Accountability
Chapter Summary: The Doctor and Jack are trying to figure out how to tell the others their good news and begin house hunting. Meanwhile, another child has disappeared. Just what is this thing taking them and why?
Warnings (For all parts of CH 9): Deaths, possession, smexiness, violent mothers.
Chapter 9: Play With Me (Part II)
Jack couldn't keep his hands off the Time Lord. He had been so extra cuddly since they found out that it was starting to get on the Doctor's nerves. The attention was nice and all but one could only take so much until it went from cute to clingy. Even now Jack was standing behind him, leaned on the back of his computer chair and nearly breathing down his neck while he typed a new set of code into a program he was working on. The Doctor pulled off his glasses with a sigh.
"Did you need something, Jack," he asked a little irritably.
"Not really."
"Then why don't you go look at some houses on the market so we can go and see some?" He really wanted Jack to go do anything besides hover over him.
"That's not a bad idea," Jack said, standing up and stretching. "But when you're finished up here I want you in the TARDIS. Get any medical information you have on Time Lord pregnancies and compile it for Martha."
"Martha? Why would she need it?"
Jack massaged the Time Lord's shoulders comfortingly. "Because we'll need an obstetrician, sweethearts. Someone has to do your check ups and deliver the baby and I figured you'd be more comfortable with Martha than anyone."
"Oh." the Doctor rubbed at his eyes. "Right." He didn't want Martha to know though. He didn't want anyone to know. How would they see him once the secret was out? Gwen had been desked once she got pregnant and Jack would only be worse with him. The Captain would never let him go anywhere now. He didn't want to be treated differently. Jack was already acting like he was some fragile thing that needed protection. It was times like this he wished Donna had just left his hand be. She wouldn't coddle him or try to put him in a bubble. He could just imagine her reaction to this.
"Oi! Your pregnant, not crippled, space man! Make your own tea!"
The thought made him smile. She was his best mate and he really missed that. However, he didn't miss it enough to fry her brain. Jack kissed his cheek.
"Don't worry. We'll get everything figured out."
"I'm not staying here, Jack."
The captain's heart froze. He wasn't staying? After everything, the Doctor still wouldn't stay? Not even long enough for him to see his baby?
"Don't look at me like that," the Doctor said. "Did you really expect differently of me?"
"I thought maybe you'd stick around long enough to at least let me see my own kid," Jack growled. The Doctor's face scrunched in confusion.
"What? No! Here, Jack" he said, gesturing at the desk. "As in here behind a screen all day!"
"Oh," Jack said, relief washing through him. "Well there's more than computer work to do here."
"You're not understanding me. I'm not going to be kept like some sort of collectable on a shelf. I'll go insane."
"Well you can't be in the field," he shook his head. "Absolutely not. We can't risk it."
"Sir."
The couple looked up to see Ianto standing beside the tower, a gauze bandage on his forehead from yesterday's row. He had a print out in his hand and waved it at them.
"We have another disappearance. Name, Eurwyn. Five years old, came home ill then vanished. Older brother went out to look for him and now he's returned poorly as well."
Jack went over to Ianto and plucked the paper from his hands, reading over it for himself. He swore under his breath and told Ianto to get their coats.
"We have to go before big brother goes MIA." He turned to the Doctor. "You have your assignment, we'll take care of this."
There was no mistaking the command in the captain's voice. It didn't mean the Doctor had to be happy about it. With a huff, the Time Lord stood, slamming in the keyboard tray and stalking off to his TARDIS. Jack sighed. They could fight about it later, but for now the Doctor and his precious cargo would be safe and sound in the hub. That's what mattered.
"You know he's probably done things more dangerous than this," Ianto told him, handing him his jacket.
"Yes, but the circumstances are very different."
Jack walked away without a word of explanation, letting the cryptic statement hang in the air.
