Flashes of the Past Part 9/?
Title: Flashes of the Past, Part 9/?
Rating: Errrr 15 for language probably.
Characters: Jack/Ianto, Owen, Zara
Spoilers: All of series 2 except exit wounds to be on the safe side.
Summary: Set early on in series 2. Zara is dying and Jack has never felt so helpless.
Disclaimer: Regrettably I own nothing, none of the characters, zip. Wish I did though.
Author’s Notes: Just a random idea I had that grew into a fic. Comments are always loved and adored. Really difficult chapter to write this and I’m still not 100% happy with it! Hope people still enjoy it though J
“My God.” Owen leaned forward dumbstruck, his hands shaking. “What do we do?”
“We……………we……….” Jack couldn’t force the words out of his mouth so he chose different ones. “There’s nothing we can do Owen.”
“I’m here sweetheart.” Jack hadn’t ever ran from his office as fast as he did then. Feeling his heart thump against his chest, he reached out towards her, desperate to keep her safe from all the hurt.
“Dad? Is that you?” Zara breathed, gripping his arm when he reached out to stroke her head.
“Of course it is Zara. I’m here.”
“It’s so dark.” She murmured, clinging desperately to his hand. “I……..I…..can’t see. It’s all black.” Jack felt his blood run cold. His daughter was blind; the neurotoxins had already started to leak out……
“It’s ok.” He soothed, sitting down next to her. Nodding to Ianto, he watched the younger man disappear, leaving just him and Owen by Zara’s side.
“It’s not ok!” She squealed suddenly, thrashing against him. “Don’t lie to me! I know what this is Dad! This is it isn’t it? It’s over!” Flailing beneath him, Jack glanced at Owen, his eyes lost and hopeless. Owen stepped forward, and slowly the two managed to restrain her, until she lay still, her chest moving softly.
“Please, don’t lie to me.” She pleaded feeling round until she grabbed both their hands. “I want the truth.”
Jack took a deep breath, gently stroking his daughter’s hand. “Yes, Zara. It’s…………….It’s………” He couldn’t force the words out of his mouth; he could only squeeze her hand tighter.
“That’s all I needed to know.” She nodded slightly, returning the squeeze on his hand. She lay there motionlessly, the room quiet around them. “Can I talk with Owen please? Just us?” She managed to murmur. Jack looked taken aback, but feeling the pleading squeeze on his hand he knew that he had to leave her, just for a while.
“I’ll be back soon.” He breathed before turning away.
Owen stepped forward and sat beside Zara re-taking her hand. He lifted his other arm and gently stroked her head, already feeling tears well up in his eyes.
“Zara, I don’t………….” He began, his voice trembling.
“Kiss me Owen.” Zara’s voice was strong and calm, yet her hands were shaking.
“Zara?”
“Just kiss me. I want to feel you, I want to………remember you. To remember how I felt last night.” She forced a smile, turning her head in the direction of his voice. “Please.”
Slowly, Owen moved forward gently lowering his lips down onto hers. Feeling her hands come up around his neck, he opening his mouth out of habit, immediately deepening the kiss. Zara groaned slightly as she felt his tongue graze over her teeth, her grip around his neck tightening. After a few minutes she pulled away, gasping for breath but still holding his face close to hers.
“I was hoping I’d be able to spend a long time with you Owen Harper.” She smiled, allowing him to sit down by her side again. “I guess I won’t have chance to do that anymore.”
“Zara don’t-”
“We both know what’s going to happen Owen.” She smiled again weakly. “Just because you’re scared to say it doesn’t mean I won’t die. But…….” She paused, heaving herself up until she could feel that she was sat in front of him. “It’s too early to say this, but our time is running out. I just want you to know that I love you Owen. Even if it is premature.” Owen felt his heart erupt into a fire of pain, as he looked the strong sexy woman he’d just met the day before dissolve into something so vulnerable.
