for quitehomoerotic: Welcome to the 27th century

[rude_not_ginger]

Follows this.

It was one thing, watching your companion be ripped apart.

One very terrible thing, mind you, but one thing. The Doctor stayed prone on the ground, the sound of Jack's death screams ringing in his ears as that thing, whatever it was, tore him into several unpleasant pieces. It reminded him of the Year That Wasn't, of Jack's screams while the Master tortured him and the Doctor's frail body keeping him from helping. That was torture, far more brutal than anything the Master's tools could produce.

Once the loud stomps of the creature faded away, the Doctor struggled to get to his feet and limped to the place where Jack had been.

It was another thing, having to find his body for it to regrow.

It took some time to find his upper torso, limp and lifeless. It didn't take too terribly long to drag said upper torso to a safe, empty cave not far from the forest's edge (after all, what Jack no longer had in height, he also lost in weight. It didn't take long for time to start snapping around him and his body to start to regrow.

That was something else all together. Muscle and bone formed out of nothing, and while Jack wasn't coherent, he was still alive, screaming and thrashing as he reformed. The Doctor pressed his fingertips to Jack's temple and tried to take away the pain, but when that failed, he pressed his mind into a quiet, comatose state.

While Jack repaired, the Doctor covered him with his coat and sat, waiting. For all that they'd fought, for all that the Doctor swore he'd never want Jack back on the TARDIS again, he did care about him. He wanted him happy, even if he wasn't certain he could handle having him so close. Jack was willing to die for the Doctor, and this was just another example of how he could.

But the Doctor wouldn't leave. Not this time.

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"Yes, yes, still working to catch my breath," the Doctor said with a mock exasperation. His lungs felt clearer, but he wasn't happy with how tight his muscles still felt.

He could see light at the mouth of the cave. Daylight. And it wouldn't last too long. He turned back to Jack, and then struggled to get to his feet.

"We haven't got much time. We need to get to that Tower and we need to get there before the next nightfall. The last thing I want to do is actually sleep here."

He had enough nightmares about Gallifrey without this trip.

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With a nod, Jack dragged himself to standing, keeping one arm primed ready should he need to support the Doctor.

"Yes, sir," he nodded, back to business. "It's not that far, right? I mean we could walk it before it gets dark? If you head up I can trail and watch out for those robot things and anything else that might come along with an aim to killing us. I mean, sure it might be hard alone, but you and me? Walk in the park, Doctor."

Jack knew perfectly well it was very far from a walk in the park, but he found himself with a renewed confidence. They were both going to be okay, and they would both stay okay. He'd be stubborn enough to make certain of that.

"What's that French thing you say, Doctor? Shall we?"

[rude-not-ginger.livejournal.com]

Jack's confidence wasn't fooling the Doctor. It was dangerous. Worse than dangerous. It was death out there and he knew it. But they would, together, somehow, make it out to the Tower. It was what they did, he and Jack. They survived. No, no, they did better than survived. They won.

He knelt down and picked up the key. "Allons-y."

He turned out, avoiding the array of bugs and snakes that slithered past to rush into the cave. More appeared poisonous this time, but they avoided the two travelers to return to their homes.

"There's a ledge up there, you see?" he said, gesturing to the top of the cliffside. "If we leap down from there, we should make it to the Tower. There's an unlocked entrance there. Once in, it's more mind games until we make it to Rassilon."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Outside the cave, Jack squinted in the half light to reacclimatise to the difference. The unpleasantness was becoming almost normal, though Jack longed for a warm and comfortable bed, or a nice cup of coffee. He'd have those, eventually. He had something and someone more important right now.

"I see it," he nodded, already glancing around to try and find them an access up to the cliff. It wouldn't be easy, but that was hardly surprising.

"Ooh mind games!" Jack said, laced with sarcasm, "Really, they're just spoiling us with those."

Stepping a few feet to the side he caught sight of something that might assist them. "How's your rock climbing, Doctor?" he asked and took hold of a thick branch of something akin to ivy, "We could use these as a tether?"

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"Yeah, they're the Time Lords' personal favorite," the Doctor agreed. "Mind games because physical games require getting too involved. No fencing, no fighting, just create the perfect place that kills. And that's this place, with the Tower right at the heart of it."

He wouldn't say so, but Jack's humor did make him smile. They could do this. They would do this.

He took hold of the ivy and gave it a tug. "Seems strong enough," he agreed. "I'll loosen the top hold with the sonic, just tug as much as you think we need."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Well then I'll look forward to whatever they have planned," Jack said flippantly, "but I warn you now, if they're not up to scratch there'll be strongly worded letter from me to them."

