Jack- November 25th, 2009
Dec. 3rd, 2009 11:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Rhi Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Rhi tells Jack about her mum.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: November 17th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
November 25th, 2009
The next day, he sat on a green bench and wondered why she’d picked this playground. There were ones closer to her house and he was being stared at as a male without children.
They must think I’m a pedo, thought Jack and hoped Rhi and Mica would appear soon. A shriek filled the air from a little girl for no apparent reason. Just as he felt the stares of every single parent, they arrived with Mica clutching a Coca-Cola. The Welshwoman took it from her and said, “Now go play.”
“Jack,” she greeted him with a smile and hugged him before she sat down. She opened the bottle and swallowed. The opened container was pointed in his direction, but he shook his head.
“I don’t like drinking coffee anymore. It’s not as good as his,” she spoke and put the cap back on, setting it beside her purse.
“It was more than coffee; it was like this orgasmic experience for your mouth,” he retorted while remembering. She laughed yet she nodded.
“He worked at Starbucks, that’s where he learned it all, but he didn’t stay long. He was too slow. He wouldn’t give it to the customer until it was just so,” Rhi explained with her hands and a smile, “He had all sorts of jobs, even worked with Johnny for a short bit after David was born, but they could never stand each other long. After that, he was in construction and drove all the equipment, but it bored him eventually. So, he applied at this temp agency where they taught him shorthand and everything. Then, he got that job at HC Clements and that’s when everything changed.”
Her brown eyes darkened.
“I know Ianto loved his work and all of you saved my kids, but I can’t help wondering what it would have been like if his London work had never been mixed up in that Canary Wharf business,” she uttered shaking her head and playing with her denim coat, “Sometimes, they would call it a battle on the telly. Ianto wouldn’t say anything, of course, just that he was out of a job and coming back home.”
He couldn’t keep this from her any longer.
“There was no HC Clements,” Jack stated and watched the confusion come over her face, “It was a front for Torchwood who he started working for in October 2004.”
“Torchwood? Even in London? He was working for them all this time and I had no idea,” Rhi muttered and looked at Mica going down the slide.
“You weren’t supposed to know. It was supposed to be a secret organization,” Jack reminded her since he had tried to explain that before, “but his being employed in London was the main reason that I didn’t want to hire him here.”
“Why?” she questioned and turned to face him.
“Torchwood London was different; more like a corporation than a civic group. It was their greed and arrogance that allowed Canary Wharf to happen…”
“What did happen? The telly said that a group of terrorists took over the building and they said that the ghosts shifts were the result of contaminated water which I’ve always felt was bollocks,” the Welshwoman spoke and appeared so much older than her real age.
“None of that’s true at all; they let Daleks and Cyberman invade this planet,” he revealed and saw as she put a hand to her mouth as he said the first aliens’ name, “The ghosts shifts were how the Cyberman came through, but they’re both metal beings with no conscience. Almost every employee was murdered that day.”
The woman beside him closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“And he did all that before he even met you,” she spoke and clasped her hands, “He survived and did all these incredible things and I had no idea. I’d still just chide him over missing birthdays.”
Rhi sighed and shook her head so he put one of his hands on top of hers.
“But were those the only reasons you didn’t like the London one? Why you didn’t want to hire Ianto?” she asked, not moving her hands from his.
“I told you London was more like a corporation. Well, that was how they treated their employees. They were assets that could be used as they pleased whether that was experiments, technology that needed to be tried out or psychic training,” Jack said and based on her leaning towards him in concentration, continued, “Every employee there was given training so they’d know if someone was trying to read their mind or using a type of paper that says things that may not be real. If they did well, there was more testing.”
“And he passed their tests, didn’t he?” she inquired in a whisper. For a few seconds, he couldn’t move or dream of saying anything from the shock.
“How...how did you know that?” he asked back when he was finally able to form words again and realized he’d taken his hand back.
The Welshwoman chewed on her lip a moment and there was more shrieking from the plastic edifices. One of them sounded like Mica.
“My brother never really talked about our mum, yeah?” Rhi questioned, but it felt like her glance at him was out of courtesy and she’d already known the answer, “I remember it all better than he ever could. He was only thirteen when she crashed the car which was the end. She was never the same after that, but the truth is, she was always a bit…off. If I had trouble at school, she knew without the phone call or note. She’d have dreams that came true and she’d tell us which dead people had visited her when she was asleep. Sometimes, I could almost swear she could hear my thoughts.”
He’d never said a word about any of this to Jack and Jack had never thought to read his mum’s medical files about why she was committed.
