The rest of the Torchwood team was busy aiding survivors, leaving Amy, Jack and the Doctor alone in the Hub. "Not bad, Torchwood," the Doctor smiled. "Better now though. Hopefully, will be." The Doctor threw Jack a piece of twine. On the end of it was a key. "It's yours if you want it." It was the Doctor's way of inviting Jack back on board the TARDIS.
Jack fingered the twine and gazed at the key longingly. He wanted to get away, to leave the world behind. But he also had a duty. "Maybe some other time." He threw the key back which was promptly flung back to him.
"Keep it anyway. And come inside the TARDIS again if nothing else."
"If she'll let me back in."
"She loves a visitor every once in a while. Likes to flaunt her new interior." The Doctor snapped his fingers. The police box door creaked open a bit. "You can do that now?" inquired Jack with awe.
"Like it. A little flashy don't you think?"
"Showing off."
"What he does best," sighed Amy.
"Ego size of the Medusa Cascade," agreed Jack.
"Oi!" the Doctor protested. The two companions shared a laugh. "Well there she is." The Doctor gestured for Jack to enter. "All new, sexy and magnificent."
Jack pushed open the door, his eyes wide. Stepping inside he commented, "Well… It's bigger than bigger on the inside. I feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole. Why is she all different?" Jack began to circle the console, patting it and touching it like he used to do.
"I didn't want to go," the Time Lord said with far off eyes, "so I regenerated rather violently."
Jack looked up with his hand still on the console. "Seems a bit cluttered though." At that moment the part of the console Jack was touching sparked. The immortal yelped and removed his hand to inspect the burn that promptly disappeared.
"Careful. She's still as picky as ever."
"Sorry girl," Jack whispered. "Did you miss me?" The lights inside the time ship dimmed in a sort of response. The three travelers looked up and saw the ceiling lights flickered.
"Well that's odd," the Doctor remarked, immediately leaning to the console. He inspected the new screen for scans and fiddled with the knobs. "No, no, no! Now isn't the time to have a mind of your own girl!"
The end of the TARDIS console facing the entrance sparked open and a bright light shot out –the Heart of the TARDIS. "Not now!" the Doctor exclaimed again.
"Doctor!" Amy cried.
"Doctor," Jack warned.
"I'm not doing anything!" the Doctor shouted back. He desperately tried to stop what was going on but the light was too bright. None of them could do anything but shield their eyes. Then, as suddenly as the Heart popped out of the console, it swished back in.
"What happened?" Amy asked, propping herself from off the floor, helping the Doctor do the same. Jack pushed himself against the railing to regain his balance.
"Dunno," whispered the Time Lord.
Well that was certainly interesting.
Jack spun around, his coat twirling. "What was that?" he asked.
"What was what?" the Doctor responded.
"That, that voice!"
"What voice?"
Stop spinning around sir. It's making your coat look like a terrible imitation of a ballet dancer.
"There it is again!" Jack cried. "It sounds… it sounds like…"
Could your Sherlock Holmes deduction skills be any duller?
"What are you talking about?" the Doctor frowned, walking up to the captain. He pressed his hands on both side of Jack's head. "Wow."
"What?"
The Doctor dropped his hands. "Who does it sound like?"
Jack paused. "I said I wouldn't-"
"Yeah yeah yeah. You promised not to say his name again. Who was it Captain?"
"… Ianto."
"Exactly! Bloody TARDIS. Sometimes it's good for her to have a mind of her own. You clever girl." The Doctor tapped the console. "Lovely!"
"But-"
"Ianto Jones! Formerly Torchwood Three, but before that he was with Torchwood One. Bloody Hartman, but besides that, London wanted all the best employees. They had to have a certain degree of natural psychic ability. Then they'd train the workers further. That's why the paper didn't work. But so! You Jack, 51st century. Natural abilities have developed by then. The two of you form this kind of a bond. Let me guess. Ianto was always a bit upset when you died."
"Yeah, I-"
"That's the bond. It's like your personality is in his and vice versa, only they're both dormant. Now the TARDIS, she got all inside your head, and awoke the dormant part."
"So it's like Ianto, he can talk to Jack," Amy realized.
"Synaptic imprint. It's a bit more complicated than that. Captain?" Jack had been staring at the Doctor blankly for the entire duration of the explanation. "Captain?"
"Sorry. This is a lot of information to digest," Jack laughed uneasily.
"You'll get used to it."
You never let anything else stop you before, the voice in Jack's head –Ianto- teased.
"Wow…" mouthed Jack.
It also means that I knew you loved me.
"I, uh…" Jack was still at a loss for words.
"Isn't this just great though? More than 900 years of time travel and she's still full of surprises." The Doctor beamed. "Clever, clever, clever."
Say something Jack. They're going to start to believe you've gone mute.
"I promised I wouldn't forget him," Jack told the Doctor.
Was that the best you could come up with, sir? Not the classiest line during a life-changing milestone in your life.
The Doctor's voice softened. "Now you never will."
I asked for one thousand years and this is what I get. I should have asked for more.
And I would have given it, Jack smiled softly at Ianto's sarcasm. It was a gentle grin that hadn't graced his lips in a thousand years. "Well then Doctor," Jack said, finally regaining his charisma. He headed for the TARDIS's door. "Should be going. World to save and protect."
You work too hard, Ianto scolded.
"Responsibility. Can't argue with that."
Jack chuckled. "I've heard that before. And could you…" Jack gestured to his Vortex manipulator.
The Doctor rolled his eyes and twirled out his sonic screwdriver. "Teleports only though," the Doctor said. "Don't try anything fishy." He turned to Amy. "Fish custard, get it?" Amy smiled back.
Jack straightened up and saluted. The Doctor nodded back. "The Time Lord I knew once would wince at that," commented the immortal.
"I've changed too."
"No doubt," Jack smirked. "I'll be seeing you then." With that, he left the time ship.
"Will he be alright?" Amy asked. The Doctor didn't respond for a moment. "Doctor?"
"Naw. Not alright. He'll be a bit better though. There's a lot he still has to do, horrors to face."
"Will we see him again?"
"Maybe. Who knows? But for now, how does Barcelona sound?"
"Spain?" Amy drawled in her Scottish accent. "You said no where boring!"
"Not Spain you silly. Barcelona the planet!"
"There's a planet called Barcelona?"
"Dogs with no noses."
"Is that even possible?"
"Obviously."
Then it dawned on Amy. "But Doctor, the Daleks, those 'Cybermen' and those planets in the sky. I don't remember any of that. Why do I remember the 456?"
Supposed to be one of those allusions to the finale...
CAN'T WAIT FOR SATURDAY
Be sure to read the Coda and deleted scene.
