Series: True/Troubled Beauty
Series tagline: How do you love someone who believes they don't deserve your love?
Chapter: 05. The Galaxy Cup
Fandom: Doctor Who (10th)
Chapter Summary: Jack takes Mickey to the Galaxy Cup. The Doctor tags along too
Rating: PG for extremely mild sexual reference and a few even milder curse words
Word Count: just under 7,000! (That's a LOT for me!)
Warning: Once again I'm creating my own back-story for Jack so I just thought I'd warn you. Also, angst galore and a very bad Scottish accent again. Sorry.
Disclaimer: I am a lowly fan. This is FANfiction.
A/N: This was supposed to be the Sixth chapter but I wanted to post it as near to the World Cup final as possible. I don't think it upsets the timeline of my fic too much but I just thought I should let you know.
Feedback: Extremely appreciated
The Galaxy Cup
"erm," Jack pulls on the sleeves of his red satin shirt. "Doctor, I was wondering…" he trails off, unwilling to ask the Doctor for anything. Mickey, on the other hand, isn't.
"Jack's been telling me about the World Cup…"
"Galaxy Cup." Jack corrects, before stuffing his hands in the pocket of his black cotton flares and looking down at the floor. Mickey just shakes his head fondly and smiles.
"Right. The Galaxy Cup." He acknowledges. "In the year 7,700. He's seen it before and says it was really good. He keeps telling me how good the sport is in the future and how he'd like to show me a match for real."
"Everybody could go if they wanted." Jack interrupts. "There are journalists from all around the galaxy so Sarah-Jane would fit right in and even though Rose might not want to watch the game I know this club where there's a rave on 26 hours a day and it is bursting at the seams with the mot lively, interesting and fun people." He stops abruptly, his tone a lot quieter when he starts to speak again, thank goodness for the Doctor's sensitive hearing. "But you don't have to take us if you don't …"
"Which game?" the Doctor grins, cutting off Jack's self-reproach. Jack is slightly taken aback.
"Th…th… the Final." He stutters. "Hexalugarcinia versus the United Kingdom Colony point Four."
"Of course!" the Doctor exclaims, beaming away before he realises he needs to know one more thing. "Where?"
"Both teams are playing away. Saliraxiphilion is the planet and Pavenakuso is the stadium." Jack informs the Doctor helpfully, not judging the Doctor for not knowing his sport like Mickey is.
"Fantastic! Jack, help me with the TARDIS controls." The Doctor orders.
"Great! Nice one Doc! Thanks!" and this is the most animated the Doctor has ever seen Mickey. Jack isn't quite so animated.
"You mean we're going now?" Jack asks still unsure, still insecure.
"Don't see why not." The Doctor grins.
"Well, shouldn't we tell Rose and Sarah-Jay first?" Jack asks because he doesn't want them to feel left out but he also doesn't want the Doctor to feel as though he's criticizing and contradicting him.
"Ohhhh, Mickey can do that. You can help me set in the course. It'll be fun!" the Doctor's eyes are twinkling with excitement and when those eyes meet Jack's, Jack bursts into a grin and bursts into action. Mickey trudges off, not really looking forward to telling Rose so he decides to tell Sarah-Jane first and then let her tell Rose.
Moments later and the TARDIS has landed in Saliraxiphilion, yet the gang is still in the TARDIS control room being briefed by Captain Jack on what to expect.
"Anybody who is going to watch the game better wear a shirt. I assume you'll be supporting the United Kingdom Colony point four so I've got us all shirts, I'm already wearing mine." He says with pride, modelling the blue and purple patterned shirts, the word Harkness in gold numbers along with the number 14 (his age when first watching the match). "Here's your shirt, Mickey." He passes Mickey the shirt before realising he's mixed up the 'Smith's' and gives Sarah-Jane the number 9 shirt and Mickey the one with Mickey's birthday on the back.
"I don't want a shirt!" Rose announces, more pointedly than she needs to. "I don't want to watch the stupid football." She sulks and Jack is hurt because he never wanted Rose to be left out or for her to be angry. Sarah-Jane takes her under her wing and Mickey desperately tells her about the clubs there, which then makes her storm off to her room to pick out an outfit in which she can party in. She's determined to have fun without them. Jack is still upset by her reaction though.
