Welcome to Once Upon A Torchwood! Woohoo! Basically, I have so many random ideas floating around in my brain I wanted a place where they could all be kept together. The fics will have no reason or rhyme to them, and will not be in any sort of order. Just random-y goodness (I hope).
There will be spoilers for all series at some point, and I probably won't specify on the fics which spoilers are included. Ye be warned.
Reviews, as always, are vey much appreciated.
Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine. Actually, even that probably isn't entirely mine. There are only 7 stories in Hollywood and all that jazz (Or is it 8?)...
The mood in the Hub had been getting gradually worse all week.
There was nothing to do, and what had started off as a nice break had now turned into The Longest Week Ever. The weather was atrocious, even for Wales. It had been raining now for 96 hours solidly and it had gotten to the stage where people had given up with umbrellas as it was impossible to keep dry. The whole city felt depressed. Inside Torchwood, it was even worse.
Jack and Gwen kept snapping at each other, Jack and Gwen kept snapping at Ianto (who, incidentally, was the only one apparently not going mad), Gwen had started answering her phone with "What?" and, not surprisingly, the number of calls she received decreased as the week went on. This started a whole new episode about being even more bored, because now no-one wanted to speak to her. When Jack had suggested, very sarcastically, that it might be to do with the way she spoke to people, a new argument escalated.
Ianto, meanwhile, was trying his best not to succumb to the depressing mood which had taken over. He spoke politely to his team mates, even when they were less than courteous to him, carried out all his jobs without complaining, even when Jack gave him some of Tosh and Owen's left over paperwork to finish. However, he could feel his temper building up, and knew it was only a short space of time until he snapped at someone.
The aforementioned snapping took place on the Friday of The Longest Week Ever. Ianto had left the Hub early to go and see his sister, her husband and their daughter. He hadn't seen them in a month as work had claimed all of his spare time, and then some. He didn't tell the others where he was going; he didn't see why he needed to. It was his time and he could do what he liked with it.
Jack, however, was not used to Ianto leaving without telling him where he was going or taking him along. Therefore, he decided to be suspicious. Decided being the operative word. Jack was not and could not be naturally suspicious of Ianto; he trusted him implicitly. Nevertheless, the week had built up on Jack and he decided, in his pessimistic state, Ianto must be doing something suspicious.
This reasoning allowed Jack to think it was perfectly rational to follow Ianto after he had left the Hub.
He followed Ianto's car in the SUV through the unfamiliar roads and estates, through the rain, making up all kinds of theories in his head, each more far-fetched and ridiculous as the last. After a while, Ianto pulled up outside a house on a little cul-de-sac.
Jack waited for him to get out of his car.
Ianto eventually climbed out of his car, but instead of walking to any houses, he strode straight towards the SUV. Jack thought Ianto looked surprisingly calm.
As Ianto approached the car Jack got out.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked him, the calm look melted from Ianto's face,
"What am I doing? What are YOU doing? Following me and thinking I wouldn't notice? Look at the car you drive Jack, it's not exactly suitable for espionage."
"You didn't answer me, what are you doing here?" Jack was trying to remain composed, but he knew he was wrong.
"What right do you have to be suspicious of me? Maybe I was just trying to get away from yours and Gwen's incessant arguing."
He was raging mad now. The anger which had been building up had finally spilled over. They stood, soaking wet from the downpour glaring at each other. Jack didn't really know what he was glaring for, but he was wet now and in the wrong, so he was angry again.
"Ianto?" a voice said,"What are you standing out here for? It's chucking it down. Come inside."
A young woman, not yet 30, with dark curly hair was standing on a driveway holding a huge golf umbrella.
"Two seconds." He called back, not breaking eye-contact with Jack.
"Who's' that?" Jack asked, still glaring.
Ianto ignored his questioned, "I'm going inside now. You need to go." He turned and walked away, towards where his sister stood holding the umbrella. He never looked back at Jack.
----
On the drive back to the Hub, Jack was, once again, formulating ideas. Who she was, how Ianto knew her, how often he saw her. He ignored the voice in his head telling him he was being childish and ridiculous.
When he got back, he saw Gwen had already left. This was unusual since Tosh and Owen had died, she usually liked to say "goodnight", just in case they never saw each other again. But with the way the week had gone, it wasn't surprising.
When Ianto left his sister's house a few hours later he didn't know where to go. The angry part of him wanted to go home and forget about Jack completely, but the calmer side, which was now winning after being around his family, wanted to go and say sorry.
Jack himself was sat in the chair, in his office where he had been for the last 3 hours. His head was leaned back over the chair and his feet were on his desk. He desperately wanted to call Ianto but was certain the call would be ignored. He needed to apologise, when Jack thought about what he'd done, he felt a knot tighten in his stomach.
He heard his office door open and Jack quickly looked up, a motion that would've jarred any lesser mortal's neck.
Ianto walked in and sat on the edge of Jack's desk, not looking at him. He shifted some of the paperwork into a pile before looking at the older man.
Jack looked at him apprehensively. Ianto smiled back.
Jack then grabbed the Welshman's arms and pulled him onto his lap. Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder and sighed.
"I'm sorry if I was an idiot." Jack said,
"Yes, you were." Ianto replied, before adding, "She's my sister."
"What?" Jack sounded confused,
"The woman at the house? That's my sister, Rhiannon. I went to see her and my niece."
"Oh." Jack felt even more abashed now.
"Don't worry about it. You couldn't help being a tosser."
And for the first time since The Longest Week Ever had begun, Jack actually smiled.
Hmmm...This isn't my usual writing style. This story feels all strange. I quite like it though. I love a good confrontation in the rain.
Please review!!!