TITLE: Beauty of a Broken Angel
PART ONE OF SERIES: The Five Elements (AU Verse)
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!
Note: Next Chapter is here! Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4: Old Foes New Friends
5th January 2000
The following morning was rather uneventful compared to the previous day. After another wash and some breakfast after waking, Ianto stayed silently in his usual corner; however Jack could swear he could feel his inquisitive eyes on him as they followed him round the hotel room.
Around noon, the sound of a mobile ringing broke the silence, and Jack groaned as he read the caller ID.
"What!" He snapped as he answered the phone, and from across the room Ianto's head dropped to his chest.
"Err...Captain Harkness?"
Calming his temper for Ianto's sake, Jack answered more softly. "Speaking."
"I've been told to inform you that Miss Hartman would like to see you first thing is afternoon."
The news wasn't very unexpected considering where they'd left the previous conversation, but it didn't mean Jack wanted to grace her with his presence, even without Ianto to think about. "Well you can tell Hartman from me that she can shove her meeting God knows where. I've told her everything I want, it's up to her whether she follows it."
"She thought you'd say that sir." The voice returned, seemingly not shaken by the harsh words. "I was told to inform you that if you weren't here by 1400 hours she'd send a team to Cardiff to drag you here themselves."
The woman on the phone obviously had more balls than Jack had expected as the phone hung up before he could respond. He clenched the phone in his hand to release his frustration before turning to Ianto who was looking at him intently.
He sighed. He didn't want to leave Ianto on his own only two days after being recused from captivity, but he couldn't exactly take him with him to Torchwood One, the exact place he'd escaped from. However, he still had to attend this meeting because if Yvonne was true to her word, and she often was, they'd be straight over here, and Ianto would still end up in the same situation. Deciding on the lesser of two evils, he collected the hotel room phone and dialled in his mobile number.
Kneeling down in front of Ianto, he held out the phone. "I have to go. If I don't they'll come straight here and find you, and I can't allow that." He let Ianto take the phone uncertain before he continued. "If you need me, press the green button and I promise I'll answer okay."
Ianto nodded letting him know he understood. Jack hesitated for a brief second, before he stood. "I'll be back as fast as I can."
Grabbing his greatcoat, he ran from the hotel room guiltily, crashing into a figure coming out of a nearby room. Stopping dead, he recognised the woman as the one who left the brand new clothes the other evening. 'Helen' a nametag he hadn't registered before advised him. "Where's the fire?" She asked, stunned.
"Sorry." He moved to go round but paused, an idea sparking. "Can I ask a favour?"
"Depends what it is." Helen replied ambiguously, but the despite the answer her smile showed she was happy to help.
"Can you check in on Ianto in room 403 this afternoon please? I don't want to leave him alone, but I've been ordered in to work and…"
"Of course, no worries. Now get going, the sooner you leave the sooner you'll back from wherever."
~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~
Ianto leaned back against the wall as he shifted slightly into a new position. He found it hard to track time and so wasn't sure how long it'd been since Jack had left, but light was still shining through the window meaning it can't have been too long. No matter what Jack had said, he felt surprised at being left unbound when alone, and questioned why Jack believed he wasn't a danger to anyone, despite him hurting Jack the other day. However, he remembered that while Jack had been broadcasting concerns at leaving him alone, he'd given the impression that he was more worried for his safety rather than anyone else's. He had even left him a device – 'a phone' he realised, the word randomly coming to his head – in case he would 'need him'.
The phone felt heavy in his hand as a stared at the screen, the long string of numbers staring back. He didn't know what Jack had meant by needing him, and fingered the green button debating whether he should press it.
He was pulled from his thought by a noise at the door and his head snapped up from the screen. A few seconds later it opened a crack and a woman Ianto recognised from the first night popped her head round the gap.
"Ianto? You're friend asked me to see if you were alright."
Not having been asked a question, he kept quiet, watching as she opened the door further and came into the room. Different thoughts flashed through his mind that maybe Jack had sent her to guard him or similar, but the emotions swirling round his head contradicted every thought and belief he'd had for the last four years.
"I'm Helen. I work here most days, it's not much but it pays for my bills. Do you need anything? Food? Something to do?" The woman continued as she moved over to where he was sitting, but still confused on what he would need or do, he didn't answer. "Mind if I join you?" She asked, sliding down the wall to sit next to him.
