GIFT FOR THE COMMUNITY: A time to die, A time to build (Jack/Ten) [T] (Part Three)
Title: A time to die, A time to build
Author: luorescence
Recipient: the community
Rating: T
Pairing(s): Jack/Tenth Doctor, Jack/Eleventh Doctor (mentions)
Spoilers/warnings: Set after Waters of Mars for the Doctor, after The Wedding of Sarah Jane to be more precise. Future!Jack. References to all four seasons of Torchwood. TW: Dark and mental torture at one point
Summary: When the Doctor told Jack he needed him on that planet before running away like he always did, the Captain hadn’t thought they would meet again before hundreds of years, at least. And yet, he’s standing quite literally in front of Jack’s nose, while the latter just got shot by sonic bullets. And he’s not even the right regeneration. Typical.
Author’s notes: Many thanks to my betas for their work and wonderful support. The Doctor and Jack wouldn’t cooperate, things got way out of hand, and well. The result is quite long, and just a tad timey-wimey.
Part One
Part Two
**
"I really wish I had a gun right now," Jack yelled at the top of his lungs to cover the sounds the Weevils made, running in a perfect replica of this Doctor's TARDIS' corridors.
"Mindscape, Jack. Think hard of one and it should materialise," Lunaska answered from the front of the line they formed. The Doctor was between them, still holding their hands even if it made it a little awkward for him to run. "What the fuck are these things?"
The Doctor's grip went tighter, almost painful. The unspoken message was clear and Jack rolled his eyes, even if the other couldn't see him. "It shows you don't have them ready to jump on your ass. Try being a little more understanding, I'll be the first to go down if they catch up." His next words were for Lunaska. "Weevils. Can eat anything but have a large preference for meat. Right now, that's the most important."
As they took a turn to the right, Jack wished very hard for a gun. Nothing too big, it would be too cumbersome and impossible to use with only a free hand. A heavy pistol could do the trick though, with a semi-automatic large caliber. Not really light but it was powerful and it wouldn't dislocate his shoulders because of the recoil. Instantly, a reassuring weight settled in his right hand.
Jack turned back and emptied the whole magazine on the group, watching six of them fall on the ground with a thump, not without satisfaction. He really hadn't enjoyed the feeling of fangs sinking into his skin earlier; the first had appeared when they had been passing through a transparent bridge--coming from Lunaska's memories of her home world--rainfall soaking them in no time and reducing the visibility. It was too late when he had seen them and he had experienced that pain was unsurprisingly very real in the mindscape. No surprise there, but displeasing nonetheless.
"Don't worry, Doctor. They aren't dead, these are just stun bullets," he said before the Time Lord could make any comment. His weapon ejected the used munitions and he willed some news into it. "Not that they're alive in the first place."
The Time Lord snorted. "Exactly, what's the point of trying to get rid of it when they'll just pop up again. That's just rubbish," he added in that concupiscent tone of his.
"Really makes me feel better though. That's good enough for me."
The Doctor's answer was cut by Lunaska saying there was a door ahead, and an earthquake that made them hit the wall to their left. Jack let out a groan. There was a small silence between the three of them, during which he fired at the Weevils to keep them at bay.
"Jack, Time Lord? The door's definitely not from me. I don't even know that language, some circle-thingy with geometrical shapes in it."
"I'm taking care of that, easy-peasy."
Fire. There was no indication something had changed. Eject magazine. The Doctor let out a few words in Gallifreyan that sounded a lot like curses. Will new munitions into existence. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Whatever it is, it's not bad. Both of you, think of bananas," he eventually said. Jack let out an exclamation of disbelief and confusion. Was he really serious? "Password. It won't open without it."
"Bananas?"
"Think of an Earth fruit, bright yellow crescent-shaped fruit, very sweet and very tasty. They're great, you definitely should taste it one day, don't forget to peel the skin though." Jack heard the door hiss and he shot haphazardly into the Weevils band. If the Doctor could stop rambling and move now, that would be good. "And if you don't want to, there's a lot of recipes feat--"
"Doctor!" Jack nudged his flank hard with an elbow. The other let out an unhappy yelp but at least he advanced and Jack could finally pass through the door. It slid back into place after him. His ears tingled: the three-toned cacophony in the back of his mind grew to the point of real discomfort, but it was soon subdued. "You know, the more we go, the more messed up it's becoming and that," Jack commented as he was taking what he was seeing, "is beyond messed up."
They were back into Solrem's control room--sort of. The sides were filled with ladders and platforms, glass walls separated the space in smaller areas. Pillars of coral struts grew in a chaotic fashion all around. The light was provided by the pairs of roundels running around the superior part of the wall, oranges bulbs circled by a glowing electric blue line. The ceiling was similar to Jack's room on the TARDIS, shifting circular Gallifreyan: the names of the Doctor's companions. Even if he didn't recognise all of them, the TARDIS was showing him their images.
The Doctor's desktops and Torchwood hub had literally been forced into Solrem's control room, producing a very weird place the three of them had or were calling home in one way or another. A creepy sort of weird, to see all the elements placed at random locations, some of them changing their appearances as if they couldn't decide what they were.
However, the worst was in the middle of the room, hovering over the console. A humanoid clusterfuck of things that should have never been put together. The skin alone was impressive with the stars covering its brown hue. With disbelief, he examined the long leather jacket that opened on a pink shirt and dark pin-striped waistcoat. The lower part was a long white gown that hid its feet.
"No, really, what the fuck is that? Look at its face," Lunaska muttered.
"Hello," it giggled, its voice a chorus of familiar voices. "I hope you like it, ‘cause I did my best."
Jack's eyes went up, noticing red the bow tie around its neck. Oh God. If he had found the clothes disturbing, the face was on a whole other level. Middle-length red hair framed a very angular face, with pure black Silthain-like eyes. The nose was big and it had a white beard. Also, it was grinning, tongue flashing through its teeth in an expression that shouldn't be there.
Next to him, the Doctor was aghast, staring at it from head to toes. His mouth opened and closed a few times, until it settled into a grotesque grimace. "You really shouldn't have tried that hard," he eventually said with annoyance, before turning to Jack. "What do you think, Jack? You didn't say hello, did you? Don't you like it?"
