Different Sort of Science -- Just A Dream
Title: Different Sort of Science
Chapter Twenty-Five: Just A Dream
Date Written: 10/23/08
Rating: PG-13/T
Word Count: 1,338
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor, Donna, Master
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, character death.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and betas dedicated enough to call me about fic. Thank you so much girls! And don't worry, guys, this is nowhere near the end. I do have the next chapter done and it's projected for posting Saturday or Sunday, but I might be talked into posting it earlier for a pretty book cover or special icon... Title from Carrie Underwood's latest single of the same name.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"Daleks!"
"Oh God!"
"It's been good though, hasn't it? All of us, all of it. Everything we did. You were brilliant. And you were brilliant. And you were brilliant. Blimey."
-- Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness and the Doctor, Journey's End
The battlefield was completely silent, save for the heavy breathing of Jack and Ianto. The lovers waited for the arrows to fall so they could command their men to counter.
The seconds seemed to drag on into minutes, hours, forever. It was excruciating.
"JACK!"
Ianto's eyes widened, but he stayed stock still, afraid of the arrows that were most likely about to rain down on top of them at any moment. Jack frowned and turned to him. "That's my father," he said needlessly; they both recognized the Time Lord's voice.
"What did you do?" the Doctor demanded, his voice getting louder, nearing them.
"Nothing!" Jack called back, his words reflecting off the metal. "What the hell are you doing out here now?"
"Look up," the Doctor ordered.
"What?!"
"Look. Up," the older Time Lord repeated slowly.
Jack obediently popped his head up over the top of the shield and gasped in surprise, rising to his feet. Curious, Ianto tipped his head to the right to peer around the edge of his own shield, eyes widening at what he saw.
The arrows that had been hurtling towards them were suspended in midair, as if they were hanging by invisible thread. The nearest arrow was hovering within easy arm's reach, the silver tip pointed directly at Jack's heart.
"Someone stopped time," the Doctor said, plucking the arrow aimed at his son out of midair. He snapped it in half and tossed it to the ground. "It wasn't me and it wasn't Donna, so it has to be you."
"How d'you know it wasn't Aunt Donna?" Jack demanded. Ianto rolled his eyes. At least now they had all the time they wanted to fight. Theoretically.
"We're twins, remember?" the Doctor snapped, tapping his temple with one long forefinger. "I'm in her head constantly, and she's in mine."
"It wasn't me, Dad!" Jack said. "Maybe Harold has someone who can stop time."
"Well, if he does, we'll know." The Doctor crossed his arms. "The only people who can move during a Time Stop spell are Time Lords and the person who cast it." He shook his head. "He's got to be one helluva magic user."
Ianto started, looking down at his hands. He experimentally flexed his fingers, as if proving to himself that he really could move. Did that mean he really was a Time Lord?
Instinct told him no. It took him a few moments to put it together, but once he did he wasn't surprised; enough people on the field didn't truly want to be fighting that Ianto had focused that into his own wish that time could stop.
Ooh, the Doctor was going to kill him.
"Actually, it's just me again," Ianto said, standing and taking his helmet off.
The Doctor turned and looked so unbelievably sad that Ianto wanted to just crouch down and hide again. "Oh, Ianto..."
"No," Jack breathed. "No, not you."
Ianto spread his hands, silently saying and yet here I am. "I didn't do it on purpose," he said.
Jack turned to his father. "Please. Please say you can fix this."
The Doctor shook his head sadly. "I can't."
"How badly did I screw up?" Ianto asked, unfastening his shield.
The Doctor took a deep breath. "D'you remember what happened when you revived the graveyard?"
Ianto nodded. "I used too much power and I almost died."
"Now. Think of how much power it must take for you to stop time," the Doctor said gently.
Ianto did, and it almost took his breath away. "Then how come I'm not dead?"
"Everything's in stasis," the older Time Lord explained. "Right now, your powers are completely limitless. You're a god, Ianto Jones."
"Because when time starts up again, I'll be burned out either way," Ianto surmised. "So it doesn't matter how much I use up. In the end, I'll be dead."
"No," Jack said vehemently. "I said I would protect you, and that includes protecting you from yourself."
Ianto cupped Jack's face with one hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "First things first." He looked over at the Doctor. "What do you want us to do?"
The Doctor blinked for a moment before nodding. "Get every weapon off the field. Capture Harold, we'll give him to Curbishley. I think I can persuade him to be merciful."
Ianto and Jack both nodded, given their marching orders. They slowly went through both armies, patting everyone down for each piece of steel. Donna came out and joined them eventually, on foot and breathing hard. They used a fair bit of magic to help remove the weapons to a safe distance, but it was still incredibly slow going. Ianto figured it took hours, maybe even days to disarm everyone, but he didn't even get tired. The Doctor said it was the Time Stop, that after they'd be exhausted.
They found Harold behind the army, sitting on a rich wooden throne like the idol he thought he was. He was frozen mid-laugh, probably amused at the underhanded trick he'd pulled to catch the resistance by surprise. They manhandled him down off his throne and tied him up good and tight.
