A Piece of Home
Title: A Piece of Home
Characters: Ten, Jack and an appearance by Myfawnwy
Rating: G
Disclaimer: make no monies and I'll put them back--
Spoilers: End of TW S2 and DW S3
Summary: One never knows when the Doctor will visit...
Beta: thanks to mad_jaks for her patience and wonderful comments
A/N: written for nightrider101 's birthday, sorry for the lateness....
Jack was stretched out lengthwise on the floor, legs crossed at the ankles and hands clasped behind his head as he stared at the ceiling above him. He'd been listening to the silence, or what normally passed for silence, in the deserted Hub.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd had the entire place to himself, if one overlooked the lazily swooping pterodactyl, also seemed to be enjoying the relative absence of ongoing chatter. Sure, he enjoyed the company of the others. Most of the time: when they weren't quibbling or bickering amongst themselves; trying to impress each other with their findings; or boring each other with the more mundane aspects of personal lives, something he had very little use for.
And if any one of them had rationalized Jack's insistence that they take a day or two off, they would probably have become suspicious at his need for a respite at the same time each year. As it was, he was content to lie there with nothing to disturb his thoughts but his own company; lonely as it was. So it came as a mild surprise to see that familiar outline casually leaning against the door frame.
"Hello, Jack," drawled the Doctor, looking like a typhoon had just deposited him on the doorstep. His hair was completely at odds with itself, pointing every direction at once, as his brown eyes quickly surveyed the room. The portrait of unusual calm, one leg bent and crossed at the ankle of his supporting leg, and hands thrust deep into the pockets of his overcoat set Jack on edge.
Time to upgrade the security system, he thought, aware he hadn't heard the tell-tale signs of the TARDIS materializing, and that meant, somehow, the Doctor had just wandered in without triggering any of the sirens, or alerting Myfanwy.
The Doctor wasn't a man noted for social calls, and Jack tried to recall which of Torchwood's recent cases would have set off an alarm important enough to attract the Time Lord. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, the Doctor squatted down next to Jack.
"Relax, Captain," he assured him. "I'm not here on business. Well, not official business, that is to say no business, or rather-" The Doctor quirked an eyebrow and grinned at the look of confusion on Jack's face before leaning forward and rubbing the back of his neck repeatedly. "Thing is-" he blew out a long breath and let out an exclamation as his eyes fell on something on Jack's desk.
The Doctor stepped over him, forcing Jack to roll away from his blanketing long coat. Hastily, Jack gained his own feet as he caught sight of the Doctor picking up the small shard of the TARDIS. He was about to protest then stopped, realizing the tiny piece of the sentient ship wasn't rightfully his.
He held his tongue, wincing slightly as the Doctor twisted and turned the splinter over in his hands, allowing it to catch and reflect the tiny bit of illumination in the room. Jack stepped up beside the Doctor, turning towards him until he was leaning back against the desk, his arms braced behind himself.
The Doctor finally stopped his inspection and held the fragment aloft, looking past it to Jack, who shrugged abashedly, "Was hoping it was small enough you might not notice?" he offered, refusing to look at the Doctor and instead fixed his own gaze on the shard before him.
"Oh, the possibilities-" mused the Doctor aloud, watching Jack's expression as he twirled the coral piece between his thumb and forefingers.
Jack thought he heard an imperceptible song calling out to him as the spinning crystal captivated his attention, and he suddenly found himself wanting to reach out and snatch the splinter from the Doctor's grasp. He gripped the edge of the desk tightly; sure his fingers would leave an indentation in the wood, and instead forced out a slow even breath.
The strong surge of possessiveness he was battling disappeared quickly when the Doctor palmed the crystal and slid it smoothly into his trouser pocket.
"Looking for something, Captain?"
Jack realized he'd been caught staring at the front of the Time Lord's trousers and raised his eyes to meet the Doctor's teasing gaze. He felt an acute sense of loss when he thought about giving up that tiny piece of the TARDIS; it was the one place he'd been able to call home in a very long time, and he'd gotten used to having that one small reminder lying around.
He cleared his throat and brought his arms across his chest, keeping his voice calm as he addressed the Doctor. "So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit, or are you just out reclaiming your property?"
The Doctor's face burst into a wide grin at Jack's comment and he bobbed his head in agreement. "Oh, I like that, Jack," he said, an eyebrow quirking upwards. He continued nodding his head as he spun around and strode out of the room, trainers squeaking in protest. "Reclaiming, yes. Has a lovely ring to it, full of optimism and hope-although I've never considered myself a man of many possessions. Well, aside from the TARDIS, well, some would say she's only borrowed, but still-I'm not really sure I own anything else."
He stopped and pivoted back around in the middle of the hall and looked at Jack curiously. "You're not coming?" he asked with almost child-like innocence. Jack shrugged with indifference, his face a mask as he assessed the Doctor.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Your question." The Doctor looked slightly puzzled, his brow furrowing as he contemplated a spot on the wall beyond Jack's shoulder.
Jack nodded his head solemnly, never taking his eyes off the Time Lord's face. He'd learned to read the man in front of him pretty well and knew exactly when the Doctor was avoiding, like now.
The Doctor shifted his stance slightly, planting his feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and gave the impression he was preparing for a head on assault.
"Why are you here?" Jack asked quietly.
"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you it was a social visit?"
"Nope." Jack shook his head. "There's always an agenda with you."
"Is there?" the Doctor's voice was cold, and his expression demanded an explanation.
A part of Jack wanted to explain, wanted to confide in him, and another part wanted to believe the Doctor really was there 'just for old time's sake'. But years of experience and too many disappointments allowed him to hold his tongue.
And so they waited, neither willing to concede a response as galaxies expanded, black holes formed, and stars collided.
Jack's eyelids grew heavy and he stifled a yawn, blinking slowly, only to discover the Doctor now stood directly in front of him, and they were both standing in the middle of the TARDIS control room.
He reached out to stroke the console, returning the long overdue welcome. "Time Lord trickery?" he asked, in an attempt to make sense of the sudden shift in locations.
"Oh, I don't think one would classify anything that simple as trickery. More of an illusion, a minor shift, a very subtle hiccup in the fabric of time," the Doctor explained as he began his choreographed dance around the console. He pointed at a dial close to Jack, "three-seven-two-eight, if you don't mind."
Jack's hand got as far as hovering over the dial, an entirely reflexive action on his part, before he halted the motion. The Doctor still hadn't answered his question, and on top of that he'd kidnapped Jack and was proceeding to whisk him away to who knew where or when.
"Damn it, Doc," Jack said, pulling his hand away from the control. He stood to his full height and once more crossed his arms in defiance. "Give me an answer. I don't even care if it's straight or makes any sense; just tell me what the hell you've gotten me or are getting me into. You could at least tell me that much."
The Doctor bobbed his head as he motioned frantically with his free hand for Jack to twist the dial. The hum of the time rotor increased and the Doctor's eyes widened slightly as he stared at the golden knob, too far away for him to reach.
"Youwouldn'tbelievemeifItoldyouandyou'rejustgoingtohavetotrustmeonthisone." The Doctor managed to get out, even as he stretched a leg across the console trying to reach the dial and discovered he was half an inch too short. The toe of his trainer wiggled a quarter of an inch closer as he grunted with the effort. "Ja-a-a-ck," he begged, through clenched teeth.
Just as the rotor reached the highest pitch signaling dematerialization, Jack reluctantly reached over and turned the dial. The Doctor fell limply to the floor and rolled onto his back, chuckling in relief.
"That was close," he said as his face reflected pure wonderment at what they'd narrowly missed and his gaze swept over the ceiling, as if possibly seeing it for the first time. "Right then," he exclaimed, bouncing to his feet and circling the console until he ran into the barrier known as Jack.
The Doctor cleared his throat and turned away from Jack, finding a sudden interest in the console as he leaned over to inspect something, anything, and everything to avoid eye contact with the Captain.
"Try me."
The Doctor sighed, pushed himself up from the console and took a step away from Jack, giving them both a little more space. He blew out a long breath as his right hand found its way to the back of his neck.
"You see, there's this thing, and I don't even know if it's going to work, it's only a theory. Well, it was a theory, a very good theory, something one of my previous incarnations was working on mind you, so the math was a bit outdated even at that time. Don't worry though; I've worked all the equations out myself, even showed it to Albert Einstein. He could have at least acted slightly more impressed-"
"Doctor,"
"Hmm? Oh yes, Einstein. No I mean the theory, did I tell you it's brilliant?" The Doctor paused, his eyes glazed over as if watching something happening elsewhere.
"There is a point to all of this, right?" Jack coaxed the reminiscing Time Lord, who was lost in his own thoughts.
"Yes, yes, of course there's a point to this." The Doctor began to circle back around the console, moving away from Jack. "The point is-I thought, well we thought-"
The TARDIS landed with a soft whump.
Jack was surprised at the near perfect landing that hadn't sent him sprawling across the floor, and was even more amazed the Doctor was already holding the door to the outside open.
"Captain?" The Doctor motioned for Jack to lead the way through the doors.
