Author's Notes: This chapter concludes Ianto's first day with Jack. Hope it's an enjoyable read. Thanks to the talented Prothrombintime for encouragement and feedback.
Chapter Four
October 13th, 2003 (continued)
Ianto spent the rest of the morning pottering around his new workplace, exploring the vast underground base and performing some initial tidying up. Before long he'd filled several black garbage bags with the worst of the litter that had been cluttering the main work level. The woeful lack of cleaning supplies meant he'd have to postpone more serious efforts until he had a chance to go shopping.
By half-past twelve he was feeling hungry, having forgone breakfast due to his nervousness, despite the disapproving murmurings of the kindly lady who ran the bed and breakfast.
Once again he made his way to the entrance of Jack's office. He knocked to announce himself. "Thought I'd pop out to buy some lunch, if that's all right, sir? Can I get you something?"
Jack glanced up distractedly from the data he was studying on his screen. "Whatever you're having is fine. Thanks."
Ianto nodded. "Back in a bit then."
Once above ground again, Ianto strolled along Mermaid Quay, taking in the mostly familiar surroundings and enjoying the unusually moderate and thankfully dry weather. He spent several minutes standing by the railings and looking out over the water before heading into a nearby shop to procure some food. Being lunchtime, the area was bustling with people, but it lacked the frantic pace he had slowly become accustomed to in London. He soon decided that being back in Cardiff wasn't perhaps as bad as he'd first thought. At least he had a definite reason for being there, even if it hadn't been his own choice.
Unsure of the Captain's likes and dislikes, he settled on chicken salad sandwiches, a jam donut for Jack, and a chocolate one for himself, along with a couple of apples. Stopping by a real estate agent on the way back to the Hub, he scanned the available rental properties in the window. He needed to find a flat quickly and he wanted somewhere close by.
The neighbouring area of Splott seemed like a viable option, even though the unfortunate name was unappealing. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop himself from looking pained every time he had to tell someone where he lived. Wandering inside, he spoke to a helpful middle-aged lady who gave him a list of nearby properties available for immediate occupation. Promising to call for a viewing if any of them took his fancy, he crossed the Plass and entered the Hub again, using the key and security card Jack had given him earlier.
The massive cogwheel-shaped door which served as the primary entrance to the Hub rolled back into place with a heavy thud, and he walked into the kitchen area. He busied himself with making a fresh round of coffees, then delivered the coffee and food to the Captain's desk, waving away the other man's distracted offer of payment for his lunch.
Retrieving his own coffee, Ianto reluctantly settled himself on the battered sofa, tucked a paper napkin neatly into his collar, and began nibbling at his sandwich. He tried not to think about what his freshly dry cleaned suit might be coming into contact with. Lost in his thoughts of the strange direction his life had taken, he was startled when Jack appeared and sat down beside him. The older man casually put his booted feet up on the low table in front of them, his coffee mug in one hand, and his jam donut in the other as he noisily devoured it.
"Thanks for lunch," Jack mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Ianto nodded and smiled at him. "Any time. All part of the friendly service." He quickly reached for a spare napkin and handed it to the other man, hoping he was managing to hide his horror over Jack's unrefined eating habits. "You've, um... you've got jam on your chin."
Jack took the napkin and wiped roughly at his face. "Thanks."
Ianto wasn't sure if Jack's sudden appearance was an attempt to be friendly or if was just keeping an eye on him. The old adage of 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' sprang to his mind. He reminded himself that while Jack had agreed he could stay, he had a long and potentially treacherous road ahead before the other man would actually trust him. However, he was determined to prove himself and eventually gain Jack's trust, no matter how long it took.
Not for the first time, Ianto wondered why he of all people had been assigned to Torchwood Three. He'd come up with two possible explanations, one only slightly less disturbing than the other. The first was that he was entirely expendable. Being a new recruit, no one was going to miss him. The other was that of all the people employed by Torchwood London, he was probably the least threatening. Yvonne Hartman was clever and she would have had a good reason for choosing him. Given his youth and admittedly boyish, fresh-faced features, she probably thought he had the appearance of someone who Jack Harkness wouldn't see as a legitimate threat. Neither reason provided Ianto with a measure of comfort, and he was certain Jack wasn't that gullible. Hartman wasn't a fool, but in this case it seemed she had underestimated both himself and the Captain.
The other man took a slurp of coffee, the sound pulling Ianto from his thoughts. "I meant to ask you before if you've got somewhere to stay?" Jack asked suddenly. "You only just moved back here the other day, right?"
"Yep. I'm staying at a local bed and breakfast," Ianto replied. "I need to find a flat. I picked up a list from a real estate agent while I was out getting lunch. There's a couple of flats in Splott." He paused, unable to stop himself from cringing inwardly. "I believe the real estate agents pronounce it Sploe," he added dryly. "One of those might be all right."