“I know what you’re thinking. With all that, wouldn’t she have known she was going to crash the car?” she asked with a forced smile, “She said it was ‘meant’ to happen and it wasn’t her place to stop it.”
This was the real reason behind what she’d said about that last phone call.
“So, you think he knew that day was going to be his last?” Jack questioned before he lost the courage.
Rhi was still a moment before nodding. However, she added, “You were with him; there was nothing off about the way he acted that day?”
“Everything was off about that week,” he retorted before admitting what he didn’t want, “If he did act differently, I wouldn’t have noticed. I was so wrapped up in myself. I just thought I’d have more time with him.”
He crossed his arms and hated that it was truth. Being worried about Alice and Steven and blaming himself for the 456 had left little time for Ianto and he’d taken it for granted that his lover would still be there when it was all over.
She put an arm around his back.
“We all did, we all thought he’d be here for a long time,” she uttered and they were silent; watching the children. Mica was hanging upside down from a bar.
“I had you come here because he had me come here that last week; the last time I ever saw him,” Rhi explained, squeezing his side, “We used to come here as kids. The house was right nearby. One day, dad was going to take us which he almost never did. Mum had one of her feelings and told him to leave the baby at home. Ianto was just a little younger than Mica and Dad thought she coddled him too much. He said she was making him into a Nancy boy and that she was always nagging him about spending time with us anyway so the three of us came here. Dad started pushing him on the swings and I heard Ianto screaming for dad not to push him so high, so fast, so hard, but he was particular for a kid…”
A smile crept on her face even though it didn’t reach her brown eyes.
“He always wanted things a certain way and that would make dad so mad sometimes. He started pushing him even harder, but if he held on tighter, there shouldn’t have been a problem,” the Welshwoman spoke and Jack had an idea what was coming, “He fell. I wasn’t looking. I just heard him yell. Then, there was a thud, a crunch and he was crying in such a horrible way. I was only nine and it scared me half to death especially when I saw his leg and the bone was sticking out of it. When he had to miss school for it, mum taught him how to read. Then, he never wanted to go back.”
“At least, it healed well,” Jack pointed out, “A lot of times, he could outrun me.”
They both grinned.
November 25th, 2009, Part Two
Characters: Jack, Rhi Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Rhi tells Jack about her mum.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: November 17th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
November 25th, 2009
The next day, he sat on a green bench and wondered why she’d picked this playground. There were ones closer to her house and he was being stared at as a male without children.
They must think I’m a pedo, thought Jack and hoped Rhi and Mica would appear soon. A shriek filled the air from a little girl for no apparent reason. Just as he felt the stares of every single parent, they arrived with Mica clutching a Coca-Cola. The Welshwoman took it from her and said, “Now go play.”
“Jack,” she greeted him with a smile and hugged him before she sat down. She opened the bottle and swallowed. The opened container was pointed in his direction, but he shook his head.
“I don’t like drinking coffee anymore. It’s not as good as his,” she spoke and put the cap back on, setting it beside her purse.
“It was more than coffee; it was like this orgasmic experience for your mouth,” he retorted while remembering. She laughed yet she nodded.
“He worked at Starbucks, that’s where he learned it all, but he didn’t stay long. He was too slow. He wouldn’t give it to the customer until it was just so,” Rhi explained with her hands and a smile, “He had all sorts of jobs, even worked with Johnny for a short bit after David was born, but they could never stand each other long. After that, he was in construction and drove all the equipment, but it bored him eventually. So, he applied at this temp agency where they taught him shorthand and everything. Then, he got that job at HC Clements and that’s when everything changed.”
Her brown eyes darkened.
“I know Ianto loved his work and all of you saved my kids, but I can’t help wondering what it would have been like if his London work had never been mixed up in that Canary Wharf business,” she uttered shaking her head and playing with her denim coat, “Sometimes, they would call it a battle on the telly. Ianto wouldn’t say anything, of course, just that he was out of a job and coming back home.”
He couldn’t keep this from her any longer.
“There was no HC Clements,” Jack stated and watched the confusion come over her face, “It was a front for Torchwood who he started working for in October 2004.”
“Torchwood? Even in London? He was working for them all this time and I had no idea,” Rhi muttered and looked at Mica going down the slide.
“You weren’t supposed to know. It was supposed to be a secret organization,” Jack reminded her since he had tried to explain that before, “but his being employed in London was the main reason that I didn’t want to hire him here.”
“Why?” she questioned and turned to face him.
“Torchwood London was different; more like a corporation than a civic group. It was their greed and arrogance that allowed Canary Wharf to happen…”
“What did happen? The telly said that a group of terrorists took over the building and they said that the ghosts shifts were the result of contaminated water which I’ve always felt was bollocks,” the Welshwoman spoke and appeared so much older than her real age.
“None of that’s true at all; they let Daleks and Cyberman invade this planet,” he revealed and saw as she put a hand to her mouth as he said the first aliens’ name, “The ghosts shifts were how the Cyberman came through, but they’re both metal beings with no conscience. Almost every employee was murdered that day.”
The woman beside him closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“And he did all that before he even met you,” she spoke and clasped her hands, “He survived and did all these incredible things and I had no idea. I’d still just chide him over missing birthdays.”
Rhi sighed and shook her head so he put one of his hands on top of hers.
“But were those the only reasons you didn’t like the London one? Why you didn’t want to hire Ianto?” she asked, not moving her hands from his.
“I told you London was more like a corporation. Well, that was how they treated their employees. They were assets that could be used as they pleased whether that was experiments, technology that needed to be tried out or psychic training,” Jack said and based on her leaning towards him in concentration, continued, “Every employee there was given training so they’d know if someone was trying to read their mind or using a type of paper that says things that may not be real. If they did well, there was more testing.”
“And he passed their tests, didn’t he?” she inquired in a whisper. For a few seconds, he couldn’t move or dream of saying anything from the shock.
“How...how did you know that?” he asked back when he was finally able to form words again and realized he’d taken his hand back.
The Welshwoman chewed on her lip a moment and there was more shrieking from the plastic edifices. One of them sounded like Mica.
“My brother never really talked about our mum, yeah?” Rhi questioned, but it felt like her glance at him was out of courtesy and she’d already known the answer, “I remember it all better than he ever could. He was only thirteen when she crashed the car which was the end. She was never the same after that, but the truth is, she was always a bit…off. If I had trouble at school, she knew without the phone call or note. She’d have dreams that came true and she’d tell us which dead people had visited her when she was asleep. Sometimes, I could almost swear she could hear my thoughts.”
He’d never said a word about any of this to Jack and Jack had never thought to read his mum’s medical files about why she was committed.
“I know what you’re thinking. With all that, wouldn’t she have known she was going to crash the car?” she asked with a forced smile, “She said it was ‘meant’ to happen and it wasn’t her place to stop it.”
This was the real reason behind what she’d said about that last phone call.
“So, you think he knew that day was going to be his last?” Jack questioned before he lost the courage.
Rhi was still a moment before nodding. However, she added, “You were with him; there was nothing off about the way he acted that day?”
“Everything was off about that week,” he retorted before admitting what he didn’t want, “If he did act differently, I wouldn’t have noticed. I was so wrapped up in myself. I just thought I’d have more time with him.”
He crossed his arms and hated that it was truth. Being worried about Alice and Steven and blaming himself for the 456 had left little time for Ianto and he’d taken it for granted that his lover would still be there when it was all over.
She put an arm around his back.
“We all did, we all thought he’d be here for a long time,” she uttered and they were silent; watching the children. Mica was hanging upside down from a bar.
“I had you come here because he had me come here that last week; the last time I ever saw him,” Rhi explained, squeezing his side, “We used to come here as kids. The house was right nearby. One day, dad was going to take us which he almost never did. Mum had one of her feelings and told him to leave the baby at home. Ianto was just a little younger than Mica and Dad thought she coddled him too much. He said she was making him into a Nancy boy and that she was always nagging him about spending time with us anyway so the three of us came here. Dad started pushing him on the swings and I heard Ianto screaming for dad not to push him so high, so fast, so hard, but he was particular for a kid…”
A smile crept on her face even though it didn’t reach her brown eyes.
“He always wanted things a certain way and that would make dad so mad sometimes. He started pushing him even harder, but if he held on tighter, there shouldn’t have been a problem,” the Welshwoman spoke and Jack had an idea what was coming, “He fell. I wasn’t looking. I just heard him yell. Then, there was a thud, a crunch and he was crying in such a horrible way. I was only nine and it scared me half to death especially when I saw his leg and the bone was sticking out of it. When he had to miss school for it, mum taught him how to read. Then, he never wanted to go back.”
“At least, it healed well,” Jack pointed out, “A lot of times, he could outrun me.”
They both grinned.
November 25th, 2009, Part Two
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-06 02:11 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing!
no subject
Date: 2009-12-06 03:37 pm (UTC)