Torchwood Fic: Miss Derbyshire Goes To War (WiaD)
Well, as John Barrowman would say, I'm chuffed with this week's writerinadrawer results! I liked my story but had some concerns, so it's a relief to still be in, let alone win, considering we were down to six authors. I'm quite terrified of the next two rounds.
You should all go vote next week (new stories up Friday), since we're almost done!
Title: Miss Derbyshire Goes To War
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 700
Prompt: Torchwood, or at least selected members of it, have been called to deal with alien/rift activity in another country. (+5 words in another language)
June 22nd 1916. Blercourt, France.
“Capitaine?”
Jack looked up from his hand, over to the lady who ran the inn. “Quoi?”
“Il y a une femme ici qui voudrait vous parler.”
“Oh, ho,” chortled Westwood, across from him. “Got a lady friend, Harkness? Could it be the belle Danielle from Aubréville? Did you charm her well enough for her to follow you into battle?”
Jack rolled his eyes and scraped his chair back. “Elle est dehors?”
“Oui,” she said, and Jack followed her out of the inn. A horse and cart was stopped on the road in front of it, and Jack couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face as the lovely, brilliant Harriet Derbyshire stepped gracefully out into the mud.
“Miss Derbyshire,” Jack said with a gallant bow. “Welcome to France.”
“I’ve been in France for a fortnight, Captain,” she said, leaning back into the cart to remove two leather suitcases. “Travel is not particularly expedient these days, even on a Royal order.”
“Right,” Jack said, amused, as he took the bags from her. “Did you bring it?”
“Of course,” she sniffed, nodding towards the inn. “But let’s not discuss it in public, shall we?”
“Careful,” Jack said with a grin. “I have a room, but people will talk.”
“I suspect people always talk where you’re concerned, Harkness.”
“I’m insulted,” he said, laughing as he followed her into the inn.
~
“Perfect,” he said, staring into the opened suitcase. He fingered the artifact before looking back up at Harriet. “Thank you for bringing it. Though I’m surprised Gerald let you go.”
“I didn’t give him the opportunity to object,” Harriet explained, standing in the doorway, looking more than a little uncomfortable at being alone in a room with Jack Harkness. “He may well think war is no place for a woman, but really, it’s no place for anyone. And he’s needed in Cardiff.”
“I see.”
“Not to mention my French is far superior.”
Jack smiled at her and shut the case with a click. “Hopefully, you won’t need it much longer. I can take it from here.”
“Indeed?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “I think not. I’m here to monitor you, not just deliver the item.”
“On horseback?” Jack asked, eyeing her dress pointedly.
“I brought appropriate clothing, I assure you.”
Jack watched her for a moment. She was young, but she was as headstrong as she was intelligent. Better to pick his battles.
“Alright. I’ll let you change.”
~
The farmhouse was yet undamaged by the war, though Jack couldn’t remember if the Germans ever made it this far. The occupants were human-looking enough not to arouse suspicion, but their technology was decidedly not. Jack had discovered them when his contingent passed through a month ago, and determined that their technology was too advanced to fall into German - or allied, for that matter - hands. They were willing to leave, and escape a war that wasn’t theirs, but a vital piece of their spacecraft was broken beyond repair.
“Merci, Captain Harkness,” the elder woman of the family had said fervently, on receiving what, to Torchwood, was merely a piece of space junk. “Merci beaucoup. Et toi, Madame,” she had added, nodding to Harriet.
“Pas de probleme,” Jack had said, and with a friendly nod and a smile they’d left.
“Shouldn’t we make sure they leave?” Harriet asked on the ride back. “This is not proper procedure for dealing with alien threats.”
“Did they look like a threat to you?” Jack asked mildly. “Not to mention this isn’t Britain.”
“Gerald wouldn’t approve. They could be dangerous.”
Jack laughed.
“Harriet,” he said, gesturing at the bleak, empty landscape around them. “We’re in the middle of the biggest war the world has ever known. A family of shipwrecked aliens doesn’t rate very highly on 'threats to Britain’s national security'.”
“But Torchwood’s policy on alien threats-“
“Is flawed,” Jack said, shortly. “End of discussion. At home, Torchwood can make me do it their way. Here, I get to choose. Understood?”