Jack nodded. "Go and check them out this afternoon if you like."
"You sure?" Ianto asked, looking at him in surprise.
"It's been a quiet day so far. I'll come with you."
Ianto couldn't help being suspicious of Jack's seemingly altruistic offer. "You don't have to do that."
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "It's no problem. I'll help you find somewhere nice."
Ianto supposed he'd better play along, even though he would have preferred to go flat hunting on his own. "Oh, er... well, okay. Thank you, sir."
Jack jumped up and returned to his office, coming back a moment later as he shrugged on his greatcoat. "Come on, I'll show you the scenic route."
His curiosity piqued, Ianto removed his napkin, wiped his mouth, stood up, and followed Jack over to a large stone slab near the base of the water tower. "Sir?"
Jack moved to stand on the stone. "Stand on here. C'mon, next to me."
Ianto looked at him suspiciously, but he did as he was told and stood next to the other man. He watched as Jack pressed a button on the leather wrist-strap he wore on his left arm. It had a small screen and several buttons, appearing to be some sort of remote control or miniature computer. Ianto had noticed it earlier and wondered what it was. It looked alien, or at least not of twenty-first century Earth design.
With a sharp jolt the slab they were both standing on started moving upwards. Ianto stumbled and almost lost his footing from the sudden movement. "Whoa!"
"Careful." Jack's arm wound around Ianto's waist and held him firmly in place. "If you're acrophobic, you might not want to look down."
Ianto stared around in awe as they ascended through the vast expanse of the Hub. From the vantage point high up in the air it was a truly spectacular sight. After a few moments he realised he'd stopped breathing and quickly drew in a lungful of air. While he didn't understand it, he somehow felt certain this was where he was meant to be... where he wanted to be.
Jack continued to hold him close, pressing the lengths of their bodies together. Ianto looked up and saw that far above, an identical slab of stone in the ceiling was sliding back into the Hub, revealing an expanse of blue-grey sky.
The lift carried them through the opening and the slab locked into place with a loud mechanical clunk, leaving them standing on the Plass where people were milling around, apparently oblivious to the two men who had just risen up from beneath the ground.
Ianto pulled away from Jack and looked at him in astonishment. "But they can see the lift. Why aren't they..." He paused and glanced around in confusion. "We're right out in the open. They can see everything!"
"Do they look like they can see us?" Jack asked, looking amused by Ianto's reaction.
Ianto frowned. "No, but... look at us!"
Jack waved at a young man passing by only a few feet in front of them. "Hello! Hey, you there, hello!"
Ianto watched as the man completely ignored Jack, showing no sign that he could see or hear him.
"It's called a perception filter," Jack explained, smiling broadly as he looked at Ianto again. "He can sort of see us, but we don't quite register. Just like something in the corner of your eye. It only works on this exact spot. Step off..." He took a step forward and addressed an older woman who was now walking past. "Hi! Nice day!"
The woman jumped, looking startled, and stared at Jack incredulously before hurrying away.
Jack turned back to Ianto and grinned. "And lo, we are perceived."
"How does it work?" Ianto asked, looking down at the slab beneath his feet curiously and then back up at Jack.
Jack shrugged. "No idea. I know how to use it, not how it happens. But if I were to guess, I'd say that there was once a dimensionally transcendental chameleon-circuit placed right on this spot which welded its perception properties to a spatial-temporal rift. But that sounds kind of ridiculous. 'Invisible lift' has got more of a ring to it."
Ianto had no idea what Jack was talking about. He stepped forward so he was standing at Jack's side again. "But... if no one can see it when the lift's coming up... and there's a bloody big hole in the floor... don't people fall in?"
"That is so Welsh," Jack said, looking infuriatingly smug.
Ianto scowled. "What is?"
"I show you something fantastic... and you find fault."
Ianto rolled his eyes at the other man. "It is fantastic," he agreed. "It's brilliant, actually." He gestured at Jack's wrist. "Your wrist-strap thingy... what else does it do?"
"Oh, this and that," Jack replied breezily, and Ianto only barely managed not to roll his eyes again at the lack of subtlety in the man's obvious evasion.
Jack grinned again, still looking exceptionally pleased with himself. "Come on, let's find you a place to stay."
###
Almost three hours later, Ianto was beginning to feel irritated. He'd phoned the real estate agent and organised to see three of the more promising flats on the list. Fortunately, she'd been able to meet with them immediately. Two of the flats had been reasonable options in Ianto's opinion, and well within his budget, while still providing a short commute to the Hub. However, Jack had been stubbornly unimpressed, hastily dismissing each flat, and repeatedly saying that Ianto could do better.
