Danni had made the Doctor park a few streets away, just so Jack was alerted to their arrival before she was ready. They'd already been a few times over the last couple of years, but each time she'd lost her nerve at the last moment and the Doctor had been more than happy to fly her away. They'd been so many beautiful places, tried so much ice cream and had attempted to train her mind a little bit more. They could now share thoughts when touching foreheads - in fact, it was just through any physical connection but Danni had found it easier to visualise with an actual head touch.
They'd not seen Clara in that entire time, and one of the reasons that Danni had been so adamant to see Jack this time was because then she would have something to tell Clara when they went to pick her up again. They hadn't intended on leaving her that long, but things just kept coming up and they were both just enjoying each other's company. Towards the end of their alone time they'd ended up spending a couple of months in a hotel together in Japan, doing every single touristy thing in the country. She had so many photos from that little vacation, lots of pictures to show Clara before they took her on her next adventure. In fact she was clutching her camera in her hand now as some sort of security item, maybe Jack would like to see them too.
"Do you want to go?" The Doctor asked her gently. She was obviously struggling with this and he couldn't complain at her wanting to run away, even though he also secretly hoped that she would be able to build up a relationship with the Impossible Man, she had so many lives ahead of her if her Time Lord genes won out, and he was not about to let her regenerate while he was still around. He needed to know she wouldn't be alone, and every time something went wrong, he realised that the quicker he got those plans in place, the better he'd feel.
She shook her head, then nodded, "I do." She admitted, "But I'm not going to." She looked up at him, "Stay with me?" She asked and he nodded, squeezing her hand reassuringly. He still didn't understand why she thought he was going to disappear all the time, if anything he should be worried about her disappearing on him. Sometimes he still felt like their time together was finite, and that she was going to jump away from him like she used to all those years ago. However, he was always quick to reassure her if she needed him to.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves then knocked on the door with the hand that was clenched around the camera. Immediately she felt like bolting, and in fact took a step closer to the Doctor, but she held her ground. She was a grown woman, she could do this! It was just Jack. Her friend, who she'd spent loads of afternoons with up until now. And that was why she was her; to get her friend back.
The door opened and Jack looked slightly surprised, then incredibly happy at the sight of the couple waiting there. That just made Danni more uncomfortable than anything else as she worried about what was going through his head. He seemed so relieved to see her, and she knew the Doctor had brought her pretty close to the last time she had seen him, but she hoped he didn't expect anything more from her than just a visit.
"Danni-Girl!" He exclaimed, stepping forward to hug her before obviously deciding against it. He patted her on the arm, "How have you been?"
"Good, good." She replied, trailing off. There was a pregnant pause, then she smiled slightly at him, "You?" He shrugged.
"Can't complain." He offered. The Doctor rolled his eyes slightly. It was like watching a couple who had broken up and were seeing each other for the first time. He clapped his hands together.
"Right, I will be back in three hours. That's the normal time, right?" He asked. Danni shot him a panicked look, one he pointedly ignored as Jack nodded.
"Sounds about right, Doc." He replied, glad for the kick they both needed. He hadn't seen Danni for a few weeks. A few long weeks where he'd been waiting to hear if she'd forgiven him or not. She didn't look too happy at the Doctor leaving, but it was a start. She was still there, that's all that mattered.
The Doctor placed a kiss on Danni's hair, who grabbed him to stop him moving away, "I thought you were staying." She hissed. She couldn't do this on her own! What if she needed to get away from Jack? What if he didn't accept she just wanted to be friends with him? Then what?
"You'll be fine. I know you will." The Doctor reassured her, "And I'll be back before you know it." She tried to be subtle as she looked at Jack. He was right, but it didn't make her any happier to know that.
"Three hours?" She asked and he nodded, placing another kiss on her hair before stepping away.
"Three hours." He confirmed, "Be good, no flirting." He teased before heading out onto the street and down towards the TARDIS. As if he was even going to fly away. He could wait three hours for her, no problem.
