said again, firmly, "I promise."

"Where are you going in London?" Tosh asked. At the question, the palpable tension eased even more, Jack's reassurances working.

Jack winked at her. "Secret! But not classified, if you're all good, I'll bring you back a souvenir." He was already out of the conference room. "I'll see you all Monday!"

The rest of Torchwood sat stunned for a moment, then ran after him. There was no way in hell he was leaving just like that.

It took Jack little time to get his things together, which was unremarkable because he generally wore the same thing everyday.

Gwen, to Jack's amusement, poked him in the chest. "Don't you get into any trouble now do you hear? We're counting on you to come right back." She brushed at an imaginary speck on his shoulder.

Jack caught her arm, looking at her intently. "Gwen, I know you trust me. But I really can't tell you what this is about." A brief smile played on his lips. "At least, not yet. But I swear, I'll only be gone a week. I will never leave you guys completely in the dark like that if I can help it. Not again."

Gwen searched his face for something. "We'll have your favorite dinner waiting for you when you get back," she said instead, and finally grinned up at him.

"I'll be fine Gwen!" Jack stroked her arm as he laughed. "Nobody worry! And I'll hold you to that dinner offer," He said, picking up his sole suitcase and walking out of the office. Owen, Tosh and Ianto, more than happy to have Gwen be the one to question their boss, she did it out of habit, and genially waved as Jack made his exit. He made his way to the gear door. "And everyone stay here! That's an order!"

The door rolled shut paused just behind the doorway and began to say, "This is the part where you wave and say 'Bon voyage' or-" and the door was closed. They could hear him singing something. It sounded suspiciously like 'As Time Goes By".

There was a momentary pause as the four looked at one another, then they ran for their consoles.

"Jack got a phone call when I came in this morning." Tosh called to Ianto and Gwen who were at Gwen's console. "I'm going to trace the call to the original location."

"We can do that?" Owen asked in shock.

Tosh smiled sweetly at him. "We have sensors that record and trace every call that that comes in and goes out of the Hub."

"Oh?" Owen looked embarrassed. "And you –um- listen to these calls?"

"Yes. I do. You might want to know that someone you owe a bondage bill to calls every Thursday."

There was an embarrassed choke from Owen coupled by muffled laughter from Gwen and Ianto. Tosh looked immensely pleased with herself.

"He's leaving the garage!" Gwen reported, back on task.

"Got his car, we can track it." Ianto confirmed.

"I'm tracing the call to the London area – Central London …" Tosh reported. The computer beeped.

"The British Museum?" Owen exclaimed.

Ianto and Gwen came over to Tosh's station. "The BM?" Gwen said in disbelief.

"It could be nothing…" Tosh postulated. "It is a museum."

They all looked at one another again.

"Everyone get back here in ten minutes, packed and ready." Ianto said, already moving for the central part of the Hub. "We're going to London!"

It was never just 'nothing' with Jack.

Ever. And if Torchwood had anything to say about it, they might just get a peek into their eclectic boss's past.

The thing was, no one was sure what they'd find. Or if they'd like it.

Cally wrote letters while she was working for Doctor Treblo, not ones he'd probably have liked her to write. She changed the headings on the pages. Myles' name was neatly blackened out, and in its place was "Captain Cally Everet – Expedition Leader for the Lost Explorers in the Archives of the British Museum."

Matthew had seen her write the heading and laughed. The next morning, proving that Matthew, indeed, had too much time on his hands, had come in with expertly made expedition patches.

It would have made Daniel Jackson proud.

So twelve letters found themselves shoved into a Royal Mail bag. Each was similarly addressed, contained the same message, and were written on lovingly pilfered BM stationary.

Myles later wanted to know where his paper kept disappearing to. The interns grinned and kept their mouths shut. The fact that there were now several maps and signposts riddled around the museum basement was a complete coincidence.

End Chapter 10

Author's Note: I had to find a good way of getting Jack and the Torchwood Team to London! And seriously, as if they'd let him leave again!

Reviews are like honey, I'm drawn to them! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed!

lakewater: It will soon enough.

Pandora of Ithilien: Hmm, it would be really fun to see both Jack and Teal'c get their hands on some!

zafaran: I certainly hope so too! She really, really does deserve something for all of this! I like the new Doctor too (hence why I chose him). I went back and watched a lot of the old Doctors when I started seeing the new series, and Colin Baker is definitely one of the best! (Well, they're all pretty good! ) I'm a big fan of the fourth and fifth Doctors too. I will post the rest as quick as I can! Thank you very much!

I hope you all enjoyed it!