crossoverfic | Fic: Time Out in Washington 3/18 [X-Files/Torchwood/The State Within/Dr Who]

Title: Time Out in Washington (3/18)
Author:

fides
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Mulder/Krycek (mostly UST), Mark/Nicholas discussed but whether there is any truth behind the suggestion is open to the reader's interpretation
Fandom: X-Files/Torchwood/Dr Who/The State Within
Rating: NC-17 overall (most parts PG/PG-13, only one part is NC-17 and that part can be skipped with minimum confusion if you want to read the plot but are put off by the idea of graphic sex)
Warnings: Spoilers for The State Within. Some violence and fantasy sexual violence
Disclaimer: None of the recognisable characters are mine, Santa has been really falling down on his job recently, but belong to their respective right holders
Sequal to 1. Plus Ça Change, 2. Hobson's Choice
Prequel to Interlunation
Previous Parts: Part 1 - Prologue -:- Part 2 - Sir Mark

Summary: Finding out Jack's secret in the worst possible way (Hobson's Choice), Alex takes a break from Torchwood Three while he comes to terms with events and his anger towards Jack. To give him the time he needs, Jack arranges a secondment for Alex at the British Embassy in Washington working with the secret service to counter threats to the Ambassador's family. But with Mulder around things don't go to plan and Alex discovers that aliens aren't that easy to leave behind.

Notes: I know that the timelines don't quite fit so I decided to fudge things a little because it was too tempting to compare Torchwood and the Consortium. This story is set concurrent with the early part of X-Files season 6, during the second half of Torchwood season 1, during the time of the 12th Doctor (Doctor Who) and about a year after the events in The State Within. In depth (or indeed any) knowledge of the included fandoms isn't required so please don't let them put you off. Thanks to

moth2fic for the beta. Any and all remaining mistakes are own.

An illustration accompanying this section can be found here

Nicholas keyed his way into the embassy via the bridge link from the residence. At that time of night the building was deserted except for the odd security guard. Glancing at his watch, Nicolas confirmed no one was scheduled to check the offices for another few hours.

He unlocked one of the secure rooms and started up the teleconference equipment. With the press of a few buttons the Torchwood logo appeared on the screen in front of him. Nicholas had time to wonder who had thought it was a good idea to go with a club version of Bowie's Starman as the on-hold music as he settled further in his chair to wait. He'd promised that he would call Jack when he had got Alex safely ensconced, and having now met the man Nicholas had a few questions for Jack himself, but he hardly expected an immediate answer given the time difference.

Two verses in and the image changed to display Jack's office and Jack looking a little bleary eyed but better than a lot of people managed before 6.00 a.m. The alertness was possibly thanks to the content of the mug gripped in his hand with all the tenacity of a drowning man holding a life preserver.

"Good morning, Group Captain," Nicholas greeted. It was late enough that it was easy not to sound too cheery. Even morning people, of which Jack was not one to Nicholas' memory, tended to react badly to others who were chirpier than them in the morning.

Jack grinned. "Captain," he stressed. His eyes flicked over where Nicholas thought that the projection of him must be. "You know, you and Her Majesty are the only people who ever call me that; it must be something about being a..."

"Careful, Harkness," Nicholas interrupted. That really was too obvious, even with the early morning as an excuse, but then Jack's sense of humour had always been pretty basic.

As if proving Nicholas' thought, Jack's grin transmuted into a smirk and he leant back in his chair.

"You've said that before," he said smugly.

"And yet you never seem to listen." Nicholas shook his head with exaggerated regret.

Jack's voice gained a low purr. "Maybe I just like hearing you say it," he suggested.

Nicholas laughed; Jack Harkness never changed. Literally. Nicholas was convinced he must have an aged and desiccated painting hidden in an attic somewhere. Strictly speaking, Nicholas wasn't sure he had said any such thing before, and certainly not in the way that Jack was implying, but he had definitely expressed similar sentiments to the other man over the years. Quite why it had been his squad's bad, or good depending on how you looked at it, luck to run into alien tech while on patrol in Bosnia, Nicholas had never wondered. Those things just happened sometimes, like running into roadmines. Exactly whose fault it had been that they had taken the time to document, report and guard the as-then-unidentified object he knew only too well, and he considered Jack's continued presence in his life a deserved consequence. His commanding officer had felt the same way at the time, making Nicholas the liaison between the regular troops and the various U.N.I.T and Torchwood personnel who descended on them because the mess had been 'all his bloody doing'. Still, it had been fun and Nicholas had been secretly tempted by the job offers he had received at the end of it. He might even have taken Torchwood up on theirs had the Foreign Office not offered more opportunities. Jack had been quite persistent until Nicholas had taken him aside and explained very thoroughly and carefully why he wasn't taking up Jack's offer of employment. And that since they weren't going to be working together other offers were negotiable. They had kept in touch afterwards and Nicholas sometimes wondered if it had been Jack who had put his name forward to MI6.

"Too much?" Jack asked, not the slightest bit contrite as he took a sip of his coffee.

Nicholas shook his head, as much in disbelief as in denial, "I didn't think you knew what that meant."

The mask of humour fell from Jack's face and he lent towards the camera, all business as he peered over his cup. "'Too much' is the point I send my guys to you for a few weeks to get their heads straight," he said. "I missed what was happening with Susie and I am not letting that happen again."

Nicholas nodded understanding. Of course, in practical terms it meant that Nicholas had to manage and, although it was never stated aloud, evaluate potentially unstable and on-edge agents who had been trained to deal with aliens rather than humans. And, all more noble reasons aside, Jack sent him the ones who, for whatever reason, Jack didn't want to deal with himself.

"You like making my life harder, don't you?" Nicholas sighed.

"And not just your life," Jack leered for a moment, long habit too much to resist, before donning his professional face again. "Alex will be fine. He just needs time away from here to think: do something mundane, seduce his FBI agent..."

"The one he's supposed to be keeping away from?" Nicholas pointed out. Ianto's report had been fairly clear on that point, although thinking back on it in the light of Jack's comment there had seemed to be an undue amount of detail devoted to what to do should any otherwise suppressed memories be triggered.

Jack ignored him. "...Get things into perspective," he finished.

Nicholas studied Jack carefully.

"At least he didn't turn up looking liked I'd hired him for the evening." Nicholas was willing to bet that he had Ianto to thank for that. Jack had the fashion sense of a man who thought World War Two military chic was suitable for every occasion. The question, however, was not one of sartorial elegance. "Is he trustworthy?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

That wasn't an answer so much as a challenge. Jack trusted him with his team at their most vulnerable and Jack didn't trust many people.

"I take your point," Nicholas conceded, "but will he do his job? Mark's son has been threatened and I am not going to risk the boy if there is any chance that your Mr. Krycek could be compromised."

It was one of the advantages about working with someone who understood; they didn't get pointlessly offended when you were doing the job you had to do.

"He'll do what's necessary," Jack stated clearly. There was no compromise or hesitation in his voice and Nicholas was certain that Jack completely believed what he was saying. Jack's eyes dipped down from the camera to the papers on his desk, "Nicholas, don't let him get himself killed."

So Jack blamed himself for whatever had happened, Nicholas made a mental note. And Jack was worried, not about what Alex might do but about what might happen to him.

"I sent the last one back in better shape than I got him, didn't I?" Nicholas pointed out.

"Reluctantly," Jack accused.

Nicholas spread his hands innocently. "Can you blame me?"

Away from Cardiff, Jack and constant reminders of everything that had happened, Ianto had still needed a challenge to distract him, although Nicholas rather thought that he been trying to bury himself in any tasks he was given, hoping to be lost in a sea of paperwork and never found. The results had been rather more than Nicholas had bargained for, but when the dust had settled he had definitely counted it on the plus side of his personal ledger. He had also dragged Ianto out a few times and got him blindingly drunk. From what Ianto had let slip the counselling after Torchwood One had fallen had been criminally useless and at Torchwood Three it was nonexistent unless you felt like retconning a psychologist every week after you had convinced them you weren't delusional. Nicholas had read Jack the riot act the next time he had talked to him in private, not that it had done much good. He had also slipped Ianto the name of one of the U.N.I.T shrinks when he left, along with a sealed note to give to Jack which just read 'Talk to him, you stupid bastard'.

Jack glared at him. "Ianto sends his best wishes by the way," he relented.

Nicholas smiled; he could have done with the Welshman on his staff more than a few times since then.

"How is he?" he asked with more than polite interest.

Jack looked at his cup fondly, an expression Nicholas had only seen a few times before. "Kindly letting me think I run the place."

"Well," Nicholas did his best to make it sound like Jack had no influence in the matter, "if he ever wants a change of scenery, let him know the offer is still open."

"M16 can kiss my exceedingly cute arse." Jack flashed his most charming grin. "Of course, if it's you... that offer is always open."

"I'll pass that right along," Nicholas assured him, "suitably sanitized, of course."

"As you like." Jack sounded disappointed although Nicholas was almost sure he was putting it on. But then it was always a bit hard to tell with Jack how much of what he said he meant seriously, although Nicholas didn't doubt that he meant all of it. The twinkle in his eyes was especially disconcerting and downright filthy. Before matters descended onto their oft-held discussion about Nicholas' old U.N. beret and whether or not the blue brought out the colour of his eyes, Nicholas crowbarred the conversation back to the point.

"So, anything else I need to know," he said repressively, "specifically, relating to the situation with Mr. Krycek?"

Jack raised an eyebrow in challenge at the change of subject but allowed it to happen.

"We'd prefer it if you didn't bug Alex's briefing to U.N.I.T," Jack's voice was dry, "but I assume that is too much to ask."

"Whitehall would never condone the bugging of a top secret briefing," Nicholas replied in the same tone, the shock more fake than a parliamentary denial.

"I'm sure they wouldn't," Jack agreed insincerely. He sighed. "At least send me a copy of the tapes. I'd like to hear what he has to say."

"I thought you trusted him?" Nicholas slid the words out like the first bid in a poker game, confident that he held all the cards on this occasion so the question was how high the ante could go before Jack folded.

"I do," Jack's eyes narrowed, "I just want to make sure he doesn't forget anything important."

"And you have an alien water transit device you would like to show me," Nicholas scoffed. "Have it your way, Jack. Just remember how many you owe me."

And how much more Jack would owe him if he was forced to put a bullet in Krycek, assuming he could. The man was good and Nicholas needed all the warning he could get if there was likely to be trouble. Nicholas might be in Jack's debt after the debacle with Tyrgyztan but that was a different account and Jack knew it too.

"Any time you want to come to Cardiff and collect," Jack let the offer hang. Nicholas dipped his chin and Jack relaxed, letting the offer slip into innuendo. "I'll send the others home early..."

Nicholas stifled a smile. Let Jack Harkness know he had gained an inch and he would take a bloody mile.

"On the subject of whom... Is that your staff I hear arriving, Group Captain?" Their business was done unless Jack had anything more to add.

Jack looked off-camera towards whatever had caused the disturbance that Nicholas had faintly heard. His face took on that softer, fond look for a moment.

"Not entirely." Jack didn't elaborate but then Nicholas didn't think he really needed to. Jack apparently caught his smirk because he glared unconvincingly. "Keep me informed," he said brusquely. "Talk to you soon. Pleasant dreams, Nicholas." Jack winked. "Torchwood Three out."

The screen went black as the link disconnected before Nicholas could wish Jack anything in return. Nicholas flicked the equipment off as his end; it never hurt to be sure and Jack had one of the best techs in the business working for him. Bringing his fingers up to his lips he tapped them there as he thought.

Exiting the secure room, Nicholas saw Mark waiting for him, a rueful smile on his face. One look at that expression told Nicholas he didn't need to worry about there having been a diplomatic crisis, just a personal one.

"I thought you said it could wait until tomorrow?" Nicholas said quietly.

"So I did." Mark looked pointedly at the clock on the wall where both hands had tilted well past the vertical, "Do you mind? With everything, I just couldn't sleep."

Nicholas smiled crookedly. "Not at all, Ambassador. Shall we go somewhere more appropriate and see if we can find some way to set your mind at ease?"

The automatic lights shut off behind them as they headed for the residence.

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