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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 2, 2011 20:36:59 GMT -5
There simply wasn't enough time. Even with the advantage of apparition, Theo knew he was working against the clock to find his brother. The Black Watch would soon be upon the Minister and they would no longer be the rag-tag group of shopkeepers that Reckony Pike first brought together to combat shoplifters and general delinquents. If what Curse said was true - if he had the benefit of friends in the Ministry, the Ariannas, the Alexes, the Tynans - then the Black Watch was no longer just a neighbourhood watchdog. It was a coup. Jack's political existence was unquestionably threatened, but it was Jack's life that Theo truly feared for.
The beater reached the front door of Jack's London home and entered without knocking, making straight for the stairs that lead to the second floor and his brother's study.
"Jack?" Theo took three steps at a time. "Annie? Georgie?" The thought of his niece and nephew being caught in the crossfire of an impending micro war clenched at Theo's heart. Jack had done everything in his power to ensure his kids had some normalcy in their very public life. He was a good dad...a great dad...and despite everything the people of wizarding Britain asked of him, he always made time for his young ones. It was something that had garnered the Minister bonus points with the conservative members of the electoral body. It was also, by default, his Achilles Heel. Any enemy looking to rip the heart out of Jack needn't look any further than his family. The kids were therefore a target. "Jack?"
Coming to the top of the stairs, Theo caught sight of an amber light escaping beneath Jack's study door. The entrance was slightly ajar, allowing soft murmurs to float in the air immediately outside the room. Theo approached carefully. A part of him, one he wished would disappear forever, wondered if his brother was not talking to the very nemesis that Curse alluded to. He had not completely discounted the former-Auror's fears, for they mirrored feelings he shared in secret after visits to the Ministry and visions on a Quidditch pitch. He could also be speaking with Travert Salt, Jack's personal assistant, whom had confided in Theo that there was an unspeakable truth about his brother and one that he'd be best not to find.
But it didn't matter any more. Even if Jack was talking to the long-dead Voldemort himself, Theo had arrived to stand by Jack's side. He knew the man Jack was and loved him for it. If even a small part of that man still existed, cursed or not, he would fight for him to the death. They would stand together and they would fall together. At the hands of friends if necessary.
Theo lightly rapped upon the door.
"Jack?"
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 2, 2011 23:03:22 GMT -5
“You know you cannot.” It was a simple statement of fact. Salt almost never came to Jack’s home, but there was paperwork to be signed. And both children had the flu. Travert did not envy his employer in this respect.
Jack had already had three fits while trying to discuss his options with his assistant. He knew now that at least Kameren was suspicious. And Salt’s own information indicated there might be something in Hogsmeade. A certain barkeeper who might have suspicions of his own.
“I must. There is no choice.” Jack lay on the floor, his legs extended, his hands on his midsection as he stared at the ceiling. There was no point in getting up. He had more to say, and he might injure himself on the way down again. Salt hovered discreetly near the desk, his eyes on his employer and friend. A kerchief lay crumpled on the corner of the desk.
“Your children--”
“It can--” He switched his statement. “I cannot help that. They’ll--”
“Jack?” the door opened, Jack fallen silent as he craned his neck to see his brother enter. It was rather an awkward angle.
“Theodore. How can I help you?” He asked cheerfully, at odds with his placement on the floor, though he looked as if he were quite comfortable there. His jacket hung on a chair, his shirtsleeves were rolled past his elbows and his suspenders were bright against the shirt. A bright green. Kendra’s gift to him, when she’d been small. He rather liked them, hideous color and all.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 4, 2011 20:16:56 GMT -5
“Theodore. How can I help you?”
Theo was puzzled, hearing the chipper sound of his brother's voice but at first not noticing that he was lying upon the floor. He did spot Travert Salt however. Upon giving Jack's assistant a quizzical look, Salt pointed down and Theo's head followed. His brow furrowed.