Jack's hand automatically sought the empty spot where his shoulder holster usually sat, its comforting weight missing. Nor was he wearing his blue over coat, and cursed himself silently for not being prepared for an adventure. Yet, seeing the Doctor step outside he quickly followed suit, comfort be damned.
Jack found himself standing inside a cavern, surrounded by large crystal rock formations in a variety of dazzling colors. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the intense display.
"Where are we?" he asked, and listened as his voice echoed and turned to music as it reverberated through the cave.
The Doctor grinned, that aren't-I-so-impressive-grin, and pulled out the small splinter from his pocket that he'd taken from Jack's desk earlier. He held out the tiny piece of coral to Jack who opened his palm to accept it. A rainbow danced across its surface as it reflected the colors in the cavern.
"Do you hear the song you heard earlier?" whispered the Doctor. Jack shook his head as he continued to be mesmerized by the shard in his hand. He didn't notice, until the Doctor placed his fingertips against his temple, that the Time Lord had moved to stand in front of him, so intent was his concentration on the display in his hand. With eyes shut the Doctor repeated his question and Jack's head moved up and down as he began to hear the music again.
The song started off, faint as a whispered breeze, but grew steadily stronger until he no longer had to strain to hear it. It quickly began to ring throughout the cavern, while the crystal grew warmer in his hand. There was only one thought in Jack's mind, home.
The Doctor removed his fingers from Jack's temples and the melody faded, the room became quiet once more and the crystals seemed to slightly dull.
"Time to go," the Doctor said simply, closing Jack's fingers around the crystal shard and wrapping his hand in both of his.
They walked back to the TARDIS in silence.
Jack blinked, and he was once again inside his Torchwood office lying on the floor. He turned his head as a slight movement caught his eye, only to note it was Myfanwy flying. What a dream he thought, checking his watch as he stood up stretching and yawning.
He stared at the coral shard that he'd dreamed of. It sat next to a bright yellow sticky note in the middle of his desk. He glanced around to assure himself he was alone, then picked up the note. The scrawled writing was familiar and read; A piece of home. As he picked up the coral he heard a faint melody begin and read the sticky note left under the shard: Happy Birthday, Jack.
How'd he know, Jack mused lifting the sticky note and finding another. This one simply read: Time Lord, and was signed: The Doctor.
fin
Characters: Ten, Jack and an appearance by Myfawnwy
Rating: G
Disclaimer: make no monies and I'll put them back--
Spoilers: End of TW S2 and DW S3
Summary: One never knows when the Doctor will visit...
Beta: thanks to mad_jaks for her patience and wonderful comments
A/N: written for nightrider101 's birthday, sorry for the lateness....
Jack was stretched out lengthwise on the floor, legs crossed at the ankles and hands clasped behind his head as he stared at the ceiling above him. He'd been listening to the silence, or what normally passed for silence, in the deserted Hub.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd had the entire place to himself, if one overlooked the lazily swooping pterodactyl, also seemed to be enjoying the relative absence of ongoing chatter. Sure, he enjoyed the company of the others. Most of the time: when they weren't quibbling or bickering amongst themselves; trying to impress each other with their findings; or boring each other with the more mundane aspects of personal lives, something he had very little use for.
And if any one of them had rationalized Jack's insistence that they take a day or two off, they would probably have become suspicious at his need for a respite at the same time each year. As it was, he was content to lie there with nothing to disturb his thoughts but his own company; lonely as it was. So it came as a mild surprise to see that familiar outline casually leaning against the door frame.
"Hello, Jack," drawled the Doctor, looking like a typhoon had just deposited him on the doorstep. His hair was completely at odds with itself, pointing every direction at once, as his brown eyes quickly surveyed the room. The portrait of unusual calm, one leg bent and crossed at the ankle of his supporting leg, and hands thrust deep into the pockets of his overcoat set Jack on edge.
Time to upgrade the security system, he thought, aware he hadn't heard the tell-tale signs of the TARDIS materializing, and that meant, somehow, the Doctor had just wandered in without triggering any of the sirens, or alerting Myfanwy.
The Doctor wasn't a man noted for social calls, and Jack tried to recall which of Torchwood's recent cases would have set off an alarm important enough to attract the Time Lord. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, the Doctor squatted down next to Jack.
"Relax, Captain," he assured him. "I'm not here on business. Well, not official business, that is to say no business, or rather-" The Doctor quirked an eyebrow and grinned at the look of confusion on Jack's face before leaning forward and rubbing the back of his neck repeatedly. "Thing is-" he blew out a long breath and let out an exclamation as his eyes fell on something on Jack's desk.
The Doctor stepped over him, forcing Jack to roll away from his blanketing long coat. Hastily, Jack gained his own feet as he caught sight of the Doctor picking up the small shard of the TARDIS. He was about to protest then stopped, realizing the tiny piece of the sentient ship wasn't rightfully his.
He held his tongue, wincing slightly as the Doctor twisted and turned the splinter over in his hands, allowing it to catch and reflect the tiny bit of illumination in the room. Jack stepped up beside the Doctor, turning towards him until he was leaning back against the desk, his arms braced behind himself.
The Doctor finally stopped his inspection and held the fragment aloft, looking past it to Jack, who shrugged abashedly, "Was hoping it was small enough you might not notice?" he offered, refusing to look at the Doctor and instead fixed his own gaze on the shard before him.
"Oh, the possibilities-" mused the Doctor aloud, watching Jack's expression as he twirled the coral piece between his thumb and forefingers.
Jack thought he heard an imperceptible song calling out to him as the spinning crystal captivated his attention, and he suddenly found himself wanting to reach out and snatch the splinter from the Doctor's grasp. He gripped the edge of the desk tightly; sure his fingers would leave an indentation in the wood, and instead forced out a slow even breath.
The strong surge of possessiveness he was battling disappeared quickly when the Doctor palmed the crystal and slid it smoothly into his trouser pocket.
"Looking for something, Captain?"
Jack realized he'd been caught staring at the front of the Time Lord's trousers and raised his eyes to meet the Doctor's teasing gaze. He felt an acute sense of loss when he thought about giving up that tiny piece of the TARDIS; it was the one place he'd been able to call home in a very long time, and he'd gotten used to having that one small reminder lying around.
He cleared his throat and brought his arms across his chest, keeping his voice calm as he addressed the Doctor. "So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit, or are you just out reclaiming your property?"
The Doctor's face burst into a wide grin at Jack's comment and he bobbed his head in agreement. "Oh, I like that, Jack," he said, an eyebrow quirking upwards. He continued nodding his head as he spun around and strode out of the room, trainers squeaking in protest. "Reclaiming, yes. Has a lovely ring to it, full of optimism and hope-although I've never considered myself a man of many possessions. Well, aside from the TARDIS, well, some would say she's only borrowed, but still-I'm not really sure I own anything else."
He stopped and pivoted back around in the middle of the hall and looked at Jack curiously. "You're not coming?" he asked with almost child-like innocence. Jack shrugged with indifference, his face a mask as he assessed the Doctor.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Your question." The Doctor looked slightly puzzled, his brow furrowing as he contemplated a spot on the wall beyond Jack's shoulder.
Jack nodded his head solemnly, never taking his eyes off the Time Lord's face. He'd learned to read the man in front of him pretty well and knew exactly when the Doctor was avoiding, like now.
The Doctor shifted his stance slightly, planting his feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and gave the impression he was preparing for a head on assault.
"Why are you here?" Jack asked quietly.
"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you it was a social visit?"
"Nope." Jack shook his head. "There's always an agenda with you."
"Is there?" the Doctor's voice was cold, and his expression demanded an explanation.
A part of Jack wanted to explain, wanted to confide in him, and another part wanted to believe the Doctor really was there 'just for old time's sake'. But years of experience and too many disappointments allowed him to hold his tongue.
And so they waited, neither willing to concede a response as galaxies expanded, black holes formed, and stars collided.
Jack's eyelids grew heavy and he stifled a yawn, blinking slowly, only to discover the Doctor now stood directly in front of him, and they were both standing in the middle of the TARDIS control room.
He reached out to stroke the console, returning the long overdue welcome. "Time Lord trickery?" he asked, in an attempt to make sense of the sudden shift in locations.
"Oh, I don't think one would classify anything that simple as trickery. More of an illusion, a minor shift, a very subtle hiccup in the fabric of time," the Doctor explained as he began his choreographed dance around the console. He pointed at a dial close to Jack, "three-seven-two-eight, if you don't mind."
Jack's hand got as far as hovering over the dial, an entirely reflexive action on his part, before he halted the motion. The Doctor still hadn't answered his question, and on top of that he'd kidnapped Jack and was proceeding to whisk him away to who knew where or when.
"Damn it, Doc," Jack said, pulling his hand away from the control. He stood to his full height and once more crossed his arms in defiance. "Give me an answer. I don't even care if it's straight or makes any sense; just tell me what the hell you've gotten me or are getting me into. You could at least tell me that much."
