Fic: Vizzini's Rule (93/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 93
Rating: R
Warnings: Not really, some bad words and discussion of boy-kissage
Spoilers: Season One thru Captain Jack Harkness (1x12)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Captain Jack Harkness - no infringement, only worship intended.
Summary: In which Tosh tells Ianto all about 1941 and the real Captain Jack Harkness…
Notes: Here’s the rest of Tosh and Ianto’s conversation at the Pub. :( I need a hug.
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Ninety-Three
Ianto returned to the table with two fresh pints and a basket of bread.
“Maria had just taken this out of the oven when I ordered. She insisted,” Ianto said as he set the basket in front of Tosh who laughed.
“What is it with you and women wanting to feed you?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” Ianto replied. He spread a bit of butter on the dark bread and took a bite. “So, the real Jack Harkness. That must have been a shock,” he prompted.
“God, yes! That creepy manager, Bilis, took our photo right as he introduced himself. I couldn’t believe it. But then Jack introduced me and said his name was James Harter or Harper or something and just glossed over it.”
Ianto felt cold. He reached for another piece of bread as he asked casually, “Photo? Is he the solider in that photograph we found?” The one Jack was staring at? The one he tried to hide? He felt his heart break a little when Tosh nodded.
“Yes, that’s him. Jack got us out of there pretty fast after that. When I asked him about it he laughed it off, made a joke about how hot he was, but then he explained that he’d taken his name after… after he’d died.”
“Did he say why? I mean, it’s not a normal thing to do, stealing someone’s identity.”
Tosh shook her head. “Not really. First he said he was undercover and then he said he was a conman, of all things. Can you see that?”
“Jack? Charming people into whatever he wants?” Ianto asked sarcastically. “Nope, can’t picture that at all.” He took a long drink of his beer.
Chuckling, Tosh conceded the point. “Ok, you’ve got me there. But whatever he was before, he’s… different now.”
“Big damn hero,” Ianto said quietly. At least I thought he was.
He saw Tosh glance over at him. “Yeah, exactly. He was so broken up over what had happened… was going to happen to the real Jack. You should have seen him, Ianto. He was practically in tears when he told me about his last mission.”
The waitress brought their food right then and Ianto used the interruption to carefully school his face into bland curiosity. He was very glad that Tosh was sitting beside him and not across from him, especially when she spoke again.
“And that kiss! Oh my God, it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen,” she said as she picked up her fork.
Ianto’s hand paused with a chip halfway to his mouth. “Kiss?” he asked, returning the chip to the basket. Kiss? He didn’t… He wouldn’t… Oh wouldn’t he? the tiny voice in his head chimed in. He occupied himself with the malt vinegar for a moment, hoping his stomach would stop churning.
“Well,” Tosh said, taking a bite of her pasta. “It was… no, see, Jack was trying to make sure that Jack, the real Jack, had a good last night from the minute we found out who he was. He kept after him to enjoy his last moments, not that Jack, the real one, knew why Jack, our Jack, was doing it.”
“Why don’t you call him the Captain,” Ianto suggested in a tight voice. “Less confusing.”
Tosh smiled. “Good idea. After the air raid - God, that was scary, I mean, I know about them from history and from my grandfather, but to actually be in one? Scary - anyway, after I hid the card with the rest of the equation on it, after the air raid, Tim, one of the navigators, bandaged up my hand. Then I went looking for Jack so we could figure out what to do next to try to get home. I found him and the Captain talking, but one look at Jack’s face and I decided not to interrupt. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard Jack trying to convince the Captain to go spend the night with his girlfriend. Ianto, he sounded so sad. I swear, it wasn’t just that he knew the Captain was going to die. He sounded so alone. I know he’s sort of dedicated his life to Torchwood and all, but it just breaks my heart. The Captain actually asked him if we were together, me and Jack. Can you imagine?” Tosh asked as she paused to eat a little of her dinner.
Ianto forced out the required chuckle and shook his head. He took a drink of his beer to hide his shaking hand and motioned for Tosh to continue.
“Well, when Jack set him straight and told him there was no one in his life, I just about started to cry. I snuck back downstairs and waited for him to come back down. I didn’t want him to know I’d heard that.”
“Yeah,” Ianto said roughly. “I can see how that would have been awkward.”
Tosh nodded, her mouth too full to reply.
“He actually said that,” Ianto prodded, the cold spreading throughout his body until he felt numb all over, that little voice in his head repeating you’re nothing, you’re no one, you’re nothing over and over. “That he doesn’t have anyone?”
“Yeah, isn’t that sad? I mean, I think we’d know if he was seeing anyone, and when do any of us have time, but to hear him say it just like that ‘There’s no one’ - breaks your heart.”
“Yeah,” Ianto agreed bleakly.
“But Jack, the Captain that is, he didn’t leave. I think he was fascinated by Jack, God knows we’ve seen that before, I mean look at Gwen.” Tosh rolled her eyes. “And just before the rift opened, they danced together to some old song, the one that Jack quoted when we got back about angels dancing.”
“A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square,” Ianto replied.
Tosh didn’t seem to notice the hollow note in Ianto’s voice. “That’s the one. God, you really do know everything. Anyway, the band was doing that song and they danced together and the look on the Captain’s face? It was like he’d finally found something he’d been looking for his whole life. And Jack just held him and danced and he looked so happy, almost at peace which, you know, Jack never looks like.”
I’ve seen him look like that, Ianto thought. Fool, thought it was because of me, that’s a laugh. Owen was right…
“But then the rift opened,” Tosh continued. “I was so relieved, I just grabbed all our things and ran for the light. But Jack didn’t come right away. He was still dancing with the Captain.”
“Couldn’t tear himself away, huh?” Ianto asked harshly. He downed the rest of his beer as he listed to Tosh’s answer.
“Exactly. I thought for a minute that he was going to stay behind with the Captain, but I begged him to come with me. He said something to the Captain and then followed me. But before he got to the opening in the rift, he turned back and walked over to the Captain and… and…”
“Kissed him?” Ianto asked as he carefully set down his empty glass instead of shattering it against the wood which is what he felt like doing. “Not the brightest move, when you think about it. Hell, in 1941 wasn’t that sort of thing still illegal?”
“Ianto,” Tosh scolded him as she nudged him with her shoulder. “I’m sure they weren’t thinking about that. It was like… like time stopped and then Jack kissed him. But it wasn’t just a kiss, it was like everything that might have been, everything they could have had together was in that one moment. It was… it was really beautiful.”
“Sounds it,” Ianto said. He stood up suddenly surprising Tosh. “I need a refill. Would you like another as well?” he offered politely.
Tosh looked stunned and shook her head. “No thanks, Ianto. Are you -”
“Back in a sec,” he said and then fled to the bar.
As he waited for the drinks he could hear Jack’s voice in his head: I will hurt you… We don’t have any hold on each other… I’m shit at this sort of thing… I can’t promise you anything…
Ianto felt the panic begin to tighten in his chest for the second time in as many days. He gripped the edge of the bar and hunched over, trying to focus. Jack needs me, I’m not a part-time shag, what we have is real, he wouldn’t… but he did, the little voice in his head mocked him, telling him he was nothing. Ianto fought back the panic attack and took slow, deep breaths, trying not to think about how much easier it would be if Jack was there to talk him through it. When he returned to the table, he was mostly under control and able to greet Tosh with a smile.
“Ianto, are you okay?” she asked as soon as he sat down. “I didn’t think it would bother you, you’ve always said you didn’t care whether Jack was gay or not and you’re -”
“I don’t,” he said, trying to sound breezy.
“You just seem -”
“I’m fine, Tosh, really,” Ianto interrupted her again. “I was just sort of kicking myself for going through all the trouble of shooting Owen when it sounds like Jack would have been just as happy to stay in the past.” He realized that made no sense whatsoever, but just shrugged and took a drink.
“Okay,” Tosh said. “If you’re sure.”
“Perfectly sure. So what was it like coming back through the rift? Did it feel as strange or was it easier?”
Tosh gave Ianto a long stare and then apparently decided not to push it. “It wasn’t as bad the second time,” she said. “I felt better the minute we arrived in 2007, the queasy-aching sort of stopped…”
Tosh kept talking and Ianto struggled to pay attention, as his heart kept breaking.
