Torchwood - fic - Angels and Memories, Gwen, Jack/Jack, PG
I was watching CJH a couple of nights ago, and this little thing appeared tonight.
Title - Angels and Memories
Author - laurab1
Characters/pairing - Gwen, Jack/Jack, Tosh, Ianto
Rating - PG
Length - 650 words
Spoilers - 1.12 Captain Jack Harkness, 2.13 Exit Wounds
Summary - Jack still refuses to talk about the trip to 1941
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
Angels and Memories
by Laura
January 20th, 2009
It’s been a year since Jack and Tosh made their brief visit to 1941, and despite the considerable number of pictures taken that night in the archive, Jack still refuses to talk about the whole experience. He’d just glared and then turned sad, whenever Gwen had asked about what happened, so she’d eventually given up trying to draw it out of him. Tosh had been equally quiet on the issue. Now, Toshiko Sato had been lost.
Maybe the anniversary would bring something from Jack, Gwen considered, as she turned off the engine and left her car.
***
She entered the Hub, and wandered up to Jack’s office. “Brasso?” she asked, registering the chemical smell coming from his room.
“It’s what you need for polishing brass buttons, Gwen Cooper,” he replied, looking up from his task. “Especially when they’re nearly seventy years old, like mine are.”
“Doesn’t Ianto do that for you?” Gwen asked, sitting opposite Jack.
“Ianto’s got quite enough to cope with, just keeping my coat clean and reasonably in one piece, Gwen. Anyway, I kinda like doing this,” he said, and went back to dealing with the buttons, sliding a little u-shaped piece of metal between the button and the coat itself.
Jack sighed, and Gwen thought she knew exactly what was coming.
“Still wonder if I’m worthy to wear it, and his name, though,” he mused, sounding a little defeated, moving onto the smaller sleeve buttons.
“What was he doing, when you met him, Jack?” Gwen asked, while her captain was open, and talkative. Well, for him, at least.
He regarded her, and smiled. “Making sure you’d be here, today. Saving the world. Looking really hot while he did it, too.” And there was the smirk.
“I know, Jack,” she replied, smiling back. “I have seen the pictures. More than once.” Because, yes, Captain Jack Harkness, American Volunteer in the RAF had been gorgeous. “And here you are, doing the same.”
Jack laughed, but she could hear it was bitter, and full of regret. “That’s pretty much what Toshiko said, when we toasted him.”
“Smart woman, Tosh.”
“Yep. She was.” He paused, sighed. “You want the rest, Gwen?” he asked, putting the cleaning supplies to one side.
“Do you want to tell me the rest, Jack?” she replied, in a gentle voice.
He nodded. “Yeah. I do. It’s been a year; the trip’s been playing on my mind, this last week. Go get us some water, while I put this stuff away.”
“Okay.” Gwen went to the kitchen, and returned with a jug of water and a couple of glasses. Sitting down, she watched Jack pour them each a glass of water.
“Story time, then?” he said, and took a drink.
“Yes, Jack.”
As Gwen listened to Jack tell her about being in 1941 yet another time, his life as a conman, meeting the man of his dreams (and nightmares), holding this man’s hand in his, dancing with him, kissing him goodbye, she knew why he’d bottled all of this up: it was simple, innocent, romantic, love at first sight, lost before it had had a chance to go anywhere.
Because the man had died in battle, the following day.
When Jack had finished talking, his eyes were damp, and his voice was cracking. Gwen reached over, and took his hand in hers. “You needed to tell someone, Jack,” she said.
“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding slightly, squeezing back. “Thank you for listening.” He pulled her hand to his lips, kissed her knuckles and then dropped it. “Now, let’s see what the Rift brings us today, Gwen Cooper.”
Back to business, just like that. But that was Jack, she knew. Gwen drew her hands into her lap, ran a finger over Jack’s kiss. “Yeah,” she replied. Satisfied, she went off to her own desk.
