A Night on the Town
Later that morning, dressed in his scholar robes, John found himself wondering out towards the school's shooting grounds. As he neared the field, he saw a tall man dressed in a similar outfit of his own, the only difference being that this gentleman wore knee-high outdoor boots and was not wearing the school-requires hat. As he walked closer towards the other man, he could see that he had a ruggedly handsome face, with short brown hair. As the man turned towards him, he reached out his hand to shake John's in greeting. "Nice to meet you, must be Mr Smith," he stated in a thick American accent. "My name is Jack Harkness, but you can call me Jack."
"Nice to meet you, I'm John," he introduced himself, shaking the other man's hand in greeting. "I'm guessing you are the school's artillery teacher?" he asked.
"That I am," Jack agreed. "Now let me show you where you will be needed." John spent the rest of the morning assisting Jack with his weapons class; showing the school children the correct way to load and wield a gun. After they had finished cleaning all the firearms away, ensuring that they were locked away, Jack slung an arm around John's shoulders. "You're alright, Johnny boy," he declared as they walked back towards the teacher's dorm rooms. "So, any plans for tonight?" Jack asked.
"No, no plans," John shrugged. "I'll probably head to my room and get started on my lesson plans for the next week."
Jack suddenly stopped walking and turned to face John head on. "That's it?" he asked incredulously, "that's all you have planned for your Friday night?" John just shrugged, not sure what else to say. "Nope, I'm not having that," Jack declared in his thick accent. "You and I are off to the pub tonight, Johnny boy. A few drinks at the local watering hole will do you some good."
Not sure what else to say, John agreed, "sure, sounds fun. What time do you want to go?"
"I've still got another two classes this afternoon," Jack informed him. "Why don't I meet you at 'The Bad Wolf' in town at around seven this evening?" he asked.
"Sure, I'll see you then," John said as he bid his new friend farewell.
"See you there, my friend," Jack declared as he strolled away, heading towards his own study.
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
Later that evening, John found himself strolling along the dirt path towards the local village. John hadn't realised how cold the crip October air was until now, and was glad he had decided to dress warm, in his long coat and scarf before he had left the school. John hoped that he would soon arrive at the local inn; his fingers were beginning to go dumb. He didn't think the pub was that far from the school, when he had first arrived, he had spent the day exploring the local village and had stopped off at that very pub for some lunch. It took no more than five minutes for John to reach his destination, when he began to wonder if he were meeting Jack inside or if he should wait outside for him. It didn't take John long to ponder on his thoughts, for as he reached, the entrance, he saw Jack leaning against the door frame.
"John!" Jack exclaimed as he pulled John in for a hug. "What took you so long?" Jack asked as he slung an arm around the other's shoulders and began to guide him inside. "I've already got us a table and there's a pint waiting with your name on it."
"Oh, I don't drink very often," John protested.
Jack laughed, "I'll soon change that."
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
It was barely ten in the evening when John had decided they should head back to the dormitory. John wasn't sure how he was going to get his friend back to the school, he was currently sitting at the end of the bar singing sea shanties. "I think that's enough for tonight, Jack, let's go," he coaxed as he helped his new friend into his coat.
Jack stubbled as he leapt off the counter, "you're alright, Johnny boy," he announced as he patted John's face. "You are a lot more fun than I first thought," Jack stated in his drunken intoxication, clearly his filter had gone. "When I first saw you, I thought you were going to be one of those stuck-up teachers who didn't know how to have any fun."
"You're a lot of fun as well, Jack," John laughed as he slung his friend's arm around his own shoulders so that he could support his weight and escort him back to school grounds. "Although, maybe next time you shouldn't drink so much," John states, he didn't realise how heavy Jack was until he was supporting all his weight. He was lucky that John was strong and was able to lift the majority of his weight.
Jack was almost passed out as the pair walked along the path towards the school. Although a better description would be stubbled down the path in Jacks case as John was practically dragging his new friend back home. As he half carried, half walked Jack back to the school, John began to think about the night they had together. He remembered back to the conversation at the start of the night when the pair had talked about courtships.
