Fic: Doctor Who: One Plus One Equals Three
Title: One Plus One Equals Three
Fandom/Pairing: Doctor Who - Rose/Nine/Jack
Rating: PG to R at the end?
Author’s note: Partially betaed ages ago…
The Doctor stood leaning against one of the coral columns in the control room, arms crossed over his chest, eyes sharp and ears tingling as he watched and tried to listen to Rose and Jack, sitting on the jumpseat, both laughing and whispering conspiratorially to each other. His hand was on her knee, her hand on his arm. The Time Lord could feel the jealousy welling up in him. No, he thought, not jealousy. He’s protective, that’s all. Rose is in his care, his companion, and this con man had wormed his way into her graces. He continued to glower at them both, trying to ignore the increased beating of his hearts.
Rose giggled again as Jack leaned closer to her ear. “Is he still watching us?” Jack asked, voice a whisper against her skin. Rose lifted her eyes slightly, catching the Doctors gaze, which shifted from glare to minor surprise at catching her eyes, to glancing away. Lowering her eyes again, she whispered back to Jack. “Oh, yeah…looks mad enough to spit. Better watch out, he’ll chuck you out into the Vortex.” Jack shrugged, thumb rubbing circles on her knees. “You let me worry about him. Wanna get out of his gaze for a bit?” Rose nodded, and Jack threaded his fingers through hers, pulling her up to stand beside him.
The Doctor watched with increasing panic, no, concern, just concern for her well being, young and innocent as she was, as Jack and Rose smiled at each other, and Rose began tugging Jack out of the console room, toward the hallways, towards…bedrooms. “Where do you two think you’re going?” he blurted out before he could catch himself.
Rose giggled. “Bit bored is all, come find us if we land anywhere interesting, yeah?”
She tugged at Jack’s hand again, and he shrugged in the Doctor’s direction, grinning from ear to ear as he vanished from sight.
The Doctor stared after them for a moment, before pushing himself off the coral and toward the console, spinning rotors and adjusting dials. “Bloody bored, is she? Wants something interesting? I’ll give her interesting…more interesting than that dandy Jack…”
----------------------------------
Rose and Jack collapsed laughing onto the bed in Rose’s room. “Did you see his face?” asked Jack, “Absolutely priceless!”
Rose bit her lip as her laughter calmed. “You sure we aren’t taking this too far, right? I don’t want to hurt him…”
Jack shook his head, leaning back against the pillows. “Trust me, we’re building him up a good dose of jealousy. I’m not giving up till I get you two kids together, and maybe get a little something for myself.” Rose smacked him on the arm at that. “OW! But seriously, Time Lord or no, he’s not dead. I know there’s something beneath all that gruff exterior…and I’d love to get my hands on it.”
“Not until I do, I was here first.” Rose teased.
Jack waggled a finger in her face. “That was not a no. That was a definite maybe.”
“Jack!” Rose rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”
Jack shrugged, placing his hands under his head. “What can I say?” He gave her a winning smile, which she returned. “You know, he totally thinks I’m having my wicked way with you, and that you’re helpless to resist.”
Rose’s tongue poked between her teeth. “Well, you are rather irresistible, but I think you’re also a lot of talk.” She pressed on, teasing. “Why AREN’T you having your wicked way with me?” She fell back on the bed, stretching out languidly. “See, this is me being helpless to your charms!”
He laughed, shaking his head, leaning up to look down at her. “Don’t tease, it’s not nice. I fully intended to make an attempt, but even I’m not dumb enough to come between you and him. He’s got it BAD, Rose.”
She sighed. “You keep telling me that, and I want to believe it, sometimes I do believe it, but…Jack, I don’t know.”
Jack reached out to pat her knee. “Don’t worry, kid, I know what I’m doing.” He stretched, and reached to pull a pack of cards out his pocket. “So, how long are we staying in here?”
-----------------------------
The Doctor decided on a good, non-boring destination, and then rushed down the hallway to inform the others. They weren’t in the library. Or the kitchen. Jealousy and panic beginning to rise, he found his way to Jack’s room. Empty. Thank Rassilon. But then he found his way to Rose’s door, and heard her laughter, her beautiful laughter, ringing out. It was almost immediately joined by the deep, throaty laugh of Jack. The Doctor saw spots, actual spots flash before his eyes. He raised his hand, ready to knock, when she spoke.
“Jack, that tickles! Mmm, that’s better…right there.” He froze, hand in midair. A few more sounds trickled through the door, and his hand dropped limply to his side, his mouth slightly open. He stood there, staring at the door rather stupidly for a moment, before his face hardened and he spun, heading back to the control room. It was none of his business, he tried to remind himself. Rose was a big girl, she could take care of herself. Make her own decisions. Decisions that involved Captain Jack Harkness, who was young, and handsome, if you liked pretty boys. Who wasn’t a 900 plus year old alien. Not that he had thought…no, course not. He slammed his hand against the console, and received an indignant shove from the mental link he shared with his ship. “Sorry!” he mumbled, and began tinkering with a faulty circuit that had been acting up.
----------------------------------------
After a few rounds of cards, and Jack giving Rose a very nice foot rub (after all, they did do a lot of running), Rose felt sleepy and shooed Jack out. Not being the least bit sleepy himself, he headed for the Tardis library, where he knew there was a very nicely aged bottle of scotch and interesting books to amuse him till he was ready for bed. But the Tardis apparently had other ideas and led him back to the console room, where the Doctor stood leaning against a strut, staring at the console.
“Figured you’d be busy tinkering still,” Jack said amicably.
The Doctor did not look at him, but shrugged. “Was. Done. Didn’t figure I’d see you again this soon. Thought you two were busy.”
Jack resisted the urge to laugh at the bitter sound in the voice of the Time Lord. “We were. She got tired, shooed me out.” The Doctor turned to face Jack, and Jack knew in an instant what it was to face the Oncoming Storm. He gave his best smile to try to lighten the mood. The Doctor wasn’t having it.
“You can wipe that stupid grin off your face, Captain. You and I are going to have a little talk. Actually, no, you’re not going to talk. You’re going to listen.” He crossed his arms over his chest. Jack arched an eyebrow back. “I can’t tell you to stay away from her, much as I’d like to, because she’s a big girl and can make her own choices. But what I CAN do is give you the list of horrible, dreadful things that I will personally do to you if you hurt her.”
Jack’s lips twitched, like he was fighting a smile, and the Doctors brow furrowed deeper. “Rose isn’t just another girl, another notch for your post. She’s special. And she deserves special. She deserves to be treated right, not to be taken advantage of.”
Jack raised his hands in mock surrender. “Doc, I’m not…”
“And I’m not done talking,” the Doctor continued, “If she ends up shedding so much as one tear over you, ONE, do you hear? Just one tear, I will have no qualms whatsoever about sending you directly into the void.”
Jack broke into giggles in earnest at the Doctor’s seriousness. “Doc, listen to me…”
The Doctor looked furious now. “You aren’t even taking this seriously. This is not funny in the slightest. I’m deadly serious.”
“Doctor,” Jack managed between gasps of laughter. “I know you are. But like you said, Rose is a big girl. She’s made her choice.”
The Doctor clenched and unclenched the fist at his side.
“Doc, I’m not her choice.”
The Doctor blinked at Jack, something obviously eluding him. “What?”
“Rose doesn’t want me. She’s made her choice.”
“Really?” He tried not to sound hopeful. “But I thought…”
Jack shrugged, smiling. “Hey, I tried, but her heart was taken long before I got here. And I don’t come between stuff like that.”
The Doctor’s eyes darkened slightly. “So she’s still hung up on Mickey-the-idiot, then? Don’t know what she sees in him…”
Jack laughed out loud. “Doc, you are really obtuse sometimes. It’s not Mickey she’s hung up on, it’s you.”
The Doctor scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Ugly old me?” But something had softened in his eyes.
Jack, convinced the danger to his person was past for the moment, stepped closer. “Hey, don’t sell yourself short, Doc. You are quite the fascinating man…” He emphasized it by giving the Doctor a slightly lewd once-over with his eyes.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “That’s me, fascinating. The amazing alien side-show.”
Jack frowned. “Stop that. Doc, she’s head over heels, are you really that blind?”
The Doctor found the toe of his boot very interesting all of sudden.
Jack pressed on. “And I know you want her. So why don’t you do something about it?”
“Don’t be stupid.” The Doctor said. “I’m an old, old man, Jack. She’s just a child. I care about her, of course I do. But it’s not like that…”
“Open your eyes, Doc. She’s a confident young woman. And it’s completely like that. Which is a shame, since I was sure I’d at least get a shot with one of you two.”
The Doctor rolled his eyes again. “You are absolutely ridiculous. How does she keep managing to find such interesting people to drag along?” He pushed himself away from the strut. “Well, don’t just stand there, hand me that spanner…the secondary coupling’s off…”
Jack grinned and joined the Doctor in his renewed tinkering.
-----------------------------
Though the Doctor wouldn’t admit it, Jack’s words had ebbed their way in, making his hearts hope. He found himself watching Rose more closely, but any small hint of affection from her he managed to brush off, dismiss. Since that night, he and Jack seemed to be past their awkward stage, and soon he was treating him as a true companion, allowing him to help with tinkering in the control room and teaching him some of the ins-and-outs of the TARDIS. So busy was the Doctor with Jack, and trying to talk himself out of whatever he most certainly did not feel for Rose, he actually became more distant to her. Jack sighed as he watched Rose watch the Doctor, chewing on the edge of her thumb. This was going to require a little more effort than he’d hoped. He just needed the right opportunity.
------------------------------
After one too many cold stops in a row (most which involved narrow escapes, of course), the Doctor decided they needed an out-right holiday. “Won’t need your coats today!” he grinned as he pulled the handbrake. “Outside is Haven…not a cold day year round, always sunny and warm. Engineered weather, of course. Most popular vacation destination in this galaxy, here in the 42nd century. We can stay a couple days.”
As Rose stepped cautiously out of the doors and reveled in the warmth from the twin suns above her, she turned back and offered him a wide smile. He felt his own smile widen further in response.
