Part 4
Ianto looked exhausted. Jack knew he had spent all day cleaning up around the Hub. He didn't say anything because he suspected that the little penguin needed to feel useful. He watched now from the boardroom as Ianto wearily hopped up the steps and wandered into his office and around his desk for perhaps the twentieth time that day. He had seen him earlier crossing the Hub floor with some small sticks in his mouth which had obviously dropped from Myfanwy's nest, then later with a stray feather that someone had tracked in on a boot, followed by what he suspected was some of Myfanwy's dung. He was truly a penguin on a mission.
Ianto emerged once more from the office, he seemed restless, he made his way warily over to a pillar and stood still as stone, his little beady eyes looking calculating. Shifting his gaze around Jack tried to see what had peeked Ianto's interest. Everything looked normal. He knew Owen was in autopsy, Tosh was tapping away at her keyboard monitoring rift activity and Gwen was, well doing whatever Gwen did when she wasn't shouting at him. Jack looked again, yep, Ianto was definitely staring at Gwen. Curious and curiouser, the little penguin was definitely up to something. He watched as the little head peeked out from behind the pillar and then snap back as if he had been burned. Gwen had looked in his direction. He saw Ianto tap his foot impatiently and look again. It was as if he wanted Gwen to leave the area. Well what Ianto wanted, Jack would make sure he got.
"Gwen, I'm sorry for asking, is there any chance you could get me a coffee, I'm in the middle of something and can't leave" he asked over the headset, he knew she would bitch but he was curious to see what Ianto was up to. Gwen shot a daggered look in his direction, but answered,
"Sure Jack" He quickly hid the fresh cup of coffee he had on his desk and watched as she walked towards the kitchen grumbling to herself.
He say Ianto tense, look swiftly around then dart with astonishing speed towards Gwen's station. Most of it was a blur, one second Ianto was standing still, next he was buried in Gwen's bag rummaging like his life depended on it. He flipped upright, looked furtively around and darted to Jacks office, a look of utter triumph on his face.
Jack was right, Gwen had bitched, but he didn't care, Ianto had looked happy and in Jacks world that's all that mattered.
He finished up the last of his conference calls. Ianto's behaviour still bothered him. Logging onto to the Internet he called up penguin behaviour. After scrolling through a couple of articles he found what he was looking for. He read it slowly, then, shaking his head he read it again, a huge grin spreading across his face. He felt elated and if truth be told proud. Standing up, he switched off his computer and made his way to his office. Rounding his desk he found Ianto, all 25 inches of him, standing beside a somewhat haphazardly constructed nest, with his chest puffed out, his flippers and head in an upright position, holding Gwen, his apparent love rival's, captured mobile phone charm in his beak.
"So decided to formally court me have you? " Jack asked.