Fic: Belongs To You Chapter 11/20
Title: Belongs to you
Fandoms: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Doctor/Luna, ?/Tosh, ?/Donna, Rhys/Gwen, pre-Rhys/Kathy, Andy/?, Tom/Martha and Owen/? with past Michael/Luna, Jack/Luna/Ianto friendship and mentions of Doctor/Rose
Summary: In the year that never was the members of Torchwood Three lived different lives, now those lives are about to return. How will what happen in that year change all of their futures?
Spoilers: TW ‘Adam’ and all of S2, DW S4
Warning: Gwen bashing
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or Doctor Who. I do own Luna and all other future original characters to come.
Beta: royalladyemma
Author Note: Gwen’s reaction to being transferred, hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 11
Silence reigned in the Hub for several moments after Jack’s outburst and as Gwen stared slack-jawed at them Jack took the time to move protectively in front of Ianto. He wanted to keep safe the man who held his heart; he was both mentally and physically prepared for what was sure to be a violent outburst from Gwen.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime but in truth really wasn’t long enough, Gwen regained her ability to talk. “I’m sorry Jack; I must have misheard you,” she raised one eyebrow and smiled at him. “Because I thought you said I was being transferred and we both know that’ll never happen. You need me around far too much.”
Jack resolutely yet casually crossed his arms over his chest; he was not going to cave in to Gwen, not this time and never again. He kept his voice firm and level as he looked her in eyes. “No, you heard me right.” He had to fight the urge to smile softly at his mate as he felt Ianto laid a comforting hand on his back.
Gwen wasn’t an idiot; she knew the moral support that Ianto was giving the old man was vital to him at the moment. She was also sure that if she and Jack were alone, she’s have no problem convincing him that he desperately needed her at his side. Gwen pretended to finally notice Ianto standing behind Jack and she gave the star a condescending smile. “Ianto, why don’t you be a dear and run along; you can make us some coffee while Jack and I discuss this in private.”
“Don’t you dare order Ianto around like he’s some glorified butler! He’s more than that!” Jack snapped harshly. “Ianto is a full member of this team and he is, in fact, your superior!”
“Jack, he’s just a child!” Gwen waved her hand dismissively. “He hasn’t seen enough to be superior to me or to anyone else, really! And in case you have forgotten, you were the one who said he cleans up after us and if that’s not the definition of a butler then what is?” A smug look over came Gwen’s face as she crossed her own arms over her chest. She was confident that she had Jack on the ropes and that he was going to cave in at any moment.
Shame filled Jack when he heard Gwen’s words; he was so ashamed of how true they were. In the beginning Ianto really had been nothing more than a butler to them, despite the fact that after Jack and Archie, Ianto was the longest living active member of Torchwood.
“How dare you!” The low hiss broke Jack out of his thoughts and Gwen out of her smugness and they both focused on Ianto as he stepped out from behind Jack. They were surprised to see his blue eyes flashing with rage as he stared at Gwen.
“I haven’t seen enough to be your superior? Who in the hell do you think you are, Gwen Cooper?!” Ianto practically spat the words at the woman. “I survived the fall of Torchwood One! I watched as my friends were murdered right in front of me! I crawled through the dead bodies of my friends and co-workers to get to Lisa and Luna. I have scars and burns on my body from dragging Lisa through the burning building.”
Gwen raised her hands in supplication. “I didn’t mean…”
Ianto continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I was fucking tenderized at the hands of cannibals! I have seen more horrors than you could ever dream of, you stupid, selfish little girl!” Ianto didn’t raise his voice at all, but the icy coldness of his tone sent shivers down both Jack and Gwen’s spines. “So get the fuck over yourself, Gwen!”
Silence reigned supreme in the Hub when Ianto finished speaking. Jack was looking at Ianto with new-found admiration while Gwen was gaping at him with her mouth hanging open. Neither could find anything appropriate to say. Finally, from up in the rafters, there came a soft caw as Myfanwy expressed her approval for her favourite human’s behaviour.
Ianto wasn’t quite finished. “Oh and by the way, Gwen? Everyone on the team is your superior. You are the rookie around here and it’s high time that you remember fact.” He moved his gaze from Gwen to Jack, effectively dismissing her.
The instant Ianto turned to face Jack his entire demeanour changed; he smiled softly at the older man and his eyes were shining with self-respect. “Why don’t I go put on some coffee while you inform Gwen of her new assignment.” Ianto placed a gentle kiss on Jack’s cheek. “I’ll even bring you some of you special biscuits for afterwards, okay?” Without giving Gwen a second glance, he spun on his heel and headed for the kitchen, his shoulders straight and his head held high. He definitely needed to put some distance between him and Gwen before he did something he might regret.
