Jack- June 10th, 2009, Part Two
Oct. 21st, 2009 02:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Rhi, Mica, David, Johnny Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack finds something he shouldn't have in Gwen's things.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 10th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 10th, Part Two
Gwen really came off so naïve sometimes, but that was one of the things Jack loved about her. After a pause to collect his thoughts, he faced her and gestured towards her middle, saying, “Gwen, I hope you never have to find this out for yourself, but there’s not a lot of pain worse than losing a child. It doesn’t matter how old they are. It just hurts to outlive them. I remember the first time that happened. I filled the pistol full of bullets and as soon as I woke up, I’d fire again until the gun was empty. A parent who’s just lost a child is capable of anything.”
Her hand went immediately to her belly and neither of them said another word which he was glad. He didn’t want another pity party from her. He did well enough on his own. The phone chirped again and he took it out without looking at the caller.
“I don’t care what you say. I’m not going to do it!” he yelled and was going to hang up when Rhi’s voice answered, “I just wanted to tell you the date we decided on for his funeral, but if it’s that much of a problem…”
“No, no, I thought you were someone else. I’m sorry, Rhi, when is it?” he apologized and rubbed his face.
“The 20th, ten days from now,” she replied, “and I picked out a headstone although maybe I should have had you with me…”
“No, I’m sure whatever you picked is fine,” he assured her.
“It won’t be ready for the funeral. It’ll be at least a month, maybe more…I hope it’s up by his birthday,” Rhi said and she was only keeping it together a bit better than he.
“Thank you, Rhi, if you ever just want to talk…” he spoke and let the words hang in the air.
“Yeah,” she agreed and he heard a click. It was surreal. They'd just been discussing Ianto's funeral. With his tourist mailings being thrown in the bin, it was yet another step in Ianto being truly dead. Gwen waited for some response.
“Ianto’s funeral is on the 20th,” he told her and as soon he’d finished the date, the tears came unbeckoned. He dropped to his knees and she wrapped her arms around him.
“There, there, Jack,” she spoke and kissed his forehead. There was no telling how much time had passed before his mobile chirped again.
“Captain Jack Harkness here,” he answered and had already checked that it was a government number.
“This is Bill Shipton, I regret to inform you that Alice Carter has gone missing. According to our records, that’s your daughter. Is that correct?” asked the voice on the other end.
For a second, he was tempted to tell him that she wasn’t. If it would give her some peace, he would, but it was too late for that.
“It is,” he confirmed and realized he’d begun pacing over the planked floors.
“We’ve been trying to get in touch with a Joe Carter, but right now, he’s on holiday in Italy so you would be the next of kin. Britain would like to give Steven the funeral befitting a noble hero as him. Now, if we could just meet for arrangements…”
“Well, you can stuff that…”
“Now, listen here, all we want is a beautiful memorial…possibly televised with you in attendance. It’s a win-win for all involved,” spoke the man as though it was normal. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“Real heroes know the risks involved and they do it anyway. He didn’t know! He begged me. He begged me to tell him what was going on, but I couldn’t. How could I tell him that he was going to die? He was just a scared little boy who died screaming and it was all my fault!” he shouted into the mobile.
“All the more reason for a proper send-off. Now, did he have a favorite singer? I’m sure we could get them and maybe…”
He ended the call and threw the device at the floor where the back popped off.
“Ughh,” he exclaimed and waved his hands formed into fists, “I hate them. I hate the whole lot of them. So smug and superior in their London offices while the rest of it’s burning.”
“I’m sorry,” Gwen spoke and he shook his head.
“It’s all so stupid and senseless,” he uttered and went back to the mail. The Welshwoman kept her quiet.
The next day, she came right at nine in the morning and the day after that was the same. They had boxed up all of Ianto’s possessions that they could and stored them next to the boxes for Tosh, Owen and Suzie. Afterwards, they sat in Gwen’s flat. During his two days of nothingness, the couple had bought a house and had started putting things in piles to go into boxes. Jack wondered if he’d be expected to take part in that. Gwen may have claimed the reasoning behind being at her place was being closer to the city center, but he suspected that she was trying to keep an eye on him. She was making still more piles as he sat at the desk. With nothing else to do, he started exploring through the drawers. A stack of DVDs sat on a corner of the desk. They were unmarked except for black numbers, 1-7.
“What are these discs?” he called out as he stuck one in the drive.
“Discs?” she repeated as video appeared on the computer screen. It was Frobisher in front of the 456 tank.
“No, Jack!” she exclaimed and came running over to him, “You shouldn’t be watching those.”