"Are you alright?" It was kind of a silly question to ask, really. Unless this was something Jack often did when he was alone behind closed doors, there was a more serious reason his brother was on the floor and Theo’s mind went everywhere from heart palpitations to back troubles. Creative thinking did not enter the arena of possibilities. Theo made careful strides towards his brother and knelt down to sit beside him, placing the back of his hand against both his cheeks and forehead. “Are you? Even despite the suspenders?” Theo's touch was gentle, as though he feared doing more were give cause for Jack to get up and leave. Wave it off. Dismiss him. For this reason, Theo also spoke in calm and even tones. Suddenly, he caught the flutter of Salt preparing to leave.
"Travert, please. I need you to stay. And I'm going to ask the impossible of you."
Theo gave Jack a sombre smile before looking down at the floor, pondering the gravity of words that were yet to be spoken. This was not an easy conversation, and Theo felt rather like a kid again, making a confession to his eldest brother before their parents found out.
"Jackie, I'm going to start by saying that I'm going to protect you. Okay? I'm not leaving your side and I'm staying right here with you and the kids until everything cools down. You need to know that, because what I'm going to tell you has implications for your safety. And for the kids. I am NOT leaving your side." Theo glanced back over at Travert, nodding at the man as though to shake on that promise. Salt's loyalty to Jack had been proven time and time again; he was Jack's confidant, his right hand. If Salt believed that one's intentions were ill, that person found themselves in a municipal garbage heap with a personal note from Travert that read: "No thank you."
"There is an undercurrent around you, Jack. There are people who are watching you closely - judging you - and for a reason far, far beyond bloodline or policy." Theo paused, finding it difficult to say the words that must be said, as though to do so was to betray his own family. "I just had a conversation with Curse Kameren. He informed me of his suspicions of you and of his belief that you are under the control of the one they call Mosrael: the dark witch who destroyed Hogsmeade. He went on to suggest that this control might even be voluntary. And Jack, I don’t think he's alone in this accusation." Theo's voice was now only just above a whisper. He could have cried for his brother: the betrayal of citizens Jack protected, thinking he was so weak as to choose to be subservient to a monster. "Kameren suggested there may be others in the Ministry who share his concerns and I believe he may also have the ear of others in the Black Watch." Theo was ashamed of this last admission, as most of his friends…former friends…served the secret street justice group; the guilt of outing their existence, the guilt of admitting his part. "I regret that I was involved with the Black Watch until only just recently. We were protecting Hogsmeade from these demon attacks but I didn't know...I didn't see that...I'm so sorry." The beater's head fell. He had been played the fool.
"The Black Watch has grown in size recently, and their members come from beyond the village. Hogwarts, the Ministry…I know of at least one in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that shares Curse's opinion, although I would be daft to expect that Curse's brother, Alex, is not at least on the same wavelength. I'm telling you all this because I think, I know, that they will try to stop you. They’re going to confront you on Mosrael. It will be a dangerous engagement and I'm not going to lie to you, I honestly fear for you and the kids. I won't lose my brother and I won't lose my family. So I need you to be honest with me. Please. Without any fear for how I might react because regardless of your answer, I will fight for you until I'm dead. I'm with you, Jack, to the very end. But I need you to tell me if what they suggest is true because I can't prepare for what is about to happen unless I know all the facts."
Theo looked straight in to Jack’s eyes, pleading with him in a manner that spoke of great love, undying respect, and immense vulnerability.
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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Aug 6, 2011 21:55:11 GMT -5
Mosrael was sitting in her solarium, gazing out at the land spread out below the crumbling castle. This place, in its ruined glory, carpeted and veiled in vines and overgrowth, was the perfect cover for her home, her base of operations. And she liked the feeling of the vines encroaching on this design of man, retaking it to the land, swallowing ruined brick and mortar, cracking stone. Slowly, carefully.
Symbolic of her own actions to undermine the Ministry. Like a slow vine creeping up and into a wall, exploiting weaknesses, cracks and decay, until the whole structure was riddled through, weakened. Ready to fall.
