Doomsday: Post Apocalypse
a Torchwood story
by RoadrunnerGER
Dislaimer: Oh, really! They're the BBC's.
Summary: Ianto comes to Cardiff for a week to help with the archives, but is it as simple as that? Jack/OC, Jack?Ianto
Suspense/hurt/comfort – T – Ianto Jones & Jack Harkness
A/N: Thank you all for your nice comments, the alerts and the favourites. Dear Guest, it's not really a question of finding the energy to continue but a mix of finding the time and getting the chapter beta-read. I'm sorry about the long wait, but sometimes it just happens. We caught up some now, so the pause to the next chapter should be considerably shorter. We also hope to wrap the story up soon. Keep your fingers crossed! Big thanks to mandassina. And now… Enjoy!
Chapter 36 – Role reversal
Having unexpected spare time, Toshiko first did not know what to do with it. She went home where she sat down with a cup of tea and a magazine, but her reading could not keep her mind off the dire situation with Ianto for long. Put on edge by her concern for her newfound friend, she got up to busy herself with some mundane housework, waiting anxiously for Jack to call. When the phone did not want to ring, she picked it up to dial herself and then voted against it.
Jack said they needed some space. Ianto's suffering from the repercussions of what Jack did to help him at the memorial service. Our mere presence hurt him.
Her insides constricted painfully. She wanted to help and could hardly bear the thought that she involuntarily caused Ianto even more pain.
Whatever it is, apparently, they need to work through it on their own.
Deciding that Jack could as well call her mobile, she left to run some errands that she had postponed repeatedly due to the long work hours. She was shoving a full trolley down the aisle when her Torchwood ring tone finally alerted her to an incoming call.
"What's up, Jack?"
"Hey, Tosh," the captain said and she could hear that his voice lacked his usual cheer. "I'm just calling as promised. Considering the circumstances, Ianto's alright."
Jack paused and Toshiko was certain that he waited for her response to the statement.
"That's good to hear," she replied, awkwardly moving her trolley to the side of the aisle where she would not block the whole passage.
"I'm sorry for sending you away earlier," Jack explained warily, "We needed some space."
"I understand," Toshiko tried to assure him. She thought that Jack sounded tired and somewhat desperate. Maybe she was mistaken with the latter. She had no real point of reference.
"Well, I think that things will be quiet today, so you can have the whole afternoon off," Jack went on distractedly. "See you tomorrow."
"All right," she muttered, not liking how Jack tried to sound cheerful when he really did not. He did not hang up yet, so she waited, too, suspecting that he wanted to ask something that he was reluctant to address. A moment later, Jack queried guardedly,
"Have you heard from Ianto?"
"I thought he's with you," Toshiko replied suspiciously.
"He didn't call you?"
His concern was clearly audible now and something else that Toshiko interpreted as near panic. Did you lose him? By a hair's breadth, she would have blurted it out.
"Not this time," she answered truthfully, feeling the light, cool touch of rising fear. "What happened?"
At that Jack hesitated with answering before he awkwardly replied, "We were resolving our issues when suddenly one word followed another and he bolted. As he chose to talk with you last weekend, I thought he might turn to you again."
"Sorry," Toshiko had to disappoint him, "but I haven't heard from him."
A tell-tale silence followed her statement, which increased her own concerns. Hearing him heave an uncharacteristic sigh told her how much he did not want to do this.
"I must have involuntarily done something wrong," Jack admitted finally, "as he practically fled me and I can't find him, likely because he's avoiding me. If he doesn't want to see me, I have to accept that, but I need to know that he's alright, so… if you hear from him…"
"I'll let you know," Toshiko assured him. "Sure, Jack."
After a short pause, Jack muttered a soft, "Thank you," and disconnected the call.
For a moment, Toshiko stared at the phone in her hand, mulling over how unfamiliar and disturbing their short conversation had been. It looked like Ianto's disappearance had shaken Jack and brought out an insecurity Toshiko was well aware existed but that the captain took great care to hide.
Finally realizing that she still stood in the aisle of a supermarket, Toshiko decided to finish her shopping, but not without sending a short text message to Ianto, asking him to let her know if he was alright and offering to be there if he needed anything. After the long talks she had shared with the young Welshman so far, she suspected that he wanted to be alone to think.
About half an hour later, Toshiko was putting her purchases into the boot of her car when her phone chirped to alert her to an incoming message. All but dropping what she held, she fished out her mobile to check.
Jack?
Her heart clenched at reading his short message, 'Anything new?'
'No. Sorry,' she sent back. He did not answer, but she dreaded to receive further messages soon, getting the distinct impression that Jack, contrary to what he wanted everyone to believe, was not alright.
xXx
Upon returning home late in the evening, Owen found an unexpected visitor sitting on his doorstep whom he had least expected. Actually he slouched more than he sat, his back leaned against one side of the door lintel and one of his feet propped up against the other, virtually blocking the entrance.
"Hey, teaboy, what are you doing here?" the medic grunted his surprise.
"Hmmm…" Ianto mumbled, squinting up at Owen. "Waiting."
"No kidding!"
Taking in the young man's wrecked condition and the empty bottles sitting right next to two more six packs of beer, he concluded that Ianto came to drink with him and had started on his own when he did not meet him.
"Get up," Owen demanded gruffly as he did not fancy climbing over Ianto in order to get into his flat. He could hardly have him staying there catching a cold either. When the Welshman moved rather uncoordinatedly, Owen grabbed him under the armpits and pushed him up to stand against the door frame.
"Don't fall," he ordered, letting go of Ianto in order to let them both in.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Ianto mumbled, bending down awkwardly to pick up the beer.
"I'll take it!" Owen barked, slapping Ianto's hand away. "Come on in."
Taking his guest by the arm, Owen manoeuvred him inside and made him sit on the sofa.
"Stay right there," Owen commanded and went to get the beer. Instead of taking it to the coffee table, though, he headed straight for the kitchenette and put it on the counter. Then he filled up the coffee machine and started it before he went to sit with Ianto.
"Where's the beer?"
Owen did his best not to grimace. In his opinion, Ianto had quite enough already.
"Safely stored away," the medic grunted.
"I thought you'd drink with me," Ianto griped.
"Thought wrong then." Owen eyed him critically. Except for being primed, Ianto seemed to be all right. "What's the head doing?"
"All's good with my head," Ianto complained, "and it would be even better if you'd get me more of my beer."
"I don't think that you should drink," Owen commented.
"Noted," Ianto laconically stated, prompting him by tapping on the coffee table's top with two fingertips. "More beer. Now."
Knowing he would regret it, and that Ianto would probably regret it more, Owen got up and went to the kitchen counter. The coffee was almost finished.
"I shouldn't support your self-destruction trip."
"Who said anything about self-destruction?" Ianto snapped. "I just want to get pissed."
"Looks like you already are, mate," Owen chuckled wryly.
"I wish," Ianto snorted. "Can you switch off your doctor mode? I didn't come to see a physician."
Taking out two cups and placing them on a tray together with the thermos of coffee, and two beer bottles, Owen could not help but ask, "Then why did you come?"
"Because I thought that I wouldn't be found here," Ianto said, sinking deep into the cushions.
"Did you have an argument with Captain Sunshine?" the medic teased as he placed the tray on the coffee table and sat back down.
"Argument?" Ianto laughed dryly. "You might put it like that."
Snorting a laugh, Owen leaned against the backrest. Sure, Ianto had had a few, but even though his speech was slightly slurred, he seemed to be fully present. So he did not stop him when Ianto reached for one of the bottles and uncapped it.
"I can't dictate to you, Ianto," he carefully started, "but I wish you wouldn't drink more. You've suffered another breakdown, which we don't know much about. It's a risk, Ianto. Think about it."
"I got a handle on it now," Ianto told him matter-of-factly. "I can feel your aggravation, you know," he chuckled. "Relax, Owen. My wish to get drunk has nothing to do with my empathic talent."
At that, Owen scowled deeply.
"You can really feel my emotions?"
"Yeah," Ianto confirmed with a crooked grin, certain that his new friend hated it, "but I can get more and more control now. I should be back to normal soon."
"Unless you get drunk," Owen hissed, reaching for Ianto's beer.
Laughing, Ianto held it out of reach.
"Scared I might read something I shouldn't know about?"
Caught on the wrong foot, Owen croaked, "You could really do that?"
Ianto smirked devilishly, enjoying the medic's discomfort. Actually he was not sure to what extent he could read Owen, but he sensed anger and confusion combined with a dose of fear. He was tempted to let him believe that he really was able to get inside his head, but decided against opening Pandora's box.
"Nah, don't think so," he said instead. "What I can do is read emotions. That's what flooded me at the memorial service. All the grief and fear coming from the survivors and the relatives kind of overloaded me."
Wordlessly, Owen just stared at him. Only when Ianto did not continue but nursed his beer instead, he fumbled for words, "Then what the hell did Jack do?"
"He took over control."
"But how…?"
"No clue," Ianto cut him short. In his opinion, Owen looked like he needed a drink now, too. As if on cue, the medic reached for the other bottle.
"That's pretty weird."
"You have no idea," Ianto chuckled humourlessly. The side effects still scared the shit out of him. Ever since he decided to go to Owen, he had wracked his mind about telling him everything or not, but he still could not make up his mind.
"What I also don't understand," Owen muttered, sitting up to lean toward Ianto expectantly, "is how you could be so stupid to try the glove."
"So we have something in common after all," Ianto snickered, drinking from his beer. He certainly did not mind that Owen changed the subject. "I don't know why I did it. It seemed like a good idea then."
For the time being, the ringing phone saved Ianto from further inquiries.
"What?" Owen grunted into the receiver… and listened stoically to what Jack had to say. "No clue," he then cut in, "did you check his bedsit?"
Alarmed, Ianto looked up at Owen, gesturing him to get rid of the captain.
Winking at his unexpected guest, Owen put on a mask of indignation and rounded on Jack, "I don't know what you want from me!" he yelled into the phone. "I left Ianto in your care! Remember, Jack? I should've known you'd balls it up!" A short pause followed before, "How the bloody hell did it happen anyway? Did you get an alert or something? Because saving the world would be the only excuse I'll accept."
Turning back to Ianto, he saw the distraught Welshman waving his hands and shaking his head in pantomime of panic. Covering the mike on his phone, he whispered, "What?"
"Don't make him feel worse," Ianto hissed. "He was nearly as upset as I was. I don't want to see him right now, but I don't want you to torture him, either."
"Relax, teaboy, I got this," Owen assured him.
"Have you checked with Tosh?" Owen demanded into the phone. "Uh-huh. I see. Well, if he really removed the battery of his mobile then he doesn't want to be found, and if he doesn't want to be found you should bloody well leave him alone."
Owen turned and winked at Ianto again. Jack's voice was just a tiny squawk coming from the phone.
"You know, he can take care of himself. You shouldn't worry so much... Don't worry, I'll have a word with him next time I see him... It's all right, Jack. If he can text Tosh to say he's ok, then I'm sure he really is. It's just my job to be mad at you, and you know it."
Once more, he listened before he laughed out loud.
"Fine, be mad at me in return! That's why I'm such an insufferable bastard, right? At your service, Captain… Yes, if I hear from him, I'll call you. Good night, Captain."
Shaking his head with amusement, Owen ended the call and returned to the sitting area.
"He's mad at me, isn't he?" Ianto moaned miserably.
"Nah," Owen shook his head. "Horribly concerned."
Ianto groaned.
"Why? I insult him and he's worried for me?"
This time, Owen tried to stifle his laughter, which resulted in a bubbling chuckle.
"He's the boss, Ianto," he explained. "He feels responsible for your well-being because he was the one who brought you in." Seeing Ianto's sceptical expression, he added for good measure, "Seriously, judging by your recent luck, you need it."
"Not funny," Ianto snarled and took another big gulp of his beer. Leaning back, he tried to suck more out of the bottle until it was quite obvious that there was nothing left. As he thumped the empty bottle onto the sofa, it almost took flight out of his hand. "There's something wrong with this," Ianto grunted as he held it up to show Owen, "must have a hole in it."
Owen's laughter got stuck in his throat. On the one hand, he did not think Ianto to be one to lose himself in alcohol, on the other hand, proof sat on his couch, reaching for the other open bottle and taking a deep draw.
He must be badly shaken.
Torn between his duty as Torchwood's medical officer and his new friendship with the younger man, Owen watched Ianto intently. Probably it was the beer taking effect, but he did not seem so agitated anymore.
He said that he can handle his talent better now. Maybe I'm worrying in vain. It's not a medical problem after all. Now that I think about it, he looks rather relaxed. I wouldn't expect him to be so calm if he still was troubled by uncontrolled what, empathic input? Whatever.And hell, I can say from experience that sometimes the best way to get over what ails you is to just get so pissed you can't stand up. Maybe that's all he needs.
Actually there weighed something heavily on his mind ever since Suzie had confronted Ianto with the dead spidermouse. If he was honest with himself, he had noticed the animosity between them earlier, but it simply did not register properly. Now that she had shown clear disrespect for the aliens that Ianto had brought into Torchwood Three, he could not ignore the nagging worry in the back of his mind anymore. This might not be the best moment to address the matter, but any other might be worse.
"Ianto, what's between you and Suzie?"
Resting the bottle on his thigh, Ianto squinted at Owen and chuckled, "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
"No, I'm asking you!"
"You're shagging, aren't you?" Ianto prodded. "Is it just sex or is there more between you?"
"That's hardly your business," Owen growled.