XxxXx
With a swipe of his arm, papers flew off the library desk and scattered to the floor. He kicked the wall in frustration and let out an angry grunt before dropping unceremoniously into an arm chair. Who did Jack think he was, keeping him cooped up like this? He'd been saving the universe from far bigger threats than magical sniffles since Jack was in diapers. Before then even. He'd been to war, fought Daleks and Cybermen, even faced the devil himself and now he felt like a piece of china in a cabinet. He was perfectly capable of looking after himself. The TARDIS hummed gently in the back of his mind, reminding him of Jack's motivations.
The tension in his body melted away then. "I know he means well," he said to his ship. "But you understand better than anyone how easily I go stir crazy. I need to feel useful. I have to keep moving, doing something with myself or I'll go completely mental."
She hummed to him again and the sound of a familiar rapid tapping echoed through the room. She was picking up the baby's heartbeat and playing it for him. He laid a hand across his belly and tried to picture the tiny life inside.
"Alright, alright. I know. Priorities," he smiled. Time to get that information together. "Still. I can do more than paperwork," he huffed as he scanned the shelves for the books he needed.
He pulled the first one down and started skimming through the section that dealt with the first trimester. One particular line brought a frown to his face.
"Oh, I really hope I don't get as sick as the last time."
XxxXx
Jack pulled up to the curb and parked outside the correct house. Hopefully they would be able to figure things out this time. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. A tall, burly man came to answer it, asking them irritably what they wanted. They gave the same spiel about being detectives with the local force following up on reports.
"So you found my boy," the man asked, suddenly hopeful.
"I'm afraid not," Jack said. "But we need to talk to your older son."
The man became defensive again, looking Jack up and down. "You think Thomas has something to do with this?"
"Not quite. But he went into the woods and came back sick, just like all the others before they went missing. We need to find out what happened out there."
The man looked horrified at the prospect of losing his other son as well. He moved hurriedly aside to let them in, escorting them up the stairs to his son's room. The sounds of a grieving mother could be heard filling the second floor hallway. Once they entered the boy's room the father excused himself to go tend to his wife.
It seemed like a typical teenage boy's room. Posters of bands and women in bikinis were plastered to the wall. Clothes were scattered over the floor and the dresser drawers were unkempt and messy with pant legs and shirt sleeves sticking out of it. The boy in the bed, however, didn't seem like a typical teenager. He looked at Jack through big, innocent eyes.
"You're different," he said. "Not like the others."
"Yes, I know. I'm American."
"No," Thomas said, his voice light and distant. "The energy. So much energy. It doesn't end."
Jack moved closer to the bed, looking into those unfocused eyes. Thomas stared blankly back. His head tilted to the side.
"Will you play with me?"
"What are you," Jack said, peering even closer into those eyes. Something metallic glittered behind them. It was now clear. Something was using his body.
"Get out of there," Jack commanded. "This body isn't yours."
"But I must stay inside," the creature pleaded with Thomas' voice. "If I don't I'll die. It hurts outside."
"So you need a host. Have you been taking the children then? You've been living inside them?"
"Yes," the creature said. "I needed them to find help but they didn't last long enough."
"You mean," Ianto interrupted. "They're...dead? All of them?"
Thomas nodded. "And every time I have to start over," he said, his voice frustrated and whiny.
"Wait," Jack said. "Is Thomas dying? Right now?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. He's stronger than the smaller ones. He's lasting longer."
"But he is deteriorating?"
Thomas nodded. Jack swore through clenched teeth. No. They weren't losing another one. Not on his watch. He whirled to face Ianto, his expression fierce.
"When we get back to the hub, lock me up. Tell the Doctor what happened. I can handle it, but this kid can't," he turned back to Thomas. "You need help?"
Thomas nodded.
"Then you can use me. Take my body for now and let Tommy boy go. Ianto here will take you to Torchwood. We specialize in helping aliens that need it. You'll be safe as long you stay with me and behave yourself."
Thomas searched Jack's face, looking for any sign he was being less then truthful. He nodded then and a purple mist poured from him, filtering into Jack instead. The captain's head fell back and he gasped at the intrusion. When the last tendrils escaped Thomas he fell back on the bed, unconscious but alive. Jack gasped for breath, his eyes going wide and glassy. He turned his head slowly to look up at Ianto.
