Ficathon: The Fury of a Storm, part 4/4 (Gen)
The final part. Thanks everyone who commented! Hope you enjoy.
Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here.
Rating: Gen
Characters/pairings: All SJA characters, all Torchwood characters. Canon pairings.
Warnings: NA
Spoilers: General for Torchwood: Children of Earth
Clyde desperately wanted to look away. Luke was twitching, shaking so hard it looked like he was about to fly apart. Beside them, Steven had started the eerie wailing that had so far preceded communications from the 456.
"It's working!" Jack yelled, making minute adjustments to the control panel. Luke was bleeding from his nose and eyes and ears and mouth, convulsing so hard Clyde couldn't see how he was even still upright.
Steven stopped screaming, staring blankly ahead for a moment.
Johnson was watching just as closely as Clyde was; when Jack cut the power and Luke dropped, she caught him easily, pulling him off the plinth. Clyde was there to hold him, propping him carefully upright.
Luke's breathing was frighteningly shallow, his pulse was racing too fast for Clyde to count, and under the blood he was sheet white. He was still twitching, muscles misfiring as he fought to recover; his head lolled loosely onto Clyde's shoulder in what had to be a horribly uncomfortable position. Sarah Jane dropped to her knees beside them, pushing his hair back and smearing the blood across his forehead and her hands.
"Here." Johnson touched Clyde's shoulder, holding out a handful of paper towels when he looked up.
"Did it work?" He looked past Johnson at Jack, who was holding on to Steven, head buried against the boy's chest. Steven, looking completely baffled, was gently stroking his hair. Alice was hovering behind them, clearly desperate to get at her son but not quite angry enough at Jack to deny him this moment.
Johnson touched her earpiece, listening for a moment before confirming, "It worked. We've had word from UNIT. The 456 representative exploded. They've withdrawn." She glanced at Sarah Jane, sympathy clear on her face. "What do you need? I've paramedics..."
"No," Clyde said quickly. "Just...give us a couple of minutes. Sarah Jane will be able to talk to you in a few minutes. Can we get a couple of bottles of water?"
Johnson gestured to another soldier, backing away to give them some privacy. Four bottles of water were delivered in silence and Clyde started cleaning Luke's face, working around Sarah Jane's hands. He pushed a wet towel into her hands when he was finished and she cleaned herself up mechanically.
Luke hadn't responded to her touch. He didn't respond when she whispered his name, when she buried her face in his neck and wept. He was completely unresponsive, still breathing in those frightening shallow gasps, heart still beating so fast it was visible, still so white he was almost see through. Clyde shifted carefully, propping Luke's head against his chest instead of his neck.
Jack crouched next to him, rubbing at his eyes in a way that was probably supposed to be casual. "Is he all right?"
"I dunno. He's breathing, and he's stopped bleeding, I think, but...I dunno, he doesn't ever get sick. I don't know what's normal."
"None of this." Jack leaned across him a little, touching Sarah Jane's hand lightly, just one finger to the back of her hand. "Sarah Jane. What do you want us to do? I could probably get Martha here."
"Martha," Sarah Jane repeated blankly.
"Yeah. You met her, on the Crucible, remember? She was with the Doctor until very recently."
"Martha," Sarah Jane said again, comprehension flooding in. "She's a doctor."
"Yeah. UNIT, but I'm pretty sure you could have anything you wanted right now."
"I have some pull at UNIT. No, thank you. We don't need her. I want to take him home."
"Sarah Jane..."
"Luke isn't normal, Jack. I don't want any doctor, even one coming from the Doctor, examining him. I want to take him home."
"I'll arrange it." Jack started to rise, hesitated, looked back at her. "Sarah Jane..."
"If you try to apologise to me, Jack, I will slap you," she said levelly. "This is my decision, this is my choice. It was nothing to do with you, and if you try to make it about you and your guilt..."
Jack shook his head, straightening out of his hunker. "Do you need anything?"
"Someone needs to call Rani," Clyde said. "Um, Chandra. 36 Bannerman. Let her know we're all right."
"I'll do that," Jack promised.
"Don't tell her about Luke," Sarah Jane ordered. "She'd only fret. And ask her to tell Mr Smith we're all right."
"I will." He turned on his heel, heading for Johnson. "I need a number for Rani Chandra, 36 Bannerman Road in Ealing. And I need you to arrange to bring them home." Glancing around the room, he added, "And please get Alice and Steven out of here."
"She's taking him home? I've got medics here, I can get her straight into any hospital in the country..."
"She doesn't want him in a hospital. Luke isn't quite normal." He shook his head at her look. "Don't even try. If you touch that boy someone far worse than me will come for him. You do not want to piss off the people she can call in."
She nodded, tapping at the computer. "Got that number for you...I can send someone with her. Oath of silence."
"No. I know a doctor in UNIT; we've got ties, her and Sarah Jane and me. I think Sarah'll listen to her. Call out the number for me."
Rani picked up before the first ring had finished. "Hello?"
"Rani, this is Jack Harkness, I'm..."
"What's going on?" she said over him. "We saw on the news the 456 are gone!"
"They're gone," he agreed. "Your friends helped us send them packing. We're arranging to get them home right now, but it might take a little while. They just wanted to let you know they're okay. And Sarah Jane asked if you’d mind telling Mr. Smith for her.”
"Sure," Rani agreed easily. Jack noted that; Mr Smith was obviously a code between them. "Tell Luke to turn his phone on, yeah? I've been trying for ages. And if they're going to be very long, can..."
"I'll let you know as soon as I do," he promised. Taking a few steps away from Johnson, he added, "Do me a favour, Rani?"
"Sure," she agreed slowly, suspicion leaking into her tone.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Torchwood," she said, even more slowly.
"Right. Sarah Jane doesn't like Torchwood very much. So she won't ask me for help, even if it's something I can do myself without involving Torchwood at all."
"Still following," Rani said when he paused.
"I would like you to save this phone number. And if something happens, even if you don't know if I can help, I would like you to call me. I promise I won't burst in," he raised his voice slightly over her objection, "I wouldn't ever do that. If I can help, I'll call Sarah Jane and offer. You guys are fantastic, but there are always times when help could be useful."
"I'll save your number," she said neutrally.
"That's perfect. Thank you, Rani. I'll call you as soon as I know when they'll be home."
He hung up, glancing up as Alice and Steven were escorted out of the room. At the doorway she paused, looking back at him; murmuring something to Steven, she came towards him.
Jack waited patiently, carefully not reaching out to her. Alice was going to be in control for a long time.
"Is he all right?" she asked finally. She didn't look towards the plinth, or the figures huddled around its base.
"I don't know yet," Jack said honestly. "I hope so."
"So do I. Please tell his mother - well, tell her."
"I will."
She took a step closer to him, studying him. "Would you have done it?" she asked. "If Luke hadn't volunteered. Would you have used Steven?"
"I don't know," he said again, still honest. "I hope not. I'm glad I didn't have to find out."
She nodded. "Don't call me for a while, Dad."
"I won't," he said softly.
"I'll call you. I will. I just..."
"It's in your hands."
She nodded. Taking one more step forward, she brushed a kiss against his cheek before hurrying out. Jack watched until the door swung closed behind her; then he went back to join Johnson.
"Got a car for the kid," she offered. "It'll take them right back to Bannerman Road."
"Thank you." He leaned over her to study the readings. "One more favour?"
"Go on."
"Destroy this." He gestured to the jerry-rigged consoles and the plinth in the centre of the room. "Kill it. Take it apart completely."
"Consider it done."
He sighed, crossing the room and dropping to sit next to Clyde. The boy smiled a little at the groan he gave. "Long day?"
"The longest." He gestured over his shoulder. "Johnson has a car and driver ready to take you back to Ealing. Want me to carry him?"
"I can carry him. I just can't lift him, not from the floor." Glancing at Sarah Jane, who hadn't reacted to Jack's presence, he added, "Might need you to help, though."
"You got it," Jack agreed. He stood, stepping over Clyde and Luke to crouch by Sarah Jane. "Sarah Jane, are you ready to go?"
"Go," she repeated.
"Home. Johnson's got a car and driver ready for you. They'll take you straight home."
She glanced up, finally. "You trust her, Jack?"
"Yeah. She chose her side."
"Are you coming?"
"Do you want me to? I'll have to go back to Cardiff sometime, but I can come now."
