The Man Who Was Joseph Hall
By Cadeeo
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Prologue
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When Ianto showed up at Rhiannon's door on a regular Thursday, looking as impeccable as usual, Rhiannon was slightly surprised.
'Is it Christmas already?' she asked, raising an eyebrow.
'It's February,' Ianto deadpanned.
'Well, how would you know? You didn't show up at Christmas anyway,' Rhiannon said, trying not to let the hurt show in her voice. He'd called last minute and said he'd had to go to London for Christmas... for work. It was always bloody work with him. She often wondered if he had a life outside work. It didn't seem like it.
He at least had the decency to look guilty. 'It's just...'
'Work?' she helped.
'Yes... work,' he replied, looking at the floor.
Rhiannon sighed. 'You should quit.'
He shrugged.
'But you won't, so you want to come inside? Cuppa tea maybe?' she asked and stepped back to let him enter.
'Yes, tea sounds good,' he said and came inside.
She took his jacket and marvelled at the quality, Armani this time. 'Haven't got a clue how you can afford this on a civil servant salary.'
Ianto shrugged. 'Where are the devils?'
'David has footy practice. Johnny took him. Mica's with a friend,' Rhiannon replied and went into the kitchen. 'I've got the house to myself for a whole two hours!'
Ianto smiled slightly.
The few times she'd seen him the last two years, he'd rarely smiled, never a very happy smile, not even for his sister. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and he always become so distant.
'So, what have you been up to?' she asked him tentatively, sitting down in front of him by the kitchen table.
'Had a date with a nice girl yesterday,' he said, shrugging.
Rhiannon was surprised. 'No, you didn't?'
'No,' he smirked. 'I wish my life was that interesting. I've been working a lot recently.'
'You're always working a lot,' she commented.
'True that. Thought I'd invite myself to dinner tonight, though. It's been awhile.'
Rhiannon smiled. 'You're staying the whole afternoon, up until dinner?'
'This is if you want me to?'
'Course I want you to, you idiot. Johnny will have someone to talk rugby with.'
Two hours later, while Rhiannon had chatted away excitedly for the past hour about everything and nothing, she turned around and found Ianto lying face-down onto the table, sleeping.
She frowned. 'Uncomfortable that is,' she told herself, shrugged, and started on dinner.
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Saving the world was good and well, but when it all was said and done, Ianto Jones had a knee injury and it fucking hurt. Johnny had noticed his limp and had questioned him about it. Ianto couldn't very well say he'd been thrown knees first, into a wall because Jack and he had been Weevil hunting. He'd said it was a rugby accident instead, but he hadn't played rugby since he left Wales for London. It was all about football for those Londoners and honestly he hadn't had the time. Torchwood tended to consume someone's life and he hadn't been the exception to the rule.
It was all right though. Things were looking up.
Except for the whole ordeal at Gwen's wedding, Jack had stood loyally behind their relationship, even initiated a couple of things that Ianto never would have guessed would happen. But it had happened and Ianto was happier. Even his compulsive need for everything to be neat and in order had begun to fade and Owen had diagnosed his OSD to be because of post-traumatic stress and not a chronic disorder he would have to deal with for the rest of his life.
The biggest problem at the moment wasn't the never-ending mess in the Archives or paperwork to be dealt with or even going on field missions, it was actually due to lack of sleep, which was due to late nights with Jack. And he had no need to complain about spending quality time with the Captain.
Going to his sister's definitely hadn't been planned. Jack was in Scotland, more specifically the Torchwood House to discuss the idea of a rebuild Torchwood One. It would be closely supervised by Jack at the beginning, because as the most senior member, Jack had inherited Yvonne Hartman's role as the Head of Torchwood. Gwen, Owen and Tosh were on Rift duty and it seemed relatively quiet that day. With no Jack around and a stocked up coffee supply, no one would notice Ianto's absence. Since everything with Flat Holm had been revealed, and it had been revealed Ianto had been the only one beside Jack who knew about it, they had stopped questioning him when he left. They just assumed he was on the island. It left him enormous breathing room for him to have some time off if he really felt like it. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a life outside Torchwood, so he usually opted to stay around anyway.
Seeing Rhiannon, though, and his nephew and niece, reminded him why he fought, that it wasn't just Jack he fought for, but so that Mica wouldn't have to see the horrors that he saw everyday and that David wouldn't have to fight (if it ever came to that) because Torchwood stood on the frontlines and as long as Ianto lived, he would never allow David and Mica to be consumed by his world.
After the drive back from the Cromwell estate where Rhiannon lived, he parked his car in the parking garage of the apartment building he lived in and cursed the stairs for being invented in the first place. His knee wasn't cooperating and stairs certainly didn't help matters.
When he reached his floor, light could from underneath the door and a delicious smell reached his nose. He smiled and opened the door.
'Jack?' he called out, kicking off his shoes and hanging his jacket on the hanger he always had ready.
Jack appeared from the kitchen with a big smile and Ianto had to suppress a chuckle because of the flowery marigolds Jack had somehow gotten his hands on. 'Honey, you're home!' he said with an overly feminine voice and hand movements that could only be described as queer.
Sometimes Jack could be really gay.
'How was Scotland?' Ianto asked and became engulfed in a big warm hug.
'Wet. I'd forgotten how wet it was,' Jack replied and led Ianto into kitchen. 'Did you already eat?'
'Yeah,' Ianto said, feeling suddenly sorry. 'I didn't know you would be back today. Would have made you dinner myself if I had known.'
'It doesn't matter,' Jack said, waving his hand. 'I can eat for two.'
'More like nine, actually,' Ianto said, smirking.
Jack laughed and for the first time since Canary Wharf, everything was all right.
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(5-1-11)