fic: Walking on Thin Ice 4/5 [PG-13] Torchwood/Highlander crossover *wip*
Title: Walking on Thin Ice
Author: Aeron Lanart
Rating: PG-13 (some colourful language, bit of angst, and mention of a m/m/m relationship)
Warnings/Spoilers: Warnings; see rating. Spoilers; Season 1 Torchwood up to Out of Time
Summary: There are Issues that need to be dealt with...
Disclaimer: Aunty Beeb and RTD own Torchwood.
Panzer/Davis Productions own this concept of immortality, and Methos.
Siannon O'Niall however is mine.
No copyright infringement intended, no profit made
Written for my occhallenge table, which is here. Prompt: Winter.
A/N: Here's a piccy of the 2004 Caterham Seven R500 superlight, which does 0-60 in 3.21 seconds. Just in case you were wondering after the last part what one looked like.
Part 4
~*~
When Siannon eventually made her way back into the hub, everyone else bar Jack had left. She could see Jack was in his office, but she needed a drink before she could face him. Deciding to leave the coffee machine well alone as she didn’t want to upset Ianto any more than he already was, she made 2 cups of tea and made her way down to the office. Jack was watching her, a wary expression in his eyes as she stepped across the threshold.
“Tea,” she said as she put the mug on his desk. “I didn’t think Ianto would want me messing around with the coffee machine.”
“Tea is fine,” Jack replied. “And you’re probably right. Not upsetting Ianto is fairly high on my to-do list right now.”
“Isn’t it a bit late for that?” She asked, keeping her voice gentle so the words didn’t sting quite so much. Jack still flinched as if she’d hit him, but met her eyes all the same.
“Let me rephrase that; I don’t want to hurt Ianto any more than I have done already.”
“Good.” She perched on Jack’s desk in her usual spot, and they drank their tea in a silence that definitely wasn’t comfortable. Eventually Jack broke it.
“What do you want me to say, Siannon?”
“I don’t want you to say anything. I want you to think.”
“Think?” Jack leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, frowning at her.
“Yeah, think. It’s not that hard once you try it, you know.” It was a battle to keep her voice reasonably light when all she wanted to do was yell at him. She knew it would accomplish nothing if she did, but even so she had to exert a phenomenal amount of control to keep even a hint of it from showing in her voice. Sometimes her musical training was useful in ways she hadn’t predicted. The fact that Jack didn’t move from his position, even though he was glaring at her meant she had more or less succeeded.
“I am not going to apologise for not letting John die alone.” He said, his voice determined, but not angry. She sighed, some of her anger leaching away at his obvious pain.
“I don’t expect you to apologise for that.” She replied carefully. “What I do expect you to do, and what you didn’t do, is to show some consideration towards your team before deciding on a course of action that will adversely affect them. You’re their boss for God’s sake. Act like it.”
“I...” She held up a hand to interrupt him.
“No, Jack. I haven’t finished.” Siannon bit her lip, not wanting to start a slanging match with Jack, but needing to say what she felt. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “I know you can’t die. Ianto knows you can’t die. So does Gwen for that matter, but do you really think that they *like* being confronted with that? Did you once stop to think of how Ianto would feel about you dying in *his* car, and helping someone else to do the same? I bet you didn’t. In the last few months he’s had a hell of a lot to process emotionally, and there you go and pile something else on his plate. He doesn’t blame you for not wanting John to die alone, anything but.” She shifted round the desk and grabbed Jack’s chin in her hand, forcing him to meet her eyes. “Why didn’t you try to find another way, Jack?” She asked softly, forcing the anger and recrimination out of her voice.
“I...I’m sorry.” Jack whispered. She let her hands drop.
“Don’t tell me. Tell Ianto. I’m hopeful that after today he’ll feel less fragile. Talk to him, let him *know* you appreciate him. Him. Not your archivist and general support officer. Him. It’s important to you both, believe me. Ianto hasn’t got time to waste on not living his life to the full, the likes of us have. Methos would agree with me.”
“Methos would be a lot less polite about it than you’ve been.”
“No doubt he would. So don’t give him cause to need to be when he next drops by. Work it out Jack. And if you need to do it physically then...” She opened her arms in a gesture that said ‘I’m here’. Jack stared at her like his eyes were about to fall out of his head. “I don’t mean like *that*, Jack Harkness. If you need to hit something hard I’m as good with a big stick as the next person, and you’re not going to be able to damage me permanently. And I run faster than you do.” He blinked at her, and gave her a wry smile.
“I’ll let you know if I need to take you up on the offer. Although to be quite honest the thought of going hand to hand with you is kind of... daunting. I know what you’re capable of.”
“That was the general idea. Even so, the offer’s still open. We’re warriors, Jack, like it or not. Sometimes we need some form of semi-controlled violence to ground us. If Methos were here I’d leave you to him, there is nothing about you that he can’t deal with. However, I’m not Methos and I can’t give you what you really need; which means you get the back up plan. It might do us both good.” She fell silent; there was no way she was going to come any closer than that to admitting how frustrated she had been with him. Jack being Jack picked up on it.
