Vinegar ||Open - Casual||

[The Ninth Doctor]

He shouldn't be here. He really, really shouldn't be here. The Doctor sat at a table, rickety on its four legs, one leg bouncing up and down nervously. On the oil stained and deeply scarred table top sat a paper full of chips, malt vinegar dripping from his fingers as he carelessly raised another to his mouth. He kept looking around, trying to spot blonde hair and mascaraed eyes.

Maybe he'd even see himself, the new Doctor. The new Doctor with his Rose, dropping by for some chips from her favorite little shoppe. Between planets, between adventures, Rose liked to indulge in these fatty things. It made her feel like she was at home, he had always figured. The TARDIS was her home, her real home, but it wasn't the home she knew, the one she grew up in.

Chips were her favorite thing.

The Doctor smiled sadly, chewing yet another vinegar soaked chip. It burned just a little; he had cuts on his fingers from a particularly nasty alien plant form that the vinegar washed over and seeped into, biting gently at the nerves. It wasn't a bad sort of pain, really. It was nice. Nice and sharp, just like the vinegar on the hot chips.

The Doctor pulled out a handful of those thin, brown paper napkins that were stuck in dispensers and wiped his fingers on them. He wrapped up the rest of the chips and leaned back in his chair, looking around. The chair gave a sickly little creak as he leaned back in it. His legs were crossed with a flourish and bright blue eyes looked around over the top of his mug as he took a drink from it.

He'd always be looking for a flash of blonde hair, mascaraed eyes, and that teasing little peek of tongue when she smiled.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Why was it always Weevils? The dirty things always poked their ugly mugs out of the sewers right when Jack was looking forward to a nice evening on his own to relax and finish up the ten miles of paperwork he had waiting for him. But no. The Weevil just had to show up, and Jack just had to take care of him.

Luckily, the Weevil wasn't too much trouble. They never were, really, but it was the fact that he had to waste his time going after it that bothered him. He would have liked to keep it as a pet, now that he thought about it. Give him some company around Torchwood. They could growl at each other and pretend they were having a conversation.

No. Jack was not stooping so low as to talk with a Weevil. That just wasn't happening. So he took care of the pest as fast as humanly possible.

Jack wiped his hands off against each other as he walked, taking a short cut through the town. He knew London like the back of his hand, so whatever short cut he could manage, he would do it. The street smelled of fried foods, something Jack liked but didn't always eat. Chips were nice, but they had to be made at a certain restaurant for him to really enjoy himself. Too much vinegar left him feeling and tasting bitter.

Jack might have been grumbling to himself as he was walking, his legs taking long strides. Why did he have to park the car so far away?

[The Ninth Doctor]

She wasn't coming. Nine had been checking the clock almost compulsively and she wasn't coming. Finishing his paper full of chips, he crumpled it tightly, vinegar soaking his hands and tossed it in a bin. His hands were cleaned and the napkins thrown away and he was out the door, running a hand over his closely cut hair. The Doctor thought about growing it out but wasn't sure what that would achieve. Then he'd just be a silly looking man with long hair instead of his military like do that he had at the moment. At least with his current hair, he could pass as intimidating when he wanted to. Long hair would make him look silly. Granted, silly wasn't a bad thing, necessarily, he just hadn't been in the mood. It's hard to be silly sometimes.

Nine stuffed his hands in his pockets and shouldered out the door. On the street, surrounded by the noise of London, it was easy to forget that she hadn't been there and that he now had fried food sitting heavily on his stomach.

"Silly old man."He mumbled to himself, under his breath. "She's got the whole universe, why would she be in the chip shoppe?"

Glancing quickly to make sure there weren't any cars that were immediate threats, The Doctor jogged across the street and turned sharply on his heel to continue back to the TARDIS. He kept his eyes on the ground, resolutely not looking ahead.

His shoulder smacked into something firm, sending the Doctor careening a couple of steps. "Oi." He snapped, turning to face whoever it was he had collided with. "Watch where you're--Jack?"

