Ianto woke in Jack's bunker alone. A moment of panic consumed him at the silence until he remembered staying in the Hub overnight. The team were tracking sightings of a winged creature circling Cardiff, terrorizing the citizens. They were taking turns to monitor the Hub and as it was Sunday, Ianto dressed in jeans and a plain black tee before venturing out to find Jack, breakfast and coffee.
Jack looked up from frying pan as Ianto moved towards the coffee machine. 'Oh praise the gods cooking the bacon worked. I didn't want to wake you but I'm dying here.'
Ianto snorted. 'I think we both know that's bollocks.'
Jack narrowed his gaze. 'I'm not sure I like your friendship with Owen. He's a bad influence on your language young man.' He shook his head as he was laughed but still accepted the cup of coffee he was handed. 'Just consider yourself told, and I shall accept this token as the apology I'm sure it isn't.' He sat his cup at the table and placed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of Ianto before setting one at his own seat.
'How long have you been awake?' Ianto's eyes falling on four stacks of folders. Each folder represented a resume. Jack having finally accepted they needed a bigger team and decided to actually look at the resumes that occasionally turned up on his desk, rather than ignoring them.
'Maybe three hours.'
Ianto nodded. In the last two weeks his nightmares had begun to fade and he woke less often in the night. Although Jack still climbed into his bed and just held him during the worst of it. Although there were times, like last night, when they simply fell into the same bed for expediency's sake. They both accepted it as a sign of his improving health that Jack had been able to leave Ianto sleeping for three hours and not wake him when he did leave.
'And the resumes?'
'I like the look of one or two. We got a few local applicants to look at as well your London friends, although UNIT and MI6 scooped up some of the ones you recommended.'
'And your sorting system?' Pointing to the four distinct piles all of differing heights.
Jack grinned as he chewed his bacon before waving his knife at the folders. The neatest pile were indicated as the "not looked at yet" section. The largest were the "hell no's" following in decreasing height order by the "meh, maybe" and the "almost possibly could be a maybe" pile.
Ianto ignored the opportunity to take a dig at the older man's organizational skills as he pulled the two folders in the, "almost possibly could be a maybe" pile, closer to his plate and opened the top one. His eyebrow rose as he looked from the photo to Jack. 'I see.' The smile was a little gap toothed, something his mother had a saying about that he couldn't quite remember. Other than that the young woman was reasonably attractive in a classic Welsh way with her pale complexion and dark hair. 'Recruiting from the constabulary are we?'
Jack sipped his coffee and nodded. 'She scored well in her training and she's reasonably local.'
'If you count growing up in Swansea as local.' Ianto muttered as he flicked though the file before putting it aside to open the next one. This time he grinned. 'Doctor Grace Mortimer.'
'You know her?'
'Yes but not well, I think she'll give your team a run for their money.'
'It's our team Yan, you're part of it too.'
'I know.' He set his fork down and sighed. 'I keep reaching for my phone, checking for a text or to see if she's called yet.'
Jack leaned over and patted his hand. 'Tell me about Grace.' He knew platitudes didn't work so he fell back on distracting Ianto with work instead. Since sex wasn't an option.
Ianto smiled as he switched his mind away from what he'd lost and instead thought of the motherly woman he'd known as Dr Death. 'She used to be a coroner so her sense of humour is, a little.' He took a breath and exhaled slowly. 'Dark.'
'Do you think she'll benefit the team?'
'Jack, I think the teletubbies would benefit the team if they could fill out a report and put their coffee cups in the dishwasher.'
'Okay, how about we have another coffee while you consider answering my question.'
'You just want another one.'
Jack smiled, his hands clasped as if in prayer while he watched Ianto laugh at him.
'You've met my sister and her kids, you should know that doesn't work on me.'
'Please?' This time he added the fluttering eyelashes to his smile, grinning when it worked and Ianto rose to his feet. He sat entranced by the view of Ianto in jeans as he moved to work his coffee magic. Trying to recall what they were talking about.
