Title: Double Trouble
By: Jessie Blackwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters, etc. etc. etc. no infringement of copyright intended, etc, etc. just playing with them, like everyone else here.
Warning: Explicit, MA for adult theme. Jack/Ianto Slash/swearing
A/N: OK, so this is another AU, because I love ‘em. For this you do have to know the events of Cyberwoman
WARNING: this is a very long one-shot. If I decide to add chapters I’ll relist it. However, I do have other tales that need updating and are overdue. So don’t expect me to add anything please.
Summary: So, exactly how the hell did Mr Jones get his fiancée Lisa into the Hub in Cardiff? How did he rescue her all on his own? Maybe he had help. Maybe this is going to confuse the hell out of Jack and the team…ooo, I do hope so…
Transcript of chat between jonesboy2 and torchsong1 ~
Jonesboy2 Hey, are we ok to talk?
Torchsong1 Sure, Lisa’s just gone out with her mates. How u been?
Jonesboy2 Good. Signed the book deal yesterday.
Torchsong1 That’s great, congratulations, when do I get my signed copy?
Jonesboy2 lol. I’ll make sure you get one. Don’t worry.
Torchsong1 What's it about again?
Jonesboy2 As if you didn’t know, quantum physics and alternate dimensions.
Torchsong1 roflmao.
Yeah, right, you’re officially a geek.
Jonesboy2 Did I say you’d get a copy?
Torchsong1 Sorry, meant it as complement.
Jonesboy2 I know.
Good job I take it as one then, isn’t it?
lol
So, what u been up to?
Torchsong1 Missed the promotion again.
Jonesboy2 Aw, sorry mate, their loss.
Torchsong1 Not sure I’m that disappointed. More responsibility, more pressure.
Boss is a dickhead anyway.
Jonesboy2 More pay though. Look mate, know how much you wanted it.
Next time, eh?
Torchsong1 Maybe.
Jonesboy2 Don’t take it to heart. You're worth more than that.
Torchsong1 Tell Lisa that. She was disappointed.
Jonesboy2 She didn’t blame you?
Did she?
Come on, not Lisa?
Torchsong1 She didn’t say anything. Didn’t have to.
I’m not the world’s most confident employee.
Jonesboy2 Daft cow.
Torchsong1 Who? Her or me? Not her fault.
We were going to buy a house and everything.
Jonesboy2 Well, you need more support. Not your fault they can’t see quality.
Torchsong1 Yeah, right. How’s Rhiannon btw?
Jonesboy2 Fine. Kids are fine too. They miss their uncle though.
Gotta go. Babysitting for Rhi’. Don’t let the buggers get you down.
Take care.
Torchsong1 Will do, you too.
0o0o0o0o0o0
One month later…
“Come on Gary, pick up, pick up, pick up. This is urgent!” Ianto danced on the balls of his feet as he anxiously waited for someone to answer.
“Ianto? Is that you? What the hell’s wrong? I felt....”
“Gary?!”
“Ianto? Yes, what’s with you…?”
“Have you seen the national news?”
“News? What, London, you mean? Yeah, just been watching now…you OK?”
“No, I’m not.” His voice trembled “Gary, its all gone tits up. Lisa and me, we’re in trouble, we need your help. Torchwood’s gone, destroyed, and we’re in the middle of it…Lisa…” he choked on her name.
“Ianto?!”
“Gary, can you borrow your mate’s van? Come get us?”
“What? Now?”
“Gary, I…its Lisa…she’s hurt…I need help…”
“Can’t you get her to hospital Yan?”
“NO! No, can’t, really can’t. Sorry. This is Torchwood, Gary, what they’ve done…we can’t use a hospital…I can help her, just….I can’t do it on my own!”
“OK, OK, let me think…I can call Mack, he’s got a van…a transit, that OK?”
“Yeah, great. How soon can you get here?”
“Where’s here?”
“If I give you the GPS co-ordinates for a warehouse about two miles away from Canary Wharf, can you meet me there?”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“God, Ianto, what the hell happened? You look terrible…” Gary grabbed Ianto by the shoulders as if holding him up. He was covered in ash and blood and god knew what else. He looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot and red rimmed. “How did you get out?”
“Access tunnels. I managed to save her Gary, she’s inside, but I need to go back…” his voice was harsh as if he had breathed too much smoke.
“No! Yan, you can’t!”
“Just to get some equipment I left behind…look, we haven’t much time before UNIT do a sweep of the tunnels…”
“I’ll come with you.” Gary helped him back into the warehouse, its stark and cavernous interior making him feel vulnerable and exposed. “Christ!” the shock on Gary’s face was plain “Lisa?! What did they do to her?” he looked in horror at the girl who lay on the gurney which stood where Ianto had wheeled it, just inside the main body of the abandoned warehouse.
“The Cybermen got her.” Ianto said, his voice loaded with pain. “They were desperate for troops and started converting whole bodies, not just transplanting people’s brains…” Gary shuddered at that “…but Lisa’s conversion isn’t complete. I can save her Gary. There’s a doctor in Japan who specialises in this stuff, I think he can help.” At least, Gary thought, Ianto had heavily sedated her. Her body was partially encased in metal and Gary found a chilling resemblance to the robot from Metropolis.
“How are you going to afford to get him here?”
“I’ll think of something…”
“Ianto, you’re not thinking at all…” Gary was trying to take it all in but he couldn’t, it was too much.
“Gary, I have to do this.” His voice was vehement “Lisa has no one else. If they catch us, they’ll kill her! Probably me too…”
“And what about me? Did you think of that when you called me to help?!”
“Gary, look, it’ll be fine…please, I can’t abandon her, I love her…”
Gary looked at the desperation on his face and sighed, knowing he was going to regret this. Gesturing for him to lead on, he followed Ianto down some stairs into an access stairway. It came out in a vast subterranean tunnel, looking like part of the old underground network. He helped Ianto retrieve several boxes, bits of metal framework, some odd-looking gadgets and coils of wire and tubing. They could hear voices and see search lights strobing through the darkness in the distance by the time they managed to retrieve the last load. They loaded Lisa into the van in panicked haste, then packed everything else around her and sped off into the night. The journey home to Cardiff was long and nerve wracking.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“What are you doing?”
Ianto was typing frantically into Gary's computer, anxiously scanning the screen and casting glances back at the metal bed that Lisa had been installed on. “There’s no way we can afford the electricity to run that thing, so I’m re-routing the electricity bill through the Crown Department that funds Torchwood. Don’t worry, it'll be untraceable.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Only if I get caught. I need to get into Torchwood 3 and secure a job, then I can transfer Lisa and use their power but until then…”
“Look, Ianto, I know you want to save her but breaking the law…”
“Look Gary, I worked for Torchwood, yeah?” his voice turned harder “The stuff they did was barely legal 90% of the time. I cannot afford to have principles now. They did this to her. They owe it to her to try to save her. I love her Gary, I’ll do anything…” Ianto gulped back tears.
“I know you will Yan. You’d not be risking this shit if you didn’t, but I’m concerned about what its doing to you.”
Ianto hit the return button “If Torchwood foots the bill, I’ll feel so much the better!”
Two weeks later:
“Suzie?”
“I hear you Jack, won’t be a minute…” her voice was muffled by a welding mask.
“Have you done the budget papers yet?”
“Yes Jack, why?” she took off the welding mask and wiped her hands on a rag, turning to give him full attention.
“Our electricity bill seems to have gone up a bit, that’s all.”
“Probably new charges, seems to be rocketing at the moment. Don’t sweat it. I’ll look for another supplier if you like?”
“Hmm? OK, if you want…just seemed like a £90 hike was a little excessive, that’s all…”
“Maybe due to Owen and me, we’ve been experimenting, don’t forget. I’ve been working on the glove and he’s got his pet weevil project…”
“Aha, right, yeah. OK, well, no problem then.”
“Hey, you still having problems with that Jones kid?”
Jack sighed “He’s desperate, but nothing I can’t deal with. Tried to persuade me with his coffee the other day.” He paused. “Can’t deny he makes amazing coffee…”
“Then why don’t you give him a job and have done? He’s not stupid. Knows his stuff…”
“…and he worked for Torchwood 1. I’m never having anything to do with any of them ever again.” Jack said firmly. His expression told her to drop the subject.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“I’m going getting back behind the wheel of that car, if you’re still standin’ in the road then I’m gonna drive through you!”
“So you’re not going to help me catch this pterodactyl then?”
The phone ringing jarred Gary awake at 1am.
“Hmmph? Who is it?”
“Gary, its Ianto. I did it?”
“Did what? Do you know what time it is?”
“Yeah, sorry. Look I did it, I got the job. I start tomorrow…”
“That’s great, how did you do it?”
“Just about stalked their leader…”
“Good job you didn’t get arrested then.”
“Well, he did threaten to run me over.”
“You always did know how to make an impression.” Came the dry reply. “Should have tried your coffee on him.”
“I did, but it was catching the Pterodactyl that did it…”
“What?!” Gary spluttered “On second thoughts, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. Where are you anyway? Couldn’t this have waited til morning?”
“No, I just…wanted to tell somebody. I’m too keyed up to come home yet, going for a walk…”
“OK, just stay safe. Now let me go back to sleep, please?”
“I need another favour…”
Gary sighed “What now?”
“Well, this is going to be a full time job, there won’t be anyone to look after Lisa while I can arrange to move her…”
“You’re asking me to babysit?”
“Just until I can get her into the base…”
“OK, I can work as well here as at the University. Now let me sleep. And don’t forget to drop the latch when you get in…”
New Job, Week One:
“This is going to be more difficult that I thought” Ianto sounded dispirited. “The base isn’t easy to breach. Getting Lisa in there isn’t going to be easy and Dr Tanizaki can’t make it for at least a month, maybe more like two.” Gary looked across at Ianto as he adjusted the fluid intake on Lisa’s equipment. “He’s still very enthusiastic about coming over though.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Gary asked.
“I guess. I’m just worried that the longer we leave it, the harder it might be to do anything.”
“Well, see how it goes. Take it a day at a time.”
“Yeah, thanks Gary.”
“You need me tomorrow?”
“If you can?”
“Hmm, its OK.” and Ianto nodded.
“I really appreciate this” he said grabbing Gary’s hand and squeezing hard. “Letting us stay here and everything, you know? I’ll make it up to you somehow…” Gary shrugged it off. He knew there was only one person in the world he would do such crazy stuff for and that was Ianto. In the back of his mind he worried what this was doing to both of them but he both loved and trusted Ianto. Nothing would induce him to betray that.
Week Two:
“Its no good. Dr Tanizaki called. He’s got a big conference to get to in America and he can’t make it until next month!”
“Ianto, that’s OK, we’ll manage…”
“But you don’t understand. I’m out of there as soon as Lisa is well, I can’t stay. I’m actually liking the guys I work with…I hate doing this to them.”
“That’s good isn’t it? You being part of the team?”
“I’m hardly that!” Ianto scoffed. “They don’t even notice me half the time, the other half its ‘Ianto, bring me my coffee’ or ‘Ianto, the SUV needs cleaning’ or ‘Ianto, dry clean my coat for me’.” He did a bad imitation of an American accent. “I’m a bloody Butler as far as they’re concerned.”
“Isn’t that what you asked for?”
Ianto glowered “I didn’t expect to be a bloody skivvy!” he retorted.
“But you’re liking them?”
Ianto paused “Actually, yes. It’s a mad house but yes. Do you know what happened this week? Suzie…”
“That’s the one whose been experimenting with that glove thing yeah?”
“Yeah…well, she went nuts and killed herself. This lass from the police, Gwen…”
“The one you had to mind-wipe?”
“Yeah, her, well, the mind-wipe didn’t work. She came looking and Susie confronted her. Apparently the murders didn’t just happen. It was Suzie, experimenting with the knife and the glove.” Ianto shook his head “She was making her own victims to test it out on. Its mad. And Jack…”
“Your boss?”
“Yeah, Jack gave Gwen Suzie’s job, just like that. I tell you, its mad, just mad.”
“But you like them though?”
“I just…I don’t like lying to anyone. If they find out, they’ll never forgive me.”
Gary sighed and patted his arm. “Don’t worry. When the doctor gets here, things will work out. I’m sure of it. One way or another.”
“That’s what worries me.”
Week Four:
“NO WAY! No fucking way Ianto! I can’t!”
“Please Gary. Lisa isn’t well. I can’t leave her. I can’t risk losing this job either. If I call in sick, someone might check up on me…” he sounded desperate.
“But…God Yan, they’ll know. He’ll know!”
“Gary, please! I can’t…can’t do this alone…” the desperation on Ianto’s face was plain.
Gary sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation “Alright, alright! What do you want me to do?”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Jack stood at the door of his office watching the others arrive that morning. Owen was less than his best after what appeared to have been a good night out.
“Work your magic Ianto, I think Owen’s going to need it this morning.” He grinned as the young man arrived through the cog door. Ianto looked at him.
That’s Jack.
Ianto nodded at Jack, holding his breath as he headed off towards the kitchen. Why had he not been told how gorgeous the man was? Those blue eyes, burning through him… he felt certain they would have seen right through the deception being perpetrated but they had not. At least, it didn’t seem that way.
He made everyone coffee and returned, having taken a little longer than usual as the coffee machine needed a bit of working out, even with instructions. When he looked at someone, their name appeared helpfully in his vision.
That’s Gwen. Owen. Tosh.
Ianto looked at Gwen. White no sugar. He looked at Tosh. Same. He looked at Owen. Black, two sugars. Then at Jack. White two sugars. He handed out the appropriate coffees then retreated into the archives.
Don’t touch anything.
He grabbed a pen and a notepad and scribbled “So what do I do all day?”
Read something. Just stay there.
“How long for?”
I’ll tell you when to go get coffee again. You could write your book. Anything. Just stay away from Jack.
“Great, now you tell me!” he scribbled “I suppose it slipped your mind to tell me how gorgeous he is too?” there was a pause.
“I didn’t occur to me, I’m straight remember?”
He sighed. It was going to be a long day.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Hey, Ianto, the coffee’s not up to your usual standard!” Owen complained as he emerged from the autopsy room.
“Sorry. I think the coffee machine’s on the fritz.” He said carefully “I’ll get right on it.”
“Oh, OK then, I’ll let you off. I swear I didn’t touch it…honest.” Ianto grinned at him and Owen frowned slightly, retreating back into the autopsy room. He and Ianto had a verbal sparring match almost every day. Ianto never grinned at him.
He had brought the pad and pen up from the archives with him as two-way communication was out. The contact lenses he was wearing only gave visual, not audio, feedback. They were something Ianto had brought with him from the Torchwood 1 archives and decided to try. At least using them meant he could give out directions as well as monitor what was happening in the Hub from the computer at the flat. The words appeared as a heads up in front of the wearer’s eyes. Lip reading software allowed him to interpret what was being said.
“Ianto, a word.” Jack said and wandered into his office.
“Yes Sir.” He replied and dutifully followed.
“How are you Ianto?” Jack asked suddenly.
“I’m…fine, Sir.”
“You seem a bit distracted.”
“Sorry Sir.”
“Anything wrong?”
“My…sister isn’t well Sir. I’m a bit worried, that’s all.”
“Didn’t think you two were that close?”
“She’s my sister Sir, she’s still family…and she has two kids…its very stressful for her.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“They don’t know yet…tests, you know?”
“Yeah, right. Look, if you need time off, let me know.”
“Thank you Sir.”
“And Ianto?”
“Sir?”
“Get the coffee machine fixed. Owen is driving me nuts!”
0o0o0o0o0oo0
“Jack, can I have a word?”
“Of course Gwen, what is it?”
“Is Ianto alright?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, nothing I can put my finger on. Just doesn’t seem to be himself today. I called his name twice and he ignored me. He couldn’t seem to find his PDA and Tosh said he didn’t seem to know how to switch on his computer…”
“He told me his sister is ill.” Jack explained “They’re doing tests and they don’t yet know what’s wrong with her. Sounds to me like he’s distracted by that. He’s probably worried.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t think they were all that close.”
