Chapter Four - Confessions
Ianto woke to the sound of the shower running in Jack's en suite. Still feeling fatigued, he waited until Jack had finished and come into the bedroom to sit up, not bothering to suppress a yawn.
"What time is it?" he asked, and Jack grinned from where he was pulling on his pants.
"Lunch time," he said, then laughed at the look on Ianto's face. "Got a taste for Thai?"
"I've been asleep for twelve hours?" Ianto exclaimed. "Jack, how could you let me sleep so long? There's work to do! I should—" He stopped and frowned at Jack, who was buttoning a pair of trousers. "If it's noon, how come you're showering now?"
"Tech retrieval," Jack replied. "In a really muddy field. Sorry I woke you."
Ianto stood and stretched, his neck cracking loudly. "No, it's all right. I'm sorry I slept so long. Did you…did you sleep much last night?"
"Actually, I did," said Jack. His trousers were unbuttoned and his shirt open as he sauntered up to Ianto and wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist. "I slept more than usual, to be honest."
Ianto gazed at him, deciding to get right to the point. "I felt you," he said softly. "When I fell asleep, and most of the night. I felt you, and not just your body. What was that?"
"Do you remember what I said right before you fell asleep?" Jack asked, and Ianto shook his head.
"Not really, why?"
Jack took a deep breath. "The energy we were talking about last night, artron energy…it can also enhance telepathic abilities."
Ianto took a moment to think about that, wondering if what he had felt had been real after all or if Jack was putting him on. "I don't have any telepathic abilities," he said.
"Maybe not telepathic, per say," said Jack, "but you're obviously stronger than average when it comes to other psychic abilities. Empathy, intuition, those sorts of things. And you were trained at Torchwood One."
"Basic training on how to recognize things like psychic paper and perception filters," Ianto snorted. "Not how to talk to people using the Force."
Jack's nose wrinkled. "I don't think the Force works like that," he pointed out, then grinned. "Anyway, your mind is a bit more awake than most others, as is mine."
"Let me guess—51st century advantages again?" asked Ianto.
"Got it in one—humans advance their natural abilities somewhat, and I had more training at the Time Agency. I've also traveled through the vortex, so I soaked up some artron energy too. Which means we're both a bit better than average, so I was able to reach out and brush your mind last night." Jack suddenly frowned and stepped back. "Did it make you uncomfortable? I didn't even ask. I won't do it again if—"
Ianto pulled him close again and stopped him with a kiss, hoping Jack didn't mind a bit of morning breath and relaxing when Jack eagerly returned the kiss. "It's fine," Ianto murmured when they stopped. "It was…well, it surprised me. I thought I was already dreaming. But it was nice. Good." He felt a blush creeping up his face.
Jack nodded in agreement. "I liked it too," he murmured. "I've never really shared something like that with anyone."
Ianto hesitated, but plunged on when he found his curiosity getting the better of him. "Is it something…well, something we could do again?"
"I think so," Jack replied. "I have to admit, I've only ever experienced telepathy once or twice, and that was with technological help. But like your healing power, I suspect its something we can practice."
"Practice?" Ianto repeated. He paused for effect, then started to nip kisses along Jack's neck, smiling to himself when Jack leaned back and let Ianto roam. "I like the sound of that. I seem to recall practicing a few other things in order to get better at them." Which was true, from the innocent to the kinky.
"I like to think of myself as a work in progress," Jack murmured. "Always trying to learn more, do more, be more…"
It was fairly clear they weren't talking about telepathy any longer, and Ianto found that after a good night's rest he was actually feeling playful. Which was odd, considering some of the difficult things they had said and done the day before, and that didn't even include Jack's confrontation with Gwen and Ianto's hurt, confused feelings about it.
"I could use some help in the shower," Ianto murmured. "You know, practice for the next time I'm exhausted and unable to wash myself."
"You're perfectly capable of washing yourself," Jack replied with a chuckle, but he as he was sucking a love bite behind Ianto's ear, it was fairly obvious that it was a token protest.
"Then maybe we can practice something else," Ianto said, letting his hands trail down toward the fly of Jack's trousers, still undone. One brush against Jack's erection was all it took.