"Are we leaving now," he asked, his voice small and childlike. Ianto nodded, not quite sure how to react.
"We'll go to Torchwood. The Doctor can help."
"Can he fix it?"
"Fix what?"
Jack, or rather, whatever was using Jack reached for him, taking his hand. He led the Welshman out of the room and down the stairs. Ianto followed warily as he was led out of the house and into the forest. This was usually the part where someone went missing so he kept his eyes peeled and his ears open. He was led by the hand until they reached a large old pine tree. The alien let go of Ianto and knelt at the base, brushing aside a pile of old brown leaves. Under them was what looked like a metal football. The creature picked it up, cradling it in the borrowed arms and looked up at Ianto with hopeful eyes.
"Can the Doctor fix it?"
"I'm not sure," Ianto told him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "But it won't hurt to ask him."
xXxXx
The Doctor was busily putting together all the information he had on Time Lord pregnancy. He was currently on the second trimester week by week. There were three different books open in front of him, two on the coffee table and another three laid across the sofa. He wheeled about between them, cross referencing and turning pages before returning to the desk to scrawl down another paragraph. His ears pricked up as he heard a whining and scratching at the TARDIS door. Rolling his eyes, he stood and went to the control room to open it. There was Lacy, whining up at him.
"What. Do you wanna come in with me?"
She whined and tugged on his pant leg with her teeth. "What do you want? I haven't got time for this." She only tugged harder, trying to drag him from the ship. "I'll play later, go find Rhys or Gwen for now."
"Doctor," Ianto said from the doorway of Jack's office. "We have a bit of a situation. Jack needs us down in the cells."
"Oh. Now he wants my help, does he," he asked cheekily, stepping out of the TARDIS. "What's the problem?"
Ianto told the Doctor about the conversation with Thomas and about the purple mist. He explained how Jack had offered himself as a vessel and that he was now not quite himself. Lacy had followed after them, dashing between the Doctor's legs when they entered the cell block and sitting in front of one of the plexiglass doors. She looked inside and then to the Doctor, whining and whimpering. Coming to the door, the Doctor saw Jack sitting on the floor in the back corner of the cell. The captain was curled around something, rocking it and cradling it like it was the most precious thing he owned. No wonder Lacy was in a state. It as no secret that Jack was her favorite and he was definitely not true to form right now. He shooed her away back up the stairs and turned his attention back to the man in the cell.
"Hello," the Doctor said and Jack looked up at him, his eyes unfocused and his face pale.
"Are you the Doctor?"
"Yes," the Time Lord said. "And who are you?"
Jack looked up at him, his eyes wide and fearful. "You're different too," he said. "You have two energies."
"Two energies," the Doctor asked.
Jack nodded. "There's the big one," he said, pointing at the Time Lord's face. "And there's a little one there." He pointed to the Doctor's belly now. "Are you a Maflar?"
The Doctor's eyes went wide and he got an excited gleam in his eye. "Oooooh. You're an Atmostine, aren't you?"
"Maflar," Ianto asked from behind the Time Lord.
"It's their word for mummy. Not mother, mummy. Which would mean," he turned his attention back to Jack. "You're a child, aren't you." The captain nodded. "So where is your Maflar? Is she here too?"
"No." Jack's voice was quiet and afraid. "We were going to the embassy. It was supposed to be my special hatch day trip. Then my ship was on fire and I hit one of those tree things. There was a girl poking at my ship with a stick and she opened it. It hurt so bad. I had to hide somewhere. It doesn't hurt in here," he said, placing a hand over his chest. Blue eyes turned misty and the captain started to cry. "I didn't mean to hurt them. I was just trying to find help. I just want to go home."
He stood, walking over to the door. The Captain looked down at the item tucked under the coat and back at the Doctor. It looked like the creature was reluctant to show anyone else. The Doctor put a hand up to the glass.
"What have you got there," he said gently. "Let me see."
He looked at the Time Lord, tears falling from his eyes. It broke the Doctor's heart and he had to remind himself it wasn't really Jack crying in the cell.
"Show me. Come on," he prompted again gently.
Jack sniffed and wiped his eyes before opening his coat. He held up the metallic football shaped thing. It was charred in places and some panels were missing. His voice shook as he looked up to the Doctor again.
"Can you fix it?"
The Doctor pulled his glasses from his pocket, putting them on and taking a closer look. "That's your ship, is it?"
Jack nodded.
"I'll have to take a closer look at it. If I come in there, do you promise to behave?"
He nodded again, sniffing and wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. The Doctor's heart ached. Not only was he watching his lover break down, he knew it was not really his Jack but a frightened child, lost and alone and possibly light years from home. How many others had suffered simply because the poor thing was searching for someone, anyone to make it all better?
"Ianto," he said, still looking in the cell. "What's the code for this door."
"I'm not to open it. Regulations state any personnel under the influence of a foreign presence are to be quarantined until the entity can be safely extracted from,"
A whirring noise cut into Ianto's explanation and the door swung open.
"Or you can just do that," he mumbled. "Brilliant. The rules don't matter, do they. Why be safe when you can die?"
"Ah, but there's a third route," the Doctor said, tossing the Welshman a cheeky grin. "It's the near death route. Not quite as predictable as the other two, but much more fun." He gave the Welshman a wink and turned to enter the cell.
The cold, damp, depressing atmosphere had the Doctor cringing. This was a horrible place to keep the poor thing. It must be more scared than ever. It showed as the Captain's body was curled up on the ledge meant to be a bed, shaking. The Doctor stepped toward him and knelt down. He took one of the other man's hands in his own, looking into the fearful eyes. The pupils were blown to the point that only a sliver of blue was visible. He could see flecks of metallic purple flashing in them now and then. It was unnerving, seeing the normally cool and collected Jack reduced to quivering in a corner and the Doctor had to keep reminding himself that this was not Jack behaving this way, that his captain was only a vessel. Still, it just felt wrong. He needed his Jack back. The sooner the better.
"Let me see," he said gently. Jack opened his arms, showing the tiny ship to the Time Lord.
"Can you fix it" he asked again hopefully.
The Doctor snapped his glasses on and reached for the broken thing. He turned it over in his hands, assessing the damage and if the piece of technology was salvageable. It needed new hull panels. Simple enough to replace with all the bits and pieces they had stashed in this place. The problem was the control panel. It was so tiny, he wasn't quite sure how he could repair it. It would take a lot of patience and magnification as well as some very small tools. It would have been helpful to have the schematics but he was sure he could rig something up that would work well enough to get the creature home.
"Well, I don't know if it'll be exactly the same but I can get it working. How far will you have to go?"
"I don't know," the Atmostine said through Jack, voice small and unsure. "I don't know where home is from here."
The Doctor clicked his tongue. Not good. Not good at all. He knew how to get to the creature's home planet, but he didn't know when he had disappeared. Hopefully he could figure out the model year on the ship to help narrow it down. But there were other things to worry about first.
"Alright. What's your name?"
"M-Mongan."
"Well then, Mongan, how is Jack's body holding up in there?"
He seemed to take a minute to contemplate this, taking a mental checklist.
"The air sacks aren't working right," he reported. "And the drum is getting faster."
Air sacks and drum? Heart and lungs. That wasn't good. If he didn't find another place for Mongan to stay, Jack would die within the hour. He needed to get to the TARDIS med bay. Then he could set up a containment unit that would be safe for the little one.
"Come on," the Doctor told him, holding out a hand. "Let's get you upstairs."
"No."
The Doctor turned to Ianto who stood against the wall, arms crossed defiantly. "That thing is not leaving this cell. We don't know what it's capable of."
The Welshman wasn't backing down, but this Time Lord wasn't known for obedience either. Except where Jack was concerned but that was irrelevant to the situation. He turned to face him, hands in his pockets, face hard and cold.
"Oh, so you're in charge now, is it?"
"As a matter of fact," Ianto said. "With Jack incapacitated, my seniority with Torchwood dictates me as leader until he's well again."
"Seniority," the Doctor scoffed. "If this was about seniority I'd be in charge period."
"Not age. It's based on your number of years in the company," he told the Time Lord.
"Well, I've never been one for protocol and in case you haven't noticed, I've got more experience in a single hair than you've got in your entire body. I don't give a damn about your bloody rules, I care about getting this child home and keeping Jack from another death. I'm going to do as I please Mr. Jones so you can either fall in line or go home."
xXxXx
Mongan had seemed much more relaxed once they were inside the TARDIS. He sat on the cot, swinging his legs back and forth as he watched the Doctor. Said Time Lord was tinkering with the controls on a clear tube of plexiglass, a containment chamber. He had to get the atmospheric components just right or Mongan could be in excruciating pain.
"Is this your home," he asked the Doctor. He looked up briefly from his work to show he'd heard.
"Sort of. She's all I have of my original home. Jack and I are looking for a new home right now though."
"For the baby?"
"Yes," the Doctor said. "For the baby."
"Is something wrong with it," he asked.
"What?"
"Is it sick or something?"
The Doctor paused in his work, taking his glasses off and looking up."Why would you ask that?"
Mongan shrugged. "You don't seem very happy about it. Babies are supposed to make people happy. Especially their Maflars."
Was that true? Did he really sound unhappy about being pregnant? Was he unhappy about it? No, he thought. Not unhappy, just unsure. He was worried. He didn't want things to go wrong. At the same time, he was afraid of how things would change. The Doctor jumped when he felt a warm hand on his belly. Mongan looked in wonder as he touched, feeling the swirling energy inside.
"It seems happy," he said. "It has two drums like you." He put a hand to Jack's chest. "But this one only has one drum."
The Doctor smiled at his confused expression. He covered the larger hand with his own. "Yes, but his is much bigger," he explained. "He can fit so many people in there."
"You put people in the drum," Mongan asked, astonished. The Doctor smiled and turned back to his project.
"Not really. It's a way of saying he cares about a lot of people. He carries so much love in there."
"Oh. So is he the baby's Patryl," the Atmostonian equivalent of "daddy" or "papa".
"Yes he is."
Mongan looked thoughtful, staring down at Jack's chest where his heart was. He put a hand over it again.
"Then big is good," he decided. "Babies need lots of love."
"Absolutely," the Doctor agreed. He typed in one last bit of information and they heard a beep. "There we are. That should do it."
"And it won't hurt in there?"
"Not at all. Now, just lie down here for me."
Mongan laid back on the cot, fidgeting nervously. He really hoped it didn't hurt. He didn't like it when it hurt. The Doctor had been very kind though. He'd been able to trust him this far. The Doctor picked up a mask with a long tube attached.
"When I put this on, you come out. Go down this bit of hose here and you'll come out in the tank. That should keep you safe until we can get you home. Do you understand?"
Mongan nodded. Satisfied, the Doctor brought the mask up to Jack's face, holding it over his mouth and nose. After a second or two, a purple mist flowed into it, traveling up the length of hose and in through the top of the glass tank. When the flow finally stopped, Jack's eyes closed and he lay on the cot, unmoving.
The Doctor checked for a pulse, hoping he hadn't taken too long. It was there but it was weak. The Time Lord thought it best to let his lover sleep. Let him heal for now. It shouldn't take more than an hour for him to be up and around again. In the mean time, he would start repairs on the little ship. He looked at the tank where Mongan was now zooming around, probably enjoying the extra space and freedom of movement, and smiled. Intuitive little thing he was. The Doctor had actually enjoyed talking to him. Laying a hand over his still flat tummy, the Time Lord found himself hoping that their child would be just as inquisitive. There was nothing more endearing than a child's curiosity and he had so much he could teach them.
Looking over at Jack, he decided that it would be okay to take a small break before he got to work on repairs. He crawled up beside Jack on the cot and found a comfortable position pressed against him, his head nestled on his chest and listening to the comforting, singular beat of the captain's heart. Perhaps he was being a bit too harsh with Jack. He knew he would have to stay out of the field but perhaps they could find something safe to keep him occupied. He could always get a job. Now there was a terrifyingly domestic idea. Still, it could be fun. He'd never had a proper job before. Not unless you counted the time he spent as John Smith. He didn't usually like to.
