When the team had come back from the woods, Ianto could tell that something had happened. He watched as Gwen slammed the door of the SUV and stalked past him. She had barely waited for it to stop before she had jumped out, Toshiko and Owen just a step behind her. He watched in surprise as Jack sat in the driver's seat for a few minutes without moving. From what Ianto could see, he didn't look injured. But he did look defeated.
Ianto hesitated a moment before turning away. Jack needed some time alone. Ianto retraced his steps back into the Hub proper just in time to see the rest of the team storming out the front entrance. Silence descended upon the Hub, the only sounds to be heard were the typical machinery noises as computers and monitors did their work without human intervention. Ianto tidied up, making work for himself as he waited for Jack to finally make an appearance.
A step on the stone entryway behind him alerted him to Jack's presence. He looked up. Jack had an incredibly sad expression on his face, as if he had lost his last friend on earth. He stared into the Hub without seeing anything, lost in thought. With a sigh he stepped down onto the metal walkway and began to make his way to his office, shoulders hunched and his head bowed. Ianto had never seen him look so beaten down before.
"I've made a fresh pot of coffee, if you'd like a cup," he offered. Jack twitched. He hadn't noticed Ianto standing nearby. He glanced up at where Ianto stood above him on the walkway before shaking his head. Ianto blinked. That had to be the first time that Jack had ever refused a cup of coffee. Ianto didn't hold him back any longer, but let him make his way to his office, where he shut the door behind him. Ianto looked up at the office, but he didn't see anything other than the movement of Jack's shadow as he hung up his coat.
Ianto went over to the nearest computer and logged in. He didn't know what had happened, but it presumably hadn't gone well if the team was that unhappy with him. He checked into the logs and read the newly filed police report on the Pierce family. The initial filing noted the death of Lynn Pierce's fiancé Roy and the fact that her daughter Jasmine was presumed missing. The PC noted that Ms Pierce was hysterical and unable to coherently explain what had happened to her daughter. She had been sent to the hospital for observation. There was no mention of Torchwood, though Ianto knew that the team had been there. He closed the window.
Several hours passed before he heard the office door open again. Ianto had been working on some archiving locally. He didn't want to stray too far from where Jack was in case he was needed, so he had brought several boxes up from the archives to go through and sort while he waited. He looked at the document in his hand and noted the date and subject in his log before tucking it away again. He glanced up at Jack. The Captain stood in the doorway, but otherwise hadn't moved. After a moment his gaze shifted and rested on Ianto. He made his way down the steps slowly, the sound of his boots echoing off the metal. Ianto looked back down at the paperwork in his hand and he continued with what he was doing.
"Everyone has gone," Jack noted. Ianto nodded, as he picked up another folder and opened it. "So what are you doing here?" He walked up to the desk where Ianto was working, his hands in his pockets.
"Filing," Ianto said, stating the obvious. When Jack didn't respond he glanced up from the open folder. Jack's face looked drawn and weary. "It seemed like a good time to get some work out of the way." Jack nodded. "Can I help you with something, sir?" Jack looked like he was about to say something but then shook his head. Ianto waited. He felt that Jack was on the verge of telling him something. He shifted awkwardly. This was his first week back after his suspension and he was still unsure of how he fit in the organization now that he was back. The beginning of the week had been full of tension as the team adjusted to his presence again. Owen had treated him with outright disdain while Toshiko had been reserved around him. Gwen had actually been the most sympathetic, and had made the effort to chat with him when he had brought her coffee.
"I need to go do something," Jack said. He headed back to his office and came out a moment later with his coat. Shrugging into it he fished in the pocket for his keys. "Could you please bring some empty boxes out to the SUV?" He called as he walked through the archway. Ianto got up and trailed after him.
"How many, sir?" Ianto called after him.
"A lot," Jack said. He had a fixed expression on his face that Ianto had seen before. He usually wore it when he had an unpleasant task that he didn't want to do but needed to get something done. Ianto nodded and went down to the archives and retrieved several bound stacks of empty boxes that were in storage. He carried them up the stairs and out to the garage. Jack had the boot open and Ianto placed the boxes on the floor.
"More?" He asked. Jack looked at them and shook his head. He nodded his thanks and headed around to the front to get in. Ianto closed the boot and followed after him. "Sir?"
"Yeah?" Jack was clearly distracted. He was fumbling with his keys, looking for the ignition key.
"Do you need help?" Ianto asked. Jack hesitated, and then shook his head. "Whatever it is you are going to do, it will go faster with two, wouldn't it?" Ianto pressed. He didn't know why he was so insistent, but some instinct prompted him and he was one for following hunches. Jack thought about it for a moment, still debating. "I'm happy to help," Ianto continued.
"It's late, you should go home," Jack said with a shake of his head.
"I've nothing to go home to, sir." Ianto pointed out. Jack looked at him steadily for a long moment before finally nodding.
"All right, get in." Jack indicated the passenger seat with his chin and Ianto closed the door to the Hub before hurrying to get in. He was going to say something about setting the rift monitor, but he felt that Jack wasn't in the mood to wait. He clicked his seatbelt on as Jack climbed in and started the engine. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask where they were going, but the expression on Jack's face didn't seem to encourage conversation, so he remained silent.
The SUV was one of the few vehicles on the roads as Jack drove through the streets of Cardiff. It was late and most people had headed home as it was a weeknight. Ianto looked out the window. The odd weather patterns that had been about the last few days had dissipated, leaving the skies clear again. He could see stars twinkling and the moon was reflected in the water off the Bay. A quick glance at Jack showed that he had his jaw clenched and his fingers gripped the wheel tightly. Wherever they were headed, it was something that Jack wasn't looking forward to. Ianto turned his attention back to the road and took note of where they were headed.
They entered a residential district and Jack stopped the SUV outside a wrought iron gate. Leaving the vehicle running, he got out and did something to the gate before pushing it open. Ianto heard the protest of the metal as he pushed the gate open far enough to drive through. Though it was dark, Ianto could see that the garden was overgrown, with the bushes pushing out over the drive. Jack got back in and entered the drive, pulling up to a large stone house. Ianto said nothing, but felt a moment of disquiet as he looked at the dark windows of the building.
They got out, and Ianto followed Jack along a flagstone pathway to the front door. While Jack worked on the lock, Ianto looked around. It was eerily quiet. Everything was still. There was no sound on the property and Ianto had to stop himself from shivering. Jack finally got the door opened and stepped through to an entryway. He turned on the hall light and Ianto almost jumped as the light spilled out onto the front porch. Jack looked at him for a moment before turning and walking inside. Ianto followed, closing the door quietly behind him. Jack had entered the parlor through a doorway on the left. Ianto peered into the room.
The small room was crammed with stuff. Ianto looked around, noting the books lined up in cases along the walls as well as stacked on a table, as if the occupant had just put them down, intending to return shortly. Jack stood in the middle of the room next to the dark maroon sofa, his arms crossed. When Ianto followed him in, the sound of his footsteps made Jack spin around. For a moment, Ianto saw a lost expression on his face before he turned away quickly to hide the emotions he felt. Ianto then noted that Jack's arms were not crossed, but that he was hugging himself, his fingers white as they gripped the material of his coat. Next to Jack was a small figurine of a fairy on the table. It was then that he knew where they were.
He watched as Jack wandered about the room, picking up knickknacks and putting them down precisely in their place. The room seemed smaller with Jack in it, his presence filling the empty space. Ianto hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to intrude on Jack's grief. He had seen the wet tracks on Jack's face as he had faced him before turning away. There was something inside of him which resonated with the pain that Jack felt, and he realized how much he had misjudged the man before him. Jack did feel pain, and this woman's death had shaken him to the core.
Ianto stepped in and looked around the room. The fireplace drew him in that direction and he looked at the photographs on the mantle. Most of the pictures were black and white images in old fashioned frames, depicting a smiling woman with dark hair. Ianto leaned in closer and nodded in understanding. The man at her side was Jack. He looked up at Jack who was staring out the window, then back to the photograph. He looked the same. He knew that the woman who had lived here was elderly and that these photographs looked like they had been taken years before.
A soft meow startled him and he looked down at the black and white cat which had wound itself around his ankles. He leaned down and petted the cat who arched its back against his touch before meowing again.
"His name is Moses," Jack said from the window. "I had forgotten about him." Ianto had glanced up as he spoke and felt the cat butt its head against his hand as it meowed again. "He's probably hungry."
"I'll go see what I can find for him to eat then," Ianto said softly. He had a feeling that Jack needed some time alone in this place so he headed out the door, the cat following him eagerly towards the back of the house. He found the kitchen easily enough and after pulling the drawstring to turn on the light, he looked around.
It felt as if any moment the occupant would return. A tea kettle sat on the stove and a cup and saucer were on the table, waiting to be used. Ianto opened a cabinet and peered inside before noticing that the cat was brushing up against one of the lower doors in the pantry. He went over and opened the door. Stacks of cat food lined the shelves and he picked one at random. Going through the drawers, he found a can opener. The sound of the can opener made the cat stand up on its hind legs, front paws extended up against his knee. He reached down with one hand and stroked the cat before looking around for the cat dish. It was over by the back door, and Ianto noted that the dish had been licked clean. He dumped the contents into the dish and the cat descended upon it, eating hungrily. He watched it for a few minutes before picking up the water bowl and refilling it from the tap. Putting it down next to the cat he left it there and headed back to the parlor.
Jack hadn't moved. He was still looking out the window. Ianto paused in the entryway and waited.
"She really belonged in the country, you know," Jack said in a conversational tone. "This house was too cramped for her. The city stifled her, I think." He reached out a trembling hand and touched the damask curtain. "She belonged on the land." He didn't see Ianto's nod as he stared sightlessly into the night.
Jack let out a deep sigh and turned. His gaze wandered the room until it ended up resting on the photographs above the fireplace. "We need those boxes." Ianto nodded and walked outside to bring the bundles of cardboard boxes inside. He rested them against the wall of the hall and undid the twine that held them together. Grabbing several boxes, he brought them into the other room. Jack was standing by the mantle, a photograph in his hand. Tears coursed down his cheeks and Ianto swallowed at the raw emotion showing on Jack's face. Turning away to give him some privacy, Ianto put the box together, and then went to the kitchen to find some newspaper to use for packing. By the time he came back, Jack had turned away and was looking at the volumes in the bookcase, his hand over his mouth.
"I have some paper here for wrapping the photographs," Ianto said softly. Jack nodded, his back to Ianto. Ianto hesitated a moment before continuing. "What would you like me to pack?"
Jack gazed around the room. "The fairies," he finally replied. Ianto looked about and nodded. Fairies in all shapes and sizes were scattered about the room, ornaments, statuettes and figurines placed on any available surface. He put another box together and crumpled paper along the bottom to protect the fragile items. He went over to a table and picked up one porcelain figurine. It was of a fairy sitting on a toadstool, a whimsical expression on its face. He carefully wrapped it and tucked it into the box before moving onto the next item. He had filled the box and had started on another before he realized that Jack hadn't moved. Ianto paused in the act of wrapping a small ornamental fairy. Jack's face was in the shadows and his expression impossible to read. Ianto placed the wrapped ornament in the box at his feet before walking over to where Jack stood.
"Would you like me to do this as well?" He asked Jack, who started at the sound of his voice.
"What?" Jack looked in his direction and finally focused on his face. "No, that's okay. I'll do it." He finally moved towards the mantle and picked up a photograph. Turning it over so he didn't have to look at the faces, Jack picked up some newspaper and wrapped the frame carefully, then placed it in the box at his feet. Once started, he worked quickly, wrapping each photograph and placing it in the box. Ianto was watching him surreptitiously from the corner of his eye as he worked in the other side of the room. Jack took one photo that didn't have a frame and tucked it into an inside pocket of his greatcoat.
When they were finished, the room had lost a lot of its personality. Jack looked at the books again and sighed. "We should take these as well." Ianto nodded and worked quickly to pack the books. He marked the boxes as he went for referral. Many of the books were on Welsh folklore and mythology, with the bulk of them about fairies. Jack left the room as he was working and Ianto could hear him climbing the staircase. Ianto stretched as he finished the last box. The room looked sadly denuded. As many times as he had done a cleanup for Torchwood, never had he had a feeling of loss as he had this evening. He waited a few moments and then took the last few boxes and newspapers up the stairs.
The hallway was dark, the only light coming from the moon which shown through the circular window at the end of the hall. Ianto listened and heard something in the room on the right. He walked down the hall and looked in the doorway.
Jack stood in the middle of the darkened room and Ianto heard a sniffle. This was obviously Estelle's bedroom. More fairies decorated the old highboy dresser which stood against the wall. A small bed dominated the cramped room; the duvet pulled up and ruffled pillows stacked against the wrought iron headboard. Light shone through the lace curtains and Ianto could see an old fashioned nightgown laid out on the bed, waiting to be put on at the end of the day.
"Oh, Estelle," Jack said sadly. He stretched out with his fingers to touch the nightgown. He turned and saw Ianto's reflection in the mirror. "Could you please wrap these as well?" He indicated the statues on the dresser and Ianto nodded. He moved around Jack and set up another box. He turned on the wall lamp next to the dresser so he would have enough light to work. He carefully wrapped each item and was careful not to touch any of the personal items. A silver hand mirror and brush lay on the top and Jack gently picked up the brush. He stroked the hair there and Ianto had to look away for a moment. "This, too." Jack said softly as he rested the brush back down again. Ianto nodded.
He watched Jack's reflection in the mirror as he worked. Jack wandered around the room, his boots echoing against the hardwood floor. He opened the wardrobe and Ianto heard Jack inhale sharply. Looking around, Ianto saw that there were more photographs pinned to the inside of the wardrobe and Jack carefully pulled each one out of its holder before tucking them away in his pocket. When Ianto finished with the dresser he waited for Jack to give him further instructions. His eyes wandered the room. In daytime he could see that this would be quite a cheery room. The sunlight probably streamed in with the morning light. He started as the black cat with white markings darted through the open doorway and jumped up onto the bed. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was still looking in the wardrobe. He idly opened one of the drawers in there and peered inside before closing it and moving onto the next. Ianto took that as permission to do the same at the dresser and he opened the first drawer. Seeing it only had underwear, he closed it and moved into the next. That had some other nightgowns and slips. At the bottom drawer he paused.
"Jack," he said softly, not wanting to startle the man behind him. Jack stopped what he was doing and turned around. Ianto pointed at the open drawer and Jack quickly walked over to where he was standing.
The drawer was full of journals, papers and letters. Jack reached down and picked up the first journal. Opening it, he tilted the book towards the wall sconce so he could read it. Flipping the pages, he read for a few moments before closing the book and putting it on top of the items that Ianto had already packed in the box. He reached for another one.
Ianto looked down at a bundle of letters and picked it up. He recognized the handwriting. The letters were addressed to Estelle and the franking on the top envelope showed a date stamp of September of 1944. Without looking further he held out the bundle to Jack. Jack looked up from the journal and nodded. He took the letters and tucked them into a pocket. Then he put the second journal in the box. Ianto picked the others up one by one and placed them in the box. Once it was full he secured it and marked it on the side.
Jack wandered back over to the wardrobe and finished looking in the drawers inside. "I don't know what to do with all this," he said.
"I could pack it up for you," Ianto offered. Jack didn't respond. "Do you want to keep it?" Jack shook his head. "Then I'll donate it."
"Thank you," Jack replied. He turned back towards the doorway and took a few steps before he stopped and turned. "And the cat?" As if he knew that Jack had spoken about him the cat stood up and stretched, then walked across the bed. He sat down and looked up at Jack. "RSPCA I suppose," Jack said sadly.
"I'll take care of Moses," Ianto said quietly. "Find him a good home." Jack nodded and Ianto saw that his cheeks were wet again. He opened his mouth but seemed at a loss for words. Turning, he wiped his cheek with his hand and headed out the door. Ianto bent down to pick up the box at his feet. He would come back to finish the rest in the morning. Moses jumped off the bed and rubbed his face against the back of Ianto's hand. Ianto patted him before picking up the box. He could hear Jack moving around downstairs.
