Series: True/Troubled Beauty
Series tagline: How do you love someone who believes they don't deserve your love?
Chapter: 09. A Trick and Troublesome Trail
Fandom: Doctor Who (10th)
Chapter Summary: TARDIS has picked up a trail that could lead to K9. But where does it really lead?
Rating: PG-13, violence, sexual references. Although there is one section that turned out hotter than I planned;-) That's possibly an R
Word Count: Just over 7,000!
Warning: references to 'the Lion King' and 'Hamlet'. A few mild Doctor Who references. Also, I apologise to Rose fans. I don't think I've portrayed her as nicely as the TV series but I do try to justify her actions and attitude.
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Doctor Who and am not making any money from it. FYI I'm a student, so it's not worth suing.
A/N: I really should have done more research on the era. It's probably full of anachronisms. Sorry.
Feedback: I'm actually getting more insecure the further along I get with this fic. Don't ask me how that works. It's weird, huh? So I guess that's a very polite and British 'yes please' for the feedback. If that doesn't work, I'm not above begging.
09. A Trick and Troublesome Trail
"What the hell is going on?" Mickey grumbles, not very happy about being kicked out of Rose' bed to find out. Whilst Jack explains, Sarah-Jane and the Doctor enter and listen to him intently.
"TARDIS has detected something flying through Time and Space which ISN'T supposed to be there. The flight pattern's so erratic it's probably been sabotaged or something's gone wrong. TARDIS says it's mauve so it's very dangerous, and it's gonna land somewhere it's not meant to be. Normally I wouldn't follow it. If it's dangerous I don't want to but anybody at risk. Somebody else from the Agency will fix it if it's that detrimental to the timeline. However, it's emitting a faint tachion trail that matches the pirate ship. It's a long shot but it could be them. K9 could have sabotaged it. I know it's a slim chance, I know it's dangerous and stupid of me but if there's just a CHANCE of getting K9 back I'll take it. You don't have to come, in fact it's best if you don't, but I need to go. Doctor, I request permission to follow the target, sir." Silence ensues.
"Permission granted." The Doctor forces himself to say even though he really wants to lecture Jack about the fact he doesn't need to ask for permission. He hates formality and hates to see it in Jack. The Doctor shows his enthusiasm by adding, "Let's do this."
"Hang on, it's gonna get bumpy." Jack instructs with a small, insecure smile. Sarah-Jane clings to the Doctor and when the TARDIS jolts, Mickey is the only one who almost goes flying. Almost, but Jack catches him in time. Jack is about to apologise, he should have made sure everybody would be safe, but Mickey interrupts him.
"Thanks." He tells Jack, looking him straight in the eye whilst straightening up. Jack has no choice but to accept Mickey's thanks and nods in acknowledgment. It's not an acknowledgement that goes unnoticed, lifting the spirits of TARDIS and occupants. It may be small, but it is a start.
"Don't relax just yet though. TARDIS is in fast pursuit. Following the target madly. No idea where she'll end up; no idea WHEN we'll land." Jack is talking himself out of the idea but the others won't let him.
"I can't wait. It's so exciting." Sarah-Jane tugs on the Doctor's arm, genuinely eager. "It's just like the old days." The Doctor smiles at the memories.
The tension in TARDIS accumulates with every passing second, becoming almost palpable by the time they land. They arrive at the destination with a jolt, which succeeds in throwing everybody to the floor. Everybody just laughs though, not even noticing the pain through the adrenaline coursing through their bodies.
"Where are we, Jack?" Mickey is the first one to ask, his voice gruffer than usual with anticipation. Jack checks the read-out. A picture flares up on the TV screen and Jack can't help but burst into a smile, his hand taps begins tapping a rhythm on his thigh, his feet tap a rhythm on the floor.
"It looks like the 1960s, America, judging by the music scene. Huh, what are the odds of landing on Earth?" Jack trails off, absorbed by the screen. There's no sound but that's okay: he recognises Dean Martin when he sees him. And Jack learned to lip-read at a very early age; it's a very useful skill. Mr. Martin has just finished a song to receive what must be a rapturous applause. Jack recognises the next song almost before Mr. Martin starts to sing which is absurd because Jack can't hear the orchestra but he still finds himself singing along anyway.
He isn't aware of his friends staring at him, he's barely aware of where he is. In his mind he's in Mr. Martin's place, playing to the crowd, feeding off the crowd, energy and inspiration bouncing back and forth, multiplying and growing and gaining a life of it's own. He faultlessly croons 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You', completely unaware of the irony which strikes Sarah-Jane and Mickey so acutely. It struck the Doctor for about a moment before awe took over. Now the Doctor's in such a hypnotic state a physical blow wouldn't even affect him.
