Fic: A Not So Random Stranger
Title: A Not So Random Stranger
Words: 2,200
Characters: Jack, Suzie
Rating: R (for language)
Warning: None.
Spoilers: DW Boomtown.
Summary: He was bored, and she was there.
Beta: Thanks to kahtyasofia for the beta!!!
Author's Notes: Just a missing scene, nothing fancy ;)
Disclaimer: Really, I don't own anything. I don't even own my car.
It was done. Jack had nearly singed his fingers multiple times and he was sure the Doctor was going to come back and point out at least six things he'd done wrong, but as far as he could tell he had successfully connected Extrapolator to the TARDIS engines. Now all he had to do was wait.
The Doctor was off having an enjoyable dinner with a sociopathic alien; and Rose had run off with the idiot Mickey, leaving Jack to his own devices. He had the overwhelming urge to go explore Cardiff. He'd never actually been to early twenty-first century Earth before. (Well, he'd been once, but it was only for two hours and he’d spent the whole time handcuffed to a Judoon in a dark room, so he didn't really count that as a visit.)
As he popped his head out the door of the police box and tried to decide in which direction to go, a little voice, which strangely enough sounded like the Doctor, told him it probably wasn't best to leave the TARDIS. Jack looked back into the TARDIS for a moment, and then out at the Plass where people were bustling on their way. In his mind he made a compromise; he'd just go out on the Plass for a bit but stay near the TARDIS in case of a problem. Satisfied he'd made the right decision, he stepped out on to the Plass and into the cool night air.
Jack strolled to water's edge, taking in the bay. He watched the people; they were so caught up in their lives they didn't even notice him. It was like that everywhere; people were always so involved in their own worlds they never noticed the stranger that didn't belong. Not till he wanted to be noticed of course. He watched a pretty woman with curly dark hair cross the Plass and smiled to himself. She had a force about her, with a determined stride and a bag flung carelessly over her shoulder. It was as if she had somewhere to be and to hell with anyone who dared get in her way.
The woman suddenly paused and looked at Jack as if she had felt his stare. She was all of fifteen paces from him, so he just flashed her his most charming smile. She didn’t seem impressed. Instead, she frowned and started walking towards him. Perhaps, tonight was going to be more interesting than he first thought.
"Hello," he said giving her another winning smile as she drew near.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him and said, "Don't even try that Harkness. I've had a hell of a day."
The bottom of Jack's stomach sank and he felt his mouth tighten. How did she know who he was?
The woman dropped her bag at his feet and sat down on the ground with her legs dangling freely under the railing. She looked up at him expectantly and he realized that she was waiting for him to sit next to her, so he careful lowered himself to the ground.
"So aren't you going to ask me why I had such a shitty day?" she inquired, propping her head on the railing as she looked at him. The woman seemed perfectly at ease as if they did this all the time. That didn't bode well with Jack.
She knew him, and he realized that somehow he'd crossed his own timeline. He gave her a sheepish grin knowing that he should make up some excuse and leave. It was a dangerous game when you started messing with your own timeline, but something in her dark eyes kept him rooted in his spot. What harm could come from a little conversation?
"Why the bad day?" he prompted.
"Well, someone decided it'd be good fun to kidnap the Lord Mayor," the woman said with a piercing look that told him she was not impressed.
"Oh," Jack replied with an ominous feeling, wondering if the worst of the damage hadn't already been done.
"What were you thinking Jack?"
He opened his mouth to explain, but she waved an irritated hand to silence him.
"Do you know the day I've had trying to cover up that mess? How many people I had to Retcon down at city hall? And you don't even want to know what I had to do down at the police station to get the CCTV tapes. Poor PC Smithson may never be the same..."
The woman paused and Jack realized she waiting for him to say something. After he failed to produce any words for a long moment, she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him, "What? No inappropriate comment about PC Smithson's arse? Or how he carries himself in his uniform?"
Jack shrugged.
"What's with you?” The woman asked, eyes narrowing as they raked over him, “And what are you wearing?"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Jack asked mildly offended. Rose had picked it out assuring him that it suited the time period perfectly, and he trusted Rose not to lead him astray.
