Title: The Watcher
Summary: Set after "Cyberwomen." Everyone has someone watching over them.
Disclaimer: I do not own TORCHWOOD. I make no money from this story and it's characters.
The Watcher
Gwen remembered when Ianto walked out of the Hub, his clothes blood and his face still tear stained from the grief he felt. He had just finished cleaning the blood and dumping the bodies to cover up the "Lisa Incident" as Owen was now calling it when Jack told Ianto he was suspended until further notice. Jack told them to go home but they refused. They didn't tell Jack why. Just sat at their desks and waited. Gwen had the same reason the other two had, even if they didn't say it, they stayed for Ianto.
Jack gave them instructions on what to do the next day. Toshiko was to set up a separate security protocol that allows them to access their weapons during an emergency. Owen was to do an autopsy on Tanizaki and Lisa, Jack hoping to find a weak point on their cybernetics to make a better weapon against them, and Gwen was to work on security plans in case of other similar situations. They could hear yelling behind Jack's office and knew that Jack was giving Ianto the reprimand of his life. Only when Ianto left was when the yelling stopped.
"Jack, where's Ianto going," asked Toshiko.
"Home," said Jack. Gwen could still hear more then a bit of anger in his voice.
"What are you going to do with him," asked Owen
"When I decided, you'll be the second to know," said Jack and walked back into his office.
That had been three weeks ago. Owen had almost finished the autopsy and catalogue the cybernetic circuits he found, Toshiko finished the separate security protocols for the weapons locker, and Gwen had thought of a suitable plans. And Jack stuck to his office, never leaving unless there was a situation that demanded Torchwood attention. Gwen didn't think the man took a break from the work that seemed to load his desk. Said desk had been piled with paper since Ianto left.
"Coffee break," called Toshiko walking into the Hub carrying a tray with four Styrofoam cups of coffee. "Or what suffices as coffee from across the street. That café's making a fortune from us now."
"I could always try my hand at the coffee machine again," suggested Owen as Toshiko handed him his cup.
"We already had to buy a new coffee machine," said Gwen taking her cup. "The last batch you made wasn't coffee. It was tar."
"What's wrong with a little innovation," asked Owen.
"Is that what you're going to tell Ianto when he comes back," asked Gwen.
"You mean if he comes back," said Owen. Gwen rolled her eyes. Owen was such an pessimist.
Both looked up as Toshiko approached Jack's office. She knocked on the door, sharp enough to get attention.
"Jack, I've brought coffee," she said politely. "Double sugar, double cream, just the way you like it."
"I don't want any," said Jack through the closed door. Toshiko looked over at Gwen and Owen as if in help. Jack hasn't taken a sip of coffee and hardly had a bit to eat since Ianto left.
When it became apparent that Jack wasn't leaving his office Toshiko sat at her desk with a sigh, both cups of coffee set on the tray.
"Why do I bother," she asked. "It's the same everyday. He won't leave that room."
"Was Ianto that important," asked Gwen. "I've always thought of him as a wallflower."
"That may have been the problem," said Owen. "And why we didn't suspect him. Kept to the background, eager to help, was quick to please; it screamed he was hiding something."
"How can you know that," asked Gwen taking a sip of her coffee. "Self help books?"
Owen kept silent and the girls giggled. They heard a crash on the other side of Jack's office door and colorful language on the other side, some in language Gwen was sure not from Earth.
"Now this is getting ridiculous," said Toshiko "He's hopeless without Ianto."
"What can we do," asked Owen. "Jack suspended him."
And he took a sip of the coffee. Gwen just kept looking at Jack's door as the man continued to swear.
Later when Toshiko and Owen walked out to head home for the night Gwen pretended to stay behind to finish filling a recent case. A Weevil had attacked and without Ianto around she had to come up with a plausible cause of death that didn't scream alien.
Walking up to Jack's door she rapped sharply on the wood.
"What?!" came Jack's voice on the other side. Gwen opened to door to find Jack's office a complete mess. Files had fallen to the floor, pens scattered on the desk and Gwen didn't even want to think about the mug near the computer. "What ever it is you want, tell me and leave."
"I just want to talk, Jack," said Gwen with her hands on her hips. "Not play Snap Back. Something is bugging you, and it's been like this since Ianto left."
"Everything's fine," said Jack turning around from his computer. Gwen scoffed.
"You call this fine?" she asked. "Your office is a mess, you don't eat, you don't sleep, and you revived twice from suicidal attempts during a common Weevil capture. Tell me how the hell that makes you fine?"
Jack turned toward her with a glare. She knew that Jack had a temper, and had a good rein on it, but she didn't want to test the limit on it.
"Just what are you getting at, PC Cooper," he asked standing up and leaned on his desk. Luckily, Gwen was used to being stared down on by men, but not when they were her boss.
"I'm saying, Jack, that something's been eating at you since Ianto left. Have you even seen him since you put him on suspension? Have you even found out the reason why he did what he did?"
"He thought he could bring his girlfriend back. That's why he did it."
"Yes, but I'm asking the reason." She paused to watch Jack's angry face. "Do you know anything about Ianto?"
"I know all I need to know," said Jack sitting at his desk and ruffled through the files as if to look for a missing one.
"Really then, what's his favorite color?" asked Gwen crossing her arms. "His favorite book, movie, song? What was his childhood like? What do you actually know about him?"
"I know all that I need to know," repeated Jack with a strained voice.
"What's Tosh's favorite color?" asked Gwen.
"Yellow." The answer was automatic.
"Mine? Owen's?"
"You like a mix of blue and purple and Owen like's red. Why is that important?"
"You said you knew all you needed to know about Ianto, if so you would have known his favorite color. Why are you really mad at Ianto? And don't say it's because of the Cyberwoman."
Jack growled and clenched his fist. "Everyone's entitled to their secrets."
"Yeah," said Gwen. "You would know about secrets, wouldn't you? I bet you have a million of them"
And she walked out of the Hub, not looking back at her boss. Walking into the lift she reached into her pocket as the doors closed and took out her cell phone.
"Hello? Hey, Rhys, listen, I'm going to be late for supper. Can you keep it on warm for me? No, it's not work. I'm just going to visit a friend. He's not doing to well and I just wanted to see how he was….."
TORCHWOOD
Gwen drove slowly down the road, glancing down at the address in her hand written on a piece of paper. Before leaving she went to Ianto's computer in reception and looked up his address. Gwen didn't really know why she wanted to visit him. Gwen knew that Owen had made a call every few days to check in, but the phone was cut off. Toshiko tried to visit once but Ianto never opened the door. Each decided that Ianto was still grieving and decided to leave him alone and Jack wasn't leaving the Hub unless under extreme circumstance. So Gwen was taking things in her own hands.
Finally she came to a brick building, picked up a small white box and tray on the seat next to her, and walked up to the apartment. Looking at the paper again she pressed Ianto's flat number.
"Ianto? It's me, Gwen. Please open the door." No answer came and the door didn't unlock. Gwen pressed the button again. "Ianto, I'm worried about you. Please, let me in." Still no answer. "I brought Danish and coffee."
Still no answer came. Gwen stood in front of the building, contemplating on how she was going to get in. She wasn't about to force the door open, she was a police woman after all, she still had the law to uphold, but she wasn't about to give up when she came all this way. But she did have Rhys to get back to. She knew her new job was irritating her boyfriend, but Torchwood was a near full time job, much like police work, when she told him and he was happy for her. Now it was becoming harder to talk to him.
She had been standing in front of the building for a few minutes and was almost thinking of heading home to have the Danish and coffee with Rhys when an elderly woman began walking up to the building, muttering under her breathe and digging in her purse. Taking a page from Jack's book she walked up to the woman.
"Excuse me, but do you live here?" she asked.
"Why yes, I do," said the woman. "I'm Angelic Evans. I'm the manager here. My son's the janitor but he's looking for a new job."
"That's wonderful," said Gwen. "Ms. Evans, my friend lives here, Ianto Jones, and I haven't seen him in a while so I was hoping to pay him a visit, but he's not answering my call. Do you know if he's home?"
"He should be," said Ms. Evans. "He's been home every day since that job of his suspended him. I don't see why. He's a good boy, Wakes up early every day to go to work. 'Cause that's how his boss likes, it he says, the earlier the better. And he's so smart. He fixed my telly while Joey was out with his friends, and I wanted to watch my cooking shows."
"Do you think you could let me in? I've been really worried about him and was hoping to see if he was all right?"
"Well, you do seem worried about the young man. I'll let you in, and you tell him I have a pot roast waiting if he's ever hungry and wants to visit."
"Thank you so much," said Gwen with a grateful smile and followed Angelic Evans into the building. After escorting Ms. Evans to her apartment and getting the spare key in case Ianto wasn't answering, she walked up to Ianto's flat and knocked on the door.
"Ianto, I'm outside your door. Ms. Evans let me in the building. Please let me in." Still no answer. Gwen put the key in the lock and turned it. What she didn't suspect was the chain on the door. "Blast. Ianto, please, let me in. I want to talk." Glancing in through the crack she could just barely see a couch and something large on the couch. It shifted. "I know you're in there. Please let me in." Ianto didn't move from the couch. "Jack didn't send me, I came on my own. Now I'm not leaving till you let me in."
"Tell Tosh and Owen I'm fine," said Ianto. His voice sounded gruff from not being used much. "I don't need to be baby-sat."
"You can tell them yourself. Now open this door before I break the chain."
"Whatever you have to say, say it from the door."
Gwen sighs. "Jack's a dick and needs to turn his left one a quarter to the right."
Through the crack she saw Ianto sit upon his couch and turn to look at her through the door. "What?" he said in surprise.
"The guys at my precinct say that when a particular person's being a jack-arse, which is also funny in this case. Jack has to learn we're not red shirts. Are you going to let me in or what? The Danish and coffee are getting cold. And I know you haven't had any coffee in a while. I can't smell it brewing."
Ianto got off the couch and went to let Gwen inside.
"You know about red shirts?" asked Ianto as he opened the door.
"Who doesn't? American's are not the only ones who watch Star Trek. I've seen DS-9 and Voyager. Those two are my favorites."
Ianto smirked. "To boldly go where no man…."
"Or woman," put in Gwen with a smile.
"Or woman," agreed Ianto.
"Have gone before," finished both. Gwen smiled and gave him a once over, just to see if he really was all right. His hair was a mess, bags under his eyes, and he looked like he was wearing the same outfit for several days, which consisted of a white undershirt and blue boxers.
"Well, I just solved the universal question; Does Ianto Jones wear boxers or briefs?"
"That's more along the lines of the Tin Man," said Ianto. When she walked in the living area she smelled the strong odor of alcohol.
"Have you been drinking?" she asked. She didn't even know that Ianto did drink.
"Just a nip," he said. Gwen counted at least five bottles, but then she didn't know how long they sat there. Three were empty, one only half full and the last looked like Ianto had just started on it. He was always so neat at the Hub, making sure that everything was in its proper place. She hated to think that this was how he really lived.
"More then a nip, I'd say," said Gwen making to sit down, but shot back up when she sat on an object and found one of Ianto's press shirts on the chair seat. She picked up the shirt and carefully folded it, not wanting to know how long it had been there.
"Whatever you want, just ask and leave," said Ianto sitting on the couch to pick up the almost full bottle of beer. Gwen took the beer away. "Oi!"
"Coffee," she said handing him a Styrofoam cup. He gave her a skeptic look.
"You do know these take ten years to decompose in a landfill," he said.
"Are you a conservationist?" Gwen had finally cleaned a place for her and sat down. Ianto shook his head.
"Not really. Lisa was. Kinda of got me into it." He chuckled. "She wanted to save the world, and look where that got her."
"I'll get us cups then," said Gwen and went to the kitchen. When she finally found the cups she filled the coffee in them she came back to find Ianto passed out on the couch. Walking back in the kitchen she filled a cup with ice cold water and walked back to the couch. "Hope it's not good upholstery."
And she dumped the water on him. Ianto woke up sputtering and cursing in English and Welsh. In the time she had been a policewoman she learned that when a suspect, or a fellow officer, was passed out drunk a sudden flash of cold water often woke them up, followed by at least five cups of black coffee. She handed him the cup of coffee as he still cursed.
"I guess Owen won the bet," she said as she sat down. "You do have a mouth."
"I always have. I just chose not to make it known." Ianto took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. "Black?"
"I figured you'd be out for the count," said Gwen taking a sip of her cappuccino.
"So what do you want to talk about," asked Ianto taking another sip of his coffee and tried not to spit it out.
"You should let us know you're alive you know. Everyone's worried about you."
Ianto scuffed. "I'll bet," he said. "Owen's probably celebrating that I'm gone and Jack wants to forget about me."
"Jack's a mess without you, literally. You can't find a single thing!"
"He was always absentminded when it came to paper work. You have to bug him till he finally finishes it. He loves the field but hated the papers that came with it." Ianto rolled the cup between his hands. "You didn't just want to talk about Torchwood. You're here for something else."
"Lisa."
Ianto gave her a surprised look before turning back to his usual indifferent one. "What's there to talk about? She's dead."
"I want to know about the Lisa you know. Before Canary Wharf."
And Ianto talked. It was almost automatic the way he spoke, like he wanted to talk about Lisa but also try to keep a distance at the same time. They met in Torchwood One, became fast friends and were dating not long after that. They had been together for months and Ianto loved her so much he planned on marrying her. He had everything planned out from the dinner to the proposal. Then the Cybermen came. It was hard for Gwen to keep from crying but she managed to listen to Ianto's story.
TORCHWOOD
"I brought coffee!" said Gwen as she walked into the Hub, holding up a thermos full of the dark strong liquid.
"I thought it was my turn to get coffee," said Owen as Gwen began filling cups.
"Say thank you," said Gwen and handed him his cup. After handing Toshiko hers Gwen walked up and opened Jack's door without knocking. "Coffee!"
"Don't want any," came the automatic answer from Jack as he sat in front of the computer looking over the newest UNIT files. Gwen ignored his answer and set his cup by the computer. "Didn't you hear me….?"
"Just drink it," said Gwen. Jack gave her a look that was daring Gwen to step out of bounds from leader to subordinate, but picked up the coffee and drank the coffee. His eyes widened at the taste and he looked at the cup.
"Gwen, where did you get this coffee?" he asked still looking at the cup.
"Across the Plass," she said with a small smile.
"In a thermos?" Jack eyed the thermos still in her hand.
"Yep."
Jack put down his cup and jogged out of the Hub. Gwen followed out of his office with her own cup, a pleased smile on her face. Owen and Toshiko were looking up at her in surprise their cups in their hands.
"Gwen, what's going on," asked Toshiko.
"Who knows around here," said Gwen with a shrug.
"Where's Jack gone?" asked Owen.
"Second start to the right and straight on till morning," said Gwen with a smile.
"You're as cryptic as Jack," Owen said in irritation and Gwen chuckled.
"Not yet." And she took a sip of her coffee.
TORCHWOOD
Jack jogged out of the Hub onto the elevator and out of reception. Even through it would have taken the invisible lift Jack wasn't really thinking when he had taken that first sip of coffee. He knew the taste of the drink; ground coffee beans, with a dash of chocolate, nutmeg and mint. It was the same coffee had had been drinking everyday for the last five months. It was Ianto's own recipe.
Jack jogged up to the Plass and looked around. There were a couple of cafés around the Plass and people all around them, wearing either business or casual clothes. That was probably why Jack missed him the first once over. He wore a plain blue shirt, he always looked good in blue, and dark trousers. He was reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee and a Danish pastry in front of him untouched. He didn't even look up as Jack walked up to him.
"Not only am I not allowed in the Hub, but I'm not allowed in the Plass as well?" asked Ianto without looking up.
"What are you doing?" asked Jack almost in irritation.
"It's called having a cup of coffee," said Ianto setting the paper down and looking up at Jack. "Care to join?"
"I mean what are you doing with Gwen? She came in all happy and cheers with a thermos full of your coffee. Why is that?"
"Because I brewed it." Ianto looked up at Jack with stern look. It wasn't of anger or annoyance, but of Ianto making Jack know he was serious. "She visited me yesterday, we talked, met this morning after I brew the coffee. Am I not allowed to do that now?"
Jack looked taken aback. "No, it's just that…well…I'm just surprised you didn't do something stupid by now."
"I'm grieving, not suicidal," said Ianto. "I plan to live on a good many years."
Jack sighed, mainly in relief and to stop himself from smiling.
"I'm glad to hear it," said Jack, keeping his face straight. He was happy that Ianto had decided that living was better then joining his girlfriend in the afterlife.
Ianto never changed the look on his face. He was always good at this, keeping his emotions in check. It came in handy when you didn't want anyone to know what you were really feeling, and right then Ianto was showing Jack what he was feeling, nothing.
"I'm going to tell you the straight forward truth. I don't know where I stand with you or the others, but Lisa gave everything for Torchwood. I owe it to her to continue protecting the people of Earth. You can Retcon me if you want, but I will be back."
Jack's lips quirked into a smile. "And why do you say that?"
"I've hidden a diary that I've been writing in long before I joined Torchwood. I've written everything in it. About Torchwood, Lisa, you, everything. So if you do try to Retcon me, I'll find it and I'll remember."
"What if you can't find it?"
"Thought of that as well, I placed clues for me to help me find it, and trust me, I will."
Jack smiled wider and leaned onto the table. "You're smarter then your average archivist."
"You've forgotten, Jack. I wasn't always an archivist, and Torchwood doesn't hire dummies."
Jack nodded. "This is true," he said and sat down across from Ianto. A waitress came up and placed a cup of coffee in front of him along with a Danish pastry.
"Black coffee with cream double strong, double sweet," she said smiling flirtatiously at Jack. Jack smiled back gratefully and looked at Ianto.
"You knew I was coming?"
"I figured you'd come see me after you got your first cup of coffee," said Ianto. "And Gwen called me."
"That little two-timing dirty cop," said Jack in glad surprise.
"She's worried about you," said Ianto. "As is Tosh and Owen. From what I hear, things are quite messy."
"By messy you mean feeding Myfanwy, then yeah, it is. How do you feed her anyway? She won't stop flying long enough to toss the food to her."
"Have you given her fresh fish?" asked Ianto.
"Yes."
"Doused it with the barbeque sauce?"
"Duh."
"Let her out to stretch her wings?"
"Every night."
"Have you hummed to her?"
Jack gave Ianto a confused look. "Hum?"
"Archeologists believe that pteradons have acute audible sensory. To help them hear fish underwater. It seems to be true with Myfanwy. Humming, or even singing or talking, seems to calms her down."
"I'll have to try that." There was silence as both sipped their coffee, an uneasy feeling on what to do or say next. "Listen, Ianto, you know I asked Owen to do an autopsy on Lisa, right?"
"What have you got to say, Jack?" asked Ianto slightly irritated.
"When Owen finished the autopsy, I had him take a look at Lisa's brain. He made an interesting discovery. Lisa had no emotion inhibitor." Ianto looked at Jack in surprise.
"Emotion inhibitor?'" asked Ianto and Jack scrunched his face in thought.
"It's like this little chip in the human brain that inhibits all of a person's emotion. Lisa didn't have one. All the cybernetic programming was there, but she was feeling. It was Lisa, Ianto, and she did love you."
Ianto schooled his face blank as he looked down at his drink. To hear that Jack had not only killed but also had Owen do an autopsy on Lisa was hard to hear. Ianto felt like he was dirty and guilty for Lisa's death, to not even properly burry Lisa was a horrible thing, but when Jack said that Lisa had emotion through the whole ordeal it made Ianto both happy and sad. He knew Lisa had some emotion, she felt pain all the time, but that Lisa still loved him was a mystery to Ianto. Now he didn't know if Jack was telling him the truth or trying to make him feel better.
"Thank you for telling me," said Ianto getting up and began to walk down the street. Jack stood as Ianto left.
"Ianto, wait," called out Jack and Ianto stopped, but didn't turn around. "About Lisa, I really am sorry. I was only…"
"It's all right, sir. You did what you had to do." And Ianto walked down the walk. Jack watched him for a moment before calling out again.
"I expect you back tomorrow, early and properly dressed!"
Ianto just waved as he turned a corner.
Down below in the Hub, out of sight from her other two comrades, Gwen smiled as she shut down the CCTV for the Plass and gone back to the police reports.
END
-In the time of the "Doctor Who" episodes "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" to "Cyberwoman" is almost five months. If you don't believe me, check the airdate.