UNIT always maintained their facilities to such a high standard, it was always a pleasure to turn up and cause a ruckus. Especially on Christmas Day, when the majority but not all of their staff were at home, pretending aliens and threats to the planet didn't exist. Jack knew that they knew he was on his way, even without giving anything away there was no chance they hadn't been tracking him since the moment he entered the bounds around it.
And, sure enough, the moment he stepped out of his black Torchwood issue four by four, Kate Stewart was already waiting with two identical women on either side of her, "Captain." She greeted with the tone of passing pleasantry, even though he knew she was very much on guard.
"Kate." He replied with a flirty grin, "Can't say I expected you on Christmas Day. As good looking as ever."
"We have very distinct protocols in place for when you appear, I'm afraid." She told him, not sounding even a little apologetic, "What can we do for you?"
"The Doctor's stranded on Trenzalore." He told them, slightly smug at the way that none of the three seemed to know the word, otherwise he would have expected a little more than the stoic indifference they showed, "Danni wants to get back to him, so I need my manipulator."
"You know we can't just give it to you, don't you?" Kate pointed out.
"Of course." Jack retorted, spreading his arms out wide, "Who gets to take the lucky shot this time?" He asked cynically. He knew they'd need proof that he was actually Jack Harkness. He could have been anyone or anything, and unfortunately there was one quick and easy way to prove he was himself.
Kate pulled out her gun, aiming it straight at him, "That would be me." She told him, "As you said, it's Christmas." And she shot him straight in the chest, killing him almost instantly. He fell down with a thud and she walked over, the two Osgoods flanking her on either side. They stood over him, Kate observing him with a slightly curious look whilst neither Osgood looked particularly happy to be looking at a dead body.
One Osgood bent down to check his pulse, finding him very much lacking it, "You killed him." She commented as she stood up and Kate nodded.
"You've never had the pleasure of meeting Jack Harkness, have you?" She asked the pair.
One shook her head, "Never." The other replied.
"Well you are in for a treat." She promised. A moment later Jack's eyes shot open and he gasped for breath, coughing painfully as he looked up at the three women.
"I'd like to say this is the first time I've woken up with three women towering over me," he told them, "but we would all know that it was a lie."
"You were dead." The Osgood that took his pulse declared, both amazed and slightly freaked out as he stood up.
"Oh, you've not been here too long, have you?" He asked in reply as he stood up. He nodded towards the pair whilst addressing Kate, "I'm enjoying the twins, got any more?"
"We're not twins." One Osgood corrected.
"I'm Osgood." The other added.
"And so am I." The first finished. Jack shrugged.
"I'm very easy." He replied with the flirt firmly back in his voice, "You can both find out just how much later." Both flushed.
"Please stop flirting with my staff, Captain." Kate admonished, "We'll have to go into the Black Archive." They all started walking, the Osgoods walking together behind Jack and Kate, "I trust you know what that means?"
"That I'm going to forget going in?" He counted, "Of course, it's not the first time I've been in, is it?"
"Not that you should remember any of that." Kate pointed out.
"You think I, of all people, wouldn't notice gaps in my memory?" He retorted as they reached the doors that would lead them into the building.
"No one is supposed to notice." She replied as the sound that was all too familiar to them started to fill the air. The Osgoods were the first to turn around, both with a slight fangirlish look on their identical faces. Kate looked decidedly nonplussed, almost like she had expected it all along and Jack couldn't blame her. It was Christmas Day, there was probably a bit of man power in place to ensure that, should he decide to go on a rampage within the Black Archive, he could be contained before doing any damage. It was money and resources that could have been saved for another day, of course the Doctor and Danni were going to appear just before any of it was of any use.
There was a moment where the TARDIS stood stationary, like no one was going to join them, then the door opened and Danni's blonde head peeked out, "I'm not sure he's…" She started before spotting Jack, Kate and the Osgoods staring back at her, "Oh, nevermind." She stepped out and smiled sheepishly as she walked over.
"I'm guessing you got to him, then?" Jack asked with a tease in his tone and Danni nodded.
"Sorry, I was going to ring, but then we were eaten by a dinosaur." She told him, "It was a busy day." She let him pull her in for a hug, rather than hugging him herself, which was the first sign Jack noticed that indicated that something was wrong.
