Jack: June 6th, 2009
Oct. 4th, 2009 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack,Gwen
Rated: TV-14 One Curse Word ANGST COE Spoilers Character Death
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack and Gwen investigate the aftermath of the explosion.
Previous Segment: June 4th, 2009
Masterlist for series:
http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 6th, 2009
The man who was once a Time Agent and might still be leader of Torchwood sat on the edge of a precipice. He saw how people were tempted to approach; perhaps the time or directions or simply what he was doing there. Then, they’d notice his face and walk as fast as they could to someone else.
Jack felt broken in every possible sense. Last night was the first time that he’d slept alone in that bed; their bed and only after pretending that his lover was simply working late. How was he supposed to live in a world without Ianto or Steven in it? At least, he’d saved Mica and David. He could do that one thing for Ianto…no matter the price.
He was a bad man, a bad, bad man. He pulled up his legs so his face rested against his knees and his arms wrapped around his shins. Despite being in the middle of a major tourist spot, he cried.
“There, there,” came Gwen’s voice a bit later, “let it all out.” Jack could feel her hands rubbing his back as Ianto had done in his dream.
“I thought you’d be with Rhys,” he spoke; gathering the courage to look at her. She couldn’t mask her shock at his appearance. Apparently, he looked as bad as he felt.
“Rhys doesn’t need me at the moment, but you do,” she explained and nodded towards the hole in front of them, “We might as well check it out. No sense in putting it off.”
It was logical and he couldn’t argue with it except…
“It could be dangerous and you’re pregnant,” the older man argued although it was Gwen and she never took well to being told what to do.
“I know all the rules from my girlfriends, but it’s not as though I’ve been taking it easy this week as it is and you’ll be by my side the whole time, I trust you,” she told him and held out a hand for him to take.
“You really shouldn’t,” he replied and he could tell she knew that he meant the last three words.
“But I do and I will,” the young woman maintained; wrapping her fingers around his, “Now, come on, we need to know whether there’s anything to be salvaged and plan what to do about the equipment. The Rift won’t stay quiet forever.”
It was possible that some of the lower levels had been spared. He opened his mouth to explain and couldn’t say his name. It died on his lips.
“He locked it all down before it happened. We might be able to find something,” Jack said and stood up. She squeezed his hand and they made their way through the rubble like spelunkers. The larger pieces had fallen together to form tunnels. He supposed it was how Ianto survived. Every so often, he’d wonder when Ianto would be getting there as if he was just out on a coffee run and then he’d remember Ianto…Ianto wouldn’t be coming back.
“Did you bring a torch?” he asked as he tested the ground beneath him and realized they’d reached the main floor.
“Yeah,” Gwen answered and took one from her back pocket. Although small, the clear white light illuminated the area well enough. From what he could see, everything on the main floor and above had been destroyed. She should have been wearing a hard hat and there were shards of glass and metal everywhere. The circuitry that Tosh had worked so hard on was reduced to blackened bits. Jack put his hands to his face and inhaled deeply, willing himself not to cry.
“There’s still the basement…all those lower levels; holding cells, crypt and the archives…”
“Myfanwy,” she interrupted with a worried look, “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“I…I don’t know,” he admitted, but didn’t want to add that he’d been looking as they climbed down for any sign. There were no bones or flesh that would have matched her although she could have been burnt to death, he supposed. A smoky smell permeated the air although it couldn’t obliterate the stench of death, but that could have been from the bodies held in the morgue or the crypt, some of the more peculiar plants, extra bodies…or bits of himself.
“He opened her cage when he locked everything down and I opened the roof to let the lift through…she could have flown out, I was only looking…I was only looking at Ianto,” Jack continued and Gwen nodded.
“I wasn’t looking either. I just kept running until I was pushed to the ground,” she explained and waved the light around some more as they looked for something familiar. There was nothing. He reached for his wrist-strap, forgetting that it wasn’t there. Instead, he took out his phone from a coat pocket and accessed the compass feature. They’d been heading west towards what used to the stairs to the tourist office. Jack pointed in another direction.
“That’ll be north with the entrance to the basement,” he announced and Gwen nodded.
“If it’s still there…” she added and used the torch to light up that area. Moving what he could without compromising the structure of the rubble, they headed for whatever would remain of the hallway and stairs it contained. Then, as they neared the preponderance of brick, Gwen just stopped.
“What is it?” Jack asked as she moved the beam southeast.
“I thought I saw something,” said Gwen before pursing her lips “must have been nothing.” The doorway was recognizable by having a lower wall of rubble than the rest and he was able to climb over it with no difficulty. She held out her arms and he lifted her over it, noticing that her tee and capris were caked in dust by this point. His clothes were just as bad, but he didn’t have the energy to care. The outer wall had held with only some major fractures. However, he now thought he knew what Gwen had mentioned.
“There’s light that isn’t coming from us,” Jack stated and she nodded.
