Our car broke down so I am a bit of a sad bunny because we missed GDL, Kai and Tom in Norwich.......
This chapter is dedicated to Solsbury Girl who's drama's in Edinburgh were considerably more adventuresome than mine!
I've really struggled with this chapter, it probably shows!!!! Grrrrr.
PART THREE
Ianto really had no idea what was going on, he was so disorientated by the beer which he just blithely assumed had been drugged, or else he was a serious lightweight. Things went by in a blur. He was on his face one minute and being hauled along the next, the Japanese jabbering still going on in his ears. Somewhere vaguely at the back of his brain his mind was telling him that all this rough treatment should really be hurting, but well it obviously wasn't that bad because although he could see red he was pretty sure it wasn't his blood pouring out of his mouth. The Japanese was abruptly changed for poorly spoken English in the form of a high pitched, girly voice.
"You idiots you given him too much. Ianto Jones......"
A hand came remarkably close to his face. Ianto blinked at it and another moment later he realised he'd been slapped, again. Oh, maybe it was his blood after all. Ianto tried to focus, to no avail.
"Where is my Father? Ianto answer me!"
Syuri Tanizaki stepped back from the inebriated Welshman and glowered at the two men she had hired to bring him to her. "Damn it, I told you not to drug him."
"It was the easiest way to pick him up, there was no fuss, we weren't followed."
Ianto vaguely heard a voice that sounded remarkably like Owen's.
"Fine, you've done your job, get out of here. Your money." He watched one of the distorted figures in his vision throw something at the other two.
"You're not gonna kill him are you? We don't want anything to do with a murder."
"Of course I am not going to kill him. I just need to talk to him, now leave, you've done your job........" She reverted back to Japanese, talking to someone out of Ianto's line of sight. Huh, not that he could see much. Nausea bloated his gut and without warning Ianto vomited all over the concrete he could see between his feet. His head spun insanely and black spots exploded into his vision before he blacked out.
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Ianto could feel a rumbling between his ears. He ached, all over from head to foot and his stomach felt like it was digesting glass. He scrunched up his eyes and a long moan escaped him as he rolled onto his side.
"Oh, God."
"Ssshhh it's ok, go back to sleep."
Jack's reassuring tones filtered through along with the sounds of a steady beeping. Beep, beep, beep.....
"Jack?" Something seemed to register in the fogginess of Ianto's brain, which made his head hurt all the more.
"Jack?"
"I'm right here. Its ok."
Ianto cracked open one eye and the glare immediately forced him to close it. Wasn't he supposed to be in the pub? Shit.
"Jack, what happened? Where am I?"
Gentle soothing fingers kneaded his scalp. "You in the Hub. You're pretty hung over Ianto and are gonna feel like shit for a bit, just rest."
That was absolutely the worst possible thing to say and Ianto lurched upright with a wince, he sincerely wished he hadn't moved as vomit rose from his churning stomach. Jack only just managed to get the bowl under his chin in time. He heaved and spluttered for some time and was then handed a glass of water to rinse his mouth out.
"Please tell me that this isn't a hangover, did I drink a dodgy pint?"
Jack took the bowl away and then came back with another glass of water.
"Your drink was spiked."
Ianto took the glass in a shaky hand. "Do I want to know the rest of the details?"
Jack was petting him again, so maybe he didn't. Ianto's stomach protested when he drank a sip of water so he passed the glass back to Jack and lay back down.
"There was a situation. I dealt with it. I'll tell you tomorrow after you've had some rest."
Ianto was asleep as soon as he put his head back to the pillow and Jack sat there gently teasing fine hair through his fingertips.
"I thought I was gonna lose you. I'm sorry, I should've been watching out for you. Everything's ok now."
Syuri and Tsan Tanizaki were both Retconned and sleeping it off on a train to London. Jack had had to force himself not to shoot them on the spot, but he had found Ianto relatively unharmed and completely oblivious to what was going on around him. Jack was grateful for that much, it could have been so much worse. In truth he didn't want to think about it. Rhys had been right, Ianto had taken the brunt of everyone's grief over the loss of tosh and Owen and somewhere along the line this amazing 24 year old man had lost out on his own life for the sake of Torchwood. Jack was well aware that it wasn't so much about Torchwood as it was about him. Maybe it was time to do something about that, show Ianto that he was indeed greatly loved, but Ianto already knew that, didn't he?
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Gwen came in to the Hub very early the following morning, having only had a couple of hours sleep. She was delighted to see Jack perched on a chair beside Ianto who was still asleep on the exam couch, she stepped quietly into the autopsy bay and rested a hand on Jack's arm squeezing briefly.
"Hey, how is he?"
Jack smiled at her, but kept his hand firmly in place gripping Ianto's fingers.
"He was sick as a dog for a couple of hours and very confused and he has no idea what happened, he'll wake up soon with a massive headache, no doubt."
"I'd best get the coffee on then, he'll probably need one."
"Gwen you are a saviour." Ianto murmured. "I've been lying here for ages and he hasn't offered once."
She was delighted to see shining blues looking up at her. His pupils were still very dilated, but there was a faint smile.
"I thought you were asleep." Jack smiled, gently stroking the back of Ianto's hand with his thumb.
"Uhmmm. I think I woke up a while ago. I feel like shit."
Gwen stepped back deciding to give her boys a little privacy. "Coffee for three then." She trotted off having reassured herself that Ianto was in fact ok. It was weird the way she needed the certainty these days and as she passed her photo of Owen and Tosh, she smiled at and said good morning because she still missed them, she would always miss them.
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Jack watched with quiet amusement as once again Ianto was gripping the armrests of his seat. He didn't release until the plane had well and truly come to a stop on the Tarmac. It was some minutes after before he unbuckled his seatbelt and made to stand up. Jack grasped his hand, holding him in place for a moment.
"You ok?" He whispered against Ianto's ear.
Ianto smiled, some of the colour returning to his pale cheeks. "I am now."
"I had no idea you didn't like flying."
"Oh it's not the flying so much as the taking off and landing, the rest is just boring unless there's all that bouncing with turbulence, that scares the willies out of me." He replied matter of fact.
Jack burst out laughing, receiving a puzzled look from Gwen in the other seat to Ianto's right.
They were all looking forward to seeing Martha Jones again, no matter the circumstances, she always managed a smile to brighten everyone's day. Ianto was rather excited about the whole CERN thing anyway, he always marvelled at the achievements of scientists wholly reliant on their own knowledge, rather than any handy alien tech they might have. Of, course they were also challenging the whole concept of reality itself, Ianto half wondered if they felt like the first men to walk on the moon and realised what a bloody fantastic job he had, even if it was downright dangerous. He found himself grinning at nothing in particular as the taxi sped them away from the airport. Oh, yes and he couldn't wait to see Jack's face when Martha explained that he was going to be the Welsh ambassador for the day!
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Gwen was delighted when she found Rhys in her hotel room, courtesy of a sneaky Ianto booking a flight and keeping it a secret. Jack was delighted to discover Ianto's passion and extensive knowledge of English and Welsh poetry. Ianto was extremely unimpressed with Jack's limericks.