"Where's my shirt?" the Doctor asks trying to cheer Jack up. Jack attempts a smile whilst passing the Doctor his shirt but doesn't really succeed. The Doctor looks at the back, at the 'WHO' in gold letters and at the number. "41?"
"Yeah. 1941. The year we met." Jack explains, not noticing how the Doctor's expression softens at that. Mickey does, and scoffs.
"Erm, I've got a few things to do outside first so I'll do that whilst you're getting changed but I'll meet you outside the TARDIS in five minutes, okay?"
"Jack, we're not gonna leave without you." Mickey tells him before joking, "You've got the tickets." He pauses. "You do have the tickets, don't you? How did you get tickets?"
"TARDIS managed to conjure up some, a whole booth was unused in the game so we aren't stealing some-one else's tickets. Wait, I better give these to you for safe-keeping." He hands the tickets over to Mickey. "I don't know how TARDIS did it but she is a genius and I love her for it!"
"She loves you too!" and the Doctor never thought he could be jealous of his own ship but at the moment they're competing over the same guy. And TARDIS is winning. "She'd refuse to leave you behind again. Don't worry, we'll still be here." The Doctor reassures him but gets the feeling Jack can't thoroughly believe him, even though he wants to. Jack nods then walks out of the TARDIS doors. He waits outside for a moment, almost expecting it to disappear and when it doesn't he sets off to make sure Rose will get a V.I.P status at any of the clubs she attends and also to snag a key to the Lexicon building, the centre of journalism, so he can give it to Sarah-Jane.
Meanwhile, in TARDIS, Sarah-Jane has already gone to her room to get changed. Mickey gives the Doctor a knowing and unnerving look before shaking his head and chuckling away to himself then finally going to his room to get changed. The Doctor stays where his is and takes of his blue and brown striped suit shirt to replace it with the football one, then he puts on his suit jacket. Then he takes off his suit jacket because he wants to show off the back of the football shirt the Captain had designed, specifically for him. Then he goes off to find the Captain.
"Okay, I'll just quickly brief you on the stadium." Jack tells the Doctor, Mickey and Sarah-Jane whilst leading the way. "Pavenakuso is the best stadium in the Galaxy. Great design! It holds over 4 million and not just humans. It's designed for aliens, multiforms and all intelligent creatures.
"Each booth is pure luxury, very expensive normally but this is the Galaxy Cup final! These tickets are like latinum bricks! The only reason I got to see the game before was because my brother was a Time Agent, a very good one and the Agency gave him two tickets as a reward. That's how I can tell you how amazing this match is, it's the best game I've ever been to. I can hardly wait!" he is grinning like a loon, almost squealing with excitement and the Doctor thinks he is just adorable. Jack contains his excitement and continues to talk eagerly.
"But my favourite part is that each booth comes with isolinearoptimagnificum controls so you decide what to focus in on. You can zoom in on the action, you can even zoom in on the crowd or you can focus on any of the players that catch your eye and the United Kingdom Colony point Four is a very attractive team indeed. Where has Sarah-Jay gone?" Jack turns around now to find a bewildered Doctor and Mickey but undeniably no Sarah-Jane.
"I don't know. She was here a minute ago." Mickey recalls before voicing his confusion. "How did you know she was gone?"
"Sarah-Jay is a curious girl…"
"Woman." The Doctor corrects him but Jack corrects the Doctor, too happy and excited to feel guilt for once and the Doctor realises that that's a good thing and Jack was right to begin with.
"Age is relative. You should have seen her when I took her to the library of Alexandra. She has the curiosity and the enthusiasm and the imagination of a little girl, that's why I like her so much." The Doctor's smile slightly falters at that but Jack's just grows wider. "Anyway, if she was here she wouldn't have let me ramble on like that. She wouldn't have been able to stop herself from asking me questions. She is a journalist after all. It's just a shame I didn't…" Jack puts his hand into the pocket of his blue sweat-pant to find only his cell-phone there. "Damn, that's my girl." He laughs.
"What has she done now?" the Doctor asks with a weary voice and rolls his eyes.
"Nothing." He insists before realising that they're waiting for a further explanation. "She just borrowed my key to the Lexicon building. I was going to give it to her anyway it's just she beat me to it." He chuckles.
"She picked your pocket!" Mickey exclaims.
"Like I said, that's my girl." Jack winks before getting out his cell-phone and dialling Sarah-Jane's number. Surprisingly, she answers but doesn't give Jack a chance to speak.
