LOVE
TWENTYSIX
The Doctor was the first to leave his ship. John held back for a few moments before following.
The sight which met the Time Lord's eyes was not a pleasant one. It was not totally unexpected but that made it no less appalling. His jaw clenched involuntarily.
As foreseen, Gray was indeed on Boeshane. In fact, he was in the exact same spot where the Captain and his precious Time Lord had previously made their campfire and lounged peacefully on the beach amidst the shooting stars and crashing waves. The large piece of scavenged driftwood was still there, and on it sat a naked and shivering Gwen Cooper. The Doctor swallowed hard. Gwen was clearly injured, her face swollen and bruised, but she appeared to recognize him – she seemed quite aware of her surroundings and was evidently able to sit up on her own. Gray stood close behind her, his hand resting lightly on the top of Gwen's head.
"Well… hello dear Doctor. I have to admit I'm surprised to see you," Gray sneered as he absent-mindedly whorled some of Gwen's hair around his fingers. "No, I can't say that I was expecting you at all, not that I'm not pleased. And who's this with you? John-boy! My goodness, this is a surprise. Have you been missing me, Captain Hart? Missing what I used to do to you? How I'd make you feel…?"
"You were maybe expecting someone else?" The Doctor asked calmly as he slowly, very slowly, took a step or two toward Gray and his trembling captive.
"As a matter of fact I was. Where's Jack?" Gray tugged on Gwen's hair. She stiffened and gasped softly.
"He's otherwise occupied and has sent us in his stead." The Doctor was keeping his hands out in the open, away from his pockets, trying his best to appear non-threatening. "He's given us full authority to speak with you – to negotiate for Ms. Cooper's release. Now that we're here I'm sure you no longer are in need of her, correct?"
Another tug and another gasp followed. "Oh, I'm not so sure of that." Gray was staring at the Time Lord intently. "Although you're a very pretty prize, Doctor, it's my brother who I really want. And what is that quaint Earth saying? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." He leaned over pulling Gwen's face toward him and roughly kissed her on the cheek.
"What do you want, Gray?" The Doctor's voice, face, had turned harder.
"I've already told you. Are you becoming forgetful in your old age? Must I tell you again, you doddering, antiquated fool? Gods but you are tiresome. I want my brother. Here. Unarmed. Alone. We have some unfinished business to attend to, he and I – but you know all about such things don't you, John-boy? Unfinished business is something which has plagued you perpetually throughout your pathetic, useless, cowardly life."
Jack's little brother's focus seemed to shift twenty paces to the left… he giggled as he glanced away from The Doctor, apparently peering off into the distance – somewhere else entirely. A look of confusion momentarily graced the Time Lord's face in response to Gray's odd behavior. He turned his head to see what Gray was gazing at and that's when everything changed. Something – someone – savagely grabbed The Doctor from behind, setting him off-balance, and suddenly a cold sharp blade was pressed against his neck.
"Give her to me and I'll give you the Time Lord," John hissed as the Gallifreyan struggled heroically but was quickly subdued by the knife's increased pressure against his carotid artery.
"What's this? Treachery thy name is John Hart?" Gray laughed out loud gleefully. "What is this all about, Captain Hart? What game are you playing at here?"
John had been using his free hand to go through The Doctor's pockets. He found what he was searching for, held the sonic screwdriver up into the air triumphantly and then stuck it in his waistband with a satisfied smile. The smile turned wolfish, "I want her," he breathed, "I've wanted her ever since that first time you sent me to Cardiff to look up Jack. You remember? When you gave me those lovely little radioactive cluster bombs to play with? Well, I almost had her then – but extenuating circumstances, so to speak, got in the way of my consummating our relationship…" He glared at Gwen hotly and her eyes went big as saucers. Her trembling became full-fledged shaking.
"I've missed you, it's just like you said, Gray. It is true. I miss the mischief we used to make, the plans we used to hatch and the fearsome chaos that constantly swarmed around us. And you were right – you're the only one who has ever really loved me the way I want and need to be loved, I know that now. I admit it freely. I need you. Life is a pale shadow of itself without you. But I want the bitch, Gray – I've not been able to get her out of my head – you know what it's like – and I'm willing to trade the Time Lord for her."
