Tuesday, September 15, 2020
The impact was a sickly crunch. Jack Harkness opened his eyes with buzzing in his ears. The smell of blood filled the air. As his thoughts cleared, he remembered he was driving Ianto's car. Another vehicle impacted the bonnet on his side.
"Ianto?" He didn't like how weak he sounded.
Moments stretched. "Jack."
Jack reached for seat-belt and it barely released. He turned to check Ianto. The car must have hit something after the initial impact; the passenger side door was crushed. Ianto looked pale, his eyes pained. His left side was bloody. "Don't move." The other seat belt was stuck, Jack couldn't force it. The glove compartment opened easy enough. He grabbed a military surplus knife Ianto kept for emergencies and cut the seat-belt.
Jack removed his wrist-strap and placed it on Ianto. He hadn't tried a medical scan using the modifications future Torchwood made to the hub. With the strap flipped open, Jack said, "Torchwood Three medical scan."
"Urgent medical attention needed," the computer replied.
Jack realized he didn't have any idea how to get more details. He tapped his ear com. "Can anyone hear me? There was a car accident near the Red Dragon Centre. Ianto is hurt."
"I'm at the hub," Dmitri said. "What do you need?
"Where are we with Nanogenes?"
"John used his vial to replenish the emergency station. It's operational." From Dmitri's tone, it wasn't up to standards. Probably John's since Dmitri barely knew how it worked.
"Bring a stretcher to the lift. We're near the bowling alley." Jack looked around the car trying to decide the best way to get out. The doors weren't an option.
"How bad are you hurt?"
"I'll live," Jack emphasized. "Get the stretcher."
Jack used the hilt of the knife to crack the windscreen on the driver's side. After a couple minutes of trying to increase the crack, he hit the damaged section with shoulder. A few painful jolts later, and he was able to knock a hole in it with the side of his fist.
"Talk to me." Jack dislodged pieces of windscreen.
"I didn't get hit in the head."
"Humor me."
"Trefor wants a puppy. Russell needs more litter."
The largest remaining piece gave way. Jack climbed over the steering wheel onto the bonnet. He could hear emergency vehicles in the distance. The fire fighters would be able to rip a door off, but they'd insist on an ambulance. The A&E didn't have Nanogenes.
"Can you move?"
"I don't know."
"Check your legs. Are you trapped?"
Ianto groaned. "No. My leg might be broken."
"Ribs?"
"I don't think so. I'm bruised, but breathing doesn't hurt enough for cracked or broken."
"Both doors are impacted. It's the windscreen or waiting for a fire engine."
Using his right arm and leg, Ianto pulled himself up the best he could. "I need help."
Jack moved himself around planted his boots on the steering wheel and dragged Ianto over the dash board. "Hey."
Ianto groaned. "I'm not going to be able to walk."
"I didn't expect you to." Jack turned himself around and slid to the ground. "I have to turn you so I can lift you."
"Why can't Dmitri bring the stretcher?"
"We don't have one that fits on the lift. Dmitri would have to exit the hub through the tourist office or possibly the garage. It wouldn't fit in the van."
"Fuck. Luc customized drones for landing at Atmore. He can build a stretcher that can go up the lift."
"Another day. I have to flip you."
"Do it."
Jack turned him carefully. "How's your leg?"
"Still there." Ianto wiped at tears with his good hand.
"Put your arm over my shoulders."
He did.
"This is going to hurt."
"Do it."
Jack lifted Ianto as gently as possible. His leg was definitely broken above his ankle. Crossing the empty street behind the car and Red Dragon Centre was an effort in endurance. The pain was intense. He stepped over the curb heading for the Millennium Centre and the lift. He'd had much worse, he reminded himself, as he crossed Bute Pl and the highway tunnel.
The pain of walking was nothing compared to holding Ianto as the lift descended into the hub. A stretcher was not the only lift option they needed. A railing of some kind would have been good. Keeping his balance took more than he expected.
"You need to hear the police reports. They're saying your car was hit at least twice. The cops are wondering how anyone walked away from that crash," Dmitri said.
With a grimace, Jack moved over to the robotic stretcher. As he tucked Ianto in and carefully fastened the straps, he knew he was going to lose his balance. "You need to set his leg before using the Nanogenes to heal him."
"Any allergies to pain meds?"
"No," Ianto said weakly.
Dmitri gave him a shot. "It'll be quick."
"I need to rest for a moment." Jack knew his legs were going to give out.
Dmitri's expression said he understood. "Meet us in the infirmary when you've caught your breath."
"Weekend," Ianto said quietly as the medication kicked it.
