At Last

I pulled my Ferrari out of the garage and parked it; it was time for an oil change at last. I put the hood up and began to inspect the engine. Of course I was only pretending to know what everything else was. I knew how to change the oil and I could tell when something else was wrong, and that was about it. I went back into the garage to get the oil pan and a bottle of oil. When I came back, what I else I saw in the driveway caused me to drop them both in a clatter. Captain Jack Harkness, was standing there. "Jack?"

"Rina? You look good," he said with his classic smirk as he looked over my slightly form fitting blue coveralls. I shook my head before going to hug him. I looked at him; the ever coy grin, the playful light that danced in his eyes. There was something so comforting to see another person who'd been with him, traveled through time and knew its wonder. When one has been a time traveler, one gains a sense to identify other time travelers. It's almost like a distinct scent, mixed with a look, and shaken up with an unbreakable bond that brings you the best feeling ever. Your muscles tense, your heart leaps, and you feel drawn to them, a moon to a planet. My philosophizing was interrupted by Jack, who took my jaw in his hand and gazed deeply into my eyes. In the very center, I could almost see the nanogene glow.
"You look like a lost kitten," he mused. I blushed and furrowed my brow as I pulled away. Sometimes that whole bond thing really bit you in the ass. "How long has it been now? In your human years?" he asked conversationally as he rubbed his hands together and approached my Ferrari. I followed after him, head down as I thought.

"Almost three years now,"

"Still hurts, I know. I run into him once in a while, but he always loses me. Do you ever-"

"No." I cut his question off before it could stab me in the heart. It was hard enough for me to love a man; loving a time lord was like daily, voluntary execution. Each day without him, you pray, wish and beg for him to return the next morning, or for death. Then in the morning, you wake up as alone as you had been. "I get one blue rose on my birthday. TARDIS blue."

"At least he stays in touch. I don't even get a proper greeting. It's 'what are you doing here'?" Jack scoffed as he slid the oil pan under with his foot as it started to drain. I chuckled. That was so…him. I smiled even. "I remember when you popped in on us, we'd just gone swimming in the Nile with Cleopatra, when the army of Rome invaded."

"So you said. You made that senator's son very sad when you left."

"They thought we were gods. Silly Romans."

"You are definitely an embodiment of Aphrodite, with a little Athena mixed in." Jack looked up, eyebrows wiggling as he laughed.
"They were half right, with him," A ray of sunshine splashed down, making the faint scar on my neck glow. Jack touched it, almost caressing my neck. I pushed his hand away. "Can you at least wait until after my child goes to sleep to try and seduce me?" Jack looked shocked.

"When did you have a kid?"

"Last year. May 7th, 2010. Baby girl, Arwen Juliet or AJ for short."

"Pretty. I'm sure she's a knockout like you. Who's her father, Zack?" I flinched.

"No. His name is Josh, he's my husband."

"I've been gone longer than I thought. When did you?"

"Last year. February 14th."

"Oh so you were," he made a pregnancy gesture, outlining a stomach. I nodded.

"Bout six months gone," Jack nodded.

"Did you hear from him at all?"

"Blue teddy bear, with a little pocket watch." I wiped a lone tear. I used the bear more than little AJ did. I included my husband best I could in my discussion of the Doctor. I used his alias, John Smith, and said he was a professor at the local university, met by a phone booth, got transferred unexpectedly to Oxford. I knew, should he ever come back, he'd go along with it. I watched in silence, as Jack pulled the oil pan back out, and started to fill the tank.

"Very like him. Little signs big enough to hurt, but won't grace you with his presence, eh? Even though you're gonna be around a lot longer than most humans, thanks to Zacky old boy. Rest his soul."

"How did you-?"

"A lover knows. No matter the time between them. Always." Jack looked up and our eyes connected again. I nodded, I knew what he meant. He put the hood down on my car, and I stripped out of my coveralls.

"How do you do that without getting any on you?"

"Lots and lots of practice baby. Although that's a little arcane to what I've been looking at lately," he laughed.

"Shut up you 51st century time agent slash conman."

"I never conned anyone!" He countered as he followed her into the house.