Jack stepped out and whistled appreciatively. “Now that’s nice…so is the view!” Rose followed his gaze to the sunbathers of various species nearby, and smacked his arm. “Ow, hey! You know you’ll still be the most gorgeous girl here!” He picked her up, and spun her around. Her laughter and squealing protest made the Doctor’s ears burn slightly.
“Oi, you two, here!” He joined them, shoving some credits into Jack’s hand. “Have fun, but BE CAREFUL.” He looked at Rose. “Trouble seems to follow us.” She stuck her tongue out at him before tugging on Jack’s arm.
Jack looked over his shoulder in mild concern. “Aren’t you coming?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Oh, I’ll be around…don’t worry about me.” Jack, however, caught the way his gaze lingered on where Rose was clutching Jack’s arm. Jack arched an eyebrow. “Try to have a little fun, it won’t kill you.”
The Doctor scoffed. “Never know, it just might.”
Rose smiled indulgently, “Come on Jack, let him do his tinkering and brooding…I see a shop over there!” She tugged at his arm and they were off.
The Doctor leaned against the side of his ship. “See, I’m just a brooding old man. Got no right even thinking…” he shook his head, pushing upright and locking the TARDIS doors. “Well, might as well take a peek…”
----------------------------
The Doctor watched from the bar as Rose splashed Jack in the pool, enjoying the heated water. His mood kept going from bad to worse as he watched her laugh, splash, and eye the other guests. It seemed to be a game between her and Jack, taking turns pointing out attractive specimens to each other. Her wet hair shone in the moonlight. Also, the swimwear she had changed into left little to the imagination…but he kept finding himself doing it anyway, imagining, while he sat in his regular clothes sipping some sort of cocktail. He wasn’t usually that big on drinking, but the barkeep had tempted him with something involving banana. It turned out to be quite strong, and he was nursing his second. Not as if he had to drive anywhere anytime soon. He’d promised his companions at least another day to frolic and flirt. Rose squealed again as Jack picked her up and tossed her in. He couldn’t help but smile, despite the knot that seemed to be resting in his stomach every time he thought of Rose. Rose who is beautiful. Rose who is clever. Rose who is amazing. Rose who is human and fragile and oh so young. He turned back to the bar and downed his drink. It didn’t matter what Jack said, or what he thought he saw. Rose was a companion, a friend, and nothing more. And certainly didn’t need a lonely, bitter, battle-scarred old man.
----------------------------------
Jack jumped as Rose snapped him with a towel, laughing. “Hey, watch it!”
Rose resumed wringing the remaining water out of her hair. “You aren’t even paying attention to what I’m saying, Jack! What are you looking at?”
He pulled his t-shirt over his head, then gestured toward the bar across the plaza. “Him. He’s been sitting there the whole time. Pretty sure that’s at least his third drink.”
Rose followed his gaze and looked at the Doctor’s back. “Probably water. He’s not a big drinker usually.”
Jack shook his head. “And he’s not usually seeing you in a bikini splashing about, either.” That earned him another smack. He laughed, and slung an arm around her waist. “Look, Rosie, you trust me, right?”
---------------------------------
He lost himself watching the local telecast above the bar for a bit, until a strong hand landed on his shoulder.
“Hey, Doc, whatcha got there?” He turned his head to see Jack and Rose, both dry and slightly more clothed now, beside him. Jack reached across and stole his glass, giving it a sniff. “Banana-infused hyper-vodka? You’ve got to be kidding…”
The Doctor blinked at him, wondering why Jack looked slightly fuzzy.
Rose looked at him with concern. “You alright, Doctor? You look…your face is all pink.”
The Doctor crinkled his eyebrows as he struggled a bit to speak. Though, since when did he struggle to speak? “ ‘m fine, Rose, as us’l. Just havin’ a nice beverage is all…”
Jack pushed the glass away from him and placed some credits on the bar. “I think you’ve had enough, now…let’s head home for the night, yeah?”
The Doctor tried to shake Jack’s arm off him. “Yeah, whatever, was done anyway.” He grinned lopsided at Rose, whose concern had started to give way to a funny smile.
She stepped closer and wrapped her hand around his, tugging him off his seat. “Yeah, I’m ready to call it a night too, I think.”
He just stared stupidly at her fingers around his for a moment. “Right. Yeah.” He swallowed, and allowed them to guide him away from the bar.
Jack looked across him at Rose. “Hyper-vodka is crazy strong…one will mess you up!”
The Doctor made a noise, pursing his lips. “Speak for yourself, pretty boy. I’m a Time Lord…s’perior biology. Had three and I’m fine, obv’sly.”
Jack’s eyebrows raised and Rose giggled. “Obviously, yeah.” The Doctor frowned, but let them continue to guide him toward their ship. Jack unlocked the door and they all stumbled into the TARDIS.
Jack regarded the Doctor a moment. “So, calling it a night? Need, ah, need a hand getting to bed?”