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
"So, John," Jack began as he took a sip of his pint. The pair had just finished talking about John's life in London and discussing the reasons why he had left the big city for a small village in the countryside. "Are you married?" Jack asked, he hoped the rumours were true and the John was a bachelor. Although, same-sex relationships were frowned upon during this time, he was still able to sniff out the odd gentleman in the closet who was up for some fun in private.
"No, not married," John replied sadly. This shocked him as he could sense a longing in his voice and began to wonder if it were time he found a woman and settled down. "How about you?" he asked his colleague.
"Nope, not married," Jack replied with a flirtatious grin, "although I am never one to turn a person down who is up for some Jack loving." Jack couldn't help but laugh at the incredulous look on John's face.
"Well, I never," John gasped.
"Anyway, is there anyone here that had taken your fancy?" Jack probed hoping to get a reaction out of him.
John began to think of the mysterious angel in his dreams, his Rose. Deciding that telling Jack about her would make him think he were insane, he decided to tell him a lie. "Nope, no one so far as caught my eye… yet" John replied as he took a sip of his own pint.
"Anyway, enough of this soppy talk," Jack declared as he stood up to head back to the bar. "Let's get drunk."
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
John realised that was the point where it all went downhill. It hadn't taken Jack long to drink his way into a drunken stupor. John was just relieved that Jack was a happy drunk and not an angry one. After twenty minutes of stumbling down the pathway in the dark, they arrived back at the school gates, much to John's relief. As the pair stumbled up the stairs in the faculty dormitory, John's relief faded away as he realised that he did not know which room was Jacks. Knowing that he did not have many options, John placed his friends down on the ground in a sitting position so that he could attempt to wake him up and find out which room was his own.
"Jack," John called gently as he began to shake his friend awake. "Jack," he tried again, with a harder shrug to the shoulders. "Jack, you need to wake up and tell me which one is your dorm," John tried once last time to wake his friend.
Jack barely opened his eyes as he let out a loud laugh, which John tried his best to hush him. "That one there," Jack said as he pointed straight ahead of him. John's smile faded as he turned around to see that Jack had pointed at a blank wall. Shaking his head in disbelief, John turned back around to face his friend once more, only to let out a huff of frustration; seeing his friend now passed out on the floor.
John knew he had no other option than to let his friend sleep on the couch in his study. He couldn't leave him on the ground for the maids to find him in the morning, he would likely give them all a fright. Using the last of his strength, John heaved Jack up into an upright position, propping him against the wall. He then threw one of Jack's arms around his own shoulders and used one arm to grip the drunken gentleman around the waist. Thankfully his dorm was only a few steps down from where they were.
Walking through the doorway, John used the remainder of his strength to pull Jack in through the doorway and place him down on the couch. Ever the gentleman, John bent down and removed Jack's boots before placing a pillow under his head. Seeing his friend passed out on the couch, John let out a little chuckle before heading to his bathroom to perform his nighttime duties before changing and getting into his own bed. "Goodnight, Jack," John whispered as he blew out the candle on his bedside table.
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
John was the first to wake up the next morning. As he looked out the window, he could barely see the sun rising above the trees. The sound of the clock on the mantel piece startled him and made him look towards it. Seeing that it was almost half past six in the morning, John knew it was time to wake his friends. Luckily for them, the maids didn't start their rounds until seven on the weekends. Rubbing the sleep from his face, John stood up, tied his robe around his waist and made his way over to his friend.
"Jack," he said as he shook the American on the shoulders. "Jack it's almost seven, you have to leave," John said as he gave another shove to his friend's shoulders.
"What? Where am I?" a confused Jack said as he began to stir. Looking around he saw that he was in one of the school's dormitories, just not his own. As he continued to look around, he hoped that he didn't sleep with another faculty member. The last thing he needed was finding out he had slept with the matron. That surely would not go over well with the headmaster as he was the kind of guy that 'loved them and leaved them.' Jack let out a sigh of relief when he saw John Smith stood behind him at the end of the couch. "What happened?" Jack asked as he sat up into an upright position.
"You had way too much to drink last night at the pub," John laughed as he remembered Jack's antics the previous night. "You were sat on the bar last night singing sea shanties at the top of your voice."