"Exactly," Ianto stated, noting with grim satisfaction that Toshiko had been right. He did not know what the medic saw in the manipulative and ruthless technician but hoped that it was just a fling.
Stunned by the way Ianto used his own words against him, Owen needed a moment to catch on. Ianto had brushed him off. It did not even take him an effort.
Not as drunk as you seem to be?
With a long-suffering sigh, Ianto lifted his beer again. Its stale taste made him grimace, but he drank it anyway.
"She didn't want me to accompany you when we were still in Torchwood Tower to begin with," he sighed. "Now she seems to think I want to worm my way into Three, manipulating Jack into giving me more responsibilities."
"Are you?"
"What?" The challenge almost sobered him. "What kind of question is that?"
"A logical one," Owen shrugged. "Are you manipulating Jack?"
Ianto scoffed. "I seriously doubt I could. And for what purpose?"
"To infiltrate and sell what you gained to the highest bidder?" Owen suggested not quite seriously.
Ianto snorted derisively. "And enable another lunatic to finish what One started? Lead Earth into a war or bring an alien invasion down on us?"
At that Owen's stomach clenched uncomfortably, realizing what he had implied.
"Sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask."
"You're bloody right it was!" Ianto said with feeling, and then gave a disgustingly loud belch so out of keeping with what Owen knew of his character that the doctor could not even react. Then he leaned forward, and said almost desperately, "But Owen, her animosity toward me notwithstanding, you have got to keep an eye on her. Her… obsession with that bloody glove is... is..."
Lost for words, Ianto leaned back for a moment, and it was a good thing, too. His hot, beery breath in Owen's face was giving the medic what could only be described as a contact buzz.
"There's something very dark about it," Ianto rasped, leaning in again, "Dangerous. Don't let her go too far."
"Yeah… right," Owen vaguely replied, trying not to show how much Ianto's ominous warning irked him.
He's drunk, he told himself, and not thinking clearly. Being upset over the spidermouse, he sees a conspiracy where there really is none. Okay, maybe Suzie got carried away a bit, but that's no reason to practically accuse her of treason.
Watching Ianto drink, Owen grasped the first thought that came to his mind in order to change the subject.
"So…" he prodded with a lightness that he did not currently feel, "will you take pity on him and go out with Captain Sunshine?"
"I don't know," Ianto muttered against the bottle's neck before he took another swallow. "I really don't know. I mean, it's all show, isn't it?"
"The flirting?" Owen gave a dry chuckle. "Never knew him any different."
Thoughtfully, Ianto worried his bottom lip. In the beginning he really had thought that it all was in good fun, a game that was never meant to go anywhere. Now he was not so certain anymore.
"Well," Owen snickered, "you have to admit that our dear Captain puts quite an effort into his verbal sparring with you."
"Sure does," Ianto joined in the soft laughter, but it died away a moment later to be replaced by a rather gloomy thought. Ydris knew. He told me before he left with the tigers. Was I too blind to see then because he was still here? Has anything changed now that they're not shagging? Not really. To me, they're still in a relationship, to Jack they never were, not in the meaning of being exclusive.
Ianto was not sure if his thoughts made any sense. They slipped away as soon as they came and in the morning he would not remember any of them.
"He offered me a job," he slurred, drinking again.
"Okay."
Owen was not surprised. He knew that Suzie's suspicion that Jack wanted to keep the archivist was not unfounded. What he doubted was that Ianto intended to stay.
"Okay?" Ianto parroted. "Jus' okay? That's it? Nothing more?"
"Like what?"
"'on't know," Ianto mumbled drowsily. "No 'pinion on the matter?"
"What should I say, Ianto?" Owen shrugged. "Take it or leave it. It's your decision."
"Wanna know what you," there Ianto sluggishly poked Owen's chest, "gotta say. I mean, you guys need anar-, an anar-, what I do…"
"An archivist?" Owen supplied with a smirk, quietly amused by how Ianto's behaviour suddenly changed.
"Yeah, that," Ianto enthusiastically agreed. "But I don't know if Tor'wood's right f'me anymore. 'Sdangerousous, an' I don' know if I c'n handle it. Wha' d'you think?"
"I think…" Owen drawled with barely suppressed amusement, "that you've had enough, mate."
Standing, he plucked the bottle from Ianto's hand.
"Not 'nough," Ianto tried to argue, feebly reaching for the bottle that hovered in front of him.
Seeing his unfocussed gaze and the failing grab, Owen stifled a laugh.
"C'mon, time to call it a night," he muttered and put the bottle on the coffee table, way out of reach. Then he manoeuvred Ianto to lie on the couch and pulled a blanket up to cover him. "Sleep well."
