Doctor Who/Torchwood - fic - Protection, PG (spoilers to tLotTL)
This is a sequel to Bigger on the Inside, as demanded requested by mickeyk. Hope this does the job!
Title - Protection
Author - laurab1
Rating - PG
Length - 646 words
Characters - Jack, Nine & Rose (in flashback), Ten, Martha, TARDIS, TW3, the Master, Jones family
Spoilers - Parting of the Ways, Utopia, The Sound of Drums, The Last of the Time Lords, Torchwood S2
Summary - It’s safe, it’s home. It’s relatively indistinguishable from the rest of his keys. Once again, they need to keep working, to save the Earth
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
Protection
by Laura
‘Death by laser. That’s a new one,’ Jack thinks, adding it to a very long list and blacking out. (He’d been stunned by laser once, but that was in a game, and a vastly more pleasurable situation.)
Then, as always, there’s the light, and his heart starts beating again.
Martha’s the only one among them who’s still capable of doing something. He’s half dead, the Doctor's an old man and her family is absolutely terrified. Not allowing the Master to use her as a bargaining chip, Jack sets some co-ordinates on his vortex manipulator.
“She’s safe. You sent her home. Keep working,” he’d told the Doctor, 138 years ago, in the year 200,100.
“Save yourself,” he orders Martha, handing her the wrist comp. She goes to the Doctor, and he whispers something to her. Then she gets herself the hell out of the lion’s den.
Exchanging looks with the Doctor, Jack he can see what he had said to him reflected in the Time Lord’s eyes. Someone else is safe, someone else has gone home.
When a little more strength returns, and the Master’s not looking, Jack takes the TARDIS key off his neck. Pulling out his vast number of keys, he uses one of them to prise off the chip; lessening the chance of the Master abusing the perception filter. When they get out of this, and time's been fixed, he might reattach it, reactivating the filter. It would certainly come in handy for stealth work. Slipping the chip in his coat pocket, Jack places the key back on the ring.
It’s safe, it’s home. It’s relatively indistinguishable from the rest of his keys. Once again, they need to keep working, to save the Earth.
***
Later, after time’s been rewound, Jack’s back in the Hub.
Having hugged and/or kissed all of his team, he’s sat at his desk, still wearing his coat. Running one hand over the coral, he takes his keys out of his pocket. Flicking through them, he finds the key to the TARDIS.
He’s had this key for just over 138 years, he still remembers how the Doctor had looked at him when he gave it to him, how much trust he had placed in Jack. Working it off the ring, Jack looks at it, and then closes his hand around the key, holding and protecting it.
He needs do something, as a memorial to this past year, the one that never happened, but he’s drawing a blank on what could be done.
***
The next day, watching Tosh explain something, and finding his eyes drawn to her neck and her jewellery, it hits Jack.
He resolves to wear his key as a pendant for the next year. A silent tribute to the TARDIS, Earth, the Doctor, the Joneses, over his heart, visible only to him. He just needs something to string it on.
A visit to the kitsch shop will be necessary.
***
The hippy/goth/punk/club/new age/surfer dude/girly jewellery is at the front of the shop; rows and rows of pendants strung on black leather cords.
Jack chooses three pieces; one for each of his girls, for their next birthdays. A silver Celtic knot for Gwen, a silver fairy for Tosh, a bright red enamelled heart for Martha. Spotting a similarly coloured pair of lips, Jack smiles wickedly, and decides to buy that one for her as well.
***
Back at his desk, Jack takes the lips off their cord, placing them in the box containing Martha’s necklace.
The names for the knots had lasted, over the centuries. Taking his TARDIS key, he ties a lark’s head with the cord, securing the key onto it. Placing it around his neck, Jack fastens the clasp, and slips the key into his shirts. The metal’s warm, against his skin, resting over his heart.
Every time Jack dies during that year, he comes back far quicker than usual.
I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection
Massive Attack
-end-
crosspost:
new_who
dwfiction
torch_wood
torchwood_fic
galactic_conman
Title - Protection
Author - laurab1
Rating - PG
Length - 646 words
Characters - Jack, Nine & Rose (in flashback), Ten, Martha, TARDIS, TW3, the Master, Jones family
Spoilers - Parting of the Ways, Utopia, The Sound of Drums, The Last of the Time Lords, Torchwood S2
Summary - It’s safe, it’s home. It’s relatively indistinguishable from the rest of his keys. Once again, they need to keep working, to save the Earth
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
Protection
by Laura
‘Death by laser. That’s a new one,’ Jack thinks, adding it to a very long list and blacking out. (He’d been stunned by laser once, but that was in a game, and a vastly more pleasurable situation.)
Then, as always, there’s the light, and his heart starts beating again.
Martha’s the only one among them who’s still capable of doing something. He’s half dead, the Doctor's an old man and her family is absolutely terrified. Not allowing the Master to use her as a bargaining chip, Jack sets some co-ordinates on his vortex manipulator.
“She’s safe. You sent her home. Keep working,” he’d told the Doctor, 138 years ago, in the year 200,100.
“Save yourself,” he orders Martha, handing her the wrist comp. She goes to the Doctor, and he whispers something to her. Then she gets herself the hell out of the lion’s den.
Exchanging looks with the Doctor, Jack he can see what he had said to him reflected in the Time Lord’s eyes. Someone else is safe, someone else has gone home.
When a little more strength returns, and the Master’s not looking, Jack takes the TARDIS key off his neck. Pulling out his vast number of keys, he uses one of them to prise off the chip; lessening the chance of the Master abusing the perception filter. When they get out of this, and time's been fixed, he might reattach it, reactivating the filter. It would certainly come in handy for stealth work. Slipping the chip in his coat pocket, Jack places the key back on the ring.
It’s safe, it’s home. It’s relatively indistinguishable from the rest of his keys. Once again, they need to keep working, to save the Earth.
***
Later, after time’s been rewound, Jack’s back in the Hub.
Having hugged and/or kissed all of his team, he’s sat at his desk, still wearing his coat. Running one hand over the coral, he takes his keys out of his pocket. Flicking through them, he finds the key to the TARDIS.
He’s had this key for just over 138 years, he still remembers how the Doctor had looked at him when he gave it to him, how much trust he had placed in Jack. Working it off the ring, Jack looks at it, and then closes his hand around the key, holding and protecting it.
He needs do something, as a memorial to this past year, the one that never happened, but he’s drawing a blank on what could be done.
***
The next day, watching Tosh explain something, and finding his eyes drawn to her neck and her jewellery, it hits Jack.
He resolves to wear his key as a pendant for the next year. A silent tribute to the TARDIS, Earth, the Doctor, the Joneses, over his heart, visible only to him. He just needs something to string it on.
A visit to the kitsch shop will be necessary.
***
The hippy/goth/punk/club/new age/surfer dude/girly jewellery is at the front of the shop; rows and rows of pendants strung on black leather cords.
Jack chooses three pieces; one for each of his girls, for their next birthdays. A silver Celtic knot for Gwen, a silver fairy for Tosh, a bright red enamelled heart for Martha. Spotting a similarly coloured pair of lips, Jack smiles wickedly, and decides to buy that one for her as well.
***
Back at his desk, Jack takes the lips off their cord, placing them in the box containing Martha’s necklace.
The names for the knots had lasted, over the centuries. Taking his TARDIS key, he ties a lark’s head with the cord, securing the key onto it. Placing it around his neck, Jack fastens the clasp, and slips the key into his shirts. The metal’s warm, against his skin, resting over his heart.
Every time Jack dies during that year, he comes back far quicker than usual.
I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection
Massive Attack
-end-
crosspost:
new_who
dwfiction
torch_wood
torchwood_fic
galactic_conman