m_findlow

Title: The great race
Author: m_findlow
Prompt: 2 - Lucy, races, flag, on a holodeck at wintercompanion
Rating: Thirteenth Doctor/Jack Harkness
Pairing: PG
Content notes: Spoilers for all seasons of both series, and the Torchwood Big Finish audioplays.
Length: 33,192 words
Author notes: Beta'ed by beesandbrews. I don't own them, they belong to their respective creators.
Summary: A new adventure awaits two old friends as they compete in the greatest race of a generation.

'We had a deal,' Jack said, growing frustrated at the exchange. He was used to getting what he wanted, but he could feel this one slipping through his fingers like fine grains of sand.

'I found someone who wants a lot less than what you're asking' replied the gnarled old Kondori as he spat into a rag and shoved it deep inside the ship's exposed panel, cleaning the inner workings.

'I thought you guys were meant to be honorable,' Jack said, folding his arms, not quite ready to give in just yet. In truth, he'd picked Markle because he looked like a soft target. The old guy was kidding himself if he thought he could win the race without someone younger and more spry to do all the heavy lifting for him. It was a race after all, not a game of chess.

'Yeah,' Markle said, 'this is me honorably telling you that you're sitting this one out, kid. Come back in another forty cycles. By then you might be as old as me!' He laughed at that, carrying on as if Jack weren't there.

Jack sighed and shoved his hands into his coat pockets, wondering if he'd been greedy in his asking price, or perhaps just too naive. Where were those old conman skills? He used to be so sharp, and now here he was, begging for scraps. He caught his reflection in the gleaming hull of a vessel he passed, its own crew busily preparing. Same old face, Jack. It's just the man underneath who isn't the same anymore.

The whole place was buzzing with frenetic energy. Ship after ship lay parked haphazardly, cramped together despite the size of the deck. Dirty mechanics in faded green coveralls darted around, offering their services to anyone and everyone. It reminded him of his Time Agency days. The embarkation deck never slept. There had always been agents preparing to leave, or having just returned from a mission, waiting for the mechs to come over and sort out whatever issues they had. However good you were at taking care of your own ship, the mechs were better. Jack had watched them for hours, and sometimes even days, until he'd learnt every kind of problem a ship could face and how to fix it. He didn't want to have to rely on a mech to bail him out. Fat lot of good it would do him to be fleeing on a hope and a prayer and have his ship conk out halfway home without a mech in sight. Over the years, he'd learned their trade almost as well as his own.

Looking around at them now, he wondered if he should have ditched the idea of racing and just signed on as a mech. Considering the number of ships clustered here, and how high the stakes were, a decent mech could probably name his own price.

He'd come here on a whim. That was how he did most things these days. He'd been hunched over at the bar, trying to remember if he was on hypervodka number five or six, and then debating with himself whether it really mattered. Two fellow drunkards had been going on and on all night about the race, a once in a generation event, sponsored by some obscenely wealthy company with a prize to match. Fifteen million credits to the winner.

That got his attention. Even a small share of the prize pool was more than most could hope to earn in a lifetime. He'd been bored and disillusioned for months, unable to find pleasure in anything. A race sounded just like something he could get his teeth into. He didn't have a ship, but he knew he'd be able to work his way onto a crew. The beginnings of that familiar rush of excitement began to return, tugging him out of his doldrums.

Now old cunning Markle had shafted him. He was wilier than he looked. Jack kicked himself for blowing the deal, his short temper and impetuous nature getting the better of him. He should have done a bit more sniffing around, asked what the going rate was and matched it, or even undercut it to guarantee himself a spot. He considered going back to try and renegotiate, but the risk of coming across as desperate was more than his pride could suffer.

Overhead, he could hear the growing roar of spectators, waiting for the race to get under way. Even though the race itself wouldn't commence for a few hours yet, they'd all be jostling for good seats. It was worth the wait to ensure full frontal views of the telescreens that would transmit every heart-stopping moment. Vendors would be busy selling food and merchandise, programs detailing the contestant's profiles, and holo-banners that could be set to cheer for whichever team you wanted.

He didn't feel like joining the masses. He'd never been a good spectator. His place was right there in the thick of the action. Perhaps he'd just return to the bar and drink himself into an oblivious stupor, forgetting all about it. There was always another bar in another part of the universe ready and willing to welcome him inside.

A cry came out of nowhere. 'Stupid thing! Curse all the goddesses and their daughters!'

Jack placed a hand on the side of the small vessel to balance himself and leaned over, trying to find the source of the colourful swearing. Wedged underneath, he caught a glimpse of gold, and the tiny frame of an Artesian working away inside an open panel.

'Swearing at it won't help,' he said, unable to resist.

The diminutive figure rolled out from underneath and Jack got his first proper look at her. She'd be lucky if she was four foot six, even in those chunky work boots. Her skin was shimmering gold, and not actually skin at all, but rather thousands upon thousands of tiny scales, each one that picked up the light when they moved. Her ears, triangular like a cats, poked up through a shock of short black hair. Her hands, which were of the same shape, three triangular nubs, rather than fully formed fingers, were covered in black grease, as was her jumpsuit, a deep purple now marked with black. She was young, Jack thought; younger than even the most junior apprentice mech running after his master.

She scowled at Jack towering over her. 'It's my ship. I can curse at it if I like.'

'Your ship?' She hardly looked old enough to fly one, let alone own one.

'Okay, fine, it's my brother's, but he doesn't need it, and I'm the one that always has to fix it anyway.'

'How's that working out for you?' Jack asked.

'Look, I didn't pick it out. It's not my fault if I can't get my hands wrapped around the smaller parts. Some idiot stole my toolkit so I've gotta do it manually.'

Jack sympathised. A good toolkit was worth a lot of credits to the right person, and her hands, small as they were, were going to have a hell of a time trying to sort out the more intricate inner workings.

'What's your name?' he asked.

She swept part of her shaggy black fringe back behind her ear, leaving a little grease mark on her forehead. 'Lucy.'

'I'm Jack. Nice to meet you, Lucy.'

'I doubt it,' she replied.

Jack looked around. 'Rest of your crew around here somewhere?'

'You're looking at them,' she replied. 'Besides, I don't need anyone else.'

'Not too many other racers going it solo.'

'I'll be just fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get this fixed,' she said, businesslike and abrupt. 'If I don't, this ship won't be going anywhere.'

'Don't waste your time!' came a yell from behind Jack. He turned to see a rather more surly looking Artesian in heavy black leathers. He had piercings and chains running from ear to nose and back again, and a thick black tattoo that snaked across the back of his hand, disappearing up the sleeve of his jacket. 'He ain't worth it! Go back home to your worthless little job!' He didn't hang around, laughing and walking off, leaving Lucy bristling with anger.

Jack frowned. 'Who's he?' he asked, thumbing over his shoulder.

'Emin Drax.'

'Who?'

Lucy rolled her eyes at him. 'Only the most famous space racer this side of Delta Six. How have you not heard of him?'

He shrugged off the insult. 'Been out of the game for a while. Not my usual neighbourhood, either.' Jack watched Drax saunter off, a swagger in his step as he stopped to sign autographs for some attractive young fans. He then saw the expression on Lucy's face, not one of admiration or even awe. It was plainly hatred. 'Not a fan, I'm guessing?'

'He's an arse. Who cares how good a flyer he is? Just because we're the same species doesn't mean I have to like him.'

'So, let me see if I've got all of this right,' Jack said. 'You've got a ship that won't make it past the first checkpoint without mechanical repairs, no fellow crew members to help you out, a bitter rivalry with an opponent that will come to nought if you don't get your ship in working order, and you haven't got two credits to rub together, which is why you haven't just paid one of the pit mechs to sort you out. Did I miss anything?' he asked, folding his arms and leaning casually against the craft.

She scowled at him. 'You missed the part where I don't waste any more time talking to you.'

Jack gave her a sly smile, a plan already formulating in his mind. 'What's say I help you out? Believe it or not, there's not much I can't fix.'

'You?'

'Ex Time Agent,' he replied, puffing out his chest a little further.

'Never heard of them.'

'Doesn't matter,' he said, quickly cutting off further disappointment at the lack of recognition. Once upon a time, being a Time Agent was like being a rock star. So much for reliving his glory days. 'I help you and you help me. I want in on the race and you need someone with opposable thumbs.' He twiddled his long fingers in her face. Being human wasn't always a disadvantage. 'Equal split of the winnings,' he offered.

'Equal? No way. Thirty percent.'

'Fifty-fifty or I walk away right now.'

'Sixty-forty.'

'Fifty,' Jack insisted

'Forty percent. Take it or leave it.'

Jack clenched his jaw. 'Fine. Deal.' He knew his own abilities and he knew winning the race was still a long shot, but not outside of the realms of possibility. If they did win, he could always resume haggling over the profit split.

Lucy grinned, throwing out a hand to shake. 'Deal,' she said, obviously feeling she had the upper hand. 'Welcome aboard, partner. Now, first thing's first. Get your hand in there and fix the sensor for the accelerometer or we'll go crashing into something at near warp speed.'