It took Jack a moment to regain control of himself. ‘Damn! If I didn’t have to deal with Gwen, I would have throw Ianto onto that couch and have my wicked way with him right here and now!’ While Jack hated the fact that Gwen’s callous disregard for Ianto’s feelings had managed to anger his lover, Jack could not deny that angry Ianto was just so smoking hot! He was also so proud that his lover stood up to Gwen and put her in her place, and as he turned to look at Gwen, that pride was beaming written all over his face.
“Jack! How dare you just stand by and let Ianto talk to me like that! I am your second-in-command!” Gwen’s voice took on that familiar screeching tone that was a clear sign that she was letting her anger get the best of her. “He has to respect my authority over him!”
“Says who? I never told you that you are my second-in-command! Why would I give such an important role to the rookie?” Jack frowned and tilted his head slightly. “Any one of the others is a far better choice for that position; they’ve all been in Torchwood longer and they have years of experience dealing with dangerous situations that you don’t have.” Officially Jack had never named a second and he had no idea where Gwen had gotten the idea that she was in change after him. Inwardly he sighed; that was another thing he had to set straight with the team.
Gwen faltered for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing. “But, Jack, you hired me to take’s Suzie’s place! She was your second-in-command at the time, so therefore, that makes me second-in-command now.” She couldn’t understand how he could forget something so important. ‘It’s got to be Ianto’s mind control at work again!” she realised with a start. ‘Jack wouldn’t forget about that willingly.’
“No, Gwen,” Jack was struggling to keep an even tone. “I hired you to fill the void on the team, nothing more and nothing less. Suzie was a weapon’s expert and you could barely hold a gun when I first hired you. No,” he shook his head decisively. “For now my temporary second-in-command is Owen. I’ll make a finally decision on the position once I’ve had a chance to evaluate the suitability of each member of the team.”
Jack turned the full force of his captainly authority on Gwen. “And let me tell you something, Miss Cooper. Given your miserable and dangerous actions in the field of late, it won’t be you.” Jack glared darkly at Gwen; he hadn’t forgotten the unbelievable fuss she’d made when she demanded that Rhys keeps his memories or the hurt she caused with she’d unthinking words.
“But you need me, Jack! You said so yourself!” A cold wave of fear knifed through Gwen’s belly; she was in danger of losing Jack! “And just a few days ago you told everyone here that you would know the difference if I left. You’ve never said anything like that to Ianto or the others!” Gwen quickly threw out even as her mind raced desperately to find a way of changing Jack’s mind.
Jack wasn’t at all surprised that Gwen tossed his own words back in his face, but he was glad she brought it up. It gave him the perfect opportunity to set her straight. Jack folded his arms across his chest and looked at Gwen quizzically. “And how would you know what I say to the others in private? Hmm? Because that’s where your dramatic little demand for Rhys to keep his memories should have been made, in the privacy of my office.” Jack gestured around him. “Not in front of the others where you so coldly and cruelly rubbed all our noses in the fact that you have someone on the outside to go home to.”
“But you know I didn’t mean what I said, Jack!” Gwen turned on the tears as she pleaded with the immortal. She crossed the few steps between them and clutched at his arm. Her nails were digging into his flesh like talons, making it difficult for him to shake her off.
Jack was unimpressed by Gwen’s crocodile tears. “You have no idea how much you hurt everyone here. You deliberately chose words you knew would deeply affect your co-workers. It seems to me you’re the one who’s forgotten what it’s like to be human, not us.”
Jack words cut Gwen to the core and her smug smile fell from her face. The immortal was pleased to see he was getting through to Gwen but he wasn’t quite done just yet. “You have conveniently forgotten about the heartbreaking losses your teammates have suffered through. Estelle…” Jack’s heart caught in his throat as he spoke his old lover’s voice.
Resolutely, he continued, “…Mary, Diane, Tommy and Lisa. Five souls greatly loved and sadly lost because Torchwood touched their lives. Five people we cared about and even loved, and although they’re gone from us, they live on in our hearts. Now you have the nerve to stand before us and call us cold and lonely, to belittle our losses and our pain.” Overcome by the memories of everyone and everything he’d lost over the long years of his life, Jack spoke in a low hiss, his eyes as cold and hard as steel.
The raw emotions she saw in Jack’s eyes were like a physical blow and Gwen staggered back a few steps. She had no clue how things had gotten so completely turned around. ‘How on Earth did I become the bad guy in all this?’ She quickly back-pedaled, trying to salvage something, anything, “I… didn’t mean it like that, Jack. I just couldn’t let you Retcon Rhys.”
“Why, Gwen?” Jack couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Well… because his memories… they’re special… they’re…” Gwen floundered for the right words. How could she explain to him, to anyone, how lonely she was, how much she wanted someone she could talk to about the things she saw and the work she did.
“So, his memories are more important than everyone else’s?” Jack quirked an eyebrow at her. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Well, no! No, of course not!” Gwen protested. “No one should lose their memories!”
“Then why was it okay for you to Retcon Rhys last year when you told him about your affair with Owen?” Jack’s tone was causal but the look in his eyes clearly said ‘I dare you to try and lie your way out of this one.’
Gwen’s mouth went completely dry. “Y… you know about that?” She twisted her engagement ring nervously; ‘Oh, God, I’m really in big trouble now.’ She’d managed to emotionally blackmail her boss into not doing something she’d already and willingly done to Rhys not even a year earlier.
“Yes, Gwen I knew all about it.” Jack couldn’t keep the mocking tone out of his voice. “You see after Suzie’s little misuse of Retcon, I set up a motion-sensor camera to keep track of unauthorized access to the cupboard. Once every day or so, I’d zip through the footage, and then lo and behold, what do I see?”
Gwen audibly gulped; ‘Oh, shit!’
“There’s little Miss Gwen Cooper, who hasn’t yet been cleared to administer Retcon, down in the Medical Bay taking pills from the cupboard. Made me wonder why you’d want to take Retcon, after telling me how happy you were with Torchwood. So I got worried about you and I had a little look at the cameras set up in your flat and…”
Once again, Gwen out-raged screech filled the Hub, startling both Myfanwy, who squawked and launched herself from her aerie to soar nervously around the rafters, and Ianto, who dropped a coffee mug on the floor and then cursed as he cut his finger on a shard of crockery.
“Cameras?” Gwen shrieked. “You bugged my home?”
“Oh, it’s all right, Gwen. They’re there for you own protection and I’ve never accessed them before or since.” Jack reassured her, dismissing her concerns with a wave of his hand and continued speaking. “As I was saying, what do I see but you Retconning the man you declare so proudly that you love before you tell him about your affair.”
Gwen’s face flushed with shame at the memory; confessing her infidelity to Rhys and trying to force him to forgive her before making him forget all about it was without a doubt one of the worst things she’d ever done.
Jack’s good humour disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and once again his eyes were ice-cold. “So tell me exactly how you can justify giving Rhys Retcon when it benefits you and then throwing a bitch fit about not giving to him when it comes to the safety of you and your teammates?”
Jack knew that when Gwen had first confronted him last year, he wasn’t on his game. His mind was still too over-whelmed by the many memories of his time as the Master’s prisoner, of losing his team. The very worst of them all had been the brutally graphic memory of losing Ianto. He had let those memories guide him when he dealt with Gwen’s demand; he wasn’t thinking of how much it would hurt the others, or of how much it would hurt Ianto.
But now that his mind was clear and focused, he was absolutely appalled that he’d let some spoiled child manipulate him. ‘Well, not this time, missy; this time I’m the one in control of the situation.’ “I’m waiting, Gwen,” and to reinforce his impatience, he began to tap his foot.
Gwen swallowed hard; she knew that there was no answer she could give that would pardon her actions. A terrifying thought struck her; ‘does Rhys know what I’ve done?’ As much as she hated it, she was going to have to take the transfer, at least until Jack came to his senses. ‘And when he does, I’ll be back with my head held high!’
Mustering up as much dignity as she could, she struck out her chin and attempted a smile, which unfortunately came off more like a threatening grimace. “Fine! Send me to Scotland but once you come to your senses and see that it’s me you want and not some stupid Tea-Boy, see if I take you back.” Gwen sneered at Jack, all the while thinking, ‘He won’t last one day without me; he’ll y be begging me to come back before I even get to Scotland!’
Jack began rubbing his temples and wishing that Ianto were there to do the job for him; dealing with Gwen always gave him such a headache. “Take you back? Take you back!” Jack’s voice was dripping with incredulity. “Do you ever listen to yourself, Gwen? There never was and there never will be anything between us! How many times do I have to tell you? My heart belongs to Ianto and he will own it until the end of time! He will own it long after you have become nothing more than a very distant and very faded memory.”
Gwen’s eyes filled with tears and her mouth fell open. “Jack, you can’t mean that! I know you feel something for me! You came back for me, you told me so!” she wailed as she reached out desperately for him.
Jack stepped back, making sure to avoid her grasping hands, and shook his head softly. “No, Gwen, I don’t and I never will. However, it is partly my fault that you feel this way; I did lead you on and that wasn’t fair to you or to Ianto.”
“No! Jack, you love me!” Gwen bawled loudly. “You have to!”
