for rude_not_ginger Terra Novus: Outpost 7

[quitehomoerotic]

Follows this.

Smack.

Jack landed on the marbled floor with an unceremonious fall.

"Yeah, but you missed it," he said finishing the sentiment the Doctor started before he activated the manipulator.

He pulled himself up from the floor and stretched himself out, looking over to the Doctor to make sure he was okay and all in one piece.

"We're about 800 years to the left," he said as he checked his wrist strap. "Set it on random, thought it'd be more fun that way."

He grinned over at him, and stretched his neck out a little more as he looked around.

What he saw, was nothing short of spectacular.

The walls looked to be made of stone and were decorated with gargoyles and elaborate gold filigree flourishes. Ahead of them, up on the wall, was a vast round glass stain window. Small lights illuminated it around the circle, but just about visible through the other side was the vague starlight in the distance. They were still in space, not on a planet surface.

"Well this is new... what is this, some sort of space monastery?"

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[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"You didn't need that responsibility," the Doctor said. He felt time flow around him with his movements, the universe set back to where it needed to be.

He fell back onto the ground, looking up at the beautiful pink sky. Like candy floss, the Doctor very nearly imagined he could reach up and snatch some. Just the sort of place he would've liked to have been, if he hadn't just fled a huge, pink Nightmare. One he very nearly didn't escape. One he very nearly dragged Jack into.

They should've stayed away. The Doctor should've made sure they did.

"Four times," the Doctor breathed.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Yeah well maybe I wanted to take it!" he snapped before sighing and rubbing a hand over his face. "Maybe I wanted to take it from you, Doctor. It shouldn't be you. It shouldn't have to be you."

He shook his head and looked down at his wrist strap. Oh they were far away now. Very far away. It was as if the manipulator knew just what they had to get away from.

"It's still better," he said, looking at the floor, almost as a different sentiment, and almost as though he was justifying himself, or justify emotion. "Better than being alone. Better than pretending."

Shifting on the ground, he pulled his knees up a little, and rested his forearms out against them. "What did that mean?" he asked quietly, turning his head to look down at him and squinting a little in the pink light.

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"It's my responsibility."

Before he spoke, the Doctor pulled out the TARDIS key and pointed it to the sky.

"I think the Shadow Proclamation has more to deal with than us right now," he said. And part of him wanted her there, for the security. For the last three years, she was all he had. Well, for really many years before that, actually. His oldest companion, always waiting.

He took a breath, and laid back against the ground again. "It's part of a prophecy."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"No it isn't," Jack said with a resigned huff. He didn't expect the Doctor to listen to him, or agree with him, of course, but he had to say it.

"One day," he sighed, "you'll learn that everything you do is already more than enough. The universe owes you, Doctor, not the other way round."

He looked out at the field. It seemed to go on as far as he could see. It was beautiful, really, and the pink of the sky seemed to fade and twist into a purple in the distance.

"You know we could have sex in this field," Jack said, aiming for nothing other than humour. An odd sort of way of lifting a mood, while still testing waters. "It's a good field. Warm. It'd look like something out of a cheesy movie. Well, a top shelf movie."

He smiled, though it was tight, and it didn't really match his words.

Dropping one arm from his knee, he shifted a hand over until it touched the Doctor's sleeve.

"What's the prophecy?" he asked softly.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"Not your most subtle," the Doctor said, raising an eyebrow to Jack. "Though, I suppose there's something to be said for the direct approach. Still! Too much to do, not enough time."

He took in a breath, feeling the weight of the prophecy, of his impending death, sitting heavily on his chest. He wanted to find a way out of it. He needed to live, just a little while longer. There was so much he could do if just could just hold on.

"I'm going to die," he said. "He will knock four times, and then I die. I don't know how. Not yet. But it's going to happen."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"No, not my best, I'll admit," Jack nodded, agreeing. "But don't hold it against me. I'm out of practise. I'll have to try harder in future."

Carefully, he slid himself down on the grass so that he was lying on his side facing the Doctor, his head propped up on one elbow.

