Just Like A Jones 33/37
Just Like A Jones
Chapter: 33
Rating: NC-17 for series
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto. Mica. David. Martha. Gwen/Rhys. Lois. Johnny/Rhiannon.
Synopsis: Mica may be a Davies, but sometimes she acts like a Jones. Set 13 years in the future. The world is a very different place, and Torchwood is a world that Jack doesn't want to know, but a promise made a long time ago brings him back to their door whether he likes it or not. Mica is in awe of a past she didn't know and a man she barely remembers, but her passion for his world takes her on a journey she never expected.
Spoilers: Aftermath of COE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, if it was this woul not need to be written.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has replied so far XD. As i have said before it was lack of feedbak that made me give up before, but the comment i got for ch8 made me so happy and confident and determined to keep going for this fandom.
PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
NOVEMBER 2009.
The Cardiff air was cold at midnight. The bells of the old church carried in the wind until they faded into the distance like a shadow over a hill, and the waves crashed against the walls of the harbour, then splashed onto the walkway. The wind was fierce and Jack could feel the bitter air though the thickness of his coat as he walked alone again. There was nobody to comfort him any more, nobody to snuggle up to in a cramped bed and waste the nights away with; he wished he wasted less and cherished more. Even the thud of his lonely boot against the stone path reminded him how alone he had become.
He looked at the flooding walkway as he made his way towards Ianto's old favourite spot and considered turning back and disappearing again. Jack had promised himself that he wouldn't come back here again, not after the pain it had caused the last time; it hurt too much to know that he would never find Ianto waiting for him with his coat billowing in the wind like he used to. It had been on that spot, the place where he always found Ianto when he said that he just needed to think, that Jack had found the pleasure of putting his Webley against his temple and squeezing the trigger until the world turned black. He always woke up in the water with a gasp of air that suffocated him and sent him back again; eventually he would come back washed up with debris on in the low tide with a taste of salt-water in his mouth and a wish to be back in the darkness. He felt close to Ianto there, and far away from his never-ending solitary confinement,
His tears had gone now and he could cry no more for what he had lost; he had cried so much that the tracks had become etched into his skin and eroded away his smile. Happiness was a lost emotion now and all he knew was pain. So, he took his Webley from the holster and held it by his side as he made the walk towards the place he found the comforting darkness. As he got closer he saw someone sitting with their back against the railing with their knees tucked into their chest. He put his gun away and walked over slowly, watching them as they rocked back and forth dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt. He could see her shivering, but she made no attempt to move despite the waves of water that splashed over her; it was like she couldn't feel the cold.
Jack walked past her, trying to avoid her gaze as she followed him with her eyes. He hated the way people stared at him sometimes, it was like they knew that something was different.
“ I know you,” she said as he passed, “don't I?”
“Do you?” Jack turned back and walked over, then crouched down beside her.
“I met you before.”
Jack wiped away the wet hair that had become plastered to her face and the moment their eyes met he knew that he recognised her. His breath caught in his chest a little and he almost walked away. “Rhiannon, isn't it?”
“You were there that day with all those soldiers in London.” She smiled sadly. “You held my hand. You're Jack.”
“I remember.”
“They were all so cold to me, formal, but not you. You were so kind. It was easy to see why he liked you.”
Jack took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. “I should get you home.”
“No.” Rhiannon pulled Jack's coat around her and stared back down at the ground. “I'm waiting for someone.”
“At midnight in the rain?” Jack looked at her eyes; they were bright and hopeful, like a child at Christmas waiting for Santa, but there was something behind them, a veil of sadness that she tried to hide.
“He never lets me down.”
“Who?”
Rhiannon looked over at him and smiled. “My baby brother. He'll be here soon,” she said, “if I wait long enough he'll come.”
Jack closed his eyes and sighed before opening them, then took her hand. “He's not coming back,” he said softly, “he can't.”
“Sure he is! He always does.”
“Not this time.”
