SPOOKS: Coffeshop Recruitment.....

Ianto Jones was going to have a nice day off, even if it killed him. The past 23 days had been a nightmare the middle of which was punctuated by a week long meeting in London with defence ministry representatives from the Army, UNIT, R.A.F, Navy, MI5 and MI6. Ianto had come away from London, tired, grumpy and thoroughly cheesed off. His mood had not been improved by an unscheduled flight up to Glasgow the following day with an even grumpier Jack in tow. Archie Cavanagh was his usual acerbic self and he and Jack spent the next three days arguing over protocols and Ianto attempted to mediate which meant getting in the way of their balled fists to prevent anything physical from transpiring. They got back yesterday to a messy Hub and Owen's coffee making disasters scattered on every desk and more pizza boxes than Ianto had ever seen in his short life. Jack had taken one look at his shocked face and sent him home, to avoid a homicide. It had been the first time Ianto had seen his flat for almost 4 weeks. His ansaphone, which had obviously run out of memory had 19 messages and Ianto deleted them without bothering to check them. He dumped his bags on his bed room floor and headed for the shower and after that sank into his bed and slept for almost 14 hours. His own snoring woke him up and the fact that Jack's arm was draped inelegantly across his face. Ianto shoved the offending limb aside and got up needing a pee and a mug of coffee in no particular order.

Jack found him sometime later sitting at his kitchen table scanning a copy of 'New Scientist', in nothing but loosely fitting track pants, cup of coffee in hand. He stood naked in the doorway admiring the view for a moment before joining him, helping himself to coffee first. Jack had found himself growing accustomed to and even enjoying the domestic moments of their relationship. Those times were rare treats and a chance for Ianto to ground himself with a small dose of normality once in a while. It had taken them both a long time to get to this point in their relationship and Jack was quietly thankful that they had been able to get past their own demons and share this time together, he was only too aware of how soon this man would be gone from his life forever. Jack took a sip of his coffee as he sat and couldn't help but sigh appreciatively.

"I love waking to this." He held the mug and smiled as Ianto raised his eyebrows, but did not look up from his reading.

"Good morning Jack."

"Morning Ianto." He leaned forwards and pecked the Welshman's cheek. "Take today off, have a Ianto day, you deserve it."

Ianto met his look with a frown as he lowered the magazine. "What about you? Don't you deserve some time out?"

Jack grinned. "I'm the boss." He finished his coffee. "Guess I should get ready. Dinner tonight?" With the usual provisos.

Ianto nodded offering up an affectionate smile. "My treat."

So, a day off.

Four suits and thirty shirts to the dry cleaners, repair the rip in the sleeve of Jack's greatcoat and.....Ianto decided to go to his favourite coffee emporium to buy some Brazillian beans and sit down and enjoy a mug of brew he had not made himself. Michelle never failed to impress with her natural coffee brewing skills and light weight banter about the Welsh rugby team, currently embroiled in the 6 nations bash. Ianto had no great interest in such things, but Michele was such an amazing talker he'd happily listen to the French Literature student for hours. She would often give him French recipes that he'd try out on Jack on the rare occasions that they actually managed a meal together in his flat. There he was happily chatting to the beautiful young woman whom he would've asked out if he wasn't with Jack. They were laughing happily and Ianto actually felt normal, for a change sitting there in jeans and hoodie with a HMV carrier bag on the table in front of him containing Owen's birthday present.

"Mr Ianto Jones?"

The English BBC accent virtually froze his bones as he looked up into a pair of startlingly green eyes and a lipstick coated smile. A slender hand was proffered.

"Amelia Johnson at your service, may we talk?"

Gorgeous Michele immediately gave up her seat and with a good bye to Ianto went back to work behind the mahagoney counter. Ianto sucked in a breath and quirked an eyebrow.

"MI5? MI6?" He queried.

The hand was retracted. "Five. Gosh am I that obvious?"

Ianto gestured to the vacated seat opposite. "You've just ruined a perfectly good day off, my options were limited, be grateful I didn't mistake you for UNIT."

Unperturbed Amelia took the seat and placed her brief case on the floor beside her stilletoed feet.

"I'll get straight to the point...."

"Please do." Ianto didn't even attempt to be friendly.

"I am here to offer you a job with my department at MI5 HQ in London. You were very impressive at the council meeting two weeks ago and having studied your file, well I believe we can do business." She said as if the deal were already done.

The self assured tone irritated Ianto beyond belief. "You do?"

"Torchwood is a bit of a wild card Mr Jones, what happened at Canary Wharf, quite frankly put the entire intelligence community worldwide on high alert and yet here we are unable to get anything even remotely useful on Torchwood 3. Now I know that is down to you, Captain Harkness simply doesn't haven't the word discreet in his dictionary, but you......"

You'd be surprised. Ianto tilted his head to one side in a gesture that she obviously interpreted as interest.

"So, we'd like to make use of your skills and of course offer you a much better contract for the job we have in mind."

Ianto was bored already. "Contract? You have a contract?"

"Negotiable, of course. Three times your current salary, a house, car, pension, insurance and regular hours. No more night shifts and monster chasing."

Ianto's gut tightened, they'd obviously been watching him closely then, more worrying was the fact that he hadn't noticed. He appeared to think about it.

"I see, three times you say?"

Amelia, whose blonde hair was tightly pulled back from her well made- up face was smiling too broadly to be natural. There was pink lipstick stuck to her front teeth.

Ianto stretched back into his seat. "No thanks." He gathered his HMV bag and the packet of coffee beans about to get up.

"I can offer you more, Mr Jones. Name your terms."

That was a mistake, now he was suspicious. "I am quite happy where I am ma'am." He replied.

Her look turned slightly nasty. "Captain Harkness' pet, by all accounts. You could be so much more."

That rankled but Ianto hid it completely as he stood up. "Woof woof." He turned away from the austere woman and left the shop with a sour taste in his mouth and not from the coffee. The moment he was out of the door he was dialling Jack's cell and arranging to meet him at his flat.

AN: Actually not sure if this is something I will continue.... and I will get back to Don't Look Now when the inspiration hits me! Thanks for reading. Deeta...... Have officially fallen for Burn Gorman anyone who was at Hub 2 will know why!