The Doctor snorted. “Nice try, no thanks. And no, told you before, don’t sleep much.” He grinned boldly in Rose’s direction, noticing the strap of her dress had slid slightly off her shoulder. He stared a bit longer than necessary. She smiled back, tongue poking between her teeth. That damn tongue. And her lips, all moist. Her eyes darted over his shoulder toward Jack, and lingered for a moment. He frowned. But then her eyes were back on him, as her hand found it’s way to his jacket collar.
“Well, come on, at least get comfortable. Don’t know why you’re still wearing that, it’s warm even at night…” she started to push the jacket off his shoulders, and he reached up and caught her wrists, their faces inches apart.
“What’re you doing?”
She sighed, her warm breath hitting his cheek. “You’re wearing it like armour. Nothin’ gonna harm you in here…and you’ve gotta be sweltering!”
He nodded, and released her wrists, standing there feeling daft as she pushed it down his arms. Before he even registered it, Jack had tugged it off his wrists and draped it over a strut.
Rose still stood in front of him, smiling gently. “See, that’s better.”
He nodded. “S’pose it is.” He found himself lost a bit in her eyes, before she stepped back again. He blinked, and then abrubtly tottered. Jack caught him as he wobbled, and he sighed. “Fine, you’re right. Mighta had a bit much…”
Jack just chuckled. “No worries, least you’re with us. Why don’t you just rest a bit. Come on, Rosie, let’s get him to his room.”
He was about to protest, when Rose’s hand found his again. Her thumb absently rubbed over the back of his hand. Jack’s hand was now around his waist, and he found he didn’t care nearly as much as he normally would. The three of them made their way down the hallway, the TARDIS kindly making his room the second door they reached. It was a bit messy, but the large bed in the center of the room looked more than inviting.
Jack whistled appreciatively. “Man, she took care of YOU.”
The Doctor snorted. “Course. She’s my ship, after all.” He sat on the edge of the bed, and stared down at his boots a moment before looking up at Rose and Jack slightly sheepish. “I feel incredibly idiotic right now, since I don’t think I can manage to take my boots off. Though, that aside, I’m actually feeling rather fantastic.” He grinned.
Rose tugged her lip between her teeth, glancing at Jack again, who nodded. She sat beside the Doctor and leaned to untie the closest boot. The Doctor watched her hair tumble forward over her shoulders as she bent, and he suddenly really wanted to plant a kiss on the stretch of bare back presented to him. Jack kneeled at his feet and began to work on the other boot, while watching the Doctor’s expression as he stared down at Rose, swallowing.
When she sat back up, as Jack pulled both boots off, she caught the Doctor’s expression. “What? What is it, Doctor?”
“I…” he opened and closed his mouth, then glanced down at Jack. Jack, maddeningly, grinned up at him cockily before he got up and joined Rose.
“I think,” he said, resting his chin on Rose’s shoulder, “that he was thinking about…this.” He tilted his head, pressing a kiss to Rose’s skin. Rose and the Doctor both inhaled sharply, his eyes glued on Jack, her eyes glued to his. Jack continued a slow trail of kisses up Rose’s neck, eyes on the Doctor’s face. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Rose’s breathing rate had increased, and his eyes flicked from Jack’s face to hers. He swallowed again. “Rose?”
Her eyes were darkening, and her hand reached up to rest on his chest. “Well, Doctor? Is that what you were thinking about?”
His hand grabbed hers and pulled it away. “You’re playing with fire, Rose. Both of you. I’m not…” he swallowed again. “I don’t play games.”
Jack looked up at him then, eyes clear. “I’m not playing a game right now. And neither is she.”
Rose nodded. “Doctor, I want this…I want you.” And before he could react, she leaned forward and kissed him. Softly, tentatively.
He froze momentarily, before groaning and giving in to the kiss, pressing back against her lips, which opened slightly for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He wound his hands into her hair, that lovely hair, and was lost in the moment when he felt the bed shift and someone moving behind him. He stiffened and broke the kiss, glancing at Jack behind him now.
Jack put his hands on his shoulders, and leaned close to his ear. “I know you’re more flexible then you let on, you just tell me if you want me to go…” he planted a kiss on the Doctor’s neck.
The Doctor looked at Rose, who had a wicked grin on her face and looked positively aroused at the site of the two men in front of her. He smirked at her, before twisting toward Jack. “Let’s get one thing straight here, Captain. I call the shots here, got it?” Before Jack could respond, he grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a bruising kiss.
Rose shimmied forward and kissed the Doctor’s ear, muttering “That is so hot…” before her hands slid under the hem of his jumper. He groaned at the feel of her warm hands on his cool skin, and soon it was a tug-of-war as each of the trio tried to tug the clothes off the others. He felt momentarily and stupidly self-conscious in front of Jack’s smooth chest, compared to his own, sparsely spattered with hair. But then Rose’s chest was all he could think about, as it was bare before him, and any worries floated away as her fingers ghosted over his own bare chest, winding patterns in the hair there as she kissed Jack’s eager lips.
Some tiny part of his brain knew that tomorrow they would go back to being just Jack, Rose, and the Doctor, that this wouldn’t last, and that it would probably be his fault, but for now, he let the alcohol be his excuse as he gave in to pleasure in the arms of the two people he had grown to love most.
Fandom/Pairing: Doctor Who - Rose/Nine/Jack
Rating: PG to R at the end?
Author’s note: Partially betaed ages ago…
The Doctor stood leaning against one of the coral columns in the control room, arms crossed over his chest, eyes sharp and ears tingling as he watched and tried to listen to Rose and Jack, sitting on the jumpseat, both laughing and whispering conspiratorially to each other. His hand was on her knee, her hand on his arm. The Time Lord could feel the jealousy welling up in him. No, he thought, not jealousy. He’s protective, that’s all. Rose is in his care, his companion, and this con man had wormed his way into her graces. He continued to glower at them both, trying to ignore the increased beating of his hearts.
Rose giggled again as Jack leaned closer to her ear. “Is he still watching us?” Jack asked, voice a whisper against her skin. Rose lifted her eyes slightly, catching the Doctors gaze, which shifted from glare to minor surprise at catching her eyes, to glancing away. Lowering her eyes again, she whispered back to Jack. “Oh, yeah…looks mad enough to spit. Better watch out, he’ll chuck you out into the Vortex.” Jack shrugged, thumb rubbing circles on her knees. “You let me worry about him. Wanna get out of his gaze for a bit?” Rose nodded, and Jack threaded his fingers through hers, pulling her up to stand beside him.
The Doctor watched with increasing panic, no, concern, just concern for her well being, young and innocent as she was, as Jack and Rose smiled at each other, and Rose began tugging Jack out of the console room, toward the hallways, towards…bedrooms. “Where do you two think you’re going?” he blurted out before he could catch himself.
Rose giggled. “Bit bored is all, come find us if we land anywhere interesting, yeah?”
She tugged at Jack’s hand again, and he shrugged in the Doctor’s direction, grinning from ear to ear as he vanished from sight.
The Doctor stared after them for a moment, before pushing himself off the coral and toward the console, spinning rotors and adjusting dials. “Bloody bored, is she? Wants something interesting? I’ll give her interesting…more interesting than that dandy Jack…”
----------------------------------
Rose and Jack collapsed laughing onto the bed in Rose’s room. “Did you see his face?” asked Jack, “Absolutely priceless!”
Rose bit her lip as her laughter calmed. “You sure we aren’t taking this too far, right? I don’t want to hurt him…”
Jack shook his head, leaning back against the pillows. “Trust me, we’re building him up a good dose of jealousy. I’m not giving up till I get you two kids together, and maybe get a little something for myself.” Rose smacked him on the arm at that. “OW! But seriously, Time Lord or no, he’s not dead. I know there’s something beneath all that gruff exterior…and I’d love to get my hands on it.”
“Not until I do, I was here first.” Rose teased.
Jack waggled a finger in her face. “That was not a no. That was a definite maybe.”
“Jack!” Rose rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”
Jack shrugged, placing his hands under his head. “What can I say?” He gave her a winning smile, which she returned. “You know, he totally thinks I’m having my wicked way with you, and that you’re helpless to resist.”
Rose’s tongue poked between her teeth. “Well, you are rather irresistible, but I think you’re also a lot of talk.” She pressed on, teasing. “Why AREN’T you having your wicked way with me?” She fell back on the bed, stretching out languidly. “See, this is me being helpless to your charms!”
He laughed, shaking his head, leaning up to look down at her. “Don’t tease, it’s not nice. I fully intended to make an attempt, but even I’m not dumb enough to come between you and him. He’s got it BAD, Rose.”
She sighed. “You keep telling me that, and I want to believe it, sometimes I do believe it, but…Jack, I don’t know.”
Jack reached out to pat her knee. “Don’t worry, kid, I know what I’m doing.” He stretched, and reached to pull a pack of cards out his pocket. “So, how long are we staying in here?”
-----------------------------
The Doctor decided on a good, non-boring destination, and then rushed down the hallway to inform the others. They weren’t in the library. Or the kitchen. Jealousy and panic beginning to rise, he found his way to Jack’s room. Empty. Thank Rassilon. But then he found his way to Rose’s door, and heard her laughter, her beautiful laughter, ringing out. It was almost immediately joined by the deep, throaty laugh of Jack. The Doctor saw spots, actual spots flash before his eyes. He raised his hand, ready to knock, when she spoke.
“Jack, that tickles! Mmm, that’s better…right there.” He froze, hand in midair. A few more sounds trickled through the door, and his hand dropped limply to his side, his mouth slightly open. He stood there, staring at the door rather stupidly for a moment, before his face hardened and he spun, heading back to the control room. It was none of his business, he tried to remind himself. Rose was a big girl, she could take care of herself. Make her own decisions. Decisions that involved Captain Jack Harkness, who was young, and handsome, if you liked pretty boys. Who wasn’t a 900 plus year old alien. Not that he had thought…no, course not. He slammed his hand against the console, and received an indignant shove from the mental link he shared with his ship. “Sorry!” he mumbled, and began tinkering with a faulty circuit that had been acting up.
