Disclaimer: Torchwood & Doctor Who are owned by the BBC, not me.
A/N: I had begun this fanfic before the end of Doctor Who Season 3. So, I should warn you that if my fanfic doesn't tie in with Doctor Who Season 3, it's because I had already wrote it and can't be bothered to change it.
Worth The Risk
Chapter 6- Tricycle Lessons.
It must have looked like a bizarre sight if any random person happened to pass by at this particular moment. Jack Harkness was sprawled across the floor surrounded by ice, and there was a strange man, just identified as the Doctor, gazing around the room as if he didn't have a clue where he was.
"I'm sorry, did I say something?" the Doctor said due to Jack's lack of response.
"Who are you?"
" I told you. I'm the Doctor."
Jack paused. "Huh?"
"You probably don't recognise me. I've grown more hair and have major sideburns," he said, twisting his head and pointing to them. "And, I have also got new teeth. Which was weird. But, I've sill got a similar nose," the Doctor said, smiling.
"Nose…" Jack whispered. "Ianto!" He jumped up from the floor, sending the ice cubes that happened to land in his lap flying about the floor with the remainder of them, grabbed the tea towel and bolted past the Doctor down the stairs, making a big effort as to not slip over.
"Oi, where are you off to?" the Doctor called from behind him.
"Bigger things to attend to," Jack called without looking back.
The Doctor was left there, standing alone in the centre of the Torchwood Hub, speechless.
"Bigger things to attend to?!" He bolted down the stairs in pursuit of Jack, his long brown trench coat ends flapping as he ran.
Jack gracefully ran back into the room, carrying the towels and a few currently melting ice cubes in his hands. Everything he did, Gwen thought, was graceful. But this wasn't the time…
"Is all the ice cubes you managed to bring down?" She asked, placing the makeshift icepack of Ianto's nose.
"It's okay, I'm going back to get some more." He said, as he hurried out he door, only to be knocked down again for the second time.
"Oi, watch it, Jack!" The Doctor stumbled backwards.
"Jack, who's that?" Gwen called from inside.
"Er…it's no-one Gwen. I think your hearing things…" He replied.
"So, I'm no-one know, am I? I'm the last the of bloody Timelords, that's who I am!" The Doctor yelled in a whisper.
It felt like Jack had just been slapped in the face. "Doctor?"
"It' me, Jack. It's always been me."
"But, you…look different," Jack whispered.
"Trick of the trade, I'm afraid. Hey, that rhymes!" The Doctor smiled.
Jack edged forward, his hand outstretched. His fingers skimmed the Doctor's skin; from his chin all the way to his cheek. Jack soon placed his entire hand gently on his check, and smiled.
"Doctor."
"Jack"
Then Jack did something the Doctor didn't expect. Jack cupped his chin and with his other hand, slapped the Doctor square in the face.
"What was that for?!"
"For leaving me stranded." Jack turned and strode away back to the main of the Hub.
"Oh c'mon Jack, you're still sore about that?" The Doctor called from behind him.
Jack immediately turned. "Maybe I am a bit, yeah. Considering the amount of shit I went through to get here!"
"I thought you were dead. Killed by the Daleks."
"That's no excuse. After you left, I came to realise that I just the third wheel. I was just the training wheel. And what happens when you've learned how to ride a bike? The third wheel gets thrown away! Sounds a little too close to home, don't you think?"
Jack paused on the stairs and faced the Doctor.
"Did you ever, just once, think of where I may have ended up?"
The Doctor didn't reply, his face unreadable. It became so silent, that you could quite clearly hear the buzz and hum of the various pieces of technology around the Hub; the dripping of water coming from the water tower above.
"Of course you didn't." Jack whispered and continued walking up the stairs to the fridge.
"Jack—"
"No. No, don't even begin to explain. I know how it was between you two, even when I was around. Like I said, third wheel."
Jack picked up a packet of frozen peas from the freezer and wrapped it in another cloth. He turned to see the Doctor examining the information on Toshiko's monitor closely. He removed his glasses slowly and faced Jack with a solemn look.
"You work for Torchwood."
Jack nodded. "Yeah".
"Even after Canary Wharf?!" The Doctor hissed.
"This Torchwood is different—" Jack began.
"Have you any idea what Torchwood did to this planet?! The entire Torchwood Institute is to blame! You all try to explain the unexplainable, at whatever cost! You're all ambitious, egotistical, arrogant people who act for themselves. So, don't you dare tell me that this Torchwood is any different. Don't you dare," The Doctor yelled, memories of his desperate efforts to save Earth and Rose in the battle of Canary Wharf springing to mind, hurting him.
"I know too well the actions and results of Torchwood One. So much so, that I was one of the first people to arrive on the site to start rebuilding. In your honour." Jack replied.
"Jack?" came a foreign voice from behind him. Gwen had come back from the guest rooms.
"Gwen," Jack jumped up and gestured for her to come up. She advanced slowly up the stairs and stood next to the Captain.
"Gwen, I think it's time you met some-one very important to Torchwood," the Doctor flinched, "and to me."
The Doctor remained still, not smiling, but not glowering. Just standing.
"Gwen, this is the Doctor."
Gwen didn't speak immediately. When she did, it was in stutters. "Is-is…he the…the Doctor."
It was know the Doctor who spoke. "The one and only."
Gwen sighed of relief and embraced him in a hug. "Thankyou so much for coming."
The alarm sounded for the door and Owen and Toshiko entered from the Hub, chatting noisily.
"Hey Jack," Owen said as he walked toward his workstation and began unbuttoning his jacket. "How's your boyfriend going?"
The Doctor shot Jack a look. "Boyfriend?" he mouthed in silence.
"Who's that?" Owen asked, walking over to he kitchen, Toshiko closely behind him.
"Tosh, Owen, this is the Doctor."
Tosh's and Owen's jaw dropped simultaneously, and Jack stifled a laugh.
"You're pretty legendary around here, Doctor."
"Obviously."
"Doctor, may I introduce to you," he began, indicating to each of his team members as he spoke. "Gwen Cooper- public liaison, Toshiko Sato- computer genius and Owen Harper- medical officer. Plus, Ianto Jones, who is down in the guest rooms."
"And he's your boyfriend, is he?" The Doctor inquired.
Jack dismissed his comment with a roll of the eyes. "This my team. We are Torchwood Three."
"Is this all?"
"Like I was going to say, we're different from the other Torchwood Institutes," Jack explained.
"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ianto is still down there. I think, know that he's here, The Doctor should take a look at him," Gwen suggested.
"Yeah, we should. C'mon Doctor, time for you to meet the last member of my team," Jack said.
And the most important, he thought.
The whole team proceeded down the stairs in single file, all having a million questions to ask the Doctor. They all filed into the guest room in which Ianto lay, sleeping silently, his nosebleed ceased.
"First time he's looked normal in a long time," Owen commented.
Jack touched Ianto's hand, but immediately recoiled.
"What's wrong?" Tosh asked.
"He's freezing cold. It's like…he's got hypothermia, or something."
"But he's sweating on his forehead," Owen observed. "Check his legs, Tosh."
Tosh removed the sheets to reveal Ianto's legs almost black and extremely swollen. "Oh my God."
"What the hell causes this?" Jack breathed, waiting for an answer from the Doctor.
"I have absolutely no idea."
A/N: Thanks all for the very encouraging reviews. I do apologise that this took so long to update. Moving houses lack of computer. So I really do apologise.
However, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! R&R!