His wish fell on deaf ears as Ianto was already dead to the world. Once more, Owen chuckled, shaking his head with astonishment at how uninhibited the usually so controlled man had become. After a stint at the bathroom, Owen checked a last time on his guest and picked up his phone to make a quick call as promised before he went to bed himself.
Unsurprisingly, Jack anxiously bellowed, "How is he?" into the phone as soon as he answered.
"He sounded completely pissed," Owen replied, "but he says he's staying with a friend and we're not to worry."
"A friend! Who?" Jack demanded.
"How in bloody hell should I know?" Owen snarled back. "Cardiff is his hometown. I expect he could find more than one person to spend the night with."
"Oh, uh, right," Jack sounded deflated. "I suppose so. Are you sure he's ok?"
"I expect he'll have one hell of a hangover in the morning..." Owen predicted, and began making plans for breakfast with impish delight.
"Hangover!" Jack yelped. "But Owen, just hours ago he was in shock! Alcohol can't be good for him."
"Actually, Jack," Owen teased, "There have been countless studies supporting the salubrious effects of the occasional drink."
"Drink!" Jack emphasized, "as in one. Not drunk!"
"Well, I can personally attest to the psychological benefits of the occasional drunk," Owen shot back. "If he was fit enough to go out and get the booze, I'm sure he's over the shock. He will be fine, Jack. Trust me, I'm a doctor. In fact, I only just disconnected on him when I heard him snoring." As an afterthought he added, "And that's what we should do now, too, before I fall asleep on you."
xXx
Bemused at how suddenly Owen ended the call, Jack stared at his mobile phone. His amusement was tainted by bitterness, though, at being lied to.
It's a white lie, I know. Still hurts.
Both times, Jack had been able to hear Ianto in the background during their conversations, but he was still glad that the doctor had let him know about the Welshman's presumed whereabouts.
A soft smile played around his lips.
The snoring was a dead giveaway. Owen must have known that I could hear it. He wanted to reassure me without betraying Ianto's wishes.
Jack sighed.
He doesn't want anything to do with me, and he's right. I am an abomination. Will I ever find out what happened to me? When will the Doctor come?
Through the windshield of the SUV, he longingly looked up at the starry sky. The sight humbled him. Compared to the universe he was a grain of dust. Less even. The vastness of the universe was hard to grasp for him, even though he had used to live among the stars. Not for the first time, Jack wondered if his seemingly perpetual life actually would last forever, which was an idea that was beyond his intellectual capacity.
For some time, Jack could manage to distract himself from the nagging thoughts. Spare time was his enemy. With nothing to occupy his thoughts, he was brooding pointlessly.
Now what am I going to do with the rest of the evening?
For lack of a better alternative, Jack drove back to Mermaid Quay. Entering his office, he paused. The spidermouse still lay dead on the floor.
Heaving a sigh, Jack took a big step past the small alien and searched for something to carry it in. In the end, he scooped it up into a cardboard food box. When he put it onto a shelf, he recalled that he should lock the glove in his safe until he decided about their further course of action.
It was not there.
After Ianto ran away I was the only one at the Hub. I didn't leave much later. So who took the glove?
There was only one answer and he knew it. He just did not want to believe it.
Taking seat at his desk, Jack brought up tonight's CCTV. Seeing was not comprehending, though, when he watched how Suzie entered the central Hub through the armoury and strode purposefully to Jack's office. A moment later, she reappeared with the glove in hand.
Brazen! She knows she's on camera and still she doesn't even try to be clandestine.
Jack knew he could not let it slide.
What the hell is she even doing with the glove? She can't really work with it, can she? Unless…
The thought sent a chill down his back.
Oh, Suzie. What are you doing?
With a heavy heart, Jack switched the monitor off and returned to the garage. During the whole drive to Suzie's house, he wracked his mind about what he had done wrong. How had he driven her to going behind his back in order to explore what fascinated her? He could not find an answer.
Suzie will have to provide one.
Right when he pulled the SUV up on the curb near the house, though, Jack noticed movement at the front door. Looking closer, he recognized Suzie. A big bag slung over her shoulder, she just pulled the door closed and locked it. Then she strode away purposefully.
Where are you going?
Jack did not hesitate to follow her. Knowing that she was likely to notice the SUV soon in the hardly frequented streets, Jack parked it and pursued her on foot. Carefully, he kept his distance. Surveillance was something he had learned a very long time ago. All his stealth did not help, though, because when he turned around just another corner, Suzie was nowhere to be seen. His attempt to relocate her failed. Jack had to admit defeat.
tbc…