TW drabble

[xparrot]

We were rewatching a couple Torchwood eps last night (after watching Dr. Who, the show gets to me more - positively, because I love Jack on a whole new level, even TW's emo!Jack - and negatively, because knowing what that crew can do, it's frustrating that TW doesn't live up to its potential. It too often feels like they sacrifice plots and characters for the sake of being 'gritty' and 'dark' and 'adult'.)

Anyway! Drabble coda for 1x05, "Small Worlds", the one with the faeries, what is in Jack's face at the end there.



The Definition of Failure


The trees whisper as Jack holds the girl's mother close. She beats her fists helplessly against his chest. He feels their eyes on him, his team, these people he brought together, brought here. They resent him. This woman in his arms is hurting too much to hate, but they can.

Rightfully; he deserves nothing but contempt. He let her go, just a child.

Do the right thing, save the world. What choice did he have?

Tears sting in his eyes, and Jack can only recognize yet another failure. Can only think of how the Doctor would have found another way.

Comments

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(the format of this icon was totally stolen from a really awesome Utopia reactor-room-conversation icon, so you're welcome to steal the format if not the icon itself ^^)

Lennier and Jack...!? Oh dear. Though Jack's love is ultimately generous, unselfish (...okay, the sniping about blondes, but otherwise...) while as Lennier wanted too badly, and let it bring him to ruin (...fine, okay, I know he made one mistake in a lifetime of servitude, but I still bear a grudge. Hey, it's Sheridan & Delenn, I have my priorities! :P)

I am very curious how Jack got control of the Cardiff TW. Was he part of TW already & took advantage of Canary Wharf? Or did he step in after that, show up at the office one day with the right papers and no one stopped him because, well, it's Jack, what're ya gonna do?

And I haven't watched the Declassifieds yet. However I suspect it's only a matter of time because we're going to be suffering severe Who-deprivation soon (darn you for getting us into this at the season's end! You could've waited a while, and then we'd have a short wait instead of 6 loooooooooong and agonizingly Ten-less months!)

[naye]

Yes! I've seen that icon - quite amazing. (I love how these tiny little 100x100 images can be so expressive and beautiful and fun!)

And - yes. I know. I didn't even want to watch that episode, because the betrayal goes so deep, and they are all so hurt by it, but... Well. He started out so well, and then he just - I don't know. He started hoping too much? Wanting too much? Which Jack doesn't seem to do - Jack is perfectly content to have the ones he love be alive and happy, even if they're not with him. (Then again, as I've been saying, Jack sort of has issues there.) But they could still... talk. And Lennier still has to do that brave and beautiful deed that will win his redemption. (Do you think he did before Sheridan died? Delenn's toast could be interpreted in so many ways...)

I could see him just walk in and take over, as the budget and places like the Hub were already around, and he could totally swipe them all for himself in the general confusion of things. I wonder if he would have dared become part of TW before that, being such an anomaly himself. It strikes me as a wise move to stay away from such institutions as might want to dissect you to figure out how you work. But then I don't really know how he found out about Torchwood? Unless he knew about them from his Time Agent days?

I could have waited, but then you would have missed all the fun speculating on the finale and such! ^__^ Plus, of course, this fall you'd be more distracted by new seasons of old loves, so...