Guilt: Redux - 13/17+Epilogue
Title: Guilt: Redux
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, references to Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: Ianto knows he should be happy. He has his work and he has Lisa. Again. Finally. He knows he should be happy.
Author's Note: Alternate ending to Guilt - events of Guilt up to around ch50 take place. This picks up many months later... (There's a short recap of 'what you NEED to know from Guilt' before chapter one, if you haven't read it)
Author's Note 2: I am back safe and sound from Hub3 - had a fantastic time, and can't wait for Hub4 in April! Ticket and hotel already booked! (See my personal LJ for further Hub posts)
Thanks to: My lovely beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn't know what happens in this...
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Thirteen
Ianto had a smile on his face as he dug out his keys to open the front door. He was running a bit late - not very late, but late enough that Lisa had probably given up on waiting and started on dinner preparations - but for a change, for the first time in a week and a half, it wasn’t because the Rift had spit out something nasty that had kept them running around for hours.
He’d been on his way out - the rest of the team having gone already - when Jack had waylaid him and dragged him into his office for a ‘chat’. Ianto touched a finger to his lips meditatively. They had talked - briefly - but Jack had mostly just taken the opportunity to indulge in a long-awaited snogging session.
Ianto’s smile grew wider as he turned the key in the lock and let his mind drift a little. With the high Rift activity levels in the past week, he and Jack hadn’t had a chance to see each other in anything other than a professional capacity. Their fledgling relationship had been pushed onto the back burner, and Ianto hadn’t realised how much he’d come to miss it in such a short time - they’d only been dating for a few weeks, after all.
He pushed open the door, half expecting to smell and hear the evidence of Lisa’s impatience about dinner from the kitchen; he was surprised when there was none. Lisa was ensconced on the sofa, surrounded by newspapers and computer print-outs, holding a bright yellow highlighter in her hand.
“Hey,” he said, his confusion evident. “What are you up to?”
“Hey,” she replied, looking up momentarily from her perusal of the newspaper page in front of her. “I’m looking at jobs.”
Ianto paused in hanging up his jacket and looked at her in shock. “You’re what?”
She looked back patiently. “I’m looking at jobs,” she repeated.
Ianto finished putting his coat away quickly and turned to stare at her. “I… I don’t understand. Why?”
She gave him a look that would have seemed condescending to a small child. “Because I’m thinking of getting one,” she said slowly.
Ianto looked at her with concern. “You know what I meant. Are you sure you’re even ready for that?” He held up his hands before she could protest. “Yes, yes, I know you’re not an invalid. I know you can get out and do things for yourself. It’s just… a job? Really?”
“Really,” Lisa said firmly. “I want to do this.”
“You do still sometimes get tired though, especially if you’re busy all day,” Ianto said, trying not to coddle her but still worried for her.
“Yes, I know,” Lisa conceded, “which is why I’m looking at part-time positions, and nothing as physically demanding as what I used to do in London. Sitting down jobs only, I promise. For now at least.”
Ianto didn’t look quite convinced. “You know you don’t have to, right? I’m making enough to support us.” Jack had made sure of it. Shortly after he had first brought Lisa home, Jack had not so subtly given him a pay raise. When Ianto had protested, Jack had simply justified it by giving the others one too - although Ianto wasn’t sure it had been entirely proportionate.
“I know, Ianto,” Lisa nodded. “It’s not about the money. It’s just something I need to do.”
Ianto moved a few of the papers out of the way carefully, noting various things that were highlighted and circled on them as he took their place on the sofa. “Well, if you’re sure…”
Lisa put her hand on his arm. “I am.”
He flicked through the circled and highlighted ads, assessing them in his own mind as to how much Lisa would enjoy or excel at them. “So what brought this on suddenly today, then? You haven’t mentioned anything about this before.”
“I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while,” Lisa admitted. “It just took me until today to actually do something about it.” She shrugged. “I think maybe it could have been something my mum said on the phone earlier, I don’t know. I know that she’s always been all for me being able to look out for myself, so maybe that’s it. I just know that I hung up and decided it was time to finally do something about getting myself a job.”
Ianto nodded; knowing Lisa’s mum as well as he did, it was entirely possible. She’d sat Ianto down not long after he’d first started dating Lisa and made it very clear that if Ianto expected Lisa to quit work and act the ‘little woman’ for him, he could say goodbye right there and then. Once he’d assured her that he expected anything but, they’d gotten along brilliantly.
Finding a way for Lisa to be able to get back in touch with her family once she was sufficiently healed had been a touch of genius, if Ianto said so himself. With a little help from Tosh on modifying hospital records, Ianto had discovered that despite its reputation as a trashy soap-opera trope, people would still believe stories involving comas and amnesia.
He glanced at his watch and then at the kitchen. “Hey, you fancy take away for dinner tonight?”