He never realised how sex and singing could so be alike but now he can't help but draw parallels. He's seen Jack in the throes of both and there are definite similarities. He's seen Jack sing before, this isn't the first time, but he's still overwhelmed by the intimacy of it.
Jack's eyes are now closed, better to shut out reality and focus on the sensation. He remembers that look from before, the Doctor forced himself to watch, to burn the image into his memory even as ecstasy and desire made him want to close his eyes because it was all too much. He forced himself to look because he knew he might not get a second chance. Yet there's no skin-on-skin this time; no frantic friction; no torso sliding against torso; no hips bucking and demanding more contact, more heat, just more; no reciprocated lust; there's no carnal pleasures of the flesh. There's only Jack, exercising his vocal chords, singing note after flawless note with such precision and such emotion it can't help but affect anyone who hears.
Jack is finding the process so cathartic, he's lost in the lyrics and the melody of the song, his past just melts away, all his sins are forgotten, forgiven. Nothing else exists, just for those few moments, nothing but the music.
A vein is throbbing at the base of Jack's neck. It's a vein the Doctor has memories about; a vein the Doctor has dreams about. He only saw it once as his past regeneration and then he was nuzzling it, feeling the pulse of Jack's blood with his tongue. The Doctor could feel another vein in the grasp of his fist, pulsing even stronger. He has different hands now.
It's a vein the Doctor's only seen three times: then, the Galaxy Cup final, and now. Mickey calls it the 'Frankenstein vein' but the Doctor likes to think of it as a vein of passion. Jack tends to try and hide his passion nowadays and it's a pity. Fear, guilt and shame seem to rule him now, his head always tilted to the floor. But now his throat is exposed. His head is tilted back in pleasure, so open and trusting.
The Doctor could go on and on but the song has come to an end. Probably a good thing because the similarities between sex with Jack and listening to Jack sing means they both have the same profound and physical effect on the Doctor. Thankfully, with his coat covering up the physical and Sarah-Jane and Mickey covering up the Doctor's inability for coherent thought and speech, Jack fails to notice.
"Beautifully sung, my dear." Sarah-Jane congratulates him.
"Yeah, nice one." Mickey acknowledges, stunning Jack for a moment. Jack was going to apologise for singing out loud but his friends have made it very clear he doesn't have to. His mouth flaps open and closed for several moments but he avoids any glares by not saying 'sorry'. Eventually, he moves on to what he was going to say after he'd apologised.
"I don't think I'll be long. I just need to identify what made the trail, why it was mauve and…"
"You're not going out there on your own, are you?" The Doctor has to interrupt. Fear and concern snapping him back to reality. The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think.
"I was planning to…" Jack admits, trailing off because the Doctor is glaring at him. He's deep in thought, thinking how to explain himself.
"Where's the fun in that?" The Doctor grins manically. "We'll all go."
"But it might be dangerous…" Jack tries to protest.
"Ha! I laugh in the face of danger!" Mickey adopts a brave pose, only to be belittled by the Doctor.
"More like scream." The Doctor grins, nudging Sarah-Jane because they both recall what Mickey was like fighting the Krillitanes.
"Besides, remember what happened to Simba just after he said that." Jack deliberately goes off on a tangent and the Lion King is one helluva tangent, Jack could talk about the Lion King forever but Mickey's heard it all before. Jack feels a wave of guilt about subjecting Mickey to a daylong ramble about the film but perhaps it was worth it because Mickey is giving him a knowing look.
"Yeah, but we've got our Mufasa to protect us." Sarah-Jane says and Mickey nods firmly, glad he didn't have to say it because that would have sounded gay, but he whole-heartedly agrees. Everybody waits patiently for it to dawn on Jack that they're talking about him. It is well worth the wait.
"I'm not Mufasa, I'm Scar!" Jack insists." I'm to my brother, a satyr to Hyperion…"
"Don't start with 'Hamlet' again. You're worse than Kenneth Branagh." Mickey pre-empts the protests that are about to pour from Jack's mouth "and I know it's a good film, you spent 8 hours afterwards explaining to me why it's a good film! You spent 8 hours lecturing me, comparing all the Hamlets, and there's a lot of them, especially with it still being performed in the 51st Century and all. I was half asleep for the last hour of your rather passionate speech and it still got through! You are such a geek, man!" Mickey scoffs.