'Grace is at least in her mid forties not that I'd ever ask a woman how old she is. And definitely not one that could chop me up at speed and probably dispose of the evidence.' He handed Jack a fresh cup of coffee. 'She swapped pathology for microbiology and botany maybe ten years ago. She was poached from UNIT not long after I started at One. She's an excellent cook, a crack shot and a self confessed trainee crazy cat lady.'
'Trainee?'
'Only has two cats.'
'There's a quota?'
Ianto shrugged. 'Don't know.'
'I thought you knew everything.'
'Not about cats.'
'So field agent or Hub?'
'Probably Hub but I would suggest asking her that question Sir. Where was she when.' He stopped speaking, unable to say the words that would have taken his sentence to it's logical conclusion.
'Her lab was on lock down, file says her assistant tripped an alarm so they were trapped at the time.'
Ianto frowned. 'Which assistant?'
'Jacob Curuthers. He's in my hell no pile.'
'Best keep it that way Sir.'
'Really?' Jack leaned forward wondering what the story was there when his wrist strap beeped.
'Is that our monster Sir?'
'It is, if you think you're up to it?' Jack grinned when Ianto nodded. 'Looks like we're heading to the industrial zone.'
'I thought that was a nightclub Sir.'
'You really have been spending too much time with Owen.' Jack finished his coffee. 'Come on, SUV's loaded.'
'You have a monster trapping kit in the SUV?'
'Well no, but I don't see you wanting to shove it in the back of your audi if we do catch it.'
'Very true Sir.'
They reached the co-ordinates from the wrist strap in half the time any sane person would have managed it. A feat earning Jack a raised eyebrow.
'What?'
'And you wonder why I don't let you drive my car.'
'I'm a perfectly good driver.'
'Compared to what? A stunt driver on LSD?' This time Ianto followed the raised eyebrow with a proper eye rolling. 'Come on then, which warehouse is it?'
'Um, that one.' Jack pointed, tossing his coat into the SUV he pulled a large syringe out that he tucked into the pocket of his pants.
'If you stab yourself with that what am I supposed to tell Owen?'
'I'll wake up eventually.' He locked the vehicle and looked around at the warehouses surrounding them before heading towards one that looked like it should have a condemned sticker on the door.
'Wait, that's the sum total of your monster hunting kit?'
'We don't know what it is do we.'
'What about a net?'
'Butterfly or T-Rex?'
Ianto shrugged. 'Okay fair point.' He opened the door and stepped aside. 'You first, Sir.'
Jack grinned, entering the gloomy warehouse. 'Love it when you call me Sir.'
Ianto rolled his eyes again, following Jack he pulled the door closed behind him. He was about to step after the older man when he found himself pushed against the wall with the captains body pressed against his. 'Um Sir?'
'Should have brought the net.'
'Butterfly Sir?' His tone hopeful.
'Ah no, pterodactyl I think. Or pteranodon I didn't have long enough to tell.'
'And you think flirting with me will help?'
'Well I feel better.' Jack muttered as he moved to stand beside Ianto, back to the wall. 'You can be a real smart arse sometimes, Jones, Ianto Jones.'
'Being in mortal danger has that effect on me, you know that.'
'We don't know that the purple goo was going to kill us.'
'I didn't want to find out.'
'And your issue with authority figures?'
Ianto shrugged. 'You're just lucky I don't see you as having much authority.'
'That doesn't explain getting lippy to a judge.'
Ianto blushed in the gloom. 'That was a one time thing.' He decided to change the subject. 'So, about this wee beastie, how are we going to catch him, her, whatever.'
'Easy. I'll distract it and you hit it with this.' He handed Ianto the syringe.
'Ah ha, and if you get torn to shreds?'
'I'll heal, you wont.'
'I wasn't offering to be bait Sir.' He handed the syringe back. 'But we could use a plan B.'
'You have a plan B?'
'Of course.' He grinned at a somewhat flabbergasted Jack as he pulled something from the inside pocket of his denim jacket.
'Chocolate?'
'Why not, it works on you.'
'So. I'm hardly a bloody, well I'll be.' Jack watched in disbelief as Ianto broke a piece of chocolate off and tossed it at the approaching dinosaur. 'I wasn't expecting that to work.' He muttered, watching the creature stalk the chocolate and eat it. Not really sure why Ianto had chocolate in his jacket pocket in the first place, he considered this might not be the best time to ask.
'It'll work faster if you give Rex the injection.'
'Oh yeah.'
Jack pulled the cap off the needle, flashing a typical grin he charged in and grabbed the creatures leg. Scooping him up it rose off the ground, powerful wings taking it airborne even with the added weight of a captain tagging along for the ride. Reviewing his current circumstances Jack remembered he had a mission and managed to stab the needle into the dinosaur and depress the plunger. Everything was a bit blurry after that as they dived around the warehouse for a few moments before plummeting to the ground.
Ianto watched in disbelief as Jack flew with the dinosaur before they began to loose height and fall. 'Oh god.' He groaned as he moved to try and break Jack's fall. He might come back from death but the Welshman rationalized a broken leg would still hurt while it healed. Added to which, Owen would hardly be one to pass up the opportunity to give them both shit for their efforts. And no one liked a smug Englishman.
Jack found himself lying on Ianto until the Welshman flipped them over and the pteranodon hit the floor where they had just been. Chests heaving with adrenalin they stared into each others eyes while they lay pressed against each other. Debating the wisdom of an impulsive kiss Jack found himself disappointed when Ianto rose to his feet. Even as a hand stretched out to help him stand.
'Nothing broken Sir?'
'Nope.'
'Then we should really work out what to do with your sleeping friend.'
'She can live in the Hub.'
'I'm not going to ask how you were able to determine the creature is a she but I do question keeping her in the Hub.'
'We can't drop her of at the animal shelter can we. It will be fine, you'll see, she can be a sort of guard dog. Plenty of space to fly around and it isn't like we can send her home.'
'Is this where you tell me you have previously trained one of these to do tricks Sir?'
Jack shook his head as he moved to pick her up. 'It can't be that hard, I've been able to train Owen with some success.'
'That's debatable.' Ianto muttered in Welsh, smiling at Jack as he moved to help him carry the Hub's new flying guard dog towards the SUV. 'And when she eats someone?'
Jack shook his head. 'She eats mostly fish, humans are too big but I imagine it would hurt if she did bite someone.'
'There's a cheery thought Sir.'
The drive back to the Hub was also conducted in full, terrifying, Captain Jack Harkness style and they arrived just as the pteranadon began to stir. They managed to get her unloaded before she completely woke up.
Dusting himself off Ianto turned to Jack. 'I used to think the others were drinking too much coffee when they'd come in all jittery after going out in the field with you. Now however I suspect it's more of a comment on your driving.'
'I haven't met a vehicle I couldn't drive yet.'
'Yes.' Ianto intoned in his usual deadpan way. 'But how many of them did you crash first?'
Jack looked at Ianto before shaking his head and moving towards a computer. 'We're going to need fish and some straw or something.'
Ianto nodded. 'She'll also need some sort of nesting box, I imagine she'll like something high up to roost in. And should we get her micro-chipped Sir?'
'What?'
'In case she gets lost.'
Jack sighed as he looked at Ianto and shook his head. 'Definitely spending too much time with Owen.'
Ianto maintained his neutral expression as he approached the slowly waking dinosaur with the remainder of the chocolate. 'Hello Myfanwy, have some more chocolate, it's good for your serotonin levels.'
Jack wondered over. 'Myfanwy?' He watched the Welshman shrug.
'She needs a name if she's going to be the Hub pet. Or were you just going to put a collar on Owen?'
'I'm sure he'd like that but I don't think it'll be me doing that any time this side of ever.'
Ianto looked at Jack and gave him a quiet almost appraising smirk as he continued to feed Myfanwy. He gave her head a scratch before walking away, only turning back when he heard a yelp.
'She nipped me.'
'What did you do?'
'What did I do? She nipped me. She let you pat her head, but she nipped me.'
'You forget, you stabbed her with a needle and I gave her chocolate.'
'Well isn't that lovely, guess you've got a new pet Ianto.'
'I would have preferred a kitten.' He nodded as he flashed a brief, barely there smile before walking away, leaving Jack staring at his retreating back.
