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Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to the BBC and Russell T Davies.
Somewhere in the Universe
It had been six months since he’d met the Doctor. They’d sat down and discussed what had happened and where the Doctor had been and why Ianto had died. There were explanations for everything, some of which Jack accepted, and some which he’d found impossible to understand, but at least they’d talked. However, he hadn’t been able to go back.
So here he was six months on from that conversation and a year on from leaving Gwen and Rhys and planet Earth, sat in a bar, somewhere in the Universe; he wasn’t even sure where he was. It had been eighteen months since Ianto had died, since he’d killed Steven. He sat and swallowed yet another mouthful, still hoping for an oblivion that never came. Then there was a voice in his head; a voice he knew so well.
“It’s time Jack. Ianto died not you. You can’t do that remember, no matter how hard you try.”
Jack looked around the bar for the owner of that voice but he wasn’t there.
“Do you think this is what he’d want, what Ianto would want; you sat in a bar drinking your life away while Earth, his Earth and the people he died for are still there waiting for you?”
“But I can’t go back,” Jack answered in his head.
“You know better Jack. For everyone there’s a time to die, even you and me, but there’s also time to live. Ianto had his time and I’ve had mine. Ianto loved you so much.”
“I know and I failed him.”
“Jack we’ve all made mistakes, me included.”
“I love you.”
“I know Jack, I’ve always known.”
Jack jerked his head up at that but there was still no-one around. “Had he just drank so much that he was having hallucinations,” he wondered. He took another mouthful and watched as an Adipose fell off the bar. In the background they were playing ‘My Angel put a Devil in me’ and Jack thought, “how appropriate!”
The barman handed him a note saying, “from the man over there.” Jack looked up and there he stood, the Doctor, his Doctor, the voice he’d heard in his head. Jack finally understood what the voice had been trying to say.
He opened the note and looked puzzled. The note read, ‘his name is Alonso.’ He looked over to where the Doctor stood. The Doctor nodded to his left and Jack looked. Sat next to him was a not unattractive young man in uniform.
He looked again across the bar to see the Doctor salute. He saluted back. As the Doctor left Jack turned to the young man sat next to him.
“So Alonso ……….going my way?”
“How d’you know my name?”
Jack smiled to himself thinking of the conversation he’d just had in his head and replied, “I’m kinda psychic.” He turned his smile on for Alonso who returned it rather shyly.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Know what I’m thinking right now?” Alonso asked, with a more knowing look.
“Oh yeah!” He laughed as Alonso looked him up and down and nodded.
Jack heard the voice again in his head; his final words, from his Doctor.
“Live Jack, because in the end life is all any of us have.”