ericadawn16 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ericadawn16) wrote2009-10-25 02:08 pm
ericadawn16) wrote2009-10-25 02:08 pm
Jack- June 29th, 2009
Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Rhi Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Rhi comes to visit Jack at work.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 20th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 29th, 2009
It was almost the end of June when Jack sat in the archives. There was a rope ladder leading down into the remains of the Hub and the biggest of the tunnels through the rubble had been reinforced. A fence surrounded the whole operation.
“What are you reading there?” Gwen asked and he looked up to see her come over to him.
“Nothing,” he lied and she gave him a glare before sitting down on the other side of the table. She grabbed it from his hands and he knew what she was going to say.
“This is about a space pig. This is about a space pig from 2005 and it’s determined that it isn’t even a real alien. Jack, why are you reading this?” she questioned with annoyance and then he could see as she saw who had written the report. She set the file on the Helen Fielding book that neither of them wanted to move and sighed.
“I miss them, too, Jack. I do, but we can’t keep doing this,” she said, “Owen and Ianto and everyone are dead, but we’re not. We’re still living and you’re not acting that way at all. I thought you said you had work down here.”
It didn’t feel like there was a point to acting like he was living, but he knew better than to tell her that. He had been down here for a reason.
“I still haven’t found Ianto’s diary. I have looked through every inch of that house and nothing. Technically, it would be Torchwood property so I looked under ‘Diary’, ‘Journal’, ‘Ianto’, ‘Jones’, ‘Exposure’, everything I could think of and it’s not anywhere,” Jack complained and pounded his fist. It was one of Ianto’s most valued possessions and it was unaccounted for. It was unacceptable.
“I know that’s frustrating, but Jack, I…” Gwen started and a tear rolled down her cheek, “I can’t help feeling like it’s the only thing keeping you here, like if you find it, you’ll leave. It’s what you do. You run away from things.”
He couldn’t say he hadn’t thought about it, but he couldn’t work up the nerve. Normally, he’d kill himself at least once except Ianto had forbidden him from doing that. Last time, Ianto had taken him out to dinner and they just held each other for hours. This time, that wasn’t an option.
“I won’t leave,” he stated and readjusted the watch.
“Promise?” she asked with black mascara running down.
“I promise,” Jack swore and forced a small smile on his face. Gwen nodded although he wasn’t sure she was convinced.
“Do they still want you to make a spectacle of Steven’s funeral?” she inquired and he was forced to nod.
“As soon as they find Joe, they’ll stop calling,” he told her, “He has a new wife. He might take their bribes in exchange for his son being used that way.”
Two days later, he sat in the trailer with Gwen going through the bits of blown-up equipment and salvaged pieces of the Hub. Then, one of the UNIT officers appeared.
“Captain, there’s a Rhiannon Davies to see you,” he informed them and Jack nodded. Throwing on his coat, he followed after him and met her at the gate.
“We haven’t talked since the funeral and I…” she babbled and had an embarrassed smile, “I really just wanted out of the house. You want to get some lunch?”
“Yeah,” he agreed and they walked to a local café where they sat outdoors. It was familiar and then he remembered why. He and Ianto had pretended to be waiters here the day before that last trip to London.
“What? What is it?” Rhi questioned because he must have caught his look.
“Ianto and I came here once,” he explained and she picked up her bag.
“We could go somewhere else if you want,” she suggested and he shook his head.
“Almost every single place in Wales would have some memory,” Jack spoke, “I’ve been here too long.”
“About that…” the woman started when they were interrupted by the waitress. They both ordered drinks more appropriate for lunch and sandwich platters.
“I’ve been looking online for you. There really wasn’t much to find. Most of it had been written in the last month…”
“It was part of Ianto’s job to find references to me or Torchwood and erase them,” Jack explained.
“Then, I remembered what my nan had told me once about being romanced by this soldier before Estelle Cole stole him away. This soldier was dashing and gorgeous and American and she had his picture,” Rhi spoke, taking something out of her purse. As soon as she said Estelle’s name, he knew what was coming. He tried not to reveal anything, but that was him in the picture with a young woman with dark hair and a big smile.
“That would be my father, we look remarkably alike,” he told her and wasn’t surprised by her disbelieving response.
“I don’t think it is. I’m beginning to think things that…that I never would have believed possible before. I don’t think it was a joke at all,” she whispered despite the crowded patio, “I think you were trying to tell me the truth. I don’t think you can die.”
Her warm brown eyes waited for a response. With a sigh, he nodded.
“Actually, I can die, I just always come back,” he uttered and crossed his arms.
“How?” she asked. It was the natural thing to do.
“I don’t know if you’d be able to guess, but I’m not exactly from around here…” he started.
“The accent gave that away,” she remarked, putting the photo back in the bag and all of it under the table.
