So sorry for the long delay - family illness has resulted in a major lifestyle change into a 24/7 caregiver and my time has not been my own. This is the first part of the Unseen Verse version of Countrycide. As always, love to know what you think and I still own nothing.

While Ianto had to admit the reaction Owen had to the word "camping" was spectacular it was nowhere near as entertaining as Gwen's. She literally stomped her foot and screeched about the entire idea, telling Owen in a rather loud voice (to be sure Jack heard of course) that the idea of being trapped with him - said with a sneer - wasn't high on her list of fun things to do. Tosh, who had approached Jack with a direct apology for doubting him and a promise to always think about the situation and his reasoning before behaving in such a manner again, ended up seeking out Ianto in the archives to get away from the loud whingeing and moaning coming from both the ex-constable and the medic. She was quite shocked though to find Jack already happily settled there as they had thought him to be avoiding the confrontation by hiding in his office and instead here he was, sprawled in a battered leather armchair watching Ianto work.

"Still at it?" Ianto asked, grinning when she flopped none too gently on the arm of the chair and leaned on Jack's shoulder. "I have all the gear together but I don't want to load the SUV until they either get it out of their system or leave so I don't have to listen. I still have to go and pick up the food though, but I'll do that when I leave so we can get out of here first thing in the morning."

"No suits, remember," Jack told him with a leer, causing Tosh to giggle.

"I ruin enough of them without willingly taking them camping, Jack." Ianto sat back and peeled off the thin cotton gloves he had been wearing while he carefully handled the old, yellow papers from the early files. He was using an alien scanner to add them to the electronic database and while it was time consuming the information they contained was so valuable it wouldn't be lost. He loved this part of the job, the discovery of things long forgotten, and the fact that every once in a while he came upon something that added to the complicated and sometimes horrific story that was indeed Jack's life at Torchwood was a huge bonus. Even if the information wasn't happy or pretty it was a part of the amazing man who was becoming such a huge part of Ianto's life. He smiled at the look on Jack's face - he seemed to be trying to leer and pout at the same time - before focusing his attention on Tosh. "Care to run away with me?"

"Hey! No running away with anyone that isn't me, Mister Jones!" Jack scowled when Tosh giggled. "We can take Tosh as well but you go nowhere without me!"

"Possessive much?" Ianto muttered, taking the sting from the words with a wink.

"To the point where I am willing to take whatever measures needed to make sure you have no choice but to take me along and that includes ropes, handcuffs and several alien devices as needed."

Tosh couldn't help the snorted laughter that burst from her when Ianto went bright red. "Some decorum there, Captain Harkness, sir!"

Jack leapt to his feet and in two fast strides was behind the archivist, leaning over his shoulder to purr into his ear. "When it comes to you, my gorgeous Welshman, allowing you to remain clothed is pretty much all the decorum I can offer."

Into turned his head just enough to let his nose brush Jack's cheek. "I suppose I should be grateful for whatever small favors I can incur then."

Whatever Jack might have said was cut off by the alert that sounded from his wrist strap and Ianto's computer, a quick check showing a Weevil running loose near the castle. Tosh watched Jack and Ianto leave with a soft smile on her face, Jack completely ignoring Ianto's moans of having work that needed to be done and running off to hunt Weevils was not part of said tasks.

-TW-

Apparently some people were still a bit miffed over things when they left for the Brecon Beacons the next morning. Jack seemed fine with it though; he simply used the time to torment and leer at Ianto. He had been rendered speechless (Tosh had saved the CCTV footage of the moment) when Ianto walked into the Hub without his normal attire. The jeans were tight but not overly so, leaving just enough to the imagination - and Jack certainly had one of those - but at the same time they conformed to his body well enough to bring forth some rather indecent ideas. Even Tosh had whistled, laughing when Ianto blushed. Jack, never that subtle, had stalked over to the archivist and circled him, eyeing him from every possible angle, before wrapping his arm round him from behind and breathing heavily into his ear. Ianto had struggled but he was laughing, finally escaping when Jack tried to turn him in his arms. Ianto fled to the garage, shouting for Tosh to come and help him as he loaded the SUV. Once finished he made coffee, filling a travel mug that he seemed to brought with him for each of them. Only then did they pile into the SUV and head off, accompanied by the running litany of complaints from Owen. Owen had climbed into the front passenger seat and refused to move, leaving Gwen to sit behind him with Ianto in the center and Tosh behind Jack. While not exactly the most comfortable ride he had ever endured, Ianto was glad to have Tosh beside him and to be seated where he could once in a while catch Jack's eyes in the mirror. Owen, however, continued to moan and complain about the whole idea of camping.

"Who goes camping? Who actually makes a choice to spend nights out in the middle of fucking nowhere? Whatever possessed you to do this, Harkness? And what is that smell?"

"Oh come on, Owen! Celebrate your uniqueness! No other species that I know of goes camping!"

"And that smell would be grass," Ianto said, rolling his eyes at Tosh.

"I don't give a fuck what other species do or even what the rest of mine does. And it stinks."

"Sheep seem to like it."

"Cows too."

"And horses."