“He always turns up here. He ran away from home when he was seven, things just got too much with Mam, and I came down here and waited. I was here all night, then eventually he turned up soaked in rain and covered head to toe in mud. Six o'clock in the morning but here he was. He used to come here when he got upset, I always used to hide in the cupboard behind the Christmas decorations and dads old winter coat.” She looked over at Jack. “We always knew where to look when the other was lost.”
“That was a long time ago. Things Change.”
“Not Ianto. I just have to wait long enough.”
“He died in my arm,” Jack said, “you saw his body.”
“But he can't be gone. I feel him in my head like he's right there just hiding somewhere waiting for me, I know it. He was always so good at hide and seek, he always found the nooks and crannies that you never even thought to check like behind Grandad's Rhubarb. He's not dead, I would know it if he was, he's alive somewhere.”
“Believe me, if he was I would know. I've looked for long enough.” He offered his hand to her. “Lets get you home to your family, yeah?”
“He is my family, he was my family way before Johnny was, and he might not always be there but he's there when I need him. I think he senses it. But lately he's not been here and I need him so much.” She looked at Jack and the hope dropped from her gaze. “Why isn't he here when I need him?”
“Because he can't be.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn't exist any more.” Jack couldn't tell if the water on her cheek was from their rain or her tears. “And I really wish he did.”
“But he has to. He needs to hold my hand, he's always there to hold my hand.”
“I'm sorry.”
“He's the only one I can rely on. He's always there, he always has been and he always will be.” Her voice cracked as she looked at him. “He promised me after Mam died and he always kept his promises.”
“Not this time.” Jack took her hand and pulled her up. “You have to find someone else.”
“You?” She asked. “You're the closest thing I've got.”
He shook his head. “No. I'm going to take you home and then go.”
“Will I see you again?”
“No.” Jack pulled his Greatcoat around her and fastened it up, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lead her back down the pathway. “I can't stay here any more.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Johnny hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand, then flicked through the pages of Rhiannon's diary. He had worked through all of her friends from Bingo, the girls she used to drink with and even the friends she didn't talk to any more, but nobody had seen her. He'd been out in the car and scanned the area, leaving the kids alone with Kim from next door promising to look in once in a while, and given up when he discovered he was just going in circles. Now he was calling through everyone in her phone book; he was up to the last page and as he stared at the final entry and picked up the phone, he heard the door swing open.
“Rhi?” He ran to the door, almost tripping over his own feet, and sighed with relief when he saw her. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“For a walk,” she said, “I needed a walk, okay?”
“And who's this?” He pointed to Jack.
“Captain Jack Harkness.” Jack squeezed Past Rhiannon and offered his hand. “I found her sitting in the rain and thought I should bring her back.”
“Thanks.” Johnny peeled off Jack's coat and handed it back to him, then looked at him closely. “Hold on. You're that guy.”
“What guy?”
“Ianto's - err - his--” Johnny struggled uncomfortably to find his words. “I mean-- he was your-- y'know?”
“Yeah,” Jack said, “he was.”
Johnny grabbed a towel that hung over the radiator and wrapped it around Rhiannon. “You're soaked through!”
“It's raining.” Rhiannon pushed past him. “I need a cuppa, anyone want one? Jack?”
“No. I'm glad you got home safely but I should probably go now,” Jack said, “I have places to go.”
“No!” Johnny stopped him before he could walk out the door. “You're soaked through too, you should stay a bit. Take your shirt off and I'll shove it in the dryer for a bit.”
“I'll be fine.”
“I don't bloody well think so. I don't know where you come from, but around here if you do someone a favour they do one back.”
Jack sighed and looked at the clock. “I suppose five minutes would be okay.” He handed Johnny his coat, then removed his shirt.
“A lot of people would've just walked by and left her there.”
“I just wanted to make sure she was safe, that's all. Ianto would've wanted it.” Jack looked at Rhiannon as she sat down at the kitchen table and stared out of the window at the rain. “She doesn't seem quite right.”
“She's not really.”
“Is Mam home yet?” Mica stood in the doorway in her pyjamas and matching pink Bratz slippers.
