69 Memory Lane - Monday

[time_watcher]

As soon as Ianto had gotten done laughing at Jack for falling out of a tree he'd helped the older man get out of his clothes and into a hot shower. Jack's back had looked like some sort of goth patchwork quilt with his black and blue marks and Ianto had merely rolled his eyes and shoved the older man towards a fluffy towel when Jack had tried to

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[inshiningarmour]

Thelma knocked on the door, having a bag of crisps in one hand.

[inshiningarmour]

"Didn't used to be her thing," Thelma said. "It used to be just me and her, while the rest of Medenham was the the popular crowd that wanted nothing to do with us."

[time_watcher]

"Are you jealous, Thelma?"

[inshiningarmour]

"...yes," Thelma said with a sigh.

[time_watcher]

Jack smiled and after a moment's thought, he reached up and undid the neatly closed cuff of his shirt. Allowing it to flop forward, he held it out in the direction of the bag of chips. He'd learned, from the saran wrap moment, that she could touch inanimate objects and now it was his turn to offer 'human' connection, in so much as he was able and she would allow.

"She'll need you, through all this and when it's over."

[inshiningarmour]

Thelma smiled at that little bit of contact.

"She does," she agreed. But it was something else that Thelma was after. Not for Cassie to need her as a friend... but to want her as something more. And that was a foolish thought, she knew. But it was something she still couldn't shake.

"But you know, I just wish she had better taste in evil men."

[time_watcher]

"Well, you know you're going to be fighting an uphill battle when you have to use the words evil and men in the same sentence," Jack agreed.

He'd have agreed also at the loneliness that came with caring so deeply for someone who was right in front of you but might as well be galaxies away.

[inshiningarmour]

"But seriously. I mean, how can she even... he killed me," Thelma harrumphed.

[time_watcher]

Jack pulled a rueful face and nodded.

"Got to admit, that is in bad taste."

[inshiningarmour]

Thelma crunched on a few crisps. "So I for one am hoping for the 'evil influence' explanation," she said.

[time_watcher]

After a few minutes, Jack tilted is head to the side and his expression was genuinely regretful.

"I'm sorry, Thelma." He said softly. "This is a crappy deal of the cards for anyone to have to cope with."

[inshiningarmour]

"Well, that's the funny thing," Thelma said. "Most people don't have to cope with anything, after being killed."

[time_watcher]

Jack sort of just gave her a rueful look.

[inshiningarmour]

"Oh, right," Thelma said, smiling despite her other emotions. "I suppose you know exactly how that goes."

[time_watcher]

"I'm afraid I do," Jack said, smiling though he didn't realize it was a mirror of her expression. "Wish I had some magic advice, Thelma. But ... you know? It sucks. Has it's purposes, has it's usefulness and I guess it's better to find the good points than the bad but there are a lot of times ... it just sucks."

[inshiningarmour]

Thelma nodded. "Well, that's why I'm here. Sticking with the good points."