She considered for a moment, still absently stroking Luke's hair. "Yes. Please."
"All right," he agreed. "Ealing it is, then. Let me help you up."
He got her on her feet and then carefully lifted Luke, holding on to him while Clyde cursed and walked in circles, trying to work out the pins and needles in his legs. When he was ready, Jack gently put Luke into his arms.
"I can help, sir," the nearest soldier offered.
"We've got it, thanks. Do you know where our car is?"
"Yes sir, it's this way."
**
The drive back to Ealing passed mostly in silence. There were few people on the streets and the government car passed through every roadblock without stopping.
Rani came running as soon as they pulled into Sarah Jane's drive. Gita was behind her, and Clyde grimaced. "Captain, can you head her off? We don't want her knowing about Luke yet."
"What about Luke?" Rani demanded, trying to see into the car.
"In a minute," Clyde murmured, watching Jack stride down the drive to intercept Gita. Within thirty seconds he had her turned around and wandering back across the road with him, looking slightly dazed.
The driver helped Clyde ease Luke out of the car; Rani gasped but didn't question him, helping to boost Luke into his arms. Sarah Jane already had the door open and they got him in, laying him carefully on the couch.
Jack came back, pausing to talk briefly with the driver before dismissing him.
"What did you do to Gita?" Sarah Jane asked, a touch of humour in her voice.
"I just introduced myself," Jack said innocently. "Old friend of yours."
"Very old," she agreed. "Rani, can you put the kettle on?"
"I'll help," Clyde said hurriedly. Rani looked like she was about to burst.
Under cover of running the tap and rattling the cups around, he explained what had happened as best he understood it. "So he volunteered," he finished, rummaging in the cupboard for biscuits. "He thought he could survive it. Steven would have died for sure, so maybe he was right..."
"He's alive?" Rani asked.
"Oh yeah. Breathing. He just hasn't woken up."
"He will. Luke's the strongest guy I know."
"Oh, thanks."
She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Sorry. Second strongest guy I know."
"That's more like it." He glanced at the door. "Where're Gwen and Rhys?"
"Went to pick up some friend of Jack's. He said it was urgent."
Clyde nodded. "Think we've been gone long enough for them to argue about...whatever?"
"Maybe. One way to find out." She picked up the milk and sugar bowl, letting Clyde wrestle with the tray.
If they'd interrupted Jack and Sarah Jane, there was no sign of it. Clyde carefully lowered the tray onto the coffee table, studying Luke closely. It might have been wishful thinking, but he thought there was a little more colour in his cheeks. His breathing and heartbeat were still too fast and too shallow, though.
Ianto was sitting with Jack, quietly getting him to talk through everything that had happened since they'd split up.
"I should go and talk to Mr Smith," Sarah Jane said after a moment. Catching Rani's hand, she tugged her to sit next to Luke. "I'll be back in a minute. Stay there?"
"Of course," Rani agreed quickly.
"Can I come, Sarah Jane? I'd like to meet your Xylok."
Sarah Jane shrugged, heading upstairs without answering.
"I'll take that as a yes," Jack murmured, following her.
Clyde sighed, slumping back in his seat and nibbling on a biscuit. "This is going to be a fun visit. I can already tell."
**
Luke hadn't stirred by the time Sarah Jane sent the kids home, but there was definitely more colour in his cheeks. Jack carried him up to his bed and sat with him, forcing Sarah Jane to get some sleep.
Clyde and Rani were back first thing the next morning; Rani was quietly telling Sarah Jane about how dazed her mother had been all evening and how much she suddenly approved of Sarah Jane's taste in friends when the doorbell rang. Clyde bounced to his feet to answer it.
Gwen was standing on the doorstep with another woman, watching him. "Hi," she said when he didn't speak.
"I used to travel with the Doctor," the other woman said. "Jack asked me to come down and see Luke."
"Sarah Jane doesn't want anyone looking at him."
"I understand that. But he's obviously not better, or you would have said. I'm a medical doctor, and whatever else Luke is, he's still human and he's going to need care."
Clyde bit his lip, considering her. Finally he opened the door, saying, completely deadpan, "Oh no. Don't force your way in. Help. Captain Jack."
Gwen smiled, leaning against the door. "After you, Martha. Let's break into this home, overpowering the poor boy who tried valiantly to keep us out as Sarah Jane would have wanted him to." Stepping into the hall behind Martha, she raised her voice to yell "JACK!"
Jack hurried down from upstairs, pausing at the base of the stairs.
"They forced their way in," Clyde said, wandering into the sitting room.
"They'll do that," Jack agreed, taking one of Martha's bags. "Thanks for coming."
"How is he?" Gwen asked, shedding her coat.
"Hasn't woken up yet. He looks better, though."
"Good. Can I see him?" Martha glanced up the stairs.
"Better let me go first. She can't kill me."
"You didn't tell her we were coming, did you," Martha said with a sigh.
"Wouldn't have mattered, she hasn't heard anything any of us have told her since we got here."
"I'm just going to hang out down here," Gwen said. "Tea all around?" She vanished in the direction of the kitchen.
"Come on." Jack started up the stairs.
Rani slipped past them without looking at them when Jack pushed the door open. He made a mental note to do something nice for her later before stepping inside. "Sarah Jane? Martha's here."
"I told you I didn't want her," Sarah Jane said tonelessly.
"I know you did. I called her anyway. Luke is human and he needs care. At the very least he's dehydrated by now." He stepped in, gesturing Martha in after him. "She was a Companion, same as we were. We can trust her."
Martha hunkered by the bed, glancing at Luke before looking at Sarah Jane. "Will you let me help him, Sarah Jane?"
Sarah Jane stared at Luke for a moment before nodding. "Yes."
"Thank you." She rose to her feet, beginning a more thorough check of Luke. "Jack, tell me exactly what your machine was supposed to do."
"I'm going to go and make tea," Sarah Jane said, standing stiffly.
"Gwen's down there," Jack told her.
"Want to bring anyone else to my home?" She flounced out before he could answer and Jack sighed, settling on the floor near the door.
"The machine, Jack?" Martha said, pulling some of her supplies out of her bag.
Jack described it as best he could, including its effects. "Luke's not quite human, though," he added. "You'll need one of them to tell you about him - I never got the full story."
"I'll tell you," Clyde offered from the doorway.
"How long have you been there?" Jack asked.
Clyde half shrugged, eyes on the bed. "How is he?"
"Dehydrated, at the moment," Martha said briskly. "You know about him?"
"Some."
"Allergies?"
"Don't think so."
"Tell me from the start," she said.
Clyde went through the whole story as he knew it, from Luke's first day in the Bane factory right up to the start of the 456 invasion.
"They built him?" Martha said.
"From bits of other people. He was going to tell them how to take over the world, except he escaped before they could make him do it. Mr Smith, Sarah Jane's computer, scans him every so often; you should check with him."
"I will; thanks. But he's essentially human?"
"Completely human. He was built from humans. His mind's the only difference, and that shouldn't matter for giving him an IV, right?"
"No." She lifted one of Luke's arms, studying the veins. "Jack, give me a hand?"
"Yeah."
They got the IV in without any trouble and Martha checked his eyes and reflexes and a couple of other things Clyde didn't understand. "Okay," she said finally. "That's as much as I can do right now. Clyde, can you show me Mr Smith? I'd like to see those scans."
"Yeah." Clyde glanced at Jack. "You'll stay?"
"Of course. Take your time."
Clyde led Martha up to the attic, dropping to sit on the steps. "Mr Smith, I need you," he said apathetically.
Mr Smith appeared, fanfare and all. "Clyde. How is Luke?"
"Still asleep, or unconscious or whatever. Mr Smith, this is..."
"Martha Jones," Mr Smith said smoothly. "Former Companion to the Doctor, former member of Torchwood..."
"I wasn't," Martha protested. Absently, Clyde noted she was taking the talking-super-computer revelation very well. Travelling with the Doctor had obviously raised her surprise threshold.
"...Currently attached to UNIT. How can I help you, Martha Jones?"
"I need to see the scans you've taken of Luke. Jack asked me here to help look after him, but I don't know what I'm dealing with."
"Physically, Luke is human and should be treated as such. His body temperature tends a little on the low side of human norms. All other resting vitals are exact human averages." Mr Smith pulled up the scans on his screen. "He has shown no signs of allergies or reactions to any food or medications, though he's never been tested for them, and as he doesn't fall ill there has been no reason to give him anything. The only difference is in his brain scans."
