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blueyesandleatherjacket · 6 years

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Ghost of you, Chapter 3/?

Volume: 1.

Number of parts: 3/?.

Pairings: Human!Nine x Rose; Human!Ten x Jack; Clara Oswald x Olivia Baxter (OC).

Synopsis: "Maxence strapped the black combat dress he had been given around his waist and pulled on the black leather gloves. He hated those clothes. He was more of a jeans, T-shirt and trainers guy than a black boots and combat dress guy. However, his opinion on the matter wasn’t necessary."

A/N: I've started writing this fiction last year after I had a particularly weird dream (as usual) and after I wrote the prologue, I've put it aside to work on other stuff. I've gone back to it not so long ago and decided that it would be the fiction I would post next, after not posting anything for a while. I must have watched I am legend and Game of thrones way too much to come out with something like this but I hope you will like it. I am not a scientist, nor did I have a particular knowledge of sciences. I do my researches on the internet like everyone to make sure everything is as close to the reality as possible. I have a literature degree only. Writing is what I do and it makes me explore next fields, and learn new things.

“You should never make fun of something that a person can't change about themselves.” - Phil Lester.

CHAPTER 3:

Second day of October 2017. Day 1746 since the infection. Maxence Spitz video log. I have been forced to rest by the doctor of our team because I was showing symptoms that were concerning her. Nothing like the noctiagus. Nothing serious either. But I have been put aside for sanitary reasons. It’s all sorted now. I can get back to work and that’s a chance. My team has made progress. We still don’t have any guinea pigs for our tests. The Doctor Jack Harkness had sacrificed Peggy the pig that was our mascot. She has quickly developed the virus and showed the same symptoms as a human being. Unlike the rats, she is holding on. She’s wandering in her cage like the zombie the humanity has become. But humans and pigs don’t work the same way and we expect Peggy to die. Or to show some healing skills. That second option would be really unexpected, but it’d also be a miracle. Jack found out that the DNA was being corrupted by the virus. The usual proteins are replaced by new components. We have no idea how or why this happens and what are these new components. I’ve asked Clara and Rose to work on this new question. It will keep them busy for a while. The others have their own missions. So do I. The Prime Minister called me a few days ago. The government wants results and I don’t have anything to give them. I’ve suffered my superior’s reproaches for a couple of minutes before new orders were given to me. I have to take the next step. We’re done with the rats, with the pigs. The next experiments will have to be on humans. An infected human. My mission is to go on the field with a special team to protect me and to catch one of them without getting myself contaminated. I’m avoiding the members of my team that are not concerned by this mission. They can’t know what I’m up to. We have that system of voting before any important decision. Going outside to catch a living human specimen is an important decision and I can’t have it submitted to vote. Everyone would be against the idea of me going on that suicide mission and I can’t disobey a direct order of the Prime Minister so… Let’s hope it’ll go alright. Let’s hope I’ll be back home tonight. Safe and sound. Maxence strapped the black combat dress he had been given around his waist and pulled on the black leather gloves. He hated those clothes. He was more of a jeans, T-shirt and trainers guy than a black boots and combat dress guy. However, his opinion on the matter wasn’t necessary. It was the required uniform to leave the building. He added the black jacket with lots of pockets and zipped it up. The pockets were full of ammunition and meds. He glanced at the gun in front of him. He had been trained to use it but he didn’t like wearing one. It was mandatory on the field. He grabbed it, checked the security and stuck it in the holster he was wearing. They would give him an automatic weapon when they would be out. He had sedative darts too. Strong sedative. He was hoping it would be enough. He was ready, all kitted out with these combat clothes and guns. He only had to put the gas mask on. He still had a few minutes. He cast a look at his computer. The fear was tearing him apart. He was afraid of not coming back. Afraid that Rose would never know the truth about this mission. He had to leave her a message. He opened his laptop, turned the camera on. For a moment, he only looked at his image on the screen. He didn’t know what to say. If he wasn’t coming back, she would check his computer and see this message. If he came back after some ruckus, she