Just The Matter Of Time

by: cryssiemarsters (CryssieM )

Disclaimer: The show and characters belong to BBC, I just borrowed them for fun.

Rating: PG13 / R (for m/m kiss)

Timeline: AU from a certain scene in 1x12 Captain Jack Harkness

Spoliers: 1x12

Summary: What if Gwen ends up in the Ritz in 1941 too?

Pairing: Jack/Gwen

AN: thanks a lot to Chris aka chris4short for betaing this. hugs

The song I used is "DeLovely" from the musical - Blame John B. for that! lol

Chapter 1

"Why did you make me kiss her goodbye?" Captain Harkness asked Jack, sitting at the table on the balcony.

"I just think you should live every night like it's your last. Make tonight the best night of your life," he looked into his eyes. "You're alive - right here, right now. Your men are fine."

"What are you trying to say?" he asked, searching his eyes.

"Go to her," Jack almost pleaded. "Go to your woman and lose yourself in her."

"Maybe I should," the Captain noted quietly, still confused.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"Is Toshiko your woman?" Captain Harkness broke the awkward silence.

"No," Jack firmly replied, staring at the table. After a moment of pause he added, his voice wistful and distant, "There's no-one. "

No-one, his mind repeated. The woman he loved was in a relationship with someone else. Gwen was not his woman. Though he would have given all the world for having her. But he respected her own life, outside of Torchwood, he loved her carefree, relaxed smile she had on her face entering the Hub morning by morning. She already had someone, whom she was happy with. Secretely, Jack envied Rhys for being so lucky to have Gwen. Rhys might not been aware of what a treasure he had in her though. Ever since Jack first set his glance at her, he had known she was special. Smart, strong, brave, adamant and fresh, full of life. He had wanted her in his team, and he had been glad that, after the initial shock, she had agreed to join them. He could have had her around as a colleague and friend at least, though always having hoped to have a chance with her someday. Until then he was going to take every chance of happiness that life had to offer.

"Go to her," he asked again, and his request was fulfilled this time.

With the Captain gone, Jack was left all alone.

What if they can't get back to their time? This era he knew too well, and didn't like it. Not the war actually, that was part of history, but the hole and sorrow it left in these people's heart. Grief, pain and tears. He might have not given a damn for that as a conman, but as Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood 3, he felt the anguish and sorrow of the survivors, and was anxious for every life. Under the given circumstances it meant the life of Toshiko. He was responsible for her, and he hated the thought of her being in danger. And where the real Captain Jack Harkness was concerned... It was even more painful.

He gulped down the rest of his drink, just as if it had been some strong liqour that could ease his sorrow.

From somewhere behind he felt a cold breeze sneaking into the room. Turning his head in that direction, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure standing in the door.

"Gwen! What are you doing here??" he jumped to her in shock. He was both angry and happy to see her there. Angry as she shouldn't have been here, not in this war-zone with the prospect of sticking here for the rest of their days and becoming a potential victim of the fights. On the other hand, he thought he would never see her again, which was hard enough to bear as well.

"Jack!" relief spread over her face. "Thanks God!" she hugged him. "Thought I'd never find you... "

Just when she heard the music and laughter, loud and clear, did she realize that something hadn't been right.

"Well, you did," he stated as they broke away. "In 1941."

"You mean...??" her eyes widened.

He nodded anxiously. "Somehow you ended up here too."

She could see the unshed tear in his eyes, and wondered what had upset him so much. Was he afraid of not getting back? Or had anything happened in this other time that made him emotionally weak?

Checking her clothes, he noted, "You'd better blend in." Grabbing his coat from the chair, he helped her put it on. Better than the jeans and jacket from the 21st century.

"Thanks," she muttered in bewilderment. Jack never lent his beloved, trademark greatcoat to anyone – not, atleast, that she knew of. Feeling the weight of the material was almost like being enwrapped in his embrace. Silly, but she even felt safer now. His scent filling her nose, she involuntarily closed her eyes.

"How did you get here?" his voice snapped her back out of the reverie, and she shook her head.

"Don't know. I was in the basement, reading Tosh's note to Owen. Then that old man, the caretaker appeared out of nowhere, muttering something I couldn't understand. When he left, I heard the music again, there was a flash and the next thing I remember is entering here," she recalled the memories. "Jack the caretaker, Bilis Manger, must have something to do with this all. I saw him in in our time, but on the other hand he was in a picture with you and Tosh as well."

Jack considered her words. This whole thing was damn mysterious.

"Speaking of her, where is Tosh? Is she alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, she just needed a bit of first aid after writing that message to you."