"That is a difference," Martha agreed, studying the screen carefully.
"Is it?" Clyde asked.
"Mr Smith, can you put a normal brain scan side by side with Luke's?"
Mr Smith scanned Clyde and the results appeared on screen. "Like so?"
"That's fine, yes. See those bright areas, Clyde? That's the parts of your brain you're actually using. Thinking and autonomic responses."
Clyde glanced from his to Luke's. "His is much brighter."
"He uses more of his brain, according to this."
"He is a genius," Clyde agreed. "Isn't that dangerous, though? Won't he burn out or something?"
"As far as I've been able to determine, the Bane designed him to last," Mr Smith told them. "Presumably they were going to use him for other tasks once their takeover of this planet was achieved."
"They didn't know what they were building," Clyde murmured. "Does this help you, Martha?"
"Mr Smith, can you scan Luke now?"
"He would need to be here in this room."
Martha considered it. "He's on an IV at the moment. If he hasn't shown any signs once it's finished, I'll get him up here."
"Any signs of what?" Clyde asked. Martha shook her head and he insisted, "We're his family. Any signs of what?"
"He's not showing any signs of brain activity," she said reluctantly. "I've no monitors down there, so it's hard to tell, but there's no eye movement and no reflexes. Jack's...he says that's what the machine did, how Steven would have died. He'd have burnt out."
"You're saying he's brain dead?" Clyde backed up when she tried to touch him.
"I'm not saying that," she said firmly. "That's why I want Mr Smith to look at him, all right? Look, you've said he heals really quickly. He could still come back from this. I could be wrong. I just don't know yet."
Clyde nodded, thinking quickly. "Don't tell Sarah Jane. She doesn't need to hear that until you're sure. Does Captain Harkness know?"
"I haven't told him, but he knows some medicine. He may have figured it out. He won't say anything."
"I hope not," Clyde said fiercely.
Martha nodded, glancing at Mr Smith. "Thank you, Mr Smith. Can you stay active? I might need you again."
"Of course."
"Thanks," Clyde added, following her out of the room.
**
Luke was still unresponsive when the IV finished. Jack went to distract Sarah Jane - "Torchwood will reimburse you for everything we ate, Sarah Jane, so just come and go through this list with me" - while Clyde and Martha carried Luke up to the attic, where Rani and Mr Smith were waiting.
"I can't believe Sarah Jane fell for that," Clyde muttered, propping Luke up for the scan.
"She doesn't want us to see how worried she is, so she's going along," Rani told him.
"Well, that's ridiculous. We all know exactly how worried she is."
"There is brain activity," Mr Smith announced. "It's low level, much lower than his norms, but it is increasing."
"Can you project it?" Martha asked.
"No. It is increasing in fits and starts rather than at an even pace. Hopefully he will regain consciousness within the next two days, but I cannot be any more exact than that."
"Two days. That's better than before. Thank you, Mr Smith. Clyde, help me get him back down to his room?"
"Sure. Rani, can you make sure Sarah Jane hasn't got past Jack?"
"Yeah." Rani squeezed Luke's hand, slipping out of the room and downstairs. Martha gave her a moment to be sure it was clear before nodding to Clyde.
They had Luke back in bed before Sarah Jane came up. Martha glanced up when she paused in the doorway, smiling.
"Hi. Everything looks good. All his vitals are within his norms according to Mr Smith. Reflexes are still a little off, but that's not a big deal. He'll need another IV if he doesn't wake up by this evening, so I've just capped the port for now."
"He hasn't woken up yet?"
"Not yet. But his breathing and heart are fine, his colour's fine..."
"And he's not bleeding from every hole in his face, so, y'know, there's that," Clyde added. Martha glared at him, but Sarah Jane was laughing, just like he'd hoped. He grinned victoriously, heading downstairs.
Gwen was just arriving with a woman he thought he vaguely recognised. He wondered if the perception filter was off or if Gwen just knew the way to the house well enough to find it now. Probably not, since he and Rani had been having trouble.
It was really weird getting lost while walking straight across the road.
"Where is everyone?" Gwen asked.
"I dunno, I've been upstairs. Well, Martha and Sarah Jane and Luke are all up there."
"How is Luke?"
"He's not awake yet, but he's getting better." Turning deliberately to the woman, he added, "Hi, I'm Clyde."
"Right. Clyde, Lois, Lois, Clyde." Gwen was already vanishing into the sitting room before she'd even finished.
"Oh, yeah. You had the contacts, I saw some of that. What were they like?"
"Kind of weird, honestly. And completely terrifying. Um..." She glanced around.
"They're probably in the sitting room." He hesitated before blurting "Did you get in trouble?"
"I got arrested," Lois told him. "High treason. Then all of a sudden, I was being released and they're talking about compensation and a new job! And then Gwen whisked me off. She said Torchwood had dibs."
"Dibs? Really? She said dibs?"
"Well, she used longer words, but that's what it boiled down to. Is this a Torchwood house?"
"No way. This is Sarah Jane's house. She's in charge of us; Rani and Luke and me, she's Luke's mum. But we're not Torchwood. If she ever heard you call us that..." He shuddered deliberately. "She gets this really disappointed look. It's terrible. And then sometimes she shakes her head and says your name."
"Clyde!" Jack yelled. "Stop boggarting the new girl!"
"You're so old," Clyde moaned. Lois looked a little less overwhelmed and he mentally chalked up another win as he showed her into the sitting room. Most of the Torchwood computers had been packed away and the room was slowly returning to normal. "Lois, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, and that's Rani."
"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack smiled at her.
"Careful, sir," Ianto said, sliding a computer monitor into a box without looking at them.
Lois focused on him, blinking. "But you're dead," she protested. "You were in Thames House when the poison was released."
"We were able to save all the Thames House victims," Jack said blandly. "No one told you?"
Clyde started to protest - Luke had saved them - but Rani elbowed him before he could say anything.
"That's amazing. How..."
"The usual way. Got a look at the virus and figured out a cure."
"But how did..."
"Tea! Who wants some?" Rani sprang to her feet. "Tea all around? Clyde, give me a hand."
"Nah, I'm comfortable." She stomped on his foot and he bit back a curse, adding, "on the other hand, tea! Yay! Let's go. We definitely haven't had enough tea lately."
"You're not funny," Rani said as soon as they were safe in the kitchen. "Or subtle."
"I'm not the one stamping on people! What was that for?"
"Jack's trying to keep Luke's name out of it. He's putting it around that Torchwood came up with the cure and Luke just happened to be the one administering it. First person they could get their hands on."
"A room full of soldiers saw him do it."
"Yeah, but they won't believe some fifteen year old kid came up with that cure. They'll believe the story, Jack says, because it makes more sense."
"Why keep him out of it? He saved lives."
"Yeah, with his super alien brain. You know Sarah Jane's always been worried what might happen if someone figures out what Luke can do. That was about the most visible thing he could have done. Jack's doing his best to turn aside any interest anyone might have in the teenage genius."
"Right." Clyde stared at the sink for a minute before turning. "So, tea? Although personally, I drink much more tea, I'm likely to float away. Seems like all we've been doing since Torchwood got here is having tea."
"In between all the running around and nearly getting killed, of course," Rani agreed.
"Well, I don't really notice that anymore, it's been going on for so long." Clyde searched through the cupboard. "We're running out of snacks."
"We have been housing Torchwood for nearly a week."
"True," Clyde agreed. "Well, they're having fig rolls, and if they complain they can go buy their own snacks."
"Why does Sarah Jane even have fig rolls? Who likes fig rolls?" Rani unearthed clean cups, sighing at the pile in the sink. "Someone's going to have to clean up pretty soon."
"Hey, I cook, I don't clean." He held up under her glare for almost ten seconds, finally muttering, "Fine, I'll clean."
"Good boy," she said, satisfied, lifting the tray and heading for the sitting room. Clyde made a face at her back, bringing the fig rolls and cups behind.
"Oh, fig rolls," Lois said happily. "Brilliant. Thanks."
**
Clyde bullied Sarah Jane to her own bed that night, setting himself up on the camping mattress in Luke's room. Jack sent the rest of his team to a hotel and Rani, reluctantly and after a lot of arguing, went home. Martha checked on Luke and then settled into the guest room.
