Clary's eyes fluttered open again, this time more cautious of the bright light in the room. Thankfully, the pain had seemed to have completely left her body. The only real evidence of it was the pounding of her heart against her chest which seemed off for some reason. Stronger than it normally seemed to beat. While her eyes were adjusting Jack turned to his team and quietly asked them to leave the two. This was more than likely to be very overwhelming for Clary and it would be best not to throw the whole Torchwood team in her face all at once.
Once they left jack turned his gaze back to Clary who was glancing around the room curiously. Eventually she turned back and met Jack's gaze, a small frown on her face. Slowly, she sat up on the desk.
"Where am I?" Clary asked and then blinked in surprise. Was that her voice? It didn't seem right. Her voice was always more high pitch and had a natural softness to it. The voice she just heard speak her own words was lower and stronger, like you would hear on someone who was completely confident in everything they were saying. One thing was for sure it was not her voice.
"You're in my office in Torchwood Three." The man she remembered as Captain Jack told her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She had heard him talk about a Torchwood before when he and the girl Gwen had shown up on her door but Clary had no idea what the hell it was.
"What's Torchwood?" Jack sighed and seemed to take a moment to think of a response.
"It's a secret government agency that monitors and protects the Earth from extraterrestrial activity." Clary blinked and took a second to process that.
"So….aliens?" She clarified, slowly. Jack smiled a little.
"Yeah aliens." Clary laughed a bit.
"You're kidding right?" She asked with a smile on her face, clearly not believing him and just waiting for him to come out laughing and scream "Got ya!" or something. When Jack just stared back at her with a completely serious expression her smile faded from her face. Clary sighed.
"Oh come on aliens aren't real! They're just a story people use in books and movies to get money." Clary stated sounding sure. However the more Jack just stared at the girl the less sure she was beginning to feel. "Right?" She asked him. Jack sighed almost sadly.
"Aliens have always been real Clary and they've been coming to Earth for centuries. Sometimes they're peaceful and other times….not so much. Torchwood is just one of the many people out there who are tasked with the responsibility to protect the people from the aliens that come with bad intentions and help those that just come on accident." He tried explaining. Clary just sat there with an unsure expression. The way he spoke and the tone in his voice made Clary want to believe Jack but how could she? How could she simply just take a stranger's word that aliens were real with no prove? How could she just take his word when she really knew nothing about him? How could no one know? Then a thought occurred to Clary that confused her more than the aliens. She looked back at Jack with a wary confusion.
"How do you know my name?" She asked. Jack was taken slightly back, not expecting this to be her response.
"You told me it." He informed her confused. Clary shook her head and stood from the desk, arms crossing her chest in a defensive manner.
"No, I told you my name was Clarissa. Clary's just a nickname only one person has ever called me and they're dead. So how do you know it?" She asked a lot stronger than she did the first time and a lot more suspicious. Captain Jack closed his eyes and sucked in a quick breathe. This was the part he had been dreading most. How was he possibly going to explain this to her? He opened his eyes and looked at her in an almost desperate way that took Clary back slightly.
"Princess, do you know what happened to you?" He asked carefully, hopeful that she would and he wouldn't have to tell her. But deep down he knew it was an empty hope. Clary eyebrows furrowed and she looked down thinking. What had happened to her? All she knew was that she had a headache that manifested into the awful burning she had just experienced and when it all ended she was here with something wrong with her voice.
"I was in pain," She started slowly, voicing what she knew to be true at this moment. Jack nodded in encouragement.
"Anything else?" Clary fought hard to remember anything she could. Distantly she recalled something she heard jack say why she was burning.
"You-you said something to me. Something about changing." She said quietly trying to recall exactly what he had said. Once she did it felt like a truck had come and hit Clary in the gut. Her eyes widened as she remembered what he had said and she looked up at the man, fear now evident in her eyes.
"My-my voice. What's wrong with my voice?" She asked her voice breaking. Jack looked at her sadly.
"I'm sorry Princess but you've changed." He told her with a tone of pity in his voice. Clary shook her head.
