On Any Given Day ; Chapter 3
Ianto was brought back to the present by the Rift alert echoing through the archives and Jack's voice in his coms.
"Ianto, I need you…now!"
"Be right there, Jack."
As Ianto joined Jack in the main Hub, he noticed that Gwen was sitting at her workstation, eyeing up the Captain. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the immortal.
"What have we got?"
"They're back!" announced Tosh.
"You're kidding, right?" said Ianto.
"Afraid not."
"Shit!"
"Ianto, with me," called Jack, as he moved toward the cog door.
"Just us!"
"Owen's gonna meet us there."
Ianto glared at Gwen, who didn't seem to notice.
"Ianto!" called Jack.
"Yep. Coming."
As the two men disappeared, Tosh looked at Gwen, shaking her head.
"What?" asked Gwen.
"Nothing."
TWTWTW
Jack drove toward Bute Park, Ianto sitting quietly beside him.
"Go on," said Jack. "I know you're dying to say something."
Ianto shook his head.
"Yeah, you are."
Ianto turned in his seat. "Okay. You let Gwen off…again!"
"It doesn't take all of us, Ianto."
"No, you're right, it doesn't. Maybe Gwen could have come instead of Owen or me."
"I thought you wanted me to stay away from Gwen." He laughed. "Make your mind up!"
Ianto looked straight ahead and sighed. "I want you to stop flirting with her. You can still work without eye fucking her, Jack!"
Jack slammed on the breaks, coursing Ianto to lurch forward.
"That's it! Get out!"
"What?"
"I said, get out! Owen and I can handle it."
Ianto opened the door. "Fine." He got out and slammed the door shut.
Jack pulled away, leaving him there.
"Fuck!" the Welshman cursed.
Moving down the road, Ianto looked around. Although he wasn't that far from the Hub, it was dark and he felt a cold shiver go up and down his spine.
Walking back under the bridge that lead to Lloyd George Avenue, Ianto passed two men. They stopped, turned around and began to beat him senseless, leaving him in a pool of blood.
TWTWTW
Owen joined Jack at the entrance to Bute Park.
"Where's Ianto?"
Jack huffed out a breath.
"You had another argument?"
Jack frowned. "No! Yes."
"About Gwen?"
"How did you know?"
Owen rolled his eyes. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the way she looks at you."
Jack turned away. "I thought you were…you and Gwen were…"
Owen raised an eyebrow. "I'm merely a distraction, Jack."
"And Rhys, what's he?"
"Beats me."
TWTWTW
A passing motorist noticed the prone figure on the path and pulled over. Getting out, he checked Ianto, then called for an ambulance and the police, Ianto was still unconscious.
The ambulance rushed the young Welshman to the A&E department, taking him straight in to where a couple of nurses and a doctor were waiting to check him over. The nurses stripped him naked. The doctor saw to him immediately, as it was thought he had a punctured lung.
"Do we have any next of kin?" asked the doctor.
"No, but he's carrying a Torchwood ID card."
The doctor shook his head. "Bloody Torchwood."
TBC