If this was disc one of seven and Gwen had come running like he’d touched a hot stove…well, he wasn’t an idiot.
“These have everything, don’t they? Even me and Ianto…” he trailed off; unable to say it. She ejected the disc and put it with the others.
“Yes,” she confirmed without looking at him. Ianto’s death was recorded. He should have realized. Hadn’t they done their best to make sure everything was documented? Still…
He put a hand to his mouth and his clean-shaven cheeks. Then, put both his hands on the thighs of his trousers.
"You've watched the whole thing?” he questioned and was trying to be as calm as he could.
“I haven’t. I didn’t. I was with Clem, but Johnson watched it all,” Gwen explained and grabbed onto the desk, “Johnson was the one who told me…who told me he was dead.”
The last word had turned into a sniffle and their eyes met. They hugged which turned into a mutual sob.
“I could…I could erase that part,” she suggested and he shook his head.
“No, it’s everything that happened. Leave it so they’ll know how everyone died,” Jack told her, “Plus, it’d feel wrong to erase any part of him that’s…that’s still here.”
“Right,” she agreed and they hugged again.
“I’m going to call UNIT tomorrow about what to do about the Hub, maybe they’ll know a discrete construction company or something,” Gwen spoke and he nodded. It was a good idea.
Eight days passed in which UNIT had sent some of their special construction workers who knew the difference between trash and something that could be important. The only problem was that they were both putting off looking at the things that could be important because they’d have to remember. They spent their days in a trailer on the remains of Roald Dahl Plass, but not today.
Today, he was wearing a suit for the first time in years, if not a decade or two, and he was sitting on a plastic chair on the grounds of St Woolos.
“Oww! She hit me!” shouted the voice of David Davies through the air.
“I did not, you big baby,” Mica Davies complained.
“Please you two,” Rhi spoke and he heard the exasperation in her voice, “It’s your uncle’s funeral. You only have to behave for twenty minutes and then maybe we’ll get you a new video game or something.”
“Maybe we could get a Wii,” the voice of her husband suggested and there was a sigh.
“Don’t press your luck,” Rhi retorted.
“But they did give us a lot of money…”
“You mean that blood money from the government for harassing our kids, spying on us and getting my brother killed?” she asked and Jack could picture the death stare Johnny was getting, “I’m not spending that blood money on a Wii.”
June 20th, 2009
edf
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Rhi, Mica, David, Johnny Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack finds something he shouldn't have in Gwen's things.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 10th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 10th, Part Two
Gwen really came off so naïve sometimes, but that was one of the things Jack loved about her. After a pause to collect his thoughts, he faced her and gestured towards her middle, saying, “Gwen, I hope you never have to find this out for yourself, but there’s not a lot of pain worse than losing a child. It doesn’t matter how old they are. It just hurts to outlive them. I remember the first time that happened. I filled the pistol full of bullets and as soon as I woke up, I’d fire again until the gun was empty. A parent who’s just lost a child is capable of anything.”
Her hand went immediately to her belly and neither of them said another word which he was glad. He didn’t want another pity party from her. He did well enough on his own. The phone chirped again and he took it out without looking at the caller.
“I don’t care what you say. I’m not going to do it!” he yelled and was going to hang up when Rhi’s voice answered, “I just wanted to tell you the date we decided on for his funeral, but if it’s that much of a problem…”
“No, no, I thought you were someone else. I’m sorry, Rhi, when is it?” he apologized and rubbed his face.
“The 20th, ten days from now,” she replied, “and I picked out a headstone although maybe I should have had you with me…”
“No, I’m sure whatever you picked is fine,” he assured her.
“It won’t be ready for the funeral. It’ll be at least a month, maybe more…I hope it’s up by his birthday,” Rhi said and she was only keeping it together a bit better than he.
“Thank you, Rhi, if you ever just want to talk…” he spoke and let the words hang in the air.
“Yeah,” she agreed and he heard a click. It was surreal. They'd just been discussing Ianto's funeral. With his tourist mailings being thrown in the bin, it was yet another step in Ianto being truly dead. Gwen waited for some response.
“Ianto’s funeral is on the 20th,” he told her and as soon he’d finished the date, the tears came unbeckoned. He dropped to his knees and she wrapped her arms around him.
“There, there, Jack,” she spoke and kissed his forehead. There was no telling how much time had passed before his mobile chirped again.
“Captain Jack Harkness here,” he answered and had already checked that it was a government number.
“This is Bill Shipton, I regret to inform you that Alice Carter has gone missing. According to our records, that’s your daughter. Is that correct?” asked the voice on the other end.
