Hindsight
Title: Hindsight
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Gwen Cooper, Jack Harkness, Owen Harper
Rating: PG-13
Words: 817
Spoilers: S1E9
Disclaimer: Characters and situations and dialogue belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Stalkers"
Author's Note: As always, comments and criticism are welcome and would help me to improve.
“Don’t go now Eugene.” Gwen pleaded “Eugene please, don’t go now.” Gwen’s voice became more frantic as Eugene faded away, drifting into the sky, “Eugene, please.” She watched him go, his entire family across the street watching too. “Please!” Gwen choked out, reaching up blindly to grasp at Jack’s hand. Jack kept his eyes on the disappearing Eugene as he wrapped his large hand around her smaller one holding tight, grounding her.
When Eugene had disappeared from view, Jack looked down at Gwen, her tear streaked face still upturned, still following Eugene’s final journey. Jack stepped onto the road in front of Gwen, placing himself between her and the man’s grieving family. “Come on Gwen, let’s get out of here” he said, reaching his free hand down to help her up.
Gwen allowed herself to be pulled up, leaning heavily against Jack as he handed the car keys to Owen. Tosh and Owen silently got into the front seat as Jack ushered Gwen into the back and settled down next to her for the long journey back to Cardiff.
After a few minutes of Gwen just leaning against Jack, holding one of his hands in both of hers, gathering her strength, Gwen began to talk. “He saved my life Jack.”
“If you hadn’t been chasing around after him you wouldn’t have been there to nearly get run over in the first place!” was Owen’s snarky comment from the front seat.
“But don’t you think it was fate? That eye keeping him here just long enough to see that his father really did care about him even if he didn’t know how to show it, and just long enough for Eugene to do one last amazing thing like saving my life?”
Owen and Tosh glanced at each other in front seat, wisely saying nothing.
For once it was Jack who showed a bit of tact as he answered her, “Maybe, I guess it is possible.”
“Whilst I was investigating, something felt off, I didn’t know what it was at the time but something just didn’t feel right. Now, with hindsight, I’m wondering if Eugene was there all along, nudging me in the right direction, helping me to find out what happened to him?”
Owen snorted. Tosh hit him.
“You’re only feeling guilty because you never paid him any mind when he was alive. He was always following you around and you just brushed him off, always too busy for him.”
“Owen.” Jack snarled, “Just shut up and drive”. This was promising to be a very long and uncomfortable journey indeed. What Jack wouldn’t give for a cup of Ianto’s coffee right now, and the Welshman’s steadying presence as he struggled to cope with his two bickering team members without losing his temper.
Owen was right, but pointing it out wasn’t going to help any. The best thing Jack could do right now was to be a sympathetic ear to listen whilst Gwen talked herself through her demons.
“I should have paid him more attention” Gwen said, turning her big eyes up at Jack, silently pleading with him to absolve her of her guilt.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him. “We all ignored him, not just you. We didn’t take him seriously .He was just another crazy alien obsessed conspiracy theorist. We didn’t even consider him interesting enough to investigate. There are a few known collectors of alien artefacts that we monitor, just in case, but Eugene was never a big player. It turns out that the only genuine article he had was that eye.”
“I should have spoken to him,” Gwen sniffled, the tears starting to roll slowly down her cheeks again. “If I’d taken the time to talk to him I could have told him what the eye was. Let him know that it really was alien. Then he might never have tried to sell it, so would never have been running across that road.”
“Gwen,” Jack sighed, handing her a handkerchief. “He knew what it was. That’s why he was selling it, to try and meet the owner. There is nothing you could have done to stop him going to that café that day.” Gwen wiped her eyes. Jack continued “there was nothing alien about the way he died. It was just one of those things - a hit and run with a drunk driver. It’s sad, but it happens and the driver is now in police custody.” Jack kissed the top of Gwen’s head.
“I know” Gwen said, “I just feel bad.”
“I know you do, Gwen. You’ve got a heart of gold, that’s why we love you” Jack looked down at her fondly as she snuggled closer into his side and closed her eyes.
Jack glanced up and shared a look with Owen in the rear-view mirror.
They travelled the rest of the way home in silence.
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Gwen Cooper, Jack Harkness, Owen Harper
Rating: PG-13
Words: 817
Spoilers: S1E9
Disclaimer: Characters and situations and dialogue belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Stalkers"
Author's Note: As always, comments and criticism are welcome and would help me to improve.
“Don’t go now Eugene.” Gwen pleaded “Eugene please, don’t go now.” Gwen’s voice became more frantic as Eugene faded away, drifting into the sky, “Eugene, please.” She watched him go, his entire family across the street watching too. “Please!” Gwen choked out, reaching up blindly to grasp at Jack’s hand. Jack kept his eyes on the disappearing Eugene as he wrapped his large hand around her smaller one holding tight, grounding her.
When Eugene had disappeared from view, Jack looked down at Gwen, her tear streaked face still upturned, still following Eugene’s final journey. Jack stepped onto the road in front of Gwen, placing himself between her and the man’s grieving family. “Come on Gwen, let’s get out of here” he said, reaching his free hand down to help her up.
Gwen allowed herself to be pulled up, leaning heavily against Jack as he handed the car keys to Owen. Tosh and Owen silently got into the front seat as Jack ushered Gwen into the back and settled down next to her for the long journey back to Cardiff.
After a few minutes of Gwen just leaning against Jack, holding one of his hands in both of hers, gathering her strength, Gwen began to talk. “He saved my life Jack.”
“If you hadn’t been chasing around after him you wouldn’t have been there to nearly get run over in the first place!” was Owen’s snarky comment from the front seat.
“But don’t you think it was fate? That eye keeping him here just long enough to see that his father really did care about him even if he didn’t know how to show it, and just long enough for Eugene to do one last amazing thing like saving my life?”
Owen and Tosh glanced at each other in front seat, wisely saying nothing.
For once it was Jack who showed a bit of tact as he answered her, “Maybe, I guess it is possible.”
“Whilst I was investigating, something felt off, I didn’t know what it was at the time but something just didn’t feel right. Now, with hindsight, I’m wondering if Eugene was there all along, nudging me in the right direction, helping me to find out what happened to him?”
Owen snorted. Tosh hit him.
“You’re only feeling guilty because you never paid him any mind when he was alive. He was always following you around and you just brushed him off, always too busy for him.”
“Owen.” Jack snarled, “Just shut up and drive”. This was promising to be a very long and uncomfortable journey indeed. What Jack wouldn’t give for a cup of Ianto’s coffee right now, and the Welshman’s steadying presence as he struggled to cope with his two bickering team members without losing his temper.
Owen was right, but pointing it out wasn’t going to help any. The best thing Jack could do right now was to be a sympathetic ear to listen whilst Gwen talked herself through her demons.
“I should have paid him more attention” Gwen said, turning her big eyes up at Jack, silently pleading with him to absolve her of her guilt.
Jack put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him. “We all ignored him, not just you. We didn’t take him seriously .He was just another crazy alien obsessed conspiracy theorist. We didn’t even consider him interesting enough to investigate. There are a few known collectors of alien artefacts that we monitor, just in case, but Eugene was never a big player. It turns out that the only genuine article he had was that eye.”
“I should have spoken to him,” Gwen sniffled, the tears starting to roll slowly down her cheeks again. “If I’d taken the time to talk to him I could have told him what the eye was. Let him know that it really was alien. Then he might never have tried to sell it, so would never have been running across that road.”
“Gwen,” Jack sighed, handing her a handkerchief. “He knew what it was. That’s why he was selling it, to try and meet the owner. There is nothing you could have done to stop him going to that café that day.” Gwen wiped her eyes. Jack continued “there was nothing alien about the way he died. It was just one of those things - a hit and run with a drunk driver. It’s sad, but it happens and the driver is now in police custody.” Jack kissed the top of Gwen’s head.
“I know” Gwen said, “I just feel bad.”
“I know you do, Gwen. You’ve got a heart of gold, that’s why we love you” Jack looked down at her fondly as she snuggled closer into his side and closed her eyes.
Jack glanced up and shared a look with Owen in the rear-view mirror.
They travelled the rest of the way home in silence.