Different Kind of Magic -- Changing of the Guard
Title: Different Kind of Magic
Chapter Nine: Changing of the Guard
Date Written: 3/31/09
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,652
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Rose, Donna, Idris Hopper (DW/TW).
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02, Different Sort of Science and To Days To Come.
Warnings: AU like whoa
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and all-around fantastic girls. Here's a bit of happy after the angstfest of the last chapter.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"The Lord Mayor says 'Thank you f-for popping by.' She'd love to have a chat, but, um, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps you would like to make an appointment for next week..."
"She's climbing out the window, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
-- Idris Hopper and the Doctor, Boom Town
The three months between the wedding announcement and the actual wedding were completely chaotic. The country seemed to be throwing off the mourning veil and started earnest celebrations. Even those nobles that had been loyal to Harold up to the end seemed to be getting into the act, holding feasts and events in the Queen's honor.
Most of Ianto's days were spent with Jack and the Doctor and Donna. It took an inordinate amount of time to sort through the twins' things, the two of them bickering about what they wanted to bring and what they wanted to leave, then arguing with Jack over what he was going to do with his quote-unquote inheritance.
Then began the arduous task of packing. Quite a few of their possessions were magic-sensitive and had to be packed a certain way, and the rest was packed by hand -- with Jack complaining the whole time about the manual labor. Trunks were packed up tight (and unpacked and repacked by the Doctor and Donna), then carefully stowed in carriages (and double- and triple-checked) for the trip to Capitol.
The trip from Torchwood House to Capitol took a rider on horseback a full day, from dawn to dusk. It took them three days, since they were going slowly and carrying the Doctor's and Donna's lives.
The minute everything was unloaded and his father and aunt were happily directing people about, Jack grabbed the sleeve of one of their drivers, Idris, and the three of them made a quick escape from Capitol.
They stopped for the night when they were about halfway back to the house, in a small clearing just off the road that was often used by travelers for camping overnight. Jack gathered up firewood while Ianto and Idris took care of the horses, and by the time the animals were taken care of the Time Lord had a nice-sized fire going. The three men chatted over their dinner rations, some cold cooked pies nicked out of the kitchens and a bottle of wine.
Quite a few of the Torchwood House staff was following the Doctor to Capitol, and Idris had been offered a position. Ianto and Jack knew he'd been asked and were unsurprised when the topic of conversation turned to that. What did surprise them was the fact that Idris wanted to stay.
"Torchwood House has taken good care of me since I've been here," Idris said. "Yes, John was a big part of that, but I have a life in the House, friends, a history." He colored slightly, looking down at the fire. "I didn't even really know how to read when I first got there," he admitted.
Ianto and Jack looked at each other, curious at this revelation. Idris looked up and smiled at them. "Schooling wasn't emphasized in my household," he explained. "The priests and priestesses have set rituals so you can memorize them, and you don't really need to know advanced maths to figure out that there's not a lot of money left in the coffers at the end of the month."
"So who taught you then?" Jack asked. A fleeting look of panic flashed across his face, and the Time Lord reached out to pat the young man's knee. "We're not upset, just curious."
"Miss Tosh," Idris finally admitted. "Reading and some other stuff."
Ianto was completely unsurprised at the revelation; Toshiko could talk your ear off if you showed any sort of interest in her work. Jack, however, looked like a stiff wind could knock him into the fire. "Idris Hopper, have you been learning Alchemy on the side? Is there something that you'd like to share with us?"
Idris grinned over at Jack. "Yes. That's the beautiful thing about Alchemy," he said, turning to face the older man properly. "You don't have to be magic to do Alchemy. It's a balance of science and mysticism, spiritual as well as physical."
There was a passion in Idris' voice that was alluring, his words so confident -- and yes, powerful -- that Ianto just knew that the other man belonged in the Torchwood House. "Well," he said after a moment, "with me doing my other duties as Second, Tosh'll probably need a new assistant."
The look of amazement that overtook Idris' face almost made Ianto miss the thoughtful look that crossed Jack's.
-----
"Told you your mindscape was telling," Donna teased, leaning against the doorframe of her old study.
Ianto grinned. "I'd hate to disappoint," he replied, sliding the last book into place on the shelf. His inheritance, as Second, was all the vital paperwork that had been scattered around the Doctor and Donna's studies. He'd renovated the room by putting shelves along the walls and painstakingly gathered all the notes into books so they could find things when they needed them. He had to admit, the room did resemble the inner library he knew so well.
"Ianto!"
"That's the only problem I have with this place," Ianto lamented. "I'm just far enough away that Jack feels that he has to bellow when I'm close enough that I can hear him perfectly."
True to form, Jack let out another ear-splitting "IAN-TO!" the moment the words left his mouth.
Donna laughed and pushed off from the doorframe, grinning. "Your love awaits," she teased.
"Love to beat him," Ianto muttered.
"Don't want to hear about your bedroom proclivities," Donna said with a snicker, following Ianto into Jack's study. The two studies were side-by-side, and one of the renovations had been to knock out a door in the wall to connect the two rooms.
Jack's feet were kicked up on his father's old desk, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place -- which he did now. When he saw Ianto and Donna he immediately jumped out of his chair, stepping over to give Ianto one hell of a kiss, deep and wet and full of tongue.
"John," Donna said in a stage whisper, "look. There's a desk in here."
"Oi, my madness has a method to it," the Doctor defended.
Jack took that moment to pull back and grin at Ianto. "I had a brilliant idea," he announced.
"So..." Ianto drawled, watching the way Jack's eyes focused in on his mouth. "You tried to seduce me to convince me it was brilliant?"
The look that crossed Jack's face briefly showed his disappointment at getting caught out. "I like kissing you too," he argued.
"Brilliant idea?" Ianto prompted.
Jack turned to look at the Doctor and Donna, grinning. "We've told all those gossiping about our relationships that the reason why Ianto and I were picked was based solely on our merits."
"Yes," both twins intoned, unsure as to where the young Time Lord was going.
"Well, why should that be limited to just us?" He looked down at Ianto. "I mean, look at Ianto. We almost missed him simply because he's common-born. Imagine what we've missed over the years!"
The Smith twins looked at each other before turning their gazes to the couple in front of them. "You're suggesting opening the doors of the Academy? To who?"
"Anyone!" Jack said with a grin. "The Academy will be open to anyone who can spare their children, and magic lessons will be given to everyone who displays a knack for it."
"And how do you plan to feed these children?" Donna asked. "Or house them?"
"I haven't worked out the logistics yet," Jack admitted, "but I have a brilliant Second who, I'm sure, will have brilliant ideas."
"Jack, you can't," the Doctor said. "Especially about the Mages."
"Why not?" Jack asked. "It's not like magic's all that much a secret. There are plenty of self-taught Healers out there." He looked over at Ianto and smiled a little. "And the entire kingdom knows about Ianto."
"Exactly," the Doctor said. "Magic's not explicitly spoken about. If you start actively hunting magic-types, then people will turn to Torchwood House for answers."
"They already turn to us!" Jack flung his arms out. "Times are changing, Dad. Part of that is because of you and Queen Rose. We've got to be ready."
"Doctor, did you by chance pack up your liquor cabinet?" Ianto asked suddenly. "I feel the overwhelming need for a drink right about now."
"I thought you, of all people, would agree with this," Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wearing a look that made Ianto wonder if he'd stolen his lover's puppy. "Not only agree, but appreciate the idea."
"I do," he said. "Torchwood House not only gave me the chance, but Ross attends the Academy too. He adores it here. You know that." He reached up to touch Jack's face, smiling at him. After a moment, he cupped Jack's jaw and shook his face gently, a little tease. "But the simple logistics of what you are suggesting hurt my head."
"I'm not insane enough to assume that it can happen overnight," Jack said with a laugh, leaning back out of Ianto's grasp. "But that's the ideal."
"Jack," the Doctor interrupted. "It's a great ideal, it is, but it's completely unrealistic."
"Not now, but maybe one day," Ianto jumped in. While he and Jack still had a lot of talking to do, Ianto was attracted to the idea.
Jack's hand moved to rest on his shoulder and the two of them turned to look at the Doctor and Donna. They knew they had to present a unified force, especially in front of their predecessors. Especially now.
"But -- "
"John," Jack cut in, stopping his father mid-protest. "Thank you for your concerns. But, with all due respect, you don't really have a say on our operations anymore."
Donna looked over at the Doctor, a familiar little grin tugging the corner of her mouth. "Well, he is your son."
"Yes," the Doctor said, smiling proudly at Jack and Ianto. "Yes he is."