Owen turned his head to glare at Jack and then twisted in his seat to scowl at Tosh and Ianto. "Funny. Really. And it's disgusting." He turned back and stared ahead.

"Did you ever hear of a race called Gitisengowlishen, Jack?"

Jack shook his head, catching Ianto's eyes in the mirror. "No, can't say I have."

"Ah. Well, remind me to show you the file that came over with the rest of the things salvaged from One. A ship crashed in the early 1900s outside of London. When it was first investigated they couldn't get past the first third of the ship because the remaining parts had been sealed and they couldn't get the seals open. The pilot was a little smaller than an average human male so they figured the rest of the species was the same. It took them several months before they were able to break though the first seal and when they did they found what they thought were tents of some kind. They had no other explanation for what they could have been, at least not until they finally breached the rear of the ship."

Once again Jack caught Ianto's eye and the quick wink nearly made him sporfle. Biting the inside of his cheek, he nodded. "Wow, never heard about this. So what did they find?"

"I guess he was someone important because of the luxury he was traveling in but the impact still killed him. It was when they uncovered him they found what had been thought to be tents were actually a sort of sling."

"A sling? For what?" Gwen was staring at him, her eyes wider than normal.

"Well, they, or at least some of them, have these massive bollocks," Ianto said, his face still holding the bland expression in spite of the fact that he could see Jack's eyebrows had nearly hit his hairline in the reflection in the mirror. "Trapped partway under him were two more of the same type as the pilot. After looking over everything on the ship it was determined that they were slaves of a sort."

"Slaves? That's disgusting!" Gwen snapped.

"Well, I can't say because enough of their culture isn't known but for them it might be a very high honor to be chosen as a ball bearer."

Tosh and Jack both burst out laughing. Gwen gaped at him like a confused fish. Owen snorted and muttered under his breath.

Ianto grinned when he caught the wink from Jack. Tension was still high with Gwen and Owen and anything he could do to make things a bit easier on the captain that was within his power he would do. Tosh, who had admitted letting Owen's anger influence her (one day she would learn that while he had his moments for the most part Owen enjoyed being an obnoxious twat and a complete and utter prat), was of the same opinion Ianto was and besides, she was enjoying seeing the developing relationship between the two men. She tucked herself against Ianto's side and closed her eyes when his arm went round her, tuning out the once again steady litany of complaints from Owen and Gwen's not so subtle sighs that accompanied him.

"So why is it so important to come all the way out here for this?" Owen asked, cutting his eyes toward Jack. "What gives you the idea this has anything to do with us?"

Jack shrugged, glancing over at Owen. "We need to see if the Rift is beginning to have effect that far out. I don't know for sure but what's the harm in checking? A few nights in the tents, some deep and meaningful conversations round the fire and we'll have the team bonded to a whole new level. We can even vote on an orgy if you'd like!"

"Pity we couldn't vote on letting that...ow!" Owen turned in his seat to glare at Ianto who had just smartly slapped the back of his head. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Just a reminder that not only is the future of your coffee consumption in my hands but if you want any kind of help in making sure you don't spend the night in a collapsed pile of cloth exposed to every element there is you had best either be quiet and keep your remarks to yourself or use the time to admit that while things did not go as you would have liked you have somehow figured out there was no other choice."

"Tell your guard dog to fuck off, Harkness," Owen spat.

"Owen, don't bother," Gwen snapped, "you know he's going to go along with anything he's told. It's pathetic, really."

Jack glanced up and caught Ianto's eye in the mirror. He flicked his gaze downward, Ianto's following and seeing Jack mime hitting the brakes with his foot. He was still pressing the accelerator with the other and had not actually touched the pedal but the intent was clear and Ianto gave a stretch, sliding his arm in front of Tosh and bracing her just as Jack slammed on the brakes. The SUV fish-tailed, tires screaming in the silence of the early morning as the mechanical beast slid and shuddered to a halt, Gwen's scream and Owen's panicked shout ringing throughout the interior. As soon as the vehicle was at a standstill Jack unlocked his seat belt and flung open his door, jumping out and striding round the hood to the passenger door. He had the door open before Owen had stopped yelling and the hand he twisted in Owen's shirt made the man stop cold.

"You tell me what else I could have done! Either one of you, tell me right now how things could have gone differently without causing a backlash that not only would have cost more lives but may well even have ended the lives of everyone on this planet! You tell me why, if you both know so much more than me, why you are not running Torchwood? How long have you been working with the organization? Do you have any idea how to speak Galactic Standard? Do you know what species feel physical contact is a declaration of war? Do you know anything other than your self-righteous version of morality?" He was right in Owen's face, darting angry looks between the medic and a very wide-eyed Gwen in the seat behind Owen. "I am finished with this! The attitude, the snide comments and the belief that you know better than I do stops right now or you can get out of this vehicle and look forward to forgetting everything you ever thought you know about Torchwood!" Jack let go of Owen's shirt and stepped back before slamming the door so hard the SUV rocked on its springs. Storming back round he climbed in, shutting his own door with a tad less violence before putting the Range Rover in gear and pulling back onto the road.