A/N: Hi guys! I'm back! For now. School is going to be crazy, so I'm not sure how much writing will continue to be done. But yeah. I don't usually participate/read crossover fics, I admire them from Tumblr, but with the prompt my friend gave me, I couldn't resist. The prompt: On a snowy day in Tortuga Sherlock Holmes must find a way to save the Face of Boe. I forgot the snow, but oh well. Maybe I'll come back later and fix it. At any rate. Enjoy!
"Jack!" called the Doctor. "Jack! Don't wander too far! We have to go soon!"
"Don't worry about it pretty boy!" laughed Jack. "I have an old friend here; I just want to say hi!"
"Just want to say hi," scoffed the Doctor. Gallifreyan played across the screen and the Doctor's eyes widened. He sprinted toward the door and threw it open. "Jack!" he yelled. "Come back!" His eyes scanned the horizon and found no sign of his companion. "Son of a bitch," he swore. He locked the door behind him and ran after his flirty friend.
He ran for several minutes, not daring to pause to catch his breath or rest his burning legs. He ran until he found a village and then stopped. Breathing heavily, he looked to the first person he saw. "Excuse me," he managed in between breathes. "Have you seen someone tall, dark hair, wearing a black jacket that came to his knees?"
The man looked up at the Doctor and laughed with a nod. "Who's asking?" He was probably four feet tall and a funny purple colour.
"The Doctor," he answered.
He laughed even harder. "Oh yeah. He went that way. Good luck."
The Doctor walked the direction he pointed and came across a crowed. "Excuse me," he muttered as he made his way to the center of the circle. "Jack!" he cried. He ran toward him.
"Stop!" shouted a man with a chain in his grasp.
"That is my friend! Give him back to me!" the Doctor demanded.
"No. He is ours now. He made his choice to leave you."
The Doctor shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it more than the wind did. "He came to say hi to an old friend," he protested.
Jack laughed despite the bonds he was in. "I did say hi," rasped Jack.
"Quiet, Face of Boe," commanded the man. "You have no right to speak to him anymore. You are mine."
Jack's face crumpled. "Goodbye, Doctor. Until we meet again." At those words the little purple man hit him across the face.
"You will not see your lover again."
"I'll come back. I promise." He nodded, face serious. He turned and walked away from his only friend in the universe.
He walked back across the Tortuga country side. The sun was setting in the purple sky, silhouetting the red spires against the horizon. The Doctor could see the beauty in it, but he didn't want to right now.
He unlocked the TARDIS and collapsed against the door with a sob escaping his lips. He put his head in his hands and let himself cry for a few short moments. He looked up at the counsel with a sigh. He racked his mind for an old favour to call in, but he couldn't think of one that wasn't currently tied up in chains. In a split moment he remembered a particular duo based in London and jumped up with a shout. He runs around the counsel with a grin on his face, waiting for her to come to a stop. He sprinted out of the door when it stopped on the corner of Baker Street.
John was trying to tone out Sherlock's words as he read his morning paper.
"Are you listening to me?" Sherlock looked right at his companion.
"Listening? Mmmm, yes," agreed John.
At that, the door rang. They both looked up and Sherlock grinned. He swept down the stairs, his dressing gown flapping behind him. John sighed and put his paper down. Sherlock came back up the stairs with a man following at his heels. "Don't be boring," Sherlock stated.
"Sherlock Holmes right?" began the man.
"Yes."
"Oh good. I have found the right place then," the Doctor grinned, but then his face fell. "What year is it? Do I need to come back later?"
"Later?" John asked. "It's 2015. Where the hell have you been?"
"Away. Well, sort of away. Well. It's a story in itself."
"You're boring me," said Sherlock.
"Right. Sorry. I have this friend, and he's, uh, lost." He inhaled sharply, his mind filling of Rose. "No. Not lost. Wrong friend. He is caught up in a situation that I cannot help him in."
"How are we involved in that?"
"You two are the cleverest men I know in London. Well, when I'm not here. That's not the point. Will you help me?"