TBC in Chapter Ninety-Four
Rating: R
Warnings: Not really, some bad words and discussion of boy-kissage
Spoilers: Season One thru Captain Jack Harkness (1x12)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Captain Jack Harkness - no infringement, only worship intended.
Summary: In which Tosh tells Ianto all about 1941 and the real Captain Jack Harkness…
Notes: Here’s the rest of Tosh and Ianto’s conversation at the Pub. :( I need a hug.
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Ninety-Three
Ianto returned to the table with two fresh pints and a basket of bread.
“Maria had just taken this out of the oven when I ordered. She insisted,” Ianto said as he set the basket in front of Tosh who laughed.
“What is it with you and women wanting to feed you?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” Ianto replied. He spread a bit of butter on the dark bread and took a bite. “So, the real Jack Harkness. That must have been a shock,” he prompted.
“God, yes! That creepy manager, Bilis, took our photo right as he introduced himself. I couldn’t believe it. But then Jack introduced me and said his name was James Harter or Harper or something and just glossed over it.”
Ianto felt cold. He reached for another piece of bread as he asked casually, “Photo? Is he the solider in that photograph we found?” The one Jack was staring at? The one he tried to hide? He felt his heart break a little when Tosh nodded.
“Yes, that’s him. Jack got us out of there pretty fast after that. When I asked him about it he laughed it off, made a joke about how hot he was, but then he explained that he’d taken his name after… after he’d died.”
“Did he say why? I mean, it’s not a normal thing to do, stealing someone’s identity.”
Tosh shook her head. “Not really. First he said he was undercover and then he said he was a conman, of all things. Can you see that?”
“Jack? Charming people into whatever he wants?” Ianto asked sarcastically. “Nope, can’t picture that at all.” He took a long drink of his beer.
Chuckling, Tosh conceded the point. “Ok, you’ve got me there. But whatever he was before, he’s… different now.”
“Big damn hero,” Ianto said quietly. At least I thought he was.
He saw Tosh glance over at him. “Yeah, exactly. He was so broken up over what had happened… was going to happen to the real Jack. You should have seen him, Ianto. He was practically in tears when he told me about his last mission.”
The waitress brought their food right then and Ianto used the interruption to carefully school his face into bland curiosity. He was very glad that Tosh was sitting beside him and not across from him, especially when she spoke again.
“And that kiss! Oh my God, it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen,” she said as she picked up her fork.
Ianto’s hand paused with a chip halfway to his mouth. “Kiss?” he asked, returning the chip to the basket. Kiss? He didn’t… He wouldn’t… Oh wouldn’t he? the tiny voice in his head chimed in. He occupied himself with the malt vinegar for a moment, hoping his stomach would stop churning.
“Well,” Tosh said, taking a bite of her pasta. “It was… no, see, Jack was trying to make sure that Jack, the real Jack, had a good last night from the minute we found out who he was. He kept after him to enjoy his last moments, not that Jack, the real one, knew why Jack, our Jack, was doing it.”
“Why don’t you call him the Captain,” Ianto suggested in a tight voice. “Less confusing.”
Tosh smiled. “Good idea. After the air raid - God, that was scary, I mean, I know about them from history and from my grandfather, but to actually be in one? Scary - anyway, after I hid the card with the rest of the equation on it, after the air raid, Tim, one of the navigators, bandaged up my hand. Then I went looking for Jack so we could figure out what to do next to try to get home. I found him and the Captain talking, but one look at Jack’s face and I decided not to interrupt. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard Jack trying to convince the Captain to go spend the night with his girlfriend. Ianto, he sounded so sad. I swear, it wasn’t just that he knew the Captain was going to die. He sounded so alone. I know he’s sort of dedicated his life to Torchwood and all, but it just breaks my heart. The Captain actually asked him if we were together, me and Jack. Can you imagine?” Tosh asked as she paused to eat a little of her dinner.
Ianto forced out the required chuckle and shook his head. He took a drink of his beer to hide his shaking hand and motioned for Tosh to continue.
“Well, when Jack set him straight and told him there was no one in his life, I just about started to cry. I snuck back downstairs and waited for him to come back down. I didn’t want him to know I’d heard that.”
