Fic: Memento, Rose genathon, PG
Title: Memento
Author sakuracorr
Rating: PG
Summary: Thanks to kammgirl for the beta. Memento (n) - either of two prayers in the canon of the Mass, one for persons living and the other for persons dead.
For grimorie who requested:
1. Rose moves on and bittersweetly happy about it
2. Regularly helps save the world through Torchwood
3. Succeeds in seeing Capt. Jack again
She woke up one morning and decided that was it. It was really the only way Rose could make the decision, something fast, where she took a breath and told herself, “Yes, this is what I have, and that’s okay.”
And it was alright.
Her mum- God help them all- had been trying to cook breakfast again that day, though each day it started smelling less and less like something a Slitheen produced from some body part and more and more like something edible. “My don’t we look pretty?” Jackie commented from the kitchen, and Rose wrinkled her nose.
“I wore this last week, mum. Don’t you remember?”
“It’s just different, is all. You wearing nice clothes to work at that place of yours,” Jackie looked for a minute like she’d forgotten where she’d put something, and she had in fact forgotten where she’d put the salt.
Rose sighed and hoped they weren’t going to have to deal with anything that oozed today. The things yesterday had oozed. She’d had to shower three times. “Well, I better get there already,” she shouted to the kitchen. It was a bit early, but she’d deal with it. To avoid with her mother’s cooking, she’d deal with it.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?” Jackie asked.
“No, mum. I’d better be off.”
Rose allowed Jackie a kiss on the cheek and a bit of the hug before she searched around for her work stuff. And maybe an umbrella. It was supposed to rain today.
It was still different, this version of the world, from the one she remembered. Things still went faster and even with the rebuilding traveling on the tube was cleaner, more efficient. Technology had just evolved faster, and even when she’d gotten used to it, it sort of nibbled at the back of her mind. It made Rose think of him, in that way where him never had a name anymore, because names were enough to swallow days.
It was enough. She’d seen Mickey’s new flat a few miles from where she was, and he’d playfully chucked an empty box at her, and even Jake had a grin. “All settled in now?” she’d asked.
“Yeah, ‘suppose so.” He’d given her that look, fond, a little bit sober. “So how are things going at your new job?”
“Just fine.” She remembered smiling as she joked. “Not that I’d tell you about them, because you don’t have the clearance anymore.”
Mickey had rolled his eyes at her. “That boring, huh?”
“Saved you more than one or two times,” she’d shot back. She had. There’d been a couple of incidents, a couple of times where she’d been almost killed by something that looked like a large cucumber or was incinerated by a species she still couldn’t remember the name of and who wanted to take Britain as land for a fast food chain- and yeah, she didn’t want to think about that too hard anymore.
It still reminded her of him, but that was almost gone now- imagine the jokes, a fast food chain. There were a few drops of rain as Rose walked the rest of the way to the building that to the rest of the world was officially the largest bank in Cardiff and to her was work.
She noticed Gwen hanging about making herself a cup of tea. “Jack here yet then?”
“He’s about. Flirting with the new recruits I think,” Gwen responded, giving Rose a knowing smile. “It’s back that way if you’re looking for him.” She gave a tip of her head to a hallway.
“I just thought I’d say hi,” Rose explained, and Gwen just nodded as she went back to fixing her tea.
Jack had indeed surrounded himself by two twenty-something ladies. “Oh yeah,” he said, leaning back against a counter. “Life threatening, everyday, but I’m there. Saving Earth. That’s me. Front line.”
Rose rolled her eyes, and he seemed to notice her. He gave her a grin before one of the girls asked. “Did you ever get injured?”
“Plenty. It’s a risky job, but it’s my duty.”
“Yeah, remember the time you broke your-” Rose started before Jack broke away from the girls to grab her and cover her mouth with his hand.
“She means to say that I broke my legs. Both of them. I had to teach myself to walk again.” Rose narrowed her eyes, as Jack finished. “You ladies better get back to orientation. Be sure to ask me if you have any questions.” He waited until they were decidedly out of the room to release Rose again.
“See if I say good morning to you,” she told him. “Isn’t there some policy against what you’re doing?”
“I can look if I don’t touch.” Jack leaned forward. “How’d that stuff wash out?”
“Don’t mention it.” She sighed. “I better get over and take care of the paperwork on that. Busted some guy’s shop window when the last one exploded.”
“I shot that one,” Jack announced with a smirk.
“I know you did.” Rose hit him on the shoulder. “I’ll get you back though.” Jack shook his head as she left the room again.
There was a maze of hallways to navigate, and Rose passed more things than she’d ever seen in any underground alien museum- yes, there were still references to those days, occasionally- but it was all starting to get common now. Not that she could name most of it, but the strangeness had lost its meaning. Everything around her was continually strange- hadn’t that started long ago though? Didn’t it remind her that…? But no, she wouldn’t think it.
Rose took a deep breath as she turned into the last hallway. This- she looked around at the tall ceilings, the sterile, advanced feel of the place, the people rushing around her- this is what I have. There were aliens talking to scientists and professionals, and Rose was standing there in the middle, and she was part of it. It’s what I have, but that’s okay.
When she stepped into work now, she felt more like herself than she felt like some branch of him, and slowly her days were becoming her days again, and Rose hadn’t realized she’d forgotten what that felt like. She found her desk amongst the myriad of desks, looked at her things scattered around, the picture of her mum and Pete and Mickey. It’s alright. It’s enough.
