Time's Arrow 22/27

[darkentwisted]

Title: "Time's Arrow, Chapter 22"
Copyright Notice: All characters owned by the BBC, BBC America and Tiger Aspect Media.
Plot spoilers: Torchwood: Season 2, Doctor Who: Season 4, Robin Hood: Season 2 Up to ends of Current Seasons of all Three Shows.
Pairings:  Robin/Much/10Doctor/Micky, Gwen/Y2KJack/Guy, Little John/Jack/Rhys, Allan/Jasper.
Warnings: Angst
Rating: PG (light slash content)
Summary: Twenty-second chapter of my multichapter, multi fandom, fic. This series brings together characters from Robin Hood, Torchwood, and Doctor Who.  Scattered through time, can the Torchwood team and Robin's gang save Nottingham?  Made possible by my ever attentive beta, zooeyrye

Posting  this using Semagic, Thanks lankyguy for the suggest!
Previous Chapters Below:
Cover Art, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Explicit content chapter rewrites 6; 9


Chapter 22: Allons-y!
 
2000
Cardiff, Wales
 
Before the Doctor finished the last syllable of the word, darkness and cold engulfed them. Much stared around in awe as the world changed.  One minute they were standing near the warm campfire in the forest, the next they stood in darkness, by a frozen creek in the park. 

“This seems familiar,” he said as he got his bearings.
 
“According to Torchwood records, this is where Jack and Ianto will find you, eight years from now.” Mickey offered.
 
“I do not think I will ever understand any of this,” Much replied through chattering teeth, jamming his hands into his armpits at the sudden cold he was underdressed for.
 
“So what do we do now?” Robin asked, looking over the Doctor’s shoulder.
 
“Not much we can do now,” the Doctor frowned as he looked at the now quiet device on his wrist. “The VM is in recharge mode, as is the one Vaisey has. We can only wait it out till the signal returns.”
 
“They don’t have better rechargeable batteries in the 51st century?”  Mickey mused.
 
“Do you know how much power it takes to rip a hole in space and time?” the Time Lord fussed.  “It isn’t exactly like recharging a mobile – well, it’s a little like it, but on a much more complicated scale.” 
 
“So how long do we wait?” he asked.
 
“No idea.” The Doctor frowned. It could be minutes, hours or days. “We know the rift affected Matilda’s VM as it did Jack’s when he landed here in the 19th century. I‘ve adjusted Jack’s to accommodate the rift energy so we have no problems getting back but it won’t detect the other one until it comes back on line. And we don’t know just yet, how the rift is affecting that one. Our hope is that Gwen and the others haven’t gotten far.”
 
“So we freeze?”  Much had already pulled his cap over his ears as his teeth had begun to chatter.
 
“No. I know a place we can go, but I don’t think I will meet a warm reception.”  The Doctor smiled an insane grin at his former companion and friends. “But then that’s never exactly stopped me before has it?”
 
***
 
It was the odd sensation that stopped her. Gwen had been feeding information into the computer, after the police reports came in about the intoxicated Millennium celebrator’s attack, when she felt the familiar presence sneak into the back of her mind.
 
Doctor?
 
Gwen!
 
You’re here!  Oh thank God, you found us!
 
Well, thank Jack’s VM anyways. You’re okay?  Where are you?
 
Torchwood. There was a short pause in the mental conversation.

How is he?
 
He is hurt, confused, and wondering why you abandoned him.
 
This isn’t going to be easy. Do you have the VM?
 
No, we lost Vaisey. He is somewhere in the city. We might have found a potential victim of his. I was about to leave for the hospital and interview him to see if I can pick up the trail.
 
Stay where you are, we are on the way.
 
Doctor?
 
Yes.
 
Is Rhys okay?
 
He is worried out of his mind about you. Martha had to sedate him.

Good, he needs to be worried. She replied with a smile.
 
***
 
1193
Sherwood Forest
 
Rhys awoke feeling like he’d been attacked by a jackhammer. He immediately forgot his pain when the memory of the day’s events came rushing back. He ran up to the young Torchwood medic. “What time is it?”
 