"More like a bit too much of things I like, kind of an overdose," he replied, forcing himself to look at the creature's eyes and not anywhere else.
"Well, it's so complicated when you've got so many choices to pick. That's the problem, sirs and ma'am, there're so many people in these funny heads of yours. Couldn't settle on a single one. And you're three, it'd be no fun if only one of you could recognise me. Oh. By the way, you can call me Companions, plural form," it winked at them. "Nice to see you home, Spaceman."
The Doctor went tense at the nickname and Jack squeezed his hand in support. "Do I want to know who you really are?" The Captain asked, making no effort to hide his disgust.
"I'm Companions, a multitude." It made a childish grin. "From Limbo."
"Like it wasn't bad enough," Jack and the Doctor grumbled at the same moment.
"How bad it is?" Lunaska was blinking in a rapid succession, probably evaluating the situation.
"Very. That's a member of the Trickster's Brigade, an entity devoted to bring chaos in the universe. Met him not so long ago, because of him, I had to prevent a dear friend's marriage. Mind you, it was to save the universe. That one is an interesting fellow, but really not the sort you want to notice you. Anyway, Like you explained earlier, Lunaska, if the Solrem isn't there, the Fleet can't function. The largest gathering of ships in the Milky Way, lost and mad with grief. Just imagine the chaos."
The Silthain made a dismissive gesture with her free hand. "I don't have to imagine it, I'm feeling it growing, just right here and there," she put the Time Lord's palm on her chest, and an index finger to her forehead. "Remember?" Her tone made it clear she found the Doctor's comment plain stupid.
"And I bet it'll be fantastic!" The Trickster's agent said in a perfect imitation of the Doctor.
"Stop." The latter scowled, fully irritated now. Not that Jack didn't understand the feeling; that was just disgusting. He wondered what would happen if he just shot the insufferable mongrel. Probably nothing but at least, he would feel a little better.
"You can't stop me. The Solrem is home to me and I'm very comfy here, I won't go. But you can stay, I like you. You've got so many memories to play with. Oooh, I wonder what kind of games I could create. Playing cat and mouse was pretty fun, and you ran quite a lot. I know you like to run. I've seen it, you love to run. May--"
"Get out of my ship's mind, you little fucker!" Lunaska had crossed her hands over her chest, tightly clenched and shaking. For that matter, her whole body was quivering with tension.
"What are you going to do? Will me away?" Then it turned to the Doctor with a smug smile. "Talk me to death?" Next was Jack. "Or maybe shoot me?"
As much as the immortal wanted to deny it, the Trickster's agent had a good point. Right now, he couldn't see a way to get rid of it. It wasn't like they were in a material plane where they could just kill it, which was a shame because the temptation was great, even if the Doctor would disapprove.
"Stop that nonsense, Companions, please stop it. You can't kill the Solrem. He's a living being, like you and me. And there's millions of Silthains living in the Fleet. That's double genocide. Think about it. Are you really willing to commit that level of atrocity? Trust me, that's not the kind of things you want to live with. It will stay with you, haunt you for the rest of your life."
The ship shrieked in echo to the Doctor's words. It was the one of the saddest sounds Jack had ever heard, the plea of a dying beast, filled with affliction and sorrow. Lunaska put a hand on her face, masking her expression. Her forked tail wasn't coiled anymore, whipping the air behind her. She let out a distressed high-pitched noise.
Next to him, the Time Lord was as still as a statue, his face blank and dark eyes staring at the Trickster's agent without flinching. That was the expression when his patience was about to run out, the face of a man ready to do terrible things.
"You really should listen to him," Jack warned the Companions although he knew very well where the events were heading. "You really don't want to fight against him. No matter the enemy, he always win. You know it, you can see it in our heads. For your own sake, just stop. Leave this ship alone and go back to your master."
"I'm a herald of my master's will, a bringer of chaos. My master is my god."
The Trickster's agent shifted its form into the Angelo Jack had been with, dark slicked back hair and a large grin, eyes sparkling at the thought of travelling with him. Angelo that had dedicated his life to finding a way to be with Jack forever. Angelo who had died in his arm.
"Just like you were for this one. Oh dear, precious, Angelo Colasanto, giving up his life just to be with you even after you abandoned him and ran away. And still, he died loving you. Sounds familiar, right? But it doesn't even end there."
Next was Ianto, looking at him with that satisfied smile he made when Jack was drinking the coffee he had made for him. Ianto who had supported him in more ways than he thought, then died in his arms.
"No, there was young sweet Ianto, your so faithful companion that still followed you even when he questioned you, or when he feared you. Died for you, twice," the bastard continued, taking his original form. Jack forced himself not to look away. The Doctor gently squeezed his hand. "Doesn't the pattern remind you of something? The precious Doctor you love so much that you spend centuries running after him, knowing how wrong he considers you. He doesn't even have to ask and you come running back to him, dying for him again and again like a faithful believer sacrificing himself to his beloved and cruel god."
"Shut up."
"Now, Captain Jack Harkness, tell me why I would leave this ship alone and go back to my master when I'm here merely for him, just like you. We're not so different, aren't we?"
"Jack doesn't try committing genocide for the Doctor," Lunaska replied, hands over her chest.
The Trickster's agent burst out laughing. "He doesn't need to. The Doctor is already a master in that domain, ‘for the sake of all creation' notwithstanding. But you don't need me to remind you of that, do you?" it cooed.
The Silthain opened her mouth but no words came out of it. Then she shook her hands and tried hard not to meet Jack's eyes. Not that he could hold it against her; as much as he wished it was, the Trickster's agent wasn't wrong.
It waited a little while, then shifted its attention to the Doctor when neither spoke. The Time Lord's expression hadn't shifted a little bit, but now, Jack could feel the rage neatly concealed by his stillness, only waiting the moment to lash out. That would not end well. No, that couldn't end well, Jack corrected himself.
"And you, Doctor, such a wonder you are. You're brilliant you know that? Have you any idea of how much chaos you leave in your wake? The Daleks couldn't have chosen a better name when they branded you the Oncoming Storm. I'm so tempted to let you walk away just for that, you know?"
