𝔏𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔫, 𝔈𝔫𝔤𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡, 𝔈𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔥
𝔍𝔞𝔫𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔶 1941
There is a fine line between skill and luck. Anyone can learn to paint, but very few gain enough attention to be remembered for it. There is also a fine line between hard work and a miracle. Only so much can be done to put a hold on something, but it can be impossible. Sometimes, faith just has to be put into practice. They had to let a miracle happen, and it was all that could be done.
EJ thought about it often. His father had died, which was luck, but whether it was a miracle or not was debatable. Scott Thompson was a horrific man, but death was not always the best option. He should have paid for his actions. He should have stood trial, but his heart gave out before anyone knew what happened in their home.
In fact, it was his brother, Tate's, autobiography which revealed to the world everything he had done. It was a best seller. They were recognised on the street, sought for interviews, and condolences given by complete strangers. Everything was a completed mess, and EJ hated it.
When the book was published, he couldn't leave his home without fear of talking about it. When it was brought up out of the blue, then he was susceptible to panic attacks and the such. He could hardly function when anyone mentioned it to him, so he pretended he was someone else.
Now, he assumed these miracles would happened one day, and he would see it with his own eyes. He would just have to wait. It couldn't be too long, otherwise EJ might lose all hope.
As they stepped through the disused railway stations, attempting to stay as quiet as possible, EJ could feel the discomfort in his stomach. He loved breaking into places. It was one of his favourite pastimes. However, the darkness and the whole jeopardy related to their situation made him wholly uncomfortable.
"There it is." Jack directed their gaze towards the tarp. "Hey, they've got Algy on duty. Must be important."
The Doctor wasn't bothered by the personal connection, and pressed. "We've gotta get past."
"Are the words distract the guard heading in my general direction?" Rose sighed, practically glowing at the idea.
Jack shook his head forcing EJ to snort. "I don't think that's be such a good idea."
"Don't worry," She clearly wasn't getting the hint. "I can handle it."
"Well, I've gotten to know Algy quite well since I've been in town." He hummed. "Trust me, you're not his type."
The blonde boy sighed. "Is it me, then? Cos I don't mind, he's not all that good looking, but I can make it work-"
"No." Jack grinned, amused. "I'll distract him. Don't wait up."
He jogged away towards his army-friend, leaving Rose completely gobsmacked. If she hadn't known better, she would have called him straight, even with EJ having kissed him. She never saw that coming at all, and even the Doctor was finding her reaction a little funny.
"Relax!" He teased. "He's a 51st Century guy! He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing."
She raised an eyebrow, almost concerned. "How flexible?"
"By his time, you lot are spread out across half the galaxy."
"Meaning?"
The Doctor shrugged, nonchalantly. "So many species, so little time."
"What?" Rose scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life and... and..."
"Dance!"
EJ crossed his arms and smirked. "I think I need a 51st century guy."
However, as they watched Jack begin to talk to this Algy, they realised something was wrong. They were stunted in speech and movement, and soon, he dropped to his knees. The gas mask transformation began again, and they watched as the nozzle was forced up his throat until he was no longer himself. It was unfair.
But it wasn't just him. At least another three soldiers followed suite. Their bodies reacted in the same way, and EJ could hardly look. His skin was crawling, mind aching as he tried to comprehend the lives lost to this awful situation. It wasn't even the war doing it, and that somehow made it all worse.
The Doctor wasn't afraid of it in the way he should have been. Instead, he raced towards them, his arms outstretched. "Stand back!"
"You, men!" Jack used his military influence to keep the people away. "Stay away!"
Rose and EJ followed swiftly, not wanting to be left out. The Doctor was running a million scenarios through his mind, and it only made them all worried. "The effects becoming airborne, accelerating."
The air raid siren sounded once more, and a shiver ran through the Thompson boy. "What's keeping us safe?" Rose asked, panicked.
He shook his head. "Nothing."
"Ah," Jack groaned as he saw the planes circling above them. "Here they come again."
"Jesus Christ." EJ groaned, running his hands through his hair.
"All we need!" The girl complained. "Didn't you say a bomb was gonna land here?"
The captain nodded, but the Doctor ignored him. "Never mind about that. If the contaminants airborne now, there's hours left."
"Till what?" Jack leant in.
"Till nothing!" He exclaimed, frustrated and overwhelmed. "Forever! For the entire human race! And can anyone else hear singing?"
