A Galaxy Apart

The Goodbye

"Did it work?"
"I traveled to all sorts of places" Jack takes a deep breath and shakes his head "this planet is just too small. The whole world is like a graveyard."
"Come back with us" Gwen gives him a sad look.
"I haven't traveled far enough yet"
"You can't just run away, Jack. You can't-" tears run down Gwen's cheek as she looks up at Jack with a begging look.
"Yes, I can...Just. Got a lot of dirt to shake off my shoes." he looks up at the night sky where the stars shine coldly down at them "there is a cold iron cruise ship surfing the iron reefs, just at the edge of the solar system. Just waiting to open its transport dock. I just need to send the signal."
Gwen holds up one finger and takes  something made out of leather out of her pocket. It was a new  wristband where he could attach his vortex manipulator on "We found something for you. Indestructible" she smiles a bit "I put a new strap on for you"
"Cost me 50 quit that" Rhys comments from behind in his Welsh accent and Gwen helps Jack to put it onto his wrist.
"Fill me" Jack tried to smile a bit but he can't. It was too cold and not only the temperature...more his heart.
"Will you come back, Jack?"
"What for?"
"Me" her eyes fill with tears and she almost can't look up at Jack as he doesn't answer "it wasn't your fault"
"I think it was"
"No" Gwen can't hold back her tears any longer and it was painful to just look up.
"Steven. And Ianto. And Owen and Tosh and Suzie. All of them. Because of me."
"But you...you saved us. Didn't you?"
"I began to like it. And look what I became. Still. I have led so many lives. It's time to find another one." Jack presses some buttons on his Vortex Manipulator and makes a few steps backwards.
"They have died. And I'm sorry, Jack, but you just can't run away. Not run away" tears run down her cheek.
"Oh yes I can." he tries to hide his own tears till the very last moment and giving Gwen a sad smile. He wished he could stay. For her. But he can't. It's just too much pain in his chest when he looks at her.
"Just watch me" Jack presses the button on his VM and is gone...

Not even a second later the man in the military coat appears on the spaceship at the end of the solar system in the transport dock. Some decontamination steam fills the red-lighted room around him before the doors open. Jack steps out and looks around the corridors. Apparently no one has noticed him for which he's in fact very glad until...of course...a stuadess runs up to him with a over-enthusiastic smile.
"Hello, sir. Do you have any luggage with you and have you already booked a room?"
Jack runs with his hand over his face to wipe away the tears and shakes his head "No, Miss"
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Yeah...just...Could you just get me a room. Please."
"Of...of course, Sir. Just follow me." her smile faints a bit as she leads him to an elevator. She takes out a key of a pocket and holds it out to him. "here are the keys for room 456."
"Don't you have a different room. With a different number?"
"No, Sir, I'm sorry. May I have your credit card to book already your room for tonight?"
Jack nods and hands her his card while he stares at the floor. After an almost unbearable long time the stuadess hands him his card back and smiles "14th floor, Sir"
Jack whispers an almost unhearable "Thank you" before he enters the elevator and the doors close. Silence. Alone for once. He takes a deep breath. His heart is still beating fast. But it's just beating and beating in an endless beat that will never stop. Like his life. But it's empty...

A few people enter the elevator as it stops at the 37th floor and Jack turns away to hide his tears. The view is amazing from here. All the stars that shine coldly down at them all, as like they didn't care about anything. The aliens around him chatter happily and vivid in different languages but Jack doesn't listen. He feels how it gets hot. How he starts sweating and the room seems smaller and smaller. The atmosphere in the lift gets almost unbearable for him and as soon as the doors open he rushes out as like he was suffocating in there.

With shaky hands he opens the door to his room and takes off his coat.
He walks slowly through the room and drops his coat on the bed before he makes a few steps to stand right in front of the massive window, which offers him a great view on the solar system. Neptune, the blue planet, is not far away. And even Saturn with his rings is there and there...Earth. Jack's face drops and he leans his forehead against the cold pane. After all those months...and he was so close to say it out loud: "Ianto, which side of the bed do you want?" or "Wow, Ianto, look at that!"
But no. He will never say these sentences again. The one man he loved with all of his heart is buried on the blue planet far far away in the distance...
Jack leans against the window and slides slowly down along it until he sits at the floor. His head buried in his knees. The only sound that breaks the silence in the dark room are the silent sobs of the Captain.

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This is a story set in an AU and starts two months after Day 5 CoE.