Work Text:
A Moment of Peace
by Lilithangel
"There used to be a thriving monastery here," Jack said, wandering through the ruins, "until the second world war finished what the first started. Benedictine," he added, "they had a thriving vineyard and a garden that supplied everything they needed." His hand trailed idly through the overgrown hedge that once surrounded the kitchen garden.
The report of alien activity in the small Serbian village hadn't seemed like anything Torchwood was responsible for, but as soon as Jack saw the name he had called UNIT and told them they would take care of it.
He had refused to be drawn on why, not even Gwen or Ianto able to get anything out of him except that he had been there before. He spent the entire journey lost in memories.
He walked off the train and left the bodies with their macabre decoration of rose petals. He had watched too many die and didn't care anymore. He walked until the blood filled his boots and he was stopped by a thicket of bayonets.
When they identified his unit and he still wouldn't talk to them they simply stood him in front of a wall and shot him. His one thought was a wish that this time it would take and he wouldn't have to wake up again into the same horror.
To his disappointment he did wake up. They had taken his boots and rolled him into a ditch with the other corpses so he simply stood up and kept walking. Not stopping to eat or sleep or even wash off the stink of death.
They had thought the young soldier was dead when they first found him. They were used to death in this grim world and Brother Massimo was already digging a grave in the cold hard ground when Brother Alberto heard the panicked gasp and saw the young man open his eyes.
Brother Alberto patted his arm soothingly murmuring prayers of thankfulness that one life was not finished that day. He switched to broken English when he heard the American accent and saw the confusion in the young man's eyes.
Brother Massimo dropped his shovel and hurried over to them. They helped the young man stand. Even though he was obviously weak and starving he seemed insistent on not leaning on them.
Brother Alberto insisted on bringing him back to the monastery for a meal and a wash at least. Conversation was stilted by the young man, Jack's reticence. His eyes had the same hollow despair that they had seen all too many times before in the faces of the injured and dying.
Privately Brother Massimo guessed the young man was a deserter and could only imagine the horrors those eyes had seen.
Brother Alberto fussed over the young man while Brother Massimo went to find the Abbot.
When they returned Brother Alberto had bullied him into a change of clothes after a wash.
"I'm sorry to have put you all to such bother," Jack said after introductions were made and Brother Alberto hurried out.
"All of God's children are welcome here, my son," Abbot Julian said.
"I don't know if I count as one of God's children anymore," Jack said with a soft snort.
"That's for God to decide and I don't think he's turned anyone away yet. You are welcome here as long as you need to stay."
"Thank you father, I won't get in your way for too long."
Brother Alberto returned with a bowl of soup and fresh bread and the Abbot left with a promise of talking again.
In the early hours of the morning Brother Massimo found Jack wandering around the chapel as if he'd never been in one before.
"It's very calm in here," Jack said when he saw Brother Massimo.
"It is a place of quiet reflection and adoration," Brother Massimo agreed.
"The windows are amazing." Jack admired the glass.
"They are even more beautiful with the morning sun streaming through them." Brother Massimo carried on with the rituals of office.
"So what do you guys do here?"
"We serve God through prayer and community to save the souls of all humanity, yours included," Brother Massimo said with a soft smile. "We constantly labour for the good of our Brothers and share in the bounty of God's gifts to us."
"Sounds like a perfect world to me," Jack said envious of the quiet calm the other man showed and the peace in his eyes.
"Utopia?" Brother Massimo laughed, "Not really. We are still human and fallible but we try, and the world needs every bit of peace it can find right now."
"That it does, brother," Jack said with a sigh. He looked up at the crucifix on the wall. "Do you think it hurt him to come back to life?"
"I think it hurt him more to die with the burden of our sins blocking him from the sight of his father, but he did it willingly as should we all."
"It must be nice to believe there is something waiting after death." The pain in Jack's voice stirred Brother Massimo's sympathy.
"Do you not believe, my son?"
"There was just darkness, nothing but darkness," Jack said, his voice hollow.
"You haven't truly died yet; God will be waiting for you when you do." Brother Massimo hated the thought of one so young being so lost, but it was a sad truth of the world they lived in that young men were seeing all the horrors of the world with none of the beauty.
"It would be nice to believe," Jack said wistfully.
"It's almost time for Prime, you are welcome to stay and join us."
"Thank you," Jack said, "I'd like that. Then I want to do something to help around here."
"You were near death when we found you yesterday; you should be resting and regaining your strength."
"I'm a fast healer," Jack said with a more natural grin, "and I want to help."
"You can talk to the Abbott after Brother Alberto gives you a clean bill of health," Brother Massimo said sternly.
Jack saluted with another grin and found himself a seat at the back of the chapel to watch and listen to the monks' prayers.
* * * * *
"Jack, over here," Tosh's voice drew them all to a small corner of the monastery where there were a number of simple white crosses scattered on the ground.
"Now that's just impolite," Jack said with annoyance. Ignoring Tosh's readouts he knelt down and picked up the crosses, putting them back in place one by one. He paused at one and smiled gently, "I hope he was waiting for you old friend." Jack replaced Brother Massimo's cross and brushed the dirt off it.
"Jack," Owen said when they caught sight of something darting back around the corner of a building.
Jack stood and brushed the dirt from his trousers before joining the others chasing the alien that he had already figured out was harmless.
The monastery life would never have been for him but the monks had been surprisingly good company. Not much for laughter or conversation, but truly caring and hardworking, they had been a balm to his war weary soul. Brother Massimo had become a good friend and Jack was glad the monk had seen out his days in the place he loved.
He had spent several months in the monastery before the war intervened again and he returned to what he knew best. It had been the quietest his life had been since a young boy lost his innocence hundreds of years in the future.
After they had cornered the alien and Jack had convinced it that Serbia was not a good place to holiday no matter what British television suggested, he sent the team to fetch the rental car and made his way to where the chapel had been.
Only the walls remained and part of the ceiling. The windows that he had so admired that first day were all gone, shattered by war and the neglect of time that would never touch him.
He stood in the spot where he used to sit and listen to the songs of the monks and got back a small feeling of the peace he had felt there.
"Jack?" Ianto's voice interrupted him.
Turning around he saw Ianto and Owen standing at the back of the chapel looking at him with concern.
"Let's get going," Owen said his voice harsh but his eyes held only sympathy. Neither he nor Ianto would mention that they'd seen the empty plot next to Brother Massimo with a simple piece of wood placed there.
For Jack,
A place to rest when God finally calls him home.
END
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