Discovery and Memory

 True to his word, and his own personal preference, Jack stayed quiet and out of the way throughout much of the unit's investigation. He rarely left the Pacific Heights police station. It was around 4 pm of their second day there, and as you'll remember they'd gotten there at 11 am on a Tuesday, that he decided he knew what he was talking about. Or at least, he knew enough to be useful, but no-one was around except Hotchner, and Jack had nothing to prove to that man anymore. When Agents Morgan, Jareau and Reid returned, they spent three hours bouncing ideas and theories off of each-other before anyone bothered to ask him his opinion. At which point he dropped his hands from in front of his face and responded quietly.

“I think I know where your next murder will be.” All four pairs of eyes settled on him.

“Don't keep it to yourself!” Derek Morgan insisted in a voice clipped enough to shred redwoods.

Jack Harkness shrugged off the irritation in his head and turned to the team's, slightly more empathetic leader. “The sequence of the victims as you listed them in the briefing is the sequence in which they were murdered yes?” Aaron stared at him as though he were a purple skinned alien w/two heads. Jack chose not to react, except to roll his eyes.

Hotchner shook his head as if to clear it. “Yes, now answer Agent Morgan's question.”

Captain Harkness walked to the map of the kill sites. “North Beach apartments look basically like brick rectangles. That was his first attack. He heads South to Pacific Heights, but not exactly straight down the street, unless you mean diagonally. From there he moves North and East, the same distance from the second kill as it was from the first. He's doing a freaking search grid!”

“This guy's a solider?” JJ asked, thoroughly dubious.

“Or fancies himself one.” Spencer stated, an idea forming in his head. One that did not quite match the idea forming in the minds of his team-members.

“So, if you're right the next attack will be somewhere almost directly East of the second murder, and South of the third.” Hotchner said walking up to the map. A moment later he turned to Agent Morgan. “Get Garcia on the line, find out what's in that area.”

“Don't bother.” Jack stated firmly. “Yerba Buena Arts and Gardens. Or another sort of Arts center.”

Dr. Reid's face became muddled.“Jack I thought that you couldn't..”

“It has nothing to do with experiences Dr. Reid. I love maps as much as some people love books.”

The fixed stares became amazed smiles as four of the five of them headed for the door. JJ, while a field agent, rarely went to apprehend the criminals once they were ID'd. The four others were at the door to the police station when Rossi turned around to Harkness.

“You stay here kid.” Was all he said.

“Why, I can help?” Was Jack's impetuous reply.

“Jack, don't argue.” Hotchner stated firmly. “You've done what you can...Maybe not all you can I'll grant you. But this is our mess now.” Jack sat down again to show he recognized the end of the discussion.

Morgan gave Harkness a thumbs up sign in token of 'good call pal', meant sincerely. Jack just nodded and turned back to the pile of folders and maps on the round table.

'This DOES feel good, being useful again' he thought to himself as he slid into the fabric of the fairly comfortable chair. 'I just hope I was right.'.

Several hours later Jack was still holed up in the police station. JJ and Morgan were packing up for the flight home. Hotchner and Reid were having a cola from the machine talking about, honestly nothing in particular. David Rossi was in the conference room with Harkness. The two had barely spoken to each-other the entire case, mostly because they didn't see that they had anything to say to each-other. But now there was something that needed saying, and they both knew it. The issue was how to broach the subject.

“Was I right?” Jack asked eventually.

“How did you know?” was the only affirmative reply Rossi could think of.

“You apparently haven't...” Harkness began. “That's not important.” he said, hurriedly dismissing his error. “A friend of mine told me I was a solider and to go with my instincts. I just took his advice, that's all.”

“Um, Jack? You call yourself Captain Harkness.” Jack's head snapped around to face the man, but he managed to keep his voice fairly calm as he replied to the question.

“Calling myself one doesn't mean I am one; as I'm sure you know.” His voice once more ended on a high note. But he quickly saw the meaning of the intonation was lost on the agent. Jack mentally compared the surprised look on Rossi's face to the intrigued expression Spencer had displayed...then realized that David Rossi had not been filled in on Jack's initial conversation with Spencer, or his rapport with the Doctor. “Listen, I did this, went on this adventure with more to prove to myself than to any of you. I'm not done with that yet.”

Rossi instantly saw the truth of this statement; his voice was appropriately more measured when he spoke up. “You're good at this.” he said simply.

“Thanks for the compliment.” Jack said, dismissively. Rossi stared at him, slightly put off. “No, I do appreciate it. But I get the feeling you had something else closer to your tongue.”

Rossi had to give him the point. “I'm wondering why you came along in the first place.”

“I told you, to see if I'm up to this kind of work.”

“What is your conclusion on the matter?” Rossi said with what Jack took as forced formal tones. It was a quality he knew Rossi saw as a courtesy, so he tried (without success) not to let it bother him.

“I'd be more interested in learning what your opinion on the matter is.” Jack replied honestly and with a slight clenching of his jaw.

“I'd say you'd make a good field agent, if not a particularly good team leader.”

Jack looked at the man briefly, trying to make sure he was right in his conclusions before he voiced them. He decided it didn't matter, and voiced his assertion as a question. “Is that your way of calling my rank into a polite but sincere question?”

“Could you say that in English please?” Rossi replied, genuinely confounded.