"Are you finished now? No, don't answer that," he said to the Trickster's agent when it was about to talk again. "You see, that's your problem. You just talk and talk and talk and talk. You don't stop, you won't just stop. It's like a broken record. And you know the problem with broken records?" The Doctor let go of Jack's hand to rub the back of his neck. "They’re broken. That's the point. You can't put anything new on them, you can't stop them from repeating what's on them. They’re just annoying and you know there's nothing you can do about that, no matter what you try. They're just ready for the scrap heap."
The Time Lord took a few steps forward, until he was so close to the Trickster's agent that they could probably feel each other's breath. Lunaska and Jack exchanged a worried glance when he ushered them to join him with a sign, apprehensive of what he would do after such a virulent diatribe. The Time Lord's other side of the coin, ancient and merciless. It was in times like these that this particular regeneration was the most alien, much more closer to the Time Lords of the legends than the almost human madman he had fallen for.
"Hush!" The Doctor placed a finger on the thing's lips when it parted them. "I'm not finished. It's time you learn to listen. Can you hear them?" he said, looking all around. Jack instantly knew what the Time Lord was referring to. "Solrem's wails, the one you've casually been murdering, spreading madness, little by little, into his mind, to make him kill himself."
They were the shakiest, highest notes of the discordant melody he had heard since they were in the mindscape: a shaking, out-of-tune line that resonated within Jack's bones. For once, the Trickster's agent didn't try to speak. It had been warned, hadn't it? Still the Captain was beginning to feel uneasy about what was about to come.
"Listen," the Doctor whispered while he put a hand on the Companions' temple. It didn't react at first, a cocky smile on its face. However, with the moments passing by, it slowly faltered into an horrified grimace. Eventually, it hissed loudly, taking a few steps back. "Oh no, you don't! Jack." That was all the Captain needed to move swiftly behind it. He immobilised it, making sure it wouldn't be able to escape. "I let you speak for so long, so now you will do as I say and listen until I'm finished. Lunaska, come here."
Jack's guts twisted as she glanced at him, hands twitching with nervousness. Although he felt more and more uneasy about the Time Lord, he nodded at her. Better not upset him further, for now. Moreover, if someone had to stop him and harvest the fruits of his rage, better be it Jack himself than Lunaska. She had enough on her plate to deal with in the first place. Furthermore, he was the Doctor's companion, he thought as the Time Lord gently cupped the Silthain's face, it was his duty to do so when necessary.
"He's not alone you know," the Doctor resumed as he put his fingers back on the Companions' temple. "There's the other ships, crying and screaming in distress. And there's the Silthains. People, thousands of millions of people living on these ships."
The Trickster's agent went through an impressive changes in a matter of moments, incapable of keeping the same shape for more than a few seconds. The Captain took long deep breaths, trying to keep the screams as well as the deep lamentations of the Fleet's voices in his mind at bay.
"Listen to them, Companions."
"Stop it!" It violently thrashed around. "Please, stop it! I can hear it, okay? I can hear! Please, stop it!"
Still, Jack didn't bulge.
Neither did the Doctor.
"Listen to the Fleet, the species you were so eager to lead to their extinction not so long ago. Listen to their suffering."
The Companions screamed but his torturer ignored him. It hurt to use the word, but Jack couldn't think of anything else. Right now, with the Doctor's cold expression and soft tone while he was voluntarily destroying the mind of another being, withering in pain in Jack's own arms, he felt that he wasn't looking at the Doctor anymore.
That man in front of him was much more like the ones they were used to fighting against, burning anger and hate and cruelty. The ones who wanted to ascend to godhood and who played with the lives of others like they had no meaning.
"Jack!" Lunaska yelled. She was violently shaking, her face stilled into a terrified rictus. She was weeping, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's killing him, Jack. Little by little, he is annihilating his mind. I can feel him doing it--. " Her voice broke. "Please, please. We have to stop him," she croaked.
The Doctor was wrong right now and needed to be stopped. To hell with the consequences! He pushed the Companions away, not caring about it. "Step back!" he told Lunaska. Not waiting to see if she obeyed, he gripped the Doctor's shoulders hard to prevent him from moving. "Doctor!" The Time Lord was looking over his shoulders, probably at where the Companions were. Oh no, that was not happening. "You. Look. At. Me," he whispering through gritted teeth. He moved his hands to cup the Doctor's face, forcing the alien to look at him. "Now, you listen to me." The nothingness in his eyes frightened Jack, but he had to keep going. "This is wrong. Scratch that, this is so much worse than wrong. You have to stop, Doctor." Still no reaction, great. "Listen, Lunaska is terrified of you right now, and I have to say I'm a little scared to because I've got really no i--"
He gasped when the TARDIS poked hard at him, feeling her mixture of annoyance and worry. He hadn't noticed the crack in his mental barriers. A long stream of images flashed through his mind. He tensed at their weight, his grip on the Time Lord growing harder, mind disoriented by the sheer volume of sensations and half-said instructions. He understood the essentials, though.
"Come on, Old Girl, let's do this, we've got a Time Lord to save."
***
"Are you sure you still want to travel with him?" Lunaska asked as Jack was pushing the TARDIS' door. He stopped right in his tracks. "No, don't answer. I already know anyway. Just--" She tapped his shoulder. "Be careful. And when you're tired of your Time Lord, come to the Fleet again. You'll always be welcomed."
The Captain turned on his heels, a cheeky grin on his face. "Don't worry, I'll definitely be back. There's so much to do here, so many things to explore," he said while he hugged her tightly. "I'm counting on you to take care of the Fleet while I'm not here."
She poked him on the forehead. "Watch your words in front of the Commander, you puny human."
When he eventually released her, he promptly kissed her goodbye. According to the doctors onboard, he had slept through the whole two last days, mentally drained from the confrontation with the Companions and the mind meld with the TARDIS and the Doctor.
The Companions had escaped in no time, Lunaska had told him. She had also confessed that although she was grateful for his help, she could neither forget what the Doctor had done nor forgive him. He wasn’t to put a single foot on the Fleet while he still wore that face; she wasn't willing to take any risk. As such, Jack hadn't seen him since and needed to check on the Time Lord.
"Hello, gorgeous," he muttered to the ship, touching one of the coral struts.
She shut the door behind him. In the blink of an eye, she was piloting herself. Into the Time Vortex according to the monitor. Jack grinned, glad to see that he could have read that without difficulty, not even needing the image and word she had whispered into his mind.
"We're getting better at this, aren't we? Now, where did the Doctor go?" he asked as he rushed through the console room to the door leading into the corridors.
She was obviously as anxious as he was about the Time Lord seeing that she halved the distance, making him go through a straight passage while she shared with him glimpses of what the Doctor felt. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly buckets of guilt and self-loathing. Also, worry and anger.
"Don't worry. He sent me there himself for that purpose and obviously, I succeeded. You've seen it. We're gonna sort it out in no time," he muttered the reassuring words, more for himself than for the ship when he was at the doorstep. He thanked her warmly when she nudged him in encouragement. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The lights were at minimum intensity, providing a good starry atmosphere in which to brood, Jack thought with bitterness. The Doctor was sitting on the bench, chin resting on the palm of his left hand while his right one was tapping the soft material. He didn't acknowledge Jack's presence yet, keeping his eyes fixed on the sky. That time, it was displaying a quotation, the general meaning being "losing time because of something made it important"--he wasn't so sure, the TARDIS' equivalences were weird, and it showed him a rose to illustrate the "something"--and that somehow felt familiar.
"You didn't sleep," Jack stated as he joined him on the bench. He sat down next to him. "Do you feel better?" he asked after a while, tired of the silence when he needed to speak with him.
He didn't flinch under the dark brown eyes that examined him, like their proprietor was searching for something on his face. Then, the Time Lord looked away. "I'm fine. It's not me you should be worrying for."
"Mind games. I've seen worse and I fear I'll see worse. I've got an eternity and I've learnt since long that people always manage to improve on worse. I don't say that it wasn't horrible," he made a short pause to will the Companions' image away before it cast much more unpleasant reminiscences. "I'm just saying I'll manage."
The Doctor let out a humourless chuckle. "Captain Jack Harkness, no matter the circumstances, always finding a way to bounce back on his feet."
"I'm a very adaptable sort of man, you should try me sometimes." The other rose an eyebrow, shaking his head in an equal measure of amusement and exasperation. And here it was again, silence. "You know, talking can help. I mean, sometimes, you really should talk about your feelings, even if I know you’re kind of emotionally constipated." The last part was unnecessary but Jack mainly wanted to stir the Time Lord up. However, the obstinate bastard didn't react. Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, after all that happened between us, you owe me that."
As soon as the words were out, the Doctor's gaze shifted to Jack, watching him carefully. The latter wondered what was the sudden obsession: it was far from the first time the other had looked at him like that since he had been back with him. Not that a few hours were long--he didn't count the days he had passed out cold--but there had been too far many stolen glances.
Eventually, the Time Lord let out a frustrated groan, passing a hand in his hair. "Right, right," he sighed in defeat. "If you want me to speak, I'll speak," he said with obvious unhappiness. "I don't understand. I'm really trying though but I don't understand and it's frustrating to no end. No matter how I turn this, I don't understand and the TARDIS isn't of much help. She's all secretive and weird."
Jack rose an eyebrow. "And you're not making much sense here, Doc, even if I ‘understand' what you could probably mean."
The Doctor glowered at him. He was in a quite touchy mood, wasn't he? "That's you I'm talking about!" When the words were followed by an eye roll--one of the sort that he could have guessed from the start--Jack could almost hear the "you thick idiot". It amused him much more than it should have. "You turn up and, all of sudden, the TARDIS loves you. When we had the mind melt, she even shielded part of your mind and it's making me curiouser and curiouser."
And not being able to resolve the enigma he was for the Time Lord was probably killing the Doctor. "So, I'm a mystery for you to resolve? I really like the sound of that. Mysterious and impossible, that's quite a good combination don't you think?"
"Yeah. That suits you well." He was about to add something but stopped himself, mouth still hanging open. He let out a "huh" before moistening his lips. "Jack," he said after a long while, his expression much more serious than before. Jack instantly knew he wouldn't like the question and the Time Lord wouldn't like the answer either. "Are we okay? You and me, I mean."
Were they? If for the previous Doctor and the next, he could answer without hesitation that, yes, he was more than okay with them. That one though--even if Jack had outgrown his grief at that regeneration's words and actions since long--that one had just tortured another sentient being in front of him. He hadn't been himself--Jack himself had been a willing accomplice--but it wasn't something he could forget just like that, or forgive. Either of them, for that matter.
"With time eventually," he began after a long while, choosing his words carefully. "It'll be good." Time always healed the scars. He just had to wait. "But, actually, we can begin to work on it right now."
The Doctor lit up, a large grin blooming on his face, making it wrinkle. "How so?"
"Let's travel together. After this, I don't want to let you on your own. I really don't think it's good for the universe if there's nobody to stop you. And I also want us to visit Kephlinox from time to time." The Doctor blinked. Jack anticipated the question that had been coming and answered before the other asked it, "I've got a team, remember?"
"Oh. Right. Bringing Captain Jack Harkness back to his team from time to time. Duly noted. Anything else I can do for you?"
Jack grinned. The Doctor really shouldn't have asked that question, even less in those terms. "Well, since you ask, I don't remind you thanking me for saving your ass back on the Solrem, I'd really love a thank-you kiss. Or more, you know, if you feel like it." Jack winked at him then laughed at the Time Lord's sheer expression of disbelief. "No but rea--"
The Doctor's lips were suddenly on his own, muffling the end of the word. The kiss was nothing but teeth and tongues, forceful and messy. When they eventually parted, both panting and hands in each others' hair, the Time Lord put his forehead against Jack’s, ragged breath tickling the human's tip of the nose.
“Not so smug now, are we, Captain?”
---------------------------------------
AN: For the curious ones, the sentence that’s displayed on the ceiling at the end, the one with the rose, is a real citation. And that’s, “It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important”; from The Little Prince.
