donutsweeper: (Default)
donutsweeper ([personal profile] donutsweeper) wrote2007-08-26 11:04 am
Entry tags:

Manning the Helm

Title:  Manning the Helm
Pairing/Rating/Warning:  rated G, vague Jack/Doctor pairing
Word Count: 593
Summary: The TARDIS seeks out Jack to help the Doctor
Author's Notes: Written for the promptfest at [community profile] wintercompanion

The TARDIS was at a loss.  His pain, his sorrow leached into her core.  She pulsed tenderly trying to help, but he remained where he was, sitting on the floor staring at the doors.  He was waiting for them to be thrown open, but there was no one who could do that.  Not here.  This planet was dead now.  It had not been his fault she told him, but he ignored her.

She tried.  She took off to the vortex and sent showers of sparks from the console.  He always ran to her when that happened.  But this time he did not.  He remained seated, watching the doors.  She could not fix this.  She could not help him that way.  He needed someone to walk through those doors.  

She fretted, he hadn’t moved in so long.  He needed someone he would listen too.  He needed someone to force him to get up and get on with life.  She had to find someone full of light and life who could chase the darkness away before it was too late.

He was her world.  If he was lost to the swirling despair then she would be lost as well.  He was all she had, without him she was an empty shell, a means of transport but incapable of moment with no captain at the helm.  She needed him to be her captain, to guide her, to keep her safe.

Of course!  He needed the same thing.  A captain to steer him out of the despair.  His Captain.

So she reached out.  With all of time and space to hunt through it should have been difficult.  But it wasn’t.  He stood out like a beacon.  And she welcomed it with the relief of a ship, lost at sea, finally seeing the lighthouse that would guide it home.

She landed gently.  She did not know if his Captain would come.  She could only wait.  And hope.  And watch as the fire in his eyes ebbed and began to slip away.

Then the doors opened.  Sunlight and hope poured in.

“Doctor?”  The figure in the doorway hesitated.  She pulsed with excitement.  He had come.  All would be saved.  The tall Captain spotted the crumpled figure and ran over to him.  “Doctor, can you hear me?  Doctor?”  There was no response.  “What happened?” 

The TARDIS  wasn’t sure if he was asking the Time Lord or herself but she answered him by bringing up the screen on the console and playing her recording of what had happened just outside her doors.  The Captain closed his eyes and muttered a curse.  Then, gently, as if caring for a child he gathered the other man into his arms.  “Shhh... it’s okay,” he whispered, “it’s over.  It’s all over.  You're not alone.  Not anymore.  I'm here now.  You'll never be alone again.”

There was the smallest of sobs before the dam broke and he was crying.  It was scary for her to see.  He never cried, never showed weakness, not to her, not to anyone.  This last incident had just been too much for him, the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.  He had floundered.  Without his Captain’s guidance he would have been lost.  She watched as they rocked back and forth, a tight bundle of warmth and love.  The Captain was healing her Doctor, slowly and carefully shooing away the darkness and letting in the light.

She pulsed and hummed with happiness.  It would take time, but with the Captain’s help his hearts would heal and his soul would mend.

[identity profile] theohsocurlyone.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, Doctor!

*sniffle*

[identity profile] fatchickengirl.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
The TARDIS knows what her Captain needs...

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
We all need a little Captian now and then, don't we?

[identity profile] amythest-n-ice.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
oh, *lip quiver*

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG, love the avatar. No worries, Jack'll make it all better!

[identity profile] crystalshard.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Awww. I'm not much of a Doctor/Jack shipper, but this was lovely. I like how the TARDIS knows exactly what the Doctor needs, and can act on it.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! Honestly I'm not that much of a D/J shipper myself either.
trobadora: (TARDIS/Cardiff: home)

[personal profile] trobadora 2007-08-26 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, Doctor. The TARDIS has it right - he does sometimes need A captain to steer him out of the despair. His Captain. *sniffles*

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad you liked it! *passes a tissue*
unfeathered: (Default)

[personal profile] unfeathered 2007-08-26 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, this is very sweet. Good ol' TARDIS, looking after her Doctor! Love the idea of her sending out sparks to lure him into life. And Jack standing out like a beacon.

Spotted one little typo:

This last incident had just been to much for him - 'too' not 'to' :-)

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
grr, thanks, I proofed this as best I could. Sorry about that. One of these days I'll get a beta. Glad you liked it!

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[identity profile] jovialien.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Very nice, I love TARDIS pov fics, they are always so sweet!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! Isn't the TARDIS wonderful?

[identity profile] caelieth.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Awww :(

Loved this totally. I'm a total sucker for Dr-angst.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks!

[identity profile] sarkywoman.livejournal.com 2007-08-26 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
This is so sweet and sad, I love it!

[identity profile] taffimai.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 12:54 am (UTC)(link)
Awwwww!

[identity profile] javana12.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
Beautiful...

*hugs doctor tightly*

...just beautiful

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks so much!

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_usakeh_/ 2007-08-27 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
I like the way you wrote this from the TARDIS' perspective. It's a very nice angle from which to work, and you did a fabulous job with it.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
*blushes* aww thanks!

[identity profile] wscaster.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 01:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I read it, I cried for the Doctor and then I smiled....what more can you ask for from a fic?

I nearly passed this up because it was a D/J, but I am so glad that I didn't.

*Goes off to find another box of tissues*

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-27 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
wow, what a wonderful compliment! Glad you liked it!

[identity profile] adafrog.livejournal.com 2007-08-28 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
awww....TARDIS is such a good girl, taking care of her Doctor.

[identity profile] dragons-shadows.livejournal.com 2007-08-28 11:09 am (UTC)(link)
I love fics written from the TARDIS' perspective, and there are just so few of them. This was wonderful to read.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-28 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
She's not easy to write for. Glad you liked it!

[identity profile] rivana.livejournal.com 2007-08-30 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww... this was simply love. Beautiful Tardis, beautiful Jack of course and damn it I do believe our Doctor needs a keeper and a good cry before he surpasses the Master in the crazy-department.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-08-30 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
thanks so much!

[identity profile] laurab1.livejournal.com 2007-08-31 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, that's lovely :) &hearts the TARDIS.

[identity profile] badfalcon.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
ooh.... oh that was beautiful ♥

[identity profile] nightrider101.livejournal.com 2007-10-02 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww... This was just lovely! It's so nice seeing someone take care of the Doctor for once! Jack is just the man to do it too... ;) Great writing!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2007-10-02 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[identity profile] eternal-dolor.livejournal.com 2007-11-22 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
what a neat story and great writing

[identity profile] annakas.livejournal.com 2008-01-09 12:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Tardis is one wise ship.

annakas

[identity profile] ca-pierson.livejournal.com 2008-09-23 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
Awww, that was just beautiful. The POV was absolutely perfect and the way you wrote the Tardis ... *at a loss for words*. Loved it.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-09-23 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
:) Glad you liked it! And - thanks for commenting!
yamx: (Default)

[personal profile] yamx 2009-07-26 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
Awww, I love the TARDIS. She's so smart - much smarter than a certain Time Lord who'd just go on hurting and hurting if she'd let him.

Jack can fix it, right? *whimper*

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ext_230999: (Doctor/Jack)

[identity profile] kimuracarter.livejournal.com 2010-06-23 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I love you!
[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<hugs!>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I love you! <HUGS!>

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2010-06-23 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
:) Glad you liked it!

[identity profile] yukishiido.livejournal.com 2011-05-20 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
This was sad, but I really enjoyed it.

That being said, tiny constructive criticism:
"He needed someone he would listen too."

I think you meant "to". :)

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