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wintercompanion2009-11-11 03:50 pm
plaid-slytherin.livejournal.com) wrote in wintercompanion2009-11-11 03:50 pm
plaid_slytherin: Little Pieces of Forever (Ten/Jack) [All Ages]
Title: Little Pieces of Forever
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
plaid_slytherin
Challenge: Remembrance
Rating: All Ages
Pairing: Ten/Jack
Spoilers: Utopia
Summary: The Doctor and Jack visit a significant day in Jack's history.
The morning the guns fell silent was gray and chill, the November sky unaware of what went on beneath her. The trees, which had lost their leaves five times since the conflict began, stretched their twisted branches to the sky, the only witnesses to the strange goings-on on the top of the muddy hill.
A blue box had appeared, the sound which heralded its arrival drowned out by the distant gunfire. Two men stepped out of the box, both dressed in long coats. The slimmer one stuck his hands in his pockets and surveyed their surroundings, rocking back on his heels. His companion drew a watch from his trouser pocket and studied it.
"Not much longer now, Doctor," he said, clicking the watch shut. "They haven't heard."
The Doctor glanced down at his feet, waiting for his friend to continue.
"Six hours," said Jack. "It was signed for six hours before the fighting stopped." He took a deep breath and glanced around them. "I wasn't too far from here, actually," he remarked. "I had a company of men, just on the other side of those trees." He took a few steps forward, as if to go to them, to watch his past self, but he stopped.
The Doctor gave his companion a sympathetic look. "What happened?" he asked, though some part of him knew what the answer would be.
Jack turned. The artillery fire sounded, closer now, but he didn't even twitch. "I knew it was coming, knew my history, knew that was the day. I wanted to hold them back, thought maybe I could make a difference, save some lives."
The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, his arms crossed over his chest, though he was listening intently.
Jack walked closer to the Doctor again, though his eyes showed he was far away. "They sent us in anyway, right to the front." He shook his head ruefully. "The war was over." There was another rapid spate of gunfire from the battlefield and Jack closed his eyes. "I lost a lot of men. There was nothing I could do."
The Doctor remained silent, perhaps thinking of all the lives he could have saved. "It was going to happen, Jack. History says—"
"I know." Jack smiled mirthlessly and rubbed his face. "I was one of the first to fall, anyway. They shoot at officers first." He took a deep breath. "When I woke up, the war was over and my men were dead around me."
The Doctor took a step toward Jack and put a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Jack. There was nothing you could have done short of explaining time travel to a bunch of military officers in 1918."
Jack pursed his lips.
The Doctor continued. "The only thing we can do is remember them. Remember them and… try to prevent it from happening again."
"This was supposed to be the war to end all wars." Jack snorted ruefully.
The Doctor sighed. Gradually, in the distance, the sounds of gunfire dropped off. Jack looked at his watch again. "It's time," he said quietly.
The Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder. A minute passed, then two, three. There was no more gunfire.
Jack closed the watch and dropped it back into his pocket.
"It never goes away," the Doctor said quietly. "The Time Lords were more advanced than anyone and look what happened to them."
Jack glanced at him. He had no concept of what it might be like to be truly alone in the universe. His condition made him feel that way sometimes, of course, but it didn't make him any less human.
"So we remember them," said the Doctor softly. "I remember them. I may not have liked most of them much when they were still around, but, still." He stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. "It's all we can do, you and me. It's all we have when they slip through our fingers too quickly."
"Like so much sand," Jack murmured.
The Doctor reached out and took Jack's hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. "No, Jack," he said quietly. "You and me—we can keep them alive. Just by remembering them. All these little pieces of forever."
Gently, he led him back into the TARDIS and presently, it faded from view, leaving the gray sky, stretching on, unaware of what went on beneath her.
Author:
plaid_slytherinChallenge: Remembrance
Rating: All Ages
Pairing: Ten/Jack
Spoilers: Utopia
Summary: The Doctor and Jack visit a significant day in Jack's history.
The morning the guns fell silent was gray and chill, the November sky unaware of what went on beneath her. The trees, which had lost their leaves five times since the conflict began, stretched their twisted branches to the sky, the only witnesses to the strange goings-on on the top of the muddy hill.
A blue box had appeared, the sound which heralded its arrival drowned out by the distant gunfire. Two men stepped out of the box, both dressed in long coats. The slimmer one stuck his hands in his pockets and surveyed their surroundings, rocking back on his heels. His companion drew a watch from his trouser pocket and studied it.
"Not much longer now, Doctor," he said, clicking the watch shut. "They haven't heard."
The Doctor glanced down at his feet, waiting for his friend to continue.
"Six hours," said Jack. "It was signed for six hours before the fighting stopped." He took a deep breath and glanced around them. "I wasn't too far from here, actually," he remarked. "I had a company of men, just on the other side of those trees." He took a few steps forward, as if to go to them, to watch his past self, but he stopped.
The Doctor gave his companion a sympathetic look. "What happened?" he asked, though some part of him knew what the answer would be.
Jack turned. The artillery fire sounded, closer now, but he didn't even twitch. "I knew it was coming, knew my history, knew that was the day. I wanted to hold them back, thought maybe I could make a difference, save some lives."
The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, his arms crossed over his chest, though he was listening intently.
Jack walked closer to the Doctor again, though his eyes showed he was far away. "They sent us in anyway, right to the front." He shook his head ruefully. "The war was over." There was another rapid spate of gunfire from the battlefield and Jack closed his eyes. "I lost a lot of men. There was nothing I could do."
The Doctor remained silent, perhaps thinking of all the lives he could have saved. "It was going to happen, Jack. History says—"
"I know." Jack smiled mirthlessly and rubbed his face. "I was one of the first to fall, anyway. They shoot at officers first." He took a deep breath. "When I woke up, the war was over and my men were dead around me."
The Doctor took a step toward Jack and put a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Jack. There was nothing you could have done short of explaining time travel to a bunch of military officers in 1918."
Jack pursed his lips.
The Doctor continued. "The only thing we can do is remember them. Remember them and… try to prevent it from happening again."
"This was supposed to be the war to end all wars." Jack snorted ruefully.
The Doctor sighed. Gradually, in the distance, the sounds of gunfire dropped off. Jack looked at his watch again. "It's time," he said quietly.
The Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder. A minute passed, then two, three. There was no more gunfire.
Jack closed the watch and dropped it back into his pocket.
"It never goes away," the Doctor said quietly. "The Time Lords were more advanced than anyone and look what happened to them."
Jack glanced at him. He had no concept of what it might be like to be truly alone in the universe. His condition made him feel that way sometimes, of course, but it didn't make him any less human.
"So we remember them," said the Doctor softly. "I remember them. I may not have liked most of them much when they were still around, but, still." He stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. "It's all we can do, you and me. It's all we have when they slip through our fingers too quickly."
"Like so much sand," Jack murmured.
The Doctor reached out and took Jack's hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. "No, Jack," he said quietly. "You and me—we can keep them alive. Just by remembering them. All these little pieces of forever."
Gently, he led him back into the TARDIS and presently, it faded from view, leaving the gray sky, stretching on, unaware of what went on beneath her.