Fic: The Sea After a Storm (22/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 22
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season Two thru Sleeper (2x02)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to James Moran for situations borrowed from Sleeper. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which the team begins to investigate a new case…
Notes: 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 Twenty-Two
Ianto exhausted the resources on the Hallorans well before Jack and Tosh returned from the scene. He handed Jack the thin file as the Captain walked through the cog door, trading it for Jack's coat which he hung up before offering a round of coffee.
"Yes, please," Tosh groaned. "I was just about to get changed for bed when you rang."
Ianto glanced sharply at her tight pink blouse, dark skirt and heels. "Ms. Sato, were you out on a date?"
Tosh smiled, a surprised flush on her cheeks matching her blouse perfectly.
"You were!" Ianto said delightedly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugged and took the mug of coffee Ianto offered. "I just met him. And you've been busy getting Jack sorted. Good job there, by the way. I'm glad he's feeling better."
Ianto frowned at her. "No changing the subject. Who is this guy?"
"His name is Gordon, but don't get too excited. I think tonight was the one and only date. I was really just trying to distract myself from, well, we didn't really - "
"Ianto!" Jack called, interrupting them. He waved the file. "There's nothing in here," he complained.
Ianto rolled his eyes at Tosh and mouthed the word 'later' as he took Jack's mug over to him. He handed over the coffee as he explained. "There isn't anything in there because there isn't anything to find. They're just an average couple, pay their taxes, don't annoy their neighbours."
"There must be something," Jack muttered.
"What happened?" Ianto asked.
Tosh spoke up while Jack glared at the file. "Two burglars. The Hallorans were the intended victims. One burglar was stabbed to death, police are guessing sword-like weapon but nothing was found on the scene. The other was pushed - "
"Or jumped," Jack interjected.
Tosh looked thoughtful. "True. I hadn't thought of that. The other fell from the window of the Halloran's fifth floor flat and landed on a police car. Gwen and Owen are with him and the couple at the hospital right now."
"So the police were already there when he went out the window?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah. First responders were on their way up the stairs when the guy fell on the backup car. They were just pulling up when the guy landed. 999 was on the line during the attack but all they heard was screaming - men screaming. There's no way a normal human being could have gotten out of the flat without being seen, not with the timeframe."
Ianto took a sip of his coffee and mulled that over as the cog door rolled open. Owen came through, pulling off his jacket.
"Oh, thank God, coffee," he said as he tossed his coat on his chair and headed for the kitchen area.
"I thought I told you to stay at the hospital," Jack said with a frown.
"Gwen's there," Owen explained. He looked at Jack as he took a sip of coffee, his expression one of pure innocence. "You didn't mean for both of us to stay, did you?"
Tosh and Ianto both snorted softly as Jack shook his head and crossed his arms. "What did you find out?" he asked, just letting it go.
"Bugger all," Owen said succinctly. "No trace of blood on either of the Hallorans that wasn't their own. Well, the husband anyway. The wife doesn't have a scratch on her. What did the scene of crime look like?"
"I'm downloading the pictures from CRIMINT right now," Tosh said from her computer.
Ianto moved to stand next to the printer, pulling the pages off one at a time as Tosh printed them out. There had definitely been a struggle, the bedroom was completely wrecked. The printer stopped churning and Ianto stepped back to the others and handed the photos to Owen.
"Ockham's razor," Owen was saying as he took the prints from Ianto. "The simplest explanation is the best. The wife is the only one who left that flat unscathed."
"Ergo she must have done it?" Tosh asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've seen her, Owen. There's no way she could have killed that man."
Jack started as his comm chirped and tapped his ear. "Yeah, Gwen?" His expression darkened. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Men," he finished as he tapped the comm off.
"Men?" Tosh echoed.
"Men, not man. The second burglar just died. Gwen said he identified the wife as the attacker. Owen, with me. Ianto - want to dust off the chair in the interrogation room?" Jack called as he ushered Owen out the door. "We're gonna have a guest."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Tosh used the time the others were gone to dig deeper into the Halloran's past, but she didn't have any more luck than Ianto. Mike and Beth Halloran were as clean as a whistle. Ianto took Jack at his word and made sure the interrogation room was ready for use. He felt slightly ill when he remembered that the last person they'd 'interviewed' was an undead Suzie Costello. Not even a year ago and so much has happened since then. Ianto sighed as he moved the table and the two chairs to the centre of the small room. After he was done, he headed up to sit near Tosh's workstation, pestering her about her date while she worked.
