A/N: (a)TheDeathKitsune

Oh my Time Lord… I don't even have words to put here… so…

Many thanks to riftintime, who as I'm sure all of you know by now (if you even read these things up here… o-o) has been a tremendous help to this entire story. I had difficulties deciding whether or not I did the end of this chapter right, and riftintime insisted that it was excellent. Coming from them, that meant a lot, so the ending stayed! :D (if you have complaints, blame riftintime! XD)

A huge thanks to CarpeDiemforlife, who read this chapter before I even had chapters 8 and 9 written, despite the inevitable spoilers for them. Quite an amazing friend… Thanks, cariad. ;)

I could never forget you brilliant people out there who take the time to review. You make me smile all silly-like! :P

I think it's time the Doctor finally made it to space Florida, don't you?

Back with Jack, Chapter 10

The two of them spent the remainder of their flight in a game of chase. The times when Jack managed to catch the Doctor, he attempted to kiss him but was unsuccessful as the Time Lord managed to get free of his hold and run off again.

Finally, Jack gave up and took a shower, needing to wash the dirt off of him. He changed into clean clothes that the TARDIS seemed to have produced from no where and strolled back out into the console room. He saw that the TARDIS had also cleaned his coat. He sent a silent thanks to the time machine and pulled on his great-coat.

When the TARDIS finally landed, Jack approached the door and smirked. "Do you think we've actually gotten to where we wanted to, Doctor?" he teased his friend.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he nudged Jack out of the way and looked around. "Stop being smart with me. We've actually landed in space Florida this time!" He laughed. "The TARDIS says so."

"Space Florida? Finally!" Jack chuckled with him, hooking an arm around the Time Lord's waist and pulling him close to his side. The Doctor looked down at Jack's arm hesitantly before smiling softly and pulling the door open.

Jack gasped as he saw the scene in front of him. He'd never been to space Florida before, and he immediately wondered why he hadn't. Even though it was night-time, the entire landscape shined. Sparkling pink and white sand stretched out in front of him for several feet, and out along the coastline for at least several miles, interrupted only by large stones shaped by the wind and the tides, and there was a hut of some sort far off to his right. The water was a deep aquamarine color that seemed to shimmer just as much as the sand. As Jack looked up at the stars, he saw two moons and constellations even he didn't recognize.

Slowly his eyes traveled back to the Doctor. "Just when I thought nothing else in the universe could render me speechless…"

The Time Lord had a wide grin on his face and he looked genuinely pleased that he could get such a reaction from Jack Harkness. "It's a good spot for a holiday, yeah?"

Jack laughed and pulled the Doctor in for a quick kiss. "It's perfect. I think I like this more than the pleasure planet," he murmured.

"Come on, let's go for a walk!" The Doctor quickly changed the subject and the mood, wriggling out of Jack's arms and strolling down the shoreline, dangerously close to the water.

Jack watched him, his mouth slightly agape, still in awe of his surroundings and the idea of sharing the experience with the Doctor.

The Time Lord jumped up slightly as the waves lapped at his shoes, but he continued walking. A mischievous smirk crossed over Jack's features before he slipped out of his coat and ran after the Doctor, tackling the other man to the ground and rolling them into the water.

The Time Lord let out a surprised yelp before his head went under. Jack laughed and pulled the Doctor back up, grinning at his friend who was coughing and spluttering and trying to sweep his hair out of his eyes.

"Was that really necessary, Jack?" the Doctor scolded, but the seriousness of his statement was diminished by his laughter.

"Oh yeah…" Jack snickered and rolled them closer to the sand so that he could pin the Doctor down without them going under again. "Absolutely necessary," he whispered, leaning down and capturing the Doctor's lips with his own.

The kiss started out slow and soft, but gradually it grew more heated and urgent. The Doctor reached up and tangled a hand in the back of Jack's hair, showing a confidence and eagerness that Jack hadn't felt around the Time Lord since the morning with the muffins.

Jack felt his surprise resurface as the Doctor started to tug at the buttons on Jack's shirt. Jack pulled back from the kiss and looked down at his friend, his breathing uneven.

"Doctor?" he whispered.

"Don't question it," The Doctor said quickly, flipping them over so that Jack's back was in the sand. "If you start questioning it, I will, too."

