The Doctor's (School) Office: Friday Office Hours

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor's expecting his 123 students to either stop by or leave him a voicemail this morning. He hums quietly to himself and bounces a little.]

Comments

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

I can live with that. What's up? [He wisely does not add, "...Doc".]

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Not much. [He smiles.] You're here to tell me what you want to do for your final project.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Right. Er. I forgot to think about it this week. [Jack props his elbows up on the edge of Ten's desk and thinks.] I think... I want to explore the concept of alternate universes more. Sam Carter and I were talking about it some. I'm... less freaked out on the topic of my own possible alternates and/or futures, but I want to understand it. Do you think that would work?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Understandably so. Want some coffee? [Ten looks suitably concerned and pours two mugs full regardless.] And yes, that could be a good project for you. You just have to understand that getting too emotionally implicated in your project could skew the results. You'd have to check yourself whenever possible.


((For the record, I'm assuming that Ten's now seen the message from the Time Agency.))

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

((I agree. I figure he got it from CJ and played it.))

Coffee. Yes, please. I kind of want that... need to check myself. I want to get this on an intellectual level. [He thinks for a moment.] If I wrap it up in a report, say, "This is what I understand about it"... I think I can let it go.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[Ten quietly hands him one of the mugs.] Maybe then this is definitely the right choice for you, Jack. If you think you can do it, I'll let you go ahead. And if you want help, you know where to ask.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[Sips from the mug and closes his eyes briefly in appreciation.] Thanks. I'll probably take you up on that offer of help.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Jack... [Ten takes a swallow of coffee.] Are you going to be all right? Do you need anything?

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[The corner of Jack's mouth kicks up in a smile.] Yeah, I am. I mean, I'm still kind of floored by the fact that everything I've been planning for as long as I can remember has gone poof. But... if I hadn't talked to CJ on Tuesday, I'd probably still be trying to figure out how to placate the Time Agency. And thanks to you... I don't have to give up my dreams. Just my plans. I can live with that.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor blushes, just a little.] Most of the time that's what happens. Plans change, but the goal remains the same.

I just get the feeling that this isn't over.


((Going to be in and out for about two hours, FYI.))

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[Jack grins cheerily at him.] What's not over? Everything's good, right?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor sighs.] Jack...Really. Everything's good here. But everything might not be good somewhere else.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[Jack shakes his head.] Last time I made myself nuts trying to worry about here and there and then and now. [Quietly:] I screwed up. I know I did. And I do want to fix it. I'm not forgetting about that. I'm just... not thinking about it for a bit.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

That's not what I meant, Jack. This time, it's not your fault. It's the fault of those who're looking for you. Because they won't stop.


((We've just been jossed, thanks to Children in Need, by the way.))

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Looking for me? Who? You think the Time Agency is gonna look for me? Why would they?

{{Hells. I figured we'd have at least until Torchwood. Ah, well. Alternate universes, right?}}

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Jack...you're the one who told me that they think in terms of gains and losses. [His eyes focus on Jack.] You're an investment.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[Jack licks his lips nervously.] And you don't think they're going to just write me off as a bad bargin. [He tightens his hands around the mug of coffee, knuckles showing white.] Okay. Okay. I can deal with this. I just have to convince them I'm more trouble than I'm worth.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

That's not going to do you any good. If anything, it'll only make this worse. [Ten's expression is determined.] We WILL protect you. You just need to work with us instead of against us.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

[Jack blinks at him a moment, then takes a deep breath that only shudders slightly.] Sorry. I forgot. I'm still not used to thinking anyone's going to help me out. [Jack stares at him, eyes bottomless with trust.] What do you want me to do? Or not do?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Right now? What we all do is wait. [He sighs, mouth quirking in a half smile.] Which I bloody HATE doing, and I'm certain you're not thrilled with the idea, either. We stockpile our resources and wait. It's always better to be on the defensive.

...I'm going to need to know everything YOU know about them. Everything they've ever said to you.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Gah. Waiting. I figured that was one of the advantages of time travel, you didn't *have* to wait, you could just... *go*.

I've got another message from them (http://www.livejournal.com/users/time_agent/3911.html) from earlier in the year back in my room. My room on the TARDIS, I mean. It doesn't have much info on it, though.

Other than that... [Jack shrugs.] It's the Time Agency. They pick a few people every year to go into agent training, and then they send them out to fulfill contracts for clients. Say you want something snatched from Pompeii before the volcano explodes? Hire the Time Agency. Sometimes, they try to fix paradox problems, although there's not much money in that. But if time is seriously out of joint, they send someone in to try to rectify the problem.

They're the only game in town -- or, at least, the only one anyone I knew ever heard of -- so what they say goes. You want their services? You're going to pay for them -- a lot. You disagree with them? Fine, here's your deposit back, and whatever it is you wanted taken or fixed is just going to stay the way it was.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Well, we have no idea when they're going to show up. [Ten rests his chin in his hand and sips some more coffee.] Could be tomorrow, could be months from now. My guess is that when they'll either move very fast or come up with some kind of complex and cunning plan that puts us off guard. Our defense...is NOT to be off guard. Understood? We keep constantly vigilant.

[He listens to what Jack has to say, brow furrowing.] And you were one of the few and the proud to be chosen.

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I don't know why. It never made any sense. I've got about five years to go before I could reasonably apply to the Acadamy, and then they popped up on my doorstep with the offer to come to Fandom High, saying that if I did it I'd be in.

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Maybe they know something you don't. [The Doctor closes his eyes.] I can think of several reasons why they'd want someone here, someone in a student capacity. This place is a temporal madhouse.

((All references to Harry Potter and Marines adverts in the last post should be considered to be not-so coincidental.))

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

((FYI--Ten says that despite not having OOG knowledge.))