annoyedTitle: What Will Be.
Author: zorell
Chapter: 8/?
Rating: PG
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Tosh, Owen, Martha, Gwen.
Pairings: Jack/Ianto.
Summary: The girls tell the others what they know.
Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to BBC and RTD
A/N: Usual apologies for mistakes, bad grammar, dodgy plot etc.
Had a few bad days while trying to write this chapter so hoping this isn’t too much of a ramble and makes sense !
Story starts here:
http://jackxianto.livejournal.com/5294840.html#cutid1
previous chapter: http://jackxianto.livejournal.com/5373838.html
“ Well ?” Jacks voice was less harsh, but he wanted, no, needed to know what was going on.
“ Don't look at me. I’ve only just got here.” Owen held up his hands as if surrendering.
Jack stared at Tosh and Martha waiting for an explanation. It was Tosh who decided to bite the bullet and started to explain.
“ There was an energy reading in the vaults,” holding up her hand to stop Jack’s imminent interruption Tosh continued, “ Before you say anything Jack, I know we should have told you as soon as something abnormal registered, but we wanted to have some idea of what it was first. I didn’t recognise the energy reading so ran it through the computer. The energy matched one recorded at Torchwood One, and it had been classed as harmless. There was no sign of intruders, just the energy reading which spiked then disappeared.”
“ Once you had identified it why didn’t you contact us then ?” Jack asked. He was still holding Ianto’s hand which was grounding and calming him.
“ Tosh pinpointed the source of the reading as being Ianto’s draw,” Martha took over the explanation knowing that, although Tosh had agreed, it had been her decision not to tell the others, and specifically Jack, until after they had checked out what was going on in the vault. “ You were in the middle of catching a weevil. Can you honestly say that if we had told you there was something going on with Ianto’s draw you would have had your full concentration on what you were doing ? I wasn’t risking yours or the others safety.” Martha had kept her gaze firmly on the Captains, daring him to challenge her.
Jack knew that Martha was right. If he had known what was happening there was no way that he would have been totally focused on catching the weevil, and the chances of something going wrong would have been highly likely.
“You were right not to say anything under the circumstances, and I’m sorry for the way I came barging in here.” Jack said apologetically. “It’s just...”
Martha moved next to Jack and put a reassuring hand on his arm as acceptance of his apology. He gave her a faint smile in return, then turned his thoughts to what had been said during the explanation.
“ You said the energy was the same as one recorded in London, what exactly do we know about it ?”
“ I only skimmed the basic information so we had some idea what we could be dealing with.” Tosh began to reply going over to the bays computer, opening a fresh window and accessing what they had of Torchwood Ones' records. “ The energy reading was classified with the number 72193k. There was an incident within the archive/research department. An alien orb was dropped while being stored, and when it hit the floor a massive energy reading engulfed the immediate area. The energy registered for 30 seconds then disappeared. Afterwards there was no trace of it at all. Routine decontamination was carried out, and the four members of staff that had been in the affected area were all given a clean bill of health after medicals. Follow up checks were due, but the Battle of Canary Wharf happened two days later. Two of those caught up in the orb incident were found amongst the dead after the Battle, one was listed as missing presumed dead and the other one was Ianto.” Tosh looked at Jack, as did Martha and Owen who, while listening to Tosh, had been studying a particular read out from the scanner.
Jack visibly tensed, his hold on Ianto’s hand tightening, but before anyone could say anything the alarm signalling the cogwheel door opening sounded, followed by Gwen’s rather cheery voice.
“ I got some pastries to go with the coffee. Thought we could all do with a treat.” Entering the Hub, Gwen put the drinks and bag containing the pastries down at her workstation then called out to see where everyone was. Hearing Owen shout that they were in the autopsy bay Gwen rushed over.
“ Is everything alright ?”Gwen asked as she approached the railings.
“ It’s more than alright.” Jack said just loud enough for Martha, who was nearest, to hear.
“ Oh my God ! What’s going on ?” Gwen had noticed Ianto’s body and was coming down the steps leading into the autopsy bay.
“ Well it appears that teaboy here has decided not to stay dead.”
“ How ?” questioned Gwen as she looked from Ianto to Jack.
“ That’s what we are trying to figure out.” Tosh said, before going on to answer the unasked question that Gwen’s look between Ianto and Jack obliviously implied. “ We’re almost certain this has nothing to do with Jack and Ianto being together. Look, lets go and sort out the drinks and pastries and I’ll fill you in on what we know at the moment.” Tosh went over to Gwen, and the pair of them headed up to the main area of the Hub.
“ Nice one Tosh.” Owen said, thankful that Gwen had left.
“ We need answers.” Jack said, looking up at the two medics. “You’re sure this isn’t to do with me ?”
“ As sure as we can be at the moment. I would say the odds are it has something to do with what happened at One. The more information we can get about what happened, and exactly what that artefact was, the better.” said Martha.
“ I’ll get Tosh on to it, see what she can dig up.”
“ And while she’s at it see what she can find out about the others involved. If this energy is the reason Ianto here has come back, why didn’t the others ?” Owen asked as he adjusted one of the monitors on Ianto.
“ Come on, coffee is getting cold.” Gwen called down to them.
