Fandom: Torchwood/Dr. Who
Characters/Pairing: Jack/Ianto also starring Gwen, Rhys, Martha, Donna, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Pete, Martha's family and mentions of the Doctor.
Disclaimer:I don't own Torchwood or Who all belongs to RTD and the BBC
Warnings: Spoilers for all Torchwood and Who so far S1&2 Torchwood and s1-4 Who
and some suit envy.
Author's Note: Sorry if the characters are off. If they are please tell me and I'll fix them. Especially if Ianto and Jack start to get pathetic. I hate when Ianto gets written like a pathetic whinge.
This was the most difficult chapter, plot is Not my friend. Well I did my best. Tell me what you think. :D
Mickey Smith was suffering from a rather intense bout of Captain envy.
Mickey Smith was also suffering from a rather intense bout of Suit envy.
It certainly didn't help that the Captain and the Suit were being respectively ridiculously charming and enticingly mysterious.
Nor did it help that whilst Martha seemed immune to their charms Rose kept throwing them appreciative looks and Donna and Jackie were practically salivating. If Pete started making moo eyes at the Suit he was going to explode.
The Suit had led them to a quiet pub on the outskirts of London and seemingly knew his way around well as he greeted the landlord cordially and led them without hesitation to the beer garden.
When they emerged into the bright sunlight Mickey had to be begrudgingly impressed. There were two picnic tables shoved together and covered with food and drinks; which was a Godsend really as he'd had nothing to eat all day.
He took a seat and immediately wolfed down a salad sandwich despite the glare Rose was giving him and decided that perhaps the suit wasn't as bad as he looked.
Ianto watched with a wry smile as Mickey made a beeline for the table and scoffed a sandwich ignoring an obviously irritated Rose.
Ianto walked to the head of the table and stood just off Jack's right shoulder as everyone else took their seats.
"Alright." Jack said clearing his throat dramatically. "I believe introductions are in order. You all seem to be acquainted." The Doctor's female companions were ignoring each other as best they could at a picnic table. "So I think I can skip that bit."
"My name is Captain Jack Harkness and I'm head of Torchwood 3 in Cardiff. We're a non-governmental organisation who deal with aliens and invasions and all that other heebie jeebie stuff." He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically.
Ianto rolled his eyes at that, no matter how many times he wrote Jack a workable, coherent speech to use at times like this he insisted on doing it himself and, from the looks on the ensembled faces, confusing everyone.
Jack cleared his throat.
"Anyway this is Ianto Jones, he's our resident archivist at Torchwood Cardiff and he makes an excellent cup of coffee."
Ianto really hoped he left it at that, the usual introduction was not so good for making a decent first impression-
"And he looks fantastic in a suit."
Ianto huffed. Silently.
Outwardly he gave no indication that he'd heard what Jack had said and instead he pointedly avoided the agreeable noises emitted by the ladies.
"And I think Ianto already knows you all from your files so think we can skip that bit too and move on to the real business of the day."
"What do you mean files?" Rose asked looking apprehensive; Ianto saw her expression mirrored by the rest of the Tylers and Mickey.
"Torchwood has files on the lives, movements and associates of all the Doctor's companions." He glanced at Jack who nodded slightly at him. "We know all about you."
That served to creep everyone out so Ianto decided that perhaps some coffee would ease the tension and distrust that was pretty obviously directed at him and Jack.
"Coffee sir?"
"Good man Ianto, you get the coffee, that'll give Martha time to get her information ready." He looked at Martha who nodded and began to set up her laptop.
Ianto moved away from them back into the main pub acutely aware of Jack watching his behind and not hiding it very well. He was sure the barman would let him at the coffee making facilities; he'd been a regular here not so long ago.
This was the same pub that he and Lisa had had Sunday lunch in every week for almost two years. He was surprised that coming back here hadn't been nearly as hard as he'd expected. The dull roar that had claimed his mind for so long when he thought of Lisa had over time faded to a small jolt of loss and a rush of affection.
Now he could remember her fondly, do things that reminded him of her, watch her favourite movies, listen to her CDs and remember the good times without a feeling of all encompassing despair. It was nice.