“No, Ianto is the one I love, the only one, and Ianto is the reason I came back. You had nothing to do with it, nothing whatsoever. I flirted with you because that’s who I am, but Ianto’s the one I go home to every night. Ianto is the only one I want to be with, to sleep with and to wake up with.”
Upstairs in the kitchen, Ianto gave up pretending he wasn’t listening to the drama that was going on down in the Hub. Tossing the tea towel down onto the counter, he went and stood in the doorway, looking down on Jack and Gwen. He could feel the sheer intensity and pure truth of Jack’s words, and as he looked down upon his mate, tears of happiness sprang to his eyes. “I love you too, Jack,” he whispered.
Jack knew the moment Ianto started focusing on him and he could feel the waves of love the younger man was sending his way. His heart swelled with joy as he felt the depth of his mate’s affection for him, and it made his next statement a little easier to say. “Gwen, the brutal truth is I used you as a back-up in case Ianto didn’t want me anymore. I thought if he saw me flirting with you it would stir his jealousy. I’m sorry, Gwen, but you were nothing more than a means to an end, a way to keep Ianto interested in me. I’m sorry I led you on, Gwen, but it was just a game to me.”
Honest tears welled up in Gwen’s eyes and began flowing down her cheeks as all her dreams of a future with Jack began to wither and die before her eyes. As with her fake, crocodile tears, Jack wasn’t at all swayed by Gwen’s waterworks.
“Here’s a truth about us that you can bank on, Gwen; my days of placing you above the rest of the team ends here and now. It’s not fair to them how I favour you over everyone including my own lover. My allowances for what you have done have caused more harm than good.” He held up his hand as Gwen opened her mouth to speak.
“For the sake of the team I’m transferring you to Torchwood Two, and you’ll stay in Scotland until Archie feels you have improved your attitude. Then and only then will we discuss your return to Torchwood Three, and trust me when I say that there is no guarantee I’ll allow you back. It’s all going to depend on what Archie has to say and on what I observe myself.” Jack calmly informed her.
“Jack, please…” Gwen sobbed. “I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry. Please don’t send me away!”
“I think it’s time you went home and discuss this with Rhys, your fiancé.”
Gwen’s shoulders sagged as she realised that she’d just lost the battle and then she blanched ghost-white. ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to have to tell Rhys that we’re moving to Scotland for the foreseeable future, or at least until Jack comes to his senses.’
She tried one last time to dissuade Jack from his decision. “But Rhys and I are getting married in a few months! I can’t go to Scotland when I have a wedding to plan.” Gwen wailed loudly and even upstairs, Ianto winced at the volume.
The headache was a full-blown migraine by now and Jack wanted Gwen out of his Hub as quickly as possible. He desperately needed some Ianto-time before the next disaster struck Torchwood. “Gwen, I don’t care!” Jack roared. “That’s something you need to discuss with Rhys, not me! Go home, Gwen; go home and talk to Rhys or don’t talk to him, I don’t give a flying Sklang-bug’s arse! Just be ready to leave first thing Friday morning. I’ll have Ianto email you your travel plans so there’s no need for you to even come back here before you go.”
“Fine! I’ll talk to you when you’ve regained your senses!” Gwen snarled as she spun on her heel and stalked haughtily out of the Hub.
Once Gwen was gone and the alarm klaxons had silenced, Jack fell back onto the couch. His body was still full of angry energy and his head throbbed violently. Ianto quickly exited the kitchen, placed the coffees down, and hurried over to comfort his lover; his heart ached to see Jack in so much pain.
The moment Ianto sat down and wrapped his arms around him, Jack sank into Ianto’s hold. He nuzzled into Ianto’s neck and breathed in his star’s scent; he was already beginning to calm down just from having his mate close to him.
“Soooo, would this be a bad time to tell you that I can get pregnant?” Ianto asked with as nonchalant a shoulder-shrug as he could manage. He wanted to get Jack’s mind off of Gwen and from the way Jack was staring at him, slack-jawed and with his eyes wide open in pure shock, Ianto knew he had succeeded.
*****
As the remaining members of Torchwood Three, the Doctor and Donna enjoyed their walk along the pier, they never noticed a pair of cunning eyes closely observing them from the shadows.
An unknown red-head male watched the Torchwood team with unconcealed interest in his eyes. His gaze lingered the longest on Toshiko Sato as he vividly pictured the fun he was going to have with her. ‘Of course the Time Lord could be a problem as could the star; their memories won’t be so easy to mess with, but I cannot deny the pull they have on me. I’ll just have to make sure I do this logically.’ Soon, very soon, he would find the memories that were calling out to him.
Little did he know that he too was being closely scrutinised from the shadows, by four sets of eyes that watched his every move. They each knew exactly what he was just as they knew that the time was rapidly approaching when they would have to make themselves known once again to those whom they had loved and claimed in the year that never happened.
