Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 12
The surge alarm echoed through the Hub just then, almost as though the Rift had been listening to their conversation. Obviously their brief period of down-time was officially over.
"Leave everything," Lois told her companions. "I'll do clean up. And I can keep Ianto company if it's major enough to need Captain Harkness as well."
The team scrambled, Turlough and Martha hitting the workstations for details. Habiba cleared the table in the Boardroom, brought the half full bin liner out with her to put in the kitchenette before going to collect the tray from the bedroom.
"We've got a large spike in Gabalfa," Martha reported over the ear comms as well as for those in closer proximity. "Serious electromagnetic disturbance near the play yard at the park along Pen-y-lan Road."
"Three life forms registering," Turlough added calmly. "System comparison indicates Maws."
[Pull three RPG units and implosive rounds for them,] Jack ordered via the comms. [Call UNIT and Andy, let them know we'll deal with the bad guys, but we need them to co-ordinate for containment to avoid civilian casualties.]
Lois hurried in to grab the tray, just in time to see the Captain lean across the bed to give Ianto a very meaningful kiss. She smiled and tried not to blush, escaping quickly with the tray and its carefully collected contents. The young black woman took it to the kitchenette, cleared it and started back down as Harkness emerged from the office putting on his RAF greatcoat and Turlough appeared with a large carryall from the Armoury.
"Lois, you're our Co-Ordinator," the American stated simply. "Check on Ianto once in a while if you can. Martha, grab your travel kit just in case. Let's go, kids."
The field team hurried out the cog-wheel door as Habiba crossed to the workstation Gwen normally used and made sure she understood the maps and readings it displayed. A message flashed up on one of the screens and she reached up to touch her Bluetooth device.
"PC Davidson in on site with three other police units, responding to reports of a huge flash of light and terrible smell," she informed the team. "They've blocked the streets closest to the play yard area of the park where the incursion occurred, and cleared all civilians with the report of a serious sewage line breach with potentially noxious gases. Considering the stench Maws give off, no-one's questioning the story. UNIT crews are five minutes from the site and the Rift opening has already closed."
[Excellent,] Jack called back. [We're about nine minutes away ourselves. Tell Andy 'Good job', and that we'll see him soon to take care of things.]
Lois acknowledged the request even as she typed the return message to their police liaison, then simply waited to see if there was anything new to report. Time passed, and she scurried away briefly to look in on the Changeling in the bedroom behind the office.
"You doing okay?" she called quietly from the end of the bed, not wanting to startle him since he appeared to be sleeping.
"Fine… thank you…" Ianto rasped, opening his eyes to meet her gaze. "How's the mission going?"
"Good," Lois reassured. "Police evacuated the area, UNIT set up a perimeter to keep sight-seers out, and the team just arrived to dispatch the Maws."
"I know Jack's always been big on the whole secret thing," the young Welshman beneath the covers whispered hoarsely. "But having back up from the Cardiff Heddlu and UNIT is such a huge help. And it's not like the public isn't aware of the aliens that show up from time to time these days… or even the ones who live among them."
"I hear him and Gwen talk about things you had to take care of when it was just the three of you," Habiba said wide-eyed. "I can't even imagine handling them with the full team now, let alone only three people."
"System's pinging," Ianto warned, nodding toward the Hub. "The Maws might be on the move."
"Best go check," the T3 Receptionist and General Support Officer in training half-smiled, hurrying away again. "I'll keep you posted."
Ianto sighed and closed his eyes. Sometimes the recovering twenty-six-year-old really wished he still had his little terrace house or even his old flat. A quiet place that he and Jack could retreat to when they needed a bit of space from Torchwood and everything that went with it. Having a real bedroom instead of the cramped bunker his partner used to occupy was a plus, but that still meant they were in the Hub, subject to the Rift alerts and unwanted interruptions by the other team members. A nice local flat would be the perfect getaway… though a small house somewhere further afield wouldn't be a bad thing either. They'd really be the "safe haven" the older man had referred to earlier.