“ I’ll stay here. You two go up.” Jack told Martha and Owen.
“ Do you really think Gwen is going to let you stay here ?” Owen gave Jack a knowing look, “ We also need to keep her occupied, and out of the way while we try and work out what’s going on, and you know she’ll only take orders without arguing from you.”
Jack knew Owen was right, but he didn’t want to let go of Ianto or leave him, even for a few minutes. Knowing Jack’s reluctance was to do with the unconscious Welshman, Martha tried to reassure him.
“ I’ll stay here with Ianto. You two go up, have something to eat and drink, and Tosh can tell you the rest of what happened while you were out.” Seeing that Jack was still reluctant to leave, Martha thought she’d change tack. “ And anyway you’ll be no use to Ianto when he wakes up if you’ve made yourself ill by not taking care of yourself and not eating.”
Jack took in the look Martha gave him and suddenly had the feeling she was channelling a little of her mother, Francine, - now there was a woman not to get on the wrong side of !
“ Well ?” Martha looked at Jack, noticing a small smile. “ What is it ?”
“ Just thinking. You are definitely your mothers daughter !”
“ Oi !” Martha playfully hit Jack’s arm. “ So...drink ? Something to eat ?”
“ Ok, but if anything...”
“ You’ll be the first to know.” Martha reassured her friend, and watched as Jack gave Ianto’s hand a gentle squeeze, then left with Owen, heading up towards where the others were.
Instead of joining the rest straight away, Jack headed to the kitchen to get a bottle of water – he really couldn’t face drinking coffee. Once he’d got himself a bottle, Jack went to join the others where they were sitting around Tosh and Gwen’s workstations. Gwen motioned for him to sit next to her, but Jack declined, preferring to lean against Tosh’s station. He picked one of the remaining pastries and began eating while Tosh explained what had happened when Martha and herself had reached Ianto’s draw in the vaults.
“ So he was healed when you opened the draw ?” Gwen checked, receiving a ‘yes’ as confirmation from Tosh, Gwen carried on. “ Couldn’t it be alien possession ?”
“ Always a possibility, but the girls aren’t amateurs. They did the relevant checks and from the scans I’ve seen Ianto’s just Ianto. The only weird thing is he was dead and now he’s healed and breathing. Mind you, even that’s not really weird around here!” Owen chipped in.
“Like Owen said, we checked for any other presence and Ianto was clear. Although he was healed when the draw was opened, Ianto didn’t register any life signs or breathe until we were moving him up to the autopsy bay. Once there we were starting to investigate when you returned.”
“ Ok. The odds are this has something to do with what happened at One, so Tosh, could you please find out as much as you can about exactly what occurred. See what you can dig up about the artefact involved, and find out everything you can about the other three members of staff that were involved. Thanks.” Jack was in Captain mode. Having given Tosh instructions he turned to Owen. “ Can you and Martha run every check, test and scan you can think of. See if you can find anything that could explain what’s happened.”
“ Sure thing Jack.” Owen left to rejoin Martha.
“ What about me ?” Gwen asked as Tosh began trawling through information.
“ You can get on with that backlog of paperwork on your desk.” Jack nodded toward a pile of files on her workstation.
“ But...” Gwen wasn’t too happy about having to do paperwork.
“ There’s nothing else we can do at the moment with regard to Ianto. Hopefully the others will come up with something soon.” Jack turned and headed down to the autopsy bay, reaching his lovers side he took hold of his hand once more.
Martha appeared to be looking at some test results, while Owen was using a different scanner to examine Ianto, moving around his body to get a complete reading.
“ Am I going to be in the way ?” Jack asked.
“ If I said yes would you move ?” Owen asked back.
“ No.”
“ Then why ask !” Owen shook his head as he manoeuvred around Jack to finish the latest scan.
During the next hours the rift was thankfully quiet, and everyone was busy with their various tasks. Gwen actually doing paperwork, all be it slowly but it was being done. Tosh going through any relevant information that was available, and some that wasn’t – UNIT really did need to upgrade their software ! Martha and Owen did tests, took samples, and ran scans, while Jack sat next to Ianto holding his hand and talking to him.
“ Come on Ianto, come back to me. Let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours and hear those beautiful Welsh vowels. You know I’m nothing without you. I need you Ianto. I love you.” Jack lifted his lovers hand and placed a gentle kiss to it. “ Hey, maybe I should try the sleeping beauty trick, you know, give you a kiss.” Jack knew it was a cliché, but memories of brining Ianto back after Lisa had thrown him across the Hub came to mind. He knew the last kiss he had placed on his lovers lips had been too little too late, he hadn’t felt the connection, the spark, like he had that night. Jack suddenly had the feeling that this time it would work. That he would be able to bring his lover back from the seemingly impenetrable sleep he was currently in. Leaning over, Jack whispered “ I love you,” before joining his and Ianto’s lips in a tender loving kiss. After a moment Jack felt slight pressure as the kiss was returned, pulling away slightly to see gorgeous blue eyes open and lock on to his, a dazzling smile crossed the Captains face as the beautiful Welsh voice he loved reached his ears.
“ Careful that's harassment sir!”
next chapter : http://jackxianto.livejournal.com/5402025.html#cutid1