"What does that even mean?" Jack let out a sigh.
"I tried to explain it while it was happening to give you a heads up but I didn't do it well and it's completely my fault. But it's all changed Clary. Your voice, your appearance, your personality, it's all different now."
"You're lying." She whispered, her voice shaking.
"I promise I'm not." He said his eyes begging her to believe him. Clary vision blurred with tears as she started to notice things like how she seemed to be about an inch shorter and her hands were tanner with perfect nails that she had never been able to achieve before. "You're a new person, Princess." Jack tried to convince her.
"Shut up and stop calling me that!" She shrieked at him. "I-I don't even know you." Jack just smiled softly.
"Not yet you don't but I do know you and I promise I would never lie to you about something like this." Clary just looked at him like he had two heads.
"You're mad." She decided. "You're completely insane." He had to be to act like he knew her and talk about fighting aliens and monsters. "If this is some kind of prank it's not funny. It's sick!" She told him a few tears falling down her face. Jack gave her a hurt and desperate look.
"This isn't a prank Clary! This is real!"
"Stop it." She muttered sadly.
"I know this is scary and impossible but I promise you everything I have said to you is the truth."
"No it's not." She tried in a broken voice. Jack sucked in a breath deciding he would just have to rip the band aide off nice and fast.
"And I'm so sorry Princess but you're not even human anymore." He told her softly. Clary looked at him in wide eyes.
"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I'm human! I've always been human!" She cried out at him.
"Clary," Jack started moving towards her only to have her backup into the desk.
"Stay- stay away from me." She whispered, frightened. Clary didn't want to show this man that she was afraid but she couldn't help. Everything he has said is scaring her beyond belief but more than anything she's just afraid that it is true. Jack face grew hurt when he saw how scared Clary was. Not just that but she's afraid of him which just about broke his heart.
"Clary, please." He tried. Clary looked around frantically. By the desk she was backed up against she saw a few shelves filled with several different things and for some reason a wave of anger filled her. Not even thinking she ran over to it, picked up the first thing she saw (which just so happened to be a book), and threw it right at Jack, hitting him right in the chest.
"Whatever you've done to me fix!" She yelled at him, still throwing anything she could get her hands on at the Captain.
"Clary just calm down!" Jack shouted over to her while trying to dodge the items being hurtled towards him.
"No, I will not! Now you better fix whatever weird thing you've done to make my voice different and my height taller or I swear to God…" Clary trailed over not really knowing what to say. She had never been a violent person and she had never really threatened anyone. But then again, there's a first for everything.
"Believe me sweetheart when I say I'm fine with rough play but this isn't exactly what I would have in mine." Captain Jack said smirking and then letting out a grunt as he got hit far too close to a certain area that he enjoyed using.
"Clary would you just knock it off-OW!" Jack cried out as a picture frame hit him directly in the forehead causing a very small smile to appear on the distraught girl's face. Bulls eye, she thought to herself. Jack looked at her, incredulously.
"Where did you get such good aim from?" He asked slightly impressed. His eyes widened and he ducked quickly, just missing getting hit in the face by a mug. He groaned and frustration now and said the only thing he could think of.
"You have two hearts!" He yelled at her. Clary paused in her assault to look at him angrily.
"What the hell are you talking about?!" She demanded. Jack sighed.
"You have two hearts, Clary." He told her slowly. Clary snorted.
"That's such bullshit! People don't have two hearts." She retorted annoyed. Jack just smirked at her knowingly.
"Hate to tell you this Princess but you're not exactly people." He shot back in an annoyed tone. Jack knew he shouldn't be and that she was reacting in a reasonable way, well reasonable for Clary that is, but he needed her to believe him. Especially since he had no idea how long Clary would be here before she was pulled somewhere else in time and space. It probably wouldn't end well if Clary was forced into an adventure in her current state. Clary glared at the Captain before grabbing the biggest book she could find and chucked it at him, just missing.
"Oh for fuck sake Clary!" Jack stormed up to her and before she could react grabbed her hand and placed it on the right side of her chest where he knew one of her hearts were before he slowly moved it to the other side, making sure she could feel both beating. Clary stopped fighting against Jack's hold and froze looking up at him with wide eyes.
"But that's impossible." She whispered, scared. Jack tried to give her a kind smile.
"Well you're the one who told me nothing is impossible." Clary just stared at him. "Or at least you will." He amended. Clary felt her knees give out and she would have fallen to the floor if Jack hadn't been holding.
"Hey, hey it's okay I've got you." He soothed before half guiding half dragging Clary back towards the desk where he sat he down gently and took a seat to her side. Clary could only stare at the wall of glass in front of her with unfocussed eyes, not really seeing anything. Two hearts.
"What happened to me?" She asked in a frightened whisper. Jack looked at her but she just continued to stare ahead unseeingly. He sighed.
"Honestly I'm not sure. As far as I know you never really figure out what happened. One minute you were human and then something happened to completely rewrite your DNA. It's something that's never happened before and I doubt it will again." Clary swallowed and closed her eyes.
"You said you know me," She started in a soft voice, afraid of his answer. "How?" Jack watched her, wondering if it was wise to tell her now. However despite the tears running down her face and her closed she sitting up and in a way that made him thing she could handle anything which he knew she would end up proving to him constantly in the future.
"You're a time traveler. Always meeting people in the wrong order so while you're only just meeting me now I've known you for years."
"Time travel." She repeated. Clary wanted to argue but what was even the point now? He had apparently been honest about everything so far that had seemed impossible so it would be unlikely that he would lie to her now. So instead she asked, "How do I do that?"
"Time travel's very possible with the right technology but you don't need any. Part of the time vortex is inside you, which technically should kill you but somehow your body is able to contain it. That's another thing we never figured out the reason behind." He informed her regrettably, wishing they knew the answer to why Clary was the way she is. Clary sucked in a shaking breath before turning to look at Jack.
"What am I?" She asked quietly, clearly scared by the idea that she no longer knew herself.
"You're a Time Lady. One of the last of them actually." He told her.
"An alien." She stated not needing to ask. She was able to piece it together based off what he had already told her. Jack nodded. "I'm not gonna try green and grow an antenna am I?" She asked worriedly. Jack couldn't help but laugh loudly.
"I'm afraid not. Although," He started grabbing her face and turning it from side to side, examining her cheeks. "You may be developing a greenish tint." Clary laughed slightly.
"Shut up." She said shoving him a little. Jack just gave her his signature smirk that did cause her to feel a little better, though she hated to admit it. Sighing, Clary reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, sick of them being present. "So what exactly is a Time Lady?"
"Well it's the female version of a Time Lord." Clary gave him an unamused glare causing him to chuckle. "Sorry. It's an alien species from a planet called Gallifrey which was destroyed in a war years ago." He told her. Clary nodded somewhat following along.
"So besides the two heart thing is there anything else different between them and humans?" She asked, curiously.
"Well typically they're smarter because their brains can process and hold information better than a human mind can. They have a significant longer life span of a few thousand years and when one body begins to die they can regenerate." Jack explained trying to give her as much information as he knew. Clary's brows furrowed as she recognized the last word.
"Is that what I did? Regenerate?" She asked. Jack nodded.
"It's like wiping the slant clean. Every cell in your body gets rewritten so new face, new body, new personality."
"New person." Clary concluded understanding. Wait, new cells- Clary grabbed Jack's hand desperately with a feeling of hope raising in her.
"I was sick with terminal stage four cancer. If this is a completely new body does that mean…." She trailed over but her question was obvious.
"As far as I know regenerate heals anything that was wrong with your pass body and the you I know in the future never even mentioned that you had been sick as a human so you should be completely healed." He told her. "We can get Owen to check you out though just to be sure." Clary tilted her head slightly, curious.
"Who's Owen?" She asked.
"He's the medical officer of Torchwood." Clary raised one eyebrow.