Although the facilities were not up to his usual standard he had a packet of his special blend in his jacket that he never left Cardiff without (he had more in the SUV, for emergencies, stashed between the weevil spray and dinosaur nets). So the end result, whilst not up to his usual brilliance was still pretty damn good.
He made his way back to the beer garden expertly weaving his way through the throng of people in the pub despite his full tray of coffee mugs. The mood outside had darkened further by the time he returned and even Jack was starting to look a little unsure of himself. The last time he'd seen Jack this flustered he'd been attempting to ask Ianto out on a date. It was kinda amusing watching the brash, confident Captain floundering like a nervous teenager.
He silently passed by each person placing a mug beside each of them, Martha was the only one to thank him as the others were either staring sullenly at the table or shooting their spouse a dirty look. He reached Jack last and handed him a mug of his industrial strength coffee with a tiny private smile which Jack returned with added force when their fingers touched.
Ianto slid into his seat between Jack and Martha and opposite Mickey sipping his own coffee and watching the strangers over the top of his mug.
The coffee seemed to be working its magic and after a few muffled exclamations and a torrent of gushing in his general direction the entire party could be proclaimed to be a collectively better mood.
Martha drew their attention back to the problem at hand when she placed her laptop between Ianto and Jack and said: "So can Torchwood help us?"
Ianto glanced at the screen in front of him and quickly scanned the list of items. They all appeared to be transportation or teleport devices and off the top of his head he couldn't say he recognised any of them from the archives.
He pulled the laptop towards him and brought up a tab to access the Torchwood databases and ran a quick search of electronic archives.
"No nothing of the sort Martha, sorry." He shook his head and glanced at Jack who was giving Martha a measured look.
"So, don't UNIT have any teleportation devices?" He asked her a little sceptically.
Martha blushed slightly "They very well may have Jack but I certainly don't know about it and I don't have the access to check the computer database."
"I thought you had Level 1 security clearance" Jack reasoned.
"I do. It just doesn't clear me for the archives."
"So you can launch nuclear missiles but you can't search for alien ipods?" Jack asked incredulously.
"Not really important right now Jack! I was hoping you could maybe get Tosh to take a look at it. She's pretty handy with the hacking, got us into the Pharm easily enough."
Ianto flinched slightly at the mention of Tosh and looked at Jack. His face had tightened slightly and when he answered his voice was sharp and cool.
"Toshiko Sato is dead."
Martha's face fell, shock and a flicker of grief passed over her.
"Oh my God, Jack, I'm so sorry."
Jack nodded sadly at her and offered a strained smile. Ianto placed a discreet hand on Jack's knee under the table and Jack put his hand over it.
"What happened?"
Ianto saw Jack struggling a bit so stepped in to answer. His voice sounded tight to his own ears but he forged on.
"Remember those explosions in Cardiff last month?" Martha nodded. "Well, let's just say it was Torchwood related and Tosh and Owen got caught in the crossfire."
"Ianto I'm so sorry. I don't know-"
"Right well." Ianto interrupted her with forced brightness "I'm no where near Tosh's brilliance but I'll certainly give it ago. She taught me a good bit during all those late nights sessions in the Hub" He gave her a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Jack gave his hand another squeeze before letting it go so he could pull over the laptop and get started on getting into UNIT.
"Might as well not bother mate." Mickey said out of the blue "I know a fair bit about computers and I couldn't get past the first firewall."
"Thank Christ we're not relying on his technical brilliance." Jack muttered to Ianto as he glanced over his shoulder. "That is why Mickey Smith will never work for Torchwood in this universe."
Ianto gave no outward sign he'd heard Jack but silently concurred, imagine replacing Tosh's brilliance with an idiot like that.
"Accessing the archives should be relatively simple." Martha offered "You just have to think like an archivist and no offence Ianto, but you're a strange breed."
Ianto smiled at that his eyes intent upon the screen in front of him and his fingers ghosting over the keys.
Jack had just been about to ask Rose what exactly Torchwood London had been getting up to in her Universe when Ianto let out a little triumphant noise and leaned back from the computer.
"You In?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes sir." Ianto was managing to look only a little bit smug as he glanced at Mickey's dumbfounded and slightly jealous expression.