“Maybe it’s sunlight,” she suggested although he could see the fear.
“This far underground?” he retorted although maybe something had shaken loose. Maybe there was an old ventilation shaft that been exposed. He went to draw his gun that was no longer in his holster. His poor old Webley; he’d need to get a replacement for that. They neared the stairwell when they started hearing a noise.
“Oh shit,” Jack exclaimed and started running although stuff crunched under his feet.
“Do we need a gun?” Gwen questioned of the low wailing.
“No, she’s in pain,” he answered back without looking at her. The lights were lit with an almost orange glow. They shouldn’t have been on at all. He hit the button on the holding cells and hoped they would work. With a creak, they started to inch up on the little power they were receiving and the rotten smell of decay became stronger. Off to the side, he could see Gwen make a face and throw up in a corner.
“Come on, Janet, speak to me,” Jack pleaded and rushed into her cell as soon as the shatterproof glass was high enough. She uttered another low wail that was weaker than before and he tried to look her over.
“How is she?” the Welshwoman inquired, coming closer.
“She’s dehydrated, malnourished and…” he spoke and noticed the bone sticking out of her leg, “and has a broken leg.”
“What can we do?”
Janet’s wailing stopped being audible in the air, but he could still feel it in his head. Her breath and heartbeat were slowing down, too.
“Nothing,” he uttered in a hoarse tone and considered borrowing Gwen’s gun except she was going too fast. He kneeled and pulled the Weevil in his arms.
“Oh, Janet,” the man said and softly touched her face. The screaming in his head grew fainter and fainter until he couldn’t hear it anymore. Her breathing and heart had stopped. Gwen put a hand to her mouth and Jack didn’t bother trying to hide the tears that fell as he remembered catching her with Owen and watching Ianto take care of her.
He slid her as easy as he could on the floor and walked out of the cell.
“It was always Ianto that fed them,” the Welshwoman stated and took his arm. It wasn’t the only thing he was thinking about. They’d spent three days without food or water yet she had survived until now. Had she been waiting for them to return? What if they had postponed? She would have died alone in a cell. He tried to shake off these thoughts and do what needed to be done.
Next segment:
June 6th, 2009, Part Two
edf
Characters: Jack,Gwen
Rated: TV-14 One Curse Word ANGST COE Spoilers Character Death
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack and Gwen investigate the aftermath of the explosion.
Previous Segment: June 4th, 2009
Masterlist for series:
http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 6th, 2009
The man who was once a Time Agent and might still be leader of Torchwood sat on the edge of a precipice. He saw how people were tempted to approach; perhaps the time or directions or simply what he was doing there. Then, they’d notice his face and walk as fast as they could to someone else.
Jack felt broken in every possible sense. Last night was the first time that he’d slept alone in that bed; their bed and only after pretending that his lover was simply working late. How was he supposed to live in a world without Ianto or Steven in it? At least, he’d saved Mica and David. He could do that one thing for Ianto…no matter the price.
He was a bad man, a bad, bad man. He pulled up his legs so his face rested against his knees and his arms wrapped around his shins. Despite being in the middle of a major tourist spot, he cried.
“There, there,” came Gwen’s voice a bit later, “let it all out.” Jack could feel her hands rubbing his back as Ianto had done in his dream.
“I thought you’d be with Rhys,” he spoke; gathering the courage to look at her. She couldn’t mask her shock at his appearance. Apparently, he looked as bad as he felt.
“Rhys doesn’t need me at the moment, but you do,” she explained and nodded towards the hole in front of them, “We might as well check it out. No sense in putting it off.”
It was logical and he couldn’t argue with it except…
“It could be dangerous and you’re pregnant,” the older man argued although it was Gwen and she never took well to being told what to do.
“I know all the rules from my girlfriends, but it’s not as though I’ve been taking it easy this week as it is and you’ll be by my side the whole time, I trust you,” she told him and held out a hand for him to take.
“You really shouldn’t,” he replied and he could tell she knew that he meant the last three words.
“But I do and I will,” the young woman maintained; wrapping her fingers around his, “Now, come on, we need to know whether there’s anything to be salvaged and plan what to do about the equipment. The Rift won’t stay quiet forever.”
It was possible that some of the lower levels had been spared. He opened his mouth to explain and couldn’t say his name. It died on his lips.
“He locked it all down before it happened. We might be able to find something,” Jack said and stood up. She squeezed his hand and they made their way through the rubble like spelunkers. The larger pieces had fallen together to form tunnels. He supposed it was how Ianto survived. Every so often, he’d wonder when Ianto would be getting there as if he was just out on a coffee run and then he’d remember Ianto…Ianto wouldn’t be coming back.
“Did you bring a torch?” he asked as he tested the ground beneath him and realized they’d reached the main floor.
