The Doctor's Daughter (Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Chapter Six - Captain Jack Harkness

"So where to now, Dad?" I say, leaning against the console of the TARDIS.

"Well, we should probably stop over in Cardiff?" he suggests.

"What's in Cardiff?" I squint at him, thinking. "A rift, right?"

He looks up, surprised, and grins. "Exactly. And the TARDIS needs to refuel. You know, rift energy. It's been a while since I last did that. But---" he pulls a lever nonchalantly. "It should only take 20 seconds or so."

I shrug, smiling. "Sure. I don't care. Why don't we stay for a day, though, if we're going to be there anyway?" 

"What? Why?"

"Maybe there will be an infestation of space-bugs or something otherwise exciting, I don't know, why not?"

"Well alright then!" the Doctor says, excitedly starting up the TARDIS, with my help. The familiar whoosh sounds, making both him and me smile. When it stops, his smile falters. "Although I suppose I should warn you about J...ah, no, never mind. It's fine."

I raise my eyebrows for a moment, but don't question him, growing used to him rambling to himself. "Okay then. Let's go somewhere, then, Dad." I hold out my arm and he loops his elbow around mine, grinning, and leads the way through the door into the bustling city.

~

Captain Jack Harkness turns around sharply at the faint noise, hardly daring to breathe, listening hard. That sound...it couldn't have been... He shakes his head and smiles sadly, returning to his work. Of course it wasn't the TARDIS. What was he thinking?

But...what if he was wrong? a little voice in the back of his mind pipes up.

"No," he says firmly, aloud, causing the lady walking her dog past him looks up in alarm.

But what if?! 

Jack sighs and checks his watch. He'd been hunting this thing, whatever it was, for a few weeks. He'd thought he had a lead, but after four consecutive hours of searching, that didn't seem likely. Why shouldn't he take a break? Go on a fruitless search for something that probably wouldn't be there? It was his life after all. 

This thought makes him smile to himself. It was his life. And what a life it was.

The logical thing to do would be to go to the Rift, where the TARDIS was sure to be, if it actually was here. So that's where he heads, back through the crowd, smiling and winking at anyone he makes eye contact with, not for one moment forgetting about Ianto, until...

Jack blinks.

It's still there. The TARDIS.

A million emotions fly through the Captain. He settles on delight, saving his anger at the man who owns the box for later. Now he runs up to it, placing a shaking hand on the door to make sure he isn't dreaming. With a click of the lock, the door flies open. Jack stands back, confused. How did it...

He shrugs, ignoring the questioning looks of all the passers-by, and steps inside.

~

"Well that was fun, wasn't it, for Cardiff?" the Doctor says as we head back to the TARDIS that night. 

I laugh. "Yeah, it was. It's nice to relax every once in a while, y'know, do nothing..."

"Yeah, well, now off to another adventure. What do you think about Midnight?"

"Midnight?"

"Yeah, it's a planet. Donna and I went one time...it's gorgeous. Well, last I was there there was a bit of a problem with a, er...mimic...but, I suppose it's time to get a fresh opinion of the place. It's this crystalline resort planet, and the surface is bathed in X-tonic radiation due to its close orbit around its sun, but as long as you don't go outside you'll be fine. So what do you think?"