(no subject)
II
'Prime Minister, I'm formally advising you against this course of action. Don't do it.'
Harriet paused. 'But I'm only half-finished.'
He had to smile. Harriet went on buttoning his shirt.
'First,' said Jack. 'He's already shown he's willing and able to damage you.'
'I got through the week. The voters are on my side now they've heard my reasons.'
'There's still the EHRC case.'
'I don't think it will come to that,' said Harriet. 'I think we'll be successful in having the case thrown out on the grounds that international law applies solely to human beings.'
Jack's breath caught as she fastened the topmost button. He swallowed and said, 'Two. Capturing the Doctor will be next to impossible. Holding on to him will be impossible. The guy can get out of anything.'
'I have every confidence in you,' she said firmly. 'Is there a three?'
Jack sat down on the bed. He took her hands between his. 'Don't do it to him, Harriet. He may not be part of the system, but he is on our side.'
'I don't want you to dissect him. I don't even want him detained for the long term. I want the least harm possible to come to him.' She caressed Jack's fingers. 'But we must know more about him. I want Torchwood's xenobiologists to find out everything they can. And if there is any information he can be encouraged to volunteer, so much the better. We've got to replace some of the data he destroyed when he let loose than virus.'
He stood up, undoing the top button and tugging his collar loose. 'Anything in particular you want to know?'
'Anything which might save lives. Anything relevant to the security of the Earth in general and the human race in particular. Jack, listen to me.' He stood still, looking into her eyes. 'I know you have personal regard for the Doctor. I know you admire him. But you've taken on the responsibility of protecting the United Kingdom from any extraterrestrial threat, whatever our personal feelings. We both have.'
Neither of them moved for a moment. Then plucked his jacket off the back of the chair and took his phone out of the pocket. 'I'm on it, ma'am. We'll pick him up the next time he surfaces.'
Harriet visibly relaxed. 'As I said. I have every confidence in you.'
'Put on some clothes, will you? You're making it hard for a man to concentrate.'
'You dreadful boy,' she said, giving his ass a slap.
III
He couldn't be there when they actually arrested the Doctor.
'Arrested' is not the word, he reminded himself, examining himself critically in the bathroom mirror. Detained, possibly. Captured. Disappeared.
Torchwood did their best to keep an eye out for him. They couldn't use the net any more - not for any kind of text, at any rate - which was crippling in some ways, freeing in others. They had to rely on thought and effort and technique, on good old-fashioned legwork.
Legwork had placed the Doctor in outer London. Security cameras had spotted him walking beside a motorway, two days later at a nearby service station. Jack had ordered a pickup team into the area. 'Use the minimum force you need to get the job done,' he told them. 'That's a direct order from the top.'
While they were out there using minimum force, he shaved, and trimmed his nostril hair, and plucked his eyebrows. It was as though he was getting ready for a date, said one part of his mind. It was as though he was putting on armour, said another, or like a Spartan, combing his hair before battle so he'd leave a beautiful corpse. Or, said another part, it was just his normal routine. His looks, his style, his sex, all part of Captain Jack's toolkit. His attention to detail. The PM appreciated that.
His phone rang, and he jumped so violently he almost dropped it into the sink. He pushed his forehead against the cold glass and listened. 'You know what to do. I'll be there in fifteen,' he said.
He gave his hair a last tschuz and went out.
'Prime Minister, I'm formally advising you against this course of action. Don't do it.'
Harriet paused. 'But I'm only half-finished.'
He had to smile. Harriet went on buttoning his shirt.
'First,' said Jack. 'He's already shown he's willing and able to damage you.'
'I got through the week. The voters are on my side now they've heard my reasons.'
'There's still the EHRC case.'
'I don't think it will come to that,' said Harriet. 'I think we'll be successful in having the case thrown out on the grounds that international law applies solely to human beings.'
Jack's breath caught as she fastened the topmost button. He swallowed and said, 'Two. Capturing the Doctor will be next to impossible. Holding on to him will be impossible. The guy can get out of anything.'
'I have every confidence in you,' she said firmly. 'Is there a three?'
Jack sat down on the bed. He took her hands between his. 'Don't do it to him, Harriet. He may not be part of the system, but he is on our side.'
'I don't want you to dissect him. I don't even want him detained for the long term. I want the least harm possible to come to him.' She caressed Jack's fingers. 'But we must know more about him. I want Torchwood's xenobiologists to find out everything they can. And if there is any information he can be encouraged to volunteer, so much the better. We've got to replace some of the data he destroyed when he let loose than virus.'
He stood up, undoing the top button and tugging his collar loose. 'Anything in particular you want to know?'
'Anything which might save lives. Anything relevant to the security of the Earth in general and the human race in particular. Jack, listen to me.' He stood still, looking into her eyes. 'I know you have personal regard for the Doctor. I know you admire him. But you've taken on the responsibility of protecting the United Kingdom from any extraterrestrial threat, whatever our personal feelings. We both have.'
Neither of them moved for a moment. Then plucked his jacket off the back of the chair and took his phone out of the pocket. 'I'm on it, ma'am. We'll pick him up the next time he surfaces.'
Harriet visibly relaxed. 'As I said. I have every confidence in you.'
'Put on some clothes, will you? You're making it hard for a man to concentrate.'
'You dreadful boy,' she said, giving his ass a slap.
III
He couldn't be there when they actually arrested the Doctor.
'Arrested' is not the word, he reminded himself, examining himself critically in the bathroom mirror. Detained, possibly. Captured. Disappeared.
Torchwood did their best to keep an eye out for him. They couldn't use the net any more - not for any kind of text, at any rate - which was crippling in some ways, freeing in others. They had to rely on thought and effort and technique, on good old-fashioned legwork.
Legwork had placed the Doctor in outer London. Security cameras had spotted him walking beside a motorway, two days later at a nearby service station. Jack had ordered a pickup team into the area. 'Use the minimum force you need to get the job done,' he told them. 'That's a direct order from the top.'
While they were out there using minimum force, he shaved, and trimmed his nostril hair, and plucked his eyebrows. It was as though he was getting ready for a date, said one part of his mind. It was as though he was putting on armour, said another, or like a Spartan, combing his hair before battle so he'd leave a beautiful corpse. Or, said another part, it was just his normal routine. His looks, his style, his sex, all part of Captain Jack's toolkit. His attention to detail. The PM appreciated that.
His phone rang, and he jumped so violently he almost dropped it into the sink. He pushed his forehead against the cold glass and listened. 'You know what to do. I'll be there in fifteen,' he said.
He gave his hair a last tschuz and went out.