Author sakuracorr
Rating: PG
Summary: Thanks to kammgirl for the beta. Memento (n) - either of two prayers in the canon of the Mass, one for persons living and the other for persons dead.
For grimorie who requested:
1. Rose moves on and bittersweetly happy about it
2. Regularly helps save the world through Torchwood
3. Succeeds in seeing Capt. Jack again
She woke up one morning and decided that was it. It was really the only way Rose could make the decision, something fast, where she took a breath and told herself, “Yes, this is what I have, and that’s okay.”
And it was alright.
Her mum- God help them all- had been trying to cook breakfast again that day, though each day it started smelling less and less like something a Slitheen produced from some body part and more and more like something edible. “My don’t we look pretty?” Jackie commented from the kitchen, and Rose wrinkled her nose.
“I wore this last week, mum. Don’t you remember?”
“It’s just different, is all. You wearing nice clothes to work at that place of yours,” Jackie looked for a minute like she’d forgotten where she’d put something, and she had in fact forgotten where she’d put the salt.
Rose sighed and hoped they weren’t going to have to deal with anything that oozed today. The things yesterday had oozed. She’d had to shower three times. “Well, I better get there already,” she shouted to the kitchen. It was a bit early, but she’d deal with it. To avoid with her mother’s cooking, she’d deal with it.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?” Jackie asked.
“No, mum. I’d better be off.”
Rose allowed Jackie a kiss on the cheek and a bit of the hug before she searched around for her work stuff. And maybe an umbrella. It was supposed to rain today.
It was still different, this version of the world, from the one she remembered. Things still went faster and even with the rebuilding traveling on the tube was cleaner, more efficient. Technology had just evolved faster, and even when she’d gotten used to it, it sort of nibbled at the back of her mind. It made Rose think of him, in that way where him never had a name anymore, because names were enough to swallow days.
It was enough. She’d seen Mickey’s new flat a few miles from where she was, and he’d playfully chucked an empty box at her, and even Jake had a grin. “All settled in now?” she’d asked.
“Yeah, ‘suppose so.” He’d given her that look, fond, a little bit sober. “So how are things going at your new job?”
“Just fine.” She remembered smiling as she joked. “Not that I’d tell you about them, because you don’t have the clearance anymore.”
Mickey had rolled his eyes at her. “That boring, huh?”
“Saved you more than one or two times,” she’d shot back. She had. There’d been a couple of incidents, a couple of times where she’d been almost killed by something that looked like a large cucumber or was incinerated by a species she still couldn’t remember the name of and who wanted to take Britain as land for a fast food chain- and yeah, she didn’t want to think about that too hard anymore.
It still reminded her of him, but that was almost gone now- imagine the jokes, a fast food chain. There were a few drops of rain as Rose walked the rest of the way to the building that to the rest of the world was officially the largest bank in Cardiff and to her was work.
She noticed Gwen hanging about making herself a cup of tea. “Jack here yet then?”
“He’s about. Flirting with the new recruits I think,” Gwen responded, giving Rose a knowing smile. “It’s back that way if you’re looking for him.” She gave a tip of her head to a hallway.
“I just thought I’d say hi,” Rose explained, and Gwen just nodded as she went back to fixing her tea.
Jack had indeed surrounded himself by two twenty-something ladies. “Oh yeah,” he said, leaning back against a counter. “Life threatening, everyday, but I’m there. Saving Earth. That’s me. Front line.”
Rose rolled her eyes, and he seemed to notice her. He gave her a grin before one of the girls asked. “Did you ever get injured?”
“Plenty. It’s a risky job, but it’s my duty.”
“Yeah, remember the time you broke your-” Rose started before Jack broke away from the girls to grab her and cover her mouth with his hand.
“She means to say that I broke my legs. Both of them. I had to teach myself to walk again.” Rose narrowed her eyes, as Jack finished. “You ladies better get back to orientation. Be sure to ask me if you have any questions.” He waited until they were decidedly out of the room to release Rose again.
“See if I say good morning to you,” she told him. “Isn’t there some policy against what you’re doing?”
“I can look if I don’t touch.” Jack leaned forward. “How’d that stuff wash out?”
“Don’t mention it.” She sighed. “I better get over and take care of the paperwork on that. Busted some guy’s shop window when the last one exploded.”
“I shot that one,” Jack announced with a smirk.
“I know you did.” Rose hit him on the shoulder. “I’ll get you back though.” Jack shook his head as she left the room again.
There was a maze of hallways to navigate, and Rose passed more things than she’d ever seen in any underground alien museum- yes, there were still references to those days, occasionally- but it was all starting to get common now. Not that she could name most of it, but the strangeness had lost its meaning. Everything around her was continually strange- hadn’t that started long ago though? Didn’t it remind her that…? But no, she wouldn’t think it.
Rose took a deep breath as she turned into the last hallway. This- she looked around at the tall ceilings, the sterile, advanced feel of the place, the people rushing around her- this is what I have. There were aliens talking to scientists and professionals, and Rose was standing there in the middle, and she was part of it. It’s what I have, but that’s okay.
When she stepped into work now, she felt more like herself than she felt like some branch of him, and slowly her days were becoming her days again, and Rose hadn’t realized she’d forgotten what that felt like. She found her desk amongst the myriad of desks, looked at her things scattered around, the picture of her mum and Pete and Mickey. It’s alright. It’s enough.