[Fic] The Boy from Nowhere [Torchwood/Doctor Who; PG-13]
Title: The Boy from Nowhere
Author: hllangel
Fandom: Torchwood, Doctor Who
Wordcount:
Characters: Jack, the Doctor (Eleven), The new companion
Warnings: This was written as a reaction to the new Torchwood, and contains spoilers for all five days of Children of Earth
Notes: Many thanks, as always, to my wonderful beta, karaokegal. Children of Earth seems to have broken my writer's block. In addition, this fic was written for karaokegal's Song Lyric Prompt, which was "A Boy from Nowhere," sung by John Barrowman.

Summary: Jack had only ever had two callings: A hero and a conman. When being a hero stopped working, he fell back on being a con.


Finding his target was the easy part, always had been. No matter where you were, how run down the place was, how full of criminals, there was always one whose face and clothing were still clean and still in one piece. Each one became his mark, and each of them gave their trust more easily to someone who looked like them: clean, neat clothing and a well-kempt appearance. It was for that reason that Jack still wore the oxford shirts, the braces, and the tailored trousers, even if he'd long ago abandoned the coat.

She had long red hair,gleaming like a beacon to all who wanted to see, and she didn't seem to be seeking anyone out. Good. She wasn't a missionary attempting to rescue the worst criminals from a fate of their own making. She was just waiting. For what, Jack couldn't figure out; a stranger? Someone she knew? Either way, she'd dug in her heels, leaning against the wall in the dock's one filthy waiting room. No one came near her.

Jack decided to take the chance that she was waiting for repairs on her ship. It happened occasionally, people ending up here who had no desire to stop in the first place. A catalyzer breaks down in the vicinity, or life support refuses to work longer than it would take to land. It was never about refueling, as anyone with any bit of sense would make sure to have enough to get past this rock. This place was legendary in the worst possible way. Warlords, petty crooks, murderers, thieves, all of them came here when their luck ran out, each and every one jockeying for a place in the hierarchy. Every hundred years or so, the top tried to give the rock a name, but it never took. It didn't need a name. It's very existence was only spoken about in hushed tones throughout the rest of the galaxy, and all of them , each and every person that eventually made their way here, were fine with that.

Something about the girl's presence made everyone else keep back. They didn't deliberately avoid her, but neither did they seek out her company. But Jack had never been one to do the same as the rest. While she was looking the other way, he sauntered up to her and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, relaxing his posture and making sure to look like he was just like her, waiting for something to happen.

She didn't seem to notice, at first, but Jack was good at the game, and his skills weren't rusty anymore. It was how he'd ended up here in the first place: he'd gone after the son of a high-ranking dignitary, and he'd been caught. In flagrante was one thing; in flagrante with a highly valued museum piece already smuggled past security and packed safely in your bag was something else entirely, and so Jack had caught a lift and made his way out of civilized society. A fitting end, for now, he told himself. He could wait a hundred years or so before venturing back out. He definitely wasn't expecting to see so fitting a mark less than a year after arriving here.

In the end, Jack's patience won out.

"Have you been waiting long?" she asked him.

"A few hours, give or take," he said. "I lost my watch in a bet a few years back." It was almost true. He'd given it as a gift to a Cordellian princess to win her trust before he absconded with a chest full of jewels and an Arcadian diamond of phenomenal proportions. "What happened to your ship?"

"We lost a few pieces of gadgetry in a console fire. I've been told that they're extremely vital to the operation of our ship," she replied.

"And your mate left you here all alone?" Jack pushed off the wall, coming around to stand in front of her, one hand still braced as an excuse to lean closer. "Does he know where you are?" Jack dropped his tone a notch, "or maybe it's a she? I shouldn't presume, a gorgeous thing like you."

Her response was, as expected, indignant. "I can take care of myself, you know." She pushed at his chest but Jack held his ground, a little too close for her comfort.

"Let me buy you a drink," he offered. "I know a place that still serves a few decent ones. They even have clean glasses."

"Sounds lovely," she said. "I've been waiting ages here, and there doesn't seem to be a place to sit."

Jack thought for two seconds about what name to give. They were in the 64th century, but that didn't mean she was from the same time. By now, time travel was available to anyone who had enough money. "David Cooper," he said extending his arm.

She took it, "Fiona," she replied. "Nice to meet you, David."

They walked in silence, arm in arm until they found the pub. Like everywhere else, it was gritty and run down, but Jack knew exactly what prices were required to get a table with clean napkins and glasses. If her appearance was anything to go by, a few hundred credits for a table was nothing compared to what he'd be able to get from her eventually.

Once they were served, Jack opened the conversation again. "So tell me, Fiona, how did you end up here?"

"Our ship broke down. This was the nearest place with an open market."

"That's not what I'm asking. Most people can go their whole lives without passing near this little rock. In fact, most people go out of their way to avoid this sector altogether."

"We didn't plan to end up here either," she sighed and took a sip. "It was just supposed to be a quick trip. I just finished my studies and wanted to take a year off or so before getting a job. My parents kept me from taking a gap year earlier. I met someone who offered to show me the universe."

"I've had offers like that before," Jack said, trying to repress a wince.

"My friends thought I was an idiot to go with him, and seeing where we ended up on the first stop, I think they might be right."

"I can help you get back home," Jack offered, "If you really want."

"Do you have a ship of your own?" she asked.

"No," he responded. "But you do, and I can fly nearly anything." He casually flicked his left wrist so that a bit of the leather of his strap was visible. "I can even get you back to the right time, if you need to."

"Let me think about it," Fiona said, sounding somewhat hesitant.

It was to be expected, Jack supposed. She'd taken up with one strange man and ended up here. Why should she listen to another who was offering to take her back?

Before he could say anything else to win her trust, the door opened and a young man who looked every bit as out of place as Fiona entered and looked around. He seemed to be looking for something. Fiona, as it turned out. He spotted her hair first and started over, only then seeing that she was with someone else. When he caught sight of Jack, he seemed to pause for a bit. Not enough for anyone else to notice, but enough for Jack to realize that he had some pretty stiff competition for Fiona's affection, and that he didn't like Jack with her at all.

Jack watched as he approached; watched him force a smile and hold out his hand. "John Smith," he said. "I see you've met Fiona."

"We were just talking about you," Jack said, taking his hand. "David Cooper."

"Good things, I hope," John said, sitting down next to her.

"Did you get the parts?" Fiona asked, turning to him.

Jack watched bitterly as her entire face lit up in John's presence. Jack was definitely going to have a hell of a fight for this one. Unless he took them together. It'd been about ten years since he'd conned a couple. More than twice as hard as a single, but the rewards were so much better. That time, he'd managed to get his hands on a racing ship, one that had taken him through several galaxies before he'd been forced to abandon it when authorities caught up with him. It would be tough, but they might be just right for it. Besides, it would give his skills a workout. Getting a hundred credits or so off working girls just wasn't much fun anymore.

"Everything we need, and a few things I wasn't expecting to find." John held up the bag he was carrying and Jack could hear the metallic rattle of spare parts.

"You know," he started, "I've got a lot of experience as a mechanic. I could help you with the repairs."

"Thanks," John replied, "but my ship's somewhat finicky, and there aren't any others like her around."

"I've had a lot of practice," Jack continued. "And I'll make you a deal. I'll help you with the repairs, and you give me a ride."

"Where are you going that you can't get to on your own?" John asked, eyes narrowing.

"I'm just looking to go anywhere else. I've spent enough time here."

Jack watched as John and Fiona turned to each other and had a quiet conversation. The words weren't important, which was just as well since he couldn't hear it. He'd long ago learned that most of human communication was non-verbal, and he used it to his advantage. He could see exactly when they decided to trust him, and let him on board.

"Alright," John said, turning back to Jack. "You help us with the repairs and we take you with us. The first place we stop, you leave."

"Deal," Jack agreed. One stop was plenty of time to acquaint himself with whatever type of system they had. After that, control would be easy. He'd drop them somewhere nice and be off on his own again. He could get far away from this rock, leave it behind, not look back. It was easier that way. It always had been.

"Do you have anything you need to pack?" Fiona asked.

"Just the clothes on my back," Jack said. In truth, he had some of the things he'd taken on his last big con sitting in the room he was renting, but it didn't matter. He wasn't in it for the spoils, he was in it for the game, for the thrill, because anything that helped him forget, even momentarily, was good.

"Good then," John spoke up. "Fiona, you remember where we're parked, right? I've got to take care of some paperwork with the office." He rubbed his fingers together in a way that suggested payment for something. Jack knew the signs. There wasn't a scrap of paper on this planet, but credits flowed freely, and you had to pay for your space, even if it was only a few minutes.

