fandomtownies | Tuesday Afternoon at the Perk

Jack comes into the shop, and looks around for CJ. He resembles nothing so much as a person with a mental toothache.

[She smiles at him and waves him over, sipping a gigantic cup of coffee...just coffee.]

Hey, Chip. Spill.

[He sits down across from her -- collapses into the chair really.] I'm in trouble.

[Suddenly serious, she leans forward, wincing alittle, but not paying any attention to the pain.] What kind of trouble and what can I do?

[Jack looks around, a little paranoid.] Look, remember that day I tried to kill you? I said something about you knew too much. I knew I'd told you too much, but I thought their rules were stupid. Who cares *here* if anyone knew where and when I was from? But now it's coming back to bite me on the ass, and I don't know what to do.

They say that if I don't shape up and do what they want me to, I lose. Toe the line, obey their rules, and most of all don't talk to you or the Doctor about anything, and I can stay.

Ok. [she sighs and pulls out her yellow tablet and a pen.] Ok.

[Across the top she writes CHIP] Ok.

[She sips her coffee, alternately staring at him, the tablet, back to him.]

Ok. Well, that's not a lot for me to go on to keep you safe from them. I assume you want to stay?

Hell, yes, I want to stay! I'm not worried about being in danger. The worst thing they can do to me is yank me home. But I mean that... that's the worst thing I can think of happening. I really, really, really want to stay here.

But it seems so... cold to just cut off talking to you and the Doctor so I can stay. But if I don't, and I get pulled home... well, I'm not talking to you then anyway. Either way, they win. I'm just trying to figure out how I can lose the least.

OK. Lose the least. [She starts drawing interlocking circles on the pad, and writing in shorthand inside the sections.] Ok...

[She sips her coffee, and scribbles a bit more.] How would they get you, Chip? Would you just...blink away? Or do they come get you?

They'd have to come get me. They've got some sort of survalliance on me -- although it doesn't have to be much more than the sort of reports that the school would send any guardian of a student. They've been getting communications to me; that's the crystal you grabbed from me in class today.

So they'd have to show up and take me. But legally, as far as the school is concerned, I'm their ward. They've got the perfect right to withdraw their support of me here and take me home. And then I'll be *stuck* there, because if I screw up here there's no way they'll let me be a time agent.

Chip, how old are you?

Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in about nine months... not legal by either your or my definitions of the term.

Ok...[She makes a few more notes, the only legible word being Sam]..Ok...Ok, here's what we'll do. First, we're getting you out of the dorm and putting you somewhere safe.

[Jack is watching her with dawning and rather painful hope.] But... the school isn't going to stop them. Even if I get out of the dorms, all they have to do is show up in one of my classes and say, "Mr. Harkness, this way," and I don't have much choice. I mean, no disrespect to the Dean and all, but if any other student's parent showed up and said that they were taking their kid home, they're not really going to stop them, right?

Right. That's why we need to get you emancipated, or, barring that, get you into my legal custody. [She doesn't look up, but makes a few more notes then pulls out her mobile.]

Wait. [He puts his hand out.] If I defy them, then I'm out. No chance of being a time agent. No chance of doing... anything. Being stuck in the 21st century. [He blinks and takes a deep breath.] Okay. I just had to say that out loud. Go ahead.

[She looks up at him, her eyes very soft] Jack, sweetie, I'm sorry. This is up to you. Keep in mind that if you really want to time travel, Ten will take you. He loved the Jack he knew, and he cares about you too. It won't be the end of anything. But...I haven't made any moves other than talking to you. You're decision...tell me what you want me to do for you.

[He tries to smile, and fails rather miserably.] I want them to leave me alone and let me do what I want here, and then fulfill all my dreams and let me be a time agent. Not a passenger on someone else's whim, but in charge of my own destiny. [He turns his hand up on the table and looks into his own palm.] But that's not going to happen, and like you keep saying, no refund. So I've got to pick.

[He looks up at her, and he's losing the battle to hold back tears.] I know what I want. There's nothing back there that I love. There is here. Please, please, let me stay.

[She reaches across with both hands and takes his.] Chip, sweetheart, I'll always take care of you. I'm on it...don't worry. And if you want to be in charge of your own destiny, I'll teach you how to do that too.

[Letting his hand go, she presses two buttons.]
Sam? CJ. I need help, got a minute? I have a kid here...17...yeah. He's been abandoned and I need emergency guardianship. He's a student. Virginia. Yeah. Yeah. No...none. Just guardians, not parents. Ok. Good, and Sam, I don't need to explain how fast this needs to happen, right? Good. Good. Love ya too babe. I'll look for it.

[Shutting the phone, she smiles at him]

[He blinks at how fast everything has happened.] Has anyone ever told you that you move at the speed of light even without a rocket ship?

Not quite like that, no. But you have to understand...in DC things have to move fast or they get stalled. We...Sam, Josh, Toby, Leo, me...we know how to cut through the shit and get it done. And it's nearly done. I need to get back to the school and wait for the fax, and I'm going to need your signature...and a witness. Is there another adult you trust with this? Or is Janine ok?

No, no, Janine's fine. [Jack hits the side of his head with the heel of his hand, as though to shake something loose.] It's nearly done? How can that be? [He shakes his head.] I don't care. I just want to stay. [His voice drops to a whisper.] I thought I didn't have any choice. I was going to ask you here to see if you could come up with a magic solution -- or, if you couldn't, to warn you that I might have to go. I didn't expect this.

Chip...it's temporary for right now. It awards me custody of you as an abandoned minor without the consent of your guardian. It won't be good forever...but I think I can finagle nine months out of it...then you'll be legal. See?

Time to see Janine. (http://www.livejournal.com/users/prof_cregg/23407.html?view=531055#t531055)

Tuesday Afternoon at the Perk

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