Jack waited patiently for her to start, he wasn't going to help her. He had heard from Owen about what he and Ianto had done and Gwen's reaction to it. That was partly why he had gone to find Ianto this afternoon, he felt the courage it must have taken and was deeply grateful, if a little freaked out.
The French window creaked open behind them and Tosh peeped out "Sorry, I thought you would need to know I've tracked down Jen grimes. Ianto was right, she did work at Torchwood 1."
Jack leapt up, "OK, lets, um, lets tell the others, and plan our next steps." He walked into the lounge and yelled for Ianto and Owen.
Gwen followed, sighing. Bloody Torchwood, normality just didn't exist for them. She suddenly had a longing for Rhys, his spag bol and a chilled glass of Chardonnay.
Jack had noticed earlier that Ianto was back in his suit, polished shoes, sideburns neatly trimmed. Ianto had retreated into his butler persona. Now he looked tired and pale in the artificial light. Jack had heard Griffiths shouting earlier, he suspected Ianto had caught the brunt of it.
Owen was being Owen, fiddling with a bottle opener he had found, throwing it up into the air and catching it, for all the world as if he had no interest in what was about to be said.
Tosh had that sweet excited look she had when she had made a discovery, or Jack had noted, right before she shot something. He knew if he stood near her he would almost feel her blood fizzing.
Gwen, well Gwen just looked fed up. Jack could appreciate that, he was very very tired, and his tooth ached.
"OK, Tosh, tell us what you've found."
"Jennifer Grimes, aged forty, is a trained veterinary nurse. She was employed at Torchwood one, in containment which as we all know is doublespeak for Alien Zoo. She was listed amongst the dead, but appears to have turned up here. I've compared her local ID with her Torchwood ID, and she is the same person."
"Can we locate her Tosh?" asked Jack.
Tosh nodded, eyes wide, "Not just that, but I even have pictures!" she tapped on her keyboard and an aerial view of the forest appeared on the screen. She zoomed in on a clearing in the forest, in the centre was a small farmhouse and several outhouses and barns. "And if I do this" she tapped again, and the picture changed to artificial colours, shapes merging and changing, "We can see that there are live beings in the barns, but no one in the house. The brighter red the more likely to be an animal. It's heat signals."
"Well done Tosh, is there anyway to work out if any of those are aliens?" asked Jack.
"Not really, a few of the beings are hotter than earth animals usually are, but we don't know if there are heaters in the barns."
"Well I think we need to get out there and have a look" said Jack.
"It will be difficult Jack" said Tosh. "I've done a satellite recce of the land, there's only one track in or out. Otherwise you'll have to go through the forest, and it's some of the most dense and ancient, lots of mine entrances"
"So we go subtle. You and Gwen can go tomorrow morning and make enquiries. I think we're all tired, so lets rest up tonight and get going in the morning," said Jack. He rubbed his jaw, damn his tooth ached.
After Dinner Jack found Ianto sitting on the steps over looking the lawn where Gwen had talked to him earlier. Ianto saw him and put his finger to his lips, making room for Jack to sit. Ianto pointed to the end of he lawn. In the moonlight a striped black and white face poked about at the roots of the trees, it's roly-poly behind in the air as, as it waddled along. It dug with its claws uncovering a worm which it snuffled down, before disappearing back into the trees. "I swear badgers are really aliens, just never worked out where from," said Jack. Ianto grinned delighted at what he had seen. Jack took his hand, "How are you Ianto?"
"Tired, less down than I was, I was afraid that you would hate what Owen and I did. Gwen thought you would, and I just felt really deflated. Then the episode in the bathroom, it felt glorious, but left me confused 'cos you never do that when we're on a case."
"I was, am freaked out about what you and Owen did, and amazed that you could do something so amazingly right, when it is as Gwen says also so impossibly wrong. It took courage. Did you know I had a chat with Jamey this afternoon?"
Ianto wondered what the change of subject was about. "Yes, Tosh and I found him asleep – what did you say to him?"
"It was what he told me. I realised that he feels like a total outcast. No one will let him be the person he is. His mum left because he came out and she blamed his Dad. His Dad tells him being homosexual is evil and he has to be heterosexual. It made me realise what you must have gone through when you were his age. That's why I came to the bathroom today. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you, unconditionally. Nothing needed in return."
