12
It's pitch black here, til Torchwood's lights throw a hard relief on the rocky wall. She flies in after, slow and steady, revealing herself to be in a huge mineshaft.
The crew wait eagerly as the ramp to the bay lowers to reveal Doctor, a working-class preacher and former crew member. He smiles as they come out to meet him "Let me in, for my feet are sore, my clothes are ragged."
The camp is but a few shacks and a working mine, as our group come down to it, greeted by a few miners, including an eight year old boy that rushes to Toshiko.
Soon the gang is sitting and eating. Comfortable, even laughing a bit. Rhys presents Doctor with a couple of cigars.
Toshiko hoists the boy on her lap.
After the meal Jax approaches Doctor on the edge of a rise overlooking the town. Jax has a bowl in each hand and chopsticks. Doctor is finishing a prayer into the valley below "Forgive what you can, and send me on my path. I will walk on, until you bid me rest."
"Hope that ain't for me, Doctor." Jax says as he settles ans offers a bowl to his old friend.
"It's prayer for the dead."
"Then I really hope it ain't for me." Jax snorts.
"It's for the men Ianto might have killed in that bar." The Doctor says sadly as he goes back over the conversation at the dinner table that had driven him away.
"Weren't Ianto that did it, you know that. Somebody decided his brain was just another piece of property to take, fenced it right up." Jax snaps.
"You got a plan?"
"Hiding ain't a plan?"
"It'll do you for a spell, and the folks here'll be glad of the extra coin..." the Doctor shrugged.
Jax finished this thought for him "but they'll be coming. Agency is after this boy with a powerful will. I look to hear the tromp of their boots any moment."
"You won't." the Doctor turned to look Jax in the eye "This isn't a palms-up military MW run, Jax. No reports broadwaved, no warrants... much as they want him, they want him hid. That means Closed File. Means an Operative, which is trouble you've not known."
"I coulda left him there." Jax mutters as he frowns and thinks to the night before, watching over the sleeping boy curled in his own bunk beside him after lights out, his mind, racing. "I had an out - hell, I had every reason in the 'verse to leave him lay and haul anchor."
"Not your way, Jax."
"I have a way?" Jax asks with surprise then considers, "Is that better than a plan?"
"You can play the thug all you want, but there's more to you than you're ever like to 'fess." The Doctor said softly, "I see the way you watch him."
"You just think that 'cause my eyes is all sorrowful and pretty." Jax jokes but they both know the truth as Jax turns to check where Ianto is without realising he is doing it, the young man sitting by his brother staring at a child with interest.
"Only one thing is gonna walk you through this, Jax. Belief."
"Sermons make me sleepy, Doctor." Jax smiles as he shakes himself and looks back to his friend "I ain't looking for help from on high. That's a long wait for a train don't come."
"When I talk about belief, why do you always assume I'm talking about God?" the Doctor demands then turns to return to his sitting stone to eat, then turns to whisper, "They'll come at you sideways."
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Rose stands waiting, her back to us, in front of the very vista we first saw her before.
The Agent comes slowly up the staircase, stands before her.
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"It's how they think: sideways." The Doctor settles and sniffs at the food with interest, "It's how they move. Sidle up and smile, hit you where you're weak."
"Sorta man they're like to send believes hard. Kills and never asks why." The Doctor continues as he takes the chop sticks and chooses a morsel. He hums as he eats, Jax enjoying his own food as he wonders on his friend.
"It's of interest to me how much you seem to know about that world." Jax finally comments.
"I wasn't born the Doctor, Jax."
"Have to tell me about that some time." Jax says as he tips the bowl to finish his meal.
"No I don't." the Doctor snorts, then rises to return his own empty bowl, turning back to offer once more "Sideways."
Jax watches him go, thinking.
.
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The Ms Hartman from the very beginning is standing in front of Ianto, whose desktop screen depicts a single, dark planet.
"Ianto?"
Eight-year-old Ianto is working away, not paying attention.
"Ianto, you look tired. I think everybody's a little tired by now; why don't we all lie down."
