d8rkmessngr (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
d8rkmessngr) wrote2008-03-22 03:22 pm
d8rkmessngr) wrote2008-03-22 03:22 pm
Entry tags:
Fic: The Oncoming Storm (Slash, AU, 3/40)
Author: d8rkmessngr
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17 (betaed)
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on. Be sure to read the warnings.
Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Warning For This Chapter: Dubious consent groping
Prologue + Ch 1, Ch 2,
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 3
Arcateen V, year 8,000
One month later…
It felt good to sit under the sun. All three of them.
Jack watched the Doctor talk to the tall, reed thin alien with fleshy long braids shimmering down its back on the courtyard. Bipedal, androgynous, and hairless all over its pale iridescent skin, the Doctor had called them "walking mood rings", a reference the Doctor said derived from the sixties. He'd promised they would go there. But then, the Doctor tried to go to year 2,000,000. The TARDIS made it there, choked and slingshot backed to year 8,000 and stayed. Now, they were stuck in Arcateen V for three of the planet's days while the ship refueled. The Doctor was as furious as Jack had ever seen and locked himself in a room Jack had never noticed before. The Time Lord had stayed in until now, waltzing out, announcing he could use some fresh air, grabbed Jack by the arm and practically dragged them both out to the planet's main market center.
It was eerie; no one talked here. They communicated silently with their minds and Jack had been nervous about their telepathic abilities until he’d realized they couldn't read his. One commented empathetically it was like trying to read the dead, and then praised Jack's strong mental shields. The Doctor merely smiled and said nothing.
Jack sat on what their version of a public park bench was, sipping their version of water. Life anywhere, he'd discovered, always had the basics in common and it was a lot safer than trying to imbibe their beverages. Jack remarked trying that once when he’d still been in the Agency, he’d woken up naked back on his ship after drinking some green drink. The Doctor, though, didn't laugh. His mouth curved a little and went "Hm." His eyes raked over Jack and Jack had the distinct feeling the Doctor was envisioning it. The thought both chilled and thrilled him. Jack marked it up as "Weird" again with the rest of the odd stuff he'd been noticing with the Time Lord.
Regeneration, Jack learned from watching the Doctor, meant a complete physical change. "Death" for a Time Lord meant new face, new voice, new…personality? It was the only reason Jack could think of for the strange nuances the Doctor was displaying.
For one thing, Jack was discovering this Doctor was a bit more infuriating at times. He reminded Jack of the officers in World War I and their "need-to-know" attitude. Sadly, apparently to the Doctor, Jack didn't need to know most of the times. Jack felt more like a passenger instead of a "companion" this time around.
Jack missed his Doctor; the one who switched his sonic blaster for a banana (speaking of which, Jack hadn't seen that screwdriver around), the one who talked about bananas and coconuts, the one with such a passion for humanity that you couldn't help copy. Jack missed the big ears, hooked nose, lopsided grin, and the dark gaze that softened when it landed on him and you couldn't help but smile back, feeling like nothing else existed around you…
Blinking rapidly, Jack rubbed a knuckle over his eye. He grimaced. Okay, that's how you got in trouble before, he told himself sternly.
Taking an experimental bite of whatever they were selling—it tasted like fruit but looked like a rock— Jack studied the Doctor as he talked to one of the natives. Jack stifled a smirk as he watched the Doctor, looking unusually dapper and proper in a long brushed wool coat and black suit (he missed the more casual leather jacket and dark jeans, though), nodding solemnly to whatever the telepathic was telling him. This version of the Doctor looked a bit more bookish, scholarly than what he was accustomed to. The Doctor had joked when Jack told him that he always thought he looked very "Whitehall" whatever that meant. The Doctor, in any appearance, loved to speak cryptically.
Jack frowned mildly, not liking the fact he was sitting here while the Doctor was over there. The Time Lord had a talent (or curse) for getting into a lot of trouble in the least amount of time. He remembered walking with Rose down a plaza one time, chatting about the flower market they’d just seen. It had been only a few minutes, the Doctor trailing behind them but they’d turned back only to find their Doctor was being arrested for murder.
Jack rolled his eyes at the memory. He grinned when he saw the Doctor tap his chin with his fingers in a rhythmic pulse. Thrum-thrum-tap-tap over and over and it was hypnotic to watch. Jack watched the fingertips lightly touching his lips and Jack remembered how warm and firm they were on the game station. It was brief, chaste almost, but enough to tell Jack he was willing to die for him.
Actually, I did, Jack thought ruefully. He swallowed and took another bite out of the alien fruit. Jack still hadn't told the Doctor about himself and the Doctor never asked. It was getting harder and harder to find a chance. Or, Jack was just a coward. But shouldn't this be a good thing? The Doctor wouldn't be alone any more.
