To Give & Forget - Part Fourteen
Title: To Give and Forget - Part 14 of 15
Pairing: Jack/Ianto overall
Rating: 15 for swearing
Summary: The final meeting.
Disclaimer: TW characters are not mine...
Author's Notes: Betaed by the terribly gorgeous and talented
avon_09 - I really owe her a pint and cuddle. The man who got the horses all going in the right direction plot wise, was
damalan.
The Story So Far: 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; 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, who escapes. Jack returns after searching to find that Ianto has slept with Maldwyn. In the meantime, Mel is willingly captured and Fogle and Stiles are trying to be clever. A battle takes place between our team with the Basim, Unit and TW HQ. In the melee, Maldwyn is shot by Moses who returns with a gun to Melindawa's head. Sadly, our heroine is killed much to Jack's distress. Tosh is also injured, Moses killed in the crossfire. What the battle is over, Ianto's father suddenly recognises him as his long-lost son.
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. It's my AU and I'll write if I want to.
Still here? Thank you! *Hugs*
I did complete crumple to demand and post this bit early. The final bit will have to wait until next week I'm afraid. :)
Part Fourteen
It was a warm, calm summer night. The sun was just dropping into the valley below them, the pink flush of the sky framing the mountains. It gave the sheep that were wandering around a slightly rose-gold glow. A group of people sat atop a hill, surrounded by stones. The house and Basimar Cathexis Transmitter were located just a few miles down the valley, though any journey there had to be done on roads less travelled. This spot had been used for centuries, the stone circle was part organic, part built and it stood as a fortress of peace for the inhabitants of more than one world.
The figures were sat inside the stone globe, with a polished wooden table in the centre. Only one man knew had hard it had been to get the table and the seats here. He sat in the centre, next to his lover and wondered how long the meeting would go on.
Ianto was surprised that the Basimar government had assembled so many. All of the Torchwood Cardiff team were here, including Fogle, Stiles and Maldwyn. From U.N.I.T., Colonel Teague sat looking stiff and proud. On one side, sat his right hand man, Corporal Singh, on his left, Commander Buchaur, the Quality Control officer of the European arm. From the Basimar Government, were Minister Prevlis, his army General Rambuc and a secretary who was introduced as Shirley.
Tosh had made a good recovery from her injury, Ianto’s mother and Owen having stemmed the bleeding until she was taken to U.N.I.T’s military hospital in Keswick. She had been there for a week following the battle and since this meeting took place just a week afterwards, there had seemed little point in her going anywhere. Gwen and Owen had been back to Cardiff, had manned the office and frustrated Jack with their complete inability to sort out anything without an argument. Ianto and Jack had stayed here, first taking care of Melindawa’s funeral, supervising the clean-up operation after the battle and staying well away from the dissolution of Torchwood HQ. It was of this that Prevlis now spoke…
“I understand that the Torchwood Institute has been closed down.” Prevlis’ voice was calm and somnambulant “We understand that U.N.I.T. has taken their pick of staff and so, of course, have we. What is this talk of the office in Edinburgh?”
Tosh lifted her head. “The Office there… is strange. In fact, no one has been able to contact the man who runs it. However, since he seems to defer most work to us, we feel he can be managed.” Her blush almost gave the game away.
Jack nodded. “They are no threat, Minister Prevlis.”
The Minister seemed to agree. Ianto fought the instinct to let out a sigh of relief. The truth was, no one had dared face the strange man in Torchwood Scotland. However, since all he seemed to do was buy strange items from online auction sites, it seemed unlikely he would cause trouble.
“It is the decision of the Basimar government that several things should now happen.” Prevlis began speaking again. He nudged Shirley for some papers that she passed to him with a dark look. “We realise that the families of ex-Torchwood employees are stationed near all of our Transmitters; clearly something that the criminal Barclay put into place. We suggest they stay but only under the command of Captain Harkness. U.N.I.T. will provide back-up only.”
Ianto could hear Teague’s gasp. Jack took Ianto’s hand and squeezed it.
“How dare you…. “ Teague began. His voice boomed out over the field. To their right, a sheep, which had been supping on a patch of grass close by, gave Teague a look and then continued eating nonchalantly. “Harkness can’t handle this… we’ve looked after the Transmitters for years!”
