Fic: Set Piece (5/6)
Title: Set Piece
Authors: Gillian Taylor (dark_aegis)
Characters: Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor, Jack Harkness, cameo by Jackie Tyler
Spoilers: Sequel to The Greatest of These (Link goes to the last chapter, previous chapters are linked at the top of the post)
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just having fun with them
Summary: Accidents tend to come in threes when travelling with the Doctor. Once, she met him. The second time she lost, then regained him. This time, though she's separated from him, she gains something else - a stranger, who becomes a friend.
Author's Notes: Written for wendymr and the Shadow Proclamation who won me in the September Support Stacie auction. They asked for the sequel to The Greatest of These. With many thanks to yamx and kae_nine for their invaluable betaing services and general awesomeness.
Chapter 1: Recovery | Chapter 2: A Different World | Chapter 3: Time-Locked | Chapter 4: Mob Mentality
Chapter 5: New Beginnings
The Doctor dropped the vortex manipulator onto the ground, immediately reaching out to grasp Jack's shoulder. He wasn't going to let the lad die for him. That wasn't part of the plan. None of this was. He closed his eyes, feeling the timelines and shifted them, just enough to hold Jack in place for a few moments. It was hard, this. Been too long since he'd had to practice doing it, let alone trying it on a living person. Still, should help until he got them back to the TARDIS.
Moving closer, he let his knee touch the other man while he retrieved his hand, reaching for the vortex manipulator. He had to maintain contact to keep the timelines shifted. Otherwise, well, brain death was a real possibility. There was no telling how long the bloke had been without enough oxygen intake, and he didn't want to attempt chest compressions in a punctured lung situation. Time was of the essence.
The settings had been modified on the vortex manipulator. Thanks to a little jiggery-pokery, he was certain the device would transport them back to the TARDIS. Or, at least, close enough that he wouldn't have to worry about injuring Jack further by moving him.
"Doctor?" Rose said quietly, the fear practically palpable in her voice.
He wished he could spare one of his hands to hold her to, but he didn't have the time. "I need you to hold onto me, Rose. We're going back to the TARDIS."
She moved and he caught a flash of bare skin as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "Is he-" she began, then stopped.
"He'll be fine," he said. Jack had to be. He was rather stubborn when he wanted to be when it came to things like that. Life was always far, far more preferable than death. Especially when the lad did it for him.
He triggered the device and their surroundings faded into that of the thankfully deserted marketplace. He directed his attention to warily scanning the area, not wanting to risk moving should it prove dangerous. Admittedly, if it were dangerous, it wouldn't matter. Time was running out. He could feel sweat starting to bead his brow as he fought to maintain the timelines around Jack and to keep alert for danger.
"Where is everybody?" Rose asked quietly.
As if in response, an explosion rocked the area, forcing him to lean against her slightly to maintain his balance. Smoke, thick with ash, billowed into the air and he shook his head at the waste. Seraphians, humans, it didn't matter. They tended to turn to destruction rather than anything more productive when things didn't go their way.
Thankfully, the explosion was several streets away. They wouldn't have to worry about attracting anyone's attention. At least, not for now. Determined, and feeling his control start to slip a little more, he turned his head and spotted his TARDIS, tucked away in a corner behind a shuttered stall. He worried a bit about the distance. He didn't want to traumatise Jack overly much, but there was nothing for it. He had to get the lad to the TARDIS, he had to maintain contact with Jack's body, and this was the only way. "Grab his legs, Rose," he commanded, shifting so he could slip his arms under Jack's arms and balance him against his chest.
Rose lifted Jack's legs underneath her arms; never losing the look of worry that seemed to be permanently etched into her face. Jack's boots left muddy streaks of brown against her torso, contrasting sharply with her pale skin. His control slipped a bit more and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. He was holding time back, keeping Jack preserved as he was, caught in the moment between life and death, maintaining his body as it was. This was the hand he'd been dealt and he had to blink to clear his eyes of the sting of perspiration.
Walking turned out to be more difficult than he'd imagined, resulting in more of a shuffle as he walked backwards towards his TARDIS, glancing behind him every so often to adjust his course. When he felt his heels bump against the TARDIS, he nodded at Rose, grimacing as sweat fell into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. "You're going to have to open it."
He felt the body shift in his arms and there was a warm presence at his side as Rose slipped her key into the lock. He could hear the doors open behind him and then hurried steps as Rose returned to her earlier position at Jack's feet. Together, they brought the limp form into the TARDIS just as he lost control of the timelines for the last time.
