Warning signs.
Grapping Martha by the arm Owen jerked her into the room where Ianto did his jigsaws. Closing the door he rounded on her.
"What in fuck's name is a representative of UNIT doing here? Jack Harkness has retired. Ianto Jones has been medical invalided out," he thundered.
"I'm…" she managed to say before Owen launched into her.
"There is nothing here that UNIT need to know about and if you are here sniffing around," he took a breath as he stabbed his finger at her.
"My being here has nothing to do with UNIT."
"Doctor Martha Jones, head of the Washington Project; stationed UNIT Headquarters, Washington," he said in a manner that demanded she deny it. "If you cause them any…" this time it was Martha who interjected by taking hold of his finger.
"My being here today has nothing to do with UNIT," she took a breath, and went on to explain." We share a close personal mutual friend. We've travelled with him together."
"You're talking about the Doctor," Owen said as he took in what she said.
"Jack and I met through our connection to the Doctor. I was a companion like Jack." She took a breath as she saw he looked unconvinced.
"Jack and I shared something a while back. It was a very difficult time. I've been trying to deal with what happened. I asked to see Jack today because…" she suddenly looked angry.
Owen put out his hand instantly, realising he had completely misread her reason for being here.
"I think we should start again. Owen Harper."
"Martha Jones."
"You were saying..." he indicated with his hand.
"I'm not comfortable with sharing this, " she told him bluntly.
Owen looked embarrassed. "Martha, I am sorry. I saw you and jumped to every possible wrong conclusion there is. I think you're trying to say that you and Jack are the members of a very exclusive survivors club." He tried to repair the damage his assumptions had caused.
"The reason I am here is that I have something to share with Jack. But I have to confirm it first," she added quickly.
"Go on," Owen said.
"You were Ianto's doctor," she said, dipping her face as she saw him nod. "Does Ianto have a star-shaped scar on his upper right arm?" She put her hand on her own right upper arm to indicate where she meant. "From what I've been told it was like a tattoo that had been removed but performed very badly as if it was done in a hurry with whatever material was at hand. I heard it looked like it was burnt off leaving a raised brand," she finished. She saw him now cross his arms in thought. "Can you confirm it?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "He has so many marks the only person who would know for sure would be Jack," he said. "Why is this so important?" he asked after several moments passed.
"One of the big questions we have is how and why Ianto was on the Valiant."
"I always assumed it was because he was Torchwood. We would have tried to fight back," Owen told her.
"Good assumption, but none of us really know the truth. I've been having a hard time dealing with what happened. So someone said I should write down my story. It's been a journey that has led me to remembering a lot of what happened in more detail; like slowing a film down to see an individual scene, and something came to me. As I worked through all threads and I realised I might know who Ianto was and why he was on board."
"And?" Owen encouraged.
Martha moved to window and looked out to see Ianto chatting away to David Morgan. "Let me tell you about a man who stood up and fought against the odds, with no hope of winning."
As he listened they watched the party spill into the garden.
"And you are certain it's him?" Owen asked when she had finished speaking.
"If he has mark then it's him."
"Bloody hell," Owen said. He looked across as Ianto now chatted away to Mac as Jack moved into view.
"And while we're talking I need to ask you what the hell is going on with Jack?"
"You've noticed," Owen pointed out.
"The man looks a wreck. He looks run down and exhausted. Last time he was like this was…" she paused.
"Was?" Owen queried.
"Just after we defeated the Master, he was thin and he had the same terrible haunted look in his eyes." They watched as Jack appeared to brace himself. "He looks beyond shattered. Oh, he's putting on a good face, but he can't fool me. Something is going on, I could swear it's an effort for him to smile," she added.
"Yep, not fooling me neither. So let's do a deal: you tell him about Ianto and I will get him front up about why he looks so bloody knackered."
"Deal," Martha said shaking his outstretched hand.
"You have done an amazing job," Martha said. She joined Jack in the garden while he tucked into some of Ianto's cake and they watched him enjoy eating jelly and cake as he chatted to Morag.
"He has worked incredibly hard," Jack told her looking at him fondly.
"I will be honest with you, I never thought he would ever get to speak again let alone make such progress," Martha admitted. 'Jack you must know this is all down to you. He's verbal, reading, his diet has changed out of all recognition, he's gained so much, he's confident, he's made friends…"
"Keeping his clothes on," Veronica Singh said as she came to join them, her plate piled with food.
"Don't; that was not a good phase," Jack told them. "I can laugh now but at the time..."
"I think the day he stripped off in the churchyard was probably his most notorious incident." She leaned towards Martha. "You see...the local W.I., they were having their monthly meeting and they were just about to serve lunch only to discover Ianto naked running though the churchyard, chasing butterflies."
Veronica winked as Martha choked. "It was the highlight of their year. I mean, it's not often one gets to see a lovely naked young man running around their backyard. Some of the old dears are still talking about it," she told her. "And Jack, you have done an amazing job. I can't believe you have been at it for just over two years," she said.
Walking around the garden Owen took in a deep breath. The air was filled with the most delicate blend of scents. Being late summer the garden was at its best. He was not much for gardens, but he could admire a work of art when saw it. It had been laid out so that wherever your eye went it was led to a particular feature. A rose bush, a small statute, or a water feature was just three of the many hidden delights this garden had to offer. It was a work of love and dedication that bespoke hours upon hours of hard work. As beautiful as it was he recognised it was still maturing; come back in five or ten years and it would be mind blowing.
He followed the small path between the beds of flowers until he came to a nook complete with small comfortable chair and arm-rest to place a drink. Sitting down, he did just that. It was beautiful; simply beautiful. Closing his eyes he allowed himself a moment of quiet to wash over him. Opening them again he looked back towards the house as he contemplated what he had observed here today. Ianto in two years had powered ahead. He was verbal, open, and had a wealth of friends; if the long list of names on the card David Morgan had given him was any indication. He was coming back into himself in all kinds of ways. He doubted the Ianto he knew would return but he had never expected that. The best any of them had hoped for was to make him as happy and as secure as they could. Give him opportunities to be away of the nightmare they had found him in. He was healthy, looked incredibly fit, and was mentally active way beyond anything they had ever dreamed for him.
And then there was Jack…. standing he walked back to the lawn and re-joined the festivities.
"Gardening...Jack, I've been walking around, it's bloody amazing," he said as he joined Martha, Veronica and Jack.
"I have found I have hidden talents. I have no idea gardening was so much fun," Jack told him.
"Well I not sure about the fun aspect of this; back-breaking more like. But this garden...it's bloody magnificent." He waved an arm around.
"Have you seen his tomatoes?" Martha laughed.
"Tomatoes," Owen looked directly at Jack thinking that master tomato grower was at odds with his vision of Jack, the leader of Torchwood Three.
"You should see the size of them, they're huge!" Martha joked as she used her hands to create a circle.
"Did Jack tell you his tomato display got a third in the local vegetable competition at the village festival a week ago?" Veronica Singh pointed out.
"Third?" Owen stared at him.
"As I said...hidden talents."
"Well I'm bloody amazed."
"Would you like to see them?" Jack asked.
"As long as we are only talking tomatoes sure," Owen replied warily. Both Martha and Veronica burst out laughing.
"Come with me," Jack indicated towards the back of the garden.
"Are you coming ladies?" Owen indicated.
"Oh no we've seen them and they are monsters," Martha told him seriously trying to keep straight face.
"Yes, how did you get them so big?" Veronica asked.
"Owen, before these lovely ladies wile my secrets away with their charms," Jack pointed toward the green house as he gave Martha and Veronica a wink. "To the greenhouse."
"We are just going to see tomatoes and nothing else," Owen checked out as they reached their destination.
"Why, were you hoping to see something else?" Jack teased as he pulled open the door. "Here; try one," he said as he reached over and picked off several cherry tomatoes which Owen popped into his mouth.
"Bloody nice," he added as he chewed enjoying the sweet flavour. "Bloody hell, those tomatoes are whoppers. What is your secret?" Owen said as he pointed to one particular plant. "Are you sure you are not relying on some kind of alien tech?"
"No, that would be cheating and besides it's more fun doing this the old fashioned way. Lots of local competition in seeing who can grow the biggest pumpkin, the longest runner bean..." he paused as he saw Owen look serious.
"Right, I have led you down here under false pretences," Owen declared.
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You know the trouble with greenhouses is they can be seen into but if your game..."
"Harkness you are a sick, sick man," Owen said deadpan, shaking his head.
"Tease," Jack retorted.
"Why are you looking so fucking knackered?" he stated outright.
"I'm fine," Jack replied a little too quickly.
"Well you don't look fine."
"I'm fine really." Owen looked unconvinced. "Really." A few moments passed as Owen just looked at him. "Look, I got a summer cold from Ianto. And you know viruses are the only thing that can knock me for six. It's just taken a while to get over it fully. With all the party preparation on top of looking after Ianto, gardening, running around…" he explained.
Owen pursed his lips. "Can I ask you a question?" he interjected as Jack took a breath. "Does it normally work?"
"What?"
"That excuse?"
Jack looked sheepish and pulled his lips in over his teeth. "Yeah," he said quietly.
"Truth."
"Truth, I am tired. Been a busy summer: gardening, looking after Ianto, this party...I promise once this is over I am going to take a break," he told him.
"How tired is tired?" Owen queried refusing to be diverted.
"Tired enough I go to bed earlier. We're both normally out for the count by ten, and some nights nine."
"You sleeping okay?"
"Sure, a good night's sleep and I'm raring to go," he said.
Owen looked unconvinced. "How many hours?"
"Full night?"
"So you've gone from only needing a couple to what...eight, ten hours?"
"Something like that."
"So what is it?"
"Well some nights it's more than others. Ianto normally is in bed first, then I follow and I sleep until woken."
"So you're sleeping a lot more; going from only needed a couple to ten hours," Owen reflected. "Have you spoken to Veronica about it?"
"Yes... no." He looked at Owen. "We've talked about it a couple of times."
"And?"
"I'm planning on taking a break…"
"And how are you going to take an actual break?" he asked outright, realising Jack was trying to divert the conversation.
"I'm still working on the details," Jack hedged.
"Jack, I am going to honest with you: you look bloody awful. I can see you've lost weight. I mean you're looking thin, not that you had any love handles to begin with, but you look gaunt. It's clear that you're moving in a way to preserve yourself, taking little breaks. I swear to god Jack, you look close to collapse. If you were back in Cardiff I would be doing a full workup while at the same time tell you to take time out. I'm worried about you and it's clear you need..." he was interrupted by a knock on the door and saw it was Ianto.
"Mr Morgan is leaving and he wants to say goodbye," Ianto told him.
"Of course, and I'll organise some of the leftovers for Marigold," Jack told him as he continued to look at Owen.
"I'll get a bucket," Ianto suggested.
"Excellent, I'll be right out," Jack said. He went to leave.
"This is not over," Owen told Jack lifting a warning finger.
"Look, I'll make the same deal with you I did with Doctor Singh: if by the end of summer, and you both think I need it, I promise you can both give me a full work up and I will take that break," he smiled.
Owen watched his retreating back. "The trouble is Jack I have this feeling you need more than a break, and whatever is going on is going to catch up with you; fast, hard, and soon, and no amount of trying to pretend everything is all right is going to help," Owen said aloud, deep in thought and concern. He picked off another small tomato and popped it into his mouth. Jack was in trouble, deep trouble. With Jack dancing the light fantastic of lies, denying there was an issue, all he could do was to make plans and prepare for when whatever was going on reached its natural conclusion... First things first; talk to Tosh and find out just how long it would take for them to get here if they were needed in a screaming fucking hurry.