“Me either. But you sometimes don’t know what people mean to you until they’re in trouble…”
“Well, Tosh and I are keeping an eye on him, just in case…”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“That did not go well!” Gary threw his coat off and flopped down on the sofa, kicking off his shoes and leaning back into the padded leather. It felt good to be home, although the shirt collar felt tight on him. He wasn’t used to wearing a suit.
“It went just fine. They all think I’m distracted by my sick sister so they’ll put down any odd behaviour to worry, as if they’re going to care…”
“I think you’ll find they care more than you give them credit for. All I can say is, I’m just glad that’s over.”
“Gary, Lisa still isn’t well right now. I can’t just leave her…”
“Yan, I can’t do this again, they’re already suspicious!”
“Look, ask for time off tomorrow, OK? Jack will give it to you, me, us…whatever.” Ianto sat back “OK. Look, leave asking for time off, I’ll do it. Lisa should be fine in a couple of days. I’ll go back and they won’t be any the wiser. Relax.”
“I must have been mad to get involved in this in the first place…”
“I do appreciate it Gary. You know I do…we do.”
“OK, but this is the last time, no more. Understood?”
“I promise. Just tomorrow, no more.” Ianto adjusted the feed on one of the drip lines that carried nutrients into Lisa’s bloodstream “Hopefully, she’s be fine soon.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Ah, that’s better. Got the coffee machine back on line then?” Owen said appreciatively. Ianto looked at him with a frown.
“Was it ever ‘off-line’?” he muttered and disappeared to give Jack his coffee.
“You OK this morning Ianto?” Jack asked. Ianto put down the coffee mug and looked at him.
“Yes Sir.”
“Good. Any news on your sister?”
“No Sir, nothing yet.”
“Well, I hope…” he paused. What did he hope? “…hope she’ll be OK” he added.
“Thank you Sir” Ianto went to the door. “Would it be possible to have a few days off, do you think, Sir?”
“Should think so, when did you have in mind?”
“Thursday and Friday? Just looking to make a long weekend out of it. Johnny’s asked me if I can babysit the kids…”
“I see, ‘uncle’ Ianto. OK then, shouldn’t be a problem. Bright and early Monday morning though.”
“Yes Sir.” And Ianto made his way down to the archives to catch up on the work that Gary hadn’t done the last couple of days.
Week Five:
“Jack, can I have a word?”
“Yes Tosh, but if its about Ianto he just found out his sister’s got cancer and he’s a bit upset about it, OK?” The young man had reported as much first thing on arriving that morning.
“Well, that’s not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.” She came in a sat down. “Fire away.” Jack invited and Tosh fixed him with a look.
“A couple of days ago, I suggested to Ianto we surprise Gwen with a cake for her birthday.”
“Nice idea.”
“Well, when I talked to him about it this morning, it was as if I’d never said anything.”
“So, his sister’s ill, it probably slipped his mind.”
“Jack, this is Ianto we’re talking about. Even distracted, things don’t just slip his mind.” Tosh leaned forwards “Look, Jack, the coffee is still not up to scratch. Twice last week, three times this week. The coffee machine has gone wrong before and he stripped it down and had it back up and running in two hours. He could do it blindfold.”
“OK, so what are you saying, that Ianto is not Ianto?”
“I don’t know Jack. I really don’t. He also seems to have forgotten how to access stuff on his computer too. He’s putting on a good show but I’ve been watching him. Twice last week and three times this. He’s just not…not Ianto.”
“Was the coffee crap on the same days that he was crap on the computer?”
Tosh looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. “Now you mention it, I think so” She frowned.
Jack sighed “Well, if he’s not Ianto, then who is he?” he said exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air “Maybe he has good days and bad days…I don’t know. OK OK, I’ll keep an eye on him as well, as if there wasn’t enough to do…You see anything else, you tell me, OK?”
What troubled Jack more than anything after Tosh had gone was the fact that he had to admit that he simply didn’t know Ianto well enough to come to any kind of judgement about what was and wasn’t out of character for the man. Tosh knew him better than most, having struck up something of a friendship with him over the last few weeks. Regrettably, Jack couldn’t say the same. He watched Ianto hand out coffee and knew that he had to try to make more of an effort to get to know him. Well, that wouldn’t be a chore, the young man was good looking after all.
Week Six:
“What the hell did you say to him yesterday?” Ianto ranted as he arrived back at the flat. Gary turned to look at him, a worried frown drawing his brows together.
“Nothing, I swear. He just wanted to get to know you, I told you that.”
“Get to know me! What did you do, lead him on?”
“No, not at all. Why? Look Ianto, I swear I never said or did anything. All he asked was could he have a chat and I said I had to get off early as I was babysitting and could it wait til tomorrow. He said OK, end of story…why? What happened?”
“What happened?! What happened…” Ianto ran a hand through his hair “He was coming onto me, that’s what happened! I’m straight Gary, straight! I can’t handle this…”
“What did he do exactly?”
“We were talking, I was making coffee, he was doing his usual touchy-feely thing, you know, getting up close and personal, hand on my back, just about breathing down my neck! He smells so…so damned good! Its not fair.” Ianto was distraught. “I love Lisa…Not him. But its been so long… God, Gary, what’s happening to me?”
“Calm down. Look, it isn’t that bad. If you like, I’ll go in tomorrow, set him straight? How would that be?” Blue eyes locked gazes.
“You’d do that? But I thought you said…”
“Yes, I know but look, I’m not bothered by it, I can handle it. I can deflect him for you. Have you worked out how to get Lisa in yet?”
“I found some old schematics of the complex. There’s one access route that might work. We’d need to get in from the far end, via the shooting range…”
“When do you want to try it?”
“As soon as possible. Dr Tanizaki will be here soon and he can’t work here.”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Ianto?”
“Yes Sir.”
“I just love it when you call me that.”
“Always happy to be of service…”
“Come here…” and Jack went into his office.
“What can I do for you Sir?”
“Stop calling me 'Sir' for one thing. Non of the others do.”
“OK…Jack. What else can I do for you?”
“That” Jack drawled “is a very leading question.” He stepped up close, looking Ianto in the eye. His eyes were dark blue, his scent intoxicating.
“S…Jack?” he met Jack's gaze.
“Ianto?”
“What can I do for you? I have work to complete…work you asked me for?”
“Did I? Did I also tell you how good you look in a suit?”
“Yes Sir, frequently.”
“That’s good. I should always try to let you know how much I appreciate you.”
“Sir, if there isn’t anything else, I do need to get on…”
“Ianto, if there is anything I can do for you…” he leaned close, one hand on the wall, the other stuffed deep in his pocket as if trying to resist the urge to touch. He was looking into Ianto’s eyes as he was backed against the wall in front of him. Ianto looked at him. He was deliberately giving him a way out. He had not blocked his way to the door. He was testing him, to see if he would leave, or stay…
Ianto looked deeply into the eyes now regarding him from six inches away.
“Ianto, you’re very relaxed about this…”
“Sir?”
“Well, yesterday, you practically ran for cover…”
Ah, oops, this could prove awkward. “Yesterday I was not myself Sir. I had a headache and I was…tired…”
“I see. So today…you don’t have a headache and you’re…”
“…not tired, no Sir.”
“I see. So if I did this…” he leaned in and pressed his lips to Ianto’s eliciting a soft moan. “…you wouldn’t object?”
“Sir…This is…awkward." It was becoming difficult to think, never mind object. He was supposed to be deflecting him for God’s sakes. "Sir, I can’t…”
“You just did.” Jack leaned in again and pressed their mouths together, deepening the kiss. The response was gratifying but Ianto suddenly pulled away and hastily straightened his tie.
“I…I’m sorry…Sir…I shouldn’t…” Oh, this would get him in so much trouble. “I forgot...I…have a phone call to make…” and he fled. Jack frowned, unable to work out what had spooked the young man. He just seemed to be making progress, then it all changed. He just couldn’t work him out.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Oh, tell me you didn’t” Ianto said when Gary explained.
“Sorry, what could I do? Look, he gets near me and I can’t think straight! Its that smell. Nobody has a right to smell that good!”
“I know, OK, I know. Look, I thought you were going to try to deflect him, not encourage him.”
“Ianto, do you actually know how hard this is for me? This gorgeous guy has got the hots for me, for me, Ianto…”
“Me actually. I believe he is under the impression, misguided or otherwise, that you are me, so its me he fancies, not you…”
“Do not be so sure of that…”
“Look, this is beside the point. I don’t happen to want him to be attracted to either of us! Please, do me a favour and don’t let it happen again. We have to move her and tonight is as good a time as any.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight. You got a problem?”
“You know he never leaves…”
Ianto sighed “Yes, I know…”
“So how do we get passed that?”
“We’ll just have to be careful.”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“That’s odd”
“What’s matter Tosh?” Gwen wandered over and peered over her friend’s shoulder.
“See there, internal power drain. We’ve been having them for a couple of hours now.”
“Where from? Should we tell Jack?”
“Should you tell Jack what?” Jack said, coming up behind them.
“Power drain, can’t seem to pinpoint the location…”
“What could be causing it?” Gwen wondered.
“Something big to drain that amount of power. Tosh, run a system diagnostic…” Jack suggested.
“Actually we’ve been having generator problems all evenin’," ianto pipped up from the kitchen "I was down there checkin’ earlier, couple of bits of cabling come loose. Thought I’d fixed it.” He said hurriedly. Disconcertingly everybody stopped and looked at him “Let me have another look?”
“Fine, go check…” Jack said.
“Want some help?” Gwen offered but Ianto called a negative and was off at a run downstairs into the archives.
Jack and Gwen exchanged a look but said nothing and went their respective ways.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Ianto?” Gary appeared at the door to the holding cell two levels down and stopped “Wow, you’ve worked fast…” the room was arrayed with the conversion unit and all the equipment they had transferred from the flat, Lisa was again laid flat on the bed and her chest was rising and falling gently.
“Everything is in place.” Ianto said, clipping some wires together and standing back.
“We had a problem. Tosh detected some power fluctuations. Have you got it under control?”
“Think so. I was hooking stuff up, that might be what caused it. I’ll go over it again though. How goes it up there?”
“OK. Jack seems to have got the picture about you…”
“Damn well hope so.”
“It’s a shame, I could do with some of that. He’s bloody gorgeous, you lucky sod.”
“Well you can have him. I’m not interested.” Ianto stopped and glared at Gary “On the other hand, you’d better not, he’ll get ideas.”
Gary laughed “Its not so bad you know, once you get used to it. Its good to know your partner likes the same things you do…”
Ianto swotted the man, exasperated “For God’s sake Gary, don’t. Wrong time, wrong place.”
“OK, sorry, but give the man a chance eh? He’s making an effort.”
“I’ve been here weeks, Gary, weeks. Nobody has made an effort during that time. I clear up their shit and that’s the way they like it, no questions asked. Nobody has ever asked me about my life!” He looked back at Lisa “They did this to her.” He said, anger in his tone “Torchwood, they did this. Bloody Yvonne Hartman and her experimenting. The trouble is that Torchwood meddles in stuff it doesn’t understand! Instead of consigning stuff to the archives Torchwood is obsessed with finding out how it works and what it does, to the point where it will endanger anyone and anything foolish enough to get in the way! The battle of Canary Wharf was between Darleks and Cybermen, Cybermen brought through from an alternate reality by Torchwood’s experimenting with a Darlek Void Ship, something they knew nothing about and insisted on trying to break open despite the Doctor’s objections…”
“Which doctor was this, someone who worked there?”
“No, no, he’s…someone they should have listened to, someone who knew what was going on.” Ianto was staring thoughtfully at Lisa. “You’d better get back. Tell them you’ve sorted it. Dr Tanizaki will be here in a few days, then everything will be OK.”
“Ianto? You know he might not…”
Ianto was shaking his head “I have to keep believing Gary, I can’t think about any other outcome yet…understand?”
Gary nodded “Yes, mate, I understand.” And he went back upstairs to let them know things were resolved.
Week Seven:
“Jack, this is getting ridiculous.” Tosh was standing in the office doorway looking very confused. “Have you been at the CCTV feeds again?”
“No, why?”
“Its just…well, there must be a problem….Ianto is pictured on two separate monitors, different parts of the Hub, but at the same time. There’s no way he could do that.”
“Have you checked diagnostics?”
“It tells me the whole thing is running fine. Nothing is showing.”
“Run the tests again and patch me the CCTV clips will you? I want to see them myself.”
“OK, but you’ve been warned. There’s nothing…”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Gary, I need you here.”
“What, now? I was just about to go for a shower.”
“Look, I’ve just had a text to say Dr Tanizaki will be here soon. I can’t leave Lisa, I need you to meet him at the door for me. Look, they think I’ve gone out. Can you just come down in the next half hour?”
“OK, what, do I just come in and hang around until he arrives?”
“Yes, order pizza for us or something, then show him down here. I’m having trouble with the respirator, I can’t let that fail on her, she’ll die…”
“OK, no worries, I’ll just get a quick wash then I’m there.”
Gary arrived by the Tourist Office, through the secret door and down in the lift. He punched in Ianto’s code and waited while the cog door opened. A burst of laughter and breathless cries assailed his ears and he watched as the rest of the team played an impromptu basket ball game. They ignored him, Owen caught the ball and dropped it through the net from his position on the balcony above, then they all piled out, muttering about losers and unfair moves and rematches. Without a word Jack casually threw the ball to him as he passed. Gary caught it and the door rolled shut on their departure.
When Dr Tanizaki arrived Gary rushed down the stairs to meet him. He had just finished ordering pizza for himself and Ianto. Greeting him formally, Gary showed him downstairs to where Lisa was situated. He gave a small excuse to leave and exchanged places with Ianto, then went back up to the Hub leaving Ianto to deal with things. Eventually, Gary saw Ianto and the doctor bringing Lisa upstairs to the autopsy room. He listened in at a distance and heard them as they worked on allowing her to breath for herself. For a moment it sounded touch and go, then came the sounds of success as it worked and she began to breath on her own.
Jack was downing his third glass of water, drinking to be sociable really, as Owen managed his third pint and Gwen and Tosh both finished their second vodka and tonics. Jack was frowning, his brain trying to decipher what was bothering him.
“What’s matter Jack, you look like you forgot something?” Tosh said.
“Can’t put my finger on it.” He frowned “and I don’t like that…”
“Oh come on Cap’n” Owen grinned “Can’t be that important.”
“You look like you’re trying to remember somebody’s name?” Gwen said “Rhys looks like that when he can’t remember somebody’s name. Bugs him for hours sometimes.”
“I know what you look like.” Tosh said helpfully “You know when someone says, what’s different about me? And you can’t tell? I hate that. He looks like that.”
Jack focussed on her and suddenly it hit him, right between the eyes.
“That’s it. Tosh you’re a genius!” he got to his feet “Come on, lets get back, I knew something wasn’t right.”
“Care to tell us what that is then?” Owen asked.
“Not here.” And he was gone, striding out into the night.
The others exchanged puzzled glances and hurried after him, Owen throwing the remains of his pint down his neck before running after them.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Sitting at Ianto’s work station, Gary became aware that the CCTV feeds were showing four familiar figures returning to the Hub across the square.
“Ianto!” he called into the communicator in his ear. “Do you hear me, they’re coming back…”
Ianto and the doctor hurriedly got Lisa to her feet. Gary saw them in the doorway of the autopsy room, Lisa leaning on the doctor, looking back at Ianto “I’m alive” he heard her say in wonder and then they struggled to get her back down into hiding. Gary dashed across as Lisa, leaning heavily on the doctor, disappeared through the door to the lower levels.
“Ianto, get after them, I’ll clear this.” He said urgently.
“No, I know what I’m doing here…you get up to the boardroom, make like you’re cleaning…Distract them, make them all coffee when they get back.” And Gary had obeyed him.
0o0o0o0o0o0
“It Ianto” Jack said as they went back across Roal Dahl Plas towards the Hub.
“What’s the Tea Boy done now?” Owen sighed.
Jack stopped so quickly Gwen ran into the back of him.
“Oof, Jack! Did you have to?”
