Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. Truly. I've had a lot going on, my muse decided to go on a vacation, but now it's back and I know exactly where this is heading. I am keeping the rating T for their will be no more smut in this story, but if you are looking for some smut I suggest you read a new story I just posted called "How to properly seduce someone without being too obvious about it in just a few short days" it's rated M for…stuff let's call it and its jackgwen so for all the jackgwen fans just a warning if you read it you will be squeeing lol.
Anyways I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing including Kateg123, Mythstar Black dragon, Super Spazz Attack, JoSchmo666, I've lost my profile page, Pandora of ithlien, shadowxwolf, terriah, Gemziie, and starry eyed torchwood lover(love the name btw lol)
I hope you all enjoy this next bit and I'll try to update a.s.a.p
Chapter 9
Owen and Ianto were right on cue somehow being able to get past security though Jack was sure Ianto's stungun had something to do with it. The mob as Jack had suspected did not cooperate and immediately pulled their guns out on them. Gwen stood behind the main boss and didn't out her weapon until the very last second when she wouldn't be suspected. She shot him over the head with her gun as the shots rang out hitting Jack all over. It was kill or be killed and Owen, Ianto, Jack and Gwen each had blood on their hands in the end. Whoever lived was arrested and the alien artifacts were secured. Jack was only grateful that his team had made it out alive.
"Where's Gwen?" Jack asked as he, Ianto and Owen began to make their way back to the SUV.
"She went home. Took her own car," Ianto answered simply.
Jack nodded, but frowned. They made their way to the SUV silently. The whole situation had been awkward. You couldn't keep it in your pants this one time Harkness, he thought and mentally slapped himself. She was probably home by now confused as hell trying to decipher the whole situation. Hell, he was still trying to figure it out.
All he seemed to do was send mixed signals. He wouldn't be surprised if she just one day got fed up and called him out on all his crap. But he couldn't help it. She couldn't possibly understand the struggle he went through. It was always some conflict. The fact that if she got involved with him she was more vulnerable. The fact that he could leave at any moment and hurt her. The fact that she would one day die and he wouldn't. The fact that he could fall for her…hard and it was just too painful to deal with.
He'd have to let this go. Tomorrow when she came in he'd have to let her down easy though it'd probably be anything but easy. But he had to. If not for his sake then for hers. She deserved so much more.
"Morning everyone," boomed Gwen's voice as she entered through the Cog door the next morning.
Jack tried to get a good look at her face expression. Was she confused? Was she upset? Was she happy? He couldn't tell. She just casually walked over to her workstation and began typing up the report on their latest encounter.
"So Gwen, still got that outfit?" Owen winked.
"You can hardly call it an outfit," smirked Ianto.
"All right that's enough you two," Tosh warned and then continued her conversation with Owen on a new alien object that just came through the rift.
Gwen didn't say anything. She didn't need too. She didn't even care about the remarks although she had a feeling Owen was just bursting with them. The entire night she had been tossing and turning thinking about the moment she and Jack had in that back room. He kissed her with so much warmth and honesty. It wasn't lust, it was…so much more than that. If only he would admit that to her though she thought quite depressed all of a sudden. How could something be so full of promise and yet so heartbreaking? She sighed and continued typing trying not to think about it. She'd only upset herself. Jack was an impossible man who could come and go as he pleased. He didn't make any commitments and she'd only wind up heartbroken and lonely like Estelle and hundreds of others he had loved and left.
She knew she would have to talk to Jack about it eventually or it would just get awkward, but she wanted to hold it off for as long as possible.
There was little to nothing to do that day. Files were put away, but all the same a very good day just coming to an end. Gwen had managed to avoid Jack although she was pretty sure he noticed. She could barely look at him and he could do nothing but look at her. Gwen was just grateful the others didn't know about her encounter with the Captain. They would never let her live it down.
"Owen would you stop!" Tosh called as he began to fickle with the alien object moving away from her reach.
"Tosh, I'm trying to examine it. In case you haven't noticed we have a very important job to do."
"And we'd get it done if you stopped pulling away," she countered.
Gwen paled immediately and tried to calm herself. They didn't know. They couldn't have known. There were no cameras around and she switched her earpiece off, she was…pretty sure. Gwen took a deep breath trying to focus on the words in front of her.
"Owen what's your favorite type of music?" Ianto asked.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I'm just curious," said Ianto.
"Well in that case I suppose I love rock n'roll."
Gwen tried to tune them out, but it was becoming harder and harder. Oh God, she mentally slapped herself for that one. She looked up and accidently caught Jack's eye which made her go red even more. She didn't even look at Tosh, Owen and Ianto. They knew and they were enjoying this. She could tell.
Tosh moaned as she took a sip of the coffee Ianto just handed her.
"And you said this is how you make Jack's coffee every morning."