“Are you asking me if my rank is genuine? I thought I already addressed that.” Jack clarified softly.

“You addressed the possibility. I want the truth: IS it accurate?” was all Rossi said in response.

Jack's composure crumbled.“That's what I hoped to find out by coming here in the freaking first place! To my mind I essentially said that to you as well. What more do you want from me?!”

Spencer walked in from the hallway, entering the conversation and the room in the same stroke.“Well for one thing why you keep saying 'because of' not 'thanks to' and why a bit ago you called it 'another sort of arts center' instead of 'some other artsy place'.” Rossi and Jack both stared at him for a full 12 seconds before he responded to their gazes.“You have a mid-Atlantic accent but use thoroughly British linguistics. Where are you from? And frankly who exactly ARE you?!”

“I seriously don't know!” Jack yelled, a sudden fierceness in his eyes and a soft pleading in his voice.

“Ok, That's different.” Rossi and Reid said together.

“I haven't exactly been frank with you guys.” Jack continued, making no further attempt to hide his anguish. “But right here and now I'll be succinct as I can. I don't remember much at all of my life before 5 years ago. Someone calling himself 'Doctor John Smith' showed up about then and told me exactly three things: One, my name is Captain Jack Harkness. Two, I was a good man who had the heart of a solider.” he looked down briefly and raised it a moment later, stolidly avoiding the eyes of his friends. “ And three that my forgetting was actually my choice, not a medical condition or some serious injury. I've come to accept the foremost as true. There's no way in Hell I'd doubt his word on the last. And I came with you, Spencer, to see if he was right on the second part. That's. About. it.”

There was a ringing silence. Rossi's facial expression held pure surprise and curiosity, perhaps mixed with disgrace. Reid's face looked more like someone had plowed over it with a tractor. Jack couldn't tell what to make of either sight. He sat down in the chair from which he'd bounded when Spencer entered the room.

“Who is this Doctor Smith I wonder.” Rossi said eventually.

“One of the stranger people I've ever met...and probably will ever meet in my life.” Spencer stated haltingly. Rossi's and Jack both looked over at him. Spencer froze, trying to find a non-confidence-breaking way to clarify his statement. He quickly decided this was not the time for such a discussion and with forced formal tones, announced the need for a group meeting after they all got back to Quantico the next morning. A meeting to which Jack could come if he chose. Jack declined, citing his desire to find out on his own what was going on with him and to piece together his own life.

“I hope you'll consider 'coming with' on a case in the future.” Aaron whispered from the doorway.

Jack's head jerked up and Reid slowly raised his own. This was the last thing either had expected, though Spencer had somewhat hoped it. Rossi cleared his throat.

“We're talking like we don't have the whole flight home to go over this.”

Another ringing silence filled the room as each waited for someone else to say something.

“I have to give you the point on that.” Jack said calmly, to none of them in particular. And turning to Rossi he gave a statement that permanently cleared the air. “I realize you're pretty irked that I've been asking more questions than I've answered. Now that you know why, I hope you'll excuse it. I admit, it's a tendency I don't see letting up in the near future. And with respoct, I don't think I AM going backwith you guys. I should stay awy and try to figure some things out.” Rossi smiled sadly and nodded his head.

“I guess you don't have as many answers to give in the first place.” Reid said in the voice people use when they think they're talking to themselves.

“Isn't that pretty much what he just said?” Hotchner replied, thoroughly taken aback.

“Oh no it's not that.” Spencer said, his voice distant and his eyes distracted. “I'm just...nevermind.”

Aaron was dumbfounded. This was not normal. As far as that went, nothing Spencer had said or done in the last 3 days was normal for him. It was becoming a concern. Almost as much so as the supposedly 'mild' headaches he'd been having for the past 5 months. When Jack and Rossi walked out the door of the police station, neither looking anything like they had moments before, Aaron pulled Reid aside. “When we get back, you and I are going to sit down and have a serious talk.”

“...long overdue I take it.” Reid said, his voice as distant as before but his eyes now focused on Hotch. “I think Sarah should be there. I mean I would prefer it if she were, but I think I'm finally up for it.”

Spencer walked away leaving a very troubled Hotchner staring at the table.

“So Reid, how long have you known Harkness?” Derek asked when they were about 30 minutes from landing.

“I don't. I mean I just met him this morning.” Spencer Reid replied confidently.

Aaron Hotchner nearly choked on his coffee.

“And you decided it was a good idea to just bring him along on a case, just like that?” Rossi quipped.

“I decided that anyone who knew the Doctor was worth learning more about, yes. And anyone who gives me his address right off the bat either really wants to keep in touch or is full of it. I decided to find out which it was.” Was Reid's fairly tart reply.

“Well I can't argue with you there.” Aaron Hotchner admitted drily.

“Which re-raises the question...?” Derek intoned.

“...of WHO Doctor Smith is.” Aaron finished in an almost tired voice.

“I honestly don't know that much about him, except that he seemed genuinely helpful.”

Three pairs of eyes bulls-eyed Spencer's face.

“Ok that's creepy.” Agent Jenifer Jareau intoned.

“What? What'd I say?”

Spencer's genuinely confused attitude did nothing to lessen the almost worried attention in his companion's faces. Aaron just smiled.