When Luke woke he went from perfectly still to moving in the space of a heartbeat. Clyde woke to yelling; when he flipped on the light he realised Luke had managed to twist the blanket around his legs and was trapped, thrashing to try and get away.
He scrambled out of bed, leaning over to try and tug the blanket free. "Luke, mate..."
Luke pushed him away, knocking him to the floor, panic lending him strength. Clyde didn't bother trying to get up again, just yelled for Sarah Jane as loudly as he could.
Martha almost fell over him when she pushed the door open, followed in quick succession by Sarah Jane and Jack. Sarah Jane pushed all of them aside to drop onto the bed next to Luke, catching his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Luke. Luke! Look at me. It's all right. You're safe."
Luke gasped in a breath; it took a moment before he could focus on her. "Mum..."
"It's all right," she said again, brushing his hair back with trembling hands. "Calm down. Are you hurt, do you hurt anywhere?"
"No..."
"Good." She pulled him into a hug; Luke's hands fisted in her jumper, holding on tightly. "It's all right, Luke, we're right here." Glancing over her shoulder, she added, "Clyde?"
Clyde tugged the blanket loose, freeing Luke's feet. He immediately curled against Sarah Jane. "Better?"
"Yeah." Colour was returning to Luke's face and he smiled. "Much, thank you." Looking over Clyde's shoulder, he frowned in confusion at Martha before focusing on Jack. "Captain! Did..."
"Worked perfectly," Jack cut him off. "Are you all right?"
"I got stuck. On the other side of the wall, I was all tangled up with them when the machine hit them and I got dragged out. I couldn't get back, I was..." He grinned at Clyde. "Out of my mind. Literally."
Jack frowned. "You just broke into your own mind?"
He smiled tiredly. "I build good walls."
"Jack," Sarah Jane said warningly, and he immediately took a step back.
"We can talk about that later. Do you know Martha?"
"I saw her. On the Subwave." He freed one hand from Sarah Jane's grip to wave. "Hi."
"Hi," Martha said, grinning.
"Martha's a doctor," Clyde said. "She's been looking after you." Martha slipped past Jack, kneeling and taking Luke's hand to check his pulse.
"How long was I gone?" Luke asked.
"Day and a half or so." Clyde eyed him. "Mr Smith thought you'd be longer. Should have known you'd beat the odds. Was it longer or shorter where you were?"
"I...there wasn't really a way to tell."
"Luke, look at my finger," Martha said quietly. Luke obediently followed her finger as she waved it around. "Looks good."
"Good, then we can let him get some sleep," Sarah Jane said firmly. "Clyde..."
"Course I'll stay. Hardly going to go home now." Clyde dropped onto his bed, smiling innocently up at them.
"That is a very dangerous boy, Sarah Jane," Jack said with a grin. "Dr Jones, I think we've been ousted."
"It does seem that way. Have you been giving him tips?"
"No, he's just naturally very good." He gave her a hand up. "Luke, you want a drink or anything?"
"No. Thank you." He glanced at his mother. "I'm fine, Mum. Please, go and get some sleep. I promise, we'll call you if anything happens."
"Promise?"
"Swear."
She nodded, pulling him into another hug before rising. She paused in the doorway for a long moment. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she said tightly before leaving the room and closing the door firmly.
"You're in trouble," Luke said softly.
"Yeah, well, she'll get over that. You're awake, I don't think anything is going to annoy her much for a day or two."
Luke was silent for a moment before asking "Was she really worried?"
"Uh, yeah. Obviously. Martha was, too. You weren't showing any sign of brain activity. Jack thought he'd burned you out."
"I was just stuck. On the other side of my own wall."
"Next time maybe put a door in?" Clyde suggested lightly.
Luke was still laughing softly as he drifted off to sleep.
Martha ran a full set of tests the next morning, including hauling him up to Mr Smith for a scan, but she finally announced that he seemed perfectly well recovered. Clyde used most of the remainder of Sarah Jane's food, and several things he 'borrowed' from Haresh's kitchen, to cook a celebratory breakfast. Luke looked frankly bewildered when he sat down to it, but he made a good effort, and Rhys arrived with the others a few minutes later and helped him to finish it off.
"Lois, you haven't let him talk you into Torchwood, have you?" Sarah Jane asked, leaning against the counter. There really wasn't room in here for everyone, but Clyde and Rani kept ignoring her hints that they should leave and she couldn't throw anyone else out.
Lois blinked. "I don't...think so? I don't think I've agreed to anything."
"Good for you. Take some time to think everything over," Gwen agreed.
"We need to get the Hub sorted out anyway," Jack said. "We'll be ready for you in a couple of months."
"Jack," Sarah Jane protested half-heartedly.
"What? I haven't offered any of your kids jobs, I think that's pretty restrained." Leaning across the table, he added in a stage whisper, "Although if you do ever find yourselves at loose ends, I'll probably still be hanging around in Cardiff."
"What's it like?" Clyde asked. Catching Sarah Jane's glare, he added hastily and far too loudly, "Not that I am interested, no sir. I would never ever take a job with Torchwood, not a chance."
"Yeah, me either," Rani agreed unconvincingly.
Luke just grinned, pushing some loose grains of salt into a pattern on the tablecloth.
Sarah Jane sighed, and Jack said more seriously, "I won't come looking for them, Sarah Jane, and I won't take them without talking to you first. How's that?"
"That'll do," she agreed, smiling faintly and toasting him with her tea cup.
"Oh!" Rhys jumped suddenly, digging a hand into his pocket. "Nearly forgot about this. Whatever it is, it worked. I spent ten hours sitting on that bench and no one even looked at me."
"Sorry about that." Gwen settled in his lap, dropping a kiss on his cheek and taking the key from him.
It went hand to hand across the room to Sarah Jane, who smiled as she closed her fingers over it. "Thank you. Luke, Jack's key is hanging by the front door. Can you get it for him, please?" Luke nodded, rising to his feet and slipping out of the room.
"Time we weren't here, boys and girls," Jack announced. "Lois, you coming with?"
"We'll drop you somewhere," Gwen promised, taking pity on her. "You can come with Rhys and me."
"Are you safe, now?" Sarah Jane asked as everyone began moving.
"Torchwood are heroes now. Johnson gave her report, said that we saved the world and the kids. Everyone loves us again." There was a bitter edge to Jack's smile.
"We liked you all along," Rani assured him, and he grinned.
"Such a sucker for a pretty girl," Ianto said, sighing mock-seriously. "Let's go. You haven't disgraced yourself too badly yet."
Luke was standing on the drive talking to Gita when they piled out. "Actually they're just leaving," he was saying. Glancing over his shoulder, he tossed the key lightly; Jack caught it without breaking stride. "Heading back to work."
"Oh, goodness. How sad. I was hoping we could talk some more. I'm very interested in Cardiff. I'm thinking about taking another holiday there, I was hoping you could give me some tips." She fluffed her hair without seeming to realise.
Jack winked. "Another time, beautiful."
"Captain!" Rani protested. He grinned, swinging into the car. Ianto, sighing, politely said goodbye to Gita before getting in. Martha was already in and they could hear her laugh at something Jack said as he pulled out, following Gwen.
"Rani, you come home now," Gita said. "Feels like I haven't seen you for days. You'd think a curfew would get them home," she added to Sarah Jane, who nodded helplessly.
"Yes, Mum." Rani hugged Luke, waving goodbye to Sarah Jane and Clyde before following her mother.
Clyde shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to go as well. Haven't seen my mother for a couple days. I should probably go check in."
"Haven't you called her?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. She doesn't worry when I'm here." He saluted jauntily, heading down the path.
Sarah Jane wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulders, drawing him back into the house. "Do you really feel all right?"
"I really feel all right," he promised. "There's no trace of them anymore. And at least - there's the wall, now, if anyone else tries to get at me that way. I'm glad Captain Harkness was here to help me." Sarah Jane sighed, and he shrugged. "I know you don't like him, Mum, but without him..."
"I know. He does good work. Sometimes," she added hastily.
Luke grimaced, dropping onto the couch. "Do you think he really would have used Steven? If I hadn't volunteered?"
Sarah Jane settled next to him, thinking. "I think...I think I'm glad we didn't have to find out. There are some things no one should have to know." She squeezed his hand. "That was a very brave thing you did."
Luke grinned cheerfully at her. "I learned from the best."
They say 'what good have you done
By saving just this one?
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm.'
And I hear them saying,
'You'll never change things.
