ericadawn16 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ericadawn16) wrote2009-10-30 07:13 pm
ericadawn16) wrote2009-10-30 07:13 pm
Jack- August 1st, 2009
Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Lois, Johnson, Bridget Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Bridget calls Jack with more unpleasant news.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Chapter: July 31st, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
August 1st, 2009
His nausea did improve over the day until dinner when it came back with a vengeance. Still, he decided the next day that he preferred being at work where Gwen assumed he was getting better to being checked up on at home even though he also was starting to lose all the weight he’d gained back in July from losing in June.
The next week, he had just snuck a cracker into his mouth when the mobile rang. He chewed quickly and swallowed before answering.
“Captain Jack Harkness here,” he spoke and was curious who the caller was. The number wasn’t familiar.
“This is Bridget Spears. Lois Habiba told me you wanted to be informed of anything to do with Steven Carter, is that correct?” asked the voice of an older woman.
“Yes, it is, what’s happened now?” he asked because whenever someone called about Steven; it was always bad news.
“I regret to inform you that they are trying to force your hand. They refuse to let Steven be buried until you agree to their demands,” she informed him and ran a hand through his hair.
“I have to do their celebrity funeral thing or Steven will never be laid to rest?” he reiterated and she confirmed.
“Thanks, anything comes up in London that we should know, just call,” Jack told her and pressed the end button.
“Maybe, maybe you should go ahead and do it just so it could end,” suggested Johnson and he just stared at her. She, of all people, should understand what he was going through. She was there. She watched him die, too.
“It’s not what Alice would have wanted,” he stated and slumped back in his chair.
“But none of this is what Alice would have wanted, is it?” Lois spoke and she was right. His daughter deserved to be playing with her son in the yard. Instead, she was somewhere out there where he’d never see her again.
“At least, she’d have something to come back to; a place to visit,” the older woman added as she looked him in the eye.
Steven should be buried and he wanted that to happen, but could he subject himself to their circus in order to do it? It wouldn’t bring him back.
“I’ll think about it,” he admitted and decided to check his email as they heard Gwen throw up in the loo.
A few days later, the three females sat waiting with anticipation in their eyes as Jack flipped the switch. On the monitor, the rift’s current activity appeared.
“Yes!” Gwen cheered the loudest. Johnson smiled and Lois exclaimed, “Wow.”
“It finally feels a little bit more normal,” the Welshwoman said and laid a hand on Jack’s back, “I have a doctor’s appointment. I’ll be back later.”
They watched her leave and Lois spoke, “Now I can have my lunch without her running to the bathroom.”
She went to the small fridge, taking out a messy, tunafish sandwich. Johnson narrowed her eyes and Jack gagged, trying not to breath through his nose. Using a labtop and the new rift monitor, he tried to formulate whether they’d missed anything. Occasionally, he’d point something out to the newest recruit, but the horrible stench overcame his willpower and he rushed to the little room in the corner.
After rinsing his mouth out, he returned to find both women staring at him although, at least Johnson was being more subtle about it.
“Hasn’t it been about ten days since you started being sick? Shouldn’t a regular flu have runs its course?” Lois questioned and he frowned.
It was nine days and that didn’t really mean anything.
“Did Gwen put you up to this?” he retorted back and she crossed her arms.
“Gwen’s too busy with everything else to notice you’re still sick,” the woman replied, “In fact, when I mentioned it to her, she said not to say anything because you’re just still grieving.”
“Then, you should have followed her advice,” Jack stated and gave her a glare with his blue eyes, “It’s taking longer than usual, but it’s not that big of a deal.”
At least, he was only throwing up once a day, that wasn’t too bad except for not being able to guess when that would happen.
“It’s a big deal to us,” Lois complained, “You and Gwen are the only ones who really know what you’re doing and if you’re both sick…where does that leave us?”
In what must have been a move to further prove her point, she picked up the remains of the sandwich and wafted it in his direction so he had to cringe.
“Actually, I may not be sick or pregnant, but if you bring that monstrosity again, we will have trouble,” Johnson declared, sitting in her chair. The two women studied each other and the younger one nodded, saying, “Fine, but Jack, I’ve never even seen you take so much as a Paracetamol and I’ve doubt you’ve even seen a doctor.”
“Twenty-first century Earth medicine? Not the best in the galaxy,” he said with a frown and shook his head, “And doctor? You don’t think they wouldn’t notice a few irregularities?”
“Martha,” Johnson supplied, straightening her posture as she did so, “She’s not only UNIT but your friend.”
“You have to do something,” Lois maintained and he didn’t know what to say. Were they trying to force him into something, like seeing Martha? He trusted Martha but not the people she worked for. They’d love getting their hands on him and he still remembered when Torchwood had first found him. Even though they were still waiting for an answer, he put on his coat and opened the door.
“Where are you going?” the younger woman called and he winced as the door shut behind him.
‘Where are you going?’ asked his Welshman in his mind.
“’Now who's a couple?’” Jack muttered to himself and thought about how he hadn’t been on a roof in awhile.
