Fic: The Sea After a Storm (7/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 7
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which we say goodbye to John Hart…for the moment…
Notes: There is a bit of a time jump between Chapters Six and Seven - just didn't want anyone to think they missed a chapter! :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Seven
Ianto sat up and leaned against the SUV. He rubbed his head for a second, trying to ease the pressure and pounding that was beating at the inside of his skull. It feels like Abaddon all over again… or the Himalayas. What happened? He slithered gracelessly up the side of the SUV and looked around. What the hell? Why are we all…
Oh.
The whole night tumbled into place when he saw the man in the red coat - Captain Hart, the canisters which weren't really bombs after all, finding Gwen in the shipping container, the diamond that wasn't a diamond but really was a bomb, Hart handcuffing himself to Gwen, the mad dash for the rift. Jack. Ianto's eyes sought his Captain and found him standing a few feet away. Jack had just died last night, thanks to John Hart and Ianto was very glad to see the explosion hadn't killed him again. Dying would be a terrible way to start the day, he thought as he rubbed his head again. Wait. Day. It's dark again. What the hell?
"What the hell?" Jack said, his confusion echoing Ianto's.
"Jack, what's going on? Why's it gone dark?" Gwen asked as she put as much distance between her and Captain Hart as possible. Granted, it wasn’t much considering they were still handcuffed together.
Jack's answer sounded sceptical, as if he couldn't believe he was right. "The rift's reverted to the moment he came through. Everything's jumped back to the beginning of the night."
"Like you were never here," Gwen hissed at Hart with contempt.
"Now we've got to avoid ourselves, great."
Hart ignored Jack's complaint and grinned. "It's a temporal displacement. Makes your tongue tingle, doesn't it? Lovely."
Ianto rolled his eyes as he joined the rest of the team. He rubbed his head absently as he half listened to Owen's explanation of how he confused the DNA bomb. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed that saving Gwen had necessitated saving Hart as well. When Hart retrieved the key to the cuffs from the lining of his throat, Ianto shuddered and looked away. Okay, now that is disgusting, he thought.
Gwen looked amazed. "You had that all along?"
Hart shrugged. "You were my passport to survival. No hard feelings. Well, not in that sense," he teased.
Gwen wiped the smug grin off his face with a well placed right hook. As she fell back to join her teammates, Ianto murmured admiringly, "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
She gave him a little smile. Owen put his arm around her as Ianto gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then all of their attention was focused on Jack as he coughed significantly and held out his hand to Hart.
For a moment it looked like Hart was going to argue, but in the end he just handed over the stolen wriststrap. Jack fastened it around his wrist and quirked an eyebrow at Hart. "Definitely bigger."
Hart sidled closer to Jack and looked up at him. "If you need a new team member - " he started.
"No," Jack said firmly, not even letting him finish the sentence.
Hart actually seemed surprised. "Really? I could - "
"No."
"But - "
"No," Jack said for a third time, not unkindly. "Go now and you can harness the residual rift energy," he added quietly.
Go? We're just going to let him walk away, free as a bird? Ianto couldn't believe it.
Hart didn't seem to be in a hurry though. He was still trying to convince Jack to let him stay.
"Listen," Hart began again.
"Goodbye." The finality in Jack's voice was clear, apparently even to Hart who finally gave in.
"Okay," he said softly. He paused for a moment and then reached up to give Jack a lingering kiss.
Ianto caught his breath and clenched his fists. But then he met Jack's eyes over Hart's shoulder and he relaxed a bit. Jack really didn't look like he was enjoying himself. Anything to get Hart out of here. Ianto sighed. If a cold cell wasn't in Hart's future, Ianto would have to comfort himself with the idea of him wandering the stars alone. Without Jack.
Hart rested his hand over Jack's heart for a second and then turned to walk into the rift. Jack's eyes immediately went to Ianto again. Ianto tried to conjure up a smile for Jack but he just couldn't make his muscles cooperate. He was torn, not knowing if he had the right to be upset at seeing Jack kissing another man but hating the sight nonetheless. Jack kept watching him. He had to tear his eyes from Ianto when Hart spoke one last time.
"Oh!" he exclaimed as the rift began to swirl around him. "By the way, I meant to tell you… I found Gray."
Ianto couldn't see Jack's face, but he could tell from the tension that suddenly stiffened Jack's shoulders and neck that Gray - whatever, whoever that is - wasn't welcome news.
Hart finally disappeared and the team walked slowly to Jack who was still standing there, staring at the spot where Hart had disappeared, rooted to the ground.