Tugging on the ivy, he nodded, and looked up to the ridge they needed to reach. "Wrap it round yourself," he told him, "nice and tight, so if you trip you won't fall back. Any idea what the rock condition is? If it's firm enough it shouldn't be too hard. Though... famous last words and all that."

He tugged the ivy down, testing it again and nodded, "That should do it, Doctor."

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"I was never here during this time period. Fairly crumbly a few hundred thousand years from now, though."

He headed towards the cliff and worked to tie the ivy around himself. He wasn't too nervous, not really. He'd leapt over far worse with far less equipment than strong ivy. And with far less of a capable companion at the time.

Once close enough to start to climb down towards the top of the Tower, he knelt and checked the solidity of the soil.

"Firm," he said. "Shouldn't cause too much slipping as it goes down. How should we do this? Pulley? Wrap it 'round a rock and climb down?

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack scanned the area, looking for rocks and anything that might be strong enough to support the weight of the vine and them, he kicked his foot against a boulder, and it moved a little under his weight.

"Hmm," he said, turning back to the Doctor, "no." He shook his head and put his hands to his hips, firing out instructions as though he were talking to his team, "Right, you Doctor start the climb, I'll tie the vine around this boulder and stay up here to make sure it holds. That way I can help too if you need any slack. When you're done then I'll go after you."

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"And why don't you go first? There's no reason why I should be the first down, it's going to be more dangerous waiting." The Doctor crossed his arms.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

Jack let out a long audible breath.

"Fine, I'll go first. Either way someone has to wait, whether it's at the top or the bottom. I just think you like being the one telling other people what to do."

He took hold of the ivy and started to tie it around the boulder, knotting it tightly, "Quite a dominant streak that, Doctor, I wonder if it transfers to other areas of your life. There," he tugged on the knot, "if that doesn't hold, nothing will."

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He let out a half-laugh. "I think we both know how dominant my tendencies are. Some of us just aren't as flexible."

The Doctor unlooped the vine from himself and handed it to Jack. He was first worried about something happening to Jack up here, but now he worried there might be something down there. Too many things could go wrong in this place.

"Be safe," he instructed.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Yes. We. Do." Jack grinned, teasing him with his tone. "And oh I'm sure you could be flexible, you just need the right person to bend you."

He winked at him as he took hold of the vine, and knotted it tightly around his waist, tugging to make sure it held.

"Same to you," he nodded back, "stay out of trouble." And he moved back to the edge, tested the rock with his foot, and sent himself over the edge.

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The Doctor waited, watching as Jack lowered himself, checking on the speed of the vine and how safe the drop was. The vine was strong, like Jack had anticipated, but he wasn't sure about the length.

Gallifrey. The planet of his people. The planet he hated and loved. Part of him, a very, very strong part, wanted to call on them, now that Jack was somewhere safer. Call on them and demand an audience. Demand an audience and stop this, all these games.

But they were fixed. And he couldn't risk Jack's life if he tried to stop this fixed event.

"You all right?" he called down.

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

As he moved down Jack kicked his feet against the rock face. It crumbled a little as he moved, but nothing too dramatic or dangerous. Nothing he couldn't cope with.

"Oh just fine," he called back up. "Though this adventure holiday leads a lot to be desired. You wait until I see the rep. I'll be having strong words, just you see!"

He looked around him, and behind at the looming tower. Gallifrey. Gallifrey the stuff of legend and here he was; the planet that had been destroyed from time but he still managed to be here. Seemed somehow right, he was good at the impossible.

"How about you?" he called back up at the Doctor, wanting to keep him talking. "You know now might be a great time for a heart to heart," he suggested, sarcastically. "Isn't that the done thing?"

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"Oh, I don't know. Rock climbing, cave dwelling, nature walks, exotic living quarters. Sure, a few interactions with the locals and some primitive medical methods---" the last was said pointedly at the sky, and then back to Jack, "---but overall, I've been on worse holidays."

He got a little more comfortable as the vine went down. So long as they were both all right, this would be good. They would be okay.

"Isn't this the ideal time for conversation? Neither of us are going anywhere any time soon."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"I try and go through my holidays without being eaten, Doctor. Well, unless I'm asked really nicely." He grinned and tugged the ivy over a slight ridge on the rock face, a slight falter but nothing of real concern.

Glancing back he could see the ground. It was far enough, but not too far. Should be easy enough.

"Oh yeah," Jack agreed, and for once not really sarcastic. Well, much, "and none of that pesky face to face having to look at people as you talk, stuff."

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"Well, maybe not ideal, but it's the best way to make sure the other party won't wander off while you're talking to them. You're both sort of fixed in position. No looking away, no changing the subject. It's sort of freeing."

Freeing might not have been the right word. Sort of entrapping, actually. But, in a way, the Doctor preferred these types of conversations. He could lie more efficiently.

"How much further down?"

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Fixed in position," Jack nodded and pulled a slight face, "well I'm an old hand at that. But come on! No changing the subject? This is you we're talking about! You change the subject as often as the weather in Cardiff does."

He slid himself down a little further and checked the distance again. It was close now, a few feet, maybe eight. He could manage that, no problem. Reaching down he loosened the knot on his waist and holding onto the ivy he swung himself lower and dropped down, landing his feet firmly on the ground.

The ivy above went slack and pinged back up like a bungy.

"I'm down," he called up, later than he probably should have. He turned and looked at the tower, he didn't like it one bit. "Your turn, Doctor."

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The Doctor caught the ivy and began to scale down like a professional rock climber. He had done similar many, many times in the past. He didn't call down to Jack as he went, he just dropped.

Once his feet were firmly on the ground, he gave Jack a wide grin.

"See? Wasn't that easy?"

Which was the point where the platform before the door started to crumble. He darted towards the Tower door and tugged it open.

"In, in!"

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Hmmmn, seems so," Jack said back to him, seeming ever so slightly affronted at the grace and ease with which the Doctor made the descent. "Is there anything you can't do?"

The ground under Jack's feet started to shake, and he looked down at it before dashing behind the Doctor. He ran in through the open door and stopped inside, pausing to catch his breath.

"Whew! That was a close one! So what do we do now? And can I start to look forward to those mind games?"

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The Doctor leapt in after him, only just catching the side of the door with his hands as the ground gave out under his feet. "I wasn't aware we'd moved on from mind games to platform gaming. I'm out of practice."

He shut the door and grinned over at Jack. "I can't knit," he said. "Or sit through the whole of Titanic. Something about that soundtrack that bothers me..."

The flip attitude was entirely false, of course. He knew the moment the mind games started, things would be entirely too serious for their own good.

"Look forward to them and look out for them," the Doctor said. "Let's go."

[quitehomoerotic.livejournal.com]

"Oh don't worry, Mario, you might be rusty but a bit of jumping around never hurt anybody. Or are you more of a Sonic?"

Jack squinted ahead along the corridor and took a deep breath, just like the Doctor he was joking and using flippancy as a way to act calmer than he really felt. "You can't? Damn, now that jumper I was gonna ask you to make me for Christmas is right out the window."

He pulled the sides of his coat up over his chest, covering the bloodstain on the scrubs underneath, and stuffed his hands down into his pockets.

"Oh don't worry, my eyes are peeled, Doctor, I'm looking all right." With a nod, he fell into step behind the Doctor and followed him along the corridor.

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The Doctor walked ahead, tracing each new panel of floor with the edge of his foot before walking on. It was less for amusement and more for security in the Tower, though mind games were a specialty of Rassilon's, too.

He heard the click of high heels somewhere up ahead. They were very distinctive, a low, flat heel, probably from some sort of boot. He used to hear that click behind himself as he ran around corridors and down hallways and just prior to being slapped in the face.

He shouldn't have been too surprised to see her there, standing in a shaft of light.

"Donna."

"Doctor! Doctor help me!"

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Jack stared out at the corridor around him, at panels in shadow and shades in the floor, looking out for anything that might trip them up. He had the distinct feeling they were being watched; the hairs standing up on the back of his neck and a cool chill running down his spine.

The voice turned his head. He spun his gaze quickly away from the surroundings and looked ahead. She looked so real, Donna in the light, Donna standing in front of them. But it couldn't be.

"Doctor..." Jack said his name like a warning and stepped forward, a hand out in front of the Doctor, protective.

"It's not her, Doctor, it can't be."

But it still looked so real.

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He reached out his hand, and he could almost swear he felt the warmth of Donna's body heat in the cold Tower's air.

"Doctor, you have to turn back. It's too late for me, turn back!"

Even her eyes. The way they looked equally terrified and determined, that was so very, very Donna. A part of his mind wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that somehow they'd pulled Donna from a period before she forgot, that she was there and real. But Jack was right. It wasn't her.

"Donna forgot me," he said. "She forgot everything. So she couldn't be standing there, no. You're right."