Fic: The Sea After a Storm (53/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 53
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: In which Gwen is supremely annoying…
Notes: Thanks again to everyone who's reading and commenting! I promise I'll get to my replies soon. :) 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-Three
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Jack and Ianto took care of the remains of the ill-fated space whale whilst Owen patched up Rhys…
Once Gwen and Rhys had left the Hub, everyone settled at their workstations. It was quiet, everyone still wrapped up in their thoughts as each of them worked through the outcome of the case in their own fashion. Ianto knew that sooner or later Owen would suggest the pub and they'd all head out for a bite and a drink and a little decompression, but for now they were all going about their business as if everything was fine. Ianto noticed Tosh giving Owen some strange looks - some exasperated, some sad and some just plain irritated - but since Owen seemed clueless as always, Ianto refrained from mentioning his observations aloud. He checked his email, firing off responses to a message from his sister, three from Jamie and one from Brendan before dealing with the Prime Minister's latest batch of inquiries. After his inbox was tidied up, he decided he deserved a beer and allowed himself to casually stroll by Jack's door on his way to the kitchen area.
Jack was still sitting at his desk, but he was no longer staring out into space. Ianto was glad to see him working on the official Torchwood record of the case, or as Jack called it once in a moment of silliness complete with a bad Shatner impersonation, his Captain's Log. Ianto chuckled at the memory and opened the fridge only to find they were out of beer. He sighed, added beer to his mental shopping list and snagged a bottle of water from the fridge. He grabbed his secure archives clipboard from his workstation and joined Jack in his office.
He went immediately to the decanter and poured himself two fingers of whisky, holding the bottle up to Jack in a silent invitation. Jack glanced up at the movement but immediately shook his head. Not there yet, Ianto thought as he re-stoppered the decanter with a soft sigh. He took a quick sip of his whisky and almost moaned at the smooth burn.
Not wanting to interrupt Jack any further, Ianto just set the bottle of water on Jack's desk and then quietly headed for the Secure Archives safe, spinning the combination lock with practiced ease. He had just begun checking the inventory against his report, when Jack finally spoke.
"Ianto?"
"Yes, sir?" Ianto replied, making another checkmark in his log.
"What are you doing?"
"Inventory."
"Why?"
"Because it's in my job description."
"I meant why are you doing it right now?"
Ianto looked up at his Captain. "Seemed as good a time as any."
Jack held his eyes for a second and then dropped them back to his report. A comfortable silence fell between them for a few minutes, broken only by the scratching of Jack's pen and the occasional flick of Ianto making another checkmark in his log.
When Jack spoke again, his voice was softer than Ianto had heard it all day.
"Ianto?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Thanks for checking up on me."
"Always," Ianto murmured.
Jack shot him a quick smile before looking down at his notes. "I never know what to put in these stupid things," he muttered. "I'm not even sure why we still do them."
"Posterity," Ianto said drily. He walked over to Jack's desk and glanced down at the paper. He groaned. "Well, you shouldn't put that," he advised, pointing at a line on the page.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"Because it doesn't make sense," Ianto said patiently. "I don't care how much Retcon you gave those bastards, and by the way, I'm personally glad you upped the dose, but you know it only erases memories not physicality."
"It's hyperbole," Jack protested. "I know they're not really going to go through puberty again, but a little poetic licence drives the point home. Like here -" Jack broke off and stood up, going to one of his bookshelves to find a novel. He flipped through a few pages and the cursed softly under his breath. "No, it was the other one I was thinking of…" His voice trailed off as he walked to another shelf and picked up a book with a blue cover.
Before Jack found the page he was looking for, the cog door rolled back and Gwen stormed back in.
"I'm not doing it! I won't drug him!" she yelled across the Hub at Jack as she stalked past Tosh and Owen.
"You have to," Tosh said quietly.
"You can't allow him to remember," Owen added.
Ianto could tell Gwen couldn't care less what they were saying, but felt compelled to add, "It's the rules."
Gwen finally tore her eyes away from Jack to look at her teammates. "But none of you have any partners outside of this," she said, sounding a bit smug.
Ianto ground his teeth.
Jack finally spoke. "But we understand how you feel," he said soothingly.
"No, you don't! No, you don't, Jack!" Gwen shouted. "You all think it's cold and lonely out there, but it isn't for me because I have him. He matters. And I've lied to him for long enough. What he did today was so brave…" Gwen swallowed hard and looked around for some spark of understanding from the others. "Braver than any of us because we signed up for this. But he didn't! He did it because he loves me! And I won't take that away from him! I won't! And if that means I have to quit or you Retcon me or whatever, then fine! Fine!" She ended her tirade with her hands on her hips, her defiant body language at odds with the expression of sheer terror in her eyes as Jack advanced on her.
At the word Retcon, Jack had turned and tossed his bottle of water to Ianto. He had crossed the floor quickly, getting right into Gwen's face just as she stopped speaking. Ianto had to give her credit, she might have been trembling but she didn't back down.