EJ had been trying not to freak himself out, so he found it easier to block everything out. However, when he really listened, he could hear what the Doctor was describing. A girls voice singing rock-a-bye baby. They followed it like a map in some sort of treasure trail to one of the locked containers. The Doctor used his sonic to remove the chains, but they soon realised that they needed to stay absolutely silent.
Nancy was singing a gas-mask zombie to sleep. His head was pressed against the table, hushed, and immobilised. It was hard to know how long this state would last, so the Doctor made sure to cut the handcuffs binding her there as fast as he could.
When they were out, the Doctor instructed EJ to pull back the tarpaulin so he could scope the Chula ship. The guard lights turned on as they did. They must have been motion sensor, or perhaps, someone was watching them.
"You see?" Jack's first instinct was to defend himself. "Just an ambulance!"
Nancy looked at the hunk of metal, with nothing less than confusion. "That's an ambulance?"
"It's hard to explain..." Rose had taken her to the side, keeping her from danger, so it was her job to inform her of all the difficult things. "It's... it's from another world."
Jack's brow furrowed. "They've been trying to get in."
"Of course they have." The Doctor chuckled, half surprised. "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's secret weapon."
So, with his own best interests at heart, the Captain leant over the ship to a small control panel. He pressed a few of the buttons, which seemed to work, until he was asked otherwise. Perhaps he knew more than he was saying, or really he was trying to prove his innocence. There was a chance EJ had jumped the gun on him, and it made him slightly nervous.
"What are you doing?"
"As soon as you see that this thing is empty, you'll know I had nothing to do with it." However, Jack's tampering caused a spark, and a siren with a red flashing light. "Didn't happen last time."
"It hadn't crashed last time." The Doctor retorted, snappily. "There'll be emergency protocols."
Rose, referring to the siren, queried. "Doctor, what is that?" She waited a moment, but he left her in silence. "Doctor!"
"Captain, secure those gates!"
"Why?"
"Just do it!" He commanded, so he ran off, and did what was asked of him. "Nancy, how did you get in here?"
"Cut the wire." She replied.
"Show Rose." The Doctor threw his sonic to her. "Setting 2428-D."
It confused her. "What?"
"Reattaches barbed wire. Go!"
They too followed his instructions, leaving only EJ by his side. Although, he was still dressed in pyjamas, which slightly contradicted their professionalism. "What about me?"
"Help me." Was his swift reply. "Come on."
The Doctor clambered on top of the ship so that he could grasp a better understanding of it. It would make it easier to silence siren if he knew exactly what he was dealing with. Though, even with his sonic returned to him, it hardly made a difference until it opened.
"It's empty." Jack reiterated. "Look at it."
"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter?" The Doctor taunted, clearly fed up with their new acquaintance. "Bandages? Cough drops?" He looked to the blonde girl. "Rose?"
"I dunno." She shrugged.
"Yes, you do." The Doctor showed her his hands, and something in her mind clicked into place.
"Nanogenes!"
"It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough Nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."
Jack's eyes opened wide. "Oh God."
"Getting it now, are we?" He scoffed. "When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them. Ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night. And wearing a gas mask."
"Holy fucking shit." EJ whispered; he never realised the child had been dead before, which really but his whole zombie view into perspective.
"And they brought him back to life?" Rose began to stutter. "They can do that?"
"What's life?" The Doctor sighed. "Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to nanogenes."
EJ could've screamed. It was the same attitude his father had when experimenting. He would change life, he would control life, it was his aim, it was his destiny. Scott didn't care how hurt his children were, because he could fix them in his own image. Perhaps that was worse than death. Only EJ and his siblings could compare it.
"One problem, though." He paused. "These nanogenes, they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human beings supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on, they do what they're programmed to do, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, work to be done!"
Soon enough, it was dawning on them all, even Nancy. It was Jack's fault. Maybe not directly, but it was his fault. And they could see it was eating him up inside.
"Cos you see, now they think they know what people should look like. And it's time to fix the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire human race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child, looking for its mother. And nothing in the world can stop it!"
Uncomfortably, Jack shifted. "I didn't know."
Nancy stared at them, her eyes watery and sad before she turned away. As it happened, they heard the faint familiar cries once more. "Rose!" She called.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings, and it caught EJ's attention. The zombies were surrounding them at every exit, standing, and watching. They were trapped. Even as they tried to fix the siren on top of the ship, it didn't stop them, they just kept coming until it was all they could see.