Jack followed him wondering if he had been serious in saying he wanted a cat or if it had been a joke. Since Lisa, there were times when he was never quite sure if Ianto was being literal or sarcastic. It had been much easier when the younger man was more likely to smile, now however he seemed to guard his smiles, holding them to himself. Finding Ianto in the bathroom washing his face Jack had to consider that the kitten comment was less of a throw away remark and had more of a story behind it. He let his hand rest on the younger man's shoulder giving him the peace to speak if he needed it.
Ianto sighed. 'I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting that to trigger anything.'
'You can get a cat or a kitten if you want one, you'll have to keep it at home rather than the Hub mind.'
'The large flying dinosaur might eat it you think.'
Jack nodded. 'That thought did cross my mind.'
'I don't think I want a cat, it was just one of those things Lisa and I used to talk about.' He dried his face and hands. 'It just never seemed like the right time.'
'I wanted a cat, when I was with Sophia, but she had allergies.' He held the door for Ianto as they moved out into the Hub.
'You didn't want one after that?'
'I live in a bunker under my office in a secret underground base, where would I put the cat door. Not really the best place for a cat.'
'Not really a secret base either, ask anyone where Torchwood is and they all point here. And the SUV, hardly a discrete vehicle.'
'We are invisible in our visibility Ianto.'
He smiled. 'The old hiding in plain sight shtick.'
'It works.'
Ianto laughed as he reached the kitchen and the remains of their abandoned breakfast. 'Come on, I'll wash, you can dry, it'll be faster than trying to get everything though the dishwasher.'
'Then we need to find some fish and rig up something for Myfanwy to sleep in.'
'You don't think a basket under your desk will work?'
'Maybe in the autopsy suite but can you imagine what Owen will say?'
'Whatever it is, it will contain liberal sprinklings of the sort of language my sister would not approve of and the word oi.' He added the dish washing liquid to the water and began washing plates.
'You're probably right.'
Ianto laughed. 'Probably?' Setting a plate in the draining rack. 'One question.'
'Yes?'
'You going to tell the others before or after they come to work tomorrow that we caught a dinosaur and let it go in the Hub?' He watched as Jack's grin grew. 'After then.'
'Come on, lets get this lot sorted and I'll buy you lunch at the pub before we go looking for fish and straw and a giant box or something.'
'Will this be a working lunch Sir, or are you trying to ask me out?'
'Definitely a working lunch, if I was asking you out you'd know.'
Jack returned to their table having ordered their lunch and watched as Ianto relaxed into his pint. 'I don't know how you can drink that stuff.'
'It's a proper Welsh bitter Jack, it took me ages to find anywhere selling it in London.'
'But a beer called Brains?'
'Maybe whoever made the original batch couldn't spell his name and there's a family of Brian's wondering what all the fuss is about.'
Jack sipped his water and resisted rolling his eyes at his friend and lunch companion.
'Anyway, you said this was a working lunch.'
'I did, so I'm assuming you've seen all the files I haven't yet reviewed.'
'Of course.'
'So who should I hire?' He had to work out exactly when Ianto had become less of an archivist and more of a personal assistant. But the man really did seem to know everything.
'I don't know about hiring but you should interview both Grace and Pip.'
'Pip? I'm not looking for a back up singer in a girl band.'
Ianto rolled his eyes. 'Really? I actually meant a former field agent from Torchwood One, he's oddly unemployed at the moment. Marshall Pippins, former British Marine, also speaks fluent French and German -.'
Jack cut in. 'Don't get much call for that in Wales Yan.'
'No but you have a tourist office for a front door.'
'I need field agents not a receptionist.'
'True and you could just hire someone like the PC for that.'
'So you think I need someone in the tourist office?'
Ianto shrugged. 'Why upset the Cardiff Tourist Board by not having it open if it's there.'
'I'll take that under consideration. How well do you know Pip?'
'He's the one who kept trying to get me out of the archives and into the field.'
'I hate him already.'
'Jealous Jack?' Ianto teased.
'I thought I made it clear several weeks ago that I was pulling rank and am the only one who will be flirting with you Mr Jones.'
'And I told you I'm not gay. Neither is Pip although he is divorced.'
'Okay, so I'm warming up to him but would he move to Cardiff?'