"Hello Jack, I hope you don't mind but I just got chatting to a rather nice young alien man called Krieno and it just so happens that he's the editor for the 'Galaxy Sports Review' and he's interested in having an Earth journalist's opinion on the match. He's offered to let me share his booth and let me write a piece. We're going to the Lexicon before and after though and I'm thinking that I may stay for a while until the party dies down and I've got a feeling that'll last a long while so don't wait up. I'll just call you when I'm done and you can pick me up. With your help the Doctor can fly the TARDIS much more accurately. See you later, and enjoy the game." She hangs up.
"Is she safe?" Mickey asks.
"This is Sarah we're talking about." The Doctor reminds him. "It's whoever she befriended you should be worried about…"
"Krieno." Jack recalls. "She's got good instinct. He's onto bigger and better things AND he is a perfect gentleman. I studied him when I was a kid, idolised him. He's my hero because he winds up playing 39 sports all over the Galaxy, reviewing even more and he is always firm but fair. It's good to know the future is safe with people like him at the helm. He uses sport to bring war-torn planets together, uses his passion to bring peace. And he never let his green skin and 5 eyes get in the way. This guy ends up being a legend, in the future and in the past. Sarah-Jay really is a good judge of character."
"Of course she is." The Doctor barely knows what he's saying because he's basking in Jack's beauty. "she ended up exploring the Universe with you, didn't she Jack?"
"Okay, so generally she's a good judge of character. I'm the exception to the rule." Jack grimaces whilst Mickey and the Doctor share a frustrated sigh before Mickey changes the subject.
"Looks like it's just us guys then."
"Yeah." Jack sighs.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Jack replies too quickly. Except Mickey and the Doctor are both staring at him and when Jack starts walking, they don't follow so he has to stop. He tells them nervously because he knows it's stupid and thinks they'll laugh at him but it's clear they're not moving until he talks so he doesn't have a choice. "I just… It's… it feels as though I'm excluding the girls. Maybe not Sarah-Jay but Rose hates…"
"Forget about her. What do you want?" as Rose' boyfriend, Mickey is allowed to say that but it doesn't mean the Doctor isn't thinking it. "Do you want to be here?"
"Of course I do! This is…" Jack sighs, "I don't deserve to be here now but I am grateful. I am! But I don't want to exclude anybody. I want to make sure everybody's included. I want everybody to be happy."
"It is impossible to please everybody all the time." The Doctor advises him and it's good advice, and in Jack's heart he knows it. He just can't bring himself to believe it.
"I know that it's just… no girls." He sighs. "I wish Maria was here, she'd love this." He lets out an even bigger sigh. "maybe I'll write to her when we get back to TARDIS, yeah." He lets out a shaky smile but the more he thinks about it, about her, the more his smile becomes genuine. The Doctor accepts that Jack has a past, has history, but it hurts him to realise that he hardly knows any of it.
"Are you alright now?" the Doctor asks softly, tilting his head.
"I'm fine." Jack responds automatically, finitely. It's obvious he isn't but he doesn't want to bore the others with the details about how this place brings back memories of his brother. He's homesick. He misses his mom, his dad, his brother, his partner, his daughter but they're gone and he can't change that. Well, he could but there are morals and implications and consequences and Jack feels torn for even thinking about it. In he's mind he's selfish for even considering it whilst also being a coward for not doing it.
He misses Maria too; she's almost like a sister to him. He wishes he could see more of her, except it's probably the distance between them that has kept them so close. He's cursed and he knows it. Everybody he ever gets close to, close enough to trust, trusts enough to love, everybody leaves him one way or the other. He's determined not to let it happen again.
"I'm hungry." The Doctor announces, even though he isn't. "I'll get some food." He runs off to get three portions of extremely overpriced chips but the price doesn't matter because they're pumped full of mood-enhancing chemicals, designed to make the spectators pay more, but Jack desperately needs cheering up and as for the Doctor… he can barely breathe with empathy. It physically hurts him to see Jack so depressed and although this isn't exactly a new feeling for the Doctor, it is definitely a new intensity.
He watches Jack for a while, not willing to interrupt the conversation Jack's having with Mickey. Mickey's actually managing to get him enthusiastic again by talking about the game and if Mickey isn't careful he's going to have heard the entire commentary for the game before he's seen it. That's when the Doctor steps in.
