[for rob]

[more_flexible]

Jack had gone to check in on Ace, see if she was ready to join him or if she wanted a few more days to heal. Either way, he wanted to make it clear he hadn't just left her. When he came out of her room, he paused for a second, then walked to Rob's door, knocking lightly. He didn't even know if he'd be in there, but it was worth a shot.

"Rob? It's Jack. Feel free to tell me to go away."

[Dated Friday night, March 31...kicking off Genderswitch]

Comments

[dr_robchase]

Chase offered a smile and leaned down, resting her head on Jack's stomach. "We could talk more," she suggested, cracking her neck mildly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, fingers carding through Rob's hair out of habit.

[dr_robchase]

Chase made a noise like a content cat at that, nodding. "I dunno. I never really talk about much. I just listen to other people talking."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Hmm, okay...I didn't have as many rats in my hut as I thought, but there were about a dozen snakes," she offered. "But I cleaned them all out and made a new bed and it's pretty much the same as it was."

[dr_robchase]

"Let's please not talk about snakes," Chase said, wrinkling his nose. Yeah, as a child, Chase had been spoiled, but so what. "It's...something I'd rather ignore."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"No problem," Jack said easily, same tone in a new voice. "What do you want to talk about?"

[dr_robchase]

"How about...us," Chase suggested, drawing out that last word longly. "You and me and this?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Us. Okay," she said, twisting a blonde lock around her finger. "So, talk."

[dr_robchase]

Chase just looked up at Jack, smiling slightly. "I just don't know anymore, since things just exploded completely, right?" Chase tried to make light of it by laughing mildly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Jack replied quietly, struggling not to tear up again. "They did. But you and me? I love you and you're one of my best friends, Rob. If you can tolerate my shit, I don't want that to change."

[dr_robchase]

"I think the real question is you tolerating me," Chase said quietly. "People have a tendency to die on me, or leave me. I tend to wall up as a result," she confessed.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I promised Ace, and I'll promise you. I'm not leaving. This island...I've hated it for so long. It's ruined my life and fucked up everything about me that I was before I got here. But I have people here. When I say I love you, Rob, I mean it. I'd do anything you ever asked if it was in my power just because you're one of mine. Not only mine, but that's okay. Understand?"

[dr_robchase]

"Okay," she agreed, peering up at Jack with a bit of hero-worship in her eyes. "Did I ever tell you what I almost was before I was a Doctor?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"A priest," Jack replied, pushing the hair from Rob's forhead. "You told me on Halloween."

He'd remembered. He remembered all the important things about the people he cared about. And most of the unimportant things, as well.

"Why?"

[dr_robchase]

"Because it was the first place I left," Chase snorted quietly. "I left because I finally could. I could leave something else."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You...want to leave?" she asked, her voice falling to a whisper.

[dr_robchase]

"What?" Chase frowned, lifting her chin mildly. "No. I just...I was young, Jack. I was seventeen and my Mum had just died and I wasn't in any proper mental state for it."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Seventeen. Long time ago," she replied. "When I was about that age, I went to war."

[dr_robchase]

Chase offered a sympathetic smile at that, leaning over to kiss Jack softly. "I never had to do that." But he'd been a grown-up since he was eleven. Gin and tonics, ruining his life.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You're lucky. Or smart. We signed up..."

She stopped, kissing Rob back gently. She'd missed just touching. Touching was okay, she guessed; there that gnawing inside while she was holding her.

"Snakes and war. Off limits. What now?" she smiled weakly.

[dr_robchase]

Chase didn't know either and just idly reached up to stroke Jack's hair. There was a lot Chase didn't want to talk about, with anyone and he kept that inside. "You going to play rugby for my team or what?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Sure. Sounds like fun. Who else is signed up?"

[dr_robchase]

"Pretty much just a bunch of guys. The list's somewhere on the desk," he said, gesturing to the tiny carved thing with a stack of papers atop.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack looked over and nodded, not really caring. "I haven't played ball in a long time. I might be awful, you know."

[dr_robchase]

"Just means I get to tackle you more," Chase said, grinning widely at that as she leaned in for another kiss.