Time Doesn't Always Run Straight
Interlude 3
Sorry guys for the delay. Was busy planning for and then watching the 50th. How amazing was it? Thank you once again to everyone reading, following, favoring and especially reviewing. You are all just fantastic. This chapter is a little different to the other interludes. Normally they cover some of the period between the two episodes but this one covers what would be about the last 2 minutes of To The Last Man. WARNING: Character death and violence.
"Is it safe?" Gwen asks cautiously as they watch the white light disappear from across the city.
"Yes." Jack absently answers, his mind now on Jestine.
"How long till Jestine is back?" Owen asks as he squeezes Tosh's hand.
"I don't know." Jack admits. "If she even comes back."
"What do you mean?" Tosh asks worriedly. She was just glad that she hadn't been the one who had to send Tommy back. She just hoped that Jestine would be able to live with the consequences of the actions she had been forced to take.
Jack sighs. "I honestly don't know if Jestine wants to come back. She has become withdrawal from the team. I think she worries that you all think she is a monster because of what she did during Beth's case." Jack explains.
"She is!" Gwen exclaims. "She almost shot me."
"That is exactly what I'm talking about." Jack yells at Gwen, his frustration boiling over. "While I don't agree with what she did," Jack continues at a more reasonable volume, "she didn't hurt you. She did what she thought was the best thing to do in the situation. You need to let it go."
"She shot me!" Gwen exclaims. "How can I let that go? Why should I?"
"Because if you can't maybe you need to leave Torchwood." Jack declares.
Gwen stares at him, mouth opened wide in shock.
"While we have a moments quiet I suggest you catch up with your work and think about whether you can work in a team with Jestine. If not I expect your resignation on my desk by the end of tomorrow." Jack informs her.
Gwen opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before storming off, muttering under her breath.
"Do you really think Jestine won't come back?" Tosh asks as they hear Gwen stomping.
Jack shrugs. "I honestly don't know. She's already been through a lot and the longer she stays with Torchwood the more she will face. Maybe it would be better for her to not come back."
"I hope she does come back. I would miss her otherwise." Tosh replies.
"I hope so too." Jack mutters before turning and heading to his office. The rest of the team drift off to various tasks, although making sure to keep clear of Gwen.
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"Ok Tommy, time for your breakfast." Jestine tells him cheerily as she settles the tray on his lap.
They are in the hospital that Tommy had originally been taken from. Instead of her normal outfit, Jestine is wearing one of the nurse's outfits. All about them there is activity as the nurses get the patients ready for the day.
"Thanks." Tommy briefly smiles at Jestine before turning to his food. He doesn't recall any of his time at Torchwood or Jestine.
Jestine smiles at Tommy, although it doesn't reaches her eyes. "We need to make sure you are in your best condition. Not long before you will be back defending the country."
"Can't happen soon enough." Tommy mutters sarcastically.
A look of sorrow and understanding crosses Jestine's face for a second before her mask slips back into place.
"I'll leave you to it then." Jestine smiles at Tommy before moving onto the next patient.
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"Can't you contact her on your wrist-strap?" Tosh asks she checks the scanners to ensure that everything was as it was meant to be.
Jack shakes his head. "I've already tried. Either it isn't getting through or she isn't answering."
"She will be ok won't she?" Tosh can't help but worry. While Jestine hadn't been a part of the team long, Tosh couldn't imagine the team without her anymore. She had been indispensable when Jack had been gone. Tosh didn't agree with all her actions but Jestine played an important part in the team.
Jack nods. "She'll be fine." But his voice lacks conviction.
"How long do we wait till…" Tosh trails off, unable to say it aloud.
"It won't come to that." Jack declares with optimism he doesn't feel.
Tosh nods but she too isn't so sure.
"So what happened to Jestine?" Owen asks from his desk. The rest of the team had been listening to Jack's and Tosh's conversation.
"Seeing as Tommy used the Rift Key, we can probably assume that Jestine did make it to 1918. The problem is whether she could get back or not." Jack explains. "With the energy surge from the Rift, there is a good chance that it overloaded her vortex manipulator."
"Meaning?" Ianto asks with dread.
"It stops working. That's what happened to my one. But Jestine can't just wait round till it's back to present day."
"So Jestine could be stuck in 1918?" Tosh asks.
Jack nods. "If it's broken she'll have to live her life from 1918."
"If she did, there would be evidence, wouldn't there?" Ianto asks.
"Possibly. But if she wanted to disappear she could." Jack replies, not sure where Ianto is heading with his question.
"If she was living in 1918, we could use Tosh's facial recognition software on old photographs, search for any record with her name." Ianto suggests.
Jack grins. "Tosh, I want you to scan all the old photos you can. She probably didn't keep the same name, it's a longshot but Ianto see if you can find anything." While finding evidence of Jestine in 1918 would confirm that she was stuck at least it would give them some closure.
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"What's that noise?" Tommy asks James as he hears a strange beeping noise.
