Chapter 2: Gods of the Blue Box
Jack seemed to dwindle at the Doctor's words. All the anger drained from his face, replaced with a sorrowful sort of resignation.
"I'm sorry, sir," Jack said softly. "You're right. Of course. You're always right."
"No I'm not," the Doctor said, placing a hand on Jack's arm. "Only most of the time."
River sighed and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Shut up, you love it," the Doctor said quickly, before continuing. "But Jack, I know it's been a terrible time for you. So... Why don't you come with us? Join me on an adventure. I can drop you off anywhere you like afterwards."
Jack attempted a weary smile. "I'd like that."
The Doctor gave him a little nod, then twirled over to Fitz and casually draped an arm across his shoulders. "You too, Fitz! I've missed you. I owe you. Still one of my favorite people in the whole entire universe, you are."
"Aw, thanks, Doctor," Fitz replied in the charming little boy way he usually reacted compliments.
The Doctor squeezed Fitz tightly for a moment, gave him an affectionate pat on the cheek, then spun around to face River, who was smiling with amusement.
"So where to next, River Song?"
"Easter Island."
"Oh, I've always wanted to go there!" the Doctor exclaimed, already dashing back to the TARDIS. "Well, hurry up you lot, stop dawdling. I know I've got a time machine, but that's really no excuse for being late."
He snapped his fingers. The doors to the TARDIS swung open.
The first time in a new console room always felt sacred to Fitz. He and the TARDIS, they had something special. A connection even she and the Doctor didn't share. Cos after all that mess with the Faction, when the TARDIS had remade Fitz and brought him back, she put a little of her soul into him. He felt her in head, a warm, comforting presence.
With a big dopey grin, Fitz practically skipped up the stairs, spinning around the console room, laughing. "Oh, this is brilliant!" he shouted.
"I know, isn't she gorgeous this time around?" the Doctor asked as he joined him, taking him by the hand. "Absolutely sexy."
"They're like big kids together," Jack observed.
"Aren't they just?" River replied, sounding amused.
Fitz didn't give a damn what they thought. The Doctor was alive, that was all that mattered. Alive, and happier than Fitz had seen him in years and years. Happy, smiling, showing him around the console room, right up to the neat little landing, then back down again. Fitz was already out of breath by the time they made their way under the glass floor. But Fitz didn't care in the slightest.
"Now look at that," the Doctor said, gesturing to the pool of fluid at the center. "Bet even you haven't been this close to the heart of the TARDIS.
Fitz reached a hand toward the metal pillar rising from the dark pool, feeling the familiar gentle hum. "Hello, love," Fitz said softly. "I've missed you."
"So have we," the Doctor said with a strange little smile.
Fitz just turned and hugged him tightly. This Doctor was taller, all elbows and awkward edges instead of smooth, soft sensuality, like his Doctor had been. He smelled of libraries, with just a hint of apples. But it was still the Doctor. Not his Doctor, maybe, but the Doctor nonetheless. And that was just fine. Fitz pulled away, and rubbed his eyes. Not that he'd been crying. Definitely not.
The Doctor patted Fitz's cheek fondly. "You've always been a good friend, Fitz. Maybe the best I ever had. One of them, at least."
Fitz blushed and laughed sheepishly. "Thanks, Doctor."
"Now, come on!" the Doctor said suddenly, taking Fitz's hand again.
They heard the TARDIS dematerialize.
"River!" the Doctor bellowed as he took the steps two at a time, dragging Fitz behind him. "Who said you could do that?"
River shrugged nonchalantly and pursed her lips. "I was tired of waiting."
The Doctor glared at her, then turned on the scanner. "Oh look at that. Dancing!"
Fitz stood beside the Doctor and looked at the scanner. "Christ, I've bloody missed this."
The Doctor matched Fitz's expression as a wild, manic grin crossed his face. He ran out the door, the rest of them following close behind, and stepped out into the middle of the ceremony, all smiles. They had stopped dancing by then, staring at the TARDIS with a curious mixture of awe and terror.
"Oh, hello!" the Doctor said, looking around in what Fitz hoped seemed a nonthreatening manner. "Don't stop! I love dancing, me. It's so ... energetic! Just call me the dancemeister. Actually, don't call me that. That's stupid. Call me the Doctor. I'm the Doctor and these are my friends River, Fitz, and Jack."
All as one, they dropped to kneel before him.
"No, don't do that," the Doctor said, sounding cross. "Great, just what we need. Mindless worship."
Jack sat against a tree, half hidden by the shadows. Simply watching. They had started up the dances again, begun the feast. But Jack wasn't hungry.
