AN: You guys are BEYOND AWESOME!!! My stories are over 2,000 hits for July! This little story has had 349 hits for the first two chapters! Thank you EVERYONE!!! Hey – anyone get the line from the poem that Ianto liked? Virtual choco-chip biscuits and shout-outs for anyone that gets it.
Okay – RTD owns everything dealing with TW & DW – I only borrow the characters. The OC's however – MINE!!!!
Torchwood: Doppelgangers
Chapter Three: Falling Down Unknown Rabbit Holes
Morning found the Jeffries brothers at the bar setting up a breakfast buffet and Meg nowhere to be seen. Jack was watching every move Ifan was making until, in a huff, Ifan threw a tea towel that had been slung over his shoulder towards the bar sink and disappeared into the kitchen. Gwen put her hand on top of Jack's. He nodded and looked towards his two colleagues.
'Sorry,' he mumbled.
'You don't have to apologize to us,' Martha said softly. 'You have to say it to them,' she said, tossing her head in the general direction of their hosts. The three sat in uncomfortable silence that was in the pub. The others present could feel a tension had settled amongst their three hosts and it, strangely enough, had to do with the newcomers that came in the evening before.
Meg, Ifan and Ambrose appeared with steel trays ladled with pancakes, waffles, scramble, bangers, bacon, ham, and mash. There were also boxes of cereal and cold milk, porridge, cream and juices – and for those with stronger constitutions – lagers. Ambrose then clanged a bell that hung at bar.
'Come on everyone! Time to 'Break your Fast,' he said in his cheerful voice. 'None of us are on ceremony here. Grab a plate and dig in! Ifan will be taking everyone who signed up for the bus tour out by 9:30 am. Have fun taking pictures of frozen hills and brown shrubs!' The group gathered in the pub laughed at that as many rose to queue for plates to ladle food on. As the Torchwood group came up, Ambrose leaned over to Jack. 'When you've a minute, a chat, yeah?'
Jack looked to his face for a moment, then nodded. He filled his own plate and grabbed milk and orange juice as he headed back to the table.
'Playing nice with the locals?' Martha asked playfully as he sat down. Jack shrugged and tucked in to his food. Meg and Ifan sailed through the pub, asking everyone if they wanted coffee. When Ifan came up to their table, coffee carafe in hand, Jack looked up and promptly choked on his food. Gwen patted his back as Martha thanked Ifan for the coffee.
'Hope you enjoy it,' he said conversationally. 'I'm rubbish at coffee making – its Meg's gift. Great smelling stuff – from Columbia, she says. I'm not allowed anywhere near the coffee machine. Burn the bloody stuff every time.' The three of them smiled as they drank the delicious brew, thinking of their Welsh Tea Boy.
As breakfast dishes were being cleared from the tables, Meg asked the team to stay after so she could show them the crevasse that they were going down the next day. She also had reports from the authorities concerning geological information for the area.
The groups within the pub then began to break up – those leaving for good paid up their bills with Ambrose while others went off on nature hikes of their own or hired out horses for rides or waited for long distance buses to take them on to their final destinations. The girls went upstairs to collect their coats and some kit while Jack remained behind in the pub waiting for Meg to take them out.
Stepping towards the bar, he witnessed Ifan grab onto Meg possessively in the kitchen; they were in an obviously heated discussion. He then took hold of her right arm and shook her slightly. She promptly kicked him in his left shin with her booted foot, then allowed her knee to brush the underside of his gonads as he leaned down in pain. She then grabbed his shoulders and pushed her knee higher, earning a groan from Ifan and a grimace from Jack.
'Try that again,' he heard her growl into the man's ear. 'And I'll buy you the gold posts so you can wear your balls as earrings.' She then let go and backed away from him in disgust.
'I..,' Ifan swallowed, trying to get his breathing under control. 'I don't like the way he looks at you. His eyes follow you wherever you go.'
'Cheese and Rice!' she exclaimed. 'And you haven't seen the way he looks at your arse when you walk around?!'
'I can take care of myself,' he grumbled, sitting down gingerly on a stool. Meg walked to the icebox and handed him an icepack wrapped in a tea towel.
'And so can I,' she said steadily. 'Don't forget what I used to do for a living.' She motioned to the icepack. 'Don't worry. It won't wet your pants and you'll still have the ability to procreate afterwards.' She then sighed and leaned against the kitchen stove and grill. 'E…I love you,' she whispered. 'But if you're going to act like this every time a cute human male with a pulse walks in the pub, this thing between us is going to have a terminally short life span. I am NOT going to jump the first fast train that breezes in to get away from you. I tried that for two years. And like Michael Corleone, every time I thought I got away, you just kept pulling me back.' They both chuckled at that.
She then pushed off of the stove/grill and walked up until she stood between his legs. 'We've been together for three years, Ifan. I'm not going anywhere. I'm done with that. I'm here…with you. Because I want to be. I wish…I just wish you'd believe me.'
Ifan then bit his lip – Like Ianto, Jack thought. He looked into her eyes and gathered her in his arms.
'I love you,' he said, pulling her closer. 'I don't want to lose you. I'm sorry if I act like a jealous git. You've done nothing to make me worry. But…,' his voice trailed off.
'But what?' she asked, punching him in his shoulder.
'He…he looks at you the way I used to…before we were together. Like he's pining for someone…someone he's lost…or never had. I'm…I'm being a Welsh arse at the moment; I won't doubt you again,' he finished pulling her close again. She looked into his eyes and smirked.
'You are being a Welsh arse,' she murmured finally, agreeing with him. 'But you're my Welsh arse and I can deal with it.' She then kissed him on his lips and he deepened the kiss. After a few minutes, she pulled away. 'Now, I'd ask you to take me upstairs to apologize to me properly, but you have to take ten tourists on a bus trip around the damn Beacons. Don't forget your handset and I've charged up the batteries so you should be okay.'
Ifan kissed her again before letting go. 'Yes, Mam,' he answered, kissing her nose.
Jack heard the slap to Ifan's demin clad rear and the yelp that followed as he raced up the staircase so as not to be caught. He watched Ifan exit the kitchen as Meg started working on the dishes. Ifan then exited the inn and greeted the tourists waiting outside. Jack watched from the landing window as they followed him to a beat up Range Rover bus. As he heard the bus's engine roar to life, he trotted down the stairs as Ambrose came up from the cellar. He gave Jack an appraising look. 'Hiding in the stairway?' he asked knowingly.
Jack balked.
'Not enough footsteps down,' he said in explanation as he collected the last bit of detritus around the pub. 'Taking the Captain for a walk, Meg,' he said as he dumped his collection into the bar bin. 'We'll be outside when you're ready to go,' he finished as he grabbed his coat and motioned Jack towards the front door.
Ambrose and Jack walked behind the inn towards a stable area.
'This wasn't here before,' Jack commented, noting the newness of the building and horses inside the structure.
'The Warden's idea,' he said smiling. 'Ifan's pet name for my wife. We keep a few horses here for those that want to horseback ride across the Beacons. Got the family about two hours away from here; Kelly hates the country. She says she loves to watch it from the car window as we drive by.' He sighed as he shook out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and lit one up. He took in Jack's disapproving stare and simply smiled. 'They all hate it,' he commented, waving back towards the inn. 'But…with everything that's been happening…well. It keeps me calm. Haven't smoked in seven years; gave up after we received word our parents were missing and presumed dead. Then Tad's solicitor rang up Meg…she was in Dubai and was on the next plane to Cardiff and here. Thirty-six at the time; I was thirty-one and Ifan was twenty-six. I had just married, Ifan looked like he was going to have a fellowship at Oxford…or at least have a new wing named after him…then this happened.' He stopped and took another long drag from the cigarette.
'Ifan was devastated. Meg…Meg wasn't the kind woman you eavesdropped on in there at that time. She…she's had a hard life…and this wasn't what she wanted. She loved our Tad – but he was already married when they first met,' he pulled his wallet out and gave Jack a dog-eared picture of a younger Meg – sun and wind burnt – next to a man that looked like Ambrose except his hair was brown-blonde, unlike Ambrose's and Ifan's dark brown locks. They were sitting on a snow covered rock drinking champagne out of fluted glasses and toasting the camera.
'That was on K-2's summit,' he said as Jack handed him back the photo. He put it back into his wallet and continued. 'She never crossed that line. But he was gone, and she wanted nothing more than to run as fast and as far away as she could.' Jack nodded in understanding; he knew that feeling far too well.
'She meandered for a few years before my brother grew a pair and went after her. She fought him tooth and nail – she was too old for him. She couldn't have kids with him; she was used and useless while he was still young and new. God, I was never happier that I was married; at least my love life was sorted. Then, she showed up for Ifan's thirtieth birthday. He had finished his doctorate and had all sorts of think tanks asking for him, trying to woo him away. She walked up to him and handed him a card; inside it said: "Okay – you win." Don't know what that was all about, but then she moved in and has been here ever since.' Ambrose took another long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke out and the ash off the end of it as he eyed the Captain. 'I don't know what your story is, but like Ifan, I can feel your pain; see your loss. Don't confuse my brother with your Ianto. Your guy's dead and gone, may he rest in peace. And my brother fought like a bear for that woman in there,' he said, gesturing over his shoulder towards the inn again. 'Don't fuck it up for either of them, yeah?'
