I know it's been a while and I'm sorry. Have been getting ready for my holiday so things have been a bit up in the air. Going to try and get another chapter up before I fly out as there will be no internet. So at least another update before Sunday. And thank you once again for all your nice reviews.
It was fair to say that Captain Jack Harkness, for a long time in quite a while, was happy. Sat at his desk, whistling a tuneless melody as he went through his paperwork, he found his mind giddy with the expectancy of what the night would hold for him and Ianto. He had already tried to refrain himself from doodling on the requisition forms meant for UNIT, although he couldn't help but let out a small laugh at how the stuffy office types in London would be squirming in their seats if they were to see the teenage scrawling of the fearless leader of Torchwood 3. Instead, he had let his mind wonder as he began to plot the perfect night; he had already known he would take Ianto to that new French restaurant up town, the one Jack knew Ianto had been bringing up subtly in conversation. He had called and made reservations already, Rift or alien invasion be damned. More than he wanted to admit, he wanted this night to be more than just special; Ianto had saved him from the shadows of Hell and had nursed him back to a somewhat normal state of being, normal for him he would say. He wanted to let Ianto know how much he appreciated it, how much he meant to him, how much he...how much he needed him.
Squirming in his seat, he cursed his body's reaction at even the thought of Ianto, although he couldn't bring himself to argue when it made him feel so right. His mind was dragged back to their early morning shower session and he could feel the material of his trousers growing tighter. If this was the way he was reacting now, he dreaded to think if he could last until tonight. He played over the thought of slipping down into the archives and taking Ianto there and then, giving him no choice but to spend his lunchtime with him. But then he realised he was being selfish; Jack knew Ianto and Rhiannon very rarely saw each other and if that meant that he had to sacrifice a Ianto-less lunch to make his lover happy, then he would gladly stay up in his office and try to ignore the growing ache in his trousers.
Almost as if the gods had heard him, a distraction for his problem came almost immediately, emitting from the vocal cords of one Miss Toshiko Sato. 'OWEN!' The scream was a playful one, coming more from annoyance than any physical worry. Smiling to himself and shaking his head, he stepped from behind his desk, quickly straightening himself and made his way out of his office. The sight in front of him was comical, although the look on Toshiko's face was telling him it was far from funny for her. Her pink blouse covered in a purple slime, Tosh's eyes flared with anger as she looked over to an almost hysterical medic standing in the arch of the medical bay, who was equally covered in the same coloured slime. In his hand lay, what Jack assumed, the remnants of an organ from the body of the Craetos Owen had been dissecting. It seemed that the medic had finally figured out that the species had exploding organs that were filled with harmless slime. Not the best party trick Jack had seen throughout the Universe, but at least it would keep the children, and for now Owen, entertained.
'That's the only problem with these critters,' Jack said as the two members of his team almost jumped to attention as they noticed the figure of their leader had now entered the room. 'All fun and games until someone loses an eye.' He couldn't help but smile at the sudden panic stricken look on Tosh's face. 'Don't worry, Tosh. Stuff comes right out. As for you, Dr Harper, haven't you got any real work to do?'
'I am doing real work as you put it, Jack.' Owen handed Tosh a cloth and gave her an apologetic smile. 'Who's to say work and fun can't go hand in hand together?' Owen wiped the small spot of slime from his brow as he looked at Jack. As much as he wanted to forget it, his medical brain was still working on full power, silently assessing Jack for any sign of instability or uncertainty that could still be present after his time in Hell. Satisfied, he turned away and took the cloth from Tosh, dabbing away at his shirt.
'Fine,' Jack said. 'Just find it kinda odd that the guy who kept pestering us this morning to get into work is doing very little of said task himself.' Grinning away, he turned to head back into his office when he was stopped dead in his tracks by what Owen said next.
'Jack, I don't know what you're talking about.' Without even looking at his medic, Jack could tell that Owen was being truthful and that he was thoroughly surprised himself with what Jack had said. 'We didn't call you in today. Surprised myself you came in, I know Gwen's not here, but...'
'What do you mean?' Jack now turned to face Tosh and Owen, a slight look of concern crossing his face. 'You texted Ianto this morning to see if we were ever going to get into work.' Tosh could see there was something not quite right; she had no doubt that Jack was telling what he perceived to be the truth, but then her mind was racing with all the possibilities and reasons why Ianto would lie to Jack. Before she could open her mouth, Owen had already stepped in.
'Look, Jack. I've not been near my phone all day and Tosh has been up at her workstation.' He knew almost instantly that maybe he should have just lied and backed Ianto up with whatever charade he was pulling. He could see Jack's strong demeanour begin to crumble as he began wringing his hands, looking in the direction of the archives as if Ianto would magically appear and tell him everything was alright. 'Hey, I bet it was just Ianto trying to get you all up and ready. You know what that guy is like with being on time and the like.' He knew Jack wasn't buying the line and, if Owen was in his shoes, he knew he wouldn't either. He wasn't sure what Tea-Boy was up to, but he had better come up with some damn fine explanation.
'But...he...' Jack couldn't form any kind of sentence, no matter how much he tried. He didn't want to think it, but it was the only thought that came to mind; Ianto was seeing someone secretly. The text messages, the reaction Ianto had in the car, they were all making a sense Jack didn't want to comprehend. He kept looking towards the archives and his first instinct was to run to Ianto and to take comfort in his arms, rationalise that there was a big misunderstanding but everything was alright. Yet, he couldn't help but recall the images of Hell, Ianto with his arms around another man. I used you, Jack. The same way we all do. Ianto wouldn't lie to him, he couldn't lie to him. Did you really trust me, Jack? All thoughts of romantic dinners and playful shower mornings were wiped from his mind as he began to run for the archives, not noticing or hearing Tosh and Owen.
Owen headed back down into the autopsy bay and Tosh couldn't help but tag along with him. As much as she wanted to intervene, she was more than just a little afraid.
****
It was fair to say that Ianto Jones, for a long time in quite a while, was royal cheesed off. Throwing the file violently towards the table in front of him, he sucked on the third paper cut he had received in the good part of an hour. This day was just getting better and better, Ianto thought to himself and couldn't help but take a quick glance at his watch, 11.45. Allowing himself to smile for the first time since leaving Jack to finish his paperwork, his tired and annoyed mind allowed itself to wonder for a couple of seconds as he took a few calming breaths. Lyn would make it all better, at least for a while. With her, he could be himself, the self he was way back before he joined Torchwood, before Canary Wharf, before Lisa... before Jack. He hated to think it but a part of him needed some time away from Jack. He knew he was being selfish; Jack had just escaped from a Hell dimension and was still suffering terribly. But still, Ianto kicked the filing cabinet in frustration, which he quickly regretted when a sharp pain shot through his toe. He was fed up with everything. When was the Universe going to treat him the respect and dignity he craved?
'Ianto?' His eyes remained tightly closed as he heard his name being shouted down the corridor. Letting out a ragged breath as he heard the sound of running feet approaching him, he turned to face the force charging towards him and all he could think was great, what does he want now?
Opening his eyes, he was slightly taken aback at the figure standing in front of him; out of breath and with watery eyes, Jack stared back at Ianto but he had stopped a good foot or so away from him. The man in front of him looked like a frightened and lost little boy in a supermarket who had just found his mother, not knowing whether to run into her arms and be comforted or to be wary of the wrath that he knew was there for getting lost. Wringing his hands, he eyes failed at keeping contact with Ianto's for any long period of time and when he finally did speak, his voice was a whispered and upset tone.
'You... you lied to me,' Jack muttered, still unable to look his Ianto in the eye.
'What?' Ianto was genuinely searching Jack's face to find some kind of indication of what it was exactly that he lied about.
'You said Owen told us to come in, but he didn't.' Jack hated feeling this small, this fragile, but there was no way he was emotionally strong enough yet to cope with what he was ultimately facing. He hated it even more when Ianto let out a shaky laugh and cupped his chin with his hand, making him look Ianto square in the eye.
'God, is that it?' Ianto tried to keep his tone neutral. 'I only did it to get you moving. If it makes you feel better, I'm sorry.' He brushed away the stray tear that leaked from Jack's eye and for a moment, Jack took comfort in the touch of Ianto's hand.
'Well then who texted you when we were in the car?' Jack could feel Ianto's hand stiffen under his cheek and Jack knew that his thoughts were right, and he hated himself.
'Jack, it doesn't matter. I don't understand why you're acting like this.' A part of him wanted to stay, take Jack in his arms and look after him. However, the main part of his brain was screaming to get out and up to the Bay with Lyn.
'No, you tell me who it was.' Jack didn't know where the sudden burst of confidence came from, but he relished in it.
'Just a friend,' Ianto knew that was the safest thing to say and hoped it would shut Jack up. God, how he hated thinking that, but he was desperate to get out and away from everything Torchwood, even for just a few minutes. 'Look, I have to go meet Rhiannon for lunch. I'll see you when I get back and please don't keep worrying about this.'
'You're not seeing Rhiannon,' Jack said aloud, knowing he should have just kept quite.
'Okay, fine. I'm not seeing my sister.' Ianto spun round and his heart was in his throat when he saw Jack jump at his sudden outburst. 'Look, nothing is going on. I'm meeting a friend for lunch instead, but I knew you would probably get all jealous after everything you told me about what you saw in Hell, so I lied.' He took a deep breath as he ran a hand through his hair. His frustration was boiling and rising, causing his fists to bunch up unconsciously. 'You know what, Owen was right. You need to snap out of this and come back to us, come back to me.' With that final sentence, Ianto made his way out of the archives, up through the Hub and through the cog door, Jack following close behind but not quickly enough. As the cog door rolled back into position, Jack heard the sound of Ianto's phone buzzing from the coffee machine where Ianto had discarded it earlier. Picking up the phone, he saw displayed on the screen Message-Lyn. Without a care, he opened the message.
Outside now, don't keep me waiting xxx
He scrawled through all the other text messages from Lyn that he could find and before Tosh and Owen could reach him, he collapsed to the floor in a fit of tears.
Aw, poor Jack. But still, next chapter Lyn is finally revealed so hold onto your hats.