In this chapter there's more IMing and we find out more about what's going on between Ianto and Jason. Meanwhile back at Torchwood, Jack looks over a file of a prospective new employee.
I want to thank everyone who has this story on alert and everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate that. Authors just love written confirmation.
Now since we're more that half way done, I've decided to keep the postings a week at the most apart. Just to keep you guessing. ;)
Anyway, enjoy.
A week and a half later…
Flyboyluvr: I'm sorry about last week, I couldn't get time alone.
Coffeeslave: I was busy myself. Everything okay?
Ianto decided to tell him.
Flyboyluvr: I'm not sure what's worse, the way the medicine makes me feel or the hallucinations themselves.
Coffeeslave: What?
Flyboyluvr: I guess I'm not well. Lost my memory a couple years back, bunch of fuzzy & blank spots.
Coffeeslave: Oh god.
Flyboyluvr: Anyway, so lately I've been hallucinating, very vivid. They interact with me. They've lessened somewhat since I started the medication.
Coffeeslave: What kind of hallucinations?
Flyboyluvr: My dad, a pterodactyl, a Japanese woman and an annoying cockney who claims to be a doctor but he looks like a monkey.
Coffeeslave: Are you okay now?
Flyboyluvr: Don't know yet. Might take a while for the meds to fully take effect, if at all. The other day I saw a Welsh woman with a gap in her front teeth and a condescending voice.
After about a minute Coffeeslave responded: How do they interact with you?
Flyboyluvr: Well, Owen the monkey man is quite rude, says that Jack shags my brains out. I haven't seen Jack yet but I've a pretty good idea who he is.
Coffeeslave: Oh yeah?
Ianto noticed that Coffeeslave didn't wonder at a man shagging him. That was good. They'd really just been friends so far and hadn't talked about romance of any sort.
Flyboyluvr: I suspect he's the man in blue I've dreamt about. Haven't seen his face quite but his body's hard and strong so I think he must be handsome.
Coffeeslave: Sounds like.
Flyboyluvr: Owen also asked me if I should be jealous of Gwen, the gap-toothed because Jack's always telling her stuff before the rest of us.
Coffeeslave: If that's the case then Jack's an idiot. He should trust you more.
Flyboyluvr: I can't control hallucinations. You don't even know me.
Coffeeslave: I know you well enough to know that anyone who treats you badly deserves to be shot.
Ianto wondered if it was wrong to develop feelings for someone he'd never met or seen a picture of.
Flyboyluvr: You're sweet. Does it bother you that I'm gay?
Well he might as well be. He'd slept with a grand total of two women. Nobody ever believed he was bisexual anyway.
Coffeeslave: Nope. So am I if I had to choose a label.
Flyboyluvr: I haven't asked yet but since you ride a motorcycle do you wear leather?
Coffeeslave: Does the thought excite you?
Flyboyluvr: Maybe.
Coffeeslave: I do actually, a leather jacket, sometimes chaps.
So he possibly looked like a typical biker but for some reason Ianto pictured him wearing an RAF greatcoat like this Jack character wore. Talk about weird.
Flyboyluvr: Sexy.
Coffeeslave: And what's your normal attire?
Flyboyluvr: Jeans but I have to wear suits for work.
Coffeeslave: And I bet you look good in them.
Flyboyluvr: You don't even know what I look like.
Coffeeslave: You're Welsh, that's good enough for me.
Flyboyluvr: I never did ask, what's your nationality?
Coffeeslave: American, actually.
Flyboyluvr: And living in Wales?
Coffeeslave: I love the Welsh.
Flyboyluvr: You're very wise.
Coffeeslave: Not always. I lost someone very dear to me because I wasn't.
Flyboyluvr: I'm sorry.
Coffeeslave: Live and learn. I won't make the same mistake again.
…
This was not good. In all the years Jack had used retcon, never had anyone been affected like this. It was like Ianto's memories that were erased by the retcon were manifesting themselves as hallucinations that interacted with him. The medication likely wouldn't help, not in the long run. Ianto's subconscious was trying to make him remember. He would only get worse.
Jack went up to the still empty Hub and into the lab. Maybe it was time to make an antidote to retcon.
…
Later Mickey put some files on Jack's desk.
Jack looked up at him "What's all this?"
"Personnel files, for new recruits, Martha and I have narrowed it down to five. One on top one's of the better candidates, Fiona Martin, her mother is Jo Grant."
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?"
"Jo Grant used to work for UNIT, was once personal assistant to the Doctor."
"That is not a requirement to work here and I won't give preferential treatment to people with relatives who know the Doctor but I'll look these over and get back to you."
Once Mickey left the office Jack sighed and opened the top file "Ianto, look these over and tell me who you think is best. Oh yeah. Never mind."
Fiona Martin was indeed a good candidate for Torchwood. She graduated M.I.T with full honours and was currently working for the same company that had gotten Tosh in trouble. So far she'd done nothing really spectacular with her life.
Jack looked up her mother's UNIT file. On Jo's first assignment with the Doctor she'd disobeyed orders and gotten herself hypnotised by the Master and nearly blew up UNIT. Doesn't that always happen? Disobey the Doctor and you get yourself messed with by the Master or whoever the current baddy is. Moral of the story: Don't disobey the Doctor. Ever.
Actually, there was an idea. Jack picked up the files and left his office "Despite what I said Mickey, I don't trust my opinion. See if you can get the Doctor's, see who he wants to work for Torchwood. I don't really care anymore."
…
Jack hadn't been in touch with Alice, she preferred it that way. So he was surprised when she called him out of the blue. Apparently Stephan wanted his Uncle Jack at his birthday.
"I appreciate you allowing me to go" Jack told her "but I don't think it's a good idea."