"Hurry," he gritted out through clenched teeth, moving as quickly as possible across the familiar console room towards the hallway that led to the interior of the TARDIS. The old girl was way ahead of him, he realised, as he found the first door on the right led to the medbay.
Once again, Rose lowered Jack's feet to the ground and opened the door for him before returning to her earlier post. They brought him into the medbay and set him down on one of the beds. "Right, then. Rose, I'm going to need you to leave," he said as he began to select tools from the cabinets lining the room.
"Wha-what? I want to stay," Rose replied.
He sighed as he pushed a vital signs monitor into position. "I know you do, Rose. I promise I'll keep you up to date. Only, I need to operate and it isn't the sort of thing you need to see. Please." He turned to her, taking in her appearance. Goose-pimples covered her exposed skin as she wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously.
She'd never looked lovelier, or more worried. "Please," he repeated.
"All right," she whispered. "I'll be right outside, okay? Just, please don't let him die."
He nodded and saw her out, closing the door firmly behind her. After he cleansed his hands and ensured that the sterile force-field was in place around Jack, he set to work.
This was going to take some time, he knew. Never easy repairing pulmonary muscles, let alone ensuring that no other serious injuries threatened his handiwork.
This was driving her mad. Completely and utterly mad. She'd heard nothing for hours now. Long enough that she'd dared to venture away from her position in front of the medbay to head for the kitchen to grab something to eat. She'd even brought enough for the Doctor, though he never made an appearance. The food was still where she'd left it beside the door.
She sighed. What if Jack was dead and the Doctor didn't want to tell her just yet? What if Jack was dying, right there on the operating table, and she was out here blissfully ignorant? Okay, not so blissful, but the point remained the same. Jack was hurting and she couldn't do anything about it.
When had it happened, really? When had she truly started to care about a man who claimed to be a conman but was so much more underneath the surface? She slid down the wall, her back pressed against the warm bulkhead, and stopped with sudden jolt at the floor.
Rose sighed and lowered her head to her knees, closing her eyes. She didn't know what she could do. Sitting here wasn't doing any good, but she knew she couldn't go to her room or even to the kitchen. Something might change. The Doctor might need her. Jack might need her.
She breathed deeply and simply sat still, listening to the hum of the TARDIS. It might've been minutes or hours later when she felt someone touch her hair in a gentle stroke, waking her from what she realised was a deep sleep. She was disorientated for a moment, trying to recall where she was and why she was there, when she remembered. She lifted her head, startling a bit when she realised the Doctor had sat down beside her in the hallway.
"Before you ask, he's fine. Bit worse for wear, mind, but fine. He's sleeping off the last of the anaesthesia now and should be waking up in, oh, a few hours? Why don't you go to your room? Try to get some sleep?" he suggested, still stroking her hair.
Rose shook her head. "Can't sleep."
His lips quirked slightly. "You were doing a good impression of it when I sat down."
She gave him a look, but he didn't seem to be daunted by it. "Ha, ha. Can I see him?"
The Doctor searched her eyes, giving her the impression that he was reading her very soul. There was a flicker of something akin to surprise in his gaze when he nodded. "Course you can. Just don't wake him. He needs the rest."
She nodded and stood, pausing for a moment to look down at him. Slowly, she extended her hand. "Come with me?"
His hand slipped into hers, squeezing it gently as he, too, stood. She let him lead her into the medbay, trusting him to let her know when she couldn't come any closer. When he stopped, so did she. She could just see Jack lying on one of the beds past the Doctor's body.
Rose hadn't expected him to look so pale. No, of course he would. She was daft. He'd just been through surgery. Of course he'd be pale. "He'll be all right?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake Jack.
He turned to her and offered her a gentle smile. "He'll be fine, I promise." He tugged her hand and she went to him willingly, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes.
She'd been rather worried about Jack, but he was fine. She trusted the Doctor would tell her if there was something she needed to know about Jack's recovery. She'd seen him, but now all she could think about was how tired she was. She wasn't able to hide the jaw-cracking yawn that surprised her a moment later.
The Doctor laughed quietly and gently ushered her out of the medbay. "Go to bed, Rose. I'll let you know when he wakes up."
"Doctor?" she asked before she departed.
"Hmm?"
"Can he stay?"
He grew still in that moment - so still he could've been a carving of stone. "We'll see," he allowed.
It had to do.
He woke as he usually did - one moment asleep, the next awake. It was only years of training that kept him motionless, barely even altering his breathing. He wasn't certain where he was. There was something soft beneath him - a bed of some sort.
