Alter Ego: Fix (Jack/Ten) PG-13
Title: Fix
Author: Alter Ego
ent_alter_ego
Challenge: Mistakes
Rating: PG-13 for language
Spoilers/Warnings: Children of Earth
Summary: "Jack was wrong, and it had nothing to do with his immortality."
A/N: I don't even know if I like this, but here we are anyway...
The Doctor was moseying around the Settlement Fair on New New England, admiring what the colonists had done in three years. Humans - for all their limitations - were very resourceful. He admired that about them, and liked to think he'd learned a bit of the trait himself. On his way over to get a pretzel, his time sense prickled. It was a feeling he'd trained himself not to think of as 'wrong,' though it wasn't exactly right, per se. Not wrong, he reminded himself. Just Jack.
Curious to know what his immortal friend was doing in twenty-fifth century New New England, he reached out with his time sense - which was hard, to invite more prickly Jack-ness - and in short order honed in on Jack. He was sitting in front of the stage, watching a band set up.
Sliding into the seat on Jack's left, the Doctor greeted, “Hello, Jack.”
“Doctor,” he replied, without taking his eyes off the stage.
“How've you been?”
Jack scoffed. “As if you give a damn.”
That was hardly true, though he supposed Jack had a fairly good reason to think it might be. “I take it not well,” he suggested lamely.
Now Jack turned and looked him straight in the eye. What the Doctor saw... oh, that was wrong. Jack was wrong, and it had nothing to do with his immortality. He was cold, hard, bitter, and angry. It was so obvious; no wonder there were empty seats around him despite the crowd. “I have a daughter. And a grandson. Had a grandson. He's dead. Because I killed him.” The Doctor didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. Jack continued, “He paid for my mistake with his life, and he wasn't the only one. Ianto, Steven, so many others, dead. Because of me.”
“What happened?”
“What, you didn't get the three dozen messages?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“The fucking 456, that's what I'm talking about.”
The Doctor didn't have any clue, still. “Jack, I don't -”
“I am this way because of you. I am who I am because of you, whether we like it or not. I don't ask for much from you, Doctor. But people died because of my mistake, and I thought you might've cared enough to...” he trailed off and stood up, muttering a popular curse from the 51st century. “I'd say it's been good seeing you, but good doesn't exist for me anymore.”
It seemed wise to let him walk away. Concerned, the Doctor forgot all about his pretzel and New New England; he rushed back to the TARDIS and headed for Earth.
****
It was easy to hack into government and Torchwood records and fill in the few blanks left by news media. Namely, the small fact that one Jack Harkness had originally turned children over to the 456 - or Caladr!gmanians, as they were known to the rest of the universe. And it was absurdly easy to stop them. He'd have done it when Martha and Jack called, except all transmissions from Earth were blocked. Jack had done well, figuring out their weakness. He just hadn't done it in time to save some people, especially ones he cared about.
Situation resolved, he left the TARDIS far enough away from the Torchwood Hub that Jack wouldn't notice. And then he waited until he saw Jack and his Welsh team members exit, laughing and smiling. It was worth bending the rules of time travel to see the three of them in such jovial spirits.
Everyone made mistakes. He certainly had, abandoning Jack, but at least he'd learned. He hadn't abandoned him this time.
.
Author: Alter Ego
ent_alter_ego
Challenge: Mistakes
Rating: PG-13 for language
Spoilers/Warnings: Children of Earth
Summary: "Jack was wrong, and it had nothing to do with his immortality."
A/N: I don't even know if I like this, but here we are anyway...
The Doctor was moseying around the Settlement Fair on New New England, admiring what the colonists had done in three years. Humans - for all their limitations - were very resourceful. He admired that about them, and liked to think he'd learned a bit of the trait himself. On his way over to get a pretzel, his time sense prickled. It was a feeling he'd trained himself not to think of as 'wrong,' though it wasn't exactly right, per se. Not wrong, he reminded himself. Just Jack.
Curious to know what his immortal friend was doing in twenty-fifth century New New England, he reached out with his time sense - which was hard, to invite more prickly Jack-ness - and in short order honed in on Jack. He was sitting in front of the stage, watching a band set up.
Sliding into the seat on Jack's left, the Doctor greeted, “Hello, Jack.”
“Doctor,” he replied, without taking his eyes off the stage.
“How've you been?”
Jack scoffed. “As if you give a damn.”
That was hardly true, though he supposed Jack had a fairly good reason to think it might be. “I take it not well,” he suggested lamely.
Now Jack turned and looked him straight in the eye. What the Doctor saw... oh, that was wrong. Jack was wrong, and it had nothing to do with his immortality. He was cold, hard, bitter, and angry. It was so obvious; no wonder there were empty seats around him despite the crowd. “I have a daughter. And a grandson. Had a grandson. He's dead. Because I killed him.” The Doctor didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. Jack continued, “He paid for my mistake with his life, and he wasn't the only one. Ianto, Steven, so many others, dead. Because of me.”
“What happened?”
“What, you didn't get the three dozen messages?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“The fucking 456, that's what I'm talking about.”
The Doctor didn't have any clue, still. “Jack, I don't -”
“I am this way because of you. I am who I am because of you, whether we like it or not. I don't ask for much from you, Doctor. But people died because of my mistake, and I thought you might've cared enough to...” he trailed off and stood up, muttering a popular curse from the 51st century. “I'd say it's been good seeing you, but good doesn't exist for me anymore.”
It seemed wise to let him walk away. Concerned, the Doctor forgot all about his pretzel and New New England; he rushed back to the TARDIS and headed for Earth.
****
It was easy to hack into government and Torchwood records and fill in the few blanks left by news media. Namely, the small fact that one Jack Harkness had originally turned children over to the 456 - or Caladr!gmanians, as they were known to the rest of the universe. And it was absurdly easy to stop them. He'd have done it when Martha and Jack called, except all transmissions from Earth were blocked. Jack had done well, figuring out their weakness. He just hadn't done it in time to save some people, especially ones he cared about.
Situation resolved, he left the TARDIS far enough away from the Torchwood Hub that Jack wouldn't notice. And then he waited until he saw Jack and his Welsh team members exit, laughing and smiling. It was worth bending the rules of time travel to see the three of them in such jovial spirits.
Everyone made mistakes. He certainly had, abandoning Jack, but at least he'd learned. He hadn't abandoned him this time.
.