Before Jack even had time to agree or protest, their lips were joined again. The Doctor managed to get Jack's shirt completely unbuttoned, and he pushed the fabric off the other man's shoulders, taking Jack's suspenders with it.

Jack was grateful for the warm temperature of the water and the air, because in any other weather he would have most likely been shivering.

The Doctor slipped out of his jacket and tossed it further back on the beach as Jack started on the buttons of his shirt. Soon, that was off as well, and the two of them lay there in the sand, their chests and lips pressed together and the waves lapping around them. As Jack attempted to undo the Doctor's trousers, the Time Lord pulled back with an apologetic smile and Jack felt his stomach drop.

"Jack…" the Time Lord murmured, his shyness returning. He started to ramble. "Can we do this in the cabin I made sure we materialized near? I'm not sure I want to… in the water and sand, and-"

Jack chuckled and pressed a finger to the Doctor's lips. "Stop talking." He stood up and helped the Doctor up as well. The Time Lord scooped up their sodden and discarded clothing before grinning at Jack and running for the hut-like building that Jack had seen earlier. "Beat you there!"

Jack narrowed his eyes and quickly activated his Vortex Manipulator. He appeared outside of the TARDIS, grabbed his coat, then he teleported inside the cabin. He leaned against the doorframe, smirking as the Doctor skidded to a halt outside.

"What? Oh, you cheat!" The Doctor threw their shirts at him, a playful glare on his face.

Jack laughed and caught the clothes, dropping them on the floor and pulling the Doctor inside the hut. He closed the door behind them and pressed the Doctor against the wall, kissing down the Time Lord's neck slowly.

The Doctor held Jack by his shoulders and slowly pulled him back again. "The bed?" he whispered, locking his eyes with the other man's.

Jack immediately understood and nodded slowly, grinning at his friend and leading them over to the king-sized bed that occupied most of the one-room cabin. Jack didn't spend much time looking around at the space. He figured it was nice, but his attention was on something else. He could admire the room later.

The Doctor was the one to pull them down onto the bed, effectively surprising Jack again. "Taking the lead, are we?" Jack said quietly.

"Quit questioning me before I realize what I'm doing and stop," the Doctor warned.

Jack pressed his lips together as a show that he would remain silent, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. He rolled them over so that he was on top and started trailing soft kisses down the Doctor's chest…

Jack pulled the Doctor close to him, nuzzling the Time Lord's neck softly and letting out a long sigh of contentment. The Doctor ran a hand back through Jack's hair, a breathless laugh escaping his lips.

"What?" Jack asked, opening one eye and peering up at his partner.

"Oh, nothing… just thinking about my circumstances. I never thought this would happen. I wasn't expecting any of this when I picked you up back on Raxon…" The Time Lord trailed off.

"Why are you on holiday, Doctor?" Jack asked, running his fingers up and down the Doctor's arm.

The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head, "It's a long story. One I'm sure I can't share with you."
"Oh, come on! We're both time travelers, I'm sure we're past the point in our relationship where we have to be careful about time lines." Jack sighed in exasperation before grinning at the Doctor. His light-heartedness was replaced with concern as he saw the wistful look in his friend's eyes. "What are you running from?" he asked, knowing the Time Lord well enough to recognize his expression.

"I… I don't… I can't tell you, Jack. I'm really not allowed to tell you."

Jack sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. "This is why I hate talking after sex. Something comes up that really shouldn't and it ruins the mood."

The Doctor sighed and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling himself upright as well, "Jack, I want to tell you! I really do, but-"

"But what, Doc? What is so terrible that you can't tell me? We trust each other, right?" Jack asked, his eyes searching the Doctor's. Fear washed over him as he realized just how attached he had become to the Time Lord in the brief time they'd spent back together. Jack had fallen in love again, but not really. He had fallen back in love. He had always loved the Doctor in one way or the other, but now it was something different. Finally, the Doctor seemed to be reciprocating the feelings Jack had for him, and Jack had already grown too accustomed to the sensation. He didn't really know for sure if the Doctor loved him back, and that scared him more than anything. "Right?" he whispered, trying to reassure himself.

"I trust you with my life, Jack, but this is different. I could literally end the universe if I told anyone." The Doctor held Jack's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "You have to understand that if I told you, you would try to stop me. And… what I'm running from is a fixed point in time. Nothing can be allowed to keep me from going."