"And how is our dear Minister today..." she murmured to herself, turning her gaze inwards, and then outwards through her connection to the man called Jack Harkness.
It was easy now, to enter his mind, to toy with the strings of thought in his mind. But he had a will. It was very strong, a challenge to Mosrael. But she enjoyed a challenge. He was far from broken. If only those who suspected knew that. But now she found herself looking into the eyes of Jack's brother.
For a brief moment that intense gaze of the other man, filled with love and earnestness, reflected in Mosrael's mind. Eyes of the same color, but another time. Daniel. Quickly she slammed that thought out of existence, became just an observer to the conversation, hiding all of her emotions and thoughts from Jack.
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 8, 2011 1:03:58 GMT -5
“Even despite the suspenders.” Jack chuckled, lifting the man’s hand from his forehead. “I promise I’m not sick Theo.”
"Travert, please. I need you to stay. And I'm going to ask the impossible of you."
Salt frowned at the man, knowing the direction this was going. “Mr Bowre, I thought we had arrived at an agreement on this.” He said, his voice crisp and somewhat sour with disapproval.
"I just had a conversation with Curse Kameren. He informed me of his suspicions of you and of his belief that you are under the control of the one they call Mosrael: the dark witch who destroyed Hogsmeade. He went on to suggest that this control might even be voluntary. And Jack, I don’t think he's alone in this accusation."
Mosrael. Jack’s thoughts raced, hidden behind the mask he had been forced to learn to use. Mosrael hid her taint in his mind, spreading dark tendrils into his very being. He’d learned not to show this to the public, to present a new and different face. He’d always believed in honesty, but the very nature of this spelled precluded it, took from him his very foundation.
“Thank you for your time, Mr Bowre.” Travert moved closer, hovering as if he had every intention of lifting the beater bodily and removing him from the premises. Unfortunately, the aide was a gentleman, and generally didn’t subscribe to lifting the family members of his employer and removing them from the premises. All he could do was hope to crowd the man into leaving.
“But I need you to tell me if what they suggest is true because I can't prepare for what is about to happen unless I know all the facts."
Mosrael. Theo. If stuck between choosing the Masked Lady and choosing his family, Jack would always, given the choice, take his family. What that meant wasn’t always clear. Did it mean telling Theo the truth, despite the consequences? Or did it mean denying it, keeping his brother and the rest of the world in the dark?
“Tell the truth, Jack. Always tell the truth.” He heard his mother’s voice, repeating her favourite maxim. She’d always raised her children with a strong sense of honesty.
The pain would be harsh, but he needed to tell the truth.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 9, 2011 21:26:44 GMT -5
“Mr Bowre, I thought we had arrived at an agreement on this.”
"Never mind," Theo dismissed Salt absently, his concentration remaining on Jack as he studied his brother's silence. Jack appeared to retreat in to his conscience and Theo found it difficult to maintain eye contact with a gaze that constantly changed focus and depth. A gentle but steady grip was applied to the Minister's shoulders, imploring his return to the present. "Jack, come back to me."
“Thank you for your time, Mr Bowre.”
Theo shot a dangerous look at his brother's assistant as the man's tiny frame filled his peripheral. Salt knew better than to intervene; although he always had Jack's best interests in mind, he had to know that Bowre was not about to drop the matter. Theo had done that weeks earlier when he stood with Alex Kameren in the Minister's Office and he never forgave himself for leaving when he knew his brother was out of sorts. When he knew Jack was in need. Theo unconsciously fluffed his feathers. He threatened.
"Back off, Travert, or I'll remove you. Do you understand?"
Theo took Jack by the chin and fought to gain his attention.
"Where are you, Jackie? Please let me help you. I love you and I'm going to help you make it right. Tell me the truth."