"Practice makes perfect," he growled, and they stumbled into the en suite, laughing and kissing and touching all over as Jack shed his clothes once more, Ianto stepped out of his sleeping pants, and the warm water poured over them. Lips explored and tongues battled and hands roamed until they stood face to face, Ianto's hand wrapped around them both. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and reached out with his thoughts. He felt like an inexperienced child stumbling around in the dark, but he couldn't stop his overwhelming desire to experience the intimate contact again. Perhaps Jack was reaching out as well, because Ianto felt that warm presence he knew was Jack right there in his mind almost immediately.
Already surrounded by the warmth of Jack's body, the unexpected feeling of Jack's thoughts—surprised, aroused, tender, and affectionate—brushing against his own brought him to a sudden, blinding climax, the physical sparks of fire shooting through his body nothing compared to the emotional impact of two minds touching at such an intense moment. He felt rather than saw Jack's reaction as well, equally as powerful, leaving them both so stunned and breathless that they sank to the floor under the wet spray, unable to speak or move.
Jack roused himself first. "That was a hell of a first practice," he said, and they burst out laughing. Ianto pulled Jack into a long leisurely kiss before he confessed a thought he did not quite understand.
"I'm not scared anymore," he said, causing Jack to raise an eyebrow at the unusual statement. "I feel like I should be. You know my secret and have shown me there's even more to it, but for maybe the first time, I'm not afraid of it."
Jack's smile was so genuine it made his heart flip, and Ianto made a mental note to work on developing some sort of way to not telegraph everything he felt to Jack. He wasn't sure if he had to reach out to do it, like he just had, or if Jack could sense it automatically, but at moments like these, he wasn't sure he wanted Jack to know the depth of his feelings when Jack did something as simple as smile at him like that.
"I'm glad you're not afraid," Jack said. "Because it's amazing. You are amazing."
Ianto laughed, hoping he was hiding his nerves well enough. "You only want me to make coffee now that I'm out of bed."
"Oh, you mean we have to go back to work after that?" Jack groaned. "Damn. I wanted to practice some more."
Ianto kissed him once before pulling him up. After a quick wash, he shut off the water and grabbed them both towels. As they were drying off, he asked the first of many more questions he knew he would have.
"Is it safe?" he asked, and Jack looked at him curiously. "What we did, opening our minds like that?"
Jack seemed to think about it as he padded back into his room and started to get dressed again. "I don't see why not. It's tiring, do you feel it?" Ianto nodded, and Jack gave him a wink. "More reason to practice—build up our stamina."
Ianto found one of his spare suits from the week before and borrowed a shirt from Jack, his mind turning over and over. "Should I talk to Owen?" he asked, and Jack looked at him in surprise.
"I thought you didn't want them to know?" he asked, and Ianto sighed.
"I don't, not really, though I feel better about it now. That could be the sex talking, I suppose. But maybe Owen should know? He can run some tests, make sure what happened last night doesn't have any side effects?"
Jack shook his head. "Ianto, you healed your cut. What kind of side effects could there possibly be?"
"What if it's like opening one door but shutting another?" asked Ianto. "I healed the cut, but…I don't know…it causes something else to go wrong? Besides sleeping for twelve hours straight."
Expecting Jack to laugh, Ianto was unsettled when Jack seemed to agree with him. "You could be right. I don't think that'll be the case, not with artron energy, but I suppose it's possible that as a human, using the energy internally rather than externally might have other consequences we should be aware of." He sighed and looked at Ianto. "But I hope not. It's an amazing gift. I'd hate for there to be conditions of use."
"Me too," Ianto murmured. "But now that there's more to it, I'd like to know for sure its safe and normal—or as normal as it can be." He paused as he glanced at the tie in his hand, then simply draped it around his neck with a shrug. "I'll have to take it off for Owen," he said when Jack gave him a questioning look. "But Jack…I'd like for it to be only Owen. Not the others, especially Gwen."
"That's fine," said Jack. "Why especially Gwen?"
"Too many questions, too many expectations," said Ianto. "And too much mothering." When Jack grinned, Ianto pierced him with a sharp look. "You know I'm right."