Rose ran to the Doctor, and saw the red light herself. "It's bringing the gas mask people here, isn't it?"
"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol."
She panicked at the sight. "But the gas mask people aren't troops!"
"They are now. This is a battlefield ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up, they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you..."
"That's why the child's so strong? Why it could do that phoning thing?"
"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes." The Doctor agreed.
"But..." EJ stuttered. "But it's barbaric."
"I know. All the weapons tech in the hands of an hysterical four year old, looking for his mummy." He paused, and looked to his friends. "And now there's an army of them."
They called out in the silence, still. They weren't going to stop, not for a moment. Nothing would stop until they all looked like them. EJ didn't want to be a gas mask zombie. He didn't want to be mindless. He didn't want his mother.
Jack stepped forwards a little, looking at the fences which kept them out. "Why don't they attack?"
"Good little soldiers." The Doctor gritted his teeth. "Waiting for their commander."
The captain said, confused. "The child!"
"Jamie." Nancy looked at them, her heart breaking.
"What?"
"Not the child." She repeated, scared to be too loud. "Jamie."
EJ smiled at her, kindly from beside the ship. "It's a beautiful name."
"So how long until the bomb falls?" Rose asked.
Jack tapped his foot and checked his watch. "Any second."
"What's the matter, Captain?" The Doctor teased him. It was easier than focusing on the worst of it all. "Bit close to the volcano for you?"
"He's just a little boy." Nancy reiterated.
"I know."
She was trying not to cry, but it was incredibly difficult. "He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."
"I know." The Doctor soothed as he approached her. "There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."
"So what are we gonna do?" Rose pushed.
He shrugged, almost helpless. There had to be something else. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" EJ scoffed, shaking his head a little. "How can you not know?"
"It's my fault." Nancy mumbled, tears falling down her cheeks.
"No."
"It is." She continued, sobbing. "It's all my fault."
"How can it be your..."
There are moments of skill, and there are moments of luck. The Doctor had worked to the best of his ability with all of the knowledge available, but that wasn't good enough. Only now, surrounded by people shouting mummy did it dawn on him. The biggest piece of the puzzle had been absent until now.
Nancy couldn't stop her tears, but no one expected her to. She was going through something highly traumatic, and yet, they could do nothing to dampen her pain. It was awful, feeling helpless.
"Nancy, what age are you?" The Doctor questioned her, softly. "20, 21? Older than you look, yes?"
Bombs began to fall closer to the railway station, and they could feel the ground rattle with their force. Jack was panicking too, now. They were all complete messes. "Doctor, that bomb... we've got seconds."
"You can teleport us out." The Tyler girl gasped, glad to have an idea which might save them.
EJ disagreed. "No, he can't."
"Not you guys." Jack sighed. "The nav-com's back online, gonna take too long to override the protocols."
The Doctor turned his head and looked him in the eye. "So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do."
"Jack?" Her voice cracked.
Before he could press for his teleport to activate, EJ engulfed him in a hug. He wouldn't have forgiven himself if he left, and he never got to see him again. But, he let go quickly. Jack couldn't even smile as he disappeared into thin air.
"How old were you five years ago?" The Doctor continued. "15? 16? Old enough to give birth, anyway. He's not your brother, is he?" She shook her head, standing there, feeling dirty. "Teenage single mother in 1941. So he hid. You lied. You even lied to him."
They watched the gates break open, and the little boy was just stood there. He was tiny. EJ wasn't sure he noticed before, but he did now. Jamie was tiny.
And then he spoke. "Are you my mummy?"
"He's gonna keep asking, Nancy." The Doctor told her. "He's never gonna stop. Tell him."
"Mummy!" Jamie began to walk towards them, others following his steps, stopping part way.
"Nancy." He looked at her, intently, hating to place such a burden on her shoulders. "The future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me and tell him."
"Are you my mummy?"
The boy didn't stop walking until Nancy met him part way. He looked at her, and didn't attempt to reach her just yet. She was sniffling, but it didn't stop her doing what had to be done.
"Are you my mummy?" He repeated. "Are you my mummy?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Yes, I am your mummy."
"Mummy?" Jamie tilted his head.
Nancy sniffled. "I'm here."
"Are you my mummy?"
She couched down to meet his height so he could really see her. It didn't stop the tears streaming down her face. "I'm here."
"Are you my mummy?"
"Yes." It was heartbreaking to watch, and EJ felt his chest contracting.
"Are you my mummy?"
"He doesn't understand," The Doctor froze. "There's not enough of him left."
"I am your mummy." Nancy said, confidently, after clearing her throat. "I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry." Suddenly, she reached forwards for him, and embraced him tightly. "I am so so sorry."
Before they knew it, the firefly-like nanogenes lit up and began to circle them. "What's happening?" Rose panicked, her voice raised. "Doctor, it's changing her, we've-"
"Shh!" He hushed her, waiting. "Come on, please! Come on, you clever little nanogenes. Figure it out! The mother, she's the mother. It's gotta be enough information. Figure it out!"
"What's happening?" She demanded.
"Just..." EJ halted as his eyes stayed trained upon them. "Wait."
"See?" The Doctor almost started jumping up and down with excitement. "Recognising the same DNA!"
They pulled away, but it didn't seem like it was by choice. Nancy fell backwards, still crying as she looked at her son. It didn't stop the Doctor from running to them. Rose and EJ followed, though they couldn't have been of much use.
"Oh, come on!" The Doctor was sighing as he looked at Jamie. "Gimme a day like this! Gimme this one!"
He was granted his wish as he lifted the gas mask to reveal a pointy nosed little boy. They saw his blonde hair and a gorgeous, tiny smile. EJ sighed in relief. He was alive.
"Haha! Haha!" The Doctor picked him up, beaming, and rested him on his hip. "Welcome back! 20 years to pop music, you're gonna love it!"
Nancy's brow furrowed. "What happened?"
"The nanogenes recognised the superior information. The parent DNA. They didn't change you, because you changed them. Haha! Mother knows best."
"Jamie..." She whimpered and held him close as the bombs kept falling around them.
Rose tapped her foot. "Doctor, that bomb..."
"Taken care of." He hummed.
"How?"
"Psychology."
Their view from the railway station meant that they could see the bomb leave the plane right above them. For a moment, EJ really did think he was going to die. But then it stopped, mid air, right above the ship. It was supposed to kill them, but it didn't. It was being held in stasis by Jack's ship, because they could see him, riding the bomb itself like a horse.
"Doctor!" He called to them.
"Good lad!"
"The bombs already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis, but it won't last long!"
"Change of plan!" The Doctor replied. "Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it, safely as you can?"
"Rose!" He called to the blonde girl.
There was hope in her voice. "Yeah?"
"Goodbye!" He disappeared after that, leaving both her and EJ feeling lonely. But as least she got that much. "By the way," They weren't expecting to see him again, but they did, and it made them smile. "Love the t-shirt."
Seeing him leave without saying a proper goodbye hurt EJ, but he would just have to live with it. Jack was gone. He wouldn't come back. That was that.
"And EJ?" He reappeared for the last time, causing the blonde boy to shake his head. It didn't make any sense. Jack couldn't keep himself away from them.
He grinned back at the Captain. "Yeah?"
"You're an excellent kisser!"
He couldn't help but chuckle as Jack disappeared for the last time. They were left only with the cask mask army. The Doctor was looking at his hands in disbelief, only creating more questions for his friends to answer. The nanogenes were flocking to him, they must have liked him.
Rose tilted her head slightly. "What are you doing?"
"Software patch." The Doctor shrugged. "Gonna email the upgrade. You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves!"
He swooped his hands through the air an allowed the nanogenes to swarm around the people who were still infected. They fell to the ground before any change could happen. And for a split second, EJ thought they might have been killed.
"Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once! Everybody lives!"
Soon enough, they began to stand, and move with perfectly mobility like nothing had ever happened. Their faces were normal. They were normal. They were human. They were alive.
The Doctor wasted no time in running over to Doctor Constantine so that he could calm them all. It was magic, watching him work. It wasn't luck at all. He had the skill to make things happen, and every once in a while, that skill turned into a miracle.
When he came back, there was a grin spread across his face. This was the sort of thing that made the horror worth it. Happy, healing people. It was enough for EJ.
"Right, you lot, lots to do!" He announced, to no one in particular, though everyone was listening. "Beat the Germans, save the world, don't forget the welfare state." Then, much quieter, he told Rose and EJ. "Setting this to self destruct as soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"
"Usually, the first in line." Rose laughed, almost completely back to her normal self.
