As John disappeared into the hotel with the two security guards, Jack stood up, pulling Ianto with him. Without a word he dragged the other man away, moving as quickly as he was able to without drawing attention to them. He weaved his way through the late night, early morning revellers, walking brusquely and covering the half mile between the hotel and the ship in less than 10 minutes. He reached under his shirt and pulled out an electronic key which he waved in front of the door to open it. Shepherding Ianto inside, he immediately dropped into John's chair and powered up the engines.
"Um, what are you doing?" Ianto asked.
"Like I said," Jack replied distractedly, "getting you somewhere safe."
He reached up above his head and flipped a switch, then spun the chair a quarter turn to his left so he could read a small screen there. Apparently satisfied, he turned back to the console and pressed a big red button. The whirring of the engines increased and Ianto stared at him open mouthed.
"Please, Jack," he said, "Tell me you're not thinking of buggering off and leaving John behind."
Jack stopped what he was doing and turned his seat to face the Welshman. He grasped both of Ianto's hands in his own and looked up at him.
"This is a time ship," he said. He spoke slowly and clearly as if Ianto would have difficulty grasping the concept. "I can take you home first and come right back to rescue John."
He let go of his lover's hands and turned his attention back to the console. Ianto frowned.
"Oh, okay," he said. He stayed quiet for a moment, watching while Jack continued with his pre-flight routine. "Um....but you're lying," he went on eventually.
Jack paused. His shoulders sagged and he let out a huge breath. Finally, he pressed the red button and the whirring of the engines gradually died down and stopped.
"How did you know?" he sighed.
"You'd have to pass too close to us now on your way back. If you came back to soon, you'd be risking crossing your own time line."
Jack hung his head. He took Ianto's hand again and brought it to his lips, placing a small kiss on the knuckle.
"It's not like I was just going to leave him. I thought a few days, no more than three. I'd find him like we found you and meanwhile you'd be safe."
"but In a few days he could be anywhere," Ianto reasoned, "he could be sent to a labour camp or sold to another pleasure resort."
"I know. I'm sorry. I missed you so much Ianto. I've just got you back and I didn't want to lose you again so soon, but you're right, I wasn't thinking straight. We can't leave him. I'll go back and get him now but you'll stay here yeah? You'll be safe here until I get back."
Ianto sighed but nodded his agreement.
"Did you really miss me?" he asked.
"You have no idea," Jack smiled, "I was lost without you. At first I thought you were pissed off with me and were off sulking somewhere. For the longest time I kept expecting you to walk back through the door and ask me if I wanted a coffee. Even after Tosh said your tracker wasn't transmitting anymore, I didn't stop believing it. They all gave up hope, one by one but I never did." He pulled Ianto down so that the Welshman landed in his lap, "Well not for a long time anyway. I gave up too towards the end, but I was the last to stop believing you were coming home. Your sister had a funeral you know."
"You had a funeral for me?" Ianto sniggered, "Did you sing hymns and everything?"
"I'm glad you think it's funny," Jack scowled, "I don't know if they sang hymns because I refused to go. Gwen thought I was in denial and kept trying to give me grief counselling. God, she's annoying when she's being all righteous."
"Yeah we noticed." Ianto said, "didn't think you could see any wrong in her though." He hadn't meant it to come out as bitter as it had but hearing Gwen's name had stirred up some bad memories, memories he'd thought long since buried. Jack gave a small humourless laugh.
"I don't even know what I ever saw in her, or if I saw anything. I think she was safe because she wasn't available. I could let myself have feelings for her because she was never going to give up Rhys. I didn't realise until it was too late that it was always you Ianto, not her or anyone else, just you."
Ianto didn't say anything but he bent his head forward, hungrily sliding his lips over Jack's. When he pulled away he rested their foreheads together.
"Go on, Captain," he grinned, "go do your big, damn hero thing so we can all go home."
John growled as the two men stripped him of his weapons and threw him into a chair. The room was bare apart from a small table in the corner, a larger one in the centre of the floor and two chairs. One of the men sat down in the chair opposite John while the other stood by the door with his hands folded over his chest, forming an immovable barrier between John and the outside world.
"Right, Mr Harrison," the seated man snarled, "if that is your name, you better tell us what happened to your friend."
"And what friend would that be?"
"Don't play clever with me, sir. Your friend, the one you checked in with."
"Oh him, good question, if you see him please give him a good kicking from me. Bastard ran out on me after everything I've done for him. I've spent a fucking fortune on that idiot farm boy and he skips out on me in the middle of the night. Took my wallet too."
"Of course he did. And instead of reporting it, you decided it would be fun to jump out of the fire escape."
"Well, ya know," John grinned, "always did like a dramatic exit."
The man stood up quickly, banging his fists on the table.
"Don't play games, Mr Harrison. That farm boy as you put it, has vanished with a very valuable resource belonging to this hotel. If we can't get it back we might have to recuperate our losses some other way." He walked around the table, drawing his eyes over John's body, "I wonder how much we could get for you."
"Ooh, sex slave, sounds like fun."
"Or we could just sell you to the salt mines on Terrellian 4."
John looked up sharply and gulped.
"Ah, I see that's got your attention. Now Mr Whatever your name is how about you tell us what we need to know."
John sat back in the chair and chewed on his thumb nail. He looked at the man for a few moments then looked away and sighed heavily. He nodded, leaning forward across the table and gesturing for the other man to come closer.
"Fuck off and die, arsehole." He growled.
The security guard glared at him.
"Is the best that you can come up with?"
"True, it's not my best work" John shrugged, "but I have been under a lot of strain lately."
Jack cautiously sidled around the outside of the hotel. Keeping his back close to the wall, he checked his pockets making sure the items he'd brought from the ship were still there. Then he took out his gun and hunkered down behind a skip to wait. After what seemed like several hours but was probably only a few minutes the door opened and a young girl in a maid's uniform stepped out. Jack took in her clothing then looked down at himself and rolled his eyes. He was relieved when an older man, about Jack's height and build and wearing kitchen whites joined her. Jack waited until the woman threw down the end of her cigarette, stomped on it with her high heeled boot and went back inside. As soon as she disappeared, he stepped out from his hiding place, placing a finger over his lips and waving the gun about threateningly.
"I don't want to hurt you," he growled, "but I will if I have to."
The man stared wide eyed at him and nodded.
"Good," Jack said. He pulled him away from the door and further up the alley way. "Now strip."
"Huh?"
"You're clothes," Jack stated, "take them off."
The man looked confused but started taking off his clothes. He shivered in fear as Jack watched him dispassionately.
"Don't worry," Jack grinned, "You're not my type." He paused and looked at him thoughtfully, "what am I saying, look at you, of course you're my type. You're gorgeous."
The kitchen worker smiled despite himself.
"However," Jack went on, "I haven't got time right now. Besides, I'm actually thinking about giving the whole monogamy thing a go. Wow, I can't believe I just said that," he beamed.
The other man coughed and Jack realised that he'd already stripped to his underwear and was waiting patiently to see what was going to happen next.
"Oh, yeah." he shook himself. "Sorry about this," he said, "no hard feelings, yeah?" He indicated with his gun for the man to turn around. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he soaked it with the contents of a bottle he'd taken from another pocket and held it over the man's mouth and nose until he crumpled to the ground. Jack took off his coat and donned the kitchen whites over his own clothes. He then checked the man was breathing, made sure he was comfortable and threw his greatcoat over him before slipping through the kitchen door.
The kitchen was busier than Jack had expected. He hadn't realised that the breakfast preparation started so early in the morning. Luckily everyone seemed to be too wrapped up in their own tasks to notice him as he edged his way over to the door which would take him into the rest of the hotel. He stopped whenever someone passed too close, pretending to look in a cupboard or peer over a pan to avoid looking at them. He made it to the door without incident but stopped dead in his tracks as he came face to face with Ianto's friend, Aaron. Jack froze as Aaron stepped back, white with shock.
"You," he whimpered, "I...." Aaron abruptly came to his senses and started yelling, drawing the attention of the dozen or so kitchen workers, "It's that guy," he shouted, "the one who hit me, the one who took Yanto."
Before Jack had time to react he found himself surrounded and pinned down by a particularly heavily built chef.
John rolled his eyes and groaned as Jack was dragged in to the room between two men.
"There goes the cavalry," he moaned.
"Careful, fellas," Jack grinned, "wouldn't want to bruise the merchandise."
The security guard stood up and Jack was pushed into the empty chair.
"So, it seems we have the farm boy as well now. Two for the price of one. Now why don't you be sensible and tell us where Yanto is."
"Fucking whore swindled me," Jack snarled, "ran off with my wallet."
"You mean my wallet," John spat.
"Yea, sorry about that Jem," Jack batted his eyelids at him, "Can you forgive me, honey?"
"Of course I forgive you sweetheart."
The security guard shook his head, sighing theatrically. "We're not going to get anywhere with these two clowns," he told the other guard. "Might as well find a way to get our money back out of them. Maybe the management will keep one and sell the other."
"Yea, better use this time to say your goodbyes," his friend sneered, "I doubt you'll be seeing each other again after today."
"Well, I guess this is it," John said sadly, "I'm gonna miss you, Jarred."
"Me too," Jack said. He reached across the table to touch John but the security guard slammed down his fist on the table again, "keep your distance or I'll be forced to tie you up."
Jack leaned back in the chair and looked at John lovingly.
"So many good memories," he said "Do you remember when we first met?"
"Sure I do," John replied, wondering where Jack was going with it. "We met in the academy, in the gymnasium. I was a sophomore and you were a fresher."
"You were in the swimming pool, showing off."
"I do not show off,"
"You do a bit. You we're swimming under water. You were under so long I thought you'd drowned and jumped in to try and save you."
"My hero."
"Except I slipped and lost my footing. You ended up saving me." Jack laughed, "you weren't drowning you were just holding your breath. You were practically a record breaker when it came to holding your breath."
"A skill you managed to make good use of later if I recall." John smirked.
"Tell me about it, we've had some fun haven't we? It's certainly a useful skill" Jack winked, "In fact, it's a skill that might come in handy," he reached into the back of his pants,"right about...." he removed his hand, palming a spherical object about the size of a golf ball, "NOW!" he yelled, slamming the object down on the table. A noxious gas curled up from under his palm and within a couple of seconds both security guards collapsed in a heap. Jack ran outside without looking back but John, still holding his breath, skipped over to the table in the corner and collected his weapons. He thought about kicking one of the unconscious guards but decided that he really needed to breath now. The poisoned air wasn't fatal but it would knock him out for several hours and John wasn't sure whether Jack would come back for him again if it meant carrying his dead weight all the way back to the ship. He found Jack leaning against the hotel wall breathing heavily.
"Outta shape, Captain," he laughed, "and I do not want to know where you where hiding that Althosian gas bomb. Er, where are you going?" Jack was running off in the wrong direction.
"Stay there," the other man shouted over his shoulder, "if you've got time to collect your pistols, I've got time to get my coat back."
John rolled his eyes, affectionately.
Jack and that damn coat, he thought.
As soon as the two men fell laughing through the ship door, Ianto threw himself at them almost knocking them over. He hadn't even noticed in his overwhelming relief to see them that it was John and not Jack who was first through the door and consequently it was John who he was currently squeezing the life out of. Jack watched on, reminded of the way the other two men had greeted each other in the hotel room. This was becoming something of a habit. He coughed loudly and Ianto looked up surprised.
"Uh..... oh, Sorry." He pushed John behind him further into the ship and fell into Jack's open arms.
Jack and Ianto were only vaguely aware of the engines starting and the ship pulling away as they kissed each other. Jack smiled into the kiss and then lifted Ianto up, laughing and yelling in triumph as he swung him around before pulling him into another bone crunching hug.
"Ugh," Ianto pulled away first, waving his hand in front of his nose, "what is that disgusting smell."
"Oh, yeah," Jack replied, "that'd be me. Althosian Nerve Gas. Time for a sonic shower, I think. Care to join me?"
"Sorry," Ianto yawned, "I'd love to but I'm really tired. I'd just like to rest a minute."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Jack fussed.
"I'm fine, Jack. Just a bit tired, honestly. Go. You really stink."
Ianto watched Jack go with a dreamy smile on his face. He waited until he heard the shower start up before the smile fell from his face and he rushed over to John, grabbing him by the lapels and physically dragging him from his seat.
"I need something, John" he moaned, "need it real bad. Something Jack can't give me but you could."
John batted the Welshman's hands away.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," he huffed.
"Oh, yes you do. I know you do, but just in case you don't I'll come right out and say it. Narcotics, John. You know as well as I do how these places stop the likes of me from running away, you've always known."
"I did," John sighed, "but I had hoped I'd be wrong."
"but you do know where to get the good stuff?" Ianto pleaded.
John thought about it.
"Okay," he said, "say I do know what you're talking about and I know where to get it. What's in it for me?"
Ianto stared at the other man's lips for a moment then lifted his eyes. He cocked his head to one side.
"Oh, I'm sure we could come to some.....arrangement."
John shook his head. "Jack would kill me if he ever found out."
"Oh"Ianto replied, letting his gaze fall back to John's mouth and licking his own lips. "Jack doesn't have to know. I won't tell him if you don't."
John gulped. He nodded once, then leaned in to kiss Ianto. Ianto allowed him to brush their lips together briefly before he pulled back.
"Ah, ah, ah, Captain Hart," he smirked, "get me what I need first and then I'll let you have your reward."