"But it is SUCH a good story!" Jack defends. "I mean, Shakespeare tended to steal plots but his language and the way he tells them, it brings out so much humanity! I find it fascinating that the story is so universal, with so much emotion, you can even play the story out with animated lions and the audience will still react so strongly. Coupled with the music and Tim Rice's lyrics… It's so powerful, so human! You've got kids weeping at the death of Mufasa…"
"Kids?" Mickey interrupts, smirking.
"I lost my dad when I was 5, kind of brought back memories. Made me sympathise with a hand-drawn lion cub!" Jack laughs bitterly and his tone is serious once more. "But I had no Scar telling me to run away. I still had my mum and my brother. Then I just had my brother. Then I was 15, and had no one. That's when I ran away." Jack coughs, trying to clear his throat, trying to clear the away the tears forming in his eyes. "It's all a bit of a blur, my childhood. That's pretty much all I remember. And I don't even really remember that, not in the first-person." Jack knows it as facts and dates, not as names and faces. "I don't even know their names. I think my brother's was Robert but that's probably false. And as for surnames…" Jack shakes his head and quickly wipes away a tear.
"It's all good though." Jack insists, hating how heavy his voice sounds. "I met Maria. I lost a family, gained a sister." He smiles softly. "You can blame her for my love of Shakespeare. And of Disney." He laughs a watery laugh. "Have you ever seen 'The Lion King' on stage? I haven't, but Maria saw it on a school trip. She didn't eat for a week to have enough money to pay for it. She managed to find enough trouble in the area so she could fight it and stay at school for three months to qualify for the trip. She sent me an essay on it, so long and descriptive she made me feel as though I was there. I wish I still had the essay, I'd show it to you. If you think I'M passionate about this…" Jack cuts himself off and sighs. "But it was lost, a long time ago." There's a moment of silence as there always is whenever Jack talks about his past. It's becoming more frequent but every single account still carries as much weight and tragedy.
But they haven't got time to contemplate the past now, as TARDIS eventually tells them. The TV screen flashes again but this time the video is different. A glimpse of the aliens and Jack knows it's not the 'merchants'; it's something much, much worse.
"I've got to go alone. The Hakturie are a race of warriors. They won't be pleased about being stranded on Earth and they won't think twice about killing anything that crosses them and their bad mood. If I go maybe I can fix their ship, in exchange for their co-operation, for their peace. If I get close enough I can reverse the frequency of their trisonic whips. If they kill me or anybody else using their whips, they'll all die. It's a win-win situation." Jack offers, confident he's thought out a realistic, thorough and practical plan. The Doctor disagrees.
"You're not going alone. Have you ever heard of safety in numbers?" The Doctor tries to keep his voice steady but he's almost frantic. "I can't let you go out there alone. I won't!" Jack is confused by the Doctor's outburst.
"I'll see you at the club, once you boys have finished arguing." Rose strolls in, wearing a red 1950's style dress courtesy of TARDIS, then she strolls outside, treading into the past as though she hasn't a care in the world.
"I guess that solved the debate." The Doctor shrugs.
"Did she just call me a boy?" Sarah-Jane asks, not believing her ears. "I mean, I have dressed as a boy in the past, as a disguise." She recalls. "Do you remember that, Doctor? I even called myself Jack." Jack smiles at that. Great minds think alike. "I can't believe she called me a boy."
"I think you made rather a good boy." The Doctor comments. Nobody replies.
"Don't you think you'd better go after Rose, Doctor?" Jack is concerned. "I'd go but I'm not suitably attired." The outfit's from the era, but he can hardly go out in pyjamas.
"We'll all go. I'll go on ahead though, and catch up with Rose. Get kitted up, all of you, and we'll see you at the club. Bye!" The Doctor ducks out of the TARDIS before anybody has enough time to respond. Mickey, Sarah-Jane and Jack are all left with no option but to go and get changed.
"I'm telling you Mickey, you look like you belong in the 30's not the 60's." Sarah-Jane laughs.
"Maybe." He admits. "But I look good, don't I?" Mickey grins, tipping his hat.
"Yeah. Don't worry. Everything's Jake, everything's Jake." Jack reassures him using 1930's slang. "It's fine to wear stuff from the past, it's stuff from the future you've got to be careful about." Jack jokes before shuddering. "Urgh, I had to learn that the hard way." He laughs before getting serious. "You know, you two should really wait back at TARDIS."
