Ch5: The Immortal Aristocrat
Jack still can't believe it. His own son (well, not his, but parallel Jack's son, which practically is him since the bloke's dead,) is now lying lifeless on the autopsy table because of him.
He hadn't even got the chance to know him properly, but the emptiness in his guts tells him otherwise. There's a connection, a bond between the two of them that can't be denied. The military coat just like his – parallel Jack must've given it to him. The blue-green tint in his eyes, the shape of his jaw, the height… He must've inherited it from him. The strange scent of apples and cinnamon he whiffed at the vaults, it smells very much like his deceased mother; 51st century pheromones. The mild sarcasm, almost everything about Janto was from him - some of the remarkable traits he passed on.
Now Jack's not pissed with himself, not suicidal, just completely, utterly empty. He went on his usual fortress; his only resort whenever he just feels like the whole world is crushing down on him.
Meanwhile, a desperate gasp broke the silence inside the hub, followed by a grunt of discontent from the corpse that was on the autopsy table just about a second ago. The whole of Torchwood – save Jack and Anwen - wheeled around just in time to see Janto bolt upright, his hand rubbing the back of his head.
Rhys sighed. "Thought you're not gonna wake up there, kiddo."
"Nope, I'm still not getting used to that 'getting hauled in a sea of broken glass' thingy. I wonder how my Dads ever got around to that kind of feeling." He groaned, craning his neck side by side.
Tosh approached Janto and handed him a glass of water. "Jack didn't mean any of it, dear."
"I know, I know. He just looks shocked, and I had a fairly clumsy moment. And really sorry about those bombs, Tosh." He gulped a mouthful of water and continued, "Shall we wake up Father and tell him, then? That… That the Captain's here, I mean."
"The vault will open at the right time, and it might not be long from now. Talk to Jack first; he might not recognise your Father." Gwen replied, looking solemn.
"I don't have anything to say, just get off my autopsy table, Jones." said Owen, who still look repulsed at someone alive sitting on his autopsy table.
"Alright, whatever pleases you, spoilsport. Gotta go get the Captain and talk to him, anyway. Getting off, getting off…" and with that, Janto jumped carelessly off the autopsy table and landed on all fours. Owen winced.
Janto rushed off to the stairs. Upon reaching the landing, he looked back at the stunned faces on the hub and ran his long fingers through his dishevelled ash-brown hair, speaking on his beautiful Welsh tone once more.
"And one more thing, it's Harkness. Janto Jones-Harkness." He winked and hurried off, the hem of his grey military coat flaring behind him.
"One second he's the diplomatic teaboy, then the next, he's a flirtatious bloke." Gwen states, her face deadpan.
All four of them stared after Janto with their mouths partly hanging. Tosh is the first one to crack, and they all started laughing.
"I'll tell you one thing, though. That is completely Jack's genes at work." Owen affirmed.
And while the Torchwood team's laughing their asses off to Janto's sporadic split-personality, Jack was still sitting on the roof of the Millennium Centre, silently having a mini-breakdown until a voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Captain, can I have a word with you, sir?"
Jack stood still, shocked, at the familiarity of the voice. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with none other than Janto Jones himself. Jack looked at him incredulously, taking a step away from him every second.
"Did you just came back to torment me?"
"I'm not a ghost, if that's what you mean." Janto said simply.
Jack felt uneasy. Mourning for a person closely linked to your blood is one thing, but facing a resurrected person that died because of your fiery temper – hell, that's different.
"Huh. You're… alive? But there's no way you could survive those state-of-the-art explosive…"
"I am immortal, sir. Or quite so… I die, but I just keep coming back."