The week of forced rest had done wonders for his body. Most of the bruises had faded away and his brain seemed to fit in his head again.
Ianto stretched his body while walking to the kitchen. Even after being out cold again due to the sedative, the memories of the nightmare were still very vivid in his mind. He used the images to fuel his anger, he had already been through that and Ianto refused to let the fear from his time with the cannibals take over again. He had fought hard to get back on his feet after almost ending up on the dining table of those lunatics and he would not bow down again.
Taking a deep breath, he entered his kitchen and started to work his coffee magic, the routine was soothing his mind and gave him the calmness he needed to go through the day.
After a few minutes Jack joined him and sat down at the table, watching his every move, taking comfort from the fact Ianto was still able to do these simple tasks. They both knew that it had been close and the threat was still lingering over their heads.
Jack buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath. When the scent of fresh brewed coffee hit his nose, he peered through his fingers and found a steaming mug in front of him. Smiling he lowered his hands and clasped his fingers around the mug, closing his eyes to savour the aroma of the black liquid.
Ianto sat down opposite him, sipping his own coffee, and watched his lover. He loved watching Jack when the other man lost himself in the aroma of his morning coffee, it was one of the few things that calmed Jack down.
He was just glad, the rift had been quiet for the last week. Fighting some major or minor catastrophe wouldn't have helped the team to deal with the shock of being attacked on a personal level.
--ooOOoo--
I'm patient, but one week of waiting after the rush of hurting the boy is more than I can take. I've been watching them everyday, waiting for the right moment. I just know that it will come over the next three days. After overhearing the conversation between Harkness and the police woman, it's obvious to me.
My men are all on standby, it gets kind of hard to keep them calm, they're not used to sitting around. But they are still taking orders from me, and it makes me feel good as I've never done anything like that before. But enough money can make you a leader.
A beeping sound from the monitors draws my attention. Harkness and the boy are just stepping into the tourist office.
After my visit they have upgraded their security measures, you can't enter their base anymore with simply pressing the button. The Japanese woman has installed a fingerprint reader and after some pressure from Harkness an iris scanner as well. No one can enter their base anymore. But I don't have to, I've achieved my goal with my one visit. Harkness knows there is someone out there who is a serious enemy and the boy was terrified. Oh how I love to remember the horror in his eyes when I cut my mark in his chest.
My warning had definitely been received, it had been hilarious to watch them in their base, everyone wearing their stupid headsets and guns, Harkness allowed no one to go anywhere alone. But by now I can see the team flexing his rules, it has only been one week after my attack but they're already starting to be careless again.
I cannot believe how easily they forget. I will never forget. My gaze drifts to the photographs on my table. I reach out to trace the smiling face of my…. No! I will never forget them!
I force my eyes back on the monitors, my anger feels good, it keeps me alive. Harkness and the boy just walk into the main level of their base, the Japanese lady, the doctor and the police woman already there.
Time to make myself some breakfast, there's no point in watching them stumble through yet another day trying desperately to find out who attacked their pet boy.
--oooOOooo--
"Morning." Jack barked through the Hub, keeping his fear well hidden under a wide smile.
"Someone for coffee?" Ianto asked behind him, just shrugging his jacket off.
"Morning," Tosh replied with a smile and added "Coffee would be great, thank you."
"About bloody time, hurry up with that coffee."
"Hello to you too, Owen," Ianto shot back and set off to the coffee machine.
"Be nice, Owen!" Smacking Owen over the head with the file she held in her hand, Gwen greeted Jack on top of the stairs. "I've dug up another couple of files with possible suspects. Do you want to go through them?"
"Yeah, give me a minute to look through my emails, it's time for the monthly status report and I'm sure UNIT and the PM are not happy about not having it yet. I need to stall them."
Gwen chuckled. She remembered those reports and how pushy UNIT and the PM had been. Being in charge definitely had its downsides and reporting to those two was a big one and she didn't miss it one bit.
She watched Jack disappear into his office and turned around only to stand face to face with Ianto who was carrying a try with mugs.
"Coffee?"
"You are an angel, you know that?"
"Apparently I'm all sorts of heavenly creatures," Ianto smirked and continued his way to the autopsy bay to bring the stressed doctor his coffee. Only he didn't make it further than the first step before the rift alarm gave off a blaring sound.
In a matter of moments the whole team was gathered around Toshiko's workstation, who typed frantically on her keyboard.
"It's a major rift spike from a deserted area at the outer skirts of the city," she reported. "But I can't say what has come through."
"OK, kids, time to head out. Take the heavy weaponry in case we need it."
Tosh, Gwen and Owen spread out instantly, gathering their equipment while Jack looked at the monitor, hands on his hips, but Ianto could see he wasn't really paying attention to the readings.
"I will be fine, Jack."
The older man turned to him, a pained expression on his face. "I can't take you out with us and I don't want you to be alone here."
"I will be fine, I promise." Ianto stepped closer and cradled Jack's face in his hands. "The Hub is closed off, no one can come in. I bet Tosh's new security upgrades are better than Buckingham Palace, the White House and Fort Knox together."
"I'm not liking this one bit, what if it's a decoy again?"
"We can't suspect every rift spike to be a decoy, we don't even know if the guy has the technology to use the rift."
"Well, he produced that other signal."
"Jack, please, what if this is really something dangerous that has come through the rift? You need to focus now. Go and save the world." Ianto smiled and pulled his lover into a sweet kiss, before he pushed him in the direction of the garage.
"I'll leave Tosh with you."
"No, Jack, you've seen the spike. Something big has come through and you will need all the hands you can get. I wish, I could go with you, but I'm afraid Owen won't let me."
"And you're bloody right about that, tea-boy. So, I want my coffee when we get back." Owen appeared from the autopsy bay, his backpack over his shoulder, walking past the two men. "Oh, and will you stop smooching around here? I think I'm getting sick."
Jack grinned and pulled Ianto into another kiss, just to annoy the doctor. When they parted again, Ianto was slightly flustered and licked his lips.
"Be careful and keep the channel open all time," Jack tapped lightly with his finger on Ianto's head set.
The younger man nodded. "Be safe. I will monitor from here."
Nodding, Jack tore himself away from his lover and jumped down the stairs, joining the others. With one last glance at Ianto he followed the team to the garage.
Ianto sighed when the door closed with a bang. Suddenly the Hub seemed to be too big and too small at once, he had the feeling the walls would close in on him. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath, telling himself that no one could possibly pass Tosh's new security measures. Opening his eyes again, he smiled when he heard Myfanwy screeching over him, he wasn't all alone after all.
Sitting down at Tosh's station, he tried to analyse the readings. Whatever had come through, it was not emitting any kind of energy signature, so he was hoping it wasn't anything dangerous.
"Ianto, you there?" Jack's voice came over the comm.
Ianto had to smile, the team had left only minutes before.
"Yes, I'm here, Jack. No change in the readings, whatever came through, it's not something technological, at least nothing that emits any kind of energy signature."
"I'm trying to pull up CCTV coverage," Tosh joined in and the sound of her fingers tapping away on the keyboard came through the comm.
"I'm afraid there is no CCTV, it's mostly barren wasteland. The city wanted to build a new housing estate there last year, but I think the funds have been frozen after Abaddon waltzed through the town centre and destroyed quite a few buildings. If I remember correctly they want to revive the project next year, providing there is not another incident."
"Brilliant, so we have no idea what we're walking into," Owen was his usual annoyed self.
"OK, kids, keep your weapons ready and your eyes open. Ianto, report if there's any change in the readings, we will be there in five minutes."
Ianto grinned, for now he was glad not to be in that car. He could only imagine how many speed limits Jack had broken to get to the other side of the city in under 15 minutes.
The readings still hadn't changed and Ianto decided to get another cup of coffee as the first one was cold now. Pushing his chair back, he walked over to the machine, pouring himself another cup when a sudden noise scared the crap out of him. The cup slipped through his fingers and crashed to the ground while Ianto pulled his gun out in one smooth movement, pointing it in the direction the sound had come from.
"Damn!"