“Evening, about six-ish.”  Martha was ready with her palm on another hypo in her pocket in case the large blonde man started raving again.
 
“I’ve been out four hours! Did they find Gwen? Why isn’t Jack tryin’ to look for her?”
 
“Because the Doctor is on his way to find her,” snapped Jack who was immediately behind him. “Let us do our job Rhys, we’ll find her.”
 
Rhys spun on his adversary so that they were nose to nose. “Doin’ your job got her lost in the first place!”
 
“I said we would find her!” Jack’s eyes were vicious with intent as he stared down his rival for Gwen’s affections. Inside his warped mind, he couldn’t help thinking how sexy the Neanderthal before him was – when angry. He had to mentally shake off the thoughts of having his way with the man He barely heard the angry truck driver ask a question. “Huh?”
 
“I said, what are you going to do Jack, sedate me again?”  Rhys didn’t know what made him angrier, the fact that Jack didn’t answer him immediately or the feeling the sick bastard in front of him was secretly getting off on this little encounter.
 
“No, we need you.”  Little John’s voice of reason came from nowhere, as he sidled up to the group and behind the angry men. “Prince John is threatening to burn down Nottingham if Sheriff Gisborne is not restored to the castle. Women and children may die if we do not get them to safety. We cannot do anything about your wife right now, and I am sorry for that, but we need you to fight.”  He put his hands on the upset man’s shoulders. Rhys could hear the concern in the larger man’s voice. “Can you stop being angry at Jack long enough to do that?”
 
Rhys turned and looked up to the tall, quietly menacing outlaw. He nodded bluntly, causing the giant to break out in laughter and thump him on the back with his broad hand. “That answer, I liked.”
 
***
 
Cold water brought Allan back to painful awareness as the familiar stench of the dungeons assaulted his nostrils. Old wounds had been reopened from the lash and were oozing as Allan was revived.

“Again; where is Sheriff Gisborne?” Jasper had a scented handkerchief effetely over his mouth and nostrils as he spoke, giving his high voice an annoyingly muffled quality.
 
“I dunno where Gis is,” Allan gasped. His cracked ribs were forced to expand painfully with every laboured gulp of air.
 
A hard slap from the gaoler sent a stream of blood from cracked lips, “That is Sheriff Gisborne to you, forest slime.”
 
“I don’t where Sheriff Gisborne is.” Allan sneered, as the gaoler tightened the chains holding his arms over his head. He screamed as the links tightened, making broken bones scrape agonisingly against each other.
 
“You will reveal the location of Hood’s camp,” Jasper continued. “Or you will watch Nottingham and everyone you care for, burn to the ground, before you die.”
 
Allan thought of Kate, he thought of Marian and the look on Robin’s face the last time he betrayed him. He swallowed hard. “All right.” He felt the bile rising in his throat as he spoke.
 
“All right what?”
 
“I’ll talk.” He motioned for Jasper to come closer. The nobleman stepped in close and dropped the handkerchief from his face, as he did so, the outlaw spat, sending a shower of blood and saliva into the man’s face. Horrified, Jasper sputtered and wiped furiously at the gore while his captive roared with pained laughter. “That’s all you get! I ain’t afraid of dyin’ Jasper, and I will never betray my friends again! You’ll just have to kill me!”
 
Jasper’s lip curled in disgust as he sized up the cheeky poacher. “Kill you? Now where would be the fun in that? Gaoler, work him until he drops from the pain.” He leered at the broken man, placing a fresh handkerchief to his nose as he left the room, “Revive him, then do it again.” 

Fresh screams sounded anew as the door clanged shut.
 
***
 
2000
Cardiff, Wales
 
“I don’t know what to expect when we show up,” the Doctor cautiously stated, as the small group made their way to the newspaper stand outside the newly completed arena.
 
“I think I could face a gang of weevils right now if it meant preventing frostbite,” said Mickey, as he blew on his stiff fingers before trying the code key.
 