“I wasn’t born in the States. I wasn’t even born on this planet or in this century. I was born in the Isop Galaxy and grew up on the Boeshane Peninsula around three thousand years from now” he began and had to stop. She was listening with bated breath.
“I’ve never told anyone that before,” Jack explained and he felt nervous about it.
“Except for Ianto,” Rhi corrected in a sisterly way and for once, she was right.
“I did tell him,” he confirmed although that had only happened after Grey had killed Tosh and been frozen in a drawer. Ianto had wanted him to talk and Jack had finally broken down.
“I did a lot of things when I was young. Some of them were good, but a lot of it…I’m not proud of what I did. Then, I met a man with a special spaceship and his companion named Rose. I died and she couldn’t accept that. She did something…stupid and she bought me back, but forever. Ever since then, I can’t stay dead,” he said and Rhi scooted her chair closer.
“There you are!” the waitress spoke with a grin as she came with their drinks, “Be back soon with the food.”
“It’s too bad that…you couldn’t have…” Rhi struggled with her words as she stuck the straw in her pink lemonade, “done something stupid…with my brother.”
He closed his blue eyes and inhaled even though they’d be shiny when he opened them again. Rhi appeared to be on the verge of tears herself.
“When Ianto had only been working for me for a few months, there was an accident,” he spoke, choosing what he said with care, “He was knocked unconscious and drowned. He was dead and I didn’t think…I just kissed him and he was alive again. I’m not sure why.”
He’d never told another living soul about that; not even Ianto, but he’d never tell her about Lisa. There was no need to tell her anything bad her brother had ever done.
The ice clinked against the glass as she continued stirring without looking away from him.
“But you weren’t there, when he…when he died this time,” she uttered and he knew that tone. She wanted something easy to blame; maybe him.
“I was. I had him in my arms and I kissed him, just like before…and nothing happened. Then, I died,” Jack told her; not losing eye contact with her, “When I came to, I was in a row of bodies and Gwen…she was sitting beside him; straightening his tie.”
The tears came then, for both of them. He tried the masculine way of acting like he was wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve before going lower. She just let her tears lie where they fell.
“”I thought it would work again. I did, I didn’t think it would be the last time…” he complained, rubbing his hands across his thighs and standing up straighter, “He told me he loved me and I…I never said it back.”
Yes, he'd said it in the afterlife or dream or whatever itwas, but he didn't say it when it really mattered. Rhi offered her hand and he took it. Then, she used her other hand to take a sip.
July 1st, 2009
edf
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Rhi Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Rhi comes to visit Jack at work.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: June 20th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
June 29th, 2009
It was almost the end of June when Jack sat in the archives. There was a rope ladder leading down into the remains of the Hub and the biggest of the tunnels through the rubble had been reinforced. A fence surrounded the whole operation.
“What are you reading there?” Gwen asked and he looked up to see her come over to him.
“Nothing,” he lied and she gave him a glare before sitting down on the other side of the table. She grabbed it from his hands and he knew what she was going to say.
“This is about a space pig. This is about a space pig from 2005 and it’s determined that it isn’t even a real alien. Jack, why are you reading this?” she questioned with annoyance and then he could see as she saw who had written the report. She set the file on the Helen Fielding book that neither of them wanted to move and sighed.
“I miss them, too, Jack. I do, but we can’t keep doing this,” she said, “Owen and Ianto and everyone are dead, but we’re not. We’re still living and you’re not acting that way at all. I thought you said you had work down here.”
It didn’t feel like there was a point to acting like he was living, but he knew better than to tell her that. He had been down here for a reason.
“I still haven’t found Ianto’s diary. I have looked through every inch of that house and nothing. Technically, it would be Torchwood property so I looked under ‘Diary’, ‘Journal’, ‘Ianto’, ‘Jones’, ‘Exposure’, everything I could think of and it’s not anywhere,” Jack complained and pounded his fist. It was one of Ianto’s most valued possessions and it was unaccounted for. It was unacceptable.
“I know that’s frustrating, but Jack, I…” Gwen started and a tear rolled down her cheek, “I can’t help feeling like it’s the only thing keeping you here, like if you find it, you’ll leave. It’s what you do. You run away from things.”
He couldn’t say he hadn’t thought about it, but he couldn’t work up the nerve. Normally, he’d kill himself at least once except Ianto had forbidden him from doing that. Last time, Ianto had taken him out to dinner and they just held each other for hours. This time, that wasn’t an option.
“I won’t leave,” he stated and readjusted the watch.
“Promise?” she asked with black mascara running down.
“I promise,” Jack swore and forced a small smile on his face. Gwen nodded although he wasn’t sure she was convinced.
“Do they still want you to make a spectacle of Steven’s funeral?” she inquired and he was forced to nod.
“As soon as they find Joe, they’ll stop calling,” he told her, “He has a new wife. He might take their bribes in exchange for his son being used that way.”
