meridian_rose

Title: Back From The Future, Possibly
Fandom: Revenge, Dr Who
Pairing/Characters: Nolan Ross, Emily Thorne, Jack Harkness, minor/implied Nolan/Harkness
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2495
Prompt: For the hc_bingo April Crossover Challenge, prompt "bullet wounds"
Summary: Things take a turn for the weird when Nolan and Emily are caught up in a jewel heist along with a mysterious man named Jack Harkness.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Also @ AO3

Before Emily had moved to the Hamptons, Nolan's life had been quieter. Simpler; even, some would say, boring. He had been able to go to a jewellery store without, for example, a masked man holding him at gunpoint. And while Emily would likely protest that the robbery in progress was nothing to do with her, ever since she showed up, danger seemed to lurk in every corner.

There was one other patron, a handsome man in a long military style coat. Vintage, Nolan thought, and stylish. The manager was fumbling with a small wall safe under the gunman's watchful eye. The sales assistant, rather young and absolutely terrified, was sat on the floor with her hands on her head, as instructed. The security guard had been knocked unconscious and if he was lucky would survive with a concussion.

Nolan wasn't sure if the alarm had been tripped, or how long they'd have to wait for the police, and, from what he'd read about hostage situations, was hoping the manager would get on with opening the safe and this could be over. Why not smash and grab what had to be a small fortune, Nolan wondered, looking at the glass cases. What was in the safe that was so valuable? Whatever it was, as soon as the robber could take it, he could be on his way before a SWAT team started shooting the whole place up without due regard for the hostages.

The customer in the fetching coat checked his watch. Nolan eyed him suspiciously. "Somewhere you need to be?" he asked softly. "I hate when a robbery makes me late for my hair appointment."

"Nolan," Emily hissed in her this-is-not-the-time-for-jokes tone of voice.

The man gave a short laugh. "I have something I need to do but not before the right moment. Don't worry. I'm Captain Jack Harkness and it's my job to stop this robbery in three. Two." He stood, drew a slim pistol from his pocket. "Timothy Foreguard, I am arresting you for committing fourteen separate offences -"

The masked man turned, gun raised. Harkness seemed to pull the trigger on his weapon, but nothing happened. Timothy fired. His weapon discharged.

"Well," Harkness said, looking at the blood pooling on his chest. "That wasn't how this was supposed to happen."

Emily had moved while Timothy was distracted though, and she disarmed him with extreme prejudice – at least Nolan thought that was the correct expression, and if Timothy didn't have a broken wrist he'd be surprised, not to mention a permanent limp. Harkness was by now slumped on the floor.

Nolan left Emily to secure her prisoner. The manager was calling the police and, hopefully, an ambulance. Nolan scooted over to see if there was anything he could do. He slipped off his jacket, and took off the thin shirt below, leaving him in a white cotton vest.

"You play tennis?" Harkness asked as Nolan folded up the shirt and pressed it over the wound. Harkness bit back a moan of pain. "Cause you're toned like a….the blood loss is hampering my ability to flirt. Sorry."

"Then don't flirt. There'll be time for that later." Nolan rather hoped that was true, not just that Harkness would live, but that he'd get to know him a little better.

"My gun shorted. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Someone's going to be in trouble," Harkness rambled. He kept trying to reach into his pocket, but his fingers were clumsy.

Emily came over. "How is he?"

Nolan shrugged. Emily pressed her fingers to Harkness's neck. She gave Nolan a worried look.

"In my pocket," Harkness said. "Please."

Emily reached into one large pocket of the military greatcoat and pulled out a small shiny box, as thick as her index finger and smooth as sea glass. "This?"

"Let me see it."

She held it steady while Harkness pressed one thumb to the surface. The box glistened, abstract patterns displaying over the entire device. Nolan was fascinated.

"Agent Harkness, code three," Harkness said. "I need back up. Now, if not ten minutes ago." He laughed, though the laugh turned into a cough that left blood on his lips. Emily exchanged a worried glance with Nolan.

"Stand by," the device said; Nolan couldn't be sure if it was a human voice or an automated one.

"They won't come earlier. Can't disrupt the timeline. But someone did, or I wouldn't be bleeding internally right now," Harkness wheezed.

