Disclaimer: Not now, nor ever likely to be, mine.
http://amythest-n-ice.livejournal.com/7288.html
Link to Prt 14 Wales Again
http://amythest-n-ice.livejournal.com/7895.html
Link to Prt 16 Eyes across a room
Rescue
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Ianto wandered into the console room, and frowned, thinking the room was deserted. A loud clatter and a string of obvious curse words in a language Ianto was glad he couldn’t understand convinced him he was wrong. He rounded the console and saw Jack, or rather, the lower half of him. The upper half was out of view in the workings of the central column.
“Good job your children are both fast asleep, and didn’t hear that.” Ianto flinched as he heard a thud and a muffled exclamation of pain.
Jack slithered out from under the console, and lay flat on his back, half heartedly glaring up at Ianto and rubbing the bump coming up just above his hairline.
“Sorry.” Ianto winced.
“Never mind. I didn’t realize anyone else was up yet.” Jack shrugged as he hauled himself up and started flicking switches on the panel above where he had been working. A couple of lights flickered briefly, then died again. Jack sighed, his shoulders slumping.
“Repairs not going well?” Ianto asked.
“Not at the moment, no. Poor old thing really took a battering this time. However, it could be worse.”
“How exactly?”
“We could have crashed on a technological backwater. At least here we have a chance of being able to find the parts we need, or at least finding stuff that can be jury rigged until we can get the right parts.”
“So where is the Doctor?”
“He got a lead on a Vari-form temporal flux stabilizer and went to check it out.” Jack caught the blank look on Ianto’s face and laughed as he dropped gracefully back to the deck.
“If we can get that part, that’s half of the problems we have fixed in one go,” Jack clarified before wriggling back into the hatch under the panel. Ianto shook his head and headed for the kitchen to see what he could rustle up with half the stuff not working. The children would need to eat soon, and Ianto was willing to bet that Jack hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day.
When breakfast was done, Ianto went back to the nursery with Kalen, and left Bobby sitting on the seat in the console room, watching in fascination as Jack worked under the console.
By the time lunchtime rolled around, Bobby had gotten bored, Jack was a little frustrated because he had done everything he could do until the Doctor got back, either with the part he was looking for, or something they could jury rig to serve, and he was also a little worried that the Doctor wasn’t back yet.
“I was about to start putting lunch together,” Ianto told him, coming in to collect Bobby.
“No, we’ll go out,” Jack said turning away from the silent console.
“Are you sure we should? Won’t the Doctor be worried when he gets back?”
“I’ll leave him a note. Come on Ianto, I’ll get the children dressed, if you’ll go and make Kalen a bottle.” Jack rubbed his hands together, and ushered Bobby and Ianto out of the console room.
They found a lovely little cantina down a side street that had several other families already eating in there, and while they were waiting for their order to arrive, Jack fed Kalen. They were half way through their meal when Jack tuned into a conversation that two men were having outside, realizing that what had caught his attention was that they were using a language he hadn’t heard in a very long time.
“Have you got anything from the alien yet?”
“No, he’s being stubborn, not talking at all. Did you manage to locate his vessel?”
“Nothing on any of the scans. He must have a time ship here somewhere, he wouldn’t have been after a TFS otherwise. We just have to find it, then we can force him to get us back off this bloody rock and back to the Agency.”
“Right, you keep looking. I’ll see how our guest responds to a little more persuasion.”
The men moved off in different directions, and Jack became aware of Ianto’s hand on his wrist and his voice calling his name. Turning his attention back to his friend, he realized that the glass he had been holding had shattered in his hand, and there was blood everywhere. Jack felt sick, and was grateful he hadn’t been touching either of his children at the time. Ianto must have seen the thought in his face, because squeezed his wrist lightly.
“You could never hurt your babies Jack. Never. Sit tight, I’m going to see if they have something I can use to clean your hand up.”
“No. We have to get back to the TARDIS, now.”
“Why?”
