11 Eleven pipes are bursting
Ianto heard it first, stirring from the bed to sit on the edge and rub his eyes as Jack started to move as well, "Yan?"
"Can you not hear that?" Ianto turned to look at his lover, still naked and debouched in the bed. Jack's soft smile a secret one they shared when alone, full of gentle warmth. Ianto watched it fade as Jack sat up.
"Shit, that sounds like a flood alert" Jack was moving fast as Ianto called softly after him.
"Clothes?"
"Huh?" Jack turned to look at him, then down at himself "Ah. Right. Tosh is up there on night sift. Forgot."
They wandered out to find Tosh waiting nervously, "Hey. Didn't want to wake you but …"
"Yeh, it's louder in the bunker." Ianto assured her, "Come on. Let's see what set it off."
"Christmas is almost here, it better not be a killer snowman or some monster spider-mouse or something" Tosh muttered "I always get the shitty shifts at Christmas"
"Not true, you did a pretty good job last year!" Jack tried to comfort her, "remember how pretty the place looked. Not your fault the Ferbold exploded like that, Owen knew better than to put one near a naked flame and its blood was just like glitter."
"Yes" Ianto muttered behind them "Like… everywhere. I still think I can see some occasionally in the rafters I can't quite reach. Stinkeration to the seventh Pine needle!"
Tosh giggled, the moment of annoyance gone as Ianto stomped past with a look of total doom that always tickled her in a weird way. Jack felt a rush of affection for his lover knowing Ianto only did this act for her. The old man act that had unusually weird curse words and such as well. One of the other reasons Jack liked it was because it showed he was in a good mood. The sexy time bedtime had been calming for both of them after the Doctor's visit had left them wired yesterday.
"Water" Ianto's voice filtered back and Jack started to pick up the pace as he realised Ianto was too far ahead to see, speeding up to catch him.
Jack found himself in water … ankle deep in cold mucky looking water.
"NO!" Ianto was scrambling and Jack watched with surprise as Ianto started lifting things with a look of total horror. Tosh joined in, Ianto glancing at him "Don't just stand there. Help save the paperwork or find the fucking leak!"
Paperwork.
Right.
Ah. Right, files. Reports, old shit he would never read again.
Jack walked past to search for the source of the water as Ianto continued to slosh about and curse softly to himself, no longer feeling playful. Jack slowly walked around the wall until he felt pressure against his ankle, "Found it."
Ianto didn't answer as he moved to another section then cursed "Me too."
"What?"
"More than one break. Great … how old is the pipe work in this section?" Ianto looked around with growing concern.
"Ah… I never really come down here … it's like … original love, like most of it in this level" Jack said softly, then watched something flit across Ianto's face. Then Ianto was gone, leaving the two staining there.
Jack turned to Tosh, "Was to something I said?"
She frowned, then her face changed to one of horror as Ianto started cursing in the next room. They walked around the corner to find Ianto moving more boxes with the next room flooding as well.
"Tiger … this is all old. Like … eighteen hundreds files. They are either already in the system thanks to you and Tosh or they are surplus. Stop panicking" Jack crooned, "It's OK. Just shitty old reports. I know you love your paperwork but ….what."
"Jack … we are under the dock level. The water will not stop until it is level with the outside, the seals are breached and this entire thing might fill to the fucking ceiling. We would never be able to pump it out and these are not shit. Look, they have your handwriting, these are your reports. Your experiences, your history. I must save it!" Ianto panted, lifting another sodden carton with a look of woe.
Jack again felt affection, this time the thought of Ianto's care making him slosh through water to seize Ianto making him yelp and release the soggy mess, their lips pressing together.
"I do love you" Jack whispered.
"Stop it!" Ianto snorted going red as he gave the standard reply, he looked over at Tosh who was not even pretending not to see the exchange.
Eleven.
The final count was eleven sections blown. Seems there had been a surge in water pressure due to a nearby building turning off their water fountain for maintenance, something they usually advertised and Ianto could account for.
Eleven holes in the wall that Owen gleefully helped create with sledgehammers, eleven patches applied and eleven new sections now glistening as Ianto frowned.
"Trust Cooper to get out of it with the in-laws staying over" Owen panted "Probably would have drowned anyway."
"Come on love" Jack whispered, "Think of it this way … you wanted to clear these room out for ages, now you can. Dump everything, just go wild!"
Ianto turned to face Jack and he smiled as he reached out to stroke Jack's face "Cariad … I am sorry I had a conniption. You're right, Tosh already digitalized some of these and … there is no way I will ever save all of your memories."
Jack hugged him as he hoped the important ones would always remain in his heart, especially the sight of Ianto just in jeans working so feverishly to save paperwork, his hairy chest wet form the leaks and his hair plastered back by an flustered hand.
Some things are worth saving.