10
Ianto was enjoying the flirting thing, so used to being the wallflower she was now in full bloom and basking in the sunlight of Jack's attention.
Several waiters saw need to approach the table as they enjoyed watching those shapely limbs neatly tilting and moving until Ianto found Jack's ankle with her bare foot and slid her toe inside his pant leg.
Jack paused, mid mouthful and his eyes widened as Ianto pouted and looked at her empty glass.
She knew she had imbibed too much already but was to the point of no return. Lisa used to call it the Welsh Cliff.
Jack swallowed and reached out, stroking a stray lock from her face and let his fingertips stroke around the jaw line of this enigma.
"Jack!"
They both looked up at shock as Gwen loomed over the table, her face pinched into a frown.
"Gwen" Jack frowned, letting his hand drop to cover Ianto's on the table.
"Well?" she grinned, showing her gap and Ianto immediately started to bristle.
"Is this necessary?" Ianto asked, "We are having a lovely meal and aren't you supposed to be on retrieval?"
"So this is why you have me chasing shadows?" Gwen swung to gape at Jack, "Her?"
Ianto blinked as she leaned back and retrieved her hand, ignoring Jack's look of annoyance.
"Go on, what else do you have to say" Ianto was proud that she didn't slur her words and Rhys was there trying to pull Gwen away.
"Come on love, let's have our food and let them enjoy theirs, yeah?" he begged.
"Yeah, listen to Rhys." Ianto snorted, tuning to speak to Jack. "You have something to do over there."
Gwen snatched the glass of wine and flung it into Ianto's face, then presented her gun with a sneer. "Yeah, I do have something to do."
"Jesus!" Jack roared, "What the hell did you do that for!"
"This … whatever she is has you under some influence, I can smell her from here" Gwen hissed, "You need to snap out of it Jack!"
Ianto was looking down at her dress and knew it was ruined as the red wine ran down between her breasts, she then remembered the makeup and she started to rise from her chair.
"I will put you down!" Gwen warned.
"Gwen! For godsake!" Rhys roared.
"Ianto, calm down!" Jack rose as well, seeing the tick in the corner of Ianto's' eye that he knew so well. He called it Ianto's 'stun gun twitch' and right now Gwen was staring down the barrel.
"See?" Gwen looked at Rhys, letting the gun waiver, "He thinks this expensive escort is Ianto for goodness sake."
Ianto looked at Jack and saw his face drop with horror and then at the ruined meal. She reached for a napkin and a light bulb moment occurred.
She stared at her perfectly manicured hand and then slowly turned to Gwen and blinked.
Ianto smiled as it occurred to her that she was a woman.
Then she swung.
Gwen never saw it coming.
Most people missed a Ianto Jones Special until they were on their arse and Gwen was no exception.
Ianto followed through like coach always used to preach at school and felt the satisfying pain run down her wrist and arm as Gwen's head whipped back and she flew back onto the table behind her, then the table collapsed with a crash.
"Bitch, I am so over you!" Ianto said savagely reaching out to grab her by the hair but Jack finally acted, grabbing her under the arms and pulling her back.
"Ianto, babe, please." Jack begged, "Yan!"
"I was enjoying that" Ianto blustered and Jack laughed softly.
"The meal or hitting Gwen?" Jack asked.
"Do they have to be separate Cariad?" Ianto asked, turning to face him and suddenly she felt the warmth of those arms now holding her tightly against his chest.
"Cariad" Ianto whispered, reaching up for a kiss and reveling in Jack's soft moan of delight.
Gwen was woozily getting to her feet and she looked for her gun, only to find Rhys with it.
"You idiot" Rhys sighed, "One day. Just one day, I would like a meal in public without bloody Torchwood in the way."
"I agree with you Rhys" Ianto said shakily as she stepped back from Jack, "I am more than sick of this shit. This even beats the bloody space whale thingiee."
"Christ. Ianto?" Rhys stepped closer and looked into Ianto's eyes.
"Yeah. It's really me. Just another workplace accident" Ianto huffed.
"Well … damn!" Rhys snorted, "I ….shit."
Jack watched Gwen as she started to comprehend and she turned to Jack who silenced her with a raised hand.
"Yeah. An accident in the secure archives did this to Ianto." Jack said calmly, "This is Ianto."
"Not one of your bimbos then" Gwen snorted, then slapped her hand over her mouth as Ianto snarled.
"Jack, I'm leaving. With or without you." Ianto turned and stormed towards the exit as Jack hurried to pay the bill.
Rhys looked at Gwen and shook his head sadly.
"Wonder you don't get stones caught in that gap, the amount of digging that gob of yours does!" he sighed.
"Shut up Rhys" she snarled as she watched Jack help Ianto in the SUV.
She went to get her phone determined to tell Tosh about this.
What she didn't know was Tosh already knew all about it.
As the CCTV camera watched from the corner of the restaurant Tosh screamed at the screen with rage.
Bloody Gwen Cooper!