"Who's Gray?" Gwen asked, once again putting the question on everyone's minds into words.
Jack took a shuddering breath and then said faintly, "It's nothing." Another breath and Jack was himself again. "Let's get back to work," he said in his usual commanding tones. He turned and stalked back to the SUV, the rest of the team falling into line behind him.
Ianto was struck with the sudden and inappropriate urge to giggle. I feel like we're in a Western, he thought, or some bad cop programme.
The desire to laugh got even worse when Jack suddenly stopped and said, "Crap."
Gwen bumped into Jack and then stepped back onto Tosh's foot. "Ah! Sorry, Tosh. What is it?" she asked testily.
Jack spun around, his big coat fanning out. "We can't go back to work. We're at work." He glanced at his watch. "Or we will be in a few hours. Dammit, I hate temporal shifts."
"So what do we do?" Owen asked.
"Well, we can't risk running into ourselves, that's just begging for a paradox. We need to hole up somewhere for the next ten hours or so. Just until we catch back up with our own time."
Tosh looked confused. "Can't we just go home? I mean, none of us have been there all night."
Jack shook his head. "Too risky. What if you get a phone call or someone drops by who wasn't supposed to find you there? No, we need some place out of the way, some place we wouldn't usually go…"
Jack fell silent, obviously turning over ideas in his head.
"Tell you what - how does everyone feel about a little room service and maybe a dip in the pool?"
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
"Come on," Jack said, turning back to the SUV.
Owen claimed the front seat with no argument from anyone. Ianto passed him the first aid kit to rebandage his side once they were all settled and then asked Jack, "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Jack said. He sounded almost cheerful.
A flash of red caught Ianto's eye as Jack started the car. "Wait! What about the Crossfire?" he asked.
Jack glanced at Ianto, their eyes locking in the rear view mirror. Jack looked perplexed for a second and then smiled. "I'll make an anonymous call in the morning, report some kids joyriding through the neighbourhood. They'll find it eventually, assume it got nicked from the impound."
The ride was quiet apart from Owen asking for help now and then with his dressing. Jack asked him quietly if he needed his equipment in the Hub or a trip to A&E, but Owen shook his head, declaring that he would be just fine. When Jack pulled up in front of the St. David's Hotel, four sets of eyes turned to him.
"Here?" Tosh asked.
"You're serious?"
"Why not? We won't cross our own paths, room service, swimming pool, every spa treatment know to man, what's not to love? Look," Jack added seriously. "Consider it my official apology for running off. Okay?"
Tosh and Owen nodded but Gwen bit her lip.
"What is it, Gwen?" Jack asked patiently.
"It's just… Rhys got a promotion, I should be home with him celebrating, not hanging out in some posh hotel. Work comes first, I know, but we're not working now. Why can't I just go home?"
Jack sighed. "Did you talk to Rhys tonight?"
She nodded. "He called to tell me about the promotion."
"When?"
"Earlier. When I was…" Her voice faded as realization dawned. "When I was at the docks with John."
"Yeah, which hasn't happened yet. See what I mean about paradoxes?"
Gwen nodded reluctantly.
"Let me see what I can do," he said with a smile. He got out of the SUV and handed the keys to the valet.
The four of them followed in Jack's wake, Owen zipping up his jacket over his bloodstained shirt. They loitered in the lobby as Jack flirted with the concierge. He returned a few moments later with several envelopes in his hand. The first one he handed to Gwen. She reached out to take it from him, but he held on, looking serious.
"OK, here's the deal. This is a deluxe suite and it's yours for the weekend. I got you a late check out on Sunday. You can call Rhys - ah, ah, ah," he cautioned as Gwen bounced a little. "You can call him tomorrow morning after we catch back up to real time. You need to sleep anyway. The after effects of John's lip gloss are still going to hit you and sleep is the best thing for it. So… we have a deal?"
"Yes! Thank you, Jack!" Gwen squealed and threw her arms around him.
He chuckled and hugged her. "It's an engagement gift," Jack said dryly as he pulled back. He handed Tosh, Owen and Ianto envelopes as well. "Suites all around. Charge whatever you like to the room, just have a good time. Relax, have some champagne or something else horribly clichéd."
"What about you, Jack?" Tosh asked.
Jack waved the last envelope at her. "Taken care of. I could use a few days off."
"Typical," Owen snorted. "Just get back from holiday and you need another break."
Ianto saw a brief glimpse of pain in Jack's blue eyes before he was able to mask it with a smile and a wink.
He and Jack were going to have a conversation very soon.
TBC in Chapter Eight
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which we say goodbye to John Hart…for the moment…
Notes: There is a bit of a time jump between Chapters Six and Seven - just didn't want anyone to think they missed a chapter! :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Seven
Ianto sat up and leaned against the SUV. He rubbed his head for a second, trying to ease the pressure and pounding that was beating at the inside of his skull. It feels like Abaddon all over again… or the Himalayas. What happened? He slithered gracelessly up the side of the SUV and looked around. What the hell? Why are we all…
Oh.
The whole night tumbled into place when he saw the man in the red coat - Captain Hart, the canisters which weren't really bombs after all, finding Gwen in the shipping container, the diamond that wasn't a diamond but really was a bomb, Hart handcuffing himself to Gwen, the mad dash for the rift. Jack. Ianto's eyes sought his Captain and found him standing a few feet away. Jack had just died last night, thanks to John Hart and Ianto was very glad to see the explosion hadn't killed him again. Dying would be a terrible way to start the day, he thought as he rubbed his head again. Wait. Day. It's dark again. What the hell?
"What the hell?" Jack said, his confusion echoing Ianto's.
"Jack, what's going on? Why's it gone dark?" Gwen asked as she put as much distance between her and Captain Hart as possible. Granted, it wasn’t much considering they were still handcuffed together.
Jack's answer sounded sceptical, as if he couldn't believe he was right. "The rift's reverted to the moment he came through. Everything's jumped back to the beginning of the night."
"Like you were never here," Gwen hissed at Hart with contempt.
"Now we've got to avoid ourselves, great."
Hart ignored Jack's complaint and grinned. "It's a temporal displacement. Makes your tongue tingle, doesn't it? Lovely."
Ianto rolled his eyes as he joined the rest of the team. He rubbed his head absently as he half listened to Owen's explanation of how he confused the DNA bomb. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed that saving Gwen had necessitated saving Hart as well. When Hart retrieved the key to the cuffs from the lining of his throat, Ianto shuddered and looked away. Okay, now that is disgusting, he thought.
Gwen looked amazed. "You had that all along?"
Hart shrugged. "You were my passport to survival. No hard feelings. Well, not in that sense," he teased.
Gwen wiped the smug grin off his face with a well placed right hook. As she fell back to join her teammates, Ianto murmured admiringly, "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
She gave him a little smile. Owen put his arm around her as Ianto gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then all of their attention was focused on Jack as he coughed significantly and held out his hand to Hart.
For a moment it looked like Hart was going to argue, but in the end he just handed over the stolen wriststrap. Jack fastened it around his wrist and quirked an eyebrow at Hart. "Definitely bigger."
Hart sidled closer to Jack and looked up at him. "If you need a new team member - " he started.
"No," Jack said firmly, not even letting him finish the sentence.
Hart actually seemed surprised. "Really? I could - "
"No."
"But - "
"No," Jack said for a third time, not unkindly. "Go now and you can harness the residual rift energy," he added quietly.
Go? We're just going to let him walk away, free as a bird? Ianto couldn't believe it.
Hart didn't seem to be in a hurry though. He was still trying to convince Jack to let him stay.
"Listen," Hart began again.
"Goodbye." The finality in Jack's voice was clear, apparently even to Hart who finally gave in.
"Okay," he said softly. He paused for a moment and then reached up to give Jack a lingering kiss.
Ianto caught his breath and clenched his fists. But then he met Jack's eyes over Hart's shoulder and he relaxed a bit. Jack really didn't look like he was enjoying himself. Anything to get Hart out of here. Ianto sighed. If a cold cell wasn't in Hart's future, Ianto would have to comfort himself with the idea of him wandering the stars alone. Without Jack.
Hart rested his hand over Jack's heart for a second and then turned to walk into the rift. Jack's eyes immediately went to Ianto again. Ianto tried to conjure up a smile for Jack but he just couldn't make his muscles cooperate. He was torn, not knowing if he had the right to be upset at seeing Jack kissing another man but hating the sight nonetheless. Jack kept watching him. He had to tear his eyes from Ianto when Hart spoke one last time.
"Oh!" he exclaimed as the rift began to swirl around him. "By the way, I meant to tell you… I found Gray."
Ianto couldn't see Jack's face, but he could tell from the tension that suddenly stiffened Jack's shoulders and neck that Gray - whatever, whoever that is - wasn't welcome news.
Hart finally disappeared and the team walked slowly to Jack who was still standing there, staring at the spot where Hart had disappeared, rooted to the ground.
