The Dancing We Don't See

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who any rights or properties thereof

Chapter One: Good Night And Thank You

Jack Harkness's first night aboard the TARDIS is something of a surprise. He's not surprised when he walks into his bedroom to find her waiting for him. He'd watched Rose's eyes while they danced on top of his ship and knew enough to know he could have had her, so easily. Far easier than she would have believed. He's not surprised she looks nervous and uncertain. Of course she would be, after The Doctor's very obvious alpha male hands off display out there she's bound to be a little tense. He's not even surprised that when he sits next to her she flinches away and refuses to look him in the eyes. Coming here to him couldn't have been easy on her. What does surprise him is her words.

Without looking at him she offers him a trade of sorts. Flirt with the Doctor; Rose invites him. Flirt if you both enjoy it but Jack don't hurt him. Don't make him love you and then leave him. Rose tells him that under the Doctor's shell he is really very vulnerable and far more damaged than he'll ever think he allows to be seen by others. The trade comes into play when she offers Jack herself. She acknowledges that she is very attracted to Jack, and doesn't miss his smile when she tells him this. She also acknowledges that she would very much enjoy shagging Jack. He nods an even bigger smile this time. Don't hurt the Doctor and I'll be yours, Rose tells him. This time she looks him in the eyes to make sure her meaning isn't misunderstood.

"Would you do this if you weren't attracted to me?" Jack feels the question must be asked. Maybe this is some weird sort of couple's game for them. Jack has heard of and participated in even stranger ones than this. The two deny they are a couple but Jack has eyes. He has watched the two of them. If they aren't a couple it's only because they refuse to realize it. If this is a game, he doesn't mind playing along he just wants to know the rules.

He isn't prepared for Rose's answer. She tells him yes, she would be here even if he made her skin crawl. When he asks her why, she stares at him and says in a whisper. "He's worth everything to me." Jack can see that she means exactly what she says. To her, the Doctor is worth the body she's willing to trade so cheaply along with her self-respect and self esteem. If she hated Jack she would still be here to keep her Doctor safe. She loves him that much. This is what floors Jack. She loves the Doctor enough to allow herself to be used in a very intimate way if it keeps him from getting hurt. Jack doesn't ever remember seeing a love that powerful before. It awes him and breaks his heart a little. No one has ever loved him like that. His heart breaks more when he asks Rose how the Doctor feels about her and Rose quietly assures him that The Doctor would never love a stupid ape. Then she finishes by telling him it doesn't matter. She never expected the Doctor's love in return.

Jack starts to tell her he isn't going to take her up on her offer and panic crosses her features. Seeing that she has the wrong idea he continues quickly. He won't do more than flirt with the Doctor, Jack assures her. If the Doctor ever indicates he wishes for more Jack will proceed as cautiously as possible. He won't allow The Doctor's hearts to be broken by his actions. Rose smiles at him. The first real smile he has seen on her face since she was in the Doctor's arms dancing around the console room. When she kisses him softly. He doesn't try to make it more. He knows it is a kiss of gratitude. When she leaves him, he doesn't make the expected comment about how much nicer it would be to have her in his bed.

He should be surprised but isn't when his door is opened a few minutes later and the owner of Rose's heart is striding into his room. Jack almost says something about the lack of privacy aboard the TARDIS but realizes he may not like the answer he's given especially if it involves a forced removal to a planet that's atmosphere is not conducive to Jack's continued good health and existence. The Doctor gets straight to the point. Pinning Jack to the bed with his eyes he tells Jack how very young Rose truly is. Jack is about to argue that chronologically Rose isn't as young as she seems, but something in the Doctor's glare tells him it isn't the time for Captain Jack one-liners. He also realizes that the Doctor isn't talking about her chronological age he is talking about experience and in that Rose will always be far younger than Jack.

He wonders if the Doctor is going to make the same offer as Rose. He doesn't have long to wonder. The Doctor makes the same offer with a slight difference. Flirting with Rose, fine. Flirting with him, fantastic. Sex, if he really feels it's necessary come to the Doctor. Even suggesting sex with Rose, instant death. Jack would like to think that the Doctor's kidding about that last part. The Gallifreyan seems to be unwilling to take life. However when he looks into the Doctor's eyes and now they are very alien, Jack sees perfect truth. If he harms Rose in any way he might as well say what little prayers he can because the Doctor will kill him.

Because he is Jack and because he has to know; Jack asks the Doctor why such an offer is being made. Does the Doctor love Rose? The Doctor refuses to answer the question. He puts Jack off with the response that love has nothing to do with the matter at hand. The matter at hand involves only Jack not breaking Rose's heart. Knowing it might end in his death but finding he already liked Rose enough that it may not matter Jack asked again. This time he told the Doctor that yes the answer to his question mattered very much.

The Doctor's response isn't violent. It's soft and all the more terrifying. " I don't love her. I've altered time to make her smile. I've considered letting a world be destroyed to keep her safe. I'd allow Gallifrey to burn again to keep her with me. But I don't love her. Jack there is so much more to what I feel for Rose than simple love." the Doctor tells him.

There was that love again that he had seen so clearly in Rose. Jack can only hope that one day he will have someone he can love or who will love him like that. Knowing it has to be said Jack assures the Doctor he will never hurt Rose, he won't try to take her to his bed.

Jack sees that the Doctor wants to believe him, but says nothing more as he leaves. Jack knows now what he has to do, and sadly it isn't getting the two of them into his bed. Well, maybe someday he'll be lucky enough to have them there but not now. Now is the time to help them realize what the other is feeling. Now is the time to make them realize how deep their love is and hope that maybe they'll learn to love him.

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Jack was fairly sure he was on a short holiday to the land of insanity. He had tried for two weeks to put the Doctor and Rose together. It was kind of like walking a tight rope. If he didn't try hard enough nothing would go forward. If Jack tried too hard the Doctor or Rose might realize what he was doing. That could be very bad. Jack decided he liked the basic comforts of life tiny things like food, shelter, and air. He was afraid if he was found out he would soon be missing all three comforts starting with air and shelter. The Doctor kicking him off the TARDIS wouldn't be so bad if the possibility didn't include the Doctor beating him to the consistency of pizza dough for interfering where he wasn't wanted and then just for fun throwing the pizza dough formerly known as Jack out of the TARDIS.

For two weeks Jack had suggested locations that could conceivably called romantic to visit. Once there, Jack has found numerous errands to run so that the Doctor and Rose could be alone. He has disappeared after dinner almost nightly and avoided watching movies with the two of them so they could be together. Nothing has worked. Jack doesn't understand this. He was Jack Harkness, flirt extraordinaire. He had skills others would pay a kings ransom to learn and had. He was trying his best techniques and it was all to no avail. He began to wonder if he was wrong about the two of them. Sure, Rose loved the Doctor and the Doctor loved Rose but maybe Jack had read the two of them wrong and what he saw wasn't romantic love. He didn't think he'd been wrong about this type of situation but he figured even he was entitled to being wrong once or twice a century and this was going to be one of those times. He just hoped his error in judgment never got around; he had a reputation to maintain.

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The TARDIS' POV

I really wanted to hate him when our Rose insisted he join us. Jack Harkness, intergalactic conman and flirt extraordinaire. I wanted to hate him because I was afraid he'd come between my Theta and my Rose and I cannot allow anyone or anything to do that. My Theta and my Rose belong together and nothing is going to change that.

I wanted to hate him until I heard the conversations on his first night here. The conman would never admit it I'm sure, but he has a heart of gold and the soul of a hero. He made it clear he has no desire to hurt either of my family. Jack doesn't know it yet but his actions are the only reason he was still here. Theta may think he's in charge and has a say in whether or not Jack stayed but if I hadn't wanted him here, nothing would have made him stay. Even if Theta wouldn't let me throw him out I would have tortured Jack until he was demanding to leave.

After watching him, it's become even clearer that he wants them together as much as I do. He's trying so hard and I'm proud of him but my pair of stupid apes, half ape in Theta's case, are two of the most stubborn and blind creatures I've ever encountered. Jack's ideas are good and I'm sure if he was dealing with anyone else they would work but my family is special and is going to need more than tips from the handbook of the universe's biggest flirt. I think I'll help him. I just hope he isn't so overconfident in his own abilities he refuses my help. I'd really hate to have to torture him until he sees things my way.

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Jack was in the middle of a terrific dream. A dozen scantily clad men and women all willing to honor his every whim surrounded him. It was the kind of dream he didn't want to end which was why he was so annoyed when the voice woke him up.

Jack, Jack wake up. Jack heard the voice and tried to ignore and get his dream back. His barely clothed minions were waiting and he hated to disappoint them.

Jack, Jack, wake up, the voice tried again. This time the tone was more than a little insistent and harder to ignore, almost.

"Go 'way, sleeping now." Jack muttered sinking deeper into his pillow and hoping the voice that was in his head and all around him would indeed take the hint and go away.He wasn't quite prepared for what happened next.

"JOHNATHAN BARROWMAN HARKNESS GET OUT OF THAT BED THIS INSTANT!" The voice filled his room like the crack of doom or the wraith of a vengeful room full of deities. As if the voice wasn't enough to wake him up and scare the next thirty years of life out of him, the voice had an encore for him. His bed started to shake and rock. Before he could figure out what was happening he was flying across the room and landing in a heap on the floor across the room.

Jack sat up with a groan. Voices yelling at him to get out of bed, voices that knew the name he hadn't been called in years, voices that could make things like his bed throw him across the room. He wished the Doctor had told him the TARDIS was haunted, he might have reconsidered coming aboard.

Try again, pretty boy, the voice suggested. This time it was back in his head and much softer than it had been moments before.

"TARDIS, is that you sweetheart?" Jack asked once his brain woke up enough for him to process what was happening.

Nice to see you do have something in your head other than an overdose of hair gel, Biggles. Yes, it is the TARDIS, the voice said. Yes, Jack realized it was definitely the TARDIS, nothing else or no one else would sound so much like the Doctor.

Hey, he could sound like me, you stupid ape, the TARDIS pointed out. Jack just grinned.

"So not that I'm not flattered sweetheart, I am, but why are you talking to me?"

I know what you've been doing, Jack.

Oh god, she'd seen that, Jack thought to himself panicked. He was a fun guy; he didn't even mind audiences for most of his extracurricular activities. Hell, most of the time he encouraged audiences for his activities. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of the TARDIS watching him however, that was going to take some getting used to

Don't be disgusting, Johnathan, I was not referring to that, the TARDIS snapped. He didn't miss the fact that once again she had used his given name instead of more congenial nickname Jack. Don't piss off the TARDIS, I'm so making that my new motto, Jack thought to himself.

Good boy, the TARDIS purred at him in approval.

Jack can't resist one last quip. "Yes, Mistress." The floor under his feet started to shake slightly, a warning. "I'll behave, now what are you talking about?"

I know you are trying to get Rose and the Doctor together. It didn't surprise him. He figured she knew everything that happened here. You're going about it the wrong way; your usual bag of tricks won't work with these two. Jack wasn't sure he liked what he considered some galaxy class moves being called a bag of tricks.

Shut it, Captain. The order was immediate and he figured it would be best to obey. No telling what she'd do to him if she was really upset.

I can help you, I will help, I wanted you to know your not doing this alone.

"Great what are we doing?" Jack asked the TARDIS.

You, Jack are going to be patient and let me plan, the TARDIS told him. Jack gave her his best pouting look. It worked on females everywhere. It had never failed him, until now.

Doesn't work, Jack, the TARDIS said softly. Then she was gone.

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Jack, it's time. What if I told you I had a beautiful blonde and a sexy brunette for you to dine with tonight? Jack was helping the Doctor make a few necessary repairs to the TARDIS when the grand lady herself came into his mind.

I'd say fantastic, Jack thought back unconsciously mimicking the Time Lord next to him.

I said dine, not sleep with, pretty boy. The TARDIS' tone was almost flirtatious as she corrected him.

Can be the same thing, Jack thought flirting back.

You are incorrigible, Johnathan. Jack didn't take the TARDIS' words to heart. It was hard to when he could feel her laughing.

I am not incorrigible, I am incorrigible in twenty languages and fifty customs, and on ten planets Jack corrected her.

Only a git would be proud of something like that, Jack. The TARDIS said smugly.

I know, Jack thought back.

This was the reason she rarely spoke to anyone The TARDIS thought to herself. Humans could be so asinine and pedantic to speak with. She'd made an exception for Jack because he wanted to help her family. Still she had to admit, the ex con man did keep her entertained. She sometimes suspected that was the reason Theta let him stay as well. Say what you would about Jack. He was certainly never boring.

Time to get to work, Jack. The TARDIS said as much to Jack as to herself to get back into the right frame of mind.

What do you want me to do, beautiful? Jack asked her

Take them to dinner. You'll find you have reservations at The Speakeasy for eight o'clock. Jack had to stop himself from whistling aloud. The Speakeasy was a new London hotspot that was themed to emulate the prohibition years in the United States. From what Jack had heard it was harder to get into than the private rooms of the royal family. Rose had mentioned once in passing she'd like to go there and surprisingly the Doctor had agreed. He told her he would take her the next time he brought her to visit Jackie. Apparently the TARDIS had remembered.

Anything else I need to do beautiful? Jack asked the TARDIS.

When the time comes don't be the hero. Her words were cryptic but Jack was already coming to appreciate they were most likely the only answer he was going to get.