He wasn't sure how long he'd drifted thinking about that possibility, but a rough plan had started to formulate in his mind when he heard the door creak. Lois was back, and had a small coffee mug in her hands. She smiled when he blinked at her, and she approached the bed without hesitation.
"Wasn't sure if you were sleeping," she murmured. "Team's on the way back, so I thought I'd make you that sore throat remedy to try."
Ianto sat up a little straighter against the pillows, wincing as the surgical wounds in his chest pulled painfully. He took the gently steaming cup from his teammate and personal trainee, gave her a tiny smile as he sniffed the contents.
"I added just a tiny touch of the powdered lavender you put in the Earl Grey you drink on bad nights," Habiba stated, glad that the younger man didn't seem to find the mixture objectionable when he took a cautious sip.
"It's very soothing," he reassured with a more pronounced but obviously tired smile. "You can sit if you want… you're not disturbing me or anything."
The young woman stepped back to take a seat in the chair, glancing up at the net of faery lights above the bed and cocking her head to the side.
"When I first came to Cardiff, it was at night by UNIT helicopter," she said after a moment. "It looked a lot like that."
"That's the idea," Ianto croaked, finding he liked the strange hot drink she'd made more than he'd expected. "I did it for Jack."
"Oh… to remind him of the view when he does his highest perch stuff," Lois grinned. "That was sweet. I assume he likes it the reason it didn't disappear with the other Holiday decorations. Must make a great night light."
The bandaged Guardian nearby nodded, busily sipping the milk-based "remedy" he'd been given. It actually was making his throat feel not quite as tight and painful, and had an overall relaxing effect as well.
"I've never been much into the warm milk thing," he admitted after a few more swallows. "But this is really nice. Would your part with your Gran's recipe?"
"Absolutely," Habiba smiled, her eyes sparkling. "It's a cup of milk warmed about a minute and a half in the microwave, just enough to get it steaming but not enough to scald it. Then you add a scant half teaspoon of honey, same amount of instant cocoa powder, a shy eighth teaspoon of ground ginger, a strong dash of ground clove, and I added about the same of the lavender. Stir it till the honey melts completely, might take another twenty or thirty seconds in the microwave to do it. Once everything's all mixed together, it's ready to drink."
"It's brilliant," Ianto breathed. "Is… your grandmother still alive?"
"Getting on in years, but yeah," his companion reassured, having noted the uncertain hesitation in his question. "She lives in a retirement flat in Bath, has loads of friends, loves a good shop still. She's my dad's mum, Granddad passed when I was tiny and I only ever met my mum's parents once about seventeen years ago. They moved to the United States for business when mum was in college and don't get back across the pond much."
"Well, next time you seen your Gran in Bath," Ianto half-smiled. "Tell her she's a genius."
"Oh, she'll love that," Lois chuckled. "Especially if I tell her a handsome young Welshman says so."
Said Welshman beneath the covers saluted her with his cup, then finished its contents and sighed.
"That really did help, thanks," he whispered, letting her take the mug. "How're things in the TIC? Anyone causing you problems?"
"Actually, it's been pretty smooth," the jumper clad receptionist confessed. "All the contacts you gave me and the red flags on the trouble makers have made things incredibly easy. Plus, I've had time to study my Welsh up there and go over maps so I can do a better job when they need me to be Co-Ordinator for them. Did you enjoy running the kiosk?"
"Yes," Ianto smiled, his expression wistful for a moment. "Even though it's just a cover for Torchwood, I tried to do my best to keep the flyers up to date and be as helpful as possible if and when a real tourist accidentally wandered in. It was the closest to a normal job as I've had since I did hit-and-miss to pay for University."
"You obviously did an amazing job," Habiba insisted, slowly rising to her feet when they heard the cog-wheel door rotating open. "Loads of people still ask after you. I tell them that you got a different job in public service as a personal aide. Closest I could safely get to telling them you were second senior agent at Torchwood. You rest, yeah? I'm sure Jack'll be in here any second."
"Or sooner," Harkness called from the office, having just hung up his coat. "Everything okay?"