For a second, he was tempted to tell him that she wasn’t. If it would give her some peace, he would, but it was too late for that.
“It is,” he confirmed and realized he’d begun pacing over the planked floors.
“We’ve been trying to get in touch with a Joe Carter, but right now, he’s on holiday in Italy so you would be the next of kin. Britain would like to give Steven the funeral befitting a noble hero as him. Now, if we could just meet for arrangements…”
“Well, you can stuff that…”
“Now, listen here, all we want is a beautiful memorial…possibly televised with you in attendance. It’s a win-win for all involved,” spoke the man as though it was normal. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“Real heroes know the risks involved and they do it anyway. He didn’t know! He begged me. He begged me to tell him what was going on, but I couldn’t. How could I tell him that he was going to die? He was just a scared little boy who died screaming and it was all my fault!” he shouted into the mobile.
“All the more reason for a proper send-off. Now, did he have a favorite singer? I’m sure we could get them and maybe…”
He ended the call and threw the device at the floor where the back popped off.
“Ughh,” he exclaimed and waved his hands formed into fists, “I hate them. I hate the whole lot of them. So smug and superior in their London offices while the rest of it’s burning.”
“I’m sorry,” Gwen spoke and he shook his head.
“It’s all so stupid and senseless,” he uttered and went back to the mail. The Welshwoman kept her quiet.
The next day, she came right at nine in the morning and the day after that was the same. They had boxed up all of Ianto’s possessions that they could and stored them next to the boxes for Tosh, Owen and Suzie. Afterwards, they sat in Gwen’s flat. During his two days of nothingness, the couple had bought a house and had started putting things in piles to go into boxes. Jack wondered if he’d be expected to take part in that. Gwen may have claimed the reasoning behind being at her place was being closer to the city center, but he suspected that she was trying to keep an eye on him. She was making still more piles as he sat at the desk. With nothing else to do, he started exploring through the drawers. A stack of DVDs sat on a corner of the desk. They were unmarked except for black numbers, 1-7.
“What are these discs?” he called out as he stuck one in the drive.
“Discs?” she repeated as video appeared on the computer screen. It was Frobisher in front of the 456 tank.
“No, Jack!” she exclaimed and came running over to him, “You shouldn’t be watching those.”
If this was disc one of seven and Gwen had come running like he’d touched a hot stove…well, he wasn’t an idiot.
“These have everything, don’t they? Even me and Ianto…” he trailed off; unable to say it. She ejected the disc and put it with the others.
“Yes,” she confirmed without looking at him. Ianto’s death was recorded. He should have realized. Hadn’t they done their best to make sure everything was documented? Still…
He put a hand to his mouth and his clean-shaven cheeks. Then, put both his hands on the thighs of his trousers.
"You've watched the whole thing?” he questioned and was trying to be as calm as he could.
“I haven’t. I didn’t. I was with Clem, but Johnson watched it all,” Gwen explained and grabbed onto the desk, “Johnson was the one who told me…who told me he was dead.”
The last word had turned into a sniffle and their eyes met. They hugged which turned into a mutual sob.
“I could…I could erase that part,” she suggested and he shook his head.
“No, it’s everything that happened. Leave it so they’ll know how everyone died,” Jack told her, “Plus, it’d feel wrong to erase any part of him that’s…that’s still here.”
“Right,” she agreed and they hugged again.
“I’m going to call UNIT tomorrow about what to do about the Hub, maybe they’ll know a discrete construction company or something,” Gwen spoke and he nodded. It was a good idea.
Eight days passed in which UNIT had sent some of their special construction workers who knew the difference between trash and something that could be important. The only problem was that they were both putting off looking at the things that could be important because they’d have to remember. They spent their days in a trailer on the remains of Roald Dahl Plass, but not today.
Today, he was wearing a suit for the first time in years, if not a decade or two, and he was sitting on a plastic chair on the grounds of St Woolos.
“Oww! She hit me!” shouted the voice of David Davies through the air.
“I did not, you big baby,” Mica Davies complained.
“Please you two,” Rhi spoke and he heard the exasperation in her voice, “It’s your uncle’s funeral. You only have to behave for twenty minutes and then maybe we’ll get you a new video game or something.”
“Maybe we could get a Wii,” the voice of her husband suggested and there was a sigh.
“Don’t press your luck,” Rhi retorted.
“But they did give us a lot of money…”
“You mean that blood money from the government for harassing our kids, spying on us and getting my brother killed?” she asked and Jack could picture the death stare Johnny was getting, “I’m not spending that blood money on a Wii.”
June 20th, 2009
edf
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-25 08:56 pm (UTC)