Lucy wasn't surprised when she walked into the kitchen to find Sam looking through the shelves for where they had stored the shopping earlier. Instead of saying anything she let him continue to gather the ingredients and grabbed a big mixing bowl and pre-heated the oven.
Sam jumped as the sound of the oven turning on roused him from his thoughts. He looked over at her but said nothing, just continued to lay out all the ingredients on the side
The last thing Lucy grabbed was the cupcake cases, she waited patiently for Sam to finish what he was doing and grabbed a drink - thankfully her hand didn't shake like it had the night before.
He smiled slightly, stepping back to make sure he had everything
"So what's first then?" Lucy asked breaking the silence. "It's been a long time since I baked, I could probably do it from memory if I thought hard enough. But you're the one with a baker for a partner"
"Measuring out the flour and stuff" he mumbled. "I think there's a recipe somewhere... On the back of the flour... If you wanted to look at it..."
"I trust you don't worry. We'll do any recipe you want to do. This is your gig that I'm crashing"
He nodded slightly, "okay." He didn't particularly feel like talking right now. But didn't see much of a choice, "though I wouldn't have thought the base recipe would be that different"
"Almost certainly won't be." She agreed passing the measuring jug over, "just let me know what you need me to do. Otherwise I'll just sit at the table and get a head start on tomorrow's paperwork."
He was silent for a moment, debating whether he wanted her help or not, "will you crack the eggs for me?"
"Sure." Lucy realised that Sam asking for even the smallest amount of help - such as cracking the eggs was a big deal. In the same way that her opening the door to Ianto on the night he first discovered her nightmares was, it may be a small unnoticeable thing by itself but the thought behind it was massive. She didn't voice any of those thoughts, knowing it wouldn't be appreciated instead she asked, "1 or 2?"
"3" He replied as he measured out the other ingredients
She grabbed the egg box and pulled it towards her, Ianto had been surprised when she had gone shopping on her lunch break and come back with baking stuff but she had explained why and he'd nodded in understanding. When she had woken up tonight - with a scream that she knew Sam must have heard - he'd held her tightly before she got up to join Sam.
He sighed, withdrawing back into his own thoughts as he poured ingredients into the mixing bowl
It was nice, Lucy decided, normally if she couldn't sleep she'd get on with work or watch TV but doing something, even if it was just breaking and beating eggs was a different way of dealing with it. She was left to her own thoughts but still able to focus on something when they strayed too close to the nightmare of the night.
Sam relaxed slightly into the familiar rhythm of mixing ingredients, even though the surroundings were completely different at least the action of baking was the same
Lucy thought she'd probably beaten the eggs enough and finally put down the fork and waited for Sam to need them. He looked calm for the first time since arriving, not to say that he wasn't aware of everything going on around him - Lucy was sure that was something he'd always be aware of - but he looked more at peace with the world he was currently in.
He looked over at her when he was done and smiled, his expression slightly questioning as he glanced at the bowl of eggs
Well they're well beaten..." Lucy said with an awkward smile and a shrug.
He managed a small laugh, "Thanks"
"No problem. I think I'll put excellent egg beater on my card now. Much more important that Torchwood weapons specialist." She passed the glass over to him.
He nodded, "Much more important"
"I thought so." She was glad to see Sam joke a bit with her. "What next Captain?"
"Well do you want to beat the eggs some more?" He poured them into the mixing bowl and offered it to her
"Well seeing as I'm the expert I suppose I could manage it. Another three yeah?"
He laughed, "I kind of meant beat them into the rest of the mix. But yeah, sure. I'm not planning on doing anything but bake tonight" He felt a little better now that he had started baking.
"Oh. Yeah... that makes more sense. I can do that." She took the bowl from him sheepishly and started to beat it trying not to look at him for fear of bursting into laughter.
He smiled at her before turning to lay out the cupcake cases onto a baking tray
"So you decided against killing Cale, but how long did it take you to work up the courage to talk to him?" Lucy asked breaking the comfortable silence between them as she continued to mix the bowl
"A lot longer than maybe it should have done. I just... liked knowing he was there"
"I was living in the spare room here for about 9 months before anything happened between me and Ianto." Lucy said with a smile. "I mean looking back we did all the 'couply' things just without the relationship and I'd convinced myself that I wasn't in love with him and I was fine being his friend."
