Fic: The Sea After a Storm (52/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 52
Rating: R
Warnings: Nothing really, just didn't feel like changing the rating
Spoilers: Season Two thru Meat (2x04)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Catherine Tregenna for situations and dialogue borrowed from Meat. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: Owen escorts Rhys, Gwen and Tosh back to the Hub while Jack and Ianto stay behind to clean up the scene…
Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reading and commenting! You can find all the previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm here. This is a sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks again and forever to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thraceadams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Fifty-Two
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Unable to save the space whale, the team was forced to put it out of its misery…
The team got Rhys settled in the SUV in short order, Owen muttering curses as he tried to work around Gwen who refused to let go of Rhys' hand. Ianto closed the driver's side door after Tosh climbed in and gave her a sympathetic smile through the window. He could hear Gwen's sharp voice directing Tosh to drive carefully as they pulled away. He shook his head and turned back to the dock where Jack was contemplating the row of unconscious bad guys.
Jack sighed. "We'll have to torch the whole building. Can't see any way around it. We can't have anyone coming across the whale, even if it is dead."
Nodding in agreement, Ianto said, "Seems wise, sir. There are plenty of chemicals in there. One stray spark would probably set the whole place off."
"Good. We'll make sure the whale is incinerated and then call it in, keep the fire from spreading, although, God knows there isn't anything out here to burn," Jack said as he led Ianto back inside the warehouse. He stopped by the row of unconscious bodies and nudged Dale's side with his foot. "We can dump these bastards somewhere after the Retcon kicks in."
"About that…" Ianto said, a frown wrinkling his brow. "How are we supposed to dose them while they're unconscious? And I don't see any of them taking the pills or even a glass of water from one of us if we wait until they wake up."
Jack grinned at him, though the smile held no amusement, only cold satisfaction. "Jabs," he said succinctly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a flat, square case with a zip on three sides. He opened it up and showed Ianto the neat rows of syringes and a dozen tiny bottles of clear liquid. "It's just saline with dissolved Retcon," Jack explained. "One little poke and we can erase this whole thing from these bastard's memories."
"It never seems like punishment enough," Ianto muttered, glancing back over his shoulder in the direction of the whale.
"I know," Jack commiserated. He paused for a moment and then shook his head. "I'll start moving the chemicals into the room with the whale so the fire burns hottest there. Why don't you back the lorry up to the dock so we can get them loaded up?"
Ianto nodded. He took the keys from Jack's hand and turned towards the lorry, only to stop and turn back a second later when he remembered something. "Jack? There's a lot of money in there. Should we just burn it or take it?" he asked.
"Money?" Jack replied with a frown.
"Dale and… and the little one there," Ianto said, pointing. "They were in an office when I caught up with them, stuffing money into duffels."
"Oh, they were?" Jack glared down at Dale's unconscious body. "Well, I think we should definitely liberate that before we start the fire. I think the RSPCA could do with a sizeable donation. What do you think?"
"Sounds good," Ianto agreed. He hopped off the dock and headed for the lorry, happy that at least one positive thing would come of this tragedy after all.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jack and Ianto waited at the warehouse, keeping a close eye on the fire they'd started, until the engines showed up to take over. Jack wanted to be sure that no one rushed into the blaze, risking themselves to look for non-existent survivors so he spun a story about a call to Torchwood claiming the warehouse was being used for illegal drugs trade, assuring the Watch Manager that they'd conducted a thorough search of the building before they'd "noticed the fire" which must have been set by fleeing perpetrators.
Leaving the smoke and flames of the funeral pyre behind them, they headed for the service station on the A470 which Rhys had identified as the meat gang's pick up point. The eight men were just starting to come around from their Retcon jabs as Ianto and Jack moved them from the back of the lorry to a small copse of trees behind the station. Ianto took more than a little satisfaction from dumping Dale into an overgrown wild rose bush with particularly nasty thorns.
