Before I end this, I just wanna thank everyone for reading this and providing so much feedback on my first fanfic. It was fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. I also wanna thank PrimaDoctor for helping me come up with a way to end this because without PrimaDoctor this finale would have been much different than it is now and I doubt it would have been an ending you all would have liked. I'm actually proud of the way this ending turned out and I hope this is the ending you all like as well. Again, thank you all for the feedback and as with all my stories, I hope you've enjoyed it :)
And from there, The Two Captains had a beautiful friendship. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just a beautiful, uncomplicated friendship. Steve, on occasion, would drop by into Cardiff to see how his favorite soldier was and Jack, though rarely, came to America to see how his favorite soldier was doing. Though, when all Torchwood teams eventually died out, Jack was asked by Nick Fury (with some helpful persuasion from Steve of course) to enlist Jack as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. They laughed together. They cried together. Even fought together. When they needed comforting, whether it was for when Jack lost Ianto or when Steve lost Natasha, the mother of his only son James, they were always there for each other and never hesitated otherwise. They were always there to see the loves in each others lives. For Jack...Ianto, Alonso, Jenny, and now alone. For Steve...Martha, Rachel, Natasha, and now Sharon, Steve's wife. Jack was the best man at Steve's wedding actually. Years have passed...decades actually...and Steve is 75. Jack is...well, he lost count, but he still looks exactly the same way he did when he met Steve. But lately, age has finally caught up with Steve as he's on his death bed after suffering a pretty massive heart attack. He didn't want to die in a hospital. He said he's had too much artificial junk pumping through his veins for all these years so he wanted to die naturally in the privacy of his home in the comfort of his bed. All of his friends and loved ones had been visiting him for weeks. Most people had been surprised Steve stuck it out this long but what they didn't know was that Steve pulling on until he was able to say goodbye to one more friend...
"What do you mean you're not going to see him?"
Asked a confused, concerned, and enraged young man in his 30's with blond hair and blazing blue eyes (imagine someone like Max Thieriot) at Jack's doorstep.
"I'm sorry, James, I just...can't."
"My father is gonna be gone soon and you don't even say goodbye to him?"
"I'm sorry it's just...too.."
"Hard? Painful? You don't think I know that? You don't think it's been hard on me? My mom? Tony?"
"It's not as simple as you think it is."
"WELL...explain because I'm having a pretty hard time understanding why my father's best friend doesn't even wanna see him on his deathbed! You two are like brothers and you're just gonna-"
"That's the thing. He is just like a brother. More than that. My best friend. I've been..."
Jack gulps as he struggles to get the words out through how hurt he feels, which you can see in his eyes.
"I've been alive way...way...way too long. I've seen so many people come and go and die in my life...people I grew to love as my friends...I never knew me and Steve would last this long. I've seen too many of my friends die. I don't think I can handle seeing my favorite soldier..."
Jack tries hard to hold back his tears, but one tear manages to trickle down his left cheek. He quickly wipes it as he tries to suck up his pain.
There is a moment of somber silence before James begins to sympathize with Jack.
"Look, Jack, I can understand where you're coming from-"
Jack sarcastically laughs.
"No...you really don't. I wouldn't even want my worst enemy to understand how this feels."
"...but my dad needs you right now. He doesn't know how long he's gonna be around so the least you can do is come by and say goodbye. I know it won't be easy, but please, do it for him."
Jack is speechless, but he's thinking it over as he sulks. James looks annoyed.
"Fine, don't come. But remember he's dying. You're not. You'll be sulking and wondering 'what if' until this cookie crumbles."
James walks back to his car in front of the house. He opens the door but just before he gets in, Jack shouts to him...
"Hey James?"
James looks back up to Jack.
"Yeah?"
"You remind me of him everyday. You're just as much of a leader as he was. I hope you know that he's proud of you not only as the leader of The Avengers, but as the son he always wanted and many of us could hope for, believe me."
"Yeah I know."
"Your old man was...IS a great soldier. He may have spent the last few years as a consulting agent, but he will always be a soldier...one of the few legends that actually lives up to the legend."
"Tell him that yourself."
James gets in his car and drives off, leaving Jack on his porch to ponder what he should do next.
Later...