Strange, though. He should've been in a clearing somewhere - or dead. He certainly didn't feel any wind and he knew there hadn't been any sort of bed in that clearing. This didn't feel like heaven, nor did it feel like he was in any danger here.
Deciding to risk it, he opened his eyes to find himself in a veritable wonderland. Machinery - some of which he could only guess at its purpose - surrounded him. One hovered - literally hovered - over him, providing a steady beeping sound, and on the screen there were readouts in some sort of swirling geometric script. There was a low humming sound surrounding him, too - engines, perhaps?
Whatever it was, it was certain that he wasn't in the clearing any more. Blinking, he sat up, swinging his feet around so he could sit properly on the bed. That was when he realised he wasn't alone. Cursing himself for a fool, he braced himself, unsure if he wanted to fight or flee as he met the burning eyes of the so-called Time Lord.
The Doctor didn't look mythical. If anything, he looked like a man. A man who had, apparently, just saved his life. It was the only explanation that seemed to fit with the here and now. Just a bone-deep ache and easy breathing, nothing like the agonising pain of when he'd last been awake.
There were questions in the Doctor's eyes, questions he wasn't certain he wanted to answer. Questions about himself, about Rose, about those two weeks on Seraph
"I think I owe you a thank you," Jack said, trying to change the subject of a conversation that hadn't even started yet.
The Doctor smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. There was curiosity there as well as a bit of anger. "You're welcome. Least I could do after you came back for me."
"I made sure Rose was safe before you ask. I got her out, then came back for you. Couldn't leave anyone like that. It wasn't right." Seemed there was a bit of a hero in him after all. Bit tarnished, mind. And battered. But somehow there.
He got the impression in that moment that he was being judged - against what, he wasn't certain, but the look was there in the Doctor's eyes. The moment seemed to stretch, neither willing to break the impasse, before the Doctor's smile actually became genuine. "Too right. Brilliant! Now, then, Jack Harkness, I believe Rose wants to see you. Then we need to sort this time-lock problem."
"Doctor, where am I?" he asked, already standing and getting ready to follow the Doctor.
"You're in my TARDIS," the Doctor replied, grinning.
He staggered. Mythical Time Lord and equally mythical ship? That was… that was… His mind simply couldn't comprehend it. Of course, if the Doctor was lying about this, it'd make sense for him to go the full route. Bring out words like 'Rassili' or something like that.
He followed the Doctor out of the medbay, still trying to fathom the idea of a TARDIS when he turned his head and saw that the hallway seemed to go on forever. It wasn't an illusion, he knew that. He could feel it somehow, like warmth was sneaking into his bones, warmth that he knew came from outside of himself.
"Jack!"
He barely had enough time to brace himself as he turned to meet Rose's headlong rush into his arms. He could get used to this. Welcomes like this. Hugs like this. "I'm fine," he said, though she was too busy holding on to him to really listen.
Jack looked at the Doctor, a little nervous, but the other man's expression was of pure affection for Rose. "Thank god," she said. "I was worried!" She moved as if to smack him in the chest, then paused, looking up at him with an anxious expression. "Sorry. Does it still hurt? And I hugged you! Doctor, you should've stopped me."
"I'm fine, Rose. Really. Your Doctor fixed me," Jack said, anxious to reassure her.
She sighed. "Still. You need to avoid doing that again." The words were careless when they were said, but he caught their meaning. How would she ever know there'd be an 'again'? He was leaving as soon as they sort the time-lock.
"Sorry. I'll try to keep away from mobs from now on."
She nodded. "You do that." Then she looked at the Doctor, giving him a look.
The Doctor obviously caved. "I'll endeavour to do the same."
"Good. So, how're we going to sort the time-lock?" Rose asked, reminding him that they still had a job to do. Seraph deserved to be freed from his foolishness.
"Leave that to me," the Doctor said and turned, leading them down another corridor and into a cavernous room. Dominating it all was a pillar of light that pulsed in time with the humming noise he'd been hearing all along. It looked almost organic. And, from what he could see, the technology was far beyond anything he'd ever seen before.
The time-lock device was sitting on the - console? Was that what it was? The knobs, buttons and switches seemed to imply it was some sort of control surface. The Doctor moved directly to the device, lifting it into his hands. "Can't do this in here. The TARDIS - well, suffice to say it wouldn't be good." He paused for a moment and looked at them. Once again, Jack had the feeling he was being measured and somehow passed muster. "You can stay inside. You won't feel the time-lock being released here."