Chapter Nine: Changing of the Guard
Date Written: 3/31/09
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,652
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Rose, Donna, Idris Hopper (DW/TW).
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02, Different Sort of Science and To Days To Come.
Warnings: AU like whoa
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and all-around fantastic girls. Here's a bit of happy after the angstfest of the last chapter.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"The Lord Mayor says 'Thank you f-for popping by.' She'd love to have a chat, but, um, she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps you would like to make an appointment for next week..."
"She's climbing out the window, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
-- Idris Hopper and the Doctor, Boom Town
The three months between the wedding announcement and the actual wedding were completely chaotic. The country seemed to be throwing off the mourning veil and started earnest celebrations. Even those nobles that had been loyal to Harold up to the end seemed to be getting into the act, holding feasts and events in the Queen's honor.
Most of Ianto's days were spent with Jack and the Doctor and Donna. It took an inordinate amount of time to sort through the twins' things, the two of them bickering about what they wanted to bring and what they wanted to leave, then arguing with Jack over what he was going to do with his quote-unquote inheritance.
Then began the arduous task of packing. Quite a few of their possessions were magic-sensitive and had to be packed a certain way, and the rest was packed by hand -- with Jack complaining the whole time about the manual labor. Trunks were packed up tight (and unpacked and repacked by the Doctor and Donna), then carefully stowed in carriages (and double- and triple-checked) for the trip to Capitol.
The trip from Torchwood House to Capitol took a rider on horseback a full day, from dawn to dusk. It took them three days, since they were going slowly and carrying the Doctor's and Donna's lives.
The minute everything was unloaded and his father and aunt were happily directing people about, Jack grabbed the sleeve of one of their drivers, Idris, and the three of them made a quick escape from Capitol.
They stopped for the night when they were about halfway back to the house, in a small clearing just off the road that was often used by travelers for camping overnight. Jack gathered up firewood while Ianto and Idris took care of the horses, and by the time the animals were taken care of the Time Lord had a nice-sized fire going. The three men chatted over their dinner rations, some cold cooked pies nicked out of the kitchens and a bottle of wine.
Quite a few of the Torchwood House staff was following the Doctor to Capitol, and Idris had been offered a position. Ianto and Jack knew he'd been asked and were unsurprised when the topic of conversation turned to that. What did surprise them was the fact that Idris wanted to stay.
"Torchwood House has taken good care of me since I've been here," Idris said. "Yes, John was a big part of that, but I have a life in the House, friends, a history." He colored slightly, looking down at the fire. "I didn't even really know how to read when I first got there," he admitted.
Ianto and Jack looked at each other, curious at this revelation. Idris looked up and smiled at them. "Schooling wasn't emphasized in my household," he explained. "The priests and priestesses have set rituals so you can memorize them, and you don't really need to know advanced maths to figure out that there's not a lot of money left in the coffers at the end of the month."
"So who taught you then?" Jack asked. A fleeting look of panic flashed across his face, and the Time Lord reached out to pat the young man's knee. "We're not upset, just curious."
"Miss Tosh," Idris finally admitted. "Reading and some other stuff."
Ianto was completely unsurprised at the revelation; Toshiko could talk your ear off if you showed any sort of interest in her work. Jack, however, looked like a stiff wind could knock him into the fire. "Idris Hopper, have you been learning Alchemy on the side? Is there something that you'd like to share with us?"
Idris grinned over at Jack. "Yes. That's the beautiful thing about Alchemy," he said, turning to face the older man properly. "You don't have to be magic to do Alchemy. It's a balance of science and mysticism, spiritual as well as physical."
There was a passion in Idris' voice that was alluring, his words so confident -- and yes, powerful -- that Ianto just knew that the other man belonged in the Torchwood House. "Well," he said after a moment, "with me doing my other duties as Second, Tosh'll probably need a new assistant."
The look of amazement that overtook Idris' face almost made Ianto miss the thoughtful look that crossed Jack's.
-----
"Told you your mindscape was telling," Donna teased, leaning against the doorframe of her old study.
Ianto grinned. "I'd hate to disappoint," he replied, sliding the last book into place on the shelf. His inheritance, as Second, was all the vital paperwork that had been scattered around the Doctor and Donna's studies. He'd renovated the room by putting shelves along the walls and painstakingly gathered all the notes into books so they could find things when they needed them. He had to admit, the room did resemble the inner library he knew so well.