Sharon (crying), her son James, and a 70 year old Tony Stark sit in the living room of her home in silence. James is comforting his mother on the couch rubbing her back while Tony is sitting in a chair next to them. Tony leaps up and goes to the kitchen and rummages through cabinets and opens the refrigerator.
"Where do you keep the booze in here?"
"Tony, you've been sober 30 years. Don't break now."
"Well, excuse me, but I think it's a pretty damn good time to start drinking don't you?"
"Steve got you off the stuff! How do you think he'll feel if he knew you were using again?"
Tony thinks it over. Fuming with concealed rage, he slams the refrigerator door.
Sharon: "You two are the last of the original Avengers. You two fought like soldiers together. The least you can do is just be here for him as a friend. Someone has to-"
"Mom, he said he was coming."
"Really? Cause you went over his house 2 hours and I don't see-"
The doorbell rings.
James is about to get up before Tony comes out of the kitchen.
Tony: "Don't worry, I'll get it."
Tony walks towards the door, opens it, and there he sees Jack Harkness standing in the doorway.
"Hey Tony."
A grin comes across Tony's face.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Captain Sassy Ass."
They hug each other, just before walking in the living room.
"You look really good for your age."
Tony chuckles.
"You're one to talk."
Sharon gets up off the couch.
"It's about damn time you showed up."
Still in tears, she hugs Jack. Jack pats her a few times on the back.
"It's good to see you too, Sharon."
James: "I'm glad you came. Did you wanna see him now?"
Jack looks a little reluctant.
"Yeah."
James walks Jack upstairs to Steve's room. Up there, he takes him to the furthest room down the hall. To Jack, it feels like the longest walk in his life, and the hall isn't even that long. He opens the door to reveal a 75 year old Steve in bed, looking like Hell might I add. He has this old, droopy face that looks completely phased with wrinkles and lines painted by the brush of time. That well groomed hair that used to occupy his head in his youth is now gone and he has a bald spot. He's wearing brown, silk pajamas underneath his covers. The color and the life from Steve's face have pretty much vanished now. Jack has known Steve for so many years now, he never even thought about Steve's age or how old he started to look when they hung out. Looking at how bad he looked there in bed watching G.I. Joe on his flat screen tv, he just knew his time was almost up.
"Hey, dad...you've got a visitor."
Steve adverts his eyes slowly to his son and then looks up to see Jack. Despite all the pain in his face, a smile comes across the old man's face. Jack smiles back.
"Jack...good to see you."
Jack goes to his side, bends down on one knee, and wraps his arm around the man, still on his back in bed. Jack lets go and grabs Steve's hand, still on his knee, and holds it in his. James smiles, happy to finally smile for the first time in weeks. Steve goes to speak, though struggles to get his words out.
"James, could you leave us to talk, please?"
"Sure thing, dad."
James walks towards the door, but Steve stops him.
"Oh, and James..."
"Yeah, dad?"
"...I love you."
James nods his head in approval of his father's remark. A slight grin comes to his face.
"...I love you too, dad."
James walks out and gently shuts the door behind him. As soon as he shuts the door, he begins to break down and cry, but he covers his mouth to try and hide the sound of his sobs. He cries as if he knows that will be the last time he'll ever be able to say those words to his father and vice versa.
Inside, The Two Captains gaze in each other's eyes for awhile and then just burst out laughing, though Steve struggles to laugh through the pain. He coughs for a bit, bringing a concerned look in Jack's eyes.
"I'm glad you came. I was beginning to doubt it."
"You knew I was coming to see you. You're my favorite soldier."
"You're mine too. Though, you kiss like a sailor."
Jack looks petrified, still remembering that night at Buffalo's.
"Yeah, Jack, I remembered. Still remember too. I'm sick...not senile."
"How come you never said anything?"
"You know, I honestly don't know. After awhile, I guess it just never *cough cough* mattered. I mean, I was sure it wouldn't complicate things, but would it ever have made a difference?"
Jack contemplates the question for a bit.
"No...probably not."
Steve coughs a lot into his hand. He coughs a bit of blood, but his hand to his side quickly so Jack doesn't see it and worry.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah...for now. Shouldn't be long no-"
"Don't you dare."
"I'm sorry Jack. Not all of us can live forever. Some of us just have to accept death, just as you've accepted life, because we don't have a choice."