"I kind of... lived in the woods and stalked him"
"I fell in love with a character from a story and knew all about his biggest secrets before I even existed in this world. I swear that's the only reason Ianto let me stay here - because I knew about the body in the basement, and I almost mean that literally. I'm not sure if that counts as stalking though."
He thought for a moment, "You knew about this world before you existed here. I don't think that counts. I was sent to kill Cale and instead decided to spend my time living in the woods by his village and watching him"
"In which case you win." Lucy said with a mock bow. "And as a reward I shall gift you the uncooked cake mixture and the rights to lick the bowl first."
He grinned softly, "Why thank you"
"I reckon this first batch is done by the way. My awesome mixing skills have done their magic."
"Nice. I've got the cases laid out already. So we're good to go"
"Just dollop it out with two spoons yeah?" Lucy asked as she put the bowl down and opened the cutlery drawer
"That's it" He smiled
"Great" She passed him two spoons. "You do that and I'll start beating the next 3 eggs."
He took them and nodded, "That sounds like a good plan, oh queen of the egg beating" he grinned at her before setting about his task
"Great and magificiant queen of egg beating." Lucy corrected
"Ah, of course. How foolish of me to get your title wrong"
"Well next time peasant I shall take away the cake mix rights and shall banish you to washing up duties while I clean the bowl." She said in a posh voice
He hugged the bowl of cake mix protectively
Lucy grinned at him and grabbed the box of eggs from the side and broke them into a mug before returning to the earlier conversation. "So you stalked him while living in the forest, but that doesn't explain how you got together. Stalking someone isn't usually helpful."
"I started spending time in his parent's bakery. I couldn't buy anything but there's the little café they own. I would just sit in there with a glass of water to be near him. He started coming over and talking to me when it wasn't all that busy..."
"And the pair of you got talking and he realised that you were awesome and brilliant and he was madly and desperately in love with you."
He laughed, "Actually he realised that I was living out in the woods and insisted I have their spare room"
"What is it about great men that you are already half in love with that they ask for you to stay in their spare room? Honestly, don't they realise that it just makes things 10 times worse and better cause you are close to them and it's pure torture?" Lucy asked
"Already half in love with?" Ianto asked from the doorway
He waved over his shoulder at Ianto before going back to the cakes
"Oh god," Lucy said embarrassed. "Sam I don't suppose you fancy becoming an assassin again and just killing me now?"
"Those days are waaaay behind me. You really should keep an eye on your surroundings when you're baking cake in the middle of the night"
"I knew Yan would probably join us at some point but I didn't think it would be at the moment that would cause me the most embarrassment. Which is stupid, because with my life that's exactly how things go."
"I love you too." Ianto said grabbing the flour and sieving it. "I figured you weren't going to come back to bed soon so I'd join you. If that's ok, this isn't a meeting of the 'I survived being pulled through the vortex from another universe' club is it?"
"More a meeting of the 'I bake cake when I can't sleep' club" He looked over and smiled slightly, "And Lucy trying to find out all the juicy details of my relationship"
"She's asking questions while making it look like she's just filling conversation?" Ianto asked giving his girlfriend a sideways look. "Yeah, she does that. That and say that she knows what's going to happen but can't tell us."
Lucy pretended to still be busy beating the eggs.
He nodded, "That's pretty much it"
"Please god kill me now." Lucy muttered as Ianto laughed and took the mug of well beaten eggs from her.
He put the tray in the oven and turned to them, "Serves you right for being so nosy"
"Fine. I won't ask any more questions."
"I'll believe that when I see it." Ianto quipped and Lucy rolled her eyes at him.
He laughed, "But really, I don't mind talking about him"
"See! And I didn't actually ask many questions."
"No, you didn't. Which was very good of you"
"I'm good at my job." Lucy shrugged, "people give you more information by contradicting you or when you don't actually ask anything, cause they reckon you already know the answers."
"I know. Frankly I'm much happier as I am now than I was in that kind of life"
"Me too, mostly." Lucy agreed and Ianto smiled at her, knowing the mostly was because of Becky, Lucy smiled back. "Anyway I would just like to point out I've already done this batch of eggs but you guys are behind on making the rest of the mixture"
"Which is totally your fault for talking to us so much" He grinned, beating together the next lot of butter and sugar
"So now it's my fault you can't multitask?"
"Yep"
"Good to know. Anything else that's totally not my fault that you're going to blame me for?"
"I'm sure we'll come up with something"
"With friends like you why do I need Gwen?"
"Because I can give you coffee and sex." Ianto replied straight faced.
