Fic: Solace
Title: Solace
Author: Rose Cat
Rating: G
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness
Spoilers: none
Word Count: 259
Summary: He doesn’t want to die alone.
Disclaimer: Shows and characters are not mine; I’m just playing with them.
Author’s Notes: This will likely become AU shortly. I don’t care. Comments and concrit are welcome. Thanks to
vail_kagami for her valuable input.
The poison in his blood has wiped out everything. Can’t see, can’t feel the TARDIS, can’t sense the Time Vortex. He’s sick and dizzy and the ground is hard. He’d been crawling - not sure where to - but now he’s run out of strength.
He knows his body is cooling, shutting down, and yet his nerves are on fire. No idea where he’s ended up, but he knows he’s dying. Vulnerable, afraid and completely alone.
Then he feels something else, something beyond the searing pain. Something impossible and yet it’s there. It’s an anchor in the terrible darkness surrounding him and he clings to it.
“Jack…”
“Yes. I’m here.”
A hand on his cheek. He’s cradled in warmth.
Is this real? Please let it be real.
“Jack. I’m…”
“I know. I’ve got you.”
The pain’s fading, but he’s shivering. So cold. Jack’s arms tighten around him. Warm lips pressed to his forehead. Something hot drops on his face and runs down. Then another.
Then he feels it in his cells, the spark of regeneration. The lips on his forehead are cooling.
He forces the words out. “Jack…don’t. Get away from me…you’ll burn.”
“I don’t care.”
“No, no, you can’t…”
“It doesn’t matter.” A sob shakes them both. “I’m not leaving you.”
Comfort he doesn’t deserve. Especially from this man.
And then he’s on fire again, regenerating. The pain is familiar now, and welcome. Cleansing.
He’ll be different. Less broken, perhaps. More flexible. Maybe more able to face the mistakes he’s made.
Let me be a better man this time.