"Please, can we not talk about-"
"Fine...let's talk about life."
"What about it?"
"Well...there's something I always wanted to know...this...Doctor...how come I never met him? I mean, you could have introduced me just once."
Jack chuckles.
"The Doctor isn't an easy man to get a hold of. The last time I saw him was when me, him, and pretty much everyone we knew had saved the world from this alien race called the Daleks. Have ever I told you about the Daleks?"
Steve nods no.
"Well, they're like giant gold toilets that always try to destroy the world with these plungers on their heads."
Steve laughs.
"More end of the world talk. How often did we save the world?"
"How often did we see the end of the world?"
They both laugh; Steve a little more with ease but it's still pretty bad.
"Jack, if you don't mind my asking...do you forgive him? For doing...this..to you?"
Jack thinks it over, contemplating the question. A grin comes to his face.
"You know...The Doctor is the worst thing that ever came in my life...but at the same time...he's the greatest thing to ever happen to anyone. Sure, in this...condition...I'm in...I've seen so many people pass in and out of my life and it hurt everytime...but if I never met The Doctor...I wouldn't have been able to meet those people. I wouldn't have been able to see so many extraordinary places and things of unbelievable shapes and sizes. More importantly, if I never met The Doctor...I wouldn't have been able to meet you...and you Steve Rogers, from the bottom of my heart, is the greatest person I've ever met and probably ever will meet in my neverending life. You were always like a father, brother, a son, and just a flat out wonderful human being and I couldn't ask for a better...either of those. I love you, Captain."
The biggest smile you can ever imagine comes over Steve's face.
"Thank you. That means so much."
A tear trickles down Steve's face, still with a smile on his face.
"Now, I can finally die in peace. Now, I can die happy."
A shaken Jack gets a paniced look on his face.
"Wha...what?"
"You heard me, soldier. Everything hurts...now I think it's time to let go."
Steve's eyes look weaker and weaker as his eyes are slowly closing with a look on his face of pain and relief.
Tears already begin to pour down Jack's face.
"Steve...Steve you can't go!"
"It's ok Jack. Let's face it...you were gonna see me go sooner or later in your 'condition'. Now...just let me go. I love you...Captain."
Steve's face completely fades away now and his eyes roll in the back of his head as they close. Jack quickly leaps up and checks Steve's heart.
He's gone.
Steve died, still with a smile on his face.
Jack breaks down and cries with his face buried on Steve's chest.
1 year later
Daylight. We're in the middle of a graveyard. We see a tombstone reading...
R.I.P. Steve Rogers
Captain America
The REAL American Hero
Behind it is a giant golden statue of Captain America holding his shield and giving a thumbs up. In front of the tombstone is Roger's shield.
A man is approaching the tombstone. It's Jack. He's holding a rose.
He kisses the rose and puts it gently on the tombstone.
"So...hey there kid...long time no see...hmm...funny as long as I've been alive, I can't remember the last time I've even been to a cemetery. I guess when you live forever, you wanna stay away from the dead so it doesn't kill your vibe."
Jack chuckles, in awkward silence.
"I don't know why I'm here. I don't even know why I'm talking to myself. I never believed in the afterlife...but I can only hope you hear something, where ever you are. I've moved on like you wanted me to. I've even been thinking about settling down. Met a nice guy recently so that's a start. His name's Will but it doesn't matter right now. I guess I came by for...I don't know...closure. You always gave me this warm feeling inside and gave me a reason to actually enjoy this long life everytime I saw it. Just because I couldn't see you or feel you...I guess I thought I could feel your aura if I came here. I definitely feel something. I don't know, just something. I hope you're better and happy wherever you are. I'm doing a better. Like I said things are looking up now. I don't know if I'll be here again so I hope this is just a proper goodbye, Steve. No matter how many years pass by, I'm gonna miss you but memories of the days we spent, the battles we fought, the drinks we had, the laughs we had, the smiles we shared...will always comfort me. I hope you knew that before you...left. I hope you know that now. Goodbye Steve. I l-"
Jack is cut off by a noise from afar...
In the distance, Jack can hear a very familiar sound in the distance...
the sound of the TARDIS.
He grins but instead of going to where he hears it...
He walks away in the opposite direction.
END