"Who's Gray?" Gwen asked, once again putting the question on everyone's minds into words.
Jack took a shuddering breath and then said faintly, "It's nothing." Another breath and Jack was himself again. "Let's get back to work," he said in his usual commanding tones. He turned and stalked back to the SUV, the rest of the team falling into line behind him.
Ianto was struck with the sudden and inappropriate urge to giggle. I feel like we're in a Western, he thought, or some bad cop programme.
The desire to laugh got even worse when Jack suddenly stopped and said, "Crap."
Gwen bumped into Jack and then stepped back onto Tosh's foot. "Ah! Sorry, Tosh. What is it?" she asked testily.
Jack spun around, his big coat fanning out. "We can't go back to work. We're at work." He glanced at his watch. "Or we will be in a few hours. Dammit, I hate temporal shifts."
"So what do we do?" Owen asked.
"Well, we can't risk running into ourselves, that's just begging for a paradox. We need to hole up somewhere for the next ten hours or so. Just until we catch back up with our own time."
Tosh looked confused. "Can't we just go home? I mean, none of us have been there all night."
Jack shook his head. "Too risky. What if you get a phone call or someone drops by who wasn't supposed to find you there? No, we need some place out of the way, some place we wouldn't usually go…"
Jack fell silent, obviously turning over ideas in his head.
"Tell you what - how does everyone feel about a little room service and maybe a dip in the pool?"
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
"Come on," Jack said, turning back to the SUV.
Owen claimed the front seat with no argument from anyone. Ianto passed him the first aid kit to rebandage his side once they were all settled and then asked Jack, "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Jack said. He sounded almost cheerful.
A flash of red caught Ianto's eye as Jack started the car. "Wait! What about the Crossfire?" he asked.
Jack glanced at Ianto, their eyes locking in the rear view mirror. Jack looked perplexed for a second and then smiled. "I'll make an anonymous call in the morning, report some kids joyriding through the neighbourhood. They'll find it eventually, assume it got nicked from the impound."
The ride was quiet apart from Owen asking for help now and then with his dressing. Jack asked him quietly if he needed his equipment in the Hub or a trip to A&E, but Owen shook his head, declaring that he would be just fine. When Jack pulled up in front of the St. David's Hotel, four sets of eyes turned to him.
"Here?" Tosh asked.
"You're serious?"
"Why not? We won't cross our own paths, room service, swimming pool, every spa treatment know to man, what's not to love? Look," Jack added seriously. "Consider it my official apology for running off. Okay?"
Tosh and Owen nodded but Gwen bit her lip.
"What is it, Gwen?" Jack asked patiently.
"It's just… Rhys got a promotion, I should be home with him celebrating, not hanging out in some posh hotel. Work comes first, I know, but we're not working now. Why can't I just go home?"
Jack sighed. "Did you talk to Rhys tonight?"
She nodded. "He called to tell me about the promotion."
"When?"
"Earlier. When I was…" Her voice faded as realization dawned. "When I was at the docks with John."
"Yeah, which hasn't happened yet. See what I mean about paradoxes?"
Gwen nodded reluctantly.
"Let me see what I can do," he said with a smile. He got out of the SUV and handed the keys to the valet.
The four of them followed in Jack's wake, Owen zipping up his jacket over his bloodstained shirt. They loitered in the lobby as Jack flirted with the concierge. He returned a few moments later with several envelopes in his hand. The first one he handed to Gwen. She reached out to take it from him, but he held on, looking serious.
"OK, here's the deal. This is a deluxe suite and it's yours for the weekend. I got you a late check out on Sunday. You can call Rhys - ah, ah, ah," he cautioned as Gwen bounced a little. "You can call him tomorrow morning after we catch back up to real time. You need to sleep anyway. The after effects of John's lip gloss are still going to hit you and sleep is the best thing for it. So… we have a deal?"
"Yes! Thank you, Jack!" Gwen squealed and threw her arms around him.
He chuckled and hugged her. "It's an engagement gift," Jack said dryly as he pulled back. He handed Tosh, Owen and Ianto envelopes as well. "Suites all around. Charge whatever you like to the room, just have a good time. Relax, have some champagne or something else horribly clichéd."
"What about you, Jack?" Tosh asked.
Jack waved the last envelope at her. "Taken care of. I could use a few days off."
"Typical," Owen snorted. "Just get back from holiday and you need another break."
Ianto saw a brief glimpse of pain in Jack's blue eyes before he was able to mask it with a smile and a wink.
He and Jack were going to have a conversation very soon.
TBC in Chapter Eight