“Understood,” she said, mouth drawn tight, clearly unhappy but unable to argue the point.
Jack nodded in satisfaction. War was a long way to go for freedom, but he’d take it.
You should all go vote next week (new stories up Friday), since we're almost done!
Title: Miss Derbyshire Goes To War
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 700
Prompt: Torchwood, or at least selected members of it, have been called to deal with alien/rift activity in another country. (+5 words in another language)
June 22nd 1916. Blercourt, France.
“Capitaine?”
Jack looked up from his hand, over to the lady who ran the inn. “Quoi?”
“Il y a une femme ici qui voudrait vous parler.”
“Oh, ho,” chortled Westwood, across from him. “Got a lady friend, Harkness? Could it be the belle Danielle from Aubréville? Did you charm her well enough for her to follow you into battle?”
Jack rolled his eyes and scraped his chair back. “Elle est dehors?”
“Oui,” she said, and Jack followed her out of the inn. A horse and cart was stopped on the road in front of it, and Jack couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face as the lovely, brilliant Harriet Derbyshire stepped gracefully out into the mud.
“Miss Derbyshire,” Jack said with a gallant bow. “Welcome to France.”
“I’ve been in France for a fortnight, Captain,” she said, leaning back into the cart to remove two leather suitcases. “Travel is not particularly expedient these days, even on a Royal order.”
“Right,” Jack said, amused, as he took the bags from her. “Did you bring it?”
“Of course,” she sniffed, nodding towards the inn. “But let’s not discuss it in public, shall we?”
“Careful,” Jack said with a grin. “I have a room, but people will talk.”
“I suspect people always talk where you’re concerned, Harkness.”
“I’m insulted,” he said, laughing as he followed her into the inn.
~
“Perfect,” he said, staring into the opened suitcase. He fingered the artifact before looking back up at Harriet. “Thank you for bringing it. Though I’m surprised Gerald let you go.”
“I didn’t give him the opportunity to object,” Harriet explained, standing in the doorway, looking more than a little uncomfortable at being alone in a room with Jack Harkness. “He may well think war is no place for a woman, but really, it’s no place for anyone. And he’s needed in Cardiff.”
“I see.”
“Not to mention my French is far superior.”
Jack smiled at her and shut the case with a click. “Hopefully, you won’t need it much longer. I can take it from here.”
“Indeed?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “I think not. I’m here to monitor you, not just deliver the item.”
“On horseback?” Jack asked, eyeing her dress pointedly.
“I brought appropriate clothing, I assure you.”
Jack watched her for a moment. She was young, but she was as headstrong as she was intelligent. Better to pick his battles.
“Alright. I’ll let you change.”
~
The farmhouse was yet undamaged by the war, though Jack couldn’t remember if the Germans ever made it this far. The occupants were human-looking enough not to arouse suspicion, but their technology was decidedly not. Jack had discovered them when his contingent passed through a month ago, and determined that their technology was too advanced to fall into German - or allied, for that matter - hands. They were willing to leave, and escape a war that wasn’t theirs, but a vital piece of their spacecraft was broken beyond repair.
“Merci, Captain Harkness,” the elder woman of the family had said fervently, on receiving what, to Torchwood, was merely a piece of space junk. “Merci beaucoup. Et toi, Madame,” she had added, nodding to Harriet.
“Pas de probleme,” Jack had said, and with a friendly nod and a smile they’d left.
“Shouldn’t we make sure they leave?” Harriet asked on the ride back. “This is not proper procedure for dealing with alien threats.”
“Did they look like a threat to you?” Jack asked mildly. “Not to mention this isn’t Britain.”
“Gerald wouldn’t approve. They could be dangerous.”
Jack laughed.
“Harriet,” he said, gesturing at the bleak, empty landscape around them. “We’re in the middle of the biggest war the world has ever known. A family of shipwrecked aliens doesn’t rate very highly on 'threats to Britain’s national security'.”
“But Torchwood’s policy on alien threats-“
“Is flawed,” Jack said, shortly. “End of discussion. At home, Torchwood can make me do it their way. Here, I get to choose. Understood?”
“Understood,” she said, mouth drawn tight, clearly unhappy but unable to argue the point.
Jack nodded in satisfaction. War was a long way to go for freedom, but he’d take it.