Danni turned back to Jack, shooting him a queasy smile. How did everything become so awkward between them? There had been a time she hadn't even had to knock on his front door, she could just step in and make herself comfortable until he found her there. Now she didn't even feel like she could enter his house without his permission, let alone when he wasn't there.
"Do you want to come in?" Jack asked her and she nodded pathetically. He stepped out of the way and she headed in and into the front room. There were still pictures of El- of her around the room, and she grimaced slightly, the whole thing was still so strange. All that time she had been asking about herself, seeing herself on the wall and wondering when Jack would finally let her meet this mysterious daughter of his.
"Do you want a drink?" He asked as he headed to the kitchen and she nodded as she inspected a particular picture of her in a white dress. Her hair was longer in that as well, perhaps she would keep growing it until she could be bothered to get it cut, then chop it off again. She was enjoying having shorter hair, much easier to keep tidy and didn't get in the way while she was running away from things that wanted to eat her and her husband.
That had happened more than she cared to think about, really. In fact, it had happened on the anniversary of her ten years in- back in this universe. That was why the Doctor had taken her to Japan.
"Err, yes please." She called back, before double taking, "Oh, I like sugar in my coffee now."
"I know." He replied as he headed back into the living room, "But I was thinking for something a little stronger." He held up the two glasses of wine he'd poured and she smiled gratefully, taking one off him. Hopefully it would calm her nerves.
"Thanks." She replied. He gently clinked his glass against hers before taking a sip.
"So, Danni-Girl, what's with the camera?" He asked. She looked down at her hand, she'd totally forgotten that she was even holding it.
"Oh, we went to Japan, I thought you might want to see the pictures." She turned the camera over in her hand, "Now that I think about it, that seems incredibly boring, doesn't it? I don't know why it would be anything but." Jack chuckled, sitting on his sofa and crossing one leg over the other.
"Come on, show me." He told her firmly. She smiled softly, sitting next to him and turning the camera on ready to view them, "So, what did he do?"
She looked up, frowning, "What do you mean?"
"He took you on a holiday where you could take pictures." Jack replied, "That means he's done something. What was it?" She tried to think of something to say to defend her husband, but he wasn't wrong.
"He almost got us eaten." She replied, before cheering slightly when the screen came on. Still useless with technology. The Doctor had even found her a camera contemporary with her own time, yet she still couldn't use it, "Here we go, this is us in Tokyo..."
~0~0~0~
When Jack had first met Danni, she had been an explosion of love and energy he hadn't really expected. No one had ever been so happy to see him as the red-head that had thrown herself into his arms had been. She adored him, he could tell, he knew how to read people. It hadn't been attraction, but she loved him and he'd never even met her before. Something about that had kept him thinking about her until the next time she had appeared, in a much healthier state but still so happy to see him. They had flirted, but both of them knew it was never going to lead anywhere and there was something hilarious about doing in front of that Doctor - Big Ears, as Jack fondly referred to him. That Doctor had been so jealous, even back then when there was no feelings for Danni except perhaps fondness. Perhaps it was the feeling of Danni being his time jumping companion, not Jack's. Either way, the pair really laid it on thick whenever he was around just to get a rise out of him. It always worked.
It had made perfect sense to him up on the Game Station to sacrifice himself for his trio of friends, after all they had given him so much more than anything else in his life - and he had lost so much. But, even though he'd never said it, he'd died screaming and head held high before of her. Because of his Danni-Girl, who had tried to stop him going, and would have to live past it. Because she was worth dying for. And he'd gone gladly.
Of course, in retrospect, the kiss might have been a bit out of place. Neither of them had known what was coming for them, and now she was sat in front of him - the Immortal Man - with a new face and another bunch of lives in front of her. He didn't blame her for her anger, he had been the same when she had told him what they were to each other, but he had forgiven her and she would do the same. The fact that was back in his house showing him photos of Tokyo was a massive step forward. They would be okay, even if she wouldn't quite look at him yet.
