gracie_musica | Different Kind of Magic -- Ghosts from the Past

Title: Different Kind of Magic
Chapter Fifteen: Ghosts from the Past
Date Written: 8/05/09
Rating: PG-13/T
Word Count: 2,158
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Rose, Donna, Martha, John Lumic (DW), Tosh, Idris Hopper (TW), Lucy (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, sort-of character death
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. You've all been begging, and

cjharknessgirl promised a chapter for a chapter!

Previous chapters found here.

Book cover by

et_muse

"And as for you, Sir Doctor... Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look! There's still one word with the power of the days!"
"The naming won't work on me."
"But your heart grows cold, the north wind blows, and carries down the distant.... Rose?"
"Oh, big mistake, 'cause that name keeps me fighting!"
-- Lilith and the Doctor, The Shakespeare Code

One of the first things that Ianto learned how to do at Torchwood House was block out unwanted noises. Mickey and Ricky and Jake had been some of his best teachers in that respect; hurling insults to throw him off his game while Jack thrashed him in the sparring ring.

He'd gotten to the point where Ianto could ignore most conversations going on around him, the chaos fading into blissful white noise. When he was like that, there were precious few voices that could snap him out of it.

" -- Ianto?" Jack voice cut through the buzzing silence in Ianto's ears like a knife. His name, coupled with the gentle touch of his lover's hand on his shoulder jerked Ianto back into reality. "You with us?" he teased softly.

"Yeah, sorry." He smiled up at Jack. "Just got distracted," he said, motioning out the window at the scene down front on the lawn.

"What are we looking at?" Donna asked, moving over to Ianto's other side and peering out the window as well.

There were four figures out in the middle of the lawn: a small, dark-haired woman; two men, one, older-looking with close-cropped hair, sitting on a blanket while the other, a blond, ran back and forth at his companions' behests; and a figure standing a ways apart, encased in a gleaming set of armor.

"That's Toshiko," Donna said. Ianto didn't have to look over at her to hear the grin in her voice. "And that's Idris... Is that third person the soldier that triggered in Capitol?"

"John Lumic," Jack told his aunt.

"He's still unable to walk?"

Ianto sighed heavily. "Lumic's got some issues that go beyond the skill of the Healers, unfortunately."

Jack nodded. "Physically he's healthy, but he just can't make that last leap," he explained. "I think that deep down Lumic thinks he deserves to never walk again because he's a Mage."

"Because he enjoys being a Mage," Ianto agreed. "He's flourished under Tosh's guidance."

"It's a sort of retribution from the God and Goddess as far as he's concerned," Jack concluded. "According to what he'd been taught as a child."

Donna snorted. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The holy texts of Rassilon and Pythia that the priests and priestesses use are predominately peaceful."

"Words are sometimes worse than weapons," Ianto said. "People can twist the most innocent of statements into the most hateful things."

The three fell silent, watching Idris run back and forth between Tosh and Lumic and the suit of armor glinting silver in the sunlight. "So who's the fourth?" Donna asked.

"Lumic is a very adept pupil," Jack said, crossing his arms. "Like Ianto said, he's flourished under Toshiko."

"He also has a not so surprising obsession with the human body -- and the spark of life," Ianto said, turning to look at the redhead standing next to him.

Green eyes snapped over to Ianto, wide in surprise. "He's making homunculi?" she asked, stunned. "Artificial humans?"

"More like mindless little mud dolls," Ianto replied. "They're practically formless -- thus the armor -- and he has to tell them where and how to act."

"It's almost as if he's putting a little spark of his life into each doll thingy," Jack said.

"Doesn't that mess with his lifeforce?" Donna asked.

Ianto and Jack both shrugged simultaneously. "Owen says he can't see any negative effects."

Down on the lawn, the suit of armor began shuttering to life. The helmet turned first one way, then the other, as if it was taking in its surroundings. The limbs shook as it started moving forward, but the suit collapsed after four steps forward.

Toshiko and Idris were jumping up and down in joy, and the petite woman almost tackled Lumic, hugging him fiercely. Ianto couldn't hear the resulting laugh through the windowpane, but he could see the huge grin painted across the older man's face.

"They created golems of stone and mud," Donna murmured next to him, leaning up on the windowsill.

Ianto looked over at her surprised. "What did you say?" he asked.

Donna's opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, her mouth snapping shut. Her back stiffened and Ianto and Jack shared a look. Donna and the Doctor, due to the virtue of them being twins, had the rare gift of telepathy; Mage women shared their magic with their unborn children when they were pregnant, and twins shared their magic with each other. The Smith twins were so caught up in each other that they were always at least vaguely aware of what the other was up to.

As they watched, Donna's face grew paler, eyes widening until she could see the whites all around the green. She swayed faintly on her feet, and Ianto reached out a hand to steady her. "Donna?"

"It's Rose," the redhead said. "Something's happened."

Ianto turned to look at Jack. His lover had gone about as pale as his aunt at the woman's words. "Owen can stay here with Lumic and the others," Ianto said.

"I'll get Martha," Jack agreed, already making for the door. "And tell Gwen and Rhys that they're in charge."

Ianto opened the windows, leaning out of them. "Idris! We need your help!"

-----

With Idris helping them with the horses, Ianto, Jack, Martha, and Donna all left Torchwood House within the hour, mid-evening sunlight warm on their backs. They rode straight through the night, only stopping once to let the horses have a break before they collapsed of exhaustion, and arrived in Capitol at daybreak, tired and sore. Lucy, the queen's personal maid, met them at the steps. Her blonde hair was a mess, and it was obvious she'd been crying.

"How is she?" Jack asked bluntly, not even waiting for Janet to come to a complete stop before he was vaulting off of her back and up the stairs, the others close behind him.