“I think someone might have the Doctor, and if they do, they’re looking for the TARDIS.”
Jack allowed Ianto to pick the bigger bits of glass out of his hand, as their server hovered, eyeing the red, human blood in alarm, but as soon as Ianto wrapped his handkerchief around Jack’s injured hand, he was moving again. He scrabbled in his pocket with his good hand, and dropped some Galactic credits on the table, then he scooped Bobby up to rest on his hip, arms wrapped firmly around his neck, and nodded to Ianto to take the baby.
“Keep your eyes open Yan. Anyone looks like they’re paying us too much attention, let me know,” Jack said, making sure he could hold his blaster in his injured hand.
“Right.” Ianto’s voice was shaking a little, but he looked determined that nothing was going to stop them getting the children back to the safety of the TARDIS.
“Good. Let’s move.” Jack said.
They reached the TARDIS unmolested, and Jack quickly ushered the others inside, making sure the doors were secured behind him.
“Right, lets get you to medical and sort your hand out.” Ianto tried to usher Jack to the inner doors, but Jack pulled away from him, heading to the console.
“Its OK Ianto. Just take care of the children, please. I need to see if I can find out where they have him.”
“Jack, you’re dripping blood on the floor. I doubt that it will do the controls much good to be soaked in blood. They’re damaged enough as it is.”
At Ianto’s reasonable argument, Jack caved, letting Ianto usher him to the med bay. He made Jack sit up on one of the tables, and lifted Bobby up onto the other, putting Kalen down beside him.
“Bobby, will you just watch your sister while I take care of mama’s hand?”
Bobby nodded silently and Ianto could see he was confused, and a little scared by whatever was happening around him.
“It will be OK Bobby. Mama will make it OK,” Ianto said, kissing the child on his forehead. Jack never let anyone down when it mattered and he tried to show that certainty to the little boy. It must have worked, because the nod this time was firmer.
Ianto moved back to Jack and saw his eyes were closed, a small frown creasing his brow.
“Jack?” Ianto reached out to cautiously touch the older man’s shoulder.
“’m OK Yan,” Jack said distantly, holding out his injured hand to Ianto. Ianto unwrapped the blood drenched handkerchief and carefully pulled out any remaining glass before cleaning and sealing the wound.
“Thanks Yan.” Jack got off the bed and went over to the children, kissing them both lightly before ruffling Bobby’s hair and smiling.
“Uncle Ianto is going to take you both to the nursery and stay with you there. Be good for him OK?”
“Yes mama.”
“Ianto, keep the door closed. If worse comes to worst, I’m going to have to move the TARDIS, and that could get rough,” Jack said, squeezing Ianto’s shoulder. Then Ianto felt creeping fingers of fear tickle up his spine as he saw gold light Jack’s eyes once more.
This time, it didn’t stop with flecks in his pupils, this time, the gold filled the pupils, growing brighter and spreading outwards, flooding his eyes with a bright golden glow. When the glow dimmed, his pupils were black once more, but were now vertical slits, like those of a cat, and his irises bore the tawny gold hue of a predator. This had all taken seconds, and Bobby had noticed nothing, as Jack strode from the room.
Jack reached the console room and moved quickly to the console, reaching out and stroking the panels, feeling her in his head stronger than ever, even if she was injured, weakened.
“Well, my sweet lady. Lets see if we can’t find our beloved.”
He could feel tendrils of her hesitantly sliding into his mind, unsure how he would deal with this, untrained as he was in the use of the knowledge and power that had been slumbering within him since birth, power that had been thought lost millennia before until this one human had encountered her, the last TARDIS. She had awakened the power with the gift of life that she had encouraged Rose to bestow on him, and she had rewritten him, so that he would not go the way of all the others of his kind. He was eternal, and he belonged to them.
He opened to her, allowing the connections to be made, the ancient links between a TARDIS, and her navigator.
