Jack woke a few hours later feeling much refreshed. Ianto was on his stomach, one arm over Jack, gently snoring. Jack realised it was Ianto flinging his arm over him that had woken him. They hadn't spent enough nights together to learn the sleeping dance, whereby both could turn without waking the other, especially in the single bed. Jack gently pushed the arm out of the way and got up. He smiled down at the sleeping Ianto and as he buttoned his shirt he kissed him on the back of the head, then left the room.
It was about four thirty, and the inn was silent, the hallways chilled, rain spattered windows allowing a glimpse of trees blowing to and fro in the lamp that illuminated the car park. Jack paused for a while staring out of the landing window at the forest opposite. He wondered who had bought the bird to the forest. Was it someone form Torchwood? What did Steven Marks involvement mean? Did the empty containment box mean that there were other escaped aliens out there? Was it an alien who murdered Marks or just another human?
He realised these were the sort of unanswerable questions that pounced in the middle of the night. He was just about to make his way down to the lounge when he saw a movement at the edge of the forest opposite. At first he thought it was a deer, then it was illuminated by a flash of moonlight through the clouds. Weevil, his brain thought, then on reflex he was pulling up the large sash window on the landing, climbing out onto the roof of the porch, as he did so he yelled for Ianto as their room was closest. He gently dropped from the porch to the tarmac below, and swiftly and quietly ran towards the weevil.
Ianto woke with a jump, staring round, his hand on reflex searched for the weapon he'd left on the bedside table. Jack was no longer in the bed, not unusual but his instincts told him there was something wrong. Pausing only to pull on his pyjama bottoms he headed out of the room, he instantly felt the draught from the open window. He ran down the few steps to the landing and paused, back to the wall beside the window, leaning cautiously round he looked out, presenting as small a target as possible. "What's up mate? Owens's voice from above, "Not sure" Ianto looked out across the road. Jack was wrestling with a naked weevil. The weevil had its arms around Jack's waist, squeezing, Jack leaning back trying to push it away and escape its teeth. Suddenly Jack arched his back and screamed, as he did so a figure ran out from the porch underneath, it picked up stones and started throwing them at the creature. One hit it in the eye and it dropped Jack, turning towards his aggressor.
"Damn!" Ianto climbed rapidly out onto the porch roof, straddling the gable end, he took careful aim, thankful for the Torchwood upgraded weapon. He lined it up on the running creature, and fired, the first hit it in the shoulder, but it kept coming, he fired the next five shots carefully but rapidly, and the weevil fell to the ground in a pool of its own blood. The figure that had thrown the stones ran over to Jack who was still arching his back and screaming. Owen ran out of the front door towards them, and as Ianto dropped down off the porch, he nearly fell into Gwen's arms.
"Nice nighty Gwen, very cute" he quipped.
"Always did have a thing for Mickey Mouse, um could you pull your PJs up a bit?" She grinned.
Ianto blushed and covered his builder's bottom as he ran over to check on the alien. It was definitely dead, and he realised it wasn't a weevil. He passed it by and carried on to where Owen was trying to calm Jack. Owen pulled a syringe from his dressing gown and plunged it into Jack's thigh, immediately Jack became quieter, but he was still whimpering and arching his back.
"What's wrong with him? What's that thing he was fighting?" said Jamey
Owen looked up "Get him out of here, he should be in bed."
Ianto looked at Jamey, one more complication he really didn't need right now.
"Go back inside Jamey, we'll talk later."
"No, I want to help. We need to get him inside, I can help carry him."
There was a courage about this boy that Ianto responded to, and he was right, they did need to get Jack inside.
He nodded. "OK Owen and I will lift Jack, you get all the doors open, we'll take him to where we did the autopsy, that OK Owen?"
Owen grunted, as he counted Jack's pulse.
Gwen had come over, her face pale as she watched Jack twitching, but her professional self came into play. "Right, you lot sort Jack, I'm gonna get dressed, wake Tosh. We'll scrape the alien off the road and into storage."
"I'll come back and help you lift it." She nodded at Ianto and went off.
They got Jack moved to the autopsy area with much worry on Jamey and Ianto's part and obscene oaths and quips about weight watchers by Owen.
