![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gracie_musicaTitle: Sonata for the TARDIS in D
Chapter Eleven: Back to the Norm
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
dwtwprompts prompt: Compassion
Date Written: 8/25/08
Word Count: 917
Rating: PG/K+
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Nine (mentioned), Rose (mentioned), Colonel Oleg Levin, Valeria Mamentova
Spoilers: The Deviant Strain, one of the Ninth Doctor novels
Warnings: BL and het
Author's Notes: Okay. In the first chapter I ever wrote in the Sonata for the TARDIS in D series found a lovely little paradox: The TARDIS Jack is growing on his desk turns into the TARDIS the Doctor and Susan steal.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vipersweb brought up the point that Gallifrey was time-locked. However, thanks to Journey's End, we know that it... well, can be broken. Thus, the fanfic ideas started flowing.
Also, as I've said before, I've been tearing up through the Torchwood novels -- and now that I'm done with them until the third set comes out, I moved on to the New Series Adventures books.
Previous chapters found here.
Jack was always full of wonderful stories. Most of them were sexual, or trivial, but even when he was just recapping a trip out with the ever-rotating Torchwood team, Jack had this sort of mystical ability to turn a phrase so wonderfully it was completely captivating.
Sometimes, Ianto wondered if he'd been one of the storytellers of old in another life, a bard without a lute. Or the tights. Although he was fond of those on occasion.
Being on the TARDIS again -- or for the first time, depending on how you looked at it from her perspective -- made him nostalgic, and he found himself waxing poetic about the travels he'd had with the Doctor and Rose and Martha.
Ianto's been training how to fly the thing, but no honest to goodness spins around the universe when Jack stops dead in the middle of his recounts. The younger immortal leans around the console to look at Jack properly. "What is it?"
"I know where I want to go first."
The lovely thing about the TARDIS is that she came prepared. Which Ianto was grateful for when Jack pulled him down into the fully stocked wardrobe and pulled out two of the thickest, warmest coats he could find.
"Where are we again?" Ianto asked, laughing a little when Jack proceeded to button up his coat as if he was five years old again.
"The Novrosk Peninsula, Russia, Earth, 21st century," Jack replied, wrapping an arm around his waist and giving Ianto a gentle kiss. "Thank you for indulging me."
"The story of my life, Jack, indulging you," Ianto deadpanned.
Ianto was quiet as Jack told him about the life-force stealing alien ship, and about the innocent people who had died because of humans wanting the one thing they weren't supposed to have, the one thing both Harkness-Joneses possessed: immortality.
And he talked about Valeria Mamentova, about how she'd become old and crippled before her time. How he'd been the only one to do more than pity her, how for a short while he'd been the only one who cared if she lived or died. How she'd scared the hell out of him because he'd been mortal then and only feared growing old. How she'd cried, how she'd been the only one to cry when they died.
And how, at the end, she'd hugged him good-bye.
"Captain!"
The snow was falling thick as a soldier in a definitely not snow-combat uniform ran towards them. Ianto briefly noted the decorations on the breast of his shirt as he came near-- Colonel then.
Jack beamed and waved back. "Colonel!"
"Captain, we weren't expecting to see you again so soon," the man said, words automatically translating thanks to the TARDIS. "Is the Doctor with you?"
"No, he and Rose got reassigned." He smiled and turned to Ianto. "Ianto, this is Colonel Levin. Colonel, this is -- " he hesitated for a moment, unsure how a military man would take to him and Ianto but not wanting to insult his husband.
Ianto picked up on the insecurity. "Ianto Jones, sir," Ianto said, holding a hand out for the Colonel to shake. "I'm from Intelligence as well."
Jack gave Ianto a grateful smile over Levin's shoulder as they shook hands. Ianto cast a speculative eye over the construction. "How long has the rebuilding been taking place?" he asked.
"Little over a week," Levin replied, torn between bristling and repressing pride.
"This is fantastic work."
Levin gave him a look of surprise as Ianto watched the construction workers and townspeople raise the wall of a house. The Welshman was smiling as he watched, amazed at the willpower of people yet again.
He'd seen what the human spirit could do, how they'd touch the stars.
"I assume you'll want to be seeing Valeria?" Levin asked Jack behind Ianto's back.
"I want to help her."
"Jack," Ianto sighed. "How can you, sweetheart? She's sick, even now, so many years later, humans still don't know how to reverse aging. Stave it off yes, but not reverse it."
"Yan, she lost time." He walked around the console to pull his husband into his arms. "Life force. And what do we have more of than anything?"
She looked both young and old, which was startling. Her face was so lined and it looked like all he had to do was breathe on her and she'd fall to pieces, held together only by her clothing and her healthy blonde hair.
Jack knelt in front of her, cupping her face. "Valeria?"
Her eyes didn't move. She didn't move at all, didn't register that he was there.
Ianto put a hand on Jack's shoulder, projecting strength. "It might not work."
"I have to try, Ianto."
The hand moved up to card through Jack's brown hair. "I know, love."
Jack paused for a split second before leaning in to carefully press his mouth against Valeria's. For a moment, there was nothing, just the quiet and a heartbreaking sense of failure.
Then she started glowing gold. The lines disappeared from her face, skin filling, plumping out and turning rosy under Jack's hands.
When, finally, Jack pulled away, there was a young, healthy-looking woman smiling back at him. "Jack--!" she gasped out, blinking. "I can talk again!"
Jack laughed and kissed her again, this time out of happiness, before pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.
"Is he always like this?" Valeria asked Ianto over Jack's shoulder.
"Oh, you have absolutely no idea," Ianto deadpanned.
