Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or the Avengers, if I did, Ianto would be paired with every Avenger.
Author Note: Sorry for the delay in posting, I suffered a severe injure to my shoulder and then had a hard drive fail with my laptop.
Chapter 6
"So you're leaving?" Rhiannon asked with icy disbelief. Her jaw was tight and her eyes angry as she stared across the coffee table at her brother. When he'd called her the night before and told her that he had news and needed to talk to her about it, this was the last thing she had expected.
Slowly Ianto nodded his head afraid of what her reaction would be. "I think it's time that I had a new start, Rhi," he told her earnestly. "Torchwood One damned my soul while Torchwood Three was killing what remained of my spirit. I just need to start over someplace where I have no memories, where I can move on from the pain and guilt that has haunted me ever since Torchwood One fell."
Rhiannon's heart broke at the pain she could hear in her baby brother's voice; she knew he was living with survivors' guilt for living when everyone else he'd known didn't. "I understand, Ianto, really I do, and while I'm not happy about you leaving I won't stop you. Grandma Peggy would be so proud of you just as I am." Since he was a child Ianto had been enchanted by their Grandma Peggy's stories of her adventures in the Second World War and her brief romance with the legendary Steve Rogers. Even though she'd later married Ianto's advice-giving grand-tad, Peggy had loved Steve until her dying day. From an early age Ianto had vowed he would one day work with SHIELD simply because of Peggy's stories.
Caught completely unaware by Rhiannon's admission, Ianto released a shuddering breath and tears sprang to his eyes. It had been such a long time since anyone had said they were proud of him; 'in fact,' he thought back, 'Grand-tad was the last person, just before he died.'
"Oh Ianto," Rhiannon murmured as she launched herself out of her chair and onto the sofa, where she drew Ianto into a tight hug. That simple act of kindness was all it took for the dam to break and the tears Ianto had fought back for so long came rushing forth in great, gulping sobs.
At that moment, as she felt her brother trembling and crying in her embrace, Rhiannon found that she truly hated Torchwood and what they had done to Ianto. 'As far as I'm concerned, Ianto can't get away from them fast enough!' Rhiannon knew that come hell or high water, there was no way she would ever allow Ianto to return to that dreadful place.
Before he knew it the week was over, the weekend had come and gone and it was Monday morning. As he opened the door to his flat for the very last time and came face-to-face with a good-looking albeit severe man dressed in a rather impressive suit, Ianto Jones knew that his life in Cardiff was behind him. Between the fact that the man did not smile and his obvious air of quiet authority, Ianto knew that this man was not someone to be messed with.
"Ianto Jones?" the man waited until the younger man nodded before continuing, "I'm Agent Phil Coulson. I've been assigned to escort you to the airfield where our plane is waiting to transport us to the SHIELD Heli-carrier in New York." He turned to go, assuming that Ianto would automatically follow him and then he looked back. "Do not worry about your belongings; they will be handled," Coulson reassured him.
Ianto nodded his head; he had already said his good-byes to his sister, niece and nephew but there was still one set of good-byes left. He'd been fretting about the idea all week, turning the decision over and over in his mind, listing the pros and cons until he was dizzy. He'd finally decided that he couldn't face himself if he left Cardiff without at least making the effort. In his heart he knew that they just may be the hardest farewells in his young life. "Is it possible that we can make one stop before we leave?"
Well aware of Ianto's situation – after all, he'd been an eye witness to Ianto's condition at St David's A&E – Coulson had a pretty good idea of where they would be stopping. "We can do that, if it's what you really want. We still have plenty of time."
Lying on the floor beneath her desk, Toshiko Sato was plugging the last set of wires into the new computer she was hooking up when the Hub alarms sounded and the cog door rolled back. Looking up surprise graced her face as she saw who was entering. "Ianto!" she squealed with delight and jumped to her feet, scattering tools in her haste.
Ianto had honestly been surprised when he discovered that his pass codes still worked and he took a steadying breath as he entered the Hub one last time. Two steps inside he found himself stumbling back as Tosh launched herself at him, threw her arms around his neck and began crying happily into his shirt. Helpless and at a loss of what to do, Ianto wrapped his arms around Tosh's shaking form and whispered into her ear, "There, there, Tosh; please don't cry. I hate seeing a pretty girl crying."
Tosh clung to Ianto hating herself for breaking down; she hadn't wanted to but she just couldn't stop herself. She had been so sure she'd never see her friend again. "I'm so glad you came by! I would have been very upset if you left and didn't say good-bye," she admitted in a soft voice.