----------------------------------------
After a few rounds of cards, and Jack giving Rose a very nice foot rub (after all, they did do a lot of running), Rose felt sleepy and shooed Jack out. Not being the least bit sleepy himself, he headed for the Tardis library, where he knew there was a very nicely aged bottle of scotch and interesting books to amuse him till he was ready for bed. But the Tardis apparently had other ideas and led him back to the console room, where the Doctor stood leaning against a strut, staring at the console.
“Figured you’d be busy tinkering still,” Jack said amicably.
The Doctor did not look at him, but shrugged. “Was. Done. Didn’t figure I’d see you again this soon. Thought you two were busy.”
Jack resisted the urge to laugh at the bitter sound in the voice of the Time Lord. “We were. She got tired, shooed me out.” The Doctor turned to face Jack, and Jack knew in an instant what it was to face the Oncoming Storm. He gave his best smile to try to lighten the mood. The Doctor wasn’t having it.
“You can wipe that stupid grin off your face, Captain. You and I are going to have a little talk. Actually, no, you’re not going to talk. You’re going to listen.” He crossed his arms over his chest. Jack arched an eyebrow back. “I can’t tell you to stay away from her, much as I’d like to, because she’s a big girl and can make her own choices. But what I CAN do is give you the list of horrible, dreadful things that I will personally do to you if you hurt her.”
Jack’s lips twitched, like he was fighting a smile, and the Doctors brow furrowed deeper. “Rose isn’t just another girl, another notch for your post. She’s special. And she deserves special. She deserves to be treated right, not to be taken advantage of.”
Jack raised his hands in mock surrender. “Doc, I’m not…”
“And I’m not done talking,” the Doctor continued, “If she ends up shedding so much as one tear over you, ONE, do you hear? Just one tear, I will have no qualms whatsoever about sending you directly into the void.”
Jack broke into giggles in earnest at the Doctor’s seriousness. “Doc, listen to me…”
The Doctor looked furious now. “You aren’t even taking this seriously. This is not funny in the slightest. I’m deadly serious.”
“Doctor,” Jack managed between gasps of laughter. “I know you are. But like you said, Rose is a big girl. She’s made her choice.”
The Doctor clenched and unclenched the fist at his side.
“Doc, I’m not her choice.”
The Doctor blinked at Jack, something obviously eluding him. “What?”
“Rose doesn’t want me. She’s made her choice.”
“Really?” He tried not to sound hopeful. “But I thought…”
Jack shrugged, smiling. “Hey, I tried, but her heart was taken long before I got here. And I don’t come between stuff like that.”
The Doctor’s eyes darkened slightly. “So she’s still hung up on Mickey-the-idiot, then? Don’t know what she sees in him…”
Jack laughed out loud. “Doc, you are really obtuse sometimes. It’s not Mickey she’s hung up on, it’s you.”
The Doctor scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Ugly old me?” But something had softened in his eyes.
Jack, convinced the danger to his person was past for the moment, stepped closer. “Hey, don’t sell yourself short, Doc. You are quite the fascinating man…” He emphasized it by giving the Doctor a slightly lewd once-over with his eyes.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. “That’s me, fascinating. The amazing alien side-show.”
Jack frowned. “Stop that. Doc, she’s head over heels, are you really that blind?”
The Doctor found the toe of his boot very interesting all of sudden.
Jack pressed on. “And I know you want her. So why don’t you do something about it?”
“Don’t be stupid.” The Doctor said. “I’m an old, old man, Jack. She’s just a child. I care about her, of course I do. But it’s not like that…”
“Open your eyes, Doc. She’s a confident young woman. And it’s completely like that. Which is a shame, since I was sure I’d at least get a shot with one of you two.”
The Doctor rolled his eyes again. “You are absolutely ridiculous. How does she keep managing to find such interesting people to drag along?” He pushed himself away from the strut. “Well, don’t just stand there, hand me that spanner…the secondary coupling’s off…”
Jack grinned and joined the Doctor in his renewed tinkering.
-----------------------------
Though the Doctor wouldn’t admit it, Jack’s words had ebbed their way in, making his hearts hope. He found himself watching Rose more closely, but any small hint of affection from her he managed to brush off, dismiss. Since that night, he and Jack seemed to be past their awkward stage, and soon he was treating him as a true companion, allowing him to help with tinkering in the control room and teaching him some of the ins-and-outs of the TARDIS. So busy was the Doctor with Jack, and trying to talk himself out of whatever he most certainly did not feel for Rose, he actually became more distant to her. Jack sighed as he watched Rose watch the Doctor, chewing on the edge of her thumb. This was going to require a little more effort than he’d hoped. He just needed the right opportunity.
------------------------------
After one too many cold stops in a row (most which involved narrow escapes, of course), the Doctor decided they needed an out-right holiday. “Won’t need your coats today!” he grinned as he pulled the handbrake. “Outside is Haven…not a cold day year round, always sunny and warm. Engineered weather, of course. Most popular vacation destination in this galaxy, here in the 42nd century. We can stay a couple days.”
As Rose stepped cautiously out of the doors and reveled in the warmth from the twin suns above her, she turned back and offered him a wide smile. He felt his own smile widen further in response.