Ianto looks up, scared. All the other children wordlessly get up from their seats and lie on the floor next to them.
"A little peace and quiet will make everything better." Hartman says gently as she starts to lie down herself, right on the grass.
"No..." Ianto replies without looking up from her work.
"Ianto. Do as you're told. It's going to be fine. Lie down."
"NO!"
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Ianto starts awake.
Jax does too, shirtless on his bunk. He looks at the waif clinging to him and pulls the blanket over his thin shoulders moments before a second ping warns him of a coms link.
"Whuh huh nuhwhat?" Jax is confused and blinks at the screen above his bed.
"Jax! You up? Got a wave. I'm a bounce it down to you." Mickey shouts and Jax grunts then, turns the screen so Ianto cannot be seen by its camera s the white noise becomes:
Rose.
Rose on Jax's screen. Just her face and she, presumably, sees the same.
"Jax. I uh, is this a bad time?" she asks.
"Good as any." He shrugs as he glances at the little eyes shining out from the blanket.
"Please tell me you're wearing pants." She sighs as she sees his furtiveness.
"Naked as the day I come cryin'." Jax grins cheekily, "How's your world?"
"Cold. It's autumn here."
"Still at the Training House?" he asks pleasantly.
"Right where you left me."
I remember it as nice enough." Jax nods, "picturesque."
"It is that. What about you?"
"Still flying. So what occasion the wave?" Jax asks still pleased, "Not that to see you ain't... well you look very…"
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watching both Jax and Rose on the bridge screen both Martha and Mickey are surprised at their formal shyness. different screens, smiling.
Rhys enters, wondering what's up...
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"Oh. Thank you, I... I guess we have something of a problem here. With the locals, I thought maybe..." Rose looks hopeful.
"You could use a gun hand?" Jax guesses.
"I'm hoping not. But if you were close at all, you - the crew -could take your ease here a while... and there'd be payment..." she shuffles from foot to foot showing her nervousness in asking him.
"Payment is never not a factor. I could sound out the crew... This pot like to boil over soon?" Jax asks as his head cants.
"Soon. Not right away." She replies with relief on her face.
"Well, it would be, I mean I would like to... Toshiko's been missing you something fierce –"
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There is a general groan among the audience on the bridge, which now includes Toshiko as well...
"Oh they're so pathetic!" Toshiko mutters, "Like siblings who can't apologise for cutting the other's hair off."
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"I miss her too. I even miss my shuttle, occasionally." Rose smiles.
"Yeah, you left a... got some of your stuff in a trunk, never did get a chance to drop it off." Jax says inanely and Rose blinks.
"Oh."
"I didn't look through the...stuff... just sundries I expect."
Rose smiles blandly, nods. An awkward beat.
"Well, it's kind of late where I'm at. I'll send a wave as soon as I can." Jax promises her as he scratches as a nipple.
"Thank you." Rose sighs, then she disappears.
Jax thinks a moment. Then he slides past the youngling now asleep again, pauses to kiss a forehead more lovingly that you might exepect and heads up to the bridge, buttoning his shirt.
"Rose. Nice to see her again." Mickey says to Rhys like they are having a real conversation, not needling Jax.
"So, trap?" Martha asks.
"Trap." Jax agrees.
Martha nods as if expecting it "We goin' in?"
"It ain't but a few hours out..." Jax shrugs.
"Yeah, but, remember the part where it's a trap?" Mickey gapes at him.
"If that's the case, then Rose's already caught in it. She wouldn't set us up willing. Might be we got a shot at seeing who's turning these wheels. We go in." Jax tells him calmly, patting his shoulder.
"How can you be sure Rose don't just wanna see you? Sometimes people have feelings - I'm referring here to people..." Toshiko starts and Jax cuts her off with a noise in his throat.
"Y'all were watching, I take it."
Guilty glances.
"Yes" Toshiko sighs.
"You see us fight?" Jax asks with his eyebrows raised.
"No."
Jax nods, shrugging as he smiles at them like he's excited.
"Trap."