Jack- June 10th, 2009
Oct. 20th, 2009 12:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Lois Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack doesn't feel like doing anything, including wearing clothes.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 7th, 2009, Part Four
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 10th, 2009
Gwen looked over the whole scene with pursed lips and Jack tried to see it through her eyes. Sound was blaring from the telly although he wouldn’t be able to tell her a single thing he’d seen, several dirty bowls lined the table with a single box of take-away he’d attempted to consume and he couldn’t recall the last time he’d shaved. He passed a hand over his cheek and felt the stubble there.
“You can’t hide from the world forever, Jack,” she chided and he lay back down on the cushions.
“I can try,” he retorted and crossed his arms. Gwen crossed her arms as well and glared.
“We had two days to wallow in our misery, now we have to go back to work,” she scolded him.
“No,” Jack refused,”Are we going to monitor the rift on the equipment that was destroyed? Capture Weevils that we can lead down the tunnel of rubble to a holding cell that smells like dead Weevil? Ride out in my car or yours which is equally inadequate? Wait around for the next time the world’s in danger and the Doctor doesn’t bother to show up?”
She was shocked and so was he. Until that point, he didn’t realize he’d blamed the Doctor. When the planet is in peril, he always shows up. Those were the rules and it didn’t happen and people died. Where was he?
A memory from long ago popped in his head and Alice’s voice, or was it the other one, “First I’m gonna kiss him and then I’m gonna kill him.”
He was leaning toward the latter. He’d come back in a different body but it might be fun for putting him through this hell.
Gwen came closer, moved the bowls to make a space on the coffee table, frowned and sat down anyway.
“You know I don’t have answers. You’re absolutely right about all of that, but,” she said in her authoritarian voice and so very close to his face, “You said yourself that Ianto wanted us to follow the protocols. We still have two to go.”
She was right. He knew that, but…he clutched a cushion to his chest. When they packed up his things; that would make it more…final. Jack wished he could put it off forever, but that wasn’t possible. Things like that usually got worse the more he put it off.
“Let’s do it,” he agreed and her mouth opened in surprise.
“Right now?” she clarified and he nodded, “that’s great.”
She bent in as thought she was going to hug him, sniffed and leaned back with a face.
“Okay, I’m going to get boxes. You are going to shower and shave,” Gwen told him before getting up and had the door open when she turned back, “And put on some trousers, the little hole keeps flopping open.”
He’d forgotten to button it again.
By the time she returned, he was sitting on the couch freshly scrubbed and shaved while wearing the same outfit that he’d been wearing the night they’d captured Myfanwy together.
“Got more in the car, we’ll probably need them,” Gwen spoke, setting down the cardboard pieces, “This is going to take a week probably.”
Jack shook his head and she gave him an incredulous look.
“Do you remember how long it took for the three of us to go through Tosh’ things? And she just had a flat, this is a house,” the Welshwoman pointed out.
“We also had to go back at least three times through the boxes to find things her mum wanted,” he reminded her.
“What about his sister? She might want some of his things, too,” Gwen told him as though the idea had just come to her.
“She didn’t mention anything last night. If she does, I’ll take care of it,” Jack promised with a little smile, “I think she likes me.”
At this, she rolled her eyes and argued, “Still, it has to be bigger than Owen’s penthouse and without the convenience of almost everything being chucked out already.”
“But there is a crucial difference this time,” he told her as he stood up.
“And what’s that?” she asked. She was already developing that pregnant habit of laying her hand over her belly even though it was as flat as could be.
“I still live here,” Jack reminded her, “I’m still going to need the shampoo, the sheets, and the orange juice in the fridge. He wanted me to watch that movie with Hobbits and the blender broke. We were supposed to get a new one, but we never got around to it.”
Gwen had crossed the space between them and hugged him. He hugged back as much as he could. All those little things they’d never found time for and now, they never would. The tears threatened to come and he knew they would as they loaded the the life of the man he loved into boxes.
“Where’s the photos?” asked Gwen an hour or so later as they stuffed mail that wasn’t bills into a box, “Didn’t the two of you ever take any? I thought I’d taken some for him before.”
He’d never thought about it, but she was right.
“They must be somewhere, in a photo book or something. We’ll find it,” Jack spoke, trying to sound reassuring, “I need to find that diary, too.”
His mobile chirped and he went to the other room to retrieve it. He was pleased to see Lois on the ID.
“Captain Jack Harkness,” he answered and Gwen came into the room.
“Well, sir…”
“No, don’t ever call me ‘sir’,” he said with a little more anger than he’d intended. He didn’t want anyone else to call him “sir.”
“Captain then,” Lois started again and her nervousness was audible, “It’s about your daughter.”
His insides twisted on themselves and he felt sick at the possibilities. Had she actually agreed to the funeral? Had she done something else? Had she…?
He didn’t want to think of it.
