Hello! I hope you will all indulge me with one author's note before we begin this story. About ten years ago, I was inspired to write a long and sad story called "One May Face a World of Demons" (side note: if you have not read that story than a lot of this one won't make any sense to you). I'm still incredibly proud of that story, especially considering how young I was when I wrote it. At the time, I could not see a way to write a sequel, and then earlier this year it finally came to me. So, without further adieu, here is "Bowties", the second and final installment. I hope you will all enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
- Orchids117.
Disclaimer: Anything recognizable to Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. Rated M for language and adult themes.
Prologue:
Jack Harkness came back into consciousness with a sharp gasp of air. His eyes took in his surroundings wildly as he sat up and scrambled to his feet. He was still in the warehouse, that much was clear.
"I am truly sorry, Clara. Truly."
Jack would know that voice anywhere, and his heart squeezed with anxiety as he ran forward as fast as he could. "Jenny, no!"
He rounded the corner just in time to see Clara, unconscious on the ground with a gun wound in her right shoulder. A wound clearly inflicted by Jenny, who still stood over her with her gun clutched tightly in her hands.
"Clara!" Jack shouted, but quickly gathered enough of his wits to stop running and lower his own gun to aim at Jenny.
She turned to face him, and he was surprised to see desperation in her eyes. He had known Jenny was an agent for the Silence for a long time—had kept close to Matt all these years in part because she was being groomed by the vile organization. He had worried she was too far gone, but the look in her eyes made him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Hope.
"I had to do it or he would suspect me." Her eyes darted over Clara. "Save her," Jenny commanded, and slowly moved backwards while keeping her gun trained on Jack.
His eyes flicked between Jenny and Clara, and with a shout of frustration, he rushed forward and placed a hand over Clara's wound. He barely heard Jenny exit the warehouse as he stared down into Clara's face.
"Clara, wake up!" he shouted as he applied pressure to her wound. "C'mon, Clair-bear, don't give up on me now." In the distance, he could hear sirens approaching. "Help is coming, Clara. Wake up!"
Everything moved in slow motion then as the sirens reached an ear-splitting pitch. He heard tires squealing and voices shouting as emergency services came in. He quickly handed Clara off to the professionals, but kept his eyes trained on her face.
"Sir!"
Reluctantly, his eyes cut to the working ambulance crew member.
"What happened?"
Jack took in a breath to push down the swirling tornado of emotions that threatened to pull him down and make him useless. He needed to be strong right now for both of his friends. "She was shot from close range."
"Are you hurt?"
Jack shook his head. "No, just her."
The worker nodded and resumed loading Clara up onto a stretcher and rushing her towards an ambulance that was no doubt parked just outside. Jack pulled out his phone then and followed the ambulance crew. The police hadn't arrived on scene yet, but they couldn't be far behind. He wondered for a moment who called the authorities but shook his head. That didn't matter right now.
He quickly found and dialed the number he needed. He waited until he heard the line connect.
"We have a situation."