Torchwood Three
Nessa Dove really wondered what she got herself into. Trefor was weird after Jack and Gwen arrived with the black van to handle clean up. They rode in silence to a parking garage. He parked, looking very uneasy.
"What's wrong?"
"I have to work."
"Yeah." She set her hand on his leg.
"I need you to stay with Ianto. He's the office manager and…"
"Your boyfriend?"
"No. Jack's boyfriend." He hesitated. "My father is very protective of him."
"Don't touch him because your dad will freak out."
"Yeah."
Nessa laughed. "Have you ever introduced a woman to your family before?"
"My sister. She intentionally scared the woman half-to-death."
"A status-climbing bimbo."
"I have said things I shouldn't have."
She squeezed his leg. "My parents are obsessed with money. My brother's best friend tried to kill him and probably raped my sister. And she killed him for it." A beat. "Your family can't be worse."
Trefor sat a hand on hers. "They don't call me Trefor. They call me the general."
"You're a general?"
"Not anymore."
"I'm going to find something out you can't tell me."
"Unfortunately."
"What are you afraid of?" The emotional turmail was increasing and it was his emotions this time. "I know you're open-minded and have a psychic ability. Welcome to the club."
He gripped her hand as he lead her to a door and an elevator. The secret lair was not what she expected. A large door rolled over, revealing what looked something like a sewer with impressive technology. A man in a nice suit holding a toddler hugging a stuff horse waited for them.
"Jack said to expect company."
"Nessa, this is Ianto."
Ianto offered to shake hands.
"Not a good idea," the Trefor said.
"Our guest answered a few questions. Jack wants the information reviewed. Bree is still in the infirmary. Initial assessment is PTSD, possible Stockholms. Luc and John are trying to trace a device to deal with Four's problem. I need to check files for local issues."
"Fun. Nessa needs to sit with you."
"As long as you don't throw blocks." Ianto smiled at what must have been an inside joke.
Trefor released her hand and hugged her. She kissed him.
"Stay out of trouble."
"Follow me." Ianto headed toward a hallway at the back. "Don't touch anything. Don't wander off."
It occurred to her what it was about him that caught her attention. She could sense him. Which made her wonder if Trefor didn't know. He'd been genuinely worried about her upsetting his father by accidentally threatening Ianto.
"I've never met a witch who carries a gun."
"What?" Ianto set the boy in some type of enclosure with blocks. It made sense, the room wasn't child safe.
The confusion was real. She had no idea how that was possible, unless he was heretary. Even than, he should know.
"You have two spirit marks. You're a witch."
"Uh. That's complicated." He motioned toward the desk. "I can find you a book, if you'd like. The ones we have are for a kid who loves horses."
"You're the babysitter."
"Office management and babysitting. Often the same job." He sat behind his desk.
Something about the spirit marks made him nervous. She sat across from him and noticed a few feathers on his desk. "Owl feathers."
"From a case."
She picked one up, startling him. "Trefor didn't tell you about me."
That took him a moment. "No."
Gwen Cooper laughed as they returned to the van after clean up. She couldn't help it, the idea of explaining paint damage from an alien exploding all over the fancy car was hilarious. "What did you tell the car owner? He looked green?"
"He asked what caused the damage." Jack started the car. "I told him the alien got to excited."
Gwen laughed. "Why?"
"He had bumper stickers promoting abstinence."
Gwen laughed more, nudging his leg.
Jack suddenly leaned over to kiss her. She pushed him in the chest. "Jack."
He sat back, and gripped the steering wheel. "Sorry."
"What the hell?"
"I don't know."
Gwen's mobile rang. She took a deep breath. "Hello."
"Hey." Andy sounded strange. "I emailed you about that restaurant you asked about."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I have to go." The call ended.
Gwen checked her email as Jack drove. She couldn't help but notice he was sitting stiffly. "Emlyn Rice and Alys Meyler have been arrested for drugs again. Possession and sale. No arrest records. No charges."
"The girls who sent the tip from the library have a history with drugs." She eyed him. "What's wrong?"
"The general. The connection goes both ways."
"Great. Keep your hands on the wheel."
General Trefor Williams sat in the conference room reviewing the information Ianto got from Derrian Talbot. Jack restricted the video, which made him wonder what he was hiding. Ianto did something impressive. Talbot was a former Army interrogation specialist. The information couldn't be forced out of him.
It gave him the idea to check rental agreements, or purchases, for buildings that had been empty a long time or were in out of the way locations. Beaupre needed privacy for his work. He was reading a description of a textile factory that had been closed for ten years when it hit. A wave of incredibly strong guilt. It made his stomach hurt.
Trefor tapped his ear com. "Jack, are you all right?"
"Why?" Something definitely sounded wrong.
"Emotional overload. What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Right. Ianto, are you there?"
"Yeah."
"Could you bring Nessa to the conference room?"
The general rested his head on the conference table. The guilt was intense. If they were right about the connection, Jack was feeling incredibly guilty about something. It made him think of his reaction to Nessa while gripped with his father's emotions in her flat. What did you do, Jack? He could only imagine it had to do with his mother. Which he didn't want to know about. The conference room door opened and he could sense Nessa before she reached him.
"Sit back."
He pushed his chair back and she climbed onto his lap. He placed his hands on her bare back again. Rather than go through the same process again, she just kissed him. The response was immediate. When she sat back, the guilt was replaced with his own reaction.
"Can you do that without kissing someone senseless?"
"Why? You don't want to kiss me."
He laughed. "No. But I'm thinking my father is affected."
She set her forehead to his. "That would be really creepy."
Jack Harkness entered Ianto's office. The impulse was getting worse. He could only guess that Nessa's way of breaking the connection for the general was sexual arousing. Gwen said nothing as she collected Trefor from the playpen and left, closing the door behind her.
"What happened?" Ianto walked around his desk.
"The emotional connection with the general. Did you see how Nessa break it on his side?"
"She was climbing on him when I backed up, letting the door to the conference room close."
Jack closed his eyes. The desire was overwhelming him.
"What happened?"
"I tried to kiss Gwen."
Ianto reached for him. "Kiss me. I won't punch you."