The Doctor, at that moment, glanced over as if checking Jack was still there. He settled on Jack, narrowed his eyes fractionally and gave him a lazy smile that made Jack's skin unexpectedly shiver. Jack tentatively smiled back, not sure how to respond.
That was the other thing about regeneration. Jack never recalled the Doctor looking that…well, intense before. While his looks weren't particularly handsome (but he wasn't ugly either), his eyes, his voice, his m-mouth…Jack tugged at the collar of his shirt with a finger, frowning. Compelling would be the right word for it. Jack found himself staring at times. To his dismay, the Doctor caught him countless times, but all he would do was give Jack a little smirk before launching into whatever suited his fancy that day.
The Doctor looked at Jack up and down and that languid smile curved to something more…Jack wasn't sure what, but he found himself needing to look away. Breaking eye contact, the Doctor acted like he’d lost interest and was paying attention to the conversation again like it never happened, his long fingers tapping over his lips again.
Jack gulped. It actually felt like the planet brightened around him when he broke gaze. His palms were sweating; his fruit had rolled out of his numb grasp to join the drink on the ground. Jack took a shuddering breath. He chided himself for turning away and forced himself to keep watch of the Doctor once again. He stared; his gaze went over unbidden to those white hands rapping lightly on his lips. It felt like his heart was matching the silent beat. Thrum-thrum-tap-tap, thrum-thrum-tap-tap, thrum-thrum…
'You are not like the other.'
"Geez!" Jack started in his seat. He spun around and stared at the alien suddenly next to him.
Jack showed his hands. He was careful not to show any teeth when he smiled. "Sorry. I didn't hear yo…" He chuckled when he realized what he was going to say. Jack shrugged.
The alien looked amused, or its color was amused, a soft pink hue overlaying its slender body. The tendrils that hung off its head floated up like silver ribbons, then settled around its narrow shoulders.
'You do not talk like the others, like us. Yet you can hear us.' It cocked his head, studying him with large deep blue eyes that changed colors.
'Are you damaged?'
It didn't mean to, but that hurt. Jack winced, shrugged again and looked away. He looked at the Doctor glumly, who took no notice. Jack scanned the surroundings with a wary eye. Jack noted the Doctor never looked his way again, listening with intensity to the Arcateenian.
'I have offended you.'
Jack shook his head, offered a bigger smile. "I'm not offended," he reassured it, him, or her? He stared fascinated at the tendrils waving towards him. He offered his right hand, paused, before extending it further, leaving it open, loose, and non-threatening. "Captain Jack Harkness."
'Lithimath of Sandreen.'
"Nice to meet you, Lithimath of Sandreen," Jack dropped his voice to a rumble and smiled. A tendril brushed against his cheek. It felt like a breeze trailing his skin, leaving behind a tingle that was pleasant. "Does it mean anything in your world?"
'It means our wind…over the city.'
Jack winked and saw Lithimath glow a soft lemon yellow. "It suits."
'Thank you.'
It sounded amused in his head. Jack watched, enthralled as he saw the silvery white tendrils float and hover around him, lightly touching his body. It felt like feathers, even through his greatcoat.
'I can not hear your thoughts yet you are very bright.' The alien sounded curious.
Jack scrunched up his face. "I'm assuming you're not talking about my intelligence." He tentatively reached for the closest filament. He pulled back his hand. "Will I hurt you if I touch them?"
'No.'
They felt like nothing he ever encountered; silk as he brushed against them, warm thin wires when they settled on his palm, yet they lightened to puffs of cool air when they parted.
This was what he missed the most traveling with Rose. The Doctor had seen it all, faced wonders like these with a casual air of part boredom and detached fascination. It made his periods of excitement so addictive to behold; they were rare (even rarer these days) and bore the force of a flash flood people were helpless against.
But this needed to be shared with a pair of new eyes. Jack had seen enough to be blasé about it, but Rose would greet this with an almost childlike delight Jack missed having himself.
The filaments lingered on his fingers and Jack gave the tips a gentle squeeze before a parting stroke on the tips with his thumb.
"Interesting," Jack grinned at Lithimath.
The alien cocked its heart shaped head and considered Jack. Its eyes swirled to violet.
'So are you Captain Jack Harkness.'
The mental purr in his mind vibrated down to his belly. Jack swiped the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. Interestingly, Lithimath changed to a hue of silvery blue, its eyes so violet they looked solid.
'Are you a merchant?' Lithimath's strands snaked down to his thighs and stroke across his trousers.
Mm, very, very interesting. Jack shook his head. "Traveler."
'Interesting.'
"How so?" Jack stared at the tendrils curl then straightened around Lithimath. Like vines of spun silver glinting in the sunlight.
'A traveler would have chosen our gardens or parks, not our markets.' Lithimath's eyes studied Jack and turned back to deep blue. 'Unless you are looking for…unconventional weapons…'
Jack blinked. "Oh. Is that what this place is?"
'You did not know?'
