Chapter Five

Jack looked up at the familiar sky, unusually clear and bright this New Year's Eve. He wasn't sure why he'd come back to Wales; it had been decades since he'd last seen Cardiff. He'd never thought to return after Gwen Cooper and Rhys Williams had died, for they were his last connection to Earth, and to Torchwood, and there had been nothing else to stay for anymore, not really. Even Anwen had seemed to understand, though she had been sad, and her brother angry, that Uncle Jack was leaving, that their children would never know him. But Gwen was gone, and Rhys with her, and so Jack had left as well. For good.

Perhaps he had come back to watch the turning of the century. He'd seen two centuries pass in Cardiff, why not a third? The 21st century had indeed been when everything changed, and a part of him wanted to wish it a fond farewell—with a perhaps small kick in the arse.

Jack had to admit that he'd come to love his adopted home planet, and Wales, and even Cardiff. Though he'd spent decades waiting for the Doctor, refusing to settle down, there had been times of beauty and happiness, moments he would never forget. And once he'd accepted who he was and what he was doing, he had truly settled down, found love and purpose and even a family of sorts. Those years were some of his most precious memories.

It hadn't lasted—it never did for him and probably never would. His unique place in the cosmos ensured that nothing would survive but him. Yet he didn't regret the things he'd done, the places he'd seen, the life he'd lived—the men and women he had loved and lost. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He regretted one, but it wasn't falling in love that he regretted. He'd been happy for a time, uncommonly happy. It was leading that man to his death that Jack regretted and mourned, and always would.

Ianto Jones hadn't deserved to die. He had been a broken man finally beginning to heal when he'd faithfully walked into Thames House in London and died at Jack's side. That's what still hurt, even after ninety years. He'd always known he'd lose Ianto, and he'd always suspected it would be sooner rather than later; yet they'd had so little time together, it was unfair. And it had been so hard for them to accept and share and act on their feelings, that, more than anything, Jack's biggest regret was not telling Ianto how he felt, when he'd felt it for so long.

Though the stars remained the same, the bay looked different now, from the buildings and boats to the coastline itself. There was no tourist office, no familiar boardwalk to walk upon. No Plass, no Millennium Centre, no Pierhead building. He gazed at something almost unrecognizable and wondered again why he had come back. It hurt to see how Cardiff had moved on without him. It was, that night, a bitter reminder of the happier times he had experienced there, particularly with Ianto Jones.

He turned to leave it all behind yet again when a voice behind him called out. "Captain Harkness!"

A older man stood nearby, dressed in scarlet robes. He had a full white beard and wore glasses, and was pulling his sleeve down as he approached. He looked like a modern Father Christmas, which was when Jack remembered exactly who this man was.

"Nicolas Garras," he said, holding out his hand. "You're looking exceptionally good for your age. I didn't realize it was one of the perks of the job." Jack had met Nicolas decades earlier, when he had walked in on one of Ianto's greatest secrets beneath the Hub: an army of men and women delivering gifts to the world every Christmas. Nicolas had been in charge, and he had been old then.

Yet more than ninety years had passed since that night. How had Nicolas managed to survive so long? And look so good?

"It's not," Nicolas replied, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "But this is." He showed Jack the vortex manipulator on his wrist, and Jack nodded in understanding, wondering why he hadn't worked it out immediately. Or maybe he had, and had pushed it from his mind.

"Of course. You've jumped in time. What year, then?"

"Actually, we met about a year ago," Nicolas replied.

Jack frowned as he gazed back through his memories, to that Christmas Eve long ago. He'd found Ianto in a cavern, jumping through time delivering Christmas presents all over Wales. And he'd had a difficult time accepting it, until Nicolas had taken him along for the ride—sans reindeer, of course.

"So…2007, then?" Jack asked. "No, 2008. That was the year I found out. I had such a hard time believing it that you let me jump with you."

"You did seem to struggle," Nicolas laughed. "But you came around. How are you, Captain?"

Jack tucked his hands into his pockets—he was wearing a long leather duster, more like the Doctor and less like his own vintage greatcoats from his time in Wales. He shrugged, memories returning to flood him with emotions: of a meeting in the park, of a pinstripe suit, of heartbreak and laughter and a single, special Christmas. "Still kicking around," he eventually answered. "And you?"

Nicolas smiled. "I'm well. We wrapped up this year's schedule a few days ago, so I've got a week off."

"Everything go smoothly?" Jack asked.

"We were down a man," Nicolas replied, then continued when Jack didn't say anything. "We missed Mr. Jones."

