Ghosts (ClassxTorchwood)

Goodbyes

Jack's pov

I spin around as I hear a gunshot echo through the hall, half expecting to be the target. However, Bilis is the one to fall. The headmistress is standing on the stage with a shocked look on her face but she calmly puts her gun down before making her way towards Charlie, whose gun is drawn, and says, "Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Why did you shoot him," Gwen asks, "I thought you were working for him, that's why you wanted me and Jack out of the way."

"The governors do not form alliances with just anyone. What could he have possibly given us?" she replies, "Besides we are devoted to our cause and we couldn't let you get in the way of that."

"What is she talking about?" Matteusz asks, "What cause?"

"Leave that one to Torchwood," I say, "It's our problem to solve."

Ram and Tanya both glare at me for leaving them out but everyone else looks relieved. However, I do decide that I will tell Miss Quill so she can keep an eye out as she can handle herself pretty well and she isn't exactly going to be inclined to tell anyone else. She doesn't seem to trust anyone.

I expect someone to respond, to protest, but they just stare at me. Or rather they stare behind me. Before I can look behind me something grabs my hand.

"Jack?"

Ianto is standing behind me. His voice is no longer monotone and he is looking at me with hope in his eyes. As I grip him in a hug I see Tosh and Owen behind him. Owen looks sacred out of his mind while Tosh just looks sad. I momentarily make eye contact with her before Gwen rushes over to pull her into a hug and I pull away from Ianto, who has tears in his eyes, as I realise that they are already beginning to fade. Gwen notices too and steps back before grabbing both of their hands in desperation. I attempt to hold Ianto one last time but my hand passes straight through him. All I can do is watch as he disappears.

Tanya's pov

Jack and Gwen left almost as soon as Bilis died. They both seemed pretty torn up over seeing their dead team-mates so I can't really blame them but they could have stayed to help with the cleanup. They took the rift manipulator and Bilis' body which left us with a massive bloodstain in the middle of the hall and some scared students who saw ghosts. Apparently putting memory drugs in the water system is frowned upon. However, at least they left a number that we can use in emergencies, even if Jack insisted that Miss Quill had it. That's better than nothing.

Charlie seems worried about Matteusz, despite the fact that Matteusz is completely fine. I think it has something to do with seeing Jack lose Ianto again. Maybe he has a longer lifespan than a human. That would suck. At least it seems to have brought them closer.

I haven't seen my dad again so I guess that we managed to stop the rift from splintering. I wish that I could have had a chance to see him again and say goodbye like Jack and Gwen did with their teammates. I suppose that it's for the best.

Coal Hill is safe for now and I hope it stays that way for a while. 6th form is stressful enough without the constant threat of alien invasion.

A:N/ Sorry this took so long to post. I kept having to change things because I wasn't happy with it.

Thank you to everyone who has read or voted for this short story.

I probably won't be publishing anything for a while as GCSEs are this year and I'm quite busy with school but I am working on an original story which should go up in 2018.

-Annie