“I think I would rather freeze,” Much shuddered, remembering the unpleasant creatures at the warehouse.
 
Mickey looked back and smirked as he punched the digital keypad. “Doesn’t work, of course. Trying protocol 1.” A few alien numbers later, the lock sprang to life with a digital ping, years before it’s time – Mickey pushed the door open.
 
“Think they’ll be expecting us?” Robin found himself looking around at the vaguely familiar surroundings.
 
“They already know we are here,” the Torchwood agent pointed up at the small surveillance cameras.
 
The round door opened and before the men could step into the room, Gwen was running toward them. She laughed as Mickey caught her in mid-air and spun her around. “You made it!”
 
Robin looked behind her at his mortal enemy and sneered as Gisborne did the same and looked away. Much followed the look and his face hardened as well. “Gisborne!” His light blue eyes took on a murderous glare as he started to run toward the man in fury. 
 
The outlaw leader grabbed his friend’s arm in a painful vice-like grip. “Now is not the time.” It was Robin’s voice coming out in low growl, more than the pain in his bicep, which made the blonde man pause from his own anger, to witness the rage his friend was feeling. “He will get his comeuppance soon enough.”
 
The Doctor looked at the agent. “Is he here?”
 
“Somewhere.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “He knows you’re coming.”
 
Before she could finish, Jack showed up behind them. He had been drinking but his reflexes were still lightening fast.  The voice was different, and the face was new but he could pick the traveller out anywhere, “Hullo Doctor!” As the Time Lord turned, the agent caught him square in the jaw with his fist. Instantly, the Gallifreyan hit the floor unconscious. Jack shook his hand; wincing at the pain from cracked knuckles. “Miss me?”

***
 
1193
Sherwood Forest, England
 
Over the rise of the trees they heard the hoof beats as the large brigade of men on horseback heading towards Nottingham. Little John’s face wore a mask of dread.
 
“Who is that?” Jack asked.
 
“Ellison’s mercenaries. They are paid soldiers of Prince John. Jasper must have summoned them when he couldn’t find Gisborne.” 
 
“That was fast.” Jack looked though thick branches, as the gang of ruffians, in varied warrior dress, rode by.
 
“The Prince doesn’t like his shires to be run lawless. At the first sign that the villagers might have thrown a coup against the sheriff, the mercenaries get called.”
 
“You dealt with these guys before?”
 
John nodded. “Had us holed up in a barn in Nettleston. All night long we sat and waited them out. We thought we were going to die and ended up sharing secrets we thought we would never tell each other.”
 
Jack grinned, “A little Kalila and Dimna.”
 
John blinked incredulously, “You know about it too?”
 
The Torchwood leader shrugged. “I’ve been in that situation a couple of times myself.  How did you escape?” 
 
“Allan was in the right place at the right time, for once.” John smiled at the memory. “He distracted Ellison enough to throw him off guard and help us escape. Lady Marian was not so lucky…. That poor confused boy is going to have to live with the guilt of what happened to her the rest of his life.” He headed wearily back to the outlaw camp. “That is if he himself is still alive.”
 
***
 
2000
Cardiff, Wales
 
Keeping the drunk Torchwood leader from the Time Lord proved to be a daunting task, as Mickey and Guy ran to subdue the squirming, angry man.
 
“You didn't have to do that, Jack!” Gwen put herself in front of the fallen Doctor to protect him as Jack stood over them, shaking his hand and grinning like a lunatic.
 
“Oh yes I did!” Jack examined his hand. “That was 120 years coming to him. Now get out of the way! I want to stomp a couple of regenerations out of the bastard for good measure!” He kicked at the Doctor as Mickey and Gisborne held him firmly.
 
“Calm down!” Gwen stated flatly placing her hand on his chest.
 
“Calm down?!” Jack incensed. “You don’t know what he did to me! He abandoned me on a satellite 3000 years in the future. I’d still be stuck there if I weren’t an Agent. As it is, I had to spend over a century on this mud ball hoping to find him! I swore I’d kill him if I saw him again.” He grinned calmly at Gwen, his eyes glittered with anger. “Now, please move so I can do that.”
 