"This is not in the least bit interesting. He could be trapped with some of Jim's men, and I could do nothing for him." Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"Jim? No matter, he isn't with Jim. He is at a place called Tortuga. They won't know you, and that's what I need."
"Tortuga?" John's eyebrows raised. "I've heard of Tortuga." He trailed off wracking his mind for it.
"No disrespect Doctor Watson, but I really don't think you have."
"No! That's it! It was in that movie with Depp. Pirates of the Caribbean, that was the name."
"Oh! Yes, I've heard of that one. Heard it was good. Might watch that next time I'm in the area." He shook his head. "Will you come?"
John nodded. "I'll come."
"What?" Sherlock looked at his companion. "We don't know a thing about this John."
John straightened his back. "I know that his friend is lost, and he needs his help. That's all I need to know. I had a friend that saved my life; I can only help someone else return the favour."
"Ah, that explains where I am in 2015," muttered The Doctor.
"What was that?" Sherlock asked.
"Nothing." The Doctor shook his head. "Listen, time is really important here. I don't know what they will do to my friend."
"Well then, let's get going, uh," John paused, not sure what to call him.
"Oh! Call me the Doctor."
"Doctor? Doctor who?" Sherlock looked at the man incredulously.
"Just the Doctor."
"I should try that," said John.
"I wouldn't," the Doctor said with a grimace.
"Well, I'll come as well. Give me a moment to change into a proper shirt." Sherlock excused himself and disappeared into 221B.
"Who is this friend, Doctor?" asked John.
The Doctor laughed. "His name is Jack. He is quite the character. He goes traveling with me, and because of that, his captor think that he belonged to me, or something."
"So, this man, Jack you called him, he is your lover?" asked Sherlock from the door. "Sentiment," he muttered, "life is so much simpler without it."
"He isn't my lover," said the Doctor. "The leader of these people believe that though, so I cannot go save him. I tried."
"Take us to him Doctor," urged John. He could see the pain in the Time Lord's eyes. "Talk while we are walking or driving or where ever we are going."
"I'm not paying for the ticket," said Sherlock while he pulled on his jacket.
The Doctor nodded. "I have that covered. Allons-y!" He then turns and walks down the stairs without another word, both men following him.
They exit to the street and Sherlock immediately says, "Where did the blue box come from? That was not there earlier today."
The Doctor smiled. "You are as good as they say." He began to walk toward the blue box. "Come on guys."
"Of course I am," said Sherlock. He straightened his jacket and followed his friend and the funny man down the street toward the blue box.
The Doctor opened the door with a small key and threw a grin over his shoulder as he walked in. "Come on in!"
The doctor and detective stepped into the box hesitantly. Sherlock stopped almost immediately with wide eyes, blood rushing out of his face. John ran into him with a grunt. "What's-" he stopped, mouth falling open at the sight in front of him. He turned to run out the door he just came through but it shut and locked with a buzzing sound. He whorled around to see the Doctor putting something in his pocket. "What? What is that?"
The Doctor reached back into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "What? This? This is my screwdriver!" A giant grin broke out across his face.
"Screw- screwdriver?" John gasped. "But! What did that do to the door?!"
Sherlock shook his head, but his face remained pale.
"I locked it. I need you to come with me," the Doctor explained. "Jack needs your help. If those people figure out what Jack can do, what he is, they will never let him go."
"What," John paused, "What he is? What the hell are you?" He swallowed thickly. "Some sort of alien? Or are you seeing things?"
"Yes. I am," replied the Doctor bluntly. He walked around the counsel in front of him flipping knobs and turning switches, making the TARDIS speak as she began to move through time and space.
"What is that noise? What are you doing?" John's eyes were wide and fear was starting to make its way into his voice. Gallivanting across the country side with Sherlock looking for a psychopath armed with nothing but a gun? That was easy compared to this man. "What do you mean you are an alien?"
"John," said Sherlock.
"What?" demanded John, whirling around to face him. "Are you telling me you're okay with this?" He motioned around him wildly.