'Whatever you say, boss,' Jack said, grinning. He shrugged off his coat, hanging it over the aileron, before sliding himself under the belly of the ship. He compared its size to some of the behemoths he'd passed on his wanderings. It had capacity for four at most, but a small craft had the advantage of speed and agility. With a bit of fine tuning along the way, they could have it running circles around the bigger vessels.

He reached in, fingers wrapping around the tight bolt to try to lever it. Even with his more dexterous hands it was tricky work. What he really needed was to unscrew the whole sensor panel to get a proper look inside.

For just a second a memory of fingers more slender than his own entered his mind. Long supple fingers that always looked like they'd never done a day's work in their life. They'd done more than their share, but they'd always been better at lovemaking. He shook the thought away. All in the past now, Jack.

'It's no use,' Jack said. 'I'm gonna need something to loosen it. Wait here. I'm sure there's a mech around here willing to sell off a few old tools. Got any credits I can use?'

'What do you think?' she replied.

'Fine,' he said, narrowing his eyes at his new partner, 'but it's coming out of your share.'

'Whatever. You go get what we need and I'll make sure you're registered.'

Jack wended his way through the crowds of people, fellow racers doing final checks on their ships, harried mechs running from one place to another, sleazy product reps looking to slap their stickers on the side of racer's ships, and even a smattering of journalists, looking for a story before the race had even got underway. After all, who didn't love a good underdog tale? He spotted a gaggle of tired looking mechs huddled by a small refreshment car. Tired and overworked, Jack knew they made easy targets for getting a good deal. He was so focused on picking the right one, he didn't even spot the woman who'd been watching him for the past five minutes. As soon as he was within earshot though, she called out to him.

'Hello there, stranger,' she said, leaning casually against the wall, arms folded. 'Long time no see.'

Jack did a double take, soaking in the elegant blonde with hazel eyes. She was dressed in a deep blue overcoat. Underneath, lighter blue short-cropped pants poked out, revealing slender legs that disappeared into brown boots and blue socks.

'Captain Jack Harkness at your service,' he said, giving her a trademark grin. He paused. 'Wait, have we met before?'

She smirked. 'Only once or twice.'

'Sorry,' he apologised. 'I meet a lot of pretty ladies. I wish I could say I remember them all.'

She gave him a knowing smile. 'The way I remember it, you never had a problem remembering the boys, either. Though I s'pose it's hard when they change the rules on you.'

Jack chuckled nervously. 'Okay, you're gonna have to help me out here.'

'Really? You'd think a former Time Agent would be better at this.'

'You're gonna have to give me more than that. My Time Agency days were a very long time ago. But perhaps we could get reacquainted somewhere else?'

She shook her head. 'You never change, do you?'

'Most people would say that's one of my best features. Come on, then. Give me a name.'

She leaned back, grinning. 'Doctor,' she said. 'Amazing how people forget you as soon as you're not standing right next to a blue police box.' She smirked as the charming smile dropped from Jack's face.

'No. But... just... no.' His face scrunched up in disbelief. 'You're a woman!'

She rolled her eyes. 'Well spotted, Jack.'

'Seriously? It's really you?'

'Really me. TARDIS and all. What's a little facelift between friends?'

Jack's grin returned, stretching from ear to ear before he threw himself forward and wrapped the Doctor in a Jack-sized hug.

'Yeah, still not big on the hugging part,' she warned him.

'Still not big on the caring part,' he replied, squeezing harder, before finally pulling away, out of breath. 'Oh, you have no idea the things going on inside my head right now.'

'Unfortunately, I really do,' she replied.

'I, uh, like the coat,' Jack said, admiring the long dark blue wool with its double-breasted buttons and belt. 'Copying someone else's style?' he asked.

'Oh, this?' she said, giving him a twirl. 'Came with the face. Besides, what would I be without a coat?'

Jack could hardly contain his excitement at a familiar face after being so long on his own. 'So, what are you doing here?'

She shrugged. 'Always liked watching fast cars go around. Supposed to be a once in a generation event, so they say. Big old bucket list just never gets any shorter. What about you?'

'Right in on the action, Doc.'

'As if there were any doubt,' she replied.

He pointed off into the distance. 'See that one over there? Little bronze beauty. She could do with a bit of TLC from yours truly, but apart from that.'

'Not your usual style,' she quipped. Jack was always all things big, bold and brash.

'Hey, it's not about the size, it's how you use it. Besides, she's not actually mine. Got myself a partner. Gotta get her shipshape, first. Think you could give us a hand with that sonic screwdriver of yours? Turn our duo into a trio?'

She furrowed her brow at him. 'Isn't that cheating?'

He grinned back. 'It's only cheating if you get caught. Come on.'

Unable to resist, her curiosity intensely piqued, she followed after him, just as Jack knew she would.

Part two...