A/N: The Year That Never Was comes to an end
Spoiler alert: Last of the Time Lords
Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian
Messages weren't being exchanged but from time to time his coffee became more tasteful and he knew Ianto was still watching him, with coffees started to came numbers, and short words were whispered or showed, all in shadows and blind spots of the cameras and Jack knew his team was working, he understood those signs and they started to practise synchronisation for the real deal. They all knew when the real deal will come down; the Master himself had determined it. In the last night before count down, when cameras were turned on and the whole world started to stare at a screen watching, fearing, and hoping. It was too hard to communicate for Jack to know what exactly would happen, but he knew enough to do his part in the deal. The Master didn't really count on him to be a threat, especially because they did regularly organise small riots that the Master would easily deflect, that kept him confident and them in sync. The last exercise was just before Martha's return, to make the Master less jumpy.
Jack used the last months to slip through the guards' ears knowing they would be willing to follow him when the time came. He didn't flirt, not here, not with them, he talked about betrayal, about his tasks, anecdotal tales with small points, nothing offensive, just things that would trigger the soldiers in them to see him as their senior, a person they guard and kill but just because there was no other way to prevail. Seeing him surviving everything did help.
This last attempt had to be extra believable, that's why Jack broke his chains instead just unlocking them, he was resourceful with cuffs. After he revived in a new cell and without new pair of cuffs he knew the time was near. It was the longest night sitting and waiting for the outcome, the Master was crazy, Jack knew that all too well, and he could always just kill Martha, that wouldn't ruin their plan, but it would diminish the faith that people had in her. When they brought him in during the morning countdown he was happy to see her alive, it was relief, but he still feared for her, he had previous experience with paradoxes so he knew some things would remain unchanged, some deaths would stay, the closer they were to the centre the more likely it was to stay permanent. Martha laughed bravely in the face of danger and Jack's heart warmed up. Then there was the time to change everything. The Doctor started to dazzle and fly and it was brilliant to see him restored his old self. Jack closed his eyes and poured all his trust in the Doctor out of his heart and he knew they had won.
"Captain, the paradox machine" Doctor shouted and Jack jumped on his queue, it was his turn.
"You men, with me. You stay here" he said firmly and as expected they lined up behind him and obeyed his orders. He was in the lead. Of course nothing was ever that easy so he had to fight and die painfully from those damn flying balls, but he almost didn't fall from his feet, purpose and adrenalin kept him going, reviving in a flash. After he closed the door of the Tardis with the key he had safely guarded, he pumped bullets in that horrific machine and soon everything started to shake throwing him on the ground. He closed his eyes with relief, everything would be erased.
When everything calmed down he jumped on his feet knowing nothing was over until the Master was sorted. He arrived just in time to catch him.
"Whoa big fellow" he grabbed him with delight. "You don't want to miss the party. Cuffs" he handcuffed him firmly "So, what do we do with this one?" He said looking at the unrepentant Master.
He felt anger that Francine felt holding that gun, he understood that, but he also understood what the Doctor was saying, killing the man in cuffs changes you, Jack knew that.
Jack was unsettled by Doctor's solution to always be on guard for the Master.
"It's time to change." He said looking at him, explaining himself to Jack. "Maybe I was wandering for too long. Now I've got someone to care for." Jack could connect with those words, he could see himself in them, there wasn't just duty, there was a hope that things would change, that a friend he once had in the Master could rise again, but then came the shot and everything changed, the chance was gone. Jack cried watching as the Master died, he never thought he would do that, but watching the Doctor losing last of his kind again, and to once again suffer his solitude that would last for centuries was too much.