Um

Jul. 8th, 2009 02:42 pm
jadesfire: Bright yellow flower (Default)
[personal profile] jadesfire
So. I kind of sort of helped [livejournal.com profile] 51stcenturyfox to hijack a thread over at [livejournal.com profile] unfeathered's journal which has spawned a ficlet. Just over 700 words, Jack and John Hart, Gen. More or less.

Now polished, headered and posted to [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_decaf



Title: With the Right Incentive (anything is possible)
Rating: PG-13
People: Jack, John Hart
Genre: Gen. More or less
Spoilers: CHILDREN OF EARTH DAY ONE & DAY TWO

Summary: A very long distance phone call, Torchwood-style.

Notes:

Like so many of us (okay, not me, because I'm slow) [livejournal.com profile] unfeathered was wondering about Jack's wrist-strap and what happened to it after the explosion. I got talking to [livejournal.com profile] 51stcenturyfox about it and we came up with an explanation:

Me: [...] My personal guess is that it's like his coat and that he's had it long enough for the magic to wear off on it so it can't die either.

51stcenturyfox: It's TORCHWOOD! That theory is absolutely as good as any! It might turn up in the rubble. That would be excellent. I'm sure it could have a homing device put in. :D Oh yes. Before John left, Jack put a homing device in both of them so he could keep track of the ex. John rings him after this is all over and gives him the back coordinates. Fixed! AND it survived Jack's cling to the TARDIS through the vortex. A bomb is nothin'. Okay. I'm happy now. I like the strap!

Which is pretty much like handing me a plot bunny and the following occured. The original, dialogue only version is here, and this is the dialogue with the surrounding narrative.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the Right Incentive (anything is possible)


John was getting as sentimental as Jack, setting his comm to the ring ring tone that Earthers were so fond of. He let the sound go on for a few more seconds, just to listen to it, then opened the channel.

"Tallulah van Hardcore."

Somehow, even over thousands of lightyears, Jack managed to get that sarcastic smile of his into his voice. "You know, I'm not sure she'd like you taking her name in vain."

Probably not, but that wasn't the point. Jack Harkness, calling him. Who would have thought it? "Finally decided to chuck it all in and come over to the dark side?" John said, matching Jack's sarcasm tone for tone. "We have guns. And cookies." Well. He'd had cookies, past tense. But Jack didn't need to know that.

"It's not your cookies I'm interested in. And how the hell do you have cookies?"

"Scout master." In the pause, John could hear – actually hear - Jack rolling his eyes. How the hell did he do that? John leaned back in his chair, trying to convey just how unimpressed and uninterested he was in this conversation. Because whatever it was Jack was peddling this time, he wasn't interested. At all. Not a bit of it. "Well you asked."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, I'm remembering why it's a bad idea to ask you to explain anything. Listen, I need a favour."

Those words always sounded so good, and the smile on John's face was the one that tended to make carnivores nervous. "That's going to cost you."

"Doesn't it always? What do you want?"

Interesting. Impatience, abruptness, and getting right to the point with no quibbling. This was going to be worth his time, at least. "If I say anything involving poodles, you're just going to say no, right?"

"John..."

It had been worth a try, and John knew that tone of voice. It was the one that meant Jack had a gun in one hand and wouldn't hesitate to use it. Holding up his own hands in mock-surrender, John said, "Okay, okay. Since you mentioned her, I'll take Tallulah's current whereabouts and call it quits. She owes me a drink. And a-"

"See, there you go, telling me things I don't need to know again. Locate that homing chip for me and they're yours."

John raised an eyebrow, because there was no way in hell Jack thought he'd get away that easily. "Now that's just not fair. How come you get yours first? Story of our relationship, that is." Sitting up, he started flicking through channels, scanning for the signal. Of course, being thousands of lightyears away was making that rather tricky, but he wanted to be ready in case this favour was for real.

"Just find the homing chip, would you? We had some trouble at the Hub and it's lost in the rubble." Okay, so now Jack's voice sounded like he had guns in both hands. Rubble definitely meant serious, and probably deadly so.

"Really? So we're talking about a pretty big favour then." Which he wasn't going to get unless the damn computer located the homing signal soon. The first time in decades that Jack Harkness actually wanted something from him and John was being blocked by the damn computer. He put a hand over the mike and thumped it.

"John..."

"Nope, that's going to cost you more."

"What do you want?"

"Make me an offer." Give me five seconds. There was a long pause on the other end of the line, as though Jack was thinking, although John knew he must have already anticipated this, and knew what he was willing to put on the table. In the silence, John could hear Jack breathing, slow and steady, as measured and calculating as ever. Mercifully, before he could get too distracted by that sound and all the other times and places he'd heard it, the console lit up like a supernova, and numbers scrolled across the screen. As if that wasn't enough to make John's day, Jack started to speak, in that low purr that he knew would hit John in all the right places.

"When I said we had some trouble, what I really mean is that I got blown up into tiny pieces. As was everything I was wearing. Every piece of cloth, just incinerated. When I came round, and once the screaming agony had passed? I was chained to the wall. And there was a camera."

It wasn't a difficult decision. Shifting in his chair, John hit a button on the console.

"Done. Sending you the co-ordinates now. Opening video uplink."

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] 51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com
*applauds*

AWESOME!