"She'll live," Lucy said, watching Jack and Donna brush past her and hurry towards the Queen's private quarters. Martha and Ianto slowed to talk properly with her. "The Healers said that it was slow-acting, which gave them time to counteract it."

"I don't know if I should be thankful for that or not," Martha said, looking up at Ianto. "Slow usually means painful as well."

"We're thankful," Ianto told her. "She's still alive, so we're thankful."

He and the two ladies followed Jack and Donna's footsteps, Martha and Ianto walking a touch faster than Lucy since Ianto already knew the way. "I thought we were finally free of Harold's influence," the Healer quietly lamented.

"It'll take longer than a handful of years," Ianto replied. "Everyone leaves a legacy behind; unfortunately his is one of terror and murder. And it's apparently alive and well."

Martha looked up at Ianto. "So what are we going to do?"

Ianto sighed. "Queen Rose clearly needs better protection. We know that the Doctor will defend her tooth and nail, but the man's an academic at heart."

"Personal guard?"

"Someone we trust," Ianto stressed. "I imagine Jack will be very protective of her until she's completely recovered."

"No more than the Doctor will be," Martha agreed. "Or Donna. Or you."

"Or you," Ianto repeated back, and Martha chuckled softly, nodding a little. "So we'll all be here in Capitol for the immediate future. Us to protect her, you to help the Healers."

"That's what I don't understand," the Healer said as the rounded the final corner to Rose's rooms. "Some of the best Healers in the kingdom are here. Why did you bring me along too?"

"Because," Ianto said with a grin, "you're the best." He paused when he put his hand on the door. "And... We know you, Martha. We trust you."

Martha gave him a shy, pleased smile and touched his arm gently in thanks. Ianto smiled back and pushed the door open.

Rose was propped up on big, comfortable-looking pillows on the right side of the overly large canopy bed -- her side, Ianto guessed -- the heavy drapes tied back to let her get some light. Jack was sitting on the bed next to her, speaking to her in a soft tone, the Doctor and Donna hovering protectively at his shoulder. She looked exhausted and pale and still in pain, but she gave them both a warm (albeit tired) smile when they entered. "Ianto, there you are," she said, holding her hand out. "And Martha."

Martha moved to the Queen's side, making a little bit of a bow. "Your Majesty. How are you feeling?"

"Alive," the blonde said with a short laugh. It was obvious that she was as exhausted as they were. "Tired. One of the Healers, I can't remember her name -- "

" -- Katie," the Doctor said softly. "Her name's Katie."

"That's it, thank you love," Rose said, smiling up at the Doctor before turning back to Martha. "Katie, she gave me something to ease the pain."

"Where does it hurt?" Martha asked.

"Everywhere," the Queen sighed, settling back against the pillows. "Achy, mostly."

"A good sleep will probably help with that," Martha admitted, smiling at a slowly drifting off Rose before looking at the three Time Lords. "I'm going to go find Katie and see what the Healers know, try to help out."

The Doctor nodded. "Thank you. Get some sleep too, please."

"Can't afford to have you being looked after too," Jack teased. Martha ignored him, pausing to touch Donna's arm comfortingly before disappearing out of the room to do as she'd been told.

Rose lifted her hand from Jack's grasp and held it out to Ianto. He smiled and took it, pressing a kiss to the back of it. The Queen laughed softly. "Ever the gentleman," she teased softly.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Ianto replied with a smile. "If I may be so bold; you look exhausted."

"So do you."

"I'll sleep very well once I make it to a bed," he admitted. Rose looked like she was too tired to go to sleep, poor thing.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You should sleep. You should all get some sleep," she amended, looking over at the others. Ianto followed her gaze, taking in the haggard looks of the three Time Lords. The want, the need for Rose to get better was almost palpable, and it tugged at his Primary.

No one would fault him if he was careful enough...

Almost as soon as the thought flitted through his mind, every bone in his body started to ache. It felt as though he'd been shaking uncontrollably for the past few hours. He mentally made a note to call for a bath before falling asleep. But the good thing was that a touch of color returned to Rose's cheek, and she looked a little more comfortable.

Jack put his hand over Ianto's, carefully pulling his lover's hand out of his mother's. Ianto knew was caught in the act, but Ianto couldn't be bothered to feel bad. "You're right," he said. "We all need some sleep." He smoothed her limp hair back from her face. "Including you."

Rose smiled and nodded, already starting to fall asleep now that Ianto had taken an edge off of her pain. Jack kissed Rose's forehead fondly, stood, and put an arm around Ianto, subtly supporting him if he lost his footing. "Hot bath?" he asked. "Get all that grime off before we sleep?"

"Sounds lovely," Ianto replied, smiling.

"I'll arrange for a bath to be brought to your room," Lucy said, sketching a little bit of a bow before sweeping out of the room.

The Doctor put a hand on Ianto's shoulder. Even though the touch was light, it stressed the ache in his shoulder. "Thank you."

Ianto chuckled a little. "Of course. You and the Queen say jump, we don't even ask how high you need us to go. We just jump."

The Time Lord shook his head. "You didn't have to come."

"Neither did I," Donna said. "But you needed us."

"So here we are," Jack completed the thought.

The Doctor smiled and put his hand on Jack's head, ruffling his hair like he was a child. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, sir," Ianto said. "We're family. This is what family does."

The Doctor, exhausted and with his nerves frayed to the breaking point, looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"Well, I know what to say," Donna declared, clapping the Doctor on his shoulder. "You go take care of your wife." She pointed at Jack. "You go take care of this one," she continued, patting Ianto's cheek carefully.

"What are you going to do?" the Doctor asked.

Donna shrugged. "Probably go see if I can lend Martha a hand. Or at least bother her a bit."

"Just a bit?" Jack retorted as he led Ianto out of the room and towards a hot bath.