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The Tenth Doctor (lonely_god) wrote in silverage,
@ 2011-07-30 13:08:00

Entry tags:

!log, 10th doctor, jack harkness

Who: The Tenth Doctor, open to Jack Harkness
When: Sometime after this, but before Saturday monring
Where: The TARDIS, parked outside the Welcome Center
What: The Doctor contemplates the reasons Jack wanted him to keep quiet, and finds himself dreading any sort of reunion with Torchwood.
Rating: Low at the moment
Status: Complete narrative or open thread for Jack

The Doctor had known Jack and other members of Torchwood were in the city. He hadn't known for certain when in their timelines they'd been rerouted to this place rather than the lives they should have had. After Jack's reaction to his response to Gwen, however, he had his suspicions.

He hadn't meant any harm by contacting Gwen. He honestly hadn't. Seeing her use Jack's surname had come as such a surprise that he'd found himself replying to her before he really thought of the consequences. He'd thought Jack was far more interested in that Ianto fellow. He wasn't certain what they were getting at, with Gwen claiming her coworker as her brother and Jack as her husband, but they surely had their reasons. He supposed he might find out what they were if he met them for breakfast, as he'd promised Gwen he would.

Still, the temptation to run was there. Although he hadn't been on Earth at the time, he knew about the 456. He knew about the cost. He knew that Torchwood had been involved. It wouldn't surprise him at all if Jack walked through the doors of the TARDIS and punched him by way of hello.

There were no excuses the Doctor could make to absolve himself of culpability. There were no words he could say that would make the actions of the 456 any less horrific. He most certainly couldn't do a thing to restore the lives that had been lost.

"When will you stop being such an idiot?" he quietly asked himself. He'd done it again, the same as he'd done with Rose. He'd intruded on lives that might have been better off without him. With Rose, however, he'd been lucky. She'd accepted him, finally, despite the hurt of it. Jack, he thought, had far less reason to be forgiving.

Perhaps he shouldn't go to that diner on Saturday morning after all.

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harknessjack
2011-07-30 08:44 pm UTC (link)

Jack had many reasons to be angry at The Doctor. He had so many questions that would only lead to more questions with no answers, so he knew that going into the whole thing. After talking to The Doctor on the bulletin board, he had told Gwen & Ianto that he was going to meet with him. The look on Ianto's face was less than thrilled. Jack knew what he was thinking and he assured him that wouldn't be happening again. He knew his place. Jack had had several opportunities to leave with The Doctor and didn't.

He wouldn't now. He had placed a kiss on the baby's head and after fussing for way, way (really, way) too long, he left their apartment and headed out into the night to meet with The Doctor.

Jack felt a clenching in the pit of his stomach and he knew that there were things that had to be answered for. Jack knew that The Doctor couldn't have saved or restored the lives lost; he just wanted to know why he couldn't have helped. And why Jack had make the biggest sacrifice of his own family to to save the world. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but he knew it was a question that he had to ask.

He walked the whole way, his coat flapping about his legs. Perhaps it was too warm for it, but the coat was his security blanket. He knew that it was stupid, but it calmed him down to have the coat on. If he said it out loud, it would sound even more ridiculous, so he kept that little tidbit to himself. As he neared the Welcome Center, he could see the familiar blue box parked there. He smiled despite the emotions raging just underneath the surface.

He reached into his coat pocket and dug out the key that he knew was there. As he found himself standing in front of it, he slid his hand along the wood as a silent acknowledgment before using the key to let himself in. It was do or die time. Or just do. He couldn't die. He sucked in a deep breath and pushed the door open, letting himself in and shutting the door behind him. He pressed his back to it and looked around, not making any moves as of yet.

"Hello."

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lonely_god
2011-07-30 08:52 pm UTC (link)

The Doctor was standing on the opposite side of the room, shoulder propped against one of the coral uprights. His attention had been fixed on the doors from the moment he had sensed Jack's approach. There was no missing the way time moved around the man, no escaping that feeling in the pit of his stomach that Jack was wrong, but he'd learned to tolerate the sensation over the years. Jack was a friend, and more than that, he was a friend who, like the Doctor, would spend the centuries watching others grow old and die while he lived on.

Though at least, the Doctot thought with a hint of jealous bitterness, Jack got to remain Jack. He didn't have to wake up as a new man every time he died.

You're letting your age show, the Doctor told himself, silently, and did his best to banish the faint hint of resentment. Jack didn't deserve it, particularly after what he'd been through.

"Hello," the Doctor said. He pushed away from the strut and crossed the room. He looked his age for once, the years weighing heavy on him despite the reprieve coming to this place had granted him. "So, Captain Jack Harkness. How long has it been for you?"