hello just wanted to throw out a special thanks to my reviewers. I'm so glad to read all your positive comments. Special thanks to Seshat, Glinda, Lady Marian o the Woods, Mythstar black dragon, kateg123, WhoKnows909, Terriah, Hwise05, bones, baebeeboo, Pandora of Ithilien, Kazz the 13th and Super Spazz Attack. Thanks to everyone who continues to read this and I hope you enjoy:)
Chapter 7
Jack held his hands over Gwen's eyes as he walked her out. The wind blew softly gently grazing her hair and he could feel her smiling.
"Jack, where are we?" she asked.
He grinned at her curiosity and led her to the perfect spot. He released his hands and she stared in amazement at the beauty of the city at night. She could see as far as the eye could see and it was breathtaking. The sky was a delicate blue with hardly any clouds. The wind was just soft enough against their bodies agreeing perfectly with the symmetry of the sky.
"Wow," she smiled, "You never cease to amaze me, Jack whether you're introducing me to a new species of alien or doing things like this."
She closed her eyes taking in the sweet breeze. Jack stood there watching her with amazement. She looked beautiful with her hair blowing in the wind. His heart skipped a beat at the thought that he could share this with her. This moment. It might be the smallest pleasure, but it was the most significant image he would carry with him for all of time.
"I sometimes come up here to think," he said standing next to her also looking over the city.
"What do you think about?" she asked also looking out.
"This and that," he smiled at her, but she only quirked an eyebrow.
Jack sighed and looked back out towards the city. Thoughts ran through his head while different emotions played across his face. Gwen watched in fascination. Every time she was sure she had him figured out he would go and do things like this.
"The past, the present, the world around us. Sometimes we get so caught up in it, we forget the other beings apart of it and beyond. You never do that though," he grinned at her.
"Oh I don't know about that," she smiled.
"But you don't, Gwen. You have such a compassion for the things and people around you. Every day you remind me of the reason Torchwood fights for this crazy planet. We fight for the innocence of these ignorant people. To save each other from the darkness of living. We fight to preserve the good despite the bad."
"True. That is what Torchwood fights for, but what do you fight for Captain Jack Harkness?"
Gwen looked straight into his eyes as she asked this question. He could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into them. His heart was beating faster, but he kept his cool under her gaze. She wasn't challenging him or contemplating him. She only stared at the man before her. The man that he so desperately wanted to prove to her that he could be, all because of her and in that instant he knew what he fought for.
"I fight to protect people like you," he said simply and looked back out towards the city though he could see out of the corner of his eye her cheeks lightly blushing and grinned despite him.
"So," she started trying to change the subject, "How are things with you and Ianto?"
"Fine," he said simply, "I haven't really seen much of him lately since he fell in love."
"Wait what? You two aren't…" Gwen's sentence trailed off and she flushed a deeper shade of red that Jack couldn't help, but smile at her awkwardness.
"No, Gwen," he chuckled, "He met up with some old friend from college apparently and they hit it off. Nope, I'm on my own now."
"That makes two of us," said Gwen calmly.
Jack went to speak to apologize again as Rhys sprang into his mind, but she cut him off, "At least we're not alone, not really. You'll always have me, you know that."
Jack smiled at her and pulled her hand into his, "I know darling. I know…"
She gave him a small smile before settling into a comfortable silence. Words didn't need to be said for everything was exchanged between them spiritually. Together they stared off into the sun both thinking about two different people who were one in the same. Each other.
"Ooh I knew this was a bad idea," Jack yelled in frustration running his hand through his hair.
"Jack, will you calm down. Ianto and Owen are with her. She'll be fine when she makes the exchange," Tosh answered.
"They haven't answered in over twenty minutes."
"They're in a no signal zone. What'd you expect? Jack, if you're so worked up about this why'd you let Gwen lead this case."
Jack didn't answer, but only growled in frustration. He remembered getting into a fight about this with Gwen the day earlier. She could handle herself, he knew that, but it didn't make it any less stressful that she was purposely putting herself in danger and the only reason he hadn't gone with her was because the prime minister demanded to meet him today to discuss events of recent. He had returned an half an hour ago to find out the comms were down.