The ride back to the Hub was quiet, both men lost in their thoughts about the events of the day. Ianto wanted to say something to comfort his Captain, but he knew from Jack's cold, shuttered gaze that Jack hadn't shifted out of full-on-Torchwood mode and probably wouldn't until he'd dealt with Gwen and Rhys. Anything personal would have to wait. When they arrived at the Hub, Jack left the lorry in what Ianto was fairly sure was an illegal parking space and hurried to the Tourist Office door with Ianto close on his heels.
Tosh came out of the med bay when the cog door rolled back to let them in. Jack immediately stripped off his coat and tossed it on the sofa, walking quickly to Tosh's side.
"How is Rhys?" he asked.
"Still unconscious, but Owen has finished the dressing."
Ianto followed them more slowly, taking a moment to pick up Jack's coat and hang it properly in his office. He bemoaned the loss of his suit jacket and wondered if his coat was still in the SUV as rolled up his sleeves and made his way to the med bay. He allowed himself to rest his hand on Jack's back as he passed his lover, but didn't linger. Jack's eyes shot to his once he'd settled himself against the railing of the walkway, acknowledging the contact and letting his armour drop for a second, his appreciation for the touch shining clearly from the blue depths. Then Rhys stirred on the exam table below and the shields slammed down again.
"Here he is," Owen said soothingly as Rhys woke up.
"Hero of the hour," Tosh added, but Rhys didn't seem to hear the accolade, didn't seem to be able to tear his eyes away from Gwen who was standing by his side.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," Gwen whispered, smiling down at him.
Rhys' voice was rough but his concern was clear as he asked, "Are you all right?"
Gwen gave him another soft smile. "I am now you are, yeah." She leant down to place a kiss on Rhys' lips.
Ianto winced when Rhys cried out a second later, seeing Gwen's arm pushing down onto his wounded shoulder.
"Sorry!" Gwen apologised.
Ianto stifled a chuckle. "Next time, let her take the bullet," he advised, only half joking.
"Never," Rhys swore. "What happened to the blokes?"
There was a pause and then Jack answered. "We gave them amnesia pills. They'll remember who they are but not what they did over the past few months." Jack's words were filled with frustration and he didn't look at anyone as he spoke.
Rhys sighed. "So they got away with it."
"It would never stand up in a court of law," Jack explained.
"And the creature?"
The pause was longer this time, the team exchanging pained glances as they tried to figure out what to say.
"Incinerated," Jack finally said.
"So there's nothing left."
Rhys' words cut through Ianto as echoes of the whale's cries tore through his memory. Owen turned away to fiddle with something on the instrument tray while Jack and Tosh looked close to tears.
"It was never there," Rhys added softly.
"Gwen, I need a word," Jack said and stalked out of the med bay towards his office.
Gwen leant down to place a tender, careful kiss on Rhys' lips before following Jack.
Owen turned back to his patient and plastered a cheerful smile to his face. "Let's get you up, yeah?" he said as he helped Rhys to a sitting position. "Ianto, can you grab a t-shirt or something for Rhys to wear home? We had to cut his shirt off of him."
"Of course," Ianto said.
Owen started to explain to Rhys what he would need to do to care for his wound as Ianto left the med bay. He almost ran into Gwen as she came barrelling out of Jack's office. Her expression coupled with Jack's rigid stance as he stood behind his desk made Ianto hurry to the manhole without attempting any conversation. He rooted through one of Jack's rarely used drawers and pulled out an old grey t-shirt he knew Jack wouldn't miss. When he came back up to the office, Jack was sitting at his desk, his chin resting on steepled hands as he stared out at nothing. Ianto paused for a moment, but decided not to disturb Jack yet. It would be easier to engage his lover when they were finally alone.
He headed back to the med bay and handed the t-shirt to Gwen so she could help Rhys into it. She listened carefully to Owen's instructions and warnings about what Rhys should and should not do over the next few weeks, even as Rhys rolled his eyes and insisted he was fine. She really does love him, Ianto observed. He was happy to see that whatever had gone on in the past, Gwen had clearly gotten her priorities straight and held on to the man she loved. And there's no question he loves her, he thought with a smile. The man is undeniably besotted. It's a shame he won't remember being her hero. Ianto sighed. "Poor Rhys," he muttered as he made his way back up the stairs, back to Jack.
TBC in Chapter Fifty-Three
.