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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Aug 9, 2011 23:45:38 GMT -5
Time for an experiment. Mosrael thought of things in terms of experiments, not attempts. If she failed at something, at least she could watch and learn, observe the subject for future plans. What was the depth of Jack's loyalties? Was his heart stronger than he thought? She used his own doubts against him.
He is a threat to you. It was the first time her voice had whispered into Jack's mind, snaking around his thoughts until it came to the forefront. They suspect, and what will they do with you when they suspect? A pawn of the Dark Lady?
An ominous chuckle pressed down upon his thoughts as she enacted her will against his, using her connection, the curse, to move his limbs. Silence him!
She bent her will on his, trying to make his hands reach up, to reach for the man's chest and shove him back forcefully.
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 21, 2011 17:30:34 GMT -5
"Jack, come back to me."
Jack shifted his attention to Theo, seeing the familiar face, the love and trust that had always been in the boy and now was in the man. Trust and loyalty and--
He’s a threat.
Jack frowned now for the first time, doubt creeping into his mind. What would he do, when he discovered his trust was misplaced? What would they do, if they learned of the dark deeds he’d done and was witness to? What would his family do?
They’d be devastated. He’d be disowned. Theo, ever the upstanding citizen, would tell their mother. ‘Sorry Mum, I had to do it. He was evil.’ His eyes narrowed and his arms reached up.
Silence him!
He shook, with fury and doubt and fear as he moved his arms, knocking Theo’s grip on his chin aside as his hands reached to strangle his brother. Theo reacted too slow, he clasped his hands about his younger brother’s throat before he reacted. The two men rolled on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand.
Salt’s eyes widened in disbelief, but he moved swiftly to try and separate them. “Sir! Mr Bowre! Sir, stop!” He pleaded with his employer, trying to pry them apart. “Mr Bowre, he’s not in his right mind, sir…”
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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 21, 2011 18:19:22 GMT -5
Those are not your eyes, Jack. These are not your actions. This is not you.
Theo tried desperately to pry Jack's hands from around his neck, a whirlwind of thoughts...fears...drowning out Salt's helpless cries as the two men thrashed about the floor. Theo wasn't sure what shocked him more: his brother's sudden and volatile reaction or Jack's strength, which was far beyond the Minister's own. Theo knew Jack. He knew what he was capable of. From years of play fighting as boys to their daily domestic tasks as men, he knew that Jack was a capable fellow but short of his own stature and might. On physicality alone, Theo knew this wasn't Jack. On a more emotional level, he was assured his brother was entirely absent from this aggressor.
Jack. His windpipe entirely obstructed by Jack's pressure, Theo brought his knee up between their chests and attempted to wedge his brother loose. The last thing he would ever consider is hurting his beloved sibling; he'd rather die than bring any harm to him. But it was becoming all too clear that death was a very likely possibility and if he couldn't help Jack in the days and weeks to follow, he wouldn't be the only one departing the world. Jack's life was threatened. The lives of his kids were too. That was a fate that Theo couldn't and wouldn't accept for the family Harkness. A numbness began to radiate down his limbs.
You're losing oxygen.
Please don't make me do this.
Light blue eyes bore in to Jack, pleading, praying, begging. If even a single ray of Jack's light remained in the man atop him, Theo hoped that spirit would witness the war that existed in his eyes - the love - and realize that there was no threat, no distrust, no ill will. A fog began to settle in Theo's field of view.
No other choice.
With the little life that remained in his body, Theo kicked out his knee and launched Jack across the floor, sending him heavily in to a nearby bookcase. He scrambled light-headedly to his feet and Salt ran behind the safety of the desk.
“Mr Bowre!”
Theo scooped up his smaller brother roughly beneath his arms, pinning him forcibly against the dark shelves and squeezing a forearm across his upper chest. Jack was incapable of moving. Theo searched his face aggressively with an expression of great torment.