'I think so and I think you'll like him, He's one of those guys who isn't happy unless he's blowing something up and he'd move to Australia if it meant he got to keep working for Torchwood.'
'And you think I should interview him?'
Ianto nodded as their lunch arrived.
Walking back into the Hub Jack considered options for a nesting box for their newest edition to the team. He just didn't see how it could be made to work and decided to call Suzie in. Her skills with a blow torch weren't just decorative after all. And as his second he should probably actually talk to her about his plans to expand the team, before he started interviewing anyone.
Suzie walked into the Hub and called out. 'This better be important Jack.' She tossed her bag onto her desk and pulled a gun as she caught movement out the corner of her eye. 'What the fuck?'
Ianto popped up and held his hands out. 'Don't shoot, her name is Myfanwy.'
Gun tucked away Suzie smoothed the fabric of her shirt down and looked around for Jack before taking in the sight of the large flying reptile. 'What the hell is that?'
'Pteranadon.' Jack grinned as he leaned over a railing. 'We finally caught her and I decided to keep her.'
'Oh.'
Jack nodded. 'Yeap. But we need to rig up something for a nesting box for her and I'm drawing a blank.'
'So you called me in. On my day off?'
'Yeap. Can you do it?'
Suzie tilted her head to one side as she looked up at Jack and glared at him. 'Of course I can.'
'Excellent, never doubted you could, and since you're here, there is something else I need to talk to you about.'
She groaned. 'Oh god, you've discovered that Owen has a twin brother and he's joining the team?'
'What, no.'
'Then Ianto has a twin brother and he's joining the team and the rest of us can flirt with him?'
'No.' Jack sighed. 'But we do need some additional people on the team.'
'Well yeah, we've all been saying that for ages.' She reached for a pad and a pencil and began making notes and sketching an idea for the nesting box. 'Does this mean you're actually going to do it?'
'I've been looking at a few of the resumes that turn up on occasion, and with the fall of One it leaves a few more highly qualified individuals free to be snapped up.'
Suzie put her pencil down and looked at him. 'I thought you hated One? Even with Ianto being okay.'
'Yeah well, we need people, then we can all take turns to have weekends off.'
Looking around she nodded. 'You have me there.' Smiling when she saw Ianto with his tray. 'You are a prince among men Ianto.'
He gave her an exaggerated nod as she took her cup. 'My lady.'
'Oi, we've been over this.' Jack snatched his cup off the tray and turned to Suzie. 'No flirting with Ianto.' He watched as they both rolled their eyes at him and sipped their coffee. 'Fine, so we've established we need more people. Ianto has suggested a few names of people from London I should talk to.'
Suzie smiled. 'Do you need me there for that?'
'I think I can hire a few extra bodies for the team.'
'Sure but if you aren't rescuing them where's the challenge?'
Jack knew she was referring to how both Tosh and Owen joined the team and chose to simply smile over the rim of his coffee cup in lieu of a response.
Putting her now empty coffee cup down she shook her head, curls dancing as she grinned. 'Whatever, I have to build a cage for your giant bird.' She began walking away but stopped. 'Are you going to tell the other two?'
'About hiring more staff or Myfanwy?'
Suzie sighed as she saw the laughter in Jack's eyes. 'Whatever, just don't go too far, I'll need help getting your bird box in place.'
Jack turned around, looking for Ianto, finding him in his office setting two folders on the desk. Leaning against the door frame he gave the younger man his best lecherous grin. 'Suzie's happy for you to take me in hand you know.'
Ianto stopped moving as he considered his reaction to Jack's words, to the softly rising heat pooling low in his body at the very idea. 'I doubt that Sir.'
Levering himself upright Jack tucked his hands in his pockets and sauntered towards Ianto. 'With hiring on a few more staff. Unless you were thinking other thoughts.'
Ianto swallowed his uncertainty and hoped he'd covered it up as he replied. 'I ah, still think you should talk to Grace and Pip.'
'So those would be the files you put on my desk?' He stepped closer to Ianto, knowing he was unsettling him as he moved into his personal space. 'With their contact numbers and everything?'
'Perhaps not everything Sir.'