Danni pulled back and shot a casual salute at Kate, "I see you got the finest out for your visit, Captain." She teased lightly, letting Jack keep an arm around her. Sign two; she liked to tease her husband, but this was just too risky for her.
"Only the best for my visit." He agreed, "Don't forget, Danni-Girl, I'm the enemy." Danni snorted in a scoff.
"You're no one's enemy but your own." She retorted before seeming like she finally noticed the two Osgoods, "Hi, I'm-"
"Danielle Fielding." One interrupted, her hair pulled back in a black hairband with a white polka dot blouse and black trousers on, "Yes, we know who you are." Danni glanced between the two.
"Twins?" She asked and they shook their heads in unison. Danni shrugged, she always liked something new, "Awesome."
"I'm Osgood." The first one told her, holding her hand out to shake Danni's. Danni smiled happily and took it, letting her control the strength of the over enthusiastic handshake.
"And I'm Osgood too." The other replied, this one dressed with a lot of question marks covering a woollen vest. Danni nodded slowly, her brows furrowing slightly.
"I think the Doctor told me about you." She told the pair, "Although he never mentioned there were two of you. I wish he had, I kinda like it."
"When we met there was only one of me." The Osgood in the spotted blouse to her, "But it's a bit more complicated than that."
"I'm sure it is." Danni replied, "Look at you, it's rather intriguing and something I'm sure that one day we'll be able to sit down and you can explain it all to me." She looked up at Jack, "The Doctor wants to get going, wanna spend the night with me?"
"Is the man of the hour not coming out to say hello?" Jack asked, still surprised that she had come out on her own and he hadn't followed like a puppy.
"Oh, he thinks someone's going to try and steal the TARDIS." Danni dismissed, shooting a look backwards at the TARDIS, as if expecting to see the Time Lord before turning to Kate, "He seems to think that all the soldiers you've got dotted around are going to try and take her."
"Well, I'm sure it's crossed everyone's minds." Kate offered without confirming or denying anything, because everyone knew that UNIT as a whole would love to get their hands on the TARDIS. Anyone would, and his fears were definitely not unfounded. However, it was incredibly unlike him to not come and greet Kate, who he rather liked.
"Come on." Jack encouraged, giving Danni a little tug to indicate they should go, "I've got a hotel room with a giant bed and room service just waiting for us."
"Don't get any ideas, Captain." Danni retorted, "I'm a married woman."
Kate and the Osgoods watched the pair head to the TARDIS with barely a goodbye, Jack still with his arm around Danni, "I thought Captain Harkness was her father?" One Osgood asked and Kate nodded.
"Oh, most definitely." Kate agreed.
"They just seem very… flirty." The other commented, to which Kate once again nodded.
"That seemed rather tame for them, from what I've heard." She told them.
One Osgood sighed, "I guess you were right, this was a waste of time. I don't know why you insisted on taking the job, all it required was one senior member to meet him."
"Yes, but then you wouldn't have met Danielle." She replied before smirking slightly at the surprised looks that echoed on their faces. It had taken a while to get used to them being the same person, but it made Osgood happy, so she'd done her best to work with it. That, of course, and meeting the blonde that one of her was dressed up as, "Merry Christmas, Osgood."
~0~0~0~
Danni had to admit, Jack really knew how to travel in style. His hotel room was huge, with a massive king size bed and a television she knew would have been incredibly expensive at the time. He'd told her to get comfy, so she'd quickly changed into her pyjamas and climbed into the bed, watching the Christmas offerings British TV had to offer.
It was strange to think that only a few days ago she was living through this day, looking forward to a Christmas with Clara and her husband. And now she was cuddled up in a bed that could almost rival hers on the TARDIS, watching some soap she was sure she used to watch but couldn't remember, Jack by her side as he flipped through the room service menu.
"I can always order it and see if they'll make you some." Jack told her, "It's only pasta, meat and sauce after all. They have all the ingredients." Danni shook her head.
"I'll just have something else." She told him, "I do eat more than spaghetti bolognaise, you know?"
"Yes, but you told me that every time we spend time together that involves food, you have spaghetti bolognaise…"
"Not every time, Jack." Danni interrupted but he didn't seem to care.