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Jack glanced around as he continued his way, weaving between people standing on the sidewalk. Bloody Weevils left him aching for a bath. A hot one, where he could sink down and just enjoy his evening. He smiled, glancing around at the thought.

Of course, just as he decided to take his eyes off the path ahead of him, he runs in to someone. Jack stumbled a little, muttering a few choice words under his breath and planting his feet firmly on the ground. It was like hitting a brick wall. He groaned, rubbing his shoulder. And the man was starting to yell at him too.

Jack rolled his eyes and was going to ignore him, still not paying him any attention, but then he heard his name. And it sounded familiar. Oh so familiar. He looked up.

The Doctor. Jack stared at him for a moment, a little skeptical. Same hair, same nose, same ears, same eyes, same look. It was him. Definately and totally him.

"Doctor," he said, his voice a bit above a whisper, but firm. "Where did..." He trailed off, rubbing his mouth for a moment. "You're here."

[The Ninth Doctor]

The Doctor stared unabashedly at the human in front of him. The last time he had seen him had been on Satellite 5, just before he...

Just before he died.

Nine blinked and took a step away from Jack, looking him over with wide, almost frantic eyes. "You're dead." He blurted out. People didn't just come back to life and go about London. That didn't happen, especially not on Earth.

Then it sank in that Jack Harkness, Captain and former time agent was there, in front of him and most certainly solid. Very real. The Doctor stepped closer and touched Jack's cheek briefly.

Yep, he was real.

Nine moved his hand from Jack's cheek to the back of his neck and dragged him into a tight hug.

Eighty years of being so alone and his captain was right there. Jack was there and real and Nine could feel his heartbeat.

He hadn't even noticed that he had stopped breathing, just holding the Captain as tight as he could, afraid that he would disappear.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

Jack just stared at him. Watched him move and his facial expressions change. His throat got tight and he couldn't really speak. It was surreal. The Doctor had died, hadn't he? That's why Smithy was around. But then again, Smithy had died too and yet he already met with him. Touched him, knew he was real.

Somehow this was different. This was his first Doctor. The Doctor he first met. The way he felt about this Doctor was drastically different from the way he felt about the other. Jack smiled.

"You're dead," was the first thing the Doctor said to him.

Jack sighed softly, still smiling a little. That was right. He had died then. And yet, he was still here. Because of Rose.

"I was."

The Doctor brushed his cheek, then grabbed him by the nape of his neck and tugged him forward sharply, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing hard. Jack sucked in a breath of air, the force behind the hug constricting his breathing. He patted the man, pressing against him without hesitation. Jack gladly accepted the affection.

After a moment, the affection turned to pain. The Doctor was crushing him. He gave a small struggle and tried to suck in a breath.

"Doctor, let up," he rasped, patting his back firmly. "Can't breathe too well."

[The Ninth Doctor]

Nine couldn't believe that it was really Jack. He still thought he was hallucinating, even as Jack pressed closer into the hug. The Doctor closed his eyes, tightening his arms without thinking about it. It had slipped his mind that Jack was just a human, that he could be hurt, but pulled back the instant Jack said to. Nine stepped back, resting his hands on Jack's shoulders and he smiled.

He smiled so wide it felt like his face would split; he couldn't remember the last time he smiled like that.

"I never thought I'd say this." The Doctor cupped Jack's face firmly, still beaming. "But I've never been happier to see your stupid face." He let out a loud laugh, patting Jack's cheeks. People were staring at them and Nine almost didn't care but he still liked to keep a low profile. Keep a hold on Jack's face, he started to pull him into a little alley. Or was it an alcove? Did it matter?

No, not really.

The Doctor shook his head. He had been on his own a little too long, holding entire conversations with himself instead of actual people. Actual people like Jack whose face he was still cupping.

"How've you been?"