“I love you too.” He found himself saying, knowing it was so true, even though what they had had was so short. He moved forward, wrapping his arms around her, holding her so tightly, never wanting to let go. He couldn’t lose her, not at the beginning of something so incredible.
Feeling her nails grip into his back, Owen let go and watched Zara crumple down onto the table in front of her, grabbing her head and squealing in agony.
“Just lie back.” His Doctor side taking over, Owen swivelled Zara round so that she was lying down again, although both her hands were fixed to her head. He desperately looked around for any painkillers, grabbing a syringe and filling it as quickly as he could.
“Jack!” He managed to yell as he injected the clear fluid into her. He heard hurried steps echo behind him, before seeing Jack appear at his side.
“What happened?” He hissed, looking at Owen anxiously.
“My head……………” Zara gasped, feeling the pain subside. “That burning again. It was behind my eyes, like someone had poured acid into my brain.” Clutching at his arm, Zara finally let tears pour out of her eyes. “I don’t want to die. Not like this.” She sobbed.
His turn this time, Jack enveloped her slim frame in his arms, lifting her to him. He felt her tears wet the front of his shirt, tucking her head underneath his chin. He heard Owen withdraw from the room, finally it was just them.
“Hush.” He soothed, stroking her hair.
“What’s dying like? Does it hurt?” She asked, gripping him tightly. Jack felt his heart thump. How did she know? He decided he shouldn’t ask.
“No.” He lied. “It doesn’t hurt. I promise you.” Letting her go, her laid her gently back onto the table, hand rubbing her arm as he sat down next to her.
“Thank you.” She murmured, her hand resting on his. “I wish that I could live forever, like you.”
“You don’t. You lose everything, everyone.”
“I’m about to lose everything anyway Dad.” She said solemnly, before grimacing as the pain started again. “I need a doctor.” She grimaced, grasping at her temples.
“I’ll fetch Owen,-” Jack started, loosening his grip on her hand.
“No.” She said, pulling him back. “I need The Doctor.”
“What?”
“Just take this.” Loosening her wristwatch, she slid it off her wrist, handing it to him clumsily. “He’s the only one who can take the pain away.”
“I don’t understand Zara.” Jack managed to mumble, fumbling around with the device in his hands.
“There’s…….he programmed it, so that if anything happened to me….he could track me down.”
“How does it work?”
“Smash it. He designed it so that if it got damaged he’d still be able to find me…….I’m not going to need it anymore am I?” She winced, squeezing her eyes shut. Jack took one look at her and saw the pain ripping through her body. He could see in her eyes the same pain that he had seen in Silmar’s all those years ago.
“He’ll come Dad. I know he will.”
Shuddering, Jack thought of The Doctor. He remembered asking him to visit Xavier and make sure Zara was safe. He remembered begging him to look after Zara if anything happened to Xavier. And The Doctor had done just that.
With a thud Jack hit the wrist strap repeatedly against the wall, watching the fine circuitry slowly work looser and looser. There was nothing to indicate that the Doctor was coming, only the echo of Jack’s bangs bouncing through the air.
“Stay with me.” Zara whined, reaching out her arms blindly for him. Slowly Jack moved over to her, placing his hand in hers.
“I will. I’m never going to leave you again Zara.” Feeling more salty tears flow down his cheeks, Jack held tightly onto her hand. “I love you my angel.”
“Angel.” She smiled weakly, rubbing her thumb against his hand. “You haven’t called me that since I was eight.”
“I know.” Jack winced, feeling guilt stab into him like a knife. “And I regret every moment.”
He stayed with her for the next 5 hours, watching her slip in and out of a restless sleep, holding her as the pain grew and then subsided, dabbing away her oncoming fever with a wet towel. Falling asleep as he sat beside her, Jack was suddenly woken from his slumber, Ianto’s hand shaking his shoulders.
“Jack, the blue box……... Its outside, he’s here.” He stuttered in disbelief.
“He’s here?”
“He came.” Zara smiled, pressing her teeth together to forget the pain. “I told you he would.”