"You really let us have no fun…"
"This isn't a game!" Jack's severity stuns all of them, including himself but he's worried. That alone is enough to scare him. "The Hakturie are a very dangerous race…"
"You've taught me how to defend myself." Mickey points out. "And Sarah-Jane knows how to handle herself too. I know she may look all sweet and innocence in that cute little outfit but we know better." Mickey laughs.
"Or do you doubt us?" Sarah-Jane asks even though she knows the answer. It's not them that he doubts, it's himself. "We'll be fine. Come on, the Doctor and Rose will be waiting for us." Jack and Mickey let her lead the way.
"Hey Rose. Enjoying the show?" Mickey scoffs. Rose just glares at him because he knows she isn't. Everybody in the whole joint can tell she's bored. She may have been able to stave of her boredom if it was someone famous, like Frank Sinatra, but it's not. It's just some guy and a band. This really isn't her scene. Give her a 21st Century rave any day and this is about as far from a 21st Century rave as you can get.
"Where's Jack?" The Doctor tries to ask as lightly as he can, making Rose laugh bitterly at the attempt.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere. He's just…" Mickey is interrupted as Jack, still at the other side of the room, bumps into a very poshly dressed woman and knocks her to the floor. He helps her up, his eyes torn between the stage and her. She's awfully good looking but the man in the limelight is also very attractive, a talented singer and a wonderful performer. Jack is mesmerised. By both of them.
"I'm sorry Ma'am." Jack apologises, distracted as he helps her up. She holds onto his hand for longer than she has to. She's obviously checking him out, not shy about it and Jack has to admire that.
"The name is Mary-Sue. Mary-Sue Allen." She tells him, with a look so smouldering he's surprised he doesn't spontaneously combust. But he can't help but shudder at the name and the memories that come with it. Oh, how he's wept for little Mary. But that's the past, and this is the present. And as intense as Mary-Sue's gaze is, he still can't help but glance at the stage, a look of longing in his eyes. "Are you a singer?"
"Me! No!" Jack laughs out loud at the idea.
"Is it so ridiculous?" She questions, her eyes burning a hole in him, staring straight into his soul. "I'd give you a job. You look like a born entertainer."
"Just because I'm wearing 'Top Hat, White Tie and Tails'…" he trails off because although he's trying to joke, he can't hide how much he wants this.
"I wasn't kidding about that job." Mary-Sue stresses. "I own this club."
"That's impressive." Jack smirks in admiration. "You're obviously a smart woman. With the beauty to match." He pauses and lets her accept the compliments. "But you can't be that smart if you're willing to put me on the stage."
"I know you could do it." She declares with confidence. "You've got the charisma. You've got the charm, the looks. You sound like you've got a good voice. I haven't seen it yet but I dare say you've got talent. Maybe not the confidence but I'm sure if I got you up on stage you'd find it somewhere. Look at you, everybody in this place can't take their eyes off of you. I think you're the only one still looking at the act on stage. Y'know, he finishes his set in fifteen minutes. And there's not another act booked for over an hour."
"Wait a second!" Jack's head is reeling, still trying to comprehend all she's just told him. "First of all, they're just staring at me because I stupidly knocked over the most beautiful woman in the room and they can't understand why she's still talking to a shmuck like me. Second of all," Jack's entire body moves back as he finally realises, "You're really offering me a job?" She smiles at that, a Hollywood smile.
"You've definitely got the charm." She laughs. Jack shakes his head but he's smiling too. "So, what do you say about that job?" she leans in seductively and Jack can't think straight with want.
"I… I'm busy. I…" Jack bites his lip, knowing he'll regret his decision, whichever one he makes. "I've just got to check with my friends, first. I'll get back to you. I hope I can do it."
"I know you can do it." Mary-Sue twists his words leaving him speechless. He just shakes his head wordlessly before making his way to the table the Doctor and company are sitting. It's surprising he doesn't bump into more people as he's now torn between his destination, the stage and Mary-Sue. He's not looking where he's going but that's fine because like Mary-Sue said, everybody is watching him. Jack is oblivious to it though.
"What did 'she' want?" The Doctor asks so harshly Jack actually cowers slightly. "What DOES she want?" The Doctor's voice is cold enough to make a polar bear shiver and although Jack notes the tone, it never crosses his mind that the Doctor might be jealous.
"Her name is Mary-Sue Allen." Jack flinches slightly whilst saying 'Mary' but he continues nevertheless. "She own this club and she's offered me a job. On stage, after this act finishes." Jack is still in a daze, a far away look on his face. When everybody starts congratulating him, Rose does so sarcastically, Jack is suddenly jolted back to reality. "I haven't said 'yes', yet!"