"I'm sorry I was so down earlier." Jack apologises immediately but Mickey and the Doctor shrug it off. "I guess I'm just tired or cranky or something." He realises he's made a mistake as both Mickey and the Doctor rush to tell him he should sleep more so he pre-empts them with, "but I'm fine now."
"Right. Sure." The Doctor reluctantly and sceptically nods. "Well, I got us all chips." Mickey accepts his gratefully before stuffing his face.
"I'm not hungry." Jack dismisses.
"Jack, you haven't slept in days, you haven't eaten in days!" the Doctor can't help voicing his concern. "You really need to start taking better care of yourself." The Doctor stares at him, waiting for him to take the bag of chips but Jack is too busy biting his tongue. He's too busy preventing any of the sarcastic, confrontational and self-loathing retorts that fill his head from passing his lips.
"Eat your chips, Jack." Mickey tells him before continuing to stuff his face with his own. There's something about Mickey's tone of voice that makes Jack smile. He accepts the chips and makes a point of eating one. It's only then that he realises how hungry he is and finishes the chips in a matter of seconds. It is only then that the Doctor relaxes and starts to eat his own.
"So, tell us more about football in the future." Mickey asks, causing Jack to burst into a grin. Jack is glad to, walking and talking as he does so.
"For a start, it isn't football. It's soccer because not all of the players have feet." The Doctor almost chokes on his chips because Mickey's face is so hilarious. He looks so shocked. "Seriously, the Slugalors are a race without legs yet they rate high in the soccer leagues. They either use their antennae (although they're not allowed to do that for more than 30 seconds at a time because it makes it very difficult to tackle them) or they use their bodies to dribble the ball. Dribble being the operative word because they leave a trail of slime, the ball has to be coated in a slime-neutraliser and so do the shoes of their opponents (assuming, of course, that their opponents have feet) but that's neither here nor there. The Slugalors were eliminated in the 46th round.
"Oh yeah, let me tell you more about the Galaxy Cup. Soccer has been universal ever since before humans set foot on another inhabited planet. First Earth sent probes, telling all intelligence life all about Earth and its customs. Rather foolish actually because it told potential enemies all about Earth's weaknesses but thankfully most of the enemies that did reach Earth only had old information and our technology had improved so greatly they were no longer a threat at all. Erm, anyway…
"By the time Earth started exploring the Galaxy the nearest aliens had got our probes and signals had already learned all about soccer, they tried it and liked it so they told all the races they knew and it was like a ripple effect. It seems soccer really is universal, slight adaptations for the different races but the concept is universal. The more competitive races took to it quicker and the less competitive…learned." They laugh at that but then Jack is suddenly struck with a pang of self-doubt. He stops walking to ask. "Are you really okay with me rambling on like this?
"You're more entertaining than an encyclopaedia." Mickey grunts. "Probably more knowledgeable too." Jack doesn't recognise this as the compliment it was meant to be but he takes it as an insult.
"The Doctor knows all this. I bet I'm boring him. I bet he's sick to death at the sound of my voice."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." The Doctor says with a shaky laugh and a faltering grin.
"You don't sound so sure."
"Jack, if I wanted you to shut up I would tell you to shut up!" the Doctor explodes before adding in a quieter voice, "I don't want you to shut up." And Mickey scoffs because he's pretty sure the Doctor could listen to Jack talk forever, gladly would do so, and as pathetic as that is Mickey kind of thinks that's sweet. He can't ever remember Rose feeling that way about him.
"Oh." Is Jack's shocked reply, "In that case," Jack starts walking again and the others follow. "The Galaxy Cup was formed in the year 4200 with only about 60 planets playing and it's only expanded since then. By now over 300 planets play and the Galaxy Cup is played every 100 years because it takes 5 years just to reach the final! The games are played all over the Galaxy and it takes some species longer to travel than others. This really is a once in a lifetime experience for humans. And to have an Earth Colony in the final is more life a once in a Time Lord's lifetime experience! I was so happy when we got those tickets. I never stopped to think why." Jack stops because he realises he's in danger of becoming lost in the darkness of his past so he quickly changes the subject.
"Ach, I'm bored of me own voice so ah mind you dunnae mind if ah change it." And this throws Mickey but the Doctor bursts into a grin.
"I dunnae mind if ye do." And Jack's smile lights up brilliantly at that. Mickey just shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head before going along with it.
"Aye, well if ah'm te talk aboot the UK colony point four team, ah may as well use the voice of ma homeland, the UK colony point two."
