Time Doesn't Always Run Straight
Adam
Chapter 1
First chapter of Adam! So lots going on in Adam with some big reveals. Flashbacks are italic so hopefully not too confusing but let me know if you think it needs changing. Once again thank you so much for all the support. For Marigold, thank you for your review, I'm sorry you felt that Jestine is a Mary-Sue. While Jestine does have a lot of good qualities, I do feel that I have balanced that out with a number of bad qualities too. As to it becoming too much about Jestine I do agree I am trying to involve the rest of the team more but it should be remembered that Jestine is what makes my story different from both the show and the many other fanfictions out there so she will be a strong focus. If anyone has anything else to say about what they think of Jestine as a character, I would love to know, whether you love her or hate you it is fantastic to hear feedback on a character I have developed from scratch.
Warning: Contains spoilers for 50th Anniversary special as well as minor spoiler for a Good Man Goes To War.
The intruder alarm blares. The team are immediately on alert when a golden light appears. After a moment it fades and Jestine stands in the middle of the Hub.
She frowns slightly at the sight of Ianto. Instead of his normal suit, Ianto is wearing tight black jeans and a shirt open at the neck, showing off the top of his chest. She goes to speak before catching sight of a stranger.
"Who are you?" Jestine demands as she draws her gun on the strange sandy haired man.
"Whoa!" He throws his hands up defensively. "I thought we said no more practical jokes, you're just not funny."
"Does it look like I'm joking? Tell me who you are or I'll shoot." Jestine snarls.
"It's me, Adam." He slowly approaches.
"Don't take another step." Jestine shouts. "Your name means nothing. Tell me who you are!"
"Easy now." Jack manages to sneak up behind Jestine and disarm her. He quickly doges her elbow.
"Who is he!" Jestine demands again. "Don't you dare touch me." Jestine throws a knife at Adam who had been slowly stepping towards her. He only just manages to duck out of the way.
"Stop it." Jack takes hold of her.
"It's ok. You're just confused. You got yourself muddled up again." Adam moves closer.
Jestine struggles in Jack's grip. "Don't come near me." She growls.
"Come on, it's just me. Remember." Adam practically purrs as he reaches out and grabs Jestine's arm. Jestine hisses at the action.
Flashback-Flashback-Flashback
Jestine getting the team's coffee mixed up. Adam being the one to correct her.
Adam giving Jestine his paperwork for her to fill out.
Jestine getting Adam's lunch for him.
Back to present
She blinks rapidly at Adam as if seeing him for the first time. Jack cautiously lets Jestine go.
"Sorry. I just got confused." Jestine tells the team. "I'm sorry for disturbing you all. I'll just get onto that coffee you all wanted."
"Remember I take it black, two sugars." Adam sneers at her before sauntering off.
"I just want a look at your wound first." Owen redirects her to the medical bay.
"What…" Jestine pauses midsentence as she watches Adam. "Don't worry, healed." She answers distractedly.
"How long were you gone?" Owen asks.
"Don't know. Never could keep track of time." Jestine replies absently as she observes Adam. She smiles when he looks up at her but drops it as soon as looks away. "You should look anyway." Jestine tells Owen as makes her way to the autopsy bay, casting confused looks at Adam.
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Jestine stares at Owen as he checks her thigh. "You ok Owen?" She asks.
"I could ask you the same thing. It's healed." Owen comments.
"I told you it was healed. You sure you're fine?" Jestine continues to look Owen up and down in concern.
"No, it's completely healed. As if it was never there." Owen tells her. "No amount of time would heal that well."
"Got help from different time." Jestine answers. "Notice anything strange about Ianto?"
Owen frowns at Jestine. "Did you knock your head or something while you were away? First that thing with Adam, now this."
Jestine frowns in thought. "Yeah, Adam."
"Yeah, Adam. You were acting like you didn't know him."
Owen looks at Jestine in worry but before he can comment Adam walks in.
"And that is why you're only support. You want Jack to let you out on the field when you can't keep track of our coffee orders." Adam replies to Jestine as he grabs hold of her arm. "Remember."
Flashback-Flashback-Flashback
"Here you go." Jestine hands round coffees to the team assembled around the conference table.
"This isn't mine." Ianto comments.
"Oh, sorry." Jestine exclaims flustered.
"Nor is this mine." Tosh adds.
"Did you get any of them right?" Adam scoffs.
"I had them written down." Jestine mutters, her face burning. "But I um, seemed to have lost the list."