"Yes. Same as always. Gwen's gotten a taste of it recently."
She couldn't take it anymore. She was a furious red and they were reveling in it. Gwen slammed her hands on the desk and made for the archives with a file. Her face was burning and she swore she saw Ianto smirk. The evil little - and she was surprised at Tosh of all people! She swore in Welsh under her breath and almost ran down the steps. Jack came down just as Gwen disappeared.
"Where'd Gwen go?"
"Didn't say, just seemed a bit annoyed," Owen answered smirking as he then spoke to Tosh, "Tosh look at this part on the alien object. I just did this thing and look it has a very talented mouth piece."
Jack folded his arms and looked at Tosh, Owen and Ianto who refused to make eye contact.
"Gee I wonder why?" he said sarcastically, "So exactly how much did you hear?"
They didn't answer. Ianto headed for the kitchen, while Tosh suddenly found her shoes to be the most interesting thing in the world.
"Tosh the alien is too sensitive to be poked at. We really shouldn't be doing this," Owen couldn't resist.
Tosh gave him the 'not right now you idiot' look while Jack only glared at him and quickly made his way down to the archives in search of Gwen.
"It's about time," Owen couldn't help, but say as Jack left the room.
He found her shortly sorting through files. Her expression was solemn and quiet and they were alone, well almost. Jack touched a few buttons on his watch and waited as he heard the cries of
disappointment from the cameras being blocked. Jack turned the corner and came up behind her quietly. She jumped as she felt his hand on her shoulder.
"Jesus, you scared me."
"First off the name is Jack, not Jesus. Second I'm sorry for startling you."
"It's all right," she muttered and continued with her work, "So is there something you want."
"You've been avoiding me."
"I've just been busy," she mumbled.
"I kind of wanted to talk to you about last night. Look Gwen-"
"-Jack," she started but then stopped herself.
He smiled at the ground and then looked back to her. The whole situation had been terribly awkward, but he didn't want this life for her. He wanted her to have so much more which is why it would emotionally kill him what he was about to do.
"Jack, I understand about last night. It was a kind of an in the moment thing and we should just forget about it," she knew what he was going to say and if she had to stand there and listen to any more of his lies that he would use to protect her she would scream. She made it easy for him this time, but next time, if there was even a next time, she wasn't sure if she could do it anymore.
Jack stared at her and his mind just shut down. Her remark had caught him completely off guard. She could see all of his vulnerability flashing across his face as he looked at her. She stared at him through sad eyes and he couldn't help, but think Oh my God…she knew. It wasn't surprising that she knew, but the way she accepted it, the way she saved him from his lies that he would use to save her. It felt like an enormous bag of guilt had just collapsed all over him and he was thriving in it.
"It was a mistake and I'm sorry," she hesitated as she said it, but the point was she DID say it.
It was enough for Jack though and with a mouthful of emotion he responded looking at her, "I'm not."
Idiot! he thought. She gave him the chance to pull out. She gave him the chance to stop something so completely wonderful and utterly heartbreaking from happening. But he just pulled himself back in. Unintentional of course, but he couldn't help it. Not with her.
There was this ache that throbbed within him. It wasn't in his groin or his mouth either. It was in his heart and it yearned for her. Captain Jack Harkness was known for his sexual escapades, but with Gwen just holding her hand and having her lie next to him without doing anything remotely sexual would have been more then satisfying for him although he wouldn't have mind sex either.
Jack looked at her astonished and she looked at him contemplating begging in her mind, not for him to do this. She stopped his lie. It was over and done with, so why was he looking at her in that way that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine and a longing to be hold him in her arms. It was also the look that made her want to beat her fist against him for being such a mind manipulating, teasing bastard who couldn't seem to make up his mind about anything and enjoyed torturing her with THESE looks.
She was just about to speak again when Tosh's voice rang out on the comm. about a weevil on the loose. The matter would have to wait as usual. Gwen sighed and followed Jack out and up the steps to the main part of the Hub. Owen, Tosh and Ianto were back to normal or as well as could be expected and were hard at work.
"All right Ianto and I will go after the weevil. Tosh monitor it. Owen on deck for possible victim autopsy or weevil autopsy and Gwen you can go home."
Okay she knew things were a bit awkward and sure he wanted to protect her, but honestly he was just going to let her go without a second word.
"Fine," she said coldly. It was all she could say as the anger towards this infuriating man was gradually building.
"What no argument?" Owen asked.
She glared at him while grabbing her things and making her way out of the Cog door. Jack watched her go with regret burning in his soul. She was mad. He could tell by the heaviness in her step and her automatic decision to follow his orders for once.
Gwen let the cool night air hit her. She just couldn't take any of this anymore. She felt like running back in there and slapping him. She just needed to clear her head and knew the perfect bar to do so.