“She’s gone missing. No one knows where she is,” the voice on the other end informed him and he sighed in relief.
“That’s great news,” he spoke which must have confused Lois by what she said next.
“Captain? I just told you that no one can find her.”
“Well, if she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t. She learned from the best,” Jack told her and couldn’t help the pride that shown through.
“There’s something else though…” Lois mumbled, “I don’t want to tell you, but…”
“What is it?”
“Now, that Alice is ‘unavailable’ as they put it,” the young women stumbled through her words, “They still want their big funeral…but they…they want…”
“Me,” he supplied for her, “If they can’t have the weeping mother, they want the grieving grandfather.”
“I’m sorry, but they’re going to start calling you and I thought you should know,” Lois spoke.
“Yes, of course, thank you. Keep us informed of London,” he told her and ended the call.
Jack glanced down at the hard wood floor for a moment. He felt as Gwen took his arm.
“What happened? What did Lois have to say?” she asked as he slipped the mobile into a pocket.
Without looking at her, he explained, “Alice has disappeared. Most likely, she’s taken a new identity and left the country.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Jack,” Gwen uttered and rubbed his back, “But you told her that was great.”
With a nod, he took a letter about Welsh tourism and put it in the box. He felt her let go of him and make that little noise she sometimes did when something confused her.
“But you might never be able to see her again, your own daughter. She’ll just be out there somewhere and you won’t know,” she spoke and Jack closed his eyes, but when he did so, he could see her clutching Steven’s body. Then, he remembered how she had looked at him that last time.
“No, she never wants to see me again and she has every right to feel that way. At least this way, I know she’s out there somewhere…trying to start a new life without us. It’s the best I could hope for,” he replied and his voice sounded hoarse with his unspent tears, “because when she said she was calling about my daughter, I thought maybe…maybe they’d found her…”
He sniffled as he saw her trying to catch onto what he meant.
“No, you don’t think…you really thought she was capable of that?” Gwen questioned with incredulity.
June 10th, 2009, Part Two
edf
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Lois Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack doesn't feel like doing anything, including wearing clothes.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 7th, 2009, Part Four
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 10th, 2009
Gwen looked over the whole scene with pursed lips and Jack tried to see it through her eyes. Sound was blaring from the telly although he wouldn’t be able to tell her a single thing he’d seen, several dirty bowls lined the table with a single box of take-away he’d attempted to consume and he couldn’t recall the last time he’d shaved. He passed a hand over his cheek and felt the stubble there.
“You can’t hide from the world forever, Jack,” she chided and he lay back down on the cushions.
“I can try,” he retorted and crossed his arms. Gwen crossed her arms as well and glared.
“We had two days to wallow in our misery, now we have to go back to work,” she scolded him.
“No,” Jack refused,”Are we going to monitor the rift on the equipment that was destroyed? Capture Weevils that we can lead down the tunnel of rubble to a holding cell that smells like dead Weevil? Ride out in my car or yours which is equally inadequate? Wait around for the next time the world’s in danger and the Doctor doesn’t bother to show up?”
She was shocked and so was he. Until that point, he didn’t realize he’d blamed the Doctor. When the planet is in peril, he always shows up. Those were the rules and it didn’t happen and people died. Where was he?
A memory from long ago popped in his head and Alice’s voice, or was it the other one, “First I’m gonna kiss him and then I’m gonna kill him.”
He was leaning toward the latter. He’d come back in a different body but it might be fun for putting him through this hell.
Gwen came closer, moved the bowls to make a space on the coffee table, frowned and sat down anyway.
“You know I don’t have answers. You’re absolutely right about all of that, but,” she said in her authoritarian voice and so very close to his face, “You said yourself that Ianto wanted us to follow the protocols. We still have two to go.”
She was right. He knew that, but…he clutched a cushion to his chest. When they packed up his things; that would make it more…final. Jack wished he could put it off forever, but that wasn’t possible. Things like that usually got worse the more he put it off.
“Let’s do it,” he agreed and her mouth opened in surprise.
“Right now?” she clarified and he nodded, “that’s great.”
She bent in as thought she was going to hug him, sniffed and leaned back with a face.
“Okay, I’m going to get boxes. You are going to shower and shave,” Gwen told him before getting up and had the door open when she turned back, “And put on some trousers, the little hole keeps flopping open.”
He’d forgotten to button it again.
By the time she returned, he was sitting on the couch freshly scrubbed and shaved while wearing the same outfit that he’d been wearing the night they’d captured Myfanwy together.
“Got more in the car, we’ll probably need them,” Gwen spoke, setting down the cardboard pieces, “This is going to take a week probably.”
Jack shook his head and she gave him an incredulous look.
“Do you remember how long it took for the three of us to go through Tosh’ things? And she just had a flat, this is a house,” the Welshwoman pointed out.