The Cog door rolled open and Jack jumped at the sound.
"What the hell happened," he demanded.
"The man was armed and I'm not talking one gun armed. I mean like eight guns and three men for backup armed," Owen answered.
There was dried blood on the side of his face, but Jack could tell it wasn't his. He pulled two dead bodies through and then ran back out to bring in one unconscious one.
"Where's Gwen and Ianto?"
"Well, Gwen is with Ianto," Owen answered with a smile. Jack wasn't buying it for a second. He could tell something was wrong.
"Owen, what happened?"
His question was answered as Ianto and Gwen walked through the door. Gwen was leaning on Ianto for support clutching her bloody side and limping on one foot. Ianto had a few bruises, but nothing too serious. Owen watched as Jack's expression darkened at Gwen's image.
"She was shot twice," Ianto explained calmly enough while trying to catch his breath. He held Gwen up with one arm while carrying the suitcase with the alien artifact in the other which he handed to Tosh immediately.
Gwen didn't dare look at Jack knowing how angry he was. She could almost imagine it and the way Ianto gulped as Jack made his way down the steps towards them only confirmed it. She was getting tired and those painkillers Owen had given her were doing shit for her.
"Right, so Ianto bring her down to the medical bay where I'll patch her up properly," said Owen trying to break the icy atmosphere. Jack, he noticed, was steaming with anger at the sight of Gwen.
"Ianto, dispose of the two bodies and lock up the third I'll take Gwen to the medical bay," Jack stated firmly.
Ianto nodded and shifted Gwen's weight onto Jack who roughly picked her up in his arms.
"Jack, I can walk," she protested suddenly becoming aware of what he was doing. He flicked at her wound purposely and glared at her, "Ow, what the-"
"-this is what happens when you don't listen to me," he yelled.
Ianto quickly made his way down to the steps to the cells dragging the man with him. Owen hurried off to the medical bay while Tosh muttered something about refilling her coffee cup. Anyway you looked at it; the situation was not going to be pretty.
"Jack put me down," Gwen said sternly trying to keep her voice under control.
"I warned you at least one hundred times and you go and get yourself shot not once, but twice. Do you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in? What if it wasn't your leg or your side, what if it was your head," he pointed to it, "Or your heart or some other vital organ you can't afford to lose!"
"I understand, but-"
"-But nothing because you acted foolishly today-"
"-you weren't there. How would you know?"
"Because Ianto and Owen left the scene with mere markings, but you…no you were shot!" he yelled gripping his hands around her more brutally tight.
"Jack, put me down!"
"You can't walk and we can't have you risking the other leg now can we?."
"I'd rather take my chances on the ground instead of you holding me like you're ready to crush me into dust if your grip can get any tighter that is," she said trying to push them away, but he was too strong and only forcefully pulled her face so she was staring right at him.
His expression softened, his grip loosened and he looked so scared. He took a deep breath trying to make her understand with his eyes. He rested his forehead against hers as he still held her in his arms and whispered, "Do you have any idea what'd I do if I lost you?"
Gwen's eyes widened, though she wasn't sure whether it was because of the pain or because what he said had meant a lot to her.
The defenses were disintegrating more and more every day and Jack knew she could feel it. How long could he go before he let loose everything he kept inside of him? How long could he resist those emerald eyes that glistened with temptation or those ruby lips that could speak the words he so wanted to hear? How long could he keep the barriers up and keep her safe before eventually the defenses he had struggled to maintain for so long collapsed and together they'd collide, drowning in each other, awakening feelings that both have tried to suppress. A relationship like theirs would be more then amazing, Jack knew, but it would also put her in danger and would cause even more heartbreak when he'd have to eventually let her go. But how long he angrily asked himself. How long?
Another pain shot through Gwen and she winced. Jack quickly forgot his thoughts and softened his grip on her making her more comfortable in his arms. He wanted her to always feel safe in his arms. She placed her arm around his neck as he carried her down to the medical bay where Owen was all ready with her.