"Owen and Ianto are just working on getting you back. They might be ready in any minute." She adjusted her earpiece, hoping that maybe, by some miracle, she could get in touch with their team-mates.

"You'd better put that away. Before it happens to cause you any trouble."

His fingers slid under the dark strains of her hair, and Gwen felt the same sensation rushing through her body that she had experienced when Jack showed her how to use a gun properly. His voice low, almost husky, his touch on her hair - it was like de ja vu. She breathed in to stay focused, hoping he didn't notice her uneasiness.

But she couldn't hide her body language, not from the sharp eyes of Jack anyway. He hadn't planned to make more of this simple move than it was, but the touch of her hair was enough to get lost in her. The soft strains against his skin felt so great, so reassuring; the familiar, delightful sensation was like getting home. Moving closer, relishing the scent of her exotic fruit shampoo, he removed her earpiece discretely.

"So," he muttered, sliding the widget into the pocket of his coat.

Their eyes met for a moment, before Gwen gave him a shy smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied.

The singer on the dancefloor started a new song, and Jack took Gwen's hand in his.

"Shall we dance?"

Smiling, she accepted his offer and let him pulling her closer.

The night is young //The skies are clear

And if you want to go walking, dear

It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely

The soft melody caressed their ears, making both of them loosen up a bit, so soon they were comfortably clinging to each other, swaying to the rhythm. Gwen leaned her head on his chest, while Jack rested his on her shoulder, right on the hashmark of the way too familiar grey coat.

I understand the reason why

You're sentimental, 'cause so am I

It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely

Maybe Gwen's appearance was the hand of fate, Jack wondered. You should live every night like it's your last. Make tonight the best night of your life, he remembered his own words to the Captain before. Maybe he should have taken his own advice, he mused. Not like he could die, but if due some miracle he would, he wouldn't have any regret in that very moment.

You can tell at a glance

What a swell night this is for romance

You can hear dear Mother Nature murmuring low

"Let yourself go"

"Gwen?"

"Yes?" she looked up at him, her features surprisingly relaxed.

"If we can't make it back, if we stuck here..." he fought the emotions of guilt, "I just want you to know that I'm sorry."

"Whatever happens, it's not your fault."

"Sometimes I feel it is," he sighed bitterly. "I brought you to Torchwood. Without me you'd live your normal life."

"Without you I'd live my boring life," she pointed out. "And I wouldn't trade knowing you for anything."

Staring into her warm eyes, he realized how precious she really was. She took all the extra effort, energy that this job demanded, even if it meant to spend less time with her boyfriend. But she didn't seem to have minded it. Maybe whatever she had thought of Rhys, was not true. Maybe she said to have loved him more than she really did. In the battle of the job and Rhys, Torchwood won. It meant something, didn't it? The team was important to her. Working with him, which to him meant it had a high priority in her life. He had advantage over Rhys, and it made him proud, content and happy. The mixture of feelings this moment evoked was something he hadn't felt for long. Not since Estelle.

Smiling, he tightened his hold around her. Happened this be the end of their journey, she should have known how much he had cared. How much he really cared for her.

So please be sweet, my chickadee

And when I kiss you, just say to me

"It's delightful, it's delicious

It's delectable, it's delirious

It's dilemma, it's de-limit

Its deluxe, it's de-lovely."

Pressing her closer to him, he leaned in and kissed her tenderly. His mouth tasting hers gently, a pleasant shiver ran through her body. Her lips welcomed his in a slow motion before he deepened the kiss with hunger and desperation.

"It's delightful, it's delicious.." he murmured to her lips with a soft smile in the corner of his mouth.

"It's delectable, it's delirious.." she responded with a mischievous spark in her eyes.

"It's dilemma, it's de-limit, Its deluxe..." he sang quietly, squeezing her back.

"It's de-lovely," they finished the verse in union, and chuckling, their lips met once more in a soft kiss.

Their quiet moment got disturbed and they parted when a loudly laughing couple passed by.

"Two worlds meet," Bilis Manger stood in front of them out of nowhere. His voice gave away that he had been very much aware of what was going on in the Blitz. He snapped a photo of the two and handed it to Gwen with a grin, "Something to remember." Then turning to another couple, snapped some pictures, and following them, strode down the stairs.

"We should follow him," Gwen suggested, glancing at Jack.

He nodded, "Let's go."

They hurried after the caretaker, but by the time they reached the top of the stairs, he had already vanished.

"Where the hell did he go?" Jack frowned.

Gwen shrugged. "He tends to do this disappearing-act," she snorted. "And believe me, it's getting bloody frustrating."

"Jack!" Toshiko walked to them, a bandage around her hand. Surprise spread over her face as she spotted the greatcoat clad Gwen beside Jack. "Gwen? How..?"

"Don't know. But whatever happened, it must have to do with Bilis Manger," Gwen mused.

"The photographer?" Toshiko wondered.

"Yeah. That man might beat Houdini," Gwen noted with a frown.

"Houdini? Who cares?" Jack smirked. "We're Torchwood, remember?"

Tosh and Gwen grinned in unison. That was their Captain Jack. Always optimistic.

Catching the glimpse of the Captain approaching, Tosh said, "Gwen and I are going after him."

Jack followed Toshiko's glance, and seeing the Captain, realized why the Japanese member of the team offered their leave. How empathic she was. Smiling softly at her, he nodded.

Gwen just watched them, not knowing what was going on, but she trusted Tosh, so let herself being dragged away.

Bilis vanished without a trace. Toshiko and Gwen dropped themselves down at a table near the dancefloor.

"Who's he?" Gwen asked looking into the direction of the two captains on the balcony.

"Someone important from his past," Toshiko answered, uncertain if she was allowed to share Jack's secret.

Gwen glared at her, "Tosh!"

"I don't know if I may tell you..."

"What? Jack asked you not to tell?"

"No, but..."

"Tosh, please." Then she added in a lower voice, "I need to know."

Toshiko looked at the men, then back at her pleading friend. She saw something in her eyes that assured her of Jack's secret being safe with Gwen.

"He is the real Captain Jack Harkness," she said.

Averting her look from Tosh, Gwen gaped at the man in question.

"If he's the real Jack Harkness, who is our Jack?" she asked the rethorical question in a bare whisper.

Tosh shrugged. "A mystery of Torchwood."

She was right. Jack was a mystery. Not only for this world, but for her life. He had taken her into this brand new reality, turning her life up-side-down, making her doubt everything she had believed thus far. And yet she did know barely anything about him, his true self. Just some tiny pieces he let her take a glimpse of. Like Estelle. Yet Gwen followed him faithfully, fulfilled his orders, trusted him, his actions. She trusted him with her life.

Maybe this mysteriousness had something to do with her attraction to him. Ever since the first day she had noted this mutual attraction, which endangered her emotional life. She had a boyfriend whom she truly loved. She mustn't have had feelings for another man - even if he was as handsome as Jack Harkness. Yet, whatever her mind had told her, she couldn't have disregard her body's signals whenever he was around. His smile made her melt, his touch sent shiver down on her spine, and she could have lost in those amazing blue eyes. Her heart beat faster every time she recalled the memory of the shooting-training - his breath caressing her neck, fingers touching her hair, voice whispering into her ear. She loved Rhys, but this with Jack was something different. Another world, another depth of emotions. And she couldn't choose either over the other. She didn't even had to, she noted, as Jack was obviously not interested in her in that way - he flirted with everyone, and there was some tension between him and Ianto that she suspected was more than innocent flirting.

Though that kiss some time ago... Nobody had kissed her that way for long. Neither Rhys, nor Owen. Jack's kiss was so different. Gentle, yet fierce, full of longing and desperation. And mystery. Just like Jack was.

She kept on watching the two men, pondering about the meaning of the kiss - if there was any at all.

Some time later Jack joined his companions, taking a seat next to Gwen, with his trademark smile on his face.

"How are the ladies doing?"

"Fine," Toshiko replied with a smile.

"Disregarding the fact that I've been asked a couple of times if I really do serve in the army," Gwen added.

Jack laughed. "Coat makes the woman, huh?"

She grinned.

"Looks good on you though," he remarked quietly. "Captain Cooper," he chuckled.

Gwen laughed too.

Tim, the navigator, stopped at their table. "Excuse me, Miss Sato, would you dance with me?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

Toshiko blushed a little, then looked at Jack, almost as if she needed his approval.

"Go, have fun," he smiled warmly and winked at her.

She sent a smile to him, and taking Tim's offered hand, she walked to the dancefloor.

Gwen was staring at Jack, thoughts chasing each other in her mind.

"Gwen?" he noticed her fixation, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she muttered, still not taking her look off of him. "I'm just wondering..."

"About?"

"About you," she tilted her head, looking right into his blue eyes.

Furrowing his brow inquiringly, he leaned forward.

"Who are you?" she asked him bluntly.

