Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 15
Another potentially hectic day had begun.
However, the Rift remained quiet, so there wasn't much going on in the Hub half an hour later when Martha arrived chatting with Gwen. The two women parted at the one-time constable's usual workstation, and she stowed her purse and coat in their normal spots. When a quick glance around didn't reveal anyone but Turlough, the green-eyed brunette headed for the office. She stepped in to find their leader behind his desk studying a list of expenditures and costing recommendations she remembered Ianto putting together around New Year's.
"Just couldn't stay away, huh?" Jack queried without looking up.
"How did you know it was me?" Cooper countered curiously.
"High-heeled boots on metal grating and your perfume," the Captain smirked, finally glancing her way. "Sure you're up for this?"
"I'll be fine," Gwen stated firmly, a slight edge of belligerence in her tone. "And you obviously need the help since the team's down a member again with Ianto gone."
"So far it's been quiet," Harkness shrugged, reaching for his now empty cup and rising from his chair. "But we all know how fast that can change. Ianto cleared up your pending projects from before, so check with Martha and Turlough to see if they have anything you can take over for them. Otherwise, you'll likely be stuck helping me with paperwork."
"And praying for another Lamprey incursion," the former PC muttered as she followed him to the kitchenette. "Let me get some coffee and I'll go check with the rest of the team for things needing done."
"Oh, sorry…" Jack grimaced, having just refilled his mug. "There's maybe half a cup left in the reserve pot and I already killed the carafe Ianto put everything from the main machine into before he left. I'll have Lois pop down and make some more."
"I'll go with this for now," Cooper put in quickly, scrambling to find her cup in the shelves and draining the pot before anyone else could lay claim to it. "Thanks."
"Come see me if there aren't any projects available," her boss chuckled, trotting downstairs and striding into the office once more.
"Oh, crap," Martha complained from the steps as her teammate was doctoring her half-cup of coffee. "No Ianto… so no killer java. I mean, no offense to Lois, but she just can't work the same magic he does."
"And our fearless leader's been hogging it all," Gwen pointed out. "Wanna share?"
"Definitely," the young doctor grinned, accepting the cup gratefully. "We are so spoiled."
"I know," her friend breathed, thinking about the fact that their absent colleague was also the one who normally helped keep up on the paperwork she might soon be saddled with. "Please tell me you have a project I can take over."
"Want to help with the autopsy on that new type of fishman from Grangetown that started all the recent trouble?" Martha offered. "UNIT dropped it off right before I went home last night, so it's ready to pull out of Cooler-Three. You could run the scans through the system and set up sample analysis for me."
"Anything but paperwork," Cooper murmured as they descended the stairs and aimed for the medical bay.
The morning progressed after that; Gwen thrilled to find that Turlough hadn't had time to decipher a Rift based signal they'd picked up two days before that sounded suspiciously like that spooky Fitzroy broadcasts they'd dealt with some years ago. So, she had a new project when the autopsy of what Martha dubbed a Stonefish – squat, lumpy, and venomous – was complete. A small Rift spike around 11:00 am had seen her and their stoic redheaded Time expert down in Butetown to destroy a few singing slugs they'd had increasing trouble with over the past few months, and they'd returned to discover pizza had been delivered for lunch.
Jack finally emerged from the office for the meal, though they'd only just started for the Boardroom when his mobile chimed. His eyes lit up the moment he saw the identification of the caller and he veered toward Gwen's workstation.
"Ianto," the Captain smiled, his mood improving immediately. "Found a good hotel to stay in?"
[No, I'm at a seedy Inn in the Beacons preparing to be eaten by cannibals,] Ianto replied dryly, his voice still rather rough. [Yes, Jack, I have a very nice, safe room in a reputable establishment. And before you even think it, I have my PDA on so if you try to GPS trace my mobile I'll know… and I'll hurt you when I get back.]
"Am I that predictable?" Harkness asked, his hand freezing above the keyboard where he'd been about to access the programme to do exactly what he'd just been told not to.
[I know you're worried,] his partner responded more gently. [But you'll simply have to trust me with this. My temperature is only a couple of degrees higher than normal, and I'm still sore in a few spots but nothing horrific. Plus, I don't intend to be dealing with any aliens or religious fanatics on this trip, so please… Don't. Worry.]
"Kind of comes with the whole 'couple' deal, sorry," Jack admitted. "But I promise not to try tracking you. So, be extra careful, yeah?"
[I will,] the young Welshman on the other end of the line reassured. [Oh, I sent a text to Turlough to see if he can help with something for when I get back. Just a little hacking to make my license current, same as I did before for my ID's and passport. Should've done them all at once, but the driving wasn't on my mind at time because I hadn't done much of it, and I haven't had the chance since.]
"I'll make sure he takes care of it," Harkness promised with a smile. "We just got pizza, so I should let you go and not keep you talking like a love-sick teenager."
[I miss you too, Jack,] Ianto confessed quietly. [Be careful on alerts, and I'll give you a call later tonight.]
"I'll be waiting," the Captain murmured, letting his beloved Changeling disconnect the call first.
He turned to start for the Boardroom once more, only to find Gwen waiting on him.
"How's he doing?" she asked bluntly. "What's he doing?"
"He's fine," Jack half-smiled. "His voice sounds tonnes better and he says his temp is down quite a bit. As for what he's up to, I haven't got a clue."
He moved toward the Boardroom again, the former PC falling in beside him.
"So, he's just wandering Cardiff on holiday without you?" she insisted, still uneasy about the situation. "And you're okay with that?"
"All relationships have tests, Gwen," Harkness stated, sounding on the verge of irritation. "This is one of ours. Ianto trusts me far more than I'll ever deserve. I need to prove that I really trust him too, and that I'm at least trying to be worthy of his in me. Words only go so far. My actions, my resolve to hold it together and be strong while he's gone, my ability to let him run loose without trying to track him down and control him, doing my job instead of dwelling on the cold empty space he normally fills in my life, focusing on my love for him while I wait and not straying out of old habit. Those are the things I need to prove myself with."
"And what about him?" Cooper prodded with a frown as they came to the Boardroom door.
"Ianto already passed the test on all those things with flying colours," the Captain told her flatly. "He reminded me of that yesterday afternoon before our nap. And no, it's not just because he spent two years in Hell under the knife to get back to me, though that says a lot on its own. It's something that spans all the way back to our first serious kiss and has never wavered. Now, let's drop the subject and have some lunch, yeah?"
Without waiting for an answer, he keyed open the door and entered the Boardroom.
"What've we got today?" the American called cheerfully.
Lois helpfully displayed the selections and handed the man a plate, Martha passed him a beer on his way by her chair figuring he'd need it more than his usual water with Ianto away. Gwen followed silently with a forced smile, not feeling particularly happy at the moment but not wanting to cause a problem during the meal. Jack said that Ianto being away was a test for him… but she got the strange feeling that she was being tested as well, and wasn't' at all sure of what on or who was keeping score. And she didn't like it one bit.
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AN: Jack is determined to be a good partner… Gwen seems to think Ianto is being unfair to him and that she's somehow being victimised. Typical…
Sorry for the late post. Yes, I'm still limited on internet access. Please continue to be patient regarding any review replies.
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