Fourth fanfic I wrote for a Last Author Standing community.
(This is the last of the ones I can post right now.)
LAS Comm: Jack/Ianto
Prompt: The Right Time To Lie
Author: beccadg
Title: "An Empty Kettle"
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence
Captain Jack Harkness gasped back to life. He was lying slumped against one wall of the sewer tunnel. Jack was tempted to pat his hands over his chest. It would be a waste of time. If he were somehow breathing once more but without a heart it wouldn't be something he'd be able to tell like that. Jack considered checking himself for a pulse but he wasn't quite ready to learn whether the thing lying dead on the other side of the tunnel had stolen his heart on a permanent basis. Instead he tentatively got to his feet and looked around. Jack had come down after a weevil. It wasn't what he'd found. The thing had come up behind him silently. It had reached through clothing flesh and bone like they weren't even there. Jack could admit to himself--if no one else--that he'd started screaming as it reached into him and hadn't stopped until it held his beating heart in its hand. He was grateful his blue tooth had been turned off. Jack didn't care to think of Ianto hearing the sound carried over the device.
"Were you hunting weevil or waiting for something else?" He asked the corpse. Jack didn't expect an answer. The last thing he'd done before he'd died was empty his Webley into it. Its last act before it toppled over on its side of the tunnel had been to crush his heart in its hand. Jack wasn't entirely certain which he was likely to remember longer, seeing the moment his heart stopped beating, or feeling it stop in the empty space it had occupied in his chest. He crossed the tunnel cautiously. Jack hadn't found a weevil so far, but one could turn up while he was still moving about in the sewer. Jack had to admit he wouldn't entirely object if he did meet a weevil interested in eating his dead friend. It would be good if he could get the remains back to the Hub, but if someone wanted to eat the thing before he could.... Once Jack was close to the thing on its side of the tunnel there was the question of whether or not he could carry it out of the sewer. It wasn't bigger than him, but it could be much heavier.
"So, how much do you weigh ugly?" Jack didn't listen for a response. He reached to pick the thing up. It wasn't as heavy as a weevil or him. The Webley hadn't torn it to shreds. It had... disrupted it. It was just as dead as something more solid would have been, but not by the same means. Why something so insubstantial had wanted his heart they might never know. Jack picked it up and carried it out of the sewer. At the SUV he could get a better look at himself. There was no hole in the greatcoat. No indication at all that something had reached in and torn out his heart. No one had heard him scream. No one could see what had been done looking at him. There was the question of whether or not he had a pulse he'd been avoiding. Jack took a deep breath and checked for whether or not he was an empty kettle. His pulse was there, comfortingly strong and steady. He didn't simply let his breath out. Jack began to whistle cheerfully to himself, "I'd be tender, I'd be gentle and awful sentimental..."
He drove the SUV back to the Hub and carried his mystery remains inside. Tosh didn't look up from her monitor as he came in. Owen appeared from the medical bay just long enough to ask him what he'd brought in this time and to tell him where to set it. Jack dumped the remains where he was told before he headed up to his office. Ianto was waiting there with a tumbler. Jack had no reason to be surprised. He'd gone hunting alone. Ianto was familiar with what that could be like for him. Ianto hadn't forgotten their first meeting and how he'd thought Jack had been bleeding. Jones, Ianto Jones hadn't known then what he did now. Yes, Jack had no reason to be surprised, but he had plenty of reason to be grateful. Jack didn't say, "Thank you," or steal a kiss. They'd only tell Ianto something bad had happened. When the young man who knew him so well and loved him so much asked him how his hunting had gone, there was only one answer he could give, only one with a heart, "It went well Ianto."
*
LAS Comm: Jack/Ianto
Prompt: The Right Time To Lie
Author: beccadg
Title: "An Empty Kettle"
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence
Captain Jack Harkness gasped back to life. He was lying slumped against one wall of the sewer tunnel. Jack was tempted to pat his hands over his chest. It would be a waste of time. If he were somehow breathing once more but without a heart it wouldn't be something he'd be able to tell like that. Jack considered checking himself for a pulse but he wasn't quite ready to learn whether the thing lying dead on the other side of the tunnel had stolen his heart on a permanent basis. Instead he tentatively got to his feet and looked around. Jack had come down after a weevil. It wasn't what he'd found. The thing had come up behind him silently. It had reached through clothing flesh and bone like they weren't even there. Jack could admit to himself--if no one else--that he'd started screaming as it reached into him and hadn't stopped until it held his beating heart in its hand. He was grateful his blue tooth had been turned off. Jack didn't care to think of Ianto hearing the sound carried over the device.
"Were you hunting weevil or waiting for something else?" He asked the corpse. Jack didn't expect an answer. The last thing he'd done before he'd died was empty his Webley into it. Its last act before it toppled over on its side of the tunnel had been to crush his heart in its hand. Jack wasn't entirely certain which he was likely to remember longer, seeing the moment his heart stopped beating, or feeling it stop in the empty space it had occupied in his chest. He crossed the tunnel cautiously. Jack hadn't found a weevil so far, but one could turn up while he was still moving about in the sewer. Jack had to admit he wouldn't entirely object if he did meet a weevil interested in eating his dead friend. It would be good if he could get the remains back to the Hub, but if someone wanted to eat the thing before he could.... Once Jack was close to the thing on its side of the tunnel there was the question of whether or not he could carry it out of the sewer. It wasn't bigger than him, but it could be much heavier.
"So, how much do you weigh ugly?" Jack didn't listen for a response. He reached to pick the thing up. It wasn't as heavy as a weevil or him. The Webley hadn't torn it to shreds. It had... disrupted it. It was just as dead as something more solid would have been, but not by the same means. Why something so insubstantial had wanted his heart they might never know. Jack picked it up and carried it out of the sewer. At the SUV he could get a better look at himself. There was no hole in the greatcoat. No indication at all that something had reached in and torn out his heart. No one had heard him scream. No one could see what had been done looking at him. There was the question of whether or not he had a pulse he'd been avoiding. Jack took a deep breath and checked for whether or not he was an empty kettle. His pulse was there, comfortingly strong and steady. He didn't simply let his breath out. Jack began to whistle cheerfully to himself, "I'd be tender, I'd be gentle and awful sentimental..."
He drove the SUV back to the Hub and carried his mystery remains inside. Tosh didn't look up from her monitor as he came in. Owen appeared from the medical bay just long enough to ask him what he'd brought in this time and to tell him where to set it. Jack dumped the remains where he was told before he headed up to his office. Ianto was waiting there with a tumbler. Jack had no reason to be surprised. He'd gone hunting alone. Ianto was familiar with what that could be like for him. Ianto hadn't forgotten their first meeting and how he'd thought Jack had been bleeding. Jones, Ianto Jones hadn't known then what he did now. Yes, Jack had no reason to be surprised, but he had plenty of reason to be grateful. Jack didn't say, "Thank you," or steal a kiss. They'd only tell Ianto something bad had happened. When the young man who knew him so well and loved him so much asked him how his hunting had gone, there was only one answer he could give, only one with a heart, "It went well Ianto."
*