This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/101730.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Rating: R
Warnings: Nothing really, just didn't feel like changing the rating
Spoilers: Season Two thru Meat (2x04)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to Catherine Tregenna for situations and dialogue borrowed from Meat. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: Owen escorts Rhys, Gwen and Tosh back to the Hub while Jack and Ianto stay behind to clean up the scene…
Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reading and commenting! You can find all the previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm here. This is a sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks again and forever to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thraceadams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Fifty-Two
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Unable to save the space whale, the team was forced to put it out of its misery…
The team got Rhys settled in the SUV in short order, Owen muttering curses as he tried to work around Gwen who refused to let go of Rhys' hand. Ianto closed the driver's side door after Tosh climbed in and gave her a sympathetic smile through the window. He could hear Gwen's sharp voice directing Tosh to drive carefully as they pulled away. He shook his head and turned back to the dock where Jack was contemplating the row of unconscious bad guys.
Jack sighed. "We'll have to torch the whole building. Can't see any way around it. We can't have anyone coming across the whale, even if it is dead."
Nodding in agreement, Ianto said, "Seems wise, sir. There are plenty of chemicals in there. One stray spark would probably set the whole place off."
"Good. We'll make sure the whale is incinerated and then call it in, keep the fire from spreading, although, God knows there isn't anything out here to burn," Jack said as he led Ianto back inside the warehouse. He stopped by the row of unconscious bodies and nudged Dale's side with his foot. "We can dump these bastards somewhere after the Retcon kicks in."
"About that…" Ianto said, a frown wrinkling his brow. "How are we supposed to dose them while they're unconscious? And I don't see any of them taking the pills or even a glass of water from one of us if we wait until they wake up."
Jack grinned at him, though the smile held no amusement, only cold satisfaction. "Jabs," he said succinctly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a flat, square case with a zip on three sides. He opened it up and showed Ianto the neat rows of syringes and a dozen tiny bottles of clear liquid. "It's just saline with dissolved Retcon," Jack explained. "One little poke and we can erase this whole thing from these bastard's memories."
"It never seems like punishment enough," Ianto muttered, glancing back over his shoulder in the direction of the whale.
"I know," Jack commiserated. He paused for a moment and then shook his head. "I'll start moving the chemicals into the room with the whale so the fire burns hottest there. Why don't you back the lorry up to the dock so we can get them loaded up?"
Ianto nodded. He took the keys from Jack's hand and turned towards the lorry, only to stop and turn back a second later when he remembered something. "Jack? There's a lot of money in there. Should we just burn it or take it?" he asked.
"Money?" Jack replied with a frown.
"Dale and… and the little one there," Ianto said, pointing. "They were in an office when I caught up with them, stuffing money into duffels."
"Oh, they were?" Jack glared down at Dale's unconscious body. "Well, I think we should definitely liberate that before we start the fire. I think the RSPCA could do with a sizeable donation. What do you think?"
"Sounds good," Ianto agreed. He hopped off the dock and headed for the lorry, happy that at least one positive thing would come of this tragedy after all.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jack and Ianto waited at the warehouse, keeping a close eye on the fire they'd started, until the engines showed up to take over. Jack wanted to be sure that no one rushed into the blaze, risking themselves to look for non-existent survivors so he spun a story about a call to Torchwood claiming the warehouse was being used for illegal drugs trade, assuring the Watch Manager that they'd conducted a thorough search of the building before they'd "noticed the fire" which must have been set by fleeing perpetrators.
Leaving the smoke and flames of the funeral pyre behind them, they headed for the service station on the A470 which Rhys had identified as the meat gang's pick up point. The eight men were just starting to come around from their Retcon jabs as Ianto and Jack moved them from the back of the lorry to a small copse of trees behind the station. Ianto took more than a little satisfaction from dumping Dale into an overgrown wild rose bush with particularly nasty thorns.
The ride back to the Hub was quiet, both men lost in their thoughts about the events of the day. Ianto wanted to say something to comfort his Captain, but he knew from Jack's cold, shuttered gaze that Jack hadn't shifted out of full-on-Torchwood mode and probably wouldn't until he'd dealt with Gwen and Rhys. Anything personal would have to wait. When they arrived at the Hub, Jack left the lorry in what Ianto was fairly sure was an illegal parking space and hurried to the Tourist Office door with Ianto close on his heels.
