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wintercompanion2008-04-29 02:24 am
sarkywoman.livejournal.com) wrote in wintercompanion2008-04-29 02:24 am
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sarkywoman: Overlords and Time Gods 3/5 (Jack/10) [NC-17]
Title: Overlords and Time Gods 3/5
Author:sarkywoman
Challenge: Power
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Up to and including 'Last of the Time Lords'. AU after that.
Warnings: This is part three of a fic about 50 pages long in Word. It's quite dark, contains dubious-consent (drug-use), slightly dodgy use of slightly underage slaves. Insanity. Character death.
Summary: The Doctor returns to Earth after a long absence to find power has corrupted a once-noble friend.
Part One
Part Two
“Well?” Jack’s voice was hesitant, anxious, not the commanding tone of an Overlord. “Do you like it?”
“It’s…well, it’s definitely…um.”
The Overlord stood in the doorway while the Doctor stood in the centre of a grand room. This was apparently the room reserved for him. Jack had never doubted that he would return one day and when designing his palace, the immortal had planned out living space for the Doctor.
It contained splendid fabrics from all over the Universe. The bed coverings alone were comprised of materials native to six different planets. The curtains were luxurious pelts from Xaan and ownership of them was restricted to royalty.
The Doctor ran his hand over the frame of the four-poster bed. Wood that smooth could only be from the Morsnokian Rainforest. It cost over a thousand credits to land on the same planet, a thousand more to step foot in the forests themselves. “How much did it cost you for a permit to chop down their trees?” he wondered out loud. “Or did you just walk in and hack down anyone who got in your way?”
“I paid,” Jack said in a defensive tone. “Only took two trees. One for your bed and one for the fourth idol in the major Temple of Time. Paid for them and paid to have four more grown. It’s a beautiful place, the Morsnokian Forest. Once we’ve reasserted human control over the Morsnok region I can take you there to see it. It’s been dangerous territory for the past few months since we began aggressive troop manoeuvres.”
The Doctor sighed heavily. “Is there anything I can do to persuade you to stop the galactic takeover?”
Jack laughed and walked over to him. “Now you’re just tempting me.” He wrapped the Doctor in a gentle embrace, his hands slipping down to cup the Time Lord’s firm bottom. “Luckily for the human race, I know what’s best. When humanity is safe in its place at the top of the universal hierarchy, then we can have everlasting peace. You won’t have to rush around the universe putting things right and saving lives. You can just stay with me and rule the golden age. So no, Doctor, you can’t persuade me. I know in the long run you’ll see things my way, even if it means you’re annoyed with me now.”
The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled away. He ought to stop asking Jack to see sense. It only led to disappointment. And what if Jack did agree? What if Jack suddenly saw the light and against all expectations he found sanity again? The Doctor had already set his plan in motion and there was no turning back now. The Empire’s foundations were crumbling, soon the whole thing would collapse. It remained the Doctor’s duty to ensure Jack was dealt with. He had been the one to cause all this after all. He had allowed Jack to live as Rose’s legacy. Cowardice had played a part in his decision as well. He’d always held affection for Jack and the idea of treating him like an aberration on the universe was too painful to contemplate. So he had let him continue. The man outside of Time. His fear had led Jack Harkness to madness.
“It’s a lovely room,” he said, trying to keep his thoughts in the moment. There would be a time and a place to contemplate this disaster and that would be afterwards in the TARDIS.
“Acceptable?” Jack asked, still nervous about the Doctor’s approval. “Anything out of place can be moved, anything less than adequate can be replaced. I scoured the universe for every item, but I know I could find better if you wanted me to.”
“It’s all fine,” the Doctor said hurriedly. “In fact, some of this stuff looks more expensive than your own furnishings.”
Jack laughed. “Of course! My room is made of the second-best items the universe has to offer. The best are for my God. My room only has to look good. Yours has to look perfect and feel exquisite, because you’ll be…” he trailed off, looking awkward for the first time since the Doctor had arrived in the year 4024.
“Because I’ll be in here more,” the Doctor finished the sentence for him, the realisation filling him with dread. “It’s not just a room, it’s a prison.”
“You won’t be forced to stay in here,” Jack said quickly. “Only when I’m away on business and I can’t take you with me. It’s for your own safety!”