“And you let one of your own employees almost take control of them all.” Prevlis’ previously calm voice had taken on a stronger tone. Even Fogle, who had been half asleep, looked impressed. “Melindawa Grove was the only one who knew what was going on…and she came to us. If she trusted Harkness, then we will too.”
“But you hate Torchwood…” Teague spluttered.
“I had little respect for the Institute. In Captain Harkness, we have a man who we can trust.” Prevlis started at Teague with an unspoken threat, daring him to talk. Teague stood down.
“In addition, the Basimar government have decided that no one will stand trial for the death of Moses Barclay.” Prevlis let the words hang in the air. He seemed to soak up the gasps from all those present. Teague was hopping in the corner; Jack shook his head, Maldwyn looked merely alarmed. Ianto prayed that Fogle and Stiles would keep their mouths shut.
“Bastard deserved what he got!” Fogle shouted. Ianto resisted the urge to slip down under the table.
Commander Buchaur stood. “I concur with the Basimar government.” He had an entrancing Belgian accent, though his English was perfect. He looked Prevlis in the eye. “Of the twenty-one gunshot wounds on Mr Barclay’s body, only six were human-made bullets. None of them, even combined, would have been enough to kill him.”
Prevlis blinked and then blinked again. It had never occurred to him that U.N.I.T. would conduct an autopsy, even though they had claimed the body.
General Rambuc nodded. “As Mr Fogle said, the bastard deserved what he got. The Basimar army will take responsibility for the death. We consider it justice served.”
Ianto looked to Maldwyn, who was looking at his hands. Oh, if only they knew.
Prevlis was talking again. “As Torchwood knows, we have replaced the residents of the cottage ‘Myfanwy’ here in Cumbria.” One by one, each member of the Torchwood team smiled. “Mr Fogle and Mr Stiles have taken occupancy already. Subject to Dr Harper’s report, Mr Bevans will join them shortly.”
Owen got shakily to his feet. Ianto hardly blamed him for his nerves. On the fateful night Ianto and Maldwyn spent together, they had talked briefly of a film they both liked. It included a scene where a policeman had saved his best friend by pretending to stab him, faking the attack with the help of a notebook and some tomato ketchup. The idea had resounded. If there were a battle, Moses would threaten Maldwyn, seeking to bargain with the Torchwood team. Both men knew that Maldwyn’s mental health made him vulnerable… who would care if he were killed?
On the day of the battle, Ianto had helped his old friend into his bullet-proof jacket and help decorate it with bags of ketchup. That Moses shot him was hardly a surprise. Both men had a shared but unspoken understanding that it would, most likely, lead to Moses’ death. That Jack had sought to heal Bevans with a scorching kiss on the battlefield was unexpected. How on earth was Owen going to explain the least of it…that Maldwyn had escaped with bruises? Not only that, but everyone had noticed that Maldwyn was, well… more normal these days.
“As we are all aware, Mr Bevans was injured during the battle,” Owen began confidently. Ianto noticed he'd softened his accent. “What we were unaware of, was that Mr Bevans’ mental state has been improving. He had the presence of mind to be wearing solid body armour during the battle. Which, since we had never though of him as a soldier, makes perfect sense. That Bevans reached this conclusion himself, lends credence to the fact that he’s more stable than we might’ve thought. The blood from Mr Bevans’ injury came from a nick to a blood vessel on his abdomen. However, physically, he is sore but fit.”
Prevlis nodded. Teague looked suspicious. “What of his mental health?”
“As you know, I witnessed another psychological evaluation conducted by an independent psychologist agreed by ourselves, U.N.I.T. and the Basimar government.”
Prevlis and Teague both nodded. Ianto looked over at Maldwyn who was biting his lip. Stiles gave his arm a friendly punch. Gwen, who was sat the other side of Bevans, scowled. The two had got closer since she had talked him into the second psychiatric evaluation. Maldwyn had hated the idea but Gwen had convinced him that he would be fine. He had agreed only the on the condition that Owen was present. In the end, both Owen and the psychologist had been amazed by Bevan’s intelligence and well…normality.