Author: luorescence
Recipient: the community
Rating: T
Pairing(s): Jack/Tenth Doctor, Jack/Eleventh Doctor (mentions)
Spoilers/warnings: Set after Waters of Mars for the Doctor, after The Wedding of Sarah Jane to be more precise. Future!Jack. References to all four seasons of Torchwood. TW: Dark and mental torture at one point
Summary: When the Doctor told Jack he needed him on that planet before running away like he always did, the Captain hadn’t thought they would meet again before hundreds of years, at least. And yet, he’s standing quite literally in front of Jack’s nose, while the latter just got shot by sonic bullets. And he’s not even the right regeneration. Typical.
Author’s notes: Many thanks to my betas for their work and wonderful support. The Doctor and Jack wouldn’t cooperate, things got way out of hand, and well. The result is quite long, and just a tad timey-wimey.
Part One
Part Two
**
"I really wish I had a gun right now," Jack yelled at the top of his lungs to cover the sounds the Weevils made, running in a perfect replica of this Doctor's TARDIS' corridors.
"Mindscape, Jack. Think hard of one and it should materialise," Lunaska answered from the front of the line they formed. The Doctor was between them, still holding their hands even if it made it a little awkward for him to run. "What the fuck are these things?"
The Doctor's grip went tighter, almost painful. The unspoken message was clear and Jack rolled his eyes, even if the other couldn't see him. "It shows you don't have them ready to jump on your ass. Try being a little more understanding, I'll be the first to go down if they catch up." His next words were for Lunaska. "Weevils. Can eat anything but have a large preference for meat. Right now, that's the most important."
As they took a turn to the right, Jack wished very hard for a gun. Nothing too big, it would be too cumbersome and impossible to use with only a free hand. A heavy pistol could do the trick though, with a semi-automatic large caliber. Not really light but it was powerful and it wouldn't dislocate his shoulders because of the recoil. Instantly, a reassuring weight settled in his right hand.
Jack turned back and emptied the whole magazine on the group, watching six of them fall on the ground with a thump, not without satisfaction. He really hadn't enjoyed the feeling of fangs sinking into his skin earlier; the first had appeared when they had been passing through a transparent bridge--coming from Lunaska's memories of her home world--rainfall soaking them in no time and reducing the visibility. It was too late when he had seen them and he had experienced that pain was unsurprisingly very real in the mindscape. No surprise there, but displeasing nonetheless.
"Don't worry, Doctor. They aren't dead, these are just stun bullets," he said before the Time Lord could make any comment. His weapon ejected the used munitions and he willed some news into it. "Not that they're alive in the first place."
The Time Lord snorted. "Exactly, what's the point of trying to get rid of it when they'll just pop up again. That's just rubbish," he added in that concupiscent tone of his.
"Really makes me feel better though. That's good enough for me."
The Doctor's answer was cut by Lunaska saying there was a door ahead, and an earthquake that made them hit the wall to their left. Jack let out a groan. There was a small silence between the three of them, during which he fired at the Weevils to keep them at bay.
"Jack, Time Lord? The door's definitely not from me. I don't even know that language, some circle-thingy with geometrical shapes in it."
"I'm taking care of that, easy-peasy."
Fire. There was no indication something had changed. Eject magazine. The Doctor let out a few words in Gallifreyan that sounded a lot like curses. Will new munitions into existence. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Whatever it is, it's not bad. Both of you, think of bananas," he eventually said. Jack let out an exclamation of disbelief and confusion. Was he really serious? "Password. It won't open without it."
"Bananas?"
"Think of an Earth fruit, bright yellow crescent-shaped fruit, very sweet and very tasty. They're great, you definitely should taste it one day, don't forget to peel the skin though." Jack heard the door hiss and he shot haphazardly into the Weevils band. If the Doctor could stop rambling and move now, that would be good. "And if you don't want to, there's a lot of recipes feat--"
"Doctor!" Jack nudged his flank hard with an elbow. The other let out an unhappy yelp but at least he advanced and Jack could finally pass through the door. It slid back into place after him. His ears tingled: the three-toned cacophony in the back of his mind grew to the point of real discomfort, but it was soon subdued. "You know, the more we go, the more messed up it's becoming and that," Jack commented as he was taking what he was seeing, "is beyond messed up."
They were back into Solrem's control room--sort of. The sides were filled with ladders and platforms, glass walls separated the space in smaller areas. Pillars of coral struts grew in a chaotic fashion all around. The light was provided by the pairs of roundels running around the superior part of the wall, oranges bulbs circled by a glowing electric blue line. The ceiling was similar to Jack's room on the TARDIS, shifting circular Gallifreyan: the names of the Doctor's companions. Even if he didn't recognise all of them, the TARDIS was showing him their images.
The Doctor's desktops and Torchwood hub had literally been forced into Solrem's control room, producing a very weird place the three of them had or were calling home in one way or another. A creepy sort of weird, to see all the elements placed at random locations, some of them changing their appearances as if they couldn't decide what they were.
However, the worst was in the middle of the room, hovering over the console. A humanoid clusterfuck of things that should have never been put together. The skin alone was impressive with the stars covering its brown hue. With disbelief, he examined the long leather jacket that opened on a pink shirt and dark pin-striped waistcoat. The lower part was a long white gown that hid its feet.
"No, really, what the fuck is that? Look at its face," Lunaska muttered.
"Hello," it giggled, its voice a chorus of familiar voices. "I hope you like it, ‘cause I did my best."
Jack's eyes went up, noticing red the bow tie around its neck. Oh God. If he had found the clothes disturbing, the face was on a whole other level. Middle-length red hair framed a very angular face, with pure black Silthain-like eyes. The nose was big and it had a white beard. Also, it was grinning, tongue flashing through its teeth in an expression that shouldn't be there.
Next to him, the Doctor was aghast, staring at it from head to toes. His mouth opened and closed a few times, until it settled into a grotesque grimace. "You really shouldn't have tried that hard," he eventually said with annoyance, before turning to Jack. "What do you think, Jack? You didn't say hello, did you? Don't you like it?"