"It just isn't you, is it? And where did you find that brain trust that was helping you today? Honestly Jack, what was so important about the Mayor that you felt the need to send us all out of town and bring in outsiders?" she asked, her tone changing. It now sounded less accusing and bit more vulnerable, like she was really getting to the heart of the matter.
"It's complicated," he said, because it was and he didn't know how to explain to this woman that he didn't actually know who she was.
"Well, I'm pretty fucking clever so maybe try explaining it to me?"
Jack couldn't stop himself from laughing, and he suddenly knew why he liked her; no matter when in his life they met.
"I'm not sure I understand it myself... So how am I supposed to explain it to you?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, "Always a damn mystery till the last... How 'bout you give it a try? Why kidnap the Mayor?"
Jack wasn't sure how much she really knew about him, other worlds, and time travel. He quickly made a choice and in a light playful voice he explained, "She's an alien intent on blowing up the world."
The woman sighed, "I figured as much- I was hoping for details."
Okay, so the idea of an alien trying to blow up the world wasn't exactly shocking to her. Maybe Jack should just tell her that he wasn't who she thought he was. After all, it seemed that she had a pretty good idea of what was going on as it was.
"Listen…” he started, but she cut him off.
"Does it have to do with that nuclear plant project? Because Tosh has been saying for weeks that something odd has been going on out there and you've just been dismissing her," the woman said with sharp eyes on him.
Jack was beginning to get the idea of what had happened here, and he knew that he had done the wrong thing by sitting down and talking with this woman. He didn't know why he would ever come back to Cardiff, but at some point he would, and he was going to go to great lengths to stop his friends from interfering with his past self.
"It's all a bit more complicated than that," he said softly watching her and willing her to understand.
"You've said that already."
"And I meant it," he replied in his best authoritative tone; the one that left little room for argument.
She didn't protest anymore, but instead just gave a frustrated grunt and stared out the water.
"One of these days you'll answer just one damn question without giving me a bloody headache," she muttered.
"I can't promise that," Jack said lightly.
The woman gave a defeated laugh and leaned her weight back on her arms.
"How long have we known each other?" he asked the woman suddenly.
She looked at him critically for a long moment, "I don't know, a couple years?"
That was longer than Jack was expecting. He knew he shouldn't ask. He knew he should just leave it, but why here? Why for so long?
"Do you think I'm happy here?" he asked the woman seriously.
"What kind of question is that?" she replied, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"I just want to know what you think," he explained.
"Well, you always seem happy enough. And if you weren't happy it's not as if you'd ever share it with me. And God only knows what you always brood about when you go and stand on the roof. For all I know you’re coming up with six new ways to pull aliens..."
Jack laughed and thought about his crush on the Doctor, "How'd you know?"
The woman rolled her eyes, "Told you it was a dumb question, so you get a dumb answer."
Jack gave her a toothy grin and she cracked a small, amused smile before she looked away.
"Are you happy?" he asked, suddenly curious about her.
She looked even more taken aback by that question than his first, "Since when do you care?"
"I care," he assured her looking into her eyes.
"Well, you know me, I'm a right bundle of joy," she said shifting uncomfortably.
Jack eyed her closely, "You're avoiding the question."
The woman laughed, "Damn right I am. I don't do touchy feely crap. You want a heart-to-heart call Tosh. If I need therapy I'll just go fuck Owen."
"Okay." Jack smiled at her and part of him liked her even more. He wondered whom Tosh was and if it was these people who made him stay here. Part of him always knew that he wouldn't be able to travel with the Doctor forever. Would this be where his journey would end? He couldn't imagine it.
A dark figure beyond her caught his eye. A man. And even though he was standing at a distance and his features were not visible Jack would recognize himself anywhere.
"I think our time is up," he said softly to the woman.
She looked at him oddly, "What do you mean?"
"I have to go," he explained. "I told you before it was complicated."
Jack could see his future-self approaching with long powerful strides. He was wearing his greatcoat, and he couldn't help but think it was a bold choice for this time period. Jack stood up and indicated to the woman that they had company.
The woman quickly clamored to her feet and looked back and forth between his future self and him.
"What?! There are two of you," she hissed.