Jack nodded as Ambrose stubbed out the cigarette and put the stub in his pocket. 'Have to put this in the sink and then the bin or else Meg will have my head. Let's get in – now I can use a coffee of Meg's. The woman is a demon when it comes to the Black Gold Liquor here,' he said, trudging around the corner back towards the inn.
Jack was about to follow when a memory hit him full force…
Melina Rosado was walking towards their convoy in the dead of night, a rifle trained on his group while a hand gun was trained to his head.
'Are you the ones I was told to expect?' she asked in Spanish.
Jack nodded, then handed her a sealed envelope. She opened it and read with the light of the transport truck's headlamp. She then looked up into his chiseled face. 'And you are?'
'Captain Jack Harkness,' he said softly. He realized she was a beautiful woman – and he knew how to charm just about anything on this planet.
She gave him and the others with him a critical visual assessment. 'You have brought the food and supplies we requested?' Jack nodded. 'You will have to stay in the shadows. You are too pretty. You will be noticed. Your face would be remembered.' She then whistled low and seven others came out of the nearby thatch of trees and bushes. 'These are my people – we will take you to our camp. Follow us – and put the blinders on the headlamps.'
In the camp, food and coffee was being served. Jack was used to the swill most offered, but he was taken aback when he took the proffered cup and tasted liquid heaven. 'Wow,' he said, savoring the taste completely. The man that gave him the cup smiled.
'Melina's brew,' he said, smiling. 'She has cojones, that one.'
'What do you mean?' Jack asked. The man smiled.
'The coffee came from a transport headed for town. It was to go to the mayor's mansion. A high ranking official of Franco's government is there. The coffee was from his personal stock.'
Jack looked to the cup in his hand – and then started laughing.
'Melina,' he whispered as he entered the warm inn.
~~TWTWTW~~
When he made it inside, he found Meg, Martha and Gwen at the entrance waiting for him. Meg handed him a coffee in a take-away cup. 'Let's get moving – it's not far, but the area has no trees and the winds out there are brutal.'
Ambrose waved to them to wait for him from the kitchen window as he was preparing lunch for the group Ifan would be bringing back. Hopefully, they would be back by then as well, but he had packed a basket for them just in case.
'But how did you make it down without killing anyone?' Martha was asking as Jack walked to them.
Meg sighed. 'It wasn't easy. We already had three with bad frostbite. I knew that meant amputation when we reached Base Camp 1. I just wanted to get everyone down; nine of us. Never thought I'd be so happy to see a tented camp. Twenty one hours straight climbing…felt like hell when it was all said and done. No frostbite for me – but there was extensive nerve damage. Did two more climbs after that on K-2; one with Malcolm and the last by myself. Did it with minimum support crew. Finished the whole thing in ten days. And that ended it for me. I'll climb El Capitan in Yellowstone for chuckles and giggles…do Mount Hood when I want more of a challenge – but it was Everest that cured it for me.'
'And yet, you still like sky diving,' Ambrose said, coming out with the hamper and bottled water and a kiss to Meg's forehead.
'Hey – never said the Adrenalin Junkie in me was completely dead,' Meg answered, shrugging her shoulders as she took the bottles from him. 'That's why I said yes to tomorrow's Freeze-A-Thon.' She looked up to Ambrose. 'Got my radio – channel three is me. Should be back by 12:30pm. If we're late – call me,' she said, waving the radio at him as she walked towards the Torchwood SUV.
'We'll do,' he said, waving everyone off as they climbed in to the SUV. Gwen gave Meg the seat next Jack.
'You'll be able to give him directions,' she said in explanation. Meg simply nodded and, taking off her rucksack, slid in the passenger front seat.
'What do you mean "freeze-a-thon"?' Martha asked.
Meg turned around to face her. 'Drop is fifteen hundred feet down. Little to no sun, so we'll be bringing our own light. Average temp at that depth is going to be around or a few degrees below freezing – so we'll all be following strict cold weather protocols: survival suits, long johns of cotton over silk, woolen socks, thick boots and gloves, whole nine yards.' She then turned to Jack. 'And so sorry – but tomorrow the greatcoat stays topside. Ifan's got a few down fleece jackets that will do you fine.'
Once they were accommodated and off, Meg stared at the SUV's interior. 'Man, Ifan would love to get a look in here,' she said in admiration. 'So – you guys really are alien catchers?'
Jack sighed. After The Crown reinstated Torchwood, it was decided that the organization no longer remain in the background. Jack wasn't happy when he was officially debriefed and named Director of all Torchwood facilities, but he knew The Crown was trying to make sure that if there was another alien crisis and the UK was involved, that everyone knew Torchwood was front and center – and UNIT was simply there for muscle and decoration.
