Torchwood: Divergence
Book Four: Hatchweliad
Chapter 9

Gwen had been surprised to find all but Martha's car in the underground carpark when she arrived at 6:00 am. She'd hoped to have some private time to try talking to Ianto, but whether by chance or their leader's design, that obviously wasn't going to happen. Disappointed and feeling less than optimistic about the day, she grabbed her purse off the passenger seat and headed inside.

The Hub was filled with the scents of fresh coffee and just cooked bacon, and she found that while Turlough was already at his station, Lois was up in the kitchenette with Jack chatting as she prepared multiple cups of coffee and loaded them on a tray. The two came down the stairs, the young black woman giving Cooper a half-smile as she headed for the Boardroom. Harkness met the one-time PC's guilty gaze with utter neutrality, then looked over at the slender redhead pulling up the Rift logs.

"Come on, kids," he called evenly. "Breakfast awaits."

He nodded toward the Boardroom and started that way, Turlough pointedly waiting for Gwen to follow before he came behind, his expression also neutral but his eyes cold and hard. Once everyone had filed into the room, it became obvious that Ianto was already there, his still brace-bound right leg propped up on an empty Archive bin and a set of well-padded metal crutches leaning against the wall within reach behind him. He was dressed in track bottoms with the right leg cut from cuff to waistband and held closed with multiple safety pins, topped with a zip-front hoodie, and wearing a pair of battered shearling slippers. Still looking neat and polished nonetheless, the Changeling didn't even glance at anyone as they entered, occupied with carefully unwinding the bandages on his hands and dropping the gauze into the red bag lined medical container beside his seat. He flexed both appendages, a crease between his brows indicating the flesh was still a little tender but at least all the digits worked properly and the skin had grown back on his left palm.

The young Welshman smiled at Jack as the man took his seat at the head of the table, nodded his thanks to Lois when she presented him with a breakfast sandwich and the appropriate cup of coffee. The rest of the team at the table settled into their chairs and received the same items so the morning meal could commence.

"Martha's gonna be late," Harkness informed the gathering. "So, eat 'em while they're hot and thank Lois later for making the run first thing this morning."

"I don't have these very often," Habiba smiled after everyone had dedicated several minutes to the food and drink. "I don't remember the café makes them. Which is actually good, because I'd be eating them all the time and weigh 200 kilos in a month."

"Just makes them the perfect guilty pleasure," Turlough put in, returning the young woman's smile. "Good coffee, by the way."

"That would be Ianto's doing," Lois smiled with a shake of her head. "All I did was follow his dispensing and doctoring instructions. He had Jack help him upstairs to get it brewing before I got here."

"Are you also bandage free, or do I need to help with that after breakfast?" the redhead asked the young Welshman to his right.

"I took them off all the burns, but the gunshot wounds are still rather touchy so those are in place at the moment," Ianto replied, sipping his coffee.

"I'll take a look after then," the young alien nodded. "Check that knee with the Bekaran, see if I can estimate when the brace can come off as well."

"Tell him why the portal was active for so long last night," Jack urged, finishing his bacon butty.

"Oh…" Ianto shrugged, turning his head to cast the Trion prince an apologetic look. "The one bullet had abraded the femoral artery, and it tore after Martha had the area closed up. Sorry."

"She'll have kittens, you know," Turlough winced, shaking his head. "Probably should've checked everything with the deep tissue scanner before we called it a day."

"You all did an excellent job," the Scieron Changeling insisted quickly. "And my Shadows took care of the artery, so it's not a big deal."

"Bad follow up," the redhead just to his left stated, giving himself a slap on the wrist. "We'll have to do better next time you get mangled."

"Which, with any luck, won't be any time soon," their leader added, eyeing the remaining sandwich. "Okay, someone grab a knife. That needs to get eaten."

Ianto shifted to delve into the right pocket of his dark grey hoodie, and produced a good-sized Swiss Army knife.

"Never been used," he explained with a shrug when the others blinked at him in surprise. "Try to keep one handy just in case."

"Boy Scout," his partner smirked, opening the blade and using it to divide the last breakfast item into five roughly equal pieces before passing them around. "Chew, swallow, and let's get the day rolling, kids."

Everyone finished up, Lois collecting all the plates and cups onto the tray she'd brought the coffee in on, as the Captain used a quickly accessed disinfectant wipe and a fresh paper napkin to thoroughly clean his lover's pocket knife before returning it to him. Turlough exited with Habiba, and Harkness looked over at the raven-haired woman still sitting at the table.

"Awfully quiet this morning," he commented evenly.