"Sssh," Nolan said. "The ambulance will be here soon."

"What back up?" Emily asked as the device went dark. "Who are you? Which agency are you with?"

"I'm not really authorized to tell you yet," Harkness said. "But let's just say time is our business."

"Watches?" Nolan suggested.

Another strangled laugh. Emily glared at the doors, which the manager had now opened. There was no sign of the police, let alone a paramedic.

"He didn't get the crystal from the safe," Harkness muttered, skin pale, lips turning blue. "That was the main objective. If he'd got hold of that we'd all be in trouble. Maybe I'll get a posthumous medal."

Nolan swallowed. "Don't say that. Ems has been shot before and she's always survived."

A tall, dark-skinned man strode into the store, followed by a stocky woman with her hair pinned up into a bun. They were wearing business suits that were more in keeping with the Hamptons than Harkness's attire.

"We're closed," the manager said helplessly but the newcomers had already pushed past and were kneeling at the wounded man's side.

"About time you showed up," Harkness said. "Pun intended."

The man rolled his eyes. "You have a habit of getting into mischief," he said, though he sounded apologetic when he added, "There'll be consequences this time you know."

"We'll take over," the woman said, trying to move Nolan's hand from Harkness's chest.

Emily locked eyes with the man. "Are you his backup?"

"Yes."

"Let go, Nolan."

He didn't want to, because he wasn't sure who these people were and he'd rather wait for actual medics. But Emily was using her no-nonsense tone, and there was nothing more Nolan could do for Harkness except watch him die, so he sat back and let the woman take his place.

"Thank you for your help," the man said. He pulled out a device much like the one Harkness possessed.

Emily grabbed hold of Nolan's hand as a bright light filled the room. When he could see again the police were arriving and there was no sign of Harkness.

"Let me do the talking," Emily said.

Nolan did as he was told, corroborating a story that Emily, the manager, and the assistant were telling that did not involve Harkness. Emily glared at him when he seemed about to answer the reasonable question about where all the blood came from and Nolan stayed silent.

Emily was confused, she said, it had all happened so fast, and maybe the blood was from the robber's nose, she'd hit him, oh dear, her Krav Maga training had kicked in without her realising it, and other such lies, and more confusion, and Nolan wasn't even surprised when there was no security footage from the cameras, He just wanted to go home and eventually they were allowed to leave.

"Ems?" he asked when they safely in her car.

"Yes?"

"What actually happened back there?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"But there was a Jack Harkness there?" Or maybe he was losing his mind.

"Yes." She slid Harkness's device out of her pocket, just enough for Nolan to see it, then secreted it once again. "I think that's the only reason we remember him."

Nolan wanted to touch the mysterious object, and adore it, and then take it apart and see how it worked. "He'll probably want that back."

"I'm counting on it."


Nolan couldn't get the mysterious device to do anything. There was no keypad, no sockets for plugging it in to recharge it, nor any way to add a cable to access the device. He tried talking nicely to it, he tried threatening it. He tentatively scratched at one corner with a needle. The needle broke in half. Experiments with a glass of water showed it to be hydrophobic and, emboldened, he dropped into a sinkful of water, where it floated. Trying to think outside of the box, he put it the device in the fridge for ten minutes, wondering if temperature was an issue. Emily shook her head.

"Maybe you shouldn't break it," she said.

"I'm not sure I could if I tried," Nolan said. He wasn't sure what it was made of, and was starting to worry about that. "I think it's alien."

"I think it's from the future," Emily said.

Nolan scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

She planted her hands on her hips. "More ridiculous than aliens?"

She had a point, Nolan had to concede.

"Harkness kept saying it wasn't supposed to happen like that. As if he knew how it should turn out," she went on. Nolan had just assumed that was something people said when they'd been shot. They generally hadn't meant that to happen. Then again, "can't disrupt the timeline" was a little harder to rationalise.

The ten minutes were up. Nolan retrieved the device. It was cool but not cold and despite a vigorous shaking and another threat, remained obstinately blank. It might have been a very shiny paperweight.

