Fic: On the Way, Chapter 4
Series: Enter the Big Bad Wolf
Title: On the Way
Characters: Jack, Jack/Ianto, Doctor (10)
Author: breannarose1
Rating: PG-13 (swearing
Beta-ed by: me. All mistakes therefore be mine, all mine.
Summary: COE my way, a.k.a. “something happened on the way to” Thames House.
Chapter 4
Jack had come home after long day at Torchwood and keeping Jallaien Ambassadors from being executed. Even though “the times, they are a-changin”**, Torchwood is still trigger happy, almost like UNIT. *There's a thought. UNIT & Torchwood united. Ugh! Huh.* “Hello, Beautiful!” Standing in his living room was the TARDIS.
After stopping to touch the TARDIS, confirming she was real, he walked into the kitchen. As expected someone was there. The Doctor. “Ah, Jack! Welcome home. Have a banana. Wasn't sure when you'd show up and I felt a bit peckish. Hope you don't mind.”
“Doctor. No thanks. Not really hungry right now. Sooo, you've regenerated.”
“Oh, yeah. Long story that. That short version is something happened on Game Station. Which reminds me. Better get this said upfront. I can't fix you, Jack. You're a fixed point in time. I'd like to but it's impossible. Oh, and I'll tell you when we “officially” meet that I knew about you coming back to life but that’ll be a lie. I had no idea that Rose brought you back; had quite a few things on my mind, the least of which was regenerating in front of Rose. She thought I was Slitheen. Can you imagine? Me, a Slitheen? Anyways, rather you hate me than her so that's why I'll be lying to ya.”
“Doctor? That’s great. Thanks for telling me but I don’t actually care. I’ve had a rough day and I’m just going to forget it all anyways. I’m sorry to have bothered you but Jones is going to have to stay here. Whatever happened caused something to be slammed into his back, he’s very lucky it didn’t sever his spine. As it is, he’s being released from hospital day after tomorrow and he’ll need a wheelchair for a while, crutches after that. I can’t have you bring him back like that.”
“How long has it been since you called me, Jack?”
“A bit over three weeks.”
“And does he know that he’s staying here? Have you set up a new background, new ids for him?”
“No. I haven’t had time to tell him yet, though I sure he suspects, and, yes, I'm setting him up to live in Ireland. He's moving temporarily into a local apartment until he's been given a clean bill of health.”
“I take it that once he's settled you'll find someway to forget over a month's worth of time? But as of now, you're just starting to look, he's out of the hospital, and Torchwood's not interested in him. Does that sum things up? Well, then, I don't see a problem. Well, when I say I don't see a problem, I do, several in facts, but they'll have to wait until you get back. As for young Mr.Jones? We can swing by another era and get him fixed right up before we drop him off in 2009. And your pending memory loss? I have an idea about that. But now. Let's go collect Ianto, yeah?”
# # # # # # #
The TARDIS materializes around him. Ianto know it's the TARDIS from seeing it on the screen when the Earth had been moved. He had been trying to move around his new apartment but now? *Maybe I'm still in the hospital?* He's outdoors. *Maybe, not.* Lights. Tiny lights swarm around him. His remaining cuts and bruises heal and he feels like he did pre-explosion. The lights disappear. He feels like he can stand up now and does. *I don't need the wheelchair anymore! Yesss! Gottta ask Jack what those lights were, where they came from, where we can get more...* Ianto then noticed that he, and the wheelchair, are in the TARDIS control room. The Doctor and Jack are there.
“Okay, What just happened?”
“Made a quick stop in 1941.”
“Okay, right. Why?”
“Nangones. Those lights you saw. They fixed you right up. Course that means when you get back you have to change your medical records.”
“Medical records. Right. Sure. Again, why?”
“Full of questions, aren't you? The Nanogenes didn't just fix recent damage. Any broken arm or leg you had prior to coming to 1966? Gone.”
“So, blank slate on the health, then? Ok. Can live with that. Ok. Wait that was 1941? The Chula warship?!?! What were you two thinking? Why would you risk going back there?!?”
“Ah.”
“Ah. So you know about that, too, huh? And you're panicking again.”
“Get use to it. I know everything. Really? Wonder why?”
“Square root of pi?”
“1.77245385.”
“Ok. I'm impressed.”
“And, Jack, quit fishing. As for the nanogenes? Thanks, but I had been released from hospital. I was in good shape.”
Wel it can't be undone. And it wasn't a matter of how hurt you were. What mattered was how much longer it would take for you to completely recover, get out of the wheelchair. If you remember, Dr. Collins said you were looking at, at least, a month's recovery time. Can you really help with whatever's affecting the kids from a wheelchair? Also, that's even more time I'd have to forget, but you knew that too, right?”
“Right. I’m sorry. I had forgotten that. Hang on. What kids? Why do you still have to forget anything? I thought I was going to have to stay in 1966? What changed?!?”
