Shades of Grey
A Torchwood Fic
By: Tenshi-Chan
Part 7 - What Shouldn't Be
"So you're doing well?" Lisa's voice was warm and caring over the phone. It was a stark contrast to the mechanical coldness in his nightmares.
"Very well. It's nice to know everyone here on a personal level, and I have the archives well on the way to being sorted." Ianto entered the tourist office. "Right, then. I better go. If you're ever in the area, give me a call!"
"Will do. Take care, Ianto!"
Ianto smiled as he disconnected the call and pocketed his mobile phone. He got into the lift and took it down. When it opened again, he smiled at the sight of everyone playing basketball.
Jack glanced over and beamed at him. "Ianto! Help us out here! The women are beating the shirt tails off of us and Myfanwy seems to be on their side!"
Ianto felt a warmth fill him as he stepped out of the caged area. He promptly managed to get the ball off of Owen and sank a basket. He smirked when Jack let out a sound of objection. "What? You expect me to not join the team with the best advantage?" He chuckled then when one of the women tackled him in a hug from behind and kissed his cheek.
"You are a true jewel, Ianto!" It was Gwen's voice and she squeezed him once before laughing at Jack. "And that was the winning shot! You have to buy us all drinks!"
Suzie was on the upper walkway laughing. "Take Ianto with you, Jack! I'll stay behind. Our favorite coffee brewer never gets to go out! Maybe I'll order a pizza from Jubilee!"
Ianto felt a wave of sickness which must have shown on his face.
Jack placed a hand on his arm. "You all right?"
Ianto nodded. "Just feeling a little off. Can we not order out tonight? Or if we order out, I could go and pick it up. We've gotten too many leaks with deliveries for Torchwood." He looked pointedly at Owen.
The doctor held up his hands in surrender. "What? I keep letting it slip! Can I help it if that bit who answers the phone sounds cute?"
Ianto grinned at Owen. "That ... bit ... as you call her is old enough to be my grandmother."
Jack laughed and flung an arm around Ianto's neck. "Come on! Since we lost, thanks to you, I have to buy the first round of drinks!"
Ianto turned to look at Suzie. "You sure you'll be okay here on your own?"
Suzie smiled warmly on him. "Go on! Getting out of this place will do you a world of good!"
Ianto nodded his thanks to her and allowed himself to be led out of the Hub. Suzie was right when she stated that he never went with them to the pub. In another life it would have been because of a horrible secret in the archives. In this reality, it was because they simply didn't ask and he never felt like requesting permission to join them. Too much to do in the Hub.
Jack was finishing up telling them an amusing story of a woman who had been dating an alien. "... And she said 'Do you know how difficult it is to find a man in this city? He had a nice flat and all his own hair so, frankly, a couple of tusks I can live with.'"
Ianto chuckled as he finished his beer. He had actually missed the easy camaraderie he had shared with the team. He would have ordered another drink, but Tosh's remote rift alarm went off before he could. 'The timing is about right.' He glanced as his watch.
Tosh pulled out her cell phone and studied it. "UFO sighting over Cardigan Bay. Seven calls to emergency services."
Owen groaned a little. "Can we, at least, finish our drinks please?"
Jack was quick with an answer. "Sure! Take ten seconds."
Ianto was already getting his jacket on while Jack and Gwen quickly finished as much of their chosen beverages as possible. Owen had merely scoffed and left the bar in a huff and Tosh was just getting her jacket on.
Jack stood up and tousled Ianto's hair. "Glad you came with us?"
Thinking of how things could have been, Ianto had to smile warmly at Jack. "Wouldn't change it for anything." Jack frowned a little in concern, but Ianto waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Let's go."
Jack nodded and they headed out.
On the way back, Tosh started complaining that she never got to drive. "All I'm saying is, once in a while, I'd like to drive."
Owen simply shrugged, not missing a step. "All I'm saying is no."
Tosh's voice went up half an octave in indignance. "Why not?"
Owen's response actually sounded a littel reasonable. "Look I've shared cars with women before. I know what'll happen! There'll be an emergency, we're all raring to go, I jump in, what do I find? The seat's in the wrong position, the rear view mirror's out of line and the steering wheel's in my crotch. Time it takes to sort it all out, aliens'll have taken Newport."
Ianto smiled a little at the mental image even as he heard Jack's rich laughter wrap around him. He opened the tourist door for everyone as Gwen spoke up.
"What about a rota? Different people drive on different days."
Jack gave her a look of disbelief. "We're a secret organization hunting alien technology from an underground base. And you want to rota for who drives?" He pressed the button that would get them into the Hub and brushed past Gwen with Owen and Tosh following him.
Gwen gave Ianto a look. "I'm just trying to help."
