Fic: Nothing To Live For
TITLE: Nothing to Live For
AUTHOR: Erin Giles
DISCLAIMER: Torchwood and it’s characters are property of the BBC.
RATING: PG
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Jack, Ianto, Suzie, Owen
CHALLENGE: horizonssing Day Four: " Sittin On the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper
WORDS: 708
SUMMARY: Set pre-series One. Captain Jack Harkness was how he was going to get that feeling of home back.
A lone figure was perched on the edge of the docks, feet dangling over the side of the harbour wall, kicking lazily against it as the sea thundered below. There was the faint smell of burning in the morning air, mixing with the fresh smell of sea, spray lightly slapping the side of his face, attempting to wash away the soot and grim of a truly horrifying day.
He refused to turn and look back at what remained, refused to believe it was all gone, that over a thousand people had perished. There had been twenty-seven survivors accounted for but he wasn’t accountable for them, he wasn’t now automatically in charge of Torchwood One no matter what UNIT had tried to insinuate. He’d watched some of them wander off in a daze, unsure of what to do with themselves now. Others had been carted away in ambulances, barely alive but hanging on in there out of defiance. He’d seen the one’s that didn’t survive as well, but both the dead and alive had one thing in common; a tired expression of utter terror that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
He watched a young man stumbling further down the docks before sinking awkwardly onto a bench there. He didn’t need to see his face to know he had been there; he had seen everything. His once tailored suit was now torn and crumpled in places, his shoulders were hunched like he was physically hurting and his body shuddered with the ache of grief. A part of Jack wanted to go to him and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but Jack couldn’t promise that, no one could, and he was Torchwood One. Jack was Torchwood Three, they were polar opposites and there was no place for Torchwood One in this world now.
Jack sighed, pulling himself to his feet and taking a deep breath of sea air before he turned back to the carnage. He saw Suzie standing a few feet away watching Jack, she nodded behind her to indicate they were ready to leave and Jack inclined his head in reply, striding over to her.
“Should we not.” Suzie nodded to the lone shape still sat on the dock, his head in his hands now. Jack glanced over and saw the young man get to his feet and step closer to the wall of the dock, looking down to the sea below.
“He’s not our responsibility anymore.” Jack replied, unable to take his eyes away from the young man.
“Yes, but Jack I don’t think I want to watch him to commit suicide.” Suzie replied rather brusquely, starting to push past Jack to go and speak to him.
“What are you going to say to him Suzie?” Jack snapped, grasping at her forearm.
“Are you going to tell him it’s ok? That everything will be alright?” Jack’s gaze was piercing as he stared intensely into Suzie’s eyes.
“Hey!” Suzie called out, tearing her gaze but not her arm away from Jack. The young man on the dock started but turned to look at Suzie and Jack.
“Maybe you should go home!” Suzie called again. The young man seemed to consider this for a moment before he nodded, turning back to the sea one last time before ambling away in the opposite direction.
“Feel better?” Jack asked sarcastically.
“Much.” Suzie replied just as mockingly before she turned away from Jack and headed back to the SUV where Owen was waiting in the passengers seat. Jack glanced over his shoulder to see if the young man had taken a nose dive into the docks but instead found him just a few feet away from where he was before, also looking back over his shoulder. Jack tried to stare him down but when he didn’t move or say anything Jack angrily turned on his heel, his coat flicking out behind him as he made his way back to the SUV.
The lone figure watched Captain Jack Harkness leave the docks at Canary Wharf, driving away at high speed back to his base in Cardiff and suddenly the figure knew; Captain Jack Harkness was how he was going to get that feeling of home back.
AUTHOR: Erin Giles
DISCLAIMER: Torchwood and it’s characters are property of the BBC.
RATING: PG
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Jack, Ianto, Suzie, Owen
CHALLENGE: horizonssing Day Four: " Sittin On the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper
WORDS: 708
SUMMARY: Set pre-series One. Captain Jack Harkness was how he was going to get that feeling of home back.
A lone figure was perched on the edge of the docks, feet dangling over the side of the harbour wall, kicking lazily against it as the sea thundered below. There was the faint smell of burning in the morning air, mixing with the fresh smell of sea, spray lightly slapping the side of his face, attempting to wash away the soot and grim of a truly horrifying day.
He refused to turn and look back at what remained, refused to believe it was all gone, that over a thousand people had perished. There had been twenty-seven survivors accounted for but he wasn’t accountable for them, he wasn’t now automatically in charge of Torchwood One no matter what UNIT had tried to insinuate. He’d watched some of them wander off in a daze, unsure of what to do with themselves now. Others had been carted away in ambulances, barely alive but hanging on in there out of defiance. He’d seen the one’s that didn’t survive as well, but both the dead and alive had one thing in common; a tired expression of utter terror that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
He watched a young man stumbling further down the docks before sinking awkwardly onto a bench there. He didn’t need to see his face to know he had been there; he had seen everything. His once tailored suit was now torn and crumpled in places, his shoulders were hunched like he was physically hurting and his body shuddered with the ache of grief. A part of Jack wanted to go to him and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but Jack couldn’t promise that, no one could, and he was Torchwood One. Jack was Torchwood Three, they were polar opposites and there was no place for Torchwood One in this world now.
Jack sighed, pulling himself to his feet and taking a deep breath of sea air before he turned back to the carnage. He saw Suzie standing a few feet away watching Jack, she nodded behind her to indicate they were ready to leave and Jack inclined his head in reply, striding over to her.
“Should we not.” Suzie nodded to the lone shape still sat on the dock, his head in his hands now. Jack glanced over and saw the young man get to his feet and step closer to the wall of the dock, looking down to the sea below.
“He’s not our responsibility anymore.” Jack replied, unable to take his eyes away from the young man.
“Yes, but Jack I don’t think I want to watch him to commit suicide.” Suzie replied rather brusquely, starting to push past Jack to go and speak to him.
“What are you going to say to him Suzie?” Jack snapped, grasping at her forearm.
“Are you going to tell him it’s ok? That everything will be alright?” Jack’s gaze was piercing as he stared intensely into Suzie’s eyes.
“Hey!” Suzie called out, tearing her gaze but not her arm away from Jack. The young man on the dock started but turned to look at Suzie and Jack.
“Maybe you should go home!” Suzie called again. The young man seemed to consider this for a moment before he nodded, turning back to the sea one last time before ambling away in the opposite direction.
“Feel better?” Jack asked sarcastically.
“Much.” Suzie replied just as mockingly before she turned away from Jack and headed back to the SUV where Owen was waiting in the passengers seat. Jack glanced over his shoulder to see if the young man had taken a nose dive into the docks but instead found him just a few feet away from where he was before, also looking back over his shoulder. Jack tried to stare him down but when he didn’t move or say anything Jack angrily turned on his heel, his coat flicking out behind him as he made his way back to the SUV.
The lone figure watched Captain Jack Harkness leave the docks at Canary Wharf, driving away at high speed back to his base in Cardiff and suddenly the figure knew; Captain Jack Harkness was how he was going to get that feeling of home back.