“Have I really been that bad?”
“Not to me personally...” Jack’s eyes pleaded with her, begging her to tell him otherwise. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again his expression was all ‘business as usual’ again.
“Looks like I have some bridges to repair then.” He pushed himself up out of the chair and grabbed Siannon’s hand. “I think I might take you up on that offer after all, if it’s still open.” She squeezed his fingers, and let an almost feral smile creep across her face.
“It’s open.” She replied. “And thank you.”
A while later, lying flat on her back on a crash mat with Jack’s elbow in her throat, Siannon wasn’t sure than thanking him in advance had been such a good idea. Admittedly he looked a lot worse than she did, but they were both battered and bruised. He sat back on his heels and offered her a hand to sit up. She took it gratefully, and they both sat there, panting. She grinned and shook her head.
“What?” He asked, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. It came away bloody.
“You cheat.” He started to grin back, but hissed as the movement caused the split in his lip to open again.
“And that surprises you?” He asked as he prodded at his mouth with his fingers.
“Not in the slightest.” She stretched, and then flowed upright. Jack scowled at her.
“The fact that you can still do that is obscene.” He said.
“I’ve had more practice than you at this sort of thing.” She returned the favour and held out a hand to Jack. He took it.
“True,” he grunted as he hauled himself up, wincing slightly as he put his full weight on both feet. “Did you have to kick me so hard?”
“Yes. And anyway, you did it first.” She stalked over to the water cooler, filled two cups and passed one to Jack. He took it gratefully and drained it. “Will you be ok by tomorrow?” She asked.
“You mean this?” He gestured at the bruises and abrasions that adorned him. Siannon nodded. “They’ll be gone. If you’d killed me a couple of times beforehand it would have taken a lot longer for them to heal but there shouldn’t be anything still visible by tomorrow.” Siannon coloured slightly; she’d been rougher with him than she’d originally intended.
“I think I’m rather glad about that. I don’t think I’d relish the others knowing that I’d beaten up their boss.”
“Why? Worried you might get a request to do it again?” Siannon nearly choked on her water as she tried to laugh and breathe at the same time.
“I hadn’t realised there might be a demand for the service.”
“Hopefully there won’t be.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, saying with a touch and a heartfelt glance what he didn’t put into words. She raised her hand to his where it rested on her shoulder and brushed her fingers across the bruises on his knuckles.
“Hopefully,” she agreed. Jack nodded, and removed his hand.
“Shall we?” He asked, indicating the door. She indicated her agreement by sliding out past him, with a smack to his backside. The sound of his laughter followed her down the corridor, and she smiled to herself. The outlook was already improving.
Author: Aeron Lanart
Rating: PG-13 (some colourful language, bit of angst, and mention of a m/m/m relationship)
Warnings/Spoilers: Warnings; see rating. Spoilers; Season 1 Torchwood up to Out of Time
Summary: There are Issues that need to be dealt with...
Disclaimer: Aunty Beeb and RTD own Torchwood.
Panzer/Davis Productions own this concept of immortality, and Methos.
Siannon O'Niall however is mine.
No copyright infringement intended, no profit made
Written for my occhallenge table, which is here. Prompt: Winter.
A/N: Here's a piccy of the 2004 Caterham Seven R500 superlight, which does 0-60 in 3.21 seconds. Just in case you were wondering after the last part what one looked like.
Part 4
~*~
When Siannon eventually made her way back into the hub, everyone else bar Jack had left. She could see Jack was in his office, but she needed a drink before she could face him. Deciding to leave the coffee machine well alone as she didn’t want to upset Ianto any more than he already was, she made 2 cups of tea and made her way down to the office. Jack was watching her, a wary expression in his eyes as she stepped across the threshold.
“Tea,” she said as she put the mug on his desk. “I didn’t think Ianto would want me messing around with the coffee machine.”
“Tea is fine,” Jack replied. “And you’re probably right. Not upsetting Ianto is fairly high on my to-do list right now.”
“Isn’t it a bit late for that?” She asked, keeping her voice gentle so the words didn’t sting quite so much. Jack still flinched as if she’d hit him, but met her eyes all the same.
“Let me rephrase that; I don’t want to hurt Ianto any more than I have done already.”
“Good.” She perched on Jack’s desk in her usual spot, and they drank their tea in a silence that definitely wasn’t comfortable. Eventually Jack broke it.
“What do you want me to say, Siannon?”
“I don’t want you to say anything. I want you to think.”
“Think?” Jack leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, frowning at her.
“Yeah, think. It’s not that hard once you try it, you know.” It was a battle to keep her voice reasonably light when all she wanted to do was yell at him. She knew it would accomplish nothing if she did, but even so she had to exert a phenomenal amount of control to keep even a hint of it from showing in her voice. Sometimes her musical training was useful in ways she hadn’t predicted. The fact that Jack didn’t move from his position, even though he was glaring at her meant she had more or less succeeded.
“I am not going to apologise for not letting John die alone.” He said, his voice determined, but not angry. She sighed, some of her anger leaching away at his obvious pain.
