Clear Blue Sky (30/55)
CHAPTER THIRTY
As they walked back to the Tardis, people were starting to emerge from … wherever they’d been, but they paid no attention to Jack, Ianto and the Doctor. Ianto gazed around him, taking in the many blue-green towers and the transparent shield, which was almost invisible from the inside. He hadn’t had a lot of time to explore and reflect this time. He knew he ought to be grateful that his injuries weren’t more severe, but the ship was so impressive, and he wanted to be able to remember what it had been like to stand on it. As he walked, something occurred to him.
“Will it be as difficult to fly out of here as it was to fly in?”
The Doctor didn’t break his stride. “Nah. When we flew in we were at close range, so I actually had to fly. But we’ll be going further - much further - this time, so we’ll just dematerialise. Hopefully.”
Ignoring that little amendment to his explanation, Ianto asked, “Won’t the shield get in the way of that?”
The Doctor shot him an insulted look. “My ship? Don’t be ridiculous. The Vortex is just as accessible from inside their little shield as it is outside. Why would that stop us?”
“No reason,” Ianto replied lightly. “Just asking.” The Doctor, he realised, was extremely touchy on the subject of his ship. Which was fair enough, he thought. Look how Jack could get about the Hub, no matter how cold or flooded it got. He was silent, thinking about this, as they got back to the Tardis and the Doctor, now intent on explaining the dematerialisation process, piloted them away from 471H2.
Once they were away, the Doctor muttered something about needing his tie, and disappeared away into the Tardis, leaving Jack and Ianto behind in the console room with instructions not to touch anything.
“Why did we need to get away so quickly?” Ianto asked suddenly. He’d wondered earlier, but Jack and the Doctor both seemed to think that an early exit was obvious, so he hadn’t wanted - or really had time - to ask. And it was easier to ask Jack than it was to ask the Doctor.
“Because we really don’t want to be there when the rescue teams arrive,” Jack replied, looking up from the screen he was staring at.
“But why?” Ianto asked again, he peered over Jack’s shoulder at the screen he was examining, but the quickly-changing pattern of circular shapes meant nothing to him. “I mean, they were hit by a meteorite; they ought to know that had nothing to do with us.”
“Oh, it’s not that,” Jack replied, now examining some other controls. “But they’ll want to know how he saved the ship, and he won’t want all the praise and adulation. Just keep moving on, that’s the Doctor.”
Ianto thought about this, and realised it didn’t really make sense. “Why?” he asked a third time. “I’m aware of the Doctor’s history, the way he works. But having met him, it seems strange.”
“Strange?”
“I’m not being critical. Really. Because I know he’s brilliant and wise and all that … but I wouldn’t have said modesty was one of his greatest virtues. Why won’t he accept the credit when he’s done something wonderful?”
Finally, Jack turned away from the controls and glanced at Ianto, looking mildly surprised. “Don’t let the bravado fool you. Half the time I think all the ‘aren’t I great?’ bluster is just him, trying to convince himself. He’s his own greatest critic.” He spoke with fond exasperation. “He could save ninety-nine out of a hundred people and all that he’d remember would be the one that he’d lost. The losses haunt him, and he covers it with overconfidence. Praise from other people would just make him uncomfortable.”
Ianto listened quietly and gave no response, inviting Jack to continue.
“Or maybe leaving before he can be rewarded is how he justifies leaving when it hasn’t gone so well … when he leaves chaos behind him. Maybe it’s all part of the balance in his mind.”
Jack fell silent, and Ianto thought for a moment before he spoke. “You once said he was the only person who could understand you,” he said, his voice free of accusation or resentment. Jack could be such an enigma, he was just glad there was someone out there who could understand him.
“Mmmm,” Jack replied, in a tone that didn’t reveal whether or not he still believed that.
“Well … does anyone understand him as well as you do?”
“I don’t know,” Jack answered honestly. “He’s had other companions, people he was closer to …”
“But don’t you think that might have been because they weren’t so … alike?”
Jack looked at him sharply. “You think we’re alike?”
“I think you must be,” Ianto replied simply. Jack started to speak, obviously wanting to press the point further, but the Doctor came back into the room, making any continuation of the discussion impossible.
“There we are! You definitely feel better in a nice new tie, I’ve always said. Isn’t that right?” The Doctor asked this cheerfully, striding back over to the controls.
“Right,” Ianto agreed, deadpan, making Jack smile.
“So!” the Doctor announced, rubbing his hands together. “You finally get your choice, Mr. Jones!” He stopped and looked up slightly. “Wow. I do seem to find an awful lot of people with that name. Not that that’s a bad thing! Anyway, back to the point: where next?”
Ianto looked at the Doctor, then to Jack, and then back at the Doctor. He had a million thoughts, but there was no way to make sense of them, so he gave up. “Surprise me,” he told the Doctor.
“That’s your choice? A surprise?” the Doctor asked, looking, well, surprised.
“Yes. Show me something I could never have imagined,” he answered, moving closer to Jack. The Doctor maintained the stunned expression for another moment, then grinned broadly.
“Oh, I knew I liked you!” he cried, starting to dart around the controls again. “You know, there was a time when I had the old girl set to ‘random’. You know, land in any place at any time - no input from me, at all. Fancy taking that feature out for a spin?”
“Go for it,” Ianto replied, starting to smile as well.
“Wait …” Jack said tentatively, feeling extremely uncomfortable being the voice of caution in this particular group. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
But it was too late; they were surrounded by noise and movement, and heading into the complete unknown.