Title: The Castle
Author: Jigot
Rating: PG
Pairing: Vaguely Jack/Ianto
Characters: Whole team (Excluing Myfanwy)
A/N: Written for tw_calender. Oh, and the Victorian Christmas Tours are real - see http://www.cardiffcastle.com/castle.htm

***

Jack picked up a leaflet from the rack - 'Christmas in Cardiff' - and flicked absently through it as he waited for Ianto to finish giving directions to the two elderly tourists.  He had promised Ianto a quick drink before an evening of Weevil tracking and he was trying his best to be patient.

Eventually, after Ianto had given the tourists details of just about every hotel in Cardiff, or so it seemed to Jack, they went happily on their way.  Jack reached to put the leaflet back in the rack but a picture on the back page caught his eye.

'Hey Ianto, where's this?'

Ianto took the leaflet from Jack and glanced at the picture.  It showed the interior of a small room, simply furnished with a table and chair set in front of a fireplace.

'Cardiff Castle, sir.  It's advertising their Victorian Christmas Tours'.

'And this is a recent picture?'

'I believe so, it certainly wasn't on last year's publicity.  Would you like to go?  It's quite popular - it might be too late to get tickets.'

'Well, tickets or not, we're going to have to take a raincheck on that drink.'

---------

Twenty minutes later, Jack parked the SUV outside the Castle.  As he and Ianto got out, Gwen and Owen arrived in Gwen's car.

Jack touched his bluetooth.

'Tosh?  Are you ready?'

'All set Jack.  You've got tickets in Ianto's name and I'm monitoring the CCTV.'

'Thanks Tosh.  I'll let you know when we're ready.'

Owen and Gwen joined them, Owen's expression betraying his lack of enthusiasm for the impromptu outing.

'Come on then Jack, what are we here for?  Aren't we a bit old to visit Santa?'

Jack pulled the leaflet from his coat pocket and showed them the picture.

'You see that cylinder on the mantlepiece?  The one with the red markings?'

Owen scoffed.  'That's it?  You dragged us out here for that?'

'Hey, if you'd rather go chase some Weevils...'

Gwen glared at Owen.  'No, that's fine Jack.  A nice trip around the Castle is a great idea.  Isn't it, Owen?'

'Yeah, whatever.  But can we get inside?  It's freezing standing out here.'

---------

The Castle was busy with local families and tourists alike, all enjoying a pre-Christmas treat.  Jack was glad that Ianto had thought to buy a guidebook as they collected their tickets.  Matching the picture on the leaflet to one in the book enabled them to quickly find the right room without having to draw attention to themselves by asking one of the many staff kitted out in their Victorian uniforms.

'Tosh, we're here.  Can you fix the CCTV?'

'Almost there, Jack.  I've isolated the camera in the corridor and I'm just setting up a loop.  It's a bit tricky with so many people around.'

'OK.  Do you need us to stay outside the room, or can we go in?'

'If you go in now, I can work around you on the loop.  Just don't leave again until I say.'

Jack and the others entered the small room, a small plaque on the door telling them that it was a butler's sitting room.  Jack moved immediately to the fireplace to get a closer look at the cylinder. 

'Yep, that's what we're here for.  How you doing Tosh?'

'It's all set.  The camera is playing the loop, and there are no security devices inside the room.  There's a guard on his rounds, but he's at least 15 minutes away from you.'

'OK, keep and eye on him and let me know if anything changes.'

He turned to Gwen.  'Go back into the corridor and shut the door.  Don't let a nyone in.'

Gwen nodded and left the room.  As she shut the door behind her, Ianto pulled a small metal box from his backpack and placed it, opened, on the table.  Jack lifted the cylinder slowly from the mantlepiece and put it on the table, next to the box.

Owen peered at the intricately decorated object.  'What is it?'

'It's a beacon from a Drarath ship.  No idea how it got here, there hasn't been a Drarath ship on earth for at least 70 years.'

'So if it's alien, Why didn't we just pull rank and take it?  What's with all the cloak and dagger stuff?'

'Too many people around.  That would be a bit public, even for us.'  Jack looked up and grinned.  'Besides, this is far more fun!.'

Owen groaned.  'Well hurry up then, cos it'll be a lot less fun if that guard turns up.'

Jack carefully picked up the cylinder and lay it down on it's side, exposing a small hole on the under side.

'Damn, it's been tampered with.  It'll be more volatile having been exposed to the air, so we'll have to be careful.  If the beacon is activated, we'll have Drarath ships descending on us from four galaxies and believe me, that wouldn't make for a good Christmas.'

As Jack reached slowly into the cylinder with his thumb and forefinger, they heard voices from the corridor outside.

--------

'I'm sorry sir, but I'd rather you didn't go in there just at the moment.  My friend has fainted.'  Gwen's expression conveyed just the right mix of concern and embarrassment to stop the man from opening the door.

'Is she OK?  Do you need me to get some help?'

'It's 'he' actually, and no, really, it's fine.  There's someone with him, and he'll be fine in a few minutes.  I just shut the door to give them some privacy.'

The mad nodded slowly, clearly less than convinced, but he walked away down the corridor and Gwen gave a quiet sigh of relief as she reached for her bluetooth.

'Ianto, tell Jack to hurry, I think we're going to get some company soon.'

--------

'I heard her.  Owen, hold this steady while I get the transmitter out, that's all we need.  Ianto, as soon as it's in the box, you need to secure it and shut the lid.  OK?'

Both men nodded and Jack slowly pulled out a red tube which glowed softly in the dim light.  As he placed it gently into the box, his bluetooth beeped in his ear.

'Jack?'

'Yeah Tosh.  What's up?'

'The guard is heading your way, and there's another member of staff walking down the corridor.'

'OK, we're nearly done.'

Ianto secured the transmitter using two integral straps in the box and was about to shut the lid when they heard Gwen's voice from outside the door.

--------

'Really, he'll be fine.  He's not been well.  We probably shouldn't have brought him today, but he was really keen to come.  He came with his mother years ago and he wanted to see if it had changed much.'

Gwen turned the door handle as she spoke, not opening it yet, trying to give the others time to finish the retrieval and put on a convincing act.  But at an 'OK' from Jack she slowly opened the door to reveal Ianto standing up unsteadily from the chair, helped by Jack and Owen.  The empty cylinder was back in its place on the mantlepiece and the metal storage box was safely stowed in Ianto's backpack which was now slung over Jack's shoulder.

The woman, dressed as a Victorian housekeeper, cast a quick glance around the room, clearly checking that nothing was amiss.  Evidently assured that all was fine, she turned her attention to Ianto.

'Are you OK, sir?  Would you like a glass of water or something?'

'No, thank you ma'am.  But if you could show us a way out avoiding the crowds, I'd be very grateful'.

--------

They managed to keep up the charade all the way back to the SUV, with Jack helping Ianto into the passenger seat.  Having apparently decided that her duty was done, the 'housekeeper' disappeared back inside the Castle.

Jack told Gwen and Owen that they would see them back at the Hub and then climbed into the drivers seat.

'So', he said, turning to Ianto.  'How's the patient?'

Ianto smiled.  'The patient is fine, sir, though I was quite looking forward to seeing Santa'.

Jack grinned.  'You're far too old to sit on Santa's lap, Ianto, but you can sit on mine anyday.'

Ianto rolled his eyes.  'Just drive, Jack, just drive.'

***