21
"So… where did the crystals come from?" Ianto was asking calmly as the others piled up from the back room to listen.
"A warehouse" came the dozy reply.
"Always a fucking warehouse" Gwen muttered to herself.
"Do you have a map" Ianto said and watched the man claw his pocket for his phone "Ah. Coordinates on there? Good man. Right, here. Have a drink for your poor throat."
Finally Retconned, the man slumped to snore quietly and Ianto rose with the phone in hand, Beckett and his sister already dragging the men towards the doors, when they paused.
"What about the dog?" Beckett asked "Is it safe out there?"
Ianto froze, then looked over at Jack who was gaping at them before Rex started to laugh.
"The dog out back deaded and gone? That dog? We were bluffing about the dog remember? There is no killer ZD out there about to kill you!" Ianto scolded.
"Oh yeah. Christ, you sold it so well … I believed it meself" Beckett laughed weakly as his sister giggled at him, then some of the other agents took the bodies to finish their little bait and switch, the rat twitching in the cage as Gwen handed it over.
Ianto looked at Jack and Jack grinned back, "I know. But they are funny."
John looked between them and grinned as well "You two connected? Really? Someone from this time actually has the strength for that?"
"You have no idea" Ianto purred, his head tipping back as he looked down his nose at John who stopped jiggling to grin back.
"Ahhhhhhh, you were always so pretty. You know … you are almost edible" John sighed.
"Actually… Jack knows exactly how I taste" Ianto replied. "You must remember his taste too? He is unforgettable with his talent for … getting a taste."
Brooks watched John's face change and sighed. "Another ex?"
"Careful" Ianto said as he looked over at the handsome young piece of arse "You are labelling again. After all … what is to say he is an ex… or me? Maybe you are the ex now. Maybe we all still get a taste of him … maybe I don't fucking share and will kill you if you touch him? Maybe you can fuck one another…"
"Down Tiger" Jack said happily as they all prepared to insult one another "Surely they know you would win any and all fights. After all … you are my favourite."
John huffed, looking away as Brooks gaped "Now wait a god damned minute Captain! You and I have something special. You call me teddy bear and I …"
Ianto snorted softly "He calls all his fluffs that. Called me that at first."
"At first" Jack repeated softly, "I know better now. You are a Tiger."
"Why? Is it the way he stalks?" Brooks asked.
"I wore a lot of suits for him, he really liked the pinstriped ones. Called them tiger stripes. The first time I wore tiger print underwear he went a little silly. Tiger Pants." Ianto stopped talking, smiling softy as he glanced at Jack then his face fell as he looked away.
"But I blew it" Jack said calmly "I acted like it didn't matter that I had a hold over him. I flaunted it, tried to make him jealous because it made me feel more important. I fucked it up. Like everything. Ianto … he is something you can't cage. Can't contain. A Tiger. A wild animal and I kept him so tightly on a leash beside me … when he finally got free of me he ran."
"More like… I escaped" Ianto sighed, knowing this was going to come sooner or later "Jack… you and I … we were toxic. Always were. You had me over a barrel with my mistakes and you knew I was capable of terrible things. As were you. Her Majesty understood my need to distance myself from you, just to gain some perspective on things. At least."
"Why?" Jack begged "I mourned you, so much. So long … still do. Even now I see you and I feel that twist in my gut. Why?"
"Because I had to" Ianto replied, then turned to Rex "Right. We need to check out that warehouse, find out who is really behind this. If it is Galactic we might need to involve the Shadow Proclamation."
"What is that?" Rex asked.
"They" Jack shook himself from his confusion over the feeling of sorrow from Ianto … loss… and turned to Rex "They are a council of beings that make the rules and punish the law breakers. You NEVER what their shadow to fall over you. Like a mouse under the foot of an elephant."
"Now, I know what a mouse is…" John said with a frown.
"Thing a Droxert without a horn, and grey. Elephants are mostly grey" Jack shrugged and John grimaced. John then watched Ianto as he started to type out a report to the queen telling her that they had a lead, John looking around covertly then his VM flipping open to scan the man as he wondered again why Eye Candy was still here.
He was not sure about the reading he ws getting and he found himself blinking slowly as he looked from the VM to Ianto and back to the VM again. IT didn't make sense. Ianto's aura showed low doses of whatever Jack had. The same golden flecks in this swirling … whatever it was.
John looked again, now really interested. Rex didn't have these and he was immortal to … right? So what is so different about this one?
He also wondered about Jack's offspring.
Why was Ianto so protective of Jack's bloodline that the firewall slamming down at the mere mention of a child was titanium? Felt from so far away.
John was intrigued.