Chapter Fourteen
Comments and concrit (yes, really) are adored. Comments = <3
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, references to Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: Ianto knows he should be happy. He has his work and he has Lisa. Again. Finally. He knows he should be happy.
Author's Note: Alternate ending to Guilt - events of Guilt up to around ch50 take place. This picks up many months later... (There's a short recap of 'what you NEED to know from Guilt' before chapter one, if you haven't read it)
Author's Note 2: I am back safe and sound from Hub3 - had a fantastic time, and can't wait for Hub4 in April! Ticket and hotel already booked! (See my personal LJ for further Hub posts)
Thanks to: My lovely beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn't know what happens in this...
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Thirteen
Ianto had a smile on his face as he dug out his keys to open the front door. He was running a bit late - not very late, but late enough that Lisa had probably given up on waiting and started on dinner preparations - but for a change, for the first time in a week and a half, it wasn’t because the Rift had spit out something nasty that had kept them running around for hours.
He’d been on his way out - the rest of the team having gone already - when Jack had waylaid him and dragged him into his office for a ‘chat’. Ianto touched a finger to his lips meditatively. They had talked - briefly - but Jack had mostly just taken the opportunity to indulge in a long-awaited snogging session.
Ianto’s smile grew wider as he turned the key in the lock and let his mind drift a little. With the high Rift activity levels in the past week, he and Jack hadn’t had a chance to see each other in anything other than a professional capacity. Their fledgling relationship had been pushed onto the back burner, and Ianto hadn’t realised how much he’d come to miss it in such a short time - they’d only been dating for a few weeks, after all.
He pushed open the door, half expecting to smell and hear the evidence of Lisa’s impatience about dinner from the kitchen; he was surprised when there was none. Lisa was ensconced on the sofa, surrounded by newspapers and computer print-outs, holding a bright yellow highlighter in her hand.
“Hey,” he said, his confusion evident. “What are you up to?”
“Hey,” she replied, looking up momentarily from her perusal of the newspaper page in front of her. “I’m looking at jobs.”
Ianto paused in hanging up his jacket and looked at her in shock. “You’re what?”
She looked back patiently. “I’m looking at jobs,” she repeated.
Ianto finished putting his coat away quickly and turned to stare at her. “I… I don’t understand. Why?”
She gave him a look that would have seemed condescending to a small child. “Because I’m thinking of getting one,” she said slowly.
Ianto looked at her with concern. “You know what I meant. Are you sure you’re even ready for that?” He held up his hands before she could protest. “Yes, yes, I know you’re not an invalid. I know you can get out and do things for yourself. It’s just… a job? Really?”
“Really,” Lisa said firmly. “I want to do this.”
“You do still sometimes get tired though, especially if you’re busy all day,” Ianto said, trying not to coddle her but still worried for her.
“Yes, I know,” Lisa conceded, “which is why I’m looking at part-time positions, and nothing as physically demanding as what I used to do in London. Sitting down jobs only, I promise. For now at least.”
Ianto didn’t look quite convinced. “You know you don’t have to, right? I’m making enough to support us.” Jack had made sure of it. Shortly after he had first brought Lisa home, Jack had not so subtly given him a pay raise. When Ianto had protested, Jack had simply justified it by giving the others one too - although Ianto wasn’t sure it had been entirely proportionate.
“I know, Ianto,” Lisa nodded. “It’s not about the money. It’s just something I need to do.”
Ianto moved a few of the papers out of the way carefully, noting various things that were highlighted and circled on them as he took their place on the sofa. “Well, if you’re sure…”
Lisa put her hand on his arm. “I am.”
He flicked through the circled and highlighted ads, assessing them in his own mind as to how much Lisa would enjoy or excel at them. “So what brought this on suddenly today, then? You haven’t mentioned anything about this before.”
“I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while,” Lisa admitted. “It just took me until today to actually do something about it.” She shrugged. “I think maybe it could have been something my mum said on the phone earlier, I don’t know. I know that she’s always been all for me being able to look out for myself, so maybe that’s it. I just know that I hung up and decided it was time to finally do something about getting myself a job.”
Ianto nodded; knowing Lisa’s mum as well as he did, it was entirely possible. She’d sat Ianto down not long after he’d first started dating Lisa and made it very clear that if Ianto expected Lisa to quit work and act the ‘little woman’ for him, he could say goodbye right there and then. Once he’d assured her that he expected anything but, they’d gotten along brilliantly.
Finding a way for Lisa to be able to get back in touch with her family once she was sufficiently healed had been a touch of genius, if Ianto said so himself. With a little help from Tosh on modifying hospital records, Ianto had discovered that despite its reputation as a trashy soap-opera trope, people would still believe stories involving comas and amnesia.
He glanced at his watch and then at the kitchen. “Hey, you fancy take away for dinner tonight?”
Chapter Fourteen
Comments and concrit (yes, really) are adored. Comments = <3