Two days later, he sat in the trailer with Gwen going through the bits of blown-up equipment and salvaged pieces of the Hub. Then, one of the UNIT officers appeared.
“Captain, there’s a Rhiannon Davies to see you,” he informed them and Jack nodded. Throwing on his coat, he followed after him and met her at the gate.
“We haven’t talked since the funeral and I…” she babbled and had an embarrassed smile, “I really just wanted out of the house. You want to get some lunch?”
“Yeah,” he agreed and they walked to a local café where they sat outdoors. It was familiar and then he remembered why. He and Ianto had pretended to be waiters here the day before that last trip to London.
“What? What is it?” Rhi questioned because he must have caught his look.
“Ianto and I came here once,” he explained and she picked up her bag.
“We could go somewhere else if you want,” she suggested and he shook his head.
“Almost every single place in Wales would have some memory,” Jack spoke, “I’ve been here too long.”
“About that…” the woman started when they were interrupted by the waitress. They both ordered drinks more appropriate for lunch and sandwich platters.
“I’ve been looking online for you. There really wasn’t much to find. Most of it had been written in the last month…”
“It was part of Ianto’s job to find references to me or Torchwood and erase them,” Jack explained.
“Then, I remembered what my nan had told me once about being romanced by this soldier before Estelle Cole stole him away. This soldier was dashing and gorgeous and American and she had his picture,” Rhi spoke, taking something out of her purse. As soon as she said Estelle’s name, he knew what was coming. He tried not to reveal anything, but that was him in the picture with a young woman with dark hair and a big smile.
“That would be my father, we look remarkably alike,” he told her and wasn’t surprised by her disbelieving response.
“I don’t think it is. I’m beginning to think things that…that I never would have believed possible before. I don’t think it was a joke at all,” she whispered despite the crowded patio, “I think you were trying to tell me the truth. I don’t think you can die.”
Her warm brown eyes waited for a response. With a sigh, he nodded.
“Actually, I can die, I just always come back,” he uttered and crossed his arms.
“How?” she asked. It was the natural thing to do.
“I don’t know if you’d be able to guess, but I’m not exactly from around here…” he started.
“The accent gave that away,” she remarked, putting the photo back in the bag and all of it under the table.
“I wasn’t born in the States. I wasn’t even born on this planet or in this century. I was born in the Isop Galaxy and grew up on the Boeshane Peninsula around three thousand years from now” he began and had to stop. She was listening with bated breath.
“I’ve never told anyone that before,” Jack explained and he felt nervous about it.
“Except for Ianto,” Rhi corrected in a sisterly way and for once, she was right.
“I did tell him,” he confirmed although that had only happened after Grey had killed Tosh and been frozen in a drawer. Ianto had wanted him to talk and Jack had finally broken down.
“I did a lot of things when I was young. Some of them were good, but a lot of it…I’m not proud of what I did. Then, I met a man with a special spaceship and his companion named Rose. I died and she couldn’t accept that. She did something…stupid and she bought me back, but forever. Ever since then, I can’t stay dead,” he said and Rhi scooted her chair closer.
“There you are!” the waitress spoke with a grin as she came with their drinks, “Be back soon with the food.”
“It’s too bad that…you couldn’t have…” Rhi struggled with her words as she stuck the straw in her pink lemonade, “done something stupid…with my brother.”
He closed his blue eyes and inhaled even though they’d be shiny when he opened them again. Rhi appeared to be on the verge of tears herself.
“When Ianto had only been working for me for a few months, there was an accident,” he spoke, choosing what he said with care, “He was knocked unconscious and drowned. He was dead and I didn’t think…I just kissed him and he was alive again. I’m not sure why.”
He’d never told another living soul about that; not even Ianto, but he’d never tell her about Lisa. There was no need to tell her anything bad her brother had ever done.
The ice clinked against the glass as she continued stirring without looking away from him.
“But you weren’t there, when he…when he died this time,” she uttered and he knew that tone. She wanted something easy to blame; maybe him.
“I was. I had him in my arms and I kissed him, just like before…and nothing happened. Then, I died,” Jack told her; not losing eye contact with her, “When I came to, I was in a row of bodies and Gwen…she was sitting beside him; straightening his tie.”
The tears came then, for both of them. He tried the masculine way of acting like he was wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve before going lower. She just let her tears lie where they fell.
“”I thought it would work again. I did, I didn’t think it would be the last time…” he complained, rubbing his hands across his thighs and standing up straighter, “He told me he loved me and I…I never said it back.”
Yes, he'd said it in the afterlife or dream or whatever itwas, but he didn't say it when it really mattered. Rhi offered her hand and he took it. Then, she used her other hand to take a sip.
July 1st, 2009
edf
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Thanks!
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Thank you!
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Hopefully, the two chapters I just posted weren't quite so sad.
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Thanks for reading!