Jack stepped out and whistled appreciatively. “Now that’s nice…so is the view!” Rose followed his gaze to the sunbathers of various species nearby, and smacked his arm. “Ow, hey! You know you’ll still be the most gorgeous girl here!” He picked her up, and spun her around. Her laughter and squealing protest made the Doctor’s ears burn slightly.
“Oi, you two, here!” He joined them, shoving some credits into Jack’s hand. “Have fun, but BE CAREFUL.” He looked at Rose. “Trouble seems to follow us.” She stuck her tongue out at him before tugging on Jack’s arm.
Jack looked over his shoulder in mild concern. “Aren’t you coming?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Oh, I’ll be around…don’t worry about me.” Jack, however, caught the way his gaze lingered on where Rose was clutching Jack’s arm. Jack arched an eyebrow. “Try to have a little fun, it won’t kill you.”
The Doctor scoffed. “Never know, it just might.”
Rose smiled indulgently, “Come on Jack, let him do his tinkering and brooding…I see a shop over there!” She tugged at his arm and they were off.
The Doctor leaned against the side of his ship. “See, I’m just a brooding old man. Got no right even thinking…” he shook his head, pushing upright and locking the TARDIS doors. “Well, might as well take a peek…”
----------------------------
The Doctor watched from the bar as Rose splashed Jack in the pool, enjoying the heated water. His mood kept going from bad to worse as he watched her laugh, splash, and eye the other guests. It seemed to be a game between her and Jack, taking turns pointing out attractive specimens to each other. Her wet hair shone in the moonlight. Also, the swimwear she had changed into left little to the imagination…but he kept finding himself doing it anyway, imagining, while he sat in his regular clothes sipping some sort of cocktail. He wasn’t usually that big on drinking, but the barkeep had tempted him with something involving banana. It turned out to be quite strong, and he was nursing his second. Not as if he had to drive anywhere anytime soon. He’d promised his companions at least another day to frolic and flirt. Rose squealed again as Jack picked her up and tossed her in. He couldn’t help but smile, despite the knot that seemed to be resting in his stomach every time he thought of Rose. Rose who is beautiful. Rose who is clever. Rose who is amazing. Rose who is human and fragile and oh so young. He turned back to the bar and downed his drink. It didn’t matter what Jack said, or what he thought he saw. Rose was a companion, a friend, and nothing more. And certainly didn’t need a lonely, bitter, battle-scarred old man.
----------------------------------
Jack jumped as Rose snapped him with a towel, laughing. “Hey, watch it!”
Rose resumed wringing the remaining water out of her hair. “You aren’t even paying attention to what I’m saying, Jack! What are you looking at?”
He pulled his t-shirt over his head, then gestured toward the bar across the plaza. “Him. He’s been sitting there the whole time. Pretty sure that’s at least his third drink.”
Rose followed his gaze and looked at the Doctor’s back. “Probably water. He’s not a big drinker usually.”
Jack shook his head. “And he’s not usually seeing you in a bikini splashing about, either.” That earned him another smack. He laughed, and slung an arm around her waist. “Look, Rosie, you trust me, right?”
---------------------------------
He lost himself watching the local telecast above the bar for a bit, until a strong hand landed on his shoulder.
“Hey, Doc, whatcha got there?” He turned his head to see Jack and Rose, both dry and slightly more clothed now, beside him. Jack reached across and stole his glass, giving it a sniff. “Banana-infused hyper-vodka? You’ve got to be kidding…”
The Doctor blinked at him, wondering why Jack looked slightly fuzzy.
Rose looked at him with concern. “You alright, Doctor? You look…your face is all pink.”
The Doctor crinkled his eyebrows as he struggled a bit to speak. Though, since when did he struggle to speak? “ ‘m fine, Rose, as us’l. Just havin’ a nice beverage is all…”
Jack pushed the glass away from him and placed some credits on the bar. “I think you’ve had enough, now…let’s head home for the night, yeah?”
The Doctor tried to shake Jack’s arm off him. “Yeah, whatever, was done anyway.” He grinned lopsided at Rose, whose concern had started to give way to a funny smile.
She stepped closer and wrapped her hand around his, tugging him off his seat. “Yeah, I’m ready to call it a night too, I think.”
He just stared stupidly at her fingers around his for a moment. “Right. Yeah.” He swallowed, and allowed them to guide him away from the bar.
Jack looked across him at Rose. “Hyper-vodka is crazy strong…one will mess you up!”
The Doctor made a noise, pursing his lips. “Speak for yourself, pretty boy. I’m a Time Lord…s’perior biology. Had three and I’m fine, obv’sly.”
Jack’s eyebrows raised and Rose giggled. “Obviously, yeah.” The Doctor frowned, but let them continue to guide him toward their ship. Jack unlocked the door and they all stumbled into the TARDIS.
Jack regarded the Doctor a moment. “So, calling it a night? Need, ah, need a hand getting to bed?”
