Jack was getting far too used to this not-dying thing. He didn't even realize he'd been shot until he was coming to, again, not even a minute later, sucking the air back into his lungs. The bar had cleared as soon as the other patrons had heard the gunfire; the man who had shot Jack, as well as his friend were some of the last to go, looking, horror-struck, over their shoulders as Jack eased himself into a sitting position, wincing and rubbing his forehead where the bullet wound was closing up.

Melody screamed again.

"Could you keep it down?" Jack asked. "I kind of have a headache."

"Sorry," said Melody, dropping to her knees beside him. "How did you... How did you do that?" She reached out in wonder, brushing her fingertips across the smooth skin of his forehead. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the blood.

"Everyone has a hidden talent," he said, wincing as he noticed his nose still hurt. "I'm also double-jointed."

"But that's impossible!"

Jack bent his thumb back to show her. "No, it's not."

"You know what I mean!" She reached out to help him up.

"It's a long story," he told her, dusting himself off. "Let's try this introduction thing again."

"All right." Melody brushed back the wisps of hair that had escaped her long plait. "I'm Melody Kessler, twenty-eight, no job, no money, no boyfriend."

Jack laughed. "Well, we've got something in common." He shook her hand. "Captain Jack Harkness, no job, no money, no boyfriend."

Melody raised an eyebrow. "No boyfriend? So I guess that means I shouldn't even bother?"

Jack shrugged and led the way out of the bar. "You can if you want to." It wasn't like he had a chance with the Doctor, and she wasn't bad-looking...

"Oh, no, but you've got someone," said Melody plainly.

Jack raised an eyebrow. He didn't even realize she'd seen them.

"The bloke with the brown suit and the hair?" Melody gestured vaguely above her head. "He's not yours?"

Jack sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "It's complicated." His hand closed around the watch and he pulled it out. It was broken; the face had apparently been shattered in the fight.

Melody checked her wristwatch, thinking he wanted to know the time. "It's half eleven. Where's your friend?"

Jack sighed. "We had a little disagreement."

"I know," said Melody. "Complicated. I'm sorry for prying. It's just... you never break the habit."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "I was a reporter–an investigative journalist. Before I got the sack. Apparently, even investigative journalists aren't supposed to blow the whistle on the corporation that runs the paper."

"My friend would like you," Jack observed. "That is, if he's not gone now." He surveyed the crowd, somewhat hoping to catch a glance of a familiar tall form.

Melody raised an eyebrow. "What about you? What do you think?"

"I think..." Jack sighed. "I think..."

Melody smiled. "I think I should buy you something to replace that drink. Come on." She led the way over to a nearby stall, which was selling what looked like milkshakes.

"I thought you had no money," said Jack.

Melody shrugged. "I've still got the last of what they paid me off with."

**

Jack and Melody took their milkshakes to an out-of-the-way bench. It was rather comfortable, chatting there in the shade. Melody was a nice person and he enjoyed talking to her. It also gave Jack time to think. He should really introduce Melody to the Doctor–she was just his type. But that would mean the Doctor would drop Jack off back in Cardiff–was that what he really wanted?

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What he really wanted was to stay with the Doctor. He couldn't be John, but Jack cared deeply about the Doctor as well. He realized he wanted to stay with him, even if they couldn't have that kind of relationship. However... The Doctor's words echoed in his head: "Everything he's capable of, I am, too."

Jack shook his head. As much as he wanted it, it couldn't mean that. Could it?

"You are a life form of interest. You will come with us."

Jack jerked his head up, disoriented.

"What?"

Melody looked at him and giggled. "When did they add those in? They're kind of cute."

Jack stared at the four figures that were standing before them. They looked like humans, but they weren't–they were cyborgs. And they weren't part of the bazaar–they were armed. They were trap runners.

"Run!" he shouted at Melody. He grabbed her hand and took off. One of them fired its blaster pistol, narrowly missing Melody. Jack spun and pulled his own gun from his holster, firing twice. He managed to hit two of the trap runners; they collapsed in a shower of sparks. One of the others fired his blaster directly at Jack's gun. He dropped it, rubbing his singed hands.

"It was worth a try," he muttered.

