1
Jack sat on the roof looking over the city with that weird feeling one has when a task has been completed and everyone is happy with it except for you. He sighed and leaned back, flicking the crust of the sandwich he was eating at one of the many birds wandering about up here with him then watched the fight break out.
"That's where we differ, friends" he finally said "We might fight over something like you, but I don't see any of you pulling out a knife or a gun and blowing the other bird's hed off."
Jack then smiled as he knew what Ianto would have said. Jack then said it in a NOT Welsh Accent "come on now Cariad, no thumbs."
"There you are"
Jack rolled his head to find the Doctor standing there, the sonic in his hand waving about as he examined the birds for signs of alienism. Jack really was too tired for this, looking back out over the city he had saved yet again… along with the planet that city rested on.
"Oh… by the way… your VM" the Doctor said suddenly, pointing at it "It made a weird noise."
"Oh, yeah. Something shorted out" Jack lifted his wrist to the Doctor could examine it, wave his sonic then grunt as it pinged to say it was back online. "Thanks."
As Jack went to lower it the Doctor seized it and lifted it close again. He touched the little pouch tht had been slid under the main control panel and then looked at Jack with a silent question.
"Ianto" Jack said in a one word answer, pulling it back.
"Ianto?" the Doctor repeated "Ianto Jones?"
"It is a lock of his hair… form the morgue" Jack choked out, looking back out over the city again "No matter what happens, my VM survives, as long as I can find it, I still have a part of him with me"
"I have never seen you hang on to one like this" the Doctor said as he crouched and fiddled with the chalk covering on the roof "What is this here for?"
"Bird shit"
"Ewwwwwww" the Doctor dropped it and rubbed his hand on his pants with disgust as Jack grinned at the man believing him. Seems the Doctor can lie but does not expect it from others.
"I will never forget him, I ill always hold onto this… as much as I can for as long as I can" Jack rose and sighed, "and now I have to go help clean up this mess I made."
The Doctor watched Jack head for the door that would lead down to the street and he remembered Rose. Clara. River… oh River. Yes… some stay there in the back of your heart for a long time.
.
.
"Jack, come on…" the Doctor yelled as they ran along the corridor "I can hear them."
The Doctor was about to open the door of the ship's inner cargo hold but Jack beat him to it, pulling him back as the Veritraps exploded from the opening door, Jack caught full blast as the small flying piranha-like creatures ate him alive, his screams intense as he struggled down the corridor to lead them away from the Doctor so he could enter the room and save the day.
The Doctor was soon running with the captives, passing the remains and he paused, taking a moment to scoop Jack's… bits… into a container so he might come with. He was never leaving him behind again, not when Jack never left him.
They chucked the container into a side room then took off. The Doctor dropped people off and then took a moment to breathe, remember Jack and head into the room to see if he was regenerated yet. This was to be the first time the Doctor watched Jack 'become' from nothing. The first time he would see the pain, the horror… the punishing slowness that Jack's body endured as it reconstructed itself.
It was then that he picked up the VM and fingered it, cleaned it and considered things some more. He was old, not old-old but old enough to think of himself as a grown up now days. He was not the same Doctor that left Jack on that Game Station… hell … he had not been that Doctor for several faces… hearts… well… did they really change? Did HE really change? This man who spent an entire year watching a sunset with his wife? Just to irk out each day?
The Doctor made a decision, opening the little pouch and removing a few strands of hair from the lock of hair, surprised to find it soft, then replace it before placing the VM on the neatly folded clothes that he left for the man who was now more obviously humanoid as his skeletal system grew like spider webs.
The Doctor had a little job to do, someone owed him something and he thought he would never have need to cash it in but now… now he was curious to see if this would be the right decision.
Then again…
He could always cut and run right?