"Why not?"
"I… It's…" Jack struggles to find the reason he's looking for. "The Hakturie!"
"Are you sure that's the only reason?" The Doctor's face is serious and Jack doesn't know how to reply. "Do you want to do this?"
"More than anything." Jack admits. "But the Hakturie…"
"Are not your responsibility." The Doctor's words are firm but Jack still isn't sure. "This is an opportunity for you. The Hakturie can wait a couple of hours. You've earned this. You deserve it." Jack is shaking his head. His head and heart are tearing him apart. The adrenaline is already pumping through his body and he can't decide wether to use it to fight or to perform.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll send the others back to TARDIS to keep them safe." The Doctor offers. "And we'll find the Hakturie together, as soon as you've finished on stage. Just you and me. " It's a plan. "Go on, you know you want to." And Jack does. So, so much. He eventually gives into his heart's desire and nods, ever so slightly.
"Can't we stay and watch?" Mickey pleads.
"Of course not. It's too dangerous." The Doctor rebuffs before whispering to Mickey, "You can watch him on TARDIS' screen. No doubt she'll be watching. It'll be a good show." Mickey smiles and nods in agreement. He leads the girls off back to TARDIS. Rose is slightly reluctant but Mickey and Sarah-Jane are eager to get back to TARDIS and watch the Captain on the view screen.
"You look good." The Doctor blurts out after several seconds of uncomfortable silence between them. Jack smiles, blushes slightly but says nothing. He starts to stand up but the Doctor's voice stops him. "Where are you going?" he asks before realising the words are out of his mouth. He curses himself for sounded so needy, so possessive and desperate. It's true of course, he just wishes he didn't make it so obvious. Jack still doesn't realise though.
"I'm off to tell Miss Allen I'll take the job." Jack chuckles softly, buzzing already and thrilled at just the thought of it. The Doctor just about manages to restrain himself from following Jack and settles for giving him forlorn glances and Mary-Sue murderous glares. He can't hear their conversation but he can see them flirting and he can feel his blood boil.
He sees the conversation flowing easily between the pair. He hears her laughing at his jokes, leaning into him as she laughs. He sees Jack, flashing her the thousand-watt smile, but it's more sincere and intimate. The Doctor would give anything to have that smile directed at him. He watches, vaguely wondering if he was this masochistic before Jack entered his life, as both of them keep placing their hands on each other. The Doctor sees them touching, laughing, flirting… but he can't look away.
"Thanks for giving me the job Miss Allen. I hope I do you proud."
"I've every confidence in you, even if you haven't." Just as he's about to turn around she adds, "and by the way, It's Mrs. Allen." She smirks and Jack laughs. He's just been played, he takes his top hat off to her. He's more determined than ever to not let her down.
He doesn't let her down, of course. He captivated the audience the minute he stepped walked in the room. Having him get up on stage, open his mouth and sing is just an added bonus. A very big, very entertaining, very beautiful bonus.
He's nervous at first but those nerves soon turn to energy and emotion. Thankfully, the backing orchestra know all the songs he wants to sing because he's not sure he could do this solo. His first song is, 'Anything Goes,' a motto Jack likes to pretend he lives his life by. It's very entertaining, a good song to start off with because after a few lines the audience is laughing at every gag. Jack feeds off the audience's energy and as he grows more confident the audience becomes warmer. It's a cycle and by the time the song has finished, every single person in that club is on their feet giving Jack a very enthusiastic applause.
It gives Jack the confidence to interact with the audience. He never knew he was a stand-up comedian or, more precisely, a sit-down comedian. He has style. He creates a natural bond with the audience, a rapport. Of course, he puts it down to the audience, the orchestra and Cole Porter's lyrics. Anything but him. He's still enjoying himself enormously though and he's so glad he'd managed to get himself talked into going on.
He croons his way through various songs whilst entertaining the audience in a variety of ways as filler in between whilst the orchestra gets ready. He's an all-round entertainer, he makes it look so easy. His voice is so smooth and flawless it's enough to make everybody, despite their gender, fall in love with him just a little. And it's enough to make Jack hate himself just a little less.
He sings various hits such as: 'Easy to Love', 'Fools Rush In', 'Far Away Places', 'Stardust,' 'Through a Long and Sleepless Night,' 'Stormy Weather,' 'Embraceable You,' 'Imagination,' 'Making Whoopee', 'Night and Day,' 'You've Got to Be Carefully Taught' and 'My Defences are Down,' Each song Jack sings gives a different perspective on both the song and the singer. The Doctor feels closer to Jack now than he's ever been.