Jack didn't like the sound of prophecies. He liked to think they were a load of rubbish. But then he knew truth was a little more complicated than that. He'd been given his own once. The turn of a century before he met the Doctor again, and that had proved true.

"No," Jack said with a firm certainty in his voice. "No you're not." As well as caring for the Doctor for the Doctor's sake, a very selfish part of Jack's mind cared for him for his sake. And he needed the Doctor. He needed this Doctor.

"Not as long as I'm around, and I'm not going anywhere," he continued, still as firm, threading his fingers between the Doctor's as if to cement his words.

"Everybody dies, eventually, but that's a long way off." His voice very nearly broke, showing the effect of the words, though he didn't meant to.

"I'm not losing anyone else, Doctor. And I'm not losing you, not again. I'm not letting anything happen to you. Just you remember that."

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

"That's why I ran, Jack," the Doctor said. "You don't need to have to watch it, when it happens. I'd rather you were off in some cantina, not worrying about me."

The Doctor held a lot of belief in prophecies. His planet believed in them, his people had their own future-telling abilities, but he'd never had one so utterly directed at him. So completely knowing.

And who knew what could be knocking for him. Anything. Anyone. And Jack's life was too fragile right now. A small death would kill him if they couldn't outrun the Marquis. Another loved one, dead because of the Doctor.

He curled his fingers around Jack's, before bringing his hand up to his lips and pressing a small kiss to his knuckles.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"What, and you think if I was somewhere else I wouldn't be worrying about you? You can't really believe that I wouldn't, you're not that stupid. The last few months I've done nothing but worry about you. No, I want you where I can see you."

The kiss made him smile, and he leaned over and pressed his own kiss gently against the Doctor's forehead.

"Lots of time for running," he said, "but wherever you run, just you make sure there's room for me right behind you."

He smiled down at him and slinked down a little lower, reaching his other hand out to brush against a few strands of the Doctor's hair.

"I know what you probably think," he whispered, so quietly, "I bet there's so much of you that thinks you should have never let me get close to you, or let you get close to me. Because it's hard. I know it's hard. Oh do I know. But you want to know something? I don't care, Doctor. I'm glad. I'm so glad of it."

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"I don't think I could stop," the Doctor admitted, his own voice quiet and vulnerable. "Whether I like it or not, Jack Harkness, you've embedded yourself fairly deeply in my hearts. And I don't say something like that very often, so feel honored."

He felt another embedded soul move closer to him as the TARDIS appeared not far off, a few blast scorches across her side, but generally in a better mood now that she wasn't being chased. The Doctor gave her a small smile, and then turned back to Jack.

"Guess we're stuck with each other. You, me, and the TARDIS."

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"Oh but you tried to," he said with an almost laugh, "you gave a damn good try. Nearly managed it too. But I'm stubborn and maybe I just know you too well." He smiled and nodded, "Trust me, I do. I don't take it for granted, Doctor, believe me. None of it. I know how much it means."

He looked over as he heard the engines of the TARDIS and smiled as she appeared a short way off.

"Looks like our ride is here," he smiled, before calling over to the TARDIS, "good to see you!" And frowning back to the Doctor, "I really need to not do that."

He let out a laugh and nodded with a smile. "Yeah, looks that way doesn't it? And good, Doctor. I'm glad."

Before moving to get up, he leant in and pressed a gentle kiss to the Doctor's lips, indulging himself, just for that moment.

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"That's all right," the Doctor said. "She prefers it when you talk to her. Not enough of my companions can get it 'round their head that she's alive and can feel."

She felt joy when she saw them, when she knew her Doctor was happy. And jealousy, of course, when she saw Jack lean in and kiss him. The Doctor leaned back, deepening the kiss very slightly, if for no other reason than just because he was happy to be alive, in that moment, with Jack.

He broke apart, pressing his forehead to Jack's.

"That question. The one you asked me before." He wasn't even sure if Jack would remember, but the Doctor continued on. "I do. I still---I never stopped."

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"Yeah? Well I'm no ordinary companion," Jack said with a grin and a dash too much inflated self importance. Mostly false, of course, but not entirely.

It was right, when it was like this. Him, the Doctor and the TARDIS. It made him feel like he had a genuine reason to keep going. Not just because he had to, but because he wanted to. The Doctor made him want to.

