TAGD-verse birthday fic: Sound the Gong
Story: Sound the Gong
Author: wmr / wendymr
Characters: Ninth Doctor (Pete's World), Jack Harkness (Pete's World)
Rated: PG
Series: Through a Glass Darkly
Summary: Need to see you. Come now, please.
Part of the Through A Glass Darkly universe, and this story won't make sense without familiarity with that 'verse. Set some time before Burned and leading up to events described in Through a Glass Darkly. Written for yamx as a birthday gift.
Sound the Gong
The message is unexpected, and its content uninformative - but worrying.
Need to see you. Come now, please.
There are coordinates and a date, and nothing else. But he knows who it’s from. Jack’s the only person who could figure out how to send the equivalent of a text message to the TARDIS, let alone making certain he was sending it to the right TARDIS and the right Doctor.
Now’s relative, of course, when you’re someone like him and own a time machine. But it’s Jack and he’s never done this before, even when he actually could have done with help, so there’s no way the Doctor’s going to let this wait.
Less than fifty seconds, TARDIS time, after receiving the message, he materialises the ship in the alleyway Jack’s coordinates lead to.
Not his apartment, then, or the bar he’s occasionally found his lover in. A dark, narrow, rarely-used laneway between two back streets. This isn’t right. Something’s definitely up.
Just for caution’s sake, he checks the monitor before going outside. If Jack’s not alone... if he’s really in some kind of trouble...
Things haven’t been right for a long time for the lad, though Jack thinks he doesn’t know the half of it. Idiot boy doesn’t have a clue how much the Doctor notices. It’s not just the name-calling and the barely-disguised insults, or even the accidental-on-purpose stumbling and knocking into Jack, though all of those have been going on for years. It’s got a lot worse recently: it’s not just drunken morons in pubs or on the streets any more. There’s organised xenophobia out there.
There’ve been news articles, television documentaries, websites and all sorts containing sickening propaganda about Schatten infiltration into human society. All full of derogatory language and devious motives, and not one word from anywhere else to counter the crap. There’s Jack, who’s given all his adult life to the Time Agency, been wounded in action several times, and even got a bloody medal and commendation for one of his missions, and does anyone, anywhere, point to people like him as examples of Schatten contribution? Do they hell as like.
And Jack’s had injuries he’s sure weren’t sustained in any normal way. The last time he saw the lad was barely two months ago on Jack’s timeline, and he had suspicious-looking cuts and burns on his arms and neck. Course, Jack denied there was anything wrong. Didn’t mean there wasn’t, though.
All’s quiet in the alley; just one person leaning against the wall, waiting. It’s Jack - even if the TARDIS wasn’t telling him so, he can recognise his lover’s profile even in the darkness.
He pushes the door open. “Couldn’t wait to see me, eh?”
Jack shoves his body away from the wall. “Could say that.”
As Jack comes closer, the Doctor can see that he’s got a bag hooked over his shoulder, and his hair’s less tidy than it usually is. Oh, there’s something wrong, no mistake.
He gestures back towards the open door. “Comin’ inside?”
Jack nods and follows him.
Inside, Jack closes the door and drops his bag to the floor before facing the Doctor. His face is a mass of bruises, and he’s holding himself stiffly. Bloody hell.
“Who did this?” he’s asking before he even takes a second to think. “Just let me-”
“I gave as good as I got,” Jack cuts in, his tone clipped. “Forget it. It’s not important.”
“It damn well is important!” If he had to guess, he’d say Jack has at least one broken rib, and that’s probably not the worst of it.
“Doctor, let me talk, okay?” Jack comes closer to him and grips him by the shoulders. Isn’t that just perfect? Jack’s the one who’s hurt, yet he’s the one offering comfort. “I’m okay. Really.” Jack dips his head and kisses the Doctor, just once, briefly, before stepping back.
“I’m done. Quit.” As the words sink in, the Doctor realises what else is different about Jack: his eyes. He’s no longer focusing his gaze slightly downwards, a habit he grew into a few years ago and which got worse the more the anti-Schatten sentiment increased. He’s looking straight ahead, proud and determined.
“Quit? As in left the Agency?” Jack nods. “Can’t say I’m sorry.” Hardly. He’s wanted the lad to resign for the last couple of years, given the way things were going. Despite being one of the Agency’s best officers, Jack’s been given shit assignments, carpeted for miniscule infringements, and practically shunned by other officers. Only his belief in what the Agency stood for has kept Jack there.
This is it, then. Decision-time: does he want Jack as a full-time companion?
It’s something he’s thought about from time to time, particularly since they became lovers. Before, he always thought it was best for Jack to lead his own life, rather than being tied to an old fool who wandered the universe because he had nowhere else to go. Course, he was being selfish too: this way, he could ration out Jack’s presence in his life so that he’d have the lad around for hundreds of years of his lifetime, whereas if he took Jack with him then it’d last for sixty, seventy years, perhaps. Less if Jack took too many risks, or he brought the Captain into danger.
Besides, Jack had his own career, his own interests. He’s never wanted the TARDIS life full-time - at least, not since he grew up, graduated from the Academy and got his own commission.
Now, though, everything’s changed. And... yes, why not?
“Well, then, s’pose you might as well-”
“I’m going back to Schattenwelt.” Jack’s announcement is flat, not inviting any argument.
He has to bite his tongue to prevent himself asking what the hell there is on Schattenwelt for Jack any more. He’s got no family, and the few friends he had weren’t there for him when he needed help. He couldn’t get away from the planet quickly enough all those years ago.
But that’s not all. Schattenwelt hasn’t been a safe place since long before the raid that killed Jack’s parents and brother. Even now, though there’s no declared war, there are still sporadic raids and attacks. Schattens still get killed.
“Jack, ‘s not safe. An’ there’s nothing-”
“I’m going.” Implacable, brooking no argument. “Doctor, I’m Schatten. I’ve stayed here for years, with all that crap about my planet and my people being spewed out all around me. And I’ve had enough. How can I justify staying here knowing what humans think of me and my kind? How can I possibly go out and defend them?” Jack pauses, breathing heavily. “And that’s not all. The way things are going, it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a war against the colonies. If there is, what part would the Time Agency play? What would I be expected to do, as an officer?”
Jack would be stripped of his commission and probably thrown in prison long before that happened, if it did come to war. People don’t take kindly to enemy nationals in their midst in wartime. Even if they’re not considered possible spies, they’re unwanted purely based on the colour of their skin or their genetics. But he doesn’t bother pointing that out. Jack knows enough to recognise it for himself.
“It’s time I went home, Doctor,” Jack continues. “It’s past time I decided where I belong, and it’s not exactly a difficult decision.”
He nods. “Can see that.” One more decisive nod. “Right, then. S’pose you want a lift, then?”
“Well...” Jack’s expression is relieved. Obviously he thought this was going to be a much tougher argument. “I could try to get a transport ship, but if you don’t mind...”
He snorts. “Be offended if you didn’t ask.” He can’t help one more try, though. “Doesn’t have to be immediately, yeah? No reason you can’t come travellin’ for a couple of weeks first?”
Jack’s tempted, that’s clear from the widening of his eyes and slight intake of breath. But then he shakes his head. “If I’m gonna do this, best do it now.”
Before he’s tempted to change his mind? The Doctor hesitates. It’d be so easy, then, to convince Jack not to go; to stay here instead, where he’d not only be safe and valued and wanted, but he’d be able to do some good. They do when they roam the universe together, the two of them: saving lives, rescuing planets from tyranny, even just making someone’s world a better place.
He could try, yeah. But sooner or later Jack would resent him for it.
He knows he’ll regret it, but if this is what Jack wants, it’s what he’ll let the lad do. “All right, if that’s what you want.”
Jack grins suddenly. “Doesn’t mean it has to be right now...”
***
A few hours later, the TARDIS materialises on the edge of Schattenwelt’s main city. Jack’s shaved and changed, his hair tidied, and his rib, bruises and burns healed. He’s standing straight and tall, bag ready to throw over his shoulder, the returning Schatten boy turned hero.
“Be back to see you when I can, all right?” He’s standing right in front of the Captain, barely a foot between them, and something’s telling him that he should just lock the doors and leave this planet once and for all. That if he leaves Jack here he’s really going to regret it.
But it’s not his decision. It’s Jack’s, and they’ve had enough arguments over the years about respecting Jack’s decisions as it is.
“I’ll be here.” Jack’s grin is cocky, promising many more hours like the few - too few - they’ve just had.
He ignores the innuendo. “Want you to promise me something.” Jack raises an eyebrow, waiting for the request. “You know how to contact me. If things get bad - contact me. All right?”
“You can’t fight all my battles, Doctor.” He holds Jack’s gaze; this time he’s the one refusing to back down, and after a moment Jack nods. “Okay. I promise.”
He will respect Jack’s wishes - except in one circumstance. If Jack’s life is in danger, then nothing in the universe is gonna stop him doing what he thinks best, no matter what Jack wants. No matter how Jack reacts afterwards.
“Good.” He nods, then reaches out awkwardly, pressing his body against Jack’s and his arms around the Captain’s broad shoulders and back.
Jack hugs him back. “Take care of yourself, Doctor.” He steps back from the hug, then salutes. “See you in hell.”
In the same moment, Jack’s opened the TARDIS door and then he’s walking out, holdall slung over his shoulder, giving a jaunty wave as he walks away.
As the Doctor returns slowly to the console, Jack’s final words refuse to leave his brain.
See you in hell.