It wasn’t mentioned again over the next few days. However, he tried even more to hide it. It would go away in time and if it didn’t, then he’d die and be cured of it anyway. The sun began to shine through the few windows in the trailer. He heard keys and then, the unlocked door being opened.
“You’re here early.” Gwen commented as she dumped her purse by her chair and shrugged off her jacket. That used to be what he would say to her.
“I don’t sleep,” he told her for at least the second time. It was the easiest way to explain and this time she understood him. His question was unasked yet she she heard him anyway.
“I had a bad nightmare,” she spoke, coming over to him. He didn’t push her on it. His best guess would be that it involved the baby and/or Torchwood and he’d rather not talk about either. Jack pushed the box of possibilities halfway between them so they could both look through it. He took out all the leather pieces.
“Guess my vortex manipulator didn’t make it this time,” he remarked of yet another thing missing from his life. Even the Daleks hadn’t been able to break that before.
“They’re still bringing things out, it may still turn up,” she said and he wished he could believe her. She held up a gear that was perfect except for being scorched.
“I think this came from the rift manipulator” Gwen stated with amazement. He took it from her.
“I can’t even remember what we made this out of…it’s too bad we can’t make the whole Hub out of it,” he told her and received a grin for his effort. It went onto the small pile they were keeping. As they went through more of the box, he caught sight of paper. It was a tiny shred, but it had survived. He picked it up and recognized the handwriting.
“’never just be a blip’” he read and the tears were too ready to come. They hung close to the surface, waiting to fall.
“From the diary that was blown up?” Gwen questioned and he nodded, “If only you could know what he was referring to.”
“Oh, I know, it’s something we talked about together,” Jack corrected her and he flipped over the fragment, “’(Ja)ck’s still in a coma.’”
“Oh,” she said and he knew she’d figured it out, “I remember that. He didn’t want to leave your side in the hospital so I took Rhys with me so he could stay with you. We both thought that we might have lost you.”
He remembered; through the darkness would come Ianto’s voice and it would give him hope until his lover did that speech, ending with, “But lets be honest, Jack. I’m… nothing more than a blip in time for you, Jack."
Not only did it break him, but it made him that much more determined to come back to him so he could reassure him, “You never will be just a blip in time, Ianto Jones. Not for me.”
The tears fell as he stared at that tiny piece of paper. Gwen was getting something from their supplies and returned with a bottle of varnish. He applied it to the fragile parchment and let it dry in his hand before placing it against the binding of the last page of the diary he kept with him. Then, a soft rift alarm went off.
August 12th, 2009
edf
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Lois, Johnson, Bridget Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Bridget calls Jack with more unpleasant news.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Chapter: July 31st, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
August 1st, 2009
His nausea did improve over the day until dinner when it came back with a vengeance. Still, he decided the next day that he preferred being at work where Gwen assumed he was getting better to being checked up on at home even though he also was starting to lose all the weight he’d gained back in July from losing in June.
The next week, he had just snuck a cracker into his mouth when the mobile rang. He chewed quickly and swallowed before answering.
“Captain Jack Harkness here,” he spoke and was curious who the caller was. The number wasn’t familiar.
“This is Bridget Spears. Lois Habiba told me you wanted to be informed of anything to do with Steven Carter, is that correct?” asked the voice of an older woman.
“Yes, it is, what’s happened now?” he asked because whenever someone called about Steven; it was always bad news.
“I regret to inform you that they are trying to force your hand. They refuse to let Steven be buried until you agree to their demands,” she informed him and ran a hand through his hair.
“I have to do their celebrity funeral thing or Steven will never be laid to rest?” he reiterated and she confirmed.
“Thanks, anything comes up in London that we should know, just call,” Jack told her and pressed the end button.
“Maybe, maybe you should go ahead and do it just so it could end,” suggested Johnson and he just stared at her. She, of all people, should understand what he was going through. She was there. She watched him die, too.
“It’s not what Alice would have wanted,” he stated and slumped back in his chair.
“But none of this is what Alice would have wanted, is it?” Lois spoke and she was right. His daughter deserved to be playing with her son in the yard. Instead, she was somewhere out there where he’d never see her again.
“At least, she’d have something to come back to; a place to visit,” the older woman added as she looked him in the eye.
Steven should be buried and he wanted that to happen, but could he subject himself to their circus in order to do it? It wouldn’t bring him back.
“I’ll think about it,” he admitted and decided to check his email as they heard Gwen throw up in the loo.
A few days later, the three females sat waiting with anticipation in their eyes as Jack flipped the switch. On the monitor, the rift’s current activity appeared.
“Yes!” Gwen cheered the loudest. Johnson smiled and Lois exclaimed, “Wow.”
“It finally feels a little bit more normal,” the Welshwoman said and laid a hand on Jack’s back, “I have a doctor’s appointment. I’ll be back later.”
They watched her leave and Lois spoke, “Now I can have my lunch without her running to the bathroom.”