"Ianto Jones," Jack murmured, gazing out at the water. "He died that fall and wasn't able to be there for Christmas. Yes, he was missed." Jack felt his chest catch, the pain of losing a loved one washing over him even after so many years.

"I didn't see you around either," Nicolas said after a long moment of silence. "You left Cardiff."

"There wasn't anything left for me, not at that point. Ianto was gone, my grandson was dead, Gwen was in hiding, Torchwood disbanded. I left Cardiff, left Wales…and then I left Earth for good."

"And now you're back."

"Now I'm back." Jack didn't want to talk about that, though. "So what brings you all the way to 2099?"

"I wanted to see you, of course. To see how an immortal deals with the years."

Jack cocked his head. "How did you know I was immortal?" he asked.

"You're here, aren't you? And looking exceptionally well-preserved yourself."

Jack tried not to grimace at the thought of being well-preserved. "Maybe I time traveled as well."

"You said your manipulator no longer jumps through time."

"Maybe I got it fixed."

"You said it was disabled for a reason." Nicolas paused and offered a small smile. "Besides, this isn't my first stop since I left 2009. I admit, I was curious and concerned. So how have you been, Captain?"

"As you can see, the same as always," Jack replied, hearing the bitterness in his voice. "Unchanging. Eternal."

"What brings you back to Cardiff?" Nicolas asked. "You've been gone for decades. I had a hard time finding you."

"I don't know," Jack replied honestly. "I guess I wanted to see one last New Year's Eve in Wales. I'm planning on leaving the galaxy soon. This century was a good one, but it brought a lot of pain as well. I suppose I wanted to say goodbye, try to take the good with me."

"Like Ianto? Was he some of the good?"

"Yes," Jack whispered. "He was some of the good. Some of the best, but also part of the pain. He died because of me, you know."

Nicolas shook his head. "No, he died doing his job. His other job. He knew the risks of working for Torchwood, Captain. He was always willing to sacrifice his life to protect others. And he died trying to protect the very children he worked so hard to care for at Christmas."

"I know," Jack said, then blew out a breath to stay calm. "But knowing that doesn't change anything—what happened between us, what happened that day, what happened after. It doesn't take away the sadness and regret and longing and—" He stopped. "I know all that, and maybe someday I'll believe it was worth it."

"His death?" Nicolas asked. "Or your relationship?"

Though once he may have grown angry at the older man for his suggestion, instead the long years of experience let Jack shake his head and smile instead. "His death. Our relationship, as short as it was, will always be worth it. But his death will always hurt."

"As I have not had the opportunity to say so yet, I am sorry for your loss, Captain. He was a good, good man." Jack nodded in agreement, a lump in his throat. Nicolas opened his mouth to continue, but his wrist strap beeped. "It appears I am summoned elsewhere. But would you like to have dinner later? I will have a gift for you."

"I thought you only delivered to children," Jack pointed out.

"Special delivery," Nicolas replied, with a twinkle in his eye Jack remembered from their first meeting.

"Christmas is over."

"Special occasion. Please. I'll jump back in time and make a reservation."

Jack missed time travel and being able to do simple things like book reservations or buy tickets. "I don't have anything for you."

"Your acceptance will be my gift," Nicolas replied. "Now, meet me back here at half eight, please. That should give me enough time."

"Time to what?" Jack asked suspiciously. The man was clearly up to something. "You have a vortex manipulator, you could be back in a few minutes."

"I need time in this time." He stepped back and nodded. "For dramatic effect. I will see you in approximately three hours."

"I'll be here," Jack said. "Seeing as I have nowhere else to go."

"Stay safe, then," Nicolas replied. "I've heard of your penchant for getting into trouble."

"You know me well." Jack laughed despite himself. There was something so genuine and engaging about the other man that Jack had couldn't dislike him, even when he'd found out the man had been running a massive Christmas operation beneath the Hub.

Jack had stumbled across it by accident while looking for Ianto on Christmas Eve, stunned at the impossible enormity of it. But when he'd traveled with Ianto and seen what they did, he'd been forced to accept it was real. It was amazing, and it had made him love Ianto even more. He hadn't told the Welshman that, but he'd tried to show him. After Ianto had finished his deliveries and caught up on sleep, they'd celebrated their one and only Christmas together, and it had been wonderful. Jack still held it close as a cherished memory.

