Chapter 6:
And so, it was, the next morning at 9:45, with only Torchwood Cardiff aware of the implications, the apocalypse began with a single flashing light on Tosh's monitors indicating a small spot of rift activity somewhere just to the North-Ea of Cardiff.
The team gathered around, the knowledge that this was the first crack in the dam between realities slowing their movements and adding a silent and somber atmosphere to what would otherwise have beestn a simple retrieval mission.
"No life signs Jack, it seems to be just some tech." Tosh commented before gazing up at Jack with the rest of the team, waiting for instructions.
It had been a long night but they had developed a plan to close the rift. It just relied on pinpointing the exact time and space that would give the maximum impact. An explosion directly in the heart of the rift would hopefully counteract the pull from other dimensions and give it enough 'oomph' to stop the effects, or at least delay them for a couple centuries of so until they were someone elses problem as Owen charmingly put it.
The only thing Jack hadn't mentioned to Toshiko, bursting with enthusiasm at her idea was that to get into the heart of the explosion the bomb would have to be literally carried in and no one, not even him could survive the explosion that would happen, sucked into the void for eternity. Though he still had a small hope that some other way could be found, as he looked towards his team he thought maybe he had lived for long enough. He let his eyes linger when they reached Ianto who was standing a little back from the rest of the team though he had fit in seamlessly and had been instrumental in the devising of the bomb and plan. It was a pity he wouldn't be around to get to know the gorgeous welshman. Under different circumstances he would have looked forward to perhaps more of a proper relationship than he was used to.. God, it had been centuries since he had done the domestic thing but with a mindand body like his... Too bad they'd never have a chance now.
For a moment their eyes met and Jack was taken aback by the emotions cascading behind those beautiful blue eyes- did Ianto know of his plan to sacrifice himself? but just as quickly as they had appeared the other man's defenses were pulled down and the storm of feeling replaced by a blank wall.
"Right, if Gwen and Owen go out to this one, Tosh I'll need you to stay here for as long as possible for monitoring."
As Gwen and Owen grabbed the kit Ianto had laid out in preparation and started on their journey another reading showed up on Tosh's screen.
"Jack according to this the weevils are getting restless. They're moving up."
"Oh brilliant. If you could ask the police to tape off all areas where they're likely to emerge we can delay dealing with them"
"Done" Tosh said, just as another spot of rift activity came up "Right, this one looks bigger. A lot bigger and it's definetely alive but contained for now in a.. Warehouse near the Curan embankment. You'll need back up- I could?" she looked up questioningly.
"No sorry Tosh we really do need someone back at the hub and you know all the systems best. "
Tosh looked back down but in truth she was slightly relieved. She was a brilliant field agent and wasn't insecure about it but in a major crisis such as this, even if they had a plan to stop it, she felt more comfortable with computers, where she was, quite frankly, a genius. She wasn't shy despite what people (Owen) seemed to think, she was confident and happy, now if only she could get a certain medic to view her as something other than a colleague.
Toshiko was content in the spotlight but always happier in the background.
Then Ianto stepped forward to where they were standing. "I could go with you"
Jack started to speak but Ianto cut him off "I know it's not procedure but really, if I was a threat I could have gotten out ages ago. I'll be under your surveillance the entire time and I can help Jack. We both know that I can."
Jack only waited a second before replying "Get in the SUV" he said curtly and turned to walk to the exit. Truly he had trusted Ianto from almost the first words they spoke together but he had been trained well by the Time Agency and was always wary. Besides what impression did it give to the team if their leader became blindly trusting of everything they encountered? He himself couldn't really give a reason but his instincts were, if anything, telling him to get closer to Ianto.
DR
The car drew up outside the warehouse with a screeching of tires whereupon Ianto and Jack climbed out and strode towards the warehouse.
Walking around to the entrance they could hear thumps and occassionally what sounded like squawking.
"Right, you ready to go in?" Jack asked, smiling at Ianto who stood next to him.
Returning the smile Ianto spoke "I'm game if you are"
"On the count of three?"
"I'm ready."
Jack counted down, already feeling the adrenaline excite him, a fact that wasn't helped by the way Ianto was looking at him with his mouth slightly open and eyes full of was already starting to make plans on how to recreate that expression as soon as possible, preferably in his bed before he realised he wouldn't have that chance. Damn.
The crucial number was reached and they simultaneously burst into the large warehouse, empty except for the large-shit was that a dinosaur?- currently FUCKING FLYING towards them at high speed.
"Regroup!"Jack shouted, running towards the door they had entered through. This would obviously require a more tactical approach.
As soon as Ianto was outside he slammed the door behind them and they rested against it, catching their breath. Ianto turned slightly to Jack and laughed softly, still panting.
"Whoah. I must say I was not expecting a pteradactyl" Jack spoke at last.
"With all due respect I think it's a pteradon."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that."
"What can I say? I know everything"
"Oh I bet you do." Jack replied appreciatively. "Right. I think we'll have to sedate it"
The welshman rolled his eyes in a way Jack could only classify as adorable. "Oh brilliant plan Jack."
"I'm ignoring that. We should have a sedative and needle in the SUV."
"And if I'm right, which I generally am," Ianto added, following Jack back to the car. "There's some dark chocolate in the front."
"Why do you need- Oh that's good. I'll distract the pteradactyl with chocolate while you inject it with the sedative. Wait how did you know there was dark chocolate?"
Ianto turned from where he was rummaging in the glove department and watched Jack slam the boot shut then leer rather obviously at his behind.
"Many things change but Owen's snack times and habits remain the same. Anyway I think I'll distract the pteratdon and you can inject it with the sedative. I'm good with dinosaurs." At this Ianto went up to where the Captain then turned and walked away, smiling at his affronted expression.
"Well you certainly have an unusual skill set Mr Jones." Jack laughed, slightly taken aback before he realised he was being left behind and strode faster to catch up.
Silently they snuck inside the warehouse.
They split up, Ianto whistling slightly to catch the large beast's attention.
"Hey, I've got you something."
Throwing the bar onto the floor he cautiously approached the pteradon, as Jack inched forward from behind. The pteradon started to turn so Ianto spoke again.
"It's good for your seratonin levels, If you've got seratonin levels."
The bird/reptile started to peck at the chocolate but a small noise from behind alerted it to Jack's presence. Startled it tried to take flight but Jack grabbed hold just in time to be lifted up with it, spiralling high up to the roof of the warehouse.
"Jack you Idiot" Ianto hissed while opening his arms wide, preparing to catch the man above him as Jack struggled to stab the needle in.
Once the pteradon had been successfully injected with the sedative Jack let go, falling the many feet straight down onto Ianto below
Laughing the two men rolled away from the unconscious dinosaur beside them. Slowing they suddenly became aware of their bodies pressed against eachother and the heady mixing of breath.
Jack could feel every inch of Ianto pressing down on him and he stifled a groan at the feeling such close contact produced. His nose was gently bumping against Jack's, their lips just centimetres apart. Jack sucked in a breath, he didn't want to break the moment, as Ianto slowly lent his head down and brushed his smooth, soft lips against Jacks'.
In a moment the kiss turned from soft and caring to hot and demanding as teeth, tongue and lips desperately slid against eachother expertly. It was an odd mix of familiarity and discovery but all the more tantalizing for the enigma behind it. Jack made the most of it, shifting to get more comfortable and running his hands down Ianto's back to get a hold of what he had been wanting to grab all day. He relished the feel of Ianto's hands on his neck and was just about to spin them over when a familiar beeping in his ear reminded him of the upcoming apocalypse.
The end of the world was a bit of a cockblocker if you thought about it, and Jack was silently cursing fate for bringing him such a gift just when he didn't have the time to enjoy it as Ianto stood up and offered him a hand.
Clearing his throat Ianto helped Jack up. "We should go now. Tosh is going to be going crazy stuck at the hub"
DR
AN: Please tell me what you think! I wasn't sure about the Tosh POV but I felt like I should put it in so as not to leave anyone out. I find her quite difficult to write as she's such a private character. Also just to clarify in case anyone is confused, I'll be pick and mixing bits of canon as I write but don't expect accuracy! I'll try my best to make sense though...