New vignette! Lost Archives: Under H is "History"
The first one written in the Lost Archives series.
Title: Lost Archives: Under H is "History"
Series: Torchwood
Characters: Jack Harkness, OC-Abigail Richardson
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Jack's history in Fragments (TW 2.12)
Beta: knitchick1979
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property.
Author's Notes: Jack has been at Torchwood: Cardiff for a while, and he has made some friends over the years.
Lost Archives: Under H is “History”
Date: 1952
Their laughter echoed off the concrete walls of the lower archives. A slim, white hand gripped the filing cabinet, supporting it’s owner as she bent over in laughter. After a moment, she straightened herself up, chuckles still escaping her lips.
“My God Jack! You are such a cad. You shouldn’t be saying things like that to a lady.” She brought her hand down and held it on her stomach while clutching a stack of files in the other. If she concentrated hard enough she could keep the guffaws at bay.
“Oh Abbie, dear, dear Abbie. I hate to tell you this, but no lady has ever worked for Torchwood.” He leaned against the filing cabinet and crossed his arms across his chest. He gave her a half-smile and cocked his head, winking at her.
Abbie slapped the stack of files down on top of the cabinet. “And just what does that make me?” Abbie asked as she curled her fingers around her hips and glared at Jack.
Jack stood up and swept in under her arms, and quickly spun her in a circle. “That makes you so much fun Abbie. I wouldn’t want you any other way.” Jack twirled Abbie again, making her skirt flare out and her hair fall down out of the loose bun.
He held her in his arms, looking down on her, as her soft brown hair caressed the fingertips that trailed along her back. His blue eyes locked into her hazel ones until she turned away, a demure smile on her face.
“You’ve found someone, haven’t you?” Jack could feel her heartbeat against his chest.
Abbie looked back at him, her eyes sparkling. “Yes. Yes I have. And he is the best man.”
Jack released her and picked up the stack of files and turned back to the cabinet. “Well, tell me. Who is he? Oh! Is he the guy, Norman I think his name is, that works at the pub on the corner?”
“No, Jack.” Abbie grabbed half the stack out of Jack’s hands and walked over to another cabinet.
“Oh, I know, it’s that really gorgeous guy that works the newsstand, the one with the nice… assets.” Jack started filing the archives.
“No, Jack. I can’t tell you.”
“And why not? I’m happy for you. Anyone who can find something to live for beyond these walls should celebrate it.”
Abbie stopped her filing and looked at Jack. “It’s because of these walls that I don’t want to say. I don’t want Torchwood to find out. It’s bad enough to know that I… I do, I love him. I never saw it ever happening with him, but I do love him.”
Jack stopped filing and closed the cabinet drawer, leaning against it. “Why don’t you leave Torchwood then? I would miss you so much, but maybe, it would be better.”
“No one ever leaves Torchwood Jack, you should know that. But at least through Torchwood, I can keep him safe.”
“Just what made you join up? You’ve never told me.” Jack moved closer to her and smiled. “Please?” He got down on his knees. “Please? Before true love addles your brain even more.”
“What is this, storytime?” Abbie turned back to her filing.
Jack reached up and grabbed her left hand, pulling her down. “Come on, we never get to just talk anymore. Tell me. Jonathon won’t start wondering how long can it take to file a couple of archives for at least another thirty minutes.”
“It’s a cement floor and bloody cold you git! I am wearing a skirt.”
“I know, I love the view.”
“Fucking wanker!”
“Oooo.. I made the proper lady swear!”
“Fine!”
“I can take care of the cold.” Jack took the files out of her hands tossing them to the side, and then grabbed Abbie around the waist. He sat down on the floor and pulled her down to sit on his lap.
“Jack, if anyone walks in--“
“They’ll think me a very lucky guy.”
“You are incorrigible!”
“And I am keeping you warm,” Jack said as put his arms around her waist and then scooted back, leaning against the wall, holding her tight. “Now, how about my story mam?”
“Fine, what did you want to know?”
“Why did you join up with Torchwood?” Jack leaned his head back.
Abbie moved with him, her head leaning against his shoulder. She let out a sigh. “It was after the war. It’s not like I had a family to look after and care for anymore. And I had liked being able to work, even if it was only in the munitions factory. Well, after the war, they didn’t need all us women to work, so I was out of a job, and alone. I was out for groceries when Jonathon and Huw stopped me. I had seen Hugh in the munitions factory a couple of times, but I did not know why he was there.”
“I know why.”
“I figured you would, but it doesn’t matter much anymore, does it. They said they had been looking for me. Huw was impressed with my work at the factory. He liked how I was efficient and learned everything quickly. All I had to do was see it once and I could do it. Give me five times to do it and I could do it faster.”
“I know. I showed you how to disassemble and clean my Webley just last week and you can do it quicker and better than I already.” Jack’s fingers entwined with hers.
“Thank you.” Abbie paused a moment. “Apparently he was also quite impressed that I took no guff, even from our employers, although that resulted in my wages being docked a couple of times.”
“I could never imagine that coming from you.” Jack chuckled into her hair.
“Listen, you gobshite.”
“I’m sorry, there’s a proper lady somewhere around here supposedly. You’ll have to watch your language ma’am.”
Abbie went to stand up, but Jack held her close. She resisted a moment, but then settled back against him, her hair falling across her cheek. Jack reached up and gently pushed the hair aside.
“Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted. Yes, so Huw offered me a job with Torchwood. I had no one left at home and was going to be out of money soon, and I knew that if I attempted one more secretarial job with any of those lecherous, cantankerous, bulbous men who kept hiring me I would probably end up killing one of them. December 12, 1945 I officially signed all the papers and joined up. But, you weren’t here then.”
“Nope, I was sent out to check up on something. I didn’t get back until Christmas Eve, and that’s when I met you. Talk about a nice Christmas gift.”
“Before or after I punched you?”
“After, but I can’t blame you. If I could, there’s times I would punch myself.”
“I wish you would, it would save the rest of us the trouble.”
“What was that about taking no guff? Can’t believe that.”
“Well I didn’t ask ‘who’s the hot skirt?’ upon meeting you for the first time.”
“Wish you had. That was still no reason to punch me.”
“Need I remind you, you appeared out of nowhere, looking filthy and disgusting, and that smell, I much prefer your everyday smell now.”
“That smell was pretty awful. I’ll allow the punch for that.” Jack smiled as he remembered back. Jack then leaned down over her forehead and tenderly kissed her on the temple. “Abbie, my dear, I am happy you found someone to hopefully care for at home.”
“I do not know about at home, but it is nice to love someone, other than you Jack.”
“This is love?”
“In a way. Really, I am not sure what it is we have, but I like it. I am glad joining Torchwood meant meeting and knowing you Jack.” She took his left hand in both of hers and raised it up. She then chastely kissed his fingers. “I am truly glad I have known you Jack.” She then stood up, brushing off her skirt. “Now, we have some filing to finish before Jonathon gets all doddering and inquisitive.”
“Right, would hate to see him get flustered.” Jack accepted her hand and stood up. “Although, watching his face go from pale to red to blue to purple is very amusing.”
“You are horrible, but it is true.”
They started giggling again as footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. They tried to stop the giggles, but one sideways look at each other only made the giggles turn into laughter. They quickly grabbed up the files, tying to put them back together when Huw walked in. He commanded the room, usually silence met his entrances, and yet the laughter still turned back to giggles.
“I figured it was probably not the best idea to send the two of you to work on the archives, but anyways, Harkness, Richardson, I need to see you two upstairs with the rest of them. The local constabulary has just notified us, there is a bit of trouble in Trefynway. I am thinking we need to send a team out to investigate. I will see you upstairs.”
Huw turned and left. They filed for a moment or two until they could no longer hear his footsteps. Then Jack grabbed the files from Abbie and chucked them behind the cabinet.
“We’ll get them later. Well Richardson, shall we go?”
“But of course Harkness, but of course.”
“Shall we?” Jack held out his arm and Abbie took it as they headed out of the lower archives, a giggle floating ahead of them every couple of steps.
Edited to add header and a couple of typos found.
Title: Lost Archives: Under H is "History"
Series: Torchwood
Characters: Jack Harkness, OC-Abigail Richardson
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Jack's history in Fragments (TW 2.12)
Beta: knitchick1979
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property.
Author's Notes: Jack has been at Torchwood: Cardiff for a while, and he has made some friends over the years.
Lost Archives: Under H is “History”
Date: 1952
Their laughter echoed off the concrete walls of the lower archives. A slim, white hand gripped the filing cabinet, supporting it’s owner as she bent over in laughter. After a moment, she straightened herself up, chuckles still escaping her lips.
“My God Jack! You are such a cad. You shouldn’t be saying things like that to a lady.” She brought her hand down and held it on her stomach while clutching a stack of files in the other. If she concentrated hard enough she could keep the guffaws at bay.
“Oh Abbie, dear, dear Abbie. I hate to tell you this, but no lady has ever worked for Torchwood.” He leaned against the filing cabinet and crossed his arms across his chest. He gave her a half-smile and cocked his head, winking at her.
Abbie slapped the stack of files down on top of the cabinet. “And just what does that make me?” Abbie asked as she curled her fingers around her hips and glared at Jack.
Jack stood up and swept in under her arms, and quickly spun her in a circle. “That makes you so much fun Abbie. I wouldn’t want you any other way.” Jack twirled Abbie again, making her skirt flare out and her hair fall down out of the loose bun.
He held her in his arms, looking down on her, as her soft brown hair caressed the fingertips that trailed along her back. His blue eyes locked into her hazel ones until she turned away, a demure smile on her face.
“You’ve found someone, haven’t you?” Jack could feel her heartbeat against his chest.
Abbie looked back at him, her eyes sparkling. “Yes. Yes I have. And he is the best man.”
Jack released her and picked up the stack of files and turned back to the cabinet. “Well, tell me. Who is he? Oh! Is he the guy, Norman I think his name is, that works at the pub on the corner?”
“No, Jack.” Abbie grabbed half the stack out of Jack’s hands and walked over to another cabinet.
“Oh, I know, it’s that really gorgeous guy that works the newsstand, the one with the nice… assets.” Jack started filing the archives.
“No, Jack. I can’t tell you.”
“And why not? I’m happy for you. Anyone who can find something to live for beyond these walls should celebrate it.”
Abbie stopped her filing and looked at Jack. “It’s because of these walls that I don’t want to say. I don’t want Torchwood to find out. It’s bad enough to know that I… I do, I love him. I never saw it ever happening with him, but I do love him.”
Jack stopped filing and closed the cabinet drawer, leaning against it. “Why don’t you leave Torchwood then? I would miss you so much, but maybe, it would be better.”
“No one ever leaves Torchwood Jack, you should know that. But at least through Torchwood, I can keep him safe.”
“Just what made you join up? You’ve never told me.” Jack moved closer to her and smiled. “Please?” He got down on his knees. “Please? Before true love addles your brain even more.”
“What is this, storytime?” Abbie turned back to her filing.
Jack reached up and grabbed her left hand, pulling her down. “Come on, we never get to just talk anymore. Tell me. Jonathon won’t start wondering how long can it take to file a couple of archives for at least another thirty minutes.”
“It’s a cement floor and bloody cold you git! I am wearing a skirt.”
“I know, I love the view.”
“Fucking wanker!”
“Oooo.. I made the proper lady swear!”
“Fine!”
“I can take care of the cold.” Jack took the files out of her hands tossing them to the side, and then grabbed Abbie around the waist. He sat down on the floor and pulled her down to sit on his lap.
“Jack, if anyone walks in--“
“They’ll think me a very lucky guy.”
“You are incorrigible!”
“And I am keeping you warm,” Jack said as put his arms around her waist and then scooted back, leaning against the wall, holding her tight. “Now, how about my story mam?”
“Fine, what did you want to know?”
“Why did you join up with Torchwood?” Jack leaned his head back.
Abbie moved with him, her head leaning against his shoulder. She let out a sigh. “It was after the war. It’s not like I had a family to look after and care for anymore. And I had liked being able to work, even if it was only in the munitions factory. Well, after the war, they didn’t need all us women to work, so I was out of a job, and alone. I was out for groceries when Jonathon and Huw stopped me. I had seen Hugh in the munitions factory a couple of times, but I did not know why he was there.”
“I know why.”
“I figured you would, but it doesn’t matter much anymore, does it. They said they had been looking for me. Huw was impressed with my work at the factory. He liked how I was efficient and learned everything quickly. All I had to do was see it once and I could do it. Give me five times to do it and I could do it faster.”
“I know. I showed you how to disassemble and clean my Webley just last week and you can do it quicker and better than I already.” Jack’s fingers entwined with hers.
“Thank you.” Abbie paused a moment. “Apparently he was also quite impressed that I took no guff, even from our employers, although that resulted in my wages being docked a couple of times.”
“I could never imagine that coming from you.” Jack chuckled into her hair.
“Listen, you gobshite.”
“I’m sorry, there’s a proper lady somewhere around here supposedly. You’ll have to watch your language ma’am.”
Abbie went to stand up, but Jack held her close. She resisted a moment, but then settled back against him, her hair falling across her cheek. Jack reached up and gently pushed the hair aside.
“Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted. Yes, so Huw offered me a job with Torchwood. I had no one left at home and was going to be out of money soon, and I knew that if I attempted one more secretarial job with any of those lecherous, cantankerous, bulbous men who kept hiring me I would probably end up killing one of them. December 12, 1945 I officially signed all the papers and joined up. But, you weren’t here then.”
“Nope, I was sent out to check up on something. I didn’t get back until Christmas Eve, and that’s when I met you. Talk about a nice Christmas gift.”
“Before or after I punched you?”
“After, but I can’t blame you. If I could, there’s times I would punch myself.”
“I wish you would, it would save the rest of us the trouble.”
“What was that about taking no guff? Can’t believe that.”
“Well I didn’t ask ‘who’s the hot skirt?’ upon meeting you for the first time.”
“Wish you had. That was still no reason to punch me.”
“Need I remind you, you appeared out of nowhere, looking filthy and disgusting, and that smell, I much prefer your everyday smell now.”
“That smell was pretty awful. I’ll allow the punch for that.” Jack smiled as he remembered back. Jack then leaned down over her forehead and tenderly kissed her on the temple. “Abbie, my dear, I am happy you found someone to hopefully care for at home.”
“I do not know about at home, but it is nice to love someone, other than you Jack.”
“This is love?”
“In a way. Really, I am not sure what it is we have, but I like it. I am glad joining Torchwood meant meeting and knowing you Jack.” She took his left hand in both of hers and raised it up. She then chastely kissed his fingers. “I am truly glad I have known you Jack.” She then stood up, brushing off her skirt. “Now, we have some filing to finish before Jonathon gets all doddering and inquisitive.”
“Right, would hate to see him get flustered.” Jack accepted her hand and stood up. “Although, watching his face go from pale to red to blue to purple is very amusing.”
“You are horrible, but it is true.”
They started giggling again as footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. They tried to stop the giggles, but one sideways look at each other only made the giggles turn into laughter. They quickly grabbed up the files, tying to put them back together when Huw walked in. He commanded the room, usually silence met his entrances, and yet the laughter still turned back to giggles.
“I figured it was probably not the best idea to send the two of you to work on the archives, but anyways, Harkness, Richardson, I need to see you two upstairs with the rest of them. The local constabulary has just notified us, there is a bit of trouble in Trefynway. I am thinking we need to send a team out to investigate. I will see you upstairs.”
Huw turned and left. They filed for a moment or two until they could no longer hear his footsteps. Then Jack grabbed the files from Abbie and chucked them behind the cabinet.
“We’ll get them later. Well Richardson, shall we go?”
“But of course Harkness, but of course.”
“Shall we?” Jack held out his arm and Abbie took it as they headed out of the lower archives, a giggle floating ahead of them every couple of steps.
Edited to add header and a couple of typos found.