"This is a first, you telling me no. What's wrong Dad? You haven't called in a while."
"I thought you liked it that way."
"But when you don't call, I know something's wrong" lord help him but she actually sounded concerned.
Jack sighed "I don't think you'd be interested. It's a personal matter. Look, Stephan wouldn't recognise me, I've grown a beard."
"Well that's all right. He really wants to see you, Dad. Come on, what's bothering you?"
She asked for it.
Jack took a breath and told her about Ianto.
When he was finished, instead of hanging up like he thought she would she said "You actually found someone who didn't care about your immortality and you let him go? You really are an idiot. But then so is he. Come to Stephan's party, it'll make his day."
…
Thanksgiving, 2010
Dallas, TX
They were having Thanksgiving with Jason's family in Texas and things weren't exactly right with Ianto and Jason lately.
Jason had been very patient with Ianto's apparent illness, the medication wasn't working and Jason's patience was wearing thin. Ianto's constant dreams of the man in blue had been resulting in Ianto shouting his name in his sleep and Jack had finally manifested as a hallucination. Jack's personality changed often though, sometimes he was very kind and loving and sometimes he was lecherous and Ianto wanted to slap him silly. What drove Ianto mental was sometimes Gwen the gap-toothed would stare at Jack with googly eyes. They were hallucinations, Ianto knew that but still, he didn't like it.
But it wasn't just these very vivid hallucinations that were causing a rift between him and Jason.
"You're addicted to the internet" Jason told him when they were alone in the guest room.
"What gives you that idea?" Ianto responded coolly.
"Ianto, I know what websites you've been going to…"
"Have you been checking my browsing history?"
"Yes but only because you've been spending so much time on that damn computer. Do you know what kind of viruses you can get from those websites?"
"Oh please, it's not like I surf without protection. Calm down."
"And who is this Coffeeslave you've been talking to?"
"Jealous?"
"No."
"You are and you're jealous of Jack too."
"I am not jealous of a hallucination." Jason's voice rose.
"You are too! And what about Kendal?"
"What about Kendal?" Jason blinked, Kendal was another lawyer at his law firm and they worked together quite often.
"You spend an awful lot of time with him."
"I talk to him, is that a crime? I can't exactly talk to you because you won't talk to me."
"You're the one who spends all hours at work!"
"Because you're not interested in me anymore!"
"Guys" Randy came in the room after several minutes of more shouting "the neighbours can hear you."
Ianto sank onto the bed, deflated "This isn't working anymore is it?"
"Jason" Randy said "a word?"
Jason sighed and nodded.
…
Randy dragged his brother outside.
Jason wrenched his arm free "What's wrong? Is that necessary?"
Randy sighed "The girls tell me you and Ianto have been fighting a lot."
Jason sat in a lawn chair "He's been cyber-cheating on me with some dude called Coffeeslave."
"Not the same as physical cheating."
"I know but he's in love with him and that hallucination of his."
"Jack?"
"Yeah."
"Ianto isn't even your type. I always thought he wasn't big and burly enough for you. What about Kendal? Jason, I know you've always liked him. You wanted him before you met Ianto but didn't do anything 'cos you thought he wouldn't respond well."
"Well he was raised in the ghetto. So I was wrong about what he'd think but I haven't been sleeping with him."
"But you've been tempted."
"Even you say he's hot. Randy, what does this have to do with Ianto?"
Randy sat next to him "Jason, you remember when you met Ianto and I told you never to talk to him about what he told you?"
"Yes, you said it wouldn't be good for him."
"What did he tell you?"
"He told me he was lovers with his boss."
"And his boss's name?"
"Jack…oh my god."
"Yeah, listen Jase, I think Ianto's memories are trying to return through these hallucinations. He worked for an organisation similar to UNIT…"
…
Dinner that evening was a little strained. Everyone knew about Ianto and Jason's problems but nobody was saying anything about it. He wondered what Randy talked to Jason about. Randy was the twins' godfather and like a brother to Ianto and was about as protective of Ianto as Ianto's actual brother was.
But whatever they talked about, Jason was more subdued after. Ianto decided to try not to think about it.
He stuck a piece of turkey on his fork.
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
He paused before putting the food in his mouth "What?" he looked up and saw Jack hovering over the table, well not literally hovering.
Everyone was staring at him, he smiled nervously "What did you put in this gravy, Irene? It's simply delicious."
Irene gave him a smile "I used the turkey neck. It's an old family recipe."
"Nice save" Jack said "as I was saying. Didn't you want a normal life? Family around a dinner table?"
Ianto shot him a look that said 'not now.'
"Maybe I can't give you a big family but I can give you a dinner table."
Ianto set his fork down "May I be excused?"
"Of course sweetheart" Irene said.
Ianto went to the upstairs bathroom. As he suspected Jack followed him.
"I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about" Ianto told him "you're not even real."
"How do you know?" Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the sink.
"How do I know what?"
"If I'm real or not."
"If you were I wouldn't be able to do this" Ianto stuck his hand right through him.
Jack sighed "Ianto, I can give you a dinner table."
"But would you sit at it with me every night?" why Ianto said this, he wasn't sure "besides what about Gwen?"
"What about her?"
"I've seen the way she looks at you and sometimes you look at her the same way."
"Maybe that's a hallucination."
There was a knock on the bathroom door "Ianto?" it was Randy "you okay?"
Jack disappeared and Ianto opened the door "I don't know what's real anymore."
Poor Ianto, he's really losing it. But he's not the only one.
And poor Jason, he was so good to Ianto but at least he has someone to turn to. I wonder if Jack's going to make that antidote to retcon.
Reviews are love.
TTFN