Title: Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
By: Librarian In Leather
Pairing: Ten/Jack & Nine/Jack
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Whether it was 50,000 years or 50 million, the Doctor was unforgettable.

***


Jack had decided that 'dancing' was a good euphemism, after all he enjoyed the real thing almost as much. He didn't often get to dance in the traditional sense, so he took advantage of every opportunity he got to engage in such explicit, socially accepted, physical flirting.

The Tardis had landed them on a relatively primitive planet where the natives were reasonably humanoid, if you ignored the fact that they had orange skin and purple eyes. It didn't take long for Jack to chat up most of the court and discover that the King's daughter had been kidnapped and of course, that meant the Doctor and his companions had to go rescue her.

Which they did, eventually, after numerous near misses, death threats and the princess and Rose having to rescue Jack and the Doctor, which the girls found most amusing.

And that was how they found themselves in, what looked to Rose like, a nineteenth century English ballroom. The princess, as a thank you for rescuing her, had invited them to the celebratory ball, though it had taken all of Rose's power of persuasion to get the Doctor to let them come.

The three friends had returned to the Tardis to change into more suitable clothes, or at least, Rose and Jack had, the Doctor refused to. He entered the ball room in his leather jacket between Rose, who was wearing a full length pink ball gown and Jack, who was wearing black breeches and boots with a frilly white shirt and a dark blue frock coat.

But Rose, who had been looking forward to the dancing, suddenly turned to the Doctor with a frown. "I thought they had the same sort of gender system as humans? Male and female?"

"Yup." The Doctor was looking slightly uncomfortable.

"But they're all dancing in same gender pairs, girls with girls, guys with guys."

"That's the custom here, their biology means they pair up within genders. It also means they have the equivalent taboos, at this point in history they don't allow mixed gender marriages and mixed relationships are frowned upon."

Rose opened her mouth to complain but she was cut off by the princess, who had just appeared at their side. "Rose! You came; will you do me the honour of dancing with me?"

"Uhh..." Rose looked at the Doctor, who nodded. "OK." The princess took Rose's hand and dragged her onto the dance floor.

The Doctor started to make for the tables but Jack stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Hey, Doc, aren't you gonna show off your moves."

The Doctor gave him The Look. "Don't push your luck, Captain, it's bad enough that I have to be here in the first place without dancing."

"Come on, Doctor, one dance.' He grinned. 'Don't worry, I won't bite."

To his surprise, the Time Lord gave him a considering look and relented, "Fine, one dance, but I lead."

"Always."

They stepped out onto the dance floor, getting a surprised look from Rose over the princess's shoulder and Jack, relaxing into the Doctor's hold, made a memory.

It was a Time Agent trick, to be able to remember a specific incident down to the last detail. He fixed in his mind how it felt to have the Doctor's hand in his and the Doctor's arm around his waist. The feel of the man in his arms and the leather under his hands. The movement of the dance, the atmosphere, the song playing "” a galactic favourite "” the period clothes and furniture. He took in every detail of this perfect moment as they spun around the dance floor.

The last few months had been the happiest of his life so far, but he knew it couldn't last forever. So as Jack danced with the Doctor, he danced to remember.


A different planet, a different race, a different era and definitely a different partner but, 50,000 years later in Jack's personal time line, he danced to the same song and this time he danced to forget.

It was an effort doomed to failure. The fact that he still mentally called himself Jack, a name no-one had called him to his face for about 20,000 years, was proof enough of that. He called himself Jack because it was what they'd called him, what He'd called him.

Whether it was 50,000 years or 50 million, the Doctor was unforgettable.

Jack was startled out of his resigned thoughts by a hand on his arm.

"May I cut in? I believe this is our song." That last was directed at Jack. The Captain looked around into warm brown eyes, set in a lean face topped with wild brown hair.

"Doctor?" Jack let go of his disgruntled partner as he turned to face the man who still haunted his dreams.

"Hello, Jack." The Doctor took Jack's hands and slid them into the dancing stance. "Shall I lead?" he asked.

Jack grinned, his first genuine smile in far too long, as he echoed his reply from 50,000 years ago. "Always."

The Doctor may have been unforgettable but maybe Jack didn't have to find that out just yet.

***