The Doctor snorted. “Nice try, no thanks. And no, told you before, don’t sleep much.” He grinned boldly in Rose’s direction, noticing the strap of her dress had slid slightly off her shoulder. He stared a bit longer than necessary. She smiled back, tongue poking between her teeth. That damn tongue. And her lips, all moist. Her eyes darted over his shoulder toward Jack, and lingered for a moment. He frowned. But then her eyes were back on him, as her hand found it’s way to his jacket collar.
“Well, come on, at least get comfortable. Don’t know why you’re still wearing that, it’s warm even at night…” she started to push the jacket off his shoulders, and he reached up and caught her wrists, their faces inches apart.
“What’re you doing?”
She sighed, her warm breath hitting his cheek. “You’re wearing it like armour. Nothin’ gonna harm you in here…and you’ve gotta be sweltering!”
He nodded, and released her wrists, standing there feeling daft as she pushed it down his arms. Before he even registered it, Jack had tugged it off his wrists and draped it over a strut.
Rose still stood in front of him, smiling gently. “See, that’s better.”
He nodded. “S’pose it is.” He found himself lost a bit in her eyes, before she stepped back again. He blinked, and then abrubtly tottered. Jack caught him as he wobbled, and he sighed. “Fine, you’re right. Mighta had a bit much…”
Jack just chuckled. “No worries, least you’re with us. Why don’t you just rest a bit. Come on, Rosie, let’s get him to his room.”
He was about to protest, when Rose’s hand found his again. Her thumb absently rubbed over the back of his hand. Jack’s hand was now around his waist, and he found he didn’t care nearly as much as he normally would. The three of them made their way down the hallway, the TARDIS kindly making his room the second door they reached. It was a bit messy, but the large bed in the center of the room looked more than inviting.
Jack whistled appreciatively. “Man, she took care of YOU.”
The Doctor snorted. “Course. She’s my ship, after all.” He sat on the edge of the bed, and stared down at his boots a moment before looking up at Rose and Jack slightly sheepish. “I feel incredibly idiotic right now, since I don’t think I can manage to take my boots off. Though, that aside, I’m actually feeling rather fantastic.” He grinned.
Rose tugged her lip between her teeth, glancing at Jack again, who nodded. She sat beside the Doctor and leaned to untie the closest boot. The Doctor watched her hair tumble forward over her shoulders as she bent, and he suddenly really wanted to plant a kiss on the stretch of bare back presented to him. Jack kneeled at his feet and began to work on the other boot, while watching the Doctor’s expression as he stared down at Rose, swallowing.
When she sat back up, as Jack pulled both boots off, she caught the Doctor’s expression. “What? What is it, Doctor?”
“I…” he opened and closed his mouth, then glanced down at Jack. Jack, maddeningly, grinned up at him cockily before he got up and joined Rose.
“I think,” he said, resting his chin on Rose’s shoulder, “that he was thinking about…this.” He tilted his head, pressing a kiss to Rose’s skin. Rose and the Doctor both inhaled sharply, his eyes glued on Jack, her eyes glued to his. Jack continued a slow trail of kisses up Rose’s neck, eyes on the Doctor’s face. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Rose’s breathing rate had increased, and his eyes flicked from Jack’s face to hers. He swallowed again. “Rose?”
Her eyes were darkening, and her hand reached up to rest on his chest. “Well, Doctor? Is that what you were thinking about?”
His hand grabbed hers and pulled it away. “You’re playing with fire, Rose. Both of you. I’m not…” he swallowed again. “I don’t play games.”
Jack looked up at him then, eyes clear. “I’m not playing a game right now. And neither is she.”
Rose nodded. “Doctor, I want this…I want you.” And before he could react, she leaned forward and kissed him. Softly, tentatively.
He froze momentarily, before groaning and giving in to the kiss, pressing back against her lips, which opened slightly for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He wound his hands into her hair, that lovely hair, and was lost in the moment when he felt the bed shift and someone moving behind him. He stiffened and broke the kiss, glancing at Jack behind him now.
Jack put his hands on his shoulders, and leaned close to his ear. “I know you’re more flexible then you let on, you just tell me if you want me to go…” he planted a kiss on the Doctor’s neck.
The Doctor looked at Rose, who had a wicked grin on her face and looked positively aroused at the site of the two men in front of her. He smirked at her, before twisting toward Jack. “Let’s get one thing straight here, Captain. I call the shots here, got it?” Before Jack could respond, he grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in for a bruising kiss.
Rose shimmied forward and kissed the Doctor’s ear, muttering “That is so hot…” before her hands slid under the hem of his jumper. He groaned at the feel of her warm hands on his cool skin, and soon it was a tug-of-war as each of the trio tried to tug the clothes off the others. He felt momentarily and stupidly self-conscious in front of Jack’s smooth chest, compared to his own, sparsely spattered with hair. But then Rose’s chest was all he could think about, as it was bare before him, and any worries floated away as her fingers ghosted over his own bare chest, winding patterns in the hair there as she kissed Jack’s eager lips.
Some tiny part of his brain knew that tomorrow they would go back to being just Jack, Rose, and the Doctor, that this wouldn’t last, and that it would probably be his fault, but for now, he let the alcohol be his excuse as he gave in to pleasure in the arms of the two people he had grown to love most.