TITLE: To Separate The Lies From Truth
PART THREE OF SERIES: The Five Elements (AU Verse)
CHAPTER SUMMARY: Gwen's first case at Torchwood and Ianto stumbles upon some puzzling information.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood or Doctor Who which is unlucky because Jack and Ianto deserve so much more!
WORDS: 2600
NOTES: References to Day One (S1E2 – There's two episodes with that name, confusing!)
Chapter 7: Guilt and Innocence (2006)
Shout out to SelarahMorgan for an idea later in this chapter.
9th November 2006
Gwen's first case at Torchwood actually occurred two weeks after Jack had first recruited her.
While he still supported that they needed the extra pair of hands – with Ianto injured the team was down two members rather than one - after his conversation with Ianto on the rooftop, combined with the rants and softer advice from Owen and Tosh respectively the following day, Jack had agreed to wait a few weeks before allowing Gwen to join, passing the delay off to her as a sort of 'notice' to the Police Force, informing her to wrap up all her current cases.
The one piece of good news from the past fortnight, however, was that Ianto appeared to be healing faster than Owen had expected – although not so quick that the medic considered something unusual was underhand, but Jack however couldn't help but wonder if somehow, he'd managed to pass some of his healing abilities to the younger man during their most intimate moments.
Ianto no longer needed a wheelchair to get around – the only downfall of that Jack mused was that he quite missed having the excuse to carry him up the stairs to his second floor flat – instead he'd taken to using a cane Jack had pulled out of one of the old storage rooms. If he remembered correctly, it'd once belonged to a past operative in the early 1900s.
His plans however, had soon gone out the window, when the previous night an asteroid had crashed over Cardiff, requiring all hands-on deck. He'd believed the simple retrieval would have been an easy case for Gwen to learn the ropes, but that had been before the sex-addicted alien had become loose, possessing and killing innocent people.
Right now though, he was enjoying the cheerful atmosphere in the boardroom as they feasted on some Chinese which Ianto had gratefully ordered. He'd helped by carrying the box of food up to the boardroom, while the other had navigated the steps with his cane. There wasn't anything else they could do on the case while they waited for the full bio-scan of Carys who was currently in the cells, and the team had learnt by now to take every free moment they could, when they could.
"And she said, if I'd known what he was, I never would have married him." Jack joked, relaying a story from a case a few years ago, where they'd discovered an alien masquerading as someone's husband.
"She knew. She knew all along." Tosh apprised, gesturing with her chopsticks.
"And she didn't care."
"Until he started leaving black piles of mucus in the bathtub."
Jack laughed, disgusted by just the reminder of the mess they'd found in that house, not just in the bathroom. "Always the big giveaway. Aliens have no sense of household hygiene." Jack quipped, taking a sip of his drink before standing from the table. "Which reminds me. Gotta pee."
As Jack left the boardroom, he detoured from the direction of the bathroom instead heading for his office. Opening his link with Ianto, he sent a quick mental nudge to his lover, wanting him to follow. Since Ianto had managed to contact him over their link – or bond as he now believed it was – when he'd been trapped, Jack kept trying to repeat what had happen, but so far, they'd only managed to send intense feelings or actions to each other.
He pushed the thought towards Ianto again, this time with success as behind him he heard Ianto get up himself and murmur 'Me too' to the others, before grabbing his cane and following in the direction Jack just gone.
"You care to share what was so urgent, that you almost gave me a headache trying to get me to follow you?" Ianto asked, after catching up with him in his office. Jack reclined in his chair, the CCTV of the boardroom already displayed on his monitor.
"Thought you'd might want to join me for the art of secret subterfuge." At Ianto's clear confusion, Jack arched his eyebrow. "Oh, come on, you can't believe they're not going to gossip now that we've both left."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I was planning on wanting to hear it." Ianto sunk down into the chair opposite anyway, one benefit of Jack refusing to have his computer on his desk, but rather in the corner, meant that he didn't have to move the chair in order for the screen to be in view.
Sure enough, they'd been watching only half a second when Owen and Tosh dropped their chopsticks – or fork in Owen's case – and leant towards Gwen.
"So, what's he told you?"
"What about?"
"Himself of course?" Tosh added, as if the question was the simplest one ever. "Or Ianto even?"
"You've been here longer than I have."
"We were banking on you."