Jack reached out with the half crippled sensors, but could find no trace of his mate with them, so at her gentle urging, he reached out with their links to the time lord, seeking his mind instead of his body.
*There* He said, the sound of his mental voice echoing slightly within the confines of the link. He felt her concern, and reached deeper, feeling the Doctor’s pain, and anger at his captors, and his fear that they would locate the TARDIS, and his family.
*I know you’re damaged, hurting, but can you do it?* He asked, showing her what he wanted. He felt her acquiescence, and they gave themselves over totally to this link. He reached passed the damaged controls, accessing the transit circuits directly, and faded them out. He could vaguely feel her shaking with the strain, and the pain of interfacing with her in this state drove him to his knees, but they wouldn’t quit. The Doctor was THEIRS and they wanted him back. He glowed as he pulled more power from the vortex, and the passage eased slightly as he shared it with her, as she had done so many times to bring him back from the darkness.
They landed after what felt like an eternity, although Jack knew it had been minutes at most, and he reached with the sensors. They were exactly where he had intended, in a quiet alley just a little way from where they had his mate.
He pulled back from the links with the TARDIS, his energy flowing now into the feral side of his nature. He was a hunter, a predator, and they would pay for taking what was his.
He slipped out of the TARDIS, shutting the door firmly, and slipped the short distance to where his mate was being held, all his senses alert for the men who had taken him. He had heard two talking earlier, but there was no guarantee there weren’t more. The door to the house was locked, but that didn’t stop him. He kicked hard, just above the lock, and it swung open, scent assaulted him, his mate’s blood, and the stench of anger and desperation. The scent of two men between him and what was his.
Jack launched himself into the room, catching the nearest of the time agents unawares, and powering him to the ground where he lay still, unconscious. The second man had time to prepare himself, and he put up more of a fight. A lucky punch knocked Jack back a few steps, but it didn’t even slow him down. He threw himself at the man, knocking him to the ground. Jack straddled him, banging his head against the flags until he too passed out.
He got off the man and went to his mate, who was staring at him wide eyed. Jack sensed no fear of him from the Doctor, which was good, just awe and acceptance. He kissed him gently, running his fingers lightly over the scrapes and bruises marking his love’s face, then he leaned over to untie him.
“Jack!” The Doctor tensed, calling a warning, but it was too late. The third member of the happy little band of time agents had come in, seen what was going on and charged straight at Jack to try to stop him freeing the prisoner. Jack felt the knife slide into him, and screamed with rage, spinning to face his attacker.
The man held the knife in front of him, Jack’s blood dripping from the blade onto the dusty floor. The Doctor yanked at his loosened ropes, trying to get free as Jack dashed the knife from the agent’s hand and wrapped his hands around his throat. He clawed frantically at Jack’s hands as his air was cut off, but Jack’s grip was like iron, the man went to his knees as he started to black out, his face puce as he still battled for a breath.
“Jack, no. Please, let him go love, you don’t want to kill him.” The Doctor had finally gotten free, and his hands were on Jack’s wrists, stroking lightly. Jack’s eerie eyes studied him for a long moment, then he released the man, allowing him to fall boneless and gasping to the floor. The last thing Jack saw as darkness spiraled in at the edge of his vision was the Doctor rushing to catch him.
Jack started to drift back to awareness, slowly becoming aware of things. The bleeping of a heart monitor. The heaviness in his limbs that suggested he had been dead, accompanied by a lack of pain from the stab wound to corroborate that notion. The warmth of a small hand grasping his tightly. With a huge effort, he squeezed the small fingers gently, and was rewarded with a small, trembling voice.
“Mama?”
He forced his eyes open, and the med bay slowly swam into focus. Bobby was sitting beside his hip, holding his hand tightly, big eyes bright with tears. The Doctor was sitting beside the bed in a chair, one hand holding Bobby securely, and the other, he realized, resting on Jack’s own knee. Ianto was asleep on the other bed, looking exhausted, and Kalen was in a small crib between the two beds.
“Its OK baby.” Jack lifted a heavy arm to brush away Bobby’s tears. Bobby threw himself onto Jack’s chest and sobbed, clinging tightly, and Jack stroked his hair until he cried himself out. He sniffled occasionally, but was content to lie on Jack’s chest and listen to the reassuring heartbeat until it lulled him to sleep.
“I guess I scared him,” Jack said softly.
“You scared all of us, you were gone for a long time. Three days Jack, you were dead for one, and comatose for two. What possessed you to link with a damaged TARDIS?”
“We love you, and you were in danger. We agreed that we needed to get to you fast. We did what we had to.”
“Thank you. I was starting to think that I wouldn’t see you again while I had this face.”
“Hmm, don’t even think that. I like that face. I love YOU, but I definitely like the face,” Jack said with a tired smile.
“I’m rather attached to it myself.”
“Doc, what am I?”
The Doctor leaned over and stroked the dark hair, thinking about it before he answered.
“You’re a Gallifreyan Inkesh hunter, kind of.”
“Kind of?”
“The genes must have been there, dormant, in your family line, for thousands of years. The Inkesh were a different evolutionary chain, they were expert trackers and hunters. They were also very adept at navigating the Vortex in the early TARDISes. They bonded with a TARDIS, and they stayed with it until they died.”
“Slaves?” Jack asked, sounding uncomfortable.
“No, never that. The ones who joined with TARDISes, did it willingly. For the joy of navigating the Vortex. When you and she are both at full strength, you’ll have to try it, see what I mean.”
“I’d like that. So what happened to them?”
“They bred with non hunters, less and less were born every year, until there were none born at all. The gene went dormant. The old girl rewrote you slightly though.”
“I know. I’m immortal, obviously, and I discovered that I can draw energy direct from the vortex in a pinch.”
“Yeah, you might want to avoid that if you can. Its like a huge adrenaline rush, and the crash is a bitch.”
“I kind of got that. She feels fixed.”
“She is. I cannibalized their ship for what I needed. It was never going to fly again anyway.”
“And where are they.”
“Locked up, at the end of the wardrobe corridor. I’ll find somewhere nice to drop them off.”
“Good.” Jack yawned.
“Get some more rest, you’re still drained.” The Doctor ordered. Jack drifted off to the feeling of fingers carding through his hair.
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The eyes are explained! He’s a predator, yummy! I hope no one is too disappointed by my explanation.
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amythest_n_ice) wrote2007-05-14 12:34 am
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And now Ianto can get a boyfriend, yes? *flutters eyelashes*
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Gorgeous as always and what a great explanation for Jack's golden gaze, Inkesh Predator huh :)
So the Gallifreyan traits are a wee bit more concentrated than we first thought, wonder what other surprises you have in store relating to Jack's heritage
I will miss Jack not going through another pregnancy, I am a glutton for pregnant Jack, but well at least there are two little potential "Time Lord/Lady" wandering round now. I can see Bobby and Kalen causing a few grey hairs in the future.
You must let us know who each child takes after or are you going to keep us guessing. I am interested to know whether Bobby is like Mama or Papa. (grin) Little gorgeous tykes they are.
And for one moment my heart dropped when I thought the saga was completed.
Looking forward to the next piece as always :)
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I think their personalities are already showing hints. Bobby adores his sister, she showed the Doctor's impatience in her rush to be born. I think she will rush headlong into trouble, just like her dad, and Bobby will be dragged in behind her, trying to protect her, like him mum.
Personalities aside, you'll just have to see which genetic traits they have inherited. *evil grin*
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This is a lovely series, looking forward to the next.
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OMG! *swoon*
I mean seriously *g*
...made of several types of awesome in fact!
I just read the whole thing in one go XD
I feel like I should give you something in return lol *presents bag of cookies* C ♥
Re: OMG! *swoon*
Glad you're enjoying the 'verse. Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter, which should be up soon.