Luckily for Lydia, this Doctor is one of the regenerations more okay with physical contact, so he returns the hug, make sure he isn't the first one to break it. For his part, he is keeping a straight face, although each of them now knows what kind of a facade it is that the Doctor keeps up all the time.
Jack's expression is similarly hard to read. Adoration? Gratitude? With a touch of sorrow in there. "Thank you. That might've made the difference in saving this world or not." Jack huffs an unhappy laugh. "I really wish I could hang the consequences. Take you with me for once." The Doctor shares Jack's not quite amused smile. A wonderful wish with his heart in the right place that they both know could never come true. That's not how whatever this thing between them is works.
"I just wish you could see it. Magic is real. Creatures are all so fantastic. These birds! They get around by riding on these fluffy running birds!" Jack's entire face is lighting up and his hands gesture as he tries to barely scratch the surface of describing Crystallis to the Doctor. "There's a massive forest that's made entirely out of Crystal. It's not petrified that way or anything, it grows that way, it's alive!" The Doctor looks suitably impressed, he loves hearing about wonderful and fantastic things even more than Jack does.
"And-" Jack briefly loses steam. "And we could use you there. I've been trying to do things as close to your way as I can. Sometimes it works great. Walking up to the front gates of the capital city of a nation that we were supposedly at war with, all we had was a bunch of bags of Christmas toys! And it saved so many lives. But it's not the same as having you there. It doesn't always work out for me the same way it does for you."
The Doctor breathes out a very long and heavy sigh. He shoves his hands deep in his pockets again. "Trying to be me... I don't know if I'd wish that on my worst enemy."
Jack's face gets such a look of absolute pure confusion it's as if the Doctor started speaking another language in there.
"Jack, if I'm not there then I'm not there. If you're trying to find a peaceful way to resolve things, then you're doing it because you know it's the right thing to do, not just because I would do it."
"Because even I have my limits." The Doctor gives Jack an almost chiding look, and Jack frowns. Because he knows it. There's something unspoken between these two, an affirmation that doesn't need to be said out loud.
"But!" And then the Doctor's tone and expression turns on a dime to the high energy bunch of smiles it was. "Jack Harkness saving the world, I can't think of anything more brilliant and I do wish that I could see that! But I'll stay. If it helps you out to know that I'm here with my finger on the button, a back up plan to save this world, then I'm not going to be needed!"
He briefly grows serious again. "Play it your way. Second guessing yourself when you need to act might put more lives at risk, Captain."
There's that look on Jack's face again. By the stars, how he loves this man. But he swallows it down and instead stands up very straight and nods sharply. "Yes, sir."
Jack heads for the door of the TARDIS. The portal to take them home has opened up outside. But he stops at the door, spins and shoots that over large grin back at the Doctor. "By the way. Merry Christmas, Doc."
"Is it? Blimey, Merry Christmas to you too, Jack. I might just stick around for a little bit then."
With a patented floof of his coat, Jack walks out of the TARDIS, far more ready now for what is awaiting him back on Crystallis.
no subject
Jack's expression is similarly hard to read. Adoration? Gratitude? With a touch of sorrow in there. "Thank you. That might've made the difference in saving this world or not." Jack huffs an unhappy laugh. "I really wish I could hang the consequences. Take you with me for once." The Doctor shares Jack's not quite amused smile. A wonderful wish with his heart in the right place that they both know could never come true. That's not how whatever this thing between them is works.
"I just wish you could see it. Magic is real. Creatures are all so fantastic. These birds! They get around by riding on these fluffy running birds!" Jack's entire face is lighting up and his hands gesture as he tries to barely scratch the surface of describing Crystallis to the Doctor. "There's a massive forest that's made entirely out of Crystal. It's not petrified that way or anything, it grows that way, it's alive!" The Doctor looks suitably impressed, he loves hearing about wonderful and fantastic things even more than Jack does.
"And-" Jack briefly loses steam. "And we could use you there. I've been trying to do things as close to your way as I can. Sometimes it works great. Walking up to the front gates of the capital city of a nation that we were supposedly at war with, all we had was a bunch of bags of Christmas toys! And it saved so many lives. But it's not the same as having you there. It doesn't always work out for me the same way it does for you."
The Doctor breathes out a very long and heavy sigh. He shoves his hands deep in his pockets again. "Trying to be me... I don't know if I'd wish that on my worst enemy."
Jack's face gets such a look of absolute pure confusion it's as if the Doctor started speaking another language in there.
"Jack, if I'm not there then I'm not there. If you're trying to find a peaceful way to resolve things, then you're doing it because you know it's the right thing to do, not just because I would do it."
"Because even I have my limits." The Doctor gives Jack an almost chiding look, and Jack frowns. Because he knows it. There's something unspoken between these two, an affirmation that doesn't need to be said out loud.
"But!" And then the Doctor's tone and expression turns on a dime to the high energy bunch of smiles it was. "Jack Harkness saving the world, I can't think of anything more brilliant and I do wish that I could see that! But I'll stay. If it helps you out to know that I'm here with my finger on the button, a back up plan to save this world, then I'm not going to be needed!"
He briefly grows serious again. "Play it your way. Second guessing yourself when you need to act might put more lives at risk, Captain."
There's that look on Jack's face again. By the stars, how he loves this man. But he swallows it down and instead stands up very straight and nods sharply. "Yes, sir."
Jack heads for the door of the TARDIS. The portal to take them home has opened up outside. But he stops at the door, spins and shoots that over large grin back at the Doctor. "By the way. Merry Christmas, Doc."
"Is it? Blimey, Merry Christmas to you too, Jack. I might just stick around for a little bit then."
With a patented floof of his coat, Jack walks out of the TARDIS, far more ready now for what is awaiting him back on Crystallis.