Yvonne Hartman is nothing if not effective. It takes her less than ten minutes to have the entire area under control, every person in it either restrained, receiving medical attention or being stuffed into a bag. Coming morning, there will be no trace of the Cybermen to be found and Torchwood will never be linked to the location. She didn't even have to leave her office to do it.
The news that Lisa was lying and that they found Rhys a block away trying to call the police makes Gwen infinitely easier to handle. She is just calming down when a bloke in a black leather suit materializes from thin air before her. She shrieks and Ianto curses, which makes everyone in earshot look at him oddly.
The bloke then removes his mask from his very young (almost juvenile) face and introduces himself as Jake and asks her to just hold on to him and he'll take her downstairs. She does and the world flashes and then she's on the bottom floor, still a bit shocked.
Jake asks her to wait two seconds and in that exact time he fetches Ianto to take her outside. He smiles as he points them in the right direction and then he's gone, teleported up to where they are trying to separate what's left of Lisa from the architecture.
They pass the place where Jack fell on the way out, and Gwen stops for a second when she sees Martha giving the boy the kiss of life in a very not-lifesaving way. She glances at Ianto who calmly (too calmly, he's more shaken and upset than she is) explains that Martha is also a healer, but unlike Owen who only needs skin contact, Martha needs to inject her body fluids into the person she's trying to save. Anything will do, but she usually settles for just plain kissing. It's easiest.
It's five thirty in the morning before Jake hands Martha the last report and slumps down against her desk with a huff.
She smiles and hands him a cup of coffee. He grins in response and sips it before asking.
"Is there a reason I'm not invited yet?"
Martha sighs, filing away the report.
"Mostly because we haven't set a date yet. There's a lot to do right now and you know how busy he is, even if he is in another unit than you."
"Yeah I know. I only see him like once a week and he always looks stressed. It's a shame really…"
"Mh… But we have time. Or we'll get time, eventually!"
They laugh quietly, both feeling tired but not willing to go to bed yet. They hardly see each other and Martha decides she really shouldn't put this off any more.
"Hey Jake…"
"Mh?"
"I was cleaning out the house last week, and I found a box with some of Rick's old stuff…"
"Oh. You want me to come get it? I could pop over"
"It's no rush really, take your time."
Jake is twisting his cup in his hands and Martha can't think of anything to say. It's been a year, but it's so hard on him and she didn't lose her man, but Jake lost one very much like him.
"Anyway. I noticed the corner was all torn, so I figured I should move it to a new box… And I found something…"
She goes in her desk drawer, still not sure she should do this but she knows he deserves to have it. Jake puts down his cup and takes the small square box from her. He turns it over in his hands, opening it. He stares blankly at the little piece of jewellery in it, then snaps it shut and fists his hand around it, biting back a sob.
Martha stands as he hides his face in his hands, trying not to cry. Jake has always been such a strong boy, but he cries so easily. It was that one thing that always made him sure Rick was just putting up with him. She wraps her arms around him, feeling the paddings of his uniform.
"I know you always believed that Rick was just going along with it because he didn't want to break your heart, but that's not it. He did care for you, so much. Jake… He loved you. And if you don't believe me, check the engraving."
He shudders against her shoulder, if it's a laugh or a sob, Martha has no idea. She wobbles him back and forth until he stands up, taking a deep breath and runs his free hand through that mess of blond hair on top of his head. Then he smiles at her, weakly but sincere.
"Thanks… For everything. You guys have been so great, really!"
She kisses his cheek, tugging a bit at his ear.
"You know, Micky does see you as his brother. Or at least his brother-in-law. You're family, and we love you very much."
Jake nods, putting the small box in his pocket.
"I'll come pick up that box later… Maybe this weekend. We could have tea or something…"
"Yeah. Call first ok?"
"Ok. I'll say hi to Micky if I see him!"
"Do that. And call if you need to talk."
"Will do Martha! I'll leave you to your patient now."
A quick smile and he's gone. She knows he's going to spend the rest of the night crying but at least she has given him something to believe in. She wishes Rick had managed to give him that ring in person but life is cruel sometimes.
Sighing deeply, she walks out of her office, taking in the scene around the only occupied bed. Deeming him safe for the night, she sneaks out to go to bed.
Jack has been awake for a couple of minutes, and his team has managed to calm down enough not to throttle him for scaring them. Ianto hasn't let go of his hand.
"Guys, I'm fine. You should go to bed…"
"Yeah, 'cause we can sleep after all this! Bloody shut up already, you wanker…!"