One of the trap runners stepped forward and scanned them both. He pointed at Melody. "Subject: human. Condition: normal." One of the others grabbed her and shoved her to the side.

"Oi!" she cried. "What are you going to do to him?"

Jack raised his hands above his head. "There's nothing we can do," he said, his mouth going dry. "They're trap runners. They're programmed to find anything interesting and take it back to their masters. Kind of like catching animals for a private zoo."

Melody's eyes widened. "But you're interesting!"

"Yeah," said Jack, holding stock-still as the leader of the trap runners scanned him. "That's kind of the problem."

"Subject: human. Condition." He paused, as if processing something. "Condition: wrong."

"Oh, great," muttered Jack. "Not you, too."

The last thing he remembered was the cattle prod to the spine.

**

The Doctor's five-and-a-half hours had turned into six. He'd already eaten his way through a multitude of delectable sweets and had tried to do a little shopping, but there was nothing he'd really wanted to buy. He was just afraid to resign himself to the fact that Jack wasn't coming back.

"Oi! Oi!" The Doctor turned. A woman ran up to him and grabbed his arm. "You're Jack's boyfriend, aren't you?"

The Doctor shook his head and turned away. "Nope. He's not my boyfriend."

"But he's in trouble!"

The Doctor reached into his pocket for his TARDIS key and went to unlock the doors. "Oh? What's he done now? Flirted his way someplace sticky?"

"No, there were these men... he called them.... tread riders? Oh, trig trappers?"

The Doctor froze. "Trap runners." He threw open the doors and leapt onto the TARDIS. This was terrible. This was beyond terrible. It had been trap runners he had used the chameleon arch to escape–they'd been too near Earth, too intent on capturing a live Time Lord. The trap runners were relentless, just as persistent as whatever private zoo owner they worked for was willing to pay for.

He shrugged off his overcoat and tossed it onto the jump seat. The woman had followed him onto the TARDIS.

"Melody Kessler," she said, noticing him staring.

"You shouldn't be here," said the Doctor. He didn't need some woman Jack had picked up slowing him down. He began punching buttons.

"Why?" she asked accusingly. "What harm can I do?"

The Doctor jerked down on a lever. "In my experience, plenty."

"Excuse me," said Melody, leaning forward. "Have we met before? I don't even know your name."

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "Hold that down, will you?"

Melody pressed her finger down on the button the Doctor had pointed to. "He sure can pick them," she muttered.

The Doctor ignored this, frowning in concentration. This would require some difficult maneuvering. The trap runners would likely have the best ship in orbit around this planet and once they got going, it would be very difficult for even the TARDIS to catch up to them, much less outrun them.

"What are you doing?" asked Melody.

The Doctor tore around the console, flipping switches furiously. "Following Jack. If I can just get this locked on to his biological signature.... Come on!" He pounded the mallet against the console. "You know Jack, you know what he looks like."

"Of course, I do," said Melody. "I've just met him."

"I was talking to the TARDIS." The Doctor dropped to his knees and stuck his head under the console.

"What's a Tarbis?" Melody peered around the center column, but she didn't take her hand off the button.

"TARDIS," said the Doctor. "This ship. Time and relative dimension in space." He crawled out from the under the console, wires coiled around his shoulder. "Didn't you notice that it was bigger on the inside?"

Melody cocked her head to the side. "Come to think of it, yeah. How did you do that?"

"Very complicatedly," said the Doctor, unwinding the wires across the room, draping them over the railing.

"The same kind of complicated as having a boyfriend who can take a bullet to the head and still be alive?"

"Different kind of complicated." The Doctor pointed the sonic screwdriver at a box he'd pulled out from under the grating. "And he's not my boyfriend. There!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Melody jumped. "What?" she asked nervously.

"This is going to take some fancy flying. They've jumped into the Vortex," said the Doctor, leaping for the console and hitting several buttons at once. "Take your hand off that button and pull down on that lever, yes, that one." He grinned, leaning in to the monitor. "I've got a lock on his signal. It's not exact, but we should materialize in the same ship." He frowned. "Or at least one very nearby." He made a face. "Same galaxy, at least. Hopefully."

Melody finally cracked a smile. "That's a start at least."

"Exactly. Wonderful attitude, Melody Kessler." He grabbed her hand and pulled the doors open. "You fit right in."