Johnny turned towards the voice that came from the doorway. “Mica, what the hell are you doing up?”
“I'm thirsty,” she said, “I wanna drink.”
“There's water in your room.”
“I want milk.”
Jack stared at her, then backed away a little; she was the little girl Ianto had talked about, the quiet one he took to McDonalds. It was better when he could pretend that she didn't exist.
“Fine.” Johnny poured Mica out a glass of milk and handed it to her, then watched her as she drank it in the doorway and handed it back. “Right, Bedtime now.”
“I don't want to,” she moaned, “I wanna see Mam.”
He crouched down. “Mam isn't well right now.”
“Why?”
“She's just not. But she'll be okay tomorrow, I promise.” He kissed her forehead. “Now go to bed
“I'm not tired though.”
“Just go to bed and lie down, close your eyes and you'll fall asleep.”
“But I don't want to!”
“I'm not telling you again.” Johnny put his hands over his face, trying to block her out. “Just do this for Dad yeah?”
“I didn't get my story though.”
“I'll take you up, but no story. I've got to look after Mam tonight.” Johnny gave in and hoisted her up onto his hip. “You're getting too old for carrying.”
Jack watched Johnny as he looked between Mica and Rhiannon, then sighed heavily and walked over to them. “I know a story,” he said.
“About what?” Mica looked at him a little suspiciously.
“Fairies?”
She smiled. “I like fairies.”
“Brilliant. Top of the stairs, first left.”Johnny sighed in relief and handed her to Jack. “You go with your Uncle Jack, yeah?”
“But I want you to tell me a story.”
“His is better, I've heard it, it's better than Harry Potter.”
“Talk about performance anxiety,” Jack mumbled. He carried her up the stairs and tried to ignore her as she looked at him carefully.
“What's wrong with my Mam?” She asked as Jack carried her into her room.
“I thought you wanted a story.”
“I do.”
Jack laid her back on her bed and covered her over with her sheets, then browsed her shelves for a book that looked unread. “One upon a time there was a fairy,” he started, “called-- I dunno - Bella.”
“I thought you said this was a good story?”
“It is!”
“You're just making it up.”
Jack sat down on the edge of her bed. “All stories are made up.”
“Mam used to do the best stories.” Mica looked up at Jack. “But then she stopped when she got sick. She just sits around now, she doesn't do anything.”
“She's just a little sad, that's all.”
“Why?”
Jack took a deep breath. “Because something really sad happened to someone that she loved.”
“My brother David said she's gone loopy.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Some people just get really sad and act in a funny kinda way for a while.”
“He said they would lock her up.” Mica's eyes started to fill with tears. “He said they would take her away and I'd never see her again.”
“They're not going to lock her up.”
“Well why did he say it?”
Jack tucked the duvet in around her. “Because boys his age are stupid.”
“Will he always be stupid?”
“A little bit.” Jack leaned in and put his finger against his lips. “But, shh, I didn't tell you that.”
“So if he's stupid does that mean that he's stupid all the time?”
“No, not all the time, but a sizeable chunk.”
“Cos he said that Uncle Ianto was never coming back.”
Jack closed his eyes and swallowed down a little bit of the pain that started to make his breath jump. “Well, he was right about that.” His voice was weaker than he wanted it to be, but he managed to keep it even.
“But that's not fair. He missed my birthday.”
“He's going to miss plenty more too.”
“But he promised that he'd take me to the pictures!”
“Sometimes you need to break promises, and it doesn't mean that you want to.” He could feel the heat returning to his eyes again. “I mean he promised me a lifetime of things and I'm not gonna get those either.”
“Why not?”
“I just won't.”
“So, you're sad too?”
Jack nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“Can you fix it?”
“Nobody has ever managed to fix a broken heart.” Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened them he could feel the heat of a single tear as it tumbled down his cheek. “I've been around long enough to know.”
“Hugs help,” she said, “when Mam cries Dad always gives her a hug.”
“I wish.”