Jack finishes his act with 'One For My Baby' and is astonished by the audience's reaction: they don't want him to leave and when the next act sets up the audience boos them off the stage, but Jack comes to the rescue. He takes centre stage, addressing the audience and appealing to them. He does sing one more song though, as a thank you. 'Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye' and the audience understands. They get that you can only keep something so beautiful for a short time, you can't be selfish. It's a lesson the Doctor's still fighting against.
The Doctor glares as the first person Jack talks to when he gets offstage for the second time isn't him as he's like. It's Mary-Sue! "They enjoyed it, Mrs. Allen. They actually enjoyed it!" The pride on his face is absolutely adorable and she can't help but laugh even though she's secretly cursing the fact she's not single.
"I think that's down to you…" She realises she doesn't know what to call him. "Hey, do you have a name?" her question catches Jack off guard. "What's your name?" Jack thinks about it, not willing to lie to her.
"It's not important." He tells her.
"Hmm. The mysterious man with a great voice and even better looks? It's kind of catchy. Suits you perfectly." She knows she's flirting but she can't blame herself. She knows her husband would do the same so she doesn't feel the slightest bit guilty. Well, perhaps a tad, but that just makes it more exciting.
"A mysterious man with a great voice and even better looks?" Jack repeats, laughing. "Is that really how you see me?"
"That's what most people in this place see, but they're shallow. They don't know you as well as they'd like to…" She drawls.
"Baby, I'm a shallow kind of guy." In the corner of his eye he catches a glimpse of the Doctor. He's gone deathly white, a look of horror fixed upon his features. Wordlessly apologising to Mary-Sue Allen, Jack makes his way over to the Doctor. "My God, what's wrong?" Jack knows it's bad and he's fighting back tears of concern before he even knows what the matter is.
"It's the Hakturie. They've got the girls." The Doctor's response is one filled with shock. Jack's is one of anger, directed at himself.
"God, I'm so stupid! I never should have let myself be tempted on stage! I should have been protecting them but I was busy singing whilst they were… What about Mickey?" It occurs to Jack that he doesn't know about his best friend.
"It isn't your fault." The Doctor states sincerely but Jack is too angry and frantic to even hear him. He wouldn't believe him though, even if he had heard. Jack forces himself to focus. "I don't know about Mickey." The Doctor continues. "TARDIS only saw Rose and Sarah-Jane kidnapped, right in front of her."
"But they should have reached the TARDIS over an hour ago." Jack says, confused but the Doctor already knows. It pains him deeply to think that TARDIS knew all along but she didn't tell him because he was too busy and too happy, lost in Jack's performance.
"We need to go. We need to save them!" Jack doesn't understand why the Doctor isn't moving.
"There's more." Jack sits down, the tone of the Doctor's voice indicating he'll need to. "The Hakturie recognised TARDIS. They know who I am and whilst TARDIS couldn't stop them, she was able to read their thoughts and find out their game plan." The Doctor is silent for a few moments, trying to comprehend their tactics himself. "They've got Rose and Sarah-Jane and they're going to kill them at midnight. And at midnight they're also planning a massacre in here."
"That's no problem." Jack announces. "There's two of us. You can rescue Rose and Sarah-Jay and find Mickey. I'll make sure this place is safe." Jack doesn't understand why the Doctor is shaking his head.
"They'll overpower you. Jack, I can't let you do this on your own!" The Doctor insists but Jack won't listen.
"I'll get Mary-Sue to empty the place. I think she'll do it, no questions asked. You've got to save Rose and Sarah-Jay! There's no time to argue. Doctor, you've got no choice. I won't let innocent people die." And that scares the Doctor because he knows Jack doesn't think of himself as innocent, quite the opposite. "You said it yourself, Doctor. I took Sarah-Jay into space. She is MY responsibility. I couldn't live with her death, her murder, on my conscience!" Jack's plea is heartbreaking and although the Doctor really doesn't want to leave Jack, tearfully he does.
Jack springs into action, immediately asking Mary-Sue to clear the place out, telling her everybody could be in danger. She sees the seriousness, the concern and the fear in his beautiful blue eyes and complies with his request, not questioning him once. She even offers to stay with him but he declines, telling her he'll fight better if he's not worrying about her safety. She smiles softly, and leaves.
