Fic: Endless Waltz [2/7] (The Who, M7:ATF Crossover fic, PG-13)
Title: Endless Waltz [2/7]
Series: Second Chances
Author: Sparrow
Fandom: Magnificent Seven: ATF, The Who
Characters: JD Dunne, Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Enola Jones Darken Moon
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own The Who or M7: ATF or The Darken Moon
Spoilers: To have any type of understanding of this ‘verse, there are previous stories to read. Sequel to Better or Worse.
Summary: The Who finally left the Faery Realm to find themselves in whole new trouble.
Author Note: I just wanted to say thank you majorly to jennytork aka Enola Jones for the handholding, the cheerleading and letting me play in another one of her ‘verses. She has been a wonderful help and a wonderful friend as I wrote this fic. Major thanks to bookaddict43 for the awesome beta and for not murdering me for my constant poking of ‘is it done yet?’ lol
"I know someone's there, I can hear you breathing!" This Keith bellowed. When no answer came, he took a step backward and bellowed one word.
"THIEVES!"
Crap. Crap. JD and Keith thought at the same time. This is gonna be very awkward.
“Um, hey, we’re not thieves,” JD said gently and softly. “I’m sorry if we startled you, but this is just a bit strange for us.”
The cane came swiping in his direction and JD dodged back. “Whoa!! Hey, I just said we’re not thieves!”
“Kidnappers then! Thinking you can make an easy getaway with the blind drummer of The Who!” The blind Keith took another swipe where JD’s voice came from.
“We’re not kidnappers either!” JD said in a Wembley accent, his and Keith’s frustration shining through.
"You've got my voice!"
“Shit.” This time the sound came from John’s direction.
“John? What’s going on?” The cane was still held up, but tilted down slightly as confusion expressed itself on Blind Keith’s face.
"That's what I'd like to know." Blind Keith's John had emerged and was walking toward them. He looked -- wary and tired.
“Look, this might be a bit hard to believe…” Pete started.
“Try us.”
Taking turns, the dimension hopping Who gave a quick run down of who they were, where they came from and how they ended up here.
Blind Keith's arms crossed. "Yeah. Right."
It was at this point Keith blurred out of JD. “Stubborn, ain’t I?”
“Just a little Keith.” Roger grinned slightly.
The other John gasped in shock.
“What is it John? What happened?” Blind Keith turned towards his friend.
"You just--- appeared. OUT of the boy!"
“Oi, I’m thirty-four thank you very much! Hardly a boy,” JD groused as he crossed his arms.
John smiled and ruffled JD’s hair, “Just as long as you believe that kiddo.” JD glared at his John.
It was here Keith strode up to his blind counterpart.
“What do you mean I appeared out of the boy?” Blind Keith asked his John, unaware of his counterpart’s scrutiny.
“Another version of you, just...blurred out of the kid.”
Keith moved his hand to almost trace the scar over Blind Keith’s eyes, sensing the movement in the air; Keith’s hand was smacked away.
“What? Never seen a blind person before?” Blind Keith snarked out.
“Never seen myself as a blind person before,” Keith quipped back.
His eyes went wide. "You're real, huh?"
“Somewhat.” Keith said. The Who plus JD gathered around the drummer to look at his blind counterpart.
“How’d that happen?” Pete asked.
“Smother Brother’s Show, gunpowder and some shrapnel,” Blind Keith’s John stated simply.
Keith hissed in a breath. "What'd you do, misaim the cannon?"
“I’ve had time to think about it and I think I moved it too much to the left. What about you? The show happen in your dimension?” Blind Keith asked.
“Yeah, but all it left us with is a scar on me arm and Pete going deaf for a bit.”
“If we’re going to continue this, I’d appreciate it if we could move this into the mansion,” Blind Keith’s John said.
The dimension hopping Who followed their two counterparts up to the mansion.
“You mind waiting here for a minute or so, I have to explain what’s going on to my Roger and Pete.”
Blind Keith’s John left and Blind Keith turned to them, holding onto his cane tightly. “So anymore surprises about all this we should know?”