Ianto raised an eyebrow wondering just how Tosh knew he was leaving.
A sheepish look appeared on Tosh's face as she saw the look of curiosity on Ianto's face. "I um… kinda hacked UNIT, MI5 and SHIELD looking to see which one of them snapped you up."
"How did you know they would?" Ianto asked. "How did you know I would just open a coffee shop and live a quiet life somewhere?"
"Like it or not, this life is in your blood, my friend." Tosh grinned cheekily. "Besides, I'd have been keeping an eye on you no matter where you went!"
Ianto smiled; he felt strangely touched that Tosh was concerned enough to check up on him. "Thank you for caring so much about me, Tosh, especially after all the things I said the last time I was here. I promise to keep touch with you," Ianto vowed; he didn't want to lose his tentative friendship he had with Tosh. "In fact, maybe when I get settled you'll come and visit me.
"You better." Tosh glared at Ianto with a playful hint in her eyes. "And yes, I'd love to come to New York; you can take me out to dinner."
"I will. Thank you for being a good friend," Ianto whispered into Tosh's hair.
The other three members of Torchwood, drawn by Tosh's joyous cry, shifted a little awkwardly as they watched the tender farewell between the two friends. Gwen and Owen were both unsure if they should approach Ianto, after all, Owen and Ianto didn't have the nicest of friendships and Gwen hadn't bothered to get to know Ianto at all. Truth be told, they wouldn't miss him at all, and certainly not like Tosh and more than likely Jack would.
Reluctantly, Tosh pulled away from Ianto to allow Jack a chance to say his goodbye to Ianto. As Jack approached hesitantly Ianto took a moment to admire Jack, something he'd never done openly before, and he knew that no matter what had happened between them he would feel something special for Jack. 'Maybe if things had been different we could have been more.' In his heart, Ianto would always have this what-if about Jack but he couldn't dwell on what could have been. It was just too late for that.
Jack Harkness was known for taking what he wanted when he wanted it and there was only one thing in the world he wanted right now and that was to feel Ianto in his arms at least one time. "Take care of yourself, Jones, Ianto Jones," Jack whispered into Ianto's ear as he held the Welshman for the first and last time. He knew that if his and Ianto's paths ever crossed again they would be colleagues and maybe friends… if he was lucky.
"I will and you need to know that you're not to blame for me leaving, Jack. I have to save what's left of my soul," Ianto whispered back just as softly. "Have a good life, Captain Jack Harkness."
Jack knew that Ianto spoke the truth; he really did need to leave in order to stop Torchwood from killing his soul. He didn't think it would be this hard to let Ianto go but somehow Jack found the strength to drop his arms and step away from Ianto. "I'd better get going; my ride is waiting for me." Ianto took a step toward the door and then looked back at Jack one last time. "I doubt I'll be back any time soon but remember, Jack, Toshiko, if you ever need help you have a friend at SHIELD."
As a final gesture, Ianto gave Owen and Gwen a brief nod; "I hope there are no hard feelings." Ianto felt it couldn't hurt to make peace with the last two members of his former team.
Gwen gave a curt nod but said nothing before turning away to study the far wall. On the other hand Owen gave Ianto a faint smile; "Take care of yourself, Tea-Boy," and for the first time there was no malice in the use of the dreaded nickname.
Jack moved to wrap an arm around Toshiko's shaking shoulders, holding her close to his body as the two of them watched Ianto take his final leave of Torchwood Three. One thought was at the forefront of Jack's mind, 'I need to open the channels to better relations with SHIELD immediately.' It wasn't much but it would be a way to still have a piece of Ianto to cling to. For now, it would have to be enough.
Phil Coulson said nothing as Ianto slid back into the car. It was obvious that his farewells had been a lot harder than expected; his eyes a little red and his lips were a thin slash across his face. Despite all the problems it would seem that Ianto truly cared about his Torchwood colleagues, even if his place wasn't among them any longer. Coulson had to admire Ianto's strength; he knew that he could never walk away from SHIELD, Natasha or Clint.
Especially Clint.
'I wonder how the Director is handling the briefing? Clint and Stark in the same room together is just asking for trouble.' In some ways Coulson was very glad he was still in Cardiff having a chance to avoid that meeting, but at the same time to his deep regret, his bed had never felt lonelier. Without his partner lying next to him the nights stretched on forever and he never actually fell asleep, the best he could do was to doze lightly and dream about being back in his lover's arms. A thought struck Phil and he almost groaned out load; 'Please,' he prayed, 'don't let Clint do anything that will require me doing a lot of paperwork when I get back.' An unexpected grin flashed across his face. 'Who am I kidding; I'll have stacks when I get back!'