Danni glanced up from a particularly nice photo of her and the Doctor outside a shrine in Nikko and spotted Jack staring at her, arm across the back of the sofa, "Married, Harkness, remember?" She told him before really thinking about it.
"Never stopped me before." He retorted, "I like something good to look at, so sue me."
"You couldn't handle me."
"Try me." She paused, staring in amazement as he shot her a challenging look in return. What was he doing? He was her father, biologically anyway! And he was still flirting with her? That was - It was-
So incredibly Jack. In fact, it was so Jack that she just rolled her eyes, going back to look at her pictures.
"Gross, Jack." She told him bluntly, "Put it back in your pants." He chuckled and she felt more normal with him than she had in a very long time. This was what she wanted. She was so scared that he was going to try and be 'her father', when that was not what she had wanted at all. And although it did explain some of his behaviour, like at the Ponds house where he'd raged at the Doctor for leaving her behind, she just wanted Jack to be Jack. For some reason, the flirting really made her feel like everything was going to be okay. Jack always flirted with anything with a pulse, and that had always included her.
"When did you find out I was your daughter?" Danni asked quietly, and the whole comfortable feeling between them changed.
"Just before the New Years Eve when the Master brought the Time Lords back." He replied gently, "You brought River to see me. I didn't take it very well either." There was so many more questions she had about what had happened to make him react so badly, but they were falling out of their normal banter and it was enough for now.
"River, though, really?" She replied, "Honestly, anything that moves." Jack barked out a laugh, pushing himself up off the sofa and grabbing their empty glasses.
"Another glass of red, Danni-Girl?" He asked and she nodded.
"Keep 'em coming."
~0~0~0~
To give Jack his credit, he never brought up their relationship during the whole time she was there. They'd not done much after she'd shown him the photos, just curled up on opposite sides of the couch and watched television, commenting on how none of the classics seemed to be shown any more. She understood that the Simpsons was going to end eventually, but she could tell the listings were missing that familiar something the Simpsons had always brought to her. It had always been a comfort to her, although she never was sure why. The Simpsons was in this universe as well as her old one, it was always being shown on some channel at some point, all the episodes were exactly the same as the ones she had watched growing up. It just made everything seem a little less foreign, a little less not-right.
There was a knock on the door and Jack stood up, stretching with a groan. Had it already been three hours? It felt like she had only just arrived, but then again it always felt like that. Her boots were on the floor as her legs curled up onto the spare seat between them and she didn't seem to be moving to answer the door any time soon.
"Is it really that difficult to stand, Granddad?" She teased, not looking away from the television. She didn't really understand what was going on, it seemed to be a mid-season finale but she could tell one of them was going to be killed. Her money was on Sarah, who seemed to be the love interest of Jemane, but also was seeing another woman called Fiona in secret because Fiona was engaged to son of some mobster head. It was all massively overcomplicated and absolutely gripping.
"Not all of us can stay young forever." He shot back at her as he headed to the front door. Three hours on the dot and the Doctor was standing outside waiting patiently for someone to open the door and let him in. He looked a little disappointed at it being Jack and not Danni, which had always brought Jack some conflicting emotions. On the one hand the fact that his daughter was married to man who was physically disappointed when she wasn't there meant she was safe with him, but he also hated the fact that she was expected to be at his beck and call less he get upset.
"On time, for once." Jack replied, settling for the slightly annoyed feeling but letting the Doctor in. The Doctor nodded, rubbing his hands together as he headed towards the living room.
"Can't leave my Danni-Girl waiting, now can I?" He called over his shoulder and Jack rolled his eyes, but stayed silent as he followed. Danni looked up and smiled at her husband, always happy to see him.
"Three hours already?" She asked, putting her feet on the ground and slipping her boots on, "Time flies when you're watching trash TV." He took a glance at the television.