"Ianto!"
"That's the only problem I have with this place," Ianto lamented. "I'm just far enough away that Jack feels that he has to bellow when I'm close enough that I can hear him perfectly."
True to form, Jack let out another ear-splitting "IAN-TO!" the moment the words left his mouth.
Donna laughed and pushed off from the doorframe, grinning. "Your love awaits," she teased.
"Love to beat him," Ianto muttered.
"Don't want to hear about your bedroom proclivities," Donna said with a snicker, following Ianto into Jack's study. The two studies were side-by-side, and one of the renovations had been to knock out a door in the wall to connect the two rooms.
Jack's feet were kicked up on his father's old desk, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place -- which he did now. When he saw Ianto and Donna he immediately jumped out of his chair, stepping over to give Ianto one hell of a kiss, deep and wet and full of tongue.
"John," Donna said in a stage whisper, "look. There's a desk in here."
"Oi, my madness has a method to it," the Doctor defended.
Jack took that moment to pull back and grin at Ianto. "I had a brilliant idea," he announced.
"So..." Ianto drawled, watching the way Jack's eyes focused in on his mouth. "You tried to seduce me to convince me it was brilliant?"
The look that crossed Jack's face briefly showed his disappointment at getting caught out. "I like kissing you too," he argued.
"Brilliant idea?" Ianto prompted.
Jack turned to look at the Doctor and Donna, grinning. "We've told all those gossiping about our relationships that the reason why Ianto and I were picked was based solely on our merits."
"Yes," both twins intoned, unsure as to where the young Time Lord was going.
"Well, why should that be limited to just us?" He looked down at Ianto. "I mean, look at Ianto. We almost missed him simply because he's common-born. Imagine what we've missed over the years!"
The Smith twins looked at each other before turning their gazes to the couple in front of them. "You're suggesting opening the doors of the Academy? To who?"
"Anyone!" Jack said with a grin. "The Academy will be open to anyone who can spare their children, and magic lessons will be given to everyone who displays a knack for it."
"And how do you plan to feed these children?" Donna asked. "Or house them?"
"I haven't worked out the logistics yet," Jack admitted, "but I have a brilliant Second who, I'm sure, will have brilliant ideas."
"Jack, you can't," the Doctor said. "Especially about the Mages."
"Why not?" Jack asked. "It's not like magic's all that much a secret. There are plenty of self-taught Healers out there." He looked over at Ianto and smiled a little. "And the entire kingdom knows about Ianto."
"Exactly," the Doctor said. "Magic's not explicitly spoken about. If you start actively hunting magic-types, then people will turn to Torchwood House for answers."
"They already turn to us!" Jack flung his arms out. "Times are changing, Dad. Part of that is because of you and Queen Rose. We've got to be ready."
"Doctor, did you by chance pack up your liquor cabinet?" Ianto asked suddenly. "I feel the overwhelming need for a drink right about now."
"I thought you, of all people, would agree with this," Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wearing a look that made Ianto wonder if he'd stolen his lover's puppy. "Not only agree, but appreciate the idea."
"I do," he said. "Torchwood House not only gave me the chance, but Ross attends the Academy too. He adores it here. You know that." He reached up to touch Jack's face, smiling at him. After a moment, he cupped Jack's jaw and shook his face gently, a little tease. "But the simple logistics of what you are suggesting hurt my head."
"I'm not insane enough to assume that it can happen overnight," Jack said with a laugh, leaning back out of Ianto's grasp. "But that's the ideal."
"Jack," the Doctor interrupted. "It's a great ideal, it is, but it's completely unrealistic."
"Not now, but maybe one day," Ianto jumped in. While he and Jack still had a lot of talking to do, Ianto was attracted to the idea.
Jack's hand moved to rest on his shoulder and the two of them turned to look at the Doctor and Donna. They knew they had to present a unified force, especially in front of their predecessors. Especially now.
"But -- "
"John," Jack cut in, stopping his father mid-protest. "Thank you for your concerns. But, with all due respect, you don't really have a say on our operations anymore."
Donna looked over at the Doctor, a familiar little grin tugging the corner of her mouth. "Well, he is your son."
"Yes," the Doctor said, smiling proudly at Jack and Ianto. "Yes he is."