"Did not need to know that bit" He pounded at the cake batter and the bowl along the counter to them
"Which bit the coffee or the sex?" Lucy laughed, "Cause Ianto is pretty good at both, his coffee tastes like heaven and..."
"And if you continue talking I'll file a report about harassment in the workplace." Ianto swiftly interrupted her.
"We're not at work though, we're at home." She teased
"Just make the cake. And change the subject"
"We could go back to Sam's love life?" Lucy teased, it was nice having a friend outside of work and it was easy enough to forget that they were even having this conversation because both Lucy and Sam had had a nightmare and wanted something to distract them from the visions of Morpheus
"As long as the conversation gets away from sex, I'm good to talk about pretty much anything"
"Well that's definitely worth knowing."
He rolled his eyes
"Lucy stop looking at him like he's a new alien gun. He doesn't have to tell you anything."
"I know, but isn't this how your supposed to act with the gay best friend."
"Not when you've only known each other two days and the boyfriend is in the room. I think even if I wasn't here Sam probably wouldn't want you to act like that."
"Fair enough." Lucy shrugged and sagged a bit.
"Juuuuuuust make the cake"
"I'm making the cake. Ianto?"
"I'm not giving you coffee but I can make some hot chocolate."
He smiled as he listened to them
Ianto got to work making hot chocolate for three while Lucy returned to helping Sam finish the second batch and start the third. At some point they'd have to return to sleep but not yet.
He kept softly smiling as he worked on the cakes
"You do know you're an overly romantic idiot." Lucy said to Ianto who rolled his eyes, Lucy told him this fairly regularly whenever he did anything even remotely romantic, which making hot chocolate because he knew she wanted it apparently was.
"I do believe you've told me that before."
"Yes well I meant it before as well." She added when she saw him automatically add three marshmallows to her mug while he was still mixing and pass the fourth one over to her knowing she would want it.
Sam focussed on the cakes, trying to blot out their talking. He'd wanted some time on his own to get his head straight and with the best will in the world, Lucy and Ianto being cute and lovey with each other wasn't helping him to clear his head. In fact it was just making him feel worse. More homesick than he had been before.
Lucy noticed that Sam had sped up on stirring the mixture and looked over at Ianto who passed her her mug of hot chocolate and put Sam's next to him. He had got the silent message she had tried to send something was up and it was time for the pair of them to back out.
"I think I'm ready to go back to bed." She said trying not to be too obvious and also surprising herself at it actually being true, spending about an hour or so talking and baking had helped. "You coming Yan?"
"Yeah, you ok washing up Sam or do you want us to do it tomorrow morning?"
Sam looked up at them, "I can do it. I'm not ready to sleep yet"
"If you do decide to leave it don't worry about it." Lucy said warming her hands on her hot chocolate mug. "And we should have enough stuff for you to make at least 2 more batches."
He nodded slightly, "thanks. Is there anything to decorate them with when I'm done?"
Ianto opened a cupboard, "Everything Lucy bought for you is in here, I cleared it out so it's yours to use for as long as you're here."
He smiled, "thank you, Ianto. I'll probably stay in here tonight. If that's okay?"
"I don't remember adding any provisos when I said you could stay here, try to keep the volume down and not wake us up as we've got to be up early for work. But apart from that you're fine to do most things."
He nodded, "okay. I will, thank you"
"Night Sam." Lucy smiled at him and the couple left to return to their bedroom, after all as Ianto had said they had to get up for work later that morning.
"Goodnight" he watched them leave before going back to his cakes.
(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)
Ianto rolled his eyes when he walked into the kitchen the next morning to see Sam asleep at the table surrounded by cakes and empty flour and sugar bags, he'd obviously need to go shopping again later and buy double the amount that Lucy had previously bought. Lucy slumped in after him, noticing Sam but not being awake enough to do anything apart from pull a chair out and sit down. It was the same every morning, he'd pull the duvet off her to make sure she got up and she'd walk into the kitchen having pulled whatever clean clothes were the closest while she waited for him to make the coffee so she could wake up properly. Unless they were woken up by a phone call from Jack ordering them into work
Sam didn't notice them at first, fast asleep at the table. There was flour in his dark hair and smudges of brightly coloured icing on his cheek.
"What time do you think he got to sleep?" Ianto asked as he started making three mugs of coffee, Sam would probably want one.
"Dunno" Lucy replied, still half asleep herself so not really caring about anything more than watching the kettle boil. Sam stirred at the sound of the kettle and their voices, blinking sleepily at the table for a moment before very slowly sitting up.
