The morning after the night before...
The Doctor, Captain Jack and Clara, have joined forces and are working together. But how to track down the 456...?
Scene 7.
The shower water that morning was delicious.
Clara loved the showers on the Tardis. Huge tiled room, open boothed, mineral infused water, like a health spa...glorious.
She loved to stand still, head back, letting the flow pummel her body, tingling and invigorating.
She emerged, humming to herself. Dried her hair, dressed, and went in search of breakfast.
The sight that met her when she reached the kitchen, was, frankly, hilarious.
The Doctor, slumped over the sink...green around the gills...eyes red rimmed and barely able to open, with his split and bruised lip healing now, grey mop of hair standing to attention, he cut quite a figure.
Jack, was seated at the counter. Still in the same clothes. His arms were spread out in front of him, palms down, as if praying to Mecca, his forehead rested directly on the cold granite work surface.
"Morning all." She cried, breezily.
The reaction from both was instantaneous.
Jack winced, as the sound hit his head.
The Doctor groaned, and leaned into the sink again, trying to force down the urge to retch.
"Not so loud!" He pleaded.
"Well, look at you two boys! Who can't hold their liquor. Dear me! What a state!" Clara was enjoying this.
Jack raised his head, gingerly,
"How much did we have?" He moaned.
Clara clinked together an empty and another almost empty bottle.
"Quite a bit, by the looks of things. So...who's up for a nice fried breakfast?"
Jack's head hit the worktop again with a dull thud.
The Doctor lost his battle to view the contents of his insides.
It was some time before either man was anywhere near fully functioning. Much water and black coffee, dry toast, and paracetamol, consumed, to get them there.
To her credit, Clara ministered to them, both of them, played nursemaid, but all the while was highly amused.
One of the reasons she found it difficult to be annoyed, was that it had been such a revelation to see the Doctor like this...interacting in a normal, blokey way, not inhibited, not self conscious, just...being.
Having Jack there, had been a tonic...it had done him good. He'd got pissed...let go...relaxed.
She removed the cool flannel from his brow.
"Better?"
The Doctor nodded.
"Better. Thanks Clara. And Clara..."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry!"
She planted a kiss on the uninjured corner of his mouth. Touched his cheek, a gentle caress.
"Don't be. I'm not angry. "
"You're not?" He looked at her quizzically.
"No. You had fun, Doctor. You are allowed to have fun. It's good."
"I'm not sure it was fun this morning." He said, running his hand across his head.
"Well, you're alright now. And we need to decide what to do next, with the 456 and all that. We need a plan."
"I'll have to check The Tardis is fully functioning again, shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Less if Jack helps me."
"You two have quite a history then?"
"You could say that...he knew two of my previous selves...and he knew Rose."
Clara leaned forward and kissed him again, let it turn tender. He melted into her, a small sound coming from him, as their mouths worked on and against each other...
"Hah hum!" Jack cleared his throat.
They parted slowly, not phased by his presence...they both turned towards him, Clara smiled.
"Put her down, Doctor...we have work to do!"
Scene 8.
Present day.
The Tardis materialised at a pre arranged spot, inside the inner courtyard of The Tower of London.
The Doctor, Clara and Jack were met by Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
Once inside they repaired to an empty meeting room.
"Well, I'm not sure whether to shake your hand or arrest you."
Kate scrutinised Jack carefully.
"Kate, we both know, that would be a waste of time, and Jack is the one person we need right now."
The Doctor stretched out his long legs and crossed his feet. Kate addressed him,
"So, I didn't understand much of your call, how exactly can I assist you?"
"You can give us every bit of information, every file, everything you have on the 456."
Kate frowned.
"I thought Torchwood had all the information on that subject."
Jack scoffed...
"Torchwood is dead. No more. Gone. It was blown out of the water, literally. You know that."
A tray of coffee was bought in and set on the table.
"Did you know of the existence of John Frobisher?" Clara asked.
Kate frowned again.
