When Everything Changed - Chapter 15/20
Oct. 9th, 2010 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tonjavmooreTitle: When Everything Changed – A Torchwood/Dr. Who/Sarah Jane Adventures Crossover
Author:tonjavmoore
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Eleven and Amy Pond, and a lot of people from the Whoniverse at large
Rating: PG
Word Count: Total: 32,741; Chapter 15: 1,380
Spoilers: This assumes that you are familiar the five days of Children of Earth. Otherwise, you’ll be a bit lost. This is a timey-wimey fixit that takes up action partway through Day 3.
Disclaimer: Torchwood, Dr. Who, and Sarah Jane Adventures all belong to the BBC and RTD. Sadly.
Betas: Thanks to midlist_writer and welsh_scotsman on Live Journal. Also, to my friend Alexandria Cameron who put up with my squeals and tantrums when it just wouldn’t get out through my fingers the way I wanted it to.
Dedication: This is for my good friend and the best roommate anyone could have ever the pleasure of having, Susan Garrett. She was taken from us by cancer and the world is not as bright as it was before she left.
Summary: When the Shadow Architects find a paradox that is destroying the Universe, can the Eleventh Doctor find a way to restore Jack’s timeline to what it should have been?
I have disabled comments on Live Journal. Please comment at my Dreamwidth account. I love comments. They are cookies for my soul. You don’t have to have an account to comment there.
A/N: The clean up begins.
Story starts here:
Chapter 1
Chapter 15
Sarah Jane and Luke followed the man down the corridor of the clinic. It wasn’t a part of Buckingham Palace that was normally seen. There were a lot of soldiers about, but her guide had explained that they were there to protect the inhabitants, not to keep anyone prisoner. With the rioting in the streets and the Royal Family returning from Balmoral, it made sense to be extra vigilant. It didn’t make her any less nervous though. It was late and she was tired.
The soldier stopped at a door and knocked softly. “Miss Smith is here, sir,” he said.
The door opened and Sarah found herself face-to-face with Jack Harkness. He looked different than on the Crucible, but still had the same charisma that was an inescapable part of him. He flashed his smile at her and she momentarily felt weak in the knees. No human male should be that charming.
“Hello, Sarah Jane,” he said. His voice sounded weary. “I’m very glad to see you.”
“Likewise, Captain,” she said, smiling. “I’d like you to meet my son Luke. You saw him on the screen when we were on the Crucible.”
“I remember.” Jack offered a hand to Luke. “Pleased to meet you.”
Luke grinned. Sarah Jane thought again how much it was like watching a Christmas tree light up. “Thanks, Captain. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. You have a neat coat,” he added.
“Thanks. Of course, this isn’t what I usually wear with it.”
Sarah could see he was wearing a prison-type coverall. She decided to change the subject. “We came as soon as we could. Thank you for the armored car taxi.”
“You’re welcome.” He indicated some chairs. “Can we sit down? I need to ask you for a favor, Sarah Jane, and I want to explain why.”
Sarah settled herself into one of the chairs. Jack sank into another. He looked even more exhausted than she had first thought. She wanted to help him. “I’m listening,” she said encouragingly.
“You know about me?” She nodded. All the Companions knew that Jack would not stay dead permanently. She had shared this with Luke and he had kept it to himself. “Okay, then,” he continued, “This is not the first time that the 456 have visited Earth. They came in 1965.” He went on to explain his involvement in the exchange. “I was told then that the government had sanctioned it. I didn’t know that they had kept it secret from the Queen.”
Luke spoke up. “My friend Clyde would say that is wrong on so many levels.”
Jack gave him another smile. “Too many to count.”
Sarah patted Luke’s hand and turned to Jack. “It must have been terrible for you to be forced into that. I can’t imagine how you must have felt.” She shook her head. “So knowing that you had prior experience with these monsters, the cabinet ministers tried to kill you instead of asking for your help?”
“I am the only person who knows what really happened then. I found out that the others left had been murdered the day they blew the Hub up. That’s how far they were willing to go to sweep it all under the rug.” He paused for a moment, and then continued, “But, I didn’t ask you to come to go over ancient history with me. You needed to know all that because of what I’m going to ask you.”
“And that is?”
“Out of the twelve children they tried to take, one escaped. He had already begun to go through puberty so they didn’t pursue him. His name is Clement McDonald. He was found wandering the Moors apparently out of his head. He’s been institutionalized ever since. I didn’t know. If Torchwood London ever knew, I think they would have imprisoned him – maybe even killed him. He showed up again while we were investigating. He’s being taken care of here for now. The doctors don’t know how much he can be helped, but they’re willing to try.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?” Sarah was confused. This didn’t sound like something Jack needed her for.
“No. I mean, you can if you want to, but that’s not what I’m asking.” Sarah watched him take a deep breath. “Clem was never taken. The other eleven were. And today, one of them came back.”
“Oh, my God.” Sarah was too overwhelmed to do anything but whisper. Judging by the look on Luke’s face he was having the same reaction.
“Is it a miracle? I think so.” Jack was nodding. “I could hardly believe it and I saw it. One of the aliens was in Thames House handling the negotiations. They live in an atmosphere highly toxic to humans. I saw, and soon everyone will see if they haven’t already, that it had a child attached to it. I’ve found at that they were addicts and the children here supplied them with the chemicals to feed their addiction. Only prepubescents produce whatever it is, and babies won’t do for whatever reason. Something burst the tank and drew off the gas. That was before we got into the room.”
Jack drew a shuddering breath. “We heard a cough. When we moved the alien body, we found a boy underneath. He was one of the eleven. He was alive. He woke up and spoke to me. He had no memory of what had happened.” Jack stood. “I’d like you to meet him.”
She followed him into the room. A boy was in a hospital bed. A man was sitting beside him on the bed and they were looking at a magazine. The child pointed at something. “That car has eyes.”
The man – Ianto Jones, she remembered from the TARDIS – nodded. “It’s a character in a Disney film,” he said. “His name is Lightning McQueen.”
“I like that name. May I choose that shirt, please?” He coughed. “I’d like to see that film. Could I?”
“I’ll make sure of it.” Ianto raised his head and exchanged a look with Jack. Sarah saw a world of meaning flash between them and then Ianto said, “Bobby, I think Captain Jack has someone he’d like you to see.”
Bobby turned and she met his eyes. They were blue as the sky and utterly guileless. He smiled and said, “Hello. My name is Bobby Ferguson.”
Sarah smiled back. “I’m Sarah Jane Smith and this is Luke Smith.”
He coughed lightly. His eyes were wide with wonder. “Are you his Mummy?” he asked.
Luke grinned. “Yeah, this is my Mum.”
“I’ve never met a real live Mum before,” he said. “At the orphanage,” he clarified.
“Mum’s the best,” Luke said proudly.
Jack touched Sarah’s arm. “Could we talk outside?” He patted Bobby’s leg gently. “We’ll be back in a minute, sport.”
Sarah preceded him out the door. When it was safely closed, Sarah turned to Jack. “You did that on purpose.”
Jack tried to look innocent, but she wasn’t impressed. “What?”
“You let me meet that boy, knowing full well what effect he’d have.” She crossed her arms. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“We’re going to have to let the world know that Bobby is alive. We’re using his middle name for that. He’s going to be a symbol of hope, Sarah Jane. The children may be gone, but they’re still out there somewhere. We can find them. In the meantime, he’s a little boy who only knows what the world is like in an orphanage in 1965. It’s going to be a big adjustment for him. We’d like to keep him out of the public eye as much as we can until he assimilates everything. You’re one of the few mothers that I know. He needs someone to take care of him. You have Luke. Can you take Bobby, too?”
She sighed. Once she had thought that being a mother was the last thing she wanted. She was a very different woman now though, and this was a different world. “I need to talk it over with Luke and we’ll have to work out some logistics. You’re still a very sneaky man, Jack Harkness. However, assuming we can work it all out, you’ve got yourself a Mum.”
Chapter 16
Author:
tonjavmoore Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Eleven and Amy Pond, and a lot of people from the Whoniverse at large
Rating: PG
Word Count: Total: 32,741; Chapter 15: 1,380
Spoilers: This assumes that you are familiar the five days of Children of Earth. Otherwise, you’ll be a bit lost. This is a timey-wimey fixit that takes up action partway through Day 3.