With difficulty Ianto and Owen stripped Jack of his clothes. The back of his shirt was drenched in blood, and as they removed it, chunks of flesh came away with it. Owen expertly rolled Jack over to expose his back.
"Bloody Hell" Owen swore long and loudly. Ianto blanched. Jack's back was covered in wheals, as though he had been flogged, and each time he twitched a new wheal appeared, bleeding, causing the skin to peel away from the flesh beneath. Ianto heard a groan behind him, and turned in time to catch a fainting Jamey. "Bugger, I forgot he was still here."
He lifted the boy and hurriedly carried him over the car park and into the hotel. He met Tosh coming down the stairs. "Tosh, good, look after him." He laid him on the couch in reception and ran back to the stables before she could speak.
Ianto held onto Jack's hand tightly trying to convey some comfort. Over half of Jack's back was now covered in the wheals. They had undressed him completely and they could now see the wheals appearing on the soles of his feet, working up the back of his legs. The pain was overcoming the effects of the morphine shot Owen had given.
Owen ran his hand through his hair desperate to think of anything he could do to stop this. "Did you set this off again Tea Boy? He growled. "I told you not to get up to anything, but no, what do I know about anything……"
"Of course I didn't you idiot. Jack even slept for about four hours. It was the alien, it had Jack in a bear hug."
"Try pressing on his spine again."
"What? Why?"
"Well I wonder if it's a kind of on switch, perhaps there's also an off switch."
Ianto looked unbelievingly at Owen.
"Come on, we need to try anything" Owen handed Ianto a pair of disposable gloves.
Ianto put them on and thought about where he had pressed before.
He gently pushed down on the vertebrae in Jack's coccyx. Jack arched from the bed as if electrocuted, and screamed. Ianto fell back from the table. Jack was breathing hard and fast. The wheals were now appearing on the backs of his arms and on his buttocks.
"Right, that was all I had." Said Owen.
"Kill him."
"What?"
"Kill him. He's going to die anyway. I know that when he comes back this will have stopped. So if we kill him at least he'll have been spared some of the agony."
Owen stared at Ianto in disbelief, but then started looking right through him, thinking.
"Get the defibrillator from the SUV. If I stop his heart, we can immediately restart it again."
"That won't allow him time to heal."
"I'm not willing to take the risk of him not coming back. If we do this we do it in a controlled way. We can deal with the pain whilst he heals, but this way more of his skin will be intact. GO, Hurry."
Ianto dashed from the stable, back to the hotel to get the keys, then he spotted Gwen at the car. He ran over to her, cursing his PJs as they gravitated downwards again. He pulled them up as he reached Gwen.
She turned towards him questioning. "Get me the defib unit Gwen hurry"
She turned and detached the pack from the side of the boot, then followed him back over to the Stables.
She let loose a small scream when she saw Jack. Blood now dripping to the floor. As soon as Owen spotted them coming through the door he plunged the syringe he was holding into Jacks arm. Jack took one last gasp and lay still.
Owen expertly turned him over, Ianto had prepared the defibrillator and handed the paddles to Owen.
"Clear!" he applied the paddles, Jack's body arched, Owen checked his heart with his stethoscope. Nothing.
"Clear!" he applied the paddles again. This time Jack took a gasping breath. Opening his eyes he looked around in panic and agony. Gwen was at his head. "It's going to be OK Jack," she cried holding his cheeks, looking into his eyes.
Ianto helped Owen turn the struggling Jack, to release the pressure on his skin. Owen gave him another morphine injection. Jacks eyes fluttered for a moment, and he lay still, breathing gently. They could see that the wheals had stopped appearing, and the blood loss had stopped.
Gwen looked up. "What you did was so wrong on so many levels. I can't believe you even thought about killing him!" She leant forward and kissed jack on the forehead. "Get out both of you. I'll sit with him."
"Gwen, I need to clean him up," said Owen.
Ianto said nothing, he stood as if he had been slapped. That Gwen couldn't understand they had actually been more humane this way? What was it with her? Why did she think she was the only one who knows what's best? He knew Jack would understand, but a part of him also thought Gwen might be right and they had done a terrible thing. Suddenly the confidence he had felt over the last few days melted away, and he was acutely aware of his vulnerability, watching the man he loved being looked after by someone else, whilst he stood shivering in baggy pyjama bottoms.
Gwen looked up, and realised how vulnerable and numb he looked, cold and shivering. "God Ianto, I'm sorry, I know you were trying to do your best. I'm just a bit shocked that's all. Go and get dressed sweetheart, then come back. I'll look after him for you till then."
Owen walked over to him, touched him on the arm, "Go on mate. Get dressed. I'll let you know if anything changes."
Ianto found himself back in his room, what he wouldn't give for a coffee, or something stronger. He had just brushed past Griffiths as he tried to talk to him in the hall. There was no sign of Tosh or Jamey. He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on his clothes – underwear, socks, jeans, t-shirt, hoodie… he took off the pyjama bottoms and realised why they kept falling down, they were Jacks. He suddenly found himself smiling for the first time that night. Jack would be OK, they would beat this.
Daybreak found Ianto at Jack's side as he woke from the morphine. Owen had cleaned him up, and Gwen sat next to Ianto, holding his hand offering comfort. Already the wheals were healing, some had disappeared and fresh pink skin was taking its place. Jack's eyes fluttered open, and he took in the sight of an unshaven Ianto and dishevelled Gwen with delight. He grinned – "what did we do last night? Must have been quite a party! Ow! Why am I laid on my stomach?"
Gwen laughed and stood up. "Back to your old self I see! I'm going to get some breakfast." She lent forward and kissed Jack on the top of the head, and to Ianto's surprise she kissed him on the cheek as well. "Don't be too long – Jamey hasn't made coffee yet – Tosh sent him to bed."
Ianto stroked Jack's hair, he needed to make contact with him and it was about the only place that wasn't hurting. "You had another flashback, this time it manifested itself physically." He decided not to go into details about the flaying Jack had received. "Do you think you can walk? Only Owen needs his autopsy bed back. We have another alien to dissect."
"Bregan"
"Sorry?"
"It was a Bregan, a semi sentient bear. Took me a moment to recognise it, usually they have a lot more fur." Jack eased himself up, wincing, from the table. "Pins and needles in my knees and stomach. That is a very weird sensation." He placed his arm around Ianto's shoulders leaning on him, and they proceeded over to the inn.
Ianto had left Jack face down on his bed with a coffee within reach, and copies of the local papers from the last few weeks. Jack wanted to do something, and he decided to research odd happenings.
The rest of the team assembled in the lounge, Gwen took Jack's place at the fireplace, Ianto leant against the door, keeping out intruders.
"OK, reports please, and plans for the day. Tosh?" She said
"I think I may have come up with a reason for Jack's flashbacks. I have finished the analysis of Jack's scans. Embedded in the molecules of just one spinal disc are little chronon elements. In effect he has a few hundred molecules that are able to travel in time, these are then changing the molecules in his body to mimic the effect of whatever was happening when the elements were placed. There is a kind of chain mechanism in place which brings a chronon element into use when that disc is pressured."
"But why are they still there when he comes back to life? The rest of his body goes back to default" asked Owen
"The element which has been set off does disappear, but I think they are only existing in our dimension when the chain is set in place. I'm just speculating here Guys."
"It make sense though. Fantastic work Tosh. Now what do we do to stop it?" asked Gwen
They all shrugged. "Perhaps Jack will know. I'll ask him." Said Ianto.
"OK, you and Owen can do that, plus processing the Bregan. Oh and Ianto could you do some of your diplomatic magic on Griffiths? He really shouted at Tosh this morning, tore Jamey off a strip and he's been grumping about all morning." Ordered Gwen
Ianto sighed. "I think we should just retcon the pair of them and send them away 'til this is sorted."
Gwen grinned. "I'm sure you can sort it pet. OK, I'm going to follow up with the local police and start investigating Marks. If we can piece together his life since leaving Torchwood 1 we may be a step forward."