He wandered the city for several hours, trying not to grow upset over the changes. His favorite restaurant, closed; his favorite park, and the one where he'd first met Ianto, razed for modern flats; his favorite rooftop long torn down and rebuilt even higher, but with much less personality. He thought about going to see Gwen's family, but decided against it. Anwen would be almost ninety if she were still alive, and Jack knew that even advanced age probably wouldn't keep her from lashing out at him for leaving.

After three hours, he returned to the bay front area where he'd met Nicolas, only to find a dark skinned woman in a deep burgundy pant suit and matching long coat standing there. She had long, black hair and spoke with an English accent when she saw him.

"Captain Harkness?" she asked. Her smile was genuine, and Jack sensed her compassion and charisma. He guessed she was probably in her thirties, and suspected she was successful from the confident way she held herself. Though naturally suspicious, he felt she was someone he could like.

"I'm Captain Harkness," Jack said. She smiled again and held out her hand. He couldn't refuse her friendly and open manner and shook it while she introduced herself.

"My name is Nicole Madan," she said, and Jack picked it up immediately.

"Nicole?" he asked. "Any relation to Nicolas Garras? I was supposed to meet him here for dinner."

Her laugh was bright but sincere. "No relation, other than we have the same job but in different times. I know you were expecting Nicolas, but we thought you might prefer to eat with someone else tonight. He made reservations for dinner nearby."

"If you know the way, I will happily buy you a drink," Jack said, giving her a slight bow and a dazzling smile of his own.

"None of that!" she laughed again, and held up her right hand. "I heard you were a bit of a flirt. I'm married and not looking for anything else."

"And where did you hear about me?" Jack asked. He had a feeling it was Nicolas, but how would Nicolas know Jack was a flirt? He hadn't flirted with the other man at all. Maybe Ianto had talked about him and Nicolas had passed it on.

"Oh, here and there," she said. "We're going to Les Chances, it's close by and quite good."

They walked toward a posh-looking restaurant and were seated immediately at one of only open tables near the back. Nicole ordered a drink Jack had never heard of, while Jack played it old fashioned and asked for a scotch on the rocks. He was curious about many things now: where was Nicolas, and why had he sent his contemporary in his stead?

They made small talk about Cardiff until their drinks arrived. Nicole raised her glass in a toast. "Happy New Year, Captain Harkness, and to many more here in Cardiff."

He touched her glass and took a deep drink; it was not nearly as strong as he remembered. Setting it down, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I told Nicolas I was leaving Cardiff, but I suspect you already know that."

She nodded. "He mentioned that. I'm here to convince you to stay."

"Sorry, but we just met," Jack said. "I've left behind far more than strangers on the street."

"I realize you don't know me," she said, and she was clearly hiding a smile. "But I'm hoping you'll come work for me anyway."

"Work for you?" Jack stared at her, speechless for a moment. She nodded, smiled broadly, and sipped at her drink while he tried to figure out what was going on. "Nicolas said he had a gift for me, is this it? A job offer?"

"Not exactly," she said. "We're offering you a second chance, Captain. At a happy life, right here in Cardiff."

"I had a happy life here in Cardiff," Jack snapped. "And every time I started to enjoy it, it was taken away from me. That's why I left, because I was tired of finding happiness and losing it."

"I know," she said softly. "I've heard about your long years here in Cardiff."

"From who?" Jack demanded.

"Here and there," she said again. Jack was growing annoyed.

"Look, I knew Nicolas and I liked him. I don't know you and I don't like your mind games. What's going on?"

"I want you to work with me," she said again, dropping the overly cheerful manner and becoming more direct. "Or, to be more precise, with one of my associates. I think you'll work together quite well."

"I don't need a job," Jack said. "And I don't need coworkers who want to be best friends. I don't even need dinner anymore. It was nice to meet you."

He stood up, and she followed, tapping at her wrist strap. Jack tensed, wondering if he was in danger. He glanced around the restaurant, noting the exits, the windows, good defensive points. She leaned across the table and laid a hand on his arm, frowning as several other diners turned to look at them; it probably appeared as if they'd had a domestic of some sort.

"Captain, I apologize. I should have realized you wouldn't appreciate being strung along, but I assure you, it wasn't out of any sort of malice. We—Nicolas and I—are simply trying to help."

"To give me a second chance at a happy life in Cardiff?" Jack asked sarcastically. "You didn't even ask if I wanted to stay, if I wanted to be here."

"Well," huffed a familiar but long-lost voice behind him. "I know it's changed, but it's not so bad. Not when you can drink good coffee again."

Author's Note

Yes, there is one more chapter. I couldn't resist spacing it out as I prefer shorter chapters and wanted to get this bit out sooner. And yes to the other question. Yay! Surprise!