“It was our opinion that Mr Bevans has been getting better.” Owen looked down at his notes. “We were surprised, but as someone who has grown to know Mr Bevans, I had noticed that he has been slowly getting better since he stopped being given drugs. However, we have backed this up with a new MRI, which…proves it.” Owen shrugged.
“So that’s it?” Teague smirked. “You want us to believe the man who stalked a member of the Torchwood team is now better?”
“It was our original view, and Mr Bevan’s first MRI backed it up, that the combination of drugs in his system had affected Maldwyn’s cortical neural oscillations and eventually, his neural network and neurotransmitters.” Owen looked up at Teague briefly. “It suggested that his cognitive functions had become slightly damaged. We think his sense of time, and his short-term memory was fucked, basically. As a result, he clung to Ianto - the last, most coherent thought he remembered. The rest was fog and haze.”
Owen shook out a MRI scan. “The damaged areas of neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia and the caudate nucleus, here in particular, were irreparable. The new MRI shows they’re beginning to function again. The damage to the caudate nucleus is relevant; love visibly affects it. And the love Maldwyn felt for Ianto was locked in…but not now. Damage to this part of the brain also increases the likelihood of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. The damage might not be fully repaired, but it’s healed enough for Maldwyn to be functioning without obsession and without being a danger to himself or others.”
Owen stared at Teague. Ianto followed his gaze and saw Teague drop his glance. Owen turned back to Prevlis. “It’s my opinion he is capable of doing the job you want him too. On a personal note, I think he’ll be bloody good at it.” Owen threw the scans and file to Prevlis over the table and sat down. He shared a brief look with Jack and took a deep breath.
“Excellent.” Prevlis gathered up the lose files, passing them to Shirley. “I have also placed my own man on the scene too, Corporal Fred Pani. We are building him quarters next to the site.”
Teague glared at Maldwyn and then at Jack. His scowl dropped. “U.N.I.T. will continue to provide back up?” A stray sheep wandered over and gave Teague a vacant glare before starting to lunch on his shoelaces.
Prevlis nodded.
“Then we agree to the plan.” Teague was clearly unhappy but had decided that discretion was the greater part of valour.
That done and the unpleasant task of numbering the dead and wounded from the battle began. Singh gave the numbers of U.N.I.T. casualties, Shirley for the Basimar army. Ianto noticed that Maldwyn sat looking nervous, biting at his lip wishing he was anywhere but here.
The rest of the meeting dragged and more and more, the sounds of shuffling feet became more prevalent. Ianto began to notice Jack increasingly looking over to a faraway corner of the field. The whole thing was also clearly too much for Fogle, who snored loudly. Maldwyn nudged Stiles, who reflexively smacked Fogle. Ianto looked over to Owen, who was making eyes at Shirley. It might have been that which eventually bought the meeting to a close.
The Torchwood team remained seated as the handshakes and departing comments were made. Everyone tried not to laugh when Teague stumbled in his half-eaten shoe. Unnoticed, Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand when he realised he was looking into the distance again. To the spot marked with a green alien stone, so well camouflaged with it’s surroundings, unless you knew it was there, it would be passed unobserved.
Ianto leaned towards Jack. “Do you want to go say hello?”
Jack turned to Ianto leaning closer and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I think we ought to go and tell her about the meeting, don’t you?” Jack stood and still holding Ianto’s hand, pulled him to his feet.
“You get to tell her about Maldwyn’s brain though.” Ianto smiled.
Jack leaned in close to Ianto again. “Did you understand any of that?”
“I think it meant that you snogging him made Maldwyn a bit less scary.”
Jack winked and turned to the stone, pulling Ianto along with him. They had gone less than four paces when a voice rang out.
“Where the fuck are you two going?” Griped Owen.
“Yeah… where are you sneaking off too?” Ianto turned to see Fogle looking at them suspiciously, the rest of the team staring after them.
“We’re going to go have a chat to Mel.” Ianto replied softly. He felt Jack squeeze his fingers.
“Come if you want to.” and with that, Jack began pulling Ianto back towards Melindawa’s grave.
