Remembering (2/?)
Title: Remembering
Characters: Ten, Jack
Rating: pg13
Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to, and will return when I'm done playing with them
Summary: Reunions are a time to catch up with the past, or will the past catch up with them?
Dedication and Beta: To nightrider101 and her awesome make-me-look-good skills. Any mistakes found are mine.
Part 1
Jack took a hesitant step away from the door. The pounding and shaking had finally ceased, although he still held his breath as if waiting. But waiting for what? He took another step and stopped, looking down at the peaceful countenance of the Time Lord in his arms, the Doctor's cheek was pressed against his wool coat.
Why won't you wake up? Jack thought. I can't face this alone.
Jack hefted the limp man, repositioning his weight and trying to ease the strain on his arms. The Time Lord's head lay on his shoulder and then casually flopped against Jack's neck, reminding Jack of an oversized rag doll. The Doctor's forehead now rested against his neck, spiky strands of hair tickling his ears while warm breath washed over his Adam's apple and created a tingle of moisture just inside the collar of his shirt. It was terribly distracting and almost made Jack forget they weren't alone.
Jack took another step forward, his heavy leather boot settling with a soft thump against the grillwork walkway. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and a shiver ran down his spine when he heard the unmistakable click of a key turning in a lock behind him. He swallowed hard and decided standing in front of the door was the last place he wanted to be when that paneled door opened to reveal the voice outside.
Jack was across the room in three strides. He laid the Doctor onto the large Captain's chair, settling him on the oversized seat and insuring he wouldn't fall off, and then swung around to face the door. His left arm pushing back the long coat as his right hand reached for his weapon and grasped nothing.
He swore remembering he'd left his shoulder holster and pistol tucked safely away in the SUV because he'd wanted to make a good impression if he ran into the Doctor. Of all the times to second guess himself.
There was a low chuckle. Another rattle of a key twisting back and forth in the lock.
"Did you forget something, Jack?" the voice called out in a teasingly sing-song lilt.
Jack's gaze swept the room, and he wondered how the voice could see inside. He took an instinctive step back, his thighs bumping against the inert Time Lord.
"There's so many things you seem to have forgotten, Captain," the voice crooned. The lock rattled even louder.
The rattling grew louder, as if the voice on the other side of the door was growing frustrated. The lock wasn't turning and Jack began to breathe a little easier.
Maybe the Doctor had changed the lock. Or was it possible the TARDIS could keep unwanted guests out? But that didn't explain how she'd been so easily hijacked by a renegade Time Lord in the past. No, the Doctor must have changed the locks after their last adventure together.
After all, the Daleks had tried to destroy her, and Jack knew that there were numerous keys floating amongst the Doctor's many companions. It didn't take a genius to exploit that fact if one indeed sought access to the ship. And were there other keys, across the universe, keys in the hands of aliens?
Jack turned towards the unconscious figure with more questions than answers.
"What do you say, Doc? How many others?" Jack's voice faltered. Did he really expect or want an answer to that question? And what exactly was the question? His curiosity didn't stop at a simple answer of how many keys had the Doctor parted with. The man was over nine hundred years old, and in that time Jack had known him for the better part of fifteen actual years of the Doctor's life, if his recollections of time and time travel served him well.
In that small span of the Time Lord's life, Jack was aware of at least four keys, possibly five that had been relinquished. Jack was unaware that his left hand had slipped inside his trouser pocket and was idly rubbing the small piece of metal. He started when the Doctor mumbled and tried to open his eyes.
Jack was kneeling beside him, one hand resting on a cheek flushed with fever. The other hand grasped the metal arm of the chair for balance, a worn and dirty string hanging from his closed fist and a bronze key swung back and forth catching the rooms light. Jack's attention was diverted to the small keepsake as it gleamed brightly and then dimmed once more.
The Doctor moaned as the pounding commenced on the door and the voice shouted once again.
"You can't keep me out forever, you know. Why don't you make this easy on yourself, easy on him, and open the door?"
The Time Rotor hummed quietly in the central column and the Doctor's breathing slowed again. Jack could hear his own heart beating and was sure the voice would be able to hear it as well; it was loud in his ears.
The pounding stopped. The room grew eerily quiet as the echoes faded and Jack grew fearful in the silence.
Jack stood, his knees popping as he bent over the inert Time Lord and scooped him up. He didn't give the entry doors another glance as he carried the Doctor out of the console room and strode towards the medical room. He wanted answers, and the only means to get those answers was the man in his arms.
If he could figure out what was wrong with the Doctor, maybe he could determine how to face the ghosts of his past.
"Okay, Doc. This is how I see things." He laid the Doctor on the examination table, his hand cradling the Doctor's head and setting it gently down. Jack shrugged out of his greatcoat and threw it on the closest chair. Rolling his sleeves back, he took a quick survey of the equipment around him. "One, you and me need a serious chat, like where you've been and what exactly you've been up to because you look like hell." He reached for a complicated monitor with a series of wires protruding from it and began to connect the ends to various parts of the Doctor's body.
"Two, what or who the hell that thing is outside of your ship trying to get in." Jack flipped a series of switches on the side of the screen and watched as a green lined graph came to life on the monitor. "Three, feel free to jump in any time with your unusual outlook on things if it so suits you." He was concentrating on the blips and numbers appearing on the screen, he almost missed the soft cough behind him.
Jack whirled and unconsciously stepped back, hitting the machine when he saw that the Doctor's eyes were staring at him. A half grin appeared on the Time Lord's face, as if he were hiding the secrets of the universe, and that just might be the case, thought Jack. All of his questions suddenly seemed to be insignificant now that the Doctor was awake.
"Doc," Jack asked, his voice apprehensive as he leaned towards the Doctor. The Doctor raised his hand and feebly waved Jack away before the hand dropped back to the table with a heavy thud. The Doctor's sigh was almost as heavy, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Jack grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly, the Doctor's eyes snapped open and his mouth formed an 'O' in startled exclamation. Assured that the Time Lord wasn't slipping back into a coma, Jack slowly released his shoulders and tried vainly to straighten the jacket and shirt he'd wrinkled.
"Someone's coming." Jack's hands hovered inches above the Doctor; unsure whether to pull them back or have them ready to hold the Doctor down. He wasn't sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him.
"Who, Doc, who's coming?" Jack asked.
"Are you going to let him in?"
Jack matched the Doctor's stare, his eyes darting back and forth between the Doctor's wondering what impending doom was hanging by the silver thread of his answer. He opened his mouth to answer and then quickly shut it. He stood to his full height, looking down at the Doctor and lifted his chin as he folded his arms across his chest.
The Doctor's head fell back onto the examination table and he glanced upward giving the impression he was reassuring himself that his thick eyebrows were still intact. In reality he was busy rummaging through the closet full of answers, discarding those he knew the Captain would never believe and categorizing the rest.
Those that were too unbelievable not to consider, those that were just plain silly even to his own addled brain, and those that were plausible but not worth the time to explain. He lowered his gaze to find Jack still waiting for a response and wondered if humans had ever fully realized their expressions could be interpreted as a complex language of war on some planets. He'd point that out at a later time. Right now the vibes from not only Jack's expression, but his body language as well, spoke volumes of mass murder and mayhem about to ensue.
"What the hell is going on, Doctor?"
The Doctor cringed. It wasn't like Jack to demand answers. Usually he'd just go along for the adventure and relish the danger that accompanied it, or him, with all the enthusiasm of a youngster at Christmas. He had to give Jack a little credit; he'd grown and learned a few lessons since they'd last met.
Jack unfolded his arms, hands now set on his hips, the same demanding-an-explanation expression on his face.
"I wasn't expecting to find you here." The Doctor finally spoke, still averting his eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you. But now that I'm here, do you mind telling me what's going on?"
"I wish I knew." The Doctor dared a quick glance at Jack, checking the expression. Just as he'd imagined, momentary disbelief, confusion as the human coped with his conflicted emotions, and then something the Doctor hadn't expected or rather had secretly hoped for. Determined resolution settled on Jack's features.
"Give me the short explanation, none of that eccentric mumbo jumbo and make it quick. Your visitor is a determined and very resourceful sort, if I remember correctly."
The Doctor flinched at the reminder of his other guest just beyond the TARDIS's doorway. "We-I don't have much time," he conceded quietly.
tbc...