"I love you too Owen."
The English boy shudders at the very un-hetro way Jack says it and the others laugh. Ianto can't help but to run his fingers over Jack's knuckles and he bites down a grin when the hand turns and laces their fingers together. Jack, the stupid git, doesn't even notice what he's doing of course, but Ianto forgives him for that. Ianto forgives him for everything he does.
"But really, Yvonne is not going to cancel class just because we took on a bunch of Cybers! She won't even let me sleep in. Off to bed you lot, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Who died and made you boss, eh?"
"Yeah Jack! You can't order us around outside of school!"
"And you are the youngest person in the room."
They all turn to look at Ianto on the other side of the bed, Jack glaring daggers at him. Ianto just smirks.
"Now wait a minute…"
Gwen points around, as if to help her count.
"Me and Tosh are seventeen… You guys are eighteen…"
"And Jack's sixteen. His birthday was two months ago."
"You promised you wouldn't tell!"
"No, you told me to promise but I didn't."
"Ianto…!"
"You're sixteen? You're the youngest of us?"
"Not so damn loud, this is the hospital-wing Gwen!"
"How on earth do you get to teach us when you're younger?"
"I'v been at Torchwood for ten years, that's why!"
"And he was raised by me. Apparently that counts for a lot."
They go very quiet as they stare at the man in the suit, leaning against the doorway. The Doctor smiles his usual smile and walks in with his hands still in his pockets. Jack pushes himself up in the bed and in doing that he lets go of Ianto's hand, and Ianto can't help but to feel rejected for it.
"Doc! I thought you were on the other side of the world by now!"
"Well, you did happened to stumble upon the same group of Cybers we've been chasing, so I thought I'd come by and thank you."
The Doctor sits down on the edge of the bed and smiles gently at the teenagers before asking in a very suggestive tone.
"Don't you lot have school in the morning?"
It's hard not to take the hint and they quickly stutter their good nights and Ianto, who is the last to leave, leans over and kisses Jack's temple before disappearing after the others. He really wants to tell him as soon as possible, but it's been a long night.
He can tell him tomorrow.
Once they are alone, Jack wonders slightly why he's not panicking as much as he usually does but before he can think more about it the Doctor sits up straighter.
"How are you doing Jack?"
He smiles, feeling ten times better as the man in the suit smiles back.
"I should be fully healed in an hour or so. Nothing hurts anymore, but my head is still a bit sore…"
His foster father hops closer, taking Jack's head in his hands and bends him forward. He gently runs his fingers through the short hair, feeling for any kind of lump or sign that it's not healing right.
Jack leans his forehead against the brown suit, wondering why his heart isn't racing like it usually does.
"It looks alright… A bit swollen but I guess one could expect that. How's the stomach?"
As he watches those familiar hands examine the scar that's already fading from his middle, Jack can't help but feel like he's missing something. Something important.
"Well, that's healing just perfectly. No worries there."
The Doctor sits up and straightens out the suit before taking a deep breath and patting Jack's arm.
"I do hate to ask this of you, especially since you've had such a rough night, but I need your help."
He hasn't said that to Jack since Jack blurted out that quite uncomfortable little thing, and he almost leaps with joy. Trying not to grin like and idiot (and only half succeeding) he asks.
"When are we leaving?"
The Doctor glances over at the clock on the wall and sighs.
"In five minutes."
Jack is lost for a moment. Part of him wants to just leap out of bed and pull on his clothes but part of him is still missing something, that very important something.
"Are you coming, Jack?"
He fists the sheet in his hands, and makes his decision.
Ianto pokes his head into the hospital-wing just hours later, finding only a clean bed and not a soul in sight. Finding that Martha's not in her office, he goes through the dinning hall, just in case he passed Jack on the way. He finds no American, but the does find the school doctor.
"Doctor Jones, have you seen Jack? I can't find him."
She looks up from her bowl of cereals and wipes her mouth before answering.
"Oh, Ianto? Didn't you hear? He left with the Doctor around six this morning."
Suddenly, Ianto goes cold.
"He left? Do you know when he'll be back?"
"Not sure. I heard something about L.A, but I honestly have no idea."
He tries not to break, tries not feel abandoned. Jack has just run off with the man he's had a crush on since he discovered hormones, not even a goodbye to the rest of them. It's really not a big deal.
Martha takes one more look at him, then stands up and wraps her arms around him. He doesn't cry, but somehow it feels like he should.
[AN; See, I told you! Review or I might not bring him back! XD]