"Two weeks?! I was asleep for TWO WEEKS?!"
"Whoa, calm down, Fenn. You didn't miss anything." Jack leaned across the table from the couch opposite her, his smile reassuring. The hub's living area was fairly plain, but it was a relief for Fenn to be sitting down again. She glared at the Doctor over the coffee table, who was sitting next to Jack, "Didn't miss anything? Tell me Doctor, did you go out for a holiday while I was asleep?"
He looked uncomfortable, "Yes. Why do you ask?"
She sighed, frustrated, "Hmm, let me think. You didn't happen to marry Queen Bess, save a planet from the red carnivorous mor, see the phosphorous carousel of the great Mingelinga Stat, and name a galaxy Alison?"
His face flashed with surprise, but then realisation settled in his eyes, "The show?"
Fenn nodded, "You had to go, didn't you? I mean, Alison's a nice name for a galaxy and all, but you had to go and do those things, didn't you? You had to go and follow the timeline."
"Wait a second," said Jack, turning to the Doctor, "You married Good Queen Bess?"
The Doctor squirmed, and Fenn smirked, "Let's just say that her nickname no longer applies."
Jack grinned at the Doctor, "Was she good?"
"That's not the point!" he said indignantly.
"Exactly, Jack. You have to go to the Ood now, Doctor," said Fenn.
"Hold on, Fenn," said Jack, "We've got a few questions for you first."
"Yes!" said the Doctor, "It's about time you told me few things yourself."
Fenn shrank back a little, feeling a bit nervous, "What do you want to know?"
Jack and the Doctor looked at each other, and Jack pulled a book out of his pocket and handed it to Fenn. She held it tenderly and gasped as she read the title- Torchwood: Into the Silence. She breathed, "Did you read it?"
"Of course," Jack almost growled, "Now tell us what's going on."
"I have no idea," she said.
"Nonsense," said the Doctor, "You seem to know everything."
She shook her head, "As far as I'm aware, Doctor, the show is like River's diary- it contains your future. And your past."
"Have you seen my future?"
Fenn looked uncomfortable, and mumbled, "Not much."
The Doctor stared at her intensely, "Don't lie to me. You knew all about the prophecy, Rose, Martha, Donna, River- you know how to pilot the TARDIS, and other things- things that are still to come. Tell me, Fenn!"
She jumped up, "I don't know! I don't know how your life ended up on the show; I don't know how Torchwood ended up on TV either! I wish I knew! I really do, Doctor! I wish I could get Hannah back from Delven, I wish I could pull her out of that crack, I really do! I wish I'd never seen it!" She collapsed onto the chair in frustration, running her hands through her hair. Jack and the Doctor shared a long, meaningful look. Jack sat forward, "Seen what, Fenn?"
Her answer came back softly, stressed, "Everything."
"What do you mean?"
She sat up and took a deep breath, "You never asked me what Delven had done to me."
The Doctor smirked, "Well, I never really got the chance. You broke me out of the prison you put me in and got yourself shot in the process. No time to chat in between, you know?"
Fenn ignored the shot, and her eyes filled with pain as the memories played back through her mind, "They made me look into crack in time and space, a crack in the skin of the universe. I saw it all, Doctor. I saw you, Jack, and Torchwood; I saw the Daleks being created- I saw Donna, and Martha, and Rose. I saw the Master and the untempered schism, and Gallifrey. I saw the Time War, Doctor. I saw the Time Lords and Daleks screaming and Gallifrey burning. They made me watch everything, everything that was, will be and is. But it backfired. I saw what they did to Hannah, and my parents. I saw how corrupt the Agency was, is, and will be. But you know the funny thing, Doctor?"
"What?"
"Throughout all of that space and time, all of those things that happened... I saw you. At every event, every point of time and space, you."
"Does it hurt, knowing it all?"
"It did, does, and will. But there's nothing you can do."
He took a deep breath, "What did they do to Hannah?'
"They pushed her into the crack."
Jack's eyes widened, "So she's dead?"
Fenn shook her head, "Worse. She's not just dead- she's been erased from time. She never existed."
"How come you can remember her, then?"
The Doctor cut across, "We're anomalies, all time travellers are- the more you travel, the more of an anomaly you are, and the more memory of the universe you retain- past, present, future and the forms of the universe that previously existed."
Jack turned to Fenn, who was rubbing her eyes tiredly, "So how does it feel?"
"Hmmm?"
"Seeing the whole universe at once?"
The Doctor interrupted again, "I've told you plenty of times before, Jack."
Jack waved his words away, "Yes, but you always describe it in the same way. I want a fresh perspective."
"I don't want her to have to-"
Fenn cut in, "No, it's okay, Doctor. Jack, d'you the Total Perspective Vortex in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that makes your head explode by showing you the entire universe and then the tiny little spec that is you?"