She went to the small fridge, taking out a messy, tunafish sandwich. Johnson narrowed her eyes and Jack gagged, trying not to breath through his nose. Using a labtop and the new rift monitor, he tried to formulate whether they’d missed anything. Occasionally, he’d point something out to the newest recruit, but the horrible stench overcame his willpower and he rushed to the little room in the corner.
After rinsing his mouth out, he returned to find both women staring at him although, at least Johnson was being more subtle about it.
“Hasn’t it been about ten days since you started being sick? Shouldn’t a regular flu have runs its course?” Lois questioned and he frowned.
It was nine days and that didn’t really mean anything.
“Did Gwen put you up to this?” he retorted back and she crossed her arms.
“Gwen’s too busy with everything else to notice you’re still sick,” the woman replied, “In fact, when I mentioned it to her, she said not to say anything because you’re just still grieving.”
“Then, you should have followed her advice,” Jack stated and gave her a glare with his blue eyes, “It’s taking longer than usual, but it’s not that big of a deal.”
At least, he was only throwing up once a day, that wasn’t too bad except for not being able to guess when that would happen.
“It’s a big deal to us,” Lois complained, “You and Gwen are the only ones who really know what you’re doing and if you’re both sick…where does that leave us?”
In what must have been a move to further prove her point, she picked up the remains of the sandwich and wafted it in his direction so he had to cringe.
“Actually, I may not be sick or pregnant, but if you bring that monstrosity again, we will have trouble,” Johnson declared, sitting in her chair. The two women studied each other and the younger one nodded, saying, “Fine, but Jack, I’ve never even seen you take so much as a Paracetamol and I’ve doubt you’ve even seen a doctor.”
“Twenty-first century Earth medicine? Not the best in the galaxy,” he said with a frown and shook his head, “And doctor? You don’t think they wouldn’t notice a few irregularities?”
“Martha,” Johnson supplied, straightening her posture as she did so, “She’s not only UNIT but your friend.”
“You have to do something,” Lois maintained and he didn’t know what to say. Were they trying to force him into something, like seeing Martha? He trusted Martha but not the people she worked for. They’d love getting their hands on him and he still remembered when Torchwood had first found him. Even though they were still waiting for an answer, he put on his coat and opened the door.
“Where are you going?” the younger woman called and he winced as the door shut behind him.
‘Where are you going?’ asked his Welshman in his mind.
“’Now who's a couple?’” Jack muttered to himself and thought about how he hadn’t been on a roof in awhile.
It wasn’t mentioned again over the next few days. However, he tried even more to hide it. It would go away in time and if it didn’t, then he’d die and be cured of it anyway. The sun began to shine through the few windows in the trailer. He heard keys and then, the unlocked door being opened.
“You’re here early.” Gwen commented as she dumped her purse by her chair and shrugged off her jacket. That used to be what he would say to her.
“I don’t sleep,” he told her for at least the second time. It was the easiest way to explain and this time she understood him. His question was unasked yet she she heard him anyway.
“I had a bad nightmare,” she spoke, coming over to him. He didn’t push her on it. His best guess would be that it involved the baby and/or Torchwood and he’d rather not talk about either. Jack pushed the box of possibilities halfway between them so they could both look through it. He took out all the leather pieces.
“Guess my vortex manipulator didn’t make it this time,” he remarked of yet another thing missing from his life. Even the Daleks hadn’t been able to break that before.
“They’re still bringing things out, it may still turn up,” she said and he wished he could believe her. She held up a gear that was perfect except for being scorched.
“I think this came from the rift manipulator” Gwen stated with amazement. He took it from her.
“I can’t even remember what we made this out of…it’s too bad we can’t make the whole Hub out of it,” he told her and received a grin for his effort. It went onto the small pile they were keeping. As they went through more of the box, he caught sight of paper. It was a tiny shred, but it had survived. He picked it up and recognized the handwriting.
“’never just be a blip’” he read and the tears were too ready to come. They hung close to the surface, waiting to fall.
“From the diary that was blown up?” Gwen questioned and he nodded, “If only you could know what he was referring to.”
“Oh, I know, it’s something we talked about together,” Jack corrected her and he flipped over the fragment, “’(Ja)ck’s still in a coma.’”
“Oh,” she said and he knew she’d figured it out, “I remember that. He didn’t want to leave your side in the hospital so I took Rhys with me so he could stay with you. We both thought that we might have lost you.”
He remembered; through the darkness would come Ianto’s voice and it would give him hope until his lover did that speech, ending with, “But lets be honest, Jack. I’m… nothing more than a blip in time for you, Jack."
Not only did it break him, but it made him that much more determined to come back to him so he could reassure him, “You never will be just a blip in time, Ianto Jones. Not for me.”
The tears fell as he stared at that tiny piece of paper. Gwen was getting something from their supplies and returned with a bottle of varnish. He applied it to the fragile parchment and let it dry in his hand before placing it against the binding of the last page of the diary he kept with him. Then, a soft rift alarm went off.
August 12th, 2009
edf