Rose brushed past him to join the Doctor. "You're not doing this without us. We were there when it started. I want to be there when it finishes."
What could he do but follow?
"Won't be pleasant for any of us when I trigger this," he warned, choosing a location half-sheltered by the TARDIS. He didn't want to risk going into the middle of the marketplace. No telling where that mob had got itself to and he certainly didn't fancy a repeat performance of both his own injuries and Jack's.
He sank to the ground, crossing his legs into a comfortable position with his back against the wall. He knew it'd be best for all of them if they were sitting down when the device was activated.
"Don't care," Jack replied, echoing his posture. "I just want this over and done with."
He could sympathise with the lad, though. He had a good heart. Just was a bit misguided.
Rose settled beside him, flanking him with human warmth. The Doctor sighed and looked at the device. It took some fiddling - a twist of a knob here, the press of a button there - before it was set. "I'm triggering it now," he warned, his finger hovering over the last button.
He pressed it and time stuttered.
Timelines stretched and twisted, curling into a mass of intertwined threads. His head felt like it was about to explode - too much time, too many possibilities colliding before his senses. He opened his mouth to scream - in agony? In despair? In ecstasy? - and then it stopped. No more pain, no more timelines colliding, no more tangled threads.
Just him, breathing heavily against a wall with Rose leaning against him and Jack's body tilting sideways, slowly but surely echoing Rose. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton-wool, but that was to be expected. Time-locks - both their creation and their dissolution - tended to wreck havoc with Gallifreyan synapses.
Sighing, he glanced at his companions. Both Rose and Jack were unconscious, but didn't seem to be in any distress. He'd warned them, after all. Wasn't his fault they decided to ignore him.
Best thing to do was to remain right where he was. Let the two of them come out of it and then escort them back to the TARDIS. No, that wasn't quite right. There was something missing first. Ah, right. The job offer.
He couldn't go on making assumptions. Wasn't right. Jack might not want to stay. Well, maybe he would, but that was his choice. This regeneration was big on that - choices. Very important things, those.
"Doctor?" Jack asked quietly. His name was spoken with more of a groan than he necessarily liked.
"All right?" he returned, turning his head to look at the other man.
"Head feels like someone decided to do the samba in there, but otherwise I'm fine. I hate that device," Jack replied.
"Good. What're your plans now?" he asked casually. Perhaps a bit too casually given Jack's startled look.
"Suppose I'll head back to the fifty-first century. Knock around for a bit. Try my hand at going straight for a while." There was a self-deprecating laugh before Jack continued, "Don't think I can go back to doing cons. Not now. Not after this." The man's gaze slid past him towards Rose.
"Think you might like to try something a little more out of the ordinary?" he asked, shifting enough to both ensure that Rose wouldn't find herself slipping onto the ground and to face Jack.
A wrinkle appeared on the lad's forehead. "What?"
"You could come with us. Plenty of room in the TARDIS. Might even find you like the life. Tend to meddle a bit, run a lot, and generally set things right." He didn't admit that sometimes this life of his seemed a bit like penance for wrongs of the past. Not so much now, but before definitely.
"Why would you want me?" Jack asked, still apparently confused.
The Doctor sighed. "You've got a good heart. You looked after Rose when I couldn't, but more than that, you risked your life to save someone you didn't know. I've got your measure and I like what I see."
Jack's gaze once again moved towards Rose. He knew what the man thought. This was a gift for her, because he could refuse her nothing. "It's not because of her," he added. "It's because of you."
A loud snort caused Rose to stir against him, though she didn't move again.
"How can I know that?" Jack asked. "Seriously, Doctor, tempting as it is, I'm not going to be the third wheel on a two person team."
"You wouldn't be," the Doctor replied. "Just give it a try? A few trips around the universe. If you don't like it, you can tell me and I'll let you off wherever and whenever you like. I don't keep prisoners on the TARDIS."
"Please, Jack?" Rose asked, finally lifting her head from his back to add her own voice to the conversation. "We'd love it if you'd come. If you have to, consider it a thank you gift."
Jack's gaze shifted between them as the silence lengthened, pierced only by the sound of a ship's engines and the cheers of a crowd as the ship descended from orbit.
"All right," Jack finally said.
He grinned. "Molto bene! Brilliant! Come on, then. We've got places to see, times we've never been before! Universe is the limit!"
