A Darker Shade of Midnight
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: All LotR universe belongs to whomever it belongs to and not to me. Same for Dr. Who/Torchwood. If they were mine I wouldn't be writing it, I'd be living it. I own nothing.
Sadly un-beta read. Anyone? Anyone?
"Sir," Jack said. "You sure you're up to this?"
"I'll do well enough," answered the Doctor. "Just don't leave me. I can't miss the chance to speak with the Ringbearer, himself, and I'll never get another opportunity. You just can't leave me alone with that thing so close is all."
"Does it frighten you that much?"
"Absolutely."
"You don't trust yourself around it?"
"Not at all," The Doctor said, careful to keep Jack between himself and Frodo.
"I can't see what my presence has to do with you resisting the Ring."
"Because if you weren't with me it would provoke Frodo into something rash, make me think I have to take the Ring from him, to protect myself or protect him from the Ring. It would go into full-on attack. It knows how much I need to help people. It knows how driven I am to change things. It will use that. It would make me completely insane. And the universe doesn't need any more mad Time Lords."
"So, I'm your body armor against this thing."
"Yep." The Doctor said, popping the 'p.' (He rather liked plosives.)
"What could I possibly do to stop it?"
"Not what you do, Jack, it's what you are."
"My, shall we say for lack of a better term, condition."
"Yep, that's it." The Doctor said. "Remember how I said your presence affected me?"
"Wish I didn't. Affect you. Also remember it."
"Well, you were right. I was prejudiced. Wouldn't even give myself a chance to build up a resistance to it. Which I am, by the way. Anyway, on point, the Ring sees you the same way that I do. It senses you've traveled through time and space and been through the vortex. It senses you've lived near a pretty powerful rift for thousands of years. And it knows you're a fixed point, an Event more than anything else. To any consciousness sensitive to these things, you're like a gigantic obelisk blotting out the center of the universe. It sees you as impervious and immovable. It knows you're pan-dimensional, pan-temporal and pan-galactic, and because of that, I think it's afraid you could destroy it on the spot."
"Did I affect you like that?"
The Doctor fell silent, and Jack saw him close part of himself off.
"Damn, no wonder you ran. I get it now, Doc. But you said you're building up a resistance to it?"
The closed part of the Doctor seemed to open back up with a gentle smile and a nod. It was times like these Jack found himself feeling both irritated and amazed. Amazed because the Doctor wasn't human, even though he seemed it. He was so very human seeming, you'd just forget. And then something gives you a reminder. It made him special and different. And for those exact, same reasons it was irritating.
"Why does it want you, in particular?" Jack said. His train of thought had led right into the worry terminal. He couldn't believe the Doctor wanted to risk being around the Ring.
"Time Lord, TARDIS, duh," The Doctor slowed his pace. "Blimey, I really am that rude."
Jack chuckled. "Yes, but don't let that stop you. You're such an…alien, sometimes. And that's coming from me!"
"Oi!"
"I see your point, though, a Time Lord Ringwraith. Not a good thing."
"Not only! The TARDIS would just look tacky painted black."
"You aren't just rude, you're seven shades of weird. Rude, weird and cute." Jack said, laughing.
"And still not ginger."
"Seriously, why you in particular."
"Because the whole universe is in my head," the Doctor replied. He tightened his grip on the sleeve of Jack's greatcoat, as if to let go would be to fall away from the earth beneath his trainers. "Because I can see everything that has ever been, or will be, or might be, or might not be. All the time."
Jack stopped, turned, took him by the shoulders. "Then why?" Resisting the urge to shake some sense into his friend, Jack locked eyes with the Doctor. "Why risk yourself like that? You're already having problems! Why risk further damage to your mental health?"
But the Doctor only grinned his slightly manic, mischievous grin, the one that made him look like a kid in a candy store. "Tell you what…"
"What?"
"Middle Earth, Jack!"
Jack couldn't help but laugh. "I know!" He turned and continued to walk, the Doctor gripping his coat sleeve: a boat tethered to a ship, or, better yet, a safe harbor. "One of these days that curiosity is going to get you in serious trouble. What will you do then?"
He shrugged. "I guess I'll find out, won't I? I rather like surprises. Surprises are fantastic. Until they aren't… Blimey, I hate it when surprises go all… Looks like Sam is stopping. Oi, Sam! Where are we?"
"This is where Mr. Frodo has been staying." Sam waved in the general direction of one of the smaller structures. "It's where folk go if they get hurt or sick. Who wants tea?"
"I would love some," the Doctor said. "And some coffee for my friend?"
"Elrond should be coming by soon to see to Mr. Frodo, and we were just about to take lunch before he gets here, if you'd care to join us." Sam said. "We got chicken, roast pork, cheese, fruit—"
"Jack," muttered the Doctor, shaking his head no, nose wrinkled. "Tell him about…you know."
Jack snorted with laughter. It got him every time the way this mighty Time Lord couldn't even bring himself to say the word unless there was no one to do it for him. "Um, Sam? Would you be so kind as to keep away any pears?"
The lunch turned out to be a strange one, Sam and Jack sitting in the middle, mostly talking about their duties to Frodo and the Doctor, with the Doctor peering around Jack now again to look at the Ring and Frodo becoming uncomfortable each time he did it. Sam felt awkward about it. He liked the Doctor well enough so far, but at the same time, he could tell that the Doctor and Frodo were having a hard time of it. And it was the Ring that was to blame.
He could tell Jack saw what was going on as well, because Jack finally pushed his plate of chicken away, tossed back the rest of his coffee and turned to the Doctor. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea." He said. "Why do you keep looking at it?"
"I... can't help it. What does it want? I mean, I know what it's for, what it wants to do, but what about it? The thing itself, not who it serves. What kind of consciousness is that thing?"
"You aren't going to be able to communicate with it, Doc. Stop trying to help! It's just going to get to you that way."
"But, but…"
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, like Jack says," Sam said. "No offense to you, Doctor, but I think maybe you should stay away until after the Ring has been taken care of. Then we can have a nice visit."
The Doctor sighed and scratched his ear. "I suppose you're right," he finally said. "I really, really wanted to talk to Frodo. Frodo Baggins! Well, at least we did get to meet. Tell you what! After you get everything sorted, we'll come for a visit. What do you say, Jack? Tea at Bag End, say a year or so from now? Slow Path time?"
"Are you asking me out?" Jack grinned.
"No. You never bought me that drink."
"So you'll settle for tea at Bag End, then."
"Yep."
"Deal, angel face."
"A wise decision on the part of you all," said a strange voice.
It was Elrond. No one knew how long he had been standing there." I do not think," his eyes flitted across the table from the Doctor to Jack to Sam to Frodo, "that this is in any way a wise thing to do, and for the obvious reasons."
"Yeah, we sort of came to the same conclusion, Ea—"
"Jack!" The Doctor wore that look again. That displeased teacher look. He silently mouthed the words don't call Elrond 'Ears'.
"Sorry, we came to the same conclusion, Elrond." Jack said politely.
Elrond smiled, enigmatic. The overall feeling was that he felt some amusement at Jack's cheekiness. "Frodo," he said, gesturing for Frodo to go with him. Frodo rose and the two walked to Frodo's sickroom. Sam began tidying up. The Doctor finally let go of Jack's sleeve.
"Jeeze, does everyone here have cotton feet? I never heard him coming." Jack said.
"That's elves for you, Jack." The Doctor smiled and put his feet up on the table. Sam scowled. Jack pushed his feet back off the table. The Doctor sighed. "Yeah, I was being rude again."
"You have to admit, though, Jack," Sam said. "Elves are wonderful folk. Why, if you'd seen Mr. Frodo when we first got here! If your wizard is sick then you brought him to the right place."
Elrond reappeared then. He sat beside the Doctor and Jack, then, looking pointedly at Sam, said, "Frodo is back in bed now. He's still very weak. I think you should see to him."
After Sam had gone, Elrond turned to the immortal and the Time Lord. "I think I should give you both some advice," he said. "Firstly, Doctor, you should take a little Miruvor morning and evening. I think about an eighth of a dram should do. Secondly, I think the pair of you must unburden your hearts. And not just to me or to Gandalf. No, it is far more important that you speak with each other. And I do not mean you should speak as in meaningless chatter. Both of your hearts—"
"Both of my hearts?" The Doctor said. "Or do you mean collectively, as in mine and Jack's?"
Elrond pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Gandalf warned me about this sort of thing with you," he said "Collectively, Doctor, I mean collectively!"
"I think he means," Jack said, knowing the TARDIS would interpret the concept for Elrond, "You and me, Doc. Family therapy time."
"Exactly," Elrond said.
