Fic: The Plas

[crabby_lioness]

Title:  The Plas  
Author: CrabbyLioness
Characters: Jack
Summary:  Jack's thoughts as he left the Doctor
Disclaimer: I'm not making a penny.
Rating:  PG for subtle adult content
Word Count:  99  Look Ma, a drabble!

He turned from the Doctor towards the Plas.  After all these decades he had finally learned the limit of a Time Lord's power.  He could inspire a monster to change (sometimes).  But he could not love a monster (not a non-Gallifreyan monster anyway).

Now Jack needed someone who knew him for what he was ("You're the worst monster here!") and understood.

("Do you still think I'm a monster?" he asked late one night after they had gone to bed.  Ianto was silent for a long time, then touched his face.

"Yes.  But I can live with it.")

Jack ran.

Comments

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Really? To me, it's liberating and not sad. Jack knows he can be a monster. Ianto knows he can love a monster. Strip away the false illusion that the Doctor can help, and they are free to make the lives they want to have with each other. No more waiting for Godot.

[eumenidis.livejournal.com]

Take into consideration that I think all human beings have the capacity to be monstrous, both in the aggregate & individually, & that I also think there are a lot of monsters walking around who neither view themselves nor are viewed by others as monsters. That intrinsicaly human condition is sad, though I'll also say, not tragic.

What I find sad is Jack's conscious awareness that he can be--has been--a monster at times, & almost certainly will be again, since he has chosen to assume a role in which he'll have to make monstrous choices. As for Ianto: his eagerness to excuse & forget CyberLisa had killed Dr. Tanizaki & up until she clearly demonstrated that she had no understanding of human love was pretty *damn* monstrous to me. So, pot, kettle, when it comes to Jack & Ianto & labels of monster.

However, I do think that the realization that if he does monstrous things it isn't because he's become an inhuman monster, he's still just a human one, would be liberating.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

I infer from Captain Jack Harkness that Jack is aware that humans can be "the worst monsters of all."

[eumenidis.livejournal.com]

Not forgetting "Countrycide". Remember the "Is she for real?" look the cannibal patriarch gave Jack during the interrogation scene? Jack knew how low people can go, & the cannibal *knew* that he knew. I also suspect Jack has a very healthy fear of slipping to that level himself, & that's one reason he recruited Gwen. Though I think the writers made her entirely too naive & innocent after the first ep. Several years ago, my next-door neighbor was a policewoman, & she was horrified by some of the stuff she saw in her job, but she wasn't freaked by it. The writers' fluffy-bunny approach to Gwen really got on my nerves at time, & was a pity, she started out so well.