Jack waves her away. "We'll sort it out. Go man the tourist centre."
Jestine nods before leaving.
Back to Present
Jestine bows her head. "I'm sorry. I'll stop wasting your time. I'm fine."
"Then there is nothing stopping you from doing your job. I need my coffee now." Adam orders her. "And Jack wants you to clean out the cell we had that Weevil in."
"Right. On it." Jestine replies before leaving.
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Adam is at a workstation. A blank personnel information sheet is on the screen in front of him.
He enters his name: ADAM SMITH. He glances over his shoulder as he enters in the data:
D.O.B: 16/11/82
RECRUICTED: 07/05/050 - 0000
"Adam?" Ianto asks as he walks towards him. He quickly clears the screen back to various images. "What are you doing with your personnel file?" Ianto was too quick for him.
"Nothing, just finished updating details of rift activity." Adam replies.
Ianto looks like he is going to challenge him before shaking his head and showing him a box with intricate patterns on the side.
"Any idea when this came through? It's got a low meson energy reading." Ianto explains.
He takes the box, looks at it before setting it aside. "No, I'll keep looking." He reaches out and covers his hand with his.
Flashback-Flashback-Flashback
Ianto and Adam at a restaurant.
Ianto and Adam sitting on a couch watching a movie cuddled up together.
Ianto and Adam kissing between workstations.
Back to Present Day
They kiss passionately.
"A year ago today." Adam tells him.
Ianto smiles back at him. "Our first kiss."
"You remembered."
Ianto nods in agreement before they kiss again.
Owen arrives at the workstations and sets the tray down loudly. Ianto and Adam look at Owen.
"You okay, Owen?" Ianto asks.
"Uh, yes, yes, yes. Don't worry about me. N-no, it's just, uh … kissing in work … um, I wasn't expecting it." He mutters as he removes his gloves and heads back down to the autopsy area.
"We'll celebrate tonight." Adam tells Ianto, completely ignoring Owen's interruption. He kisses him again before he smiles and walks away. Adam's smile fades as soon as Ianto is out of sight.
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Ianto is positioned at one of the workstations, typing away. Gwen and Tosh are sitting side-by-side on the couch. Gwen is flipping through the file while Tosh toys with the device.
"Just doing a quick check. We had rift activity two days ago, but nothing seems to have come through." Ianto explains.
Adam overlooks the group from another workstation.
"Apart from me." A high pitched squeak answers Ianto's statement. He jumps back and looks at the small stuffed rodent peering from behind her monitor.
Gwen and Tosh giggle as Owen squeezes the stuffed toy making it squeak.
"It's a screen-cleaner. I thought you might like it, umm... Do you… do you like it?" Owen stammers.
Ianto stares uneasily at the object. "Just what I need. A small rodent looking at me while I work." He gives a tight smile as he moves away. He stops and looks over his shoulder. "Think I'll call it Owen."
Owen sighs as he clutches the folder to his chest and heads back to his own domain.
Tosh and Gwen both laugh over the display.
"He's like a little puppy, bringing him sticks. When's he gonna realise he's got no chance?" Gwen asks.
"Love's blind, apparently. He's idolize him for years now." Tosh comments.
"Oh, leave him along. I think it's sweet. He's happy." Adam adds to the conversation.
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"Be careful, it's hot." Jestine informs Adam as she hands him a coffee. Instead of her normal leather pants and coat Jestine is wearing a knitted cardigan and long skirt with orthopaedic shoes.
"What's that?" She indicates to the box Ianto had shown Adam.
"That's what I've been trying to work out." Adam answers as Jestine looks it over. "Don't bother, if I can't work it out, you couldn't. Stick to the coffees and cleaning."
Jestine ignores Adam, absorbed in studying the box, paying particular attention to the carvings. "I've seen these before." She mutters. Adam looks at her in interests. "They're…" Jestine pauses and frowns before blinking and shaking her head as if to clear it. "Sorry, must have been confusing them with something I saw at the local market."
"Told you, you should have left it to the experts." Adam sneers. Jestine looks down shameful.
"How's Gwen?" Jestine quickly diverts attention to Owen. He had just checked over Gwen after Jack had reported she had no memory of Rhys.
"No signs of long-term damage as far as I can see." Owen shrugs. "Or alien intervention. But, I must be missing something. She should remember Rhys."
"Hopefully she remembers soon." Jestine replies, concern evident. "Her and Rhys are just so happy together, would be awful for something to come between the two of them."
Owen nods his agreement as he walks away.