"I've heard the name. I think Frobisher is dead, he killed himself, years ago."
"Yes, but have you seen a picture of him?" She pursued.
"Can't say as I have."
"I suggest Google...!" The Doctor remarked, sourly.
Kate watched, mesmerised as he began to plop sugar cubes into his coffee. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7, his hand paused over the basin, then he appeared to change his mind and begin stirring with the teaspoon nonchalantly.
He looked up, then from one face to another, as he realised they were all watching him, Clara was grinning, greatly amused.
"What?"
"Look him up Kate!" Jack said, breaking the spell.
Opening her laptop, she punched the keypad, and waited.
Slowly her eyebrows raised.
"Now do you see why we are here?" The Doctor sipped from his cup.
"And why the Tardis took us to the arse end of the Universe to find Jack?"
"But what does it mean? First Tucker...now...this?"
"My guess is, Frobisher had a function to fulfil for the 456, but he shot himself. Jack reversed the 456 signal and they didn't get what they wanted. Somewhere, out there..."
He gestured vaguely, "there are some really angry 456, bent on a little revenge, and some more child trafficking."
Clara shuddered involuntarily.
A uniformed officer entered with a file under one arm. Kate received it from him and handed it to Jack.
Inside were two or three pages of foolscap.
"Is this it?"
He passed the file to The Doctor, Clara leaned over him to look.
"Great!" Jack sighed. "So we know virtually nothing."
"You can probably add to the file Captain. You know more than us."
"But I know hardly anything! Only that they used the children for a recreational drug. It gave them pleasure. I know that Clement McDonald was rejected because he was on the cusp of puberty, and only pre-pubescent children would serve. I know the composition of the air they breathe, because Frobisher was instructed to build a holding tank for the 'Ambassador', at Thames House. I spoke to that ambassador myself. I know they have specific expertise in virology..."
"They promised an Influenza cure, didn't they? In 1965?" Clara glanced at the pages.
"Yes, the idea was it would save millions of lives...for the reward of twelve children."
"Yes, Captain...and you were involved in handing those original twelve over." Kate put down her cup, briskly.
Clara gasped...
"But Jack...I thought..."
""Well, you thought wrong...yes, I was Kate. The powers that be at the time thought it a good deal. We were promised the children would not be harmed."
Clara stood up, almost pushing over the chair...
"But they turned them into harvested zombies! " she cried, "existing, not living...I read the file...I saw the photograph...it's evil...it's, its..."
"Clara, this isn't helping." The Doctor said, softly, "Jack knows what he did, he doesn't need reminding."
"How can you sit there...all calm and rational...with...with...him?"
"Clara...!"
"But he's a monster...he...he...John Frobisher, he knew what was going to happen, they were actually prepared to accede to the 456 demands...a second time...that's why he killed his girls, then his wife and himself...because of YOU!"
She pointed to Jack.
Jack stood up, facing her, he was much taller but Clara held his gaze fiercely.
"And I did all I could to make amends, Clara. I saved Ianto's family and all the kids in his street, I took my own grandson...and I used him as a beacon, to fire the 456 frequency back at them...I fried his fucking brain Clara...my daughters child...so don't talk to me about fucking monsters...okay...don't you dare!"
Captain Jack Harkness slumped down in his seat. Arms on the table, head resting on them, tears flowing.
The hand that squeezed his shoulder by way of comfort and support belonged to The Doctor.
He spoke softly, in measured tones, his voice calm but with a quiver of emotion,
"How many times have I made similar decisions? How many have died as collateral damage? People I've befriended, people I've loved, cared about? For the greater good? In the name of peace. How often when we travel into danger am I terrified, something will happen to you? That I might lose you. Don't judge Jack so harshly Clara, without knowing that you judge me the same way."
Clara's eyes swam with tears,
"But you are a good man..."
"And so was John Frobisher, he was a good man. Jack is a good man, he has saved Earth from tragedy countless times, both with me as my previous selves, and with Torchwood. We can't always help as many people as we want to help, but we do our best."