Tosh came out of the med bay when the cog door rolled back to let them in. Jack immediately stripped off his coat and tossed it on the sofa, walking quickly to Tosh's side.
"How is Rhys?" he asked.
"Still unconscious, but Owen has finished the dressing."
Ianto followed them more slowly, taking a moment to pick up Jack's coat and hang it properly in his office. He bemoaned the loss of his suit jacket and wondered if his coat was still in the SUV as rolled up his sleeves and made his way to the med bay. He allowed himself to rest his hand on Jack's back as he passed his lover, but didn't linger. Jack's eyes shot to his once he'd settled himself against the railing of the walkway, acknowledging the contact and letting his armour drop for a second, his appreciation for the touch shining clearly from the blue depths. Then Rhys stirred on the exam table below and the shields slammed down again.
"Here he is," Owen said soothingly as Rhys woke up.
"Hero of the hour," Tosh added, but Rhys didn't seem to hear the accolade, didn't seem to be able to tear his eyes away from Gwen who was standing by his side.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," Gwen whispered, smiling down at him.
Rhys' voice was rough but his concern was clear as he asked, "Are you all right?"
Gwen gave him another soft smile. "I am now you are, yeah." She leant down to place a kiss on Rhys' lips.
Ianto winced when Rhys cried out a second later, seeing Gwen's arm pushing down onto his wounded shoulder.
"Sorry!" Gwen apologised.
Ianto stifled a chuckle. "Next time, let her take the bullet," he advised, only half joking.
"Never," Rhys swore. "What happened to the blokes?"
There was a pause and then Jack answered. "We gave them amnesia pills. They'll remember who they are but not what they did over the past few months." Jack's words were filled with frustration and he didn't look at anyone as he spoke.
Rhys sighed. "So they got away with it."
"It would never stand up in a court of law," Jack explained.
"And the creature?"
The pause was longer this time, the team exchanging pained glances as they tried to figure out what to say.
"Incinerated," Jack finally said.
"So there's nothing left."
Rhys' words cut through Ianto as echoes of the whale's cries tore through his memory. Owen turned away to fiddle with something on the instrument tray while Jack and Tosh looked close to tears.
"It was never there," Rhys added softly.
"Gwen, I need a word," Jack said and stalked out of the med bay towards his office.
Gwen leant down to place a tender, careful kiss on Rhys' lips before following Jack.
Owen turned back to his patient and plastered a cheerful smile to his face. "Let's get you up, yeah?" he said as he helped Rhys to a sitting position. "Ianto, can you grab a t-shirt or something for Rhys to wear home? We had to cut his shirt off of him."
"Of course," Ianto said.
Owen started to explain to Rhys what he would need to do to care for his wound as Ianto left the med bay. He almost ran into Gwen as she came barrelling out of Jack's office. Her expression coupled with Jack's rigid stance as he stood behind his desk made Ianto hurry to the manhole without attempting any conversation. He rooted through one of Jack's rarely used drawers and pulled out an old grey t-shirt he knew Jack wouldn't miss. When he came back up to the office, Jack was sitting at his desk, his chin resting on steepled hands as he stared out at nothing. Ianto paused for a moment, but decided not to disturb Jack yet. It would be easier to engage his lover when they were finally alone.
He headed back to the med bay and handed the t-shirt to Gwen so she could help Rhys into it. She listened carefully to Owen's instructions and warnings about what Rhys should and should not do over the next few weeks, even as Rhys rolled his eyes and insisted he was fine. She really does love him, Ianto observed. He was happy to see that whatever had gone on in the past, Gwen had clearly gotten her priorities straight and held on to the man she loved. And there's no question he loves her, he thought with a smile. The man is undeniably besotted. It's a shame he won't remember being her hero. Ianto sighed. "Poor Rhys," he muttered as he made his way back up the stairs, back to Jack.
TBC in Chapter Fifty-Three
.
This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/101730.html. Please comment there using OpenID.