"Wait, you're from Scotland?" Mickey exclaims and the Doctor feels a surge of pride that he knows something about Jack that Mickey doesn't know, but then Jack shoots Mickey an 'I'll explain later' look and the Doctor has lost his upper hand. He wishes Jack would confide in him the way he confides in Mickey, the way the Doctor confides in Sarah-Jane.
"The UK colony point four is a world of islands, colonised by the over-populated UK." He flips back into his neutral accent whilst he's in encyclopaedia-mode. "That's Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales spread out over an entire planet. And we've got the best players here today, at their very best.
"You've got 'Smith' in goal, I thought you would like that Mickey. So would Sarah-Jay if she was here." Jack quickly moves on. "You've got O'Neill, Fluellen, Johnston and James in defence. There's Jones, Davies, Lyn and Baker in midfield and you've got Stuart, Murphy and Taylor as strikers, and they're very striking indeed." He winks after the last part. "But the game's aboot to start, we've just gotta queue so we can be transported to our booth."
"All these years and the queuing is still as bad as ever!" Mickey grumbles.
"Aye, the British have perfected it to an art form so they didnae get rid of it on the grounds it's one of the very few things they succeed in." The Doctor jokes. Well… half-jokes.
"Besides, for over 4 million people ah think a wee bit of queuing is to be expec…" Jack trails off, his face going a deathly shade of white. It takes a while for the Doctor to realise just what Jack is staring at but he eventually gets it and now he's mesmerised.
Two young boys. The younger only 14 years old, the elder only older by a year or two. They are clearly brothers. The elder boy is so protective of his younger sibling, the younger boy so obviously in awe of his older brother. The Doctor wonders how long it has just been the two of them.
Mickey's eyes narrow in confusion as he points something out to the Doctor. The name on the back of both the brothers' shirt is 'Barrowman' and there isn't a player by that name so it must be…
"A pseudonym." The Doctor explains. "You know, an alias."
"Ah, but which one?" Jack sighs, his tone and accent neutral. The he lets out a strangled laugh. "I look so happy there!"
"You're just a kid!" Mickey exclaims, still trying to come to grips with the whole situation. "Is that your brother? He doesn't look much older than you. And he's a Time Agent? He looks so young!"
"Not really." Is Jack's deadpan reply. "He dies in just eight months time from now." And the Doctor wants to ask a million questions: about the Time Agency, about Jack's brother, about Jack. But Jack is urging them on and soon they're in their booth and Jack is too busy showing Mickey the pre-match entertainment.
The Doctor watches Jack with wary eyes but it seems as though Jack is genuinely happy now. Mickey is proving a captive audience to all that Jack is saying and the two seem so easy in each other's company. The Doctor tries not to be jealous of Mickey, it's a good thing Jack has such a good friend. It's a good thing Jack and Mickey have created such a strong bond because that can only be good for Jack's self-esteem.
Only, the Doctor can't help but wish Jack would spend as much time with him as he does Mickey, Sarah-Jane or even Rose! He can't help the way his throat tightens when Jack smiles at anyone who isn't him, of course it tightens more when it is directed at him but that's for a different reason. He can't help but notice how Jack doesn't flinch whenever Mickey puts his hand on Jack's shoulder yet he won't even let the Doctor touch him. He can't help the way he feels about Jack.
Jack has been rambling on for a while now and Mickey has actually been listening, most of it going straight over his head but he is so eager to learn from Jack and even more so, (as cheesy as this sounds) reinforce the fact he's willing to listen to Jack and that Jack doesn't have to feel guilty or self-conscious about it.
The Doctor has taken a different tack to Jack's rambling and is watching him with love-tinted eyes and allowing the words with Jack's stimulating brogue wash over him. It isn't until the players enter the pitch and Mickey interrupts that the Doctor is brought back to reality.
"All the players are women!" Mickey shouts before adding, "Well, at least from our team." He has no idea what gender the other team is. He has no idea WHAT the other team is. Grey skin, 3 and a half legs and two heads. "All our players are women!"
"Aye. Of course. Ah told you they're the best." Jack grins. "The UK colony point three had a all male team an they were obliterated in the first match. An ma home world had a mixed-gender team an they got about half way."
"Yeah, but girls aren't built for football!" Mickey bursts but is soon quiet as Jack and the Doctor stare at him.
"I would let Maria hear you say that. I'd bet she'd beat you at 'football' easy. I bet Rose would just beat you." Jack scolds him, his American accent this time, but there is a warmth to his tone that makes him serious but not too severe. "She beat me last time I saw her. She's a speedy thing, wily, runs rings about you. It's all about knowing your opponent she told me. Tactics too. She spouted them at me so quickly she made my head spin. You'd like her Mickey. You could talk 'football' forever and she'd listen gladly and have stuff to say. And soccer isn't even her main sport, it's baseball. And sport isn't even her main interest it's … a variety of things."
"The game is about to start!" the Doctor points out sulkily and Jack shuts up straight away. The klaxon sounds and Jack is SO excited and Mickey has never been so animated. Within seconds they're both on the edge of their seats and Jack looks so happy, so young and so beautiful. The Doctor knows he should be watching the game, it is a legendary game, but he just can't tear his eyes away from Jack. He's got no desire to.
The Time Lord finds it fascinating how his perception of time alters so dramatically all depending on Jack. Time passes so slowly whenever he's not with him, he understands Rose' frustration because he feels frustrated without Jack just as Rose is frustrated by… whatever Rose is frustrated by, whatever Rose is rebelling against.
Yet when the Doctor is with Jack… it's like he's trapped in a cocoon. He feels safe and happy and… content. Unfortunately, the down side to the cocoon is that everything else is distorted: time, sound, reality and that should really worry the Doctor but he's had enough of carrying the weight of the Universe on his shoulders. He knows he's got a good team: Sarah-Jane, the Captain and even Mickey have always got his back if he does screw up. It isn't as if the Doctor doesn't care about humanity any less. It just means he cares about Jack more.
An example of the Doctor's altered perception of time has just occurred because the half-time klaxon has just blared and the Doctor realises he hasn't so much as glanced at the game. He's been too lost in his own thoughts. He's been too lost in Jack.
"Jack, you have GOT to tell me whether we win or not!" Mickey pleads, the desperation evident on his face and in his voice. Jack just chuckles and shakes his head.
"I think you'll find I dunnae HAVE ta." He smirks before getting up out of his seat. "I'm just gonna stretch ma legs and get us some wee souvenirs."
"You are going to pay for them, aren't you?" Mickey asks but Jack is feeling in a cheeky mood so he just smirks, winks and leaves. The Doctor watching him for as far as he can and then some. When he does turn back it is to find Mickey sneering at him.
"You're hopeless!" Mickey smirks and the Doctor wants to argue but as soon as he opens his mouth he realises that Mickey is right. "Do you even like football?" and the Doctor tries to answer but all he can do is stutter and splutter and Mickey is finding this hilarious. "I thought you didn't do domestic."
"Now that is true!" The Doctor insists. "I still don't do domestic. I don't care what you think but I have not been domesticized. Urgh, 'domesticized'. It sounds like a disease. Some sort of pathology. There is nothing domestic about me and Jack!"
"Only because Jack won't let it." Mickey's face is serious as he speaks, a touch of sympathy in his voice. The Doctor crumbles. He lets out a shaky sigh when what he really wants to do is cry or scream or something! But he can't. So he has to bury all the lust, tenderness, yearning, desire and love he feels and force a smile onto his face instead.
"I can't see Jack as a husband." The Doctor chokes on a half-laugh, half-sob.
"He was one, once." Mickey shares with the Doctor what Jack has confided in him. "Well, something similar. He loved her a lot. They had a kid together. A daughter." And Mickey can't say anymore because his throat is constricted with emotion he refuses to show. Jack wouldn't tell Mickey what happened, just talked about them in the past tense with such a look of raw pain and anguish in his eyes that Mickey couldn't ask him any more. It's a look that still haunts Mickey every now and again and it serves to make him even more determined to be Jack's friend. Jack shouldn't have to be alone and contrary to Jack's belief, he doesn't deserve to be. Mickey will always be there for Jack, whether Jack wants him to be or not. It's a shame but Jack won't ever give the Doctor that opportunity.
The booth is filled with heavy silence and weighty emotions. They both love Jack, in different ways but they both care about him, want to make him happy, they want to protect him because he's gone through so much already. They both want him to stay. At the moment Jack wants to stay but is willing to leave, he's planning to leave and it's a painful thought for the both of them.
