gracie_musica | Different Kind of Magic -- Splitting Hairs

Title: Different Kind of Magic
Chapter Thirteen: Splitting Hairs
Date Written: 6/19/09
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,719
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Rose, Bilis (TW), Owen, Martha, John Lumic (DW)
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02, Different Sort of Science and To Days To Come.
Warnings: AU like whoa
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas

totally4ryo and

katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and all-around fantastic girls. Still in the middle of

wrianojune, but I'm getting ahead on these chapters so hopefully you'll be getting them more frequently now!

Previous chapters found here.

Book cover by

et_muse

'They're... oh, so ancient,' said the Doctor. 'When they're operating at full capacity they have the ability to transform matter, alter perception and shift time.'
'Black magic,' said Thad.
'Just a different kind of science,' said the Doctor.
-- Forever Autumn by Mark Morris, page 160

"And where are you going?"

Ianto froze in his uncomfortable position halfway out of the bed. Jack was a very light sleeper, and he was trying to slide out of his lover's arms without being caught. Or he had.

"M'sorry," Ianto mumbled, slipping out of the bed. The floor was cold under his bare feet and he wiggled his toes to warm them up. "Couldn't sleep."

"Obviously," Jack said dryly. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, a tease of a smile across his face. He shivered when he sat up, the cooler night air of the room brushing against the Time Lord's bare skin. "Get back in here," he urged, reaching forward and grabbing Ianto's wrist. "Get in, it's cold!"

Ianto chuckled fondly as Jack hauled him back under the covers, sleep-warm flesh wrapping around night-chilled. "It's not cold," he protested.

Jack made a noncommittal noise low in his throat, already starting to nuzzle at Ianto's ear. "Stop thinking about Lumic," the older man chastised. "I should be upset that you're thinking about another man in our bed," he teased softly.

"Not like that," Ianto protested, but didn't even try to deny that his mind had been elsewhere. "I just... Wish I could do more."

Jack sighed and buried his face in Ianto's neck. "Jones..." he sighed.

"I know, I know, he has to help himself, so on and so forth." Ianto turned to look at him properly. "But I still worry."

"You're going to drive yourself mad," Jack said softly. "You have to stop fretting over him."

Ianto rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at Jack. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I mean, we're here to help him right?"

Jack chuckled and pulled the younger Mage down into his arms, kissing his forehead sweetly. "You're such a kind man," he said fondly, "but so naive."

Ianto pushed himself up, shaking Jack's hands off of his shoulders. "Thanks," he said flatly.

Jack laughed and grabbed at Ianto before the man could roll away. "Wait, Ianto, let me explain," he said, tugging Ianto back down. The younger Mage reluctantly leaned down into the embrace and Jack graced him with a benevolent smile that was incredibly reminiscent of both his parents. "If I was a religious man, I'd say that only two beings can know or do anything, but we've seen that even They miss things." He moved a hand up to cup Ianto's cheek. "No one can do everything, and no one can know everything. The only person that can know what John Lumic needs right now is John Lumic."

The older man shifted underneath Ianto, a knee coming up press just so against Ianto's groin. Ianto couldn't bite back the groan that fell out with the words, "And what happens when he figures out what he needs?"

"Well, luckily," Jack replied, the innocence in his voice contradicting the predatory smile that crossed his face, "people often need others to help them find what they really want."

-----

Ianto sighed and pushed the book away, rubbing at his eyes. Hours and hours of reading and he had nothing to show for it; it was starting to become a rather frightening trend. While the Doctor and Donna had taken most of their private libraries with them when they'd left Torchwood House, they'd left some of their research about immortality spells with Ianto.

The only problem with that was that the Doctor and Donna were no longer around, so he had no one to run to when he didn't understand what the hell he was reading. Sometimes just sitting and talking with the twins made more sense than anything.

The door to the library creaked a little on its hinges and Ianto looked up, fully expecting to see his nephew's dark head peer in or Jack's mischievous eyes hoping to distract Ianto from his studies for a while. John Lumic's face poking into his office was completely unexpected.

Ianto sat up straighter, rubbing his face again. "Looking for me?" he asked aloud. Lumic quietly rolled in through the open door and Ianto took it as an affirmative. Ever since Ianto had ordered the man out of bed, Lumic had displayed a sort of grudging respect towards the Mage. It had taken a few tries for Lumic to get the hang of pushing the wheels back and forth to move, but now he rolled around the House and grounds almost as if he'd been doing it all his life. He'd even managed to gain back some muscle mass -- granted, it was all upper body muscle -- and getting more sun seemed to be improving his disposition. Even if he only actually talked to Ianto, and that was rare.