"Yes, you are," Jack said. "You usually are about those things." Finishing his own dressing, Jack sat on the edge of the bed and turned serious. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," said Ianto. "I might even have an answer now that I'm well rested and satisfied."
Jack made a face, then patted the bed beside him. Ianto sat down and tried to match Jack's more somber tone. "Something's bothering you about this, isn't it?"
"Not this, no," said Jack. "But I was wondering…I hate to even ask because I think I know how you feel about it…do you think I did the right thing yesterday?"
"Ah," Ianto sighed. He knew Jack wasn't talking about the whale or the warehouse, and he'd been wondering when this would come up; they'd been so wrapped up in Ianto's issues that they hadn't had time to really address the situation with Gwen and the confrontation that had sent Ianto off to the caves to literally blow off steam the day before. He carefully gathered his thoughts. Perhaps because he had some distance from the situation now, he found it easier to bring them together and begin to voice his feelings on the matter without the same anger he'd felt the day before. He still felt the deep sense of hurt, made worse by the irrational fear of losing something he'd just found.
"I think, in the end, that yes, you did," Ianto replied softly, and he felt the tension drain from Jack, as if the other man was relieved that Ianto had agreed with him. Ianto had more to say, however.
"But I think that the way you both handled it was insensitive and upsetting for the rest of the team," Ianto continued. "Gwen said some very hurtful things to all of us, and it's not the first time. She thinks she's better than us, all because she has someone on the outside."
"It's different for her," Jack pointed out.
"It is, in a way," Ianto acknowledged. "But it doesn't make her any better than the rest of us. She doesn't need to rub our faces in it all the time, nor should she get to break the rules because of it. And she forgets that while the rest of us may not have partners outside of Torchwood—a fact which she pointed out several times when she started, as if it were the most shocking thing in the world after the existence of aliens—we do have friends and family we care about. I don't think she considers that when she throws around her relationship with Rhys all the time."
Jack was giving him a very thoughtful look. "You're right," he said, sounding as if he hadn't considered it in such a way. "She does forget that. What else?"
"What do you mean?" asked Ianto. Really, he had said more than he had thought he would, but Jack had asked, and the words had tumbled out.
"There's more, I can tell." He took Ianto's hand and squeezed. "Please don't be afraid to talk to me," he murmured. "Not again, not anymore."
Ianto laughed at that. "I'm not afraid, " he lied. "I am, however, highly aware of the interpersonal dynamics involved and don't want to cause more conflict." Which was true, even if a part of him wanted to continue regardless of the consequences. It was something he'd struggled with for a while, yet now he feared the resolution.
"I have no idea what you're talking about when you start using big words," Jack said. "But I want to hear your honest opinion, rather than let you bottle it up for the sake of team harmony."
"It's only the team I was referring to," Ianto replied.
"Oh." Jack took another breath. "Look, I know how it probably came across yesterday, but I need you to believe me, it's not like that."
"And how do you think it came across?" Ianto asked curiously.
"Owen accused me of fawning over her, falling for her big eyes and poor little me routine and giving in because of my feelings for her. I think Tosh agreed, but she wouldn't look at me let alone talk to me." Jack looked unusually contrite as he spoke, glancing anywhere but at Ianto. Frankly, Ianto was surprised that not only had Owen noticed such a thing, but that he had said it—and that Jack was acknowledging it. He suspected it was not easy for Jack, but then, such things never were.
"And was he right?" asked Ianto. He had his own interpretation of the confrontation and the complicated feelings it brought out, one that was probably a bit naive and optimistic, but he needed to know what Jack's thoughts were even if it destroyed his own. In spite of their shared experiences both the night before and that morning, and the closeness that seemed to have resulted, Ianto wasn't sure if he wanted to continue denying the possibility that he was wrong about Jack and Gwen. What he had with Jack was undefined, yet Jack had quite clearly spelled out exactly what Gwen meant to him during their shouting match. It hurt, to think he was less.
"No," said Jack with no hesitation. "At least, not in the way he was implying." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It may be like that for her, but it's not for me. Maybe once, I don't know…I care about her, yes, but I care about all of you. I don't want to lose any of you, and if you or Tosh or Owen had said the same thing—if you had threatened to walk out like that—I would have responded exactly the same way."
Ianto tried to frame his response as best as he could, without anger or sarcasm. "The thing is, Jack, I'm not sure the rest of us believe that."
"What do you mean?" asked Jack, and bless him, he was genuinely confused. Ianto knew what he was going to say might hurt Jack, but since Jack was asking, it needed to be said. Ianto might lie about cyber girlfriends and firepowers, but this was not something he wanted to lie about anymore. Not now that Jack and Gwen had made it a public issue.
"You once threatened to execute me," he said softly, and this time it was his turn to avoid Jack's eyes, even though he could feel the other man's intense gaze burning into him. "You killed Tosh's girlfriend. You fired Owen and kicked him out of the Hub." Deep breath. "It's hard to feel like we matter as much with a history like that, Jack. It's hard to believe that you'd think and say and do the same thing you did yesterday for the rest of us."
"But I would," Jack whispered, his voice agonized and broken. Ianto shook his head, determined to finish what he'd started.
"Maybe. You say that, but you have never, ever hurt Gwen. She knew your secret from the day she started as an innocent cop who stumbled upon us by accident. A dozen men died after she threw a scalpel on her first case, but she got nothing more than a hug for having a bad day. She snuck Suzie out of the Hub and got a cup of tea for almost getting herself killed. She's pushed you, punched you, doubted you, and defied you, and yet she's still here, still getting whatever she wants, whatever she demands. The rest of us have all suffered consequences she's not seen once."
Jack was quiet, but Ianto saw how he was staring at his hands, how tightly he was holding them together, as if trying to keep them from shaking, or punching a hole in the wall, perhaps.
"It's hard to watch it keep happening," Ianto continued. "Owen is right, Jack. You care for her, it's obvious, but because of that, Gwen is able to manipulate you far too easily. She gets away with more than we ever could, and you never call her on it, not like the rest of us. You proved that again yesterday."
Ianto gathered his final thoughts, his last scraps of insecurity, feelings he'd never thought to confide to Jack given the casual state of their relationship. Yet the subtle signals from their intimate conversations and brief telepathic encounters—Jack came back for him, Jack cared for him—seemed so contradicted by his actions with Gwen that Ianto needed to say something. He needed to know. He wanted Jack, but he did not want to be Jack's second choice, even after all that had happened earlier.
"I can't help but wonder why you behave one way with Gwen and another with the rest of us," he said. He realized he was including the others on the team because he did not want to speak of only himself and risk an answer he couldn't bear hearing. "Between her insensitive words and your response, it…" He sighed. "It hurts. And sometimes I'm not sure how much more we can all take."
"I'm sorry," Jack said, and his elbows fell to his knees, his head between his shoulders. "I never considered some of those things, made the connections and saw how it affects the team. How it would affect you."
"You're human," Ianto shrugged. He was surprised that he wasn't more uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. Either it had been too long coming and was a relief to release, or he would break down later when everything—particularly his fledging relationship with Jack—collapsed around him. "You've got a blind spot when it comes to Gwen."
"It's not like that—" Jack started, but Ianto cut him off.
"I get it, I do," he said. "Look at my life, look at what I did for Lisa. I was blinded as well."
"That's completely different," Jack said, his voice defensive. He stood up and began pacing, obviously agitated. "You tried to save her. You were blinded by love. I care about Gwen, and maybe I have a blind spot because of it, but it's nothing like you and Lisa. Don't compare it, not one bit."
"You don't have to explain," Ianto started, surprised to hear Jack defending Ianto's relationship with Lisa so vehemently, but Jack stopped him.
"No, now that you've brought it up, I do. You're right when you say I've never threatened her, never hurt her, never fired her." He laughed bitterly at that. "And god knows she probably should have been called on the carpet a dozen times by now. But I'm only trying to protect her." He turned toward Ianto, his eyes pleading. "It's important. She's the only one of us not touched by the dark side of Torchwood. I don't want to break her, Ianto. She doesn't deserve that."