Ianto heard the team troop along behind them. He spared a backward glance to see Tosh and Gwen walking towards them arm in arm. Owen and Maldwyn were keeping in step, the doctor with his arm slung around the younger man’s shoulders. Behind them, Fogle and Stiles were using the standing stones as cover from unknown assailants, rolling across the grass, their guns drawn. Ianto giggled to himself.
“If they start yelling cover me, you’re probably going to lose it aren’t ya?” Jack said softly.
Ianto nodded, trying to stifle bubbling laughter.
When they reached the graveside, Jack sat on the grass by the side of the unnaturally warm glass-like rock that was Melindawa’s headstone. Ianto took his white carnation from his buttonhole and placed it by the side of the stone. They waited for the others to gather around. When all were settled, Jack finally spoke.
“Hello Mel,” he said softly, brushing stray blades of grass from the headstone. “We’ve just had a meeting… up here. I think you were wrong about this place…”
Ianto smiled. He remembered Jack telling him about this place, when they had made the decision to bury Melindawa here. Grenorgion diplomats had used the stone circle for talks on earth. It was a place of peace; a peace that grew out of the earth and surrounded everyone within the circle. In winter, it was also freezing and to be honest, that fact rather tended to speed things up. Jack had felt that Melindawa would rather approve of the irony. Professional but with a touch of conniving and all done with a graceful heart. Yes, it would do her well.
“Anyway, we’re just had a very interesting meeting,” Jack said conversationally. “The institute is gone and the Basimar government think we’re wonderful.”
Tosh began to laugh. “Do it properly Jack.” She gasped between giggles. “You know Mel wouldn’t have allowed you to get away with a debrief like that!”
And so they began again, each member of the team contributing something. They laughed and hugged each other and joked with their team-member interred in the earth. Owen explained about Maldwyn’s brain, at Jack’s request. Then Maldwyn explained he and Ianto’s trick, before Gwen explained that Jack should stop kissing people!
A moment of silence followed as everyone remembered that Jack’s kisses had failed to save Melindawa. It moved Fogle to promise Mel that they would always look after her. It almost bought Stiles to tears.
And over the hills, Ianto would almost have sworn he could smell the aroma of pipe tobacco.
~#~
Part Fifteen
Pairing: Jack/Ianto overall
Rating: 15 for swearing
Summary: The final meeting.
Disclaimer: TW characters are not mine...
Author's Notes: Betaed by the terribly gorgeous and talented
avon_09 - I really owe her a pint and cuddle. The man who got the horses all going in the right direction plot wise, was
damalan.
The Story So Far: 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; 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, who escapes. Jack returns after searching to find that Ianto has slept with Maldwyn. In the meantime, Mel is willingly captured and Fogle and Stiles are trying to be clever. A battle takes place between our team with the Basim, Unit and TW HQ. In the melee, Maldwyn is shot by Moses who returns with a gun to Melindawa's head. Sadly, our heroine is killed much to Jack's distress. Tosh is also injured, Moses killed in the crossfire. What the battle is over, Ianto's father suddenly recognises him as his long-lost son.
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. It's my AU and I'll write if I want to.
Still here? Thank you! *Hugs*
I did complete crumple to demand and post this bit early. The final bit will have to wait until next week I'm afraid. :)
Part Fourteen
It was a warm, calm summer night. The sun was just dropping into the valley below them, the pink flush of the sky framing the mountains. It gave the sheep that were wandering around a slightly rose-gold glow. A group of people sat atop a hill, surrounded by stones. The house and Basimar Cathexis Transmitter were located just a few miles down the valley, though any journey there had to be done on roads less travelled. This spot had been used for centuries, the stone circle was part organic, part built and it stood as a fortress of peace for the inhabitants of more than one world.
The figures were sat inside the stone globe, with a polished wooden table in the centre. Only one man knew had hard it had been to get the table and the seats here. He sat in the centre, next to his lover and wondered how long the meeting would go on.
Ianto was surprised that the Basimar government had assembled so many. All of the Torchwood Cardiff team were here, including Fogle, Stiles and Maldwyn. From U.N.I.T., Colonel Teague sat looking stiff and proud. On one side, sat his right hand man, Corporal Singh, on his left, Commander Buchaur, the Quality Control officer of the European arm. From the Basimar Government, were Minister Prevlis, his army General Rambuc and a secretary who was introduced as Shirley.
Tosh had made a good recovery from her injury, Ianto’s mother and Owen having stemmed the bleeding until she was taken to U.N.I.T’s military hospital in Keswick. She had been there for a week following the battle and since this meeting took place just a week afterwards, there had seemed little point in her going anywhere. Gwen and Owen had been back to Cardiff, had manned the office and frustrated Jack with their complete inability to sort out anything without an argument. Ianto and Jack had stayed here, first taking care of Melindawa’s funeral, supervising the clean-up operation after the battle and staying well away from the dissolution of Torchwood HQ. It was of this that Prevlis now spoke…
“I understand that the Torchwood Institute has been closed down.” Prevlis’ voice was calm and somnambulant “We understand that U.N.I.T. has taken their pick of staff and so, of course, have we. What is this talk of the office in Edinburgh?”
Tosh lifted her head. “The Office there… is strange. In fact, no one has been able to contact the man who runs it. However, since he seems to defer most work to us, we feel he can be managed.” Her blush almost gave the game away.
Jack nodded. “They are no threat, Minister Prevlis.”
The Minister seemed to agree. Ianto fought the instinct to let out a sigh of relief. The truth was, no one had dared face the strange man in Torchwood Scotland. However, since all he seemed to do was buy strange items from online auction sites, it seemed unlikely he would cause trouble.
“It is the decision of the Basimar government that several things should now happen.” Prevlis began speaking again. He nudged Shirley for some papers that she passed to him with a dark look. “We realise that the families of ex-Torchwood employees are stationed near all of our Transmitters; clearly something that the criminal Barclay put into place. We suggest they stay but only under the command of Captain Harkness. U.N.I.T. will provide back-up only.”
Ianto could hear Teague’s gasp. Jack took Ianto’s hand and squeezed it.
“How dare you…. “ Teague began. His voice boomed out over the field. To their right, a sheep, which had been supping on a patch of grass close by, gave Teague a look and then continued eating nonchalantly. “Harkness can’t handle this… we’ve looked after the Transmitters for years!”
“And you let one of your own employees almost take control of them all.” Prevlis’ previously calm voice had taken on a stronger tone. Even Fogle, who had been half asleep, looked impressed. “Melindawa Grove was the only one who knew what was going on…and she came to us. If she trusted Harkness, then we will too.”
“But you hate Torchwood…” Teague spluttered.
“I had little respect for the Institute. In Captain Harkness, we have a man who we can trust.” Prevlis started at Teague with an unspoken threat, daring him to talk. Teague stood down.
“In addition, the Basimar government have decided that no one will stand trial for the death of Moses Barclay.” Prevlis let the words hang in the air. He seemed to soak up the gasps from all those present. Teague was hopping in the corner; Jack shook his head, Maldwyn looked merely alarmed. Ianto prayed that Fogle and Stiles would keep their mouths shut.
“Bastard deserved what he got!” Fogle shouted. Ianto resisted the urge to slip down under the table.
Commander Buchaur stood. “I concur with the Basimar government.” He had an entrancing Belgian accent, though his English was perfect. He looked Prevlis in the eye. “Of the twenty-one gunshot wounds on Mr Barclay’s body, only six were human-made bullets. None of them, even combined, would have been enough to kill him.”
Prevlis blinked and then blinked again. It had never occurred to him that U.N.I.T. would conduct an autopsy, even though they had claimed the body.
General Rambuc nodded. “As Mr Fogle said, the bastard deserved what he got. The Basimar army will take responsibility for the death. We consider it justice served.”
Ianto looked to Maldwyn, who was looking at his hands. Oh, if only they knew.
Prevlis was talking again. “As Torchwood knows, we have replaced the residents of the cottage ‘Myfanwy’ here in Cumbria.” One by one, each member of the Torchwood team smiled. “Mr Fogle and Mr Stiles have taken occupancy already. Subject to Dr Harper’s report, Mr Bevans will join them shortly.”
