Title: The Apology List
By: minimumstitch
Pairing: gen
Rating: G
Warning: character death
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not owned by me but is owned by the BBC and RTD and I am just enjoying playing with their characters.
Summary: Jack writes to Toshiko's mother, informing her of her daughter's death.

***

Dear Mrs Sato

It is with deep regret that I must inform you of the death of your daughter, Toshiko.

Your daughter was a remarkable woman who, despite a fatal injury managed to prevent a catastrophic nuclear disaster during the recent bomb attacks on Cardiff.

It was my honour to work with Toshiko for the past five years and I saw her grow from a shy, self-conscious individual to a confident, self-assured young woman. Her humanity, selflessness, courage and intelligence inspired her friends and colleagues to become better people; myself included.

During her time with Torchwood she made numerous difficult choices, many of which involved acts of great personal sacrifice, and each time she never hesitated to do the right thing, even when it resulted in the deaths of the people she loved.

I want you to know that you were always in her thoughts.

Toshiko will be greatly missed.

Yours sincerely

Captain Jack Harkness

Jack put down the pen and stared at the letter, the ink becoming smudged as his tears fell on to the page. He enveloped the letter before placing it into his desk drawer with the others, knowing that it would never be sent. He turned as Ianto entered the room. "Is it done?"

Ianto nodded, the Police had already found Toshiko's purse and the severely burnt remains of a woman matching her build in the shell of one of the buildings that John had destroyed. It wouldn't be long before they matched her identification to the missing person's report Ianto had filed earlier that day.

Part of Jack wished that the truth would come to light and an apology be demanded by Toshiko's mother, but he knew that would never happen. Toshiko was just the latest on the Torchwood apology list; Torchwood operatives whose sacrifices were denied with mundane deaths and anonymous corpses; whose families would never have the comfort of the knowledge that their loved one had died so that others might live.

***