Ianto noticed him first, Lucy wouldn't notice anything until the light on the kettle turned green and whistled that it was done.
"Coffee?" He asked lifting the mug that he had designated for their guest. Lucy turned her head and smiled at him before going back to watching the kettle, waiting. She knew exactly how long it took for the right amount of water to boil for two coffees every morning but hadn't perfected the wait for three
Sam smiled slightly and nodded, "Thanks..." he murmured, rubbing his eyes and stretching
"Do you think you made enough cakes?" Ianto asked gesturing to the surfaces as he turned back to the space he had made for the mugs
"It was enough to help me get back to sleep" Sam smiled, "I even managed to ice most of them"
"Well they won't be wasted. I might even sell some in the tourist office for charity if that's ok."
The kettle whistled and Lucy sat up straighter knowing that meant she was less than a minute away from liquid gold.
"Yeah. That'd be great. Fine." He yawned widely
"It seems travelling from on universe to another isn't the only thing you and Lucy share." Ianto said as he passed Lucy and Sam a mug each
He took the mug gratefully and yawned again, "I'm usually better in the mornings... but then again usually I sleep more"
"I'm used to Lucy in the mornings don't worry about it." Ianto said and Lucy was awake enough to swear at him as she took the mug and sighed as she took the first sip. It was a god-honest super power Ianto's ability to make coffee.
He laughed softly and sipped the coffee
"We've not got anything major going on at work - apart from you obviously." Lucy said as the coffee gave her body the energy it desperately needed. "And you don't need to come in if you don't want to. I've got a few phone calls to make to start organising the remembrance ceremony but apart from that it shouldn't be a busy day. Touch wood." She added the last bit as she touched the table. Ianto gave her a weak smile, she had mentioned to Jack the idea about the remembrance ceremony a week or so ago and he had given her the all clear. Torchwood London and Torchwood Cardiff might never have been friends but all the people who died in the attack (as well as the small amount of them who survived) deserved the right to be remembered and honoured for their actions that day
"I... don't have anywhere else to go" he pointed out quietly
"Well I never need an excuse to put off paperwork, but you've just provided me with one. Today was supposed to be my day off anyway" Lucy said with a shrug as she drained the last of her mug
He laughed softly, still slowly sipping his coffee
"No you just need me to remind you it exists" Ianto pointed out.
"I'm better than the others, just procrastinate for a bit longer than you in the shooting range that's all." She replied grabbing a cake and standing up. "Right I'm going to go and get ready properly, you might want to get the flour out of your hair Sam, and while I think the icing on your check is cute you might not agree with me" With that leaving comment she left the two men in the kitchen.
Sam nodded and looked around, "Yeah... I should clean-up"
"I can tidy the kitchen while you get ready" Ianto offered as he continued his coffee, in the habit of enjoying it in the morning and not downing it like his girlfriend did
"But I was the one who made all the mess..."
"Well you can tidy up if you want but I'm used to tidying up after people"
"I can tidy up my own mess" He put his coffee on the side and stood up
"Lucy'll offer to do a bit when she gets back." Ianto managed to lean on the side and keep his dark suit free from flour. "She helped last night remember, something about an expert egg beater."
He nodded, "Yes, I remember" He leaned over the sink slightly to brush the flour from his hair
Ianto just watched a small smile on his face. "You could use the shower"
He glanced over at him, "I don't want to spread flour through your place"
"We've both spread blood and guts through this place and it's survived, some flour won't harm it"
He hesitated, "I'm fine"
"Choice is yours. I'm going to go see how ready Lucy is, she doesn't often go back to bed, but after a night like last night..." Ianto trailed off, Sam must have heard her scream last night before she joined him in the kitchen but that didn't mean he wanted to bring it up.
He nodded, "I'll start cleaning up" He wasn't going to say anything about it.
Ianto was grateful that Sam didn't say anything, it had been the something he was worried about when he invited the ex-assassin to stay with them. He left the kitchen and found Lucy standing in the bathroom staring at herself in the mirror and splashing water over her face
"You ok?" He asked
"Got more sleep than normal, Sam's cake making thing worked." She replied but he wouldn't let her dodge the question.
"That wasn't what I asked."
"It's the only answer I can give right now. Rain check?"
"Sam's tiding up the kitchen." Ianto moved on knowing that was the best he was going to get for now, Sam turning up was affecting her more than she made out.
"I'll go help him." She dried her face and smiled, it nearly worked. "I helped make the mess too."
Sam was methodically cleaning and putting away what they'd used last night, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts
"I'll dry up" Lucy said swiftly taking the towel from Sam's hands
He looked over at her, a little startled, "Oh... thanks"
"You're a guest and I helped make the mess."
"But... thanks all the same"
"No problem" They worked in silence enjoying the quiet company
He sighed softly
"Missing home?"
Sam glanced over at Lucy, "Yeah"
"Me too, not all the time. This place has become home now and I've done my grieving for Becks, but in the quiet moments."
"I need to go home"
Lucy didn't say anything, it was a damning silence but she didn't want to lie. If anyone could do it Tosh could (baring the Doctor but he was busy exploring the universe with Donna) but that didn't mean it could be done
"Tell me the truth... can I get home?"
Lucy didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say.
"Tosh won't stop until she exhausted all possibilities" Ianto said coming into the kitchen and rejoining the conversation. "but we don't know much about how to control the rift at the best of times let alone how to use it to cross universes. The fact we have two sets of data will definitely help"
Sam looked over at Ianto, "So... you don't know. I might just be stuck in this world forever?"
"We don't know." Ianto agreed. "But if you're willing to try so will we"
"Sorry" Lucy said as she finished the drying up. There was nothing more to be said, she had accepted her fate and life in Torchwood. But Sam was different, he had no idea about the rules he was trying to break, and maybe that meant he would succeed where she had been scared to fail. But either way, it wouldn't be easy
He leaned against the counter, "I can't give up. I can't stop trying. I have a home and a life and I'm going to get back to it"
"We'll keep going until either you stop trying or Tosh runs out of ideas." Ianto promised. "But for now we need to get to work, you going to come with us now or do you want to come in later?"
"I can't stop trying" Sam said firmly. "And I... I wouldn't be able to get there on my own"
Lucy grabbed the car keys. "Let's go then, we've got showers at work you can use if you want to go grab some clean clothes, and then we'll make good on our promise to drop you off some place green and wild."
"Okay great"
The car journey to the hub was done in quiet comfort, Lucy was mentally making a note of the few things she'd need to grab - sleeping bag and tent for example - as well as the work that had to be done when she got in. She hadn't had a proper chat with Katerina since they took Sam into their custody and the Super would be looking for an explanation of what was going on.
Ianto pulled into the car park and Lucy got out of the car still holding a large box of cupcakes, waiting patiently for Sam to join her as Ianto walked ahead so he could put the kettle on.
"I've got a bit of work to do and then I'll take you if that's ok. You can play on the shooting range. I promise it won't take too long"
Sam got out of the car and looked over at her, "Yeah, sure. How long is it you're going to be?" He asked
"Maybe an hour at the most. Ianto won't let me stay in for much longer anyway seeing as it's my day off. I err... I had a bad habit of ignoring them until I burnt myself out." She said the last bit with an awkward smile. "I promise you'll get into the countryside as soon as possible. Probably before Gwen gets in but if she gets in early we'll leave straight away"
Sam nodded thoughtfully, "Are my knives somewhere I can get to them?"
"Yeah, I locked them back up when we left last night but the first thing I do is unlock that anyway."
"Thanks. If I can get some practice in before we go I won't feel so bad being out without them"
"I'll write you an official thing that you can keep with you to make sure they're not taken off you again. Can you grab the door?" She gestured with the box still in her hands. "There are some advantages to being part of a top secret organisation above the government after all."
He moved ahead to open the door, "I think I'd probably do bad things to your local wildlife population. Seeing as that's what I do most of the time"
"Well that's up to you. Thanks. The offer is there though. Let me dump these behind the desk and then I'll unlock the armoury for you"
"I'd like it. But honestly it's probably not the best thing to happen. Particularly if I'm going to end up being here long term"
"Fair enough." She put the box of cakes down in the back room of the tourist office and then opened up the wall so they could walk into the main hub. "Like I said it's up to you. I swear I won't be too long on these phone calls. I know how much you don't want to be inside."
"Thanks. I'll be okay down in the shooting range I think. A little time alone in the quiet would be nice"
A/N: I really am sorry, my laptop had 'issues' with internet and I've been having a few issues of my own in RL. What I can tell you is that I only have another 3 chapters to finish between here and the End!
So, providing I'm not an idiot and I don't forget again it should be plain sailing from now onwards
