Torchwood: Divergence
Book Two: Adferiad
Chapter 31
Jack turned onto the street that would take them to the underground parking for Torchwood Three, got them inside and parked up within minutes. Then they were heading back into the Hub, Ianto politely taking his partner's coat and striding toward the office.
"Turlough," the Captain called as he approached the work stations. "Nice work with the Time-Space communications."
"I try to keep my hand in it," the redhead smiled. "Thanks for the Christmas gifts from you and Ianto. Unexpected and very nice. I'd love to know where the picture on the ornament came from, since it's not a normal CCTV angle."
"Ooh, let me see," Martha requested excitedly as she came up from the Autopsy Lab with her own. "Merry Christmas, Jack. Where's Ianto?"
"Right behind you," the young Changeling stated with a smile.
The doctor turned to give him a hug, then did the same with Jack before scurrying over to compare ornaments with Turlough.
"Nice shot of you and your husband up by the fountain," the redhead commented. "Amazing that he knows about Torchwood and has no interest whatsoever in joining or even getting a tour."
"Okay," Martha said with a confused look. "That's you over by the Pierhead Building… but who's this with you? And where did that shiny red call box come from?"
"That would be my mysterious girlfriend you've all wondered about," the young alien confessed, smiling at the image on the laminate of the tanned, auburn-haired woman who looked a few years his senior, and ignoring the second question entirely. "Her name's Tegan Jovanka, she was born, raised and lives in a little community on the edge of Brisbane in Australia. I met her when we were fellow Companions on the TARDIS for a while."
"She lives on the other side of the world!" Gwen gaped as she came to take a peek, having already shown off her own ornament. "How do you cope with that?"
"We visit back and forth when we can," Turlough shrugged, apparently not seeing it as an issue. "She part-times as an Air Hostess, so it's not as bad as it sounds. Lots of phone calls and video chats, the occasional trip to places we really shouldn't go. She's been to my home world a few times when I've been summoned for family business, nice vacation in the Vegan Cluster, that sort of thing. I'm actually heading down to her place tonight after work to spend the Holiday."
"Someone does have a pirated TARDIS," Harkness surmised, giving the young redhead a knowing look and pleased smile.
"Call box!" Martha chimed in with a grin, making the connection. "You are a very bad boy."
"I'm careful and obey all the proper laws," Turlough chuckled, turning back to his work station. "And at least my lady's Chameleon Circuit works. The tricky part was obtaining a VM from the Time Agency to take the Coral matrix bud to a safe location and back in Time far enough for it to have properly matured by the point I was ready to reclaim it and train it to become my ship. She's a wonderful traveling companion and can be quite feisty when she wants."
"Speaking of having a TARDIS," Jack began evenly. "Has the Doctor done something reckless and ended up Regenerating again recently?
"Unfortunately, yes," Turlough replied with a frown. "Couple of years ago in fact. It was apparently extremely traumatic this round and honestly I don't think everything meshed properly. From my own brief encounters and from others I've heard from, he seems to have come up as a semi-schizophrenic buffoon this round. Scattered, forgetful, too bloody close to the whole 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Jack Sparrow fluttering thing for my comfort, with periods of brainless twelve-year-old thrown in. But out of nowhere he'll manifest this cold, ruthless, willing to destroy worlds kind of personality at times, and rules mean nothing to him in either case. He's traveling with some young woman and her husband at the moment, with her able to bully him far too effectively, and they're all spending an inordinate amount of time bouncing around history in the United States lately. His attitude about K-9 appearing from E-Space was a brilliant reminder of why I haven't contacted him much while he's in this current incarnation."
"Not what I was hoping to hear," the Captain admitted soberly. "But kind of what I was expecting. Damn it… he's not easy to contact or very reliable, but the Doctor was always the ace up the sleeve for end of the world events. Sounds like we've pretty much lost that."
"I'd wondered why I couldn't get a hold of him on my old mobile anymore," Martha remarked sadly. "I mean, I know things change and all, but this time it doesn't sound like it was for the better."
Everyone in the Hub was silent for a few minutes, the fact that the Doctor was apparently not on the ready list of allies anymore making them all feel just a little less secure somehow. Ianto silently retreated to the kitchenette, still suffering some of the effects of the stress overload from the night before, and finding it hard to see Jack upset over the actions of the inconstant Time Lord half the team had apparently wandered the Universe with in years past. So, he opted to focus on making more coffee instead.
"Sod it," Gwen finally growled, not wanting the day ruined by someone she'd never properly met. "He didn't bother to even look in on the situation with the 456 and only comes to Cardiff to refuel and drag some form of trouble behind him. Let the mad bastard do what he wants, we can manage fine without him. It's Christmas Eve, people, not a funeral. I say we enjoy the day while the Rift lets us."
"I second that," Martha put in, cheerfully waving her custom ornament and heading back toward the medical bay. "And I say we all go out for lunch today. It'll be my present to all of you, yeah?"
"If you're paying, we're eating," Harkness smiled. "You decide where and when, we'll either walk or take the SUV depending on distance, and any Rift alerts will hit my VM and Ianto's PDA. If it's major we'll worry about it, if not it can wait till after lunch. Seeing as it's only 8:30 at the moment however, that's still a few hours coming. So, whatever projects you're working, carry on. I'll be making a less than enthusiastic attempt to clear some of the paperwork off my desk."
The team set to work and the Captain took a moment to just breathe and enjoy having them all there alive, well, and more than ready for the Holiday. Today was going to be a good day.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
AN: Yeah, sorry… I was not impressed with how the writers handled Eleven most of the time, so it's kind of reflected here. For every one episode with Eleven that I actually enjoyed and found the characters engaging, there were a dozen that drove me right round the bend. So, I know some may not like how he's depicted here, but it is AU and who knows what quirks each Verse's Doctor may, yeah?
Posting Saturday and Sunday until New Year's Day… And I'll be doubling up as well as posting when I can during the week, because I really want to at least get through Christmas Eve by our own Christmas Day. Happy Holidays…
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM