11
"That he is not good enough for a fit bird like you" Ianto answered without hesitating, no filter as he tried to remain honest.
Tosh looked at him long and hard, then nodded as she agreed, "I thought so. Do we ever…I mean….in others."
"Some, some you lose one another, some you die in each other's arms, some you hate one another" Ianto shrugged, "But always the dynamics are of the two of you sparking off one another. Yes. He fears your rejection so he makes himself unattainable. He is not the horn dog he pretends to be, for all his sexual liaisons, he often goes home alone and sits staring out at the city thinking about you."
"I knew it" she repeated thoughtfully.
"So … we tell you we are telepathic with the ability to see future events and that was your question?" Jack asked with amusement.
"Well, I need time to process this theoretical debate!" she scoffed, "Do you think Ianto and I talk about bloody tea brands? No, I will not let you trap me, I want time to consider alternative possibilities before we move forward to the next level of this game."
Ianto smiled sadly as he realised she still didn't get it, "Of course. I will leave you with a FP."
"FP?"
"Fixed Point" Ianto said softly "We will refer to them as FPs for the conversations."
"Agreed"
"Right" Ianto settled, "So. The next FP will be someone offering you a gift. A pretty woman named…"
"Mary" Tosh said with surprise, "How did you…oh. Right, the surveillance, I thought I was past my probation."
Tosh looked at Jack who blinked back with open confusion then snorted, "Right. That. Um …you know how I said you had a tracker, CCTV was utilised by my VM to track and listen in and you flat was bugged?"
"Yes."
"I lied" Jack shrugged, "A big fat massive lie. I only said that because UNIT were listening for a while you I know you couldn't fake it."
"So how do you know about this?" Tosh lifted the necklace, "I thought this entire charade was to get to this. The whole telepathy thing tipped me off to you knowing. Look, I've not worn it here, I've not…not…Ianto?"
Ianto was staring at her with a look akin to someone choking and it was Jack that spoke "Put it on Toshi girl."
She hastily place it around her neck knowing she would get Ianto's misery and Jack's amusement but she was not prepared for what she got.
Nothing.
"Ready?" Ianto whispered as she looked at him as he reached out to take her hand, "OK Tosh, I will release one thought from my shields, are you ready?"
She frowned.
Toshiko stood in the room sobbing as her mother stood in front of her, bound and gagged. The man holding her was not being rough but forceful as he demanded Tosh complete the Sonic Modulator.
Ianto let her have a moment as she struggled to remain calm, the memory so vivid it was like it had just happened in the next room.
"Are you OK?" Ianto whispered, "Do you wish to see another?"
"No" she swallowed thickly, "I do want to call my mother if that's OK."
"Of course" Jack said as he rose to stand and watch her scurry to the meeting room for some privacy, her hands shaking as she called her parents. "In some she doesn't save her. In this one she managed to evade capture, the scheme found before her mother was even involved. I met her during her debrief. That memory, that was from another Toshiko?"
"Yeah" Ianto nodded, "One with only her mother left, not both parents and her brother Hiroshi. Jack, was I too harsh? My own life has been so cruel, I sometimes find people reacting to things that don't faze me. I tried to find something she would recognise even if it had not happened here."
"Well she believes you now" Jack said as he fought the urge to pull Ianto close, Ianto solving his dilemma by moving to lean against the desk so their hips touched, looking down at their feet.
"Ianto?" Jack whispered, "Look at me."
Ianto's eyes lifted and he met Jack's. Jack reached for his hand and pulled their bodies flush as he looked into Ianto's eyes, "You are strong. You were nor defeated, here you stand. Here. You won. As long at you take your next breath, you won."
"And those things?" Ianto whispered, "When they come and fart on me?"
Jack tried to maintain the serious look but the giggling was inevitable as Ianto showed that child-like ability he had to get straight to Javic Thane hiding in the back of Jack's mind.
"Well, can't you hold your breath like a normal person?" Jack asked with wide eyes.
Their laughter was soft but light as Ianto let his head sit against Jack's shoulder for moment before rising then resuming his work. It was as much affection as he had ever allowed Jack with others in the hub.
Jack felt the whispered promise that maybe one day there would be more.