Thomas Hector Schofield

Fan fic: Ten visits old companions including Hex (slashy)

chasepan — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 04:29:49 GMT

Title: Doctor Who, Jesse, and Jeremy 126
Chapter 126: Remembrance of the Companions part two
Rating: R – X
The Doctor is currently moving back through his past selves as he degenerates. Current: Laying dying, possibly for the last time, the Doctor, still trapped in his very old Fourth Doctor Leisure Hive Recreation Generator body, recalls when as the Tenth Doctor, he revisited everyone of his former companions all over time and space. This time, he visits Fitz, Grace, Chang Lee, Benny, Benny's son Peter, Hex, Hugh, Janet, brunette Sam, blond Sam, Kroton, Grant, Jeremy Fitzoliver, Ace, Evelyn, Mel, Frobisher, Peri, Nyssa of Terminus, Olvir, Tegan, Turlough, Matthew, and a certain space freighter...

http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=4986&chapid=124076

undiscussed audios!

livii — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 02:20:08 GMT

Sorry to post here two times in a row...I was just on the BF site, however, because now that I finally finished my version of Hex's backstory, I wanted to grab Project: Destiny. While looking, I saw they released three straight Hex stories last fall/winter! I don't keep up well with Big Finish so I was really surprised. And then I was sad, because I haven't seen anyone discussing them here. Obviously I don't want to read spoilers, but, have you all heard these three audios? (The other two are A Death in the Family and Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge). Did you like them? Hate them? Indifferent? Inquiring minds want to know!

When I manage to listen to them all I will post back again with my thoughts. It's been ages since I've really been fannish about Hex, but digging out that old fic made me excited again. :)

Fic: Tinker, Tailor (Hex, Ace, Seven, PG-13, ~5300 words)

livii — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:01:35 GMT

Title: Tinker, Tailor
Author: livii
 Characters: Hex, Ace, Seven, Nimrod
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The past has come knocking at the TARDIS’ doors.
Notes: explicit spoilers for the BF audios Project: Twilight and Project: Lazarus, but no spoilers for Project: Destiny, as I haven’t listened to it yet and I wrote most of this story, my own version of Hex discovering his family history, over two years ago (and finally decided to post it). Thanks to glinda_penguin for beta reading. ~5300 words.

Like so many other stories, it starts with a simple choice: to stay, to not stay, to travel, to see the stars.

"Vampires!" Hex says, laughing. "Doctor, you can't pull that trick on me. There might be aliens, yeah, but vampires? Now you're pulling my leg."

* * *

"The boy," he whispers, deep in an office, shrouded in dark. "We can use him. We can break him. We will be reborn."

His laugh echoes around the room.

"Online and operational," says a cool, clinical voice. "Awaiting further instructions."

"Initiate the Apollo Protocol," he replies. "For King and Country."

* * *

Minatos Minor wasn't the most pleasant stop on their journeys, but even Hex admits later that it was worth it to overthrow that government.

"I think it's Hex's turn to choose where to go next," Ace says gently, as they reconvene in the TARDIS. She watches him as he leans against the console, trying to keep from scratching a wound that's healing very slowly.

Hex looks up, a curious expression on his face. "Why so nice?" he says, but then he laughs, and shakes his head. "I'll go anywhere, Doctor, just maybe somewhere a little bit safer for right now."

The Doctor is staring at the TARDIS controls intently. "I don't know if we have much choice. We're getting a...signal, and I think we'd better check it out."

"What sort of signal?" Ace asks, but Hex is already moving to brace himself against the console for the inevitable bumpy landing; the Doctor does not answer Ace's question.

* * *

"Well, I can't say this is somewhere I was looking forward to revisiting so soon," the Doctor says, striding forward across the moor, umbrella tucked firmly under his arm.

"So soon?" Ace asks, puffing a little as she tries to keep up with the Doctor's exceptionally brisk pace.

"Monte Carlo was lovely, that time of year," the Doctor says, a little sadly, and then he shakes his head. "Ace, Hex, come along. Don't go straying; this is not friendly territory."

"It's a moor," Hex says. "And it looks like Earth. It is Earth, isn't it?"

"There's probably hobgoblins in the bushes," Ace says, grabbing Hex's arm and pulling him forward. She grins. "And zombies over the hills, and vampires under the rocks."

The Doctor turns around and glares at Ace, so intensely that both she and Hex recoil. "Not funny," he says. “Not vampires."

Hex pulls a face. "He's kidding, right?"

* * *

The first indication that something might be off comes when they turn a corner and are confronted with a sprawling building, mainly subterranean, surrounded by barbed wire.

"Well, that's not exactly welcoming, is it?" Ace says. "We going in there anyway, Professor?"

The Doctor is standing in front of the wire, an inscrutable expression on his face. "I'm not sure," he says, slowly. "I think, Ace, you might want to take Hex back to the TARDIS."

"What, you think I'm not fit for this?" Hex says, getting his back up. "And why me, and not Ace too?"

"Please, Hex," the Doctor says, but then he stops, and seems to reconsider. "Unless...well, maybe you'd better come along after all, then. But do be careful. Please stick with Ace at all times, all right?"

Hex nods, raising his eyebrows at Ace. Ace merely shrugs in reply, and they watch as the Doctor burns a hole in the barbed wire with his sonic screwdriver.

* * *

They're walking through the unnaturally quiet halls of the building when suddenly there's an alarm going off: lights flashing and sirens wailing, and the sound of doors being locked all around them.

"That one's still open!" Hex yells, taking off for a doorway at the end of the hall. The Doctor and Ace are right on his heels, but when he runs through, it slams shut behind him.

Hex turns around and hammers on the door, able to just see a sliver of Ace by peering through the tiny window in the door. He hears her hammering on the other side, but it doesn't do a lick of good.

"Terrific," he says, turning around to take a look at the room he's found himself in. Before he gets all the way around, he flinches. There's a man standing there, staring at him. And he doesn't look entirely human, nor entirely sane.

"Tommy," the man says, "I've been so wanting to meet you. Please, come with me."

"Got the wrong man," Hex starts to say, but the other man's grip on his arm is like iron, and suddenly, he feels very sleepy. Surely he can close his eyes for, oh, just a minute.

* * *

They left her, the voices scream, they left her there in the cold to die. They left her to scavenge rats, they left her to freeze. They left her, they left her, they left her.

He struggles, cries out, tries to block them out of his mind.

They thought she was nothing, they think you're nothing, nothing, nothing. But we saved her, we saved her, we saved her, they scream louder. We'll save you, too, we'll save you too.

The cut on his arm stings, badly, for a moment. There's something inside his head. Something very strong, very persuasive. Telling him...

You can make them pay.

It sounds just right.

* * *

"Hex!" Ace cries out, relief written all over her face, as he strolls into the room she's been searching an hour later. "Er, I mean, where the hell were you?"

"Had to find my way out the back passages," he replies casually, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry, it was a bit complicated. Think I took a few wrong turns."

"Big baby," she says, but she smiles. "Come on, the Doctor's poking around inside the security system. Says it's really advanced. Not smiling much, but still. Should be cool."

"Way cool," he agrees, and follows her off down the hallway.

The Doctor is definitely not smiling when they show up. "Hex, thank goodness," he says, worry lining his face. "I told you to stay with Ace."

"So-rry." He pulls a face, and Ace laughs.

"This system," the Doctor says, not having noticed the exchange, "is definitely a 2.0. But it can't be, it can't – I destroyed it! Just back a mile, that way, it's still bare."

"You blow something up without me, Professor?" Ace asks, with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Blimey, you look really upset."

"If you'd seen what this organization can do," the Doctor replies, "you'd be upset as well. Come on. We're leaving."

"Leaving?" Hex says. "But if they're evil, why don't you blow them up again?"

"I didn't say evil," the Doctor replies, "because that's too mild a term. I have to go run some tests back in the TARDIS. Since we haven't been formally greeted yet, I think I prefer to wait and come back later to meet the owners. I do so hate being physically restrained."

* * *

A few tests turn into several dozen, and the TARDIS sits on the moor, motionless, for a week. After being chased out of the lab, Ace finds Hex down in the library again.

"Quiet, it's not like you," she says, sitting down next to him. He looks at her, and she shivers.

"Gone over all funny, too," she says, shaking her head. Hex laughs.

"Just thinking, Ace. There's no law against that, is there?"

"No," she says, smiling, "but I'm going mental in here, it's so boring. The Doctor won't let me go explore that base. Honestly, it can't be that bad if they've not even tried to come capture us yet."

"Definitely boring," Hex says, and scratches his arm. Ace looks down, and sees that the old wound is bleeding again.

"You've re-injured it!" she cries, and jumps up to find bandages. She returns quickly, and sets to work taping it up. "Honestly, you're the nurse. Imagine letting it get like that."

"It's nothing," Hex says, trying to shoo her away. "Here, I'll get that myself."

"Hang on," she says, stopping suddenly. "It's not just that – look, your whole arm up to your elbow, there, it's covered in scratches. What the hell have you been doing, Hex?"

"I said it's nothing," he replies, angrily. "I've just been going out for some fresh air, all right? I can't take being cooped up in here, with – cooped up in here, that's all. And I fell down. That's all. Okay?"

"Hex," Ace says quietly, "the Professor seems to really want to keep you away from that base. You haven't been going over there, have you?"

"Oh, and he's really looking out for my best interests there, isn't he? Leave off, Ace, and leave me alone." He stands up, and storms out of the room.

* * *

Ace doesn't see Hex at all the next day, no matter where she searches. Finally, when the dawn is breaking, he's in the kitchen, though he wasn't there before. His arm is bandaged much more heavily.

"I won't go back," he says, his voice deep and lazy with tiredness. "I just had to find something, that's all. But I won't go back. I know all I need to know, now."

"I'm telling the Professor to get us out of here tomorrow," she replies, but he just smiles at her, a disarmingly toothy grin, and the next morning, she forgets to ask.

* * *

The next night, as Ace gets into bed, she remembers. She'll talk to the Professor in the morning, she thinks, as she curls up with a book.

All of a sudden she hears a faint noise – almost unnoticeable – and looks up. Hex has entered the room and is crossing it, settling himself down beside her on the bed.

"Oh! You startled me, you muppet. How'd you get so good at that?"

"Ace," Hex says, quietly. "Ace, I've missed you."

"I've been right here," Ace says, with a nervous laugh. She shifts slightly, aware of Hex's leg pressing against her own, the fact she's in her nightclothes. "What're you playing at?"

"Ace," he says again, and she finds herself slightly mesmerized by his tone, dark and insinuating.

"Don't wear it out," she says, "you great big – oh." He's put his hands around her head, a thumb gently stroking each cheekbone.

"This is a bit abnormal behaviour," she says, but she looks in his eyes as she speaks, and her attempt at flippancy dies in her throat. His hands tighten their grip just a fraction, and she feels him lean in for the kiss before he actually moves.

It's good – oh, very good, and before she knows what's happening, she's on her back and Hex is – Hex is everywhere, one hand tangled in her hair, the other hand slipping her old t-shirt up over her stomach.

"Hex," she says, fighting to control her racing pulse, "this is a really, really bad idea. Oh, god." He's got one of her breasts in his hand and she swallows, hard. "Really bad idea, Hex!"

He pulls away suddenly, like he's been slapped. He's sweating and she can clearly see how turned on he is, even through his jeans.

"I'm – oh my god, Ace, I’m so sorry," he says. "I – " and he turns and flees the room, slamming the door behind him as he goes.

"Wait!" she calls out, struggling to extricate herself from the bed sheets and rearrange her clothes. By the time she gets to the door, he's long gone. She sighs, and goes to lie back down in bed. But sleep is a long time coming.

* * *

The Doctor calls a meeting in the laboratory the next day. Ace can't look Hex in the eye, and doesn't know what she would say anyway. She thinks this is still abnormal behaviour, for her this time, and shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Hex, on the other hand, is standing there coolly: wearing a long-sleeved shirt despite the warmth in the lab, and looking as if he hasn't a care in the world.

"That base is a facility of the Forge," the Doctor says, without preamble. "They have been one of my greatest enemies. You've met them before – briefly – when we were mixed up in World War One. Hex, you, you were brainwashed with their techniques, even. It's – part of why I wanted you to keep away. You're very susceptible to their tactics."

"Part of?" Hex says casually, but when Ace glances at him she sees that his eyes are like steel.

The Doctor sighs. "Hex," he says, and he sounds so, so old now, "I'm afraid you have a personal connection with the Forge, and it's one you won't be happy to know. I’m afraid that the Forge – well, it has to do with your mother."

Ace whips her head around to stare at Hex, then back at the Doctor. Hex's face is closed and tight; she sees that he's clenching his fists so hard that blood is gently seeping through his shirt, from the wound on his arm.

"I want to go there," he says, "I want to know what happened to her. They took her, didn't they? They took her?" He strides off without another word, and Ace and the Doctor head after him.

"It's much more complicated than that, Hex," the Doctor says, but he lets Hex lead the way out of the TARDIS. "But yes, I'm ready – it's time to go talk to my old...friends."

* * *

The walk over to the base is uneventful, except for the tension crackling through the air. Surprisingly, the hole the Doctor had made the week before is still there, and they have easy access.

Right before they go through, however, the Doctor holds out his arm. "Hex," the Doctor says carefully, "there are things I've never told you. Things – you should have known, and it wasn't right for me to keep them to myself, much as it will hurt me to tell you them. The thing is, Hex, it will hurt you too, and you must tell me you want to know everything."

"Please," Hex replies, with a slightly unsteady voice. "Please, Doctor, she was my mother."

"She was a wonderful woman," the Doctor says. "Strong, and brave, and she loved you very, very much."

"How'd you get her mixed up with that lot, then?" Hex asks.

"Poor Cassie was in deep already when Evelyn and I got there. Hang on. Which lot? Hex, what do you already know?"

"Quite a lot, actually," a voice says from behind them. "Grab them, don't let them go." Strong arms take Ace and the Doctor's wrists and feet, and slap on cuffs.

"How lovely to see you again, Nimrod," the Doctor says. "I suppose you've made young Hex's acquaintance already, then?"

* * *

They're dragged into a small room; Ace struggles against her bonds, but it's futile. Hex follows behind, but doesn't look them in the eye.

“So, what’s the big plan, then?” Ace asks, trying to bluster enough for all of them, since the Doctor is silent.

Nimrod turns to her, and she shudders.

“You will be silent,” he says. “I am only keeping you alive as another servant, and another way to hurt the Doctor. But if you get in my way I will kill you.”

Hex starts at this, looks angry. Ace tries to make eye contact again. Nimrod notices, and snaps his fingers. Hex goes still and quiet.

“Oh, Hex,” the Doctor says suddenly, and sadly. “What have they done to you?”

Nimrod smiles. “The question, my dear Doctor, is what have you done to him? The truth will out, Doctor. And I will have my victory.”

“It’s your fault!” Hex says, all at once animated. “Why did you leave her in Norway? You knew the Forge wanted her. It’s your fault she died!”

“Someone want to fill me in?” Ace says, but she flinches when Hex turns to her.

“She was starving, she was freezing, and she was going to die. They left her there to die. The good, benevolent Doctor.”

The Doctor shakes his head. “That’s what she wanted. Evelyn even tried to convince her, but she knew her own mind. How could we have known what would happen?”

“Always excuses,” Nimrod says, cutting in. “Now, Tommy, it’s time for us to go. Our guests have a role to play, just like you do.”

Hex shakes off Nimrod’s hand on his shoulder, but two more people appear, pale white, blank stares, and grab his arms. “Let me tear him apart,” Hex snarls. “He deserves it.”

“Hex,” the Doctor says, “this isn’t you. You’re being controlled! You can fight this! Cassandra did what she wanted. She did what she thought was best - for her, and for you.”

"You could have locked her up!" he screams, being pulled down the hall. "You could have locked her up! None of this had to happen!"

"She made her own decisions," the Doctor says, his face falling. "Hex, she had to – I couldn't force her."

"You let her die!" Hex screams, his voice breaking. With that, he's shoved out of sight.

* * *

“It was called the Twilight virus,” the Doctor says, without preamble.

Ace tests the door of their cell, kicking it as hard as she can without breaking her foot. It doesn’t budge. “And what’s that when it’s at home, then?”

“Hex’s mother was a vampire. Turned into a vampire, by the Forge. I’d worked on a cure, with Evelyn...but it was too late when we came back for her. The Forge had got her, had completely brainwashed her, even into forgetting Hex.” The Doctor looks down, expression inscrutable.

“He talked to me about his mum, once,” Ace says. “He never knew her. He told me he thought his gran was his mum until he was six.” She stops, a thought occurring to her. “Did you know he was her son when we picked him up that first time, at St. Gart’s?”

The Doctor just nods. “I thought I could...make amends. Repair the past.”

“By putting him in danger every day of his life?” Ace looks skeptical.

“By watching over him,” the Doctor says, “and one day telling him about his mother, his brave, beautiful mother who loved him until the end. But I was never as brave as she was.”

The sound of a slow clap comes through the door.

“So touching, Doctor,” Nimrod says. “But I’m afraid I must interrupt your sentimental reimagining of history. I’d like the girl, please. I have some exciting new strains of viruses to test on her.”

“It’s me you want, just take me!” the Doctor yells, as Ace struggles futilely against two of Nimrod’s pale minions.

“In time, Doctor,” Nimrod says, slamming the door shut.

* * *

Ace is finally released, after marching up and down hallways for half an hour, into a room full of laboratory equipment. Hex is standing by a set of test tubes, looking deeply uncomfortable.

“Could have told me we’d be going for a long walk, I’d have worn more suitable shoes,” Ace says, rubbing her arms where they’d been held tight. Hex doesn’t acknowledge her.

“So, vampires,” Ace says, turning to face Nimrod. “I have to tell you I’m not too keen on the idea. All that blood, and the fangs - not my thing. So if you don’t mind - “

“Sit down,” Nimrod says brusquely, cutting off her attempt at escape. “Tommy, restrain her.”

Hex mutters something under his breath, but he complies.

“Why are you doing this?” Ace says, in a low voice, as Hex comes close to do up the buckles on the restraints. “The Professor, he’d never have hurt her on purpose, and I wasn’t even there. We’re not your enemies, Hex. We want to help you.”

“You can’t give me back my mum,” he says, spitting out the words. “He can.” With that, he jabs a needle in Ace’s arm.

“Hex,” she says, as she begins to feel light-headed, “the dead are dead, and they can’t come back...” She doesn’t finish her thought. Suddenly, there are quite a few dead people in the room. Manisha, Mike, Gwendoline...

And Cassie. Well, it must be; she’s got Hex’s eyes and is taking him in her arms, holding him tight.

“This is her?” Cassie says, frowning at Ace. “Shall I hurt her for you, dearest?”

“No!” Hex says, as Ace flinches. “No, Mum, I just wanted you to meet her. I just wanted us to spend time together.”

Cassie smiles, sending shivers down Ace’s spine. “She hurt you, my baby. We have to hurt her, and the Doctor. It’s the only way.”

“Hex,” Ace says, “she’s not real. Cassie is dead. This is a fake, a phantom. Don’t listen to her!”

“She’s my mother, Ace,” Hex replies. “She’s been watching over me. Healing me. More than the Doctor ever did. More than the Doctor will ever do again!” He looks intensely agitated.

"Oh, hush, sweet Tommy," Cassie croons. "Mummy will take care of you. We’re strong now, we’re in charge now. Mummy won’t let you bleed."

As Ace watches in horror, Cassie leans over and licks Hex's arm clean. When she lifts her head, there's blood trickling out of the side of her mouth, and Ace can't stop herself from screaming.

* * *

Some time later, Ace raises her head. There’s drool on her shoulder, and Hex is standing across the way, smirking.

“Just catching up on my sleep,” Ace says, but her voice comes out all wrong, her tongue thick in her mouth.

“Come on,” Hex says, undoing the restraints. “The serum will be in your bloodstream by now. You’ll want to see Nimrod’s machine. It’s beautiful.”

“The Professor,” Ace says, slowly, “he’ll stop them. He always does.”

Hex laughs. “I’m sure he thinks he can take on Nimrod, and Oracle. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well.” He takes Ace’s arm and leads her out the door.

* * *

“It’s a computer,” Ace says. “I’ve seen computers before, Hex.”

“Oracle’s different,” Hex replies. “And Nimrod’s different. When he’s got it running full power, it’ll control the Doctor. It’ll control the world.”

Again, the slow clap. Nimrod clears his throat as Ace jumps, not having seen him approach.

“Such a clever student, our Tommy,” he says.

Hex smiles. “I worked with Sys all those years at St. Gart’s. I know how to use these types of systems. With the info it gave me, sabotaging the Doctor’s experiments in the TARDIS was a snap.”

“Those experiments were probably to help you, Hex!” Ace protests. “To cure you of - whatever it is Nimrod has done to you!”

“The Doctor wanted to make me forget!” Hex says, almost shouting. “He was using me, Ace, to make himself feel better, to get over his guilt at what he did to my mum. But now we’re going to use him.”

Ace opens her mouth to argue, but suddenly stumbles, dazed. “What’s happening?” she asks.

Nimrod smiles. “The serum is taking full effect. You are mine now, girl. And when the Protocol is complete, I will transform you.”

“But you’ll take care of her, like you’re taking care of me, right?” Hex asks. “Like you promised?”

“Oh, Tommy,” Nimrod says, an almost regretful expression on his face. “Haven’t you learned yet that everyone has, and will, betray you?” He snaps his fingers, and Hex’s expression goes blank.

* * *

“I demand to see Ace and Hex!” the Doctor shouts, as several minions drag him away from the cell.

“You will see them quite soon, Doctor,” Nimrod says. “We just have to finalize the preparations. There are one or two things with Oracle that I would like your input on. I remember you having a remarkable intellect and facility with these systems.”

The Doctor grimaces. “I’ll never help the Forge.”

“If you want to see your friends again, then you will,” Nimrod says. His voice is quiet and pleasant. “Just a few minor adjustments. Then it will all be over soon.”

They enter the room housing Oracle’s mainframe. It’s full of equipment, wires, electricity.

“I still have your DNA sample,” Nimrod says, in an almost off-hand way. “But I believe you concocted something even more wonderful in your lab, or at least, Tommy told me so. If you’d be so kind as to program the sequences into Oracle, we can be on our way.”

The Doctor walks over to Oracle, flexes his fingers. “I’m not sure this will have the result you expected,” he says, typing rapidly.

“I believe you’ve underestimated Tommy,” Nimrod says. The Doctor freezes, but two minions appear, and a gun in his back causes him to continue.

“That’s right,” Nimrod says, insanity returning to his eyes, a dark mania. The room lights up, sensors blinking and bleeping.

“Apollo Protocol complete,” Oracle’s cool voice states. “Time Lord DNA fully sequenced and crossed with the Dusk Project. All systems are go.”

The Doctor stares. “No, Nimrod - no!”

Nimrod laughs as the Doctor is dragged away and shackled to the wall.

"Isn't it glorious, Doctor?" Nimrod shouts, above the whirr of machinery. "A new, improved human race, finally realized – all thanks to you. The Time Lord, creating a new race of vampires, a new race of unbeatable soldiers. We will rule the Earth! And what better first subject than you?"

The Doctor struggles uselessly at his bonds. From a doorway come two figures, holding needles and syringes.

"It won't hurt a bit, Doctor," the first one says. "After all, I am a nurse." The second figure just laughs.

"Ace, Hex, you must fight this!" the Doctor shouts, but he may as well be talking to thin air, for all the notice they take of his words. Ace grabs his arm roughly and turns it over, veins laid bare, while Hex readies the needle.

"They're not yours anymore, Doctor," Nimrod says. "They will not save you."

"Cassandra!" the Doctor yells, then, and Hex takes a sudden, stumbling step backwards. "Cassandra Elizabeth Schofield!" he yells again. Hex shakes his head, then rushes forward and grabs the Doctor by the throat.

"What do you mean?" he demands, almost tripping over his words in his rush to get them out. "Why? Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't you save her?"

Suddenly he's no longer cold and efficient; he's just a broken young man, head in his hands, falling to his knees.

"Hex," the Doctor says, "Hex, please, you have to stop this. Stop it for her. I'm sorry – I'm so very sorry."

He looks up – the Doctor in chains, Ace standing, frozen between conflicting orders and desires.

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, okay." He stands up, strides over to the mainframe, and casually pulls the wires from the wall with his bare hands.

* * *

Hex wakes up later in the TARDIS; cool, white light seeping through the bandages over his eyes.

"He's awake!" a voice says, and he realizes it's Ace's. She sounds small, and strained, and very, very scared.

Careful hands remove the bandages and he blinks, stupidly, as the world comes back into focus.

"I didn't mean for you to electrocute yourself, Master Hex," the Doctor says sadly. "Still, thank you. You saved us – you saved us all."

Hex swallows, feeling pain radiate out across his body. "I didn't save her," he says, his voice closed and tight.

"Oh, Hex," the Doctor says, "she had her own life to live, and she saved herself, in the end. She told me once that she felt she’d been taken advantage of her whole life, that she’d never had a chance to prove herself. She stayed in Norway to do that, to finally stand on her own feet, prove herself so she could go back for you. She wouldn't want you to throw your life away for her. She loved you far, far too much."

He can feel the truth in this statement, but he knows it will take time to accept. Still, he nods his head once, slowly.

"How long have I been out?" he asks. "And is it all over?"

"Three days," Ace says, and he can see now that her face is pinched and drawn as well. "And – well, mostly."

"The Forge," the Doctor says, "are not a single enemy; cut off one branch and there are always more roots left behind. Still, we dealt them a substantial blow, and I don't think what's left of them will be too keen to try to interfere with you again, young Hex. Now, get some rest."

He leaves the room, but Ace just moves closer, and sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Was it worth it, Ace?" he asks, but she just takes his hand, and doesn't reply. After several minutes, she leans down and lightly kisses his forehead.

Hex blushes, and tightens his grip on her hand.

"Ace, I – I don't know how to ever make it up to you. Do you – do you want me to leave?"

Ace laughs: it's a gentle sound, and he feels his heart swell with hope.

"No," she says simply, and leans over to brush her lips against his forehead again. She lingers for a few moments, and he breathes her in.

"It wasn't really you," she says, after she's withdrawn. "And I should have known something was wrong. You're sort of my responsibility, you know. And, you know – well."

Her last word lingers in the air, and she places her other hand over Hex's along with the first.

"Did you really need the courage to kiss me, though?" she says, suddenly, and Hex cringes. "I'm not that frightening, Hex."

"Ace," he says, "I know you don't – don't like I do. I'm – oh my god, I'm so sorry."

"Hush," she says, more gently than he could have imagined, and then she does something wildly unexpected – she leans over and kisses him carefully on the mouth. Her lips are soft and her mouth is wet and he groans helplessly, before he can stop himself, remembering the feel of her skin, her body underneath his.

She pulls back, smiling. "Let's just say – let's just start over, okay? We'll see how things go. Thank you for saving us, Hex. I know how hard it is – but I hope you'll stay."

She leaves, turning the lights off behind her as she goes. In the dark, he smiles up at the ceiling, running a finger across his lips. He falls asleep with images of Ace holding his hand running through his mind, while off in the distance, a pretty young woman waves at him, proud tears in her eyes.

Fic: Not Necessarily In That Order

shinyjenni — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:47:50 GMT

Title: Not Necessarily In That Order
Author: shinyjenni
Characters: Hex, Ace
Rating: All Ages
Warnings: None
Summary: Hex lives in space now.
Words: 684
Author’s note: written for livii's fandom_stocking

Breakfast in the TARDIS is usually a rather haphazard affair, happening whenever anyone wakes up or is feeling breakfasty. The TARDIS's kitchen usually comes up with something, but it can vary a bit: toast and cereal, kippers and grapefruit ("with a cherry on top, look!" points out Ace), and sometimes things that neither Ace nor Hex recognise but that they presume must be alien breakfasts, meant for past (or maybe future) inhabitants.

"Mel was before me and she was human," says Ace, with her mouth full of something purple and, they both have to admit, rather tasty, "so it can't be hers."

"Who was before Mel?" asks Hex, wondering whether adding ketchup would be a good idea.

Ace shrugs. "Dunno, exactly. I get muddled up. The Professor said something about a penguin, so the kippers were probably for him."

"I don't think penguins eat purple gloop with blue sticks in, though," says Hex.

"Probably not," Ace agrees.

Breakfast may be variable, but there is one constant, at least for breakfasts that Hex is late to:

"Ace, did you drink all the orange juice again?"

Somewhere in the TARDIS, he can hear her laughing.

~

"The Q's on a double letter score, so that's twenty, plus one, one doubled is two, three more ones and a four, that makes thirty, all on a double word score, so that'll be sixty points altogether please."

"Qroltny?" asks Hex sceptically. And with some difficulty.

"It's an Elnetti word," Ace tells him, straight faced. "Means mittens. Oh yes, you never met the Elnets, did you?"

"Doctor?" appeals Hex.

The Doctor is half sitting, half lying in his favourite armchair next to the fire. He lifts the hat that's covering his face (Hex isn't sure whether to assume he's dozing or plotting) and inspects them both.

"I generally prefer not to get involved in situations like this," he informs them, and lowers the hat again.

Ace grins, and adds the points onto her already impressive score. Hex sighs, and goes back to trying to get something more impressive than "cat" out of his letters.

He isn't entirely successful.

Ace wins. She usually does. She always wins at Monopoly too. Hex would suspect her of helping herself to money from the bank whenever his back was turned, but he doesn't need to: he's caught her at it several times.

The only way for him to triumph at TARDIS games nights, he is beginning to realise, is to cheat better.

~

Hex had been travelling with the Doctor and Ace for quite some time before he dared to begin investigating further into the TARDIS. He feels a lot more confident now, but still hasn't quite shaken the feeling that he should take a ball of string with him every time.

The swimming pool has become almost an old friend, a sign that he's nearly back on the map, but this time he's been wandering for a while and still hasn't seen it. He's just starting to worry when he finds something far better.

Opening a nondescript little door he finds himself in a room full of grass and sunlight, rolling hills and clear blue sky as far as the eye can see. He takes off his shoes and socks and steps inside; the distant sound of birdsong greets him. He finds an inviting patch of gentle slope, sits down, and just gazes for a while, amazed all over again at how something so big can exist inside something so small.

After a while, he hears the sound of the door opening, but he doesn't turn: there's no need, no threat here. A few moments later, Ace sits down beside him. She's barefoot too, and she burrows her toes into the sun-warmed grass.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she says.

"Yeah."

"I like to come here sometimes and look at the view for a bit."

"It's like being somewhere else," says Hex. "Like, how can we still be inside the TARDIS?"

"I know. It's wicked, isn't it?"

Hex looks over at her sitting next to him, her face tilted upwards to catch the sun. "Yeah. It is."

Hey!

tula_peiwa — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:45:19 GMT

Just thought I'd poke my head in, say hi and since it's relevant to our interests mention that I made a fanmix. It lives here. It's a bit shippy and there are some vague spoilers for Project: Destiny/A Death in the Family. Not big ones, but they're there.

Also, hi.

Project: Destiny thoughts

tamlover — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:56:31 GMT

Spoilers ahead

Well, I've only listened once, and I know I've missed a fair amount of detail and will have to listen again later. But I thought it was okay. Pretty good, even. But certainly not spectacular. Lysandra was an okay character - not particularly engaging, but with some interesting aspects. Alas, I've never much cared for Nimrod or the Forge (bad guys aren't my thing) even though Project: Twilight was very good. And the entire non-solution was not tragic and heart-wrenching to me - rather it was annoying and pointless.

I actually didn't listen to much of the Doctor's "Hex grew up and had broken hearts, etc." speech. That sort of acting really, really is not Sylvester McCoy's strong suit to me. I find he does quiet emotions (and humor) much better than shouting, speeches, or anything of that ilk. The quiet menace or grief or caring are much better carried off, IMO.

Of course, it's all about Hex, in the end. To me, anyway. The Doctor knew Nimrod was talking to him, but still did not speak up. Rank stupidity. But certainly in-character enough for several of us to have called it. And then you think that despite all we know about Nimrod and the Forge, Hex doesn't know nearly as much. At least that's how I took it when he and Ace were talking and he was bewildered, rather than horrified, by the Doctor's decision to work with them. I can't fault Hex for taking the exit he did. But I do hope he'll be back. If for no other reason than better resolution. This is just so abrupt. Love how Ace wanted to bring him back. And his goodbye to her was good, too. I mean, good as in entertaining, of course.

How long was Hex supposed to have been traveling with the Doctor, do you think? I pegged it as certainly no more than three years (probably between one and two), but I haven't actually tracked the timeline, listened for references, etc.

And the very end was just strange. I mean, the oh-so-casual mention of Rassilon's seal? I was thinking "trap!" just from the delivery. It's weird. What's weirder about it is that nothing from the next two stories seems to be connected to it. I'd expect immediate follow-up.

Not sure if I'll listen to the next one immediately. I like Evelyn, but I really dislike the Word Lord. And the title doesn't instill confidence. But then there might be Cassie-followup with Evelyn (if it's set shortly after Project: Destiny) and then there's that. But she never did forgive him, so . . .I don't know.

Also, anyone else read the new news reference to the new one today?

Mod Post: Moderated Membership

brewsternorth — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:34:52 GMT

This won't affect anyone who's already joined, but in view of the fact that there have been a spate of what can only be called "porn-bombings" by various spambots around low-traffic LJ comms recently, I've placed the comm on moderated membership. Members are still free (and encouraged!) to post about our Nurse Schofield.

Cast for A Death in the Family and Lurkers at Sunlights Edge

tamlover — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:35:17 GMT

Thoughts
Okay - Hex not listed. Not good. I thought he'd at least get to talk with Evelyn about Cassie.

Review: Angel of Scutari

livii — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:36:43 GMT

I finally listened to this one - I hadn't been in the mood for audios recently, despite the fact it was, you know, HEX! On the whole I really liked this one, except for a few predictable things that made me sad.

The setting was interesting, and it was an almost-pure historical! (No aliens - just the one who was playing timey-wimey games...) The plot was a bit more convoluted than I think the material could actually sustain, but overall while I thought Hex's story was mostly the strongest (to be expected since it was really about him) all three stories were decent which is not always the case in this sort of thing. Loved Ace hooking up with Tolstoy (unexpected awesome historical guest!) and Hex falling all over Florence Nightingale, and Seven got in a really incredible moment when his "Ace-detector" was broken and he bemoaned how he would ever find Ace now - it was very raw, and very vulnerable, and very sad.

The predictable bit - the conversation between Hex and Florence Nightingale, of course. On the one hand, it was completely and utterly brilliant, very very insightful (and hilarious - when Hex told Florence she was hot!) It was honest and really gave Hex some true character development. On the other hand, I feel it was aimed to set up Hex's departure from the TARDIS. :( He very much set himself up as an outsider to the duo of Seven and Ace, and in the rest of the story Seven and Ace were drawn together much more strongly than they have been recently, very self-sufficient and focused on each other. I actually really liked Seven and Ace's relationship in this story, whereas usually Hex really improves the overall dynamic, makes it fresh. And it strongly hinted that Ace will never leave, whereas Hex will, in fact, that he expects to leave, and maybe soon. And then, of course, the bit where he said he wasn't crazy over Ace anymore made me go :( :( :( :( IRL. :( (He did imply he wanted to kiss her, though...) The audios seem to be going out of their way to downplay or negate Hex/Ace recently, though I did like Ace's reaction to arriving to find Hex shot - very protective, very angry, very very worried. You could read it as a mama bear and her cub, but I read it as perhaps showing a bit of her hand...I think, if Ace let Hex get close, he would change his mind about not wanting to get close to her anymore, you know? So I have a sliver of hope that they won't crash and burn that whole relationship (basically, giving Ace any semblance of interest recently is extremely positive), but it's muted.

I don't believe for a second that Hex will actually die in the cliffhanger, but what I do imagine will happen is that given there's another Project: [Something or other] coming up, while back in his own time being treated, the truth will out about his mother, and he will either leave in disgust or have the answers he's been searching for and leave happily, back in his own time and place. I don't want him to leave at all, of course, but if he leaves unhappily...bah, it's not worth worrying about as I may be wrong (but I think I've probably got the basics right). Don't leave us, Hex! Florence Nightingale called you an angel (and oh, her line about his face!!) You don't want to give those sorts of opportunities up!

What do you think Big Finish is planning for Hex's arc? Are you interested in more stories with Hex, or do you think he's had his run?

Fic cross-posting: Dreamings of meetings

wishfulaces — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:19:41 GMT

And, er, hi! I should have joined this comm ages ago...

Title: Dreamings of meetings
Author: aces
Characters: Hex, Ace, the Doctor, OC
Rating: all ages
Warnings: None
Word count: approx. 4,000 words
A/N: Only directly mentions “The Settling”; title borrowed from Neil Gaiman. I...don’t really know where this story came from, other than it was inspired by the quoted line below. Most of this was written well over a year ago; I finally was able to finish it this weekend.

Hex, in “The Settling”: I thought I saw lemon trees in the library…or maybe I dreamt them.

Go here for the story.

Looking for a fic

tamlover — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:37:28 GMT

Hope this isn't out of line, but I'm looking for a fic and thought this might be the place to ask. I don't remember it incredibly clearly, but it had Ace and Hex staying behind on a planet, to start a life together, I think. I remember a bit about Ace having her toes in the grass and the planet being strong enough to support her? And I think it also had the Doctor giving her the "Go forward in all your beliefs" speech he gave Susan, but I could be mixing up two fics, there.

Fic: Syntax of Things Chapter 1/12

clocketpatch — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 02:37:46 GMT

Title: Syntax of Things
Summary: Seven, Ace and Hex go for a holiday. Of course, things never turn out quite as planned...
Word Count: 3161 for this chapter

Here: http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=34654

Hex and his mother

tamlover — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:43:59 GMT

Does anyone know of any fics where Hex finds out the Doctor knew Cassie? Or even any where he doesn't find out but maybe meets Evelyn? Really, anything that brings the issue up.

Angel of Scutari review

ghost2 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:19:47 GMT

The Angel of Scutari is the latest Big Finish Seventh Doctor-Ace-Hex audio. I kind of accidentally-on-purpose skipped over The Enemy of the Daleks to get to it, because it sounded like the more intriguing of the two. Historical? Florence Nightingale? Hard to resist.

My review is fairly short and not really spoilery, I think. Probably just about everything I say about the plot can be read on the back of the CD. If anyone replies to this post, though, the comments might contain spoilers.

Angel of Scutari is set during the Crimean War. I read one review that compared the time-skipping format to that in Creatures of Beauty, which I listened to maybe three years ago and don't remember that well except to say that I didn't much enjoy it. Now, I tend to favor the crackier audios (The Kingmaker, The One Doctor, Bang-Bang-A-Boom!), and Angel contains relatively little humor. Yet I liked it a lot. While it doesn't make my overall top 10 list, it isn't all that far from being on it. The plot is good, the voicework is better than average, and I was more interested in the supporting characters than I usually am. I also thought it was pretty easy to follow; the time jumping wasn't that complicated.

I'm going to keep things basic, just in case someone who hadn't yet heard the audio reads this review. The main elements are that Hex goes to work as a nurse in Scutari, while the Doctor and Ace get caught up in events surrounding the Siege of Sebastopol. I found the Hex parts of the story to be considerably more interesting than what Ace and the Doctor were up to. Not that the latter bits were bad; they just were fairly standard fare and weren't as good as Hex's material. While there's basically no character growth or fresh insight into the Doctor or Ace, there is for Hex. Plus, he gets to meet Florence Nightingale! Actually, he has multiple scenes with her. Those ones, if nothing else, are worth listening to. An especially nice scene with them in the chapel takes Hex through a great range of emotions.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot, but the ending certainly made me wonder where Big Finish plans to go with Hex in his next audio. I have my own idea of what's likely to happen, but who knows. I could be totally wrong. The next Seventh Doctor release is scheduled for January, so it'll be a bit of a wait to find out.

Other opinions?

Hex audio discussion

livii — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:47:05 GMT

So, there have been three (!!!) new Hex audios in the last few months, and we've not discussed any of them here yet. I've only heard The Magic Mousetrap and just finished Enemy of the Daleks, so still have the delights of Hex and Florence Nightingale in Angel of Scutari to listen to, but it would be great to have a little discussion nonetheless!

Personally, I wasn't that impressed by The Magic Mousetrap, though I enjoyed the return of the Celestial Toymaker, and seeing Ace and Hex take over the Doctor's role! The mysterious plot was interesting, as well, but it didn't really go anywhere that great and while Ace and Hex's role was interesting, it was a bit small for my taste (though as a shipper, the whole "month in an attic" thing did make me smile!)

I am just on to the extra features on Enemy of the Daleks, which I enjoyed immensely. I am always up for a good Dalek story and with Hex in the mix, I think it was guaranteed I'd enjoy it, but this was even better than I'd expected. It was a great, driven script with tons of action and thrills, and I adored the cheesy action-movie music that really kept things running along at a breakneck clip. And seeing Hex meet the Daleks was wonderful; he really came off brilliantly in this story, seeing his reaction to the Daleks, his nursing skills coming into play, his self-doubt, his desire to do anything he could to save Ace and himself. I was very moved by the scene where he gave up info to the Daleks, and the motivation he had. In some ways it wasn't noble, and in other ways, it really was. And giving him Three's "where there's life, there's hope" line was GENIUS. Really, Hex was extremely well used, which I hugely appreciated.

Ace and her reaction to the Daleks was wonderful as well; she was much tougher here, gone over dark and hard in the face of Daleks and the extreme horror they represent. And yet she still had to save Hex, and her sympathy for the Lieutenant showed so much compassion; just lovely, really! And for Seven, the ties to Genesis of the Daleks were very well done (touching the two wires!), and I enjoyed his reactions to the whole scenario, the concept of what he knew he had to do.

And less character-centric, but hearing a creature EAT A BLACK DALEK and then lay eggs in its carcass was pretty much the most amazing thing ever. I love Daleks like mad so doing something new and different with them was terrific.

In the extras for Enemy of the Daleks, Phil Olivier says he thinks they've been developing Hex's character well, but hopes they'll dig into his backstory more. We know quite a bit more than he does about it, what with Project: Twilight and Project: Lazarus; are you interested in hearing Hex discover more of this, however? I know I'd be thrilled to see more of this in any of the audios.

Anyway, go on, discuss, let's hear what everyone thought; do try to mark off in your replies which audio you are discussing, for those of us, like me, who may not have heard them all yet. :)

FIC: Starfall (1/1)

tromana — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:55:57 GMT

Title: Starfall
Author: tromana
Rating: PG
Characters: Hex/Romana
Spoilers: None
Summary: Hex sometimes feels like she’s trailed him throughout his life to date. She smiled and assured him it’s just coincidence.
Notes: written for sneakyangelfor the drabble request meme.
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. If I did, a crossover with the Mentalist would be hitting your screens soon.

x-posted to romanafenand hex_rated

Cut to my lj

avendya — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:06:16 GMT

Sign ups for tardis_gen end on Monday!

tardis_gen is a gen ficathon for Doctor Who. There are Hex-centric requests.

Hex in the kitchen

pontisbright — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:57:36 GMT

I've just seen a promo for Sunday 15th Feb's Celebrity Come Dine With Me (UK, Channel 4, 8pm) - and our Phillip Olivier is one of the 'celebrities'! He takes his top off in the trailer. But only because Edwina Currie is chasing him around the table, brandishing a spoon and demanding he gets nekkid. I, for one, cannot wait to see whether the show itself can possibly live up to such promise.

For the uninitiated, in the show four 'famous' people have to cook each other dinner over 4 evenings, and then score each other's efforts. Along with Phil and Edwina (former Tory politician, mistress of then-Prime Minister John Major, unlikely to be cooking anything with eggs in) will be big gay Christopher Biggins (actor, mostly in panto these days) and Julia Bradbury (who is possibly a TV presenter).

(Yes, yes, I know this is only technically Hexy, but, well, nipples! And cooking! And the possibility of this spawning ridiculous amounts of domestic fic where he tries to cook Ace a posh dinner and it all goes horribly wrong but they snog at the end anyway! Hurrah!)

Fic: Plasticine and Shells

shinyjenni — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:10:37 GMT

Title: Plasticine and Shells
Author: shinyjenni
Characters: Seven, Ace, Hex
Rating: All Ages
Words: c.3,000
Summary: Seven, Ace and Hex have a nice evening out.
Notes: The Hotel Galaxian mentioned by the Doctor towards the end is from the PDA The Murder Game by Steve Lyons.
Thanks to persiflage_1 and ghost2 for beta-reading!

Plasticine and Shells

Hexathon!

brewsternorth — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:47:14 GMT

Now that NaNo and Yuletide are over, I thought it might be time to see if there might be interest in a Hex ficathon. This is just to gauge interest: poll-participants aren't obliged to participate in the 'thon.

View Poll: Hexathon

Fic: A Change of Venue (Ace/Hex, PG)

amaresu — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:42:52 GMT

Title: A Change of Venue
Pairing: Ace/Hex
Rating: PG
Summary: Finding a new place to live is never easy, not even on the TARDIS.
A/N: Thanks to palmetto for looking this over. Written as part of my 20_est_relships claim.

It was laundry day that made Ace come to the realization that they should move in together.

Fic: Turning Back A Broken Clock

amaresu — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:08:23 GMT

Title: Turning Back A Broken Clock
Characters: Seven, Ace, Hex, Mel
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word count: 2973
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Occasionally you can change the future. Other times you can't. Sometimes it's worth trying anyway.
A/N: Thanks to dramaturgca for the beta. You are awesome. This was written for livii. She requested Mel joining back up post-Harvest. With Seven/Mel and Ace/Hex. It's really more than a bit gen, but call it pre-relationship?

Turning Back A Broken Clock

Forty-Five

amaresu — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:56:46 GMT

View Poll: Forty-Five

So what did everyone else think? Discuss.

PSA: New Hex audios, coming soon!

avendya — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:46:37 GMT

First, there is a new Seven, Ace, and Hex audio out this month! Forty-Five has four 25-minute stories:

1. FALSE GODS: In the blistering heat of the Egyptian desert Howard Carter and his team search for the lost tomb of Userhat, a servant of the god Amun. What they discover sheds new light on the history of the world as we know it.

2. ORDER OF SIMPLICITY: Dr. Verryman has devoted his life to the advancement of knowledge. When his experiments on a remote planet threaten the entire human race only the Doctor can help - if he puts his mind to it.

3. CASUALTIES OF WAR: Opportunity knocks in postwar London. But when a tea leaf steals from the wrong woman it becomes a race against time to discover the truth. Only some truths are best left untold.

4. THE WORD LORD: In a top secret military bunker deep beneath the Antarctic ice a mysterious death threatens peace negotiations and could spell disaster for the inhabitants of Earth. Can the Doctor cross the t's and dot the i's? Or will his efforts get lost in translation?

Secondly, have a press release from Big Finish about three (!) Seven, Ace and Hex audios in April, May and June:

Following on from November’s Forty-Five, the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex return to the Doctor Who range in the spring of 2009, in a season of three new adventures.

April’s The Magic Mousetrap, by Year of the Pig author Matthew Sweet, sees the Doctor end up at a Swiss sanatorium in the year 1926, where director Ludovic ‘Ludo’ Comfort uses parlour games to keep his rich and famous patients busy. The Doctor soon suspects, however, that someone’s playing a more sinister game. Someone with a score to settle…

Skaro’s deadliest are back in May. Enemy of the Daleks, an all-action space adventure by Judge Dredd/Sarah Jane Smith writer David Bishop, has the TARDIS travellers fall in with starship troopers struggling to defend a remote research facility from an all-out Dalek attack. But this time, could it be the Daleks need saving…?

Finally, in June, the TARDIS arrives at the scene of one of history’s greatest military disasters – the Crimean War – in an as-yet-untitled epic by Paul Sutton, author of adventures including Exotron and No More Lies. Separated from his friends in time and space, Hex has to deal with the horrors of life in a Crimean field hospital – as an assistant to Florence Nightingale!

As ever, the Doctor is played by Sylvester McCoy, Ace by Sophie Aldred and Hex by Philip Olivier. The Magic Mousetrap and Enemy of the Daleks can be pre-ordered now.

Ficlet: This Life (Ace/Hex, R, ~740 words)

livii — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:28:23 GMT

Title: This Life
Author: livii
Pairing: Ace/Hex
Rating: R
Summary: Ace has a history she finds hard to forget. ~740 words.
Notes: Spoilers (to varying degrees) for Remembrance of the Daleks, Ghost Light, and BF audios Nocturne and Project: Lazarus. Cross-posted to whoniverse1000.

"It's – it's not easy," she says, suddenly. Hex turns to her, curiosity written all over his face. They're in the library: favourite refuge after a bloody battle, a victory that feels more like a loss. Ace has just said goodbye to Louis, down an arm and both eyes. She has her head on Hex's shoulder, and he's trying to keep his own head empty and ready to listen.

"This life," she starts again, a few moments later. "They all die, Hex." She closes her eyes and curls up into him; he puts a careful arm around her shoulder.

"It's okay," he says, and squeezes her shoulder tighter. She exhales sharply: a frustrated sound.

"It's not," she replies, voice sharp and fierce. "Everyone I love, Hex. I can't face seeing it happen any more. I can't lose – " She breaks off at that, and quickly tips her head back, parts her lips, as if she might change her mind and has to act fast. He blinks at her for several long, breathless moments, until she grins and leans up several inches to kiss him.

*

So begins the litany of the dead.

*

"Will," she says on Asgard, right after the revolution, blood still on her cheek, as she straddles his waist, takes him inside her.

"I know, I was there, Ace," he says, but not unkindly. "But we both made it through this time." He gasps as she moves harder, faster, and struggles to keep his composure.

"Eaten up by a song," she says, a hand on Hex's chest, right over his heart. "And he'd only just started to really live. Oh."

They don't speak again, but he grabs hold of her hand and holds on tight as she falls over the edge.

*

"Mike," she whispers. He looks at her, pausing in the assembly of the grenade launcher.

"We'll be fine, Ace. We're a couple hundred metres away. No worries."

"He turned out to be a Nazi," she continues. "Pretty much, a real life Nazi. And then." She closes her eyes.

"Hey." He leans over, takes her hand. "Let's blow some shit up, okay?"

Ace laughs at that, a small sound, but with genuine feeling. She takes the timing pin from him, kissing him quickly as she does so.

"Cover your ears," she says, slotting the last parts together.

*

It's quiet on Women Wept; their pair of footprints around the giant ice cap the only life visible other than the TARDIS, glowing softly far off in the distance.

He kisses her on the far side, mittened hands on each other's back, cheeks red and lips chapped.

"Gwendoline," she says after she pulls away, a little hesitantly. Hex just smiles encouragingly, sadness creeping through his eyes.

"Turned into stone," Ace says, shaking her head. "Not allowed to change. She must have still been there when I burned it down."

"When did you start your first fire?" he asks, laughing lightly. She laughs as well, then leans in, kisses him again, with intent.

"I don't want to burn you up," she says later, as he tries to catch his breath, pressed against her damp, flushed skin. He shakes his head, kisses her sternum, clavicle, chin.

*

They escape the Forge by the skin of their teeth. Hex is blind, deaf, dumb; Ace's eyes are twin suns, flaming out in a last burst of glory.

She bundles him up in bed, and sits with him for two straight days while he heals. On the third day she nudges him to one side and curls up next to him, cradling him in her arms.

"Cassie," he says, and she kisses his head, squeezes him uncomfortably tight.

*

One day he leaves; one day she dies. One day he burns up and she cries over his ashes, cursed, alone.

One day they trust. She reaches up across those four inches and kisses him; his eyes are full of fear and wonder and joy, and she loses herself, finally, in the feeling of being loved.

He holds her tight around her waist as she leans out across the edge, fifty stories up. Below them the city sparkles, another place living and breathing because they were there, had tried, had won.

"Don't go," he whispers in her ear, and she stretches her arms out, smiles.

"This life," she says. "Hex, you and me, we're going to fly."

And she's finally ready to take that leap.