Try not to get killed (Jack Harkness/River Song)

River rushed around the console room, flicking switches and pressing buttons as she smiled and enjoyed the near silent flying noises of the vehicle that was so much a part of her. "But I like the noise" River muttered mockingly to herself, rolling her eyes as she pushed the final leaver before she knew the majestic ship had reached it's destination, touching the TARDIS down in a back alley of Cardiff, ensuring that it was out of sight before she made her way down the hall into the closet.

She had a whole city to herself, and an emergency to tend to, but it wasn't going to stop her from dressing for the occasion. She had all of time and space and knew that there was nothing that could get through that door without a key or having been recognised as a trusted friend of her husband.

She was quick to shed her prison issued uniform in the TARDIS' wardrobe, pulling on a black dress that hugged her in all the right places and flowed over others where she preferred to conceal her gun, her vortex manipulator remaining strapped to her wrist on the off chance she might need it. She observed herself in the mirror before grinned, fixing her red lipstick before she turned on her heel and made her way back to the console room, ensuring she had a key hidden away and the breaks where on before she turned to the door.

Jack was propped against the edge of his desk, his right forearm pressed against the wood while his hand scribbled words on an important looking document; his other hand was poised near his mouth, a half eaten donut waiting to be finished off.  Oddly enough, things had been slow at the base; there were no threats hovering over the world’s head and therefore nothing to do but paperwork.  To Jack, that was a rare and questionable thing.  And, more often than not, it meant that something big was going to hit sooner or later.  It was funny how the universe tended to make up for things it has missed.

“Uhm, Jack?”  Ianto fidgeted before the agent’s desk, watching as Jack stuffed the rest of the donut in his mouth.  

“What's up, Ianto?”

“The TARDIS is in Cardiff.”  

Without another word- well, except to ask the whereabouts of the blue box- Jack pulled on his overcoat and skedaddled out of the base.  Once outside, he squinted in the sun, looking left and then right before he started running down the street.  True, he could have used the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist but excitement had inhibited that particular path of thought.  And so, he worked his cardio hard to make it to his destination.  Hopefully the TARDIS' pilot wouldn’t decide to take off too soon.  Jack had first hand experience at how cruddy it was to go through the vortex with no protection, hanging onto the box's edge for dear life only to die at the end of the trip. Talk about fun.

Skidding to a stop approximately a block away, Jack gulped down a few lungfuls of air in order to catch his breath.  A smile crossed his face and he took a moment to just look at the blue box in all its glory.  If the Doctor was here, that meant something interesting was going to happen.  Not to mention the fact Jack could finally catch up with his old pal (and ogle while the bloke wasn’t looking).  

Pleased with the situation, Jack trekked the rest of the way over and rapped on the door, “Doctor!  It’s about time you showed up.”  Back he stepped and waited for the TARDIS to open.

River looked up from the controls in surprise when she heard a knock on the TARDIS door, frowning ever so slightly as the parting words from her husband ran through her mind 'Don't get in any trouble' she had been warned. But on the other hand, who was she to deny trouble that just so happened to knock on the TARDIS doors.

She smiled as she tucked away a key into her bra and made her way over to the doors, smiling as she unlocked them and threw the doors open to take in the man before her. Maybe there had been a reason he had been so insistent that she tell him where and when she was taking the TARDIS, not that she had told him the truth of course.

"Well... hello handsome" she grinned, taking in the man before her, her eyes scanning over his attractive and strong features, able to see the very edge of a vortex manipulator peeking out of the man's coat, strapped around his strong wrist. Every now and again she wondered if she should be worried about the attractive company her husband kept, and today wasn't any an exception.

"Doctor River Song" River introduced herself with a smile, taking a deep breath as she offered a hand out to shake the one of the man before her, hoping to get a closer look at the contraption strapped to his wrist, making no attempt to hide her own as she held her hand out to shake "I thought I was the only one my old fella trusted with time travel, or does he leave you with your vortex manipulator with gritted teeth too?"

Jack was taken by surprise, though not unpleasantly so, at the woman who opened up the TARDIS door.  He supposed it shouldn’t be at all surprising to have one of the Doctor’s companions open the door for him; but this wasn’t someone he’d ever met before.. though he wasn't ever opposed to meeting new people.

The woman’s greeting transformed his look of shock to that of pleasantry.  His smile overcame his facial features, and it only grew when his company checked him out.  That was always a lovely start to a meeting.  “Captain Jack Harkness.”  The man cooed in response, curious to know what River was a doctor of but figuring he could find out in the future.  At the proffered hand, Jack took it in his own but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and planted a delicate kiss to the back.

At the mention of his vortex manipulator, Jack pulled back, River’s hand still in his as he looked at her wrist.  So, a companion that was still allowed to have a manipulator in the Doctor's presence?  Trust or not, that was very unlikely.  The Doctor hated these things and wasn’t one to hide that fact.  Actually, there were several occasions where Jack had to run away before the Doctor could catch hold of him and destroy the invaluable piece of equipment.  Fondly, Jack remembered the last time the peculiar Time Lord and himself were together. The Doctor had managed to short out the vortex manipulator.  On purpose.  Bless his soul.

“I’m sure he would be gritting his teeth if he knew I had a functionable one.  I have an old friend to thank for this.  I’ve been lucky.  Lucky again now considering I’ve run into you.  So, River, how long have you been travelling with the Doctor? And how the hell do you have one of these?”

Letting her hand go, Jack raised the arm where the manipulator was latched and gave it a shake, indicating that he was still on the topic of travelling device.