Guilt - 51/69
Title: Guilt
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: What has Ianto found?
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Author's Note: Voting is open at Children of Time. This fic is nominated in the Jack&Ianto WIP category - it's up against some very tough competition but every vote counts! (hint hint)
Author's Note 2: Bonus Monday chapter thanks to a lovely bribe from ice_elf.
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Fifty-One
Jack’s voice was low and soothing as he turned a page of the paperback he was holding.
Ianto barely dared breathe, not sure if he wanted to draw their attention to himself.
If he listened carefully, he could recognise some of the characters in the story Jack was reading from the series he himself had started reading Lisa shortly before he’d been injured.
What could only have been a minute or so later, Jack flipped the book closed, turning it over in his hand as if he couldn’t quite believe that was the end. “And that’s the end. I’ll have to go look in the bookshop tomorrow, see if they have the next one in.”
There was a short silence, but neither Jack nor Lisa looked up to spot Ianto, still motionless and silent in the doorway.
A few moments later, Lisa spoke up. “Did you manage to figure out what produced all that gloop down at the docks, then?”
Ianto recognised the case she was referring to - Jack had been telling him about it just two evenings ago. Jack launched into a story, or maybe an explanation, but Ianto didn’t hear any of it. He was too busy staring at Jack in astonishment, in awe, almost in adulation.
He’d reached the end of a book that was definitely at least a book or two further on in the series from the one Ianto had started. Lisa knew all about the current case files - probably knew as much or even more than Ianto himself did about them, in fact.
All of the signs pointed to one conclusion: Jack had been spending a lot of time down here. Keeping Lisa company, reading to her, telling her what was going on. In short, a lot of the things Ianto had been doing for her in the months they’d been here. Ianto hadn’t been aware that Jack had been paying such close attention, but obviously he had.
When he considered how much time Jack had spent over at his flat checking up on him in the last week and a half, as well as how much time he’d spent at the hospital before that, adding in running Torchwood and the number of hours he must have spent being there for Lisa in his absence, left Ianto wondering - not for the first time - if Jack hadn’t been telling the truth all those weeks ago when he’d claimed not to sleep much.
The words were still muffled in his ears, but he watched as Jack smiled and gestured expansively as he continued whatever story he was telling. His heart beat a little harder.
Jack had assured him that they were taking care of Lisa, but he’d never expected this. He’d never asked this of Jack, and yet here he was, doing it anyway.
Ianto felt something melt a little inside. When it came down to it, it’s what Jack had been doing all along. He’d asked for help for Lisa, months ago now, and Jack had surpassed all of his expectations; being there for him when he’d needed a friend in a way he had never dared imagine.
Whenever Ianto had felt hopelessness creeping up on him, Jack had been there beside him, helping him ward it off with a friendly ear, a comforting word, an encouraging smile that warmed his heart and made him feel he could go on.
He felt a smile begin to spread across his face as his eyes tracked Jack’s gesticulations.
When Jack froze for a moment to listen to something Lisa had said, Ianto realised he was staring. Had been staring for several minutes: staring, and enjoying the view far too much.
Forcing his eyes shut, he consciously gathered up all the feelings he shouldn’t be feeling, and pushed them to the back of his mind. Lisa was the important one here, not Jack, and not him.
When he opened his eyes again, he realised that he must have made some small sound, as both Lisa and Jack had looked up to see him. He smiled at them and took a step forward, trying to act like he hadn’t been standing there watching in silence for the last several minutes.
“You do know you’re risking Owen’s wrath just by being here, don’t you?” Jack said, shifting as though to get up and offer Ianto a hand. The look on Ianto's face dared him to try. “He’ll have your hide for putting one foot in this place when I know for a fact he hasn’t cleared you yet.”
“I don’t care,” Ianto replied. “I’m feeling a lot better, and I’ve missed Lisa.” He smiled at her, brushing a knuckle across her cheek when he got close enough to do so. “I needed to be back here.”
“Are you absolutely sure you’re well enough, doodlebug?” Lisa asked, worry shining through in her eyes. “You only got out of hospital last week.”
“I’m okay, I promise,” he told her, lifting his gaze to make sure that Jack, too, recognised his sincerity. “I was going insane stuck at home.” He caught Lisa’s eye again. “You know what I’m like.”
Lisa smiled and nodded as much as she could with her restricted movement. She had been the recipient of most of his griping during his spells of unemployment before he started at Torchwood. “Neighbours?”
He nodded grimly. “Neighbours.” She chuckled softly.
“Here.” Jack stood up and pushed the stool towards Ianto. “You two clearly need some time, so I’m going to leave you to it. I’ll try to waylay Owen if by some miracle he appears before I see you.”
Ianto nodded and thanked him. He sat down and took Lisa’s hand as Jack swept out of the room.
“I’ve missed you so damn much.”
The Hub was surprisingly empty when Ianto emerged some time later and went in search of Jack. For a moment he wondered if there’d been an emergency and he somehow just hadn’t heard it, but the theory was dispelled a moment later when he spotted a light and movement in Jack’s office.
As he neared the transparent partition that separated the office from the rest of the workstations, he suddenly realised quite how Jack had managed to make the time to look after him and Lisa.
“Jack!”