'And we also learn from them – and when we can – we try to help them get home,' Gwen answered.
'Or you torch 'em good, like the 456,' Meg returned. 'Bastards deserved that and more. Saw the footage your insider took of the 'secret negotiations'. I hear you can still find pieces of Prime Minister Greene outside of where his house stood if you look hard enough. Mind you, nothing could have survived the explosion and inferno that house went through. Fire companies refused to put the house out – they just made sure the fire didn't damage any other structures. That's what I call real love for your elected officials,' Meg finished smugly.
'So what did you do before you became an inn keeper?' Jack asked, remembering a tidbit from her and Ifan's conversation in the kitchen.
'And so can I,' she said steadily. 'Don't forget what I used to do for a living.'
'Ah…,' she began, her cheeks coloring slightly. 'I've always had money. I'd like to say I earned it the old-fashioned way. I earned it, but I also inherited a lot of it. My mom's parents weren't the poor folk we were led to believe. When they died, they gave Mom some of it – but they left the bulk of it in trust for me when I turned twenty-one and again at forty. I realized I had more than enough money and not a freaking clue what to do with it. I had already been to the top of the world…what else was there? So there I was in Switzerland, arranging the transfer of my inheritance money from one account to several others, when I remembered there was a brilliant Welshman living out in the Beacons that had a mind greater than Einstein's who wrote me earlier that month to say he had my name tattooed on his arse and that I'd ought to come round to see it. And if I really liked it – he could always get me the name of the tattoo artist. He then went on to say that if I showed up at his birthday party, he'd pay for my tattoo himself.'
At this, everyone in the car was sniggering. 'Well, after an invite like that, I was on the next plane to London, then Cardiff – and a long rental car ride here. Of course, when I show up for his birthday party, all I could think of was getting him in a quiet room so I could find out if it was true.'
'So,' began Jack, smiling. 'Was it?'
'What he forgot to mention was the fact that he included the words 'Property Of' on top. All I could think was 'Rosanne Barr and Tom Arnold.'
At that, everyone in the SUV was roaring with laughter as Meg gave directions to Jack that got them on their way.
~~TWTWTW~~
'Wow,' Martha said with awe as they stood on the lip of the crevasse and peered down.
'You can say that again,' Meg answered, then turned to Jack. 'Captain – that rig of yours have a wench?' she asked, pointing to the SUV.
Jack nodded. 'In the back, why?'
Meg pointed down. 'Interested in a little rekkie?'
Jack smiled an honest-to-goodness Harkness grin. 'Fantastic!'
'Turn the SUV around so the wench is facing the crevasse – we'll go down maybe fifty to one hundred feet maximum. See just how far down it really is to bottom,' Meg said, pulling the rucksack from the passenger side of the SUV as Jack jumped in behind the wheel and turned the vehicle on. Once the SUV was in place, Gwen and Martha set about locking the wench down while Meg and Jack put on the climb harnesses. Meg had changed her shoes to climbing ones that were thinner and more pliable. They almost looked like thick ballet slippers. She then pulled on a set of climber's gloves and gave Jack a pair. 'We don't know what kind of rock may be down there. It changes as we go further down. These make sure you don't leave bits of your hands behind.' She then turned to the ladies. 'We have no radio communication so we're doing this VCO – Visual Contact Only. You're going to lower us down to that ledge right there,' Meg said, pulling both Gwen and Martha close to edge and pointed down. 'That's about seventy-five to one hundred feet down. We'll give this,' she pointed to the cable. 'A yank when we want up. I'm taking my radio to the pub down just in case. If anything does go wrong, I'll radio them and you guys sit tight. We're dressed warm enough for a quickie down and up.' She then looked at Jack's face. 'And whatever dirty remark is brewing in your skull, Captain, had better stay there. Capisce?'
Smirking, Jack nodded. He then turned to his ladies. 'Lower us down,' he said softly. 'See you in a bit,' he said, winking at Gwen.
It was quiet on their descent, but like Meg said, it was cold. It was the damp cold that blew through you no matter how warm your clothes were. It was brutal. In nine minutes they reached the ledge. 'Cut the engine!' Jack yelled above. They both heard as well as felt the vibrations of the wench's motor cut as it was turned off. 'Give a little slack!' Meg yelled up. 'About three turns worth!' They felt as the motor was turned on, then turned off. 'We'll yank it when we want up!' she yelled up.
'Okay!' she heard Gwen's voice reply.
She then turned to the Captain. 'Well, now that we're alone…I guess it's time we had a little chat.'
Jack turned to her, then turning on his portable torch, began examining the cave wall and ledge they were perched on.