“So I’ll be your captive,” the Doctor said with a sickened smile. “And you’ll be what…my ‘Master’?”
Jack didn’t seem to recognise the reference at all. He just grinned. “You can call me that if you like. It’s kinda kinky.” It would seem that the many years and the Memory Realignment Therapy had wiped at least one Time Lord’s name from the immortal’s brain.
The Doctor sighed with despair. Jack had lived too long without a steady moral influence. This was why the Doctor had companions. Even over the past century when he had hardly been able to keep one for more than one trip, he continued to pick them up from all over the Universe. Not just anyone mind, they had to be nice. Innocence was handy too, because then it was much easier to see if he was a corrupting influence on them. Who knows what kind of people Jack had surrounded himself with over the past two-thousand years? Probably shut himself away in the darkness of the Hub for a century or two, fighting aliens until he forgot why he was fighting, loving the Doctor even as their true history became vague and exaggerated in his mind. Playing Chinese Whispers with himself over the long years until he forgot who he was.
But it would end soon.
Something hitherto unseen caught the Doctor’s eye and he looked up at the ceiling. It was a starry night and he could see the Universe from here. But how was that possible with the planetary shielding? And he could have sworn there was a ceiling when they’d first entered the room…
Jack’s voice spoke close to his ear, startling him slightly. “It’s a trans-temporal-spatial scryer. It’s amazing, the things you can find in this big old universe. For the sake of sounding enchanting, I told the people it was the Eye of Time, used by the gods in meditation.”
The Doctor stepped closer, so he was as directly beneath the scryer as he could be without climbing onto the bed. “I’m surprised you left it in here. I rather thought you would find a use for something so powerful.”
“Well originally I had a room for it. Called it the meditation chamber. That impressed everybody.” Jack laughed, clearly amused by the gullibility of his peers. “They thought I was communing with forces beyond their comprehension.”
“What did you look for?” the Doctor asked, eyes still on the stars shimmering in the scryer.
“You, of course.”
The Doctor sighed heavily. He should have seen that coming. With nothing else to cling to over the millennia, Jack had become obsessively fixated on him. “Did you see me?”
“Yeah. Sometimes I’d see you in the TARDIS looking lonely and it was so vivid I’d actually reach out to hold you.” Jack chuckled. “You watch it long enough, you get taken in by it. You start thinking you’re there. Sometimes I’d see you on a planet of eternal sunset and I felt like I could touch the orange light on your skin. The worst thing was, with you jumping around time I never knew if you were there at this moment. I’d see you on a recognisable planet, but I couldn’t send out a search because you could be there next year or last year or centuries in either direction. The scryer always cut out when the TARDIS was travelling, so I could never see your exact time and co-ordinates. I just had to watch. Look but not touch.”
It was an odd sensation to find out you had been stalked. Times in the TARDIS where he thought he had been alone, he had in fact been spied on. If he was the sort to indulge in embarrassing pastimes whenever he was alone, he’d be mortified. As it was, he was just immensely unnerved. “So why did you move the scryer to here?”
“Addiction,” Jack said, looking sheepish. “I lost control. Being able to watch you, imagine myself with you all day, every day… My advisors were already expressing concerns and believe me, they don’t do that very often. They believed I was communing with the forces of Time, but they were scared it was destroying me. And they need me. So after the fourth time I died watching, I moved it away.”
“Died?” The Doctor repeated with horror.
“Starved or dehydrated,” Jack clarified. “I couldn’t tear myself away from it.”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and tried not to show how much that affected him. “And you put it in my room? Thanks,” he added sarcastically.
“I thought you could make better use of it than me,” Jack said with a shrug. “You like exploring the Universe. With this you won’t even have to leave the room.”
“Oh good,” muttered the Doctor. “Because we all know the worst thing about visiting an alien planet is actually having to be there.”
Jack continued unfazed. “The other great thing about the scryer is that you can use it to see things you couldn’t see in your travels. It’ll show you anything from anywhere and anywhen as long as you can picture it. It draws on your memories as well as the physical universe, so even if somewhere was erased completely, it could construct a good representation.”
“What’s your point?” the Doctor asked warily.
Jack smiled and pushed him back gently so the Doctor was forced to sit on the bed. “Well, this might sound like a line, but lie back and think of Gallifrey.”