"That's all?" Jack asked in disbelief. When John nodded in affirmation, Jack let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Lord, I've done worse things when I've been sober," Jack stood up and began to place his boots back on his feet. "Anyhow, how come I slept here on your couch?" Jack questioned as he laced his boot back up.
"Oh, that is because when I dragged you up the stairs last night, I realised I did not know which one was your room," John explained as best he could. "And when I asked you where your room was located, you laughed and pointed in front of you." Jack nodded as he explained his reasoning. "Which was very helpful except that you pointed at a blank wall," John chuckled to himself, now seeing the funny side to their antics last night. "And rather than letting the headmaster discipline you for your drunken actions, I decided it would be best if I left you to sleep on my couch."
"Eh," Jack shrugged. "You could have just left me outside the pub; I've slept in worse places before," he said as he stood and placed a hand on John's shoulder. "Thanks anyway, I had fun last night. We've got to do it again soon," he promised.
"What was that?" John asked as a strange beeping sound could be heard coming from somewhere in the room. John tried his best to locate where the bizarre sound was coming from.
"I had best be off," Jack said as he looked at the Vortex Manipulator on his wrist. This was the sole purpose of him being employed at the school. Knowing that more activity was being detected, Jack made a quick mental note of the approximate location before leaving a bewildered John behind. John wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but he decided to use the day catching up on some much-needed rest. He may even use the afternoon to finish his lesson plans for the following week.
– Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf – Bad Wolf –
When the Doctor had abandoned him at the Game Station, he had used his Vortex Manipulator to send him back to the early twenty-first century so that he could wait for his return. However, he had got the time slightly wrong and landed in 1969. Now after almost, half a century and four 'deaths', Jack had realised that he was the man that didn't age nor die. Whilst he waited for a version of the Doctor to appear that knew him, he decided to help out where he could. He was currently working for the original Torchwood in Scotland. Since working for them he had learnt that its sole purpose was to protected Great Britain from extraterrestrial threats. Jack had a good laugh to himself when he saw that Torchwood's number one enemies were Sir Doctor and Dame Rose.
For the past six months, Torchwood had been tracking strange energy readings that seemed to centre in the small town of Farringham. Two months ago, he had convinced the head of Torchwood to let him go undercover at the school and monitor the strange readings. Since he had been based at the school, he had discovered that whenever a reading went off, a mysterious person would be found wondering around lost in the fields. One thing that all of the people had in common were that they all came from the future. Jack had found that some of the people that arrived came from this timeline, whereas others came from another, where they had blips in the sky and the country was ruled by a president not a queen.
When he had question some of the time-displacement victims, he found that almost all of them noted that they had seen some type of angel statue before they got sent back in time. Jack made a mental not of that information and wondered if they were 'The Lonely Assassin' he had heard stories about whilst he was in the Time Agency. Jack felt a brief pang of sadness, knowing that whoever he found would be trapped here with no way of returning home. Some of the victims he had helped, had become accustomed to their new lives, others had not. The unfortunate few had found it too hard to bear the thought of never having their lives back and had chosen to "opt out."
Jack wasn't quite sure what to expect when he arrived at the edge of the field. He just prayed to God that it would not be another child. That was the most heartbreaking case he had dealt with so far. Three weeks ago, when the time rift was active, he had found a scared boy, no more than the age of five. He was heartbroken when he told the boy he would never see his mommy again. Thinking back now, Jack was even more heartbroken for the boy, realising he would now have to grow up and survive two world wars. No child should ever have to deal with the heartbreaks of wars.
As Jack surveyed the field, scanning for any signs of life, he saw a golden-haired woman lying not far ahead of him. As he crept closes, he began to wonder what reaction this woman would have. Some people were in denial, others freaked out, and most just sat there crying in disbelief. Inching closer to the unknown woman, Jack began to feel a sense of familiarity coming from him. It was like he was connected to this woman somehow. As he knelt down in the grass, he gently turned the woman over onto her back so that he could assess her for injuries. What he saw when he turned her over was not something that he ever expected to see again.