Shadows in the Rain
Gwen watched as Jack threw the phone at the office window with a yelled expletive. He had been like that for two weeks now, ever since they had lost David to the cannibals. Jack hadn’t particularly liked David, but the young man had done his job fairly well and had managed to keep the tourist shop and the hub organized.
The new replacement was some young chit of a girl that couldn’t do a thing by way of organization which wasn’t helping Jack’s moods any. Gwen knew it was time for him to get out of the hub for a while. She looked at Tosh, “All right, I’m goin’ in. If I’m not out with him in tow in ten minutes, best send in Owen.”
Tosh stifled a small laugh but nodded. Gwen stood with a sigh and climbed the stairs to Jack’s office. She stood in the doorway and just watched him for a moment. He had to have been really out of it to not have noticed her standing there, “Jack?”
Jack practically growled as he flipped through a stack of papers before finally looking up, “What Gwen?”
“We’re going out for some air and I won’t take no for an answer.” She shook her head slowly as he opened his mouth to reply, “You haven’t been out of the hub in weeks. Not since Brecon Becon. You are driving yourself and the rest of us nuts.”
“I can’t. I have too much to do. Everything is falling behind and the artifacts that Tosh has been collecting…”
“Can wait. I know your personal organizing skills, Jack Harkness, and taking a twenty minute break to get some of the best coffee you’ve ever had isn’t going to matter.”
Jack scowled at her, “There is an insult in there somewhere, I know it.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before standing up, “Okay. I won’t say no to coffee but Gwen?”
She cocked her head, “Yeah?”
“It had better be some damn good coffee.” Jack pulled his suspenders up over his shoulders and grabbed his great coat before motioning for Gwen to precede him out of the office.
They paused to get orders from Tosh and Owen, both of whom had had coffee from the shop they were going to. Jack looked at Gwen, “You brought them coffee before?”
Gwen shook her head, “No, it’s just a pretty popular café. I ran into them there when I was out with Rhys just after I started.”
Gwen could tell that Jack was itching to ask about her catching them together, but they were in the tourist office now and Gwen knew it was only polite to ask if Tracy wanted a cup. She shook her head to signal she was fine, as she was on the phone.
Both Gwen and Jack shrugged and walked out into the crisp fall air. Halloween was right around the corner and parents were out spending the beautiful afternoon with their kids picking out costumes, candy, and decorations. Gwen had just barely managed to avoid a collision with a kid who was running around the Plass with a zombie mask on.
“So, where are we going?” Jack asked, his hands thrust in his pocket as he ambled along at Gwen’s side.
“Up a block from the end of the Plass.”
“So, not far.”
“Not far.”
The rest of the walk was done in silence. Gwen was wondering how to bring up David and Jack, well; he was trying to think of ways to avoid answering Gwen’s inevitable questions. She still hadn’t asked by the time they reached the coffee shop. Jack snorted softly when he read the name. Timeless coffee.
“Nice name.” He said, opening the door for Gwen.
“Apt too, once you taste the coffee.” She walked in and headed straight for the counter. Jack followed, looking around the place in unabashed curiosity. The place definitely had a timeless feel to it. There were knick knacks lined along a shelf that sat about a foot below the ceiling and the walls were covered in photos that dated back to at least the early nineteen twenties. The furniture was all old and care-worn but obviously well maintained.
“What can I do you for?” A voice asked, startling Gwen slightly. She had been watching Jack take in the place, his small smile making her wonder.
She turned to the counter and gave the man standing behind the register a large smile, “Hi Ianto. I’ll have my usual.”
Ianto nodded and looked at Jack and promptly raised his eyebrows. When Jack didn’t place his order, Gwen looked up at him and her own eyebrows shot up. Jack was practically drooling and she didn’t think it was about all the choices on the menu either. She elbowed him, “Jack? Are you going to order?”
Jack jumped slightly, as if he had forgotten Gwen was even there, “Right. I’ll have a large coffee as strong as you can make it. Oh, and one of those blueberry scones too.”
“Right. I’ll have it up promptly then.” Ianto punched the order in and once Jack had paid, Gwen ushered him to a table at the back of the shop.
Once sitting, Gwen turned imploring eyes to Jack who winced, “Gwen, can we not do this?”
“I want to know, Jack. You didn’t even like David that much. What has got you all up in a twist?”
Jack sighed and played with one of the little packets of sugar that was set out in front of him, “It has nothing to do with how I felt about him personally. It’s the fact that I took him out into the field at all with so little training and that got him killed.”
Gwen stared at him. That was what he was beating himself up over? She opened her mouth to say something when their coffees and Jack’s scone appeared in front of them. She blinked and then looked up, “Thanks Ianto. Oh, I also need Owen and Tosh’s usual as well. I forgot to order them when we were up there.”
“To go?”
“Please.”
Ianto nodded and walked off. Gwen turned back to Jack, who had just taken a huge bite out of his scone. He moaned, causing Gwen to blush. She really did not need to hear that particular noise from him, knowing it would just add fuel to the fire of her fantasies. She cleared her throat, “David died saving Tosh. You should be proud of him.”
Jack glared at her, probably for ruining his current love affair with Ianto’s wares, “Do you think I’m not? Gwen, I know what he sacrificed by stepping in front of that gun but that doesn’t make me feel better about taking him to the Becon’s.”
“You say you know about what he sacrificed, but Jack, think about this. If he hadn’t gone with, that bullet would have taken Tosh’s life and that would have been a far more painful sacrifice than his own life.” She looked down at her coffee, “Tosh doesn’t know, but David was in love with her. Her dying would have killed him. You might have lost them both.”
Jack looked at her before nodding slightly and his shoulders lost some of the tension that had been coiled up since David’s death. She smiled and he saluted her with his mug in thanks. She knew what she said had helped, even if it was only a little bit, but a little bit was better than nothing.
Fin