"More like a bit too much of things I like, kind of an overdose," he replied, forcing himself to look at the creature's eyes and not anywhere else.
"Well, it's so complicated when you've got so many choices to pick. That's the problem, sirs and ma'am, there're so many people in these funny heads of yours. Couldn't settle on a single one. And you're three, it'd be no fun if only one of you could recognise me. Oh. By the way, you can call me Companions, plural form," it winked at them. "Nice to see you home, Spaceman."
The Doctor went tense at the nickname and Jack squeezed his hand in support. "Do I want to know who you really are?" The Captain asked, making no effort to hide his disgust.
"I'm Companions, a multitude." It made a childish grin. "From Limbo."
"Like it wasn't bad enough," Jack and the Doctor grumbled at the same moment.
"How bad it is?" Lunaska was blinking in a rapid succession, probably evaluating the situation.
"Very. That's a member of the Trickster's Brigade, an entity devoted to bring chaos in the universe. Met him not so long ago, because of him, I had to prevent a dear friend's marriage. Mind you, it was to save the universe. That one is an interesting fellow, but really not the sort you want to notice you. Anyway, Like you explained earlier, Lunaska, if the Solrem isn't there, the Fleet can't function. The largest gathering of ships in the Milky Way, lost and mad with grief. Just imagine the chaos."
The Silthain made a dismissive gesture with her free hand. "I don't have to imagine it, I'm feeling it growing, just right here and there," she put the Time Lord's palm on her chest, and an index finger to her forehead. "Remember?" Her tone made it clear she found the Doctor's comment plain stupid.
"And I bet it'll be fantastic!" The Trickster's agent said in a perfect imitation of the Doctor.
"Stop." The latter scowled, fully irritated now. Not that Jack didn't understand the feeling; that was just disgusting. He wondered what would happen if he just shot the insufferable mongrel. Probably nothing but at least, he would feel a little better.
"You can't stop me. The Solrem is home to me and I'm very comfy here, I won't go. But you can stay, I like you. You've got so many memories to play with. Oooh, I wonder what kind of games I could create. Playing cat and mouse was pretty fun, and you ran quite a lot. I know you like to run. I've seen it, you love to run. May--"
"Get out of my ship's mind, you little fucker!" Lunaska had crossed her hands over her chest, tightly clenched and shaking. For that matter, her whole body was quivering with tension.
"What are you going to do? Will me away?" Then it turned to the Doctor with a smug smile. "Talk me to death?" Next was Jack. "Or maybe shoot me?"
As much as the immortal wanted to deny it, the Trickster's agent had a good point. Right now, he couldn't see a way to get rid of it. It wasn't like they were in a material plane where they could just kill it, which was a shame because the temptation was great, even if the Doctor would disapprove.
"Stop that nonsense, Companions, please stop it. You can't kill the Solrem. He's a living being, like you and me. And there's millions of Silthains living in the Fleet. That's double genocide. Think about it. Are you really willing to commit that level of atrocity? Trust me, that's not the kind of things you want to live with. It will stay with you, haunt you for the rest of your life."
The ship shrieked in echo to the Doctor's words. It was the one of the saddest sounds Jack had ever heard, the plea of a dying beast, filled with affliction and sorrow. Lunaska put a hand on her face, masking her expression. Her forked tail wasn't coiled anymore, whipping the air behind her. She let out a distressed high-pitched noise.
Next to him, the Time Lord was as still as a statue, his face blank and dark eyes staring at the Trickster's agent without flinching. That was the expression when his patience was about to run out, the face of a man ready to do terrible things.
"You really should listen to him," Jack warned the Companions although he knew very well where the events were heading. "You really don't want to fight against him. No matter the enemy, he always win. You know it, you can see it in our heads. For your own sake, just stop. Leave this ship alone and go back to your master."
"I'm a herald of my master's will, a bringer of chaos. My master is my god."
The Trickster's agent shifted its form into the Angelo Jack had been with, dark slicked back hair and a large grin, eyes sparkling at the thought of travelling with him. Angelo that had dedicated his life to finding a way to be with Jack forever. Angelo who had died in his arm.
"Just like you were for this one. Oh dear, precious, Angelo Colasanto, giving up his life just to be with you even after you abandoned him and ran away. And still, he died loving you. Sounds familiar, right? But it doesn't even end there."
Next was Ianto, looking at him with that satisfied smile he made when Jack was drinking the coffee he had made for him. Ianto who had supported him in more ways than he thought, then died in his arms.
"No, there was young sweet Ianto, your so faithful companion that still followed you even when he questioned you, or when he feared you. Died for you, twice," the bastard continued, taking his original form. Jack forced himself not to look away. The Doctor gently squeezed his hand. "Doesn't the pattern remind you of something? The precious Doctor you love so much that you spend centuries running after him, knowing how wrong he considers you. He doesn't even have to ask and you come running back to him, dying for him again and again like a faithful believer sacrificing himself to his beloved and cruel god."
"Shut up."
"Now, Captain Jack Harkness, tell me why I would leave this ship alone and go back to my master when I'm here merely for him, just like you. We're not so different, aren't we?"
"Jack doesn't try committing genocide for the Doctor," Lunaska replied, hands over her chest.
The Trickster's agent burst out laughing. "He doesn't need to. The Doctor is already a master in that domain, ‘for the sake of all creation' notwithstanding. But you don't need me to remind you of that, do you?" it cooed.
The Silthain opened her mouth but no words came out of it. Then she shook her hands and tried hard not to meet Jack's eyes. Not that he could hold it against her; as much as he wished it was, the Trickster's agent wasn't wrong.
It waited a little while, then shifted its attention to the Doctor when neither spoke. The Time Lord's expression hadn't shifted a little bit, but now, Jack could feel the rage neatly concealed by his stillness, only waiting the moment to lash out. That would not end well. No, that couldn't end well, Jack corrected himself.
"And you, Doctor, such a wonder you are. You're brilliant you know that? Have you any idea of how much chaos you leave in your wake? The Daleks couldn't have chosen a better name when they branded you the Oncoming Storm. I'm so tempted to let you walk away just for that, you know?"
