Torchwood: Divergence
Book Two: Adferiad

Chapter 19

At 8:00 pm, Turlough appeared from the bowels of the base, the team medic close behind. The slender redhead murmured that he hoped the two senior Torchwood members felt better soon, then went to collect his coat and other personal gear. Gwen phoned Lois and told her to head home, having had the young woman doing a fine detail cleaning of the kiosk after it closed to keep her out of the Hub.

"Any sign of movement?" Martha asked worriedly as she put on her coat.''

"None," Gwen frowned. "Whatever happened in there was so far beyond bad, I'm honestly not sure I should just go home and leave them. But I don't wasn't to intrude either. I may call Rhys; tell him I'm going to stay on till 10:00 just to be sure they're all right."

"I'm only ten minutes away on these messy roads if you need me," the young doctor reminded, backing toward the main door. "Himself is stuck in Germany till after the Holiday, so don't hesitate to call, yeah?"

Cooper nodded, waving to Martha and Turlough as the two headed out for the evening. Lois was already gone, which left her alone with the Pteranodon and the pair behind the locked door. With a sigh, she pulled out her mobile and dialled her husband.

"Hi, sweetheart," the former PC called quietly. "No… not a peep since about 6:30. Yeah…I'm a bit worried considering who we're talking about. I hope I'm just fretting for nothing."

She paused, listening to what her husband was saying. A smile appeared on her face in spite of her concerns about her friends, and not for the first time, she was so glad she'd married Rhys.

"You are a very silly man, Mr. Williams," Gwen chuckled. "I'm going to stay on till 10:00, see if they stir. So don't wait tea for me… oh, I've got options. Kiss Eb for me… I will… Love you too."

She ended the call and pocketed the phone, glad her husband understood everything now and was okay with it. The one-time constable sat staring at her work station for a moment, then deliberately got up and went into the office. She sat down behind the desk and picked up the landline, a quick dial and…

"Hey, Charlie… it's Gwen Cooper," she said in a cheerful, slightly louder than normal voice. "Things to do tonight, so I need to get a large Meat Feast and a large Garden Veg Special. Twenty minutes then? Lovely… just ring my mobile when you're at the door and I'll pop out to get it. Thanks!"

If that didn't draw one or both of them out, she was definitely going to find something to break the lock and go in after them. Ten minutes went by, then she heard the muffled sound of water running beyond the bookcase door. After another five, the lock clicked and the portal opened to reveal a very pale but calm Jack Harkness.

"You didn't have to stay and babysit us, Gwen," the American stated quietly, stepping out to pull the door closed again. "We're big boys you know."

"And you're my best mates in all the world," Cooper nodded, not arguing the point. "There's no way I was leaving here without knowing you're both sane and in one piece. Not a chance."

"We'll hit the Boardroom once your pizza gets here then, and Ianto can tell you what a rotten, petty, dishonest, selfish, miserable excuse for a human being I am," Jack offered, his expression and voice not giving any indication that he was joking.

Gwen was preparing to protest such an ugly statement, when the door opened behind the Captain and a blue jeans and very well worn thermal shirt clad Jones beat her to the punch.

"Stop it," the young Welshman insisted firmly, looking about as worn out as his partner, right hand pressed to his left side along the bottom of his ribs as though the area was causing him pain. "You've lived a very long, not always pretty life, Jack. Yes, you've done questionable and outright condemnable things… so has nearly everyone else on this planet over the age of ten these days. But you've also gone far above and beyond to make amends. So please… please have a little mercy with yourself and let it go, yeah?"

There was nothing but pain and sadness in the former Time Agent's eyes for a moment, and he half bowed his head to hide it.

"I swear, Jack Harkness," Ianto warned earnestly. "If you keep this up, I will beat you with the coat rack, strip you down and let Gwen stuff you in the cell between the Weevils."