"I know," Ianto replied, and he did. He had often suspected it as one of Jack's motivations in his relationship with Gwen. Jack had a fierce protective streak; he'd extended it to all of them at one time or another. And though his reasoning for the overprotectiveness he showed Gwen was sound, it was still an uncomfortable favoritism that Ianto would always question given his own undefined pace in Jack's life and bed. "But neither did we."
Jack nodded miserably. "I know that, I do. You all came to me broken, though. My job is to hold you together now, to help you, to heal you."
That surprised Ianto, that Jack viewed both the team and his role as leader in such a way. It made sense, however, given the history Tosh, Owen, and Ianto had brought with them, particularly compared to Gwen. Ianto wondered what it meant about his relationship with Jack and was about to ask when Jack continued.
"I'm selfish. I don't want to feel guilty if anything happens to Gwen on my watch. I can live vicariously through her normal life. And she contributes an almost innocent, unbroken perspective to the team we can use." He grimaced. "Unfortunately, that perspective has quite an attitude at times."
Ianto reached out and tugged Jack back down next to him. "First of all, you're not selfish. You may think your reasons are all about you, but deep down, they are as much about Gwen and the team as anything else."
Jack shrugged. "Second of all?"
"Second of all," said Ianto, and he hesitated before going on. "It's one thing to know your motivations and understand them. It's another to watch it play out the way it did yesterday. It was upsetting, Jack. And unprofessional." He paused, and pulled together one last thought, one he was fairly certain would resonate strongly with Jack. "And it's dangerous. She endangered us all in the field with her actions and did so without consequence. That's not only unfair, it's unsafe."
"I'm sorry," Jack whispered, and he sound genuinely sad. "You're absolutely right. What can I do to make it better?"
"She needs to be held to the same standards as the rest of us. You need to talk to her," said Ianto, and held up his hand when Jack started to interrupt. "We're all upset, Jack. She needs to know how her dismissiveness hurts us, but more importantly she needs to understand how her behavior affects our safety in the field."
"Isn't that something general support can handle?" Jack asked, eyeing him sideways. "Maybe slip her another copy of the handbook or something?" Ianto rolled his eyes in return.
"It's something the boss should handle," Ianto said. "And he'll do fine. He needs to realize that Gwen is a bit myopic: she sees to the heart of the matter with others, but with us—and especially with you—she usually misses what matters most."
Jack nodded somewhat miserably and with an air of defeat. "I meant what I said," he finally replied. "I don't want to lose anyone. This is the best team I've been part of." He swallowed and turned toward Ianto. "But I really don't want to lose you. Not now. Not after all we've been through, how far we've come." He took Ianto's hand and held it tight. "With how far we can still go."
Suddenly uncomfortable with any sort of implication Jack might be making, Ianto offered a small smile as he stood up, hoping to brush it off even though a part of him longed for it. "Then it's a good thing I don't plan on leaving Torchwood any time soon," he said. A look of hurt flashed across Jack's face as he stood to join Ianto.
"Right," he murmured, then frowned. "Ianto, I—" he started, but Ianto cut him off.
"Don't," he said softly. "It's fine, Jack. We should go and join the others. Didn't you say there was going to be Thai?"
"Yes, but—"
"—but it's on its way, so finish your snog already and get up here," called Owen's voice from Jack's office. "I need coffee."
Ianto rolled his eyes. "It's always about the coffee," he muttered good-naturedly. He expected a response from Jack, but turned to find him quiet and still frowning.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and Jack shook his head.
"I don't know, but I want to finish this later."
"Jack, I don't know what else there is—"
"We're not done," said Jack, his voice more stubborn than authoritative. "I want to work this out."
"It's fine," said Ianto with a sigh. Above them, Owen bellowed once more.
"It's not and I want to fix it," said Jack sharply. "I told you, I don't want to lose you."
"Teaboy's not going anywhere!" Owen shouted, and Jack opened his mouth to growl at the doctor. Ianto stopped him with a quick kiss.
"He's right, I'm not going anywhere," he said. Pulling on his professional face, he climbed up the ladder to Jack's office. "I'd hate to think what you lot would do without me."
