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It was remarkable how often a casual, exploratory trip to a new planet would land the three time travelers in hot water, fighting for their lives. Today was another such event.
“Crystal Caves” was a misnomer, the Doctor had said; the glittering stalactites and stalagmites were formed just as those on earth were, but the unique mineral deposits and combination of extreme temperatures made these ones thin and translucent, glowing and reflecting the light from far above. Even more remarkable was the way the rocks began to whistle when the wind blew through the tunnels, like a thousand reed instruments.
Little did they suspect, when the Doctor led Jack and Rose into the caves, that the premises were already occupied. A twelve foot reptile that very much fit Rose's description of a fairy tale dragon was now trying its best to attack the small pink creatures invading its home, dodging in and out of the spaces between the rocks. It stood right between the three companions and the tunnel they'd entered through, blocking their escape.
The creature had blood on its mind, and Jack had seen enough near misses from that lethal tail to decide it was it or them. He unholstered his pistol and leveled it at the creature's throat.
“No!” A hand slammed into his wrist just as he pulled the trigger, and the blast connected with a bright yellow stalactite, setting its ringing hum echoing through the cave. The Doctor growled at him, “you are not killing it!”
“It's trying to kill us!”
“And maybe it has a very good reason for that! We're trespassing on its nest after all!”
“Oohhh, well since I'm obviously in the wrong I should just let it kill us, is that right?!”
“Would you two shut up and look?!” Rose pulled Jack and the Doctor's attention away from their tense head to head to see the enormous, winged reptile was swaying slightly, not as though it was blacking out, more like… dancing? Swaying? It listed from side to side like a charmed snake.
“The spikes!” the Doctor burst out, “the sound draws it in! Hypnotizes it! That must be why it chooses to nest in these caves, it's attracted to the noise they make!”
“I think we can distract it,” Rose sprinted to the edge of the cave and scooped up a handful of rocks, then chucked one as hard as possible at the nearest stalagmite. This one made a lower sound, the deep resonant bong of a church bell.
“Come on!” The Doctor dashed to the side, Jack following on his heels, and all three began pelting rocks at the rock formations, avoiding any too close to the creature in case they hit it and broke the spell. A haunting, discordant almost-music rang around the cavern, notes flaring and ebbing one after another in waves.
Soon the creature's legs began to bend. It caught itself, fighting the soporific effect of the chimes, trying not to fall asleep, but it eventually gave up the fight and lowered itself to the floor, curling itself into a cat-like doughnut.
The three who remained conscious turned as one, sprinting to the exit, Rose tossing the last of her rocks as she ran, for good measure.
They didn't stop running until they found their way back into the open air. Night had fallen, but fortunately they'd parked the TARDIS nearby. The glowing sign above the door could already be seen over the crest of the hill they had emerged onto.
As soon as it felt safe to speak, the Doctor rounded on Jack, eyes dark.
“I've told you before, Jack. If you keep reaching for a gun as the first solution, you can forget about traveling with me. Go ahead and turn on that little toy of a vortex manipulator and say your goodbyes, because I'm not having that.”
“Doctor, be fair, we were all scared,” Rose tried to calm him with a hand on his arm but the Doctor shrugged off her hand, still glowering at Jack.
“There's a big difference between using that thing for self defense,” he said, stepping closer to Jack and jabbing his finger at the holstered pistol, “and finding excuses to use it. I'm starting to wonder if you know the difference.”
“Bit rich, coming from you.”
“And what's that supposed to mean?”
“I was pretty sure you had plenty of experience with violence, Doc, or am I thinking of some other time war?”
“Jack!”
“It's fine, Rose,” the Doctor's voice was deadly calm. “That's right. That's me, the sole survivor of the time war. That's how I know, Captain. I know that it's the absolute final option, and I know how to destroy everything in my path and leave nothing behind. I know the cost.”
“I'm gonna fight to stay alive, even if that means getting my hands dirty.”
“Getting your hands dirty!” The Doctor barked an incongruous laugh, “you think that's all I'm afraid of? I misspoke, Jack, I am not the sole survivor of the time war. There were no survivors of the time war! The man I was before doesn't exist anymore.”
Jack's conviction began to falter in the face of the Doctor's anger. “Doctor…”
“Is there any piece of you that's still untainted, uncorrupted, Jack? Protect it. Fight for it. That's what I'm trying to do for you. Because I still see something worth protecting.” The Doctor poked Jack hard in the sternum, snarling, “someone worth preserving! But I won't bother if you won't lift a finger to save yourself.”
“Doctor.”
The Doctor began to turn away, but Jack grabbed him by the nape of his neck, forcing him to look Jack in the eye. “You are not tainted. You aren't corrupted.”
“You have no idea—”
“Listen! Do you think Rose and I would be here if you were that hopeless?”
“Maybe you're just that thick.”
“Don't give me that. If you were a lost cause, you wouldn't care. Not about the violence, not about me or Rose. You wouldn't care about saving anyone.”
The Doctor screwed up his face, protecting himself from the emotions Jack was stirring up. Jack looked to Rose hovering nearby, distressed at the argument unfolding in front of her, and he held out an arm to invite her into their huddle. She came close and wrapped her hands around both men's backs, pulling them close to her sides.
“I might not know who you were before the time war,” Jack went on, “but I don't need to. I don't even think I want to. You are the Doctor we know and love. Not whoever you were. Right, Rose?” The look he gave Rose wasn't teasing, he was just so certain that she felt the same as he did, he didn't question her response.
“Yes,” she said, squeezing them both a little tighter. Jack smiled at her and clasped her neck in the same way he held the Doctor. He looked back to the Doctor after a moment, eyebrows furrowed.
“There's no one in the universe like you, Doctor. I'm sorry. I didn't think…” He trailed off, and the Doctor finally caught his gaze, reading the thoughts behind his silence. Rose was watching them in fascination. There was a wordless conversation happening between the two men, like they were finally coming clean. All the little things they refused to say aloud fizzed in the air between them, Rose could practically hear it. “I'd be lucky to be anything like you, Doc.”
Without fanfare or hesitation, Jack pulled the Doctor's face close and kissed him. It was the only way to express everything Jack wanted to say. The Doctor showed no sign of surprise, he didn't pull away. When Jack finally did, he turned to Rose and stroked her cheek with his thumb before giving her the same chaste, warm kiss. His smile was so affectionate when he pulled from her that it made the gesture normal, natural.
There was a brief moment when all three thought the same thing, wondering whether Rose and the Doctor would complete the circle. They could leave it be, and all pretend Jack's affection was just that, the unrestrained, free love he always gave, whether or not it was reciprocated. But this was more than that, and they all knew it. There was something growing between the three of them that was becoming harder and harder to ignore.
Silently Rose and the Doctor turned as one and gave each other a brief, soft kiss. They pulled away again without meeting each other's eyes, but nonetheless, they'd completed the circuit, becoming active participants rather than silent observers. The three stood for a moment longer with their arms around each other, eyes averted and thoughts spiraling.
Finally the Doctor gave them both a quick squeeze.
“Let's get going.” He pulled away, and they returned to the TARDIS in silence.