"Ah, 'The Bold and the Beautiful'." He recognised, "I remember this. Doesn't Sarah get shot by the delightful Fiona now?" Danni groaned at the spoiler.
"Oh, my money was on Jemane." She moaned, "Great, see if I watch this again." She stood up and was immediately swept up in a hug from her husband, who was happy to let her have her time away from him, but would always be happier when she was back in his arms.
"That's enough, Romeo." Jack warned lightly and the Doctor let her go, only to smile as she held his hand tightly, "Now, don't stay away too long, Danni-Girl." Jack told her, "I'm not getting any younger."
"I won't." She replied, although their trips between seeing people seemed to be getting longer each time. They were just enjoying each other, whether it was seeing the universe or just staying in the TARDIS, the Doctor tinkering and Danni slowly reading every book she could fine. She still had a love of horror, and had found some absolute amazing stories she would reread again. The Doctor didn't know, but she'd also started to learn a language she was almost completely sure was Gallifreyan after she'd also stumbled on a book full of circles that seemed similar.
"And go and see some other people." He continued, "Like Martha, or," he waved his hand in the air as he tried to think of the name that sat on the tip of his tongue, "-that lizard lady." He settled on and Danni's face lit up in recognition.
"Madame Vastra?" She asked and he nodded, pointing at her and she giggled at the look of joy on his face.
"That's it! I don't like how much this Time Lord takes of your time." The Doctor pouted, but Danni ignored him.
"I will." She promised, because now she thought about it, she really hadn't seen the Paternoster gang in entirely too long. Maybe a trip to Victorian London was on the cards.
She hesitated, then let go of the Doctor to go and give Jack a hug, "It was nice to see you, Jack." She told him honestly. Because it had been. She'd missed Jack, she missed spending the afternoon just the two of them. She missed talking nonsense and getting slightly tipsy.
"Just because we're related, doesn't mean anything has to change." He replied and her brows furrowed in confusion. How did he know that's what she was thinking?
"It doesn't?" She questioned unsurely, suddenly feeling like she was being rejected again, "Do you not..."
"No, of course I do." He interrupted, "You're my daughter, my Danni-Girl. But it's not my choice. It's yours and we can have as little or as great a relationship as you like." He cocked an eyebrow, "Of course, I don't see you disappearing completely, after all how can you resist me?" She shoved him away from her.
"I told you, Harkness, you can't handle me." She retorted before turning to the Doctor. He was looking between the two of them, completely bewildered and she just grinned, suddenly feeling incredibly happy, "Come along, Spaceman. I want to go see Madame Vastra."
Jack walked them to the door, watching them walk away hand in hand. Danni moved to hold onto his arm as well as they walked past a brown haired woman, giggling at the Doctor. He made her so happy, he just hoped she knew what she was doing with the Time Lord.
~0~0~0~
"You can just drop me off for a night!" Danni tried, following the Doctor around the console as he walked away from her, like she was chancing him and he was trying to get away, "You can go pick up Clara, maybe they'd be able to help with finding out what's going on with her!"
"Nope, not a chance." The Doctor replied, flipping a switch to take them into the vortex, "We can go pick up Clara together and then visit them."
"But I want to stay!" She moaned, "They're always solving such gruesome murders! I want to help with that!"
"Nope, not going to happen." He told her, turning and walking past her to go the opposite direction, "I am not leaving you in Victorian London hunting murderers. You are just asking for trouble."
"She's a lizard lady from the dawn of time, and Jenny is just awesome!" She rushed around, standing in front of him and putting her hands on the console, using her outstretched arms to stop him in his tracks, "Come on, Theta! You are always telling me I need to spend time with more people!"
"Yes, I am!" He grumbled, "And then Captain Flash comes along..." Her mouth fell open slightly in realisation before she giggled.
"Hang on, is this because Jack suggested it?" She asked.
He shook his head, "No! Of course not!" He denied vehemently, "We'll pick up Clara, then we'll go, and that's that!" He headed back around the console, setting a course for the young woman's house.