"Have a nice memorial and hire that hot barrista from Starbucks," said Owen. "So if you're not dying, can you make some coffee already?"
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Kailey?" he asked, lacing his voice with skepticism. When Owen leered, Ianto pretended to be offended. "She's not half as good, even if she does draw hearts and flowers in your foam."
"What about Owen's foam?" asked Jack as he came up behind his desk. Ianto could tell that Jack had his fake smile on. "Did I miss something good?"
Owen groaned. "God, no. Ianto is demonstrating the depraved sense of humor he's obviously picked up from you."
"I don't think I had much to do with it," Jack replied. "He was fairly depraved when I met him."
"Too much information," Owen said. His eyes flickered to Ianto's wrists, which were still wrapped with the gauze Jack had applied the night before. "Speaking of which, what happened there?" he asked sharply. "You two weren't playing with the handcuffs again, were you?"
"Again?" asked Ianto. Jack grinned.
"Great idea, thanks Owen."
"Seriously, what happened?" asked Owen, moving toward Ianto, who, for some reason, backed away.
"It's from the warehouse. Jack cleaned and bandaged it, I'm fine."
"How did you hurt your wrists?" Owen demanded, not letting up. "Were you hurt anywhere else?"
Jack answered for him. "He was tied up by those goons yesterday. He had some rope burns and a dislocated thumb. We cleaned and iced it, there's no need to get upset."
"I'm not upset," Owen replied with a shrug. "Just trying to do my job. Did you get that bruise on your face the same way?" Ianto raised a hand to his face in surprise, noting a tender spot near his temple. He hadn't even noticed it.
"We tusseled a bit," said Ianto. "Really, I'm fine."
Owen narrowed his eyes. "Tosh told me earlier that they fired a gun at you point blank. You sure?"
"It jammed," said Ianto. Owen was no longer looking at him, but at Jack with a surprised expression on his face. When Ianto turned, he barely caught a glimpse of the fury and fear in Jack's eyes before he smiled at them both as if nothing was wrong. But Owen was nodding to himself.
"I see," he said. "Oh, this makes Gwen's little strop even better." He grinned. "I cannot wait to give her a piece of my mind now."
"Leave it, Owen," Jack said. "She's not coming in today anyway."
"Another day off for fucking up. Does she even know Ianto had a gun pointed at his head?" Owen demanded, and Ianto glanced at him in surprise. "Because I'm still pissed off at her for that little show yesterday, and I would love to throw that in her face."
"What do you mean?" asked Ianto.
"She gets all bent out of shape about Rhys almost dying to protect her, when what were you doing? Almost dying yourself. And I bet she doesn't have a clue you were hurt either." He muttered something unflattering under his breath.
"She has every right to be upset about Rhys," Jack pointed out, and Owen waved his hand in the air.
"But no right to rub our noses in it," he snapped. "She's a real piece of work for storming back in here like she did, just to walk all over you and get her way again."
Jack's head snapped up, but this time Ianto answered for him.
"It's the right thing to do, with Rhys," he said, and waited for Owen's reaction.
"Letting him keep his memories? You're joking, right?" He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Or were you not paying attention to the drama yesterday?"
"I was there, I saw it," Ianto said wearily. "And it was certainly dramatic. That's Jack and Gwen for you."
"Hey!" said Jack, and Owen snorted.
"I think we can trust Rhys," said Ianto. "And there are ways to ensure it. It may even help Gwen—make her a better agent if she can be open with her husband about it."
"And what if he goes blabbing to his mates?" demanded Owen. "Do we Retcon the whole pub?"
Ianto shrugged. "I don't think he will, do you? He's not going to risk Gwen's life so he can tell a few stories at his local." He paused for effect. "Maybe we should recruit him if you're worried."
"No!" exclaimed Jack and Owen at exactly the same time.
"You're taking the piss," Owen added, and Ianto grinned.
"Maybe. But now it's in the open, so at the very least, if we need a really big truck, we know where to get one."
Behind him, Ianto could sense Jack shaking his head. He gave Jack a wink that earned him a low growl, then turned back to Owen.
"So, coffee and lunch?" he asked. Owen stuck his hand into his pockets and jerked his head toward the door, following Ianto as he started out.