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Jestine walks through the vaults. A weevil gets up and slams its hands against the glass, growling loudly.
Jestine jumps back in fright. "Shh, you startled me." She speaks softly to calm the weevil.
She turns to continue but stops dead in front of the next cell. Jack is standing the cell but it's not the Jack from Torchwood. He is younger and instead of his normal World War 2 uniform he is wearing leather pants and a white t-shirt.
Flashback-Flashback-Flashback
"You can't do this to me. I know the truth." Time Agency Jack screams at Jestine as he is dragged from her.
Back to Present
"Jestine." Jack calls out to her, Torchwood Jack. She turns to find him standing in the doorway. She quickly looks back in the cell but the younger Jack is gone. She isn't sure he was there to begin with.
"You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Jack comments as Jestine walks towards him.
"Yeah, fine." Jestine replies absentmindedly as she looks back at the cells behind her.
"Ianto wanted you to help him with some of the archiving." Jack informs her as they walk out of the vaults. The weevil growls as they leave.
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Jestine brings in a plate of sandwiches for Gwen. She smiles sympathetically as Gwen watches a video of Rhys answering questions about their relationship.
"Do you remember that?" Jestine asks as Rhys explains about their first kiss.
"I'm seeing what he's saying, but…" Gwen trails off as she listens to Rhys. "I don't remember how I …felt."
Jestine squeezes Gwen's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll remember soon." Jestine smiles. "You have to, how else would the team have their bowling nights without you and Rhys."
"But is he? Surely I would remember if he were my boyfriend." Gwen comments, her distress clear.
Jestine pulls her in for a hug. "Trust me when I say he is your boyfriend and you love each other so much. Your memory is just playing tricks on you. It happens to everyone."
Gwen looks at Jestine as she pulls away. "Does it happen to you, do you forget things?"
"No." Jestine replies, before frowning. "No, but it's strange. It's like sometimes there's two different versions of my life. Two very different paths."
"What's the other one like?" Gwen asks curiously.
Jestine gives a pained look. "Horrible. She's a warrior. She kills without remorse and has no-one." Jestine shakes her head as if to forget the thought. "But it's not true. We both know it's not true. Don't worry, you're remember. Rhys means too much to you for you to forget him completely." She beams at Gwen once more before leaving, a slightly confused look on her face.
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Jack looks around in confusion. He has just climbed out of the hole to the sewers. He takes a few steps back.
"Jack?" Adam asks.
Jack whirls around to find Adam standing there. He could have sworn that he had gone alone.
"Was it down there? The weevil?" Adam asks.
"No." Jack frowns. "How did you get here?"
"Well, I came with you, Jack, remember?" He places a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"Yeah of course." Jack replies.
"Are you okay? Jack, what did you see?" Adam asks.
Jack looks around one last time before answering. "My past."
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"You ever think this isn't real?" Jestine asks Ianto as she helps him sort out some artefacts.
"What this is the Matrix?" Ianto asks.
"What's the Matrix?" Jestine looks at Ianto in confusion.
"How don't you know what the Matrix is?" Ianto mocks Jestine.
She shrugs. "Didn't watch much TV when I was younger." She then frowns. "I think. I'm not sure."
"What do you mean, you're not sure?" Ianto looks at Jestine with concern now.
"It's kinda foggy, if I try and think of my past. All I remember are bits and pieces of events but they don't make sense." Jestine tries to explain.
"Maybe you should speak to Owen. You might have whatever Gwen has." Ianto steers Jestine towards the exit. She obeys without argument.
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"Where you going?" Adam asks Ianto as he leads Jestine up to see Owen.
"We think Jestine might be suffering something similar to Gwen." Ianto informs him.
"She's fine. Overactive imagination, remember." Adam grabs hold of Jestine's wrists. Instead of submitting Jestine starts struggling violently.
Flashback-Flashback-Flashback
Jestine is lying at the bottom of steps that lead up to a podium. The floor and walls surrounding her were once white but now show scorch marks and gorges from recent conflict. She lifts her head as she hears two pairs of hurried footsteps approaching her.
The two figures that approach her are blurry and she blinks in order to clear her view. Upon re-opening her eyes she sees a frown, worn by The Doctor. He spins around taking in the devastation of the room. Bodies are strewed all around the large hall Jestine is lying in, but not one of them are of human appearance.
Jack rushes over to help Jestine up but The Doctor throws out an arm to stop him.
"What did you do?" He demands of Jestine.
While she shows no sign of injury Jestine struggles to raise herself up on her arms. "What needed to be done."
