New stage.
Safe Harbour
Book three
A/N: a bit about the future and then we run towards to the date, but don't expect perfect manners :)
No spoilers
Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian
Jack took in the silent Hub relaxing. Everything was sorted. He thought about the future, which would inevitability come, about not only the destruction of the species, but of all the weapons that will be derived from it. Owen saw the potential right away; he could see it in his eyes as he jumped for joy after discovering what happened to that couple.
In the future there will be a chemical weapon that will be based on the creature's ability to put people to sleep, it will work like a charm, but to get people to sleep from which they won't wake up. That weapon will not leave any traces behind; it will be impossible to tell if a person died in her sleep naturally or induced. After, it will be exposed there will be a great fear of sleep that will cause many more problems in succession. To stop the panic that caused great financial and mental losses it was decided to treat any death in the sleep like a murder. That helped to a point, but also caused a lot of innocent people being put behind bars. It was all resolved when finally they found a test that could trace the substance and they put it on an illegal list. Jack always thought it was a fake test to demean fears more than anything else.
There will be a dissolvent based on creature's insides that could cover up massacres, and was suspected that more than a few groups of people that went missing weren't off to the stars like it was said, but erased all together by the government with the means to make bodies disappear. It was also used for executions; it was a clean way of taking villains out of sight. One moment they were here, next one there was no proof they ever existed. That made people too comfortable with death sentencing so it took a wild turn for awhile.
The blue colour that wouldn't rinse itself resulted in a whole new species, after enough people dyed their skin blue it became a part of their systems and affected their children, changing some more qualities to make them more chameleon like and hard to find, alluding in some way. That started a suspicion that led to dividing that part of the human race in its own part of universe. In time they become their own species. On some parts of Earth the colour was a way of permanently marking deviants and criminals. It was a scarlet letter of its own kind.
And the ability to go through walls, that cellular shift so small but enough to make it out of sync with rest of material, was used in robberies, abductions, prison breaks, and all sorts of abuse. On a larger scale it was used to monitor private homes and suspected terrorists. That was eventually stopped by reinforced walls and shields with displaced temporal shifts in cells much like the thing Tosh did with the SUV. That's why Jack stored that file of hers before Ianto cleaned it all up; he sealed it and set the temporal lock for the date just before discovering of those handy vibrations. It wouldn't mess with the timeline, and who knows maybe things were written that way, he wouldn't stop that by overly cautious behaviour.
The skin of the creature was used in making almost invisible suits, those suits were a giveaway that the creatures were probably held somewhere hostage and grown in tanks. There weren't any out there in the open; people had scanners that could detect anything hidden. That gave Jack idea; he would live a very long time. He couldn't mess with fixed points in time but he could contribute to world in some way, at some point where he no longer knew the future, where he was free of pre-knowledge and becomes one with a time stream. Then he will be free to act, not just react. He could give himself to a long term planning task to find a facility where the creatures were held and deal with it, free them or mercy kill them, or just find out that everything is fine.
He liked that idea. At one point they will be forgotten and nobody scans in search of them, who was to say they were not restored. And sleep stops to being so bogus. Jack turned around aware that one of them was lurking in the Hub and he was satisfied with that, if nothing when he got to the point where his wrist strap was fixed, he could collect this one and take it to the future. He'd have to make a note when the Hub was empty, maybe at the time when they were in the Himalayas, or he could plan a few trips of that sort to make more spots for a future him to drop in.
It wasn't a bad idea because the human race did struggle and learned to live with creature's components, to regulate them legally and technologically, and the consequences weren't all bad. In the end when everything calmed down.
He went through Owen's station and files to make sure he didn't hide some bit information from them. Jack couldn't stop all that from happening but he would ensure that it all wasn't his fault,; that it didn't come from his hasty reactions or Owen's for that matter. He reacted very badly in the missing year on the simple fact that the future people would be so savage and ruthless, Jack had no doubt that he wouldn't be able to handle himself to become a modern Oppenheimer of chemical weapons. Jack didn't know where the information came from, or who designed the first weapon, so he wouldn't take that chance that people end up being his Torchwood.
After he was done Jack cleared up the vomit just in case he thought of something during the night. He cleaned the cells too and fed Scryiogen to speed his digestion. Ianto handled it perfectly, maybe he'd come up with un-menacing name for the creature... Ianto.
Jack started to run, he almost forgot about the time. He just had enough time for a shower and change of clothes. Shower was mandatory, he wouldn't take the chance of Ianto to finding some mucus on him, there was a pressing need tonight to do things right. In the shower Jack thought how this day began a few nights ago, with Ianto under the shower. If he had only gotten himself in the shower he would have avoided all this mess, running around, two dead people and damage in the Hub. He should just follow Ianto's lead in some things; he had proven to be good at that.
He put his clothes on in a hurry leaving his hair wet and went out running. As he reached SUV he felt naked without his coat. It was a warm night, but he was about to engage in something he hadn't done in a very long time, just sitting and talking, be looked at. He needed as much his standard equipment as possible. That's why he called the cleaners; its number was high on his phone list. Ianto was efficient enough to fill his new phone with standard numbers just an hour after his return, even the cleaner's number was there; Jack suspected he had it at hand, ready for his return. It was a nice touch.
