Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or Doctor Who. Did you really think I did?
--
Ianto and the Doctor were left in their seats, staring at the doorway through which Jack had just left, still trying to process the events of a few seconds ago. Naturally, the Doctor was the first to finish. He turned to look at Ianto and stood.
"Come on, quickly now, or we'll lose him!"
Ianto blinked. "He – he said not to go after him."
"Oh, where's the fun in that? Do you always do as you're told, Ianto Jones?"
"But…but he-"
Why won't you go after him, Ianto? What are you afraid of? Are you giving up, just like that?
Ianto cursed the little voice in his head.
"We don't know where he's going."
"Ah! I can help there." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his -"Sonic screwdriver! A thing like that wristband of Jack's gives off a signal like nothing else on Earth in this century. But considering we're in Torchwood…the signal might get confused. Like a compass with magnets, really. Very misleading. So if I double that with setting 10256…"
"There are two of them. Whoever Jack went to meet, he had one too. Setting 10256?"
The Doctor looked up. "You got all that? Really? Most people tend to sort of tune out. They say I babble. I say, well, you know what, maybe I do, but I've met worse. Like that one guy who called himself -" One look at Ianto's face was enough to stop the Doctor in his tracks. "Oh. Right. 10256. It finds past companions of mine. Travelling in time and space gives you a sort of...residual radiation. And – as far as I know, anyway – the only one in Cardiff is Jack. So, either way, we've got a nifty little tracking device."
Ianto stared at him. God, was that man ever unprepared?
The Doctor had been edging impatiently towards the door throughout his speech and was now waiting hopefully for Ianto to follow. Ianto sighed.
"Right then. If you're sure we can find him. You're not going without me."
The Doctor beamed.
They'd made it to the exit from the main hub before Ianto remembered. "Hold on, Jack took the SUV."
"No problem! I've got the answer to that too!" The Doctor grinned, taking a step towards the corner, which Ianto suddenly realised (not that he hadn't known earlier) was occupied by a police box.
He saw a look of confusion flitter across the Doctor's face, and then the man seemed to cave in on himself slightly.
"Oh…wait. No I don't."
In that moment, his look of sheer despair almost made Ianto feel sorry for him. Almost, mind. Ianto wasn't quite done with feeling sorry for himself yet.
"It doesn't matter. We still have that sports car from the blowfish. What is it with those blowfish and sports cars?"
The Doctor looked at him incredulously. "A blowfish driving a sports car? Now that I'd like to see!"
Ianto smiled. "Well, we'll get Jack first. Then I'll see if I can find the CCTV footage of one in archives for you."
He wondered briefly if he should call the team, but it was so early Owen would just grumble at him. And Ianto didn't want to disturb the girls. He shrugged. They'd call him when they got in and found the Hub empty.
Ianto picked up the keys – which had been sitting on Owen's desk under a pile of paperwork for some reason – and they left the Hub together to find their troublesome Captain.
--
Jack stopped outside a hotel. Judging by the people who had been running screaming away from it (and thus causing him to abandon the SUV a few streets away), this was the place. He noticed the wide berth people were giving the hotel – the few people that were still lingering, anyway. He'd heard whispers of 'a madman with a gun' as he'd pushed his way through the crowd.
He made his way into the hotel, pausing momentarily in front of the receptionist's desk, wondering where to head first. It was a hotel…and John wasn't the sort of person to get a room. But hotels had restaurants, and hotels had bars. Ah. Of course. The bar.
Jack walked over to the double doors that lead to the bar, took a deep breath and flung them open. It was empty. Not even a barman in sight. Except…yep. Bar was a good choice. John emptied a shot of some blue liquid, turned and locked eyes with Jack.
They strode towards each other down the length of the bar, eyes blazing, adrenaline already pumping through their blood, breath already ragged from the intensity of the stare. When they met, there was a brief pause as a fiery rage burnt through the air between them.
Their lips crashed together, tongues clashing like swords as blistering rage translated itself as burning passion and lust-filled desire. Fireworks sparked as the throbbing heat rushed through their bodies. Even as they gasped for air, they tasted each other, each pressing violently into the other. Without warning, John pulled back and met Jack's snog with a whistling punch that knocked him a few steps backwards. Jack grinned, wiped the saliva at the edge of his mouth and returned the punch in kind which John dodged before pulling him in for another rough kiss. He then proceeded to knee Jack in the groin. Jack groaned, staggering. When he had regained his balance, he threw himself at John. The fight that ensued reminded Jack of the love that had once burned between them, the fierce, passionate encounters of two 51st century men stuck in a timeloop. It ended with two very hot, slightly damp men, out of their time, with guns cocked and pointed at heads. Stalemate.
"Who are you now?"
"Captain Jack Harkness, note the stripes."
"Captain John Hart, note the sarcasm."
"Hey! I worked my way up through the ranks."
"I bet the ranks were very grateful."
After a moment of silence, John added "I need a drink."
"I thought you'd never ask."
Guns disappeared into holsters as the pair walked over to the counter. John dragged a bottle of some clear alcohol – he didn't bother to check what, and history was never his strong point anyway – towards him and threw another at Jack. Jack looked around blindly for glasses before remembering they'd managed to destroy them all. Not to mention the state the bar was in now. Oh well, he sighed. He was pretty sure he could pass the bill off as a Torchwood expense.
John didn't even bother looking for a glass. He'd chugged down the entire bottle and was wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve by the time Jack had finished thinking about Ianto, how he'd react to this 'Torchwood expense' after all the things he'd tried in the past. Not that Ianto would (or could) stop him of course. He'd just laugh at him when it came to filing away the records.
"It's good to see you. I'm not the same without you. But honestly, what were you doing that was more important than me? First time I've ever gotten your answering machine, you know?"
Jack was startled out of his reverie. "Hmm? Oh. Having breakfast with....with a few friends." He thought it'd be better to keep names out of this. Or at least, until he knew what John wanted from him. The Doctor was famous – or perhaps infamous – with Time Agents and Ianto…Jack almost shuddered at the thought of what John would do if he found out about his relationship with Ianto. Jealousy hit a new level with John Hart.
"Friends? Plural? Well. I suppose some things never change. Anything I should be jealous of?"
"What? No! The three of us were just having breakfast. Pastries and coffee."
Jack found himself momentarily distracted again when he realised there were voices outside, footsteps growing louder. Probably the hotel staff trying to work out what all the noise from the fight earlier was.
John looked at him, disbelievingly. "What, only a threesome? That doesn't sound like you. What happened to the raging orgies and the sex for breakfast? Lost your touch?" He smirked.
"21st Century, John. I've changed. And I want you off my territory."
John stared at him for a moment. "What?" He exclaimed incredulously, anger creeping into his voice, "I thought you couldn't get enough of me 'on your territory'."
He drew his gun before Jack could stop him and fired. The glass in the door shattered.
"Right, I know you're out there. Come out!" John shouted, gun still aimed at the door.
The door was pushed open, and two figures made their way in. Jack stared at them in disbelief, anger and fear rolling around in his head. He barely noticed John slipping his gun away again.
"Everything okay, Jack?" The Doctor called. Ianto trailed behind with his gun raised and his head tilted slightly to his side.
"Ooh!" John exclaimed, rubbing his hands together, "I take it this was 'breakfast' then? There must be something you're not telling me, if you have these two chasing after you. Care to introduce me?"