Yet Jack enters and within seconds the melancholy mood is gone because it is hard to be upset when Jack looks so happy, excited and enthusiastic. It's impossible to imagine life without Jack when Jack is right where he belongs, with them, making everything seem right with the universe.
"I got beer for you Mickey, Andorian Ale for the Doctor and… water for me because I'm boring." Jack hands the guys their drinks but their replies are muted, they're just kind of looking at him fondly which Jack finds unnerving so he continues talking. "And I've also got a poster of Lily Taylor, my favourite striker. She is SO talented!" Jack enthuses before adding with a twinkle in his eye." And she makes soccer look sexy."
"Wait!" Mickey shouts out. "Taylor? The striker? With blond hair? Golden Skin?" Jack is nodding. "Bears a striking resemblance to Rose?"
"Erm…" Jack squirms.
"Lily Taylor and Rose Tyler look exactly the same! If you fancy Taylor you must fancy Tyler!" Mickey accuses whilst the Doctor says nothing because he's too busy keeping his jealousy in check.
"Yeah, but you're going out with Rose." Jack reassures Mickey, even though Mickey's not so sure. "Lily Taylor is single." Jack grins and Mickey laughs. The Doctor grinds his teeth.
Thankfully, the Doctor is spared from any more talk on the subject as the klaxon sounds for the second half of the match, Mickey and Jack already on the edge of their seat. They leap out of them fairly quickly as Lily Taylor scores the equaliser. The Doctor notices a vein throbbing on Jack's neck, proving his excitement. Mickey's dubbed it 'the Frankenstein vein', whilst the Doctor finds it strangely erotic and tries to block out the idea of what it would feel like under his tongue. He shakes his head and tries to concentrate on the game.
It is two-two now and the game could go either way. The fact that Jack already knows the outcome, has already seen it, doesn't seem to have effected him at all because he is as excited, tense, anxious, enthralled and captivated as all the other millions of spectator. Even more so. But the Doctor isn't captivated by the game, he is captivated by Jack.
It is exciting to see Jack so uninhibited. Screaming and shouting and chanting with all the other spectators. The atmosphere is electric. The Doctor can feel the tension, the chaos, the excitement all around but it doesn't effect him, he's safe in his cocoon. The noise, the palpable atmosphere doesn't reach him yet every movement Jack makes seems to the Doctor to be in slow motion. He snorts, realising he's become a walking living breathing cliché, yet he still can't bring himself to care.
The game is interesting; Fierce tackles and neat defending; Superb shots leading to spectacular saves, but it is Jack's reactions that the Doctor finds interesting. He's fascinated to discover that Jack's interest in the game is equalled by his interest in people. Even amidst this highly entertaining game Jack still manages to tear his eyes away from the action on pitch to study the spectators. He still glances Mickey's way to reassure himself Mickey is enjoying himself. Focuses his isolinearoptimagnificum controls on the spectators, studying the ways various species display their emotions. Studying individuals to find their particular foibles. The Doctor finds Jack's interest in people fascinating, and finds himself falling even deeper in love.
There's only ten minutes to go and the United Kingdom Colony point 4 is lagging by a goal. The score is 2:3 to the Hexalugarcinia and Mickey looks worried but there is a slight smile on Jack's lips and sure enough Murphy scores the equaliser just a few minutes before full-time. The crowd's reaction is so powerful but it's nothing compared to their reaction when Taylor scores again in injury time, in the last kick of the match. The crowd goes wild. Mickey goes into a state of disbelief. Jack grins madly, enjoying the moment, enjoying Mickey's reaction.
"We won?" Mickey questions.
"Aye, we did." Jack beams. "We have." And he laughs as Mickey still can't believe it, looking at Jack; then the Doctor; then the pitch; then back at Jack for reassurance. Jack's grin grows wider. It grows even more wide as Mickey pulls him into a bear hug. Mickey's so ecstatic, he even makes as if to hug the Doctor but the look in the Doctor's eyes stops him in his tracks.
"And it doesn't stop here gentleman. Ah've got us tickets to the celebration party. In the girls' changing room." The Doctor's glare intensifies and Mickey's suddenly not sure this is such a good idea. But Jack looks so happy!
And that is how Jack is able to drag a reluctant Doctor and a wary Mickey, just by asking. He yammers on about how talented the players are, all of them but it doesn't escape the Doctor's attention that Jack focuses on one young woman a lot more than the rest. Damn that Lily Taylor!
