A New Dawn 24
Part: 24/?
Rating: 18+
Warnings: Mentions of previous torture and rape
Genre: Angst, AU
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Owen, Tosh, Gwen
Summary: AU. The Torchwood team discover the truth about what happened on the Valiant and search for Jack. A dark fic.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN:
Previous chapter here: http://ohinyan.livejournal.com/28223.html
Chapter 24
When Jack left the room, Tosh and Ianto were left alone.
Tosh shifted uncomfortably, as Ianto regarded her. “Ianto, I don't know what to say,” she started. “I ...”
“It's OK Tosh,” Ianto interrupted. “I understand. And I don't mind. Jack needs comfort and affection and, because we have too much bad history, it can't be me who provides it.” He sighed and sat down at the table. “I broke his heart, Tosh, and I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me.”
“Oh, Ianto, I'm sure he will,” Tosh assured him sympathetically. “He just needs time. Perhaps the therapy will help.”
“I really hope so,” Ianto replied. “He desperately needs it. I hope that this Charlotte Nash is as good as her reputation implies.”
* * * * *
After clearing up the coffee that Jack had dropped, Gwen had fled home, telling Owen, fleetingly, that she needed some air. She was mortified. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt Jack. And she had totally forgotten that Ianto didn't know the worst details of the UNIT prison.
When she got home, Rhys was there. He was amazed to see her in the middle of a shift. “Has something happened,” he asked in a panic. “Is anybody hurt?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Gwen told him. “But I said something I shouldn't have, and Jack overheard me. It really upset him.”
Rhys was surprised that Gwen was so worried. Jack had never been one to be overly worried about unfortunate remarks. “Oh, Jack won't be worried. He's a capable bloke, I'm sure he'll understand that you didn't mean any harm.”
Gwen was very conscious that Rhys did not know the true facts about Jack's return to Torchwood. He knew that Jack had been in prison, but then pardoned. But he knew none of the horrific details. He could have no idea how vulnerable Jack was now, and how easy to hurt.
“Sit down and have a cuppa,” Rhys suggested. “That'll calm you down.”
* * * * *
When Joanne came in for her shift she sought out Owen, to get an update on Jack.
Owen gave her a quick run down of the earlier events, including Gwen's mega faux pas.
Predictably, Joanne was furious. “Oh, that's just great! Just what a man with the world's worst case of PTSD needs to hear. I hope you read her the riot act.”
“It was an accident Joanne. She didn't have any idea that Jack would walk in,” he explained, in Gwen's defence.
“Well how did he react?” Joanne demanded. “Did it set him off needing the heroin?”
“No, fortunately Tosh was able to calm him down. I think he's accepted that we know everything, including the worst, and we are still standing by him.”
“Well, that's a relief,” Joanne exclaimed. “But we need to get his therapy started soon. Have you got in touch with her yet?” she asked.
“Yes, I have. And I've sent her the documentation. I invited her to visit me to talk about it, in a couple of days. She's going to come by my house, so there's no chance of Jack hearing anything else that could upset him.”
“That's a good idea,” Joanne agreed. “Do you think she'll take the case?”
“I really hope so. There isn't a long list of therapists who would take world dominating, psycho, aliens in their stride.”
* * * * *
After talking to Owen, Joanne went to look for Jack. She found him in his room, going through a box of photographs.
Knocking on the open door, she called “Can I come in?”
Jack looked up and saw Joanne. He beckoned her in with a gesture.
“May I see?” Joanne asked, unsure if Jack would allow it.
With only a brief hesitation, Jack pushed one of the photographs across the bedside table towards her. It was a wedding photo, in sepia, so clearly it was getting on for 100 years old. The man in it was obviously Jack. Joanne was stunned. Despite knowing that Jack could not die, she had not extrapolated that fact to mean that he had lived so long, and without any physical change. “How long have you lived?” she blurted out.
Jack laughed wryly. “Not long yet. Only a couple of hundred years. I'm told I can expect a hell of a lot longer than that.”
“She's beautiful,” Joanne commented, looking back at the photograph.
“Yes, she was,” Jack agreed, “and this photo doesn't do her justice.”