Sherlock shook his head, but strode toward the Doctor, purpose in his face. "I want to make a phone call."
The Doctor shrugged. "You can't do that right now, but if you hand me your phone, I'll make it possible."
Sherlock pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it over without a word.
"What are you doing, Sherlock?"
The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver and pointed it at the phone, and then handed it back. "You can use that now."
"Sherlock?" repeated John.
Sherlock ignored his friend and pushed a button on his phone, holding it to his face. "Mycroft, I need a favour from you."
"Mycroft? What would Mycroft….?" John trailed off.
The Doctor laughed. "Ah, Mycroft would be able to find quite a bit about me."
"Why…?" John trailed off once more.
"I need you to find what you can on someone for me," he paused. "Right now, if that is possible." Silence. "I knew it. Tell him I say hi. The Doctor, look him up for me." He paused again and silence filled the room except for the groaning of the TARDIS as she traveled back to Tortuga. "Thank you. I may. Goodbye." He pulled his phone away and put it back into his jacket pocket. He looked up at the Doctor with a calm face. "Take us back, Doctor."
"What? Why?" asked John. "What did Mycroft tell you?"
"This man is dangerous."
The Doctor laughed. "Well, dangerous is a word for it."
John looked at Sherlock. "And you aren't?"
Sherlock shook his head. "It's different. Do you remember the year that that ship almost hit the Palace? That was because of this man."
"Ah," protested the Doctor. "If you'll remember, it did not hit the Palace. That was because of me. I saved the Queen."
John's mouth dropped open. "You were in that ship?"
The Doctor nodded. "One of my friends had left me, and it crashed through the side of my ship."
"You're ship?"
He nodded again. "This is my ship." He smiled as John looked around. "This is my TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
"What the hell is a TARDIS?"
"It travels through time and space with me, and any of my friends." The Doctor grinned. "Right now, we are about to land on Tortuga." His eyes glanced toward the screen reading the rapidly changing Gallifreyan. "No!" he exclaimed. "This is the wrong year!"
"What does the year have to do with anything?" asked Sherlock.
"I'm twenty years later than I was when I first arrived!" He ran his hands through his hair, pulling at strands of it, a strangled groan escaping his throat.
"Twenty years?" Sherlock's eyebrow rose.
"Yeah," he groaned. He pulled more at his hair, trying to pull it out. Words start to come out of his mouth that were foreign to Sherlock and John, but he doesn't seem to stop speaking the nonsense.
"Doctor?" prompted John. "You aren't making any sense." The Doctor looked at John with confusion, so he clarified, "You are not speaking English."
Realization dawned on the Doctor's face "Oh. Sorry." He shook his head and paced back and forth, worry on his face.
"What were you speaking?" John racked his brain for any kind of recognition. "I don't think I know that particular language."
"You wouldn't. It was the language of my people. I haven't spoken it in a long while, well, enough that the TARDIS couldn't translate it."
"What are your people then?" promted John.
"He's a Time Lord, John," said Sherlock. His eyes had yet to leave the Doctor.
"What is a Time Lord?" His words were slow and confused.
"I travel through time and space. I save the world on occasion; sometimes I only am able to save a few, sometimes none at all."
"So we might die?" he asked.
"No. I won't let you," replied the Doctor. "I'll put a tracker on you and track your whereabouts and if you fall into danger I will come save you."
"What is the plan then, Doctor?" Sherlock looked away from the Doctor for the first time and looked around the space around him, blood returning to his face slowly.
"I am as close to this village as I dare, so you will have to walk a ways by yourselves. The most important thing to remember is you cannot mention me. You have to come up with that on your own."
John let out a hysterical laugh. "On our own?" He laughed again. "I have no bloody idea where I am, or what these people are, and we have to come up with an excuse on our own?" John looked at the Doctor and frowned when he noticed him staring intently at the screen in front of him. "Did you hear a word I even said, Doctor?"
"Hmm?" asked the Doctor turning his head slightly. "Oh. Yes. I did hear you." He took a step back and looked at the two men before him, his face serious. "The Tortugans are loyal. They will refuse to let Jack go unless you give them a damn good reason."