And no matter what you do,
It's still the same thing.'
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me.
Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here.
Rating: Gen
Characters/pairings: All SJA characters, all Torchwood characters. Canon pairings.
Warnings: NA
Spoilers: General for Torchwood: Children of Earth
Clyde desperately wanted to look away. Luke was twitching, shaking so hard it looked like he was about to fly apart. Beside them, Steven had started the eerie wailing that had so far preceded communications from the 456.
"It's working!" Jack yelled, making minute adjustments to the control panel. Luke was bleeding from his nose and eyes and ears and mouth, convulsing so hard Clyde couldn't see how he was even still upright.
Steven stopped screaming, staring blankly ahead for a moment.
Johnson was watching just as closely as Clyde was; when Jack cut the power and Luke dropped, she caught him easily, pulling him off the plinth. Clyde was there to hold him, propping him carefully upright.
Luke's breathing was frighteningly shallow, his pulse was racing too fast for Clyde to count, and under the blood he was sheet white. He was still twitching, muscles misfiring as he fought to recover; his head lolled loosely onto Clyde's shoulder in what had to be a horribly uncomfortable position. Sarah Jane dropped to her knees beside them, pushing his hair back and smearing the blood across his forehead and her hands.
"Here." Johnson touched Clyde's shoulder, holding out a handful of paper towels when he looked up.
"Did it work?" He looked past Johnson at Jack, who was holding on to Steven, head buried against the boy's chest. Steven, looking completely baffled, was gently stroking his hair. Alice was hovering behind them, clearly desperate to get at her son but not quite angry enough at Jack to deny him this moment.
Johnson touched her earpiece, listening for a moment before confirming, "It worked. We've had word from UNIT. The 456 representative exploded. They've withdrawn." She glanced at Sarah Jane, sympathy clear on her face. "What do you need? I've paramedics..."
"No," Clyde said quickly. "Just...give us a couple of minutes. Sarah Jane will be able to talk to you in a few minutes. Can we get a couple of bottles of water?"
Johnson gestured to another soldier, backing away to give them some privacy. Four bottles of water were delivered in silence and Clyde started cleaning Luke's face, working around Sarah Jane's hands. He pushed a wet towel into her hands when he was finished and she cleaned herself up mechanically.
Luke hadn't responded to her touch. He didn't respond when she whispered his name, when she buried her face in his neck and wept. He was completely unresponsive, still breathing in those frightening shallow gasps, heart still beating so fast it was visible, still so white he was almost see through. Clyde shifted carefully, propping Luke's head against his chest instead of his neck.
Jack crouched next to him, rubbing at his eyes in a way that was probably supposed to be casual. "Is he all right?"
"I dunno. He's breathing, and he's stopped bleeding, I think, but...I dunno, he doesn't ever get sick. I don't know what's normal."
"None of this." Jack leaned across him a little, touching Sarah Jane's hand lightly, just one finger to the back of her hand. "Sarah Jane. What do you want us to do? I could probably get Martha here."
"Martha," Sarah Jane repeated blankly.
"Yeah. You met her, on the Crucible, remember? She was with the Doctor until very recently."
"Martha," Sarah Jane said again, comprehension flooding in. "She's a doctor."
"Yeah. UNIT, but I'm pretty sure you could have anything you wanted right now."
"I have some pull at UNIT. No, thank you. We don't need her. I want to take him home."
"Sarah Jane..."
"Luke isn't normal, Jack. I don't want any doctor, even one coming from the Doctor, examining him. I want to take him home."
"I'll arrange it." Jack started to rise, hesitated, looked back at her. "Sarah Jane..."
"If you try to apologise to me, Jack, I will slap you," she said levelly. "This is my decision, this is my choice. It was nothing to do with you, and if you try to make it about you and your guilt..."
Jack shook his head, straightening out of his hunker. "Do you need anything?"
"Someone needs to call Rani," Clyde said. "Um, Chandra. 36 Bannerman. Let her know we're all right."
"I'll do that," Jack promised.
"Don't tell her about Luke," Sarah Jane ordered. "She'd only fret. And ask her to tell Mr Smith we're all right."
"I will." He turned on his heel, heading for Johnson. "I need a number for Rani Chandra, 36 Bannerman Road in Ealing. And I need you to arrange to bring them home." Glancing around the room, he added, "And please get Alice and Steven out of here."
"She's taking him home? I've got medics here, I can get her straight into any hospital in the country..."
"She doesn't want him in a hospital. Luke isn't quite normal." He shook his head at her look. "Don't even try. If you touch that boy someone far worse than me will come for him. You do not want to piss off the people she can call in."
She nodded, tapping at the computer. "Got that number for you...I can send someone with her. Oath of silence."
"No. I know a doctor in UNIT; we've got ties, her and Sarah Jane and me. I think Sarah'll listen to her. Call out the number for me."
Rani picked up before the first ring had finished. "Hello?"
"Rani, this is Jack Harkness, I'm..."
"What's going on?" she said over him. "We saw on the news the 456 are gone!"
"They're gone," he agreed. "Your friends helped us send them packing. We're arranging to get them home right now, but it might take a little while. They just wanted to let you know they're okay. And Sarah Jane asked if you’d mind telling Mr. Smith for her.”
"Sure," Rani agreed easily. Jack noted that; Mr Smith was obviously a code between them. "Tell Luke to turn his phone on, yeah? I've been trying for ages. And if they're going to be very long, can..."
"I'll let you know as soon as I do," he promised. Taking a few steps away from Johnson, he added, "Do me a favour, Rani?"
"Sure," she agreed slowly, suspicion leaking into her tone.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Torchwood," she said, even more slowly.
"Right. Sarah Jane doesn't like Torchwood very much. So she won't ask me for help, even if it's something I can do myself without involving Torchwood at all."
"Still following," Rani said when he paused.
"I would like you to save this phone number. And if something happens, even if you don't know if I can help, I would like you to call me. I promise I won't burst in," he raised his voice slightly over her objection, "I wouldn't ever do that. If I can help, I'll call Sarah Jane and offer. You guys are fantastic, but there are always times when help could be useful."
"I'll save your number," she said neutrally.
"That's perfect. Thank you, Rani. I'll call you as soon as I know when they'll be home."
He hung up, glancing up as Alice and Steven were escorted out of the room. At the doorway she paused, looking back at him; murmuring something to Steven, she came towards him.
Jack waited patiently, carefully not reaching out to her. Alice was going to be in control for a long time.
"Is he all right?" she asked finally. She didn't look towards the plinth, or the figures huddled around its base.
"I don't know yet," Jack said honestly. "I hope so."
"So do I. Please tell his mother - well, tell her."
"I will."
She took a step closer to him, studying him. "Would you have done it?" she asked. "If Luke hadn't volunteered. Would you have used Steven?"
"I don't know," he said again, still honest. "I hope not. I'm glad I didn't have to find out."
She nodded. "Don't call me for a while, Dad."
"I won't," he said softly.
"I'll call you. I will. I just..."
"It's in your hands."
She nodded. Taking one more step forward, she brushed a kiss against his cheek before hurrying out. Jack watched until the door swung closed behind her; then he went back to join Johnson.
"Got a car for the kid," she offered. "It'll take them right back to Bannerman Road."
"Thank you." He leaned over her to study the readings. "One more favour?"
"Go on."
"Destroy this." He gestured to the jerry-rigged consoles and the plinth in the centre of the room. "Kill it. Take it apart completely."
"Consider it done."
He sighed, crossing the room and dropping to sit next to Clyde. The boy smiled a little at the groan he gave. "Long day?"
"The longest." He gestured over his shoulder. "Johnson has a car and driver ready to take you back to Ealing. Want me to carry him?"
"I can carry him. I just can't lift him, not from the floor." Glancing at Sarah Jane, who hadn't reacted to Jack's presence, he added, "Might need you to help, though."
"You got it," Jack agreed. He stood, stepping over Clyde and Luke to crouch by Sarah Jane. "Sarah Jane, are you ready to go?"
"Go," she repeated.
"Home. Johnson's got a car and driver ready for you. They'll take you straight home."
She glanced up, finally. "You trust her, Jack?"
"Yeah. She chose her side."
"Are you coming?"
"Do you want me to? I'll have to go back to Cardiff sometime, but I can come now."
She considered for a moment, still absently stroking Luke's hair. "Yes. Please."