"I know it's late" he said in the phone to the owner that knew him well as a customer, lately just by name "but if you clean my coat in ten minutes I'll pay extra."
"No problem Mr. Harkness, Mr. Jones said it was urgent so we cleaned it first thing when it arrived, it's ready." Jack smiled. `Mr Jones` he murmured to himself `I'll have to do something nice for you. `
He arrived only twenty minutes late wearing his coat. He climbed two steps at a time and was about to knock on the door when Ianto opened it.
"You're late" he informed him seriously, not to say grumpy, and Jack was left speechless taking in his appearance. He was handsome in his work suit, but this was just beautiful. He was perfectly groomed; his hair sorted, all rested and clean. His suit hugged his form perfectly, it had a discreet shine to its deep black colour and was complemented with deep ruby red silk shirt and matching tie. "Did I overdress? If you're taking me to the diner I'll just wear my hoody and jeans." his voice was flat, his features unreadable. Jack was unable to say if he was joking with him, or if he was annoyed, that always made him nervous.
"No, this is perfect" he hurried to reassure him "and red is truly your colour; you should wear those strong, deep colours all the time. It suits you." In response Ianto just lifted his eyebrow and stepped outside locking his door.
"What" Ianto looked at him from head to toe "no flowers for me?" with that he started to go down the stairs.
"Wait, what flowers?" Jack went after him bewildered.
"Isn't customary to bring a girl flowers on a first date?" Ianto answered without turning back.
"Who said anything about you being a girl?" Jack frowned.
"Well you did ask me out, set a date, arranged details and left a vague note about picking me up, I think that qualifies me as a girl here." He argued without hint of humour.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Jack shouted "I don't bring flowers with me on dates."
"What, you're enough of a prize?" Ianto opened the front door and held it for Jack. "No other perks necessary?"
"Well, yeah" he smiled hoping for a sign of joke on Ianto but nothing appeared. "Aren't I?"
Ianto rolled his eyes and went to the SUV. Jack paused for a second but then he ran to get ahead of Ianto. He went around SUV and opened the door up for Ianto.
Ianto stopped for a second and then smiled, just a bit.
"Thank you" he said gracefully and got in. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" he said looking up at him with small spark of joy in his eyes. Jack closed the door with a grin.
"Cocky bastard" he murmured.
"What was that, I didn't hear you" Ianto said when he got in and started the engine. "Was it a compliment?"
"The best kind" Jack answered smoothly and Ianto smiled. As he started the engine Jack looked at him thoughtfully. "Just so you know, I don't do those kinds of things. I won't send roses, so don't expect that kind of gallantry. It was a decision of mine to not even start with that because I won't remember birthdays, or any special days, for that matter I'll probably be the worst on those days, running through the mud after some scaly alien. It's just best not to set standards, later on it's just a source of grief and arguments when I start to miss out on things."
"That's just too bad" Ianto said pouting "I was looking forward of finding out how it felt to be a girl all pampered and cared for." After moment of confusion Jack smiled and started the engine.
"I bet you were one of those guys that gives my kind a bad reputation, all smooth, with memory of all the dates and occasions, with right colour of the flower and a present. That must be nice." He could picture Ianto, it fitted him.
"When I think of it, I was pretty good at it" Ianto mused "what colour of flowers could I bring you? Hm... I think a pink ones would be best, big bouquet with pink ribbons and white daisies, and nice mushy note, I could bring them to you at the office, I bet Owen would appreciate that."
"You wouldn't dare" Jack was shocked and Ianto smiled to one side with a wicked flare in his eyes.
"Wouldn't I? You see when I'm a man; I am a good man who knows how to treat his date. If you're late there is a thing called a phone, it can even send messages." He said with gentle voice and Jack was speechless for a moment.
"I will never be late again" he said quickly "I'm sorry, but I got caught up at work, and I did clean up all of Owen's mess."
"See, that wasn't that hard, just one sorry for being late, and everything was sorted. And you cleaned up for your own purpose, not for me, so don't try to get some points there." He warned him.
Jack looked at him disconcerted.
"You're tough tonight" he said carefully.
"Well, it is a responsibility to be a woman; you have to maintain a certain dose of control and standard." Ianto smiled watching through the window. "Besides if all those things were said by a woman you wouldn't have even noticed anything strange about it."
"You're right, I like you're a man" Jack said sincerely.
"Me to, but I won't pretend I'm fine with something if I'm not. I would expect you to be more in touch with your feminine side than present men. It's surprising just how much you carry that butch feeling with you." Ianto looked at him puzzled.
Jack laughed.
"You're right; twentieth century did butch me up. It just wasn't very safe to be casual and careless, I grew tired of dying, and other people were in danger by that too." Jack went still for a moment thinking how he should lighten things up again by a joke or change of topic but then Ianto put a hand on his and just gently stroke it leaving it there during the drive. Jack didn't feel the need to make light conversation anymore.
this chapter is called by song `I won't send roses´ which John Barrowman performs :) he says that this song suits him, and I think it fits to Jack perfectly