S T O R M E Y E
The Calm Before The Storm
Gwen woke the next morning to her phone beeping.
STORMEYE :)
Gwen groaned at the usual text, and the point of a smiley face really didn't help, in fact it reminded her everyday what was waiting out there. She knew the drill, she would go in and greet Ianto at the door, she would say hi to Tosh, and avoid Owen, but he would still make some comment on what she was wearing or her current attitude, she would sit at her desk for some 10 minutes before Ianto came with the coffee, she would only have a few seconds to drink it before Larka and Jack or Jack and Tosh would come down and explain something they found out the other night, then they would spend the whole day investigating, then they would stay late in the Hub to do some research, get home late and only get about 3 hours sleep, Rhys would usually put a pillow and duvet outside the bedroom for her to use on the couch, then she would argue with Rhys the next morning, go to work and figure something else out to do with the case, get home on time to apologize to Rhys by having a romantic dinner, then the next day it would involve physical work and yet another near death experience. But not today.
Jack Harkness and Larka Black stood on the stair case leading up to the balcony which then leads to the Hot-House, Jack's office and a lift which consequently takes you directly lower underground to the BoardRoom. Gwen didn't need to ask where Owen was, since she knew that someway this was going to be about him, though the question was itching at stood solemnly at the beginning of the Autopsy-Bay steps, Tosh stood on one of the platforms over the small pond they had, leading off the Water-Tower.
"As you all know Owen has been leaving early and coming in late and-"
"Jack, please just tell them for goodness sake." Larka's voice came stern and fast.
"Neph thea oue." *Calm down you* Jack said nudging her lightly.
"Fing han't" *I can't* Larka clearly pronounced the language with a foreign accent that sounded something similar between African and Welsh, Welsh probably being from using the language so much around Ianto and Khaz.
"Look can someone tell us what's going on here?" Gwen's Welsh tone rang through the Hub.
Larka began the explanation,
"Owen is currently in a sort of 'relationship' with a unknown species."
-0-
The team members sat around the BoardRoom table.
"Where is he now?" The team had forgotten about Toshiko, she had been so quiet.
"Cells." Jack said, sounding slightly more American than necessary. Larka was going to put the answer much more subtly. Toshiko nodded and sank back into her chair as she resumed fiddling with a devise which Ianto recognized from the other night.
"So what do we do?" Gwen asked.
"Owen is refusing to say anything about her, or it, so to speak. So we wait until the rift spikes up again." Larka was taking very much control of the situation, and it came as a weight off her shoulders to see Jack flirting with Ianto as normal.
"So Im guessing we just sit here then, and do nothing." Gwen's thick Welsh accent, which constantly battles Ianto's, rang through the silence.
"Oh here we go again." Said Ianto rolling his eyes.
"Hay last week was filled with lots of action!" Said Jack, Larka flinched and took a single step back immediately realizing that she wanted no part the the hatching conversation, Larka slunk into the seat next to Toshiko, and Tosh put a comforting hand on her arm.
"Its Ok." She smiled at her.
"Thanks Tosh." She muttered.
The team were laughing around her even Tosh had a quaint smile playing on the corners of her mouth, yet Larka sat there, she occasionally laughed at something funny from the previous week, but then the sewers would play again and again in her head.
"Gether link Jack, ex nhether dexise ta fether, fing kangth lad juts beher." *Another thing Jack, the great war is coming, I will have to fight.*
"I am aware." Came his reply he was serious now, all expression of joy and laughter gone.
"The Lycans of Lescu will need to take up arms as foreseen, and across the plains of enlightenment will battle commence, and our ridders will come together to form alliance against the growing horde." "And you want me." It wasn't a question, more a statement.
"Well." Larka pointed up. "He isn't coming anytime soon is he?"
"Point taken. the growing horde, it-"
"The Draitens."
"Of corse, I would expect no other enemy."
"Not enemy, Jack. Resistance."
"Against what?" Came Ianto voice. Larka's head snapped round to look at him, then she turned to see both Tosh and Gwen both looking equally clueless yet intrigued.
"Come, we can continue in my office." "But what about Owen? And the thing?" Asked Gwen. Larka turned heels by the door as she was following Jack out,
"Jack hired you to figure this kinda stuff out! Now do your jobs and figure out the current stuff we are trying to unstuff!" Larka threw her hand onto her forehead then muttered something in Welsh that made Ianto and Gwen blush as she walked out.
"Don't push me Jack!"
"Im not!" There was a pause then "Ow!" From Jack.
Tosh, Gwen and Ianto burst out laughing.
"How long has this been going on for?" Asked Ianto, though laughing concern constantly filled his voice.
"About a good half hour now." Stated Tosh.
"Just leave 'em they'll bicker themselves out eventually."
"DON'T YOU DARE HARKNESS!" There was a pause then an eruption of laughter for the three team members,
"WHAT?"
"YEAH HOLDING UP A CHAIR, AND YOU SAY 'WHAT?'" There was another uncertain pause.
"Are you sure we shouldn't go up there?" Asked Tosh,
"Just a few more minutes." Said Gwen.
"WELL YOU LOCKED THE DOOR!" Yelled Jack.
"WELL YOU WOULD RUN AWAY!"