Clint Barton was bored, pissed off and horny and there was only one reason why: his lover was off on assignment recruiting a new handler, leaving him stuck here on his own. 'It's just not fair!' Clint slouched in his chair sulking and wondering why he was sitting there and not out tracking down his lover.
The doors slid open and in strolled the impressive figure of Tony Stark looking like he owned the place which, given how much money he had and how many pieces of technology were actually Stark's design, he probably did.
"So what's this big meeting about?" Tony asked as he removed his shades and took a look around the room mentally taking roll call. "Hey, where's Super Agent?"
"Agent Coulson…" and the emphasis on Phil's name was unmistakable, "…is on assignment collecting your new handler, Stark." A new voice spoke up from behind Tony. All three agents turned to see Nick Fury, Maria Hill and acting baby-sitter to Clint, and Natasha Jasper Sitwell in the doorway.
Arms crossed belligerently over his chest Tony glared at the man standing before him, not caring that he was the spy of all spies. No one gave him orders. "Why am I stuck with the newbie?" he demanded in a whiny voice while the look on his face would only be described as pouting. The other agents were surprised when he didn't actually stamp his foot in childish protest.
Unamused, Fury merely raised an eyebrow and stared down Tony. "That newbie, as you put it, survived the fall of Torchwood One. He also put his own life on the line so one of his Torchwood Three co-workers could get away from a clan of cannibals who planned on eating them as part of a sick village tradition."
Both Natasha and Clint sat up a little straighter in their chairs; they had seen the row upon row of caskets containing the Tower's dead as well as the cataclysmic destruction that had been the aftermath of Canary Wharf. For this man to still be alive, functioning and sane after surviving something so horrific was pretty damn impressive.
Natasha shot Tony a look. "You have heard of Canary Wharf, right?" she inquired ever-so-sweetly.
For a change, Stark refused to rise to the bait; even he was moved by the story of the new man. "Everyone on planet Earth has heard about the Canary Wharf terrorist attack that left only twenty-seven survivors. You know, something always felt off about their reports especially after those weird ghost shifts started happening." Tony himself had been mildly put out, and that was putting it lightly, when the ghost of his father suddenly began haunting him.
After his father's first visit, Tony had taken it upon himself to look into the behind-the-scenes goings-on of Torchwood One and the pure ease he'd experienced in penetrating their systems had left him quite unimpressed. For a top secret agency that was tasked with keeping the world safe from alien threats, their computer security was ridiculously easy to hack.
Plopping down into the nearest chair Tony hiked an eyebrow. "So do you plan on actually telling me about this super-agent-in-training or will I have to have JARVIS hack your systems again?"
It was Maria who stepped forward and pulled up the info on SHIELD's newest handler, displaying it on the wide-screen monitor for all to see. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ianto Jones."
Tony could not stop the soft whistle that escaped his lips as he laid eyes on the young man's photo. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all!' Tony felt a spike of not desire shoot through his body as he sat up a little straighter and studied Ianto's face. Not since he and Pepper had ended before they'd truly begun had Tony felt such a powerful pull. It wasn't that he and Pepper hadn't loved each other because they had, but it just hadn't been strong enough to build a relationship on.
Besides, one would have to be deaf, dumb and blind in order to miss the passionate sparks flying back and forth between Pepper and Natasha. If they weren't already a couple, Tony grinned knowingly to himself, they would soon be.
Natasha, who was doing a bit more than just studying Ianto's face, felt her eyes widen in amazement as she listened to the Director of SHIELD. If what Nick Fury said was true then it was no wonder he wanted Jones as a member of SHIELD.
One of the reasons Tony was so very interested in this Ianto Jones character was that he knew that his father had always cared deeply for Peggy Carter. Howard Stark said it took a special kind of lady to win the heart of Steve Rogers which she had done with such ease that it made Tony wonder what her grandson would be like. 'How soon do I get to find out for myself?' Oh yes, suddenly having a new handler didn't seem all that bad after all; in fact, it had a certain handsome, blue-eyed appeal.
Ianto Jones was more than a little awed as the SHIELD Heli-carrier came into view and his breath caught in his throat. It really was everything his grandmother had said it was when she'd described it to him so many years before. 'And now, Granma Peggy, my childhood dreams have come true. This is my new home and my fresh start, one that I promise I will not waste.'
Steeling himself Ianto turned away from the amazing view to face Coulson. "Will I be meeting with Director Fury right away?"