***
Epilogue: A Crazy Sort of Life
x-posted to: time_and_chips, betterwiththree & dark_aegis
Authors: Gillian Taylor (dark_aegis)
Characters: Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor, Jack Harkness, cameo by Jackie Tyler
Spoilers: Sequel to The Greatest of These (Link goes to the last chapter, previous chapters are linked at the top of the post)
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just having fun with them
Summary: Accidents tend to come in threes when travelling with the Doctor. Once, she met him. The second time she lost, then regained him. This time, though she's separated from him, she gains something else - a stranger, who becomes a friend.
Author's Notes: Written for wendymr and the Shadow Proclamation who won me in the September Support Stacie auction. They asked for the sequel to The Greatest of These. With many thanks to yamx and kae_nine for their invaluable betaing services and general awesomeness.
Chapter 1: Recovery | Chapter 2: A Different World | Chapter 3: Time-Locked | Chapter 4: Mob Mentality
Chapter 5: New Beginnings
The Doctor dropped the vortex manipulator onto the ground, immediately reaching out to grasp Jack's shoulder. He wasn't going to let the lad die for him. That wasn't part of the plan. None of this was. He closed his eyes, feeling the timelines and shifted them, just enough to hold Jack in place for a few moments. It was hard, this. Been too long since he'd had to practice doing it, let alone trying it on a living person. Still, should help until he got them back to the TARDIS.
Moving closer, he let his knee touch the other man while he retrieved his hand, reaching for the vortex manipulator. He had to maintain contact to keep the timelines shifted. Otherwise, well, brain death was a real possibility. There was no telling how long the bloke had been without enough oxygen intake, and he didn't want to attempt chest compressions in a punctured lung situation. Time was of the essence.
The settings had been modified on the vortex manipulator. Thanks to a little jiggery-pokery, he was certain the device would transport them back to the TARDIS. Or, at least, close enough that he wouldn't have to worry about injuring Jack further by moving him.
"Doctor?" Rose said quietly, the fear practically palpable in her voice.
He wished he could spare one of his hands to hold her to, but he didn't have the time. "I need you to hold onto me, Rose. We're going back to the TARDIS."
She moved and he caught a flash of bare skin as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "Is he-" she began, then stopped.
"He'll be fine," he said. Jack had to be. He was rather stubborn when he wanted to be when it came to things like that. Life was always far, far more preferable than death. Especially when the lad did it for him.
He triggered the device and their surroundings faded into that of the thankfully deserted marketplace. He directed his attention to warily scanning the area, not wanting to risk moving should it prove dangerous. Admittedly, if it were dangerous, it wouldn't matter. Time was running out. He could feel sweat starting to bead his brow as he fought to maintain the timelines around Jack and to keep alert for danger.
"Where is everybody?" Rose asked quietly.
As if in response, an explosion rocked the area, forcing him to lean against her slightly to maintain his balance. Smoke, thick with ash, billowed into the air and he shook his head at the waste. Seraphians, humans, it didn't matter. They tended to turn to destruction rather than anything more productive when things didn't go their way.
Thankfully, the explosion was several streets away. They wouldn't have to worry about attracting anyone's attention. At least, not for now. Determined, and feeling his control start to slip a little more, he turned his head and spotted his TARDIS, tucked away in a corner behind a shuttered stall. He worried a bit about the distance. He didn't want to traumatise Jack overly much, but there was nothing for it. He had to get the lad to the TARDIS, he had to maintain contact with Jack's body, and this was the only way. "Grab his legs, Rose," he commanded, shifting so he could slip his arms under Jack's arms and balance him against his chest.
Rose lifted Jack's legs underneath her arms; never losing the look of worry that seemed to be permanently etched into her face. Jack's boots left muddy streaks of brown against her torso, contrasting sharply with her pale skin. His control slipped a bit more and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. He was holding time back, keeping Jack preserved as he was, caught in the moment between life and death, maintaining his body as it was. This was the hand he'd been dealt and he had to blink to clear his eyes of the sting of perspiration.
Walking turned out to be more difficult than he'd imagined, resulting in more of a shuffle as he walked backwards towards his TARDIS, glancing behind him every so often to adjust his course. When he felt his heels bump against the TARDIS, he nodded at Rose, grimacing as sweat fell into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. "You're going to have to open it."
He felt the body shift in his arms and there was a warm presence at his side as Rose slipped her key into the lock. He could hear the doors open behind him and then hurried steps as Rose returned to her earlier position at Jack's feet. Together, they brought the limp form into the TARDIS just as he lost control of the timelines for the last time.