Ianto pulled Jack to him in a crushing hug, seeking out his lips, tears starting to his eyes. Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto, returning the kiss, holding Ianto close. Ianto ran his hand along Jack's jaw earning him a moan – unfortunately not of pleasure. "Ow, that hurts." Ianto gently felt his Jaw. "Its swollen Jack – I think you have an abscess."
"What am I some kind of medic of all work?" Owen had been dragged away reluctantly from the bar to examine Jack. "My understanding of dentistry can be written on the back of this beer bottle."
He took off his disposable gloves throwing them into the bin. He looked thoughtful. "Well it's not an abscess. No signs of infection. It looks as though the tooth is being pushed out of your jaw"
He picked up a scanner and ran it along Jacks jaw. "There's a new tooth coming through. Bloody hell, I can see it growing. There's a bloody great cavity in the tooth that's coming out. You must have been eating too much sugar Jack."
As he finished Jack coughed into his hand, and out popped the tooth. It fell apart in his hand, "Not a cavity Owen, look!" inside the tooth glowed faintly orange.
Owen put a clean pair of gloves back on and took the two pieces of molar from Jack. The glow was fading, but the hole in the tooth was perfectly cylindrical, and now matt black.
"I don't have the equipment to analyse this here Jack, I'll need to take it back to the Hub, and I'll need Tosh as well I think. If we get off now, should be back by tomorrow morning, give you a hand with our wildlife expert."
Jack nodded. "Let Tosh drive, you've had more than a couple."
"Jack, I want to be back here by tomorrow morning, not next Tuesday."
"Tosh drives half way while you sober up." Reluctantly Owen nodded.
"Tosh! Oy! Tosh, come on I need you." He shouted.
Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack, and muttered "The words Tosh has been waiting all her life to hear, though not I suspect in that tone of voice." Jack smothered a laugh as Tosh almost fell into the room in her hurry to obey Owen.
"What? What you two on about?" asked Owen.
"Nothing, nothing at all" Ianto replied all innocence.
The lounge fell quiet after Owen and Tosh left, Jack and Ianto sat peaceably side by side on the sofa, Gwen had disappeared somewhere to call Rhys. The lights were off, the only light came from a flickering monitor screen. They just sat, knees and shoulders touching, Ianto's head lay back, and he stared at the dark ceiling, holding a half empty beer bottle in his hands. Jack watched him from the corner of his eyes. "What?" asked Ianto "Nothing, just enjoying the view." Ianto sighed. "I actually think I'm too tired to move" "me too." Jack belied his words, taking Ianto's hand and pulling him to his feet. Ianto leant forward to kiss Jack, Jack pulled the bottle from his hands and pelted for the door. "Hey!" moaned Ianto, and ran after him, he chased him out of the door, into the hall, past a startled Jamey and Gwen, swinging round the newel post to chase Jack up the stairs. "Give it back you cheeky sod!" He ran pel-mel into Jacks bedroom, coming to a sudden halt as Jack slammed the door shut behind him. He swung round to face him, hands on hips, panting slightly, Jack grinned. "What took you so long?"
It was noon and a light mizzle was falling through the trees, the golden autumn leaves turning to mush under their feet. Ianto and Owen made their way quietly up the slope towards the back of the largest barn. They had approached over the ridge from the visitors centre, down the valley were they had found Marks and up the opposite side. Owen had moaned all the way about the bloody countryside, but had been quietly focussed for the last part of the climb.
Gwen and Tosh were approaching the property openly, they were going to talk to Jen Grimes about Steven Marks, as a colleague who had seen him on the day he died. Jack came with Owen and Ianto but had split from them to circle round the outhouses on the other side of the farmyard.
They were aiming to search the buildings whilst Jen was distracted with Gwen and Tosh, although Tosh had not seen any heat signals which would denote a human in the house, and no one had walked round the buildings all morning.
Owen and Ianto heard the SUV pull into the farmyard, and the doors 's voice could be heard calling out.
"Ms Grimes, Police, could we talk to you please?
Gwen and Tosh walked up to the front of the stone built farmhouse, the faded blue door was slightly ajar. Tosh stood to one side of the door, gun ready, she nodded at Gwen, who pushed the door open, also keeping slightly to one side.
"Ms Grimes Hello? Any one at home?"
