This weeks theme for fanwork friday is jack and castiel, so I wrote a ficlet. Spoilers for Children of Earth, as this is set right at the end of it:
Lou brought three more drinks over to the table in the corner. The man in the military coat barely looked up as he set them down. He hadn’t moved from the darkened corner for a few days. Lou had brought him some snacks and water he’d hardly touched. It was easy for him to see the heavy grief that weighed the man down, but he knew better than to ask. Besides, Jack Harkness was an old family friend; he could stay as long as he wanted to.
“Dad?” his son called him over and he took a moment to look at him. Despite all the fear of a few weeks ago, his son was fine and that was the important thing. As he walked away from the table he didn’t notice Jack watching the boy while Lou put a hand on his shoulder and guided him into the back.
One in the bar did notice. Nobody had seen him come in or paid him any attention as he walked over and slid across from the fixture in the dark corner. Jack’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want, Castiel? I’m not exactly on good terms with your boss right now.”
Castiel watched him as he picked up one of the drinks. “Is this your plan for the foreseeable future?”
Jack gave a short, bitter laugh. “You got any better ideas?”
“I do actually. There is a war coming, we need allies.”
Jack’s eyes went dark. He leaned forward. “No.”
“There are demons walking free, and a greater power rising.”
For a moment Jack looked about to throw the bottle at him. “Haven’t I done enough?” he asked brokenly, then turned away, but not before the raw heartbreak showed on his face. “No. I’m not a hero. I stayed too long here.” His hand moved to his wrist, but he no longer had the manipulator, lost in the explosion that had destroyed Torchwood, his home, and himself.
Castiel watched as he drew the coat a little closer around himself, gathering his armor. “I know you have suffered great losses.”
“You couldn’t begin to understand,” said Jack quietly. He picked up the closest bottle and chugged the rest of it, aware of Castiel’s eyes on him.
“Gwen Cooper has your device,” said Castiel.
Jack put down the bottle hard enough to rattle the table. He took a breath. “Good, then I can get off this rock.” He pushed himself vertical, slightly unsteady.
Castiel put a hand on his arm, but Jack batted him away. “No. You’re not taking this pain, you’re not making me sober. I don’t want to owe you a damn thing.” He dropped money on the table and made his way out. The night sky spread above him with a thousand twinkling promises. He pulled out his phone and started texting directions to Gwen.
“Someday, Jack, you will forgive yourself,” said Castiel.
“Yeah, well, guy like me, I have all the time in the universe.” He started walking down the dark country road. He felt the rush of angel wings and knew Castiel had gone. He squeezed his eyes shit and rubbed his temple. Definitely time to put this world behind him.