Just hearing the name of his home spoken aloud filled the Doctor’s mind with images of silver leaves, reflecting the dark orange of the sky. And he remembered the feel of the grass against his back and neck, the soft touch of Koschei’s young hand in his.
He followed Jack’s gaze upwards and saw Gallifrey stretched out above them.
“I…” But he had no idea what it was he’d intended to say and his mouth stayed open without sound. He gasped. “The second sun, rising in the South…” he put a hand over his mouth. He’d remembered of course, how could he have forgotten, but seeing it right there in front of him…
“It’s beautiful,” Jack said pointlessly.
The Doctor sat back on the bed and stared up at his home. The image of the scryer seemed to stretch out around them until the Doctor could almost believe they were under an orange sky, breathing in the unique scent of Gallifreyan air.
A bleeping noise intruded on the edges of the Doctor’s awareness and he glanced to the side to see Jack answer his communicator. Though he lay down to look up at the vision of beauty above him, the Doctor made sure to keep listening to the Overlord’s conversation.
“I really am busy, Captain… I did insist nobody bother me today… I am very aware of that, but you have to understand I expect my orders to be followed to every detail… Uh-huh… Right… I could manage one broadcast, but I can’t spare longer than one hour… Very well. Prepare the troops, I’ll be there immediately.” There was a quiet bleep as Jack switched his communicator off.
Jack sat on the side of the bed, his presence in the Doctor's peripheral vision a dark blot on the colourful splendour of Gallifreyan sky above them.
“I'm needed urgently on some business,” Jack said softly. “I shouldn't be gone long, hopefully not even a hour.”
“Is it an internal or external affair?” the Doctor asked, attempting a tone of idle curiosity.
Jack laughed loudly at the question. “There haven't been internal affairs requiring my immediate attention for generations. Earth is the most peaceful planet in the universe, as far as I know. I'm leading the human race to greatness and they appreciate that. Besides which, my word is yours and your word is holy. In effect, I am holy. I'd have to do something horrific and unforgivable to make the population even mildly discontented with my rule.”
“An external matter then,” the Doctor said, trying to hide his disapproval and failing miserably.
Jack reached out and ruffled his hair. “Earth needs me to represent their interests briefly. While my reputation would often suffice, the troops have encountered something requiring my personal attention and physical presence.”
“Can you tell me what?” asked the Doctor suspiciously.
“Not until it's dealt with,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “You'll be tempted to try and stop me and tonight is going so well. I don't want us to argue again yet.” He rose from the bed, straightening his collar and smoothing his hair back. He looked in the mirror and his expression hardened, becoming the stern and unforgiving face of the Overlord. “You'll be alright here?” The question must have been rhetorical, because he left no gap for a response. “I'll be back soon. You just lay back and take in the sights of Gallifrey. I'll try and bring you back something nice.”
Before the Doctor could comment on the patronising and frankly humiliating treatment, the door swished shut Star-Trek-style and Jack was gone.
For a while the Doctor's mind wandered the routes of possibility. While his sonic screwdriver had been taken from him (undoubtedly at some point last night when his mind had been in a chemically-induced haze), there might still be a chance he could override the controls in Jack's room and get to the TARDIS. But then what? Knowing what was going on here how, he couldn't possibly leave Earth to its own devices. And what would Jack do if the Doctor escaped from him? The 'Overlord' had lost his mind so completely that he had become entirely unpredictable. If the Doctor left, the people of Earth might suffer for his cowardice. Again.
His options were few and equally unpleasant, so he turned his eyes to Gallifrey. The sight of his home soothed him even as it brought a tear to his eye. The thought that this beauty was forever lost to him made the loss freshly devastating. The only Gallifrey visible to anyone now was this meagre reflection from his own mind, an image all the more beguiling because the reality was unattainable. He reached his slender arms up towards his home, willing his fantasy-Gallifrey to embrace him as its lost son, act as a surrogate parent in the deceased father’s stead.
