It's all AU.

Following some very pleasurable activities, Jack kissed the Doctor and Martha goodbye, listened for the Doctor's TARDIS's dematerialisation noise, and sent his own TARDIS into the Vortex. Now that he could, he planned to go to 2000, and watch Rose for a while.

Then his ship unexpectedly lurched. "Whoa, Emma, sweetheart. You been picking up bad habits from the old girl?" Jack pressed levers and buttons, trying to get her under control. Minutes later, they landed, rather heavily.

And in a park, near some trees, according to the monitor.

Apparently, that was the only where he was going to get.

When was completely out of the question.

"Better go investigate, then," Jack said, leaving his ship. He locked her up, watched the chameleon circuit kick in, assuming the form of an oak tree, and walked towards the park's exit.

It was going to have to happen sooner or later, Jack supposed.

Only so many roofs available to stand on, only so many places to get perspective, and too many of his analogues to be able not to coincide with them. After all, he'd already met his later self, his earlier pregnant self, and ...one that wasn't quite himself and he wasn't going to think too hard about that one.

Sooner or later, they'd end up on the same roof. At least it was flat and spacious, but his preferred gazing spot was occupied.

Moving forwards, he stood next to the man, mirroring his position, hands clasped loosely behind his back. "Nice coat for stargazing in."

All right. Dwelling on what he could not do, wouldn't do him any good. He'd just end up in an even more vile temper, and still not be able to change the situation.

Better to list things he could do. Lists were good - a simple organizing principle which, when employed, could imbue meaning on the most random of things.

1. He could pick a spot, and try to simply hide out until he was sent back home. The town didn't seem crowded enough that he couldn't avoid people if he really wanted. Safe, but boring.

2. He could look for whatever had killed Jack, before it got to anyone else - like himself. Oh, but he'd been so thrown to see Jack come back to life, he'd forgotten to ask the Captain if he'd seen what had attacked him. Well, that had been a brilliant move on his part. Whatever it was might be sated now. But Jack had looked so deliberately mauled - he knew all too well that kind of killer wasn't likely to stop with one victim.

3. He could try to walk out of the town, to see how far he could go.

4. He'd just passed a hotel. He could get lunch, and take a nap. Call this day a wash, and hope tomorrow sat better with him.

Actually, that last one sounded like an excellent idea. But he might try number three after that. He wandering into the hotel, hoping he could get through a meal without meeting someone who might want to shoot him on sight. He'd have to shoot them first - and the smell of laser on flesh would really kill his appetite.

Jack had recovered from his encounter with the vampire.

All it took was some food, some rest, and a whole lot of water to get him back on his feet and back to normal. Being immortal was handy, every now and then. He was appreciating it more than he had in the past just now. So, recovered and he'd given the place a quick once over, hadn't spotted the vampire and didn't expect to find him again during the day.

He wandered into the park, mostly just biding his time and going over what he knew and what he thought he knew.

When he saw a guy sharpening wood with a penknife he stopped, hands in his pockets and watched. He only watched for about half a second before he retrieved one of his hands. "Blond guy? About this high?" He indicated Spike's height with one hand.