A/N. I'm sorry it's taken a while for me to post this chapter, but life has been kind of hectic and i haven't had a lot of free time. I wrote this a bit at a time over the last week instead of in one go like i normally do, so it was a little disjointed at one point, but i think i've fixed that now. It's just hard sometimes when you have more than one thing going on at once. I just want to let you know that i'm going to be working for the next seven days straight and then i'm going away over Halloween weekend. I will hopefully get at least one more chapter up before i go away. The plot bunnies have been biting so there is more to come, but i won't get back to more regular posts until after i've been away. I hope you will stick with me. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and added my story to their alerts, it really does make my day to know people are enjoying this. I can't believe i've reached 24 chapters, that's twice as many as my first story! Thank you, and enjoy.
Chapter 24.
Jack was getting impatient, ten minutes had turned into twenty and he wasn't happy. 'What's the hold up? I want to get moving.'
'Well, in case you haven't noticed, my car is not as well equipped as the SUV' said Gwen. 'It's taking time to get together all the stuff we need, or may even potentially need. Pacing isn't exactly helping.'
Jack stopped pacing for a moment and looked at her. She was right of course, but he was getting frustrated. All he wanted at that moment were two things, the first, Ianto back with him in the Hub, and second, something he could shoot for causing all this.
After another five minutes the team were packed up with technical and medical equipment and ready to go. They managed to get everything into Gwen's car, even if it was a bit of a squeeze. Molly and Jamie sat in the back, while Gwen and Jack were in the front. Gwen reluctantly having to let Jack drive. She knew there was no point arguing with him, considering the mood he was in, but she had told him that any speeding tickets he would be paying for, the same with any damage. Jack drove at his usual high speeds with Molly, Jamie and Gwen all holding on to their equipment for dear life and all secretly praying that they get to the building site in one piece.
When they reached the building site they all got out of the car and stood surveying the scene. The building was in the middle of being renovated and had scaffolding all around it. They could also see the SUV parked by the side of the building. Molly got out her PDA and pointed it towards the building scanning for life signs.
'On the fifth floor there are three distinct life signs in one room, and then something else in another. Whatever it is, is giving off large amounts of Rift energy.'
'That's got to be the source.' said Jack.
'So what's the plan?' asked Jamie, 'We have no idea what we are about to walk into, and what kind of weapons they might have in there.'
'Well we know Ianto left the Hub with his gun, and then there's all sorts of things the others could arm themselves with on this site.' said Gwen.
'We take it carefully.' said Jack. 'We need to restrain the people in there, not hurt them.'
'Easier said than done if they start attacking us.' said Jamie.
'Maybe, but guns are only to be fired in warning. I do not want to risk any of them getting shot.' said Jack. Although he didn't actually say it, they all knew he meant he didn't want Ianto getting shot.
'Jamie has the sedative, so if we need to we can sedate them.'
'What about the source?' asked Molly.
'Let me worry about that' said Jack. 'I'll deal with it, while the three of you take care of Ianto and the other two people in there. Just be careful that they don't infect you.'
The four of them walked towards the building. They entered quietly, Gwen, Jamie and Molly walked up the stairs towards the fifth floor, while Jack went around the other side of the building and climbed up from the outside.
As the three team members got to the fifth floor and looked into the room, they could see Ianto and the other two people. Ianto still had hold of his gun, while the others were holding bits of scaffolding in their hands. They walked in cautiously, hands near weapons. Jamie had the sedatives in a pouch near to his weapon for when he needed them.
'I knew you would follow me somehow.' Ianto said. 'Predictable really.'
'If we're that predictable, then you know why we're here.' said Gwen.
'Yeah, you want to make us leave. Take us back and put us in the cells.' said Ianto.
'Only until the effects of the virus wear off.'
'Well here's the thing. None of us are leaving here. It's safe here.'
'We need to leave here, because contrary to what you think you believe, here is not safe. Here is the reason you are acting so strange.' said Gwen and she took a step forward. As she did the man and the woman opposite them moved too. The man ran at Gwen, who managed to duck the pole that he was holding as he swung it at her. She moved back until she was dangerous close to the edge of the building. Gwen grabbed hold of the pole and tried to take it from the man.
The woman went for Molly, she took a swing at her with her pole and although Molly ducked, the pole caught her on the arm and knocked her off balance and she fell down. As she looked up she saw the pole swing down at her again, this time though she rolled so that she was out of the way. Molly quickly got up and as the other woman swung at her for a third time, Molly grabbed the end of the pole. This startled the woman and she tried to pull it out of Molly's grip, but Molly held on. She shoved the pole upwards knocking the other woman over as the pole made contact with her shoulder. Molly looked as the woman fell to the floor and lay there unconscious. Molly stood up straight and looked around, she could see Jamie facing Ianto, while Ianto had his gun pointed at him. Then she heard a scream and as she turned to look, she saw to her horror that the man Gwen had been fighting with, had pushed her to the edge of the building and Gwen lost her footing and fell over the edge.
Molly ran over towards the man, the pole she had taken from the other woman still in her hand. She swung it at the mans legs causing him to fall. As he went to try and get up again, Molly hit him just hard enough to knock him out. She went and peered over the edge. 'Gwen' she shouted, fear evident in her voice.
'Molly, help me.'
Molly looked and could see that Gwen was just managing to hold on to the scaffolding. Molly lay down flat on the floor and reached down to her. 'Gwen, can you pull yourself up?'