And it did. In response to his wishes, the image of Gallifrey descended around him, turning the bed to red grass beneath him and the ceiling to orange sky above him. In the distance he could see the Citadel. He let himself believe that if he wasn't enjoying himself lazing in the grass, he could get up and wander over there. But he was content where he was. He closed his eyes and...yes, the air was perfect in its composition, scent and flavour. Gallifreyan air. He filled his lungs with it and imagined he was breathing out all the noxious air of Earth, a once-noble planet turned as savage as its new leader. Another lungful of sweet Gallifreyan air cleansed his lungs of the chemicals that had driven him to seek base pleasure in Jack's arms. One more breath and he was away from Earth and its problems, safe at home where his woes were shared by others who could understand and help with his burdens.
As long as Gallifrey air filled his body, his home could not be gone, he couldn't be the last.
Author:
sarkywomanChallenge: Power
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Up to and including 'Last of the Time Lords'. AU after that.
Warnings: This is part three of a fic about 50 pages long in Word. It's quite dark, contains dubious-consent (drug-use), slightly dodgy use of slightly underage slaves. Insanity. Character death.
Summary: The Doctor returns to Earth after a long absence to find power has corrupted a once-noble friend.
Part One
Part Two
“Well?” Jack’s voice was hesitant, anxious, not the commanding tone of an Overlord. “Do you like it?”
“It’s…well, it’s definitely…um.”
The Overlord stood in the doorway while the Doctor stood in the centre of a grand room. This was apparently the room reserved for him. Jack had never doubted that he would return one day and when designing his palace, the immortal had planned out living space for the Doctor.
It contained splendid fabrics from all over the Universe. The bed coverings alone were comprised of materials native to six different planets. The curtains were luxurious pelts from Xaan and ownership of them was restricted to royalty.
The Doctor ran his hand over the frame of the four-poster bed. Wood that smooth could only be from the Morsnokian Rainforest. It cost over a thousand credits to land on the same planet, a thousand more to step foot in the forests themselves. “How much did it cost you for a permit to chop down their trees?” he wondered out loud. “Or did you just walk in and hack down anyone who got in your way?”
“I paid,” Jack said in a defensive tone. “Only took two trees. One for your bed and one for the fourth idol in the major Temple of Time. Paid for them and paid to have four more grown. It’s a beautiful place, the Morsnokian Forest. Once we’ve reasserted human control over the Morsnok region I can take you there to see it. It’s been dangerous territory for the past few months since we began aggressive troop manoeuvres.”
The Doctor sighed heavily. “Is there anything I can do to persuade you to stop the galactic takeover?”
Jack laughed and walked over to him. “Now you’re just tempting me.” He wrapped the Doctor in a gentle embrace, his hands slipping down to cup the Time Lord’s firm bottom. “Luckily for the human race, I know what’s best. When humanity is safe in its place at the top of the universal hierarchy, then we can have everlasting peace. You won’t have to rush around the universe putting things right and saving lives. You can just stay with me and rule the golden age. So no, Doctor, you can’t persuade me. I know in the long run you’ll see things my way, even if it means you’re annoyed with me now.”
The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled away. He ought to stop asking Jack to see sense. It only led to disappointment. And what if Jack did agree? What if Jack suddenly saw the light and against all expectations he found sanity again? The Doctor had already set his plan in motion and there was no turning back now. The Empire’s foundations were crumbling, soon the whole thing would collapse. It remained the Doctor’s duty to ensure Jack was dealt with. He had been the one to cause all this after all. He had allowed Jack to live as Rose’s legacy. Cowardice had played a part in his decision as well. He’d always held affection for Jack and the idea of treating him like an aberration on the universe was too painful to contemplate. So he had let him continue. The man outside of Time. His fear had led Jack Harkness to madness.
“It’s a lovely room,” he said, trying to keep his thoughts in the moment. There would be a time and a place to contemplate this disaster and that would be afterwards in the TARDIS.
“Acceptable?” Jack asked, still nervous about the Doctor’s approval. “Anything out of place can be moved, anything less than adequate can be replaced. I scoured the universe for every item, but I know I could find better if you wanted me to.”
“It’s all fine,” the Doctor said hurriedly. “In fact, some of this stuff looks more expensive than your own furnishings.”
Jack laughed. “Of course! My room is made of the second-best items the universe has to offer. The best are for my God. My room only has to look good. Yours has to look perfect and feel exquisite, because you’ll be…” he trailed off, looking awkward for the first time since the Doctor had arrived in the year 4024.
“Because I’ll be in here more,” the Doctor finished the sentence for him, the realisation filling him with dread. “It’s not just a room, it’s a prison.”
“You won’t be forced to stay in here,” Jack said quickly. “Only when I’m away on business and I can’t take you with me. It’s for your own safety!”
“So I’ll be your captive,” the Doctor said with a sickened smile. “And you’ll be what…my ‘Master’?”
Jack didn’t seem to recognise the reference at all. He just grinned. “You can call me that if you like. It’s kinda kinky.” It would seem that the many years and the Memory Realignment Therapy had wiped at least one Time Lord’s name from the immortal’s brain.
The Doctor sighed with despair. Jack had lived too long without a steady moral influence. This was why the Doctor had companions. Even over the past century when he had hardly been able to keep one for more than one trip, he continued to pick them up from all over the Universe. Not just anyone mind, they had to be nice. Innocence was handy too, because then it was much easier to see if he was a corrupting influence on them. Who knows what kind of people Jack had surrounded himself with over the past two-thousand years? Probably shut himself away in the darkness of the Hub for a century or two, fighting aliens until he forgot why he was fighting, loving the Doctor even as their true history became vague and exaggerated in his mind. Playing Chinese Whispers with himself over the long years until he forgot who he was.
But it would end soon.
Something hitherto unseen caught the Doctor’s eye and he looked up at the ceiling. It was a starry night and he could see the Universe from here. But how was that possible with the planetary shielding? And he could have sworn there was a ceiling when they’d first entered the room…
Jack’s voice spoke close to his ear, startling him slightly. “It’s a trans-temporal-spatial scryer. It’s amazing, the things you can find in this big old universe. For the sake of sounding enchanting, I told the people it was the Eye of Time, used by the gods in meditation.”
The Doctor stepped closer, so he was as directly beneath the scryer as he could be without climbing onto the bed. “I’m surprised you left it in here. I rather thought you would find a use for something so powerful.”
“Well originally I had a room for it. Called it the meditation chamber. That impressed everybody.” Jack laughed, clearly amused by the gullibility of his peers. “They thought I was communing with forces beyond their comprehension.”
“What did you look for?” the Doctor asked, eyes still on the stars shimmering in the scryer.
“You, of course.”
The Doctor sighed heavily. He should have seen that coming. With nothing else to cling to over the millennia, Jack had become obsessively fixated on him. “Did you see me?”
“Yeah. Sometimes I’d see you in the TARDIS looking lonely and it was so vivid I’d actually reach out to hold you.” Jack chuckled. “You watch it long enough, you get taken in by it. You start thinking you’re there. Sometimes I’d see you on a planet of eternal sunset and I felt like I could touch the orange light on your skin. The worst thing was, with you jumping around time I never knew if you were there at this moment. I’d see you on a recognisable planet, but I couldn’t send out a search because you could be there next year or last year or centuries in either direction. The scryer always cut out when the TARDIS was travelling, so I could never see your exact time and co-ordinates. I just had to watch. Look but not touch.”
It was an odd sensation to find out you had been stalked. Times in the TARDIS where he thought he had been alone, he had in fact been spied on. If he was the sort to indulge in embarrassing pastimes whenever he was alone, he’d be mortified. As it was, he was just immensely unnerved. “So why did you move the scryer to here?”
“Addiction,” Jack said, looking sheepish. “I lost control. Being able to watch you, imagine myself with you all day, every day… My advisors were already expressing concerns and believe me, they don’t do that very often. They believed I was communing with the forces of Time, but they were scared it was destroying me. And they need me. So after the fourth time I died watching, I moved it away.”
“Died?” The Doctor repeated with horror.
“Starved or dehydrated,” Jack clarified. “I couldn’t tear myself away from it.”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and tried not to show how much that affected him. “And you put it in my room? Thanks,” he added sarcastically.
“I thought you could make better use of it than me,” Jack said with a shrug. “You like exploring the Universe. With this you won’t even have to leave the room.”
“Oh good,” muttered the Doctor. “Because we all know the worst thing about visiting an alien planet is actually having to be there.”
Jack continued unfazed. “The other great thing about the scryer is that you can use it to see things you couldn’t see in your travels. It’ll show you anything from anywhere and anywhen as long as you can picture it. It draws on your memories as well as the physical universe, so even if somewhere was erased completely, it could construct a good representation.”