would kill him. She would hate on him whatever happened. He had to tell her everything before leaving this place. That would soften her wrath, would make her forgive him more easily. And if it was the last time he was speaking to her, she would want to keep this video. He began recording. Rose, my dear Rosie, my so beloved wife… Before you start cursing me and swearing that you’ll slaughter me as soon as you can get a hold of me, know that I haven’t chosen to go on that suicide mission. I always refuse the members of my team to go outside for any reason. I do that to protect them. This rule applies to you and to me as well. But I’ve gotten this call after the situation in London got worse. The government wants answers and someone has to go and get them outside. The responsibility falls upon me. It is a direct order from the Prime Minister and I can’t disobey it no matter how much I hate it. I never meant to lie to you but I didn’t want you to worry about me being outside. My focus would have been troubled and it is important for me not to worry about anything during this mission. My only focus has to be on catching this living human specimen. I don’t need to tell you how terrified I am right now. You can see it on my face, in my body language, in my eyes. You’ve always been good at reading me like an open book. My Rosie, I know you don’t want to hear these words but I have to tell you all of this now, through this video. Just in case I wouldn’t come back. Just for you to know. First of all, it’s really not against you but I name Tegan Smith as the substitute leader of the team. You and Jack will be his seconds in command. I trust the three of you the most. All the signed papers are in the last drawer of my desk. You won’t have any problem with everyone. I’ve planned it all. Just in case. Second, well, this part is only for you. My dear Rosie. The woman of my life. If it’s the last time I ever get to speak to you, I want you to know how sorry I am. I wish I had found this cure years ago so we could have gone back to our little life, so I could have given you the children you’ve always wanted. I’m sorry for failing my mission, for having myself infected, for giving up on you. It is all against my will. Just know that I will forever love you. I’ve promised you. I’ve promised to love you for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. I’ve promised to love you until the end and if I lose myself, if I get infected, I’ll hold on to the strength of my love for you to survive in the jungle of nightwalkers. If I never make it back to the lab, don’t forget me but, please, do not mourn me too long. Build yourself a new life and be happy as much as possible. I’m asking you a lot, I know that, but I don’t want you to grieve forever. As hard as it is, please, live on and remember me. I love you. Maxence stopped the recording and sighed. He pressed his forehead on the desk and for a moment, just for a small moment, he closed his eyes and imagined what his life would be if that virus hadn’t spread on Earth. He imagined himself and Rose working here on their own researches to change the world. He imagined them in a small house with a white fence. They would sit in the garden and watch their kids play in the sandpit or on the swing. In the evening, they would have dinner and read stories to their children. It would be the perfect life. A life full of love and happiness. A life he would be proud of. If his mother could see him now… She was proud of him for finding the work of his dreams, for finding the love of his life. She had died a few months after the wedding and Maxence had had a hard time coping with her death. And then, the virus had hit the world. Someone knocked on the glass door of his office. He raised his head. The leader of this mission was standing there. Allegro Dyce. A tall guy built like a tank. Red hair. One of the best members of the security team. He was leading this mission as his black combat dress and the automatic weapon strapped on his shoulder were showing. He was having another one on his belt. And one at his ankle. We never were too cautious. Allegro tapped his watch. It was time to go. Maxence turned off his computer and grabbed his gas mask. He left his office, making sure to lock it well behind him. He followed Allegro to the hall of the building. Everyone was too busy working to see them passing by. There was a nurse and another scientist, a guy named Adam, the six others were security men and women trained like soldiers for these missions. “Are you ready, doctor Spitz?” asked Allegro. “Let’s go,” replied the doctor. He was focused. If he was thinking about this mission too much, he would step back and run away. Allegro made a sign and everyone pulled on their gas mask before they stepped outside. The tension was perceptible. They knew that they probably wouldn’t come back here. This mission could be their last and it was putting a lot of pressure on their shoulders.