"What needed to be done?" The Doctor yells at Jestine. "Burning an entire species was not what needed to be done."
"You know who they are. You know what they did. Don't tell me they didn't deserve it." Jestine spits out as she shuffles to lean against the bottom stair.
"Who gave you the right to decide that this was their punishment?" The Doctor storms over to Jestine.
"When no-one else would stop them!" Jestine hisses at The Doctor, dragging herself up-right. "Why didn't you do something about them? You've been running around for long enough. You could have stopped it all."
"You know I can't." The Doctor glares at her. "Even if I could I wouldn't. There are other ways."
"No there aren't. You might be content to sit back and watch as they destroy worlds but I can't." Jestine pushes the Doctor.
"Don't you stand there and preach to me about your noble causes." The Doctor waves his hands around in anger. "You only did it because of what they did to you." He accuses her.
"Does it matter?" Jestine spits out a mixture of blood and saliva to the right of The Doctor. "Mine wasn't the only life they ruined."
"So that means you can wipe them all out? How does that make you better than them?" He storms around, his arms waving madly.
Jestine marches over to The Doctor. "Do not judge me Time Lord. Your hands are covered in the blood of those who died because you didn't, because you couldn't." She snarls.
"I thought I had taught you that there are some things we just can't do." There is a hint of sadness along with anger in The Doctor's voice now.
"All I learnt from you is how to be a coward." Jestine snaps.
"Better a coward than a killer." The Doctor retorts.
"What's the difference?" Jestine snorts.
"This is the difference." The Doctor jabs a finger at the scene surrounding them.
"The only difference is who the dead are. If I hadn't done this it they would have stolen more children, destroy more families!" Jestine yells at him.
"And you stopped that by burning their entire planet. You became a monster to stop the monsters." The Doctor growls before turning and storming off.
"How did you survive?" Jack speaks for the first time. "I saw it; the whole planet was on fire."
"Surviving was my punishment." Jestine laughs. There is no humour in the laugh, the sinister sound bouncing around the hall. The Doctor spins at her words.
"What did you say?" He demands as he crowds Jestine.
Jestine smirks. "The Time Lords were useful in one aspect."
"What's going on?" Jack asks in confusion.
"The Moment." The Doctor yells as he storms from Jestine. "Is the most advanced, most powerful and most deadly weapon in all of time and space."
"You would know, wouldn't you?" Jestine snarls. "He used it to kill Daleks and Time Lords alike. He ended the war at the cost of billions of lives."
She swaggers up to The Doctor. "How about that? The same weapon. You still going to judge me? The people of the Gamma Forest were right to call you Warrior."
"There was no other choice." The Doctor hisses. "All of time and space was burning."
"So murder is only ok when it's you?" Jestine growls.
The Doctor's voice is low and cold in reply. "This isn't some game. I had no other choice but you did. You choose to kill." He turns away from her in disgust. "Nothing you can say will justify what you did here."
Jestine snorts. "I don't need your approval. It's done."
The Doctor turns back to face her. A war of anger, disappointment and sadness rage in his eyes. "You're right, you don't need my approval. Or me." His words fall like ice, cold and sharp.
Jestine looks at The Doctor in shock.
"Surviving wasn't your only cost. I couldn't stop them because you made it so. Right here is where you started it all." The Doctor warns before turning and walking out the room, never looking back.
Jack looks between Jestine and The Doctor's rapidly shrinking form.
Jestine covers her pain with a smirk. "Succeeded where the great Captain Jack Harkness failed."
"You think this is a victory?" Jack asks her with disgust. "I thought no-one deserved to live your future but I was wrong." And with that he follows The Doctor's path, the sound of his footsteps echoing across the hall as Jestine stands there watching, the evidence of her crime the only thing to keep her company.
Back to Present
Jestine jolts back to the present with a scream of pain.
"God. We need to get you to Owen." Ianto goes to get hold of Jestine to lead her up after the apparent episode. Adam grabs his arm, stopping him.
"She is fine. She is just making it up for attention. She is always making stuff up for attention. Remember." Adam tells Ianto.
Ianto turns to Jestine. "Stop playing games. This is serious. There is something seriously wrong with Jestine, we don't need you playing games."
Jestine nods silently, moments from bursting into tears.
"Go to the tourist centre to wait for tea." Adam orders.
Jestine meekly complies.
"Some people." He mutters to Ianto as they continue to the main part of the hub.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, please let me know what you think, reviews are traded for virtual cookies.