"Someone I'll know in the future?" Jack smirked slightly proud that his Princess was catching on so fast.
"You become pretty close with all the Torchwood members." He told her thinking of all the times that Clary will end up visiting them at the Hub. His eyes widened as he remember someone specifically from the last time he had seen her. He hoped off the desk with a suddenness that startled the Time Lady slightly. Jack groaned and felt like hitting himself in the face.
"I'm an idiot." He stated rushing over to the safe behind his desk.
"I don't know you well enough yet to confirm or deny that." Clary told him, curiously to what had him in such a rush all of a sudden. When he can back to where she was sitting he had a decent sized box wrapped in blue paper in his arms. "What's that?" Clary asked.
"The last time I saw you, the future you," Jack began handing her the package in his hands. "You gave this to me and made me swear I would give it to you the next time I saw you. I think it's safe to assume she was talking about now." Clary glanced at the blue box now in her hands and noticed there was an envelope taped to the top. Clary was shocked. Why had her future self wanted her to get this so bad?
"Knowing you, I'm assuming she had meant for this gift to be private so I'm going to go downstairs to the rest of the team. Come down when you're ready, Princess." He told her leaning down to kiss the top of head in a sibling way before leaving the room. Clary watched him leave before turning her attention back to the package in her lap. Swallowing, nervously she carefully pulled the envelope from the box and opened it to find a letter in her handwriting on the side. She closed her eyes and took a breath. I can do this. She opened her eyes and began reading the letter.
Dear Clary,
Just breathe. I know how overwhelmed you are right now since well….I'm you. Hopefully Jack didn't forget for too long that I had given this to him because I'm hoping this letter can clear some things up for you. Firstly you need to understand that this is real. Aliens, and monsters, and time travel all of it. And yes, you do indeed have to hearts and you are no longer human.
Secondly, as I know Jack has already told you, you will end up meeting people in the wrong order. Inside this box you will find a journal and it is very important that you use it to keep track of when you see people and what you do. You cannot give people any spoilers of their future and you can't change what you've already seen. Also you will end up seeing many things in both the past and the future and the number one rule is you cannot change any fixed points. Some points in history change be changed others must not because if they are it can cause a paradox that will destroy the whole of time and space.
Lastly, you can't go back. Starting right now things are going to be very different for you and all you can do is move forward. This also means you can't go home and I'm sorry but you're not going to be able to see your dad again.
Clary stopped reading gasping in shock. She hadn't even thought of that until now. She could never go home now. The Time Lady understand why, she was too different now and it would be unhealthy for her to even attempt to live in her old life. But knowing it was the right thing didn't make it any easier? What will her dad thing when he never sees her again? Tears filled her eyes again but she shook her head, determined to not cry again. Somewhat reluctantly she turned back to the note and read on.
I know this seems awful and I'm not going to sugar coat it, there will be black days. Days when nothing seems to go right and you'll miss your old life and your dad but you have no idea what's out there waiting for you. It's beautiful and you're going to meet some many amazing people and have so many wonderful adventures.
There's a man that you'll met. His name is the Doctor and he's wonderful. He's the last Time Lord besides yourself and he needs you just as much as you'll grow to need him. If there's one people in the universe it's safe for you to trust it's him. He'll take you to extraordinary places that people can only dream of seeing. But the Doctor while amazing can also be dark.
He's like fire and ice, hope and destruction. He's wonderful and tries so hard to be good but danger and death tends to follow him. It's not his fault which is way he needs you because when the pain and guilt become too much the Doctor needs somewhere there to stop him. Please, be there to remind him of the man he is, the man that saves people because that's what he does. He saves planets all over the galaxy and never asks for anything in return. He just turns and swaggers back into the Tardis off on his next adventure.
Also the Doctor has regenerated 11 different times so far which means he has 11 different faces. You'll only be meeting the newest three as far as I know. Actually you're be meeting his 11th self quite soon. If he's wearing a bowtie that's him. Though that's the only version of him that wears a bowtie so that trick will only work that one time.