Characters: Ten, Jack
Rating: pg13
Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to, and will return when I'm done playing with them
Summary: Reunions are a time to catch up with the past, or will the past catch up with them?
Dedication and Beta: To nightrider101 and her awesome make-me-look-good skills. Any mistakes found are mine.
Part 1
Jack took a hesitant step away from the door. The pounding and shaking had finally ceased, although he still held his breath as if waiting. But waiting for what? He took another step and stopped, looking down at the peaceful countenance of the Time Lord in his arms, the Doctor's cheek was pressed against his wool coat.
Why won't you wake up? Jack thought. I can't face this alone.
Jack hefted the limp man, repositioning his weight and trying to ease the strain on his arms. The Time Lord's head lay on his shoulder and then casually flopped against Jack's neck, reminding Jack of an oversized rag doll. The Doctor's forehead now rested against his neck, spiky strands of hair tickling his ears while warm breath washed over his Adam's apple and created a tingle of moisture just inside the collar of his shirt. It was terribly distracting and almost made Jack forget they weren't alone.
Jack took another step forward, his heavy leather boot settling with a soft thump against the grillwork walkway. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and a shiver ran down his spine when he heard the unmistakable click of a key turning in a lock behind him. He swallowed hard and decided standing in front of the door was the last place he wanted to be when that paneled door opened to reveal the voice outside.
Jack was across the room in three strides. He laid the Doctor onto the large Captain's chair, settling him on the oversized seat and insuring he wouldn't fall off, and then swung around to face the door. His left arm pushing back the long coat as his right hand reached for his weapon and grasped nothing.
He swore remembering he'd left his shoulder holster and pistol tucked safely away in the SUV because he'd wanted to make a good impression if he ran into the Doctor. Of all the times to second guess himself.
There was a low chuckle. Another rattle of a key twisting back and forth in the lock.
"Did you forget something, Jack?" the voice called out in a teasingly sing-song lilt.
Jack's gaze swept the room, and he wondered how the voice could see inside. He took an instinctive step back, his thighs bumping against the inert Time Lord.
"There's so many things you seem to have forgotten, Captain," the voice crooned. The lock rattled even louder.
The rattling grew louder, as if the voice on the other side of the door was growing frustrated. The lock wasn't turning and Jack began to breathe a little easier.
Maybe the Doctor had changed the lock. Or was it possible the TARDIS could keep unwanted guests out? But that didn't explain how she'd been so easily hijacked by a renegade Time Lord in the past. No, the Doctor must have changed the locks after their last adventure together.
After all, the Daleks had tried to destroy her, and Jack knew that there were numerous keys floating amongst the Doctor's many companions. It didn't take a genius to exploit that fact if one indeed sought access to the ship. And were there other keys, across the universe, keys in the hands of aliens?
Jack turned towards the unconscious figure with more questions than answers.
"What do you say, Doc? How many others?" Jack's voice faltered. Did he really expect or want an answer to that question? And what exactly was the question? His curiosity didn't stop at a simple answer of how many keys had the Doctor parted with. The man was over nine hundred years old, and in that time Jack had known him for the better part of fifteen actual years of the Doctor's life, if his recollections of time and time travel served him well.
In that small span of the Time Lord's life, Jack was aware of at least four keys, possibly five that had been relinquished. Jack was unaware that his left hand had slipped inside his trouser pocket and was idly rubbing the small piece of metal. He started when the Doctor mumbled and tried to open his eyes.
Jack was kneeling beside him, one hand resting on a cheek flushed with fever. The other hand grasped the metal arm of the chair for balance, a worn and dirty string hanging from his closed fist and a bronze key swung back and forth catching the rooms light. Jack's attention was diverted to the small keepsake as it gleamed brightly and then dimmed once more.
The Doctor moaned as the pounding commenced on the door and the voice shouted once again.
"You can't keep me out forever, you know. Why don't you make this easy on yourself, easy on him, and open the door?"
The Time Rotor hummed quietly in the central column and the Doctor's breathing slowed again. Jack could hear his own heart beating and was sure the voice would be able to hear it as well; it was loud in his ears.
The pounding stopped. The room grew eerily quiet as the echoes faded and Jack grew fearful in the silence.
Jack stood, his knees popping as he bent over the inert Time Lord and scooped him up. He didn't give the entry doors another glance as he carried the Doctor out of the console room and strode towards the medical room. He wanted answers, and the only means to get those answers was the man in his arms.
If he could figure out what was wrong with the Doctor, maybe he could determine how to face the ghosts of his past.
"Okay, Doc. This is how I see things." He laid the Doctor on the examination table, his hand cradling the Doctor's head and setting it gently down. Jack shrugged out of his greatcoat and threw it on the closest chair. Rolling his sleeves back, he took a quick survey of the equipment around him. "One, you and me need a serious chat, like where you've been and what exactly you've been up to because you look like hell." He reached for a complicated monitor with a series of wires protruding from it and began to connect the ends to various parts of the Doctor's body.
"Two, what or who the hell that thing is outside of your ship trying to get in." Jack flipped a series of switches on the side of the screen and watched as a green lined graph came to life on the monitor. "Three, feel free to jump in any time with your unusual outlook on things if it so suits you." He was concentrating on the blips and numbers appearing on the screen, he almost missed the soft cough behind him.
Jack whirled and unconsciously stepped back, hitting the machine when he saw that the Doctor's eyes were staring at him. A half grin appeared on the Time Lord's face, as if he were hiding the secrets of the universe, and that just might be the case, thought Jack. All of his questions suddenly seemed to be insignificant now that the Doctor was awake.
"Doc," Jack asked, his voice apprehensive as he leaned towards the Doctor. The Doctor raised his hand and feebly waved Jack away before the hand dropped back to the table with a heavy thud. The Doctor's sigh was almost as heavy, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Jack grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly, the Doctor's eyes snapped open and his mouth formed an 'O' in startled exclamation. Assured that the Time Lord wasn't slipping back into a coma, Jack slowly released his shoulders and tried vainly to straighten the jacket and shirt he'd wrinkled.
"Someone's coming." Jack's hands hovered inches above the Doctor; unsure whether to pull them back or have them ready to hold the Doctor down. He wasn't sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him.
"Who, Doc, who's coming?" Jack asked.
"Are you going to let him in?"
Jack matched the Doctor's stare, his eyes darting back and forth between the Doctor's wondering what impending doom was hanging by the silver thread of his answer. He opened his mouth to answer and then quickly shut it. He stood to his full height, looking down at the Doctor and lifted his chin as he folded his arms across his chest.
The Doctor's head fell back onto the examination table and he glanced upward giving the impression he was reassuring himself that his thick eyebrows were still intact. In reality he was busy rummaging through the closet full of answers, discarding those he knew the Captain would never believe and categorizing the rest.
Those that were too unbelievable not to consider, those that were just plain silly even to his own addled brain, and those that were plausible but not worth the time to explain. He lowered his gaze to find Jack still waiting for a response and wondered if humans had ever fully realized their expressions could be interpreted as a complex language of war on some planets. He'd point that out at a later time. Right now the vibes from not only Jack's expression, but his body language as well, spoke volumes of mass murder and mayhem about to ensue.
"What the hell is going on, Doctor?"
The Doctor cringed. It wasn't like Jack to demand answers. Usually he'd just go along for the adventure and relish the danger that accompanied it, or him, with all the enthusiasm of a youngster at Christmas. He had to give Jack a little credit; he'd grown and learned a few lessons since they'd last met.
Jack unfolded his arms, hands now set on his hips, the same demanding-an-explanation expression on his face.
"I wasn't expecting to find you here." The Doctor finally spoke, still averting his eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you. But now that I'm here, do you mind telling me what's going on?"
"I wish I knew." The Doctor dared a quick glance at Jack, checking the expression. Just as he'd imagined, momentary disbelief, confusion as the human coped with his conflicted emotions, and then something the Doctor hadn't expected or rather had secretly hoped for. Determined resolution settled on Jack's features.
"Give me the short explanation, none of that eccentric mumbo jumbo and make it quick. Your visitor is a determined and very resourceful sort, if I remember correctly."
The Doctor flinched at the reminder of his other guest just beyond the TARDIS's doorway. "We-I don't have much time," he conceded quietly.
tbc...