The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Eight

When she finally reaches the ground floor, Jack greets her, a smile spread across his face. He pulls her into a hug, picking her up into the air. As soon as Jack releases her, the Doctor has his arms around her, holding her tight.

"Don't you ever do something like that again," he states, letting her go.

She rolls her eyes, "Yes, dad. I'll never let a large human-mutant chase me into the belltower of Southwark Cathedral again."

"Good."

She looks around, "Where're Martha and Tish?"

"Getting UNIT," Jack answers. He turns to the Doctor, "She's good."

"Yeah, you know me, I only take the best. Promised her one trip, kinda got a bit stretched out. This wasn't supposed to be anything. Just dropping her off."

"If you leave that girl here, the next time I see you I will punch you so hard you start talking with a northern accent. She cares about you. H*ll, had I let her, she would've run back into Lazarus' building to make sure you were safe."

"She's fallen in love with me, Jack. I can't have that."

"I'm in love with you too, Doctor. Everyone who gets the chance to travel with you, to see all the wonders of time and space, falls in love with you in one way or another. It's never stopped you before."

"Jack."

"Doctor, I'm not joking."

The Time Lord sighs, "Fine. I can handle everything here. Why don't you get Soph home."

Jack sees how the Time Lord looks at her, concern and love in his eyes, "You got it. I'll see you around, Doctor."

The Time Lord half-heartedly salutes him, and Jack wraps his arm around Sophie's waist, leading her to the van.

***

Jack takes Sophie up to her flat. She pulls out her key, but her hands are shaking so much she can't unlock the door. He takes her hands in his, removing the key. He easily unlocks the door, ushering her inside. He leads her to her sofa, forcing her to sit. He crouches in front of her, "Hey, kiddo. The fights over, you can feel now. Tell me what's wrong, please."

She looks up, meeting his eyes. There is so much pain in them that it hurts Jack more than any gunshot ever could. "I just-I don't know if I can do it. Before, adventures with the Doctor were just fun little trips, but-but now, I just...It was better before..."

Jack sighs, his shoulders drooping. "Soph, I've lived a long, long time, I've lost a lot of people. It's-It's tough to lose someone, especially someone as close to you as Morgan was. It's a traumatic experience, and anything as traumatic as losing a friend can have this effect on anyone." He takes both of her hands into his own, "You've been travelling with the Doctor since you were five years old, and I know people have been injured, maybe even died in that time, but nothing as close to you as this. This directly affected you, and your life. I hope you know that this is normal. You have to give yourself time to grieve."

"Does it ever get better, Jack? This pain I feel in my chest every time I think of her? The way that I can't even enter her room? I'm not sure I can go on like this."

His face softens even more. "Of course it'll get better. It will hurt for a very long time. The pain will never really leave you. But, one day, you'll notice it won't hurt as much. One day, you'll think of your friend, and there won't be that pain. It'll be more dull. It won't completely go away, it will always be a part of your life, but it will help you to grow."

Her shoulders slump, her face falling even more. "Um, Jack. I don't want to burden you any more, but, if it isn't too much to ask, uh, could you possibly stay here, just for tonight?"

He smiles softly at her, "Course, Soph. I'll stay as long as you need me too." She slips off the couch, Jack pulls her into his arms, as he just sits down on the floor, his legs spread out, and she clings to him, sobbing into his shoulder. He just rocks Sophie back and forth, running his fingers through her hair.

Sophie doesn't know how long they stay like that, but she knows that when she finally lets Jack go, she has no more tears left to cry. When she pulls back, the Captain's shirt is soaked, and there's eyeliner and mascara smeared all across his shoulder. Her eyes widen, and she slides away from him. "Jack, I'm so sorry. I forgot that I had makeup on, and now your shirt is ruined, and I-"

Jack smiles slightly, shushing her, "Hey, don't worry about it. I've had worse things on my clothes, believe me. Ianto's a wizard with stains." He presses a kiss to her forehead, and jumps to his feet. He holds his arms out to her, and he pulls Sophie to her feet as well.

"Thank you, Jack. For everything."

He grins at her, "That's what friends are for, right?"

She smiles thankfully at him, and then yawns. "When was the last time you slept?"

"It's been a few days," she shrugs. "I've been having trouble sleeping, so I've just been distracting myself really."

The immortal sighs, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "C'mon, let's get you to bed."