Jack felt tears building up in his eyes and he forced them down. 'Man up, Harkness. You need to stay calm' he told himself.

"What's so terrible that you can't even face it? Maybe you just need someone to be there with you…" Jack chanced.

The Doctor closed his eyes again and shook his head, "Jack, I can't… I can't tell you. I want to. Oh, I want to so badly."

Jack pulled his friend closer to him, pressing their lips together in a deep kiss, "Yes you can, Doctor. I'll help you, and I swear I won't stop you. If the universe depends on it, I can suck it up and let you go through with it."

The Doctor looked at his companion. "Really?" he croaked.

Jack nodded once and smiled. "Really."

"I'm going to die," the Doctor whispered, moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"What?" Jack gasped, "B-but you can regenerate, right?"

"No, Jack. I'm going to die. If I'm killed during regeneration, then I can actually die and never come back. That's what's going to happen to me." The Doctor's voice was trembling. "I've been procrastinating, Jack. I'm a coward!"

Jack was stunned into silence, but he still wrapped his arms around the Doctor and held him close. The Doctor was going to die… and he had known the entire time. He had known all along, yet he had still allowed Jack to become completely infatuated with him again.

"What were you trying to accomplish with me?" Jack whispered, immediately feeling used, but he refused to pull away. Part of him knew the Doctor needed him.

"I don't know, Jack. I told you, I wasn't expecting any of this! I… I guess I thought you could help be a distraction from the inevitable…" The Doctor sounded defeated.

Jack tensed up, wanting to properly show his anger and pain, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "So I was just a distraction, then? None of what we've done has mattered to you?"

"No, Jack, it's not that!" The Doctor looked up at him. "It has mattered, I swear. It was something I've never done before and-"

"You used me because you wanted one last hoorah before you were sentenced to death," Jack growled, unable to hold back his hostile tone.

"No!" the Doctor protested. "That's not why! Jack, I know how fragile you get about these things, please don't do this!"

"Do what?" Jack shouted, standing up and grabbing his briefs, not caring that they were still a little damp. "You don't want me to leave you because then you'll finally have to man up and face what you've been avoiding for who knows how long."

The Doctor frowned and looked away, his posture showing just how ashamed he was. Jack shook his head and started picking his clothes up off the floor.

"Jack, I want you to understand… I want you to know that I didn't think you would fall in love with me."

Jack froze with his back to the Doctor. He had never admitted anything like that to the Doctor. Not once had he said out loud that he loved the Time Lord. How could the Doctor possibly know?

"I'm going to admit that I let this get carried away. You made me happy, and… I could tell I was making you happy and it all seemed to be worth it, because I can't stand seeing you in pain." The Doctor stopped and took a deep breath. "This is hurting me, too, Jack."

"What makes you think I'm in love with you?" Jack whispered.

"Because I can see it in your eyes, Jack." The Doctor hesitated before saying, "It's the same look Rose used to give me."

Then Jack realized just how insensitive he had been. He hadn't stopped a single time to think about how the Doctor was feeling about their relationship. He had only been concerned with his own happiness and with what Ianto would have thought.

Jack turned around slowly. "Doctor, I'm s-"

"Don't apologize, Jack. This is both of our faults." The Doctor stood up and pulled his briefs on. He walked up to Jack and hugged him tightly.

Jack nodded and buried his face in the Doctor's shoulder. "What do we do now?"

"We can try to keep going… for only a little while longer?" the Doctor suggested.

Jack sighed. "I don't think that's the best idea. You need to face this, Doctor." Jack couldn't figure out why was the Doctor so calm and collected. He was going to die!

He stepped back so he could look his friend in the eyes. "When I said the Doctor and Jack and their never-ending adventures… you knew that couldn't be the case, huh? You knew this would have to end."

The Doctor nodded and sighed. "I'm so sorry."

Jack closed his eyes and forced himself to remain calm. "Is there any chance that I could accompany you? When you… die?" Saying it out loud finally made it dawn on Jack. The Doctor was going to die and never come back. Jack was going to have the absolutely last thing he cared about taken away from him.

"No… it's a fixed point in time. As far as I know there are only four people who can be there."