“Probably, but it’s better if we have everyone in a group so we don’t repeat ourselves.” JD said.
It was a few minutes later that two very loud “WHAT?!” sounded out.
“Sounds like John has broken the news to them,” Blind Keith grinned.
Keith sharing an identical grin blurred back into JD.
“Keith just left…didn’t he? Felt the air move.”
“Yeah, he’s back inside me,” JD said.
“Going to share how you do that?”
“We will, but like I said, probably best to wait until we have everyone gathered.”
Blind Keith nodded and held his cane in front of him, swinging it from side to side as he made his way to the bar room where his John, Roger and Pete waited.
They came out -- the three of them. This Roger had very short hair and this world’s Pete, his hair was very long, tied back into a loose ponytail.
John and Roger snickered while Pete groaned.
“Forgot about that rat-tail,” Pete groused.
JD was laughing quietly near Blind Keith.
This Pete's eyes were large. Almost on a par with Keith's. And they were nearly always moving, pausing to focus intently.
Pete looked at his counterpart, taking in the wide eyes that were moving constantly. “You’re almost deaf, aren’t you?” Taking the time to carefully enunciate the words.
Roger, John and JD stifled their gasps and looked at this world’s Pete carefully.
Deaf Pete just nodded.
Then he raised his hand and instead of speaking --pointed. At Pete. And cocked an eyebrow. An unmistakable *what about you?*
“Was deaf for a bit from that show, but it cleared up within a day. Never came back,” Pete said, shrugging.
Deaf Pete nodded.
It was here Short Haired Roger stepped up to JD. “Where’s your Keith? I thought he was with you?”
JD placed a hand on his chest. “In here.”
It was here once again that The Who ran down the various things that had happened to them. Keith dying and being reincarnated into JD. John’s almost death from the cocaine and narrow heart valve. A psychiatrist and a shattered mirror in JD’s mind. Keith becoming aware of who he was in JD, the price to being what they were now and saving his band mates from a gun runner. Their first trip to the Faery Realm. Their current powers, their second trip to the Faery Realm where Keith and JD were taken by a madman and kept there for five years. How they were separated from JD’s friends and taken dimension hopping. The Elemental Who and them ending up here.
“Should just write this out and every time we end up somewhere, just hand them a copy,” JD laughed, taking a sip of water from the glass Blind Keith’s John had handed him.
"That's actually a good idea," Roger breathed.
As one, Roger, John and JD turned and looked at their Pete.
“Why do I have to bloody well do it?”
“’Cause you’re the more proficient writer of the group,” John chuckled.
The other Who were quietly absorbing what they were just told as the dimension hopping Who bickered good naturally.
It was here Blind Keith found his voice. “The other me died?”
Keith blurred out of JD and Deaf Pete, Short Haired Roger and Blind Keith’s John jumped a little at the surprise.
“Not one of me finer moments,” Keith sighed wearily as he sat down on a chair. JD sat next to him.
“Any other questions?” Roger asked of their counterparts.
“None that we can think of at this time. We have a room with some beds in it; you can bunk down there for tonight,” Blind Keith’s John said.
“We appreciate it, sorry to impose on you like this,” JD said.
“It’s certainly been interesting, but don’t worry about it.” Blind Keith’s John smiled slightly.
“Big room, down the hallway, past the armor and the door on the left, right?” John said with a quirk of an eyebrow.
Blind Keith laughed, “You live in a Quarwood, too eh?”
“That and the other Who put us up in that bedroom while we healed up from the Faery Realm,” Roger chuckled lightly. “We’ll make our own way.”
Blind Keith’s John made a ‘go ahead’ gesture with his hand.
The Who trekked out to the spare room.
This dimensions Who let out a breath they weren’t even aware they were holding.
“Isn’t all of this a kick in the pants,” Short Hair Roger breathed out slowly.
“You said it Rog,” Blind Keith’s John shot back.
“It’s certainly different,” Quipped Blind Keith.
“What I want to know is how old men managed all of that. Could understand the kid handling all of it. Plus, they were holding something back on JD and Keith being gone for five years,” Deaf Pete quietly said.