“Yeah,” Gwen answered and took one from her back pocket. Although small, the clear white light illuminated the area well enough. From what he could see, everything on the main floor and above had been destroyed. She should have been wearing a hard hat and there were shards of glass and metal everywhere. The circuitry that Tosh had worked so hard on was reduced to blackened bits. Jack put his hands to his face and inhaled deeply, willing himself not to cry.
“There’s still the basement…all those lower levels; holding cells, crypt and the archives…”
“Myfanwy,” she interrupted with a worried look, “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“I…I don’t know,” he admitted, but didn’t want to add that he’d been looking as they climbed down for any sign. There were no bones or flesh that would have matched her although she could have been burnt to death, he supposed. A smoky smell permeated the air although it couldn’t obliterate the stench of death, but that could have been from the bodies held in the morgue or the crypt, some of the more peculiar plants, extra bodies…or bits of himself.
“He opened her cage when he locked everything down and I opened the roof to let the lift through…she could have flown out, I was only looking…I was only looking at Ianto,” Jack continued and Gwen nodded.
“I wasn’t looking either. I just kept running until I was pushed to the ground,” she explained and waved the light around some more as they looked for something familiar. There was nothing. He reached for his wrist-strap, forgetting that it wasn’t there. Instead, he took out his phone from a coat pocket and accessed the compass feature. They’d been heading west towards what used to the stairs to the tourist office. Jack pointed in another direction.
“That’ll be north with the entrance to the basement,” he announced and Gwen nodded.
“If it’s still there…” she added and used the torch to light up that area. Moving what he could without compromising the structure of the rubble, they headed for whatever would remain of the hallway and stairs it contained. Then, as they neared the preponderance of brick, Gwen just stopped.
“What is it?” Jack asked as she moved the beam southeast.
“I thought I saw something,” said Gwen before pursing her lips “must have been nothing.” The doorway was recognizable by having a lower wall of rubble than the rest and he was able to climb over it with no difficulty. She held out her arms and he lifted her over it, noticing that her tee and capris were caked in dust by this point. His clothes were just as bad, but he didn’t have the energy to care. The outer wall had held with only some major fractures. However, he now thought he knew what Gwen had mentioned.
“There’s light that isn’t coming from us,” Jack stated and she nodded.
“Maybe it’s sunlight,” she suggested although he could see the fear.
“This far underground?” he retorted although maybe something had shaken loose. Maybe there was an old ventilation shaft that been exposed. He went to draw his gun that was no longer in his holster. His poor old Webley; he’d need to get a replacement for that. They neared the stairwell when they started hearing a noise.
“Oh shit,” Jack exclaimed and started running although stuff crunched under his feet.
“Do we need a gun?” Gwen questioned of the low wailing.
“No, she’s in pain,” he answered back without looking at her. The lights were lit with an almost orange glow. They shouldn’t have been on at all. He hit the button on the holding cells and hoped they would work. With a creak, they started to inch up on the little power they were receiving and the rotten smell of decay became stronger. Off to the side, he could see Gwen make a face and throw up in a corner.
“Come on, Janet, speak to me,” Jack pleaded and rushed into her cell as soon as the shatterproof glass was high enough. She uttered another low wail that was weaker than before and he tried to look her over.
“How is she?” the Welshwoman inquired, coming closer.
“She’s dehydrated, malnourished and…” he spoke and noticed the bone sticking out of her leg, “and has a broken leg.”
“What can we do?”
Janet’s wailing stopped being audible in the air, but he could still feel it in his head. Her breath and heartbeat were slowing down, too.
“Nothing,” he uttered in a hoarse tone and considered borrowing Gwen’s gun except she was going too fast. He kneeled and pulled the Weevil in his arms.
“Oh, Janet,” the man said and softly touched her face. The screaming in his head grew fainter and fainter until he couldn’t hear it anymore. Her breathing and heart had stopped. Gwen put a hand to her mouth and Jack didn’t bother trying to hide the tears that fell as he remembered catching her with Owen and watching Ianto take care of her.
He slid her as easy as he could on the floor and walked out of the cell.
“It was always Ianto that fed them,” the Welshwoman stated and took his arm. It wasn’t the only thing he was thinking about. They’d spent three days without food or water yet she had survived until now. Had she been waiting for them to return? What if they had postponed? She would have died alone in a cell. He tried to shake off these thoughts and do what needed to be done.
Next segment:
June 6th, 2009, Part Two
edf
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Date: 2009-10-06 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-06 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-09 03:53 am (UTC)Thanks!!!
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Date: 2009-10-09 03:54 am (UTC)Thanks for reading!!
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Date: 2009-10-09 05:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-14 03:05 am (UTC)(Hugs)
There's happy parts...eventually.
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Date: 2009-11-01 06:10 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing!
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Date: 2009-11-06 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-27 11:05 am (UTC)*meowbooks pulls Rowan Atkinson's version of the Doctor into the room*
Meowbooks: Say something, Doctor!
RA!Doctor: I'll explain later...
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Date: 2010-01-06 03:16 am (UTC)Thank You