“I don’t expect you to apologise for that.” She replied carefully. “What I do expect you to do, and what you didn’t do, is to show some consideration towards your team before deciding on a course of action that will adversely affect them. You’re their boss for God’s sake. Act like it.”
“I...” She held up a hand to interrupt him.
“No, Jack. I haven’t finished.” Siannon bit her lip, not wanting to start a slanging match with Jack, but needing to say what she felt. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “I know you can’t die. Ianto knows you can’t die. So does Gwen for that matter, but do you really think that they *like* being confronted with that? Did you once stop to think of how Ianto would feel about you dying in *his* car, and helping someone else to do the same? I bet you didn’t. In the last few months he’s had a hell of a lot to process emotionally, and there you go and pile something else on his plate. He doesn’t blame you for not wanting John to die alone, anything but.” She shifted round the desk and grabbed Jack’s chin in her hand, forcing him to meet her eyes. “Why didn’t you try to find another way, Jack?” She asked softly, forcing the anger and recrimination out of her voice.
“I...I’m sorry.” Jack whispered. She let her hands drop.
“Don’t tell me. Tell Ianto. I’m hopeful that after today he’ll feel less fragile. Talk to him, let him *know* you appreciate him. Him. Not your archivist and general support officer. Him. It’s important to you both, believe me. Ianto hasn’t got time to waste on not living his life to the full, the likes of us have. Methos would agree with me.”
“Methos would be a lot less polite about it than you’ve been.”
“No doubt he would. So don’t give him cause to need to be when he next drops by. Work it out Jack. And if you need to do it physically then...” She opened her arms in a gesture that said ‘I’m here’. Jack stared at her like his eyes were about to fall out of his head. “I don’t mean like *that*, Jack Harkness. If you need to hit something hard I’m as good with a big stick as the next person, and you’re not going to be able to damage me permanently. And I run faster than you do.” He blinked at her, and gave her a wry smile.
“I’ll let you know if I need to take you up on the offer. Although to be quite honest the thought of going hand to hand with you is kind of... daunting. I know what you’re capable of.”
“That was the general idea. Even so, the offer’s still open. We’re warriors, Jack, like it or not. Sometimes we need some form of semi-controlled violence to ground us. If Methos were here I’d leave you to him, there is nothing about you that he can’t deal with. However, I’m not Methos and I can’t give you what you really need; which means you get the back up plan. It might do us both good.” She fell silent; there was no way she was going to come any closer than that to admitting how frustrated she had been with him. Jack being Jack picked up on it.
“Have I really been that bad?”
“Not to me personally...” Jack’s eyes pleaded with her, begging her to tell him otherwise. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again his expression was all ‘business as usual’ again.
“Looks like I have some bridges to repair then.” He pushed himself up out of the chair and grabbed Siannon’s hand. “I think I might take you up on that offer after all, if it’s still open.” She squeezed his fingers, and let an almost feral smile creep across her face.
“It’s open.” She replied. “And thank you.”
A while later, lying flat on her back on a crash mat with Jack’s elbow in her throat, Siannon wasn’t sure than thanking him in advance had been such a good idea. Admittedly he looked a lot worse than she did, but they were both battered and bruised. He sat back on his heels and offered her a hand to sit up. She took it gratefully, and they both sat there, panting. She grinned and shook her head.
“What?” He asked, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. It came away bloody.
“You cheat.” He started to grin back, but hissed as the movement caused the split in his lip to open again.
“And that surprises you?” He asked as he prodded at his mouth with his fingers.
“Not in the slightest.” She stretched, and then flowed upright. Jack scowled at her.
“The fact that you can still do that is obscene.” He said.
“I’ve had more practice than you at this sort of thing.” She returned the favour and held out a hand to Jack. He took it.
“True,” he grunted as he hauled himself up, wincing slightly as he put his full weight on both feet. “Did you have to kick me so hard?”
“Yes. And anyway, you did it first.” She stalked over to the water cooler, filled two cups and passed one to Jack. He took it gratefully and drained it. “Will you be ok by tomorrow?” She asked.
“You mean this?” He gestured at the bruises and abrasions that adorned him. Siannon nodded. “They’ll be gone. If you’d killed me a couple of times beforehand it would have taken a lot longer for them to heal but there shouldn’t be anything still visible by tomorrow.” Siannon coloured slightly; she’d been rougher with him than she’d originally intended.
“I think I’m rather glad about that. I don’t think I’d relish the others knowing that I’d beaten up their boss.”
“Why? Worried you might get a request to do it again?” Siannon nearly choked on her water as she tried to laugh and breathe at the same time.
“I hadn’t realised there might be a demand for the service.”
“Hopefully there won’t be.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, saying with a touch and a heartfelt glance what he didn’t put into words. She raised her hand to his where it rested on her shoulder and brushed her fingers across the bruises on his knuckles.
“Hopefully,” she agreed. Jack nodded, and removed his hand.
“Shall we?” He asked, indicating the door. She indicated her agreement by sliding out past him, with a smack to his backside. The sound of his laughter followed her down the corridor, and she smiled to herself. The outlook was already improving.