"Fine," Ianto and Lois responded at the same time, making the immortal grin.
"Nasty old Maws all imploded?" Habiba asked as she prepared to leave with the Changeling's empty cup.
"Sure saves on clean up," the Captain nodded.
"Lois…" Ianto grated, half-smiling when the young woman turned. "I don't suppose you'd have time to make another cup of your Gran's remedy, would you?"
"That good, huh?" Jack pressed with raised brows. "Care to make two? Anything Ianto requests seconds of that isn't coffee, I have to try."
"No problem," Habiba grinned, heading out through the office. "Two Magic Mixes coming up."
"You sound a little better," Harkness told his partner, moving over to give the younger immortal a kiss. "Still running super-hot though. Hopefully Turlough will be able to un-staple you as planned in the morning."
"Should do," Ianto breathed, making a small, pleased sound when the American stroked his hair and rubbed the side of his neck. "The dream didn't crop up this time when I dozed off earlier. With luck that means the venom has finally been dissipated."
"Good to hear," his lover nodded, sitting in the chair to remove his boots. "That in itself should help a lot."
"Hope so," Ianto murmured, his expression bordering on the lost child look that always worried the older man. "Still… if I hear her name, I get this kind of adrenaline twang and my guts go cold."
"It's gonna take time," Jack insisted gently, meeting his unhappy gaze with a calm certainty. "That was way too intense an experience to simply disappear with the venom. And you're not really gonna be in any condition to face it down until you've fully healed from the surgery. She knows you need space for a while, that you have no control over your reactions right now, and she promised to wait for you to make the first move. It will get sorted out, just not overnight, yeah?"
The bedbound twenty-six-year-old nodded, though his eyes were still troubled when the Captain came to claim a spot beside him once more. He managed to smile however, when Lois appeared with two mugs.
"Shall I come back after the empties?" she asked politely.
"I'll get 'em," Harkness demurred, taking a sip of the doctored milk. "Wow, that is good stuff. Thanks."
"You're both very welcome," Habiba smiled. "I'm going to help Martha in the Hothouse for a bit before everyone heads out. I'll keep the comms on in case you need anything."
"Thank you, Lois," Ianto murmured with a nod, enjoying the second cup of her Gran's mix as much as the first.
The young woman beamed and nodded in return, pulling the door closed as she went, leaving the pair to sip and get comfortable.
"This stuff definitely feels good going down," the Captain sighed, snuggling over a little closer to his injured lover. "I see why you like it."
"Makes you feel warm inside," the younger man whispered contentedly. "Very relaxing."
"Amazingly so," Jack agreed, savouring the subtle blend of flavours. "I can't believe I've never had anything like this before. Over a century around this place and I've found a first after all this time."
"I have the recipe," his companion breathed with a tired smile.
"Bravo, Barista Boy," Harkness chuckled. "I think it's a keeper."
"Makes me sleepy," Ianto confessed, letting the other man take his empty cup. "Spot me so I can use the loo and clean my teeth?"
"Here to help, buddy," the American reassured, placing both mugs on the night table and rising to offer his Archivist assistance and support.
A quick trip to the loo and tired tooth brushing later, Ianto was once more settled beneath the covers on his side of the bed. Jack gave him a solid goodnight kiss, then gathered up the empty cups to take them to the kitchenette with the promise to be back in a little bit once the team was gone. He headed out to check on the others and see them off when 9:00 pm rolled around, intending to get into the room and between the sheets with his partner as quickly as possible. It had been a really bad day… but the evening had sort of made up for it in a lot of ways, Maws and all. Sometimes that was the best you could hope for.
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AN: The "Magic Mix" Lois makes Ianto is actually something a friend turned me onto decades ago and is a better sore throat soother and relaxation inducer than one might think. And it seemed like something Ianto (and Jack) would enjoy.
E-mail issue is still ongoing. I have no idea who to try to contact about it. And I'm sorry if it's interfering with those who read the story. Just know that I do everything in my power to post every Saturday, even if you don't get an e-mail.
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM