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That sound.
It sliced through the air like the swooping of a giant, electronic eagle's wings.
That sound.
He hadn't heard it for so long. As the blue outline of the TARDIS coalesced into solidity, Jack found himself grinning. He hadn't done that in a while.
The door opened and a scrawny, floppy-haired man in a slim-fitting blue suit peeked out.
"Hallo Harkness!" he called. "Quick! Get in!" He beckoned eagerly and stepping back to allow Jack through.
A new companion? Or, maybe more accurate to say?another sucker dragging after the Doctor into god knows what.
Jack followed the man into the TARDIS, a little ashamed at how eager he was to go back inside.
They were in the spacious control room, just as he remembered it, still giving that thrill of paradox and electricity. He glanced around. One thing was missing.
"Where's the Doctor?"
"Right here," said the man, with the broadest of grins. "Like the new look?"
The man gave him a slow twirl. Something in the voice and in the eyes ? a joy, a steely certainty ? told him that it really was the Doctor, with a brand new face. Jack raised an eyebrow. He'd known this was what Timelords did sometimes, but seeing it in the flesh?.
Jack stepped forward and, without really meaning to, lifted his hand to touch the Doctor's face. The Doctor didn't resist, although Jack felt the slightest hint of a flinch under his fingers.
"Yup, 100 per cent me. No trick photography, no strings, no hidden doors."
Jack took his hand away. "Handsome. I like it."
He pulled back his hand and slapped the Doctor a ringing thwack across the face. Not hard, just enough to sting.
"Ow! What was that for?" The Doctor rubbed his jaw.
"Leaving me for dead in the distant future."
"Fair enough." The Doctor nodded in concession.
Jack leaned against the console and folded his arms. "So, why are you here?" He realized that something else was missing. "Where's Rose? Is she ok?"
The Doctor leant back against the console for a second, beside him, drumming his fingers, then he turned around and started flicking switches on a panel. "I need your help. And, fine. Fine. I'm sure she is."
"You're?sure?" Sure implied that she was not with him any more. Another one left behind.
"Weeeell, who can be sure of anything?" The Doctor wouldn't meet Jack's eyes.
Jack shook his head. "You left her, didn't you? You know what, Doctor? You really are a bastard sometimes."
The Doctor said nothing. He just pulled a lever and the TARDIS lurched into life. Jack held onto a pillar to avoid being flung across the room. He watched the Time Lord working the controls. There was something?
It was the Doctor, sure, but something in him had changed. There was something new in those big brown eyes. Something terrible. Perhaps it had been there all along, but seeing him now?
Jack was afraid.
And yet, hurtling through time, space, into who-knew-where?he felt alive again for the first time since he died.
Whatever he was getting himself into, he knew he wanted it more than anything.
Damn you, Doctor. But it's good to see you.
It sliced through the air like the swooping of a giant, electronic eagle's wings.
That sound.
He hadn't heard it for so long. As the blue outline of the TARDIS coalesced into solidity, Jack found himself grinning. He hadn't done that in a while.
The door opened and a scrawny, floppy-haired man in a slim-fitting blue suit peeked out.
"Hallo Harkness!" he called. "Quick! Get in!" He beckoned eagerly and stepping back to allow Jack through.
A new companion? Or, maybe more accurate to say?another sucker dragging after the Doctor into god knows what.
Jack followed the man into the TARDIS, a little ashamed at how eager he was to go back inside.
They were in the spacious control room, just as he remembered it, still giving that thrill of paradox and electricity. He glanced around. One thing was missing.
"Where's the Doctor?"
"Right here," said the man, with the broadest of grins. "Like the new look?"
The man gave him a slow twirl. Something in the voice and in the eyes ? a joy, a steely certainty ? told him that it really was the Doctor, with a brand new face. Jack raised an eyebrow. He'd known this was what Timelords did sometimes, but seeing it in the flesh?.
Jack stepped forward and, without really meaning to, lifted his hand to touch the Doctor's face. The Doctor didn't resist, although Jack felt the slightest hint of a flinch under his fingers.
"Yup, 100 per cent me. No trick photography, no strings, no hidden doors."
Jack took his hand away. "Handsome. I like it."
He pulled back his hand and slapped the Doctor a ringing thwack across the face. Not hard, just enough to sting.
"Ow! What was that for?" The Doctor rubbed his jaw.
"Leaving me for dead in the distant future."
"Fair enough." The Doctor nodded in concession.
Jack leaned against the console and folded his arms. "So, why are you here?" He realized that something else was missing. "Where's Rose? Is she ok?"
The Doctor leant back against the console for a second, beside him, drumming his fingers, then he turned around and started flicking switches on a panel. "I need your help. And, fine. Fine. I'm sure she is."
"You're?sure?" Sure implied that she was not with him any more. Another one left behind.
"Weeeell, who can be sure of anything?" The Doctor wouldn't meet Jack's eyes.
Jack shook his head. "You left her, didn't you? You know what, Doctor? You really are a bastard sometimes."
The Doctor said nothing. He just pulled a lever and the TARDIS lurched into life. Jack held onto a pillar to avoid being flung across the room. He watched the Time Lord working the controls. There was something?
It was the Doctor, sure, but something in him had changed. There was something new in those big brown eyes. Something terrible. Perhaps it had been there all along, but seeing him now?
Jack was afraid.
And yet, hurtling through time, space, into who-knew-where?he felt alive again for the first time since he died.
Whatever he was getting himself into, he knew he wanted it more than anything.
Damn you, Doctor. But it's good to see you.