That actually managed to make the older man smile, partly because it painted quite the mental picture and partly because he knew his lover was completely serious about the threat. He turned to face the twenty-six-year-old, offered his right hand and only had to wait three seconds before the young Guardian took it in his own left.

"Gwen," Harkness began evenly, having taken a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. "Pizza should be here any minute. Ianto and I will get the beers and sundries… you can meet us in the Boardroom. We'll have dinner and try to relax, yeah?"

"Yeah," Gwen and Ianto replied in unison, making the Captain chuckle.

The former PC smiled at her friends and moved from behind the desk to hug first one and then the other before heading out of the office. Behind her, Jack pulled Ianto into his arms and the two of them stood together simply sharing a close embrace for a few minutes.

"How can you still stand to look at me, let alone love me?" the American murmured, kissing his partner on the side of the head. "Especially after all the horrific dirty laundry I aired in there."

"I loved you when everything was still nothing but festering secrets, and the only things I was sure of was that I'd grown old, and you'd leave me behind some day," Ianto stated softly, shifting slightly to press his cheek to the Captain's, his breath warming the man's ear and neck. "Knowing the details of some of those secrets and that we can be together forever now doesn't change anything. I told you that I love you no matter what, Jack, and I mean it… always have, always will."

"Even when I freak out and break your ribs, make you tear muscles fighting a seizure?" Harkness prodded quietly, feeling incredibly guilty for doing the twenty-six-year-old physical as well as mental harm during his Chernobyl-like meltdown. "You hadn't even been back from Hell a full hour when I started coming apart at the seams."

"Yep… still love you even then," Ianto countered with a tiny shrug. "You were upset and I wasn't careful. Everything'll be healed by morning, so don't worry about it. You can even kiss it better later and all will be right with the world."

"Or I could let you make good on the threat from earlier," Jack suggested with a half-smile, able to feel the young Welshman smile back.

"Speak softly," his Archivist advised, reluctantly allowing their embrace to end. "Gwen's been dying to have you upset me enough to let her lock you naked in the Vaults since our first row about the Weevils."

"So, I'd best watch my back and mind my manners," the older man surmised, moving out of the office with his lover to head for the kitchenette. "Man… she's gonna be hell on any boy brave enough to try dating Ebrill when she gets older."

"Their Rhosyn could end up a cat hoarding spinster," Ianto agreed, his tone sad but his eyes showing a little of their old sparkle.

"Or a lesbian," Harkness added, then shrugged. "Or both."

"Now that would be devastatingly sad… no one to love but a clowder of moggies," the Changeling beside him sighed, wincing as he crouched down to retrieve a six-pack of beers from the small fridge under the counter the microwave occupied.

"I've got plates and napkins," Jack offered. "Need a hand up?"

"Nope," Ianto exhaled, pushing the cold, carton bound bottles back farther on the counter top and using the solid-state shelving to help ease himself slowly upright. "Your hands are full, but I promise to take shameless advantage of your gallantry later."

"You can take advantage of the rest of me too," Harkness smirked, obviously feeling a little more his normal self.

"Duly noted, sir," his partner replied with a slight smile. "So… pizza with Gwen. Just like old times."

"If you two keep dawdling, I'll eat it by myself," the woman in question called as she came through the big rotating door. "And keep all the special treat too."

"Treat?" the Captain prodded as they joined her on the walk to the Boardroom.

"Charlie thew in one of Jubilee's new dessert pizzas," Cooper grinned. "Double Dutch Delight."

"Apple?" Harkness asked curiously.

"Chocolate," Gwen laughed happily. "With a fudge-caramel drizzle."

"Yes," Ianto whispered fiercely, never having been a fan of apple pie type sweets.

The three friends gathered in the Boardroom, settled close together at the near end of the table and broke out the pizza. It really was just like times past… the Torchwood Three Musketeers, sitting down to a late meal of takeaway at the end of a hard day. Some things never changed.

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AN: So, they boys came out in one piece (mostly)… Time for a bite to eat and a slow winddown from the trauma of the day.

Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM

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