"You listen to me, you son of a bitch," Theo whispered hoarsely to a puppetmaster he could not see, "I don't know who the hell you think you are but I'm putting you on notice right now. You're a coward and if you think I'm afraid of a fickle little witch that does her bidding behind the facade of an innocent then you have another thing coming. I will find you, I will kill you, and once I'm through with you, you will wish you had never crossed me. I want you to remember my face, you wicked wench. It's going to be the last thing you see. Let go of my brother. NOW."
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Post by Mosrael//Ranna on Aug 21, 2011 19:21:15 GMT -5
Jack's face twisted into a sneer, filled with cold regard. His eyes became black. Black as a dementor's heart. Bringing his face close to Theo's, almost touching, Jack-Mosrael smiled.
The smile was like a snake, devious and mocking.
"Some day we will meet, Theodore Bowre," Jack's voice was choked with the dark tones of a woman's voice as Mosrael bent all her will on the man in order to communicate with Theo. "And then we will see. Is it cowardice, to hide my true identity?"
He withdrew his head, leaning against the wall and shaking his head slowly. The darkness was still in his eyes, his face. "There are secrets that even you cannot imagine. And when you and your rabble of friends discover the depths of the shadows around you, it will be too late."
Back in her crumbling castle, Mosrael felt the connection to Jack wavering. The man was losing strength, and the curse was swinging back and forth, trying to keep its hold and support the willpower and magic that Mosrael was pressing on his mind.
The smile vanished from Jack's face. "Goodbye...for now, Theodore."
She severed the mental connection to Jack, and the loss of the pressure on his mind caused instant weakness. But his mind was his, for the time being, until the curse regained complete hold again. Which wouldn't be long.
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 22, 2011 23:39:39 GMT -5
((OOB: Brother Jack and I decided on a joint post as a form of family bonding. It was either that or going to the waterpark.
Jack: And we know how that usually ends...))
Jack had never felt like this before, and he was frightened. Frightened of his own strength, of the presence in his mind. Never had the curse been so strong. Never had she entered his mind so violently. He ignored his faithful aide’s cries, clenching his hands tight around his brother’s throat. Traitor. Liar. the words whispered seductively in his mind, reminding him of the danger the man under him posed.
He’s a threat. He will expose you. You’ll lose all respect, all love. Shunned.
He pressed closer as the other man tried to get a knee between them as leverage. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to keep a secret, he wasn’t strong enough to lose his family. This man was a threat to that. Threats couldn’t be tolerated.
He slammed against the bookcase, panting hard as Theo lifted him, pinning him down. He looked at him with utter despise and anger in his eyes, and then he was lost, drowning in a sea of the foreign presence in his mind. Jack was lost as words twisted from his lips that weren’t his.
********
Terror gripped at Theo’s heart and clamped down hard; heartbeats pounded beneath taut flesh, ice ran through constricted veins, and layers of cool sweat trickled their way down his back to pool at the edge of his pants band. Emotions flickered so quickly and so confusedly across Jack’s face that he couldn’t keep pace and the gentleness and warmth that had always defined his beloved brother were now lost within dilated, hate-filled eyes. Jack’s lips contorted. His voice changed pitch. For a moment, the man’s breathing was so heavy and so guttural that Theo had to loosen his grip. He at once feared hurting his brother and being hurt by his brother.
“Salt, leave the room. Quickly!” Theo glanced for only a second at his brother’s aide, his eyes pleading with the man to heed his warning. There was no way to anticipate Jack’s actions: they were not his own and Bowre could only hope that he’d be able to counter whatever Mosrael made Jack do. It was hard enough keeping himself out of Jack’s hands; he couldn’t imagine the impossibility if Salt became ensnared too. “NOW!”
A feral, wretched voice suddenly erupted from Jack, locking Theo in a prison of torment. Mosrael succeeded, every time. She found weaknesses, exploited them, left pieces. From the Mistress of Masks alone, the voice would be at most a threat. From the mouth of Jack, Theo felt his home disappear. Jack was the strength of the family. If he fell, he’d take the Harknesses with him and every last whisper of hope.