Disclaimer: Torchwood, Dr. Who, and Sarah Jane Adventures all belong to the BBC and RTD. Sadly.
Betas: Thanks to midlist_writer and welsh_scotsman on Live Journal. Also, to my friend Alexandria Cameron who put up with my squeals and tantrums when it just wouldn’t get out through my fingers the way I wanted it to.
Dedication: This is for my good friend and the best roommate anyone could have ever the pleasure of having, Susan Garrett. She was taken from us by cancer and the world is not as bright as it was before she left.
Summary: When the Shadow Architects find a paradox that is destroying the Universe, can the Eleventh Doctor find a way to restore Jack’s timeline to what it should have been?
I have disabled comments on Live Journal. Please comment at my Dreamwidth account. I love comments. They are cookies for my soul. You don’t have to have an account to comment there.
A/N: The clean up begins.
Story starts here:
Chapter 1
Chapter 15
Sarah Jane and Luke followed the man down the corridor of the clinic. It wasn’t a part of Buckingham Palace that was normally seen. There were a lot of soldiers about, but her guide had explained that they were there to protect the inhabitants, not to keep anyone prisoner. With the rioting in the streets and the Royal Family returning from Balmoral, it made sense to be extra vigilant. It didn’t make her any less nervous though. It was late and she was tired.
The soldier stopped at a door and knocked softly. “Miss Smith is here, sir,” he said.
The door opened and Sarah found herself face-to-face with Jack Harkness. He looked different than on the Crucible, but still had the same charisma that was an inescapable part of him. He flashed his smile at her and she momentarily felt weak in the knees. No human male should be that charming.
“Hello, Sarah Jane,” he said. His voice sounded weary. “I’m very glad to see you.”
“Likewise, Captain,” she said, smiling. “I’d like you to meet my son Luke. You saw him on the screen when we were on the Crucible.”
“I remember.” Jack offered a hand to Luke. “Pleased to meet you.”
Luke grinned. Sarah Jane thought again how much it was like watching a Christmas tree light up. “Thanks, Captain. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. You have a neat coat,” he added.
“Thanks. Of course, this isn’t what I usually wear with it.”
Sarah could see he was wearing a prison-type coverall. She decided to change the subject. “We came as soon as we could. Thank you for the armored car taxi.”
“You’re welcome.” He indicated some chairs. “Can we sit down? I need to ask you for a favor, Sarah Jane, and I want to explain why.”
Sarah settled herself into one of the chairs. Jack sank into another. He looked even more exhausted than she had first thought. She wanted to help him. “I’m listening,” she said encouragingly.
“You know about me?” She nodded. All the Companions knew that Jack would not stay dead permanently. She had shared this with Luke and he had kept it to himself. “Okay, then,” he continued, “This is not the first time that the 456 have visited Earth. They came in 1965.” He went on to explain his involvement in the exchange. “I was told then that the government had sanctioned it. I didn’t know that they had kept it secret from the Queen.”
Luke spoke up. “My friend Clyde would say that is wrong on so many levels.”
Jack gave him another smile. “Too many to count.”
Sarah patted Luke’s hand and turned to Jack. “It must have been terrible for you to be forced into that. I can’t imagine how you must have felt.” She shook her head. “So knowing that you had prior experience with these monsters, the cabinet ministers tried to kill you instead of asking for your help?”
“I am the only person who knows what really happened then. I found out that the others left had been murdered the day they blew the Hub up. That’s how far they were willing to go to sweep it all under the rug.” He paused for a moment, and then continued, “But, I didn’t ask you to come to go over ancient history with me. You needed to know all that because of what I’m going to ask you.”
“And that is?”
“Out of the twelve children they tried to take, one escaped. He had already begun to go through puberty so they didn’t pursue him. His name is Clement McDonald. He was found wandering the Moors apparently out of his head. He’s been institutionalized ever since. I didn’t know. If Torchwood London ever knew, I think they would have imprisoned him – maybe even killed him. He showed up again while we were investigating. He’s being taken care of here for now. The doctors don’t know how much he can be helped, but they’re willing to try.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?” Sarah was confused. This didn’t sound like something Jack needed her for.
“No. I mean, you can if you want to, but that’s not what I’m asking.” Sarah watched him take a deep breath. “Clem was never taken. The other eleven were. And today, one of them came back.”
