Author:
brose1001Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto/OFC
Rating: Teen (for now)
Spoilers: Seasons 1 and 2
Summary: Jeannie was a lab-rat at the tender mercies of Torchwood London, but then the Battle of Canary Wharf happened, and she escaped to Cardiff. This is her story.
Disclaimer: RTD/BBC etc own anything recognizably Torchwood, everything else is mine.
It was a typically hot afternoon as Jeannie trudged down the sidewalk that day. The middle of August was always one of the hottest times in Tucson, Arizona. She thought to herself, once again, that she could not WAIT to get out of the desert, to somewhere with actual SEASONS, not just really hot, and really cold. It was a short walk to her son’s school, and they always raced each other back home for the day, so it would go quickly. But for now, she was on auto-pilot, thinking of what to make for dinner, a new avenue she could pursue in her latest project, and a dozen other random thoughts. A bright flash of light caused Jeannie’s head to jerk up from the pavement she had been studying absently; a disturbance in the air had appeared right in front of her. She had no chance to back away, or even yell out for help, she was simply…engulfed…and was somewhere else.
Her eyes grew wide in shock at the sudden chill in the air. Everything was a bright white, with no seams. She heard a hissing sound, and then everything went black. When she next opened her eyes, Jeannie was lying on some sort of platform, just wide enough for her body, and couldn’t move. Surrounding her was still that painfully bright environment, but it was broken up somewhat by the…beings that were scuttling back and forth around her. The creatures were also white, and looked kind of like cats…but bipedal, and with a great deal more intelligence than the typical house-cat possesses. Upon noticing that she was conscious, there was a bit of a flurry, and then everything went dark again.
This pattern continued, with Jeannie waking up, them noticing, and her being knocked out again, for an indeterminate amount of time. The only thing she notices in between the bouts of blackness is that she feels a bit further from normal each time, with the difference growing. And it starts hurting. And then, suddenly, the pain is gone. There are no more cat-creatures in the room, although she is still bound to the table; she feels some kind of…tingling…in the back of her head, like if she could just…reach out and grab it…she would be able to escape. Concentrating upon that tingle, Jeannie closes her eyes, and is…not there anymore. Upon her arrival in her current prison, loud alarms sounded right before she lost consciousness. At a later time, she will realize that she went from the proverbial frying pan into the fire, but for now, she is knocked out again. She is not really coherent for a long time afterward, only remembering glimpses of people. Her sense of time is non-existent; she has been so loopy and strung out from the drugs these people keep her pumped her full of, that she has no idea which way is up most of the time, much less how long she has been here. During a more lucid period, she sees a new face; a young man, fairly tall, with dark hair and pale skin. She sees him several times, and he seems to be sympathetic to her plight; she begins to hang onto thoughts of him.
When Canary Wharf happened, the young man took the opportunity to get her out of her prison. Once out in the open, he carried her emaciated form to his vehicle; while she remained unconscious, he went back inside the Tower for needed equipment, and a few things that he did not feel UNIT should have, if the Tower was really falling, as he suspected. And, really, with two different alien species fighting for supremacy in the corridors, he had every right to believe that this was the end for Torchwood London.
Upon returning to the vehicle, he found that Jeannie was stirring. She looked at him blearily, with a question in her eyes.
Ianto gave her a reassuring look, “The Tower was invaded by two different alien forces, which seemed hell-bent on destroying each other, so I took the opportunity to remove you from the premises; I’m taking us to Cardiff,” he said, in his soft Welsh accent.
Jeannie looked relieved, and fell asleep again; meanwhile, he headed to his bank, and withdrew the balance of his accounts, figuring that cash would be easier to deal with until he got Jeannie settled somewhere safe.
Halfway to Cardiff, he pulls into the Membury Services for a bit of rest, and to catch his breath. While sipping the hot tea he purchased for himself, he looks over his passenger. He sees a young woman, with strawberry blond hair, and freckles. Her eyes, on the rare times he has seen them open, appear to be hazel. She is perhaps 160cm tall, and weighs maybe 50kg. She is quite underweight, and could easily stand to gain another 10kg. He will take care of that. With that thought running through his mind, he closes his eyes.
After sleeping soundly for a couple of hours, he wakes feeling much better. When his eyes open, he is immediately aware that Jeannie is awake, and watching him warily. Her eyes seem much clearer than he has ever seen them; the drugs must be finally wearing off. He blinks, and with a small smile, gently holds out his hand. “I’m Ianto Jones, and you’re safe now; we’re about halfway between London and Cardiff.”
She nods slowly, and asks, “Where’s the bathroom?”
Ianto’s face creases in a pleased grin at her coherence. He hurries to get out of the car, and after opening her door for her, Ianto helps Jeannie to stand. She is as weak as a kitten, and it shows. Without any fanfare, he scoops her into his arms, and makes his way to the loo. Not blinking an eye, he shoulders open the door to the handicapped facilities, and gets her settled. They both avoid each other’s eyes, and blush a bit; then Jeannie sighs, and worms her way out of her underwear, then sighs again in relief as she empties her bladder. Ianto hears the toilet flush, and turns around to help Jeannie wash her hands, then carries her back to the car. He offers some hot tea, and she gratefully accepts it, after buckling her seatbelt. Ianto starts up the car, and they continue their journey to Cardiff, with Jeannie watching silently out the window.
It is around 10AM when they arrive at the city center, so Ianto parks in the parking garage near the Plass; no time like the present to introduce himself to their leader, and sound him out for help.
Upon arrival at the tourist office entrance, Ianto finds it locked. Knowing that there will be CCTV coverage of the area, he looks for the camera; when he locates it, he stares into it for a bit, patiently waiting for a response. When the door bursts open, he gets his first look at the infamous Captain Jack Harkness; standing there with his hands on his hips, the Captain makes his perusal quite obvious. Ianto holds his hand out to the Captain, introducing himself, “Jones, Ianto Jones. I need your help. Can we go inside and talk in private?”
The Captain blinks, and accepts the handshake, then nods his acquiescence to a private conversation inside. Standing back, he waves Ianto into the office, closing and locking the door behind himself. With a flirty smile, the Captain says, “and what can I do for you, Jones, Ianto Jones?” “I was at Torchwood London,” Ianto replies, “and…” Jack interrupts, “I have nothing for you here, go live your life somewhere else.” With that said, he throws open the door, and waves the young man out. Ianto narrows his eyes at the Captain, refusing to move. “You should really hear what I have to say; she needs help only Torchwood can provide; Torchwood One did this to her, and it is Torchwood’s responsibility to try to fix her.”
Jack glares at this young man…he was in London, he was part of what killed Rose, part of the Ghost Shifts. But…a woman? Injured? Maybe experimented on? Hrmmm. Making a snap judgment, Jack says, “Is she close? I can have my doctor check her out. Is she human?” “Yes, and I’m…not sure…if she’s human; she looks human.” Jack walks with Ianto as he travels back to his car to retrieve Jeannie. When they arrive, Jeannie has her door open, and is sitting with her legs hanging out the door; her head is resting against the headrest on the seat, and her eyes are closed.
Ianto crouches down, gently placing his hand on her knee to gain her attention. Jeannie’s eyes open and she immediately sees Jack, standing there in this big, bulky coat, and looking so very confident and trustworthy. Tears fill her eyes, and her breath catches; somehow, she just knows that this man, in addition to Ianto, is going to be very important in her life.
Jack’s eyes widen a bit, and he nods. “Okay, I believe you…for now. Let’s get her to the Hub, so Owen can check her out.”