Second Date

It has been two weeks since the incident at The Green Dragon. Jack still has his right arm in a sling from getting himself shot. I had retreated into myself and wasn't talking to anyone. I skipped work. I wouldn't answer the door, I locked myself into my room and wouldn't go out, even if Jack asked me to.

Finally one day Jack banged on my bedroom door. "Susan. Open up, we need to talk!"

"Go away!" I shouted. I rolled onto my stomach and pressed my face into my pillow in the bed. I've had lost weight. My cheeks had lost their color. I had constant bags under my eyes and most of the time, I didn't get up out of bed.

"Fine!" Jack shouted and stormed off. I let out a sigh of relief which was short lived. I heard footsteps coming too my door again and heard what sounded like the click of a gun. "Susan, open up or I'll blast my way in here!"

"No!" I yelled, muffled by my pillow.

"Alright then. Stand back." I groaned and put my head deeper into my pillow. Suddenly I heard the door slide open and I heard footsteps coming closer. "Susan." Jack said softly. Without looking I could see Jack's eyes wide when he took in the sight of my room. It looked like a tornado had blown through.

I felt a dip in my bed as Jack sat down on it. I didn't say anything. Jack put a hand on my right shoulder. I tensed. "Susan?" I shook my head. Tears were threatening to spill. Do not cry. I chanted in my head. Don't cry. Don't cry. "Susan, please look at me. See, I'm fine." He started to rub my back.

Oh that was the wrong thing to say. I thought. "But the other guys aren't." I mumbled to myself. I felt his hand freeze then slowly start up again.

"Susan." Jack sighed. "Susan, sit up."

I slowly sat up and looked at Jack. "You're okay?" I asked, barely audible.

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

I looked at Jack with a defeated look. "You.. you're not afraid of me?" I asked.

"Susan, why would I be afraid of you?"

"I... I killed people." I murmured and looked away. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jack lean forward and hug me. At first I tensed then I hugged him back, sobbing.

After a while Jack said, "It gets easier, you know."

"It does?" I asked between sobs.

"No, that's what we say to ourselves. It will never get better, but over time we will be able to live our lives again."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

Silence, then. "I've killed people too. On assignments for the Agency. Susan, hey, look at me." I lifted my head and looked up at Jack through tear stained eyes. "It never gets easier but you get better at controlling it."

I awoke the next morning to just the right amount of sun streaming through the window. I yawned and opened my eyes and almost gave myself a heart attack. Jack's face was right next to mine. My eyes widened and I blushed, trying not to move and to savor the moment. He looked so peaceful and calm with that small cute smile on his face.

Jacks arms were around me, holding me tight. And, of course this was the moment that I had to go to the bathroom. I wondered when the characters on the t.v. shows went to the bathroom, because they only did so if it was essential to the plot. I sighed and thought about something else.

Jack's nose scrunched up and his eyes blinked open. "Hey." He mumbled, half asleep.

I smiled. "Hi." I blushed. We didn't say anything for a bit then I burst out, "I have to go to the bathroom!" I streaked out of the bed and into the bathroom.

After I was done, I debated coming out or not. I hadn't seen Jack in over two weeks and I slept with him! Guaranteed, nothing happened, but it was still awkward. I sighed and opened the door, went over back to my bed and lied down next to Jack. I rolled over onto my side, put my right fist underneath my chin and stared at Jack. "Hey. Sorry about that."

"It's okay. As long as you're up." Jack said, still smiling. Jack shifted and copied my image. "So, I say we both skip work and I take you out on a romantic day, ending with a picnic at a park."

I smirked. "You came up with that when I was in the bathroom, didn't you."

Jack let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah."

I smiled. "Well, it's about time that I get out. Maybe it will help me get my mind off of things." My smile wavered.

"Well first, get dressed " Jack said as he got up from the bed, groaning and his back cracking as he

did so. "I'm getting old." He complained then he continued. It was a good thing he didn't notice my

smile vanish. "Meet me downstairs in five." He left.

I sighed and flopped back down on my bed.

After getting into my cloths I walked down the stairs to the smell of... "Bacon?" I asked Jack as I sat down at the table.

"Yep." Jack said looking over his shoulder from his position in the kitchen. "Thought you would like them. It's an old Earth classic."

"Classic?" I asked, my eyebrows raised and a smirk on my face. "And how old am I and what century am I from?"

Realizing his mistake, Jack stuttered. "Um."

My smirk widened. "You actually don't know my age, do you?"

"Um." Jack mumbled, his back turn, but I could tell that he was blushing and mentally smacking himself.

"For your information, I'm twenty one, almost twenty two."

"When's your birthday?" Jack asked.

"Next month." I responded.

After the memories of bacon brought me back to the twenty first century, I refocused my thinking to the fifty first century. Jack and I were walking along the streets of the city, looking at the stores and just casually walking for once. No walking fast, jogging or running.

Just walking down the street.

Holding hands.

I blushed and looked down. "Susan, what's wrong?" Jack asked.

I lifted my head up. "Nothing. It's just... I never really get a chance to do this. It's always running or saving the world, most of the time I do those things at the same time. This is the first time in a very long time where I can... you know... relax." I blushed. "And hold hands and do proper date stuff."

Jack looked at me. "Saving the world?"

"Torchwood. Lots of work saving the Earth from invasions." I said, avoiding the words Time Lords. It wouldn't do to create a paradox now.

"It must have been hard work." Jack remarked. "You know, saving the Earth and all that."

"Yeah, it was... is... um...ugg. I hate tenses." I stomped my right foot down in protest.

Jack laughed. "It's okay. And this is, well, a nice break for me too."

After walking around for a bit, Jack took me out to lunch then we ended up at a park, which was the only green spot in the whole city. It looked absolutely beautiful. Jack had spread out a picnic blanket out on the grass by a small pond in a secluded part of the park. Jack had explained that no one really knew it was their unless they liked wandering off the path.

Jack and I were laying out on the picnic blanket staring at the sky, watching the sun fade. It was like one of those days that finally went right. There was no attacks on the planet. There was no running, no secret plots and no saving the planet or universe.

"So " Jack started. I turned my head to him. "How did you like today?"

"It was... strange. I never really had much free time or time to set aside a day at all." I paused. "I liked it." I said, with surprise.

Jack smiled. "I'm glad."