Torchwood: Divergence
Book Four: Hatchweliad
Chapter 29

With the new Archive reorganisation plan in place, they were actually making decent headway, and now had five of the twenty cargo blocks unloaded into the areas the team had opened up while the driving cabin was being fetched. By the time 10:00 pm rolled around and most of the group went home for the night, they were all sore and tired but felt like they'd finally accomplished something worthwhile.

Torchwood's two senior operatives were currently sitting naked on either end of their bed after a nice hot shower, carefully rubbing each other's very tired feet. The only slight problem with the activity being that they were both somewhat ticklish, and had to be mindful that they didn't end up kicking their partner by accident.

"So…" Jack began quietly, trying to work on the younger man's right foot without making him jerk and twitch. "What 'gruesome story' did you tell Lois this morning?"

"My trips into the Conversion area at Canary Wharf, when I went after Lisa and then back for the Unit to use as life support," Ianto stated evenly, a frown briefly creasing his brow. "Not something I like to remember, let alone talk about. But it was the best way to help her understand why I was on corpse duty from the time I was hired here in Cardiff, and that even after that kind of trial by fire I still have to fight the urge to throw up or run away with the really mangled ones."

"I can only imagine what a nightmare that was," Harkness murmured. "But if you can manage to face it again sometime, I'd like to hear about what you saw and experienced. I never asked before… and I really should've. How could I even begin to understand you and how the Battle of Canary Wharf affected you, without knowing what you went through? Thinking I could help you after we killed Lisa without those facts was pure arrogance. And it's kind of late in the game, but I'd like the chance to make up for that."

"Honestly," the young Welshman breathed, meeting his partner's uncertain gaze. "It was all I could do to keep my breathing half-way normal and not lose it completely when I told Lois the few bits I did. But I've got my old diaries in the back of the wardrobe. If you want to read that part, and the stuff between then and when everything went wrong with Lisa here, you're welcome to."

"See if I can do any better with it than I did with the entry about Thames House?" the Captain asked sadly. "Just don't be surprised if I end up kidnapping you for some serious apology cuddling afterward."

"Oh, the parts about smuggling the Conversion Unit into the base, and things I did behind your back trying to help her will likely negate that urge," Ianto insisted with an uncomfortable shrug. "As long as you don't revert to wanting to shoot or Retcon me, I'll be happy."

"I think I'm pretty much over that," Jack reassured as the twenty-six-year-old began working on his left foot for him. "You loved her and couldn't bear to let her go, desperately wanted to save someone from the Tower's fall. I can relate to that in every way possible, and probably would've done the same thing in your place, no matter how hyper-condemnatory I was at the time. After I really thought long and hard about the whole situation, I knew that if it was Rose or the Doctor who had been partially Converted, I never would've stopped trying to reverse it, regardless of the threat they posed. So, no worries about repercussions, yeah?"

"Can't help it," his Shadow reborn lover murmured with a tiny grimace. "I lied to you and betrayed your trust for months. It really bothered me a lot at the time, every day in fact. And like you said, I wanted so very badly to somehow save her, that I just kept doing it regardless. I'll get that diary out once the rework's done. Having you read it, maybe understand it, is probably a good thing. But I don't think it'll change how guilty I feel over what I did, or how close I came to getting the team killed."

"I already played the self-righteous judgement game when the truth first came out," Harkness stated evenly. "I let that go after our talks when you were on suspension. Part of the blame is mine for failing you as a leader and a friend, so you need to give up some of that guilt, buddy."

Ianto gave a slight nod, but his eyes were still dark and sad.

"You said 'diaries'," the Captain prodded, deciding to change the subject somewhat. "Exactly how many of those giant tomes do you have?"

"As of now, six," the younger immortal confessed with a quick smile. "The one I have to pull out of my box is number three, you carried number five across the galaxies after I died, and I recently started a new one."

"How long have you been keeping a diary?" Jack queried, obviously surprised.

"Since I went to University," Ianto replied quietly. "Helped me deal with the pressure of school and the increasing dysfunction of the relationship with my parents. Gave me a way to always remember any high points in my life. I'd write things down, slip in related mementos, usually little things that made me smile or laugh… made a log of things I didn't wasn't to forget. And it was a way to get my head around the bad things that happened, like a personal therapist without the bank breaking cost. It just sort of became a habit and now it feels odd not to keep one. Diary and a pack of fags were all that kept me sane sometimes before I went to work for Torchwood-London. Lisa got me to quit the one, but there was no way I was giving up the other."

"It's incredibly unfair since I can't return the favour," the American now petting rather than rubbing his foot stated solemnly. "But I'd really like to read them all if you don't mind. Get a clearer picture of Ianto Jones before we met, and during the span before the Hub was destroyed. Maybe help me be a better partner and make fewer mistakes."

"I… might worry a little that you'll decide to tell me to sod off, because I'm a total disappointment," his Archivist breathed, tensing up in obvious uncertainty. "If you really want to slog through them though, I'll pull them all out. I said I wouldn't hide things from you anymore, so…"

"The past is the past, and will never change how I feel about you right here, right now," Harkness insisted firmly, glad to see the Changeling relax slightly even as the twenty-six-year-old started on his other foot. "You… whoa! Oh, man, that feels incredible. Who knew a foot rub could turn you to total jelly."

"If I knew anything about Reflexology, I could get a few more entertaining reactions as well," Ianto pointed out with a half-smile, the mood lightening again. "According to Tosh, there's apparently a spot on your feet, that proper pressure against it can cause instant arousal. Unfortunately, I have no idea exactly where that spot is."

"Hmmm…" the older immortal made a pleased sound, a lopsided grin appearing on his face. "Could be fun finding out."

"And the Archive work is definitely going to be encouraging these rubs every night," Ianto supplied helpfully, wiggling the toes of his left foot to get the other man to finish up on the overworked appendage. "So, we might get lucky in more ways than one."

"I think you're probably gonna get lucky tonight regardless," the Captain chuckled, continuing the massage of the younger man's arch and heel. "Especially since that knee's no longer an issue. I seem to remember threatening to ravage you completely once it was healed, and I'd hate to be all talk-no action."

"Guess that depends on whether this," his lover stated, giving a final firm rub to the spot on the American's foot that had won such paise moments before. "Turns everything to jelly."

"Let's find out," Jack smiled ferally, purposefully tickling the bottom of the Welshman's foot to make him laugh, squirm, and twitch in an attempt not to kick, then shifting to crawl up the bed over top of him. "Nope… the little Captain is definitely at attention and ready to salute. Prepare for inspection, Barista Boy."

The young Guardian beneath him briefly reached up onto the wide headboard to produce and put on the red UNIT beret.

"Yes, sir," Ianto growled playfully, more than ready for a little 'dabbling'.

The promised ravaging began, and for a while the pair was able to forget about the threat the Rift Storms represented. Tonight called for some serious relaxation, and there was always time to worry over the world ending tomorrow.

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AN: Bit of downtime for our boys before the Rift spouts off again.

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