The Doctor came to and rubbed his aching jaw, moving it around and checking for loose teeth. “Well, that went better than expected.”
 
“You left me!” Jack spat at his former friend.
 
“Oh here we go again.” The Doctor rolled his eyes.

“You good?” Gwen asked, examining the bruise that was forming on the Doctor’s face.
 
“I'm fine. Better check his hand though; Gallifreyan bones aren't the softest things in the universe.”
 
“Tell me about it,” Jack chuckled. “I should have used a tire iron.”
 
The two outlaws were utterly confused as Much grabbed his friend's arm. “Master Robin, I thought Master Jack and the Doctor were friends.”
 
Jack turned to the blonde man and thoughts of revenge for being abandoned disappeared into the palest, blue eyes he'd ever seen.  He relaxed and turned on the charm, with a grin. “We are.” He glanced sideways at his former companion, “Just a little unfinished business. I love the way you call me Master.”
 
“You can let him go now boys,” Gwen smiled. “I don’t think he is going to be a problem any more.”

Mickey and Guy released the now placid leader. He walked over to the object of his affection, “But what's really important is that we haven't been properly introduced.” He offered his hand to the servant in a way that thrilled and slightly embarrassed him at the same time. “Captain Jack Harkness, at your service.  And you are?”
 
Much was slightly taken aback and at a rare loss for words. “Yes Master Jack, we have met.” He shifted uncomfortably in a way that the randy man found adorable, “I am Much – hopefully future Earl of Bonchurch."
 
“We've met?” Jack raised an eyebrow at the gorgeous man he wanted know better. “I certainly would have remembered you, blue eyes.”
 
“You haven't met them yet Jack, but you will.” Gwen supplied. “They were sent to Cardiff in 2008 by the VM we are hunting for.”
 
“Seems like that necklace is causing a lot of trouble.” He turned to the other outlaw. “I guess that makes you Hood.”
 
“At your service.” Robin grinned. “You do not seem too surprised.”
 
Jack pumped the former earl's hand, “The way this day has turned out; I was half expecting you.”
 
***
 
Things quickly returned to normalcy around the hub or as close to it as they would get.  The team from the year 2008, Jack, and the men from the 12th century settled in for an uneasy truce to accomplish their mutual goals.  Still, things bothered Much as he watched the people around him. The way Robin and Gisborne stared hotly at each other across the room, made him constantly keep his hand at the ready over his sword, in anticipation for any sign of escalation between the two enemies. The tension between Jack and the Doctor was equally noticeable, as they curtly made plans but avoided each other’s eyes.  The most worrisome was the anxiousness no one else noticed but him. Gwen constantly stared at her non-functional mobile just to see the wallpaper picture of her husband, still lost to her in time. Mickey longingly looked out at a world where his Gran was still very much alive and where his best girl Rose and he played. The way Much himself, looked up from helping Robin to see someone, who never seemed to notice him before, gazing at him fondly. This was the thing that unsettled him the most. 
 
What started first with the glances had escalated into very close meetings in narrow hallways and mumbled apologies or compliments as Jack’s hands ‘accidentally’ touched him. The final straw was when he was carrying some equipment to Gwen and he felt someone grab him intimately from behind. He returned the innocent shrug from Jack with a wide-eyed stare. Much approached his friend with caution. Having the former lord and Gisborne both in the same room was worrisome and he felt as if the fuse to an invisible keg of Djaq’s ‘Greek fire’ was being lit. “Master Robin?”
 
“What is it, Much?” snapped Robin, making his former manservant lurch. Sighing, he apologised. “You know I am on edge, what do you need?”
 
Much glanced at him nervously. “There is something different about this Jack.”
 
“Of course there is Much. He is eight years younger than the Jack we have come to know. Gwen explained that.”
 
“It is not just that Master,” he blushed as he spoke, “I think this Jack fancies me.”
 