Tommy had been shipped back to France two days earlier along with new recruits. One of them had been a man who introduced himself as James Harper from Brighton. Tommy didn't know what it was but there was something about James that seemed peculiar. Maybe it was the fact he was never seen in anything less than full uniform or that his face was still as smooth as a child's. It may have been any of these reasons that made James peculiar but there were not what was most peculiar about him in Tommy's view. No the most peculiar thing about James was that Tommy felt as if he knew the man from somewhere but just couldn't work out where. He was positive that there was no way he knew the man but that feeling of familiarity did not leave him. Tommy supposed maybe it was just him, he had felt the same thing about one of the nurses back in the hospital even though he had never met her beforehand.
"What noise?" James asks, shaking Tommy from his thoughts.
"There was a beeping." Tommy explains but stops suddenly as he hears it again. "It's coming from your direction."
James shakes his head. "Can't hear anything. Sure you didn't get a knock to the head?" Tommy guesses he must have imagined the look of panic that flashed across James' face.
"No, I just…Don't worry about it." Tommy mutters as he moves away, shaking his head slightly.
Jestine lets out a sigh as Tommy walks away. She knew she shouldn't be taking such a risk pretending to be a solider but she couldn't bring herself to leave Tommy when she knew what was coming. She swore slightly as she discreetly took a look at her wrist-strap. Jack had tried contacting her a number of times now but she wasn't ready to face any of Torchwood just yet.
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"Jack, you need to look at this." Tosh calls out to him urgently from her desk.
He comes running out from his office, not sure if it is good or bad news.
"What is it?" He asks as he stops beside her computer. On screen there is a group photo of soldiers.
Tosh zooms in on one that Jack instantly recognises as Tommy. "Ok so we have a photo of Tommy. What does that tell us about Jestine?"
Tosh zooms back out and draws Jack's attention to the date at the bottom. "This was taken just after Tommy was shipped back to France. His new platoon." Tosh answers before zooming in on one particular face. "Look familiar to you?"
Jack takes a look at the face. There was something familiar about the person but he wasn't sure what. "Who are they?" Jack asks, not sure what point Tosh is trying to get at.
"How about when I show you this." Tosh pulls up the soldier's information.
Jack quickly scans the information: James Harper. Born November 23rd 1900. Both parents deceased. Joined army, shipped off to France. Disappeared, never found." Jack takes a closer look at the date. "That's the same day Tommy's shot. And James Harper was the alias I used that time."
Tosh nods sadly, still hurting over the fact they had sent Tommy to their death, her recent discoveries only making her feel worse.
Jack looks closer at the face of the soldier. "You don't think?"
Tosh nods. "So Jestine was there when he was killed. Why?"
Jack shakes his head. "I don't know. Maybe she felt guilty that she was the one that sent him there. Maybe she wanted to make sure the timelines weren't damaged. I really don't know."
"So we know she was in 1918. Now what?" Ianto asks. The rest of the team had been listening to the conversation.
"Nothing." Jack replies. "All this does is confirm that she did make it to 1918. But we don't know what condition her Vortex Manipulator is in. She might still be able ot return or she might not."
"So basically where we were before." Gwen mutters.
"No, we have proof that she survived getting there." Jack glares.
"But we have no way of telling if she can get back or if she just started another life after that." Tosh replies sadly.
"It's something. Keep scanning to see if you can find anything else." Jack comforts Tosh.
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"Thomas Reginald Brockless of 10th West Yorkshire regiment you have been found guilty of cowardice." The General declares. "Punishable by death by firing squad to be carried out immediately."
No-one spoke as the words rang across the field. None of them could argue the charge, they had seen with their own eyes Tommy breakdown and run during battle the previous day.
Tommy looked around hopelessly at the men that he had served beside and that would now act as his executioners.
His eyes lay on James as the General gives the command for the soldiers to ready their guns.
As their eyes meet the General gives the order for them to shoot. In that moment Tommy sees the truth behind James. His mind is rushed with memories of the future, of Torchwood and more importantly Jestine. The women who had given him the courage to do what he must.
His last thought before the bullet pierced his body was of Jestine and the future they could never have.
Jestine watches as Tommy takes his last breath, not allowing herself to look away for a second. She forced herself to remember that she had been the one who had made him go back, the one to send the bullet through his heart. He had been right that they were no better than the generals. While she couldn't stop his death, she had to take responsibility for it the only way she could.
The shot rings out through the mist as they all pause for a moment silence.
Jestine quickly leaves the other soldiers, making for her tent. As soon as she makes it in she flips open her Vortex Manipulator, pushing the buttons before she is enveloped in a white light and disappears.
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Tosh huffs in frustration. Since finding the initial information about Jestine, she hadn't had any more success.
"Maybe you should take a break." Owen tells her as he moves over to her desk.
"Just a few more minutes and I'll find something." Tosh mutters, determined to find what happened to Jestine.
Owen sighs. He understood Tosh wanted to do anything she could but he didn't want her to push herself too much or get hurt. "Your search can wait a few minutes while you have lunch." Owen cuts Tosh off before she can argue. "If Jestine is stuck in 1918, you skipping lunch won't change a thing."
"I agree. You can spare a few minutes. I got your favourite." Ianto holds up the plastic bags containing their lunch.