Given the age of the photo, the woman must be long dead. And, Joanne suddenly realised, this would be the story of Jack's immortal life. Watching everyone he loved age and die. “I'm so sorry.”
Jack seemed to follow the apparent non sequitur. He smiled, sadly, and nodded in acknowledgement.
* * * * *
When Joanne and Jack went back up to the boardroom, Ianto, Tosh and Owen were all there.
“Jack,” Owen began, as if nothing had happened since they last spoke. “Do you want to get those UNIT bastards? See that they get their comeuppance?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“Then, I need you to make a written report of exactly what they did to you, and why, and who did it; from the highest ranking person in there to the lowliest soldier. Name everyone. If you don't know names, Tosh can help you go through the staff roster to pick them out.”
“Peterson agreed to give evidence to back you up,” Tosh explained. “So we'll have a good case against them, for submission to the Queen. She'll throw the book at them when she finds out what they've been doing.”
“Who's Peterson?”
“He was one of the guards in your prison,” Ianto explained. “The one who smuggled the DVDs of the Valiant to us, so that we could get you pardoned.”
“I vaguely remember the name,” Jack mused.
“You might remember him if you see his photo,” Tosh pointed out. “And you tell us if he ever did anything to hurt you. He claims he didn't, but, if he did, we need to know.”
“Come down to my desk Jack, and we can look through the staff lists and get all the names you need first. Then I'll leave you to write up your report. I'm due off shift soon and I'll head off home then.”
Half an hour later, they had put names to all the guards in the prison who had joined in, in abusing Jack, either while he was being tortured for information, or later when he was desperate for heroin. Three were dead. Jack had recognised Peterson, but as someone who had been kind to him, not as an abuser, for which Tosh was grateful. Jack had had no difficulty naming the people who instigated the abuse. Major Stamford and Colonel Oduya would be the stars of his report.
When they finished, Tosh stood up and got ready to leave. “You don't need to do it all now, you know,” she told Jack. “You can take some time for yourself, and do it later.”
“No, I want to get it done,” Jack replied. “The sooner we get this case going, the sooner I'll be able to leave the Hub, without fearing that they are out there waiting for me.”
“You don't want to leave yet, do you?” Tosh said, starting to panic.
“No. I'm staying for the moment,” Jack assured her. “But I would like to be able to come and go.”
Tosh smiled. “And you will be able to. We'll make sure they are dealt with.” With that, she bent down and gave Jack a quick kiss on the lips. “I'll see you tomorrow. Bye now.”
* * * *
Gwen returned to the Hub just in time to see Tosh kiss Jack, and head home. She was surprised, to say the least, but her embarrassment about what had happened earlier, outweighed her inclination to gawp incredulously at Jack. She scurried past him, with a quick hello, and scuttled into the archives. She found Ianto there. “What's going on with Jack and Tosh?” she demanded. “I just saw her kiss him!”
Ianto sighed. Before the Valiant, Gwen had had a major crush on Jack, despite her relationship with Rhys. Like his love for Jack, that had turned to contempt, and hate, when they thought Jack guilty of collaborating with the Master. He hoped that she would not resurrect the crush, now that she knew of Jack's true actions. That would be just what they needed. Three of them in love with Jack. “You're not jealous are you?” he asked.
“Don't be daft!” Gwen exclaimed. “I'm a married woman.” She looked at Ianto carefully, and then asked him, “Are you jealous?”
Ianto blushed. “Not jealous, no, but I am depressed. You know how I feel about Jack.”
Gwen's motherly instincts rushed to the fore. “Oh Ianto, love, you shouldn't worry. It was just a quick peck on the lips, nothing significant.”
“Oh it was significant, believe me,” he replied. “And it wasn't just a peck on the lips. They've been to bed together.”
“No way!” exclaimed Gwen. She was flabbergasted. “When?”
“This morning, after Jack ran off,” Ianto explained. “Obviously it's not what I want, but it's good for Jack. He needs affection, and Tosh can give it to him. We should support them.”
“Oh, of course,” Gwen agreed, surprised at how calmly Ianto was taking this.