Some piece of equipment would bleep at them soon enough, and Torchwood would be off.
-end-
Title - Angels and Memories
Author - laurab1
Characters/pairing - Gwen, Jack/Jack, Tosh, Ianto
Rating - PG
Length - 650 words
Spoilers - 1.12 Captain Jack Harkness, 2.13 Exit Wounds
Summary - Jack still refuses to talk about the trip to 1941
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
Angels and Memories
by Laura
January 20th, 2009
It’s been a year since Jack and Tosh made their brief visit to 1941, and despite the considerable number of pictures taken that night in the archive, Jack still refuses to talk about the whole experience. He’d just glared and then turned sad, whenever Gwen had asked about what happened, so she’d eventually given up trying to draw it out of him. Tosh had been equally quiet on the issue. Now, Toshiko Sato had been lost.
Maybe the anniversary would bring something from Jack, Gwen considered, as she turned off the engine and left her car.
***
She entered the Hub, and wandered up to Jack’s office. “Brasso?” she asked, registering the chemical smell coming from his room.
“It’s what you need for polishing brass buttons, Gwen Cooper,” he replied, looking up from his task. “Especially when they’re nearly seventy years old, like mine are.”
“Doesn’t Ianto do that for you?” Gwen asked, sitting opposite Jack.
“Ianto’s got quite enough to cope with, just keeping my coat clean and reasonably in one piece, Gwen. Anyway, I kinda like doing this,” he said, and went back to dealing with the buttons, sliding a little u-shaped piece of metal between the button and the coat itself.
Jack sighed, and Gwen thought she knew exactly what was coming.
“Still wonder if I’m worthy to wear it, and his name, though,” he mused, sounding a little defeated, moving onto the smaller sleeve buttons.
“What was he doing, when you met him, Jack?” Gwen asked, while her captain was open, and talkative. Well, for him, at least.
He regarded her, and smiled. “Making sure you’d be here, today. Saving the world. Looking really hot while he did it, too.” And there was the smirk.
“I know, Jack,” she replied, smiling back. “I have seen the pictures. More than once.” Because, yes, Captain Jack Harkness, American Volunteer in the RAF had been gorgeous. “And here you are, doing the same.”
Jack laughed, but she could hear it was bitter, and full of regret. “That’s pretty much what Toshiko said, when we toasted him.”
“Smart woman, Tosh.”
“Yep. She was.” He paused, sighed. “You want the rest, Gwen?” he asked, putting the cleaning supplies to one side.
“Do you want to tell me the rest, Jack?” she replied, in a gentle voice.
He nodded. “Yeah. I do. It’s been a year; the trip’s been playing on my mind, this last week. Go get us some water, while I put this stuff away.”
“Okay.” Gwen went to the kitchen, and returned with a jug of water and a couple of glasses. Sitting down, she watched Jack pour them each a glass of water.
“Story time, then?” he said, and took a drink.
“Yes, Jack.”
As Gwen listened to Jack tell her about being in 1941 yet another time, his life as a conman, meeting the man of his dreams (and nightmares), holding this man’s hand in his, dancing with him, kissing him goodbye, she knew why he’d bottled all of this up: it was simple, innocent, romantic, love at first sight, lost before it had had a chance to go anywhere.
Because the man had died in battle, the following day.
When Jack had finished talking, his eyes were damp, and his voice was cracking. Gwen reached over, and took his hand in hers. “You needed to tell someone, Jack,” she said.
“Yeah,” he agreed, nodding slightly, squeezing back. “Thank you for listening.” He pulled her hand to his lips, kissed her knuckles and then dropped it. “Now, let’s see what the Rift brings us today, Gwen Cooper.”
Back to business, just like that. But that was Jack, she knew. Gwen drew her hands into her lap, ran a finger over Jack’s kiss. “Yeah,” she replied. Satisfied, she went off to her own desk.
Some piece of equipment would bleep at them soon enough, and Torchwood would be off.
-end-