The Doctor felt a warm arm curl around his shoulders and looked up. Jack was still sleeping despite the movement. His color was starting to come back though and his heart was slowing to a more normal rate. He'd gone from repairing to resting. Curling his arm around the captain's waist, the Doctor allowed himself to relax. He would enjoy cuddling with his human, just for a bit, and then he'd get back to his other tasks.
xXxXx
Jack stirred a few hours later. His whole body felt heavy. His eyelids were like lead, refusing to open. That was okay for now. He couldn't quite remember how he'd gotten here but he was to tired to get up and find out. There was a gentle nudge at his mind, coaxing him to full wakefulness.
The captain groaned, reaching an arm up to rub at his eyes. This seemed to wake him enough to open them. He was in the TARDIS, but how? He sat up on the cot and looked around the med bay. When he caught sight of the cloud in the tube it all came back to him.
"Wow," he said to himself. "Possession really packs a wallop."
Since he was himself again and the alien was contained, he could only assume the Doctor had puzzled it all out. Where was the Time Lord?
Jack swung his legs off the side of he cot, standing slowly to make sure they didn't buckle on him. Though they protested slightly, the muscles dutifully held his weight and he was able to move around. The immortal placed a hand on the wall and silently asked the ship to lead him to where her captain was hiding. She gave a gentle hum of confirmation, nudging him down the hall. After passing a few rooms he came to a large set of double doors, intricately carved with decorative leaves and grape bunches and stained a dark cherry color. The library. He should have known.
As the door opened, he caught sight of the Doctor wheeling about between a whole mess of open books and then scrawling things down in between on two separate sheets of paper. His hair was stuck up more than usual. He'd been running his hands through it again. The Time Lord was wearing his special glasses with the magnification attachments. He didn't seem to notice Jack's entrance, still zipping back and forth. Jack couldn't help but smile as he watched. There was no doubt that his lover was in his element.
"Hey," he called.
The Doctor stopped mid way to a book and looked up. He offered Jack a quick smile before looking through the book and rolling back to his desk to write something down. The captain walked up to the desk, curious. One page was filled with writing, words like trimester, birth weight and kick counts appearing. The information for Martha. The other paper had a half completed blue print on it.
"What's this for?"
"Mongan's ship. I have to completely rebuild the control panel from scratch. Totally useless," the Doctor explained.
"So are you done being pissy with me now," Jack asked him.
The Doctor sighed, pulling his glasses off and rubbing at his eyes. He looked up at Jack now, givinghim his full attention.
"Look, I understand your reasons. I really do. But the point remains, I can't stay here doing the same thing day in, day out." He moved over to stand in front of Jack, hands in his pockets. "I need something more fulfilling than watching a screen for blips and making up a program. I love you, and I'm glad you have this for yourself, but Torchwood is just that. Your project. I would've been fine with it when I could do field work but now I can't. I need something that's mine, Jack. Can you understand that?"
The Doctor watched Jack's face and waited for his reaction. Would he be hurt that his lover didn't want to work with him? Would he be angry? To his surprise, Jack curled his arms around his waist and pulled him close.
"That's absolutely fine sweethearts," Jack told him. "Whatever makes you happy as long your safe. But what do you want to do?"
"Ah," the Doctor said. "That's the problem. I've got no clue."
"Well," Jack kissed him gently. "You love your history. I have a few friends at the local university. If you wanted, I could probably get you in as a history professor. What do you say, Dr. Smith?"
The Doctor's face lit up. Teaching. He had only ever used it as a cover before. This time he could be a legitimate educator. Enlightening young minds, grading papers, coffee in the lounge. It sounded enormously fun.
"I say, brilliant."
AN: I am SO sorry this took so long. My internet has been down for over a week. Now that the problem is fixed I hope you'll all enjoy and forgive the ridiculous amount of delay.