The Wife of Captain Jack Harkness

Weevil Hunting With Alice

 Now I’ve started to remember my time with Jack Harkness, a multitude of memories have returned to me. Although no woman could ever forget their marriage proposal, mine was somewhat different. It was another dramatic time full of swift moving events, though could my life have been any other way with the Captain?

 “You know how to use one of these. Don’t you girl?”

 Alice asked impatiently as she handed me a Webley MK IV, the very one I’d used attempting to save my brother. I was horrified to see that weapon again and couldn’t believe Alice was thrusting it into my hands. We were the only two in the building that evening. Every word Alice Guppy spoke to me was laced with sarcasm, it seemed at every turn she tried to belittle me but I realise now she was only trying to toughen me up.

 “Come on Isabella, do you think I’d be asking the office girl if I had a choice? Some colleagues are away on missions and mentioning no names, I cannot locate the more senior ones. There’s a savage wee beastie on the prowl and it’s all hands on deck. Just watch your back and follow my lead. Every time I need some brute force, there are no bloody men to be found…”

 Alice uttered the last part to herself in bitter tones, she seemed to resent needing a male helping hand.

 At first I was scared out of my wits, although truth be told I was more afraid the last time I’d carried that weapon. It was as though I was becoming more seduced by the deadly world of Torchwood and that was not something to be glad about. As the evening progressed I grew strangely excited as I followed Alice around the eerily deserted docklands. I was no longer jumping at my own shadows. Then when our search finally came to an end I was irrationally beside myself with joy that I was the first to spot the elusive creature. At first I thought it was a man but in the moonlight I could quite clearly see that it was indeed a beast covered head to foot in fur. Its canine face turned towards us, it then growled displaying the sharpest set of fangs I’d ever seen. I raised my revolver but it began to shake in my hands. I quickly glanced over at Alice who was scowling, outraged at the creatures existence. The next moment the two of us were firing at the creature and chasing after it. But we’d completely underestimated the creature, we thought we had it cornered in an alleyway in one moment the creature was leaping like a predator towards me and the next Alice had pushed me out of harm’s way. I landed awkwardly on the stone ground but thankfully I was cushioned by the many layers of clothing women wore in those times. I looked up to see Captain Jack Harkness and two other male colleagues running towards us. Jack fired a decisive shot and immediately stopped in his tracks to assist me, the look of relief on his face evident when he saw I was unharmed.  

 “Captain why do you always leave it until the final moments… Werewolf?” I was still breathing heavily from the chase as I pointed in the direction of the snarling beast that was being beaten into submission by the brute force of Torchwood. 

 “No Weevil but fair point I can see where you’re coming from.” Jack shrugged nonchalantly as he helped me up from the cold ground, then turning his anger upon his leader. “Ma’am, what the hell do you think you were doing taking Bella out here on a Weevil hunt? You should have waited for back up.”

 “It’s Miss Jones to you Captain Harkness, while we are on an operation…And where were you?”

 I pretended to be the haughtiest creature that ever lived, disengaging myself from his helping hand. I glanced over at Alice, who’d found some amusement in our exchange. There was just something a little too arrogant about Jack Harkness at times. After all Alice did have a point about the Captain not being around when you needed him. I wasn’t about to fall gratefully into his arms just yet. 

 “You’ve been spending too much time alone with Alice.” Jack replied dryly, enjoying the banter between us.

 I couldn’t help but smile and share a laugh at our leader’s expense.

 “Have you two finished?” Alice demanded, sighing heavily. She stared between us and the secured Weevil, loosely holding her gun as she swayed it in an agitated manner.

 “Right that’s it…Come along Miss Jones, I’m taking you away from here…”

 Jack paused, glaring defiantly at his leader, a power struggle had been going on for some time between those two. Then turning towards me with the most beautiful and loving smile.

 “This is no place for my bride to be.” I was stunned into silence, I simply took Jack’s hand and we began to walk towards the city.

 “Yes that’s right Harkness turn up and take the glory, then disappear and leave me to clear up after you. Go on be off with you! I’m sick of the sight of the pair of you.”

 Alice shouted after us, yet when I looked back, Alice’s dismissive wave of her hand looked as though she was waving goodbye to me and the alternating expression of regret and envy upon her face could almost have been mistaken for a smile of affection… That was the last time I saw Alice Guppy, she was killed in an earthquake a month later. Despite their differences Jack had great respect for his former leader, a terrible waste he said to me, she would have liked to have died fighting for her country. Jack said the earthquake could have been caused by a disturbance in the rift. Torchwood Cardiff was badly damaged, many of my old colleagues died that day. It was a terrible tragedy and I could have been among them, had Jack Harkness saved me again? Many records along with those of the institute personnel had been destroyed, so I could disappear and never be traced. The risks and shortened life expectancy for a Torchwood operative were stoically accepted but I had been freed from that existence.