"Captain."
Jack raised his eyes when a shadow crossed his view. He blinked up at the Doctor, taken aback by the dark fury brewing behind his eyes. He hadn't seen it since the Doctor faced the Dalek emperor and found, for the second time, to be afraid.
"Sir," Jack managed. It was automatic. The Doctor's face demanded the title.
"Our business is done here," the Doctor said stiffly, lifting up a crooked finger. A few odd, shiny pendants swayed in his grasp. He pulled them in with a fist then turned on his heels, his long wool coat flapped around his legs as he pivot.
Jack stood up, a little disappointed they weren't staying. Before he could take a step, tendrils coiled around his left hand, others slipped around his middle.
'Do not go with him.' Lithimath leaned forward on the bench. The strands tightened urgently, pulling him closer.
"It's okay," Jack assured, brushing away the tendrils as gently as he could. "He's a friend."
'No. Do not go with him.'
Before Jack could reassure it, the Doctor spun back around, grabbed Jack's right forearm. He pushed past the startled Captain and glared at the Arcateenian.
Lithimath blanched, its skin gone dull and gray. It actually made a sound, like a twitter, and it recoiled.
"Lith—" Jack frowned in concern. He jerked when the Doctor gave his arm a rough yank back before letting go. Ouch! That actually hurt! Jack glared at the Time Lord.
"Doctor—"
"Captain!" The Doctor didn't wait. He stormed off, fully expecting to be followed.
"It's alright," Jack said hurriedly. He reached out a hand again to Lithimath's tendrils, alarmed to find them cold and limp to the touch. "He's the Doctor. He's—"
"Captain!"
Yikes. Jack pulled back. "It's fine," he said over his shoulder as he hurried after the Doctor. "Sorry. Goodbye!"
Lithimath never said another word.
Jack scowled at the Doctor's retreating back as he struggled to catch up. "What's your problem?" he complained out loud, but he was ignored. Jack gritted his teeth, muttered something impolite he’d learned in the 20th century and hurried after the Time Lord.
The Doctor was already by the TARDIS, scowling and growling. To Jack's amusement, he seemed to be having trouble with his key. Rolling his eyes, Jack shouldered past the Doctor, grasped the key, and turned.
There were no thanks. The Doctor glowered at Jack, snatched back his key and made for the door. Before Jack could follow, however, the Doctor abruptly spun around, slamming his arms on both sides of Jack.
"Doctor!" Jack huffed. It was a tight fit with the two of them in the doorway. His back was pressed up uncomfortably against the painted door. He tensed when the Doctor pressed up against him, his mouth by his ear.
"Is it necessary, Captain," the Doctor spat, his breath hot in his ear, "for you to tumble into bed with every living being you encounter in the universe?"
Jack gaped at the Doctor as the Time Lord stepped back.
"Do not do that again," the Doctor tsked, his face revealing nothing, his voice bland as if he was reminding Jack to wipe his feet before crossing the threshold. A dark look and the Doctor entered the ship.
Jack gulped and heaved by the door. He sagged a little, feeling lightheaded. The Doctor looked…he sounded…His hand shook when it went up his hair.
Was the Doctor…jealous?
"That's good," Jack stammered to himself. Good. That was good.
Right?
"This is ridiculous," Jack muttered, looking up from a book he found in his quarters. It was a trashy romance novel that had to have been left by Rose, but it was better than sitting out there as an observer again. He could hear the Doctor in the control room, loud and frustrated as yet another jump only made the TARDIS stutter to a halt. A month since Arcateen and nothing but space again. Jack was bored out of his mind.
Jack tossed the book on the bed, uncrossed his legs and wiggled back into his boots.
"I don't know what his problem is," Jack complained to no one in particular but he glanced up to the domed ceiling of his quarters. "But he can't keep turning down my help. Brilliant or not, two heads have to be better than—" Jack stopped short when he realized he couldn't open the door. "What…"
Another tug yielded no results. Jack could hear the Doctor clanging and banging outside. Jack thumped on his door. "Hey! Doctor?" The door wouldn't even rattle. Jack glared up over his shoulder. "Are you doing this again?"
The TARDIS said nothing.
Jack had been tempted to tell the Doctor about the TARDIS' almost rebellious behavior. Doors wouldn't open for Jack, sometimes Jack couldn't get out of a room. One time, it kept Jack in the gardens all night. He fell asleep in a grove of ferns the ship grew over him. It was funny at first but after a month of that, not to mention the odd rumblings it made in his quarters all night, Jack was starting to wonder if the TARDIS was mad at him or something.
"He's going to wreck something with that weird mood of his," Jack warned out loud. He tried the door again. "Open this door!"
"Take me there now!" The Doctor was bellowing too loud to hear Jack banging on his door.
After a few minutes, Jack threw up his hands and dropped to the ground, his back against the door, with a huff. He sat cross-legged, glowering at the door that remained firmly shut.
Something rattled loudly outside and Jack winced. He glowered at the ceiling and folded his arms in front of him.
"Bad TARDIS," Jack grumbled.
The TARDIS merely purred.
His steps were hollow sounding as he ran down the maze of hallways. Nothing but the dead and Dalek dust greeted him. He searched frantically for a face, any face still alive among the metallic ruins of the station. Even the robotic hosts were all dead, smoldering, and blank eyed as he stood there and screamed out a name again.
"Doctor!"
Jack woke, like he always did with this memory/dream/nightmare, with a gasp and his pillow damp. In the dark, he huddled against his pillow, momentarily confused.
A hand settled on his bare back. Jack started.
"Sh, sh, sh, sh." A low, velvety growl accompanied the hand.
"D-doctor?" Jack gasped, suddenly aware he was in his living quarters, in bed, naked. "What?"
"You were having a nightmare." It was eerie listening to the Doctor in the dark, disembodied and heady. It surrounded Jack.
There should be something witty Jack could say about the Doctor finding him naked again but all he could manage was a weak, "Oh."
The Doctor's hand was dry, hot as it stroked his lower back. Jack bit his lower lip and pressed his face to his pillow. He must have kicked the covers off while he dreamt. He felt exposed and goose bumps rippled his flesh despite how hot the room was. Jack bit back a moan when the hand increased its pressure, deepening into the muscles, fingers digging along the knobs of his spine.
"You were calling my name." The Doctor lowered his mouth to Jack's ear. "So I came."
"Oh," Jack squeaked, his face burning. He wanted to turn around yet he didn't want to see the Doctor's face. He stifled a whimper when the hand became a finger and it scratched lightly down his spine. Up and down the arch of his back.
"What were you dreaming about?" the Doctor asked lazily, his finger now brushing the dimples on top of his cleft.
Jack gasped into his pillow. "Game station," he managed, squeezing his eyes shut. Memory and the heated rush from the Doctor's touch warred inside him. Jack wanted to throw up. He wanted to turn around. He wanted that hand to—Jack moaned when the Doctor's hand did move lower and dipped.
"Game station?" The Doctor sounded amused as his fingers curved around one butt cheek and squeezed.
"Doctor," Jack whimpered. He raised his hips against that hand, entreatingly.
The Doctor chuckled low. "Tell me about the game station, Captain. In your dream."
"You left me." A tear squeezed out of his eye. Jack's hands gripped the sides of his bed as the Doctor kneaded the other cheek. "Alone," his voice cracked.
"Abandoned," the Doctor cooed.
"Y-yes…"
"But I found you, Jack. Your Doctor came back."
Jack sniffed loudly. Two hands now kneaded his ass, squeezing, massaging, parting…
"Say it, Jack. Say it."
"You came back," Jack sobbed out. It was too much. He could feel the stiff wool of the Doctor's coat draped over him, the heat of the Time Lord's body hovering on top of him, and his hands…oh God, his hands…
"Sh…" The Doctor moved his hands to his torso, pressing down on his back like he was crushing him to the mattress. "You were left alone in a graveyard, Jack. But I came back for you. Only me."
"Doctor," Jack whimpered. "Please…" He couldn't move, could barely breathe. The Doctor's voice echoed like it was far away.
"Go back to sleep, my handsome Jack," the Doctor soothed, his hands pulling away. Jack felt so cold. He shuddered and felt a blanket being pulled up over his bare back. "It was just a dream, Captain. Rest. Much to do later."
"Doctor…" Jack muttered as his eyelids grew so heavy. No, don't go. He fidgeted restlessly.
"I'm right here," the Doctor cooed. He placed his head by Jack's jaw, his lips a hair's breath away from his ear. "End of the universe, Captain. You're the factor. She won't go there without you. You must have something to do with it."
Jack didn't understand what the Doctor was saying. The body heat on top of him felt…sinister, yet a shadow of what he dreamt and yearned for. He forced his eyes open further. He tensed at the dark swirl writhing in the Doctor's eyes. No, this wasn't right, it…it wasn't the—
The ship was practically wailing but silenced at a word when the Doctor snarled at the air over his shoulder. Jack watched blearily in the darkness, riveted to the black mass moving in his perception.
The Doctor stroked the back of Jack's head. "Go back to sleep. Just a dream. Tomorrow, the real nightmare will begin."
Jack parted his mouth; he wanted to ask…ask what? Jack blinked sleepily as the darkness grew more solid, the shape he knew was the Doctor was merging and as he felt his body grow heavier and heavier, he thought distantly to himself that the Doctor truly felt like a different person now.
But that was a fleeting thought and Jack sank into a dreamless sleep in his quarters, unaware of the Doctor sitting at the end of his bed, watching.