"The Time Lord…?"
"Sure, why not? If you're trying to entrap Jack, there's no better lure. Let me tell you something… something that even you with those powerful friends of yours and all those fantastic resources at your disposal might not know. Do you want to hear it? Do you want to know my secret?"
"Go ahead. Tell me what I don't know, John Hart." This was said with a sneer but the words' tone belied Gray's curiosity.
"All right," John took the blade of his knife and sensually caressed The Doctor's face with it. "You called them lovers back in Cardiff, but you knew that was literally untrue. You were just taunting the Captain, and that's okay. Good for you. In my book there are few more worthy pursuits than getting under Jack's skin. Yet something extraordinary happened after Jack locked you away, while you were so patiently working to get Gwen to free you from your brother's latest attempt at imprisonment – and congratulations on that, by the way. Very nicely done. But Gray, listen, it's no longer literally untrue. It happened right here, on this beach. On Jack's precious home world. Jack finally got what he's been wanting and the Captain and The Doctor finally consummated their relationship. The Time Lord let it slip, admitted it to me, that he'd finally let Jack in, and I could tell by the look on his face, in his eyes, that he was telling the truth. I've seen that look before – he's fucking smitten! They've pledged to each other, Gray. Our frigid, barren Time Lord has opened up his heart and his body and his soul to Captain Jack Harkness…"
John shrugged, his expression cruel, "As apparently most of us end up doing sooner or later, the bloody bastard."
"John!" The Doctor snarled. John moved his knife back to The Doctor's throat and pressed. A few drops of Gallifreyan blood appeared on the silver blade.
"Gray, there's no better bait for Jack Harkness than the Time Lord, and I have him here for you, trussed up like a Christmas turkey. All I ask for, all I want in exchange is her."
"I could take The Doctor from you, you know. And keep the bitch as well."
"Of course I know. And I know you could kill me where I stand. But why? It's a small thing that I want; something of little consequence and of no great value to you. Besides, I can help you with Jack – you see I know where he is. He's with Wil…"
"Oh dear, did you lose mommy?"
John winced. "Let's just call it additional extenuating circumstances. I'm through with her; can we leave it at that?"
"Oh! Touchy!"
"Shut up, Gray. I'm trying to be helpful here. Really, we do need to work some more on those social skills of yours. Look, I can tell you that there's about to be a big reunion in Cardiff, and afterward a very irate Jack is going to come looking for you, guns blazing. But it seems to me even though we've not been invited to the party that you and I should definitely show up anyway." John's eyes shined ferally, "There's mischief to be made, Gray."
Gray nodded. "Give him to me," he said.
John Hart clicked his tongue a couple of times and herded the thrashing Time Lord over to the driftwood. Gray released Gwen roughly. She slumped to the ground and tried to scrabble away but the hand-off had already taken place and John grabbed the woman easily by the scruff of her neck. "Where are you going beautiful?" he sneered. "Oh wait, I can answer that…" He looked at Gray. "I'd like a few minutes back inside with her before we leave, would you like to watch?"
Gray leered, "Normally yes. You know that. But I think I want to get reacquainted with The Doctor. Go take your few minutes and then get ready to depart. We'll head back to Cardiff and crash that party."
John pulled Gwen up to her feet and pushed her toward the TARDIS. Before they disappeared inside he turned and looked at Gray. "Do you plan on taking the ship?"
"Ship? You mean that grotesque thing? No… as you're already well aware, I don't need a ship. We'll leave it here and let it fall to ruin. Or maybe I'll have my friends come and pick it up later. Have them rip it apart atom by atom and scatter it across the Void." He shrugged, "I really don't know that I care. Go ahead… get on with your unfinished business…"
"Thanks, Gray. Hey… It's nice to be back."
"And it's nice to have you back, Captain John Hart. Have fun consummating."
-00-
"We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love."
Tom Robbins