Owen and Martha were still stumped as to why he couldn't walk. Physically, he was Healed, but there was a disconnect between his brain and his legs. It was almost like the man was okay with how things had turned out.

And maybe he was. Who were they to judge?

The soldier rolled over to table, looking at the books strewn about. "Are you studying?" he asked, running a finger over the spine of the closest book.

"Yes, a bit," Ianto admitted, trying not to grin when Lumic snatched his hand away like the book was going to bite him.

"I thought you people knew everything," he sneered. "That your answers come from your magic."

"Almost everything," Ianto said, stacking the books in order. Lumic folded his hands into his lap, watching intently. "But my students and my nephew ask me questions that I can't even begin to know how to answer. Divining, asking the God and Goddess for advice and answers, is an art usually practiced by priests and priestesses, although some of the students do it too from time to time."

The two lapsed into silence, Lumic pointedly not looking at Ianto as the Second put away the books he'd been reading. After a few moments, curiosity got the best of Lumic and he hesitantly asked, "What were you studying?"

"Basic magic study," Ianto replied, looking over his shoulder and smiling before turning back to the shelves. "Everyone has a Primary, a special ability, but they all boil down to the four basic elements -- Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Well -- " He cut off suddenly, frowning. Dear sweet Goddess Pythia, he'd been around the Smith twins too long if he was imitating their addendums.

"Well?" Lumic prompted. Ianto could tell he'd piqued the soldier's interest. Who was he to deny a student?

"... Well, there's a theory," Ianto continued slowly. "That there's another element. A fifth element. Alchemists like Toshiko call it the Ether, the Quintessence. It's something undefinable, unnameable but completely essential."

"Essential to what?"

"To life," Ianto replied. "It's the spark of life." He moved back to his chair, sitting across from him. "In humans, it's what you might call it the Soul -- no," he corrected himself. "The Spirit. The Soul is here," he added, putting his hand on his chest, over his heart. "It's what makes the lifeblood flow through you. The Spirit is up here," he said, touching his forehead. "What makes you Human."

"I've seen people, soldiers after severe injuries," Lumic volunteered when Ianto fell silent, "who were -- They were alive, but they weren't, if that makes any sense. Their bodies were alive, and their injuries healed; they took in air, and opened their eyes, and their hearts still beat, but they weren't there." He waved his hand in front of his own face, the way one would to get someone's attention. "They eventually starved to death."

"You have to have both -- well, all three, Body, Soul, and Spirit." Ianto chuckled softly, leaning on one hand. "You should see Tosh's notes on the subject. Can you have a person without a Body? Can you create a Body without a Spirit, or a Soul, or both?"

Lumic's entire body tensed at the question. Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Did I say something interesting?" he asked, grinning a little when Lumic scowled and didn't answer. "Never shy away from asking questions."

The soldier scoffed and pushed on the wheels at his sides, rolling back a few inches. "Why would I want to know about that?"

"Because, John," Ianto said, leaning in to look him in the eye. "Whether you like it or not, it's part of you."

Lumic frowned and looked away, looking indignant. Ianto was strongly reminded of arguing over studies with his nephew. Not wanting to do the work, but still wanting to know how everything worked.

Well, if the man was going to act like a child.

Lumic let out a yell and grabbed onto the seat of his wheelchair as Ianto spun him about, pushed him out the door and took off running through the House. "Have you gone mad, Mage?!"

Ianto laughed, calling out an apology to a startled maid when she dropped an armful of linen. "You don't want to learn Magic? Fine. You can still learn a bit of science!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means..." Ianto trailed off as they slid past the door he'd been aiming for, their momentum carrying them a touch too far. He opened the door with one hand when he backed up and pushed Lumic in through the doorway. "... Alchemy!"

Toshiko put her hands on her hips, glaring at them. "Yes, Ianto, that's my Primary," she said scathingly. Behind her, Idris Hopper didn't even try to hide a grin.

"Our friend John here," Ianto said, rolling the chair back and forth teasingly, making Lumic curse, "isn't all that keen on magic studies. I thought you and Idris might like some help in your lab."

Toshiko understood what he didn't say. Work up the maths and sciences part of Alchemy first, then slowly break him into the magic side.

She looked over her shoulder at a grinning Idris and shrugged. "Well, this one needs all the help he can get."

Idris started protesting loudly, and Ianto put a hand on Lumic's close-cropped hair. The spiky strands stabbed into his palm and the man glared up at him. "Don't worry John," Ianto said, the tease evident in his voice. "You'll fit right in here. Eventually."