Jack paid for the drinks and table and followed Fiona back through the docks. He was keenly aware of the moment when John veered off to take care of his business, and he immediately shifted closer to Fiona. She didn't move away, and Jack counted it as a good thing. She was pretty much his. Now, he just had to work on her man.

"Just around the corner, here," she said, breaking Jack's thoughts. "He likes to park out of the way, where no one else will be able to find us."

"Smart man," Jack laughed.

His laughter quickly died out when they rounded the corner and Jack caught sight of a too-familiar blue police box. Shit.

He managed to give an excuse to Fiona, that he'd forgotten something, that he'd meet up with them later, but as soon as he turned around he found his path blocked.

"Don't even think about running, Captain."

"Doctor," Jack acknowledged. "You've regenerated, again. You get younger every time we meet."

"You've changed as well." The Doctor spoke with a low, even tone. "And not for the better."

The Doctor's words hurt, almost as much as it had hundreds of years ago, when he'd told Jack that he was wrong. Jack didn't know what to say, so he just stood there, crossed his arms over his chest.

The Doctor spoke again. "We made a deal, Captain Harkness."

"I don't go by that name anymore. I left that life behind me."

"And now you go by Cooper. I'm sure Gwen would be thrilled that you're using her name to con pretty women into giving up their ships."

"She'd be better off if she forgot me. As would you."

"Not a chance of that happening." The Doctor said, "Now, the TARDIS needs some repair, and you are quite good with your hands, I recall."

That was as good an offer as he was going to get. The Doctor might not have said it, but he was giving Jack a choice: leave, go back to being a conman, a coward, or go with him. Jack could survive anything, even another few lifetimes of being a confidence man, of getting around by the skin of his teeth.

He'd never meant to fall back into his old ways, but he supposed that it was inevitable. He'd tried honest work, earning a living, taking shitty pay. Jack had only ever been two things: a hero and a conman. After a few months, the latter won out and he watched with joy as the one-time owners were carted away in the low-grade, filthy shuttles they'd once used to bring in workers. When it was over, Jack had no desire to take over the business, so he sold it. When the money ran out, he started pursuing less legitimate things again, telling himself that it was for the thrill of the chase, the rush at getting one over on some gullible fool. Eventually he didn't pretend or justify why, he just did.

Now he was being given a second chance (or was it a third?) by the one man who had trusted him before he trusted himself. Standing fixed in the Doctor's gaze, Jack was ashamed.

"Just promise me that your first stop won't be Earth," Jack said. "Don't leave me stranded back there. I can't do it."

"Who said anything about stranding you?"

"We made a deal, Doctor. I help you fix the TARDIS, you leave me off the first place you stop."

"Deal's off. It's your call, Jack. Travel with me. With us."

The Doctor was smiling. The face was new, but the smile was exactly the same. It had been there the first time when it hadn't been so much an offer as a rescue. The Doctor and Rose had saved his life. They'd given him hope before abandoning him. A hundred years later he'd gone running after the sound of the TARDIS and found the same smile, even though everything else had changed; the face, the companion and Jack himself. Twice over the next two years the Doctor had offered and both times Jack had said no; turned it down not just because of the insult lying bare between them but because he'd grown too attached to Earth, to his team, his family. His. As though they were there just for him. They were all dead because of him. Even though it had been several lifetimes since he'd left, the pain was still there, always under the surface. He'd promised Ianto that he'd remember him in a thousand years time, but he remembered all of them. Every single person that had died while he lived on.

He could hardly believe that after all this time, he was looking at the one man who'd lived because he had died. A man who was grinning and once again offering him the universe.

"Alright," Jack agreed, stunned when the Doctor threw his arms around him. Jack just stood there, not believing that he was being forgiven so easily. He needed this, needed the Doctor to forgive him for letting Alex kill their entire team; for letting Suzie become so wrapped up in the chase that she forgot how to be human; for not saving Owen or Tosh or Ianto, each of them dying in his arms; for sacrificing his own grandson right in front of his daughter; for leaving Gwen behind and letting her think that he didn't care about her at all.

Slowly, Jack brought his arms up, wrapping them around the Doctor, who seemed willing to let Jack cling to him until Jack was ready to let go. For the first time in hundreds of years, Jack started to think that maybe Gwen had been right all along.

It was time to stop running.