Author's Note: a day early for the lovely candybree! Ya'll should thank her...LOL (oh, and standard discalimer - as much as I aouls like to woen the characters - *sigh*)
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The alarm sounded as the cog rolled back to reveal Gwen carrying to take-away coffee cups with the familiar emblem on them. "I have my eyes closed!" She yelled across the Hub, hearing her voice echo.
"No need, he's gone." Jack was right beside her, taking the cup with his name on it and drinking deeply. "This is sooo good, thank you, Gwen."
She crossed to sit at her desk, two cups still in the carrier. "So, you gonna tell me why he was here?" She opened her eyes wide in question.
"Well, Gwen," Jack sat on the corner of her desk and picked up a framed photo of Owen and Tosh that sat there, brushing a thumb over Tosh's face. "I don't think..."
"What the hell happened down here?" Martha's voice carried up the steps. "Everything is tossed around, there are empty saline bags littering the floor, used needles...JACK!"
Gwen's eyebrows shot up past her bangs and Jack shrugged at her, setting the frame down before leaning on the railing to talk to the visiting doctor. "Small mishap. Had to transport a cryo-patient to a different location by order of the Provisional Syndicate of Suns – heard of them?"
Martha glared up at him, hands on her hips. "No. And if you don't get down here and clean this mess up, right now, mister..." She didn't finish the threat, but she didn't have to; Jack was already taking the steps two at a time. "I am going to leave you down here with this mess. You have half an hour. In that time, I will be drinking my coffee. Get to it."
A smile broke out on Jack's face. "Oh, Martha, more and more you make me think I am with the wrong Jones – you're as good at bossy as him..."
"Don't think for one minute anyone but him would put up with you," Martha laughed back. "Please get it done, Jack. I have a load of work to do."
"I will. Go. Have coffee and girly chat." He began to pick up the mess as Martha went to join Gwen.
"Was it that bad of a mess?" Gwen asked when Martha reached for her cup.
Martha shook her head. "You have no idea. I wonder what he really got up to down there." She drank. "I mean, if Ianto weren't out, I would think..." She caught Gwen's eyes going wide. "What?"
"Nothing." Gwen said too quickly, turning back to her cup, which was suddenly very interesting.
"Gwen." Martha was staring at her.
"What?" She picked at the cup now.
"What do you know?"
"Nothing." Martha gave her a look that could only mean 'spill it now', and she sighed. "Okay," she whispered, "When I came in, Jack wasn't alone."
"I knew it! That sneaky Ianto..." Gwen stopped her with a hand over hers.
"It wasn't Ianto," she grimaced, watching Martha's face fall. "It was John Hart."
Martha grimaced and caught her coffee as it started to slip. "What? You can't be serious."
"I am though." Gwen looked towards the bay. "Do you think he'll tell Ianto?"
Martha frowned. "Do I think he'll tell Ianto what? Nothing went on." Gwen raised her eyebrows, prompting Martha to lean forward, not noticing that she was spilling her beverage a bit until she could feel the heat on her leg - but that didn't bother her. "Listen. Nothing went on. Jack's not like you lot think. He's in love with Ianto. I know that better than anyone. I saw him when you didn't. When he was gone, that's the only person he could think about; the only person he would talk about. Every action that man has, every thought in his head – he thinks about how it will affect Ianto first and foremost. Trust me on that."
Jack came up the stairs to find the two of them talking about the changes that the Rift monitor was reporting. "So, yeah, we're one down in the vaults now. Bay 0-0-3 is now open for business if you need it, Dr. Jones." Martha nodded to him. "And your work area is clean – and though you could eat off the floor, I wouldn't."
"You're the best," Martha stood to hug him. "Don't let anybody tell you any different."
"No, that would be Ianto," Jack corrected her. "Who I need to call and check on."
"Reminds me, how was last night?" Martha sat in the chair Jack rolled to her. "Henry sleep all right?" Jack just looked at her. "He will, Ianto will have him in a routine in no time."
Jack laughed, "I'm hoping. Not used to having kids around anymore."
Gwen went to speak, but Martha caught her eye and shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Go, call Ianto. Find out if he's okay. Gwen and I can review these readings."