"I noticed," Jack replied calmly as his future-self came reached them.
"I trust the two of you had a good time tonight. Didn't get into too much trouble? No paradoxes or alternate timelines? They're so messy to clean up..." Jack's future self said with a pleasant smile.
Jack tipped his head, "I take it you remember this then?"
"Every word."
Then the woman cut in, "Jack, whichever one of you is Jack, why is there two of you?"
"My timeline isn't liner, and sometimes I bump into myself," his future-self explained.
The woman opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then closed it and looked back at Jack in confusion.
Jack shrugged, "It happens."
"So you’re both Jack?"
"Yes." They both replied in perfect sync.
"Don't do that, it's creepy," she said looking slightly disturbed. "One of you is bad enough!"
Jack's future-self chuckled and leered, "You know this is really just one of your deepest darkest fantasies come to life."
She rolled her eyes, "Don't go confusing your fantasies with mine."
"Well, I've no objection," Jack injected with a toothy grin.
"Of course you wouldn't!" she huffed and began to walk away.
"Whenever you get tired of Owen you know I'm always available," Jack's future-self teased as she strode off.
She paused and turned around, "Not likely Harkness. And you better believe that you're giving me a proper explanation for all of this later. None of your mystery crap, because I'm in no mood."
"Yes 'Ma’am," his future self said primly with a sideways glance at Jack that told him that he found her irritation amusing.
Jack smirked at his future-self, "She's something else."
"You don't know the half of it."
"So do I get any great words of wisdom before we part?" Jack asked hoping for some clue as to how he ended up here and what his life would be like.
"And ruin the surprise?"
"You know how I hate surprises," Jack replied.
"You love surprises - I love surprises, but I will give you one word of advice," his future-self said with a cocky grin.
"What's that?"
"Run."
"Run?"
His future-self tipped his head in the direction of the TARDIS, and Jack looked. From the edges of the doors shone a white light that was definitely wrong. His mind went to the Extrapolator and the hundreds of things that could've gone wrong in such a short time. Panic seized him and he took his future-self’s advice and ran. As he took off he could've sworn that he heard himself say, "I really do miss the running part."
Words: 2,200
Characters: Jack, Suzie
Rating: R (for language)
Warning: None.
Spoilers: DW Boomtown.
Summary: He was bored, and she was there.
Beta: Thanks to kahtyasofia for the beta!!!
Author's Notes: Just a missing scene, nothing fancy ;)
Disclaimer: Really, I don't own anything. I don't even own my car.
It was done. Jack had nearly singed his fingers multiple times and he was sure the Doctor was going to come back and point out at least six things he'd done wrong, but as far as he could tell he had successfully connected Extrapolator to the TARDIS engines. Now all he had to do was wait.
The Doctor was off having an enjoyable dinner with a sociopathic alien; and Rose had run off with the idiot Mickey, leaving Jack to his own devices. He had the overwhelming urge to go explore Cardiff. He'd never actually been to early twenty-first century Earth before. (Well, he'd been once, but it was only for two hours and he’d spent the whole time handcuffed to a Judoon in a dark room, so he didn't really count that as a visit.)
As he popped his head out the door of the police box and tried to decide in which direction to go, a little voice, which strangely enough sounded like the Doctor, told him it probably wasn't best to leave the TARDIS. Jack looked back into the TARDIS for a moment, and then out at the Plass where people were bustling on their way. In his mind he made a compromise; he'd just go out on the Plass for a bit but stay near the TARDIS in case of a problem. Satisfied he'd made the right decision, he stepped out on to the Plass and into the cool night air.
Jack strolled to water's edge, taking in the bay. He watched the people; they were so caught up in their lives they didn't even notice him. It was like that everywhere; people were always so involved in their own worlds they never noticed the stranger that didn't belong. Not till he wanted to be noticed of course. He watched a pretty woman with curly dark hair cross the Plass and smiled to himself. She had a force about her, with a determined stride and a bag flung carelessly over her shoulder. It was as if she had somewhere to be and to hell with anyone who dared get in her way.
The woman suddenly paused and looked at Jack as if she had felt his stare. She was all of fifteen paces from him, so he just flashed her his most charming smile. She didn’t seem impressed. Instead, she frowned and started walking towards him. Perhaps, tonight was going to be more interesting than he first thought.
"Hello," he said giving her another winning smile as she drew near.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him and said, "Don't even try that Harkness. I've had a hell of a day."
The bottom of Jack's stomach sank and he felt his mouth tighten. How did she know who he was?
The woman dropped her bag at his feet and sat down on the ground with her legs dangling freely under the railing. She looked up at him expectantly and he realized that she was waiting for him to sit next to her, so he careful lowered himself to the ground.
"So aren't you going to ask me why I had such a shitty day?" she inquired, propping her head on the railing as she looked at him. The woman seemed perfectly at ease as if they did this all the time. That didn't bode well with Jack.
She knew him, and he realized that somehow he'd crossed his own timeline. He gave her a sheepish grin knowing that he should make up some excuse and leave. It was a dangerous game when you started messing with your own timeline, but something in her dark eyes kept him rooted in his spot. What harm could come from a little conversation?
"Why the bad day?" he prompted.
"Well, someone decided it'd be good fun to kidnap the Lord Mayor," the woman said with a piercing look that told him she was not impressed.
"Oh," Jack replied with an ominous feeling, wondering if the worst of the damage hadn't already been done.
"What were you thinking Jack?"
He opened his mouth to explain, but she waved an irritated hand to silence him.
"Do you know the day I've had trying to cover up that mess? How many people I had to Retcon down at city hall? And you don't even want to know what I had to do down at the police station to get the CCTV tapes. Poor PC Smithson may never be the same..."
The woman paused and Jack realized she waiting for him to say something. After he failed to produce any words for a long moment, she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him, "What? No inappropriate comment about PC Smithson's arse? Or how he carries himself in his uniform?"
Jack shrugged.
"What's with you?” The woman asked, eyes narrowing as they raked over him, “And what are you wearing?"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Jack asked mildly offended. Rose had picked it out assuring him that it suited the time period perfectly, and he trusted Rose not to lead him astray.
"It just isn't you, is it? And where did you find that brain trust that was helping you today? Honestly Jack, what was so important about the Mayor that you felt the need to send us all out of town and bring in outsiders?" she asked, her tone changing. It now sounded less accusing and bit more vulnerable, like she was really getting to the heart of the matter.
"It's complicated," he said, because it was and he didn't know how to explain to this woman that he didn't actually know who she was.
"Well, I'm pretty fucking clever so maybe try explaining it to me?"
Jack couldn't stop himself from laughing, and he suddenly knew why he liked her; no matter when in his life they met.
"I'm not sure I understand it myself... So how am I supposed to explain it to you?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, "Always a damn mystery till the last... How 'bout you give it a try? Why kidnap the Mayor?"
Jack wasn't sure how much she really knew about him, other worlds, and time travel. He quickly made a choice and in a light playful voice he explained, "She's an alien intent on blowing up the world."
The woman sighed, "I figured as much- I was hoping for details."
Okay, so the idea of an alien trying to blow up the world wasn't exactly shocking to her. Maybe Jack should just tell her that he wasn't who she thought he was. After all, it seemed that she had a pretty good idea of what was going on as it was.
"Listen…” he started, but she cut him off.
"Does it have to do with that nuclear plant project? Because Tosh has been saying for weeks that something odd has been going on out there and you've just been dismissing her," the woman said with sharp eyes on him.
Jack was beginning to get the idea of what had happened here, and he knew that he had done the wrong thing by sitting down and talking with this woman. He didn't know why he would ever come back to Cardiff, but at some point he would, and he was going to go to great lengths to stop his friends from interfering with his past self.
"It's all a bit more complicated than that," he said softly watching her and willing her to understand.
"You've said that already."
"And I meant it," he replied in his best authoritative tone; the one that left little room for argument.
She didn't protest anymore, but instead just gave a frustrated grunt and stared out the water.
"One of these days you'll answer just one damn question without giving me a bloody headache," she muttered.
"I can't promise that," Jack said lightly.
The woman gave a defeated laugh and leaned her weight back on her arms.
"How long have we known each other?" he asked the woman suddenly.
