HEARTBROKEN
by
JennaSeraph
When she was little, her eye sight was absolutely terrible. She was constantly covered in scrapes and bruises from walking into things. Glasses did nothing to help her, if anything, they made it worse. So weak were her eyes that she didn't even know what her parents looked like. She learned to depend on her other senses—touch, smell, sound, and taste. She learned as she grew older to blend in with the crowd, masking her lack of sight with relative ease. As long as she didn't push herself too far, she was just another woman in the streets of Cardiff. People never needed to know of this weakness.
She stared at the computer screen, her earpiece scanning the information and translating it for her since it was just a blur to her defective eyes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She sighed, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Once again, she was given all the work for the secretaries. She knew she could do better, but they just wouldn't let her. Not that her opinion mattered. Only one person in this facility seemed to think she was worth anything at all, and that was none other than Jack Har—Captain Jack Harkness. She smiled slightly, remembering when he had first introduced himself to her.
"Hi," a man—well, she assumed it was a man from the rough outline she could see of him and his deeper voice—said, leaning against her desk. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness~" She had literally just set her purse down, settling into her new office space on her first day working for Torchwood. He held out his hand and she grasped it firmly, smiling slightly.
"Hello, captain," she smiled, shaking his hand. "Madeline Ford."
"Today your first day?" he asked and she nodded slightly. "Well, I'm looking forward to working with you, Maddie~"
She couldn't help the slight blush that flowered across her cheeks at the memory. He was the first person to ever give her a nickname. Sure, he was a flirt, but he was a sweet guy. He always came and spoke with her, despite the fact that nobody else would unless they had to, and even then they avoided it. She never knew why, but she didn't really care. She was there for one reason, and one reason alone—to save up the money to have an operation on her eyes. Sure, she got along fine without her sight, but that didn't stop her from wanting to see.
Jack always made time for her, even if he couldn't spare that exact moment, he made sure to come back and see how she was doing. The one time she had called in sick, he had made a personal visit to her house and brought her flowers and a get well card, staying with her the entire time she was sick. He was the greatest friend a girl could ask for, but…she couldn't help but want him as more. He had captured her heart with flowery words and a gentle hand, making her feel like the only girl in the world when he was around. She never pursued these feelings though, because he obviously wasn't interested in a girl as plain as her—he had his eyes set on a man known only as the Doctor, and from how he spoke, he would accept nothing less than this amazing creature. She, a simple human girl, was nothing compared to the last Time Lord. She was plain in every way, with wavy brown hair that fell limply to her waist, thick rimmed glasses that made her green eyes look unnaturally large, and a figure like a stick—she was nothing special.
She shook her head, trying to physically rid her mind of the depressing thoughts, remembering her plan for the day just as a familiar scent caressed her nose. She took a deep breath, turning from her computer. "You're earlier than usual," she said, smiling up at Jack.
"Well, I just couldn't keep myself away any longer~" he grinned, gently caressing her cheek. She snorted, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.
"Oh, is that so?" she chuckled.
"Very much so," he grinned. "A new café opened down the street the other day, and I wondered if you'd like to go check it out at lunch with me?"
"Why not?" she beamed, overjoyed at the chance to have another almost date with him.
"Great," he grinned again, ruffling her hair playfully. "I'll come get you around 11:30, sound good?"
"Alright, I'll be here."
Madeline sat at the table across from Jack, trying not to show exactly how excited she was at that moment while still showing she was happy. The two were laughing and having a great time, and anybody nearby automatically assumed they were together, considering how well their chemistry appeared. Things were going perfectly and she was on top of the world. They had both eaten their lunches and then split a dessert, teasing each other and laughing. She felt like nothing could ever go wrong, but she wasn't a very lucky person. Suddenly his teleporter began to beep and he froze, looking at it then at something in his bag, looking up at her with wide eyes, filled with excitement—the kind of excitement he showed whenever he spoke of the Doctor.
"Maddie, I'm sorry to cut this short," he said, quickly packing his things up, slapping some cash onto the table. "That should cover everything. Like I said, I'm sorry, but I've got to get going." She didn't even get to open her mouth to say goodbye before he had teleported out. Once again she was on the receiving end of some cruel god's trickery, only this time, she wasn't sure she would recover. She could live without sight well enough, she could live without a lot of things…but this was too much. She had been in love, and had thought, if only for a moment, her feelings might actually be returned. Of course, she had deceived herself into thinking that—what sane man would want her? Why would Jack Harkness choose her over the Doctor? He wouldn't. Ever. And so she was left there, alone in the café, heartbroken.