He pulled a so-here-we-are-again grimace, with an amused smile in the corner of his mouth.

"Toshtold you, did she?"

"Don't be mad at her. She didn't want to tell anything. I made her to," she said, taking all the responsibility.

Gwen's famous strength. He loved it.

He didn't answer, just kept looking at her, reading her eyes.

"Jack - is it your name at all? Are you even real? Or just an illusion?"

He took her hand in his, speaking softly. "For you, I'm always Jack." He perceived the annoyance building in her for his not straight reply, and stroking her hand, he went on. "What matters is here and now. The man I am does not change with a name. I might be called Tom, Robert or even Maria, but what is inside here," he put his free hand on his chest, "that's who I really am."

"You will never give a straight answer to this question, will you?" she gave him a bittersweet smile.

"You want the story of my life?"

"Well, that would be a start."

"Start of what?"

She shrugged.

"Getting to know you," it was both a question and statement at the same time.

"I'm not sure that would do you good," he noted in a low voice. The more she knew about him, the more in danger she got into. For her own safety, she'd had better not knowing much about his past.

She was about to protest, when the waitress came up to them, placing two glass of champagne in front of them.

"Excuse me, we didn't-" looking up at her, Gwen noted.

The waitress smiled, putting a card onto the table.

"You're someone's guests for these."

Jack took the card. Having read the short message, then handed the piece of paper to Gwen with a frown.

"Enjoy your stay. Bilis Manger," she read, while Jack's eyes were searching the hall for a certain person.

"Why do I feel some sarcasm behind this?" she flipped the card with a scowl.

"For there is," he noted with annoyance.
"But what does he want?" her glance followed his, but she couldn't catch the sight of the old man.

"No idea, but whatever it is I don't like it."

"I forgot how much I like dancing," a glowing, flushed Tosh returned from the dancefloor, her smile telling them she really forgot their troubles for the time being. Yet anxiety crept back on her face when she registered her companions tensioned behaviour. "What? Is everything alright, guys?"

Ignoring the question, Gwen asked, "Have you seen Bilis?"

"No..," Tosh shook her head slowly.

"He must be the key of us being here," Gwen muttered, her look still scanning the vintage crowd.

"But why would he want us to be here?" Toshiko wondered.

"Don't know," Jack replied in a low voice, his thoughts somewhere far away.

Tosh perceived the sadness in his voice, and she was absolutely sure that it had had to do something with this era.

"What happens to them?" she glanced at the soldiers around, anxiously uttering the words in a bare whisper, fearing his reply.

Jack sighed, anguish registering on his face.

"Tomorrow," he forced the word, his voice full of sorrow, "is their last training exercise, just another day. They go out on a sortie and are surprised by two formations of Messerschmitts." His look lingered on the Captain with his men."Captain Harkness destroys three of the enemy.His men listen to his whoops of joy over the radio. Then it all goes quiet. He can't bail out because his whole plane is on fire. But his men all make it back to safety."

Jack's grief made Gwen's heart sink.She had just understoood how many weight he had been carrying.

Tosh' eyes mirrored sympathy as well. "I'm so sorry."

His look met hers, and he gave her a thankful, wee smile.

Gwen couldn't say a word, instead she just put her hand on his in a supportive manner. She could sense the same pain in his tone that she had done earlier, when - while having tried to protect Estelle - Jack had told her some snippets of his past in the army. She had felt honoured then, to have earned his trust; have been confided in some episode of the mysterious life of Captain Jack Harkness. And his secrets were safe with her.

"Were you one of them?" Tosh asked.

"Might say so."

Tosh furrowed her brows. "Why did you change your name? Who were you?"

Seeing that he couldn't avoid the answer anymore, Jack conceded, "A con man. That's why I took his name, falsified his records so it seemed he was still alive."

"And how did you end up in Torchwood?" Gwen wondered loudly.

For a moment, he didn't reply.

"Someone saved my life. Brought me back from death," he recalled the bittersweet memory. "And ever since then, it's been like they're keeping me for something and I don't know what it is."

"I'm sorry for dragging you both into this," he added after a short silence.

"It was my choice," Toshiko gave him a reassuring smile.

"You couldn't have talked me out of looking for you," Gwen smirked. "Even if you retconned me again and again, I would come back."

Touched by her loyality, most under the given circumstances of her life outside Torchwood, Jack's eyes welled up.

"I never forget that," he gave her a meaningful glance. "If we stuck here, I'll look after both of you," he promised.

Then averting his look to the real Captain Jack Harkness, he muttered tearfully, "But there's nothing I can do for him."

TBC