The Doctor and River, as the visiting gods of the blue box, had been given a place of honor near the king, and they seemed perfectly at ease, chatting amiably, quite openly flirting with each other. Sampling the many platters of food passed around to them.
But they weren't who Jack focused on.
Dressed in his black jeans, a red t-shirt, and boots, Fitz looked completely out of place. Yet that didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. Instead, he doted on the Doctor, bringing him special delicacies to sample and carved wooden mugs of tropical juices. Laughing at the Doctor's stupid jokes. Practically coquettish. Like a cross between a superhero sidekick and a stereotypical '50s sitcom wife.
They were incredibly comfortable with each other, in a way the Doctor hadn't been with Jack in a long time, if ever.
The Doctor seemed to relish the attention, touching Fitz casually, with an easy arm around his shoulder, a friendly pat on the cheek, always with a compliment, a thank you. The Doctor was never this polite. He never let anyone dote on him so obviously.
Not when Jack had known him, at least. He'd always treated the Doctor like a superior officer, a wise leader he'd been grateful to serve under. But he supposed that was another difference between him and Fitz. If even half the stories Fitz had told Jack were true, then no matter what he and the Doctor had been through together, how many battles they'd faced, Time War or otherwise, somehow he'd never truly become a soldier. The relationship between those two was something else entirely. And so Fitz doted, because only he could get away with it.
Jack released a long, weary sigh. Ianto had always doted on him. How he'd teased Ianto about that, about the way he always seemed to have whatever Jack had in mind ready and waiting for him, be it a cup of coffee, a sexy distraction, or a complex computer program up and running before Jack realized he would need it. Usually with a dry remark that left Jack smiling. That was who Fitz reminded him of. Ianto. Loyal and caring, above all. Full of forgiveness and acceptance. He still missed Ianto far more than he wanted to admit to himself. And it had been Jack's fault Ianto died.
For a little while there, he'd had it all, hadn't he? Martha and the Doctor flitting in and out of his life. A nice little team. A lover he could trust with almost anything. Saving the world, and being taken care of, a valued member of the Doctor's special extended family. And a real family of his own, despite his own thoughtless mistakes. In the span of a week, Jack had lost everything that mattered to him. Even the love of his last living daughter.
And Steven. No, he couldn't think about Steven. Not now.
With a long, shuddering sigh, Jack tore his gaze away, staring off into the dark jungle. He thought he saw a figure, out of the corner of his eye. Just for a moment. Tall, with a dark suit.
But he was wrong. No one. Just a trick of the flickering firelight. A moment later, he didn't even remember.
The Doctor took a big gulp of the slightly fermented juice, made a face, then wiped his mouth.
The Ariki Mau, leader of the island, kept giving him a suspicious stare. The Doctor smiled widely, and even shot him a little wink. Leaning forward, the Doctor spoke loudly over the music. "So when can I see her?"
"See her?" the Ariki replied rather incredulously.
"The goddess you were calling when we first showed up."
River joined him in leaning forward, and pulled a chipped stone tablet out of her suspiciously small leather satchel. "It's been prophesied that the goddess will return in four days time," she said with cool confidence. "In the Temple of the Mother."
He could have kissed her.
The Ariki's eyes grew wide and startled, and he tried to take the tablet from him. "Spoilers!" she said with a little smirk, and slipped it back into her satchel. "We've personal business with the goddess. You'll just have to trust us."
"So we'll be staying until then, at least," the Doctor added, and draped his arms around both of them.
"Plenty of time to get to know each other!"
The Doctor laughed a little too wildly, suddenly excited by the prospect. A little island vacation with River and Fitz sounded perfect about now, and would surely help cheer up Jack. And a mysterious goddess appearing on the ancient Island of Rapa Nui, which would one day be better known as Easter Island? Yes, that would definitely liven things up.
He released the Ariki, who threw him a filthy look. He'd be trouble, that one. River chuckled and snuggled a little closer to him. His hearts began to race a bit, but he squeezed her closer anyway. Nothing wrong with a little excitement.
"You two gotta try this," Fitz said from beside River. "Bloody delicious!"
He handed over a bowl, wearing a wide grin like a kid sharing a particularly tasty candy bar with his friends. River took a piece and slid it into the Doctor's mouth. Absolutely wonderful. Delicate fish cooked in a thick, sweet, creamy coconut broth. Like one of his favorite foods, done all tropical. River kept her finger on his mouth while he chewed, and, blimey, did that turn him on for some reason.
On impulse, he gave her finger a little lick, and she winked at him.
"Rhanks," the Doctor said to both of them, his mouth still full. River and Fitz smiled back at him, looking gorgeous and happy in the firelight.
This was gonna be a lovely week.