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Jack looks over his city and sighs. It’s early morning on a work day and people are running around trying to get to their jobs on time. He used to like to stand here at the railing overlooking the water and watch the city go by, now he finds it uncomfortable. He’s bombarded by waves of time energy – other peoples’ lives, timelines, the constant changes as decision sway one way and then the other. Human life glows with time energy as time twists and turns around them. It gives Jack a headache. He’s still new to this whole Gallifreyan/Time Lord business. His changing abilities are taking a little time to get used to and at times accept. Sometimes he misses being human – blind to the universe and the Time Vortex. Now, he feels as though he sees too much. He sees more than anyone else, he can see all that is, could be or might possibly be... It can be a little overwhelming for those who were born on Gallifrey not just recently formed Time Lord’s.
Jack watches a woman walk by noting there are two distinct time lines burning around her in constant flux – one with a child and one without. He could focus on other people looking deeper, but in reality it gives him a really bad headache and it’s kinda intruding. His two mates don’t give him this feeling. Their timelines are controlled, the energy drawn within and he’s sight isn't bombarded with constant fluxuations. The Master told him just to block it out but it’s not always that easy. They were born with time sensitivity and had lifetimes to work them out. Everything is new to him. Jack closes his eyes trying to cancel out some of his abilities and as he opens them again he sees just people. He can still feel time curl around him, the edges of the time vortex just beyond his fingers and the booming of the rift fills his body but he’s seeing nothing more than bodies. He sighs with relief as his mind isn't overloaded by the influx and turns to look out over the water calm and relaxed.
Jack slowly takes a deep breath and on the edge of his consciousness he feels a presence. It’s warm, gentle and so very welcome making Jack smile.
*Too Many!*
Jack catches the thought as he turns and looks over the Plass. Theta is using the lift and his wide eyes flick around watching humans hum about him. The perception filter makes him invisible to the general populace but Jack sees him perfectly. He’s dressed in the brown pinstripe suit he’s taken a liking to and the Master still hasn't forgiven Ianto for helping him pick it out. The Doctor has always got a little possessed over his clothes – wearing them to death and never enjoying change. This time Jack thought it wasn't so bad; the suit looked damn amazing on his mate. Tight and fitted to the lithe body – perfect. Over the top he was wearing a warm brown coat that flicked around his legs as he walked. Anyone looking at his man wouldn't know what lurked beneath the surface. All they’d see is a handsome man with amazing hair.
Jack observes as Theta gazed around no doubt picking up what he’d just filtered out. The myriad of timelines burning around them along with Rift energy. He watches as Theta snarls as someone comes too close and they flitted away from him. Jack grinned; the poor human probably had the scare of his life. He can see Theta’s eyes flick from gold and back to brown, but slowly he brings his mental abilities under control and a wide space opens for him, humans go out of their way to avoid him and he makes his way over to Jack.
“You shouldn't scare them,” Jack chides with a smile. Theta growls at him, hugging himself tighter and flicking concerned eyes over the people near him.
*So much life!* Jack starts as he hears the identifiable voice of the Doctor. He touches his mate’s mind sensing the Doctor has guided Theta into the open. Probably encouraged (or forced) to do so by the non-stop talking. He should have realised Theta wouldn't have come here voluntary. Jack found it amusing when Theta got annoyed with his other half; they were one person after all. However now with the Doctor closer to the surface he was encouraging better control over the feral mind and helping Theta experience new things.
“ Too much life,” Jack says back forcing his mind to filter out the time steams again. He turns away and looks over the water where there are fewer distractions.
*Yes, maybe Theta is getting a little freaked by this.* The Doctor joins him standing at the railing and pressing his body to Jack’s side. Jack smiles at the contact loving how his mate craves it, but makes sure it’s not too obvious with humans around who might openly object to their closeness.
“How do you feel about it?” Jack asks.
*A little freaked too...* The Doctor admits with a nervous laugh. *It’s hard trying to distance oneself from past events, trying to remember that what happened there isn't happening here. That these people don’t know me and they don’t want to hurt me.*
Jack’s heart aches at the words. The Doctor has the memories of over nine years of imprisonment that Theta doesn't - memories of those early years of torture, abuse and disillusionment. The Doctor had been wounded so deeply that the human race could wreck such damage onto his body and mind. A race he had treasured and protected when his own died. Theta is frightened because of the violence – the Doctor because of the betrayal.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Jack promises again. He knows it’s futile, he promised that before Gray had raped Theta the last time. However, the Doctor turns to him and gives him a large grin that brightens everything. At times Jack is surprised and a little disconcerted by his mate’s deep abiding trust.
*I know you will Jack,* he says with such faith that Jack is instantly humbled. He takes the hand resting on the rail and cradles it in his own before the Doctor wraps their fingers together. It’s the 21st century and while this time is getting more forward thinking Jack doesn't want to draw attention to them. He keeps their hands close to his body and hidden so they could be two friends looking out at the city during the morning rush hour.
Jack senses the Doctor’s mind has retreated once again and Theta surges forward. A flash of love follows his departure and a welcoming one flows from Theta. Jack has never felt so fortunate in all his life, that both sides of this wonderful creature loves him completely.
Theta reaches out a hand across the water and Jack observes a flash of golden light appear but it is invisible to the humans around them. The light follows the movement of the water as the colours change and grow only to die again. Jack gasps realising he’s seeing the life of the river. All things have life he remembered the Doctor telling him as he tried to explain how they could alter the energy around them. Theta smiles as he creates small ripples that grow and spread across the surface. Jack holds his own hand out and touches the flow of energy. Natural energy isn't like human, it’s has a certain calm and relaxation about its flow.
Theta grins widely, holding tighter while he guides Jack into the current of energy. Jack gasps as it flows through his body, and he can feel the movement of life within the water. He concentrates with Theta’s guidance and slowly creates his own ripples. They laugh as the ripples spread moving energy, space and time. Everything is connected Jack realises. He knows what Theta is trying to do – show him how he understands everything around him. To show him the world through a feral Time Lord’s eyes. The movement of life, the ripples of time and space – so many colours and shapes that no one else sees. Theta is learning to control some of them – he can build technology like the ancients did - from this spark of life to affecting time flow around him. He knows there are other secrets that he hasn't fully discovered yet, but he shares all that he experiences with Jack.
Jack slides a hand around his mate’s waist under his coat and pulls him closer. Their minds touch and blend together, sharing information and evocative feelings. He can feel how much Theta loves watching the time steams, the movement of energy, life and light. He can even guide the Tardis through the vortex observing and altering space to get them to a new time and place. Jack doubts he could ever do that, he doesn't have the deep instinctual knowledge the Doctor has. Theta reminds him of a free spirit laughing at the colours of the universe. He loves seeing it though his mate’s mind – the potential of life and all the possibilities.
*You’ll be calling me a hippy next!* Jack grins as the thought rises up from deep within Theta’s mind and brushes his own.
“You do like sex a lot,” Jack jokes smiling at the annoyance he feels from the Doctor.
Jack leans into his mate, watching the colours and lights flow around them - the ripples in the water.