“Yeah,” Ianto said roughly. “I can see how that would have been awkward.”
Tosh nodded, her mouth too full to reply.
“He actually said that,” Ianto prodded, the cold spreading throughout his body until he felt numb all over, that little voice in his head repeating you’re nothing, you’re no one, you’re nothing over and over. “That he doesn’t have anyone?”
“Yeah, isn’t that sad? I mean, I think we’d know if he was seeing anyone, and when do any of us have time, but to hear him say it just like that ‘There’s no one’ - breaks your heart.”
“Yeah,” Ianto agreed bleakly.
“But Jack, the Captain that is, he didn’t leave. I think he was fascinated by Jack, God knows we’ve seen that before, I mean look at Gwen.” Tosh rolled her eyes. “And just before the rift opened, they danced together to some old song, the one that Jack quoted when we got back about angels dancing.”
“A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square,” Ianto replied.
Tosh didn’t seem to notice the hollow note in Ianto’s voice. “That’s the one. God, you really do know everything. Anyway, the band was doing that song and they danced together and the look on the Captain’s face? It was like he’d finally found something he’d been looking for his whole life. And Jack just held him and danced and he looked so happy, almost at peace which, you know, Jack never looks like.”
I’ve seen him look like that, Ianto thought. Fool, thought it was because of me, that’s a laugh. Owen was right…
“But then the rift opened,” Tosh continued. “I was so relieved, I just grabbed all our things and ran for the light. But Jack didn’t come right away. He was still dancing with the Captain.”
“Couldn’t tear himself away, huh?” Ianto asked harshly. He downed the rest of his beer as he listed to Tosh’s answer.
“Exactly. I thought for a minute that he was going to stay behind with the Captain, but I begged him to come with me. He said something to the Captain and then followed me. But before he got to the opening in the rift, he turned back and walked over to the Captain and… and…”
“Kissed him?” Ianto asked as he carefully set down his empty glass instead of shattering it against the wood which is what he felt like doing. “Not the brightest move, when you think about it. Hell, in 1941 wasn’t that sort of thing still illegal?”
“Ianto,” Tosh scolded him as she nudged him with her shoulder. “I’m sure they weren’t thinking about that. It was like… like time stopped and then Jack kissed him. But it wasn’t just a kiss, it was like everything that might have been, everything they could have had together was in that one moment. It was… it was really beautiful.”
“Sounds it,” Ianto said. He stood up suddenly surprising Tosh. “I need a refill. Would you like another as well?” he offered politely.
Tosh looked stunned and shook her head. “No thanks, Ianto. Are you -”
“Back in a sec,” he said and then fled to the bar.
As he waited for the drinks he could hear Jack’s voice in his head: I will hurt you… We don’t have any hold on each other… I’m shit at this sort of thing… I can’t promise you anything…
Ianto felt the panic begin to tighten in his chest for the second time in as many days. He gripped the edge of the bar and hunched over, trying to focus. Jack needs me, I’m not a part-time shag, what we have is real, he wouldn’t… but he did, the little voice in his head mocked him, telling him he was nothing. Ianto fought back the panic attack and took slow, deep breaths, trying not to think about how much easier it would be if Jack was there to talk him through it. When he returned to the table, he was mostly under control and able to greet Tosh with a smile.
“Ianto, are you okay?” she asked as soon as he sat down. “I didn’t think it would bother you, you’ve always said you didn’t care whether Jack was gay or not and you’re -”
“I don’t,” he said, trying to sound breezy.
“You just seem -”
“I’m fine, Tosh, really,” Ianto interrupted her again. “I was just sort of kicking myself for going through all the trouble of shooting Owen when it sounds like Jack would have been just as happy to stay in the past.” He realized that made no sense whatsoever, but just shrugged and took a drink.
“Okay,” Tosh said. “If you’re sure.”
“Perfectly sure. So what was it like coming back through the rift? Did it feel as strange or was it easier?”
Tosh gave Ianto a long stare and then apparently decided not to push it. “It wasn’t as bad the second time,” she said. “I felt better the minute we arrived in 2007, the queasy-aching sort of stopped…”
Tosh kept talking and Ianto struggled to pay attention, as his heart kept breaking.
TBC in Chapter Ninety-Four