"After you," he said. "If you're sure you don't need me to look you over, make sure you're back to normal."
For some reason Owen's words stopped Ianto in his track, and he turned around abruptly, staring at Owen before throwing a slightly panicked look at Jack. He tried to cover it up, but Owen saw it all, reached around Ianto, and shut the door.
"All right, what's going on?" he asked. "And don't say nothing, because your poker face is far too good to slip up like that if it's nothing."
"It's nothing," started Jack, but Ianto shook his head. His concerns from earlier hit him full force, that this strange new ability to turn his power inward and heal himself might have an unwanted affect given how exhausted it had left him. He still didn't want the others to know about his offensive ability with fire, but he could share this much, although he dreaded the jokes Owen would certainly toss his way.
"Something else happened," Ianto started quietly.
"Ianto," Jack said, both a question and a warning.
"It's fine, Jack. I want to be sure." Taking a deep breath, Ianto held out his hand. "I cut my hand, but it healed."
Owen stepped closer and examined both of his hands. "Okay," he said, stretching it out. "What do you mean by healed, exactly? Did you put something on it, use one of my tech pieces?"
"Not exactly," said Ianto. "I thought about it, and it healed."
"Just like that?" asked Owen skeptically. "Prove it."
"No!" said Jack, coming to stand with them. "I saw it happen, exactly like he said. It completely drained him, though. That's why he slept so long, I could barely get him downstairs last night."
"So it wasn't an all night shag fest that knackered you?" asked Owen, and Ianto rolled his eyes.
"No, it wasn't, and Jack's right: it was exhausting. I could hardly move so I'd rather not demonstrate for the sake of curiosity."
"Then why are you telling me?" asked Owen, arms crossed over his chest. "Just letting the doctor know we have another weird medical situation on staff?"
Ianto stuttered a bit, slightly surprised by Owen's response. "I suppose. But I was so exhausted by it that I wanted to make sure nothing else was wrong—other side effects, that sort of thing."
Owen narrowed his eyes before turning to Jack. "You have anything to do with this?" he asked bluntly. Jack bristled.
"What does that mean?"
"You heal fast. Are you contagious?" he asked. "Did you pass it on to tea boy here?"
"I already told him no," said Jack, shaking his head. "It doesn't work like that. For one, I can't pass on my ability. I'm unique." He grinned, but Ianto saw the forced look of it. "And second, I don't control it consciously, it happens on its own. Ianto did this himself."
"How?" asked Owen, then turned and walked out of the office without waiting for an answer. "Come on. I want to look you over and run some tests before lunch."
"I don't want to be an experiment," said Ianto.
"I haven't experimented on Jack," Owen said. "I'm not going to experiment on you. But if you want to know if there are any other side effects besides the exhaustion, then I need to give you a physical and see what's going on."
Ianto sighed. He needed to be certain, so he followed Owen through the door. He wasn't sure what he expected the doctor to find, if he wanted there to be a reason he couldn't try again or if he wanted to be free to develop some of the things Jack had shown him. All he knew was that he had rarely been so nervous walking down to the medical bay.
Author's Notes:
I hope that Jack and Ianto's conversation about *that* scene with Gwen was all you were looking for. The way I see it, Ianto is not as angry the next day, but more hurt, so if you were hoping he'd really tear Jack a new one, sorry! And if you were thinking Gwen would get an earful, she's not even in this story, so my apologies once more. But if you read the third chapter of my story 'Discovery' you will get your Ianto/Gwen confrontation. Anyway. One more chapter, and I'll probably post it tomorrow. I was going to post every other day, but the story is done and I'm sick of editing it and sitting on it. When I post something, I feel like I can truly move on, so you get the rest earlier than planned! Thank you for all the lovely comments and reviews, I really appreciate it! I did not expect it for a story like this. It's always the ones that feel out of my comfort zone that seem to get that response, though. Hm. Maybe I should come up with something really, really crazy. Oh wait, I'm too much of a canon girl for that. You can even squint at my AU stuff and see canon. I hope you enjoy the upcoming final chapter as well as whatever story the muse inspires next! Thanks again!