Chapter Text
Jack had never run faster in his life and he was running for two reasons. First, the Doctor was here in London. Second, the Tower of London was burning and that definitely was not a coincidence. Jack's lungs burned as he ran toward the burning Tower. When Jack finally got within distance and could see the fallen Tower it was not what he had been expecting. It looked like a war zone like a nuclear bomb had been set off. Blackened and burning cement scattered everywhere, there wasn't anywhere you could walk without having to dodge debris.
The air was thick with smoke and dust, Jack covered his mouth with his sleeve in an attempt to protect his lungs, it only did so much. Each breath still cost him as he pushed further into the wreckage worry eating away at him as he saw more and more. A sick squelching sound stopped him. Jack lifted his foot slowly and nearly vomited he could barely tell what it was, but it was obvious. Zygons, Zygons did this. But what would be the point of blowing themselves up. And where the hell was the Doctor? Is the Doctor -.
No he was not going to entertain that thought. He was going to find him he was going to be fine.
Jack pushed further within the destruction every step a cost to his lungs, eyes burning as the soot and heat pushed against him. He moved every boulder, every dead Zygon out of the way until his hands bleed, healed and then bleed again. He was nearly at the center of the wreckage by now and he hadn't found a thing. And he'd really like to get the Doctor out of here before UNIT shows up.
He was getting desperate now it was like the Doctor hadn't even been here. The Doctor is here he knows it, if only he could overturn the right rock. Jack had finally taken to screaming throwing caution to the wind, saying fuck experiments and UNIT.
"Doctor!"
He screamed until his throat burned and the ash cut slivers into his esophagus. He screamed until he couldn't feel anything anymore and fuck he wished he could.
"Doctor!"
He screamed until his voice went hoarse and the sensation of oxygen of passing his esophagus made it bleed.
He pushed through the last of the wreckage and boulders. Jack blinked furiously as more soot and burning ash burned his face. He could see the entrance of the Tower now, or what was left of it now. Barely he could make out a silhouette, hunched over.
Joy sprung up within Jack he'd found him, the Doctor. He'd barely even left. Usually the Doctor didn't stay around to for UNIT or the human media circus. Jack approached slowly, his body still aching. Then his heart stopped, no. Doctor.
The Doctor was sitting on his knees, body completely slumped. A young girl's body lay draped across his lap, and even from Jacks distance he could tell that she was dead. The Doctor seemed to be in another place, he was staring at the sky with a wistful childlike expression, a small smile on his lips, one of his hands gently caressing the girls dark brunette hair, his other hand lay limp. Delicately holding his sonic.
It was a disturbing sight; he'd never seen the Doctor so broken, so lost.
Jack slowly approached, couching down. The girls eyes were still open, Jack extended a hand using his thumb and forefinger to carefully close the girls eyes closed. The Doctor jumped, flinching as if only just registering Jack's presence. HIs eyes slowly glided down looking at the girl almost taking her in, time seemed to pass sloth-like as the Doctor stared at the girl. Then he blinked and then dragged his clouded eyes to Jack.
"Oh, must of forgot." His voice came out like the last bits of broken glass on a window frame. It was precarious as if the slightest push would shatter it into a billion pieces
The words pierced Jack; the statement was completely non-sequitor Jack wasn't even sure the Doctor was actually talking to him. It sent worry burning down his esophagus cutting bleeding slivers into him.
Jack scooted closer about to touch the Doctor's shoulder in comfort but then rethought it, retracting his hand. Clearing his throat, wincing around the burn it created, Jack called the Doctor, get him back to reality.
When there was no response Jack gently gripped the Doctor's shoulder and called his name. The Doctor continued to stare blankly at the stars. Jack squeezed lightly on the Doctors shoulder this time and called again. The Doctor flinched blinking rapidly, once again fixing his blank eyes on Jack.
More blinking, but with each blink those milky clouds slowly dissipated.
"Jack?"
Jack smiled relieved, he'd finally gotten through. "Yeah, it's me Doc."
The Doctor flinched at the nickname his entire face contorting with something hidden. "Jack don't."