Gwen could hear a buzzing sound, and there was a smell, decay and filth, she walked slowly forward, towards the back of the dimly lit narrow hall was a bundle, vaguely human shaped. Gwen approached, swallowing convulsively, trying to take shallow breaths through her mouth. Tosh followed behind, holding her gun ready, looking out for attackers. Both were struggling with memories of the Beacons, this felt familiar, yet different. Gwen bent down and reached out a hand, she pulled the bundle by the shoulder. It rolled over with a soft thump, the head lolled back, mouth slack, red and black holes where the eyes should have been. Gwen resisted the urge to vomit. She touched her comms, "Jack, I think we've found Jen Grimes. She's dead, murdered."
"OK, Owen you go to the farmhouse, Ianto and I will carry on with the search. Everyone BE careful, Gwen, Tosh clear the house for intruders while you wait for Owen."
The thing in the bushes stood still, watching. It had left the farm after killing the creature that called itself Jen, preferring the organic nature of the forest. It felt momentary sadness as he thought of the softness of her mouth, the warmth of her body close to its own, it would not feel that ever again. It had felt sad as he plunged the screwdriver into her eye socket, bemused by the look of surprised horror on her face. Didn't she know, it was the only way – now she could be peaceful, it was right to be a sacrifice. It felt the blood urge rising as he watched the two men. One small and wiry, the other lean and tall. Two more souls for the furie to feed from. After it had killed Jen it should have pulled the body out into the open, for the bird to feed, but for some reason it had fled in horror when it saw the blood covering his (I am not a him, it thought, I am……. Panic fluttered in its stomach as he tried to identify itself, himself? )
Ianto followed Owen round the side of the barn into the farmyard, he felt the flesh tingle on the back of his neck, and looked behind and around, trying to find the source of the discomfort, but saw nothing.
He found the entrance to the barn, the top half of the door was open, he looked in carefully, no one or thing was wandering around, but against the far wall were ten or so containment boxes. He holstered his gun, swapping it for his PDA and walked forward. Skittering and scrabbling noises came from some of the boxes, scanning he identified five alien life forms, all harmless to humans, but possibly devastating to the ecosystem. There were two dead creatures as well, the other three boxes were empty. According to reports all non sentient aliens had been euthanased when Torchwood 1 fell, but obviously someone had been as devious as Ianto, and rescued a whole bunch. He guessed that the creatures hadn't been fed in a while and looked around for food. Decisions about their disposal could be left until later. He took off his jacket and hung it up, and was rooting about in a large bin of rabbit food, looking for a scoop when he felt the tingling again. He whirled round, reaching for his gun, a light footstep came from his right. "Jack? Is that you?" he squinted against the sunlight coming through the barn door, there was a figure silhouetted, as tall as Jack, Ianto raised his hand to shield his eyes, it wasn't Jack. The screwdriver in its left hand was a giveaway. Ianto touched his comms "Jack, Come quickly to the large barn, suspect has just entered." Ianto raised his gun and held it on the figure. "Stay where you are. You are under arrest."
The figure carried on coming, as it moved away from the door towards him Ianto could see it was a tall man, wearing jeans, t shirt, all liberally soaked with blood, the breeze blew a smell towards him, old blood, stale cologne and an unidentifiable metallic smell. The man smiled at Ianto. Ianto was chilled by the normality of the smile, coming as it did from a face all over dried blood spatter. The man licked his lips, and sighed,
"Don't be afraid, I am here to save you. You will be saved by your glorious sacrifice."
"Get down on your knees, hands on your head NOW!" Yelled Ianto, the man kept on coming.
"No need to be afraid, I am your saviour."
He was so close the metallic smell caught in Ianto's throat, he fired, hitting the man between the eyes. They opened in shock and pain as he fell backwards, his shattered skull splattered on impact with the concrete floor. A scream of rage filled the barn, echoing around the high ceiling, a stream of blue hurtled out of the body toward Ianto, enveloping him, shaking him back and forth.
Jack had been examining the loose boxes on the other side of the yard. So far he had found 2 weevils and another Bregan. When Ianto's message came through he turned and ran towards the barn on the far side of the yard, he slid to a halt in time to see Ianto shoot the man, and the blue stream fly over to Ianto.
He yelled to try and get its attention, he ran over, pulling Ianto to try and get him away, his skin burnt as he pushed into the blue, agony pulsing up his arm. The blue just followed Ianto's body. Ianto was screaming, eyes rolling back in his head, the blue swirled into his mouth and disappeared. Ianto fell to the ground unconscious.
Jack hit the comms, "Owen get to the main barn – NOW! Ianto's down."
He felt a touch on his sleeve. "Already here mate, now let the dog see the bone"