"All right," he agreed. "Ealing it is, then. Let me help you up."
He got her on her feet and then carefully lifted Luke, holding on to him while Clyde cursed and walked in circles, trying to work out the pins and needles in his legs. When he was ready, Jack gently put Luke into his arms.
"I can help, sir," the nearest soldier offered.
"We've got it, thanks. Do you know where our car is?"
"Yes sir, it's this way."
**
The drive back to Ealing passed mostly in silence. There were few people on the streets and the government car passed through every roadblock without stopping.
Rani came running as soon as they pulled into Sarah Jane's drive. Gita was behind her, and Clyde grimaced. "Captain, can you head her off? We don't want her knowing about Luke yet."
"What about Luke?" Rani demanded, trying to see into the car.
"In a minute," Clyde murmured, watching Jack stride down the drive to intercept Gita. Within thirty seconds he had her turned around and wandering back across the road with him, looking slightly dazed.
The driver helped Clyde ease Luke out of the car; Rani gasped but didn't question him, helping to boost Luke into his arms. Sarah Jane already had the door open and they got him in, laying him carefully on the couch.
Jack came back, pausing to talk briefly with the driver before dismissing him.
"What did you do to Gita?" Sarah Jane asked, a touch of humour in her voice.
"I just introduced myself," Jack said innocently. "Old friend of yours."
"Very old," she agreed. "Rani, can you put the kettle on?"
"I'll help," Clyde said hurriedly. Rani looked like she was about to burst.
Under cover of running the tap and rattling the cups around, he explained what had happened as best he understood it. "So he volunteered," he finished, rummaging in the cupboard for biscuits. "He thought he could survive it. Steven would have died for sure, so maybe he was right..."
"He's alive?" Rani asked.
"Oh yeah. Breathing. He just hasn't woken up."
"He will. Luke's the strongest guy I know."
"Oh, thanks."
She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Sorry. Second strongest guy I know."
"That's more like it." He glanced at the door. "Where're Gwen and Rhys?"
"Went to pick up some friend of Jack's. He said it was urgent."
Clyde nodded. "Think we've been gone long enough for them to argue about...whatever?"
"Maybe. One way to find out." She picked up the milk and sugar bowl, letting Clyde wrestle with the tray.
If they'd interrupted Jack and Sarah Jane, there was no sign of it. Clyde carefully lowered the tray onto the coffee table, studying Luke closely. It might have been wishful thinking, but he thought there was a little more colour in his cheeks. His breathing and heartbeat were still too fast and too shallow, though.
Ianto was sitting with Jack, quietly getting him to talk through everything that had happened since they'd split up.
"I should go and talk to Mr Smith," Sarah Jane said after a moment. Catching Rani's hand, she tugged her to sit next to Luke. "I'll be back in a minute. Stay there?"
"Of course," Rani agreed quickly.
"Can I come, Sarah Jane? I'd like to meet your Xylok."
Sarah Jane shrugged, heading upstairs without answering.
"I'll take that as a yes," Jack murmured, following her.
Clyde sighed, slumping back in his seat and nibbling on a biscuit. "This is going to be a fun visit. I can already tell."
**
Luke hadn't stirred by the time Sarah Jane sent the kids home, but there was definitely more colour in his cheeks. Jack carried him up to his bed and sat with him, forcing Sarah Jane to get some sleep.
Clyde and Rani were back first thing the next morning; Rani was quietly telling Sarah Jane about how dazed her mother had been all evening and how much she suddenly approved of Sarah Jane's taste in friends when the doorbell rang. Clyde bounced to his feet to answer it.
Gwen was standing on the doorstep with another woman, watching him. "Hi," she said when he didn't speak.
"I used to travel with the Doctor," the other woman said. "Jack asked me to come down and see Luke."
"Sarah Jane doesn't want anyone looking at him."
"I understand that. But he's obviously not better, or you would have said. I'm a medical doctor, and whatever else Luke is, he's still human and he's going to need care."
Clyde bit his lip, considering her. Finally he opened the door, saying, completely deadpan, "Oh no. Don't force your way in. Help. Captain Jack."
Gwen smiled, leaning against the door. "After you, Martha. Let's break into this home, overpowering the poor boy who tried valiantly to keep us out as Sarah Jane would have wanted him to." Stepping into the hall behind Martha, she raised her voice to yell "JACK!"
Jack hurried down from upstairs, pausing at the base of the stairs.
"They forced their way in," Clyde said, wandering into the sitting room.
"They'll do that," Jack agreed, taking one of Martha's bags. "Thanks for coming."
"How is he?" Gwen asked, shedding her coat.
"Hasn't woken up yet. He looks better, though."
"Good. Can I see him?" Martha glanced up the stairs.
"Better let me go first. She can't kill me."
"You didn't tell her we were coming, did you," Martha said with a sigh.
"Wouldn't have mattered, she hasn't heard anything any of us have told her since we got here."
"I'm just going to hang out down here," Gwen said. "Tea all around?" She vanished in the direction of the kitchen.
"Come on." Jack started up the stairs.
Rani slipped past them without looking at them when Jack pushed the door open. He made a mental note to do something nice for her later before stepping inside. "Sarah Jane? Martha's here."
"I told you I didn't want her," Sarah Jane said tonelessly.
"I know you did. I called her anyway. Luke is human and he needs care. At the very least he's dehydrated by now." He stepped in, gesturing Martha in after him. "She was a Companion, same as we were. We can trust her."
Martha hunkered by the bed, glancing at Luke before looking at Sarah Jane. "Will you let me help him, Sarah Jane?"
Sarah Jane stared at Luke for a moment before nodding. "Yes."
"Thank you." She rose to her feet, beginning a more thorough check of Luke. "Jack, tell me exactly what your machine was supposed to do."
"I'm going to go and make tea," Sarah Jane said, standing stiffly.
"Gwen's down there," Jack told her.
"Want to bring anyone else to my home?" She flounced out before he could answer and Jack sighed, settling on the floor near the door.
"The machine, Jack?" Martha said, pulling some of her supplies out of her bag.
Jack described it as best he could, including its effects. "Luke's not quite human, though," he added. "You'll need one of them to tell you about him - I never got the full story."
"I'll tell you," Clyde offered from the doorway.
"How long have you been there?" Jack asked.
Clyde half shrugged, eyes on the bed. "How is he?"
"Dehydrated, at the moment," Martha said briskly. "You know about him?"
"Some."
"Allergies?"
"Don't think so."
"Tell me from the start," she said.
Clyde went through the whole story as he knew it, from Luke's first day in the Bane factory right up to the start of the 456 invasion.
"They built him?" Martha said.
"From bits of other people. He was going to tell them how to take over the world, except he escaped before they could make him do it. Mr Smith, Sarah Jane's computer, scans him every so often; you should check with him."
"I will; thanks. But he's essentially human?"
"Completely human. He was built from humans. His mind's the only difference, and that shouldn't matter for giving him an IV, right?"
"No." She lifted one of Luke's arms, studying the veins. "Jack, give me a hand?"
"Yeah."
They got the IV in without any trouble and Martha checked his eyes and reflexes and a couple of other things Clyde didn't understand. "Okay," she said finally. "That's as much as I can do right now. Clyde, can you show me Mr Smith? I'd like to see those scans."
"Yeah." Clyde glanced at Jack. "You'll stay?"
"Of course. Take your time."
Clyde led Martha up to the attic, dropping to sit on the steps. "Mr Smith, I need you," he said apathetically.
Mr Smith appeared, fanfare and all. "Clyde. How is Luke?"
"Still asleep, or unconscious or whatever. Mr Smith, this is..."
"Martha Jones," Mr Smith said smoothly. "Former Companion to the Doctor, former member of Torchwood..."
"I wasn't," Martha protested. Absently, Clyde noted she was taking the talking-super-computer revelation very well. Travelling with the Doctor had obviously raised her surprise threshold.
"...Currently attached to UNIT. How can I help you, Martha Jones?"
"I need to see the scans you've taken of Luke. Jack asked me here to help look after him, but I don't know what I'm dealing with."
"Physically, Luke is human and should be treated as such. His body temperature tends a little on the low side of human norms. All other resting vitals are exact human averages." Mr Smith pulled up the scans on his screen. "He has shown no signs of allergies or reactions to any food or medications, though he's never been tested for them, and as he doesn't fall ill there has been no reason to give him anything. The only difference is in his brain scans."
