Spoiler alert: They Keep Killing Suzie
Beta-ed: GlassSplinter
Ianto stood beside Suzie's dead body, and wrote down the notes and descriptions of her waking and death, so that some other Torchwood operatives would know what they're dealing with, because none of them would ever forget this day. Especially Jack, who had to stand over her and shoot. But like he said, he was the boss and he was obliged to do things the others wouldn't do. He couldn't leave it up to Owen. Owen was too entangled with both women to make such a choice. Jack on the other hand could, he had that kind of overview on people around him. He could see their lives like a moving line that's moving towards death very fast, and he could see what kind of world their choices were creating. He could see that, but man, was he tired. Tired of deciding, of running, and turning people into monsters, just to kill them later on. The fact that Suzie didn't do all this for her father, not for love, but for hatred, so that she got to kill him more than once, didn't make it any easier. Maybe it was worse that she was a person filled with hate all along, and he didn't notice. But even that didn't change the fact that all of them, no matter what choices they make, will someday be in her place, frozen in a drawer.
"One day we'll run out of space," he sighed.
"If you're interested," began Ianto suddenly without an obvious connection, "I've still got that stopwatch."
Jack looked at him bewildered.
"So?" He couldn't make sense of that statement.
"Well, think about it. Lots of things you can do with a stopwatch," said Ianto with a small, almost unnoticeable smile showing on his face, and Jack got it.
"Oh, yeah," his grin widened, "I can think of a few." Pictures of naked bodies unravelled in his mind.
"There's quite a list," Ianto sounded pleased, and while Jack was looking at him his smile became visible, his eyes sparkling.
"I'll send the others home early," he looked at his watch, "See you in my office in ten." He looked at Ianto steadily to confirm that he was serious about this.
"That's ten minutes and counting," said Ianto with a relaxed smile and held Jack's gaze. Stopwatch ticking filled the space between them.
Jack's mind strode ahead towards something pleasurable, something he didn't expect. He wasn't going to be distracted with death and guilt, he would find enjoyment, like he always did, in things that life throws his way. It was easy to get rid of the team, they wanted to go and forget, and he didn't care in what ways. Gwen leaning on Owen distracted him for a moment, but then he reminded himself that she'd done it to herself, just like Suzie had done it all by herself. In spite of their small lives they did own themselves. He came to his office early, what should he do to prepare? He didn't know, because he didn't know what to expect. He loved that, not knowing what was ahead. Because he knew that Ianto would notice anything moved in his office he sat behind the desk looking busy. As the hand on his clock turn towards the last minute he became nervous. Was Ianto just teasing? It wouldn't be surprising.
Ianto entered through the office door right on the dot. Seemed like this was going to be all about the right timing.