Carrying the box down the stairs, Ianto headed straight out to the SUV and put it in the boot before returning to the parlor and picking up those boxes as well. The ones with the books he had to take one by one since they proved to be heavy. When he was finally finished, he went to look for Jack. A quick scan showed that he wasn't in any of the rooms on the first floor. Ianto was going to go back upstairs when he noticed that the door to the garden was open. He stepped through and into the darkness.
Jack stood in the middle of the garden and Ianto thought he heard him sob softly. Ianto stayed where he was and waited. There was a circle in the dirt and Ianto knew that this was the spot where Estelle had died. Jack knelt down briefly and touched the ground before he stood back up again. Ianto backed into the kitchen. Looking in the closet, he found a cat carrier and took that out. He'd use that in the morning to transport the cat. He also found a spare set of keys for the house and he put them in his pocket. He looked out the window and saw that Jack was still standing in the garden. Ianto moved to the parlor and waited.
About ten minutes later Jack finally came back into the house. His eyes were red rimmed and he glanced briefly into the parlor. "Ready?" He asked hoarsely and Ianto nodded. He turned and walked out the door, leaving Ianto to close up behind him.
Ianto followed Jack down the pathway and got into the SUV. Jack was silent for the drive back to the Hub. When they parked in the garage, Jack left Ianto to unload the boxes, leaving him with the instruction to place them all in Jack's office for now. Ianto did so, but didn't see Jack as he moved back and forth. When he was finished, he hesitated for a long time before he set the Hub into night mode and left.
Ianto let himself out of the Tourist Centre and closed the door behind him. Hearing the lock click, he looked at his watch. It was after three in the morning and he closed his eyes tiredly. Working his way across the Plass, he went to the car park and got into his car. He sat for a moment before starting the engine and heading back to his flat.
Back in his office, Jack sat at his desk, watching Ianto leave on the CCTV. In front of him was the bundle of letters that Ianto had handed to him. He opened a drawer, pulled out a tin and opened it. He then took out a smaller set of letters that were the responses to the ones on the desk. He undid the twine holding them together and opened the first envelope. Carefully pulling out the aging paper, he opened it and read it. A tear rolled down his cheek, but at the same time he was smiling. Slowly he read the letters one by one, remembering when he had read them for the first time. When he was done, he tucked each response in between his own to Estelle and gently tired the ribbon around them. Kissing the bundle, he placed it in the tin and closed it. A heavy sigh escaped him and he rested his face in his hands.
Four hours later when Ianto returned, Jack was still in the same position. Ianto went through his morning routine of brewing the coffee before bringing a cup up to Jack's office. He paused on the doorway, but when Jack didn't react he stepped through the door and entered the room. He placed the cup next to Jack's elbow before turning away and heading back the way he came.
"Thank you," Jack's voice was muffled. Ianto paused on the threshold and looked back at him. "I'm glad I didn't have to do that on my own."
"You're quite welcome," Ianto said softly. When Jack didn't respond, he continued with what he was doing. It was the start of another day, and the others would be in soon. He started cleaning up the Hub, knowing that it would be some time before the others would forgive Jack. He had learned something in the early hours, and his opinion of Jack had changed greatly. Jack wasn't the heartless monster that he had supposed a few short weeks ago. In fact, he wasn't a monster at all, but a lonely man who was forced to make tough decisions. Ianto was beginning to understand him now. He kept a careful eye out and was relieved to see that Jack finally drank the coffee he had left for him. It was a start.
Later that morning after everyone else had arrived; Ianto took the SUV and finished packing up Estelle's house. He donated the clothes, dropped the cat off with his sister, and packed up the rest of the items that had been Estelle's. When he was finished, he came back to the Hub and saw Jack standing at the window of his office, his arms crossed. They shared a nod of understanding before Ianto headed up to the Tourist Centre for the afternoon. They never spoke of it again, but each knew that they had shared something with one another that evening.
It was the start of a bond that would grow stronger over time.