Coulson nodded his head. "Yes and you'll also be meeting our top agents as well as the man you'll be assigned to as his handler."
"If you don't mind me asking, who will I be assigned to?" Ianto was curious as to who about the man SHIELD had hired him to keep an eye on; he didn't even have a name to go on yet.
"Tony Stark," Coulson informed Ianto, "aka Iron Man." He studied Ianto with open curiosity, waiting to see what the young man's reaction would be and he was relieved to find that Ianto didn't appear fazed at all by the news. Phis was thrilled to no longer be the one tasked with keeping an eye on Iron Man; Tony was just too much to hand when he had his hands full to overflowing with Clint and Natasha.
Although he kept his reaction to the shocking news hidden, Ianto's mouth went dry. Tony Stark was an absolute genius, even smarter than Toshiko Sato, he sadly admitted, as well as being the first superhero to 'arrive' on Earth since Captain America. 'He is my first assignment for SHIELD? Oh, Lord, I hope I can handle this!'
Hiding a smile, Coulson reassured him. "Don't worry, Ianto," he said kindly, "you'll do just fine. You survived working for Jack Harkness, Stark won't be any different." While he hadn't yet had the dubious pleasure of meeting Captain Jack Harkness he had heard the stories and he hadn't missed the glaringly obvious similarities between Tony Stark and Jack Harkness. Given how well Ianto had handled Jack, Tony shouldn't be too hard for the young man to handle; at least Coulson hoped that would be the case.
"You'll do fine as long as you don't let Stark get to you." Coulson offered the best piece of advice he could think of as he stepped into the room confident that Ianto would be following him.
Standing at the front of the conference room Ianto took a deep breath as he steeled himself to meet with not only Tony Stark but also the formidable head of SHIELD and their two top agents.
Pulling down the corner of his aviator's shades Tony let his eyes rake over every inch of the man who'd come in behind Coulson. One eyebrow rose as he licked his lips with hungry anticipation. 'Oh yeah, baby! Things are definitely starting to look up!' "Agent, who's the new guy? He actually makes that suit looks good?" Tony purred smoothly as he climbed to his feet and moved towards Ianto.
'A natural-born predator,' was the first through to go through Ianto's mind as he watched Tony and it was immediately followed by a sharp dagger of pain through his heart as he realised how alike Tony was to Jack. 'Butmaybe that can work to my advantage.' It shouldn't be that hard to keep Tony in line, not if he had the same appetites as Jack – namely hand-blended, freshly brewed, industrial-strength coffee.
"How do you do, Mr Stark," and he offered Tony his hand in greeting. "I'm Ianto Jones and I'm your new handler, sir."
'Oh dear God, did he just call me SIR?' Slipping off his glasses Tony smoothly wrapped his hand around Ianto's. "Please, call me Tony; I think we're going to get along just fine, Ianto."
Ianto cocked an eyebrow. "Indeed, Sir."
'Oh yeah!' With an erotic shiver coursing its way down his spine, Tony couldn't hide the smirk on his face. "Oh say that again!" he commanded loving the way the man's Welsh vowels washed over him.
Ianto rolled his eyes and Tony felt himself go weak in the knees. "I don't think so, Sir."
Tony stuck out his lower lip and pouted; he did really like hearing Ianto call him 'sir'. 'I wonder if I can get him to say that in bed? Oh that will be so hot!'
Ianto recognized the look in Tony's eyes – he'd seen it so many times before in Jack's – and he wondered how long it would be before Tony started his game of seduction. 'Well I hate to disappoint you, Mr Stark, but I'm not that easy of a mark.'
Tony saw the defiant gaze in Ianto's eyes and perked up. 'Oh, a challenge! I do love a good challenge. Okay, Mr Jones, bring it on! Let's see what you've got.'
The silent battle happening right in front of them didn't escape the knowing gazes of everyone else sitting there and Clint felt almost giddy with excitement, 'Finally some action! It's been getting rather boring around here.'
Natasha and Coulson shared a long-suffering look; they knew that Clint was immediately going to be stirring up trouble in his attempts at playing matchmaker. On the other hand it would keep him out of serious trouble which included hiding in the vents above Fury's office listening in on Phil and Natasha's assignments. 'It might actually be worth the headache of dealing with Stark's temper tantrums once Clint starts matchmaking but I rather like Ianto and I want to keep him around for a while. But something tells me that Ianto can handle Tony and Clint with ease.'