* * * * *
Mark arrived for his shift at 6pm. He found everything quiet. He checked the CCTV. Jack was down in his room, typing on a laptop, Ianto was in the archive and Owen was doing paperwork in his office. He checked the logs. Gwen had gone out with Joanne to check a report of a mysterious animal in Cathays.
He went into Owen's office. “Hey Owen. I'm in, so you and Ianto can get off home if you like. I'm on with Joanne tonight, right?”
“Yes, that's right Mark. And I should really get home on time for once. There's nothing urgent at the moment.” He stood up and prepared to leave. “But call me if anything happens with Jack won't you.”
“Sure,” agreed Mark. “Are you expecting any problems?”
Owen wondered if he should explain Jack's earlier meltdown, and the reasons behind it. But things had calmed down, and Jack was unlikely to throw another wobbler at this point. He decided that Mark didn't need to know the details of the UNIT prison.
“No. He should be fine. He's not due for another fix yet. So I'll be off then. I'll see you tomorrow.”
* * * * *
It was early evening when Owen arrived home.
Karen was understandably surprised. “My God, you're home. That's the first time in over a week that you've been home before midnight, if at all.”
“Yes, I'm sorry. Things have been very,” he hesitated, looking for the correct word, “traumatic at work lately.”
“I could tell. You've been like a bear with a sore head whenever I have seen you.” Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a hug and they kissed. “Is it to do with the man you told me about. Jack. The one who was pardoned?”
Owen slumped down into a chair. “Yes. We found him and brought him to Torchwood. But he's in a bad way. He's got major PTSD, not surprisingly, and he's addicted to heroin.”
Karen looked shocked.
“It happened in prison, and wasn't voluntary,” Owen explained. “And getting him off it is going to take years.” He put his head in his hands. “He doesn't deserve any of this. He's a hero, but all he got in return was pain and grief.”
“It sounds like he needs professional help,” Karen put in.
“Ah, yes,” said Owen sheepishly. “He does. And the therapist is coming here in a couple of days to discuss the case. You don't mind do you?”
“Here, to the house?” Karen queried.
“Yes. And I need you to give us privacy when she does. The things we need to discuss are very personal for Jack.”
“That's OK,” Karen smiled. “Just let me know when, and I'll make sure I'm out. You do what needs to be done to help him.”
* * * *
Jack worked on his report over the next two days, while the others tried to catch up with their Torchwood work. There were a couple of rift alerts, which were dealt with easily, with no injuries to anyone. It was the most peaceful time Jack could remember for ages, or would have been, if he hadn't been bringing things better forgotten to the forefront of his mind, in order to write his report. Dragging up the exact details was hard. It was akin to trying to relive the memories, rather than having them inflicted upon him by the heroin withdrawal. He did not want to remember, but he had to do it in order to bring those UNIT people down. He wanted justice, and he wanted to be free to walk the streets without fear.
By the time he finished he was emotionally drained. And he could feel the need for heroin becoming stronger all the time. He took the report to Owen and handed it over. “Here, it's done. You'd better read it through and see if you need anything clarified.”
Owen took it from him, giving Jack a once over with his professional eye as he did so. He looked exhausted and was beginning to show signs of tremors. “Thanks Jack. I know that this wasn't easy for you.”
“No it wasn't,” Jack replied. “And now I need a fix.” He looked at Owen apprehensively. This was when he found out if the team would honour their promise to provide him with heroin.
“Oh, right of course,” stuttered Owen, leaping up in his haste to fetch Jack's heroin. He did not want to let him suffer as he had before.
His haste reassured Jack. “It's OK, you don't have to run,” he commented. “I'll manage for a little while yet.”
As they went into the medical bay together, Owen asked “Do you want someone to stay with you while you're out of it?”
Jack considered that briefly, but then shook his head. “No, it's OK, as long as there is someone in the Hub.”
“There will be, don't worry,” Owen promised. Handing Jack the syringe he had just prepared, he asked “Do you want to take this down to your room?”
“Yes, and a ligature. I'll be fine in my room.”
“OK, but we'll monitor you.”
Jack had expected nothing else, but this time he found he did not mind.
Next chapter here: http://ohinyan.livejournal.com/28855.html
Rating: 18+
Warnings: Mentions of previous torture and rape
Genre: Angst, AU
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Owen, Tosh, Gwen
Summary: AU. The Torchwood team discover the truth about what happened on the Valiant and search for Jack. A dark fic.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN:
Previous chapter here: http://ohinyan.livejournal.com/28223.html
Chapter 24
When Jack left the room, Tosh and Ianto were left alone.
Tosh shifted uncomfortably, as Ianto regarded her. “Ianto, I don't know what to say,” she started. “I ...”
“It's OK Tosh,” Ianto interrupted. “I understand. And I don't mind. Jack needs comfort and affection and, because we have too much bad history, it can't be me who provides it.” He sighed and sat down at the table. “I broke his heart, Tosh, and I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me.”
“Oh, Ianto, I'm sure he will,” Tosh assured him sympathetically. “He just needs time. Perhaps the therapy will help.”
“I really hope so,” Ianto replied. “He desperately needs it. I hope that this Charlotte Nash is as good as her reputation implies.”
* * * * *
After clearing up the coffee that Jack had dropped, Gwen had fled home, telling Owen, fleetingly, that she needed some air. She was mortified. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt Jack. And she had totally forgotten that Ianto didn't know the worst details of the UNIT prison.
When she got home, Rhys was there. He was amazed to see her in the middle of a shift. “Has something happened,” he asked in a panic. “Is anybody hurt?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Gwen told him. “But I said something I shouldn't have, and Jack overheard me. It really upset him.”
Rhys was surprised that Gwen was so worried. Jack had never been one to be overly worried about unfortunate remarks. “Oh, Jack won't be worried. He's a capable bloke, I'm sure he'll understand that you didn't mean any harm.”
Gwen was very conscious that Rhys did not know the true facts about Jack's return to Torchwood. He knew that Jack had been in prison, but then pardoned. But he knew none of the horrific details. He could have no idea how vulnerable Jack was now, and how easy to hurt.
“Sit down and have a cuppa,” Rhys suggested. “That'll calm you down.”
* * * * *
When Joanne came in for her shift she sought out Owen, to get an update on Jack.
Owen gave her a quick run down of the earlier events, including Gwen's mega faux pas.
Predictably, Joanne was furious. “Oh, that's just great! Just what a man with the world's worst case of PTSD needs to hear. I hope you read her the riot act.”
“It was an accident Joanne. She didn't have any idea that Jack would walk in,” he explained, in Gwen's defence.
“Well how did he react?” Joanne demanded. “Did it set him off needing the heroin?”
“No, fortunately Tosh was able to calm him down. I think he's accepted that we know everything, including the worst, and we are still standing by him.”
“Well, that's a relief,” Joanne exclaimed. “But we need to get his therapy started soon. Have you got in touch with her yet?” she asked.
“Yes, I have. And I've sent her the documentation. I invited her to visit me to talk about it, in a couple of days. She's going to come by my house, so there's no chance of Jack hearing anything else that could upset him.”
“That's a good idea,” Joanne agreed. “Do you think she'll take the case?”
“I really hope so. There isn't a long list of therapists who would take world dominating, psycho, aliens in their stride.”
* * * * *
After talking to Owen, Joanne went to look for Jack. She found him in his room, going through a box of photographs.
Knocking on the open door, she called “Can I come in?”
Jack looked up and saw Joanne. He beckoned her in with a gesture.
“May I see?” Joanne asked, unsure if Jack would allow it.
With only a brief hesitation, Jack pushed one of the photographs across the bedside table towards her. It was a wedding photo, in sepia, so clearly it was getting on for 100 years old. The man in it was obviously Jack. Joanne was stunned. Despite knowing that Jack could not die, she had not extrapolated that fact to mean that he had lived so long, and without any physical change. “How long have you lived?” she blurted out.
Jack laughed wryly. “Not long yet. Only a couple of hundred years. I'm told I can expect a hell of a lot longer than that.”
“She's beautiful,” Joanne commented, looking back at the photograph.
“Yes, she was,” Jack agreed, “and this photo doesn't do her justice.”
Given the age of the photo, the woman must be long dead. And, Joanne suddenly realised, this would be the story of Jack's immortal life. Watching everyone he loved age and die. “I'm so sorry.”
Jack seemed to follow the apparent non sequitur. He smiled, sadly, and nodded in acknowledgement.
* * * * *
When Joanne and Jack went back up to the boardroom, Ianto, Tosh and Owen were all there.
“Jack,” Owen began, as if nothing had happened since they last spoke. “Do you want to get those UNIT bastards? See that they get their comeuppance?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“Then, I need you to make a written report of exactly what they did to you, and why, and who did it; from the highest ranking person in there to the lowliest soldier. Name everyone. If you don't know names, Tosh can help you go through the staff roster to pick them out.”
“Peterson agreed to give evidence to back you up,” Tosh explained. “So we'll have a good case against them, for submission to the Queen. She'll throw the book at them when she finds out what they've been doing.”
“Who's Peterson?”
“He was one of the guards in your prison,” Ianto explained. “The one who smuggled the DVDs of the Valiant to us, so that we could get you pardoned.”
“I vaguely remember the name,” Jack mused.
“You might remember him if you see his photo,” Tosh pointed out. “And you tell us if he ever did anything to hurt you. He claims he didn't, but, if he did, we need to know.”
“Come down to my desk Jack, and we can look through the staff lists and get all the names you need first. Then I'll leave you to write up your report. I'm due off shift soon and I'll head off home then.”
Half an hour later, they had put names to all the guards in the prison who had joined in, in abusing Jack, either while he was being tortured for information, or later when he was desperate for heroin. Three were dead. Jack had recognised Peterson, but as someone who had been kind to him, not as an abuser, for which Tosh was grateful. Jack had had no difficulty naming the people who instigated the abuse. Major Stamford and Colonel Oduya would be the stars of his report.
When they finished, Tosh stood up and got ready to leave. “You don't need to do it all now, you know,” she told Jack. “You can take some time for yourself, and do it later.”
“No, I want to get it done,” Jack replied. “The sooner we get this case going, the sooner I'll be able to leave the Hub, without fearing that they are out there waiting for me.”
“You don't want to leave yet, do you?” Tosh said, starting to panic.
“No. I'm staying for the moment,” Jack assured her. “But I would like to be able to come and go.”
Tosh smiled. “And you will be able to. We'll make sure they are dealt with.” With that, she bent down and gave Jack a quick kiss on the lips. “I'll see you tomorrow. Bye now.”
* * * *
Gwen returned to the Hub just in time to see Tosh kiss Jack, and head home. She was surprised, to say the least, but her embarrassment about what had happened earlier, outweighed her inclination to gawp incredulously at Jack. She scurried past him, with a quick hello, and scuttled into the archives. She found Ianto there. “What's going on with Jack and Tosh?” she demanded. “I just saw her kiss him!”
Ianto sighed. Before the Valiant, Gwen had had a major crush on Jack, despite her relationship with Rhys. Like his love for Jack, that had turned to contempt, and hate, when they thought Jack guilty of collaborating with the Master. He hoped that she would not resurrect the crush, now that she knew of Jack's true actions. That would be just what they needed. Three of them in love with Jack. “You're not jealous are you?” he asked.
“Don't be daft!” Gwen exclaimed. “I'm a married woman.” She looked at Ianto carefully, and then asked him, “Are you jealous?”
Ianto blushed. “Not jealous, no, but I am depressed. You know how I feel about Jack.”
Gwen's motherly instincts rushed to the fore. “Oh Ianto, love, you shouldn't worry. It was just a quick peck on the lips, nothing significant.”
“Oh it was significant, believe me,” he replied. “And it wasn't just a peck on the lips. They've been to bed together.”
“No way!” exclaimed Gwen. She was flabbergasted. “When?”
“This morning, after Jack ran off,” Ianto explained. “Obviously it's not what I want, but it's good for Jack. He needs affection, and Tosh can give it to him. We should support them.”
“Oh, of course,” Gwen agreed, surprised at how calmly Ianto was taking this.
* * * * *
Mark arrived for his shift at 6pm. He found everything quiet. He checked the CCTV. Jack was down in his room, typing on a laptop, Ianto was in the archive and Owen was doing paperwork in his office. He checked the logs. Gwen had gone out with Joanne to check a report of a mysterious animal in Cathays.
He went into Owen's office. “Hey Owen. I'm in, so you and Ianto can get off home if you like. I'm on with Joanne tonight, right?”
“Yes, that's right Mark. And I should really get home on time for once. There's nothing urgent at the moment.” He stood up and prepared to leave. “But call me if anything happens with Jack won't you.”
“Sure,” agreed Mark. “Are you expecting any problems?”
Owen wondered if he should explain Jack's earlier meltdown, and the reasons behind it. But things had calmed down, and Jack was unlikely to throw another wobbler at this point. He decided that Mark didn't need to know the details of the UNIT prison.
“No. He should be fine. He's not due for another fix yet. So I'll be off then. I'll see you tomorrow.”
* * * * *
It was early evening when Owen arrived home.
Karen was understandably surprised. “My God, you're home. That's the first time in over a week that you've been home before midnight, if at all.”
“Yes, I'm sorry. Things have been very,” he hesitated, looking for the correct word, “traumatic at work lately.”
“I could tell. You've been like a bear with a sore head whenever I have seen you.” Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a hug and they kissed. “Is it to do with the man you told me about. Jack. The one who was pardoned?”
Owen slumped down into a chair. “Yes. We found him and brought him to Torchwood. But he's in a bad way. He's got major PTSD, not surprisingly, and he's addicted to heroin.”
Karen looked shocked.
“It happened in prison, and wasn't voluntary,” Owen explained. “And getting him off it is going to take years.” He put his head in his hands. “He doesn't deserve any of this. He's a hero, but all he got in return was pain and grief.”
“It sounds like he needs professional help,” Karen put in.
“Ah, yes,” said Owen sheepishly. “He does. And the therapist is coming here in a couple of days to discuss the case. You don't mind do you?”
“Here, to the house?” Karen queried.
“Yes. And I need you to give us privacy when she does. The things we need to discuss are very personal for Jack.”
“That's OK,” Karen smiled. “Just let me know when, and I'll make sure I'm out. You do what needs to be done to help him.”
* * * *
Jack worked on his report over the next two days, while the others tried to catch up with their Torchwood work. There were a couple of rift alerts, which were dealt with easily, with no injuries to anyone. It was the most peaceful time Jack could remember for ages, or would have been, if he hadn't been bringing things better forgotten to the forefront of his mind, in order to write his report. Dragging up the exact details was hard. It was akin to trying to relive the memories, rather than having them inflicted upon him by the heroin withdrawal. He did not want to remember, but he had to do it in order to bring those UNIT people down. He wanted justice, and he wanted to be free to walk the streets without fear.
By the time he finished he was emotionally drained. And he could feel the need for heroin becoming stronger all the time. He took the report to Owen and handed it over. “Here, it's done. You'd better read it through and see if you need anything clarified.”
Owen took it from him, giving Jack a once over with his professional eye as he did so. He looked exhausted and was beginning to show signs of tremors. “Thanks Jack. I know that this wasn't easy for you.”
“No it wasn't,” Jack replied. “And now I need a fix.” He looked at Owen apprehensively. This was when he found out if the team would honour their promise to provide him with heroin.
“Oh, right of course,” stuttered Owen, leaping up in his haste to fetch Jack's heroin. He did not want to let him suffer as he had before.
His haste reassured Jack. “It's OK, you don't have to run,” he commented. “I'll manage for a little while yet.”
As they went into the medical bay together, Owen asked “Do you want someone to stay with you while you're out of it?”
Jack considered that briefly, but then shook his head. “No, it's OK, as long as there is someone in the Hub.”
“There will be, don't worry,” Owen promised. Handing Jack the syringe he had just prepared, he asked “Do you want to take this down to your room?”
“Yes, and a ligature. I'll be fine in my room.”
“OK, but we'll monitor you.”
Jack had expected nothing else, but this time he found he did not mind.
Next chapter here: http://ohinyan.livejournal.com/28855.html