“People keep secrets for a reason Pete.” Blind Keith said to him.
“Hope it doesn’t come back to bite us in the long run,” Short Hair Roger sighed.
It was a couple of hours later and JD found himself in the bar room again. He couldn’t sleep; nightmares. But he didn’t want to wake the others up; they’ve done so much for him and Keith already.
JD felt the mental touch of his ‘twin’ and sighed.
“Who’s there?”
JD spun around and saw Blind Keith sitting at the table reading something.
“It’s JD, Keith.”
“Ah, pull up a chair then.”
JD grabbed a chair and sat across from Blind Keith. JD sat in the quietness of the room as Blind Keith mumbled words to himself, his fingers dancing across the raised paper.
“Braille?” JD interrupted.
“Yeah, part of the thirty percent that can read it.”
“Good, good.”
Silence settled over them once again.
“What happened in those five years you were separated from John, Pete and Roger?” Blind Keith blurted out.
JD started to breathe hard, “I…”
Keith blurred out and drew JD into a hug. “Easy JD, easy. I’m here. Not going anywhere again.”
JD stared blankly out at nowhere in particular as memories overwhelmed him.
“Did I say something wrong?” Blind Keith asked.
Keith sighed, “JD was possessed by a madman and since I’m a part of JD, I got taken along as well. We were in the Faery Realm for five years before the others came, but that’s only because time moves differently there.” Keith paused here and took a deep breath. “I was controlled by the thing that possessed JD for about a year. I was his bodyguard slash assassin. I was sent on my first assassin attempt, but I broke his hold because I flashed back to Neil.”
Blind Keith absorbed the information as Keith continued to rub JD on his shoulders, unaware they had an audience.
“Lux, that’s the madman’s name, never knew I escaped its control because JD was shielding me somehow. JD was made to do some horrible things I don’t dare mention. I spied for the Faery Queen for the next four years and then his friends and the others managed to get into the Realm and rescued us.”
It was at this point that Keith blurred into JD’s body and made JD stand up.
“We’ll both be going, going to try and get him back to sleep,” Keith’s accent came out of JD’s mouth and proceeded to take him back to bed.
Blind Keith was silent as he took in what his counterpart told him. “Happy now, Pete?”
“Not really, didn’t know they went through that much,” Deaf Pete said as he made his way to the table.
“Don’t think we should ask anything more, sounds like it was hard for them and they’re still healing a bit,” Short Haired Roger said from his position in the shadows.
Blind Keith just quietly wondered who ‘Neil’ was that had such an impact on his other self.
~~~
It was a couple of days later in the middle of the night that something happened.
Keith Moon, blind drummer of The Who was kidnapped.
JD and Keith were asleep in their fox forms, curled up together when they heard something like tinkling glass.
“Mirror,” Keith murmured as he sleepily woke-up.
“Not ours Keith, it’s something else breaking,” JD said, fox ears perking up.
“I’ll wake the others up,” Keith said as he shuffled towards Roger, Pete and John.
JD stood still and listened.
“Shit! He hit me with that stupid cane! Where’s the chloroform? I wanna shut him up.”
“Here.”
“You’ll never get away with this….” Blind Keith’s voice died off.
JD opened his eyes to see Pete, John, Roger and Keith surrounding him.
“People are kidnapping the other Keith.”
“Shit,” John swore.
“So what are we going to do?” Roger asked.
Pete smirked an evil grin and the other’s leaned in to be let on in the plan.
~~~
The three men dressed in black carefully stalked down the darken hallways.
WHOOSH!
Thug #1 drew a gun. “What was that?”
“Nothing, keep going,” Came from Thug #2.
Thug #3 adjusted his grip on the cargo he carried, never even noticing the shadow that followed them from the ceiling.
They continued to trek their way slowly so they wouldn’t awaken the others in the mansion.
Thug #3 barely had time to scream when legs grabbed him and his cargo from above.
Thug #1 and #2 whirled around. “Bugger! Where’d he go?!” They wildly looked around, the moonlight coming from the window suddenly darkened.
