I'm gonna apologize ahead of time for this chapter being another short one. But I think after you read it you might understand why I wanted it on its own :)

I'm starting to think I'm going to have to break this story off and create another one, making this a trilogy. But I'll wait until it gets up past 30 chapters like the last one did, so don't worry.

Thanks for your continued reviewing. I'd think it would get tiring after a while lol, but it really does spur on my writing :)

Who's pumped for the Christmas episode? Michael Gambon guest-starring! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

*deep breaths*

Anyway...

Enjoy!

Captain Jack Harkness was not a man easily embarrassed. He'd lived long enough to realize that awkward situations always passed and were forgotten after a few decades. But for some reason—perhaps the ordeal with Jenna's birth had shaken him out of his comfort zone—he was feeling a mite uncomfortable at the moment. After the Doctor had come back for Jenna, River had said something about Ian needing a nap and had vanished suspiciously fast into the TARDIS, leaving Jack alone with Jenny. Lesidi and his daughters had also withdrawn, explaining they needed to inform the Atlantean Senate of the presence of Petramals.

"So." Jenny rubbed her arms just to have something to do, trying to look everywhere but into Jack's eyes. She was afraid her resolve would fall to pieces if she did.

"Yep." Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets. What could he talk about, besides blurting out his feelings for her? The weather was out of the question: leave it to fate that they'd be underwater the one time he got tongue-tied. "These are some…interesting fish," he conjured up at the last minute, doing a mental facepalm.

"Er, yeah. Very…colorful." Jenny edged imperceptibly closer. "Although that one—" she pointed at an undersized Bar Jack—ironically—that was swimming slowly around the pink coral spiraling up through the column—"looks a little lonely, don't you think?"

"Maybe a little. But look, he isn't anymore."

A Damselfish had suddenly appeared, swimming alongside the Bar Jack. Together, they darted in circles around the coral.

"It isn't fun being alone, is it?"

"Most definitely not." Jack knew they weren't talking about the fish anymore.

"Every living thing has some sort of companion, whether it's a friend or…mate. It's just how things are; how they were meant to be."

Jack wasn't exactly sure what happened after that. All he remembered was seeing Jenny's sage-green eyes a lot nearer than they should have been, and then he was kissing her, one arm encircling her petite waist, the other reaching up to weave his fingers into the base of her ponytail. Throwing caution to the winds, he closed his eyes, unable to recall experiencing a kiss quite this fulfilling throughout the course of his extensive lifetime.

"Amy's fine, she's just needs to…"

The Doctor stopped dead, his shocked gaze riveted on the couple, who pulled away as soon as they realized he was there. They hadn't been quick enough, however. The shock turned to anger.

"JACK HARKNESS!"

"Dad!" Jenny's cheeks were flushed. "We were just—"

"Yes, I know perfectly well what you were 'just'. And it's not going to happen again, you understand?" The Doctor was furious, more so than Jenny had ever seen him.

"But Dad—"

"No buts, Jenny! Do you have any clue who he really is? No, you don't! You can't possibly know what he's done, all the people he's been with, how many lives he's ruined." The Doctor advanced on Jack, but Jenny stood in his way.

"There are a lot of people with pasts they aren't proud of. How is he so very different from you?" Jenny demanded, remembering the conversation they'd had in the cell on Messaline about the Time War.

For a moment, the anger in the Doctor's eyes sputtered. But only for a moment. "That is entirely beside the point. I am your father, Jenny, and you're going to do what I say."

"May I remind you once more that I am not a child? Anyway, it's not like I could help falling in love with Jack—"

"Wait, you're in love in me?" Jack interrupted suddenly.

"Haven't you figured that out yet?" Jenny replied with a grin.

"I'm not going to let you throw your life away on him, Jenny!"

"I have quite a bit of time left in my life to do with what I please, thank you. You have Amy, Dad. What have I got?"

"Listen, Doct—sir. I apologize for causing any trouble. I do love your daughter—I can't deny that—but I'll...respect your wishes," Jack spoke up, the gentleman in him making an appearance.

"No, Jack. He has no control over our lives," Jenny said stubbornly, her jaw set. For a minute or two she and her father stared at each other, the same obstinate expression reflected in each other's faces.

"No, but I do have say on who travels in the TARDIS and who doesn't!" the Doctor threatened.

"Oi! Everyone just SHUT UP!"

The room went silent. Amy was standing in the doorway to the medical ward, her white knuckles gripping the frame and her legs trembling unsteadily beneath her. All the color had drained from her face, but there was no mistaking the determination blazing in her eyes.

"Amy! What do you think you're doing?" The Doctor's willfulness faded, replaced by alarm and concern. He started for her, but her hand flew out to stop him.

"The question is, what do ya think you're doing?" Amy asked, leaning her entire body against the doorframe for support while still trying to look intimidating. It was something only she could pull off. "Yeah, she's your daughter and you love her, I got that. But you can't protect her from everything for the rest of her life."

"But Amy—"

"Don't 'but Amy' me, Doctor! You listen and you listen good: without Jack, I could be dead right now. So if he's out of the TARDIS, then so am I. Understand?"

The Doctor didn't speak. He knew full and well that Amy meant what she said, even if it appeared she was in no condition to act on it. Getting out of bed, after all, should have been impossible for her. On the other hand, he didn't want Jenny's heart broken, especially not by a scoundrel like Jack. Yet what could he really do about it?

"I. Said. Do. You. Under. Stand." Amy's tone was dangerous now.

The Doctor nodded, beaten.

"Good." Having sapped the remainder of her strength, Amy collapsed at last. The Doctor was there in a flash, snatching her up in his arms and cradling her to his chest. "Don't you dare try that again," he mumbled tenderly into her hair. Before returning her to her bed, he spun on Jack and Jenny. "But just because you're allowed on board doesn't mean I won't be watching you very carefully, Jack Harkness. If you do anything to hurt my daughter, anything at all—"

"Then I'll be out on my ear. Understood, sir," Jack said seriously.

"And don't you forget it." The Doctor glared at him one last time before heading through the doorway.

"You know, I have this strange feeling he's not too fond of me," Jack commented jokingly.

"Now where'd you get a crazy idea like that?" Jenny answered with a chuckle. Inwardly she was more relieved than she could express, mentally reminding herself to thank Amy later.

Note: I actually looked up fish native to the Bahamas to create the scene with Jack and Jenny, and I couldn't believe my luck that one was actually named 'Bar Jack'. Gotta love it when things work out like that :)