TORCHWOOD/HIS DARK MATERIALS: Departure
Title: Departure
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Gwen, and their respective daemons
Word Count: 365
Rating: PG
Summary: Jack is leaving, with or without his daemon.
Notes: Written for daemonprompts. Spoilers for Children of Earth.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who, Torchwood, and all characters belong to the BBC. Daemons belong to Philip Pullman. I am not affiliated with either, and am not making any money from this.
"Jack Harkness, don't you dare!"
"Jack Harkness," Azaria whispers, a growl lacing each word, "don't you dare."
Jack can see the hope sparking in Gwen's eyes, that his own daemon's arguing with him. Colby's ears flick forward, and he glances hopefully toward Azaria. Jack's jaw tightens, even as his lips twitch into a hard, humorless smile.
"Could be worse," he says quietly, and can't be sure if he's speaking to Gwen or Azaria. "At least I've said goodbye." This time, the last time, and isn't that enough? They can't stay, and she knows it as well as he - he's caught her staring after every small hound daemon, starting at every laughing blond child with a bird wheeling about his head.
He reaches for his wriststrap to send the signal, and Azaria takes one slow step backwards, pressing her whole body against Gwen's legs. Gwen gasps and tenses, and Jack just freezes, suddenly breathless. It's like an electric current running through him. It's like an empty place being filled. It's like cold, hungry fingers winding around his heart, and he could step away, if he likes, but he'd leave his heart behind.
Azaria doesn't growl again, just speaks quietly, perfectly deliberate. "You can go, but I won't. Could you really leave us both?"
He has to close his eyes to shut out Gwen's pleading face, Azaria's gaze seeking his. He doesn't think of that. He thinks, instead, of a thousand deaths, darkness closing in and terrible, terrible loneliness, and that empty, gasping moment just after he returns to life, and he opens his eyes to give them both a terrible, sick smile.
"I do it all the time," he says, and hits the controls to send the signal. Gwen shouts something indistinct, and Azaria snarls and bristles and bares her teeth at him, while the blue glow of the teleport reflects on both their faces. Jack meets Azaria's eyes, and just chokes back the words "I'm sorry." The blue light flares nearly white, Azaria's nerve breaks, and at the last moment she lunges toward him with an anguished howl. He feels her collide with his legs, and the next moment, they're both a million miles away.
Characters/Pairing: Jack, Gwen, and their respective daemons
Word Count: 365
Rating: PG
Summary: Jack is leaving, with or without his daemon.
Notes: Written for daemonprompts. Spoilers for Children of Earth.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who, Torchwood, and all characters belong to the BBC. Daemons belong to Philip Pullman. I am not affiliated with either, and am not making any money from this.
"Jack Harkness, don't you dare!"
"Jack Harkness," Azaria whispers, a growl lacing each word, "don't you dare."
Jack can see the hope sparking in Gwen's eyes, that his own daemon's arguing with him. Colby's ears flick forward, and he glances hopefully toward Azaria. Jack's jaw tightens, even as his lips twitch into a hard, humorless smile.
"Could be worse," he says quietly, and can't be sure if he's speaking to Gwen or Azaria. "At least I've said goodbye." This time, the last time, and isn't that enough? They can't stay, and she knows it as well as he - he's caught her staring after every small hound daemon, starting at every laughing blond child with a bird wheeling about his head.
He reaches for his wriststrap to send the signal, and Azaria takes one slow step backwards, pressing her whole body against Gwen's legs. Gwen gasps and tenses, and Jack just freezes, suddenly breathless. It's like an electric current running through him. It's like an empty place being filled. It's like cold, hungry fingers winding around his heart, and he could step away, if he likes, but he'd leave his heart behind.
Azaria doesn't growl again, just speaks quietly, perfectly deliberate. "You can go, but I won't. Could you really leave us both?"
He has to close his eyes to shut out Gwen's pleading face, Azaria's gaze seeking his. He doesn't think of that. He thinks, instead, of a thousand deaths, darkness closing in and terrible, terrible loneliness, and that empty, gasping moment just after he returns to life, and he opens his eyes to give them both a terrible, sick smile.
"I do it all the time," he says, and hits the controls to send the signal. Gwen shouts something indistinct, and Azaria snarls and bristles and bares her teeth at him, while the blue glow of the teleport reflects on both their faces. Jack meets Azaria's eyes, and just chokes back the words "I'm sorry." The blue light flares nearly white, Azaria's nerve breaks, and at the last moment she lunges toward him with an anguished howl. He feels her collide with his legs, and the next moment, they're both a million miles away.