15
Ianto knew Jack was there.
The curtains were drawn and the room dark but he knew before he opened his eyes that he would find the silhouette of the man sitting in the chair.
"Hey" Jack leaned in and smiled softly, his face coming into focus in the dim light, "How's the head there slugger."
"Not my first Rodeo" Ianto replied softly, letting Jack snag his hand and he watched Jack's face as he started to formulate a story. He wasn't having that. Not now. He had finally worked it out. Some people get addled with a head blow but Ianto had found sudden clarity of thought as he had sat watching the world around him back there at the crime scene. No. No more tricks.
"I know"
Jack looked up with confusion, "What?"
"I'm not thick" Ianto snorted, "I do know what is happening. Torchwood … Alien hunters. Security that doubles as UNIT soldiers when needed, armed weapons. I'm not thick, the others might be more trusting but I know the smell of gun oil. I knew from the first day on set that this was not all it was cracked up to be. Jack, I was not always an archivist."
"No" Jack sighed, "You weren't. One of the reasons I chose you. You were in the Queens Royal Green Berets. Right? Injured in the field, had to get a desk job so you took Canary Warf Towers."
"I know UNIT is real, I know that weevil is so well trained she could almost be a man in a suit but I have spent time with her, I am a sneaky bugger too ya know. I know what a weevil is, seen them in London. It was a great idea, I will give you that, hiding in plain sight. The flash vehicle with TORCHWOOD on it, the TV Show so people would think it's all just a shoot" Ianto sighed, "Oh no, it's just an episode of Torchwood bring filmed and they are not real aliens, green slime monsters this week, awesome. I mean it worked the 'The Doctor' right?"
Jack blinked.
"Jack…or whatever your name is, it was a great idea and it might still work but I think you need to stop acting so much with us. They need to know it's real. The team need to follow you without question or next time Gwen might get her head bitten off."
"My name is Jack Harkness" Jack said with annoyance.
"Sure, sure. And I am really Ianto Jones"
They stared at one another for a while, then Jack snorted softly looking away, "Funny. I thought Tosh would be the first to realise it was real. The tech she plays with and gushes over, sooner or later she would realise some of it was real."
"She knows" Ianto answered, "She just prefers to ignore it. She is afraid of the truth so she ignores it. Owen doesn't care. Gwen is oblivious thinking it's all a great lark. Funny really, the only one who is trained for the team and she has no idea."
"That's not true" Jack sighed, "You are a fully trained member of the Green Berets. I read more, I saw more and I smell secret service in there somewhere too. You kept calm, you saved Tosh by keeping attention on you. You knew since the contract renewal, didn't you."
"I read things, see things and I remember everything" Ianto smiled softly, "That wee clause almost hidden away about the official secrecy act was the tell. Some things we cannot talk about. Ever. I knew then, that's why I came back even though I wanted to bail. I sat in my agent's office staring at the tiny wee clause and realised then that this was a black ops cover show. A good one too."
"Almost as good as terrorists destroying the Warf" Jack snorted, "Was that your idea?"
"Hollerads. They were searching for something, they were determined to get it" Ianto said after a while, "I knew we would not be allowed to walk around with that knowledge in our heads so we survivors came up with the cover story and stuck to it."
"Twenty seven saved that day" Jack whispered.
"Eight since dead" Ianto said flatly, "Mostly suicide, or meant to look that way. Those who faltered, started to make waves or talk crazy about aliens met a tragic end."
"Not my idea" Jack assured him, "I fought for them to retain their dignity. I still can't believe you rumbled me."
"Oldest trick in the book" Ianto smiled, "Hiding in plain sight. Alien hunters, a TV Show where it's all made up. Brilliant really. Hello, I am Ifan Wilding."
"So. Agent Ifan Wildling. Are you in or are you out?" Jack asked and Ianto's eyed widened at the offer still on the table despite him just giving away his secret, then he grinned.
"In, in all the way sir"
"Good" Jack grinned, "Because I have a few wee jobs for you behind the scenes if ya like. Things I hoped you would be up for."
Ianto finally felt something in him settle.
After all this time, finally.
Ianto was back on active duty.