Chapter 4
Additional Notes: Many thanks to snakeling for betaing this chapter long ago. Yes, I finally finished and can start reposting! Huzzah! LOL.
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17 (betaed)
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on. Be sure to read the warnings.
Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Warning For This Chapter: Dubious consent groping
Prologue + Ch 1, Ch 2,
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 3
Arcateen V, year 8,000
One month later…
It felt good to sit under the sun. All three of them.
Jack watched the Doctor talk to the tall, reed thin alien with fleshy long braids shimmering down its back on the courtyard. Bipedal, androgynous, and hairless all over its pale iridescent skin, the Doctor had called them "walking mood rings", a reference the Doctor said derived from the sixties. He'd promised they would go there. But then, the Doctor tried to go to year 2,000,000. The TARDIS made it there, choked and slingshot backed to year 8,000 and stayed. Now, they were stuck in Arcateen V for three of the planet's days while the ship refueled. The Doctor was as furious as Jack had ever seen and locked himself in a room Jack had never noticed before. The Time Lord had stayed in until now, waltzing out, announcing he could use some fresh air, grabbed Jack by the arm and practically dragged them both out to the planet's main market center.
It was eerie; no one talked here. They communicated silently with their minds and Jack had been nervous about their telepathic abilities until he’d realized they couldn't read his. One commented empathetically it was like trying to read the dead, and then praised Jack's strong mental shields. The Doctor merely smiled and said nothing.
Jack sat on what their version of a public park bench was, sipping their version of water. Life anywhere, he'd discovered, always had the basics in common and it was a lot safer than trying to imbibe their beverages. Jack remarked trying that once when he’d still been in the Agency, he’d woken up naked back on his ship after drinking some green drink. The Doctor, though, didn't laugh. His mouth curved a little and went "Hm." His eyes raked over Jack and Jack had the distinct feeling the Doctor was envisioning it. The thought both chilled and thrilled him. Jack marked it up as "Weird" again with the rest of the odd stuff he'd been noticing with the Time Lord.
Regeneration, Jack learned from watching the Doctor, meant a complete physical change. "Death" for a Time Lord meant new face, new voice, new…personality? It was the only reason Jack could think of for the strange nuances the Doctor was displaying.
For one thing, Jack was discovering this Doctor was a bit more infuriating at times. He reminded Jack of the officers in World War I and their "need-to-know" attitude. Sadly, apparently to the Doctor, Jack didn't need to know most of the times. Jack felt more like a passenger instead of a "companion" this time around.
Jack missed his Doctor; the one who switched his sonic blaster for a banana (speaking of which, Jack hadn't seen that screwdriver around), the one who talked about bananas and coconuts, the one with such a passion for humanity that you couldn't help copy. Jack missed the big ears, hooked nose, lopsided grin, and the dark gaze that softened when it landed on him and you couldn't help but smile back, feeling like nothing else existed around you…
Blinking rapidly, Jack rubbed a knuckle over his eye. He grimaced. Okay, that's how you got in trouble before, he told himself sternly.
Taking an experimental bite of whatever they were selling—it tasted like fruit but looked like a rock— Jack studied the Doctor as he talked to one of the natives. Jack stifled a smirk as he watched the Doctor, looking unusually dapper and proper in a long brushed wool coat and black suit (he missed the more casual leather jacket and dark jeans, though), nodding solemnly to whatever the telepathic was telling him. This version of the Doctor looked a bit more bookish, scholarly than what he was accustomed to. The Doctor had joked when Jack told him that he always thought he looked very "Whitehall" whatever that meant. The Doctor, in any appearance, loved to speak cryptically.
Jack frowned mildly, not liking the fact he was sitting here while the Doctor was over there. The Time Lord had a talent (or curse) for getting into a lot of trouble in the least amount of time. He remembered walking with Rose down a plaza one time, chatting about the flower market they’d just seen. It had been only a few minutes, the Doctor trailing behind them but they’d turned back only to find their Doctor was being arrested for murder.
Jack rolled his eyes at the memory. He grinned when he saw the Doctor tap his chin with his fingers in a rhythmic pulse. Thrum-thrum-tap-tap over and over and it was hypnotic to watch. Jack watched the fingertips lightly touching his lips and Jack remembered how warm and firm they were on the game station. It was brief, chaste almost, but enough to tell Jack he was willing to die for him.
Actually, I did, Jack thought ruefully. He swallowed and took another bite out of the alien fruit. Jack still hadn't told the Doctor about himself and the Doctor never asked. It was getting harder and harder to find a chance. Or, Jack was just a coward. But shouldn't this be a good thing? The Doctor wouldn't be alone any more.
The Doctor, at that moment, glanced over as if checking Jack was still there. He settled on Jack, narrowed his eyes fractionally and gave him a lazy smile that made Jack's skin unexpectedly shiver. Jack tentatively smiled back, not sure how to respond.
