Hello! Thank you to everyone who is continuing to review, follow, or favorite my story. Your support means a lot to me, and I hope you continue to enjoy my story! There shouldn't be much in the way of Gwen-bashing for this chapter. Soon, I won't even have to warn you about that - once I get past the next chapter (the lowest point for her), she'll start to change and hopefully for the better! Until then, I'll try and keep it to a minimum.
Enjoy!
Chapter Fourteen, Mending
Ianto headed down the stairs, quietly hoping that Jack would stay asleep and that his dreams would be undisturbed. He wondered if Jack realized just how exhausted he still was after that year of hell. A year, Ianto was beginning to suspect, where a lot of the torture inflicted on Jack had been purposefully psychological as well as physical. The physical Jack probably had been able to manage to get past without much of a problem, but the psychological must be eating away at him slowly.
It hurt Ianto to think that Jack had suffered for an entire year, and he was trying hard not to imagine what had happened to him during that year beyond what Jack had said. Still, at least he knew his presence comforted the immortal. It was something he wasn't going to make Jack do without, if only because it was the only thing he could think of to help Jack get past the hellish year. And he suspected that he had to do with some psychological torture that Jack had gone through, which was why he was clinging to Ianto for comfort.
"Hey, boss," Kyle greeted with a grin. "How's Jack? You must be thrilled to have him back. It's been too quiet around here without him."
"Jack's doing fine. He's glad to be home, that's for sure," Ianto answered honestly. Both were true as far as Ianto was concerned, although the first could be debatable. Jack was still recovering from that year, but at least he was recovering. "And yes, I am glad he's home." Ianto smirked. "Although I think Gwen's upset over some developments at work. She even went so far as to make false accusations to try and create problems for me and Jack."
"Does it have anything to do with Gwen questioning Nerys yesterday?" Kevin asked as he came around with a box of paper cups. Ianto blinked and looked questioningly at Kevin. "Nerys told me last night that Gwen wanted to know if you ever cheated on her, most likely with Jack," he elaborated.
Kyle laughed. "Ianto? Cheat on Nerys? Please!"
"That's what Nerys said, essentially," Kevin added with a chuckle. "She told Gwen that not only did she have a key to your flat at the time, but Jack asked her about threesomes often enough to alleviate her worries. You might have hung out with him far too much for her comfort, but she knew she could trust you to not let it go any further."
Ianto grinned, grateful to his ex-girlfriend for her words. "I bet Gwen didn't take that well," he remarked dryly as he set about making the first batch of coffee. He liked catching up with his staff, but as he had told Kyle yesterday, his interaction with Ambrosia would become more and more limited. At least he knew he could trust Kyle to run Ambrosia as well as he could.
"According to Nerys, she was a little startled and went away looking thoughtful. Any ideas what that might mean?" Kevin asked curiously.
Ianto considered. "My best guess is that the threesome idea surprised her," he said slowly. "She might be wondering if she can convince Jack and Rhys to give it a try."
Kyle snickered. "So she's interested in Jack? The way I see it," and here he grinned conspiratorially, "it's going to be hard to get him interested in anyone but you, Ianto." Ianto smiled at that, unable to argue with that logic. "Sure, he'll flirt with anyone, but I haven't really noticed him checking anyone else out. Of course, he's just gotten back from a long trip, so who knows what could have happened during all that time, but given the way he acted two days ago…" Kyle's grin widened.
"Where was he, anyway?" Kevin asked, looking at Ianto. "Did he ever tell you?"
"He was more interested in finding out what's been happening around here," was Ianto's honest reply. Jack never did say where he had been, but it didn't matter to him. "And -" he looked over as the door opened and shut behind the object of their discussion. "Good morning, Jack," he said with a grin. He was sure it didn't escape Kyle or Kevin's notice that Jack came in from the door that led up to his flat rather than the front entrance. "Give me a moment and I'll make you a cup of coffee," he added as he set about his task. "Kevin was just telling me that Nerys saw Gwen last night."
"Oh really?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Kevin. "Let me guess - it was about whether or not Ianto cheated on her." There was an almost angry undercurrent to Jack's tone, despite the affable nature of it.