“I showed up. Taking you back to 2009, just after the explosion sent you back to 1966. No sense hanging around a time that isn't your own if you don't have to, right?
“Okay. Right. Good.” *So, 2009. To do: 1) find out why the Hub & Jack were blown up. 2) What’s affecting the kids. 3)find out what’s salvagable from the base. 4) Find Gwen &/or Jack...*
“5) Tell me and the Doctor what you already know.”
Ianto's exasperated now, “Jack, you're cheating again.”
“Hey, you know me. I always cheat.”
“Well, quit it! Please.”
“Jack, he has enough to deal with don't you think?”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Sure. But, Ianto? We can and will help.”
“No. He can help. You need to get back to 1966 and forget the last couple of weeks.”
“Ouch!”
“You'll recover.”
“Ha, ha.”
“Boys? A bit of focus, please, huh?
# # # # # # #
“Right. Here we are. June 2009. As promised.”
“Ok. Right. 2009. So, where are we now?”
“Ashton Downs
“So, why here and not back at Cardiff or White Hall even?”
“Jack's here. Wonderful thing about you being a fixed point, Jack, makes you easy to find.”
Riiight. That's wonderful. Isn&'t it wonderful, Jones? I can be tracked everywhere I go from here to eternity. Great isn't it?”
“Are you being sarcastic? You are, aren't you? Hard to tell with you, Jack.It's not a bad thing to be so locatable.”
“Except there are times when, oh I don't know, I don't want to be found. Then what? I have no place to go to get away from anything because you and who knows who else can find me. How is that great?”
“Well, it’s not like I’ll be keeping tabs on you 24/7, Jack.”
“Oh, good to know.”
“It is. That's what I was saying. So, anyways, I haven't materialized yet. Don't want any sensors going off. Lose the element of surprise then. I like surprises. Wouldn't want to ruin a surprise for anyone else. I thought we might find out what&'s going on now, as well as what's happened since Mr. Jones was last here.”
“Sounds like a plan."
With that the Doctor turns on the TARDIS's computer screen and has Ianto connect to the Torchwood system. Once in, the Doctor starts multitasking at an inhuman speed. He manages to find a hacker in the Torchwood system. A hacker he then followed back and into another system. On another screen, Jack starts going through current news reports. The Doctor calls their attention to a section of the screen he’s on. He had hacked into Ashton Down’s CC tv, showing the people responsible for the Hub's explosion - MI-5.
# # # # # #
Next Chapter:
Interlude
Previous Chapter:
Chapter 3
# # # # # # #
Comments welcomed. :)
Title: On the Way
Characters: Jack, Jack/Ianto, Doctor (10)
Author: breannarose1
Rating: PG-13 (swearing
Beta-ed by: me. All mistakes therefore be mine, all mine.
Summary: COE my way, a.k.a. “something happened on the way to” Thames House.
Chapter 4
Jack had come home after long day at Torchwood and keeping Jallaien Ambassadors from being executed. Even though “the times, they are a-changin”**, Torchwood is still trigger happy, almost like UNIT. *There's a thought. UNIT & Torchwood united. Ugh! Huh.* “Hello, Beautiful!” Standing in his living room was the TARDIS.
After stopping to touch the TARDIS, confirming she was real, he walked into the kitchen. As expected someone was there. The Doctor. “Ah, Jack! Welcome home. Have a banana. Wasn't sure when you'd show up and I felt a bit peckish. Hope you don't mind.”
“Doctor. No thanks. Not really hungry right now. Sooo, you've regenerated.”
“Oh, yeah. Long story that. That short version is something happened on Game Station. Which reminds me. Better get this said upfront. I can't fix you, Jack. You're a fixed point in time. I'd like to but it's impossible. Oh, and I'll tell you when we “officially” meet that I knew about you coming back to life but that’ll be a lie. I had no idea that Rose brought you back; had quite a few things on my mind, the least of which was regenerating in front of Rose. She thought I was Slitheen. Can you imagine? Me, a Slitheen? Anyways, rather you hate me than her so that's why I'll be lying to ya.”
“Doctor? That’s great. Thanks for telling me but I don’t actually care. I’ve had a rough day and I’m just going to forget it all anyways. I’m sorry to have bothered you but Jones is going to have to stay here. Whatever happened caused something to be slammed into his back, he’s very lucky it didn’t sever his spine. As it is, he’s being released from hospital day after tomorrow and he’ll need a wheelchair for a while, crutches after that. I can’t have you bring him back like that.”
“How long has it been since you called me, Jack?”
“A bit over three weeks.”
“And does he know that he’s staying here? Have you set up a new background, new ids for him?”
“No. I haven’t had time to tell him yet, though I sure he suspects, and, yes, I'm setting him up to live in Ireland. He's moving temporarily into a local apartment until he's been given a clean bill of health.”
“I take it that once he's settled you'll find someway to forget over a month's worth of time? But as of now, you're just starting to look, he's out of the hospital, and Torchwood's not interested in him. Does that sum things up? Well, then, I don't see a problem. Well, when I say I don't see a problem, I do, several in facts, but they'll have to wait until you get back. As for young Mr.Jones? We can swing by another era and get him fixed right up before we drop him off in 2009. And your pending memory loss? I have an idea about that. But now. Let's go collect Ianto, yeah?”
# # # # # # #
The TARDIS materializes around him. Ianto know it's the TARDIS from seeing it on the screen when the Earth had been moved. He had been trying to move around his new apartment but now? *Maybe I'm still in the hospital?* He's outdoors. *Maybe, not.* Lights. Tiny lights swarm around him. His remaining cuts and bruises heal and he feels like he did pre-explosion. The lights disappear. He feels like he can stand up now and does. *I don't need the wheelchair anymore! Yesss! Gottta ask Jack what those lights were, where they came from, where we can get more...* Ianto then noticed that he, and the wheelchair, are in the TARDIS control room. The Doctor and Jack are there.
“Okay, What just happened?”
“Made a quick stop in 1941.”
“Okay, right. Why?”
“Nangones. Those lights you saw. They fixed you right up. Course that means when you get back you have to change your medical records.”
“Medical records. Right. Sure. Again, why?”
“Full of questions, aren't you? The Nanogenes didn't just fix recent damage. Any broken arm or leg you had prior to coming to 1966? Gone.”
“So, blank slate on the health, then? Ok. Can live with that. Ok. Wait that was 1941? The Chula warship?!?! What were you two thinking? Why would you risk going back there?!?”
“Ah.”
“Ah. So you know about that, too, huh? And you're panicking again.”
“Get use to it. I know everything. Really? Wonder why?”
“Square root of pi?”
“1.77245385.”
“Ok. I'm impressed.”
“And, Jack, quit fishing. As for the nanogenes? Thanks, but I had been released from hospital. I was in good shape.”
Wel it can't be undone. And it wasn't a matter of how hurt you were. What mattered was how much longer it would take for you to completely recover, get out of the wheelchair. If you remember, Dr. Collins said you were looking at, at least, a month's recovery time. Can you really help with whatever's affecting the kids from a wheelchair? Also, that's even more time I'd have to forget, but you knew that too, right?”
“Right. I’m sorry. I had forgotten that. Hang on. What kids? Why do you still have to forget anything? I thought I was going to have to stay in 1966? What changed?!?”
“I showed up. Taking you back to 2009, just after the explosion sent you back to 1966. No sense hanging around a time that isn't your own if you don't have to, right?
“Okay. Right. Good.” *So, 2009. To do: 1) find out why the Hub & Jack were blown up. 2) What’s affecting the kids. 3)find out what’s salvagable from the base. 4) Find Gwen &/or Jack...*
“5) Tell me and the Doctor what you already know.”
Ianto's exasperated now, “Jack, you're cheating again.”
“Hey, you know me. I always cheat.”
“Well, quit it! Please.”
“Jack, he has enough to deal with don't you think?”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Sure. But, Ianto? We can and will help.”
“No. He can help. You need to get back to 1966 and forget the last couple of weeks.”
“Ouch!”
“You'll recover.”
“Ha, ha.”
“Boys? A bit of focus, please, huh?
# # # # # # #
“Right. Here we are. June 2009. As promised.”
“Ok. Right. 2009. So, where are we now?”
“Ashton Downs
“So, why here and not back at Cardiff or White Hall even?”
“Jack's here. Wonderful thing about you being a fixed point, Jack, makes you easy to find.”
Riiight. That's wonderful. Isn&'t it wonderful, Jones? I can be tracked everywhere I go from here to eternity. Great isn't it?”
“Are you being sarcastic? You are, aren't you? Hard to tell with you, Jack.It's not a bad thing to be so locatable.”
“Except there are times when, oh I don't know, I don't want to be found. Then what? I have no place to go to get away from anything because you and who knows who else can find me. How is that great?”
“Well, it’s not like I’ll be keeping tabs on you 24/7, Jack.”
“Oh, good to know.”
“It is. That's what I was saying. So, anyways, I haven't materialized yet. Don't want any sensors going off. Lose the element of surprise then. I like surprises. Wouldn't want to ruin a surprise for anyone else. I thought we might find out what&'s going on now, as well as what's happened since Mr. Jones was last here.”
“Sounds like a plan."
With that the Doctor turns on the TARDIS's computer screen and has Ianto connect to the Torchwood system. Once in, the Doctor starts multitasking at an inhuman speed. He manages to find a hacker in the Torchwood system. A hacker he then followed back and into another system. On another screen, Jack starts going through current news reports. The Doctor calls their attention to a section of the screen he’s on. He had hacked into Ashton Down’s CC tv, showing the people responsible for the Hub's explosion - MI-5.
# # # # # #
Next Chapter:
Interlude
Previous Chapter:
Chapter 3
# # # # # # #
Comments welcomed. :)