He gives himself a shake, curses his over-active imagination and starts the engines.
- end
Author: wmr / wendymr
Characters: Ninth Doctor (Pete's World), Jack Harkness (Pete's World)
Rated: PG
Series: Through a Glass Darkly
Summary: Need to see you. Come now, please.
Part of the Through A Glass Darkly universe, and this story won't make sense without familiarity with that 'verse. Set some time before Burned and leading up to events described in Through a Glass Darkly. Written for yamx as a birthday gift.
Sound the Gong
The message is unexpected, and its content uninformative - but worrying.
Need to see you. Come now, please.
There are coordinates and a date, and nothing else. But he knows who it’s from. Jack’s the only person who could figure out how to send the equivalent of a text message to the TARDIS, let alone making certain he was sending it to the right TARDIS and the right Doctor.
Now’s relative, of course, when you’re someone like him and own a time machine. But it’s Jack and he’s never done this before, even when he actually could have done with help, so there’s no way the Doctor’s going to let this wait.
Less than fifty seconds, TARDIS time, after receiving the message, he materialises the ship in the alleyway Jack’s coordinates lead to.
Not his apartment, then, or the bar he’s occasionally found his lover in. A dark, narrow, rarely-used laneway between two back streets. This isn’t right. Something’s definitely up.
Just for caution’s sake, he checks the monitor before going outside. If Jack’s not alone... if he’s really in some kind of trouble...
Things haven’t been right for a long time for the lad, though Jack thinks he doesn’t know the half of it. Idiot boy doesn’t have a clue how much the Doctor notices. It’s not just the name-calling and the barely-disguised insults, or even the accidental-on-purpose stumbling and knocking into Jack, though all of those have been going on for years. It’s got a lot worse recently: it’s not just drunken morons in pubs or on the streets any more. There’s organised xenophobia out there.
There’ve been news articles, television documentaries, websites and all sorts containing sickening propaganda about Schatten infiltration into human society. All full of derogatory language and devious motives, and not one word from anywhere else to counter the crap. There’s Jack, who’s given all his adult life to the Time Agency, been wounded in action several times, and even got a bloody medal and commendation for one of his missions, and does anyone, anywhere, point to people like him as examples of Schatten contribution? Do they hell as like.
And Jack’s had injuries he’s sure weren’t sustained in any normal way. The last time he saw the lad was barely two months ago on Jack’s timeline, and he had suspicious-looking cuts and burns on his arms and neck. Course, Jack denied there was anything wrong. Didn’t mean there wasn’t, though.
All’s quiet in the alley; just one person leaning against the wall, waiting. It’s Jack - even if the TARDIS wasn’t telling him so, he can recognise his lover’s profile even in the darkness.
He pushes the door open. “Couldn’t wait to see me, eh?”
Jack shoves his body away from the wall. “Could say that.”
As Jack comes closer, the Doctor can see that he’s got a bag hooked over his shoulder, and his hair’s less tidy than it usually is. Oh, there’s something wrong, no mistake.
He gestures back towards the open door. “Comin’ inside?”
Jack nods and follows him.
Inside, Jack closes the door and drops his bag to the floor before facing the Doctor. His face is a mass of bruises, and he’s holding himself stiffly. Bloody hell.
“Who did this?” he’s asking before he even takes a second to think. “Just let me-”
“I gave as good as I got,” Jack cuts in, his tone clipped. “Forget it. It’s not important.”
“It damn well is important!” If he had to guess, he’d say Jack has at least one broken rib, and that’s probably not the worst of it.
“Doctor, let me talk, okay?” Jack comes closer to him and grips him by the shoulders. Isn’t that just perfect? Jack’s the one who’s hurt, yet he’s the one offering comfort. “I’m okay. Really.” Jack dips his head and kisses the Doctor, just once, briefly, before stepping back.
“I’m done. Quit.” As the words sink in, the Doctor realises what else is different about Jack: his eyes. He’s no longer focusing his gaze slightly downwards, a habit he grew into a few years ago and which got worse the more the anti-Schatten sentiment increased. He’s looking straight ahead, proud and determined.
“Quit? As in left the Agency?” Jack nods. “Can’t say I’m sorry.” Hardly. He’s wanted the lad to resign for the last couple of years, given the way things were going. Despite being one of the Agency’s best officers, Jack’s been given shit assignments, carpeted for miniscule infringements, and practically shunned by other officers. Only his belief in what the Agency stood for has kept Jack there.
This is it, then. Decision-time: does he want Jack as a full-time companion?
It’s something he’s thought about from time to time, particularly since they became lovers. Before, he always thought it was best for Jack to lead his own life, rather than being tied to an old fool who wandered the universe because he had nowhere else to go. Course, he was being selfish too: this way, he could ration out Jack’s presence in his life so that he’d have the lad around for hundreds of years of his lifetime, whereas if he took Jack with him then it’d last for sixty, seventy years, perhaps. Less if Jack took too many risks, or he brought the Captain into danger.
Besides, Jack had his own career, his own interests. He’s never wanted the TARDIS life full-time - at least, not since he grew up, graduated from the Academy and got his own commission.
Now, though, everything’s changed. And... yes, why not?
“Well, then, s’pose you might as well-”
“I’m going back to Schattenwelt.” Jack’s announcement is flat, not inviting any argument.
He has to bite his tongue to prevent himself asking what the hell there is on Schattenwelt for Jack any more. He’s got no family, and the few friends he had weren’t there for him when he needed help. He couldn’t get away from the planet quickly enough all those years ago.
But that’s not all. Schattenwelt hasn’t been a safe place since long before the raid that killed Jack’s parents and brother. Even now, though there’s no declared war, there are still sporadic raids and attacks. Schattens still get killed.
“Jack, ‘s not safe. An’ there’s nothing-”
“I’m going.” Implacable, brooking no argument. “Doctor, I’m Schatten. I’ve stayed here for years, with all that crap about my planet and my people being spewed out all around me. And I’ve had enough. How can I justify staying here knowing what humans think of me and my kind? How can I possibly go out and defend them?” Jack pauses, breathing heavily. “And that’s not all. The way things are going, it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a war against the colonies. If there is, what part would the Time Agency play? What would I be expected to do, as an officer?”
Jack would be stripped of his commission and probably thrown in prison long before that happened, if it did come to war. People don’t take kindly to enemy nationals in their midst in wartime. Even if they’re not considered possible spies, they’re unwanted purely based on the colour of their skin or their genetics. But he doesn’t bother pointing that out. Jack knows enough to recognise it for himself.
“It’s time I went home, Doctor,” Jack continues. “It’s past time I decided where I belong, and it’s not exactly a difficult decision.”
He nods. “Can see that.” One more decisive nod. “Right, then. S’pose you want a lift, then?”
“Well...” Jack’s expression is relieved. Obviously he thought this was going to be a much tougher argument. “I could try to get a transport ship, but if you don’t mind...”
He snorts. “Be offended if you didn’t ask.” He can’t help one more try, though. “Doesn’t have to be immediately, yeah? No reason you can’t come travellin’ for a couple of weeks first?”
Jack’s tempted, that’s clear from the widening of his eyes and slight intake of breath. But then he shakes his head. “If I’m gonna do this, best do it now.”
Before he’s tempted to change his mind? The Doctor hesitates. It’d be so easy, then, to convince Jack not to go; to stay here instead, where he’d not only be safe and valued and wanted, but he’d be able to do some good. They do when they roam the universe together, the two of them: saving lives, rescuing planets from tyranny, even just making someone’s world a better place.
He could try, yeah. But sooner or later Jack would resent him for it.
He knows he’ll regret it, but if this is what Jack wants, it’s what he’ll let the lad do. “All right, if that’s what you want.”
Jack grins suddenly. “Doesn’t mean it has to be right now...”
***
A few hours later, the TARDIS materialises on the edge of Schattenwelt’s main city. Jack’s shaved and changed, his hair tidied, and his rib, bruises and burns healed. He’s standing straight and tall, bag ready to throw over his shoulder, the returning Schatten boy turned hero.
“Be back to see you when I can, all right?” He’s standing right in front of the Captain, barely a foot between them, and something’s telling him that he should just lock the doors and leave this planet once and for all. That if he leaves Jack here he’s really going to regret it.
But it’s not his decision. It’s Jack’s, and they’ve had enough arguments over the years about respecting Jack’s decisions as it is.
“I’ll be here.” Jack’s grin is cocky, promising many more hours like the few - too few - they’ve just had.
He ignores the innuendo. “Want you to promise me something.” Jack raises an eyebrow, waiting for the request. “You know how to contact me. If things get bad - contact me. All right?”
“You can’t fight all my battles, Doctor.” He holds Jack’s gaze; this time he’s the one refusing to back down, and after a moment Jack nods. “Okay. I promise.”
He will respect Jack’s wishes - except in one circumstance. If Jack’s life is in danger, then nothing in the universe is gonna stop him doing what he thinks best, no matter what Jack wants. No matter how Jack reacts afterwards.
“Good.” He nods, then reaches out awkwardly, pressing his body against Jack’s and his arms around the Captain’s broad shoulders and back.
Jack hugs him back. “Take care of yourself, Doctor.” He steps back from the hug, then salutes. “See you in hell.”
In the same moment, Jack’s opened the TARDIS door and then he’s walking out, holdall slung over his shoulder, giving a jaunty wave as he walks away.
As the Doctor returns slowly to the console, Jack’s final words refuse to leave his brain.
See you in hell.
He gives himself a shake, curses his over-active imagination and starts the engines.
- end