'How much does Ifan look like your Ianto?' she asked softly. Jack gave up the pretense of work and looked at her.
'All you would need to do is cut his hair, shave off his beard and put him in a stylish three piece suit, claret red shirt and accompanying tie,' Jack said softly. 'He…he even sounds like him.'
'He meant a great deal to you,' Meg stated. Jack simply nodded. 'I am so sorry,' Meg said softly. 'I know a lot about Torchwood. More than I really want to know. My grandmother, Melina, told me about you, Captain Jack Harkness. She told me one day we'd meet – and that I had to be careful of you. Because you weren't like other people. She saw you get your right arm and leg blown off from stepping on a tank mine some Franco idiot put near a road the rebels travelled on. She said they thought you were dead – and that you screamed back to life – and that your arm and leg grew back. My Abuelita wasn't totally nuts when she packed it in – and pictures don't lie,' she said, going into her jacket and pulling out an old photo. She handed it to Jack. It was of him, Melina and Rafael as they stood before the ocean steam liner that was taking the Rosado couple away from Europe and its horrendous memories. It was taking them to America…to freedom…to peace. Jack sighed as he handed the photo back, but said nothing.
They stood in silence for a few minutes until Meg took a deep breath and looked up from where they had come down from. 'I know Ambrose gave you a little chat – now I'm giving you mine. I know I look a lot like Abuelita. Used to get that from my mom and her friends all the time. But I'm not her. I used to work Special Ops myself in the day; that's why I know a lot more about Torchwood then your average 'Torchie' fan. Did a lot of 'wetwork' I am SO not proud of…but Ifan saw his way around it and accepted me just the way I am: a used up ex-Executive Actions Operative. That's how I made MY money. I sought my redemption by trying to see if the world's largest, most unpredictable peaks could finish me off – but God decided I needed to stick around for a bit…to take care of one of his most perfect creatures…a man that I allowed to have 'Property Of Ifan' tattooed on my arse for.'
Jack chuckled at that.
'Ifan isn't a kid; he can fight his own battles. But I'm gonna put it out there – back off. He's not your guy – and I'd kill him myself before I'd let your Torchwood fuck up his life. Your organization is like the Ebola virus to its operatives: it infects everything and after it's turned your insides to jelly, you just bleed out.' She stepped up to him then, making Jack take a step back. He saw the look in her eyes as they bored into his; she wasn't making a threat. She was making a bonafide promise. 'Stay away from him. You clear on that?'
Jack nodded. 'Crystal,' he answered. 'And…I'm sorry. I…I don't want to ruin what you have with him. I…I know how hard it is to find The One. And I know how much more it hurts to lose them. Really.'
Meg held out a hand to him which he took without question. 'Hello Captain Jack Harkness of the 133rd Squadron. My name is Miriam Estrella Gabriel and I was named 'Star' because of you. Nice to finally meet you,' she said softly, smiling.
'Nice to meet you,' Jack answered, smiling back. 'Now – let's get to that rekkie, cause I don't know about you, but I'm freezing my keester off here.'
Meg laughed brightly at that as she dropped to her knees and, laying flat on her stomach, looked over the edge. She removed a torch from her rucksack and pointed it down. 'Now,' she said, looking down for a few minutes. 'What the heck is that?' she asked, pointing to a large strangely shaped stone in the center of the crevasse leaning against the far wall another two hundred feet down. 'It looks like it goes straight down,' she mused, casting the light of her torch further down. 'That isn't indigenous rock. That's something totally different.'
Jack looked at her and smiled grimly. '"Curiouser and Curiouser said Alice to the Rabbit",' he quoted. Meg pulled a digital camera out of her rucksack and snapped a few photos. She then turned and grabbed a few rock samples from the ledge and cave wall. She snapped a few final photos and bagged the samples and camera.
'I'm ready if you are,' she said as she secured her rucksack. 'Let's get cracking, McCracken!' she finished as she yanked on the wire rope. 'Pull us up!' she yelled above.
~~TWTWTW~~
They were back by lunch, so they had the picnic lunch in the game room by a piping hot pot belly stove and a roaring fireplace in the center of the room. Meg paced briefly by the door, glancing at the wall clock in the pub from time to time. The familiar roar of the Range Rover's engine relieved her greatly as she rushed outside to watch the bus pull in and disgorge its passengers. Ifan came out, grinning broadly as he saw his woman standing outside in the cold waiting for him.
'You daft woman,' he said good naturedly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 'Get inside before you catch your death.'
'We've a lot to talk about…when you're ready. Don't worry. Your brother and I have already had words with him, but you can finish him off if you like,' she said softly. 'Any problems out there with this lot?'
'Nah,' he said as he rushed her into the pub and its warmth. 'It's going to be bitter tomorrow. How was the first look down there?'