"And I'm not going to let the side down but not providing it on Christmas day of all days. Now pass me the phone." He held his hand out towards her and she reached onto the bedside table, picking up the hotel's phone and handing it over to him. The wire trailed over her legs as Jack dialled for room service.
"Yes, this is room 356." He told the person on the other end, "We're very disappointed at your – yes, Captain Harkness - you don't seem to have any spaghetti bolognaise on your menu." He paused for a moment, just in time for something incredibly interesting to start happening on the soap. The woman in red looked incredibly angry at the man who had turned up on her doorstep. Danni wouldn't be too pleased either if some guy turned up claiming to be her long dead husband.
Well, that depended, she supposed, as she wouldn't mind seeing Eleven right now. He'd give her a cuddle and make her feel better about what was happening with her current husband. Alas, life was not like a soap.
"Yes, I know it's Christmas day, but it's not exactly the world's hardest dish, is it?" Jack told the poor bugger on the other side of the phone. He paused for a moment, "No, it has to be spaghetti."
Danni didn't look away from the television as she grabbed the phone out of his hand, "Hello, who's this?" She asked.
"Adrian, ma'am." The polite voice on the other end of the phone reply.
"Excellent. I'm sorry about Jack, he can be quite demanding but you don't have to deal with him anymore."
"You know, I'm right here." He grumbled but she just shushed him with a wave of her hand.
"Now, what had you two decided on?" She asked Aubrey.
"We can make the sauce, ma'am, but we don't have any spaghetti on premises and with it being Christmas, it would take us a while to source any."
"Do you have any pasta at all?" She asked.
"Just the… You know, the twists? Sorry, I'm not actually supposed to be working in the kitchens, I'm just the bell boy."
Danni scoffed, "Just the bell boy? Have some pride in yourself, Adrian. Twists are just fine. We'll have two plates and whoever brings them up will get the biggest tip from Jack for the inconvenience."
"Yes ma'am!" Adrian replied, obviously suddenly rather eager. It was probably because they knew the price of the room that Jack had hired out. It actually had a living room-esque area, but Danni had just wanted to snuggle in the bed with the man that was, at some point, her father.
Not yet, but eventually.
~0~0~0~
"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Jack asked. Danni looked up from her position in his arms. They'd fallen into a comfortable silence as they watched late night movies, something neither scary nor particularly good. Danni's laid her head on his chest and he'd kept an arm around her.
It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying it. Jack had slowly, over the last couple of years, come to appreciate having a daughter who was always around, like he was. Sometimes it was nice to just remember that when he was a thousand years old, she'd probably only be a little younger than he was. Maybe even a lot older. But she was the only family member who would always be around. The one child he'd never have to bury.
"This movie is predictable and I'm pretty sure a camera man walked onto the set." Danni replied from her place on his chest. It was strange how easily she had found it to fall back into technology and travelling from one day to another without really thinking about it. Five hundred years, and she was watching television like she'd never missed a day.
"No, I mean with you and your husband." Jack corrected, "Although, the acting is atrocious."
Danni was enjoying being cuddled. She had gone from her husband by her side, to be being abandoned, to her husband dying and then not, to a husband that wouldn't even come to bed with her. Three days, that's all it had taken, for her to need to be comforted by Jack. But, mainly, she just wanted to see her friend again.
"He's, well, he's not Bow Tie, that's for certain." Jack continued, as if he was prompting her and she chuckled hollowly.
"No, he's definitely not Eleven." She agreed before sighing sadly. Jack felt the weight the sadness suddenly put on her. It weighed her down against his side, "It's not been long, I'm sure we'll get back into the swing of things."
"Danni-Girl…"
"No!" She interrupted, startling him with the denial. She'd pushed herself up on him, meeting his eyes with wide brown ones, "No, don't. Don't call me that. Please."
Jack grabbed the remote and muted the television, sitting up so she was forced to sit up as well, "Okay, I know I've not been your father very long, but I'm still your friend. What's happened?" He watched Danni shift uncomfortably, obviously really not wanting to talk about whatever it was that was bothering her so much, "You're only this bad when it comes to the Doctor, so tell me and we can fix it together."