That was the other thing about regeneration. Jack never recalled the Doctor looking that…well, intense before. While his looks weren't particularly handsome (but he wasn't ugly either), his eyes, his voice, his m-mouth…Jack tugged at the collar of his shirt with a finger, frowning. Compelling would be the right word for it. Jack found himself staring at times. To his dismay, the Doctor caught him countless times, but all he would do was give Jack a little smirk before launching into whatever suited his fancy that day.
The Doctor looked at Jack up and down and that languid smile curved to something more…Jack wasn't sure what, but he found himself needing to look away. Breaking eye contact, the Doctor acted like he’d lost interest and was paying attention to the conversation again like it never happened, his long fingers tapping over his lips again.
Jack gulped. It actually felt like the planet brightened around him when he broke gaze. His palms were sweating; his fruit had rolled out of his numb grasp to join the drink on the ground. Jack took a shuddering breath. He chided himself for turning away and forced himself to keep watch of the Doctor once again. He stared; his gaze went over unbidden to those white hands rapping lightly on his lips. It felt like his heart was matching the silent beat. Thrum-thrum-tap-tap, thrum-thrum-tap-tap, thrum-thrum…
'You are not like the other.'
"Geez!" Jack started in his seat. He spun around and stared at the alien suddenly next to him.
Jack showed his hands. He was careful not to show any teeth when he smiled. "Sorry. I didn't hear yo…" He chuckled when he realized what he was going to say. Jack shrugged.
The alien looked amused, or its color was amused, a soft pink hue overlaying its slender body. The tendrils that hung off its head floated up like silver ribbons, then settled around its narrow shoulders.
'You do not talk like the others, like us. Yet you can hear us.' It cocked his head, studying him with large deep blue eyes that changed colors.
'Are you damaged?'
It didn't mean to, but that hurt. Jack winced, shrugged again and looked away. He looked at the Doctor glumly, who took no notice. Jack scanned the surroundings with a wary eye. Jack noted the Doctor never looked his way again, listening with intensity to the Arcateenian.
'I have offended you.'
Jack shook his head, offered a bigger smile. "I'm not offended," he reassured it, him, or her? He stared fascinated at the tendrils waving towards him. He offered his right hand, paused, before extending it further, leaving it open, loose, and non-threatening. "Captain Jack Harkness."
'Lithimath of Sandreen.'
"Nice to meet you, Lithimath of Sandreen," Jack dropped his voice to a rumble and smiled. A tendril brushed against his cheek. It felt like a breeze trailing his skin, leaving behind a tingle that was pleasant. "Does it mean anything in your world?"
'It means our wind…over the city.'
Jack winked and saw Lithimath glow a soft lemon yellow. "It suits."
'Thank you.'
It sounded amused in his head. Jack watched, enthralled as he saw the silvery white tendrils float and hover around him, lightly touching his body. It felt like feathers, even through his greatcoat.
'I can not hear your thoughts yet you are very bright.' The alien sounded curious.
Jack scrunched up his face. "I'm assuming you're not talking about my intelligence." He tentatively reached for the closest filament. He pulled back his hand. "Will I hurt you if I touch them?"
'No.'
They felt like nothing he ever encountered; silk as he brushed against them, warm thin wires when they settled on his palm, yet they lightened to puffs of cool air when they parted.
This was what he missed the most traveling with Rose. The Doctor had seen it all, faced wonders like these with a casual air of part boredom and detached fascination. It made his periods of excitement so addictive to behold; they were rare (even rarer these days) and bore the force of a flash flood people were helpless against.
But this needed to be shared with a pair of new eyes. Jack had seen enough to be blasé about it, but Rose would greet this with an almost childlike delight Jack missed having himself.
The filaments lingered on his fingers and Jack gave the tips a gentle squeeze before a parting stroke on the tips with his thumb.
"Interesting," Jack grinned at Lithimath.
The alien cocked its heart shaped head and considered Jack. Its eyes swirled to violet.
'So are you Captain Jack Harkness.'
The mental purr in his mind vibrated down to his belly. Jack swiped the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. Interestingly, Lithimath changed to a hue of silvery blue, its eyes so violet they looked solid.
'Are you a merchant?' Lithimath's strands snaked down to his thighs and stroke across his trousers.
Mm, very, very interesting. Jack shook his head. "Traveler."
'Interesting.'
"How so?" Jack stared at the tendrils curl then straightened around Lithimath. Like vines of spun silver glinting in the sunlight.
'A traveler would have chosen our gardens or parks, not our markets.' Lithimath's eyes studied Jack and turned back to deep blue. 'Unless you are looking for…unconventional weapons…'
Jack blinked. "Oh. Is that what this place is?"
'You did not know?'
"Captain."
Jack raised his eyes when a shadow crossed his view. He blinked up at the Doctor, taken aback by the dark fury brewing behind his eyes. He hadn't seen it since the Doctor faced the Dalek emperor and found, for the second time, to be afraid.
