A Galaxy Apart

You Missed Me, Right?

"He's just gone, Rhys.". Gwen says still standing at the lonely hill which offers them an amazing view on Cardiff. The night is beginning to get cold and the wind brushes through her hair as she looks away from the spot where Jack just stood.
"He really just left us"
"I know, Gwen" Rhys comes closer to hug her from behind while tears run down Gwen's face.
"First Tosh and Owen. Then...Ianto and now Jack" she turns around to hug Rhys tightly and bury her face in his shoulder.
"I know. And I'm sorry... But you know how he is. He'll come back won't he?"
"I don't know..."
"Cmon. It's beginning to get cold. Let's go home"
Gwen nods as she wipes the tears away from her cheek and heads back home with Rhys.

The next day Gwen wakes up early from her restless sleep. Even Rhys' presence didn't make her feel better after what happened yesterday. The last thing...person who was torchwood to her just left. And now what? Was she supposed to run torchwood all on her own? Her thoughts get more and more chaotic as she makes some breakfast for herself. In her absence she gets ready in the bathroom and dresses herself before she heads out of the house having forgotten her coffee.

The sun rises over the bay and makes the plazza look so peacefully. If people knew what already happened here in all those years. She shakes her head trying to get rid of the sad memories that fill her head right now. But entering the hub doesn't make it any better. It's still as empty as it already was in the last few months while Jack was gone, however, now it was worse. Way worse as there was nothing she could wait for. No one she could. For all that time she was waiting day by day hoping that Jack will come back with his smile and say "It's alright, Gwen. I'm better. Let's go and catch some weevils." but nothing. The last bit of hope vanishes yesterday evening as Jack just teleported away, far far away where no one can reach him. But doesn't he see? Running away won't fix him. No matter where he goes to...his past will always be there and follow him. Like a shadow and nothing will ever change tha-

"Coffee?" A familiar voice with beautiful Welsh vowels appears behind Gwen and echoes through the empty hub. She closes her eyes. No the past won't go away and now it even haunts her. She doesn't want to turn around. It would hurt too much to see nothing except from emptiness and knowing that she was slowly getting insane. But she has to. She has t....and carefully she turns around to open her eyes...
"But that's...impossible. Y-you can't be...y-you can't be..."
"Alive?"
She nods.
"Sorry to disappoint you but I am. I'm right here" says the man in the black suit and red shirt with a black tie. He smiles softly at her and makes a few steps closer. "It's me, Gwen. I'm alive."
"Ianto?"
"Yes"
Gwen stands still for a moment and her jaw drops slightly as she can't find any words. She puts one hand slowly on Ianto's chest just to see that he's no illusion. Not a lie of her mad brain.
"It's really you" a little smile appears on her face. Her hand wanders along the left side of his chest "Your heart. It's beating. How is this possible? You were dead. I saw you dead right in front of my eyes."
"I don't know, Gwen. But I'm here. Don't I get at least a little hug?"
She just nods and pulls Ianto into a tight hug not letting go.
Ianto hugs her back and lets Gwen cry silently into his shoulder also trying to hide his own tears. After a few moments Ianto starts to chuckle
"I should have made a more dramatic entry like Jack always does. I don't know...maybe killing a weevil with a head shot and saying...you missed me, right? Just like Jack did. But I still have a chance to do it when I meet him" he smiles a bit at the thought of this man.
He is happy that he made Gwen laugh a little before he notices that it's sobs not laughter.
"Gwen, what is it?...what's wrong?"
But Gwen hides her face in his shoulder not wanting to answer.
"Gwen? Where's Jack?"
"N-not here."
"Did...he...did he run away again?"
She nods.
"Then I'll find him. Can't be so difficult to find a troublemaker like him, can it?"
"Y-you... Don't.. You don't understand, Ianto. He ran away. Far away...to space."
Ianto's face freezes. He doesn't exactly understand the information. He just stares at the wall. Gwen pulls away and holds him by his shoulders.
"I am so sorry, Ianto. I couldn't stop him. I tried but-"
"I know how he is. I know. I just thought he...he'd wait...that he wouldn't just run away. Not this time."
"I'm so sorry..."
"Stop with your "I'm sorry thing"! Just..." he bites his lip trying to hide his screams until it almost starts bleeding. Ianto clenches his fists.
"Why? Why is he such an idiot! "
" Ianto! " Gwen comes closer and grabs him by the shoulders." Look at me. He left because he was hurt. Because he couldn't bear being here any longer. Because he-"
"Just... Don't...don't Gwen."
"but I'm..."
"Don't...please..." he knows Gwen is right. And that Jack couldn't have known he wasn't dead but after all this time he just leaves? His hands get shaky and he feels the sudden wish to just roll over all the chairs and desks around and scream out loud...just to feel a bit less pain. And he does so. After a few minutes the hub looks as like it was hit by a hurricane and Ianto slides exhausted down along the wall crunching down and hiding his face in his hands.
"Ianto...I'm so so-" she stops herself.
"Me too, Gwen. Me too."