A bit of rest for Jack, and time to set people on the right path.
Sorry for the delay in posting! Been a couple of hectic days
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The universe was in trouble, the paths of life hopelessly knotted and crumbling, and the Void Walker was up to her neck in hot water, literally. She turned her head to eye Jack. "Why did I let you talk me into this again?" His hand reached over to pat hers. "Just relax beautiful, that is what this place is for, remember?"
Rolling her eyes she tried to relax, she had brought Jack here so he could. When she went to fetch him, he was worn down from his experiences. She didn't have the heart to take him directly to another trouble spot. So instead she brought him here, a resort where he could recuperate. The only thing was he insisted she needed to stay too. He didn't want to be left her alone, and he had used the full power of the Jack Harkness charm to get her to stay.
Additionally, he had been very sneaky with a bit of manipulation. "You are supposed to be helping people right? When is the last time you took a real vacation? If you are all worn down then you might make a mistake." So she gave in, mostly. When he slept she would slip off to fix more broken paths.
Only, it was different now. She wasn't just fixing broken paths. This time she was also manipulating them to a slightly different outcome. It wasn't a huge change, mostly. Just small ones and she made sure that people always had a choice. Yes, she was doing it for the survival of the universe as a whole, but, it was still manipulation.
She felt a gentle nudge as his foot poked her leg breaking her out of her brooding. "Hey, I said relax, not get all introspective and gloomy. Are you trying to turn into the Doctor over there?" Jack instantly regretted his word choice as it caused her to stiffen slightly. His hand reached out to take hers. "Sorry, just trying to get you to relax, talk to me. Maybe I can help."
Turning her head towards his she eyed him. "You still aren't going to get all my clothes off Jack; this bathing suit is bad enough." Jack grinned, his voice playful. "But you look so gorgeous in it, plus I want to get a good look at all those gold tattoos. You still haven't explained to me what they mean. I hung around the Doc long enough to know that's Gallifreyan written on your skin." She flushed, purposefully looking away from him. The fact was she had been as surprised to see them there as he was. Void Walker did know what they meant, but she wasn't going to share.
She realized he wasn't going to let the matter drop until she talked about something. So she'd go to the easier topic. "I am meddling more and more in people's lives. Changing their lives, like I never had before. It bothers me."
He studied his new friend, thinking over what she said and picking his words with care. Jack was well aware she wasn't human. Yet she did make him think of a human that he knew, and he had his private suspicions as to who she was. Regardless, he genuinely cared about her. So he was going to do his best to ease her mind. "Well, you are making their lives better right?" Her annoyed huff relieved him a bit. She wasn't that deep into beating herself up then. "Jack, that is all relative. I'm trying to force an outcome on them."
Thinking that over, he tried a different tact. "Okay, but in the long run, you are making sure they survive, and trying to not let them suffer right? You are doing this for the welfare of everyone. I gotta tell you, being alive, much better than being dead." She flinched slightly, and then forced herself to relax. He was right, and she would have to just let this go. "At least you are worried about it. If you ever stopped that's when you should feel bad. Because that is the moment you stop caring." He was right again, the git. "Come on beautiful, enough brooding for you, time to go have fun!"
She laughed as he pulled her out of the hot tub and off to whatever activity he had in mind next. They were fun activities, designed to renew body and soul. He didn't try to talk her into anything more than handholding. Jack hadn't even tried to snog her, which was unusual for him. Yet, it was perfect in this moment.
Later when he slept, she watched him for a moment before nipping out to the next repair. They were all small changes that happened to have big results. She had managed to cause a small car accident. During which a gentleman named Wilt and his daughter Sylvia literally ran into a certain Mr. Noble. No one was seriously hurt, but that small connection would later bloom into something bigger.
Watching the interaction from the shadows, she smiled thinking over her other accomplishments. She had made sure a young Mickey Smith had his talent with computers recognized. Not far down his path UNIT was going to be offering him a job. A Martha Jones had been accepted to an even more prestigious medical school. Additionally she had a certain run in that brought her in front of UNIT's attention. A Sara Jane Smith had been carefully nudged into a couple of investigations. Toshiko had gotten a special scholarship, a prickly Own Jones into the path that lead to Torchwood. She found Gwen Cooper, nudging her training as a psychologist with the desire to help protect. A few hundred lives, both human and not she had nudged into place. Void Walker could literally feel the path ways starting to unknot. They were aligning to alleviate the pressure and start to unravel the chaos.
Yet, she wasn't done yet, she wasn't even close. She still had two major players to fix, but, so far every attempt she had to change their path had resulted in failure. She couldn't afford to fail, they were essential to the continued life of this universe. It was as if something or someone was actively fighting her attempts to get things back on track. As if that pair had singled out. Shaking her head she turned and slid back along the path to take her to Jack.
Today she was taking Jack to the next step in his journey. A small change here, with a drastically large change down the road, one that could shape many major events to come. Today she was taking Jack to the founding of Torchwood.
Jack had done beautifully. She had managed to get him there, right before chaos it. Some lives were still lost, but in the end he had captured the poor creature. He had been knighted for his efforts, and put in charge of the organization Queen Victoria wanted to create. He sought her out afterwards as she stood in the shadows. "You knew this was going to happen didn't you?"
His voice wasn't accusing, but held so many questions. "I knew what might happen. It was what I hoped would happen. Just think of it Jack, Torchwood can affect so much good with the right person in charge of it. You, my friend, can build it into something to be proud of. You will be around for a very long time to make sure it stays that way."
He stood there for a moment thinking it over before turning to her again. "And you are going to trust me with that? You do know I was a conman right?" That made her smile. "Oh Jack, we both know you are far more than that." She reached to cup the side of his face. "You are going to be great at this. There is no one else I would entrust to do this right." She dropped her hand and turned to move away.
"Wait you are leaving?" He reached to catch her wrist. Jack knew she couldn't stay but he wasn't ready to stay goodbye. Void Walker turned back to him. "I have to go; something is trying to undo my work. Plus I have two very important people to make sure are okay."
Jack didn't drop her wrist but he did nod slightly. "The Doctor and Rose, yeah they are important. So, it is going to be awhile before I see you again, right?" She inclined her head watching him. "Yes, but don't worry. I'll send your Doctor and Rose to you as soon as I can. That is a promise."
This time Jack didn't ask. He just pulled her in, dropping her wrist to frame the side of her face with his hands. He was gentle, but very through as he snogged her. When he let her go she smiled stepping away. "Jack Harkness, you never change do you?" He laughed, "Would you really want me to?"
Pretending to consider for a moment she shook her head. "No, but do me a favor, try to have your clothes on the next time I see you." At that he grinned. "No promises beautiful. Be seeing you." At that he turned back to the Estate as the air rippled and she vanished.
It was time to finally straighten out the Doctor and Rose Tyler.