"Yeah?"
"That's what it feels like."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, as none of them really knew what to say. Finally, Fenn seemed to gather herself. She sat up in her chair and looked at the book in her lap. Realization suddenly dawned in her eyes, and she turned to Jack, "You read the book."
"I know. I told you that before."
She seemed worried for some reason, "Yes. But if you've read the book, then you would've done more research, surely."
"Of course."
"Did you watch the series?"
"Yes."
Fenn jumped up, "Did you see Children of Earth? TELL me you didn't see Children of Earth."
Jack looked confused, "What's Children of Earth?"
"Oh, wait," Fenn checked her watch, "Two thousand and eight. Oh thank god, it's two thousand and eight. It's not out yet."
"What's not out yet? What's Children of Earth?"
Fenn shook her head, "Trust me, Jack, you don't want to know."
"My trust is running a bit thin."
"Please, Jack. I don't want to remember, and if I told you, neither would you. Now where is my vortex manipulator? It was around my wrist when I was shot."
The Doctor cleared his throat, "Actually, Fenn, I was going to talk to you about that-"
She glared at him, "What have you done to it?"
Jack grinned, "He took it apart, like mine. Except yours is less salvable."
"WHAT?! DOCTOR! Why did you do that?"
The Doctor stood up and glared at her, "Because you arrested me, got yourself shot, led me on a wild goose chase for a show, and in general caused a lot of trouble. And if I'm going to the Ood, then I'm going to leave you on Earth, and I don't want to leave a rogue Time Agent running around Earth with a vortex manipulator- imagine the damage you could do! No offence intended, Jack."
"None taken," Jack smirked.
"So, miss I'm-in-charge, you're about to get a shock. I am going to see the Ood. But you're not coming with me, and you're not getting your manipulator back. End of story, full stop. I'm not taking arguments. I'll leave you here, and Jack can decide what to do with you. Maybe you can make yourself useful around Torchwood."
Fenn opened her mouth to say something scathing, then shut it again. He was right- she was a burden. It would be better to stay on Earth. She put the book down in silence and walked out, brushing past Ianto. He watched her, confused, as she walked out the door and into the "magic lift" that so many Torchwood fans searched for at the Roald Dahl Plass. Ianto walked into the living room and looked at Jack and the Doctor, who were standing silently on either side of the coffee table. "What's up with her?"
The Doctor stirred, "I'm leaving her on Earth."
"Oh," said Ianto, "She just left."
"Can you go and fetch her, Ianto?" Jack said, "She might listen to you."
Ianto turned to go, but the Doctor moved to stop him, "Ianto. Do me a favour."
"Name it."
The Doctor looked at him intensely for a moment, "Look after her. Make sure she doesn't get hurt. Don't let her do anything stupid or irrational. Oh, and tell her..." he cleared his throat, "Tell her... I'm coming back. I won't leave her here too long."
Ianto looked at Jack, who nodded, and shook the Doctor's hand, "I will, Doctor."
Jack interrupted, "Why didn't you ask me?"
The Doctor smirked, "Jack, seriously? You're normally the one who does the irrational things."
Jack shrugged and grinned, "I suppose you're right; as usual."
The Doctor took a deep breath, "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"For now," said Jack, and hugged the Doctor, "and Doctor? Take care of yourself, okay?"
The Doctor just smiled, and walked down the stairs to the TARDIS. Jack and Ianto stood in silence for a moment, then turned to go and find Fenn.
By the way, these are awesome! ^^
"d'you the Total Perspective Vortex in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy..." Doesn't flow well as a sentence.
Good chapter, though I have a feeling you took the Hitchhiker's reference 'cause you couldn't come up with something on your own (Not saying it's true just saying that's what it feels like). I'm sure it could've been worked in somewhere else, or at least expounded upon.
Great chapter, good work. I can feel the tension rising.
Well, I put in the reference mainly because I found that it was the most apt description I knew of; it probably could've gone somewhere else, but I can't really change it now.
Thanks for the crit
Yay for Hitchhiker's!
But speaking of brain's exploding...
I can kind of understand the Doctor and Doctor Who existing in the same universe... I believe you explained it, but I've completely forgotten your explanation by now
But how can the "real" Torchwood and the TV show Torchwood exist in the same universe without Jack and the others finding out about it at some point? And without the people watching knowing that it's real, because all the things in the show would actually have happened...
YAYZ!
The explanation (cue mysterious music here) comes later in the story. I don't think I've explained it previously, but it does all tie together in a neat little package. (Hopefully; no doubt there will be a few dangling ends. But, this is my first fic ever, so no doubt I'll make a few mistakes.)
I almost feel bad for her as much as I feel bad for the Doctor...and what he's going to do next...