"Hurry," he gritted out through clenched teeth, moving as quickly as possible across the familiar console room towards the hallway that led to the interior of the TARDIS. The old girl was way ahead of him, he realised, as he found the first door on the right led to the medbay.
Once again, Rose lowered Jack's feet to the ground and opened the door for him before returning to her earlier post. They brought him into the medbay and set him down on one of the beds. "Right, then. Rose, I'm going to need you to leave," he said as he began to select tools from the cabinets lining the room.
"Wha-what? I want to stay," Rose replied.
He sighed as he pushed a vital signs monitor into position. "I know you do, Rose. I promise I'll keep you up to date. Only, I need to operate and it isn't the sort of thing you need to see. Please." He turned to her, taking in her appearance. Goose-pimples covered her exposed skin as she wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously.
She'd never looked lovelier, or more worried. "Please," he repeated.
"All right," she whispered. "I'll be right outside, okay? Just, please don't let him die."
He nodded and saw her out, closing the door firmly behind her. After he cleansed his hands and ensured that the sterile force-field was in place around Jack, he set to work.
This was going to take some time, he knew. Never easy repairing pulmonary muscles, let alone ensuring that no other serious injuries threatened his handiwork.
This was driving her mad. Completely and utterly mad. She'd heard nothing for hours now. Long enough that she'd dared to venture away from her position in front of the medbay to head for the kitchen to grab something to eat. She'd even brought enough for the Doctor, though he never made an appearance. The food was still where she'd left it beside the door.
She sighed. What if Jack was dead and the Doctor didn't want to tell her just yet? What if Jack was dying, right there on the operating table, and she was out here blissfully ignorant? Okay, not so blissful, but the point remained the same. Jack was hurting and she couldn't do anything about it.
When had it happened, really? When had she truly started to care about a man who claimed to be a conman but was so much more underneath the surface? She slid down the wall, her back pressed against the warm bulkhead, and stopped with sudden jolt at the floor.
Rose sighed and lowered her head to her knees, closing her eyes. She didn't know what she could do. Sitting here wasn't doing any good, but she knew she couldn't go to her room or even to the kitchen. Something might change. The Doctor might need her. Jack might need her.
She breathed deeply and simply sat still, listening to the hum of the TARDIS. It might've been minutes or hours later when she felt someone touch her hair in a gentle stroke, waking her from what she realised was a deep sleep. She was disorientated for a moment, trying to recall where she was and why she was there, when she remembered. She lifted her head, startling a bit when she realised the Doctor had sat down beside her in the hallway.
"Before you ask, he's fine. Bit worse for wear, mind, but fine. He's sleeping off the last of the anaesthesia now and should be waking up in, oh, a few hours? Why don't you go to your room? Try to get some sleep?" he suggested, still stroking her hair.
Rose shook her head. "Can't sleep."
His lips quirked slightly. "You were doing a good impression of it when I sat down."
She gave him a look, but he didn't seem to be daunted by it. "Ha, ha. Can I see him?"
The Doctor searched her eyes, giving her the impression that he was reading her very soul. There was a flicker of something akin to surprise in his gaze when he nodded. "Course you can. Just don't wake him. He needs the rest."
She nodded and stood, pausing for a moment to look down at him. Slowly, she extended her hand. "Come with me?"
His hand slipped into hers, squeezing it gently as he, too, stood. She let him lead her into the medbay, trusting him to let her know when she couldn't come any closer. When he stopped, so did she. She could just see Jack lying on one of the beds past the Doctor's body.
Rose hadn't expected him to look so pale. No, of course he would. She was daft. He'd just been through surgery. Of course he'd be pale. "He'll be all right?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake Jack.
He turned to her and offered her a gentle smile. "He'll be fine, I promise." He tugged her hand and she went to him willingly, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes.
She'd been rather worried about Jack, but he was fine. She trusted the Doctor would tell her if there was something she needed to know about Jack's recovery. She'd seen him, but now all she could think about was how tired she was. She wasn't able to hide the jaw-cracking yawn that surprised her a moment later.
The Doctor laughed quietly and gently ushered her out of the medbay. "Go to bed, Rose. I'll let you know when he wakes up."
"Doctor?" she asked before she departed.
"Hmm?"
"Can he stay?"
He grew still in that moment - so still he could've been a carving of stone. "We'll see," he allowed.
It had to do.
He woke as he usually did - one moment asleep, the next awake. It was only years of training that kept him motionless, barely even altering his breathing. He wasn't certain where he was. There was something soft beneath him - a bed of some sort.