Chapter Eleven: Back to the Norm
dwtwprompts prompt: CompassionDate Written: 8/25/08
Word Count: 917
Rating: PG/K+
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Nine (mentioned), Rose (mentioned), Colonel Oleg Levin, Valeria Mamentova
Spoilers: The Deviant Strain, one of the Ninth Doctor novels
Warnings: BL and het
Author's Notes: Okay. In the first chapter I ever wrote in the Sonata for the TARDIS in D series found a lovely little paradox: The TARDIS Jack is growing on his desk turns into the TARDIS the Doctor and Susan steal.
vipersweb brought up the point that Gallifrey was time-locked. However, thanks to Journey's End, we know that it... well, can be broken. Thus, the fanfic ideas started flowing.Also, as I've said before, I've been tearing up through the Torchwood novels -- and now that I'm done with them until the third set comes out, I moved on to the New Series Adventures books.
Previous chapters found here.
Jack was always full of wonderful stories. Most of them were sexual, or trivial, but even when he was just recapping a trip out with the ever-rotating Torchwood team, Jack had this sort of mystical ability to turn a phrase so wonderfully it was completely captivating.
Sometimes, Ianto wondered if he'd been one of the storytellers of old in another life, a bard without a lute. Or the tights. Although he was fond of those on occasion.
Being on the TARDIS again -- or for the first time, depending on how you looked at it from her perspective -- made him nostalgic, and he found himself waxing poetic about the travels he'd had with the Doctor and Rose and Martha.
Ianto's been training how to fly the thing, but no honest to goodness spins around the universe when Jack stops dead in the middle of his recounts. The younger immortal leans around the console to look at Jack properly. "What is it?"
"I know where I want to go first."
The lovely thing about the TARDIS is that she came prepared. Which Ianto was grateful for when Jack pulled him down into the fully stocked wardrobe and pulled out two of the thickest, warmest coats he could find.
"Where are we again?" Ianto asked, laughing a little when Jack proceeded to button up his coat as if he was five years old again.
"The Novrosk Peninsula, Russia, Earth, 21st century," Jack replied, wrapping an arm around his waist and giving Ianto a gentle kiss. "Thank you for indulging me."
"The story of my life, Jack, indulging you," Ianto deadpanned.
Ianto was quiet as Jack told him about the life-force stealing alien ship, and about the innocent people who had died because of humans wanting the one thing they weren't supposed to have, the one thing both Harkness-Joneses possessed: immortality.
And he talked about Valeria Mamentova, about how she'd become old and crippled before her time. How he'd been the only one to do more than pity her, how for a short while he'd been the only one who cared if she lived or died. How she'd scared the hell out of him because he'd been mortal then and only feared growing old. How she'd cried, how she'd been the only one to cry when they died.
And how, at the end, she'd hugged him good-bye.
"Captain!"
The snow was falling thick as a soldier in a definitely not snow-combat uniform ran towards them. Ianto briefly noted the decorations on the breast of his shirt as he came near-- Colonel then.
Jack beamed and waved back. "Colonel!"
"Captain, we weren't expecting to see you again so soon," the man said, words automatically translating thanks to the TARDIS. "Is the Doctor with you?"
"No, he and Rose got reassigned." He smiled and turned to Ianto. "Ianto, this is Colonel Levin. Colonel, this is -- " he hesitated for a moment, unsure how a military man would take to him and Ianto but not wanting to insult his husband.
Ianto picked up on the insecurity. "Ianto Jones, sir," Ianto said, holding a hand out for the Colonel to shake. "I'm from Intelligence as well."
Jack gave Ianto a grateful smile over Levin's shoulder as they shook hands. Ianto cast a speculative eye over the construction. "How long has the rebuilding been taking place?" he asked.
"Little over a week," Levin replied, torn between bristling and repressing pride.
"This is fantastic work."
Levin gave him a look of surprise as Ianto watched the construction workers and townspeople raise the wall of a house. The Welshman was smiling as he watched, amazed at the willpower of people yet again.
He'd seen what the human spirit could do, how they'd touch the stars.
"I assume you'll want to be seeing Valeria?" Levin asked Jack behind Ianto's back.
"I want to help her."
"Jack," Ianto sighed. "How can you, sweetheart? She's sick, even now, so many years later, humans still don't know how to reverse aging. Stave it off yes, but not reverse it."
"Yan, she lost time." He walked around the console to pull his husband into his arms. "Life force. And what do we have more of than anything?"
She looked both young and old, which was startling. Her face was so lined and it looked like all he had to do was breathe on her and she'd fall to pieces, held together only by her clothing and her healthy blonde hair.
Jack knelt in front of her, cupping her face. "Valeria?"
Her eyes didn't move. She didn't move at all, didn't register that he was there.
Ianto put a hand on Jack's shoulder, projecting strength. "It might not work."
"I have to try, Ianto."
The hand moved up to card through Jack's brown hair. "I know, love."
Jack paused for a split second before leaning in to carefully press his mouth against Valeria's. For a moment, there was nothing, just the quiet and a heartbreaking sense of failure.
Then she started glowing gold. The lines disappeared from her face, skin filling, plumping out and turning rosy under Jack's hands.
When, finally, Jack pulled away, there was a young, healthy-looking woman smiling back at him. "Jack--!" she gasped out, blinking. "I can talk again!"
Jack laughed and kissed her again, this time out of happiness, before pulling her into a bone-crushing hug.
"Is he always like this?" Valeria asked Ianto over Jack's shoulder.
"Oh, you have absolutely no idea," Ianto deadpanned.