"Martha Jones, again I say – you are indeed an angel." He kissed her on the top of the head. "You too, Gwen," he added with a kiss to her as well before bounding up to his office to make a call.
It still smelled like John Hart, and Jack made a note to clean up in there before Ianto made it back. He didn't want him to think that anything had gone on, after all. He picked up his cell to dial, but the phone on his desk rang. He listened to it ring twice before he remembered that Ianto wasn't in the Tourist Centre to answer it. Sighing, he reached over and cradled the receiver in his hand.
"Jack Harkness," he answered, expecting it to be nothing more than a weekly status interview from UNIT, but finding that it was another department – one that was searching for a file that was supposed to be in that morning that they needed very badly . Jack apologized and told the caller he would get right on it, making a note on a post-it pad that sat next to the phone before hanging up in a huff. That call had ruined the good mood he was going to use on Ianto.
As he was stewing, trying to find the report that that phone call had been about, the phone rang again. "Harkness!" He barked, finding the prime minister on the other end. She was in another huff over something or other, but Jack found he couldn't listen; he could never listen. That was why fielding calls was Ianto's job. He listened to her drone on about the ramifications of members of parliamentary being possible aliens – or something like that - for a good hour before someone told her there was a call for her on another line and she excused herself. When Gwen gave a quick wave up to him, he thought briefly that he should give her a raise.
Settling back into his seat to find that report the phone rang a third time. "What?!?!" There was silence on the other end before someone said his name. "Jack?" It was Ianto; Jack felt instantly sorry. "Oh, thank Gods! Yan, I had a call this morning about a report that didn't get to UNIT on time – I didn't even know that the damned thing existed, let alone that it was due back this morning! You could have at least told me they were here..." Jack stopped talking when he heard the wailing in the background – over the sound of Ianto's tell-tale anger pant.
"Listen to me, Jack Fucking Harkness." The reply came between breaths – very heavy ones. "I told you LAST WEEK about those. Left you a list even. Taped to the top of the desk. And before you say anything – there is another copy tacked to the board in the kitchenette and a third copy actually sitting on the fax machine." Ianto stopped for a breath and Jack heard faint scuffling on the phone. "Would you like me to come in and hold your hand while you sign the paperwork? Because I would love to do that, but my hands are a little busy right now." Jack's eyes grew wide. "One minute, Jack." Ianto held his hand over the phone, but it was still clear what he was saying. "No, Henry! Dirt is not for eating! And put that worm down!" More struggling sounds and crying – not all Henry that time. "Look, Jack, going to the park isn't working out so well. I've got to go before...Henry! No worms!" The line went dead before Jack could answer. He shrugged and left his office to go to the conference room, where Martha and Gwen were already setting up.
"Ianto okay?" Martha asked, looking up from the picture of Louann Heshel that Gwen had provided the day before.
Jack looked confused as he answered. "Yeah, I think...anyway...do we have anything new on the Heshels?"
"Nothing." Martha shook her head. "I wish I could have found something, but the trail dies at Norris. Nothing carved in the body, no abnormalities." She tossed the pen that she was holding onto the table in front of her. "Dammit! Jack, there should be more information!"
"It's okay," Jack moved to rub Martha's back. "We aren't always going to have all the answers."
"We used to." Gwen spoke to the table, her voice holding back tears. "Jack, we need help."
Jack sighed as he took his chair. "We do, but it's just not possible right now." He ran his hands over his face. "So, that being said, what do we know?"
"Only what Gwen and Ianto knew from yesterday. This is a dead end, Jack!" Martha threw the files on the table and stood. "What went on here this morning?"
Jack leaned on the table and steepled his fingers. "Prisoner transport."
"What prisoner?" Martha leaned on the table, leaning toward him.
"One in our vaults." Jack answered quickly.
"More specifically?" Martha leaned closer.
"Classified." Jack looked her in the eye, not letting the tactic she was using intimidate him like it should have.
"That's not true; you don't want to tell." Martha was all but in his face now. "Who came to get the 'prisoner'?"
"John," Gwen answered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms on her chest.
"Who?" Martha was sure she didn't hear that right, and turned to the Welshwoman.
"John Hart."