Mica sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, then pulled back and looked at his disapprovingly. “Big boys don't cry, that's what Dad always says.”
“Sometimes they do.” He took her arms from around his neck and tucked her in again. “You should be asleep, I'm sure it's way past your bedtime by now.”
“But what about Mam?”
“Shell be fine,” Jack said, reaching down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Promise?”
“I promise.” Jack stood up and walked towards the door, then turned to take one last look at her before switching off the light and closing the door. He walked down the stairs and grabbed his wet shirt and coat from the kitchen counter, then walked towards the front door.
“And that's it, is it?” Johnny stood behind him in the doorway. “You're going?”
“And why shouldn't I?”
“You're soaked through,” he said, “It's blowing a gale out there.”
“I'll survive.” He put his hand on the door.
“You can fill in a lot of gaps for her,” Johnny said, “you can make her better.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Rhiannon feels like she didn't know him, but you did.”
Jack sighed and turned around, resting his back on the front door. “Yeah, I did. But now he's gone and it's time for me to move on.”
“Just like that? You come In here and do all this then just nick off again?”
“Sorry.” Jack turned towards the door again. “I really can't stay.”
“My family has been ripped up because of you and your secrets, the least you could do is stick around and help me fix it. I can't do it on my own.”
“I don't see how I could possibly help. I only make things worse.”
“Rhiannon has been going missing a lot, and on the rare occasions that I manage to keep her where I can see her she's like one of those biddy's, the ones off their rockers from Providence Park. The kids are running riot and I don't have enough hours in the day to deal with all the shit life throws at me. You were Ianto's - whatever - and he was family; if he was here he would help and you might not be family but you're the closest thing we've got. So you better get away from that fucking door, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in just like he would've done. This is your family now, whether you want it or not.”
“I don't deserve a family,” Jack said as he walked towards Johnny, “I had one of my own not too long ago and I destroyed it. My own Daughter won't even speak to me and I know that she never will.”
“So you fucked it up?”
“More than you will ever know.”
“Just make sure you don't fuck mine up too."
PART 34 HERE!
Chapter: 33
Rating: NC-17 for series
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto. Mica. David. Martha. Gwen/Rhys. Lois. Johnny/Rhiannon.
Synopsis: Mica may be a Davies, but sometimes she acts like a Jones. Set 13 years in the future. The world is a very different place, and Torchwood is a world that Jack doesn't want to know, but a promise made a long time ago brings him back to their door whether he likes it or not. Mica is in awe of a past she didn't know and a man she barely remembers, but her passion for his world takes her on a journey she never expected.
Spoilers: Aftermath of COE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, if it was this woul not need to be written.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has replied so far XD. As i have said before it was lack of feedbak that made me give up before, but the comment i got for ch8 made me so happy and confident and determined to keep going for this fandom.
PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
NOVEMBER 2009.
The Cardiff air was cold at midnight. The bells of the old church carried in the wind until they faded into the distance like a shadow over a hill, and the waves crashed against the walls of the harbour, then splashed onto the walkway. The wind was fierce and Jack could feel the bitter air though the thickness of his coat as he walked alone again. There was nobody to comfort him any more, nobody to snuggle up to in a cramped bed and waste the nights away with; he wished he wasted less and cherished more. Even the thud of his lonely boot against the stone path reminded him how alone he had become.
He looked at the flooding walkway as he made his way towards Ianto's old favourite spot and considered turning back and disappearing again. Jack had promised himself that he wouldn't come back here again, not after the pain it had caused the last time; it hurt too much to know that he would never find Ianto waiting for him with his coat billowing in the wind like he used to. It had been on that spot, the place where he always found Ianto when he said that he just needed to think, that Jack had found the pleasure of putting his Webley against his temple and squeezing the trigger until the world turned black. He always woke up in the water with a gasp of air that suffocated him and sent him back again; eventually he would come back washed up with debris on in the low tide with a taste of salt-water in his mouth and a wish to be back in the darkness. He felt close to Ianto there, and far away from his never-ending solitary confinement,
His tears had gone now and he could cry no more for what he had lost; he had cried so much that the tracks had become etched into his skin and eroded away his smile. Happiness was a lost emotion now and all he knew was pain. So, he took his Webley from the holster and held it by his side as he made the walk towards the place he found the comforting darkness. As he got closer he saw someone sitting with their back against the railing with their knees tucked into their chest. He put his gun away and walked over slowly, watching them as they rocked back and forth dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt. He could see her shivering, but she made no attempt to move despite the waves of water that splashed over her; it was like she couldn't feel the cold.
Jack walked past her, trying to avoid her gaze as she followed him with her eyes. He hated the way people stared at him sometimes, it was like they knew that something was different.
“ I know you,” she said as he passed, “don't I?”
“Do you?” Jack turned back and walked over, then crouched down beside her.
“I met you before.”
Jack wiped away the wet hair that had become plastered to her face and the moment their eyes met he knew that he recognised her. His breath caught in his chest a little and he almost walked away. “Rhiannon, isn't it?”
“You were there that day with all those soldiers in London.” She smiled sadly. “You held my hand. You're Jack.”
“I remember.”
“They were all so cold to me, formal, but not you. You were so kind. It was easy to see why he liked you.”
Jack took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders. “I should get you home.”
“No.” Rhiannon pulled Jack's coat around her and stared back down at the ground. “I'm waiting for someone.”
“At midnight in the rain?” Jack looked at her eyes; they were bright and hopeful, like a child at Christmas waiting for Santa, but there was something behind them, a veil of sadness that she tried to hide.
“He never lets me down.”
“Who?”
Rhiannon looked over at him and smiled. “My baby brother. He'll be here soon,” she said, “if I wait long enough he'll come.”
Jack closed his eyes and sighed before opening them, then took her hand. “He's not coming back,” he said softly, “he can't.”
“Sure he is! He always does.”
“Not this time.”
“He always turns up here. He ran away from home when he was seven, things just got too much with Mam, and I came down here and waited. I was here all night, then eventually he turned up soaked in rain and covered head to toe in mud. Six o'clock in the morning but here he was. He used to come here when he got upset, I always used to hide in the cupboard behind the Christmas decorations and dads old winter coat.” She looked over at Jack. “We always knew where to look when the other was lost.”
“That was a long time ago. Things Change.”
“Not Ianto. I just have to wait long enough.”
“He died in my arm,” Jack said, “you saw his body.”
“But he can't be gone. I feel him in my head like he's right there just hiding somewhere waiting for me, I know it. He was always so good at hide and seek, he always found the nooks and crannies that you never even thought to check like behind Grandad's Rhubarb. He's not dead, I would know it if he was, he's alive somewhere.”
“Believe me, if he was I would know. I've looked for long enough.” He offered his hand to her. “Lets get you home to your family, yeah?”
“He is my family, he was my family way before Johnny was, and he might not always be there but he's there when I need him. I think he senses it. But lately he's not been here and I need him so much.” She looked at Jack and the hope dropped from her gaze. “Why isn't he here when I need him?”
“Because he can't be.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn't exist any more.” Jack couldn't tell if the water on her cheek was from their rain or her tears. “And I really wish he did.”
“But he has to. He needs to hold my hand, he's always there to hold my hand.”
“I'm sorry.”
“He's the only one I can rely on. He's always there, he always has been and he always will be.” Her voice cracked as she looked at him. “He promised me after Mam died and he always kept his promises.”
“Not this time.” Jack took her hand and pulled her up. “You have to find someone else.”
“You?” She asked. “You're the closest thing I've got.”
He shook his head. “No. I'm going to take you home and then go.”
“Will I see you again?”
“No.” Jack pulled his Greatcoat around her and fastened it up, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lead her back down the pathway. “I can't stay here any more.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Johnny hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand, then flicked through the pages of Rhiannon's diary. He had worked through all of her friends from Bingo, the girls she used to drink with and even the friends she didn't talk to any more, but nobody had seen her. He'd been out in the car and scanned the area, leaving the kids alone with Kim from next door promising to look in once in a while, and given up when he discovered he was just going in circles. Now he was calling through everyone in her phone book; he was up to the last page and as he stared at the final entry and picked up the phone, he heard the door swing open.
“Rhi?” He ran to the door, almost tripping over his own feet, and sighed with relief when he saw her. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“For a walk,” she said, “I needed a walk, okay?”
“And who's this?” He pointed to Jack.
“Captain Jack Harkness.” Jack squeezed Past Rhiannon and offered his hand. “I found her sitting in the rain and thought I should bring her back.”
“Thanks.” Johnny peeled off Jack's coat and handed it back to him, then looked at him closely. “Hold on. You're that guy.”
“What guy?”
“Ianto's - err - his--” Johnny struggled uncomfortably to find his words. “I mean-- he was your-- y'know?”
“Yeah,” Jack said, “he was.”
Johnny grabbed a towel that hung over the radiator and wrapped it around Rhiannon. “You're soaked through!”
“It's raining.” Rhiannon pushed past him. “I need a cuppa, anyone want one? Jack?”
“No. I'm glad you got home safely but I should probably go now,” Jack said, “I have places to go.”
“No!” Johnny stopped him before he could walk out the door. “You're soaked through too, you should stay a bit. Take your shirt off and I'll shove it in the dryer for a bit.”
“I'll be fine.”
“I don't bloody well think so. I don't know where you come from, but around here if you do someone a favour they do one back.”
Jack sighed and looked at the clock. “I suppose five minutes would be okay.” He handed Johnny his coat, then removed his shirt.
“A lot of people would've just walked by and left her there.”
“I just wanted to make sure she was safe, that's all. Ianto would've wanted it.” Jack looked at Rhiannon as she sat down at the kitchen table and stared out of the window at the rain. “She doesn't seem quite right.”
“She's not really.”
“Is Mam home yet?” Mica stood in the doorway in her pyjamas and matching pink Bratz slippers.
Johnny turned towards the voice that came from the doorway. “Mica, what the hell are you doing up?”
“I'm thirsty,” she said, “I wanna drink.”
“There's water in your room.”
“I want milk.”
Jack stared at her, then backed away a little; she was the little girl Ianto had talked about, the quiet one he took to McDonalds. It was better when he could pretend that she didn't exist.
“Fine.” Johnny poured Mica out a glass of milk and handed it to her, then watched her as she drank it in the doorway and handed it back. “Right, Bedtime now.”
“I don't want to,” she moaned, “I wanna see Mam.”
He crouched down. “Mam isn't well right now.”
“Why?”
“She's just not. But she'll be okay tomorrow, I promise.” He kissed her forehead. “Now go to bed
“I'm not tired though.”
“Just go to bed and lie down, close your eyes and you'll fall asleep.”
“But I don't want to!”
“I'm not telling you again.” Johnny put his hands over his face, trying to block her out. “Just do this for Dad yeah?”
“I didn't get my story though.”
“I'll take you up, but no story. I've got to look after Mam tonight.” Johnny gave in and hoisted her up onto his hip. “You're getting too old for carrying.”
Jack watched Johnny as he looked between Mica and Rhiannon, then sighed heavily and walked over to them. “I know a story,” he said.
“About what?” Mica looked at him a little suspiciously.
“Fairies?”
She smiled. “I like fairies.”
“Brilliant. Top of the stairs, first left.”Johnny sighed in relief and handed her to Jack. “You go with your Uncle Jack, yeah?”
“But I want you to tell me a story.”
“His is better, I've heard it, it's better than Harry Potter.”
“Talk about performance anxiety,” Jack mumbled. He carried her up the stairs and tried to ignore her as she looked at him carefully.
“What's wrong with my Mam?” She asked as Jack carried her into her room.
“I thought you wanted a story.”
“I do.”
Jack laid her back on her bed and covered her over with her sheets, then browsed her shelves for a book that looked unread. “One upon a time there was a fairy,” he started, “called-- I dunno - Bella.”
“I thought you said this was a good story?”
“It is!”
“You're just making it up.”
Jack sat down on the edge of her bed. “All stories are made up.”
“Mam used to do the best stories.” Mica looked up at Jack. “But then she stopped when she got sick. She just sits around now, she doesn't do anything.”
“She's just a little sad, that's all.”
“Why?”
Jack took a deep breath. “Because something really sad happened to someone that she loved.”
“My brother David said she's gone loopy.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Some people just get really sad and act in a funny kinda way for a while.”
“He said they would lock her up.” Mica's eyes started to fill with tears. “He said they would take her away and I'd never see her again.”
“They're not going to lock her up.”
“Well why did he say it?”
Jack tucked the duvet in around her. “Because boys his age are stupid.”
“Will he always be stupid?”
“A little bit.” Jack leaned in and put his finger against his lips. “But, shh, I didn't tell you that.”
“So if he's stupid does that mean that he's stupid all the time?”
“No, not all the time, but a sizeable chunk.”
“Cos he said that Uncle Ianto was never coming back.”
Jack closed his eyes and swallowed down a little bit of the pain that started to make his breath jump. “Well, he was right about that.” His voice was weaker than he wanted it to be, but he managed to keep it even.
“But that's not fair. He missed my birthday.”
“He's going to miss plenty more too.”
“But he promised that he'd take me to the pictures!”
“Sometimes you need to break promises, and it doesn't mean that you want to.” He could feel the heat returning to his eyes again. “I mean he promised me a lifetime of things and I'm not gonna get those either.”
“Why not?”
“I just won't.”
“So, you're sad too?”
Jack nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“Can you fix it?”
“Nobody has ever managed to fix a broken heart.” Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened them he could feel the heat of a single tear as it tumbled down his cheek. “I've been around long enough to know.”
“Hugs help,” she said, “when Mam cries Dad always gives her a hug.”
“I wish.”
Mica sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, then pulled back and looked at his disapprovingly. “Big boys don't cry, that's what Dad always says.”
“Sometimes they do.” He took her arms from around his neck and tucked her in again. “You should be asleep, I'm sure it's way past your bedtime by now.”
“But what about Mam?”
“Shell be fine,” Jack said, reaching down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Promise?”
“I promise.” Jack stood up and walked towards the door, then turned to take one last look at her before switching off the light and closing the door. He walked down the stairs and grabbed his wet shirt and coat from the kitchen counter, then walked towards the front door.
“And that's it, is it?” Johnny stood behind him in the doorway. “You're going?”
“And why shouldn't I?”
“You're soaked through,” he said, “It's blowing a gale out there.”
“I'll survive.” He put his hand on the door.
“You can fill in a lot of gaps for her,” Johnny said, “you can make her better.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Rhiannon feels like she didn't know him, but you did.”
Jack sighed and turned around, resting his back on the front door. “Yeah, I did. But now he's gone and it's time for me to move on.”
“Just like that? You come In here and do all this then just nick off again?”
“Sorry.” Jack turned towards the door again. “I really can't stay.”
“My family has been ripped up because of you and your secrets, the least you could do is stick around and help me fix it. I can't do it on my own.”
“I don't see how I could possibly help. I only make things worse.”
“Rhiannon has been going missing a lot, and on the rare occasions that I manage to keep her where I can see her she's like one of those biddy's, the ones off their rockers from Providence Park. The kids are running riot and I don't have enough hours in the day to deal with all the shit life throws at me. You were Ianto's - whatever - and he was family; if he was here he would help and you might not be family but you're the closest thing we've got. So you better get away from that fucking door, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in just like he would've done. This is your family now, whether you want it or not.”
“I don't deserve a family,” Jack said as he walked towards Johnny, “I had one of my own not too long ago and I destroyed it. My own Daughter won't even speak to me and I know that she never will.”
“So you fucked it up?”
“More than you will ever know.”
“Just make sure you don't fuck mine up too."
PART 34 HERE!