Torchwood - fic - The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep, Jack, Gwen, S3 spoilers, PG-13
This kind of goes with Leather, Brass, Wool and Electronics, and also refers to Compatibility.
Title - The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep
Author - laurab1
Rating - PG-13 aka 12
Characters - Jack, Gwen, S3 spoilers
Length - 1064 words
Summary - This time, it’s clear that she’s being the strong one.
Spoilers - 1.1 Everything Changes, 2.1 KKBB, all of S3 Children of Earth
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep
by Laura
April 2010
He’s a coward. He gave up, ran away. Gwen has every right to slam the door of her new house in his face. He really wouldn’t blame her, if she did. But he’s got to try, at least. He needs to see her, make sure she’s okay. Let her know he’s… alive. Two life signs inside, his vortex manipulator tells him; one existing bioscan, one new one. It’s Saturday afternoon, Rhys is probably out watching rugby, somewhere. It’s Six Nations time, isn’t it? Just mum and new-born baby at home.
“Let her tell me,” Jack says, when the manipulator asks if he wants to know the sex of the baby. He closes the flap, clicks the poppers, rings the doorbell, gives an awkward chuckle. “Well, if I’m allowed to know, that is.”
Seconds later, the front door’s open. And he’s got an emotional Gwen in front of him, all new mum, her hair tied back in a pony tail, screwy hormones, dark eyes, from lack of sleep. But she still looks good, she’s still bloody gorgeous. Jack reaches out, thumbs on her cheeks, drying her tears. She brings a hand up to one of his.
“Hey,” he greets, with a hint of a smile.
“Hey. Did that work?” Gwen asks, a small smile on her own lips.
“Yeah,” Jack says, after a while. TARDIS, Doctor, regeneration. His heart’s just a little lighter. Not very much, but enough for it to count. He nods. “It did.”
Gwen nods back, takes her hand away. “Okay. You coming in, then, are you?”
“If I’m welcome?” he asks, eyebrows raised.
Gwen sighs. “Of course you bloody are, Jack. You’re a bastard for running away --”
Jack winces. He knows this, but at the time, it was all he could think of doing.
“-- But you’re our bastard, my best friend. And I bloody love you, Jack Harkness.”
There’s nothing he can say to that, so Jack just cups her face in his hands, leans in, and like he has, many times before, kisses Gwen’s forehead.
“C’mon, come inside. Before the neighbours start gossiping.”
“Let ‘em,” Jack replies.
No slam; a welcome, a repeated encouragement to come inside. An awkward laugh, though. Like she has, so many times before, Gwen slings an arm around his back. He’s pulled into her home, the door’s closed behind him. And then, in another familiar move, he’s got her tucked against his chest. But this time, as they stand in the hallway in each other’s arms, the wreckage of Torchwood Three, it’s clear that she’s being the strong one.
Their quiet moment is interrupted by crying, from upstairs. Someone’s hungry, probably. Gwen leans away, looks up at him. “You want to meet our new baby girl, then, Jack, do you?”
More welcoming gestures, things he didn’t expect to merit. “A girl, huh? What’s her name, Gwen?”
“Amser. It means time.”
Jack doesn’t know if he should be happy or sad at that choice of name. Oh, you had to go and do that, didn’t you, Gwen? “I would love to meet Amser,” he says, just about smiling.
Gwen returns the smile and goes upstairs. Jack finds the lounge, waits for them. Sitting on the sofa, flicking on the TV, he sees that there is indeed rugby on BBC1, Wales versus Italy. It’s about twenty minutes before the ladies come back down.
“Rhys is watching that in a pub,” Gwen says, joining him on the sofa, little Amser in her arms. “I said he could go, on condition that he does all the nappy changes, tomorrow.”
Jack laughs, switches off the TV. He remembers that one. “Sounds like a good plan to me, honey.”
Gwen grins. “Got him well-trained, I have. C’mon, then. You’d better say hello, hadn’t you, before madam falls asleep again. She’s been fed, she’s happy, now.”
She hands him her baby girl, and as his arms go into exactly the right position to hold such a small, young, new life, Jack still can’t believe he’s being trusted like this. “Hello, Miss Amser, you pretty little lady.” Looking down at the girl with Gwen’s eyes, rather than thinking about who he’s lost recently, his thoughts go to who he lost as just a kid. “I was pregnant, once, y’know.”
She says nothing. Jack looks at Gwen, sees her eyes are wide. He continues, “Fifty-first century Earth colony human genetics. Evolution, survival of the fittest, continuance of the species. Would have told you last summer, if there hadn’t been a bomb inside me.”
That triggers her into speaking. But, of all things, Gwen asks, “Oh, God, it wasn’t John’s, was it? Please don’t tell me it was his, Jack!”
He’s impressed that she’s not doubting his story. “Hell, no. Can you imagine us, as we were then, as parents?” He’s silent for a minute. “No, she was half-human, my little girl. I was twenty, I’d just survived my first proper war. Half-human, and still-born. I buried her, then signed straight up for the Time Agency.” And the bastards ended up screwing me over. Amser’s fallen asleep, now. He hands her back to Gwen.
“Lois Habiba wants to meet you properly, Jack,” she immediately says, apparently sensing she’s not getting any more of that particular tale. “She’s Torchwood, now, and she’s bloody good, she is. It’s me, her, and even Johnson, saving the world. The state’s loss, our gain.”
And he wants to meet Lois. “Girls and guns, never fails to turn me on,” Jack replies, instead, deflecting her. Because he knows Gwen’s gonna request something he’s still not completely ready to give, not just yet.
She rolls her eyes (someone’s got to), knowing his moves far too well. But she still tries, asking, “Are you going to stay, this time, Jack?”
“Need to get used to being on Earth again, first, Gwen.” Another deflection. “Sounds like you ladies are managing just fine without me, anyway.”
“It’s not about bloody managing, Captain Jack Harkness. It’s about having my friend back. My best friend. The only person on Earth, other than Rhys, who really understands just how bloody hard it all is.”
“Need to get used to being on Earth again,” he repeats. “I’m still not quite ready to come back, Gwen, sweetheart.”
“But when you are…?”
“I’ll come and find you, again. I promise. And Lois Habiba can indeed meet her Captain.”
-end-
crosspost:
torch_wood
torchwood_fic
jack_and_gwen
dwfiction
galactic_conman
torchwood_decaf
house_of_cooper
Title - The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep
Author - laurab1
Rating - PG-13 aka 12
Characters - Jack, Gwen, S3 spoilers
Length - 1064 words
Summary - This time, it’s clear that she’s being the strong one.
Spoilers - 1.1 Everything Changes, 2.1 KKBB, all of S3 Children of Earth
Disclaimer - alas, none of these people are mine
Feedback is loved and appreciated :) Enjoy!
The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep
by Laura
April 2010
He’s a coward. He gave up, ran away. Gwen has every right to slam the door of her new house in his face. He really wouldn’t blame her, if she did. But he’s got to try, at least. He needs to see her, make sure she’s okay. Let her know he’s… alive. Two life signs inside, his vortex manipulator tells him; one existing bioscan, one new one. It’s Saturday afternoon, Rhys is probably out watching rugby, somewhere. It’s Six Nations time, isn’t it? Just mum and new-born baby at home.
“Let her tell me,” Jack says, when the manipulator asks if he wants to know the sex of the baby. He closes the flap, clicks the poppers, rings the doorbell, gives an awkward chuckle. “Well, if I’m allowed to know, that is.”
Seconds later, the front door’s open. And he’s got an emotional Gwen in front of him, all new mum, her hair tied back in a pony tail, screwy hormones, dark eyes, from lack of sleep. But she still looks good, she’s still bloody gorgeous. Jack reaches out, thumbs on her cheeks, drying her tears. She brings a hand up to one of his.
“Hey,” he greets, with a hint of a smile.
“Hey. Did that work?” Gwen asks, a small smile on her own lips.
“Yeah,” Jack says, after a while. TARDIS, Doctor, regeneration. His heart’s just a little lighter. Not very much, but enough for it to count. He nods. “It did.”
Gwen nods back, takes her hand away. “Okay. You coming in, then, are you?”
“If I’m welcome?” he asks, eyebrows raised.
Gwen sighs. “Of course you bloody are, Jack. You’re a bastard for running away --”
Jack winces. He knows this, but at the time, it was all he could think of doing.
“-- But you’re our bastard, my best friend. And I bloody love you, Jack Harkness.”
There’s nothing he can say to that, so Jack just cups her face in his hands, leans in, and like he has, many times before, kisses Gwen’s forehead.
“C’mon, come inside. Before the neighbours start gossiping.”
“Let ‘em,” Jack replies.
No slam; a welcome, a repeated encouragement to come inside. An awkward laugh, though. Like she has, so many times before, Gwen slings an arm around his back. He’s pulled into her home, the door’s closed behind him. And then, in another familiar move, he’s got her tucked against his chest. But this time, as they stand in the hallway in each other’s arms, the wreckage of Torchwood Three, it’s clear that she’s being the strong one.
Their quiet moment is interrupted by crying, from upstairs. Someone’s hungry, probably. Gwen leans away, looks up at him. “You want to meet our new baby girl, then, Jack, do you?”
More welcoming gestures, things he didn’t expect to merit. “A girl, huh? What’s her name, Gwen?”
“Amser. It means time.”
Jack doesn’t know if he should be happy or sad at that choice of name. Oh, you had to go and do that, didn’t you, Gwen? “I would love to meet Amser,” he says, just about smiling.
Gwen returns the smile and goes upstairs. Jack finds the lounge, waits for them. Sitting on the sofa, flicking on the TV, he sees that there is indeed rugby on BBC1, Wales versus Italy. It’s about twenty minutes before the ladies come back down.
“Rhys is watching that in a pub,” Gwen says, joining him on the sofa, little Amser in her arms. “I said he could go, on condition that he does all the nappy changes, tomorrow.”
Jack laughs, switches off the TV. He remembers that one. “Sounds like a good plan to me, honey.”
Gwen grins. “Got him well-trained, I have. C’mon, then. You’d better say hello, hadn’t you, before madam falls asleep again. She’s been fed, she’s happy, now.”
She hands him her baby girl, and as his arms go into exactly the right position to hold such a small, young, new life, Jack still can’t believe he’s being trusted like this. “Hello, Miss Amser, you pretty little lady.” Looking down at the girl with Gwen’s eyes, rather than thinking about who he’s lost recently, his thoughts go to who he lost as just a kid. “I was pregnant, once, y’know.”
She says nothing. Jack looks at Gwen, sees her eyes are wide. He continues, “Fifty-first century Earth colony human genetics. Evolution, survival of the fittest, continuance of the species. Would have told you last summer, if there hadn’t been a bomb inside me.”
That triggers her into speaking. But, of all things, Gwen asks, “Oh, God, it wasn’t John’s, was it? Please don’t tell me it was his, Jack!”
He’s impressed that she’s not doubting his story. “Hell, no. Can you imagine us, as we were then, as parents?” He’s silent for a minute. “No, she was half-human, my little girl. I was twenty, I’d just survived my first proper war. Half-human, and still-born. I buried her, then signed straight up for the Time Agency.” And the bastards ended up screwing me over. Amser’s fallen asleep, now. He hands her back to Gwen.
“Lois Habiba wants to meet you properly, Jack,” she immediately says, apparently sensing she’s not getting any more of that particular tale. “She’s Torchwood, now, and she’s bloody good, she is. It’s me, her, and even Johnson, saving the world. The state’s loss, our gain.”
And he wants to meet Lois. “Girls and guns, never fails to turn me on,” Jack replies, instead, deflecting her. Because he knows Gwen’s gonna request something he’s still not completely ready to give, not just yet.
She rolls her eyes (someone’s got to), knowing his moves far too well. But she still tries, asking, “Are you going to stay, this time, Jack?”
“Need to get used to being on Earth again, first, Gwen.” Another deflection. “Sounds like you ladies are managing just fine without me, anyway.”
“It’s not about bloody managing, Captain Jack Harkness. It’s about having my friend back. My best friend. The only person on Earth, other than Rhys, who really understands just how bloody hard it all is.”
“Need to get used to being on Earth again,” he repeats. “I’m still not quite ready to come back, Gwen, sweetheart.”
“But when you are…?”
“I’ll come and find you, again. I promise. And Lois Habiba can indeed meet her Captain.”
-end-
crosspost:
torch_wood
torchwood_fic
jack_and_gwen
dwfiction
galactic_conman
torchwood_decaf
house_of_cooper