A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update this, RL got completely in the way of getting it finished. Thank you for your wonderful reviews and your patience.

It took two days of craziness to pass before Jack got a chance to implement his plan

Two days of planning and three days of alien capture later, Jack could finally carry out his plan. Mid-afternoon he disappeared into the bowels of the Hub, leaving a dubious Ianto 'in charge' to watch over the team as they finished their reports. Jack knew the underground passages better than anyone; even Ianto didn't know the room Jack was making his way to existed. Jack unlocked a well rusted padlock and pushed open a door hidden behind a shelving unit deep in the archive, stepping into a dark and dank corridor. Several minutes of unpleasant progress took Jack deeper underground before he finally reached his destination. Brushing some kind of strange moss-like plant from the handle, Jack opened the door and stepped inside the room he'd endured untold horrors of horticulture to get to. Groping around, he found a gaslight, lit it and was rewarded by the room flooding with soft light from the 1900's fittings around the walls. The room looked exactly as it had when Jack was last here many decades previously, his favourite room in the underground passages that served as Torchwood Three's first base. This was the kitchen.

Rummaging in the cupboards, he found the ingredients he'd hidden away over the last few days and set about his task. Jack had decided the best way to convince his team he loved them like family was to treat them like one. Now he'd had very little practical experience of family life in his own childhood, but his many lives over the centuries had taught him a few things. Mainly how to cook a mean chilli. He hummed to himself as he began to create his masterpiece, his mind drifting to the last time he'd cooked up a storm to impress someone. That time it had been the Doctor - the one with the big ears, not the one with the experimental hair - and Rose, and he'd been trying to convince them he was a changed man and wasn't attempting to con the TARDIS out of their possession. Jack smiled to himself, funny how he only ever seemed to cook when he was trying to convince someone of something. He tried not to dwell on any deep psychological reasoning and instead went searching for the rice he knew was around the place somewhere.

An hour and a half later, Jack emerged from the bowels of the Earth carrying a large bowl of chilli and rice and stepped into the Hub. It took about thirty seconds from his appearance to Owen materialising beside him, sniffing the air hopefully.

"Why do I smell chilli?"

"Because you're standing next to a bowl of chilli."

"Oh. Why am I standing next to a bowl of chilli?"

"Because I made some. Now be a good doctor and go get the others."

Owen hurriedly rounded up the rest of the team and soon they were all assembled round the conference table passing round bowls and spoons.

"How do I know this is safe to eat? I didn't know you could cook…" Gwen sniffed suspiciously at the bowl of food in front of her.

"You didn't use diced weevil did you? I think we're missing one…"

"Shut up Owen."

Tosh took a mouthful, "Hey this is actually good!"

"No need to sound so surprised."

"Sorry Jack. It is good though, thank you."

Gwen turned her x-ray stare from the chilli to Jack.

"So what's the occasion? Why did you cook for us? You've never cooked for us."

Jack took a deep breath. "I wanted to show you that I care and that I'm not disappearing anytime soon. And that I know you find it hard to trust me, but that I'm willing to put a little effort into making you believe me."

There was silence around the table as everyone attempted to process the unusually emotional speech from their Captain. Predictably, Owen was the first to speak.

"What happens if your Doctor returns?"

"I got the answers I needed from him. We both changed a lot, both in the time we were apart and the time we spent together. I don't need him as much as I did to explain things to me. And I think it would take the end of the universe for him to come find me again."

Under the table, Ianto slipped his hand into Jack's and twined their fingers together in a show of comfort and support. He alone knew what it had cost Jack to admit to this out loud, he knew how strong the connection between the Doctor and Jack had been, and how it had torn Jack apart to leave behind the safety offered by the Time Lord. At least this time the parting had been reciprocal rather than enforced. Jack gave him a small, sad smile and squeezed Ianto's hand before looking round the table.

"I'm here with you, I care about you and I'm your Captain. I needed to leave when I did, but I also needed to return when I did. I came back for you, for all of you. You were the only thing that kept me going; the thought of you all gave me the strength I needed to fight. Please believe me when I say without you all I would not be as strong as I am now." Jack paused to let the gravity of his words sink in. "Now enough with the emotion, let's eat!"

Food was eaten, stories were told and laughter was had. Eventually Gwen remembered she had Rhys to get home to, Tosh had the translation program to fine tune and Owen mumbled something about a date with a hot blonde, so the party broke up. Ianto shooed Jack away from tidying up, so he made his way up to his favourite rooftop, giving the best view over the city. It was a clear night and all above him the stars and galaxies beckoned. Jack allowed the sight to overwhelm him, encompass him and pull him toward them. Right there, right now, Jack was happy to be Earth-bound, however he knew that the day would come when a blue police box would appear and he wouldn't be able to resist one trip…just one trip. Who could stay in one place when there were galaxies to explore with the one being who he knew would out-live him?