Double Drabble: Cornerstone

[bk_forever]

Title: Cornerstone
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Tosh, Jack, Gwen, Ianto, Team.
Rating: G
Written For: Challenge 693: Glue at tw100.
Spoilers: End of Days.
Summary: Tosh reflects on life since Jack abandoned them.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.




Gwen might have considered herself the self-appointed heart of the Torchwood team, the one who reminded them all what it meant to be human, but until he’d abandoned them, Tosh had always known that Jack was the glue holding his mismatched little band together. He’d acted as a buffer, preventing their incompatible personalities from grating against each other too much. In some ways, he'd given them something tangible to unite against, with his outrageous flirting and unbelievable stories.


But now he was gone, he’d just up and left them, and really it was their own fault for betraying him. They’d hurt him so much, and then he’d been obliged to sacrifice himself to fix their mistakes. How could any of them blame him for leaving?


What were they going to do without him though? Left to their own devises, with nobody to settle differences of opinion, they’d tear each other apart.


Only they didn’t, because they had Ianto, the calm voice of reason, the steadfast cornerstone of their existence, the purveyor of food and sublime coffee, the firm shoulder to lean or cry on.


He carried out Jack’s duties as if born to them. They’d never have coped without him.



The End

Comments

[too-beauty.livejournal.com]

OMG! you have pictured them so beautifully and those truths hurt a lot!

[bk_forever]

Thank you! Tosh sees the truth.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

I could imagine this all happening. Would have been better if Jack had left a note just in case. But then, where would the narrative go?

[bk_forever]

He didn't really have time, and Gwen was the only one in the Hub so why bother telling her? *grins*

Thank you.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

TOSH: Jack would know.
OWEN: Yeah, well, Jack's not here, is he? Jack's disappeared. Fat lot of good Jack is.

They just weren't prepared. I mean. It's a job. Jack must have clocked in everyday before that I guess.

[bk_forever]

Jack LIVED in the Hub. He was always there, or traceable. Now suddenly he isn't and the others are thrown in at the deep end, trying to keep Torchwood running, with no idea whether Jack will ever come back. That has to be difficult.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Jack was just winging it at that point. And they all later understood this.

JACK: I've got to go. I've got to find the Doctor. I'll come back. I'm coming back.
GWEN: Don't worry about us. Just go.
IANTO: We'll be fine.
JACK: You'd better be.

[bk_forever]

Completely different situation by then of course.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Tosh: And I hope I did good.*protects Gwen and Ianto in a Timelock even after her death*

Yep.

[bk_forever]

She did more than good. She was brilliant.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

yes. She was also quite humble in that way.

[bk_forever]

Tosh was never one to brag.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Precisely. This can be misinterpreted as being shy or lacking in confidence.

[bk_forever]

When it doesn't necessarily mean anything of the sort. Some people are just naturally reserved.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Yes! Some people tend to make assumptions.

[bk_forever]

Too many people do.

[raynewton.livejournal.com]

A lovely portrait of Tosh. Such a beautiful character. She deserved far more than she was given. TPTB must have been crazy to push Selfish Gwen over this delightful, sympathetic and valuable person. I'm sure Ianto values her in Jack's absence and will make sure Jack knows it when he gets
back, though I'm also sure he already knows it when he is being honest

[bk_forever]

Jack is very aware of Tosh's worth, and of Ianto's.

Tosh is a special character.

Thank you!