Title: Time Enough
Date Posted: 26 April 2006
Author: Van Donovan
Rating: PG
Characters: Rose, Jack
Pairings: Jack/Rose
Word count: 790
Warnings: Spoilers through season one of the 2005 TV series. Written for Ravenscanary, who requested Jack/Rose, No Doctor, set after "The Parting of the Ways."
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Rose had insisted immediately that they go and find Jack. The Doctor had explained he was busy rebuilding Earth in the future. She hadn’t understood. They were in a time machine. They could have just gone five years into the future from where they’d destroyed the Daleks.

The Doctor refused. There was more to his refusal that he was letting on, and Rose couldn’t decide if it was jealousy or some underlying desire not to return to Satellite Five. After the deal with the Doctor’s lover though, she finally convinced him. He couldn’t keep denying her everything, and it wasn’t like she wanted to save her father again. It was Jack. He was their friend. It wasn’t fair to leave him to die in that future.

They had fought about it; their first real fight. She didn’t care. The Doctor had agreed, but just dropped her off. He landed the TARDIS on the satellite, shoved her out with a knapsack and had dematerialized before she could even ask when he’d be back to pick her up.

She still had her mobile, so it wasn’t like he’d abandoned her. At least, that’s what she tried to reassure herself as she picked her way through the satellite. Her luck, Jack would be in Antarctica now and she’d be unable to find him.

Fortunately, it took her three inquires to get to him. After she gave her name, she was very quickly ushered to a lift and told that Jack had been expecting her. The lift dropped her off on floor 494 and as soon as the doors opened, she spied Jack, surrounded by several other people. She stepped out, smiling self consciously as she waited for a lull in the conversation.

After a moment, Jack glanced cursorily over to her. Upon recognizing her, his eyes lit up. “Rose!” he exclaimed. He very unceremoniously shoved the people between them aside and ran over. There was no handshake, nor any look of accusation. He just folded her into his arms and gave her a crushing, passionate kiss.

The intensity of it sent sparkles running out down through her toes. She hadn’t expected it, and hadn’t realized how very hormonally charged she’d become over the past few weeks. Kissing Jack wasn’t like kissing the Doctor, or even Mickey, but it was definitely nice, and she didn’t see anything wrong with it. She returned it.

Jack’s grip tightened, squeezing her possessively hard at her response. He broke the kiss only after the air had depleted, and even then he didn’t pull far away. His hand came up, tangling itself in her hair as he cupped her cheek. “What happened?” he asked, his voice slightly ragged from the kiss.

Rose fought to compose herself. Her mind was a whirlwind of temptation, but the deep, intense look in Jack’s eyes did much to ground her. He had died defending her. He had let the Doctor send her home and he didn’t know what had become of her. They’d abandoned him, and he knew they’d won, but he didn’t know at what cost. She mimicked his actions, raising her hand to his face. “We won,” she breathed at last. “I tried to get him to come back sooner for you, but he’s insufferable sometimes.”

Jack smiled at her, practically beaming in delight. “I had feared the worst,” he admitted, stroking her hair and cheek.

Rose thought he looked wonderful; five years helping his fellowman had done much to transform him inside, and that reflected on the outside. She laughed, delighted in a way she hadn’t ever expected to be with Jack. His eyes cleared, the fear and tenseness washing away as easily as his frowns turned to smiles. “Well, you’re silly,” she teased.

Jack squeezed her tightly, hugging her close again. “So where’s the Doctor, then?” His eyes returned to the lift, but it had already closed. “Afraid to come get his welcome back kiss?” His eyes sparkled.

Rose hugged him back, then took his hand in hers. “He’s off having a wild adventure of his own, I guess. It’s just you and me, now, but don’t we have a lot of catching up to do?” She nodded toward the delegation of people who were amusedly watching the whole ordeal.

Jack seemed momentarily crestfallen, but then he brightened, squeezed her hand and nodded. “That we do. Lots of catching up to do.” He led her to the people. “I’ve got so much to tell and show you, Rose. I hope we have enough time.”

She just smiled at him, secure in her place in the universe, and nodded. “Believe me, Jack, we’ve got all the time in the universe.”



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