Tegan Smith was a brilliant neuroscientist who had been hired by Maxence Spitz personally years ago. It had been an honour for him since he was following Maxence’s work and articles since he found out about him. He was a huge fan of his and being interviewed by the man himself had put more pressure on his shoulders than he ever had. However, the man had put him at easy very quickly and Tegan had brilliantly passed this interview and been hired by Maxence. Being the new guy in a team that was so united wasn’t easy but they had made sure to make him feel comfortable and Maxence had taken him under his wing. A sort of mentor. A dream come true for the scientist who was just a few months younger than his boss. Now, they were like brothers. Something he could never have seen coming even in his wildest dreams. It was before the virus hit of course. Before being hired here, he was working in a small lab. His skills weren’t used properly. They hadn’t even employed him in the right field. They weren’t using his cleverness the right way. And so, they were often telling him what a loser he was. He had low self-esteem because of that. He had found out that Maxence Spitz, his hero, was the same. He was someone very doubtful of his skills but he was supported by his wife, Rose, and all the team of scientists working for and with him. He had made sure everyone would give him the same support and help him in his induction, in his work. Tegan Smith was very thankful for Maxence to have given him a chance, for believing in him. Working with him was the best thing that had ever happened to him. That’s why he had been working so hard since the beginning. He had doubled his efforts when the virus hit. He had no family outside so spending his time here was no problem for him. His only family was composed of his colleagues. But he had the feeling of disappointing them all because he was perfectly unable to find a good lead to follow. This virus had an obvious influence on the brain but nothing in the tests he was running showed where this influence was starting, how it was working. Considering the reactions of the infected people, there must be something touching the cells and causing so many damages to human beings. But all the scans he had done on rats before they were freed had given no results. It was frustrating for him because he had the feeling he was disappointing his mentor and that’s something he couldn’t deal with. He checked his mails just in case someone would have found a new lead. It was becoming a routine for him: getting frustrated about going nowhere and checking his mails to see that no one had anything either. There was a new mail that drew his attention though. ‘MAXENCE SPITZ. URGENT: NEW LEAD IN OUR RESEARCHES.’ Tegan clicked on the mail and downloaded the file that was joined to it. The mail didn’t say much. Just that Jack had sacrificed Peggy and that she was presenting a complete corruption of her DNA. That was brilliant. Tegan jumped on his feet and ran to Jack’s office. Unfortunately, there was no one in there. He grabbed a washable marker from the pocket where he was keeping all his pens and wrote some words backwards: ‘I NEED SCANS. ASAP. T.’ Tegan knew he didn’t need to write his name entirely. Jack would recognise his signature. Everyone was calling him just T in the building. Maxence had begun and Rose had followed. And it had spread. Maxence was sometimes calling him Tenny too. He was the only one to use that nickname. It was affectionate. Anyway, he was going by T for everyone here. So when Jack would see the message, he would call him and let him know when he would be able to have the scans. In the meanwhile, he would just walk around. Everyone was busy. They all seemed to be working on the new lead. Was he the only one who couldn’t do anything? Looks like he wasn’t. Maxence’s office was empty. Where could he be now? Preparing the next step? Was there any food mission up? It would be great. Cupboards were empty. Tegan made his way to the sports hall. He was gonna sweat a little. It was better than doing nothing while waiting for Jack’s call. He walked to the locker room but before he could get in, someone ran into him, almost making him fall. He looked up to see who it was and swallowed. Colin Appleton. A clever scientist but also a sociopath. If there had to be a bully in their team, it was him. And Tegan was his favourite target. “Ah! The little Tegan. Long time I haven’t seen you. You’re done hiding in your daddy’s legs?” “Shut up, Colin. I’m not in the mood for your bullshit.” “You don’t talk to me like this,” retorted Colin. He pushed Tegan brutally, his mean smile gone now. Tegan managed to stay on his feet but still stumbled back to Colin’s greatest pleasure. He decided to ignore him, to walk past him and back off on a punch bag. But obviously, Colin wasn’t gonna let him do that. He caught his arm and held him tight. “I’m not done, Tegan.” “I am.” “Oh, are you standing up against me?” Tegan tried to get free from his hold, ignoring the sense of fear that was growing inside him. It wasn’t gonna end here. Colin was gonna play with him. The fake blonde pushed him harder. Tegan’s back hit the wall and Colin grabbed his chin in his head. Tegan didn’t move. “I won’t let a faggot insult me, alright?” he murmured in his face. “Who’s the poofta here?” “…” “I said,” he repeated, holding Tegan’s chin tighter, “who’s the poofta here?” “I am,” replied Tegan, his voice trembling. “Good boy.” He tapped his cheek with his hand. “Never forget that, heh?” “Is there a problem here?” Tegan closed his eyes and sighed as he heard Jack’s voice coming from behind Colin. It meant he was saved. He hated feeling so vulnerable, so weak. He hated needing someone to defend him. Colin let go of him. “No problem.” “Well, leave him alone and go back to work.” Jack shot a dirty look at Colin who just smiled and left the place without another word. Jack watched him leave before he turned to face Tegan who hadn’t moved. He was still standing against the wall, trembling, when the former Captain put his hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?” “Yeah.” “You’re trembling.” Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started walking away. He was obviously going to the locker room too. He had had his session of sports and was gonna change. That was before he fell upon Colin annoying Tegan. He changed his plans. They both walked in the locker room. “Get dressed. I’m gonna show you a couple moves so Colin won’t annoy you anymore.” “Jack…” “You’re the latest of the team. Colin thinks you’re the weakest link and wants you to feel like it. He does that with everyone.” “That’s not about that.” “That’s because you’re Max’ favourite? Everyone knows that he considers you as his little brother.” “Everyone is jealous of it but I never asked for it.” “I know. That’s just how Max is. When he likes someone, he made you feel like you’re part of his family.” “Everyone here is part of his family.” “Colin isn’t. He works here because he’s brilliant. But Max and Colin can’t bear each other.” “He doesn’t seem like he hates anyone. He’s just too nice.” “There’s a long story behind it. But that’s not mine to tell. Come on, you were gonna train a bit, heh?” “It was just until you see the message I’ve left on your door.” “We’ll see that later.” Jack walked away and disappeared into the bathroom. Tegan stood there, not knowing what he should do now. He opened his locker and started changing into his sports outfit. After all, he couldn’t do anything without Jack. Their study subject was in his office. Everyone knew that when Jack had decided something, it was useless to make him change his mind. So Tegan was just gonna play along. He was still trembling when he closed his locker. He pressed his forehead against the cold metal door and closed his eyes. He hated being like this and most of all, he hated Colin Appleton. He felt the tears burning his eyes but refused to let them run down his cheeks. Instead, he clenched his fists and brutally punched the locker beside his. “Damn it!” The pain in his hand wasn’t gonna last. Hearing Colin calling him a ‘poofta’ was hurting him so much more deep down. He wasn’t the first, wouldn’t be the last but it hurt because he had to suffer through this daily. Sometimes it had gone farther than the little argument they had had earlier. He punched the locker harder. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” “Keep it for the punch bag.” Jack grabbed his fist before he could punch the locker once again and really hurt himself. His hold was firm but Tegan wasn’t trapped. He could get free in a second if he wanted too. But he just looked up into Jack’s almost grey eyes. “You’ve got a nice punch, T.” “I should have punched the face of this asshole.” “That’s not how the team works.” “I don’t care about the team when this shithead is bullying me.” “You gotta let out this rage first. We’ll talk later.” Tegan followed Jack in the boxing room though he didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. The Captain bandaged his hands admirably well. Not surprising for someone who had been in the army. He tapped the punch bag when he was done. “Show me what you’ve got.” “I should be working.” “You won’t be able to focus until you’ve let out this rage inside you. Come on.” Tegan was quite incredulous at Jack’s behaviour but he couldn’t deny. He indeed wouldn’t be able to focus as long as Colin Appleton would haunt his mind. So he punched the bag. Slowly at first. Then, quicker. “I can understand that a fresher initiation is required for some people. You’ve all done this when I first arrived here. It was nice. After that, you made me feel like I was accepted, that I was in the team.” “Maxence even made you enter his family.” “But Colin never stopped the initiation. Every day he was going farther. And then, he found my secret.” “Everyone has secrets, T.” “Not everyone is bullied because of this secret.” “Okay, you’re gay. Now what?” Tegan stopped punching the bag, surprised. No one knew that he was gay. He had told no one. Not even Maxence and Rose. He had kept it for himself because he was scared of what people would think of him. Colin finding out about it made him want to keep this secret to himself even more. Obviously, it wasn’t so secret anymore. “It was easy to guess. You’ve never flirted with any of the women here and they’re so hot I’m having a boner just thinking of it.” “That’s…” “Very me, yes. I’ve heard him speak to you earlier. That was mean.” “That’s an understatement.” Tegan sat on a close bench, defeated, and looked at his feet. Jack came to sit by his side. He looked straight in front of him. The sports hall was empty. It was just the two of them. It made things easier for a talk. “Colin pretends he’s heterosexual but it’s not exactly the truth.” “Don’t fuck with me, Jack.” “Sure about that? I’m a good fucker.” “Who says so?” “Everyone.” Tegan snorted. Jack was just like this, boasting about his conquests whether it was for one night or a couple months. Jack chuckled. At least, he got a reaction from Tegan. “If you need it someday, just come and see me.” “I’ll think about it.” “Anyway, don’t worry about Colin. He just doesn’t deal well with his own feelings.” “That’s no reason to let it all out on me.” “Why haven’t you talked to Max about it?” “And be considered as a grass in the whole lab? No thanks. I’m dealing with enough.” “You can’t go on like this, T. You’ve been here for what? Six, seven years? It will only get worse. Some people say you’ve got to stay strong and wait until they’re fed up with bullying you but that’s not how it works. He won’t leave you alone until he breaks you completely.” As sad as it was, it was the truth. Jack and Colin had known each other for a while now and the man was just mean. He was no good at heart. That was why he didn’t have many friends here. People were filling complaints against him because he was brilliant but that wasn’t allowing him to threaten his colleagues or worse. Those words didn’t comfort Tegan at all. It was all the contrary for the poor man who finally let out all the weight of the past years. Jack gently wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer to him. He would let him cry on his shoulder until the man had nothing left. In the end, he had needed just a friend to listen to him without the fear of being judged. Which was what everyone needed. “My offer still stands by the way.” There was a muffled chuckle and a ‘shut up’ coming from Tegan but there wasn’t any refusal this time. After a while, he broke the hug and wiped away his tears. “You should take a shower. You’re stinking.” “You’d like my sweat if you were licking it off my body.” “That’s disgusting!” Tegan slapped Jack’s shoulder and got up. He started stretching his body, turning his back to the whole room so anyone coming in wouldn’t see that he had cried. He wasn’t in the mood for questions of any sort. Confiding in Jack was a big step for him who never said a word about his problems to anyone. “Take this.” Tegan turned his head to look at Jack. He was holding his access card out to him. It was forbidden to do this. It was in the rules. Even Maxence and Rose never took each other’s card, and it wasn’t because Maxence was the boss. It was for everyone’s safety and to protect their work. So why was Jack transgressing the rule number one? “I’m gonna take a shower. Do your scans and get some work done. Prove everyone that you deserve your place here.” Jack gave him a smile and put the card in his hand before he headed for the locker room. He grabbed his towel in his locker and walked to the showers. It was completely desert. It usually was whenever he was around here. The other guys were avoiding him and his flirting. It was amusing him more than anything. They were all pretending to be straight but some of them had played the game. Colin Appleton was one of them. He had played the game and more. Just right there, in the showers. However, now, Jack was taking his showers alone. He pulled off his clothes and tossed them aside. He walked in a hub and turned on the hot water. He closed his eyes and just let the water flow on his sore body. Sometimes, he was pushing the training too far but it was the only way to get his mind off his demons. His past in the army often haunted his mind. When Maxence had hired him in his team ten years ago, he was just fresh out of war. What he had seen and done there… What he had lost on the field… His fingers found the scar on his hip. A bullet scar. This bullet had gone through him and through his partner standing behind him. The enemies thought they had killed two soldiers in one shot but Jack had survived. His partner didn’t. Just because of a small infection that had gotten worse in the climate of that desertic country. This loss had deeply hurt him and turned him into a fearless man who had nothing to lose anymore. He had taken too many risks and was sent back home after he got badly hurt in an attempt to save another soldier from a buried bomb he had walked on. He had saved him but it wasn’t enough to calm the nightmares and terrors he was suffering from. That was Maxence who saved him after all. He had come to the hospital Jack was recovering in. He knew about his sciences course, knew that he was a specialist in the DNA field and he wanted to hire him for his researches. Jack had refused at first. These studies were long behind him. He was a soldier now. Nevertheless, Maxence never gave up. He had insisted and when Jack didn’t get to go back on the field after his psychological tests, he had called Maxence and accepted his offer. Of course, he had had to follow a therapy and Maxence was always there to listen whenever Jack needed to talk. Maxence and Rose were the only one who knew about his past. He was thankful for them and he believed that they were life savers. Everyone here had a story about how Maxence had come into their lives and given them a second chance. What a good man. Jack’s fingers now brushed over the scars that last bomb had left on him. He pushed the memories aside and grabbed the soap. He quickly washed his hair and body and rinsed it all. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist. He grabbed his dirty clothes and walked to the locker room. He threw them in his sports bag and quickly dried himself. He pulled his shirt and jeans back on along with his boots. He added his towel in his bag and put it on his shoulder. He closed his locker and headed to his office. The message was still on the door, though Tegan was in there. Since he didn’t have his card, he used the eye scanner to open the door. He hadn’t expected to find a sleeping Tegan on the couch while he waited for the scans to be complete. Jack smiled and covered him with a blanket. He could see why Maxence considered him as a little brother, why everyone in the team did. Behind his strong attitude was hidden his vulnerability. Tegan Smith was just like him in a way and Jack liked this particularity a lot. So he would protect him, just like he used to protect the others on the field. And Colin Appleton better mind his own business now!

To be continued...

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In the next chapter:

Plus, there was this guy. Tegan Smith. It was the last addition to the team but he had immediately found his place here. It was easy when the boss liked you. Tegan could have been a complete idiot no one would have said a thing about him because he was Maxence’s favourite. But he was clever. He was more than clever, and for Colin, it was the last straw. He hated this guy. He hated his gentleness and intelligence and the fact everyone was considering him as a brother. More of all, he hated the fact that this stupid tramp was attractive with his brown eyes and full beard. He hated the effect the man had on him. That was why he was being so mean to him, treating him roughly more and more everyday. He had expected Tegan to break but he was stronger than he looked.

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