She looked up to meet his kind eyes, which looked concerned at her behaviour. She didn't want him calling her Danni-Girl because Eleven had insisted that she was his Danni-Girl and she wasn't ready to let that go. She wanted to tell him that she was certain her husband no longer loved her, but kept giving her these little signs that he still did and she was so confused about everything. She wanted for him to get angry like he did at Eleven, to demand to go knock some sense into him, even if she would refuse to let him. She just wanted some form of comfort.
"What if he doesn't like me anymore?" She asked quietly, "What if he regenerated and outgrew me?"
"As if." Jack scoffed and she shot him a glare, hurt by the mocking in his voice, "No one, and I mean no one, can outgrow you."
"Jack, stop it, I'm serious." She scolded, "He told me that he didn't like me when he regenerated!"
"And I'm being serious too." He retorted, filing away that little bit of information for a later date, when she wasn't so upset, "I know, I've tried." She looked offended, mouth open as she was about to protest but he held his hand up to stop her, "And I'm glad it didn't work." He continued, "It's why there's a set of identical women who are dressed up like you and your husband." Danni frowned at that.
"Who's that?" She asked he rolled his eyes.
"You're really unobservant, aren't you?" He teased, "The Osgoods were completely fangirling over you."
"No they weren't." Danni laughed before shooting him a look, "Were they?"
He nodded, pulling her back into a hug, "No one can get over you, Danni. No one would want to, least of all the Doctor. He was a moron, but he did love you, and he still does. And if he didn't, it isn't the end of the universe…"
"Jack!" She exclaimed, "You don't understand…"
"I do." He told her, "You have spent most of your life reliant on him. On his house, and his transport. You've never had a life outside of him, and you don't want to, and that's fine. You could both do with a bit of separation, but who am I to judge? But if you had to, you could. You don't think you're strong enough, but I can tell you, Danni-Girl." He placed a kiss on her hair, "You are strong enough, and you would be okay."
"Oh, Jack…" Danni sniffed, starting to cry softly, "What if he doesn't want me anymore?"
"Then we will deal with it." He promised, pointing the remote at the television and turning the sound on once again, "Oh, has this not finished yet?" He groaned and she reached up, snatching the remote out of his hand.
"I'm going to put something good on. It's Christmas, Die Hard must be playing on some channel, right?"
~0~0~0~
Jack reached for the remote, turning the television off as the credits to Die Hard 2 started rolling. It wasn't the Die Hard he'd wanted to watch, but it was the only one on so it had to do. Danni had rolled onto her side about half way through and was now sleeping soundly by his side, cuddling a large proportion on the cover like it was a stuffed animal.
Jack had found that, contrary to what he'd thought would happen, the older he got the less sleep he needed. He wasn't spending days awake, but around the 1970's he'd noticed he was surviving on roughly five hours, now it was more like four and while he didn't think it'd go much lower than that, he'd probably hit the four-hour mark pretty soon.
But, without much on TV and nothing else to do, he got comfortable on the large bed next to his daughter, ready to drift in and out throughout the night.
He'd really struggled with being a father when it had first happened. Believing he'd passed on the curse of immortality, and then knowing that he hadn't, had both been hard thoughts to have to deal with. On one hand, he knew that being immortal wasn't the blessing most people thought when the rest of the universe died around you, and he didn't wish that upon anyone. Then he found out that they weren't and they were going to die with everyone else had also been a painful blow.
So, of course, anyone would think having a daughter who regenerated when she died would have been a relief to him. And, after his initial reaction, it had been. She might have had a different face each time he saw her, but underneath every one he could see the Danielle who'd chucked her arms around him when he'd never met her before, that red-headed explosion of energy who had dazzled him. Even the one next to him, who slept soundly but troubled over a marriage that first body would have confronted head on.
He smiled softly at the blonde woman who was tucked up like a child – his child. His daughter, who he'd not had yet. He didn't really know much about this body, just that she spent a lot of time stationary on Trenzalore. He didn't even know how she'd died, or what number in the line she was. The last Danni he'd seen had been a brunette, and taller. She had looked like his daughter. The daughter he'd yet to hold, who he'd not tucked in a night, or had to give away.
He shrugged, turning away from her and snuggling down into what was left of the covers. That was for another Jack, thousands of years away. He just needed to get a chance to get to know his Danni-Girl better. Then they'd deal with anything else later.
~0~0~0~
Jack watched Danni pace slightly in the small space in the alleyway where the Doctor had dropped them off the night before. One day was definitely not enough; he would have to insist on at least a week next time. He felt like he knew her better than anyone else, and yet not at all. She'd spent five hundred years on that planet without seeing anyone else. He deserved a week, surely? Or even two!
"You're so convinced he's not going to turn up, aren't you?" He asked her and she nodded, rubbing one arm with the other hand, like she was trying to give herself a hug.
"Why am I?" She asked, "Five hundred years together, why am I so convinced he's going to leave me behind?"
"Trust is easy to break." Jack offered with a shrug, "I'm sure he's not going to leave you behind for so long this time."
She shot him a look, "What happened at the Ponds was an accident." She reiterated, ignoring his scoff, "I'm not convinced that, if he leaves me here, it's not going to be completely on purpose."
"And?" Jack retorted, "Maybe it's a good thing. He's obviously not making you particularly happy. As your father…"
"Oh no, you don't get to play that card." Danni warned with a point of her finger, "And he does make me happy, that's why I'm worried. Jackass."
"Oi, language." He scolded and after glaring at each other for a moment, Danni giggled and walked over, leaning on the wall Jack was perched against.
"He does make me happy." She promised him, knowing he was concerned she was trapped in a relationship that didn't, "I-I just miss him, you know? I feel like I should be over it, because he's alive and well and coming to pick me up in the TARDIS like everything is okay. But it's only been a few days and I miss him so much. I'm never going to see him again."
"Oh, never say never." Jack told her as the winds started picking up around them, "And, if it doesn't work out, there's always a sexy American captain who will be waiting to jump at the chance of a date."
"Gross, Jack." Danni laughed, "You're my dad, put it away."
"How come you can pull that card but I can't?" He exclaimed, outraged and she shot him a look that said that he really should know better.
"Because I'm the kid." She replied like it was obvious. The TARDIS fully materialised in the remaining space and she pushed up off the wall, turning to give him a really big hug, "Look after yourself, Jack." She told him firmly, "Let me know what you move into your new house."
"I have to find one first." He pointed out, enjoying the hug for a moment longer before letting her go, "Is he not coming out?" He asked, still expecting the floppy haired idiot to bound out, like he couldn't leave her on her own for a moment.
Danni shrugged, picking up her small back, "I guess not." She offered as the door opened. The Doctor stepped out, his eyes ghosting over the two as he walked over. He looked like he was about to greet Jack, but instead turned his attention to Danielle.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked her and she nodded, looking vaguely surprised at his presence.
"I was just coming inside." She told him quietly and Jack watched her turn from his happy and confident Danni-Girl to a shy little thing. She shot him a smile, "I'll see you next time, Captain." She said before turning and heading into the TARDIS. The Doctor watched her walk in before turning to Jack, a neutral look on his face that Jack couldn't help but find a little disconcerting.
He was just so different to the man who had come before. It wasn't just the new body – that was obvious and to a man who could change face, didn't mean too much. It was the way he held himself, the lack of emotion on his face but his eyes burnt with something Jack couldn't quite place.
"Did she sleep?" The Doctor asked suddenly, which wasn't what Jack had been expecting as well.
"Yes, but not very well." Jack replied slowly, the distinct feeling that he was giving a report to a parent after a sleepover making him frown slightly.
"And I'm guessing you forced her to eat that ridiculously un-Italian pasta dish?" The Doctor continued.
"It's her favourite." Jack replied in defence, once again starting to see why Danni was so confused with the man. He seemed like he was scoffing at their night together, but Jack could firmly see he was just making sure she was taken care of, even if it was hiding under the slightly scathing remarks.
"Her favourite is pancakes." The Doctor retorted, a smug look appearing on his face at the knowledge that Jack obviously didn't possess.
"No, that's what she has on her birthday." Jack taunted slightly in reply, chuckling at the confused look that appeared on the Doctor's face for a moment, "Oh, you really have forgotten a lot about her, haven't you?"
The Doctor straightened, not liking being confronted by his lack of ability to deal with Danielle since he'd regenerated. They both just needed time, he hadn't seen her in three hundred years, he was allowed to make a couple of mistakes over things that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of the universe, "Goodbye, Captain."
He turned and walked back towards his home, "She had a good time." Jack called after him, "In case you wanted to ask about that as well."
"I thought that was obvious." The Doctor replied as he paused.
"Obvious that she had a good time, or that you were going to ask?" Jack retorted.
"If she'd had a bad time, I would know by now." The Doctor explained, "She was happy to leave, but didn't particularly want to either. She had a great time, she always does with you. It's highly bewildering."
"Is it true you told her you didn't like her when you first regenerated?" Jack asked, seemingly out of nowhere and the Doctor frowned. He remembered saying something vaguely in that regard, but both he and Danielle knew that he didn't just like her, he adored her.
"I don't see how that's any of your business, Captain." The Doctor purred darkly, almost in warning but the Doctor didn't scare Jack anymore.
"If you're wondering why she's acting like she wants to run away from you, maybe that's a good place to start." Jack offered as advice, "You may have meant something completely different at the time, but you have to admit it's not a great start for anyone."
"Thank you, Captain." The Doctor snapped, defensive, "And when I want advice off the man who abandoned her, I'll give you a call." He turned and stalked into the TARDIS, slamming the door shut behind him. He could hear Jack laughing outside, which was definitely not what he had been aiming for.
His abrupt entry seemed to have startled his Danielle, who jumped away from the console like it was on fire. She'd been by the monitor, obviously spying on the two men outside and as he walked over to her he raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I wasn't watching!" She declared like a child who'd been caught with her hand in the biscuit tin.
He didn't reply, just flipped the switch to fly them smoothly away and she sighed, "Alright, I was going to take a look, but I didn't." She promised, "Although you were out there a long time with him."
The Doctor looked her over for a moment. She'd been terribly upset he'd left her to sleep when he had picked up Clara to find out what was wrong with the 'good' Dalek. She'd thought it was because he didn't want her there, when there was nothing further from the truth. She didn't seem to be able to understand just how much he'd missed her; how much he still did. He'd not tried to connect with her mentally again since London, waiting for the right cue from her to tell him when she was ready. He'd not even attempted to kiss her for fear that she just wasn't ready yet. Their predicament was a peculiar one; although common on Gallifrey to a point, the fact that he'd received new regenerations really took it out of the norm, even for Time Lords.
But he was here and the bow tie wearing body that came before him wasn't. He needed to make her see that, and not see it as a bad thing. He wanted her to want him just as desperately as he wanted her in his life.
"There's this little town I've been meaning to visit," he told her with an enticing purr, "best cream cakes this side of the 42nd century, and once a month the sky shines golden for a night. Would you like to come with me?"
He was so surprised at the way her face lit up, like she'd not been expecting him to ask her and it broke his hearts a little to think that she did truly believe that he wouldn't want her there, "Of course!" She explained happily, "Let me go get changed!" She held up both hands, "Don't go anywhere!" She turned and rushed out of the console room, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot.
He wanted to go somewhere with her. With just her as well! Like… like the everyday trips they used to take before Trenzalore, like the little dates he used to set up once they'd settled into Christmas. She had to find the perfect outfit. Maybe, just maybe, he did want her too!
~0~0~0~
The cream cake was, as he had promised, delicious. And so thick that Danni was having to eat her slice with a fork, which was definitely not something she did often. Cake was a fun food, after all, and as such you shouldn't have to follow proper meal etiquette whilst eating it. However, there was fun and just plain foolish, so she stuck with eating it with the tiny fork she'd be provided.
The sky was absolutely beautiful. The Doctor had found them a little café that sat on the top of a hill. It overlooked the town and gave them the most perfect view of the sky as it slowly turned from blue to gold, shining as if it was filled with glitter.
It made her feel like she was with the Doctor, and not just the man he'd regenerated into. Sure he'd moaned on the way up the hill about all the inaccuracies that had been on display at the information centre they'd dropped into before heading upwards, but she found that more amusing than annoying. While the centre had told of gods and gold flakes in the air, the Doctor was adamant that it was just light reflection and a certain gas being up there at the right time. Not quite as magical as the idea of a God raining down gold to help his lover, but Danni found it just as interesting.
He hadn't held her hand the entire day, but then again she hadn't tried to hold his hand either, so they were both to blame on that front. And, where Eleven would have sat next to her, pulling her close and stealing a bit of her cake as they watched the sunset together, the Doctor was sat across from her and had only gone for a cup of tea. He'd fetched them both, but had decided that 'the most delicious cake this side of the 42nd century' just wasn't for him.
"This is a lovely view." Danni said lightly, as they'd not really talked much since they'd sat down.
"Yes, well, you used to love the sunset on Trenzalore, I thought you would appreciate it." He offered simply and she paused, about to take a bite of the cake off the fork, but placed it down on the little china plate as gently as she could.
"I did." She whispered. He talked about it like it was so long ago, but it really wasn't. For him it might have been, but for her it wasn't even a week since she last saw the sun set from the top of their little chapel. She was still having a hard time adjusting to being back on the TARDIS again, or even anywhere not on Christmas. She'd panicked when she'd woken up in the giant bed with Jack sat at the desk, messing around on his computer. It all had come so easily to her, unless she thought about it too much. Compared to the time she'd spent on the planet; she'd barely had a life before it.
"Are you trying to make up for it?" She asked him, "For leaving me behind."
"Of course not." He replied, "I know I can't, it would be a wasted effort."
"A wasted effort?" She repeated, "Is that because you don't think you can make it up, or because it's me?"
He rolled his eyes, "Don't be so dramatic, Danielle."
"Dramatic?" She hissed, "I've had a hell of a few days, I'm allowed to be dramatic if I want to!"
"And I haven't?" He snapped in reply, "If you don't remember, I died."
"Yes, I remember!" She said, leaning over the table towards him, cake and view forgotten, "I remember very well. You were dying and not coming back, then you died and came back! Then you told me you didn't like me, didn't want to talk to me, and to not touch you! You left me to die and then went into a bloody Dalek!" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, "I'm sorry you died, I am, it is always the last thing I would ever want. But you can't deny that I've had a hard few days as well! The only thing worse than dying is having to be the one who watches you do it!"
His brows pulled together, angry looking ones that he still had no idea where they came from. Her eyes were shining, she was obviously one step away from crying and Jack's words quickly came back to him as she brought up his first words once again. Did she really not understand what he had been trying to say?
And now she was upset, again. He'd barely seen her happy since he'd regenerated, "You're upset." He declared.
"Yes, I'm upset." She retorted. Completely unbelievable. No apology, not excuses, no trying to make it feel like she was in the wrong or anything. Just pointing out the obvious, "I'm allowed to be upset. I'm entitled to be upset." She wiped her eyes, feeling too stubborn and proud to actually start crying, "Take me back to the TARDIS, I want to go home."
"Danielle, just wait ten minutes." He told her, almost begging her. They'd not even made it to the best part. In roughly eight and a half minutes the sky would explode in light, the plant life turning towards it as if in prayer. That's why the locals had thought the golden light a gift from the gods, and he could just picture the wonder on her face. If she could just wait.
"I just want to go home, Th-Doctor." She replied and he almost winced at the defeated tone to her voice and the fact she refused to say his name. No, they had to stay, he had to show her.
"Danielle, please." He pressed and she sighed, nodding like she didn't want to give in.
"Ten minutes." She repeated in warning before standing up, "I'm going to the bathroom."
He waited until she headed through the little door that lead to the toilets to pinch the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. This really wasn't going as he had planned, everything he said she seemed to take the wrong way. Maybe something had happened between him dropping her off and her turning up again three hundred years later. After all he still didn't have any idea how she made it back to Christmas. He should really ask her.
He should ask her what's wrong. And he would, the moment they got back to the TARDIS, where she wouldn't feel embarrassed, and where she'd feel safe now that idiot of a Time Lord who'd killed her no longer resided within her walls.
For now, though, he just had to get her to the end of the day. He wanted to see that look of wonder on her face like he used to when they had been still travelling the universe, the happiness he saw on her face when she'd brought Jack into the TARDIS. He wanted to see it aimed at him, appear because of him. Was it really that much to want your wife to love you back the way you were?
~0~0~0~
Danni didn't really need to go to the bathroom, she just needed a moment away from him to calm down. She'd become defensive again and she was really trying hard to be better at not letting her grief and anger get to her. Jack had been right, she was hearing things in his tone because she was angry at him for abandoning her, and when you're mad at someone, then everything they do makes you mad as well.