"Now let's have a look shall we," he said lifting up the part of her shirt that covered the wound and cutting off the bottom part of her pants.
Owen treated it carefully not daring to look at Jack. He could feel his eyes on him as he worked on Gwen and he couldn't help, but wonder when the two of them would just shag already. Gwen stared the ground wincing a few times at the pain, but was calm nonetheless.
"Hmph," Owen laughed trying to break the tension, "I remember my last bullet. Captain John Hart. Remember? He shot me, beat up Tosh, threatened Ianto and poisoned Gwen."
"Because she let him kiss her after I specifically told her not to and when she's not making out with John she's busy distracting women in factories," Jack stated.
Gwen put her hands over her face shielding her eyes as Owen finished up. She was never going to hear the end of those two incidents. When Captain Jack kissed someone, oh, it was no big deal, but when she kissed someone he'd throw it back in her face somehow whether with words or with actions like all those times he made out with Ianto right in front of her. If she didn't know any better she could swear that the tone in his voice made him sound...
"What? Jealous Jack? Because you sure as hell sound it."
Before he could respond Tosh and Ianto came back with the latest results of their case.
"I have news on the alien piece you guys brought back, but if you're busy…"
"No, not at all," said Owen rather thankfully. He could tell Jack and Gwen were just about to head into another heated argument, "So what have you got?"
"Well, it's alien in origin, beautiful craftwork, but it's giving off radiation and there are definitely more of them. If they're used for the wrong reasons thousands of lives could be in danger."
"I was able to get some information out of the man in the cells. It appears it involves the mob."
"The Cardiff mob?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Yes, they're located in a room just above a pole dancing club not far from here. The big boss, Mr. Zez, is selling the last of the merchandise much like the one we picked up in two weeks. Anyone with money is welcome to bid," Ianto said.
"Someone needs to go undercover then," Owen said rather thoughtfully.
"Yes, but this place is heavily guarded. Nobody gets in or out without the say of Donald Mavoy, the right hand man. Remember this is the mob we're talking about. Men with big guns."
"I can handle men with big guns. I'm an expert in that area," Jack smirked while everyone else just rolled their eyes.
"We can set Jack up to go undercover. It could work," Tosh offered.
"Only problem is, we won't be able to get close enough to back you up," Owen answered.
"What if Tosh and I went undercover? You said it was located under a pole dancing club," Gwen said.
"No way" Tosh said before she could even comprehend the words Gwen had just spoken.
Ianto and Owen stared at her like she was insane and Jack's face said it all.
"Absolutely not," he answered without hesitation.
"You need backup," Gwen argued.
"I'll be more then fine."
"Yeah of course and when the big boss finds out about the man who can't die he won't come up with some conniving plan to make a profit off you now will he?"
"Are you telling me that you'd actually be willing to pole dance for various men in a smoky room just to back me up?" he stood in front of her trying to stare her down, trying to call her bluff, but she only called his every time.
"If it saves the world then yes."
"After your behavior with the exchange I should chain you to your desk for at least three months. Do you really think I'm going to let you risk yourself getting involved with the mob when you can barely handle yourself as it is?"
"I can handle myself perfectly."
"Oh yes, the gun wounds really support that statement."
"Well unless they allow Ianto or Owen to audition or if Tosh reconsiders, I'm all that's left and you are NOT going in there alone."
"That's my decision. I am your boss."
"And you are also my friend," she finished trying to catch her breath from all this yelling. They were so much more then friends, they both knew it, but what other word could she use, "Let me help you all right?"
"No," he stated firmly walking away.
"Actually it's not a bad idea," Ianto stated.
Jack glared daggers at him, but stopped as Owen also nodded his head in agreement. He looked at Tosh who only looked away guiltily because she supported the idea that Jack had back up when he went in there. He turned back to Gwen who was staring at him with those eyes. Those goddamn eyes he thought. Jack couldn't die, but one look from her with those soft specks would surely one day be the death of him. He sighed not liking the idea, but with his team all in agreement he had no other choice.
"You brought this on yourself…"