"Oh, well, it's probably for the best." She replied lightly and he paused, because that was a sudden change in attitude. She was probably convinced by his compelling argument, "I was going to get you to help me into the corset dress, but if Clara's here she can do it instead!" He looked around the Time Rotor to see her smirking at him, brushing her hair behind her ear before pushing her glasses up her nose like she hadn't said anything innocuous at all.
"Corset dress?" He repeated and she nodded.
"Yeah, remember the one I worn the first Christmas Day we spent on the cloud?" She asked and he swallowed deeply, because he did remember that dress. A lovely deep purple number, with absolutely fantastic skirts and she had looked stunning in it. Madame Vastra had bought it for her, she'd been specially measured and it fit her perfectly. Very, very perfectly.
"The- The purple one?" He asked and she shrugged, walking over and standing close to him.
"You'll have til wait for Clara now, won't you?" She pointed out and he grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the console room. She squealed in surprise as he demanded that he see the dress 'right now', but continued to smirk. He was too easy.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor placed another kiss on Danni's lips, leaning against the TARDIS doorway, which was parked in one of the drawing rooms in Madame Vastra's house. She was wearing the purple dress, so he couldn't be blamed for pulling her back every time she stepped away for another kiss. She just looked astonishingly beautiful, her brown eyes twinkling mischievously as she let him continue to pepper kisses on her lips. She was all his, and no one could deny that. He loathed leaving her side for even a moment, but he liked to encourage her to have a life outside of him, especially after becoming the focus of hers for so long. As long as she came back to him at the end of it, what did it matter?
"I'll be back first thing in the morning." He promised her, placing a kiss on her nose, just in case... just in case it felt left out.
"Of course you will." She teased. She didn't mind if he was a bit late this time around. Sure, he was on his last life, but as long as he didn't get himself killed, they had all the time in the universe. She could keep herself occupied with grizzly cases. It was quite grim how much she wanted to really get into the gritty scene Madame Vastra and her wife found themselves in, it seemed so incredibly human despite the lizard lady who was doing the investigating.
"Oi, cheeky." He scolded lightly, his hand stroking up and down her arm absentmindedly, like he couldn't help but touch her, "I'll be right back." He promised and she smiled, nodding.
"I know." She giggled, amused by the slightly offended look on his face, "You can't stay away for too long, you can't take care of yourself." He pulled her in for an extra tight hug, pinning her arms by her side.
"You are getting too full of yourself, Madame." He teased as she tried to struggle out of his grasp, laughing at him happily, "Maybe I'm being too nice, giving you a day off." He dipped his head, capturing her lips again before she started to protest. She instantly responded, she always did and it caused him to just hold her that little bit closer for a little bit longer, "If you need me, just call." He told her, leaning his forehead against hers, "I'll be straight here. Nightmares, anything."
"Theta, it's just one night." She pointed out, even though she planned of him to be a couple of weeks late, "Go get Clara and I'll see you in the morning."
He grinned at her, "Only if you tell me you love me." He told her and she rolled her eyes.
"I love you, you sentimental old fool." She told him before pushing away, "Now get going so I can miss you." He chuckled, telling her he loved her too before hopping back into the TARDIS and flying away. She stood watching the blue box dematerialise, not worried for a second about him coming back for her. Oh, what a difference a couple of years made. He always tried to stay by her side, and even when he had to leave her, he always came back.
"Is he quite finished?" Madame Vastra drawled from behind her, having appeared in the doorway leading to the grand corridor outside. Danni nodded, picking up her small back with an enormous inside.
"You know what he's like, can't leave me alone for five minutes." She replied, walking over and taking the offered arm of her hostess, "Now, tell me, what are you working on today?"
"I believe you will quite enjoy this one, Danielle." Madame Vastra replied, "I've had Jenny set up the conservatory, this one involves a beheading." Danni beamed, the Silurian knew her well.