"You're a copper. You're trained to ask questions."
"You don't know anything?" Gwen definitely sounded surprised.
"Not who he is, not where he's from. Nothing." Owen replied. "And god forbid teaboy will ever say anything, about Jack or himself."
"Ianto? Why would he know anything?"
"Second in command remember, but no one knows how he joined or why." Tosh informed. "Plus, if anyone knows anything about Jack, it's him. He's been here the longest."
"And don't forget them shagging." Owen chimed, rather nonchalantly.
"No, Really, do you think?" Gwen asked. It was clear she was surprised and somewhat disappointed by the idea and Jack almost chuckled at the faint jealously he suddenly could sense from the Welshman beside him, but neither commented as they continued to watch. "He's gay?"
"Seriously? They just went to the toilet together. Not many pieces to put together there." Owen snarked, as he took a sip of his beer. "Period military is not the dress code of a straight man."
Jack huffed loudly. "Why doesn't anyone but you, ever respect the coat? It's a classic!"
"Jack! Is that seriously the only part you clocked on?" Ianto disputed, almost looking like he was about to flee back up to the boardroom at that moment. "They think we're having sex in the bathroom!"
"So?" Jack chuckled, and Ianto shook his head in defeat. "At least we know they're not going to go looking for us."
"…think it suits him. Sort of classic." Gwen finished as they tuned back into the footage, Jack grinning widely as someone other than Ianto finally praised his greatcoat.
"Exactly. I've watched them in action, and so have you Owen. They're not your usual gay couple. Despite Jack's flirting, they've only got eyes for each other."
"Well, Ianto's clearly Welsh, and we know Jack's from America, right?"
"We don't even know that for sure."
"No US citizen by the name of Jack Harkness born in the last fifty years." Tosh explained. "And the only Ianto Jones born in Wales of the correct age, vanished when he was fifteen, only to reappear after around 5 years."
Jack couldn't be surprised that Tosh had researched both of them at some point, but it was also a little disheartening to the both of them that even Tosh hadn't been able to dig anything else up on Ianto's missing years.
"Maybe their identities are classified." Gwen suggested. "They must have their reasons for wanting to keep things secret."
"Sure they have." Owen agreed. "Doesn't stop me wanting to know what they are."
Jack finally switched off the sound to the footage. He figured the team had probably reached the end of their gossip – for now at least.
"We should get back, before they realise, we've been gone too long." His grin widened even more as he continued. "Even if they do believe we were up to other 'extracurricular activities.'"
"One of these days, I'm not going to have any dignity left." Ianto sighed, blushing slightly with embarrassment. "To be honest I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has with you."
"Hey!" Jack objected. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"You really are." Ianto joked, before checking his watch. "It's been close to an hour, we should finish up with food and get back to work. The bio-scan results should be through soon."
"You need to take a break." Jack affirmed, getting to his feet. Even if it was healing fast, Ianto's leg was nowhere fully healed and through their bond he could tell Ianto was in more pain than he was showing. "I know you're in pain."
"I'm fine." Ianto protested, standing rather awkwardly himself. "I was thinking I'll open the tourist office for a while after I've cleared up."
"Ok, fine." Jack could agree the Tourist Office wasn't very taxing on the other hand. "I'll buzz if we find anything."
~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~
10th November 2006
He raced through the trees, the forest engulfed in white light, brighter than the sun as he ran, tumbling over roots and brambles with no care. The air tasted of his freedom as he played….
Ianto woke with a start, jerking upwards from where he'd been lying across his desk in the archives, his face pillowed uncomfortably in his arms. It took a moment or two for him to regain his hold on reality, shaking off the last traces of the dream.
This wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of the forest, in fact it was similar to a few of his earliest dreams since his release from captivity, but the last few weeks they'd been relentless and despite the peaceful nature of them compared to his nightmares, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that they would never end quite as well. He'd just always awoken before they reached that moment.
Last thing he remembered was deciding to take a break from archiving to rest his leg for a short while, but it had now just gone 8pm, and Ianto chided himself for falling asleep during work hours. Grabbing his cane, he pushed himself to his feet. His leg felt better than it had earlier, but then again it always did after he'd slept.
The others had left for the night, when he made it to the main level of the Hub and watching as Jack shrugged on his coat through his glass office wall, it looked as if the latter was also getting ready to leave.