"Ok maybe we should go up." Said Gwen, and the others nodded in agreement.
They walked up the stairs but paused when they heard Larka scream something in Welsh that made Ianto burst out laughing, Tosh looked clueless and Gwen could only pick out a few words.
"Do I want to know?" Asked Tosh.
"I didn't understand half of it but by Ianto's reaction, probably not." Toshiko nodded.
"EVEN IF I KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT-" "SHUT IT HARKNESS YOU ARE COMING AND YOU ARE GOING TO HELP."
"MAKE ME!"
"EASILY DONE."
"DONT PUSH IT LARKA BLACK!"
"DONT LET MY RACE DIE JACK HARKNESS!"
"Point to team Black." Said Ianto, Tosh's devise in his hand to unlock the door.
"Thank you Ianto, see we are a Welsh community and we care for one another!"
"Oh and I don't care!"
"Your going to let war break out!"
"Your people started it!"
"My people! It was the Draitens that didn't like the way we ruled our own planet!"
"Larka!"
"No, you are going to listen to me for once, you are coming, and you are going to ride me in the fleet, all the other ridders will gather, and ride us to victory."
"And Kuski?"
"Will fight beside us with Kuriske."
"Kuriske?"
"A human from the medieval age, time travel is petty stuff."
"I like how you say that, 'human'"
"Well your not exactly one." "Point to Team Black!" Said Ianto again.
"Im leaving, Il be in my room, Il see what the Elders think of this, maybe they'll let me fight alone." She said.
"You'll do no such thing!" Said Jack.
"Oh so who will ride me, cause my options are between a man in a flying police box and a man that can never die and has a killer pout!"
"I do not pout!" Said Jack, pouting.
"Point to Team Black." Said Ianto again.
"Like I said, my room. So have any of you found out any stuff or have you all be listening this whole time." Gwen and Tosh slunk into the room, guilt plastered on their faces. Larka and Jack couldn't help but laugh,
"Ok Im going, the Elders will want to hear of this, Il make arrangements." And with that Larka left,
"Someone better go talk to her." Said Jack.
"Who?" Asked Ianto. There was a pause.
"Fine." He rolled his eyes and left, though curiosity got the better of him and thoughts of this being an annoying task faded quickly.
Ianto knocked on the door gently, when there was no reply he creaked open the door. Larka was sitting on her desk, legs crossed, eyes fluttering shut, ginger hair half covering her face.
"Ianto." Her eyes burst open. Ianto froze.
"Sorry."
"You could have waited 'till I was finished."
"Sorry."
"Ah well, the Elders are clueless about what to do."
"You just have to sort it out with Jack." Larka mocked gasped.
"I never thought of that!" She said smiling.
"Oh shut up."
"Gladly, but you have to talk."
"Dexise. That means war right? So what happened, in the Boardroom Jack seemed like he was going to go with you, then you to started competing over who could shout the loudest."
"When I asked you to talk, I meant for at least 30 seconds." She pouted.
"Wow you and Jack are telepathically connected." He deadpanned.
"Oh c'mon, he does want to come, I read his mind, but he is scared that the same thing will happen, last time? Remember? When me and him left, he is scared about hurting again, hurting you." Ianto nodded slowly as he thought over the current situation.
"Its Ok Yan, Il drag him down there."
"But what about you? Jack can't die, but you?"
"Can die like everyone else, just a bit stronger than you lot, no offence."
"And you will come back." There was a pause.
"Jack will."
"No, I mean you." Another pause.
"Im going Ianto." She finally said. He froze, and felt the tears.
"Ok. You have nothing tying you down here." He said before walking out, if she saw him crying he would never live it down.
Ianto walked back into the Archives, everyone turned to look at him, Ianto immediately looked at Jack, who looked back apologetically. The girls looked up expectantly but as soon as they saw Ianto's expression there hopeful faces faltered, but Toshiko decided to lighten the mood,
"I have found a spot where the rift energy is coming from, by the bay, next to that nice little italian place, never been there its meant to be nice."
"Oh it is, I should know, ask Ianto too, he has been quite a few times with-"
"Ahem, Il go to the spot." Said Ianto slowly. He smiled his classic smile and picked up his com, gun and suit jacket, as he had it off, and walked through the cog door.
As he walked down Owen came running after him.
"Owen?" Owen ran right past him with a gun. "I thought you were locked up?"
"Shut it tea-boy." Ianto ran after him.
"Owen! Your delusional! Come back!" Owen then did something that made Ianto's eyes widen with horror, Owen jumped into the water. The light shone through the surface as Owen swam frantically deeper and deeper, he firmly gripped the Torchwood hand gun. Then Cynthia.
"What are you doing? We had a deal!" Yelled Owen through the current they were both in."
"Count the deal over, Owen."
"Please!"
"Im sorry." Cynthia began to rise to the surface.
"Ianto!" Yelled Owen, he would be dead by now. Owen swam up as fast as he could, but when the surface didn't come he began to think if he was swimming in the wrong direction, if he was swimming down. Air was around him as he broke the surface, Cynthia had already killed three mean and five women, Ianto was gone, probably gone back to the Hub. Owen looked at her, what she was doing, massacre. He pointed the gun at her, and pulled the trigger.