Title: Still of the Night
Author: Outside Edge
Pairing: gen
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters merely borrow them from time to time.
Summary: The night time is the worst. Jack and his insomnia.

***

Another night sleepless
I don't wanna feel this
Nothing can stop this pain.


The night time was the worst. During the day there was enough to preoccupy him, even if they didn't have any active cases to pursue.
In the darkness his demons came out to haunt him, demons beyond anyone's wildest dreams, demons from another dimension, another time and space.

Marching feet. The rhythmic tramping of booted feet on cobbles, an army going off to war. Young men hungry for action and adventure marching off to die, horribly, in the destruction of the fields of Flanders or the mud of the Somme. So many young hopes and dreams destroyed by the incompetence of their commanders.

The marching has a metallic sound to it. Fear grips his heart. Cybermen, risen from the dead. Their regimented ranks advancing on the small band of defenders, battling to save the planet from total destruction. Desperation hangs thick in the air amongst the smoke of the battle. The screams of the dying ringing in his ears.

He wakes with a start. He wasn't really sleeping, unable to reach that zone where deep sleep conquers all. Condemned to forever experience the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness. The zone of dream and in his case bad dreams, - very bad dreams — nightmares of the premier league.

He takes to walking the streets, like a lost soul. Anything to escape the oppression of the Torchwood Hub, to run away from the demons haunting his soul. Nightclubs, bars, gay, straight, he doesn't care, he needs to escape to have a distraction to immerse himself in sights and sound and people — to feel less alone.

Why then tonight does he find himself here again, alone on a street corner gazing up at a first floor window, waiting for the light to go out. This is dangerous, he knows. If she looked out the window she would see him, conspicuous in his greatcoat and air force blues. If she questioned him what would he say in his defence?
"Just passing" - Hardly, she lived in a quiet residential area, no passing through en route to somewhere else. Anyway no one stands there for two hours in transit.
"Making sure you were alright" — Of course she was alright, she had Rhys to make sure she was alright, she didn't need him.

To be honest he doesn't know what he is doing here, perhaps some day he hopes that she will need him to be her saviour. He hopes he can wait that long. That his demons don't devour him first.

"That streetlight's out again" Rhys said looking out of the window.
"Which one?" Gwen asked, putting the empty wine glasses in the kitchenette.
"The one of the corner"
"It was working earlier, when I came in," Gwen said.
"Well it isn't now."
"Are you sure?"
"I know what I can see," Rhys said in an annoyed tone as he left the room and switched off the light.
"Hey I wasn't finished!" Gwen cried.
Out of curiosity she crossed to the window and drew aside the curtain. Rhys had been right the streetlight was out. She made a mental note to report it to the council in the morning.
As her eyes became accustomed to the dark she was sure she saw something move along the pavement.
Probably a fox, she told herself. Especially if your typical Cardiff fox was tall, dark and wore a greatcoat.
As the figure turned the corner, heading for the Millennium Plaza, the streetlight behind him flickered into life.

In the shadows of the city
A hero's waiting for the call.

***