“Sorry.” He reached to steady her “Look, its all adding up. Tosh, you said he didn’t seem to know how to use his computer. Gwen, you told me he ignored you. Owen, the coffee wasn’t up to scratch only we all know Ianto can mend that machine in his sleep. He couldn’t find his PDA, he’d forgotten about the cake for Gwen…”
“Cake? For me?”
“Oops, sorry. Tosh’s idea, for your birthday…”
Tosh glowered but Gwen said “Tosh, that was so sweet, thank you sweetheart…”
Owen cleared his throat noisily “Er, can we get back on track…?”
“Sorry, yes…” Gwen dragged her attention back.
“What I’m trying to say is, nothing adds up. Ianto has been acting like two different people and it can’t be about his sister or he’d be permanently distracted. You can’t be that worried one day and not the next…”
“And there’s that business with the monitors and CCTV feeds showing him in two places at once.” Tosh said.
“I thought we had a computer glitch.” Jack said “What if it wasn’t?”
“That would mean there were two Iantos.” Owen said “Please God, tell me that isn’t true. Two Tea Boys?”
“Or a doppleganger.” Jack said. “When he came in just now, he was wearing different clothes. Like Tosh said, I was wondering what was different and that was it. Ianto was wearing a different suit.”
“Sooo? What does that prove, he went home and changed?”
“Why change everything? Doesn’t make sense. And something else. Do any of you actually remember Ianto leaving today?” There was a silence as they all tried to remember.
“He said he was going shopping…” Tosh remarked.
“But did he actually go?” Jack looked at their blank faces. “If he was going shopping, where’s the shopping? He was empty handed when he arrived just now. I know he was, he caught the ball I threw. Tosh, the Hub logs all exits and entries. Run a check on it and see if he actually left. Gwen, bring up the CCTV and locate him. Owen, prep for restraint if necessary. I don’t know what it is, but he’s up to something.”
“OK Boss” Owen was thinking “I guess if you join this up with all the other stuff, it does look a bit odd.”
“Does he know, do you think?” Tosh speculated.
“Not sure how he can’t. Where was he on the days when the other one was around?”
“You don’t think we’re just jumping at shadows here?” Gwen said with a frown.
“This is Torchwood Gwen, the shadows are usually real?”
“OK, just suggesting…”
“Question is why and what do we do about it?”
“Do what we always do when we suspect a member of the team, act nonchalant.” Owen said “We can’t risk letting him know.”
“Do you suspect members of the team regularly then?” Gwen wanted to know but she was ignored.
Jack took a deep breath “Explains something else too…” and he began to walk back towards the Hub’s invisible lift.
When they arrived, everybody went to their respective work places and got on with things.
“Ianto, could you work some coffee magic?” Jack asked, hands together as if in prayer. Ianto nodded nervously and went off to the kitchen.
Tosh was flying through the entry records, several windows up simultaneously as she worked through the entry and exit log for the last few hours as well as for the days she knew Ianto had been recorded in two different places in the Hub, trying to complete it before Ianto got back with their coffee.
Gwen ran through CCTV feeds trying to locate Ianto and came up with something very odd. She immediately went to tell Jack, finding herself shoulder to shoulder with Tosh, who was also on her way.
“So ladies, what have we got?”
“Ianto didn’t leave the building. He arrived twice as far as the log is concerned.” Tosh said "You might like to know that the days I saw him twice on CCTV the logs are the same, only arrived once and didn't leave."
“We know he’s in the kitchen…" Gwen said "...and I spotted him walking through the lower level tunnels just now, at the same time, and some of the CCTV feeds are out on the second level and some of the recent footage has been deleted.”
Jack felt the frisson travel down his back. “Two of them?” he said “And Ianto didn’t leave the building?” he glanced between Tosh and Gwen. “Peachy.” He said “That means we have both of them here, now.”
“Jack, that’s not all.” Tosh said “We have two more life signs I can’t identify, downstairs, lower levels, where the CCTV feeds are off. They’re old holding cells apparently.”
Jack thumbed his communicator, then paused and took it out. “He’ll be listening.” He said “Tosh, go get Owen, we need to talk. Now.”
When the coffee arrived, the four of them were in Jack's office and he had just finished telling them off for over spending. At least they all looked contrite and a little sheepish.
“Won’t do!” Jack said as the coffee arrived “I have to account for every penny. Keep the receipts people.” He took his mug “Ah, great, your usual great brew I hope. Coffee machine OK now?”
“Hope so Sir.” Came the reply.
“That’s good.” He took a sip. Nope, definitely sub-standard. Goddamn, now he was having to tell them apart by their coffee? He smiled and glanced at Owen.
Gary didn’t see it coming. The taser hit him in the back, the volts ripping through him, paralysing him. He dropped to the floor, muscles spasming painfully, breath knocked out of him. They stood over him while the charge wore off, then Owen dragged his arms behind him and snapped the restraints on, hauling him upright to sit in the chair.
“One down, one to go.” Jack said.
In the basement, Ianto felt a sharp pain down his spine. He dropped doctor Tanizaki’s body, knowing it was all going wrong, disintegrating before his eyes. Lisa, far from being cured, was slipping away from him, the Cyberman mentality overwhelming Lisa’s personality. He had got back down there to find she had killed Tanizaki in a mistaken attempt to ‘upgrade’ him to thank him for saving her. Now he knew by the pain he felt that they had got to Gary too. He picked Tanizaki up again and dragged him away, intent on hiding him. Although what the point was now, he wasn’t sure…
In the office, Gary didn’t see much of the rest of what happened. The next he knew, Ianto was being forced into the Hub at gun point, the place was in lock-down and everything had gone haywire. They hadn’t shackled his ankles so Gary made his way unsteadily out of Jack's office and into the Hub, hearing Myfanwy screech overhead. Suddenly, they all walked in, Jack with one hand gripping Ianto’s shoulder, the other training his Webley on him.
“Tosh, get everything from the weapons room, fast as you can!” Jack snarled.
“Its locked down tight…there’s no manual override!” she replied desperately.
“Just open the store!” he turned to Ianto “On your knees!” Jack forced him down “Hands above your head!”
“Jack, for god’s sake what are you doing?” Tosh began to protest, her voice shrill.
“Tosh, I gave you an order. Gwen, help her!” he barked and turned on Ianto “Did you know that thing was down there?”
“I put her there.” Ianto admitted.
“We put her there!” Gary shouted. Jack's gun swung round, pointing at him. Ianto looked up and groaned. “Its OK bro’.” Gary said, facing Jack down.
“Get over here, on your knees, next to him!” he ordered, gesturing with the gun. Gary did as he was asked, kneeling close, letting Ianto lean against him. The other man felt close to collapse.
“You hid a cyberman in Torchwood and you didn’t tell us?” Jack shouted “What the hell is going on here? Who are you?” he asked “Which of you is Ianto?”
“He is.” Gary said.
“So who the hell are you?”
“Gareth Jones. I’m his twin…”
“Twin?” Jack was startled by the simplicity. They were identical. There was no record of Ianto having a twin. He’d probably kept that secret too. “What else are you hiding from us?!” Jack growled.
“What do you care?!” Ianto burst out “I clear up your shit!” Ianto’s eyes challenged him “No questions asked and that’s the way you like it. When did you last ask me anything about my life…all you’ve ever done is tried to get into my pants!” he accused “Her name’s Lisa, she’s my girlfriend…” he sounded close to breaking.
“Why didn’t you tell us, we could have helped you” Gwen interrupted.
“Torchwood exists to destroy alien threats. Why would I tell you about her?”
“A little loyalty perhaps?” Owen suggested, holding his head. He looked like he'd been in a fight.
“My loyalty’s to her.” Ianto snapped back “She worked for Torchwood. She was caught up in battle. I owe it to Lisa, we…owe it to her…to find a cure.”
“Dr Tanizaki?” Gary asked but Ianto shook his head.
“She killed him” he sobbed.
“Ianto, you have to believe me, there is no cure.” Jack's voice was almost compassionate but he was also furious “Those who are converted stay that way. Your girlfriend will not be the exception!”