I love solved problems!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*beams* Thank you! And thanks for the plot bunny.

It's nice to get these things sorted out :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annemjw.livejournal.com
You rule :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*adjusts crown*

Thank you! Some things just have to be done...

:D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:24 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Here via foxy.

Oh, John. As anxious for THAT footage as the rest of the galaxy...

This is a fabulous plotfix. Thanks.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*grin* I love filling plot holes! Thanks :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sueworld2003.livejournal.com
Oh wonderful! *g*

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Woot! glad you enjoyed :D Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com
OH GOD UR ENDING. AWESOME.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*grin* Well, who wouldn't do the same?

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 02:54 pm (UTC)
naye: A cartoon of a woman with red hair and glasses in front of a progressive pride flag. (torchwood)
From: [personal profile] naye
AHAHAH GENIUS! \o/

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Wheeeeee! Thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:02 pm (UTC)
shapinglight: (Lock up your poodles)
From: [personal profile] shapinglight
Yep, he would definitely do that. :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Who wouldn't? ;D

*g* Thanks.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com
I would LOVE to see that scene on screen. Just love it.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I could see it and hear it so clearly that I had to write it down :)

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:17 pm (UTC)
lynnenne: (john eyes by lynnenne)
From: [personal profile] lynnenne
LOL! That was aweome. And I really love this bit of description: "the smile on John's face was the one that tended to make carnivores nervous."

Nicely done.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! That's my favourite line too - when it popped into my head, I knew I had to write the whole thing, not just the dialogue.

Glad you enjoyed :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thrace-adams.livejournal.com
*giggles* oh that's brilliant :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
YOUR ICON *dies and is ded*

Thank you :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 03:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com
LOVE IT!
Especially this:
the smile on John's face was the one that tended to make carnivores nervous.

So very *John*

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I went to put that in the original 'dialogue only' version, at which point I knew I had to write the whole thing :D

Thank you! I haven't written John Hart before, so I wasn't 100% I had him. Everyone has very cool icons though, so I might have to go on a TW-icon spree ;)

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] mad-jaks.livejournal.com - Date: 2009-07-08 04:27 pm (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:08 pm (UTC)
hllangel: Puppy with a stick. (Default)
From: [personal profile] hllangel
That was a brilliant start to my morning, thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
You're welcome! It was a blast to write - I thought I'd lost the knack of Torchwood. Apparently not ;)

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] entangled-now.livejournal.com
I loved that, that's just what I needed :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 04:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Glad to be of service ;D

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 05:06 pm (UTC)
ext_348818: Jack Harkness. (inuendo)
From: [identity profile] canaana.livejournal.com
Ooo, better with the narative, even. :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 05:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*grin* I could see it so clearly that I just had to write it down.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 06:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elainasaunt.livejournal.com
I screamed with gleeful laughter. Yes I did!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 07:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
*grin* Then my work here is done.

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 09:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crystalshard.livejournal.com
*giggles* Wonderful! And such a Jack-style solution :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I had no idea where it was going when I started, but yes, it did seem a very 'Jack' thing to do :)

Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 10:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shadowbyrd.livejournal.com
Oh dear! Jack just would, wouldn't he?

Well. He'd had cookies, past tense. But Jack didn't need to know that.

And this is how we tell the difference between villains and evil villain. The evil villains lie about the cookies.

Loved this, in case you couldn't tell. X

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
He totally would ;)

*grin* Thank you so much! I wasn't entirely sure about the cookies, but it made me smile, so I'm chuffed it worked for other people too!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 10:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mrsalemp.livejournal.com
So that's how it all works out? Good to know :)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Hee, yup, that's what happens ;)

thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 10:26 pm (UTC)
unfeathered: (Jack John fire)
From: [personal profile] unfeathered
Oh, fantastic! This is just brilliant!

Also possibly the first 'gen' Jack/John fic I've read... *g*

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Hey, if it can be Genned, I can Gen it ;)

Thank you so much!

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-08 10:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kel-reiley.livejournal.com
LOVE it :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
yay! thank you :D
ext_14845: betta fish (Default)
From: [identity profile] fish-echo.livejournal.com
OH HOW MUCH DO I LOVE THIS? THIIIIIIIIIIIIS MUCH!

I love this John Hart and I really love the interactions. And I also love your theory. And the word 'love', evidently.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 04:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rockeandroll.livejournal.com
Bwahaha, nice ending. This is just how it would go, too. I love John and Jack interacting, no matter the context.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
I really must try to write more of them, because they're just too much fun not to!

Thank you :D

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:18 am (UTC)
anonymoose_au: (Capt John Hart Stickman)
From: [personal profile] anonymoose_au
That was fabulous! LOL, the interaction between Jack and John was perfect!

I wish that would actually play out on the show, it'd be great to see Captain John again. :OD

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-09 08:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
It'd be great to have him back, wouldn't it?

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-12 07:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cookiesofkarma.livejournal.com
THAT WAS EPIC!

Although we know what happened to it, I s'pose.

This version's better, by far.

"-And there was a camera." Nothing beats that line. Ever.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-12 08:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadesfire2808.livejournal.com
Thank you! I had no idea where the story was going until Jack said that, at which point it all clicked into place :)

So glad you enjoyed!