"You really think you could go back to your old life before Torchwood?" he asked.
Gwen stared up at Jack for a long moment before saying, "I wouldn't know anything different."
"I would." Jack voice was low and rough and Ianto could tell that he was on the verge of tears even without seeing his face.
The silent battle of wills raged for another long, uncomfortable moment and then Jack broke.
"Give Rhys my love and I will see you tomorrow," he said quietly.
Gwen turned and ran out of the Hub as if trying to get out before Jack changed his mind. Jack stared after her until the cog door rolled back into place. When he turned, he found Tosh staring at him with disappointment and disbelief. Ianto watched as Jack dropped his gaze and turned away from Tosh, hurrying back into his office, taking the proffered bottle of water back from Ianto as he passed.
Ianto sighed and rested his elbow on the door frame. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a drink of the whisky that was still conveniently in his hand.
"Well, that was… fascinating," Owen griped.
"Wasn't it, though?" Tosh agreed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Good to know that the rules don't apply to everyone."
"Guys…," Ianto murmured. He could hear Jack drop into his desk chair and heave a deep sigh.
"No, she's right, Ianto." Owen spun his chair so he was facing Ianto. "Gwen clearly is above the rules that some of us have to obey, so what I want to know is why." He raised his voice a little. "I mean, I know she's good in the sack, but really, what do you have to do for Jack to get that kind of treatment? Ianto? Any tips?"
"Shut up," Ianto hissed as Tosh spoke at the same time.
"That's enough, Owen." Tosh's voice was like a whip but it had no effect on the good doctor.
"Actually, I think I might take that bottle of alien aphrodisiac back since you've got the safe open any way. It's not like Jack's high and mighty act has any weight anymore. It'd be nice to hit a club and be able to take home anyone I fancy without any effort."
"It would take a lot more than alien love spray to get any woman to go home with you in that shirt," Ianto observed drily as he finished his whisky. He clenched the empty glass in hands, trying to keep himself composed. Jack didn't need him getting into a brawl with Owen in the Hub.
"What's wrong with my shirt?" Owen demanded, staring down at his chest.
"It's hideous," Tosh said calmly as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "And I need a drink. And some air. Anyone coming to the pub with me?"
Ianto glanced over at Jack, the rigid set of his shoulders told Ianto everything he needed to know. He sighed softly. "I'm in," he said.
TBC in Chapter Fifty-Four
This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/102051.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: In which Gwen is supremely annoying…
Notes: Thanks again to everyone who's reading and commenting! I promise I'll get to my replies soon. :) 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-Three
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Jack and Ianto took care of the remains of the ill-fated space whale whilst Owen patched up Rhys…
Once Gwen and Rhys had left the Hub, everyone settled at their workstations. It was quiet, everyone still wrapped up in their thoughts as each of them worked through the outcome of the case in their own fashion. Ianto knew that sooner or later Owen would suggest the pub and they'd all head out for a bite and a drink and a little decompression, but for now they were all going about their business as if everything was fine. Ianto noticed Tosh giving Owen some strange looks - some exasperated, some sad and some just plain irritated - but since Owen seemed clueless as always, Ianto refrained from mentioning his observations aloud. He checked his email, firing off responses to a message from his sister, three from Jamie and one from Brendan before dealing with the Prime Minister's latest batch of inquiries. After his inbox was tidied up, he decided he deserved a beer and allowed himself to casually stroll by Jack's door on his way to the kitchen area.
Jack was still sitting at his desk, but he was no longer staring out into space. Ianto was glad to see him working on the official Torchwood record of the case, or as Jack called it once in a moment of silliness complete with a bad Shatner impersonation, his Captain's Log. Ianto chuckled at the memory and opened the fridge only to find they were out of beer. He sighed, added beer to his mental shopping list and snagged a bottle of water from the fridge. He grabbed his secure archives clipboard from his workstation and joined Jack in his office.
He went immediately to the decanter and poured himself two fingers of whisky, holding the bottle up to Jack in a silent invitation. Jack glanced up at the movement but immediately shook his head. Not there yet, Ianto thought as he re-stoppered the decanter with a soft sigh. He took a quick sip of his whisky and almost moaned at the smooth burn.
Not wanting to interrupt Jack any further, Ianto just set the bottle of water on Jack's desk and then quietly headed for the Secure Archives safe, spinning the combination lock with practiced ease. He had just begun checking the inventory against his report, when Jack finally spoke.
"Ianto?"
"Yes, sir?" Ianto replied, making another checkmark in his log.
"What are you doing?"
"Inventory."
"Why?"
"Because it's in my job description."
"I meant why are you doing it right now?"
Ianto looked up at his Captain. "Seemed as good a time as any."
Jack held his eyes for a second and then dropped them back to his report. A comfortable silence fell between them for a few minutes, broken only by the scratching of Jack's pen and the occasional flick of Ianto making another checkmark in his log.
When Jack spoke again, his voice was softer than Ianto had heard it all day.
"Ianto?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Thanks for checking up on me."
"Always," Ianto murmured.
Jack shot him a quick smile before looking down at his notes. "I never know what to put in these stupid things," he muttered. "I'm not even sure why we still do them."
"Posterity," Ianto said drily. He walked over to Jack's desk and glanced down at the paper. He groaned. "Well, you shouldn't put that," he advised, pointing at a line on the page.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"Because it doesn't make sense," Ianto said patiently. "I don't care how much Retcon you gave those bastards, and by the way, I'm personally glad you upped the dose, but you know it only erases memories not physicality."
"It's hyperbole," Jack protested. "I know they're not really going to go through puberty again, but a little poetic licence drives the point home. Like here -" Jack broke off and stood up, going to one of his bookshelves to find a novel. He flipped through a few pages and the cursed softly under his breath. "No, it was the other one I was thinking of…" His voice trailed off as he walked to another shelf and picked up a book with a blue cover.
Before Jack found the page he was looking for, the cog door rolled back and Gwen stormed back in.
"I'm not doing it! I won't drug him!" she yelled across the Hub at Jack as she stalked past Tosh and Owen.
"You have to," Tosh said quietly.
"You can't allow him to remember," Owen added.
Ianto could tell Gwen couldn't care less what they were saying, but felt compelled to add, "It's the rules."
Gwen finally tore her eyes away from Jack to look at her teammates. "But none of you have any partners outside of this," she said, sounding a bit smug.
Ianto ground his teeth.
Jack finally spoke. "But we understand how you feel," he said soothingly.
"No, you don't! No, you don't, Jack!" Gwen shouted. "You all think it's cold and lonely out there, but it isn't for me because I have him. He matters. And I've lied to him for long enough. What he did today was so brave…" Gwen swallowed hard and looked around for some spark of understanding from the others. "Braver than any of us because we signed up for this. But he didn't! He did it because he loves me! And I won't take that away from him! I won't! And if that means I have to quit or you Retcon me or whatever, then fine! Fine!" She ended her tirade with her hands on her hips, her defiant body language at odds with the expression of sheer terror in her eyes as Jack advanced on her.
At the word Retcon, Jack had turned and tossed his bottle of water to Ianto. He had crossed the floor quickly, getting right into Gwen's face just as she stopped speaking. Ianto had to give her credit, she might have been trembling but she didn't back down.
"You really think you could go back to your old life before Torchwood?" he asked.
Gwen stared up at Jack for a long moment before saying, "I wouldn't know anything different."
"I would." Jack voice was low and rough and Ianto could tell that he was on the verge of tears even without seeing his face.
The silent battle of wills raged for another long, uncomfortable moment and then Jack broke.
"Give Rhys my love and I will see you tomorrow," he said quietly.
Gwen turned and ran out of the Hub as if trying to get out before Jack changed his mind. Jack stared after her until the cog door rolled back into place. When he turned, he found Tosh staring at him with disappointment and disbelief. Ianto watched as Jack dropped his gaze and turned away from Tosh, hurrying back into his office, taking the proffered bottle of water back from Ianto as he passed.
Ianto sighed and rested his elbow on the door frame. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a drink of the whisky that was still conveniently in his hand.
"Well, that was… fascinating," Owen griped.
"Wasn't it, though?" Tosh agreed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Good to know that the rules don't apply to everyone."
"Guys…," Ianto murmured. He could hear Jack drop into his desk chair and heave a deep sigh.
"No, she's right, Ianto." Owen spun his chair so he was facing Ianto. "Gwen clearly is above the rules that some of us have to obey, so what I want to know is why." He raised his voice a little. "I mean, I know she's good in the sack, but really, what do you have to do for Jack to get that kind of treatment? Ianto? Any tips?"
"Shut up," Ianto hissed as Tosh spoke at the same time.
"That's enough, Owen." Tosh's voice was like a whip but it had no effect on the good doctor.
"Actually, I think I might take that bottle of alien aphrodisiac back since you've got the safe open any way. It's not like Jack's high and mighty act has any weight anymore. It'd be nice to hit a club and be able to take home anyone I fancy without any effort."
"It would take a lot more than alien love spray to get any woman to go home with you in that shirt," Ianto observed drily as he finished his whisky. He clenched the empty glass in hands, trying to keep himself composed. Jack didn't need him getting into a brawl with Owen in the Hub.
"What's wrong with my shirt?" Owen demanded, staring down at his chest.
"It's hideous," Tosh said calmly as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "And I need a drink. And some air. Anyone coming to the pub with me?"
Ianto glanced over at Jack, the rigid set of his shoulders told Ianto everything he needed to know. He sighed softly. "I'm in," he said.
TBC in Chapter Fifty-Four
This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/102051.html. Please comment there using OpenID.