TBC…
Fandoms: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Doctor/Luna, ?/Tosh, ?/Donna, Rhys/Gwen, pre-Rhys/Kathy, Andy/?, Tom/Martha and Owen/? with past Michael/Luna, Jack/Luna/Ianto friendship and mentions of Doctor/Rose
Summary: In the year that never was the members of Torchwood Three lived different lives, now those lives are about to return. How will what happen in that year change all of their futures?
Spoilers: TW ‘Adam’ and all of S2, DW S4
Warning: Gwen bashing
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or Doctor Who. I do own Luna and all other future original characters to come.
Beta: royalladyemma
Author Note: Gwen’s reaction to being transferred, hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 11
Silence reigned in the Hub for several moments after Jack’s outburst and as Gwen stared slack-jawed at them Jack took the time to move protectively in front of Ianto. He wanted to keep safe the man who held his heart; he was both mentally and physically prepared for what was sure to be a violent outburst from Gwen.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime but in truth really wasn’t long enough, Gwen regained her ability to talk. “I’m sorry Jack; I must have misheard you,” she raised one eyebrow and smiled at him. “Because I thought you said I was being transferred and we both know that’ll never happen. You need me around far too much.”
Jack resolutely yet casually crossed his arms over his chest; he was not going to cave in to Gwen, not this time and never again. He kept his voice firm and level as he looked her in eyes. “No, you heard me right.” He had to fight the urge to smile softly at his mate as he felt Ianto laid a comforting hand on his back.
Gwen wasn’t an idiot; she knew the moral support that Ianto was giving the old man was vital to him at the moment. She was also sure that if she and Jack were alone, she’s have no problem convincing him that he desperately needed her at his side. Gwen pretended to finally notice Ianto standing behind Jack and she gave the star a condescending smile. “Ianto, why don’t you be a dear and run along; you can make us some coffee while Jack and I discuss this in private.”
“Don’t you dare order Ianto around like he’s some glorified butler! He’s more than that!” Jack snapped harshly. “Ianto is a full member of this team and he is, in fact, your superior!”
“Jack, he’s just a child!” Gwen waved her hand dismissively. “He hasn’t seen enough to be superior to me or to anyone else, really! And in case you have forgotten, you were the one who said he cleans up after us and if that’s not the definition of a butler then what is?” A smug look over came Gwen’s face as she crossed her own arms over her chest. She was confident that she had Jack on the ropes and that he was going to cave in at any moment.
Shame filled Jack when he heard Gwen’s words; he was so ashamed of how true they were. In the beginning Ianto really had been nothing more than a butler to them, despite the fact that after Jack and Archie, Ianto was the longest living active member of Torchwood.
“How dare you!” The low hiss broke Jack out of his thoughts and Gwen out of her smugness and they both focused on Ianto as he stepped out from behind Jack. They were surprised to see his blue eyes flashing with rage as he stared at Gwen.
“I haven’t seen enough to be your superior? Who in the hell do you think you are, Gwen Cooper?!” Ianto practically spat the words at the woman. “I survived the fall of Torchwood One! I watched as my friends were murdered right in front of me! I crawled through the dead bodies of my friends and co-workers to get to Lisa and Luna. I have scars and burns on my body from dragging Lisa through the burning building.”
Gwen raised her hands in supplication. “I didn’t mean…”
Ianto continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I was fucking tenderized at the hands of cannibals! I have seen more horrors than you could ever dream of, you stupid, selfish little girl!” Ianto didn’t raise his voice at all, but the icy coldness of his tone sent shivers down both Jack and Gwen’s spines. “So get the fuck over yourself, Gwen!”
Silence reigned supreme in the Hub when Ianto finished speaking. Jack was looking at Ianto with new-found admiration while Gwen was gaping at him with her mouth hanging open. Neither could find anything appropriate to say. Finally, from up in the rafters, there came a soft caw as Myfanwy expressed her approval for her favourite human’s behaviour.
Ianto wasn’t quite finished. “Oh and by the way, Gwen? Everyone on the team is your superior. You are the rookie around here and it’s high time that you remember fact.” He moved his gaze from Gwen to Jack, effectively dismissing her.
The instant Ianto turned to face Jack his entire demeanour changed; he smiled softly at the older man and his eyes were shining with self-respect. “Why don’t I go put on some coffee while you inform Gwen of her new assignment.” Ianto placed a gentle kiss on Jack’s cheek. “I’ll even bring you some of you special biscuits for afterwards, okay?” Without giving Gwen a second glance, he spun on his heel and headed for the kitchen, his shoulders straight and his head held high. He definitely needed to put some distance between him and Gwen before he did something he might regret.