It was enough to get them all to smile at each other and go back to their unusual usual routine. Though, as they strolled back towards the Tardis, EJ couldn't help but think. Why couldn't they go and save Jack? This was a time machine. It was the perfect way to save him, and that was what he wanted more than anything. EJ wanted his new friend to survive.
The Doctor raced through the Tardis doors with so much adrenaline it seemed like he might have been taking drugs for a moment. That in itself would have been an incredible sight.
"The nanogenes will clear up their mess and switch themselves off cos I've just told them too. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help... ditto. All in all, all things considered, fantastic!"
"Look at you," Rose grinned from ear to ear. "Beaming like Father Christmas!"
"Who says I'm not?" The Doctor shrugged. "Red bicycle when you were twelve."
"What?"
EJ's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
He just looked at the blonde boy. "Greyhound when you were fifteen."
"His name was Roman," The Thompson boy pointed his finger at the Doctor. "And that is both brilliant and mental."
"And everybody lives. Everybody loves. I need more days like this!"
His joy couldn't last forever. Solemnly, Rose gulped. "Doctor..."
"Go on! Ask me anything! I'm on fire!"
"What about Jack? Why did he say goodbye?"
The Doctor just stared at the console, so EJ's foot began to tap impatiently. "We can save him. Right? That way everybody lives. Everybody lives, including the Doctor, right? Everybody lives."
Something must've clicked inside of the Doctor's mind because he flew the Tardis all the way to Jack's ship where they sealed both sets of doors together. When they saw him, he was sat in his control chair drinking a martini. It was all very him.
The Doctor began to play Glenn Miller through the Tardis which caught the attention of Jack when he realised it wasn't coming from his own ship. Rose and the Doctor were trying to dance. Trying. It was very much a key word because it was not an impressive or comfortable thing to watch. EJ was happy sitting up on the support beams, his chest keeping him balanced as both his limbs dangled out of each end.
"Well, hurry up, then." Rose called out to him, so he ran as fast as he could into the Tardis. They were still dancing and it was not going well. "Okay, try and spin me again but this time, don't get my arm up my back! No extra points for a half nelson."
"I'm sure I used to know this stuff." He replied, slightly confused. "Close the door, will you? Your ships about to blow up, there's gonna be a draft."
Doing as he was asked, Jack shut the doors, he hadn't yet noticed EJ. It was quite fun. He could view everything without actually having to take part in the conversation.
Then, the Doctor finally greeted him with a smile. "Welcome to the Tardis."
Jack smiled. "Much bigger on the inside."
"You'd better be."
"I think what the Doctor is trying to say is..." Rose outstretched her hand to him. "You may cut in."
They went to dance, but the Doctor stopped them as the song changed; it was something else by Glenn Miller but EJ didn't think of the name. "Rose! I just remembered!"
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I can dance! I can dance!"
It was a swing song, with a different, more upbeat rhythm, which made him smile. However, Rose wasn't sure. "Actually Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance."
"I'm sure he would, Rose." He chuckled. "I'm absolutely certain, but who with?"
In the end, Rose and the Doctor went through the entire dance together. They seemed happy, and content, which was more than EJ had ever had before. Despite that, he did have a friend in Jack, and the Doctor had saved him.
It was just his luck that Jack leant backwards on the beam that EJ was sitting in. He could hardly contain himself. It was far too easy.
"Well, hey there fly boy." He whispered, and Jack almost jumped out of his skin. "How's the view?"
"Aren't you a fun one?" He laughed, looking up to the blonde. "Why do you sit up there?"
EJ couldn't help but grin. "Ask me something else?"
"Do you want to dance with me?" He questioned, and the blonde boy swung himself down to stand level with him. "Maybe... now?"
He shook his head. "Ask me something else?"
Jack didn't say anything else, and that was fine, because EJ didn't either. As the Doctor and Rose danced, he was pulled closer until their chests touched. Then, it was their lips. Maybe this would be temporary, and maybe it would be forever, but he didn't mind.
He was the first person who made EJ think that he could be normal again. Jack made him normal again. For now, it was exactly what she needed.
✯ ★ ✯
Disclaimer!!!
I do not own Doctor Who, it's characters and original storylines. The only things I do own are my own characters, my addition to the series and my own storylines. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidental.