Title: Sometimes everyone lives
By: lilithangel
Pairings: Jack/real Jack Harkness
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Captain Jack Harkness was reported dead and missing. They were both true thanks to an intergalactic conman, but they could both be wrong as well.

***

“Jack,” Tosh said when they got over his return to life, “while you were… you know… dead. I kind of told the others about the real Captain Jack.”

“And?” Jack prompted when she looked nervous.

“Well you told me he died and that was why you took his name, and Gwen said when she first ran into us she found a mention of a Captain Jack Harkness 133rd squadron who failed to report for duty and was presumed dead. We wanted to know more so I did a bit of digging.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Jack said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Captain Jack Harkness turned up in London at the 71st squadron until he disappeared and then…” Tosh looked at Jack, “then he turned up again, in London. Jack he didn’t die, he lived through the war and settled in Cornwall, he never went back to America or married.”

* * * * *

Algy slumped in his chair as memories of gas masks and bombs, strange people and charismatic Americans muddled and drowned in the glass of whiskey that dangled from one hand. He didn’t know what he believed, couldn’t trust his own senses anymore. It had been two days and he’d been trying to write up his report for most of it.

Algy straightened up at the knock at his door. Three men, one airman and two military police stepped inside.

“Sir, we’re looking for the man calling himself Captain Jack Harkness,” one of the MP’s spoke.

“Aren’t we all,” Algy said before the rest of the sentence made sense, “what do you mean, calling himself?”

“The real Captain Harkness has been in hospital recovering from burns and a severe concussion,” the MP replied.

“That would be me,” said the airman in an American accent, “what can you tell us about the man using my name?”

Jack had accepted he was going to die as he watched his team escape the Messerschmitt attack so it came as some surprise to find himself falling through the air. His hands automatically checked his chute and pulled the ripcord while his mind caught up with the idea that he could live. He could feel the ache of burns that were going to hurt a lot when the adrenalin wore off. He had just enough time to be grateful for the darkness before a tree broke his fall and he was unconscious.

“That sounds like the man I met,” Jack said to Algy, “although he was sadder and felt older than the man you describe.”

The MPs had left Jack with Algy after getting his story to continue looking for the imposter. Neither Jack nor Algy expected them to find anything. They hadn’t told the full story to the MPs, or each other, not wanting to face the explanations.

“There couldn’t be two like him,” Algy said, pouring another whiskey for them both.

Jack took the glass gratefully. He’d not been allowed alcohol while he recovered from the head injury that knocked him unconscious and left him unnamed in a hospital. It had taken over a month to get himself reinstated as alive and then another Jack Harkness in London had come to light. Jack had got to London as quickly as possible, missing his mystery man by two days.

Jack and Algy shared stories and finally admitted to the strangeness they had both experience although Jack couldn’t bring himself to talk about the kiss.

“So now what?” Algy said.

“Now there’s a war on,” Jack said.

* * * * *

“Doctor, would you mind dropping me somewhere beside Cardiff?” Jack said after they had fixed the TARDIS, removing all the remains of the Paradox machine from her circuits.

“What are you planning, Captain?” the Doctor looked at him quizzically.

“Cornwall, 1947 or thereabouts,” Jack said, without answering his question. Jack knew the Doctor still felt some guilt for what the Master did and hoped that would be enough for the Doctor to agree without pressing for more.

“So what’s in 1947?” Martha asked.

“I need to check up on someone,” Jack said.

“You sure?” the Doctor said, even as he set in the coordinates.

“Had a lot of time to think about it,” Jack replied and the Doctor nodded.

* * * * *

Jack found the small airstrip on his third go, grateful for the warmth of his coat as the winter wind bit. He could see a light glowing from a window in a small house next to the hanger and hoped if he was wrong again, they’d be kind enough to let him stay overnight at least.

Jack knocked loudly, in case the wind was drowning him out but there was still no answer.

“Can I help you?” a soft American accent spoke from behind him.

Jack turned and looked into the blue eyes that had helped him through the worst of his moments on the Valiant with another pair. When the pain and the loneliness were worst those eyes kept him strong. Separated by over fifty years he knew he wanted to get back to both of them, and he at least had the time.

The blue eyes widened with recognition and they both froze in place. Jack was wearing blue overalls and wiping his hands on a cloth.

“James?”

“Hi,” Jack said, hesitant of his welcome and wishing for the first time that he’d let the Doctor wait.

“Is it James or is it Jack?” Jack said his voice cold.

“Neither are really mine,” he replied, “so James will do. You know then?”

“I woke up in a hospital bed to find I was listed as dead and missing,” Jack said, “it took a while to sort out. I met your friend Algy in London and we pieced things together.”

He hunched into his coat further, not sure how to respond. His time sense was still topsy-turvy but he could remember everything from both times so clearly.

“How is Algy?”

“Okay,” Jack said, “he took some shrapnel in the leg but is up and walking again. He’s gone to Spain as part of the Diplomatic Corps.”

They stared at each other in silence until Jack sighed. “You’d better come in,” he said, “it’s freezing out.”

“You look good,” he said when they stepped into the warmth of the little house.

“You look tired,” Jack said, “drink?” Jack led the way to the back of the house to a small but comfortable kitchen.

“Thank you,” he said and nodded when Jack lifted up a bottle of whiskey. “I’m sorry for lying to you,” he added, “I don’t know if I can explain it, if you’ll believe me even.”

“I figured you’re some sort of agent, I’m just not sure who for,” Jack said pouring the whiskey.

“It’s more complicated than that,” he said.

“Isn’t it always?” Jack said, gesturing toward the table. “Algy and I compared notes finally, so we knew you were more than you seemed. Where did you go James, why did you need my name?”

“The second time I fell through a rift in time and space,” he said, rubbing his eyes, “but the first time I did it deliberately. I took your name before we met in the dancehall; I met Algy a hundred and fifty years before I met you. I’ve had so many names I barely remember what my parents called me, so James is as good a name as any and technically I haven’t been born yet.”

Jack finished his whiskey without saying anything and James watched him carefully.

“You really believe everything you just said, don’t you?” Jack finally said.

James nodded. “I know it’s unbelievable but it’s true.”

“Unbelievable is you disappearing into a bright light, then being in London where people were becoming monsters looking for their mothers being stopped by you, a strange Northerner and a girl wearing a union jack on her chest,” Jack said. “Are you going to stay a while?” he asked, changing tack.

“If you’ll let me,” James said.

“Were you really a pilot?” Jack said.

“That much was true,” James said, “is true.”

“How are your mechanical skills?”

“Rusty but not bad.”

“Good, I could do with the extra hands. The pay’s lousy but I hope the company’s okay.”

The company was more than okay. It took time but they had time. James slowly showed Jack how things could be between them and Jack learnt his lessons eagerly.

If anyone thought it was odd for two men to live together nobody mentioned it. James flirted with the girls in the local village and Jack charmed the rest with his respectful ways. They brought income to the village more importantly and both were always happy to help out where needed.

They flew whenever they could and spent many hours tinkering with an increasing number of old planes.

They moved when James didn’t age and Jack did. James would have left on his own but Jack wouldn’t let him. He didn’t care when people thought James was his son or a gigolo. James didn’t care either but he was afraid and didn’t want Jack to be unhappy.

He stayed and it was always good, even when his heart was broken again.

* * * * *

“I came back for you,” Jack said looking at Ianto, “for all of you,” he added because he had.

He’d had forty wonderful years with his Jack and then another twenty avoiding himself and waiting for the chance to come back to them. He hadn’t been lonely but he had missed them and he would always miss his Jack.

END

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