Fffc Bingo Card - Last minute

[m_findlow]

Title: Last minute 
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 100 - Backpack at fffc
Summary: The Doctor has arrived and Jack's in a mad scramble. 

There it is, that's sound. That wonderful glorious sound. There's only one sound like it in the whole universe and, can I tell you, it's beautiful. After a hundred years of waiting for it, it is just the most beautiful sound.

The TARDIS has finally returned with a version of the Doctor whose timeline coincides with mine. Well, give or take a hundred years, but hey, still looking good for a guy who's a hundred and fifty, wouldn't you say? Avocado facials, that's all I'm saying. 

Suddenly there's a moment of sheer panic that hits me. Why the heck am I just standing around here? The Doctor might hang around for a couple of days but he might only hang around for a couple of minutes, and then who knows when he might be back. Move your arse, Jack! We're not sticking around here for another century waiting and wondering! 

Sweet goddesses, why didn't I prepare for this? I mean, what's to prepare, right? Doctor arrives, you go knock on that old TARDIS door, he invites you in for a cuppa, and you discuss the philosophical question of the meaning of life and why the hell can't I die? 

Okay, so maybe we're gonna need a lot of cups of tea to figure that one out, but hey, if anyone can tell me what the hell happened up on that game station and how to fix me, it's the Doc. 

The hand in the jar is bubbling and glowing like crazy. Not a bad bet from two years ago that it would be the perfect alarm clock for his arrival. Sure, it's a little freaky, but beggars can't be choosers. Could have been a kidney. 

As soon as I found out Torchwood One had recovered it, I knew I had to get it. But getting stuff out of Canary Wharf? Not as easy as it sounds. It's not like we were best buddies and I could just roll up and say "so, I hear you've got a living, breathing - okay, maybe not breathing, that's just kinda weird - chunk of the Doctor that got lopped off by a deadly Sycorax. Mind if I borrow it, oh, you know, permanently?" 

There's only one thing they liked giving me and that was a headache. I made up for it though. What they didn't get from me - the stuff we collected that came through the rift - far outweighed anything they kept from us. 

It took three official visits to finally locate it and steal it. You should have seen the vitriolic memo that arrived afterwards, accusing me of stealing it. Yeah, payback's a bitch. 

Plus, the Doc might like his hand back. No idea if he's been getting around with only one hand or if that whole regeneration thing extends to replacing missing limbs. Still, you lose a hand you're probably going to want it back at some point. If not, I guess it makes for a conversation starter on your coffee table. Might've been nice if Torchwood had said, so thanks for saving our planet, would you like you hand back now? 

I've crossed paths with the Sycorax before and let me tell you, they're not nice guys. Probably wouldn't have blasted them out of the sky with a giant alien space cannon - not when they're beating a hasty retreat, anyway - but hey, that's how Torchwood One likes to roll. And yeah, it freed up my Christmas day so I wasn't complaining too hard. A guy should be allowed to enjoy his microwave turkey for one and double serve of pudding with a glass of scotch, you know what I'm saying?

Okay, so packing to see the Doctor. Argh! No time! I grab the jar and run to my office. Everything has moved. They've gone and tidied up the hub after we jsr about blew it to bits and now I can't find anything! Uh… Jar. Can't just walk up there carrying a jar. It'll look like the worst start to a bad date ever. "Hi, I'm Jack. I bought you a jar. Shall we go? I've got a reservation at St David's for us at seven." 

Ah, backpack! Think it might be Owen's but who cares. I tip it upside down and out falls three energy bars, some dog-eared comic books and a handful of condoms. Definitely Owen's. The jar goes in and so does everything else. Could come in handy. Always good to practice safe sex when travelling the universe. Unwanted pregnancies get real interesting when you mix species. 

Okay, hand, backpack, me… What else? Urgh, why didn't I get Ianto to organise all this stuff two years ago? Not like I didn't know this was coming. Then again, probably a bit awkward. "Ianto, need you to pack me a bag. I've got a very important meeting coming up." "When is the meeting scheduled?" "No idea." "And how long will it take?" "No idea about that either." "Okay, can you at least tell me where it is?" "Don't know that either." "Very good then, sir. I'll be sure to pack you both summer and winter wardrobe options. Lucky for you they're exactly the same." 

Coffee. Gods, but I could have done with that coffee before leaving. Immortality is one thing, but nothing gets you raring to go like a cup of Ianto Jones Special. I'll even take a takeaway right now. I'm not fussy. Being dead really takes it out of you. 

Dead. Not dead. Haven't explained myself to the team. Long story but a good one. Not done yet. Still more to find out, too. God I really need to write that book. 

Gotta go. No time to explain. No time to leave a note to say where I'm going. I can hear the TARDIS whirring again. No! Too soon! It's too soon. She can't have refuelled by now. Panic. No, don't panic. Just run. There'll be time for all of that later. Just grab the damn backpack and run!