"No." Martha shook her head with a smile. "Jack would never let him in here."
"But he did. I saw him."
"Jack!" Martha spun back to face Jack, who was now leaning back in his chair – his pose much like Gwen's. "You didn't!"
Jack forced a laugh from the back of his throat. "It's true. He had orders. I had to let him. But he's gone now." He shook his head. "Not coming back."
"Are you sure?" Gwen asked, shrill. "Jack, he said that the last-"
Jack cut her off with a look. "He's different, Gwen. You don't know him like I did – like I do. He says he's going, he's gone."
"Jack, it's just-" She was stopped by Jack holding up a single hand.
"Not important. It's over." He turned back to Martha. "What is important is that we find out where Ms. Heshel went."
"Right." She agreed, picking the folders back up and sitting down again. "I guess I can try and cross reference with anything UNIT might have on similar cases."
"And I can check back records here at the Hub," Gwen offered, feeling thoroughly defeated.
"Great, when I get home tonight, I can ask Ian-" Jack's wrist strap beeped. He looked down and grimaced. "Have to get this," he walked out of the conference room and into his office.
"Jack!" John's voice echoed in the room. "I'm back, do you want to meet me somewhere so I can give you my wriststrap?"
"Why would I do that?" Jack narrowed his eyes, knowing the other man could hear it in his voice.
"So that you would know that I am leaving for good. It's good for one more jump. You can send me wherever you want and keep it as a memento." His voice was mostly sincere, but Jack didn't quite trust him.
"Do you mean that? You'll leave me and everyone I love alone?" He looked over at a framed picture on his desk, and beside it, a New York snowglobe and a Rubik's cube.
"Awww, don't you love me anymore, sweetheart?" John pouted.
"No." Jack looked at the clock with a heavy sigh. "Where do you want to meet me?"
"How about a dark alley where we can get a quickie in?"
"No." Jack pursed his lips. "There is a park not too far from here. No one will notice us."
"Are you saying no to the alley and yes to the sex then?"
"John." Jack somehow managed to make it rhyme with 'bastard'.
"Yes?"
"The park. Fifteen minutes." He terminated communication before John could say anymore and grabbed his coat. "I'll be back in a little bit," Jack told the women as he stood on the perception filter and started to ascend.
"But where are you going?" Gwen called up.
They weren't sure, but it sounded like Jack had answered, "None of your damn business."
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John was there, all right. That obnoxious coat so out of place. No one was around though, that was good. Jack walked up to him and stood, holding out his hand.
"Just like that? No 'Hello, love'?" John smirked and relaxed his stance a bit.
"Give me the damn thing so I can get rid of you." Jack's hand didn't move.
"Well, aren't we all 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am'?" He unbuckled his wrist strap and slapped it forcefully into Jack's hand, careful to lash his wrist a little.
Jack winced and closed his hand around it. "Where to?" He fiddled with the controls.
"Surprise me." John grinned. "You always did like that."
Jack looked up at him as held his head down still. "Funny, I still think mine's bigger."
"Oi! You never complained!" John reached for it, but Jack instinctively slapped his hand away. John grinned a coyote smile. "And how are you measuring? That dial is a good inch wider..."
Jack held up his wrist, a familiar toothy smirk on his face. "Yeah, that may well be, but mine goes all the way around." John's smile disappeared. "Been nice knowing you. Well, not really but..." Jack activated the strap before the other man could say more. "Good riddance," Jack said, but as he pocketed the manipulator, a small tear fell down his cheek. He walked to the SUV and started the drive back to the Hub, sure that things were going to be a lot easier now.
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John Hart smiled as he landed. He was used to the jolt by now, so he didn't need recovery time before he looked around. That bastard had sent him to a bazaar on Goik Delta, of all places. A bazaar that was virtually overrun by Catkind. He shivered. Even he had standards.
Wasting no more time, John reached in his pocket and produced the spare vortex manipulator. It was lucky for him that the Provisional Syndicate of Suns hadn't asked for Gray's wrist strap. Sure, it was smaller than his, but it was worth getting one over on Jack Harkness. He fiddled with the controls for a while before he was able to get them to work, but once he did, he was on his way.