"Just need a spit," Ianto joked as they wrapped a long, wide Welsh standard around him over the two layers of rope. Jack laughed a bit as Donna and the Doctor requisitioned a barrow. The Time Lord siblings hoisted him into the barrow and started hauling the king across the would-be battlefield, Jack and Ianto following at a much subdued pace.
Jack took Ianto's hand in one of his, threading their fingers together as they trudged through the grass. Neither of them spoke. They didn't have to; both of them could sense what the other was feeling. Jack was a jumble of emotions, anger and terror mixed in with a full-blown, all-encompassing sense of loss.
"I'm still right here," Ianto said quietly. He felt... oddly calm. Accepting.
"In a few seconds, you won't be," Jack replied, squeezing his hand. "Stay like this."
"I can't stop the world forever, Jack," he said softly. "Others have to live."
"I don't care about the others," Jack growled.
"Yes you do," Ianto replied softly. "That's what's making this harder." He stopped them, looking from one army to another. "One single person versus thousands. It's justifiable, and you know it."
"Ianto -- "
Ianto pressed his mouth against Jack's, threading his fingers through Jack's thick, short hair. As they kissed, Ianto closed his eyes and slowly started unraveling the Time Stop. His knees buckled as time started again, but Jack gathered him closer and kissed him hard. He could feel the tell-tale tingle of Jack pouring Healing energy into him, but they both knew it was too little, too late.
Eventually, Ianto's weight was too much, and Jack slowly lowered him to the ground. He could feel the wind whipping about them, and hear the confused murmurs of both armies. "It'll be okay," he heard himself tell Jack, hands gripping the Time Lord's forearms. "It will."
"No," Jack argued, shaking his head. "Don't. Stay awake, stay with me."
His eyelids were already getting heavy, and he realized he was shaking but he didn't feel cold. He couldn't feel anything. He looked up at Jack, blinking a lot to try and clear the blurry image. "Jack?" he asked, sounding sleepy. It was getting a little hard to breathe. Everything had slowed down.
Jack touched his cheek -- that he could feel, warm, comforting weight against his face -- and Ianto could see a strip of white, Jack's smile. "I'm here, love."
Ianto couldn't help but beam at the term of endearment. A drop of something hit his face -- was it raining? He tried to remember if it had looked overcast, but his mind was as fuzzy as his vision. He was so tired... Maybe he could take a bit of a nap, no one would mind, he was sure of it.
"Love you," he mumbled, finally letting his heavy eyelids slide shut, giving himself to the darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Just A Dream
Date Written: 10/23/08
Rating: PG-13/T
Word Count: 1,338
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor, Donna, Master
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, character death.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and betas dedicated enough to call me about fic. Thank you so much girls! And don't worry, guys, this is nowhere near the end. I do have the next chapter done and it's projected for posting Saturday or Sunday, but I might be talked into posting it earlier for a pretty book cover or special icon... Title from Carrie Underwood's latest single of the same name.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"Daleks!"
"Oh God!"
"It's been good though, hasn't it? All of us, all of it. Everything we did. You were brilliant. And you were brilliant. And you were brilliant. Blimey."
-- Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness and the Doctor, Journey's End
The battlefield was completely silent, save for the heavy breathing of Jack and Ianto. The lovers waited for the arrows to fall so they could command their men to counter.
The seconds seemed to drag on into minutes, hours, forever. It was excruciating.
"JACK!"
Ianto's eyes widened, but he stayed stock still, afraid of the arrows that were most likely about to rain down on top of them at any moment. Jack frowned and turned to him. "That's my father," he said needlessly; they both recognized the Time Lord's voice.
"What did you do?" the Doctor demanded, his voice getting louder, nearing them.
"Nothing!" Jack called back, his words reflecting off the metal. "What the hell are you doing out here now?"
"Look up," the Doctor ordered.
"What?!"
"Look. Up," the older Time Lord repeated slowly.
Jack obediently popped his head up over the top of the shield and gasped in surprise, rising to his feet. Curious, Ianto tipped his head to the right to peer around the edge of his own shield, eyes widening at what he saw.
The arrows that had been hurtling towards them were suspended in midair, as if they were hanging by invisible thread. The nearest arrow was hovering within easy arm's reach, the silver tip pointed directly at Jack's heart.
"Someone stopped time," the Doctor said, plucking the arrow aimed at his son out of midair. He snapped it in half and tossed it to the ground. "It wasn't me and it wasn't Donna, so it has to be you."
"How d'you know it wasn't Aunt Donna?" Jack demanded. Ianto rolled his eyes. At least now they had all the time they wanted to fight. Theoretically.
"We're twins, remember?" the Doctor snapped, tapping his temple with one long forefinger. "I'm in her head constantly, and she's in mine."
"It wasn't me, Dad!" Jack said. "Maybe Harold has someone who can stop time."
"Well, if he does, we'll know." The Doctor crossed his arms. "The only people who can move during a Time Stop spell are Time Lords and the person who cast it." He shook his head. "He's got to be one helluva magic user."
Ianto started, looking down at his hands. He experimentally flexed his fingers, as if proving to himself that he really could move. Did that mean he really was a Time Lord?
Instinct told him no. It took him a few moments to put it together, but once he did he wasn't surprised; enough people on the field didn't truly want to be fighting that Ianto had focused that into his own wish that time could stop.
Ooh, the Doctor was going to kill him.
"Actually, it's just me again," Ianto said, standing and taking his helmet off.
The Doctor turned and looked so unbelievably sad that Ianto wanted to just crouch down and hide again. "Oh, Ianto..."
"No," Jack breathed. "No, not you."
Ianto spread his hands, silently saying and yet here I am. "I didn't do it on purpose," he said.
Jack turned to his father. "Please. Please say you can fix this."
The Doctor shook his head sadly. "I can't."
"How badly did I screw up?" Ianto asked, unfastening his shield.
The Doctor took a deep breath. "D'you remember what happened when you revived the graveyard?"
Ianto nodded. "I used too much power and I almost died."
"Now. Think of how much power it must take for you to stop time," the Doctor said gently.
Ianto did, and it almost took his breath away. "Then how come I'm not dead?"
"Everything's in stasis," the older Time Lord explained. "Right now, your powers are completely limitless. You're a god, Ianto Jones."
"Because when time starts up again, I'll be burned out either way," Ianto surmised. "So it doesn't matter how much I use up. In the end, I'll be dead."
"No," Jack said vehemently. "I said I would protect you, and that includes protecting you from yourself."
Ianto cupped Jack's face with one hand, giving him a reassuring smile. "First things first." He looked over at the Doctor. "What do you want us to do?"
The Doctor blinked for a moment before nodding. "Get every weapon off the field. Capture Harold, we'll give him to Curbishley. I think I can persuade him to be merciful."
Ianto and Jack both nodded, given their marching orders. They slowly went through both armies, patting everyone down for each piece of steel. Donna came out and joined them eventually, on foot and breathing hard. They used a fair bit of magic to help remove the weapons to a safe distance, but it was still incredibly slow going. Ianto figured it took hours, maybe even days to disarm everyone, but he didn't even get tired. The Doctor said it was the Time Stop, that after they'd be exhausted.
They found Harold behind the army, sitting on a rich wooden throne like the idol he thought he was. He was frozen mid-laugh, probably amused at the underhanded trick he'd pulled to catch the resistance by surprise. They manhandled him down off his throne and tied him up good and tight.
"Just need a spit," Ianto joked as they wrapped a long, wide Welsh standard around him over the two layers of rope. Jack laughed a bit as Donna and the Doctor requisitioned a barrow. The Time Lord siblings hoisted him into the barrow and started hauling the king across the would-be battlefield, Jack and Ianto following at a much subdued pace.
Jack took Ianto's hand in one of his, threading their fingers together as they trudged through the grass. Neither of them spoke. They didn't have to; both of them could sense what the other was feeling. Jack was a jumble of emotions, anger and terror mixed in with a full-blown, all-encompassing sense of loss.
"I'm still right here," Ianto said quietly. He felt... oddly calm. Accepting.
"In a few seconds, you won't be," Jack replied, squeezing his hand. "Stay like this."
"I can't stop the world forever, Jack," he said softly. "Others have to live."
"I don't care about the others," Jack growled.
"Yes you do," Ianto replied softly. "That's what's making this harder." He stopped them, looking from one army to another. "One single person versus thousands. It's justifiable, and you know it."
"Ianto -- "
Ianto pressed his mouth against Jack's, threading his fingers through Jack's thick, short hair. As they kissed, Ianto closed his eyes and slowly started unraveling the Time Stop. His knees buckled as time started again, but Jack gathered him closer and kissed him hard. He could feel the tell-tale tingle of Jack pouring Healing energy into him, but they both knew it was too little, too late.
Eventually, Ianto's weight was too much, and Jack slowly lowered him to the ground. He could feel the wind whipping about them, and hear the confused murmurs of both armies. "It'll be okay," he heard himself tell Jack, hands gripping the Time Lord's forearms. "It will."
"No," Jack argued, shaking his head. "Don't. Stay awake, stay with me."
His eyelids were already getting heavy, and he realized he was shaking but he didn't feel cold. He couldn't feel anything. He looked up at Jack, blinking a lot to try and clear the blurry image. "Jack?" he asked, sounding sleepy. It was getting a little hard to breathe. Everything had slowed down.
Jack touched his cheek -- that he could feel, warm, comforting weight against his face -- and Ianto could see a strip of white, Jack's smile. "I'm here, love."
Ianto couldn't help but beam at the term of endearment. A drop of something hit his face -- was it raining? He tried to remember if it had looked overcast, but his mind was as fuzzy as his vision. He was so tired... Maybe he could take a bit of a nap, no one would mind, he was sure of it.
"Love you," he mumbled, finally letting his heavy eyelids slide shut, giving himself to the darkness.