Owen got shakily to his feet. Ianto hardly blamed him for his nerves. On the fateful night Ianto and Maldwyn spent together, they had talked briefly of a film they both liked. It included a scene where a policeman had saved his best friend by pretending to stab him, faking the attack with the help of a notebook and some tomato ketchup. The idea had resounded. If there were a battle, Moses would threaten Maldwyn, seeking to bargain with the Torchwood team. Both men knew that Maldwyn’s mental health made him vulnerable… who would care if he were killed?
On the day of the battle, Ianto had helped his old friend into his bullet-proof jacket and help decorate it with bags of ketchup. That Moses shot him was hardly a surprise. Both men had a shared but unspoken understanding that it would, most likely, lead to Moses’ death. That Jack had sought to heal Bevans with a scorching kiss on the battlefield was unexpected. How on earth was Owen going to explain the least of it…that Maldwyn had escaped with bruises? Not only that, but everyone had noticed that Maldwyn was, well… more normal these days.
“As we are all aware, Mr Bevans was injured during the battle,” Owen began confidently. Ianto noticed he'd softened his accent. “What we were unaware of, was that Mr Bevans’ mental state has been improving. He had the presence of mind to be wearing solid body armour during the battle. Which, since we had never though of him as a soldier, makes perfect sense. That Bevans reached this conclusion himself, lends credence to the fact that he’s more stable than we might’ve thought. The blood from Mr Bevans’ injury came from a nick to a blood vessel on his abdomen. However, physically, he is sore but fit.”
Prevlis nodded. Teague looked suspicious. “What of his mental health?”
“As you know, I witnessed another psychological evaluation conducted by an independent psychologist agreed by ourselves, U.N.I.T. and the Basimar government.”
Prevlis and Teague both nodded. Ianto looked over at Maldwyn who was biting his lip. Stiles gave his arm a friendly punch. Gwen, who was sat the other side of Bevans, scowled. The two had got closer since she had talked him into the second psychiatric evaluation. Maldwyn had hated the idea but Gwen had convinced him that he would be fine. He had agreed only the on the condition that Owen was present. In the end, both Owen and the psychologist had been amazed by Bevan’s intelligence and well…normality.
“It was our opinion that Mr Bevans has been getting better.” Owen looked down at his notes. “We were surprised, but as someone who has grown to know Mr Bevans, I had noticed that he has been slowly getting better since he stopped being given drugs. However, we have backed this up with a new MRI, which…proves it.” Owen shrugged.
“So that’s it?” Teague smirked. “You want us to believe the man who stalked a member of the Torchwood team is now better?”
“It was our original view, and Mr Bevan’s first MRI backed it up, that the combination of drugs in his system had affected Maldwyn’s cortical neural oscillations and eventually, his neural network and neurotransmitters.” Owen looked up at Teague briefly. “It suggested that his cognitive functions had become slightly damaged. We think his sense of time, and his short-term memory was fucked, basically. As a result, he clung to Ianto - the last, most coherent thought he remembered. The rest was fog and haze.”
Owen shook out a MRI scan. “The damaged areas of neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia and the caudate nucleus, here in particular, were irreparable. The new MRI shows they’re beginning to function again. The damage to the caudate nucleus is relevant; love visibly affects it. And the love Maldwyn felt for Ianto was locked in…but not now. Damage to this part of the brain also increases the likelihood of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. The damage might not be fully repaired, but it’s healed enough for Maldwyn to be functioning without obsession and without being a danger to himself or others.”
Owen stared at Teague. Ianto followed his gaze and saw Teague drop his glance. Owen turned back to Prevlis. “It’s my opinion he is capable of doing the job you want him too. On a personal note, I think he’ll be bloody good at it.” Owen threw the scans and file to Prevlis over the table and sat down. He shared a brief look with Jack and took a deep breath.
“Excellent.” Prevlis gathered up the lose files, passing them to Shirley. “I have also placed my own man on the scene too, Corporal Fred Pani. We are building him quarters next to the site.”
Teague glared at Maldwyn and then at Jack. His scowl dropped. “U.N.I.T. will continue to provide back up?” A stray sheep wandered over and gave Teague a vacant glare before starting to lunch on his shoelaces.
Prevlis nodded.
“Then we agree to the plan.” Teague was clearly unhappy but had decided that discretion was the greater part of valour.