It's five minutes to midnight before Jack is finally alone. Five minutes to midnight when he curses himself because he realises he's left his bag of weapons on TARDIS. He curses himself for any reason he can find: not coming out alone, for getting on stage, forgetting the weapons…
"Aw, you're no fun!" a brown, sleazy character with the complexion and skin texture of mud interrupts Jack's self-loathing session. The leader isn't alone, a whole army behind him. "Since there's nobody else in here to kill, you better make this worth our while. I bet your carcass will taste nice, boy." The leader takes a step towards Jack. "But I think we better tenderise the meat first." The leader takes another step forward, intending to be intimidating. Jack doesn't even flinch. Instead, he slyly attaches a phyton bomb, the size of a coin, into the oozing flesh of the alien leader who doesn't even notice. "You better put up a good fight, boy."
"He won't." Jack recognises the voice even though he can't see the person. He refuses to believe his ears. "But I will." There is the sound of a laser shot. The leader of the Hakturie drops down, dead, to reveal the Doctor standing behind him, laser gun in his hands.
"What are you doing here?" Jack screams.
"I'm saving your life. You left these behind." The Doctor tosses Jack a bagful of assorted weapons. They talk as they fight, outnumbered by about 100 Hakturie to just the two of them.
"What about Rose and Sarah-Jay!" Jack's back is against the Doctor, they're using each other as a shield whilst firing their weapons. The bodies begin to quickly pile up.
"I ran into Mickey. Gave him my sonic screwdriver. He'll be fine." The Doctor dismisses. "99 of the Hakturie are here and you were unarmed."
"I wouldn't say that." Jack tells him. "I've just planted a bomb on the leader. We've got about 5 minutes before this whole place blows up. I feel sorry for Mary-Sue but she's got her husband's money, she'll get over it. I can't shut it off, I forgot the remote. I left it behind."
"You mean this one?" The Doctor pulls out the remote out of his coat pocket and with a push of the button he disarms the bomb. "You were willing to blow yourself up. I think I prefer to do this my way as opposed to yours." The Doctor shoots a Hakturie who gets too close to Jack before turning back to defend his own space.
"But you don't fight…"
"I don't fight unless I have to." The Doctor insists. He glances at Jack, who has a cut on his cheek and is bleeding badly but Jack hasn't even noticed. "I have to do this. I have to."
"Thanks." Jack says sheepishly. "For saving my life."
"I didn't have a choice. I couldn't let you die." The Doctor counters.
"Thanks anyway." And Jack finds life is worth living again, especially with the Doctor by his side. He doesn't deserve it, he's painfully aware of it but all he can focus on is how good this feels. But then he sees the blood on his hand and hates himself for how good this feels.
The fight eventually slows to a halt. No more Hakturie to kill and Jack's buzz begins to wear off. They're no threat now, just brown broken bodies bleeding blue blood. Guilt grips Jack as he's splattered with the blue blood, unaware of his own red blood pouring out from several slits in his skin: one on his cheek, another on his arm, one on his torso and another on his shin. His outfit is ripped to shred and so is his conscience.
He's also worried senseless about the others. Paranoid he hasn't taught Mickey well enough. Convinced he's failed them all. Still hating himself for not reuniting Sarah-Jay with K9. Then his mobile phone rings, cutting off his thoughts. It's Sarah-Jane calling.
"Sarah-Jay? My God! Are you alright? How are you? How's Rose? How's Mickey? I was so scared for you! Please tell me you're all okay?" Jack begs.
"We're fine, Jack. We're all fine." Sarah-Jane reassures him. "Hang on a second, Mickey wants to speak to you." She passes the phone to Mickey who has frantically been trying to snatch it off her all the time whilst she was speaking to Jack.
"Jack you should have seen me! I was fantastic! It was like something out of a James Bond movie. I got the girls, killed the bad guys and saved the world! I'm so cool!" Mickey enthuses.
"You did good Mickey." From Jack's tone he can tell that although Jack is proud of him, he's still beating himself up for putting them all in that situation. Mickey doesn't know what to say to make him feel better. "How is Rose doing?" Jack's concern and guilt mingle as one.
"She's a bit shaken up." Mickey admits. "She's in her room. She won't let me in. Physically, she's fine. I just think she's a bit disappointed that it were me who came to her rescue and not the Doctor." Mickey immediately regrets the words because he knows Jack will blame himself for that too.
"I'll talk to her. I'll apologise."
"Jack, it's not your fault." Mickey insists.
"I'll talk to her." Jack cuts off the call, already on his way to TARDIS. The Doctor stays in the bloody battlefield of the bar.