"Sir," Jack managed. It was automatic. The Doctor's face demanded the title.
"Our business is done here," the Doctor said stiffly, lifting up a crooked finger. A few odd, shiny pendants swayed in his grasp. He pulled them in with a fist then turned on his heels, his long wool coat flapped around his legs as he pivot.
Jack stood up, a little disappointed they weren't staying. Before he could take a step, tendrils coiled around his left hand, others slipped around his middle.
'Do not go with him.' Lithimath leaned forward on the bench. The strands tightened urgently, pulling him closer.
"It's okay," Jack assured, brushing away the tendrils as gently as he could. "He's a friend."
'No. Do not go with him.'
Before Jack could reassure it, the Doctor spun back around, grabbed Jack's right forearm. He pushed past the startled Captain and glared at the Arcateenian.
Lithimath blanched, its skin gone dull and gray. It actually made a sound, like a twitter, and it recoiled.
"Lith—" Jack frowned in concern. He jerked when the Doctor gave his arm a rough yank back before letting go. Ouch! That actually hurt! Jack glared at the Time Lord.
"Doctor—"
"Captain!" The Doctor didn't wait. He stormed off, fully expecting to be followed.
"It's alright," Jack said hurriedly. He reached out a hand again to Lithimath's tendrils, alarmed to find them cold and limp to the touch. "He's the Doctor. He's—"
"Captain!"
Yikes. Jack pulled back. "It's fine," he said over his shoulder as he hurried after the Doctor. "Sorry. Goodbye!"
Lithimath never said another word.
Jack scowled at the Doctor's retreating back as he struggled to catch up. "What's your problem?" he complained out loud, but he was ignored. Jack gritted his teeth, muttered something impolite he’d learned in the 20th century and hurried after the Time Lord.
The Doctor was already by the TARDIS, scowling and growling. To Jack's amusement, he seemed to be having trouble with his key. Rolling his eyes, Jack shouldered past the Doctor, grasped the key, and turned.
There were no thanks. The Doctor glowered at Jack, snatched back his key and made for the door. Before Jack could follow, however, the Doctor abruptly spun around, slamming his arms on both sides of Jack.
"Doctor!" Jack huffed. It was a tight fit with the two of them in the doorway. His back was pressed up uncomfortably against the painted door. He tensed when the Doctor pressed up against him, his mouth by his ear.
"Is it necessary, Captain," the Doctor spat, his breath hot in his ear, "for you to tumble into bed with every living being you encounter in the universe?"
Jack gaped at the Doctor as the Time Lord stepped back.
"Do not do that again," the Doctor tsked, his face revealing nothing, his voice bland as if he was reminding Jack to wipe his feet before crossing the threshold. A dark look and the Doctor entered the ship.
Jack gulped and heaved by the door. He sagged a little, feeling lightheaded. The Doctor looked…he sounded…His hand shook when it went up his hair.
Was the Doctor…jealous?
"That's good," Jack stammered to himself. Good. That was good.
Right?
"This is ridiculous," Jack muttered, looking up from a book he found in his quarters. It was a trashy romance novel that had to have been left by Rose, but it was better than sitting out there as an observer again. He could hear the Doctor in the control room, loud and frustrated as yet another jump only made the TARDIS stutter to a halt. A month since Arcateen and nothing but space again. Jack was bored out of his mind.
Jack tossed the book on the bed, uncrossed his legs and wiggled back into his boots.
"I don't know what his problem is," Jack complained to no one in particular but he glanced up to the domed ceiling of his quarters. "But he can't keep turning down my help. Brilliant or not, two heads have to be better than—" Jack stopped short when he realized he couldn't open the door. "What…"
Another tug yielded no results. Jack could hear the Doctor clanging and banging outside. Jack thumped on his door. "Hey! Doctor?" The door wouldn't even rattle. Jack glared up over his shoulder. "Are you doing this again?"
The TARDIS said nothing.
Jack had been tempted to tell the Doctor about the TARDIS' almost rebellious behavior. Doors wouldn't open for Jack, sometimes Jack couldn't get out of a room. One time, it kept Jack in the gardens all night. He fell asleep in a grove of ferns the ship grew over him. It was funny at first but after a month of that, not to mention the odd rumblings it made in his quarters all night, Jack was starting to wonder if the TARDIS was mad at him or something.
"He's going to wreck something with that weird mood of his," Jack warned out loud. He tried the door again. "Open this door!"
"Take me there now!" The Doctor was bellowing too loud to hear Jack banging on his door.
After a few minutes, Jack threw up his hands and dropped to the ground, his back against the door, with a huff. He sat cross-legged, glowering at the door that remained firmly shut.
Something rattled loudly outside and Jack winced. He glowered at the ceiling and folded his arms in front of him.
"Bad TARDIS," Jack grumbled.
The TARDIS merely purred.
His steps were hollow sounding as he ran down the maze of hallways. Nothing but the dead and Dalek dust greeted him. He searched frantically for a face, any face still alive among the metallic ruins of the station. Even the robotic hosts were all dead, smoldering, and blank eyed as he stood there and screamed out a name again.
"Doctor!"
Jack woke, like he always did with this memory/dream/nightmare, with a gasp and his pillow damp. In the dark, he huddled against his pillow, momentarily confused.
A hand settled on his bare back. Jack started.
"Sh, sh, sh, sh." A low, velvety growl accompanied the hand.
"D-doctor?" Jack gasped, suddenly aware he was in his living quarters, in bed, naked. "What?"
"You were having a nightmare." It was eerie listening to the Doctor in the dark, disembodied and heady. It surrounded Jack.
There should be something witty Jack could say about the Doctor finding him naked again but all he could manage was a weak, "Oh."
The Doctor's hand was dry, hot as it stroked his lower back. Jack bit his lower lip and pressed his face to his pillow. He must have kicked the covers off while he dreamt. He felt exposed and goose bumps rippled his flesh despite how hot the room was. Jack bit back a moan when the hand increased its pressure, deepening into the muscles, fingers digging along the knobs of his spine.
"You were calling my name." The Doctor lowered his mouth to Jack's ear. "So I came."
"Oh," Jack squeaked, his face burning. He wanted to turn around yet he didn't want to see the Doctor's face. He stifled a whimper when the hand became a finger and it scratched lightly down his spine. Up and down the arch of his back.
"What were you dreaming about?" the Doctor asked lazily, his finger now brushing the dimples on top of his cleft.
Jack gasped into his pillow. "Game station," he managed, squeezing his eyes shut. Memory and the heated rush from the Doctor's touch warred inside him. Jack wanted to throw up. He wanted to turn around. He wanted that hand to—Jack moaned when the Doctor's hand did move lower and dipped.
"Game station?" The Doctor sounded amused as his fingers curved around one butt cheek and squeezed.
"Doctor," Jack whimpered. He raised his hips against that hand, entreatingly.
The Doctor chuckled low. "Tell me about the game station, Captain. In your dream."
"You left me." A tear squeezed out of his eye. Jack's hands gripped the sides of his bed as the Doctor kneaded the other cheek. "Alone," his voice cracked.
"Abandoned," the Doctor cooed.
"Y-yes…"
"But I found you, Jack. Your Doctor came back."
Jack sniffed loudly. Two hands now kneaded his ass, squeezing, massaging, parting…
"Say it, Jack. Say it."
"You came back," Jack sobbed out. It was too much. He could feel the stiff wool of the Doctor's coat draped over him, the heat of the Time Lord's body hovering on top of him, and his hands…oh God, his hands…
"Sh…" The Doctor moved his hands to his torso, pressing down on his back like he was crushing him to the mattress. "You were left alone in a graveyard, Jack. But I came back for you. Only me."
"Doctor," Jack whimpered. "Please…" He couldn't move, could barely breathe. The Doctor's voice echoed like it was far away.
"Go back to sleep, my handsome Jack," the Doctor soothed, his hands pulling away. Jack felt so cold. He shuddered and felt a blanket being pulled up over his bare back. "It was just a dream, Captain. Rest. Much to do later."
"Doctor…" Jack muttered as his eyelids grew so heavy. No, don't go. He fidgeted restlessly.
"I'm right here," the Doctor cooed. He placed his head by Jack's jaw, his lips a hair's breath away from his ear. "End of the universe, Captain. You're the factor. She won't go there without you. You must have something to do with it."
Jack didn't understand what the Doctor was saying. The body heat on top of him felt…sinister, yet a shadow of what he dreamt and yearned for. He forced his eyes open further. He tensed at the dark swirl writhing in the Doctor's eyes. No, this wasn't right, it…it wasn't the—
The ship was practically wailing but silenced at a word when the Doctor snarled at the air over his shoulder. Jack watched blearily in the darkness, riveted to the black mass moving in his perception.
The Doctor stroked the back of Jack's head. "Go back to sleep. Just a dream. Tomorrow, the real nightmare will begin."
Jack parted his mouth; he wanted to ask…ask what? Jack blinked sleepily as the darkness grew more solid, the shape he knew was the Doctor was merging and as he felt his body grow heavier and heavier, he thought distantly to himself that the Doctor truly felt like a different person now.
But that was a fleeting thought and Jack sank into a dreamless sleep in his quarters, unaware of the Doctor sitting at the end of his bed, watching.
Chapter 4
Additional Notes: Many thanks to snakeling for betaing this chapter long ago. Yes, I finally finished and can start reposting! Huzzah! LOL.
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(Just to prove my life isn't this awesome I'm buggering off for a week, so sorry, but I can't read updates for a while...)