“You can’t know that for sure…”
“You both need to know what's happening here, because this is where these things start. Small decisions that become mass slaughter! These creatures regain a foothold by exploiting human weakness, then they take a base, rebuild their forces and before you know it, the cyber race is spreading out across the universe, erasing worlds and assimilating populations, all because of the tiny beginnings here!” his voice was fierce and his eyes flashed angrily “We need to stop her, together!”
Ianto stood up unsteadily “You’re not listening to me! The cyber conversion was never completed…” Ianto said desperately.
“She’s already tried to kill Gwen, you think she’s going to stop there? There is no turning back for her now!”
“I’m not giving up on her!” Ianto moaned “I love her…Can you understand that Jack, haven’t you ever loved anybody?”
“You’ve got to figure out whose side you’re on here, because if you don’t know, you’re not going to make it out of this alive…”
“Let me talk to her, I can still save her, save all of us, she’s not a monster!”
Sudden thudding of metal on metal made them turn. Ianto struggled to his feet. Gary watched helplessly.
“Lisa, its me…” he pleaded, walking towards her. One of the girls protested but Jack held her back.
“The army will be rebuilt from here” she said, her voice synthesised and metallic.
“Who are you?” Jack called.
“Human point two.”
“So how come you look like human point one?” he said gently.
“Remember Lisa” Ianto pleaded “Remember who you are.”
“The upgrade isn’t complete.” She said, seeing her reflection.
“You’re still human!” Ianto insisted.
She grimaced “I am…disgusting…I have…I am…wrong.”
“We can help you” Ianto reassured.
“I must start again.” She said “Upgrade properly!”
“For God’s sake, have you heard yourself? Lisa please, I brought you here to heal you. So we could be together…”
She turned and smiled at him as if a vestige of the old Lisa remained “Together” she said “Yes, transplant my brain into your body. The two of us, together, fused.” Ianto’s face crumpled, despair rising “We’ll be one complete person, isn’t that what love is?”
Ianto shook his head in weeping denial “No” he said in a small voice.
“Then we. are not. compatible!” she snapped.
Gary saw her exchange words with Ianto who tried to reason with her. To Gary’s horror, when that failed she grabbed Ianto round the throat and then hurled him across the water trough below the fountain. He fell with a sickening thud and didn’t move. Jack brought his gun up but Lisa lifted her arm and a bolt of lightning shot out, crackling down Jack's arm. Jack's body convulsed, hit the floor and lay still. Tosh had the door of the weapon locker open and dashed through. Owen dragged Gwen after him and they fled into the autopsy room. Manacled as he was, Gary could do very little and shrank back against the wall, horrified eyes on where his brother lay, silent and unmoving. The twin link he had with Ianto meant that the pain Ianto felt had affected him too, leaving him weak and breathless. It had happened since childhood, that special link that told them both when the other was hurting or in trouble. It had saved both of them more than once, hindered them on rare occasions.
Lisa stomped off, and Gary dragged himself over to Jack. The man wasn’t breathing. Dead? He was shocked. He had no idea what to do. Just as he was about the try getting to Ianto, Jack took a great gasp of breath and sat up, eyes staring wildly at him. Startled, Gary shrank back but Jack holstered his gun and reached for him, snapping the restraints.
“Thank you…” he said, reaching to help him but Jack ignored him and went immediately to Ianto and turned him over. Gary jumped to help and together they manhandled Ianto onto his back. Jack felt for a pulse and then pressed his lips to Ianto’s. For anxious seconds, nothing happened, then Ianto took a shuddering breath. Jack pressed his fingers to the man’s lips to quiet him and glanced at them both.
Then he was off, leaving them there. Gary grabbed Ianto and hugged him fiercely.
“Thought you were…”
“Well, I’m not. Help me…”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Outside, in the dark rain damp air of Cardiff city, everything seemed surreal. Gary stood with the others, his brother struggling against him, as they tumbled off the invisible lift beneath the fountain. Jack had already died twice and aimed not to do so again. The whole thing was a shambles. Jack had sprayed ‘barbeque sauce’ all over Lisa while holding her back with a welding torch. It was the stuff they used to tell their pterodactyl, Myfanwy, what she could eat. They had left her to attack Lisa, to do the killing for them.
Tosh was running towards them, arms outstretched, shouting “It worked!" then she looked them over and asked "What happened?” she stumbled up to them as Ianto tore away from him and landed a vicious upper cut to Jack's jaw, sending the other man reeling. “You could have saved her!” he cried “You’re worse than anything locked up down there! One day, I’ll have the chance to save you, and I'll watch you suffer and die!”
“It was the only thing that would stop her!” Jack shouted at him. Gary and Owen held the two of them apart.
“Listen!” Tosh interrupted, speaking to Jack “When I was in reception, I managed to trick the lock-down timer, it should be coming back on any second, we can get back in…”
Ianto ran. He was so fast even Gary couldn’t catch him and he knew what was in Ianto’s head a spilt second before he actually did it.
“Ianto! Gary!” Jack called, taking off after them, the others following in their wake. “Ianto, stop!” Jack roared. He was heading down for the boardwalk towards the tourist office, intent on getting back into the Hub.
Ianto grabbed the hidden gun from its secure place under the counter, hit the button to activate the secret door and dashed for the opening, by which time the others caught up with him. He held the gun on them as they barrelled in, encompassing even his twin in the action.
“Ianto, don’t be stupid!” Gwen cried, holding out her hands towards him, trying to placate.
“I’ve got nothing left to lose…” he panted.
“Ianto, there’s always something left to lose.” Jack urged him.
"Ianto, please, listen!" Gary said, his voice tinged with desperation. He hated seeing Ianto in such a mess.
“I’m going back in to save her, anybody tries to stop me, I’ll shoot them!” his eyes caught Gary’s, anguished and apologetic.
Jack took his chance and lunged forward, knocking the gun from Ianto’s hand, slamming his head against the door and drawing his Webley. He held it to Ianto’s head.
“Jack, no!” Gary cried.
“You make a threat like that, you better be prepared to follow it through” Jack said “See? You disobey me now, I really will shoot you!”
“Get off me!” Ianto growled.
“You wanna go back in there?” Jack asked fiercely “You go back in to finish the job. If she’s still alive, you execute her.” His voice was little more than a snarl.
“No way…” Ianto moaned.
“Jack, you can’t load that on him!” Gary shouted.
“You brought this down on us, you hid her, both of you! You hid yourself from us, you deceived us!” Jack's anger was rising again. “Now its time for you, Ianto, to stand as part of the team.”
“Jack.” Gwen reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, asking for moderation in a situation she knew had non. Surprisingly, she felt him gain a measure of control.
“The girl you loved has gone. Your loyalty is to us now.” Jack continued.
“You can’t order me to do that.” Ianto shook his head in denial.
Jack's next words were pure venom. “You execute her or I’ll execute you both!”
“I won’t do it, you can’t make me” Ianto insisted. “You like to think you’re a hero, but you’re the biggest monster of all!”
“I’m giving you ten minutes, then we’re comin’ in.” He backed off slightly “Pick it up!” he ordered, never taking his eyes of Ianto. Ianto glanced down, then made a dive for the gun and stood uncertainly by the door. Then he turned and disappeared through it. “And you will not get in the way this time!” Jack snarled at Gary, pointing the gun his way.
When they caught up with him, Ianto was in a total mess. Lisa, or what remained of her, lay on the floor, dead. A little pizza delivery girl, whom Gary had forgotten in the disaster which followed, had been ‘converted’, her brain replaced with Lisa’s own. Ianto was distraught, holding his gun on her. He hugged her to him, but despite the memories she recalled to him, it wasn’t Lisa and he knew it. He let her go, brought his gun up, but wavered, he couldn’t bring himself to finish it. The rest of the team stepped in, guns loud in the enclosed space. The girl convulsed, bullets shattering her body. She fell back, as dead as the conversion unit she landed on. Ianto dropped to his knees. Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Jack holstered their weapons and stood back, letting Gary through. He went to his brother, feeling the immeasurable pain the other man was in. He wrapped his arms around him and held on as Ianto wept.
Two weeks later:
“He lost her back at Canary Wharf, he just couldn’t accept that.” Jack said, watching Gary across the board room table.