“We also had to go back at least three times through the boxes to find things her mum wanted,” he reminded her.
“What about his sister? She might want some of his things, too,” Gwen told him as though the idea had just come to her.
“She didn’t mention anything last night. If she does, I’ll take care of it,” Jack promised with a little smile, “I think she likes me.”
At this, she rolled her eyes and argued, “Still, it has to be bigger than Owen’s penthouse and without the convenience of almost everything being chucked out already.”
“But there is a crucial difference this time,” he told her as he stood up.
“And what’s that?” she asked. She was already developing that pregnant habit of laying her hand over her belly even though it was as flat as could be.
“I still live here,” Jack reminded her, “I’m still going to need the shampoo, the sheets, and the orange juice in the fridge. He wanted me to watch that movie with Hobbits and the blender broke. We were supposed to get a new one, but we never got around to it.”
Gwen had crossed the space between them and hugged him. He hugged back as much as he could. All those little things they’d never found time for and now, they never would. The tears threatened to come and he knew they would as they loaded the the life of the man he loved into boxes.
“Where’s the photos?” asked Gwen an hour or so later as they stuffed mail that wasn’t bills into a box, “Didn’t the two of you ever take any? I thought I’d taken some for him before.”
He’d never thought about it, but she was right.
“They must be somewhere, in a photo book or something. We’ll find it,” Jack spoke, trying to sound reassuring, “I need to find that diary, too.”
His mobile chirped and he went to the other room to retrieve it. He was pleased to see Lois on the ID.
“Captain Jack Harkness,” he answered and Gwen came into the room.
“Well, sir…”
“No, don’t ever call me ‘sir’,” he said with a little more anger than he’d intended. He didn’t want anyone else to call him “sir.”
“Captain then,” Lois started again and her nervousness was audible, “It’s about your daughter.”
His insides twisted on themselves and he felt sick at the possibilities. Had she actually agreed to the funeral? Had she done something else? Had she…?
He didn’t want to think of it.
“She’s gone missing. No one knows where she is,” the voice on the other end informed him and he sighed in relief.
“That’s great news,” he spoke which must have confused Lois by what she said next.
“Captain? I just told you that no one can find her.”
“Well, if she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t. She learned from the best,” Jack told her and couldn’t help the pride that shown through.
“There’s something else though…” Lois mumbled, “I don’t want to tell you, but…”
“What is it?”
“Now, that Alice is ‘unavailable’ as they put it,” the young women stumbled through her words, “They still want their big funeral…but they…they want…”
“Me,” he supplied for her, “If they can’t have the weeping mother, they want the grieving grandfather.”
“I’m sorry, but they’re going to start calling you and I thought you should know,” Lois spoke.
“Yes, of course, thank you. Keep us informed of London,” he told her and ended the call.
Jack glanced down at the hard wood floor for a moment. He felt as Gwen took his arm.
“What happened? What did Lois have to say?” she asked as he slipped the mobile into a pocket.
Without looking at her, he explained, “Alice has disappeared. Most likely, she’s taken a new identity and left the country.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Jack,” Gwen uttered and rubbed his back, “But you told her that was great.”
With a nod, he took a letter about Welsh tourism and put it in the box. He felt her let go of him and make that little noise she sometimes did when something confused her.
“But you might never be able to see her again, your own daughter. She’ll just be out there somewhere and you won’t know,” she spoke and Jack closed his eyes, but when he did so, he could see her clutching Steven’s body. Then, he remembered how she had looked at him that last time.
“No, she never wants to see me again and she has every right to feel that way. At least this way, I know she’s out there somewhere…trying to start a new life without us. It’s the best I could hope for,” he replied and his voice sounded hoarse with his unspent tears, “because when she said she was calling about my daughter, I thought maybe…maybe they’d found her…”
He sniffled as he saw her trying to catch onto what he meant.
“No, you don’t think…you really thought she was capable of that?” Gwen questioned with incredulity.
June 10th, 2009, Part Two
edf
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 08:56 am (UTC)Just a question though - if Jack is moving in and taking over Ianto's place, which I love by the way, do they really have to back Iano's stuff away? I imagine, like Jack said, pretty much everything in the house Jack can, and will, need to use? It's a different situation from other/previous operatives, who lived alone and their premises would need to be vacated on their deaths. Just a thought that kept niggling me.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-23 05:18 pm (UTC)Thus, I think Jack must be pretty much living at Ianto's already even if he might not admit it or made a formal declaration.
As Jack points out, he will still need the essentials and he'd want to keep out things like dvds or books he'd want to read again, but on the other hand, Ianto's dead and when someone dies or leaves, you have to go through what's been left behind: Keep what you want, give away other things and throw other stuff away, like the tourist information mailings Ianto would have received.
Thank you for this though...I may need to clarify better later that Jack has kept some things that weren't put in the boxes.