'No, I can't quite reach.' said Gwen, trying as hard as she could not to panic.
'Ok, you need to grab my hand and I'll try and pull you up.'
'You'll never manage it.'
'We have to try.' Molly extended her arm down as far as she could. Gwens hands were slipping on the scaffolding, she reached up and grabbed Mollys hand.
Jamie was stood on the other side of the room watching all of this unfold, and powerless to help. Every time he made a move, however slightly Ianto moved to, gun aimed straight at him. Jamie knew he was going to have to do something soon, he was going to have to try and take Ianto down and knock him out with one of the sedatives he had on him.
'Can you not see what's going on here.' Jamie said, 'Two of your friends could potentially die here if you don't let me go and help them.'
'Friends wouldn't try and make me do something I don't want to.'
'This is not you talking, you're infected with something that's making you feel like everyone is out to get you, but we're not. We are trying to help.' Jamie was getting frustrated now, he was going to have to do something and soon.
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Jack had climbed up to the fifth floor from the other side of the building. As he entered the second room he could hear the commotion that was going on in the other room and just hoped that everything was ok, that Ianto was ok. He had to push these thoughts out of his mind though, because he knew that if he didn't destroy the source of the virus, no one would be going anywhere. As Jack walked into the room, he at first thought that there was another person in there as what stood in front of him was human in shape, except as Jack got closer he realised it's skin had a blue tinge to it. The alien, sensing his presence turned to face him.
'This ends here', said Jack.
'Really, and what if i don't want to end this.' said the alien looking at him.
'I will stop you, people are getting hurt. This virus of yours is turning people violent.'
'They only turn violent because they feel threatened. If they stay here with me they are perfectly safe.'
'Except for the fact your feeding off their paranoia. That'll kill them eventually.'
'I can't help it if the human race are such a paranoid species. All these feelings are already in them. That's why I love Earth so much, so may people, so many different fears and paranoia's.'
'Like I said, it's going to stop.' Jack raised his gun, but with one quick movement the alien was on him, and knocked it out of his hand. It grabbed hold of Jack by the throat and pinned him against the wall.
'How about we see what effect I can have on you.' it said as it raised one of its hands and extended a sharp nail and went to scratch it against Jacks skin.
'No thanks, I think I can live without finding out' said Jack. He head butted the alien, making it loosen its grip on him. He dived down and reached for his gun, raising it just as the alien made another leap for him. He fired four shots in quick succession and the alien fell to the ground dead. Jack got up quickly moving out of the way of the blood that was pooling around the body. Jack moved towards the other room to help the others.
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At the sound of the first shot Jamie took his chance. The sound had taken Iantos attention off him for a split second, and that was all it took. Jamie rushed forward and grabbed hold of the gun Ianto was holding. As they both battled for control of the situation they made contact with the wall. Jamie banged Iantos arm into the wall causing him to release his hold on the gun, sending it clattering to the floor. Ianto retaliated by punching Jamie hard in the jaw. As Jamie reeled backwards he took one of the sedatives he had out of the pouch on his belt, knowing this was the safest way to stop Ianto. Jamie slid it into his hand and as Ianto went to punch him again, he ducked and kicked a leg out causing Ianto to trip. As he landed Jamie knelt over the top of him and injected the sedative into his arm. 'Sorry' he said as he did. Jamie heard a noise behind him and saw Jack rush back into the room.
'I had to sedate him Jack, it was the only way, but he'll be fine. Go and help the girls.'
Jack took one last look at Ianto now lying unconscious on the ground, and ran over to where Molly was just managing to hold on to Gwen.
'Need a hand.' he said as he reached down and grabbed Gwens other hand.
Between the two of them, they soon pulled Gwen back up into the building. Gwen and Molly both lay on the floor for a moment getting their breath back before Gwen said, 'You took your time.
'There was an alien to deal with.' said Jack. He held a hand out for Gwen and pulled her up, before doing the same for Molly. 'I knew you'd be fine.'
'Did you?' asked Molly.
'Yeah, it's dead now, but we are going to have to burn the evidence because it's the only way to make sure the virus it carries is completely gone.
'The owners are the building are going to love that.' said Gwen.
Jack, Gwen and Molly walked back over to where Jamie was stood next to Ianto. Jack bent down and ran his fingers down the side of Iantos face. 'Right, we need to get Ianto and the others back to the Hub. Jamie I will need you to test them to make sure that the virus is gone and then those two,' Jack said pointing at the figures of the man and the woman still lying unconscious, 'and Sam can be retconned and taken home.'
It took a while, but eventually everyone got down to the ground floor and were either loaded in to the SUV or Gwens car. They made their way carefully back to the Hub. When they got there Gwen, Jamie and Molly dealt with the two still nameless people, while Jack carried Ianto down to his quarters under his office. Jack laid Ianto down on the bed and covered him over with a blanket. He then leant down and kissed him gently on the forehead. Jack got up and started back up into his office, taking one last glance at the Welshman as he did so. He was happy that they had managed to get Ianto back in one piece. Jack knew that there would be repercussions from what happened, but the team was strong and they would get through it.
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A/N. This is just to say that i had Jamie fight with Ianto because i feel they have less history between them. I couldn't bring myself to write Jack and Ianto fighting. There will be a little angst in the next chapter, but also some fluff. :)