The kiss ended and he stroked his fingers gently along the Doctor's cheek, keeping himself close.

Hearing the words meant more than even perhaps he realised they would. He felt warmed from the inside, and he needed that. He'd needed to know that, even if deep down he already did. He needed to hear it.

And he remembered, oh of course he remembered. He remembered the question clear as a bell, and the response that had shot so painfully through him.

"I know," he smiled back, squeezing tighter on his hand, "I always knew," and he pressed his lips down for another kiss, giving more than he could really say with words.

In the distance, the serene calm seemed to change. Barely perceptible, and not at all to those not tuned to it. But a distant sound, like a white noise or a radio transmission. A crackle far away that seemed to fizzle and get closer. And at the same time (though with eyes closed he didn't notice it), the pink sky faded and turned to white.

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"Do you feel that?"

Time moved, shifted around them. Something rippled along the timelines, pulling and changing things. The Doctor turned to Jack, but even the fixed man seemed to move, like a pebble rocking through a brook.

"Run." The word came out as a breath, a reaction, an uncertainty. Things were changing, and that was bad. They had to get out, they had to---

They had to--

Time was bending, shifting, changing, far too fast.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack took a deep breath and the air that filled his lungs had an almost metallic tang. His eyes opened quickly, and his body and mind were alert.

"What's--"

He saw the sky. The sky had gone.

"Doctor!" he called as he sat up sharply. "Doctor's that's..." he felt a tug inside and it hurt. It was as though something was trying to change but he couldn't change. It was forcing the impossible and somehow achieving it.

He swung his head around to look at the Doctor, but he saw nothing there, he saw nothing at all. No rich green grass or bright pink sky.

In a desperate attempt to stop this, he pulled himself to standing on whatever surface he was on, and he ran. He thought for a moment that there was someone he shouldn't be leaving behind, but the thought was short. He couldn't remember who.

He ran. Ran and ran until...

He fell.

His foot tripped and he fell down. Down and down and down until he landed.

And when he opened his eyes, the grass was a thick rich green and the sky was a bright pink.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

The Doctor had his eye on the sky. It wasn't right, it changed completely, he was certain. He knew this wasn't right.

Then, he was racing across the grass to where the other man had fallen. It had to be the sky. It had to be whatever changed.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked, placing a hand on the unfamiliar man's arm.

Time bent around him, like a fixed point in time. Like Adelaide Brooke or Charley Pollard, except stronger. It was nauseating, and the Doctor recoiled unconsiously.

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Jack pulled himself up from the floor and dusted himself down.

"Fine," he said sharply, a quick and automatic reaction followed by, almost as an afterthought, "Thanks."

Must have just tripped. He'd been taking a walk in the field after arriving here from the Dama cluster where he'd been helping someone out with a small infestation problem. He was taking a day off.

He kept his face straight and unreadable as he regarded the man next to him, looking him up and down in his suit and long coat. Trying to learn something about him by just looking at him. Sometimes it worked.

He saw him shift back, but he didn't know why. He stored the information though, and raised an eyebrow in the man's direction. "Problem?" he asked as he picked a blade of grass from his sleeve and threw it back down to the ground.

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"Nope." The reply was immediate. The last thing he wanted to do was tell a fixed point that he was a fixed point. Even though it felt...wrong. Very wrong. He couldn't feel fear or disgust from the TARDIS, though. Why not?

"Thought I saw--" he looked back to the sky, and then shook his head.

No, no. He was here on holiday, coming back from his latest adventure on Christmas Planet with...no one. Just himself. Why did he think he was with someone?

"Anyway, I'm the Doctor."

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"Good," Jack said back, but his tone wasn't believing. He didn't like being looked at like someone knew something about him, and the look in this man's eyes seemed to say it did.

"Nice to meet you 'The Doctor'. Captain Jack Harkness."

He offered his hand out towards the man for him to shake, and in the back of his head he wondered why the name sounded familiar. Why it struck a chord and... no, no it didn't, it was just his mind playing tricks.

