(no subject)
Weekly Challenge: Nancy
Part 6
No spoilers
Jack carefully placed the letters back in their folder as Ianto walked in with his coffee.
“Sure you don’t need my help with something, Sir?”
“No thanks, Yan. You look wonderful, but the way.”
“Careful, Sir,” Ianto smiled and left.
Jack opened his desk drawer and took out a bottle. Ianto had left him room to add a touch of the alcohol. He smiled. Ianto knew his moods so well.
Jack looked at the folder again. It was all he had. He hadn’t found any more letters. No wedding announcement in the papers. No mention of James’ son being born.
*~*~*
After the others had left for the day Ianto took Jack another cup of coffee. Jack motioned for him to sit.
“I have a story to tell you,” he started. “My life can get complicated. Sometimes I think I need a map to tell it. See, I was in 1941 three different times.”
“Three times, sir?”
“Yes,” Jack added a touch of alcohol to his coffee cup and a bit to Ianto’s. “You know about the one at the dance hall? That was not my first time in 1941.” He paused and studied Ianto’s face. “The first time I was in 1941 I was… under cover, stationed near a hospital. I almost wiped out the entire human race, but that’s a story for a different time. Remind me later.”
“Yes, Sir,” Ianto settled back with his coffee to listen.
“The second ‘round time I landed in the 1800s and have been here,” he motioned vaguely around to mean Earth, “ever since until I left with the Doctor last week.
“Right, so then when you went thru the Rift, that was time number three,” said Ianto.
Jack smiled. Ianto was always quick to catch on.
“Right,” agreed Jack. “Now here comes the complicated part. The first time I took someone’s identity because he died and I needed a cover. Let’s call him James,” said Jack and Ianto nodded. “ The second time around I avoided the War.”
“Can’t blame you there, Sir. Once would have been more than enough, I’m sure.”
“It was,” agreed Jack. “The Rift Time I met James,” continued Jack.
Ianto raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word.
“It was the night before he died,” said Jack softly.
“Goodness,” whispered Ianto.
“Yes,” agreed Jack. “I also met his girl, Nancy.” Jack paused here and Ianto just waited. “He was… confused, scared, hot... but I digress,” Jack grinned and Ianto smiled at him over his coffee cup. “Well, James hinted that he was interested in me.”
“Brave for someone at that time,” commented Ianto.
“Oh, he was very brave. He died saving all his men, but that’s a different story, sorry,” Jack smiled. “He came over to where Tosh and I sat and he took my hand. We danced. I… uh, if you look at it, this was before you were born, so…”
“It’s alright. I understand, Jack,” and Ianto smiled.
“Anyway, while I was in 1941 the first time I got a letter… for him. I ignored it.” Jack paused to drink some. Ianto waited.
“Second time around I looked into it. This time I was in disguise, naturally. Couldn’t go around all that time looking the same as I did the first time I was there.”
“Of course,” agreed Ianto.
“I found these,” he handed the letters to Ianto who read them in silence while Jack drank his coffee.
When Ianto looked up from the last letter Jack continued, “I moved near them not long after they married. I fed their cat when they were at the hospital for the baby to be born. I got a lawyer to set up a trust for the boy,” Jack smiled at Ianto’s grin. “Yes, James had a son. Anyway, I set up a trust as if I were James having made provisions before he died for Nancy and any children by him.”
“That was very kind of you, Sir.” Said Ianto.
Jack shrugged and sipped his coffee. “Thing is, I wonder if I ended up getting James killed.” Jack added more alcohol to the coffees.
“Jack?” Ianto’s eyebrow creased.
“We, that night I went thru the Rift, James and I danced. In front of a room full of soldiers and their girls. What if it’s my fault no one saved him when he was attacked?”
“Jack, you know you can’t think like that,” Ianto’s scolding was said with gentle kindness.
“True,” agreed Jack. “Still… want to say here tonight.” Ianto could see in Jack’s eyes he just needed someone to hold him.
“Sure,” said Ianto. “I’d love to. Now, about you nearly wiping out the human race, Sir?”
Jack laughed. “Oh, that… Well, it all started…”
Part 6
No spoilers
Jack carefully placed the letters back in their folder as Ianto walked in with his coffee.
“Sure you don’t need my help with something, Sir?”
“No thanks, Yan. You look wonderful, but the way.”
“Careful, Sir,” Ianto smiled and left.
Jack opened his desk drawer and took out a bottle. Ianto had left him room to add a touch of the alcohol. He smiled. Ianto knew his moods so well.
Jack looked at the folder again. It was all he had. He hadn’t found any more letters. No wedding announcement in the papers. No mention of James’ son being born.
*~*~*
After the others had left for the day Ianto took Jack another cup of coffee. Jack motioned for him to sit.
“I have a story to tell you,” he started. “My life can get complicated. Sometimes I think I need a map to tell it. See, I was in 1941 three different times.”
“Three times, sir?”
“Yes,” Jack added a touch of alcohol to his coffee cup and a bit to Ianto’s. “You know about the one at the dance hall? That was not my first time in 1941.” He paused and studied Ianto’s face. “The first time I was in 1941 I was… under cover, stationed near a hospital. I almost wiped out the entire human race, but that’s a story for a different time. Remind me later.”
“Yes, Sir,” Ianto settled back with his coffee to listen.
“The second ‘round time I landed in the 1800s and have been here,” he motioned vaguely around to mean Earth, “ever since until I left with the Doctor last week.
“Right, so then when you went thru the Rift, that was time number three,” said Ianto.
Jack smiled. Ianto was always quick to catch on.
“Right,” agreed Jack. “Now here comes the complicated part. The first time I took someone’s identity because he died and I needed a cover. Let’s call him James,” said Jack and Ianto nodded. “ The second time around I avoided the War.”
“Can’t blame you there, Sir. Once would have been more than enough, I’m sure.”
“It was,” agreed Jack. “The Rift Time I met James,” continued Jack.
Ianto raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word.
“It was the night before he died,” said Jack softly.
“Goodness,” whispered Ianto.
“Yes,” agreed Jack. “I also met his girl, Nancy.” Jack paused here and Ianto just waited. “He was… confused, scared, hot... but I digress,” Jack grinned and Ianto smiled at him over his coffee cup. “Well, James hinted that he was interested in me.”
“Brave for someone at that time,” commented Ianto.
“Oh, he was very brave. He died saving all his men, but that’s a different story, sorry,” Jack smiled. “He came over to where Tosh and I sat and he took my hand. We danced. I… uh, if you look at it, this was before you were born, so…”
“It’s alright. I understand, Jack,” and Ianto smiled.
“Anyway, while I was in 1941 the first time I got a letter… for him. I ignored it.” Jack paused to drink some. Ianto waited.
“Second time around I looked into it. This time I was in disguise, naturally. Couldn’t go around all that time looking the same as I did the first time I was there.”
“Of course,” agreed Ianto.
“I found these,” he handed the letters to Ianto who read them in silence while Jack drank his coffee.
When Ianto looked up from the last letter Jack continued, “I moved near them not long after they married. I fed their cat when they were at the hospital for the baby to be born. I got a lawyer to set up a trust for the boy,” Jack smiled at Ianto’s grin. “Yes, James had a son. Anyway, I set up a trust as if I were James having made provisions before he died for Nancy and any children by him.”
“That was very kind of you, Sir.” Said Ianto.
Jack shrugged and sipped his coffee. “Thing is, I wonder if I ended up getting James killed.” Jack added more alcohol to the coffees.
“Jack?” Ianto’s eyebrow creased.
“We, that night I went thru the Rift, James and I danced. In front of a room full of soldiers and their girls. What if it’s my fault no one saved him when he was attacked?”
“Jack, you know you can’t think like that,” Ianto’s scolding was said with gentle kindness.
“True,” agreed Jack. “Still… want to say here tonight.” Ianto could see in Jack’s eyes he just needed someone to hold him.
“Sure,” said Ianto. “I’d love to. Now, about you nearly wiping out the human race, Sir?”
Jack laughed. “Oh, that… Well, it all started…”