To Give & Forget - Part Eleven
Title: To Give and Forget - Part 11 of 15
Pairing: Jack/Ianto overall, this part has a smidge of Ianto/OFC
Rating: 18 - sex
Summary: Plans & Mistakes
Disclaimer: TW characters are not mine...
Author's Notes: Beta by the gorgeous
avon_09 who worked like hell on this bit. And to
damalan for plot-betaing.
Ianto and Jack visit Melindawa at Torchwood HQ which means Ianto has to meet Maldwyn again. Maldwyn and Moses are to join the team in Cardiff. The mission is to find Ianto's parents. But other events unfold. Fogle and Stiles warn Ianto about Gay Serum and the people of Cardiff are desperate for sex...but it begins to spread. In the meantime, both Jack and Ianto suffer the trials of therapy and Jack is told to talk to Ianto in his sleep. Melindawa also retreats to Cardiff;he is in danger, a marked woman in danger from TW HQ. When they get to the Hub, Maldwyn & Moses are put under lock and key. Jack - whilst Ianto's asleep - speaks of his parents, but gets disturbed when someone starts creeping around the Hub...and it's not Maldwyn. The next morning, Mel tells the gang that something has to be done bout this thing called a Cathexis Transmitter which seems to be leaking. The team track it down at an underground Brothel. It's leaking sexual energy and whilst the team lock it down, Jack comes over all feak and weeble. The Brothel Madam is taken into custody with growing suspicion about Moses and Maldwyn's motives. The Torchwood team hit the road and revelations unfold, including a touch of angst. And our Mel has plans. In the last chapter, Jack and Ianto fell out, as did Moses and Maldwyn. Jack takes Maldwyn to one side to talk and he has something to say about Moses...
A recap on Time & Punishment or A Man in A Polyester Suit, there is a recap of both under the links as well as the full fics. You will also find full character profiles for the lead players along the lines of this fic there - including full disclosures regarding the rather purloined Fogle & Stiles characters. Since Dr Who, part of this fic has become non-cannon. Sorry!
And thanks again to everyone still reading! :)
Part Eleven
Melindawa had plans.
The first of which, was to deal with the Basim Madam, Dylis. She was very clearly far more knowledgeable than she was currently admitting. Owen and Tosh had done their best but the one thing they hadn’t had access to was the Cathexis Transmitter. And as far as Melindawa knew, neither of them had a photographic memory, which she most certainly did.
At the screen of the Transmitter, she had learned several things. It was clearly a conduit but it was also linked directly to the main Basimar transmitter on this world. More intriguing still was the fact that only one person had access to it. That person was Bianca Ford and she had last logged onto the machine just two weeks ago. Since Dylis claimed she had worked at the brothel for two years, she must have known Bianca and was probably in touch with her. Oh yes, Dylis was a weapon and one that Melindawa planned to use.
Despite her dislike of Bianca Ford, Melindawa had to give her grudging respect. All of the transmitters the Basim had on earth and other planets were linked, even though they were scattered across the universe. The main transmitter on earth, where the team were headed, was hidden in mountains and shielded by thick granite and dangerous roads. That Ford had hidden a conduit in a city, amongst man-made skyscrapers and beneath tons of concrete - Melindawa had to concede that it was almost genius.
The problem was that the Institute clearly had designs on the master transmitter. If it fell under their control, they could take over the others, which were spread across the universe, at a single command. The power they could generate would be valuable. For earth, it could end the reliance on fossil fuels, but that was just the start. With control of the transmitters, they would also have control of Basim and all its planetary colonies. If they had that, the Torchwood Institute would have more power than any other organisation known to man.
Melindawa knew far too much about Basim and she knew how they would react. With their transmitters’ power gone, they would fold and co-operate. By nature, they were rather unimaginative, although in Melindawa’s experience it was a criticism that could be levelled at many races in the universe. The Basim revered their whores and tortured their priests already; such was their dependence on the power courtesans generated via the transmitters. Without it, the Basimar government would easily be dominated. The priests would be killed and the whores worked harder than ever. And would any of the Basim colonies run to their aid? Would they help a world which refused to respect laws or ideas other than their own? No, Basim for all its current power would be truly alone; despite the protection it offered its colonies.
Melindawa wondered if the Basim should have put faith in more than just the generation of energy. It was a hard question and Melindawa, true to her own race, was not a religious woman. The Grenorgions had gods and worshippers who mainly prayed that they would be protected from pregnancy and the resulting terminal birth. Even then, most Grenorgions knew that the only real way of escaping that fate was to leave. The best way to do that was to work as a Diplomat, which took decades of training. Melindawa had never had the time; she had used her photographic memory to pass some exams though the study was still tedious. When a friend returned home for a holiday, Melindawa had hoped to talk her into helping her skip a few years training. However, on her first day back, the friend became pregnant and rather sweetly left behind her training records. Melindawa, despite her grief at the loss of her friend, used those records and her shuttle ticket to leave Grenorgia for good.