That done and the unpleasant task of numbering the dead and wounded from the battle began. Singh gave the numbers of U.N.I.T. casualties, Shirley for the Basimar army. Ianto noticed that Maldwyn sat looking nervous, biting at his lip wishing he was anywhere but here.
The rest of the meeting dragged and more and more, the sounds of shuffling feet became more prevalent. Ianto began to notice Jack increasingly looking over to a faraway corner of the field. The whole thing was also clearly too much for Fogle, who snored loudly. Maldwyn nudged Stiles, who reflexively smacked Fogle. Ianto looked over to Owen, who was making eyes at Shirley. It might have been that which eventually bought the meeting to a close.
The Torchwood team remained seated as the handshakes and departing comments were made. Everyone tried not to laugh when Teague stumbled in his half-eaten shoe. Unnoticed, Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand when he realised he was looking into the distance again. To the spot marked with a green alien stone, so well camouflaged with it’s surroundings, unless you knew it was there, it would be passed unobserved.
Ianto leaned towards Jack. “Do you want to go say hello?”
Jack turned to Ianto leaning closer and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I think we ought to go and tell her about the meeting, don’t you?” Jack stood and still holding Ianto’s hand, pulled him to his feet.
“You get to tell her about Maldwyn’s brain though.” Ianto smiled.
Jack leaned in close to Ianto again. “Did you understand any of that?”
“I think it meant that you snogging him made Maldwyn a bit less scary.”
Jack winked and turned to the stone, pulling Ianto along with him. They had gone less than four paces when a voice rang out.
“Where the fuck are you two going?” Griped Owen.
“Yeah… where are you sneaking off too?” Ianto turned to see Fogle looking at them suspiciously, the rest of the team staring after them.
“We’re going to go have a chat to Mel.” Ianto replied softly. He felt Jack squeeze his fingers.
“Come if you want to.” and with that, Jack began pulling Ianto back towards Melindawa’s grave.
Ianto heard the team troop along behind them. He spared a backward glance to see Tosh and Gwen walking towards them arm in arm. Owen and Maldwyn were keeping in step, the doctor with his arm slung around the younger man’s shoulders. Behind them, Fogle and Stiles were using the standing stones as cover from unknown assailants, rolling across the grass, their guns drawn. Ianto giggled to himself.
“If they start yelling cover me, you’re probably going to lose it aren’t ya?” Jack said softly.
Ianto nodded, trying to stifle bubbling laughter.
When they reached the graveside, Jack sat on the grass by the side of the unnaturally warm glass-like rock that was Melindawa’s headstone. Ianto took his white carnation from his buttonhole and placed it by the side of the stone. They waited for the others to gather around. When all were settled, Jack finally spoke.
“Hello Mel,” he said softly, brushing stray blades of grass from the headstone. “We’ve just had a meeting… up here. I think you were wrong about this place…”
Ianto smiled. He remembered Jack telling him about this place, when they had made the decision to bury Melindawa here. Grenorgion diplomats had used the stone circle for talks on earth. It was a place of peace; a peace that grew out of the earth and surrounded everyone within the circle. In winter, it was also freezing and to be honest, that fact rather tended to speed things up. Jack had felt that Melindawa would rather approve of the irony. Professional but with a touch of conniving and all done with a graceful heart. Yes, it would do her well.
“Anyway, we’re just had a very interesting meeting,” Jack said conversationally. “The institute is gone and the Basimar government think we’re wonderful.”
Tosh began to laugh. “Do it properly Jack.” She gasped between giggles. “You know Mel wouldn’t have allowed you to get away with a debrief like that!”
And so they began again, each member of the team contributing something. They laughed and hugged each other and joked with their team-member interred in the earth. Owen explained about Maldwyn’s brain, at Jack’s request. Then Maldwyn explained he and Ianto’s trick, before Gwen explained that Jack should stop kissing people!
A moment of silence followed as everyone remembered that Jack’s kisses had failed to save Melindawa. It moved Fogle to promise Mel that they would always look after her. It almost bought Stiles to tears.
And over the hills, Ianto would almost have sworn he could smell the aroma of pipe tobacco.
~#~
Part Fifteen