"River, Amy, Rory, and…?" Jack asked curiously.

"An old friend who will tell the other three what to do," the Doctor murmured.

Jack was still slightly confused. "Care to explain a bit more?"

The Doctor sat them both back down on the bed and started the story about his impending death. He told Jack everything he knew, which only included where and when he was supposed to go. Then he explained that he had already figured out that Amy and Rory had witnessed the event, so to prevent the time lines from being compromised, he had to find a way to invite them. He told Jack about Canton Delaware and the American's contribution to everything, and he also explained about the blue envelopes.

"So Rory, Amy, River and Canton are all getting these envelopes with coordinates and a date. You aren't telling them what it's all for?"

"Well, Canton will know…" the Doctor muttered.

"You're going to break their hearts, Doctor!" Jack felt his voice rising, then he calmed himself.

"I have a sinking suspicion River already knows…" The Doctor laughed with a wry smile.

Jack shook his head. "You're scaring me, Doctor. You're not like yourself right now."

The Doctor sighed and put his head in his hands. "Knowing you're going to die is stressful."

"I'm familiar with the sensation." Jack sighed.

The Doctor managed to get out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess you are."

Jack felt another wave of realization wash over him. There would be no more Doctor… Without meaning to, he found himself starting to cry.

"Oh, Jack…" the Doctor whispered, this time being the comforting one. "It's going to be alright."

"How can you say that? I've finally found the last thing worth any meaning in my life, and now it's being taken from me, too! Everyone I love dies! I thought you'd be an exception!" Jack wrapped his arms around the Doctor and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. "I don't want you to go, too."

He felt like a small child. He knew he wasn't reacting appropriately, but he couldn't help himself.

"Jack, look at me." The Doctor pulled Jack level with him. "You will persevere and move on. Someone like you… like us… Someone who has experienced so much loss needs to hang on. You need to show the universe that you're better than the people who just give up. You aren't a coward like me, Jack. You can face things like this. I need you to be strong… Be strong for me. Be strong for Ianto."

Jack nodded and cleared the distance between them, kissing the Doctor slowly, needing to find comfort in physical contact. The Doctor kissed him back before hesitantly pulling away. "Jack…" he whispered.

Jack managed to steal one more kiss before letting himself cry. "I love you, Doctor. There, I said it… I didn't get to tell Ianto before he left and-"

"Jack," the Doctor said again, wiping the tears from Jack's cheeks. Something changed in the Doctor's eyes; they lost their passion and emotion. "You don't love me," he said, his lips pressed together in a tight line.

Jack gasped and glared menacingly at the Time Lord, "How can you say that? Of course I do!" What is he going on about? Jack thought to himself. He is contradicting everything that he said before… Doesn't he realize this is hurting me? I thought he didn't want to hurt me…

"It's an infatuation. You don't truly love me," the Doctor growled back, but the pain was obvious in his voice. "There's no point in loving me anyway. I could… I could never love you back."

Jack shoved the Doctor off him, not noticing the break in the other man's cold expression, showing that all of it was an act. "Stop talking like that, Doctor! You don't know what you're saying!"

"I'm about to die, Jack! You can't love me! I can't love you. You've become wrapped up in a… in a fantasy." The Doctor's voice cracked slightly and Jack could see the glistening of moisture on the Doctor's face, but he ignored it.

"You said that you knew I loved you because of Rose! Was Rose just an infatuation, Doc?" Jack shouted.

"Rule one: the Doctor lies!" the Time Lord yelled back.

Jack felt like he was about to throw up. This isn't happening to me… he thought in despair. I could deal with him dying as long as I know that he loves me back. Why is the Doctor doing this?

However, Jack had shown enough weakness than his defensive and overactive personality could handle. He picked his clothes back up from the floor and pulled them on. "Fuck you, Doctor. Go ahead and die. I don't need you!" he spat. He flipped open his Vortex Manipulator, looking the Doctor in the eyes as he entered a set of random coordinates.

The Doctor was expressionless. Not sad, not happy, not angry.

He was indifferent, and that only angered Jack even more. Jack punched the last button on his wrist-strap, but as he was teleporting, he heard the Doctor say one last thing.

"I needed to do that, Jack. I'm so sorry…"

Reviews are immensely appreciated. Let me know what you think, please.