Realisations.
Phoenix awoke the next morning and there was a strange arm around her waist and then saw the wrist and she knew it was Jack's arm. She fought the temptation to touch his arm but looking at his arm there around her waist, brought back so many memories. With one figure, she stroked his arm gently just above his wrist and then she sensed that he was awake behind her.
"You slept a little better after the first nightmare. Just a couple of little nightmares but nothing to wake you up for," Jack almost whispers in her ear.
"You didn't have to stay with me last night Jack. You could have left me to sleep on my own or lie awake all night whichever the case may be," she tells him, turning onto her back, his arm not moving from around her waist.
"I didn't mind. I don't usually sleep at night either so it wasn't a hardship for me to watch over you. I missed your smell anyway," he whisper a little closer to her ear this time.
"Don't say that Jack. Don't say things like that. We were never like that Jack," Phoenix tells him moving to look him straight in the eyes.
"You know we were more than just bed buddies Phoenix. We might have wanted to kill each other sometimes but that's what couples do," he tells her, looking at her slim but perfectly formed, pink lips knowing that he wanted to kiss them.
"We weren't a couple Jack. If we were a couple, you would have had my back that day instead of running away and leaving me there," Phoenix tells him, rolling over and almost jumping out of bed.
She goes to where she lay her clothes and she pulls Jack's t-shirt off, Jack watching her take it off to reveal her bare back and bra clasp before putting her vest top on again. She slipped her combat pants over Jack's boxers and then started putting her boots on. Jack got off of the bed as he had been laying on the sheets as a gentleman does so he isn't tempted and he walks over to her.
"Your never going to forgive me for that are you?" Jack asks her, standing behind her in his boxers and t-shirt.
"What do you expect me to say Jack? I don't mind that you stabbed me of all people in the back and left me to die. If that's what you want Jack then I will say it but you know I won't mean it. You hurt me more than any wound or weapon ever could," she tells him, finishing tying the laces of her boots.
"I was afraid. Afraid of the situation and what you would do. I have seen you lose control and I didn't wan to see that again. I was afraid that that would be the last time you lost control. I'm sorry," he tells her and he reaches out for her, trying to put his hand on her shoulder but she puts up a barrier around herself.
"I was afraid Jack but I was with you. When you left, I was more afraid than I have ever been before. The team comes in at 9 so I have time to get my stuff and get back before they arrive for work," she tells him sliding the weapons belts around her waist and closing them.
"Yes but Ianto is here early," Jack replies knowing that he couldn't get through to her in any way.
"I know that Jack. I was counting on that," she tells him and leaves the room making her way back to the main hub with Jack following her.
"Where are you going at this time?" he asks her as she goes to the centre of the main hub area.
"I have to get my supplies. I will be back soon though," she tells him and accesses her Vortex Manipulator and a Vortex appears.
She walks into the Vortex and when she was out of sight, the Vortex closed behind her and she was gone. Jack stood there for a moment and hoped that she would be back in minutes but she wasn't. He went back to his office and cleaned up and got dressed. He waited in his office for her to return but time ticked on and she didn't come back but he waited.
******************************
Jack awoke in the morning, sun streaming through the window, breeze making the curtain dance in the hotel. Jack looked to the side of him and the bed next to him was empty. Jack looked around the room and there was no sight of her, no sound, he couldn't feel her. He slid the sheets off of himself and got out of bed. He looked around the hotel room but there was no sight of her or her things. During the night she had gone and not told Jack. He sat at the window and waited for her, waited for her to come back. He waited so long for her but she didn't come back for a long time.
**********************************
Ianto enters the hub and walks straight to Jack's office hoping that Phoenix wouldn't be there and all he found was Jack dressed and sat at his desk, his eyes deep in thought.
"Morning Jack. Where is Phoenix?" Ianto asks him coming to the desk.
"She's gone to go and get supplies but she went a few hours ago," Jack tells him not looking up at him.
"Is she coming back Jack?" Ianto asks him half not wanting her to.
"I hope so Ianto for all our sakes," Jack tells him and he sits down.
"What is it Jack? What is it that she told you last night?" Ianto asks her.
"Whatever it is, it isn't good Ianto. It could destroy everything," Jack tells him and get up from the desk and walks around it to him.
"Is there anything I can do?" Ianto asks Jack.