"Hey Doc." Mickey pokes his head around the door to see the Doctor is sitting at the bar with only about a hundred Hakturie corpses for company. The floor is awash with blue blood. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." The Doctor's tone is so flat, it's obvious he's not. Mickey almost trips over the bodies in an attempt to get to the bar, to sit next to the Doctor. "Sonic screwdriver. Setting 76. Disintegrates dead bodies." Mickey nods and sets about it. Obviously the Doctor's not in a talkative mood and that's very rare. Mickey knows something's wrong.
"Jack's talking to Rose." Mickey informs. "She wouldn't open her door for me but she did for him." He tries to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
"She hates me, doesn't she?" the Doctor asks and Mickey doesn't know how to answer that. He thinks about it carefully whilst still busy with the sonic screwdriver, eliminating the corpses one by one.
"You made the right decision."
"She thinks I chose Jack over her." Then the Doctor faces Mickey for the first time since Mickey entered. "What if she's right?"
"She's a hypocrite!" Mickey's harsh reply shock the Doctor but Mickey's had enough of Rose blowing hot and cold on him. "She chose him over me. She chose you over me. She chose travelling over her family. She chose life in TARDIS over everything. If she hates you 'cos you're in love with him, that's just childish. You can't choose who you fall in love with. I don't think she's ever been in love with anyone before. That's why she don't understand."
"I'm sorry." Is all the Doctor can say in reply.
"You know she thinks she's in love with you, don't you?" Mickey asks, knowing he should stop because the Doctor is hurting: physically, emotionally and mentally.
"I'm so sorry." The Doctor turns back to the bar to avoid Mickey's gaze.
"She isn't. She's just in love with your lifestyle. But your lifestyle has changed since you met Jack. Less time for the Universe and more time for people, if that makes sense." The Doctor understands. "That's a good thing. She hates me 'cos I remind her of her old life, before she met you. She can't bring herself to hate Jack, but I knows she preferred it when it were just the two of you. But you can't force yourself to not love someone, God knows I still love Rose. But she's just a bit frustrated, in her eyes you offered her the universe but then you met Jack and turned soft." The Doctor wants to protest but perhaps there's an element of truth in it. "But if you ask me, despite how much pain it causes you, love can only ever be a good thing."
"Try telling that to Jack!" The Doctor scoffs. "He wanted me to leave him for dead! He must hate me."
"He doesn't hate you. Jack could never hate you. He might hate himself."
"That's worse!"
"I know." Mickey admits, clearing his throat and changing the subject. "Can't you adjust the screwdriver so it can get rid of more bodies at once. It'll take forever this way." The Doctor get up off his chair and to his feet. He takes the screwdriver off of Mickey and adjusts it easily. With a few clicks, the place is corpse-free. He then adapts the sonic screwdriver to emit a vacuum-hygenia wave to clean up all the blue blood. The club looks like a club again and you'd have never guessed it was the host to an alien massacre. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine" the Doctor repeats, obviously still not.
"I don't hate you." Mickey attempts to cheer him up. "Well, actually I kind of used to but every since you met Jack and turned soft I think you're much less of a jerk." The Doctor doesn't even stir. "Sarah-Jane doesn't hate you. In fact, she told Jack she found your regeneration much more attractive than the last one she was with." Mickey's surprised he got through all of that with a straight face.
"Mickey! That's a bit inappropriate, don't you think?" The Doctor tries to act shocked whilst poorly hiding a smug grin.
"Made you smile though." Mickey tells him.
"Yeah. You did." The Doctor becomes lost in thought again. Eventually he gives in and asks Mickey the thoughts that have been plaguing him all this time. "Do you'll think we'll ever be able to get Jack to sing again? Do you think we could persuade him?" Mickey laughs because this is what the Doctor's brooding has really been about, none of the profound stuff they were talking about before.
"We better get him to sing!" Mickey hollers. "Sarah-Jay was busy getting kidnapped. I was busy rescuing her and Rose. We never got to see him perform and that's not fair! I'm sure we can pester him until he gives in." He laughs. "Just call me Mickey Machiavellian. Or maybe not, it's a bit of a tongue-twister"
"It's for his own good." The Doctor smirks, considerably more bright than before. "We'll force him to sing. Plead and beg and whine until he submits. It's the quickest way to cheer us all up. Him included." The Doctor is positively beaming now. "Come on, Mickey. Let's get back to TARDIS. I've got a craving for some coffee. And Jack makes the best coffee in the Universe." The Doctor is grinning manically but that's fine by Mickey. Life will continue as normal in TARDIS. Well, at least until the next drama occurs.
End of Chapter 9