"Nerys laughed it off," Kevin said by way of confirmation. "She said that Ianto wouldn't need to cheat considering all the times you tried to convince her to give a threesome a try." Jack laughed at that, grinning. "And let's not forget all the times she walked in on the two of you watching something on the telly." Kevin chuckled.
"It was always fun to try and surprise her into a threesome that way," Jack remarked conspiratorially. "Not that she ever agreed to one," he added mournfully. "Who knows what could have been?"
"No offense to you, Jack, but I'm happy with the way things turned out," Kevin replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "I've got Nerys and you've got Ianto."
Jack laughed and bent in to kiss Ianto, who had been coming over to give Jack his coffee. "That I do," he agreed with a small smile aimed solely at Ianto. "He tells me you're thinking of proposing to Nerys," he added as he shifted his attention back to Kevin, who had a small grin of his own.
"I am," Kevin confirmed, a bright, wide grin spreading across his face. "I love her. I think she's the one."
"Then it all worked out for the best," Jack said cheerfully. "And good for you. Good luck."
"Thanks." Kevin blushed, but his grin stayed in place as he set about his task.
"You work fast, don't you?" Kyle remarked with amusement as he looked between Ianto and Jack.
"Only when I want to," Jack replied cheekily, causing Ianto to blush. "Besides, I wasn't going to let him get away."
"So I see," Kyle said with a laugh. "Well, good for you both! I've got it from here, boss," he added to Ianto. "You don't need to stick around."
"All right," Ianto agreed, grinning a little as Jack took his hand and led him back upstairs. "There's a chance Gwen thinks she might be able to convince you and Rhys to try a threesome," he told him quietly once they were in the safety of Ianto's flat.
Jack let out a groan. "Is it just me or is she like a terrier when she gets an idea in her head?" he muttered as he leaned against the counter in the kitchen.
"She can be quite stubborn," Ianto agreed with a sigh. "It's my only guess for what, through hearsay, was Gwen's reaction to Nerys telling her that I wouldn't cheat and her reasoning."
Jack sighed, rubbing a hand against his face. "It's like she has this idea of who I am and expects me to live up to it," he muttered under his breath. He looked at Ianto and smiled, straightening as he did so. "Thank God I've got you," he added at a more reasonable volume as he strode forward and kissed him. "You've never expected me to be anyone but myself."
"I'm only returning the favor," Ianto quipped, but smiled in spite of himself. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. I wouldn't want you any other way, Jack."
Jack pulled him close and kissed him again. "You know," he murmured into Ianto's ear, "we've got time before we're expected at the Hub. Want to fill that time?"
Ianto chuckled before he kissed Jack back, his fingers deftly unbuttoning Jack's shirt in answer. Jack's tongue met his as Jack began to return the favor. Rather than the bed, they aimed for the couch, clothing tossed aside as they moved. Ianto couldn't help but think of how different it was to be in a relationship with Jack, and yet at the same time he loved every minute of it. There was no way he would change his life for anything else.
X X X - TORCHWOOD - X X X
Tosh was surprised to see Ianto and Jack walk out of the door that led up to Ianto's flat. She was walking to work, unusual for her but it was such a lovely day that she had decided to give into temptation and enjoy the walk. They probably didn't notice her, but it didn't matter.
She smiled a little to herself as she watched the two of them purposefully head towards the Plaza. She rather liked the idea that they were together now. Jack might think he was good at hiding his feelings, but she had watched him on their group outings too often giving Ianto a look that she was sure she had worn a time or two over Owen. And during the months Jack had been gone, Ianto had confessed to her that he had fallen in love with Jack. It had been something he had found ironic, since they had never gone out on a date.
Tosh was happy for them, although she couldn't help but marvel at how fast the two had gotten into their relationship. This was the third day that Jack was back home. She'd have to corner Ianto later and ask him when this all happened. She doubted that their relationship had anything to do with Jack's decision to keep Ianto on as his second in command, although she also doubted Gwen would see it that way.
Ever since Ianto had taken over as acting director, Tosh had noticed he was good at assessing strengths and weaknesses, and acted appropriately for each situation. Ianto's ideas concerning the emergency departments had actually helped them have less work to do in monitoring their records, something Tosh was quietly grateful for. She might have had a program that watched out for key phrases, but they still hard to go over everything with a personal eye to be sure if they needed to intervene or not. Now they usually got a call hours before her program would have picked up anything.
Tosh was pretty sure only Gwen had a problem with Ianto being the leader, although Owen sometimes got snarky with him. But then Owen also could see the effort Ianto was putting into keeping both his business, Ambrosia, and Torchwood running smoothly. Gwen, Tosh decide, refused to see Ianto as anything other than a temporary nuisance and now that he was a permanent part of the team, had lashed out.
It had backfired spectacularly, Tosh thought with a grin as she descended the steps to the main level. Instead of convincing Jack that she was best suited for the apparently coveted position of 'second in command,' she had simply annoyed their boss. If only it hadn't ended with Gwen accusing Ianto of cheating. Then maybe things wouldn't have ended with Jack so furious that he disappeared off to the shooting range.
The cog door opened and she looked around. Jack was in his office while Ianto was in the kitchen making coffee. She gave Jack a little wave before she went to put her bag at her desk. She then headed into the kitchen, a smile tugging at her lips as Ianto looked up.
"Morning, Tosh," Ianto greeted. "This pot should be ready soon. How was your evening?"
"Good," she answered. "Although nothing really interesting happened. And yours?"
Ianto looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "I get the feeling you already know," he said dryly.
She blushed. "Well, I did see you and Jack leave your flat this morning," she offered softly, glad that only Jack and Ianto were here. "How did that happen?"
Ianto chuckled softly. "I suppose that would be a give away," he remarked quietly. He looked at Tosh, a smile appearing on his face. "Once he realized that Nerys and I weren't in a relationship anymore, he asked me out. Last night was our first date."
"That's wonderful!" she told him, feeling elated for her friend. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you." Ianto looked out towards the office that he would now share with Jack. "You aren't mad at him for leaving, right?" he asked softly, sounding a hair worried.
Tosh blinked at the abrupt change in conversation, but decided to go with it. "Not really. I think Gwen was the angriest… and honestly, I think you were right about him having a good reason to leave us," she admitted. "He wasn't betraying us by leaving, despite how Gwen feels." Tosh felt a flush appear on her cheeks and she looked deliberately at her feet. "Besides, we betrayed him first and he forgave us. I understand being upset, but…" she shook her head, "we weren't betrayed."
Ianto let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like a sigh of relief. "Good," he said softly as she looked up at him. "Jack came back to us, not just me," he explained. "It would hurt him to think everyone was upset about him being back, and right now Gwen is not doing very well in showing him that she's glad he's home."
"But he came back primarily because of you, Ianto," Tosh guessed, smiling as Ianto blushed a little. "I'm happy for you, I really am. And I'm glad to see Jack again - he's always better at field work than Gwen." She paused. "Don't tell Gwen I said that."
Ianto let out a low chuckle. "I won't. And even if she found out, you can always use the argument that Jack has been at this longer than she has," Ianto pointed out. "There's no reason for her to be upset by that when it's experience that makes the difference."
Tosh nodded as the cog door alarm sounded. Lyn, Liam, and Owen walked in together. Owen glanced in their direction. "Oi! Teaboy!" he yelled. "Coffee, now!"
"I see he's still as incoherent before his first cup of coffee as always," Ianto remarked dryly, smirking at Tosh. "It was good catching up with you, Tosh," he added as he handed her a mug of coffee, taking the tray he had set up and heading out to deliver the required morning brew. She smiled fondly after him, grateful for the friendship that she had with him.
She sat down at her desk and pulled up her pet projects. There would be enough time later for further gossip. Besides, maybe the three of them could go out this evening and have some drinks. She missed those days, although it would be different without Nerys there as well. Maybe they could invite Lyn to go with them… She had quickly become friends with the brilliant techie, and she knew it would be a good idea for Jack to get to know her.
X X X - TORCHWOOD - X X X
Jack grinned as he read the message sent to him that he would need to discuss with Ianto. The Welshman had delivered his coffee before proclaiming he needed to continue his work on the archives, and if he was needed, he'd be on the comms. But it was nice for Tosh to suggest that the three of them, and maybe Lyn, go out for drinks tonight. It felt like a hint of normalcy, despite the changes that had happened.
He liked the idea, actually. And it might give him a chance to get to know Lyn, since they really hadn't had a chance yesterday. He didn't want to invite everyone, especially not Gwen. She had arrived late today, but he now felt like she was watching him closely. Every now and again, he looked up and she was quickly looking away. It was beginning to irritate him.
Jack considered asking Ianto to come up here, but suddenly decided it would be more fun to go down and see the archives, something he hadn't actually gone down to see in a while. Tosh had told him that they were looking better, and that Ianto was trying to get them organized, which is why he had suggested that position to be Ianto's official title. So he really ought to go and see the progress being made on them.
Besides, it would get him out from under Gwen's uncomfortably watchful eye. It was likely that it had to do with the conversation she had had with Nerys last night, and if Ianto's guess was correct, he really didn't want to talk to her just yet. He was still trying to decide how he wanted to handle that topic with her. It was odd, he thought as he walked down the steps, that he didn't want to have a threesome with her and Rhys. It wasn't the idea of a threesome in and of itself, but rather the lack of Ianto that had him scowling at the idea.
And he had a feeling that a foursome (because he wasn't going to exclude Rhys, no matter how Gwen might feel) wasn't something that would go down well. If he was reading all of the signs correctly, Ianto wanted as little to do with Gwen as he possibly could. It wasn't that he hated the Welshwoman, but rather her attitude irked Ianto. And to be honest, after the last few days, Jack had to agree.
He still thought she was a bright young woman, inquisitive and not willing to back down just because it was hard. But he was beginning to wonder if she more narrow-minded than he had once thought her to be. And despite her good heart, she could also be blind to the bigger picture.
Jack swallowed a sigh as he stepped into the main room of the archives and blinked. Before the clutter and items had been piled essentially where they had had room. Now it was neat and organized, with many filing cabinets lining the wall and a desk in the center of the room. He wandered towards one of the two doors that led to the rest of the archives, mostly because it was open.
He grinned when Ianto stepped out of the other room, a box in hand. Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack as he headed towards the desk. "Have you come to check my progress?" he asked. His tone was lightly teasing, and the smile on his face was one of affection.
"Of course," Jack replied with a grin. "After all, you are supposed to be getting the archives whipped into shape!" He looked around the room as he leaned on the nice wood desk that Ianto had deposited the box onto. "I can't believe how nice this place looks."
"The rest of the archives, I regret to say, don't look as organized as this room," Ianto admitted with a small sigh. "This task could take me a few years to complete." He sounded, Jack mused, like he wasn't looking forward to it.
"I guess that means I'll have to keep you around," Jack mused before a grin spread across his face. "Apparently, we need you to get the archives back up to something usable. I'm rather glad," he added as he stepped forward to take Ianto's hand from where it had been pulling files out of the box. "I rather enjoy watching you wander around the Hub. Some days, I wonder if you're wearing a suit just to tease me."
Ianto smirked, but shook his head. "I was always taught that a businessman should look the part," he explained. "And when I became a shop owner, I became a businessman, so I started to wear suits. Now," and here he smiled a little, "I feel more comfortable in suits than anything else. So while you may feel… teased," Ianto's smile widened at that, "it is not something I've done on purpose." Ianto gently removed his hand from Jack's. "Now, are you just down here to check out the improvements I've made on the archives? Or was there something else?"
Jack bent forward and kissed Ianto, pulling him a little closer to deepen the kiss. "Tosh wanted to know if we wanted to go out for drinks tonight, and maybe invite Lyn along," he answered breathlessly as his eyes danced. "Although I wouldn't object to… a more immediate distraction."
Ianto chuckled. "I'm sure you wouldn't, Jack," he said softly. "But I'd like to go out tonight with Tosh, and Lyn if you have no objections." He pulled away a little, looking as if he needed to get a clearer head to deal with the prospect of a group outing.
"So far, I like Lyn," Jack admitted. "And Liam. I haven't seen Lyn in the field yet, but Liam did a damned good job." He grinned at Ianto. "I'll admit I was skeptical when I first realized that there were new members to the team, but I think you've chosen well for Torchwood."
Ianto smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I'd hate to have hired Lyn and Liam only to have to fire them," he replied. "I had felt that Lyn, at the very least, was a necessary hire."
"And Liam handles himself well in a crisis," Jack mused. "And you're right, we really should have had someone who can handle more of the mechanical side of things. So Lyn and Tosh get along well?"
Ianto chuckled. "They became friends almost instantly, actually," he admitted. "They tend to work on projects together a lot, which considering some of the tech we end up with, isn't a bad thing. Oh, you should know that Tosh knows about us." He grinned as Jack lifted an eyebrow. "She saw us leaving my flat this morning." Ianto raised an eyebrow of his own. "She's happy for us."
"Yeah?" Jack couldn't help but feel ridiculously pleased by that statement.
"Yes," Ianto confirmed. "I doubt she'd let anyone else know. She's a good friend that way."
"She's almost as amazing as you," Jack agreed, feeling triumphant when a light blush found its way onto Ianto's cheeks. It was his favorite thing about flirting. He loved it when he got someone to blush, and it was even more special when that someone was Ianto.
"You know, it's almost noon. Once I'm finished sorting this box, I'll come up and order lunch for everyone," Ianto remarked. Jack decided it was cute the way Ianto didn't accept or deny some of his flirting, but simply side-stepped the issue.
"Are you dismissing me?" he asked, instantly amused by the notion. "I thought I was the boss," he added with his best pout.
Ianto bent over and kissed him. "You may be the boss, but you shouldn't go around distracting your employees from their tasks," he reprimanded gently. "Sir."
"God, you sound so sexy when you call me sir," Jack told him with a grin. Ianto glanced at him, a bemused smile appearing on his face. "Would you mind if I stay down here until you're ready to head up to order lunch?" He smiled sheepishly as Ianto gave him a startled look. "Gwen's been staring at me all day, and if I have to sit with her staring much longer, I'm afraid I'll yell at her to stop it."
Ianto sighed, shaking his head. "She should be focusing on her work, not you, anyway." Ianto scowled at that, although it cleared when he let out a sigh. "As long as you don't mess up the archives, I really don't have a problem with you being down here, Jack."
"You know," Jack remarked as he moved a little closer to where Ianto was looking through the box and sorting files, "I could think of a few ways to pass the time."
Ianto didn't look up, but Jack could see the amused smile that lit his face. "I'm sure you can, but it really wouldn't be fair to the others to delay lunch," Ianto said dryly.
"Mmm… I know what I'd like for… lunch," Jack replied with a leer, leaning in.
"Not now, Jack," was Ianto's distracted reply as he read a file. He looked up at Jack and smiled. "But you could always come to my flat after drinks tonight."
"Now that is an offer I really can't refuse," Jack mused, settling back a bit to let Ianto work. Something bothered him, though. "You aren't offering just to make me happy, are you?" he asked, unable to help the worry. "I don't want you to feel pressured, Yan."
Ianto set down the file he had been reading and seized Jack's mouth in a hot, potent kiss. "I'm not pressured, Jack," he murmured as he rested his forehead against Jack's. "I'm offering because I like having you around. " He let Jack go, but looked at him seriously in the eyes. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want your company for my own needs, Jack."
Jack smiled weakly as a flood of emotion poured through him. He hugged Ianto, burying his face in the Welshman's shoulder. "Good," he murmured. He hadn't wanted to be a burden to his favorite Welshman, and to hear that Ianto wasn't doing this out of some desire to help Jack was a relief. He hadn't wanted to keep Ianto from his chance at happiness if it wasn't with him.
He let go of Ianto a lot sooner than he would have liked. If they had been back at Ianto's flat, he wouldn't have to worry. At work, however, he didn't want anyone coming in to see him not up to his normal standards. Only ever with Ianto could he let out the emotions that sometimes threatened to overwhelm him, because he could trust Ianto to treat him the same no matter what.
Ianto smiled at him before he went back to his task. It was a smile that seemed to convey his support and understanding to Jack, and damned if it didn't make Jack want to kiss those lips. Still, he had to behave himself if they were to ever head up and get some lunch. Besides, he had tonight to look forward to. Jack's eyes traveled down and back up Ianto's body, imagining Ianto without his clothing on. And unlike before he left with the Doctor, he knew exactly what the Welshman looked like under all that clothing.
Ianto placed the last folder in a cabinet before he turned to look back at Jack. "Are you ready to head upstairs?" he asked. "Or are you going to hide down here for a little longer?" The twinkle in Ianto's eyes was hard to miss, and it made Jack laugh.
"Hey, are you implying that I'm scared?" Jack demanded, mock affronted.
Ianto raised one eyebrow. "If you will recall, sir, the reason you have not returned to your office is a young woman who keeps looking at you. It does sound like you are scared," Ianto replied in his most polite, held-back tone. "Although of what I'll leave up to you."
"And what if I just wanted an excuse to do this!?" Jack asked before he kissed Ianto just at the door to the archives, pulling Ianto towards him and deepening the kiss.
They were both breathless by the end of it, but Jack couldn't help the grin he had on his face. Damn, he thought, is Ianto a great kisser! Ianto was smiling slightly, a bemused glint in his eyes. "Unless I'm very mistaken, you don't need an excuse to come down here to kiss me, Jack," Ianto reminded him, raising an eyebrow. He let out a light chuckle. "Although I doubt either reason would make Gwen happy with us. The first, to get away from her, or the second, to kiss me."
Jack chuckled. "No, I doubt she'd be thrilled to hear either reason as well. If she asks," he grinned, "we'll just say I was checking out the excellent progress you've made with the archives."
"Naturally," Ianto deadpanned. "What else could we be getting up to down here?"
Jack grinned as a few ideas occurred to him. "We'll have to see about that, won't we?" he suggested, grinning wider as Ianto flushed a bit before regaining control over himself.
Just in time, as it turned out. "Oh, there you are, Jack," Gwen exclaimed as the two reentered the main area of the Hub. "I was wondering where you disappeared off to." There was just a tiny hint of an accusation in her voice. Jack raised an eyebrow as he wondered if this would be something that everyone would just have to get over.
On second thought, he bet Tosh at least wouldn't expect him to just up and leave without so much of a word again. And Ianto knew that he was back for good. So at least Gwen might continue to worry about where he was 'disappearing off to,' but no one else would think he'd leave for a long period of time again. "Do I need your permission to go to the loo, Gwen?" Jack asked mildly, hoping that this comment would snap everything into perspective for her.
Gwen flushed and shook her head. "No, of course not," she objected. "It's just that you disappeared on us once, Jack. What proof do we have that you won't do it a second time?"
"His word," Ianto suggested lightly. "If we trust him as much as you have implied that we do, then we should be able to trust him when he says he is here to stay."
Gwen glared at him. "I suppose it worked out for you when you blindly trusted that he'd be back, then?" she snapped at him.
"Actually, it did," Ianto replied with a tiny smile. "After all," and here Ianto looked at Jack with his smile turning into a small smirk, "Jack is back, isn't he?"
"Unless I've somehow turned invisible, which would be a shame," Jack remarked with a small pout.
"And I wasn't blindly trusting that Jack would be back - he promised me that, should he leave suddenly, he'd be back," Ianto continued, carefully hiding his bemusement from the rest of the team. Jack hide the smile that threatened to cross his face when he realized Ianto wasn't going to give away the exact circumstances in which Jack promised him that he'd be back.
Gwen was gaping at Ianto before a furious expression replaced that and she was glaring between Ianto and Jack as if she couldn't decide who she was more furious with. It was, luckily, Tosh who spoke next. "So that's why you were always so convinced Jack would be back," she remarked.
"Why didn't you tell us that you'd be leaving, Jack?" Gwen demanded, turning her furious face on him.
Jack lifted an eyebrow. "It wasn't a planned trip or anything, Gwen. I only had a few minutes. And before that, I didn't bring it up because it had to do with my immortality," he explained, crossing his arms as he stared down at her. "It isn't the easiest thing to talk about, and it just happened to be easier to talk to Ianto about it than anyone here."
"Look," Liam interrupted loudly, "it's in the past and it's not like arguing about it now is going to make it better. Can we just let it drop?"
"And get some food," Lyn suggested, looking at Ianto. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving!"
"I'll order lunch," Ianto said instantly. "Does Chinese sound good?"
"Sounds good to me!" Jack told him with a grin.
"Coffee," was Owen's contribution.
"Once I've placed the order for lunch, I'll make everyone some coffee," Ianto promised, another small smile appearing on his face. Owen nodded, satisfied with that answer. "I'll get right on that, then," Ianto remarked before he headed off in the direction of the little kitchen, where he would order the Chinese and then make his now famous coffee.
Jack took the opportunity to head into his office to work on some more paperwork. The paperwork, amazingly, wasn't as bad as he had dreaded when he had arrived home. He suspected that it had to do with his favorite Welshman, since all this paperwork was meant for either the director or acting director. He looked up when he heard movement and had to fight back a groan when Gwen shut the door behind her. "How can I help you, Gwen?" he asked in his best polite, and yet disinterested, voice.
"I don't understand, Jack," she said petulantly. "I thought we were your friends. I thought you trusted us, and yet you only told Ianto that you were leaving? He wasn't even supposed to know about Torchwood!"
"Gwen…" Jack let out a sigh. "I know. Most of the time, people who know about Torchwood and aliens freak out," he explained. "Ianto just accepted it, and me, without so much as batting an eye. Hell, he's suspected aliens for a lot longer than he knew me!" Jack chuckled at that. "Ianto understood I needed answers, Gwen, so yes, he knew I might leave to find those answers, but I promised I'd be back, and I am." He smiled a little. "Besides, as Ianto aptly said, there are different levels of trust. Just because I trust everyone here to help me protect the planet, it doesn't mean I'm ready to trust everyone with my secrets."
"Oh, so you've told Ianto about Grey?" Gwen asked bitterly, unintentionally probing a wound that had never fully healed.
"No, and if I do, it wouldn't be any of your business, Gwen," Jack told her coldly as he looked down at his paperwork, effectively dismissing her.
"Jack -" Gwen began to protest.
"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about, Gwen?" Jack demanded, not looking up from his paperwork.
"I still don't understand why I am not the second in command," she admitted, sounding hurt and just a tad confused.
Jack bit back a sigh before he looked back up at her. "I wasn't sure who to consider my second in command before I left, Gwen," he explained carefully. "You were a possibility, but I needed to see how well you shaped up to working on the team before making any final decisions. When I got back and learned Ianto had been running Torchwood, I looked hard at everything I could find to see how well he did." He smiled at that. "Most of the reports I saw indicated he was a competent, capable leader. He's still learning, I'll admit that, but he's smart and has good instincts. And here is something else, Gwen - he's not trying to stir up trouble in the team." It was a low blow, he knew, but he had to point it out. "Ianto's trying to keep everything running smoothly, even if it means making coffee when it's required or taking insults when he has to."
Gwen was blushing at that point. "Are you saying that, because I can't make coffee, I can't make a good second?" she asked, sounding even more hurt.
"No," Jack replied instantly. "What I'm saying is that Ianto is going the extra mile to keep everything running smoothly, even if it means extra work for himself. And I'm not saying that you wouldn't make a good second. If Ianto wasn't a part of the team, you would probably be my pick for second." Probably, but then Owen was another possibility. "But Ianto is, and I want him as my second."
Gwen let out a sigh. "There's nothing I can say to change your mind, is there?"
"No, there isn't," Jack confirmed. "Is that all, Gwen?"
Gwen shook her head. "I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday," she admitted. "I was upset and I… well…" Her blush was back, and possibly darker than before. "I overreacted."
"I suppose, given you thought you were second in command, that being upset and overreacting is understandable," Jack noted as calmly as he could. "It doesn't excuse your accusation, but it does help to explain it. I'll accept your apology on one condition - you apologize to Ianto as well. Your accusation was aimed more at Ianto than myself, after all."
"Of course! I was going to apologize to him next," she agreed instantly. Jack wondered if that was a false statement, but he couldn't be sure.
They both looked up when Ianto entered the room carrying a tray with three mugs on it. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Ianto remarked blandly as he set the tray down on the corner of Jack's desk before passing the first mug to Jack.
"Not at all," Jack told him with a smile. He gave Gwen a pointed look as he took a sip of his coffee.
Thankfully, Gwen got the hint and smiled at Ianto as she accepted her mug. "Thank you, Ianto. And I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday. It was uncalled for… and untrue." She looked, Jack decided, a little guilty at that.
One eyebrow rose on Ianto's face, but he smiled slightly. "Apology accepted, Gwen," he said softly. "Although I do hope that, in the future, you would remember not to make accusations without forethought."
Gwen flushed and opened her mouth to argue before she let out a sigh. "I'll do my best," she promised with resignation. "I'll go wait for lunch to arrive - I'm sure you both have to sort out duties and that sort of thing," she added before she headed out.