Continued silent communication between Natasha and Phil decided that while Coulson wouldn't actively encourage Clint to play matchmaker but he wouldn't forbid it either and if it was decided that things were getting out of hand, then he would step in. Nothing would be allowed to interfere with Ianto's supervision of Iron Man.
"Well, folks, as pleasant as this has been I have things to create, places to see, objects to blow up and people throwing themselves at me. Come along, Jones, it's time you see how the other half lives." Tony finally released Ianto's hand, winked broadly at him and then slid his expensive sunglasses over his eyes. After collecting his mobile, pad and pen from the table, he cocked a finger at Ianto as he walked past him to the door. "Come along, Jonesy, don't be afraid; I don't bite… much."
Ianto barely refrained from rolling his eyes; 'This is going to be a long first day.' Looking at the others in the room, Ianto smiled briefly. "It was nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you and getting to know you all." As he reached the door, a voice called him back.
"Agent Jones, please keep him from blowing anything up while he is on SHIELD property." Fury hoped that Ianto did indeed have the skill required to keep Tony under control; just once he'd like to get through a meeting with Stark without ending up with a headache.
"I shall do my best, Sir," Ianto promised as he headed after Tony.
"Man, I feel sorry for him," Clint muttered under his breath. "I thought you liked the mini-suit but assigning him to work with Stark, that's just harsh, man." He put his feet up on the table only for them to be knocked down the very next second by his boyfriend/handler.
"Trust me when I say Stark has no clue what he's in for. Agent Jones is more than capable of handling him." Coulson was sure of it; if he hadn't been he would never have saddled Ianto with Iron Man.
"I hope you're right. He seems like a good guy and I would hate for Stark to run him off before we get a chance to get to know him. I get the distinct impression that he's as broken as the rest of us." Natasha knew that you didn't live through something like Canary Wharf without coming back a little damaged. There was no doubt in her mind that Ianto Jones would fit in well with the rest of the broken spirits that found their way to SHIELD.
'I just hope that Ianto will be one of the lucky ones who finds his little piece of the happiness that Clint has found with Phil and I'm beginning to find with Pepper.' They all knew that true happiness was a precious commodity that was so hard to come by in their line of work. 'Even people like Tony Stark need some kind of happiness and I think he and Ianto be good for one another.' She shook her head; 'do not screw this up, Tony; I think Ianto's the key to your happiness.'
"So how long do you think it will take before Tony entices Ianto into his bed? I'm saying before the week is out." Clint's question pulled Natasha from her thoughts.
Fury rolled his eyes and muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath as he left the room while Coulson shook his head. A fond look entered his eyes as he looked at Clint. "I think you'll find Agent Jones is much tougher than he looks. After all, he's already worked with another version of Tony Stark although this one was a lot less tame."
Clint nearly fell out of chair as he looked at Coulson in pure disbelief and horror. "There's another Tony out there? One who's even worse? I didn't think that was possible."
Even Natasha had a tinge of disbelief and respect in her eyes for Ianto and a hint of a smile graced her lips. "Then I'm glad Tony has no idea what he's in for. I have a feeling it will be Ianto doing the seducing when he's good and ready to."
As a whole, the others had to admit that she had a good point and Clint groaned. "I do not want to deal with a cranky Tony, people! You know what a pain the ass he is when he's not getting any! You know, you might want to warn Pepper to keep her guard up and her knife close to hand; she'll be around him more than we are."
Natasha knew that Clint had a point as well and slowly a wicked smirk appeared on her face. "You know," she said slowly as a naughty plan began to form. "Pepper will have a field day with Tony being interested in someone who is actually responsible and highly capable. I think she's going to adore Ianto."
"I'm suddenly feel sorry for Tony; having Pepper and Ianto teaming up on him means he isn't going to have a whole lot of wiggle room." Clint chuckled evilly. "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy." He liked Tony, he really did, but at the same time it would be nice to see Tony get rejected just once and then actually have to work at getting someone into his bed. 'This is going to be much more amusing than I first thought; Ianto is going to be more than a match for Tony. I suspect fireworks.' If he hadn't known it would make him look like an idiot, he'd have rubbed his hands together like a classic story-book villain.
Natasha and Coulson exchanged a look and a sigh; at least Clint had something to amuse himself with and hopefully it might be enough to keep him out of trouble, at least for a little while. 'I have absolutely no doubt that Agent Jones will be able to handle both Stark and Clint at the same time; all he needs to do is introduce them to his coffee and they'll become putty in his hands.' In fact, Coulson was sure of it, that and it was going to be quite amusing – and educational – to watch Clint and Tony bend to Ianto's will.
TBC...