Ianto smiled at her. "I know you are. It's a good idea. I'll see if I can talk to him later." With that, he ushered her through the swiftly closing door before smoothly passing it himself. He could have been mistaken, but Gwen looked like she was almost preening as they entered the lift.
It was somewhat tense in the lift as they descended, but when the doors opened, Jack was all business. "Tosh, call up the radar within a 50-mile radius of the bay for the last six hours."
Ianto smiled at Suzie as he headed over to the kitchenette to make everyone some coffee. The weapons specialist smiled back as Jack continued his instructions. His voice carried through the echoing caverns of the Hub well.
"Gwen, check with that man, Neil, I think his name was, voice like Sean Connery at Jodrell Bank. See if they picked up any chatter around the time of the sightings. Ah! Suzie, access the airspace provision over Cardigan Bay. Owen, while she's doing that, check any RAF flightplans in that area, see if it's just a case of mistaken identity."
Ianto couldn't help the slight shudder. He knew what had happened wasn't going to happen. It was just another day in Torchwood. Nothing much to worry about. 'So why do I feel as if the other shoe is about to drop?'
He started handing out the coffees even as Gwen started talking to the man Jack had instructed her to contact. She smiled at him in thanks, and he went on.
Jack beamed at him as he accepted his own mug. "You, Ianto Jones, are a mind reader." He sipped at the steaming coffee and sighed. "And a wizard with the coffee machine." His smile fell as he seemed to sense Ianto's unease. "What is it?"
Ianto shook his head. "Just ... could have been a bad day. That's all."
Jack put his mug down and placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "You've been acting spooked since you came in this afternoon. Why don't you go home early or go lie down in my bunk?"
Ianto smiled in appreciation. Jack was making the offer as a friend and a boss, just as he would to anyone else. "It's nothing, really. I'll be fine in a bit."
Jack searched his eyes before nodding. "All right. I'll let it go for now, but I might just order you if I think you're really having trouble."
Just then the lights flickered and Ianto felt sick to his very soul.
Gwen gaped. "What's happening?"
Tosh seemed just as puzzled. "Internal power drain."
"What's causing it?"
Ianto shook his head as Jack turned away from him and explained that it had to be something big.
Suzie spoke up. "It started doing that just after you five went to the bar. I thought it was due to a test I was running." She motioned to Owen. "Owen, why don't you run both checks? I'll go see if some cable has come loose. You know this place. It falls apart almost as fast as poor Ianto can get it fixed."
Ianto took a deep breath. That was possible. It was even probable. He gave Suzie a shaky smile. "I could come with you if you like. Two pairs of hands, and all that."
"Oh aren't you a sweetheart, Ianto?" Gwen smiled at him. "But you do enough around here and you're looking a bit peaked."
Suzie looked thoughtful. "I could use the help. Ianto knows the Hub better than I do. Sad thing since I've been here longer." She sighed. "What do you think, Owen?"
The snarky doctor looked over at Ianto and frowned. "Ten minutes, mate. No more."
Ianto nodded and followed Suzie towards the archives after getting a bluetooth.
Suzie pointed. "You look that way, I'll go this way. Remember what Owen said, Ianto. No more than ten minutes then you head back."
Ianto gave her a shaky smile and headed towards an area of the Hub he had never used, nor had he need or desire to. After about two minutes, he blinked and let out a shaky laugh.
"What is it, Ianto?"
Ianto smiled widely in relief as he walked into a small niche. "It's just as Suzie said. A loose cable. I'll have it fixed in a moment."
"Glad to hear it. Once you're done, I really think you should lie down." Jack's voice was warm.
Ianto chuckled shakily. "You know, Sir, I think I'll follow that order." He quickly re-attatched the cables and made sure they were secure. "I've got it sorted for now, but it'll need a more permanent solution at a later time."
"Right. Get back up here as quickly as you can." There was a pause before Jack spoke again. "Suzie! Find anything on your end?"
"Nothing to report."
Ianto dusted his hands off and headed for the the more familiar corridors. He was back to where he'd last seen Suzie when the power flickered again. He swallowed as a flash of what he'd made sure wouldn't happen assailed his mind. He shook it off, only belatedly realizing that Jack was calling his name.
"Ianto? What's going on down there?"
"I haven't the faintest idea, Sir. Suzie?" Ianto waited for a response a moment, dread forming inside him like a ball of ice at the bottom of his stomach. He picked up his pace. "Suzie! Answer me!"
There was still no answer as Ianto searched through the archives. Lights suddenly started to go dim around him. He swallowed and stopped outside a room he had never gone into before because Suzie had politely asked him not to as it would have disturbed some of her research. He took a deep breath and opened the door ... only to immediately wish he hadn't.
End of Part 7
To be Continued ...
Author's Notes: As always, many thanks to Keara for her help and inspiration. Also to all of you readers who have been sending me encouragement and well-wishes. I hope that I can resume posting at a regular inerval now that things have settled down.