Jack smiled. 'I guess not, but perhaps you should call them and invite them to meet me.'
'Where?'
'You don't think I should invite them here?' He watched as Ianto raised an eyebrow and said nothing. 'Fine, I could always meet them at home or something.'
'That might be wise, Sir.'
Jack smiled. 'What would I do without you.'
'Drink instant coffee, Sir.' He smiled as Jack laughed.
'You make that sound like it equates with having to go clubbing with Owen.'
Ianto raised his eyebrow once more and simply smiled.
'A little to the left Jack, and Ianto, hold that ladder steady.' Suzie tightened the bolt she was working on and checked her creation was holding. 'Okay boys, that should do it. Now we just need the giant chicken to test it out.'
'She's not a chicken you know.'
Suzie barked out a sharp laugh. 'Says you.'
Ianto began setting straw into the box and calling for Myfanwy as Jack walked with Suzie to her work station.
Suzie kept her voice low as she turned to Jack. 'Myfanwy?'
'What?' He shrugged. 'Ianto named her.'
'Hmm, and he still having nightmares?'
'Is this your way of asking if I'm still sleeping in his bed at night?'
She shrugged. 'Are you?'
'I'm not sure I like what you're implying young lady.'
'You don't have to Jack, you're different since he came here, and don't get me wrong, it's a good different. But now what?'
'Meaning.'
'Permission to speak frankly Sir?' She teased.
He waved his hand, indicating she should go on.
'You don't have to send him back to London and all that entails anymore, so, what are your intentions towards our archivist?'
'Wow, his sister didn't even ask that.'
She leaned against her desk and raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to answer her question.
'Maybe I don't have an answer Suzie.' He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at some scrap metal. 'Maybe I'm trying to work that out for myself.'
'And what about what he wants?'
'I don't know what I want, do you really think I know what he wants?' Jack looked around and his eyes found Ianto, standing on the platform Suzie had installed. 'He's up there patting a dinosaur. I think right now he's focused on not losing a finger.'
'Not what I meant Jack.'
He leaned against a wall and sighed. 'Not that I'm complaining but why the older sister routine all of a sudden?'
'I may have realized that I like the way things are right now, and I don't want to go back to a world with instant coffee in it.'
'No, I don't think any of us want that.'
'Hence my playing the proverbial big sister.'
'Fine, I appreciate the concern, even if it is a little self serving.'
Suzie smiled. 'I see you understand.' Moving towards him she linked her arm though his. 'So who are you looking at interviewing?'
'A field agent and a scientist from London, if Ianto manages to get them to Cardiff.'
She laughed. 'I have no doubts that young man can do just that. But seriously, you aren't going to tell Tosh or Owen about the chicken?'
Jack laughed. 'She's not a chicken.'
'That's not an answer.'
Jack saw Suzie out and went looking for Ianto, who he found in his office. 'That's my desk.'
Ianto looked up as he ended his phone call and nodded. 'It is.'
'I thought I got you one of your own, with a phone and everything.'
'In the archives, the folders I needed were on your desk.'
Jack nodded. 'Okay, you get hold of them?'
'Grace is out of the country and will let me know when she's back, but Pip will be here on Wednesday.'
'Excellent, then we should go home.'
'We need to stop at the market on the way home.'
'We always need to stop at the market.' Jack muttered as they headed for the underground parking garage.
'I know.'
Jack turned to the Welshman and frowned. 'You don't sound very excited by that.'
'You're like a giant five year old with unlimited funds, what's not to be excited about.' Ianto shook his head as Jack just nodded. He sighed and unlocked the audi. 'Come on, but I'm pushing the trolley.'
'You never let me have any fun.'
Ianto looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes at Jack, choosing to say nothing as he watched the older man sigh and get in the car. With a final shake of his head Ianto also got in the car, shopping with Jack was not one of his preferred ways to spend a Sunday afternoon but they did need groceries.
He liked that his life was becoming more normal, with Lisa's death he didn't expect anything to feel okay again. So he let himself simply be as they moved though each day. But he did wonder what was going to happen next.
A/N: sorry about the delay in posting this chapter, I do however, have the internet once more and a house to finish unpacking. :)