Gwen drove to the local police station in Ross On Wye to meet with Marks' inspector. She pulled into the police station, leaving the SUV in an empty bay. She was expected, but the inspector had chosen to meet her in an interview room rather than his office. Gwen stood waiting for him, her back to the door. When he came in she pretended not to hear. She heard a cough behind her. She turned, holding out her hand and flashed him her most professional smile. "Good afternoon Inspector Johns. Do take a seat." One thing she had learnt from Jack Harkness was to take control in situations like this. She saw the look of surprise on his face as he sat rather abruptly. Gwen walked round to the other side of the table and sat. She looked at him for a moment. He was a tall thin man, middle aged with a long face, grey skin and a five o clock shadow. He looked tired.
"What is this about Ms Cooper? I'm a busy man."
"Steven Marks is dead and you don't have time?" Gwen raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I don't understand what Torchwood is or why you are involved."
"That's classified, but I'm sure you have been told to be cooperative."
He nodded. "I need to know that his death won't be brushed under the carpet. His family have a right to know what's happened to him."
"Believe you me, we want to get the person who did this as much as you. I can't guarantee that you'll end up knowing the truth, but I can guarantee the murderer will be dealt with."
"Is that as much as I can hope for?" he watched closely as she nodded. "I presume from the secrecy that it's to do with terrorism, after all you are aware he was a PC at Canary Wharf?"
Gwen knew then that he would cooperate and tell her what she wanted to know.
Jack made his way to the lounge. He felt better and was looking for Ianto and a coffee. He sat at Gwen's workstation to check how her research was going. The programme had thrown up about thirty names, but went no further, it needed Gwen to put the next step in place. Jack wondered why she had insisted on coming, although her liaison with the local police would be useful. He loved having Gwen around, enjoyed the challenge, and the frisson he felt when they flirted and indeed when they shouted, but he was not going to come between her and Rhys, or let her come between him and Ianto. He was quietly replaying some of their famous fights when a hand placed a cup of coffee in front of him.
He jumped slightly turning "Ianto?" He smiled when he saw Jamey about to go. He put out a hand to stop him.
"Do you want to keep me company for a while?"
Jamey looked a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights, he nodded dumbly, a faint blush on his cheeks. Jack smiled gently, trying to reassure the young boy. "Ianto told me how you helped last night" he said.
They sat chatting for a while, Jack had persuaded the boy to sit on one of the sofas, whilst he remained at Gwen's station. If what Ianto said was true and the boy had a thing for him he didn't want to encourage it, he wanted him to start seeing him as an older man, and quite ordinary.
Ianto checked on Jack, but wasn't surprised to find he was up. He looked at the clock, 2.30. God he was tired. He hauled himself groggily to the shower hoping it would wake him up a bit, he stood enjoying the hot water running over his skin for a while, remembering last night, before the Bregan, and smiled, it had been gentle, fun and quiet. He turned his mind to the afternoon ahead, trying to focus on what needed to be done. Unfortunately this meant thinking about Gwen. He was very fond of Gwen, admired her tenacity and skill in the field, but she was also a constant niggle of jealousy that flared from time to time, He wondered why she had chosen to come.
He turned off the shower, and reached for a towel, as he did so the curtain pulled back to reveal Jack standing holding the towel out for him to step into. Ianto smiled and complied, Jack wrapped it round him then taking another towel began to gently dry him. No words were spoken, but Ianto realised this was going to be very special. For a start Jack was still clothed. Secondly he hadn't kissed him. He only touched him with the towel, or his fingertips.
Despite the impression Jack gave he wasn't all about getting as much sex as possible. For Jack sensuality was just as important. He would start this way in the morning, touching Ianto delicately, all over, stroking, massaging lightly on shiatsu points, and kissing him gently where it was guaranteed to send a shiver down Ianto's spine. Ianto was not allowed to reciprocate, and there would be no actual sex. Once Ianto was in a state of bliss, Jack would bring him gently back to a point where he could function and then leave. The rest of the day would then be spent by both of them in a state of hyper awareness.
It was unusual for Jack to behave like this in the middle of a case though, and Ianto wondered why he had picked today. He wondered if it had to do with Gwen.
Ianto met Tosh at the top of the stairs, she threaded her arm through his and they walked down, chatting about the hotel and how she had dealt with Jamey last night, laughing about old man Griffiths.
They went in the lounge together and Tosh switched on the lights as she headed over to her workstation. A figure stirred on the couch, she turned startled,
"Who's there?" Ianto marched over to the couch and pulled back the throw covering the body. "Jamey? What are you doing in here?"
"Jack? I mean Ianto, I was talking to Jack, must have fallen asleep." The boy cowered waiting to be told off.
"That's OK Jamey, you just surprised us that's all" Tosh gave him her sweet smile.
"I'd better go," he said
"Sit there a while Jamey, get yourself together." Said Ianto.
"You can talk to me whilst I run the results of my programmes." Said Tosh, "do you like computers?"
"Not really, I'm not real good at IT at school, we don't have one here, Dad doesn't like them."
"Your Dad doesn't like a lot of things" Ianto muttered as he tidied the room, then went to make coffee.
Jack ordered a briefing at about five pm.
Tosh's programmes looking for alien activity in the area had not yet yielded any results.
"But I'm not really surprised," said Jack, "I think that someone has bought live aliens over from Torchwood 1. Why and who is what we need to find out. We know they are prepared to kill to keep their secret, so I need everyone to be on their guard. Ianto, you continue to research the people Gwen's programme threw up, looking for links between the locals and Torchwood." Ianto nodded.
"OK, Gwen, what did you get up to today?"
"I interviewed Marks commander. Despite what Marks said to Ianto about his transfer being the result of Canary Wharf, he actually only transferred back about six months ago. He isn't married, rents a cottage in Ross on Wye. He specifically requested to work in the forest and was the liaison with the local rangers, and was also the police wildlife expert. He was working on a case involving the poisoning of local birds of prey and egg stealing. There wasn't a lot of information on that, but we do have the names of two of the local rangers, and a local wildlife expert called Jennie Grimes."
Ianto stood up straighter "I recognise that name, I'm sure there was a Jen Grimes at Torchwood 1, worked in containment I think."
"Could be the same one, said Jack "Tosh follow up please" she nodded, and started tapping on her keyboard.
Gwen continued, "Inspector Johns was very helpful and concerned. He really wants to know what happened to Steven, he really cares Jack. I told him we would tell him as much as possible Jack, also Marks family."
Jack sighed inwardly, Gwen was passionate about people knowing what happened to their loved ones. Didn't always grasp the concept that knowing a weevil ripped your husbands neck open was a lot more distressing than believing they died in a car crash. "We'll do what we can Gwen."
Jack turned to Owen, he and Ianto had explained Tosh's findings to him about the Chronon particles. Jack had understood the concept, but knew no more than they did about what to do about it.
Owen shrugged, "sorry Jack, I've been thinking and researching all afternoon, but I'm no closer to a solution for you."
"OK, well we know how to avoid it, so I'll just have to live a less risky life."
Jack sat on the stone steps looking out over the garden of the inn. It was dark, but mild, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark he could watch the forest as it pressed in at the edge of the lawn. He had heard there was a badger sett and was hopeful he might see them. So far just a rabbit and a rat.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Gwen watching him.
"Jack can I speak to you please?"
"Sure Gwen, anytime."
"Its about Ianto."
Jack nodded. Of course it was. He scooched up on the step to make room for her. "Before we talk about Ianto, why did you come Gwen? And before you start, we do need you here, I'm just curious is all."
"Honestly? It was just a hunch really. Also there was nothing going on in Cardiff and I was bored, Rhys' mother has been driving me mad about the wedding and I thought I would get away for a few days."
"Well at least that's honest, what's on your mind about Ianto?"
Gwen wondered how to put it. She was suddenly nervous, asking Jack about his relationship with Ianto was harder than she thought. She had been so angry about him killing Jack, wanted to hurt him, but then had seen him completely demolished. She hadn't seen him that way since Lisa. Even when Jack left, all she had seen was the blank, stoical face he always showed, it had been hard to know if he had even cared. Then last night she realised how hard the boy had fallen. She knew Jack wouldn't feel the same way. If he did he wouldn't flirt with her, confide in her the way he did.
I hope you are enjoying this. It seems a funny place to leave it, but life's going to be busy for the next week and I wanted to update. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed or put this on alert. Reviews will keep me going - I have to drink decaff so I need a stimulant!