It was on that day, the working career of Melindawa Grove began. Since then, she had travelled the Universe with more style, grace and purpose than her dubious start would suggest. Melindawa was a natural; she was not only diplomatic, but also possessed of enough leadership quality to convince people to follow the right path. She may not have had faith but Melindawa knew she had a gift and she respected it. From day one, she decided that if people followed her she would be a worthy leader, even if it meant making choices she didn't want to.
~#~
Despite only Melindawa, Fogle and Stiles being in the Hub with the assorted prisoners, it was far from quiet. Melindawa had immediately contacted the Basim, advising them of the destruction of the conduit and that a suspect was in custody. Within a matter of thirty minutes, Torchwood HQ contacted Melindawa to clarify the Basim Army's clearance. She could tell by the tone that they were not pleased. She was therefore, not surprised that Torchwood Institute employees arrived before the Basim.
As far as the alien Army was concerned, the whole thing was quite straightforward. They wouldn't discuss the main Cathexis Transmitter but did accept that they did not officially sanction the conduit. It was only after they had left with Dylis, the Madam, that Torchwood HQ turned on Melindawa. They had sent two men she had trained, one of whom had once been in love with her. And yet, the Institute had convinced them both that Melindawa was dangerous.
The main questions had been whether she was able to stop to the destruction of the secondary transmitter and where the rest of the team where. After all, by the time they had arrived, Melindawa was the only person there, having given Fogle and Stiles very specific orders. Melindawa's job was to buy them enough time to complete their task. When she was finally bundled into a Torchwood SUV after long hours of questioning, she just hoped she had done enough.
~#~
At roughly the same time Fogle and Stiles were about to reach their destination, Ianto found himself at the wrong end of a gun. He wasn't entirely convinced he knew how this situation had arisen. One minute he was chatting away to Moses, listening to the low hum of Jack and Maldwyn's conversation from the kitchen. He'd turned, to find his way to a seat and before he knew it, he felt Moses at his back, holding a gun to his neck, telling him to stay quiet.
“Come with me, Ianto,” Moses whispered into his ear. “We'll make sure your parents are safe and we can leave. Come work with me, for the Institute; you're wasted in Cardiff, Ianto.”
“I'm going to make sure my parents are safe with or without you, Moses.” Ianto said calmly. He could see Moses' face mirrored in a glass-covered painting of Scafell in front of him. “And Cardiff is my home. I have no intention of leaving.”
“Maldwyn never had vision,” Moses whispered, his head against Ianto's and inhaling his scent. “You do, I know you do. Jack and the rest are fools, too sentimental to go far. But you have drive. I know about Lisa, I know about your arrest...where was Jack when you needed him, Ianto?”
“I remember Torchwood Tower,” Ianto said slowly. “I've seen what the Institute did and what they'll do again. I won't let it happen.”
“But you see Ianto, the problem is, I can't let you stop it either.” Moses said softly. “And I rather think that you might just be the best bargaining chip that I have. So, you're going to have to come with me.”
“I really don't think so.” came a familiar voice from the doorway. “Step away from Ianto and put the gun down.”
“Dr Harper.” Moses said. Ianto could see Moses' eyes close in exasperation. “You really do have a habit of being an incredibly irritating bastard.”
The gun dropped from Ianto's neck and almost immediately, now that the cool terror of death had succumbed, Ianto realised he was furious. He lifted his arm and bought it back fast, elbowing Moses hard in the ribs. Ianto could feel the sickening crunch of his elbow against Moses, watching the man fall backwards with a grunt. In his decent, Barclay tripped over the glass-topped coffee table, leaving it in shards of chipped wood and smashed glass. The noise alerted the entire house. Footsteps could be heard upstairs and Jack’s voice from the kitchen calling Ianto's name. But already it was too late. Moses had let the impetus of his stumble drive him forward into Owen's stomach, leaving the doctor sprawling. He grabbed his bag and barrelled towards the door, running out into the darkness.
Gwen gave chase first, followed by Owen. Jack's phone rang as he was leaving and he paused, waving Tosh to follow Moses out into the dark.
~#~
It was a while before it occurred to Stiles what a horrible position they'd left Melindawa in. She had explained to Fogle and Stiles that as long as she gave the right hints, the Institute would capture rather than kill her outright. She had decided it was a gamble worth taking. As Torchwood HQ had arrived shortly afterwards, both Stiles and Fogle were compelled to merely follow her orders.
The Basim couldn't transport inside the Hub, only the Tourist Office, and so the two men had waited for them there. After their conversation with Melindawa, they had come back upstairs with Dylis. Before they would transport out, Stiles stepped forward.
“Please, don't ask questions, we have reason to believe that the main Cathexis transmitter is in danger,” Stiles had told them quietly, firmly.
“We have agents on the ground,” Fogle added. “Stiles and I are heading off to meet them now.”
Stiles realised his lover was sexier than hell when he was serious.
“But we need your help, to distract those who would seek to control the transmitter for their own ends. Do you understand?”
The Basim General had nodded.
“Number One, we want you to contravene the Talinda Convention and bring your troops in without leave from Torchwood or UNIT.”
Stiles took up the tale; the Basim didn't know he and Fogle had a script. “You'll get through, but you need to time it perfectly; if you can get us there and give us a communication device, we'll make sure of that.”
“Number Two is that they'll arrest Miss Grove and we think, they'll take her with them to the Transmitter to negotiate with you.” Fogle added, fulfilling his part of the story. “If she's sent to you, please, turn her over to us. They won't negotiate and they will kill her.”
“She...doesn't mean anything to you,” Stiles whispered. He'd found himself speaking without being aware of it. Damn, he was no good at ad-libbing. “But she does to us, so...please.”
“I won't promise you anything,” the General replied. “But, if anyone's going to be on the ground and get shot unnecessarily, I'd rather it be you two than my troops. The plan is acceptable.”
With that, Fogle and Stiles had found themselves being transported to the location of the Basim Cathexis Transmitter. Everything was going to plan, until Stiles realised they had an awful lot to do and then, a three-mile hike to the house where the Torchwood team were staying.
It was after midnight when Fogle and Stiles got word that Melindawa was captured. As predicted, Torchwood HQ had phoned Stiles and told him and Fogle to stay in Cardiff and await transport back to the main building. He'd agreed, knowing it would do neither he nor Fogle much good if HQ knew how far from Cardiff the two men were. They weren’t staying put either they were calling Jack Harkness.
~#~
Maldwyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd told Jack they needed to watch Moses, but that he didn't think he would betray him. Now, it seemed he was wrong. All of it was wrong. And now Jack's friend was in trouble. Ianto had agreed to stay with Maldwyn whilst the rest of the team searched for Moses. But he knew Moses wasn't coming back and he knew that it was his responsibility to deal with it. He had bought this on his friends. Not just Ianto, but Jack who had a good heart, even if he doubted it. He'd bought it on Owen, who'd spent the whole journey to Cumbria encouraging Maldwyn to talk, even if Moses tried to stifle him. He'd bought it on Tosh and Gwen, neither of whom he knew well, but had treated him with honesty and kindness. And now, he was here and Ianto was scared for Jack, just as Maldwyn was scared for them all, but mainly for himself.
“Ianto,” Maldwyn said, watching his friend stare out of the cottage window into the darkness. Ianto had spent the last 30 minutes cleaning up the mess from the coffee table; refusing to let Maldwyn help him. Eventually, he'd yelled at Maldwyn to sit down and stay out of it; telling him he had to clean up his own mess. Since then, they'd been in silence.
“Sorry,” Ianto replied. He turned to face Maldwyn, who realised how tired he looked. Again. “I'm not very good company am I? Go to bed if you want.”
“Will you come with me?” Maldwyn asked. He watched suspicion and misgivings flicker over Ianto's expression. “Don't worry, I just...you look tired and I don't want to be alone or leave you alone and we're all each other have at the moment, so if you can, perhaps we can just try to go to sleep and get some rest.” He was gabbling, he realised it, but he couldn't stop. Now his voice had been heard, he didn't want to go back to silence again. He couldn't; it was too painful to carry on living in his own head, with its monsters and fear of the dark. “I think it would be better, you can keep an eye on me, see? And then, I can keep an eye on you, but you can rest and I can too, and there'll be nothing to clean and I promise, I won't upset you...”
“It's alright,” Ianto said quietly. “I'll lock the door and text Jack to let him know that we're upstairs and to ring if he can't get in. It's a good idea. You seem a bit shaky, the rest would do you good.”
The two men had trudged upstairs, to lie in the bed that was to be Moses and Maldwyn's. Ianto had remained clothed and sat half upright against the bed head. He huffed when Maldwyn began to remove his jeans, leaving himself in a t-shirt and his y-fronts. When Maldwyn realised that Ianto was half watching him undress, he mentally thanked himself for having a shower and putting on clean undies when he'd arrived; knowing that unless he was prodded, he let his hygiene slip. And then, Maldwyn slipped into bed next to Ianto, looking up at him with green eyes and asked him for a bedtime story.
~#~
Jack followed the footfalls of his team, his blood pounding in his ears. He was angry; for leaving Ianto to deal with Moses, at himself for not acting sooner, and at Melindawa for doing what she had. He'd told Stiles they were hunting for Moses, and the two men had agreed to stand guard at Ianto's parents' cottage. Though Jack was sure Moses wouldn't show his face. He would tell the Institute everything, and the element of surprise that he and his team once had, would be lost. Unless they could find Moses first.
~#~
Ianto wasn't sure how it had come to this. It had started when he was listening to Maldwyn speak of Moses' betrayal. It had seemed right to comfort him when he became fretful. It had seemed right to kiss him when he looked up at him and thanked Ianto for not hating him. It hadn't seemed right to stop Maldwyn thrusting against him. Ianto had ignored his own erection for as long as he could, just letting Maldwyn rub against him, until he found himself mindlessly returning each thrust, each kiss, each tender ministration. Ianto was still fully clothed and Maldwyn still had his shirt on and his y-fronts, though Maldwyn's hard cock had long since slipped its confines and was leaking against the front of Ianto's trousers.
Maldwyn's green eyes seemed to burn into him, neither man losing eye contact. If Ianto had wanted to use the excuse he had been thinking of Jack, it would be wrong. He wasn't. He was thinking of the pain he saw in his friend's eyes, the desperation. He knew that if Maldwyn said the wrong word this would stop; but he was caught between wanting him to and praying that he wouldn't. The friction was so good. He realised that he was going to come in his trousers and smiled, knowing it was apt that he should considering Maldwyn was once his schoolboy crush.
Perhaps it was the smile that broke the spell, but suddenly, Maldwyn was a different man and he pushed Ianto back, pinning him to the bed. His thrusts were harder, almost painful.
“What's so fucking funny?” Maldwyn ground out, staring down at his friend and then, rather at odds with his aggression, he kissed Ianto softly. Ianto finally let his eyes close to the kiss, unable to meet Maldwyn's gaze any longer. “Don't laugh at me, please don't.” Maldwyn whispered into his ear.
“Wasn't...laughing at you,” Ianto whispered back. “Wouldn't, harder…please?” He pushed Maldwyn back, feeling his friend pause and then relent. He swung a leg over Maldwyn's body, bringing his groin as close as he could to his friend's. “Please,” Ianto whispered again, needing more friction. He knew he would be disappointed if this stopped. He had carried this torch for too long, loving Maldwyn, hating him, lusting after him and fearing him. Now the lust was back, it was taking over and that was, in itself, a blissful relief.
Finally, it seemed to Ianto that for Maldwyn, a switch had flicked on. He grabbed Ianto's arse, bringing him close, thrusting against him, humming in Ianto's ear. It began softly at first, the volume increasing as his movements became faster. Ianto too was thrusting against his friend, whispering curses under his breath. Just like Jack did, he dimly realised, feeling his balls tighten and he came, panting, confused and suddenly so very sorry. Maldwyn's hum seemed to turn to a roar as he came against Ianto, draping himself over Ianto's body as he did so.
~#~
Moses had long since lost the Torchwood team; he knew he would; after all, he'd been here many times before. He knew this place, the lie of the mountains, the gullies and the places to hide. If he were lucky, one or more of the team would break their necks on the craggy rocks. He no longer regretted bringing Maldwyn into this. That had flickered and died as soon as he understood Maldwyn's loyalties lay not with him but still with Ianto and his ridiculous friends. And yet, in truth, he did love him. He had almost as soon as he met him, but had been fighting it so long; the pain of the fight was almost as much of a comfort as the love itself.
Moses' spirits had been lifted by the capture of Melindawa, though. If there was a way to end this without bloodshed, this was it. She should be able to end this, convince Jack to give in. He'd considered bringing in UNIT; but their ambitions had never met his own needs. It was rather ironic that he'd been working for Torchwood for longer than most of Jack's team. Informally, of course - he disliked the term double agent; it rather made him feel like a cartoon character. So instead, he had seen himself as a contractor, making his own judgements about where to share his information. He'd never got it wrong, until he met Maldwyn. He lay back against the rocks behind him and wondered what his lover was doing right now.
~#~
Ianto watched as Maldwyn slept. Sitting in come-stained clothes had seemed awful and yet he couldn't leave him. So he'd stripped them off and now sat wrapped in a blanket in a chair in Maldwyn's room. If he left, he would have to tell Jack what had happened. Better to let Jack put it together... Jack would be rational. In the back of Ianto's mind, he wondered if he could really be so unlucky as to find his parents and lose his lover one weekend.
Now the lust had gone, he was back to his normal state of confusion over Maldwyn. There was a fear there; mainly about his unpredictability. However, he had proved himself tonight. He was worth trusting, if not loving. He could fall for his old friend only too easily, had Jack not taken up most of the space.
The door slammed below him, and he listened to the team trudge around. He knew from their voices that they had been unsuccessful. Only Jack knew where he was and...yes, that was Jack's footfall on the stair.
“Ianto?” Jack whispered, walking into the darkened room. Ianto waved a hand to alert Jack to where he was. “Come on, time for bed, my Ianto.” Jack took his hand, pulling Ianto to his feet. For a moment, Ianto feared that he would have to tell Jack. Oh, how could he tell Jack? Then the blanket, which he'd forgotten, fell to the floor, revealing his naked body beneath it. He trembled with cold, expecting the worst, looking into Jack's face in the shadows. Jack met his gaze, kissed him softly and without a pause, he lifted the blanket, pulling it back around Ianto's shoulders.
“Time for bed.”
~#~
Part Twelve
Pairing: Jack/Ianto overall, this part has a smidge of Ianto/OFC
Rating: 18 - sex
Summary: Plans & Mistakes
Disclaimer: TW characters are not mine...
Author's Notes: Beta by the gorgeous
avon_09 who worked like hell on this bit. And to
damalan for plot-betaing.
Ianto and Jack visit Melindawa at Torchwood HQ which means Ianto has to meet Maldwyn again. Maldwyn and Moses are to join the team in Cardiff. The mission is to find Ianto's parents. But other events unfold. Fogle and Stiles warn Ianto about Gay Serum and the people of Cardiff are desperate for sex...but it begins to spread. In the meantime, both Jack and Ianto suffer the trials of therapy and Jack is told to talk to Ianto in his sleep. Melindawa also retreats to Cardiff;he is in danger, a marked woman in danger from TW HQ. When they get to the Hub, Maldwyn & Moses are put under lock and key. Jack - whilst Ianto's asleep - speaks of his parents, but gets disturbed when someone starts creeping around the Hub...and it's not Maldwyn. The next morning, Mel tells the gang that something has to be done bout this thing called a Cathexis Transmitter which seems to be leaking. The team track it down at an underground Brothel. It's leaking sexual energy and whilst the team lock it down, Jack comes over all feak and weeble. The Brothel Madam is taken into custody with growing suspicion about Moses and Maldwyn's motives. The Torchwood team hit the road and revelations unfold, including a touch of angst. And our Mel has plans. In the last chapter, Jack and Ianto fell out, as did Moses and Maldwyn. Jack takes Maldwyn to one side to talk and he has something to say about Moses...
A recap on Time & Punishment or A Man in A Polyester Suit, there is a recap of both under the links as well as the full fics. You will also find full character profiles for the lead players along the lines of this fic there - including full disclosures regarding the rather purloined Fogle & Stiles characters. Since Dr Who, part of this fic has become non-cannon. Sorry!
And thanks again to everyone still reading! :)
Part Eleven
Melindawa had plans.
The first of which, was to deal with the Basim Madam, Dylis. She was very clearly far more knowledgeable than she was currently admitting. Owen and Tosh had done their best but the one thing they hadn’t had access to was the Cathexis Transmitter. And as far as Melindawa knew, neither of them had a photographic memory, which she most certainly did.
At the screen of the Transmitter, she had learned several things. It was clearly a conduit but it was also linked directly to the main Basimar transmitter on this world. More intriguing still was the fact that only one person had access to it. That person was Bianca Ford and she had last logged onto the machine just two weeks ago. Since Dylis claimed she had worked at the brothel for two years, she must have known Bianca and was probably in touch with her. Oh yes, Dylis was a weapon and one that Melindawa planned to use.
Despite her dislike of Bianca Ford, Melindawa had to give her grudging respect. All of the transmitters the Basim had on earth and other planets were linked, even though they were scattered across the universe. The main transmitter on earth, where the team were headed, was hidden in mountains and shielded by thick granite and dangerous roads. That Ford had hidden a conduit in a city, amongst man-made skyscrapers and beneath tons of concrete - Melindawa had to concede that it was almost genius.
The problem was that the Institute clearly had designs on the master transmitter. If it fell under their control, they could take over the others, which were spread across the universe, at a single command. The power they could generate would be valuable. For earth, it could end the reliance on fossil fuels, but that was just the start. With control of the transmitters, they would also have control of Basim and all its planetary colonies. If they had that, the Torchwood Institute would have more power than any other organisation known to man.
Melindawa knew far too much about Basim and she knew how they would react. With their transmitters’ power gone, they would fold and co-operate. By nature, they were rather unimaginative, although in Melindawa’s experience it was a criticism that could be levelled at many races in the universe. The Basim revered their whores and tortured their priests already; such was their dependence on the power courtesans generated via the transmitters. Without it, the Basimar government would easily be dominated. The priests would be killed and the whores worked harder than ever. And would any of the Basim colonies run to their aid? Would they help a world which refused to respect laws or ideas other than their own? No, Basim for all its current power would be truly alone; despite the protection it offered its colonies.
Melindawa wondered if the Basim should have put faith in more than just the generation of energy. It was a hard question and Melindawa, true to her own race, was not a religious woman. The Grenorgions had gods and worshippers who mainly prayed that they would be protected from pregnancy and the resulting terminal birth. Even then, most Grenorgions knew that the only real way of escaping that fate was to leave. The best way to do that was to work as a Diplomat, which took decades of training. Melindawa had never had the time; she had used her photographic memory to pass some exams though the study was still tedious. When a friend returned home for a holiday, Melindawa had hoped to talk her into helping her skip a few years training. However, on her first day back, the friend became pregnant and rather sweetly left behind her training records. Melindawa, despite her grief at the loss of her friend, used those records and her shuttle ticket to leave Grenorgia for good.
It was on that day, the working career of Melindawa Grove began. Since then, she had travelled the Universe with more style, grace and purpose than her dubious start would suggest. Melindawa was a natural; she was not only diplomatic, but also possessed of enough leadership quality to convince people to follow the right path. She may not have had faith but Melindawa knew she had a gift and she respected it. From day one, she decided that if people followed her she would be a worthy leader, even if it meant making choices she didn't want to.
~#~
Despite only Melindawa, Fogle and Stiles being in the Hub with the assorted prisoners, it was far from quiet. Melindawa had immediately contacted the Basim, advising them of the destruction of the conduit and that a suspect was in custody. Within a matter of thirty minutes, Torchwood HQ contacted Melindawa to clarify the Basim Army's clearance. She could tell by the tone that they were not pleased. She was therefore, not surprised that Torchwood Institute employees arrived before the Basim.
As far as the alien Army was concerned, the whole thing was quite straightforward. They wouldn't discuss the main Cathexis Transmitter but did accept that they did not officially sanction the conduit. It was only after they had left with Dylis, the Madam, that Torchwood HQ turned on Melindawa. They had sent two men she had trained, one of whom had once been in love with her. And yet, the Institute had convinced them both that Melindawa was dangerous.
The main questions had been whether she was able to stop to the destruction of the secondary transmitter and where the rest of the team where. After all, by the time they had arrived, Melindawa was the only person there, having given Fogle and Stiles very specific orders. Melindawa's job was to buy them enough time to complete their task. When she was finally bundled into a Torchwood SUV after long hours of questioning, she just hoped she had done enough.
~#~
At roughly the same time Fogle and Stiles were about to reach their destination, Ianto found himself at the wrong end of a gun. He wasn't entirely convinced he knew how this situation had arisen. One minute he was chatting away to Moses, listening to the low hum of Jack and Maldwyn's conversation from the kitchen. He'd turned, to find his way to a seat and before he knew it, he felt Moses at his back, holding a gun to his neck, telling him to stay quiet.
“Come with me, Ianto,” Moses whispered into his ear. “We'll make sure your parents are safe and we can leave. Come work with me, for the Institute; you're wasted in Cardiff, Ianto.”
“I'm going to make sure my parents are safe with or without you, Moses.” Ianto said calmly. He could see Moses' face mirrored in a glass-covered painting of Scafell in front of him. “And Cardiff is my home. I have no intention of leaving.”
“Maldwyn never had vision,” Moses whispered, his head against Ianto's and inhaling his scent. “You do, I know you do. Jack and the rest are fools, too sentimental to go far. But you have drive. I know about Lisa, I know about your arrest...where was Jack when you needed him, Ianto?”
“I remember Torchwood Tower,” Ianto said slowly. “I've seen what the Institute did and what they'll do again. I won't let it happen.”
“But you see Ianto, the problem is, I can't let you stop it either.” Moses said softly. “And I rather think that you might just be the best bargaining chip that I have. So, you're going to have to come with me.”
“I really don't think so.” came a familiar voice from the doorway. “Step away from Ianto and put the gun down.”
“Dr Harper.” Moses said. Ianto could see Moses' eyes close in exasperation. “You really do have a habit of being an incredibly irritating bastard.”
The gun dropped from Ianto's neck and almost immediately, now that the cool terror of death had succumbed, Ianto realised he was furious. He lifted his arm and bought it back fast, elbowing Moses hard in the ribs. Ianto could feel the sickening crunch of his elbow against Moses, watching the man fall backwards with a grunt. In his decent, Barclay tripped over the glass-topped coffee table, leaving it in shards of chipped wood and smashed glass. The noise alerted the entire house. Footsteps could be heard upstairs and Jack’s voice from the kitchen calling Ianto's name. But already it was too late. Moses had let the impetus of his stumble drive him forward into Owen's stomach, leaving the doctor sprawling. He grabbed his bag and barrelled towards the door, running out into the darkness.
Gwen gave chase first, followed by Owen. Jack's phone rang as he was leaving and he paused, waving Tosh to follow Moses out into the dark.
~#~
It was a while before it occurred to Stiles what a horrible position they'd left Melindawa in. She had explained to Fogle and Stiles that as long as she gave the right hints, the Institute would capture rather than kill her outright. She had decided it was a gamble worth taking. As Torchwood HQ had arrived shortly afterwards, both Stiles and Fogle were compelled to merely follow her orders.
The Basim couldn't transport inside the Hub, only the Tourist Office, and so the two men had waited for them there. After their conversation with Melindawa, they had come back upstairs with Dylis. Before they would transport out, Stiles stepped forward.
“Please, don't ask questions, we have reason to believe that the main Cathexis transmitter is in danger,” Stiles had told them quietly, firmly.
“We have agents on the ground,” Fogle added. “Stiles and I are heading off to meet them now.”
Stiles realised his lover was sexier than hell when he was serious.
“But we need your help, to distract those who would seek to control the transmitter for their own ends. Do you understand?”
The Basim General had nodded.
“Number One, we want you to contravene the Talinda Convention and bring your troops in without leave from Torchwood or UNIT.”
Stiles took up the tale; the Basim didn't know he and Fogle had a script. “You'll get through, but you need to time it perfectly; if you can get us there and give us a communication device, we'll make sure of that.”
“Number Two is that they'll arrest Miss Grove and we think, they'll take her with them to the Transmitter to negotiate with you.” Fogle added, fulfilling his part of the story. “If she's sent to you, please, turn her over to us. They won't negotiate and they will kill her.”
“She...doesn't mean anything to you,” Stiles whispered. He'd found himself speaking without being aware of it. Damn, he was no good at ad-libbing. “But she does to us, so...please.”
“I won't promise you anything,” the General replied. “But, if anyone's going to be on the ground and get shot unnecessarily, I'd rather it be you two than my troops. The plan is acceptable.”
With that, Fogle and Stiles had found themselves being transported to the location of the Basim Cathexis Transmitter. Everything was going to plan, until Stiles realised they had an awful lot to do and then, a three-mile hike to the house where the Torchwood team were staying.
It was after midnight when Fogle and Stiles got word that Melindawa was captured. As predicted, Torchwood HQ had phoned Stiles and told him and Fogle to stay in Cardiff and await transport back to the main building. He'd agreed, knowing it would do neither he nor Fogle much good if HQ knew how far from Cardiff the two men were. They weren’t staying put either they were calling Jack Harkness.
~#~
Maldwyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He'd told Jack they needed to watch Moses, but that he didn't think he would betray him. Now, it seemed he was wrong. All of it was wrong. And now Jack's friend was in trouble. Ianto had agreed to stay with Maldwyn whilst the rest of the team searched for Moses. But he knew Moses wasn't coming back and he knew that it was his responsibility to deal with it. He had bought this on his friends. Not just Ianto, but Jack who had a good heart, even if he doubted it. He'd bought it on Owen, who'd spent the whole journey to Cumbria encouraging Maldwyn to talk, even if Moses tried to stifle him. He'd bought it on Tosh and Gwen, neither of whom he knew well, but had treated him with honesty and kindness. And now, he was here and Ianto was scared for Jack, just as Maldwyn was scared for them all, but mainly for himself.
“Ianto,” Maldwyn said, watching his friend stare out of the cottage window into the darkness. Ianto had spent the last 30 minutes cleaning up the mess from the coffee table; refusing to let Maldwyn help him. Eventually, he'd yelled at Maldwyn to sit down and stay out of it; telling him he had to clean up his own mess. Since then, they'd been in silence.
“Sorry,” Ianto replied. He turned to face Maldwyn, who realised how tired he looked. Again. “I'm not very good company am I? Go to bed if you want.”
“Will you come with me?” Maldwyn asked. He watched suspicion and misgivings flicker over Ianto's expression. “Don't worry, I just...you look tired and I don't want to be alone or leave you alone and we're all each other have at the moment, so if you can, perhaps we can just try to go to sleep and get some rest.” He was gabbling, he realised it, but he couldn't stop. Now his voice had been heard, he didn't want to go back to silence again. He couldn't; it was too painful to carry on living in his own head, with its monsters and fear of the dark. “I think it would be better, you can keep an eye on me, see? And then, I can keep an eye on you, but you can rest and I can too, and there'll be nothing to clean and I promise, I won't upset you...”
“It's alright,” Ianto said quietly. “I'll lock the door and text Jack to let him know that we're upstairs and to ring if he can't get in. It's a good idea. You seem a bit shaky, the rest would do you good.”
The two men had trudged upstairs, to lie in the bed that was to be Moses and Maldwyn's. Ianto had remained clothed and sat half upright against the bed head. He huffed when Maldwyn began to remove his jeans, leaving himself in a t-shirt and his y-fronts. When Maldwyn realised that Ianto was half watching him undress, he mentally thanked himself for having a shower and putting on clean undies when he'd arrived; knowing that unless he was prodded, he let his hygiene slip. And then, Maldwyn slipped into bed next to Ianto, looking up at him with green eyes and asked him for a bedtime story.
~#~
Jack followed the footfalls of his team, his blood pounding in his ears. He was angry; for leaving Ianto to deal with Moses, at himself for not acting sooner, and at Melindawa for doing what she had. He'd told Stiles they were hunting for Moses, and the two men had agreed to stand guard at Ianto's parents' cottage. Though Jack was sure Moses wouldn't show his face. He would tell the Institute everything, and the element of surprise that he and his team once had, would be lost. Unless they could find Moses first.
~#~
Ianto wasn't sure how it had come to this. It had started when he was listening to Maldwyn speak of Moses' betrayal. It had seemed right to comfort him when he became fretful. It had seemed right to kiss him when he looked up at him and thanked Ianto for not hating him. It hadn't seemed right to stop Maldwyn thrusting against him. Ianto had ignored his own erection for as long as he could, just letting Maldwyn rub against him, until he found himself mindlessly returning each thrust, each kiss, each tender ministration. Ianto was still fully clothed and Maldwyn still had his shirt on and his y-fronts, though Maldwyn's hard cock had long since slipped its confines and was leaking against the front of Ianto's trousers.
Maldwyn's green eyes seemed to burn into him, neither man losing eye contact. If Ianto had wanted to use the excuse he had been thinking of Jack, it would be wrong. He wasn't. He was thinking of the pain he saw in his friend's eyes, the desperation. He knew that if Maldwyn said the wrong word this would stop; but he was caught between wanting him to and praying that he wouldn't. The friction was so good. He realised that he was going to come in his trousers and smiled, knowing it was apt that he should considering Maldwyn was once his schoolboy crush.
Perhaps it was the smile that broke the spell, but suddenly, Maldwyn was a different man and he pushed Ianto back, pinning him to the bed. His thrusts were harder, almost painful.
“What's so fucking funny?” Maldwyn ground out, staring down at his friend and then, rather at odds with his aggression, he kissed Ianto softly. Ianto finally let his eyes close to the kiss, unable to meet Maldwyn's gaze any longer. “Don't laugh at me, please don't.” Maldwyn whispered into his ear.
“Wasn't...laughing at you,” Ianto whispered back. “Wouldn't, harder…please?” He pushed Maldwyn back, feeling his friend pause and then relent. He swung a leg over Maldwyn's body, bringing his groin as close as he could to his friend's. “Please,” Ianto whispered again, needing more friction. He knew he would be disappointed if this stopped. He had carried this torch for too long, loving Maldwyn, hating him, lusting after him and fearing him. Now the lust was back, it was taking over and that was, in itself, a blissful relief.
Finally, it seemed to Ianto that for Maldwyn, a switch had flicked on. He grabbed Ianto's arse, bringing him close, thrusting against him, humming in Ianto's ear. It began softly at first, the volume increasing as his movements became faster. Ianto too was thrusting against his friend, whispering curses under his breath. Just like Jack did, he dimly realised, feeling his balls tighten and he came, panting, confused and suddenly so very sorry. Maldwyn's hum seemed to turn to a roar as he came against Ianto, draping himself over Ianto's body as he did so.
~#~
Moses had long since lost the Torchwood team; he knew he would; after all, he'd been here many times before. He knew this place, the lie of the mountains, the gullies and the places to hide. If he were lucky, one or more of the team would break their necks on the craggy rocks. He no longer regretted bringing Maldwyn into this. That had flickered and died as soon as he understood Maldwyn's loyalties lay not with him but still with Ianto and his ridiculous friends. And yet, in truth, he did love him. He had almost as soon as he met him, but had been fighting it so long; the pain of the fight was almost as much of a comfort as the love itself.
Moses' spirits had been lifted by the capture of Melindawa, though. If there was a way to end this without bloodshed, this was it. She should be able to end this, convince Jack to give in. He'd considered bringing in UNIT; but their ambitions had never met his own needs. It was rather ironic that he'd been working for Torchwood for longer than most of Jack's team. Informally, of course - he disliked the term double agent; it rather made him feel like a cartoon character. So instead, he had seen himself as a contractor, making his own judgements about where to share his information. He'd never got it wrong, until he met Maldwyn. He lay back against the rocks behind him and wondered what his lover was doing right now.
~#~
Ianto watched as Maldwyn slept. Sitting in come-stained clothes had seemed awful and yet he couldn't leave him. So he'd stripped them off and now sat wrapped in a blanket in a chair in Maldwyn's room. If he left, he would have to tell Jack what had happened. Better to let Jack put it together... Jack would be rational. In the back of Ianto's mind, he wondered if he could really be so unlucky as to find his parents and lose his lover one weekend.
Now the lust had gone, he was back to his normal state of confusion over Maldwyn. There was a fear there; mainly about his unpredictability. However, he had proved himself tonight. He was worth trusting, if not loving. He could fall for his old friend only too easily, had Jack not taken up most of the space.
The door slammed below him, and he listened to the team trudge around. He knew from their voices that they had been unsuccessful. Only Jack knew where he was and...yes, that was Jack's footfall on the stair.
“Ianto?” Jack whispered, walking into the darkened room. Ianto waved a hand to alert Jack to where he was. “Come on, time for bed, my Ianto.” Jack took his hand, pulling Ianto to his feet. For a moment, Ianto feared that he would have to tell Jack. Oh, how could he tell Jack? Then the blanket, which he'd forgotten, fell to the floor, revealing his naked body beneath it. He trembled with cold, expecting the worst, looking into Jack's face in the shadows. Jack met his gaze, kissed him softly and without a pause, he lifted the blanket, pulling it back around Ianto's shoulders.
“Time for bed.”
~#~
Part Twelve