A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed so far - and such encouraging comments too! You can't believe how pleased I am to hear those ;) Now, for the eagerly awaited entrance of our leading man... enjoy!
2. Better Butler: Sorting Hat Song (Harry Potter) (don't laugh, I'm a nerd! haha.)
3. Jones, Ianto Jones: I Know Him So Well (Chess) (listen to John Barrowman's version, beautiful!)
SCENE TWO:
[A big, spacious underground headquarters. This is the Torchwood Hub. To one side (right), there is the bottom of the Invisible Lift, with a small pool of water around it like a moat. In the middle, there is a spirally contraption which is the Rift Machine. To the other side (left) there is a cogwheel door, with a siren (which is silent right now) on top. Scattered around are a few desks with monitors flashing. There is also an autopsy room off to one side, the domain of OWEN. There is a spiral staircase which leads to an upper level. Here, we find JACK's office to the right, and the board-meeting room to the left. We hear a scuffle, and then the siren on the cogwheel door goes off – and the team enter the Hub.)
JACK: Owen, make sure you get that fish down the vaults before he wakes up – that species has a frankly unfair high tolerance for drugs. Gwen, tell the police that we've dealt with it, and make sure any witnesses are taken care of. Tosh, make records of the Rift Activity, and can you write up a report for it?
(They all set to following JACK's orders, looking professional, important – and at home. JACK sweeps past them and starts to make his way up the spiral staircase, but stops a few steps up.)
Ianto!
(Silence. JACK taps his comms-link earpiece.)
Ianto, you there?
(More silence. JACK leans against the staircase railing.)
Ianto... I need to hear those beautiful Welsh vowels.
(A slight crackling sound can be heard, before a voice speaks, through JACK's comms-link.)
IANTO: Sir? Sorry, I was in the middle of filing last week's Weevil's reports, left my earpiece on my desk. Was there something you wanted?
JACK: Oh, there are many things I want, Ianto... but right now? Would you work some coffee magic?
(Another crackle of static before a reply.)
IANTO: I'll be right up.
(JACK nods satisfactorily to himself and makes the rest of the way up the staircase and settles down at his desk – not working, but just sitting with his hands crossed behind his head, looking thoughtful. The Hub is silent. OWEN emerges from offstage and heads to his autopsy room. Then, after a few more moments, IANTO appears from offstage. He wears an immaculate three piece suit and tie, looking the picture of professionalism.)
OWEN: Oi, Teaboy! Have you fed the Weevils down in the vaults yet? They're bloody restless!
GWEN: Hey, Ianto, do we have the species: 'Blowfish' added into the Species Database yet?
TOSH: I'll email you this report for the Archives as soon as I'm done, okay Ianto?
(IANTO nods in acknowledgement of all of these requests, but continues walking over to a small kitchenette near the front of the stage.)
ALL (except JACK): Oh, and we could murder a cup of coffee!
['Better Butler']
(IANTO starts up coffee machine, gathers mugs, etc, looking altogether skilful and graceful.)
IANTO: [sings]
Oh, you may merely think I'm pretty
But don't judge on just the suit
I'll switch to decaf if you can find
A better butler to recruit!
You can keep your espressos black
Your lattes skim and tall
For I am King of Coffee
And I can froth them all!
There's nothing hidden in the Archives
That I cannot find
And somehow I know everything
Although it blows your mind!
['Jones, Ianto Jones']
(Previous verses have been upbeat, but now music slows, and IANTO pours coffee into four mugs, puts them on a tray to carry them on.)
IANTO: [sings]
I'm Jones, Ianto Jones, and I am all of this
Serving Torchwood, keeping them in line
But working here, day after day, it gets
So much, oh far too much, for this heart of mine
Before my days at Torchwood, I was a drifter
Temporary jobs and one night stands
Sometimes it feels like it was all a dream
Slipping through like sand between my hands
Wouldn't it be...?
Couldn't it be...?
How I would love to
Live meaningfully
But in the end it seems
A little bit more than me
More than I could be
I could do so well!
(IANTO begins distributing coffee, starting with TOSH, then GWEN, then OWEN, moving around the Hub in a logical order. ALL do not acknowledge him with more than a nod or small dismissive smile.)
No one in your life can see you purely
No one even fully dares to try
And though I do my best to make them see
They still take me for granted, don't know why
(IANTO has only JACK's coffee left to deliver – he starts walking up the spiral staircase.)
Looking back, I could have done things differently
Stopped hiding my skills and set them free
But I was ever so much younger then
Now at least, I know I could do well
(IANTO stops halfway up the spiral staircase, gazing hopefully over the Hub.)
Wouldn't I be...?
Couldn't I be...?
How I would love to
Be fully free
Can't they all see
How it could be
If they gave me a glance
Why, why won't they give me a chance?
Why don't they see?
(IANTO starts up the staircase again, and arrives outside JACK's door.)
But in the end it seems
A little bit more than me
More than I could be
I could do so well!
(Music fades away. After a few moments, IANTO knocks on JACK's office door.)
JACK: Yeah?
IANTO: Your coffee, sir.
JACK: Ah! Of course, come in.
(IANTO enters JACK's office, and places the coffee mug on the desk, takes a step back with his hands resting respectfully at his sides. JACK takes a sip of the coffee and makes an appreciative moan.)
Now I remember why I hired you, Jones!
IANTO: Yes, sir.
JACK: Well. That – and you look good in a suit.
IANTO: Careful! That's harassment, sir.
(With a hint of playfulness in his tone.)
JACK: Maybe you should let the boss know how you feel about that.
(JACK winks suggestively, settling back into a relaxed position in his chair, cradling the coffee mug in his hands. IANTO blushes, clears his throat ever so quietly, and neatly folds his hands behind his back.)
IANTO: Was there anything else you needed, sir?
(IANTO's tone is carefully neutral. JACK contemplates IANTO for a few moments. Takes another sip of coffee. Lets out a long breath and puts his mug back on the desk.)
JACK: No. You can go and tidy up the Blowfish's file, no doubt Tosh will have written that report by now, and make sure we update the Species Database. And then – you can attend to your usual duties, rift permitting.
IANTO: Yes, sir.
(IANTO gives a short nod and moves towards the door, and leaves. JACK watches IANTO as he leaves, but then blinks and sits up straighter, and gets to work. IANTO walks down the staircase, pausing at the bottom. Music picks back up for final lines.)
[sings]
Wouldn't it be...?
Couldn't it be...?
How I would love to
Live meaningfully
But in the end it seems
A little bit more than me
More than I could be
I could do so well!
It will take time to understand me
But I could do so well!
(With that, IANTO walks off stage.)
Next up: the plot thickens with an appearance by a certain 'love interest'... ;) And seeing as the scenes are relatively short, the updates should be more frequent than my usual updates :) Let me know what you thought!