Clary paused to think over what she's read so far and to ponder over the Doctor. The way her future self wrote about him with such obvious fond made Clary wonder who exactly he was to her and what he was like in person. He sounded so….unreal like he should be a fiction character on the Television or something. Maybe Clary should ask jack about him later.
Now in this box are a few different things to help you out. Inside you'll find the journal I told you about, a cell phone that can work literally anywhere (even places without phones), a sonic screwdriver that Jack can teach you to use, psychic paper that will show people whatever you want them to see, and a change of clothes. The jacket has pockets that are bigger on the inside by the way. Don't worried too much over what to come because it's honestly not as bad as it may seem. In fact, I wouldn't trade the life I have now for anything. Also, I promise you will be brilliant.
Sincerely,
Yourself
P.S- When there's something you can't say because it's a future event the other hasn't lived yet or if someone is talking about something you personally haven't done yet just say, "spoilers" and it will get you out of almost any conversation.
"The hell is a sonic screwdriver?" Clary mumbled. Clary wasn't completely lost but she didn't 100% understand either. Her future self had called her brilliant. All the Time Lady's life she never felt special and had never done anything spectacular. The girl in the letter seemed so different than her but it was her. The new her. The girl she had now become and knew nothing about.
Also, how could pockets be bigger on the inside? Then again today has just been a round of impossible things for Clary. Slightly more curious than she had first been before reading the letter, Clary began to tear the blue wrapping paper away from the box. Once it was all gone she cautiously removed the lid and set it to the side.
The first thing that greeted her was a brown journal with purple and blue designs covering the front. It was pretty and Clary knew right away that it was the journal her future self had intended for her to write her "adventures" down in. She put it up and gently placed it off to the side. Next, Clary pulled out a brand new phone that appeared to be fully charged. Placing that off with the journal the next thing Clary pulled seemed to be some weird tube thingy that resembled a technological pen. Turning in her hands slowly Clary realized that this was a sonic screwdriver. Cool! She thought and placed it with the others. Going back to the box the Time Lady found what seemed to be a leather wallet with a piece of paper in it. Probably the psychic paper. Clary decided. Now all that was left in the box were clothes. Anxiety seemed to hit Clary out of nowhere and she slowly reached in and pulled out a beautiful black leather jacket. Clary had never really cared for leather before but there was just something about the jacket that she was drawn to. Suspiciously Clary reached her hand into the pocket and let out a surprised laugh when she was able to fit her whole arm in and not even see a bulge in the jacket.
Looking into the box she saw a lacey white tank top, dark skinny jeans, and a pair of combat boots. Clary glanced down at the clothes she was currently in and noted that they no longer fit her correctly. Taking a breath Clary began to peel the old clothes from her boy and replaced them with the new ones. She was happy to find that they fit her perfectly. Bending down she started to tie her boots when she noticed a mirror on the wall out of the corner of her eye. Jack's past words rushed back into Clary's mind. Everything will be different. Your face, your body, your voice, even your personality. Everything. Clary swallowed hard. She didn't even know what she looked like anymore. She wanted to find out but at the same time she was afraid because she knew this would be it. Once she saw her new appearance there would be no denying that this was all real and like it said in the letter, no turning back.
Clary let out an annoyed sigh with herself. It's not like she could go the rest of her life avoiding all mirrors. She might as well just get it over with now. So she slowly made her way over to the mirror. Once there her eyes widened at the sight.
Her once sad, thin, and short blonde was now a light brown with a few golden highlights hidden in the sea of luscious curls that met the top of her ribcage. Her eyes, which had been a dull gray, were now an enchanting lights blue that were also speckled with golden fakes. Her face was rounder than it had been without the bags that had been present under her eyes for as long as she could remember. Instead of the sickly pale she was used to seeing on her skin it was now more of a soft peachy color with medium sized pinks lips and a sort of button nose. Body wise, she was skinny but she wasn't fat. The Time Lady was a nice in between with curves she hadn't had before.
Standing at about 5'5 feet, the girl that looked back at Clary wasn't someone she recognized. She was pretty the Time Lady realized with a jolt. It was huge change for the walking corpse look that Clary had for the past four years. Sure, she wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world but Clary thought she looked nice and the clothes she had received seemed to suit her perfectly. Clary glazed at her reflection.
The girl in the mirror seemed to have a natural confident stance. It was the look of a girl that would just brush off anything that would come her way. The image was of someone that people wouldn't want to cross. And it was her. Clary watched as a smile overtook the girl's face and seemed to brighten up her whole appearance. Suddenly the situation didn't seem that overwhelming anymore. If the girl in the mirror could stand there in confidence that Clary had never felt in herself before than so could the Time Lady. Maybe I can do this. And with that attitude Clary turned on her heel and watched back to the desk. Placing her new belongings in her pockets. Bracing herself for anything Clary watched towards the door only stopping briefly to glance back at the mirror. Goodbye Clarissa Eve Young.
Once out of the office Clary took her time to look around the Torchwood Hub. Um wow. It was like nothing she had ever seen before with a high ceiling, technology that she couldn't even begin to tell you the name of, different pieces of furniture scattered about the place. Out of nowhere the Time lady heard a loud screech come from above her and she instinctively flinched down in surprised. Looking up her jaw dropped at the sight. They have a pterodactyl? Giggling in wonder Clary stood once again and looked over the balcony she was currently standing on to see a group of people conversing near a couch. She spotted Jack and the girl Gwen among them. With her new found confidence Clary strolled down the chairs and over to where the group was. She felt nerves start to creep into her stomach but pushed them away knowing she had nothing to worry about since them people already knew. Since no one had noticed her Clary stopped and leaned against a pole that was a few feet behind them, listening to a man she had yet to meet talk.
"I'm sure she's fine. Ever since I've met Clary I've never seen anything faze her." A smirk made it way to the Time Lady's face.
"Spoilers." The word seemed to fall out of her mouth easily like it was something she said all the time. Maybe it will be. The Torchwood team all turned to the voice and was slightly shocked to see Clary the way they've always seen her. Standing comfortably and confidently in her black leather jacket, smirk on her face, and eyes bright with mischief and wonder. Clary smirk turned into a small smile as she pushed herself over the pole and watch casually towards the group.
"While you may already know me I have yet to meet any of you." She stopped when she was right in front of them next to Jack, her smile bright and friendly. The Time Lady stuck her hand out in front of her.
"I'm Clary."
Thank you guys so very much for the amazing response to the last chapter! It might so much to me that people were enjoying the story so far. The next chapter will contain the meeting between Clary and the Doctor. If you have any requests for an episode you want to see please let me know and if it has a high demand I will be more than happy to write it. If you're enjoying he story please favorite and/or follow it to be notified on when I update. Also please leave a review to let me know your thoughts on the story and what I should work to improve.
Reviews:
Littlebirdd: I hope this cleared it up slightly. She really won't be able to see her father again because realistically her father probably wouldn't believe Clary is his daughter and would think she's just a mad lady. And her father is a point that will be brought up quite a few times in future chapters.
mionerocks: I'm so glad you liked the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one just as much if not more!
Tori-no-shonen: First off I would like to say don't you love when you find something among your boredom? Next you have no idea how many hours I've spent trying to get this story organized so it wouldn't be a complete piece of shit. I'm glad it shows in the writing. Also thank you so much for the British to American key! It will help me a lot in the future. I appreciate the criticism very much and I can admit that the ending was a bit rushed. I'll try to work on that in the future. Even though Jack said in this chapter they don't know how she became a Time Lord I in fact do and you lot will be finding out sometime in the future. However this may be a long time away so just hold on tight! I'm so very glad that you're enjoying it so far and I would love to swap notes with you sometime! Just hit me up in a PM or something and we could chat more. Thank you so much for your review it literally made my day.
sophia: Why thank you very much
Well until next time guys, Allons-y!
~WibblyWobblyFez