“I’m sorry too, but you have to understand the twin link is not something that can be ignored. I had to do what I did. I couldn’t abandon him, them…”
“How is he? How are you both, come to that?”
“Recovering, I think. He’s still shaky. Me, I’m not sure…”
“Does he still think I’m a monster…?”
“Probably, but then, that’s Ianto. You have the hard job. You’re the leader.”
“Yeah, well, sometimes you have to make spot decisions…” he shrugged.
“So why didn’t you retcon the pair of us? I know he expected you to shoot him. He was expecting that for both of us. Took him a week to realise maybe that was a little extreme even for you.”
“Oh, I thought about it. Believe me, it did cross my mind. But in the end…he was right. I have known what it was like to love someone so much you’ll do stupid stuff…” he paused “And the others, they’re just as tenacious. Tenacity is one of the things I look for in new people. Ianto wouldn’t give up on trying to get a job with me. He was willing to risk anything. Now I know why, it doesn’t change things. He’s got loyalty, bags of it. So have you, you stuck to him, to both of them. You risked stuff because you love him. Tosh, she risked stuff because she loved her mum. Owen, he loved his lady too. Love causes all kinds of shit but its what keeps us going. It inspires loyalty, tenacity, integrity, compassion. That’s what I love about Gwen, she reminds us who these folks are who we’re trying to protect. She helps us keep our feet on the ground and the victims saved. That’s why we do this stuff in the first place or we’d have stood back and let this country be overrun with alien threats. You and Ianto, you’re both methodical, disciplined and you don’t give up on a thing. I need you both. If you’re willing to stay.”
“After all he…we did?”
“Because of all you did. Ianto Jones is an interesting man, worked for Torchwood 1 as archivist. We do need one of those. We do need someone to clear up after us and organise us and he’s second to non. Anyway, I gather you’re an interesting man too? Quantum Physicist? Published author at 24, university professor? You’re not hiding your light are you, Gareth Jones.”
“I was always the academic, he was the historian. He loves this job you know. He used to give me chapter and verse about Torchwood 1. Knew he shouldn’t but we’re twins. What he knew, I sort of knew too. Besides, he knew he could trust me. Ianto is a great guy, but I’m biased…”
“Yeah, I know. So, he’s the straight one eh? No wonder he spooked. But you…”
“Been bisexual since I don’t know when. Ianto accepted it easily, never bothered him. Mam nearly had a fit but Rhiannon, our sister, doesn’t know.”
“I gather she’s OK. She’s not really ill, is she?”
“No, it was our reason for the distraction…” he shrugged, “Ianto’s idea.”
“Nearly worked.” Jack regarded him “So, you…wouldn’t be averse to…” Jack shrugged “…us going to dinner somewhere maybe?”
“You really don’t waste time do you? For a man who can come back from the dead…”
“Hey, why wait?” Jack grinned. When he did that, showing teeth, he really was quite charming. Gary frowned “Let’s give it some time. Ianto is still recovering. He’s still fragile. I wouldn’t feel right…he still looks on you as the enemy.”
“Yeah, OK.” Jack sounded regretful at that.
“Look, why don’t you come over one night. Come to dinner. I’m not a bad cook. Ianto and I need to get to know you.”
“Would have thought I was the last person he’d want to see.”
“I think he needs to see you.”
“OK, if you think so, name the time and place.”
“Tomorrow night, my flat.”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Who’s that?” Ianto said as the doorbell rang.
“My date. Answer it, will you?” Gary stuck his head out of the kitchen and gestured with flour-covered hands “I can’t.”
“You didn’t tell me you had a date. I’d have gone out…”
“No need. Just let the guy in…”
Ianto levered himself up off the sofa and went into the hall. “Does this mean I’ll be hearing you shagging half the night?” he asked. If they were also in such proximity, it wouldn’t just be his ears that Gary was affecting. If they were in the throws of passion, the twin link opened them up to those sensations too. Ianto opened the door and stood as if pole-axed. “You…”
“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Jack said, studying Ianto’s face and taking a deep breath.
“You’re the date?”
“I am? Gareth invited me over for dinner…said you needed to talk to me.”
“Oh he did, did he?” Ianto stood back with a sigh “You’d better come in then.”
“You sure?”
Ianto nodded “Yes, I’m sure.”
“OK then.” And Jack moved past him into the hall. He handed him the bottle of red wine he had brought and Ianto took his coat and hung it up, guided him through to the open plan living room with the kitchen off one end. “Have a seat. Drink?”
“Beer if you have it. Thanks.” Jack sat down, noticing the real fire in the period grate, art nouveau tiles surrounding the fireplace. The 1930’s feel of the flat reminded him poignantly of another time and place.
“And what have you got to say for yourself?” he heard Ianto demand from the kitchen. Reaching for a beer from the fridge, he popped the top and glared at his brother. Gary grinned at him, good naturedly. “Come on Yan. Relax. He needs to talk to you, you need to talk to him. Just be yourself for God’s sake. Go take him his drink and chat to him.”
Ianto went back into the living room and handed the drink over. “Thanks” Jack said and looked at him quizzically “How are you Ianto?”
“I’m good. I’m…doing OK. Gary’s helping, I guess…” he shrugged.
“Good, that’s good. Any time you’re ready, you can come back to work. Has Gary told you?”
“Told me what?”
“I want both of you to work for me. You for your excellent organisational abilities, him for his out of the box thinking. Both of you for your no-nonsense tenacity and loyalty.”
“I’ve not been very loyal to you…”
“No but you’ve been loyal to him. You were loyal to Lisa too. Look Ianto, I am so sorry.” He stood up, closed the distance between them, took the other man in his arms “Please, I regret what happened. We should have made more effort to integrate you into the team.” He felt Ianto stiffen as his arms closed around the younger man, then he relaxed, arms coming round Jack's back in a hug.
“I wasn’t very encouraging on that score.” He mumbled into Jack's shoulder.
“Nobody’s fault then.” Jack pulled back “But I really do want you back.” He grinned as Gary came back into the room, sans flour, his black apron making him look like a very sexy Barista. “I miss your company, although I’ll take your coffee making skills over his.” And Gary pulled a face.
“Sorry, Ianto is just better at that than I am. But I’m the better cook!”
“Talking of which, I’m starving.” Jack said “When’s dinner?”
“Not long, promise…” Gary grinned.
Afterwards they sat on the sofa and talked. Midnight came and went, then Jack suddenly stood up. “I should go.”
“Why? Night’s not over yet.” Gary observed.
“It is for him.” Jack indicated Ianto who had dropped into a doze.
Gary smiled. “Better get him to bed.” His voice was affectionate and kind.
“You want a hand?” Jack offered.
“Thanks, he’s a bugger to lift…”
Jack bent and slipped an arm under Ianto’s legs, the other under his shoulders and hefted him into his arms, seemingly without much effort. Gary enjoyed the back view as Jack carried his brother into the bedroom and deposited Ianto on the bed. Then he turned to find Gary had come up behind him. “Don’t go.” The younger man said gently. “Please?”
Jack regarded him for a moment, then he relaxed “OK, why?”
“I’m enjoying your company? I find you incredibly hot and I’ve been trying to deflect you from Ianto for so long…I really didn’t want to deflect you from me…”
Jack smiled “That’s good. I’d like to stay….”
Neither knew who initiated the kiss but it was a pretty fair bet that it was the Captain even if only by a very short head. It was all tongues battling, teeth clashing and hands roaming. They collapsed onto the sofa, happily making out in the firelight. They were intent on staying there until a small voice from the bedroom drifted into their ears. “Gary? Where are you? You doing what I think you’re doing?”
Gary looked at Jack and frowned “It’s the twin link, it allows us to feel what the other is doing, especially the more intense emotions and sensations…like pain…and pleasure.” After shooting a silent but piercing look at Gary, both Jack's and Gary’s head appeared above the back of the sofa, looking directly into the room. What Gary saw made his heart twist. Ianto was standing in the doorway, looking tired and vulnerable.
“I really should go!” Jack stood and grabbed his shirt, intent on leaving, but surprisingly it was Ianto who grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Jack, no. If you go, Gary misses out…I know he likes you.”