"I'd like to have word with Ianto," Gwen said uncomfortably, fidgeting with the edge of one shirt sleeve and obviously unaware of the fact that she was nearly repeated the request from the day before that had started the whole mess she now found herself in. "In private… alone."

"Ianto?" Jack queried quietly, meeting the younger man's gaze. "I'm not budging unless you want me to."

"It's okay," the twenty-six-year-old reassured with a slight nod, shifting painfully in his chair.

"This is gonna be locater active," the Captain warned, indicating his wrist strap. "Your heartrate gets too high, and I'll be back regardless."

Then he moved to give his Archivist a very solid kiss and whisper something in his ear before exiting the room. The door slid shut, leaving the two team members alone. There was silence for several minutes, then Ianto spoke up, his tone calm but flat.

"Say what you came to say," he stated simply. "Or I'm leaving the room and this can eat you alive for the rest of the day."

Cooper looked at him in shock, never having had him speak to her quiet that way in all the time they'd known each other. The young Welshman's blue-grey eyes were unusually dark and cold, his expression stoney. Could she ever fix things between them? When she didn't open her mouth and simply blinked at him wide-eyed and put-upon after a full thirty count, he reached for his crutches.

"What I did," the former constable began hurriedly, her voice strained. "What I did yesterday was stupid and selfish."

Ianto turned to settle back in his chair with a wince of pain, that dead-eyed stare focused on his co-worker once more.

"Rhys told me to sit down with both of you," Gwen continued with difficulty. "Said I should get my current case of Jack-envy out in the open and out of my system for good, even ask Martha about more tests or the name of a safe therapist. But I was so sure that it was kinder to you to just talk to Jack… give it my best go, have him shoot me down and call it good, without you having to know I did something that low. I never thought you'd hear what was said, but that doesn't make what I did right. I kept telling myself it was wrong, to leave it alone, but went right ahead and did it anyhow.

"Then to have Jack and even Rhys blame me for your poor decision to go it alone on that alert, ending up getting shot by some idiot that never should've had a gun to begin with and never would've happened if the team was there… It got me so mad. It was like one mistake made me some vile monster and you were the poor abused victim that they had to protect from me. But Rhys forced me to see that it's not just one mistake, I've made plenty without any regard for your feelings or wellbeing. And others defend you because you put up with way too much and hardly ever defend yourself. That they should stand up for you, because without you, Ianto; Jack, and Rhys, and I never would've made it out of the Ashton Down compound and the world would be a terrible, dark place now. And trying to come between you and Jack, was almost like putting a revolver to your head with one bullet in it and pulling the trigger to see if that chamber was empty or would have you dead by my hand. I'm sorry for doing such a terrible thing to you."

The Scieron Guardian just looked at her, his expression never changing, having picked up on every single backhanded insult and bit of blame laying her supposed apology contained whether she did or not.

"If you and Jack decide I need to leave Torchwood, I will," Cooper offered grudgingly, trying hard not to squirm under that stone-cold gaze. "I know that saying I'm sorry isn't good enough. I went behind your back and betrayed your trust in the worst possible way. I can't think of a word bad enough to describe what kind of person that makes me in your eyes. But I want to make this right somehow. Tell me… tell me how to do that."

Still silent, the injured Archivist reached for his crutches, struggled painfully up from his chair and hobbled over to the door. Gwen's heart sank. She'd been right, this was the last straw, the one blow she couldn't take back or repair the damage from, and she'd be forced to leave the Institute and Jack behind with her memories stripped to nothing but the dull and mundane. She glanced up at her young countryman as he shifted close enough to activate the door, found herself suddenly confronted with that terrible lost child look that always made her want to cry.

"I would've heard what you said regardless, because Jack would've told me," Ianto stated quietly. "You have always been the main one I worried about losing him to. But my heart knows now without a doubt that Jack can draw the line and not cross it. I don't know what to think of you anymore though, Gwen. I thought we were closer than that. Maybe I was wrong, but I hope not. Still, family doesn't do what you did yesterday, that particular message was loud and clear. Trying to foist the blame off on me and badmouthing my abilities on the field the way you just did during what was supposed to be an apology simply reinforces it. And whether or not you leave Torchwood is your choice. I forgave Jack for his flights of fancy about you, because he's given them up for me. So, as a friend, I'll forgive you once… try to remember it."

Then Ianto was out the door heading for the Hub, leaving Cooper to stare after him and fully take in what he'd said.

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AN: Ianto is being kind and gracious, but he's not going to put up with Gwen's tricks anymore. She'd best get used to being slapped down, because he is done with her selfish behaviour.

Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM