FanFic: Saying Goodbye.
Title: Saying Goodbye
Rating: PG-13, maybe just hitting the R rating.
Warning: Death Fic, Main character as well! No S2 spoilers though.
Summary: Jack made a promise a long time ago...
Disclaimer: They aren't mine.
Author's Notes: Okay I wrote this after listening to a song and this popped into my head and wouldn't leave me along. It does deal with Death, in a main character kinda way. I know, I know totally depressing fic. There is no spoilers for S2 though which is a good thing. Do Not Read if you don't like Death Fics...... Not Beta'd all mistakes are mine.
Saying Goodbye
The sound of his boots hitting the metal grating echoed in the empty hub. There wasn’t anything or anyone left to dull the noise. Even Myfanwy wasn’t around any more, having disappeared several years ago.
The box in his arms felt as heavy as his heart. This was it as soon as he the hub the doors would never open again. Torchwood Three would close for good. Not that it was needed any more, but the cavernous underground base would just rot away, eventually caving in, just like the tourist office had.
So many memories he’d take with him and so many more he would make sure to leave behind. Something caught his eye, placing the box on the floor he crouched down. Their tucked in between two of the grating panels that lay near the water tower was a dusty stopwatch. The stopwatch that had been lost in that fight.
He reached out, feeling the smooth metal as he picked it up, wiping the dust off the front of it with his thumb. A silly smile came over his face, as he remembered all the times they had used this.
The amount of times they had timed each other doing the most randomness things. In the end their relationship hadn’t just been about sex it had been a whole lot more.
Pushing himself up, Jack laid the stopwatch on top of the box, the light glinting off it every now and then. He had a stop to make before he left Cardiff and this century altogether.
Stepping out onto the plass he took a look around, Cardiff bay hadn’t changed that much in the last sixty years. Sure the millennium centre was starting to show signs of aging, but the water tower was still as polished as ever.
It was the one thing he loved about the bay, was the water tower. Again the tower held memories some good, some not so good. But they would all be going with him, even the ones he really didn’t want to remember.
Sighing he looked at his watch, he had to be there in a few minutes. So he set off, box tucked under his arm, expression grim.
He didn’t want to do this, it was going to be difficult for him, but he had made a promise many years ago that he would do it, a promise that was breaking him to keep.
Striding up an over grown path he pulled his keys out and unlocked the door. That was one thing he had made sure of that he was the only one with a key.
The air in the hallway was stale but he expected that. Hoisting the box a bit higher he made his way up the stairs. The air was better up there, and he noticed the place was almost pristine in tidiness.
Smirking he dropped the box on a near by table, it was just like Ianto to make sure his house was tidy. Sometimes, even over the course of the years, something’s just never changed.
Quietly he pushed the bedroom door open, the smirk leaving his face. This is why he didn’t want to do this, saying goodbye was hard, especially when you had to live on, but he had made a promise.
A shuffle behind him made him turn around; he smiled as he saw the stay in nurse.
“How is he?” asked Jack quietly.
“The same. He was asking after you the other day, kept saying you’d be here soon,” replied the petite woman.
“I always keep my promises.”
“You should know, Captain, I don’t think he’s got long left.”
“That’s why I’m here, I promised him a goodbye.”
Jack stepped further into the room, at some point along the way he had slipped the battered stopwatch into his coat pocket. The weight of it making his coat feel twice as heavy. He perched on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping man.
He never though he’d get to this point. Oh he knew he would outlive them all and he had done. He’d sat with them all in the end, giving them their goodbyes. Hell he had even sat with Rhys at one point as well.
They were all gone now, all except Ianto that was. For some reason the youngest member of Torchwood three had held on the longest. Had held on for this day, he smiled to himself as he remembered that conversation that brought him to be here now…
*
He had died again, this time from a bullet from a rogue UNIT agent. The bullet had been meant for Ianto but he’d caught it instead. Maybe that’s what had sparked the following conversation the following day. He’d been sat at his desk, shifting through the usual paperwork when Ianto walked in and closed the door.
“I want you to promise me something.”
“I’m not very good at keeping promises, Yan.”
Ianto crossed his arms as though hugging himself. “I’m sure you will keep this one, in fact I know you will, sir.”
“O-kay what is it?” asked Jack, frowning he’d not seen Ianto this serious in a long time.
“I know that you can’t die or you do but you don’t stay dead,” Ianto said nervously. “I also know you don’t age at the same rate as the rest of us. The thing is, with this job I know there is no certainties. Nothing set in stone and we…I could die tomorrow I know that, but-“
“Ianto, you’re rambling.”
“Promise me a goodbye,” whispered Ianto blushing.
“What?”
“A goodbye no matter what happens at the end you have to say goodbye.”
“Ianto that’s really morbid even for you. Besides its-“
“Promise me, Jack. Say in sixty years time on the third of August you’ll come say goodbye.”
“Ianto I don’t…”
“Jack, please?”
He studied the young man in front of him the slightly pleading look in the eyes down to the very neatly controlled suit. It was then he knew what his answer would be.
“Okay,” replied Jack nodding. “Okay I promise. I promise I’ll do that for you.”
*
The scene in his mind was as clear now as it had been then. But he’d kept his promise and here he was, sixty years later on the third of August.
Despite the sun shining he shivered, he could feel the temperature in the room drop slightly. He knew that feeling, could sense it a mile off, death was near.
Reaching out he took the old and wrinkled hand into his own. He ran his thumb over the back of it, feeling the raised veins there.
“J-Jack,” croaked Ianto.
Looking up he smiled, “Hey.”
“Didn’t think you’d come.”
“I never break my promises, Ianto, never.”
The old man in front of him didn’t look in any pain; in fact he’d go so far as to say he looked peaceful, relaxed, and so different from his younger self.
“The great Captain Harkness, still full filling promises, still flirting” rasped Ianto, before coughing
“Shush,” soothed Jack, handing over a glass of water. “Besides would you expect anything less?”
“No, not from you.”
He could feel the hand in his tremble slightly and knew the cause of it. No matter what people told you, everyone would fear death at one point or another.
“Where will you go?” asked Ianto.
“I don’t know, where ever the Doctor takes me,” answered Jack shrugging. “It isn’t too late you know, we could help you. Let you live longer, I mean it-“
“Jack, no.”
“What if I don’t want to say goodbye, Ianto? What if I want you to my self a little longer?” asked Jack his voice cracking slightly.
“You made me a promise, Jack.” Ianto said looking pointedly at the immortal.
“I know, I know,” Jack replied softly, giving the hand another squeeze.
He didn’t say anything for a short while after that a lump seemed to have lodged its self in his throat. He stared at Ianto, taking in the man features. It may be an old mans face he was looking at, but he could still see what he fell for.
“You’re still gorgeous, ya know.”
“I’m an old man, Jack,” replied Ianto holding up a shaky hand. “It’s what happens. You still look the same.”
“I’m not though a lot of things have changed.”
“What happened to Torchwood?”
“Shut us down, figured they didn’t need us any more. I picked up the last of the stuff today.”
He let go of Ianto’s hand to pull out the old stopwatch he had found earlier on. It had never been a fancy thing, just the regular plain stopwatch that you could buy from any jewellers.
“I found this on the grating near the water tower. Figured you’d want it back.”
“Keep it.”
“It’s yours I can’t.”
“What will I do with it Jack?”
“Well I could think of a few things!”
The weak swat to his leg had him laughing. It felt good that he could still do this, even if it was for the last time.
“Don’t ever change, Jack” smiled Ianto.
“I won’t, I promise.”
He stuffed the stopwatch back into his pocket. He knew he would never get it fixed, no matter what. He glanced at the bedside clock it read ten to seven in the evening.
He had ten minutes left, ten minutes to say that one word that he had promised. Just ten little minutes. He looked back to Ianto to find the man was watching him.
“What?”
“Thank you,” whispered Ianto, his breath starting to sound short.
“For what?”
“Everything, everything you taught us Captain. Thank…you.”
Jack gripped the hand tighter, time was slipping through his hands like water, he couldn’t grasp it any more make it stop or change it. He stood up, still gripping the hand tightly that was getting weaker, and leaning forwards he placed a kiss on the cooling forehead, squeezing his eyes close. He moved to the side slightly so he could whisper the words that needed to be said.
“Goodbye, Ianto.”
He felt the hand leave his and he found himself unable to move. He couldn’t hear Ianto breathing any more, couldn’t hear the heart beat.
He was alone, no one left they had all gone. Gone to where he’d never be able to get to, he’d never be reunited, never get to see them again.
He felt himself take a shuddery breath but it didn’t help. The overwhelming grief, the emptiness from all their losses built up inside of him till he found he was crying, actually crying.
Looking up he found that it looked liked Ianto had just gone to sleep, and he would have believed so if he didn’t know any better. There was a peaceful smile on his face, he reached out and gently ran a hand down his face.
“Goodbye,” he whispered again.
He turned from the Welshman, turned to leave the house, leave this century and leave Earth. God the emotions he was feeling, were like torture, he had never felt something as painful as this before.
Slipping from the house he wiped a hand across his face. He knew he couldn’t hide the fact he’d been crying from the Doctor. His hand clenched round the stopwatch in his pocket, his heart beating madly as he realized Ianto would never use it again, that they would never use it again.
Again he took in a shuddering breath, it did help a little bit, maybe he wasn’t so sure. With one last glance at the house that had housed one Ianto Jones he turned the corner. Turned onto a new path, on to a new adventure.
Rating: PG-13, maybe just hitting the R rating.
Warning: Death Fic, Main character as well! No S2 spoilers though.
Summary: Jack made a promise a long time ago...
Disclaimer: They aren't mine.
Author's Notes: Okay I wrote this after listening to a song and this popped into my head and wouldn't leave me along. It does deal with Death, in a main character kinda way. I know, I know totally depressing fic. There is no spoilers for S2 though which is a good thing. Do Not Read if you don't like Death Fics...... Not Beta'd all mistakes are mine.
Saying Goodbye
The sound of his boots hitting the metal grating echoed in the empty hub. There wasn’t anything or anyone left to dull the noise. Even Myfanwy wasn’t around any more, having disappeared several years ago.
The box in his arms felt as heavy as his heart. This was it as soon as he the hub the doors would never open again. Torchwood Three would close for good. Not that it was needed any more, but the cavernous underground base would just rot away, eventually caving in, just like the tourist office had.
So many memories he’d take with him and so many more he would make sure to leave behind. Something caught his eye, placing the box on the floor he crouched down. Their tucked in between two of the grating panels that lay near the water tower was a dusty stopwatch. The stopwatch that had been lost in that fight.
He reached out, feeling the smooth metal as he picked it up, wiping the dust off the front of it with his thumb. A silly smile came over his face, as he remembered all the times they had used this.
The amount of times they had timed each other doing the most randomness things. In the end their relationship hadn’t just been about sex it had been a whole lot more.
Pushing himself up, Jack laid the stopwatch on top of the box, the light glinting off it every now and then. He had a stop to make before he left Cardiff and this century altogether.
Stepping out onto the plass he took a look around, Cardiff bay hadn’t changed that much in the last sixty years. Sure the millennium centre was starting to show signs of aging, but the water tower was still as polished as ever.
It was the one thing he loved about the bay, was the water tower. Again the tower held memories some good, some not so good. But they would all be going with him, even the ones he really didn’t want to remember.
Sighing he looked at his watch, he had to be there in a few minutes. So he set off, box tucked under his arm, expression grim.
He didn’t want to do this, it was going to be difficult for him, but he had made a promise many years ago that he would do it, a promise that was breaking him to keep.
Striding up an over grown path he pulled his keys out and unlocked the door. That was one thing he had made sure of that he was the only one with a key.
The air in the hallway was stale but he expected that. Hoisting the box a bit higher he made his way up the stairs. The air was better up there, and he noticed the place was almost pristine in tidiness.
Smirking he dropped the box on a near by table, it was just like Ianto to make sure his house was tidy. Sometimes, even over the course of the years, something’s just never changed.
Quietly he pushed the bedroom door open, the smirk leaving his face. This is why he didn’t want to do this, saying goodbye was hard, especially when you had to live on, but he had made a promise.
A shuffle behind him made him turn around; he smiled as he saw the stay in nurse.
“How is he?” asked Jack quietly.
“The same. He was asking after you the other day, kept saying you’d be here soon,” replied the petite woman.
“I always keep my promises.”
“You should know, Captain, I don’t think he’s got long left.”
“That’s why I’m here, I promised him a goodbye.”
Jack stepped further into the room, at some point along the way he had slipped the battered stopwatch into his coat pocket. The weight of it making his coat feel twice as heavy. He perched on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping man.
He never though he’d get to this point. Oh he knew he would outlive them all and he had done. He’d sat with them all in the end, giving them their goodbyes. Hell he had even sat with Rhys at one point as well.
They were all gone now, all except Ianto that was. For some reason the youngest member of Torchwood three had held on the longest. Had held on for this day, he smiled to himself as he remembered that conversation that brought him to be here now…
*
He had died again, this time from a bullet from a rogue UNIT agent. The bullet had been meant for Ianto but he’d caught it instead. Maybe that’s what had sparked the following conversation the following day. He’d been sat at his desk, shifting through the usual paperwork when Ianto walked in and closed the door.
“I want you to promise me something.”
“I’m not very good at keeping promises, Yan.”
Ianto crossed his arms as though hugging himself. “I’m sure you will keep this one, in fact I know you will, sir.”
“O-kay what is it?” asked Jack, frowning he’d not seen Ianto this serious in a long time.
“I know that you can’t die or you do but you don’t stay dead,” Ianto said nervously. “I also know you don’t age at the same rate as the rest of us. The thing is, with this job I know there is no certainties. Nothing set in stone and we…I could die tomorrow I know that, but-“
“Ianto, you’re rambling.”
“Promise me a goodbye,” whispered Ianto blushing.
“What?”
“A goodbye no matter what happens at the end you have to say goodbye.”
“Ianto that’s really morbid even for you. Besides its-“
“Promise me, Jack. Say in sixty years time on the third of August you’ll come say goodbye.”
“Ianto I don’t…”
“Jack, please?”
He studied the young man in front of him the slightly pleading look in the eyes down to the very neatly controlled suit. It was then he knew what his answer would be.
“Okay,” replied Jack nodding. “Okay I promise. I promise I’ll do that for you.”
*
The scene in his mind was as clear now as it had been then. But he’d kept his promise and here he was, sixty years later on the third of August.
Despite the sun shining he shivered, he could feel the temperature in the room drop slightly. He knew that feeling, could sense it a mile off, death was near.
Reaching out he took the old and wrinkled hand into his own. He ran his thumb over the back of it, feeling the raised veins there.
“J-Jack,” croaked Ianto.
Looking up he smiled, “Hey.”
“Didn’t think you’d come.”
“I never break my promises, Ianto, never.”
The old man in front of him didn’t look in any pain; in fact he’d go so far as to say he looked peaceful, relaxed, and so different from his younger self.
“The great Captain Harkness, still full filling promises, still flirting” rasped Ianto, before coughing
“Shush,” soothed Jack, handing over a glass of water. “Besides would you expect anything less?”
“No, not from you.”
He could feel the hand in his tremble slightly and knew the cause of it. No matter what people told you, everyone would fear death at one point or another.
“Where will you go?” asked Ianto.
“I don’t know, where ever the Doctor takes me,” answered Jack shrugging. “It isn’t too late you know, we could help you. Let you live longer, I mean it-“
“Jack, no.”
“What if I don’t want to say goodbye, Ianto? What if I want you to my self a little longer?” asked Jack his voice cracking slightly.
“You made me a promise, Jack.” Ianto said looking pointedly at the immortal.
“I know, I know,” Jack replied softly, giving the hand another squeeze.
He didn’t say anything for a short while after that a lump seemed to have lodged its self in his throat. He stared at Ianto, taking in the man features. It may be an old mans face he was looking at, but he could still see what he fell for.
“You’re still gorgeous, ya know.”
“I’m an old man, Jack,” replied Ianto holding up a shaky hand. “It’s what happens. You still look the same.”
“I’m not though a lot of things have changed.”
“What happened to Torchwood?”
“Shut us down, figured they didn’t need us any more. I picked up the last of the stuff today.”
He let go of Ianto’s hand to pull out the old stopwatch he had found earlier on. It had never been a fancy thing, just the regular plain stopwatch that you could buy from any jewellers.
“I found this on the grating near the water tower. Figured you’d want it back.”
“Keep it.”
“It’s yours I can’t.”
“What will I do with it Jack?”
“Well I could think of a few things!”
The weak swat to his leg had him laughing. It felt good that he could still do this, even if it was for the last time.
“Don’t ever change, Jack” smiled Ianto.
“I won’t, I promise.”
He stuffed the stopwatch back into his pocket. He knew he would never get it fixed, no matter what. He glanced at the bedside clock it read ten to seven in the evening.
He had ten minutes left, ten minutes to say that one word that he had promised. Just ten little minutes. He looked back to Ianto to find the man was watching him.
“What?”
“Thank you,” whispered Ianto, his breath starting to sound short.
“For what?”
“Everything, everything you taught us Captain. Thank…you.”
Jack gripped the hand tighter, time was slipping through his hands like water, he couldn’t grasp it any more make it stop or change it. He stood up, still gripping the hand tightly that was getting weaker, and leaning forwards he placed a kiss on the cooling forehead, squeezing his eyes close. He moved to the side slightly so he could whisper the words that needed to be said.
“Goodbye, Ianto.”
He felt the hand leave his and he found himself unable to move. He couldn’t hear Ianto breathing any more, couldn’t hear the heart beat.
He was alone, no one left they had all gone. Gone to where he’d never be able to get to, he’d never be reunited, never get to see them again.
He felt himself take a shuddery breath but it didn’t help. The overwhelming grief, the emptiness from all their losses built up inside of him till he found he was crying, actually crying.
Looking up he found that it looked liked Ianto had just gone to sleep, and he would have believed so if he didn’t know any better. There was a peaceful smile on his face, he reached out and gently ran a hand down his face.
“Goodbye,” he whispered again.
He turned from the Welshman, turned to leave the house, leave this century and leave Earth. God the emotions he was feeling, were like torture, he had never felt something as painful as this before.
Slipping from the house he wiped a hand across his face. He knew he couldn’t hide the fact he’d been crying from the Doctor. His hand clenched round the stopwatch in his pocket, his heart beating madly as he realized Ianto would never use it again, that they would never use it again.
Again he took in a shuddering breath, it did help a little bit, maybe he wasn’t so sure. With one last glance at the house that had housed one Ianto Jones he turned the corner. Turned onto a new path, on to a new adventure.