[Captain Jack Harkness]

He took in a big breath of air as soon as The Doctor unwrapped his arms from him. It wasn't that he didn't like the affection; really, he liked it a lot, but he liked breathing too. Death by suffocation was one of the more interesting deaths. It was slow and not very painful until the last few gasps of breath and your body contorts and your chest empties. Then it was desperate and needy, painful to the point of tears.

Jack smiled a toothy grin up at The Doctor, who looked much like the Cheshire Cat. His hands were still on Jack's face, warm and holding firmly. It was as if he was afraid if he stopped touching, he'd disappear or run away. He wouldn't dream of it. Jack touched his hands lightly, patted them.

"I never thought I'd say this. But I've never been happier to see your stupid face."

"Hey," Jack huffed and frowned. "I don't have a stupid face."

The Doctor started dragging him by his face toward an alleyway; he never was one for being out in the open and having a lot of attention on him. Jack didn't mind. Even though being dragged by his face was a little suspicious.

"How've you been?" The Doctor asked as soon as they were in the alley.

Jack patted his hands again and kept smiling.

"I've been worse. God, it's good to see you again."

[The Ninth Doctor]

With Jack's patting, the Doctor lowered his hands and stepped back. "Let me look at you." Nine planted his hands on his hips and looked over Jack's figure. It hadn't changed one bit; maybe a bit broader but whoever said that was a bad thing? One tiny fact kept bothering Nine, specifically how was it that Jack was still alive? Last time Nine checked, getting shot by a Dalek guaranteed death. Jack got shot, trying to buy Nine enough time to get the ray up and running.

Nine was sure of it.

"How are you alive?" Nine finally asked. "A Dalek shot you, you were dead."

Nine almost didn't care about how but his curious Time Lord mind demanded answers. Men didn't rise from the dead. Not human men, at least, unless they were tied to some 'religion'. Jack wasn't Lazarus and he certainly wasn't the son of God either.

Questions about Rose were on the tip of his tongue, ready to burst from his lips. He needed to know if she was okay, if she was still with him...well, the new him. Rose mattered just as much, if not more than Jack did in that moment. If Jack was there, Rose might be too.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

The Doctor stepped back and put his hands on his hips and looked at him. Just looked at him. Jack was half tempted to do a twirl but he didn't, just stood there and let the Doctor take his time. He still didn't believe it. Couldn't quite believe that Jack was still alive. Sometimes, Jack had to convince himself of the same thing. It was surreal, most of the time, really. All overwhelming.

"How are you alive? A Dalek shot you, you were dead."

Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. That was always the same question. It was the question he gave Smithy when he was busy in that radiation chamber. Smithy came straight out about it, too. Told him that yes, he realized that Jack was immortal and that yes, he had purposely left Jack behind because he was immortal, it was wrong and they needed to be far apart. Even the TARDIS didn't react to Jack well. All of it was very saddening.

He shrugged a shoulder and licked his lips.

"The Time Vortex," Jack announced surely. "On Satellite 5. I was shot by a Dalek and it hurt like hell and I died. But then I was alive again. I didn't know what happened, but I was alive and I came back and..." He trailed off, looking at him. "And you left me. Abandoned me. I watched the TARDIS disappeared, I was so close."

Jack shrugged again, watching The Doctor. Smithy would have purposely left him behind. Would he have? If he had known that Jack was standing right there, would he have left?

Probably. The two of them are the same when it comes down to it. The same person down to the two hearts.

"Smithy told me Rose did it when she had the Time Vortex. Brought me back."

He smiled again.

"I knew I was immortal when I got in a bar fight back in the 1800s; I was shot through the heart and I woke up."

[The Ninth Doctor]

"And you left me. Abandoned me. I watched the TARDIS disappeared, I was so close."