"Seriously, Ianto, he was a nice guy but that's it," Tosh said, slightly exasperated. "A nice, normal, slightly dull guy."
"All right, all right," he said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I really don't know why I bother," Tosh went on, punching her keyboard with more force than strictly necessary. "What kind of relationship can you really have if you can't even tell the other person what your job is? I really don't see how Gwen can do it."
Ianto shrugged. He was about to say that he didn't spend much time wondering how Gwen did anything, when the proximity alarm went off and Jack barrelled through the door with their promised guest. Ianto cringed when he saw that Jack had placed one of the weevil bags over her head for the drive and didn't seem inclined to take it off.
"Owen," Jack snapped.
Owen stepped up and took the woman's other arm, directing her forward and helping her down the stairs to the interrogation room. Ianto followed Jack to his office where he found the Captain stripping off his coat, clearly agitated.
"Did you find anything else out about them?" Jack asked as Ianto stepped through the doorway.
Ianto shook his head. "No, sorry."
"There's something off here, I can feel it." Jack ran a hand through his hair and paced for a few steps.
"Jack, do you think… I mean, maybe you're… well," Ianto trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"What?" Jack asked with his chin raised in a stubborn gesture that Ianto recognised all too well.
Ianto shook his head. "Never mind. What can I do?"
"Get Tosh to start a body scan, I'm going to go see what I can find out."
"Right," Ianto said. He stepped aside to let Jack leave the office first. He was surprised but pleased when Jack paused at the door to cup his cheek. The caress was quick but heartfelt and Ianto followed Jack into the Hub with a wholly inappropriate smile on his face.
"Gwen, want to back me up?" Jack asked. "We'll do a little good cop, bad cop. See what we can find out."
Gwen nodded and then paused. "Which one should I be?" she asked seriously.
Owen, Tosh and Ianto all tried to cover their snorts of laughter with coughs, but Jack just grinned at Gwen and said, "Play to your strengths." He swatted her shoulder teasingly with the Halloran's folder and then handed it to her. "I'll be right behind you," he said.
She nodded again and hurried down to the interrogation room. Jack stood there for another moment, gave himself a little shake as if psyching himself up and followed.
TBC in Chapter Twenty-Three
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season Two thru Sleeper (2x02)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to James Moran for situations borrowed from Sleeper. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which the team begins to investigate a new case…
Notes: 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 Twenty-Two
Ianto exhausted the resources on the Hallorans well before Jack and Tosh returned from the scene. He handed Jack the thin file as the Captain walked through the cog door, trading it for Jack's coat which he hung up before offering a round of coffee.
"Yes, please," Tosh groaned. "I was just about to get changed for bed when you rang."
Ianto glanced sharply at her tight pink blouse, dark skirt and heels. "Ms. Sato, were you out on a date?"
Tosh smiled, a surprised flush on her cheeks matching her blouse perfectly.
"You were!" Ianto said delightedly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugged and took the mug of coffee Ianto offered. "I just met him. And you've been busy getting Jack sorted. Good job there, by the way. I'm glad he's feeling better."
Ianto frowned at her. "No changing the subject. Who is this guy?"
"His name is Gordon, but don't get too excited. I think tonight was the one and only date. I was really just trying to distract myself from, well, we didn't really - "
"Ianto!" Jack called, interrupting them. He waved the file. "There's nothing in here," he complained.
Ianto rolled his eyes at Tosh and mouthed the word 'later' as he took Jack's mug over to him. He handed over the coffee as he explained. "There isn't anything in there because there isn't anything to find. They're just an average couple, pay their taxes, don't annoy their neighbours."
"There must be something," Jack muttered.
"What happened?" Ianto asked.
Tosh spoke up while Jack glared at the file. "Two burglars. The Hallorans were the intended victims. One burglar was stabbed to death, police are guessing sword-like weapon but nothing was found on the scene. The other was pushed - "
"Or jumped," Jack interjected.
Tosh looked thoughtful. "True. I hadn't thought of that. The other fell from the window of the Halloran's fifth floor flat and landed on a police car. Gwen and Owen are with him and the couple at the hospital right now."
"So the police were already there when he went out the window?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah. First responders were on their way up the stairs when the guy fell on the backup car. They were just pulling up when the guy landed. 999 was on the line during the attack but all they heard was screaming - men screaming. There's no way a normal human being could have gotten out of the flat without being seen, not with the timeframe."