"Some day we will meet, Theodore Bowre, and then we will see. Is it cowardice, to hide my true identity? There are secrets that even you cannot imagine. And when you and your rabble of friends discover the depths of the shadows around you, it will be too late. Goodbye...for now, Theodore." The words were sealed with a sinister smile.
“Let him go!” Forgoing all securities, Theo released his grip on Jack’s chest and held his brother’s face firmly between his hands. “LET HIM GO! Take me instead!” But even Theo could see the connection was lost; Mosrael severed the channels but not the bond.
* * * * * * * * * *
Jack shook, dangerous words coming from his lips. His gaze was wide, unseeing, but Mosrael had no problem seeing though his eyes. She bent her own hate and torment on the Minister, bestowing them on Theo as she issued her threats. The seas Jack drowned in grew in violence as the curse wavered between loyalty to its mistress and keeping Jack’s mind under control. Finally the foreign mind was gone, and Jack felt a snap, as if an overstretched rubber band had snapped back to its original position, slightly too big.
He reeled at finding himself suddenly alone in his mind, his brown eyes focusing with confusion on Theodore before they rolled in his head and he went limp.
**********
Jack shook violently beneath the beater’s brace, eyes changing depth and colour before his body suddenly relaxed in absolution and went limp in Theo’s arms. “Jackie…Jackie…” Bowre whimpered as he carried his unconscious brother to the leather couch in the study, carefully lowering his slight form and covering him with a blanket before sitting at his side. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Damn adulthood. Theo sniffled loudly, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. It’s just you and me, kid. But we stick together, hey?” The beater’s eyebrows slanted down off his face. “Brothers, Jackie.”
Theo released a pent-up cry, his face falling in to his hand. He thought on those already lost and on those who were well on their way. The ire of Curse Kameren. The spite of Reckony Pike. The judgment of former brethren. The broken hearts of Ralin and Maebh. Family who would ask questions. Family who would try to understand. Family who would fall in this impending war with them because it’s what this family did. And there was nothing he could do to stop them.
********
“I warned you, Mr Bowre, sir.” Salt said softly, entering the room again with a tray of tea. He all but forced one into Theo’s hand and watched for the man to drink it. He sighed, his eyes going to his employer as he stirred on the couch. “You’re every much as stubborn as he is, you know.”
*********
Theo looked over his shoulder, finding familiar eyes staring back at him.
“You’re awake!”
Jack stared at his brother, then his gaze shifted to Salt. The gentleman shook his hands at his employer, as if to urge him on before retiring to the corner. Jack’s gaze reverted to Theodore. “Theo.” He said slowly, testing his words. “Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here, Theos…”
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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 23, 2011 0:08:38 GMT -5
"Yes, I should. And I am. You forget that I grew up to follow your example, Jack. Everything I did, everything I am, is because of you. I love you. I'm proud of you. You think, you think you can just carry this all by yourself. You've turned away from everyone who loves you. And it's not like you to do that, Jackie. It's not out of your rule book. And look where's it's left you."
Theo tightened his grip on the teacup, becoming mesmerized in it's auburn hue. The warmth of the porcelain burned through ice-cold hands but Bowre felt nothing.
"There was a time that you would have come to me with anything. Then we grew up. We've been distant, and I know I'm responsible for a great deal of that. But I've never felt so far away from you as I do right now, and it has nothing to do with Her. She's suggested to you that I'm not to be trusted, but I wonder if you don't really feel that. I wonder if you think I'm here to turn you in." He turned around, looking less shell-shocked and more guarded. "I don't know how to prove it to you, Jack, except to suggest that you place me in the middle of High Street and watch as Curse Kameren blows a stadium-sized hole through my chest."
"Travert has been heroically faithful to you these past few years and you owe him his life. You cannot ask him to follow you further in to this hell, and I'm not about to let you continue alone either. So tell me, Jack. How does this end? How do you want this to end?"