"Well that's just -"
"John," interrupted Sherlock. "Let the Time Lord speak."
"Thank you," the Doctor grinned. "They are loyal, which is a hindrance to them as well. If you tell them that Jack owes you a favour, they will let him go." He paused, running his hand through his disheveled hair again. "Well, they should let him go."
Sherlock nodded. "Will we need to specify the favour?" His blue eyes were clouded in thought.
The Doctor shook his head. "You shouldn't have to."
Sherlock nodded. "Come along, John." He turned on his heel and walked toward the door.
"Wait!" The Doctor bent down to a box underneath the counsel and pulled out a key. "One of you need to carry this with you."
Sherlock walked up and took the key, pocketing it. "What is it for?" asked John.
"It's a key for the TARDIS. I'm going to have to lock it when you leave. You'll need a way to get back in," explained the Doctor.
"Coming, John?" asked Sherlock. He looked at the Doctor. "Anything else I need to know?"
"They don't look like me, so don't laugh or shrink back in fear. They won't take well to that."
Sherlock nodded and opened the TARDIS door, stepping out into the Tortuga desert, John following shortly behind. John gasped at the sight before him. "It's purple!"
Sherlock nodded, his face having paled again. "Let's continue. I feel like Mycroft will be along shortly to scold me for the childish thing I may have done." His voice was stiff and cold and he rubbed his hand absentmindedly on his forearm.
John shook his head. "You haven't?"
"No," he stated. "I haven't." His stride never broke as he walked toward the direction the Doctor had pointed. Sherlock walked through the red sand under his shoes as if it were no more than concrete. They walked for several minutes, putting as much distance between them and the TARDIS as possible. It wasn't until they started to see civilization that they were spotted and stopped.
"Halt!"
Sherlock stopped and looked around for the voice that spoke to them, never thinking of looking down.
"What business do you have on Tortuga?"
Sherlock looked down and was astonished to see a little purple man. The shade of purple was similar to the shade of the sky. "I came to retrieve Captain Jack Harkness," he stated. "He owes us a favour and we are calling it in."
"And who are you to him?"
"That is of little importance," said Sherlock.
"What do you need him for?"
"That is none of your concern. It is between me and Harkness."
The little purple man nodded. "Very well. You will have to identify him before he can go free."
Sherlock nodded. "Understandable."
The purple man led them through the community, everyone a different shade of purple. Sherlock tried not to let it get to his brain. "Through that door, you will see a man, if he isn't who you think he is then you may go free."
Sherlock nodded and walked into the small hut, John following closely. The man tied to the wall looked up at the sound of the door opening. A grin lit up his eyes, as though he wasn't covered in grime. "Hello," he greeted.
"Captian Jack Harkness, am I correct?" asked Sherlock.
Jack grinned. "I knew you looked familiar. Where have I seen your lovely face before? And your companion as well."
"John, I am going to let the man know that this is who we are looking for, make sure nobody else comes to get him." John nodded and Sherlock turned on his heel and walked out the door.
"John!" exclaimed John. "Of course that's who you are. I remember now. The tall brooding one is Sherlock, am I right?"
John nodded hesitantly.
"I wouldn't forget your face," explained John. "It just got blurry over the last several years."
John nodded. "Understandable." The door opened again, making John turn around. "Sherlock," he breathed.
"Captain Harkness is free to go with us," he said swiftly. "We have ten minutes to free him and get out of the town limits before they start shooting at us, hoping to kill us and the Face of Boe." Sherlock's eyes immediately started looking at the binds holding Jack back and shook his head. "These don't make any sense." He took a step closer before Jack stopped him.
"Wait. Stop there. I don't want to hurt you."
"Why would you hurt me?" asked Sherlock. "Your skin doesn't burn to the touch, does it?"
"Some say it does," he replied with a wink. "I can get myself out of these bonds if you step back."
