Once again thank you for your reviews...I really appreciate them.
ACTS OF KINDNESS Parts 6 and 7 ACTS OF KINDNESS Part 6
In the fire
Ianto leaned against the brick wall and glanced at his watch. Ok, so he was early. It was only 7pm. He pulled his hood up and then shoved his hands into the pockets of his Jeans to keep them warm. It was a bitter evening, unseasonably cold in fact and all Ianto wanted to do was go home and curl up on his luxurious couch with a book, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. He sighed, things had gone a bit crazy over the last few days and he was still trying to get his head round what was going on his life. Ok, working undercover for Torchwood was one thing, but now he was briefing MI5 as well without Jack's knowledge and Ianto knew that Jack would skin him alive when he found out. It was complicated though. They had intercepted him obviously aware that Torchwood was snooping on their own territory and some how Ianto had managed to convince them to let him handle the assignment since he was already hip deep in the front line as it were. Ianto smiled to himself feeling slightly smug about it, but he was also very worried. Alien artefacts he could handle, even unpleasant humans were no big deal, but this whole thing went way beyond all that and he deeply wished that there had been no alien tech involved at all, then he could just go home. He hadn't told Jack most of what had been happening because he knew that Jack would've pulled him off the assignment weeks ago otherwise and Ianto understood that that was no longer an option. His conscience wouldn't allow for it, leaving a job half done with weapons of serious destructive power out there in the hands of human thugs. He turned his head to get a look down the darkened alley. He hated it here, the pick up point lost somewhere in the mire of South London, too far away from home for comfort. He looked the other way beginning to feel extremely nervous. This narrow back wash of suburbia was a 'dead zone'. A glitch in the world, no CCTV, and for some inexplicable reason, no GPS or mobile phone signals either. How the hell did Torchwood not know this? Well they did now. Still the isolation from observation made Ianto feel vulnerable every time he came here. They couldn't fix that problem because as Ianto well knew it was constantly watched by human eyes of a less then friendly nature. He knew that Jack had been frustrated by the fact that he had not been able to keep close Tabs on him at all times. Ianto had hidden his own concerns under a barrage of innuendo, which seemed to lessen his boss's worries. Ianto often wondered about Jack. He really didn't know where Jack's feeling lay. Jack had tried hard over the last few months to settle back into things. He hadn't overtly flirted with Ianto at all and Ianto found that disconcerting in itself. But Ianto had also clocked the looks that passed between Jack and Gwen sometimes bordering on intense longing. Ianto was finding it hard not to hate her for it after all Jack was as bad as she was. Maybe he should just get off with her instead………Ianto straightened up as a pair of beams from car headlamps cut through the darkness. A black Daimler slid silently into view and eased to a stop in front of him. Ianto picked up the small backpack at his feet as the passenger door on the drivers side opened to receive him. Terrified Ianto climbed in and shut the door behind him as the car slid away into the night.
Gwen logged off from her terminal and trotted up the stars to Jack's office and after knocking briefly on the door she stepped in without invitation. Jack, who was at his desk and just hanging up from a call on his mobile, looked up her and smiled brightly. She failed to notice the tension in that smile completely and sat down in front of him.
"I'm done with the reports. Is there anything else you would like me to do for you Jack?" She held his gaze. Jack shook his head.
"No thank you. Ianto will appreciate what you've done I'm sure."
Gwen leaned forward putting her elbow on Jack's desk and resting her chin in her hand, her long hair falling forward brushing the top of his desk.
"I didn't do them for Ianto." She replied. Jack mirrored her position so that their faces were only a couple of inches apart her sweet warm breath on his face. A peaceful silence settled between them and Jack's smile slowly dropped as he gently brushed her lips with the briefest of kisses.
Gwen closed her eyes.
"Jack…." The whispering brought him to his senses. Shit. He pulled back.
"I'm sorry. I should not have done that." He muttered.
Gwen shocked into straightening her self up looked hurt. "Why not?"
"Because I have Ianto to think about." He looked away from her guiltily realising how easy it was for him to fall back into old habits just because of loneliness and a pretty face.
"Ianto? I thou….."
"And you have Rhys! Don't throw that away over me." He said with sincerity. "I'm not worth it Gwen."
The only sound between was Gwen drawing in shaky breaths. She stood up. "I know you're right Jack, but I can't help how I feel."
"Then you'll understand about how I feel toward Ianto."
Finally she nodded. Again the silence.
"Where is Ianto?"
Jack smiled at her again sliding the Captain persona back into place.
"Taking some personal time. It's been a year since Canary Wharf he needed a break. I told him to take as much time as he required." He hoped the lie was a convincing one.
"Jack, it's been a few weeks."
"I know, he's having treatment for Post Traumatic Stress. You've no idea what he went through there. I wanted to make sure he was going to be ok." He explained.
Gwen nodded seemingly convinced. "Do you love him?"
Jack looked straight at her. "I love all of you. Now go home, live your normal life, for me."
With a hesitant smile she turned and left the office closing the door behind her.
Jason Murry inspected the item that Ianto handed to him. It was one half of a device that enabled the person holding it to see into the future, the half that opened a view into the emotional energy traces left behind floating silently through the world. Ianto had been explaining in detail how it worked, having memorised Tosh's report on the artefact. Ianto sat there in the plush surrounds of the back seat of the Daimler clutching his now empty pack as he talked rather nervously. He watched Jason carefully, a man in his early forties. A man who had magnetising corruption oozing from every pore of his powerful body, his sculptured face, which could be considered handsome were it not for the coldness of his black eyes and a thin silver scar than ran down from his temple to his chin. He wore that mark like a badge of honour so far as Ianto could tell and in truth Ianto was terrified of the man.
"This looks good Jones. We'll have to test it out before I make payment, you understand." His East London accent held none of Owen's cockney charm.
Ianto nodded. "So long as I get paid."
Jason's hand strayed in the direction of Ianto's knee. "You'll be coming home with me until the testing is done."
Ianto's guts froze; he didn't dare look at Murry. "I thought you said my word was good."
He could feel Murry edge closer to him.
"It is Yan. You've got us some good stuff. You're valuable to me. I just thought we could share a drink whilst you wait for your cash." The hand moved along his thigh.
Ianto quickly stole a glance at him. "Ok, a drink, that would be nice." He said with an apprehensive smile. Fuck! "Where are we going for this drink?"
Murry studied the younger man's face.
"To my Chelsea flat. You'll like it. I think you are a man who appreciates the best things in life."
Ianto met his look with extreme difficulty. "If Torchwood paid me enough."
"And what would you have Ianto Jones?" Murry's tone was laced with innuendo. Ianto had to consciously make an effort not to squirm, it never felt uncomfortable like this around Jack and the Captain was King of Innuendo.
"Well Ianto? What is it? Coke? Little girls? Little boys, perhaps? Torture? Bondage? We all have our……little fantasies." If Jason were a cat he'd be purring right now as he gently ran his fingers up and down Ianto's thigh.
Ianto knew he had to come up with something fast.
"Books." He replied.
Murry baulked, completely taken aback for a moment. Then he laughed, reaching his hand now to the back of Ianto's neck. Ianto kept his face stony straight.
"Books? You're fucking kidding me?"
Ianto shook his head. "First editions. I have a modest collection, but it's not enough."
Murry nodded, knowing full well, he'd already taken a peek at Ianto's flat. He leaned in, his face an inch away from Ianto's, black eyes staring fixedly into Ianto's oceanic ones. Ianto held that look thinking his life just might depend on it. He could feel fingers tracing circles on the back of his neck.
"I like you. I think you and I should stretch out this little transaction of ours until the morning. What do you say? I know for a fact that you've been shagging Captain Harkness, wouldn't mind a piece of that myself."
Ianto swallowed wondering just how much these people actually knew about Torchwood, he hadn't been with Jack since before his disappearance.
"No one shags Jack. He takes what he wants, when he wants it. I think you are the same, just taking what you want."
Murry gripped his chin none too gently "You're dam right about that."
He kissed Ianto hard on the lips, painfully so forcing his tongue into Ianto's mouth. Ianto responded reluctantly, feeling sick inside. Murry finally drew back to take a breath. "Good, so we understand each other then?"
Ianto nodded not trusting himself to reply.