"Maybe it's keyed to his DNA," Nolan said, remembering how Harkness had pressed one thumb to the device. Could be a fingerprint lock, but that seemed oddly low tech for something so futuristic. "I wish I had my shirt. It had his blood on it."

Emily gave him a look. "I've corrupted you utterly," she said but before he could respond there was a knock at the door. Emily opened it to find Harkness on the doorstep.

"We've been expecting you," she said, gesturing for him to come in.

"That's usually my line," Harkness returned, entering. He smiled at Nolan. "Mr Ross. I'd rather like my communicator back." He held out one hand.

Nolan's grip tightened on the device. Communicator. How very Star Trek. "So you can beam back up, Mr Harkness?"

Harkness laughed. "I like you. You're cute and you're smart. And I appreciate your taking care of me at the store, plus I owe you a shirt. At any other time I'd offer to take you to dinner and wine and dine the communicator from you. But we aren't supposed to meet for another two years and things are already way more muddled than I'd like. I'll have to take a rain check."

Emily pointed a triumphant finger at Nolan. "I told you he was from the future."

She really was taking this in his stride, Nolan thought. He was only going along with it because to do otherwise would leave him questioning his sanity and he was rather fond of the freedom he'd lose if he were truly mad. "Nolan thought you were an alien," she added, which was unnecessary and quite un-Emily like.

Harkness winked at Nolan. "Actually you're both right," he said and hah, Emily looked put out at that. God, she could be a sore loser. "Now let me have my device back and I promise that when it's time I'll explain everything."

"You got shot," Nolan said. "About an hour ago I thought you were going to die."

Harkness shrugged. "Being a Time Agent from the future has some perks," he said. He lifted his shirt. "All better."

Nolan licked at his lips and wished he hadn't. He wanted that dinner date and now Harkness knew how much. Wait… "Hold up, Marty McFly. If you're from the future, then we've already been on that date, assuming you're not lying."

Harkness looked to Emily and then back to Nolan. "It's a little more complex than that. Time is – look, this isn't helping. Honestly, if you hadn't been touching my special new communicator when the mind wipe took place you wouldn't remember me at all."

Nolan glanced over at Emily. "You grabbed me before that Men in Black flashy light thing," he said. "You knew."

She tipped her head. "On some level I guess I did."

Harkness stuck his hands in the pockets of his coat - dry cleaning or something better had taken care of the blood from that too. He sighed. "We didn't want to use the mind wipe at all, especially with you both there, so maybe it's for the best you didn't get wiped. Even so, things are not supposed to go this way. You have other things to do before I can recruit you," he said and winced.

"Recruit?" Nolan and Emily asked in unison.

Harkness passed a hand over his face. "What will it take for you to hand over that device and let me be on my way before I get fired?"

Emily came over to consult with Nolan. After a brief discussion Emily said, "Let's talk terms."


A few minutes later, Harkness pocketed the device. He shook hands with Emily and kissed Nolan on one cheek – a preview, he said – and took his leave.

Emily closed the door and she and Nolan sat in stunned silence on the sofa.

"We could rule the world," Nolan said eventually, awed at the knowledge he now possessed.

"Easy there Alexander the Great," Emily said, and giving nicknames was his thing but he wasn't in the mood to rebut. "We promised no megalomania. And that wouldn't look good on our records when he comes back in two years to recruit us. Or at least check in before he takes you on that date."

Nolan nodded. He was looking forward to the date, some of the parameters of which had been part of their negotiations. He figured Emily was a definite to be recruited, which might explain why she'd known to both grab the device and hold onto Nolan to avoid the mind wipe. Could you remember the future? Or was something weirder even that at work here? Why didn't he know the same things – was he not going to be recruited, or did he get to be a Time Agent but have something happen that would make him forget more effectively? Time travel was going to give him a headache.

He tried to focus. For the meantime, no trying to take over the world. That seemed reasonable. "We'll be careful then. So, what do you want to do now?"

Emily considered. "Go and outbid Victoria at the charity auction down on the beach this afternoon?"

"You got it." That was normal, at least for him and Ems. Nolan felt the need for something normal in his life right now.

Later he could start planning for the date. He only had two years to decide what he wanted to wear, and needed to choose something that would ensure Harkness would later want to help him take it off.