Torchwood

Written By: Edders of LiveJournal

Jack Harkness opened the door to the canteen and picked up a mug of coffee from the counter. Throwing the lady behind the counter a pearly-white smile, he went over to a corner to sit with his Torchwood colleagues, Gwen Cooper and Dr. Sato. "Hello ladies, how's everything going on this fine Cardiff afternoon?"

"That new prisoner you brought in," Gwen replied softly, "The Doctor, or whoever he is, is the talk of the place. People can't seem to get enough gossip on the guy. Who is he, anyway?"

"It's complicated," Jack brushed the question aside for the moment. "Has he said anything since he regained consciousness?"

"As a matter of fact he's done nothing but talk," Dr. Sato sighed. "He asked for tea, and then started rattling off numbers. I couldn't be sure at this point but from where he started he seemed to be reciting pi."

"Pi's an infinite expression, he's got to stop sometime," Gwen frowned.

"Winging it is a specialty of his," Jack said. "He probably started making it up after the tenth decimal place!"

Neither of his friends chuckled, and he dropped the cool smile quickly.

"Why exactly are we keeping this guy prisoner, Jack?" Gwen asked. "Nobody seems to know what he's done."

"He's… it's for the good of the universe." Jack stammered. "He was technically banished from the British Empire by Queen Victoria when Torchwood was founded, but recent events have caused us to prefer a different approach."

"Which involves arresting him?" Gwen was skeptical.

"Exactly," Jack leaned forward conspiratorially. "We keep him right here on Earth, in this time, where we can keep an eye on him."

"In this time?" Dr. Sato asked.

"The Doctor is a time agent, like Jack was," Gwen explained.

"No, he's a Time Lord. He's not only from the future, he's from another planet. Gallifrey, supposedly."

"Oh, now it all makes sense to me," Gwen rolled her eyes.

Dr. Sato paused in thought. "Last year, when the spaceship destroyed Big Ben, there was this man… he seemed to know about aliens, or at the very least understood that faked pig we recovered was faked. He disappeared before I could ask him anything else."

"What did he look like?" Jack was intrigued.

"I don't know, fortyish, thin hair, black leather coat… he sounded like a northerner."

"That was him!" Jack slapped his hand on the table in excitement.

"Jack, that's not the man we have in custody," Gwen narrowed her eyes.

"I told you, he's a Time Lord," Jack explained patiently. "Time Lords can regenerate their bodies when they would otherwise die."

"So this Doctor's immortal?" Dr. Sato looked doubtful.

"He's just pulling your leg, don't listen to him," Gwen sighed.

"No, not completely immortal. There are things that can inhibit the regenerative process. Obviously if his body's blown up, or sucked into space there'd be nothing he could do, and there are probably drugs that can affect the process too."

"You're serious aren't you?" Gwen asked.

"Would I lie to a pretty face like yours?" Jack feigned a sad face.

"Yes you would," she nodded vigorously. "Like that time last week when you said-"
"I don't think Toshiko needs to hear that story right now," Jack interrupted with a bit of a cough.

"That's Dr. Sato to you, but you're right, I don't think I need to hear about your… latest escapades. Besides, we'll be wanted in the confinement chamber soon. I'm sure you both heard that the Prime Minister will be coming to talk to the prisoner in just twenty minutes."

"Yeah, sorry Dr. Sato, we remember," Jack sat back. "I'll just finish my coffee, yeah?"

The Doctor was doing his best to sulk. There were two emotionless guards watching him from either side of the single door out of his cell. Well, it wasn't really so much a cell as it was an interrogation room. He was sitting back in a metal chair, pretending to be comfortable with his feet up on a Plexiglas table with a metal frame. He smiled and gave a little wave to a mirror on the left wall, knowing it was really just a one-way mirror with a no-sense-of-humor agent on the other side watching his every move.

"So where was I… 5 4 9 7? No, did that section already… must've been at 5 4 6 7, yes, so that's 5 4 6 7 2 9 1 9 0 5 -"

The door opened and in walked two women. The first was a youngish brunette he didn't recognize, and the second was… was Harriet Jones! He stood up in surprise. "Well, if it isn't Harriet Jones!" He extended his hand.

"This is the Prime Minister, in case you'd forgotten," the other woman scolded him. "And I'm Gwen Cooper."

"Are you?" the Doctor didn't look away from Harriet Jones. "So, how's the job?"

"I'm afraid I'm not here to make small talk," she curtly responded. "Doctor, tell us what happened at Torchwood Tower last week."

"What, last week? Oh, you mean with the Cybermen and the Daleks…"

"The what?"

"The Cybermen were the metal invaders," Gwen explained. "According to the research done there, they had crossed into our world from an alternate dimension."

"Why didn't I see this report?"

"With Torchwood HQ practically destroyed, we've had a bit of trouble getting the right information declassified. The office of the Prime Minister wasn't originally meant to be even aware of Torchwood, understand."

The Doctor watched the banter with slight amusement.

"Of course, I understand," Harriet nodded, consciously forcing herself to maintain a calm patience. "You heard that Doctor? You very nearly completely destroyed the Torchwood facilities in London, and I'm demanding an explanation."

"Sure you have the clearance to hear this?" The Doctor teased.

"Answer the question, sir," Gwen sighed impatiently.

The Doctor stared the Prime Minister in the face so intently she nearly flinched. "No."

"What?" Harriet was flustered now.

"I'm not gonna!" he grinned cheekily.

"What do you mean?" Gwen grumbled.

"It means no," he frowned.

"What is the meaning of this negative?" Harriet Jones demanded.

"The less you know, the better," the Doctor nodded in finality, and Harriet could see that she wasn't going to get passed this wall right now.

After a moment of silence, Harriet asked, "On Christmas Day… Why did you do it, Doctor?"

"Do what? You're still Prime Minister, aren't you?"

"Don't you think she looks tired. I found out what you said eventually, Doctor. It was a publicized health scare, nothing more. Your six words didn't work."

The Doctor grinned again. "Right, those weren't the six words that would actually bring down your government. That was just a warning."

"No second chances," Harriet remembered aloud. "You're that kind of a man."

"Exactly, and that was your first."

"So what are the six real words?"

"To bring down your government for real? You sure you want me to say them in here?"

"Yes, Doctor, these people I know I can absolutely trust."

"Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you," The Doctor took a deep breathe. "She voted for the Scottish Nationalists."

Gwen snorted back a laugh, and grinned at Harriet, who couldn't help but smile too.

"How long has been, anyway?" the Doctor asked.

"About half a year I should think," Harriet answered, still grinning.

"How long, exactly?"

"Well, It's been seven months, exactly."

"So this is the 25th of July, 2007?"

Harriet blinked. "Well yes, Doctor."

"Oh good," he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good to know I'm at least keeping up with the times."

"Oh, Doctor, you are such a strange man sometimes…" Harriet trailed off as the door opened and Jack entered.

"So, has he spilled the beans yet?" Jack asked as he closed the door.

"Not a peep about the tower," Gwen sighed.

"I thought as much," Jack shook his head and faced the Doctor. "Alright, just tell me what happened."

The Doctor looked at Harriet, then at Gwen, and then at Jack, his face reddening with each turn. "Just who's side are you on!"

"Hey, no need to get excited, Doctor, just answer my question. I'm in charge of this branch of Torchwood and it's my responsibility to get answers out of you… one way or another!"