Robin glanced at Jack as the Torchwood leader winked back then returned to his conversation with Gwen.  “You know Jack. He is like that with everyone. Just tell him you are not interested. We have too much to do to worry about such trivialities.”
 
The blonde outlaw sighed deeply, shaking his head, “All right I will tolerate the harassment. But if he pinches my bum one more time, there will be words!”
 
“Much?”
 
“Yes Lady Gwen?”  He turned and smiled as he walked over to the lady.
 
“Could you go down to the lower level and get some boxes of equipment, Jack said we could use, and bring them up.”
 
“Of course,” he smiled.
 
He made his way down the semi-darkened corridor and into the room she mentioned. He was about to pick up the boxes when he noticed the small bed in the corner and heard the heavy door shut behind him.
 
“Alone at last, blue eyes.” Jack smiled salaciously.

Much gulped.
 
***
 
Robin entered the firing range after asking approval from Jack earlier in the day. The smell of disinfectant assaulted his nostrils, as he examined the freshly scrubbed walls, now free of the – recently murdered – Torchwood team member’s blood. 
 
Fresh targets were laid out on the range but instead of the monster’s heads that were printed on them, he pictured someone else’s loathsome face. He couldn’t wait to put holes in them. He set the first bolt into his bow and fired dead centre of the target. He got ready to load another as a gust of air blew past him. He saw the black Saracen knife slice into the target ahead.
 
Guy had removed his cape and was standing in just his sleeveless black shirt with another deadly curved blade balanced between his fingertips. “Nice night for target practice.”
 
“I am using the range now, come back later when there are helpless women and children to kill.” Robin felt the bile rising in his throat as Guy snorted.
 
“We are on the same side now, Loxley,” Guy reasoned facetiously, unknowingly loading the weapon. “At least until we can catch Vaisey and return home.”
 
Robin fired another arrow. His reddening cheeks betrayed his rising anger, “We will never be on the same side, Gisborne.”
 
The sheriff released the trigger as he slung the knife in his hand at the target, leering at Robin. “Come now,” he purred. “We both know that’s what Marian would have wanted.” 

The outlaw’s punch caught him completely off guard.
 
Next week…Chapter 23
 
Kill All My Demons

Comments

[aliciabmanley.livejournal.com]

I could darn near taste the testosterone... Another one full of good plot and meow-meow goodness.

At this point, I would like to sit down and read the reamainder. The suspense is KILLING me!!

[darkentwisted.livejournal.com]

Zooey's got 23 and I'm busily tapping out the final four chapters now. (Yes, working on all four simultaneously.)Creating the scenes and then tying them all together.

This has been the most arduous and exciting thing I have ever accomplished!

The 'Big Finish'is coming. I've had it all mapped out since the first chapter, now to get it down.

Y2K Jack has been fun to write, still cocky and immature as he was with the Doctor but beginning to take on the mantle of the Jack we know from Torchwood.
They are very different people from a writer's viewpoint.

More dark!robin and dark!guy coming up.

The next chapter makes me nervous.
I intend to do both a Light 'R' version and an exended 'NC-17'version (for the pr0ny goodness of it).

Get out the fans, it is going to get HOT!

*hugs*

[robinfanatic.livejournal.com]

Fan is at the ready, sir! Bring on the heat!

[robinfanatic.livejournal.com]

“I said we would find her!” Jack’s eyes were vicious with intent as he stared down his rival for Gwen’s affections. Inside his warped mind, he couldn’t help thinking how sexy the Neanderthal before him was – when angry. He had to mentally shake off the thoughts of having his way with the man
oh Jack, you little devil, you!!! Love it!

Poor Allan! damn Jasper! I think Allan should have a chance to give Jasper what's due him!

What started first with the glances had escalated into very close meetings in narrow hallways and mumbled apologies or compliments as Jack’s hands ‘accidentally’ touched him.
“I think this Jack fancies me.”
yay Much - catching the eye of Jack! Woo-hoo!!!

Gisborne is being a jerk. Glad Robin punched him! More of dark!Robin please!