[Seattle] Jondy... on a Sunday

[onlysayinghello]

Jack hadn't realized how much he missed the States until he was in the middle of one of the busiest cities during the most commercialized Holidays they had to offer. Maybe it was the holiday music coming over the radios or the massive frenzy of everyone rushing around on the streets below, but standing there in the airport terminal waiting for his jet to taxi up the runway for him he almost wished he'd offer to fly Jondy out to New York for the day. Instead though he figured he'd make a trip of it and head out there to pick up something from one of his old archives or at least see if it was still there. With all of his personal timelines overlapping so many times he wasn't even sure if he'd left the item there yet or not. It couldn't hurt to look at least, and he'd get to meet Jondy on the trip as well.

He finally heard the flight attendant call his name out and he nodded grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder as he headed onto the tarmac to board the jet. He rested his head against the window and fell asleep for the duration of the flight, and when they had landed the gentle rousing from the woman with the green eyes told him that they'd landed and he was up and alert ready to take to the cold winds and slightly damp weather of Seattle. Jondy had given him an address to meet her at and glanced to his watch realizing that his flight had taken a bit longer than he'd thought it would.

His rental was already waiting for him, and the perks of dealing with the whole Prime Minister fiasco after the assassination of the President was finally paying off. He took his car to his hotel and checked in dropping his stuff off and then headed back to the car to drive and meet Jondy. He sent her a text message just to let her know he was on his way, just in case he had miscalculated how long it would take to get there.

Pulling into the parking lot he turned off the engine and stepped out into the cold air once more grateful that he had his long coat to keep him warm. After a cursory glance around he finally spotted her leaning up against a pillar trying to keep out of the wind. Rubbing his hands together as he walked he smiled at her, "Jondy? Captain Jack Harkness," he extended his hand for a handshake knowing that they'd be warm from the friction during the walk over.

Comments

[itsjondy-not210.livejournal.com]

When Jondy saw Jack coming, she raised a hand to signal the guards in the towers above the gates to stand down. This was Terminal City after all, you could never be too safe. Especially since Jondy's own arrival had been what prompted the gates to remain unlocked at all times. Mole hadn't liked that (Mole didn't like anything though), but he'd agreed if they could post more guards. Something about a transgenic with a gun just made the man feel safer. (Jondy just thought he had a gun fetish, but she wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole.

She shook Jack's hand with a bright smile, standing up from the post she was leaning on. If he thought his hands were warm, she was willing to bet hers were warmer- side effect of having a 102 base temperature. "Welcome to Terminal City, Captain," she said, obviously proud of the wasteland. "Nice to finally meet you."

[onlysayinghello.livejournal.com]

Thankfully he knew a little bit of what he was getting himself into once Jondy said they could meet in Terminal City. Being a member of Torchwood he'd heard about most of the compounds out there and Terminal City was one he had the least amount of information on, but Jondy sort of gave him a crash course in it. Still it was a bit odd pulling up and sensing the rifles trained on him. Thankfully Jondy saw him coming and gave the all clear. He wanted to give them some sort of thanks for not shooting him on sight, but he instead opted to focus on the girl before him.

Her hands were warmer than his to the touch and he was almost a bit jealous of that small fact. Having warm hands on a cool night would come in handy a few more times than he could even count on one hand.

"Thanks for the welcome Jondy, and for the invitation as well. It is good to finally meet you as well," he smiled at her a bright smile and felt almost like he did know her a bit better than just the casual comments online. It was good that they were meeting up after so long, "I can say that I'm sorry it took me so long to actually get stateside." Which wasn't the truth because he'd been in the states twice in recent months, but once he was still female and the other was a bit... complicated.

"And please, call me Jack," he finished as he glanced around his surroundings. "So do I get the tour, or do you have other plans?"

[itsjondy-not210.livejournal.com]

"Alright Jack," she said with a nod and a smile. Pushing the fence gate open, she motioned for Jack to go ahead of her into the miniature city full of transgenics and transhumans and the occasional actual kitten. The fence wasn't the most favorite thing in the entire world and she tried to hide it, but she knew that it was kind of obvious. Alec said she always got pale when she was going around it, old memories and all that.

"I'm free for anything. School's out for Thanksgiving break, so my kiddos are off being delinquints and my brother took my nursery duty." She wrinkled her nose and shrugged, she'd planned ahead. "If you want the tour I'd be happy to show you around."

[onlysayinghello.livejournal.com]

Jack could sense a bit of her hesitation at the gate, but thankfully they were past it without much time at all and Jack was placing his arm around the girl as if they were old friends already, "I think a tour would be fantastic."