Sherlock nodded and took a cautious two steps back. His eyes widened when he saw Jack break the ropes keeping him against the wall. He rubbed his wrists roughly. "That feels better." He took a deep breath and looked at his new friends. "Sherlock, John, I suggest we start running, they won't hold to their ten minutes," he said lowly. "You know the way back, I assume?" Sherlock nodded. "Lead the way then. I'll keep at the back. If I fall," Jack took a deep breath. "If I fall, keep running. I'll catch up."
John looked confused but nodded. Sherlock turned and walked out the door, breaking into a sprint toward the edge of town from whence they came. They ran steady for several minutes before they heard the Tortugans behind them. "We're almost there!" called out Sherlock.
One shot was heard and a thump stopped both men. "Damn it!" exclaimed John. "Help me pick him up." He moved toward Jack. "Sherlock."
"He said to leave him," wheezed Sherlock.
"I don't care what he said. I am not going to leave him! We are almost there; we can carry him the rest of the way!" John bent down and picked Jack up by his torso. "Or don't. Lead on, Sherlock."
Sherlock turned and began to run again, though not as fast. John tried to keep up, and was falling more and more behind. "Sherlock!"
"Just over the hill, John!"
John shook his head and persevered. "You know, for being captive for twenty years you weigh a ton," he muttered. As he crested the hill, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw the blue police box. He heard more shots behind him and picked his pace back up. "Sherlock! Open the door!"
Sherlock had been messing with the lock for the last few seconds, and was getting no result. He resorted to banging on the door. "Doctor!" he shouted. "Doctor! Let us in! We have Jack!"
John had reached the doors and they both swung open. They sprinted inside and heard them slam shut behind them. Before John could put Jack down, the whirring of the TARDIS had started as they began to dematerialize.
"Doctor," breathed John. "I'm sorry."
The Doctor looked up at them and saw Jack over John's back. He laughed. "How long have you been carrying him now?"
"A total of maybe a minute. Why?"
"You might want to put him down now."
"Where?"
"The floor is fine."
John put him down as gently as he could, but he still flopped onto the ground.
"Now you might want to take a step or two back." Mischief was glittering in the Doctor's eyes.
John did as he was told and Jack gasped to life.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed John. "How in the hell?"
"Hello, handsome."
"Jack," warned the Doctor.
Jack had given up replying back and just shrugged. "I thought I told you to leave me behind."
The Doctor's eyes went to Jack and then back to John but he didn't say a word.
"If I had left you behind they would have got you, and that would have been counterproductive," replied John.
Jack sat up and rubbed his neck. "Well thanks."
"Would you like to explain what just happened?" asked Sherlock.
Jack laughed. "I died. And now I'm alive."
"Yes. I see that. What I don't understand is how."
"My friend has a lot to do with that actually, though how she did it, I'm not sure." Jack trailed off in thought, a frown on his face.
"I don't think she knew either," replied the Doctor.
Sherlock looked at the Doctor and asked, "When are you going to take us back?"
John looked over at Sherlock with a frown, but the Doctor responded, "Right now, we are on our way back. I'm trying to pinpoint the time we left, so Mycroft doesn't come looking for you."
"Yeah, thanks for that by the way, Doctor," teased Jack.
The Doctor frowned and pulled Jack in for a hug. "I'm sorry."
Jack laughed. "It's okay. They didn't damage me too bad."
The TARDIS stopped and Sherlock looked toward the door. "I can go now? No strings attached?"
The Doctor nodded. "I owe you a favour now. Touch the key I gave you when you want to call it in, and I will be there as soon as I can. Thank you, Sherlock Holmes." The Doctor stretched his hand out to shake Sherlock's but he shook his head. "Right. Forgot. Sorry. Thank you." He turned to John and shook his hand. "Look after him," he said softly. "He needs you more than he lets on."
John nodded and followed Sherlock out the door, closing it behind him. He watched Sherlock walk down the pavement with sad eyes. He turned and waved at the police box as it dematerialized. He then turned and followed Sherlock into Baker Street.
A/N: thanks for reading! After writing this I decided I had to write a Sherlock and Jack story, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Reviews are always welcome! :)