~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~
Jack broke every speed limit on the way to London, storming into the Tower and into Yvonne's Office without bothering to legally park the SUV. Yvonne was in the middle of debating something with someone who looked like the head of security and barely glanced over when she heard the door slam open.
"Captain Harkness, good you're here. I really didn't want to waste resources sending my men to Cardiff, but as you can see I'm in the middle of something so if you could please wait outside…"
"No." Jack interrupted. "You've blackmailed me here and despite it not being the first time, I'm not in the mood to play games today. What do you want?"
Yvonne deliberated for a few seconds, clearly reading Jack's exasperated expression as she turned to the other man. "Keep searching. I want him found by the end of the day." With that she signified for the other to leave, before addressing Jack. "Do you really think you're in a position to order me around?"
"It worked didn't it?" Jack returned.
"Don't let it get to your head. I've got a dangerous prisoner on the loose somewhere in London. As you can imagine I'm fairly busy, so the quicker we get this sorted the better."
"Get what sorted?" He queried, more focused on the gratifying news that Yvonne still wasn't aware Ianto had left the capital.
"I think you know why you're here. Torchwood Cardiff has informed me you have failed to report to work. I made it perfectly clear…"
"Actually, I think I made it clear that I wasn't going back with your ninnies running the place. Now was there anything else. If not I am heading back to Cardiff and don't even think about sending a team to find me. It won't change anything and I think you'll find I can be pretty hard to find and I figure at the moment you don't have the resources to spare." It was a dangerous bluff, but Jack knew that sometimes you had to play risky to win.
Yvonne sighed. "It's your choice Captain. Report for work or don't, but you know fully well you can't just leave Torchwood. You're right, I might not have the manpower now, but that won't last and you can't hide forever. Torchwood has eyes everywhere. See how you feel in a few weeks."
"You lot can barely find your own heads. Alex put me in charge and I'll will honour his wishes. Just watch." He stormed from the room, confident that Yvonne wouldn't bother with finding him. Yvonne was only interesting with power and money and he wasn't worth it.
Despite his rush, it was starting to get late when Jack arrived back at the hotel room, but Helen was sitting conversing with Ianto (albeit one-sidedly) about herself, alongside a full plate of food on the ground. On seeing Jack, Helen moved over to the doorway.
"He hasn't moved all day and hasn't said a word. I tried to give him something to eat but he just ignored it."
"It's okay. Thanks for trying. That was my fault I should have told you he wouldn't eat if anyone was looking." He nodded over her shoulder to where the plate was now empty and Helen looked round, surprised. "I think he was ordered not to eat when anyone was around. Sorry."
"It's fine. At least he's eaten it now." She paused for a second. "He looks so young."
Jack sighed, agreeing, as he determined how much he could share without giving away any secrets."He's been held captive for years. I don't know how to convince him he's safe, never mind that he's not dangerous himself, like he was told."
"You can only give him kindness and love, but most importantly your presence. I guess where he was the only time anyone was around was to cause him pain, so you just being around without hurting him is what will tell him you care."
"Thank you. And thanks for the clothes the other night; you didn't have to buy that much."
"No need. Happy to help."
Jack let Helen out the room, then headed over to Ianto to pick up the cleaned plate. "Told you I'll be back, didn't I. Sorry I had to leave, but I have some good news. Torchwood One had no clue where you are and I plan to keep it that way."
From what Helen had informed him, Ianto had been sitting on the hard floor since he'd left earlier. He wanted Ianto to feel safe enough to move to a more comfortable place, but he knew one thing for sure was that he wasn't going to earn Ianto's trust by ordering him to do anything. He'd hadn't had a choice for the last four years. It was time to give him one. Looking across at the TV and sofa, he'd had an idea.
"I'm going to go watch some TV and you're free to join me. However, that's your choice okay, it's not an order, it's up to you."
Jack left him alone to show he wasn't influencing a decision, pretending to become engrossed in a marathon run of 'Escape to the Country.' He pushed all his anger and frustration that he held for Yvonne to one side, not wanting Ianto to get the wrong idea, keeping his mind as blank as possible and roughly an hour later, a smile slipped onto his face as he heard movement beside him. Deciding not to comment, he watched from the corner of eye as Ianto moved across the room to sit on the floor, back against the counter, so he could see the TV clearer.
Note: Over half way through this part! Next chapter should be up in a couple days or so. Please Review.