"Not at the moment Yan. We have to get the board room ready for when she gets back as she wants to let the whole team know what we are up against. I am concerned about this Yan. I don't like the not knowing and almost having to hand the reins to someone else even if it is Phoenix," Jack tells him, putting his arms around Ianto's waist.
"If you need back up Jack, I'm always behind you," Ianto tells him and strokes his hair and looks into his eyes, sensing that he was really nervous about this.
Jack and Ianto spend a little time in the office, holding each other in their arms, kissing each other and just spending time with each other. Their peace is interrupted by the hubs alarms sounding, the lights flashing as a huge ball of orange/yellow light appears in the main hub and a figure walks through. Phoenix was holding two huge bags in her hands as the Vortex disappears behind her. Ianto and Jack come to the office door as she starts her short journey to the board room.
"What have you brought back?" Jack asks her as he watches her, confused at the two huge bags.
"You'll see some of it," she tells him as she heads up the stairs to the board room.
She vanishes from there sight into the board room and Jack went back into his office and Ianto whet about his duties. Just before the team arrived, the coffee machine had done it's job and Ianto poured coffee for the three of them. He took Jack's coffee into him first and then he took one to Phoenix, he was desperate to find out what she had brought with her and what she had been doing all that time in the board room.
As he reached the door, he saw her laying something out in the centre of the board room table. As she stood back, Ianto saw that they were various weapons varying in size.
"Can I help you Ianto?" Phoenix asks him not turning around.
"I was making coffee so I thought you might like one," Ianto tells her but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the various weapons on the table.
"Just put it down and thank you Ianto," Phoenix tells him, concentrating on what she was doing so he put it down and left.
The rest of the team came in on time for a change and went and put their things away. Ianto came round with the coffee as he usually did and then Jack appeared at his office door.
"We have a meeting in the board room when Phoenix is ready," Jack tells them and then comes the sound of knocking at the board room window so he looks up and sees Phoenix nodding at him.
"She seems to be ready for us now," Jack tells them and they all get up, Toshiko begrudgingly.
"Why are we having this meeting Jack?" Gwen asks him as they make the trip up to the board room.
"She wants to tell us why she is here and what needs to happen," Jack tells her knowing that he knew more but in all honesty, not that much more.
They arrive in the board room and see the weapons laid out on the table and approach the table carefully, taking their usual seats. They look at the weapons and then look at each other. Jack takes his seat at the head of the table and then Phoenix gets up and starts.
"I know that you are wondering why you are here but I will explain. I was sent here because you need help to defeat something that is coming to earth. This thing that is coming to earth, no-one seems to know what it is called and I have done the research. It is a large, black, translucent entity. In it's self, the entity can not harm humans, it just devours energy and the that includes the natural energy of the world. However, it has minions and by that I mean people that it has possessed and these people are inhabitants of planets the entity took over before. These minions obey the entity and it is those that you will need to take care of. They are the foot soldiers but they aren't that easy to destroy which means that you can't really use your standard side arms or anything really that you have in the armoury and that is why I have brought these," Phoenix tells them and points out the weapons in the middle of the table.
"Who's is meant to use those?" Ianto asks her, his gaze switching between her and the weapons on the table and then he sees Phoenix smile and he knows what is coming.
"You lot are," she tells them all.
"Your kidding right?" Toshiko asks Phoenix looking at an axe looking weapon.
"Nope. I will sense each one of you and see which weapon best suits each of you and then I will train you," Phoenix tells her and she sees Owen eying up the weapons.
"I decide which one you are suited to and not which ever one you want," Phoenix tells him.
Jack looks at Phoenix and she looks back at him. None of the team see this look that they share but there is something in the gaze. His said, "There is something your not telling me," and hers replied, "Yes there is."
"What do we do now?" Jack asks her as she sits on the end of the table.
"After dinner, I will sense each one of you and assign you a weapon. Then training begins tomorrow when you are given time from Jack. First individually and then as a team. There are one or two things I have to do but your training will be my main aim for the next week," she tells everyone.
"How long do we have until this thing gets here?" Owen asks her, probing her with his eyes.
"10 days," Jack replies knowing that Phoenix hated that bit, deadlines, she always did.
Jack lets the team take in what they had been told so far. He motions to her that he wanted to see her alone after and she nodded.
"Right team. Back to work and after dinner, you will see Phoenix one by one. There are a few things that Phoenix and I have to discuss so back to work people," Jack orders and they all eventually get up from their chairs and leave the board room and Jack watches them go down to the main hub.