They turned around to see a figure with wings holding a sword.
“Repent evil sinners!”
Just as they were about to draw their guns to fire a low hum filled the hallway. They suddenly slumped to the floor, fast asleep.
JD approached the kidnappers with some rope he found. “’Repent evil sinners’? Have something to tell us Pete?”
Pete just grinned and twirled the sword.
Keith helped John with the third thug and his counterpart.
“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!”
The Who and JD turned around, Pete’s wings drooped a little.
“Stopping a kidnapping.” JD said, fox tail swishing from side to side in anger. “These men were attempting to kidnap your Keith, we stopped them.”
Blind Keith’s John strode forward and took Keith from his counterpart.
“He was drugged, but he should wake up in a bit.” John said, black eyes glittering.
Short Haired Roger and Deaf Pete appeared quickly after hearing John’s very loud shout. Stopping short at the altered appearances of their doubles, they quickly got their act together and helped their John with Blind Keith.
Short Haired Roger shot a glance over his shoulder and mouthed a ‘Thank you’ to the dimension hopping Who.
They gave a nod back.
~~~
It was morning when the dimension hopping Who groggily entered the kitchen to the smell of pancakes. JD and Keith were attempting breakfast.
“Well bugger this, anyone want cereal?” Pete asked the group.
JD glared at Pete. “I’m a better cook in this life than the last one, Birdman.”
The two ‘twins’ moved in synch as they flipped pancakes, cooked eggs and slightly burnt the sausages. Within minutes of the others sitting down, the food was laid out on the table.
"Smells good," a quiet voice said and Deaf Pete entered the room.
“Hey! Pull up a chair, Keith and I made plenty for everyone.” JD smiled. “There is also oatmeal for your Keith. Chloroform doesn’t sit well in the stomach, so tell him to eat slowly or he’ll end up throwing it up.”
“Experience?”
“You could say that.”
Deaf Pete nodded and then pointed to his ear. "Batteries are being changed. No hearing aids at the moment."
The Who nodded, accepting the information. Pete caught his eye. "So you're saying you're completely deaf at the moment?"
Deaf Pete nodded, having lip read the words. “Yeah, everything's just a dim hum."
Pain suddenly flared up their arms and Roger’s eyes went silver once again. “Half an hour until next hop, half an hour.”
He slumped forward slightly.
Deaf Pete frowned at him.
Panting slightly, Roger gave a confused look at Deaf Pete and then blue eyes widened in realization. “Oh!” He rolled up the arm sleeve of his shirt, showing the silver band. “These are our dimension hoppers and apparently I’m acting as a time piece for all the hops.”
Deaf Pete looked on in concern. “And the pain is a side effect?” Came the quiet question.
“Unfortunately.”
Deaf Pete nodded, grabbed the oatmeal for Keith and headed out the door.
“Well, this wasn’t a long stay.” Pete groused.
"Maybe we did what we were sent here to do," John replied. "We saved this world's Keith."
“Well, saving me is always a plus in my book.” Keith grinned.
JD snickered. “We should go get our clothes before we end up in our pajama’s in the next dimension.”
“And goodbyes, can’t forget goodbyes.” Roger added.
“Never.” John rumbled back.
Half an hour later found both groups of Who joined on the lawns of Quarwood.
A groggy Blind Keith was being supported by his John. “Didn’t want to miss the show.” Was his excuse for not sleeping off the effects of the chloroform.
Everyone got hugs goodbye and watched as the dimension hopping Who were engulfed by silver lines and then disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
“Think we’ll ever see them again?” Blind Keith asked.
“Doubt it,” Blind Keith’s John rumbled.
“We never did get to ask ‘how did old men move so well.’” Short Haired Roger groused.
“Probably best that we left it alone,” Deaf Pete shot back.
They turned and headed back inside Quarwood.
~~~
Something felt wrong in the hop. All loopy, disorienting and banana shaped. All five of the dimension hopping group’s mouths was open in silent screams.
Across a night sky filled with stars and clouds, five silver lights shot in different directions.
End Part 2.
Part 1