“What’s your point?” the Doctor asked warily.
Jack smiled and pushed him back gently so the Doctor was forced to sit on the bed. “Well, this might sound like a line, but lie back and think of Gallifrey.”
Just hearing the name of his home spoken aloud filled the Doctor’s mind with images of silver leaves, reflecting the dark orange of the sky. And he remembered the feel of the grass against his back and neck, the soft touch of Koschei’s young hand in his.
He followed Jack’s gaze upwards and saw Gallifrey stretched out above them.
“I…” But he had no idea what it was he’d intended to say and his mouth stayed open without sound. He gasped. “The second sun, rising in the South…” he put a hand over his mouth. He’d remembered of course, how could he have forgotten, but seeing it right there in front of him…
“It’s beautiful,” Jack said pointlessly.
The Doctor sat back on the bed and stared up at his home. The image of the scryer seemed to stretch out around them until the Doctor could almost believe they were under an orange sky, breathing in the unique scent of Gallifreyan air.
A bleeping noise intruded on the edges of the Doctor’s awareness and he glanced to the side to see Jack answer his communicator. Though he lay down to look up at the vision of beauty above him, the Doctor made sure to keep listening to the Overlord’s conversation.
“I really am busy, Captain… I did insist nobody bother me today… I am very aware of that, but you have to understand I expect my orders to be followed to every detail… Uh-huh… Right… I could manage one broadcast, but I can’t spare longer than one hour… Very well. Prepare the troops, I’ll be there immediately.” There was a quiet bleep as Jack switched his communicator off.
Jack sat on the side of the bed, his presence in the Doctor's peripheral vision a dark blot on the colourful splendour of Gallifreyan sky above them.
“I'm needed urgently on some business,” Jack said softly. “I shouldn't be gone long, hopefully not even a hour.”
“Is it an internal or external affair?” the Doctor asked, attempting a tone of idle curiosity.
Jack laughed loudly at the question. “There haven't been internal affairs requiring my immediate attention for generations. Earth is the most peaceful planet in the universe, as far as I know. I'm leading the human race to greatness and they appreciate that. Besides which, my word is yours and your word is holy. In effect, I am holy. I'd have to do something horrific and unforgivable to make the population even mildly discontented with my rule.”
“An external matter then,” the Doctor said, trying to hide his disapproval and failing miserably.
Jack reached out and ruffled his hair. “Earth needs me to represent their interests briefly. While my reputation would often suffice, the troops have encountered something requiring my personal attention and physical presence.”
“Can you tell me what?” asked the Doctor suspiciously.
“Not until it's dealt with,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “You'll be tempted to try and stop me and tonight is going so well. I don't want us to argue again yet.” He rose from the bed, straightening his collar and smoothing his hair back. He looked in the mirror and his expression hardened, becoming the stern and unforgiving face of the Overlord. “You'll be alright here?” The question must have been rhetorical, because he left no gap for a response. “I'll be back soon. You just lay back and take in the sights of Gallifrey. I'll try and bring you back something nice.”
Before the Doctor could comment on the patronising and frankly humiliating treatment, the door swished shut Star-Trek-style and Jack was gone.
For a while the Doctor's mind wandered the routes of possibility. While his sonic screwdriver had been taken from him (undoubtedly at some point last night when his mind had been in a chemically-induced haze), there might still be a chance he could override the controls in Jack's room and get to the TARDIS. But then what? Knowing what was going on here how, he couldn't possibly leave Earth to its own devices. And what would Jack do if the Doctor escaped from him? The 'Overlord' had lost his mind so completely that he had become entirely unpredictable. If the Doctor left, the people of Earth might suffer for his cowardice. Again.
His options were few and equally unpleasant, so he turned his eyes to Gallifrey. The sight of his home soothed him even as it brought a tear to his eye. The thought that this beauty was forever lost to him made the loss freshly devastating. The only Gallifrey visible to anyone now was this meagre reflection from his own mind, an image all the more beguiling because the reality was unattainable. He reached his slender arms up towards his home, willing his fantasy-Gallifrey to embrace him as its lost son, act as a surrogate parent in the deceased father’s stead.
And it did. In response to his wishes, the image of Gallifrey descended around him, turning the bed to red grass beneath him and the ceiling to orange sky above him. In the distance he could see the Citadel. He let himself believe that if he wasn't enjoying himself lazing in the grass, he could get up and wander over there. But he was content where he was. He closed his eyes and...yes, the air was perfect in its composition, scent and flavour. Gallifreyan air. He filled his lungs with it and imagined he was breathing out all the noxious air of Earth, a once-noble planet turned as savage as its new leader. Another lungful of sweet Gallifreyan air cleansed his lungs of the chemicals that had driven him to seek base pleasure in Jack's arms. One more breath and he was away from Earth and its problems, safe at home where his woes were shared by others who could understand and help with his burdens.
As long as Gallifrey air filled his body, his home could not be gone, he couldn't be the last.
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I feel so sorry for Jack, please save him!!!
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Ok now my heart is hurting for the both of them. More for the Doctor right now then Jack. The way you wrote Gallifrey... so vivid and beautiful... the Doctor is so wounded, heart sick... just seeing him reaching out with his arms *whibble*
This is going to be so bad, for the both of them now... Angst galore, so painful, the yearning for what they both want but can never have... *sigh*
Waiting anxiously for the next part... :-)
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I'll post up the next part in a sec. It's just the final part that isn't quite finished yet.
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so utterly angsty and painful and full of jack and doctor and ... and i've run out of words.
it's exactly what i needed today to take my mind off all the homework i should be doing and the nice guy at uni who has a girlfriend and i can't stop thinking about.
i love you.
thank you.
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When Jack said that he didn't want to fight with the Doctor yet I came to the conclusion that he apparently enjoyes fighting with every now and then... I guess it's fun if you know you'l always win.
He's forgotten the Master's name? Somehow that akes him even more creepy. But the Doctor seeing Gallifrey and thinking of Koschei was heartbreaking. Good thing Jack didn't know.
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Jack can barely remember the Valiant now. It's pretty much reduced to flashes of torture, the Doctor being all jesus-like and then the Doctor crying over their torturer. Over the years Jack has managed to excuse the Doctor's actions by seeing them as a forgiveness that he'd give to anyone. Sort of making the Doctor seem even more perfect and holy.
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This is the story where you asked if we wanted a happy or a sad ending, right? ...because I think, right now, a happy ending would be good. Or a happy-sad ending. But don't let my opinion get in the way of what you want to write! This story is so, so good - the best I've read in ages. (It makes me want to write too. :) And that feels so awesome because I haven't felt like writing for so long. Thanks!)
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So much of this story just appeared out of nowhere. Originally this was going to be part one, and then the part five that I'm working on. Everything in the middle just happened when I was writing. I had to keep going back and forcing everything together.
I'm working on finishing off the ending already. It isn't the sad ending I had considered, but I don't think I can call it comfort. It's one of those endings that's just slightly happier than the worst case scenario. But that might not be how everyone reads it, I think it might be open to interpretation. I'll go and finish it after I've posted the next part.
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I know what's going to happen. As soon as I turn off my computer the next part will be up. Then tomorrow I will be itching to get home...and I get home late tomorrow too. Ugh, I'm tired and hence I've gone rambly on you. Sorry. >.>;;
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Okay. Really, really sleeping now. Mmhmm.
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The Doctor and his home...my heart is breaking right now. That's so sad and painful but in the same way...beautiful. It's so hard for him and nobody is left who could understand him. Completly.
“Because we all know the worst thing about visiting an alien planet is actually having to be there.”
Be warnend...sarcastic Doctor is arriving xD *lol* Loved that!
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I wanted the Doctor tempted in some way, but there are few things with the power to do that. Gallifrey is still one of them.
*offers you tissue*
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:O More things Jack can offer the Doctor?! Wow, now I'm rly curious! It's always thrilling reading the Doc being a bit unaware of what to do next.
I mean...all those offers... even he can get tired and perhaps he wished for something/someone to rely on.. ok, I'm sure he wouldn't stay near Crazy!Jack but...still.
(Sry, for bad english ^.^)
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(Anonymous) 2008-04-29 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
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Oh, loving the story by the way. The bit about the Scryer!Gallifrey almost made me cry.
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(Anonymous) 2008-04-29 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Question
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I need to go to bed :)
xxx