Glancing sideways, it struck him too that he wasn't entirely sure where he was. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

"You a local?"

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The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets to avoid touching the other man. He was sure his action was rude, but he didn't care. It wasn't as though he had to worry about hurting anyone, not while we traveled alone.

"Nah," the Doctor said. "Just a freelancer."

Funny, though, that name meant something to him. It tugged somewhere in his hearts. Maybe an old piece of history, a fixed point somewhere.

"Well! But if you're going towards town, I'll follow along."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack withdrew his hand when he saw the Doctor wouldn't take it. Well, if nothing else, he was rude. Ruder than Owen Harper on a bad day. But it wasn't as though Jack really cared either way; he didn't have to spend any time with this man.

Though, looking at him, he wouldn't mind spending time with him.

"A freelancer?" Jack questioned with a smirk. Well he could get behind that idea at least.

He turned his head and glanced over to the ridge where he assumed the town would be beyond. He nodded before looking back to the Doctor.

"Why not," he said. After all company for a short while wasn't a bad thing.

"So what brings you this way?" He asked as they started to walk. He attempted to sound casual but beneath that air he was probing. Trying to learn about this 'freelancer'.

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

What did bring him this way? Something about the randomizer. Randomizer and running.

Running from the knocking, from the Ood. That had to be it, of course. It didn't feel right, like the fear for himself had faded, but there was fear. It had to be for himself. He didn't have anyone else.

"Traveling. Causing a bit of trouble, you know how it is." The Doctor didn't imagine Captain Jack did (he only barely accepted the fact that the man was a captain at all). But time felt different, and it moved differently around him.

Best to stay close. He led the way, only half aware of the fact that he didn't really know where the nearest town was.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Mmm, I do," Jack said and didn't do much to conceal his rather self important smirk. He did know, of course, but he very much doubted the Doctor truly did.

As they walked, Jack reached down to discreetly check his wrist strap. Where exactly was he? It could be the manipulator, after all it was old and temperamental, but that didn't really explain the utter confusion.

"Here alone, I take it?" he asked, continuing the small talk, continuing his probing.

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The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the question. Oh, but he was becoming far too trusting in his old age. Pick up some young, strange creature in the wild, it was more likely than not that he'd try to do something stupid, like rob him.

"Yeah, well, figured I might take in a few sights without anyone to hold me back. Getting a bit too old for companions." He sniffed loudly, and nodded out to the horizon.

"Don't often see a pink-light horizon, not unless you're in the Retrestria sector. It's the referberations of light along the outer core of the sunsphere." A rather random bit of trivia, but it was nice to have someone around to say it to.

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At the raised eyebrow, Jack raised his own right back. He could give as good as he got. In every circumstance. He'd make sure that was known. He didn't take things lying down.

"Oh 's that so?" he asked, looking at him again. "You don't look so old to me." But Jack knew age wasn't always visible on the surface. He knew that more than most. He'd lived more than most. He'd have bet much more than this man.

His head turned to him as he spoke. And oh, well that was interesting. He knew his stuff, at least, or some stuff.

Discreetly, he poked again at his wrist strap, glancing down at it for confirmation. "Yup!" he said with a nod, "Retrestria Two, to be precise." And he got a year too, 6860. Further than he thought. Why had he come out this far? Oh it was that explosion he was escaping, wasn't it?

"Like the aurora borealis," he added. He knew quite well of course what an 'Earth' concept that was, but then old habits died hard. He'd been on Earth too long.

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"Ooooh, nothing quite like those in the universe," the Doctor said with a wide, nostalgic smile. "The ones on Venus are fairly nice, but the ones on Earth. Ooooh, they're beautiful."

Aurora Borealis didn't translate well with the TARDIS circuits. Meant the man he stood next to spoke English at some point. Which meant he'd been to Earth. He felt himself relax a little. People from Earth could be ruthless, but it was good, being around someone who knew what his other-home was like.

"There's actually a fantastic chip shop on Retrestria Two," the Doctor said. "If you like Earth food which, well, I have to admit I'm fond of. Best chips on this section of galaxy. Which isn't saying much, but it's better than the clob-hobble they sell to eat on this world."