The word fantastic had such a different sound in his head when he said it, he was so used to hearing the Doctor say it that out of his own mouth it just sounded wrong.

"So you really did plan ahead, day off from pretty much everything, a guy could think you'd be giving him special treatment or something."

[itsjondy-not210.livejournal.com]

Jondy gave him a sideways glance and smiled a little crookedly, but didn't shy away from his touch, she'd been getting better at it at least. Raising her hands she wiggled her fingers, nails coated in shiny blue polish. "I took the day off Tuesday to paint my nails," she said with a giggle. "I abuse my power."

As they walked she pointed out the highlights of the place. "That's the parade ground," she said, pointing to the circular patch of cleared dirt. "Alec and I usually beat the pants off each other, uh... train over there." She stopped talking as an impossibly tall man with a lizard-like face walked by, cigar clamped in his mouth. "That's Mole," she whispered conspiratorily. "Resident hardass."

[onlysayinghello.livejournal.com]

Jack nodded to the reference that Jondy was making, and taking somewhat simple notes in his mind to remember things, just in case in the future they needed remembering. Still Jack took a moment to take a look at her nails, taking her hand lightly in his to let the color shine a bit in the light, "Oh you are a rebel, and one day the world will be sorry they ever told you that you couldn't paint your nails," he teased.

Jack gave a firm nod to man as he crossed beside them, not wanting to upset anyone or infer that he had any more rights than they did, after all he was a guest to them.

"This place really is unique Jondy, I know I've read a few things here and there, but to actually be here and see how it functions, it's a lit different than I had imagined I guess."

[itsjondy-not210.livejournal.com]

"It's a lot like a little city," Jondy explained, grabbing a wayward child by the collar and turning him around to run in the opposite direction. "Max, my sister; Maxie calls it our very own Freak Nation. She's pretty much right. Ordinaries can't come in for too long because the bio-waste makes them sick and White's men-" She sighed heavily and motioned to the tanks and armed guards, police, NSA and SWAT alike, at the opposite entrance. "-Usually scare people away."

Running a hand through her long hair, she took a moment before continuing. "It's not so bad. They can't get in to hurt the kids, which is my priority. We make do with what we've got. The school, the kitchens, the nursery... We're okay." She looked up at him and gave him a grin. "You're lucky you didn't come on cookie day. The kids would be swarming." As it was a good twenty kids were milling around the jungle gym- TC style so it was too tall to be safe and made from welded together pieces of steel. The kids were climbing up and down it like they were monkeys. One of them Jondy noted, from his fuzzy ears, was.

[onlysayinghello.livejournal.com]

Jack listened to Jondy talk with such pride in her small city, and it made him feel good to know her. To know that there were people in the world that did realize that despite all other signs, it could be a good life... despite the despair and pains it would take to achieve it all.

He glanced to all the young ones racing around the make shift park, he figured they were safe... at least he hoped they were safe, but they were having fun at least. He didn't let their appearance really phase him either, it took all kinds to make up the universe and Jack had met most of those kinds himself, gotten a bit too familiar with more than a handful as well.

"I can see you care a lot about your surroundings Jondy, it's actually amazing that everything can be like this and you seem to shine in it all. Really, you amaze me with your strength, there are a lot of people who wouldn't see this the same way."

[itsjondy-not210.livejournal.com]

If anything could be said about Jondy it would be that she sucked up praise like a sponge, and with a perfect memory she never forgot. She was also starved for it. So when Jack complimented her, her cheeks turned more than scarlet- she was blushing like mad.

Wrinkling her nose, she ducked her head, trying to hide her flaming cheeks. "Thank you," she said quietly, taking a deep breath before looking up to meet his eyes with a smile. "Really. That was sweet."

She was rarely complimented like that. She and Max had a good relationship, but it wasn't one that warranted compliments, more like snarky jabs and comparing notes on how they Oliver Twisted themselves some of Grandma's jewels to hock. Alec was good at plying her with praise, but he was her best friend. So far Jack and Logan were the only people outside of her family to whip out the compliment card.

She couldn't say she minded.

[onlysayinghello.livejournal.com]

Jack firmly believed that there wasn't enough positive self esteem in the world, and considering the sorts he'd been sharing beds with over the last hundred years, and then during the thirty odd ones he had back in Boeshane... everyone needed to hear something good as often as possible. It was an easy task to manage too, a lot easier than the rest of the stuff in the world at least.

"You're very welcome Jondy, and it's not sweet it's honest," he smiled a bit broader, "Okay it's a little sweet."