The Doctor bobbed his head as he motioned frantically with his free hand for Jack to twist the dial. The hum of the time rotor increased and the Doctor's eyes widened slightly as he stared at the golden knob, too far away for him to reach.
"Youwouldn'tbelievemeifItoldyouandyou'rejustgoingtohavetotrustmeonthisone." The Doctor managed to get out, even as he stretched a leg across the console trying to reach the dial and discovered he was half an inch too short. The toe of his trainer wiggled a quarter of an inch closer as he grunted with the effort. "Ja-a-a-ck," he begged, through clenched teeth.
Just as the rotor reached the highest pitch signaling dematerialization, Jack reluctantly reached over and turned the dial. The Doctor fell limply to the floor and rolled onto his back, chuckling in relief.
"That was close," he said as his face reflected pure wonderment at what they'd narrowly missed and his gaze swept over the ceiling, as if possibly seeing it for the first time. "Right then," he exclaimed, bouncing to his feet and circling the console until he ran into the barrier known as Jack.
The Doctor cleared his throat and turned away from Jack, finding a sudden interest in the console as he leaned over to inspect something, anything, and everything to avoid eye contact with the Captain.
"Try me."
The Doctor sighed, pushed himself up from the console and took a step away from Jack, giving them both a little more space. He blew out a long breath as his right hand found its way to the back of his neck.
"You see, there's this thing, and I don't even know if it's going to work, it's only a theory. Well, it was a theory, a very good theory, something one of my previous incarnations was working on mind you, so the math was a bit outdated even at that time. Don't worry though; I've worked all the equations out myself, even showed it to Albert Einstein. He could have at least acted slightly more impressed-"
"Doctor,"
"Hmm? Oh yes, Einstein. No I mean the theory, did I tell you it's brilliant?" The Doctor paused, his eyes glazed over as if watching something happening elsewhere.
"There is a point to all of this, right?" Jack coaxed the reminiscing Time Lord, who was lost in his own thoughts.
"Yes, yes, of course there's a point to this." The Doctor began to circle back around the console, moving away from Jack. "The point is-I thought, well we thought-"
The TARDIS landed with a soft whump.
Jack was surprised at the near perfect landing that hadn't sent him sprawling across the floor, and was even more amazed the Doctor was already holding the door to the outside open.
"Captain?" The Doctor motioned for Jack to lead the way through the doors.
Jack's hand automatically sought the empty spot where his shoulder holster usually sat, its comforting weight missing. Nor was he wearing his blue over coat, and cursed himself silently for not being prepared for an adventure. Yet, seeing the Doctor step outside he quickly followed suit, comfort be damned.
Jack found himself standing inside a cavern, surrounded by large crystal rock formations in a variety of dazzling colors. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the intense display.
"Where are we?" he asked, and listened as his voice echoed and turned to music as it reverberated through the cave.
The Doctor grinned, that aren't-I-so-impressive-grin, and pulled out the small splinter from his pocket that he'd taken from Jack's desk earlier. He held out the tiny piece of coral to Jack who opened his palm to accept it. A rainbow danced across its surface as it reflected the colors in the cavern.
"Do you hear the song you heard earlier?" whispered the Doctor. Jack shook his head as he continued to be mesmerized by the shard in his hand. He didn't notice, until the Doctor placed his fingertips against his temple, that the Time Lord had moved to stand in front of him, so intent was his concentration on the display in his hand. With eyes shut the Doctor repeated his question and Jack's head moved up and down as he began to hear the music again.
The song started off, faint as a whispered breeze, but grew steadily stronger until he no longer had to strain to hear it. It quickly began to ring throughout the cavern, while the crystal grew warmer in his hand. There was only one thought in Jack's mind, home.
The Doctor removed his fingers from Jack's temples and the melody faded, the room became quiet once more and the crystals seemed to slightly dull.
"Time to go," the Doctor said simply, closing Jack's fingers around the crystal shard and wrapping his hand in both of his.
They walked back to the TARDIS in silence.
Jack blinked, and he was once again inside his Torchwood office lying on the floor. He turned his head as a slight movement caught his eye, only to note it was Myfanwy flying. What a dream he thought, checking his watch as he stood up stretching and yawning.
He stared at the coral shard that he'd dreamed of. It sat next to a bright yellow sticky note in the middle of his desk. He glanced around to assure himself he was alone, then picked up the note. The scrawled writing was familiar and read; A piece of home. As he picked up the coral he heard a faint melody begin and read the sticky note left under the shard: Happy Birthday, Jack.
How'd he know, Jack mused lifting the sticky note and finding another. This one simply read: Time Lord, and was signed: The Doctor.
fin