Challenge 751 - A brave face
Mar. 13th, 2023 09:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_findlowTitle: A brave face
Character: Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 300 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 751 - Outside at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
torchwood100
torchwood100Summary: Jack has to hold it together for yet another year. A triple drabble.
Jack watched as the fireworks began to explode over the city, hearing the slight oohs and ahs of his teammates. Another year to herald in and another year to say farewell to. He held his smile in place even though no one was watching it right now. If he didn’t, someone was bound to turn to say something to him and notice it wasn’t there where it should be.
Just a few days ago they'd been wishing Emma well as she set off for London to start her new life. A few days ago they'd had to accept that Dianne had taken to the skies and disappeared, possibly through the rift, never to be seen again. And a few days ago John Ellis had died right there beside Jack, unable to carry on displaced fifty years out of his own time.
Those few days felt like a lifetime ago, and even though Jack was sitting here on the rooftop of the Millennium Centre smiling and toasting his plastic glass of champagne with the rest of them, inside he was screaming. He wanted to throw things and then collapse to the ground and never get up again, but he couldn't. His team needed him. Needed to see that there was nothing they couldn't carry on from.
On the outside, he was just as he always appeared to be: calm, confident and in control. Only with John Ellis had he finally been able to share the weight of the burden he carried, outwardly displaying the turmoil that went on inside him every single day. Unlike John though, there was no way out for him. No way to end it all when it got to be unbearable.
He sipped his champagne slowly, wondering how many more years he’d have to carry on smiling.
Jack watched as the fireworks began to explode over the city, hearing the slight oohs and ahs of his teammates. Another year to herald in and another year to say farewell to. He held his smile in place even though no one was watching it right now. If he didn’t, someone was bound to turn to say something to him and notice it wasn’t there where it should be.
Just a few days ago they'd been wishing Emma well as she set off for London to start her new life. A few days ago they'd had to accept that Dianne had taken to the skies and disappeared, possibly through the rift, never to be seen again. And a few days ago John Ellis had died right there beside Jack, unable to carry on displaced fifty years out of his own time.
Those few days felt like a lifetime ago, and even though Jack was sitting here on the rooftop of the Millennium Centre smiling and toasting his plastic glass of champagne with the rest of them, inside he was screaming. He wanted to throw things and then collapse to the ground and never get up again, but he couldn't. His team needed him. Needed to see that there was nothing they couldn't carry on from.
On the outside, he was just as he always appeared to be: calm, confident and in control. Only with John Ellis had he finally been able to share the weight of the burden he carried, outwardly displaying the turmoil that went on inside him every single day. Unlike John though, there was no way out for him. No way to end it all when it got to be unbearable.
He sipped his champagne slowly, wondering how many more years he’d have to carry on smiling.