Strange, though. He should've been in a clearing somewhere - or dead. He certainly didn't feel any wind and he knew there hadn't been any sort of bed in that clearing. This didn't feel like heaven, nor did it feel like he was in any danger here.
Deciding to risk it, he opened his eyes to find himself in a veritable wonderland. Machinery - some of which he could only guess at its purpose - surrounded him. One hovered - literally hovered - over him, providing a steady beeping sound, and on the screen there were readouts in some sort of swirling geometric script. There was a low humming sound surrounding him, too - engines, perhaps?
Whatever it was, it was certain that he wasn't in the clearing any more. Blinking, he sat up, swinging his feet around so he could sit properly on the bed. That was when he realised he wasn't alone. Cursing himself for a fool, he braced himself, unsure if he wanted to fight or flee as he met the burning eyes of the so-called Time Lord.
The Doctor didn't look mythical. If anything, he looked like a man. A man who had, apparently, just saved his life. It was the only explanation that seemed to fit with the here and now. Just a bone-deep ache and easy breathing, nothing like the agonising pain of when he'd last been awake.
There were questions in the Doctor's eyes, questions he wasn't certain he wanted to answer. Questions about himself, about Rose, about those two weeks on Seraph
"I think I owe you a thank you," Jack said, trying to change the subject of a conversation that hadn't even started yet.
The Doctor smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. There was curiosity there as well as a bit of anger. "You're welcome. Least I could do after you came back for me."
"I made sure Rose was safe before you ask. I got her out, then came back for you. Couldn't leave anyone like that. It wasn't right." Seemed there was a bit of a hero in him after all. Bit tarnished, mind. And battered. But somehow there.
He got the impression in that moment that he was being judged - against what, he wasn't certain, but the look was there in the Doctor's eyes. The moment seemed to stretch, neither willing to break the impasse, before the Doctor's smile actually became genuine. "Too right. Brilliant! Now, then, Jack Harkness, I believe Rose wants to see you. Then we need to sort this time-lock problem."
"Doctor, where am I?" he asked, already standing and getting ready to follow the Doctor.
"You're in my TARDIS," the Doctor replied, grinning.
He staggered. Mythical Time Lord and equally mythical ship? That was… that was… His mind simply couldn't comprehend it. Of course, if the Doctor was lying about this, it'd make sense for him to go the full route. Bring out words like 'Rassili' or something like that.
He followed the Doctor out of the medbay, still trying to fathom the idea of a TARDIS when he turned his head and saw that the hallway seemed to go on forever. It wasn't an illusion, he knew that. He could feel it somehow, like warmth was sneaking into his bones, warmth that he knew came from outside of himself.
"Jack!"
He barely had enough time to brace himself as he turned to meet Rose's headlong rush into his arms. He could get used to this. Welcomes like this. Hugs like this. "I'm fine," he said, though she was too busy holding on to him to really listen.
Jack looked at the Doctor, a little nervous, but the other man's expression was of pure affection for Rose. "Thank god," she said. "I was worried!" She moved as if to smack him in the chest, then paused, looking up at him with an anxious expression. "Sorry. Does it still hurt? And I hugged you! Doctor, you should've stopped me."
"I'm fine, Rose. Really. Your Doctor fixed me," Jack said, anxious to reassure her.
She sighed. "Still. You need to avoid doing that again." The words were careless when they were said, but he caught their meaning. How would she ever know there'd be an 'again'? He was leaving as soon as they sort the time-lock.
"Sorry. I'll try to keep away from mobs from now on."
She nodded. "You do that." Then she looked at the Doctor, giving him a look.
The Doctor obviously caved. "I'll endeavour to do the same."
"Good. So, how're we going to sort the time-lock?" Rose asked, reminding him that they still had a job to do. Seraph deserved to be freed from his foolishness.
"Leave that to me," the Doctor said and turned, leading them down another corridor and into a cavernous room. Dominating it all was a pillar of light that pulsed in time with the humming noise he'd been hearing all along. It looked almost organic. And, from what he could see, the technology was far beyond anything he'd ever seen before.
The time-lock device was sitting on the - console? Was that what it was? The knobs, buttons and switches seemed to imply it was some sort of control surface. The Doctor moved directly to the device, lifting it into his hands. "Can't do this in here. The TARDIS - well, suffice to say it wouldn't be good." He paused for a moment and looked at them. Once again, Jack had the feeling he was being measured and somehow passed muster. "You can stay inside. You won't feel the time-lock being released here."