"That is a difference," Martha agreed, studying the screen carefully.
"Is it?" Clyde asked.
"Mr Smith, can you put a normal brain scan side by side with Luke's?"
Mr Smith scanned Clyde and the results appeared on screen. "Like so?"
"That's fine, yes. See those bright areas, Clyde? That's the parts of your brain you're actually using. Thinking and autonomic responses."
Clyde glanced from his to Luke's. "His is much brighter."
"He uses more of his brain, according to this."
"He is a genius," Clyde agreed. "Isn't that dangerous, though? Won't he burn out or something?"
"As far as I've been able to determine, the Bane designed him to last," Mr Smith told them. "Presumably they were going to use him for other tasks once their takeover of this planet was achieved."
"They didn't know what they were building," Clyde murmured. "Does this help you, Martha?"
"Mr Smith, can you scan Luke now?"
"He would need to be here in this room."
Martha considered it. "He's on an IV at the moment. If he hasn't shown any signs once it's finished, I'll get him up here."
"Any signs of what?" Clyde asked. Martha shook her head and he insisted, "We're his family. Any signs of what?"
"He's not showing any signs of brain activity," she said reluctantly. "I've no monitors down there, so it's hard to tell, but there's no eye movement and no reflexes. Jack's...he says that's what the machine did, how Steven would have died. He'd have burnt out."
"You're saying he's brain dead?" Clyde backed up when she tried to touch him.
"I'm not saying that," she said firmly. "That's why I want Mr Smith to look at him, all right? Look, you've said he heals really quickly. He could still come back from this. I could be wrong. I just don't know yet."
Clyde nodded, thinking quickly. "Don't tell Sarah Jane. She doesn't need to hear that until you're sure. Does Captain Harkness know?"
"I haven't told him, but he knows some medicine. He may have figured it out. He won't say anything."
"I hope not," Clyde said fiercely.
Martha nodded, glancing at Mr Smith. "Thank you, Mr Smith. Can you stay active? I might need you again."
"Of course."
"Thanks," Clyde added, following her out of the room.
**
Luke was still unresponsive when the IV finished. Jack went to distract Sarah Jane - "Torchwood will reimburse you for everything we ate, Sarah Jane, so just come and go through this list with me" - while Clyde and Martha carried Luke up to the attic, where Rani and Mr Smith were waiting.
"I can't believe Sarah Jane fell for that," Clyde muttered, propping Luke up for the scan.
"She doesn't want us to see how worried she is, so she's going along," Rani told him.
"Well, that's ridiculous. We all know exactly how worried she is."
"There is brain activity," Mr Smith announced. "It's low level, much lower than his norms, but it is increasing."
"Can you project it?" Martha asked.
"No. It is increasing in fits and starts rather than at an even pace. Hopefully he will regain consciousness within the next two days, but I cannot be any more exact than that."
"Two days. That's better than before. Thank you, Mr Smith. Clyde, help me get him back down to his room?"
"Sure. Rani, can you make sure Sarah Jane hasn't got past Jack?"
"Yeah." Rani squeezed Luke's hand, slipping out of the room and downstairs. Martha gave her a moment to be sure it was clear before nodding to Clyde.
They had Luke back in bed before Sarah Jane came up. Martha glanced up when she paused in the doorway, smiling.
"Hi. Everything looks good. All his vitals are within his norms according to Mr Smith. Reflexes are still a little off, but that's not a big deal. He'll need another IV if he doesn't wake up by this evening, so I've just capped the port for now."
"He hasn't woken up yet?"
"Not yet. But his breathing and heart are fine, his colour's fine..."
"And he's not bleeding from every hole in his face, so, y'know, there's that," Clyde added. Martha glared at him, but Sarah Jane was laughing, just like he'd hoped. He grinned victoriously, heading downstairs.
Gwen was just arriving with a woman he thought he vaguely recognised. He wondered if the perception filter was off or if Gwen just knew the way to the house well enough to find it now. Probably not, since he and Rani had been having trouble.
It was really weird getting lost while walking straight across the road.
"Where is everyone?" Gwen asked.
"I dunno, I've been upstairs. Well, Martha and Sarah Jane and Luke are all up there."
"How is Luke?"
"He's not awake yet, but he's getting better." Turning deliberately to the woman, he added, "Hi, I'm Clyde."
"Right. Clyde, Lois, Lois, Clyde." Gwen was already vanishing into the sitting room before she'd even finished.
"Oh, yeah. You had the contacts, I saw some of that. What were they like?"
"Kind of weird, honestly. And completely terrifying. Um..." She glanced around.
"They're probably in the sitting room." He hesitated before blurting "Did you get in trouble?"
"I got arrested," Lois told him. "High treason. Then all of a sudden, I was being released and they're talking about compensation and a new job! And then Gwen whisked me off. She said Torchwood had dibs."
"Dibs? Really? She said dibs?"
"Well, she used longer words, but that's what it boiled down to. Is this a Torchwood house?"
"No way. This is Sarah Jane's house. She's in charge of us; Rani and Luke and me, she's Luke's mum. But we're not Torchwood. If she ever heard you call us that..." He shuddered deliberately. "She gets this really disappointed look. It's terrible. And then sometimes she shakes her head and says your name."
"Clyde!" Jack yelled. "Stop boggarting the new girl!"
"You're so old," Clyde moaned. Lois looked a little less overwhelmed and he mentally chalked up another win as he showed her into the sitting room. Most of the Torchwood computers had been packed away and the room was slowly returning to normal. "Lois, Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, and that's Rani."
"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack smiled at her.
"Careful, sir," Ianto said, sliding a computer monitor into a box without looking at them.
Lois focused on him, blinking. "But you're dead," she protested. "You were in Thames House when the poison was released."
"We were able to save all the Thames House victims," Jack said blandly. "No one told you?"
Clyde started to protest - Luke had saved them - but Rani elbowed him before he could say anything.
"That's amazing. How..."
"The usual way. Got a look at the virus and figured out a cure."
"But how did..."
"Tea! Who wants some?" Rani sprang to her feet. "Tea all around? Clyde, give me a hand."
"Nah, I'm comfortable." She stomped on his foot and he bit back a curse, adding, "on the other hand, tea! Yay! Let's go. We definitely haven't had enough tea lately."
"You're not funny," Rani said as soon as they were safe in the kitchen. "Or subtle."
"I'm not the one stamping on people! What was that for?"
"Jack's trying to keep Luke's name out of it. He's putting it around that Torchwood came up with the cure and Luke just happened to be the one administering it. First person they could get their hands on."
"A room full of soldiers saw him do it."
"Yeah, but they won't believe some fifteen year old kid came up with that cure. They'll believe the story, Jack says, because it makes more sense."
"Why keep him out of it? He saved lives."
"Yeah, with his super alien brain. You know Sarah Jane's always been worried what might happen if someone figures out what Luke can do. That was about the most visible thing he could have done. Jack's doing his best to turn aside any interest anyone might have in the teenage genius."
"Right." Clyde stared at the sink for a minute before turning. "So, tea? Although personally, I drink much more tea, I'm likely to float away. Seems like all we've been doing since Torchwood got here is having tea."
"In between all the running around and nearly getting killed, of course," Rani agreed.
"Well, I don't really notice that anymore, it's been going on for so long." Clyde searched through the cupboard. "We're running out of snacks."
"We have been housing Torchwood for nearly a week."
"True," Clyde agreed. "Well, they're having fig rolls, and if they complain they can go buy their own snacks."
"Why does Sarah Jane even have fig rolls? Who likes fig rolls?" Rani unearthed clean cups, sighing at the pile in the sink. "Someone's going to have to clean up pretty soon."
"Hey, I cook, I don't clean." He held up under her glare for almost ten seconds, finally muttering, "Fine, I'll clean."
"Good boy," she said, satisfied, lifting the tray and heading for the sitting room. Clyde made a face at her back, bringing the fig rolls and cups behind.
"Oh, fig rolls," Lois said happily. "Brilliant. Thanks."
**
Clyde bullied Sarah Jane to her own bed that night, setting himself up on the camping mattress in Luke's room. Jack sent the rest of his team to a hotel and Rani, reluctantly and after a lot of arguing, went home. Martha checked on Luke and then settled into the guest room.
When Luke woke he went from perfectly still to moving in the space of a heartbeat. Clyde woke to yelling; when he flipped on the light he realised Luke had managed to twist the blanket around his legs and was trapped, thrashing to try and get away.
