half_a_soul | Negotiations [Locked to future alt!verse Jackson]

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Negotiations [Locked to future alt!verse Jackson]

Jono had known it was likely to happen at some point. He'd been far too deep into Jackson's mind to not know why exactly he had run to the Nexus and why he was so insistent on not going back. Not, mind, that Jono wouldn't have tried talking him out of returning to his world, but it was easier that he didn't want to.

And, after about six months with nothing happening, Jono started to relax, as well.

The first one, he met in the Nexus, asking questions about Jackson. The second one he met there as well, though she was more subtle. Both wore the same sort of clothing Jackson had arrived in. Normal grunts, nothing more. Dangerous enough, he supposed, but mostly poor sods who were in the same bad position Jackson had been in.

He sent them home with no memory of Jackson, the Nexus or their mission. He'd been foolish enough to believe that would be enough.

The third one actually made it to his apartment, luckily while Jackson was out. While Jono had been out, too, but he arrived home first from practice to find the soldier--more advanced and better trained than the first two--pointing a gun at him and demanding to know where Jackson was. He'd probably have gotten off lightly if he hadn't shot Jono's guitar to make a point.

Jono made a point right back. Even with future medical advancements, it would take a long time to heal from first degree burns over most of the body. And then they'd have to straighten out his mind. It was possible the soldier could recover from the mental fucking Jono'd given him, but he'd embedded a message for the first telepath that looked at him to find. Jackson was under his protection.

He'd thought that had been the end of it. It certainly seemed to be for about a month. Then Jono woke up to a strange mental signature in the flat. He slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Jackson before putting on a pair of pajama pants and heading for the living room. Where he had to stop for a moment and stare at the man with white-blond hair and what could, maybe, have passed for the uniform of a Redcoat. Maybe. Once upon a time. And the wide leather wristband he knew held a vortex manipulator.

Time Agent.

Jono let out an explosive breath, hands on his hips. "Don't you bloody fools know when t' give up already?"

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At long last, Gray's attention seems to focus and hone on something. It isn't Jono, not yet, but given a few moments to blink himself back to reality, his gaze shifts to Jono, specifically, and no longer looks quite so void of emotion or thought. When he speaks, it's in a low and raspy whisper, as if he's afraid to speak too loudly. "Thank God."

That's good. That's something. Jono had been worried that Gray's mind was too far gone.

He leans forward, watching Gray for a moment. "We can go to him soon, though I'll have to get some new coordinates." His current chosen coordinates were outside on a hill where he could see the ocean when they arrived. Jackson loved the spot. Gray would panic. "But before we do...you an' I gotta talk 'bout a few things.

"Way I see it, we got a couple of choices 'ere. You don' gotta go with me. Could find a way t' send you back t' your world. You could forget any of this happened. I could jus' make you think Jackson'd been dead fer years. You could 'ave a life there without the worry, but I think, eventually, w'at 'appened on that planet would consume you an' drive you completely mad." Not that he wasn't mad enough as it was, honestly. But eventually it would get worse.

"Or," Jono says after a moment. "We go to the island. I introduce you to Jackson, tell 'im who you are. He might remember yer voice, but I think we can blame it on the Feds easy enough. That they took advantage of yer anger t' deal with a problem fer 'em." He levels a calm gaze at Gray. "But, fer now, you'd be stayin' there. At the island. There are people there...they're used t' dealin' with mental trauma cases. They know what they're doin'. An' it's a safe place t' get acclimated t' this world. Jackson'll wanna get to know you, so it ain't like we wouldn' be around. But London...ain't the best place t' learn to deal with it. Island's safer an' quieter."

Gray is silent for several minutes, clearly contemplating the options, because his expression shifts from one of catatonic shock to complete confusion. "How do you know me? How do you know what happened to me? How do you know, but Jack doesn't?" And that's the worst part for him. His own brother doesn't know him anymore. He was replaced by something in Jack's head and now ... now it's gone. All of it. How can they even be brothers if none of it's there anymore?

He breaks down again, hanging his head and sobbing quietly. "You're inside my head," Gray decides, as if that explains everything. "I ... I don't want to forget, too. I can't. I -- " He will break down completely, just like Jono said. "I need help."

Obviously, Gray hadn't been listening at all. It wasn't surprising, considering everything. "Not sure you'd believe me if I tol' you. Then 'gain, might be easier to swallow 'an some of this." He waves to the flat before settling back. "It's one of the things 'bout the Nexus. Basically touches every universe in every time. Sometimes, you see people in the Nexus 'at you grew up thinkin' were fiction.

"Here, in this world, we got a programme called Torchwood. One of the characters is a former Time Agent turned con man called Jack Harkness." He gets up and moved to the DVD collection, picking up the first season box set. He pulls out one of the DVD holders, checking it before handing it to Gray. The person on the front looks...well, a hell of a lot like Jackson. "There's a lot of backstory, but the person in that show is who Jackson would've been if it 'adn't been fer the Nexus an' Adam. Instead, 'e ended up with a new version of events 'is mind knew were roight but couldn't reconcile 'em, either."

He sighs, sitting back down. "Twenty years of 'at. Not countin' time already in the Nexus. By the time 'e deserted, there wasn' much left of 'is child'ood I could save. Han'ful o' memories of yer parents, but Adam 'ad overlaid 'imself over so much of Jackson's past. Only way t' save 'is mind an' sanity was t' take it all away. Firs' twelve or so years of 'is life are pretty blank." Up until he lost Gray. And even some of the stuff after had a lot of blanks, too, where Adam had tried to fill in the blanks.

He promised Gray the truth. He doesn't hold back, but he does move closer to put an arm around the younger man. "Awroight. We'll get you help. When we go t' see Jackson, I'll introduce you to Professor Xavier an' Emma Frost. They're two of the strongest telepaths in the world an' they got experience." He doesn't mention that if they can't help Gray, there's not a lot of hope for it. Gray probably knows that.

Gray does know that.

He also knows that all the craziness Jono just spouted at him about fictional people and Jack Harkness and whatever this box of torched wood is has to be absolute nonsense that his mind just made up. Nothing else makes logical sense. He can't reconcile this with what he knows about the way the universe works. If he tried, there'd be no hope left for his mind.

Instead, he carefully sets the box aside and nods to Jono's offer of help. Hopefully that isn't just in his head, too.

Yeah, he probably shouldn't even have tried. Give him a few years of work with Emma or the professor and maybe try again then. Or, don't even bother. It doesn't really matter. Being in Gray's head is a good enough explanation.

"Awroight." Jono ducks his head, hugging the young man for a moment before he pulls away. "I'm gonna get hold o' someone at the school. An' see if I can't fin' you somethin' clean to wear." Gray has Jackson's height but his build is more like Jono's. Which, frankly, is going to make clothing him a bitch. He shakes it off. "Come on. I'll show you 'round the flat a bit while we do 'at."

The hug causes him some confusion, but Gray nods and stands when Jono indicates that standing is necessary. He's back to his somewhat catatonic state, going through the motions because it's necessary. This has all been too much for him.

Hopefully the fugue state won't last too long. Though as long as Jono leads, Jackson seems willing enough to follow. That'll work for now.

While he's looking for clothing that'll fit Gray, he reaches out again for Emma. It's a fairly simple request, though he has to walk her through how to use the PINpoint to find the coordinates. Finding the right spot--inside, away from high traffic areas and windows if at all possible--is more difficult, but she eventually relays a set of numbers and letters to him. He grabs the new PINpoint and punches them in while waiting.

Once Gray's changed, Jono straightens and runs his hand back through his hair. "Ready when you are, mate."

It doesn't take Gray that long to change, but he doesn't seem interested in breaking out of his somewhat shell-shocked state. Once his shoes are back on, he looks down at himself and then up at Jono. "Ready," he confirms simply, not sure what exactly to expect now.

The trousers are too short, but that's kind of to be expected. Jackson's would have fallen off.

Jono nods, moving forward to put his hand on Gray's shoulder. "Might wanna close yer eyes. Hear tell it's easier on the stomach." He takes another breath before hitting the button to teleport.

Within moments, they appear in a very different room. A study, really, the curtains drawn over the floor to ceiling windows at one end behind the desk. The walls and some of the tables were lined with books the same way Jono's were lined with his music.

In front of the desk stood an imposing woman, dressed all in white. She likely would have been about Jono's height if it hadn't been for her heels. "Jonothon," Emma Frost says in greeting. "And you must be Gray." Walking over, she offers her hand. Not my favorite of names, she adds to Jono, speaking mind to mind.

Emma, he warns her.

She shrugs and nods to the boy. "Jackson is downstairs in the infirmary. There's not much Josh can do for blood loss, so Doctor McCoy has him on an IV drip." Emma tsks softly. "As you can imagine, he's convinced it's very barbaric. You had to find a man who came back from the future."

Jono grins at that. "You don' know the half of it, Emma. Let's jus' say I'm askin' 'im if any of 'is relatives 'ad the las' name of Summers." Given the Summers family complete and utter inability to stay in their own timeline. And sometimes for trying to kill their family members.

Jackson does think it's very barbaric to have a needle shoved into his arm and given a blood transfusion, but he really isn't in a position to argue much of anything. (Besides, he's decided that he trust both Josh and Dr. McCoy, so if they say it's necessary, then Jackson can only begrudgingly agree to it.)

In the study, Gray looks completely out of his element and blinks away the dizzying array of stars that spark across his field of vision after the teleport. This is ... weird, to say the least.

Jono takes a moment to reach out his mind, brushing against Jackson's. Just as reassurance that he's all right. There's a half moment pop behind Jono's shoulder, then another pop straight after as Siouxsie decides to follow. And then go to Jackson, thank you very much.

Emma looks amused. "The firelizard still follows you around."

"Oi. 'At firelizard loves me," Jono replies. "Though I reckon some days I run a close second." Right behind Jackson. She always did like him.

Emma just smiles. "Come with me, then. We'll head downstairs. The elevator is this way." The shortest route to the elevator went by a large bank of windows. So Emma takes the longer way, telling Gray about the house. Anything to try to keep him engaged.

Although he's still weak from loss of blood, Jackson is there for the telepathic brush-by, even if he can't do much by way of responding. He'll be better once Siouxsie pops into the infirmary, vacating a bit of pillow space where he's laying on his uninjured side to invite her to lay with him.

Meanwhile, a lot of what Emma says goes in one of Gray's ears ... and manages to get stuck. It's probably the way she says it or maybe that her accent isn't quite as incomprehensible as Jono's is at times or ... well, who knows. He's listening but not paying strict attention, soaking up the information and using it to plugs the leaks in his mind. It's better than nothing and at least it makes a little more concrete sense than whatever Jono had told him.

Yes, well, Jono...doesn't have experience with this sort of thing. Jackson was a known quantity. Gray is someone he's trying to feel out as yet.

Siouxie curls up on the pillow, nudging up as close as she can to him. At least the doctors know better than to shoo her out. And she does croon nicely.

Emma finally stops, hitting one of the buttons in the wall to open a panel. Behind it is a fair sized elevator. "Do you have a problem with enclosed spaces, Gray?" she asks. "I should have asked before, but I forget you're not from this time."

"Hi, gorgeous," Jackson greets softly, closing his eyes at the comforting familiarity of her crooning -- and the knowledge that Jono is here, somewhere, hopefully close by. "Missed you."

At the direct question, rather than the exposition she's been giving, Gray blinks and pulls his focus together. "No," he answers, though he sounds uncertain. He has a lot of problems with a lot of things, but if they have to take a lift ... well, he should be all right, shouldn't he?

"It won't take us long, but if you would prefer the stairs?" The infirmary is in the basement, thankfully, and not one of the sub-basements. Which means it's only a single flight of stairs. "Jonothon, if you would like to go ahead? I know you're worried about your friend." And she puts a stress there that means she knows very well that Jackson's more than that. But then, she was fairly deep in Jackson's mind, keeping him connected to the world.

Jono glances to Gray, noting that he's already more relaxed in Emma's presence. Which may have something to do with her not having been witness to what happened in the Nexus and may just be Emma. "If yer sure yer awroight?" Because he does want to go directly to Jackson. There's still stuff to explain before Gray arrives.

That's his story and he's sticking to it.

"Yeah, stairs," Gray agrees softly, thinking that's a much better idea. And, maybe, he'd just like to get out of Jono's presence for a little while so he could breathe easily. This woman, Emma, she hadn't been there. She didn't see what he did. "I'll be all right."

Jono glances at Gray, then nods. "Aye. I'll go 'head an' take the lift, then."

Be careful, he tells Emma. Not that I 'spect you wouldn' be, but he's not terribly stable at the moment.No, he's not. Emma states it as fact. She already knew, after all. You and I will speak while you're here, but he may not be safe to allow to leave the island. A moment, then, But that's why you brought him here, isn't it?

Brought 'im fer Jackson. Gettin' 'im the help 'e needs is a rather major bonus. He hears her hmph in the back of his mind as he enters the lift, pressing the button for the basement. He almost would rather have taken the stairs because he could go down them faster, but it was better for Gray to be out of his presence at the moment.

Though once the doors opened, he bolts for the infirmary, nearly slipping as he rounds the corner to go through the door.

It probably isn't that great of an idea for him to sit up as quickly as he does when he hears running and realizes it's Jono coming through the door, but Jackson pushes himself up a little in bed with the air of a man who isn't that concerned about his own health. It's a lie, of course. Jackson has never been this close to actually dying, despite all his years in the military and all the close shaves. It's usually just a nasty injury, but this? Was sort of terrifying in its own way.

"Hey," he greets quietly, both for the sake of Siouxie and due to weakness caused by loss of blood. "You okay? What happened?"

No, it really isn't. "Bloody way lay down," Jono replies, moving forward. And there's relief on his face because, yes. Even though he'd been told Jackson was okay and would be fine, it was easier to believe when seeing him. "Hank'll 'ave me head if 'e sees you sittin' up." He knew where that blade had gone, after all. Only the fact that they'd been ready got Jackson through.

He sits on the edge of the bed, laying his hand against Jackson's leg. "I'm fine. Tired an' a bit worried 'bout you, but fine." He sighs, rubbing his forehead with the other hand. "Well. Can say conclusively that they ain't comin' back. Didn' mess about this time with warnin's. They've all forgotten 'bout the Nexus an' one'll be deletin' all files pertaining to you in their system. Far as the government's gonna be concerned, you don' exist.

"There's jus' one...minor complication."

Jackson can't help but smile at the concerned insistence behind Jono's command, carefully settling back down into bed. This time, he lays on his back and tries to get comfortable with the sore area on one side so he can look up at his friend. "Thank you," he says softly, smiling a relieved smile of his own. Although he only realized what was going on a few days ago, Jackson has been worrying himself sick of it. Now ... well, it's good to know that it's over. That Jono took care of it. Jono always takes good care of him, leaving Jackson wondering why he was that worried to begin with.

But easy to think such things after it's said and done, isn't it?

He reaches out carefully for Jono's hand. "Complication?"

Jono nods, carefully formulating things in his head. The lie isn't THAT much of a lie. There was a lot of using going on and it's the government's fault to begin with. Just...how to phrase it. "The guy they 'ad sneak 'round an' attack from the back? Well, 'e's deserted. Used 'is anger t' try to get what they wanted." He takes Jackson's hand, squeezing slightly. "I...don' really know how t' explain this, Jackson, but...'e's kin to you. Yer brother."

It all makes reasonable sense up until the point Jono mentions the guy who attacked him is his brother. Jackson's expression turns from sincere to completely confused. "I ... don't have a brother, Jono," he says with a sad sort of earnest. With Adam having replaced Gray in his memory and Jono having removed Adam entirely, there's absolutely nothing left to even hint that he could possibly have a brother. He remembers being a small child with his parents, before Gray was born and Adam replaced him, then remembers his dad dying and his mother being so sad. He couldn't have a brother, not unless his mother ... after he was gone ...

"I'd know, wouldn't I?" Jackson wonders after a pause, now worried that there's something he's forgotten. Something he's missed.

There is something. Jono reaches up, brushing his fingers over Jackson's forehead. "You wouldn' if 'e'd been replaced." Shaking his head, he goes on. "Near as I can tell, Adam tended t' go with close bonds t' ingratiate 'imself t' people faster. So they wouldn' question it. Lotta times, 'e jus' made it up outta whole cloth, but a lotta times, 'e used memories what were already there."

Jackson only knows of Adam and only because Jono has told him what the man -- alien? -- did to him. Without any recollection of the events, it's difficult to accept that it actually happened and Jackson has spent several months trying to acclimate himself to the idea. This, now, is ... terrible, actually. It brings back that uncomfortable feeling of violation he first experienced upon knowing his mind was tampered with.

He exhales a slow breath, deflating quite visibly as the idea finally sinks in. Unfortunately, Jackson doesn't know what to say. Except ... "And he tried to kill me?" His tone is full of regret, as if he can only wonder what he did.

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