It took Jack a moment to regain control of himself. ‘Damn! If I didn’t have to deal with Gwen, I would have throw Ianto onto that couch and have my wicked way with him right here and now!’ While Jack hated the fact that Gwen’s callous disregard for Ianto’s feelings had managed to anger his lover, Jack could not deny that angry Ianto was just so smoking hot! He was also so proud that his lover stood up to Gwen and put her in her place, and as he turned to look at Gwen, that pride was beaming written all over his face.
“Jack! How dare you just stand by and let Ianto talk to me like that! I am your second-in-command!” Gwen’s voice took on that familiar screeching tone that was a clear sign that she was letting her anger get the best of her. “He has to respect my authority over him!”
“Says who? I never told you that you are my second-in-command! Why would I give such an important role to the rookie?” Jack frowned and tilted his head slightly. “Any one of the others is a far better choice for that position; they’ve all been in Torchwood longer and they have years of experience dealing with dangerous situations that you don’t have.” Officially Jack had never named a second and he had no idea where Gwen had gotten the idea that she was in change after him. Inwardly he sighed; that was another thing he had to set straight with the team.
Gwen faltered for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing. “But, Jack, you hired me to take’s Suzie’s place! She was your second-in-command at the time, so therefore, that makes me second-in-command now.” She couldn’t understand how he could forget something so important. ‘It’s got to be Ianto’s mind control at work again!” she realised with a start. ‘Jack wouldn’t forget about that willingly.’
“No, Gwen,” Jack was struggling to keep an even tone. “I hired you to fill the void on the team, nothing more and nothing less. Suzie was a weapon’s expert and you could barely hold a gun when I first hired you. No,” he shook his head decisively. “For now my temporary second-in-command is Owen. I’ll make a finally decision on the position once I’ve had a chance to evaluate the suitability of each member of the team.”
Jack turned the full force of his captainly authority on Gwen. “And let me tell you something, Miss Cooper. Given your miserable and dangerous actions in the field of late, it won’t be you.” Jack glared darkly at Gwen; he hadn’t forgotten the unbelievable fuss she’d made when she demanded that Rhys keeps his memories or the hurt she caused with she’d unthinking words.
“But you need me, Jack! You said so yourself!” A cold wave of fear knifed through Gwen’s belly; she was in danger of losing Jack! “And just a few days ago you told everyone here that you would know the difference if I left. You’ve never said anything like that to Ianto or the others!” Gwen quickly threw out even as her mind raced desperately to find a way of changing Jack’s mind.
Jack wasn’t at all surprised that Gwen tossed his own words back in his face, but he was glad she brought it up. It gave him the perfect opportunity to set her straight. Jack folded his arms across his chest and looked at Gwen quizzically. “And how would you know what I say to the others in private? Hmm? Because that’s where your dramatic little demand for Rhys to keep his memories should have been made, in the privacy of my office.” Jack gestured around him. “Not in front of the others where you so coldly and cruelly rubbed all our noses in the fact that you have someone on the outside to go home to.”
“But you know I didn’t mean what I said, Jack!” Gwen turned on the tears as she pleaded with the immortal. She crossed the few steps between them and clutched at his arm. Her nails were digging into his flesh like talons, making it difficult for him to shake her off.
Jack was unimpressed by Gwen’s crocodile tears. “You have no idea how much you hurt everyone here. You deliberately chose words you knew would deeply affect your co-workers. It seems to me you’re the one who’s forgotten what it’s like to be human, not us.”
Jack words cut Gwen to the core and her smug smile fell from her face. The immortal was pleased to see he was getting through to Gwen but he wasn’t quite done just yet. “You have conveniently forgotten about the heartbreaking losses your teammates have suffered through. Estelle…” Jack’s heart caught in his throat as he spoke his old lover’s voice.
Resolutely, he continued, “…Mary, Diane, Tommy and Lisa. Five souls greatly loved and sadly lost because Torchwood touched their lives. Five people we cared about and even loved, and although they’re gone from us, they live on in our hearts. Now you have the nerve to stand before us and call us cold and lonely, to belittle our losses and our pain.” Overcome by the memories of everyone and everything he’d lost over the long years of his life, Jack spoke in a low hiss, his eyes as cold and hard as steel.
The raw emotions she saw in Jack’s eyes were like a physical blow and Gwen staggered back a few steps. She had no clue how things had gotten so completely turned around. ‘How on Earth did I become the bad guy in all this?’ She quickly back-pedaled, trying to salvage something, anything, “I… didn’t mean it like that, Jack. I just couldn’t let you Retcon Rhys.”
“Why, Gwen?” Jack couldn’t stop himself from asking.
“Well… because his memories… they’re special… they’re…” Gwen floundered for the right words. How could she explain to him, to anyone, how lonely she was, how much she wanted someone she could talk to about the things she saw and the work she did.