Ianto shut the door and turned to sit at the extra desk that he had had brought in for himself during the months that Jack had been gone. "Was she giving you problems?" Ianto asked quietly.
Jack sighed with exasperation. "Yeah," he confirmed as he looked at Ianto. "She's definitely jealous of how close I am to you, Yan… and I think she was trying to get information out of me." Information he wasn't ready to give, especially not to Gwen. He shook his head when Ianto raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Not yet… and definitely not here."
"Only if you want to tell me, Jack," was Ianto's quiet remark.
Jack let out a soft chuckle. "And that's why I trust you more than Gwen," he mused. "You never force me to tell you anything about myself." He let out a sigh. "And I don't think Gwen will ever get that."
"She doesn't have to understand it. She just has to accept it," Ianto pointed out calmly. "As long as she can do that, we shouldn't have a problem."
X X X - TORCHWOOD - X X X
Ianto woke in the middle of the night to realize that Jack was shuddering against him. Ianto gathered the shuddering man in his arms and pressed his lips gently to Jack's forehead. Jack, he realized sadly, was still asleep and deep within the throes of a nightmare. Ianto began to rub Jack's back with one hand, providing as much physical comfort as he could.
"Wake up, Jack," he murmured into Jack's ear. "You're safe. It's over and you're safe." I wish you would talk to me… it might help, he thought sadly as Jack slowly began to wake, but he wouldn't force him.
"Yan?" Jack asked shakily after a long moment, his arms wrapping around Ianto's body.
"I'm right here, Jack," Ianto replied, kissing Jack's forehead once more. "You're safe, Jack."
Jack's face pressed against Ianto's chest, where tears fell silently onto Ianto's bare chest. Ianto said nothing of this, but rather continued to rub his hand up and down Jack's back. It was worse than usual, Ianto thought sadly, if his presence wasn't enough to keep the nightmare away.
Finally Jack shifted so that his head rested on Ianto's shoulder, and the tears were over. "Before John left, he told me he had found Grey," Jack whispered. Ianto could feel him swallow. "Grey is my little brother… who I lost," Jack choked out the word, "when I was thirteen." There was more to the story, Ianto thought, since there was so much guilt and grief wrapped in those words. "I spent all of my free time during my years with the Time Agency looking for him. If John's really found him… is he alive? Did I mess up by stopping my search?"
"Jack," Ianto said softly, halting Jack's speech, "you told me that you've been trapped in this century since 1869. Unless I'm off my mark, your brother would likely be in the 51st century. You can't look for someone who doesn't exist in the time period you are in, right?" Jack let out a huff of air, but nodded. "So maybe you didn't 'stop' your search so much as 'put it off' until you could resume it with confidence again. You can't do everything and be everywhere at once, Jack. You are just one man."
"But I let go of his hand," Jack whispered, clinging to Ianto as if he was afraid Ianto would disappear. "We were running away from monsters and I let go of his hand. I never saw him again!"
And suddenly Ianto could understand the guilt that Jack clung to almost as hard as he was clinging to Ianto now. "Oh, Jack…" Ianto kissed the top of Jack's head. "You were just a kid," he reminded his lover softly as Jack looked up at him. "You didn't want to let go, but sometimes bad things happen and there is nothing we can do about them. It wasn't your fault." Of that, Ianto was absolutely certain. "The way I see it, there is no reason to blame you for what happened."
Ianto could see tears well up in Jack's eyes, but before he could do anything else, Jack was kissing him. One hand was behind Ianto's neck as Jack pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. "I don't think anyone has had so much faith in me before," Jack murmured. "Not even the Doctor. I don't know if I deserve all that faith, Ianto, but damned if I'm going to give it up."
Before Ianto could articulate a protest, Jack had renewed the assault on his mouth and Ianto soon found all thoughts of protest chased away.
Notes:
And there's the first person who knows about Jack and Ianto. Tosh is my next favorite character after Jack and Ianto. The rest of the team will be finding out shortly.
For some reason, I rather like the way Nerys indirectly comes back into the story. It's most likely for Kevin's line, where he's saying that he's got Nerys and Jack's got Ianto. It's just so cute! I don't think she'll show up again, but who knows?
Until next time!