"There you are." Jack greeted as he entered the office. "I'm heading over to Suzie's old place, but I should be back before long. I got a call from Helen, wondering if we could bring any more of her things, make her feel more at home. If I pack them tonight, I can get the first boat over tomorrow morning."
"Need any help?" Ianto replied. Still shaken by the dream, he'd been hoping for something to distract himself, and would prefer anything but waiting alone in the Hub for Jack to return.
Jack shook his head. "You're meant to be recovering."
"Jack, it's packing stuff into bags or boxes." Ianto pointed out, Jack had been so overprotective since his injury that if it wasn't for the real concern he felt over their bond, it would have driven him up the wall ages ago. "It's not overly strenuous. I can even do some of it sitting."
Jack studied his expression closely, and he even felt the Captain's presence probing at the forefront of his mind. Ianto kept his emotions steady and eventually Jack's gaze dropped. "Okay, fine." He strode from his office towards the garage door, a wide grin on his face. "Come on then, if you're coming."
"How is Suzie then? Did Helen say?" Ianto asked, as he shut the SUV door after getting in.
"Concussion's healed, but Helen says she's barely spoken a word since she's been there." Jack sighed, from the driver seat. "I mean, I've been hoping the glove's control will wear of, but what if it doesn't."
"We can still be optimistic, Jack. It's only been a couple weeks."
"Yeah."
The pair fell silent until they arrived at Suzie's flat. Ianto had never been there before, but it looked as if the house was exactly as Suzie had left it, half cleaned plates and cutlery across the kitchen counter and clothes hamper was mostly full. In fact, if he didn't know Jack had visited once to collect some essentials, he wouldn't have guessed anyone had entered since Suzie had been admitted. He dreaded looking in the fridge.
"Did you not even tidy anything when you came!" Ianto frowned in dismay as he limped around the mess in the kitchen, but he couldn't help but smile at Jack's childish pout at the admonishment.
"I had other things on my mind! I…" He huffed in exclamation but trailed off towards the end, mumbling under his breath. "…I forgot."
Ianto let it slide. It had been a stressful few weeks for them all, and it wasn't too surprising Jack had forgotten one of the many tasks that had needed doing. Instead, he set about collecting the scattered dishes into the sink for washing.
Cleaning and packing didn't take much longer as first thought. It was mostly some clothes, books and technology but Jack was adamant that Ianto was under no circumstances to carry any of the few bags and boxes they'd collated out to the SUV.
Ianto was finishing filling the final box at the kitchen table when his cane slipped from where he'd propped it, knocking a load of paper files Suzie had left out to the ground. Ianto cursed under his breath, hissing in pain as he awkwardly bent over.
A picture of him was what drew his attention to the middle file as he collected the papers into a pile on the ground. Judging from his state of malnutrition and cleanliness, it must have been taken during his imprisonment in Torchwood One. This must have been the file Suzie had been talking about, the reason why she'd known about his abilities.
Intrigued, he straightened up again, separating the file from the others, which he quickly tided into the waiting box, before opening his. Jack had told him he'd researched every avenue possible to uncover the truth of his missing years and his abilities, including accessing his file from Torchwood One, but he'd never read it himself. There hadn't been any reason to as Jack had said it explained nothing but the horrific details of each experiment he'd suffered at their hands.
He avoided reading those. He remembered enough of the torture himself not to want a reminder, but flicking through each page, a title of a report caught his eye. He hadn't read more than one paragraph before his confusion peaked.
Since his release, Ianto had fully believed that Torchwood One had found no indication of the source of his powers. The lack of answers had frustrated him for years, but the answer might have been here all along, yet a large part of him didn't want to believe it was true, because if was, then it meant Jack had purposely been hiding the truth from him since the start.
"Is that the last box?" Jack's voice getting closer towards him startled him and shielding his emotions quickly, he shoved the file into his overcoat pocket just as the other appeared through the kitchen doorway. For the first time ever, he was questioning everything Jack had ever told him and he didn't know what to do.
Notes: Sorry, Jack and Ianto have some troubles ahead! I struggled writing this plot that covers the next 4 or so chapters so that I didn't make Ianto to Out of Character but I'm hoping I haven't.
Next up: While Jack mourns both the past and present, Ianto researches further into what he's discovered.