Title: Time to Kill
Author: TheGummiBear
Pairing: Nine/Jack
Rated: PG-13
Summary: What can happen on a cold night on planet Earth.

***

" Keep still you idiot!"The Doctor yelled as Jack once again shifted position.

" I can't help it!"Jack yelled back angrily, "It hurts!"

" Yeah, I know."The Doctor replied quietly, looking away, " It'll be okay."He said softly, looking into the frightened eyes of his friend.

" Oh yeah?"Jack tried to act cocky, but the Doctor sent him a piercing stare that seemed to see right through the bluster.

" Yeah."

It was midnight on the planet Earth and the two men were sitting inside the TARDIS, the door open, letting a cool breeze blow through. It was chilly, but neither was cold. Jack was sweating. The Doctor was running a scanner over the side of Jack's head while the other man complained constantly and kept moving at the wrong times. It was their latest plan to try and recover Jack's lost memories; Rose wasn't having any of it. She'd demanded to see her mother, so here they were, on Earth. A Time Lord and an ex-Time Agent. With time to kill. Ironic. The Doctor switched off the scanner and Jack slumped to the floor. The Doctor bent over him. Unconscious. Well, it was worth a try.

Jack awoke curled up on the floor of the TARDIS control room, shaking and sweaty, the Doctor leaning over him.

" Ooooh, not the first thing you want to see when you wake up."He quipped, grinning to show he didn't really mean it.

The Doctor grinned, recognising that Jack was feeling better, " Okay, up you come."He said cheerfully, putting a hand in the middle of Jack's back and almost effortlessly sitting him up.

Jack's sudden sharp intake of breath alerted the Doctor to his friend's real condition, as Jack's head swam. He looked into Jack's eyes, nodded swiftly, then rubbed a reassuring hand round in circles soothingly on Jack's back. The younger man looked at him, his eyes filled with fear.

" Did you remember anything?"

Jack shook his head, "J...just some... stuff from my childhood I'd rather have forgotten. My parents weren't exactly... well, you know."

Horrified at the picture Jack was painting in his mind, the Doctor just nodded. Jack pulled himself to his feet, colour slowly returning to his pale cheeks. He stumbled slightly, and the Doctor leaped to his feet, steadying his friend. Suddenly, they were face to face, close together, almost touching. Time to kill... They looked at each other and grinned...

***