The only highlight of the afternoon was that Jack had driven them around in the Torchwood SUV, a heavily customised, large, black Range Rover, fully fitted out with all manner of high-tech kit. Like everything else at Torchwood Three, it was in desperate need of a thorough cleaning, both inside and out. Ianto mentally added the task to his rapidly growing to-do list. As he studied the impressive vehicle, he idly wondered if Jack would ever let him drive it.
They were now standing in an admittedly spectacular, semi-furnished, fifth-floor apartment only a few minutes' walk from the Hub, and which Jack inexplicably had access to. Although Ianto preferred something less contemporary in style, he had to admit that the bay views, efficient open-plan design, and sleek finish were not without their appeal.
"This is more like it." Jack turned from where he'd been gazing out through the large windows dominating one wall of the living area. "What do you think?"
"I can't afford anything like this, sir," Ianto protested.
"Sure you can."
Ianto shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure I can't."
He looked at Jack suspiciously. After a moment, he realised what was going on. None of this was about Jack wanting to help him find a place to live. It was all about Jack wanting to keep a close eye on him. With the CCTV cameras in the common areas of the building, plus those in the surrounding streets, Jack would be able to monitor his movements more easily than with the other flats they'd looked at.
"What's going on here, sir?" Ianto asked cautiously. "Who does this place belong to?"
For the second time since they'd met, Jack looked sheepish. "Actually, it's mine."
Ianto looked at him in surprise. "You live here?"
"No, I've never really lived here." Jack seemed to be trying hard to show disinterest, but Ianto thought he detected an underlying note of sadness in the man's voice. "I bought it on a whim a couple of years ago, but I don't use it. You can move in if you want. Do whatever you like with it... repaint, redecorate, replace the furniture. I don't care. Totally up to you."
"How much do you want per month?" Ianto asked, wondering what the catch was.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Same as those other flats we looked at?"
"It's easily worth twice that much." Ianto narrowed his eyes, feeling his irritation deepen. "I'm not a charity case, Captain."
Jack held up a hand defensively. "Fine. Let's say the same as the others plus twenty-percent?" He paused, apparently waiting for Ianto's response, but when Ianto didn't give him one, he added, "I'll have my solicitor draw up a rental agreement if you like. You can just pay the rent into my bank account each month."
Ianto took a moment to deliberate his options. He knew he should refuse on principle, and he wasn't happy that Jack had more or less manipulated him. But he had to admit it was an easy solution, it would suit his needs, and if he refused, Jack would think he had something to hide. Besides, he reasoned, it didn't have to be forever, and he could always look for something else of his own if things worked out and he ended up staying in Cardiff.
He forced himself to relax and a question occurred to him. "Where do you live then?"
"I've got quarters at the Hub," Jack replied with what seemed like a trace of reluctance. "It's convenient, and I'm there if anything happens."
Ianto nodded. It made sense given there was no one else to deal with any emergencies, and the Rift obviously didn't observe business hours.
He glanced around the open space and peered into the solitary bedroom again. It was a decent size and the large bed looked as good as new. It was the only piece of furniture in the apartment other than quite a nice leather sofa and coffee table in the living area, both of which also looked unused. The bedroom also had a generously proportioned built-in wardrobe along the length of one wall that would easily accommodate his suits and other clothes, and even allow plenty of room to expand his collection.
The kitchen tucked in next to the entrance was compact but more than adequate for his needs, and a spot at one end of the bench-top would be perfect for a coffee machine. Having been neglected for so long, the place needed a thorough cleaning, and Ianto was already making a mental list of everything he'd need to buy in order to transform it into a comfortable place to live.
Turning back towards Jack, who was watching him curiously, Ianto nodded. "All right, I'll take it. You'll get that rental agreement sorted?"
"Sure," Jack replied.
Ianto moved to the door. "Well, we should be getting back to work."
Jack strode across the room and joined him. "Take the rest of the day off and get your things moved in. You'll probably want to do some shopping for essentials too." He handed Ianto a pair of keys for the entrances to the building and the apartment, along with a swipe card for the underground garage. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay... um, thank you." He offered the older man a polite smile. "See you in the morning, sir."
Ianto stood in the doorway of his new home and watched as Jack disappeared down the hall in a swirl of coattails. He had to admit that the man was dashing, and he certainly knew how to make an entrance and exit. The Captain was also intriguing, and somewhat despite himself, Ianto realised he actually liked him. They were going to be spending a lot of time together, and he hoped that eventually they'd be able to form an amiable working relationship.
With that thought in mind, Ianto Jones began his new life in Cardiff, with Torchwood Three and Jack Harkness.