Nine swallowed and pursed his lips. He hadn't known. Everything Jack was telling him, made sense. Rose brought him back to life with the Time Vortex and it altered his molecular make up. The Doctor couldn't believe that he hadn't put that together sooner. He was the most brilliant mind in the entire universe, he should have been able to. But in that moment, it all happened two fast and there were only two things on his mind: Getting the Vortex out of Rose, making sure she was taken care of before his regeneration. He hadn't even thought about waiting for a second longer than he had. Why would he wait for a what he thought was a body?

Nine shook his head. If he had known Jack was still alive, he probably would have waited, even if it would have been a bad thing. Of course, he probably wouldn't have figured it all out before he regenerated. It was too fast and Rose was too much in danger for Nine to have thought about that.

He was dying for the woman he loved and that took up his whole mind.

"I hadn't known." Was all he said, shrugging a little.

Hearing that Jack had figured it out when he was killed made the Doctor frown deeply. That wasn't something he wanted to hear.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

"I hadn't known."

He wanted to say that was false. Wanted to call him out on it. But he didn't. Jack was so used to everything that Smithy had told him and he had to remind himself that even though the were the same person, they were totally different people. Their personalities and beliefs were slightly different from one another. Really, he didn't know what The Doctor knew and didn't know.

Jack nodded his head slightly.

"Yeah."

The Doctor's face fell dramatically after Jack told him how he found out about the immortality. He looked upset. Really upset. Jack didn't understand why. It was just a bar fight.

"I've been killed countless times. A bar fight doesn't make a difference, really."

[The Ninth Doctor]

"I've been killed countless times. A bar fight doesn't make a difference, really."

"You're saying that like it's supposed to make me feel better." Nine said almost angrily. He hated death. It followed him around everywhere he went but despised it. Especially when it was a close friend that was suffering it. And Jack was exactly that: a close friend. One of the Doctor's only true friends outside of Rose and the TARDIS. Nine furrowed his brow and let his mind wander to what it was like to die. It couldn't be nice. Then again, he himself had gone through a regeneration and remembered the dying, not the rebirth.

It felt horrible.

Nine shook his head. "Well, I'm here now. No more dying. I won't have it." He tried to smile but he was sure that it came out tired and craggy.

He wanted to tell Jack how much he missed him, how much he needed him now. After being alone for such a long time, Nine was desperate for company, love, companionship. But would Jack want that with him after meeting his next form? For all Nine knew, the newest him was handsome and charming and witty, a regular prince compared the the tired old fool he was currently.

[Captain Jack Harkness]

"Well, I'm here now. No more dying. I won't have it."

The Doctor looked serious about the matter. Being told about the countless deaths made him frown deeply. He wasn't one for killing or death. Jack knew that. But he also knew that he was a glutton for punishment. Death followed him around by the tail of his coat. He wouldn't let him know that. So he smiled at him.

"I'll hold you to that."

They just looked at each other for a few moments. Jack was really happy to see him. He wasn't sure the Doctor felt the same way, but he didn't care. He got to see him again. After so long, he was looking at his Doctor again.

Jack grinned a wide smile and reached forward, grabbing him by his shoulders and pulling him in.

"Come here."

Jack dragged him closer, leaning his head up and planting a firm kiss on his lips. Nothing special. Just a kiss. Something to really make the entire situation real.

[The Ninth Doctor]

Nine kept his hands in his pockets, grinning when Jack grabbed him. He had been wondering how long it would take for the good captain to kiss him.

It wasn't a particularly interesting kiss, just lips on lips, hands on shoulders and hands on hips (The Doctor's, once he moved them) to keep each other from pulling away. That funny, surreal little dream was replaced with reality. Jack was definitely there. That was the same mouth that had kissed him goodbye on Satellite 5.

All eighty years of loneliness hit the Doctor all at once. The last person he had seen was Rose with her scared, sad face. The first person he saw since was the man he was currently holding, decades later.

Nine wrapped an arm firmly around Jack, pressing a hand into his lower back.

He had to keep holding to reality to keep it from slipping it away. He couldn't let this be another goodbye kiss.