Jack's stomach twisted he felt like he was going to be sick; he couldn't stand seeing the Doctor like this, broken. He was broken. Jack breathed and nodded.
"I won't D-, I won't." Why wouldn't the Doctor want to be called by his name? Was it possible that he thought that he didn't deserve it, the title of Doctor.
Suddenly a choked sob escaped the Doctor's lips, tears glistening his cheeks. It was hard to watch such a strong man break down before him, Jack had to do something.
Gritting his teeth and pulling in a breath Jack spoke. "What, what happened?"
"I fixed it." It was barely a whisper, scraping against the heat and ash, yet Jack could still hear it.
"Fixed it?" Jack doesn't know what to make of it. What did he fix? Does he mean the Zygons, he stopped them that was clear by the destruction.
"Gallifrey falls no more." The words were stronger this time, but the Doctor sounded almost as if he didn't believe it.
It certainly sounded like fantasy to him 'Gallifrey falls no more'. The Doctor's home planet was gone, destroyed. It made no sense. There was definitely more to this than the Zygons.
"But, Doctor -"
"No more." The Doctor was looking at him now, pinning him down with that clouded green gaze. Jack was losing him again. He had to find out what happened. And fix this, if possible.
"Doc-"
"No more." He cut him off again, the Doctor was no longer looking at him now he was back to stroking the girl. Jack figured she must be his current companion. It was then he realized the Doctor wasn't just broken, he was heartbroken. And it wouldn't be long before he shattered.
"Come on, D-"
"No more!"
Jack flinched the Doctor was screaming now, falling apart. He clutched the girl pulling her to his chest rocking back and forth, face contorted into an expression of utter pain and loss.
Jack was taken aback, the Doctor was literally falling apart before him and he couldn't do anything. The Doctor wasn't able to tell him what had happened, he had no clues. No direction in which to face.
He had to get the Doctor to talk it was all that mattered now, fixing this. Jack grabbed the Doctor's shoulders shaking him slightly, the Doctor's head wobbled until his eyes finally locked on Jack's. A hiccough escaped the Doctor's lips, his bottom lip quivered minutely before his jaw tensed and the Doctor's gaze hardened.
"Doctor you have to tell me, what happened?" Jack's voice came out rough as sandpaper and urgent, his gaze never left the Doctor's.
The Doctor's eyes glided down again to the girl, his companion. And Jack got the distinct feeling that this girl was different than the others. "Sh-she couldn't get out."
Jack was about to push for more, but his words were halted.
"It's fine though because were going home. I can go home now." The Doctor smiled hugely, it was a twisted smile though. It was a parody of the real thing though, there was no emotion, just muscles working beneath skin. The entire scene was macabre, grinning in the fire light, tear tracks staining his cheeks, lost companion laying limp in his arms.
Jack hissed in a breath, 'go home'. The Doctor couldn't go home, he didn't have a home. It was impossible, unless.
No.
There was no way Jack was going to let the Doctor do that. Jack could never let the Doctor destroy himself.
He knew what he had to do now, Jack knew enough know.
Jack leaned over and embraced the Doctor, his arms encircling the sad man. The Doctor was slipping again, barely registering the embrace, arms still clutching the fallen companion.
Letting one arm fall, he slowly searched the damaged ground for the sonic screwdriver he knew the Doctor dropped. He soon found it, his fingers curling around the cool metal. Jack slipped the sonic into this sleeve letting go of the embrace with the Doctor.
Jack smiled faintly at the broken man and as a gesture of farewell brushed one of the Doctor's unruly locks behind his ear and gently kissed the Doctor's salty tear stained cheek.
Using the sonic Jack re-calibrated the vortex manipulator and set the co-ordinates.
Almost as if he were a doll Jack slipped the sonic back into the Doctor's hand curling his fingers around the cool metal.
It was almost as if the sight were eating at him, he couldn't stand to see the Doctor like this. Jack's jaw tensed as he patted the Doctor's hand before standing up and spoke. "That belongs with you, Doc."
Not even a reaction.
Jack swallowed, he would fix this. And then he activated the vortex manipulator.