Jack hit the floor as Dmitri guided the stretcher across the main area to the back hallway. They definitely needed a holiday. When the other car ran the light, they'd been arguing. Ianto wanted a few days off. With everything that happened, and what hadn't been resolved, Jack wanted to wait. The accident could have killed Ianto. If that wasn't a wake up call, Jack didn't know what was.
Friday, September 18, 2020
Despite the alien situation on their previous visit, Ianto Jones found the Roberts' bed-and-breakfast calming. Braith checked them before lunch and gave them the same suite as the last time. Just being back helped. The area had some connection to Lewella.
Jack set their luggage in the bedroom. He'd been oddly quiet during the drive. Something changed after the accident days earlier. They'd been arguing at the time, and hadn't really discussed anything since. Ianto wondered if Jack blamed himself for the accident.
"The weather's nice. We could eat outside. There is at least one bench in the back."
Jack nodded.
Ianto hesitated. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"The accident wasn't your fault." Ianto moved over to him. The awkwardness was frustrating.
"I know." Jack pulled him into a hug. "I was taking you for granted again."
Ianto pressed his face to Jack's shoulder and hugged.
"I have a long list of excuses. After the island explosion, and finding out Kylia went home, I should have found the time." Jack kissed the top of his head.
"We're here now."
Sitting outside felt good even if the awkwardness hadn't left completely. They ate in silence. A family with teenage kids headed into the trees for a hike. An elderly couple stepped from the woods and headed for the kitchen.
"I've been thinking about volunteering." Ianto missed Kylia. "Between school and Gwen's effort to spend more time with her family, I'm seeing Anwen and Trefor less and less."
Jack set a hand on Ianto's knee. "Where?"
"A homeless shelter. Rhiannon suggested it while we were talking about Trefor attending Davies Daycare. The shelter needs someone to redo their records-keeping."
"More time in an office?" Jack sounded confused.
Ianto nodded. "I need something that isn't Torchwood."
Jack squeezed his knee.
"You're not Torchwood." Ianto set his hand on Jack's. "Our job is dealing with the worst parts of life. We don't get a call unless it's bad. Someone or something is dead, dying or needs to be. There are no happy endings. If we do our job, than a city or a country or the world is still there at the end of the day."
"We have each other no matter how bad it gets."
Ianto had his doubts. He didn't doubt Jack loved him. The latest conflict involving Gwen was a symptom of a larger problem. Jack didn't believe in commitments. He'd been married early in the time he spent on Earth. But he'd left Angelo, although from Jack's description the relationship wasn't healthy. He left Estelle who still loved him decades later. If Gwen hadn't wanted a commitment years ago, Jack would have been with her instead. Jack's determination to maintain their relationship was survivor's guilt. The accident motivated Jack to take the vacation. What happened with the 456 resulted in Jack's change-of-heart. Sooner or later, he would move on.
Jack set his sandwich aside. "I love you." He reached for Ianto and pulled him into a kiss. "I'm not leaving you."
Ianto didn't know how to say it. "I love you. But I also know you." Ianto sighed. "When Kailen was demanding a wedding, I understood. It started after his father died. The pain and insecurity led him to demand proof that Aman loved him." Jack tensed. "A piece of paper won't solve anything. I need you to convince me that this isn't guilt. That I'm not a placeholder because Gwen got Rhys back."
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Jack Harkness woke as the first rays of sunlight filtered in the bedroom window. Ianto slept soundly. Sometime during the night he'd draped an arm over Jack's chest. A good sign, Jack hoped, lightly running his finger tips down Ianto's arm.
The previous afternoon had been painful. They quietly walked hand-in-hand around the building and down an easy trail. It wasn't the lack of words that hurt. Ianto wasn't talkative. It was the lack of understanding. Jack had no doubt they loved each other. Or that they could overcome anything. Impulsively kissing Gwen was nothing more than adrenaline and the fear he could die. Knowing it and proving it were two different things.
The puzzle haunted him. Before Ianto's return, it had been a long time since he had a stable relationship and even longer since it involved a commitment. He'd argued more than once that his immortality made it impossible. Each time, he believed it. There were numerous obstacles. Most didn't apply currently. Ianto knew who and what he was. He didn't ask questions that Jack couldn't or wouldn't answer.
"Morning," Ianto mumbled.
"Go back to sleep."
"If you want me to sleep, why are you touching me?"
"You were half on top of me. I couldn't resist."
Ianto shifted, resting his head on Jack's shoulder. "I was dreaming of a big, tropical bird. It looked like a cross between a vulture and a phoenix."
Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulder and with his free hand twined his fingers with Ianto's. "What was it doing?"
"The samba, I think."
"A pretty vulture doing ballroom dancing. Political nightmare?"
"Your fault." Ianto looked up. "Making me talk to government officials."
"I'll make it up to you."
"Promises, promises."
Jack released Ianto's hand and and ran his down Ianto's arm. "What do you have in mind?"
Ianto leaned up and kissed him.
They were late for breakfast. Jack knew better than to think a morning in bed meant anything changed. Intimacy had never been one of their problems. Braith showed them to a table with a couple in their sixties. The center piece was a bouquet of roses wrapped in a ribbon declaring Happy Anniversary.
"Congratulations," Jack said as he and Ianto sat across from them. "How many years?"
The wife beamed. "Thirty-five."
Jack set his hand on Ianto's knee. "That's wonderful."
"How long have you been together?" the husband asked.
"We reconnected around Midsummer last year."
"How wonderful. We didn't get our act together the first time around either." She took her husband's hand. "I was enamored by the manager of my father's business."
"She finally came to her senses."
She elbowed him. "Peggy Carraway. The clown is Fitzpatrick."
"Pat," he corrected.
"Jack Harkness. Ianto Jones."
"Sounds Welsh," he said. "You're local?"
"Forgive him. Too many years in the army."
"We live in Cardiff," Ianto said.
"A lovely city."
Pat made a noise in the back of his throat, obviously disagreeing.
"It is," Peggy insisted. "Since he retired, we've volunteered with aid organizations. Red Cross. Church missions. We've seen some ugly cities."
Breakfast went well. Peggy chatted. Pat grumbled. From the looks they gave each other, they were still very much in love. After they'd eaten, Peggy excused herself. Pat waited until she'd left the dinning room.
"Are you here on vacation, Captain Harkness? Or is there something I should worry about."
He shouldn't have been surprised Pat recognized him. The clothing tended to give him away. "Vacation."
Pat was still suspicious but he grabbed the flowers and followed after Peggy.
Ianto smiled. "I can't take you anywhere."
Ianto Jones stood at a window overlooking the backyard. Something at the back of his mind flickered. He wasn't sure if it was intuition or one more quirk. Jealousy, anxiety, paranoia and control issues were bad enough. Questioning his own judgment had long gotten old.
The door opened, and Ianto turned from the window. Jack stepped in their suite pushing an old cabinet with wheels. There was a wooden box of some kind. Ianto could only guess it was a record player.
"Do I want to ask?"
Jack smiled. "I asked Braith for a CD player. She had something better."
"What kind of music?" Ianto crossed the room.
"A lot." Jack opened the cabinet. "Nat King Cole?"
"You're trying to be romantic?"
Jack selected a record. "Trying?"
Ianto laughed. "Do you know how the player works?"
"Ha ha." Jack carefully placed the record on the turntable.
"The washing machine is afraid of you."
Jack switched it on and set the stylist on the edge of the record. Music filled the room.
"Dance with me."
Jack held out his hand. Cheek to cheek, they held each other and swayed slowly. Each record played a few minutes. Jack changed them one at a time, replacing the previous one in its album cover.
"A CD player is less effort." Ianto once again pressing his cheek to Jack's.
"The effort is part of the fun."
Whatever could be said about Jack, Ianto thought, he was fun. Fun and exciting and ridiculous. Ianto knew more than one record could be set on the player at a time. When one finished playing, the next would drop. Jack intentionally made a production out of it.
Ianto suddenly tensed at the flickering in the back of his mind was intensifying. Something happened. It reminded him of the alien situation the last trip. "We need to get everyone inside."
Jack stopped suddenly. "Why?"
"We're needed in the backyard."
Ianto looked around the yard as the sensation continued to increase. He crouched down and touched the grass with his hand. A jolt of fear coursed through him. It felt familiar somehow. With any new Lewella situation, he had no idea what it meant. Unlike a Rift ability, his connection turned on and off for no apparent reason. The only consistencies seemed to be an affinity for cats and warnings involving owls.
"Jack." Ianto stood. "My spirit marks don't ache." He explained about the fear.
"Someone needs help?"
"I think I know the person."
"What's wrong?" Braith crossed the yard with the alien she abducted. He was short and stocky with a bone exoskeleton and tusks. He sniffed the air.
Jack looked from the alien to Braith. "Can he tell us?"
"I don't know." She tapped the alien's arm. When he looked at her, she used sign language.
"I think he's talking about Peggy Carraway. Her and Pat went hiking after breakfast."
The alien reached out for Braith's hand. He tapped his nose and pointed the vein on the inside of her wrist.
"Blood." Jack asked. "Can you ask him where?"
"Sorta." Braith signed.
The alien signed back.
Braith translated. "The trail in the back passed the big tree. If he was talking about Peggy, Pat's hurt."
"Stay here." Jack jogged to the beginning of the trail and disappeared into the trees.
"Have there been anymore problems?"
"I don't think so. No one's been hurt. But he drew a map of the area. He's learned symbols and a few words. He marked areas as dangerous. I've seen hunters in the areas he marked."
"Aliens?"
"Not that I know of. There was an incident with a couple of local teens. They were drunk and possibly stoned. They said Sid, Price's cousin on his mother's side, was hunting aliens with a man wearing futuristic body armor." She held out her hands. "If I called Torchwood with ever stupid story, you'd have to move in. We're a small town and people are bored. They tell stories."
Price Howell was in charge of local law enforcement. Ianto didn't remember being suspicious. But he had readily accepted the idea of aliens and didn't object to the one that stayed.
"Need help!" Jack called.
Ianto hurried to the tree line. Jack and Peggy had Pat between them. Peggy was bruised and looked like she might fall.
"Help her. I have Pat."
She didn't want to let go of her husband. Ianto couldn't blame her. He got upset when Jack was hurt and Jack regenerated.
"He took down a man half his age." Peggy stumbled.
"You're safe now."
Ianto caught her around the waist as her legs gave out and lowered her to the grass. Although the circumstances were different, it reminded him of the car accident. The nanogenes were why he wasn't in the hospital. And Jack. Jack carried him for blocks and down the lift. Ianto wondered how he managed it. Seeing Peggy after she'd half dragged Pat an unknown distance, he figured adrenaline and determination.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"We were just hiking. We saw a man with a cage. He looked like a poacher. Pat said we had to get out of there." She wiped at the tears. "The other man tried sneaking up on us. Pat served twenty years in the army. The other man saw old people and thought we were easy targets."
Jack Harkness sorted the equipment on one of the tables in the dining room. After the last weekend there, they had a new policy on equipment. No one went anywhere without basics. They even carried portal devices. He wasn't taken any chances. The 456 taught him a lessen. Having Ianto back was a miracle. One he was taking for granted again.
"You're staying here," Jack said as Ianto approached the table.
"I'm protected."
Jack took a moment to compose himself. "You weren't protected from that car accident. That didn't involve a hunter." Jack exhaled. "Those movies. Alien vs. Predator. The Predators release aliens and hunt them. That shit actually happens. Wealthy people pay to hunt. It would explain how the aliens got here and why. I would bet that one of the creatures when we were here last time disrupted a hunt. Maybe they underestimated Braith's alien. One of the customers could have wanted a sentient target."
"Jack."
"No." Jack interrupted. "You're not going." He turned. "I can't prove it's not guilt. Or that I love you more than Gwen. There is no way to prove that. But you're not going out there. This has nothing to do with Lewella. If this guy is what I think he is, I'm walking into a horror movie." Pause. "If something goes wrong, you need to call John. He can coordinate with the general and bring in Miriam. John will know he's dealing with."
"Should you wait?"
"No. "
Ianto set a hand on his shoulder. "The car accident was not your fault."
Jack took Ianto's hand. "When I saw Pat out there, all I could think about was what you looked like after that accident. The accident wasn't my fault. Bringing you with me to track a professional alien hunter would be my fault."
Ianto Jones brought the record player down to the dining room. It gave him something to do. With an unknown situation, and a possible connection to local law enforcement, he couldn't even call ambulances for the Carraways. Instead Braith and her grandchildren patched them up the best they could. The mood wasn't good. Ianto played music in hopes of calming nerves.
He focused on good memories. Daylight faded and Ianto wondered how long he should wait before calling in reinforcements. Jack had been a solider both on Earth and off. He'd dealt with unimaginable threats. But if he was worried enough to say what to do if something went wrong, the situation was bad.
Hours passed before Jack returned. His clothes were filthy and torn.
"John portaled in. He's handling clean-up. Ambulances are en route for the Carraways."
Ianto hugged him. "The hunter?"
"An alien hunter. John's been off-world more recently than I have. He'll figure it out."
From Jack's tone, he was struggling with something. Most likely passing off the situation to John. "Let's go back upstairs."
Ianto followed. Jack obviously had something on his mind. He said nothing as they took the stairs to the third floor.
"I'm not perfect." Jack said after Ianto closed the door. "I flirt. I have commitment issues. My past relationships will always be a problem. Gwen will always be a part of my life." Jack turned to face Ianto. "It's who I am. It's who I've always been." Jack held out his hands.
Ianto walked over to him unsure where his speech was going.
"I love you." Jack took his hands. "I can't promise what Peggy and Pat have. Torchwood makes it difficult to maintain a relationship. Emergencies are never convenient. It doesn't matter how much we need time off, Torchwood will always be the priority." He twined his fingers with Ianto's. "I'm not leaving you. Not for Gwen or anyone else. But I can't prove it. I can give you my word. I can cite examples. But there is nothing I can say or do to prove I love you." Jack leaned in and kissed him.