Jack grinned “And I like him. I like you too, you know…but you don’t want me, do you?”
Ianto sighed “Look, I don’t hate you…you had to do what you did, I realise that…It was me who couldn’t let go…” He found himself engulfed in another bear hug, a soft kiss on his lips and Jack's eyes on his. He nodded, breathing in Jack's scent, his senses reeling pleasantly. He pulled himself back to reality. “I can take the spare room.” He murmured “I don’t want to get in his way…I owe him too much anyway….” He turned to go.
“Yan, don’t…” Gary caught him and turned him round to face him. “Yan, I can’t…”
Ianto smiled “Yes, you can.” He gave him a little push towards Jack “Go! Enjoy yourself…you damn well deserve it.”
Jack looked at them both. Two sets of blue eyes, identically trimmed dark brown hair, same voice…Almost, almost identical, but not quite. How could he be attracted to the shy Ianto over the more confident Gary? How could he prefer one twin to the other? He frowned. Didn’t make sense. Oh, he knew he could have fun with Gary, that went without saying, but Ianto…Jack sighed. With Ianto he felt something else. Truth be known he had already had fantasies involving both of them. Hell, he wouldn’t be the Jack he knew and loved if he hadn’t. He wished Ianto would unbend though. Trouble was, he couldn’t see it happening, ever. Ianto was straight, rigidly straight. Shrank from being touched, let alone molested.
He watched Ianto go into the spare bedroom and shut the door. He watched Gary turn a little disconsolately back to him and, gathering the younger man in his arms, took him to the sofa. They shed each other’s clothes, hands roaming, but Gary wasn’t with him. Jack cupped the young man’s face in his hands and said “Tell me, what is it?”
“I can’t Jack.” He said gently. “I can’t do this to him. If we…you and I, if we make love…he’s too close, he’ll not be able to avoid it.”
“He’ll feel it? All of it?”
“Yes. He’s too fragile…”
Jack looked over at the door to the other bedroom. This could not happen, he thought, he could not leave Ianto cold and alone in that room, not when there was a perfectly good king-sized bed in Gary’s room. It would mean putting things off, but what the hell, he found himself unable to inflict that on Ianto, even if he had been so noble as to just about push Gary into his arms.
Disengaging himself from Gary he pointed to Ianto’s door. “I want him to sleep with us then.” He said “Not to make love, he’s not ready for that. Just sleep, company.”
“You try persuading him then.” Gary said with an elegant shrug “And I don’t think you’ll get far like that.” He was grinning. Jack belatedly remembered he was buck naked and made a grab for his shirt. “Here.” Gary found a pair of sweat pants and threw them at him. He pulled them on and trotted to the door, knocking on it softly. He could hear snuffles and he opened the door, seeing Ianto seemingly asleep and facing the wall. He was tossing a little, asleep but obviously dreaming. Jack crossed on bare feet to the bedside and sat down. Asleep, he looked younger and more vulnerable. He reached a hand out and rested it on the bare shoulder, feeling Ianto still underneath his touch. The blue eyes opened and he rolled, surprise on his face.
“Shhh, sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you. You were dreaming.”
“I was? Oh, I was…” he frowned, as if trying to recall the dream, a shadow passing across his face.
“You OK?”
He took a deep breath. “No, not really…” he met Jack's eyes for a fraction of a second and looked away. “Where’s Gary?”
“Making coffee.”
“Maybe I should go make it…”
“You stay there.” Jack said firmly. “Its maybe not as good as yours” he whispered conspiratorially, “but its passable…” Ianto smiled.
“You two enjoy yourselves?” he asked.
“Hmm? Oh, no, we...” Jack frowned “Gary wouldn’t. Said you were too close.” He fell silent, watching Ianto’s face, his own expression serious. “I don’t want to hurt you Ianto.” He said softly. “I already have and I’m sorry for it but don’t stay away. Please. Come and sleep with us…it really feels like you two are not complete when one of you isn’t there, you know?”
Ianto regarded him as if trying to work out if he had just been fed a line. Then he sighed and threw back the covers. “Well,” he said exasperatedly “Some big American idiot keeps waking me up so I haven’t much choice…” and he smiled as Jack reached a hand to pull him to his feet.
Gary was surprised to see Ianto and Jack walk back in together. He quickly grabbed another mug and poured more coffee and Ianto accepted it gratefully.
“Look guys, just so you know.” Ianto said firmly “I’ll sleep with you, frankly I have no reason to want to be alone tonight….but please don’t try anything, OK?”
“Cross my heart…” Gary said fervently, like he always did, had always done since childhood. Cross my heart and hope to die. He usually meant it.
Jack laid a hand on his heart like a salute “Promise.” He said it seriously.
“OK then.” Ianto replied and went into the bedroom with his coffee mug cradled against his chest. Behind his back Gary exchanged a look with Jack which said ‘how did you manage it?’ and Jack grinned, picked up his own mug and followed Ianto into the bedroom.
Ianto awoke to find sunlight streaming through the curtains. He had a warm arm draped across his waist, was facing Jack, Gary at his back. Jack was looking at him, blue eyes shining, smile on his lips.
“I know…” he whispered “…I promised not to try anything, but I can’t resist.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ianto’s. It was a chaste kiss, nothing urgent or threatening, but it was a kiss. Surprisingly, Jack felt no resistance, no withdrawal, even (or was it his imagination?) encouragement. He blinked. One eyebrow rose questioningly. Ianto smiled. “It was a kiss.” He said “That’s not trying anything. At least, not where you’re concerned its not.”
Jack's smile broadened. “You’re an amazing man Ianto Jones.” He laughed and drew the man closer, into a gentle hug.
“Hey, lay off my brother!” came the warning growl “You promised.”
“He cheats, he always cheats.” Ianto said cheekily and crawled out of bed. “Who’s for proper coffee?” and ignored Gary’s aggrieved complaint behind him and Jack's chuckle.
“That’s nothing” Jack said “You want to see me when I play naked hide and seek!”
Neither of the twins found they wanted to pursue that one.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Ianto and Gareth started work the following week, Gary on a part-time basis to begin with because of his writing. Jack and Gwen were standing in the boardroom, looking down on the security gate as it opened to admit them. Ianto looked up with a shy and uncertain glance and Jack nodded to him, the ghost of a smile in place. Gary put his arm round Ianto’s shoulders and they both continued inside together. Gwen watched them both go off to the stairs to make coffee.
“You would never have shot them both, not really.” She said confidently.
“Wouldn’t I?” Jack responded.
“Would you have shot me if I’d gone to stand by them?”
“But you didn’t.” Jack evaded the question.
“If I had though.” Gwen said, pushing him.
“But you didn’t.” Jack said firmly, indicating he wouldn’t be drawn on the matter.
“Will they stay?” Gwen speculated and Jack shrugged, his expression quizzical. “All that deception, because he couldn’t bare to live without her…and his brother, loyal to a fault. Is it true, do you think, about the twin link? Do they actually feel each other’s pain?”
“Yeah, its true. At least, it is for those two.” Jack confirmed.
“So…” Gwen looked sidelong at Jack and asked “…have you ever loved anyone that much?”
Jack said nothing and just glanced back at her, unable or unwilling to reply.
“You know, when she had hold of you…I thought, just for a moment, I thought, maybe you could die after all…”
Jack turned to look at her “Wanna know a secret?” Gwen nodded and murmured an affirmative. “So did I and just for a second there I felt…sooo alive.” They both fell silent, watching Ianto and Gary below them as they began to clear up the mess of pizza boxes and coffee cups. They were in perfect accord and Jack began to wonder exactly how they would integrate into the team. Two Iantos. He shivered, his imagination working overtime. No, for now those two needed both time and a little space in which to heal. The only thing he was sure of was that things were about to get a whole lot more interesting…
- Main Torchwood slash page
- New stories page
- Jack/Ianto stories
- Ianto/Owen stories
- Other pairings stories - ie threesomes
- F/F stories
- Gen stories
- Amazon.com - Torchwood: Children of Earth
- Amazon.co.uk - Torchwood - Children of Earth [DVD] [2009]
- Amazon.ca link - Torchwood - The Complete First Season (7DVD)
