CSI: Cardiff

[capj_harkness]

Who: Jack and Ianto
When: Crime Scene Investigation, Torchwood-style.
Where: The SUV and the bar where the attack took place.
What: Jack and Ianto go into the field to check out the scene of the previous night's alien attack.
Status: Complete.

Comments

[tea_boy_x]

This was just exhausting. Ianto's mind was reeling while trying to keep up with this. Wondering how it had gotten from Jack leaving them, him, to this all being somehow Ianto's fault.

How in the hell did that happen? Was he going to find fingers pointing at him when they'd come back at the Hub too? His co-workers now suddenly blaming him as well? Not that this would be new. And far more preferable over the pitying looks because Jack had left his part-time shag behind.

The one thing that stood out in Jack's not so little rant was the venomous 'I don't even belong here'. The younger man visibly flinched at those words. Ianto wasn't good enough to make him feel as though Jack belonged here. Was wanted here. Jack had been missed so much it had bloody well hurt.Insecurity just got turned up another notch

[capj_harkness]

"Do you still want me here?" he asked plainly. "Do you still want me?"

He noticed the hurt in Ianto's tone, but didn't know what was causing it. But hurting him was the last thing Jack wanted to do.

[tea_boy_x]

He couldn't help himself. A hand shot out, the back of his fingers stroking Jack's cheek gently. Not caring about the small flecks of blood which stained his nails.

"Oh, oh god yes, cariad. Don't ever doubt that," he whispered with a desperation that nearly had him wincing at how pathetically needy he sounded.

[capj_harkness]

Jack smiled a little. "Then how about we forget about 'everyone' and all the stuff they think they know, get this work done and then we can go on that date you promised me?" he proposed.

[tea_boy_x]

Perhaps it was that fact that Jack was from the 51st century and Ianto from this one. Or perhaps it was because Jack was simply Jack and didn't give a fuck what people thought about him or them. While Ianto despite his obvious efforts still had this far too human trade where he did care.

...But he couldn't just 'forget' about everyone. Especially not when 'everyone' had been taunting him, giving him pitting looks and trying to get him to 'get over it'.

Didn't mean he couldn't /try/ to forget it.

He was sort of looking forward to that date Jack has asked him about. For. With. With, yeah, with. A date with Jack. "Yeah," he nodded, giving his Captain a small smile.

[capj_harkness]

Jack grinned at him. "Alright," he said, pleased. "Then let's get this over with. Grab the kit from the back?" he asked as he opened his door.

As he stepped out onto the pavement, he noticed a police car parked a little further up the block, but it was empty. The cops were probably inside. They'd better not be touching anything.

[tea_boy_x]

"Yes, Sir," Ianto nodded, all business again with a few words. He got out of the car, jogged to the back and got out all the equipment they needed. Though the windows he could see Jack already going into his 'Captain' mode. Funny how that hadn't change for Ianto to recognize it.

So much had changed and yet so much hadn't. It was sort of strange.

Ever the dutiful employee, Ianto fell into place on Jack's right. Things the man needed at the ready should he, in fact, need them. Quietly waiting for his next instructions.

[capj_harkness]

Jack strode into the bar, aware of Ianto's steady presence at his side, and glanced around. As he'd suspected, two police officers were standing near the door.

"Thanks, guys," he said easily. "We'll take it from here." In other words, they could go.

One of the cops started towards the door. The other one, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, looked Jack over.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he remarked, sparing Ianto a brief glance before turning his attention back to Jack.

[tea_boy_x]

Following Jack wherever the man went almost felt like old times. Except, usually there had been a whole team with them. Rarely did Jack and Ianto go anywhere alone when it had been job related. Of course Ianto hadn't been much of a field agent then, despite his training at One.

Keeping his face neutral, he watched as Jack with an ease slipped into the role of Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood. Commanding that people listen to him and did his bidding.

Of course, not everyone had gotten then memo that they were supposed to do so. Oddly enough it were always the same /type/ of blokes who never go this memo. Ianto shifted a bit, bit down on a sigh and kept his face even more neutral as he watched the two.

[capj_harkness]

Jack met the officer's gaze, then looked at Ianto. "Look," he said dryly, a smirk on his lips. "I have a fan."

The officer snorted. "Hardly. But we had wondered where you'd ponced off to."

"Took a brief trip to the end of the universe," Jack said casually as he glanced around the bar, already beginning to ignore the policeman's presence.

The officer rolled his eyes and muttered something about 'bloody Torchwood' before walking out the door.

Jack turned and looked at the door when he heard it close, then found Ianto's eyes. "Alone at last," he said impishly before getting down to business. "Let's start over there," he said, pointing to an area near the bar containing several broken tables.

[tea_boy_x]

Well, that was certainly the old Jack, Ianto couldn't help but think. He gave the Captain his usual sardonic smile before taking up the role as neutral shadow man once again

[capj_harkness]

Jack walked slowly through the crime scene while Ianto took readings near the bar.

"Hey, there's some..." he began, calling to Ianto, then stopped when he realized it was copius quantities of what looked more like human blood. "Oh. I think this is probably mine," he admitted, gesturing to the wide drying puddle.

[tea_boy_x]

"Sir?" came the automatic reply as Ianto shuffled closer. One eye still on the apparatus he was reading, the other to what Jack wanted him to see. Though, a few moments later he wish he hadn't.

It was one thing knowing Jack couldn't die. It was another to know that he had, possibly, died... and he'd not been there to hold the man as he woke up. Like you couldn't be there for him when he died over and over and over and...

Ianto wince and looked away from the dried up blood. He didn't even have to look at the scanner to know that it was human. "Right," Ianto muttered, not even bothering to see if the DNA matched Jack's as he continued on with his scans.

[capj_harkness]

"Sorry," he said. And he meant for wasting Ianto's time. It didn't occur to him that the younger man might find the sight disturbing. Jack had died so many times he was used to it. Oh, not to the sensation. That was always like being dragged naked over broken glass. He was used to it happening. Especially after the last year, when being dragged over broken glass was a welcome relief compared to what had come before it.

"What kind of readings did you get from the bar?" he asked. "Anything unusual?"

[tea_boy_x]

"Yeah," Ianto replied, giving the Captain a small smile. Sometimes he wondered how Jack could be so blasé about dying and finding a pool of his own blood. But then he recalled the man had died... oh, countless of times. Ianto didn't think it was something one could get used to, though.

"Uh, oh..." That question startled him out of his referee. He glanced at the devices, going over various reading and found nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for the odd patterns he got when went over, what he presumed to be, the aliens blood. If it even was blood.

"Just the usual for Tosh to look over later," he shrugged, making certain to save all date before holding the one with the alien readings out to Jack. "Unless you can make something from this?"

[capj_harkness]

Jack didn't take the scanner. Instead, he moved to stand at Ianto's elbow, looking at the readout over his shoulder