He scrambled out of bed, leaning over to try and tug the blanket free. "Luke, mate..."
Luke pushed him away, knocking him to the floor, panic lending him strength. Clyde didn't bother trying to get up again, just yelled for Sarah Jane as loudly as he could.
Martha almost fell over him when she pushed the door open, followed in quick succession by Sarah Jane and Jack. Sarah Jane pushed all of them aside to drop onto the bed next to Luke, catching his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Luke. Luke! Look at me. It's all right. You're safe."
Luke gasped in a breath; it took a moment before he could focus on her. "Mum..."
"It's all right," she said again, brushing his hair back with trembling hands. "Calm down. Are you hurt, do you hurt anywhere?"
"No..."
"Good." She pulled him into a hug; Luke's hands fisted in her jumper, holding on tightly. "It's all right, Luke, we're right here." Glancing over her shoulder, she added, "Clyde?"
Clyde tugged the blanket loose, freeing Luke's feet. He immediately curled against Sarah Jane. "Better?"
"Yeah." Colour was returning to Luke's face and he smiled. "Much, thank you." Looking over Clyde's shoulder, he frowned in confusion at Martha before focusing on Jack. "Captain! Did..."
"Worked perfectly," Jack cut him off. "Are you all right?"
"I got stuck. On the other side of the wall, I was all tangled up with them when the machine hit them and I got dragged out. I couldn't get back, I was..." He grinned at Clyde. "Out of my mind. Literally."
Jack frowned. "You just broke into your own mind?"
He smiled tiredly. "I build good walls."
"Jack," Sarah Jane said warningly, and he immediately took a step back.
"We can talk about that later. Do you know Martha?"
"I saw her. On the Subwave." He freed one hand from Sarah Jane's grip to wave. "Hi."
"Hi," Martha said, grinning.
"Martha's a doctor," Clyde said. "She's been looking after you." Martha slipped past Jack, kneeling and taking Luke's hand to check his pulse.
"How long was I gone?" Luke asked.
"Day and a half or so." Clyde eyed him. "Mr Smith thought you'd be longer. Should have known you'd beat the odds. Was it longer or shorter where you were?"
"I...there wasn't really a way to tell."
"Luke, look at my finger," Martha said quietly. Luke obediently followed her finger as she waved it around. "Looks good."
"Good, then we can let him get some sleep," Sarah Jane said firmly. "Clyde..."
"Course I'll stay. Hardly going to go home now." Clyde dropped onto his bed, smiling innocently up at them.
"That is a very dangerous boy, Sarah Jane," Jack said with a grin. "Dr Jones, I think we've been ousted."
"It does seem that way. Have you been giving him tips?"
"No, he's just naturally very good." He gave her a hand up. "Luke, you want a drink or anything?"
"No. Thank you." He glanced at his mother. "I'm fine, Mum. Please, go and get some sleep. I promise, we'll call you if anything happens."
"Promise?"
"Swear."
She nodded, pulling him into another hug before rising. She paused in the doorway for a long moment. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she said tightly before leaving the room and closing the door firmly.
"You're in trouble," Luke said softly.
"Yeah, well, she'll get over that. You're awake, I don't think anything is going to annoy her much for a day or two."
Luke was silent for a moment before asking "Was she really worried?"
"Uh, yeah. Obviously. Martha was, too. You weren't showing any sign of brain activity. Jack thought he'd burned you out."
"I was just stuck. On the other side of my own wall."
"Next time maybe put a door in?" Clyde suggested lightly.
Luke was still laughing softly as he drifted off to sleep.
Martha ran a full set of tests the next morning, including hauling him up to Mr Smith for a scan, but she finally announced that he seemed perfectly well recovered. Clyde used most of the remainder of Sarah Jane's food, and several things he 'borrowed' from Haresh's kitchen, to cook a celebratory breakfast. Luke looked frankly bewildered when he sat down to it, but he made a good effort, and Rhys arrived with the others a few minutes later and helped him to finish it off.
"Lois, you haven't let him talk you into Torchwood, have you?" Sarah Jane asked, leaning against the counter. There really wasn't room in here for everyone, but Clyde and Rani kept ignoring her hints that they should leave and she couldn't throw anyone else out.
Lois blinked. "I don't...think so? I don't think I've agreed to anything."
"Good for you. Take some time to think everything over," Gwen agreed.
"We need to get the Hub sorted out anyway," Jack said. "We'll be ready for you in a couple of months."
"Jack," Sarah Jane protested half-heartedly.
"What? I haven't offered any of your kids jobs, I think that's pretty restrained." Leaning across the table, he added in a stage whisper, "Although if you do ever find yourselves at loose ends, I'll probably still be hanging around in Cardiff."
"What's it like?" Clyde asked. Catching Sarah Jane's glare, he added hastily and far too loudly, "Not that I am interested, no sir. I would never ever take a job with Torchwood, not a chance."
"Yeah, me either," Rani agreed unconvincingly.
Luke just grinned, pushing some loose grains of salt into a pattern on the tablecloth.
Sarah Jane sighed, and Jack said more seriously, "I won't come looking for them, Sarah Jane, and I won't take them without talking to you first. How's that?"
"That'll do," she agreed, smiling faintly and toasting him with her tea cup.
"Oh!" Rhys jumped suddenly, digging a hand into his pocket. "Nearly forgot about this. Whatever it is, it worked. I spent ten hours sitting on that bench and no one even looked at me."
"Sorry about that." Gwen settled in his lap, dropping a kiss on his cheek and taking the key from him.
It went hand to hand across the room to Sarah Jane, who smiled as she closed her fingers over it. "Thank you. Luke, Jack's key is hanging by the front door. Can you get it for him, please?" Luke nodded, rising to his feet and slipping out of the room.
"Time we weren't here, boys and girls," Jack announced. "Lois, you coming with?"
"We'll drop you somewhere," Gwen promised, taking pity on her. "You can come with Rhys and me."
"Are you safe, now?" Sarah Jane asked as everyone began moving.
"Torchwood are heroes now. Johnson gave her report, said that we saved the world and the kids. Everyone loves us again." There was a bitter edge to Jack's smile.
"We liked you all along," Rani assured him, and he grinned.
"Such a sucker for a pretty girl," Ianto said, sighing mock-seriously. "Let's go. You haven't disgraced yourself too badly yet."
Luke was standing on the drive talking to Gita when they piled out. "Actually they're just leaving," he was saying. Glancing over his shoulder, he tossed the key lightly; Jack caught it without breaking stride. "Heading back to work."
"Oh, goodness. How sad. I was hoping we could talk some more. I'm very interested in Cardiff. I'm thinking about taking another holiday there, I was hoping you could give me some tips." She fluffed her hair without seeming to realise.
Jack winked. "Another time, beautiful."
"Captain!" Rani protested. He grinned, swinging into the car. Ianto, sighing, politely said goodbye to Gita before getting in. Martha was already in and they could hear her laugh at something Jack said as he pulled out, following Gwen.
"Rani, you come home now," Gita said. "Feels like I haven't seen you for days. You'd think a curfew would get them home," she added to Sarah Jane, who nodded helplessly.
"Yes, Mum." Rani hugged Luke, waving goodbye to Sarah Jane and Clyde before following her mother.
Clyde shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to go as well. Haven't seen my mother for a couple days. I should probably go check in."
"Haven't you called her?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. She doesn't worry when I'm here." He saluted jauntily, heading down the path.
Sarah Jane wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulders, drawing him back into the house. "Do you really feel all right?"
"I really feel all right," he promised. "There's no trace of them anymore. And at least - there's the wall, now, if anyone else tries to get at me that way. I'm glad Captain Harkness was here to help me." Sarah Jane sighed, and he shrugged. "I know you don't like him, Mum, but without him..."
"I know. He does good work. Sometimes," she added hastily.
Luke grimaced, dropping onto the couch. "Do you think he really would have used Steven? If I hadn't volunteered?"
Sarah Jane settled next to him, thinking. "I think...I think I'm glad we didn't have to find out. There are some things no one should have to know." She squeezed his hand. "That was a very brave thing you did."
Luke grinned cheerfully at her. "I learned from the best."
They say 'what good have you done
By saving just this one?
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm.'
And I hear them saying,
'You'll never change things.
And no matter what you do,
It's still the same thing.'
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me.