Torchwood // Good Memories
Title: Good Memories
Author: Sarah
Rating: PG
Words: 565
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Summary: Jack has trouble dealing with the bad memories.
Notes: Written for Challenge #6 at horizonssing. Also spoilers for DW 3x13 The Last of the Time Lords.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
The world forgot, but Jack remembered. It was easy for everyone else to go on because, technically, it never happened for them. The Toclaphane, the weapons, the preparations for war. It all happened during the Year That Never Was.
But for Jack, the memories were all too vivid because, for him, it was real. The torture, the bad food spoon fed to him by Martha’s sister, the daily deaths. It all happened and those memories would haunt him for his long, quite possibly never-ending life.
Martha knew; she remembered because she had the hardest job of all - stopping the Master.
The Doctor knew. The memories and torture were real for him, ingrained in his memory until the end of time.
But the person who he needed to know, to understand, didn’t. He couldn’t. For him, it never happened. And Jack thanked his lucky stars for that because he didn’t want him to know that kind of suffering firsthand.
“Everything all right, sir?”
Jack turned his head, glancing behind him. He nodded.
Ianto put his hand on Jack’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
Jack reached his arm around to put his hand on Ianto’s. “It’s just hard to...” he paused, searching for right words, “remember. It’s hard to remember when no one knows.”
Ianto nodded. He didn’t know; he couldn’t. He was back at the hub with the rest of the team when Jack left them. He didn’t say anything because he really didn’t need to. He knew all Jack needed was someone to listen, and Ianto was always willing.
“It’s not the suffering because I’ve done my fair share of that,” he continued. “I’m used to it. It’s just that no one else knows. For those few minutes, the entire world knew the name of the man who saved them so many times. And now, they’ve all forgotten.”
“He’d rather it that way,” Ianto said in an offer of comfort.
Jack nodded because Ianto was right. Things played out just the way he wanted. “But Martha,” Jack said. “She travelled around the world to save us and not one of those people she encountered knows her name.”
“I think,” Ianto began, leaning in to Jack and wrapping his other arm around his waist, “that those that already know her name are the only ones that need to. Her journey will never be forgotten by those that are most important.”
“And nor will I forget my memories of that long, non-existent year.”
Ianto placed a gentle kiss on Jack’s neck. “I know the bad memories will be with you forever, but always know there’s time to add in some good ones.”
Jack smiled. “I think, in the long run, the good memories outnumber the bad ones.”
“I’m glad, sir,” Ianto replied, releasing his hold on the captain.
“Ianto?” he asked, turning around to face the tea boy.
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you like to make a good memory right now?”
Ianto laughed, giving in to Jack’s strong arms as they wrapped around him.
Jack knew that he too would go unremembered by the world, and he was fine with that now. In all his travels, of all the people he already met and would meet in the future, one person would remember his name and that person was the only one who mattered. And Jack wanted to give him all the good memories in the world.
Author: Sarah
Rating: PG
Words: 565
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Summary: Jack has trouble dealing with the bad memories.
Notes: Written for Challenge #6 at horizonssing. Also spoilers for DW 3x13 The Last of the Time Lords.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
The world forgot, but Jack remembered. It was easy for everyone else to go on because, technically, it never happened for them. The Toclaphane, the weapons, the preparations for war. It all happened during the Year That Never Was.
But for Jack, the memories were all too vivid because, for him, it was real. The torture, the bad food spoon fed to him by Martha’s sister, the daily deaths. It all happened and those memories would haunt him for his long, quite possibly never-ending life.
Martha knew; she remembered because she had the hardest job of all - stopping the Master.
The Doctor knew. The memories and torture were real for him, ingrained in his memory until the end of time.
But the person who he needed to know, to understand, didn’t. He couldn’t. For him, it never happened. And Jack thanked his lucky stars for that because he didn’t want him to know that kind of suffering firsthand.
“Everything all right, sir?”
Jack turned his head, glancing behind him. He nodded.
Ianto put his hand on Jack’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
Jack reached his arm around to put his hand on Ianto’s. “It’s just hard to...” he paused, searching for right words, “remember. It’s hard to remember when no one knows.”
Ianto nodded. He didn’t know; he couldn’t. He was back at the hub with the rest of the team when Jack left them. He didn’t say anything because he really didn’t need to. He knew all Jack needed was someone to listen, and Ianto was always willing.
“It’s not the suffering because I’ve done my fair share of that,” he continued. “I’m used to it. It’s just that no one else knows. For those few minutes, the entire world knew the name of the man who saved them so many times. And now, they’ve all forgotten.”
“He’d rather it that way,” Ianto said in an offer of comfort.
Jack nodded because Ianto was right. Things played out just the way he wanted. “But Martha,” Jack said. “She travelled around the world to save us and not one of those people she encountered knows her name.”
“I think,” Ianto began, leaning in to Jack and wrapping his other arm around his waist, “that those that already know her name are the only ones that need to. Her journey will never be forgotten by those that are most important.”
“And nor will I forget my memories of that long, non-existent year.”
Ianto placed a gentle kiss on Jack’s neck. “I know the bad memories will be with you forever, but always know there’s time to add in some good ones.”
Jack smiled. “I think, in the long run, the good memories outnumber the bad ones.”
“I’m glad, sir,” Ianto replied, releasing his hold on the captain.
“Ianto?” he asked, turning around to face the tea boy.
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you like to make a good memory right now?”
Ianto laughed, giving in to Jack’s strong arms as they wrapped around him.
Jack knew that he too would go unremembered by the world, and he was fine with that now. In all his travels, of all the people he already met and would meet in the future, one person would remember his name and that person was the only one who mattered. And Jack wanted to give him all the good memories in the world.