Chapter Text
A dreary Cardiff night was not what John had planned to walk into. Why would Jack Harkness be hiding in such a dull looking place? All of space and time and he ended up here? Well, no one would expect it at least. Time to grab some attention and get old Jack to pay attention. Shouting punctured the silence of the night and, for once, it wasn’t directed at John. Though he suspected it was about to be. He approached the two men who were scuffling with interest. Knives? Very vintage. His therapists words floated through his thoughts.
“There’s always the choice to walk away. You don’t even need to use your words. Find something better to do.” Such easy words to spout when you were the type to sit behind a desk and blather on all day. In practice it didn’t work out as well. Just walking away led to the exact monotony that made him want to drink, that or got him stabbed in the back and circled right back round to murder. Or at least grievous bodily harm. Anything to cut the boredom. He was barely even listening when the man with the adorably small knife pointed it towards him. John fired the pistol he kept on his right side before he even thought about it. That was a bit quick if he was honest but the other guy started it. At least he was good enough to leave a little message with. In fact, John thought, the shell shocked guy that was being mugged before he got there could be useful.
“You… You killed him.” The man who’d not dared to move gasped.
“Yes I did. Now, you can do me a favour.”
Gwen hated vehicle chases when Jack was driving. He rarely considered the comfort of those inside the SUV when throwing the thing around corners at borderline suicidal speeds. The fish man, or blowfish as Ianto had christened it, had been dealing drugs to his friends. Said friends decided they wanted to take over the business. They would have most likely been able to if they hadn’t turned against each other. From everything Torchwood had found the one driving the stolen convertible in front of them was the last of the gang.
“Can we stop him without me having a concussion?” She complained, bracing herself as the tyres screeched, barely holding onto the road.
“You could help the situation by shooting out his tyres.”
“I am not leaning out of that window.”
Owen sighed and rolled down his own window, clambering up so he could see properly. Tosh reached over and grabbed his belt to stop him toppling out and being spread across the road. The car weaving in front of them wasn’t the easiest target to hit but neither were most of the things Owen found himself firing at. The cars back tyre blew, sending the vehicle spinning out and into a tree. The driver, who had apparently not been wearing a seat belt, was launched into the air and landed hard against someones garden wall. Owen slid back into his seat in time to prevent himself being thrown forwards as Jack brought the SUV to a stop. Jumping out Gwen cringed at the mess that had been left. The police could deal with the car wreck itself but the mess that had once been an alien was all up to them to clear. Gwens mobile rang in her pocket. It took her a moment to realise it was even hers as it was midnight and that wasn’t Rhys’ ringtone. She squinted at the screen.
“Andy? You know it’s midnight.”
“I know, I know, sorry. You know a Captain Jack Harkness, don’t you?”
“Why?” She switched it on to loudspeaker and waved Jack over.
“We just got this bloke in. He called us to say he’d been mugged and someone had walked up and shot the mugger. He says the one who did it was asking for Jack Harkness.”
“Did you get a description of this man?”
“He was apparently wearing a red jacket with gold details. Kind of military.” It was clear he was reading from a statement. “Brown hair, high cheekbones, possibly american. Carrying a sword. Apparently pretty hard to miss. I’m sorry to call you this late but it’s all a bit odd.”
The look on Jacks face said he knew exactly who was being described.
“Where was this?” She asked, keeping him from taking her phone.
“I’ll send you an email with all of the files. Should I expect this to become a Torchwood case by tomorrow then?”
“You know I can’t talk about it.”
“Can’t blame me for trying.”
John downed what was left in the bottle of whisky. He liked having a bar to himself but usually he liked the bartender to stick around. If nothing else the alcohol around this place wasn’t too bad. He couldn’t imagine trying to wait sober. He was just reaching over the bar for another bottle when he heard someone walk in.
“Not a bad view to walk in to.” Jack said.
John smiled to himself before throwing the bottle in his old friends direction. He deflected it, his reflexes just as sharp as they’d always been, but it gave John the chance to land a punch. Jack retaliated with a kick to the gut that sent the time agent sprawling across the floor.
“You still don’t pull your punches, huh?” John smirked, pulling himself to his feet. “Took you long enough.”
“You know I’m always fashionably late. I’ve got to make an entrance.”
“And I’m the only one here. Shame.”
“That’s your own fault. What are you doing here?”
John frowned and sat on one of the bar stools. “Can’t a guy just visit?”
“People can.” He sat next to him. “You can’t. How did you even find me?”
“I can always find you. You up for a job? Like old times.”
“I got out of that business a long time ago.”
“Not even for a diamond the size of your head?”
Jack chuckled. “If there was something like that on this planet I’d know about it.”
“Oh come on, hiding out in the most boring place in the universe isn’t like you.”
“I’ve changed since you went to rehab. How’s that going for you?”
He laughed and looked over at the collection of empty bottles. “It went great. As soon as they let me out I decided to donate everything I had to an orphanage and went off to heal the sick.”
“So that’s why you’re looking for a diamond the size of my head.”