"Are you finished now? No, don't answer that," he said to the Trickster's agent when it was about to talk again. "You see, that's your problem. You just talk and talk and talk and talk. You don't stop, you won't just stop. It's like a broken record. And you know the problem with broken records?" The Doctor let go of Jack's hand to rub the back of his neck. "They’re broken. That's the point. You can't put anything new on them, you can't stop them from repeating what's on them. They’re just annoying and you know there's nothing you can do about that, no matter what you try. They're just ready for the scrap heap."
The Time Lord took a few steps forward, until he was so close to the Trickster's agent that they could probably feel each other's breath. Lunaska and Jack exchanged a worried glance when he ushered them to join him with a sign, apprehensive of what he would do after such a virulent diatribe. The Time Lord's other side of the coin, ancient and merciless. It was in times like these that this particular regeneration was the most alien, much more closer to the Time Lords of the legends than the almost human madman he had fallen for.
"Hush!" The Doctor placed a finger on the thing's lips when it parted them. "I'm not finished. It's time you learn to listen. Can you hear them?" he said, looking all around. Jack instantly knew what the Time Lord was referring to. "Solrem's wails, the one you've casually been murdering, spreading madness, little by little, into his mind, to make him kill himself."
They were the shakiest, highest notes of the discordant melody he had heard since they were in the mindscape: a shaking, out-of-tune line that resonated within Jack's bones. For once, the Trickster's agent didn't try to speak. It had been warned, hadn't it? Still the Captain was beginning to feel uneasy about what was about to come.
"Listen," the Doctor whispered while he put a hand on the Companions' temple. It didn't react at first, a cocky smile on its face. However, with the moments passing by, it slowly faltered into an horrified grimace. Eventually, it hissed loudly, taking a few steps back. "Oh no, you don't! Jack." That was all the Captain needed to move swiftly behind it. He immobilised it, making sure it wouldn't be able to escape. "I let you speak for so long, so now you will do as I say and listen until I'm finished. Lunaska, come here."
Jack's guts twisted as she glanced at him, hands twitching with nervousness. Although he felt more and more uneasy about the Time Lord, he nodded at her. Better not upset him further, for now. Moreover, if someone had to stop him and harvest the fruits of his rage, better be it Jack himself than Lunaska. She had enough on her plate to deal with in the first place. Furthermore, he was the Doctor's companion, he thought as the Time Lord gently cupped the Silthain's face, it was his duty to do so when necessary.
"He's not alone you know," the Doctor resumed as he put his fingers back on the Companions' temple. "There's the other ships, crying and screaming in distress. And there's the Silthains. People, thousands of millions of people living on these ships."
The Trickster's agent went through an impressive changes in a matter of moments, incapable of keeping the same shape for more than a few seconds. The Captain took long deep breaths, trying to keep the screams as well as the deep lamentations of the Fleet's voices in his mind at bay.
"Listen to them, Companions."
"Stop it!" It violently thrashed around. "Please, stop it! I can hear it, okay? I can hear! Please, stop it!"
Still, Jack didn't bulge.
Neither did the Doctor.
"Listen to the Fleet, the species you were so eager to lead to their extinction not so long ago. Listen to their suffering."
The Companions screamed but his torturer ignored him. It hurt to use the word, but Jack couldn't think of anything else. Right now, with the Doctor's cold expression and soft tone while he was voluntarily destroying the mind of another being, withering in pain in Jack's own arms, he felt that he wasn't looking at the Doctor anymore.
That man in front of him was much more like the ones they were used to fighting against, burning anger and hate and cruelty. The ones who wanted to ascend to godhood and who played with the lives of others like they had no meaning.
"Jack!" Lunaska yelled. She was violently shaking, her face stilled into a terrified rictus. She was weeping, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's killing him, Jack. Little by little, he is annihilating his mind. I can feel him doing it--. " Her voice broke. "Please, please. We have to stop him," she croaked.
The Doctor was wrong right now and needed to be stopped. To hell with the consequences! He pushed the Companions away, not caring about it. "Step back!" he told Lunaska. Not waiting to see if she obeyed, he gripped the Doctor's shoulders hard to prevent him from moving. "Doctor!" The Time Lord was looking over his shoulders, probably at where the Companions were. Oh no, that was not happening. "You. Look. At. Me," he whispering through gritted teeth. He moved his hands to cup the Doctor's face, forcing the alien to look at him. "Now, you listen to me." The nothingness in his eyes frightened Jack, but he had to keep going. "This is wrong. Scratch that, this is so much worse than wrong. You have to stop, Doctor." Still no reaction, great. "Listen, Lunaska is terrified of you right now, and I have to say I'm a little scared to because I've got really no i--"
He gasped when the TARDIS poked hard at him, feeling her mixture of annoyance and worry. He hadn't noticed the crack in his mental barriers. A long stream of images flashed through his mind. He tensed at their weight, his grip on the Time Lord growing harder, mind disoriented by the sheer volume of sensations and half-said instructions. He understood the essentials, though.
"Come on, Old Girl, let's do this, we've got a Time Lord to save."
***
"Are you sure you still want to travel with him?" Lunaska asked as Jack was pushing the TARDIS' door. He stopped right in his tracks. "No, don't answer. I already know anyway. Just--" She tapped his shoulder. "Be careful. And when you're tired of your Time Lord, come to the Fleet again. You'll always be welcomed."
The Captain turned on his heels, a cheeky grin on his face. "Don't worry, I'll definitely be back. There's so much to do here, so many things to explore," he said while he hugged her tightly. "I'm counting on you to take care of the Fleet while I'm not here."
She poked him on the forehead. "Watch your words in front of the Commander, you puny human."
When he eventually released her, he promptly kissed her goodbye. According to the doctors onboard, he had slept through the whole two last days, mentally drained from the confrontation with the Companions and the mind meld with the TARDIS and the Doctor.
The Companions had escaped in no time, Lunaska had told him. She had also confessed that although she was grateful for his help, she could neither forget what the Doctor had done nor forgive him. He wasn’t to put a single foot on the Fleet while he still wore that face; she wasn't willing to take any risk. As such, Jack hadn't seen him since and needed to check on the Time Lord.
"Hello, gorgeous," he muttered to the ship, touching one of the coral struts.
She shut the door behind him. In the blink of an eye, she was piloting herself. Into the Time Vortex according to the monitor. Jack grinned, glad to see that he could have read that without difficulty, not even needing the image and word she had whispered into his mind.
"We're getting better at this, aren't we? Now, where did the Doctor go?" he asked as he rushed through the console room to the door leading into the corridors.
She was obviously as anxious as he was about the Time Lord seeing that she halved the distance, making him go through a straight passage while she shared with him glimpses of what the Doctor felt. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly buckets of guilt and self-loathing. Also, worry and anger.
"Don't worry. He sent me there himself for that purpose and obviously, I succeeded. You've seen it. We're gonna sort it out in no time," he muttered the reassuring words, more for himself than for the ship when he was at the doorstep. He thanked her warmly when she nudged him in encouragement. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The lights were at minimum intensity, providing a good starry atmosphere in which to brood, Jack thought with bitterness. The Doctor was sitting on the bench, chin resting on the palm of his left hand while his right one was tapping the soft material. He didn't acknowledge Jack's presence yet, keeping his eyes fixed on the sky. That time, it was displaying a quotation, the general meaning being "losing time because of something made it important"--he wasn't so sure, the TARDIS' equivalences were weird, and it showed him a rose to illustrate the "something"--and that somehow felt familiar.
"You didn't sleep," Jack stated as he joined him on the bench. He sat down next to him. "Do you feel better?" he asked after a while, tired of the silence when he needed to speak with him.
He didn't flinch under the dark brown eyes that examined him, like their proprietor was searching for something on his face. Then, the Time Lord looked away. "I'm fine. It's not me you should be worrying for."
"Mind games. I've seen worse and I fear I'll see worse. I've got an eternity and I've learnt since long that people always manage to improve on worse. I don't say that it wasn't horrible," he made a short pause to will the Companions' image away before it cast much more unpleasant reminiscences. "I'm just saying I'll manage."
The Doctor let out a humourless chuckle. "Captain Jack Harkness, no matter the circumstances, always finding a way to bounce back on his feet."
"I'm a very adaptable sort of man, you should try me sometimes." The other rose an eyebrow, shaking his head in an equal measure of amusement and exasperation. And here it was again, silence. "You know, talking can help. I mean, sometimes, you really should talk about your feelings, even if I know you’re kind of emotionally constipated." The last part was unnecessary but Jack mainly wanted to stir the Time Lord up. However, the obstinate bastard didn't react. Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, after all that happened between us, you owe me that."
As soon as the words were out, the Doctor's gaze shifted to Jack, watching him carefully. The latter wondered what was the sudden obsession: it was far from the first time the other had looked at him like that since he had been back with him. Not that a few hours were long--he didn't count the days he had passed out cold--but there had been too far many stolen glances.
Eventually, the Time Lord let out a frustrated groan, passing a hand in his hair. "Right, right," he sighed in defeat. "If you want me to speak, I'll speak," he said with obvious unhappiness. "I don't understand. I'm really trying though but I don't understand and it's frustrating to no end. No matter how I turn this, I don't understand and the TARDIS isn't of much help. She's all secretive and weird."
Jack rose an eyebrow. "And you're not making much sense here, Doc, even if I ‘understand' what you could probably mean."
The Doctor glowered at him. He was in a quite touchy mood, wasn't he? "That's you I'm talking about!" When the words were followed by an eye roll--one of the sort that he could have guessed from the start--Jack could almost hear the "you thick idiot". It amused him much more than it should have. "You turn up and, all of sudden, the TARDIS loves you. When we had the mind melt, she even shielded part of your mind and it's making me curiouser and curiouser."
And not being able to resolve the enigma he was for the Time Lord was probably killing the Doctor. "So, I'm a mystery for you to resolve? I really like the sound of that. Mysterious and impossible, that's quite a good combination don't you think?"
"Yeah. That suits you well." He was about to add something but stopped himself, mouth still hanging open. He let out a "huh" before moistening his lips. "Jack," he said after a long while, his expression much more serious than before. Jack instantly knew he wouldn't like the question and the Time Lord wouldn't like the answer either. "Are we okay? You and me, I mean."
Were they? If for the previous Doctor and the next, he could answer without hesitation that, yes, he was more than okay with them. That one though--even if Jack had outgrown his grief at that regeneration's words and actions since long--that one had just tortured another sentient being in front of him. He hadn't been himself--Jack himself had been a willing accomplice--but it wasn't something he could forget just like that, or forgive. Either of them, for that matter.
"With time eventually," he began after a long while, choosing his words carefully. "It'll be good." Time always healed the scars. He just had to wait. "But, actually, we can begin to work on it right now."
The Doctor lit up, a large grin blooming on his face, making it wrinkle. "How so?"
"Let's travel together. After this, I don't want to let you on your own. I really don't think it's good for the universe if there's nobody to stop you. And I also want us to visit Kephlinox from time to time." The Doctor blinked. Jack anticipated the question that had been coming and answered before the other asked it, "I've got a team, remember?"
"Oh. Right. Bringing Captain Jack Harkness back to his team from time to time. Duly noted. Anything else I can do for you?"
Jack grinned. The Doctor really shouldn't have asked that question, even less in those terms. "Well, since you ask, I don't remind you thanking me for saving your ass back on the Solrem, I'd really love a thank-you kiss. Or more, you know, if you feel like it." Jack winked at him then laughed at the Time Lord's sheer expression of disbelief. "No but rea--"
The Doctor's lips were suddenly on his own, muffling the end of the word. The kiss was nothing but teeth and tongues, forceful and messy. When they eventually parted, both panting and hands in each others' hair, the Time Lord put his forehead against Jack’s, ragged breath tickling the human's tip of the nose.
“Not so smug now, are we, Captain?”
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AN: For the curious ones, the sentence that’s displayed on the ceiling at the end, the one with the rose, is a real citation. And that’s, “It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important”; from The Little Prince.