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 23, 2011 22:40:20 GMT -5
"Yes, I should. And I am. You forget that I grew up to follow your example, Jack. Everything I did, everything I am, is because of you. I love you. I'm proud of you. You think, you think you can just carry this all by yourself. You've turned away from everyone who loves you. And it's not like you to do that, Jackie. It's not out of your rule book. And look where's it's left you."
Jack sat up, wrapping cold hands around the teacup he was offered. He sat and watched his little brother, who he’d always cared for despite any distance between. Age, blood, curses. He drank a good half the cup in one gulp, the warmth spreading pleasantly through his body. He flinched almost physically when Theo mentioned Mosrael. The monster in his mind.
He reached out, gripping Theo’s forearm. “Don’t ever think that, Theo. I could never-- I never could-- I would destroy anything, anyone! for my family, do you hear?” His hand trembled as his gaze blazed into Theo. His family-- Mum and Dad, his huge happily dysfunctional family. His kids, even Annie Marie. He’d do anything for them, anything at all. Even tolerate a woman bent on destroying the wizarding world. Even if she took him and his mind with her.
“Not even the great Kameren is immune to her, Theodore. What hope have I?” He asked softly, releasing his brother’s arm.
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Post by Theo Bowre on Aug 25, 2011 22:31:43 GMT -5
"Curse is strong, but there is one area that perhaps you have the advantage," Theo said softly, turning to create a more intimate space between them. "Family. There's enough of us to protect you until we get to the bottom of this: Mom and Dad can look after the kids, we can hide you in one of the properties, and I'm sure Kat, Jeff and David...they'll stand by you. We all will. And Jack, when it gets too much, you lean on me. I won't leave your side."
Theo swigged the last of the tea and placed his empty cup and saucer upon a nearby table.
"Given the circumstances, I don't think you can return to your office. Is there anyone at the Ministry besides Salt who will vouch for you? Do you have any allies, and by that I mean anyone who would stand up for you despite the odds? I doubt this will be anything less than a witch hunt, Jack. I don't know what Kameren has shared, or Pike. If enough people know and word spreads, you could have a small war on your doorstep by morning. We need to get the kids out and you beneath the radar. From there, we figure out where Mosrael is. If she doesn't have the decency to show her face in person, I'll have to go and find her." Bowre's soft blue eyes grew hard with conviction, the idea of killing Mosrael being first and foremost upon his mind. There was no compromise with the witch: she either perished or she won, it was as simple as that.
"How are your duelling skills? You know, I expect that we'll have a bit of resistance ahead and we may be pitted against friends. We should consider what spells we can use to incapacitate without harm. I don't want any casualties aside from Her."
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Post by Minister Jack Harkness on Aug 27, 2011 23:29:45 GMT -5
“Theo.” Jack said hoarsely, taking another sip of tea and letting it sooth his irritated vocal cords. “I will not put my family into danger.” The drained teacup clicked as it was put down on the small wooden table. He stood up, wobbling for a second before he regained his equilibrium. He stood in front of Theo.
“Not you, brawd bach,” His hand, once raised in anger against his brother, traced lightly over forming bruises before they dropped and gripped his shoulders. “Not my children, or our parents. And you know muggles won’t stand a chance against Her.”
One hand pressed into his temple, where a headache raged. “Almost since she killed Lloyd--” even after two years it was hard to say his friend’s name. Not only for the loss, but for the betrayal of his memory. They had been good friends. Lloyd had been his mentor.
“I have been a traitor, Theo. Still, the curse has never been so weak, but I am not fool enough to think it gone.” His hands tightened their grip on Theo, his eyes boring into the man’s soul. “Promise me brawd, to take care of our family. I would prefer for you to take a Vow. Promise me.” His voice shook with his conviction and fear as he felt the curse stir in his mind. There was not much time.
"Don't concern yourself about me. Focus on the others."
((brawd bach apparently means little brother. Brawd means brother.))
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