“So, his memories are more important than everyone else’s?” Jack quirked an eyebrow at her. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Well, no! No, of course not!” Gwen protested. “No one should lose their memories!”
“Then why was it okay for you to Retcon Rhys last year when you told him about your affair with Owen?” Jack’s tone was causal but the look in his eyes clearly said ‘I dare you to try and lie your way out of this one.’
Gwen’s mouth went completely dry. “Y… you know about that?” She twisted her engagement ring nervously; ‘Oh, God, I’m really in big trouble now.’ She’d managed to emotionally blackmail her boss into not doing something she’d already and willingly done to Rhys not even a year earlier.
“Yes, Gwen I knew all about it.” Jack couldn’t keep the mocking tone out of his voice. “You see after Suzie’s little misuse of Retcon, I set up a motion-sensor camera to keep track of unauthorized access to the cupboard. Once every day or so, I’d zip through the footage, and then lo and behold, what do I see?”
Gwen audibly gulped; ‘Oh, shit!’
“There’s little Miss Gwen Cooper, who hasn’t yet been cleared to administer Retcon, down in the Medical Bay taking pills from the cupboard. Made me wonder why you’d want to take Retcon, after telling me how happy you were with Torchwood. So I got worried about you and I had a little look at the cameras set up in your flat and…”
Once again, Gwen out-raged screech filled the Hub, startling both Myfanwy, who squawked and launched herself from her aerie to soar nervously around the rafters, and Ianto, who dropped a coffee mug on the floor and then cursed as he cut his finger on a shard of crockery.
“Cameras?” Gwen shrieked. “You bugged my home?”
“Oh, it’s all right, Gwen. They’re there for you own protection and I’ve never accessed them before or since.” Jack reassured her, dismissing her concerns with a wave of his hand and continued speaking. “As I was saying, what do I see but you Retconning the man you declare so proudly that you love before you tell him about your affair.”
Gwen’s face flushed with shame at the memory; confessing her infidelity to Rhys and trying to force him to forgive her before making him forget all about it was without a doubt one of the worst things she’d ever done.
Jack’s good humour disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and once again his eyes were ice-cold. “So tell me exactly how you can justify giving Rhys Retcon when it benefits you and then throwing a bitch fit about not giving to him when it comes to the safety of you and your teammates?”
Jack knew that when Gwen had first confronted him last year, he wasn’t on his game. His mind was still too over-whelmed by the many memories of his time as the Master’s prisoner, of losing his team. The very worst of them all had been the brutally graphic memory of losing Ianto. He had let those memories guide him when he dealt with Gwen’s demand; he wasn’t thinking of how much it would hurt the others, or of how much it would hurt Ianto.
But now that his mind was clear and focused, he was absolutely appalled that he’d let some spoiled child manipulate him. ‘Well, not this time, missy; this time I’m the one in control of the situation.’ “I’m waiting, Gwen,” and to reinforce his impatience, he began to tap his foot.
Gwen swallowed hard; she knew that there was no answer she could give that would pardon her actions. A terrifying thought struck her; ‘does Rhys know what I’ve done?’ As much as she hated it, she was going to have to take the transfer, at least until Jack came to his senses. ‘And when he does, I’ll be back with my head held high!’
Mustering up as much dignity as she could, she struck out her chin and attempted a smile, which unfortunately came off more like a threatening grimace. “Fine! Send me to Scotland but once you come to your senses and see that it’s me you want and not some stupid Tea-Boy, see if I take you back.” Gwen sneered at Jack, all the while thinking, ‘He won’t last one day without me; he’ll y be begging me to come back before I even get to Scotland!’
Jack began rubbing his temples and wishing that Ianto were there to do the job for him; dealing with Gwen always gave him such a headache. “Take you back? Take you back!” Jack’s voice was dripping with incredulity. “Do you ever listen to yourself, Gwen? There never was and there never will be anything between us! How many times do I have to tell you? My heart belongs to Ianto and he will own it until the end of time! He will own it long after you have become nothing more than a very distant and very faded memory.”
Gwen’s eyes filled with tears and her mouth fell open. “Jack, you can’t mean that! I know you feel something for me! You came back for me, you told me so!” she wailed as she reached out desperately for him.
Jack stepped back, making sure to avoid her grasping hands, and shook his head softly. “No, Gwen, I don’t and I never will. However, it is partly my fault that you feel this way; I did lead you on and that wasn’t fair to you or to Ianto.”
“No! Jack, you love me!” Gwen bawled loudly. “You have to!”
“No, Ianto is the one I love, the only one, and Ianto is the reason I came back. You had nothing to do with it, nothing whatsoever. I flirted with you because that’s who I am, but Ianto’s the one I go home to every night. Ianto is the only one I want to be with, to sleep with and to wake up with.”