'Found something really weird; but it was too far away to do anything more than take a few pics. I almost want to say the formation looked like granite, but it's the biggest piece I've ever seen. It looked like it went all the way down. I hooked the camera up and already printed out all of the pictures. I've also brought samples,' she said in a sing-song voice. Ifan grabbed her and kissed her hard on her lips.
'Oi!' yelled Ambrose. 'Control yourselves in front of the guests! They didn't pay for that kind of show!' The answering roar from those gathered made both Ifan and Meg blush furiously and as they passed him, they both gave him good swats as they went towards the kitchen. Ambrose, smiling, then turned to the crowd. 'Lunch is ready – a nice hearty beef and potato soup with lots of bread. And, of course, the bar is open!'
~~TWTWTW~~
After lunch had been cleared away and the few remaining guests ambled back to their rooms or took the horses out for a trot, Meg spread out the maps and pictures in the game room on one of the pool tables and the cork board on the wall. There was a flurry of activity as most of the volunteers for the climbs the next day began arriving.
Dinner was a raucous affair with all the new people that arrived – and a cheer went up from behind the bar when a suited gentleman entered through the front door. Ambrose, Ifan and Meg crowded the man as he laughed and carried on with them. He was quickly hustled into the back and Ifan went round to all the tables to serve drinks. He stopped at the Torchwood table and smiled. 'That is a rep from the constabulary. He's an old family friend. His parents convinced ours to come out here…they lived too far away to know what was going on out here. His parents…they still feel a bit queer about the business here, but we don't hold it against them personally. It's good to see Gav though,' he sighed then. 'Right then. Coffee or something stronger?'
'Coffee,' Jack said, smiling. 'With perhaps a touch of something…warmer in it?'
'Same here,' Gwen said.
'Works for me,' Martha finished. 'Stews are fab, by the way. Chance of getting seconds?'
'Of course,' Ifan said, writing everything down. 'Back in a mo''. He then walked on to the next table. Jack looked after him, then up to Ambrose at the bar. Ambrose smiled in return. Everything was now understood. But he knew Ifan would want a word with him later.
After everyone was settled and coffees, teas and bottles of water were passed around, those who were part of the climb moved into the gaming room. Meg then called for everyone's attention.
'Hello everyone!' she yelled above the crowd. Those gathered returned the greeting. 'Well, I'm Miriam Gabriel, call me Meg. We've a rep from the Brynnblaidd Constabulary here, give Inspector Detective Gavin Myles a hand,' she said, pointing to the gentleman standing in the corner. All the climbers smirked, then silently put out their left hands towards him.
Meg started chuckling and the detective and others soon joined her. 'Cute,' she said grinning. 'Okay the remaining climbers should be all here by four am tomorrow morning. The Constabulary will be on the sites by six am with heavy equipment and wenches. Base Camp will be set up where Alpha Team – mine – will drop. We'll all put our brains together by 6:30am for a final plan of attack and get on all sites and start by 7:30am absolute latest,' Meg began. 'If the numbers come that have been promised we'll have four teams going at it from four different locations – named Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Each team will have one person EMT trained, at least one experienced climber/repeler and four true spelunkers. Techniques for cave jumping differs slightly from mountain climbing, so spelunkers, keep an eye out for us mountain jockeys. Make sure everyone makes it down in one piece. Now the lists being passed show who's going to be in what group. So everyone; start making nice with each other.'
She then nodded to Inspector Myles, who walked towards the front of the group.
'Thank you, Meg,' he said, then looked up the group. 'The reason we are all here is because of the events of seven years ago. Three months ago a group of hikers found human remains near a crevasse about eight miles from here. It was confirmed through DNA that the remains were of one of the victims of the cannibals – one Mary Walford, 28, missing and presumed dead from 2007. That is the crevasse that Bravo team will go down. Alpha, lead by Meg, will go down another crevasse that we believe may be connected to the crevasse the discovery was made at. The two caves that Charlie and Delta teams are going to investigate have shown signs of machinery going in and out of them. After an initial investigation, it was determined that remains there were interred at these locations using farming equipment. Charlie and Delta Teams: you are going in with forensic teams who will begin the process of removing any more remains. You will proceed into the caves to determine if they are connected to the two crevasses and in turn, to determine if there are more remains further in.' He then took a drink of his tea before he continued. 'Everyone will be on long range head and handsets supplied to you by Torchwood and UNIT. Captain Harkness?'
Jack stood up from his seat. 'Hello, Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood. The equipment should be here later this evening and calibrated and ready to go by your launch time. We'll be monitoring all the climbs from our equipment that we will set up at your base camp and I'll be going down with Alpha Team. We did an initial survey of the crevasse and found an incredibly large stone formation that is not indigenous to the area and really has no business being there.' He sat down after that and Myles took over again.
'So – I guess that's it. Those of you staying here – have a good evening, anyone that needed to bunk at the Constabulary office; I believe the van has arrived. So if you'll get your gear, we'll be off.' He then walked over to Meg and Ifan, laughing with them after a few minutes. They then all made their way over to the Torchwood group.
'So, have a good night, Gav,' Meg was saying. 'Be careful in that cave, okay? Wasn't thrilled when I went in there two weeks ago. Way too much water damage to the mouth and ceiling. Rock falls are a normal occurrence in that thing, so hard hat gear for everyone.'
Gavin then pulled Meg into his arms and kissed her on her lips. 'Yes, Mam,' he said condescendingly. Meg then turned to Ifan smiling.
'Your friends,' she said, pulling Gavin's arms off her waist.
Ifan smiled, then cuffed Gavin playfully. 'Leave off, she's taken.'
'Yeah, to my eternal shame,' he said laughingly. 'Back here at 6 then?'
'Yeah, we'll have Johnny cakes, flap jacks and waffles. I've even started a few tubs of spaghetti and pulled out a few jars of peanut butter. Anything super high carbs; you know the drill,' Meg answered.
'No worries then,' Gavin said. He then turned to Jack and the others. 'Thank you for participation, Captain Harkness. It's a relief to know there will be some here that have experience dealing with…well, the weird.'
Jack smiled at that as he gave his hand to Gavin. 'Glad to help.' He then introduced Gwen and Martha to Gavin, who took their hands gratefully.
'Well, off to bed. Long day tomorrow,' Gavin said by way of good-bye and walked to the exit. Meg went out with him as Gwen, Martha and Ifan began looking at the maps and pictures more closely.
'This is too weird,' Martha said suddenly, studying the rock formation more closely. 'I'm going to send these to Devereaux. UNIT still has that database of space ships. The top of it is too perfect…too -.'
'Pointy,' Jack said, looking at the pictures. 'That would explain a few things.'
'Like the fact that the four openings being investigated tomorrow are all at perfect points of the compass,' Ifan said, looking up at Jack. Jack swallowed thickly, then turned his head away. Ianto, his mind whispered.
'What do you mean?' Gwen asked.
Ifan pulled out another map that had the four sites circled. 'I checked the locations of these with precision equipment. The two caves are at the perfect North and South of the compass. The crevasses are at perfect East and West. Most things we use for compass measurements are off by several degrees. These are not – and by the carbon dating of them, they are several centuries old – not millennia, as they should be for their depth.' Ifan then looked up as Meg entered the room. 'If I were a betting man, I'd say these weren't made by nature.'
Meg stopped short of the table. 'Oh-oh. He's gone all Fox 'Spooky' Mulder on me again,' Meg said teasingly. 'I guess I'll have to put on my red wig again and-.'
'Stop it right there, woman,' Ifan said, shaking a finger at her as he backed away from the table. 'Not in front of the alien catching visitors, eh?' Jack, Gwen and Martha were in giggles. Jack then looked at Meg appreciatively.
'Again?' he asked. Gwen and Martha broke out in full blown laughter as Ifan turned brick red. Jack looked to him and his laughter calmed down. Ianto would be just as embarrassed, he thought.
'Things need to cleared away here…you keep yourself occupied,' Ifan said to Meg, pointing around the game room. A few of the other guests came down for a game of darts and Ambrose was still at the bar, pouring a few for other guests.
Meg shrugged her shoulders as went to pass Ifan to get the rubbish bin, he took hold of her and kissed her on her forehead. He then leaned over and whispered 'Later,' into her ear. She looked back to him and smiled warmly as she trotted off to do her work. Ifan, still smiling, looked back to the Torchwood crew, Jack Harkness in particular. 'I guess we'll leave this until morning. If you want you can set up some of your calibration equipment here – everyone will be tucked in by nine tonight. When are the radios supposed to be here?'
'They're already here. They're not just headsets, they give us video feeds. They also are calibrated to receive readings from the wearer, such as heart rate, oxygen levels, brain wave activity, the works,' Martha answered. Ifan simply stared.
'So why the deception?' he asked.
'Didn't want too many people knowing how advanced the little buggers really are,' Jack answered.
After a moment, Ifan nodded. 'I understand.' He then looked up to the Captain. 'Can I have a word with you? Ah…in private? We can go to the kitchen.'
Jack thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. Here it comes, he said to himself as he followed Ifan to the kitchen, leaving the ladies in the game room. Ambrose and Meg gave him minute nods as they made sure they stayed away.
Ifan turned to Jack the second they were in the kitchen and Jack bumped into him, his hands flying out and grabbing hold of Ifan's arms so as to stop him from falling. Jack, standing so close, took in his scent and stared into his eyes – and realized as he stared into those perfect blue orbs…This is NOT Ianto!
In Ianto's eyes, there was always a shadow of pain, of longing…of wanting someone to see him for the wonderful person he was. The scent of this one was different as well. This was the scent of everything green, of…oneness with being out in the middle of nowhere. Of books and drink, of aftershave and cologne. And these eyes were different…oh, so different. They weren't filled with longing. They weren't looking for anything…they knew their place in this world. And it was by the side of the woman in the other room.
'Sorry about that,' Ifan said, taking Jack's hands off of his arms. 'I'm not the one you lost – and I am sorry I look so much like him.'
Jack waved away his apology. 'No, I'm the one that needs to apologize. You look a lot like Ianto, but you are not him. I see that now. I am sorry if I've you feel uncomfortable or if I've made trouble between you and Meg.' Ifan started at that, but again Jack stilled him with a touch of his hand. 'She didn't say; I…ah, I saw the thing between you two in the kitchen this morning. Sorry about that.'
Ifan sagged against the stove/grill and looked up into the Captain's eyes. 'Thank you,' he said softly as he looked up into Jack's eyes. 'This is going to hurt you for a long time, Captain. But I don't think your guy would have wanted you to wallow in self-pity for the rest of your life. Meg and I go through this all the time, being as how she's older than me. She always thinks she's gonna cop it first. She tells me to try to remember the good times. I tell her I'll never forget…to me she's just too special to forget.' He then looked up to Jack again. 'Your eyes…they're too old for your face. This isn't the first time you've been hurt…but this was the deepest cut, yeah?'
Jack simply nodded, bowing his head suddenly. He didn't want this stranger wearing a former lover's face see him cry. Before he could register it, Ifan had moved from the stove and engulfed Jack in a hug.
'You don't have to stop grieving, Captain. I know I still cry for my parents,' Ifan said softly as he continued to hold Jack. 'But one day you will stop – and you won't feel guilty about it. And if you listen carefully, you'll almost hear them breathe a sigh of relief. Because your loved ones may be dead, but even they get tired of being the cause of so many tears. That will be the day you'll see the happy memories.'
How long he stayed in Ifan's embrace he couldn't say, but when he finally let go of the young man, he could almost see Ianto smiling at him. Miss you, he said to the image in his mind. Love you…so much. Ifan handed Jack a handkerchief and smiled softly. 'I'm off to bed,' he said. 'I have a hot woman that promised to masquerade as Agent Scully for me upstairs – so I guess it's time to make an X-file of myself,' he said, smiling as he patted Jack on his shoulder and walked towards the exit.
'Ifan,' Jack called. Ifan stopped and turned to him. 'Thank you…for understanding.'
Ifan simply nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
~~TWTWTW~~
Just as Ifan had predicted the day before, the day of the climb was unseasonably cold. Everyone was grateful for thermal underwear – good thermal underwear. Breakfasts were dispensed, coffee carafes filled and hot chocolates consumed as everyone got ready to go out to Base Camp and were debriefed by 6:45am. Headsets were distributed and groups were assembled. Ifan was Alpha Team's back-up, along with Martha and Gwen. He gave the signal for the six wenches to begin their descent. Digital thermometers registered the temperatures at five degrees below freezing when they reached bottom.
'Okay,' Meg said over the comm. 'We're down. Everyone – follow severe weather protocols. Let's get what they want – pics, put down sensors and let's get the hell out of Dodge.' She looked up at the rock formation that piqued her interest the day before. 'Captain,' she called out. He walked over to her and also looked at the structure.
'Ifan's theory suddenly doesn't look so X-File-ish. Does it?' she asked as she pointed to a sequence of script written in a language she'd never seen. As they were going to take another step closer, Meg grabbed at Jack's arm and stopped him. At his feet, buried in the ground underneath the formation, a skeletal hand poked out of the earth.
'I don't know where we are,' Meg breathed out quietly. 'But it sure as Hell ain't Wonderland.'
AN: Grief kids! Sorry, but this story kind of got away from me. I wanted to put this chapter up so bad, I've decided to leave the rest of their discoveries for another chapter. You guys have so rocked!!! Thank you for reading my other stories…you have so humbled me. And you readers in the UK! Man – you've beaten American readers of my stuff by 69 - honest! 795 to 726! Even got a few from serious far flung places – Czech Revar? Where's that? Thank you – you SO ROCK!!
So – next chapter: Meg, Jack and the others find more then bargained for – and Meg and Ifan's lives take an interesting turn as Jack learns to live…again.