“Oh, my God.” Sarah was too overwhelmed to do anything but whisper. Judging by the look on Luke’s face he was having the same reaction.
“Is it a miracle? I think so.” Jack was nodding. “I could hardly believe it and I saw it. One of the aliens was in Thames House handling the negotiations. They live in an atmosphere highly toxic to humans. I saw, and soon everyone will see if they haven’t already, that it had a child attached to it. I’ve found at that they were addicts and the children here supplied them with the chemicals to feed their addiction. Only prepubescents produce whatever it is, and babies won’t do for whatever reason. Something burst the tank and drew off the gas. That was before we got into the room.”
Jack drew a shuddering breath. “We heard a cough. When we moved the alien body, we found a boy underneath. He was one of the eleven. He was alive. He woke up and spoke to me. He had no memory of what had happened.” Jack stood. “I’d like you to meet him.”
She followed him into the room. A boy was in a hospital bed. A man was sitting beside him on the bed and they were looking at a magazine. The child pointed at something. “That car has eyes.”
The man – Ianto Jones, she remembered from the TARDIS – nodded. “It’s a character in a Disney film,” he said. “His name is Lightning McQueen.”
“I like that name. May I choose that shirt, please?” He coughed. “I’d like to see that film. Could I?”
“I’ll make sure of it.” Ianto raised his head and exchanged a look with Jack. Sarah saw a world of meaning flash between them and then Ianto said, “Bobby, I think Captain Jack has someone he’d like you to see.”
Bobby turned and she met his eyes. They were blue as the sky and utterly guileless. He smiled and said, “Hello. My name is Bobby Ferguson.”
Sarah smiled back. “I’m Sarah Jane Smith and this is Luke Smith.”
He coughed lightly. His eyes were wide with wonder. “Are you his Mummy?” he asked.
Luke grinned. “Yeah, this is my Mum.”
“I’ve never met a real live Mum before,” he said. “At the orphanage,” he clarified.
“Mum’s the best,” Luke said proudly.
Jack touched Sarah’s arm. “Could we talk outside?” He patted Bobby’s leg gently. “We’ll be back in a minute, sport.”
Sarah preceded him out the door. When it was safely closed, Sarah turned to Jack. “You did that on purpose.”
Jack tried to look innocent, but she wasn’t impressed. “What?”
“You let me meet that boy, knowing full well what effect he’d have.” She crossed her arms. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“We’re going to have to let the world know that Bobby is alive. We’re using his middle name for that. He’s going to be a symbol of hope, Sarah Jane. The children may be gone, but they’re still out there somewhere. We can find them. In the meantime, he’s a little boy who only knows what the world is like in an orphanage in 1965. It’s going to be a big adjustment for him. We’d like to keep him out of the public eye as much as we can until he assimilates everything. You’re one of the few mothers that I know. He needs someone to take care of him. You have Luke. Can you take Bobby, too?”
She sighed. Once she had thought that being a mother was the last thing she wanted. She was a very different woman now though, and this was a different world. “I need to talk it over with Luke and we’ll have to work out some logistics. You’re still a very sneaky man, Jack Harkness. However, assuming we can work it all out, you’ve got yourself a Mum.”
Chapter 16
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 10:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 11:58 am (UTC)And the fact that he's survived captivity for so long without ageing and without memory of his captivity or serious after effects will give hope to all the families who have had children taken =)
Only 5 more chapters - what will I do when this is over?
I'll have to find another CoE fix-it I haven't read yet!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:08 am (UTC)Sarah Jane was always there in my plans.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 12:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 02:00 pm (UTC)And since Bobby doesn't remember, that gives hope that the other children can be found and helped.
But hey...what about Rhiannon and Alice?? Are they still in their boxcar?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 02:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 08:35 pm (UTC)Hopefully they can find the other children, I love that Bobby is the symbol of hope that they can get them back. Great chapter!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 11:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:13 am (UTC)Jack is sneaky, but lovable all the same.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-10 11:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-14 02:14 am (UTC)I wanted Sarah Jane the moment I began. It was a stupidity of the original that they mentioned the Doctor and Martha and left the rest of the Whoniverse out.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-27 08:03 pm (UTC)