Tosh looks between the two before sighing. "I'm guess you're right. I just wished we had some answers."
"We all do." Owen agrees as he wraps an arm around Tosh and leads her towards the board room.
Jack looks up as they enter the board room, his heart swelling at seeing Owen and Tosh. At least one good thing had come from his absence.
"So how long till we decide Jestine isn't coming back?" Gwen asks as the team settles down for their lunch.
Jack glares at her careless attitude towards Jestine. "Until we get conformation that she has indeed lived through 1918, we will assume she is coming back."
"And what if we don't?" Gwen challenges.
"Then we assume she is coming back." Jack repeats.
"What if she decided to not come back? Went back to wherever it is that she comes from?"
Jack barely stops himself from yelling at Gwen again. "If we can't find any proof that she stayed in 1918 we will assume she is coming back until I determine that a long enough period time has passed." Jack answers through gritted teeth.
"How long is that?" Gwen asks.
"How long did you wait to determine I was gone for good and try to take over command?" Jack asks Gwen.
Gwen's face tinges red, a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "I don't know why you keep defending her. She is a risk. To us, to the public that we are trying so hard to protect. Answer me this, can you protect them from her?" Gwen slams her fist on the table.
Before Jack can answer the intruder alarms start blaring.
The team immediately rush out to the Hub, although none of them have their weapons on them.
"You took your time." Jack mutters as the team find Jestine standing in the middle of the workstations. She's still in the same uniform she was in when she left France 1918.
"Job done. Tommy used the Rift Key." Jestine tells them as she move to leave.
Jack gently grabs her arm. "Are you ok?"
Jestine gives a derisive snort. "Why wouldn't I be ok?"
"We know you were there when Tommy was shot." Jack admits.
Again Jestine snorts. "I was the one who shot him."
Jack and Ianto share a glance as Owen gives Tosh's hand a squeeze.
"See I told you she was a risk. First she shoots Beth, now Tommy. How long till it's one of us?" Gwen spits out.
"Gwen!" Jack warns her. "Jestine my office, now!" Jack leaves no room for arguing in his voice.
Jestine reluctantly follows as Gwen glares at her.
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"Did you have to aggravate her?" Jack glances at Jestine.
"She's the one who chooses to stand judgement over me." Jestine huffs. "If she got off her moral high ground."
Jack sighs. He doesn't know why he bothers with Gwen and Jestine, they were just as bad as each other. "I'm sorry about Tommy."
Jestine shrugs, although her heart isn't in it. "It had to happen. Sometimes we don't like it but we have to do it anyway."
"Doesn't stop it hurting." Jack comments.
Jestine doesn't answer, not denying Jack's claim.
"You didn't have to be the one to do it." Jack alludes to Tommy's death.
"Yes I did. I owed him as much." Jestine answers. "I was the one that sent him there knowing what was going to happen. If you act to end a man's life, you owe him to take it yourself, see as it fades from his eyes, hear his last breath."
Jestine looks out the window to watch the team interact. Tosh says something to Ianto, causing him to laugh and Owen to poke out his tongue. Gwen sits sulking at her desk but her lip twitches slightly.
"He understood." Jestine murmurs as she watches them. "He understood what it feels like to be in a world you don't understand, don't belong to."
Jack looks at her sadly. He knew that feeling only too well. "I know you don't always feel it but you do belong here. And I understand."
Jestine shakes her head. "I don't. Everyone can see that. And it's not the same for you. You do belong and even when you didn't, you knew you belonged somewhere. I don't belong anywhere."
"What about at the Time Agency?" Jack asks.
Again Jestine shakes her head. "Not really. We had some great times." She gives a small chuckle at the memories. "But I didn't really belong. I wasn't really one of you."
"You do belong here though. You are a part of the team. It wouldn't be the same without you." Jack protests, worried they were on the verge of losing Jestine.
"I appreciate the effort but it's not true, we both know that. I have no connection to here. Or anywhere. No past, no future. No reason to fight."
"Then why do you?" Jack asks.
"If I don't fight, what else is there to do?" Jestine's voice seems almost ancient with pain. "I know you worry about me. That they do too." Jestine once again looks at the team. "But don't. My hands are already covered in so much blood, Tommy's won't make much difference."
"No matter how many, it still hurts. Let us help you." Jack implores.
"No. I can look after myself. Have been my whole live." Jestine replies.
"But you don't have to. That is what teams do, they protect each other."
Jestine looks unconvinced.
"So what will you do now?" Jack asks before they lapses into another silence. "Are you going to leave?"
Jestine shakes her head. "No. I might not have a reason to fight but Tommy did. He can't anymore but I can instead. Fight for him, fight for those we can't save."
Jack nods sadly. "He would be proud to know that."
"Pride means nothing to the dead, nothing does. But we continue as if it does." Jestine mutters bitterly before leaving Jack's office.
Jack watches her leave the Hub with a heavy heart. Each of his team was broken in one way or another but it seemed none more so than Jestine. He just hoped it wasn't too late to help her.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Please let me know what you thought. Every review is like another 50th Anniversary Special to me. Next up Meat.