It's clear he's still got a crush on her by how he admires her, how he praises her. What's worse is that it isn't just a crush because Jack has made it perfectly clear that although he finds her extremely attractive, a 'Human Venus' to use his words, he finds her even more attractive for her characteristics, her achievements, her personality. Curse that kind, talented Rose Tyler look-a-like! Double Damn!
It doesn't help that when they do reach the party all the girls are slightly tipsy, the alcohol flowing freely, in various states of dress most just covering up their dignity, and they are all over Jack. A couple of the girls are even all over Mickey but nobody is coming near the Doctor. It's like he's giving off some kind of bad-move vibes, which nobody can penetrate.
Only Jack doesn't even notice. He strolls right up to the Doctor, even places a hand on the Doctor's shoulder and introduces him to each of the players individually. Only their star player is missing. It feels so good, Jack's hand on his shoulder, that the Doctor begins to feel that this may not be so bad after all. He even manages to smile and be amicable to a few of the uglier players. But Jack's hand upon his shoulder soon disappears, along with the Doctor's newfound good mood.
He sits and watches the party with cynical and bitter eyes. He starts off observing Jack but to see him having such a good time, to see him laugh and joke and flirt… it creates emotions, powerful emotions the Doctor doesn't want to acknowledges. So he watches Mickey instead.
Mickey seems to be enjoying himself, revelling in the attention of the girls but also explaining that he's got a girlfriend whom he's faithful to. The Doctor can't help but feel a twinge of sorrow for Mickey because he knows Rose hasn't been faithful to Mickey and perhaps the Doctor is partly to blame. Yet Mickey has a huge smile on his face now, chatting with the girls, listening to them, gently flirting with them but never letting it get too far.
No, the Doctor will just have to grit his teeth and bear it. He doesn't want to be a part pooper, a spoilsport, a dullard. It's a good thing Mickey and Jack are having fun, the Doctor doesn't want to get in the way of that. He willingly concedes to patiently waiting until the party is over and then probably dragging an intoxicated Mickey and drunken Jack back to TARDIS. He's fine with that decision, he really is.
Until SHE shows up! Her long blond hair styled and worn down; her make-up so well applied she looks more like a movie star than a footballer; that tight, small, short black dress showing off her perfect body and her long legs. That damned Lily Taylor!
It's torment but the Doctor can't help but watch as Lily heads straight for Jack, both of them acting as if they're the only two people in the room, flirting outrageously with each other, so close their bodies are touching, their mouths so close their breaths must be embracing and it is breaking the Doctor's hearts.
Mickey can see this. He sees that the Doctor isn't just bitter or jealous, he's afraid and in pain. The Doctor is hurting, not saying anything because he wants Jack to have a good time but it is cutting him to the soul that Jack doesn't trust the him to let him get that close. He's afraid of losing Jack to this woman but the Doctor is still keeping his mouth shut, afraid that if he does open his mouth he'll tell Jack how he really feels and then lose Jack for good.
"Er, Jack I think we should go." Mickey eventually gathers the nerve to suggest. Jack looks hurt but after glancing at the Doctor Mickey finds the strength to continue. "We should check on Rose and Sarah-Jay, bring them back home to the TARDIS before we start to do any real damage to the timeline." Mickey wisely suggests, silently accepting the Doctor's grateful look whilst Jack just nods.
"I can do that. You two just enjoy the rest of the party." Jack offers selflessly, eager to help before rushing off to do so. The Doctor slides down the wall he's resting on and sinks to the floor.
"Rose won't like being dragged away from the party." Mickey acknowledges guiltily. "But if anybody can drag her away, the Captain can."
"Yeah." The Doctor agrees before adding offhandedly "Thank you, for doing that by the way." He sighs. "I do feel guilty though. He does really like her. He was having a good time."
"You didn't do anything, remember? It was me." Mickey reassures him, sitting on the floor next to him.
"Thanks anyway." The Doctor repeats and Mickey just smiles weakly and nods. There's a comfortable silence but the Doctor doesn't know how to be silent for long. "How did you enjoy the game Mickey? Was it all Jack built it up to be?"
"It was great! Really good." But Mickey is back to being English, his tone flat and not being very animated. "But out of all the games in the Universe, he wanted to take me to this one and that makes me want to ask: when's the next time Earth, or even an Earth colony win the Cup?"
The Doctor doesn't answer.
END of Chapter 5