Upstairs in the kitchen, Ianto gave up pretending he wasn’t listening to the drama that was going on down in the Hub. Tossing the tea towel down onto the counter, he went and stood in the doorway, looking down on Jack and Gwen. He could feel the sheer intensity and pure truth of Jack’s words, and as he looked down upon his mate, tears of happiness sprang to his eyes. “I love you too, Jack,” he whispered.
Jack knew the moment Ianto started focusing on him and he could feel the waves of love the younger man was sending his way. His heart swelled with joy as he felt the depth of his mate’s affection for him, and it made his next statement a little easier to say. “Gwen, the brutal truth is I used you as a back-up in case Ianto didn’t want me anymore. I thought if he saw me flirting with you it would stir his jealousy. I’m sorry, Gwen, but you were nothing more than a means to an end, a way to keep Ianto interested in me. I’m sorry I led you on, Gwen, but it was just a game to me.”
Honest tears welled up in Gwen’s eyes and began flowing down her cheeks as all her dreams of a future with Jack began to wither and die before her eyes. As with her fake, crocodile tears, Jack wasn’t at all swayed by Gwen’s waterworks.
“Here’s a truth about us that you can bank on, Gwen; my days of placing you above the rest of the team ends here and now. It’s not fair to them how I favour you over everyone including my own lover. My allowances for what you have done have caused more harm than good.” He held up his hand as Gwen opened her mouth to speak.
“For the sake of the team I’m transferring you to Torchwood Two, and you’ll stay in Scotland until Archie feels you have improved your attitude. Then and only then will we discuss your return to Torchwood Three, and trust me when I say that there is no guarantee I’ll allow you back. It’s all going to depend on what Archie has to say and on what I observe myself.” Jack calmly informed her.
“Jack, please…” Gwen sobbed. “I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry. Please don’t send me away!”
“I think it’s time you went home and discuss this with Rhys, your fiancé.”
Gwen’s shoulders sagged as she realised that she’d just lost the battle and then she blanched ghost-white. ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to have to tell Rhys that we’re moving to Scotland for the foreseeable future, or at least until Jack comes to his senses.’
She tried one last time to dissuade Jack from his decision. “But Rhys and I are getting married in a few months! I can’t go to Scotland when I have a wedding to plan.” Gwen wailed loudly and even upstairs, Ianto winced at the volume.
The headache was a full-blown migraine by now and Jack wanted Gwen out of his Hub as quickly as possible. He desperately needed some Ianto-time before the next disaster struck Torchwood. “Gwen, I don’t care!” Jack roared. “That’s something you need to discuss with Rhys, not me! Go home, Gwen; go home and talk to Rhys or don’t talk to him, I don’t give a flying Sklang-bug’s arse! Just be ready to leave first thing Friday morning. I’ll have Ianto email you your travel plans so there’s no need for you to even come back here before you go.”
“Fine! I’ll talk to you when you’ve regained your senses!” Gwen snarled as she spun on her heel and stalked haughtily out of the Hub.
Once Gwen was gone and the alarm klaxons had silenced, Jack fell back onto the couch. His body was still full of angry energy and his head throbbed violently. Ianto quickly exited the kitchen, placed the coffees down, and hurried over to comfort his lover; his heart ached to see Jack in so much pain.
The moment Ianto sat down and wrapped his arms around him, Jack sank into Ianto’s hold. He nuzzled into Ianto’s neck and breathed in his star’s scent; he was already beginning to calm down just from having his mate close to him.
“Soooo, would this be a bad time to tell you that I can get pregnant?” Ianto asked with as nonchalant a shoulder-shrug as he could manage. He wanted to get Jack’s mind off of Gwen and from the way Jack was staring at him, slack-jawed and with his eyes wide open in pure shock, Ianto knew he had succeeded.
*****
As the remaining members of Torchwood Three, the Doctor and Donna enjoyed their walk along the pier, they never noticed a pair of cunning eyes closely observing them from the shadows.
An unknown red-head male watched the Torchwood team with unconcealed interest in his eyes. His gaze lingered the longest on Toshiko Sato as he vividly pictured the fun he was going to have with her. ‘Of course the Time Lord could be a problem as could the star; their memories won’t be so easy to mess with, but I cannot deny the pull they have on me. I’ll just have to make sure I do this logically.’ Soon, very soon, he would find the memories that were calling out to him.
Little did he know that he too was being closely scrutinised from the shadows, by four sets of eyes that watched his every move. They each knew exactly what he was just as they knew that the time was rapidly approaching when they would have to make themselves known once again to those whom they had loved and claimed in the year that never happened.
TBC…