Ianto took a sip of his coffee and mulled that over as the cog door rolled open. Owen came through, pulling off his jacket.
"Oh, thank God, coffee," he said as he tossed his coat on his chair and headed for the kitchen area.
"I thought I told you to stay at the hospital," Jack said with a frown.
"Gwen's there," Owen explained. He looked at Jack as he took a sip of coffee, his expression one of pure innocence. "You didn't mean for both of us to stay, did you?"
Tosh and Ianto both snorted softly as Jack shook his head and crossed his arms. "What did you find out?" he asked, just letting it go.
"Bugger all," Owen said succinctly. "No trace of blood on either of the Hallorans that wasn't their own. Well, the husband anyway. The wife doesn't have a scratch on her. What did the scene of crime look like?"
"I'm downloading the pictures from CRIMINT right now," Tosh said from her computer.
Ianto moved to stand next to the printer, pulling the pages off one at a time as Tosh printed them out. There had definitely been a struggle, the bedroom was completely wrecked. The printer stopped churning and Ianto stepped back to the others and handed the photos to Owen.
"Ockham's razor," Owen was saying as he took the prints from Ianto. "The simplest explanation is the best. The wife is the only one who left that flat unscathed."
"Ergo she must have done it?" Tosh asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've seen her, Owen. There's no way she could have killed that man."
Jack started as his comm chirped and tapped his ear. "Yeah, Gwen?" His expression darkened. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Men," he finished as he tapped the comm off.
"Men?" Tosh echoed.
"Men, not man. The second burglar just died. Gwen said he identified the wife as the attacker. Owen, with me. Ianto - want to dust off the chair in the interrogation room?" Jack called as he ushered Owen out the door. "We're gonna have a guest."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Tosh used the time the others were gone to dig deeper into the Halloran's past, but she didn't have any more luck than Ianto. Mike and Beth Halloran were as clean as a whistle. Ianto took Jack at his word and made sure the interrogation room was ready for use. He felt slightly ill when he remembered that the last person they'd 'interviewed' was an undead Suzie Costello. Not even a year ago and so much has happened since then. Ianto sighed as he moved the table and the two chairs to the centre of the small room. After he was done, he headed up to sit near Tosh's workstation, pestering her about her date while she worked.
"Seriously, Ianto, he was a nice guy but that's it," Tosh said, slightly exasperated. "A nice, normal, slightly dull guy."
"All right, all right," he said, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I really don't know why I bother," Tosh went on, punching her keyboard with more force than strictly necessary. "What kind of relationship can you really have if you can't even tell the other person what your job is? I really don't see how Gwen can do it."
Ianto shrugged. He was about to say that he didn't spend much time wondering how Gwen did anything, when the proximity alarm went off and Jack barrelled through the door with their promised guest. Ianto cringed when he saw that Jack had placed one of the weevil bags over her head for the drive and didn't seem inclined to take it off.
"Owen," Jack snapped.
Owen stepped up and took the woman's other arm, directing her forward and helping her down the stairs to the interrogation room. Ianto followed Jack to his office where he found the Captain stripping off his coat, clearly agitated.
"Did you find anything else out about them?" Jack asked as Ianto stepped through the doorway.
Ianto shook his head. "No, sorry."
"There's something off here, I can feel it." Jack ran a hand through his hair and paced for a few steps.
"Jack, do you think… I mean, maybe you're… well," Ianto trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"What?" Jack asked with his chin raised in a stubborn gesture that Ianto recognised all too well.
Ianto shook his head. "Never mind. What can I do?"
"Get Tosh to start a body scan, I'm going to go see what I can find out."
"Right," Ianto said. He stepped aside to let Jack leave the office first. He was surprised but pleased when Jack paused at the door to cup his cheek. The caress was quick but heartfelt and Ianto followed Jack into the Hub with a wholly inappropriate smile on his face.
"Gwen, want to back me up?" Jack asked. "We'll do a little good cop, bad cop. See what we can find out."
Gwen nodded and then paused. "Which one should I be?" she asked seriously.
Owen, Tosh and Ianto all tried to cover their snorts of laughter with coughs, but Jack just grinned at Gwen and said, "Play to your strengths." He swatted her shoulder teasingly with the Halloran's folder and then handed it to her. "I'll be right behind you," he said.
She nodded again and hurried down to the interrogation room. Jack stood there for another moment, gave himself a little shake as if psyching himself up and followed.
TBC in Chapter Twenty-Three