“I’ve got to fund being a saint somehow.”
“Look, I don’t need the time agency to start snooping around here. I’ve got people to protect.”
“Really? Did you get knocked up or something?”
“No. I’m just living life.”
“I have to see who managed to tame Jack Harkness. They must be amazing.”
Jack shook his head. “Go home John.”
“You don’t want me to go anywhere. I know something you’re gonna want to hear.”
“Like what?”
“Help me and I’ll tell you. Deal?”
Gwen didn’t like sitting outside, waiting. She partially understood why Jack wanted to go in there on his own, if this person knew him, but it still made her uneasy. She knew everyone felt the same and the tension in the air was borderline unbearable. Owen nudged her in the arm as two figures emerged.
“Oh, now I get it.” John smirked, viewing the team.
Jack sighed. “They’re not… This is my team. Most of it anyway. Everyone, this is John. We used to work together.”
“We did more than work.”
“What happens in a time loop, stays in a time loop.” The captain teased.
Owen rolled his eyes. “God, there’s two of them. Can we go? I’m freezing my arse off out here and I just heard sirens heading our way.”
“Good idea. Give Ianto a heads up, we’re going to need to make space in weapons storage.”
“Wait, why?” John side eyed his old friend who just smiled innocently.
Ianto didn’t know if it was the fact that this man was Jacks ex, or the fact that he’d taken to calling Ianto “eye candy” , but all the welshman wanted to do was throw this overconfident bastard out. It didn’t help that the stranger had been carrying enough weaponry to keep their armoury stocked on his body. Ianto hadn’t quite worked out how, or if he really wanted to know.
Jack was finding it all mildly entertaining if he was honest. “And the lip balm.”
“Can’t you get your own? I mean I know you’re in a tough spot working here but-” John pouted.
“Now”
He sighed and took the small canister from the inside pocket of his jacket, and handed it over. “What next? Do you expect me to strip? Because I can.”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Completely. You’re going to hate what I’m going to ask for.”
“I only do that on your birthday… Or my birthday.” He expected Jack to laugh but he simply looked down at Johns wrist. “No.”
“I promise you’ll get it back when this is done, but you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. At least important to me.”
Jack had always had a knack for getting into Johns head. That’s why they’d been paired up in the first place. He’d planned to spin some tale about bombs and trying to save people, but the moment he’d looked into those blue eyes he knew he couldn’t. He’d been honest. Honesty was bitter and left you feeling like you wanted to throw someone off a roof. The secret he’d been holding out as bait for his ex lover poked at the back on his mind. If he just told Jack and then immediately got out of there, maybe he’d follow. It could be like old times again. No. They’d both changed since back then and this wasn’t going to make it easier. John unclasped the vortex manipulator from his wrist and held it out.
“If you plan on keeping it you know I can detonate it remotely.” He said, completely serious, keeping his grip on the leather strap for just a moment longer than would be natural.
Jack took it and added it to the pile of Johns belongings that were then taken away. “Now we can talk.”
“An old friend of mine ended up here. They still owe me and all I want is what’s in their pockets.”
“We haven’t found any diamonds.”
“It’s the map. Or at least part of it. I get that, I find the rest, I get my prize and you get what I know.”
“And no one esle dies.”
“As long as they keep out of my way I’m sure I can keep my hands to myself.”
“Owen, show him the list of bodies from the last two weeks. Try not to shoot him.”
Gwen waited until Owen had led John out of sight, and hopefully earshot, to approach Jack. “Are you going to explain what’s going on? Properly. I doubt you’d do this for just any of your exes, especially one who killed a man.”
“He knows something important.”
“Which is?”
“With him that could be anything from finding the best biscuits in the universe to there being an apocalyptic solar event about to turn the Earth into an ashen wasteland.”
“Those are two very different things.”
“Not to him. He gets his diamond and we get to know what he’s keeping to himself.”
“No offence Jack but what the hell were you thinking dating someone like that?”
“We were young, partnered up, stuck in a time loop together for longer than is good for anyones sanity, and those cheekbones. I couldn’t resist.” He smirked.
“Jack…”
“I was a different person back then. If anything, it looks like rehab made him worse.”
“Rehab?”
“Alcohol, murder-”
“That’s not rehab, that’s prison. You’re talking about prison.”
He chuckled.
“Rhys is going to be pissed I’m still here.”
“Isn’t he always?”
“Well, tonight was special.”
“Oh?”
She suddenly had his full attention. “We weren’t in the middle of anything when you called, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I didn’t suggest a thing.”
“Well…” She held up her left hand, showing the ring decorating her finger. “He might have proposed.”
He gasped and grinned with a warmth she appreciated. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks… We went to dinner and he got down on one knee and everything. I knew he had something planned.” She couldn’t hide her smile any more. “I was supposed to tell my parents first but being as I’m here.”
Tosh peeked over her desk, having overheard in the relative silence, with her hands over her mouth. Jack pointed Gwen over to her so he could slip away and make sure none of the weapons they’d confiscated were wired to explode.