She looked at him critically for a long moment, "I don't know, a couple years?"
That was longer than Jack was expecting. He knew he shouldn't ask. He knew he should just leave it, but why here? Why for so long?
"Do you think I'm happy here?" he asked the woman seriously.
"What kind of question is that?" she replied, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"I just want to know what you think," he explained.
"Well, you always seem happy enough. And if you weren't happy it's not as if you'd ever share it with me. And God only knows what you always brood about when you go and stand on the roof. For all I know you’re coming up with six new ways to pull aliens..."
Jack laughed and thought about his crush on the Doctor, "How'd you know?"
The woman rolled her eyes, "Told you it was a dumb question, so you get a dumb answer."
Jack gave her a toothy grin and she cracked a small, amused smile before she looked away.
"Are you happy?" he asked, suddenly curious about her.
She looked even more taken aback by that question than his first, "Since when do you care?"
"I care," he assured her looking into her eyes.
"Well, you know me, I'm a right bundle of joy," she said shifting uncomfortably.
Jack eyed her closely, "You're avoiding the question."
The woman laughed, "Damn right I am. I don't do touchy feely crap. You want a heart-to-heart call Tosh. If I need therapy I'll just go fuck Owen."
"Okay." Jack smiled at her and part of him liked her even more. He wondered whom Tosh was and if it was these people who made him stay here. Part of him always knew that he wouldn't be able to travel with the Doctor forever. Would this be where his journey would end? He couldn't imagine it.
A dark figure beyond her caught his eye. A man. And even though he was standing at a distance and his features were not visible Jack would recognize himself anywhere.
"I think our time is up," he said softly to the woman.
She looked at him oddly, "What do you mean?"
"I have to go," he explained. "I told you before it was complicated."
Jack could see his future-self approaching with long powerful strides. He was wearing his greatcoat, and he couldn't help but think it was a bold choice for this time period. Jack stood up and indicated to the woman that they had company.
The woman quickly clamored to her feet and looked back and forth between his future self and him.
"What?! There are two of you," she hissed.
"I noticed," Jack replied calmly as his future-self came reached them.
"I trust the two of you had a good time tonight. Didn't get into too much trouble? No paradoxes or alternate timelines? They're so messy to clean up..." Jack's future self said with a pleasant smile.
Jack tipped his head, "I take it you remember this then?"
"Every word."
Then the woman cut in, "Jack, whichever one of you is Jack, why is there two of you?"
"My timeline isn't liner, and sometimes I bump into myself," his future-self explained.
The woman opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then closed it and looked back at Jack in confusion.
Jack shrugged, "It happens."
"So you’re both Jack?"
"Yes." They both replied in perfect sync.
"Don't do that, it's creepy," she said looking slightly disturbed. "One of you is bad enough!"
Jack's future-self chuckled and leered, "You know this is really just one of your deepest darkest fantasies come to life."
She rolled her eyes, "Don't go confusing your fantasies with mine."
"Well, I've no objection," Jack injected with a toothy grin.
"Of course you wouldn't!" she huffed and began to walk away.
"Whenever you get tired of Owen you know I'm always available," Jack's future-self teased as she strode off.
She paused and turned around, "Not likely Harkness. And you better believe that you're giving me a proper explanation for all of this later. None of your mystery crap, because I'm in no mood."
"Yes 'Ma’am," his future self said primly with a sideways glance at Jack that told him that he found her irritation amusing.
Jack smirked at his future-self, "She's something else."
"You don't know the half of it."
"So do I get any great words of wisdom before we part?" Jack asked hoping for some clue as to how he ended up here and what his life would be like.
"And ruin the surprise?"
"You know how I hate surprises," Jack replied.
"You love surprises - I love surprises, but I will give you one word of advice," his future-self said with a cocky grin.
"What's that?"
"Run."
"Run?"
His future-self tipped his head in the direction of the TARDIS, and Jack looked. From the edges of the doors shone a white light that was definitely wrong. His mind went to the Extrapolator and the hundreds of things that could've gone wrong in such a short time. Panic seized him and he took his future-self’s advice and ran. As he took off he could've sworn that he heard himself say, "I really do miss the running part."