Being angry wasn't going to solve anything, though, was it? She glanced at herself in the mirror that hung above the sink. She looked sad. Her eyes looked heavy, and she thought she'd done a good job with the little makeup she'd put on, but it turned out she couldn't even do that right either.
She grabbed a bit of tissue and did her best to tidy it up, using it as an excuse to dither in the bathroom a bit longer. It was stupid, every reaction she was having didn't make any sense, because when she walked out again and saw him sat waiting, her hearts sped up like they always had done. The mere sight of him had always made everything seem much better. It didn't matter the body, he was the Doctor, her Theta, and her whole life was better when he was there.
He didn't look particularly happy, though, and she knew that was her fault. She'd stormed off like a child. She walked over and, instead of sitting in the chair across from him, she sat in the one next to him, "Sorry." She immediately apologised, "I guess I'm still a lot more emotional than I thought I would be."
He looked over her like he was trying to understand her, taking a moment before replying, "You're upset, it is understandable." He said with a soft purr that sent a shiver down her spine, "Your husband died and it wasn't very long ago."
"But he's still here." She told him, "And I couldn't ask for anything more." She leant onto his arm, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the way he straightened, tense under her touch, "Why did you want to stay?"
He smirked slightly, sending her a knowing look, like he had something great planned, "Why don't you come see, my Pet?" He asked her, feeling his confident suddenly growing at the way her cheeks turned slightly pink at the nickname. It had just rolled off his tongue; there was the feeling that he'd called her it before, or someone had called her it before, but he couldn't place it.
He stood up and, in a move that he borrowed from his predecessor, he held his hand out for her. The brightness it brought to her face was staggering; he knew she had taken comfort in his promise to always be there to hold her hand, but they weren't in any danger. Had he just not noticed it before?
She placed her hand in his eagerly, letting him lead her out of the shop, a few notes chucked onto the table to pay for their food. He took her to the edge of the hill, where other couples already seemed to be gathering. They garnered a couple of looks, but everyone was too busy with their evening to care about the two time travellers.
He actually took his jacket off for them to sit down on, another move that made Danni's hearts flutter happily. The view was even better from out here, they could see all the gardens that surrounded the little town and the forest just off into the distance.
"This view is incredible." She declared, "It's so beautiful, imagine having this right outside your doorstep. It's almost as good as ours…" She trailed off, remembering how beautiful the sunset and sunrise had been from the top of their little chapel. She'd built up a home there, with friends and memories. She'd lost that as well, "well, it's not ours anymore, but you know what I mean."
"We have the universe outside our door." He told her, "We can go wherever we like to see the view, this is just one out of an infinite amount." She nodded.
"You're right." She agreed, "Five hundred years and yet nothing could ever beat the TARDIS."
"I'm glad you see it that way." He teased lightly, reaching into his pockets and pulling out two pairs of sunglasses, "Put these on, it's about to start."
She did as he asked, "What is?"
"Just watch." He replied enticingly. She didn't have to wait for long, soon the whole sky exploding in a bright, dazzling golden light. She gasped in awe as the sunglasses protected her eyes from most of the blinding light, but the Doctor only let her stare upwards for a few moments. He then gently but firmly directed her gaze downwards so she could watch all the plants turning in unison, looking up at the flowing sky. It was like something out of a cartoon, almost completely magical in its absurdity.
"It's like they're looking at it." She breathed.
"The light is at its most nutritious when it's at its brightest. The plants have all evolved to turn towards it during its peak, much like sunflowers do on Earth."
All too soon the light died down and the plants went back to their normal positions. The Doctor gently took off her sunglasses and placed them on the jacket at his side.
"I trust that was to your liking?" He asked, again with a tease in his tone, like he knew she'd adore it. She turned on her seat, pleased to see a genuine look of happiness on his face, even if it was tinted with a hint of smugness.
She decided to take a chance. He obviously was rather happy to see her so stunned, which was very Theta-ish. She leant forward and pressed her lips against his, capturing him in a kiss. This time he didn't freeze. This time he pulled her close and deepened it. She gasped at the way he held her, the way he bent her back as his tongue sought access to her. She felt herself falling underneath his caresses, letting him quickly take control underneath the golden sky.