Chapter Fifty-Two
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: What has Ianto found?
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Author's Note: Voting is open at Children of Time. This fic is nominated in the Jack&Ianto WIP category - it's up against some very tough competition but every vote counts! (hint hint)
Author's Note 2: Bonus Monday chapter thanks to a lovely bribe from ice_elf.
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Fifty-One
Jack’s voice was low and soothing as he turned a page of the paperback he was holding.
Ianto barely dared breathe, not sure if he wanted to draw their attention to himself.
If he listened carefully, he could recognise some of the characters in the story Jack was reading from the series he himself had started reading Lisa shortly before he’d been injured.
What could only have been a minute or so later, Jack flipped the book closed, turning it over in his hand as if he couldn’t quite believe that was the end. “And that’s the end. I’ll have to go look in the bookshop tomorrow, see if they have the next one in.”
There was a short silence, but neither Jack nor Lisa looked up to spot Ianto, still motionless and silent in the doorway.
A few moments later, Lisa spoke up. “Did you manage to figure out what produced all that gloop down at the docks, then?”
Ianto recognised the case she was referring to - Jack had been telling him about it just two evenings ago. Jack launched into a story, or maybe an explanation, but Ianto didn’t hear any of it. He was too busy staring at Jack in astonishment, in awe, almost in adulation.
He’d reached the end of a book that was definitely at least a book or two further on in the series from the one Ianto had started. Lisa knew all about the current case files - probably knew as much or even more than Ianto himself did about them, in fact.
All of the signs pointed to one conclusion: Jack had been spending a lot of time down here. Keeping Lisa company, reading to her, telling her what was going on. In short, a lot of the things Ianto had been doing for her in the months they’d been here. Ianto hadn’t been aware that Jack had been paying such close attention, but obviously he had.
When he considered how much time Jack had spent over at his flat checking up on him in the last week and a half, as well as how much time he’d spent at the hospital before that, adding in running Torchwood and the number of hours he must have spent being there for Lisa in his absence, left Ianto wondering - not for the first time - if Jack hadn’t been telling the truth all those weeks ago when he’d claimed not to sleep much.
The words were still muffled in his ears, but he watched as Jack smiled and gestured expansively as he continued whatever story he was telling. His heart beat a little harder.
Jack had assured him that they were taking care of Lisa, but he’d never expected this. He’d never asked this of Jack, and yet here he was, doing it anyway.
Ianto felt something melt a little inside. When it came down to it, it’s what Jack had been doing all along. He’d asked for help for Lisa, months ago now, and Jack had surpassed all of his expectations; being there for him when he’d needed a friend in a way he had never dared imagine.
Whenever Ianto had felt hopelessness creeping up on him, Jack had been there beside him, helping him ward it off with a friendly ear, a comforting word, an encouraging smile that warmed his heart and made him feel he could go on.
He felt a smile begin to spread across his face as his eyes tracked Jack’s gesticulations.
When Jack froze for a moment to listen to something Lisa had said, Ianto realised he was staring. Had been staring for several minutes: staring, and enjoying the view far too much.
Forcing his eyes shut, he consciously gathered up all the feelings he shouldn’t be feeling, and pushed them to the back of his mind. Lisa was the important one here, not Jack, and not him.
When he opened his eyes again, he realised that he must have made some small sound, as both Lisa and Jack had looked up to see him. He smiled at them and took a step forward, trying to act like he hadn’t been standing there watching in silence for the last several minutes.
“You do know you’re risking Owen’s wrath just by being here, don’t you?” Jack said, shifting as though to get up and offer Ianto a hand. The look on Ianto's face dared him to try. “He’ll have your hide for putting one foot in this place when I know for a fact he hasn’t cleared you yet.”
“I don’t care,” Ianto replied. “I’m feeling a lot better, and I’ve missed Lisa.” He smiled at her, brushing a knuckle across her cheek when he got close enough to do so. “I needed to be back here.”
“Are you absolutely sure you’re well enough, doodlebug?” Lisa asked, worry shining through in her eyes. “You only got out of hospital last week.”
“I’m okay, I promise,” he told her, lifting his gaze to make sure that Jack, too, recognised his sincerity. “I was going insane stuck at home.” He caught Lisa’s eye again. “You know what I’m like.”
Lisa smiled and nodded as much as she could with her restricted movement. She had been the recipient of most of his griping during his spells of unemployment before he started at Torchwood. “Neighbours?”
He nodded grimly. “Neighbours.” She chuckled softly.
“Here.” Jack stood up and pushed the stool towards Ianto. “You two clearly need some time, so I’m going to leave you to it. I’ll try to waylay Owen if by some miracle he appears before I see you.”
Ianto nodded and thanked him. He sat down and took Lisa’s hand as Jack swept out of the room.
“I’ve missed you so damn much.”
The Hub was surprisingly empty when Ianto emerged some time later and went in search of Jack. For a moment he wondered if there’d been an emergency and he somehow just hadn’t heard it, but the theory was dispelled a moment later when he spotted a light and movement in Jack’s office.
As he neared the transparent partition that separated the office from the rest of the workstations, he suddenly realised quite how Jack had managed to make the time to look after him and Lisa.
“Jack!”
Chapter Fifty-Two
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)