Rose brushed past him to join the Doctor. "You're not doing this without us. We were there when it started. I want to be there when it finishes."
What could he do but follow?
"Won't be pleasant for any of us when I trigger this," he warned, choosing a location half-sheltered by the TARDIS. He didn't want to risk going into the middle of the marketplace. No telling where that mob had got itself to and he certainly didn't fancy a repeat performance of both his own injuries and Jack's.
He sank to the ground, crossing his legs into a comfortable position with his back against the wall. He knew it'd be best for all of them if they were sitting down when the device was activated.
"Don't care," Jack replied, echoing his posture. "I just want this over and done with."
He could sympathise with the lad, though. He had a good heart. Just was a bit misguided.
Rose settled beside him, flanking him with human warmth. The Doctor sighed and looked at the device. It took some fiddling - a twist of a knob here, the press of a button there - before it was set. "I'm triggering it now," he warned, his finger hovering over the last button.
He pressed it and time stuttered.
Timelines stretched and twisted, curling into a mass of intertwined threads. His head felt like it was about to explode - too much time, too many possibilities colliding before his senses. He opened his mouth to scream - in agony? In despair? In ecstasy? - and then it stopped. No more pain, no more timelines colliding, no more tangled threads.
Just him, breathing heavily against a wall with Rose leaning against him and Jack's body tilting sideways, slowly but surely echoing Rose. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton-wool, but that was to be expected. Time-locks - both their creation and their dissolution - tended to wreck havoc with Gallifreyan synapses.
Sighing, he glanced at his companions. Both Rose and Jack were unconscious, but didn't seem to be in any distress. He'd warned them, after all. Wasn't his fault they decided to ignore him.
Best thing to do was to remain right where he was. Let the two of them come out of it and then escort them back to the TARDIS. No, that wasn't quite right. There was something missing first. Ah, right. The job offer.
He couldn't go on making assumptions. Wasn't right. Jack might not want to stay. Well, maybe he would, but that was his choice. This regeneration was big on that - choices. Very important things, those.
"Doctor?" Jack asked quietly. His name was spoken with more of a groan than he necessarily liked.
"All right?" he returned, turning his head to look at the other man.
"Head feels like someone decided to do the samba in there, but otherwise I'm fine. I hate that device," Jack replied.
"Good. What're your plans now?" he asked casually. Perhaps a bit too casually given Jack's startled look.
"Suppose I'll head back to the fifty-first century. Knock around for a bit. Try my hand at going straight for a while." There was a self-deprecating laugh before Jack continued, "Don't think I can go back to doing cons. Not now. Not after this." The man's gaze slid past him towards Rose.
"Think you might like to try something a little more out of the ordinary?" he asked, shifting enough to both ensure that Rose wouldn't find herself slipping onto the ground and to face Jack.
A wrinkle appeared on the lad's forehead. "What?"
"You could come with us. Plenty of room in the TARDIS. Might even find you like the life. Tend to meddle a bit, run a lot, and generally set things right." He didn't admit that sometimes this life of his seemed a bit like penance for wrongs of the past. Not so much now, but before definitely.
"Why would you want me?" Jack asked, still apparently confused.
The Doctor sighed. "You've got a good heart. You looked after Rose when I couldn't, but more than that, you risked your life to save someone you didn't know. I've got your measure and I like what I see."
Jack's gaze once again moved towards Rose. He knew what the man thought. This was a gift for her, because he could refuse her nothing. "It's not because of her," he added. "It's because of you."
A loud snort caused Rose to stir against him, though she didn't move again.
"How can I know that?" Jack asked. "Seriously, Doctor, tempting as it is, I'm not going to be the third wheel on a two person team."
"You wouldn't be," the Doctor replied. "Just give it a try? A few trips around the universe. If you don't like it, you can tell me and I'll let you off wherever and whenever you like. I don't keep prisoners on the TARDIS."
"Please, Jack?" Rose asked, finally lifting her head from his back to add her own voice to the conversation. "We'd love it if you'd come. If you have to, consider it a thank you gift."
Jack's gaze shifted between them as the silence lengthened, pierced only by the sound of a ship's engines and the cheers of a crowd as the ship descended from orbit.
"All right," Jack finally said.
He grinned. "Molto bene! Brilliant! Come on, then. We've got places to see, times we've never been before! Universe is the limit!"
***
Epilogue: A Crazy Sort of Life
x-posted to: time_and_chips, betterwiththree & dark_aegis