"Ianto Jones I could kiss you." Ianto raised an eyebrow at him; the non verbal equivalent of if you even think about it you're sleeping in the ensuite tonight.
But Jack didn't get time to weigh the pros and cons of planting a kiss on him because at that moment Ianto's mobile rang and he had to stumble in his pocket to get it out. He glanced at the screen to see the caller ID.
"Excuse me I have to take this." He said politely standing up from the bench.
As he walked to a quiet area of the garden they distinctly heard him say "Good Afternoon Your Majesty…..yes very well…still a handful…I do my best."
"Did he just say Your Majesty!" Donna asked flabbergasted.
Jack gave a smug nod and beamed.
"The bleedin' Queen!" Jackie exclaimed.
"You mean to say that the Queen of Great Britain has Ianto's mobile number and she just randomly calls him up from time to time?" Rose asked.
Sometimes at the most inopportune moments. Jack thought remembering a particular instance when Ianto was otherwise engaged but had thought it rude to let the Queen go to voicemail. Jack had delighted in trying to get him all flustered. Every time Ianto had tried to kick him away Jack had just grinned and mouthed "For Queen and country" at him.
"Well she won't even speak to me since the incident with the teapot." Jack laughed "That was a fun weekend! Ianto conducts most of the interaction between us and the Palace…and Downing Street." He thought for a moment "…And UNIT. I should really give him a raise."
Their conversation broke off as Ianto came back towards the table and slumped back into his seat giving Jack a small smile.
"All set sir. Meetings are now confirmed with the Prime Minister, Her majesty, UNIT, the Ministry of Defence and the Future Options Committee."
"Did they give you any trouble?"
"Once I promised that I would attend all meetings without a certain Captain, I couldn't have been more warmly welcomed. In fact Minister Hathaway went as far as to call you a menace."
"Menace? How dare he! I was never anything less than cordial to that man and his wife."
"Jack you were significantly more that cordial to his wife if I remember correctly. Christmas Ball last year."
"Good times." Jack laughed heartily
"What's with all the meetings?" Pete asked Ianto "Why don't you just go and take whatever it is you need."
"That's what I said" Jack nodded emphatically throwing his hands up in exasperation and turning to fix Ianto with a level look.
"As I've already said Jack" He gave him a pointed look. "Diplomacy can sometimes work in our favour. If we took it without asking I'd have Colonel Mace ringing me every other day complaining about our lack of respect for guidelines and threatening to report us to the MOD or demanding a spot inspection of the Hub, which you know would result in Myfanway eating another Government Inspector."
Jack gave a bark of laughter at that and his eyes glazed slightly at the memory. "Oh Yeah, hell of a week that was."
"Quite." Ianto agreed. "Besides we can always break in and steal it if they won't let us have it. We have all their blueprints and security codes here." He gestured at the screen.
Ianto glanced at his watch. "I'd better be going Jack; first meeting's in half an hour."
He took out the keys of the SUV and handed them to Jack. "I'll get a taxi, it's not that far. If I'm not back tonight I'll meet you at the Jones' in the morning."
He turned to Martha "Good to see you again Dr Jones."
"Mr Jones" She nodded mock seriously smiling at him.
He turned to the others, "Ladies, Mr Tyler, Mr Smith it's been a pleasure."
And with a band smile he turned on his heel and left in the direction of the pub.
Jack watched him go and shouted; "Give my regards to Lizzie!" Ianto didn't turn back.
"So he makes the coffee" Rose asked Jack
"Yep."
"You have a tea boy who's on speaking terms with the most powerful people in the country, can hack into top secret military databases and knows the contents of your archives off by heart?"
"Sounds about right."
"Can't wait to meet your janitor. What's he a nuclear physicist!?"
If only you knew Jack laughed to himself as he sipped his water and reached for another ham and cheese sandwich.
If only you knew.
Next Chapter; An update on Gwen & Rhys live from the Hub-let the chaos ensue!!
Thanks to everone who has reviewed it makes me sooo happy! I actually was checkin' up in Uni the other day and I stopped breathing with excitement for a couple of minutes and thought I'd pass out...might have been the heat...But Im pretty sure it was the awesomeness of the reviews.
Please feel free to criticise if anything seems wrong!
Cheersies! :D